Hunter's Choice (19 page)

“Yeah I get that.” He looked at the dirty
white rubber toes of his well-worn purple canvas sneakers.

Just keep being you Aaron. You’re a good
kid, best pseudo-little brother a girl could ask for.

Jessamine laughed and got up, giving him a one
armed hug. She kissed me, a quick, chaste, press of lips and took her cup and
pitcher back into the house.

“I hope we helped.” I said, shrugging. Though
honestly I hadn’t done much.

“No, yeah! You guys are great! I just have a
lot to think about…” he said.

“What do you know about Fallon’s home life?” I
asked, struck by a sudden moment of insight.

“Single mom like me. Dad took off when she was
young.” He gave a one shoulder shrug and I nodded.

“So she had no man in her life to show her how
a woman should be treated.” I mused.

Aaron frowned.

“Jess had Dave and Charlie, they’re both
stand-up guys… So how did she end up with Josh?” He raised his eyebrows.

“You’d have to ask Jessamine that, just
remember, she had a short life
before
Dave and Charlie came into it.” I
drained the iced tea from my cup in one long draught.

“Dude, I don’t think I
want
to know
what happened to her before she came here then.” I stared at her as she stood
in her kitchen, phone pressed to her ear, pressing a button here and there to
answer whoever was on the other end of the line.

“You don’t, you really don’t.” I said, strolling
over to the enclosure and resuming my work.

Jessamine

I hung up the phone and sighed. John had a
rescue for me, a little Saw-Whet Owl that had flown into his window around dawn
this morning. He said he’d brought him in to recover but that the little guy
must have been more rattled than he’d thought because he just wasn’t coming out
of it like he should.

I’d stuttered out to bring the little guy in
and had invited him to stay for lunch. We hadn’t really spoken since the night
he’d been to dinner and I’d chewed him out. I liked John well enough as a
friend, not to mention he could give us all kinds of trouble when our permits
came up time to renew, even if it was only every three years we needed to renew
them.

Charlie came out of the bathroom and looked me
over.

“You look like you’ve swallowed a lemon.” He
commented.

I shrugged.

Rescue coming in. John Baker with a window
strike. Saw-Whet.

“He still butt-hurt about the other night?”

Don’t know. Invited him to stay for lunch.

“Oh? What’s for lunch?” Leave it to Charlie.
Still didn’t know how he managed to stay thin with as much food as he packed
away. He should have been the size of a grizzly.

Was going to make something, I don’t know
what yet. What do you want?

“You got any of that flat bread stuff to make
them pocket sammiches?” he asked.

I went to the pantry to check and came back
with a pack of pita bread.

“Pocket sammiches it is then! How about some
of that pasta salad?” he asked.

I nodded and set to work building a do it
yourself sandwich buffet and crafting the Italian pasta salad and a green salad.

As soon as I heard his tires on the gravel
drive I went into the garage and hit the open switch, wiping my hands on my
dishcloth I ducked out into the spring sunshine.

“Hey Jess.” He said and opened up his
passenger door. He withdrew a cardboard box, the kind that typically held copy
paper reams and I jerked my head towards the garage. Aaron jogged up.

“Got an intake?” he asked.

I nodded and he went into the garage and
pulled down a clipboard with the beginnings of a new patient chart on it. I
smiled.

“What kind of patient?” he asked.

“Saw-Whet!” John answered for me and I smiled
at him.

“Found him on my back deck this morning. I
heard a thump against the slider, I figure it must have been him.” He said as
we walked into the garage. He gently set the box on the stainless steel exam
table.

I pulled on some gloves that went just above
the wrist. Saw-Whet owls were about a palm full, slightly bigger than Northern
Pygmy’s and oh my gods were they adorable! Big yellow eyes that took up the
majority of their face and tiny beaks, they looked like they were straight out
of a cartoon. John lifted the lid off the box and the little bird looked up, blinking.

Round head devoid of ear tufts, this one had
eyes leaning more towards amber than yellow. Its tiny cat like face set on its
oversized head held and expression that looked pitiful.

“You p-p-oor baby!” I crooned softly without
thinking about it. I reached into the box carefully, the little owl was far too
docile which was in line with it being concussed. I lifted it out carefully,
its little head swiveled and it blinked again. I could feel the rapid flutter
of its heart even through the leather of my gloves and it broke my heart a
little.

Predominantly brown, the little bird’s head
was spotted with cream, the feathers of the body streaked and mottled, a
mixture of the two colors blending together. Aaron put an old towel into the
bottom of one of the smaller kennels and went about filling water and the like.
I pulled a pen light out of my breast pocket after setting the little owl down.

John was just watching me do my thing. Tee
shirt straining over his big shoulders as he crossed his arms over his chest. I
hadn’t even realized he wasn’t in uniform. I hardly ever saw him in street
clothes.

I shined the light into the little owl’s eyes
and watched for reaction. Pupils were equal and reactive, the weight was good;
the talons had the expected amount of wear for a wild owl. Over all the little
girl, for it was indeed a girl, was in good shape but given the behavior was
obviously concussed pretty well. We would keep her a few days, maybe through
the week and let her go as part of the festival. I didn’t want to keep her too
long but I didn’t want to let her go too soon either.

I placed her into the kennel Aaron had
prepared and let her rest and wrote out my diagnosis for the boys to see.

“Good! I’m glad she’s okay.” John was smiling.

“Can we name her Fallon?” Aaron asked suddenly
and I suppressed a smile and nodded.

“Thanks Jess.” He pulled out his cell phone
and took a picture of her and went out the garage texting away.

“Girl he’s trying to impress?” John asked. I
nodded.

“Here it was I was beginning to think that boy
might be gay.” He muttered and I made an incredulous noise.

“What? Not that there’s anything wrong with
that!” He ran his hand through his hair and asked, “Is there?” Like he wasn’t
sure which way I swayed. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. No there wouldn’t
be anything wrong with that! I loved Aaron for Aaron, he was a great kid, gay,
straight, or a purple people eater from Mars, it made no difference to me.

John grimaced and at least had the grace to
look embarrassed. I huffed out a sigh, it really wasn’t his fault. I mean we
were raised out here in the sticks and a lot of people still had a lot of
prejudiced attitudes out here. I was damned lucky I was raised by Dave, Margie
and Charlie. They held no such notions and were as progressive as they come.

I pulled off my gloves and motioned for John
to follow me. I left the garage door open to get some fresh air in for the
little owl and went into the house from the side door. John followed me in and
down the hall.

“So, uh, how is Hunter? Still here?” he asked
and I nodded. I washed my hands at the kitchen sink and motioned for him to do
the same. Always a good practice when handling animals, wild or domestic,
before eating or really doing anything else.

I picked up my whiteboard and pen.

Yes, he’s outside repairing one of the
outdoor enclosures.

John sighed and grimaced.

“Listen Jess, you know I’ve had my eye on you
for a long time now…” I stilled and set the pitcher of tea I’d pulled out of
the fridge on the counter. I nodded carefully. John sighed.

“He beat me to it didn’t he?” he asked. I
think my face fell. I had never had an interest in John beyond friendship. I
just wasn’t attracted to him in that way. How the Hell do you tell someone that
though!?

“Never had a chance did I?” he asked, reading
the war of emotions on my face. I shook my head miserably. I hated letting him
down, he was a genuinely nice guy…

“Don’t feel bad Jess.” He said and my heart
broke a little for him.

How can I not? I don’t want YOU to feel
bad. You’re a great guy John, just not the guy for me…

He winced a little and took a seat at the
lunch counter.

“Can we forget my dumbassery and stay
friends?” he asked meekly.

You are not a dumb ass and of course we
can.

“Charlie might argue with you on that one.” He
said with a smile.

Charlie used to be Dept. of Fish and
Wildlife before he went Tribal Affairs.

“No shit?” he asked and looked impressed.

Not kidding. Charlie is just an ornery old
coot that had a bone to pick with the government. Bet he’ll be nice to you
today. No uniform.
I smiled and he did too.

“Think I’ll wander out there and see if anyone
needs a hand if it’s okay with you.” He said, but really I think he just wanted
to talk with Hunter. I nodded.

I’ll ring everybody in for lunch as soon as
I finish a few odds and ends.
I promised.

I figured we could eat outside. It’s nice.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” He smiled at me and
I went around and hugged him. He hugged back awkwardly at first and then
nodding went out the side door and into the side yard where Hunter, Aaron and
Charlie were standing near the enclosure they were mending.

I smiled and went to work brewing some more
tea to replenish the low amount in the pitcher. Aaron came in a moment later
and asked what he could do to help. I told him to set the picnic table and
threw him a vinyl table cloth from one of my bottom kitchen drawers. He grinned
and went to it.

He came back in and I flashed a sign at him.

They talking about me?

Aaron looked aggrieved. I stuck my tongue out
at him.

Fine I won’t make you break some precious
bro code you’ve got going on with them but you have to realize it sucks being
outnumbered like I am!

He laughed and I wrote out…

Ring them in. Fix plates in here and eat
out there.

“Yes Ma’am.!” He saluted and went out to ring
the triangle.

It was good to be surrounded by friends and
family.

Hunter

“John! Civilian life look good on you boy.
Should do it more often.” Charlie grunted and I turned to see Jess’ Department
of Fish and Wildlife friend approaching. I painted a pleasant smile on my face.
I knew this man harbored feelings for Jessamine, but she was and always would
be mine now.

“Uh thanks Charlie, I’ll try to do that.” John
smiled and I nodded.

“Mr. Baker.” I held out my hand and he shook
it.

“Please, call me John.” He said. I nodded and an
uncomfortable silence descended on us.

“I’m gonna go help Jess.” Aaron said and
jogged off towards the house.

“So, uh, what’re you guys up to these days?”
John asked and Charlie spit on the ground. I chuckled and decided to throw the
chap a bone.

“Well we put in the garden pond over there,” I
pointed and John gave a low whistle.

“Looks nice. Good habitat for a turtle or
two.” He nodded absently.

“…and we were just discussing building some
new enclosures around back. Since Margie left, the garden around the back of
the house isn’t being used for anything. Jess doesn’t garden, nor does Charlie
here.” I left off the fact that I didn’t garden either. There was no use in
saying so. I didn’t wish to antagonize the man. He must have been thinking it
anyway though, with what he said next.

“You don’t garden either?” he asked me, smile
a bit rueful.

“No.” I said succinctly.

“I think it’s a good idea, as long as you’re
staying on to help her.” He looked me over and I blinked, surprised.

“I am…” I said cautiously. Charlie looked from
one to the other of us and wandered off without a word to help Aaron wrestle a
table cloth onto the picnic table.

“Jess is a good woman.” John said.

“The best.” I intoned. He chuckled.

“I’ve had a crush on her since Jr. High,” he
confessed, “Been chasing her ever since she off loaded that last ass hat, I
guess it just isn’t there for her.” He shrugged a little and I wish I could say
I felt for him, but I didn’t really understand. I’d never been there. I thought
about what it would be like to have Jess tell me no, that she didn’t feel
anything for me and I winced.

“I’m sorry mate.” I said and I was.

“Still friends,” he forced a smile, “If
nothing else at least I still have that.” I clapped him on the shoulder. Good
man.

“So I was thinking about a large enclosure to
house multiple birds at once. A space to rear fledglings, Jess said she
sometimes got them but usually had to make do with using one of the aviaries.” 
The problem she’d said, was that it sometimes pushed other birds recoveries
back because she didn’t have a place to keep them where they could fly on their
own, slowing down their rate of recovery.

“A space like that out back would be ideal
since no one spends all that much time back there. Less human traffic means
less likely that any of them would get too used to humans and imprint.” John
was nodding.

“What do you think you’d need materials wise?
I have some old lumber out back that’s still good so long as it gets used.” He
commented.

“I could get some other materials together out
of what the hardware store will be getting rid of.” I mused aloud.

“Did you tell the hardware store that
Moonchild’s is a five-oh-one C-three?” he asked.

“What’s that?” I asked scowling.

“A nonprofit organization. They donate, Jess
can cut them a receipt for the worth of the goods and they can submit it with
their taxes for a tax break.” He said.

“I didn’t know that,” I was completely lost,
“I’ll mention it to them.”

“Might help.” He said.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” He smiled and I returned
the gesture.

“Hey guys!” Aaron called, “Come and get it!
Jess says to dish up in the house, we’ll eat out here.” He disappeared back
into the kitchen.

John and I exchanged looks and went into the
house together. I was cautiously optimistic that perhaps a friendship could be
had with the man. Whatever Jess had said or done, the woman was as much magic
as I or Gwydion. I smiled to myself and followed John through the make-shift
buffet line.