Legal Seagull

Chapter Four

While waiting for Charles to join me in Dewdrop Springs, I texted Nan to let her know I’d be even later coming home than I’d originally suspected. Normally I would have called her for a quick chat since she was a notoriously bad texter, but Alpha’s declaration of war sent his entire flock into a cawing pandemonium. I could barely hear myself think, let alone speak. Yeah, even though I was still only in my late twenties, I would probably need a hearing aid after this one. Hopefully, Charles could help them with whatever they needed quickly, and we could all go about our separate lives again.

As scattered street lamps began to pop on and neon store signs lit to illuminate the growing darkness, I became very aware that I was standing alone and exposed in a crime-ridden commercial district with only a strange flock of seagulls to protect me.

When his sedan pulled into the strip mall parking lot, I jogged over to greet him. I did that a lot these days—jogged when I could just as easily have walked. I had Nan and our new morning exercise routine to thank for that one. I loved that I now felt strong and quick, secure in my body… Well, almost. Still couldn’t outrun my grandmother, though.

Charles parked and swung the door open, making a hasty exit. As soon as he was standing on solid pavement, I threw myself into his arms. Yes, it was definitely overdramatic, but tomorrow I’d be leaving on a lengthy cross-country trip and I was really going to miss him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling back to study my face.

I wiped at a tear I hadn’t realized I’d shed. Definitely overdramatic. “I’m fine. It’s just that—”

Before I could finish, the flock came rushing over with quickly flapping wings and ear-piercing cries.

“Is this the guy? Is this our lawyer?” Alpha demanded as he circled low.

Charles threw one hand over his head protectively and used the other to hold me close to his chest. He didn’t say anything, but I could feel his heart thumping wildly beneath my cheek, his breaths coming out fast and short against my hair.

Bravo laughed as he at last landed on the hood of Charles’s car. “The Hitchcock maneuver, haha. Gets them every time.”

Okay, that was it!

I wriggled my way out of Charles’s protective grasp and turned to face the flock, wagging a finger at Bravo since he was closest. “If you want our help, there will be no more of this Hitchcock nonsense. You got it?”

“They’re just messing with us?” Charles’s voice came out choked. “For fun?”

I continued to glare at the birds as I nodded. “They threatened me, too. Said they’d send their woodpecker friends in to mess up my house if I refused to cooperate with whatever plan they have for us.”

“I don’t like this.” Charles glanced from me to the birds and back again. It was always awkward for him, taking part in these conversations with animals when he could only hear my side of things, but he still gave it his best. “I’m not sure we should help them if this is how they’re going to behave.”

Ahh, Charles. He’d make a great father one day. He already had the tough love thing down pat.

“What?” Alpha squawked. “But you said he’d be our lawyer. He can’t just say no. You already promised.”

I sighed to buy myself some time, then finally responded with, “Yes, we’ll help you as long as you promise to be civil from here on out.”

Alpha raised both wings overhead and bowed. “Bird’s honor.” I wasn’t sure how much I could trust his—or any other bird’s—honor, but I hoped for the best.

“Angie,” Charles said between gritted teeth, apparently far less appeased by Alpha’s promise. “Can I speak to you in the car for a moment?”

“Be right back,” I told the flock as I settled into his passenger seat. He’d turned on the seat heater for me on his way over, knowing I’d appreciate having it toasty warm when I got in.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, Charles spoke in a hasty whisper. His eyes reflected concern, worry—not anger or irritation. “Don’t you have to leave early tomorrow morning on your road trip? Why are you taking this on now?”

He was right, of course. The timing was dreadful, but what could I do? “I didn’t have much of a choice,” I answered in a small voice even though I’d hoped it would come out confident to allay his doubts.

“There’s always a choice. Whatever squabble these seagulls have they can solve themselves. You need to be well-rested so that you can focus on your trip and driving safely. Nothing they need could be more important than that.”

I loved that Charles always had my best interests at heart, no matter how inconvenient they were for him. Unfortunately he didn’t have the whole story yet. I didn’t either, and of course it was fully possible Bravo had lied to get me here.

Still, I had a chance—maybe a small one, maybe a big one—to finally fill the fissure in my heart that had opened wide when Pringle revealed our family’s hidden past. A part of me was missing, and these birds potentially knew how to find her. I needed to take the chance, not just for me but also my mother. She’d never known her true biological parents, and she deserved to meet the one that was still alive, to find out why she’d been shucked off under a strange veil of secrecy in the first place.

I swallowed hard, then finally raised my eyes to meet his. “They said they know where my grandmother is,” I revealed, then let out a slow, shaky breath.

He cocked his head to the side, clearly confused by this proclamation of mine. “Yeah, she’s back home preparing for the trip. Probably baking her fourth batch of cookies for the day.”

I held his eyes, placed a hand on his shoulder, and tried again. “No, the other one.”

“Your biological grandmother?” He gasped, unable to keep his voice down any longer. “But nobody knows what happened to her or where to find her.”

I motioned my chin toward the window. “They say that they do.”

“And you believe them?” Charles raised one skeptical brow. I couldn’t tell whether he thought I was crazy for choosing to trust them when his brief encounter with the gulls had already proven they played by their own set of rules. But I’d already made my mind up. Now it was time to choose my attitude. I could pout and question everything—or I could make the best of it, no matter how awkward.

“I think I do,” I answered after a brief hesitation. “But even if I’m wrong about this, I still have to try.”

He grabbed my hand and gave it a kiss. A giant smile lit his handsome face as he let my hand go and turned toward the driver-side door. “Then let’s go help some seagulls.”