Waiting for Willa (Big Sky, #3)(72)

I looked up directions this morning, before my breakfast with Nina.

Something just told me I should go say hello.

And I usually listen to that something.

The sanctuary is out of town, in the middle of nowhere. Which makes sense because the animals are wild, and they need plenty of space.

There’s a farmhouse across the pasture from the industrial buildings. And the sign over the driveway says Spread Your Wings.

This is the place.

I park and walk into an office area that’s currently deserted.

“I wonder if I should have called ahead,” I mutter out loud.

“Nah, there’s always someone bustling about.” I startle at the voice and turn to find Noah standing behind me with a grin. “Fallon, right?”

“Yeah.” I reach out to shake his hand, and feel the warmth climb all the way up to my shoulder. His hand is calloused and large, engulfing my small one. “And you’re Noah.”

“Guilty,” he says. “Did you come to check on your eagle?”

And to check you out.

“I did,” I say. “I know it probably seems weird, but—”

“Not weird at all. Follow me.”

We walk outside and down a long, paved sidewalk that meanders through several buildings.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this big,” I say.

“That’s what she said,” he replies with a grin, and I can’t help but laugh out loud. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. We’ve grown a lot in the past few years.”

He leads me into a big building and down a row of cages, then stops and gestures.

“Well, hi there,” I croon. “How is he?”

“He has a broken wing,” Noah says with a sigh. “We can’t tell what caused it. But I think that with about six weeks of healing time, he should be good to be released back into the wild.”

“Really? That’s amazing. What if he can’t live in the wild again?”

“He’ll stay here, with us, and we’ll use him for education. He’ll have a cushy life here, but I suspect he’ll be leaving us. He’s a healthy guy.”

We’re quiet as I watch the bird. He’s looking at me, as if he recognizes me. There’s a splint on his wing.

“I’m so glad I found you,” I murmur.

“Me too,” Noah says, and smiles when I look over at him. “The bird, not me.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Most of my life, but I started the sanctuary eight years ago. I have a masters in zoology from Colorado State.”

“Wow. And you came back to Cunningham Falls?”

He grins, and I feel it in my gut. Goodness, Noah King has a great smile.

“I have roots here,” he says. “It’s home.”

I nod and look back at the eagle. “He’s gorgeous.”

“You can visit him anytime you like.”

I start to decline, but reconsider. “You know, I might just do that.”

“Good.” He clears his throat. “I hate to do this in front of our feathered friend, because I’ll be embarrassed if this goes badly, but can I interest you in dinner?”

“Tonight?”

“Anytime you like,” he replies with that easy smile. “Tonight. Tomorrow. Right now.”

“It’s not even noon.”

“It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

I laugh and look down at my feet, then shrug. “Sure. A girl has to eat, right?”

“Exactly. May I see your phone?”

I hand it over, and he punches in some numbers.

“I just texted myself. If you text me with your address, I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“It’s a deal.”

I say goodbye to the eagle, and Noah escorts me back to my Jeep.

“I’ll see you tonight, Fallon.”

“See you.”

I drive away, Noah’s voice tickling my mind. The way he says my name is like a promise. Like he likes the sound of it on his tongue.

Fallon.

It’s not like me to accept a date invitation, but there’s something about Noah King that I like very much. What will one dinner hurt?



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About Kristen Proby

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published more than thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.