Kiamichi Refuge Read Free Page A

ledge.”
    Grabbing their luggage, they followed Erin inside and upstairs. She gave them a quick tour of the house, then they sat around the kitchen table with sodas and some brownies that Erin had made, and planned their activities for the next few days.
    “In the morning, I want to take you on a hike. There’s a spring not far from here that feeds a stream, and there’s a little pool where we can take a dip when you come back in the summer. It’s still a little cool for that now,” Erin explained. “I hope you all remembered to bring hiking boots. The terrain can be challenging in places.”
    “I saw a couple of shops that looked interesting as we came through town. Will we have time to visit Kanichi Springs? You know how I love to snoop around in antique shops and thrift stores,” Sarah shrugged. “But if not this trip, we’ll do another time.”
    “We can certainly do that. I already planned to show you around town. We don’t have to punch a time clock, so we’ll do whatever strikes our fancy,” Erin assured her.
     
     
    The next morning they ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and bacon, then packed sandwiches for their hike. All of them wore long sleeves, jeans, and boots. Sarah and Jen carried backpacks for the lunches.
    Sarah sprayed herself all over, then offered her spray bottle to the others. “This is citronella essential oil mixed with water. It’ll help keep the bugs off. Shake it before you use it. Everyone should tuck her pant legs into her socks. It looks funny, but it will keep ticks from crawling up your legs.”
    Erin checked her rifle and clipped a sling on it so she could have her hands free. Her Glock 21 was in a holster on her right side. Jennifer, the only other one who was armed, put her Springfield XD-M in her holster.
    “It’s probably too early for snakes to be out, but there are bobcats and mountain lions in the area. The bear population isn’t big, but it’s growing. I read somewhere that bears are migrating from Arkansas. With four of us, we’ll make enough noise that they won’t bother us,” Erin explained. “I hope.”
    Valerie saw Jen’s gun and asked, “Why do you have that, Jen?”
    “I work in a business that requires me to go on test drives, alone with strangers. I also leave the lot after dark sometimes, and I refuse to be without my trusty 9mm. I have never needed to even show it to discourage trouble, much less use it, but as they say, I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
    Valerie shrugged. “I guess if you live in fear, a gun might make you feel better. I prefer not to think about all the bad stuff that probably won’t happen, anyway. Worrying like that is not helpful.”
    Jen grinned at her, one eyebrow raised. “Trust me on this,” she replied as she patted her gun. “I’m not worried about a thing.”
    ***
     
    The four women hiked around to the spring, enjoying the gurgling sound it make as the water danced over the rocks in the streambed. The water in the pool was sparkling clear, but when Jen stuck her hand in, she discovered that it was still very cold.
    They hiked north to the back of the acreage, where they found a clearing and sat down to eat their lunch. After they ate, they headed east, then turned south when they reached the stake that marked the property line. They watched squirrels playing tag in the trees and saw a bobcat, but the only sign of bears was some old scat that Sarah noticed and pointed out. A light breeze rustled through the leaves, and an eagle glided, wings outspread, seeming to float effortlessly through the air.
    Returning to the lodge, they approached it from the opposite side, not the way they had left that morning. Sarah stopped suddenly, and stared quizzically at the back of the lodge where it butted right up against the mountain. “Why did they build this that way? There’s plenty of room in the front to have built it out from that rock wall ten or even fifteen feet. It