Read Online Last Train Home by Megan Nugen Isbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Megan Nugen Isbell
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gesture of apology. “It’s just interesting to see this world…my world, through your eyes. Everything’s so foreign to you. Just like if I went to Boston, I’m sure I wouldn’t know what the hell to do with myself.”
“You’d be like a fish out of water.”
“I might not be that bad,” he said, trying to defend himself.
“Oh, yes, you would. What’s the big gest city you’ve ever been to?”
“You’re not going to laugh at me?” he said , glancing over to me quickly and raising his eyebrows.
“No, I won’t laugh at you. What’s the biggest city yo u’ve ever been to?” I repeated.
“Oklahoma City,” he said and I burst out laughing.
“Oklahoma City? Yeah…you’d be fine in Boston, ” I laughed and rolled my eyes.
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t laugh.”
“Sorry,” I said, trying to stifle my laughter.
“Laugh all you want, but y ou never know. Maybe someday I’ll surprise you and prove to you that I can survive in Boston, or New York, or Chicago, or Tokyo for that matter.”
“I won’t hold my breat h.”
He start ed laughing and floored the gas pedal again. We surged forward and I yelled out as I grabbed onto the roll bar. The path made a sharp right and he pulled the wheel causing me to fall into him.
“Geez , Riley! Can’t you keep your hands to yourself? I know you want me, but c’mon. We hardly know each other,” he said, smiling over towards me as I straightened myself.
“Very funny. You’re the one driving like a maniac because you know that’s the only way you could get me to touch you.”
“Ouch ! You’re ruthless.”
We were quiet for a few minutes and thankfully Jesse had slowed the mule back down to a speed I was comfortable with.
“So why do you have all this land? What do you guys do with it?”
“Do with it?” he asked , confused.
“Yeah. Do you farm or something?”
He started laughing and I knew I’d made another mistake.
“No. We don’t farm or keep hogs or cows. My dad just l ikes it out here. It’s quiet.”
“How long have you lived out here?”
“Forever.”
“Well, what do you do out here?” I continued to prod.
“We go four-wheeling.”
“You’ve already told me that. What else do you do?”
“We hunt.”
“I can’t believe you hunt,” I gasped in disgust as I thought back to the giant buck’s head in his living room.
“Is there something wrong with th at?” he asked defensively.
“I just don’t know how you can kill a defenseless animal,” I said , shuddering at the thought.
“Aren’t we a little hypocrite,” he smirked.
“What do you mean?”
“You seemed to enjoy that hamburger earlier,” he said and I knew he’d caught me.
“ That’s…different,” I stammered.
“How’s that?”
“I don’t know. It just is.”
“How do you think that burger got on your plate , Riley?” he said, glaring at me again. “Someone had to kill the cow.”
I stared over at him and I instantly knew I’d hit a button with him.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “It’s just that we don’t have a lot of hunters where I come from. I guess I’m not used to it.”
“Just try and remember that there is a world outside of Boston, it just may be a little different than what you’re used to.”
I felt like a child being scolded by the teacher. I’d only been in Carver for a few days, but I knew my prejudice towards it was becoming more and more obvious to my new friends.
The silence was awkward as we continued to drive. I had no idea how far out we were. The sky was black and I couldn’t see any lights coming from the house or the fire.
“What’s that?” I asked, finally breaking the silence when we passed a raised platform.
“It’s one of the places we hunt,” he said , stopping the mule in front of the platform.
“You hunt up there?”
“Yeah. C’mon,” he said, turning off the engine and for the first time I could hear just
“You’d be like a fish out of water.”
“I might not be that bad,” he said, trying to defend himself.
“Oh, yes, you would. What’s the big gest city you’ve ever been to?”
“You’re not going to laugh at me?” he said , glancing over to me quickly and raising his eyebrows.
“No, I won’t laugh at you. What’s the biggest city yo u’ve ever been to?” I repeated.
“Oklahoma City,” he said and I burst out laughing.
“Oklahoma City? Yeah…you’d be fine in Boston, ” I laughed and rolled my eyes.
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t laugh.”
“Sorry,” I said, trying to stifle my laughter.
“Laugh all you want, but y ou never know. Maybe someday I’ll surprise you and prove to you that I can survive in Boston, or New York, or Chicago, or Tokyo for that matter.”
“I won’t hold my breat h.”
He start ed laughing and floored the gas pedal again. We surged forward and I yelled out as I grabbed onto the roll bar. The path made a sharp right and he pulled the wheel causing me to fall into him.
“Geez , Riley! Can’t you keep your hands to yourself? I know you want me, but c’mon. We hardly know each other,” he said, smiling over towards me as I straightened myself.
“Very funny. You’re the one driving like a maniac because you know that’s the only way you could get me to touch you.”
“Ouch ! You’re ruthless.”
We were quiet for a few minutes and thankfully Jesse had slowed the mule back down to a speed I was comfortable with.
“So why do you have all this land? What do you guys do with it?”
“Do with it?” he asked , confused.
“Yeah. Do you farm or something?”
He started laughing and I knew I’d made another mistake.
“No. We don’t farm or keep hogs or cows. My dad just l ikes it out here. It’s quiet.”
“How long have you lived out here?”
“Forever.”
“Well, what do you do out here?” I continued to prod.
“We go four-wheeling.”
“You’ve already told me that. What else do you do?”
“We hunt.”
“I can’t believe you hunt,” I gasped in disgust as I thought back to the giant buck’s head in his living room.
“Is there something wrong with th at?” he asked defensively.
“I just don’t know how you can kill a defenseless animal,” I said , shuddering at the thought.
“Aren’t we a little hypocrite,” he smirked.
“What do you mean?”
“You seemed to enjoy that hamburger earlier,” he said and I knew he’d caught me.
“ That’s…different,” I stammered.
“How’s that?”
“I don’t know. It just is.”
“How do you think that burger got on your plate , Riley?” he said, glaring at me again. “Someone had to kill the cow.”
I stared over at him and I instantly knew I’d hit a button with him.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “It’s just that we don’t have a lot of hunters where I come from. I guess I’m not used to it.”
“Just try and remember that there is a world outside of Boston, it just may be a little different than what you’re used to.”
I felt like a child being scolded by the teacher. I’d only been in Carver for a few days, but I knew my prejudice towards it was becoming more and more obvious to my new friends.
The silence was awkward as we continued to drive. I had no idea how far out we were. The sky was black and I couldn’t see any lights coming from the house or the fire.
“What’s that?” I asked, finally breaking the silence when we passed a raised platform.
“It’s one of the places we hunt,” he said , stopping the mule in front of the platform.
“You hunt up there?”
“Yeah. C’mon,” he said, turning off the engine and for the first time I could hear just
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