Courage Under Fire (Silver Creek #2) - Lindsay McKenna Page 0,29

times, loving it. I thought the movie, which I saw much later, was not up to the book at all.”

“Indeed,” Jenny said. “But the idea of a Shangri-La truly fits Silver Creek Valley. I believe Mr. Hilton tapped into an archetypal dream that we all have about a place that gets along with everyone, regardless of gender, skin color, or religion. I think most people in the world ache for that kind of place.” She lifted her hand. “And I think you’ll find a lot of it here, in Silver Creek Valley. When they first started settling this area in the mid-1800s, it was wild and untamed. Everyone had to work together to survive, and then they thrived. It has been that way from one generation to the next. I just love being here.”

“Then, you’re not upset that Chase is hiring me? That I’m dragging in the threat of a stepbrother who wants to kill me?”

“Heavens, no, lass. I don’t know what I’d do if my sister had it in for me! I admire your courage and survival sense. Even more, I relish your honesty and putting the lives of people who are around you, first, not last. That speaks to your quality.”

“Good,” Cari whispered, once again relieved by the openness and the care strangers were bestowing upon her. “Thank you, Jenny. Thank you for your support and understanding.”

“Let’s move on, then.” She rose and placed her empty cup aside. “Come with me and we’ll visit our raptor area first, since you have a background in it.”

Cari openly admired that the complex reminded her vividly of Roslin Wildlife Center. The whole area was laid out in four different modules. One was raptors and birds of all kinds. The second was the veterinary surgery and recuperation area. The third was a vet area for all other injured animals, whether wild or domestic. The fourth was a huge conference and training facility for visiting veterinarians and students who worked there in the summers, supplementing their knowledge of animals.

Outside the facility, Jenny showed her the raptor area. It consisted of flat, hard-packed dirt ovals where raptors could fly and be trained if they couldn’t overcome their injuries or be released into the wild. Here, they learned how to become a “made” raptor and they became part of a weekly show, and also part of the roving raptor program to schools around the county.

There was another training area for younger raptors to learn how to fly and hit a moving target that a falconer whirled above her or his head. The cages were huge for the eagles, fresh water in bowls, and every morning, a large plastic pan with tepid, clean water put into each unit, so the bird could take a bath, if they chose to do so. In another area was a lot made of fine sand, where birds could “dust” themselves to rid themselves of unseen mites, the sand removing them from their feathers. It was, for Cari, a Shangri-La for the raptors, clean, well-kept, and safety measures in place for the birds.

As they stood outside in the warming sunshine, Cari looked around and said, “I swear, this place is almost an exact copy of Roslin.”

Tittering, Jenny said, “Aye, lass, it is.”

“And you’ll be here for two more years?” she asked. Jenny wore a set of brown coveralls, black rubber boots up to just below her knees, and a thick black nylon jacket that fell to her hips. On her head she wore a dark green baseball cap with the Three Bars logo on the front of it.

“Yes.”

“Do you miss Scotland? Being home with your parents?”

“Very much, but when Mary and Chase handed me a dream come true, using Roslin as a template for the very best a wildlife center could be, and setting it here in the USA, I couldn’t say no. Besides”—and she smiled fondly—“I go home for three months from November through January, every year.”

“That’s wonderful,” Cari said.

“It’s a dream job. What they allowed me to do here is a template that has already taken flight here in the United States. Did you know we are building facilities in Pensacola, Florida, Alexandria, Virginia, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, right now? I’m overseeing them, as well, so even though I’m here on the ranch, I’m frequently flying out and around the US, working with construction superintendents, the people who will be running it, and giving them information they need.”

“You are really busy!” Cari said, admiring her even more. “Do you ever