Page 13 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

Anders and Callum both chuckle. Anders says, “I’m good friends with her brother Kieran. If it helps, I know where they will be at 8 p.m. tonight.” He pauses, making me flex my fists with impatience. “Playing pool at Glaciers.” He winks, then pats me on the shoulder. Shaking his head, he turns and heads back toward his office, offering us a wave over his shoulder.

Callum, who finally puts his phone away, tries not to smile. I can tell he is biting his lip to keep a straight face. Finally, with an almost bored expression, he asks, “So Lachlan, wanna play pool at Glaciers tonight? I don’t know, say 7:30 p.m.? I'll even pick you up.”

I give him a soft punch to the shoulder, then pull him in for a side hug before responding, “Yeah, that sounds like a prettynice date, Callum. See you at 7:30 p.m.” I can’t help but smile as I finally grab my coffee off the bar top.

Chapter 13

Aislinn

Thick forest lines the road as we turn off the main throughway toward my new little slice of heaven. Up ahead is the post with my new house number on it, and I put my left turn signal on so Kieran and Paisley know we are close. As I cross onto my property line, my eyes want to look everywhere but straight ahead. The grooved dirt path gently jostles me as I make my way down my driveway.

My detached garage comes into view. The lake glistens behind the outline of my home, casting it in a backlighting that looks ethereal. With each car length, the house becomes more visible. I thought the photos I saw of it were breathtaking, but they didn’t do this location justice.

I pull my car up to the garage door and admire the barndoor-style front. It’s just what I wanted. Warm wood tones, heavy metal fittings, and doors that slide outward instead of rolling up. I turn off the engine and open the door. My feet land on a thin layer of pine needles from the evergreens surrounding the yard.

I let Chloe out, and she goes bounding toward the tree line. There is a scent trail she finds impossible to ignore. Withher nose to the ground, she sets off on a mission. I bet the forest surrounding the house is teeming with all kinds of little furry animals.

Off to the right sit two large trees about twenty feet apart, which would be the perfect place to hang a hammock. I can picture lying beneath the silence of the trees with my book. A gentle breeze would whisper across my arms, and the setting sun would cast just enough warmth to be comfortable.

I turn as Kieran shuts off their car, and Paisley follows shortly after. We are crammed into the tiny gravel area in front of the garage, but it will be nice to have the gravel when the rain and ice come. Leo releases a shrill noise and immediately starts moving toward the front door. I want to follow him, but I force myself to take a moment and absorb my new surroundings.

Between the garage and the house, I can see a sliver of an opening down to the small dock I have at the lake edge. Maybe I can get a kayak or canoe to paddle around the lake on nice days. Storing them in the winter will be the only issue. I’m still not sure if the garage is big enough, as I have some other ideas of what I want to do in the second space, like maybe a pottery wheel and kiln.

Focusing back on the house, I absorb the two stories of peeled logs with plenty of windows. I make the short walk toward the stairs. The window frames are a rich charcoal color, and the door is a deep navy blue with the same iron fittings as the garage. The ten steps lead up to support posts surrounded by river rock. The covered front porch has plenty of room for a rocking chair if I decide it might need one. Or should I say, if Leo feels the porch says it wants one.

Snickering to myself, I slowly make the climb up the stairs. Everyone is already at the top, waiting for me. I dig into my back pocket and pull out the key chain from our realtor,handing it to Leo. He snatches it from my hand and makes quick work of the deadbolt.

I whistle to grab Chloe’s attention, and she comes flying out of the trees like a bullet, racing up the stairs. Her whole body is wagging, and her tongue is lolling out the side of her mouth. My sweet dog is clearly enjoying herself.

The door slowly swings inward, and I let out an audible gasp, which is echoed by Paisley. With a flourish of his hand, Leo gestures for me to go inside first. My eyes fill with tears as I look around. I’m unable to focus on any one area. I immediately picture a small bench directly to my right with a built-in coat rack to hang my coats and a leash for Chloe. On my left is a beautiful living room with a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace. I can already picture how I will decorate the mantel for Christmas, and I see clear as day where my tree will go.

The staircase in front of us is double-wide and open on both sides. Based on the photos my realtor sent me, the primary suite is on the left. To the right are two bedrooms, with a Jack and Jill bathroom. Past the open staircase, we can see the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the lake.

I walk past the stairs, and to the right is a little half bath, followed by a door. I crack it open and peek inside, seeing it will be the perfect space for a pool table, my yoga mat, and a treadmill. The next door on the right will be my favorite place, I know it. I open the door and smile. The wall of windows on the far wall lets in tons of natural light, and I can visualize an oversized chair and footstool in front of it. The other three walls will be wall-to-wall bookshelves, with a ladder to roll around when I need to reach the top shelf. When I was little, my favorite princess was Belle, so having a ladder and bookshelf has always been a dream of mine.

Chloe’s toenails click against the wood flooring as she comes up next to me and nudges my hand. Giving her a quick pet, I close the library door and hear my friends meandering through the open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen on the opposite side of the house.

I plan to get a large farm table with natural edges for the dining room. I’m hoping I can find one that will hold eight people comfortably. I think benches on each side will work best so that the view from the living room won’t be obstructed by seatbacks.

Making my way slowly over to the island, I remember it had a waterfall finish. I reach over the side to run my hands down the smooth stone. The colors are perfect. My cabinets are cream shaker uppers and navy-blue shaker lowers with iron fittings. The beautiful Viking range is drawing me forward. I’m so excited to try baking with it. My house in Sammamish had not been recently remodeled, so the oven I had there wasn’t as top-notch as this one. The deep farm sink might be my favorite part of the kitchen, as it looks straight out at the lake. Maybe I will decide I prefer washing dishes to baking with this view. At least I know I won’t be miserable when I scrub the pans.

Leo is the first to break the silence, “Okay, so I’m thinking of a huge fluffy sectional in the living room with a chaise lounge on the far side. I know you expressed interest in a farm table with unfinished wood sides, so how about we get a matching one for your coffee table. I know a local woodworker who could probably make that happen. Are you thinking benches or chairs at the table?” But before I can respond, he says, “I’m going to give you my professional opinion that although chairs are traditionally considered more comfortable, a bench will keep your line of sight from the living room to the kitchen clear and unobstructed.”

Nodding my agreement, I look toward the living room, trying to visualize what we are discussing. So far, we are on the same page. I ask, “What color of couch should I get? I think a tan, cocoa, or even navy couch would look good.”

Leo puts his finger to the side of his jaw as he visually takes one more pass over the downstairs. I’m not surprised when he thoughtfully responds, “I really think a light cocoa would be the best option because it will show less dog hair and stains. I would suggest a lovely throw and pillows in shades of blue and cream that match your kitchen cabinets. We don’t want anything to jump out and be an eyesore.”

Rolling my eyes, I humor him, “Yes, can you imagine me having to entertain you with colors that cause an eyesore?”

Leo scoffs but smirks and ignores my snide remark as he moves toward the patio. “Okay, now for the deck. The Adirondack chairs for Kieran and me will go on the left and angled toward the water. You and Paisley can put your chairs on the right. I’m thinking of either a cream, navy, or green for your chair, Aislinn. Mine is definitely light blue, Kieran’s navy, and Paisley’s yellow. If you do a shade of green, you and Paisley will look like little sunflowers.”

Nodding, I smile and confirm that any color is fine with me. It’s a porch. As long as it’s comfortable and has a place to set my drink and Kindle, I will be just fine. I stifle a yawn, as my patience for discussing decorating is dwindling fast. Interior design has never really interested me. I just want my home to be warm and welcoming after a long day.

Kieran catches me yawning and bites back a smile. Luckily, Leo and Paisley don’t notice me flashing them my tonsils. They seem to be busy discussing whether we should close in a section of the deck right outside the door and turn the area into a sunroom that I can use year-round. I questioned howmuch use my porch would get during the winter months, and Paisley’s architecture mind went into hyperdrive thinking of the various options.

My stomach makes an embarrassing sound. Once again, my brother is the only one to notice. Sidling up next to me, he says, “Let me guess, you’re already hungry again? You almost made it to noon.” As I wrinkle my nose at him, he continues, “Can you guess what’s in my trunk?”

Arching my brow, I pretend to take a hesitant step away, and out of the side of my mouth, loudly whisper, “Holy cow, please tell me you don’t have a dead body in there and need me to help you hide it on my new property? A pig farmer would be a way better choice.”

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