Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (13 page)

“I'm sorry for your loss,” he said softly.

Haley stared at the GPS collar fighting back tears. “You couldn't possibly understand.”

“Why would you say that?” Reid propped a hip on the edge of her desk. “Do you think I don't care about animals just because I hunt? You couldn't be more wrong, Dr. Cooper. I happen to love all animals and have a special regard for wolves and bears and big cats. But I also adhere to the belief that apex predators need to be kept in check for their own safety, as well as humans'.”

“By killing them, Reid?” she snapped. He was so different. They both were. But some things hadn't changed. They were still opposite poles of the magnet.

“Sometimes. But only when the numbers require it. Hunting itself isn't evil. It's humane if done responsibly. In the end, I think you and I both want the same thing—for people and wildlife to coexist. We just go about it in different ways.”

“This wolf was central to the project I'm working on,” she continued tersely. “She's part of the reason I came here. I had hoped for several more years to study her.” She looked up at Reid with a sick churning in her gut. “Wait a minute. What do
you
have to do with all this?”

“I'm the one who turned the collar in.”

“You were there?”

“Yes. I was there.”

She fired off the next question before even taking a breath. “What happened to her?”

He doffed his hat and raked a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. “She was shot during an elk expedition.”

“Shot? But it's
illegal
to hunt wolves in Wyoming. In fact, it's a felony. The ESA is very specific about this. It prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting any listed species. I promise you, if this was a willful rather than accidental kill,
someone's
gonna pay.”

Reid met her gaze levelly. “I'm well aware of all that. It's my job to make sure those kind of things don't happen.”

“Then how the hell was she shot? What
exactly
happened on this elk hunt?”

Reid scrubbed his face, visibly agitated. “I'd like to say it was an accident, but it wasn't. I was hired as a private guide by someone who should never have been allowed a hunting license.”

“Then why did you take the job?”

“Because he
paid
me
. It's how I make my living. Lots of people come to Wyoming to hunt. It's impossible to screen every prospective client. I do my best to keep all my clients safe and to uphold the game laws, but this was beyond my control. By the time I realized he was going to shoot it was too late to stop him. Believe me, if I'd had any clue something like this was gonna happen, I would have refused the job.”

“Really.” She pursed her mouth in disbelief.

“Yeah.
Really.
I uphold the game laws, Dr. Cooper. I've already made my full report to the Board of Outfitters.”

She pushed out of her chair to stand eye to eye with him. “This won't go unanswered.”

“I can understand why you're upset, but please try to put it in perspective. She was a wild animal and shit like this sometimes happens. Hell, more wolves are killed by each other every year than by man.”

“But this shouldn't have happened at all. I'm requesting a full inquiry.”

“I told you the Board of Outfitters is already handling it,” Reid assured her.

“I don't care. I'll still be doing my
own
investigation. I have questions, Reid, and until those are answered to my complete satisfaction, I'm recommending the suspension of your license.”

“What? You're putting both my reputation and my livelihood on the line here! We were friends once, Haley. Hell, we were even lovers. Don't you think I deserve a little more courtesy?”

She clenched her teeth. “Our past has no bearing on this whatsoever. If this event goes unanswered, it'll be open season on all wolves in Wyoming. I'm not about to let that happen.”

Her position required her to maintain neutrality, but he was clearly in the enemy camp. She could never allow him a pass due to their former relationship.

“I don't appreciate your insinuations,
Dr. Cooper
. No one is trying to hide anything. I told you I made a full report.”

“Then you have nothing to fear from an inquiry. If there was no wrongdoing there's no cause for concern. The suspension will be lifted.”

“How long? We have groups booked for the entire elk season.”

“I guess your family will have to make due without you for a few weeks. Just be thankful they don't shut the whole operation down.”

“They or
you
?” He stood, towering a full foot over her with eyes as frosty as snow-covered peaks. He snatched up his hat and shoved it on his head, turning for the door with long, angry strides. Halfway there, he stopped, facing her one last time. “I guess that tour I promised you is off. I'll see you next at your damned
inquisition
.”

* * *

Half an hour later, Reid threw a leg over the saddle that served as a barstool at the Million Dollar Cowboy.

“How'd it go?” Jared asked.

Reid ignored the question to order a double bourbon with a beer chaser.

“That bad, eh?” his brother smirked.

“You keep up with all the political bullshit. What the hell is this Rocky Mountain Wolf Management Task Force anyway?” Reid asked. “Why doesn't the WGF handle the wolves like they do all the other wildlife issues?”

“It's too controversial. You know as well as I do that the tree huggers are looking for any excuse to delay delisting those sonsofbitches.”

“Maybe… Probably,” Reid amended.

Jared continued, “This task force is
supposed
to
be
an independent review board, but I've been checking on their new appointee. Independent, my ass. Did you know Dr. Cooper worked for one of the very same groups that sued the state last year? They won. Now we've got a new plan to manage wolves, and they don't like this one either.” He shook his head and took a swig of beer. “So how'd it go with Dr. Haley Wolf Lover anyway? I'm guessing by your expression she broke your balls.”

“Yeah. You might say that.” Reid downed his bourbon in one long, burning swallow. He set the glass down with a sigh. “She's going to have my license suspended while she investigates.”

“Fuck that!” Jared protested.

“I don't see a hell of a lot we can do about it if she's the one calling the shots. Why didn't you give me a heads up about her anyway? Had I known it was her…” He could only hope she'd see reason once she got over her initial shock.

“Maybe you can make this whole wolf-kill business go away. You should take one for the team, Reid. Buy her a steak dinner and nail her.” Twice-divorced, Jared was the man-whore of the family. He raised the long neck to his lips with a wink.

“She doesn't eat steak.”

“A vegetarian? That figures. Then make it a fucking tofu burger. You're missing my point. You can make this easier on yourself by making it
hard
in her. Do her justice, and she'll forgive and forget quickly enough. A good dinner and a better fuck have always worked for me.”

“Don't talk about her like that, Jared.”

His brother's gaze narrowed. “Why so defensive?”

“I know her.”

“How?”

“She's from San Jacinto, not far from Camp Pendleton.”

“Did you
do
her?”

“That's none of your fucking business, Jared, and not even remotely related to this conversation.”

“Guess I got my answer.” Jared smirked. “But you're wrong, little brother. It's entirely relevant because it puts you in a unique position to find out what she's
really
doing here.”

“This is bullshit. If you want to know something, just ask her. I'm not going to act as your spy.”

Jared's mouth compressed. “Maybe you don't realize what's really on the line here. The ranchers. The hunting outfits. Our business.
Your
livelihood. We're all hurting, and it isn't going to get any better until we can control the vermin that caused this problem.”

To Jared, the only good wolf was a dead one.

“So, what's the real deal with you and her anyway? I admit she isn't bad on the eyes, but once she opens her mouth…” He shuddered.

“There's not much to tell. We met at a dance club before my third deployment. We saw each other for a little while, but that was a long time ago.” He upended his bottle.

“Are you going to see her again?”

“Hell if I know. We didn't exactly reunite on the most auspicious terms.”

When he'd seen her, at first he'd hoped… He shook his head. Hell, he didn't even know what he'd hoped, but the Cinderella incident had set them back not just three steps, but three miles.

“So what's going on between you and Tonya these days?” Jared suddenly asked.

“I dunno,” Reid answered noncommittally. He wondered what was behind all his brother's questions. He and Jared had never been close and were certainly not confidants. At times like this, Reid missed Garcia. Not that Raf wouldn't have jerked his chain exactly the same way, but somehow it was easier to take this kinda shit from his marine buddy than from his older brother. “Why so interested?” he asked Jared. “You lookin' to make Tonya ex-wife number three?”

Jared's gaze darkened. “Mebbe.”

Holy
shit.
Reid tipped his hat back and stared at his brother as if seeing him for the first time. “You and Tonya?” He didn't know what exactly clued him in, but suddenly it all made sense. “When, Jared? Answer me that. Are you the reason she called it off with me? I deserve to know.”

“I s'pose you do. It was New Year's Eve. You were gone… Tonya was depressed and lonely… I was on the rebound after the split with Rita…”

“You low-crawling bastard!”

“Look, Reid. It was
after
she broke it off with you. We were both drunk or it never would have happened. Then again, you left without putting a ring on her finger.”

Reid gave an incredulous laugh. “Are you trying to say it's
my
fault? Shit. I can't fucking believe this.”

“I ain't saying nothing of the kind,” Jared replied. “But it's all water under the bridge now, and she regrets it. Not because it wasn't good,” he added, too damn quickly. “But it's never happened between us since.”

“But you want her?”

“Mebbe,” Jared repeated. “I've been waiting to see if you'd pick it back up with her. I'd step aside if you still wanted her, but it seems to me you're in no big hurry to rush her down the aisle.”

Reid wanted to tear his brother's head off, but more for the act of betrayal than any true feeling of jealousy. He took a breath and then another swig of beer, willing away his impulse to pound Jared into dust. Somehow he'd always known there was someone else. She hadn't exactly lied, but she hadn't told him the whole truth either. Even if it really was
after
she broke with him, and she really was sorry, he'd never be able trust her again.

So much for digging out that engagement ring. Maybe he should go pawn it instead. Hell, if the investigation didn't move in his favor, he might need the money for legal fees.

Wyoming Outfitters Convention

The annual Outfitters Convention was an old tradition that broke up the long winter. Part business and part social, the event brought out everyone involved in hunting and dude ranching. Reid had always looked forward to it, but so much had changed in his eight-year absence. He was surprised to learn how many outfits had shut their doors. In a state so dependent on tourism, the downward economy had hit everyone hard, but it seemed the outfitters had taken the brunt of the blow.

He stared unseeingly as the state wildlife biologist droned on about moose parasites. He was restless, and his mind was wandering. Another biologist was scheduled to speak on the new mule deer initiative. Both would present their charts and graphs depicting the declining populations and hypothesize about all the probable causes—none of which included wolves.

They all tried to skirt around the whole predator controversy. It was too hot to touch without getting burned. How long would the tension continue to build before something or someone lit the fuse? He'd had enough of this kind of bullshit in the Marines—problems and solutions as plain as day to the grunts in the field but seemingly invisible or maybe just ignored by the bureaucrats.

He didn't know how much longer he could sit there. He was antsy as hell. His palms were sweating, and the walls starting to close in. Ready to crawl out of his skin, Reid mumbled an excuse to his father and brother, grabbed his hat and coat, and made a swift exit.

Striding out of the ballroom, he made for the first exterior door leading out to a terrace. Reid paced the length of it several times before stopping to suck in a lungful of air so cold that it burned. A shiver erupting over him brought him back to earth and spurred him to drag his jacket over his arms and shoulders, but he didn't zip it. He loved the cold after having spent so much time in the blistering heat of the desert. He tried not to think about those years too much, but they were never completely out of mind. He didn't know how long he'd stood there with his gaze fixed sightlessly on the mountains, lost in his thoughts.

He turned at the creak of the terrace doors opening behind him. “Reid?”

He was stunned to see
her
.

She took a few tentative steps towards him. “I thought that was you out here.”

“Dr. Cooper.” He tipped his hat. “You're about the last person I expected to see here.”

“Haley, please,” she said. “I'm here because Jim asked me to do a presentation on wolf recovery. He thought it would serve as a good introduction for me.”

“Good luck with that,” he remarked dryly. He'd perused the program earlier but hadn't paid attention to the various presenters' names. He probably would have left had he known she was here.

“I was hoping you'd be here,” she said.

“Oh yeah? And why's that?”

“You never gave me a chance to talk to you after the hearing last week.”

He responded with a derisive laugh. “I didn't think there was a whole lot left to say after you laid your laundry list of crimes at my feet.”

“You
lied
to me, Reid. The necropsy and forensics reports confirmed the cause of death as a thirty caliber round through the heart. Your client carried a fifty caliber BMG.
You
own a .300 Winchester. You told me she was killed by a hunter, but
you're
the one who shot my wolf!”

“Hold it right there. I've
never
lied to you. I told you it
happened
on an elk hunt. All the details were in the report I made to the Board of Outfitters. The hunter took the first shot and only wounded it, so I had to finish the job. I never denied that, but it was a mercy killing. She was surrounded by two of her pack mates who were ready to rip her to shreds. If you'd taken the trouble to read the report
first
, you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble. Instead, you chose to assume the worst of me.”

She ran her tongue nervously over her lips. “I didn't read it first because I didn't want to be biased. I needed to examine the facts for myself. It's my job, Reid. I have to be neutral.”

“You didn't have to suspend my license,” he countered. “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

“Perhaps I was a bit overzealous,” she said. “I'm sorry for making it more difficult than it had to be. My only excuse is that I'm feeling overwhelmed and defensive. I didn't expect it to be like this.”

“Like what?”

“So hostile.”

“Hate to say it, but it'll probably get a whole lot worse before it gets any better.”

“That's why I came to the convention. Jim said my job would be a lot easier if I could gain the outfitters' cooperation, but I don't know how to go about that. I'm worried that I've already burned my bridges.”

Reid considered her for a long moment. She seemed sincerely contrite and looked so small and alone. He was exactly the connection she needed to mend fences with the hunters and ranchers—especially after what had happened. He reminded himself he'd already been burned by her once, but he still couldn't find it in himself to walk away. “I offered to show you around a few weeks ago. The offer stands.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Really? I—I don't know what to say.”

“Say yes to dinner,” he blurted without thinking.

“I'm not very hungry,” she replied.

“Well, I suspect that's likely to change, given that it's barely lunchtime yet.”

“Oh yeah. I guess you're right.”

“Meet you in the bar at six?” he suggested.

“Six,” she repeated dumbly. “All right. Please excuse me. I have notes to review.” She spun toward the door as if making an escape.

He watched her departure, willing his pulse to slow down. He'd rattled her good, but damned if she hadn't done the same to him. He'd understood her anger about the wolf. He'd seen the pain in her eyes when she'd spoken about her. The wolves were like family to her, or maybe a substitute for the family she'd always craved. At one time he'd wanted to be the man to give her what she needed, but she hadn't been ready. A lot of things had changed since then.

He could have just ignored her and walked away. Probably should have. By her reaction, she might have been happier had he done so, but he wasn't about to let Haley Cooper off the hook so easily.
Not
this
time.

* * *

Dinner? Alone with him? After what she'd done? Why had he asked her? His invitation had thrown her completely off balance. She'd accepted, but what the hell was she going to do now? What was going on in his head? She hadn't a clue.

She checked the time. It was almost noon. She was supposed to meet her fellow biologists for lunch, but here she was holed up in her room, pacing the floor. She'd come to Wyoming for a fresh start, but Reid's appearance complicated everything. He'd always challenged her thinking, and once more he had her feeling unsure of herself.
Get
it
together, Haley. You've dealt with the unexpected before
. And deal with it she would, just not without preparation.

Snatching her phone out of her purse, she sent a quick text to beg off from lunch, using a headache as a viable, albeit not very creative, excuse.

After that, she kicked off her four-inch heels and massaged her aching feet. Although she loved heels for the height advantage they gave her, she mostly lived in jeans and hiking boots. She almost never dressed up, except for fund-raisers and speaking engagements. She shed her business suit, one of only three she owned. She also owned the same number of little black dresses that she reserved for the aforementioned occasions…and
maybe
dinners with ex-flames.

She drew a hot bath with the intention of reviewing her lecture notes while soaking in the tub. There was nothing better than a hot bath to relax the mind and body. Well,
almost
nothing, but the best thing hadn't been on her menu in months. She wondered if she hadn't already gone so long without sex if she would have been as susceptible to Reid. If she was going to be running into him regularly, maybe it was time to invest in something with batteries?

Her phone rang just as she shut off the tap. Her gaze darted longingly from the steamy tub back to the phone where caller ID showed Jeffrey's face. She hadn't heard from him in weeks. She chewed her lip and then snatched it up. “Hi, Jeffrey.”

“Hi yourself. Haven't heard from you. How are you settling in?” he asked.

“Not so great, I'm afraid. I've only been here a few weeks and have already had a nasty confrontation with one of the outfitters over a wolf kill.” She'd never told Jeffrey about Reid. There was little point in bringing up their past relationship.

“What kind of confrontation?” An edge of worry had crept into his voice.

“I had the guide's license temporarily suspended while I initiated an investigation, but he wasn't completely at fault. The situation hasn't endeared me to the outfitters, but at least he and I seem to have arrived at a truce.” She hoped so anyway. “On top of that, I'm at the Outfitters Convention now to speak about wolf recovery.”

“You're kidding, right? You're surrounded by a bunch of redneck hunters and ranchers with guns? You shouldn't take them on alone.”

She gave a dry laugh. “You're overreacting. This is the perfect opportunity to present our side.”

“I don't think so,” he argued. “It could get really ugly before all is said and done, especially once they realize you're in a position of influence.”

She thought of Reid. He'd already connected those dots. “You fret too much, Jeffrey. I appreciate your call, but I have to get ready now. The gun-toting rednecks are waiting to string me up.”

“Ha. Ha. You shouldn't take my warning so lightly. This issue is a social and political quagmire, and you're about to march right into the middle of it.”

“I can take care of myself,” she assured.

“I hope you don't discover differently. Call me if you need anything. I can be on the first plane.”

“Thanks. I appreciate your offer of moral support, but there's really no need for concern.”

“Of course I'm concerned,” he said. “I still care about you, you know.”

“I know. But not enough,” she said sadly. “Good-bye, Jeffrey.”

“Bye.”

Haley hung up, undressed, and sank into the now-tepid tub. But instead of reviewing her notes, she tossed them aside to mull over the awkward situation she found herself in. Although she still felt a bit melancholy about ending the relationship with Jeffrey, she couldn't regret leaving California. Coming to Wyoming had renewed her sense of purpose, but seeing Reid again filled her with so many contradicting emotions.

So much had changed over the years, but the attraction between them remained. It simmered beneath the surface even during their moments of hostility. Now Reid had offered an olive branch. She still didn't know why. Maybe she really was about to be sucked into a quagmire—just not the kind Jeffrey meant.

* * *

Hours later, Haley scanned the blank faces of the few people who still occupied the room. It had been filled to capacity only minutes ago for the panel on elk management, but following her introduction, the occupants had begun slinking out, much like rats from a sinking ship. Not a good omen. “Good afternoon,” she said with a nervous smile.

No one smiled back. Her stomach knotted tighter.

She cleared her throat and began again. “It's my pleasure to be here today as the new liaison from the Rocky Mountain Wolf Management Task Force. We are a team of conservation biologists and wolf specialists contracted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to review and monitor the wolf management strategies in the Rocky Mountain region.” She drew another breath to recite the lecture she knew by heart. “The recovery of the gray wolf after near extinction is a true American success story—”

“If they're recovered, why the hell are they still listed as endangered in Wyoming?” a voice called out.

Haley glanced up in surprise. “Please, if you will bear with me, I think my presentation will answer most of your questions. If any remain at the end, I'll be happy to stay for an open Q and A.” She glanced down at her notes in an effort to recompose. “Since the reintroduction of the gray wolf in the mid-nineties—”

“Reintroduction my ass,” someone else mumbled.

“Excuse me?” Her hands had begun to tremble.

“It wasn't a
re
introduction. The Feds imported a whole new subspecies that are half again the size of the plains wolf that used to be here. My granddaddy has picture proof from the last big wolf hunt in the '20s. They had good reason for getting rid of the ones we had, and they weren't near the size of those sons of bitches that you people brought down from Canada.”

“On the contrary, we've been conducting ongoing genetic studies that prove—”

“I don't care about your science. The
fact
is there wasn't ever any plains wolf that could take down an elk all by its lonesome. Now there're whole packs of them that
you
people
are allowing to wipe out the elk and moose herds.”

“According to our records, wolf depredations account for only—”

“'Sides that,” the old man continued, “most of the time they only eat half of what they kill before moving on to fresh game. Wolves are killers. It's what they do. And they have no natural predators to control them. Now,
we
have to suffer for it. If you don't believe me, you need to go talk to my buddy who runs a sheep outfit outside of Victor, Idaho. He'll set you straight real quick, little lady. Only a few months ago two wolves terrorized the whole herd. He lost over a hundred lambs and fifty-seven ewes at a cost of twenty grand.” The old man shook his head and stood up. “I ain't listening to any more of this wolf preservation bullshit.”