Love & Liberty: Independence Day (Holidays In Hallbrook Book 6)

by Elsie Davis

  “I heard about the search. Would be right special if you found a pair of nesting eagles. I reckon it would bring a lot of attention to our little town, and maybe some more business to the area. Glen Haven is growing, and we need to keep up.”

  “Thanks, I’m hoping to find one, but it’s not easy. Just say a prayer for me.” Ashley ran her credit card to pay for the postage.

  “Well, just think about helping. Every little bit helps.” The older woman took her package and dropped it in a bin with other envelopes.

  It would be nice if she helped. Ashley got as far as the front door before she made up her mind. The community had opened their arms and helped her and Cory out when they needed it. The right thing to do would be to give back if she could. That’s what the spirit of giving and love was all about. It was something she wanted to make sure her son understood as he grew up, and there was no better way to show him than by doing it. Actions always spoke louder than words. And it wasn’t like the Audubon Society was paying her, so there wasn’t a deadline. Other than David and the fire department, that is.

  Ashley stopped and turned back to Mrs. Adams. “Who do I talk to about signing up if I want to help?” She’d make it work. Somehow.

  “That would be Sally Little over at her diner. You remember her?”

  “Of course.” Ashley smiled. “Best peach pie in the county. Who could forget that?”

  “True. It’s nice to have you back in town, dearie.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Adams. Good to see you again. And if you get a chance, pray for the weather to change for the worse.” She grinned.

  “Whatever for? We’re about to have wonderful weather. I’m hoping these pleasant temperatures hold out for the festival.”

  There wasn’t time to stick around and explain. “Never mind,” Ashley said, waving as she left. Turning right, she headed down the sidewalk toward Sally’s. Peach pie sounded delicious, but not for breakfast. Luckily, she had pancakes this morning, or she might have been tempted. Maybe later this afternoon, she’d bring Cory here for a treat.

  Ashley entered Sally’s, the cowbells overhead jingling to announce her arrival. She immediately spotted Sally behind the counter. The woman was full of smiles and good cheer, and always willing to chat with her customers. Some things never changed.

  Ashley picked one of the counter stools to sit on. The red leather cushion, cracked and worn with age, was like the rest of the place—a little worn and outdated—but the diner still had plenty of regular customers, and the place was half full for breakfast. “Good morning, Mrs. Little,” Ashley said when Sally handed her a menu.

  “I don’t believe I… Oh, wait, I do know you. I didn’t recognize you for a second, Ashley Anderson. Heard you were back in town. Oh, and the fire. You poor thing. I’m so glad the town chipped in and took care of you. Haven’t seen that brother of yours this past week, what’s he doing? And call me Sally, for heaven’s sake. You’re not a child anymore.” The woman talked faster than an auctioneer selling cattle, and it was hard to get a word in edgewise.

  “It’s Stanton now. I was married, and I have a four-year-old son, Cory. As to Trent, he’s off on some business trip and supposed to be back in a few days.” Ashley smiled.

  “Well, you tell Trent I got some peach pie waiting for him. He’s one of my best customers. That boy has got quite the appetite, and he likes to bring Maria here. The two are goo-goo over each other and my pie.” Sally winked as if she’d just told Ashley a colossal secret. But everyone knew there were no secrets in Hallbrook.

  “I’ll tell him. I was just talking to Mrs. Adams, and she told me you need more people to help set up the festival. Everyone’s been so kind, and I’d love a chance to return some of the kindness by helping out.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, dear. I’ve got the chart all set up to organize the teams. And I’ve got the perfect place to add you. Oh, and we’re having a committee meeting this afternoon at three. Can you be here?” Sally gazed at her, the question more of a “be there”, not a “can you be there.”

  “Three? I can make it work.” She’d planned on covering two sections, but this was for a good cause. She’d have to come back early today and cover less area and then try to do more tomorrow. Although, she also didn’t want to take advantage of Tricia’s generosity and have Cory stay at her place all day, every day.

  “That would be wonderful, honey. I’m going to go over all the details and give everybody their assignments. Then each of the teams will have a chance to meet and discuss what they need to do amongst themselves to make their tasks easier. If everyone does their small share, the whole project will come together beautifully.”

  “It sounds like you’ve got quite a handle on this,” Ashley said, nodding. Sally Little was iconic in Hallbrook for her organizational talents in the past, but this went well beyond.

  “I can’t take all the credit.” Sally beamed. “I’ve been setting the festival up for twenty years, but now we have an event coordinator in town by the name of Gemma Duncan. She’s the one who knows how to organize like nobody’s business. We’ve teamed up together, and she’s helping me to manage this year. It’s been so much easier.” Sally moved to fill two glasses of soda and dropped them off to the couple sitting a few seats away.

  “Sounds perfect. I can’t wait to meet Miss Duncan.” The sleepy little town was growing if it needed an event coordinator.

  “Mrs. Duncan. Her husband’s the handsome doctor in town. He’s been here almost five years, I reckon. If you or Cory need any medical help, see Dr. Jake Duncan. You’ll be in good hands.” Sally Little was turning out to be a wealth of information. “Can I get you anything to eat?”

  “I already ate at home this morning. I should run, but thanks for all the information. I’ll see you at three.”

  “Sounds good.” Sally picked up a tab and waved.

  Ashley waved back and headed for the door. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the North Summit parking lot that was closest to the area she intended to search today. She strapped on the backpack she’d loaded with her standard hiking gear. Water and power bars, tissues, a first aid kit, her phone, a spare battery pack, a notebook, and a pen. She attached her compass to a belt loop and opened the map.

  Following the main trail, she took short side journeys, always marking her location and returning to the main path. Her hiking boots were a lifesaver, saving her a few times as she tripped over raised tree roots. Always on the lookout for any sign of the eagle, she searched the skies and the trees, stopping periodically to use her binoculars to look high up in the tall pine trees. An eagle’s nest was massive, but typically well hidden.

  The sun-spotted leaves cast flickering shadows on the ground, and the air was cooler under the blanket of cover. Ashley stopped to grab a few pinecones to take home to Cory. It would be fun to use for an arts and crafts project. She remembered making animals out of them when she was a little girl, using colorful pipe cleaners, construction paper, and cotton.

  A woodpecker tapped on a tree nearby, and Ashley searched for the origin of the heavy thudding sound. She was rewarded when she spotted a pileated woodpecker, one of her favorites. More memories flooded her brain, thinking of all the times she’d caught a glimpse of them and then hunted them down with her camera. All in an effort to capture an elusive award-winning shot.

  The air was fresh and clean, and Ashley felt at peace with the great outdoors. She snapped a few pictures along the way, capturing some of the other birds, foliage, and mountain blossoms. She was extremely pleased when she spotted a fox running through the woods who stopped just long enough to check her out, giving her time to capture a photo.

  After several hours, she stopped to eat a power bar and have another drink of water. She glanced at her watch and realized she needed to head back to town soon. It wouldn’t be right to be late for the meeting after she’d just promised to be there.

  Ashley blotted out another gridded area with tiny X’s to mark today’s coverage. She c
ame to an opening that looked out over a large pond. The place reminded her of the description in the report of the sighting. But there were hundreds of ponds in this area.

  The stillness of the woods and peaceful air made the view breathtaking. Ashley stopped to drink in the sunshine and savor the moment. This was part of what she loved best about the woods. The fresh pine scent, the peaceful sounds of birds singing, the squirrels rustling in the leaves as they gathered food and played. Nature was one of God’s beautiful creations, and the woods were one of Ashley’s favorite places to explore.

  Off in the distance, she spotted several large birds soaring through the air, taking advantage of the air current. Her heart beat faster, although she knew from experience, they were more than likely turkey vultures based on the pattern they flew. But until confirmed, there was always the chance. She lifted her binoculars and focused, zooming in on them.

  Turkey vultures. Just as she’d suspected. Ashley was disappointed, but still, even the vultures were fascinating birds when one considered their size and impact on the ecosystem.

  She turned and started to make her way toward where she’d parked, circling back on a lower path to cover more territory. A screeching bird call reached her ears and Ashley stopped, searching the sky. The sound was remarkably like an eagle’s cry.

  Wishful thinking wouldn’t turn it into an eagle. It could have also been a hawk or an osprey. It was challenging for an untrained ear to tell the screeches apart. Ashley marked the spot on her map, anxious to continue her exploration of the area tomorrow. She started to leave, but a red splash of color caught her attention. And then another. And another. Ashley moved closer to inspect and discovered they were flags. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

  The twenty-foot-wide path that had been dug and cleared increased her concern, but it was the logo of the White Mountain Fire Department that confirmed her suspicions. It was the boundary of the burn. After the meeting, she’d have to find David and get him to fix this. There was no way they could burn here until she’d finished her search.

  Ashley snatched up one of the flags and shoved it in her camera bag. She was already going to be fifteen minutes late to the meeting, but considering her discovery, it was worth breaking one of her own rules.

  Chapter Six

  Ashley walked in through the double doors of the community center. The parking lot had been full, but judging by the buzz of voices coming from the meeting room, her late entry wasn’t a problem. Sally Little was in the middle of the room talking to a group of people, and Ashley headed her way to check-in.

  “Hey, Sally, sorry I’m late. I got caught up with a possible eagle sighting just as I was about to leave the woods. I hope I didn’t miss anything.” She smiled at the jovial woman who seemed to be in her element this evening.

  “Don’t worry. You missed the general information, but you’re just in time for the team meetings. I’ve already given out everybody’s spots, and your partner just arrived. There’s three of you on the team, but your brother is one of them, and you said he won’t be here for a few days.” Must have been a short and to-the-point meeting.

  For a sleepy little town, things moved promptly on schedule. But it also meant Ashley didn’t have a clue what was going on, and she’d have to rely on the other teammate to catch her up. “Who’s the other team member besides Trent?”

  “I am,” David said, coming to stand next to her. She hadn’t noticed him when she arrived, which was unusual. Normally, her internal radar went off when he was near.

  “What? Did you have something to do with this, David?” Ashley wouldn’t put it past him.

  “Hardly.” He shrugged.

  Sally shook her head, glancing back and forth between them. “I put together the teams. Ashley, I thought with you just arriving back in town, you might prefer to work with your brother. And since the three of you were all close friends, I decided you were the perfect trio for a team.”

  This wasn’t what she signed on for. She’d rather work with anyone but David. He’d been nice to her, it was true, but it didn’t wipe away the past or the sudden racing of her heart whenever he was near. Better to nix any resurgence of her feelings right away. “But—”

  “No buts, young lady. You three will be fine. It’s just the two of you right now until Trent gets back, so you two can decide the what, when, who, and Trent is stuck with whatever tasks you assign him. He can do the dirty work.” She grinned. “His penalty for not being here this afternoon. I’ve got lots of people to talk to, so here’s your list of things to do.” Sally handed Ashley the paper and walked away, leaving Ashley no chance of convincing the woman to change her mind.

  “Are you okay with this? If not, I’ll work on it by myself until Trent gets here.” David the martyr. She wasn’t the only one sky-writing his lack of interest in spending time with her.

  “Are you saying I’m not capable of pulling my weight?” Ashley pressed, unwilling to let him paint her as someone who didn’t follow through on their promises. Unlike him.

  “I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” David shrugged, his meaning clear. He didn’t want her help, which was even more reason for her to do the opposite.

  “I’m doing this to help the community. And if that means working with you, then I’ll do it. It’s not like there’s anything between us personally, so working with you means nothing. It will be no different than if I was working with Trent.” Not exactly, but Ashley didn’t want him to know that. She was strong and independent, and she could do this. Rise to the occasion. Something she hadn’t been strong enough to do when she was sixteen, letting him walk away without a fight. They may have only dated for six months, but she’d loved him for years.

  His left eyebrow shot up in disbelief. “Fine. Then let’s do this,” David said. “How about I come by your place tonight at six, and we go over the list and break down the details?” She was tempted to tease him about his eyebrow thing, something she’d done lots of time in the past, but she wasn’t quite in the teasing mood.

  “Don’t you mean your place?” Ashley asked. Technically, the garage apartment was his. Or at least his mother’s.

  “It’s your place for as long as you’re living there. We’ve already established that.” David waited for an answer, his gaze never leaving her face.

  “Fine. Bring pizza.” She could do this. Would do this, in fact. Besides, it was the perfect opportunity to discuss the flags she’d found today. Pizza and persuasion were on the dinner menu. David just didn’t know it yet.

  * * *

  David pulled into his driveway and grabbed the box of pizza from the backseat. He made a quick stop to let Kojak out for a potty break, but instead of putting the dog back in the house, he led him up the stairs to Ashley’s place. Cory loved the dog, and it would help reduce tension between him and Ashley. Win-win decision the way he saw it.

  Having her on his volunteer team wasn’t ideal, but he’d make the best of the situation. It was important in his position to be a part of the community, and that meant he couldn’t back out. He’d been more than a little surprised when she’d agreed to his suggestion for tonight, figuring she’d counter his offer with one of her own. Like a public meeting at O’Malley’s. More than likely, it was more convenient for her and Cory to meet here.

  Other than donation drop-offs, he hadn’t seen her. He was busy getting ready for the burn, and she was busy searching for the bald eagle. This morning had been the first time he didn’t have a box to deliver, and he’d found himself missing the early morning greeting and the sight of her beautiful face. He knocked on the door and didn’t have to wait long before Ashley opened it.

  “Right on time, I see,” she said, glancing at her watch.

  “That’s true. But then I remember a certain girl once read me the riot act when I was late a couple of times. I learned a valuable lesson when I was younger.” He grinned and stepped into the apartment.

  “Nice to know I was good for something.
” She shrugged.

  “You are good for a lot of things. Don’t sell yourself short. I’m the one who had the issues. Trust me.” It was nothing short of the truth, and he owed her that much. It’s not like he’d been overly forthcoming when he’d broke it off. But how did a guy tell the girl he loved they had no future together? That his fate was tied to his father’s legacy, and he couldn’t let her be a part of his life because he knew the cost she’d pay if anything went wrong His mother was living proof and a constant reminder of what could happen to those left behind.

  “Here, let me take the pizza.” She reached for the box, changing the subject. Perhaps it was for the best. Wandering into the past wouldn’t be helpful to either one of them at this point. Water under the bridge. The only thing that hadn’t drifted away with the current of time was his feelings for her.

  Cory came running into the room, a huge smile on his face when he spotted Kojak. “You brought him! Hey, buddy, I missed you.” Cory dropped to his knees and hugged the dog.

  “I did, but only as long as your mother doesn’t mind.” David looked up at her for confirmation.

  “Of course, I don’t mind. It’s not every day Cory gets to play with a fire dog,” she teased, her attitude becoming lighter the minute her son waltzed in the room.

  “And it’s not every day Kojak gets to play with a handsome young lad.” David ruffled the kid’s hair. Hair the same color as his mothers. It had always reminded David of dark chocolate syrup. His favorite dessert sauce, of course.

  “Just no throwing stuff in the house. We wouldn’t want to break anything and I’m sure when Mrs. Beckett returns home, she’d like it intact,” Ashley said, using her kind but firm mother voice.

  “What’s in tact?” Cory’s questioning gaze causing his forehead to scrunch. David hadn’t been around kids much other than at festivals and educational experiences offered at the elementary school and at the fire department. It was a fresh view to see life through a child’s eyes. To see the simplicity of it all.