Broken Wings

Part Twenty One - Road Trip!

Chapter Twenty One

Within fifty minutes, Aaron had a bag packed, had booked a hotel in Providence, and had the dogs ready. This trip up country happened every few months, and usually it was boring, but today he had company. And Providence was a great City, he'd spent time there on many occasions on his own, he was actually looking forward to seeing the place through fresh eyes. Julia had an enthusiasm that he was beginning to enjoy more than was healthy. The dogs seemed to sense that a road trip was on the horizon, and circled his heels as he found their car carrier.

When Julia emerged with a very small bag, he led her to the door; the dogs had already climbed into their carrier, wriggling around struggling to contain their excitement.

"You set?"

She was frozen staring at the dogs, "what is that?"

He chuckled, "you'll see. Ready?"

When she nodded, he led her out to the lift, and headed straight of the basement garage.

Julia watched the Connecticut landscape whizz past the window as Aaron powered his sleek black SUV along the highway. She was suddenly realising that he had several cars, and none of them were of the same calibre as her banger back home. Every time she glanced in the back seat to see the dogs sat in a cross between a kid's seat and a crate, she chuckled. They were both peeping over the top of the carrier, peering out of the window, as enthralled as her with everything they could see.

She'd barely spoken to Aaron since the journey started, initially the traffic was busy as they passed JFK, and he'd tuned into an Indie radio station, so one or both of them seemed to be singing all the way.

"So where are we going?" She asked as they miles passed.

He was tapping the steering wheel as he singing along to Steal my Sunshine by Len, and he saw out the whole chorus before he turned to her in reply.

"Providence, Rhode Island. It's a three and a half hour journey if that traffic god's shine on us." Then he groaned, "plus piss stops."

When she punched his arm indignantly, he added rather rapidly, "for the dogs! Of course."

She rolled her eyes, then sighed, "if you say so."

"Get some sleep..."

Julia shook her head, "I've never been here, may never again. So I'm making the most of it. Don't make me sleep!"

His warm chuckle soothed the atmosphere...until Cliffy started snoring. Julia turned around, and laughed at the indignant face of Coco.

"Coco's not appreciating that!"

It was his turn to roll his eyes, "they are as bad as each other, I promise you."

"So...Kitty?" Julia couldn't contain her anger and intrigue about the mysterious woman any longer. Her anger at him dropping everything for some woman's whim had faded. Getting out of the city seemed like a great idea.

Aaron sighed, "so the dogs were hers...now she just sees them a few times a year."

"At the drop of a hat?" She snapped, far quicker than was necessary, and it was back, her anger and annoyance.

He shrugged, "they love spending time with her, so it's cool. And I get a trip out of the chaos of the Big Apple."

She swallowed the immediate responses to that, wanting to quote the motto of the National Canine Defence League, that A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas...but she bit her tongue, instead, she nodded as the journey progressed. Rathering silence to her anger and resentment.