Izzy swiveled to face Jake. “Which will come first, the visitor center or the enclosures for the birds?”
“I’ll get the enclosures finished before the center. Ideally we won’t have anybody bringing us birds right away, though. Construction noise could be an issue. Zane had birds long before he and Mandy decided to build a visitor center, so he draped the enclosures with burlap. He said that helped.”
“Do you have a vet lined up?” CJ guided his truck carefully over the new road. Yesterday’s rain had added some ruts.
“Evan gave me a name.” He glanced at Izzy. “Evan’s our equine vet. He knows someone who might be interested. We’ve been playing phone tag so I haven’t talked to her, yet.”
“Lining up the right people for a new project is like putting together a puzzle,” Izzy said. “At least it was for me with the coffee shop.”
“I can see that. Although I’ve never done anything remotely like this before. I had to put a day planner app on my phone.”
“It can be intimidating, but each step brings you closer to your vision for it. Just imagine how it’ll grow in the next year, five years, ten, twenty….”
“Excellent point. I never used to think that way. Just lived day-to-day. Being with Millie’s changed that.”
“Being with Millie has changed a lot of things for you, bro.” The road ended and CJ pulled into the clearing designated for the raptor center.
“Yeah, it has. But visualizing a future, specifically with her, was the game-changer.”
“Wait until you have a baby coming, Jake.” CJ pulled to a stop and turned off the engine. “Talk about a way to focus on the future.”
“I look forward to having bambinos. Hey, guess what, you guys? Your kid will be approximately the same age as this raptor sanctuary.”
“That’ll make it easy to remember when the center was founded. Just don’t expect Izzy and me to name this baby Hawk or Owl.” He opened his door and started to climb down.
“Speak for yourself.” Izzy opened her door, too. “Hawk would be a cool name for a boy.”
“Yeah, but…” CJ caught himself before he mentioned Izzy’s hunch about having a girl. “I suppose Hawk would be okay. Owl, not so much.” He got out and hurried around to Izzy’s side.
She was already down and had pulled back the seat to give Jake room to climb out.
Turning, Jake hauled out the cooler. “Are we sitting on the tailgate?”
“Guess so.” CJ ushered Izzy around to the back of the truck and lowered the tailgate with a clang. “I forgot to bring chummy stumps.”
“No worries.” Hoisting the cooler into the truck bed, Jake swung up next to it and unlatched the lid. “It would be good to have a few out here for future use, though.”
Izzy’s eyebrows lifted. “What are chummy stumps?”
“Makeshift stools.” Jake unfolded a red and white checked tablecloth. “When we need to take down a big pine, we saw the trunk into pieces we can use as outdoor stools. Henri asked us to do it and that’s what she calls them.”
“That’s very cute. Very ranch-like, too.” She gripped the side of the truck and started to put her foot on the bumper.
“Want a boost?”
Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a smile, lowered her foot and turned toward him. “Sure.”
Maybe she wanted him to touch her as much as he wanted to. That would be nice. Grasping her around the waist, he lifted her up and settled her on the tailgate.
“Thanks.”
He held her gaze. “Anytime.” Anywhere. I’m yours for the taking.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Anytime. Sounded like a promise. Whenever Isabel needed CJ, he’d be there for her. What woman wouldn’t cherish such devotion?
Perched on the tailgate of a pickup between two gorgeous cowboys on a sunny day in June didn’t suck, either. She hadn’t solved any of her problems. On the contrary, she’d created a bigger one.
But at this very moment she was in a happy place, munching sandwiches Jake and CJ had made and discussing the raptors who would eventually benefit from the sanctuary.
Jake sat a respectful distance away from her, but CJ had moved in close, his thigh resting against hers and his shoulder and arm brushing hers when he moved. Cozy. Every so often he caught her gaze and smiled.
Evidently he was in a happy place, too. She wanted that for him, always. If only he could find that happy place with her in Seattle. She wanted it to be possible and yet she couldn’t see it working. He belonged here.
During the discussion about raptors, she contributed what she’d learned from the countless hours she and Naomi had watched the eagle cam. Jake was the expert in the group, though. He’d been researching ever since January, when Zane had proposed creating an arm of Raptors Rise on the Buckskin.
“Thanks to Zane, I’m getting a crash course in birds of prey,” Jake said. “I was never much of a student in school, but I’m devouring the books and videos he recommended.”
She put down her sandwich and picked up her cider. “Looks like you found your calling.”
“Another one, anyway. I still love ranch work and cooking, but these birds are fascinating.” He gestured toward her empty plate. “How about another sandwich? We made plenty.”
“Thanks, but I’ll stop with two, which is twice as much as I used to eat. Great sandwiches, guys. Juicy tomatoes and sliced avocado just make it for me.”
“CJ’s a genius with a knife. Nobody slices a ripe heirloom or a buttery avocado like he does. Takes a deft touch to do it right.”
She turned and gave him a once-over. “It’s a valuable talent you have there, cowboy.”
He winked. “Yes, ma’am.”
Just like that, she was ready to haul him off into the bushes.
“Speaking of food,” CJ cupped her knee in his large hand. “Jake’s making chuck wagon stew tomorrow night at the
