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“I always bring extra. Let’s run to my room real quick,” Mark, January’s uncle, says, slapping my back.
“Great. We’ll meet you both outside at the van,” Charles announces.
They exit the hotel as I glance at Mark. He smiles and nods for me to follow him.
“I appreciate this.”
“No worries. I remember the first time I was invited to a hunt with this crew. I didn’t even own a pair of boots,” he says, shaking his head with a chuckle.
He rattles off his room number so I can go grab my hat first. Thankfully, January did in fact order a hat for me. I grab it out of the bag and make my way to Mark’s room.
As I enter his room, he walks out of the closet and pulls out a large black bag. He drags it to the bed and unzips it, pulling out camo item after camo item.
I’m astonished at the amount of different items he has. I’m pretty sure I even saw camo socks and boxers in the mix.
“Honestly, I’ve never been hunting a day in my life.”
“We’ve all been there.” He hands me a pair of heavy gloves. “Try these on.”
I slip them onto my hands and they fit perfectly. There are tags hanging off them and I look up at him.
“These are brand new?”
“Yeah, I bought a few new pairs this season.”
“I’ll give you the money for them,” I reply, taking the tag off and checking it.
“No need, consider it an early Christmas gift.”
It’s incredibly generous of him, but I can’t allow it. I’ll have January order him a new pair and send it to his house.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Well, you look the part, even if you have no idea what you’re doing.”
If only he knew that hunting wasn’t the hardest part I’m trying to play.
“Thanks a lot, Mark. I really do appreciate this.”
We head back out of his room and down the long hallway, into the elevator. He leans against the wall, looking at me. He’s younger than Frank and Charles, probably in his mid forties. His dark hair and eyes are similar to mine, but he has a more relaxed appearance. Probably because he’s not pretending to be something he isn’t.
He’s married to Emily, Anne’s other sister, and I realize that they’re named after the Bronte sisters; Anne, Emily, and Charlotte. He’s also the father of the twins.
“Thanks again for your generosity.”
“Seriously, it’s not a problem. Being the new guy is never easy, especially with this bunch. Individually they’re all amazing, but put them together and the competition becomes a little much sometimes.”
“Competition can be motivating,” I reply as the elevator doors open.
That’s one of the most honest things I’ve said since meeting January’s family. It causes my chest to tighten a bit because I don’t like lying to them. They all seem like great people, a little overbearing, but still you can see how close they all are. It feels kind of nice to be accepted into a group like that.
Even if it’s just temporary.
We find the van outside and climb in. Charles drives, while Frank sits in the passenger seat. The rest of us are crammed together in the back three rows.
“You look like one of us now. Not so preppy,” one of the twins says.
I smirk looking down at myself. “Thanks, I think.”
“All right, listen up,” Charles announces as he puts the truck in drive. “Nicholas is new, so I’m going to explain everything. We’re going to my buddy, Mike’s property. He allows us to come in and hunt when we’re here. He’s got a few hundred acres with some massive elk. Odds are we won’t get one, but it’s still fun.”
I want to ask what the point of going is if he says we won’t get an elk, but I keep my mouth shut. It’s not like I’d know what to do with one anyway.
“You ever shoot an elk, Nicholas?” Frank asks, glancing over his shoulder.
“I believe it was a moose,” I reply.
They all turn to look at me.
“No shit,” Byron shouts.
“Really?” the twins ask together.
“A moose?” Charles exclaims.
“Where?” Frank yells.
I glance over at the twins and wink.
“In a big game hunting… video game,” I say.
The twins burst out laughing, giving each other a high five. Frank shakes his head, turning his attention forward. Charles smiles in the rearview mirror at me and I lift my shoulders.
“I knew you were bullshitting,” Byron mumbles.
“Learn to take a joke, Byron,” Mark says with a hearty chuckle.
As we pull up to the property, I’m amazed at its beauty. A pristine blanket of untouched snow covers the ground, catching the sun’s rays and casting a gentle glow into the bare trees surrounding us. The entire place looks heavenly. It’s peaceful, like a place I could sit and stare at while I drink a hot cup of coffee.
