Page 10 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

“Jumanji!” Leo cuts me off. I start giggling as he says, “Dance fighting! We need to add dance fighting to our next YouTube class night. Who were we talking about? Oh, right, Nebula. I still think her attempts at walking and flirting were hilarious. Jack Black did a fabulous job in his role as the popular high school cheerleader. I'm sure I could have pulled that role off. I know I mentored you with the art of flirting and strutting back in high school. You were hopeless in high heels until I worked with you before prom senior year.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” I mutter, then smile. “Trust me, my legs and ankles may be strong with all the miles I put in, but I’m still just as ungraceful at twenty-eight as I was at seventeen. At some of the events Cody took me to, I felt like a newborn calf in my silly spikes, especially if we had to walk in grass or on cobblestones. I honestly don’t know how Kate does it. She makes walking at garden parties look like second nature.”

Leo tuts, “Oh, honey, you can’t compare yourself to Kate; she is a princess and untouchable in her high-heel walkingability. Don’t aspire to that height, hun. It’s unattainable. Though I think I saw in some fashion magazine that people who attend garden parties have these little clear caps they put on the end of their heels. It has these little wings on them, so they don’t sink down. If we go to England and attend a garden party, you either wear flats or flats. I can just imagine you sinking in every third step. I would spend the whole time yanking your heels out of mud instead of talking rose gardens with handsome dukes.”

Furrowing my brow, I think out loud, “I’m not sure many dukes would discuss rose gardens in general.” I hear Leo scoff, but before he can respond, the sound of a cupboard closing comes from the kitchen and brings us back to the present.

With perfect timing, as usual, Kieran approaches us, holding two cups of coffee and wearing a questioning smirk on his face. When Leo turns to grab the proffered cup, I see Kieran jump, not realizing his soulmate was still dressed for the Golden Globes.

Kieran clears his throat, his gaze tracking to mine as he says, “If you want to take a quick shower, I will take Chloe and Ronan for a walk, and then we can head out. There is an awesome diner in Topaz Falls called Mama M’s, which we can hit before picking up your keys. Unless you want me to make you breakfast; I can do that too. I just figured you would rather get going.”

I reach down for my duffle and say, “No, that sounds like a great idea. I will go take a quick shower and get ready for the day. When you return with Chloe and Ronan, we can get in our cars and head north. Is Paisley meeting us there, or is she riding along?”

Leo responds, “Oh goodness, that doesn’t give me much time, you two. Okay, I will be as quick as possible, and don’t even think of leaving without me.” Pointing a finger at both of us, hespins on his heel and hurries to their bedroom. I can see him taking off the face pads mid-stride to save time, and I shake my head, smiling.

Shrugging, Kieran looks up and replies, “Paisley will meet us there. She wants to have her car handy in case she hears back from the coffee date guy. I reminded her our favorite coffee shop has a location in Topaz Falls called Sleepy Mountain Roasters. My buddy Anders opened it a few years ago. He still lives here in Kalispell, where the original location is, but Topaz Falls is the second location he opened.”

Smiling with a nod of acknowledgment, I grab my bag and head toward the guest bathroom. I’m so excited for what today will bring. I can hardly contain myself. I remember going to Sleepy Mountain Roasters in Kalispell last winter. Anders wasn't in that day, so I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him. I'm excited I will get to have a decaf latte later today.

Shutting the bathroom door, I hear my brother call for both dogs. I reach in to turn on the shower, and while the water warms up, I brush my teeth. As steam fills the small bathroom, my thoughts turn to the Stetson-tipping cowboy and his beautiful dog Finn. I wonder where they ended up and if Finn made it there safely. Maybe our paths will cross once more. With a reassuring nod to my fading reflection in the mirror, I’m overcome with the positivity that we will meet again soon.

Chapter 11

Aislinn

As I enter Topaz Falls, I pass the town border marker, announcing a population of under 5,000 people. After living in a crowded city, this will be a welcome change.

I’m surrounded by lush green trees on each side of my car. Chloe is looking outside with excited anticipation. In the distance, the jagged peaks of the glacier-carved valleys of Glacier National Park wink at me.

I have so many memories of coming up here as a kid each summer with Mom, Dad, and Kier. The park has such a small window for being open that we would make the most of it every summer.

I turn left and head toward the center of town. When I come to the first stoplight, I look out my side of the window at the clock built into the brick front wall of a local shop. I can’t remember what shop is there. I think maybe a grocery store, but I have a feeling that by the end of summer, I will have this whole street memorized.

When the light turns green, I ease onto the gas and take a right. I keep my eyes open for a parking place. I spot SleepyMountain Roasters with a line of people out the door. I will be stopping there sometime today.

I love seeing the hanging flower baskets lining the street. A variety of pinks, reds, and purples are overflowing, hiding the plastic containers from view. It gives the illusion that globes of flowers are floating in the air.

Locating a spot, I angle in and check the outside temperature. The overhang from the building is casting a nice shadow across the front half of the Jeep. It says 59°F, so I roll the windows down a few inches.

I give Chloe a nice rub under the chin and say, “You be good girl. I promise we won’t be too long. When I get back, we can get out and explore, okay?” Chloe tilts her head, and I swear she raises a furry eyebrow at me. Giving me an unamused look, she turns around in her seat and then plops with a sigh. I take that as my cue to leave and hop out of the car.

Mama M’s distressed wooden sign hangs above a beautiful dusty rose door. This café has a very vintage vibe going, and I love it. The smell of morning breakfast staples wafts out as an older couple pushes the door open. I catch the door and head inside. Kieran, Paisley, and Leo should be right behind me.

“Hey, Sweetie. My name is Marjorie, but everyone calls me Marge or Mama M. You pick. How many this morning or is it just you?” asks a middle-aged woman behind a little counter to the right. She has gray-streaked hair that appears to have been a vibrant red in her youth. I turn and take off my sunglasses, allowing my eyes to adjust.

“Four, please,” I reply and scoot a little closer to her. She picks up four menus and winks at me.

“Follow me, dear. I hope a booth is okay. We have two tables left, but we have a few regulars who prefer getting out of a chair rather than sliding in and out of a booth,” she says.

I smile and respond, “Oh, a booth is just fine. We are all under forty, so we should have no problem sliding in and out of the bench seats. I can see how that could be quite an issue, though. What do you recommend here?”

A grin appears across her face as she ushers me into the booth. She says, “Well, I got here at 5 a.m. to start making my cinnamon rolls and a few other pastries up there in the case. We use cream cheese frosting and whole milk in all our products, making them rich and creamy. My cook, Kyle, said our special is sweet potato and bacon hash with sautéed onions and tri-color bell peppers. He also has sweet potato French toast, and I saw bacon cream waffles coming off the waffle iron the last time I was back there. Can I get you a drink to start?”

As I let her know water is fine, my three friends fly through the door, clearly following the same vibrant scents as I did. They spot me in the back and beeline it to our table. Marge turns just in time to see them appear at her side and begin sliding in on both sides of the table.

If she is surprised by their sudden appearance, she doesn’t show it. She simply taps her pen on the table to get our attention and says, “Gemma will be taking care of you four this morning. I will go get a round of water started while you all look over my menu. Today’s specials are sweet potato hash, sweet potato French toast, and bacon waffles. Holler if you need something before Gemma gets over here.”

We thank her and look back down at our menus. I don’t even need the menu, as the words bacon waffle decided my fate for breakfast this morning. They've been my favorite breakfast food since I was kid, when I would eat them at my grandparents' house any time we would go to visit for the summer.

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