I didn’t want anything to happen to you,” the man said in a soothing voice. “My partner and I have been lookin’ for this fella since yesterday, when a call came in that he was spotted in your neighborhood.”
Lamar blinked a couple of times, unable to believe his eyes. Was he really seeing what he thought he was? Just then, he saw Emma coming out the back door, then running toward him with eyes wide, looking as astonished as he felt. There, by the side of the house was another man wearing jeans and a T-shirt, hunkered down and sitting on top of a large alligator, of all things.
“I wanted to get his mouth taped shut before I felt it was safe enough for you to move,” the first man said to Lamar. Then glancing at Emma, he added, “We have a truck parked around the corner that we’ll put the gator in to relocate it to another area.” He extended his hand. “By the way, the name’s Jack, and that’s Rusty over there, sittin’ on the gator. We do this for a living, capturing and relocating wild animals. Bet you never expected to see one of those creatures in your backyard this morning, did you?”
“No, I sure didn’t,” Lamar said, slowly letting out some air as he put his arm around Emma’s waist. It felt like he’d been holding his breath for hours instead of minutes. He could feel his limbs finally relaxing, relieved that it wasn’t a robbery after all.
“Oh Lamar,” Emma cried, her cheeks turning pink, “you could have been hurt! What if that alligator had attacked you?”
“The good Lord was with me, that’s for sure,” Lamar answered, looking at the eight-foot gator and shaking his head. “Guess he blended in so well with all the greenery by the house that I never even saw him lying there. When I came outside, he didn’t make a sound. Of course,” Lamar continued with a nervous laugh, “I had my mind on those oranges getting picked.”
“Where did that alligator come from?” Emma asked Jack.
“We got a report there’d been one seen over in the pond by the golf course not far from here, and when we went to capture it, the gator was nowhere to be found.”
“Oh my! I guess he decided to do some exploring.” Emma looked up at Lamar with a wide-eyed expression.
Lamar nodded, while gently patting her arm.
“Come on, Jack. It’s time to get this guy moved. You better go get the truck,” Rusty said, still sitting on top of the gator.
“Sorry I had to meet you folks this way, but I’m glad everything went good with no mishaps,” Jack said. “Have a good day, and if you see some of your neighbors, let ’em know the creature was captured. This morning we were going door to door, letting people know a gator was roaming about, and just as we were coming to notify you, Rusty and I spotted the creature in your yard.”
“I’m glad you did, ’cause I sure wouldn’t have known what to do,” Lamar replied, swiping at the trickle of sweat above his brows as he and Emma stood there watching. “You take care now, and thanks.” It was amazing how big that alligator was, yet it lay there, fairly calm, letting Rusty hold it down.
“Don’t worry, folks; I’ve done this hundreds of times,” Rusty assured them. “Once you tape their mouth shut, they remain pretty quiet.”
“Please be careful anyway,” Lamar said to Rusty as he and Emma started walking toward the house.
“Wait. Aren’t you forgetting something?” Emma asked, brushing his arm with her hand.
Lamar laughed as he went back to get the basket of oranges. “Just wait till our quilters hear about this.” He stopped walking and sniffed the air. “By the way, Emma, do I smell the aroma of coffee cake coming through the open window?”
She smiled and nodded. “But you can’t have any till it’s time to serve refreshments.”
“That’s okay,” Lamar said, looking down at the basket he held. “I can always have one of these juicy oranges if I get a craving for something sweet before then.”
“I guess
Lamar blinked a couple of times, unable to believe his eyes. Was he really seeing what he thought he was? Just then, he saw Emma coming out the back door, then running toward him with eyes wide, looking as astonished as he felt. There, by the side of the house was another man wearing jeans and a T-shirt, hunkered down and sitting on top of a large alligator, of all things.
“I wanted to get his mouth taped shut before I felt it was safe enough for you to move,” the first man said to Lamar. Then glancing at Emma, he added, “We have a truck parked around the corner that we’ll put the gator in to relocate it to another area.” He extended his hand. “By the way, the name’s Jack, and that’s Rusty over there, sittin’ on the gator. We do this for a living, capturing and relocating wild animals. Bet you never expected to see one of those creatures in your backyard this morning, did you?”
“No, I sure didn’t,” Lamar said, slowly letting out some air as he put his arm around Emma’s waist. It felt like he’d been holding his breath for hours instead of minutes. He could feel his limbs finally relaxing, relieved that it wasn’t a robbery after all.
“Oh Lamar,” Emma cried, her cheeks turning pink, “you could have been hurt! What if that alligator had attacked you?”
“The good Lord was with me, that’s for sure,” Lamar answered, looking at the eight-foot gator and shaking his head. “Guess he blended in so well with all the greenery by the house that I never even saw him lying there. When I came outside, he didn’t make a sound. Of course,” Lamar continued with a nervous laugh, “I had my mind on those oranges getting picked.”
“Where did that alligator come from?” Emma asked Jack.
“We got a report there’d been one seen over in the pond by the golf course not far from here, and when we went to capture it, the gator was nowhere to be found.”
“Oh my! I guess he decided to do some exploring.” Emma looked up at Lamar with a wide-eyed expression.
Lamar nodded, while gently patting her arm.
“Come on, Jack. It’s time to get this guy moved. You better go get the truck,” Rusty said, still sitting on top of the gator.
“Sorry I had to meet you folks this way, but I’m glad everything went good with no mishaps,” Jack said. “Have a good day, and if you see some of your neighbors, let ’em know the creature was captured. This morning we were going door to door, letting people know a gator was roaming about, and just as we were coming to notify you, Rusty and I spotted the creature in your yard.”
“I’m glad you did, ’cause I sure wouldn’t have known what to do,” Lamar replied, swiping at the trickle of sweat above his brows as he and Emma stood there watching. “You take care now, and thanks.” It was amazing how big that alligator was, yet it lay there, fairly calm, letting Rusty hold it down.
“Don’t worry, folks; I’ve done this hundreds of times,” Rusty assured them. “Once you tape their mouth shut, they remain pretty quiet.”
“Please be careful anyway,” Lamar said to Rusty as he and Emma started walking toward the house.
“Wait. Aren’t you forgetting something?” Emma asked, brushing his arm with her hand.
Lamar laughed as he went back to get the basket of oranges. “Just wait till our quilters hear about this.” He stopped walking and sniffed the air. “By the way, Emma, do I smell the aroma of coffee cake coming through the open window?”
She smiled and nodded. “But you can’t have any till it’s time to serve refreshments.”
“That’s okay,” Lamar said, looking down at the basket he held. “I can always have one of these juicy oranges if I get a craving for something sweet before then.”
“I guess
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