Blazing the Trail (Sunshine & Shadow Book 5)

  Sunshine & Shadow 5

  Blazing the Trail

  Novella by Alie Williamson

  Copyright @ 2015 Alie Williamson

  All Rights reserved

  Published by POWWOW Books, Canada

  Cover photography: Monika Paterson

  Models: Tyler Bergeron and Nicole Cromarty

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  The aisle was decorated in white lilies, April’s favorite. The people lining it turned in their seats to look at her. Cameras were out, flashing in her eyes. She looked past all of it, at the man whom she was about to marry.

  She walked alone, one step after another, focusing on Lex, keeping her head high and trying to hide the fear that was coursing through her veins. She reached the altar but something didn’t feel right.

  The music was too loud, drowning out the preacher as he spoke. Why hadn’t the music stopped yet? April leaned closer to him and looked at Lex. He was smiling, but something about his smile seemed tight, forced.

  She turned towards the crowd and scanned the front row. Where was Kip? Not seeing his face, her heart began to beat faster. No. She couldn’t do this without him. April’s breath seemed stuck in her throat, her head pounding. Her eyes scanned once more, coming up empty. Turning back to Lex, she could feel the panic setting in. He was frowning.

  “Lex? Where is he?” April grabbed his arms as her heart started beating even faster and her eyes drifted shut. Her voice sounded like it came from far away, like her eardrums were blocked with something. She slid to the floor and the crowd clapped.

  “No!” April gasped, losing her hold of Lex’s tuxedo jacket and feeling him pull away.

  Lex stared at her and hot tears ran down April’s cheeks. She reached for him, her fingers grasping at the air.

  “Lex! Lex, please! You have to help me find him!”

  The crowd was still clapping and April turned her tear-stained face to them. They were smiling, laughing. April frantically searched for her family. Her dad was hugging her mom, grinning from ear to ear, holding his wife in his arms like he never wanted to let her go.

  For a moment, April paused; it was the first time she had seen her dad grin like that in a long time. Simon Cooper was a very composed man.

  She had to find Kip. He was the only one who could help. Kip would know what to do. She just had to find him.

  From behind her, Lex began to laugh and cheer with everyone else.

  When she looked at him, April’s eyes began to drift closed, the lack of oxygen taking its toll.

  “No!” she tried to scream. “No! Lex, please! Please, help me! Lex!”

  April looked up and watched him walk calmly away. The crowd was still cheering; smiling like the day had gone exactly as planned.

  “No! Someone help! Please!” She felt her eyes shut. She couldn’t breathe.

  She forced herself to look at the sky and, using her last breath, ripped a scream from her own throat.

  April sat straight up in her bed.

  The memory of the dream rushed into her mind and she put her hand to her forehead. It was clammy. She sighed. Another nightmare.

  Checking the time, she leapt from the bed. She pulled her jeans on and cursed herself for forgetting to set an alarm for the third time this week.

  She dialed Lex’s number and got his voicemail.

  “Hi, Lex. It’s April. I’m just wondering if you could do me a favor. I’m running late and it would be great if you could stall for me with Damian. I’m assuming you’re already there, or else…you would have picked up your phone. So…yeah, thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

  She hung up and wondered if Lex had heard her voicemail from the previous night.

  When she arrived on the movie lot, April was greeted by Damian standing outside, tapping his foot. He looked pissed.

  “Hi,” April said, as she approached him, pulling her purse higher up her shoulder uncomfortably.

  “Again?” Damian said, his face stern.

  “I’m so sorry. I forgot to set my alarm.”

  “That’s the third time you’ve been late this week, April. What the hell is going on?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, following him into the barn. “I’m not really sleeping very well and…it doesn’t matter. I won’t be late tomorrow.”

  “We actually don’t need you tomorrow.”

  “But…it’s the last day.”

  “Yeah, and most of the horses are being picked up. Lex and Violet are coming in to go over a few things with Campbell, but there won’t be any horses on set. I can handle things in the barn without you.”

  “Okay…”

  “Oh and find some time today to take Benny into the hills. I think he’s getting pent up. It doesn’t look good for the owners to show up and the horse is in a state. But right now, you’re needed on set. Well, ten minutes ago you were needed on set. You know they can’t start without one of us there. And I’m swamped.”

  April turned on her heels and headed in the direction of the set, knowing they had probably waited for her to start filming.

  When she entered, she could see Violet and another actor standing in front of the screen. Lex was sitting in his chair behind Campbell. He leaned on his fist, looking annoyed. A member of the crew locked the double doors behind her with a clang.

  “Thank you for coming, April,” Campbell said, irritated. “We can finally begin. Action!”

  April nodded apologetically and went over to Lex.

  “Hey,” she whispered.

  He nodded to her, intent on the scene in front of him.

  She exhaled and sat beside him, watching Violet act with slight envy. The other woman was truly flawless. Her voice was like velvet, her movements’ fluid.

  “Cut!” Campbell shouted. He turned to Lex. “Did you like that? Good?”

  Lex nodded, smiling at him.

  “Everything look okay to you, April?” Campbell asked.

  April smiled. “Yeah, the horses look gre...”

  “Take five everybody!” Campbell said, interrupting her.

  April exhaled and looked at Lex. “How’s it going?”

  “Fine,” Lex said, nodding.

  “I, um, don’t have to work tomorrow, so did you want to come over for drinks tonight?”

  “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Oh…Did you get my voicemail?”

  He glanced at her sideways. “No, I didn’t.”

  April stood in front of him. “Are you pissed at me or something?”

  Lex finally looked her in the eye, his face quickly changing to a smile. “Of course, I’m not. I’m just...focused that’s all. Sorry.”

  She let out the breath she had been holding. “It’s okay. Do you have any time today to come for a ride? I’m going to take Benny out.”

  Lex shook his head. “No time today.” He made eye contact with someone behind April and stood up. “I will come tonight though, okay?”

  She nodded, forcing her face to smile through the disappointment.

  Damian took over for her on set and April busied herself in the barn until lunch time. She mucked stalls and wiped off tack. She even tidied the staff lounge; anything to avoid going back into the studio.

  After wolfing down her sandwich, she rushed to Benny’s stall and tacked him up in record time. Leading him from the barn, she got a few looks from the grooms, but she was used to it by now. She ignored them. Only one more day.

  The hiking trails on the Hill all intertwined, and it was easy to get lost. April counted on Benny’s ho
ming sense to get her back to the lot. She headed up the steepest one, a trail not many hikers dared to attempt. She wanted to tire the horse out and climbing was one of the best ways to do it.

  April didn’t have to worry about meeting people along the trails, as she had when she was with Lex. No-one knew who she was. No-one recognized her. She could happily slip past people without uttering a word.

  Benny was spritely; April could tell what Damian had meant. He pranced sideways down the hills, slipping in places and causing April to catch her breath. She rode through the trees, closing her eyes and imagining she was back at Blue Haven, on Chinook.

  Her heart fluttered at the thought.

  She tried to guess what was happening back at the ranch; who was where, and doing what. But she couldn’t. And that made her sad. She should be able to imagine. But her mind was a blank.

  She trailed her finger over the supple leather saddle horn. Everything was too new, too oiled, and too stiff. She missed her comfortable barrel saddle back home, with the rips and tears that reminded her of memories she had long forgotten. It was molded perfectly to fit her; the stirrups the right length and the seat nicely curved. The flower engravings on the skirt were almost unrecognizable now, covered in tiny scratches from riding through low brush.

  April sighed and turned Benny around, back the way she had come.

  “Well boy, guess I just make the most of it, right?”

  The horse snorted.

  April chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on.”

  She urged the horse forward into a relaxed lope. The meadow opened up ahead of them and he lengthened his stride, pushing with his hind legs to drive his body forward, into the rustling grass again and again. April could feel the power in this horse. He was magnificently graceful though, even in his gallop. His feet didn’t seem to touch the ground; she could float in the saddle like he was flying through the clouds.

  At the other end of the meadow, a couple stood. April slowed Benny down and passed them at a walk, smiling slightly. She approached the gates and unlocked them with her keycard. It was already close to 3:00 pm so, after untacking Benny and turning him loose in his stall, April grabbed her bag from the staff lounge. As she passed each horse, she fed them a mint from her pocket, saying her farewell and trying not to be sad. She took one last look around the barn and headed to her car.

  As she jumped in and started the ignition she received a text from Lex.

  From: Lex Mitchell

  Hey April. Just wondering what time I should stop by tonight?

  Lex

  April quickly typed a reply, telling him anytime, and put her phone in her purse. She drove through the streets of L.A in a daze.

  Something was going on with Lex. Something wasn’t right. Maybe tonight she would have a chance to bring it up, see if he had noticed it, too. She wasn’t sure what it was; maybe it was stress, or worry about something. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping, and that was making him edgy. Whatever it was, she had to find out if she could help; she hated the thought of him being upset.

  April switched on the television when she entered the cottage. CMT was playing country music videos and she sung to herself, puttering around the kitchen, washing dishes. She had a sudden thought.

  She should surprise Lex by cooking a meal for the two of them; maybe that would bring a genuine smile back to his face.

  Searching the refrigerator, April pulled out her ingredients and set about chopping and dicing vegetables. She danced as she cooked, swaying this way and that. She checked her phone after a few hours.

  6:00 pm.

  Hmm. She wondered what time Lex would show up; maybe she should have asked him before cooking.

  The casserole was keeping warm in the oven and she slid onto the couch after pouring herself a glass of red wine. She took a sip and turned the television over to Entertainment Tonight. They were doing a segment on Lex and Violet’s expected child and she sighed.

  It seemed no matter where she looked she couldn’t get away from the fact that Lex was having a baby, with someone else.

  April switched the television onto a Cops marathon and relaxed into the cushions. She checked her phone again.

  6:11pm.

  It was going to be a long night.

  April awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She had fallen asleep on the couch.

  “Hello?” Her voice was rough.

  “Hey baby.”

  “Hey dad. Why are you up so late?”

  “Late? It’s 6:00 am, honey.”

  April checked the clock on the satellite receiver. “Oh my goodness.” She put her hand to her forehead. “I slept the whole night on the couch.” She couldn’t remember what time she had fallen asleep.

  “Why would you do that?”

  “I was waiting for...I was...” April paused. She didn’t want her dad to worry so she revised her story. Stay as close to the truth as possible; that was what Kip had said. “I fell asleep watching Cops.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Dad, if it’s only 6:00 am, why are you calling me?”

  “I was planning on leaving a message. I thought you’d be asleep.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  April stood up and went to put a pot of coffee on. She rubbed her neck; sleeping on the couch wasn’t the best idea.

  “Yeah, honey. Everything is fine. I was just thinking about you, that’s all. And I wanted to tell you that we love you.”

  “That couldn’t have waited until later?” April laughed. “No offense, dad. But I thought it was gonna be something dire.”

  “I guess my father’s intuition was wrong.”

  “What do you mean?” She sat at the dining table, holding her cold glass of orange juice between her hands.

  “I just had a feeling something was...not right, with you. But you seem fine. You’re okay, right?”

  April took a deep breath. She hated lying to her dad, but she knew he was protective, and she didn’t want him to worry.

  “I’m fine, dad,” she said.

  She heard her dad sigh. “Okay. Good. I just...wanted to check.”

  “Thanks dad. I appreciate it. How is...How is everything there?”

  “Good,” her dad answered gruffly. “The guys have started getting the horses back in shape before spring. They’re enjoying themselves.”

  April smiled, her eyes filling with tears. She wiped them away, surprised at the reaction. “That’s great, dad. And how’s...Kip? Does he still...hate me?”

  Her dad paused. “No, he, um...He actually brought a girl over for dinner the other night. Been seeing quite a lot of her recently. She seems like a nice kid...Be good for him to find someone to make him happy.”

  “That’s great,” April lied again. Her heart began to ache. She missed Blue Haven more than she had allowed herself to admit. It hurt to think about everything she was giving up. And for what? So that Lex could ignore her, and then stand her up? For the first time since arriving back in L.A, April wondered if she had made the right decision, or if she had chosen a path that would only lead to heartbreak and disappointment.

  “He misses you, though,” April’s dad continued.

  “He said that?”

  “Well...no,” he said slowly. “But I can tell.”

  “Father’s intuition again?”

  “No, not this time.”

  “Is he sad?”

  “No...He seems pretty happy.”

  “That’s good.” April bit her lip.

  “Hell, baby, I think I’m the one who misses you the most. But...I know why you left. I know you had no choice. I just...honey, we all really miss you, ‘is all.”

  April’s eyes filled with tears again. “I miss you guys too. More than you know.”

  Her dad coughed into the phone. “So how’re things with Lex? Is he still treating you right?”

  Umm...“Yes.”

  “That’s good. And you still like your job?”

  “
Yeah, it was nice to be working with horses again. It just wasn’t the same in Seattle.”

  “I could tell.”

  “Father’s intuition again, eh?”

  “Don’t mock it!” Her dad laughed.

  “Never.”

  “Movie’s over pretty soon, yeah?”

  “Actually it was last day yesterday. Today’s the last day of the contract, but...Damian said they don’t really need me there.” She coughed. “I have no idea what I’m gonna do now.”

  “I’m sure Lex will figure something out for ya, baby girl. Well, I’ll let you go back to sleep. Keep your chin up, and remember we’re all here thinking about ‘ya. You can come home for a visit anytime, too.”

  “I know. Thanks for calling, dad.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  April hung up the phone, went to the bathroom and ran a brush through her hair. It was knotted, tangled, and she winced as the bristles tore the hair out from the roots when she tugged.

  She looked at herself in the mirror.

  Her stomach tightened. She almost didn’t recognize herself.

  April inhaled, letting the breath lift her shoulders. She checked her phone. No word from Lex. She hoped everything was okay. What if he was hurt? Or stuck somewhere? Or sick? She dialed his phone number and waited.

  “Hi, you’ve reached Lex. Leave me a message.”

  “Hey...it’s April. I’m just wondering what happened last night and...‘Just hoping you’re okay. Give me a call. Thanks.”

  She slid her phone into her pocket and looked at herself in the mirror one more time.

  “Screw this...” she said out loud. “I have to know if he’s okay.”

  She headed to the movie lot, wondering if Lex would be too busy to speak to her, or if he was there at all. Jumping out, she spotted Damian outside the barn with Benny, speaking to an elderly man.

  “April!” Damian said as she approached them. “What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t stay away. Love this place too much.” She smiled at the old man and help out her hand. “Hi, I’m April Cooper.”

  “Mr. Bradford,” Damian said, “April was my assistant for the duration of this project. She’s got a wonderful way with horses.”