Soaring with Fallon (Big Sky 4)

“I’ll go see him here and there,” Jenna replies. “But, no, I’ll be home for most of it.”

Fallon and I stand, and the crowd moves with us to the front door. We say our goodbyes and hop into Fallon’s Jeep, headed toward home.

“That was fun,” Fallon says with a smile, pushing her hair off her cheek. “It was nice of Max and Willa to invite everyone.”

“Max hosts a lot of parties similar to this one,” I inform her, reaching over to take her hand and kiss her knuckles. “He caters, we play. It’s a good time.”

“There’s something comforting about being with people in a carefree situation like that. No one working, no one cooking. We were all just there to relax, even Max and Willa, who hosted. I think it’s a fantastic way to unwind. It’s good for the soul. I feel very centered, and that doesn’t usually happen when I’m with a large group of people.”

“It makes me happy that you like them.”

Fallon smiles as she turns down the road toward home. “I do. And you know what else I like?”

“Me?”

“Besides that.”

“Tea. Green. Pistachio ice cream.”

She laughs. “You remembered the whole list.”

“Oh, there’s more. You like it when I’m on top, and when I put my fingers—”

“Okay, okay,” she says, laughing loudly. “I get it. You know what I like.”

“What else do you like?” I smile at her, enjoying the hell out of her.

“I don’t even remember now,” she says, wiping the tears of laughter from under her eyes. She stops the Jeep in front of the house, cuts the engine, and sighs, catching her breath. Her eyes travel over the small farmhouse and the mountains behind it. “Oh, yes. I remember. Going home. I like going home.”

I lean over the center console, cup her neck and jaw in my hands, and kiss her. Softly but thoroughly, the way I haven’t been able to all day because we were always surrounded by too many people.

When I come up for air, she whispers, “What was that for?”

“I just love you,” I say simply. I kiss her nose and then climb out of the Jeep, not expecting to hear the words said back to me. She’s not ready. And that’s okay because I see the way she feels about me in her eyes every time she looks at me. Each time she touches me.

Hell, just the words I like going home is enough for me.

She loves me.

* * * *

“Jesus,” Roni whispers, surveying the scene before us. “What the fuck? Who would do this?”

I don’t have an answer because only a monster could do this.

“There are at least a dozen eagles here,” she says, her voice growing harder and angrier by the second. “Did you hear me?”

“I heard.” I’m squatting next to a bald eagle, surveying the carnage. We’re near a river, most likely where the eagles were hunting for food. “They’ve all been shot. Looks like with a rifle.”

“They shot them for sport?”

“Poachers,” I say with a grim nod. “Motherfuckers.”

“Why?” She stares at me in confusion. “Why would anyone want to kill these amazing birds? They can’t eat them. Not to mention, they’re freaking protected.”

“If we find out who it is, we can have them prosecuted,” I say and walk to the next bird. “And the answer is, they did it because they can.”

“Assholes.”

“Agreed. Let’s load them up.”

“We’re taking them?” She looks surprised for good reason. I don’t usually move dead birds, leaving them to complete the natural cycle of life, but not this time.

“There’s so many,” I say grimly. “We might as well study them.”

We load the truck, and just when I’m walking toward the driver’s side, I hear a noise.

“Did you hear that?” Roni asks.

“Yeah.” I’m looking up into the trees above the truck. “Fuck, there are babies up there, but I can’t see where.”

“There,” Roni says, pointing to a nest about twenty feet in the air. “I saw a little head pop up.”

“I don’t have a ladder.” I pull my phone out and see that I have a text from Fallon. I ignore it and call the office.

“Yo,” Justin says.

“Not the best way to answer the phone, dude.”

“I knew it was you. We have caller ID. What’s up?”

“I need you to bring a ladder out here.” I give him the details and hang up, then glance over to see Roni staring forlornly at the pile of eagles in the back of the truck. “Justin’s on his way. He’s bringing a carrier for the babies, too.”

“Okay,” she says. “You know, most days it doesn’t get to me. I can handle seeing hurt birds. I mean, we do it every day. But when it’s something like this. Something so horrible and evil, I struggle with it.”

“I know.” I swallow and stare down at the river. “I do, too. It means you’re a compassionate woman, and you’re good at your job.”