“I’m just glad we moved Mama Doll’s craft supplies out of here,” Vic said, as they washed bird poop off the walls and hard surfaces. “I’d have a helluva time getting bird shit off all of her beads.”
“I’m so sorry, y’all. I should’ve told you more about Jake. From the beginning of my association with him, I tried to figure out a way for him to wear diapers.”
“That diet he’s on,” Aunt Ed said. “Maybe you could come up with something that’s a little more binding.”
Sandi broke into laughter. “Oh, Aunt Ed, you’re so funny.
“Yeah, I’m a real card. Some of my funniest moments are when I’m up to my elbows in shit.”
Leaving Jake in Vic’s care, Sandi and her aunt moved to the beauty salon to clean Jake’s sanctuary.
After they had situated Pablo and Adolph in the storeroom, Aunt Ed grabbed Sandi’s elbow and dragged her into the salon. “Look what Vic built for Jake.”
Her aunt had told her on the phone about Jake’s digs at the beauty salon, but in her wildest imagination, Sandi never would have pictured what stood in one corner of the salon. Made of wood, extending from floor to ceiling, filled with both artificial and growing plants and even a small fountain that looked like a waterfall, it appeared to be a tiny jungle retreat. The only thing missing was Jake. “Oh, my God. Vic built that?”
“He sure did,” Debbie Sue said. “Isn’t it great? It even has climate control.”
“A lot of it’s plastic,” Aunt Ed added. “We can take it outside and hose it off.”
Sandi tried to wrap her mind around maintaining climate control in a corner of a large rock building and dismantling the cage and its contents to take it outside. “What a lot of work. Vic must like Jake then.”
“Hon, I told you he did. I’ve never seen my honey get so attached to anything so fast. Even Gus likes that silly bird. You should see them. Vic puts Jake on the floor and Gus peeks around the corner of the doorway. Jake scratches the floor at him, then Gus humps up and dances in a circle. They do that over and over and Vic laughs like a crazy man. It’s a hoot.”
Able to picture the scene, Sandi laughed. She was so glad Vic and her aunt had learned to live with Jake and love him.
All the way back to Midland from Salt Lick, she thought about her visit with her aunt and Vic Martin. She should spend more time with them. Both of them were fun, unconventional and fearless. Nothing like her parents. They paid little attention to what other people thought. They were an inspiration. Fun was in short supply in Samdi’s life and lately, she seemed to fear everything—love, marriage, life itself. The weekend at her aunt’s house had been uplifting.
Jake had indeed found a good home. The mini-jungle Vic had built him in the corner of the beauty salon was awe-inspiring. Vic had researched African Grey parrots—their native habitat, what they ate, what scientific studies had revealed about them. Aunt Ed had said he was the best gift she had ever given her husband and she thanked Sandi for bringing the parrot into their lives.
Jake apparently loved his new environment as well as his new owners. He sent Aunt Ed into giggles by wolf-whistling at her. When Vic was at home, Jake rode on his shoulder everywhere. Vic’s attempts to teach him not to say “fuck” resulted in squawking arguments and roaring laughter.
Jake even sat on Vic’s shoulder while he barbecued chicken on the grill and Vic told him those chicken parts could be him if he didn’t behave. What was hard to believe was that the parrot seemed to know Vic was kidding. Every time Vic said that, Jake flapped his wings and squawked, “I can say fuck if I want to.”
Debbie Sue had taught him to play peek-a-boo, with him hiding out among the plants in his Styling Station aviary, Debbie Sue calling to him and Jake popping out from behind the foliage.
With the beauty shop’s customers, he had an audience, which he probably loved since he had spent his life performing for his fans in a bar. Hopefully, those women in the beauty shop would be teaching him a more socially acceptable vocabulary and would not be feeding him beer and pizza.
Sandi’s biggest challenge now was dealing with Waffle’s former owner, which presented a quandary. Her better angel told her that indeed Waffle was really Buster. Should she just give him back to Nick? She loved Waffle so much, would miss him so much. And he was so much better off with her than he would be working as a cowdog for a cowboy.
Should she discuss what had happened with Richard? He must know what was legal when it came to lost and found animals. Of course, Richard’s solution would be to just give Waffle to Nick and be done with it. One less aggravation with animals. No, she didn’t want Richard’s opinion.
Maybe she should call Juanita and question her. What to do, what to do.
Chapter 12
Monday morning, 8:00 a.m. If Nick were in Salt Lick, he would be on the job, doing the work he had been hired to do. Instead, he was still in Midland. He had made a decision. The woman holding Buster had no intention of letting him go. Getting him back required stronger measures.
He called the Flying C and told Harley he was delayed in Midland, but would be back to the ranch as soon as possible. Harley didn’t complain. The cattle sale had gone better than it had in years, thanks to Nick’s organizing skills.
Nick’s old high school friend, Jason Webster, was now a Midland County deputy sheriff. Jason and his wife and Nick and his
