“Yeah. Of course. I mean, I could look at you naked all day. But I’m sure the people in the hotel wouldn’t approve of you getting your laundry naked.”
I roll my eyes and playfully slap at his chest. “Oh, my gosh. Stop.”
Chapter 15
Sarah
OurtimeinFloridahas been short but fun. It’s the last day, the day I get to meet a pelican. I’m not sure I can even explain how excited I am.
I climb into the passenger seat of the van and look at Chris, who is trying to find a new radio station.
“I can plug my phone in and we can turn on a station from one of my apps,” I tell him.
“That would be great. I’ve only gotten classical music and news stations.”
I dig my cord out of my bag, hook my phone up and turn on today’s top hits. As soon as everyone is loaded we drive to the sanctuary.
“You excited about today?” Chris asks me.
I straighten up in my set and turn to him. "Oh, you have no idea. I love pelicans. I can’t believe we will get to be right next to one. I wonder if we will get to feed them. Oh, that would be so cool.”
I’m not sure if the smile will leave my face at all today. Though, I don’t know that it has really left my face since landing in Florida.
“I’m excited for you. Pelicans are pretty cool.”
“You have seen them before? Like, before coming to Florida?” I ask. I don’t really think of Montana as a seabird hot spot.
“Sure have. We have white pelicans. I see them in the summers as they migrate through.”
“Oh, duh. Migration. I was sitting here like I’m pretty sure Montana didn’t have pelicans. But now that I think about it, there are probably a lot of birds that migrate through.”
“Sure are.”
“So, what else do you do in Montana besides work underground?”
“I volunteer at the local wildlife sanctuary.”
I’m not even sure that I am surprised. It kinda surprised me to see a man like him on a trip like this, but volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary makes sense.
“That’s so awesome of you.”
“Thanks. It helped a lot with being able to become a guide.”
I watch him as he drives, looking over at me occasionally and smiling. He has this charisma about him. I just can’t comprehend or explain. It’s like it’s just his aura, his way of being.
My phone bings in my hand, and I look down to see that Chrissy has texted me. I open it to pictures of my full feeders covered in birds with a caption that reads “I think they miss you.”
“Awe,” I sigh.
“Everything okay?”
“Oh, yes. My friend is filling my feeders while I am away, and she sent me a picture of them with lots of birds enjoying themselves. She says she thinks they miss me.”
“They probably do. They get to know you. They know the routine.”
“I sit out there most mornings with them. I always have the finches and chickadees come to the feeders. They are fearless.”
His face drops slowly as he adjusts in his seat.