There was a fireplace on the other side of the cabin with stuff piled in the old firebox. “Not in working order?”
Tucker shook his head. “No. It’s original to the house. There was no sense in risking catching the place on fire when there’s the big one in the kitchen. It’s sealed up, just decorative.”
“Are you in a hurry?” she asked. “I’d like to look around for a bit.”
“Not at all. If you’re okay here, I’ll just take a ride out to check on a few of the traps, then come back and get you.”
“That would be great.”
He left, and in the cabin alone, the emotion hit her. Tears streamed down her face in the quiet moment, and although they were in part for Jeremy and all they’d shared here, it was also sweet relief.
Thankful tears for a soft place to land after the mess she’d been through.I’m so grateful for the memories of Jeremy that still live here.
She wrapped her arms around herself, eyes closed; she slowly turned, then opened her eyes, taking it all in as if it were home.
“Thank you, babe. I can do this. I can live here.”
It was so quiet that it was hard to listen. A bird squawked in the distance, reassuring Natalie that life was nearby.
Above the closed-off fireplace, pictures of the guys with trophy deer lined the mantel. Tucked catty-corner behind two others, she found an unframed photograph of her and Jeremy fishing. It had been so windy that she’d pulled her hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of her face.
She carried the picture over to the bed and sat on the edge. Laying the picture on the nightstand, she slid the top drawer open. His Bible. She’d wondered what had happened to it. She lifted it, and a picture fluttered to the floor.
Our wedding picture.
Their love spilled from her heart, memories flooding back. She held the picture in her shaking hand, then tucked it back inside the Bible.
Grief rushed over her, but there was a strange comfort in this moment too. She put the Bible back in the drawer and then caught a glimpse of that stupid bucket hat with the lures stuck in it that he used to call his lucky hat. It was hanging on the coat tree along with a slicker and some waders. They’d probably come in handy. Well, not that hat.
The sound of Tucker’s diesel truck approaching was a welcome interruption.
Soon after, he gave a quick double-knock and walked inside. “Hey, it’s me.”
“Better than Smokey the Bear,” she teased.
“They don’t knock.”
“I’ll remember that. I was wondering about all those deer heads on the back wall. Did Jeremy shoot all of those?”
“Not all of them. I shot that one, and this one over here,well, we shot this monster one day when we were out together. We used to argue about who actually took the kill shot.”
“Someone hung another pair of horns on that one,” she said with a laugh.
“No, actually, two bucks had fought to the death, and the loser was hung up in his antlers. This big guy had been dragging that buck around, and we’d caught sight of him a few times but could never get a good shot on him. Finally, one early morning, he was down at the stream trying to drink water. A tough thing to do when you have a couple-hundred-pound dead animal hanging off your head and antlers. He was getting tired, and I’m sure that rotting, stinking carcass was weighing on him. He couldn’t run faster than our guns that day.”
“Oh no. I can’t imagine. I had no idea that could even happen. Hunting was a side of Jeremy I never really understood. He was such an animal lover, and so gentle.”
“Well, we ate what we killed. It wasn’t just for sport. And truth is, if we didn’t hunt, this place would be overpopulated with them.”
“I’ve never eaten deer meat. I never let him bring any of it home. I guess that was silly.”
“He’d let us have it all. When we have too much, we take it down to the shelter. Lots of hunters donate to feed neighbors. I’ll have to fix you some venison sometime, though. You’ll be surprised how good it is.”
“Is it a requirement for living here?”
“No, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and it is a natural resource.”
“I’ll have to give it a try. What’s right is right,” she said.
