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
"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
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