Zeke narrowed his eyes. Mitch was probably the nicest of his cousins, but he still had Landry blood. That meant he would connive and manipulate to get what he wanted, if needed. “You’re not going to the penguin enclosure either.”
“But, Zeke—”
“Look, these penguins are endangered. They’re part of a special program and they need to breed and lay some eggs. We have no idea how much all of this disruption is going to upset them. They lost their primary caregiver and have now been moved halfway across the country to a completely new environment. They need to get used to Jillian, they need to get used to the new enclosure, they need some time to adjust. If they don’t and they don’t have any baby penguins, the species could become extinct. There are only six hundred breeding pairs in the world. And they only lay a couple of eggs at a time and only lay eggs like three times a year!”
Everyone around the table was staring at him now.
After a moment Tori asked, “Did Jillian teach you all of that?”
“Some of it. I looked some of it up. But these birds are definitely in danger, you guys. No fucking around. If Jill thinks they need to be left alone for a few days then we’re all gonna fucking leave them alone.”
The mix of expressions around the table would’ve been comical if he was more laid back about the subject. But he wasn’t. These people needed to just chill the fuck out. And they could. He knew that. They were all good people with good intentions. They just needed to understand why they were being asked to do what they were being asked to do.
Which, yes, he realized Jill might find humorous if she heard it considering he was the guy who just wanted to be told what to do and didn’t think he needed to know all the explanations.
But dammit…now that he knew why the penguins mattered to her—and even more than because of their endangered status and her big heart, but the whole backstory—he realized that the whys did matter. He wasn’t as laid back as he thought he was. At least not about everything.
“You feel strongly about this,” Charlie finally commented.
“We should all feel strongly about this,” he said, as he looked around the table with a serious stare. “All of us have had a negative impact on our planet, and this is our chance to do something to help right the balance.” He pointed his index finger at each of them individually, then said, “So, stay the fuck away from the penguins until Jill says it’s all right.”
Finally, they all nodded.
“Okay, we’ll stay away for now,” Zander said.
“But you should know, Knox is getting phone calls from the community about when they can all go see the penguins,” Charlie said.
“Well, Knox needs to tell the community that he doesn’t know when or if they’re going to be able to see the penguins. Maybe Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild needs to make a statement about the penguins,” Zeke said. “Something to the effect that we are helping give them a sanctuary and protecting them so that we can help make a positive impact on the Galápagos penguin population, but that they may not become a regular exhibit as a part of the animal park. We can include some education about the penguins. Help everyone understand.”
Charlie and Griffin shared a glance.
Finally, Charlie sighed. “Fine.”
Griffin looked pleased. He met Zeke’s gaze. “I’ve been trying to explain that if we’re going to be open to bringing in threatened and vulnerable animals, whether they are endangered populations or they are just injured like the bear and wolf that Donovan is working with now, we have to be willing to keep some of them out of public view and we have to have a plan for communicating that with the community and visitors.”
Donovan and Bailey had been working closely together. Bailey was often called to help rescue and remove injured wildlife and now that Donovan was right here in Autre, he was usually her first call when an animal needed some additional care before it was released.
Since he’d been here, he’d worked with a fox, an eagle, and now had a bear and a wolf. Those animals were definitely set to be re-released into the wild and had been kept separate from the animal park exhibits but they’d kept the community and interested audience updated via the website.
“Yes, we should consider the penguins a lot like the bear,” Zeke said. “They need time to rehabilitate and get used to their new environment and then they need to have some baby penguins before we know if they’re going to be successful here or not.”
Tori gave him a smile. “We?”
Zeke realized that he used the term ‘we’ but yeah, he felt it. He was invested here. Did it have anything to do with Jill’s silky dark hair, her gorgeous ass, and her dirty mouth? Maybe. But she’d reeled him in with the knowledge and love she had for the penguins and, frankly, their plight. Someone had to care about these animals. It might as well be all of them.
“Yeah, we. We’re in a great position to do something here. We have the space, we have the enclosures, we have the knowledge collectively, and we can keep them all safe. If Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild becomes part animal park and part animal sanctuary, what’s wrong with that?”
Tori nodded, then looked at Griffin, who seemed pleased. Even Charlie nodded.
“Fine,” she said. “I mean, the penguins would sell a ton of tickets. But I get it. And it’s still great PR for the business if we’re taking care of the penguins for all the right reasons. Even if people can’t actually see them.”
Zeke shook his head, but smiled at his cousin. “There you go. I knew you’d come around.”
Charlie regarded him as if she was trying to figure something out. “I wasn’t under the impression you’re giving me an option to not come around.”
“You’re right.”
If he had to physically keep his own family members away from the penguins for the time being…or permanently, for that matter…he’d do it.
Jillian Morris had an ally and an advocate. Whether she wanted one or not.
Zeke didn’t see Jill again for three days.
And when he did, it was out of his kitchen window, and clearly quite accidentally.
Of course, he also took note of the fact that she was dressed in a short tank top and panties. And nothing else. And that she was standing on the edge of her porch, holding a laundry basket, and looking around wildly as if she had no idea what to do.
He was through his house, out his front door, and down his front porch before he even thought about it.
“Are you okay?”
She whipped around to face him. “There’s another alligator in my yard!”
Zeke glanced toward the side yard between her house and Zander’s. Sure enough, Chuck was sunning himself on the rocks alongside Zander’s driveway.
“But he’s clear over there.”
“He’s between me and Zander’s house.”
“So what?” He strode across her grass and leapt from the ground to her porch.
“Well specifically, he’s between my laundry and Zander’s washer and dryer.”
“You’re going over there to use Zander’s washer and dryer?”
She nodded. “He came over the other day and asked if there was anything I needed. I told him the only thing I didn’t have that I needed was a washer and dryer and he offered his. He leaves his back door unlocked all the time too.” She rolled her eyes.