Evening walk

I park my car by the house and I can hear my black and white boarder collie/lab cross barking up a storm inside. I do feel bad leaving Jax home alone all day when I do get the chance to work the longer shifts at the diner. I have to pay bills and keep him fed. This is the cheapest place I could find after I ran away from my ex. 

Nope! I'm not going to think about my ex! For all I care he is dead to me. I have the best boy inside waiting for me!

"Jax! My boy!" I greet him by the door. Then he cowers once I open the door. "What's wrong?" 

I look by the door and he had done his business there. It's not his fault, I was gone for so long. He also tipped over the trash and picked through it. How could I have forgotten to put that up so he couldn't get to it?

"I'm so sorry baby! Mommy was gone. It's not your fault!" I say the whole time cleaning up the messes. 

"Do you want to go outside?" I give him my best happy voice. He begins jumping around very happily before grabbing his leash. "I'm coming. I'm coming."

We make it outside on this beautiful spring day and Jax is pulling me around sniffing the ground. After he does his thing we start walking down the dirt road lined with pine trees with just a few different trees  sprinkled in. Houses are miles apart around here so there isn't much traffic on this dirt road. I think the closest house is a mile from here. Thankfully no one has to see me out of breath trying to keep up with Jax. The doctors tell me to loose weight but it's so hard. Nope! Not going there either! I turn my focus back to Jax. He is happily darting from one side of the road to the other.

I look to the setting sun casting shades of pinks, purples and thin streaks of red through the sky and over the clouds. The breeze is getting cooler as it brushes past the tree tops. I barely make out the full moon behind some trees. The way the sun is setting had tinted the moon red. 

"Jax let's head back." I say to him remembering the howls I have been hearing for the past few nights. I pull gently on Jax but he flicks just right and pulls the leash from my hand.

"Jax!" I yell after him. He bolts into the woods. "Jax! Come! Jax baby! Treat! Treat! I have a cookie! Cookie!"

Nothing. He is in a blind run after some deer. I do my best to follow where he was heading but the trees are thick and I loose sight of him after a large hill. The sun is starting to get real low but the moon is lighting the forest floor fairly well where the trees are thinner. I keep yelling for him and saying I have treats and cookies. He loves his cookies.

"Jax!" I keep yelling. I'm starting to get scared. It's so dark now under the shade of the pine trees. Even if he was there I probably wouldn't see him with his black fur. Maybe waiting til morning would be best? I should head home. Which way is home?

I spin around a few times. I don't know which way I came from. Oh no. Howls break out in the distance. What if they found Jax... What if they hurt him! I blindly move as fast as I can toward the howls. What am I doing!? I can't fight off wolves. 

I start screaming for Jax and softly sing to calm myself between calls while listening to the creatures of the night sing. The hoots of the owls along with crickets and frogs coming alive from the winter months. Padding of an animal stirs up some leaves behind me. 

"Jax? Please be you baby! I'm scared, I really hope it's not something else. Please Jax. Come home." My voice trails off as I plead. 

Quiet a bit of time goes by and Jax still hasn't shown up. Chi-chunk. I know that sound from all the action movies I was forced to watch. 

"What are you doing on my property?" Says a gruff voice. 

I have my hands up and slowly turn around. There stands a mid fifties man I served at the diner a few times. I remember him because he is stingy on the tip. His features are fairly defined with his short almost bald baseball cap covered head and dark eyes.

"I-i'm so s-sorry! My dog g-got away from me. I was s-searching for him b-but I got l-lost." I'm choking on my words terrified of this man.

He flicks his light on and shines it in my face. I look away blinded.

"You're that new waitress at Franklin's family diner aren't cha?" His tone is calmer.

"Y-yea I just m-moved to the area a few m-months ago. My n-name is Katie." I reply lowering my arms.

"Name's Howard. Come on, I'll take ya home. Wolves run these woods at night. It's best not to walk 'em after dark. Your dog probably made it's way home by now anyways." He says taking off into the woods. I follow him to his cabin of a house. Setting his rifle behind the bench seat of the pick up truck he climbs in. The moon light is so bright I can see my reflection in the truck window before climbing in. My short dark hair is a mess and my dark eyes are a little puffy from silently crying.

The ride to my house was quiet since he knew my landlady Julie's rental property. I thanked him for the ride home and he just nodded and drove off. I jump as the large shiver from the creeps I got from him climbs my back. Turning away from the road, I call for Jax a few times but no luck. Stumbling into my dark house I flick on a light. It's strange not to be greeted at the door. 

Probably best if I stay up and keep calling for Jax every so often. I sit at the table by the back door. Every so often I get up and call out for him. I have the windows open and the night creatures symphony floats in on the breeze. Faint howls drift in the distance keeping me awake. Eventually I lay my head on the table. I have to keep my eyes open...

Knocking on the door startles me awake. The light flooding in the windows tells me it's morning. I look over to see someone standing at my wooden back door with a large glass window. My vision is a little blurry as I walk to the door, when I look up from the floor I stop when I see his hand holding a leash. I throw the door open and there sits Jax at this person's feet.

"Jaxy! My baby!" I cry out dropping to my knees to hug and kiss him. I can feel tears roll down my cheeks relieved Jax made it home. "Mommy missed you so much!"

"Well Jax, your tag was right. You mom was ugly crying." Says a playful voice. I look up to see a fit guy in hoodie leaning against my door frame. His pale blue eyes sparkle with his grin on his thin lips. A tuff of blonde hair sticks out from under his hood.

H-HOT!

"T-thank you for finding him. Is there anyway I can repay you?" I ask.

"How about a date?" He asks lightly.

"A... A d-date?" I stutter.

Jax whines and licks me. I scratch him and hug him close.

"Yea why not?" He insists.

Jax barks a few times prancing around then scooches really close to me for more hugs.

"I, uhh." How do I tell someone I'm broke without them pittying me? Jax whines again demanding attention from me.

"Or how about you cook a meal for me some time?" He asks. Okay that's more price range friendly.

"I-I think I can do that." I reply.

"Awesome, I have to head to work right now though but I will catch you later. My house is the next one on the right up the road that way. If you ever do need anything just knock if the truck's there."

"Alright." I agree without really thinking.

He cracks a smile and starts walking for home. Jax keeps whining excitedly while looking back and forth from the guy in the hoodie and me.

"What boy?" I ask him. "I know I told a complete stranger I would cook for him but he saved you."