Trent's world narrowed to include only the woman in his arms. Even beneath the smell of smoke and the smudges of soot, Louise was beautiful. Strangely enough, he had the fire to thank for it. It was realizing how terrified he'd been that something might happen to her that made him understand the depth of his emotions. The fire forced him to accept the feelings he'd been burying along with everything else he didn't understand about himself and his life.
He eased her back to gaze into her eyes. She looked as dazed as he felt. Uncertainty clutched his heart and pulled hard. Maybe he was letting his over-stressed mind play tricks on him, but something about her worried expression didn't make sense.
"Tell me what you remember before the fire started,” he asked.
She eased away from him and let out a sigh. Disappointment? Or something else?
"There's not that much to tell. I went down to Hawk's to check things over one last time.” She grinned at him. “To be ready for tomorrow."
Of course. “I figured that much. How did you get up in the hay loft?"
Wind blew over from the lake. She reached up to push her hair back and chuckled. “I climbed up the ladder, same as you."
He almost rolled his eyes. “I meant
why
did you go up in the hay loft."
She lifted her eyebrows. “To get a kitten,” she whispered sheepishly.
"A kitten?"
She nodded. “I heard the tiny mewing and couldn't leave her up there."
"You risked your life for a cat?"
"It was perched on the edge and looked so scared. I haven't seen a mama cat have you?” She lifted her chin. “I didn't notice the smoke until I got up there."
He ignored her question and groaned.
"I realize now it was a stupid thing to do. As soon as I got up there the little critter ran into a corner. I chased after it, but it got even more scared and leapt down by itself."
He threw his hands up. “Figures. This isn't getting us anywhere. Did you see or hear anything that might help us figure out how the fire started?"
Louise turned her head as if to study him. “You think someone started the fire?” She backed away. “You think someone did it on purpose?"
"It's a possibility we have to accept."
"Who, Trent?” She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. “Why would someone want to do that?"
Trent peered at Louise. The outline of her hair glowed in the pale yellow moonlight. She looked soft and delicate. He fought against the desire to protect her, to keep her safe. Caring was too dangerous. He had to stop fooling himself. Putting emotion into a one-way relationship was too painful an experience to repeat.
When he kept staring at her, she frowned.
"Why would anyone care about Hawk's?” she asked. “It certainly can't be a matter of competition. From what I can tell the other stables on the island are doing great."
Louise wanted to take Trent's arms and wrap them around her again and feel the comfort they offered, but she didn't. He was concerned about the fire, so she'd tell him what she remembered. “When I first got to the barn all the outside lights were off, so I didn't see anything. I went inside and checked on things in the rental office. After I was sure that everything was in order, I checked on the tack.
"Then I went down the main aisle to look over the horses. I don't know why I went into the feed room. I guess I, well, that doesn't matter now.” She knew exactly why she'd been wandering around, but she didn't want to tell Trent he was the cause of her restlessness.
When Trent muttered something Louise couldn't understand, she tried not to react. Naturally he was upset about what happened. His whole business could've burned to the ground.
"Anyway, I heard the kitten mewing.” She lifted one hand. “You know the rest."
"You didn't hear anything odd while you were in the hay loft?"
She shook her head. “I'm sorry. I know that's not much help."
"That's okay. We'll find out more tomorrow.” He reached for her hand. “Had enough for tonight?"
As soon as he asked, she realized that she had. She nodded, but hesitated. “Sally's probably heard about the fire by now."
"I'm sure,” he agreed. “News travels fast among the locals."
Louise looked at her fingers wrapped in his. The touch seemed so natural and right, yet so at odds with everything. Maybe she wasn't ready to go back to Sally's. “She'll have a hundred questions."
Trent chuckled. “I'll take care of her. You need a hot shower and a good night's sleep."
With that he pulled her across the tall grass toward the rooming house.
THE LIGHTS FROM inside glowed into the night and cast a golden haze over the porch. Trent and she climbed up the porch steps and Louise wondered if he'd kiss her again. Louise gazed into his expressive eyes and knew that she wasn't going to be disappointed. He brushed his lips across hers then placed a soft kiss on her neck. The contact was too short.
Without saying anything, he pushed his shoulder against the door and gently pulled her inside. In seconds, the older woman was there, pulling Louise into an embrace.
"Louise, honey, are you all right?"
She smiled weakly. “Yes, Sally, I'm fine. Just a little...” She glanced down at her clothes. “Dirty."
Sally moved Louise away to study her at arm's length. “I can see that. My goodness, you're a mess."
Trent stepped forward. “She's going right up to take a shower and get into bed."
"Yes, of course she is,” Sally said.
Louise said goodnight and headed up the stairs. The hushed conversation below followed her all the way to her room.
AFTER LEAVING SALLY'S, Trent went to the stable. Plagued by questions, he was too restless to sleep. Going back to stew in his hotel room was pointless. Maybe he'd be able to get some answers from the burned-out mess waiting for him at Hawk's.
Once he reached the stable, he scanned the exterior. The old buildings loomed quietly in the darkness. Other than the track marks of the fire truck, there was no indication that barely an hour ago the stable had been in chaos.
He leaned on the wall outside the wide doors and listened to the night. When he'd been given the deed to Hawk's he'd had no idea the place would cause of so much grief and confusion. With a shove he pushed himself off, went inside and headed to the feed room without even bothering to flip on the light. A soft sound caught his attention. He paused.
That stupid kitten.
He switched on the bare bulb hanging in the center of the small room. The tiny cat studied him from its perch in the hayloft. It mewed again and he climbed the ladder a few rungs and to reach over and scoop the little thing into his hands.
It purred and sniffed at his fingers.
"Do you know how much trouble you caused?"
Back down the ladder, he put the cat on the floor, but it didn't budge. “Go on,” he gave it a tiny nudge with his foot. It blinked at him and sat.
As if I don't have enough trouble already.
With a resigned sigh, he scooped it up. He grabbed an old towel, shook it out with a few swift jerks, and flipped off the light with his elbow. He'd be back tomorrow to look for something that might give him an idea about how the fire started.
With the ball of fur tucked in the crook of his elbow, he crossed to his office to get an empty box for a bed. A cardboard box lined with a towel wouldn't be as good as a mama cat, but it was the best he could do. He sighed. Then he'd have to see about food and water.
Halfway down the aisle, he heard the sound of voices coming from the office. The noises were so soft he couldn't make them out, but he was fairly sure it was two people. A man and a woman?
He peered through the blackness, but saw nothing. The hair on the back of his neck itched. While his heart thudded in his chest, he strained to listen. The kitten in his arms chose that moment to yowl and leap from his arm. The irritating fur ball scurried through the barn, meowing as it went.
Trent resisted the urge to chase after the cat. Instead he waited, hoping the voices would resume. He stayed in the dark aisle, listening, but heard nothing.
Silently, he moved to the office. Just before he peered inside, he paused, listening for the voices. Still none came.
He swung into the office to find it empty.
Night air scented with early lilacs drifted in through the open window. The desk chair sat under it. Trent slumped against the wall with a groan. Maybe he should nail that window shut.
Someone had set that fire. But who? And why? Was someone trying to scare him off? Trying to force him to sell? Or keep him from selling? For the hundredth time, Trent cursed his father for dumping the mess in his lap as he headed into the night.
LOUISE WOKE UP early on Monday. Her shoulders were stiff, but other than that, she felt fine. Or so she told herself. She took a quick shower to wake up and then tiptoed downstairs. With some luck, she'd get out before being spotted by Sally or one of the other guests.
Describing the fire would take time she didn't want to spend and relating the story would lead to describing her rescue by Trent. Of course she'd never tell anyone what happened after the fireman left, but retelling the beginning would mean reliving the end.
It seemed that she had very few defenses when it came to her handsome boss. If she hadn't been so exhausted last night, she would've stayed awake all night wondering how she was going to manage the impossible and keep things professional between them now.
The truth couldn't be avoided anymore. She'd practically thrown herself at him. Maybe if she explained that she'd been emotionally off balance ... Anybody would've been shook up after what they'd been through. He'd understand. He must have been shook up, too. Why else would he think that someone had started that fire on purpose? It didn't make sense.
Her hopes of quickly slipping out were squashed when she reached the landing and got a whiff of blueberry muffins. Her willpower wasn't that strong. Giving in to the sudden growl in her stomach, she headed to the kitchen and greeted Sally.
The older woman turned from her place at the counter. “You sleep okay, dear?"
"Surprisingly, yes."
Sally nodded as she poured some tea. “It's the island air."
Louise accepted the hot drink her hostess offered and sat down at the solid kitchen table. “You must be right about that, because I feel ready to start work this morning."
Sally popped the muffins out of the tin and placed them in a basket. She set the basket in the center of the table and put a huge slab of butter next to it.
"Eat, Louise. You're going to need some good energy food inside you for what you have planned."
Louise reached for one of the hot muffins, but skipped the butter. If she wasn't careful, she'd gain several pounds eating Sally's delicious food. “How do you know what I have planned for today?"
Sally sat down across from her. “It's a small island, everyone knows everything."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Sally broke the quiet with a question. “Do you know much about Gail?"
Louise nearly choked. She hadn't said anything to Sally about her new employee. “The girl I hired to help out at Hawk's?"
"Do you know another Gail?"
She shook her head and chuckled. “I guess this is a small place."
"What do you know about her?"
Louise frowned. Trent had hinted at her lack of professionalism regarding her new hire as well. She didn't feel like admitting she knew nothing about the girl. The good feeling she had about her would have to be enough. Besides, Gail's position would be a small one and the stable needed another pair of hands. “I know as much as I need to know."
Sally nodded silently, but her brown eyes held speculation. Louise considered asking Sally if she knew something about Gail, but that would be the same as admitting she didn't know anything about the girl she'd offered a job. So she stood and wrapped her muffin in a napkin. “Thanks for the breakfast, Sally."
Sally frowned. “That's not breakfast, girl. Won't you stay for some eggs?"
"No, but thanks. I really need to get over to Hawk's."
Sally leaned back in her chair. “Working hard is good, but don't forget to live your life while you're at it."
Not sure what Sally meant by that, Louise smiled and said goodbye. Within minutes she was on her way to the stable, not quite ready to explain her unacceptable behavior to Trent, but anxious to start work.
TRENT SAT AT a small table in the hotel dining room with his half-eaten breakfast of scrambled eggs and hash browns in front of him. The small clock hanging above the door assured him that Louise was sure to be at work. Louise. Each minute, it seemed, he was thinking about her.
Kissing her had been a mistake. He'd laid a part of himself out, and he had a sinking feeling that piece was about to get thrown out with the rest of the waste from last night's fire.
During the night, when he hadn't been thinking about her, he'd been reliving what had happened later at Hawk's. He needed to find out who'd been in the stable, and why they were sneaking around. Gut instinct told him that whoever had been in the office was connected to the fire. If only he'd been able to hear what they'd said or at least gotten close enough to recognize their voices. He could kick himself for not busting in while they were talking.
Some early morning delivery wagons rolled past. The horses strained to pull the tall load of boxes and crates. The island was gearing up for another bustling season.
Even though he needed to get to the stable to inspect things in the daylight, he was stalling. The one thing he didn't want to face kept tugging at him.
Could the woman have been Louise? It was possible. She could've returned to Hawk's after he'd left Sally's. The old rooming house had several doors and she could've exited without being noticed.
He didn't want to think that way, yet he couldn't help it. Louise had made it clear that she wanted this job. She seemed to want it with a desperation he didn't understand. What possible reason could she have for wanting to manage a run down mess like Hawk's? Could she be in on something?