SNOWSWEPT

by CuddleFae

Dr. Lauren Lewis has been assigned to oversee the opening of a new hospital. Overwhelmed by all there is to know and learn in an unfamiliar land, she crosses paths with a mysterious woman with a dark past - a past that has caused her to live by one rule. Trust no one. Thrown into a desperate struggle, can they overcome the barriers between them in their fight to survive?

55. Chapter 55: Tall Ships and Tall Orders

A/N: SECOND chapter of double chapter post – Chapters 54-55

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CHAPTER 55: TALL SHIPS AND TALL ORDERS

THE GRACIE MARIE

The ride back to the harbor brought with it, another round of rapid-fire questions from the two youngsters, but again, the two nurses' had the knowledge to keep them busy while Lauren pointed out the various buildings that were now owned by Lewis-Archer… soon to be Dennis-Archer… to her wife.

Bo was shocked by the sheer size of the conglomerate of hospitals and centers that Stephen, Lauren and their partners owned, but also acknowledged that this was a world she would never understand. The doctor reminded her wife that her own business was quite similar, just less employees and less zeroes on the financial ledger.

Bo had suggested to Lauren that if she were so worried about the name of the company being changed sooner rather than later, that she should text Patrick and Penelope to put the wheels in motion and make it happen.

It was then that Lauren informed her that Stephen had already set those wheels in motion at their Wednesday morning meeting,

"The process has been initiated, the members of the board were informed, and Penelope has begun the process of redesigning and getting approvals for the new logo, stationery and website."

"So, our name will be on all of these hospitals?"

Lauren shrugged, "They're all being renamed so that what's most prominent on the building is the name of the hospital, such as City Harbor Medical Center over there and beneath in smaller letters will be the words 'of the Dennis-Archer Healthcare System'.

Bo nodded, staring up at the building which currently said 'Lewis-Archer General Hospital',

"Why City Harbor?"

"Well, we've decided that people obviously know what city they're in, so we just need to define the location. That hospital is in the city and near the harbor, so…"

"City Harbor Medical Center," Bo nodded, "Makes sense."

Lauren nodded, "We thought so and it will help us keep them all straight when we're in meetings."

"Well, what happens if you have two cities with Harbors?"

The doctor smiled, "When we're in meetings, we'll refer to them with the city at the front, but it's not necessary for the people who use them to see that. We want the title to reflect a location so that when a loved one is rushed to the hospital, people can just say – the one by the harbor or the one by the monument or the one in Southie."

"Oh. That makes sense."

Lauren smiled, "We hope so."

Bo nodded, "So… how did the board feel about the newspaper headlines?"

Lauren shrugged, "Well, they're obviously not happy and concerned about the reputation of the business. Stephen assured them that this would all come out as having nothing to do with Lauren, but they have their doubts. That much was painfully obvious."

She took a deep breath, a crooked smile on her face, "Still, no one has backed out as a partner or donor. They're all staying behind the philosophy and so far, we're holding to a balanced budget, so they're not losing money."

"But they're not making money?"

Lauren grinned, "Ah, but that, my love, is why this concept works. They've invested in something that is 100% charitable and philanthropic. There are no profits to be made, just money to be lost. As long as they don't lose money, they gain a tax perk that will help them in April against their other investments that may not have gone so well."

Bo nodded, "I knew there had to be a loophole."

"No loophole – at least not on our end. They can't claim the hospital as a loss – only as a charitable deduction. They can't claim the hospitals losses either, but that's where our work comes in. We've got to maintain our budget, so as long as we have enough paying patients and contributions to counter the ones who can't pay, we're fine."

Bo sighed, "I'm glad I don't have to deal with your business."

Lauren shrugged, "Unless something were to happen to me which would mean you're right in the middle of it all. Stephen isn't going to live forever either which is why we have a board built from the people who will be working in these hospitals. All you would have to do is remind them of the philosophy and keep them on track."

"Yea, well what do you say you don't die until you retire and sell this healthcare system to someone else."

Lauren smiled, "I'll do my best."

Lauren stared out the window and smiled, knowing they were almost to her favorite part of Boston. She loved the waterfront and all of the familiar people she interacted with on a daily basis. She hoped to introduce Bo to Herb at the newsstand stand, Darlene at the small café that sold her favorite clam chowder and Dale, the old man who fished off the pier where Lauren sat to eat her lunch.

She wondered if he was still there. He was very old and homeless, but insisted he liked his life the way it was. They had long talks about life on that bench – her in her hustle and go lifestyle and him with his self-described life of bliss. He had no bills and no taxes. He had his tent, he could make a fire, he slipped into the Harbor at night to wash away the day with the glycerin soap he made and sold at his campsite and he had his banjo and harmonica to play so he could earn spare change for his coffee and breakfast each morning.

Lauren thought about how differently she thought of Dale. For years and years, she had thought of his difficult plight as a homeless person who was cast aside by humanity. She would pull out her stethoscope and check his lungs and heart in the winter while Dale would tell her not to fuss.

At the end of their 'appointment', he would thank her for looking out for him and she would sneak him a bottle of antibiotics with strict instructions on how to use them, just in case he needed them for an infected cut or bad case of bronchitis. She worried about what might happen to him during winter if she couldn't get to the bench for a few days due to snow or patient care.

Then she met Bo. If she compared Bo to Dale, they lived identical lives, but somehow she had described the man as homeless and the woman as a self-reliant, independent, strong, skilled and knowledgeable. Why? She chuckled to herself thinking about the discussion she had with Anna about perceptions. That's really what it was all about. She thought of Dale differently now and she hoped she'd have a chance to tell him.

"Lauren?" Bo asked, "You okay?"

The blonde smiled, "I was just thinking…" she didn't want to talk about the life she missed. She didn't want Bo to think she didn't want to be in Alaska, so she went back to their previous topic,

"The Board has that requested an official letter be sent to American Medical Association, all hospitals in the country and the news media about my name change so that they won't lose the benefits that my former title and reputation bring to the conglomerate of hospitals."

Bo nodded, "In other words, they're worried that no one will know who 'Dennis' is, so they don't want people running off thinking you're no longer involved with the business."

Lauren smiled, "In a nutshell, yes."

"Isn't that nice of them," Bo said, sarcastically.

"Bo, if your name was nowhere to be seen on your kennels and website, do you think you would have the amount of business you have?"

Bo shrugged, "Kyle doesn't think so."

"Neither does Penelope or your marketing department."

Bo laughed, "My parttime marketing department, thanks to you."

Lauren grinned, "Well, you've had her for the last three weeks pretty much full time."

"And you had her for months before the Gala."

"And you'll need her again for your furniture store."

"Showroom."

"Whatever, you'll still need her."

"And you're probably using her full time right now for the logo changes, right?"

Lauren laughed, "Touché. Let's not fight over her. We share her quite equally and we pay her overtime when we're overworking her. She loves her job, she has – what did she tell you?"

"More money than she can count," Bo smiled.

Lauren nodded, "She's got health insurance and we've got a fabulous leader in each of our marketing departments. Now I've forgotten the point of this conversation."

Bo smiled, "You asked me how my business would be without my name on it."

"Well, my business is the same as are most. We build a world that consumers can trust and go to when they need someone who is going to come through for them. My business just happens to be about keeping people well enough that they can drive the sleds you're selling."

Bo smiled, "Well, I've never thought of it that way. Thank you for your contribution to my business."

Lauren nodded, "Of course, but I'll be happy when you have the sled driving school up and running so you don't send me mushers with busted legs, busted heads and hypothermia."

"I'm just wondering – wouldn't it be a good thing if the hospitals didn't know that a Lewis was still involved with all of their concern over your parents' bad press?"

Lauren shrugged, "I guess it's a delicate balancing act between the benefits of my name versus the damage of my parents. Personally, I'm staying out of this one. I'll speak when asked to and that will largely be in court and through Patrick. He's the calm head in all of this. You should have seen him at the board meeting. He's very good at his job."

"I just hate the idea that this board of directors took a choice from you like they did."

Lauren shook her head, "Not all of the board members were insistent, Bo. Obviously, Shannie, Lynnie, Stephen and Betsy believed it was my choice, but there were plenty of other voices in the room who agreed."

"But it was a heated debate?"

Lauren nodded, "At times, yes…" she paused before finally admitting, "I actually don't know what happened or how the conversation went after things got heated. They were all talking and it was like I wasn't in the room, so I texted Patrick and Stephen and left the virtual meeting all together."

"So, you're not sure that all of this is happening?"

"Oh, I'm sure. I spoke with Patrick at breakfast while you were talking to mom about Nana. When I left the room, someone asked where I went and Penelope apparently went off on them, taking charge of the meeting with Patrick. He said that Penelope essentially reminded them of the agreements they had all signed and that my name change was a personal, not professional decision that they were all trying to control."

She leaned into Bo, "Patrick then reminded them all that like everyone else in the room, the hospital philosophy was built around making sure that every doctor had autonomy – that they had a personal life outside of their professional life."

"They were taking that away from you."

Lauren nodded, "He reminded them that even the owners of the hospital had the right to the same autonomy – that if they didn't have it, then the healthcare system they were building would erode into exactly what Evony Fleurette-Marquis had built."

"Take away your autonomy and you become bitter and focused on things other than your dream for medicine."

Lauren nodded, "As you can imagine, my supporters – particularly the doctors – jumped in and defended my position before Patrick spoke the final words on the subject."

"And what was the subject to begin with? I mean, what got everyone so fired up?"

"Apparently one of the primary concerns was that I wasn't performing cardiothoracic surgeries, so Patrick assured them that I would be doing so across all of our hospitals as was called for on a case-by-case basis."

"So exactly what you're doing now."

"Yes. They also explained that as a head of hospital, if I only had one specialty, the hospital would only have one specialty. My focus on trauma surgery would grow my reputation as a multi-disciplinary physician."

She lowered her eyes, but a crooked smile remained, "Of course, they're not fully convinced of my abilities as a trauma surgeon, so Stephen… well, let's just say that Patrick had never noticed the large vein that protrudes from Stephen's forehead when he gets angry."

"Why was he angry?"

"He was upset that they were trying to force Patrick to promise that I would be performing cardiac surgeries."

"Keep Lauren in her place."

"Oh, it's more like control Lauren which is when Stephen felt an unshakable need to remind each of them by name and former hospital, how Evony had controlled them like they were trying to control me."

"I guess that shut everyone up?"

"It ended the meeting – with apologies to Stephen. In the end, I promised fifty surgeries, but not all would be transplants. Some would be mentoring physicians through a surgery to teach them the Lewis Technique… yes, they're officially coining the term. I asked for it to be renamed Dennis, so they're hyphenating it for the medical textbooks."

Bo shook her head, "Are you sure you don't want to stay Lewis?"

Lauren kissed Bo's cheek, "Definitely. By shedding Lewis, I'll shed my past, cardiothoracic surgery, Evony and everything else that came with it… especially my parents."

Bo nodded, "So you're just using me for my last name?"

"Absolutely," Lauren said, snuggling into Bo.

"I do wish Stephen would trust Patrick and understand that for as much as I've confided in Stephen all of my life, Patrick has been my very best friend. He is just like a husband, but without the sex and the shared house. He would never do anything that would force something on me that I didn't want."

Bo nodded, "I'd love to say that I have a Patrick. I mean, my mom or Kyle would probably be closest, but really, you're my Patrick… but with the sex."

Lauren grinned, leaning over and kissing her wife on the cheek once more before looking out the window and noticing where they were. Her voice quivered a bit as she spoke,

"We're here."

"Nervous?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "We talked last night, so I shouldn't be, right? He's seeing someone, so I shouldn't be, right?"

"Right. But you are?"

Lauren shrugged, "I just… I don't want to be alone with him, Bo."

The brunette nodded, turning to Lynnie and Shannie, speaking quietly so as not to worry the girls, "No one leaves Lauren alone with Elijah unless she gives the okay. Got it?"

"Got it," the two said in reply.

The four women smiled as Rudy and Elise pointed at the ship, speedtalking about the size, the sails and what little they'd learned about the history of the vessel online this morning. When the vehicle stopped, Rudy reached for the door handle, but Bo was quick to stop her,

"Okay, so some rules…" Bo began, turning to Lauren.

"This is a very, very old ship and it is very, very special to my friend Elijah. You don't board the ship until you are invited to do so. When you step aboard, they will put a life jacket on you immediately. Do not adjust it or take it off. It stays as they put it. Understand?"

The two nodded,

"Go exactly where they tell you to go and never move unless someone is holding your hand and taking you somewhere. If you have to use the bathroom, let me know and I will take you. If you feel sick, let any of us know and we will take you to the nearest side of the ship, although since you handled my sailboat, you should be fine on this one until we get out to the high seas."

"High seas?" Rudy asked.

Lauren nodded, "The really deep water. Out there, the ship tends to rock, and some people struggle with that constant motion. To make it easier to handle, we'll take you to the back of the boat in the middle and have you stare out at the horizon. That should fix the problem."

"Oh. Good."

Lauren nodded, "Very good. Just remember that there are a lot of crew members running around. We've got to stay out of their way. The rest of the rules you'll hear from Elijah on the ship. It's one o'clock, so time for us to go."

They all hopped out of the vehicle, the girls walking ahead of the adults, then jogging, then running as Shannie and Lynnie chased after them. Bo and Lauren shook their heads, watching as Muk came to the side to greet their guests.

Bo and Lauren caught up, listening as he spoke,

"Hello, Ladies. I know Shannon and Carolyn, but I don't believe I've ever met the two of you. I would remember such beautiful little ladies for your beauty would stay with a man for the rest of his life. I am the First Mate on The Gracie Marie. My name is Muk."

"We have a Muk!" Rudy shouted, her smile stretching wide across her face.

"You do?"

Rudy shot out her hand, "Rudy Dennis, Sir. Our Muk is a sled dog and he's a champion."

Muk's eyes went wide as he stood, puffing out his chest and planting his hands on his hips, "A champion, you don't say? A champion at what?"

"He's a sled dog and he was part of the team that just won the Iditarod in Alaska, the last great race on earth!"

He looked up to see Bo and Lauren had found their way to the dock. He gave them a wink before leaning down to Rudy,

"Then your Muk must be a part of Team Bo Dennis. How do you know my friend Bo?"

"You know my sister? I'm hers! I mean… I'm a Dennis," Rudy said, tapping her chest, "I'm Rudy Dennis, Bo's younger sister and I'm gonna drive her sled one day!"

Muk smiled, "So how did your sister do in that race this year?"

Rudy smiled proudly, "She won again! It was her fifth consecutive win and she's now she's tied the most consecutive wins ever and she's the number one female winner of all time!"

"Wow. You sure are proud of your sister, aren't you little Rudy?"

Rudy nodded, "Uh-huh. She's pretty awesome. This is my best friend in the whole world, Elise Valaria but soon she's gonna be Elise Dennis… Dennis, like me!"

"Elise Dennis, Sir. It's very nice to meet the First Mate of The Gracie Marie. I'm very sorry about Gracie," Elise said, frowning.

Muk nodded, pulling his hat from his head and taking Elise's hand, "It's very nice to meet you, Elise Dennis. I understand you know what it's like to lose a loved one as well."

He saw Elise's eyes well with tears, her bottom lip trembling as she looked up at the sails and nodded, "My mom would have loved to ride on this ship. My dad would have wanted to steer it."

Muk smiled, "Well, out there on the high seas, you get as close as you can to the ones you've loved and lost. Their spirits surround you and guide you safely through your travels. If you need wind to power your sails…" he pointed skyward, "…they'll look around and find the wind to send it to your sails. They'll be out there with you, riding across the ocean. Seeing a big smile on your face, they'll smile too and through the connection you share through your hearts, they'll feel what you feel out there. Don't you worry, Little One. They'll be with us."

"You really think so?"

Muk nodded, "I know so."

Elise turned, smiling up at Lauren, "My mom and dad are coming."

Lauren smiled, wrapping her arms around the youngster, "They're always with you, Sweetie. You carry them in your blood, your heart and your mind. They're always with you."

She pulled back, smiling at Lauren as she wiped her tears, "Don't be sad because I miss them. Missing them is how I remember, them, right?"

Lauren smiled, "Exactly. Are you ready?"

Elise nodded, "I'm ready."

"Okay then. Take Lynnie's hand."

Elise reached out and took the hand, smiling up at Lynnie, "I'm okay. Don't worry."

Lynnie leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead, "Okay, but if you're not, you let me know and I'll hug you up real tight."

"I will. I promise. I like your hugs."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I like yours, too."

"Request permission to come aboard, Mr. Muk?" Rudy asked.

"Permission granted to Rudy and Elise Dennis as well as their adult chaperones," he announced, giving Lauren a wink.

"Okay, let's go," Lynnie said, following Rudy and Shannie up the ramp to the ship with Elise gripping her hand with two hands.

Once onboard, Muk sounded his whistle, calling the ship's crew to formation. They introduced themselves to the group while one of them put vests on the girls before handing one each to the adults. When they were all introduced, Elijah appeared on deck walking first to Lauren and giving her a hug.

She pulled back, smiling at him, "It's good to see you, Elijah."

He nodded, his eyes welling with tears, "It's been too long, my friend. Let's not fight ever again."

"Agreed," Lauren said as Eli walked past him to Bo,

"It's good to see you, Bo," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "And who is this?"

Bo smiled, "This, Eli, is Harper."

"The Champion? The superstar?"

Bo nodded, "She is actually our pregnant superstar. We just got word this morning."

"Really?" He asked, taking a step back and looking at her belly, "Mama looks like a lean, mean running machine. You've kept your figure well, Ma'am."

Harper groaned and lowered her head, putting a paw over her eyes.

Bo laughed, "She isn't a superficial girl. She doesn't worry about her body type. She just goes with what will get the job done."

"Of course! How idiotic of a man to say such things in today's world. I apologize," he said, bowing to Harper. He looked up at Bo, "Seriously though, when will she start to show? I don't know a thing about canine pregnancies. Actually, I don't know a thing about any pregnancies other than one brought me here."

Bo nodded, "Well, doggy babies come much faster than human babies. She's just very old for this pregnancy so we needed to bring her along on the trip to keep an eye on her. My mom and I have handled problems with pregnancies. I figure with a doctor and two nurses, I've at least got some assistance."

"Has she been on a boat before?" Eli asked.

Lauren ruffled the fur between her ears, "She was on my boat last night and did fine. She will obey Bo's commands, but I would like to have her in a lifejacket. You said you had one for her last night?"

He nodded, "Yes, but I didn't know she was pregnant," he turned to Bo, "Will the strap hurt her if the vest must be used?"

Bo shrugged, "Well, drowning would definitely hurt her, so I'm going to say the strap is better than no strap."

"Makes sense to me," he waved to one of his crew members, "We'll keep it as loose as is safe for both purposes."

The crew member nodded, giving salute before she ran off to get Harper's vest. He said a quick hello to Shannie and Lynnie before kneeling down in front of Rudy and Elise,

"Now, I'm going to say that this is Rudy, right?"

Elise giggled, "No, I'm Elise Valaria, but I'll be a Dennis like my adopted mom soon."

Elijah smiled up at Lauren and then turned back to Elise, "I heard about the big adoption. Congratulations. I hope you know how lucky you are to have Lauren and Bo as your moms."

She smiled, "Rudy has had them as her sisters, and I know from her that they're super awesome as family. I'm very excited to be their daughter."

"I'm sure you are and I'm very happy for you all," Elijah said, double checking her life jacket before he turned to Rudy,

"So, you are the great musher, Rudy Dennis, sister of Bo and Lauren, mother of the great North Slope Musher, Mary Dennis."

"Wow, Mister! You know my whole family history!" Rudy smiled, shaking his hand, "Rudy Dennis. Nice to meet you."

Elijah laughed, looking up at Bo and then back to Rudy, "That's a great handshake, Rudy."

"Thanks. Acacia taught me it's important to look people in the eye and give a firm handshake when they meet me, so they know they're dealing with a powerful woman who has a mind of her own."

Every adult on the ship had to hold back their laughter, a few of the women on the crew cheering when they heard Rudy's statement. Naturally, Rudy threw her fist in the air and smiled before she turned back to Elijah,

"You're gonna be nice to Lauren, right?"

Elijah was caught off guard by the remark. He looked up at Lauren who was covering her face, then looked back at Rudy,

"I guess you overheard the adults talking, huh?"

Rudy sighed, "Sister gets mad at me when I listen and my mom would probably ground me for another four months if she knows, but Lauren is my sister-in-law now and if you mess with her, you mess with me. This is a very nice ship and I'd like to sail on her so I can… what was that?" she asked Elise who whispered in her ear,

"Right. To honor the memory of your sister Gracie Marie. But if you're gonna hurt my Lauren, then I don't want to be on your ship with you. I can just stand on the dock and pray to the Great Spirits for Gracie Marie because they'll take care of her if I do. My family has powerful Spirits in our bloodline."

He looked up at Bo, his interest piqued, but turned back to Rudy, who said,

"I can do the prayer for you if you promise to treat Lauren respectful."

Elijah nodded and crossed his finger over his heart, "I promise."

Bo shook her head, knowing before she even did it that Rudy would be extending her pinky finger, but Elijah just stood staring at it.

Bo explained, "You have to pinky swear, Eli and it's important that you know that in this family, breaking such a promise will bring the dark spirits into your soul… or in your case… into your sails."

Elijah looked at Bo's steeled jaw and nodded as he hooked his pinky finger into Rudy's,

"I promise I will treat Lauren with respect from this day forward. I was inconsiderate the last time we were together and that will never happen again," he looked up at the couple, "I respect the sanctity of marriage."

Lauren nodded, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, "Thank you, Eli."

He turned back to Rudy who released his finger and shrugged, "So what now?"

"Well, I thought you might like a tour of the ship."

"We're in a bit of a hurry. We have an awesome IMAX movie about dogs when we get back."

Lauren nodded, "The movie is at five over at the Science Museum and if we have time, I told Patrick I'd take his boat out for a spin to run the engine for a bit. If not, he'll come over and run her tonight… spend the night on the boat."

"With Josh, right?"

"Jake. Did you meet him?"

"Sorry. I'm bad with names. Yes, I met him. He's a handsome guy and clearly very taken with our Patrick," he said, nodding to Muk to take the girls on the tour. Shannie and Lynnie followed along while Bo and Lauren continued to chat with Eli.

"Our Patrick? Do you mean you're still a client of his despite the move?" Lauren asked.

"Of course! These people that bailed on him because he moved to Alaska are ridiculous. In this day and age, who needs to meet with their attorney in person. If you do, you're clearly doing something you shouldn't be doing in which case, Patrick is the wrong lawyer for you."

"You're preaching to the choir here," Lauren smiled.

Eli waved a hand at her, "Don't worry about all that stuff, Lauren. From what Patrick says, they can't touch you."

Lauren shook her head, "Yea, but the press can make my life miserable for a while."

"I saw the headline the morning. The paper's down below. I'll do whatever I can to help your reputation, including give you a client to start."

"A client?"

Elijah nodded, "We'll talk once we get underway. For now, just know that our next sail was pushed back an hour, so we can sail until about four o'clock and still have time to get her ready for our next group."

Lauren turned to Bo who nodded, "That would be great. I'm sure the girls would love the longer sail, especially since we aren't leaving right at one o'clock."

Elijah smiled, "Sailing buffs, are they?"

Bo grinned, "Well, we hit a storm when we went out on Lauren's boat, so that one got cut short. She made up for it by making a race out of the last leg of the journey. They sure did love going fast."

Lauren shook her head, "Once they became accustomed to the boat being on its side."

"Well, as you both know, the size of this ship makes it much more difficult for it to list to one side or the other. I hope it doesn't get boring for them."

"Can they help with the sails or not?" Lauren asked.

"We can top rope them up the mast. They'll probably give out before they get there, but they can climb on Grant or Shrum's shoulders and piggyback the rest of the way up. They're light enough. That would be fun for them."

"Climb to the top of the mast?" Bo asked, "The girls?"

Elijah nodded with a smile, "We have harnesses that would fit them. You're a climber, right, Bo? You can double check them just to be sure they're safe. Remember, you climb rocks and ice, but my crew climbs these masts for a living – several times a day, every day. They'll take good care of your girls."

Bo nodded, "And the sails?"

"They can definitely work the sails with one of the crew as long as another crew member is sitting at their feet to make sure they don't get tangled in a rope. Will the two of you be working? I'm seeing a brace on Bo's knee."

Lauren nodded as Bo's smile turned to a frown, "I wrecked it in the Iditarod well before the halfway point. I raced the rest of the way with three torn ligaments, then had a little surgery when I got back."

Lauren laughed, "She had major surgery when she got back, so yes, she's out of commission."

"You'll still be racing though, right? Is that a year off?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm hoping to be back next year. I've got six months of rehab and six months to train, so we'll see. I've got a lot of people helping to keep the dogs in shape during my recovery and a few of my champions are now pregnant, so they'll have some conditioning to do as well. It will all just depend on how strong the dogs are since they have to do most of the work."

He nodded, "And knowing from that article how protective you are of your dogs…"

"Article?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Yea. I forget what it's called – Alaska something magazine. The author was some woman named Gwen who was at the race. She supposedly interviewed you and everything. Honestly, I took it with a grain of salt since I know you don't do interviews, but if it's true, it's a fantastic article."

Bo nodded, a slow smiled spreading across her face, "Believe it or not, I've done two interviews this year."

"Really?" he asked, shocked.

Bo nodded, "One at the Yukon Quest in Canada and the other at the Iditarod. Penelope is working on my image to make my future business ventures more successful."

Elijah laughed, "Well, that magazine cover was very cool and the inside cover… well, you're hot, woman…" he turned to Lauren, "No disrespect intended. Don't get those dark spirits in my sails. What is that, anyway?"

Lauren was quick to respond, "Athabascan spirituality follows the spirits of their ancestors. I'm part of that ancestry by marriage now, so they believe the spirits will protect me."

"So you don't believe it?" Elijah asked.

Lauren smiled, "I'm a work in progress… but more towards the progress than the work part. I haven't seen them yet, but at home, a pair of Eagles follow Bo everywhere. They were with her throughout the race, and they've made their nest in the backyard of her home despite there being a mountain right across the river with more secluded trees. It doesn't make scientific sense for them to make that choice, so how else do you explain it?"

Elijah nodded, "Unusual, for sure."

Muk interrupted, "Excuse me, Captain. The crew stands ready, and our passengers have their assignments and the rules of the ship unless there is anything else you wish to say."

He turned to Bo and Lauren, "Anything I need to review with you?"

Lauren asked, "Any changes or new equipment?"

He shook his head, "Refurbished equipment, yes. New, no."

"I'm good. Where do you want me to sit?"

He smiled, "Did Lauren let you steer her ship?"

Bo's eyes went wide, "I can't steer this ship. No way."

He shrugged, "You drive a sled with what, sixteen or eighteen dogs running at top speed over snow, dirt and ice. Hills steeper than anything I would ever go down so why not?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm not a sailor. Dogs are on solid ground, and I can steer them."

"Wind is in the sails, and you just steer into the wind. What's so hard about that?"

He took Bo's hand, leading her to the rear of the ship, "I'll take good care of her, Lauren… and Harper, too."

Lauren grinned, kissing Bo on the cheek as she walked past, "Piece of cake. Have fun."

"This is a bad idea, Eli."

He laughed, "This is a great idea, Bo. You're going to love this. All lovers of speed and wind love this. Trust me. I know you're going to love this, I just know it."

Bo sighed, seeing steps up ahead, "Uh, Eli – I can't do steps."

"No worries," he said, sweeping Bo off her feet and carrying her up the stairway, "Isn't this romantic?"

He burst out laughing as he took the last two steps, Bo shaking her head, "A year ago, I would have decked you for this stunt."

"And now?" Eli asked.

"I'm still not sure," Bo frowned.

"I'm going to earn your trust again, Bo. I promise."

"Okay, so where's the mystery woman?"

"Noah is sleeping, so she's down below with him."

Bo nodded, "I take it that's her son's name?"

"Yes, he's seven."

"Very young," Bo sighed.

"And very sick," Eli added.

Bo eyed him, seeing that it hurt him to say that, "Is he the patient you want to talk to Lauren about?"

Eli nodded, "I have no right to, but the doctors he's been seeing in Florida have given up all hope and we're just not ready to do that yet."

"You're hoping Lauren has another idea?"

"Against hope, yes. She's our last chance and I'm hoping that she'll at least have an idea of where to turn. The doctors down south are just done. They've given him two years max. The poor kid won't even live to see double digits. It's just not right."

He called out, "PREPARE TO RAISE ANCHOR!"

"So that's why she sold the house and is living on the boat?"

"She's drained every penny she had. She's saving the life insurance money from her husband to take him on trips to wherever he wants to go. That's how they ended up where I found them. She knew if she didn't stay on the schedule, she's set up for his bucket list, she might not get to other things and… well, you get the idea."

He watched his crew as they worked, "Believe me, until I heard the full story and met the kid, I thought she was the most irresponsible parent on the planet for having a kid out in that mess on that little boat."

"TOSS THE LINES!"

Bo watched as Elijah's well-oiled crew did as they were told, expertly coiling the lines on the deck.

"HOIST THE ANCHOR!"

"Maybe Lauren should be up here," Bo suggested, "Talking to you."

He shook his head, "HALF SAIL, MR. MUK. NO WAKE. JUST ENOUGH TO GET US UNDERWAY!"

"I'd rather Lauren meets Aaliyah and Noah down on deck. I told her to introduce herself when she comes topside. She saw a picture of Lauren, so she'll recognize her."

He turned to the brunette, "I don't know if you can understand the position, I'm in or not but he's not anything to me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that kid to death, but he's not my son or my stepson. He's my girlfriend's son and right now, I'm having a rough time convincing her that I'm not going to leave them because in her mind, that's what her husband did."

"I thought he died."

Elijah nodded, "He did die, Bo. He died while being reckless and careless and… he was on some climbing trip in the Andes Mountains or something and he fell while trying to free climb."

"Free climb?"

He nodded, "I don't know climbing like you and Aaliyah do, so I won't judge but it does seem to me that free climbing is not something you do when you have a kid unless you're like a fucking rock jock superstar."

Bo shook her head, as memories of Stephan O'Breen rushed back into her mind. Was Aaliyah's husband climbing to make money for his family or was Elijah right and it was just a rock jock stunt? She felt her temper flare, but she took deep breaths to quell her anger as she listened to Elijah.

"I mean, she said her husband was struggling with what was happening to Noah. Their finances were strained, and they were always apart since she slept at the hospital four nights a week and he took the other three. Both of them were picking up extra hours at their jobs whenever they could but they just had no time together."

Bo nodded, "Was the death ruled accidental?"

Elijah shrugged, "The cops took statements at the scene, and he was shipped home. You know the drill. It was a foreign country and they're just a bunch of stupid American guys doing stupid American things. Who gives a shit? It's not their problem so why investigate when they probably have a backlog of their own citizens to deal with just like any other country."

Bo shrugged, "Actually, you're talking to someone who hasn't traveled much so…"

"I'm sorry, Bo. Really. No disrespect intended. I mean, you seem so normal now… I mean, dammit! I'm sorry again."

"I am different, Eli. It's okay. The Bo you met was a social misfit. I've learned a lot since then, thanks to my family."

"Good. Good. I'm happy for you, Bo. I'm sorry I didn't call Patrick back about the wedding. He called me kind of last minute and I didn't think it was a good idea for me to show up without talking to Lauren first. If I had called her, I was afraid I would have given away the surprise and I didn't want to ruin what you had planned for the wedding. It sounded like it was going to be great. Was there a good turnout?"

Bo smiled, "Most of the town was there and I really didn't plan much. Those two little ones down there were the planners while Shannie, Lynnie, my mom and Molly did the planning with Penelope's help on the payments. They also planned a good chunk of this honeymoon which is also a sort of family vacation."

He smiled, "Not many couples take their families on their honeymoon."

Bo smiled, "That's very true but not many couples have a large family who wouldn't hesitate to say 'sure thing' if we said we were taking off for a few days. Besides, with those two little ones down there, we thought this was the way it should be done. We'll take a big honeymoon trip one day."

"A little backwards, but I get it. I can't imagine leaving Noah behind if we ever got married."

"Is that something you want?"

Eli shook his head, "More than life itself but unfortunately, I'm dealing with the ghost of Christmas past."

"He died at Christmas?"

Eli nodded, "Two years ago. He left the week before Christmas and was supposed to be home on Christmas Eve. She went to the airport to pick him up and he didn't get off the plane."

He navigated a tricky area between boats, then continued,

"Instead, she stood there with her sick kid in a wheelchair when his buddies walked up to her in tears to tell her what happened. They decided they should do it in person rather than over the phone. So right there in the airport, her kid hears from these strangers that his dad is dead."

"Oh, Eli."

He shrugged, "I didn't tell Lauren any of this, by the way. I didn't want her to think that I was making amends just because he was sick. I've been trying to figure out a way to call her since we parted ways. Aaliyah found out that she was coming to town when Patrick called, and she told me I either attempted to mend the fences or she was out."

"Really?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Aaliyah said I was being childish, and she had no time for childish men… that she'd already wasted ten years of her life on an overgrown selfish child. Her words, not mine."

"Wow. She's one angry woman."

"Tell me about it. Most of the time, she's just amazing. Her smile just launches my heart into the fucking sky, Bo. I'm so fucking in love with this woman and… well, I just have to laugh at myself for being such an idiot about Lauren. She was so right," he shook his head, "She was right because she knew what this felt like. She felt it with you."

Bo nodded, "I'm sorry you've finally met the woman of your dreams and you have all of this to deal with but trust me when I say that the bumps in the road will be worth it if you get onto a smooth road at the end of this."

She saw a single tear roll down his cheek, "If he dies, I'll lose her, Bo. She won't survive losing that kid. He's her son. He is her everything. It will break her. I just know it."

Bo placed a hand on his shoulder, "And if he dies, you'll be there to help her survive it, Eli and we'll be there to help you figure out how. Talk to Lauren, Eli. I can tell her a lot of what you told me, so you don't have to go through the hole story again. I know how exhausting that can be but tell her how you feel about this woman and tell her what you need from her."

An idea hit Bo as she spoke, "She has just committed to doing fifty surgeries for her hospital, but you should know that Lauren has stopped doing cardiothoracic surgeries. These fifty will be her last before she transfers to a trauma specialty."

"So, Patrick was telling the truth?"

Bo nodded, "She'll probably tell you about all of that at some point. I'm just saying that you shouldn't wait to talk to her if you want her help."

He nodded, "PREPARE TO COME ABOUT! RAISE THE MAIN SAIL!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo had been steering the ship for the last thirty minutes or so. The conversation with Eli had been easy since they changed the subject from his girlfriend and son to lessons in sailing. Bo had finally relaxed at the helm and – through Eli's tutelage – begun to get a feel for maneuvering a ship of this size.

It wasn't unlike driving a sled. It had a feel to it. The wind pressing against the sails, the feel of the ship beneath her feet, the groan of the wooden planks when she steered at the perfect angle to the wind, the feel of the waves against the hull and the rhythmic up and down motion as they were lifted up and over waves by the wind and the ship's momentum.

Everything had a feel to it and until now, she had been focused on the appearance of the sails. However, while she was comfortable, she was not ready for turning or docking. Those would still be up to the Captain and Bo let that be known about ten minutes after taking the wheel… about the same time that Aaliyah and Noah had emerged from the cabin below deck.

As soon as they met, Bo could see Lauren's eyes drift to the child. Even as she was talking to the mother, her eyes kept moving to Noah. She knew. She was sure of it. Still, the polite conversation carried on. Bo wasn't sure what they were discussing, but with Noah by his mother's side, she was pretty sure that Aaliyah was not explaining to Lauren what had transpired in her life until this point.

Bo knew that likely meant that Lauren was still looking at the woman who had taken this young boy… young sick boy out on a sailboat alone in the middle of a hurricane.

Now, twenty minutes later, Aaliyah had her son in a life jacket at the bow of the ship, his arms outstretched while Rudy and Elise did the same with Shannie and Lynnie. Bo finally turned to Eli,

"You need to talk to Lauren now. She's down there running the grinders like she wants to kill someone, and chances are that's your girlfriend."

"What?" Eli asked, surprised.

"Eli, all Lauren knows is that your girlfriend took a boy who I'm certain she now knows is very sick, out on a sailboat in hurricane force winds. So, your friend thinks Aaliyah is the most irresponsible woman on the planet because she doesn't know anything else."

Bo nodded, "Look at her, Eli. Her jaw is set, her teeth are clenched, she's working her hands beyond what she's accustomed to and she can't take her eyes off of your girlfriend. I'm telling you – one of us has got to talk to her before she unloads on your girlfriend."

"But…"

"Eli, do you really think she hasn't put the pieces together? Do you really think she doesn't realize that this is the case that you want her on? Not only is she not operating, but she's specifically not operating on dying children. She has every reason not to want to help this woman and I'm sure she is questioning why on earth you would get involved with an irresponsible sailor, which makes you irresponsible in return."

He sighed, nodding, "Right."

He gave Muk a wave, pointing to Lauren. She looked up, planting her hands on her hips before she dropped her hands to her sides and made her way up to the helm.

"Eli, is that little boy the case you wanted to talk to me about?"

Bo put her hand up to Eli, "Steer the ship and listen to him."

"Bo…"

"Lauren, he told me everything. I'll fill in the holes later, but you need to listen to him. You promised your Board of Directors fifty surgeries. This may not be one you can help with, but I'm asking you to listen to him. It's not what you think."

"Oh?"

Bo shook her head, "Think Stephan O'Breen, but without the money making… just the thrill and the fact that he died on Christmas and his buddies told her… when she showed up with her son to pick him up at the airport."

"Are you kidding me?" Lauren asked, looking between the two, "Asshole!"

Bo nodded, "So please, hear Eli out while you steer the ship. I'm going to just sit here since I can't go down the steps without one of you."

Lauren took the helm as Eli shouted, "PREPARE TO COME ABOUT!"

He sighed, "You okay to bring us around towards home?"

Lauren nodded, "As long as you yell the commands."

As he had for Bo, he told Lauren the story with help from her wife while taking the ship back to port. By the time they arrived and docked, Rudy and Elise had asked and received answers to a thousand questions, according to Muk. Both children were given honorary First Mate caps and wooden models of The Gracie Marie that were in hard plastic cases.

"Elijah, those are beautiful," Bo said, "The craftsman ship is incredible."

"I found a woodworker down in Virginia and we got to talking about old ships. He had helped to restore Old Ironsides back in the day and was really interested in The Gracie Marie. So, I sent him a picture of her with our brochure that provides the background... you know - about my sister."

They nodded as he continued,

"Anyway, a month later, he sent me a picture of a model he had built in honor of my Gracie Marie. I asked him if he would be willing to make more models for me to give to special guests or sell in the store on land. He agreed, so now I'm buying those mini ships from him and using them as I see fit."

"Won't you let us pay for those then?" Bo asked.

Eli shook his head, "Lauren agreeing to take on Noah's case is all the payment I need. After our chat, I know what a big ask it is for you right now."

He looked up to see Rudy and Elise teaching Noah how to play rock, paper, scissors, "Fast friends."

Lauren nodded, "Those two can make friends with even the most hardened people. I've seen it with my own eyes. They're amazing."

Eli smiled, "You wouldn't know from looking at her that she's not your own flesh and blood."

Lauren smiled, "So I've heard."

"Well, if you wouldn't mind helping me down those stairs…"

Eli smiled, "Say no more."

He carried Bo down the steps, gently putting her down at the bottom, while Lauren locked the wheel in place then followed them down.

At the bottom, the crew gathered on the dock to see them off and Muk came to say his goodbyes, particularly to Lauren. Finally, Aaliyah, Noah, and the girls and the nurses joined them, Bo meeting Aaliyah and Noah for the first time.

For Bo, it hadn't gone unnoticed that Aaliyah had not interacted with her, Shannie or Lynnie. Only Lauren had been worthy of conversation. She wasn't going to say anything, but when the woman walked away after shaking Bo's hand and took her son to the bow of the ship, she had to ask… after everyone but Lauren had disembarked,

"So, I could be reading the room wrong here, but does she have some sort of hang up with same-sex couples?"

Elijah shrugged, "Just another wound from her husband."

"He was gay?"

Elijah shook his head, "He identified as bisexual his entire life and she knew it, but as far as she knew, he had been monogamous. She went through the house with a fine-tooth comb trying to find evidence that he had an affair with a man but found nothing."

"Why would she think he was having an affair and if so, why a man?"

He shrugged, "Apparently, one of the friends who was at the airport that day could barely speak and at the funeral, he was a wreck."

"So, she thinks he was the one he was messing around with?"

Eli nodded, "Yup."

"Did she ask him?"

He shook his head, "No, but he asked one of the other guys who laughed in her face. He said that while they all knew of his attraction to men, they were all straight and had never seen him flirt with another man. They did admit that he would comment on some men, but he always said he would never cheat – not with a man or a woman."

Bo sighed, "So all non-hetero people are now the enemy and she's so angry with him that on top of his stupid and irresponsible climbing accident, she's decided – without evidence – that he was also cheating on her."

Lauren shook her head, "Unreal. Eli, you know I have no time for drama."

"She's trying to work through a lot, Lauren. The emotions are really complex," Eli defended.

"Look, she's your girlfriend, so I'm not going to argue. I'll just say this – there are six primary emotions and all other emotions are secondary emotions born of the first six. You can't have the other emotions without one of the first being at the root. Understand?"

"I guess?" Eli said, uncertain.

Lauren shook her head, "Anger is one of the most powerful emotions. Jealousy, sadness, hopelessness and frustration are just some of the secondary emotions that can project because they are rooted in anger. Kill the root of the anger and you can work through the others."

"Her jealousy about him cheating is from her anger over his death," he said, his eyes set on the deck.

Lauren shrugged, "Neither you or I are qualified to help her, but she does need help, Eli. She needs help or she will pass her baggage onto her son."

She pulled her pack off of her back, opened her wallet and pulled out a business card, then handed her pack to Bo,

"I'll be right back. I want to refer her to someone," she turned to Eli, "She's staying with you here in Boston, right?"

He nodded, "Unless we come to Alaska to be treated by you."

"Be right back."

They watched as Lauren walked to the woman and her son, Bo turning away to face Eli, "I can't watch this. You're going to have some explaining to do."

He shrugged, "What? I can't tell Aaliyah she's being childish too?"

Bo grinned, "Siding with the lesbian ex-love-of-your-life over your soulmate. You've got balls, buddy."

Eli sighed, "Not really. I'm just tired of having them in a noose. There will probably be a fight tonight, but she has nowhere else to stay. I'll sleep topside or on Patrick's boat and in the morning, we'll be cordial for Noah's sake, then we'll gradually make up until we talk for real. She'll come around."

"I hope so," Bo smiled, "You're a good man, Elijah. Hang in there."

He nodded, "Thank you, Bo."

"Don't thank me until you get my bill. I charge a hefty price for my romantic advice."

Eli laughed as she reached out her hand to the two crew members who helped her down the ramp. She walked to her group where Rudy and Elise were giving a recap of the afternoon sail and eyeing a hot dog cart on the street.

Shannie and Lynnie quickly explained that they were early enough to get food from the movie snack bar before their movie so they should wait to eat because the food inside would be much better.

Lauren left the ship and soon joined them on the dock, all of them giving waves to the crew and Elijah, the doctor alone giving a wave to Aaliyah and Noah who were waving from the side of the ship as she walked away.

"So, I take it she took the card?"

Lauren nodded, "She thinks she's fine, but I explained that her reasoning seemed irrational which was normal after a death such as the one she was mourning. Eli will talk to her, so we'll see what goes from there."

"So, are you going to see Noah?"

Lauren nodded, "Kate is going to come out with me tomorrow morning so we can bring out our laptops, do a full series of exams and order bloodwork and scans. She's going to have Noah's records sent to me and Kate, then we'll have a look at everything and see what we can do."

"Prognosis?"

"According to the doctors in Florida, two years tops. Otherwise, I don't now at this point."

"Do you know anything about the condition?"

Lauren nodded, "I do, but I'd like to verify that the condition they've diagnosed is actually what we're dealing with. Based on the symptoms she described, I'm not willing to speculate."

Bo nodded, the couple following the girls back to where they would catch a ride back to the museum for the movie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mugar IMAX Movie Theatre

"LoLew! It's been a long time, my friend!" the man said as Shannie, Lynnie and Bo all shared a glance, Shannie mouthing 'LoLew', her face filled with confusion.

"RoLew! Too long, my friend. How are you?"

He shrugged, "I'm alright. Job is good, kids are good when I get to see them, so who can complain, right?"

Lauren cocked her head to the side, "When you see them?"

"Patsy divorced me. She said she was tired of playing second fiddle to my science career. She got the house, the car, a big fat alimony check, child support and I'm also paying all of the kids dental, doctor and asthma medication bills. Naturally, I'm also paying for the house. She's nickel and diming me to death for new clothes for the kids, field trip money, birthday party money – you name it. I'm a walking, talking ATM these days. I gave her the best years of my life and she dropped me for a younger model."

Lauren smiled, "You still look good, Ro. Don't sell yourself short."

"Well, you sure have a good attitude for someone who also got hammered by a divorce."

She shrugged, "Ah, yes but she went to jail and I found my true love," Lauren smiled, "This is Bo Dennis, my new wife…"

His eyes went wide, "Cover girl on Alaska Magazine! You just set the record for all-time Iditarod wins by a woman and you tied the record for consecutive wins set by three or four men! You're amazing!"

Bo smiled, "I didn't know I would have a fan club... in a city of all places."

"Your biggest fan! I've wanted to go watch an Iditarod for years!" he grinned at Lauren, "Come to think of it, my wife was the only thing stopping me! It's time for me to make reservations for next year," he chuckled, "I'm going to the Iditarod!"

Lauren laughed, "Well, give me a call and we'll try to help make it special for you."

He shook Bo's hand, "This is such an honor. I mean, really… such an honor."

Bo tried to release his grip, but he kept shaking her hand. Lauren recognized Bo's discomfort, so reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the rest of the group,

"These are our friends, Shannon and Carolyn," they smiled politely and said hello, deciding not to risk their limbs, "And these are our very special guests, Elise and Rudy, the youngest members of the Dennis family who are very excited to see this movie."

He smiled, "Well, I see you've got your movie snacks. I've got some other special gifts inside for you. Ready to go in?"

"We've been waiting all day for this, Mister!" Rudy smiled as she and Elise jumped up and down excitedly.

Lauren grinned, "Girls, this is Mr. Lewis."

"He's your brother?" Elise asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No, we just have the same last name. When we were in school. Our math teacher used to call everyone by their last names since so many kids had the same first names. We were always competing with each other for the highest grade in class, so he came up with the idea of calling me LoLew and Rodney here was RoLew. Our classmates started using the names so everyone would know who they were talking about, and the nicknames stuck."

Shannie, Lynnie and Bo smiled, the mystery of the strange name solved, although they had hoped for something more scandalous.

"Now, do either of you know why the Mugar IMAX Theatre is so unique?"

They two shook their heads, so Rodney continued,

"Well, first of all, IMAX represents a type of widescreen cinematography in which 70mm film is projected through a fisheye lens on a hemispherical screen. The first screens were 80 feet wide and 43 feet high. That's the size of three blue whales placed side by side and remember, the blue whale is the largest animal on earth."

He paused, "Now, our Mugar Omni IMAX Theatre projects a fully digitized movie onto a five-story-high domed screen that runs a full 180 degrees around you, so you don't just watch this movie on a screen in front of you – this is all around you, so get ready for a viewing experience that's larger than life and truly amazing."

He knelt in front of them, "The movie you're going to see is called Superpower Dogs. It's about the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world's most amazing dogs. This story is narrated by Chris Evans who you may know played fictional superhero Captain America in movies. The difference between him and these dogs is that they are real-life superheroes."

"Do they wear capes?" Elise asked.

Rodney smiled, shaking his head, "In this movie, you're going to go all around the world to meet dogs that have a powerful bond with their human partners."

"Like Sister and Harper!" Rudy smiled.

"I'm sure! You're going to meet Halo, a rookie pupping in training who will eventually serve with the most elite disaster response team in America. You'll meet Henry who is an avalanche rescue expert in the mountains of British Columbia. Then you'll meet Reef who is a Newfoundland lifeguard with the Italian coastguard, Ricochet, a Californian surf legend helping people with special needs and finally, the Bloodhounds Tipper and Tony who are brothers. They are helping to lead the fight to save endangered species in Africa. Ready to meet the crew?"

"Yes!" Elise smiled, excitedly as Rudy nodded her agreement.

"Now, you'll want to find seats in the middle of the theatre because even though there's not a bad seat in the house, the middle does give the best sound. Are you ready?"

They nodded enthusiastically, following Rodney, but stopped, running back to grab Shannie and Lynnie's hands. Lynnie smiled, looking up at Lauren,

"While we're in the theatre, do we need the hand-holding rule?"

Lauren smiled and nodded, "Unless you want to leave the theatre, then one of us or Harper has to go with you."

The pair nodded and rushed off after Rodney, the adults followed behind, carrying the drinks and hot dogs. When they got inside, they found Rudy and Elise staring at the massive screen,

"Whoa," Rudy said, "Those dogs are gonna be bigger than Harper!"

She turned to the family canine and smiled, "This movie is for you too, Harper! Wanna see your doggie friends? You shoulda been in this movie too!"

Rodney shook his head, "I didn't realize! This is the famed Harper?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "This is her. Harper, say hello to Rodney."

Harper barked once before sitting down next to Bo.

"Well, it is an honor to meet you, Ma'am," Rodney said, smiling down at the champion before he turned to the girls, "Okay. Pick your seats and we'll get started."

The two girls ran down the stairway to the bottom, then back up again, then down and back up. Finally, Lauren stopped them,

"Girls? What are you doing?"

"Rodney said we should sit in the middle, but we can't find middle."

He smiled, "I'll show you the center row. Follow me."

They all walked down the stairs, Bo holding onto the railing and moving slowly behind the group until they were seated at the center of the theatre,

"Wow. It's almost like laying down in a bed!" Rudy smiled.

The lights went down and the screen came up. Everyone turned their heads left, right, up and down,

"It's all around us!" Rudy said, trying her best to whisper.

Elise nodded, "Everything is so big!"

"Wow."

The sound of Bo's voice made Lauren, Shannie and Lynnie turn. They all smiled at the look of awe on the brunette's face as she scanned the massive expanse of images surrounding her,

"I've never seen anything like this," Bo said.

Lauren took her hand, giving it a squeeze, "Beats your first movie back home, huh?"

"I think I've been living off-grid for too long. The world sure is an amazing place," Bo said, her mouth still open as the film began.

Leaning over, Lauren asked, "Are you saying you want to move to Boston?"

Bo had no response as she was mesmerized by the world that surrounded her. The blonde grinned, watching her wife as she lived through yet another new life experience. When the film introduction ended, a young boy reading a comic book in his bedroom came into view. The narrator spoke and Bo hung on every word about dogs and their relationship to humans. Finally, the image of large snowcapped mountains with low-hanging clouds appeared,

"It looks like… feels like we're flying above the Alaska Range," Bo whispered.

Lauren wrapped her arm through her wife's placing her hand on Bo's, "I really want to go there."

Bo was looking up over her head, but she smiled and whispered, "I'll get you there."

Suddenly, they could see that there was a person, not a tree, on the edge of a cliff. Lauren turned to look at Rudy and Elise whose eyes opened wide,

"Are they gonna jump?" Rudy asked.

Lynnie whispered, "We'll have to wait and see."

Sure enough, the skier leans forward and heads down the near vertical drop. Rudy hopped out of her chair and ran to Bo, crawling into her lap,

"Sister! Look!"

Elise was in Lauren's lap in the next moment, pointing out the skier who had plummeted over the edge and was now speeding down the side of the mountain. Snow followed behind him, a large mass breaking free in an avalanche of snow that buried him,

"Oh no! Avalanche!" Rudy said, pointing when the camera went dark, "Did he die?"

"That man has a dog with him!" Elise said, pointing to the man hanging from a rescue helicopter with a dog on his lap.

Bo smiled, "Do you remember what Rodney told us about the dogs before we came in?"

Elise rolled onto her side, looking at Bo and Rudy, "This is the avalanche saving dog! His name was Henry!"

Rudy nodded, "And he was from Britishland!"

Lauren smiled, "British Columbia. It's in Canada."

"Between Alaska and Seattle!" Rudy added, "I think it's the Yukon where you were, Sister, right?"

Bo smiled, "It's south of the Yukon, so it's probably one of their national parks."

They all turned back to the film, watching as the man and dog were lowered the ground. The dog walked up and over a ridge, the camera zooming in close on his face,

"Hey! Henry is wearing ski goggles!" Elise smiled.

The narrator identified the dog as Henry and the location as Whistler Mountain Ski Patrol. Lauren smiled, "See? If you listen, the narrator will answer all of your questions."

Shannie leaned towards Lynnie, giving a nod towards Lauren, "Did you ever think that would be our Lauren?"

Lynnie smiled shaking her head, "I hoped, but never thought she would ever be as happy as she is. Look at them, Shannie."

Smiling, she replied, "I know. I see. Are you ready?"

Lynnie turned to her fiancé, "I am."

"Me too," Shannie smiled, leaning in, and kissing her soundly on the lips before the two of them settled back to watch the movie together.

"Henry found him!" The two cheered.

The film continued, the two smiling as they saw Henry skiing on his Human's back and then a whole row of dogs on a ski lift. When a litter of puppies came onto the screen, everyone gave a big 'awwww', Rudy looking at Harper,

"You're gonna have babies like that, Harper!" she looked at Bo, "I'm so excited for your puppies."

"Me too," Bo smiled, turning back to the screen where a woman was being introduced. Elise looked at Lauren,

"What's a FEMA?"

Lauren smiled, "That's our Federal Emergency Management Agency and they respond to all sorts of emergencies. Natural disasters like volcanoes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes."

"That's a cool job, huh?"

Lauren smiled, "It's a very important job. For this one, I guess she needs a dog. We'll have to watch and see what she does."

Elise turned back to the screen as the woman was interviewed and she explained that she was looking for a dog because she just liked females best – that she was attached to female dogs,

"She sounds just like you, Sister!"

Bo smiled, "She knows her dogs, huh? Girls are the best, right Harper?"

They all turned to Harper who was sitting up on the seat, looking around the room, her eyes zeroing in on the little puppy named Halo. She barked twice, leading everyone to laugh.

"Hey! Keep the talking to a whisper or they'll kick you out of here, Harper," Bo cautioned with a smile.

They watched the movie, but once the girls were hooked, the theatre was silent. When it ended, they both continued to stare at the screen through the credits, which pictured all of the featured dogs and their humans as well. To Shannie's delight – there was even a short message from Chris Evans.

With the hot dogs, popcorn and juice boxes consumed, they stood, turning to see Rodney sitting on the aisle,

"What did you think?"

Rudy was quick to shout, "it was awesome, Mr. Rodney! The theatre is amazing! It's like we were right there with them!"

Elise nodded along with her friend, "And the dogs are all so cool! I didn't know they could do so many things!"

Rodney smiled, "Well, it depends on the breed, their natural instincts, their age and their human but yes, I'd agree that dogs are capable of many brilliant things."

Elise smiled, stroking Harper's head, "Harper's got super rescue powers too! She saved Bo from a bear attack… her teammates too!"

Bo sighed, nodding, "That was all instinct, Elise. She's never been trained to attack."

Rodney nodded, "Love isn't instinct, Bo and I trust that was her motivating factor. Remember that humans must earn a dog's love and trust. They won't lay down their lives for just anyone if they haven't been trained to do so."

Bo offered a weak smile, "I suppose that's true, Rodney."

He stood, smiling down at Harper, "So, if we're finished with the questions, I'd like to take you to that very special room I mentioned to Lauren?"

The blonde nodded, "Lead the way."

Rudy and Elise looked up at Lauren, "What's a special room?"

Lauren bopped each of them on the nose, "It's for very special little girls. Follow Rodney."

"But we're leaving the theatre. We have to hold hands, right?"

Lauren nodded, "Hold each other's hands, stay with Rodney. We'll be right behind you."

The two joined hands and rushed off after Rodney, the four adults following behind. Lauren checked her watch,

"We're right on schedule for our reservation. Let's see if we can keep this visit to fifteen minutes."

Bo nodded, "What is this visit?"

"It's just something special for the girls."

"That's not vague at all," Bo smiled.

Lauren chuckled, "I know how much you love the cryptic stuff. Just helping you to enjoy yourself."

"Right. I just love the cryptic stuff."

They followed Rodney and the girls into a store where there were collectibles and souvenirs from the movies that were currently being viewed in the IMAX theatres across Boston. The girls ran excitedly from one item to the next before stopping at the area of stuffed animals. Bo shook her head and smiled,

"I wish I had stuffed animals as a kid. They're so adorable and cuddly. Maybe that's why I grew up so hard and stoic."

Lauren shook her head, rubbing her wife's back, "You were surrounded by hardened people and weren't given the opportunity to have such luxuries. But - there's nothing stopping you now."

"I'm a grown woman, Lauren. Stuffed animals are for children."

Lynnie gave her friend a wink, leading her fiancé away from the couple to shop the rest of the store while Lauren and Bo began the negotiations with the girls,

"Can we each get one of the dogs from the movie?" Elise asked, "I have money at home in my doggy bank from my clinic job and my race job and we each have the fifty dollars from our trip allowance."

Rudy nodded, "Me too! I made a lot of money at the Kennel and mom put my race pay in my bank account."

"Mine too!" Elise added.

The two girls looked at each other, then back to Bo and Lauren to add a long, "Pleeeeeeeease?"

Bo looked at Lauren and shook her head, "Maybe this parenting thing isn't a very good idea for us."

"I know. Saying no is very hard, especially when they're offering to pay us back."

Bo sighed, "But, their money is supposed to be for college and their sledding gear…"

"And to pay for their new puppies…"

Rudy shook her head, "We'll work extra hours at the kennel!"

"And I'll work extra hours at the clinic!" Elise added.

"And I'll help wash the dogs!" Rudy said, stopping to correct herself, "I mean, wash the truck and bathe the dog. I can't reach the tall parts, but you said I did a good job cleaning the hub caps!"

"One moment, girls. We have to talk," Bo said, pulling Lauren aside.

"Bo, I cannot in good conscience have our children be forced to have jobs to make money to buy things that will remind them of special trips we take for the rest of their lives."

"What are you talking about?" Bo asked, not understanding what her wife was saying.

"Remember when we gave Rudy souvenirs from Boston last year? And do you remember the Christmas gifts we sent them while we were… well… away, in the fall?"

"Of course, I do. They loved them."

"Love them, Bo. Not past tense. They still love them. They love them because they're from us and from a place they had dreamed of going. They put them on the shelves and they look at them every night because it reminds them that we were away and we thought about them – that they're special to us. That we love them."

"Those souvenirs do all of that?"

Lauren smiled, "Yes, Bo. They do. And I want their money to go in their savings accounts for college or for really big once in a lifetime purchases like… their first sled or their first piece of jewelry when they get their ears pierced or their first truck when they get their license."

"So, we should pay for the stuffed animals?"

Lauren nodded, "We brought them on this trip, Bo. Why should they have to pay for everything they buy here? They just paid for their movie food. We're the adults. They're just kids and…"

Bo turned, looking at the two girls, "One animal each. We'll pay for them."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

"Really."

"But Sister, momma said…"

"Let me worry about mom. Go on. Pick."

They hesitated, but turned and began listing their pros and cons of each available animal.

Lauren sighed, "As for mom, it's pretty simple. In this country, it's illegal for children to hold jobs prior to the age of sixteen in most states. It's called the child labor laws. I agreed to Elise volunteering at the clinic to learn about something she loved while Rudy was off sledding. I saw it as a replacement activity for the clubs I had in school."

"Clubs?"

"Yes. I had chemistry club and Science Olympiad Competition Team and the debate team and the academic competition team and the Underwater Robotics Club and... well, there were many. I was also in the sailing team, the surfing team, the crew team, the fencing club and others. I was quite busy, but they were all things that enriched my education and gave me a social life outside of the regular school day."

"Who paid for all of that?"

"They were school programs. For some, my parents had to pay an extra fee, but all of those things helped my resume for college, so they agreed to take the money from my account so that I could join."

"Your account?"

"I was given a monthly allowance, but they had to approve any purchase. They never approved anything that wasn't going to advance my character, intelligence or standing."

Bo could only shake her head, "So you never owned a stuffed animal?"

"Yes. Gabby. She was a stuffed bear given to me by my grandmother for my birthday."

They watched as the two tried to decide on which ones to get. Rudy really liked Henry the avalanche rescue dog and Elise really liked Halo the rescue dog from Disaster City. They both liked Ricochet, the surfing therapy dog.

"What do you think?" Lauren asked.

"I think Elise will go with the therapy dog. Very veterinarian-like."

"Oh. I thought Rudy might go for him because he's a surfing dog too."

While Bo and Lauren guessed, the girls zeroed in on Tony and Tipper the bloodhound brothers that had the best long, droopy ears. They also liked Reef who had the best big fluffy black coat. The decision took a lot of discussion, but eventually, they went with their original choices - Rudy took Henry and Elise took Halo.

Bo smiled, "Wow. We suck at guessing."

"Makes me sad to learn that we don't know them as well as we think we do."

They walked around the store a bit longer and found a copy of the movie they had just seen on DVD. Elise picked it up and waved it at Bo and Lauren,

"Can we get this too? We can share it with the whole family so they get to see the movie we got to see."

Rudy nodded, "Sister, maybe you can sell it at the Kennel! It's a dog movie, after all!"

Elise looked at the price tag, "It's fifteen dollars so that's…"

They stood staring at each other, Rudy pouting, "I hate math."

Finally, they figured it out, Elise shouting, "Seven dollars and fifty cents each plus the stuffed animals that are twenty dollars each, so that's twenty-seven dollars and fifty cents each!"

Bo smiled, "Very good, girls. Now, we only have the one DVD player at The Homestead, so Lauren and I will spring for a new one at the cottage."

"Yes!" Rudy smiled before looking up at her sister, "At school, we watch movies from the school's digital library. Why do we buy DVD's?"

Lauren explained, "Where we live, we rely on our cell phones for internet. When you watch the way you do at school, it's called streaming and when you stream movies, you use a lot of memory and virtual space to watch. So, the company that we purchase that memory and space from – it's called data – charges us for the data that we use."

"So why don't we just buy more data?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "Because it's very expensive and our business is already paying for all of our employee's data. When more companies start running more lines here, it will get cheaper but for now, buying a DVD is still the cheapest way for us to watch movies. We can order any DVD's you want from an online store and have them delivered, so just let us know if you ever have a movie you want to see."

"And if we approve of the movie, we'll buy or rent it for the whole family to watch," Lauren added.

"Movie night!" Rudy smiled, "That would be fun."

Bo nodded, "It would be fun. Let's get to the checkout counter. We have a reservation to get to."

"What's a reservation?"

Lauren smiled, "It's when someone saves you a seat for something."

Rudy and Elise looked at each other before Elise asked, "We're doing another activity?"

Bo nodded, "Yes we are!"

"But what about bedtime?" Rudy asked.

Bo shrugged, "We have permission to keep you out late."

"Yes!" Elise shouted and the pair ran to the register and put their animals and the movie on the counter.

Rodney took the merchandise, removed the price tags and handed the animals back to the girls,

"I suppose you'll want to put these in your backpacks with your other friends?" he said, pointing to the fur seal and baby penguin on their backs.

"Is that okay?" Rudy asked.

He nodded, "I think it would be great for them to keep each other company."

Bo walked up to the counter, pulling out her wallet, but Rodney waved her off, "It's included in the price."

"Rodney, that's not necessary. Really," Lauren began, but he shook his head,

Rudy and Elise moved to the counter, each holding their money in their hands,

"We'll pay if you don't want to take their money."

Rodney shook his head, "I'm not taking your money either, young ones," he turned to Lauren, "We've been friends for a long time, LoLew. You bought my kids gifts for every holiday and some not-holidays almost every year of their pre-double-digit lives. This is the least I can do for these two."

He pulled a business card from the shelf and handed it to Bo, "Besides, I called corporate and got you the friends and family discount. It's one hundred bucks for the six of you including a souvenir for each. Granted, the souvenirs should be smaller, but since the four adults aren't taking any big-ticket items off the shelves, it's all good."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Rodney. Really."

"You're welcome, Lauren. Did you get to the exhibits earlier today? I'm sorry I didn't find you when you were here. I've had classes and research going on all day so just couldn't break away."

"It's fine, Rodney. Really. This is so very generous of you. I can't thank you enough. The girls had a blast."

"I'm glad," he smiled, "Bo, Shannie, Lynnie, it was very nice to meet you. Rudy, Elise – I'm so happy you had a good time with us. Do you have any other questions before you go?"

Bo waved the card, "Who's this?"

He smiled, "Oh, I overheard Rudy mention you selling that DVD at your store. That's the company to contact if you want to give it a try. Any other questions?"

Rudy looked up at Bo, then back to Rodney, "Is there a bathroom?"

The women all smiled with Rodney who pointed the way, "I'm going to go start locking up. Pierre will lock the door behind you downstairs. Be well, my friend."

Lauren and Rodney hugged before they headed off to the bathrooms and to their last activity of the evening. Then they would go home – the part of the evening Lauren was most looking forward to.

While Bo went to the bathroom, she pulled out her phone,

"Burton? Are we ready to go?"

"Hello Mrs. Lewis… I mean Mrs. Dennis. Yes, we're all set. Nine p.m. sharp, right?"

"We'll be there."

"It's important to be on time, or we could be pushed."

"Understood. If we're going to be late, I'll let you know so you can get us an alternate time. Thank you again for all of your work on this, Burton."

"I assure you it was no problem. The owner is most anxious to get a reply afterwards. He will jump through whatever hoops he needs to get this done."

"He does know the reply may be a few days, right?"

"He said he would wait one week for a reply."

"Okay. Thank you. Gotta run."

Lauren hung up her phone quickly, turning to look out the window as she put the device away. The group headed outside where a cab was waiting to take them to the bowling alley.

Lauren emphasized to Shannie and Lynnie how important it was that they leave on time. They planned for Lynnie to make transportation arrangements for an eight-thirty pick up so they would arrive before nine.

Now, Lauren just had to hope this was a surprise that Bo would enjoy. This would be like no experience she had ever had before.

They all hopped into the cab and headed to the bowling alley.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CANDLEPIN BOWLING ALLEY

As the cabbie drove them through town, the girls asked about the game. It was information that Lynnie was happy to provide.

"Girls, tonight we're going to play Candlepin Bowling! Have you ever bowled before?"

"I did at a friends' birthday party in Hawai'i. The holes hurt my fingers."

Elise smiled, "When my parents took me to Seattle, we played bumper bowling. I just threw the ball between my legs with two hands. I got a strike once!"

Lynnie smiled "That's great! Strikes are definitely hard to get. Even harder in candlepin because the pins are narrower than the big ones in tenpin and the ball is smaller too."

"Like a candle and tennis ball?" Rudy asked.

Lynnie nodded, "More like the end of a baseball bat and a softball."

Elise smiled, "My dad loved to watch baseball. They liked the summer Olympics because all the sports they played when they were younger and lived in the Lower Forty-Eight were on all at once."

"I watched the last summer Olympics because surfing was finally there," Rudy said, "We watched at the surf shop. It was cool."

"So, they only play Candlepin Bowling in Massachoochets?" Elise asked.

Lynnie shook her head, "We have all kinds of sports, but Candlepin was born here, so it's special to us. I think it's easier than regular bowling for little kids, so I thought you two would really like it."

"If the ball doesn't have holes that will hurt my fingers, I'll like it!" Rudy exclaimed.

"Can you teach us?" Elise asked.

Lynnie nodded, "Candlepin was invented in the 1880's in a place called Worcester. It's not far from Boston. So, the guy who is actually credited with the invention of the game was Justin White who owned the place where they played. He kept working on what the perfect size and shape of the balls and pins should be. It took him a few times to get it right."

"So, he was the only one who played?" Rudy asked.

Lynnie shook her head, "No. He was the one who invented the game, but another guy named Jack Monsey gets the credit for writing down all of the rules and regulations and spreading it to other towns around the state. He created an organization called the National Duckpin and Candlepin Congress who regulated the sized of the balls and pins. The Candlepin Congress also created competitive leagues around the Worcester area."

"The government started candlepin?" Elise asked.

Lynnie grinned, "It's not the government's congress, it's a congress just for the game."

Lauren helped, "Just like the governing body for sledding."

"Oh, I get it," Elise said with a smile.

Lynnie smiled, "So Candlepin bowling is our version of tenpin, but it is said to have been invented before tenpin was standardized in 1895, so we argue that ours came first."

"So, did the guy ever make the rules final or do we make them up as we go?" Rudy asked.

"We have rules now and the game has been spreading across the nation. It's even being played in other countries, and it all started right here in the little town of Worcester."

"That's cool," Rudy smiled, "But you didn't tell us the rules yet."

"We'll go over the rules while we eat our first pizza," Lynnie said as they pulled up to the alley.

They went in and paid their fees, Shannie insisting on picking up the tab for the last activity of the day. They all picked out their bowling shoes and then headed over to Lane 3 where they would spend the next hour and a half.

As promised, Lynnie went over the rules, quickly realizing Bo had never actually seen a bowling ball or alley before. She decided to keep things simple, so it was agreed that Lynnie and Shannie would keep score so the rest of the group only had to worry about rolling three balls in a row, trying to knock down as many pins as possible.

They finished off the first pizza and then got into their first game. Rudy, Bo and Shannie were taking on Elise, Lauren and Lynnie. The competition proved fierce as all six were very competitive. Everyone was surprised to find that Elise was the biggest trash-talker in the group.

She had always been what would be considered mildly competitive, but this had shown them a whole new level. Still, the game was friendly and entertaining. It was so much fun to watch the girls get excited when the pins fell. Bo got off to a rough start with the new game, but like most physical tasks, she was soon throwing strikes as well as the veteran bowlers.

After a second pizza and a lot of laughs, the group headed out to the waiting transportation that Shannie had arranged,

"Whoa! What kind of cab is that?" Rudy asked.

Elise pointed, looking up at Lauren, "It's two cabs in one!"

Shannie smiled, "It's just a bigger limousine than the one you took to the airport."

"Does this one go to the airport?" Rudy asked as she got into the limo, sliding all the way over to sit next to her sister.

Shannie looked up at Lauren who shook her head. Instead of answering the question, she simply yelled,

"Seatbelts!"

Lynnie and Shannie immediately started a conversation when the limo left the bowling lanes, asking questions about the best parts of the day while the girls excitedly responded. The stuffed animals talked to each other with the help of their new owners and then they made plans for their last day in Provincetown. They hadn't seen much of Main Street and the girls decided they wanted to go shopping with the allowance they had been given for their trip.

"We have to say goodbye to Nana too!"

Bo nodded, "And we've got to paint the porch tomorrow, too."

Lauren smiled, "Well, it sounds like we'll have a busy last day."

Finally, they pulled up at their destination. The driver opened Bo's door first while Lauren, Shannie and Lynnie watched for her reaction.

Bo stood, turning around to face the door to grab her crutches and help the girls out of the limo followed by Harper,

"I know, girl. You're tired, aren't you. We're almost home. It's okay,"

Bo smiled, scratching her head before she looked up to realize they were parked by what looked like an airplane hangar. She turned and looked around, her eyes falling on a small jet,

"Oh my…" she stopped, her gaze rambling over every inch of the beauty before her, "I love my planes. I really, really love my planes but you are the limo of the skies," she smiled, "You're a real beauty."

Lauren whispered in her ear, "More beautiful than me?"

Bo cleared her throat, turning to face her wife, "Never. I'm just saying that as personal jets go, she's spectacular," her shoulders dropped, "You know it's the one machine I can't resist."

Lauren smiled, "So let me ask you – hypothetically – what would you sacrifice for that jet?"

Bo shrugged, "Actually, it's funny you should ask. I was thinking of shrinking my fleet."

"Oh?" Lauren asked, checking her watch.

"Are we in a hurry?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "We've got another twenty minutes."

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

"Isn't the ferry over there closer to the water?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "You're trying to change the subject. Tell me again about the changes to your fleet?"

Bo shrugged, "Well, I'm not sure if you remember me telling you about that guy who designed and built the DRACO bush plane…"

"I do remember," Lauren nodded, "The fastest bush plane out there."

"It uses a turbine instead of a piston engine and can take off just 110 feet at sea level, climb 4,000 feet per minute and cruise at 180 mph."

Lauren smiled, "I'm not sure what all of that means, but I take it the plane would serve some purpose that your others don't?"

Bo shook her head, "I just don't think I need the big ten passenger planes anymore. I only use them to fly the dogs home from Nome, but I have multiple planes that could do the same thing. I'm not running tours anymore, so it just doesn't seem to make sense that I keep them all."

She added, "My DeHavilland Otter is the best plane for getting in and out of tight places in the bush with the dogs and holds ten passengers. It's really the only big passenger plane I need."

"So, you want to sell everything except the Otter?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm not sure yet, but if I can get that DRACO, I'd have that and the Otter for sure. I'd probably also keep the DeHavilland Beaver."

"You would keep the Beaver too?"

Bo nodded, "I can haul an ATV in that, Lauren. It just makes sense to keep a plane that can haul that much weight. I'd have the DRACO for performance and the DeHav's for cargo carrying. The Cessna is a gas hog, so other than when I took you up in it, it's really just been parked and I have to keep paying Kurt for maintenance. Same can be said for the Piper Chieftain and the Cherokee Six."

"You would sell your Chieftain?" Lauren asked, "Isn't that your only pressurized plane for high altitudes?"

Bo nodded, "Yes, but like I said, I'm not doing tours anymore, so it doesn't really make sense to keep it. I mean, it can fly at 24,000 feet which is nice, but I can only get about 800 miles out of it."

"And your helicopter?"

Bo smiled, "Well, you have a whole fleet of choppers now, so as long as you keep those small ones for getting into bush areas like our house, I really don't need it."

"What if the hospital bought your chopper?"

"Do you want it?" Bo asked.

"Kurt does and I defer to him when it comes to the fleet. He also wants a plane to shuttle medical supplies back and forth. During the winter, some of our supplies were held up due to supply chain issues. He said he would rather fly out and get them than be held hostage by the weather."

"That Cessna would probably be a good buy for that. He's flown it and as far as I know he liked it. I would say it's probably better than buying a plane he knows nothing about. He's worked on that plane from nose to tail."

Lauren nodded, checking her watch again, "Well, our reservation is for nine o'clock so it's time for us to board."

Bo checked her phone, "Aren't we late?"

Lauren smiled, "Not when the plane is only fifty yards away."

"Plane?" Bo asked.

Grinning, the blonde nodded, "I arranged a test flight for you."

"A test flight?"

Lauren nodded, "That plane is for sale. It's owned by one of Patrick's former law partners and he wants to upgrade."

"Former law partners? The crooks?"

"No, former first law partners when he was fresh out of college."

"Okay. Well, it's beautiful Lauren, but why would I want that plane? Why would we want that plane?"

The blonde smiled, "Well, for one, you just told me that you would like to come here more often. Second, it would allow Stephen and I to fly here whenever we needed to without having to worry about commercial flights and finally, it would allow for trips between here and Hawai'i if Rudy does decide she wants to get back into surfing."

"But Lauren, the costs…"

The blonde shook her head, "I already talked to Penelope about Dennis Airlines…"

"What?" Bo asked as Lauren took her arm and started to lead her to the plane.

"Dennis-Archer, Inc. would hire you to ferry our physicians, board of directors or other personnel – possibly patients – between Boston and Alaska as well as – possibly - a few other east coast destinations. The money you would make from our travel would cover any expenses you would have when flying the plane for your personal use."

"But I have other…" Bo began, but Lauren continued,

"…responsibilities, I know. Penelope said that after six months to a year, you would have enough money to hire a second pilot. Until then, we can use any licensed pilot from the Emergency Team to fly us since they're our employees too. If you didn't want to fly cross country, you could fly the supply chopper if you wanted to make money for flying."

Bo looked at the plane, admiring its sleek lines. She wondered what it would feel like to fly it and assumed she would likely have to upgrade her license,

"Who's going to fly us back?"

"You are, under the supervision of the owners' pilot."

"He has a pilot?"

Lauren nodded, "He's a billionaire, so yes."

"He knows that we're not billionaires?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but he's giving you a very good price on this plane."

"What price is that?"

"One hundred grand minus the cost of a surgery," Lauren replied.

"A surgery?"

Lauren nodded, "His wife needs a transplant. Seven years ago, I started research using human cellular material to 3D print human hearts. Two years ago, his wife was diagnosed with heart failure. He hired a team to use my research to make my work a reality."

Bo could see her wife's eyes brimming with tears, "And?"

"In three weeks, I will transplant their 3D printed heart into a pig. He has all of the FDA approvals for the trial and the pig. If it's successful, they'll print thirty-three more hearts and implant those in pigs as well. Our cardiac team will do the transplants and Kyle has agreed to keep the pigs on her farm. If the transplants are successful for a minimum of eighteen months, they will allow one human trial."

"His wife."

Lauren nodded, "That surgery will take place in Boston, and I will have to fly back and forth to check on her progress. I'll have to stay for two weeks after the surgery – longer if there are any complications but once she's out of the woods, Kate and I will alternate bi-weekly checkups and we'll have weekly virtual checkups. We'll be able to monitor her rhythms via the implanted monitor we install."

Bo smiled, "Sounds like you're building a robot."

She chuckled, "Let's just say she'll have enough hardware in her to set off the airport scanners."

"Another reason to have the plane," Bo replied.

"Well, she'll have her own transportation."

"Of course. Billionaire husband."

"So, what do you think about all of this? I was going to tell you sooner, but there was your surgery and Tosh and then the wedding and the house and then you put me on a plane last weekend when I thought we would have time to talk so until Burton called me about this jet, I thought there was no rush."

"Burton?"

"The limo driver, pilot, essentially the transportation secretary for the family."

Bo stood at the base of the stairway, looking up at the plane, "She is a beauty."

Rudy stuck her head out of the door, "Sister! You have GOT to see this! It's like a hotel in here!"

Bo smiled, "Be right there, Roo."

Lauren hooked her arm in Bo's, "You have a week until he puts this plane back on the market."

"So, a surgery and one-hundred grand?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, a hundred grand minus the cost of the surgery."

"And what will that be?"

Lauren shrugged, "About a million, but since he's bringing the heart, probably half of that since we won't have to harvest and transport it."

"Wow. I had no idea!" Bo smiled, "So my wife is going to have a big payday for doing this surgery."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm not in this for the money, Bo. I'm in this for the science. I've been chasing this version of a transplantable heart for more than a decade. His team took my research and applied it with equipment I never could have afforded on the grant I was given. It's been a year of phone calls and conference calls trying to make it viable."

"And now it is?"

Again, she shook her head, "I don't know, Bo. I mean, I hope so but we won't know until I do the first trial if the heart will even be viable."

"I have faith in you, Lauren. If it doesn't work, you'll find another way," Bo smiled, before a scowl formed on her face, "Wait. So, if this is successful, will this guy control how much these hearts cost and who gets them?"

Lauren smiled, "It's my research. Once his wife is in the clear, that division of his research company becomes part of Dennis-Archer, Inc. and will be serviced by our labs."

"That's huge, Lauren."

"Bo, I would get to live my lifelong dream. I'd be doing research, saving patients and doing only the surgeries that I want to do once the other doctors learn the techniques."

"And I could do wood crafting, raise and train dogs, drive sleds and fly you in this fancy plane when you have to go somewhere," Bo smiled.

"Only me?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "It would depend on the timing with my other jobs. Then there's Rudy and Elise. Then, when we have the baby…"

Lauren nodded, "Only me then – and the occasional supply run, maybe?"

"Maybe a supply run," Bo smiled.

"Shall we?" Lauren said, waving her hand towards the steps.

Bo nodded, releasing Harpers' leash so she could start up the staircase,

"We shall."

Lauren went first, helping Harper up the last few steep steps while Bo put her crutches on her left and grabbed the railing on the right. She stopped midway up and checked the wings and eyed the engine,

"You've got muscle, Lady. Let's see what you can do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ONBOARD THE G650

"So, you're the Champion Musher, Bo Dennis, huh? Damn proud to meet you!" said the captain, stretching out his hand in greeting.

Bo shook the offered hand before he took her crutches and smiled,

"Heard you had a run-in with a rockface during the race. I watched the whole thing online and you never looked hurt to me. I can't believe you had three tendons replaced!"

Bo smiled, "You follow the Iditarod?"

Burton smiled, "Don't let the uniform full you. I was born and raised in Minnesota. My grandma and grandpa raised sled dogs, work dogs, service dogs and cattle dogs. I had a Border Collie-Australian Shepherd mix named Polly. She was the best. She died at the ripe old age of sixteen. The vet called her his miracle dog."

Bo grinned, looking back at Harper who was standing in the doorway to the cockpit, "I have one of those too."

Burton looked back, his eyes going wide, "Is that Harper?"

Bo nodded, "The one and only."

He stood, "May I say hello?"

"One second," Bo said, standing, "It's Burton, right?"

"Oh, sorry. Yes, Burton is the name."

"Harper, this is Burton. Say hello to Burton," Bo said, using hand signals with Harper before Burton approached. They were in an unfamiliar setting and very cramped quarters. It had been a long day for her canine friend, so Bo was just a bit concerned she might be grumpy.

Burton approached slowly, kneeling down well before Harper, and holding out the back of his hand to the dog. She stood, walking forward to smell the hand, finally lowering her head to let him know it was okay for him to touch her.

Familiar with dogs, he immediately noticed her shoulder, "Ouch! Did that happen to her when you clipped that rock?"

Bo shook her head, "That happened to her when a bear attacked us on a training run. She sacrificed herself to save me and somehow managed to survive."

He lifted the leg, noticing the strange shape of the muscle, "So that's why you didn't run her for the full race."

Bo smiled, "She wasn't supposed to run at all, but when we got there, she wouldn't get in the basket. She went and stood at the lead position – somewhere she hasn't been for three years now. When I tried to pick her up to put her in the basket, she snapped at me – something she has never done. So, I let her run until she took herself out of the race about midway through."

"Well, her weight looks good so soon after the race. I've heard it's tough for them to put all of their weight back. Is that true?"

Bo nodded, "Actually, I noticed this morning that she has a slight roundness to her belly, but it's not weight. She's pregnant. She's the last of the direct descendants of my mother's family line."

"Wow. The end of an era."

"She has younger siblings, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren. There are also pups from the ancestral bloodline that will run parallel to hers, so the blood will still be there. My mom will be helping me to train this generation so that will help as well. Hopefully we get another Harper somewhere down the line. When she goes, it's going to be a big loss."

"I'm sure," he nodded, "It's always hard to lose your pup. I still haven't gotten another pup since Polly died. Just can't replace her yet. It's only been two years, but still, it's tough."

He gave her a few more rubs before standing and heading back to his seat, "You know, you had a single lead dog at some point in the race who looked a lot like Harper."

Bo grinned, "Aphrodite. She's Harper's granddaughter."

"Wow. That's really cool."

"It is," Bo smiled, "So, can you tell me about this plane?"

He nodded, "Absolutely. Before we start her up, I want to give you a quick tour. They bumped our departure time back due to earlier delays with the big commercial flights, so let's get that done now."

"Great," Bo said.

"Can you walk without the crutches, or do you need me to unstow those?"

"I can walk without," Bo smiled.

"Great. So, this is obviously the cockpit. We'll have time to talk about everything in here during our flight. Let's head into the cabin and see how the little ones are doing."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure the adults are keeping them contained as much as possible."

"Seatbelts will take care of that once we're in the air."

"Very true," Bo smiled, following the pilot into a beautiful, bright cabin with plush light beige carpet, teakwood cabinets and trim, what looked like very comfortable leather seats – two solo seats, a pair of seats facing each other and a group of four seats next to the double.

There was a long sofa opposite a TV and large console that looked like it would seat another six people, but she guessed that since there were no seatbelts on those seats, that area would only be used while in-flight. The windows were spaced out like they were on the commercial airliners, but they were horizontal ovals that she imagined would let in a great deal of light during the day.

The overhead compartments were barely noticeable as they were clearly designed to be invisible. There were delicate lights over each seat, cupholders in the thick leather chair arms as well as electric four-way seat backs. There were lumbar support rolls on each seat.

Naturally, the group had gathered in the group of six seats, Shannie and Lynnie sitting in the two seats facing each other while Lauren was seated at the table with the girls who were looking at a big picture book of Boston. Bo walked to the group hoping to sneak by unnoticed, but Rudy caught a glimpse,

"Sister! Isn't this plane amazing? These seats are like the ones that were in the limo only bigger! Elise and I could sit in one together!"

Bo nodded and smiled, "It is pretty amazing, Roo. It's a lot more comfortable than the Cessna, isn't it?"

Rudy laughed, "Yea, it is but you wouldn't be able to land this one on the ice, snow or water, huh."

Bo hadn't considered that fact. The nearest airstrip that could likely handle a plane of this size traveling at what she was sure were mach speeds would be in Anchorage. She was fairly certain the mountains and the short runway wouldn't be sufficient for landing and takeoff so quick access to this plane wouldn't be possible. Planning would be necessary. Still, if Lauren was right and it had the fuel capacity to travel to Hawai'i and Boston, that was a big selling point.

Lauren gave her a wink and a smile as she passed, and Bo's belly flip-flopped. It was amazing that her wife still had that effect on her after more than a year. Such a simple gesture left her weak in the knees.

They entered a space that Burton referred to as one of the family areas. On this plane, there were four. The first had been at the mid-section of the plane. The last two were convertible into sleep areas as well. He also said that the company would pay for the plane to be reconfigured at no extra cost, which Bo was happy about.

Seeing Lynnie and Shannie seated directly next to Lauren and the girls reminded her that a couple would have no privacy with a family or group of four seated immediately next to them. That was something that annoyed her in restaurants on her first trip to Boston. She didn't like people hearing her conversations with Lauren and she felt certain other couples felt the same.

In the rear was a nice-sized washroom with a bathroom across the aisle. Bo liked the fact that there was a separate place for people to wash up since it allowed others to use the toilet rather than wait for someone to clean up.

Burton pulled up the floor to take Bo on a tour of the engineering area, but she declined because of her knee. She'd been on her feet all day, so she was a bit sore. Besides, if she was going to buy the plane, she would be requesting that Kurt be able to go over her from nose to tail.

They ventured back up to the cockpit where Burton checked the clock to find that they would need to start their pre-flight right away,

"I'd like you to observe and I've left a clipboard there for you to write down questions you might have. I'm sure you've already wondered about your license. What planes have you flown?"

"Mostly I've flown tour flights over Denali which is why I was jet licensed since those flights require a pressurized cabin. For those, I either flew my own Cessna 185 if I had a small group or the company's Cessna Citation or the Embraer Phenom."

"Wow. The Phenom is a fast aircraft. I had a buddy who flew one of those."

Bo nodded, "It is, indeed."

"Lauren had your friend and mechanic - Kurt, email me a list of your planes. I hope you don't mind, but she was trying to surprise you when all of this came up."

"No problem," Bo replied.

"My boss is actually quite interested in your Cherokee."

"Really?" Bo asked.

Burton nodded, "He believes he'll be spending a good amount of time in Alaska, and he may need to fly to Seattle while there. Can it handle the trip?"

Bo shook her head, "It will be just shy, so you would need a refuel. The best way to get to Seattle from Alaska is probably the Alaska Ferry.

"There's a ferry?"

Bo smiled, "Remember, we're surrounded by water on three sides, so boats are a normal mode of transportation. We also use trains and dog sleds as well as helicopters and obviously bush planes."

"Trains?"

Bo smiled, "You can take the Amtrak Cascades train to Bellingham, Seattle and the dock for the Alaska Ferry is just a short distance away. I only know that because I looked it up for Lauren's first trip there from our home in Talkeetna."

"Wow. I don't think he had considered a train," Burton said, pulling on his headset, "Time to talk to the tower. If you pull on that headset, you can listen to the pre-flight."

Bo did as asked and listened to the procedures for pre-flight and take off. It was more formal than their tower back home, but that was to be expected. When finished, he went over a few other controls and then switched over to give Bo the controls. She looked at him and shook her head,

"I've never flown this plane and my family is onboard. That would be negligent. Please handle the take off."

"Bo, you clearly have enough experience too…"

"We've got a schedule to keep," she said, unclipping her harness and exiting the cockpit.

She slapped her leg, bringing Harper to the rear with her and took a seat next to Lauren. She had Harper crawl beneath the table so that she was as secure as possible and gave Lauren a weak smile.

"I thought you would be riding in the cockpit."

Bo shook her head, looking at the girls who were still reading their picture book, "Did you know I was going to be offered a test flight?"

Lauren scowled, "I mean, this is the test flight, right? We're seeing the plane and feeling how it flies. It's certainly comfortable and a lot bigger than I expected."

Bo nodded, "I'll have to deal with licensing. I just opened the manual and glimpsed the specs of the aircraft. It's a high-altitude, high-speed jet. It's got plenty of miles to get us where we're going, but I just don't know that I'd be comfortable flying cross-country without a layover. It's a really long flight to stare at nothing but sky. It might be okay to fly this solo, but I don't think it's wise."

She nodded and Bo could see the disappointment on her face, but Lauren was aware that Bo would likely think that she was pushing for this to happen, so she quickly clarified,

"There are other planes that could do the job with layovers and frankly, I think it would be fun spend an overnight or two somewhere else where the plane is checked out."

Bo shrugged, "I want you to be honest with me, Lauren. Is your heart really set on this plane and direct flights?"

Lauren shook her head, "My heart was really set on you and the kids having the experience of flying on a private jet for fun… especially you because of how much you love planes. That's all."

She sighed, "When I had a conference call this week with my researchers for this heart project, Sebastian… Worthington, the owner, stayed on the call after everyone had left and talked to me about the plane idea. He's worried about me not being too far away from his wife, Sophia. He's seeing this plane deal as a way to keep me in Boston. Kate, Stephen and I all agree the best-case scenario would be them coming to Alaska."

Bo nodded, "You're sure."

"Absolutely, Bo. My biggest concern is wealthy people demanding that I travel east for them to have access to me. It sets a dangerous precedent. We're building this hospital system for the little guy – not the rich. The wealthy can afford to travel back and forth if they want me that badly, but eventually, I will be refusing those surgeries anyway. I've got to set boundaries."

"Sounds like you've backed him into a corner and he's getting desperate."

"How so?"

"Selling me this plane for my Cherokee?"

"Really?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know the whole deal, but it sounds like he's trying to win you over by winning me over. I don't think you're going to get out of this one, Lauren. He's determined to have you there when his wife needs you."

Lauren closed her eyes, shaking her head, "I won't allow it. He can fly to Alaska or Seattle and live there, or he can stay on the East Coast and use one of the seven other surgeons that I have been mentoring in my techniques. I gave him their names. He has options."

Bo shook her head, "So, you really expect me to believe this flight was just about fun? Lauren, you told me all about the offer. He's holding the sale for a week for me. Come on, Lauren. What's really going on?"

Lauren gave a nod to Rudy, "Surfing. She gave up surfing, but she loves it Bo and she's every bit the champion you are in her age group."

Bo shook her head, "I saw pictures and she has her medals in a box under her bed. I didn't look closely at them. She told me if it was a big deal to her, she would have them hanging on the wall."

"I talked to her, Bo. Her eyes lit up and she was so excited talking about the competition circuit. I thought if she can't get all the way to Hawai'i to surf, she could surf in California. There are competitions there, too."

"It can also be done in Alaska," Bo said, "I mean, I've heard about it but I've never done it. The water Is cold, so she would need a dry suit. It was just never something I wanted to do. When I'm on the coast, I'm jumping into a fishing boat."

Lauren smiled, "Do you know of any surf breaks?"

"No, but I know a guide. He's a Denali buddy of mine named Scott. He tried to get me to go with him so many times, but Spring through Fall were always big trapping, fishing, salmon smoking and fur tanning seasons for me and… well, like I said, it's cold."

"Well, if people are surfing, it can't be that bad. I mean, I've surfed in early winter with my boots, gloves and hood attached to my wet suit. It's good for an hour and you get out feeling alive and exhausted at the same time."

Bo shook her head, "Better you than me, I guess."

"I'm just surprised that it's still so cold."

Bo laughed, "Glacial water and arctic ice? Really?"

The blonde laughed, "I suppose you're right. Now tell me – how are the swells?"

"You seriously want to surf in the cold water? My newly beloved wife who couldn't sleep outside with me in the winter?"

"But I won't be lying still. I'll be moving my muscles, burning energy and creating heat in my body. It will offset the cold."

Bo sighed, "Okay. I'll put you in touch with Scott. He's all about surfing the Last Frontier and trying to find the one spot that no one has ever surfed before. He surfs the oceans, the river mouths, glacial run-off and any other body of water with a current. The trips are expedition-style, so you do a weekend or a week-long excursion. The trip is a cross between mountaineering and surfing, so you know what that means."

Lauren watched as Bo leaned back, closing her eyes, "No, what does that mean?"

"You'll be in the mountains far away from help, so if anyone drowns, gets knocked out by their board or cracks their head open on a rock, help could be more than a day away."

Lauren paused, thinking of Kurt and the fleet, "Where does he take his clients?"

"Southern coast – Kenai Peninsula. He's from Seward. He uses helicopters or Bush planes from a nearby charter company to drop you into the surf spot."

Lauren still wanted more information. She was curious even though the more Bo told her, the more wary she became. It was an insane idea, but in the past year, she'd put herself in a lot of similar situations. She asked,

"So what months does he do these excursions?"

"Year-round. It really doesn't matter the time of year, freezing cold water is freezing cold water. The temperature of snow is constant. The charter company will only fly from April to September and keep in mind that down in Seward, there's only six hours of daylight in the winter."

Lauren smiled, "But still, water temperatures vary, right?"

"The sun helps to warm the water from April to maybe October if you're lucky, but we're still talking glacial water so the warmest water will be about fifty-six degrees and that will be August and September – maybe October."

"Have you heard anything about the set-ups people use?"

Bo opened one eye and looked at Lauren, "What's a set-up?"

"What type of waves are there so we know what kind of board we need?" Rudy said, her eyes still fixed on the book as Elise turned the pages.

Bo looked up, "You're listening?"

Rudy shrugged, "You were talking about my surfing career, Sister Lauren feels bad that I'm not competing when I'm so good and you're explaining how I could surf in Alaska, but you don't know anything about surfing, so I think it's kinda funny," she giggled, "You don't even know what a set up is."

Bo lifted her head, looking at Lauren who smiled and shook her head,

"What she said," Bo smiled, "I can only tell you what you already know. River mouths are glacial runoff, so there's a ton of loose sediment that comes down with the water. That means the bottom is soft and moving with the current. The wave you surf one time will be different the second time because the bottom will have changed. That also means that if you fall, you may fall onto a newly formed sandbar which I'm sure you know can be dangerous."

Lauren nodded, "I get the idea."

"Definitely sounds dangerous," Rudy said, pointing to a lighthouse, "I wonder where that is?"

Elise pointed to the page, looking up, "Where is big red lighthouse, Lauren?"

The blonde leaned over, smiling, "That's Monomoy Point Light on Monomoy Island. I haven't thought of that place for years."

Rudy read from the book, "It says, that it's in Chat-ham Mass-a-choo-chets and it's a rookery? What's a rookery?"

"A rook is a piece of land where a colony has built its nests. On Monomoy, it's a birthing site for gray seals."

"Are they mean seals?" Elise asked.

Lauren smiled, "Gray seals are bigger and more aggressive than harbor seals – they're just south of there in New Hampshire where they have the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park. I did a summer with them when I was in college. It's a beautiful place."

"There sure are a lot of science places around here," Elise smiled.

Lauren nodded, "Well, this area is known for having top science programs."

"So, they're the best colleges for science?" Elise asked.

Lauren sighed, knowing what she was supposed to say, but she knew that there were plenty of surgeons from Yale who had failed to live up to the expectations of an Ivy League graduate,

"A long time ago, there were a group of four colleges who formed an alliance and called it Ivy after the Roman numeral four. The alliance was based on exceptional sports and the competition among the group of four."

"What were the colleges?" Rudy asked.

"Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Penn."

"You went to Yale. Were they good colleges?" Elise asked.

Lauren offered a weak smile, contemplating her response, "The Ivy League schools are usually ranked in the top fifteen colleges in the nation academically and they are strongly competitive with each other."

"So are all fifteen top schools in the Ivy League?" Elise asked.

Lauren nodded, "No, because they weren't part of the original agreement which was about prowess in athletics and competition amongst each other. They're not that far from each other, so it's realistic that they can compete in all sports."

"So how many schools are in?" Elise asked.

"There are now eight schools – Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania which is called Penn for short."

"So, no Ivy colleges are from Alaska?"

Lauren shook her head.

"So, Alaska colleges aren't smart?" Elise asked.

Again, Lauren shook her head, "Oh, they are definitely smart. They're just a long way from the Ivy Schools on this coast and they don't have the same sports."

"Oh," Elise said.

Lauren smiled, "You know what I've learned about college rankings?"

"No," Elise said.

"I've learned that where you went to college has no bearing on how you measure up to another person from a different college in character, personality, work ethic, communication skills, ability to listen and learn, athletic talent and smarts. It's all about what you have inside and how hard you're willing to work to learn and become the best version of yourself."

Elise smiled, "I agree."

"Well, I'm glad you do because one day when you apply to colleges, you may really like a place that doesn't accept you as a student. I don't want you to think you're not good enough just because they didn't pick you."

"Like when we pick teams in gym class?" Rudy asked.

"Exactly like that. Sometimes, they pick people because of their own personal biases and that's their loss, not yours."

Rudy and Elise smiled, Rudy asking, "So can we go to this lighthouse tomorrow?"

Lauren shrugged, "It's late, so why don't we sleep on it and see what the rest of the family wants to do tomorrow, okay?"

Bo nodded, "We have to pack tomorrow night, too."

Lauren looked at Bo, "Should we be doing all of the laundry?"

"Actually, Kelly, Kyle and Tamsin were going to go to the town laundromat for everyone."

"Really?" Lauren asked, "Tamsin doing laundry?"

Bo smiled, "They were going to walk around town and shop, so they figured doing the clothes would be easy enough since they would be nearby."

Lauren nodded, "Town is really empty today since it's a weekday, so it makes sense."

"That's what Kelly said. She said until May, town is always empty on weekdays. A bunch of them wanted to go to Alicia's tomorrow for a late lunch or early dinner."

"That sounds fine to me," Lauren replied, nudging Bo.

The brunette opened her eyes to look at Lauren only to see her nodding towards the cockpit where Burton was waving Bo towards him.

The brunette scowled but got up just in case there was something wrong. She turned to Lauren,

"I'll be back."

"Okay."

She entered the cockpit and took a seat as requested while Burton began to speak,

"Bo, I really am sorry about earlier. My boss tends to play fast and loose with the rules, and he really wants you to buy this plane. I'm just doing my job."

"Is it a lemon?" Bo asked.

"What?" Burton asked.

"Is it a lemon? I mean, why is he in such a hurry?"

"Bo, he's got seven offers on the plane," he pulled out a folder and handed it to Bo. She immediately opened it and began looking through the offers, "He wants you to have it so you can ferry Lauren back and forth."

"So, she can be at his beckoned call?"

"Bo, he is a very powerful man."

Bo smirked, "So was Lauren's former boss and she put her behind bars."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

"He needs her a lot more than she needs him, Burton."

"Bo, this is her lifelong dream. Would you deny her this opportunity?"

"You know, you're a real piece of work, Burt. Do you really think I have anything to do with this decision? Lauren has a mind of her own."

"Well, in the conversations since you've been married, Lauren mentioned waiting to talk to you to make decisions a lot. Sebastian seems to think you wear the pants in the family."

Bo took a deep breath, pulling on the headset and asking him to hand over the controls to her. She flipped on the intercom and spoke to her passengers,

"Lauren, this is your wife… the one who apparently wears the pants in the family. It seems your new boss is leveraging me about the purchase of this plane… something about me not denying you the opportunity to achieve your lifelong dream. Now, instead of coming up here, how about getting everyone into their seatbelts and tell them we're going to have a little fun before we land. I'm going to test drive this baby to see if I want to buy her or not."

Lauren grabbed the book from Elise and Rudy, putting it behind her,

"Buckle your seat belts, girls, quickly. Bo is going to fly us home from here and it sounds like she's going to do some whooptie doos."

Rudy and Elise cheered, having done them in Bo's other planes. Lauren looked at Shannie and Lynnie who were buckling their seatbelts, pulling them tight.

"Lauren…"

"Bo is a great pilot, Shannie. Don't worry."

"And what kind of pilot is she when she's being manipulated?"

"Not the kind that would put us in harm's way. Just the kind that would try to scare the hell out of the owner's messenger."

Lynnie's face paled, "So… the loud and clear kind of message."

Lauren nodded as Bo told them to hold on. The plane banked sharply to the left and then dove. As terrified as she was, she trusted Bo and offered a smile to the two young girls who were giggling like they were on a roller coaster. The plane leveled off and banked hard to the right then dove once more, this time steeper. It felt like they were falling out of control, but Lauren could hear the engines were still running. Finally, they pulled up sharply then leveled off, turning left. It was then that Lauren recognized the runway lights on the horizon,

"We're on approach to the runway, everyone. Fun's over. Prepare for landing," Bo said, "See you soon."

In the cockpit, Bo smiled, "Handles like a dream. I don't think I'm ready to land her yet. You should take over again."

Burton quickly flipped over control and took the wheel, wiping his brow, "You're quite… an accomplished pilot."

"I've got a lot of experience with all sorts of machines and even more experience with all sorts of people, Burt. Now, in case my message wasn't clear, I'm nothing like Lauren or Sebastian or you. I don't live in your world and trust me when I say, you've experienced only the smallest sliver of what it's like to fuck with an Alaskan."

She clicked her fingers and placed her hand by her side. Harper came running immediately, sitting by her side. Harper offered a low growl which caused Burton to look down at her. He was nervous,

"Calm down, Burt. You've got the most precious people in the world on this plane and I would hate for you to blow this landing and get them killed."

Harper growled again. Bo smiled, looking down at her beloved canine,

"Go to Lauren, Harp. Stay with Lauren."

She looked back up at the lights below, "If I buy this plane, it will be because hell froze over. If this Sebastian guy tries to mess with Lauren's dream, she won't be there to perform the surgeries – not because I'll stop her, but because she's not Evony. Do you hear that? She is not Evony. She does not want any part of the corrupt, money-first bullshit world that she lived in for so long. If that's who this guy is, he can expect to be on his own for the rest of his journey with his wife."

Bo unclipped her harness, "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll go sit with my family unless you have a death wish I should know about?"

"No. No death wish. The plane will land safely."

"Good."

Bo left the cockpit, slamming the door. With each step, she worked to put a smile on her face for the girls so that by the time she got to the table and clipped in her seatbelt, she was able to look at them,

"Was that fun?"

"So, fun!" Rudy smiled, "Are you gonna buy this plane? It's so cool!"

Bo shook her head, looking at Lauren, "It would cost us too much. We'll find another way to get Rudy back up and surfing again. Sorry you'll have to fly commercial for now."

Lauren sighed, taking Bo's hand. The brunette leaned in, kissing her on the cheek and saying,

"I'm sorry. But I think this Sebastian guy is Evony 2.0, so you should call Patrick and have his people look over everything you are doing with him. Something Burton said about me taking away your lifelong dream… I have a feeling it's Sebastian who intends to walk away with your research and make a lot of money off of your printed hearts. He's bleeding money in this deal, Lauren. Billionaire or not, those types of people don't just throw money away."

She pulled back, watching as Lauren nodded and pulled out her phone. Patrick answered,

"Hey! We were just talking about you!"

"Hey, Patrick. Are you all still sitting by the fire?"

"We played charades, Tosh played guitar and then we made this whole big plan for tomorrow. Are you guys game for following our lead?"

"Good to hear Tosh is up. Hold on a sec," Lauren turned to the group, "Apparently the family has come up with a whole plan for tomorrow. They want to know if we're all game."

She looked at Rudy and Elise, "We can go to the lighthouse the next time we're here, girls."

"Okay," they said in unison.

She turned to Shannie and Lynnie who gave a thumbs up, then Bo who gave a nod.

"We're all on board with the family plan. We're landing now so we'll see you all in about twenty minutes."

"See you then."

"Patrick?"

"Yea, Lauren?"

"We need to talk. I'm going to need you to have Penelope hire a private investigator to run Sebastian… like they did my mom and dad."

"Can it wait or do you think something's going on?"

"Let's just say that this test flight was eye opening for Bo and she's sort of showed her hand, so time will be of the essence since Burton will surely run back and tell Sebastian."

"So, she's not going to buy the plane."

"No. She thinks Sebastian is trying to buy me… or my life's work… without paying."

"Great, although I've been over those contracts five times and had my partner look at them as well."

Lauren could see his eyes rolling, "I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, Patrick. I know you have a lot of new clients that you're working with and…"

"Hey – I'm not mad at you. I'm just pissed at the world we were born into. All of these asswipes we constantly have to deal with. We leave them behind and somehow get sucked right back into their world. You'd think we would know a guy like Sebastian was too good to be true."

"He knew exactly which buttons to push. I'm a sympathetic pushover when it comes to broken hearts."

"The literal kind."

"Thank you for you help. We'll see you soon."

"I'll keep Stephen, Penelope and Betsy here too."

"And Kate. This will impact her and Anna as well," she said before adding, "Patrick – have Penelope look for missing pages."

"Missing pages?"

"The signature page was at the end. My grandmother taught me that an honest contract would ask for initials throughout so that a page couldn't be removed and then reinserted after the contract was signed."

Patrick nodded with a smile, "She taught me the same thing after I almost signed a contract for her that was exactly like that. Good call."

Lauren smiled, "Okay. We're starting our descent. Talk soon."

"Okay. Safe landing."

"Thank you."

She ended the call and took Bo's hand, laying her head on her shoulder and cursing the wealthy. Would she ever escape their world?

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