Page 51 of Wilderness Daddy

“You’re a pussy just like your mama says, Billy boy. Now just shut up, keep your eyes on these woods, and follow our lead. With all the baited traps there’s gotta be a grizzly out here.”

My heart pounds in my chest and I wait. I counted three voices, but there could be more. Gillie, Red, and Billy. The men that were at Stella’s a few months ago. And I know what they’re capable of. Gillie and Red anyway.

Only after it’s been quiet for twenty minutes do I risk moving. And then I head back to my camp cautiously. I don’t want to run into them again or any animals they’ve drawn to the area with their illegal baiting.

I don’t see signs of any humans or large predators on my way back but it doesn’t settle my nerves. It’s one thing to face nature alone with just a few key items; it’s another to face territorial men with guns. At camp, I take some time to camouflage my area better and then head to Wilson’s overlook to meet my brother, pondering whether I should move farther west.

Grant’s a sight for sore eyes and I pull him into a hug before speaking. When I made the decision to do this I hadn’t considered the loneliness that came with the isolation.

“Nice beard, bro,” my brother says as he pulls back from my embrace. His smile stalls as he sees my solemn face. “What’s up?”

“Nothing I can’t handle for now. Just some nut-job hunters that might be illegally hunting grizzlies. They’re definitely illegally baiting anyway. But there’s a lone female camper out here and that makes me nervous.” I feel edgy being out in the open on the cliff and can’t help but watch the ridges of the mountain for peering eyes. Wilson’s is an eight-hour hike from my camp and the men were going in the opposite direction so the probability of seeing them is slim.

“You want me to talk to the game warden?”

“I’d feel better about it, yeah. I don’t know if anyone knows the girl’s out here and those hunters are up to no good. Talk to Parker Jackson. Tell him I think it’s the guys from Stella’s that were talking about Bigfoot.”

“Bigfoot?” He snorts. “What are they, cryptozoologists?”

“Crypto... What?”

“Cryptozoologists. People that study creatures like the yeti, Loch Ness monster, Chupacabra, Bigfoot. They’re pseudoscientists. Think that shit’s real.”

“What do you call someone that attempts to gain fame and fortune by killing something like that?”

“A dangerous and twisted fuck?”

“Right.”

“Are you sure you should be up there? No one would blame you for ending it now.” Grant hands me the sleeping bag I’ve requested as this week’s item. I take it absently because I’m still scanning the mountain.

“I’m not ending anything. This is going to work,” I say firmly and reach into my pocket to hand him the micro SD card with this week’s videos.

“You’re editing them well? Cutting all the boring stuff? My pathetic love-sick rants?”

He nods so I move on to more important things.

“How’s Mom?”

“Driving me nuts about J... my love life,” he says sulkily. “But otherwise doing well.”

“And Akari? Have you seen her? How’s she handling things? Is that Hattori guy bugging her?” I ask him the same questions every week and he always rolls his eyes at me. He also tells me to come home, bone Akari, and put my crazy scheme to bed. Oddly, today he remains silent about both.

“What?” I ask, attempting to read his expression.

“I’m glad to hear you’re staying, but only because your videos are getting some serious attention, bro.” His mouth curves into a smirk. “Your videos have over a million hits. And I’ve used your new image shamelessly.”

“You shitting me?” I laugh, dropping the sleeping bag and slapping him on the back.

“The emails are pouring in. You’re practically famous.” His smirk grows bigger. “Wanna know what they’re calling you?” He chuckles. “The Wilderness Man.”

Grant pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through it. “We’ve fucking trademarked the name. You’re the new brand for Steed.” He turns the phone to me. It’s an image Grant’s obviously turned into a still from the videos. I haven’t seen myself in weeks. I almost don’t recognize myself. I look rugged and wild, with a scruffy beard and hair that hasn’t seen conditioner in weeks. I’ve lost weight for sure, but my muscles are more defined, sinewy.

“I’ve got life-size cardboard cutouts of you all over the store. This beard by the way...” Grant reaches out and pats my face. “Golden. The ladies are going wild over it.” He laughs and I can’t help but laugh with him. “I’m thinking of growing one myself.”

Holy shit. I pluck my hat off and run my hand through my hair, a little conscious of its straggled state. This is the first time my brother’s shown any interest in the business and he’s done something brilliant. The cutouts, although embarrassing, are marketing at its best.

“People are taking selfies with it, dude.” His lip curves up in a crooked smirk. “Hotties are taking selfies with it. The ladies are loving the Wilderness Man.” He presses his lips a moment and then rubs his hand across his chin. “Uh, and about the commentary. I’m not editing that. It’s fucking gold. Even an emotionally stunted, commitment-phobe womanizer like me can see it.”

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