The Cowboy's Hunt

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  And maybe then, they’d switch from beef cattle to milk cattle. Of course, there would be the added expense of building a dairy and surmounting a major learning curve, but that sort of thing excited her. Ideally, she wanted to get out of the cattle business entirely.

  Like that would happen while her father had anything to say about it.

  Emily needed to get her sisters on board with that first. Then they could work on their father together. Unfortunately, right now, they still considered her the baby of the family and indulged her wild ideas, but not one of them took her seriously. Once the wind turbines started bringing in profit, that would change. But damn, not today. Her head hurt too much and her mind was still too full of Donovan Link.

  She stumbled down to breakfast, hungover and a little restless about her feelings for Donovan. Janice had cooked bacon and eggs for her parents. They were nowhere around, but the dishes were in the sink. Emily rinsed them off and put them in the dishwasher for her mother. Even after all these months back from Africa, she compared her host family’s morning with these conveniences that she used to take for granted. She wondered how they were doing and decided she was going to write them a letter and get Kelly to give her some of the photos she’d taken of the ranch to send to them.

  Reaching for the oatmeal, Emily made herself a big bowl, and cut up a banana and added it in along with a handful of walnuts. After her second cup of coffee, she started feeling human again.

  Her mother walked in and did a double take. “Weren’t you supposed to meet with Kendrick at the bank this morning?”

  Adrenaline shot through Emily. “Oh shit, that was today?” A quick glance at her phone told her she had fifteen minutes to get there. It was a ten-minute trip.

  “Oh, Emily,” her mother sighed.

  Ignoring that, Emily ran upstairs and tossed off her pajamas. Grabbing a sundress, she slithered into it and roughly ran a brush through her long hair.

  “I should just cut it all off,” she muttered, wincing at the snarls as her fingers flew, putting it into a messy braid. Slipping on sandals, she grabbed her purse and sprinted outside. There wasn’t a car she could take.

  “Not today,” she groaned, dialing Kelly’s number.

  Her oldest sister didn’t answer her phone. Janice, however, answered on the second ring.

  “Can you take me into town or can I borrow your car? I’m late for my bank appointment.”

  “I’m sorry, Emily. I’m going to need my car this afternoon.”

  “That’s okay. Just drop me off at the bank and I’ll call an Uber or something to come back. I just can’t wait for one now.”

  “All right, I’ll be right there.”

  Janice sounded aggravated, and Emily couldn’t blame her. She should have made arrangements for a car last night. Her only excuse was she’d been distracted by her parents’ argument and her solitary drinking.

  In a weird way, things had been so much easier in Africa. The pace was slower and the day was all about the people and the village. There weren’t strangers coming in and hunting on their lands, and there was no rushing to the bank or the liquor store. Even though she had been back for months, there were moments—before sleep fully faded—when Emily thought she was back in her host family’s hut.

  Then she felt relieved and a little guilty when she realized that she was in her comfortable bed instead of her sleeping bag on the floor, and remembered that she could take a long, hot shower and then go downstairs and have plenty to eat.

  Did her parents really need her more than her friends in West Tigray? After all, Trent had taken some of the pressure off them by buying the land instead of leasing it, so he now owned the land his school and the house he was building were on. Donovan wasn’t going anywhere for the next few years. And Janice’s retreat was about to go live. Emily was reasonably sure she could go back to Ethiopia and finish out her contract and nobody would miss her. Or she could even sign up for a two-year tour. It would take her to another place, but she could help people who desperately needed it. Her parents’ situation wasn’t as dire as her father’s message had made out.

  Did they even need her? She’d been hoping to impress them with her traveling and missionary work. And while Emily thought they were proud of her, she still didn’t believe they thought of her as anything other than “the baby.”

  But that was a cop-out. They weren’t expecting anything to come of her plans, because nothing ever had. This time, she was going to prove them wrong.

  Of course, not being late to this important meeting would go a long way to convincing her parents she was more responsible.

  Janice barely stopped the car long enough for her to jump in before tearing down the driveway.

  “What’s the rush?”

  “I have to be back in time for the plumber. Look, I don’t want you to be disappointed when Kendrick turns you down for the loan.”

  “Whoa, nice way to be supportive.” Emily crossed her arms over her chest.

  “They turned Kelly down and she had a job.”

  “I have a stipend from the Peace Corps.”

  “It’s not enough.”

  “And money in the bank,” Emily challenged.

  “So did Kelly.”

  “I could use the land as collateral.”

  “It’s not your land to do that.”

  “Dad gave it to me.”

  “There is no deed. He’s letting you use it, but it’s still legally his. At the very least, they’re going to ask for a cosigner for the loan. You can’t get Mom or Dad to do it because they’re mortgaged to the hilt.”

  “Hey, Nancy Negative, knock it off. I got this.” OMG, could Janice get any bossier?

  Janice sighed. “I just don’t want you to be crushed when this falls apart. It means the world to Dad that you came home when he needed you. That’s enough for us.”

  Emily tried not to let Janice see how much her words hurt her. They were totally expecting her to fuck this up. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. She refused to talk to Janice the rest of the way to town. She forced herself not to slam the car door.

  Taking a few deep breaths, she steadied herself and straightened her shoulders. She was going to show them all.

  *

  It took less than fifteen minutes.

  The answer wasn’t just no. It pretty much had been hell no. Emily managed not to cry until she left the bank and then she ripped the elastic tie from her hair so she could hide her face as the tears streamed down. She had been so sure she could convince the bank it was easy money. And it was. Once the turbines were built, they would start generating profit.

  Scrubbing her face, she looked up and saw Donovan staring at her from across the street. He was coming out of the post office and was now walking toward her. Crap, she had to get herself under control. Emily ducked down an alley and ran to the end. She didn’t want to see him while she felt so raw. After darting into the hardware store through the back door, she walked down to where they kept the washers and dryers and pretended to read the energy readouts on them until she could breathe without hiccupping. She smoothed her hair back from her face and put it back into a messy ponytail. When she turned to go, she found Donovan leaning up against the wall.

  “How did you find me?”

  “I’m used to tracking elusive prey.”

  “Great. Does that mean you’re going to shoot me?” It would be the highlight of her day.

  “I was hoping to take you to lunch.”

  Emily thought about it. “Okay.”

  He slung his arm around her and walked with her back to his truck. She was startled at first. Why was her stomach hurtling like they were zipping over a ravine? Donovan smelled like leather and pine and it made her toes curl. She wanted to rub her cheek against his soft shirt. He felt comforting and solid and she needed that right now.

  “What were you doing in town?” she asked.

  He tensed briefly and then relaxed. “I had to send something. How about you?”
/>   “I had my meeting with the loan officer. I thought since he went to high school with my sister and since the wind turbines were a sure fucking thing, I’d get a big fat loan. I got a big fat nothing instead.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Emily was grateful that he didn’t follow it up with “I told you so” or “What did you expect?”—which was what she was going to get when she went home. They drove out of town for a bit and she was beginning to wonder where he was taking her. Not that she cared. It was nice to go for a drive in the quiet. Her parents weren’t arguing about her father pushing himself too hard. Janice wasn’t lecturing, and Trent and Kelly weren’t all lovey-dovey.

  If she was with anyone other than Donovan, she would have called it peaceful. Donovan made her feel restless and a little wild, like they were hurtling out of an airplane. Emily had left her wild side here in Last Stand when she went off to Africa. She was surprised that it was right here waiting for her. The wildness in her lived for zip-lining across ravines, riding Janice’s racehorse at top speed down the trails leading to the cow pastures, and seeing how close she could get to Donovan without giving in to the desire to kiss him.

  He pulled down a hidden side street and they bounced along an unpaved drive until they came to a cute little diner. Donovan’s was the only car in the small parking lot. The sign outside proclaimed it as the Mustard Seed.

  “What’s this?”

  “Lunch.” He went around and opened the car door for her.

  “You’re being awfully nice,” she said suspiciously.

  “Don’t get used to it,” he said.

  “Hi, welcome to the Mustard Seed,” a young woman said as they came in. “My name’s Carrie. I’ll be your waitress. We just opened for business today and you’re our first customers. So drinks are on the house. What can I get you?”

  “Trust me?” Donovan asked.

  “Sure,” Emily said, wondering what he was up to. She accepted a menu from Carrie.

  “Oktoberfest for me, and she’ll have the Paleta de Mango.”

  “Sounds good,” Carrie said and walked in the back.

  “What is that? And how did you know about this place?” Emily looked at the menu hoping to find a decent salad and stared in disbelief. “This is a vegetarian restaurant.”

  “One of my hunters from last week mentioned his sister’s place was opening today and I figured you’d like to go.”

  Now she felt like crying for a different reason. “Thanks. I really needed this today.”

  Carrie came back with two frothy beers in large pint glasses with the name Rahr & Sons etched on them. “I’ll give you a few minutes with the menu, but I have a few specials as well. Would you like to hear them?”

  Emily nodded vigorously.

  “We’ve got a zucchini po’ boy served with sweet potato fries for ten ninety-nine, and our cashew and quinoa burger patty served with seitan fakin’ bacon, soy cheese, and the works on a sesame seed bun. It comes with a side of onion rings for twelve ninety-nine.”

  Emily wanted both. Plus the carrot ginger soup and the buffalo chik’n nachos. “Do you deliver?” she asked instead.

  Carrie laughed. “No, ma’am, not yet.”

  “Can I live here?” Emily grinned.

  “I might have a waitress position open,” Carrie joked. “To handle the lunch crowd.” She gestured to the nearly empty restaurant.

  Emily was considering it, especially if meals were included.

  “I’ll have the grilled portabella quesadilla,” Donovan said. “You want to split the nachos?”

  “You’re damned right I want to split the nachos.” Emily nodded. “I’ll get the zucchini po’ boy for here and the cashew quinoa special to go.”

  “You got it,” Carrie said and went back to the kitchen.

  “Don’t worry,” Emily said. “I’ll pay.”

  “I’m not worried. And you’re not paying,” Donovan said mildly.

  Emily was going to protest, but saw the look in his eyes. She was used to his stubbornness by now. “All right,” she said. “But I’ll pay next time.”

  “No, you won’t.” He relented and smiled at her, though.

  She took a deep slug of her beer and gasped in surprise. Paleta de Mango apparently was a mango chili beer with lime. It was wonderful, but spicy and not at all what she expected. She grabbed Donovan’s Oktoberfest and drank half of it to cleanse her palate.

  “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I wasn’t either,” he said ruefully, finishing off what was left of his beer.

  “It’s different. Now that I know what it’s supposed to taste like, I’ll be fine.”

  Carrie brought them over refills with the nachos and Emily began to relax. “I don’t usually drink so much, but it’s been a tough week.”

  “Amen,” Donovan said, and clicked her glass. “Do you have a plan about what you’re going to do next?”

  “Way to harsh my buzz, man,” she said.

  “Sorry.”

  “I’ve been racking my brain and the only person I know who’s close to being a billionaire is Trent. I know he won that three-million-dollar purse, but I feel weird asking him for money. He’s already bailed us out once. Although at this point, I’m ready to take Carrie up on her offer. One of the biggest problems the bank had was my lack of employment.”

  “You should ask Trent. What’s the worst he could say?”

  Emily could think of a bunch of nasty things her father would say, but Trent was not her father. “I guess. If he says no, I’m no worse off. But then what?”

  “You’ll figure something out.”

  Emily had to take a sip of her beer so he didn’t see how much his words affected her. Her family would have never said that. They would have given her constructive criticism instead, telling her what she did wrong.

  “I’m not out of ideas yet. I’ve got a lead from a friend of mine in the Peace Corps. It’s his brother-in-law’s best friend kind of deal.”

  Donovan’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of deal?”

  “Don’t know yet. I’ve got to call the number and see what he has to say.”

  “Well, just be careful. There are a lot of con artists out there looking to rook an innocent mark.”

  “I’m not an innocent mark.” Now he was beginning to sound like her family. And it had all been going so well.

  He tried to hide his scoff and it pissed her off. But then her zucchini po’ boys came and they were fried crispy balls of perfection, and she pretended he didn’t exist.

  Chapter Four

  Donovan cut himself off at two beers, even though he could drink Rahrs all day with Emily. He had to drive them home safely, so he enjoyed watching her face as she ate with gusto. It was worth giving up a venison burger or barbecue ribs to take her here. And the food was really good. Next time he talked to Jimmy, he’d let him know that they ate at his sister’s place and would probably be coming back.

  Spending time with Emily was taking his mind off his father. As usual, he was asking for forgiveness and money in the same letter. He gave him the latter, but would never give him the former. How the old fool had tracked him down was beyond him. Donovan had changed his name from Lincoln to Link after his mother’s death and his father’s imprisonment. He had moved all over Texas and never once left a forwarding address. Still, Charlie Lincoln had contacts and Donovan had stopped moving long enough to be traceable. Now that Charlie knew Donovan was taking wealthy hunters on gaming weekends, it was only a matter of time before he got another letter concerning a “business proposition” he had thought up. Although unlike Emily’s earnest proposition, Charlie would want to fleece the hunters for all that he could.

  He pushed thoughts of his father out of his mind. The money Donovan sent to shut him up should keep him out of his hair for a few more months. It might be worth it to set him up with monthly contributions into his prison account, as long as Donovan made it clear the payments stopped if he got another letter. That sou
nded like a plan. He smiled in relief that he’d thought of it.

  “We should be getting back to the ranch,” Emily said reluctantly when Carrie brought her the to-go meal and the check for him.

  “Why?” he asked. Mexico still seemed like a good idea to him.

  “Well, you have hunters coming in tonight and I need to talk to Trent.”

  “Okay,” he said good-naturedly and stretched. He gave a mental check that he was all right to drive and then paid the bill and tip in cash. Donovan slung his arm around her again because she felt so damn good next to him and they walked back out to his truck.

  “Are you going to behave yourself this weekend?” he asked as he started up the car.

  “Was that what this was about? A bribe to keep me docile?”

  He snorted. “Is that all it would have taken?”

  “The food is amazing, but it wasn’t that amazing.” She sighed. “I really hate that you kill animals for sport. It enrages me that you make money off it. And it makes me cry that you’re doing it on my family’s property.”

  “With your father’s permission and hearty approval,” he said, feeling he had to point out the obvious, even though it sounded defensive to his ears.

  “And the fact that there’s nothing I can do to stop you makes it even worse.”

  “You can’t always get what you want,” he said.

  “I know that.”

  He thought she might be pouting, so he threw her a bone. “I’m not going to renew the lease after the three years are up.”

  “You’re going to up and leave? What about your building?”

  “Your father or Trent will compensate me as per my rental agreement. I had the option to continue to rent or buy the land.”

  “My father was going to sell you that land?”

  Her shocked response showed him that she hadn’t been aware of that.

  “It would have all been legal and wouldn’t have encroached on the cattle pastures. But don’t worry. I’m going to make some money and get the hell out.”