Page 15 of Roughing It with the Rancher (Love Along Route 14 #11)
I chuckle, weighing in my head what I want her to know about me.
That said, she told me her silly childhood nickname, so I might as well confess mine.
“Well, Grandpa called me Buster. So did a lot of people around Foxfire. It refers to my flawless childhood record as a Mutton Buster. But as with Snickers, I never want to hear it come out of your mouth.”
Esmeralda arches her eyebrows. “So, you participated in the rodeo as a kid?”
“Sure did and went on to compete in some local events as an adult, too. Still do on occasion, but I’ve got a bum knee.”
“Did you hurt it rodeoing?”
“Yep. Came off a horse wrong for steer wrestling, and the joint’s never been the same. The barn this afternoon didn’t help it. How about you? Is there any cowgirl behind your fancy jacket, boots, and hat?”
“I can ride, if that’s what you mean. And sometimes, I used to participate in rodeo parades with my mother. But I never really got into barrel racing or trying for rodeo queen. Not my thing.”
“Well, you’re my rodeo queen,” I croon.
“And you’re obviously my hopeless romantic.”
“Guilty as charged … but only for you.”
I stroke his beard, loving this side of the rugged rancher.
“Back to the whole rodeo queen thing. I’ve always been a bit of a Tom girl, really.
Pushing boundaries, trying to keep up with the boys.
That kind of thing. I have three older brothers, which encouraged that fixation.
And then, once I got older and Grandpa enlisted my help for the treasure hunt, I became an avid reader and researcher. ”
“Tell me more about how you and your Grandpa researched the map.”
“Well, the hardest part was finding Gunner Ridge Ranch. I can’t tell you how long and arduous that research was.
At first, we thought there was no hope. After all, nothing else in my great-grandfather’s papers identified the location.
But as I dug deeper into Tyler Eldon Hayes’s past, I uncovered his birth certificate, death certificate, and a newspaper article from the Foxfire Valley Chronicle about a bar fight involving him. ”
“ Foxfire Valley Chronicle ? Never heard of it.”
“It’s long been defunct. Anyway, from there, it wasn’t too hard to piece together which ranch Hayes worked at.
There were less than a handful back then.
Once we had a general location, Grandpa and I poured over historic newspapers and maps to identify locations and landmarks.
That’s about the time I ran across a real gem.
Discussion in the Chronicle about the fabled El Cortez treasure with mention of Hayes.
He may have been a ranch hand on your family’s homestead, but he was also involved in various archaeological digs as a shovel bum.
Seems like he was looking for his golden ticket.
But what clinched Gunner Ridge Ranch as the spot were a couple of fascinating topographical anomalies that we found noted on old WPA maps. ”
“Angel, it sounds like you and your grandpa have already done more than enough work for the both of us. That’s impressive.”
“That. Exactly. I haven’t even mentioned the research that went into better understanding the El Cortez treasure and what it might include.
I learned Spanish online, pouring over historical documents from North America’s earliest explorers.
But even then, I had to hire a translator to assist with an obscure document located in Mexico City.
One of the many books banned by the Vatican in the sixteenth century and burned en masse.
Fortunately, one original copy survived.
It’s the only document I’ve found, apart from the newspaper article, that mentions the El Cortez treasure by name.
Otherwise, it’s as if the trove was wiped from history. ”
We pull up to the spot, still swarming with UFO hunters. I park the car next to a monstrosity that can’t be done justice by the black of night, rounding the car to open the passenger door just as Esmeralda clicks and opens it on her own.
“Hey, hold it, wife,” I scold. “That’s my job.” I stand in front of the door, doing my best to look upset until she closes it again. “Thank you,” I smile, opening it for her and offering her my hand.
“You really take this gentleman stuff seriously,” she mutters, trying to sound annoyed. But the smile on her face tells me she enjoys the treatment.
Nick clamps a hand on my shoulder as he and his crew surround us. “Didn’t expect to see you and your lovely bride out here. Isn’t this your honeymoon?”
“Yes, it is, which means I need to kindly ask you to wrap it up for the night, so me and my wife can have a little privacy.”
“Sure thing, man. We were already packing up.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Not much activity tonight?”
“It got real interesting for a while. Lots of strange stuff. But the sky’s been quiet for at least a good hour now.”
I can’t help but notice how Esmeralda’s face relaxes at the end of his statement.
“Are you UFO-watching, too?” Nick asks, his voice incredulous.
“Nope, just looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunrise.”
“Nice,” he says, nodding. “You couldn’t have picked a better location. Be sure to look out that way.” He points. “As the sun comes up, you’ll get quite a show.”
“That’s what we’re counting on. Need a hand with anything?” I ask.
“Nope, we’ve got it covered. A few more minutes, and we’ll be out of your hair.”