back at the house Sir William gulped his third large single malt 

hey there Montague he shouted

there must be something wrong with your rifle

I had that stag perfect in the sights when I pulled the trigger

come come Sir William said Lord Montague

we all miss a shot sometime

its part of the sport and there is always another season

I can assure you John always sets up a rifle perfectly

Lord Montague was unwavering in his defense of John

Sir William growled and looked so unhealthy

as he downed another large single malt 

he might not even be around next season thought John

John smiled to himself after he left the room

nobody would ever know he had adjusted the rifle scope to make Sir William miss

there was only a week left in this season

giving the big stag a good chance to survive another year

Heather had surgery on her broken ankle

when she came home John was there to greet her

I think you might need some help while that ankle mends

you are so kind said Heather as she looked at the empty stable

I could never afford to buy another horse she sighed

John stopped by every day during her recovery

by the spring she was walking fine

but she missed her horse so much

in early summer she looked out to see John unloading a horse from a trailer

Lord Montague wants you to have him said John

but you must check in with the estate office every time you ride

oh I most certainly will she beamed

a few weeks later she rode out to the spot where her horse fell

she knelt by his grave and wept quietly

when she looked up she saw her stag with his head down

she took the note from his antlers- it read- will you marry me? love John