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Connor hands me two tiny earplugs and tells me to keep my sunglasses on. I stuff the foam pieces into my ears and can now only hear the sound of my own breathing. It’s hollow and echoes and suddenly, bam! The shot comes much too hard and much too fast. Connor loads the pistol again, takes aim and pulls off a single round, flicking one of the cans from the fence rail.
Then, to my horror, he hands me the gun. It’s much heavier now and I need two hands to hold it up, where Connor just uses one.
“Hold it here,” he says, adjusting my hands around it. I am shaking. “That hand position where you look like you’re holding a teacup in a saucer looks cool in the movies, but if you hold a gun like that in real life, the slide is going to come back when you shoot and bite you.” He pinches the tender skin between my thumb and index finger, showing me where I could potentially get hurt.
“I don’t want to do this, Connor,” I beg and I know I sound like a girl. Even Miss Adventure hides out with Anxious and Insecure right now.
Connor’s eyes bore into mine. “I’m right here. Nothing is going to happen. Take a deep breath. All I want you to do is squeeze the trigger. Don’t try to aim for anything.”
I hold the pistol the way he’s shown me and squeeze my eyes shut as I pull hard against the trigger. The weapon explodes in my hand, sending shock waves rippling through my arm. The recoil has kicked my arm nearly straight up and I’ve lost my balance. The entire experience is much more violent than I imagined.
Connor stands, hands on his hips, grinning and then laughing at me, not with me, the same way he did when I shot back the sipping whiskey. Miss Adventure has just been issued a challenge. She comes out of the corner, dusts herself off and is determined to show this man no fear. I like this chick. #gunslinger
Make no mistake, there’s fear. Lots and lots of fear. I’m just determined not to show it.
“OK, quick draw, you’ve done it. We can end the lesson here today.” Connor holds his palm out to take the weapon back. But I shake my head.
“Again,” I demand. “Tell me what to do.”
Connor quirks a brow and the teasing fades. A more serious expression materializes across his face. “That’s my girl.”
For the next fifteen rounds, I shoot. Connor stands slightly behind me with his hand on my back, issuing directions into my ear. By the time I’m done, I’ve learned how to load and unload the weapon, and I’ve even hit two of the cans on the fence rail.
“You’re a hell of a shot, Lainey,” he says, pulling the foam from his ears. “If I ever nearly get bitten by a water moccasin, I’m going to let you kill it for me. I’m really proud of you.”
“Thank you,” I say a bit shyly, realizing I never thanked him for killing the cottonmouth before it bit me. Morris had told the story to Georgia over dinner and said the snake was just inches from me and had its mouth open to strike. Apparently, it had been sunbathing on the rocks and didn’t appreciate my interrupting his afternoon repose. Hearing those details made me shiver, and I was thankful Connor changed the subject as soon as the tale was done.
“I just hope you’re not afraid of guns anymore. This was really more about you facing something you’re afraid of than really learning to shoot. You know that, right?”
“I do. It’s not that. I mean, yes, I’m thankful for you teaching me, but I was referring to the snake today. I never said thank you.”
“Lainey, I’ve never been so scared in my life. I can’t think about not having you in my life. If anything had happened to you …”
“But it didn’t. You made sure of that.”
“I’ll always make sure of that, Lainey.” He kisses the top of my head and stands holding me while the cicadas chirp and mosquitoes buzz in our ears.
We clean up our mess, close up the RV and head back inside and upstairs before nine. Connor joins me in the shower that night, bringing us both to orgasm so quickly that my head spins. He says he is desperate for me. I guess he is. He also promises me that he doesn’t care if the camper rocks or squeaks, he is going to take me again tomorrow, and the next day, too. My Inner Sex Goddess marks her day planner with bright red hearts.
