by Elsie Davis
Ashley’s phone rang, Trent’s name flashing across the screen. She pressed the answer button, needing a friendly ear to pour out her troubles to.
“Hey, sis. Just thought I should check in on my favorite sister and see how things are going?”
“I’m your only sister, wise guy. And I’ve had the worst day.” She let out a deep sigh. All her efforts to find the eagle had been a complete failure. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe the eagle would stick around with a fire nearby. It’s not like they would understand what was happening to their home.
“Don’t tell me you burned down David’s place, too?” Trent laughed.
“Hardly.” Trent didn’t understand, but his comment was a subtle reminder she needed to remember the blessings in her life as well as the hardship she was fixating on.
“Then what’s going on? I was calling to let you know I’ll be home on Tuesday. That is, unless you need me before then?”
Tuesday was too late to be of use to her, much the same way an injunction tomorrow would be too late. “What I need is someone with connections.” She carried Cory’s plate and glass to the kitchen, multitasking while she walked and talked.
“What kind of connections?” he asked, curiosity in his voice.
“The kind that can get a hold of the judge after hours.”
Trent was silent on the other end of the phone for the space of at least five seconds. “I’ve got connections, and I might be able to get in touch with the judge, considering I’m dating his daughter. What’s going on that you need to reach him after hours? Can’t it wait till morning?”
“It’s an emergency. The eagle I’m searching for could be in danger. The fire department starts the controlled burn in the morning, and it crosses into the area I’m searching. If the eagle is anywhere in the vicinity, he’ll leave. And what if the nest is in the area they’re burning? It could kill an immature eagle not ready to fly. We can’t let them destroy the eagle’s habitat.” Ashley poured every ounce of emotion she had into her passionate plea for help. Trent was her last hope.
“By them, I take it you mean David?” Trent asked, zeroing in on the other problem with getting him to agree to help.
“Yes. He’s in charge of the controlled burn, and he won’t listen to me. Instead, he goes on and on about doing his job.” It’s not that she didn’t understand his position, she did. But there had to be some wiggle room in between what they both wanted.
“Listen, Ashley, I’m not sure about this. Asking for a favor is one thing, but you’re also asking me to step in between you and David, my best friend. That’s putting me in a tough place.”
“But I’m your sister. Your allegiance should be to me. I’m only asking for a few more days.” More like a week, based on the territory she had yet to cover. But Trent didn’t need to know the specifics.
“Tell you what I’ll do.” Trent let out a deep breath. “I’ll call the judge and ask for a hearing. He won’t grant the injunction without one. But if he grants you a hearing, it should give you a forty-eight hour temporary injunction. You’ll both present your sides, and the judge will decide how to rule. David will be furious, but it’s the only way I know to keep me out of the decision process.”
Ashley’s heart raced with renewed hope. “I love you. I love you. I love you. Thank you. You won’t regret this, I promise.” Not that she had any idea whether he would or not, because there was no way to know how this would all play out.
“Now you love me. I see how it is.” Trent was back to his normal teasing. “But, Ashley, remember it could only buy you forty-eight hours. You need to find the eagle or have solid proof he exists. The judge won’t budge on this one if you don’t.”
The reminder of the time constraint dampened her spirits considerably. But she’d make it work because she had the power of positive thinking on her side. Look how far it had gotten her tonight. “I’m on it. I’ll be back out there first thing in the morning.”
“Oh, and one other thing, Ashley. I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell David I’m the one who pulled this off for you. It would be better all the way around if I’m not involved.”
“That’s fine. Whatever you want works for me. I find it interesting though that you’re close enough to the judge that you can just call him. I thought you said you and Maria weren’t serious?”
“Well, actually, we are exclusive. And it is serious.”
“Nice.” Ashley was more than a little surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” She shook her head, hurt that he hadn’t said anything. It’s not like she’d unloaded on anyone about her divorce, so his assumption she was in a dark place stung. Far from it, truthfully. During the past week, she’d come to realize more and more it was for the best.
The truth was, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever been in love with Joe. She’d loved the security and fun he offered, but real love? Time had proven they weren’t suited. Something she would have figured out before she agreed to marry him if she’d paid closer attention.
“Goodnight, Trent. Make your call and let me know how it goes.”
Forty-five minutes later, a text notification chirped on her phone.
Trent: Mission Accomplished. Except thirty-six hours based on timing. Court hearing Friday 8 a.m.
* * *
Knock. Knock.
David glanced at his watch. Nine p.m. was a little late for somebody to come knocking at his door. His first thought was he was needed at work, but they would have called.
Ashley.
Woof. Kojak let out a low-pitched bark, raising the alarm. The dog glanced first toward the front door and then at David, who quickly moved to answer the door, worried something was wrong. He was surprised to see Sheriff Haskins standing there but was relieved there was nothing wrong with Ashley.
“Evening, Wyatt. What brings you out my way? I would have thought you’d be home by now,” David said, reaching out to shake hands.
“I would’ve been if it wasn’t for your tenant,” Wyatt grumbled.
“My tenant?”
“Ashley Stanton.” Wyatt tapped the envelope he was holding against David’s chest. “I don’t know how she managed to pull this off, but that little lady put a stop to the controlled burn tomorrow.” Wyatt shook his head.
“What do you mean?” David frowned, taking the envelope, but unsure what to think. He pulled the envelope open and slid out the document.
“It’s a temporary injunction. She managed to buy herself thirty-six hours before you two have a court date Friday morning. You get to face off with Ms. Stanton, and the judge will make a ruling on whether to extend the injunction on the burn for another week. Sorry, but I had to deliver the news once I got the call.” Wyatt removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. We’ve been planning this for close to a month, and Ashley can put a halt to it within hours? Two days may be too late, a week is out of the question. We’ll be smack dab in the July 4th festivities.”
“Little lady must have some friends in high places, I reckon. At least he didn’t give her the standard forty-eight. That would have pushed it to Monday morning.”
Trent. It wasn’t exactly a secret his best friend was dating the judge’s daughter. And as angry as he was at Trent for doing this, he also realized Ashley was his friend’s sister. A person that also deserved his allegiance. Trent had been caught between the two of them, something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
“This is ridiculous, but I’ll call Chief Anderson and let him and everyone else know that the burn is off tomorrow. Let’s just hope the weather cooperates and we can do it right after the hearing.”
“Have a good night, David. I’ve got to get home to the wife.” Wyatt stepped out the door and onto the front porch.
“Send her my apologies for you being late.” David waved as the man got in his patrol car and backed out of the driveway.
He looked down at the paper he held in his hand. A temporary
injunction. The only reason Ashley even knew something like that would work was that he’d opened his big mouth about it. David hoped it wouldn’t mean they couldn’t complete the burn until fall because the idea of a wildfire in summer was a firefighter’s worse nightmare.
An out-of-control fire wouldn’t save her eagle, either. David cared about the forest and the animals that lived in them. But he also cared about the people in the community. It was a hard job balancing both. But seeing as Ashley had found a way to get around him for two days, he’d say she won this round. But unless she came up with a bald eagle between now and the court hearing, nothing would change.
David pressed the speed dial for his boss, not looking forward to the call at all. “Hey, Chief. I just got served with temporary injunction papers stopping the burn tomorrow. I’ll alert the guys on duty tonight and send messages to everyone, so they know the change in plans.”
“What happened?” Chief Anderson demanded. “What’s going on? We’ve had this thing planned for a while, and the weather’s finally right. If we miss this, we could be done for the season.” Nothing David hadn’t already thought about.
“A woman by the name of Ashley Stanton is what happened. She’s working with the Audubon Society in search of a bald eagle or a nest to establish the accuracy of a reported sighting. Apparently, her search area connects with our burn area. She hasn’t found anything yet, and this is just a stall tactic. Unfortunately, we do have to play by their rules.”
“A bald eagle, huh? It’d be great if we had one. But do you know how many times somebody sees an osprey and claims they saw an eagle?”
“I have a pretty good guess the number is high.” David was positive it was true.
“I don’t like it when something like this gets in the way of us doing our job. Not to mention, if the people of Hallbrook and the surrounding towns find out what she’s up to, they’re liable to rally on her side. We don’t need the locals pitted against the fire department. We’ve worked hard to maintain good relations with the community. You need to see what you can do to smooth things over. Talk to this woman.”
“Trust me, I’ve talked to her,” David said, knowing the chief wouldn’t like his answer. And talking didn’t matter now, not with the temporary injunction in his hand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chief Anderson fired back.
“Ashley grew up right here in Hallbrook. Moved to California right after high school. She’s Trent Anderson’s sister. Not to mention, for full disclosure, I used to date her in high school. Things didn’t work out. And…she’s also living in the apartment above my garage as of right now.”
“What? Are we mixing business and pleasure?” Chief Anderson asked, authoritative concern in his voice. The man ruled by the book and expected others to do the same.
“Absolutely not, sir. She was burned out of the house she was renting, and I offered her a place to stay. My mother’s currently not using her apartment. Nothing more than a favor for my best friend’s sister.” David knew it wasn’t true, but the chief wouldn’t want the truth. Ashley Anderson was still very much deep in his heart, and he’d offered the place to stay because the opportunity to have her close had been a temptation too great to pass up.
“See that it stays that way,” Chief Anderson ordered.
“Yes, sir.” If only it were that easy.
Chapter Eight
Ashley dropped Cory off at Tricia’s house bright and early, trying to get a jump start on the eagle search. She really needed to cancel her meeting with David this afternoon at the community center. Except she didn’t dare, considering she’d already put a kink in one of his plans. It’s not like she was here to make his life miserable. She was just doing what needed to be done, and that meant honoring her commitments—even if they were at odds with his.
When she arrived at the South Summit parking lot, she breathed a sigh of relief when there was no sign of David or the fire department. She quickly went to work, hoping to get through another section. By three p.m. she’d seen a fox, two rabbits, six deer, and umpteen songbirds, but no eagle.
There were only eleven more gridded sections left to check that centered around the reported sighting. Eagles could cover significant distances, but if Ashley didn’t turn up any evidence soon, it wouldn’t matter.
David hadn’t even bothered to call. Ashley couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. He was probably more than a little ticked at her. She was late arriving to their meeting, but she half expected him to be a no-show. Pulling into the parking lot, she quickly realized the error of her thinking when she spotted his black truck. She slid out of her car, only to discover he’d already spotted her and made his way over to where she parked.
“I was wondering if you’d have the courage to turn up today,” David said, getting straight to the point. No hello, or how do you do or anything. Honestly, she hadn’t expected anything else.
“Me? Courage? Why would I not show up?” Ashley bristled at his implication, even if she had considered doing the no-show act. But it wouldn’t have been for the reasons he suspected. She had eagle work to do and a time limit unless the judge extended the temporary injunction.
“Perhaps a sense of guilt for sabotaging the controlled burn this morning?” David shrugged.
“Oh, that. I just did what I had to do. I have no remorse. It’s not like I got it canceled. Yet. The judge will decide that tomorrow morning.” Ashley grabbed her backpack and lifted the straps over her shoulder. “I picked up the flyers from Sally’s,” she said, handing him one of the boxes. “We can each take a box and work separately.” Together, yet apart.
“All you’ve done is stall the inevitable. You’ve got nothing, and we both know it. And finding a bald eagle in the White Mountain National Forest is like looking for an American Beetle. Odds are against you. Admit it.” David drilled her with an intense gaze, willing her to tell the truth.
She’d always been honest with him and couldn’t find it in her heart to be anything but truthful. “Okay, fine. I admit it. But it doesn’t change anything.”
His left eyebrow rose a notch, causing her to grin. “It’s nice to see we can agree. I told you I would abide by the rules. So now the burn waits until Saturday.” David’s matter-of-fact response surprised her.
Maturity sat well with him. Not that he’d ever been immature, not that she could remember. At least, not since his father died. It was just that she hadn’t expected him to be so obliging. “Just for the record, I’m not an entomologist, so I have no idea what you meant.”
“Neither am I. I only knew the reference because it’s something I picked up in one of my forestry classes. The American Beetle is endangered and harder to find than a bald eagle.” David grinned.
“So, you’re okay with this?” She nodded toward the flyers. “Working together?”
“Absolutely. We’re both adults here last time I checked,” David teased.
“I’ve noticed. But we were both adults the last time you walked away, so my experience with you isn’t good.”
His teasing smile vanished. “Ashley, I thought we agreed not to go down that road.”
It hadn’t been a nice thing to say considering how generous he’d been to her, but deep down, she still hurt. Which was a problem because it meant she still cared. She’d crossed into the forbidden territory, but for the life of her, she couldn’t stop the next question. A question she’d waited over eleven years to ask.
“You never explained why you broke it off with me. Maybe I’d like the same closure you seem to have. Maybe, after all these years, I want to know what changed your mind. It’s not like I had a real explanation back then. No discussion. Nothing.” Tears welled her in her eyes, making him appear blurry. She brushed them away furiously, hating for him to see her weakness.
“Knowing wouldn’t have changed anything. It was better for you to hate me. I thought it would make it easier for you to move on. And you did. You’re an amazing photographer with a wonderf
ul son. All things that might not have happened if we’d stayed together.” David stepped closer, one hand coming up to cup her cheek softly. “What’s important for you to know is that I really did care about you. I cared enough to do what I thought was right all those years ago.” His thumb brushed away a fresh set of tears that trickled down her face.
“You’re right. I’m just an emotional mess over the eagle. Sorry,” Ashley said, pulling away from him, needing to end the moment. Better to put on her brave face. David was an expert at non-answers, and she knew now more than she knew back in high school. But there was no way she was buying into the fact he’d done it for her. No, he’d done what he wanted to do.
David turned and walked back to his truck, opening the door to let Kojak out.
Finally, something else to talk about. “Do you take the dog everywhere?” Ashley asked when he returned.
“Just about. Kojak’s not much into stapling and hanging, but he’s good for entertainment.” David smiled, probably just as eager as she was to find common ground that didn’t test emotional limits.
“I guess that means we’re walking the streets to hang the signs?” It would be the better option to accomplish their goal, rather than hopping in and out of the car. The only problem was the long hike she’d already taken today and for the past several days. Her sore muscles were starting to catch up with her, not that she’d complain to David.
“You got it. It’s not like Hallbrook is that big. And when we finished here, we can head over to Glen Haven and do the same thing.”
Ashley groaned. “That’s fine. I’m sure you’ve got it under control.” And for once, she didn’t mind.
They started down one side of Main Street, Ashley careful to keep an eye on the cracks that jumped up out of nowhere on the sidewalk. And then there was the occasional pedestrian out for a walk or shopping she tried to avoid bumping into. From lightpost to alternating lightpost, they moved down the street at a good clip, each doing their own thing. It gave Ashley plenty of time to think and remember far too much of the past.