even…
“Ms. Morris?”
It took her a moment to realize they’d stopped. She blinked.
The room they stood in looked like what she would assume an indoor in-home swimming pool would look like. It was a large open area with two glass walls that overlooked the property. A property that was just as gorgeous as the rest of the house.
There was emerald grass, tons of trees that were starting to change color now that it was early September, and numerous bushes and a gorgeous flower garden. But that wasn’t the most stunning thing.
What she couldn’t believe was the dirt, sand, rocks, and greenery inside the enclosure. Along with the man-made swimming pool, with its very own waterfall. And then of course the inhabitants of the area.
Penguins.
There were penguins in this room.
Five of them that she could see.
Real, live penguins.
Jill was barely aware of Christine and Mathias coming into the room and joining William at the small, waist-high gate that separated the doorway from the rest of the enclosure. The penguins were nowhere near the gate. And why would they be? They wouldn’t want to escape this room. It had everything they needed. It was a penguin paradise.
“I didn’t know that penguins didn’t need ice and snow until I met A.J.,” Mathias said.
So Mathias had known about the penguins. She assumed Christine had as well. She took care of the house, after all. Not that Christine looked to be the type of woman who probably routinely got into the penguin enclosure. Plus knowing A.J., he’d done all the hands-on work. This wasn’t just a penguin paradise, this was an A.J. paradise.
Then what Mathias said truly sunk in. Of course, Jill knew not all penguins need ice and snow. In fact, there were more species of penguins that lived in warmer climates than cold. But these penguins were specifically Galápagos penguins. Not only were they tropical penguins, but they were one of the most endangered species on the planet.
She knew they were A.J.’s favorites. These penguins were the reason he’d traveled to the Galápagos Islands the first time. He and Jill had talked at length about his trips.
But he’d never brought up the fact that he actually owned Galápagos penguins.
How did that even work? How did a guy come to own an endangered species and keep them in his house?
She looked at William. “A.J. is leaving me his penguins?”
“All eight of them.”
Her eyes widened and she looked back out over the penguin enclosure. She only saw three now. “There are eight?”
“Six adults and two juveniles.”
“Are any of them breeding pairs?” Jill asked, perking up. Penguins mated for life. If the penguins had laid viable eggs and hatched new penguins in captivity with A.J., that was huge.
“Yes, three pairs.”
“And the babies are theirs?”
“No.”
Jill deflated slightly.
“But A.J., and all of this, is part of a program where some wealthy investors with interest in wildlife conservation have each taken in a group of penguins. They are experimenting to see what private sanctuaries can do for preservation and propagation.”
Jill blew out a breath. “But what am I going to do with them? Am I leaving them here?” She looked at Christine. “This is your house now. Are we working together to keep the penguins here in this sanctuary?”
That was her immediate reaction and her first concern. These were not just eight horses. They really weren’t even just eight penguins. They were a penguin species that was vulnerable and threatened. All penguins needed protection, but the Galápagos penguin population in particular had dwindled.
In the back of her mind, Jill understood why A.J. had left the penguins to her. It was rare to come across someone who shared such a passion for penguins. She knew that well.
She’d been in love with the bird since she’d been eight years old and A.J. was the first person she’d found, including other veterinarians, who truly felt the same love and dedication to the birds she did. She understood now why he had been so excited to meet her and why he had continued their relationship over the past four years. But why hadn’t he told her about these penguins? Why hadn’t he told her he had a whole sanctuary here? Why hadn’t he warned her that he would need someone to care for them when the time came?
Okay, the last part wasn’t such a big deal. He had to know that there was no reason for her to turn down the request. Now that she knew about the penguins, even if she didn’t know