"I don't see why I can't go with Brian and Daniel," Guthrie McFadden complained to his sister-in-law Hannah. A cougar had been attacking their cattle for a week now and the two more skilled hunters of the brothers were planning a bit of tracking.
Hannah set a glass of milk in front of Guthrie. "It's too dangerous."
"Everything I WANT to do is too dangerous," he bemoaned. "But nothing I HAVE to do ever is."
Hannah ruffled his hair. "Poor baby."
Guthrie rested his head in his hands. "What can I do today?" he sulked.
"You could finish your chores." It was Adam's voice as he entered the kitchen. "It seems to me they've been neglected lately."
Guthrie looked up at his oldest brother with disdain. "You always tell me to do my chores. I wanna do something fun."
Adam hiked a booted foot up on a chair and rested an elbow on his knee. "You defying me?"
Guthrie had a fleeting moment of daring. "Yes," he told Adam.
Adam raised an eyebrow.
"No." Guthrie changed his mind.
Adam lowered his foot to the floor. "Good." He dropped a hand on Guthrie's shoulder. "Look, you finish your chores... with no goofing off and I'll take you fishing this afternoon. Deal?"
Guthrie brightened. "Deal," he answered. The thought of spending the afternoon with his oldest brother appealed to him. He quickly gulped down his milk and headed for the door.
Hannah folded her arms. "Of course, that way you get to take the afternoon off too."
"Really?" Adam feigned innocent surprise. "I never thought of that." He broke into a grin as his wife slapped him playfully on the backside. "Besides, I'm going to be worried enough about Brian and Daniel."
"Ain't gotta worry about me," Daniel assured his brother as he entered the kitchen. He had his hunting gear with him.
"It's my job to worry about you," Adam told him.
"Yep. Big brother, the mother hen," Brian said. He'd only been a couple steps behind Daniel.
Adam touched Brian's arm. "Humor me."
Brian cuffed the side of Adam's head. "I always do."
"I mean it, you two," Adam instructed as they headed out the door. "Be careful." Then he turned to his wife. "Do I worry too much?"
Hannah gave him a hug. "Not for someone who cares."
Adam sighed. "I suppose. But it really should be me going ofter that cougar."
"That Adam is such a worrier," Daniel confided to Brian as they rode off together on their horses.
"Speaking of worrying," Brian told the younger brother. "I want you to be careful when we're out there." Once away from Adam, Brian's older brother instincts kicked into full gear.
"Not you too," Daniel moaned. "Look, older brother, I'm just as qualified to ride out on this job as you... Maybe more," he couldn't help adding.
"Oh, you think so do?"
"No," Daniel told him grinning. "I KNOW so." With that he spurred his mount and galloped ahead.
The brothers spent much of the morning tracking the animal and bantering about which one was the more skilled hunter of the two. Finally, when Brian landed a verbal blow about his seniority Daniel had had enough and challenged him. "I tell you what, Mr. Hotshot, what say you go your way and I'll go mine. We'll see who bags this cat."
Brian thought about arguing the point. It was safer if they stayed together. But his ego was at stake as well and he let his mouth take over. "Fine! You do that. But don't be surprised if you're still trying to figure out how to reload your rifle while I'm collecting the *trophies.
And so they parted. Each filled with more pride than sense.
Venturing in opposite directions they did not know that they were tracking back in the other's path. And not knowing where the other brother was they each had the cat in their sites. With the only thought of showing up the other they each took aim from where they were.
The next moments were a blur. The cat went down... and so did Daniel, struck with the bullet from Brian's rifle. That's when Brian saw him.
" Daniel!" Slamming his rifle to the ground Brian ran towards his fallen sibling.
Coming to kneel beside him Brian leaned over and crooned in Daniel's ear. "Daniel... Daniel. Please hear me." When there was no response he fell back on his heels. "Oh, God, what did I do?" He thought immediately of breaking down and sobbing but pushed that from his mind and did a cursory check of his brother instead. Thank heaven. The bullet went into his arm. He must've just passed out from the shock of it. Patting his cheek lightly he tried again. "Daniel... Daniel, come on, buddy." He felt relief wash through him as his brother's eyes flickered.
"Brian?" Daniel blinked twice before focusing on Brian's concerned face. "What happened?"
"You got the cougar," Brian told him his eyes shining with unshed tears. "And I got you," he confessed. "I didn't mean to. I swear I..."
"Brian, shut up," Daniel said weakly. He was too weary to listen to the request for absolution at that time.
"Can you walk? We need to get you to a doctor."
Struggling to sit Daniel responded. "I can walk... and before you ask, I can ride too." He mentally shook off some of the wooziness and with a steadying hand from one guilt-ridden brother he stood and made his way to his horse.
Brian had been uncharacteristically quiet on the way to town, at the hospital and on the way home.
"Where in the heck have you two been?" Adam greeted the pair. Then noticing Daniel's arm in a sling. "What on earth happened to you?"
"I just had a little accident," Daniel offered.
With that Brian huffed and stalked from the room.
Adam contemplated the brother before him. "Okay, let's say we try this again. What happened?"
"We got into a little disagreement about which one of us would take down the cat so we decided to track separately...."
"You what!" Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't you know how dangerous that can be. One of you could have been... oh. One of you was."
Daniel indicated his slinged arm. "Yeah. It wasn't one of our better ideas. Look, Adam, I know you have a lot to say about this but they gave me something for the pain and it's starting to put me to sleep..."
Adam stoked his hair. "I understand. We WILL discuss this further."
"I know." He started for the stairs then turned. "Brian's taking this pretty hard."
Adam nodded. "I'll talk to him now."
Adam entered the kitchen to find Brian sitting at the table staring into a glass of milk.
Not looking up Brian said, "Do you remember when we were kids how we loved to watch Bonanza on TV. There was that one episode where Adam accidentally shoots Little Joe. That episode came back to me today." As he was talking Adam joined him at the table. "I guess I didn't think about it too much as a kid. All the emotions Adam must have been feeling." He turned to face his brother Adam. "You know he wanted to separate. I knew it was a bad idea. I knew it. But I was just so hot-headed. Damn it, I could have killed him. And the worst part is if I had the last memory of him would have been an argument, a @#@#@ argument over which one of us was the more skilled hunter."
Adam finally spoke. "Well, brother, when you finish feeling sorry for yourself the thing to realize is that you didn't kill him. And maybe what you can learn from this is not to let your pride get in the way of a relationship."
Brian had to chuckle. "Did you just think that up?"
"Was it that sloppy?" Adam wanted to know.
"The truth... Yes."
"I'm sorry," Adam said. "Just because I'm the oldest and in charge of this family doesn't mean I'm always quick with the right thing to say." There was a pause. "Look, you're gonna feel lousy about this. I'd be more concerned if you didn't. But any guilt you feel you're going to have to deal with. I can't drag you out to the barn and take a switch to you to make the guilt go away. That may have worked on Guthrie when he thought skipping school was a great idea, then felt bad about it but..."
"Adam," Brian interrupted. "You're not helping. I know you're trying." He paused. Do you think Crane would mind trading places tonight? I think I'd like to bunk in with Daniel."
Adam rose. "I don't think he'd mind. Why don't you ask him?"
"Adam?"
"Yes."
"Thanks anyway. I know in your own way you were trying to help."
"You're welcome, I think." Then looking at his brother's unhappy expression he impulsively dropped a kiss on the top of his head.
The gesture caused Brian to stand quickly and for a split second Adam thought he was going to be slugged. Instead Brian wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged tight. Adam brought his arms up to hold Brian close. All that babble he had tried accomplished nothing. Then just a simple show of affection. That was all it had taken. Rubbing his brother's back Adam had to think. This was his one brother who for some reason or other he was not as demonstrative. He needs my love as much as the others. I'm going to have to start showing him more.
After a few comforting minutes Brian broke the much welcomed embrace. "Thanks, Adam." This time he really meant it.
Crane had been quite willing to make the bed swap understanding Brian's need to be close to Daniel after what had happened. And after making sure Daniel was comfortable Brian lay on the neighboring bed.
Heat. Radiating heat at his side. Suffocating heat. Brian must be dreaming. He'd been plunged into the firey pits for what he had done. Slowly coming to consciousness he realized the warmth at his side was Daniel. Cuddled up close he had slipped into the bed with him during the night resting the injured arm carefully on Brian's stomach.
"Didn't mean to wake you," Daniel murmured sleepily.
"You didn't," Brian reassured. "What are you doing over here?"
Daniel rubbed his head against Brian's chest. "Didn't think you'd mind."
Brian wriggled his arm around to drape it across his brother's shoulder. "I don't. It's just that... well, after yesterday... I figured..."
Daniel shifted to look him in the eye. "We were both at fault yesterday. Brian started to protest but Daniel cut him off. "What happened to me WAS partly my doing. We never should have separated." Suddenly Daniel was speaking through a lump in his throat. "I fired my rifle without thinking about whether you were around either. My bullet could have just as easily hit you. I remember someone telling me once that we got a lot accomplished sticking together in this family. So from not on we have to agree not to be so stupid, letting our egos get the better of us."
Brian nodded. "That's a deal." There was an uneasy silence. "You do know I'd never do anything to purposely hurt you."
Daniel answered with a soft kiss to Brian's cheek and then felt his brother's lips touch his forehead. Everything was going to be fine between them. Now the only problem was contending with Adam and the inevitable lecture he would deliver on safety while hunting and about the importance of their relationship over pride.
They would have to tell him they already know.
THE END
*though I do not believe in sport hunting I am aware of the taking of the animal's paws as trophies.