by Elsie Davis
His mother grinned. “Wonderful.” She stopped to kiss his cheek. “Now, go claim your sweetheart.”
David spent the rest of the morning with his mother, catching up before heading back to Hallbrook. The ride gave him the time needed to work out the details for a plan of attack.
The first person on his list to call was Trent. It was time the two of them had a heart-to-heart. He dialed his friend’s number and was relieved when he answered. “Hey, it’s David. Got a few minutes to talk?”
“I’d say so.” Trent’s voice was crisp with tension, a clear signal he still hadn’t forgiven David for hurting Ashley the way he had. Not that he blamed Trent. He’d be pretty upset if the situation were reversed. But David hoped that their history and friendship would buy him some wiggle room.
“Let’s cut to the chase. I know I was out of line with Ashley the other day. But you and I both know you didn’t want me dating her in the first place, and I didn’t want to date anyone. I didn’t plan for she and I to reconnect while she was in town. I was just as determined to put an end to it as I was before—for all the same reasons.” They’d never discussed the past, and it was time to clear the air.
“But you handled it with concrete gloves. That’s my sister you hurt, and I’ve got a problem with that. The first time, I understood and let it happen because I believed it was for the best. This time, there’s no excuse.” He needed Trent’s help if this was going to work, and that meant putting the issues aside, at least for now.
“I agree. But for now, can we table the rest of the discussion and move forward. I don’t have much time,” David asked, hoping their friendship would count for something. There was a few seconds of silence, but he waited, letting Trent make his own decision.
“Fine. What’s going on? Have you recovered from the smoke inhalation?” Trent asked, his words a good indication he’d accepted the truce.
“Thanks for asking, and, yes. I’m taking some time off. I went to see my mother today. She told me a few things, and we had an eye-opening conversation. I don’t intend to get into it with you now. I’d like to talk to Ashley about it first.”
“Good luck with that. I’m not sure Ashley’s willing to talk to you. And I already told you she’s leaving soon.”
“That’s why I need your help. I want to give her a reason to talk to me. A way to show her how I feel about her. But I need your help.” David couldn’t help but glance up at the skyline in search of the eagle Ashley believed existed.
“What makes you think the third time will be a charm?” Trent asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
“I don’t know how it will end up, but I know I need to try. And my mother pointed out to me that actions speak louder than words. I want to show Ashley that I’ve had a change of heart about a lot of things.”
“So, you’re not planning on hurting her again?” Trent was still in big-brother-protector mode, but David didn’t mind. Not one bit.
“No. I’m planning on marrying her if she’ll have me.” It was true. He’d wasted almost eleven years, and he didn’t intend to wait another day. That is, if he could convince Ashley to trust her heart.
“Wow. Didn’t see that coming. That must’ve been one heck of a conversation with your mother.” Trent’s voice had relaxed and become more friendly.
“It was. Will you help?” David asked.
“We’ve always been best friends, but I’ve been told in no uncertain terms to butt out of her life and that I’ve interfered enough. You’ve got your work cut out for you my friend.”
“Ashley knows?” David’s stomach felt like it had dropped a hundred feet off a cliff.
“She dragged it out of me and isn’t happy with either one of us.”
“Great,” David said, his level of hope slipping a notch or two. Convincing Ashley would be even harder than he’d expected.
“What do you need from me?”
“Ashley’s got a map with all her grids marked out that she’s been using for the eagle search. I need you to snap a picture of it without her knowing. I need to see what territory she’s covered and what’s still needs to be searched.”
“She’s not doing the search anymore. She sent a letter to the Audubon Society with a report of all that’s occurred and let them know she’s leaving town on Sunday for the new job.”
David still couldn’t believe she was leaving. “She might not be searching for the eagle anymore, but I am. And I’m hoping it’ll be more than just me out there.” David needed a whole lot of luck, community help, and answered prayers.
“Count me in, for sure. Ashley had her heart set on finding that eagle and truly believed he was out there, but now, she’s pretty sure the smoke has run him off.”
David also worried about that, but he had to search. Otherwise, none of them would ever know the truth and he didn’t want it to come between him and Ashley. Ever. “We won’t know for sure either way if he’s already gone, but if the eagle is still here, we need to find him. And that means searching the rest of her territories and rechecking the others. A complete search.”
“I’ll head to her place now and see if I can get a picture of it, or better yet, I’ll snag the map, since she won’t be using it anymore,” Trent said.
“Stop in at my place, I should be home in about fifteen minutes. I want to make plans for tomorrow. Right now, I need to make a few more phone calls. I want to show Ashley a little community love, Hallbrook style. But more specifically, my love.” He would pull out all the stops to make this work, for Ashley and their future.
“I’m on it,” Trent said before disconnecting the call.
David was grateful for Trent’s help. Now, all he had left was to pray and hope he found the eagle and could win over Ashley’s forgiveness and her heart.
Chapter Nineteen
Right at seven a.m., David pulled into the South Summit entrance. He was pleased to see several cars already there, one of them Trent’s. Armed with a dozen cups of coffee and just as many donuts, he wanted to give everyone a warm welcome. It was his way of saying thanks to those who’d managed to fit this into their schedule at the last minute.
“What kind of luck did you have rounding up people?” Trent asked him as he approached.
“Six confirmed plus us. It’s a workday, so I’m pretty happy we were able to round up a few. Most of these guys need to get back to work after lunch so we need to step up the plan and do double coverage on the areas searched. What’s Ashley doing? Any chance she’ll show up out here?”
“No. Tricia’s guests left this morning, and her and Ashley are headed to Lancaster for a relaxing day out while Harry watches the kids. It’s a girl’s thing by the sounds of it. Glad I wasn’t invited.” Trent scrunched up his face in distaste.
“Sounds like something good to miss.” David chuckled.
“Where’s Kojak?” Trent asked, looking back at the truck.
“It was easier to leave him home this time, what with trying to coordinate people and the search.” Kojak had pouted and retreated to his bed when David told him he couldn’t come this morning. It had almost been enough for David to change his mind. Almost, but not quite.
“I bet he hated being left behind.”
“Oh, he did. But I promised him a nice long walk later today to make it up to him.” Not that the promise did anything for a sulking dog.
“What’s today’s agenda?” Trent asked as the others who had already arrived formed a circle around them, waiting for instructions.
The group was a little on the sleepy side of seven, and David handed out the coffee and pastries. “We head out at seven-fifteen. Here are the eight gridded areas Ashley hasn’t checked yet. These are the four we will cover today. I’m assigning two people to an area since we have limited time today. I’ve got a copy of the mapped out sections for each one of you.” David reached in his pocket for the maps, giving them to Trent to hand out.
“You need to check treetops, keep an eye on the skyline, and keep your e
ars open. I’ve got compasses for everyone to mark the points you cover in the box.” He pointed to the carton on the ground he’d set there when they first arrived. “The compasses were left over from the kid’s outdoor nature course we taught at the fire department last summer. Nothing fancy, but they’ll do the trick.” David glanced around the group to see if there were any questions.
“What about the extra areas?” one of the guys asked.
“With today’s turnout we’ll cover most of what we need. Unfortunately, I’ve got an appointment and can’t stay out here this afternoon either. I’ll pull a double tomorrow and finish up on Saturday.” It was the best he could do and the only way to cover all the sections before Ashley left on Sunday. David hoped his efforts would be enough to convince her of his feelings and his dedication to her cause. And his belief in her.
“I don’t mind helping. I figure I owe you one.” Trent grinned.
“Glad you think so. But if you keep disappearing right before she’s due to leave, she’s liable to get suspicious. Maybe you can keep me posted about what she’s up to. And don’t let her leave town early. Maybe you could even sweet talk her into staying till Monday.”
Trent nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Ashley’s hunches have always been pretty good, and as long as the smoke didn’t run the eagle off, I’m betting on her gut instinct.”
David sucked in a deep breath as the group all murmured in agreement. His friend’s reminder about the burn and the smoke caught him off guard, and images of being trapped in the fire assailed him. He hadn’t given any thought to returning to the place where it happened.
“David?” Trent caught him by the arm. “Are you all right?”
David forced his attention back to his friend. “I’m fine.” Or he would be once the images stopped flashing in his head. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Pulling the list out of his shirt pocket, he read off the pairings and called out their sections. The sooner they moved into action, the sooner it would quell the sick feeling in his stomach. Or he hoped. “Don’t forget, pictures are critical for proof. Even if it’s just a suspected flyby, take the picture, and we can check later to verify or rule out.”
The group divided and started off, everyone in high spirits, hoping to bring this eagle watch to a successful conclusion, and thereby putting Hallbrook on the map.
David and his partner, Brandon, one of the local law enforcement officers, searched high and low. The next few hours had resulted in many bird and wildlife sightings, but there was no sign of the eagle. They were all due to meet back up at the parking lot soon and none of the teams had called in a sighting—the silence of his phone like a death knell to his high hopes.
Once their allocated time was up, the group met back in the parking lot to compare notes. They dispersed after David reminded them to keep the search efforts from Ashley. The last thing he wanted to do was get her hopes up for nothing. He’d done that enough on his own.
“Trent, make sure you keep me posted what she’s doing tomorrow, especially if she manages to ditch you again and show up out here.” David grinned.
“Will do. And David, let’s let the past go, okay? I know I shouldn’t have come between the two of you, and I’m sorry. But we’re adults now and I’d be proud to have you as my brother. Just thought you should know that.”
“Sounds good to me. But it’s not as if your permission will do me any good now.”
“I know walking away the first time couldn’t have been easy, but this time, if you walk away, it won’t be on my hands. My advice—fight for her. She’s worth it.”
David nodded and let out a deep breath. He was glad the two of them had settled their issues. Now, he just needed to fix things with Ashley. “You’re right, it wasn’t easy to walk away because I love your sister. Always have and always will. You have my word. And I won’t be walking away. This time it will be up to her.”
Trent leaned in and gave him one of those grizzly bear man hugs that only two close friends could share. “Good to hear. You have my vote.”
* * *
Ashley had fun today hanging with Tricia. A relaxing day out had been exactly what she needed. And knowing she had a new job just around the corner had eased her normally tight budget spending limits enough for her to treat Tricia. It was the perfect way to thank her friend for watching Cory every day while she’d gone traipsing through the woods in search of the eagle.
The only problem had been that whenever she thought about the eagle, she thought about the fact she should be out there searching. The idea of unfinished business was driving her crazy. Ashley didn’t have to leave until Sunday, which still left her all day Friday and Saturday.
Once she made the decision to head back in the woods, she felt better about everything. Besides, it would be a good chance for Uncle Trent to have some quality time with his nephew before they moved. Her brother didn’t know it yet, but he’d be flying solo tomorrow. And telling him ahead of time would serve no purpose other than to give him more time to try and talk her out of it.
Ashley poured a glass of iced tea and sat at the kitchen table. Cory was playing in the living room, giving her a chance to check her emails after being gone all day. Pulling out her phone, she checked her account, knowing the HR department from the National Geographic had mentioned they’d be sending her a contract of employment for her to digitally sign and return.
Mostly junk mail, she skimmed through the subject lines, deleting as she went. Ashley stopped on one, the subject and sender catching her attention. La Galleria had finally responded to her inquiry about a showing. She’d all but written them off due to a lack of response. Her heart raced as she opened the email.
Dear Ashley Stanton,
We appreciate you reaching out to us regarding a showing and apologize for our response time. The committee was very interested in your portfolio.
Ashley stopped reading, disappointment washing over her. ‘Was interested’ said it all. Not that it would have mattered now anyway. She was headed for D.C. to be a part of the National Geographic team. But still, it would have been amazing to have her own show.
She was about to hit the trash button when a few of the words down the page caught her attention. …offer you a permanent showing…
Wait. What? Scrolling back to the top she started to read the letter again wondering what she’d missed.
Dear Ashley Stanton,
We appreciate you reaching out to us regarding a showing and apologize for our response time. The committee was very interested in your portfolio. La Galleria is dedicated to presenting our clients with quality works of art and usually bring in collections on a limited basis. However, after much deliberation by the committee it was decided that your collection would be best presented in an alternative fashion.
We would like to offer you a permanent showing location within La Galleria. As your work sells, you would be expected to continue adding other pieces of artwork at the same high quality and caliber as those already in the collection. Please let us know if you’d like to become a part of the La Galleria team here in Boston.
Sincerely,
Tom Duncan
La Galleria Managing Director
Ashley shook her head, the words sending her into a spiral. A joyous, mind-numbing, completely insane spiral. Two dream jobs in the space of a week. She jumped to her feet and spun around in a happy dance.
“What’s a matter, Mommy?” Cory asked, watching her as though she’d gone crazy. Which of course she had.
“Mommy got another job offer and she’s just excited.” Ashley picked Cory up and spun him around.
“Does that mean we get to live here now?” Cory asked, a light in his eyes.
Unfortunately for his sake, it didn’t mean that at all. “We still need to move. Both jobs are in different places, but now we have a choice. Trust me, honey, Mommy will pick the best one for both of us.”
The light in his eyes faded just as quickly as it had appeared. His response took away fr
om some of the joy of the moment, but it wasn’t anything less than she’d expected. To a four-year-old, moving was moving.
“Can I watch Disney?” Cory asked, turning away.
For him, the conversation was over. For her, the conversation in her head was just beginning, because now, she had the problem of deciding which job to take.
Chapter Twenty
By morning, Ashley still didn’t have an answer. She taped up two more boxes and put them in the living room. The amount of stuff she had leaving town wouldn’t come close to filling a U-Haul truck like the one she’d driven across the country to Hallbrook. Now, everything she owned would fit in her car.
From the moment she’d received the email from La Galleria, her world had shifted into a state of inner turmoil. The biggest factor she had to consider in the decision was Cory because what was best for him, was ultimately what was best for them both.
Over the past week, nothing she’d said or done seemed to get her son on board with leaving. It didn’t help they hadn’t seen David or Kojak, but perhaps it was for the best. The excitement she’d thought she’d feel from taking on a new job still hadn’t settled in. Of course, now, the added issue of not knowing which job, wasn’t helping. Neither did the sadness of leaving Trent and Hallbrook again. And David, if she was honest.
Once she decided, Ashley would make it work. There was no doubt that the minute she was back in action taking pictures, she’d be in her element and at peace with the world. And either job she took would allow her to do that.
The people at National Geographic were expecting her soon, but she wasn’t worried about them filling the position if she decided not to go through with the job. There would be hundreds of photographers lined up to take her place. Except it was her dream job and she’d be a fool not to take it.
But then, having her own gallery showing had also been a dream. And this one was even better than anything she’d dared hope for—a permanent showing. Two offers, both wonderful, made the decision next to impossible. But it was one she needed to make. Soon.