9. A Good Teacher

9

A Good Teacher

Ivy

Just as we’re about to leave the barn, a good-looking girl strides in. “Hey, where are you going?” she asks Zane.

“Sled ride,” he mumbles.

Her eyebrows shoot to the roof, and her deep gray eyes travel between me and Zane, almost suspiciously. Of course. She’s the girlfriend. That makes more sense. As the thought crosses my mind, she sticks her hand out to me. “I’m Daisy Harden, Zane’s sister.”

“Oh, hi.” I wear a smile, trying to hide my surprise. I guess she’s not the girlfriend. Why do I care so much who his girlfriend is? Come to think of it, he probably doesn’t even have one, given the attitude he carries around. Not that everyone needs someone in their life. I intend to stay happily single for a while. “Nice to meet you.”

She tilts her head to the side. “Same.” Then, she directs her attention to Zane, who’s watching our interaction like he’s seeing a ghost. “Seth took Burger, Blue, Buffy, Bluebell, Bolt, Bella, Bean, and Bonnie this morning. I thought you should know, since you haven’t been sledding in so long.”

He shoots her a glare but doesn’t say anything as he exits the barn. There’s definitely a weird vibe here.

“Have fun,” Daisy calls out behind us. I offer her a polite smile as I follow Zane out. He places the blanket Seth gave him earlier on a wooden sled that’s parked on the side of the barn, then picks up some harnesses and walks into the yard. I watch as he calls his dogs, then pets them as they scamper toward him, a genuine smile on his face, and it’s the most comforting thing I’ve experienced in days. If even a rugged guy like Zane isn’t immune to puppy love, there’s still hope left in this world.

“Can I help?” I ask, unsure what to do with myself .

He throws me a look. “No. Just wait a second. I’ll get them in line, and then we can go.”

He selects the dogs and harnesses them on the line that runs in front of the sled, calming them down with simple voice commands as they jump around with palpable excitement. Zane is so different than he was during ski lessons. He’s relaxed, passionate, and—dare I say it—nice. Maybe I judged him too harshly on the slope. It’s not his natural environment, after all. This is.

A few minutes later, we’re ready to go.

“You can sit in the sled,” he says, sticking his hand out to me. When I take it, a tingle courses through my arm, and I wonder how that’s even possible given that I’m wearing gloves. He looks at me for a second, and I know he felt it too. With a frown, he turns and walks back toward a small shack before coming back with what looks like a heavy bag. He places it at the end of the sled by my feet and straps it tightly.

“What’s that?”

“Weight bag. Since you’re alone, it adds more weight to stabilize the sled,” he explains while placing the comfy blanket over me.

“Oh . . .” So, this is what I’m reduced to. Dog sledding with a weight bag for a companion on my honeymoon. My aloneymoon .

“Sorry.” He scratches his beard, glancing around. “I didn’t . . . It’s not—I’m not implying anything. It’s just a safety issue, okay?”

I nod and offer him a faint smile. I get it, and I know he didn’t mean for it to come across as anything else.

“All right, you ready? Just stay seated at all times and enjoy the ride.”

“Yes, okay. Don’t go too fast.” I release a nervous chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” And I know it’s weird, but I just have the feeling I can trust him. An hour ago, I didn’t want anything to do with this man, but here, in this moment, I know I’m safe. Zane is confident, at ease, and that’s incredibly reassuring.

He steps onto the runners of the sled behind me, and I focus my eyes forward, on the excited puppies who look eager to go. “Hike!” Zane bellows, and off we go.

The ride is everything I dreamed of and more. We pass through snow-covered forest trails and down hills, sliding across untouched areas where the sparkling snow is so thick, it doesn’t even look real. It’s so serene. Way more relaxing than the spa, even if it’s a tad colder. I can’t glimpse Zane unless I completely tilt my head back, and I don’t want to be weird, but I imagine he’s looking and feeling as breezy as me right now. For the first time during this trip, I actually feel good . How lucky am I to be here, gorging on these amazing views and breathing in the purest air I’ve breathed in years?

Butterflies swarm in my belly as we sled down a steeper slope, turning sharply at the end, and it’s better than riding a theme park roller coaster. I savor every second of the freeing sensation, though my favorite part is when we snake through the forest between mighty stands of snow-capped trees. I feel like I’m the star of an adventure movie—or Santa Claus.

Too soon, it’s time to head back, and a pang of disappointment hits me when I glimpse the outline of the farm taking shape on the horizon. I could have kept going forever, but that wouldn’t be fair to the dogs.

“Whoa!” Zane barks his command, and we slide to a stop in the yard. Seconds later, he extends his hand to my right, helping me out of the sled. His cheeks are flushed, and the expression in his eyes is similar to that of a kid on Christmas morning. Pure joy, satisfaction, and excitement. We’re so close now, my hand still in his. I don’t dare move because it’s such a treat seeing him like this. And for the first time, I notice shades of blue dancing in his gray irises. Magnetic.

Dropping my hand, he takes a step back. “Did you enjoy the ride? ”

“Yes, I loved it. Thank you so much for taking me.”

“Ah, you’re back,” Seth calls out to him with a bright smile. “Daisy went to the market with Belinda. Do you want me to put them back?”

Zane nods. “Yeah. I appreciate it.”

I give the dogs a few more cuddles as Seth is unleashing them.

“I don’t know how you can resist these guys,” I tease while jogging back to Zane. “They’re so adorable. I’d be in there all day.”

He offers me a small smile, and it pierces right through to my heart. Gosh, this man’s smile is more powerful than the mountain sun. “I used to. Hell, still do.” His smile widens.

I cast him a playful smirk. “I knew it. I’d probably have them in my house, running around all day. They’d destroy everything. But who needs furniture when you have those adorable faces around?”

He laughs out loud, and the sound booms around the yard, echoing between the buildings. “They would go crazy inside. Siberian huskies like to be outdoors, and they like the cold. If you coop them up, they’ll be miserable. That’s why they live out here,” he says, pointing to the barn with direct access to the yard.

“Poor things. They would hate it in Florida. ”

He arches a bushy eyebrow. “You’re from Florida?”

“Yup. Fort Lauderdale.”

“Oh yeah, no. Way too hot for these mountain guys.”

An awkward silence fills the open air. “Well, I’d better get going then. See you tomorrow, I guess?”

“For the lesson?” he asks with a frown.

“Yeah . . .”

He rubs the back of his neck. “I wasn’t sure you’d still want to do that. I’m not exactly a great teacher.”

“Your method needs work, yes. But lucky for you, I’m an excellent student.” I smile brightly. “I have a week left, and I intend to be the best I can be before I return to my tropical state.”

He scratches his head. “We’ll see what we can do. Just get some rest tonight, okay? No more training on your own. Exhausting yourself won’t do you any good. You need your strength and energy for skiing.”

“Got it,” I say with a nod. “Don’t worry. I’m not putting my skis or my boots back on tonight. Actually, I’m going to a wine tasting.” My smile falters. “Which would sound fun if it wasn’t for having to explain to yet another person why I’m on my honeymoon alone and not with my husband.” Tears brim at the corners of my eyes without warning. I really didn’t see them coming. Looks like I can go from peaceful to miserable within the course of a few words. Must be a new skill I developed.

“Please don’t cry,” Zane says, taking a step toward me. His eyes are swimming with concern and empathy, which immediately makes me cry. I’m so pathetic that even a guy like Zane who clearly lacks social skills can feel sympathy for the pathetic girl who got dumped at the altar. Before I know it, I’m sobbing like a banshee, trying to hide my puffy eyes with my hands.

“I like wine,” he says, and that stops the sobbing almost instantly. I feel like a child who’s pretend-crying, only I have zero control over my emotions right now.

I dry the tears from my face. “What? You want to come?” I ask, then instantly regret it. That wasn’t an offer. There’s no way Za—

“Sure.” He shoves his hands in his pockets.

I furrow my eyebrows hard, almost closing my eyes in the process. “Really?”

“Unless you don’t want me to—”

“No. Yes, I want you,” I blurt out louder than I intended.

A small, lopsided grin forms on his lips.

My body heats up, and his intoxicating scent is making me dizzy. Swallowing hard, I add, “To come with me.”

He nods. “Okay. Then I will. What time? ”

“The tasting starts at seven-thirty,” I say, swaying on my feet. “There’s also food, I think.”

“Okay. I’ll be out front of your hotel at seven-twenty, then.”

I swallow again, looking down at my boots. “Um, okay. Great. Thank you.”

“See you then.”

“Bye,” I say with a wave before spinning on my heels.

Gosh, that must have been the most awkward exchange in history. And suddenly, I’m burning hot. Even if it’s slightly embarrassing that he has to go out of his way to join me so I don’t look pathetic, I’m glad and even looking forward to tonight. If there’s one thing I learned this afternoon, other than a wealth of information about mushing, it’s that Zane Harden is full of surprises, and there is actually a nice guy buried underneath all those layers of grouchiness.

Looks like he is a good teacher after all.