Читать книгу Wild Spirits - Rosa Jordan - Страница 15

10

PLANS

As she was driving home from what had been her last day of work at the bank, Wendy saw Danny standing on the steps of the library talking to Mrs. Armstrong. He was a likeable kid, but didn’t seem to have any friends his own age.

A little while later, Danny showed up at her apartment. He didn’t come inside, but instead went around to the back where the animals were. Wendy went out to talk to him.

“Danny, do you know Kyle and I are getting married?”

Danny nodded and kept watching the raccoons, who were busily dipping kibble in their water to make it easier to swallow. “Mrs. Armstrong told me.”

“Did she tell you we bought a farm?”

Danny turned to stare at her. “No! Where?”

“About ten miles out of town.”

“When are you moving?”

“I’m moving some of my stuff out there this afternoon. And the rest little by little over the next week. Want to ride out with me and see the place?”

“Sure!” Danny exclaimed.

• • •

As they were driving out to the farm, Wendy asked, “How long have you known Mrs. Armstrong?”

“Quite a while.” He was silent a moment, then added. “I know her secret.”

Wendy smiled. “You mean about Tripod?”

“Yes,” Danny said. “She said you know because you helped save his life. And her grandchildren, but they don’t live here. We’re the only ones in town who know.”

“I guess she told you because she trusts you,” Wendy said.

Danny nodded. “She said most folks think you’re crazy if you love animals as much as you love humans. But a few special people feel like that.”

Wendy grinned across at him. “Guess you’re one of those special people.”

Danny smiled with serious pride. “Yeah. Both of us. And Mrs. Armstrong.”

When they reached the farm, Danny helped Wendy carry in the boxes of stuff she had brought along. He paused in the doorway. “Where do you want me to put it?”

“That big box has sheets and blankets. It goes in the master bedroom upstairs.” Wendy went ahead of him with two lamps, which she set on the floor of the empty room. Danny put the two boxes he was carrying down next to them.

“That small box is office supplies. I’m going to use the small bedroom down the hall for my office. There’s another bigger one downstairs that will be the guest room.” Wendy went ahead of Danny and showed him the upstairs room at the front of the house that would be her office. “Now come downstairs and see the best part.”

Danny followed her through the living room and kitchen, out on to a big screened-in back porch. “What do you think of this?” Wendy asked. “Won’t it be great for keeping nest boxes with baby animals that have to be fed at night?”

“Except when it’s cold,” Danny agreed.

“Oh, sure. Then I’ll have to bring them inside.” Wendy pointed to the weed-covered field behind the house. “And out there I’ll have other animals.”

“Like cows and horses?” Danny asked.

Wendy cut him a sideways grin. “Like a llama.”

“You’re kidding!” Danny exclaimed. “A real llama?”

“A real one,” Wendy promised. “But not right away. Llamas are expensive, and we’ll have to fence the place first.”

“Can I help?” Danny asked.

“Sure, if you want to.” But as she said it, Wendy was remembering that Danny did not have a bike. Considering that it would take him a good two hours to walk out to the farm, she didn’t think she’d be seeing much of him.

“When are you going to start living here?” Danny asked.

“Next Saturday,” Wendy said promptly.

Danny frowned. “Mrs. Armstrong said that’s when you’re getting married.”

“That’s right. And we’re getting married right here.”

“Here?”

“Well, not back here in this weedy field. Around front, on the lawn.”

Wendy led him back through the house and out front to show him how pretty it was with all the flowers in bloom. “We were going to get married in a church, but Kyle’s mom and mine got in an argument over whose church it would be in so I decided we’d have it here. Afterwards we’ll send everybody home and spend our wedding night here, too.”

“Aren’t you going on a honeymoon?”

“No, Kyle doesn’t have any vacation time coming. Besides, we decided we’d rather spend the money on fencing materials. Come on, we’d better be getting back.”

Wendy got into the RAV and glanced over at Danny. “I was wondering, though, if I could ask you a favour?”

“What?”

“I don’t want to move the animals out until after the wedding, because all of the guests milling around is sure to upset them. But with everything going on that weekend I won’t have time to run back and forth to the apartment to look after them. I was wondering —”

“I’ll do it!” Danny interrupted enthusiastically. “I’ll feed the raccoons and the baby bunnies and the old possum and the little fox. And give them water and everything. I know what to do.”

“You don’t mind missing the wedding?” Wendy asked. She had felt a little guilty about not inviting Danny, but her mother said it wouldn’t be polite to invite him and not his mother, and she didn’t want to invite someone like Mrs. Ryan, whom she didn’t even know, to her wedding.

Danny shook his head. “I’d rather be with the animals.”

“Then that’ll be our plan. I’ll leave you in charge on Saturday, and Sunday morning, too. I’ll come back to the apartment in the afternoon, and if you want, you can help me move them to their new home.”