“I don’t know. He’s just gone.”
“He wouldn’t leave. This is his world.”
Shawna hovered a few feet back. Xander turned and glared at her. “She said we shouldn’t come. That it’s a school night and we need to be in bed at our usual time.”
Harris put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey there, Tiger. Shawna meant well.” He gave Jax an apologetic smile. “Shawna’s not a pet person.”
“Or a bird person,” Jax muttered, remembering the other woman’s reaction every time Ramon got close. For a second she wondered if Shawna had done something to the parrot, then shook off the thought. For one thing, the younger woman was basically a decent person. For another, Jax was pretty sure she was too scared of Ramon to get close enough to grab him.
“I knew they’d be upset if they came here,” Shawna said, sounding both helpless and defensive.
Gentry raised her head and sniffed. “Of course we’re upset. Ramon isfamily.”
“Okay, okay,” Jax said. “This isn’t helping. People are out searching for Ramon. I’m sure they’ll find him.”
“We need to call the police,” Xander said. “Call 9-1-1, Mom.”
Harris put his arm around the boy. “I know we’re all scared, but Ramon being gone isn’t an emergency.”
“It is to me.”
Jax agreed, but doubted dispatch would appreciate the call. “If we don’t find him tonight, I’ll phone them in the morning,” she said, although she had no idea what they could do about a missing parrot. Still, making the call would give her something to do.
She spent a few more minutes with her children, then insisted they return home.
“You can’t do anything here,” she told them. “I’m staying the night. I’ll be upstairs on the widow’s walk with the door open.” She did her best not to start crying as she realized there was a very good chance she would never see Ramon again.
“You have to call if he comes back,” Gentry insisted, clinging to her. “No matter what time it is, you’ll call. Promise.”
Jax looked at Harris, who nodded.
“Of course she will,” he said. “We’ll all want to know.”
Shawna’s expression was pinched but she didn’t say anything. Instead she tried to put her arms around the children, but they both shook off her touch. Jax knew she should probably say something, but didn’t have it in her. Those fences could be mended later—right now all she could think about was Ramon.
She kept walking outside, calling for him. But as dusk turned to darkness, she knew he would have settled somewhere, assuming he was in town and not in the back of an SUV being carted to who knew where.
That train of thought had her imagining him in a too-smallcage, hungry and frightened. If someone had stolen him, no doubt it was with the plan to sell him online. He would be with strangers who wouldn’t understand him or take care of him. He would be defenseless and calling for her. He would call and call and she wouldn’t be able to hear him.
She sank into the nearest chair and covered her face with her hands. Sobs ripped through her as she rocked back and forth. It hurt to breathe and all she could think of was her beloved Ramon.
“Jax, we couldn’t—”
She heard Marcus’s voice and tried to control her emotions but the pain was too big. She continued to cry. He knelt in front of her and drew her into his arms.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know. He’s been your guy since you were twelve years old. You’re scared and it hurts and you don’t know where to put all the feelings. We’ll find him. We have to.”
She sniffed several times and tried to catch her breath. “If he just flew off, it would be better. If I knew he was somewhere around here then I could believe he’d come back. But what if someone took him? Then he’s gone forever and I’ll never know what happened to him.”
She began to cry again. Around her she heard people talking in low tones. She would guess the search teams were returning and judging by their voices, no one had seen Ramon.
She allowed herself a few more seconds in Marcus’s arms. Having him here, knowing she could trust him to take charge when she couldn’t, gave her the strength to take the next step. She drew back and wiped her face, then stood and faced her friends.
“Thank you for helping,” she said. “There’s nothing more to do tonight. If he’s still in the area, he won’t fly in the dark. He’ll find somewhere to settle.” She tried to smile, but knew she failed. “At least it’s not winter. He’s not really an outdoorkind of guy, but he’s smart and he has his instincts. Hopefully he’ll come home tomorrow.”
Ryleigh moved close and hugged her. “He will,” she said. “I know you’re going to wait up for him. I’ll stay with you. In the morning we’ll come up with a plan.”
A few other people offered to stay with her, but Jax refused. She didn’t want to have to entertain anyone while she was waiting. She thanked them and sent them home. After they had left, Marcus moved close.
