TWO MONTHS LATER, the sun shone over the mountain, shrinking away the remaining patches of snow that lined the drive to the B&B. Ursula had dropped off the other students who rode along on the field trip and now she and Rory were on their way home. Rory kept chattering away while Ursula parked the car and they went inside.
“Did you hear all those funny noises the magpie made? It scared Maddie when it squawked.” Rory skipped ahead as Ursula pushed open the door to the kitchen.
Mac stood at the counter, screwing the lid onto a jar of pickles. At the sound of Rory’s voice, he turned, and the expression of pure love on his face touched Ursula’s heart. “How was the field trip to the bird rescue center?”
“Really good!” Rory ran to hug him without ever slowing down her narrative. “Did you know baby eagles are called eaglets? They use eagle puppets to feed the eaglets so they know they’re eagles and don’t think they’re people.”
“I’ve heard that.” Mac picked a stray feather from Rory’s hair. “What else did you see?”
“There was a raven with a missing wing, and he’s so smart they have to keep him in a special place because he can open most of the regular cages.” Rory trotted through the kitchen divider to greet Blossom, who had been beating her tail against the gate while she waited. Van Gogh jumped down from the window seat to rub against her ankles.
Ursula sidled closer to Mac and was rewarded when he slid his arm around her waist and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “Hi, darlin’. Did you enjoy the trip, too?”
“I did. Our eagle was there.”
“I wondered. How is he doing?”
“Very well. They’re planning to release him later this month. They said if we want, we can be there to watch him fly away.”
“I’d like that.”
She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. “Thank you for holding down the fort today so I could help chaperone the field trip. Any problems?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. The toddler in the Shooting Star suite decided it would be fun to flush his dad’s socks down the toilet, so there was a minor flood.”
“Oh, no.”
“It’s fine. A plumbing snake and a mop fixed everything.”
She patted his cheek. “My hero.”
Rory had finished greeting the animals and ran back into the kitchen to tug at Mac’s arm. “We’re gonna get a snack and then we’re driving to town to see the new stuff at Andi’s Animal Place. Wanna come?”
Ursula clarified. “Bill built a half dozen kitty condos for the shelter, and Rory wants to see them. And the good news is Penny has organized a full roster of volunteers, so if everything passes inspection next Tuesday, they’re ready to open.”
She watched his face to see his reaction. She’d wondered if this plan to establish an animal shelter in Andi’s memory was a good idea. Would seeing Andi’s name every time he drove to Seward be hard for Mac? But the community had jumped in with their usual enthusiasm, and working with the local people on a project his daughter would have loved seemed to be a healing journey for Mac.
He saw her concern and gave her a reassuring smile before patting Rory’s head. “I would love to come along, but I was in the middle of something and I’d like to get a few thoughts down first. Why don’t you get a snack, and I’ll be ready to go in about half an hour, okay?”
“Okay.” Rory headed for the cookie jar. Ursula poured her a glass of milk while Mac disappeared into their private living room. Ursula sat with Rory at the kitchen table and chatted about the field trip.
Rory swallowed the last bite of her cookie. “Is Mac ready yet?”
“I don’t think so. Why don’t you take Blossom outside and throw the ball for her until it’s time to go?”
“Let’s go, Blossom.” Rory grabbed a tennis ball and the two of them galloped out.
Ursula went to look for Mac. He sat at the desk, typing on his laptop. He held up a finger to ask her for one more minute while he finished. He typed a few more words and then swiveled his chair to face her. “All done.” He patted his leg. “Come here, darlin’.”
Smiling, she went over to sit in his lap. He pulled her close, nuzzled her cheek and put his lips beside her ear. “Tell me something,” he whispered. “What, exactly, is a kitty condo?”
She laughed. “I think it’s kind of an enclosed tower with different levels where cats can climb around and play.”
“Sounds useful.”
“I’d imagine so.” She tried to sneak a peek at his computer. “What were you working on?”
He rotated the chair so that the computer was out of her view, chuckled and swung back around so she could see the screen. “Some ideas for a new book I want to write. I just wanted to get some notes jotted down before I forget them.”
She gasped. “That’s fantastic, Mac. Can you tell me what it’s about, or is it a secret?”
“No secret. It’s about a crusty old cowboy who’s reached the end of his rope, and this aggravating woman too stubborn to give up on him.” He paused just long enough to press a kiss to her temple. “And, just like ours, this story has a happy ending.”
* * * * *
Other enchanting romances are available in the NORTHERN LIGHTS miniseries from acclaimed author Beth Carpenter:
A GIFT FOR SANTA
THE ALASKAN CATCH
Available at www.Harlequin.com!
Keep reading for an excerpt from IN LOVE WITH THE FIREFIGHTER by Amie Denman.
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