Ivey Pierce is an explorer, and thanks to her career as a wildlife biologist, she does not stay stationary for long. But when her parents die in a terrible accident, and her childhood home is left vacant for two years, she returns to the tattered me...
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MY PHONE RANG at five-thirty in the morning. I slammed my hand on the dresser where it lay and pulled it to my ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, I'm at your front door."
Every nerve ending lit up as I sprang forward. "What?"
"I have Masie with me."
My toes curled against the hardwood as I climbed out of bed and ran around the room in nothing but underwear and a tee shirt, frantically looking for my misplaced robe. When it didn't appear out of thin air, I settled on wrapping myself in my blanket and hiked toward the door.
The sky could've been mistaken for the night when I opened the door and saw Weston standing with Masie on a leash. Even in the dark, he looked good in his navy blue button-up and slacks. His hair was neatly fixed, unlike mine.
He observed me and then teasingly said, "Morning, sunshine."
I narrowed my eyes. "Morning."
"Sorry for waking you up."
"You go in this early?"
"Just today."
I rubbed my eyes, trying not to get too close since I hadn't brushed my teeth. Although I didn't mind, I did not know why he needed me to watch Masie when he had been leaving her alone every other day.
He handed me a small bag of food and her bowl. "Thanks again. I have some extra things to do today, so I won't be home until a little later. Is that okay?"
"That's fine by me." I took Masie's leash and crouched to pet her. She was just as lethargic as me, leaning into my body to support her sleepy weight. I rubbed her head.
"You be good for Ivey, May. I'll text you later."
We locked eyes, not saying anything else before the door closed, separating us. I set Masie's food bowl down, filled up some water for her to drink, and then walked back to my bedroom and fell asleep until the sun poured through my blinds around eight.
When I woke, Masie was sprawled out on the floor beside my bed. Her belly expanded and contracted in a steady rhythm, and her lips flapped when she exhaled. I chuckled, brushing my unkept hair from my eyes.
"Good morning Masie," I called out. "Guess what we're doing today? We're getting some work done for Larry, then going on an adventure."
After my morning coffee and working on more of my column for the magazine assignment, I changed into an outfit more appropriate for hiking, threw my backpack with my camera, a water bottle, and Masie's water bowl. Right before I left the house, I ran into the office and grabbed my parent's journal from their desk.
The weather was a perfect blend of summer and fall. The sun's rays were powerful enough to keep me warm despite the biting breeze, especially on the boat. I knew I would start sweating once we were under the sun long enough.
