Epilogue

Tuesday, July 16 th .

Annie’s Birthday.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Travis cooked breakfast for us, but he was quieter than usual, and me and Virge figured something was definitely up with him.

Billy went to the station telling Travis that he and Ted would handle everything at the shop and there was no need to worry about a single thing.

Dad nodded and said goodbye to Billy on the porch and told him we’d be back in a couple of days.

I was starting to freak out and we hadn’t even left for the cabin yet.

We packed enough stuff for two days, like Dad said and tossed our bags in the truck.

Dad loaded dog food and his stuff, and we were good to go. A short trip to the mountain cabin.

Virge wanted to drive, and Dad let him. He let Virge do pretty much anything he wanted to do. I didn’t mind. I could do the same.

We were just about to leave when Dad jumped out of the truck and made a phone call.

“Who you calling, Dad?” asked Virge.

My brother didn’t give a shit about people’s privacy.

“Annie’s birthday. You boys better be calling her too.”

“For sure we will, Dad. I didn’t know it was her birthday today.”

Market. Black Wolf Pass.

Travis put enough food into our cart for today and tomorrow along with a case of water and two cases of beer. “We’re not staying too long, boys. Just long enough.”

Me and Virge wanted to ask long enough for what, but we didn’t. We waited.

Wait for it…

Black Wolf Mountain. Rocky Mountains.

After we loaded up the groceries, Travis took over driving. He knew the way from the town up the mountain and he said the roads were tricky.

As we got higher up, the roads weren’t only tricky, they weren’t even there anymore.

The road to our cabin was a dirt path crashing through trees and bushes. A true wilderness thing happening.

“Wow, this is some wild vegetation,” said Virge.

“Yeah, guess it grows up in the summertime,” said Travis. “Gone in the winter.”

The cabin that Uncle Carson left us was nicer than I imagined it was going to be. Cozy with a big bed and blankets and a sofa and table n’all.

“Too hot for the woodstove,” said Travis. “We’ll cook on the hotplate. Warm up stew or something for dinner.”

“I want to hike up to Sunday’s cabin,” said Virge. “See if I can get a glimpse of that bear she trained.”

“Guess we got enough daylight to do that,” said Travis. “Let me get my rifle out of the truck and we’ll take a stroll up there.”

Dad got his gun, and we struck off. Hard going and Dad had a bad leg. He had to rest a few times, and I was getting out of breath.

Virge was a bit ahead of us and I heard him holler. “I can see her cabin.”

“Any bears?” I hollered back.

“Nope.”

“Good.”

The door of her cabin wasn’t locked, and I was pretty sure Sunday told us she locked it up when she left and decided not to live there anymore.

Travis pushed in first, then turned and pushed us out. “Stay here.”

“What is it, Dad?”

“Decomp. Old. Been dead a long time.”

“Who?”

“I’m guessing it’s her husband,” said Travis.

“She said the bear got him,” said Virge.

“Stay out here. I’ll only be a minute.” He went inside and came right back. “He was shot in the head.”

“What the hell,” said Virge. “What was that story about how hard it was to dig the hole to bury him?”

“Just a story,” said Travis. “That’s all it was.”

We went down the mountain to our own cabin and had canned stew for supper with bread and butter. Wasn’t bad. I’d had worse.

Me and Virge cleaned up the dishes and then we sat at the table with Dad and drank a couple of beers.

“I’ve been thinking about something, boys, and it’s time. In two weeks, Harlan will be nineteen and you will be seventeen, Virge. Old enough to make your own decisions.”

“What do we have to decide, Dad? Don’t give me any hard ones.” He laughed.

“When I go back to the ranch, I’m going to start liquidating everything I own or own part of in Harrison County. Most of it my uncle’s property that he left to me.”

“Why are you gonna do that, Dad?” I was afraid of the answer and didn’t want to know.

“Time for me to retire from the Sheriff’s office and turn it all over to Billy. The stress is too much, and I have to give it up before it gets me.”

“Okay. That doesn’t sound unreasonable,” I said.

“What do we have to decide, Dad?” Virgie asked the big question. “You said we were old enough to make our own decisions. About what?”

“I’ve decided to move back to Texas and buy a spread and retire there. That’s where I belong. You boys have to decide whether you’re coming with me or if you want to stay with Billy and continue being deputies. Y’all are old enough to decide and I’m not gonna yank y’all out of Montana if this is where y’all want to be. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Y’all have choices.”