Sacrifice of Buntings by Christine Goff Read Free Book Online Page B

shrugged. “I’ll concede some of the birds may be injured, but wait until you see most of them fly. Beau and Reggie claim they were all donated from wildlife centers like the Raptor House.”
    Rachel felt her attitude shift at the mention of the Elk Park wildlife rehabilitation center. Once owned by her aunt Miriam and now run by the National Park Service, the Raptor House occasionally used birds for educational purposes, but most were rehabilitated into the wild. She couldn’t imagine her aunt ever allowing them to be used in this type of display.
    “Not only that,” Dorothy said, “but the two of them are felons.”
    Cecilia, Lark, and Rachel turned to stare at her.
    “I’m not kidding. I heard they both served time for trafficking wild birds. Parrots, to be exact.”
    “Oh my,” Cecilia said. “Are you suggesting they have obtained these birds in a questionable manner?”
    Lark scoffed at the whole idea. “Come on, Dorothy. If they were felons, how would they get a license to put on this type of show?”
    “That’s a good question. Don’t ask me. I’m just the messenger.”
    “Well, if they are felons,” Cecilia said, “I think it’s admirable they’re now devoting their lives to educating people about the beauty of raptors.”
    Dorothy sniffed louder. “It’s not like they’re hurting for money.”
    Rachel didn’t know what to think. She would have liked to see the show, but a plastic clock attached to the tree stump beneath the bald eagle indicated the next show wasn’t scheduled to start for over an hour.
    “We can come back,” Lark said.
    The women sauntered on, and for every stranger they encountered, they met someone who knew either Dorothy, Lark, or Cecilia. Finally Rachel, her face muscles aching from smiling through all of the introductions, looked for a place to sit down.
    “What do you say we perch over there for a few minutes?” She pointed toward the lunch area. The service counter was shuttered, but a long buffet table stacked with hors d’oeuvres cut a swath through a number of tables.
    “Sure, why not?” Lark agreed.
    Dorothy gripped Rachel’s arm in a viselike hold. “Wait! There’s Guy.”
    Rachel’s eyes flickered over the linen-draped tables, the metal chafing dishes, and the crowded groupings of diners until her eyes flitted over Saxby. He was seated at a table near the back with Paul Becker, Evan Kearns, Dwayne Carter, Patricia Anderson, the brunette from the parking lot, and four people Rachel couldn’t identify.
    Lark flipped back her braid. “For what it’s worth, it looks like his table is full.”
    “Maybe, but there are open seats at the one beside it,” Cecilia said, prying Rachel’s arm loose of her sister’s fingers. “Dorothy and I will go save them. Why don’t you two go and get us some snacks?”
    Before either of them could respond, Cecilia dragged Dorothy away. Lark rolled her eyes. Rachel reached for a dish.
    “I feel like I’m back in high school,” Lark said, scooping some spicy chicken wings onto her plate.
    Rachel heaped hers with crab cakes. “I think it’s kind of cute.”
    “That’s because it gives you a way to help Kirk get his story.”
    Rachel stopped mid-pinch on a tongful of pickled shrimp. Was Lark angry with her because Dorothy had a crush on Saxby?
    “What are you saying? It’s not like I’ve done anything to encourage her.” And so what if she had? Rachel dropped the pickled shrimp on her plate. “Why are you so against Dorothy liking him, anyway?”
    “She’s a sixty-five-year-old spinster. He’s a fifty-something-year-old ladies’ man.” Lark stabbed some cocktail meatballs onto a toothpick and then repeated the process. “I just don’t want to see her get hurt, that’s all.”
    “She’s a big girl, Lark. Maybe she’s just interested in having some fun.” Rachel moved onto the tricolored tortellini skewers, her mouth watering at the savory smells of the buffet—Cajun spices mingled with oregano