Chapter Text
1. Arrivals
No one should be up this early. It was inhuman. It was irrational. Any other day of the year, it would be utterly and completely intolerable. However, today was not any other day, and if Myka wasn’t acutely aware of that fact down to her very last cell, the bold, striking red circle around the date on her calendar which hung in the kitchen would have reminded her of it immediately. April 12. It had been the first date on the calendar to be marked with any sign of significance when the new year had rolled around, but Myka knew that the gesture was purely symbolic. At this point, this day was so imprinted into her internal clock that she knew she probably didn’t even need to set an alarm, her body would know, would feel the shift in the air. 4:30 in the morning on the second Sunday of April, every year, no matter the weather, no matter the turning of the rest of the world, no matter how anyone on the Island was feeling, no matter what, today, this morning, another season began.
Myka could already feel the change settling into her bones, old rhythms kicking back into gear, new plans beginning to form, her mind already careening forward days, weeks, months ahead to make sure that her little corner of the Island was ready. If it wasn’t…well, that was simply an unfathomable thought. Her corner of the Island had to work, had to run like clockwork, prepared for any and all contingencies, otherwise everything would be out of balance, and nothing, nothing could be out of balance once summer began on Mackinac Island.
She breathed in the heady, rich aroma of her coffee, letting the warmth seep through her, letting it prepare her for the long hours that were to come. Her brain was already churning through the checklist of things that had to get done today, the order that they had to come in, the proper procedures, the what ifs, the backup plans in the event something went wrong. No matter the summer, no matter the year, today of all days was always the most stressful. Once today was over she knew she would be able to breathe easier, and hopefully, everything would just start moving and flowing in the rhythm it was supposed to, like the well-oiled machine it was, like the well-oiled machine Myka had honed it into over the last five years.
The light clicking of nails against hardwood was enough to pull Myka’s focus away from her steady stare out the kitchen window. She glanced down at where Trailer was slowly, very much unwillingly plodding out of the bedroom, his eyes still heavy with sleep, pleading with her the unspoken question of why on earth they were up when it was still dark, when the air still hung thick with cold, when no one else but them was awake. He collapsed with a huff at her feet, all fifty-five pounds of his English shepherd frame exuding exhaustion. He nestled his head atop Myka’s feet, settling against her ankle bones with the clear intention of not letting her move from where she stood at the kitchen sink. A small, amused chuckle left Myka’s lips as she looked down at him with a pitying glance, “I hear ya bud…this hour is not for the Bering household.”
Trailer’s eyes barely lifted to acknowledge that he had heard Myka’s voice, before veritably sighing once again and seeking to return to sleep, albeit on the cold kitchen floor rather than in the warmth and comfort of Myka’s bed. She kneeled down next to him, extracting her feet from beneath his chin, and rubbed softly behind his ears, placing a kiss to the dip of his forehead, “We’ve got to get used to it though…from here on out it’s 5:30 wake up calls. Summer is starting…” As though sensing the truth of Myka’s words, Trailer let out a small, high pitched whine, eliciting another small chuckle from Myka, “Don’t give me that…you get to go back to bed once I leave.”
A soft pinging sound broke through the quiet of the house. Myka rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what it was, who it was, and pulled her phone down from where it had been resting on the counter. She continued to stroke at Trailer’s ears as she slid open the text message.
Pete: Rise and shine, Mykes! Time to get this party started! The lady shall be at your door in five.
Myka couldn’t resist her smile. Pete always approached the new season with a bit more exuberance than the rest of them, perpetually ready for another five months of the continual onslaught of early mornings, late nights, and more tourists than you could feasibly maneuver through. Then again, this was Pete’s thirty-first summer on the Island, while the rest of them were always playing catch-up to that number, convincing their bodies, their minds, their equilibriums that this summer would be the season that they officially got used to the lightning quick shift in the mood of the Island, that this would be the summer that the mornings didn’t feel so early, that the little hours of sleep didn’t matter. Myka knew that after twelve years of Mackinac Island summers, she should be used to it by now too, immediately ready to shift into gear, raring to go, but without fail, despite the joy she got from it, despite the way that the summers filled her with ease and contentment, they always took some getting used to, some convincing that she was once again ready for the insane, incessant pace.
She stood, moving into the living room to retrieve her bag while she typed out a response to Pete.
Good morning to you too, Lattimer. I’m ready whenever she gets here. You’ll come by and let Trailer out later?
Yes ma’am. Time for a little pup and Uncle Pete time.
You are without a doubt the strangest human being I know…
And love, Mykes, don’t forget love.
Oh yes, how could I ever forget that?
The sound of footfalls against the porch steps followed quickly by a knock on her front door brought a swift end to Myka’s attention to Pete. She knew once that door opened, the day’s business would begin and she needed to be absolutely focused. She shot off a last quick text to Pete.
Kel just got here. We’ll see you later. Thank you for watchin’ the pup.
No problem. Be careful out there.
Will do.
Myka tucked her phone into her pocket, watching with amusement as Trailer, apparently no longer tired, was sitting perfectly still other than a wildly wagging tail at the door, anxiously waiting to see who was on the other side. He gave a small bark, indicating that he was anything but happy with Myka’s lack of hurry to open it up.
Kelly’s voice carried through the door, slightly annoyed, “I agree with your dog! Let me in, woman, it’s fucking freezing out here.”
Myka rolled her eyes and finally pulled the door open to be faced with a bemusedly frustrated Kelly, arms folded up tight, the flush of her cheeks evident in the glow of the porch lights. Myka stepped back to let her in, “You can blame your husband for the delay.”
Kelly’s eyes widened in apparent surprise, “I’m impressed he’s still up. Usually that early morning joy lasts for about ten seconds and he’s back to sleep.”
Myka shrugged, unzipping her backpack for one last check to make sure she had everything she needed for the morning, “First day of the season excitement I suppose…”
“I don’t know about him, but I’ll be excited once we get this morning over, with everyone and everything in one piece.”
Myka lifted her eyebrows, “Tell me about it.”
Kelly passed a hand over her forehead, her fingers already flexing and moving with anticipation and nerves, “I swear this is the worst day of the year.”
Myka slung her backpack on, giving Kelly a slightly whimsical look, “No…the worst day is when they leave. At least today, despite the stress, they’re coming back.”
“That’s true…” Kelly kneeled down to where Trailer was patiently waiting by her side. She scratched down his sides, “Hi big guy…how ya doin’?”
Myka chuckled softly, “He’s good…due for his check-up though.”
Kelly nodded, already aware of the timing, the need for those things. Being the only full time veterinarian on the Island required such diligence, especially when so many of the Island’s animals felt like hers, seeing as she was the one very much in charge of their well-being if something went wrong. She scratched against Trailer’s neck, still looking and apparently talking only to him, “We’ll get the big, big guys back and settled then I’ll give ya a look over, how does that sound?”
Myka glanced at her watch, they needed to be down to the dock in ten minutes, “That sounds good, but we’ll never get the big, big guys back if we don’t get out of here.”
Kelly patted Trailer’s sides and stood, while Myka leaned over and kissed his head, “Back to bed, I’ll be home later.”
Trailer cocked his head to the side and then slowly, contentedly it seemed, plodded back to the bedroom. Kelly laughed soundly, “You and your animals.”
Myka smirked, “What can I say? I am nothing if not adored.”
Kelly rolled her eyes, opening the door back up, shooting Myka a glance over her shoulder as she moved onto the porch, “You say that now. You know they always hate you a little bit after today.”
Myka reached around and gave her backpack a loud pat, “That’s what the sugar cubes are for.”
“Bribery…nice.”
Myka chuckled as she locked the door, “Hey, whatever works to keep them in my good graces. I have four hundred horses to keep happy this summer, it takes what it takes.”
Kelly flipped up the kickstand of her bike where it sat on Myka’s sidewalk, settling herself onto her seat and blowing warm air against her hands, while Myka untied her bike from the porch. Myka gave her a pointed look, an endeared smile, “Do you think there will ever come a day when you don’t look like you are on the brink of freezing?”
Kelly rolled her eyes, flipping Myka off as they both started pedaling through the streets of Harrisonville, heading towards the main hill which would lead them past the Grand Hotel and down into town. Kelly flexed her fingers around her handles, “The answer to your question is no. I am counting the days until it is ninety degrees and the rest of you are miserable.”
Myka gave a soft pulse to her brakes, trying her best to ease down the steep incline of the hill so as not to fly past Kelly. She raised her voice above the wind rushing around them, “At least this winter wasn’t terrible. It certainly made getting the stables ready easier.”
They leveled out at the bottom of the hill, both of them falling into a gentle pace. Kelly glanced over at Myka, suddenly all business, her entire demeanor shifting as they neared the docks and the start of the day, “So everything’s ready to go? Anything I need a head’s up about? Any last minute updates from Steve?”
Myka’s mind immediately filtered back through her mental checklist, the tiny details she needed to be acutely aware of in the coming hours, “He said they all seem pretty healthy, again thank God for the mild winter. As of last night when I talked to him, everything seemed like it was ready to roll.”
Kelly laughed, but it was slightly hollow, almost nervous, “Ready to roll…as though hauling four hundred horses across the lake is as simple as that.”
Myka sighed, her own nerves starting to elevate the closer they got to Main Street. No matter how many times she had done this, no matter how many times she had been in charge of this, it never got easier, it never got any less nerve-wracking. Kelly was right, there was nothing simple about getting the horses back to the Island. Most people tended to think that the horses, a perpetual staple and icon of life on the Island, were year-long residents along with the several hundred people who held that distinction, but the truth of the matter was, every year, they were all, save for a handful that were year-rounders, were hauled back and forth across the Straits of Mackinac in the hollow bellies of the Arnold ferries. Every season was the same, they left in mid-October, some leaving as early as Labor Day, to return in the opening weeks of April, a surefire sign and signal that the Island was once again coming back to life after a winter that always ended up feeling endless.
Myka knew that there were many others in her shoes, that there were other stable owners, other seasonal residents who would make this trek, load their horses onto whatever means they used to cross the Straits to get them back home, but for Myka, this day, this job, this responsibility always felt just a bit more weighted, because in so many ways, her horses were the ones that so many had come to recognize and associate with life on the Island. It was a step back in time to come here, to step onto streets that knew nothing but the beat of horseshoes and the steady thrum of bike tires, to hear nothing but the sound of tourist patter and boat rudders around you, to fall asleep to the sound of the clip-clop of hooves rather than car horns, and Myka knew acutely that it was her horses, the horses that showed tourists the Island, that pulled them along on antiquated and nostalgic carriages, that made that sense of other-worldliness truly sink in for many. It was her four hundred horses of the Mackinac Carriage Tours that made people feel like they had truly stepped into another place, another time, another world entirely, and that was not something she took lightly. She knew that over the next five months, her horses would pull hundreds, thousands of people through the streets and trails of this place, her employees would give tourists a true introduction to life here on the Island. She never failed to remember, to reminder herself that it was her company that stood so tall in maintaining the reputation and grandeur of this Island, her home.
So while it was true that they had a system, a method, a tried and true process, that she could entrust Steve to do his job and Kelly to do hers, it didn’t keep Myka from feeling like she could either throw up or pass out or both when this moment fully and finally arrived. She was always ready to get the horses back, to have them back in her sights, under her protection, but she always feared that this would be the year that one part of their system would fail, that this typically smooth process would finally hit a rough patch.
She and Kelly arrived at the Arnold dock with mere minutes to spare, though they might as well have been late for the reaction they got from Captain Artie Nielsen who was furiously pacing across the docks, hands raking through his curly gray hair, mumbling something undetectable under his breath. When he saw them, his outburst was instantaneous, “Finally! Every year, it is the same schedule and yet, every year I find myself wondering if I am going to leave this dock without either of you.”
Myka rolled her eyes, chuckling playfully as she clapped Artie on the shoulder, “Happy first day of the season to you too, Artie.”
“You are aware that we have four hundred horses to move this morning?” Artie huffed.
Kelly stepped up next to them, head buried in her medicine bag doing one last check, happy that Artie couldn’t see the incredulity on her face, only hear it in her voice, “No, Artie, I think we both just thought we were up this early for our health.”
Myka drew in a dramatic deep breath, letting it out slowly, “Ah…yes, I am absolutely up in the freezing cold and in the dark all for this lovely lake air.”
Artie continued to grumble under his breath, before finally throwing up his hands, “Just get on the damn ferry.”
Myka shot Kelly a sidelong glance, both of them clearly attempting to reign in their laughter. Kelly bumped against Myka’s shoulder, “Same conversation, different year.”
“Good to know some things never change.”
Kelly grinned, “Damn right, now let’s go get your babies.”
**
The ferry eased into the dock with a more exaggerated heave than usual, an unfortunate byproduct of the fact that there were only a handful of people aboard and most of the seats, and thus weight, had been removed so that there would be room for horses in the lower deck. One of Artie’s crew, a young kid Myka didn’t recognize pulled the ramp down onto the dock, giving them a thumbs up that everything was ready for them to disembark.
Myka couldn’t keep her knee from jangling up and down, thumb nail wedged between her teeth. Kelly settled a hand against Myka’s knee, stilling it momentarily, “Deep breath over there. It’s just another year. You, me, and Steve. We got this.”
Myka closed her eyes, giving herself one final moment of pause, before steeling her shoulders and giving Kelly a bright smile, “Another year, another season. Alright, Doc, let’s do it.”
They stepped off the boat and into utter chaos, controlled chaos it seemed, but chaos nonetheless. The entire Arnold’s parking lot was covered in horse trailers, and the tension of everyone involved was immediately evident, heavy in the air, accompanied by shouts of direction, mixed and mingled with high pitched neighs from most of the trailers.
Kelly lifted an eyebrow at Myka, “Already restless, should be fun.”
Myka grinned, already, immediately, feeling in her element, “Remember…that’s what the sugar is for.” She moved with assured steps across the dock, waving to some of the handlers where they were trying to keep their charges calm. With each step, Myka felt her muscles sink and shift into her summer self. This was her job, this was who she was, this was what she loved. She had a place here, despite her youth compared to many of the other employees, they knew she was in charge, deferred to her opinion and instruction, just as they had been doing since she took over the company when she was twenty-five. They knew she had earned her keep, learned the ropes well, received instruction from some of the best, and so they trusted her to do her job, and do it well, making everything run smoothly with a smile on her face, and above all keeping the horses safe and healthy.
At the far end of the parking lot, Myka just made out the unmistakable stance of Steve Jinks. She could tell, even from this far away, that he was already in full on in-season mode. His posture was relaxed, thumbs hooked in the back pockets of his jeans, but she could tell that his jaw was set, his focus sharp as he gave instructions to another of Arnold’s ferry captains. It’s part of what she loved about Steve, why she had immediately chosen him as her second in command when she took over the company; he was calm and patient to a fault, but he was also fiercely committed and had a bit of the same perfectionist streak that Myka possessed herself.
As though he sensed the shift on the dock, Steve turned from his conversation to look directly at Myka. A relieved, ecstatic smile broke across his face, and she saw him turn back to the captain, giving him a clap on the shoulder, before taking up a light jog to meet Myka halfway down the dock, immediately engulfing her in a hug that lifted Myka clean off of her feet. They hadn’t seen each other since October, when the last of the horses had been brought back across the water from the Island. Steve lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during the off-season, residing in Pickford with his husband Liam, where the majority of the company’s horses were paddocked for the winter. They were his charges for those few months, while Myka returned to the Island for some much needed time off.
Steve returned Myka to her feet, placing a small peck against her cheek, “It’s good to see you partner.”
Myka’s smile was overwhelming, the anticipation of another summer starting to creep through her veins, “God, it’s good to see you too.” Myka looked around the parking lot, forehead crinkling in question, “No Liam?”
Steve shook his head with an air of dismay, “Not this year…he’s sick as a dog. Spring cold has him completely laid up, so we figured best for him to stay home, try and get some sleep so he doesn’t have to call in for a sub tomorrow.”
Myka nodded, “Good call…still,” she grimaced slightly, “it sucks you didn’t really get a proper last day send-off.”
Steve shrugged with a dampened sigh, “Yeah…I know…but…only a couple months and he’ll be up here too, so just gotta get through.”
Myka eyed Steve carefully, trying to read whether he was truly alright or if this was something they’d have to deal with later. He seemed genuinely and generally at ease, so she let it go, not wanting to push, to question. Steve and Liam lived a life that few of them were capable of dealing with, but it worked for them and so none of them chose to question it. Liam was a schoolteacher, and because of that, he stayed in Pickford until mid-June, and only then came up to join Steve for the rest of the summer. Steve stayed on the Island until mid-October, even while Liam returned home in mid-August, so there were always a few months of the year where their marriage existed through Skype, FaceTime, and phone calls, but they seemed to make it work. Theirs was the longest relationship going in Myka’s group of friends, and given her own track record, she knew she was in absolutely no place to judge, so she listened when it was hard and when it was too much, and she trusted that all was well when things were easy and when it all just worked.
Steve caught the hint of Myka’s discerning gaze, knowing well enough just what the look implied. He let out a sigh, which came out more like a wisp of a laugh, “Myka, I promise you, I’m ok, really. Honestly…I’d feel a lot better if we stopped talking about it and just got down to work, it would help distract me.”
Myka raised one, single pointed eyebrow, wanting nothing more than to argue the point, but conceded it under Steve’s calm gaze, “Fine…however, later this week once everything is settled, I’ll buy you a beer and you can tell me exactly how ok you really are.”
Steve rolled his eyes, “Deal.” He leveled Kelly with a pleading look, “Isn’t she usually tired at this time of day? Aren’t you usually annoying her by this point so that she doesn’t focus on anything else?”
Kelly let out a dancing sort of laugh, “Wow…do you guys really need a vet here, because I’m sure I could get a ride back to the Island.”
“No, no, no,” Myka gripped against Kelly’s elbow where she was starting to turn and walk back down the dock. “Ok, business, four hundred horses to move, focusing.”
Steve’s face fell into a slight grimace, a hand coming up to run distractedly over his closely cropped hair, “I may regret the request to get to work when I tell you what I have to tell you…”
A momentary shot of panic raced through Myka’s pulse, Steve wasn’t one for worry or extreme concern, but the look on his face said that’s exactly what he was feeling. “What’s going on?” The words flew out of her mouth before she even really knew she had said them.
Steve let out a small groan, “Nothing, really, every last one of them seems like they’re in good shape…however…”
“However?” Myka couldn’t keep the edge of worry out of her voice.
“Tesla seemed like he was fighting a bit of a limp this morning. He had seemed fine last night, so maybe he just slept funny. I’m, in fact, sure that that is what it is, but I figured I’d give you a heads up to keep you from freaking out.”
“Oh Jesus…as if that’s possible,” Kelly muttered under her breath.
“Where is he?” Myka was already pushing past Steve, eyes scouring the parking lot for the trailer she was looking for, the one she knew would be carrying the two horses she was most desperate to get back on the Island.
Kelly and Steve jogged up behind her, Kelly nudging Steve’s ribs with her elbow, “Tactful…you might as well have told her he can’t walk.”
Steve threw up his hands with a helpless air, “I didn’t know what else to say. If I hadn’t told her and she saw him, she would have had my ass.”
“You’re damn right about that,” Myka shot over her shoulder, feet still racing across the pavement.
“Myka…Myka…slow down, I know where they are. Come on,” Steve caught up with her and tugged her down a row of trailers until she saw the tell-tale burnished copper and silver of the trailer that always carried Tesla and his team partner, Farnsworth, back to the Island.
Myka ran the last few steps to the trailer, where their driver was already working on the doors, ready to get them out and lined up for the ferries. “Shane,” Myka let out a bit breathlessly, “can I give you a hand with them?”
Shane let out a booming laugh, eyes immediately darting to Steve, “Man, you called that one right, didn’t you?” Myka could hear Steve’s groan behind her, but her eyes never left Shane, who finally stopped laughing enough to give her a sympathetic look, “Steve just warned me that you’d want to see them this morning is all.”
“How were they on the drive? How are they?”
Shane clapped a hand to Myka’s shoulder, “They’re fine, Myka. The drive went smoothly. They are perfectly and completely fine.”
“Steve said Tesla…”
“Was limping, yeah, but I think he just needs to stretch out a bit. You know he gets antsy by the end of the winter. Get him back hitched up to a carriage and he’ll be good to go.”
“Kel…” Myka shot a pleading look to Kelly.
Kelly nodded, “Get him out, I’ll take a look before we load them up.”
Shane tugged the trailer doors open, revealing two massive Percheron horses, one completely and totally black, the other its polar opposite, all white, save for his hooves. Their heads perked up the second the doors were opened, both of them immediately recognizing Myka, each of them letting out a noise that was an odd cross between a whinny and a short nicker. Myka stepped up onto the ramp, her upheld hands immediately met with the cold, wet, velvet of both of their noses. The black-haired horse pushed harder into her hand, seemingly in an effort to draw most of Myka’s attention. Myka let out a soft chuckle, immediately acquiescing to the desire for attention, stepping completely in front of him, running her hands up and down his neck, “Hi Tes…” He moved his head to nudge against Myka, eliciting another chuckle, “My big guy…how are ya feelin’?”
Next to them, Farnsworth let out a loud snort, shaking his head in frustration. Shane called up, “You’re playing favorites and pissing off your children there, Myka.”
Myka turned around and leaned into Farnsworth, placing a kiss to his snout, “Big baby, I missed you too…I just need to look at your brother.” She reached into her backpack and pulled out a sugar cube, eyeing Kelly playfully, before offering it to Farnsworth’s greedy lips. She patted against his side, “There…that will keep you happy for all of ten seconds.”
She returned her attention to Tesla and started undoing his tethers, preparing him to get out of the trailer. Once he was ready, Myka led him slowly down the ramp, immediately noticing the way that he was favoring his back right leg, unwilling to put as much weight on it as possible. The look she gave Kelly was instantaneously panicked.
For all of her teasing, Kelly knew how much these horses, particularly these two horses meant to Myka, and so she reigned in all commentary, stepping up and stilling Tesla’s movements, hands running over his sides to remind him of her presence, her scent, her feel. She spoke in low, soothing tones to him, “Leg botherin’ ya, huh, Tes…let’s take a look.” She nodded her head towards Myka, “Will you stay up front with him, keep him calm. I don’t feel like starting the season off with a kick to the head.”
Kelly knelt in the parking lot, hands running all along Tesla’s leg, feeling for anything out of the ordinary, listening to see if any particular movement or touch seemed to hurt him. He remained placidly still, letting her run him through his full range of motion without any apparent discomfort. Kelly stood with a sigh, moving back towards Myka, “I think it really is just stiff. Probably a rough night’s sleep, made worse by an hour in the truck being jostled around. I’ll put a wrap on it, but I’m sure once he gets a little bit of free reign this afternoon he’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?” Myka’s teeth were fervently racing across the corner of her lip, nerves and concern at the ready.
Kelly nodded with ease, “I’m sure. He didn’t seem like he was in pain, he let me touch all over that leg. I really wouldn’t be too worried. We’ll keep him monitored for a few days, but he’ll be back to his old self in no time, Myka. Come on, it is way too early in the season for this level of worry.”
Before Myka could respond, the walky-talky attached to her hip crackled with the voice of Bennett, another one of her senior summer employees, “Boss? Nielsen is getting jumpy over here. He’s ready for the first load.”
“Jesus…” Myka groaned. She detached the walky from its clip, “Alright, Steve and I will be right there to help load.” Myka turned back to the horses placing a kiss against the flat of Tesla’s nose, before hopping into the trailer and doing the same to Farnsworth, “You two be good. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Steve slung an arm around her shoulder when she had jumped out of the trailer, “Aren’t you just so ready for another season?”
“I will be once this morning is over, and once I’m sure Tesla is fine.”
“Ooook,” Kelly’s voice piped up behind them, “I’m going to start doing my rounds, otherwise Myka won’t let me out of her sight, and that wouldn’t be productive. I’ll see you guys in a bit. If you need anything just radio me.”
It took the better part of the morning and every single one of the Arnold Ferry fleet, but eventually every single horse made its way across the Straits, with everyone, horses and people both, relatively in one piece. They took the horses across in four ferry shifts so that either Myka, Steve, Bennett, or Kelly was each on a ferry with about thirty horses. It made things take a little bit longer, but it was one of the things that Myka insisted on. She knew the people she absolutely trusted with making sure that the trip across went smoothly, and when it came to getting the horses back on the Island she wasn’t interested in cutting any corners or taking any risks. Luckily, it was something everyone else agreed upon too, not questioning the need to treat the entire morning, the entire process with care. Arnold only sent its most experienced, its most trusted captains and crew out for this particular morning, and Myka did the same, and because of that, in her five years of being in charge of this transport, she had never once had any problem larger than choppy waters and a few sprained ankles on a couple of the ferry crewmen.
It was always the most overwhelming day of the season, no matter how many times Myka had witnessed it, done it. She never ceased to tear up when she led the first load of horses back onto Main Street for the first time, as all of the Island year-rounders, along with whatever summer staff had already arrived lined the sidewalks to cheer and applaud, welcoming the beloved horses of Mackinac Island back home. There were always a handful of people who stayed out and watched for the entire morning, watched every horse make their way back up to the stables. Pete’s mom, Jane, was one of them. She’d been doing it since she was a little girl, and she never ceased to be there for all the hours it took.
As Myka watched Steve unload the last, smaller group from the final ferry, she stole across the street to where Jane was sitting with a beaming smile on her face. When Myka approached, Jane stood immediately, ready to throw her arms around Myka, surrounding her in a tight hug, “Well done, dear girl. Well done.”
Myka chuckled, Jane gave her the same compliment every year. She returned the hug willingly, before settling onto the arm of Jane’s beach chair, which she had put up on the sidewalk, yawning deeply, “Just a few more to get up to the stables and then we are off and running.”
Jane rubbed a hand against Myka’s back, “And let me guess…despite that yawn, you’ll be in the stables the rest of the day?”
Myka chuckled with a self-deprecating shrug, “Probably. You know how it goes, once the season starts there is zero time for sleep. I can sleep in October.”
Jane didn’t respond to that, just gave Myka a slightly annoyed, slightly incredulous, distinctly Mom look, before letting out a soft sigh, “Your grandparents would be proud, Myka,” Jane’s voice was soft, considerate, knowing the emotional weight of her words.
Myka’s laugh was watery, a vain attempt to hold back the tears that were always right there when someone mentioned her grandparents, “What? Of my inability to get a proper amount of sleep during the season? Somehow, I think Gram would have had a few words to say about that…”
Jane chuckled quietly, “That she would have…but no…not of that…you know exactly what I mean, Myka. The way you handle things like this morning, the way you care, the perfect balance of whimsy and seriousness you bring to this job…they would be so very proud.”
Myka sucked in a rattling breath, biting down on her lip to stall her tears. She gave a quick nod, her voice tight, “I hope so. It’s hard to not think of them on days like today. Pap always loved today, just took it all in stride. Somehow, I failed to inherit his calm demeanor in stressful situations.”
Jane let out a gasp of a laugh, then stated matter of factly, “That’s probably because you have failed to adapt his tradition of taking a shot of whiskey before getting on the ferry in the morning.”
“What?” Myka’s eyes widened.
Jane’s chest heaved with laughter, her hand coming up to squeeze against Myka’s knee, “Oh yes, every year, he and his entire crew would pass that bottle around, just once, before starting out. I think he didn’t want your innocent picture of him tainted by letting you see that.”
“Ha! Yeah…innocent picture. I lived with that man for far too many summers to keep that image alive.”
“Well, take this as yet another lesson for you from Pap, whiskey dear girl. Just a little whiskey and suddenly, goodbye stress.”
“I’ll try to remember that. Alright,” Myka leaned down and left a kiss against Jane’s cheek, “I’ve gotta go…stables to run, horses to see…”
Jane stood, folding up her chair, “I’m off as well. Only a few more weeks of all this time to myself and then the tourists descend and I forget that ‘retirement’ is a word in my vocabulary.”
Myka grinned, “Yeah, but which are worse, tourists or schoolkids?”
“Depends on the day,” Jane winked. She squeezed Myka’s hand tightly, “I’ll see you later. Do try to get a nap this afternoon. Otherwise you’ll never survive the night…”
Myka’s brow crinkled, “And what is tonight?”
Jane’s laughter echoed down the street, “Oh, Myka. Us old-timers are well aware of Wolly’s parties. Believe it or not, we all remember what it felt like to kick off a new season…though many, many of those memories have thankfully already been forgotten, and good riddance to thatembarrassment.”
Myka smirked, “Hey… you aren’t that old, you could come tonight, embarrass your son…”
Jane paused, pretending to consider, before chuckling, “No…this Island is your generation’s now…the rest of us have had our fun.”
Myka rolled her eyes, “The start of the season makes you woefully sentimental, did you know that?”
“I did indeed. Now, promise me, you’ll nap.”
Myka sighed, “Yes, Mom…”
“Good girl.”
**
Despite Jane’s adamant requests, Myka couldn’t bring herself to find even a few scant minutes to sneak in a nap through the afternoon. The best she could manage was allowing herself to go home a few times to check on Trailer, let him romp around the backyard, run himself out until he was absolutely ready for his own nap, but beyond that, Myka couldn’t, wouldn’t, allow herself to stop. She loved being in the stables in the first few moments and hours of the season, everything felt new and brimming with possibilities. The horses always seemed to know, to feel that they were back, and so their spirits were usually high, the noises of their excitement echoing through most of the barns, and sometimes out into the streets.
Myka only allowed herself to check on Tesla twice, though she would have attempted to do so more if Kelly hadn’t caught her the second time and let fly a string of swearing in Spanish that Myka was positive she didn’t want to understand. Regardless of which language Kelly yelled at her in, the message was clear, everything was fine and Myka needed to back off.
Finally, after another round of the stables, making sure that everyone, employees and horses alike, were settling into their proper places, Myka collapsed behind her desk, pulling up the summer schedule on her computer. She’d spent the last few weeks finalizing the intern list, making notes of which teams would go with which intern, how much training each group would need, which sessions of training each person would need. She was quietly thankful that for once she was facing a summer with very few new kids, but mostly returners who wouldn’t need a lot of new training, who already had horses that they were comfortable with, who already knew the jokes, the facts, the general vibe of what was expected on the carriage tours. It would make the next few weeks significantly easier and much less stressful. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate having a new batch of kids to train, but sometimes it was a lot, and it was nice to get a break, and feel as though things could just start moving without a lot of extra prep work.
Just as she was finalizing the first week’s schedule, just as she was thinking that maybe, possibly Jane would get her way and she would catch a small nap in her office, her phone buzzed to life. She popped open the text from Pete.
Twenty minute warning: The children are about to descend.
Myka grinned, first day of the season traditions, some things never changed, and for that she was immensely grateful. She tucked her phone into her pocket and scooped up her keys, heading back out into the stables and shouting for Steve, “Hey Jinx! It’s time…”
Steve’s voice filtered out from about halfway down the second row of stables, “Be right there!”
There was a small grunt, followed by a clattering of what sounded like a pile of shovels and a muttered, “Dammit,” before Steve emerged from the stables sweat-soaked, dirty, and smiling. He bounded up to Myka, “It feels so good to be back.”
Myka arched an eyebrow at him, “That didn’t sound particularly good back there…”
Steve waved a dismissive hand, “Just tripped, no big deal.”
They wandered out the stable doors, a slow trickle of other employees following behind them, all directing their steps towards Main Street once again. Every year was the same, the first morning of the season brought the horses back to the Island, the first afternoon brought the first wave of summer employees. The first wave was always a bit more eclectic than the cavalcade of people who would descend in early May. Mid-April brought more of the older crowd, retirees who chose to spend their summers living and working on the Island, middle-aged people who wanted to mix things up a bit, change their routine for a summer, those who split their time between the Island and the Mainland, living in each place in six month shifts, and of course those whom Myka and Steve were most looking forward to, the college kids who had graduated early or who had worked their schedules to leave school early in order to be there for the season right from the beginning.
When Myka and Steve got downtown, the streets were already starting to fill up with locals, with employees who were already there, anxiously awaiting the latest arrivals. There was a charge in the air, everyone could feel it; the Island was coming back to life.
They spotted Pete in a prime location, sitting atop the Carriage Tours stand on Main Street, directly across from the Arnold dock. When they got closer, Myka couldn’t hold back her laughter, placing a light punch to his shoulder when she saw him, “How the hell do you already have fudge? None of the stores are open yet.”
Pete grinned victoriously, “I went in a day early for some ‘pre-season training,’ got the first fresh batch all to my sweet self.”
Myka rolled her eyes, “Because after almost fifteen years of making fudge every summer you need so much practice.”
“Hey, hey, hey…those six months off take their toll. Gotta make sure that these guns,” he flexed exaggeratedly, “are ready for another summer.”
Steve covered his groan with a choked out kind of laugh, “Right…please don’t do that again.”
“Oh come on, Steve-O, it’s summer,” Pete flung his arms out wide, “get in the mood, get in the groove, man.”
“Oh boy…” This time Steve didn’t bother hiding his groan.
Myka rolled her eyes, pushing against Pete’s thigh encouraging him to scoot over so she could join him atop the Carriage Tour stand counter. Once she had hopped up she leaned over and stole a bite of the large piece of chocolate fudge in his hand.
“Hey!” Pete snatched the fudge away, “You don’t eat sugar. No stealing, woman!”
Myka smirked proudly, “Oh come on, Lattimer, it’s summer, I’m getting in the mood. My sugar avoidance is powerless in the face of the summer groove.”
“Need I remind you two that it is technically still spring?” Steve teased.
Pete and Myka both shot Steve dismissive looks, causing him to throw up his hands, “No, right, summer, absolutely already summer.” Before either Pete or Myka could respond to Steve’s mocking, his phone jarred him out of the conversation. When he looked at the screen, he couldn’t contain his smile. He turned his phone around, wiggling it at Pete and Myka, “Claud’s fifteen minutes out.”
Pete pumped a fist in the air, “And soon the gang will all be here. Are we to assume she’s also ferrying with the young lads?”
Steve smirked, “I would say that’s a pretty safe bet.”
Myka rolled her eyes, “And so another summer of ‘will they, won’t they’ and with whom will they or won’t they begins.”
Pete let out a small kind of snort, bumping Myka’s shoulder, “You know you love the drama.”
Myka leveled him with a sidelong stare, “Yeah…that’s not quite accurate. I tolerate the drama as long as it doesn’t mess with my carriages running on time or my horses being taken care of.”
“You’re starting to sound like my mother,” Pete passively commented.
Myka groaned, “Don’t…just don’t say that…” She sighed, “You’re right, I guess. I really don’t mind it, and yes, I have, on occasion, enjoyed hearing Claud’s gossip, but this summer is different. I’m…” she shot a quick glance at Steve, :we’re giving Claudia way more responsibility this summer, and I just want her to be focused.”
“She will be, Myka. You know she will be,” Steve’s smirk was unreadable.
“What exactly does more responsibility entail when basically all of your kids do the same job?” Pete asked.
Steve’s smirk deepened, “Myka is giving her The Inventors this summer.”
Pete’s eyes widened as he choked around a too large, hastily bitten piece of fudge, “I’m sorry, what?”
Myka rolled her eyes, “It is not that big of a deal.”
Sarcasm dripped from Pete’s every word, “Oh no, no big deal at all. You’re just letting one of your kids take your team out for the first time ever. No, no big deal. I am absolutely not scanning the horizon for impending doom or the incoming apocalypse. Nope, nope, totally normal thing to happen.”
As hard as she tried, Myka couldn’t contain her laughter, “Ok, yes. It is a big deal, but it’s going to be a big season, and we have way more kids this year, and I am just not going to have time to do tours, neither is Steve, but someone has to take Tesla and Farnsworth and Claud is the only person I would trust with that job. Plus, we are putting her into a supervisory role too. She’s running some of the training this year, so it isn’t just the horses.” Myka shot a quick, adamant look at Steve, followed by a playful wink.
Steve opened his mouth to respond, to say something smart about the fact that Myka had hemmed and hawed about entrusting Claudia with her horses for months, in spite of all her self-proclaimed trust now, but his phone buzzing kept him from responding. He pulled it from his back pocket, glancing at it with a smile. He wiggled it in front of Myka, “Speak of the devil. Claud says her ferry is the next one in, so she should be here soon.”
Pete clapped his hands, despite the melted chocolate still on his fingertips, “Yes! And so the season begins!”
Myka flinched away from Pete’s flying, fudge-covered fingers, “You are disgusting, exuberant, but disgusting.”
Pete grinned, utterly pleased with himself, “Something you have known since you were, I believe, five years old, Mykes. You can’t get rid of me now, I’m stuck on tight.”
“Indeed. Stuck on with fudge I believe.”
“Runs in my veins baby, runs in my veins.”
“Ugh,” Steve shuddered, “please do not call her baby…”
“I would second that,” Myka teased. Suddenly, as if just recognizing something that was right in front of her, Myka turned to Pete with a quizzical look, “Isn’t our little welcoming party missing someone?”
Pete shrugged, “Kel texted and said she was going back over to the stables from the office, that she might not make it down here on time.”
“No, I know that, we passed her on the way down here…I meant, Wolly. Usually he’s here, bouncing up and down, giving you someone to point your enthusiasm towards.”
Pete nodded with a chuckle, “Trust me, he’s here. Trust me, he’s bouncing.” Pete pointed a finger down towards the end of the dock, “He is bound and determined to be the first one this mystery friend sees when she gets off the boat.”
“Right,” Myka nodded her head in remembrance, “I totally forgot about that with the insanity of the morning. This is the childhood, culinary school friend, right?”
“The very one.”
“Wait,” Steve interrupted, “isn’t this the one that he’s been trying to convince to come up here for years, but she’s always refused?”
“Once again, the very one, Steve-O.”
“So why is she coming up now?”
Pete jumped off of the counter, clapping a hand against Steve’s shoulder, “That, Steve my man, is the million dollar question. Wolly, usually talks a mile a minute Wolly, has been completely mum on that front. Just said she’s finally coming up and he can’t wait.”
Myka kicked her feet back and forth against the counter, her eyes never straying from where she had spotted Wolly, face buried in his phone, at the end of the dock. Curiosity and skepticism interwove through her tone in equal measure, “That seems weird, right? I mean, we’ve all known Wolly for years, and only ever heard him talk about this woman, and now she finally is coming up, and he doesn’t say why. I’m sorry, that’s weird.”
Pete smirked, leaning back and resting his weight on an elbow against Myka’s knee, “Look at you Myka Bering, all doubtful and dubious, and seemingly scrounging for gossip. I thought that was my job.”
Myka leveled a punch against Pete’s shoulder, eliciting a high pitched, “ow” followed by him moving distinctly out of arm’s reach. Myka smiled, teasingly satisfied with herself, “I’m not dubious. I just think it’s weird. However, I will withhold judgment until I meet her.”
“Well,” Steve glanced at his watch, “give it another fifteen minutes and we’ll see how you feel. If Wolly’s bouncing is any indication, she’s probably on Claud’s ferry.”
“Ooo maybe she’s hot!” Pete snapped his fingers as though he’d just solved a mystery they had all been agonizing over for decades, “Maybe…maybe Wolly has been pining for her since they were little and he thinks this summer is finally his chance to make his move.” Pete wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Oh my God,” Myka hung her head, “we are so in for a drama filled summer.”
“Come on, Myka,” Steve nudged an elbow against her thigh with a coy smile, “you know, no matter what, that’s every summer. ”
“Ugh…that is way too true.”
**
At the end of the dock, Wolly’s phone continued to vibrate over and over, text after text, never giving him ample time to respond to any of his best friend’s running commentary.
I am surrounded by teenagers. Very loud, very obnoxious, very hormonal teenagers.
I hate you. For convincing me to do this, I hate you.
Is this how everyone on your Island behaves? Loudly and wildly?
Wolly rolled his eyes, he could hear her tone perfectly, that crisp inflection which could cut through ice when she was in a mood, and lately, given everything, Helena was always, perpetually, in a mood. He chose to ignore the continued vibrations and simply typed out his response.
They’re kids…free from college for the summer. They’re excited. Trust me, you will be living far, far from any of them, and you won’t be working with any of them either, so ignore them and enjoy the scenery.
Right now, you have some of the best views of the Island…appreciate how gorgeous your home for the next few months is.
Also…you bloody adore me so bugger off.
Despite her alleged, what he truly knew to most likely be feigned, annoyance, Wolly couldn’t stop himself from continuing to strain his neck down and around the dock, willing the ferry to arrive sooner, wanting to get that first glimpse of it pulling in. He’d been trying to convince Helena to come visit, to come work for a summer ever since his own first summer, which led to his first year, working and living on the Island. For years, he had failed miserably at every attempt, up until now, and despite the circumstances he couldn’t help his excitement. His phone, once again, buzzed three times in quick succession.
It is…quite beautiful. I will give you that.
The pictures you have sent haven’t done it justice…I can imagine as summer closes in it will only become more beautiful and I will admit that would be nice to see.
And…yes…I begrudgingly admit that I do, in fact, adore you, most dearly.
Wolly chuckled to himself, inwardly proud that he was already winning her over, that he was already convincing her that she would love life here, if even for a few small months. He couldn’t help himself from typing one last text as the first tell-tale sounds of the ferry were emerging.
Trust me…by the end of the summer you won’t ever want to leave.
**
Atop the upper deck of the Arnold ferry, cool, crisp, almost biting wind tugging her hair back to dance behind her shoulders, Helena Wells let her eyes, once again, drift from the quickly approaching scenery back down to the text displayed on her phone. As another shout of laughter arose from the back of the ferry, Helena shook her head with a slight air of frustrated incredulity. Wolly truly never stopped trying, and she knew he wouldn’t for the rest of the summer. Her eyes drifted back to the Island…it was beautiful. There was no question about that, but still…
She hastily typed out her response.
Oh my dear William…I highly…highly doubt that will be the case.