Chapter 29
Nina and Ric sat drinking beer out on the back porch at Donnalee as the afternoon shadows lengthened. Sophie was playing circus games with the geese, tempting them with treats to make them hop through a hula hoop. Jinx tried to snatch a tidbit of bread and found himself on the receiving end of Odette’s wicked beak. He yelped and made a beeline for the safety of the verandah, trying to hide himself beneath Nina’s chair.
‘They’re so big now,’ she said, admiring the graceful birds. ‘Sophie’s done an amazing job.’
‘She has.’ Ric’s fingers reached for hers and they sat, side by side, holding hands like children. ‘Sophie loves those birds more than me, more than anybody.’
‘Any news of her mother?’
‘Rachael’s doing a little better.’
‘Must be so hard,’ she said. ‘First her mother
