appeared to help those gathered in the living room.
Before Larry left the room , Taylor stopped him. “Could I speak to you?”
“Sure , honey .”
“Let’s go in the library . ”
Jeff started to join the group surrounding her father .
“Aren’t you coming w ith us?”
“Sure.” He reversed directions.
Once inside the room, Taylor shut the door. “Mr. Larry. ” A name she’d called him forever. “Yesterday, w hen w e sa w the cooler, the entire area w a s full of alligators, big ones. The only time I’ve s een that many together before w as w hen I visit ed a ‘gator-farm in St. Augustine.”
He nodded. “I w as on the team that retrieved the ice chest , so I sa w them . I’d heard rumors about someone feed ing ‘gators, but didn’t kno w w here or w ho. Still don’t kno w w ho, but I discovered w here. Normal behavior for ‘gators is to sink into the w ater w hen humans approach. T hey prefer raccoons, small deer, crabs, and w ounded animals. But if they’re fed, t hey forget their fear and look at humans as a source of food. Although it’s against the la w , someone has been feeding them. ” He shook his head in disgust. “ W e’ll probably have to remove all those ‘gators. They’re too dangerous to be left.”
“In other w ords, you’ll have to kill them,” Taylor said , quietly .
“Yes.” His face and body la nguage sho w ed his frustration. “T hey aren’t endangered any l onger, but. . .” He hesitated . “ I hate to kill any animal . They’re God’s creatures. I f man w ould leave them alone and give them their o w n space, w e could avoid killing. ”
She sent him a soft smile and bobbed her head in understanding. “Daddy told me that years ago you fought to have la w s passed to save the alligators. From the numbers I sa w , they’re thriving. ”
“Yes, Taylor I did fight for them and yes, the numbers sho w the program w orks . Did you kno w ,” he said, w arming to his subject. “ W e tried initially to sepa rate the problem makers and relocate them, but ‘gators have a homing instinct .” He shook his head. “They will come back to the area they w e re born , even if that spot no longer exist s .”
She touched the arm of this gentle man . “You mean if human development has replace d their river or pond bank, ” she added.
He w aggled his head . “ W ish w e could someho w teach them to stay a w ay. ”
She s w allo w ed deeply. “ After you trap them , will y ou dissect … ? ” She grabbed the back of an upholstered chair. Her knees w eakened. S he s w allo w ed hard. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them back . Taylor sensed Jeff moving beside her. A moment later, he placed his left arm around her w aist and covered her right hand w ith h is , giving her external support as w ell as internal .
Larry cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. “It’s a State requirement. Each ‘gator must be analyzed and documented. ”
Although his voice almost sounded normal , Taylor heard the undercurrent of nervousness and concern . She appreciated his w orrying about her and w ith Jeff’s physical support, she said , “Thank you, Mr. Larry.”
He stepped around the chair and gave her cheek a peck. “ W e’ll find him alive, Taylor. He kno w s these w aters. W e’ll find him. You have my promise. ” He gave her an encouraging smile. “I f you’ll excuse me, I must check w ith my searchers.” He placed his ball cap on, dipped his head to w ard her, and left.
Taylor t w isted around and gripped Jeff ’s arms . “Damn. Damn. Damn. I’ll kill that man w hen I see him. I s w ear I will .” Fury filled her w ords, yet w orry filled her being.
A second later, she shifted a w ay . She fro w ned. “Instead of being lost, could he have run a w ay?”
“ W hoa. You ’ r e upset, rightfully so. But, let’s be logical. First, w e found his cooler. Since w e did, he obviously w ent out on the river. W hy the ice
Before Larry left the room , Taylor stopped him. “Could I speak to you?”
“Sure , honey .”
“Let’s go in the library . ”
Jeff started to join the group surrounding her father .
“Aren’t you coming w ith us?”
“Sure.” He reversed directions.
Once inside the room, Taylor shut the door. “Mr. Larry. ” A name she’d called him forever. “Yesterday, w hen w e sa w the cooler, the entire area w a s full of alligators, big ones. The only time I’ve s een that many together before w as w hen I visit ed a ‘gator-farm in St. Augustine.”
He nodded. “I w as on the team that retrieved the ice chest , so I sa w them . I’d heard rumors about someone feed ing ‘gators, but didn’t kno w w here or w ho. Still don’t kno w w ho, but I discovered w here. Normal behavior for ‘gators is to sink into the w ater w hen humans approach. T hey prefer raccoons, small deer, crabs, and w ounded animals. But if they’re fed, t hey forget their fear and look at humans as a source of food. Although it’s against the la w , someone has been feeding them. ” He shook his head in disgust. “ W e’ll probably have to remove all those ‘gators. They’re too dangerous to be left.”
“In other w ords, you’ll have to kill them,” Taylor said , quietly .
“Yes.” His face and body la nguage sho w ed his frustration. “T hey aren’t endangered any l onger, but. . .” He hesitated . “ I hate to kill any animal . They’re God’s creatures. I f man w ould leave them alone and give them their o w n space, w e could avoid killing. ”
She sent him a soft smile and bobbed her head in understanding. “Daddy told me that years ago you fought to have la w s passed to save the alligators. From the numbers I sa w , they’re thriving. ”
“Yes, Taylor I did fight for them and yes, the numbers sho w the program w orks . Did you kno w ,” he said, w arming to his subject. “ W e tried initially to sepa rate the problem makers and relocate them, but ‘gators have a homing instinct .” He shook his head. “They will come back to the area they w e re born , even if that spot no longer exist s .”
She touched the arm of this gentle man . “You mean if human development has replace d their river or pond bank, ” she added.
He w aggled his head . “ W ish w e could someho w teach them to stay a w ay. ”
She s w allo w ed deeply. “ After you trap them , will y ou dissect … ? ” She grabbed the back of an upholstered chair. Her knees w eakened. S he s w allo w ed hard. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them back . Taylor sensed Jeff moving beside her. A moment later, he placed his left arm around her w aist and covered her right hand w ith h is , giving her external support as w ell as internal .
Larry cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. “It’s a State requirement. Each ‘gator must be analyzed and documented. ”
Although his voice almost sounded normal , Taylor heard the undercurrent of nervousness and concern . She appreciated his w orrying about her and w ith Jeff’s physical support, she said , “Thank you, Mr. Larry.”
He stepped around the chair and gave her cheek a peck. “ W e’ll find him alive, Taylor. He kno w s these w aters. W e’ll find him. You have my promise. ” He gave her an encouraging smile. “I f you’ll excuse me, I must check w ith my searchers.” He placed his ball cap on, dipped his head to w ard her, and left.
Taylor t w isted around and gripped Jeff ’s arms . “Damn. Damn. Damn. I’ll kill that man w hen I see him. I s w ear I will .” Fury filled her w ords, yet w orry filled her being.
A second later, she shifted a w ay . She fro w ned. “Instead of being lost, could he have run a w ay?”
“ W hoa. You ’ r e upset, rightfully so. But, let’s be logical. First, w e found his cooler. Since w e did, he obviously w ent out on the river. W hy the ice
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