Page 47 of Big Island Horizons
“His favorite food, maybe?”
“Maybe. He must be hungry.” She took a breath. “Okay, I should go.”
“Do you want me to come with you or keep working on this?”
“If you could keep working on the aviary, that would be amazing. I don’t have a cage for them anymore. Having one stressed macaw in the house is bad enough. If they both have to live inside with us, my kids might move in with their dad.”
Liam chuckled and said, “Okay, I’ll keep plugging away at this.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He stepped over a pile of branches and pulled her into a hug. “Now go get your bird. I’ll hold down the fort.”
Tara checked the time and let out an overwhelmed huff of breath. “I’ll try to make it quick. Paige has a lesson with Maddie in less than two hours.”
“How about this,” he said, smoothing hair away from her face. “I can drive Paige to her lesson and pick up the fencing while I’m up there. Then I’ll come back, work on this, and Maddie can drive her home.”
She stared up into his dark blue eyes, feeling a moment of true calm amidst all the chaos of her life. “Are you real?”
He laughed and kissed her forehead. “Last time I checked.”
“Okay.” Reluctantly, she stepped out of his arms. “I’m going to go see if I can bring that birdbrain home.”
“I wish you success on your rescue mission. I’m here if you need backup.”
She put a hand up to his cheek. Then, with effort, she turned and walked away.
“Paige,” she said as she passed the rabbit shelter, “Liam’s going to give you a ride to his place today. He’s going to ask Maddie to bring you home.”
“Okay.” She was nuzzling a baby bunny. “Where are you going?”
“A neighbor messaged me that Ricky’s in the‘ohi?aforest behind their house. I’m going to see if I can get him down.”
She went inside to grab the keys to the van. If she did succeed in coaxing Ricky down from the tree, she didn’t want to walk all the way home carrying an agitated macaw. There was already a carrier in the back of the car.
Cody was in the kitchen, glowering. Teenager though he was, that was an unusual mood for him.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“What was that?” he demanded, gesturing to the window above the sink.
“What was what?”
“You and Liam. Are you, like, dating now?”
Tara’s cheeks grew warm. “I didn’t realize we had an audience.”
“You were basically making out in the middle of the yard!”
“We were not!”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”
“I didn’t have anything to tell. Liam’s my friend. And, yes, we’re… exploring the possibility of becoming something more.”
“Gross.”
“But it’s too soon for me to be sure of what this is, much less discuss it with you three.”
