Page 3 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

Now it is time to turn my eyes to the beautiful white giant beside Linnea. She continues running her tiny fingers through his thick fur, knowing she only has a few more minutes. I stick out my hand for Finn to sniff. His cold, wet nose gently pushes against the pads of my fingertips. Seconds later, his whole snout is advancing into the palm of my hand. His eyes close as he lets out a contented sigh. I take the opportunity to slowly move my hand up to the top of his head. Gradually, I bring my other hand up, putting one on each side of his head to rub him behind his ears.

He seems completely at ease with me, which is a good indication that we will get along just fine. I’m comfortable and confident around animals, which I hope translates positively to him. Hopefully being separated from this sweet little girl will not depress him too much. Luckily, by the end of the day, he will be roaming around the open spaces of Montana without a care in the world.

Gerald clears his throat, and I look up to see him adjusting a large, reusable grocery bag on his shoulder. After getting my attention, he says, “In here is the rest of the bag of food we have. Unfortunately, it’s only about three days’ worth. Finn eats a lot, but it should at least get you through the weekend and back to Montana. I also have his collar on with his leash, but you will need new tags with your information. I placed his harness in the bag, as he is very strong and walking him down these small streets was easier with a harness. Not sure you will need it, but we won’t, that’s for sure. Our next dog will be less than twenty pounds. I also put his vet certificate in here, which states his current vaccines and health status. The vet says his overall health is great. He is eighteen months old and right around one hundred pounds I wish you all the best with him, and we’ll plan to make a trip out to Montana this September before schoolstarts for Linnea. Thank you for coming to pick him up, Lachlan. My wife and I are grateful.”

He extends the bag to me, which I quickly accept and put in the back of the cab. Next, I take the leash he offers toward me and go to put Finn in the back seat so he has plenty of room to lie down for the long ride.

Gerald quickly says, “Actually, you may want to put him in the bed of your truck. He is not the greatest car rider. I probably should have mentioned that, but it just occurred to me since we never use our car with him around here. He doesn’t really fit in our Prius, so he is very anxious when we put him in our back seat.”

I nod in acknowledgment. I would also feel uncomfortable in a tiny Prius, too. But as a precaution, I reach into the back seat and grab his harness. If he is riding in the truck bed, then he is getting tethered properly. After he steps into his harness, I drop the tailgate down and he hops in without a second thought. I climb up behind him and attach his lead to an eyehook in the center, directly behind the cab window. I make it loose enough that he could stand or lie down but tight enough that he can’t jump out of the back. I figure I can keep him like this and monitor him for a little while.

I plan to stop in North Bend for gas and food before driving over Snoqualmie Pass. Those 40 miles should determine how he rides in my truck. I have a feeling he will be moving inside at North Bend. My guess is the only reason he wasn’t a great passenger in the past is the Prius was too small.

I shake Gerald and Linnea’s hands one last time and tip my Stetson to them. Gerald calls out, “You may want to take a different route to I-90. There are two events happening at our stadiums downtown.”

“Thanks, I’ll have my phone plug in an alternative route. See you both soon!” I turn and step off the curb.

Going around the front of the truck to the driver’s side door, I haul my frame inside and start the engine. I glance in the back and see Finn sitting stoic and statuesque in my truck bed. Before I drive away, I reach back and slide the window open so I can hear if he is in any distress while we drive the first, short leg of the trip back home.

At the sound of the window opening, Finn turns his head just enough to make eye contact with me. He knows he isn’t coming back here, but based on the glint in his eye, he is more than ready for this adventure.

Chapter 3

Aislinn

Isee my current driving situation as a good omen, as we have hit every green light since leaving Cody’s house in Bellevue. Chloe and I will be on I-90, driving 65 mph, before we know it. Just before the intersection to merge onto the freeway, we hit our first red light. Coming to a slow stop, I do one last quick check to make sure I have everything before we start heading East. I realize I didn’t stock any food or drinks. Knowing me, I’ll probably only make it to North Bend before I’ll want my morning snack. At least there are lots of options at that exit.

Behind me, I hear the sound of a large diesel truck pulling up to a stop, mere inches from my bumper. I can’t even see his headlights. He is so close. All I can tell is that it’s a large, gray truck. I’m able to make out a huge man behind the wheel, but his sunglasses, hat, and beard make it hard to see any details. At least I will soon be out of this traffic town and back to open roads and laid-back drivers.

As the light turns green, my Bluetooth picks up an incoming call. My phone announces, “LEE-OH,” and without a second thought, I answer it. I’m so excited to hear his voice I can hardly contain myself.

“Leo! Chloe and I are on our way! We are about to merge onto I-90 as we speak,” I shout.

“Well, a mighty fine hello to you too, sweetums. Do you have enough snacks to make it here in one shot?” he responds. I can hear the smile in his voice. He knows me too well. I get hangry. Not just a little snippy; I’m like those commercials with Betty White and her Snickers bar.

“Hi! No. I just did a last check of the center console and realized in my haste to get my Kindle back from Cody, I forgot snacks. Luckily, I’m only about forty minutes from North Bend, so I will swing into the Safeway there, maybe even top off the gas tank before heading over Snoqualmie Pass,” I say.

Suddenly Leo’s response is drowned out by the roar of a diesel engine to my left, as the gray truck overtakes me on the freeway. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of white fur in the back of the truck bed and see the most beautiful white Pyrenees. At least he looks comfortable in the back. Being on the freeway, I can only hope he is restrained properly. My stomach rolls thinking of this gorgeous dog getting hurt with how fast the truck is traveling. I focus on the make and see it’s a Dodge Power Wagon, which has plenty of room in the back seat for his dog. Glancing at my speedometer, I realize I am actually only going 55 mph and slowly accelerate to the posted speed limit.

“Can you repeat that, Leo? I got distracted by this guy in a Dodge truck who passed me,” I groan.

“Oh honey, a guy in a Dodge truck? Was he so cute that he distracted you? What did he look like? Already over Cody and looking for your next match, eh? Kieran and I were planning to take you out and be your wingmen Sunday night, but if you already found a guy in a truck, you may not need our great opinions on the matter,” he says with a huff.

“Oh my goodness, what? First of all, I love my brother, but he will never be my wingman. Secondly, no, I wasn’t distracted by a guy, I don’t even know what he looks like. All I saw was slight scruff, sunglasses, and a hat. I was looking at his dog. He has a huge Pyrenees and it’s in the back of his truck, while he is going 65 mph on the freeway,” I state, exasperated.

In the back, I hear Paisley’s voice shouting if the guy was hot. Leo muffles the phone, but I can hear him telling her that once again I was distracted by a cute animal. Did they forget I’m a vet? Animals are my passion. Paisley says something else in a more somber tone, but I can’t make it out.

Leo comes back on the phone. “Sorry, hun. Paisley just walked through our door. Kieran distracted her for a minute, but she is dying to know how it went with Cody and your Kindle. She knows you love that thing more than you did him.”

Well, she isn’t wrong. Did I even love him? We hadn’t exchanged that term of endearment yet. I satisfy their curiosity, explaining, “He didn’t take it well. He actually looked angry. I thought we were enjoying our time together. In my mind, we were casually dating, and I didn’t think we were that serious. He actually thought I was selling my house in Sammamish so I could move in with him in Bellevue. Mind you, his house is even further away from my old job. He just wasn’t listening, or if he was, he wasn’t comprehending. Our final moments were as icy as Antarctica.”

Being a tad dramatic, Leo gasps, “Is this something you need to worry about?” I hear him muffle the phone and tell Paisley what I just said. A moment later, I hear Paisley and Leo’s voices loud and clear.

Paisley says, “Sorry, I had to put it on speaker phone. This version of the game of telephone was getting old. So how did youleave it with him? He does realize you broke up weeks ago, right? Did you tell him where you were moving?”

“Well, I gave him a quick hug, which he didn’t return as he stood there glaring at me with his arms crossed. You guys, I swear I heard him growl that this wasn’t over between us. It left me a little unnerved, but at the same time, his whole life is here. He has his practice, friends, family, house, and everything else. No, I promise I didn’t tell him where I was going. I said Montana, but Montana is huge. I never brought him home to you guys, so I’m not sure he even knows I grew up in Kalispell. He knows I was born in Montana, but I never really brought up my life there as it was never relevant. Maybe a part of me knew we weren’t compatible. Instinctively, I knew to keep that part of me a bit of a secret. Plus, I will be in Topaz Falls, which is north of Kalispell, so even if I mentioned Kalispell and he went looking there, he would be thirty miles away and none the wiser,” I ramble.

“He has everything but you, hun, and if he comes to Kalispell, I will be sure to send him packing—” Leo starts to say.

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