Four Weeks

by Melissa Ford

  Louise quickly recognized some potential. The young woman appeared strong and capable. Two things that would make her an asset at the stable. “Do you know the trails on the island?"

  "Sure,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Every last inch of them. My friends and I used to spend the summer riding our bikes all over them."

  "Not horses?"

  Gail's gaze darted to the office doorway and then back to Louise. “Sure, horses too. Sometimes."

  There wasn't much for Louise to think about. Pete's wrist was still injured and with the historic Fort Mackinac opening the next day, the tourist crowds would be arriving in masses. The tourist season would soon be in full swing and she was going to need all the help she could get. However, there was a problem. “I'm the new manager here, so I don't know what I can pay you."

  "That's okay. I love working with horses and people.” She grinned. “You pay me what you can then after you see this stable can't run without me, we'll talk again."

  Louise chuckled. “This would only be a summer job. That okay?"

  Gail looked up from brushing some dirt off her pants. “Sure, I'm on break from Northern. School starts again at the end of August."

  The sudden appearance of this girl was Louise's first lucky break. Unfortunately, the possibility of Trent selling the stable still loomed in the future. For a split second she considered telling the two of them about it, but decided to wait. Maybe her luck was changing and Trent wouldn't want to get rid of Hawk's. With the right staff, she'd be able show him what a great place it could be.

  Louise pointed at Pete and grinned. “Lucky for you Pete's here to do the mucking out. I'll need help at the rental office up front, matching horses to riders and getting them on their way. I guess with the bigger groups we may want to send out a trail guide.” She chuckled. “Can you start tomorrow?"

  "No problem,” she answered with a laugh.

  "Great.” Having a lighthearted college student around to share the workload would make her days more fun.

  Louise spread her arms wide. “Welcome to Hawk's staff."

  "Too cool.” Gail turned to Pete. “Thanks for your help."

  He waved her off. “I didn't do anything but help you find the boss lady."

  She laid her hand across Pete's arm. “I really appreciate it. It'll be fun working together."

  Louise held back a chuckle. The old man, seemingly holding back a blush, looked down at his arm. “Don't mention it."

  "Oh, before I forget,” Pete said to Louise as he dug a crumbled yellow sheet of paper of out his pocket, “Here's the doc's note to you. He says I'll be as good as new in less than a week. I take the wrap off the day after tomorrow."

  She waited while he flattened the paper, then took it from him. The note confirmed what Pete said. “Thanks, I'll make a copy for Trent."

  The workman shuffled off, calling over his shoulder as he went. “I'm off to work."

  "This is great,” Gail gushed. “Mind if I take some time to look around? That way I'll be able to get right to work tomorrow."

  "Sure, go ahead. Come find me if you need anything, otherwise, I'll see you around eight tomorrow."

  Gail smiled and nodded. “Eight. Gotcha."

  Louise breathed a sigh of relief. The possibility of being understaffed had been resolved even before it became a problem.

  She set off to find Trent to give him a copy of the doctor's note and tell him the good news about hiring Gail. Not that she was looking for a reason to be with him—he owned the place so it was reasonable that he be kept up to date on everything.

  * * * *

  TRENT TILTED BACK in the porch chair and propped his feet on the long white railing. The view from his hotel porch included the street below and the small docks. The sight was postcard perfect, but he could've been staring at a blank wall for all it mattered.

  He tried not to think about Louise, but that proved impossible. If they hadn't been interrupted would there have been a second kiss? Then what?

  No doubt she'd forgotten all about it by now. She was probably busy building a web site. Whatever she was doing it had everything to do with making Hawk's a success. Or maybe she was planning her next career move. She wasn't sitting around thinking about him. And he shouldn't be thinking about her. If only she didn't get under his skin ... make him wish for things that would never be...

  Annoyed at his childish thoughts, he groaned. Since he couldn't help thinking about her, he concentrated on trying to remember her reaction to the sounds. The idea that anyone had an interest in the stable seemed ridiculous, yet he couldn't shake the notion that someone had been looking for something. Trent jerked his hand through his hair. He could pack his bag, hand the stable over to Michael Robbins, and be done with the whole thing.

  But he'd given his word to Louise. And the stable was the last link he had with his father and he wasn't quite ready to cut it loose just yet. Even though leaving would be for the best.

  "Trent!"

  Louise was easy to spot as she hurried up the wide bricked front walk. Her carefree steps and undemanding smile had become a familiar sight. Stiffening his back didn't do anything to keep his blood from stirring, but at least now he knew to expect it.

  He tried to keep his tone casual. “Hey Louise,” he called, “Did you run out of broken things to worry about?"

  "No, of course not,” she replied perching on the edge of the chair next to his. “Here's Pete's doctor's note. It was a sprain, he'll be better in less than a week."

  Trent scanned the yellow sheet of paper and then set it aside.

  "Also,” she went on, “I have some good news."

  He studied the curve of her cheek, the shell of her ear, the fullness of her lower lip.

  "Don't you want to know what it is?” she asked.

  He looked away, pretending to study the carriages and people moving about on the street. “Okay, spill it."

  "I hired someone to help out."

  "Help with what?” His words came out harsher than he intended.

  She scowled. “I hired a girl to help me at the rental desk. She knows about horses and better still she knows all the trails on the island."

  "When did you hire her?"

  "Just now."

  He lifted an eyebrow. “How did you check her references so fast?"

  She hesitated. “I didn't, Trent.” She swirled her hands. “I can just tell she'll be great."

  "You can just tell?"

  She nodded confidently. “That's right."

  Her endless go-get-em-attitude grated on his nerves. “Did you inform her that the stable may be closing in a matter of weeks?"

  Her delighted expression dimmed and he hated himself for being such a jerk. But instead of apologizing, he shifted to watch a couple struggle to mount a tandem bicycle. The sight would've been funny, if he was in the mood to see the humor in anything.

  "No, I didn't tell her or Pete about that."

  Trent heard the soft frustration in her voice and glanced at her.

  In response, she reached out to touch him. He needed to keep his distance from her if he was going to think clearly, but didn't move her hand away.

  "Please don't say anything to either of them. I know it may not be the most honest thing to do, but I believe you're going to decide to keep Hawk's."

  "You do?"

  If she heard the misdirected sarcasm in his voice, she didn't react to it. “Yes, I do. I really want to make the stable a success."

  A chattering group of camera toting tourists passed by and gave Trent an excuse to turn away from her pleading expression.

  His arm cooled when she lifted her hand.

  "Trent?"

  He grumbled and turned. Her cautious expression surprised him. Where was her usual confidence? That unflappable optimism?

  "It's all right that I hired her, isn't it?"

  With his gaze, he traced the outline of her pretty face. The urge to smooth the tight pull of her eyebrows away with his fingertips
made him grip the armrests of his chair. Not willing to trust his voice he nodded.

  "You won't tell them about our deal?"

  He couldn't deny her the chance she wanted. “No, of course not."

  She let out a long breath and the cute corners of her mouth lifted again. “Thanks, Trent. You won't regret it."

  The sun glinted off her hair as she strode down the sidewalk, hurrying back to work.

  He already regretted their four-week agreement. Sticking around dealing with the ghost of his father, a man he never knew ... He wanted to forget about his disappointing past and get on with the present. Most of all he needed to keep away from Louise. Her sincere approach to life was a breath of fresh air, but she had no idea what it was like to carry the weight of disappointment and she had a way of bringing his regrets to the surface.

  He tried to convince himself that didn't have anything to worry about. He'd had a lot of practice keeping hold of his emotions. It seemed that Louise was there to help him make good use of those lessons.

  * * * *

  LATER THAT NIGHT Louise sat on Sally's porch and watched the ferries. The ones heading to the mainland were full, while the incoming ones were mostly empty. Tomorrow morning that would change. The ferries would be packed Hawk's had to be ready.

  Pete assured her that all the tack was cleaned and set to go. She'd checked on the horses and they were all fit. With Gail and her handling the desk and Pete taking care of the tacking, they'd have no problems.

  She leaned back, letting the slanted rays of the sun warm her face as she listened to cry of the gulls and the gentle lap of lake water. The rumble of a fishing charter heading in for the night hummed across the water. The music from a radio came to her from the distance. The evening was flawless. Even the air tasted perfect. Wet and pleasantly cool. If only she could stop thinking about Trent.

  The loss of his father was taking a toll on him. He needed someone to help him take his mind off that for a while. All she had to offer him was an evening of distraction, but she wasn't willing to do that. He might be able to switch his emotions on and turn off, but she couldn't.

  "Things going well at Hawk's?"

  Sally offered her one of the steaming mugs she held in her hands. Louise sipped the tea gratefully.

  "How did you know I liked tea?"

  "Just a hunch.” Sally sat down on the step next to Louise and pushed back her gray hair. “How're things at the stable?"

  Even with the jumble of events tumbling through her mind, she chose to believe that hiring Gail was the highlight of the day. Maybe even the best thing she'd done so far.

  She smiled. “Coming along well I think."

  "I'm not surprised.” She took a sip of tea. “How're things with Trent?"

  Besides a couple of kisses that led to nothing, there were no things with Trent. But of course Sally meant business things, not personal things. Still, the answer was the same. “Not so good. He's not very excited about owning a stable."

  "Don't be discouraged, dear. I have a feeling things will change soon enough if you're patient."

  No doubt Sally was still reading something into her relationship with Trent that wasn't there. “Thanks for your interest, but please don't worry. Everything is under control."

  The other woman tipped her head and gazed intently at Louise. “Maybe that's what I'm worried about."

  Louise kept her mouth shut and turned her puzzled expression away. It wouldn't do for Sally to see her frenzied emotions. She'd only ask more questions that had no answers.

  "Sometimes you have to let go of the control."

  Give up? Louise shook her head. She had plans and goals. Things that mattered.

  She'd given up enough times already and look where it had gotten her. Right smack in the middle of a series of dead end jobs offering nothing but frustration and disappointment. No, she had to stay in control here and stay focused on her goal. Otherwise she'd end up with another failure to add to her long list and maybe even a broken heart if she wasn't careful.

  Sally patted her shoulder and stood. “You're a good girl, Louise. Everything is going to go the way it should. You wait and see."

  Louise smiled. Mom would like this lady. “Thanks, Sally."

  The door smacked behind her hostess. Louise swirled her tea and watched the dark liquid spin. There was no doubt about it, she was up to the challenge of making Hawk's into a great business, one that Trent would be proud to own and happy to keep.

  The other problem, that of the man himself, she wasn't up for. There had to be a way to have both: a successful summer with the stable and a way to help Trent deal with the loss of his father. She just had to keep her emotions out of it.

  Louise drank the last of her tea, set down the cup and slipped down the steps. Instead of heading toward the light brown sands of the beach the way she did most nights, she turned to the right and headed toward town. She needed to be around people, rather than isolated with her thoughts. A long walk would relax her. Maybe then she could get a good night's sleep. If things went as she hoped, tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

  * * * *

  TRENT HADN'T PLANNED on going by Hawk's, but somehow he ended up two blocks away from his newly acquired business. His manager had probably spent the day cleaning, fixing, and categorizing. No doubt she had the place shaping up. She was probably on her way to turning the ramshackle mess into a real business.

  By island standards it was early yet for the evening—not even nine o'clock. The Sunday streets were quiet. He figured he may as well go over and look at whatever she'd been up to. She had to be gone for the night. Serious business professionals needed their eight hours of sleep. Especially ones who wanted to pry into the personal lives of their bosses. Why did she find it necessary to ask about his father? Couldn't she see that he didn't want to talk about it?

  The truth lingered in the back of his mind—he did want to talk about the messed up relationship that never got fixed. He needed someone to talk too, even through opening up was the most frightening thing he'd ever faced. Deep inside, he knew she would be a gentle listener and wouldn't pity him, but would see the anguish for what it really was—pain, plain and simple.

  But could he really trust her? Believing in her, and believing that she'd stick around even after she got what she wanted from him was almost as terrifying as facing up to his past.

  He crossed the street and cut through one of the tiny backyards near the stable. A group of college kids sitting on a back porch laughed and toasted him with cans. Half-heartedly he waved back. The music from their radio drifted behind him, adding to his loneliness and isolation.

  Their laughter faded as he got closer to Hawk's. The evening was clear, so when he spotted a column of dark smoke trailing into the sky, it looked very out of place. The color was too dark and thick to be coming from a barbecue. Smoke like that could only be coming from ... a fire.

  He took off with a jump, dashed the last block to Hawk's, leapt over the fence and barreled into the barn. Once inside he paused and tried to see where the fire might be coming from. Still panting from the run, he turned left away from the office toward the hayloft.

  A cloud of smoke waited at the end of the aisle. He paused to listen when he heard a sound. To his horror he heard the noise again, a barely audible cough.

  He leapt forward and shouted into the smoke. His eyes were beginning to tear and he blinked against the moisture. “Hello! Who's there?"

  No one answered, but he heard more coughing. Someone was up in the loft. He shouted again. “Hang on. I'm coming."

  Off in the distance the wail of the fire truck and the siren of the ambulance grew louder. Help was on the way, but he couldn't take the chance it would arrive in time. He had to find whoever it was and get them out of there. There was no telling how long they'd been breathing in the poisonous gases of that smoke.

  Stepping through the cloud, he hurried along the wall until he found the ladder that led to the loft. The smoke was thicker at
the top and soon he was coughing, too. Each hot breath burned his throat. All he saw was the swirling, mean gray air.

  He searched the small loft with his arms and tear-filled gaze until he spotted a figure hunched in the corner. Keeping himself low, he crawled over to the person until he could touch the body.

  Louise.

  She coughed again as she swayed toward his voice. He summoned one last breath and reached for her. He wheezed from the effort, but he had to get her out of here. The firemen arrived below and called out, but he didn't have any breath left to answer.

  After swinging Louise over his shoulder, he crawled on his knees to the ladder. The smoke had thickened so much that he could barely see the edge of the loft, but luck was on his side, someone appeared at the top of the ladder and took her from him.

  The fireman shouted over the hissing of the hoses. “I got her, pal. You come on down after me."

  The pain in his lungs prevented Trent from speaking, but he managed a nod. The man disappeared. Trent swung his leg over the top rung and worked his way down.

  By the time he reached the bottom of the ladder, the smoke had already begun to clear. The stink of burnt, wet hay filled the small room. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him outside into the fresh night air. His throat burned and his lungs felt like they were going to crack, but he pulled in a long breath anyway.

  "Louise?” he mumbled to the man holding his arm.

  The man pointed across the yard.

  Trent sagged with relief when he saw her sitting up, coughing, but alive and breathing on her own.

  "Come on buddy,” the man guided him across the yard and sat him down beside Louise. He leaned close, “You okay?"

  Trent nodded, tried to say thanks, but ended up coughing instead.

  The man patted Trent on the shoulder. “No need to say anything. Relax, and the medic will be by to check you out."

  Trent slumped against the fence as the man jogged off and disappeared through the barn door.

  A medic appeared, took care of Louise and then examined him. He let the man go through his routine, but he barely heard the orders to take it easy and see the doctor tomorrow. All he could think about was Louise.