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“What exactly is a treetop observation station?” she asked as they climbed. The second trick she’d discovered was to keep her mind off the scary tasks while in the middle of doing them. It helped her to not rethink decisions she should probably be rethinking.
“It’s mainly used for things like research and park management. There were several of them built across the state as a joint effort between the parks department, a few universities, and some wildlife conservation organizations.”
“And let me guess, you know the guy who’s in charge of it?”
Grant chuckled below her. “I do know most of the rangers around here, but my access to this is based on my own work. I’ve been involved in a few different research projects that used it.”
Molly got to the top and stepped off the metal rungs to the more stable platform, breathing a sigh of relief. She scooted to the side and waited for Grant to reach the top.
When he got to the platform, he put his fists on his hips like an explorer who’d summitted a new peak, and drew in a deep breath. A look that Molly could only describe as the overwhelming peace of finally coming home washed over him. Molly switched her focus from the magnificent man in front of her to the magnificent view around them. The climb was definitely worth it. This view was nothing short of breathtaking.
“Welcome to Treetop Research Outpost Number Three.” He breathed the words with an air of reverence.
Molly couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her. “Research Outpost Number Three? That’s the best you could come up with for a place as great as this?”
Grant dropped his hands to his side with a little shrug, his own amused grin pulling on his lips. “Right? We researchers tend to not be the most original.” He strolled around the outside of the platform to the other side of the hut, his hand casually sliding along the railing. “Maybe we needed to contact the English department to help us come up with a better name to capture her beauty. Or those marketing kids.”
Molly hugged as close to the hut as possible and followed, forcing herself to take in the view. “Beauty” didn’t seem like a big enough word to describe this. They weren’t quite as high as the lighthouse, or even her condo, but the perspective was different. Those were on the beach, offering an unobstructed view of the ocean, which was impressive. But the outpost was roughly the same height as the trees that surrounded it. It seemed to blend into nature to offer a bird’s eye view of the ocean, the beach, and the natural protected land that led up to it. And especially at this sunset hour, it was nothing short of dazzling.
“They might’ve tried,” she said, fully immersed in the scene. “But I don’t think there are words that can do it justice.”
“I agree.” Grant came to a stop on the side that faced out to the ocean. “Being a fellow animal lover, I thought you might appreciate this place. There’s no better seat for watching wildlife in its native habitat than right here.”
He sank down on the platform and let his legs dangle off the side. Molly took a seat next to him. But instead of letting her legs dangle over the side, she opted to pull her knees into her chest. While she’d made a lot of growth this summer, she still had limits.
A broad, mighty hawk, much bigger than what she was expecting, swooped by, catching her off guard. His beauty was majestic and powerful, and she watched him dive and soar to the symphony of song birds.
“It’s beautiful.” A pair of squirrels at eye level played on the branch of a nearby tree, and the clouds lazily drifted by overhead. “How many more of these amazing spots do you have up your sleeve?”
Grant gave her a mysterious grin. “I’m a man of all kinds of surprises.”
Didn’t Molly know. That was the main reason for the current predicament she was in.
“Actually…” He popped up and took the two broad steps required to get to the hut. He punched a number in the keypad on the door and disappeared inside. A few seconds later, he returned, holding two sets of high-powered binoculars. He handed one to Molly. “For your viewing pleasure. But I recommend you put the strap around your neck. I happen to know from a very unfortunate experience that they do not fare well if dropped from this height.”
Molly was already slipping the strap over her head. “You dropped one of these?”
Grant held his set up to his eyes and pointed them toward the ocean. “Not me, a buddy I was up here with. And if we’re to be technical about it, the fault really lay with a certain squirrel who’d been nicknamed Mr. Naughty Pants.”
Molly giggled, looking through her own binoculars. “Who said researchers couldn’t be original?”
“Trust me, the title was spot on. That squirrel caused all kinds of problems.”
“Everyone’s always blaming the squirrels,” Molly joked.
“Don’t feel too sorry for the little guy. He has a pretty great life. But he had the skills of Houdini. It didn’t matter how many ways we tried to keep him out of the hut—for his own safety, I might add—he could always find a way in.”
“What happened to him?”
“Not sure. I haven’t seen him in a while.” Grant shrugged, his binoculars still pressed to his eyes and gaze focused over the trees. “He’s probably out there in the forest, living his best life. Maybe tormenting the lifeguard stand for a change of pace.”
Molly chuckled.
“Pod of dolphins at one o’clock,” Grant reported.
She swung her binoculars to what she thought would be one o’clock and searched the water. “Ahh, there you are.”
She focused on the group of three—or was it four?—dolphins swimming parallel to the shore in a westward direction, as though they were chasing the sunset. One jumped, making a perfect arc through the sky before reentering the water. Then another one followed suit as if proving he could do it better.
