Page 34 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

Callum’s name appears on the caller ID. I immediately pick up. “Morning, sunshine?”

Chuckling, he says, “Morning, lover boy. I didn’t want to disturb you after what Noah told me happened last night. I’m so jealous I wasn’t the one to respond to the SOS. We are both dying to see what Aislinn found, though. Do you guys have any ideas?”

Laughing, I say, “Actually, you wouldn’t have been much help. We needed someone fast and strong to assist.”

He makes a strangled noise across the phone, and I snicker.

Then sobering, I respond, “To be honest, Noah really did save the day, and we are grateful for his quick response to the situation. So, we talked, and Aislinn and I think it may either be Gramps’ or maybe my great-grandfather’s topaz mine. I mean, I always wondered why it was called Topaz Ridge Trail. There might have been an actual reason for that, not just a play off Topaz Falls. She said the railroad ties looked old and were covered in creosote. I’m hoping it helped to preserve the integrity of the structure. The ladder she found was really decayed and should not be used. We will have to take some good climbing gear out there today. Our last appointment is at 2 p.m., so we can head there right after.”

I assume he is nodding on the other end of the phone, forgetting I can’t see him.

I continue, “After we assess it, I think we should probably call the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and make sure it’s safe. Maybe they will have some records of it. I know there are a lot of old boxes up in the attic here at the house and the rafters of the barn. I haven’t gone through any of them since Gramps died, but maybe he has information up there, too.”

“Okay, man. Noah and I both insist we go with you. Ingrid said she wanted to go, but I told her it might be too dangerous and asked if she could stay and look after Finn and Chloe,” he says.

Shaking my head, I say, “Oh, I’m sure she took that well, Callum. She hates being told something is too dangerous for her, like we are more capable than her.”

He grunts in response but changes the topic. “So 2 p.m. we head out to Topaz Ridge, yeah? Noah and I will be ready. Try to get out here soon. We need your help in the barn getting the animals ready for the day.”

We say goodbye and hang up. I hear the bathroom door open down the hall and call out, “Does an omelet sound good?”

She shouts, “I usually just have a protein shake before heading out the door. An omelet works. I’m not too picky.”

“Omelet it is, then!” I yell back. Finn and Chloe look up at me like I’ve hung the heaven and stars as they watch me pull the bacon out of the fridge.

Chapter 31

Aislinn

The morning passed in a rush. I barely had time to grab a coffee and a pastry for lunch. We got through the storage in the backroom and the cabinets in one of the exam rooms. Everything was pretty well stocked, and I’m wondering if Doc MacAllen had ordered and prepped the facility when the sale went through.

Expiration dates were so far out on most products, there is no way they have been sitting here for two-plus years. When I invite them over for dinner, I will have to see if he did this favor and thank him profusely.

We will have no problem getting the doors open by July 1st. I leave the clinic, and the clock reads 1:55 p.m. as I head to Lachlan’s ranch.

As I pull up the long gravel drive, I admire the open fields surrounded by trees with their snow-capped mountain backdrop. A camera wouldn't do this view justice. Seeing it from the ridge last night was even more amazing.

We pull up to the gravel area in front of Lachlan’s house, and Chloe starts pawing at the car door, hoping it will magically open.

I turn off the car and open my door to get out. Before I can swing my legs to the side, Chloe goes bounding over me and flies out the door like she fears Timmy is stuck in a well somewhere.

“Easy, girl,” I yell. Laughing, I watch as she tears across the left side of his yard toward the barn, yipping loudly.

A white rocket shoots out of the barn straight toward her. They collide in a ball of fur, jumping and chasing each other. Finn pauses mid-roll and sees me approaching. Pushing his paws into the ground to seek traction, he takes off toward me, and I brace myself for impact. He skids to a stop, throwing dust and gravel across my feet.

I reach down and rub his head and chin. “You are such a good boy, yes, you are. Thank you for not laying me out flat,” I coo.

“If I tell you I have been a good boy today, do I get chest rubs?” a masculine voice asks.

I look up and see Noah and shake my head. “I don’t think so, naughty boy,” I snicker, wagging my finger back and forth.

He laughs and extends his hand.

We shake, and I ask, “Are the horses ready?”

“Lachlan was ready earlier than I would like to admit. He is acting like a middle school boy with his first crush. You wouldn’t believe how excited he is to see you and the abandoned mine,” Noah says, shaking his head.

I blush. “The feeling is mutual. Is he in the barn?”

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