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Tripod had once again managed to sneak into her pen, and he and the two dogs jumped around her, making the little girl laugh with glee. Both the goat and the dogs were careful not to hurt her, but she tried several times to jump with them only to land on her butt.
Children were tough. Each time she fell down, she’d get back up and try all over again. Kashif felt an odd sense of pride.
The phone rang, jarring him from his thoughts. Knowing that no one else was around to answer it, he shrugged and picked it up. “Mistywood Farms.”
“Is Kristy there?”
Kashif recognized Al’s voice and grinned. “Hey Al, it’s Kashif.”
“Ah, the sheikh! How are you, my friend?”
“I’m good. Kristy went out shopping for a few hours. Can I give her a message?”
“Shopping?” Kashif could hear the disappointment in the old man’s voice. “I just got an order for a pizza, and I thought I’d test out that dog-sledding idea of hers. It’s just up the road from me. Do you think you could deliver it?”
Kashif brightened. “Of course! I’ll need to hook up the dogs, and then I’ll be right down. Say, twenty minutes?”
“That is perfect! I’ll see you then, my friend.”
Kashif hung up and turned to Arella. “We have our first delivery for your mom’s new business. What do you say to that?”
Although Arella had no idea what he was talking about, she caught on to his enthusiasm. “Yay!” she said with a grin.
“Yay, indeed. Let me go talk to Henry, and I’ll be back.”
Thrilled at the prospect of testing out the new delivery idea, Kashif searched for Henry but couldn’t find the man or the guest anywhere.
Now what? He couldn’t leave Arella alone while he delivered for Al. Seeing no other alternative, Kashif figured he’d have to take the toddler with him.
Kristy had been adamant that she didn’t want Arella on a dog sled, and he knew she’d be upset when she found out, but she’d promised to help Al and he couldn’t see any other way around it. There was no way he was leaving the toddler here alone with the dogs, even if they would guard her with their lives.
Fifteen minutes later, he had Arella strapped to his chest as they moved slowly down the street. The dogs seemed to understand the need to be cautious and moved slower than usual. As a result, it took longer to get to the Italian restaurant than Kashif had intended.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “I ended up having to bring Arella with me. Do you think that you could watch her while I make the delivery?”
“Sure, sure,” Al nodded his head. “Maybe we’ll make a little pizza for her, eh? Now, you’ll want to go straight down the main street and take a left at Sycamore. Dane lives just down that street at 2246. You got that?”
“Sure, easy enough.” Kashif bent down and gave Arella a hug. “You be good for Al, okay?”
“I want to go,” she frowned and stomped her feet.
Heaven preserve him from children’s temper tantrums, even if she did make him smile. “You can’t. Your mother is already not going to be happy with me for bringing you out here on the dog sled, so you need to stay here. You’ll ride with me when we head home, okay?”
That seemed to appease her. Al took her hand and led her back into the kitchen. Kashif had no doubt that soon she’d be very distracted.
The pizza was in a heavily insulated bag to protect it from the chill. Kashif strapped it to the back and prayed that it would hold. Now that he was alone, he’d get to pick up some speed.
The delivery went smoothly. There were no cars on the road, and the customer was thrilled with the dogs. His kids came out and patted them on the head and fed them treats. One of the other neighbors saw the dog sled and came out to ask what was going on. When they found out it was pizza delivery, they promised to give it a try soon. Kashif knew that word of mouth would spread quickly. This venture was going to be a success.
After giving Al the good news, he strapped Arella to his chest again and hopped back on the sled. She screamed with happiness when they started up, and the sound vibrated in his ears. Wincing, he looked around and realized that they were going too fast. Slowing down the dogs, they rounded the corner, and he didn’t see the rock until it was too late.
The third dog stumbled over it and tripped, and it was enough to bring down half the team. When the sled hit it, it came to a halt, and both Arella and Kashif went flying.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to flip them at the last minute. Rather than falling on her face, they hit the ground on their side, and Arella’s cry of pain wailed through the air.
“Arella,” he called out as he tried to straighten. Pain lanced through his side and leg, but he ignored it. Pushing himself up, he lifted his hand and saw in horror the blood on it.
Instantly, he knew that it wasn’t his.
