2 Maid in the Shade Read Online Free Page A

weakness. If I have ever been tempted to break the rules and keep something that couldn’t be fully rehabilitated it would definitely be an owl.
    T his was a barn owl, and I could tell pretty quickly he could survive what appeared to be a brush with a power line. I would take him to Carolina Raptor Center at Latta Plantation Preserve where they have a sophisticated treatment center for birds of prey. They were the best, but if the bird couldn’t be released back into the wild, it would become a living lesson to Latta visitors.
    A habit I picked up from dealing with wildlife which could slither and scamper into clothing to evade capture, caused me to tuck in my already clingy shirt absently as I sized him up. Though unnecessary in this instance, every rehabber has some equivalent of putting a game face on. I scrutinized the bird carefully to try to gauge further injuries. Anita had already taken care of the most difficult part by getting him into her cage. I quickly decided it was unnecessary to transfer it to my own, which would only add to its shock and stress. When I walked back through the kitchen with it to speak to her, Jared was still conducting his interview.
    I hated to interrupt, but the owl needed treatment immediately for a damaged wing. I should have foregone the shower and makeup and gotten here more quickly. 
    “Will it be okay if I take the bird and leave now?” I asked, bending over toward Jared and whispering in his ear. He turned to look at me and was granted the full force of the statement Lucy's latest prank had caused me to make. Tucking in the stretch t-shirt had compounded its effect.
    H is mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. I raised my right hand up to my face, wriggling my fingers. “Hi Jared, up here, you seem to have some kind of an ailment yourself so I'm going to take your utter lack of a response as a “yes” and be on my way. I just thought you might need to note that I removed something. That’s fine right?”
    W ith my free hand I wagged his chin in the affirmative and went over to the corner where Lucy had two deputies spellbound with off-color jokes. I don't know how she does it, but Lucy could stroll through the biggest bash at the Playboy Mansion and leave with all the men trailing her .
    T he deputies turned their attention to me as I approached, undoubtedly noting the cage first since they were peering down at Lucy’s slight but adorable frame. Then they looked up a bit more and stopped about where you'd expect. I turned away quickly.
    “Leaving NOW Lucy,” I said firmly and headed toward the door, counting on her to come scampering after me.
    “You sure got some attention,” she cackled in triumph, twisting around in her seat toward me with her arms tight against her little body, her fists clenched in victory. She slouched down and pummeled the dashboard with her boots. “I would love to be a fly on the wall at Mae's now! There will be talk about you, Jared will be pissed and won’t be able to admit why.”
    “Hah, you are a fly.”
    She nodded, “Superfly.”
    “More of a fl y in the ointment,” I smiled, “But what did you hear in there?”
    The Carolina Raptor Center was an hour away so Lucy filled me in on the news she had gleaned on Mae's death from her posse of admirers. “She would make one hell of an interrogator,” I mused as she began.
    “ Evidently Mae was cooking, she had invited Anita over to lunch since Anita had to pick up the owl nearby and release something in Mae’s wetland. But Anita couldn't make it on time; she got a call for a hawk and said she would be late. Then Mae called back to ask Anita to take her to urgent care, she said she was really sick. Mae sounded out of her head, you know, delirious? Anita had no idea how bad it was, but she told her to dial 911 and sped over there. Mae was already dead. Anita said it looked as though she had been foaming at the mouth.”
    “Oh, boy,” I said “just what this town needs, another