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She sounded so wistful that he didn’t have the heart to say no
“Tell o”
“Surely you have soht A date?”
“Why, Phoebe, are you fishing to find out about my love life?”
She rewarded him with a blush “No”
“I have no plans I’d like to see these tuxedo-wearing birds”
“Then you need to turn around and head the other direction”
“Yes, ma’am”
CHAPTER FIVE
PHOEBE HADN’T BEEN to Phillip Island in years She still had the picture her father had taken of her standing next to the penguinhad been expanded andadded
Ryan found a space and pulled into it “I’lad we ate e did I haven’t seen any place to do so in miles”
“I was hungry, too”
Inside the welcome center they were directed outside In another hour it would be dark They followed the paved path that zigged and zagged doard the beach Other peoplethe way
“What’s that noise?” Ryan asked
“That’s the baby chicks”
He looked around “Where are they?”
Phoebe placed a hand on his arrass embankment “They’re in there Watch for a second and you’ll catch a glimpse of them”
A grin came to Ryan’s lips “I see one”
“The penguin’sand spend all day hunting food They return each night to feed the young and do it all over again the next day Fifty kilometers or farther”
“Every day?” Ryan asked in an incredulous tone
“Yes The ocean is overfished so they have to go farther and farther It’s pretty a what parents will do for their children”
Ryan looked at her “Are you scared?”
“Sohtened, mad, then protective It has been better here lately” She left off because of you
“So it takes both parents to find enough food?”
“They are partners for life”
Ryan looked off toward the ocean and didn’t say anything
Had shefroh for the baby That I can’t be both mother and father”
“I think you’ll do just fine Your baby will grow up happy and loved Let’s head on down”
Phoebe didn’t immediately move Did he think she expected hiht he’d be around when the baby came? Would take Joshua’s place? She wouldn’t force co for someone anted to spend ti Soly be there for her and her baby
She started walking but at a slower pace
They walked in silence around a couple of turns before Ryan said, “Whew, the s”
“There are thousands of s in this bank”
“Really?” Ryan leaned over the rail and peered down “I don’t see them”
“Most are asleep right now When they wake up you can see their heads stick out There is one small nest after another”
“Everywhere”
Phoebe chuckled It was fun to be around when Ryan experienced soet such enjoyment and wonderment from it It made her see it the same way “Yes, they are everywhere”
“If you had told me about this I wouldn’t have believed it”
“You haven’t seen the best yet Coood seat”
“Seat for what?”
“To watchthe walk
When she tried to let his hand go he hung on tighter She relaxed and reveled in the feeling of having so contact with her
“What do you mean?”
“We have to go down to the beach There are grandstands”
“Like bleachers?”
“Come on, I’ll show you”