"We've been together less than a week
But I swear it seems like two years at least,
Whether face to face or over the phone,
When I hear your voice, I'm right at home
Your so beautiful, more than a man could ever want
Got me lookin' for, cameras to see if I'm getting punk'd
Tryin' to take it slow, ain't now sense in lying to me, or to myself
I know it's early, I know it's soon
But truth be told, I think I love you
It's unexpected, out of the blue
But I gotta let you know
That I think I love you"
Dweli—"I Think I Love You"
Erik's cousins were so busy lighting up Biandro's ass that none of them noticed the fresh tracks or the even fresher lump of scat near the gathering of trees. He picked up a small flimsy twig and broke the scat apart seeing right away that the cougar was probably nearby. His eyes darted back to where he left Kris standing.
She was gone.
He crept down toward where her boot tracks led him and he saw her fixing her pants with her belt. His peripheral caught the tawny fur among the low brush and when he saw white at the throat and the large head, he told Kris to be still until he could see if the animal had a rear escape.
Erik told her to raise her hands so she could make herself look bigger and when she made cautious steps toward him, he could see she was teary-eyed.
"It'll be okay, keep walking…just like that. Don't look back…"
When she passed him, he kept his body facing the cougar so it would focus on him.
"Go straight to the truck," he said with a gentle voice.
He heard her feet trample through fallen leaves and dry patches of grass, and when he felt she was a good distance, Erik began to back away from the area himself. He was almost past the trees when the cougar charged.
"Run!" he screamed at Kris.
His agile body took off, long legs sprinting, thigh muscles pumping with adrenaline. He caught up to Kris as he heard his cousins shout with fear and surprise. Kris was doing her best to get away, but they were on a slope and she struggled with what appeared to be her last burst of energy. He couldn't let the animal overtake her. Reaching out, Erik lifted her by her waist as he ran and threw her onto the back of the truck bed. He grabbed for the side of the truck himself as he felt the first sinking of claws into his shoe. He jerked his leg as hard as he could and felt the dragging of the heavy paw before it ripped off his left sneaker.
The report of a rifle firing rang out.
Erik reached for Kris.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," she said. Her lips trembled and then her eyes looked down at his foot.
"You're bleeding Erik!"
Her hands grabbed at his ankle and he hissed when he finally felt the full brunt of his injury. Blood coated the back of the truck and he took off his t-shirt to staunch the flow. The wound stung more than anything and Kris did her best to push more pressure onto his hand.
"How bad is it?" Monroe asked looking into the bed of the truck.
Erik saw Biandro aiming the rifle in the direction the cougar ran off to back into the trees.
"Lemme see," Erik told Kris.
Kris didn't want to release her hands, but he pried them away to look at his foot.
He lucked out.
His missing sneaker took the worst of the blow. A long open tear on the side of his ankle bled out, but no ligaments were torn. He'd need some stitches. He pressed his t-shirt back on the wound with Kris's help. Caddo tossed his ripped shoe into the truck.
"Damn, I just got those," Erik joked.
His cousins laughed and the frightening energy let up a bit.
"I hit it, but it's still moving," Biandro said checking out the trail of blood drops the big cat left behind.
"That fucker was huge," Monroe quipped.
"Out here living good," Caddo said keeping his rifle out for it too.
"Kris…I'm okay," Erik said.
He rubbed her arm and she leaned up against him. She tried reaching down to touch his ankle again.
"I got it," he whispered and she nodded.
Caddo brought out a first aid kit from inside the cab. He let down the back of the truck and climbed up onto the truck bed to dress Erik's ankle. Thick gauze was wrapped around the injury and Erik sat back against the rear panel.
"Let's get you back," Caddo said.
"I'll stay back here," Erik said.
Caddo reached for Kris's hand to help her down from the bed.
"I'll stay back here with him," she said.
She scooted back on her rump to be next to him.
"Me and Monroe are going to track it and try to kill it," Biandro said.
Monroe had the radio in his hand and Erik watched them head toward the trees.
Caddo jumped into the driver's seat of the truck and started up the engine. They rumbled along and Kris's shoulder bumped against his.
"That thing would've torn me to pieces if you didn't pick me up," she said.
"Did I hurt you?"
She rubbed her knees.
"I'm fine. How are you doing?"
"I'll be okay. Had worse."
"Worse than a cougar attacking you?"
Erik leaned forward so she could see his back. Eight inches of dark rounded scar tissue sat below the left side, right above the waist of his jeans.
"What happened there?" she asked touching him.
"Nearly gored to death by a bull after falling off of it."
Her eyes darted up to his face as he sat back.
"Just adding to my collection."
The truck bounced them a bit and Kris grabbed onto his arm. She rested her warm cheek against his deltoid muscle and he felt himself relax and forget all about the throbbing pain in his foot.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you when I thought you were watching me pee."
Erik laughed out loud.
"I was looking for you, but only because I thought the cougar was close. You disappeared."
Erik looked down at her and she had her eyes closed while she leaned on him. They shook, rattled, and rolled along until the truck stopped in front of his house. Nana Rae and Pop Pop were waiting for him on the porch.
"Erik!" Nana Rae shrieked when she saw him hobble off of the truck bed with Kris's help. The gauze was soaked through with his blood.
"Dr. Robinson is on his way!" she said reaching for his arm.
"I can walk, Nana," he said.
She held him up anyway with Kris flanking his other side. He was guided into his place and his grandfather paced in front of him when he sat down on his couch. Nana Rae rushed into his bathroom and brought back a dark blue towel and wrapped it around the gauze. The radio on her hip crackled to life.
"Can't find it, Nana," Monroe said with a faraway voice.
"Get on back here then," she said.
Erik watched the tension in his grandparent's face spill over into Kris who sat on his loveseat looking worn out.
"Can you get her something to drink?" he asked his grandfather.
"Sure."
Pop Pop went into his kitchen.
"Was there any sign of buried food?" Nana Rae asked.
"I didn't see anything," he said.
"Biandro said it was a big son of a bitch."
"It was."
"Did you see it?" Nana Rae asked Kris.
"No really. I was running for my life. I caught a glimpse when Erik jumped onto the truck, but I was focused on him…and his foot."
Pop Pop handed Kris a coke and passed a large glass of whiskey to Erik.
The sound of a car pulled up in his carport and he heard Dr. Robinson grunt as he pulled himself from his mini-van. Nana Rae had the door open before the older shaggy gray-haired white man could knock.
Erik hobbled into his bedroom with the doctor and Pop Pop. Propping his leg up on three thick bath towels, he watched Dr. Robinson sterilize his ankle.
Erik gritted his teeth as the man stitched up part of the wound and used medical glue for the rest. Dr. Robinson handed him extra-strength Tylenol for the pain and wrapped the wound carefully afterward. Erik stuck the pills on his nightstand.
"Lucky man," Dr. Robinson said.
"I know it."
"It's rare for cougars to attack folks. What were you doing?"
"We just stumbled upon it by accident."
"Huh."
Dr. Robinson patted Erik's shoulder.
"Come see me in a couple of days. Keep it clean and change the bandages as needed. If it bleeds through, call me right away."
Erik sat on his bed for a few minutes after the doctor left. He could hear his grandparents talking to him outside.
A tap at his bedroom door made him look up.
"Can I come in?"
Kris watched him with bright eyes. There was still worry on her face. She carried another glass of whiskey for him.
"I was washing my hands in the kitchen again and your grandfather said to bring you this."
He took the libation and tossed it back. It burned his throat but he felt no real pain. She took the glass back from him.
"Sit down," he said.
Her eyes fluttered around looking at his bedroom set-up before she took a seat next to him.
"All stitched up and no permanent damage," he said lifting his leg.
"Good."
"I'll pay for your time away from work today."
"Thanks."
"I know you're trying to save money."
"How do you know that?"
"Brandy told me?"
"When?"
Her eyes looked annoyed and a little embarrassed.
"That's not important—"
"She shouldn't be telling all my business."
Kris stood up. He pulled on her hand to make her sit down again.
"She wasn't telling your business. Everybody needs money, girl."
"Not you," she said looking around again.
"I do alright."
"This place is gorgeous…the entire ranch."
"You've only seen a little bit of it."
His eyes dropped down to his ankle.
"Was getting injured part of the curse Biandro put on me?"
"No."
Her sweet face lost the tension she had been holding in it. That cute Tinker Bell energy made him feel warm inside. Or maybe it was the whiskey drenching his bloodstream. Two big double shots had him straight. His eyes felt like they were floating in liquid. He forgot to eat again.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
He leaned close to her.
"We sure had an adventure today. Um, I'll have Caddo drive you back. Take the rest of the day off—"
"I can't do that. Blue has a tight schedule for tonight. I'll go to work."
"Okay."
Her eyes studied his.
"Are you drunk?"
"I drink only top shelf—"
"You didn't eat again, huh?"
She grinned at him and her dimpled chin hypnotized him. He raised up his right thumb and touched it. Kris held her breath.
"Tell me, how long could we be cursed for? Will I never have a woman again?"
She smiled and pulled her head back but he cradled her chin and pulled her closer.
"Tell me…"
"I don't know—"
He kissed her.
Softly at first.
Pushing his full lips against her mouth, he tried to wrap his left arm around her waist but she jammed her hands into his chest forcing him away from her. Leaping off the bed, she wiped her mouth and looked away from him.
"I'm going to put this in the kitchen and then find Caddo. Get better soon."
She rushed out of his bedroom and he heard Nana Ray and Pop Pop enter his house again. He couldn't make out exactly what she said to them, but she was gone when he wandered back into his living room.
"You should be resting that foot!" Nana Rae scolded.
"Did Kris go with Caddo?"
"Selena is giving her a ride back to the bar. Get on back there!"
Erik went back into his bedroom and berated himself for running Kris away. He could blame it on the alcohol if it was necessary, but he wanted to kiss her. She made him feel some kind of way that had nothing to do with anything physical.
###
"Where you been?"
Jordan stood next to her as she clocked in at the bar.
"Long story," she said.
Kris tied on her apron and grabbed an order pad stuffing it into her apron pocket.
"Ivy said you left with Erik and his cousins. Where did you go?"
Jordon's eyes were demanding an explanation. She had him follow her to her station near the punching bags in case anyone was trying to ear hustle their conversation. No new customers were seated in her area yet and another server had covered the three booths and two tables she was responsible for.
"I read some tarot cards for them and then they had to go see their other cousin about it."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Erik and Monroe made me go with them."
"But why?"
"I'll tell you about it later—"
"You were gone for like five hours."
"I'm still being paid for them. Can we talk later…please?"
Jordan's forehead was creased and his lips were thrust out in the way they got when he was upset with her.
"What did you go do?"
"Jordan! Let me work. It was no big deal—"
"That's not what I heard."
Rekia swept over to them with her new finger wave hairdo. For some reason, that style was coming back hard in Mariscal. Kris was tempted to try it as a new look herself. Her hair wasn't cooperating with any of the styles she tried the last three weeks in the Texas heat. Perhaps plastering it down like a helmet was the answer.
"What did you hear?" Jordan asked.
"They got attacked by a cougar on the ranch."
"Kris…what the hell? You okay?"
"I'm fine. Erik was the one attacked."
"What were you doing on a ranch?"
"Thanks a lot, Rekia."
"What? We all want to know the story. None of us have ever been there," Rekia snapped.
Thankfully, a large group was seated at one of her booths and Kris busied herself taking orders and moving over to the bar. Jordan had his eye on her all night and each time she thought of Erik blindly kissing her in a drunken stupor, she felt guilty. After an hour of working, she had to admit to herself that Erik wasn't drunk. She'd seen him knock back several shots and mixed drinks on an empty stomach at work and he had still been in control of his faculties.
He wanted to kiss her.
A chill down her back made her shake her shoulders with nervous energy. Each time she looked over at Jordan as he made his rounds, she wondered if he could tell that something was off with her that had nothing to do with the cougar.
She was not Erik's type. He joked with her at work and flirted with other women. He even joked with Jordan sometimes when some customers grew ridiculous after one too many drinks. Maybe he was really nervous about losing his Midas touch with women and she was just there for him to test. Maybe it was the shock from being wounded and that was just a weird one-off situation. Kris tried her best not to let it bother her as she worked. She almost forgot about it until Brandy walked in.
"Hey girl," Brandy said when Kris met her at the bar.
Her cousin's eyes looked around.
"I thought Erik was working tonight," Brandy said.
"Uh…something came up…"
Blue walked over to her holding up a cordless phone.
"Erik is on the office phone for you," Blue said.
Kris took the cordless from him as Brandy stared at her. She wasn't the only one.
Jordan glared at her from the end of the bar.