Page 3 of Longest Ride

She hugged me. “I didn’t want you and Virge to see me after I got raped and beat up again. Figured y’all wouldn’t be able to look at me ever again.”

“Is that why you didn’t take the black Ram and come home? asked Virge. “Because of me and Harlan not liking you no more?”

“Yep.”

“Jesus eatin biscuits, Tam,” said Virge, “I think you read that one wrong. Just sayin’.”

I had to agree with Virge. Tammy was way out in left field thinking like that. She was our sister and we loved her.

Fontana Residence. Sicamous. B.C.

It was almost dark by the time we got back to the cabin in the mountains. The body of the bounty hunter wasn’t on the driveway anymore. While we were gone, the corpse had been dragged halfway down the slope towards the river.

When Virge and I ran down to look at the guy, he was chewed up pretty bad by bears or wolves. Cougars could’ve been munching on him too. The vultures were high in the trees waiting for another turn. Probably hoping for his eyeballs.

We ran back to the cabin and asked Dad what he wanted to do about the body.

“Take the ID off the body and bury him where the dirt is soft in the woods. Check the garage to see if the trucker has a shovel.”

“Copy that, Dad.”

Me and Virge checked out the double garage built back aways from the cabin and it was neat inside with a workshop area all organized with power tools.

Several shiny tire irons hanging in a row on the pegboard behind the bench. Yard tools hung up nice and neat along the side wall. Rake, shovel, snow shovel, hoe, and a couple more things that I didn’t know the names of.

I lifted the shovel down and handed it to Virge. “One shovel. We’ll have to take turns.”

“Why do I have to go first?”

“Because you’ll get tired the fastest, the way I figure it.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“All the better for me if I don’t have to shovel at all.” I laughed.

“Is this a trick?”

“Nope.”

Down the slope, I grabbed hold of the guy’s boots and dragged him down to the bottom of the hill and into the forest. Shady in there and Travis was right about the ground being softer.

“Pick a spot, Virgie.”

“Umm…over there where’s there’s space between the trees to dig.”

“Makes sense to me. Go for it.”

“Is he stiff?” asked Virge.

“Why do you care?”

“If he ain’t stiff the hole can be smaller.”

“True enough. He ain’t stiff. Go for a smaller hole.”

“How deep?”

“Umm…four feet. Nice and deep so the cougars don’t dig him up.”

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