“I wish my boss allowed day-drinking,” she says, and I turn to find her smiling. “I could use a beer.”
“Me, too. We’ll have one after we get this sorted out.”
We don’t have to wait long for Justin to come driving up in another truck, the long ladder in the bed. He hops out and scowls at the birds in the back of my vehicle.
“What the fuck?”
“We asked the same question,” Roni says, shaking her head. “There are babies in the tree.”
“I’d like to have five minutes alone in a room with whoever did this.”
“Same,” I reply as I help him lean the ladder against the trunk. “You hold, I’ll climb.”
“Good, I hate heights,” Justin says, holding the ladder steady as I ascend and find three little beaks greeting me. I have a satchel slung over my shoulder, and one by one, I gingerly take each baby and set it in the bag.
The nest is huge and brilliantly made. Looking in them never gets old.
I climb down, and we transfer the little ones into a carrier, then head back to the sanctuary. On the way, I make a call to the sheriff’s office, informing them of the poaching.
They promise to keep an eye on the area, but the odds of them finding the asshole who did this are slim.
“I’ll get the little guys settled,” Roni volunteers, already carrying them to the building where we house the young birds. She’s talking to them in a soothing voice.
“Poor little things,” Justin says. “Maybe we should put some cameras out there. It’s a hunting ground for eagles, and poachers know it. They’ll be back.”
“Agreed,” I say with a nod. “I’ll clear it with fish and wildlife. Let’s get them set up today before dark.”
“On it.”
Justin rushes off to gather the cameras, and I make more calls, alerting the authorities to what we found and letting them know about the cameras.
It’s late when we get finished, but I’m satisfied that if a poacher returns, we’ll catch them.
“Thanks for your help,” I say to Justin as he walks to his truck.
“Let’s hope we catch the asshole.” he says with a wave and drives away.
I walk home, breathing in the clean air and trying to clear the anger in my head.
Fallon’s in the kitchen when I arrive, her hair up, wearing a little tank and shorts. Her usual. I can’t resist her. I walk up behind her and hug her to me, relieved to feel her warmth.
I need her.
“Hey,” she says and turns with a smile, but her face falls when she sees me. “What’s wrong?”
“Rough day at the office,” I say and bury my face in her neck, pulling her close. “You feel good.”
She wraps her arms around me, holding on tightly.
“How can I help?”
Just that one question has my world sitting right again. I sigh, kiss her cheek, and pull away.
“You just did. What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti.” She shrugs. “It’s easy.”
“Sounds good.”
“Did you see my text?”
“Damn it,” I mutter, reaching for my phone. “I didn’t read it because I was in the middle of a massacre.”
Fallon: Hey, sexiest man alive. I have good news! Claire’s coming to visit.
“Jesus, Noah, you can talk to me.”
“I know.” I smile. “But it’ll wait. Is it okay if I take a shower before dinner?”
“Yep, I haven’t started the pasta yet. The sauce can simmer.”
“Good.” I reach for her hand, pulling her with me. “Because I need you.”
Chapter Fourteen
~Fallon~
“Don’t forget,” I say as I sip my tea, watching the sun make its way over the mountains. “Claire is coming tomorrow on the plane.”
“That’s right,” Noah says, his voice still rough from sleep. “Is there a special reason she’s coming?”
“My birthday,” I say.
“What?” He stares at me as if I just grew a second head. “How do I not know when your birthday is?”
“I guess we’ve never really talked about it.” I shrug. “When’s your birthday?”
“Oh, no, it’s not this week. Let’s talk about you. When is your birthday?”
“Friday.”
“Today is Wednesday,” he says slowly and rubs his hand over his face. “When were you going to say something? Friday morning?”
“It honestly just wasn’t on my mind,” I reply with a laugh. “My birthday has never been a big deal. When is yours?”
“December fifteenth,” he says, shaking his head. “I have three days to plan for your birthday.”
“Seriously, it’s no big deal,” I stress. “Honest. Give me an orgasm, and I’ll be happy.”
“I’ll give you a few of those,” he says with a nod. “So, when does Claire arrive?”
“In the morning,” I say, already excited to see her. “I’ll pick her up, then take her to class with me. I only have one scheduled for tomorrow. Do you care if she takes the guest room?”
“This is your home, too,” he reminds me. “I don’t mind at all.”
“You’re pretty great. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, but don’t let it get out.” He winks at me, making me smile. “I’m glad your friend is coming. When was the last time you saw her?”