AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Three
The ferry moved themacross the Straits of Mackinac in a little less than twenty minutes. As the boat cut up toward the dock, her eyes shifted across the first views of the island: gorgeous, old-world buildings that made her feel as though she had stepped back in time. Horse-drawn carriages clopped down paved roads, and horses whinnied and tossed their noses dramatically. Elise hung herself so far over the edge of the boat, taking pictures, she felt on the verge of tipping over.
Down on the dock, one of the workers handed over her suitcase, and she spun round to blink out at the sea of hotels and BnB workers who had arrived to greet their guests. Elise had booked a room with a view at the Willow Grove Guest House, a bed and breakfast that was located on the far end of Main Street. After a moment’s search, her eyes caught sight of the sign associated with the Willow Grove. Beneath it, a man swung the sign and performed the same action she did. They were searching for one another.
“Excuse me? Willow Grove?” Elise asked, stepping toward him. The man was perhaps fifty-five, maybe sixty, with a slight hunch to his back and had kind, hazel eyes. The moment Elise asked the question, a huge smile swept over his face.
“Yes! You must be Elise,” he beamed.
“I am,” Elise said. “And you are?”
“Connell,” he replied. “I operate the Willow Grove. Not the owner, thank goodness. Too much work for my taste. I like to take it easy.”
Elise laughed good-naturedly. “I appreciate you coming down to the dock to pick me up.”
“Of course! I especially like to greet those who come to the island for the first time,” he said. “I like to see it through your eyes.” He spread his arms outward and gestured. “What do you think so far?”
“Ha! From here, it looks so beautiful,” Elise answered.
“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, darling,” he said. “Come on. I came over in a horse and buggy if you can believe it.”
“I hardly can,” she replied, following him to the horse and buggy.
Connell assisted Elise onto the back row of the carriage and then hopped in beside her. One of the BnB employees sat up front, with one of his hands wrapped around the reins and the other scanning his cell phone. This was funny. In what world had anyone ever driven a carriage while looking at a phone?
“Marvin, hey. We’re here,” Connell said, clearly disgruntled. “Elise, this is my son. He doesn’t like to pay attention to me. Marvin!”
Marvin cut up, stabbed his phone into his pocket, and gave Elise a big smile, one that looked every bit like his father’s. “Sorry about that. I’m having girl troubles.”
“He always has girl troubles,” Connell said apologetically.
“What kind of girl troubles?” Elise asked.
Marvin was clearly a teenage heartthrob. He gave a dimpled smile and said, “What can I say? The ladies love me, but I can’t give them everything they need.”
The carriage bucked forward, cutting into the light carriage traffic and carting Elise, Marvin, and Connell down Main Street. The air was vibrant, filled with the smell of fudge shops, coffee shops and little burger joints and, of course—manure, which was a natural thing in this place that seemed to look like they were back-in-time.
“I hope you don’t mind it,” Connell said. “Some of the guests really mind it and ask me what I can do to fix it.”
“That’s crazy! It’s not like you can do anything about hundreds of horses,” Elise said, laughing.
“That’s what I try to tell them, but they don’t always like the answer.” Connell’s grin widened. “How long did you say you were staying? I forgot to check the booking.”
“A week, I think,” Elise explained.
“Stay as long as you like. It’s toward the end of summer now, and guests won’t filter in as much,” he said. “We could use a bit of your energy on the island. We’re always so exhausted at the end of the summer season. It’s not that all the tourists are angry or anything. We have a great time, don’t we, Marvin?”
Marvin made a noise with his throat.
“But by the time September hits, we need to rest,” Connell finished.
“I can understand that. I need a bit of rest myself,” Elise said.
“What is it you do, Elise?” Connell asked.
“Oh. I’m...” She considered this for a moment. “Well, I’ve worked as a screenwriter for many years.”
Connell looked dumbfounded. “For television?”
