Page 15 of Sean

EIGHT

Sean broke over the crest of a hill and ran down toward where a creek crossed the property. The area was more woods than pastures, but he could clearly see Lucy and Amos running from a coyote. Glancing to the left, he noted with approval that his three nieces were standing stock still under the trees. They knew what to do.

“Stop running,” he yelled. “Lucy, Amos. Stop now.” He put the rifle to his shoulder, aimed, and squeezed off one shot, dropping the coyote ten feet from them. The report of the gun echoed in the small valley.

Julia sprinted past him and got to her niece and nephew, pulling them close to her. “Are you okay?”

Sean looked to his family members. Eden had the younger two girls by the hands, all of them staring toward the dead animal. They were ranch kids and understood shooting varmints. Coyotes that appeared during the day and alone were possibly rabid and always dangerous to people and livestock.

Julia’s kids had no idea about such things. How would they? But they couldn’t be here without some basic understanding of the environment. That could get them into serious trouble. Later, he’d take them on a nature walk and talk about what was okay to touch and what wasn’t. For now, he needed to stress a different lesson.

He went to Lucy and Amos and knelt in front of them, getting their attention. “Never run from a coyote. Yell, throw rocks or sticks to scare it off, but don’t run.”

“Why not?” Lucy asked. Her lip was trembling, but she was holding it together. Amos was curled into his aunt, hiding his face.

“Because if you run, they think your food and will chase you,” he explained. “You only run from an animal if you’re sure you can outrun them.” And there weren’t many animals that kids could get away from on foot.

“Okay,” Lucy said, squaring her little shoulders. The girl had backbone, like her aunt. “But what if I see my dad? Should I run then?”

“We can talk about that later,” Julia spoke quickly with a glance at the other kids. His nieces were exchanging a look, clearly curious about why any kid would run from their daddy. Maybe it wasn’t his place to say anything, but it was a teachable moment, so he went for it.

“You should,” he said. “You should scream and run as fast as you can to one of the adults who lives here. If you can’t find one of us, you should hide until we come get you. You should never go anywhere with your dad,” Sean said. Amos had screamed his head off when his father tried to snatch him, but it didn’t hurt to reenforce that lesson. He wanted Lucy and Amos to know it was okay to do what they had to do to get away.

He paused, waiting until he got a nod from both Lucy and Amos before shifting his gaze to Julia. He was relieved when she gave him a slight smile, indicating that she thought he’d done the right thing. He wasn’t a man who sought approval from others, but this was different. It felt good to have hers.

He was riding on that high when he heard Alice, his youngest niece, crying. He rose and went to her. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Uncle Sean, you killed it. Why?”

“He had to,” Eden said before he could answer. “You know that. Mom told us, remember? Some animals are dangerous and can’t be on the ranch.”

Alice wiped her hand across her cheek but continued to cry. Sean was standing there at a loss about what to do when his mom and Emmy came into sight.

“We heard the shot,” Kelly called, taking in the scene in one swift glance. “Everything okay?”

“A coyote chased the kids. Everyone’s all right,” he said. Except his youngest niece and Amos, who were both still crying.

“He killed it,” Alice said, going to Emmy.

Emmy lifted the child onto her hip. “He didn’t have a choice, but we could be respectful of the animal and give it a proper burial.”

“A funeral for a coyote?” Kelly questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Julia came to stand alongside Sean. “I don’t know about this,” she spoke so only he could hear. “It might remind Lucy and Amos of their mother’s funeral.”

“With flowers?” Amos asked.

“And saying nice things?” Lucy added.

“Or maybe not,” Julia mumbled. The kids huddled around Emmy, making suggestions.

Sean caught his mother’s eye, but she just shrugged. Life and death were part of living on a ranch. A coyote’s funeral might help them all understand that. “I’ll get a shovel from the truck.” By the time he returned, they’d selected a burial spot under a dogwood tree and collected wildflowers. He dug the hole and placed the animal in it. Before he could start shoveling in dirt, Eden held up her hand for him to stop.

“We each need to say some words about the coyote,” she declared. “I’ll start. I hope you run wild and free in Heaven.”

“You have really pretty ears,” Alice said. Her tears were gone as she clutched her flowers.

Ally Mae and Lucy sang a verse of “You are my Sunshine.” Not quite appropriate, but…whatever.

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