Chapter 4 #2
“So that you know, I still think you deserved to be punched. You were rushing me and punishing me at the same time. That doesn’t work for me; I need time to process things.
When I get cornered, I defend myself, and that’s the way I felt.
” She stared up at him, her entire body tense, waiting for his reaction.
Mac studied her sincere, blue eyes. She wasn’t being defiant or sassy, just determined and stating her position with blunt honesty.
“Thank you for telling me that, honey. I’m afraid I’m more the burn the bridges, fire the cannons, and get it over with sort of person.
When something needs to be done, I don’t procrastinate. ”
She studied him in return, and then heaved a sigh. “I can see that...but I need time to process situations and then decide on the best course of action. But I am sorry I hurt you.”
“He chuckled and rubbed his hands up and down the back of her arms. “Just not sorry you did it—I got that.”
“And you’re not going to hold it against me?”
Her body was starting to relax as he tugged her in closer.
“No, you did well, honey. I will never hold honesty against you. Thank you for obeying me. I really didn’t want to punish you again—I wanted your trust. I’m a very protective man, and I need to know that I can count on you to obey me when it’s necessary.
The hills can be dangerous, as I’m sure you know.
” He kissed her tenderly and then reached for their coats.
“It was worth obeying,” she replied softly, slipping her arms into the jacket he was holding for her. She smiled up at him. “I was really dreading a strapping, and I thought about running away again,” she confessed.
He grinned down at her, knowing that the solution had been spun around in her brain. “But?”
She blushed, but her eyes were sparkling with mischief. “I made the mistake of underestimating your tracking skills once, so I knew you would eventually find me. And as stubborn as you are, I knew I’d be in for it when you caught me.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Smart girl and a quick learner, I like that,” he teased as he opened the door for them.
Neither of them was prepared for what they saw when they stepped out the door.
***
LITTLE AMELIA AND LUKE were coming out of the barn, Luke holding his sister’s hand. He waved eagerly at them with his other hand and yelled, “Whitney, Mac, we were looking for you!”
Whitney’s sudden intake of breath told him she’d seen what he was seeing. A mountain lion was slinking out from the edge of the forest, stalking the two children. The rogue cougar his mother had warned about.
Whitney took off running towards the kids. “Run to me, run,” she screamed.
Luke darted a look behind him and quickly grabbed his little sister around the waist like a sack of potatoes and began running as fast as he could. At twelve years old, the boy was strong and fast, but the cougar was faster.
Mac didn’t waste words or time; he grabbed the chopping axe from the stump and ran like the demons of hell were after him, catching up and passing Whitney.
The cougar was six feet behind the kids when Mac threw the axe just like the lumberjacks did in the summer competitions.
It whirled over their heads and hit the cougar in mid-air, square in its broad chest as it leaped for its prey.
It went down screaming that horrible scream like a woman in pain, then came back up.
Mac grabbed Amelia from Luke. “Run for the house as fast as you can,” he ordered. Luke was lightning fast now that he wasn’t carrying his little sister. Whitney had caught up by this time, and Mac handed Amelia off to her, and she followed Luke.
“Keep going,” he instructed her, looking back over his shoulder.
He could have passed all of them, but he stayed between them and the cougar, facing the animal head-on as he backed towards the cabin.
It limped towards them with deadly stalking precision.
Its steps began to slow, though, and then suddenly, the big cat just lay down, stretched out with a coughing groan, and closed its eyes.
Mac backed inside the door of the cabin, his eyes still on the cat, and grabbed his rifle.
It was a shame he’d had to kill the animal, but a rogue killer was dangerous to people.
Whatever had set this killer in motion was a mystery, but it happened sometimes.
If it was still alive, it was going to die, and Mac wouldn’t let an animal suffer needlessly.
Sighting in his rifle, he fired one shot and then lowered his gun.
“I think it’s already dead,” he murmured to Whitney, who had stepped up beside him with Amelia in her arms. She was panting hard from her run, and Amelia was clinging like a limpet to her neck.
“Better to be safe, but I’m sure it is too.” She shivered and hugged Amelia close.
Luke poked his head under Mac’s arm. “Wow, that was the most amazing axe-throwing I’ve ever seen.” He stared up at Mac with admiration. “Can you teach me how to do that?”
Mac shot Whitney a wry grin. Leave it to a kid to see the bright side of a near disaster. “I learned from the lumberjacks, but I can try.”
He could see Luke’s brain working right through his hazel specked eyes. “Maybe I’ll be a lumberjack,” he enthused.
Whitney sighed and ruffled his hair. “You have some growing to do before that happens. In the meantime, I’m very proud of you for grabbing Amelia and running. You saved your sister’s life.”
“You save me from the scary kitty, Lukey,” Amelia echoed, her blue eyes as big as saucers.
Luke scuffed his toes and blushed. “Well...I couldn’t just leave her behind, even if she is annoying.”
Mac placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Whitney is right, Luke. You acted like a man today. Protecting your little sister was a selfless act and worthy of high praise.”
Luke looked out at the big cat. “What are we going to do with it? We can’t eat it, can we?”
Mac chuckled. “No, that’s not meat for the table. Best we put it in the back of my pick-up and haul it away and bury it. We need to get it far enough away that other animals aren’t attracted to the scent and want to dig it up.”
“Like bears, right?” Luke inserted the question.
Mac nodded grimly. “Like bears. At least those who haven’t gone into hibernation yet.”
They started towards the cougar, but the sound of the horse’s hooves rustling the leaves caught their attention.
Someone was coming.
***
IMMEDIATELY, MAC SNAPPED into action. “Whitney, take Amelia inside and close the door. Don’t come out unless I signal you.”
She obeyed him instantly, and he was glad she hadn’t argued with him when he saw two men come riding out of the forest from the direction the cougar had come.
He didn’t recognize either of them and didn’t like the looks of them.
He held his rifle in front of him. “Luke, get the shotgun,” he muttered from the side of his mouth. “Tell Whitney to stay inside.”
Luke hastened into the cabin and returned with the shotgun, and Mac was very pleased that Whitney had followed his instructions. These men didn’t look like the type of men he’d want to know that a young woman lived here. Especially alone with kids.
The two men came in slowly, their eyes darting back and forth as they surveyed their surroundings.
Then the tall, lanky one with a black slouch hat, jeans, and a coat that had definitely seen better days lifted his hand in greeting.
A leather string drew back his black hair, and his beard was full of gray.
His eyes were shifty, though, and the warning hairs on the back of Mac’s neck stood up.
“Howdy, friend. Was it you who shot that cougar we've been tracking? Or was it your son?” Both men cackled as if they’d said something hilarious.
“He isn’t...” Luke started to snap out, but Mac squeezed his shoulder hard with one hand.
“Not now, son,” he warned with a glance at Luke.
Luke nodded and subsided.
When they got to the cougar, Mac rang out, “That’s far enough. What do you want?”
The rounded one with red beefy cheeks pursed his lips in disapproval.
“Now, that’s not very friendly. We’ve been tracking this cat for two days.
It attacked a child in a settlement west of Bolton.
It’s a killer for sure.” He turned his head sideways and spat a load of spittle on the cat.
Then he turned his beady stare back to Mac.
“Looks like you done beat us to the punch. Seeing as how this carcass is now yours, do you reckon we could at least come in for some hot coffee? It’s cold out here. ”
“Not unless you want to catch the runs,” Mac drawled, improvising. “Both of my brothers came down with it in the last two days.
“Is that so?” The tall one asked suspiciously.
Mac nodded. “I’ll tell you what, though, you can have the carcass; we don’t want it around here.
If you’re trapping, you could probably get a good price for it at the taxidermy down in Bolton, seeing as how it attacked one child already and tried to attack my boy.
At least you’ll have something for your trouble,” he offered, figuring that was what they really wanted.
Both men grinned broadly, and Mac knew he’d made the right offer.
“Why, thank you, friend. That’s mighty generous of you, and we’ll take you up on that,” the rounded one replied eagerly.
Mac and Luke watched as both men dismounted and took a rolled-up load off the back of one of the horses.
When they unrolled it, it was a makeshift travois like the Indians used to use to haul loads with dogs or horses.
They made short work of getting the cougar tied onto the stretcher with leather straps.
As they mounted, the tall man eyed Mac with a hopeful expression. “No missus to fill a canteen with coffee?”
Mac shook his head. “No missus here,” he replied tersely. “Sorry, the kitchen is closed, too much sickness anyway.”
He doffed his hat and grunted. “We’ll just be on our way then. Thank you kindly.”