The Cowboy's Hunt

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  Clearing his throat, he said, “I lost my mom when I was a kid, too.”

  “Sucks, doesn’t it.”

  Donovan nodded.

  “You want a beer?”

  “Shit yeah.”

  Trent winced as he got up and Donovan felt like a fool. “No, sit. I’ll get it.”

  Waving him back to his seat, Trent said, “I’ve got to move or I’ll stiffen up and it’ll be worse.” He opened the fridge and handed Donovan a cold bottle.

  Donovan tanked half of it before realizing he probably should have eaten something first. He’d been too excited about the white elk to remember to grab a sandwich and then, after dressing the hogs, he was still coming down from the adrenaline.

  “I hadn’t received the DNA test results back yet,” Trent said. “But Billy obviously thinks it’s true. He never told me he suspected it. My own father was right next to me for my entire life and I never knew.” Trent shook his head. “I don’t know how to feel about that.”

  “Did he treat you right?”

  Trent looked at him in surprise. “Yeah, he treated me like I was his own son.”

  “I’m not seeing the problem.” Donovan took another swig of his beer. “My old man is in prison for being a grade-A piece of shit.”

  Trent winced. “Sorry about that.”

  “I’m not. I hope he rots there. Billy always struck me as a nice guy. Did he love your mother?”

  “He says he did. He says she wasn’t the type to settle down, and from what I remember, that was true. When she wasn’t drunk, she was heading that way to one party or another. From one man to another.” Trent sighed. “It makes sense that she didn’t know who my father was. I just can’t figure out why she wouldn’t tell me it was Billy. If it could have been anyone, why tell me it was a bullfighter she never saw again?”

  “What does Billy think?”

  “He refuses to say anything bad about her. But I’m wondering if she tried to get some other bull rider or bullfighter to pay child support.”

  Sounded reasonable to him. Follow the money. “Did she ever get any?”

  “Billy wouldn’t say. But it explains a lot about how he treated the women who claimed they’d had my baby.”

  Donovan nodded. Alissa was Trent and Kelly’s little girl, but Trent hadn’t known about that for most of Alissa’s life because of Billy. “Are you happy that you know Billy’s your biological dad?”

  “Yeah, I mean he’s been acting the part all these years and Alissa adores him. But I wish I’d known when I was a dumb kid that he was my father.”

  “Hindsight’s a bitch.” If Donovan knew then what he knew now, he would have tried to convince his mother to leave Charlie. Although that probably wouldn’t have worked. She believed in Charlie’s bullshit. She thought Charlie was her ticket to the good life. Instead, he had been her ticket to the afterlife.

  “I’m sorry for getting so heavy about this. But after the close call with Alissa and Billy blurting out that he’s her grandfather, I’ve been thrown for a loop. What had you originally come over for? Before the hogs?”

  Donovan finished his beer, trying to swim out of all the memories of the past this week had dredged up. He was getting sleepy. The late night, the strenuous hike, the excitement and the emotion topped with the fast beer was sapping his energy.

  “I found the elk. The white one.” He pulled out his phone and showed Trent.

  “Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

  “Why don’t you hang around and show Kelly when she’s done putting Alissa down for her nap?”

  “Can I borrow your couch?”

  “It’s lumpy.”

  Donovan hid a yawn behind his hand. “I could stretch out on the floor mats.”

  “Be my guest. I’m going to drink a little more.”

  “Well, I can’t let you drink alone.”

  And that’s how Kelly found them, half passed out and staring blearily up at her. “I found her, Kelly,” Donovan said and handed her his phone before his eyes shut.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Emily was excited to go on safari to see the white elk, even though Donovan was against calling it a safari. That’s what it was and she got to share it with her sisters and the man she was falling in love with. It was hard to keep her heart guarded when every day was an adventure and every night was a dream come true.

  She couldn’t stop smiling and she knew it was only a matter of time before Donovan realized that they had just as good of a shot making money doing these nature safaris as he did with his hunting parties. Especially if there really was a puma, in addition to the white elk in the area. Of course, Donovan’s trail camera hadn’t provided any evidence that there actually was a large cat prowling around. It was still exciting to think she might see one up close—preferably from the safety of the truck.

  It was finally a nice enough day that Kelly felt she could get some decent photographs. Unfortunately, Emily was roped into carrying the gear. She wasn’t sure that they needed both Nate and Donovan armed with rifles. That was overkill in her opinion, especially with all the noise the trucks were making. Nate had Kelly and Janice with him in his truck, and Emily and Donovan had all the gear in Donovan’s.

  “Too bad we don’t have a tree stand all to ourselves,” she said, running her hand suggestively up his thigh.

  “That would be fantastic, but all there is down there is a big rock. I wouldn’t trust building a stand or a blind with all the elk rutting and the feral pigs in the area. Timber.” Donovan made a crashing sound and mimed a tower falling over.

  “This would be a nice safari.”

  “This isn’t Africa. I’m not getting giraffes and zebras.”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” he said under his breath. “Besides, if no one is here to thin out your hogs, there’s not going to be enough forest left to support any other type of wildlife.”

  “Those hogs are a real cramp in my ass,” she said.

  “You and me both. But they’re good eatin’.”

  “Gross,” she said, without any anger. She knew he was just teasing her.

  “Besides, no one is going to spend three hundred dollars a day to ride in a busted-up truck over ruts and foliage, hoping for a glimpse of Ghost.”

  “Perhaps not, but we could bring more people in to make up the numbers.” Emily wasn’t sure how yet, but she was working on it. If they could get the wind turbines in and the cell tower, they might be able to lease a Humvee or something to make the safari a little more exciting to book.

  “I think you’re overestimating the interest in a white elk.”

  “Maybe.” She didn’t want to get into an argument about it. Not until she was able to research it properly. Emily just had to make sure today was fun and exciting. Donovan would see that there was money to be made from not killing animals.

  “Did you look into the cell tower?”

  She let the change of subject pass. She’d circle around to it again. “Yeah, I’ve got some credible leads. It could bring in about a thousand dollars a month, but they pay for everything. We just lease them the land.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “It’s got to be an exact fit for what they’re looking for and it’s a twenty-five-year lease.”

  “Hopefully you’ll still be here to reap the benefits.”

  “I hope so. It’ll pay a bill. And every little bit counts. I have a real surveyor team coming in to do a wind test once the Sykes brothers clear out the land.” They had been complaining about seeing feral hogs, too, but the heavy machines kept them at bay. According to Mike Sykes though, he was “afraid to take a piss.”

  She should really tell Donovan to hunt around there. It would keep his crew this weekend away from the elk and the risk that they might see Ghost and try to take her head for a trophy. They liked hog meat. Bacon for everyone. Emily made a face. Now she was grossing herself out.

  They
parked by Donovan’s cat camera and divided up the equipment. Since Donovan and Nate needed their hands free for their rifles, that meant that she and her sisters were hauling the gear. They hiked to the rock that Donovan had set up as a base camp. He had brought a ladder to make climbing it easier.

  “I’ll go first,” Donovan said. “Nate, keep an eye out. There are hog tracks all over here.”

  “Here bacon, bacon, bacon,” Nate crooned softly.

  “Ugh please, no,” Emily grumbled, following Donovan up the ladder.

  The top of the rock wasn’t big enough for all of them to sit comfortably, so after Janice handed up the equipment, Emily and Nate took up watch at the bottom of the rock.

  “We’ll switch in about an hour or so, sooner if we catch sight of Ghost.”

  “Maybe we should walk around and look for her?” Janice suggested.

  “Don’t split up,” Donovan warned. “If you see her, both of you come back and tell us. Kelly can decide if she wants to wait for her to come to us or if she wants to do an action shot in the woods.”

  “Why not both?” Kelly said, adjusting her large-brimmed hat so the sun wasn’t on her neck or face.

  “Whatever you want.”

  After about two hours, Janice and Nate came back and Emily and Donovan took a turn walking around. They went in the opposite direction to see if they could flush out the elk.

  “It’s a waiting game,” Donovan said, as they trudged up a hill.

  “Is that why hunters sit around drinking all the time?” Emily asked.

  “When we’re out in the field like this, we don’t drink. Live ammo and booze don’t mix.”

  “What if they’re chilling in the tree stand?”

  Donovan shook his head. “I don’t get that. If you’re going to sit and drink, stay on your porch. My insurance doesn’t allow them to drink with rifles. However, I know that they sneak a few beers in the tree stands.”

  “It’s all fun and games until someone gets shot,” Emily said. Bunch of redneck yahoos. “Why don’t you kick them out when they break the rules?”

  “I’ve got insurance.”

  “Donovan,” she said exasperatedly.

  “It’s the hunter’s code. We watch out for each other. Accidents happen and we know the risks. I wouldn’t take out anyone I thought was reckless or dangerous, so don’t worry.”

  “Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Add in some testosterone and it’s a free-for-all.”

  “It’s not quite as exciting as you’re making it out to be. Most of the time they fall asleep in the blind. I personally can think of better things to do all alone in a tree stand.” He grinned at her.

  “Speaking of which, can’t we just go back to the truck and make out?”

  “Tempting offer,” Donovan said. “I am going to miss you this weekend. I’ve got a full house of hunters again.” He hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her.

  She got little flutters in her stomach and a languorous warmth spread through her. This was nice. Emily was getting used to having him around. It should bother her, but in quiet moments like this, it was perfect.

  “Are your guys going to come out here?”

  “Not here exactly. I don’t want them to stumble across Ghost.”

  “But you don’t even know where she is. You could find her herd by mistake.”

  “Like I said before, I’ll have them sign waivers that she’s a protected species.”

  “And they call me naïve,” Emily said.

  They walked on another mile before they heard the rifle shots. “Was that Nate?” she asked.

  “I think so. Don’t run. It’ll all be over by the time we get back anyway and if he’s shooting at hogs, we don’t want to run straight into them.”

  “I hope they’re safe.”

  “The hogs?” Donovan asked.

  “No, my sisters and Nate.”

  “As far as I know, the hogs can’t climb ladders, not yet anyway. But they’re evolving. They’re not as afraid of humans or rifle shots anymore.”

  “What if it was the puma?”

  “There was no sign of a big cat with the exception of that one print that could have been anything. No cat would take on three humans who had the high ground.”

  “So it’s hogs, then?” she asked, trying not to worry.

  “That’ll be my guess, and we’re more in danger from them than Nate and your sisters are. Of course, with all the racket, we should just call it a day. We’re not going to see—” He cut off at the sound of distant thunder.

  Looking up, Emily saw there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

  “Shit, we need to get some cover,” he said.

  “Is that a stampede?” she asked.

  “Yes. And it’s not your daddy’s cattle. Let’s go up this way. Now is the time to run.” Grabbing her hand, he took off toward higher ground. The sounds of hoofbeats were getting louder and she only hoped that they were out of the path of the herd. They were coming fast and hard, as if something was chasing them. They wouldn’t have been this spooked by a few rifle shots. They would have scattered, not run in what sounded like blind panic.

  “Faster,” he urged, and she saw a tree in the distance they might get safely up.

  They reached the trunk and he knelt on the ground and laced his fingers like a stirrup. “Can you reach that branch and hoist yourself up on it if I give you a little toss?”

  “Why do I need to?”

  “Can you?” he said urgently.

  “Yes.” She stepped on his hand and half jumped and was half pushed up to grab at the branch. Her arms were shaking. She hated doing pull-ups, but she managed to haul herself over the thick tree branch. Catching her breath, Emily straddled it and then peered down at Donovan.

  “What are you doing? Get up here.”

  He had his back to the tree and his rifle out and pointed. “We need to get walkie-talkies or something with range. Any chance you’ve got a cell signal?”

  “No, damn it. But if my deal goes through, we will by the end of the year.”

  “Hopefully we won’t still be here,” he said.

  “You think it’s the puma, don’t you?”

  “It could just as well be Bigfoot with the odds that it’s a puma.”

  “Then why am I up here in a tree and you’re down there?”

  “I couldn’t risk the time it would take me to get up the tree. I need you to be my eyes. Let me know if anything is coming.”

  “I don’t like this,” she said, but scanned the distance. “What am I looking for?”

  “Movement. Not necessarily fast. If it is a big cat, it’s going to be stalking slowly. We shouldn’t be its target, though.”

  It was hard to hear him as the sounds of hooves got louder. Then she saw the elk. Now that they weren’t in danger of being trampled to death, it was a majestic sight. She didn’t see Ghost among them, though. Then they both heard the roar of a truck’s motor.

  “What the hell?” she said. A souped-up, off-road truck followed the herd. It was red and had large floodlights attached to the top. Usually a rig like that went out at night and flashed the floodlights to make the deer freeze. It made for easy shooting. Fucking cowards.

  “Poachers,” Donovan said, with the same disgust she felt in his voice.

  More rifle shots reached them.

  “Not on my land,” Donovan said and aimed.

  “Are you going to shoot them?” She gasped.

  Donovan’s first shot took out one back tire. He dashed across the hill and went flat on his stomach and took out the other back tire. The truck seesawed to a skidding halt.

  “Stay in the tree,” Donovan said. “I only want them to see me if they start looking.”

  Emily pressed herself back against the trunk, trying to make herself invisible.

  Three men jumped out of the red truck and stared at the damage done to the tires. Donovan kept low, his rifle sighted on the men, but his finger off the trigger. Emily knew he’d hit the tire with a
high-caliber round. It would have shredded the rubber. Would they realize Donovan had shot it out or would they think it blew on its own?

  So far, they hadn’t figured it out, but they only had one spare. Emily waited in the tree while they put the spare on one side of the car, but saw that they didn’t have any idea what to do next.

  Movement attracted her attention out of the corner of her eye. Hogs. They were shuffling toward Donovan’s position.

  “Donovan,” she growled, hoping her voice didn’t carry too far.

  He looked over at her and she pointed. He pushed himself to his knees and saw the hogs. Standing up, he reloaded two more bullets into his rifle with quick, efficient movements. Would they catch his scent or was the wind blowing the other way? She jumped when his rifle cracked.

  He wasn’t giving them the chance to notice him. Donovan calmly worked the lever on his rifle back and fired again. Flip, fire. Flip, fire. Flip, fire. In the relative silence, the three men below them where shouting things like “What the hell is that?”

  “There’s two more,” Emily cried, watching the hogs leap over the bodies of the larger ones that had been in the lead. Why weren’t they running and scattering? These hogs truly weren’t afraid of anything.

  He calmly reloaded two more bullets. They were almost to him. Donovan took his time, aimed, and fired. The screaming of the hogs dying on the ground almost made her throw up. She closed her eyes and the last shot sounded louder somehow.

  “Gentlemen,” Donovan roared, attracting the attention of the poachers. “You are hunting on my land. But I think we can come to an agreement here.”

  “Wait. What?” Emily pried her eyes open and then decided she didn’t want to see the carnage.

  “I’m listening,” one of the men shouted up at them.

  “I’ve got seven hogs up here that you can have. But you’re going to have to pay me what I charge hunters to take them out here and bag game.” Donovan swiftly and quietly reloaded five bullets.

  “How much are we talking about?”

  “Three hundred dollars. Each of you.”

  “We don’t have that kind of money on us.”

  “I’m sure you can get it. If not, sell the meat,” Donovan said. “Of course, if you don’t, I’m going to have to press charges of trespassing and then no one is happy.”