The Butterfly Whisperer

by Lisa Moreau

  “Well, would you look at that? Now if that isn’t a spectacle.” Bertha pointed at Rebecca, who was practically mauling Coach Bryant. Her hands were all over him as she jutted out her double Ds and looked like she was about to plant a smooch on his cheek.

  Bertha gasped and put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s your stepmother, isn’t it?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. But don’t worry about it.” Jordan looked at Bertha. “You know, the coach is hating every second of that. He looks panic-stricken.”

  “Really? You sure?” Bertha didn’t look convinced.

  “Absolutely. Women like Rebecca are a dime a dozen. But you’re worth a million.” Jordan smiled and winked, which caused Bertha to stand up a little straighter and raise her chin.

  Chuck approached and handed Jordan a juice box. They sat on the bench, and each took a big bite out of a butterfly cookie.

  “So did your…or rather our…dad come tonight?” Jordan asked.

  “No. He had to work. He does that a lot. Do you really live in Hollywood with the famous people?”

  “Yep, I do. Have you ever been?”

  “Gosh, no. Do you know Mickey Mouse?”

  Jordan grinned. “Not personally, but I have been to his house at Disneyland.”

  Chuck stopped chewing, his hazel eyes widening. “You’ve been to Mickey’s house?”

  “Sure. Maybe you could go sometime. So, Chuck―”

  “Remember. Call me Chucky.”

  “Right. Like the scary movie. Did our parents tell you I’m a lesbian?” Jordan didn’t want to pump the kid for information, but she really wanted to learn how he knew she was gay.

  “No. Grandma told me.”

  Jordan choked on her cookie and cleared her throat before responding. “Grandma? As in our dad’s mom?”

  “Yeah. She told me before she died. I miss her.”

  Jordan’s heart melted at Chuck’s pathetic little sad face. “I’m sorry. Were you close to her?”

  “We had fun. She’d play with me, and we’d stay up late and watch scary movies when I didn’t have to go to school the next day.”

  Jordan resisted the urge to confirm that they were talking about the same woman. She’d never describe her grandmother as fun, nor had she ever played with Jordan when she was a kid.

  “So, what did she say about me?”

  Chuck shrugged. “She said you’re famous and live in Hollywood with the stars, and that you’re gay.”

  “And…did she seem upset about that?” Jordan felt a twinge of guilt about prodding her little brother, but curiosity won out.

  “No, but Mom and Dad sure were when I told them.”

  Jordan chuckled. “Yeah, I imagine. Do you know what a lesbian is?”

  Chuck rolled his eyes dramatically. “Duh! I’m not a little kid, you know. It’s when women like women. Like Keith’s moms.” Chuck pointed to two obviously gay women. Monarch was more progressive than Jordan would have guessed.

  “That’s right. You’re pretty smart.” Jordan ruffled the top of his hair.

  “Grandma said we should love everyone, especially family, no matter what.”

  “We are talking about Dad’s mom, right? Frances?”

  Chuck gawked at Jordan. “Duh. You’re kinda slow to be so famous.”

  Jordan laughed. “You’re probably right about that, Chucky.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Elk Mountain

  Sophie needed a plan. Jordan had been in Monarch for two weeks, and she’d done little to convince her not to sell. Even though Jordan had agreed not to make any decisions until February, Sophie was worried she was seeing dollar signs instead of butterfly wings.

  When Sophie reached the sanctuary early Monday morning, she had a couple of hours before Jordan arrived, so she headed for the chrysalides. They had fully formed cocoons over the weekend. Carefully, she removed the twins, placed them into the hanging habitat, and filled the feeder with water to increase the humidity. Normally, she’d mist them every day, but the water should help while they were away. This trip was ill-timed when it came to the caterpillars, but Sophie couldn’t cancel on the kids. After taking care of the chrysalides, she sat at her desk and stared into space. Within minutes she had an aha moment. Her posture straightened as she began to grin. The more she thought about it, the better the idea seemed. She clicked on her computer and scrolled through emails until she located one from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. After one quick phone call, everything would be set. Sophie had a plan, and all it required was that she and Jordan take a little detour before heading to Big Sur.

  After hanging up the phone, Sophie reclined in her chair as her thoughts drifted to Jordan. Tap…tap…tap. She scanned the room, looking for the cause of the sound that had interrupted her daydream, until her eyes landed on her hand, which was frenetically striking a pen against the desk. She stopped the action midair, dropped the pen, and wrung her clammy hands. Sophie was nervous, really nervous. She was about to spend three days with Jordan―and not just any Jordan―but the new and improved lesbian-Jordan. Thank goodness she’d called the Big Sur Inn last night and changed the accommodations to two single beds.

  She should be happy that Jordan was gay. They were both single, and while Sophie wasn’t sure how Jordan felt, she still had strong feelings, not to mention the fact that she was wildly attracted to the woman. But no, she felt anxious instead of delighted. Getting involved with Jordan wouldn’t be a smart move. They were too different. Jordan was caught up in the rich-and-famous lifestyle. She dated beautiful French actresses named Bibi and lived in Beverly Hills. Plus, she was beyond secretive, which didn’t sit well with Sophie. It was enough that they’d become friends again. Why, then, did her heart ache with the disappointment of something that would never be?

  Sophie shook off the sensation, forced her attention to the computer, and worked until Jordan arrived. Damn her for looking adorably rugged in jeans, a tight-fitting olive-green T-shirt, and an LA Lakers baseball cap. The shirt in particular was a killer, the way it stretched across her chest and brought out the green specks in her hazel eyes. That shirt did things to Sophie’s heart she didn’t like, such as causing it to beat wildly. How had she not detected that Jordan was a lesbian? Maybe she didn’t want to notice. It was safer that way.

  “Hey, you put the guys in the hanging net.” Jordan peered at the cocoons.

  Sophie gawked at her profile. Christ, that shirt looked even better from the side than it did from the front. The way it accentuated her breasts should be illegal.

  Jordan looked at Sophie when she didn’t respond. “You okay?”

  “Sure.” Sophie rummaged through her desk drawer looking for God knows what, basically anything that would divert her attention from Jordan.

  “Can I help you find something?” Jordan approached and peered into the jumbled drawer.

  Sophie swished items around until she finally grabbed a package of Post-it notes. “Aha! Here they are.” She looked up at Jordan, who was staring right at her. Great. Now she had to write something on the note. Sophie grabbed a pen, well aware that Jordan was watching her every move, scribbled buy more seeds, and stuck the yellow sticky on her computer.

  “So, are you ready to go?” Jordan asked. “We should probably get on the road.”

  Sophie popped out of her chair like a jack-in-the-box. “Groovy! Let’s boogie out of here.”

  Geez, what a nerd, and for heaven’s sake, stop staring at her chest!

  *

  Once they were cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway, Jordan reclined her seat. She hoped it made her look more relaxed, and besides, from this vantage point she could stare at Sophie undetected. Her smooth, soft-looking hands gripped the steering wheel at precisely ten and two o’clock, as her eyes―which were bluer than the ocean they were passing―never veered from the highway. As Sophie drove by a big rig, she lightly bit her lower lip, which was one hell of a sexy move. Jordan’s eyes fixated on Sophie’s arm
s, thankful that she was wearing short sleeves. At first sight they appeared dainty, but when she clenched the wheel, muscles rippled. The Disney Princess’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing a slender, smooth neck that Jordan imagined nibbling. This was why she’d held off telling Sophie she was a lesbian. It kicked her mind into overdrive and made things between them seem too…possible.

  Jordan cringed when Sophie turned her head, obviously busting her for gawking and possibly drooling.

  “You okay back there?” Sophie asked.

  Jordan shifted her seat upright and stared at the tan Chevrolet in front of them. “Sure. I can drive some, too, if you get tired.” That way maybe I’ll stop fantasizing about my lips on your neck.

  “Maybe later. I’m good for now. So, did you go to your brother’s basketball game last night?”

  Jordan brightened at the thought of Chuck. She’d always felt like an outsider in her family, so it was nice to have a brother who didn’t hate her, even if he was a seven-year-old.

  “I did. And get this. He said my grandmother was the one who told him I’m gay and that she seemed fine with it.”

  “Really? That’s surprising. Was your dad there?”

  “No. I don’t know how I’m going to convince him to meet me again. Did you see Nanci with an i?” Jordan had purposefully delayed inquiring, unsure she wanted to hear the answer.

  “Yes, and her name is just Nanci. We went to that art gallery. It was okay.”

  “Just okay?” Jordan peered at Sophie out the corner of her eye.

  “Okay is good. I haven’t had okay in a while.”

  “Ah, so you’ll see her again?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Maybe. What about you? Any other Bibis waiting in the wings to date you?”

  “No. I’ve sworn off women.”

  Sophie chuckled. “You’ve given up dating at twenty-nine? You’re going to stay single for the rest of your life?”

  “I’m serious. I’m not getting involved with anyone else. I just want to concentrate on SOS. It’s the only thing that makes me happy.”

  Sophie’s smile suddenly vanished, a look of gloom now on her face. “Well, that’s just…sad.”

  Jordan was about to protest, but something in Sophie’s voice made her question if maybe she wasn’t pathetic after all. She was almost thirty and hadn’t had a steady, healthy relationship. Was she really going to spend the rest of her life alone?

  Sophie bit her lower lip, except this time she wasn’t passing a truck. “Can I…ask you something?”

  “Of course,” Jordan said.

  Sophie paused, long enough to worry Jordan about what she’d ask. “Never mind. It’s not important,” she said, vigorously shaking her head.

  Ordinarily, Jordan would have prodded, but the petrified look on Sophie’s face convinced her otherwise.

  Jordan answered her cell phone as it rang. “Hello, Mr. Simms.”

  “Ms. Lee, I was wondering if you could come to my office this afternoon.”

  “Actually, Sophie and I are heading to Big Sur for a few days on business. Is something wrong?”

  “Quite the contrary. I have good news. Your grandmother’s estate is out of probate. I’ll be issuing a deed to transfer ownership of the land and sanctuary to you, which means you can sell.”

  Jordan glanced at Sophie. “Wow, that was fast. Um, maybe we should talk about this later. In person. Are you free Thursday morning at ten? We should be back late Wednesday.”

  “Thursday would be fine. I’ll see if Ms. Roberts is available as well.”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

  Jordan disconnected, tucked the phone into her bag, and stared straight ahead. Sophie looked back and forth between Jordan and the highway.

  “Was that the lawyer? What’s up?”

  “Not much. I’m meeting with him Thursday.”

  Jordan squirmed in her seat as Sophie eyed her suspiciously. Selling the sanctuary wasn’t going to be as easy as Jordan had expected, but surely Sophie and the townspeople would understand. She was doing it for her company. It wasn’t like she was spending the money on something frivolous.

  They rode in silence for a while until Sophie exited off the highway. Jordan had never been to Big Sur, but she was fairly certain this wasn’t the way.

  “I don’t think this is the right road.” Jordan grabbed a map out of the glove compartment.

  “We’re taking a little detour first.”

  “Oh? And just where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.” Sophie had such a cute smirk, it took all Jordan had not to lean over and give her a peck on the cheek. “What are you looking at? You’re smiling and have a glint in your eye. You’re up to something.” Sophie eyed Jordan curiously.

  Busted again. Jordan was usually good at hiding her thoughts, but apparently she was slipping. “Me? You’re the one taking us on a mysterious detour.”

  “Patience is a virtue, my dear.”

  “That’s a load of crap, oh wise one. No one likes to be patient.”

  “That’s right. I forgot who I was talking to. Remember that sleepover when you coerced me into helping you open all your Christmas presents early?”

  Jordan chuckled. “I forgot about that. I must say, we were like professional little thieves. Using a sharp knife was the key to our success. We could slice through the tape without tearing the paper, carefully unwrap the gift just enough to see the image on the box, and then skillfully place a piece of tape where the former one resided. My dad never had a clue.”

  “Yeah, except you referred to that as the worst Christmas ever since you didn’t have any surprises. I think these two months will be good for you,” Sophie said. “It’ll teach you how to be patient. Have you…uh…thought any more about what you’ll do? You know, when your time is up?”

  Jordan wondered if that was what Sophie had intended to ask earlier, but she had a feeling it wasn’t. “I thought we agreed not to discuss my decision until February.”

  “I know…I know…I’m just curious.”

  As Sophie slowed the Jeep and turned down a dirt road, Jordan surveyed the barren surroundings. The scene looked like the set of The Wild Wild West, with nothing but cacti and dry grass for miles, except for a mountain in the distance.

  “Where are we?” Jordan asked.

  Sophie smirked, so Jordan reclined her seat and enjoyed the view―of Sophie, that is. A spattering of trees appeared as they neared the mountain, and the farther they drove, the greener things became. Sophie turned down another dirt road, which revealed a weatherworn sign: Elk Mountain Reservation.

  “Is this a Native American reservation? And I’m assuming that’s Elk Mountain?” Jordan pointed toward the towering peak.

  Sophie patted Jordan’s knee. “Can’t get anything past you.”

  Maybe Jordan had seen one too many John Wayne movies, but she had pictured a reservation to be filled with teepees, horses, campfires, and war paint. Instead, she saw dilapidated houses, stores needing a paint job, and kids riding bicycles. It looked like a small town, albeit a really run-down one.

  “Have you ever been to a reservation?” Sophie asked as they crawled through town.

  “No. It looks…so…so―”

  “Poor?”

  “I didn’t want to say it, but yeah.”

  “Elk Mountain is actually one of the more affluent ones. On average, most tribe members are eighty percent unemployed, and fifty percent live below poverty, not that you’d ever know it by meeting them. They’re some of the happiest people I’ve ever met.”

  “Really!?”

  “You don’t think someone can be happy unless they’re living in Beverly Hills and dining at the Ivy every night?”

  “No, it’s not that.” Well, maybe it is that.

  “The Native Americans live in community. They take care of each other, as well as the land and nature, which is why we’re here.” Sophie parked in front of the Elk Mountain Elementary School.

  “I’m
not following you.”

  “We came here for the butterflies.” Sophie popped the trunk, got out of the Jeep, and proceeded to unload supplies. Jordan followed, lifting a large box and setting it on the ground.

  “What do butterflies have to do with an Indian reservation?” Jordan asked.

  “About a year ago the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded a coalition of Native American tribes a hundred thousand dollars to help restore monarch habitat on tribal land, and this is one of the reservations. They’ve volunteered their land for the cultivation of milkweed, not to mention spent endless hours working the fields.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot of money for butterflies.” Sophie stopped unpacking and glared at Jordan. “Sorry,” Jordan said as she held up both hands in defense. “But they get paid for it, right?”

  “The money is used to buy supplies and equipment.” Sophie stood with her hands on her hips, which Jordan had come to learn meant business. “Not everyone is motivated by money. Some people actually believe monarch conservation is a priority. And that’s why we’re here. To help. Sorry you came?”

  “Not at all. Bring it on, Disney Princess.”

  Sophie flashed Jordan a skeptical glance before carrying a load of boxes toward the school. Jordan grabbed a couple of boxes and followed. A bell rang just as they opened the front door, which probably indicated lunch since it was noon. Two little girls ran up to Sophie and hugged her legs.

  “Hi, Kaia and Rachael.” Sophie put the boxes on the floor, crouched down, and embraced the kids. Two more joined and dived into Sophie’s arms, knocking her backward. They all giggled and piled on each other like football players. “Oh my gosh. I missed you guys so much.”

  “Ms. Sophie, what did you bring us?” a boy asked.

  “Some milkweed seeds for us to plant, posters, and lots of coloring and activity books.”

  The kids yelped in unison as Sophie stood up. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Jordan. Jordan, this is Kaia, Rachael, Gabe, and Pablo.”

  Wide smiles, sparkling eyes, and handshakes from the boys greeted Jordan.