Monsters in the Mountains Ch. 03

"I've looked for it somewhat. I doubt..." Jordan just stopped himself from saying Great-grandpa Enoch. "I doubt Enoch would have buried his gold. It's not in the mines, and wasn't in the remains of the cabin. If Uncle Ira had found it, he wouldn't have lived in a trailer until he died. My guess is that whoever killed him took the lion's share of the gold. All except what is in that satchel, which he did leave in one of the mines."

"You said the land was covered in test holes... mines that my great-grandfather would have started and then ended a few feet in?" Jordan's father asked. "What if his partner Enoch just... stored some of it in there and covered it up with big stones. He wouldn't have had to dig a hole to bury treasure, just put it in one already dug."

Jordan hadn't considered that. He knew that no human had actually killed Enoch for his gold. There was a better chance that it might still be there than he was letting on to his parents. He kicked himself for not thinking to look for partially filled test holes.

"Yeah, I mean, it's possible." Jordan said. "Regardless, once I know how to safely mine it, I found where they were getting the gold from, and there's at least some gold still in the ground. It's like: why waste my time treasure hunting when I could spend it taking the gold that I already know about?"

Both of his parents nodded, agreeing with his logic.

The rest of the evening was spent in conversation about treasure and school and relationships. Jordan offered to share his fortune with his parents if they needed money. They were not opposed to the idea. He knew that his father had a retirement account in addition to savings, and that they were close to paying off the 30-year mortgage on their house.

Jordan went to his room that night with his parents still buzzing about the news that Jordan had shared with them. Once the door was closed, he pulled out his phone and called Megan.

"Jordan! I'm really sorry about how I hung up earlier." Megan sounded relieved.

"Just a minute." Jordan opened his window and pushed out the screen. His window opened onto a slope of the roof, and he climbed out onto it, around his parents' bedroom window and up to the peak of the house. His bedroom wall was thin, and more than once as a child, his parents had listened in on his conversations. The roof of his house was a nice place for privacy, and on a warm summer night, he enjoyed laying out under the stars while he talked.

"I'm sorry too." Jordan said. "We've talked some about our future together, but there's so much to discuss and work out. It's not like I could marry one of you and keep the other as our live-in girlfriend.

"Eventually we are going to have to start meeting each other's family and discussing how to admit that all three of us are happy and sure of what we have together. Speaking of which, what have you told your family?" Jordan asked. He realized that except for a few stories about childhood, Megan hadn't really talked about her parents.

"That means a lot, Jordan. I just have a lot of insecurities about you leaving me. I haven't let myself want to be with anyone as bad as I want to be with you since I was a teenager. Having spent the last week with Kaitlin, I can't imagine you choosing me over her."

"Megan." Jordan reassured her. "I told you earlier, I'm not choosing. I love you both. Can a relationship work between the three of us? Maybe you and I shouldn't be having this conversation without Kaitlin."

"Oh, she's here." Megan said.

"Hi, Jordan!" He heard Kaitlin's voice.

"So what do you think? Is there a future for the three of us, or am I going to have to choose one of you one day?" Jordan asked.

"Actually Megan is just being dramatic. We already made a pact. You dump one of us, you lose us both. We'll stay together, just without you." Jordan could hear that Kaitlin was smiling from her tone.

"But you aren't lesbians. You made that clear. How does a relationship between us work when you two will get jealous of each other and who I spend more time with or give better gifts to, or..."

"Stop right there." Megan said. "Yeah, Kaitlin and I don't have sex with each other. If you dump one of us, we're going to have to go out and find another man who can appreciate us as a package deal.

"But that doesn't change that I love Kaitlin. I love that she can come just from riding horses. Did you know that she rode Dixie until the poor horse could barely stand, then she rode Rose? She must have an iron pussy, because 30 minutes on Rose, and I'm ready to go soak in the icy stream." Megan complained. Jordan could hear Kaitlin giggle at Megan's description.

"Anyway, I love Kaitlin. There was a pause, and he imagined the two women hugging. "She's like the sister I never had and always wanted. She's smart and funny and sweet, and as much as I love you and want to keep you forever... you'd better not make me choose between you." Megan said.

"Thank you, Megan. My parents' heads are about to explode with what I did tell them already, so I'd better not burden them tonight with this announcement." Jordan said.

"What did you tell them?" Kaitlin asked.

"About Megan, about the land and the mines and the gold."

"But not the resident wildlife?" Kaitlin asked.

"Correct." Jordan said. "How about you, Kaitlin? Are you going to tell your parents that you have a boyfriend and a girlfriend?"

"Oh hell no." Kaitlin laughed. "And before you get on my case, I was actually on your side about not forcing you to tell your parents about the both of us.

"No, my parents are very old-fashioned. They think a girl should be a virgin on her wedding night. Telling them I'm in a polygamous relationship would probably cause at least one heart attack before I'm forever banished from the state of Montana."

"I understand. Listen, while I have you, there's a bunch of news I need to catch you two up on. Little stuff first, Dr. Stein wants me to take self-defense classes." Jordan said.

"He's actually encouraging you to fight?" Megan asked.

"No, he just wants me to be better prepared if I do get into another fight. I guess two close calls is enough justification to train me.

"So, big news time: Jane's pregnant." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Guys? Megan? Kaitlin?"

"Yeah, we're here." Megan said. "Is it... The kidnappers?"

"No, she was already pregnant when they took her." Jordan replied. "It could be mine, or could be the Alpha's. They don't know yet."

"Thank god." Megan made a sighing sound. "How is she?"

"She's good. She's actually made a really nice recovery. They are going to keep her until they can do an amniocentesis to find out whether the baby is mine or pure Bigfoot. She's almost healed enough to go home otherwise." Jordan said.

"Megan? Are you okay?" Kaitlin asked.

"Yeah, um how are you doing with this?" Megan asked.

"I'm still in shock, I think." Jordan said. "I think it will hit me harder either way once I know if it's going to be mine or not... you know, biologically."

"Megan, something's bothering you, spit it out." Kaitlin said.

"Uh, you know, it's just..." She fumbled for her words. "It wasn't supposed to be that easy for Jordan and Jane to have a baby. One in four chance of a successful pregnancy."

"It might not be mine." Jordan said.

"I know this is probably hard to hear, but I hope it's not." Megan said flatly.

"Megan!" Kaitlin chastised.

"No, not because I'm jealous or anything, which I probably am." Megan paused. "Look, Jim Stein would never tell you this, but his job is over ninety percent political. You having a sex life with the Bigfoot makes us look less professional to someone who isn't here and just reads about it in my reports. I haven't mentioned sex since the second week in any official report, even if I thought it might be important.

"They can ignore it as erotic fiction as long as we keep up the good work. But you having a baby with Jane can't be brushed under the rug or ignored. Also, there are multiple definitions of a species, but one of the oldest is that two animals who can breed to produce viable offspring are considered the same species.

"By that definition, wolves and dogs are the same species, so are housecats and bobcats. If you turn out to have a human-bigfoot hybrid baby, that could have long-reaching political and legal ramifications. Bigfoot could be classified as human. Imagine the possibilities if that happened." Megan sounded neither worried nor excited, just pensive.

"So yeah, Jordan, I'm sorry but I hope that Jane's baby is a pure-blood Bigfoot. Not because I don't want you to be its father, or because I don't think it would be an amazing little creature. But because of the shit-storm that would fall on us if the BFRO board of directors decided that Jim is giving you too much leash with your Bigfoot interactions. He still has to answer to them, even if he is able to shield you from their wrath." Megan said sadly.

Jordan thought back to the bags under Dr. Stein's eyes and the haggard look on his face. It all made sense. Dr. Stein was taking a beating on Jordan's behalf, and it had only just begun. He said that Jordan want the only one asking those questions.

"So what do I do? Stop having sex with them? Stop being the alpha?" Jordan offered.

"No, you have a responsibility to them as their alpha, and what's done is done. Just pray that Jane is pregnant with a full-blood Bigfoot, and... I guess we could start Missy and Sarah on birth control? Wilma too when Pebbles stops breastfeeding. I'll have to talk to Jim about it." Megan said.

"Wow, I didn't realize the position I put him in. I need to call and apologize." Jordan said.

"Don't." Megan told him flatly. "He wouldn't accept the apology, and he knows that you have done nothing wrong to apologize for. He's happy with the job you're doing. If he needed... or needs you to change he'll let you know."

"One more thing." Jordan told his girlfriends. "There's an adolescent male Bigfoot in the hospital with Jane. He is one of the east coast population, and he was orphaned in a territorial dispute. Dr. Stein wants us to take him in and raise him until he is ready to claim his own territory."

"You said yes, right?" Megan said accusingly.

"Well, not yet, but I'm going to. It's going to take some work to get the girls to accept him, and to get him to accept our little family, but I think he needs our help, and I think we have a lot to offer him." Jordan explained.

"Good. I'm on board with that if you are Kaitlin." Megan said.

"Yeah, of course." Kaitlin said.

They spent the next hour telling stories and jokes. Megan gave Kaitlin a hard time about the sexual nature of her horseback riding, and Kaitlin gave as good as she got with lots of sexual innuendo pointed all around.

Jordan finally hung up around 11, and walked down the roof to his open window. His parents' window was open too, and he worried briefly whether or not they could have heard anything from his conversations. Their light was off, and no noise came from their room, so he hoped and assumed that they had gone to bed already.

Exhausted, he climbed into his childhood bed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

***

Jordan was awoken the next morning at 9 AM by his phone ringing. It was his boss from his old job.

"Jesus Christ, Jordan!" He shouted when Jordan answered. "None of us ever would have thought of the floating foundation. I think I must have slept through that lesson in college.

"Look, we've run the numbers, and we are easily going to have the winning bid. Your idea shaved over five million off our final cost estimate. I've had three other engineers review your designs, and they all agree that we need you back. This raft foundation design you made is unique, but the principle it's based on is solid."

"Thanks!" Jordan said sleepily, still trying to wake his brain up enough that he could join in the conversation.

His old boss asked for specifications to one part, and for Jordan's opinion on another aspect of the build. Jordan had to pull out his laptop to see what they were talking about.

He hung up fifteen minutes later to profuse thanks and a very happy ex-boss.

He was brushing his teeth when he realized how much he had enjoyed solving the problem. His old company was probably laughing all the way to the bank with his $40,000 a year contracting stipend. Jordan didn't need the money, and he was glad to have been able to help.

He still had a smile on his face when he got to the kitchen. His father was dressed for work, and his mother was dressed up for brunch with her friends.

"Good morning STUD!" His mother greeted him.

"Morning mom." Jordan said, the smile starting to slip from his face.

"There's coffee and bagels for breakfast. Help yourself. We might also have some cereal if you'd like. How did you sleep?" His mother asked.

Jordan had slept long, but not as soundly as he had the previous few nights with Megan and Kaitlin.

"Just fine, thanks, mom."

"The house wasn't too hot?" She asked. "We haven't been using our air conditioning at night lately. The windows do a good enough job keeping the house cool."

Jordan looked at her. Her face was innocent, and he hoped that he was just being paranoid.

"It was fine. I was comfortable." He said.

"Great. Listen, I have to get going. I'm meeting Carol and the girls all the way out in Parker, and a few of us are stopping for manicures first. Oh, do you remember Carol's daughter Michelle, I think she was in your grade? She just got engaged to a guy she met on the internet." Jordan's mom continued.

"Cool." Was all Jordan could think to say in response.

"I'm out of here." Jordan's dad came back in to grab his laptop bag. "Drive safe and be careful up there. I hope we can come to see you soon." He said to Jordan, extending his hand to shake, then pulling Jordan in for an awkward one-armed man-hug.

"I'll see you tonight Steven." His mother said, and kissed her husband goodbye.

She rushed to the bathroom and Jordan could hear her applying make-up and curling her hair. While she sung to herself.

Jordan poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked through the cereals that his parents had, and checked their bagel selection. He decided to go out for breakfast before heading back to the mountains and his girls.

As soon as his mother left, Jordan locked up the house and went to a local diner that he would occasionally eat at in high school. He was hungry for meat, and opted for the steak and hash brown breakfast.

That reminded him that he was going to buy some meat for his Bigfoot ladies, and had forgotten the previous day. Once he finished breakfast, he bought a disposable cooler, a portable propane grill, and forty pounds of steaks.

He called Megan from the road, but she didn't answer, so he called Kaitlin who did answer.

"I tried Megan first, but she didn't answer." Jordan told her.

"Yeah, she was up all night working on her sign language project. She's sleeping in this morning." Kaitlin said.

"What has you up so early?" Jordan asked.

"Horses." Kaitlin said with a giggle.

"Again?"

"It's not all sexual. I really do enjoy exploring up here. I've found a few places that you and Megan probably haven't seen yet. I'll have to give you a riding lesson and a tour when you get back." Kaitlin said.

"I'm looking forward to it." Jordan said. "Speaking of which, I should be there in about four hours. I also have some steaks. Can you bring Brutus to the trailhead with his saddle and bags around two o'clock?"

"I can try. That horse seriously only likes you. I can't get him to come when he's called. Not even with an apple. He's a stubborn bastard. It's a good thing he's pretty." Kaitlin laughed.

"That's fine. I could probably even ride Rose if you can't get Brutus to cooperate." Jordan offered.

"We'll see. I'll try to saddle your colossus." Kaitlin said.

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

***

Four hours later, Jordan parked his truck next to the horse trailer. To his delight, Kaitlin was waiting for him with Dixie and Brutus, saddled and ready to ride.

"Hi gorgeous!" Jordan called out as he climbed out of his truck.

"Hello yourself." Kaitlin called back.

"I wasn't talking to you." Jordan said with a wink to Kaitlin as he greeted Brutus. The horse was tossing his head and shaking with excitement.

"If that's the attitude you're going to take, then you can get your hello kiss from the horse." Kaitlin pretended to pout.

Jordan swung up into the saddle, and leaned over to kiss Kaitlin who was on Dixie. Her lips were soft, and she smelled and felt amazing as he lost himself in the kiss.

"Mm. I do believe you missed me." Kaitlin said.

"Definitely. How did you get Brutus to hold still while you saddled him?" Jordan asked.

"I promised he would get to see you." She said with a wink. "Ready to ride?"

"Let me grab my stuff." Jordan said.

He rode Brutus over to the car, and packed the steaks and grill into the saddlebags. He climbed back into the saddle, and they were off.

Kaitlin led at a fast pace, but Jordan felt great on Brutus's back, and was able to push the stallion hard to keep up with her.

"I thought you were a beginner." Kaitlin complained. "You ride like a pro. Watch this section, though, it's muddy and I don't want the horses to turn an ankle."

"I rode once on a family vacation." Jordan admitted as he slowed Brutus to a walk behind Kaitlin. "It's all Brutus, though. He just seems to know what I'm going to want and he does it."

"Jordan, I've been around horses all my life. They're a lot smarter than we give them credit for, but I've never seen anything like that. No one rides an unbroken horse, no matter how much the horse may like you. I've seen horses get excited, but not like that. He acts more like your dog than a horse." Kaitlin trailed off at the last words.

A short time later they came out into the meadow.

"There's a game trail here where we can really let them run without worrying about the terrain. Are you ready to give it a try?" Kaitlin asked. Jordan nodded. "I'm going to let Dixie run, so don't worry if I lose you. We can meet up down at the cabin.

"Dixie, gallop!" Kaitlin called, and Dixie took off at a full run.

"Let's go Brutus GALLOP!" Jordan called, and like a released spring, Brutus took off at an incredible run. It felt like a muscle car's acceleration, and Jordan had to stand in the stirrups and hold the reins with both hands. He found the pace, and within seconds they reached Kaitlin and Dixie. In another few seconds they passed, and Brutus seemed to accelerate with even more speed.

Jordan had left his sunglasses in his backpack, and now wished that he had them as Brutus ran so fast that the wind caused his eyes to water. Jordan led him through the meadow, and between the trees, down through another meadow, between Uncle Ira's standing cabin and the pond, past more trees, and finally down to the meadow where a shed marked his barely-started construction project.

"Whoa!" Jordan shouted, and Brutus came to a stop so suddenly that Jordan almost fell off the front, over his head. Brutus's strong neck pushed him back down into the saddle.

He was pleasantly surprised to see a big load of lumber had been dropped near the construction site.

Jordan turned in time to see Kaitlin coming out of the trees and riding Dixie down into the Meadow where Jordan was now dismounting Brutus.

"Jesus Jordan, now I know you lied to me. There is no way that you could ride a horse like that if you are really a beginner. I had no idea Brutus was so fast. That's like... Kentucky Derby fast... if his jockey wasn't 6'4 and two hundred pounds." Kaitlin was flushed and smiling wide.