One Sunny Day

The words:   Interrupted    Tendril     Bear(carry)

The bright yellow of the morning sun streams through the window, urging my eyelids open. I stretch sprawling in the middle of my queen size bed, happy for the space. I sit up looking out the window that is no more than two feet away from the side of my bed. Curtains wide, sash up letting in the warm breeze, already heavy with the sanest of mid-summer blooms.
Finally it's Saturday! I swing my feet to the sun warmed wood floor. Going to the window I push up the screen and lean out as far as I can, close my eyes and breath deep of the new day. I am again reminded of why I bought this house. Little and white with blue shutters, more of a two story cottage then anything. Built in a clearing on the out skirts of a small town, full of wild flowers all summer and most of the spring and fall. Beyond the clearing is a grove of young trees full of bright green leaves and dappled sunshine. This place is so peaceful and full of life it makes me smile to myself. When I open my eyes I see red and gray squirrels running up and down trees, chasing each other and it makes me laugh out loud. The low rumble of my stomach interrupts my reverie. I slowly pull my head back in to my room and look at the clock on my dresser. Only 7:30, that must mean I was up before seven this morning! Shaking my head I grab my jeans and my favorite tank out of my closet. I toss them on and bound down the stairs. It is early enough that I decide to make a decent breakfast for a change, no Special K shake for me today! I root through the cupboards until I have every thing I need on the large island in the kitchen. I go into the living room and put my most upbeat CD on, then dance back into the kitchen. By the time the last song is playing I have a plate full of home made waffles, hash browns and scrambled eggs. I put it on a tray with a bowl of fresh fruit, a steaming cup of coffee and my latest book. I took it all out to the little table and chair on the rap around porch just outside the kitchen, to watch the animals and enjoy the sun. After an hour of eating, reading and day dreaming I heard loud crashing coming from the woods fifty feet from where I sat. For the first time at this place, my sanctuary from the outside world, I felt the small tendrils of fear creep up my spine. All I could seem to do is curl my fingers around the sharp knife sitting on the tray. The handle still sticky from cutting the fruit. I was so focused on the crashing that was getting louder that I didn't hear the shouting at first. A black streak came bounding out of the woods with a red faced young man following. I stood abruptly as the large dog raced around my house once then bounded up the stairs to my porch. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and relaxed my stance.
"He won't hurt you." the young man called to me slowing his pace when he saw the dog stop and sit at my feet.
"Oh, I know." I say back, watching him cross the clearing. He was easily six feet tall, sandy brown hair, tan. He was dressed in jeans and a T, hiking boots and a faded red ball cap.
"What's his name?" I ask as he tops the stairs.
"Bug." He hesitates then adds, "You can put the knife down."
"Oh. Sorry I forgot I picked it up." I drop the knife back on the tray as I say, "Bug is an odd name for a dog."
He laughs, the sound deep and warm, "Once you get to know him it gets a lot clearer. You wouldn't believe it but he was also a tiny puppy."
I smile down at the wiggly black body at my feet, " You're right I can't believe it."
I look back up at the man and realize up close he looks closer to my age then I first thought. I also notice his brown eyes, a few shades darker than my caramel colored ones.
"I'm Isak McCrea.” He reaches his hand between us.
“Summer Day.” I shake his hand and continue before he can say anything, “I know, my parents had a poor sense of humor.”
“No I like it.” he smiles.
“Try growing up with it.” I give a short sarcastic laugh.
I drop my hand to the dog's nose and let him sniff it before I kneel to scratch behind his ears. It suddenly hits me why the man's name sounds familiar to me. I look up at him, "You're that firefighter I read about in the paper, the one that saved the little boy from that house fire a few weeks back."
"Yeah that's me." He said looking a little uncomfortable.
"Oh, I bet you get that a lot. So what brings you way out here on a Saturday? I mean besides Bug running like a mad man or dog I should say."
Looking happy at the not to subtle subject change Isak replied "Actually I'm your neighbor. I live about a mile through the woods the way Bug and I came out."
"Did you run the whole way?" I ask taking in his face that is still red and beaded with sweat.
"Most of it." He kneels to pet long strokes down Bug's back. "He's never gone this far from our house before. We were taking a walk along the trails between the house and the stream when he just took off. It seemed like he was making sure I was fallowing but he didn't stop 'til we got here."
We both looked at the dog sitting between us for a long moment. Bug was trying so hard to be still but his front paws kept doing the two step on the ruff wood of the porch.
"Would you like a glass of water?" I ask rising to my feet.
"That would be nice. And Maybe a bowl for Bug?"
"Feel free to have a seat, I'll be right back." I grab the tray of used dishes and my book and head into the kitchen. When I come back out with a glass and bowl full of water Isak is in the chair I had used this morning his, hat on the table and Bug sprawled at his feet.
"He seems to have calmed down." I say handing Isak his glass and setting the bowl by Bug's head.
"I'm not surprised he's not usually so wound up." Isak pauses to take a long drink. "He only gets this way when we play fetch with his favorite ball, It looks like a bunny." He whispers the last part, but I still see Bug's ears perk up.
I sit in the chair on the other side of the table and scan the edge of the woods "Is there a path that Bug followed out there?"
"Part of the way but mostly he charged through the brush in a straight line to your clearing." I look at Isak my eyebrows raised. "It's true and I've never seen him do that. He likes to stay on the trail."
"So what kind of dog is he any way?"
"Black lab, Coon hound mix."
"Coon hound that explains where he got those big floppy ears from."
That's as far as I got for now.