Page 18 of Roughing It with the Rancher (Love Along Route 14 #11)

Chapter Sixteen

ESMERALDA

M y hands go to my mouth as I watch Reese’s head and shoulders bob back up. He’s dug down a good five feet at this point, and his ominous words fill me. The last thing I ever wanted to do is dig up dead bodies. But what do you expect when you start shoveling away in a cemetery?

A bag appears in his right hand, which he plops on the ground above him. With both hands planted on the side of the hole, he pulls himself out with one vigorous move, jumping to his feet on the ground above. His face looks grim as he walks towards me, sweat pouring from his rippling muscles.

“I don’t think this is anybody’s remains. Too heavy for that. But I can’t be sure. Do you want me to look first? Or do you want to? After all, this is your treasure hunt.”

“No, it’s our treasure hunt.” I inhale, steeling myself. “We’ll look together.”

The cowboy nods, his face covered in sweat and dirt from hours of labor. “Alright, Angel.”

Holding the dusty old bag between us, he opens the top, and we peer inside.

“Oh my God,” I whisper as sunlight glints off a tantalizing golden glow.

“Motherfucker,” Reese laughs, his eyes going to my face. “Are you happy, Angel? Is this what you wanted?”

I’m too busy staring at the contents of the bag to speak. A glittering trove of small, golden Aztec objects greets me, shining in the sunlight. Tears flood my face. Not so much for finding the treasure but realizing, after so many years of tireless work, that it really exists.

Reese’s brows furrow as he appraises my face. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I whisper, covering my mouth. “I just can’t believe we finally found it. That it really exists.”

“I’m no expert on Aztec artifacts, obviously, but that looks ancient to you. Right?”

“Absolutely. And it looks expensive, too.” I pause, shifting my weight, so much effort culminating in this moment. A moment I never thought would happen. A moment I’m entirely unprepared for. “What do we do now?” I ask, staring at the rugged rancher, his smile still ear to ear.

“Well, let me double-check to make sure there’s nothing else.

And then we better get out of this hot sun.

We could both use something to eat and drink, and I’d love to get you back home where we can take a slippery, soapy, sexy shower together.

Then, you can drape yourself out on the bed while I indulge in the only meal I’ve really been dreaming about all day. ”

“That sounds unbelievably amazing. All I want.”

Reese cocks his head. “Even more than this loot?”

“Far more. It’s not even a contest.” I long to sink into my husband’s loving embrace, surrendering my body and my heart to his wicked pleasures.

Grabbing a shovel, I head in his direction, setting the bag down beside the hole as Reese finishes searching it. Vaulting himself out again, he says, “On second thought. It’s way too hot to be out here. We’ve got all the time in the world to fill the hole later. Let’s head back to the Cadillac.”

I couldn’t be happier as we march in that direction. Reese carries the heavy bag of gold, a shovel, and the pickaxe. I carry two spades.

The rancher eyes my grin happily. “You look pleased, wife.”

“More pleased with you than any other part of this adventure,” I reply.

“Really?” he asks, scrunching his nose.

“Really.”

“Then, maybe you won’t think what I have to say next is so crazy …”

“And what’s that?” I ask, eyeing him as our pace picks up, the Cadillac in sight.

“This treasure has me feeling uneasy, Esmeralda. Like real uneasy. There’s something off about it. I don’t know how to explain it, but holding it, touching it. Well, I’m convinced now that it’s cursed. Just like you said. But what do we do about it?”

I try to focus on his words. Really, I do. But my mouth waters for an ice-cold beer and the cool shade of the Cadillac with its top up as we reach the vehicle. Reese reaches out to unlock the driver-side door …

Suddenly, the ground crumbles beneath us, great dust clouds rising. We both scramble backward, watching in horror as a sinkhole swallows the vehicle whole.

I blink a couple of times, unable to process what we witnessed. Reese stands next to me, his mouth hanging open.

“What in the …” I hear the words come out of my mouth, almost like they’re disembodied.

My eyes dart to Reese, taking in his stony face. “Mineshaft cave-in,” he says in oddly calm tones. “Dammit! I should’ve known better than to park there. This whole site is one big honeycomb beneath the surface.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyes surveying the ground nervously. Sure enough, I see a few other strange sinkhole-looking spots.

“Fuck!” Reese laments. “See what I mean about bad luck?”

I feel shell-shocked, staring dumbstruck at the gaping maw where our vehicle should be. This can’t be real. This has to be a nightmare.

“Well, there goes our ice-cold beers, our water, our food, our damn love song radio station. Two vehicles lost in two days? This is a blow, Esmeralda. This is a real blow.”

“But …” I’m still trying to understand what happened. “Did the car really get swallowed by a mine? I don’t get it.”

“Yep,” he says bitterly, pointing off into the distance and other sunken areas. “I knew better than to drive and park out here. I’m sorry, Angel.”

“I can’t … I can’t even. Falling barns, UFO hunters, ghost hunters, graves filled with treasure, now car-swallowing mine shafts? What is wrong with this place?”

“The ghost hunters!” Reese exclaims. “Quick, we’ve got to get their attention. See if they’ll give us a ride back to the ranch. Watch your step, wife.”

I haven’t thought about those folks in hours. As we sprint off across the desert with Reese in the lead, a sickening realization hits me. They’ve all vanished. The crowds are gone. The cars are gone. It’s me and Reese alone in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada.

My husband drops his tools, rubbing his hand over his forehead, and limping slightly as he slows. His knee must be acting up again. “For God’s sake! Is there anything else that could go wrong?”

We both look at the bag in his hand suspiciously. “Maybe you’re right about the treasure,” I say, a visceral, dark energy radiating from it. “But what do we do?”

Reese’s mouth draws into a firm line. “We give it back.”

“Give it back?” I hiss. “After all we’ve been through? No way.”

“I hate to break this to you, Angel. But if we don’t, I’m afraid the next grave digging will be for us.”

“But how do I break this to my grandpa? And what about your ranch? You may have enough money to save it, thanks to the Craps table, but what about future expenses? You were counting on this, too.”

“We’ll find a way, Angel. Besides, you’re my good luck charm.”

I shake my head, feeling dejected.

“And your grandpa will understand once we explain everything. I mean, can’t you feel the bad juju oozing from this shit?” He holds up the bag.

“Maybe a little.”

“And from the barn to the car, this road trip treasure hunt has taken one unlucky turn after the next. I can only imagine the consequences of knowingly keeping the gold. If the ranch’s poor luck is any indicator … Angel, it needs to go.”

I cross my arms over my chest, pressing my lips tightly together. I don’t know what to say. Hell, I don’t even know what to think.

“Come on,” he urges. We walk in silence, the sun beating down on us. “We need to find shade and rest. Conserve our energy and our hydration. Dammit! That Cadillac was packed with water. Now, we’ll be lucky if we make it out here.”

“But you mentioned hot springs on your property. Are we anywhere near those?”

He shakes his head. “Bad water. We can’t drink it.”

I frown, trying not to cry. The last thing I need to do is waste precious water.

“Let’s head to that tree over there. It won’t provide much shade, but it should be enough. And then, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that someone stops by who can give us a ride. Otherwise, we’ll be walking all night.”

My stomach drops at his prediction. “Walking all night, I can do. Even without water, I think.”

“We still won’t be to the ranch house by then. But if we’re lucky, we’ll happen upon a cow along the way.”

“And we can drink its milk, maybe? Or follow it to a watering hole?”

“More like drink its blood, Esmeralda. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. For as beautiful as Nevada can be, it’s also merciless and unforgiving.”

I shiver at his words.

After reaching the tree, we sink down beneath it, Reese pulling me loosely into his arms so we stay close but don’t overheat.

“We’re going to get through this together, Esmeralda.

There’s no way the Universe put you in my path only to turn around and take you away.

But we could use a little more of your luck.

In the meantime, let’s try to get some rest until things cool back off. ”

“Maybe the ghost hunters will return when we wake up.”

“A high probability. They love combing through this place, especially at night.”

“You hear that?” Reese asks, raising his head from the ground where we lie together, soaking up our thin patch of shade.

“That booming?”

“Yeah,” he says, biting his bottom lip. “Almost like polka music.”

Chills run up and down the length of my body as my ears strain to the sound, catching snippets of it on the wind. The faintness has a ghostly quality that puts goosebumps on my arms despite the heat.

“It’s getting closer,” Reese says, excitement in his voice. He sits up, and I join him, eyeing the dirt-covered, tanned cowboy. He’s got his shirt back on, but I can see the muscles straining against the fabric.

“Yes, it is getting closer,” I agree, clapping my hands together.

“Let’s head down to High Water,” he says, pointing towards the mounds of debris and glass where this day started.

“Hopefully, they’re visitors and are planning on staying awhile.

But just in case they’re neighboring ranchers or some other locals, we better be ready to flag them down.

Nevadans travel these dirt roads at wicked speeds. ”

Jumping to our feet, gifted with a second wave of energy, we race toward the ghost town, moving as fast as we can so that we don’t miss whoever’s blaring music. As we draw closer, a gaudy caravan of vans arrives painted with bright murals.

My eyes make out the words Mariachi Sol as tears flood my eyes. Thank you, Universe, for another round of fortune! Reese waves his hands in the air, screaming as men in extravagant costumes pile out of their rides.

“Thank heavens!” he hollers, not stopping until he gets their attention. I follow close behind, only realizing how hot and red I must look when I stand next to Reese, doubled over and fighting to catch my breath.

“Where in the hell did you two come from?” a large, jovial, mustached man with a thick Hispanic accent asks.

“It’s a long story.” Reese chuckles. “Mind if we get a lift from you?”

“Of course. But you’ll have to eat lunch and drink beer with us first.”

“That sounds amazing. A godsend,” the cowboy says.