Broken Wings (33 page)

He placed his hands about her waist. “I’ve wanted to bring it up, and while we’re on the subject… I think we should make this legal before the baby comes.”

She backed away from him. “Don’t use the baby as an excuse for marriage. We could just live together and see how things go.”

He moved closer to her, his dark eyes seemingly lit from within. “Then marry me because I love you and want to spend the rest of my days with you,” he demanded.

A reluctant smile worked its way across Pamela’s delicate face. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I have never been so sure of anything before in my life. You make me happy.”

Pamela shrugged, trying to appear unflustered as her heart quivered with happiness. “Then I guess we’re engaged.”

“Don’t be so cavalier in your affections,” he teased.

“I’m trying to be reserved, not cavalier,” she informed him.

Daniel placed his arms about her. “Why don’t you just tell me how you really feel,” he suggested.

“How I really feel?” Pamela wrapped her arms about his neck. “Hungry!”

*  *  *  *

Not long after the renovations to Daniel’s business offices were completed, Pamela was putting the finishing touches on his private office. After she had hung the last picture on the wall, Pamela surveyed the room. She had decorated the pale yellow walls with framed photos of the animals that had passed through her facility. The pictures, and luxurious tan leather furniture, gave the office a peaceful ambience. Just as she was about to step down from the ladder, she felt the baby kick.

“Yeah, I like it too,” she whispered, rubbing her protruding belly.

“Damn it, Pamela!” Daniel shouted as he came into the room. “What did I tell you about hanging pictures in here? I’m supposed to be going up and down on ladders, not you.” He grabbed her hand and made sure both her feet were firmly planted on the floor before he reproached her with his eyes.

“You’re being overprotective,” she objected.

“You know me better than that. Dr. Holdford is the one who said you should be taking it easy. He told you not to stress your body in any way. No more exertion.” He folded the ladder and moved it to the side.

“Do you like it?” she asked, waving around the room.

Daniel inspected the pictures of foxes, squirrels, skunks, Lester, as well as Rodney, covering his office walls. He pulled Pamela into his arms. “It’s wonderful. It’s like having a piece of your sanctuary here with me. And you put my little Pamela and her babies up there as well. Thank you.”

Pamela nodded to the photograph of the flying squirrel family. “It was the last picture I took of her and the three babies before I released them. I figured if you’re having a bad day, you can just look at the pictures and maybe it will help you to relax.”

He felt the baby kick. “She’s feisty today.”

Pamela rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

Daniel gave her face a thorough going over with his eyes. “Are you all right? You look tired.”

“I’m fine.” She gingerly patted his cream dress shirt and red tie. “Where were you? You said you would meet me here half an hour ago. Were you held up in your meeting?”

“No, I had an errand to run after my meeting.” Daniel reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box. “I didn’t want to tell you about it before because I wanted to pick this out myself.” He handed her the box.

Inside Pamela found a diamond ring with three large round cut stones set side by side in white gold. She looked from the ring to Daniel.

“I figured we needed to get rolling on this wedding of ours.” He pointed to the ring. “This is the first step.”

“Daniel, it’s beautiful,” she said, admiring the ring.

He took the ring out of the box and placed it on the third finger of her left hand. “I don’t know how you will feel about this but Val called me and I told her about our plans. She wants us to have our wedding at her place in the French Quarter. I said we wanted something small and she offered her house for the ceremony and reception.” He searched her face for a reaction. “What do you think?” he anxiously asked.

“I’m stunned Val would want to do that for us,” Pamela replied.

“She likes you. And she has always been a good friend to me.”

“Well, if she wants to go to all of that trouble. It sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“I told Val I would talk to you about it. She said she could take care of all the details but she needs to get together with you to find out what you want. It is your wedding after all.”

Pamela shook her head. “I have no idea what I want, but definitely something simple and quick.”

“Sounds great to me. I’ll call Val and let her know,” Daniel said.

Pamela gazed down at the ring on her hand. “When Bob gave me that ring after we had made our arrangement, I felt so empty inside. But now I feel like the world is filled with so much hope.”

Daniel placed his hand over hers. “There is something else.” He paused. “Val called me to give me some news about Bob. You remember you told me once that a patron owned the fifty acres next to your facility and that you would release animals there?”

Pamela felt all the happiness that had filled her heart suddenly melt away. “Bob owns that property,” she mumbled.

“Well, not anymore. Val said Bob is going around telling everyone in the city that he sold the property to a developer. They want to put a posh subdivision there. And you know what will happen then.”

She wrung her hands together and her eyes filled with dread. “My animals will be trapped and killed if they go into residential neighborhoods.”

Daniel nodded in agreement. “And if enough neighbors complain, you could have problems with the zoning commission, animal control, and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.”

“But where I live is surrounded by horse and cattle farms. They can’t just rezone the whole area,” Pamela reasoned.

“You know as well as I do how urban sprawl begins, Pamela. First, they take over the land and displace the animals. Then, with time, they force out the original residents until all that is left is concrete and manicured gardens.”

A single tear trickled down Pamela’s pale cheek. “That place is all I have, Daniel.”

“It will be all right, Pamela,” he whispered. He wiped the tear away and gave her an encouraging smile. “Val had an idea. She knows the developer. She suggested we make the guy a counter-offer for the property, or at the very least go in with him on the development. She says she knows for a fact that with the economy being the way it is, the developer is going to have a tough time getting funding from any of the local banks. She proposed we go to him with our idea.”

“What idea?” Pamela questioned as she felt her curiosity stir.

The heaviness in Daniel’s heart lifted as he saw the tears retreating from her eyes. “If he doesn’t want to sell the land, then we offer to fund the development on the condition that he will make it a nature friendly subdivision.”

Pamela considered his words for a few moments, and then asked, “What exactly is a nature friendly subdivision?”

“I wrote down some thoughts on that.” Daniel walked over to his dark oak desk and picked up a pad of paper. “You know how so many subdivisions have restrictions about keeping lots cut and cleared of debris, and even tell builders how and where to build? We could do the same thing, but make it less destructive for the woods and animals that will be displaced by the construction.” He stepped back over to Pamela’s side as he glanced down at the pad in his hand. “Maybe we could limit the amount of the land that is cleared and offer larger lots to potential residents. Put in non-trapping and no killing restrictions in the subdivision rules to protect animals that are not a threat. Encourage the use of green building materials that are environmentally friendly. Have an education center for people who want to aid in preserving the animal friendly environment.” He raised his eyes to her. “You could offer wildlife rehabilitation and living with wildlife classes to all those who are interested. Design and develop a living area that is animal friendly instead of animal fearful. You know there are other animal nuts in the world, and I bet they would be willing to pay to live in a subdivision that tries to preserve nature instead of trying to conquer it.”

Pamela shook her head, appearing doubtful. “That all sounds great in theory, Daniel, but has anyone ever done it before?”

He shrugged and he held up the pad of paper to her. “Every idea has growing pains, Pamela. But I think if we give this a try, we just might be setting a precedent for the way communities of the future are planned. You told me once that if the human race can’t be kind to animals, then how in the hell are we going to be kind to each other? Maybe this is the first step.”

She peered down at the diamond engagement ring on her finger. “All right, so what do we do next?”

“Val gave me the developer’s name and number; let’s give him a call and see what he says,” Daniel said as he pulled a slip of paper from his front trouser pocket.

Pamela’s happiness quickly returned. “Thank you, Daniel. Thank you for doing this.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. Let’s see what happens first.”

Pamela looked into Daniel’s dark eyes and was amazed to realize that the brooding, almost sinister quality she had first noted there only a few months before had been an illusion. What she had originally taken to be a wild nature had turned out to be a kind and caring person wanting only to be understood and not mistreated.
Funny
, she thought to herself,
how much animals and people have in common.

One month later, Daniel and Pamela arrived at Emeril’s Delmonico on St. Charles Avenue for their rehearsal dinner. Daniel escorted Pamela back to the private room Val had reserved for the small wedding party. When they stepped into the rectangular room, decorated with old pictures of St. Charles Avenue and streetcars, Pamela saw Carol and Ian, already seated and waiting for them. Ian was dressed in a fitted blue suit and Carol was wearing a pale pink dress with small white flowers on it. Her long, light brown hair was curled and framed her lovely face.

“Hey there,” Carol called out as she rose from her chair and walked over to hug Pamela. “Ready to call the whole thing off yet?” she joked.

“Very funny, Carol,” Daniel replied. “But Pamela has no intention of running out on me, right?” He glanced over at Pamela and raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, buddy,” Pamela remarked as she patted her hand against his gray suit jacket.

Daniel laughed and walked over to Ian. “Ian, make sure Carol doesn’t get pregnant. A whole new side of them comes out when they are expecting. It’s a side you do not want to know, trust me.”

Carol pulled Pamela to the side, away from the men. “Are you feeling all right?” She asked as she examined Pamela’s face. “You look kind of green.”

Pamela waved off her concern “I think it’s the dress,” she said, nodding to the dark green print dress she had on. “Daniel said the same thing to me before we left his place.”

“He still has his place? I thought he was going to move into your new house in Mandeville.”

“In two weeks. We figured we would get the wedding out of the way first, then move in together. That will give me a month to get the nursery set up before I have to go in for my scheduled c-section.”

“And how is my little girl?’ Carol asked and lovingly placed her hands on Pamela’s large belly.

“Kicking up a storm! You should see me, Carol. All the planning meetings I’ve had to attend for construction of the new educational facility, and I can barely sit still for ten minutes before I have to run to the bathroom. It’s amazing we’re getting anything done.”

“Well, thank God that developer decided to sell you the land next door. Now you can have the kind of wildlife facility you always wanted. I think the new education center for children is a great idea. I can’t wait for them to start construction.”

Pamela nodded. “But Daniel hasn’t completely given up on his animal friendly subdivision idea. We think maybe down the road we might try to develop part of the property to see if such a concept will work.”

Carol laughed. “It will work, Pamie. Just don’t take on too much. I think you’ll have your hands pretty full after the baby comes.”

Pamela looked down at her belly. “I never thought I would ever be this lucky, Carol.”

Carol patted her arm and smiled. “You deserve it, Pamie.”

“Hey, Pamela,” Ian said as he came up and gave Pamela a kiss on the cheek. “Daniel was just tellin’ me how difficult livin’ with a pregnant woman is.”

Pamela gave Daniel a dirty look. “Thanks,” she grumbled.

“So are we the only ones comin’ tonight?” Ian asked as he waved his hand across the long table next to them. “I see quite a few place settin’s here. Do we even know this many people?”

“Val and Lance are coming, along with a few of the volunteers from the facility,” Pamela announced. “Daniel’s father is flying in as we speak so he should be here shortly, and then there is Daniel’s landlord T.J.” Pamela paused and counted the places set around the table. “That leaves two extra places. Who else did Val invite?” she asked Daniel.