about as bad as I expected. So, I decide to start the day by radioing the guys to make sure they’re okay. With all the rain, there’s a good chance the road to Axel and Emelie’s will be washed out for a few days. I know they’re more than prepared, but I still want to check.
I start with Bennett, since he’s the furthest one out. I get the radio going and call him.
It takes a few minutes to get a response. ‘Hey, Phoenix. I know you’re checking in after the storm. I’m perfectly okay. Not even any downed tree branches.’
‘Good to hear. Stay safe.’
Short and to the point. That’s how we roll.
Next, I call Cash. I’m saving Axel and Emelie for last because Emelie will want to know how the other guys are doing.
As with Axel, it takes Cash a few minutes to get to the radio. ‘Hi, Phoenix.’
I know it’s a radio and not the best connection, but he sounds worn out. Things can’t be easy with his brother being sick. ‘How did you fare in the storm?’
‘We’re good here. The storm made my brother more paranoid than usual, but I gave him some sleeping medicine and he slept the day away.’
‘What do you need? What can I do?’
It’s a solid minute before he replies, and I know he’s thinking carefully. ‘He’s not himself anymore, and I can’t leave him alone. If you have time to pick up the stuff and take it down to the shop, it would be greatly appreciated. We don’t need anything else.’
‘I can get up there sometime next week. Before I show up, I’ll set a more concrete time.’
‘Thank you.’
Now, on to Axel and Emelie.
‘Hey, Phoenix. I was waiting for your call. Axel’s out checking the road now,’ Emelie answers.
‘Other than the road, you guys okay?’
‘Oh, yes, we’re good. We won’t ever complain about having to stay inside and snuggle by the fireplace.’
It’s easy to see the love those two have for each other, and they don’t hide it from anyone. I’m so happy that Axel found Emelie, and I hope one day I’ll find someone for me.
Jenna’s face flashes in front of my eyes, and there’s a flutter in my heart that hopes she might be that one. But she doesn’t know my story and I don’t know all of hers. Plus, there’s a good chance she’s only hanging out with me for her book and for a little fun. I have no problem with that, but I have to guard my heart as it’s been broken too many times.
‘If the roads flood, do you guys need anything?’
‘Well, I’d kill for some Oreos right now, but I’m not going to make you drive into town for them. I’ll wait until we can go ourselves.’
Emelie grew up in Billings and was used to being able to head to the store for all the modern conveniences. She’s transitioned well to mountain life, but she still has her favorites that she misses. If we’re honest, I think we all do.
‘I’ll call Jack and have him place a bulk order for you. Then you won’t have to worry about running out anytime soon.’
‘Why didn’t I think of that? Genius idea. Thank you, Phoenix. How did you fare in the storm?’
‘Found some downed branches around the house which would be perfect for the decorations I was thinking about making. I checked on the other guys. The storm aggravated Cash’s brother, but otherwise, everyone fared pretty well.’
‘Axel just walked in, and he said the road is passable in an emergency but should be cleared up in a day or two. It didn’t flood as bad as we thought it would.’
‘Well, you two stay safe, and let me know if you need anything.’
Jenna should be here anytime now, so I start checking my gear. It’s been a while since I went hunting because I was working on the latest order. Yesterday’s storm lasted until the afternoon, and I’m anxious to check out my land.
As I get ready, I have a nagging worry that Jenna won’t show up, or she’ll change her mind. Then I hear her car in the driveway, and my nerves ease, leaving excitement at seeing her in their place.
As she steps out of the car, she says, ‘So, I realized when I got home, I probably should have told you I’ve never been hunting before… ‘
I figured as much seeing as she’s basically a city girl. But as much as I’d like to get in a kill today, I just want to spend some time with her.
‘Have you ever shot a gun?’
‘Yes, a handgun.’
‘Good. Wait here.’ I head into the house to get my handgun.
At least she can use it to protect herself out there if needed. I plan to take care of her, but you can never be too careful, especially if I end up bringing an animal back.
Stepping back outside, I find her messing with her camera, but she stops when she sees me.
‘Carry this with you just to be safe.’
She frowns. ‘How will you bring back whatever you kill?’
‘There are a few meadows close by that deer like to feed in after a good storm. If we don’t find anything closer, I’ll try further out another day.’
We load up our gear and the packed lunch I prepared for us before heading off down a different trail to the one we took the other day.
‘How was your dinner with Emelie?’ I ask as we walk.
‘Oh, it was so nice to have a girlfriend to chat with. She told me how she and Axel met. It’s horrible that her ex just left her in the woods, but fortunately, she stumbled upon Axel. The way he looks at her, you can see they were meant to be. It’s so sweet. Having a friend like Emelie gives me hope that something like that is out there for me.’
This would be the perfect opportunity to tell her she’s found it with me, that I will always protect her. Running from her ex brought her to me, and I’m pretty sure being that upfront would send her running again. Slow and steady, that’s how my dad won my mom over. What I wouldn’t give to have his advice right now.
‘Emelie is a good person. She takes care of all of us and is always sending us home with food. I’ve put on ten pounds since they got married. Yeah, I wish I was joking but I’m not. Her food is so damn good, I won’t let it go to waste.”
‘She told me she’s excited to have another girl around, and it made me feel guilty because I didn’t tell her about my ex. We were having a good time, and I didn’t want to bum her out or worry her.’
‘You should have told Emelie. Axel will help protect you. So will Cash and Bennett.’
‘Why? I’m no one special. I’m just starting to be friends with Emelie.’
I stop on the trail and face her. ‘They’ll protect you because you’re important to me.’ I stare into her eyes, trying to make my point. With everything in me, I need her to understand what I’m not ready to say and what she probably isn’t ready to hear.
A beautiful shade of pink coats her cheeks, and her breathing increases slightly before she nods her head.
As I keep walking, I make notes of some of the trees that look like they’re ready to come down. I can come back and stock up for winter so I’ll still be able to work in my workshop.
Pointing them out to her as we go, I explain some of the different pieces I could make. Even though she’s snapping pictures, she doesn’t slow me down, nor does she ask me to stop and wait. She keeps up, knowing I don’t want her to get separated from me.
We make it to the meadow where I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to find some deer, and we sit down on the edge and wait.
After the fog clears from the meadow, we don’t have to wait long before the deer appear on the other side, just along the tree line. I hold my finger to my lips, silently telling Jenna to be quiet, and she nods.
Moving into position, I line up a shot and wait. As they come a little bit further from the tree line, my shot becomes clearer. Not much time passes before I fire. A deer goes down and the others scatter.
‘You did it! Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that. I’m so glad I remembered to turn all sound off on my camera.’ Jenna holds the camera screen to me, showing me photos of the deer she took while I was lining up my shot.
‘Those are great,’ I tell her, not at all shocked at how good her photography is.
Carefully, we walk to where the deer went down and check to make sure the blood hasn’t drawn any predators.
‘Always scan the tree line because the blood will draw in everything from wolves to coyotes to bears,’ I tell her as we finally make it to the deer.
Making quick work of gutting the deer, I get it ready to carry like a backpack, which involves removing some bone from the legs. I expect her to flinch or be grossed out or even turn away, but she watches every move and takes photos as I work.
‘What’s that for?’ she asks as I tie an orange band around the deer.
‘This is my land and there shouldn’t be anybody on it. But that doesn’t mean people pay any attention. So the orange is basically a signal to other hunters that I’m a human carrying a deer, and will prevent them from trying to shoot this deer.’
Once I have the deer ready, I tie up the hide and make backpack straps out of it. I slide it onto my back and stand up.
Jenna watches me in awe before she speaks. ‘I had no idea how that was done.’
I gather up my gun and we head back to the cabin. I’m on extra alert because the blood will attract predators, but Jenna is too, with her camera forgotten and her hand on the gun she’s placed in the waist of her pants.
We make it back to the cabin without incident. Out back, I have a workshop that has a table where I process all the meat and animals. It’s further away from the cabin, so if the blood draws anything, I’d be safe.
When we enter, Jenna takes a look at everything. I have hides hanging around. There’s a table in the middle for me to process the animal, all sorts of tools, shelves for storage, and a sink.
‘I hope you’re not squeamish,’ I say with a smirk.
