friend Sylvie, how would you like to come along?”

Jenna sighed.

“Oh I don’t really think…”

Dixie cut her off.

“Come on Jenna,” Dixie said. “Sylvie and I have… connections, we could introduce you to some of the other dogs, it couldn’t hurt for you to make a few new friends, could it?”

Jenna was about to politely refuse her, but then her mother’s words just before Jenna left came back to her.

“You’ll make new friends… life is like a lemon, it’s naturally sour, it’s up to you to make lemonade.”

Jenna smiled.

“Alright Dixie… it was Dixie right?”

Dixie smiled at her, and nodded.

“Well Dixie,” Jenna continued, “let’s go.”

The two dogs walked off the porch, and headed for main street.

“So,” Dixie said as they walked down the sidewalk, “are you pure bred husky?”

Jenna smiled.

“No, I’m half Malamute.”

“Well you don’t look it,” Dixie said, “you’re one of the prettiest dogs I’ve ever seen.”

Jenna laughed.

“What?” Dixie asked.

Jenna shook her head.

“Don’t you think of yourself that way?” Dixie asked.

Jenna shook her head.

“No, I’m just me.”

Dixie didn’t say anything for a minute.

“Really?”

Jenna smiled and nodded.

Dixie shook her head unbelievingly.

“If I looked like you, I’d have to use it somehow.”

“I’ve never really noticed.” Jenna said, really wanting to change the topic.

“What are you?”

“Oh,” Dixie said, “I am one hundred percent Pomeranian.”

Jenna nodded.

“Okay, and what is Sylvie?”

“Oh, she’s a really tall Afghan Hound. I suppose we make an odd looking group, but she’s really nice, in fact…”

Dixie paused, and looked intently at a shadow approaching them from the alley way.

“… here she comes.”

Dixie ran over to her friend.

“Those two make an odd group indeed.” Jenna thought.

The small gray Pomeranian walked over to Jenna, leading Sylvie back over to Jenna.

Jenna caught some of their conversation as they walked up.

“… No really?!” Dixie said. “She wasn’t?”

Sylvie nodded her head.

“She sure was, we saw her and him together and everything.”

“No!” Dixie said, “Tran? Who’d of thought, she and Ivan seemed so happy together.”

“Guess not.” Sylvie said.

She looked up from her small friend, and saw Jenna.

“Who’re you? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Jenna smiled.

“This is Jenna.” Dixie said, she turned to Jenna. “right?”

Jenna nodded.

“My, my, you’re just a knockout aren’t you, you must be fighting off guys like crazy.”

Jenna smiled again, and this time, could suppress a little giggle.

“Apparently Jenna here didn’t know that she looked the way she does.” Dixie said.

“Really?” Sylvie replied, “well we’ll fix that, you have to come with us.”

“I thought we could introduce her to the others, since she’s new and all.” Dixie said.

Sylvie nodded.

“Sounds like a good idea to me.”

“Hey, how’re you guys doing?”

Dixie and Sylvie turned around, and Jenna followed.

A brown dog with bright blue eyes stood in front of them.

He was young.

“About my age.” Jenna thought. “and he’s kinda… cute.”

“Oh hi Drake.” Dixie said.

“We’re doing just fine.” Sylvie added, “and you?”

The dog smiled, and Jenna’s heart sped up a bit.

“Couldn’t be better, the racing season’s coming up, and our team is going to beat Steele’s this year, I can feel it.”

“I doubt that Drake, Steele hasn’t lost a race in five years.” Dixie said

“I know,” Drake said, “but he’s going to this year.”

“Well keep working at it.” Sylvie said.

Drake almost turned and walked away, but stopped.

“Who’s… who’s your new friend?”

“Oh sorry,” Dixie said, “this is Jenna, she’s new here.”

“Jenna.” Drake said.

“Drake.” Jenna thought.

“It’s nice to… to meet you.” Jenna said.

“Likewise.” Drake replied.

He smiled and turned back to Dixie and Sylvie.

“Are you going to be at the meeting tonight?”

“Well of course.” Dixie said, “do you think I’d miss Steele’s return?”

Drake laughed.

“No, no I suppose not, well, I’ll see you guys tonight then.”

He turned to Jenna.

“I hope I’ll see you there Jenna.

Jenna didn’t say anything, was unable to, with him staring at her like he was.

Dixie smiled and stepped in between the two.

“She’ll be there.” Dixie said.

“I will?” Jenna thought. “Oh well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

Drake smiled once more, and then turned and walked away.

“Someone noticed you.” Dixie said.

Jenna came out of the trance she’d been in for the last five minutes.

“What? Him?”

“I hope they didn’t notice how silly I was acting.” Jenna thought.

“Yeah,” Dixie said, “but trust me, you can do a lot better than Drake, a lot better.”

“What if I don’t want better?” Jenna thought. “Wait a minute Jenna, you’re crazy, I mean, you just met this guy…”

“What do you mean?” Jenna asked.

“We’ll show you tonight.” Sylvie said.

“For now let’s go see what everyone else is up to.” Dixie said.

The three friends walked down Main Street.

Chapter 3

“So what does Drake have to do with anything?” Balto asked.

“Well…” Jenna said.

She’d never told Balto about she and Drake, she just assumed he knew, everyone else did.

“… for a while Drake and I were… together.” “Oh…” Balto said, somewhat surprised.

“Anyway,” Jenna said, “back to the story.”

Dixie, Sylvie walked into the old mill, Jenna followed somewhat timidly.

“There are so many dogs here…” Jenna thought.

“Come on Jenna,” Dixie said.

“Don’t be afraid.” Sylvie finished.

“Okay.” Jenna said.

She tried to slow her speeding heart, with little success. Jenna had always been somewhat shy around other dogs.

She walked through the door.

Drake saw them, and walked over.

“So how are you guys doing?” He asked.

“About the same as this morning.” Dixie said.

Drake’s blue eyes fell on Jenna then.

“Good to see you again Jenna.”

Jenna didn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded.

“Well,” Drake said, “I’ve got to go talk to Doc, so I’ll be around, don’t be strangers.”

“Us?” Dixie said.

“Strangers?” Sylvie said.

The two looked at each other and laughed.

“Never.” They said together.

Drake smiled, turned and walked away.

“He’s such a happy idiot.” Dixie said.

“Yeah,” Sylvie said, “and he thinks their team will beat Steele.”

The two looked at each other again.

“Yeah right!” They said at the same time.

They started giggling.

Jenna was too busy watching Drake vanish into the crowd of dogs to notice.

“Jenna…” Sylvie said.

Jenna didn’t respond.

“Jenna?” Dixie said, stepping in front of her.

Jenna snapped out of her trance, and shook her head.

“Sorry… sorry, what was it? Did you say something?”

“Oh no,” Dixie said, “don’t tell me you’re taken by that idiot.”

“Well he doesn’t seem so…” Jenna started.

Dixie cut her off.

“Believe me, I said you can do better, and you can.

Just then, a hush fell over all the dogs.

A black and white malamute walked into the room.

“There he is!” Dixie said.

“Who?” Jenna asked.

“Steele…” Sylvie said dreamily.

Jenna had to admit, the malamute was kind of… handsome, in an odd kind of way.

Steele climbed up on a table in the center of the room.

“I have been everywhere.” He said. “I have raced in dozens of exciting locales, and met some amazing dogs… but it’s good to be back home, here in good old Nome.”

The dogs cheered.

Steele waited for the cheering to subside before he continued.

“I have some amazing stories in store for you tonight, but before I get started, I’d like to thank all of you for coming.

The dogs cheered again.

When the cheering died down, everyone in the room crowded around the table Steele was sitting on.

Steele smiled.

He loved the attention his stories brought him.

“Well,” he started, “none of you are ever going to guess what happened to