Lilly caught the little commotion, and looked up just as a shuffled Birdie wound up right next to her. “Look, Gramma,” she said, her eyes big as saucers. “The sand is moving!”
Everyone in the group had been focused on Birdie and Lilly. Only Lilly had been watching the nest. As one, their attention zeroed back to the sand.
“Oh my,” Kit gasped. “Look!”
The sand, which had already been disrupted from the exit of the other babies, started to shift, crumble, and move. And then . . . a flipper popped out!
“Look, look!” Lilly urged. “It’s a baby Paddlefoot!” She looked up at Birdie again. “You want to meet him, right?”
Kit could hardly take her gaze off the emerging baby, but she looked at Birdie, who was excited and clearly flustered. And worried she might somehow screw up the moment.
Franco moved up and took Birdie’s arm. “Here, let me help.” He assisted Birdie so she could kneel down in the sand next to her granddaughter, heedless of what damage it might do to her pristine white slacks.
For Kit, it was almost as rewarding watching grandmother and granddaughter bond over the baby turtle fighting its way through the sand, as it was to see the baby succeed and free himself to start the long journey to the water.
“He did it!” Lilly squealed, clapping.
Everyone else pumped their fists in the air, but kept their vocalizations to a minimum, so as not to distract the baby from its mission.
Kit’s attention moved back and forth, from turtle to Lilly and Birdie, and back to the turtle.
“He’s a strong little one,” Birdie said. “Look at him go!”
She was right. That baby wasted no time before scraping and clawing its way down the sand, leaving what looked like tiny tire tracks behind him, his rear flippers dragging along as he propelled himself forward with the front two.
“He’s going the right way!” Lilly said, literally bouncing on her knees in the sand.
Gabe said, “Why don’t the two of you be his chaperones, okay?”
Lilly’s eyes got bigger, if that was possible. “Can we?”
“I think it’s a great idea.” Gabe nodded his encouragement.
Lilly clambered to her feet, heedless of the sand going every which way. “Want to be a chapaporn?” she asked Birdie.
“I’d love to”—Birdie’s eyes glistened, then she looked helplessly toward Franco and Quinn and laughed—“if these two strapping young men would help an old lady out.”
Grinning, the two men did just that, getting Birdie back to her feet with minimal effort and as gracefully as possible. She didn’t even brush at the mess of damp sand on her clothes, but stuck her hand out toward Lilly. “Shall we?”
Only then did Lilly look back at the group and find Morgan in the crowd. “Moggy?”
“Go on,” he said. “I’ll chaperone the next one. This one is for you and Grandma Birdie. You watched him come out, I think he feels safest with you two.”
“Okay!” And without so much as batting an eye, Lilly turned right back around and took Birdie’s hand, and their attention was immediately riveted on the steady trucking progress of their little flippered charge.
Kit watched the tall, older woman and the tiny little girl and had to wipe at the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
“Funny how things work themselves out,” Morgan said quietly from right behind her, a smile in his deep voice.
“I know,” Kit said tremulously, fighting the very strong urge to lean back against him. “It’s just so wonderful.”
Laughing and sniffling at the same time, she caught him wiping his own eyes. She laughed and sniffled again.
“Look!” Riley’s exclamation had them all turning back to the nest. “Another one! Two!”
Riley and Quinn paired up as chaperones when the first one launched himself from the nest, making everyone chuckle.
The next one had to work a bit harder to free himself completely.
“This one’s yours,” Gabe said, clearly meaning Kit and Morgan.
Still standing just behind her, Morgan surreptitiously hooked his finger in hers, where their hands were hidden from view of the others, and tugged. “You game?” he said, leaning down by her ear.
He let her finger go as he stepped up beside her.
That little tug, that one tiny gesture caused every bit of resistance Kit had left to crumble, just like the sand on the turtle nest, as her heart surged up.
“Yeah,” she managed. “I am.” She realized he was only talking about chaperoning the baby turtle, but she knew in her heart her capitulation was about a whole lot more than that.
“Check him out,” Morgan said. “He’s done it.”
She looked back and sure enough, the baby had finally freed himself. “He’s going the wrong way, though!” she exclaimed when the turtle headed toward the dunes and not the water.
“Come on this side,” Gabe directed, “and make a barrier with this.” He handed them a wide screen of soft black fabric stretched around a frame of thin boards. “We use this to help deflect and focus the light at night, but it works just as well as a barrier. Just plant it in the sand in front of him and when he hits it, he’ll shift position. Don’t worry. It’s soft. It won’t hurt him any. Try to get him going the right way sooner rather than later. The sand will cool as he nears the water. He’ll figure it out pretty quick.”
Morgan took the screen from Gabe with one hand, and, as naturally as if they’d been doing it forever, he took Kit’s hand in the other. “We’re on it.” He looked at Kit and grinned. “Turtle volunteer squad to the rescue.”
“It’s what we do,” she said just as reverently, grinning like a loon right along with him as they headed off after their tiny charge.
Over the next few hours, turtles kept popping up out of the nest, and Kit stopped thinking and worrying and analyzing and just rolled with the wonderful, awe-inspiring tide. She ended up paired with Dre, Lilly, and Birdie on successive runs. Morgan and Lilly took two in a row, and Kit and Anne took another. She and Morgan didn’t work alone together again, though with everyone on the beach, it was like one big rescue party anyway.
“This is truly incredible,” Kit told Anne, as they guided their current baby toward the water. “I’m so glad I got to do this.”
“We’re truly thankful you all came. I’m so sorry we’ve intruded on your holiday meal together, though.”
Kit laughed and gestured to where everyone was spread out, dotting the beach here and there as they watched over their tiny trekkers. “Does anyone here look like they’d rather be anywhere else?”
Anne smiled. “True, perhaps, but still, we—”
“Ahoy there, turtle guides!”
Everyone looked up to see Alva coming out from the dune trail, a lunch basket over one arm. Right behind her was Baxter, pulling a giant cooler on wheels.
It was only then that Kit glanced at her watch and realized they’d been on the beach for almost four hours. “Oh my, we should have called them.”
“I’ve got this little guy if you want to go up and lend a hand.” Anne winked. “It looks like they’ve brought the feast to you.”
Chapter 17
“
E
veryone hold hands,” Alva instructed. “We’ll say grace. Then you can go back and play with your turtle darlings.”
Everyone chuckled as hands were linked and smiles were shared. The group, including Gabe and Anne, had assembled at three of the picnic tables situated under one of the larger pavilion awnings.
Alva stood and gave the invocation and everyone said their amens.
Then Franco stood up. “I shall wield
ze
knife.” He struck a pose. “Stand back and ready yourselves . . . for some turkey!”
He began to carve; then everyone laughed as Kit held her hand out for Alva to pay up on the betting pool. They laughed even harder when Baxter held his hand out next.
And so it went for the next several hours, with everyone enjoying the leisurely meal and different pairs heading back to the beach as turtles continued to emerge, less often now. No one cared that some food was cold or if sand made its way into unfortunate places. Mud boots and jackets had been fetched as the breeze picked up.
Morgan finally had the chance to chat with Gabe, asking him just how unusual a daytime hatch was.
The doctor explained it wasn’t entirely unheard of, especially toward the end of a protracted hatch season. “But I doubt you’ll see anything like this again anytime soon. This was a very special day.”
“Indeed, that it was.”
In so many ways,
Morgan thought. He knew the people who had participated in the turtle hatchings had bonded in a way that would never be forgotten. Longtime friends shared a new experience that strengthened their bond, and those meeting for the first time created an indelible memory together that would likely lead to many more.
Seated between Kit and Birdie, Lilly was finally winding down as they enjoyed some of Kit’s peanut pie. He smiled, feeling his heart swell, and thought how right it was, watching the three of them together, seeing Kit and Birdie exchange knowing looks over a drooping Lilly’s head and assist her with cutting her pie. Right, wrong, or foolish, he didn’t want this day—or that particular union—to end.
“This might be the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had,” he told Gabe, his gaze still on the three of them. He’d almost thought of them as “his girls” . . . and knew it was something he very much wanted to be true.
Anne joined them, having come up from the nesting area. “Light’s fading fast and the nest is getting a bit more active again. I think we’re in for a last burst.”
It wasn’t five o’clock yet, but the sun set early that time of year. It was on the tip of Morgan’s tongue to say he’d stay, but Lilly was all but asleep in her empty pie plate. He’d have to take her home soon.
Birdie got up and came over to where the three of them stood. “If you’d like to stay on, I’d be happy to stay at your place for a bit and babysit,” she offered. “I imagine Lilly will be out like a light as soon as her head hits the pillow.” She glanced back at her granddaughter and smiled. “If she makes it that long.”
Right there was proof of how incredible a day it had been. Something Morgan couldn’t have imagined that morning seemed like the most natural thing in the world. “If you’re sure it’s not an imposition,”
“Morgan, dear,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “I’d be delighted.”
“I don’t have the guest room fully set up, but there is a bed with clean sheets and a blanket in there. If you’re sure it’s okay, I imagine I’ll be here for a time. If you’d be comfortable staying over, we can have breakfast and get you back home in the morning.”
“That sounds wonderful. I’m a night bird, and always have a book in my bag, so don’t worry yourself. I’ll be fine. As long as darling Lilly knows where I am if she needs anything, we’ll manage for the night.” Her gaze drifted to Kit, who was chatting with Riley, then back to Morgan. “No need to hurry back on my account,” she added with an extra twinkle in her gaze.
“We’d really appreciate the help,” Anne said to Morgan, saving him from figuring out how to respond to that. Of course, none of the crowd had been shy about trying to get the two of them together that day.
“Kit said she’d stay, too,” Anne went on. “Riley and Quinn are going to head back to the house with Alva, pack up leftovers and see everyone on their way, then come back for a spell. I think Lani and Baxter plan to as well. Franco and Dre have to head back across the causeway.”
“That’s more help than I thought we’d have and I’m grateful for it,” Gabe added. “A very thankful and blessed Thanksgiving,” he said, speaking louder so everyone would hear.
“Amen,” everyone still sitting and standing around the table intoned, lifting a jumble of drinks, cupcakes, and pie forks in unison.
Morgan went over to the table, and with Kit’s help, scooped Lilly directly from her seat into his arms. She hugged him and pressed her cheek to his chest. “More turtles?” she asked groggily.
“Not tonight, sweet pea. Time for home and some sleep. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t putting up a fight and yawned deeply, confirming his diagnosis of exhaustion and making him smile. “I like peanut pie,” she said, already fading. “It’s amazing.”
“Ah-mazing,” Morgan repeated, then kissed the top of her head.
He looked around at the crowd. “Thanks, everyone,” he said, quietly so as not to rouse her. “I can’t tell you how much this day has meant to us. We’re blessed to know you all and look forward to spending more time with you in the future.”
“I think I speak for everyone when I say it was our pleasure,” Alva said, bustling around the table with enough energy for three people, despite the long day.
Everyone nodded, waved, smiled, and Franco gave a two-knife salute as he continued carving what was left of the three turkeys while Lani packed the leftovers into portable take-home containers for anyone who was interested.
“Now, you stop by Quinn and Riley’s tomorrow,” Alva was saying. “I’ll leave a care package for you and Miss Lilly in their fridge.”
“We will. Thank you.”
He hadn’t spent much time with the tiny senior, but knew she was quite a pistol. He could see why Kit enjoyed her so much. He’d heard Lani say she was Sugarberry’s answer to Betty White, and he had to agree that was a pretty apt description.
“I’ll go with you,” Birdie said. “My car is still at Quinn’s, if we can stop by.”
“Unless it’s in the way, I can take you back tomorrow to get it when we pick up our leftovers,” Morgan told her. “Just come on home with us and we’ll get both of you settled.”
“Birdie, you come by and get a care package, tomorrow, too,” Alva told her, squeezing her hand.
Birdie leaned down and hugged the smaller woman, then they bussed cheeks.
“It was a good day,” Alva said, eyes shining.
“Indeed,” Birdie agreed, beaming right back.
Morgan didn’t see Kit again before they left as she was taking a turn on the beach, but he already planned to catch up with her when he got back. He hoped his tired little one didn’t balk at the idea of Birdie staying over, but at this point, he sincerely doubted it.
They managed to accomplish their mission in a little less than an hour. He’d had to wake Lilly up enough to explain about Birdie being there while he finished helping Dr. Gabe, and he was pretty sure she understood it all before she drifted off again. Birdie had his cell phone number and he was only five minutes away if Lilly woke up and panicked in any way. He doubted, however, she’d wake up again until the sun was well up in the sky the following morning. She’d had no chance for a nap or some quiet time that entire day and had literally raced around the beach the whole time they’d been there.
He smiled as he pulled back into the lot at the research center, thinking what an incredible experience it had turned out to be for her. And for him. “A miracle of a day,” he murmured. Lilly and Birdie connecting the way they had, sharing such a magical day, was so much more than he had hoped for. And everyone had been great. With him, with Lilly. He truly, truly was thankful.
He emerged from the dune path and headed down the beach as a full moon began its ascent into the early evening sky, and thought about the one other thing he still wanted to accomplish before the day was over.
When he made it to the nest area, only Anne and Lani were there. “Gabe and Baxter are back in the center,” Anne told him. “He had evening rounds to do with our current residents.”
“Baxter is fascinated by all this,” Lani added, with an affectionate grin. “He’d never even seen a live turtle before. I think Gabe has himself a new benefactor. They’re talking about ways Baxter might be able to use his show or his celebrity status to help draw attention to the sea turtles’ plight, find some way to tie it in.”
“That’s fantastic,” Morgan said, grinning in surprise. “Gabe must be ecstatic.”
“He’s had quite a wonderful day, yes,” Anne added, tired but beaming.
Morgan glanced out at the beach, but the dim light made it hard to see anything.
“If you’re looking for Kit, she’s by the water, about twenty or so yards down the beach,” Lani said, moving to stand beside him. “We had a straggler who just couldn’t find the water. She’s probably done by now.” Lani smiled up at him, not even bothering to hide the knowing twinkle in her eyes. “But she might appreciate the company on the stroll back.”
All day people had been trying to nudge the two of them together. But, other than their first team chaperone effort, he hadn’t spent any time alone with Kit.
He’d noted that as they worked, Lilly had gone just as often to Kit as she had him. Kit had been relaxed, having fun, and really at ease. She was great with Lilly, so open and loving. They came together so easily, so naturally, and, not once did Kit pull back or even hesitate. He couldn’t know if it was just the situation and the heightened emotions that went with it . . . or if she was rethinking her stance on taking a risk on him. On them.
“So . . . that full moon sure is pretty,” Lani said quite pointedly, pulling him from his thoughts, making even Anne laugh.
“I’m going, I’m going.” With a wave, he took off down the beach at a slow jog, heading in the direction they’d pointed him.
Morgan chuckled. He’d thought it would be uncomfortable, having everyone rooting for him and Kit to get together. But it hadn’t been awkward or uncomfortable; it was funny and sweet. Because he completely agreed with them. Kit had been good-natured about it, too. He supposed it was time to find out exactly where her thoughts were on . . . well, everything.
He found her a good thirty yards or more down the shoreline, still standing by the water’s edge, looking out at the waves.
“Silly turtle,” she said, looking up when she saw him approach. “Four tries, and he keeps getting tossed back. After all his crawling to get there by the very long detour route he took, I’m afraid he’s exhausted.”
Morgan stopped by her side, looking out at the waves, too, but not knowing where to search in the vastness of the moonlit water. “One thing I learned today is they’re the most determined little guys I’ve ever seen. He’ll make it.”
Kit sighed, clearly worried. “I hope so.”
“All the other ones did,” he assured her.
“I still can’t get over how tiny they are. I mean, they grow to be so huge. The odds seem insurmountable, starting out that small. It’s really a miracle any of them make it.”
Morgan had to work hard to resist the urge to pull her into his arms. She was tired and concerned, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to hold her. “The journey they make is an incredible one with all kinds of dangers, but they’ve been doing it for thousands of years. We’ll just hope all of our turtles find the flotsam and jetsam out there and ride the tides all the way to the Caribbean without any worries.”
Kit sent him a sideways glance, a wry twist to her lips. “You really are the most optimistic lawyer I’ve ever met.”
He grinned back. “Saving the planet, one baby turtle at a time.”
She let out a short laugh and looked back out to the water. “Well, he didn’t wash up again, so I guess he made it.”
Morgan said to hell with playing it safe and shifted to stand behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and massaging them lightly as he watched the waves with her. “This was a good day, Kit. We did good.”
“We did,” she said softly. “And that feels wonderful, by the way.” But she wasn’t relaxing under his touch. “I’m just . . .”
He turned her slowly to face him, keeping her close. “You’re a protector. It’s your nature to look out, to take care, which means you’re also a worrier,” he teased lightly, smiling. “That isn’t entirely a bad thing. Someone needs to look out for others.”
“I used to look out for a whole lot of others. It’s been . . . well, it’s been a relief, in some ways, not to have to do that anymore . . . but it’s been weird, too. It wasn’t just my job, it was . . . well, you’re right, it was me.”
“Being a new parental role model, I think I can safely say it takes one to know one.”
Her lips lifted a little again.