Shiner Bock flapped his wings as he watched her approach, his beady eyes following her every move. As she reached for him, he hopped down the bar, racing past diners and those who were there to drink the stress of the day away. Zina almost had him, but then his claw landed in Zeb’s side of refried beans and Shiner Bock paused to lick the food off his foot.
“Beans, beans, magic fruit,” the bird squawked as he nibbled at his claw.
Zina stopped and glanced over her shoulder at me. As her gaze met mine, she let out a laugh. The icy dread sliding through my veins warmed up a few degrees. I rounded the line of booths and with some silent hand gestures between us, we closed in on the unsuspecting bird.
The patrons manning the barstools scattered, leaving nothing between me and Shiner Bock but a few feet of hardwood flooring. I clucked my tongue, trying to get the bird’s attention as Zina crept up behind him, her towel at the ready.
“Here, birdie.” I kept my voice calm and steady, even as Zina closed the last few feet between us.
As the towel sailed over Shiner Bock’s head, Zina wrapped her hands around him, capturing him in her grip. The customers clapped and the sound of silverware clinking on plates resumed. I breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful that the bird had been caught and a major crisis averted.
Frankie ran up to my side, the bag held out in front of her. “I’m sorry, Uncle Alex. Shiner Bock is scared of the dark and didn’t want to stay in the bag.”
I squatted down in front of her. “You can’t bring animals into restaurants, honey.”
“That’s what Mom says. But she’s not here so I thought maybe you would say it’s okay.” She put her hands to her cheeks.
“We’ll talk about it when we get home.” I took the bag from her and met Zina at the bar, where she cradled a quiet Shiner Bock against her chest. “Thanks for pitching in.”
“Are you okay?” Her gaze flickered over me.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I opened the bag and waited while she settled the bird inside. “Just a minor setback. All’s well.”
“You sure?” She narrowed her eyes like she didn’t believe me.
Why did it seem like people were always second-guessing me? A prickle of annoyance zipped along my spine. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Well”—she glanced down to where Shiner Bock adjusted his position in the bag—“you’re here to take care of penguins, but you don’t seem to have much of a way with birds.”
I fought the urge to shoot her a certain kind of bird. But hell, she was right. “I guarantee you, I’m better at handling wildlife than the domesticated kind.”
Zina grinned as she nudged her chin toward the table where my nieces squabbled. “For your sake, I sure hope so.”
CHAPTER 9
ZINA
I turned awayfrom Alex and made my way back to the bar. So I’d questioned his ability to work with birds. It seemed only natural to wonder about his experience when he couldn’t even manage a domesticated parrot. If he was that unsure of himself around a pet, how would he be able to handle the wild penguins Lacey was hell-bent on bringing to town? Did he even have experience with penguins at all?
He’d given Lacey some story about how he’d been working at a remote research station in Antarctica of all places. Could be he’d made the whole thing up so he could make a few quick bucks. Based on how he handled the bird, he probably didn’t have much hands-on experience with penguins or any other kind of mammal.
“Well that was exciting,” I said as I settled onto my barstool. “You weren’t planning on finishing those nachos, were you?”
Zeb glanced down to where a trail of beans led from the plate to the platter sitting next to him. “Um, no.”
“You ready to go? We might want to get out of here before they blame us for the bird disturbance.”
“Sure.” Zeb drained his tea.
I slid some cash across the bar to cover our meals. By the time I’d shrugged on my jacket and followed Zeb out to the parking lot, Alex was getting the brood of kids he’d brought with him all buckled into their seats. I hesitated, not wanting to have to walk past his truck, but it sat right next to mine. Finally, I let out a sigh. Since when had I ever let some guy determine my actions?
Never.
So with a little extra bounce in my step, I crossed the gravel lot. He looked up as I got closer. The resignation on his face mirrored the way I felt inside. Not nearly enough time had passed since our last interaction.
“Got everyone squared away?” I asked as I pressed the unlock button on my key fob.
“Yep. They were kind enough to box up our order for us. We’re going to fly away home now. That’s probably the last time you’ll be seeing any member of my family roosting around here.”
