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Willow reaches over. “Can I see that flashlight for a sec?”
I hand it to her and follow as she moves forward, shining the light up into the trees.
For a second, there’s just a tangle of darkness, crisscrossed limbs and gnarled branches barely illuminated.
Then I see it. The black blur, a large spot blocking the light that shouldn’t be there.
Holy fucking hell.
“That is you,” she hisses, almost in awe.
I zero in on where she’s shining the light and barely make out a long, thick rope hanging down.
No, more like...a tail.
Bella and Drake gasp, rubbing at their eyes in disbelief.
“Fuck, Grady. Is that...”
“Yeah, Drake. Found him,” I whisper.
“Well, I’m not climbing up there to get you!” Willow says matter-of-factly into the darkness. “You’re just gonna have to find your own way down, Brucey.”
Bella moves to her other side, reaching out to rub Edison’s nose. “Mission accomplished, Einstein. Thanks a million. Now time for you to get in the trailer with Edna. There’ll be a whole box of candy canes for you guys tonight.”
Edison nickers, tossing his head like he knows what he deserves. Then he nudges the other horse. They barely pause as they walk past us, heading for the trailer.
“Shit, now how the hell are we going to make that cat cooperate?” Drake asks, chuckling. “Don’t think the candy cane trick will work on him.”
“Damned if I know,” I admit.
We can’t just hit him with a dart, either. He’s hundreds of pounds, and even if he’s not up that high, he might crash down and break a few bones if he passes out.
Willow walks closer to the tree, up to the place where the horses were. I join her.
Bruce is now directly above us, laid out along the branch like a house cat waiting for the fire department to come charging to the rescue. At which point he’d climb higher, of course.
Dammit, I hope that tiger doesn’t go higher.
“So what now?” I ask. “Any ideas?”
“We go help them load up the horses, then I say we pull your truck and trailer as close together as possible,” Willow replies. “He’ll have an easier time jumping, and I’ll make him get in the trailer.”
“How’re you gonna pull that off? We should’ve brought some meat,” I grind out.
“Oh, I’ll think of something.”
Seeing how she’s been right about everything else, I’d be a fool not to trust her.
Edison and Edna clop into Drake’s trailer with barely any encouragement. I pull my truck past his, turn it around, and then back up as close to the trees as possible.
Once the gate opens and I’m standing outside again, I ask, “What now?”
“Get in the truck.”
“Come again?”
“Get in the truck, Grady!” She smiles. “And make sure Drake and Bella don’t get out of theirs.”
“Why? What the hell are you thinkin’?”
“Just get in the truck and trust me.”
I shake my head, refusing to leave her out here alone with a scared tiger.
“Remember when he heard me scream earlier?” she asks. “Unless you want to get ripped to pieces...get in the truck, now.”
Oh.
Oh, mama, let’s fucking go!
Grinning ear to ear, I walk to the driver’s door and climb in, but I keep one hand on the handle and my eyes on the mirror where I can see her.
Taking a huge breath, Willow lets out an earsplitting scream.
My heart leaps into my throat.
The instant sharp crack! of a tree branch braises the air.
Bruce lands on the ground a second later, crouched low and looking around with blazing gold eyes.
Willow says his name and talks to him quietly, softly as he flicks his tail.
Very slowly, he moves closer, looking at her and then swinging his head left and right. She keeps talking till he follows, leading him to the ramp and the trailer one step at a time.
I leap out and run back, help her lift the door, and secure it as fast as my fingers can move.
“Fuck me. If I hadn’t just seen that, I never would’ve believed it,” Drake says, standing at my side, letting out a whistle.
“Right ahead of you, man. I’ve been saying that for weeks,” I tell him.
“I think she’s a keeper,” Drake says with a lopsided grin.
No fucking comment.
“What I can’t believe,” Willow says with a smile that splits me open, “is the way your horses ran him up the tree and kept him there for us to find.”
“That’s our Edison,” Drake says, every bit of fondness bleeding through.
I snort. “Who ever heard of a tiger scared of horses? Is this real life?”
“First time for everything,” Willow says, relaxing her head on my shoulder as the last of her energy from this cluster of a night gives out.
13
C’mere, Tiger (Willow)
As much as I wish it would, this long-ass night doesn’t end there.
While Grady takes the long road home, I drive back on the four-wheeler cross-country, and spot a pickup in the driveway as I’m closing in on the farm.
