“Except for my pistol in the river.”
Raymond’s grin showed perfect white teeth under his Zapata moustache as he pulled her pistol from the back of his belt. “It was hot and I felt like a swim.”
“You are the best, I swear.”
“You never would have found any of this, laid up like you are.”
“Don’t look so smug,” Hunter said, “I’d have gotten around to it.”
Raymond said, “Huh, you’ll be lucky to walk ten feet, you ask me. The doctor said that bullet didn’t cut any major blood vessels, but the it was a ricochet and jagged when it hit you, plus it bounced around after hitting the bone, tearing up a lot of muscle, which you don’t have much of anyway because you don’t ever eat.”
“I eat.”
“Glad to hear it.” He looked out the hospital room door and said, “Are they letting you go today or not?”
“Yeah, just waiting on the final paperwork.”
“Come by this evening, I’m grilling chicken a la Raymond on the pit. There’ll be plenty.”
“Who all’s going to be there?”
“The regular gang.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. See you around six.”
After he left, Hunter took out her phone and looked for a number on her recent calls, and when she found it, she dialed. A voice answered on the second ring, “Kincaid?”
“The man who murdered your brother and all your friends at the hunting lodge escaped to Mexico three days ago.”
“Where did he cross?”
Hunter told him. He said, “I appreciate this information, and I will take care of it.”
Hunter said, “I figured.”
“I am indebted. It is something I will not forget.”
She hung up without answering. The call made her hands feel dirty, and she washed them at the sink. She needed to do something that made her feel clean and happy again and Raymond’s cookouts usually did that. She gathered her things and limped out of the hospital room, ready to go home and get ready for Raymond’s.
The day was already over 90 degrees so she dressed in cutoff Wranglers, Teva sandals, and an old black tee shirt with a photo of Bill Murray dressed in his Ghostbusters outfit with the caption, Venkman, below it.
The purple bruise on her thigh was the size of a grapefruit, and the bullet wound in the center of the bruise had been covered and taped before she left the hospital. Good enough, she thought. Her last item was a beat up George Straight straw western hat she’d had for a decade, and she put it on her head as she went out the door.
When Hunter pulled up, the others were already there, gathered around Raymond as he cooked, talking and laughing, but her eyes went to the back part of the large yard to the three boys flying their new drones. She knew Buck Ward bought them for the boys after theirs were destroyed at his place.
They waved her over, but she stopped to see Raymond first, “Smells awesome.”
Raymond said, “I brought the boys over here. They’ve been wanting to see you.”
She hugged his neck as one of the others said, “She just wants the first piece off the grill, Raymond! Don’t fall for her feminine wiles!”
Hunter laughed with them, and left the men to go to the boys, who landed their drones and waited for her.
When she reached them, they all hugged her at once. “We’re glad you’re okay,” Lonny said.
David looked at her leg and said, “Is that where you got shot? Wow.”