Eagle's Destiny (19 page)

The sky was very blue with large white puffy clouds.  I stared up at them imagining different shapes.  Then I saw the bird.  It was closer to the lake and its wide wingspan was unmistakable.  I took a sharp intake of breath.  Soaring over the lake, the eagle was magnificent.  As I watched it fly, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.  The view touched me deeply; its flight looked effortless, as the wings beat and then
it
gracefully floated over the lake.  The eagle dipped down and then flew upward again finally flying out of my line of vision.

The sound of Michael setting down his backpack startled me.  I stood up and turned around.  He looked at me and saw the tears. 

Alarm showed immediately on his face as he took my hand, “Are you okay, what happened?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, no I’m okay, I just saw an eagle flying.”  I wiped my eyes with my hand.

His smile was bright, “They are glorious aren’t they?”

“It was so unexpected, and it was so beautiful.  I don’t know, I guess I got caught up in the moment.”

He still held my hand, pulled me toward him, and gave me a half a hug.  He looked down at me with his sparkling blue eyes, “Babe, you are just a softy.”

As Michael held me, my stomach started fluttering.  Every time he used his new nickname for me, my body heated.  I was sure that I was going to pass out as his other arm came up around me.  His hands moved down my back and came to rest around my waist.  My arms wrapped around him. 

He whispered, “I like softies.”  Michael bent and kissed my eyelids gently.  He moved down to my lips, gave me a tender kiss, and then he very gently released me.  “Breathe Elizabeth,” he touched my nose and then my lips.

I just stood there speechless.  He pointed up to the trees right across from the clearing that were coming out of a deep ravine.  “While I’m setting up our camp, look across there for what looks like little white golf balls in the trees.”

“White golf balls?”  I asked looking confused.

“Yeah, the eagle’s head is white, when they are in their nest all you see from down here is what looks like a golf ball.”  He explained.

I turned to scan the trees but nothing was visible.  “Are you sure I can’t
help?  I hate to have you do everything.”

He teased, “You’re enough of a distraction already.”

Michael was very efficient in his camp set up routine.  The small tent went up quickly.  He stuffed his very large sleeping bag inside followed by Tammy’s small thin fluffy pink sleeping bag
, which looked like it would not provide much protection from the cold
.  Next, he set up a table and two chairs.  Then a small cook stove went on the table.  When he finished the setup, he pulled out several camera bodies out of his bags, and proceeded to check them.

I sat back down on the rock glad for a few moments of silence.  The electricity was building between us, and I wasn’t sure if my reaction to Michael was a sign that I was ready for a relationship or
if
it was simply lust.  I reminded myself that he had not even mentioned having a relationship with me.  He had been quiet on the subject of his intentions.  Okay, it was clear that his intentions were my seduction.  Long term though it was unclear, but he had already told me that once Tammy went off to school he was looking forward to beginning his life.  What he didn’t say was whether I fit into those plans.  For now, I was only concentrating on my seduction.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder and looked up.  Michael stood behind me pointing to the trees he had showed me earlier.  “Look, see the golf ball?”

“Is that an eagle?”  I asked with excitement in my voice.

“Come on it’s time to get up in the stand.”  He pointed behind him to the tree with the platform.

I looked at the rope ladder and the height of the platform.  “Oh you have fun up there.”

“No, you’re coming along.”  He pulled me to my feet and led me over to the tree.  “I’ll help you up.”

“Michael,” I tried explaining, “I have a fear of heights.”

“Elizabeth, I will be right behind you, I won’t let you fall.  Just try it.  I mean you play baseball,” he challenged.

“What is that supposed to mean?”  I flashed at him.

“You know, girls don’t play baseball.”  He grinned.

“Okay, I know what you’re trying to do.”  I grabbed the rope ladder and lifted my foot onto the first rung.

Michael steadied the ladder, “Just look up, and try not to look down.  I promise this will be worth it.”

I lifted each foot slowly as I moved up the ladder.  He called to me encouraging me with each step, “Easy does it Elizabeth.”  When I reached the platform he instructed, “
Take hold of
the railing on your right and step up.” 

I was so relieved when I stood out on the stand
. 
I leaned my back against the tree trunk and tried to breathe evenly.  “Hurry up,” I called
down to him.

He grabbed his camera bag and tripod.  Michael scaled the ladder quickly.  “Are you okay?” he touched my arm and looked down at me. 

I brushed my bangs out of my eyes.  “As you said I do play baseball.”

He attached one of his cameras to the tripod.  The camera had the longest lens I had ever seen before.  Michael bent over and looked through the viewfinder, he turned the focusing rings, and then I heard clicking noises, one after another. 

I pulled out my little digital camera from my pocket and looked through the viewer.  “All I see is two of the little white ball things.  Can you see anything?  I mean it’s across the clearing.”  I asked.

“Do you want to see?” he asked and then pulled me in between the camera and him.  “Look through here” he pointed to the viewfinder.  He put my hand on the focusing ring of the lens.  “Focus here.”

I gasped when I saw the image.  There were two eagles sitting in the tree as clear as if they were perched right next to me.  “Oh!  They’re so beautiful, I can’t believe it!”  I looked up to see the real image and then bent over again to look through the viewfinder.  With all of this happening, I was still very aware
of
pushing up against him and I tried to keep my breathing normal.

Michael had his hands on my hips and I was not sure if he was helping the situation.  He leaned over and placed my hand on the shutter button.  “Press here to take the picture, and then move the lens back to get a different view.  The big one is the female, and the smaller one is the male.”

After taking a couple of shots, I was losing the battle trying to breathe normally.  “I better let you get back to work,” I said making a move to step to the side.

Michael still had his hands on my hips, “I don’t mind teaching you.”  He grinned at me when I looked over my shoulder.

“I’m sure you could teach me quite a few things,” I said as I stepped to the side.  I quickly sat down on the stand and pulled out my little notebook.  Leaning back against the tree, I started writing.

Michael bent down to see my notebook, “What are you writing?  Are you working on your book?” he asked.

“When I go someplace new, or have a new experience I like to capture it on paper.  Sometimes these little notes give me inspiration.  They help me picture a scene in my mind.  I see little movies in my mind when I write.”

Michael turned back to his camera, “If you see a movie that means you’re visual.  You would make a good photographer.  Will you let me read what you’ve written when you’re finished?”

I nodded yes, but more than likely, he did not see me.  He was already in photographer mode.  We were silent for the next hour.  I would glance up at him periodically and watched him work.  His work completely absorbed
him.  He changed lenses, used different cameras, and moved the tripod into different angles.  A couple of times it sounded like he was speaking to the eagles trying to coax them into different poses.

The stand had only a small area, and I was trying to give Michael as much room as possible.  I stretched my legs when I stood up.  My movement caused him to look up from his work. 

“I’m going to go down to earth, can I get you anything?”  I asked.

He frowned, “I’m sorry, I haven’t been a very good host,” he spread his hands out in front of him, “I get very wrapped up in my work.”

“You’re not supposed to be a host, no apologies necessary.  I’ve enjoyed watching the creative photographic experience.  However, if I don’t move my legs, I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to climb down.”  I stretched for the ladder.

Michael reached for me, “Here let me help you down.  I’ll go first and steady the ladder for you.”

Over my objections, he quickly climbed over me and down the ladder.  Going down the ladder was much easier for me than climbing up. 

“Would you like me to make some coffee for you?” he offered when I reached the bottom. 

His arms were on the rungs of the ladder capturing me in between him and the ladder. 
Standing very close
, I had a difficult time steadying my breathing, and it was not the exertion from climbing down the ladder. 

“Now you’re in your host mode?  No, go back up and get to work,” I said as I pushed him toward the ladder.

Michael grinned back at me as he moved up the ladder easily.  He called down to me when he reached the top, “I’ll only be another hour.  I’ll lose the light soon.  When I come back down, I’ll start a fire.”

“Good idea,” I called back up to him. 

It was getting a little chilly as the sun was moving to the west.  Picking up my sweatshirt from the rock I had
occupied
earlier, I pulled it on over my head.  The sweatshirt was warm against my cool skin.  Next, I rummaged around in the backpacks, found a bottle of water, and drank it down.  I leaned back against the rock as I sat down and closed my eyes.  It had been an incredibly peaceful afternoon.  The quiet was so welcome.  The remaining sun was warm on me and relaxed me even further.  Eagles filled my mind as I drifted off to sleep. 

I awoke to the smell and sound of a campfire, and the vivid red, pink, and purple of the setting sun just above the crest of the mountain.  Michael kneeled down next to me and handed me a cup.  I smelled the deep rich aroma of red wine. 

“I guess I must have fallen asleep, too much eagle overload,” I grinned.

“Come closer to the fire,” he took my hand and pulled me up to my feet.  His arms wrapped around me and pulled me in.  Soft lips nibbled at
my mouth.  “Mmmmmm…,” he murmured, “I love kissing you.  I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this.

  Michael had made a nice spot next to the fire for me with a blanket so I would not have to sit on the ground. 

I took a sip of the wine.  “Yum, this is good.”

He sat down next to me, taking the cup from my hand and set it down.  “But this is better,” he said as he continued the kiss where he left off.

“Mmmmm… I agree.”

We kissed and cuddled on the blanket.  His kisses and gentle caresses made my body respond to his by aching to move closer.  I enjoyed touching his face and neck with my kisses.  When we surfaced for air, we both reached for our wine, and we grinned. 

“I’m actually not supposed to have alcohol with me.  We’re on the reservation but it is also a federally protected park.  The rangers are cool with me and will usually look the other way, so if the ranger visits just remember you brought the wine in,” he laughed.

“Oh so that’s why you made me carry the wine?”  I grimaced with a fake frown.

He laughed again, “I’m honest if nothing else.”

“Do the rangers visit often?  Do you need a permit to be here?”  I asked.

“No and yes,” he explained, “I have the approval from the tribal council to be here and actually have a special grant from the federal government.  The government removed the bald eagle from the endangered and threatened species list only a couple of years ago.  I’ve been working on a book about bald eagles.”  He took a long drink from his cup and turned to lie on his back.  “I
work
mostly in Alaska, but this pair here has intrigued me.  Bald eagles mate for life, but unfortunately, this pair did not have any eggs this year.  It happens but we don’t know why.”

Surprised I asked, “They mate for life?” 

I looked down at him.  It was either the wine or him working a spell on me.  When he lay down his t-shirt rose a bit above the waist of his jeans revealing his firm hard abdomen.  The muscles in his upper arms bulged
as
he moved his arms to the back of his head.  In addition, his thighs, well, didn’t they just fill out his jeans?  And, his jaw line…didn’t I want to nibble there?

“Yeah, and they can live up to 30 years in the wild.  That’s a long time together.”

I nodded in agreement, “That’s amazing.”  I was having a hard time finishing the sentence.  My mind would not focus on my words because I was concentrating on Michael’s body.  I drained my cup of wine and looked around.  “More?”  I said wiggling my cup in his direction.

He
moved to get up, “I’m sorry Elizabeth.  Let me get it.”

I pushed his chest back down, “No, no, I’ll get it.  Just wanted to know if you wanted more?”  I tried to be graceful getting up, but at almost six feet, graceful was not my middle name.  My family often referred to me as Legs and it wasn’t a compliment.  Michael was watching me intently, which made my lack of grace even more apparent.  A grin formed in the corner of his mouth.