Page 65 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

A wild thrill raced through Taylor’s chest. Would she be lucky enough to spot a bear on this first day? How exciting! She and Colt untied their mules and, after tightening the cinches, mounted up as Ben swung into the saddle. At the sight, the dogs began to yip and bounce on their hind legs. With a word from Ben, they settled and moved ahead of the mules and spread out, all business.

They rode in the same procession with Colt bringing up the rear. It was understood that Taylor would take the first bear. Colt had insisted. The dogs would scent a bear, chase it, and hopefully tree it. The animals would bay loudly, wildly, and consistently when the bear was treed. There was no mistaking the sound.

The dogs were running mostly silently now, searching the forest for a scent. The mules were climbing, the terrain becoming more rugged the higher they went. The riders wound through the trees and underbrush, following the dogs by no means that she could determine except an occasional bark and the fact that Ben knew his animals. Taylor zipped her jacket and put on her gloves. The temperature had dropped with the elevation.

***

They’d been ridingin dense forest for several hours when suddenly a dog started baying. Ben’s head swiveled to the right, and he kicked his mule into a jog in that direction. He called over his shoulder, “Let’s go, folks. That’s a hound with a scent.” A moment later, a second and then a third dog bayed.

Taylor, heart pounding and grinning like a fool, urged Ruby close behind Ben’s mule despite bouncing in the saddle. Lordy, trotting hurt like hell, especially when you had to duck and swerve around tree branches too.

All the dogs were sounding now, and she panted with excitement. Then she took hold of herself. She couldn’t shoot straight with her emotions this out of control. She took a deep, calming breath and let it out as slowly as she could given the fact that she had a terrible seat in the saddle. Riding lessons with Colt would have been a smart thing to have done ahead of time. She’d just been so darn busy planning the wedding and being a mom that she hadn’t taken the time.

The bear was still on the run by the sound of it, and the dogs were outpacing them and baying continually. Ben said, “Don’t worry, the bear will find a tree soon enough. The dogs’ll tire him out.”

She hated to think of the bear running frightened and tiring in front of the hounds, but she knew that hunting a certain number of the animals each year was an important part of the state’s conservation plan. Ten minutes later, the baying became more frantic, loud, and insistent.

“They’ve got him. Come on!” Ben called out to them and kicked the sides of his mule.

“You’ve got this!” Colt yelled to her as they trotted swiftly through the trees.

She couldn’t answer, spending all her attention on staying in the saddle at that pace.

When they spotted the dogs, the animals surrounded a tall pine tree. She looked high up in the branches and spotted what must be a huge male black bear, his fur a dark brown. The dogs were in a frenzy, baying and barking and dancing around the trunk.

She dismounted and, after taking her gloves off, drew her rifle from the scabbard.

Bill said loudly to be heard over the din the dogs were making, “Remember what I told you. There’s a sweet spot on the near side; it’s about an eight-inch circle right behind the shoulder. Take your time and make your shot.”

She nodded and moved to her right, getting into a better position. The bear ignored her, his attention on the jumping, barking dogs below him. She took aim, then slowly breathed in and out. At last, she squeezed gently on the trigger.Boom!The shot crashed through her ears, and the bear toppled slowly from the branches.

Ben yelled at the dogs, and they moved away from the tree, gradually going quiet as he talked to them. The bear lay still on the ground. “Stay back,” Ben said. “I’ll make sure that he’s dead.”

A moment later, he said, “Good shot, Taylor. You’ve got your bear rug.” He dug in his saddle bags and called his partner, Joe, on the satellite phone, telling him that they had a carcass to haul down in the morning. Temperatures at this elevation would drop considerably at night and the meat would stay cool.

Taylor looked down at the huge animal, thrilled and yet sad, too. She couldn’t help it. He was a magnificent animal. She bent down and ran her hand through his thick, soft fur.Thank you for your life. I’ll use every part of you that I can. You won’t go to waste.

Ben quickly gutted the bear, and it took all three of them to get the carcass up on the pack mule. After tying it down, Ben led the way down the mountain, soon making it back to the trail and easier going.

Taylor, although thrilled with her trophy bear, was sore in every muscle of her body. The ride back to camp became a personal agony.

Colt rode up beside her at a widening of the trail. “How you holding up, honey?”

“Fine, if you consider wanting to die okay,” she said with a lopsided smile. “My butt feels like raw hamburger meat.”

“You poor thing. I brought some Bag Balm just in case you developed saddle sores. I’ll rub some on you when we get ready for bed. It really takes the soreness out.”

Her heart melted. “Thank you, honey,” she said quietly. “You’re always thinking of me, and I love you for it.”

He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Hang in there. Going down’s worse than going up, so just hold on tight and grit your teeth.”

***

Colt lifted Taylorfrom the saddle when they finally arrived back at camp just after dark. Joe had arrived, and the coffee was on the fire and ready to drink. A heavy chill had settled over the campsite, and a breeze was blowing through the trees. Colt half carried her to the fire, where she slowly sank to the ground. For the first time, he regretted that this guided tour was wilderness camping only. Taylor could have used a good chair. He quickly made her a cup of coffee. “Here you go, honey. Warm up with this.”

She took it with a ghost of a smile. “Thanks. I’ve been craving camp coffee for the past hour.”

“A good supper’s almost ready, folks,” Ben told them. “Won’t take long. I have camp showers for you that I left warming in the sun, but I can’t guarantee the temperature of the water by now. Getting that bear so late in the afternoon kind of ran us behind getting back to camp.”

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