Page 39 of Roughing It with the Rancher

I try to focus on his words. Really, I do. But my mouth waters for an ice-cold beer and the cool shade of the Cadillac with its top up as we reach the vehicle. Reese reaches out to unlock the driver-side door …

Suddenly, the ground crumbles beneath us, great dust clouds rising. We both scramble backward, watching in horror as a sinkhole swallows the vehicle whole.

I blink a couple of times, unable to process what we witnessed. Reese stands next to me, his mouth hanging open.

“What in the …” I hear the words come out of my mouth, almost like they’re disembodied.

My eyes dart to Reese, taking in his stony face. “Mineshaft cave-in,” he says in oddly calm tones. “Dammit! I should’ve known better than to park there. This whole site is one big honeycomb beneath the surface.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyes surveying the ground nervously. Sure enough, I see a few other strange sinkhole-looking spots.

“Fuck!” Reese laments. “See what I mean about bad luck?”

I feel shell-shocked, staring dumbstruck at the gaping maw where our vehicle should be.This can’t be real. This has to be a nightmare.

“Well, there goes our ice-cold beers, our water, our food, our damn love song radio station. Two vehicles lost in two days? This is a blow, Esmeralda. This is a real blow.”

“But …” I’m still trying to understand what happened. “Did the car really get swallowed by a mine? I don’t get it.”

“Yep,” he says bitterly, pointing off into the distance and other sunken areas. “I knew better than to drive and park out here. I’m sorry, Angel.”

“I can’t … I can’t even. Falling barns, UFO hunters, ghost hunters, graves filled with treasure, now car-swallowing mine shafts? What is wrong with this place?”

“The ghost hunters!” Reese exclaims. “Quick, we’ve got to get their attention. See if they’ll give us a ride back to the ranch. Watch your step, wife.”

I haven’t thought about those folks in hours. As we sprint off across the desert with Reese in the lead, a sickening realization hits me. They’ve all vanished. The crowds are gone. The cars are gone. It’s me and Reese alone in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada.

My husband drops his tools, rubbing his hand over his forehead, and limping slightly as he slows. His knee must be acting up again. “For God’s sake! Is there anything else that could go wrong?”

We both look at the bag in his hand suspiciously. “Maybe you’re right about the treasure,” I say, a visceral, dark energy radiating from it. “But what do we do?”

Reese’s mouth draws into a firm line. “We give it back.”

“Give it back?” I hiss. “After all we’ve been through? No way.”

“I hate to break this to you, Angel. But if we don’t, I’m afraid the next grave digging will be for us.”

“But how do I break this to my grandpa? And what about your ranch? You may have enough money to save it, thanks to the Craps table, but what about future expenses? You were counting on this, too.”

“We’ll find a way, Angel. Besides, you’re my good luck charm.”

I shake my head, feeling dejected.

“And your grandpa will understand once we explain everything. I mean, can’t you feel the bad juju oozing from this shit?” He holds up the bag.

“Maybe a little.”

“And from the barn to the car, this road trip treasure hunt has taken one unlucky turn after the next. I can only imagine the consequences of knowingly keeping the gold. If the ranch’s poor luck is any indicator … Angel, it needs to go.”

I cross my arms over my chest, pressing my lips tightly together. I don’t know what to say. Hell, I don’t even know what to think.

“Come on,” he urges. We walk in silence, the sun beating down on us. “We need to find shade and rest. Conserve our energy and our hydration. Dammit! That Cadillac was packed with water. Now, we’ll be lucky if we make it out here.”

“But you mentioned hot springs on your property. Are we anywhere near those?”

He shakes his head. “Bad water. We can’t drink it.”

I frown, trying not to cry. The last thing I need to do is waste precious water.

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