Seven Days

By Don Beard

Lt. Collin McIntyre, divorced father of two, was more than ready for some time away from the stresses of firefighting. He and his brother Shane load up their families and head down south to the small community of Beach Breezes on the Alabama gulf coast for a quiet, relaxing vacation. Having hidden behind a thick shell of protection for a long time now, hes content to spend the days alone, unwilling to risk being hurt again.

But that is not meant to be.

Within an hour of stepping onto the white sand beach, his life is forever altered when his path intersects that of Maggie Montgomery, a beautiful, redheaded recluse hiding behind walls of her own making. Having left a painful past in St. Louis, the city of her birth, shes determined to live an isolated life on the coast. Turning her back on God, who she thought had deserted her, she wants to simply exist with no attachments to anyone.

But thats not meant to be either. God has bigger plans for both of them.

Follow Collin and Maggie as they travel down this road laid out before them. Can they break through their protective walls and learn to trust again? Will they even survive the week and find love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490806594

Don Beard

Don Beard, firefighter of fifteen years, draws upon experiences from his job and family as the basis for his stories. He presently lives in Owensboro, Kentucky, with his sons, daughter, and grandson. In November of 2012, he wrote the first draft of Seven Days during National Novel Writing Month.

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Copyright © 2013 Don Beard.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0658-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0660-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0659-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013915815

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/30/2013

Author photo by: michaelhallphoto.com.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

Contents

Sunday, June 17, 2012, Day 1

Monday, June 18, 2012, Day 2

Tuesday, June 19, 2012, Day 3

Wednesday, June 20, 2012, Day 4

Thursday, June 21, 2012, Day 5

Friday, June 22, 2012, Day 6

Saturday, June 23, 2012, Day 7

Epilogue: Saturday, June 30, 2012

Afterword

Coming soon in the Beach Breezes series:

Refined by Fire

The Greatest Gift

The Final Days of August MacLayne

For Mom and Dad

Dearly loved and sorely missed

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. Psalms 56:3, NIV

Sunday, June 17, 2012, Day 1

Lieutenant Collin McIntyre could hardly wait to get away from Station Four. In his fifteen years in the fire service, he had seen more things than he had ever wanted to see, but these past two weeks leading up to his vacation had been particularly bad.

Two structure fires, four vehicle accidents, and three DOAs were more than enough to make Collin ready for some time away from the job.

He paced around the station’s kitchen like a caged animal, anxiously looking out the window every so often for his relief man. Finally, Collin saw Mike, lieutenant on the next crew, pull in the parking lot. A smile lit up his face as the stress of his job began to melt away.

See you fellas in a couple of weeks, he said over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

Have a great trip! Dane replied. Enjoy the sand and water for me, would ya?

Sure thing, Collin answered with a smile and went out the door. He met Mike part way across the parking lot and passed on a few items from his shift that he needed to know. That’s about all I got for you, Collin said, glancing at his watch and seeing it was just after six thirty. I hate to run, but I need to get on the road.

No problem, man. And thanks for the heads up on the radio charger, Mike said. We’ll take the truck down to the garage and see what they have to say about it. Now get going. Be safe, and have a great time down on the Gulf.

Collin waved his thanks and hurried to his Explorer, cranked it up, and made for home. He knew as soon as he got there his kids and nephew would be waiting to load up and get going. They didn’t disappoint him either.

Collin hit the garage door opener and started to back in. But before he could stop and get out of his Explorer, all three kids were dragging suit-cases out the garage door. He quickly went inside to change out of his uniform and into some shorts. He came back outside with his own suit-case in hand. After popping the Explorer’s hatch, he loaded the cooler full of drinks first, and then stacked the luggage around it. He figured they would be getting into the cooler fairly regularly.

While Collin stood at the opened hatch, figuring the best way to cram the last couple of bags in the back, his daughter, Karol, appeared by his side and slipped an arm around his waist. Leaning her head over on his shoulder, she said happily, Mornin’, Dad! How was work?

Kissing the top of her head, Collin answered truthfully. It was a rough, busy shift. But it’s over and I’m not gonna think about it. All I’m thinkin’ about is that in roughly eight and a half hours, we’ll be standing on the beach with our toes in the water.

He looked at his oldest child, though she was hardly a child any more. Karol was approaching twenty-one years old, and had a smile that always melted her dad’s heart. She was tall, slender, and athletic, with bright blue eyes and sandy-blonde hair. Well, at least it was sandy-blonde today. She had a penchant for changing hair colors whenever the mood struck her.

Smiling, he eased his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her cheek. I’m awfully glad you’re able to go with us this time, he said, thinking back to last summer when she wasn’t able to go because of conflicts with her work and softball schedules.

I’m glad I am, too, Karol agreed. I didn’t like missing last summer, so I wasn’t about to miss this summer’s trip. The beach has been calling my name for several months now.

Know what ya mean, sweetie, Collin agreed. Hey, would you mind going back in and seeing if the boys are about ready to go?

Sure thing, Dad. She hurried back inside.

Collin was going over a mental checklist of everything they might need when he heard all three kids burst out of the house, laughing and talking about the first things they were going to do when they reached the beach.

I’m going to run across the sand and dive head-first into the water, Zander McIntyre proclaimed as he elbowed his cousin, Hunter, in the ribs. What about you?

I’ll be right beside ya, Hunter McIntyre promised. Only instead of diving in, I’m gonna throw down this skimboard and ride it ‘til it won’t go any further. He lifted the board in his hand for emphasis.

What, no girl watching? Karol teased her brother, Zander, and cousin, Hunter.

Zander and Hunter gave each other a knowing look and replied simultaneously, Well duh, Karol. That’s a given. Laughing like that was the funniest thing ever, they high-fived each other, while Karol just shook her head and grinned.

Okay, guys and gal, have we got everything we need? Is there anything left inside that needs to come outside? Collin asked his brood.

No, I’m pretty sure we got everything, Dad, Zander answered. Are we gonna go on and leave, or do we have to wait for Hunter’s dad to get here with everyone else?

I don’t know about you all, but I don’t see any need to wait. We know where we’re going and where the key to the house is located. Besides, we have TomTom to help us out if we need it. So, my vote is to leave after one more round of bathroom visits. How about it?

Sounds good to us, was the unanimous answer.

By seven thirty, Collin and his crew were loaded in the Explorer and pulling out of the driveway. Ninety minutes after that, they merged onto Interstate 65 South, heading toward the Gulf Coast and a vacation loaded with surprises they would never forget.

Collin listened as the kids bantered back and forth about the beach and things they wanted to do this year. The item at the top of the list surprised him somewhat.

Hey Dad, Zander called from the back-seat, can we make sure to go see that old Civil War fort this year? I mean, it’s just down the road from where we’re staying and all.

My dad said he wanted to go this year, too, Hunter chimed in.

Glancing at them in the rearview mirror, Collin grinned and answered, I don’t see why not. I wanted to go last year, but we ran out of time. This year, I see me spending a lot of time on the beach and not running all over the place like we did last year. The fort, the nature preserve, and the Shrimp Basket…that’s about all I have on the to-do list this year. Oh, and I may even wander out and get in the water some, too.

I like the way that sounds, Karol commented from the passenger seat. There is one thing I’d like to add to that list though -a trip to a souvenir store.

That’ll work out perfectly since Souvenir City is right across the street from the Shrimp Basket, Collin said, looking over at Karol.

What’s Souvenir City? she asked curiously.

What? You don’t know what that place is? Zander asked in shock. Looking at Hunter, he added, Can you believe her?

Hunter replied, I know, right. Addressing Karol, he continued, It’s only the biggest souvenir store in Gulf Shores, maybe even on the whole coast of Alabama.

Karol’s eyes glowed with enthusiasm. Now that sounds like my kind of store!

Collin grinned at her and turned his attention back to the highway stretching in front of him. The sound of the kids and the radio faded into the background as Collin’s mind slipped back to the final call from his last shift on duty. It had been a particularly bad call, one of those he figured would stick with him for a while.

His engine company and the ambulance arrived at the house at the same time, and he and his crew made entry right behind the paramedics. They found the patient lying at the end of the hallway, taking a gasping breath only every ten or fifteen seconds. While one of the paramedics went out to get their heart monitor and defibrillator, Collin, his crew, and the remaining medic began working the patient.

Please, God, help us out here, Collin had prayed in his thoughts.

Although they did their best, nothing they tried changed the outcome of the call. The medic called it after almost thirty minutes of working on the patient. Collin felt the sting of losing another patient, something none of them liked at all and most took quite personally. In this case, what really bothered him was the patient’s age; he was only twenty-nine years old, much too young in Collin’s mind to have suffered such a serious, life-ending heart attack. Seeing such a young person take his last breath was a memory that wasn’t going to fade away easily.

Dad? Hello, Dad? Karol called from the passenger seat. Collin waded up from his thoughts and saw his daughter was gazing at him with concern in her eyes. Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get your attention for a few miles now.

Sorry, sweetheart, Collin replied quietly. I was just thinking about a run we made my last shift. He paused for a beat. It didn’t turn out very good.

Karol reached over and patted Collin’s arm, which was resting on the console. I’m sorry, Daddy, she said gently. I wish you didn’t have to see stuff like that.

You and me both, honey, Collin answered with a tired smile. But it’s a larger part of the job any more than fighting fires is. That’s just the nature of the beast I guess.

Maybe so, but I still wish you didn’t have to do it. She was quiet for a moment before she asked, Do you ever think about just leaving and doing something else?

Sighing, Collin said, Honestly, Karol, I think about it more and more frequently, but I’m not sure what I would do if I did leave the fire service. Fifteen years is a pretty good amount of time to invest in one place. And besides, as much as I would like to, I can’t just quit without having something else in place. There are bills that need to be paid and mouths that like to be fed. Flicking his eyes toward Karol, he added with a wry grin, Know what I mean?

I know, I know, Karol replied with a smile. So I like to eat. I’m not the only one. She cast a knowing look toward the boys in the back seat. Zander, who had been messing with the buttons on his mp3 player, suddenly felt his sister’s eyes on him and he looked up. What? he asked innocently.

Nothing, Zander, Collin said. Your sister and I were just talking about people that like to eat, and we thought of you.

Yeah, well Karol and Hunter ate as much as I did last night, Zander said defensively.

And that’s fine, son. We weren’t criticizing you or anything, just making a simple statement about mouths wanting to eat and bills needing to be paid, Collin placated.

Huh? Zander had a confused look on his face.

Don’t worry about it, brother, Karol said sweetly. Go back to your music. Or better yet, go on and take a nap like Hunter seems to be doing.

Like Hunter was trying to do before Zander started making so much noise, Hunter grumbled from his side of the back seat, his eyes still closed.

Hey, it’s not my fault, Zander complained. She started it. He pointed an accusing finger at Karol.

Doesn’t matter anyway, Hunter stated. I’m about to turn my music on and go back to sleep. Maybe when I wake up, we’ll be in Tennessee anyway.

Actually, Hunter, we’re only about twenty miles from the Tennessee line and not too long after that, our first stop for gas, Collin informed him.

Awesome. If I’m asleep, wake me up. A bathroom break might be good by then.

I can do that.

The conversation died down for a while as the kids listened to music and watched the world go by through the windows of the southbound Explorer.

Forty-five minutes later, Collin pulled into a combination convenience store, gas station, and gift shop just south of Franklin, Tennessee. He had to wake up the kids so they could get out and stretch their legs and hit the bathroom if need be.

After filling up, Collin went inside to look around and give his backside a break from the driver’s seat. While the Explorer was certainly more comfortable than the truck he had previously had, it was still tiring to drive for long periods of time.

Collin heard laughter from the back of the store that sounded suspiciously like his kids. Tracking the giggles and soft voices to the source, he found all three huddled around an open book. Karol was in the middle holding the book with the Zander and Hunter on either side of her. They all three looked up as Collin approached and smiled at him brightly. Hey there, Dad, Karol said, chuckling. We’re just looking at this book of jokes. Some of them are pretty funny.

She held up the book so that Collin could read the title, The Big Book of Bathroom Humor. Collin rolled his eyes and said, Why doesn’t this surprise me? Returning their happy grins, he added, Okay, y’all, put the book away. We need to get back on the road.

When they had gotten back out on the interstate, Collin caught Hunter’s eyes in the rearview mirror and asked, Have you heard from your dad? Are they on the road yet?

Hold on a second and I’ll text him, Hunter replied, digging his cell phone out and tapping away at the screen. Within in minutes, he got a message back. Dad says that they’re on the road and just turned onto the interstate. He wants to know where we are now, Hunter announced.

Tell him we’re about twenty miles south of Franklin, Tennessee, and that should be good enough, Collin answered.

After firing off his message, Hunter looked up and asked, So how far ahead of Dad and the others are we?

Doing some quick mental calculations, Collin said, We’re about an hour ahead of them, or roughly sixty-five to seventy miles.

Cool! both boys enthused.

We’ll get there a long time before they do, Hunter continued with a gleam in his eyes.

Yeah, Zander agreed. We’ll get there and be in the water before they even get unpacked. That’s awesome!

Karol looked at her dad and rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t quite conceal the look of anticipation that covered her face.

Karol, Zander, and Hunter kept up the chatter for the next half hour before it began to taper off until the only sounds inside Collin’s vehicle were the radio and the roar of the tires turning on the pavement as they ate up the miles heading south.

Truth be known, Collin was just as eager to arrive at their destination, a rented house on the beach, as the kids were.

Dad? Zander’s voice sounded sleepy as he spoke from the back seat.

Yeah, bud?

Where are we?

Collin cast a quick glance in the mirror and saw that Zander was looking out the window through half-closed eyes. He was continually amazed at how quickly his kids had grown up; Zander, his youngest, was quickly approaching fifteen years old, hardly a child any more. He resembled Collin in hair color only; his eye color and the shape of his nose came from his mother’s side of the family.

Zander’s mother…that was a topic Collin really didn’t want to think about right then so he pushed those thoughts away before they could even form. Instead, he turned his attention back to Zander and answered. We’re just passing through Montgomery, Alabama, buddy. That means we’re a little more than halfway to Gulf Shores.

Nice, Zander replied with a yawn and let his drift closed again. In moments, his breathing had evened out and deepened, indicating he was sound asleep again.

Collin shook his head, amazed at Zander’s ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. In reflection, Collin was a little envious at that ability as well; he hadn’t been able to doze off like that in a long time, another result of the things he’d seen on the job.

Casting another quick glance in the rearview mirror and then over at Karol, Collin felt his heart swell with the love he felt for his kids, and his nephew as well. Father, he thought, thank You so much for my family. Please help me to be the kind of father, brother, and uncle that they need me to be and You want me to be.

It was something Collin prayed for regularly, as well as for his family’s health and happiness and his children’s futures.

Collin sighed and shifted positions in his seat. He reached over and pressed the cd button on the radio as the station he had been listening to started to fade out. The six-disc changer was loaded with the latest tunes from Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Building 429, among others. Soon, the sounds of his favorite music quietly filled the vehicle’s cabin and Collin began singing along softly, allowing his mind to drift where it would, providing, of course, that it didn’t try to wander back to his ex-wife. Memories of her were still painful to deal with.

Karol’s voice startled him out of his reverie when she spoke. Sing a little louder, Dad, she coaxed. Please? For me? I like to hear you sing.

Collin could feel himself reddening at his daughter’s words. He looked over at her briefly and said, I’ll try, sweetheart, but you know how much I don’t like singing in public.

I know, Dad, but we’re not in public, she replied. Eyeing the sleeping boys in the back, she added, They’re still snoozin’, so it’s just me and you. Besides, maybe it’ll help me fall back asleep too.

She looked at him with puppy dog eyes, a look she knew he usually couldn’t resist. Collin sighed and said, Alright, sweetheart, I’ll sing a little louder just for you, but only for a few songs.

Perfect! Karol beamed. Thank you, Daddy.

You’re welcome, baby doll, Collin answered. Turning the volume up just a shade, he picked up the lyrics in the middle of the present song and was soon lost in the music. If he had an addiction to anything, then it would have to be music; books came in a close second.

When the Skillet cd gave way to the latest one from Disciple, Collin cast a quick glance at Karol and saw she was napping again, her passenger seat reclined back and her body turned so that she was almost lying on her side. Collin grinned at the sight and reflected back on the nights that he had spent sitting up with her and then her brother, rocking them and rubbing their backs until they were finally able to fall asleep.

They sure have grown up fast. The thought silently flitted through his mind. Won’t be long until they’re out of my house and raising families of their own. That idea left Collin feeling a little bit sad. With their mother gone now, he wasn’t ready to have an empty house for quite a while yet. He hadn’t realized how much life and energy she had brought to the household until it was no longer there.

As the miles rolled by, Collin allowed himself to drift back in his memories, inevitably winding up at that Saturday morning three years ago when she had walked out on him and the kids; at that point, the color had gone out of most everything for Collin, but he worked hard at concealing his sadness from his kids. At least they seem to have adapted well, he thought. A deep sigh escaped his lips. Shortly after that, he heard Karol stirring in the passenger seat.

You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you? Karol’s question wasn’t accusing, simply a statement of facts.

Collin could see no reason to try and sugarcoat the facts. And besides that, he had vowed to never lie to Zander and Karol. They had had enough of that to last a lifetime. So, he replied honestly, Yeah, Karol, I was.

Anger flashed through Karol’s eyes before she got a handle on it. Well, you shouldn’t waste your time, Dad. She’s not worth it. Karol’s voice was quiet but laced with a vehemence that shocked Collin.

Quickly flicking his eyes to the rearview mirror to make sure the boys weren’t awake and listening, Collin replied as sternly as possible, Maybe not, Karol, but that’s nothing you should worry yourself about. On top of that, you really shouldn’t talk about your mother that way.

Why not? Karol challenged. It’s not like she’s here to hear me, or would even care in the first place. She walked out on us and never looked back, so what’s she to me?

Well, for starters, she’s still your mother, like it or not. She’s the one who carried you for nine months and gave birth to you. For that reason alone you should be thankful and respectful, Collin reasoned with her calmly.

Karol was silent for a moment before she grudgingly acknowledged, You have a point there, Dad, and I am grateful that she gave birth to me, and even Zander, most of the time. But you can’t expect me to be happy about the choices she’s made. Through gritted teeth she added, I’m having a hard time with that, and with that whole being respectful idea. Don’t even ask me to like her right now. I’m still a little too hurt for that.

Collin was taken aback by the depth of anger he felt simmering in his oldest child’s words. He had known on some level that his kids had been just as hurt and betrayed by their mother’s actions as he had been, but hadn’t truly realized just how much so until then. Reaching over and taking Karol’s hand in his free one, Collin said gently, Karol, honey, I know you’re angry and still hurting, but I’m really glad you’ve opened up some about it to me. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, making sure the boys were still asleep. But I need to ask you to do me a favor and hold back; watch what you say in front of your brother. Maybe we can take a walk later and you can vent your frustrations. Would that be okay?

Karol brushed a stray lock of her sandy-blonde hair out of her eyes and said in a voice that was much less angry, Okay, Dad. I’d like that. She leaned as far over as she could and managed to just brush a kiss on Collin’s cheek. I love you, Dad, and I’m really glad to be here with you now. She motioned at the napping boys in the back seat and added, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m even glad they’re here.

Collin chuckled as he cast a quick glance at his daughter. She smiled and giggled softly. Yes, I actually said that. Just don’t tell them that I did.

Mum’s the word, Collin agreed, making the motion of zipping his lips closed.

Thanks, Karol said. I knew I could count on you. She tried to stifle a big yawn. I think it’s time to nap some more.

Okay, darlin’.

Before releasing Karol’s hand, Collin gave it a reassuring squeeze. Father, please help me know the right words to say to Karol to soothe her pain and anger. It hurts me to see her hurt like that, Collin prayed silently.

Karol drifted back off into a restless nap as Collin gazed at the passing landscape through the Explorer’s windshield.

The miles continued to disappear beneath the Ford’s hungry tires as they sped south.

A couple of gas and snack stops later, Collin finally exited the interstate onto Gulf Shores Parkway. The kids really began to perk up when they realized they were getting closer to the beach.

I can feel the sand between my toes already, Zander commented from the backseat, peering out the window with a smile on his face.

Hey, Uncle Collin, Hunter called from his seat beside Zander.

What’s up, Hunter? Collin replied as he cast a quick glance over his shoulder.

I just texted Dad again, and it looks like they’re still about an hour behind us. I told him where we were and he’s jealous, Hunter gloated.

Collin smiled and said, Oh well, he’ll be fine. We just got a much earlier start than they did. By the way, did you find out what caused their delay?

Dad said that Aunt Heidi was running late for some reason. I didn’t catch exactly what it was though, Hunter explained. I’m glad we left and didn’t wait on them. We wouldn’t be nearly this far.

That’s true, Collin allowed. And we’ll even be able to stop at the Piggly Wiggly and pick up a few groceries for the night and still get there well ahead of the others.

Where are we exactly, Dad? Karol inquired as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery.

We’re somewhere a little north of Foley, Alabama, probably an hour or so away from the water. How does that sound?

Karol’s eyes were glowing in anticipation as she responded, It sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to feel the sand and water on my feet.

Well it won’t be too long, honey. In fact, we’re about to make our last stop before we reach the beach house, Collin stated as they pulled into the Piggly Wiggly parking lot. Okay you all, let’s get in and out of here as quickly as we can. Agreed?

Zander, Karol, and Hunter all grunted their assents as they poured out of the Explorer. When they got inside, Collin grabbed a cart and sent the kids off in different directions to pick up a few items each. In less than fifteen minutes, they were checked out and had the groceries loaded up. Pulling back out onto the parkway, Collin praised their effort. Thanks for helping me out in there. Do you all realize that we got out of there in less than fifteen minutes?

Sweet! Zander cheered. That’s got to be some kind of record.

I know, right, Hunter agreed. And we’re still about forty-five minutes ahead of the others. Now it’s just a short drive to the house, right Uncle Collin?

Casting a glance over his shoulder at Hunter, Collin replied, "According to TomTom here, we have about 25 miles to go. So, I’d