“Can you be serious about this?” she huffed.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, I can.” He paused, looking down at Boudica and Holly. “It’s true we have two dogs, but we’ve also got a problem.”
“What problem?”
Without saying anything, he tilted his head toward Boudica.
“What problem?!” she demanded.
“You can’t see it?” he asked, an astonished look on his face.
It was obvious he thought Boudica was the problem. Dear, sweet, fearless and loyal Boudica.
Typical Sir Stick. His precious Holly is perfection personified, while Boudica—she looked down at the beefy bulldog. Crossing her armsand gritting her teeth, she glared at Sir Stick Up His Ass. “What?! Problem?!”
He held out his arms, indicating the two dogs. “Just look at them.”
Holly stood thin, graceful, and regal, gazing off at the mountains. Boudica stood on thick legs with a heavy chest and belly, panting and drooling as he gazed at every burger, hot dog, and sausage that passed.
“Which dog pulls the sled and which dog sits in it?” Clarke asked. “Holly here could do either very well. By the looks of the competition, she’s at least as fast if not faster than the fastest dog here. She’s also extremely light, in which case, she’d be ideal to pull.” He paused, looking down at the bulldog. “Whereas Boudica …”
Hands on hips, Ceci narrowed her eyes. “Whereas Boudica, what?”
“Well, Boudica’s—not—light. That’s a lot of weight to pull. Especially for a dog as slight as Holly. And as for running, well he’s not really made for running.”
“You know, people underestimated Anker. And look at him now. But then I’m sure I don’t need to tellyouany of this. Who knows? He may rival your record. Maybe even surpass it.”
He glared back at her. “He might, but only if he cheats, doesn’t play by the rules, and looks to get rid of any competition by crashing into them and taking them out of the race completely.”
“Oh, we’re on that broken record again. Anker did not intentionally crash into you. And I certainly didn’t direct him to. Is he aggressive? Yes. Does he push the edge of the envelope when it comes to the rules? Do I? Yes. That’s why we win. And when we do win, we win.Fair and square. It’s pitiful that you have to blame your own failings on someone else. Funny too, because everyone is always saying what a gentleman you are. Well, suggesting what you are about Anker and myself is poor sportsmanship and hardly gentlemanly behavior.”
He glared back at her. His chest was heaving, and she could hear his breath as he exhaled. If he was a thoroughbred, his nostrils would be flaring and snorting and he’d be pawing the ground. She’d never seen that tempestuous look in his eyes. His eyes were usually so warm and dreamy, like silk spun out of caramel. If that was possible.
Which it isn’t. So why are you even thinking about it?
Finally, he spoke.
“Look, we’re never going to agree on this, but let me make one thing clear. I never suggested that you directed Anker to make the move he did that took me out of that final race. It’s just him being too aggressive, wanting to win at all costs. Consequences be damned.”
He’s talking about Anker, isn’t he?
His tone and the way he looked made it sound way too personal.
Now that she thought about it, she realized Anker’s career thus far was looking very much like Clarke’s in his early years of racing. Clarke had also come on the scene with guns blazing. To win like he had, he must have done the very things he’s accusing Anker of.
“Look,” he said, “can we put aside any discussion of Anker? Let’s focus on the issue at hand. Be fair,” he said, waving his hand in the bulldog’s direction. “I’m sure Boudica is good at many things. It’s just this kind of thing isn’t one of them.”
Ceci sighed. “Okay, I see your point.”
Boudica was panting. Even in sub-zero temperatures, the dog panted. During the summer, if he wasn’t planted in front of an air conditioner, she needed to take him to the beach.
The beach. That’s it!
She held up her finger. “But Boudica is strong, in his chest and those front legs. When we were in Hawaii, I met a surfer …”
She paused when she saw him roll his eyes.
“Why did you roll your eyes?”
