Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance) Read Online Free PDF

well?"
Rachel asked.
    Ignacio gave a deep throaty laugh, one that
rumbled through the air. "That is a human distress color. Right now
it's another good sign."
    After the stress of today, this was almost too
much. She felt sorry for the little thing, obviously laboring under
the shade of the plant. Rachel shivered. "This is
scary."
    The newt arched even more, and then started
pushing up and down on its front legs, in a newt version of
push-ups. The tail twitched and then went still, with only the tip
moving back and forth.
    And out emerged a wet and covered miniature
form of the mother. Then another.
    "It's happening! She's doing wonderful!"
Ignacio said in a loud whisper, reaching out to take her hand from
where it rested against the glass. "Two babies. The species just
came that much further away from extinction."
    The word jarred her. She turned to stare at
him, missing the third birth. "What do you mean,
extinction?"
    "The Silky Newt. Only a handful in the wild, a
few more in zoos. And here in my little breeding program. And a
fourth? This is wonderful." His hand squeezed hers, the calluses on
the edges of his fingers rubbing against her waterlogged
skin.
    Her attention returned to the little newt
barely in time to see a fifth appear. "And after you raise them?
What happens to them then?"
    "Back to the wild in special game preserves,
of course," he said, his eyes still on the newt. "We are starting
to make real headway."
    Rachel's head spun. A breeding program for
exotic newts on Redpoint One? Why had she never heard of this
before? Did the ladies of the Naughty Knitter's Club know about it?
They seemed to know about everything going on in the space
station.
    "I think she's done," Ignacio said, turning a
big pleased grin to her accompanied by a bright spark in his eyes.
"Five rare newts have now joined the world."
    "She's still arched. Probably going to be a
sixth," Rachel said with a grin of her own.
    They returned their attention to the enclosure
in time to witness the new arrival. The mother dropped her arched
posture and turned to clean the new wriggling arrivals. The first
baby took the attention only for so long before launching itself
into the water.
    Rachel gasped as its head went below the
surface. Surely, the mother should keep them closer for a while
before allowing them into the water, alien animal or
not.
    The baby came up to the surface to glide
through the water with the same grace of the mother. It arched out
into the open water before turning back towards the shady edges of
the pond. It nestled up between the floating leaves of water plants
and under a leafy fern, to stop and look around the world. With
another splash, a second and third baby entered the
water.
    "Unlike human babies, Silky Newt babies are
quite capable the moment they are born." Ignacio pointed. "Look,
the mother is joining them. An excellent birth despite the rough
beginning."
    The mother swam out in the pond among the
babies until each of them returned to the shady banks of the pond.
Only then did the mother join them to rest among the water
plants.
    "Amazing," Rachel said with a long exhale. A
bad day and she got to watch a birth, with all babies born fine and
strong.
    Ignacio turned his attention to her, the same
spark still bright in his eyes. The affectionate smile on his face
might not be for her, but she found it transformed his angular
face. Here was a man who loved what he did, who worked to make a
difference.
    She'd never seen such an attractive face
before in her life.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR

    IGNACIO PUSHED HIMSELF up to his feet, extending a hand down
to her. "We best leave her alone now. She'll need a while to calm
down from the birth."
    Rachel accepted the help, finding her knees
not wanting to work, making her wonder how long they'd been kneeled
in front of the enclosure. She flexed her knees a few times once
standing to get the blood flowing again.
    "Should I even ask what a baby Silky Newt
eats?" Rachel