Four Weeks

by Melissa Ford

The noise stopped.

  "You wait here, I'll go check it out,” Trent whispered.

  She nodded, but ignoring his request, she rounded her desk to follow him through the doorway. She paused and listened, struggling to hear anything that might let them know at least where the intruder might be.

  The whimper of a horse sounded near the feed room at the end of the aisle. She looked to Trent the same time he turned to her. When he pointed to the chair she'd gotten out of, she shook her head and he frowned. He cast her a stern stare, but turned back around and moved forward. Walking softly, they worked their way down the aisle toward the fire-damaged feed room. They paused again in front of the wide double doors.

  Trent turned around and lifted a finger at her, silently asking her to wait a minute. She frowned and shook her head, but stopped when she saw the fierce expression on his face. She relented, and waited while he started toward the feed room again.

  Just before he pulled open the door, a low creaking came from above. It was impossible to tell exactly where the sound started because it seemed to spread across the roof. Louise looked up and shifted her feet.

  A single board fell from the ceiling and clattered to the ground. She jumped back, but others followed. Soon more boards and pieces of the roof fell from above. Sheets of the metal roofing sliced through the air and clattered to the floor. Louise leapt side to side to get out of the way, but everywhere she landed, more pieces crashed down around her.

  The sounds of ripping wood, clanging metal, and wild whinnies of frightened horses pierced the air. A thick wooden beam with nails sticking out from both sides whooshed past her ear then became embedded in the wall.

  "Get out of the barn,” Trent shouted.

  She searched for him, but the air was thick with dust. Huge sheets of the roof hung down, blocking her view. “Are you all right, Trent?"

  "Louise, get out!"

  A horse beside her kicked at the wall. Its terrified shriek sent chills down Louise's spine.

  Dust flew all around and boards swung from the huge hole in the roof. She lifted her arms to protect herself, but then she couldn't see it all. Although she wanted to find Trent, going after him could endanger them both. If she got out she could go for help.

  In her effort to move, she tripped over a chuck of steel and stumbled against a wall. Her arm scraped against the rough wood, but she leaned onto it for support anyway. Another piece of the roof gave way sending more boards and shingles raining down.

  Louise sagged to the ground beside the wall and waited with her arms above her head. Finally, the deluge of destruction stopped and the only noises were the horses thrashing in their stalls and crying to get out.

  She dropped her arms. Where was Trent? Her heart pounded with new fear. Should she go for help? Look for him? What if he was hurt? He hadn't hesitated to help her when she needed it, she couldn't deny him the same. She picked her way across the mess and kicked aside a couple planks.

  As she neared the feed room, she called to Trent.

  He didn't answer.

  Heart in her throat, she entered the room.

  Chapter Eleven

  BROKEN BOARDS, BITS of the metal roof and odds and ends lie heaped all around Trent. He looked up and his shoulders dropped with relief when Louise peered at him through the doorway. Like him, she was covered with dust, slivers of wood and scratches, but she was all right.

  No doubt about it, they were lucky. They could've been seriously hurt. Or worse. Gut instinct told him that had been someone's intent. No one had to come and examine the stable to tell him what he already knew. Someone had done this on purpose.

  He stepped over a section of steel and worked his way to Louise, took her hand, and they helped each other outside to the yard.

  With huge eyes, Louise stared at the barn. It looked like a giant had stepped on it, leaving a huge gapping hole. A few boards hung perpendicular to the roof, ready to fall at any moment.

  "We better call the vet."

  Trent nodded at Louise's suggestion. “The phone in the rental office will be safe."

  As she dashed off to make the call, he realized she'd been lucky again. And him? He'd been forced to face how much he cared about her, again. The flickers of pain and confusion were there, the same as before, but one thing was different. He wasn't going anywhere now.

  A few people who'd stopped to stare at the mess shouted to him, but he didn't answer, only waved to let them know they were okay. He had enough questions of his own to deal with. Who wanted to destroy Hawk's? Or was it him and Louise they were after?

  His suspicions about Gail and Pete resurfaced. If they were working together, he had no idea what they were trying to accomplish.

  Louise came out the side door by the rental office and jogged to him. “I told the vet what happened. He said he'd be right over."

  "Good. I'm glad you thought to call him. I don't think I would've."

  She nodded, but didn't reply. As much as he wanted to reassure her, it would be a mistake, so he didn't reach for her as he had the night of the fire. There was no going back. Things had changed between them and he knew she didn't want his comfort.

  He folded his arms over his chest. “You can go on to Sally's. I can take care of things here."

  The vulnerable expression vanished. “What do you mean by that?"

  "Just what I said. I'll go call the police chief and wait for the vet."

  "No,” she straightened her back and glared at him. “I'm staying. You're paying me to do a job, and I intend on doing it."

  "Always business first, right Louise?"

  Her face flushed with anger. “When business needs doing, yes."

  Arguing with her wouldn't accomplish anything. He left her standing in the yard and went to call the police chief. He wanted a complete investigation this time, even if that meant he had to follow behind the chief, insisting that he go over every inch. He wanted absolute proof that this had been done on purpose.

  * * * *

  LOUISE WENT INTO the barn and started to clear the aisle by the door. The mess on the ground wasn't too bad, but several long boards swung ominously above the animals. One by one, she led them out of the horrible mess and into the small paddock.

  The vet arrived within minutes. Louise stayed beside him, making notes about the injuries and how to care for them.

  "None of these injuries are critical, but some of the animals will need special attention for about a week or so,” he concluded when they returned to the front yard. “Your animals are lucky."

  She nodded, “We were lucky too."

  The man glanced at the roof and nodded. “You'll follow my instructions?"

  After she assured him that she would, he said, “I'll be by tomorrow morning, then.” He started to walk off, but stopped and turned. “You know what caused this?"

  Louise scanned the roof. “I have no idea."

  "Old place, it needs some fixing up."

  "It sure does now."

  "The owner ought to get some insurance money out of the deal. That'll help get the roof fixed better than before ... ‘course that depends on the most recent inspection."

  As she was saying goodbye to the vet, Louise caught a glimpse of Trent and the police chief. The two of them were talking in low tones, discussing the situation, no doubt. She clenched her jaw. He should have come and gotten her. She had as much to do with running the business as he did.

  She marched off in the direction she'd seen them go, but nearly bumped into Pete and Gail when she turned the corner.

  "Everyone in town is talking about this, what happened?” Gail asked, waving her arms toward the barn.

  "You two okay?” Pete looked Louise up and down.

  Louise didn't want to rehash the whole thing, but she couldn't very well just walk off. “We're fine,” she reassured Pete. “I've put some of the horses out back. They'll have to stay out there until we can get their stalls fixed."

  Gail shook her head and pointed to the roof. “What ha
ppened?"

  Louise followed the motion with her gaze then looked at Gail's stunned expression. “The roof fell in, but we don't know what caused it."

  The other woman gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

  "We're okay,” Louise assured her, “The horses are okay. We'll need to do some cleaning up, and get the roof repaired, but we'll work it all out.” Even as she offered the assurance to Gail and Pete seeds of doubt settled deep within her.

  Pete stepped forward. “How long you think we'll be closed up?"

  The worry turned to panic. “Closed up?"

  "Yeah, we gotta close up for awhile to get the repairs done, don't we?"

  "I'm not sure.” They couldn't afford a single day of closure. Pete smiled, probably trying to encourage her. “Let me know so I can make a sign or something."

  "What about me, Louise? Do you still want me to come in tomorrow morning?"

  "Of course. The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be able to open up again."

  Gail glanced at Pete then at Louise. “Okay, I'll be here ready to help."

  "Thanks, Gail. See you in the morning.” She waved her off and turned to Pete who was leaning on the side of the barn. “We'll see you tomorrow, too."

  He nodded. “Yep. Same as always."

  After they left, Louise went to find Trent and the police chief, but this time with a lot less enthusiasm. Pete was right. They had to close the stables. They couldn't risk the safety of the customers with injured mounts and a hazardous mess. How long would it take to fix the barn? A week, maybe two?

  Trent had all the incentive he needed to close Hawk's for good. Why go to the trouble of fixing the damage when he could cut his losses and close right away? Louise fought against the overwhelming despair that clutched her. Everything she'd been through, everything she'd worked for—all for nothing. The success and happiness she'd been so close to reaching had slipped out of reach. Again.

  With a heavy heart she picked up her pace. She might not be around Hawk's much longer, but until she was let go she intended to do the job she was being paid for.

  * * * *

  THE POLICE CHIEF shielded his eyes from the late afternoon sun and stared up at the roof. “You didn't have the place inspected when you got it?"

  "I think Mr. Robbins, the realtor, might have an inspection on file."

  "Did your father have it inspected?"

  "Probably.” Anxious to get on with something helpful, Trent frowned. “I don't know."

  The policeman turned. “You don't know? Don't you have any records?"

  Trent needed to have another talk with Michael Robbins. The sooner the better. “Mind if I go make a phone call?"

  "Sure, Mr. Parker. It'll be awhile before I finish up here. The deputy is coming to take some pictures. Keep everyone out of the barn and away from the area."

  "I'll take care of it,” he muttered as he hurried to the phone.

  * * * *

  NINE DAYS LATER Trent trudged across the back fence of the paddock. The workers had left a huge pile of debris in the far corner. It wasn't a safety hazard, only an eyesore. The trash removal guy had said he'd be by on Sunday, but that was three days ago.

  He rested against the top rail and examined the newly repaired roof the insurance company had insisted he install right away. The brand new sheets of silver metal brightened up the building and made it look almost respectable. Zigler will be thrilled.

  While he hadn't officially agreed to sell to Zigler instead of Klinger, he knew that as soon as Zigler put the employment clause in writing, he'd be ready to sign. For Trent, the past ten days had been a series of one disappointment after another. He'd looked into the inspection records, sure that those would reveal something more, but Michael Robbins produced them quickly enough and they didn't indicate anything other than the barn was run down and needed a new roof. Not exactly mind-blowing stuff.

  The police chief, and everyone else, concluded that the roof falling in was another ill-timed event. Just one of those things that happens when an old building succumbs to the effects of the harsh northern winters. Bad luck, like the fire.

  Whatever was going on at the stable, it was more than he could handle. Three weeks ago he'd been convinced the stable held some answer for him, some insight about his father. The childishness of hoping that a heap of wood and metal could fill in the painful gaps left by years of being ignored had become painfully obvious.

  He'd been wasting his time believing that learning anything about his father mattered. The man never wanted anything to do with him, so why should he care?

  And Louise? She'd been a disappointment, too. After the roof fell in, he'd hardly said two words to her. For days they'd worked side-by-side cleaning up the mess and caring for the horses, but she let him know in no uncertain terms that her only interest in Hawk's was business.

  He'd convinced himself that he was happy to oblige.

  He was a man of his word if nothing else, so once he was sure Lousie, Gail and Pete would be able to keep on working, even past the four week trial period, he'd leave all the ghosts and questions behind, on the tiny isolated island where they belonged. Dwelling on what might've been did nothing but prolong his grief, and he'd had enough of sorrow and confusion.

  A brown horse nudged his shoulder. Thanks to Louise, he knew it was looking for a treat.

  "Sorry girl.” He scratched her cheek and gazed into her huge brown eyes. “I don't have anything for you.” The one surprise of the whole thing was that he enjoyed the horses. He'd miss being around them.

  That day Louise had taken him riding seemed so long ago, it could have been a different lifetime. In a way it was. It was back before he still hadn't completely learned to keep his feelings hidden deep, where they couldn't be cracked. He should've learned that lesson from his father, but it took Louise to teach him in such a way that he'd never forget it.

  He gave the mare a pat and pushed away from the fence. There was no point in sticking around Hawk's today. Then he'd ask Louise out to dinner one last time to explain how things were going to be. In a matter of days, the whole sorry episode would be over for him.

  * * * *

  THURSDAY MORNING LOUISE waved off a cluster of teenagers. The shouts and laughter of the girls cheered her up a little. The island was gearing up for a big weekend, the Lilac Festival. The next few days would be busy ones, with special activities in front of the fort and all around the island. The parade through town on Sunday would be the grand finale.

  It was the first day they'd been open since the roof accident. She was glad to be busy helping people mount up, instead of hauling trash or digging through rubble for bridles and other things they wanted to keep out of the hands of the trash hauler.

  The last ugly reminder, that awful pile of boards, still sat out back. She could call the trash man again, and beg him to come take the mess away, but what would be the point? She'd probably get his phone machine like she had the other three times she'd tried to call him. She thought about giving Pete a hard time—after all he'd recommended the man—but in the end it didn't matter. She probably wouldn't have to worry about Hawk's in a few days anyway. That pile of rubble would be someone else's problem.

  Most of the time she hung onto the hopelessly slim chance that Trent had changed his mind about selling the stable. At least he hadn't closed it right away. That had to mean something. The repaired roof was a good sign. Louise could only guess that Trent was planning to get rid of Hawk's because he hadn't said anything about keeping the place.

  He'd been avoiding her. She wished she could stop thinking of him. But she couldn't.

  When the young riders trotted out of view, Louise turned from the road to look around the yard. Everything in sight reminded her of Trent. Even the bend of the trees.

  Regardless of how much she tried to deny it, they'd shared something special.

  It wasn't enough though. There was too much between them. The barn, the problems, his attitude, and her dreams. He
was her boss. It all added up to a big fat zero. Louise knew that a romance between them was never meant to be. No matter how hard she wished otherwise.

  She turned to go check on the one horse they still had out back and ran smack into the man she'd been trying so hard to forget. Frustration welled up in her when her body reacted to his closeness as though it didn't know that her head was trying to pretend he didn't exist.

  He didn't move. “I was coming to find you."

  She tried to pull away, but he reached out and took her arms and said, “We need to talk for a few minutes."

  When she found herself noticing that the bright gold flecks in his eyes shone in the sunlight, she tried to pull away again. “Can you let go of me?"

  "I like it this way. I can be sure I have your attention."

  "You always have my attention Trent,” she said revealing much more than she meant to.

  He smiled and Louise's legs sagged.

  "Do I?"

  Too worn out to pretend nothing had ever happened between them, she simply stared at him. “Are we back to games?"

  The smile dropped a touch. “No games."

  "Okay.” She fought for the business tone that always held him back. “What did you want to talk about?"

  This time it didn't work. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night."

  Somehow he always made her forget her resolve. She couldn't hold back her pleasure. Weary of denying her true feelings, she smiled and angled her head toward the barn. “Last time we ate dinner together the roof fell in."

  He chuckled at her teasing. “That's why we have to go out."

  Her arms warmed where his hands covered them. Trying to keep hold of herself, Louise looked over his shoulder. Keeping her gaze focused on his face would only reminded her of what could never be. Any possibility that they'd ever become more than friends was gone. She should be glad for that. How many times had she scolded herself for daydreaming about Trent and wasting time on fantasies of happily ever after?

  He squeezed her arms. “Please, Louise. You're the only thing I've found on this island that makes any sense."

  She glanced at him, and found she couldn't turn away from the vulnerability in his eyes. “I didn't know you were looking for something."