carved up a piece of the mountain lion for dinner if Kayley wasn’t there.
“What did you mean when you said that ‘all of those animals wouldn’t have a home now?’” she asked, grabbing a seat on the log beside the fire.
“I run a conservation center for animals rescued from abusive homes, companies and factory farms.”
Tyler stifled a laugh as her mouth dropped. She wouldn’t have been more surprised if he told her that he ran a ballet school.
He explained how he took his inheritance that his uncle Harry left him and opened up a conservation center in his uncle’s name. The park started with a few animals but quickly grew as more and more people dumped their problems onto him. Cute, little, tiger cub Christmas presents quickly grew up into dangerous, unwieldy adults. They were dropped off on his door step without a second thought.
“If my show gets canceled I’ll have to close the park.”
“You should pitch a show about the conservation center to Al,” Kayley said. “He might go for it. People love that kind of thing these days. I know I would watch it.”
“Maybe,” he said, thinking about it. I wonder what he would say.
“It’s cold out,” Kayley said, snuggling up next to him. Tyler smiled. It was actually pretty warm out. She leaned her head on his shoulder and gazed into the fire. Her hair smelled like coconuts.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Thank you for saving me,” she said. Her face was close to his. Her chin lifting up slightly, as if reaching in for a kiss. “My hero.” She smiled.
His mouth attracted hers like a magnet and they kissed. She moaned softly and pushed her breasts against him. He pulled away after a few seconds even though he wanted the moment to last longer. She smiled and licked her lips. He kissed her again, deeper this time.
“What have we got here?” a voice said, hidden in the darkness. Too close. Tyler jumped up.
Four hunters emerged from the darkness into their camp. Tyler smelt whiskey and beer on them. The guy in front had red hair and a goatee and was holding an almost empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and a semi-automatic rifle in the other. Their guns were illegal to hunt with in the state of Colorado.
“Look at this one,” the fat one said, pointing to Kayley. “Best looking deer we’ve seen all day.” They all laughed. Kayley pulled the blanket around herself. She looked at Tyler with fear in her eyes.
Tyler clenched his jaw and glanced at his bow. It was leaning against his tent behind the hunter with the red hair. He did have a small pocket knife on him. No match for four guys armed with military grade assault weapons.
“Can I help you guys?” Tyler asked.
“No but she can,” the fat one said laughing.
“Billy!” the one with the red hair said sharply. Billy stopped laughing at once. “I know you,” he said looking at Tyler with squinted eyes trying to place him. “You’re that bow hunter guy.”
Tyler nodded. We may be able to get out of this peacefully after all.
“I’m Clifton Jones,” he said offering his hand. Tyler reluctantly shook it. Clifton looked at him with his eyebrows raised as if expecting Tyler to notice something.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, after an awkward pause.
“Clifton Jones lead singer of ArcRiot,” he said.
“Right,” Tyler answered, having no idea what ArcRiot was. “Big fan.”
“You’re also the owner of Harry’s Homes aren’t you?”
Tyler nodded, unsure where this was headed.
He pointed to a pudgy, middle aged man with glasses standing behind him. “Ray here would like to offer you $500,000 for the center and all of your animals.” Ray’s eyes went wide but then nodded.
“It’s a non-profit organization,” Tyler said. “There’s no money to be made.”
Clifton smirked. “It’s not for money.”
Tyler didn’t want to imagine what it was for. “Sorry. Not for sale.”
Clifton’s smirk vanished from his face.
“If you’ll excuse us
“What did you mean when you said that ‘all of those animals wouldn’t have a home now?’” she asked, grabbing a seat on the log beside the fire.
“I run a conservation center for animals rescued from abusive homes, companies and factory farms.”
Tyler stifled a laugh as her mouth dropped. She wouldn’t have been more surprised if he told her that he ran a ballet school.
He explained how he took his inheritance that his uncle Harry left him and opened up a conservation center in his uncle’s name. The park started with a few animals but quickly grew as more and more people dumped their problems onto him. Cute, little, tiger cub Christmas presents quickly grew up into dangerous, unwieldy adults. They were dropped off on his door step without a second thought.
“If my show gets canceled I’ll have to close the park.”
“You should pitch a show about the conservation center to Al,” Kayley said. “He might go for it. People love that kind of thing these days. I know I would watch it.”
“Maybe,” he said, thinking about it. I wonder what he would say.
“It’s cold out,” Kayley said, snuggling up next to him. Tyler smiled. It was actually pretty warm out. She leaned her head on his shoulder and gazed into the fire. Her hair smelled like coconuts.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Thank you for saving me,” she said. Her face was close to his. Her chin lifting up slightly, as if reaching in for a kiss. “My hero.” She smiled.
His mouth attracted hers like a magnet and they kissed. She moaned softly and pushed her breasts against him. He pulled away after a few seconds even though he wanted the moment to last longer. She smiled and licked her lips. He kissed her again, deeper this time.
“What have we got here?” a voice said, hidden in the darkness. Too close. Tyler jumped up.
Four hunters emerged from the darkness into their camp. Tyler smelt whiskey and beer on them. The guy in front had red hair and a goatee and was holding an almost empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and a semi-automatic rifle in the other. Their guns were illegal to hunt with in the state of Colorado.
“Look at this one,” the fat one said, pointing to Kayley. “Best looking deer we’ve seen all day.” They all laughed. Kayley pulled the blanket around herself. She looked at Tyler with fear in her eyes.
Tyler clenched his jaw and glanced at his bow. It was leaning against his tent behind the hunter with the red hair. He did have a small pocket knife on him. No match for four guys armed with military grade assault weapons.
“Can I help you guys?” Tyler asked.
“No but she can,” the fat one said laughing.
“Billy!” the one with the red hair said sharply. Billy stopped laughing at once. “I know you,” he said looking at Tyler with squinted eyes trying to place him. “You’re that bow hunter guy.”
Tyler nodded. We may be able to get out of this peacefully after all.
“I’m Clifton Jones,” he said offering his hand. Tyler reluctantly shook it. Clifton looked at him with his eyebrows raised as if expecting Tyler to notice something.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, after an awkward pause.
“Clifton Jones lead singer of ArcRiot,” he said.
“Right,” Tyler answered, having no idea what ArcRiot was. “Big fan.”
“You’re also the owner of Harry’s Homes aren’t you?”
Tyler nodded, unsure where this was headed.
He pointed to a pudgy, middle aged man with glasses standing behind him. “Ray here would like to offer you $500,000 for the center and all of your animals.” Ray’s eyes went wide but then nodded.
“It’s a non-profit organization,” Tyler said. “There’s no money to be made.”
Clifton smirked. “It’s not for money.”
Tyler didn’t want to imagine what it was for. “Sorry. Not for sale.”
Clifton’s smirk vanished from his face.
“If you’ll excuse us
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