led him into the enclosure.
Zeke pulled up short as he stepped past the gate and took in the sight. He knew every inch of this place, but it was suddenly brand new to him. Because of the eight penguins….penguins… hopping all over the rocks and grass and sand he’d installed.
“Wow.”
Jill took his hand and tugged him toward the penguin house that would let them onto the island. “Come on. You can’t pet them from over here.”
“I really can pet them?” he asked, following her eagerly.
“A couple of them. The others aren’t really into that. Yet anyway.” She led him through the building that gave the birds a temperature controlled place to hang out if the Louisiana weather got too hot or too cold for them. “Penguins aren’t naturally that social with other species, including humans. But they get used to those who feed them, of course.” She shot him a smile. “And they’re very social with one another.”
They stepped out of the building onto the island.
Jill stepped around the rocks and past a few of the penguins, heading for a flatter area. He noted there was a blanket spread out, a wide-brimmed hat, and a book and pen lying there.
“So you just hang out in here?”
She nodded. “They need to get used to me being around. Just a regular, normal, non-threatening part of their environment.”
“How’s it going?”
She took a seat on the blanket and he dropped down beside her.
She looked at him. “No idea.”
“What?”
“I have no idea how it’s going. I sit here and hang out and make notes about what they’re doing. I feed them. I clean the enclosure. I talk to them. Then I’ll go hours without talking to them. I leave the enclosure entirely and sit in my office. And…I have no idea what the right thing is.”
A penguin waddled over. It cocked its head, studying Zeke.
Zeke realized he was holding his breath, hoping the little thing would come closer. If he was being completely honest, he wanted it to hop into his lap.
It didn’t. But it didn’t run from him either.
He blew out his breath.
Jill gave him a sweet smile. “You can touch him if you want.”
“Really?”
“Reach out gently. Just a couple of fingers to start.” She showed him what she meant, stroking the penguin from his head down his back.
Zeke did it, realizing he was grinning like a little kid. He didn’t care. This was cool.
“He’s slippery.”
“Yeah, their feathers are waterproof. They’re not as soft as most people think.”
“They fit in down here though, smelling like fish the way they do.”
She laughed. “I guess they do. You’re all pretty used to that smell?”
“For sure.”
The penguin waddled off and Jill and Zeke sat watching them all for a few minutes without talking.
“Okay, so you’ve heard all about my passion for penguins. What’s your passion?” she asked.
He looked at her, a little surprised. But he answered easily. “Giving people homes.”
“Building houses?”
“Yeah, but more than that,” he said. “Taking a house and turning it into a home. I figure if everybody had a place they liked to go, where they could be themselves and feel totally comfortable and safe, the world would be a happier place.”
She just looked at him for a several beats. Zeke let her look. It wasn’t complicated.
Finally, she said, “Like what you did for the penguins.”
“What you did for the penguins.”
“Okay, what we did.”
“Okay. But yeah. The idea is to give them a place where they have everything they need, feel totally secure, and can relax, be comfortable, and live their best life.”
“That’s really nice.”
He narrowed his eyes. “It’s why it’s very important to me that people answer my emails about what kind of drawer pulls they want and what color they want their bedrooms painted.”
“Oh my God, enough already.”
He laughed. “Though I’m starting to figure you out, Kansas. I just need to make your house look like a penguin enclosure. Then you’d be happy, right?”
She looked around. “Well…”
He shook his head. “Be honest. There has to be something you care about having in your house.”
“Okay…I like the shower you put in. The bedroom is gorgeous. Actually, all of it is gorgeous. You’re obviously good at what you do.”
“Thank you.” He was. It was just a fact.
“But I guess I can be comfortable in a lot of different places. Décor doesn’t matter that much. Or amenities.” She drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “I think I actually try not to attach too much to a place. I don’t want a