Soaring with Fallon

by Kristen Proby

  “We’re right behind you,” Brad says.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t get called into the hospital,” Jenna says to Hannah. “No babies being born?”

  “I’m not on call today,” Hannah replies with a grin. “And it was blissful. Thanks for having us.”

  “Anytime,” Max says. “And I mean that. Willa and I are in town for a couple of months. Let’s take advantage of the good weather.”

  “I’m down,” Gray says.

  “Unfortunately, I leave in two weeks to start a new film,” Christian replies with a sigh.

  “Being a movie star is important,” Hannah says and smiles. “And I’m a big fan, so please make more movies so I can watch them.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” Christian replies.

  “Are you going with him, Jenna?” Fallon asks.

  “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.”

  “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.

&n
bsp; 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?”

  “Just before I left Chicago,” I reply. “So, almost six years. We talk regularly, but it’s not the same as seeing each other in person.”

  “That’s a long time,” he murmurs, watching me.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I say.

  “Like what?”

  “Like I’m a lost puppy. I have friends. I’m not lonely. Between Claire and Penny, I’ve had plenty of companionship, and let’s be honest, since I moved here, I have more friends than I know what to do with.”

  “And I’m glad,” he says, reaching out to drag his thumb over my cheek. “Because I know you’re okay with keeping people at a distance, but you can’t be an island, Fal. You need people, too.”

  “I have people,” I assure him. “You’re right here. The rest is a bonus.”

  “You’re sweet,” he says softly. “Do you want me to go to the airport with you?”

  “No, you don’t have to. I know you’re busy, and you can meet her later in the day when we get home.”

  “Okay.” He stands, ready to start his day.

  “Have a good day, dear.”

  He grins and lays a sloppy kiss on me. “You, too.”

  * * * *

  “You’re here!” I grin as Claire pulls me in for a big hug, rocking us back and forth. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s been forever,” she agrees. “What are we doing today?”

  “I have a class in thirty minutes,” I reply as we walk toward the one and only baggage carousel in the airport. “So we’ll do that, and then I’ll show you around town a bit.”

  “Cool.” She smiles. “I even went to a yoga class a couple times this week, just to practice.”

  “Good for you.”

  “That’s me.” She points to the leopard-print roller bag making its way to us, pulls it off the belt, and we walk out to the Jeep. “Will my stuff get stolen? Should we put the top on?”

  “No,” I say with a smile, fastening my seatbelt. “It should be just fine.”

  “I can’t believe how small that airport is.”

  “I think they have plans to expand it,” I say as I pay the parking attendant and pull onto the highway. “We’re only ten minutes from town.”

  “The mountains are crazy,” she says, looking around at the scenery. “The view from the plane was ridiculous.”

  I smile, excited and proud to show my oldest friend my home. It doesn’t take long to get to downtown Cunningham Falls where my studio is.

  “Where’s the rest of the town?”

  “This is pretty much it.” I laugh as she looks up and down our tiny Main Street. “I left Chicago because I didn’t enjoy the city, remember? It’s safe here. Quiet. Fresh air.”

  “Lots of fresh air,” she murmurs. “Is it safe to not breathe in smog?”

  “You’re silly.”

  I lead her up to the studio and pass a spare mat to her after she changes into a pair of yoga shorts.

  Clients filter in, taking their places. Most of them say hi to Claire, who glances at me in surprise.

  We’re not used to strangers talking to us just for the heck of it. Watching her out of her element is entertaining, to say the least.

  “Okay, everyone, are we ready?”

  “I am if you are,” Claire says. “Just go easy on me.”

  * * * *

  “That was actually really relaxing after the flight out here,” Claire admits as we drive to the house. She’s calmer, with her face tilted up toward the sunshine. “I do love the weather.”

  “It’s been a great summer,” I agree with a nod.

  “What’s the population here?”

  “Around seven thousand, I think.”

  She stares at me, surprised. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Wow, you are in the sticks.”

  There’s something about her attitude that’s different from how I remember her. Her energy is different. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but it’s throwing me off.

  “I like the sticks.”

  She shrugs, her blond hair blowing in the wind. It’s too short to put up, barely brushing her shoulders.

  “Do you ride horses and everything?”

  “So, are you going to talk shit about where I live the whole time you’re here? Because if so, tell me now so I can prepare myself.”

  “Oh, don’t be so touchy. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

  “I love it here,” I say firmly.

  “I’m glad. Really.” She pats my shoulder, and I can hear the sincerity in her voice. “It is beautiful. Just so different from what I’m used to.”

  “That’s why I love it,” I say with a sigh and pull into the driveway at the house. “Come on in. We’ll get you settled, and Noah should be home soon.”

  “This is
nice,” she says as she yanks her bag out of the backseat and follows me inside. “Like, really nice. It’s like something I’d see on that show with Chip and Joanna Gaines.”

  “Right? I agree.” I quickly show her the main house, then lead her to the guest suite. “This is your space. There’s a private bathroom through there.”

  “Great,” she says with a smile. “Thank you for having me. It’s so good to see you, friend.”

  “I agree.” I pull her in for a hug. “Now, you get settled. Take your time. I’m going to make some iced tea.”

  “That sounds so good,” she says with a sigh. “I’ll be out in a few.”

  I shut the door behind me and walk to the kitchen, checking my phone as I go. I’ve missed a text from Penny.

  Penny: Hey! I know I’m a day early, but I wanted to be sure to wish you a Happy Birthday!

  I grin and type a reply.

  Me: Thank you! I miss you. Wish you were here for birthday margaritas.

  I set the phone aside and pull down the black teabags along with a pitcher. My phone pings behind me.

  Penny: Gah, that sounds so good! I miss you! What are your plans for your big day?

  Me: Claire’s in town, and I think we’ll just go to dinner with Noah. Nothing crazy. How are things with the hot rock star?

  Penny: There’s so much to tell you. It’s good and confusing and wonderful. Sexy. So, so sexy.

  Me: Bitch.

  The three little dots appear as she replies.

  Penny: You love me and you know it. I’ll call soon and we’ll catch up. Have the best birthday ever! Tell me all about it. XO

  Penny’s sweet. She was so fun to hang out with when she lived here. I was sad to see her go. But it sounds like she’s living her best life in Seaside, and I wouldn’t take that away from her for anything in the world.

  I’ve just finished the tea and poured two glasses when Claire walks out of the bedroom wearing a fresh summer outfit. Her face is clean of makeup, and she looks much more comfortable.

  “Better?” I ask, passing her a glass.

  “So much better. I had to get the plane yuck off me.” She takes a sip. “Mm, you always did make the best tea.”