Introduction

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby…Fallon McCarthy has climbed the corporate ladder. She’s had the office with the view, the staff, and the plaque on her door. The unexpected loss of her grandmother taught her that there’s more to life than meetings and conference calls, so she quit, and is happy to be a nomad, checking off items on her bucket list as she takes jobs teaching yoga in each place she lands in. She’s happy being free, and has no interest in being tied down.When Noah King gets the call that an eagle has been injured, he’s not expecting to find a beautiful stranger standing vigil when he arrives. Rehabilitating birds of prey is Noah’s passion, it’s what he lives for, and he doesn’t have time for a nosy woman who’s suddenly taken an interest in Spread Your Wings sanctuary.But Fallon’s gentle nature, and the way she makes him laugh, and feel again draws him in. When it comes time for Fallon to move on, will Noah’s love be enough for her to stay, or will he have to find the strength to let her fly?

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Excerpt

“Namaste.”

“Namaste,” my class repeats. Some of them jump up immediately to get on with their days, and some sit quietly for a few more minutes.

Summer yoga is my favorite. I get to teach classes every morning at the Lodge on the lake, for tourists and locals alike. Some days, we’re overflowing with newcomers. And some days, like today, it’s mostly familiar faces.

The sun rises early in this part of the world during the summer months, so a start time of seven a.m. is perfect to get the blood moving through our veins, outside in the fresh air with the lake shimmering behind us.

“Sorry I came rushing in late, Fallon,” Nina Wolfe says with a smile. She’s rolling her mat. “I can’t believe I overslept.”

“No worries,” I reply. “It happens to all of us. I’m just glad you made it.”

She sighs and walks over to me, her mat slung over her shoulder. Nina is a pretty blond woman with an athletic body and a happy smile. She moved to Cunningham Falls, Montana, just a few months ago to be closer to her brother.

Who happens to be Christian Wolfe, the hottest Hollywood actor in the world.

Of course, he’s married to another client of mine, Jenna.

“How long have you lived here, Fallon?” Nina asks.

“Oh goodness, it must be almost two years now.” I blink rapidly, realizing that this is the longest I’ve stayed in one place in more than five years. “Wow, time flies.”

“Was it hard for you to feel like you fit in? To make friends? I mean, I have Christian and Jenna, and I have acquaintances, of course, but—”

“I get it,” I say, nodding. “Small-town life is different. There’s not a lot of people here, and it feels like there are a lot of cliques.”

“Yes,” she says with a relieved nod of her own. “And most everyone I know is originally from here, so they have that network in place. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going crazy.”

“You’re not,” I assure her and pat her shoulder. “And it does get easier. You’ll recognize faces and make friends.”

I frown as I think about my good friend, Penny, who recently moved to Seaside, Oregon. I miss her.

“Why don’t we go get some drinks or coffee or something sometime?” she asks. “I’ve been coming to your class for months. We’re friends, right?”

“Sure.” I reach into my bag and pull out a card. “My cell is on here. Just text me, and we’ll set it up.”

“Awesome.” Nina grins and takes a step back. “I also might have some professional things to discuss with you. Pick your brain.”

“I’m always happy to have my brain plucked.” I wink and sling my bag over my shoulder, walking toward my car. “Have a good day, Nina.”

“See you!”

I climb into my Jeep and drive toward my house, which is just a couple of miles away. Sometimes I walk to class, but I ran late this morning.

And I admit, I like the feeling of the sun beating down on me, the wind blowing through the Jeep as I drive.

After the long Montana winter, summer is just what the doctor ordered.

I’ve just stepped through my front door when my phone rings. I grin as I answer.

“Hey there.”

“Hi yourself.” Claire, my friend from back home yawns in my ear. “Whatcha doing?”

“Just got home from class,” I reply as I brew some tea. “It sounds like you just woke up.”

“I did.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Does that mean someone just left?”

“He left a while ago,” she says. “And I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again.”

“What’s wrong with this one?” I carry my tea out to my back patio and sit at my outdoor dining table. This spot is what sold me on renting this house. The trees and bushes are in bloom, making it feel like a magical garden.

“He moans weird,” she says, making me laugh. “Like an old man bending over to put on his socks.”

“Not sexy,” I agree.

“Too bad, too. He had a nice body. Ah well, there are about a billion more out there.”

“With nice bodies? Maybe not a billion.”

“You’re right. Are you dating a hot cowboy yet?”

I grin and trace the Drips & Sips logo on my mug. “No. It’s a small town, Claire. Not a lot to choose from.”

“So when are you going to move on to the next place? Or come home?”

I sigh, thinking it over. I don’t think I’ll ever move back to Chicago. Now that my grandma’s gone, I don’t have any family there, and Claire is my only tie to the city. I’ve been roaming around the country, living in my bucket list towns for the past five-plus years.

“I like it here,” I reply.

“You’ve been there longer than the others.”

“I know. I just realized this morning that it’s been almost two years. I like the community. I’m making friends. Although, Penny just moved away.”

Claire scoffs in my ear.

“What was that for?”

“Fallon McCarthy, you don’t make friends. You make acquaintances. And even then, getting to know you isn’t easy.”

“I know,” I murmur. That’s the way it’s always been, my whole life. I’m an introvert. I enjoy my own company more than I like being with others. “People exhaust me.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re better in a small town,” she says. “Fewer people.”

“That’s definitely a plus,” I agree. “What are you doing today?”

“I’m going in to work for a bit.”

“On a Saturday?”

“Hey, you worked today.”

“For an hour. I don’t have any other classes today.”

“Well, I have some accounts to work on. What are you going to do with the rest of your day?”

“I think I’ll go on a short hike,” I reply. “It’s a beautiful day today.”

“Like, on the treadmill?” she asks. “A simulated hike?”

“No, city girl, a real hike. In the woods. On a path.”

“Do you, like, have hiking boots?”

I smile and tip back in my chair, enjoying my friend. “I have hiking shoes. They’re not boots.”

“Huh. Well, whatever floats your boat, my friend. Have a good day.”

“You, too.”

I hang up, go inside to rinse my mug, and put on the hiking shoes that will need to be replaced soon, and drive across town to my favorite hiking trail.

One of the things I like best about Cunningham Falls is all of the outdoor activities here. There are miles and miles of hiking trails that the city keeps groomed and safe for hikers. Last week when I came to walk on this particular trail, it was closed due to mountain lion activity.

That gave me pause.

But I carry bear spray, and the only animal I’ve ever seen on the trail is a deer.

Halfway up to the lookout point, I get a text.

Nina: Breakfast tomorrow? 9:00 at Ed’s?

I grin and type a quick reply.

Me: Sure, see you then.

Claire’s right, I don’t make friends easily. I wouldn’t even consider Claire my best friend. She’s a close friend. But the sad thing is, she and Penny are probably the best friends I have, and even they don’t know everything about me.

I don’t even have a bunch of baggage in my past that would cause my lack of trust in others. No one has betrayed me. Or bullied me.

It’s just my nature to hold back. To be the observer and soak everything in.

And because of that, I am sensitive to moods and emotions, and that’s exhausting.

So, instead, I’ve made a habit of being a loner. It suits me fine.

But having breakfast with a new friend sounds fun, too. Maybe I’m just evolving as a person. I’m only thirty-two. A person can change.

I come around a corner and shift to the side of the trail so a runner can zoom past me. He nods in thanks and keeps going.

Nice ass, I think to myself and grin.

I set off again, about to head over the ridge to the overlook. It’s a great place to sit and breathe, to watch the lake and the boats floating on it, not to mention the gorgeous Whitetail Mountain above it.

But a rustling in the bushes catches my attention. I reach for my bear spray, just in case, but then pause and squint, trying to see what’s going on.

“It’s a bird,” I mutter, stepping closer. A white head pops up, and I gasp. “A bald eagle. Hi there, sweetie. Are you hurt?”

One wing flaps, but the other doesn’t move at all.

The poor thing’s hurt.

“Crap, I don’t know what to do about this. I’m not ready for this.”

I look up and down the trail, but there’s no one close by. The runner is long gone.

So, I pull out my phone from my pocket and call Penny. She grew up here, she’ll know what to do.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t pick up, so in my panic, I call Claire.

“Did you get eaten by a tiger?” she asks.

“There are no tigers in North America, Claire. But I did find an injured eagle. I don’t know what to do?”

“Why did you call me?” she asks.

“Because I don’t know what to do. Tell me what to do.”

“Call animal control?”

I frown, watching as the poor thing struggles. “What are they going to do? Fine it?”

“I live in Chicago, Fallon. I don’t know. Call 911. Call the sheriff. Call anyone but me.”

“Thanks a lot.” I hang up and take a deep breath. “Who do I call for you?”

A veterinarian!

I Google vet offices in Cunningham Falls and call the first one on the list.

“I’m on the Bear Mountain trail, just outside of town, and I found an injured eagle. What do I do?”

“Oh, you’ll want to call Spread Your Wings,” the receptionist says. “They’ll come help you.”

“Thanks.” I hang up, not at all sure of what Spread Your Wings is, but a phone number comes up when I Google it, so I call.

“This is Noah.”

“Uh, hi, my name is Fallon. I just found an injured eagle.” I repeat my location.

“Don’t move,” he says briskly. “I’m coming right now. How far up the trail are you?”

“I’m maybe twenty yards from the top.”

“Of course, you are,” he says. “Looks like I’m going for a hike. I’ll be there in less than thirty minutes. Can you stay there?”

“I’ll wait,” I confirm, and he hangs up. “Well, looks like help’s coming. Don’t worry, they’ll get you all fixed up.”

I’m talking to an eagle.

I sit on a stump and don’t take my eyes off the bird. He’s watching me, as well.

“I’m friendly,” I say. “And I won’t hurt you. How long have you been here?”

He squawks, making me smile.

“Maybe you don’t speak English. I’ll be quiet. But I’m here with you.”

I take two long, deep breaths, trying to calm my heart. If I’m upset, the bird will be upset. I don’t know how I know that, I just do.

It’s like when you’re trying to calm an upset baby.

Not that I’ve ever had a baby.

“Now I’m being ridiculous,” I mutter.

It feels like three hours later when I hear someone hurrying up the trail.

“Fallon?”

“Over here,” I call and stand, waving my hands. “We’re over here.”

A man appears, carrying a huge animal carrier. He’s hardly winded, and I know he had to practically run up the mountain to get here so quickly.

“I’m Noah,” he says. “Where is it?”

I point to the bushes, where the eagle has finally calmed down.

“He’s there. One of his wings isn’t moving.”

Noah approaches the bird, and before I know it, he’s secured something over its eyes and manages to put it in the carrier.

“Wow, you’ve done that a time or two.”

“Or fifty,” he says with a smile. “I’ll get him down to the sanctuary and have a look. Thanks for calling it in.”

“Of course,” I reply and watch as he walks away, hurrying down the trail. “Bye.”

I look around, not sure what to do next. So, I finish my hike to the overlook and watch the boats, take in the sounds of the woods around me, and then start back down to the Jeep.

What a weird day.

* * * *

“You totally saved an eagle’s life,” Nina says before taking a bite of her pancake.

“No, I called Noah, and he saved it.”

“He wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t called. Noah’s a nice guy.”

“Do you know him?” I ask, trying to sound casual. “I’d never met him before the trail.”

“Sure. Noah’s good friends with Max Hull and the rest of the Hull family, I guess. I’ve met him a few times.” She stops chewing and grins at me. “He’s hot, isn’t he?”

“Is he?” I sip my tea. “I didn’t notice.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. And I’m a coal miner’s daughter.” She leans in. “He’s single.”

“How nice for him.”

She smirks. “And you’re interested.”

“How did we get on this subject?”

“You should go see him,” she continues. “And check in on your eagle.”

I blink at her, thinking about it. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re an attractive, single woman, and Noah’s single, and you should go flirt with him. What will it hurt?”

I frown. “I never said I wanted to flirt with him.”

“Fallon, we may not know each other well, but I know the look of a woman who’s interested in a man. And when you said Noah’s name, you got that look.”

“Okay, so he’s attractive,” I reply. Yeah, try smoking-hot in all fifty states. “That doesn’t mean I need to go flirt with him.”

“Are you dating someone else?”

“No.”

A slow smile spreads over her lips, and I feel myself start to give in.

“Fine. I’ll go check on the eagle. But only because I’m concerned.”

“Sure. That works. Okay, now that I’ve solved your love life issues—”

“I don’t have love life issues.”

“—let’s talk about something else just as fun. I’m starting a business in town, and I’d like to talk to you about some opportunities.”

“I have a full-time gig between the Lodge and the studio downtown.”

“Well, just hear me out, and then you can give it some thought.”

I nod, and Nina continues, telling me all about the business she’s starting with two of her friends from California. A company to help busy women.

“Basically, there may be times that I would call to book an in-home yoga session. We could work around your schedule, of course.”

“Interesting,” I reply with a nod. “It’s something to think about, for sure.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say. Saffron and Lindsey will be here in a couple of weeks, and we’re hoping to have things up and running next month.”

“Thank you for thinking of me,” I reply.

“You’re the best in town,” Nina says with a wink. “And we want the best. So, think it over, and we can get together anytime to fine-tune things.”

“Thank you.”

Once I leave Nina, I make my way over to Drips & Sips for my favorite tea. I have my own lemon oil with me to flavor it, ignoring the looks I get from the tourists waiting for their lattes, and then I climb in my Jeep and drive out to the Spread Your Wings bird sanctuary.

I looked up directions this morning before my breakfast with Nina.

Something just told me I should go and say hello.

And I usually listen to that something.

The sanctuary is out of town, in the middle of nowhere. Which makes sense because the animals are wild and they need plenty of space.

There’s a farmhouse across the pasture from the industrial buildings. And the sign over the driveway says Spread Your Wings.

This is the place.

I park and walk into an office area that’s currently deserted.

“I wonder if I should have called ahead,” I mutter out loud.

“Nah, there’s always someone bustling about.” I startle at the voice and turn to find Noah standing behind me with a grin. “Fallon, right?”

“Yeah.” I reach out to shake his hand and feel the warmth climb all the way up to my shoulder. His hand is callused and large, engulfing my small one. “And you’re Noah.”

“Guilty,” he says. “Did you come to check on your eagle?”

And to check you out.

“I did,” I say. “I know it probably seems weird, but—”

“Not weird at all. Follow me.”

We walk outside and down a long, paved sidewalk that meanders between several buildings.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this big,” I say.

“That’s what she said,” he replies with a grin, and I can’t help but laugh out loud. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. We’ve grown a lot in the past few years, thanks to donations and grants. Most of these buildings back here, along with all the concrete sidewalks, are new.”

He leads me into a big building and down a row of cages, then stops and gestures.

“Well, hi there,” I croon. “How is he?”

“He has a broken wing,” Noah says and sighs. “We can’t tell what caused it. But I think that with about six weeks of healing time, he should be good to be released back into the wild.”

“Really? That’s amazing. What if he can’t live in the wild again?”

“He’ll stay here, with us, and we’ll use him for education. He’ll have a cushy life here, but I suspect he’ll be leaving us. He’s a healthy guy.”

We’re quiet as I watch the bird. He looks at me as if he recognizes me. There’s a splint on his wing.

“I’m so glad I found you,” I murmur.

“Me, too,” Noah says and smiles when I look over at him. “The bird, not me.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Most of my life, but I started the sanctuary eight years ago. I have a masters in zoology from Colorado State.”

“Wow. And you came back to Cunningham Falls?”

He grins, and I feel it in my gut. Goodness, Noah King has a great smile.

“I have roots here,” he says. “It’s home.”

I nod and look back at the eagle. “He’s gorgeous.”

“You can visit him anytime you like.”

I start to decline but reconsider. “You know, I just might do that.”

“Good.” He clears his throat. “I hate to do this in front of our feathered friend because I’ll be embarrassed if this goes badly, but can I interest you in dinner?”

I blink, taken off guard. “Tonight?”

“Anytime you like,” he replies with that easy smile. “Tonight. Tomorrow. Right now.”

“It’s not even noon.”

“It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

I laugh and look down at my feet, then shrug. “Sure. A girl has to eat, right?”

“Exactly. May I see your phone?”

I unlock it and hand it over, and he punches in some numbers.

“I just texted myself. If you text me with your address, I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“It’s a deal.”

I say goodbye to the eagle, and Noah escorts me back to my Jeep.

“I’ll see you tonight, Fallon.”

“See you.”

I drive away, the memory of Noah’s voice tickling my mind. The way he says my name is like a promise. Like he enjoys the sound of it on his tongue.

Fallon.

It’s not like me to accept a date invitation, but there’s something about Noah King that I like very much. What will one dinner hurt? view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

Kristen Proby writes with such strong conviction about her her characters - who appealed to you?

The setting plays a big part in all of Kristen's books, how did it help you understand her world?

The idea of soul mates is part of this book - do you believe in them?

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