Billionaire Mountain Man

As I took a slice of the pork in my mouth, Hunter surprised me with his plan he had in mind for the night.

“After we finish dinner, prepare your gun and get dressed. We are going hog hunting tonight.”

“Really? Wait. Where is Vince going to be?” I asked. The plan had my heart racing in my chest. Before, I was looking forward to trying target shooting over moving targets. Now that it reminded me about using my gun again, I felt overwhelmed. I hadn’t used my gun for quite some time and had honestly started to wonder why I even had the damn thing.

I needed to do it this time. I was pulling the trigger that night. Period.

“Yeah. Where am I going to be, Dad? Am I going too?” Vince asked.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door. Hunter stood and smiled. “Nope. It’s going to take Aunt Brenda a little while to dig through your grandfather’s old chest of drawers to find what she’s looking for. She’ll be here while you’re off in dreamland.” He winked before walking to the door.

I was nervous meeting someone in his family for some reason, but Vince made me feel much better.

“Oh, Kylie. You’re going to like Aunt Brenda.” He leaned closer and whispered, “She always brings candy!”

“Who’s in here!” An older woman with a great smile walked into the kitchen and Vince yelled and ran toward her. “Come here, munchkin!”

“Aunt B, I want you to meet my friend, Kylie. I’m going to take her out to the barn to show her how to shoot. You know, hanging out for a little bit? Shouldn’t be too long.”

I extended my hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, dear.” She glanced over at Hunter, still hugging Vince. “I don’t mind at all. Take your time.”

After we spoke for a minute more, I walked to the back to change, worried that I was going to mess things up. I wasn’t a gun type of gal, but I’d done all right so far. I took a deep breath and prepared myself both physically and mentally. I knew I should do my best to focus on this hunting. It was the only chance for me to channel my inner strength and confidence for protecting myself.

I tied my hair up after changing into my comfortable pants and hoodie jacket. Carrying the gun fully loaded with a complete magazine in it, I went down to meet Hunter in the living room.

“You sure that Vince is going to be okay?” I glanced over my shoulder toward the office. I could hear him and Aunt Brenda in there cackling about something.

“Oh, yeah. We’ll lock up, and we’re just going out back. Besides, Brenda loves that kid like he was her grandson. And these bastard pigs aren’t too far. They’ve been tearing up the yard, remember?”

“How could I forget.” I walked over to him and put my hand on his chest. “Kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He reached up and cupped my face, pulling me close for a long, probing kiss.

I jerked back as Vince called out to me. “I’ll be back.” I smiled and turned, going to check on the little guy. He was either talking in his sleep or I was hearing things. He was out like a light by the time I opened his door. Weird.

Hunter was sitting in the living room when I returned, checking one of his long-range guns. He looked like a bad ass killer ready for the shooting battle in the woods.

He stood up from his seat, swinging the gun’s attached sling around his body. He walked

to the gun cabinet and pulled out a shotgun, surprising me a little.

“Do we need something that big?” I smiled as he gave me a cocky grin.

“Yeah. Those hogs are huge.” His eyes rolled over me as approval filled his expression. “You ready?”

I could feel the nerves returning inside of me. I gulped, nodding afterward as a signal of a thrifty, optimistic answer. “Yeah. I guess.”

“Let’s go then.” He held my hand, pulling me out of the house. All the madness and worries in my head vanished in the wind as we walked out under the moonlight.

It felt like the first night I spent with him. The night that left an imprint on my entire life. How could I forget that moment I shared with him under the light of the stars and the moon?

It made me feel so alive.

While we strolled out in the dark, he led the way toward the back of his yard. The gun practice area he set up was still silent, no signs of anything that rooted up from the green grass. He kept walking, determined to explore the forest and search for the hogs that ruined his properties.

Before we laid foot in the area were plenty of trees shaded the wild hogs, he faced me with a threatening look.