Chapter 22 #3
At least by now, Sadie should be home safe and sound.
Cole should be on his way to the hospital getting the treatment he needs, and Wes should be talking to the locals about the missing cattle.
Thoughts that provide me a bit of comfort as I sit alone in the darkness, watching thick snow fall relentlessly from the sky.
In just nine days, I have to make the biggest decision of my life. Sign the papers or hand the ranch over to Cash on a silver platter.
Unless the snow buries me in and I quietly slip away…
Fuck I can’t accept that.
Maybe I’m not ready, but the ranch needs me. The last couple of weeks have proven that to me. And Sadie… she needs me. And fuck, I need her too. I promised to prove my feelings to her, and I’d never prove a thing if I just gave up here on the side of the road. And she’d never forgive me for that.
With my phone in my hand, I manually roll down the truck window and try one more time. Pointing it high in the sky.
“Come on—” I grunt.
A loud snort catches my attention.
I nearly drop my phone in the snow as a big, brown animal steps in front of the car, sending my heart racing. It’s the biggest elk I’ve ever seen, and he’s standing right in front of the old truck. Staring at me with his big brown eyes.
Assessing me.
This is the closest I’ve come to one in the wild since I was a boy. Since Cole took me out hunting per the Harlow tradition. But this feels more terrifying.
He arches his neck, letting out a high-pitched noise that sends a chill vibrating down my spine.
It’s a beautiful sound, yet haunting, aching…
but then it proceeds to stare at me. True fear settles in my bones with every icy inhale.
Just him and I, staring into each other’s souls in the eerie quietness that surrounds us.
Memories of hunting with Cole during my childhood come rushing back. The first time I saw one in the wild.
My mom and I visited the ranch for the holidays.
Cole and I had spent all day hunting for a turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner, our usual holiday tradition.
One that Cash never wanted to be a part of.
The one time he came with us, he tripped over a tree root and twisted his ankle. Crying like a baby all the way home.
Cash didn’t want to join us after that.
But after six hours of freezing my ass off in the snow, I was ready to give up. “This is hopeless,” I’d said to Cole. Fingers aching in my woolen mittens.
He just smiled at me. “Patience, Kit. We’ll find one soon enough.”
“My fingers are gonna freeze off,” I complained. Patience was something I’d definitely developed as an adult.
Cole chuckled as a loud snap, like a branch breaking in two, caught our attention. He gestured for me to keep quiet as an elk walked out from behind the pines, about twenty yards in front of us.
My eyes went wide at the sight, heart racing. It was the first time I’d ever seen one. Besides the ones I’d seen out the window from a great distance.
Cole shuffled closer to me, noticing my unease. “It’s alright,” he whispered, keeping his voice low. “Damn, look how big he is,” he smiled in wonder.
“Will he hurt us?” The massive horns on his head looked like they could do some damage, and as a young boy of ten, I didn’t know much about elk.
Cole shook his head. “As long as we respect his space, he’ll respect ours.” I nodded, trusting Cole, like I always have. The elk continued making his way through the pines, proudly holding his head up high. Catching up with the rest of his herd.
“Elk are magnificent creatures,” Cole quietly continued when the elk was a safe distance away. Light snow snagged on his coat. “They represent strength, endurance, courage… They’re what your grandfather called the guardians of the forest.”
“The guardians of the forest,” I’d repeated.
He turned to me with a cheeky smile. “When you turn fifteen, we’ll hunt one.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“It’s a tradition,” Cole smiled. “Let’s head back. Annie’s probably—oh look!” Cole stopped mid-sentence, pointing to a turkey coming out of the bushes.
I readied my crossbow, cocked and loaded.
“Steady,” Cole said in a hushed tone.
Another breath, and I let the arrow fly, hitting my target. A perfect hit that took him down on impact.
“That’s my boy!” Cole patted me on the back, praising me for a job well done.
I’d never forget that day. The wonder in Cole’s eyes, the happiness on his face when I’d secured dinner. It’s one of my favorite memories, a reason that I have an elk woven into the design of my sleeve.
Strength. Endurance. Courage.
Words that helped me become the man I am today.
Now, staring at the majestic creature in front of me, despite my roaring pulse, I know he isn’t here to hurt me. The quietness between us washes over me, and I settle in his gaze. Basking in this moment. The stillness in the air.
Bright truck lights flash.
The elk’s gaze breaks mine, snorting at an approaching vehicle, before taking off back into the forest. I exhale a breath of relief at the sight of a familiar truck approaching me, like a saving grace.
Alaska Rivers rolls down her window and smiles. “You need a ride?”
“I’ve never been happier to see you,” I smile. If she hadn’t come along, who knows how long I would’ve been stuck here. Probably all night long.
I send a thank you to the good man upstairs and hop into her big red pickup truck.