At the opposite end of the main hallway was an adorable kitchen and nook, with windows everywhere. They were all open to showcase the mature autumn trees growing out of the creek some two hundred yards from the back porch. Everything looked so inviting. I had to push away the nagging feeling that I arrived at a place that was somehow always supposed to have been my home. Stupid, déjà vu.
Cole and his dad were carrying our bags up the stairs. “Thanks for setting up the rooms for our guests while I was away, Cole,” he smiled at his son and continued. “Meg, the front room will be yours because it has its own bathroom. Boys, you’ll have to share this room by the hall bathroom. It’s already set up with bunk beds. I hope that’s okay. My room is down this hall and Cole’s is across from yours Meg.” He stopped on the upstairs landing and looked around at us as we stood awkwardly in our new surroundings. I’m not sure about the boys, but I know I was really tired and I missed my mom so bad I could almost imagine hearing her voice.
“Listen, guys. I know this is all a little overwhelming to you. I’ll do everything I can to find your mom, honest I will.” He looked like he was teary eyed for a moment as he spoke. A quick sniff and his emotions were back in check. “Go ahead and settle in, unpack and get cleaned up. I’ll order some pizzas in an hour or so.”
He started to walk downstairs when he must have seen Maze sitting patiently on the first floor landing. “Um, Meg? Do you think Maze would like to hang out in the backyard?” I smiled to myself. Can you imagine what the neighbors would think if I took him for a walk? “Yeah, I’m sure he’d love it. I’ll get some food and water set up for him too.”
Though tired, I found myself heading down the stairs with a spring in my step. Where the heck did that come from? Oh, then I remembered. Cole. Did I mention how good looking he was?
I closed my eyes and shook my head. What am I thinking? Were my hormones that out of control that the first boy I see who’s not a brother of mine makes me all ga-ga?
I focused on Maze now. He leaped out the back door and immediately started chasing a squirrel. That poor little brown thing flew up his tree to a pile of scraggly brown twigs and leaves nestled in the crook of a branch. That must be his home. My imagination pictured him…
…panting at his front door…lovely Mrs. Squirrel looks up from her knitting.
What’s the matter, dear?
You are never going to guess what just moved into the neighborhood.
Is that a real coyote?
Yes, it is. I hate to say it, but we’re going to have to stay at your mother’s house for a while. Pack the nuts.
I was still chuckling to myself at the thought of how a squirrel must feel with Maze around, when I noticed Cole watching me from the back door. Self-consciously, I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked away. He’s probably just wondering what kind of freak his dad just brought home. Ugh.
As if on cue, Maze raced up to me with a hedge apple in his mouth. He dropped it at my feet and looked up pitifully. In my mind he was saying, “C’mon Meg, after the day you put me though? You owe me a few rounds of playtime!”
“All right, all right fur ball,” I responded to his unspoken dialog, leaned down, grabbed the toy and threw it. Okay, so I’m not used to fences and boundaries. And my throw, though gentle for me, flew over the creek behind the house. That didn’t bother Maze. He leaped to the top of the fence, caught the wood with his front legs then pushed off with his back legs never losing sight of his target. Within seconds, he had jumped back over the fence in one easy leap and dropped the hedge apple at my feet.
Well, if Cole just saw that, he’s sure to have some questions for me. I was too afraid to turn around to see if he’d been watching. I’ll just assume the worst and wait for the sound of the door opening behind me followed by a barrage of, “How did you DO that?” What can I say; I’m pretty strong for a girl.
Moments passed as I rubbed Maze’s head, and all was quiet from the house. Whew! Maybe no one saw. I kept the game very low key from then on and Maze got bored fast. I was too tired, anyway. Actually, a hot shower sounded like a great idea. Something about being surrounded by all those people at the airports made me feel covered in germs.
I headed back inside the house and left Maze sniffing in the bushes. Maybe we won’t be here long. Maybe Dr. Andrews will locate our mom tonight and we can go home tomorrow. I wished so hard that would happen, but the cynic in me knew better. Things were probably going to get a whole lot worse before they got better.
Chapter 15 Dr. Winter’s Awakening
She could hear the ticking of what had to be a clock. The more she strained to hear something besides that tick-tock, the more deafening the silence became.
Everything hurt and her foggy brain wasn’t helping.
She remembered landing at the airport and heading toward a taxi cab outside. And that’s it. That was the last thing she could remember.