Read Online 6 Maple Leaf Hunter by Maddie Cochere - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maddie Cochere
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into the room.
Emily asked, “Dad, do you remember Mick Raines? He and Dan attended college together. You met him at our wedding.”
The man looked Mick up and down and said, “Can’t say that I do.”
Dan stepped over to stand beside me and said, “This is Mick’s wife, Susan.” He pointed to Alex. “This is his son, Alex, and these two men are their friends, Darby and Nate. Everyone, this is Emily’s dad, Beau.”
The old man smiled all around and said, “Nice ta meet ya.” He then shuffled toward the front door.
“Dad, do you want to have dinner with us?” Emily asked. “There’s plenty, and you’re welcome to join us.”
“No,” he said. “Not hungry.” He grabbed a fishing hat from a hook on the wall and plunked it on his head before walking out onto the porch. Through the window, I saw him settle into a rocking chair.
Emily appeared despondent and said, “He doesn’t eat much anymore, and he sits in that rocker all day long.”
“How old is he?” Nate asked.
“Dad will be eighty-seven next month,” Emily said. She realized she had cast a gloomy pall over us and said, “Where are my manners? Come on into the dining room and have a seat.”
She led the way to another comfortable room with dark wood paneling and smaller animals mounted on the walls. A large wooden table was already set. While we all took seats, Dan went into the kitchen and returned with a huge pot of stew. He ladled large, steaming helpings into bowls and passed one down to each of us. Emily set in motion a basket full of toasted and buttered English muffins.
The stew was hearty with meat, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a thick brown sauce. We all behaved as if we hadn’t eaten in days, and we ate with gusto. Alex and Nate helped themselves to seconds. Emily served a pecan butter-tart for dessert, and everyone showered her with compliments on the delicious meal.
“We have a freezer full of moose, so I make the stew at least once a week,” she said. “Everyone seems to like it.”
Color drained from Nate’s face. “Moose?” he squawked. “I just ate a moose?”
I tried to hide my smile, but Alex laughed raucously and said, “You didn’t eat a whole moose, Nate. You only ate some of it.”
Dan was perplexed and asked, “You’re not a vegetarian, right? And you liked the stew, yes?”
Nate’s voice was a little high as he said, “I know it probably seems silly to you guys, but I have an aversion to eating cute animals. You know, the whole Bambi, Thumper, Secret Squirrel thing.”
“Secret Squirrel?” Alex asked. He was still laughing. “Who’s Secret Squirrel?”
Nate smiled and asked, “Don’t you ever watch old cartoons? He was only the best spy squirrel ever. Agent triple zero, and he had a machine gun cane. Anyway, today I ate Bullwinkle. I might never be the same again.”
“Bullwinkle wasn’t cute,” Darby said with a grin.
I think Nate realized how foolish he sounded, and he let the subject slip away with some humor and laughter. But Nate really was the type of person who tried not to step on ants and would become teary-eyed if he accidentally ran over an animal in the road – even an already dead one.
After dinner, Emily and I washed and dried the dishes. The guys went into the lobby to sit around the fire, and laughter would occasionally ring out from the room. When our kitchen duties were finished, we carried a pot of coffee, cups, and a plate of butter cookies into the room to join them.
I noticed Beau wasn’t on the porch or in the lobby. I wondered where he was, but it was none of my business, so I refrained from asking. I sat down next to Mick on the sofa. When everyone had coffee, I asked, “Were you telling fishing stories?”
Darby laughed and said, “Mick and Dan were reminiscing about their college days.”
Mick reached for a cookie and said, “Dan lived on campus, but it was a hectic time for me with Alex being a baby. I still managed to have fun between classes
Emily asked, “Dad, do you remember Mick Raines? He and Dan attended college together. You met him at our wedding.”
The man looked Mick up and down and said, “Can’t say that I do.”
Dan stepped over to stand beside me and said, “This is Mick’s wife, Susan.” He pointed to Alex. “This is his son, Alex, and these two men are their friends, Darby and Nate. Everyone, this is Emily’s dad, Beau.”
The old man smiled all around and said, “Nice ta meet ya.” He then shuffled toward the front door.
“Dad, do you want to have dinner with us?” Emily asked. “There’s plenty, and you’re welcome to join us.”
“No,” he said. “Not hungry.” He grabbed a fishing hat from a hook on the wall and plunked it on his head before walking out onto the porch. Through the window, I saw him settle into a rocking chair.
Emily appeared despondent and said, “He doesn’t eat much anymore, and he sits in that rocker all day long.”
“How old is he?” Nate asked.
“Dad will be eighty-seven next month,” Emily said. She realized she had cast a gloomy pall over us and said, “Where are my manners? Come on into the dining room and have a seat.”
She led the way to another comfortable room with dark wood paneling and smaller animals mounted on the walls. A large wooden table was already set. While we all took seats, Dan went into the kitchen and returned with a huge pot of stew. He ladled large, steaming helpings into bowls and passed one down to each of us. Emily set in motion a basket full of toasted and buttered English muffins.
The stew was hearty with meat, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a thick brown sauce. We all behaved as if we hadn’t eaten in days, and we ate with gusto. Alex and Nate helped themselves to seconds. Emily served a pecan butter-tart for dessert, and everyone showered her with compliments on the delicious meal.
“We have a freezer full of moose, so I make the stew at least once a week,” she said. “Everyone seems to like it.”
Color drained from Nate’s face. “Moose?” he squawked. “I just ate a moose?”
I tried to hide my smile, but Alex laughed raucously and said, “You didn’t eat a whole moose, Nate. You only ate some of it.”
Dan was perplexed and asked, “You’re not a vegetarian, right? And you liked the stew, yes?”
Nate’s voice was a little high as he said, “I know it probably seems silly to you guys, but I have an aversion to eating cute animals. You know, the whole Bambi, Thumper, Secret Squirrel thing.”
“Secret Squirrel?” Alex asked. He was still laughing. “Who’s Secret Squirrel?”
Nate smiled and asked, “Don’t you ever watch old cartoons? He was only the best spy squirrel ever. Agent triple zero, and he had a machine gun cane. Anyway, today I ate Bullwinkle. I might never be the same again.”
“Bullwinkle wasn’t cute,” Darby said with a grin.
I think Nate realized how foolish he sounded, and he let the subject slip away with some humor and laughter. But Nate really was the type of person who tried not to step on ants and would become teary-eyed if he accidentally ran over an animal in the road – even an already dead one.
After dinner, Emily and I washed and dried the dishes. The guys went into the lobby to sit around the fire, and laughter would occasionally ring out from the room. When our kitchen duties were finished, we carried a pot of coffee, cups, and a plate of butter cookies into the room to join them.
I noticed Beau wasn’t on the porch or in the lobby. I wondered where he was, but it was none of my business, so I refrained from asking. I sat down next to Mick on the sofa. When everyone had coffee, I asked, “Were you telling fishing stories?”
Darby laughed and said, “Mick and Dan were reminiscing about their college days.”
Mick reached for a cookie and said, “Dan lived on campus, but it was a hectic time for me with Alex being a baby. I still managed to have fun between classes
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