The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe

Author:Mary Alice Monroe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books

TWELVE

August 22, 5:30 a.m.

Freehold Farm, North Carolina

Hurricane makes landfall at Key Largo in northernmost Florida Keys

Hello? Gerta? Are you awake?”

Blinking hard as she held the phone to her ear, Gerta barely recognized Grace’s voice as she turned her head to look out the bedroom window. The red-patterned drapes were open and scant breeze came from the open window. Outside the sky was that hazy gray of dawn.

“I am now.”

“Oh, did I wake you? I’m sorry. I thought you were up with the birds.”

“I took a melatonin last night. I couldn’t sleep,” she added, rubbing the stump of her leg. It still throbbed from the long trip, less now, but enough to disturb her sleep.

“This is a call to action,” Grace began. “I got an urgent call from Katherine Bellissimo. You remember her, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Gerta knew Katherine well. She was a partner of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and they often worked together.

“Then you know she’s also one of the founders of the Tryon International Equestrian Center.” Grace took a breath. “Hurricane Noelle is about to make landfall in the Keys. Then it’s projected to go straight up the Atlantic Coast.”

This news brought Gerta wide awake. She lifted herself on her elbows. “Mein Gott.”

“The Gulf area is sighing with relief, but everyone on the Atlantic side who hasn’t already left is running. An SOS is going out to everyone and anyone to help house evacuating horses. TIEC has already opened up their stables for as many horses as they can hold. They have up to five hundred stalls.”

“That many?” Gerta said on a yawn, rousing further. She well understood what it would cost the center to open and house the horses, then clean the stalls again after they left. Her own horses were being boarded there. “That is more than generous. Katherine’s a saint.”

“She needs our help. The first of the horses are arriving this morning. She’s pulled in all the grooms, but they still don’t have enough help. So . . . will you?”

“Will I what?”

“Help feed and walk the horses. Deliver water. Muck stalls. Whatever it takes.”

Gerta heard the force of Grace’s words. She could be a bulldozer when she was on a mission for good. Gerta wanted to say no. That was not the kind of work she did, not anymore, at least. She’d mucked a lifetime’s worth of stalls. Her father had made certain his children would not be spoiled and that they knew every facet of the horse-breeding business. She and her two sisters rose at dawn and went out with the other stable hands, every morning before school. But that was then. Now she hired others to do it.

“But my leg—”

“Right. You won’t have to muck stalls or carry bags of food, but you could walk the horses. I’m sure they’d appreciate your experience. Katherine’s going to be out there too. We all are. It’s all hands on deck. We all want to pitch in.” She paused. “We need you.”

Grace was right, of course.

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