“I don’t have a motion-activated floodlight.”
“Exactly.”
I rolled my eyes. “Message received. What else?”
He slowed. “Your backyard is small, which is a good thing, but it backs up to miles of woods, which is not a good thing. You need to get a security fence, and get all the underbrush trimmed and cleared.” He stopped mid-stride, clicked on his cell phone light and kneeled down.
I squatted next to him. “What’s that? Dog tracks?”
“Coyote.”
“Coyote? Out here?”
He flashed me ayou’re-kidding-melook.
I cleared my throat. “I meant, a coyote in my yard?”
“Not uncommon. Especially with the rain and cooler temperatures. They’re hunting for food.”
“How are you sure it’s not a dog? I saw this cute little stray on the road a few weeks ago. Tried to grab him but he ran off.”
“You shouldn’t pick up strays by yourself.”
“It was a dog. Not a human.”
“They could be rabid.” He cut me a glance. “Dog, or human, for that matter.”
“Fine. I’ll ask for their veterinary records first… the dog’s, not the human’s.” I smirked. “Anyway, how do you know this isn’t a dog?”
He picked up a twig and pointed to the tracks. “Coyote tracks are narrower and more oval than a dog’s, but even then, it’s hard for the untrained eye to tell.”
“Train me, then.”
He handed me the light. “See here? The gait?” He trailed the stick along the prints in the mud. “This is called the overstep trot, distinctive to coyotes. See how the front and hind feet are on the same side of the body? And see how they land close together? Almost in a straight line?”
I leaned closer, our faces inches apart.
Butterflies… despite everything going on… butterflies. Just being that close to him.
He took back his cell phone and stood. “They’re coyote tracks.”
“I guess I need to keep a tighter lid on my trash then.” I stood.
“No, you want them around.”
“Why?”
“More wild animals, less wild people. And if a coyote has been here recently, it’s a good chance a human hasn’t.”
He shined the light into the trees. “This pine is dying.”
“Dying? Really?”
“Yep. I’ll get it taken care of.”
“What do you mean? Cut it down?”
“You’ve got a better idea?”
