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What sort of Daddy would he be? Kind? Tender? Strict?
Eric looks up at me, wags his sticky-up, question-mark shaped tail, and barks. His bark is the funniest thing. So high-pitched, like the squeak of a door.
He looks into my eyes as he barks some more, then he runs over to the door. Then he turns and looks at me again, as if he wants me to follow him.
‘Okay, Eric, you win, you crazy pup!’ I head over to the door and give him another stroke. He starts pawing at the door, like he wants to go out.
Maybe he needs to poop. That’s something Finn should deal with!
Eric is insistent, though. I’m not sure if he needs a lead to go out, in case he runs off into the forest. I decide to pick him up and open the door, see if I can figure out what he’s after. He’s so light, it’s like picking up a cat. But a much more wriggly, scruffy-haired one. And honestly, he’s about a thousand times cuter than a cat, too. I’m a dog-person, OK?
When I open the door, I’m surprised to see Finn, sitting cross legged on the veranda. His eyes are shut. He’s wearing a black tank top and loose, green track pants.
‘Uh, Finn?’ I say. ‘You okay?’
Finn’s eyes open slowly, and he turns toward me, dreamily, as though just waking up. ‘Didn’t notice you there. Apologies.’
‘What are you doing?’
He stands up. ‘Well, Iwasmeditating. But you sort of need peace and quiet for that. Oh well. I’d almost finished anyway.’
I frown. ‘You know how to meditate?’
Finn shrugs, brushing the dirt off his pants. I can’t help noticing his tight buns, and thinking about how it might feel ifIwas to brush the dirt off that muscular ass. Like stroking boulders, I bet.
‘Nothing to it,’ he says. ‘You just close your eyes and try not to think about anything.’
‘That sounds hard,’ I tell him. There’s no way I can stop my mind from racing. I must have about a thousand thoughts a minute. ‘And anyway, what’s the point?’
‘Clearing your mind. Ignoring the thoughts whenever they creep in… Call it mental training, if you like. Learning to let go.’
‘Let go of what?’
‘Whatever you damn like, darlin’,’ he says, a little gruffly. ‘I can’t see into your brain, now, can I? I don’t know what you need to let go of.’
Just then, something catches my eye. It’s my sister’s car. It’s covered in a thick, brown tarpaulin.
‘What have you done to the car? You hiding something in there?’
Finn lets out a rasping laugh. ‘Nope. Course I’m not hiding anything in your vehicle. I’m hiding your damn vehicle.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, it’s the color of cotton candy. Doesn’t exactly blend in with the environment around here, does it?’
‘Why does it need to blend in? What’s wrong with having a nice pink car on display? You can’t bear to look at it, or something? You ashamed to have it in front of your precious cabin?’ Eric squirms in my arms. He’s not happy with the turn my tone of voice has taken.
Finn pauses for a moment. ‘It’s not good for the wildlife is all. Somethinghot pinksmack bang in the middle of their forest. Confuses them. Scares them away.’ He starts walking toward me, and we go back into the cabin.
‘I don’t see why acolorwould scare something away.’
Finn heads over to the kitchen counter and hands me a plate. ‘Why do you think Black Widows have red markings on their bellies?’
‘Ah. Right. To scare predators away, I guess. But a pink car doesn’t exactly look like a venomous spider.’
I can tell Finn isn’t in the mood to talk about this issue any further. He points to my plate.
‘Made you pancakes. There’s maple syrup here.’ He places a bottle on the counter in front of me. ‘There’s coffee in the pot there too.’
