Page 7 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

Oh goodness, Spokane could not have come soon enough! I have got to pee like a racehorse. I should have stopped in the small town of Tyler, but instead I decided I would push straight through to Spokane. Luckily, there was no traffic. I’m embarrassed to admit that I've spent most of the drive daydreaming about a tall and sinfully gorgeous cowboy.

The fact that he had tipped his Stetson as I turned to leave in North Bend sent butterflies straight into my stomach. I’m glad I was wearing tennis shoes, as my legs buckled a bit, and I swear I almost ate asphalt. My tank was almost full, so I was done at the pump before Lachlan. I quickly ran into Safeway and grabbed some drinks and snacks. He was leaving the pump as I pulled out of the parking lot.

Before I turned left to head toward the onramp for I-90, I remembered Eddie Bauer was at the Outlet Mall, right across the street. I parked in front and ran in to get a few new flannel shirts. When I came back out, I shamelessly admit, I looked all over for that gray Dodge truck.

As I pull off the freeway in Spokane, I about give myself whiplash, doing a double take. No way! Merging on the highway, from where I just exited, is a gray Dodge truck. I can’t tell if it’sLachlan through the tinted windows. There is no sign of Finn in the cab or the bed of his truck, but he could be lying down just like Chloe.

I pull my Jeep into the gas station and set the pump up to begin filling my tank. I first leash up Chloe and take her for a short walk to the grass patch at the backside of the station as I shuffle my feet from side to side. After she intensely sniffs two spots, I wonder if Finn was here moments ago. Now that she is done, it’s my turn.

I take her back to the Jeep. Placing her in the car, I rush into the mini-mart. I use the restroom, then come back out and restock a few more drinks and snacks to make it the last couple hundred miles.

I’m so close to home I can feel it. The air is drier and warmer. The people smile and wave. It’s just a different way of life. A lifestyle I have desperately missed in the seven years I’ve been gone. I used to come home every three to four months, but I have not been back since Christmas last year.

I hop back in the Jeep, and before pulling out of the gas station, I send a quick text to our group chat.

Ais: Just leaving Spokane! See you soon!

Leo:The wait is agonizing, especially with Pais wondering if you’re here yet every 5 minutes.

Kier:Food will be waiting, and I promise to hold off Pais and Leo from eating all the food before you get there.

Pais:Drive fasterrrrr…but still safe!

Ais: Okay, on the road again…

As I pull onto the freeway for the next and hopefully last leg of my trip home, I fantasize about mynew home, job, coworkers, and town.Over Zoom, I interviewed and hired a vet tech named Oliver, who was super sweet, loved animals, and had a few years of work experience in Bozeman, Montana, at a largervet hospital. He was coming off a bad break-up and wanted to try a smaller town and a slower pace of life. He likes the idea of Topaz Falls with the surrounding ranches and Kalispell nearby.

Topaz Falls might only have 2,500 residents, but Kalispell has 24,000 people and is only about a thirty-minute drive. Being so close to a larger city, I don't think the town will feel too small.

I also hired a wonderful girl named Britt to work at the front desk. She has lived in Topaz Falls her entire life and just turned-twenty five years old. She said her brother Axel works on a local ranch with lots of horses and even some sheep. She told me he is hoping I will make farm calls. It’s definitely part of my plan to be mobile so large animals don’t need to be carted into the clinic.

With Oliver being only twenty-seven years old, our clinic will be a young but hopefully energetic group out to help the local furry friends in the community. It has been a while since I worked with farm animals, but the knowledge is there, and I feel it will all come back once I get my hands dirty.

I have a feeling I will need to hire a couple of assistants. I was emailed two resumes from two girls who live in the community. One currently works as an office assistant at the real estate firm I worked with for the sale of my house. The other says she is a barista. Both studied a form of life science in college, so they sound promising.

Doc MacAllen told me some locals worked for him before he closed the clinic to retire. On Monday, I might call them to see if they are still interested in working with me. It would be nice to start off with a solid staff so no one feels overwhelmed when we open the clinic on July 1st.

The clinic belonged to Doc MacAllen, who retired two years ago. He has been working very short hours and only seeing animals in desperate need since. Everyone else has been drivingthe thirty miles into Kalispell to get their animals cared for, which is too far. He offered me a great deal on the location, saying he didn’t need much to get him through his retirement. He just wanted a dedicated vet back in town. His goal is to fully retire with a clear conscience. I’m excited to meet him and his wife. I will try to invite them over for dinner in a few weeks, once my house is set up.

Doc MacAllen spent a while telling me about the Ranch Britt’s brother, Axel, works at, and it sounds like it offers a helpful program for military veterans. It has an entire therapy program with horses but also sheep. He mentioned something about knitting, spinning, and weaving being used for therapy along with the horses. I'm excited to learn more about this program and possibly volunteer my time. I’m not sure what they do in regard to the horses, but I’m an experienced rider and hope to be on horseback and exploring trails as soon as possible.

The house I bought is right on the lake. I’m sad I will be getting in too late to pick up the keys tonight, but first thing tomorrow, Leo and I will be there at the opening of the real estate office. I was able to sell my Sammamish house for a large sum. It was only a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, but the housing market has skyrocketed in the last three years. I used a bit of my inheritance plus the sales proceeds of my house to buy my new lake house and the clinic.

After driving on autopilot for another two hours, the sign announcing Exit 33, MT-135 appears like a mirage. I’m now literally two hours from hugging my three best friends. I will miss Kaley from work, Jo and Bri from yoga, and Kat from my running club. But I never clicked on a deeper level with any of them like I do with Pais and Leo. Kier is my literal blood.

Chapter 8

Aislinn

The lights of Kalispell look like a work of art two hours later. The darkening glow of sunset in the Montana sky throws wisps of various colors like a watercolor painting. The puffy clouds look like apricots and peaches scattered along the horizon, gleaming with the color of coral.

I pull onto the street Leo and Kieran live on, and my pulse starts racing. It has been too long since I last drove up their driveway and ate Kieran’s cooking. I bring my car to a stop in front of their adorable, peeled log cabin with river rock pillars. Their spruce green front door with the beautiful summer wreath is inviting. I see Leo’s decorating style in every little aspect of their front porch. Their two matching rocking chairs are angled toward each other under the eave, with a coordinating table between them. I know this is where they sit and drink their cups of coffee before starting their days.

I don’t bother putting a leash on Chloe because she is so excited she can hardly stand it. She knows exactly where she is and immediately runs toward the stairs. “Chloe, potty time first!” She quickly relieves herself under a tree, which I’m thankful for, as I would’ve felt bad if a yellow spot formed on their perfectly maintained front lawn.

Their flowers are bursting with color against the dark-stained staircase. I slowly climb each stair. My pulse quickens as we reach the door. I reach out to knock, but before I can, Chloe lets out the most pitiful howl, announcing our arrival to the entire neighborhood. I hear a squeal and a shriek from inside, which I know are from Pais and Leo. I have never heard Kieran’s voice hit that range, and he is much too laid back for this level of excitement.

In a flash, the front door is whipped open, and standing there, backlit by a wash of warm light, are three figures I have been waiting all day—no, all week—to wrapmy arms around. Leo and Paisley step up first, squishing me between them.

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