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She sounded so wistful that he didn’t have the heart to say no.
“Tell me which way to go.”
“Surely you have something to do tonight. A date?”
“Why, Phoebe, are you fishing to find out about my love life?”
She rewarded him with a blush. “No.”
“I have no plans. I’d like to see these tuxedo-wearing birds.”
“Then you need to turn around and head the other direction.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER FIVE
PHOEBE HADN’T BEEN to Phillip Island in years. She still had the picture her father had taken of her standing next to the penguin mascot. The area had changed. The building had been expanded and more parking added.
Ryan found a space and pulled into it. “I’m glad we ate when we did. I haven’t seen any place to do so in miles.”
“I was hungry, too.”
Inside the welcome center they were directed outside. In another hour it would be dark. They followed the paved path that zigged and zagged down toward the beach. Other people mingled along the way.
“What’s that noise?” Ryan asked.
“That’s the baby chicks.”
He looked around. “Where are they?”
Phoebe placed a hand on his arm. She pointed with the other at a hole in the grass embankment. “They’re in there. Watch for a second and you’ll catch a glimpse of them.”
A grin came to Ryan’s lips. “I see one.”
“The penguin’s mother and father leave the nest in the morning and spend all day hunting food. They return each night to feed the young and do it all over again the next day. Fifty kilometers or farther.”
“Every day?” Ryan asked in an incredulous tone.
“Yes. The ocean is overfished so they have to go farther and farther. It’s pretty amazing what parents will do for their children.”
Ryan looked at her. “Are you scared?”
“Some. At first I was shocked, frightened, mad, then protective. It has been better here lately.” She left off because of you.
“So it takes both parents to find enough food?”
“They are partners for life.”
Ryan looked off toward the ocean and didn’t say anything.
Had she made him nervous? Made it sound like she expected something from him? “I think I’m most scared that I won’t be enough for the baby. That I can’t be both mother and father.”
“I think you’ll do just fine. Your baby will grow up happy and loved. Let’s head on down.”
Phoebe didn’t immediately move. Did he think she expected him to offer to help? That she thought he’d be around when the baby came? Would take Joshua’s place? She wouldn’t force commitment on any man. She was looking for someone who wanted to spend time with her. Who would put her first, over everything. Someone that would willingly be there for her and her baby.
She started walking but at a slower pace.
They walked in silence around a couple of turns before Ryan said, “Whew, the smell is something.”
“There are thousands of small chicks living in this bank.”
“Really?” Ryan leaned over the rail and peered down. “I don’t see them.”
“Most are asleep right now. When they wake up you can see their heads stick out. There is one small nest after another.”
“Everywhere.”
Phoebe chuckled. It was fun to be around when Ryan experienced something new. He seemed to get such enjoyment and wonderment from it. It made her see it the same way. “Yes, they are everywhere.”
“If you had told me about this I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“You haven’t seen the best yet. Come on, let’s get a good seat.”
“Seat for what?”
“To watch mum and dad come home.” She took his hand and pulled him along the walk.
When she tried to let his hand go he hung on tighter. She relaxed and reveled in the feeling of having someone close. Ryan seemed to like having contact with her.
“What do you mean?”
“We have to go down to the beach. There are grandstands.”
“Like bleachers?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
As they continued on Ryan pulled her to a halt every once in a while to peer into the bank. “I can’t believe all these little birds here.”
She just smiled. They finally made it down to the sand. She was glad to have Ryan’s help as she crossed it and they found a seat on an aluminum bench.
Ryan looked around. “This many people will be here?”
“Yes, the three sets of bleachers will be full and there will be people standing along the rails.”
“I wonder why I’ve never heard about this.”
“I don’t know but I do think it’s the best-kept secret about Australia.”
The bleachers filled as the sun began to set. Minutes later the crowd around them quieted.
“Look,” Phoebe whispered and pointed out toward the water. “Here they come.”
Emerging from the surf was a small penguin, and behind it another until there was a group of ten to twelve. They hurried up the beach and into the grassy areas.
A loud chirping rose as their chicks realized dinner had arrived. Soon after the first group, another one came out of the water. Then another. Occasionally the group would be as many as twenty.
Ryan leaned close. There was a smell to him that was all Ryan with a hint of the sea. Phoebe liked the combination.
“Why do they come out in groups?”
“For protection from predators. If they all come at once, then they all could be killed. They come out in groups and in waves. That way there will be someone left to take care of the chicks if something happens to them.”
Who would take care of her child if something happened to her? She wasn’t going to think about that. Glancing at Ryan, she saw that he was looking out at the water. Was he thinking about what she’d said?
As they watched the penguins, the sun went down and floodlights came on. Phoebe shivered as a breeze came off the water. Ryan put an arm around her and pulled her in close. She didn’t resist his warmth. Instead, she snuggled into his side.
As they watched, a cluster came out of the water and quickly returned.
“See, that group was frightened by something. Watch for a minute and they will try it again.”
Out of the water they came. Ryan gave her a little squeeze.
“You know, I expected the penguins to have black coats but they are really a dark navy.”
“That was my biggest surprise the first time I saw them. Aren’t they cute?”
“I have to admit they are.”
They watched for the next hour. As they did so the penguins continued to come out in waves and the noise from the nests rose to almost a point to where Ryan and Phoebe couldn’t hear each other.
Finally they sat there for another ten minutes and no more birds arrived. The crowd started moving toward the walkway.
“Is that it?” Ryan sounded disappointed.
“That’s it for tonight.”
“Amazing.”
When they passed a park ranger, Ryan asked, “How many penguins are there?”
“Two thousand two hundred and fifty-one tonight.”
“How do you know that?”
“We count them. There are rangers stationed in sections along the beach.”
Ryan’s arm supported her as they climbed the hill on the way back to the welcome center. He didn’t remove it as they walked to the truck.
As they left the car park he said, “Thanks for bringing me. I’ll be doing this again.”
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
“I did. I bet you are beat.” He grinned. “You didn’t even fall asleep on me today.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“I’m just teasing you.”
They talked about their day for a few minutes. It was the best one she’d had in a
long time. Even before Joshua had died. Ryan had proved he could be fun and willing to try new things. She had more than enjoyed his company. Unfortunately, she feared she might crave it. Her eyelids became heavy and a strong arm pulled her against a firm cushion.
Ryan hated to wake Phoebe but they were in front of her house. He had given thought to just sitting in the truck and holding her all night.
Visiting the penguins had been wonderful. He’d especially enjoyed the look on Phoebe’s face when the first bird had waddled out of the water. It was pure pleasure. He’d like the chance to put a look on her face like that.
That was a place he shouldn’t go. He’d been more than uncomfortable when the discussion had turned to how parents protected their young. He couldn’t be that person in Phoebe’s life and the baby’s. That devotion those tiny birds had to their young wasn’t in him. He couldn’t let Phoebe start believing that it was. He wouldn’t be around for the long haul. That required a level of emotion that he wasn’t willing to give.
Still, she felt right in his arms. Too right.
He pushed those thoughts away and settled for practicality and what was best for Phoebe. She would be sore from sleeping in the truck and he would ache for other reasons. He smirked. Plus he was liable to end up in jail when her neighbor called the police.
“Phoebe.” He shook her gently. “Phoebe. We’re home.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Mmm …?”
