Step Into the Wind Page 5

  Claire stood at the other side of the bed. She grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled it over. “I was wondering, since we’re going to have a wildlife biologist staying with us this summer, whether we should ask Zoe if she’d be willing to do a presentation for the kids while she’s here. With the eagles on the island, it would be a great addition to the education program.”

  Alex smoothed the blanket and tucked it in. “You should ask her.”

  Claire tucked in her end under the mattress. “I think I will after I run it by James and your dad.”

  “I thought you were the Education Director.”

  “I am. But the camp has been struggling in this economy. James has really tightened the purse strings. I wouldn’t want to ask Zoe unless I knew what we could pay her.”

  Alex tossed a pillow with a clean pillowcase matching the sheets onto the bed and sat down. “That sounds so inconceivable to me.”

  “Why should it? Everything has been hit hard. Why should the camp be an exception?” Claire sat down next to her.

  “It’s not that.” Alex leaned on her palms and let her head fall back, remembering the time from her childhood when things changed from bliss to torment at the hands of bullies. “I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that James has anything at all to do with my family’s camp.”

  Claire stared out the window for several long moments. “I never got the chance to tell you how much I missed your brother after he died.”

  “You didn’t have to. I know how much you cared about him. Besides, I was too destroyed by what happened to hear anything that anyone said anyway.” Alex remembered shutting down to everyone and everything. “There was also the little problem of my mother insisting that I be hospitalized after Jake died. How else could she hide the last of her dirty little secrets? Me staying around would only add to the destruction of her make-believe, perfect world.” She looked at Claire. “How can you still not be angry at the people who tormented Jake, including James?”

  “Sometimes I am. But I can’t live carrying all of that anger around. I don’t think Jake would want us to either. He was the sweetest person I’ve ever known.” Claire smiled and tugged at a loose thread on the blanket. “Your brother was my first true love.”

  Alex took Claire’s hand in her own. “He loved you too.”

  “Jake was the first boy I ever kissed. I used to follow him around like a puppy after that. But things were never the same again between him and me. He’d hardly look at me, let alone talk to me.” Claire squeezed her hand. “After I found out he was gay, I would’ve settled for being just his friend.”

  The conversation reminded Alex that she wasn’t the only victim left in the wake of his death. Jake had broken Claire’s heart. She was an innocent bystander in the saga of her brother’s tormented teenaged years. “He never meant to hurt you or anyone else. Jake did the best he could under the circumstances. It all turned out to be too big for him to handle. He shut us all out, even me.”

  “You might be surprised by something I’ve realized over the years I’ve missed him.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The thing that hurt the most wasn’t that he couldn’t love me the way I loved him. It was that he wouldn’t at least trust me to be his friend while he was going through all those things at school. The bullying made him suspicious of everyone.” Claire stared down at the scuffed hardwood floor. “One time when a group of boys pushed him up against the locker and called him awful names, I tried to break it up. They let him up and laughed even more. One of them made a snide comment about a girl having to come to his rescue. Jake didn’t see that as friendship. He acted like I was the enemy too. Me trying to help only made it worse for him.”

  “It’s not what you did,” Alex said, “that made it worse. I’m the one to blame for making it unbearable for him. I talked him into telling our parents that we were both gay, remember? I’m also the one who insisted that he tell them the truth about how he was being bullied at school because of it.”

  She laughed sarcastically. “Tortured is a much better description. It turned into a complete disaster. I never dreamed my parents would react the way they did. I get that it was a shock to find out both your twins are gay, but they were still supposed to love us.”

  She stood and went to the window, opened it, and gazed out at the lake through the screen. The horizon shimmered in the heat. “It’s why I don’t want to see my mother. The things she said to him are unforgivable.” She shook her head. “She may as well have been the one to kill Jake while my father sat back and let it happen.”

  “They didn’t know how else to act. I wish you could understand that,” Claire said. “They weren’t perfect, but the whole thing turned out to be too big for them as well. I’m not making excuses for them. I’m only asking whether you can find a way to forgive them.”

  Alex turned back around to face her. Anger at the question simmered inside of her. “I was a kid and so was Jake. They were the adults. Our parents were supposed to protect us no matter what, yet all my mother could think about was how people would look at her. My father’s only concern seemed to be the same as it’s always been: placate my mother and protect the camp at all cost. They were worse than any of the kids at school. I’ll never forgive them for that. Sometimes I don’t feel anything at all for them other than anger and disappointment.”

  Claire rose to her feet. “They’re your parents. You don’t really mean that. I’ve known them my whole life. Your father is one of the most generous and kindhearted people I know. He’s not perfect, though. None of us are. Not even our parents.”

  “I do mean it.” Alex considered her father’s reputation, not only in Glasgow, but in the entire state of Maine. People loved him. He was always the first to donate time and money to causes that helped the disenfranchised. The camp itself had become a beacon of hope for so many who had nothing but the inspiration it gave them to strive for a better life by respecting others and nature, staying in school, and working hard. The absurdity of the distinction between Daniel Marcotte the man versus Daniel Marcotte the father infuriated her. How dare he choose what the world thought of him over his son and daughter? “Those things don’t matter to me anymore without Jake.”

  A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

  “Come in.” Claire took a step toward the door.

  Bob Kiln ambled into the room. “Ms. Claire, the supplies you ordered just arrived. Where do you want me to put them for now?” He spoke to Claire as if Alex weren’t in the room.

  Claire must’ve picked up on that too. “Alex is planning on helping me with putting together some of the education programs this summer. What do you think, Alex? Should we have them placed in the workshop for now until we can organize the classroom? It’s a summer’s worth of stuff. I’m sure there are lots of boxes to sort through.”

  “That makes sense.” Alex looked at Bob, who averted his eyes.

  “Sure.” Bob backed out of the room.

  Claire shut the door behind him. “I’m sorry about that. The man has no manners.”

  “I don’t think it has anything to do with lack of manners. I expected people like him would still look at me as if I were from another planet. Or avoid me altogether. I’m still the remaining half of that scary pair of gay twins from Glasgow.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but this town and the rest of Maine have come a really long way. It’s definitely not as bad as it was.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s not the only strike against me. They all think I’m crazy on top of it. For a lot of people that’s even scarier.”

  “Did you ever stop to think that what you’re doing is the same thing your mother did?”

  “What on earth are you talking about?” Alex bristled at the notion that she was in any way like her mother.

  “Sounds to me like you’re spending an awful lot of time worrying about what other people think.”

  Alex grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Claire. �
��I’m glad you’re a teacher.”

  “Yeah, why is that?”

  “Because you are one of the smartest people I know.”

  Claire tossed the pillow back at her. “What else do we need to do to get this room ready for Zoe?”

  Alex glanced around. “It’s all set. Thanks for your help and for the company.”

  “You’re welcome. It felt like old times. When will Zoe be here?”

  “Tomorrow morning sometime.”

  “Good. Once she gets settled and I can get the go-ahead, I’ll ask her about that presentation. I really do think it’s a huge opportunity for us to have her here. I have a good feeling about it. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

  “Should I give her a heads-up?” Alex asked.

  “Yeah, that would be great.” Claire embraced her. “I really am happy to see you again.”

  Emotions swam around inside Alex. She lingered in the circle of her old friend’s arms and longed for the time before her world collapsed. It was as if she could see it but couldn’t touch it through the wall of hurt and anger. “Thank you for still being such a good friend.”

  “I always will be,” Claire said. “Nothing will ever change that. I know Jake can never be replaced. But maybe someday, you’ll consider me more of a sister as well as a friend. I love you, Alex.”

  “I love you too. You’re bossy, opinionated, and a good friend, the true makings of a sister.” Alex returned the hug.

  Chapter 6

  Zoe took off her sweatshirt and hung it over the back of the desk chair in the Wildlife and Fisheries’ southwest field headquarters office in Lewiston. The first Monday in June had arrived, accompanied by an early summer heat wave. “You’d think it was July instead of the beginning of June,” she said. “It’s so freaking hot out already, and it’s not even eight in the morning yet.”

  “Doesn’t look like there’s any letup in sight either,” Rob said, “according to the long-term weather forecasts. We need some rain, and soon.” He poured coffee into a cup with the department logo printed on it. “This is turning out to be a pretty sweet assignment for you this summer. You get to be in the field for three months straight and stay in some cushy digs while you’re at it.”

  “I don’t know how cushy it’ll be. It’s a summer camp for kids, remember?” Zoe put some pencils into the shoulder bag resting on her desk. “The place is going to be crawling with loud, wiggly kids. Not my cup of tea.”

  “Ah, but the lovely Alex Marcotte will be around.”

  “Yeah. So?” Zoe rifled through her desk drawer. “Do you have any extra field notebooks? I can’t find any.”

  Rob pulled two unused notebooks from the top shelf above his desk. “I still can’t believe Bastone offered to have you stay there.”

  “He has an ulterior motive, which is to keep an eye on me. What doesn’t make sense, though, is that it’s a zero sum game because I’ll get to keep an eye on him at the same time.”

  “You’ll have to pay attention for clues as to whether he has a more nefarious plan for keeping you around, then.” Rob tapped the end of a pencil on his desk. “I have a favor to ask.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Since you’re likely going to see Alex often, would you mind scoping her out for me? You know, things like whether she’s got a boyfriend or a husband?”

  Zoe stopped packing her shoulder bag and gave Rob a look. “I’m going to study the eagle pair, not find you a girlfriend. Besides, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I got a vibe.”

  “You got a vibe. How come whenever a beautiful girl is in the picture, you get a vibe?”

  Zoe slid the strap of the bag on her shoulder and hoisted it off the desk. “You wouldn’t understand, and I don’t have time to explain it. By the way, a more precise term is ‘woman,’ not girl. It’s probably why you don’t have one.”

  “You’re just trying to throw me off the trail so you can have Alex all to yourself.” He studied her a moment. “Are you taking the kitchen sink with you? Your bag is bulging at the seams.”

  “Now you’re starting to annoy me. I don’t have anything more than you’d carry. My bag just looks bigger on me than on anyone else. We have this conversation all the time.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “As for Alex, I’m too busy chasing after wildlife to be chasing after women on either your or my behalf, for that matter. Not to mention, a beautiful woman like her, even if she is gay, would pay about as much attention to me as she would you.”

  “Did the always self-assured Zoe Kimball just show me her insecure side? Gasp.” Rob put the back of his hand to his forehead.

  Zoe playfully mimed punching him in the stomach. “I’m going to show you my cranky side if you don’t get out of my way.” She glanced at her watch. “I told Alex—I mean, Ms. Marcotte—I’d be there early this morning.”

  “Do you need any help getting your kayak secured to the top of your truck?”

  “No, everything’s ready to go once you stop pestering me.”

  The District Manager, Tom Holder, stuck his head out his office doorway. “Good, you two are still here. We have a problem with the Stetson Road nest over at Limerick Pond that can’t wait. I know you’re heading out to meet the Marcottes this morning, but it’s an emergency.”

  “What’s going on?” Zoe asked.

  “A brush fire broke out last night that the local firefighting crew is having a tough time containing. It’s already burned about eighteen acres and is headed straight for the nest. They’ve called for more help, but you might need to get the eaglet out of the tree until they can get the fire extinguished.”

  Rob grabbed his keys and department baseball cap from his desk. “We can take my truck, Zoe, since yours is loaded with your boat and equipment.”

  “Good, I’ll meet you out front. I have to grab my climbing gear,” Zoe said. “Tom, would you mind calling the camp and letting them know I’ll be late? The number’s on my desk there.”

  “No problem.” Tom took a cell phone out of his vest pocket and picked up the sticky note with the number. “Listen, I don’t want you up in that tree unless it’s safe to climb. I’ll trust your judgment, but I’m asking you to use it wisely.” He dialed the number and put the phone to his ear. “Be careful, Zoe.” He turned toward his office, saying into the phone, “Mr. Marcotte, please.”

  Chapter 7

  The drive took a little more than an hour. Although the site of the fire was only fifteen miles from field headquarters, once they turned off Route 121, Zoe and Rob traveled over a winding dirt road that meandered through hilly, forested property owned by a local logging company.

  Zoe smelled the heavy smoke before she saw it. The smoke lodged in her nose and chest, making it hard to breathe, and they hadn’t even reached the location of the fire.

  Rob accelerated the truck up a steep section of road. At the top of the rise, the flames came into view. A wall of fire thirty-feet high and stretching across approximately a hundred feet roared toward them. Thick, black smoke spewed into the air and blew directly over the nest area. Cinders shot out randomly ahead of the fire, bolstering its spread.

  If the fire wasn’t stopped and the wind continued to blow in that direction, the tree that held the nest would soon be consumed. A small fire burned ahead of the larger one. Burning embers carried by the wind must have started it. “I have to get that eaglet out of the nest now.”

  Rob pulled up alongside several other trucks that included two fire tanker trucks loaded with water. Men and a few women wearing firefighting gear scrambled around. They were shouting about a plan for digging a trench with a tractor currently being unloaded and setting a backfire in the hope of stopping the momentum of the main blaze.

  “The fire’s too close,” Rob said. “We won’t have time to set the ropes so you can get up and back down the tree before the fire reaches it. We’re going to have to let the eaglet go and hope they can stop the fire before
it burns the nest.”

  “The eaglet will suffocate first. I’m going up to get it, and I’m not going to use ropes. I’ll use my climbing spurs instead.”

  “Are you out of your mind? Not only could you fall, but you might suffocate too.”

  “That’s why you’re going to go sweet talk one of those firefighters into letting me use an oxygen tank while I get my gear ready.”

  Rob twisted in the driver’s seat to face her directly. “I hope you live long enough to get fired.”

  “I hope you’ll stop talking and get me what I need so I can get that eaglet out of the tree.”

  He shoved his door open. On the way out, he asked, “Do you have any idea how bad an idea this is?”

  “Do you have a better idea besides arguing with me while that bird dies?”

  Zoe hopped out of the cab and climbed onto the back bumper to retrieve her gear bag. Smoke filled her lungs and made her cough. She unzipped the bag and rummaged for a bandana. When she found it, she tied it around her mouth to keep the smoke out. She zipped the bag closed and slipped the strap over her shoulder. Carrying the heavy bag, she jogged toward the tree with the nest. The little bit of exertion combined with the hot wind and difficulty breathing left her drenched in sweat.

  When she got to the tree, she threw the bag down on the ground next to a large boulder and quickly unpacked her back saddle with harness, climbing spurs, leg straps, and an eight-foot-long steel core flipline. She hadn’t used this gear in a while and didn’t have a whole lot of time to inspect it.

  She ran her bare hands along the length of the flipline feeling for nicks and checked the edges of the spikes. The flipline appeared to be in good shape, but the spikes could use sharpening. This was one time she felt fortunate to be small. If she were any heavier, it would make climbing on dull spikes that much more hazardous.

  She glanced up into the tree’s healthy looking branches and wished she didn’t have to climb it with the spurs. She only used climbing spurs on trees that were already dead because of the damage they caused to bark, but if the fire couldn’t be stopped, this tree would surely die anyway. At least she could try to save the eaglet.