Waiting for Willa (Big Sky, #3)(71)

“I’ll wait,” I confirm, and he hangs up. “Well, looks like help’s coming. Don’t worry, they’ll get you all fixed up.”

I’m talking to an eagle.

I sit on a stump and don’t take my eyes off the bird. He’s watching me as well.

“I’m friendly,” I say. “And I won’t hurt you. How long have you been here?”

He squaks, making me smile.

“Maybe you don’t speak English. I’ll be quiet. But I’m here with you.”

I take two long, deep breaths, trying to calm my heart. If I’m upset, the bird will be upset. I don’t know how I know that, I just do.

It’s like when you’re trying to calm an upset baby.

Not that I’ve ever had a baby.

“Now I’m being ridiculous,” I mutter.

It feels like three hours later when I hear someone hurrying up the trail.

“Fallon?”

“Over here,” I call and stand, waving my hands. “We’re over here.”

A man appears, carrying a huge animal carrier. He’s hardly winded, and I know he had to practically run up this mountain to get here so quickly.

“I’m Noah,” he says. “Where is it?”

I point to the pushes, where the eagle had finally calmed down.

“He’s there. One of his wings isn’t moving.”

Noah approaches the bird, and before I know it, he’s secured something over its eyes and managed to put it in the carrier.

“Wow, you’ve done that a time or two.”

“Or fifty,” he says with a smile. “I’ll get him down to the sanctuary and have a look. Thanks for calling it in.”

“Of course,” I reply and watch as he walks away, hurrying down the trail. “Bye.”

I look around, not sure what to do next. So I finish my hike to the overlook and watch the boats, take in the sounds of the woods around me, and then start back down to the Jeep.

What a weird day.

***

“You totally saved an eagle’s life,” Nina says before taking a bite of her pancake.

“No, I called Noah, and he saved it.”

“He wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t called. Noah’s a nice guy.”

“Do you know him?” I ask, trying to sound casual. “I’d never met him.”

“Sure, he’s good friends with Max Hull, and the rest of the Hull family, I guess. I’ve met him a few times.” She stops chewing and grins at me. “He’s hot, isn’t he?”

“Is he?” I sip my tea. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Uh huh. Sure. And I’m a coal miner’s daughter.” She leans in. “He’s single.”

“How nice for him.”

She smirks. “And you’re interested.”

“How did we get on this subject?”

“You should go see him,” she continues. “And check in on your eagle.”

I blink at her, thinking about it. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re an attractive, single woman, and Noah’s single and you should go flirt with him. What will it hurt?”

I frown. “I never said I wanted to flirt with him.”

“Fallon, we may not know each other well, but I know the look of a woman who’s interested in a man. And when you said Noah’s name, you got that look.”

“Okay, so he’s attractive,” I reply. Yeah, try smoking hot in all fifty states. “That doesn’t mean I need to go flirt with him.”

“Are you dating someone else?”

“No.”

A slow smile spreads over her lips and I feel myself start to give in.

“Fine. I’ll go check on the eagle. But only because I’m concerned.”

“Sure. That works. Okay, now that I’ve solved your love life issues—”

“I don’t have love life issues.”

“—let’s talk about something else just as fun. I’m starting a business in town, and I’d like to talk to you about some opportunities.”

“I have a full time gig between the Lodge and the studio downtown.”

“Well, just hear me out, and then you can give it some thought.”

I nod, and Nina continues, telling me all about the business she’s start with two of her friends from California. A business to help busy women.

“Basically, there may be times that I would call to book an in-home yoga session. We could work around your schedule, of course.”

“Interesting,” I reply with a nod. “It’s something to think about, for sure.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say. Saffron and Lindsey will be here in a couple of weeks, and we’re hoping to have things up and going next month.”

“Thank you for thinking of me,” I reply.

“You’re the best in town,” Nina says with a wink. “And we want the best. So think it over, and we can get together any time to fine tune things.”

“Thank you.”

Once I leave Nina, I make my way over to Drips & Sips for my favorite tea. I have my own lemon oil with me to flavor it, ignoring the looks I get from the women tourists waiting for their lattes, and then I climb in my Jeep and drive out to the Wild Wings bird Sanctuary.