Page 45 of Bridge to Home

“I borrowed it from a friend, one of the bike rental shop owners. He told me I could keep it for as long as I needed.” David made a move to lift her from the wheelchair.

Harlow stopped him. “I want to try getting on by myself.” Using her hands and momentum, shepushed up and spun around, nearly falling flat on her face.

With a look of determination, she dragged herself to the rear seat, landing on it with a jarringthud.

David helped swing her leg to the other side. “I thought for sure you were going to face-plant on the sidewalk.”

“Me too.”

“Are you sure you can hold on?”

“I can’t pedal, but I still have full use of my upper body as long as you don’t try any crazy stunts.”

“I’ll leave those for you and your scooter,” her father teased. He folded her wheelchair and hooked it on the back of the trike before climbing into the front seat. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be,” Harlow quipped.

After a quick check of the brakes, off they went, with Mort happily trotting along beside them.

A light breeze blew off the water, tossing Harlow’s hair and tickling her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, soaking up the sun’s rays. It felt so good. Fresh air. Sunshine. The smell of Lake Huron…crisp and clean. Birds chirping. It had been a long time since she’d been on a bike. Years. Since before she left Mackinac Island.

There never seemed to be time to enjoy what she’d worked so hard for. Endless meetings. Endless photo shoots. Nonstop wheeling and dealing, at least for Robert. Even when they had downtime and hung out at their Palm Beach condo, her husband was always rushing.

Harlow thought about Victor “Vic” Stern, her bodyguard, a man she considered one of her few friends. He’d worked for her for years, making sure she stayed safe. Vic was there when a crazed fan broke into their Malibu home, had stopped him in his tracks.

He’d also always been the one to keep her company when Robert was out of town. A twinge of sadness threatened her peaceful island vibe.

Harlow had texted Vic twice to check in and been met with silence. Nothing. Nada. Zip. It was almost as if he’d vanished from the face of the earth. She made a mental note to ask Robert about him.

They reached the edge of town, and David slowed, giving Harlow a chance to take it all in. To her right was the Mighty Mac…her bridge to home. Directly in front of them was downtown Mackinac Island. It looked the same, yet different. Better. Instead of evoking memories of a backward town which hadn’t kept up with the times, it was charming, cozy, enchanting.

Their first stop was the hardware store. Harlow and Mort waited on the sidewalk while her father ran in to grab a few things. People passed by. A few cast her a second glance. Not gawking “star-struck” stares, but merely casual curiosity.

She started to relax, glad she’d accepted her father’s invitation to tag along. It felt…normal. Harlow was once again an islander, running errands. Not a famous actress. Just a regular person.

After finishing, they stopped by the Mackinac Island Hotel to say “hi” to Eryn. She chatted with them for a few minutes before being summoned to handle a customer complaint.

Instead of returning the way they’d come, David turned onto a side street and cut through the center of the island, the area where the locals went about their daily routines. They cruised past the store and reached the fire station.

She studied the building and thought about Caleb. Caleb Jackson, her high school sweetheart. Caleb broke her heart when he left to join the Air Force. Looking back, it had been the turning point for Harlow to focus on her future.

Not long after, she’d been “discovered” by a big name talent scout and whisked off to New York toembark on her modeling career. Soon, Hollywood agents were on her doorstep.

Harlow was on the cusp of making it big when Robert strolled into her life. The rest was history…at least until now.

She noticed a couple emerging from the building. It was Caleb and a woman, close to her father’s age, if she had to guess.

“There’s Caleb.” David tapped the brake.

Harlow ducked down. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

“Stopping to have a word with him.”

To Harlow’s horror, her father veered right, turning toward the fire station.

Caleb waved goodbye to the woman. He made a move to head back inside when he noticed David and Harlow riding toward him.

Tall, tan, fit and smiling. And still devastatingly handsome. Caleb Jackson had quit his family’splumbing business after signing up to serve his country. He called it his ten-year plan, assuring Harlow he would come home yet insisting in the same breath that she promise him she wouldn’t wait around.

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