Where the Forest Meets the Star - Glendy Vanderah Page 0,17

the prettiest bird I’ve seen on Earth so far.”

They checked the next nest, which had four eggs. After that was a white-eyed vireo nest. Vireos weren’t Jo’s target species, but she took data on any nest she found. The nest was still active with three vireo nestlings and one cowbird nestling, and on the way back to the car Jo told Ursa about brown-headed cowbirds and how they laid their eggs in the nests of other birds, called “hosts,” that raised them.

“Why don’t cowbirds want to take care of their own babies?” Ursa asked.

“By laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, they can make lots more babies because other birds do all the work. In nature, the winner is the one that produces the most young.”

“Are the vireos mad about raising the cowbird babies?”

“They don’t know they’re raising cowbirds. They get tricked into doing it. And often the host’s babies don’t get enough food because cowbird nestlings are bigger, grow faster, and cry louder for food. Sometimes the host species’ nestlings die.”

“Will the vireo babies die?”

“They looked okay. Their parents are doing a good job of keeping everyone fed.”

Ursa stalled getting in the car to look at the last nest. She stopped to look at flowers, asked Jo about a beetle, and pretended to be fascinated by a rock she found in the weeds. Ursa remained preoccupied with the rock in her hand while they drove to the last nest, passing Egg Man’s lane on the way. They left the car, but before Ursa had time to read the flagging tape, a white Suburban with a university plate drove around the bend. From behind the wheel, white-haired Dr. Shaw Daniels waved at Jo. He parked behind her car and ducked his lanky body out the door. “Working at this late hour?”

“It isn’t late,” Jo said. “It’s only six o’clock. I didn’t expect you until closer to eight.”

“The last session was canceled because of food poisoning.”

“You’re kidding?”

He shook his head. “It was something people ate at the reception the night before.”

Jo looked through the open driver’s side door at Tanner, seated in the back of the Suburban with Carly Aquino. The guilt in his returned gaze was obvious, as was his attempt to hide it behind a smarmy smile. What had Jo ever liked about him other than his pretty face? She looked away from him, at Leah Fisher in the front passenger seat. “Did any of you get sick?”

“We’re all okay,” Leah said.

“Fortunately, we didn’t stay at the reception for long,” Shaw said, “because we had dinner with John Townsend and two of his students.” He kept glancing at Ursa. “And who is this?” he asked.

“Ursa lives around here. I was showing her how I monitor nests.”

“Nice to meet you, Ursa,” he said. “I’m Shaw. What do you have there?”

“It’s a rock with pink crystals in it,” Ursa said.

“Cool,” Shaw said, his gaze falling to the flip-flops that dwarfed the girl’s feet.

“She was barefoot,” Jo said. “I loaned her those so she wouldn’t hurt her feet. Are you hungry?”

“Very,” Shaw said. “All we had for lunch was a few chips in the car.”

“Good. Go up to the house and have a beer while I check this last nest.”

“Did I hear the word beer?” Tanner called from inside the car.

“You did,” Jo said. “Lots of it. The door to the house is unlocked.”

As Shaw drove away, Jo hiked toward the bunting nest, her worries about Ursa momentarily erased by Tanner’s apparent guilt. An awkward conversation was at hand, and considering what a coward Tanner was, he’d prolong the tension for as long as possible.

Fierce barks sounded down the road. Jo had never heard the half-grown dog bark like that, but it had to be him. “Damn it, the dog is going at them,” she said.

“He won’t hurt them,” Ursa said.

“How do you know? He’s defending the Kinney house like he lives there. I should never have let you bring him onto the porch.”

“I’ll teach him not to bark.”

“You’ll take him off the property . . . when you leave.”

The barking hadn’t stopped. Jo hurried in the direction of the last nest.

“Shaw is nice,” Ursa said behind her.

“He is, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make you go home.”

“I don’t have a home here!”

Jo stopped walking and faced her. “Don’t even think about telling him you’re from another planet. Don’t tell any of them that. Do you understand?”

6

Lightning glimmered in distant southern clouds. “I hope that’s heat lightning,” Jo said.