AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She wore a pale pink linen summer dress and had woven her long brown hair into a French braid. A glance in the mirror revealed that she looked her best.
Mai-Ling met her and smiled knowingly. “You and Tate are seeing each other today?”
“We’re going to the zoo.”
“The animal place, right?”
“Right.”
Abby’s attention drifted while Mai-Ling did her lesson. The woman’s ability was increasing with each meeting. Judging by the homework Mai-Ling brought for Abby to examine, the young woman wouldn’t be needing her much longer.
They’d finished their lesson and were laughing when Abby looked up and saw Tate strolling across the lawn toward her.
Again she was struck by the sight of this ruggedly appealing male. He was dressed in jeans, a tight-fitting T-shirt, and cowboy boots.
His rich brown eyes seemed to burn into hers. “Hello, Abby.” He greeted Mai-Ling, but his eyes left Abby’s for only a second.
“I’ll catch my bus,” said Mai-Ling, excusing herself, but Abby barely noticed.
“You’re looking gorgeous today,” Tate commented, taking her hand in his.
A tingling sensation shot up her arm at his touch. Her nerves felt taut just from standing beside him. Abby couldn’t help wondering what kissing Tate would be like. Probably the closest thing to heaven this side of earth.
“You seem deep in thought.”
Abby smiled up at him. “Sorry. I guess I was.”
They chatted easily as Tate drove toward Apple Valley. Abby learned that he’d been a volunteer for three years, working at the zoo as many as two days a week.
“What animals do you care for?”
Tate answered her without taking his eyes off the road. “Most recently I’ve been working with a llama for the Family Farm, but I also do a lot of work with birds. In fact, I’ve been asked to assist in the bird show.”
“Will you?” Abby remembered seeing Tate that first day with the ducks…
“Yes.”
“What other kinds of things do you do?”
Tate’s returning smile was quick. “Nothing that glamorous. I help at feeding time and I clean the cages. Sometimes I groom and exercise the animals.”
“What are you doing with the llama?”
“Mostly I’ve been working to familiarize him with people. We’d like Larry to join his brother in giving children rides.”
Tate parked the car and came around to her side to open the passenger door. He kept her hand tucked in his as he led the way to the entrance.
“You love it here, don’t you?” Abby asked as they cleared the gates.
“I do. The zoo gives us a rare opportunity to discover nature and our relationship to other living things. We have a responsibility to protect animals, as well as their habitats. Zoos, good zoos like this, are part of that.” A glint of laughter flashed in his eyes as he turned toward her. “I didn’t know I could be so profound.”
Someone called out to Tate, and Abby watched him respond with a brief wave.
“Where would you like to start?”
The zoo was divided into five regions, and Abby chose Tropics Trail, an indoor oasis of plants and animals from Asia.
As they walked, Tate explained what they were seeing, regaling her with fascinating bits of information. She’d been to the zoo before, but she’d never had such a knowledgeable guide.
