When She Flew Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Epigraph

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Praise for the Novels of Jennie Shortridge

  When She Flew

  “A taut, beautifully rendered novel about an injured war veteran, his bright young daughter, and a street-smart police officer who has lost almost more than she can bear. When their lives become entangled, what results has all the urgency of a thriller and offers a moving exploration of parental love and the lengths to which one person will go to take care of another.”

  —Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me

  “Jennie Shortridge has done it again. Her novels are delightful and compelling stories of real-world characters in mildly dysfunctional lives struggling for wisdom. This one, the story of a courageous and independent woman cop and a remarkably insightful feral girl, will grab you from the start and warm your heart with its originality and honesty. You’ll want to share this story with your friends.”

  —Selden Edwards, author of The Little Book

  “A novel with real heart that takes the big issues of returning war veterans and child custody, the hard social choices that make us human, and explores them on an intimate scale. The voice of thirteen-year-old Lindy, interspersed throughout the story, is a welcome addition to the world of child narrators.”

  —Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients

  “A mesmerizing tale of love, damage, and resurrection, propelled by a girl whose gifts are a marvel of the human spirit.”

  —Randy Sue Coburn, author of A Better View of Paradise

  Written by today’s freshest new talents and selected by New American Library, NAL Accent novels touch on subjects close to a woman’s heart, from friendship to family to finding our place in the world. The Conversation Guides included in each book are intended to enrich the individual reading experience, as well as encourage us to explore these topics together—because books, and life, are meant for sharing.Visit us online at www.penguin.com.

  “Jennie Shortridge’s heartfelt new novel takes the reader on a journey into the wilderness of the human spirit and the meaning of home. Against an evocative Northwest landscape, her beloved characters struggle with the ties that bind, ultimately finding the answer to what sets us free.”

  —Heather Barbieri, author of The Lace Makers of Glenmara

  Love and Biology

  at the Center of the Universe

  “Jennie Shortridge invokes the spirit of the Fremont District with a charming new novel.”

  —The Seattle Times

  “Midlife crises are a bitch. Jennie Shortridge’s book Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe makes that very clear. Set in the fictional town of Pacifica, Oregon, Mira Serafino finds out her husband, whom she’s dated since high school, is two-timing. Instead of melting into a puddle of menopause and hot flashes, Serafino, a high-strung perfectionist, leaves her world behind and heads northward to Seattle, where she tries to bring out the bad girl that has been hibernating within.”

  —Willamette Week (Portland, OR)

  “Smart, funny, and endearing, Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe is also deceptively wise….Deeply drawn characters with their seams and raw edges exposed, clever dialogue, and a snappy pace make this one terrific read!”

  —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

  “Like a Northwest Fannie Flagg, Jennie Shortridge gives us a wry and funny portrait of Mrs. Perfect, Mira Serafino. We all know where perfection can lead and in Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe, life becomes anything but Family freaking Circle. Steam a tall batch of half-caf mocha lattes for the club, throw on your slutty elf shoes, and discuss this delicious, sexy adventure of a mother at midlife.”

  —Diana Loevy, author of The Book Club Companion

  “An honest and endearing look into the imperfect life . . . a middle-aged woman of unpredictable hormones and a heart as warm and rich as the espresso shots she delivers to her coffee house customers. Bruised but not beaten, the indomitable Mira escapes her not so perfect life in search of a new beginning and instead rediscovers the woman she was always meant to be. The true-to-life characters, rain-saturated Seattle setting, and flawless storytelling make this a book to remember.”

  —Karen White, author of The Girl on Legare Street

  Eating Heaven

  “A remarkably affecting book.”

  —The Denver Post

  “Eating Heaven is exactly the kind of book I most love to read—rich, funny, sad, sensual, and hopeful. . . . Jennie Shortridge is a wise woman and her books are a tonic to the heart.”

  —Barbara Samuel, author of Lady Luck’s Map of Vegas

  “Funny, sweet and, most importantly, original.”

  —Seattle Magazine

  “A tasty novel.”

  —The Oregonian

  “An immensely wise and readable book that will provoke amusement, tears, and thoughtful reflection.”

  —Rocky Mountain News

  “Smooth writing, a cast of nicely developed characters, and a winning portrait of Portland, Oregon, add up to one good read.”

  —Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust

  Riding with the Queen

  “Shortridge does a fine job of molding her heroine into a sympathetic, even admirable character . . . hits all the right notes.”

  —The Miami Herald

  “An absorbing novel of a family with hard edges but an unbreakable bond. . . . Shortridge’s finely crafted sentences often use a single telling detail to suggest the larger picture. It’s a notable debut.”

  —Rocky Mountain News

  “Funny, sexy, smart. . . . Shortridge has done something few writers accomplish.”

  —Statesman Journal

  “Jennie Shortridge writes with an easy grace and a backbeat of the blues that lends a quiet authority to this novel.”

  —Summer Wood, author of Arroyo

  OTHER NOVELS BY JENNIE SHORTRIDGE

  Riding with the Queen

  Eating Heaven

  Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe

  NAL Accent

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, USA

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  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by NAL Accent, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, November

  Copyright © Jennie Shortridge, 2009

  Conversation Guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2009

  All rights reserved

  REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

  Shortridge, Jennie.

  When she flew/Jennie Shortridge.

  p. cm.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-14920-1

  1. Policewomen—Fiction. 2. Middle-aged women—Fiction. 3. Self-actualization (Psychology)

  in women—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3619.H676W47 2009

  813’.6—dc22 2009022838

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

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  For the good-hearted people of the Pacific Northwest.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My utmost respect and appreciation to Sergeant Michael Barkley of the Portland Police Bureau for his time, his thoughtful responses to my many, many questions, and for his respect for the lives and privacy of those he serves in the community. Thanks also to Portland detectives Travis Fields and Heidi Housley, and Officer Dorie Scott of the Seattle Police Department. And without Miss Carol Frischmann, Lindy would not have had her birds. Thank you, Carol, for the hike and the owl and the magic of your world. Many thanks to my early readers who helped guide the craft and kept me going: Sherry Brown, Jeri Pushkin, Cindy Grainger, Stan Matthews, Carol Hickman, Heidi Yorkshire, Alison Galinsky, and Sandra Fischer. (Thanks also to Sandra for all her help with . . . everything.) Big grateful hugs and a toast to my writers’ group, as amazing a writers’group as anyone could have: Stephanie Kallos, Randy Sue Coburn, Heather Barbieri, and Erica Bauermeister, who read and advised, as well as Garth Stein, Kit Bakke, and Mary Guterson. Thanks to our wonderful booksellers, whose support and friendship mean so much to writers, and even more to readers. (Patronize them, please, dear reader, as much as you can.) A big hug to Howard Wall at Penguin Group for taking me under his wing (sorry, I couldn’t resist), and to all of the wonderful people at NAL and Penguin, whose hearts and souls make great books happen, from copyediting to cover design to introducing them to booksellers. Thanks to my editor, Claire Zion, who makes me a better writer and seems to feel as passionately as I do about every aspect of the book. Thanks to my agent, Jody Rein, for believing in my writing from the start, and to her capable assistant, Johnna Hietala, for making everything run smoothly. And most especially, always, thanks to my family for their love and fierce loyalty, and to my husband, Matt Gani, who reads, suggests, listens, loves, and comforts me, all while doing his own good and intense work in the world.

  “For a long time, she flew only when she thought no one else was watching.”

  —BRIAN ANDREAS

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  While the author was inspired by real events as the starting place for her story, this is a work of fiction. All characters, places, organizations, and events are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A Report on the Common Barn Owl by Melinda Faith Wiggs

  The common barn owl inhabits almost every place on this Earth. They are the most widespread of all owls, and I think the most beautiful with their heart-shaped faces and deep black eyes. They are mysterious and pale and long-winged, and unique among other owls. Their ears are placed unevenly on their heads, which gives them superior hearing, and they never make that hooting sound you think of when you think of owls. They hiss, and their screech is so frightening that I used to think there were monsters in these woods, but that was back when I was young and new to the forest.

  I know so much about barn owls because of Sweetie-pie. Pater rescued her from a fox when she was just a baby, and we nursed her back to health and fed her until she could fend for herself. She got used to us, I guess. She hangs out in our camp and sleeps where we sleep. Barn owls love to nest in man-made enclosures. That’s why they are called “barn” owls.

  Classified as birds of prey, they are foragers and carnivores. They hunt all night and sleep all day to digest the voles and shrews they catch. Like white ghosts, they fly low to the ground, as quiet as a night breeze on their fringed wing feathers, and steal animals away from their burrows and families. With those oddly placed ears, they hear the little animals even underground, so it’s no use for them to hide. The owls’ black talons are so strong they kill their prey instantly, snapping their necks as soon as they snatch them up, and eating them head first. Pater says at least the hunted don’t suffer.

  Sometimes I hate this about owls, but Pater says they’re predators and that’s just Nature’s way. He says we’re all God’s creatures, all the species on this Earth, only some of us have to be more careful than others and mind our own business, blend in to our surroundings so we don’t call attention to ourselves. That is the balance of things: some of us are predators, screeching and hunting and tracking down prey, and some of us must live quietly among the trees, just trying to survive.

  1

  The baby clothes drew Jess first, even though her grandson was now turning three. She couldn’t walk past the tiny flannel buntings, the three-snap onesies in pastel shades, without wanting to touch them. And the shoes! Target always had such cute baby shoes. Just small pieces of leather and cloth and rubber, yet they held so much promise: soon little Mateo would be toddling in baby Nikes, then wearing them to school. Then who knew? Kicking soccer balls, hiking the Cascades. Maybe becoming a cop, like she was, and like the boy’s great-grandfather—her dad—had been. One moment they were babies, the next they were out in the world on their own. It all went by so fast.

  Too damn fast, Jess thought. Nina, her daughter and Mateo’s mother, would be officially out of her teens at the end of the year, Jess was staring down the road at forty. Her dark hair had been sprouting dull streaks she would soon have to admit were gray; laugh lines remained on her face even when she wasn’t smiling. Jess would have loathed being a grandmother except that her grandson was the happiest, most beautiful baby she’d ever seen. Nina had been pretty and exquisitely formed from birth, with t
iny shell ears and slim hands and feet, but she’d been quiet and reserved, reticent almost, even in infancy. Not bursting with energy and exuberance, like her son.

  What size would Teo be now? Jess ran her hands along racks of little boys’ jeans and corduroys. Fall clothes, and Columbia was stuck in a heat wave. She hadn’t seen Teo since Nina brought him a couple months before for their June visit. He’d always been small for his age, but kids had growth spurts. Should she call Nina at work and ask, or would that only annoy her?

  A table full of brightly colored boys’ T-shirts lay dead ahead. T-shirts were forgiving. She could get him a size three for his birthday and he could wear it even if it was too big. Jess wheeled her cart over, even happier to find Transformer characters centered squarely on the front of each shirt. Teo loved the Transformers movie—she knew that much. As she sorted through the shirts, though, she sighed. There were at least ten different half-human, half-machine creatures. He had a favorite, but which one?