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?

46. Chapter 46: Good To Be Home

A/N: Another double chapter post to keep things moving! Everyone is back home but settling back in will have its moments with crazy times at the hospital, new businesses, plenty of orders from Bo's popularity as the all-time Iditarod winner and a wedding to plan!

As always, thank you SO much for the reviews, the DMs and the support for this story. With the long break, I wasn't sure people would still read, so I'm grateful for your time. Take care, everyone!

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Chapter 46: Good to be Home

The Homestead

It had been two days since the Iditarod Banquet and today, Bo was up and taking care of the dogs early. It was five in the morning, and she had to be at the kennel at seven for her meeting with Kyle before the store opened at nine.

She fed and watered the dogs before getting to work removing their bandages so she could let them out in the yard to do their business. While they were out, Bo had to shovel out all of the hay into the burn pile on the side of the house so that it would not enable recontamination of their wounds.

The effected dogs had not been very playful since they were in pain, so it was a quick trip outside and back. Once back inside, she had to dry their wounds, then put them under the heat lamps until their fur was dry. After that, she would put new bandages on the burns, and then they could lay back down in their clean kennels. At least they didn't have to put ice packs on the wounds anymore. The first few days were brutal in that aspect.

After her chores with the dogs, she would head back inside, shower and eat some breakfast, then head into town to check on the rest of the dogs who they were keeping away from those who were sick.

While she was there, she and Kyle would talk about LJ's partnership. From the sounds of it, Kyle had some reservations which was also giving Bo reservations. Well, the paperwork was there if they decided to let him in or they could stuff it in a filing cabinet if they didn't think he was ready. Either way, they were going to talk to him about their thinking on an offer at some point. He would have to prove himself a more mature, reliable partner in the business – not just a hard worker.

Finally, she had to show Kyle her preferred marketing package changes for the new product line which included big items like the shelters and hybrid sled skids down to smaller items like bookmarks and leg sleeves. Rudy and Elise were excited about their photographs being sold on the bookmarks and Bo was happy to oblige.

So if Kyle agreed, they would both sign off on the contract and get things started. Bo had agreed to use some of her race prize money to pay for the package up front since funds were tight right now. With the race over and another win under her belt, Bo would have to spend a lot of time at the kennel to be the face of their products. As Kyle put it,

"Your face is why we have a business, so when a customer walks in, play the game to sell the products."

Bo learned to play the game long ago – it's how she got the trapping, hunting and fishing, construction and racing businesses growing. They were also the source of most of her relationships… if you could call them that…

She also had to head down to the Hotel to see Kenzi about the yearly Salmon contract they had. Bo's Mom was feeling much stronger and wanted to contribute more, so she had offered to handle the larger fishing wheel business contracts that Bo had retained when she handed the business over to LJ.

They were commercial businesses whose income relied on the salmon being delivered fresh and on time. She just didn't trust LJ to be consistent with those contracts just yet - particularly the contract with Kenzi. It was a big job, but Bo knew that once her mom was back to full health, it wouldn't be a problem for her. Mary, after all, taught Bo everything she knew about fishing with a wheel.

After meeting with Kenzi, she would head over to the hospital where all of the paperwork would be ready to go for her surgery. She had some pre-op tests they would do, but Carolyn had assured her it wouldn't take more than an hour for everything.

Obviously, she wasn't looking forward to any part of this surgery, but she wanted to get it over with sooner rather than later. She had exactly four weeks until she would marry Lauren Lewis and she didn't want to hobble her way down the aisle. She would still be in recovery, but she hoped to at least be rid of the damn brace. It was rubbing her all the wrong ways and preventing her from doing any real workouts.

Her mom's medicines had helped her get through the race, but as predicted, when William got her under the scanner yesterday, they found more damage than previously believed. Regardless, the doctor had said that it was not damage that could not be repaired. He told Bo her knee – once she was through the surgery and her physical therapy – would be stronger than it was before.

She looked up to see her mom opening the door to the garage and smiled,

"Good Morning, Ysabeau. Can I help?"

"Of course, Mom. I'm just clearing out their kennels."

"I'll grab the other pitchfork. I didn't have a chance to burn their old hay yesterday…"

"I saw it. It's okay. We'll get it done eventually. The winds are too high to risk a big burn like that today. We'll just keep it covered again."

Mary nodded her agreement, "We could build a burn box. We really should have one."

Bo nodded, "I know. I'll have to ask Path or Slate to buy me the materials."

"Or you could take the materials they already have for the burn box down at the cottage and use them here. They're not going to build that one for another few weeks."

"That's true. I'll give them a call…"

"Ysabeau, I'm perfectly capable of picking up a phone. Let me help. Please. You have much on your plate with your surgery and wedding coming up, not to mention the business getting busier than ever, caring for the dogs and getting the genetic testing done before you start the breeding process."

Bo looked at her mom, "You don't have to worry about my surgery, you know."

"I don't like that anesthesia will be involved."

Bo smiled, "Mom, Lauren will be there. She didn't worry her way through the Iditarod to lose me in her own damn hospital."

"Not everything is within Lauren's control, Child."

"Yes, but it is within your control to trust her and William. Please, Mom. Rudy will worry if you're worried. I've been under anesthesia several times before. I'll be fine."

Mary sighed, jabbing the pitchfork into the hay until it hit the floor below, "Fine. I'll just take my worries out on the hay."

"A perfect solution if ever there was one," Bo smiled, getting back to the task at hand.

"Has Lauren left yet?"

Bo shook her head, "She was showering. She should be out here any minute. I think she wants to take the truck."

"You should go clean it off for her, Child. I'll finish this."

"Mom, Lauren is perfectly capable of cleaning off the truck on her own."

"Yes, but cleaning off the truck for her when you don't have to be at work for another two hours would be the perfect partner gesture, don't you think? She's got a long day ahead and you have your usual routine."

Bo twisted her mouth, "Etiquette lessons. What gives with that?"

"Just another thing you're doing for your future wife to help her down her path. I believe she just helped you down a nine-hundred-mile path, so it's the least you can do. Especially since her path involves a heated hotel."

"Why the change of venue? Kenzi won't shut up about it. Some lady is driving her nuts. I could barely understand her she was talking so fast."

Mary shrugged, "Penelope seems a bit frazzled as well, but they're trying to keep Lauren out of the Gala planning given the other things she has to deal with. She'll will be out soon, so get on that truck."

Bo sighed, leaning the pitchfork against the rail of the kennel. She pulled on her coat and gloves before venturing out towards the barn to grab the Snow Joe . She opened the truck, leaned in and pushed the start button, turning on the defrosters and seat heat before closing the door. She smiled, hearing the practically silent engine,

"Nice. I love when it starts on the first try. Thank you, March!"

She reached into the bed of the truck and used the Snow Joe broom to push and pull the snow into an even layer, then got to work on the outside of the vehicle. Once most of it was off, she once again leveled out the snow in the back before wiping herself down. The defrosters would make quick work of the ice on the windshield by the time Lauren left.

Finally, Bo stepped back, admiring her work. She smiled, thinking back to two nights before,

FLASHBACK…

"And now, we present, for the fifth consecutive year, your Champion, Bo Dennis!"

The room erupted in applause, Shannie hoisting Rudy onto her shoulders, the pair shouting in unison,

"We can barely see the huge zit on your forehead, Bo!"

Bo shook her head, trying to ignore the two as the Master of Ceremonies held up the massive trophy which Bo took, reluctantly holding it up over her head,

"Give us a sexy pose, BoBo!" Kenzi yelled before Shannie yelled,

"Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!" while Rudy fist pumped into the air.

Bo shook her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she carefully placed the trophy back on the podium.

"As everyone knows, the entry fee of $4000 combined with various sponsorships gives us a total purse of $400,000 dollars this year. Bo's take will be $100,000 with a depreciating amount to each racer in the top twenty finishers. Every finisher after that is guaranteed $1049. Of course, Bo also gets the keys to yet another pickup truck! I'm sure the For Sale sign will be on it before it leaves the lot!"

Bo plastered a smile on her face as she held the check with the grinning man. The cameras flashed and flashed again when he handed her the keys. She'd been through this four times now, but she would never be comfortable on this stage. She wanted to grab the check, the keys and Lauren, then head for the nearest exit - dinner and family be damned.

When it was finally over, she walked back to the table and took hold of Harper's leash, dropping the check, trophy and keys with Lauren. She returned to the stage, as he spoke again,

"This year, ladies, and gentlemen, we recognize a very special Champion – Harper Dennis!"

Again, a round of applause echoed through the room, some of Bo's fellow mushers cheering for her lead dog and Merv shouting out,

"Hey Bo! Can my man Carver get a hot date with Harper? I think they'll make beautiful puppies together!"

Bo turned and smirked, "No dog of mine is getting bedded by a dog named for your skill with a steak knife, Merv!"

The room erupted in laughter as Merv begged, "Aw, come on Bo, don't crush my dog's dreams like that. Just look at this face. How could Harper resist such a face?"

Bo smiled. Carver really was adorable, and he had proven his worth leading Merv's team to a second place finish this year, but Bo would never talk business in front of a crowd this big. Instead, she put the final nail in her old friend's coffin,

"It's not Carver's face that Harper would be afraid of, Merv."

The crowd laughed as Merv shook his head, laughing as Bo gave him a wink and a nod towards Kyle who held her index finger and thumb to her ear. His eyes went wide for a moment until she put her finger over her lips. He settled quietly into his chair knowing that if he spoke a word of this silent conversation, he would be pushed out of the deal before it could even be discussed.

The Master of Ceremonies spoke again, "Now, since Harper can't speak for herself, we have a guest speaker who will speak on her behalf. May I introduce you all to Miss Rudy Dennis."

Bo's eyes went wide as Rudy ran to the podium from her spot at the table, unfolding a piece of paper and stepping up to the microphone… which she couldn't reach. The host slid a box over for Rudy to stand on which she quickly stepped onto. She hesitated, but Elise, now on Kate's shoulders shouted,

"You got this Roo!"

Rudy smiled at her friend, took a deep breath, and began,

"My sister is very surprised to see me up here, but that's because I'm really good at surprises," she turned to Bo, "It's not a secret – it's a surprise and that's different, so don't be mad at me."

Bo smiled, nodding as her sister continued,

"I've only known Harper for a year, so I'll bet a lot of you could say more about her, but maybe I think I know her and Sister better than anyone. I used to live in Hawaii and back there, I was a surfer and a skateboarder. When I came here, I couldn't do either of those things anymore and it was boring at first."

The crowd laughed as Rudy continued,

"With all the snow on the ground, I couldn't just skateboard through town and get ice cream at the Five and Dime with my friends. Here, the sidewalks were snowy and there were no ice cream stores. You guys really need more of those, by the way."

The audience chuckled, but Rudy was oblivious, her eyes focusing on the page,

"I had heard about Sister all my life. My mom always told me that one day we would see her again, but right now, there was a bad man who was trying to hurt all of us, so we had to wait. Finally, last year, my friend Adam who is really a Secret Agent…"

Bo cleared her throat, drawing Rudy's attention, she corrected, "Special Agent."

Rudy nodded, turning to the microphone, "I mean Special Agent… but he was my protector, so sometimes he wouldn't let me do stuff because it wouldn't let him keep me safe. A lot of the times, I would be at our house and all the adults would be talking about the big man that was the bad man and I would get really, really bored cause adults… well, you guys can get really boring for us kids…"

The crowd erupted in laughter causing Rudy to look at Bo who smiled and nodded for her to continue, so she did,

"Anyway, I would go out into the kennels and read to the dogs. Harper really liked when I did that. Her favorite was Oh! The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss because we would talk about the trails we would take if Sister ever let me drive the sled."

She looked at her sister and then back to the crowd, "And she did let me drive her sled... and then we raced and I beat her."

The audience cheered for the youngster as Bo stood there, shaking her head and announced,

"Fair and square, this little one beat me, so watch out world. She's coming," Bo smiled.

"OH YEAH!" Elise shouted from atop Kate's shoulders.

Rudy laughed at her friend, then continued,

"Eventually, Harper started following me everywhere. I think she knew that Sister wanted her to keep me safe. So, one day, we were playing by the river last spring and I was practicing casting with my new fishing rod that Sister made me. I dropped my rod and it started to drift with the current, so I went into the water to get it and the current took me."

She paused, "I was really scared, but Harper jumped in and grabbed me with her teeth and pulled me up on the land again…" Rudy didn't look up as she realized, "… um… my Mom didn't know about that, so… sorry, Mom. I learned my lesson and haven't fallen into the water since, so you don't have to ground me."

The crowd laughed, but when Rudy looked up, she could see the warning look on her mother's face. Rudy smiled,

"So, if anybody out there wants to tell my mom to go easy on me after dinner, it might help keep me from being grounded for the rest of my life."

Again, the audience laughed, some yelling out to Mary to go easy on Rudy who again, took to the microphone,

"I guess what I want to say is that Harper isn't just a champion on the sled dog race circuit. She has a history," she looked at Kyle, "Sorry if I said that wrong."

She looked back at her paper, "Anyway, here are some things about the amazing Harper that I think everyone should know. She is the only survivor from her original team who were shot and burned to death by the bad man. It broke my sisters' heart to lose all her big dogs and I think that's why you all knew her as mean Bo. But if someone killed all your dogs, you would lose the good part of yourself too. But Harper and her new dogs, helped turn Sister's heart back on. They saved her without having to pull her out of a river."

She called Harper to her, and the dog came, looking expectantly up at her owners little sister,

"Should we tell everyone about you and Sister?"

Harper barked once at Rudy, then turned to the crowd and barked three more times. Rudy smiled, leaning into the microphone,

"She said if you ever saw Bo with me and my fellow dogs, you know she has to be a good person. Mean people raise mean dogs. Sister raises kind, strong, warrior dogs like me and my family."

She looked across the room, "This race is in honor of all the dogs who saved all the people who were dying and needed a medicine. You may think I'm just a kid who doesn't know what I'm talking about, but I think those dogs knew what they were doing and why their mushers pushed them so hard."

She flipped the page,

"I think they knew they were saving their humans and human strangers. That's why I wish people were more like sled dogs. They have an instinct that tells them to run free and I think that when we humans follow them, we learn to be free too. When we're free together, there's a bond…"

She turned to Harper, "Go to Sister."

Harper barked once at Rudy, then ran back to Bo, coming to sit in front of her again without Bo saying a word,

"I mean, come on. How many of your dogs would do that?" Rudy said, waving a hand around as she spoke, "Anyway, I keep losing my place on this speech, so I'm just gonna say that I think that these dogs love us no matter what – even the ones that have mushers that are mean to them - because they know that love is the most powerful thing on the earth."

She put her hands up, "Dogs are smarter than us and they love better than us. I think that Harper carries so much love inside of her that it comes out of her in everything she speaks and does. It's the power of love that has helped her to lead her team to all the wins. It's the power of her love that gave Sister puppies that could have the power of love that would help them win too. It's the power of her love that pulled me from the river and the power of her love that saved Sister when a bear attacked her and her doggie children last summer."

Rudy looked at Bo, "I'm really glad Harper didn't let the bear eat my sister, but I was really sad that Harper had to get hurt so that my sister could live. But still, Harper fought and fought and fought to live while me and my friend Elise…"

She pointed to her friend, "That's Elise, my best friend…"

She turned back to the paper, then ignored it, "…stayed by her side and took care of her. If a dog gives you all their love all the time, it's only fair that you give that love back when they need it."

Rudy looked at Harper, "You can see the scars on Harper. But when I look at those scars, I don't see her as damaged or weak. I see her strength and her love for Sister. I see a dog that is more human than many of the humans I have known. Harper's scars are a badge of honor kind of like those belt buckles and patches you all got for finishing the race."

"Last summer, our Vet, Cassie, said Harper wouldn't live more than a few days after the bear attack. Seven days ago, Harper ran in the Iditarod and she didn't just run one mile like Sister thought she would, she ran almost the whole first half of the race and she's still here!"

Everyone applauded as Rudy raised her hands over her head. She then concluded her speech, looking down at her paper,

"My teacher would call me a chatter box because I just talked and talked and talked about random stuff and didn't even read my speech, so I'll just read this part that my friend Kyle helped me write. It's Harper's re-sum."

Bo leaned over and whispered, "The other pronounciation."

Rudy smiled, "Sorry. It's pronounced re-so-may. Harper Dennis was born from a sled dog whose lin-ee-age can be traced back for four generations…"

She looked at her mom and smiled, "It's probably back further than that, but that's as long as my mom can remember."

She turned back to the audience, "Harper was born on the North Slope and was entered into her first race when she was three years old. She ran her first Iditarod at four and has run in a total of eight Iditarod races, never finishing further back than sixth place since being hitched to Sister's sled. Pretty amazing, huh?"

Rudy smiled, "She survived cancer from ass-best-os poisoning caused by the bad man. She ran and won the Yukon Quest this year, surviving a man who tried to hit her with a whip. She survived a bad man who destroyed her champion mother and all of her aunts and uncles, she survived pulling three dogs from a fire set by the bad man, she survived two bear attacks and pulling me and my cousin LJ from freezing cold water. She has given birth to twelve champion children and three male studs who have produced champions of their own."

She lifted up the medal, "So today, The Iditarod Race Committee gives this medal to Harper Dennis for…"

She looked up at the man behind her, pointing to the word on the page. He spoke, "Meritorious Service to the Iditarod and her Community."

"Congratulations, Harper. We all love you!" Rudy smiled before walking over to Harper, putting the medal around her neck and giving her a big hug."

Rudy knelt down next to Harper who placed a paw on her back, the tip of the limb landing on the front of her opposite shoulder as everyone snapped a picture of the trio standing together.

Bo looked at the smile on her mother's face. She was sure her mom had to be thinking of her former champion. They may not have raced in the Iditarod, but they sure had run and won enough races that Mary knew she might be standing there just like Harper if life had given her a chance. Bo wondered what might have been different if Yuji had lived, but she knew there was no way to change the past. She had to look to the future.

Bo smiled at Rudy, wrapping her and Harper in a big hug before the three left the stage. Once seated, Rudy asked,

"How did I do? Did I say enough good things about Harper?"

Bo's eyes welled with tears, "You said just the right things, Roo. Thank you."

Rudy ran around the table to sit next to Elise again, while Bo turned to Lauren, "She was incredible, right?"

Lauren smiled, "She was adorable, as always. You have to ask to see her speech later on. She only read the last two paragraphs."

Bo smiled, "Kyle must be so upset."

Lauren nodded, "But she'll never tell you so. She thought Rudy was adorable too and she did say it was kind of expected that she would get sidetracked."

"Give Rudy full rein with a microphone and that's what you get. At least now we know."

Lauren laughed, "Well, don't have her do a speech at our wedding then."

"I hear you!" Bo laughed.

"So, do I get my truck keys now?"

"Excuse me?" Bo asked, eyes wide.

"What? You can give your mom my old truck and I get the new one. You said you like your old one," Lauren argued.

"What is it about this one that's so special?"

Lauren smiled, "It has seat heat. I saw the window sticker out in the parking lot. Please? You know my butt is always freezing cold and it's like you said, you're always hotter than I am."

"Fine," Bo laughed, handing Lauren the car keys, "I'm so excited! I'll move all of my stuff out of your mom's truck when we get home tonight."

"It can wait until morning, Lauren."

Lauren shook her head, "I have to go in to work tomorrow morning, so I'd rather get it done tonight while I'm dressed."

Bo smiled, "Okay. Mom will be excited to have a vehicle."

"I know. I already told her if you won that she would have a vehicle."

"Oh, you did, did you?"

Lauren smiled, "I'm embracing this whole what's mine is yours, what's yours is mine thing."

Bo laughed, "Well, I'm glad you're embracing our future life together. I'll remember to not make any plans for future trucks I might win."

"Good idea," Lauren smiled.

END FLASHBACK

It suddenly hit Bo that since she won the race back in 2018, there should have been a truck as well. She wondered what happened to it. They sure could use that one at the store for deliveries.

"Bo?"

The brunette quickly turned, finding Lauren standing beside her, holding a cup of coffee, "Are you okay?"

Bo smiled, "I'm fine. Just lost in thought."

"Oh? Do you want a penny?"

Bo shook her head, "I was just thinking back to when I gave up this brand-new truck to you and wondering what you might be giving me in return."

Lauren smiled, "What? A diamond pinky-swear ring wasn't enough?"

Bo grinned, "It was beautiful, but if you remember, the necklace and bracelet you're wearing were the most prized possessions I owned and I gave those to you before you said yes to marriage."

"But I did give you a huge construction contract," Lauren smirked.

"What you gave me was more work," Bo snarked.

Lauren chuckled, "I'm curious. Is this more about the fact that you've given me three pieces of jewelry and I've only given you two?"

Bo shook her head, "I've given you three pieces of jewelry and two trucks."

Lauren smiled, "Ah, but you're leaving out the most important gifts I've given you."

"Oh? What are those?"

"One hundred and seventy-eight stitches, thirty-seven staples, three life-saving surgeries and twenty-seven nights sleeping outdoors in winter."

Bo smiled, "Oh, I see. Well, what about the two clinics and the hospital I built for you?"

"Path and Slate built a good chunk of the hospital and they're also building me a Trauma Center..."

"Using the second clinic I built you," Bo reminded.

Lauren smiled, "Fine, I'll give you the two clinics and the Trauma Center."

"Hey! And as for them building a chunk of the hospital, I was still on that job when they started working for me. As a matter of fact, they hadn't even graduated college yet. They only did the finishing touches. Besides, the company is still mine, so technically still under my direction… shit."

"What?"

"They left me two messages about a property over in Point Siku."

"Problem?"

Bo shook her head, "No problem, but the people who are building there have decided they want a hand-carved railing like the one they saw on our website."

"Like the one that goes up to our bedroom?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yes. That's the one the boys put up on the new website," she shrugged, "I did give them creative control. I just never expected them to post pictures of the most difficult pieces I've ever made."

"Well, it will help with your new business for people to see your best work. So, next steps?"

"I call them, tell them to take the measurements and I'll carve it out at the barn behind the new store once I buy the tools and materials that I need to get the job done."

"I don't understand. If you don't have the tools, how did you do the job the first time?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "I had the tools that belong to the business stored here. My new business doesn't have any tools yet."

"It's a job for your old business, Bo. If they want the job done, have them bring you the tools you need to get it done. Home and Hearth is nowhere near ready to open."

Bo shook her head, "Lauren, if I were hiring a subcontractor, I wouldn't expect to have to give them the tools to do their job. That's like asking your patients to bring a scalpel with them so you can operate."

"I get it, Bo but you still own the business and if they need it done now, it's the fastest way to get it done. You've got a kennel full of sick dogs, breeding plans to start, a ton of orders for sledding equipment to fill, a new store to open and surgery coming up!"

Bo nodded, heaving a big sigh, "And all I want to do is sleep for another week."

"Well, if you have to sleep, sleep."

Bo shook her head, "I'll sleep tonight. Too much to do to put it off. How about you?"

"Well, my doctors don't bring their own tools to work. I have to provide them the equipment they need," she said, checking her watch, "And speaking of equipment, I have a staff meeting this morning to discuss the equipment needs for the new neonatal care suite."

"What's a natal care suite and you just built a state-of-the-art hospital. How can you need anything new?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Neonatal care is a speciality unit for newborns that are underdeveloped. Right now, we have to fly those babies to Seattle and that's a dangerous trip for a newborn. We built a hospital with just the basics for most specialties since I hadn't yet hired the full staff."

She shrugged, "Now that we have specialists there, they all have their asks. If it's within their department budget, they can do whatever they want with their money and the suite is what Obstetrics and Gynocology wants. If they need additional funds above their budget, they'll have to bring in more donors at the gala."

Bo sighed, "The gala."

Lauren nodded, "Are you going to get something to wear today?"

"Kenzi said she's already on top of it. She knows my measurements… well, she did until I dropped another twenty pounds at the race… whatever, she'll figure it out."

"You trust Kenzi to handle… Bo, it's a formal event," Lauren said, concerned.

Bo nodded, "So you're worried about what people will think of me?"

Lauren's shoulders dropped, "You're right. Wear whatever you want. You are who you are."

"Okay, because I can totally sit this one out if you'd prefer your fancy pants donors not see me," Bo replied.

"You built the hospital, Bo. It's why I invited your team."

"Oh. Not because I'm your fiancé?"

"No, but… I don't mean that I don't want you there as my fiancé. I'm proud of you, Bo."

The brunette nodded, "Yea, well whatever. My architect and engineer are from the lower forty-eight and they know how to wine and dine. It will be interesting to see how Path and Slate handle this," Bo chuckled.

Lauren smiled, "I talked to their mom and explained that this event could open doors for them. She explained she couldn't afford to buy them formal wear, so Stephen took them down to Seattle while we were at the race and bought them each a tux. Of course, they have to pay him back."

"They're wearing tuxes?" Bo asked, laughing.

"It's a formal party, Bo."

She straightened her face, nodding, "Maybe it's better that I not go to this thing."

Lauren shook her head, "Do what you want. I've got to get going."

The blonde leaned in, kissed the brunette on the cheek and headed to the truck, "Thanks for cleaning it off for me. It was nice of you to think to do that. I'll see you for dinner."

"What about lunch?" Bo asked.

"You're eating with Kenzi, remember?"

"But…" Bo began, but the door slammed shut and the truck pulled out before she could say another word. She shook her head, knowing that Lauren was driving to work mad at her,

"Dammit, Bo!" she scolded herself.

"You can say that again."

Bo turned to see her mom standing behind her in the entrance to the garage, "This gala is important to her."

"I know."

"Do you, Child?" Mary asked, "To build a Trauma Center is an expensive venture and she will need those donors to make it happen. Contrary to popular belief, Lauren is not made of an infinite amount of money. Right now, there's more money going out than there is coming in with your winnings being cut almost in half."

Bo sighed, "Well, I'll eventually get the prize money from 2018."

"Eventually being the key word there, Ysabeau. Keep in mind that this Trauma Center is Lauren's dream. She wanted to be a trauma surgeon. It was her former boss that led her down a path she never chose. She sounds like a wretched woman."

"You heard about Evony?"

"Only the town gossip."

"Well, if you heard it from Shannie, Lynnie and Kelly, it wasn't gossip. Evony was a cast iron bitch who deserved exactly what she got."

Mary nodded, looking down at the rope she was braiding.

"Mom, what do you want me to do?"

"Get to work. You'll need the income from all of your businesses. Get to the kennel and get the breeding started, but take some time in the manufacturing barn, Ysabeau. Kyle and LJ need inventory and you're the master builder. Get to work, Child. The Iditarod is over and you've had your off time. It's time to make money for your family."

Bo watched as Mary wound up the rope and tucked it into the basket of the sled, then hitched up her dogs, "Where are you going?"

"To do my part. Rudy and I are going out to empty and reset traps, empty and reset the fishing wheel and then make deliveries for LJ so that he can stay at the Kennel and build sleds with Kyle."

She called to Rudy, then turned back to Bo, "You're supposed to be heading into town to visit that young girl in the hospital, visit Kenzi about your clothes for the gala and then get to work at Hearth and Home. Not necessarily in that order. Don't forget to do your pre-op tests at the hospital."

Bo sighed, "So much to do today."

Mary nodded, "And it's not going to get finished with you just standing here. If you don't get displays in the new store window, you won't sell a thing. Stop at the General Store. Molly and Mark have picked pieces they think you should display. It will free up space in their store as well. Their spring stock is being delivered in two days."

Bo nodded, heading towards the barn, "So am I going to be getting marching orders every day, Mom?"

Mary smiled, "Only when you need someone to help you get your head out of your ass."

"You've been hanging around with Shannie too much."

"And you need to make sure that you go to Kenzi's hotel for lunch at one o'clock. Don't be late. Betsy and Stephen will be there to help you prepare for tomorrow night's gala so you can be what Lauren needs you to be, Bo."

Bo laughed, "Oh really? And the rest of my family just gets to go as themselves?"

"Momma? Is this… okay?"

Bo and Mary turned to see Rudy in a long, pink dress with white gloves on her hands and a bow in her hair. The two women stood, stunned, unable to move as they took in the sight of the smiling little girl.

"You look beautiful, Child. Absolutely beautiful. How does it feel?" Mary asked, walking into the garage and kneeling before her.

"I feel like a princess!" she smiled.

"And you look like a princess, too," Mary grinned, "Are you comfortable? You can wear the other outfit if you prefer."

Rudy shrugged, "I tried it, but I think I like this one better. I never get to wear a dress. I mean, I like the pants and the bow tie on the other one, but I like the dress better for dancing at a ball. Maybe I'll wear the other one for Lauren and Bo's wedding so Sister and I kinda match."

Mary smiled, "I think that's a wonderful idea. I just want you to feel comfortable in whatever you wear. Honor your spirit and dress…"

"…for who I am. I know, Momma. I remember what you taught me," Rudy smiled, "I saw your dress hanging on the closet. I'll bet you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Child. I am looking forward to dressing up. It's been years."

"I've never seen you dressed up, Momma," Rudy said, "I'm happy you're happy."

Mary leaned in and hugged her daughter, pushing back the tears at the kind heart of her amazing child. When she finally released her, Rudy looked to Bo,

"How do I look, Sister? Isn't it beautiful? I love how it fluffs out when I spin. See?" Rudy asked, looking down at her dress while she twirled in a circle, "Isn't it pretty? I've never had a pretty dress before."

Bo smiled, "You look beautiful, Roo. You really do and you don't have to match me at the wedding. If you want to wear a dress, you wear a dress."

"You don't think dresses are weird?" Rudy asked.

Bo grinned, "I used to wear dresses when I was your age. It's just that… well, after mom had to leave, I lived off grid, so dresses weren't very practical for my life."

"So why don't you wear one for the gala if you want to?"

"I just… I don't know if…"

Rudy walked to her sister, "It's okay, Sister. You wear whatever makes you feel like you. Honor your spirit like our mom taught us."

Bo nodded, "I will, Roo. Thank you. You really do look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, spinning around one last time to see her dress fluff out at the bottom.

She really did look amazing, Bo thought to herself. It was unexpected to see her sister in a dress, but she had chosen it, so Bo was happy that she was happy.

"Are we gonna go out now, Mom?"

Mary nodded, "I'm setting up the sleds now, so whenever you get out of your dress, we'll get going. Please be sure to put it on a hangar so it doesn't get wrinkled."

"Okay! I'll be right back! Bye Sister!" Rudy shouted, running back into the house.

Bo smiled, wishing she had the energy her little sister had right now, "Well, I'm going to go shower and get ready for the day. I'll see you at dinner time then?"

Mary nodded, "Lauren is either going to cook or bring food home for us."

"Take out?" Bo asked.

"I don't know. She just said she would handle dinner."

"How in the world will she have time to handle dinner?" Bo asked.

Mary shrugged, "No matter. She said she will, so she will. You know Lauren."

Bo nodded, "I do."

Mary headed over to Rudy's sled, pulling it off the wall before beginning to attach the lines.

Bo sighed, "Can I help?"

Mary shook her head, "I've got this well in hand. You've got to get going on your day. I'm taking Mouse and Dopey for Rudy. LJ said they shouldn't give her any trouble."

Bo nodded, "Their personalities fit their names perfectly. Tell her to be patient with Dopey. She might have to repeat commands for him. He tends to pull away from Mouse when he catches a scent."

"It will be good for her to have a challenge. She's never had to deal with a rebellious child on her line."

"Agreed. Shannie was questioning the safety of crossing the lake yesterday. If you are going that way, can you let her know if you don't think it's safe to cross after work?"

"I hadn't planned to go that way, but I'll keep it in mind. I guess I've got to schedule another lesson for her. Lynnie wants to start on dry land for some reason."

"A wheeled sled? She does know it will be a lot bumpier, right?"

Mary shrugged, "I tried to tell her."

Bo nodded, "Okay then. Well, I'll see you later."

"See you later."

Mary listened for the door to slam before standing and looking out over the land,

"Great Spirits, give her guidance. Help her to find her path back to post-race life quickly for I fear her partner's patience will wear thin in a hurry."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE HOTEL

The hotel was empty by the time Bo got there for lunch... or brunch since she'd only grabbed a piece of salmon jerky before she left the house. It was a few minutes after one, but at least she wasn't late by a full hour. She sat down at the counter, expecting to have a nice stack of pancakes with reindeer sausage, but instead, she was summoned,

"Yo BoBo! Come on up here!"

She turned to see Kenzi on the staircase, waving with one hand while the other was on her hip, "Come on! Chop chop! Momma doesn't have all day."

The bell rang and Bo turned to the door to see Kate, Anna, Stephen and Betsy coming into the hotel. Stephen checked his watch and waved to Bo,

"You're early."

"Actually, she's late," Kenzi said, both hands now firmly planted on her hips, "Bo! Let's go!"

Stephen waved to Kenzi before turning to Bo, "We've already ordered lunch. It will be ready by the time Kenzi's finished with you."

Bo nodded, "Okay. But I'd like a stack of pancakes and some reindeer sausage."

Stephen looked at Betsy who nodded and smiled, "Okay, Dear."

Bo smiled and headed for the stairway while Stephen turned back to Betsy, "Pancakes and sausage?"

"Sit down, Dear. I'll explain."

"Betsy, what's going on?"

"Clearly, no one explained to Bo why we're really here. Her mother probably just gave her the Cliff's notes version."

Stephen shook his head, "But Mary told me that she told Bo that we were going to help her to get ready for the gala."

Betsy nodded, "Yes and clearly neither she nor Kenzi explained what that entails."

Stephen sighed, as Betsy pulled the bags from the floor. She opened them, pulling out an eight-piece dining set. She wasn't sure if Kenzi was joining them or working with her staff, so she had brought the extra place settings.

The group laid out the plates, cloth napkins, silver, glasses, butter dish, basket, and name plates. Betsy walked to the kitchen and gave the chef a wave before walking back out to the dining area.

"She'll have everything ready in thirty to forty minutes. That should give us enough time with Bo before we get to the formal dining preparation."

Kate smiled, "Shannie said to keep our expectations low, and we'll be pleasantly surprised when she rises above them."

Stephen shook his head, "Tell me again why this was switched to a formal event?"

Betsy shrugged, "The Lewis, Lloyd & London conglomerate - specifically L3 Legal Associates, Inc., Hartley Investments, Inc., L.L. Events, Inc., and T.S. Esq., Inc., all RSVP'd yes."

"I only recognize one of those groups," he said, rubbing his neck, "So who invited them?" Stephen asked.

Betsy shrugged, "Dr. William Grace from Seattle."

"That doctor that Lauren has worked with remotely on occasion?"

Betsy nodded, "He apparently gave them the invites as his – get this – plus twenty or so. He said they would be good for Lauren and the hospital. Penelope's budget is blown and she's not happy. We don't know who they are, but I did ask but I didn't get much information."

Anna raised a hand, "I talked to one doctor who knows Hartley and said that his investments are all in big pharma. He's the CEO or partner."

She shrugged, "He knew Evony," she shook her head, "Sorry. I asked around because I wanted to know why we were suddenly wearing formal wear. I have to say, most of the Department Chiefs are not happy about the change. They're worried that you and Lauren are breaking your promise to fund the hospital without wealthy donors."

Stephen scowled, "That has not changed and the fact that they were not invited by us should be all they need to hear. Still, the fact that they were invited by a doctor who was invited by Lauren is worrisome. What made him think this was okay?"

Kate shrugged, "I don't know but we're just warning you that there was a lot of gossip at the hospital today."

Stephen shook his head, "Well, I would be happy for that gossip to be set straight if you wouldn't mind. You both know we were at the race when these changes took place, so I think it goes without saying that we are as surprised as everyone else. Further, we have no idea who pulled the strings to make these changes. I only know that Lauren is ready to cancel."

"Then why are we prepping Bo to be someone she's not if Lauren doesn't agree with the changes?" Kate asked, "I mean, I don't know if any of you realize it, but this is not going to go well. You could have brought Faith Grace to this little training session for Bo and it still wouldn't go well."

Anna nodded, "I have to agree. I'm not going to be able to convince Bo this is the right thing to do for Lauren and frankly, I don't believe Faith would support us doing so. We've been trying to help Bo to forgive her past and become the woman she truly wants to be…" she waved her hands over the table, "… all of this is familiar to us, but for Bo… this is not who she is," Anna said, a slow smile stretching across her face, "Although she may find it humorous."

Kate agreed, "And ridiculous and pompous and a waste of money and all the things Lauren thinks it is. I'm just worried that Bo is going to see a side of Lauren she won't like. Lauren knows how to play this game and Bo won't understand or have the patience for it."

Stephen nodded, "I'm aware, believe me. Lauren pulled me into a storage closet today and blasted me for putting her into a situation where she has to cater to the likes of her parents again… especially in front of Bo."

"Well, you know Lauren would never invite her parents, so at least we don't have to worry about them or their friends showing up."

"Just a bunch of people like them," Kate replied, shaking her head, "Not that I've met her parents, but Patrick has had plenty to say in recent days. He's got the same problem going on with Jake."

Betsy nodded, "Lauren has put her parents and their type firmly in her past," Betsy said, taking a sip from her water bottle before putting it back on the floor, "And so had Stephen and I until we fell into this shitshow… pardon my French."

Stephen laughed, "It's somehow refreshing to hear a Carnegie child use such language. You have my blessing to be as crass as your little spirit moves you to be, My Love."

Betsy grinned, "Thank you, My Love."

Stephen turned to the group, "Regardless, I hate how much this is stressing Lauren out and I mean big time stressing her out. I haven't seen her like this since her first solo surgery."

Betsy nodded, "She's actually hoping Bo won't come. She told me she picked a fight with her this morning to try to give her an out."

There was a collective sigh from the four attendees before Kate asked,

"So, what do we do other than thank the Gods above that her parents are thousands of miles away? Get some drunks to stand outside the hotel as a deterrent to attending?"

Anna laughed, "Not a bad idea."

"I know, right?" Kate chuckled, giving her fiancé a high five.

Betsy shrugged, "As much as I love the idea, we don't want to damage the reputation of the hospital or Lauren with these people around," she turned to Stephen, "Or you, darling."

He laughed, "I could care less about my reputation anymore. I'm only in the game again until we have this place up and running smoothly and Kate has a staff she feels comfortable with."

Betsy nodded, "Okay, so we do what we've been asked to do so that Bo has the knowledge she needs, but then remind her to play the game as she sees fit just as Lauren would want."

Suddenly, the bell atop the door clanged, the door sounding as if it had been kicked in, "STEPHEN!"

All four turned to see Patrick marching towards the table while Jake sighed, opening the door that was just dropped in his face. Jake quickly walked to Patrick, placing a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him,

"Patrick… the staff… you have an audience. Remember – you represent Lauren."

"That's exactly who I'm remembering!" He turned on Stephen, moving into his personal space as he stood towering over him, "You invited the L3 conglomerate?"

"I didn't. Doctor William Grace from Seattle did. Why? Who are they?"

"Geezus, Stephen! It's our parents! My parents and Lauren's parents!"

"What?" he asked, standing, as Patrick explained,

"L.L. Events is Elizabeth Lewis' new event planning service. I just saw her name on the bill that came across Penelope's desk! It's one hundred thousand dollars more than was budgeted! Who the hell signed off on this?"

"No one! I mean, I didn't!"

Patrick looked at the bill again, "I don't recognize this signature!"

Stephen looked down, leaning towards Betsy so she could see it, both shaking their head, "We don't know, Patrick. This is not an authorized signature."

Patrick sighed, "Good! Because we are not paying this bill! T.S. Esq., is Taylor and Swift, my former legal partners. They're the law firm recently acquired and controlled by Franklin Lewis Holdings and the L3 Conglomerate of Businesses."

"Swift?" Anna asked.

He shook his head, "No relation to Kyle and Kurt…. or Taylor."

Stephen shook his head, pulling his phone from his pocket, "If you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make."

Stephen dialed and held the phone to his ear, walking to the door where he would have better reception while Patrick turned to the table,

"Does anyone know this L3 or Hartley group? We don't need anymore surprises."

All three women shook their heads, leaving Patrick frustrated, "I'm going to have to go meet with Lauren," he ran his fingers through his perfect hair, "She's going to lose her shit."

He noticed the table and asked, "What's all of this?"

Kate and Anna shared a glance, but Betsy answered, "We're going to help Bo get ready for this formal gala that she wasn't supposed to have to deal with. She's upstairs with Kenzi working on the clothing."

"Please tell me you are not making Bo wear a fucking ball gown and heels," Patrick said.

Betsy shrugged, "She talked to Kenzi yesterday and Bo was told to come by today for a final fitting. I have no idea what Kenzi came up with, but Bo lost more than twenty pounds at the race, so she knew she would have to tailor her clothing. Kenzi would never let Bo wear anything she wasn't comfortable in, no matter what. She's Team Bo for life and we all know it."

Patrick nodded, heaving a big sigh, "I know and Shannie told me she dumped twenty-eight pounds – as if she had any weight to give up."

"She looks good," Kate replied, "She's been gaining some weight back the last couple weeks. Not much, but at least she's recovering."

Anna nodded, "Nine-hundred miles will definitely take the weight off. Really, I think she just lost some muscle mass. She looks thinner in the face, but not emaciated."

Patrick shook his head, "Lauren said she was shocked when she took her clothes off to help her shower when they got home, so I don't think any of us realized how much she went through out there."

"She does look really, really tired still," Kate added, "I mean, we only saw her for a second while she was on her way to get her pre-op testing done, but the dark circles under her eyes… no makeup is covering those up. The girl needs sleep."

Jake elbowed Patrick, nodding towards the stairway where Bo and Kenzi were just hitting the bottom step. Patrick cleared his throat,

"Here she comes. Please don't tell her about the guest list."

"Are you sure?" Betsy asked, "I mean, the in-laws are coming…"

Patrick shook his head, "Let Lauren tell her if she wants to. It's not for us to say."

Betsy nodded, quickly asked, "Did the seating arrangements change?"

"Oh, I'm sure they did. Kenzi will know."

"Why would Kenzi know?" Betsy asked.

"The Gala is being held here," Patrick said, "Check your email. They sent out an Evite with the change due to damage to the original location from heavy snow."

"Bullshit," Kate said, "That place…"

Patrick interjected, "… is fine and if they get wind that we said anything negative about something happening to their facility that was out of their control to over two hundred people, they can sue for even more money than we're already paying them for cancelling. They're only required to give us back one third of the contracted price due to the late date."

He shook his head, "They signed the contract without having me look at it because it was only one piece of paper. I'm telling you, Betsy – Penelope is over at her office losing her shit."

Betsy nodded, "I'll call her."

Jake added, "By the way, someone should probably talk to Kenzi, too. Elizabeth has been here for two solid days measuring Kenzi's staff so they would have appropriate attire for the event."

"Elizabeth?" Anna asked.

Betsy looked at the girls, "Lauren's mother and we all know that Kenzi does not do wealthy, entitled people."

"Kenzi doesn't do outsiders," Jake replied, "Although I would love to be a fly on the wall to see her handling Elizabeth Lewis. Here comes Bo. Kenzi doesn't know who the event planner is, so keep it to yourself. She won't be able to keep that information from Bo."

They all stopped talking, plastering smiles on their faces as Bo and Kenzi came to the table. Bo looked down, a frown instantly forming as her brows knit together,

"What's this?"

Betsy stood, "Bo, as you know, the gala has become a formal affair."

"Yea. Rudy has a new dress and is very excited to dance in it, so I'm trying to stay positive."

"Well, while they were at the race, someone intervened and took the gala out of Lauren and Stephen's hands. This someone has kind of swooped in and changed… well, almost everything. Stephen has been trying to get to the bottom of this all day…"

Bo sighed, "I have to run to the bathroom real quick. Be right back."

They all waited and when Bo was out of earshot, Kenzi didn't hesitate to jump in,

"You're preachin' to the choir here, Bets," Kenzi said, "That drill sergeant has been here for two days telling my staff how to wait tables. I finally told her to take her gala elsewhere if she doesn't like the way we do things here in Alaska. She threatened to destroy my business and I threatened to destroy her face. I think we understand each other now."

"Kenzi, be careful," Betsy warned, "The woman running this gala is a very powerful woman with very powerful lawyers. She will own your hotel if you're not careful."

"Maybe that's true where she comes from, but I don't know her from Adam. She's an outsider, plain and simple. My business runs off the backs of hardworking Alaskans. I can do with or without the cruise ship business and if that woman thinks she can come in here and threaten me, she's got another thing coming. I, on the other hand, know how to destroy her with one tweet."

"You wouldn't," Patrick smirked.

"Oh yes, I would and I told her so. I love when outsiders come here and try to take over shit. Of course, she totally said she was doing things the way she was doing them because of the people who are coming to the party," she cocked her hip and planted her fist, "I thought this was gonna be all normal people? Who upped the ante on the Stuffy Ball? What's with all the high and mighty peeps on the guest list?"

Betsy shook her head, "Again, something Stephen is trying to find out. Like I said – we were all away and Penelope just got the bill. It's more than quadrupled and no one recognizes the signature on the bill."

"Then it's not getting paid," Bo said flatly, returning to the table.

"That's Penelope's department. She's interviewing her staff now to try to get to the bottom of how all of this happened."

"Great," Bo said, "So I have to wear that formal stuff?"

"As of now, I'm afraid so. Lauren has staff meetings all day, then she's consulting on seven cases before a meeting with Path and Slate about the new neonatal intensive care unit."

Bo nodded, "Yea, she told me something was happening with the baby wing."

Betsy shrugged, "I don't know if her schedule has changed or not, but we won't be able to talk to her about all of this gala stuff until the end of the day, so brace yourself for when she gets home."

Sighing, Bo replied, "She's already pretty… stiff. This morning she was suddenly very short with me. I knew something was off. Anyway, I've just never seen her like this. To top it off, I wasn't very supportive of all of this today before she left. I think I understand why she's so anxious now."

"So will you sit with us?" Anna asked, "We just want to give you information on how people usually behave at these things. If you have the information, you can play their game as you see fit."

Bo nodded, "I've seen Titanic, so I think I have an idea of what Lauren's former world was like."

Kate smiled, "That's a good start."

"So, I'll be Leonardo DiCaprio, huh?" Bo asked.

Patrick nodded, "Exactly and Lauren will be Rose… caught between the two worlds."

Bo was quiet for a moment, "So I have to worry about Lauren choosing their world again… and possibly drowning at the end?"

Patrick smiled, throwing an arm over Bo's shoulder, "You already won the battle of the worlds, my dear, dear friend. She is helplessly, hopelessly, forever in love with you and your world. She told me this morning that she doesn't want to fly to Boston next week…"

"But she needs to…"

Patrick grinned, "I told her I'd do what I could to move some of her meetings to online, but there was no way I could get her out of all of the meetings. At best, I could shorten her trip. That said, I squeezed some meetings in this week to throw her off the scent. Sorry, but she's going to be really busy… but clueless about what you're up to."

Bo smirked, "What a shame."

"I know, such a shame," he winked.

Stephen walked back to the table, greeting Bo, "Hi Bo. Ready to get this over with?"

Bo smiled, "Definitely."

"Okay, so first, gentlemen will seat ladies by helping them with their chair. You can avoid them doing this for you if you help Lauren with hers. Patrick, if you would be so kind as to pretend to be Lauren for a demonstration?"

Jake held up a hand, "I'm sort of a Bo to this Gala stuff. Can I follow Patrick's lead?"

Betsy stood, "You can help me, Jake."

Patrick put a hand on his neck and batted his eyes, "Stephen, darling, would you help me with my chair?"

Jake laughed as Stephen pulled out Patrick's chair and waited for him to sit, "Now, you push in the chair as the knees bend so you don't take her off her feet."

"Got it," Bo said, watching Jake handle Betsy's chair just to be sure.

Stephen nodded, "Now, do Kenzi's."

They all watched as Bo helped Kenzi with her chair, the young hotel owner standing after she was seated,

"Okay. That's just weird. I mean, I can pull in my own damn chair! What's wrong with these women? Do they all have arthritis or something?"

She threw her towel over her shoulder, "I have to go into the kitchen to get my wait staff ready for all of these pompous fools… no offense to present company. Just don't judge my kids! They're practicing. Be nice… and give them a really good tip. They've been on their feet for three straight days and half of them are friends of employees who never waited a table a day in their lives. They just really need the money."

Stephen nodded, before turning to Bo, "When the wait staff comes out, they will reach around you to put everything down. It is very important that you not move when they are putting things on the table. You will make them spill something and it will reflect poorly on them and Kenzi."

"But if I move, it's my fault…"

"With these people, Bo, it's always the workers' fault."

Bo shook her head, "Tell me again who these people are?"

"Wealthy people who are offering to pay the bills at the hospital," Stephen said, "Not that Lauren will accept their money."

"Lauren doesn't like to burn bridges," Bo said.

"Yea, well I have a feeling that these are bridges she is more than willing to burn to ash," Patrick said, standing to seat Jake who smiled and sat next to Betsy, "We weren't invited to this fancy lunch, so we'll just grab the hotel settings."

Betsy shook her head, pointing to the bags on the floor. He looked in and smiled,

"Always ready, our Betsy."

He and Jake set their places before Betsy began,

"Okay, so Bo and Jake, let's start with the napkin. Before you eat, the napkin gets placed gently in the lap. Don't rip it off the table and shove it down there. Lift it, open it, fold it in half if you wish and then lay it on the lap."

Bo watched the others and then did as they did, smiling when they all gave her a nod.

"Patrick, if you watch Jake, I'll focus on Bo."

"You've got it, Bets."

"Okay then, next is the silver. You'll see that you have three forks."

Bo nodded, "Why so many?"

"The forks will be collected after each part of the meal. You'll need forks for the salad, the entrée, oysters, fish or a second entrée and then dessert."

"Three dinners? I'm liking this gala more already."

Kate laughed, "Don't get too excited. Each one is maybe two bites. Eat plenty of appetizers if you want to gain that weight back."

Bo looked up at Kate, "You can tell?"

Kate froze, knowing Anna would have loved to give her a nice, firm elbow right about now,

"No, I just know that Lauren said you lost weight last year, so I just assumed it was part of your recovery. I mean, how can you not lose weight eating a baggie of food and salmon jerky for seven days?"

Bo nodded, "It is difficult to keep weight on during the race. Hell, you lose five pounds just from shivering."

"I'm still amazed by that race, Bo. You were amazing," Stephen smiled.

Jake laughed, "I could've taken her if the bureau had let me run."

Bo laughed, "Next year, Jake. Put your money where your mouth is. The four grand entry fee will put you toe to toe with my girls… and Muk."

Jake smiled, "I just may take you up on that, Bo. It would be fun to try to keep pace with you, anyway. Go hard or go home… or in this case, keep up with Bo or drop out of the race."

"I'd be happy for the company for as long as you can last."

"Really?" Jake asked.

Bo shrugged, "Sure. I've never had a race partner. I mean, a few of the guys kept up in previous years. I'm not sure what went wrong for them this year."

"You were three hours ahead within the first sixteen hours, Bo. You were moving," Jake replied.

"Okay, okay. Let's get back to the forks, everybody," Stephen said, waving his hands.

Bo smiled, "Yea. The important stuff. Forks."

Stephen laughed, "I know. All of the times I attended these galas over the years, I'd always thought the same thing when we sat down to eat. We had three forks and all this food when probably a block away, there were homeless people sleeping in cardboard boxes eating food from a local dumpster with their freezing cold fingers."

They all watched as Stephen's eyes grew dark, his head lowering. Bo noticed that no one else was speaking, so she chose her words carefully as she tried her best to offer a silver lining,

"Hey. You're not in that world anymore, Stephen. You're here among my people and we're all grateful that you are here, giving back to our community without asking for anything in return."

She leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're a good man, Stephen. You were caught in a system that you couldn't fight. Well, tomorrow night, that system is coming here. I'll do my part and follow the lead of you and Lauren, but it's up to the two of you to decide who you want to be… and how you want this hospital to function. It's your chance to show up for the little guy… if that's what you choose."

He nodded, his eyes giving away the emotions he felt from Bo's words, so he quickly moved on,

"Okay then. First, the golden rule is to start on the outside and work your way in towards the plate. If this were a dinner party at a wealthy person's home, you would use whatever fork they use, even if it's the wrong one since we never do anything to embarrass the host of a party."

He pointed, "So, the fork to your far left is the salad fork. You pick it up once everyone at the table has been served their salad. Hopefully, the wait staff brings the salads of the entire table at once. If not, you wait until they return with the rest."

Bo nodded, "Got it. Stick a napkin in my pocket to wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth while I wait to eat the salad they put in front of me before I can eat it. Any way to tell the wait staff to serve me last?"

Stephen smiled, "Well, since they all know you and you know the manager, I'm sure you could make that happen."

"Mental note. Talk to Kenzi and the kids."

The group laughed as Stephen continued, "After the salad fork is the dinner fork. Over on the right side of the plate, you see the dinner knife next to the plate, then the appetizer or salad knife, then the spoon, for your meal, the soup spoon and the oyster fork."

"We're having oysters?" Bo asked.

Stephen shrugged, "We'll have to ask Kenzi."

Bo nodded, "We tend to eat a lot of clams… a whole lot of geoducks."

"Say what?" Kate asked.

Bo smiled, "G-e-o-d-u-c-k-s, but pronounced gooey-ducks. They're these huge clams…"

"… that look like a giant penis," Jake laughed and winked, "You wouldn't like them, but Patrick would."

Bo shook her head, "They are delicious… but he's right. They do sort of look like a giant penis."

"I'll stick to little necks," Stephen chuckled.

Bo smiled, "Well, we have those too."

"Yes! A little taste of Boston! Why haven't we had those yet?" Stephen asked.

Bo shrugged, "You've been relying on me for fish, or you haven't read past Kenzi's breakfast and lunch menus? You know, she does serve a dinner menu, too and it's not just beef stew… which, by the way, is actually reindeer stew if you want to get technical about it."

Stephen shook his head, "That event planner must be beside herself that there's no oysters."

"We've got some great alternatives in Alaskan waters. Harvest scallops, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, octopus and squid. Kenzi's calamari is to die for and her new chef makes amazing scallops wrapped in bacon. I could down forty of those things without batting an eye if my doctor-fiancé wouldn't stop me at eight to remind me of my impending heart attack."

Kate smiled, "She's got a point there."

Bo shrugged, "Sorry, but right now, food is more important to me than sleep or sex."

"Whoa! Too much information!" Stephen said, turning his head.

Bo laughed, "I'm sorry. I suppose you hate the idea that I'm defiling a woman who is like a daughter to you?"

Stephen shook his head, laughing at Bo, "Okay, let's get back to the knives, shall we?"

Bo smiled, "You're adorably protective and I am so grateful to you for that."

"You're welcome, Bo. I'll have Lauren's back for as long as the good Lord sees fit to keep me in this world."

"Well, let's hope that's a very long time," Bo smiled, leaning over and kissing his cheek, "Okay, so I have the forks, knives and this little fork. What about this stuff above the plate?"

"The dessert fork or spoon is placed parallel to the plate at the top or – if the planner prefers – diagonal to the edge of the table, near the top of your plate. Sometimes it's placed on the empty dessert plate if there's a dessert buffet, but they may also bring that out with the dessert."

"Okay, so that stuff is a maybe," Bo nodded.

Stephen nodded, "The spoon could also be a fork – or both. In the left top corner is your butter plate with a butter knife across it. The butter will be passed around the table by the guests. You take a pat and place it on that plate, then take your butter for your bread from the plate."

Bo nodded, "You know, how are all of the other guests – like the guys in my construction company – going to know all of this?"

Stephen shrugged, "They're not, but they will be seated together so none of the fancy pants will notice what they're doing. You, on the other hand, will be seated with Lauren, us and some of our honored and distinguished guests."

Bo turned to Patrick, "You'll be sitting with us, right?"

Patrick shrugged, "That was the original plan, but with this new planner, things may have been switched around."

"Why would the person planning the event not use the seating that Lauren and Stephen have recommended?" Bo asked, "It's their event."

Stephen shrugged, "Because we don't know who authorized the changes that have been made. They may have also authorized changes to the table seating."

Bo nodded, "Okay."

She looked up at Patrick who placed a hand on hers, "You'll be fine, Bo. I'll do everything I can to be at your table. If I'm not, I'll do what I can to be sure that Jake and I are seated somewhere nearby with all of your friends and family."

"Family…" Bo said, "What about Rudy? My Mom? They won't be with us? Lauren would never agree to that."

Patrick smiled, "I'll take care of it, Bo. I promise."

"Don't you dare promise Rudy anything unless you can come through."

He nodded, "I know, Bo. I won't, but I know the people we're dealing with. I'll make it happen."

"You know them?"

Patrick looked at Stephen, then back to Bo, thinking quickly, "I know the type and I was raised in their world, remember? Lauren was too. It's okay. We can handle ourselves."

Bo nodded, looking up at Anna who smiled, "We'll all be here, Bo. We won't be far."

The brunette looked down at the table, heaving a big sigh, "Okay then, so we have two glasses. Please tell me one will have liquor in it."

"Wine. One will have wine, the other water with a sprig of lemon. There may be a long thin glass for champagne as well."

"Lemons? In winter? In Alaska?" Bo asked.

Stephen nodded, "Wealthy people make things happen no matter the cost."

Bo smiled, "Citrus. We're having citrus at dinner. Is it okay for me to squeeze it out on my fish?"

Stephen smiled, "Chances are there will already be a slice of lemon on your fish plate."

"Oh. Right," Bo said, "That makes me so happy. If the seating goes sideways, I'll still have citrus."

Anna looked at Kate, sensing Bo's growing anxiety. She turned back to Bo and thought about what she might say to comfort her when this was all over. One thing she knew for sure was that tomorrow night, she needed all of Bo and Lauren's friends and family to keep Bo and Lauren busy. If they were busy, they would have less time with the wealthy individuals who might make them both… uncomfortable.

As Stephen explained the wine serving, Anna picked up her phone and shot off a text message to Lauren's closest friends at the hospital – Betsy and Patrick included. They would have a group call tonight so that she and Betsy could give everyone a heads up about the shitstorm that was coming. They would also set the record straight on who was pulling the gala strings and the support that Lauren would need from them.

"Any questions on wine, Bo? If not, I'll start on the etiquette of eating your food."

He began to explain and demonstrate, but Bo became frustrated, "It's food, Stephen. You put it in your mouth. I get it."

He nodded, looking at Betsy for help. She gently explained,

"Bo, table manners are…"

Bo shook her head, wagging a finger at the pair,

"Listen – I've spent most of my life using my fingers or a wooden spoon to eat from a pot that came from a campfire flame. This world of shiny utensils and extended pinky fingers has too many rules…" she looked down at her hand, "… although I do enjoy extending my finger and seeing the shiny pinky promise Lauren put there."

Bo admired the ring, the diamond sparkling in the daylight sun that streamed into the windows. She thought of Lauren and sighed,

"For Lauren… fine. Teach me how not to be such a Neanderthal at the table."

He shook his head, "For the record, none of us think that of you. These guests, however, have all been to finishing school. You won't match their skills at the table, but your resume will counter any judgements they may have about those skills. Knowing you… having met you, put them in a very exclusive club."

"Having met me?"

"Sled racing is a rare sport, but not as much in the northeast. The Iditarod is famous across the globe. None of these people have ever met an Iditarod Champion, I guarantee it. Being able to tell 'The Joneses' they met the top record holder will carry clout for them when they go back to their world."

"Wow. Should I have a pen in my pocket to sign autographs?" Bo chuckled.

"Definitely not. As a matter of fact, don't sign anything for anyone unless we specifically tell you to. We're opening up some items that Kyle donated for the charity auction. These people will pay big bucks for them."

"Then shouldn't I sign more?"

Stephen laughed, "Are you kidding? They'll pay more if there's only one basket to big on knowing that they have to outbid the rest of the room. Half the game is being the one who paid the most to walk away with the only prize available."

Kate laughed, "I get it. They'll be the only person in Boston with an original piece of Bo Dennis' broken sled."

"My broken sled?"

Kate shrugged, "Kenzi told me that was one of the things that Kyle offered for the prize basket."

"An old piece of wood?" Bo asked.

Stephen laughed, "That will bring in a pretty penny once you tell the story of how the sled broke and how it's from your original sled. Will anyone else have a piece of wood from that sled?"

"Wow. These people are weird!" Bo said.

"What's weirder is that someone will probably bid half a million dollars on it, Bo."

Stephen watched the jaws of Bo, Kate and Anna drop to the table and shook his head with a smile,

"Now do you understand Lauren's world and, more importantly, why she left it?"

Bo turned to Stephen, "Show me how to eat."

Stephen nodded and began. When the lesson had ended, they waited for Kenzi's staff to bring the food out. Bo was famished. Her mind drifted to the trail… the finish… her family and friends surrounding her… the smell of the snow in the air… fresh, crisp, clean air.

She turned and peered through the window. Like many other post-race years, it had only taken a week or so for spring to break through the clouds with a vengeance. She knew there would be more snow, but there would be less and less as daylight hours grew and the temperatures rose.

Soon, the tundra would spring to life with plants and berries. The river would rage with cool blue glacial waters, the salmon would spawn, and they would be surrounded by life.

She loved spring and the promises it brought with it. This spring, especially since she would share the promise of a life with Lauren through their vows. She couldn't wait until next week. Still, she had to get through tonight and the rest of the week.

She had gotten to work in her store today, talked to Kyle about the breeding pairs, built two new sleds, visited all of her dogs and talked to Merv about a meeting.

He had mentioned the males he wanted her to use as studs with her females, but Bo recommended that he breed from his own line. There was a young female five-year-old she had seen on his team that she believed would start the bloodline he needed to have longevity in his line.

When he disagreed, she reminded him that she had her own line to maintain and couldn't give up dogs from her own females. In addition, she reminded him that this is where her success had been born from. Showing him her breeding book, she explained the line of succession and how to prevent inbreeding that would cause problems.

By the end of the conversation, he was quite confused, but Cassie had joined them. She offered her services to help him prevent problems as his kennel grew and he agreed.

Finally, Bo offered Ares as the stud. He was strong, fast and Harper's brother. She didn't tell him he was more of a work dog than a sled dog, but if he paired him with the right female… a smaller, faster female like the one Bo had suggested, the potential was there if he trained them properly. Merv needed only to hear about his lineage to accept.

If she were honest, Bo wasn't willing to allow anyone to claim Harper as a parent to their dogs. Offering Ares was already a stretch since it was such close breeding to her, but Merv was a friend who had stood by her in mushing circles even as his own world was crashing down around him.

She wanted to help him, so she did. Besides, she could really only use Ares to stud for one or two of her own dogs for another generation, so she might as well see what came out of the pairing for Merv. They worked out Bo having pick of his litter since Bo knew he couldn't afford to pay her.

Finally, she suggested mixed breeds to look for and explained to him that she had talked to her mom and she had offered to help him choose a group of dogs that would help him to replenish his kennels.

Bo was still shocked at the turn of events in his marriage, so she left the conversation feeling like she'd done the best she could for him while not hurting her own kennel. Besides, if he offered the stud, he would only get one puppy from the litter. This way, the pups were his to keep or sell, but Bo would get first pick of the litter as per their agreement.

She'd helped him but protected her own family of canines. They would be safe and healthy while Ares would get to chase a girl around for a few hours. When he came back home, he would go into quarantine until Cassie was sure he hadn't picked up a contagion at the other kennel. Of course, that was if Bo didn't decide to breed him with one of her own dogs first. Timing would be everything.

"Bo?"

Bo's head snapped up to see Stephen looking at her, "Sorry. I was just thinking… never mind."

"What? It's okay," Stephen said.

Bo shook her head, "Really… I was thinking about a deal I just made with Merv to use Ares as a stud for one of his females. Ares is the brother of Harper and…"

"Oh," he said.

"Sorry. As I said, never mind."

"Well, if you want to talk about it…" Stephen suggested, but Bo shook her head,

"No, it's okay. I did the right thing. The poor guy's wife cheated on him, took his home, his kennels and his dogs leaving him only the twenty he used at the race. At least she didn't get custody of his sons."

"Always a high point in a divorce settlement."

"Definitely. Those boys mean everything to him. Anyway, he's the one who placed second in the Iditarod. With the prize money down by half this year, it won't do him much good in making up for what he's lost. I wish I could do more for him."

Anna smiled, raising her hand, "Well, we can do what we did for Julie."

Bo grinned, "That would be great, but we'd have to ask him first. The man's got a streak of pride like no other."

"I'm sure it's not as long as yours," Kate quipped.

"Still, we're happy to help," Anna said, eyeing her fiancé, "He seems like such a sweet guy and so is his friend Matt. Lauren absolutely adores him for taking her up in the chopper. The finish line pictures came out great."

Bo nodded, "She loved it. Matt took pictures of Merv when he crossed the line too, so I told him we could sell some merchandise for him at the store to try to help him out. He's going to get the prints made, sign them and bring them over. Hopefully he'll build a race team as well… sponsors would really help him."

Kate asked, "Did you stop in to see Julie?"

Bo smiled, "Yea. She woke up yesterday. That Dr. Jane said she's got a long road to recovery, but she's a tough kid. She'll make it. By the way, that money you raised paid off all of their bills. Her mom is being flown to Seattle for a new treatment. She's got a chance thanks to you two."

Kate shook her head, "Believe me, that was mostly Anna. The woman knows how to write a post."

"Well, thank you," Bo grinned, turning back to Stephen, "So, I heard about putting my spoon in the bowl and scooping out the soup backwards, not leaning over, not slurping and – I can't believe this – but don't pick up the bowl and drink the soup that's left. Such a waste of good soup. Maybe I'll bring a straw?"

Stephen shook his head, "No straw."

"Fine," Bo said, "I'll throw away the last bits…the best bits of the soup. And I'll eat my meat with the wrong hand, though I still don't understand what the big deal is about laying the knife on the plate and switching the fork to my good hand. I mean, what happens when I miss my mouth and I have steak juice all over my face?"

Stephen laughed, "Then you use your napkin to dab the steak juice away. Never wipe."

"So many rules," Bo said, shaking her head.

"Can I eat my bread like a normal human being or do I have to cut that with a knife too?"

Stephen smiled, "You'll be happy to know that you can tear off bite-sized pieces of bread and butter them one or two bites at a time."

"I don't butter my bread before I eat it?"

Stephen shook his head, "No, bread is not a painting. But honestly, it's better to butter each bite – more butter."

He grinned until Betsy slapped him, "She worries about my cholesterol."

Betsy smiled, "Someone has to watch him, or he'd have apple pie for breakfast, cheesecake for lunch and cookies with ice cream for dinner."

Bo grinned, "Sounds like my kind of guy."

"Rudy agrees with my diet," he smiled, "You know, she called me Pa the other day."

Bo smiled, "She said you're like a grandfather to her, but since you're not really, she thought Pa was a good word for you. She wants to call Betsy…"

"Kuia," Betsy said, "I didn't know that she spoke the language of both the Māori and Hawaiian peoples."

Bo nodded, "She's fluent in both thanks to her friends on the island. One was born and raised to a Māori family in New Zealand and moved here as an adult. The other two were both from native Hawaiian families. My mom doesn't have as strong a grasp of the language as Rudy does."

Betsy nodded, "She said Kuia is Māori for grandmother or elder."

"Why didn't I get a Maori name?" Stephen asked.

"Because Pa is shorter," Bo smiled, "So, is there anything else I need to know to get through this gala?"

Stephen nodded, "Always put down your utensils before picking up a glass. When you finish with a utensil, rest it on the edge of your plate, not back on the table. If you make a mistake, don't call attention to it. They probably won't notice even if they're looking right at you. A lot of these people think they know about formal dinner etiquette, but don't so they're pretending just as much as you are."

Bo nodded, "Good to know."

"Good evening, Ladies… Gentleman," said Quinn, a young man Bo recognized from the lunch staff.

"Hey Quinn," Bo smiled, but Quinn leaned down and whispered, "You're not supposed to talk to me, Bo."

She whispered, "Oops. Sorry."

"It's okay. We just play the outsiders' game like Kenzi says, right?"

Bo smiled, "That's right. Do you have three hours in you for all of this?"

"Three? More like six. The lady in charge is a crazy lady!" He whispered to Bo while nodding to Anna, "Don't tell the head doc I said that."

Bo chuckled, "Your secret is safe with us."

He moved quickly around the table, pouring water into each person's glass, breaking character for a moment,

"There will be a lemon placed on the rim of each glass tomorrow night. We just can't afford to use any of the lemons right now, though Kenzi asked me to give Bo this," he smiled, slipping an orange into Bo's hand.

The brunette smiled, taking a long whiff of the orange skin, "Kenzi, I love you wherever you are!"

"Right behind you, sweet cheeks! Now get back into character!"

Bo sat up straight, placing her orange on her dinner plate as she watched the wait staff approach the table with bread and butter.

Stephen explained, "Now again, sit still so as not to bump them. They will go around the table and ask each person if they would like a hot roll, using a pair of tongs to put it on their plate if they answer yes. Don't touch the roll until everyone has received. The salad will come next so if you wish to eat your salad with bread, let it sit until the salad comes."

"But the bread will get cold," Bo replied, "Warm bread is a must at a campfire."

Stephen smiled, "Well, we're not at a campfire, but you can decide which is more important."

"How about two rolls? One with my salad and one on the plate?" Bo asked, looking at Kenzi who winked and said,

"I'm sure that Bo could explain to the table that you're putting back calories after winning the Iditarod. It would give everyone something to talk about."

Bo shook her head furiously, "No. There will be no focus on me and the race at the table."

Stephen frowned, "Bo, you may not be able to avoid it at this thing. It's the biggest event in the state – especially this close to Anchorage. Besides, Lauren may be asked about your participation in it and you can't leave her hanging. Please. Remember the auction."

Bo sighed, "Fine. I'll do what I have to do for Lauren."

"Thank you."

She turned to Kenzi, "But I want two rolls for doing it… and I want to be the last person served at the table, okay? Waiting for people to get their food until I can eat will be torture. I could eat all of your rolls right now and not feel the slightest hint of remorse."

Stephen laughed, "That hungry, huh?"

"It's almost two o'clock and the only thing I've eaten today is a piece of salmon jerky from my sled bag."

"BO!" Kate scolded.

"What? I'm dealing with half a team of sick dogs, a toxic burn pile, a breeding schedule, a backlog of kennel orders…"

"I get it, but you have to eat, Bo."

She sighed, "I had planned on downing two plates of pancakes and sausage when I got here since I was told this was just a discussion. Instead, I got a torture session where I get a breadcrumb at a time."

Betsy shook her head, "We're sorry, Bo. We didn't realize you hadn't eaten."

Kate leaned back, "Kenzi, can your chef make her some pancakes and sausage?"

Kenzi shook her head, "She's cooking your grub right now, but if you all give BoBo your plates, she'll have a good meal."

Kate and Anna nodded, "We already ate, so you can have ours. We know gala food."

Stephen and Betsy nodded, "Same for us."

Patrick shrugged, "I told Lauren I'd taste the menu, but I only need a bite."

Jake shrugged, "I'd rather have a burger, so I'll wait until you're finished in the kitchen."

"Okay, so pass your plates to Bo as we serve, and she can scrape everything onto her plate and hand them back."

"Yes!" Bo said, giving a Rudy fist pump.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your salads. Your dressing choices are a Sweet Huckleberry Vinagrette or Alaskan Herb Green Goddess."

Stephen turned to Bo, "Now, they'll spoon dressing onto your salad until you say thank you. Again, don't move or they could dump the entire boat of dressing on you or another guest."

"Everybody go super light on the dressing, but I want the Huckleberry."

Bo said as she watched the waiters handle the dressings. Bo whispered,

"Hold still, Bo," when Quinn got to her. He waited for her reply and then quickly moved away.

Stephen spoke, "Now, we all pick up our salad forks…"

The group made their way through each course of the gala meal, Stephen complimenting Bo or correcting her when necessary. When they were finished, Bo was stuffed, and the group was satisfied that she was ready.

They all chipped in to help Kenzi and her staff with the clean up before Bo headed home to check on the progress at the cottage while the rest of the group stayed at Kenzi's and had stew for dinner. They'd had enough of fancy food for today.

Once they finished eating, they cleaned up together again, this time without Kenzi's staff. The kids had put in several hours of overtime and she wanted them to have time to themselves before they had to handle their respective family obligations.

During cleanup, Kenzi casually mentioned to Betsy that the woman from the event planning company was from Boston. After ranting on about what a prima-donna she was, she asked Betsy if all Boston event planners were as nosy and self-entitled as this one was. When Betsy asked Kenzi what the woman's name was, Kenzi told her that all she would say was that her name was Liz.

Betsy shook her head in disbelief. She understood now. Elizabeth Lewis wasn't acting from behind the scenes, she had actually been here in the kitchen. It was a brazen move considering Lauren was back in town, but that was exactly who she was. Chances are, she had already been through the hospital as well. She was certain Franklin Lewis would have gotten in, too.

She whispered to herself, "So Lauren's mom had caught wind of the gala and scored herself an invite through William Grace, who was a well-known doctor in the lower forty-eight, last credited with helping Lauren Lewis cure a burn victim… Kyle."

She turned to Stephen, whispering,

"It's Elizabeth who has moved in on the gala event planning. Not from behind the scenes – she was actually here. Kenzi said she's changed the menu, obviously the location, and the guest list seating. She said that this woman – who is apparently calling herself 'Liz' – loaded Lauren's table with people from the three new companies that she invited. Stephen - Bo isn't sitting with Lauren. None of us are."

Stephen shook his head, "Little Miss, 'nicknames are gauche' is going by Liz now, huh?"

He lowered his head, a finger over his lips as he pondered the situation. He whispered to Elizabeth,

"Are any of the other hospital staff sitting with her? Or Doctor Grace?"

Betsy shook her head, "Doctor Grace is seated with the hospital chiefs. She moved Faith Gray to the physicians' table so that she could fit William Grace in with the chiefs. Lauren won't be happy that Faith is being treated that way."

"Honestly, Faith won't care. She's got more class than Elizabeth has in her entire being. She will be interested in observing Lauren's parents though. It will tell her a lot about who Lauren is and why. Is anyone sitting with Lauren that she knows?"

Betsy nodded, "Just Patrick."

He looked across the large kitchen, eyeing Patrick as he and Jake threw soap bubbles at one another,

"Well, two can play this game."

"Stephen…" Betsy warned, but Stephen shook his head,

"Not this time, my love. This time, we don't need their donations and we both know that Lauren and Patrick will never go back to their world."

"Stephen, money is tight for Bo and Lauren. The wedding…"

He whispered, "Why are we hanging onto our nest egg, Betsy when our children need it now?"

She looked up at him and smiled, "We'll get capital gains from investing in them that cannot be measured in decimals and dollar signs."

He smiled, "Exactly and besides, what could we possibly use all that money for at this point in our lives? We have every material possession we could ever want…"

"… or need and then some."

"We have plenty of airline miles from your globetrotting to cover our flights to our bucket list locations…"

Betsy smiled, "… as long as we leave enough spending money in there for one trip per year, I'll be happy. We don't need fancy hotels. Frankly, I love our little cabin here."

Stephen nodded, "I love you."

"I love you too," Betsy smiled, "Now - what are you going to do?"

He looked down at his beloved, a wicked grin slowly stretching across his face,

"Everything in my power to make certain that those who are usually the most comfortable at these events are made to feel as uncomfortable as possible."

Betsy shook her head, "Think of Lauren and Patrick, Stephen. Please. Think of the hospital and their futures."

He kissed Betsy gently, saying, "I am and I'm also trusting this community to be as Alaskan as they were the day us outsiders arrived."

He grinned before looking up at the group of friends and staff in the kitchen,

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?"

Betsy shook her head, turning to the group as Stephen began to put his Machiavellian plan in place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE HOMESTEAD

"I don't understand. Where is she?" Bo asked as LJ placed the large box of food on the kitchen counter next to Mary.

LJ shrugged, "All I know is she stopped by the kennel hoping to catch you before you left so she could give you this dinner. I told her you asked me to come out here because you wanted to talk to me about something. She said that she's staying at the clinic apartment tonight because she's scrubbing in on an emergency surgery, getting a few hours of sleep and then attending two consecutive virtual meetings with Stephen on east coast time."

"Meetings?" Bo asked.

LJ nodded, "Something about budgets and staff in… I think Boston and Michigan and somewhere else. She said something about a new acquisition, whatever that means."

"They're acquiring a new hospital… Connecticut, I believe," Bo said.

She looked up at her mom, "I thought she told you she would be making dinner."

Mary shook her head, "Handling, dinner, Child, not making."

LJ shrugged, "She said there's plenty of food in that box," he smiled, "Enough for me to have seconds and thirds!"

Bo shook her head, "Glad you didn't have a boy, mom? Apparently when they reach the pinnacle of their teen years. They develop a hollow leg in which to store food."

They all shared a laugh, LJ shaking his head, "She's right. I'm hungry all the time."

Bo smiled, "Well, you are doing a lot of jobs that require calorie burns, my friend. You see me right now?"

He laughed, "Yea. Who's the string bean now? Aunt Molly used to force feed you two weeks before the race so that you didn't come back weighing under a hundred pounds."

Bo nodded, grinning at the memory, "I think I already know the answer, but do you eat while you're driving your sled?"

He shrugged, "Usually, I'm focusing on the dogs and the trail."

She smiled, "Well, we've got to find a way to get food into you during the day. It's probably part of the reason you're so dang grumpy all the time."

He pulled out a chair, taking a seat, "That would be because I no longer have a girlfriend. We broke up. Well, she dumped me for 'an educated man', as she put it."

Bo looked up at Mary, then back to LJ, taking a seat, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged, "It was race week and I didn't want to bother you with my problems."

"LJ, you're like a brother to me. You can always bother me with your problems no matter what I'm doing. If we can't talk in that moment, we'll set up a time to talk. I don't ever want you to feel like you can't come and talk to me. You've seemed so distant and angry with me lately – I don't know how to fix that if you don't talk to me."

He offered a crooked smiled and bashfully replied, "Well, I figured that out too. While you were on the trail last week, I talked to Doctor Anna and sort of figured some stuff out."

Silence overtook the room as Bo waited for LJ to continue. Mary turned, looking at Bo, then placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Would you like to speak to Ysabeau privately?"

He shook his head, patting Mary's hand, "Of course not, Aunt Mary. We have no secrets."

"And I hope we have no secrets either," Bo added.

He smiled, "Of course not… well, not intentional ones anyway."

"Intentional?" Bo asked.

He sighed, "It actually started with Rudy… and Elise, too. I snapped at them and, as you can imagine, they called me out. I walked away blaming them for being immature brats, but it only took a few minutes for me to hear myself talking to them. I was being… well, far from the role model my family and friends expect."

Mary came to sit in one of the side chairs at the table, "Rudy had told me of a few such incidents."

"I know and believe me, my Aunt Molly gave me an earful about it. You were right… she was right. So, I had to find out what I was so steamed about. I could feel it. I was angry all the time," he looked up at Bo who came to sit across from Mary, "Like you used to be. I knew my great grandfather had to have something to do with it, but I also knew I was pissed at my dad for not coming and supporting you as part of the race team."

Bo nodded, "Well, I guess we have some idea now as to why he wasn't there."

LJ shook his head, "He had always outwardly supported you before, so what changed? It didn't make sense. Then Penny texted me that she didn't want to see me, Pops and Uncle Mark had me cleaning up dog shit while Rudy and Elise got to run the dogs… then you came in and I tried to talk to you about an idea I had about lightening your sled, but you blew me off to be with Lauren… Well, at least that's the way I saw it."

Bo shook her head, "Blew you off to be with Lauren?"

He offered a twisted smile, "Yea. Weird, right? That's when I figured it out. I was throwing my axe at a tree to get rid of my anger… and my heartbreak…"

"I'm sorry she dumped you like that, LJ," Bo said.

"I'm not. I mean… I didn't love her. She didn't break my heart," he looked up at Bo, "You did."

"Me?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "While I was killing that tree with my axe, Anna came over. She asked me why I seemed to be spending so much time by myself. I laid out a bunch of bull about Penny and annoying little girls, but when I told her you used to listen to my ideas, but weren't anymore… when I told her you valued the ideas of a ten-year-old over mine… when I told her we never went out on our sleds together anymore, that you never worked the kennel when I was working, you wouldn't give me any advice about how to handle the fish and game contracts…"

"Wow. I mean… wow. I had no idea I was doing so much wrong," Bo said.

"That's the thing, Bo… you weren't. It was me. I… I was in love with you… and I was jealous. I was jealous of Lauren, of Rudy, of Elise… hell, I was even jealous of the time you were spending with your mom."

"Um… LJ, I don't know what to say. I mean…"

He looked at Bo, smiling, "It's okay, Bo. I know you don't see me that way and it's okay. I mean, it's not like you're perfect and that I'll never get over you. I just don't want things to be awkward between us. Doctor Anna thought we needed to talk about this so you could understand why I was acting the way I was. It wasn't intentional – the way I was behaving. I didn't realize how I felt, so all of those feelings just sort of… well, as Doctor Anna put it, manifested as anger and annoyance."

Bo nodded, "Emotions do have a way of presenting themselves in strange and unusual ways sometimes."

"Look – the bottom line is that now I know what I had been… I think Doctor Anna called it suppression… I can work my way through the emotions. She said that sometimes our childhood hero becomes our childhood crush during puberty and if we don't begin to see the person for who they truly are, become our adult first loves," he laughed, "She said I may have even been with Penny in hopes of making you jealous as revenge for you getting involved with Lauren."

Bo smiled, "I must admit, I was a little jealous of the time you were spending with Penny."

He slapped Bo, "Don't mock me."

"I'm not mocking… joking… not mocking. Honestly though, when you would take off to the university to see her and I would show up at the kennel, it was weird not having you there. You were all grown up and I had to realize that you might leave town one day to live a different life… or at least, live a life where I didn't get to see you all the time."

LJ smiled, "That's nice to know… that you would miss me."

"Of course I would, LJ. I don't call you my little brother for nothing. You were the first person to accept me for who I was when I came to town. You were this little fresh-faced, no fear, happy little dude who ran right up to me and asked to meet my dogs. You didn't see the angry, mysterious outsider from town. You saw right into my heart and knew that I would never hurt you. I didn't get that from anyone else."

Nodding, LJ smiled and said, "I loved you from the moment you started talking to me about your dogs. Or maybe I just loved the idea that I could have a team of my own. Big Jim forbade it and my mom supported him even though she was a musher herself before she had me."

He lowered his eyes, "There were moments where I thought my mom was mine… you know what I mean? She was really mine – that she would side with me, protect me and stand up to my great grandfather when the time came," he shook his head, "But she never did. She was just like my dad."

Bo looked at Mary who gave her a nod. Bo moved to stand, but LJ gripped her wrist, "I meant what I said about not wanting things to be awkward between us. I mean, I love Lauren. I love your little sister and Elise. I understand that they are a core part of your life."

Bo leaned in, smiling, "And you are a core part of my life too, LJ. I just want you to find your own way. I want you to find love, a career you truly love and to have a family of your own – if that's what you want."

He nodded, "You know, I think about having a family, but then I think about mine and I think… what if I fuck up my kids like my parents did? What if I become a Big Jim or Big Jon one day?"

"Language," Mary smiled.

LJ laughed, "Cut me a break here, Aunt Mare. I'm pouring my heart out… and the girls aren't around."

"Break granted," Mary said affectionately, patting his hand.

"Listen, LJ. I used to think that I couldn't have love and a family because of my past as well, but I've learned that nothing could be further from the truth. It's because of my past that I have the family I have now. It's because of my past that I will always be grateful for what I have and will work my butt off to make sure I treat Lauren and any children we may have with love and respect."

LJ nodded, "I guess that's true. I just… well, I think I see what you have and… maybe this isn't love for you that I'm feeling, but love for what you've found… with Aunt Mary, with Rudy… with Lauren," he looked up at Bo, smiling, "I didn't know you were going to have kids."

Bo grinned, "Me either… and then Lauren asked. It freaked me out and then I was waiting for Rudy to come out of school and little Dax ran up to Lauren," Bo shook her head, "She's going to be a great mom."

LJ smiled, "So will you."

She laughed, "I think the jury's still out on that one, my friend."

"Nah, I see how you are with Rudy and Elise. You're gonna be great, Bo."

She smiled, "Thanks for that vote of confidence. I guess I can always count on you to tell me when I'm being a bad parent."

"Me too," Mary smiled, taking LJ's hand, and reaching over to take Bo's hand as well, "You'll both be great parents one day. Big Jim is gone but your memories of him are strong. Those memories will remind you not to become him."

LJ nodded, "I just wish that I'd had a little more experience with a loving family. I mean, Pops has always been there for me, but he's never been a hugger."

Bo smiled, "You want hugs?"

She lunged toward him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight, "I can make sure that Rudy and Elise smother you every day too!"

"Ugh! Dang Bo, your hugs hurt! You're squeezing too hard!"

Bo laughed, sitting back in her seat, "I guess we'd better put that food away."

They all stood, "I'll go out and get a block of dry ice from the barn," LJ offered, but Bo shook her head,

"I've got it. You help your Aunt Mary unpack the box and start picking what you want for dinner tonight. Your Aunt Molly and Uncle Mark should be here soon with the girls."

"Actually, they won't be here for another two hours," LJ corrected.

Bo checked her watch, "Really? I'm starving!"

LJ laughed, "And you say I'm always hungry."

Bo smiled, "I just raced nine-hundred miles. I think I'll be hungry and tired for another three weeks."

"Well, it's good you'll be doing nothing but sleeping all day Friday," LJ smiled.

Bo shook her head, pulled on a jacket and headed out to the barn while Mary and LJ set to the task of unpacking the box,

"You did good, LJ."

"I did?"

Mary nodded, "You've managed to share your deepest feelings while preventing awkwardness between the two of you."

LJ nodded, "It's funny that now that I've told her what I was feeling, I don't feel it as much."

She smiled, "Sometimes saying things out loud forces you to hear what you're saying… makes you come to terms with the truth of what you're thinking."

"That Bo and I will never… could never happen?"

"Exactly," Mary said, "But more than that, you love her so much that you want her to be happy and she wants the same for you."

"I don't understand half of the words on these lids. Do you?"

Mary shook her head, "This is food for the gala."

LJ nodded, "Right! Kenzi's chef made sample meals. She was practicing and Kenzi didn't want to waste the food. I thought she was going to send them to the hospital, but I guess Lauren redirected some to us."

"Works for me!" Mary smiled, "We won't have to cook for days."

"That's good, right? You'll be busy taking care of Bo."

Mary shook her head, "I'll be running the commercial fish orders. Rudy will take care of Ysabeau this weekend. Lauren said she should be up and on her feet on Sunday."

"That's quick."

"It is much faster than I suspected, but Lauren said they want her to get up and moving to keep the swelling down and prevent things from getting stuck together. Apparently scar tissue can form if she doesn't move the limb."

"SALMON! See? It's written clear as day," LJ smiled.

Mary shook her head, "You have gourmet dishes that aren't usually available in Alaska and you choose the one meal we have plenty of all year round?"

He smiled, "Well, it'll be fancy salmon, right? That's different."

They heard the block of ice being forced into the lower compartment of the icebox and opened the appliance door. LJ grabbed the oversized ice tongs and pulled while Bo pushed, maneuvering it into place.

"Thanks, LJ!" Bo said before slamming the outside door shut, "This knee doesn't let me get much leverage to push."

LJ closed the door on his side before returning the ice tongs to the bucket, "Did you pick something for Bo?"

"I haven't picked something for myself. Can you open your phone and look some of these things up? I can write what they are on the outside… in real English."

LJ chuckled, opening his phone as Bo entered the house, "What do you have to eat?"

"Apparently, it's all fancy gala food."

"Ugh!" Bo said, "I've just had six plates of that stuff."

"It's bad?"

"Oh, no! It's amazing. It's just that… well, brace yourselves for tomorrow night. LJ eat a burger before and after. They bring you salad, a roll with butter, then a tiny bowl of soup, then a plate of clams – six clams…"

"Only six?"

She nodded, "I know, right? Then you get your entrée and I swear it could fit in the palm of your hand. It's all fancy with drips of sauce on the plate."

"You said you ate six plates?" Mary asked.

"Well, I was planning on lunch with Kenzi, Mom."

"I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention?"

"Ha. Ha. Thankfully, all of my lunch companions had already eaten, so they gave me their plates of food. It was two scallops over top of maybe four or five really thin slices of potatoes with a few green and orange things sticking up off the top and some brown and green dots of sauce around it."

"That's called presentation," LJ said, reading from his phone, "That one… con-fit of mo-lard duck fo-ee grass is a specially fattened duck or goose liver."

"Ugh!" Bo said, "Keep that one away from me."

"Me too," LJ said, but Mary smiled, shaking her head,

"I'll try it. If Lauren is going to pay top dollar for this food, I'm certainly going to at least try it. Besides, liver is full of wonderful nutrients that we cannot usually get in such quantities."

She pulled out two containers, "One of these is mussels and one is clams. Do you know if they came from Alaskan waters?"

Bo nodded, "They were tested. Kenzi made sure of it. Apparently, this witch that's been in her kitchen for two days sent the boys out to dig up mussels so they would be fresh. Kenzi's chef tried to explain why you couldn't serve a crowd recreationally caught shellfish in Alaska, but the woman told her she was being ridiculous. Then Kenzi came in and threatened to lock her doors before the woman could poison two hundred people in her good name…"

"I take it the menu changed?"

Bo shook her head, "No. She kept them on the menu, but paid even more money to get approved shellfish. Apparently, this is costing Lauren a mint… not that we have the money right now."

Mary nodded, knowing Bo was concerned about money. She was fairly certain today's meetings only made it clearer that she was going to need to work hard to rebuild her savings as they were burning through it more quickly than she'd anticipated.

Lauren was adamant about not cashing in any of their investment portfolios, but Bo was all for having the cash available. Mary told her that was why Lauren was handling their investments.

"Okay, so this Mussels en Es-ca-bitch or es-ca-besh… don't know… but it's mussels marinated in some fancy vinegar. You might like this one, Bo."

Bo nodded, "I'll try it."

Mary sighed, "Why don't we just heat up about ten of these and share them? We can put the leftovers in the icebox. There's still about thirty left if we do that."

"Wow. She sent us that much food?" Bo asked.

Mary nodded, "Well, you did say the serving sizes were small and she probably wanted food that was easy to heat up for Friday and Saturday. Contrary to her beliefs, your sister does not cook."

Bo shrugged, "But she makes a wicked peanut butter and jelly sandwich!"

LJ nodded, "And she heats a mean can of soup!"

Mary shook her head, "Thank goodness your survival does not count on Rudy to feed you."

"By the way, Aunt Molly said thanks for the salmon," LJ smiled.

Mary nodded, putting the meals in the oven in their foil containers, "I had three extra today. I froze one for us and sold the other two to Molly.

Bo pulled out a chair, sitting down at the table, "How long?"

"It says thirty minutes per meal, so I'd say about forty minutes total," Mary suggested.

Bo nodded as LJ took his seat at the head of the table once more, "Did you talk to my aunt and uncle today?"

Bo shook her head, "I thought I'd see them at the hospital when I went in to see my brother, but they weren't there. Honestly, I've barely seen you Aunt since we got home. I haven't seen your Uncle Mark at all."

LJ nodded, "Everyone just seems to be getting back to work and… well, we're all behind after two weeks away. I guess we just need a little time to catch up."

Mary agreed, "I was surprised not to see Lauren today. She's usually running between the clinic and the hospital. Apparently, she was at the hospital all day."

Bo nodded, "Well, like LJ said – she's trying to get ahead so we have more time for our wedding and honeymoon."

LJ nodded, "When I saw Lauren, I tried to joke around with her, but she never cracked a smile. She had that Doctor Lauren look going on – you know, the one where she's politely giving you her ear, but her mind is thinking about her massively long patient to-do list."

Mary nodded, "She's the owner of a hospital conglomerate and she took two weeks off, Child. She's playing catch up just as you are. She's just a bit better at jumping back into her routine than you are."

Bo nodded, looking up at LJ, "You mentioned breeding your dogs earlier today when we were talking about our proposal."

LJ smiled, "Yea. Thanks, by the way – for offering me a stake in the business. I know you've worked for well over ten years to build what you and Kyle have and that I've only been with you for a year, but I hope I can earn your trust and respect."

Bo smiled, "You already have those, LJ. Learning a business – how to really run a business is going to take time. I think that by sitting down with Kyle and I when we meet with clients will help you to understand. Shadowing us each day will give you more insight into the things we do beyond what you've taken on."

LJ nodded, "I was so angry every time you ran off with Lauren and I went to exercise your dogs. Until today, I didn't really understand everything you have to do. Sitting there with you and that client… I mean, giving a quote for a sled – I guess I never understood that prices didn't just come out of thin air."

"It's pretty quick math after you've been doing it for a while. If they want a wood that isn't readily available, then you have to think of shipping, labor and lumber costs just to get the wood sled ready. If they want a sled built from synthetic materials, our costs will be significantly higher."

"You told that one guy he could get a sled in Fairbanks cheaper. Why?"

Bo shrugged, "Because the store I recommended specializes in those sleds. If I were to build one for him, I would want to buy the raw materials and build it. Since I don't buy those materials in bulk like I do lumber, the materials price would be significantly higher. Building it from scratch would take me weeks – not hours or days."

"And he was willing to pay the price."

Bo nodded, "He didn't want a factory-built sled."

"And he wanted a sled he could say was built by Bo Dennis," LJ smirked.

"And that's why business is good," Bo smiled, "The moment I lose a race, people will go elsewhere – to the sponsors of that winner or two their store if they have one."

LJ shook his head, "No loyalty."

Bo laughed, "Not with recreational mushers. The people who know me are our return customers."

LJ nodded, "Mr. Parnow brought his sled in for repairs on Tuesday."

"Really? How did I miss him?" Bo asked.

"You were asleep in the barn on the hay. He understood."

"Oh man! Did he see me?"

LJ nodded, "Sure did – drool and all."

"Drool? I was not drooling!"

He laughed, "Okay, so you weren't drooling, but he did see you. He wanted you to know he was at the finish line and got a great picture of you crossing. He said he was proud of you and then got right to business."

"I don't suppose he bought a new sled?"

"Seriously?" LJ laughed, "His sled is as old as he is!"

"Hey! I built that sled! I'm not that old!" Bo protested.

"Still he'll never sell that thing. He asked me to de-rust the nuts and bolts, condition the wood and leather, then replace the lines. I found a crack in one of the runners and he asked if I could patch it."

"Tell me you replaced the runner," Bo said, hopeful.

He shook his head, "I told him it would take a few days."

"Why?"

"He wants you to make the runner. His sled was a Bo Dennis original, so he wants Bo Dennis original parts."

Bo shook her head, "The man does take great care of his sled."

"You mean we take good care of his sled," LJ corrected.

Bo smiled, "Well, he does pay us to do it. I'm just surprised at how committed he is about bringing it in and keeping up with the preventative maintenance."

"His sled is a beauty."

Bo nodded, "It isn't just a Bo Dennis original – it's a Bo Dennis first… the first sled I ever built for a customer who paid for something I made."

"Wow. That's… amazing."

"It's actually kind of cool to know that my first is still out there on the trails," Bo smiled.

"I hope that one day I'll have a legacy like yours to share with my customers."

Bo smiled, "More than that, I hope you have a legacy to share with your kids."

LJ nodded, "Like I said, I'm not so sure about the kid thing, really. Although I have had lots of lessons in the word 'no' and how to use your kid in a store like he's working in a sweat shop."

Bo and Mary shared a glance, the elder Dennis shaking her head,

"LJ, I know I just said this, but you are not your Grandfather…"

"I know, but even my parents… well, you see where I live. Sure, Pops did what he could any times they laid into me. I mean, he always pulled me aside to tell me things would get better. He promised me that one day I would drive a sled and do all the things I wanted to do. He always reminded me that my great grandfather wouldn't live forever, but what I guess he didn't see coming was that my dad would be just like his grandfather."

"Your dad isn't anything like Big Jim, LJ."

"Don't you dare stick up for him! Look at where he is now!" LJ said, his eyes welling up, "My parents just let Big Jim do what he wanted to me. They never stuck up for me to him and now she's dead and my dad is in jail! I hope he rots there! Good riddance!"

Bo sighed, looking at her mom who nodded. Bo took a breath and began,

"LJ, I asked you here tonight to talk to you about two things. First, you asked if I would be willing to use one of your dogs as a stud for one of my females…" she could see the smile and excitement start to stretch across his face, so she quickly added, "I won't accept your dogs as studs for mine until you have the knowledge you need to properly breed a line. You also need to know how to find out about your own dogs' line before you offer them."

LJ nodded, "This is because you warned me not to buy my team from someone you didn't know."

Bo shook her head, "It's not the breeder I'm worried about – it's the breeding of the dogs. We brought you here so that we could give you your first lessons in breeding. My mom taught me everything I know about how to create a proper line and she is going to pass that knowledge on to you by using my dogs as an example."

"Cool! I mean… to learn from Aunt Mary. You're like the dog whisperer! Kyle will be so jealous! Everyone will be so jealous!"

Mary laughed, looking at Bo, "I feel like a celebrity."

LJ smiled, "You have no idea! In this town, you are. Word has spread fast about everything you know about sleds and medicines and dogs… you could probably open your own store and put us out of business!"

"Hmmm… something I'll have to consider," Mary smirked, looking at her daughter.

"Nice, Mom. Thanks for the support. Maybe I'll pin your posters up all over my store and take mine down."

Mary laughed, "You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would," Bo smiled, "I hate looking at my face all day."

LJ laughed, "So what was the second thing we needed to talk about?"

Bo and Mary turned to the young man, Bo explaining, "Family. You see, your grandfather asked me to come and see him this morning because of something that happened soon after my dogs were killed. I was given a seat at a very important meeting, and he has decided that it's time for you to know what happened all of those years ago. Now, he would have loved to be here, but honestly, those chemotherapy and radiation treatments are kind of kicking his butt."

LJ shook his head, "That's why he wouldn't let me in to see him today."

"You went in?" Bo asked.

LJ nodded, "At lunch, but the nurse said I wasn't on the list of approved visitors."

Bo sighed, "He's only permitted to have four visitors a day. The rest of the time he's either sleeping or in treatments."

LJ sat back in his chair, his head low, "But he's okay?"

Bo nodded, "Your Pops is a fighter, LJ. He'll get through this."

He took a deep breath and breathed out a long sigh, "Okay," he said, clapping his hands together and leaning into the table once more, "Let's get this lesson started then. We'll save the family drama for last."

"Okay," she said, grabbing the tablet of paper and a pen from the cabinet behind her, "Rudy will be upset that I'm using her school supplies, so let's keep this quiet."

"I'm telling," LJ smirked, "No secrets, remember?"

Bo shook her head, picking up the pen, she slid the pad of paper between them,

"Okay, so this 'A' represents Asa who was one of your Aunt Mary's four times great grandfathers' lead dogs. He sired pups with…" she drew an 'S' next to the previous letter, "…Sunny, who was one of your Aunt Mary's four times great grandmothers' lead dogs. Follow me so far?"

LJ nodded and Bo continued, "The two dogs were from two completely different families and, although there was no genetic testing available back then, we can assume the two dogs were not related because combined, they come from four different breeds in three different countries."

"Really?" LJ asked.

Bo smiled, looking at Mary who nodded and explained, "Remember that long ago, Alaska belonged to Russia. The grandfather Ysabeau speaks of was Russian. His name was Ivan Inis and his dogs were brought here to work the mines. They were originally from Siberia. According to the stories told by my family, Ivan's lead dog, Asa, was bred from a Siberian-born Husky and a Swiss Mountain Dog from Switzerland. So, we know that his parents are completely unrelated – different breeds, different countries."

LJ nodded, "So that's good, right?"

"That's very good," Mary replied.

Bo added, "Siberians are bred for cold, endurance, speed and their desire to run. Swiss Mountain Dogs are working dogs. They're big and strong."

"Sounds like Hercules and Ares," LJ smiled.

Mary nodded, "And that tends to be what runs in the males in our line."

Bo agreed, "Now, obviously, there had to be a female in the mix and that came from Ivan's wife, Mom's four times great grandmother who had a lead named Sunny."

Mary nodded, "She was an Alaskan Husky. What do you know of the breed?"

LJ held up a finger, "Give me a minute on this one… I know they're known to be more affectionate than Siberians and that they're not purebreds. They run about ten to fifteen pounds more than a Siberian depending on the parents and have a long lifespan of 12-16 years. They come in any color coat and eyes. They get separation anxiety if left alone for too long which is why we keep them in their packs. They need a lot of daily exercise, they're super friendly and… their mix is… Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky, maybe?"

Mary nodded, "That is the breed of the original line on the Alaskan Native side of my family – the females, but being from Russia, there is likely various European breeds in the bloodline. Cassie's test results show that Harper has some wolf heritage as well as the Saluki."

"Never heard of it," LJ admitted.

Bo smiled, "It's also known as a Persian Greyhound – a breed that can reach speeds of forty-three miles per hour."

"Damn that's fast! Wait – then what's a regular Greyhound run?"

Mary shrugged, looking at Bo, "Maybe forty-five? Just a smidge faster."

"So that's where the speed comes from in your line?"

"It's likely," Mary nodded, "But Ivan and Moon…"

"Ivan's wife, Mom's four times great grandmother. She was born of the Inupiat tribe up north where we're from. It's their daughter that would marry an Athabascan man which is how we ended up Inupiat-Athabascans."

LJ nodded, "Got it. So you were saying something about Ivan and Moon?"

Mary continued, "They bred their other two leads as well. His other dog was Arnie and Moon's dog was Seena."

LJ smiled, "So Aunt Mary's four times great grandmother drove an all-female team too?"

Bo shook her head, smiling, "No, she had some males in the group and remember, I had Muk in there this year and last year."

LJ laughed, "Good for him!" he winked, "I've got a gal for him…"

Bo grinned, "Sorry, he only has eyes for Jenna."

"Fair enough," LJ smiled.

"Now, the pups from those two lines would now either be siblings or cousins, right?" Bo asked.

LJ nodded, "Okay, so as long as those two lead pairs are alive, they can continue to breed until the females are twelve years of age. Right?"

Bo nodded, "That's correct and they did..."

"As well as many other pairs from their respective teams," Mary added, "Which is what gave their kennel numbers."

Bo nodded, "As a matter of fact, they bred his all-male team with her females and therefore, created the original line. Now, what do you know about inbreeding?"

"I can't breed siblings or cousins if they're less than four generations apart."

Bo tossed her head back and forth, "It's a little more complex than that since we now have genetic testing. The AKC, for example, registers purebred dogs, right?"

LJ nodded, "That's why they're so expensive, right?"

Bo smiled, "Yes, but what does purebred actually mean?"

"Only one breed," LJ responded.

"So, by the very definition, there must be inbreeding that occurs to create a pure bloodline unless you are having your dogs genetically tested. They register any dog that is in the line even if it has genetic conditions that have created deformities or conditions that make the dog less the healthy."

"Whoa," LJ said, "Really?"

"Really. You're paying for a dog that could have or breed serious health problems unless the breeders have worked very hard to ensure that the parents are completely unrelated. Of course, it doesn't mean that the parents themselves don't have a genetic disorder from previous inbreeding in their line."

"Wow. I didn't know any of that. So is that how so many purebreds tend to have the same ailments in litter after litter?"

Bo smiled, "Now you're getting it. You see, there's more to dog breeding than two dogs in a pen doing it."

He laughed, "I sort of knew that."

"Good," Bo smiled, "Now, what do you know about outcrossing?"

LJ shrugged, "Never heard of it."

Bo nodded, "Well, that's the term to describe what my family has done for six or more generations now. That's what makes my line so valuable. The pups that were living with Kyle when my father killed my original team were the last two generations of outcrossed litters from my moms' dog Yuji and two generations from the start of Harper's line - her children and their children."

"So that's why you have all of the age gaps in Harper's pups," LJ assumed.

"And Harper's remaining cousins and siblings from Yuji," Bo smiled, "From those groups, we'll eventually be able to work our way back to line breeding once we have enough generations spaced appropriately who share blood at least four generations apart while we continue to maintain a healthy mix of outcrossing."

LJ shook his head, "Sounds really, really complicated."

Bo smiled, giving her mom a nod.

LJ watched as Bo's eyes followed his Aunt Mary to an old metal filing cabinet inside a hidden door off the mud room,

"Wow. That's sort of James Bond-style."

Bo chuckled, "Yea, well just remember that of the short list of people who live in this house and Cassie, you're the only one who knows that cabinet exists. Keep the secret, LJ. I mean it."

"On my honor, Bo."

She smiled, giving him a nod, "You're the little brother I never had, LJ. Helping you to build a line you can be proud of is something I would be honored to help you do."

Mary placed a hand on his shoulder, "And as your adopted grandmother, I promise the same."

She placed a roll of paper at the opposite end of the table and rolled it down towards LJ, "This is the Dennis Canine Family Tree."

He stood, his eyes moving to the top of the chart, "Oh. My. Sweet. Cinnamon Rolls," he said, walking to the other end of the table where Mary handed him a glove, "Never touch without a glove on, please. The oils from your skin…"

"Will damage the document. High school social studies before we went on a class trip to some museum."

Bo smiled, watching as he read the names. She couldn't help but look down and find herself reading names as well. This was the greatest record of her family history. This was where Harper's blood came from.

"Yuji and Yara!" LJ exclaimed, looking at his Aunt Mary, "They were your leads, right?"

Mary nodded, "Yes, they were and they were much like Harper. As soon as I met her, I saw them in her. When I first saw her run, I knew she was Yuji's daughter."

Bo watched her mom's eyes fill with tears. She wished that she could go back to that day and save her beloved lead, but she knew that even if she could, Yuji would have died of old age by now.

"So, the start of the dogs that Bo bred are with Yuji and… who's this guy?" LJ asked, pointing to the name next to Yuji.

"That's Sire," Bo smiled, "He was…"

"Asa's cousin!" Mary smiled, following his line back, "I didn't realize… I didn't see that you had added your lines to the chart. You found him?"

Bo nodded, "Althea Tinuit connected me with the four times great grandson of his owner."

Mary smiled, "Of course she did. How did you know?"

"I didn't. She told me that he was a distant cousin. I was worried about how close the relationship was and she assured me that it was at least four generations. She couldn't make any promises about a few dogs in the line, but knew these were from Asa… or possibly Sunny."

Mary shook her head, "Sunny's line moved to Canada with my four times great grandmother's cousin when she married… so the stories say."

LJ pointed to the start of Harper's line, "So Kyle had Hercules and Ares with her when your dogs were being killed?"

Bo nodded, "They were old enough to race, but not strong enough to beat out the rest of the dogs on the team, so they stayed at the farm to do puppy drills with Kyle. You might have noticed she spoils the hell out of them."

LJ Laughed, "I did, but had no idea why. So, Harper's brothers sired Muk and Jenna?" LJ asked.

Bo nodded, "Yes. A previous winner of the Yukon Quest was looking for two studs for his females. The females were from two different lines, so Jenna and Muk have completely different parents. Hercules sired Muk with a female named Honi and Jenna was from Ares and a female named Sasha. So, they're part of the bloodline, but bred through that outcrossing process."

"That's why you hesitated to use them?" LJ asked.

"I suppose there was some bias there since they weren't Harper's kids, but I was watching all of them - Balto, Bacchus, Julius, Apollo, Atalanta and Persephone as well. When I saw Honi run, I knew she'd give us great pups despite how hyper she was…"

"Just like Muk," LJ chuckled.

"Definitely and Sasha was a beauty much like Jenna. Her stride and strength… well, I knew she was strong before I even saw her pull a sled. She was actually a wheel dog in her later years just like Harper. Smart girl."

"So, using one of my dogs would be good for your females?" LJ asked.

Bo nodded, "Yes, but my mom and I haven't really spent a lot of time with your dogs, so we would want to do a thorough exam, a bunch of sled runs and some other texting."

She stood, being honest, "If we like the ones we choose – and that's a big if - then it would be on to Cassie for their genetic testing to ensure they aren't related to any of our dogs. We would also have to check their lineage. A lot of people don't have any idea where dogs came from – they don't have this," Bo said, nodding to the chart.

Mary agreed, "That's fine for your average sled dog used for transportation, babysitting and home pets, but for competition, it's really a must. If you can contact the people who you purchased your dogs from, you could get that charting started. Do not mention our intentions."

LJ nodded, "Understood. I have one that gave me papers, but I suppose those have to be verified. Will you help me pick the best dogs to start my line with?"

Bo smiled, "We'll do better than that. We'll help you pick the female that will carry the blood of our line over to yours so that our lines can be crossbred four or five generations from now."

LJ grinned widely, "Cool. Very cool."

Mary carefully rolled up the lineage chart again, stowing it away in the cloth cover and metal tin before returning it to the filing cabinet for safe keeping. Everyone took their seats at the table again.

Bo turning to LJ, "Let's have some dinner first, okay?"

LJ shook his head, "Family talk first. That way, I'll have something else to think about on the way home. Besides, I'd rather Rudy and Elise didn't hear this stuff and I really don't want to talk about it with Aunt Molly and Uncle Mark around."

Bo nodded, looking up at Mary who sat up straight as Bo began,

"So, I heard the FBI stopped by the store to see your cousin Michael last night. Did you talk to him?"

LJ nodded, "You know he's not just my cousin, Bo. He's my best friend and he's been running blocker for me with my dad since last summer… before that, actually."

"So he told you…" Mary began, but LJ nodded, placing his hand on Mary's as he looked back to Bo with tears in his eyes and spoke,

"My Dad… he…"

Bo reached across the table, grabbing his hand with both of hers, "We are your family, LJ."

He shook his head, "It's funny that we're talking about bloodlines," he let out a laugh, even though he knew none of this was funny, "Mine is all Morton. Toxic, toxic Morton blood."

"I went to see Uncle Mark, but he said he wasn't ready to talk to me," LJ said, "Whatever that means. He said he was upset with Pops for some reason, but he didn't say why. I thought he was just upset because it was official that the evidence would put my Dad away for a long time. Do you know why Uncle Mark is upset?"

Bo nodded, "Pops is changing his name."

"What?"

Bo repeated, "He's changing his name and he's opening the door for you to do the same. He'll adopt you if you want him to."

"I'm eighteen. Why would he want to do that?"

Mary smiled, "Because his name change would become your name change and it would reflect the biological relationship between the two of you without your father's name or your great grandfather's name. In the future, if you should file for loans, make large purchases, attend school, or get married, for example, your grandfather's lineage would be your record of adoption traced back through his last name rather than your biological father's."

LJ lowered his eyes, "But what about my mom's name? She was never in prison."

Bo shrugged, "Your Pops thinks this is what she would want. Years ago, he tried to talk your dad into moving north, but your dad was afraid Big Jim would follow him. He told him he could stop along the way to have his name changed, but he was still too afraid to try. Pops said he would talk to a federal agent and get help but again, he said no."

Bo paused and sighed, "He tried everything, but your dad wouldn't leave. He was afraid leaving would just make things worse."

LJ nodded, "Pops used to talk about maybe going to live somewhere else. I used to love it when we would dream of what it would be like out west or up north. He said we could get a boat and become crab fisherman or fish for cod. All along, he stayed for my Dad – because he was too afraid to leave."

Bo shook her head, "He stayed for you because your dad wouldn't leave. He had your mom talked into it before she died, but she wouldn't leave without Big Jon."

LJ sighed, "They were both trying to save my Dad from him," he shook his head, "My parents didn't think I heard, but… well, thin walls and all… when we were at home, away from great grandfather, they fought all the time. She threatened to leave so many times but she wouldn't leave my dad. Maybe she could have been a better mom without him."

Bo shook her head, "She was a good mom, LJ. I know you don't see that but it wasn't that she wouldn't leave your dad, it was that Big Jim never would have let her leave with you. If she had, when they found you, he would have killed her to take you from her and she knew it… your dad knew it."

"There was a day… I was maybe twelve. I had gone fishing with Pops and we came back to the store. We were in the mudroom and we heard shouting… my dad shouting at Big Jim. Pops told me to stay in the back… but I didn't listen. I snuck in behind him and hid behind a rack of coats. My dad was holding a pistol to Big Jim's head while he cracked peanuts open and threw the shells on the floor."

He looked up at Bo, "For a moment, I remember thinking that I hoped he would do it so he could be my dad again. Big Jim was laughing at him, telling him he was too yellow to pull the trigger. I could see the muscles on the side of my dad's jaw bulging like they did when he was mad. I think he wanted to do it, but Pops talked him out of it. He told him being in jail would not solve his problems."

LJ sighed, shaking his head, "When he lowered the pistol, Big Jim ripped it from his hand and held it to my dad's head. That was when my dad changed. He turned to face him, gripping the gun and holding it to his forehead and he said, 'Go ahead, big man, pull the trigger. I know you can because you're the devil himself. But if you pull the trigger, you'll have to work this store by yourself. You'll have to run your own errands and you'll have to get off your ass and do your own dirty work."

LJ shook his head, "He lowered the gun and reminded my dad that if he ever stepped out of line again, he'd finish him without a second thought… and I knew he would."

He looked up, pulling himself from his deep, dark thoughts and looked between the two women,

"Sorry. I don't think about those times often, but sometimes they creep up on me. I have to wonder how different things might be today if the four of us had moved north in the middle of the night."

Mary shook her head, stating flatly, "He would have found you."

LJ turned to Mary, "You really believe that?"

"Remember, Child, I'm the one who did flee and I was on the run until I finally walked into a Federal Office building after traveling all the way to Maine. That was where I asked to see an FBI agent because I had just been found again. It was no life and as you know, it was no life for my daughter. Your life would have mirrored Ysabeau's life."

He shrugged, "She turned out okay."

Bo shook her head, "Because you've always seen the good in me, LJ. Always. But I've killed to survive – not just animals. I've stolen to survive. Anytime I thought I could settle in one place, I'd wake up in the middle of the night having to run again."

Bo slammed her eyes shut at the memories as she spoke, "LJ, I lost dogs because of having to run at night when I couldn't see… having to cross a thin-ice lake because I knew the men chasing me wouldn't dare follow. The only reason I survived is because I was raised on the tundra with the skills to run."

She opened her eyes and leaned towards him, "You were raised in a house with no skills because they didn't want you to have them. If you had skills of your own, one day you could use them against Big Jim and he knew that. If he had allowed me to teach you to drive a sled, hunt, cook, fish… survive… you would have fled and used those skills against him."

Bo looked down at her hands, thumbing a long-faded scar on her palm,

"We may have both run, but you would not have survived."

"That's why you don't want me to run the Iditarod," he suggested.

Bo nodded, "While your skills with a sled are always improving, your survival skills are not there yet. One of the reasons I gave you the fish and game business was because it will help you to develop those skills. It's not just about catching a rabbit for your dinner. It's about feeding multiple families day in, day out, week after week, month after month and year after year."

LJ nodded, "For over ten years."

Bo shrugged, "That's been my life… while running. I had to take care of not just my own needs, but my dogs too. Our lives were tethered to each other. That is, until I settled here in Talkeetna. I was tired of running and I had a room with Shirley, then a room with Kenzi, then a place to board my dogs at Kyle's until I was bold enough to board them under the clinic when Evony came to town."

She looked up, smiling at LJ, "It's funny, really. For as much as I despised that woman, her money made things more difficult for Big Jim."

"You know what else is funny?" LJ asked, "She was probably safer in jail when he was alive. He would have come for her eventually."

Bo nodded, "She knew that. It's why she hired security from back east. She had too much money invested here by the time she found out about him. It would have been a bad business decision to leave before finishing and she would have left Lauren holding the bag when she went back to Boston."

LJ shook his head, "I'm glad he's dead. I know that's not how I'm supposed to feel, but I'm glad he's dead."

Mary sighed, "As am I, but I do pray to the Spirits each day that I can release the anger… and the memories of him… and my sons."

LJ felt his throat tighten as Mary's voice cracked at the words. He'd never really thought about her as having any kids other than Rudy and Bo,

"I'm sorry he took your sons from you," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

She smiled softly, patting his hand, "So am I, but the Great Spirits brought me back to my daughter and brought me a step-great grandson. I consider myself lucky."

"I never thought of it like that," LJ smiled.

"I didn't either until your Aunt Molly drew the connection since I apparently married your great grandfather after he had married your great grandmother. It was the first time I realized there was a familial connection between me and any of your kin other than Ysabeau and Rudy."

He smiled, "Well, Rudy feels like a little sister to me now. Elise too, since we've shared a bathroom. Sharing toothpaste changes things."

Bo and Mary both laughed along with LJ until the room fell silent, each stuck in the sadness and grief of their respective pasts. They were pulled from their mindful isolation by the sound of the oven timer. Mary stood, followed by the other two as they worked together to pull the lids from the containers, anxious to see what was inside.

"Yup. Pretty food. It looks better than I do right now," Bo laughed, "I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks."

Mary smiled, pulling a fistful of forks from the drawer, "Well, let's find out, shall we? This will be the most expensive buffet any of us have ever attended. Should we eat in the formal dining room?"

Bo laughed, "This is the formal dining room."

They all laughed as Mary turned, moved to the drawer below the school supplies and pulled out a large piece of cloth,

"This is going to be Rudy's next set of shirts for school, but for now, it's a tablecloth for our fancy buffet," Mary smiled, snapping the cloth up and allowing it to float down onto the table, "We already use cloth napkins, so we can practice laying those on our laps."

Bo chuckled while LJ looked confused, "On our laps?"

Smiling, the brunette nodded, "Yup. That's how the fancy people at the gala tomorrow night will do it. I'll show you the ropes, little brother. I had lessons today."

"Lessons?"

She nodded, "I'm marrying a fancy girl. Doctors have to attend these stuffy events sometimes and I'll have a bunch in my future, so Stephen and Betsy taught me how to make a good impression for Lauren's benefit."

LJ shook his head, "If the townsfolk could see you now."

Bo laughed, "I'm a real 'rags to riches' story, huh?"

He smiled, "Yea, well the joke's on them. You've always been frugal which led to you being rich. You chose to wear rags since wasting money on clothes that would just add weight to your sled would be a rookie move. Besides, you've never measured your wealth in dollars. Why start now?"

Bo stopped, thinking about what LJ had just said and nodded, "You know what? You're right. You're absolutely right. We have everything we need, and we don't have to buy everything. As a matter of fact, people around here – especially spring and summer tourists – will probably appreciate the hand-made stuff more anyway."

"It's funny to fill your plate with this stuff when you don't have a clue what it is," LJ smiled.

Mary nodded, "I agree, but it all smells so good."

"Okay, I'm good. I don't want too many different flavors to touch on my plate," Bo said, moving to the table and putting down her plate.

Mary laughed, "Just like when you were a child. You never wanted your vegetables to touch your meat – especially the juices."

Bo stood behind Mary's chair, "May I get your chair for you, Ma'am?"

Mary laughed, "Yes, please. Thank you, Miss."

Bo nudged LJ, "That's how it's done."

He smiled, "I know how to get a ladies' chair for her."

"You do?" Bo asked.

"Sure. Pops taught me when I was a little boy. We always talked about the right way to treat a lady and he would point out when my dad was doing it wrong… which was always."

"You should do better than I do at this dinner then."

LJ shrugged, "I've never put a napkin on my lap. Most of the time, I don't even use one. I can lick my fingers and my lips just fine."

"Yea, well don't do that at this dinner," Bo said, "It's a big no-no."

"What happened to 'always be yourself, LJ' and 'walk your own path', LJ'?"

"You've got a point. You don't have to worry about impressing your future wife's donors."

LJ laughed, "That's true. If I ever fall in love with a rich girl, remind me to get over it."

They all ate, reviewing each item together after each bite. There really wasn't anything that they didn't like as much as Bo hated to admit it,

"I still think it's not worth the money. I mean, given the right spices, I could catch all of this food and mom or Molly could make it taste just as good."

Mary shook her head, "But I could never plate like this and that food was probably not even as pretty as it will be tomorrow night given it was put into a truck and driven here."

LJ shook his head, "I came by snow machine, so it was even bumpier," he grinned, "I got air on the bridge."

Bo shook her head, "One day you're going to miss and I'm going to have to tow your sorry ass out of the river."

He shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time you bailed me out when I was having fun."

"Very true," Bo smiled.

"Okay, we have about twenty-five minutes until Rudy is going to get here with your Aunt, Uncle and little sister so let's get to what your Pops asked Bo to give you," Mary said, clearing the plates.

"You have something to give me?" LJ asked.

Bo helped her mom move the food back into oven to keep it warm, then they made quick work of the cleanup. Bo disappeared for a moment while Mary folded the makeshift tablecloth and put it back into her material drawer, thankful they hadn't spilled anything on the cloth.

She had LJ take a seat at the head of the table once more and then sat beside him as Bo walked into the room carrying an old rectangular tin. She laid it on the table in front of LJ who traced the drawing on the lid. It was a team of three sled dogs pulling a young boy on a wooden sled without a basket,

"Mom," he whispered quietly before turning to Bo, "Where did you get this?"

"Your Mom left this for Pops. He asked me to go by his place and pick it up to give you tomorrow at the store after he talked to you. Of course, that was unless the topic of family came up while we were talking about breeding dogs. So, since we're talking about this now, why don't you have a look?"

"But… why didn't he give it to me before? Why not when she died?" he asked.

Mary and Bo each took one of his hands, Bo reassuring him as she nodded towards the container, "The answers are inside, LJ. I promise."

LJ released the hands of the two women and gripped the lid. He hesitated for a moment before telling the two,

"I remember this tin. She used to make Rice Krispy treats for me, line it with waxed paper and put it under my bed so my dad wouldn't eat them all. She did a rectangle can so the bars were longer. I was allowed to have one per day… one only. It was so hard not to eat them all at once."

Mary smiled, "She was teaching you self-discipline."

LJ nodded, "Pops explained that to me after she died. He said that when I remembered her, I should remember that behind everything she did for me or with me, there was always a lesson to be learned – even when she said no," he looked up at Bo, "She was such an adventurer. You would have been such great friends… if it weren't for how my Dad changed her."

Bo nodded, "I knew her, LJ. When I first came to town, your mom hid it, but she was kind to me. She traded me winter fish for a new hunting knife from the store. She gave me a case of heet for the first Iditarod I did with your Uncle Mark on the team since your dad wouldn't join us. She got me a dentist appointment when I had an infection in my mouth."

He shook his head, "But how in the world did you meet?"

She smiled, "Through my guide job on Denali. She didn't go up with my team, but she made the summit of Denali twice with one of the other guide groups."

He nodded, "That was when I was really little. She showed me the pictures. She said she did it to prove that a woman could have a baby and still go back and do the things she always dreamed of doing."

Bo nodded, "I heard she ran the Iditarod twice too."

LJ nodded, "Her best finish was twenty-eighth, but she didn't care. She just loved being a part of it."

The two women watched as LJ slowly reached down and opened the lid to the can. He reached in and pulled out a letter,

"It's open."

Bo nodded, "Remember. This can was left to Pops by your mom. That letter was inside a box he was given. On the outside were instructions for each item inside. If there's anything in the tin you don't remember, he can tell you the story behind it. She wrote it all down for him. He has the rest of the items from the box. As far as I know, the rest was intended for him. If there's anything else you're supposed to get, he didn't give it to me. He just gave me this tin."

"So why didn't he give it to me before?"

Bo smiled, "One of the instructions he was given was to wait until you were old enough to understand the contents. Not everything that was in the tin is still there. He's already given you some of them.

She nodded at his hand. LJ looked down at the ring on his middle finger,

"My Great Grandfather Joseph's ring?"

"It came from this tin. She left it for you, but he had to wait until it would fit." Bo explained, "He also didn't want Big Jim or your dad to see it on your hand. They may have tried to sell it."

LJ laughed, "I don't doubt it," LJ smiled, looking down at the ring, "I always had the skinniest fingers. I just started wearing it a few months ago."

Bo smiled, "Yea, my brother misjudged a bit. He was so worried you were going to lose it if it wasn't on your hand."

"I know! He offered to hold it in his safe for me about twenty times. I promised him I was keeping it in my gun safe since I had to lock up my shotgun now that Elise was there."

Bo nodded, "I'm glad you're taking that precaution with her."

LJ laughed, "You know Aunt Molly and gun safety. She may carry them when she's off-grid, but she only uses them if she absolutely has to. They still scare Elise, though. I wish Aunt Molly wouldn't clean them in front of her. Still… she's an amazing shot when she has to be."

Bo nodded, shaking her head, "Yea, she's scary good."

He smiled at a few other trinkets that were in the tin,

"This penny in the bottle we found heads up outside the ice cream parlor when I was young. This is a math test that I got a perfect grade on," he smiled, "These are two perfect leaves that we pressed together in wax paper."

His eyes went wide, "Wow. These are my mom's Iditarod belt buckles and patches for participation and look!" he smiled, pulling a picture out of the box and turning it so they could see, "This is a picture of my mom and her team."

He shook his head, "She had a great team. She really did," LJ smiled, "I wonder what happened to her dogs. Do you know?"

He looked up at Bo who shook her head, "I'm sorry, LJ. I honestly don't know."

He was now at the bottom, "What's this?" he asked, trying to pry out the envelope stuck to the corners of the tin.

Bo stood, grabbing a paperclip. She unfolded it and handed it to him,

"Try using this. Maybe you can get under the corner.

LJ nodded before setting to work loosening the letter from its metal prison. Finally, he got under a corner. As he tried to pull it up, he realized how fragile the paper had become. Bo again stood, handing him a ruler from Rudy's school supply drawer,

"Slide this under and then try to loosen the entire envelope before you pull it up again."

He followed Bo's advice and was eventually able to withdrawal it. He worked carefully to unseal the edge, carefully pulling out what looked like a letter. As he unfolded it, his eyes well with tears,

"It's from her!" He smiled, "I recognize the handwriting. It says…"

"My beloved son, I had hoped the day would never come when your grandfather would have to share this letter with you. Apparently, it has. Please don't be cross with him for not sharing it sooner. He was given very strict instructions as to when he was to release this tin to you. Do you recognize it? Maybe you will find a recipe from your Aunt Molly and learn to make our favorite treat for yourself when you're old enough to cook on your own.

I've enclosed several items that I wanted you to have when Pops sees fit – somewhere between age 18 and 21 - when you've become a man and proven yourself responsible enough to care for these family heirlooms. As you know, I wasn't permitted to keep much of my own, but these items were precious to me, so I hid them away for you.

First, the black onyx ring that Pops has been instructed to give to you on or about your eighteenth birthday. It may be later since you'll need to have grown into it. You always were my slender boy, so hopefully the time has come and you have a finger that's up to size. Of course, you can always ask Bo to resize it for you. I'll bet she has the skill to do it. Trust her. I know I do and she would never wish you harm. I've always, always believed that about her no matter what you may have heard me say around others.

He paused, looking up at Bo, "She trusted you with me."

Bo nodded, "She told me not to take it personal that your dad and Big Jim blamed me for the incident at the lake. She said she knew I saved your life… that I did nothing to try to take it."

He smiled, "I'm glad she knew the truth."

"Me too, LJ," Bo smiled, though the pain of those who did not believe her had stuck with her to this day. The fact that anyone might still believe she could have harmed a child was the source of much of her issues in social situations. She turned her attention to LJ as he continued,

My diamond and sapphire bracelet. One day, you will want this 'something old, something borrowed and something blue all-in-one piece' for your bride. I wish for it to be kept in your family, so it should not be held by your wife, but passed to your daughter and her daughter and so on. Do not sell this bracelet, LJ – no matter what.

These gems were mined by the hands of my great grandfather and passed down through my family. If you never marry, consider passing the bracelet to a female cousin or aunt who you trust to keep it to my blood. It's important to me and I hope you are able to respect that despite probably thinking that family wasn't precious to me… that you weren't precious to me.

Next is our deck of cards. Do you remember playing Old Maid? I hope that you one day have children of your own to play the game with. I wish I could be there to teach them myself. I imagine they will have your eyes and your messy hair – but if they're girls, I beg you to brush and style it neatly so they can play hard on the ice or a sled without having to worry about getting it caught in something.

If you have a daughter, handle her with a gentle hand, kind words that reassure her of her worth and give her the strength and skills to handle life in Alaska. Bo would be a great teacher once your great grandfather passes on and this family can finally live free.

The envelope on the very bottom must not be seen by your father. It breaks my heart to say, but I fear that one day, he may grow to become his great grandfather's grandson more than his father's son. That is why I have entrusted this box to Pops. He knows of the contents of the envelope and must sign the two pages within for the documents to be valid. We intentionally left his signature off so that no one could take what's rightfully yours.

Finally, you will find a number at the bottom of this page. The number is that of a safe deposit box down at the post office. The key is held by the last person anyone in this town would trust with their most prized possession. Find them and they will help you with what's inside… my final gift to you, my beloved Son.

Know that you have been my one true love from the moment I laid eyes on you. Remember, you are my blood too. Be kind. Be good. Be righteous. Find your path and allow your actions to guide you to walk with clear conscience and pride of who you are.

I will always be close no matter where you are. The world is big. Bo has the right idea. Staying in one place is an awful waste of space.

All my love, Little Jon,

Mama

P.S. I would understand if you should ever want to change your name. I had wanted to name you after your Grandfather, but did not get my wish. I'm sure he could help you to make the change. You have my blessing.

His eyes were low as he spoke, wiping his tears away, "She… she remembered me. She loved me."

Mary placed a hand on his shoulder, "Of course she did, Child."

"All this time, when she was late to pick me up from school, when she said no to me driving a sled, when she would send me to the store to work instead of go fishing with her to catch dinner, when she wouldn't let me have a single dog of my own…"

Bo nodded, "Your Pops told me that she did what she had to do to keep your dad and Big Jim happy so that…"

"They would leave me alone," he concluded.

Bo nodded, "When she couldn't run interference for you…"

"Pops did," LJ said, "It's all so clear now."

"What's clear?" Mary asked.

"She was always on my side. I thought she was just like them, but she wasn't."

Bo shook her head, "According to your Pops, she was funneling information about Big Jim's operation to Kenzi who was passing it to Hale who was passing it to Tamsin."

LJ laughed, "Nobody pays attention to the sidekick."

"What?" Bo asked.

He smiled, "Something Hale once said to me when I was… well, I was jealous that people were calling the sleds I built your sleds when I was the one who was building them."

Bo nodded, "Wow."

"I know."

"You know what?" Bo asked.

He smiled, "Well, after our meeting today… I mean, my eyes glazed over when Kyle started talking about profit margins and overhead costs. There's so much I don't know and I didn't even realize. It was immature of me to ever think the way I did. I mean, if it weren't for your face plastered all over the walls, people wouldn't even come into our store unless they needed hay."

He shook his head, "When she started showing me the files of our five-star clients, I was shocked to see how far away they traveled to buy from us. They come because of you."

"And Kyle," Bo corrected, "She's proven her worth as a teacher to young mushers and as a sled engineer."

LJ smiled, "She credits you with teaching her everything she knows about sled building."

Bo shook her head, "I got her started, but she does a lot of research, LJ. That research leads to new ideas in our designs which we then bounce back and forth for months before we build a prototype."

"Then there's the other stuff I didn't realize about owning the business. I mean, I used to look at all the hours Kyle was working without you there and I never understood how she was okay with not owning as much of the business as you do. Then she explained how much of your own money you were pouring into the kennel and how much it cost to build the houses down by the river… how you were finding other ways to make money and that's why you were hiring people – me – at the kennel."

He paused looking at Bo, "It was so you could bring in money in other ways to do for others… for our family and friends."

Bo scowled, "I didn't want her to tell you all of that."

LJ shrugged, "Well, if I'm going to become a percentage owner one day, I need to understand everything about the business… just like you said. Don't worry, Bo. I also understand that what was shared with me today is business and I heard it loud and clear when the two of you both said we don't talk about our business with others – not even family."

Bo nodded, "Except my mom, because she is directly impacted by the business. I pay her expenses and in exchange, she works for us on the honor system."

LJ smiled, "Does that mean we'll be selling her salves and medicines?"

Bo shook her head, "Those are family secrets… and not approved for public use. To sell them, they would have to go through the F.D.A. or some such organization before they could go to market. That's why you didn't see Cassie publicly use them on our dogs after the race. When she's working with vets in a public venue, she uses approved medicines. When she's working with our dogs, she uses whatever we ask her to use, but she's always sure to ask about the ingredients so she's positive it won't flag a dog on a drug test."

"You see? I didn't know any of that."

Bo smiled, "That's why I'm the boss and you're a sort of employee/intern."

"I'm okay with that now that I know what I know. But seriously, Bo – it's pretty awesome what you've given from your own pocket to our family and friends. It's a lesson I'm sure my mom would be proud for me to learn. It's the right way to use money… money isn't about power like Big Jim used it. Money is about what it allows you to do for others."

Bo shrugged, "That's the only real use for money… other than the occasional emergency butt cleaner off-grid."

"Seriously?" LJ asked.

Bo shrugged, "What did you want me to do? Plant my ass on the frozen tundra and scoot like a dog? It was an emergency!"

"How about a page from your journal?"

Bo's eyes went wide, "Defile a journal? Are you kidding?"

LJ laughed.

Bo smiled, "Anyway, like you said earlier, we have everything we need. Money is useless to us. We know how to feed ourselves and Mom can make clothes. I can too – when I'm desperate. We can keep ourselves warm, we can make our own lumber, grow our own crops, make our own medicines. Hell, if I had to, I could build every house from scratch, by hand, just like I did this one. I used nails to reinforce, but if you took every nail out of this house, it would remain standing. I use solar panels for power, but I could use hydropower or wind power if I had to. I just didn't really want to hook all of that stuff up when I had the money to buy the panels."

LJ nodded, "It's impressive."

"That's another thing. I didn't build it to impress. I built this house so that I could stand to be inside while still feeling like I was outside."

"That's why the high ceilings and all of the glass on the sides and roof?"

Bo nodded, "It doesn't do much good in the winter since the snow covers them, but when the snow melts, it feels like I'm outside. I should have put a retractable roof on the darn place, but that would have been incredibly hard to do on my own."

She looked up at the ceiling, following the main support beam that ran beneath the upstairs and smiled at the memory of the system she built to lift it into place,

"The bottom line - I built this house to prove to myself that I could do it on my own. I did get a little help on the outside, but I did do most of it including the foundation crawlspace. I needed to see if I could live in a house like the rest of society. I wanted to try to figure out how to be somewhat… normal. But once I started living here, I spent most of my time outside anyway. What can I say? I just love the outdoors, so learning to sleep under the roof was rough."

"It still is, right?"

Bo shrugged, "I lasted five hours inside last night. It's easier to get my head to let me back inside if I'm outside for less time," she pointed to the door, "Speaking of outside, it's time for the dogs treatment. I'll be right back. Give me about twenty minutes."

Bo rushed outside as Mary turned to LJ,

"Before your family arrives, let's finish up this discussion about the tin your mom left. We have a key to discuss?"

"Oh. I forgot," he said, opening the letter again and re-reading the words, "…a number at the bottom of this page… safe deposit box down at the post office… key held by the last person anyone in this town would trust with their most prized possession. They will help you with what's inside…"

He looked up at Mary, "Last person anyone would trust. I mean, everyone trusted my great grandfather, so it's not him. They trusted Pops and my dad too. Molly and Mark… Michael?"

He opened his phone, but Mary stilled his hand, "Last person anyone would have trusted when your mother was alive. Who did everyone in this community despise and fear. Who did they believe carried ill will for all, yet your mother trusted them enough to give them this key?"

"Bo?" LJ asked.

She nodded.

"So, I have to ask Bo for the key?"

"More than that, she will help you to understand what's in the safe deposit box. No one else can."

LJ sat back in his chair, "Why did my mom pick her? Why not just give it to Pops?"

"I am not privy to that information, Child. Bo will tell you all you need to know when you get to the post office. Perhaps you can arrange a time to meet her there tomorrow."

LJ nodded, "I'll ask her."

"Your family will be here soon. Go and help her with the dogs so you can finish this conversation and be done with it for the night."

"Thank you, Aunt Mary. I really appreciate it."

She smiled, "You're welcome, Child. Now go. I'll set the table for the others."

Mary watched as he walked away. Thinking of where she had been a year ago, she shook her head and decided she owed the Great Spirits an extra prayer tonight,

"It's good to be home."

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