Under Her Wing

By Iris Forester

Felice has just moved to a beautiful Island in the Pacific Northwest and is excited to start a new chapter of life — Middle-aged is the new prime-of-life after all! Although she is missing her caregiving role after seeing her niece, whom she raised, off to college. But as luck would have it, when she’s tending her new garden one day, she is startled by the sound of mewling kittens! This turn of events launches her into a relationship with the community animal shelter as a foster pet-mother, and a rivalry with her mysterious neighbor who has taken issue with her new rescue cat project.

Rudy just wants a quiet existence, tending his garden and enjoying the peace of being out of the city — and far away from his troubled past. He is annoyed by his irresponsible neighbor, just letting her cats roam and hunt as they please. Doesn’t she know cats are destroying ecosystems and driving species of birds to extinction? Even if she is beautiful… and has that alluring voice… singing in her garden… like a siren’s call— No! That’s beside the point. She needs to get the cat situation under control.

When Felice and Rudy end up stranded together, due to a ferry mishap (I swear it happens more than you think!) their chemistry is undeniable, and sparks fly. What seems like a burgeoning romance, however, is short-lived… these two just can’t communicate, and one too many misunderstandings and lies by omission poison the romance before it even begins. Secrets and lies can ruin lives, even when the intentions are good.

Will these two potential lovebirds be able to find that spark again and trust one another? Or will their potential love — forgive me — go extinct.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Shorts
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094434988

Iris Forester

Iris Forester is never happier than when she’s tossed everything aside to follow one of the story threads that cross her path. She shares her home place with eagles, ravens and owls — but also makes time every year to spend in New York City. When she’s not writing, Iris works with paint, clay, and various difficult creatures.

Book preview

Chapter One

Felice Tobin stared at the stove in frustration. She had tried turning every knob, even the one for the broiler, and was rewarded each time with only a hissing of gas. Now she had to open the kitchen window to air the place out. Rain spattered down outside, and the grey dampness seemed to creep into her new house and take possession of it. The hot cup of coffee she’d been anticipating disappeared like a mirage. When Felice had toured this house, before buying it, the real estate agent had turned on the stove to show that it worked. It couldn’t have totally broken in the short time since then, she thought, but maybe the electronic ignition had come disconnected. Felice did a mental search of all her moving boxes to see if she had brought any matches, but she drew a blank. She wasn’t a smoker, and hadn’t packed any candles along, so there was nothing at hand that would produce flames.

Shivering, she told herself that settling-in problems were normal when you moved. She wasn’t going to let herself lapse into self-pity. After all, she could drive into town inside of ten minutes. Her new house might be country-ish, but it wasn’t as if she’d moved into the wilderness.

Propelled by determination and the need for morning caffeine, Felice headed into her bedroom. Her clothing was still in boxes, and it took a few minutes of rummaging before she located her thickest pair of blue jeans and a stiff new flannel shirt. She pulled a heavy fisherman’s sweater over the flannel shirt, and grimaced at the idea that one had to dress this way in June. She hoped she could learn to love the Pacific Northwest.

As unfortunate as the stove problem was, it did give her an excuse to find a good breakfast spot. She hadn’t explored the town of Salmon Bay yet, or Granite Island, on which it was located. Yesterday she had driven ahead of the moving truck, straight off the ferry and through town without stopping. By evening, finally alone in her new house with all her things piled around her, she’d been too tired to even think about going anywhere. She had just eaten the sandwiches and fruit she’d packed in her bag, and then used the last of her energy to make up the bed. It was her very first night in the house. The land around her was so quiet that she could almost hear her own ears ring, and she thought of the fields extending away from her toward the patch of woods in the back. Shutting out the looming sense of isolation, she got into bed and began streaming a movie. She had fallen asleep within fifteen minutes.

Now, it was morning. Not exactly bright and cheerful without a stove to make coffee on, but morning nonetheless. Felice had all the time in the world to begin learning about the town of Salmon Bay, and the whole of the Island. Scooping up her car keys, she began to feel a trace of optimism. Once she got into Salmon Bay, she’d look on her phone to find a a restaurant to try.

Her optimism was short-lived. When she reached her car, she discovered the hatchback still sitting a few inches open, the way she’d absent-mindedly left it the night before. The last few inches of upholstery in the back were soaked from the rain, but that wasn’t the worst problem. With a sinking feeling, she got in and turned the ignition key. Silence. The interior light had used up all the juice in her old battery. For a few minutes, she forgot her resolution against self-pity. This kind of stupid thing wasn’t supposed to happen to you at the age of 43. Was she just hopelessly immature?

Miserably, she considered her options. Salmon Bay was too small a town for any food delivery apps to work here, and she really REALLY did not want to deal with her insurance company’s roadside assistance routine before she’d had coffee. A couple raindrops found their way under her collar, and she pressed the thick knit against them to stop the trickling. Ugh. She looked up and down the tiny country road, but only one house was in sight. It had lights on inside it, though, and after some hesitation, she made her way over to it. All she needed to do was borrow some matches or a lighter. Then she could light the burners of her stove and get herself coffee’d and fed before dealing with her car.

The neighbor’s house had a scoured spic-and-span appearance without any softening aesthetic touches. It seemed a little out of place on the rugged little island. A sign in the yard warned off proselytizers and salespeople.

She had to knock twice before anyone opened the door.

A man about her own age faced her as if she were an intruder. He was tall and had a dignified, rather commanding presence. Like a king in his castle, Felice thought.

What? he said, by way of greeting.

Hi — I just moved into that house — she pointed — and my stove’s pilot lights are out. If I could borrow some matches or a lighter, then I could get it going and make myself some coffee. Her voice sounded high and a little foolish in her own ears, and she thought it was because of this man’s extraordinary self-possession.

The man looked past her to her house, some two hundred feet away, and then looked back at her. Why don’t you just go into town and buy some? he asked. He had deep-set blue-grey eyes, that seemed to gaze into and through her.

Felice found his face fascinating, almost tantalizing, and wished for a second that she could just stare at him openly. What was it about him? Oh, well, his appearance was hardly relevant.

Because my car battery is dead. I left the hatchback open all night by accident.

Now he rolled those deep-set eyes in obvious exasperation. Do you live alone? You don’t have someone to help you?

Felice was offended. He made it sound like she needed babysitting. The flush of attraction she felt abruptly translated into anger. Look, I just wondered if you had matches. Never mind. I didn’t mean to bother you.

She was turning away from his door when he said, Wait a minute. She waited, both irritated and hopeful, while he went back into his house. Then he reappeared, wearing a yellow rain slicker, with car keys in his hand. I’ll give you a jump start, he said. Your car is the problem you should deal with first, it seems to me.

Felice literally bit her tongue in order to avoid saying something sharp back to him about making assumptions. He was helping her. With a jump start, she could drive to the auto parts store and get a new battery, and maybe they’d even put it in for her. Then she could buy matches, and also get some breakfast. And coffee. The whole day would feel manageable once she had caffeine in her body.

She walked back down the little road to her driveway, while the neighbor got into his own vehicle, a small shiny pickup truck, and drove the short distance. Once the vehicles were nose-to-nose, she followed the man’s instructions while he connected the jumper cables. She couldn’t help noticing his strong hands and confident movements, and then she berated herself for her rogue desire. Had she really been single for so long that any male of compatible age at close range would trigger twinges of lust? No. Absolutely not. There was just something maddeningly intriguing about this irritable neighbor.

In a few seconds, her car was running, and he got out and disconnected the cables.

Thank you, she started to say, stepping out of her car into the rain to thank him properly.

Don’t turn your car off, was all he said by way of reply.

I know, she answered, annoyed again. He turned away and got into his truck. In a few seconds he was gone, like a grumpy apparition disappearing back into the curtain of grey rain.

Chapter Two

The morning improved after that. Of course, it would have been hard for it to get worse, Felice thought. She was delighted to find that Salmon Bay had a drive-through espresso stand, so she was able to fortify herself with a hot double espresso. Thankfully, the rain had let up, although the clouds still hung low and dark overhead. At the auto parts store, she was the only customer, and both sales clerks came out to the parking lot to inspect her car. A few minutes later, they were cheerfully installing a shiny new battery for her, and equally cheerfully charging her more than she had expected to pay.

She didn’t say anything, though. People had warned her that life on an island was pricy, since everything had to be trucked over on ferries, and she wasn’t going to start out in a small town by criticizing people. Instead, she thanked them for the help, and asked where she could get a good hot breakfast. This question precipitated a leisurely dispute between the two clerks, while Felice stood by with growling stomach.

Finally she said, OK, well it sounds like I’ve got two great options. I’ll just flip a coin for today. And managed to extract herself.

Back home later, she was successful at lighting the kitchen stove with the matches she’d bought. Her thoughts kept going back to the next-door neighbor and the way he had rolled his eyes at her.

See? she said to him in her mind. I can take care of myself perfectly well. Why did it matter? Why was she even thinking about him?

The rest of the day was actually pretty good. Felice allowed herself to text Hannie just once, and the girl sent back a quick answer with about four emoji: Just had my first physics lecture - understood everything!! It was sweet of Hannie to reply so fast, and Felice renewed her resolution not to be helicopter-y to her niece. Hannie was just starting a summer science program back east, and then in fall she would be a freshman at that same college. The two of them wouldn’t see each other again until Thanksgiving or Christmas.

What a change in her life! Wistfully, Felice looked at the pictures she had taken of Hannie last week at the Seattle airport, as she saw her off. Hannie had been feeling so grown-up