Finn laughed again, which was exactly what Nolan had been hoping for. “Glad you think so. I even made dinner. If you’re hungry. I know it’s early, but Ididpromise you a date and May insisted on showing me how to make pulled pork. But I think Buttercup made a better impression than I ever could have.”
“I was surprised when you texted to ask if I was a vegetarian. I assumed you would be,” Nolan said.
Finn’s concern over what he could and couldn’t eat had actually been touching. Nolan didn’t have any particular dietary preferences or allergies, but it was nice to be asked all the same. It spoke to the kind of person Finn was.
“I get why you’d think that,” Finn said. “I guess I just see enough of the circle of life not to be too worried over it. But I also only eat free-range. I don’t like to think of animals suffering.”
“Shocker,” Nolan said, smiling warmly at Finn.
Not only was he hot, he was turning out to be solikeable. It’d been a while since Nolan had even had a crush on anyone, but Finn was…
He waswonderful.That was the only word Nolan could think of. There was just something magical about him.
“Oh, and, uh,” he added, realizing what Finn had actually said. “You’ve made a great impression. I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”
“Honestly? Me neither. No one who works here gets excited about the huge yellow snake anymore,” Finn said, smiling a small, honest smile. “It’s nice to have new people around.”
“And, uh, I skipped lunch, so dinner sounds amazing,” Nolan continued. “At some point, anyway.”
“It’s in the crock pot, so there’s a pretty big margin for error,” Finn said. “I’m all yours until you head home, so feel free to call the shots.”
“Does that mean I can quiz you about things?” Nolan asked, eager to pick Finn’s brain. He spent his days around either business or computer people, so someone with a completely different knowledge base was exciting.
Plus, Finn’s voice was like warm honey, and he could have listened to him talk about things he was interested in all day.
“You can ask any questions you want,” Finn said. “No guarantees I’ll know the answers, but if I don’t, I’ll find out for you.”
“What animals do you get in, mostly?” Nolan asked.
“Ooh, tough one. Obviously, we get enough reptiles and amphibians to make it worthwhile having a whole shed for them. Lots of small mammals too, though. We try to prioritize care for endangered or vulnerable species, since that’s where we can do the most good. I’m not sure I’m answering this question right.”
“No, you’re fine,” Nolan said. “I guess it’s more complicated than just… numbers. Which ones do youlikethe most?”
“Squirrels,” Finn responded without needing to pause. “Which is probably a dumb answer. I just like ‘em. They’re cute. Not super high priority though.”
“So whatishigh priority?”
“Well, panthers, but we don’t get a lot of those in,” Finn said. “And we’re setting up to take on birds again. We also obviously get quite a few, uh, exotic pets.” He nodded to Buttercup, who was working on wrapping herself around Nolan’s arm. Gently, though.
“Some of them go to zoos or get released back into the wild. You wouldn’tbelievehow many people keep alligators.”
“I probably would,” Nolan said. “I feel like you hear about it on the news all the time.”
“Yeah, animal control brings in an ex-pet to us about once a quarter. People just don’t get that they grow up, for some reason.”
“I spotted a couple on the way here,” Nolan said. “Friends of yours?”
“Probably.” Finn smiled wryly. “This whole area is full of them, though. Theyusedto be an endangered species, but they’ve recovered over the last few decades. That’s one success story for people like us. Honestly, Florida isn’t too bad in terms of wildlife conservation. It’s why it’s nice to work here.”
“Right, you don’t sound like a local.”
“I’m from Iowa.” Finn’s wry smile turned into a broad grin. “Originally. Came down here for college and never left.”
“Fell in love with the state?” Nolan asked, moving his arm so Buttercup could investigate a nearby empty tank.
“Fell in love with a boy. Then felloutof love with the boy, but in love with the sanctuary and the work we do here. It’s a nice life, honestly. I wouldn’t change anything. Do you want me to take her?” he asked, nodding to Buttercup.
“She is getting alittleheavy,” Nolan admitted. “And I think she wants to leave.”
