&n
bsp; Lark walked out to my truck to get his gun as Gunner came out with his Remington Model 700.
Then, Jeff started talking shit. “Damn, dude, I hope I don’t embarrass your friend. You probably should have told him that I kick your asses in target shooting every time,” he said with a wink and a smile.
It took everything out of me not to start laughing. I smiled and looked at Gunner as he busted out laughing.
“Jeff, you might want to pull back on the smack talk,” I said.
Lark came walking up and put his gun case down. He glanced up at the targets. “Three hundred yards?”
Gunner nodded. “Give or take.”
Josh took Gunner’s Remington and shot first. He was about three inches left of the center. Gunner went next. He shot just a bit better than Josh, but then again, it was his gun.
I smiled as I stood there and watched Jeff. God, I love fucking with him.
He glanced over at me and winked, and I just smiled back at him.
Cocky bastard.
Jeff was next. I had to admit that Jeff could shoot a gun. He was probably the best I’d seen since Lark. Jeff shot and was about one inch to the left of the center.
He smiled and looked at Lark. “Don’t know if you can get any better than that, dude.”
Lark smiled as he bent down and opened up his case. He pulled out a custom Nemo Omen .300 Winchester Magnum.
“Jesus H. Christ, that is one bad-ass gun,” Josh said.
Jeff just looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.
Lark glanced at Josh and smiled. “Thanks, dude. She’s my baby.”
Lark got settled and started shooting. I peeked over and watched Jeff’s face fall. When I turned back and looked at the target, Lark’s grouping was tight, and it looked like one bullet was inside the other in the dead center of the target. He was barely nicking the hole, making it bigger. He took a step to his left and started shooting the next target with the same results.
When he stopped, he looked over at Jeff. “I think that’s better, dude. This was baby’s play. I’m used to shooting at a thousand yards.”
“Motherfucker. Where in the hell did you learn to shoot like that?” Jeff asked.
Josh and Gunner both started laughing.
Lark let out a small laugh. “My father owns a hunting lease in south Texas. I think I had a gun in my hand as soon as I turned five.”
“Holy hell, I’m impressed,” Gunner said.
Lark smiled as he put his gun back in the case. He closed it and stood up. “I was also in the MSOR, Marine Special Operations Regiment.”
Jeff quickly looked at me. “You motherfucker, you set me up.”
I laughed and held up my hands. “Hey, you were the one talking shit.”
Jeff just shook his head. “Fucker.”
Lark laughed as he turned and headed back to my truck to put his gun away.
We spent the rest of the afternoon setting up for the party and just having a good time while hanging out. Ellie brought out a few beers and set them down before going back in. We took them to the barn and talked for another hour.
I looked around at my friends. I’d be lost without them. They were more like brothers than friends.