Hidden Lovers

Chapter 4

-Lydia's POV-
"Okay buddy let's take a break," I say to Bandit and sit down against a tree. Bandit was a beagle and he helped me out on hunts. I put my shotgun down beside and pull out my bag to open it up. I had already got one squirrel but that wasn't going to feed a family of six plus Bandit.
"Want a treat?" I ask him rubbing him behind his ears. He pants in excitement and I pull out a little cooked squirrel I had took with me and throw it at him. He jumps up and catches it before laying down in the leaves beside me. We sit for a few before I hear the trees around me rustle. I slowly look up getting my focus back on and watch the red squirrel bounce from branch to branch.
"Okay Bandit," I say patting his head to let him know it's time. He stands up and puts his snout in the air until he picks up the sent and runs to the tree of the squirrel. He throws his head up in the air and starts barking, scaring the squirrel to the other side of the tree giving me the perfect shooting advantage. I slowly raise my shotgun up and take my aim. I breath from my mouth and can feel the warmth of my own breath before pulling the trigger. The squirrel falls to the ground and Bandit runs to the other side of the tree.
"Bring it here boy!" I say bending down and patting my knees. He picks up the squirrel with his mouth and drops it at my feet. I give him a little more cooked squirrel and pat him on the head before we run into another squirrel but there were two.
"The advantages of 'squirrel playground,'" I say. "Squirrel playground" is my way of sectioning off a certain part in the woods that I know have a lot of squirrels in it. I take down the next two squirrels and the sun begins to get heavy with orange so I knew it was time to head back.
"Let's go boy," I say. I walk past the deer bedding and smell the strong smell of deer pee.
"Deer season is coming up soon buddy," I say excited. We make it back to the cabin before sunset and Rosie and mom had sewed some pants for Rosie and I.
"How many?" Travis asks looking at my bag.
"Four," I say. Travis looks at me and smiles.
"Can I go hunting with you one day?" He asks.
"Maybe one day," I say rubbing his hair, "will you go get Bandit some water?" Travis nods as I walk out back to find re-setting up the raccoon trap.
"Four," I say.
"That's my girl," he says and takes the bag from me and goes to the skinning table to skin tonights dinner.