The Defender. Lindsay McKenna

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СКАЧАТЬ happy about it too.”

      The waitress delivered the food and Iris eagerly dug into her breakfast. Between bites, she asked, “So you’re going from being an officer in the Marine Corps to turning your talents to ranching? Your dad is very respected around here. I hired him a year ago to come in with his dozer and grader to smooth off a piece of land for me. I wanted Katie Bergstrom’s facility built on our ranch. She was struggling something awful. Raptor rehabilitators don’t get reimbursed for all the money, time and care they put into saving birds. I saw her give a talk to an assisted-living center a year ago. I was so impressed with Katie and her love of the raptors. She enthralled everyone in the room with her passion for them.”

      Joe’s heart leaped as Iris brought up the woman who kept haunting his thoughts, his suspect. “My father told me you not only donated the land but you had a facility built for her raptors?”

      “Yep, I sure did.” Iris twisted the lid off a jar of blueberry jam and slathered it thickly across whole-wheat toast. “I’m always on the lookout for a good business move to enhance Elk Horn’s reputation as a dude ranch. I saw Katie’s talk and was absolutely taken with her passion, her sincerity and love of her raptors. As you know, I pioneered environmental and green ways of living in this valley.”

      “Yes,” Joe said, “you were the first to go green, Miss Iris. And actually, because of your decision, my father was able to launch his landscaping business.” His voice lowered with feeling. “We owe you a lot. I hope you always know we’re grateful to you.”

      Smiling, Iris sipped her coffee. “I can remember many of the ranchers were up in arms when Trevor and I decided to go green. Now—” Iris looked around the busy café “—there isn’t a rancher around here who hasn’t switched.”

      “You’re an inspiration, Miss Iris. You always have been.”

      “When Trevor was alive, he turned our manure into compost. He built it into a successful business. To this day, we compost all our cow and buffalo manure and sell it to landscaping businesses in four surrounding states. Your dad was one of the first to come and buy from us. Connor always saw our vision for an environmentally friendly valley even when others didn’t.”

      “I recall it all happening when I was growing up,” Joe said. He finished off his breakfast and pushed the plate aside. “My father said there was a condominium boom when I left for college. His landscaping business won a number of bids and he brought environmental ways to work with the land and not against it.”

      “Connor was one of a handful of businessmen in the valley who sided with us,” Iris said. She reached out and patted Joe’s hand. “It’s so good to know you’re home! Have you recovered fully from your head injury?”

      “For the most part,” Joe said. “I get headaches about once a month or when I’m under stress, and when I do, it’s like a migraine. All I can do is go to my dark room, close the door, keep quiet and let it pass.”

      Frowning, Iris blotted her lips with a paper napkin. “I’ve had a few headaches in my life. And I’ve hated every one of ’em. I can’t even begin to understand how you tolerate such pain.”

      “They pass,” Joe said, seeing the concern in the elder’s features. “The doctors say it’s just one of the symptoms of my brain healing from the trauma.” He watched Iris put her empty plate aside. “Hey, what can you tell me about Katie Bergstrom’s ad in the newspaper? Before you walked in I was reading that she’s looking for a full-time employee.”

      “Yes, since she has a much larger facility out at our ranch, she needs full-time help. Katie has a number of volunteers, but, you know, people are so busy nowadays. And Katie has a full schedule of speaking engagements around the county. She just can’t do it all alone anymore.” Iris tapped the ad with her index finger. “I told her to put in the ad. I’m bankrolling her because what she’s doing is good for the environment, Joe. Plus, our dude ranch guests enjoy a raptor show once a week. Katie brings out her raptors, educates the folks and then flies some of them. Our guests take photos of the raptors and are thrilled to death. Katie needs a full-time assistant. She just can’t handle the business by herself.”

      “I see,” Joe said, considering the knowledge. He saw the glow in Iris’s eyes as she talked enthusiastically about Katie. Did Iris realize her protégé might be affiliated with Los Lobos? Inwardly, Joe hurt for the elder. Iris was unusually good at evaluating people, yet drug and gun dealers were chameleons. Every so often, a local person might be dealing and other locals would never suspect. It would come as a surprise when the person was indicted on drug charges.

      “Our ranch guests are in love with Katie!” Iris rubbed her hands. “I felt paying Katie a yearly sum, plus footing all the expenses she incurred because of her raptors, was a fine business decision. Since Katie has been there, the Elk Horn Ranch has gotten national press attention. We had reporters from all the major news networks come out, and they did a story on her when Sam, the golden eagle, was transferred to her care. On the internet we’ve created a weekly blog on Katie and her raptors. Every week we highlight one of the birds, talk about its past and how it got injured. We tell folks how Katie and one of her vets brought the bird back from death. When she’s able to release a bird, I get Kam, my granddaughter, to go along and videotape the release, then, we put it in the blog. People from around the world just love being a part of Katie’s raptor world!”

      Swept up by Iris’s excitement, Joe decided to address the ad. “Iris, I know you probably didn’t know this, but I’m working toward a falconer’s license.” He saw her surprised expression.

      “Really? Why? I mean, my goodness, I didn’t know that! Tell me more, Joe.”

      “While I was recuperating at Bethesda Medical Center, my doctor suggested I work with Eddie Barton, a well-known falconer, who also has an eagle license, in the Washington, D.C., area. He said working with the birds would help me not only physically but also emotionally. I’d always loved the hawks and eagles here in the valley, so I gave it a try. I spent my recovery going over to Eddie’s place and helping him for six months. Eventually, I applied for my falconer’s license. It takes two years to get one and I need to find a mentor around here like Katie, who can continue to teach me so I can apply for it.”

      “My goodness! Why, Joe, I’m just speechless. Are you thinking of applying for the position to help my Katie?”

      He could see Iris had a deep emotional attachment to Katie. It broke Joe’s heart to lie to this woman who had always been such a positive person and had helped so many people over the length of her life, but swallowing hard, he said, “Yes, I was thinking of calling her up and asking for an appointment. I was hoping she would agree to continue to train me while I help her.”

      “But what about your dad? You said he was training you to take over his ranching and landscaping business? Could you do both?”

      “Not to worry, Miss Iris. My dad is going to retire in ten years. What I’d like to do, if Katie will hire me, is work with my dad on weekends and slowly learn the businesses. I figure in ten years I’ll know enough to take over when he retires.”

      “And how old are you now?”

      “Twenty-seven, Miss Iris.”

      “Oh,” she crowed with a laugh, “you’re just a baby in comparison to me!”

      Laughing with her, Joe felt like a traitor. “That’s true. Well, if you think it’s a good idea, I’ll call Katie.”

      “Absolutely,” СКАЧАТЬ