Page 12 of For the Birds

“You could ask me to a monster truck rally, and I’d jump at the chance.” He leaned closer and whispered, “And I hate monster truck rallies.”

“Don’t feel like you have to say yes, Levi. We can go out anothertime.”

“I want to spend time with you, Rose.” He squeezed my hand. “The more time we spend together, the better we’ll get to know each other . . . and the easier it will be for me to win you over.” A huge grin spread across his face. “Besides, it will be good practice for me to get ready for the county fair next month. I’ve been asked to judge some of the 4-H animal entries. I’ll feel better if I know what kind of crowd I’ll be dealingwith.”

I laughed.

There was a feline screech in the open exam room, and little Oscar streaked out through thedoor.

Levi stood and flashed me a grin. “Duty calls.”

His receptionist came running out of the room with a scratch mark on her cheek. “Come back here, you little devil!”

Levi pulled me to my feet and gave me a tiny push toward the door. “Go. Save yourself.”

I laughed and was about to leave, but a brightly colored flyer on the bulletin board caught my eye. There was a photo of a vibrant green parrot against a white background, and huge black letters above and below him exclaimed:

Lost Parrot

$500 Reward

I moved closer to get a better look at the smaller text at the bottom of the flyer.

Talking parrot last seen on Saturday morning in Henryetta Park. Squawker loves carrots, Wheel of Fortune, and long walks in thepark.

Was the owner looking to find the parrot or to get Squawker adate?

$500 reward for the safe return of my best friend.

Boomer T. Whipple

501-555-1453

At first, I was slightly disturbed that Boomer’s best friend was a talking parrot, but who was I to judge? Until I’d befriended Neely Kate a year ago, my dog had beenmine.

Dropping to his knees, Levi reached under the chair the kitten had chosen for its hiding place. “Come on,” he said softly. “Come to Dr. Levi.”

Oscar’s owner, a twenty-something woman, stood in the exam room doorway, her gaze firmly on Levi’s butt as she nodded her head and said, “Yes, Dr. Levi. I’llcome—”

“Ms. Jergins,” Mary snapped.

The woman had the good sense to look flustered.

“Got him,” Levi said, cradling the kitten to his chest. “Although if there happens to be a next time, maybe we should try bribing him instead of terrorizing him.” He glanced up at me with a look of surprise. “You’re stillhere.”

I grinned. “And miss the show? Enjoy your lunch.”

I started to head out the door, but he called after me, “Text me the details for tonight.”

But that good feeling fled as I drove back to the office in my truck. I felt unsettled again. Was I leading Levi on? I did like him, and surely it was too early in our relationship—if you could call it that—to be thinking about something serious. Was it too much to hope something would stir insideme?

Was it too much to hope I’d stop thinking about James?

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