Forever, I Promise (A Northern Woods Novel)

by Roberts, Charliann

  “I’ll have to return to work tomorrow, Hailey. Do you mind? I know it’ll be Saturday but Nick needs me. Five more rescue horses were to be delivered today but the driver’s truck broke down. He was able to repair it himself and he’s back on the road but with lost time he won’t arrive until morning.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Hailey rolled a tennis ball across the kitchen floor and laughed when Holly chased after it and slid feet first into the bottom cupboard.

  “Monday I think I’ll call the veterinarian to make an appointment for her checkup and ask when she’ll be of age to spay and have a microchip inserted in the back of her neck. I hope she’ll never be lost, but if she was and has a microchip there’d be a better chance of locating her.”

  She certainly loves that dog, Wade thought with a smile. “Sounds like an excellent plan. I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours. He asked me to go in at nine in order to have the stalls ready for them. Hopefully the rescue team will arrive before noon. We’ll get them settled in and I’ll be back. Right now I better get some sleep. Are you all set to call it a night?”

  “Yes, as soon as I take Holly outdoors to potty. We’ll be back in a minute,” she said and picked up the pup. She attached the leash to her collar before she brought her outdoors. She watched as Holly took care of business then praised her before they hurried back in the house and locked the sliding door. It was dark outside; she’d clean up the yard in the morning.

  Hailey scooted Holly into the crate they had purchased. They decided to keep it in the master bedroom alongside their bed so she wouldn’t be lonely. Holly fell asleep immediately.

  “I’m going to jump in the shower before I come to bed, Wade. Also, I almost forgot to tell you. I decided to go to the hairdresser tomorrow for a haircut, perhaps in a different style. Is that okay with you?”

  “Of course, you don’t need to ask for permission to have your hair done. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I’m getting tired and I may be asleep before you join me. If so, I’ll see you in the morning. I love you, sweetheart.”

  “I love you too.”

  Hailey finished in the shower, dried off and applied body lotion before she slipped her nightgown over her head, then entered the bedroom. She walked over to the kennel and checked on Holly who was still sound asleep; so was Wade and she carefully climbed into bed, taking care not to wake him. He snored softly and she snuggled up to him. She loved him dearly and with a smile she wrapped her arm across his chest and soon fell into a deep sleep.

  Morning arrived; the sun had barely risen when Wade glanced at the clock. “It’s six o’clock,” he said softly.

  Hailey sat up and swung her legs to the edge of the bed. “Holly’s whimpering in her kennel. I’m coming sweetie,” she called out, then stood from the bed and yanked on her robe.

  “Do you need any help?” Wade asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m going to run her outdoors before I feed her.”

  “Sounds good; I’d better get moving if I’m going to arrive at Nick’s before nine. I’ll start the pot of coffee while you’re tending to the dog.” He watched Hailey dash down the hallway with the dog in her arms. He was so glad to see it only took a puppy to help mend Hailey’s heart. He went into the bathroom and washed up then returned to dress. He shoved his arms into a long-sleeve plaid shirt then grabbed his jeans and pulled them on before he slid his feet into his cowboy boots. He hurried down the hall and entered the kitchen where he found Hailey on the floor next to Holly’s dish where she sat and watched her puppy eat. He stood next to the counter and observed them.

  “You’re both mighty cute down there, love. Would you like a dish too?”

  “Smart aleck,” she said, and pushed herself up from the floor.

  “I’ll make the coffee while you bring Holly outdoors.”

  “Thank you, Wade.”

  “No problem – coffee is easy to make.”

  “I meant thank you for purchasing Holly. I love her so much.”

  “Yes, I can see that; all I have to do is watch your facial expressions and that tells all. You’re back to being the Hailey I’ve known for the past five years.”

  Hailey walked over to him and he kissed her passionately then gently pushed her away. “Now let me get this coffee brewed, and I’m out of here. I’d like to return by noon.”

  When he was ready to leave he stood next to Hailey and watched the puppy playing with a squeak toy. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders then turned her to face him and kissed her goodbye. “The sooner I get out of here the sooner I’ll be back.” He dug deep in his pocket for his keys. “Who knows, maybe the little one will be taking a nap once I return and we’ll be able to take one too.” He tossed his keys in the air and caught them, slowly moved his eyes over her beautiful body with a grin, then winked at her before he turned to open the door to the garage. “See you later. And have fun at the hairdresser,” he added over his shoulder. He whistled as he hurried to the other side of the garage and climbed into his pickup. He put his Stetson on his head and sensed Hailey was watching him. He threw her a kiss and backed out of the garage, turned the truck around in the circular drive then waved out the window as he took off down their long gravel road.

  * * *

  Hailey’s eyes followed until he got to the bend and was hidden by the trees at the end of their property. She closed the door and leaned against it with a smile then focused on the tuckered pup lying on her back next to the cupboard, all four feet straight up in the air and sound asleep. She carefully picked her up and carried her to the crate before she got ready to go. Her hair had always been straight and she wanted something different. She smiled to herself and thought it would surely give her a lift in spirits along with her cute little Holly. She hated to leave her alone, but she’d most likely remain asleep since she was all tuckered out at the moment. Hailey figured she’d be back in an hour or so.

  One hour later Hailey returned home and the first thing she did was take Holly outdoors, then with the puppy in her arms she charged up to the bedroom and placed Hailey back in the kennel. “Just for a few minutes, baby, and then we’ll go back downstairs.” She stood in front of the mirror several times. She loved her new style. It held a windblown look and the waves were added to make it appear natural even on a windy day, which was quite often in northern Minnesota. She was excited to show Wade, who would return any minute. She decided to change into something other than jeans and a sweatshirt. She entered her walk-in closet and found a pair of navy blue slacks, a blouse the color of sky blue, and black closed-toe slip-on shoes. She sat on the couch in the living room with Holly in her lap then turned on the television while she waited.

  Shortly thereafter Hailey heard the rise of the garage door. She hurried out to the kitchen, set Holly in her bed next to the wall then stood next to the cupboard and waited for him to enter.

  Wade opened the door and walked into the kitchen. He took notice immediately and a smile spread across his face. “Wow. I never thought it possible for you to look more beautiful than you already were,” he said. “Turn around.”

  She turned in a circle. “Do you really like it?”

  “Let me put it this way. You’re too lovely to remain home this afternoon. May I invite you out to eat, Ma’am? I’ll have to be your body guard, but I’ll be the envy of every male in the restaurant.”

  “Well thank you, Sir, I’d love to,” she answered with a curtsy.

  “I’m going to freshen up. I don’t want to smell like a horse while I’m out on a date with a princess.”

  * * *

  When they returned home Wade brought Holly outdoors while Hailey changed into a pair of jeans. It was only four o’clock and the weather was refreshing after there’d been a recent rainfall. They decided to take Holly for a walk across the meadow. Hailey finished putting on an old pair of tennis shoes in case her feet got wet, when suddenly she heard Wade yelling for her.

  “Hailey! Come quick! Holly got lose and ran away from me. Hurry!”r />
  Hailey fled down the short stairway and out to the kitchen. Wade was calling out for Holly from the backyard. “Holly! Here girl! Holly!” He ran around one side of the house and Hailey headed toward the other. She started crying as she took off in record speed.

  “Holly!” she cried out. She met up with Wade in the front yard. “Wade, what did you do?” She yelled at him through her tears. “She might be lost in the woods or may have run out on the road and hit by a car!” She pounded on his chest then grabbed onto his arm and shook it. “My baby! You let my baby go loose! How could you ever do this to me?”

  “Hailey, stop and listen! I didn’t let her loose. I thought the clip on the leash was hooked onto her collar but evidently it wasn’t latched correctly and she slipped from my hands. For God’s sake, I didn’t do it purposely. Let’s go look along the edge of the woods. She may hear us call her if she’s lost and can’t find her way back.”

  Hailey wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her sweatshirt in an effort to dry her tears, although they kept right on flowing. She began to run near the area of trees on the north side, the sound of her heartbeat thrashing in her ears. “Holly! Come back, baby!”

  “Hailey! Wade called. “There she is, running along the gutter!” He pointed and Hailey ran after her. Wade headed for the muddy road to block her off. Hailey was only a few feet away from her and took a flying leap across the ditch and Wade followed. Hailey caught the dog and held her in her arms while they flew headfirst into a huge mud puddle – all three of them!

  Hailey gasped and wiped her face with her free hand, only to cover herself with another layer of mud. Holly tried to lick her cheek clean and both Hailey and Wade began to laugh when they tried to stand up, only to slip and fall back into the muddy trench.

  They were finally able to free themselves. Wade climbed out then reached for Hailey’s hand. She held Holly in a firm grip while the pup tried to squirm her way up to Hailey’s neck. This made them laugh more while she attached the leash to Holly’s collar and they headed toward the house. They were back to being one happy family, Holly included while she waggled her little butt all the way home.

  Chapter Six

  Hailey was in the backyard working in her garden when her cell phone began to ring. She quickly pulled it from the pocket of her jeans and Mariah’s name appeared.

  “Hi Mariah.” She raised herself from the ground where she’d been pulling weeds. She held the phone with her shoulder and brushed the dirt from her hands.

  “Hi Hailey, how are you? We haven’t spoken in quite a while. Wade mentioned to Nick that you have a new puppy.”

  “I’ve been great, thank you, and yes, it’s a Welsh Pembroke Corgi.” She looked across the lawn at Holly. Wade recently purchased a fifteen by ten foot chain-link kennel run for Holly to get her exercise when Hailey was too busy to take her on their daily run. “She’s so sweet, Mariah. Would you like to come over for a visit? Bring the twins along. They’d enjoy spending time with her and Holly loves little children. The breeder told Wade that her grandchildren were always over to see her, mainly to get their “puppy-fix,” so Holly does love visitors.”

  “That would be fun. What time is best for you?”

  “You’re welcome here anytime, you know that.”

  “How about an hour, after I give them their lunch?”

  “An hour is great, but let’s plan on having lunch here. I’ll fix something simple, perhaps soup and sandwiches along with the rice krispie bars I made this morning.”

  “The twins would love it, and a rice krispie bar is one of their favorite treats – how did you know?” Mariah joked.

  “Hey, I was a kid at one time too.”

  “Hah! That was a while ago – you do have a good memory though; just kidding, my friend. We’ll see you shortly,” Mariah said. Hailey said ‘goodbye’ and closed her phone.

  Hailey built an attractive garden and planted so many different flowers it would take hours to make a list of them all. Her favorites were roses, baby breath and gardenias. She also adored her beautiful lilac trees and was thankful for the four acres out back which she used for her garden center.

  Hailey glanced at her watch, then at Holly. The pup sat quietly in her kennel area and waited patiently for Hailey to come for her.

  “Okay Holly, here I come,” she said with a grin and ran to the gate and opened it. Holly flew out like a rocket and danced in circles, so excited to be with her. “Come, my little girl. We’re going to have company soon.”

  Holly followed her into the house and sprawled out on the doggy bed so she was able to keep a close watch on Hailey while she worked in the kitchen.

  Hailey prepared tuna salad sandwiches along with chicken noodle soup. Their lunch was ready when she heard a knock at the door. Holly’s ears stood at attention; she detected the visitors and barked excitedly; with Holly at her heels, Hailey hurried to let their friends in.

  “Hi Mariah,” she greeted when she opened the door. “Oh my goodness Angie and Allie, you’re both getting so big! I guess it’s been quite a while since I last saw you. Come on in.”

  The girls began to giggle at the sight of Holly’s little butt wiggling and her stub of a tail tried hard to wag, though it wasn’t quite as noticeable as the movement of her tiny wiggle butt. They dropped to their knees and Holly enjoyed the fun as she snuggled up to each of the girls and licked their chins. She loved being able to receive so much attention.

  “Come girls,” Mariah said. “We’re going into Hailey’s kitchen. She fixed us lunch and it’s ready.”

  “When we finish eating how would you like to take a walk through my garden?”

  “Sounds like fun. They love flowers, don’t you girls?” Mariah asked. They both nodded and took turns petting Holly.

  “Can we pick some for mommy?” Angie asked.

  Hailey smiled. “Certainly – we’ll even put them in a bouquet for you to take home. As soon as you’re done eating your lunch we’ll go out to the garden and you’ll each be able to choose the flowers you’d like in your bouquet.”

  “We’re having chicken noodle soup?” Allie asked. “How did you know that’s our favorite?”

  “Why, the good fairy told me. She also said you like tuna salad sandwiches and rice krispie bars.”

  “Goody,” they shouted and clapped their hands.

  Before they arrived Hailey knew to set her couch pillows on the kitchen chairs to raise the twins a bit higher. Mariah helped them climb up while Hailey carried their food over to the table. She placed soup bowls on the table and filled each with the chicken noodle soup then placed a few tuna salad sandwiches on a plate and set them on the table where the twins were able to reach them. She then checked around to see if she’d forgotten anything. “What would you like to drink, girls?”

  “Pop!” they said together.

  Hailey glanced at Mariah and raised her brows. “Pop okay with you, or would you prefer them to have milk?”

  “Pop is fine for them, although I’ll take a glass of milk for myself, please. I don’t think pop sounds very appetizing with soup.”

  “We’re gonna start school this year, Hailey,” Allie said excitedly.

  “That’s wonderful! I’ll bet you can hardly wait.” She grinned at each of them.

  When they finished eating their lunch Hailey put the dishes in the sink and glanced at Mariah. “I’ll take care of them later. Let’s go out back and pick those flowers.” She lifted Holly from the floor to prevent her from running loose outdoors. She wasn’t quite old enough to know better than to run off of their property. Hailey put Holly in her kennel run and closed the gate. “Okay, girls,” she said, and they followed Hailey to the stone walkway that led through the flowered archway and into the garden.

  “Oh this is beautiful, Hailey. You’ve put a lot of work into this; and it smells so nice I could sit out here all day.” Mariah sighed and sat comfortably on a steel powder-coated bench with a curved back. It was located in the center of the first circ
le of flowers. “What a fantastic place to get away by yourself for a bit of relaxation.”

  “Hey, you can come for a visit anytime you need a break,” Hailey said, or anytime at all, for that matter.”

  Mariah watched her gather the flowers each of the twins chose for their bouquets. She let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know how you do it all by yourself.”

  “It’s plenty of work, but well worth it. It’s also a plus that I was the manager of Flowers Galore. I learned quite a bit while I was employed there.”

  “Okay girls, I think this will be enough for your bouquets. Now we’ll go into my gardening shed for some damp paper to wrap around your bundles and slip them into a plastic bag. It will keep them fresh until you get home.”

  They followed her out to the shed, the workroom for her garden. She arranged both bouquets before she slid a rubber band around the stems to hold them together. Next she pulled two sheets of paper from a roller attached to the wall above her table, wrapped them around each assortment and slid them into separate plastic bags.

  “You should think about opening a flower shop right here at home,” Mariah said. “Have you ever considered it? You have such a variety of flowers. I think you’d be able to run a fabulous business of your own.”

  “Oh, I’ve thought about it, but it would only be seasonal, with spring, summer and fall. I’d never be able to grow flowers during a Minnesota winter.”

  “Wade loves to build things, Hailey, you know that. He might like the idea of building a greenhouse. There’s certainly plenty of room for it. It would be wonderful – you’d have your own business year-round! You’d have everything you need along with your knowledge of the floral business.”

  Hailey looked out the window of her shed and stared at her garden, the stone path leading to three more large circular arrangements of flowers and potted plants. “It sounds nice, but I think it would be too much to ask of Wade.”