"Are you guys close yet?" Confirming that the message came from Daniel's phone, I smiled.
I replied that we were a couple of hours away still.
"Too bad. Hope you don't have road rash."
My face flushed as I imagined Daniel's hands on my body searching for a rash. Shaking my head of such thoughts, I replied.
"It could be worse. It could be me driving with my dad back-seat driving me."
It took him a while to reply and I wondered if I'd gotten too chummy with him.
"LOL. I'll make sure that you ride around with me over here. No one will bug you. Except for me, that is."
My cheeks flushed again and my heart skipped a few beats at reading those words. My sharp intake of breath must have been loud because Arnold turned his head back to look at me for a moment.
"Hey. What's going on back there?"
"Nothing! I'm just texting back here."
"Who?"
My face flushed.
"Daniel. He just wants to know how close we are."
My dad groaned under his breath.
"I bet he does," said Arnold in a sarcastic tone.
Arnold heard me hitting keys on my phone so he looked back again.
"What are you talking about now?"
"Nothing! You should mind the road, by the way. Interstate accidents aren't pretty."
"Yeah, Arnold. Mind the damned road. I swear that I taught you better than this. You remember that last wreck you were in..."
And with that, Arnold was off of my back. I smiled as I looked at his reflection in the rear view mirror. He mouthed the words, "I'll get you back later." I stuck my tongue out at him.
Looking back at my phone, I re-read the message that Daniel sent. Smiling, I replied.
"I'm ready for this ride to be over. My brother and father are grilling me."
I didn't read anything back for a few minutes. I pouted a bit when I thought he might be done talking with me.
"I've got to get back to work now. But we will definitely have to pick up this conversation when you get out here."
I replied.
"TTYL," I typed, which was short for Talk To You Later.
And boy, I could not wait for that.
An hour and a half later, we rolled into the parking lot outside of the convenience store where Daniel said he would meet us. I was nervous. I was so darned nervous. I couldn't stop tapping my foot. I then remembered about my full bladder.
"I have to use the bathroom," I said and then opened the door before my dad and brother could say otherwise.
I walked into the store and used the bathroom before purchasing three bottles of water for me, my dad and for Arnold. When I walked out, I saw Daniel leaning standing next to the driver's side door of my brother's truck as they laughed about something. His smiled disappeared as soon as he saw me at the door. I guess that I looked alright. I had a knee-length khaki skirt on with my boots on. I had a plaid shirt on with plenty of pink and red in it. I looked girly by design.
And, oh, he looked stunning! He wore jeans and a grey shirt with boots too. He took two steps towards me and smiled.
"Hello Lauren."
I smiled back.
"Hi Daniel."
"You look...great," he said.
"Thank you. You do too."
He rolled his eyes as he pointed to his clothing. "This old thing?"
I couldn't help but laugh. He laughed too.
"Alright. Why don't you hop back in with your family? Once we get to the visitor's station on the reservation, you can join me in my truck."
I nodded at that. "Okay."
A couple of minutes into the ride, my stupid brother piped up regarding mine and Daniel's exchange.
"I'm so glad that dad and I aren't third wheels here." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
I wasn't having it, though.
"Shut up, Arnold. They have a genuine problem here and you know it." Daniel had emailed me pictures of suspected hog dens, destroyed gardens and contaminated ponds.
Arnold rolled his eyes at that before replying.
"Because you are certainly dressed for hogging, aren't you?"
I grabbed a small bag of powdered sugar mini-donuts and threw it at the back of his head. He just shrugged and opened the bag once they bounced onto the seat next to him. Just then, Tim called to see if we'd arrived in Mescalero. I spoke to him for a minute before handing the phone to my dad who spoke to him for a few minutes. Shortly after, we were parked outside of a large Southwestern-style building. We waited for Daniel to get out of his truck before we got out of our own.
"Why don't you all come on in and meet a few of the Tribal Resources Officials before we go on out? That way they have faces to match your names."
"Fair enough," said my dad. I was glad he took the lead.
Daniel explained that the individuals we would be meeting were the people who were entrusted to ensure that the lands, forestry and the hunting and fishing were as viable as possible. The inside of the building was very posh, I thought. The lobby, which featured a comfortable seating area and a large fireplace were designed in a Southwestern theme. Daniel took us past there and briefly introduced us to a middle aged woman who sat at the reception desk.
"Betty, this is Luke McCoy, the owner of Swine-Be-Gone, the hogging company that we brought over from Texas."
My dad politely shook Betty's hand and said a 'How do you do' before releasing her hand. She gave my dad a warm smile that made his ears redden a bit.
"This is Arnold McCoy and Lauren McCoy - partners and experts in the operation."
We both shook her hand. She gave my brother a broad grin but stared at me a bit more skeptically. Still, I smiled at her.
"You are just a little thing, aren't you?" she said to me.
I blushed and shrugged. "I guess so."
"Are you sure you can handle the guns needed to take down the pigs?"
I smiled.
"Well, I do what I can to keep up."
Daniel laughed out loud at that as did my brother.
"She does okay, Betty," said Daniel.
Betty looked at Daniel with a serious look in her eyes. So serious that he quickly ushered us out of there and to a conference room at the end of the hall nearest us. In there were six gentlemen that appeared to be from my dad's age (mid fifties) and older. Some of them read newspapers while a couple of the others were on laptops.
"Danny boy," said one of the elders, closing the laptop before him.
Daniel preceded us into the room and introduced us all to the elders. Again, I noticed that he introduced my father first, followed by my brother and then me. It was probably a traditional way to do things. I caught one of the elders staring at me from behind his paper. He winked at me which made me blush in embarrassment.
Daniel then explained what we would be doing over the next couple of days. Apparently, we would be getting a tour of the reservation and the areas affected by the hogs. After Daniel finished speaking, an elder by the name of Andy Torres spoke up.
"Daniel. Did you explain to them that we would like some of our officers to have training in hog hunting?"
Daniel flushed a bit at that and shook his head.
"No, Andy. I have not. They just arrived only a short time ago."
That surprised me, but it was smart. It wasn't feasible that we be expected to come here from Texas to rid their entire reservation of hogs. Training some of the people they already had was the smarter way to go.
Daniel turned to us and said just that. My dad nodded at that.
"That is the prudent way to go and the most efficient use of all of our time. Perhaps after we tour the affected areas we can come up with a plan of attack."
The elders nodded at that. They thanked us again for coming out to help them and I felt relieved. I suspected that Daniel was interested in me, but it was good to know that he really wasn't wasting my family's time. The elders then went back to their papers and their laptops which I thought was a dismis
sal, which was fine by me. I felt like I'd been getting scrutinized by the elders for some reason.
As we walked back to the lobby and near the reception desk, I saw a very pretty girl with long black hair and dark eyes. She was leaning over Betty's desk and was intently speaking to her. As soon as she saw us, she stood up straight and smiled. I wondered who she was. Daniel audibly groaned as soon as he saw her.
"Greta. What are you doing here?"
She rolled her eyes at Daniel and I was suddenly relieved. No way was she a romantic interest if they were treating each other so disdainfully.
"Mom sent me over to help out with our guests," she said with a smile as she set her sights on Arnold.
His sister. Oh, thank God! I pegged her at about seventeen years of age. Daniel stared at her for a few long seconds before doing introductions again.
"Luke, this is my sister Greta. Greta this is Mr. Luke McCoy - owner of the Texas hogging business that has come out to help us with our problem." They shook hands.
"This is Arnold, Mr. McCoy's son." They shook hands. Greta's face lit up as she gazed at my handsome brother. I noticed that Arnold's ears had gotten a bit red too.
Daniel paused for a couple of seconds before introducing me to Greta.
"And this is Lauren McCoy. Daughter of Luke and part owner of the family business."
I got the same laser-like scrutiny from her eyes that I did from Betty and from all of the elders. Still, I smiled and shook her hand and said, "How do you do."
"Fine, thank you," she replied. Still, she didn't smile at me.
We then followed Daniel and his sister outside. When we got to the trucks, he turned to my dad and spoke.
"Well, Luke. I'd know that you all have had a long drive, but I'd like to take you all on a cursory ride over the affected areas before showing you where you will be staying for the next couple of nights."
"That's fine by me, Daniel."
Daniel then turned to me with a nervous smile.
"Would you like to ride with me and my sister?"
I smiled and nodded.
"I would."
He smiled again. Greta rolled his eyes. My brother probably did the same. Walking to the truck, Greta yelled, 'Shotgun.' Daniel turned to her and stared daggers at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and climbed into the passenger's side of his truck. I just smiled. Teenagers everywhere were all the same. Daniel quickly walked towards the back door where I was standing and opened it. He shoved a briefcase and other boxes over before smiling at me.
"It's kind of my mobile office."
I smiled and climbed in. He closed the door after me.
After we'd been on the road for a whole ninety seconds, Greta turned in her seat and faced me.
"So you're like supposed to be a big time hog hunter?"
I heard Daniel curse under his breath.
"Greta, sit down."
"I'm talking to our guest. Don't be rude," she said, sneering at him.
She then turned to face me again.
"So. Are you a big time hog hunter?"
"Well, I hunt hogs. I do it well enough to make a living with it."
She nodded at that.
"You are supposed to be good with guns. How can that be? You are so tiny."
I blushed at that a bit.
"Great, turn around and shut up," Daniel said through clenched teeth.
We both ignored him.
"Well, I'm good with guns. I don't know how to explain the physical part of it. It just comes easy to me."
She then looked at my outfit and furrowed her brow.
"That does not look like a practical hunting outfit."
She had me there. My face blushed as I looked down at my little skirt. Self-consciously, I pulled my skirt down a bit. She was still waiting on a response. Sighing, I looked up at her.
"My brother said the very same thing."
That got a smile out of her. Daniel spoke again.
"Your brother and my sister: They make a great case for fratricide, don't they?"
That made me laugh. Greta's pretty brow furrowed as she turned around and sat down in the front seat again.
"You and your big words. What does 'fratricide' even mean?"
"It is when siblings kill each other off."
"Whatever. That doesn't even happen."
"Sure it does. It happened in ancient times pretty frequently. Heirs loved fighting for the thrones they thought they were entitled to."
She sucked her teeth at that. "But it doesn't happen anymore."
"Sure it does," I piped in. "Hyenas in the wild do that."
She whipped her head at me to stare me down. Daniel smiled at that.
"No way," she said.
"Yes way. Hyena males kill their sisters in their sleep. Or when they are awake."
Daniel laughed out loud at that.
"Why?" she asked, mystified.
"Well, they are all jockeying for position. If they kill their sisters off, they are more likely to end up in charge of their clans."
She sat back in her seat.
"That's not right."
Daniel smiled again and slowed his truck down.
"Well, we are here. At our first stop, that is."
We got out of the truck and stood by as we watched my brother park his truck.
"Speaking of siblings, your brother is hot. Is he seeing anyone?"
If I would have been drinking water or juice, I would have spat it out at those words.
"Well...I can tell you that he probably has about eleven years on you. Anything else you would have to get from him."
Daniel's jaw clenched as he stared his sister down.
"Wait till I tell mom that you were hitting on Arnold McCoy."
Greta's eyes widened then.
"I am NOT hitting on him!"
"Yes you are. Even if you're not, I'll tell mom that you were hitting on him anyway. Who do you think she'll believe?"
Greta's mouth dropped open at that.
"You jerk!"
"Quit acting like a child and I'll keep my mouth shut."
With that, she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, looking like the sulky teenager she probably was. It looked like he'd won the battle - for now. Before my dad and brother could step out of their truck, he pulled me aside and spoke lowly to me.
"I'm sorry that my sister has been so ridiculous."
"That's okay. I have two brothers. I understand."
"One more thing before we get all business like again. Do you have a guy waiting for you back home?"
Oh, those words. Those words helped me commit to memory the feeling of the sun on my skin, the brown of his eyes and the blue of the sky. They helped me commit to memory the feeling of my thumping heart in my chest and ears. Never had I felt that way before. I shook my head and gave him a small smile.
"I don't."
He smiled at that, but it was a different smile than all of the others. It was a smile that promised more things to come.
"Good," he replied.
With that, he left my side and went to greet my brother and dad again. He walked us to a fence line which he said marked the border between their lands and civilian lands. I noted small holes in the fence and hog feces nearby. I pointed at a tree that had a distinct splotch of mud on it.
"They were definitely here in maybe the past couple of nights. The mud there is a spot where they've been rubbing themselves. And it hasn't been there long."
Arnold nodded. "Maybe from just last night."
After that, Daniel took us to three more areas where he suspected that the hogs had been rooting in. We confirmed their presence in every single one. After that, he drove us to the hotel we'd be staying at. It was a swanky one with a casino attached to it; I'd never stayed anywhere nearly as nice. He smiled as he walked us to the lobby.
"It's probably one of the better hotels out there and I'm not saying that because it's on my reservation. There is twenty-four hour room service. Your suite of rooms al
so features concierge services and a private elevator to get you there."
Arnold spoke up then.
"Oh, it is certainly nicer than anywhere we've ever stayed at."
Daniel and Greta smiled at that.
"There is also a gym and an Olympic sized pool if you guys feel like working out a bit."
My dad and Arnold good-naturedly scoffed at that; we got all of our exercise chasing hogs and working on the ranch.
We walked into the lobby then which was very beautifully done. Native American reception agents were dressed impeccably as they smiled at the customers waiting on their rooms. Stone floors were under our feet while other earthen tones adorned the walls and the furniture set around conversation areas and the check in desk. Touch screen computers sat near the reception desk as well. To the far right stood a very pretty young woman behind a desk. The sign above her head read 'Concierge.' She brightened as soon as she saw Daniel walking her way. I watched as she self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ear. She also blushed a bit too. Narrowing my eyes, I thought that she might be my age.
"Hi Daniel! I didn't know you were back in town."
He smiled back at her, but it was a bit subdued. "Hi Lisa. I'm back on business."
He then turned and motioned to us with his hand.
"This here is the McCoy party."
She stood a little straighter then.
"This is Mr. Luke McCoy. Luke, this is Lisa. You'll have a phone that will have a concierge button on it. When you hit that, it will go straight to this desk which is manned 24 hours a day."
My dad nodded and smiled.
"Hello, Lisa."
She smiled and nodded at him.
"This is Arnold McCoy, his son."
He earned a smile too.
"And this is Lauren McCoy - Luke's daughter and part business owner."
Her smile for me was just as wide as it was for my dad and Arnold, but it didn't reach her eyes. What was it with the women on this reservation?
"It is nice to meet you," I replied nonetheless.
"Likewise," she politely replied.
With that, she brought a handset to her face and quietly spoke into it. Moments later a porter appeared with a large brass luggage carrier - like the kind in the movies. I was impressed. He loaded our three small, carry-on sized suitcases onto the carrier and after following some quiet instructions by Lisa. He nodded and then stood by, waiting for us.
Nice Shootin' Tex Page 20