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Waving at the computer screen, Cortland said, “OMG! Look at your hair!”
Tulsi Anthony smiled back from the screen, her hair a peachy pink color. “Isn’t it awesome?”
“That color looks great with your skin tone.” Her lovely light brown skin blended well with the new coloring. “Has Hannah seen the color yet?”
“God, no. I’m afraid she’ll have a fit. It would clash with the light gray bridesmaids’ dresses we’ll be wearing. By the time she sees me, it will be back to my natural dark brown, almost black color.” Tulsi took a sip from a ceramic mug.
“Did I arrange this call too early? Are you just getting up?” She glanced at the clock. If she figured correctly, it should be only one hour behind. “Eleven o’clock there?”
“Yes, it’s eleven. And no, it’s fine. It’s just tea.” Her friend put the mug down. “Where are you? I hear a PA speaker or something?”
“No, I’m stuck here in Minneapolis/Saint Paul airport. My plane was delayed.”
“Did you have lunch?”
Tension filled Cortland’s body. “I ordered it, but it hasn’t arrived yet.” Two can play that diversion game.
The tone of Tulsi’s voice became stern. “An unlikely story. Are you still binging and purging? Have you contacted your therapist?”
Cortland closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, “Hannah told you.”
“Yes, she did. She’s worried about you, and so am I. Please tell me you’ve sought help.”
At least Cortland could tell her the truth about that. “I have had several telemedicine sessions with my old therapist.”
“Thank you, God. At least she knows your history and what helped last time.” Tulsi added, “Is it any better?”
“Yes. And I’m getting help. Can we leave it at that?”
“Okay, but I’m here if you need me. You know that.”
“I do. Thank you. Now, what about you? How’s your job going?” Of the three women, Tulsi came from even more dire financial circumstances than Hannah. Her poorly paying summer internship after graduation had been cut short. Instead, she jumped right into the first job offer she received.
“Not much better. But I am enjoying learning more as I handle the different exotic species here. Last week I had an emu from the Alexandra Zoo. It was pretty cool. Massive bird though. Did you know they have a tracheal sac for communication?” she said, but Cortland noticed the pleasure in her tone didn’t reach her dark brown eyes. “What did you want to talk about?”
Is it really working out? Based on Tulsi’s lack of enthusiasm, she thought maybe not. Cortland noted the rapid change in the subject but decided to let it go. For now. “Hannah hasn’t given us much time, but do you think we should arrange a bridal shower? If so, we’d have to get it together quickly.”
“She said no shower.”
“Maybe she did, but did she really mean it?”
Tulsi nodded. “I really think she did. She and Andrew are living together. I would imagine they have most everything they need.”
Cortland bit her lower lip. “People could just give them bigger wedding presents if they wanted.”
“Exactly my thought too.” She giggled her infectious giggle, which made Cortland join her.
When they both caught their breath, Tulsi asked, “What about a bachelorette party the evening before? You know, after the rehearsal.”
“I like that idea. I’m sure a lot of the clinic staff would want to go. It’s all women.”
“Any ideas where?”
“There’s a restaurant in town she likes called Roberto’s. Maybe there? They have a small party room. We could order a bunch of appetizers.
“Heck yeah. As long as they can make margaritas.” Tulsi ran her fingers through her hair. “Anything else to discuss?”
“I wanted to tell you. I’m moving to Alaska.” Cortland said it almost as a low whisper so no one standing nearby could hear.
“What! I thought you liked it in Colby?”
“I do, but something has come up,” Cortland explained her decision about the homestead and Aunt Faith’s will again. Then she told her about Aunt Faith’s final letter and the odd message at the end of it. When she finished, she bit her lip. “What do you think?”
“Did you check her journal?”
“Yeah, just the last page. It had a long list of sums. Like she was adding something up as it grew. I don’t have a clue what it’s for.”
“Maybe it will come to you if you give it time,” Tulsi replied before inquiring, “What about that hot firefighter you were seeing?”
Cortland rolled her eyes. “He had an accident while on a fire call. Broke one of his ankle bones.”
“So you’re dumping him because of that?” Tulsi asked, incredulity in her voice.
“Of course not. I’m just telling you. He was hurt on the job, so now he’s out of work until he’s healed.”
“Okay, but how does he factor into this decision?”
Cortland shrugged, her heart heavy at the thought of Dawson. “I like him a lot. We actually get along really well. And he is hot.” She smirked and winked when she said the word “hot.” “But I can’t give up the homestead. Not even for Mr. Light My Fire.”
Nodding her understanding, Tulsi agreed. “You have to listen to your heart. If it likes Alaska more than your firefighter, well?” She paused a moment. “What will you do for work when you move up there?”
“I don’t know. Hang a shingle on the house, maybe. Anchorage is almost two hours away, so it’s not really a feasible commuting distance.”
“Are you anywhere near Girdwood? I think it’s on the Kenai Peninsula.”
“It’s about an hour away. Why?”
Tulsi started scrounging for something on her desk beside her computer. “I was reading this pet-vet magazine and flipped through the employment ads in the back. I think the wildlife sanctuary there is looking for a part-time vet.”
Cortland’s heart rate sped up. “Really? Can you send me the ad? That might be the perfect solution. I don’t need to make much money since there’s no rent and no mortgage.”
“I’ll scan it after we hang up and email it to you.”
“Great, thanks.” An overhead speaker announced the imminent boarding of her flight. Turning back to the screen, Cortland scrunched up her nose. “I’ve got to get going. They’ll be boarding in a few minutes. It was great talking to you. We should do this more often.”
“It was. Let me know what you find out about that restaurant. I’ll be waiting to hear.”
Four hours later, Cortland checked her cell phone’s email service. Finding Tulsi’s email, she opened the scanned document and skimmed its contents. As she read, her excitement grew. It was a part-time job at the wildlife sanctuary. It sounded like the answer to Cortland’s prayers.