It wasn’t the birds chirping that roused me or the burning sun on my bare skin. I think it was the almond-shaped part of my brain, the amygdala, that woke me. e part that senses fear. My eyes burst open like a star exploding, and I quickly sat up—discovering I was alone in the pasture, naked, with only a picnic blanket covering me. I snapped my head to the right, nothing. To the left, nothing. I looked ahead toward the ranch, my hand shading my eyes from the sun, and I saw nothing. Where was Calvin?
From behind me a raspy loud purr grumbled—the sound of an overgrown housecat. Slowly, I turned my head, and there it was, the thing Calvin said I had nothing to worry about, the creature that never came this far. Its coat was tan with black markings decorating the tips of its ears and snout. Its head was lowered, and its shoulders raised as if it were hunting its prey. Its eyes were yellow like the fresh ame of a candle. Ten yards separated me from the mountain lion. I stood up deliberately, keeping the blanket wrapped around my body, trying to make myself look bigger. It didn’t budge. It crept closer, a few more steps. Without taking my eyes o of it, I bent down and picked up the platter of cheese and grapes. I tossed it at the animal like I was throwing a Frisbee, hoping that it would distract it or scare it away. But all it did was bring it closer. e creature sni ed the food but lost interest immediately. Eight yards away. It returned its gaze to me, dropping its head, creeping closer. Never breaking eye contact, I picked up an empty bottle of wine and threw it as hard
as I could. When it hit the ground just in front of its paws, the mountain lion
jumped back and paused for a moment—like it was considering retreating, but it didn’t. It kept tiptoeing toward me. I picked up the full bottle of wine Calvin and I hadn’t drunk. Winding my arm back, I hurled it. It must have hit a rock because as soon as it touched the ground it shattered, red wine splashing everywhere. e animal crouched back, but curiosity got the best of it. And it walked to where the wine bottle had crashed, only seven yards away. I started backing up as it sni ed and licked at the spilled wine, hoping that would give me the time I needed to get away. Where the hell was Calvin?
I backed up several more steps before it looked up again, losing interest in
the spilled wine and regaining curiosity in me. I glanced around in search of a rock or something to throw, but there was nothing.
“Calvin!” I screamed as loud as I possibly could. My voice cracked, my heart raced, and my skin perspired. Is this what it felt like to be hunted?
I continued edging backward while it persisted toward me. It had its mind
made up.
“Calvin!” I screamed even louder.
How could he have left me out here? Was everything he told me a lie?
My heart rate increased as the creature’s steps doubled mine. I tried to make my movements bigger and bigger. I refused to turn around and run. I knew it could easily outrun me, so if it was going to attack, I wanted to see it coming. My heel caught on something large and hard, and I fell to the ground—only realizing it was a rock after I hit the earth with a thud. e mountain lion went from a walk to a jog to a full-on sprint when I was horizontal, knowing that I was at my weakest, an easy prey.
I forced my eyes open, waiting for it. It must have leapt or pounced or
whatever it was that large cats did because it was in the air ying at me. Its dandelion yellow eyes xated on its prey. Its retractable claws fully emerged. Time slowed down. I think time slows down for everyone’s nal moments.
en there was a burst of red followed by a loud, echoing bang.
e mountain lion slammed onto my lower half. Red sticky blood sprayed
all over me. e smell of iron invaded my nose. I shimmied away, pushing the
corpse o while keeping the blanket wrapped around my body. My breaths were quick and uncontrolled as I crab-walked away, digging my heels into the ground, propelling myself farther from the dead animal.
Turning my head, my eyes found Calvin. He stood twenty yards back, looking down the scope of a hunting ri e, dressed in only blue jeans and untied farm boots. He lowered the gun and ran toward me, screaming my name.
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay, Grace?” he said, kneeling beside me. His hands wiped at the blood that covered my skin, but I’m sure it just smeared it around.
I gritted my teeth. “You said mountain lions didn’t come this far.”
“ ey usually don’t.” He shook his head, looking at the animal and then back at me. “ e barbecue or the food out here must have attracted it or maybe it’s infected with rabies.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. Blood clung to his lips.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, but I was still shaking. I was not okay. How could he have left me out here? “Where were you?” My eyes narrowed, moving from the fallen beast to Calvin.
“I was inside making breakfast. I was going to bring it out to you.” He pushed my blood-soaked hair out of my face. “I’m sorry.”
I shoved away from him and stood, wiping my skin with the corner of the white sheet.
“I’m going to shower.” I wrapped the blanket tighter around my bust and started o toward the ranch.
“I really am sorry, Grace,” he called out. e words rang hollow.
As I reached the driveway, a sheri ’s vehicle turned into it. I knew when they spotted me because the vehicle went from ve miles per hour to thirty in a few seconds. Shit.
e driver slammed on his brakes just in front of me and jumped out of his
vehicle. I recognized him immediately—Sheri Almond.
“Good lord! Ma’am, are you all right?” He drew his gun and scanned all around, his eyes like pendulums.
I knew how it looked. is was the man looking for a missing woman and
here I was, covered in blood and practically naked.
“Put your hands up!” the sheri yelled, pointing his gun just over my shoulder.
I turned to nd Calvin walking across the pasture with his ri e slung over his shoulder. His eyes went wide and his face paled like a ghost. Calvin dropped the ri e to the ground and shot his hands up toward the sky.
“Get behind me,” the sheri said as he put himself between me and Calvin. “Down on the ground,” he yelled.
Calvin dropped to his knees.
“Sir, it’s not what it looks like!” I shouted. e last thing I needed was to get wrapped up in a police shooting. “A mountain lion attacked me.”
Sheri Almond glanced at me and then back at Calvin. He didn’t look convinced at all.
“It’s true,” Calvin said. “ e body is in the eld. I can show you.” He hesitated, keeping his pistol pointed at Calvin.
“He’s telling the truth,” I added.
Sheri Almond let out a sigh and lowered his weapon. “All right, show it to me.” He gestured with his hand.
Calvin reached for his ri e. “Leave it for now,” the sheri commanded.
He got to his feet and walked slowly, heading in the direction of the dead animal. Sheri Almond and I followed behind. I was sure he didn’t believe we were telling the truth. He probably thought Calvin was my captor, and I had developed Stockholm syndrome.
e ies had already gotten to the mountain lion. ey wasted no time when it came to death. A swarm of them buzzed around, dropping into the sticky blood. Its eyes were black, still marbles, and its tongue hung out from the side of its mouth.
“Well, shit. is thing has to be two hundred–plus pounds,” the sheri said
as he walked around the carcass, taking it all in. “You said it attacked you?” He looked to me.
I nodded. “Yeah, it was leaping in the air when Calvin shot it.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I’d be the one lying dead in the dirt if it weren’t for him. I never had that close of an encounter before. e closest I’d come to death was nearly getting swiped by a cab in the city. Now I understood how others who had faced it felt.
“You’ll want to contact the DNR, since it’s outside of hunting season, and let them know what happened,” the sheri said.
Calvin nodded. “I was just about to do that before you showed up.” “Mountain lion attacks are extremely rare.” He glanced at me. “You’re lucky
to be alive.”
I pressed my lips rmly together and wrapped the sheet a little tighter. “Something must be wrong with this one,” Sheri Almond added as he
gestured toward the animal.
“ at’s what I was thinking,” Calvin said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one on my property before.” He scanned the surrounding area.
“Glad you’re safe, ma’am.” He tilted his head and gave me a sympathetic look.
Redirecting his attention to Calvin, the sheri raised his chin. “Now, the reason I came out here was about that missing woman Briana Becker.”
I wasn’t sure if Calvin tensed up or if I was imagining it. “Yeah, what’s up?
Did you nd her?” He shifted his stance, folding his arms across his chest. “Unfortunately, no.” He cleared his throat. “But we did nd her car broken
down two miles from here on a back road.”
Wyatt had already told us about the car, so what was the sheri doing here? Calvin looked down at his feet and back at him. Where was the sheri going with this? From his tone and how he looked at Calvin, it seemed there was an accusation coming.
“Are you sure didn’t see her?” Sheri Almond pulled the photo from his
front pocket and held it out. “Get a good look,” he added.
ere she was again, the bright eyes, long, blond wavy hair, dimples, and a pretty smile. Calvin examined the photo for a moment. “No, like I said before, I haven’t seen her. And she never checked in.”
“And you?” Sheri Almond put the picture in my line of sight. I shook my head. “No, I haven’t seen her.”
He gave a slight nod and pocketed the photo. “After seeing this I’m starting to wonder if something like this happened to her?” e sheri looked down at the dead animal.
“Nature is unforgiving,” Calvin said.
Sheri Almond gave him a peculiar look.
“You mind if I have a look around your property?”
I couldn’t see where the sheri was looking because his aviators covered his eyes, but he swiveled his head to the left and to the right—like he was already searching. Did he think the woman was here? If she was, I would have surely stumbled across her. Or did he think Calvin had done something to her? My mind went back to the night I heard the woman’s scream. Was it her? I opened my mouth and was about to mention it but stopped. What if I was wrong? What if I had been dreaming? What if I actually hadn’t heard anything? It would further complicate things, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Have at it. I can show you around if you’d like,” Calvin o ered. “Yeah, sure. at’d be great,” Sheri Almond said.
e two of them walked toward the barn, keeping their distance six feet from one another. Calvin glanced back at me with a tight smile, not his usual smile. I turned, heading back toward the house. And then it hit me. e ranch had no cell service, and if the Wi-Fi was down then, Briana wouldn’t have been able to check in even if she was here.
 |
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e warm water cascaded over me as I attempted to let fear and anxiety wash away with the blood. It swirled down the drain, a pinkish-red liquid. I knew there was something o when I got here. I felt it in the house. I saw it in Calvin. Perhaps it’s what attracted me to him. e danger of it all. e unknowing. Everything in my life had always been planned. ere was never any room for spontaneity or things that weren’t a part of my schedule. at included fear. You don’t plan for fear. It was obvious the sheri believed Briana had been here. I was starting to believe it too. But where was she now?
I turned o the water and wrapped a towel around me. My hand swiped the condensation buildup from the mirror, revealing a clean face but I could still somehow see the blood on it. Perhaps it was a part of me now. I took a deep breath and pulled open the bathroom door. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I crashed into another person.
“Calvin . . .” But it wasn’t Calvin.
“Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t expect you to spring out like a chicken.”
I wrapped the damp towel tighter around my body. “Who the hell are you?”
e man was hefty, dressed in dirty overalls. He had to have been in his sixties. His peppered hair was shaggy but not intentionally—just as if he didn’t take good care of himself. His nose was large, and his skin was covered in rosacea and patchy facial hair.
Loud footsteps made their way toward us. “Grace! Ahh,” Calvin paused as
his eyes caught the scene before him “I see you two have met. is is Albert. He’s another Airbnb guest who will be staying here for the next couple nights.”
A wave of emotions ooded over me.
“I didn’t know another guest was coming, Calvin. On my booking, I
actually requested to be the only guest.” I narrowed my eyes.
“I must have missed that, and I do have two rooms listed. So sometimes, although rarely, they can overlap. Albert here was a last-minute booking.”
“ at’s true, little lady. I’m just passing through but needed a place to stop o to get some rest.” His smile revealed a dead front tooth.
“I see. Where’s Sheri Almond?” I redirected my attention to Calvin. He cleared his throat and slid a hand into his front pocket. “He left.” “Already?”
“Yep, didn’t nd what he was looking for.” His eyes bounced from me to
Albert and back again.
I had no idea how long I’d been in the shower; time felt irrelevant here in Wyoming. But it struck me as odd how quickly he left for someone searching for a missing person, especially on such a sprawling property. Maybe Sheri Almond wasn’t convinced Calvin was involved.
“I’ll be in my room,” I said, needing some space to think.
I walked past Albert and shut my bedroom door, avoiding eye contact with Calvin. Something felt off. The rare mountain lion attack, the missing woman, and now this unexpected guest—it all added up to an unsettling atmosphere. Why hadn’t Calvin mentioned another guest was staying here? I collapsed onto my bed with a groan. I seriously doubted someone like Albert even knew what Airbnb was or how to use it. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, only to find no service. Another groan escaped me. In the hallway, I heard whispers, but I couldn’t catch the words. Why were they whispering?
I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it.
“Sorry about her. She’s just a bit rattled. A mountain lion nearly attacked her earlier,” Calvin said.
“That’s terrifying. Is she okay?” Albert whispered back.
“She will be, I think. You can stay in this room,” Calvin replied.
The door to the room next to mine creaked open. Everything in this house creaked. I heard boots thumping a few steps—first Calvin’s, then Albert’s. I could distinguish between them; Albert’s steps were heavy and clumsy, while Calvin’s were deliberate, like a slow drumbeat.
“Thanks. I’ll be out of your hair in a few days,” Albert said.
Calvin whispered something back, but I couldn’t make it out. e door creaked again and closed. en, there was a knock on my door. I scrambled back to the bed and took a seat looking at my red ngernails nonchalantly. e paint had chipped o on several of them.
“Come in,” I said.
e door opened, and Calvin popped his head in.
“Hey,” he said. His eyes scanned my face, evaluating if it was safe to take another step into the room. My face was unchanged though. I simply glanced over at him for a moment and then returned my attention to my chipped nails.
“I’m heading into town. You want to come with me?”
I thought for a moment, pretending to consider his o er. I didn’t want to go into town, and I didn’t want to stay in this house with Albert either. What I wanted was my car xed.
“No,” I said.
He dropped his head a little and shu ed his feet, disappointed.
“Are we okay?” He worked up the courage to take another step toward me. “Sure.” I turned my head, staring out the cracked window. We weren’t okay.
I wasn’t okay. I should have gone with my gut feeling on day one and left. Something was o with this house, with this town, with Calvin. He took another step toward me and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You sure, Grace?” “I’m sure.”
He scooted a little closer and rested his hand on the bed in the space between us. ere was more than physical space between us now. ere was distance. What added to the distance were all the uncertainties, the
unanswered questions, the answers I could not or did not believe. Calvin
moved his hand on top of my bare knee, and my body instantly tensed up. Last night when he touched me my skin warmed, now I felt a coldness run through me. ey say love makes you blind. is wasn’t love though. is was lust, and it makes you downright stupid.
“I’m really sorry, Grace. I’m going to make this up to you. I want this to work. Us, that is. We still have a few days together. Please don’t shut me out yet.” His voice was deep yet soft. He patted my knee. “You haven’t shut me out yet, have you?”
I looked at his hand resting on my body. A shiver ran down my spine. I
shook my head.
He smiled and leaned in, planting a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” Calvin’s eyes lingered on me while he stood. I thought he’d say more but he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I took a deep breath. Calvin was right about one thing: we only had a few
more days left, he only had a few more days left . . . and then I would leave all of this behind me.
