Island

by Mary Davis

  “Yes, but—”

  “Did you ask for my help, beyond asking if I knew the person?”

  “No, but—”

  “You used me! And what is worse is that you knew how I felt about people using me. You made it a point to ask me about my family.”

  “I never meant to use you.”

  “That’s the trouble with users; it’s who they are. They do it like instinct.” She spun on her heels and marched her bike away.

  He grabbed the seat of her bike on the opposite side from her, then gripped the handlebar.

  She tried to jerk the bike free, but he held fast to it, so she let go and walked away from him as fast as she could. She heard her bike thump against the curb. She would come back for it later.

  He jogged around in front of her and blocked her path. “Haley, stop and listen to me.”

  She stopped. “I wouldn’t believe anything you told me now.” This was too much for her to deal with right now.

  “I can explain.” He held out his arms.

  “Don’t bother. I can’t believe I was so gullible. I feel like such a sap. I’m too old to be this naive again.”

  “You are not gullible or naive.”

  He had no idea. “You want to know why I left home? I’ll tell you. My fiancé didn’t see any reason to get rid of his girlfriend. And for a wedding present, she was getting an apartment. He was only marrying me to get in good with the boss, my dad, and to get a job promotion. I would have been married more than two months by now. A farce.” Tears blurred her vision, but she blinked them away. She would not cry in front of him. “I believed him when he told me he loved me and he cared. He only cared about his job. He was using me. I thought I had learned my lesson, but then along comes a swarthy rogue PI and I get sucked in again. I’d say both gullible and naive fit.” She moved around him and stepped off the curb almost in front of a pair of dapple gray horses.

  The horses sidestepped her, nervously stomping and snorting, and the driver reined them to a stop. “Haley?”

  “Jason. Wait right there.” For once she was glad to see him.

  As she walked past Brent, he reached out for her. “Haley, please.”

  She swung her arm out of his reach. She hefted her bike onto the back of the flatbed dray that had a dozen or more cases of soda loaded on the front, then climbed on and scooted toward the front.

  Jason said, “Isn’t that the guy you were with yesterday?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  Brent came toward her. “Haley, can we at least talk about this?”

  “Go, Jason.”

  Jason put the team into motion. She saw Brent watching her ride away. The tears she had held at bay broke free. She covered her face with her hands. When would she learn?

  After a bit, the dray came to a stop. Jason climbed over the seat and sat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. She let him. She knew she shouldn’t but did and cried into his shirt. She knew any progress Shane had made last night on getting Jason to understand where he stood with her would be lost in this moment. She pulled herself together and backed out of his embrace.

  “Are you all right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Not in the way he meant. “No. He lied to me. Shouldn’t you be with the horses?”

  “Leave it to you to be worried about animals when you are so upset. I have the reins.” Jason reached for her face with his free hand and leaned toward her.

  As much as she wanted comfort right now, she took his hand and moved it away. “Jason, don’t.”

  “Why not? It’s no secret I have feelings for you. You’re upset, and I want to help.”

  “It wouldn’t be fair to you. I can’t return your affections.”

  “If you gave us a chance, maybe you would.”

  “I can’t.” She climbed down off the dray and turned to him. “Thank you for everything.”

  Jason didn’t reply but looked at her with what appeared to be longing and suffering.

  They were on a narrow utility road that was rarely used. She unloaded her bike and pedaled away. Lord, please help Jason understand. She had only made matters worse with him in her desperation to get away from Brent.

  A half mile away, she stopped. Where was she going? She only wanted to be alone. She headed for her dorm room.

  She opened the door to her room and cringed. The lump in her roommate’s bed told her Gwen wasn’t up yet. Gwen had worked a late taxi shift, then stayed out with friends until Haley had fallen asleep after two. Now she wished she had opted for a single room above one of the shops as Veronique had. But when she had come to Mackinac, she hadn’t wanted to be alone. She wanted the activity of others in the hallway. Not today. She tiptoed back out.

  She pulled her bike from the rack. Where could she go now that she wouldn’t risk running into Brent?

  Oh no! Shane! He was planning on meeting her and Brent for lunch. That wasn’t happening.

  She pedaled as fast as she could and walked into the Victorian Tea Shoppe. “Is Veronique here?”

  Mrs. Oaks stood behind the counter. “In the back. She’s getting her purse before she goes to lunch.”

  “Thanks.”

  Veronique met her before she reached there. “Cheri, I was just going to see you. Shane invited me to meet your Lone Ranger. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Normally she would be glad, but right now she didn’t want any of her friends to be subjected to Brent. “Could you tell Shane not to meet me? Tell him I’m not having lunch with Brent after all, and I’ll talk to him later about it.”

  “Is everything all right? You seem upset. Shane said you had a nice day with Brent yesterday.”

  “No. I am. I did. But then there was today. And Jason. Just tell Shane not to go to the Yankee Rebel.”

  Veronique pulled a key out of her purse. “You wait in my room, and I’ll be right back.”

  “Thanks, but I need to be alone right now. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  “I’m meeting Shane down the street. You come tell him. Zen we three can eat lunch someplace.”

  She wasn’t up for lunch or talking to anyone about this yet. “No, thanks.” She grasped Veronique’s arm. “Just don’t eat at the Yankee Rebel.”

  “No. Not without you.”

  “Thanks for doing this for me.”

  ❧

  Brent sat across the street from the Yankee Rebel until three in the afternoon. Haley never showed up—not that he expected her to, but he had hoped. Hoped desperately for a chance to explain himself. To tell her it was a big mistake. To make it up to her. To hold her again. But none of that seemed likely at the moment.

  Brent strolled around town without purpose. He leaned against a building across from the carriage tour company. Haley sat aboard the carriage waiting out front. How could things go so wrong with her in such a short time? Yes, he had been secretive, playing at being a private eye, but she had blown it all out of proportion. Why did it have to be such a big deal to her? So he was looking for someone. That didn’t make what they had any less real.

  Haley checked for traffic, looking back down the street. Her gaze skimmed his side of the street. His first inclination was to duck and hide, but he didn’t, and she didn’t seem to see him. She pulled out, and he watched her until her carriage was out of sight. Then he walked to the ferry and boarded the next one departing.

  Once back at Dalton’s, he stretched out on the couch and tucked his hands behind his head. What do I do now, Lord? Do I give up searching for the Mikkelson kid? Would that win Haley back? Or do I fulfill my promise to Mr. Jackson and Kristeen?

  He recalled the look on Kristeen’s face when she had sneaked out the back door and met him by his truck and the anguish in her voice when she asked him to tell Justin she was sorry. Sorry for what, she hadn’t said. But he could tell she cared a great deal for the boy, and she seemed like a sweet kid. The two of them had obviously let their relationship go too far. Now Mr. Jackson was trying to fix the
problem for his daughter by ensuring that nothing went wrong in placing the baby for adoption.

  He got up and changed into his running clothes and took off out the door. Was there any way to do it all? Find Justin, help Kristeen, and win Haley back? Maybe once he found Justin on his own, Haley would be less upset with him. Maybe all she needed was a good night’s sleep to calm her down; then he could talk to her rationally.

  He could tell Mr. Jackson he was unable to locate the boy and return the money he had received. Mr. Jackson would send someone else. Would that be so bad? Lord, is that my out? He sensed a distinct No. I don’t want this job anymore. I know I asked You to give me a case right away, but this is more than I bargained for.

  After his run, he showered and dressed and was about to grab a soda from the refrigerator when Dalton walked in the front door. “I didn’t expect you back from the island until the last ferry.”

  “Things went badly with Haley today.”

  “How bad?”

  “She won’t talk to me. I might have seen the Mikkelson boy today, and I don’t even care.”

  Dalton whistled. “What happened? Yesterday was so perfect.”

  “I decided to get help in finding the boy. I went to the local police on Mackinac Island. The officer there brought in a carriage driver to show me around, help me with some leads.”

  “Haley?”

  He nodded. “She took all our time together as my using her to find the boy. Yes, to be honest, I thought she might lead me to him, but I hardly even thought of him when I was with her. Now I’m stuck between finding Justin and getting Haley back. The two seem contrary to each other. I feel I have to choose between them, and I don’t want to because I know what the choice would have to be.”

  “The boy?”

  “I made a promise to Mr. Jackson. I made a point of telling him I was a Christian and he could trust me. If I back out now, not only could it reflect poorly on the Lord, but I don’t think that is what the Lord wants. I believe He wants me to find Justin.”

  “Then trust that the Lord will work things out with Haley.”

  “What if He doesn’t want me with Haley?”

  “Then this misunderstanding would have happened later over something else. Isn’t it better for it to happen sooner, as opposed to later when your heart is more invested in the relationship?”

  “Would you still have dated and married Joslin if you had known you wouldn’t have her that long?”

  “You know I would. It was meant to be. All I’m trying to say is that if it is meant to be, you’ll work things out with her, and if it’s not, it’s better for it to end before you both get too involved.”

  “But you said she was my type and you could hear wedding bells.”

  “The truth is, I think you two are meant to be together. You’re like a perfect fit.”

  He hoped so. He wanted Haley at his side. Maybe always.

  “Fight for her, man. She’s worth it.”

  “How do I do that and still find the boy?”

  “When I first proposed to Joslin, she turned me down and then broke up with me. But I couldn’t give up. She said she didn’t know me. ‘Show me your heart,’ she kept saying to me. Show Haley your heart.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Tell her what’s in your heart.”

  “I did that last night, and she threw it back in my face this morning.”

  “Tell her your hopes and dreams. Tell her you totally messed up and are sorry.”

  “I don’t know if totally messed up is quite accurate.”

  “Tell her you didn’t understand before, but you do now, and you’ll try not to make that mistake again. And if none of that works, pull out Matthew chapter eighteen, verse twenty-two, about forgiving seventy times seven.”

  “Isn’t that a bit low, forcing someone to forgive you?”

  “A desperate man in love will do things he never thought he would, when the relationship with the woman he loves is on the line. And it’s not forcing her to forgive you but reminding her of what Jesus commanded. Then it’s up to her to follow it or not. You’re just pointing her to what is right.”

  “You used that on Joslin?”

  “No. She used it on me. I had a falling out with her dad shortly after we were married. She pointed out my error in not forgiving him. ‘If we do not forgive one another, how can the heavenly Father forgive us?’ You don’t want Haley living with her unforgiveness, do you?”

  “And Haley thinks I can put a spin on things. That sounds a lot like manipulation for my own gain. I think I’ll just let the Lord work on her for now. If she doesn’t come around, maybe, just maybe, I’ll point out a few Bible verses she might want to consider.”

  ❧

  Haley left the barn after her last run. She had come to her senses and remembered she was expected back at work. She had been tempted to call Big John and tell him she didn’t feel well, which was true, because the whole situation had made her ill. She was thankful Brent had not reappeared. It hurt so much that he would lie to her and use her. He was supposed to be different. She rode to the church and knelt before the Lord in one of the pews. But what to pray? I hurt, Lord. She could think of nothing else, so she just stayed there.

  After a while—she didn’t know how long—she stood and went out to her bike. She should go and eat, even though she didn’t feel like it. The others might be waiting for her.

  Once at the dining hall, she took her food tray and searched for a table. She choked at the sight of her friend. It was the same face in the picture Brent had been holding. She wanted to cry.

  Eleven

  Shane drank the last of his chocolate milk, then glanced up and saw her. “I was about to send out a search party for you.”

  Haley put her food tray on the table and sat down. “Where’s Veronique?” She didn’t want to talk about herself or why she hadn’t been there earlier.

  “She had to eat early and get back to the shop. I barely got here before she left. I thought Jason would have been here, but I haven’t seen him.”

  A small blessing on a lousy day. One less thing to deal with at the moment.

  Shane went on. “We talked last night. He seemed to understand.”

  After her encounter with him this morning, he was probably more confused than ever. But she couldn’t tell Shane about that without telling him about Brent and why he was on the island—and that she knew Shane’s secret. He was the last person she would have guessed to get a girl pregnant out of wedlock—and then leave her.

  “Veronique asked me to tell you to come by the shop at closing time so the two of you could talk. What happened with lunch? Veronique said it was canceled. She also said you seemed upset.”

  “It didn’t work out. You didn’t go there, did you?”

  “I thought about it.” He shook his head.

  “But you didn’t go?”

  Shane pinched his eyebrows together. “No. Why?”

  She focused on her tray and picked up her fork. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to waste your time.” Brent would have recognized Shane as being Justin, and then Shane would have been trapped. This way she could talk to Shane without involving Brent. And if Shane wanted to leave the island without talking to Brent, she wouldn’t stop him. She pushed around her spaghetti and meatballs on her plate.

  “It’s best while it’s still hot.”

  If she ate it, her stomach might reject it at this point. “You want to go?” She couldn’t talk to Shane here.

  “You hardly ate anything.”

  She took a swallow of milk. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You’re not?” Shane eyed her plate like a starving orphan in a third world country.

  She traded plates with him. “Dig in.” Someone might as well enjoy it.

  It took him all of five minutes to scrape it clean.

  She drank the last of her milk. “You were a hungry boy this evening.”

  “I hate to see food wasted.” He stacked her tray and di
shes with his.

  “You ready to leave now?” She pushed away from the table.

  “Let’s go.” He carried their trays over to the dish depository, and they left the dining hall.

  Shane shoved his hands into his pockets. “You want to talk about it?”

  Did she? She would rather pretend today never happened, but she couldn’t do that. Pretending wouldn’t change anything. Brent still would have used her, and Shane still would be Justin. Then she said the first thing that popped into her head. “I was going to be married the first weekend in June.”

  “Whoa. A little change in subject there? I thought this was about Brent.”

  Brent. Kennith. It was all the same. Betrayal was betrayal. Brent had unknowingly reopened the wound Kennith had inflicted. “I don’t want to talk about Brent right now.”

  Shane shook his head. “But you do want to talk about not getting married?”

  “It’s what brought me to this place in my life.”

  Shane shrugged. “Okay. So what happened with your wedding?”

  “Kennith had a girlfriend he wasn’t planning to get rid of.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I went to his office to surprise him, but I was the one surprised instead.”

  Shane turned toward her. “He was there with her?”

  “No. His office was empty. I sat in his high-backed leather desk chair—that I bought him to help support his bad lower back—and turned it away from the door. He was supposed to come in and turn his chair around to sit in it and have a wonderful surprise of me there to take him out to lunch.” They arrived at her dorm, and she sat on the curb outside.

  Shane joined her, draping his hands over his bent knees. “He never came?”

  The night was cooling off, so she pulled her sweater closer around her. “Oh, he came, but he wasn’t alone. I could hear a professional-sounding female voice. Then once the door shut, it was less than professional. She was complaining about how much time he spent with me and how after we were married she would never see him. He told her he would rent them a special apartment and that he was only marrying me to get the promotion. That he loved only her and marrying me was something he had to do. The worst part is that he had the gall to hire her as his assistant. How cliché is that?”