Page 64 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

The placid animal flicked one of her long ears back but otherwise ignored him. Taylor patted the mare mule’s shoulder. “Ruby, we’ll take care of each other.”

Colt quickly mounted as Ben, their tour guide, rode over on his giant draft-horse-cross mule. He was leading two other mules packed with their tents and supplies. “You folks ready?”

Taylor grinned as her excitement mounted. “You bet we are.”

“Let’s hit the trail, then,” Ben said and started off. His five black-and-grey-speckled hound dogs bounded ahead of him, their dark ears flapping as they bounced around trees in their excitement to get started. At a sharp word from Ben, they instantly settled.

The trail quickly narrowed, and they rode single file, Ben first and Colt bringing up the rear.

After breakfast that morning, Ben had loaded them up in his rig and driven them deep into the Gila Wilderness, one of the best places for black-bear hunting in New Mexico. The rugged, heavily forested terrain was bear paradise.

The state only issued a limited number of bear licenses and tags each year. This was done to control the bear population so that the animals remained healthy in their natural habitat. It also helped to limit dangerous interactions between people and bears caused by overpopulated habitats forcing hungry bears to look in human-populated areas for food.

Part of their hunt included taking their bear carcasses to the processor, where they would harvest all the meat and take the hide and head. Taylor was going to have a bear rug made from her bear, and the meat would be shipped to them back in Texas. She’d heard that bear meat was a delicacy and she was excited to try it.

The trail had gotten gradually steeper, and the saddle lurched with each uphill stride that Ruby made. Taylor held tight to the saddle horn and, with the reins loose in her hands, gave Ruby her head.

Eventually they arrived at the area where Ben planned to make camp. “We’ll get set up here,” he said, “and then we’ll hunt after lunch. Dismount and rest up while you can.”

As Taylor lowered herself down to the ground, she groaned as every muscle in her legs cried out in pain.

Colt, who had already dismounted, came over and put his arms around her. “You’ll get your seat in a day or two, don’t worry, sweetheart.”

She leaned against his chest and moaned. “Nobody said riding mules hurt like hell.”

Colt chuckled. “I didn’t want to spoil all the fun. I have ibuprofen in my coat pocket. Let me get you some water.”

“You’re my hero,” she said and led Ruby over to Ben before sitting cross-legged on the ground to rest. It felt like she’d bumped her way down a thousand stairs on her bottom. Somehow the padding on that saddle seat hadnotdone its job.

Colt was riding a gelded mule, and the animal was nearly as large as the draft mule that Ben rode. He’d tied it to a tree limb while Ben was busy making camp.

A few minutes later, he sat down beside her and handed her a bottle of water and several pills. “These should help, honey. You’ll be ready to find that bear in a little while.”

She gave him a kiss and quickly swallowed them, anxious for some kind of relief. But she wasn’t going to complain. This trip had been her idea, and she planned to enjoy every last minute of it.

Colt slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her behind her ear. Her lips curled. He knew how much she loved that. She cupped his cheek in her hand and whispered, “I love you. I’m so glad we’re here."

They snuggled comfortably together as Ben set up the tents. She was surprised and happy to see that Ben set up the second tent, presumably his, quite a distance from camp and where he would be out of earshot of the newlyweds.

Colt kissed her temple. “That was thoughtful of Ben.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s a good thing, too, because I have plans for you tonight, cowboy.”

Colt gave a surprised hoot. “You do, do you?”

“You bet—and privacy will come in mighty handy.”

He laughed and kissed her with a loud smack. “Let’s just hope you’re not too saddle sore for it. Going up and downhill is the hardest kind of riding.”

She gave a chagrined frown. “I’m finding that out. Thank goodness Ruby’s gentle. I can focus all my energy on hanging on and staying in the saddle. She just follows Ben’s mule.”

“She’s a good ’un, all right.”

Ben walked back to camp and rummaged through one of the packs. Colt stood and helped Taylor to her feet.

“We’ll eat some sandwiches now and then get started up the mountain,” Ben said, handing out the food and water bottles he held in his arms.

The pack mules had both been unpacked and stood tied with the others to a chest-high picket line strung between two trees. Ben untied one of them. “Joe, my partner, will be here shortly with more supplies. When we get a bear, he’ll pack it out and take it to the processor. We’ll take Nelly here with us this afternoon to carry the carcass if one of you makes your shot.”

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