Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (17 page)

“But he still does it for you?” She could hear Yolanda's smile.

“Yeah.” Haley gave a dry laugh. “He does it all right. Maybe even more than ever.”

“Then it
is
a second chance, Haley. If you think you want him and he still wants you, you have to stick it out and
make
it work this time.”

Haley sighed. “That's what I was afraid you'd say.”

“That's because I'm smart,
chica
.” She paused. “You don't sound very happy about all this.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I've already screwed it up, maybe beyond redemption. He went all possessive on me, and I panicked. You know I don't go for that. I lashed out, and he walked out. I think I might have burned the bridge this time.”

“I doubt that,” Yolanda said. “He was really into you, you know. I mean how many guys would have stuck around after the incident on the Ferris wheel?”

Haley groaned. “Did you have to bring
that
up? It was only the worst moment of my life.”

“Just helping you to put it all in perspective,
chica
. It's time to ask yourself what you really want from life. You've put your heart and soul into your work for too long. I know you love animals, but they can't love you back, not the way you need.”

“But I'm scared, Yo. He confuses me…”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know how to describe it. He's just so
much
.” She couldn't begin to understand, let alone articulate her feelings for him.

Yolanda chuckled. “That sounds like a
good
thing.”

Haley gave a huff of exasperation. “I didn't mean it
that
way…not that he's deficient in that department. What I mean is that he's so intense. He makes me feel too much.”

“You're afraid of that? Of falling in love?”

“Well, yes. Of course I am. Weren't you?”

“No. Not really. I fell in love all the time. It just never lasted. But you and I are very different that way. You won't let yourself love. Why are you so scared to let go?”

“I don't know. I just can't… Maybe I'm afraid I won't be loved back. It terrifies me to take that kind of leap without knowing.”

“But we can never know. You just have to have faith. You've always confronted your fears before, Haley. Reid is the only thing you ever ran away from. Maybe it's time you dealt with that. Putting all differences aside, do you think you
could
love him?”

“I don't know. What's between Reid and me is nothing like my relationship with Jeffrey.”

“Did Jeffrey really balance you, Haley? Sometimes we get so lost in what we ‘think' we want that we don't recognize what we actually need. I speak from experience.”

“Do you still miss him?” Haley asked.

“Yeah, I do, but Rafi wasn't the right one. I thought I wanted my bad boy marine, but he loved the Corps too much. I could never compete with that. I always felt like second place.”

“Any regrets?”

“No. It was great while it lasted, but now I have the real thing in my sweet, loving pastry chef. Sergio is what I really
needed.
Maybe Reid was the one for you all along. So what are you going to do?”

“I don't know yet. It all happened so fast between us. I need time to think. It feels like my brain stops functioning the minute he and I are even in the same room together. I'm done speaking at the convention. Tomorrow they have some big awards dinner for the outfitters, but I have zero interest in that. He was supposed to introduce me to some people, but I don't know if I can face him yet. Maybe I'll just check out early.”

“Consider it very carefully, Haley.”

“I will, Yo. I promise.”

“Good. I truly want you to be happy.”

“Thank you for always being there for me. I know I've been a sucky friend at times.”

“Only sometimes,” Yolanda laughed. “But you're you, and I wouldn't change that. Let me know how it turns out with Reid, okay?”

“I will. I'll call again soon. Kiss the baby for me.”

Haley hung up feeling only marginally better.

She reminded herself that she'd made the right decision years ago to focus on her career, just as she'd promised herself, but that didn't mean she'd never experienced any “what if” moments. They still came to her at random times, along with Gram's warnings about putting her ambition before happiness. Although doubts about her decision had always lingered, she never allowed herself to dwell on them for very long. Until now.

Maybe Yolanda was partly to blame. It was hard to see her best friend married with a baby while Haley, at almost twenty-eight, had no real prospects of either.

Yolanda had voiced her own questions. Was it some kind of kismet that had brought Reid back into her life? If so, what did it mean? She'd broken up with Jeffrey because he didn't want commitment, yet was terrified to take a chance on Reid, who did? She wasn't ready to examine that too closely just yet. Not at all.

* * *

Reid beat himself up pretty good after leaving her last night. By the time he reached his room, he'd known she was right. He'd pushed her too hard, but he was used to being in control. For eight years, he'd taken the bull by the horns every damn day. Maybe she'd have come around if he hadn't been so heavy-handed, but damn it all, Haley seemed to balk just for the sake of balking. Now he'd come back with his tail between his legs, ready to apologize.

He knocked on her door. She didn't answer. He paced, and then knocked again, louder, drawing the attention of the housekeeper.

“She's gone.”

“Huh?”

“The little blonde lady. She checked out early this morning.”

“Checked out? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. She had her bags.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She'd bolted. Where the hell had she gone?

He deserved the kick she'd given him in the teeth for being such a controlling ass, but he just couldn't seem to help himself. All of his life he'd attained every goal he'd ever set his eye on. Every single one.

Except her.

Reid consoled himself that he finally held one advantage—time. Rather than his enemy, it was finally on
his
side. She was working here. Circumstances would eventually throw them together again. His gut told him to back off. The next move would have to be hers.

Two Rivers Ranch, Dubois, Wyoming

“Mornin', Reid.” Krista glanced up in greeting as he entered the kitchen. He responded with a grunt and headed straight for the coffeepot. After pouring a cup, he snatched up a biscuit, shoving it into his mouth.

“You don't have to do that anymore you know.”

“Do what?” he asked.

“Eat like it's gonna be your last meal.”

He shrugged. “Eight-year-old habits are hard to break.”

She buttered a biscuit, smeared it with honey, and pushed it toward him. “Sit down and enjoy them.”

He picked it up and took a big bite. She was right. It was a whole lot more enjoyable to clog up his arteries. She handed him another. “Trying to fatten me up?”

“No. Just trying to be sisterly,” she replied. “I can't even tell you how happy I am that you're back home. I really missed you, Reid.”

He grinned. “Me too, Sis.” Growing up, Krista was always the tag-along-pain-in-the-ass youngest sister, but he'd missed her a whole lot, too. “Where's everyone else?” he asked.

“Mama's supervising the spring cleaning of the guest cabins and the ol' man and Jared had some business in Cody.”

“What kind of business? Did I miss anything important while I was gone?”

He'd been out on back-to-back bear hunts since the season had begun. Now that spring hunting was winding down, he'd have to switch gears and help ready the horses for summer clients.

“Yeah. Well, sort of.”

Her expression alarmed him. “What's wrong, Krista?”

“Tonya and I brought in the first group of horses from the winter range yesterday.”

“And?” he prompted.

“We're missing one.”

“You sure?” Reid replied. “Maybe you should count again.”

“I'm sure, Reid. I know every single horse out there by name.”

“Which one didn't come in?”

“The old-timer, Buckshot.” Krista blinked and looked away.

Shit.
Reid shook his head.

“Something's happened, Reid. He would have come in with the herd. I never should have let him go out on the winter range with the rest of them.”

It was rare for his tough little sister to get misty-eyed about anything, but it was even hard for Reid not to get a bit emotional over it. It seemed like the gelding had been a member of the family forever. Although he was old as dirt, he was great with kids and still sound for the shorter rides.

“Then we need to go out and look for him,” he said.

“I'm worried it was wolves.”

“What makes you think that? Have you seen any?”

“No, but we've seen plenty of tracks around here over the past few years. They've been gradually getting closer to the stock, but this is the first time they've actually taken a horse. That's why Jared and the old man went to Cody. They're requesting a kill permit from WGF.”

“That's certainly jumping the gun. They aren't going to get anything without proof, and we haven't even found a carcass.”

“The ol' man thinks Jim'll give it to him anyway.”

“Then the ol' man doesn't realize there's a new sheriff in town. Jim has to answer to Haley Cooper on this, and I guarantee with my last breath that she's not going to allow any wolf kills without solid proof of depredation. You're all jumping to conclusions anyway. He might still be out there. If not, we need to at least find his remains. At that point, we'll be able to determine what happened.”

“Why are you so damned quick to take
her
side on everything?”

“
Her?
” he asked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean Haley,” Krista said. “I heard about what you did at the Outfitters Convention. And while we're talking about it, you've been a real bear ever since you saw her there.”

“Really? I didn't realize that.”

“Yeah. Really. I don't understand why you're still so hung up on her.”

He scowled into his cup. “Back to that again? I thought I told you to stay out of my personal life.”

“I'm just saying that
if
it ever happens to me, I hope it's at least someone I can
like
.”

“That's the thing, Krista.” He rubbed his neck with a sigh. “I
do
like her. She's smart and spunky and stands up for her principles. I respect that, even if I don't agree with her. Ever met someone who completely rubs you the wrong way, but you're still drawn to them anyhow?”

“No. Can't say I ever have. But I don't think I could ever be attracted to someone who's against everything I stand for. I generally tend to avoid people like that.”

“Sometimes we can't help who we're attracted to, and when it happens, it's like a bad case of poison ivy. You know damned well you shouldn't scratch, that it'll make the itch a whole lot worse, but you just can't help yourself.”

“Sounds real appealing.” Her lips curled. “You should send that one to Hallmark, Reid. ‘I love you like a virulent rash.'”

He couldn't suppress a chuckle. “Guess I'm no poet.”

“But it's off again between you, right?”

“Yeah. It's off… For now.”

Almost two months had gone by, and they still hadn't crossed paths again. He'd half hoped he'd accidentally run into her, but that hadn't happened. He'd even bribed Jim Banks with an expensive steak dinner a few weeks ago just to get her phone number, but he hadn't called her. Not yet. He was determined to stay the course and let her come to him.

He'd kept tabs on her though. Last he'd heard, she'd set up her home base in Jackson to pursue some independent project on the wolf packs in the Teton Pass. According to his father and brother, they were causing a heap of shit for a big sheep outfit. The last thought brought him back to the present dilemma—wolves and livestock.

Reid scarfed down another biscuit and then drained his coffee. “C'mon, little sister. Let's go look for that lost horse.”

* * *

Haley had been working out of the Jackson regional WGF office for nearly two months without incident when the first call came in from Jim Banks at the Cody office. “We've got a reported livestock depredation,” Jim declared.

“Really? Where?”

“A ranch in Dubois. They're missing a horse and claim it's a wolf. They're requesting a kill permit.”

“Did they locate the carcass?”

“Not yet.”

“They came to you for a permit based solely on speculation?” Haley laughed outright. “Over my dead body. Have you sent anyone to investigate it yet?”

“Not yet. Care to do the honors?” Jim asked.

Haley hesitated. As the senior biologist and primary wolf researcher, she wouldn't normally be the first to go out on a preliminary investigation, but she was beginning to go a bit stir-crazy sitting in an office all day monitoring collars and writing reports.

“Actually, Jim, I'd be happy to go. Can you give me any specifics?” Jim rattled off some coordinates that Haley quickly jotted down. “Great. I'll check the grid and see if any of my monitored packs are in the vicinity. Can you give me the contact info?”

“It's Two Rivers Ranch and Outfitters,” he replied.

“Two Rivers?” she repeated. “Isn't that the Everetts' place?”

“Yes. Jared and Boyd just came to see me about this.”

“Do they know how long the horse has been missing?”

“No. They did a range roundup yesterday and this one didn't come in. He was the old-timer of the herd and getting lame.”

“Which makes him susceptible,” she remarked. “But we still aren't issuing any permits without proof. That means a carcass and a necropsy. I'll check it out and report back with my findings.”

* * *

“Good morning, Reid,” Tonya greeted him with a brilliant smile. “Haven't seen much of you lately.”

“Nope. Haven't been around much,” Reid replied, yanking his old roping saddle off the rack. He'd intentionally avoided her ever since Jared's revelation. Part of him wanted to confront her, but he hadn't known how to bring it up without creating an ugly scene, so he'd avoided it. Besides, what was the point now? They were done for good, and he still had to work with her. Sometimes it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

“I got a big Appy mare here if you're looking for a challenge,” she offered.

That caught his attention. “Do you now?”

“Yup. I brought her over for the roundup. Keith dropped her off a couple of weeks ago, asking me to put some rides on her. He was contacted by this rich German lady who wanted a gen-u-ine Indian horse.”

“Let me guess, he made up some bogus bloodline that traces this mare back to Sitting Bull's stallion?”

“Not this time.” Tonya laughed. “He's quit that gig. Hasn't touched a horse since that documentary destroyed his reputation. It's a shame. He really does know horses.”

Reid shook his head. “So now he's got you doing
all
the work for him?”

“Pretty much.” She shrugged. “I don't really care, as long as I get paid. It's a convenient arrangement.”

“But he's probably only giving you half of what he's getting.”

“Maybe, but he still gets more money for a horse than I ever could.”

“Can't say I like how he does business,” Reid remarked. “And now you want
me
to do the dirty work?”

She shrugged. “As long as the clients get well-broke horses, what does it matter who's in the saddle?”

“No reflection on you, Tonya, but it ain't honest.”

She frowned. “You want to take on the Appy or not?”

“How many rides has she had?”

“Two. Popped me off both times.”

“Screw that shit. I'm too old for bronc riding. Gave it up when I joined the Marines.”

“Too old and decrepit, eh?” Tonya's black gaze met his in mock challenge.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“Tied to my trailer.”

Reid snatched a halter and bridle, slinging them over the saddle on his shoulder, and followed Tonya to her trailer. A big-boned leopard Appaloosa nickered at the sight of them. “How much did he sell her for?”

“Ten grand.”

He whistled. “For an unregistered, unbroke horse?”

“Yup.” She laughed. “It's all in the marketing. Those Germans eat up anything related to the Old West. According to Keith, they dress up in buckskin and war paint, drink firewater, and reenact our famous battles.”

“The Germans playing at cowboy and Indian? You're shitting me!”

“Nope. Honest Injun,” she quipped. “Keith's even thought about moving there. They idolize him.”

“Then what's stopped him?”

“I think his conscience. He's changed a lot.”

“That can only be for the better,” Reid remarked and stepped back to look the horse over. Good conformation. And not bad-looking for the breed. None of them had much mane or tail, but this one at least had a decent head and small ears. “I'll ride her. Anything I should know?”

Tonya grinned. “You might say she's just a
tad
skittish.”

“Just a tad, huh? Care to elaborate?”

“She bucks at her own shadow.”

“Nothing a good long, sweaty ride won't fix. Wet saddle blankets always settle 'em in.”

After months off at pasture, even the veterans in the string needed a good tune-up. As for the juniors like this one, most of them would be bombproof after a summer full of pack trips and trail rides.

He approached the horse's shoulder, running a hand down her neck and then over her back. He let her smell the blanket and then ran it over her body before placing it on her back. Her ears flickered, but she didn't otherwise react. The saddle followed.

“She's also a little cinchy,” Tonya cautioned.

He didn't need the warning. He finished tacking her up while Krista led two more horses out for her and Tonya.

“Gonna pony any of 'em?” Reid asked.

“Not this time.” Tonya shook her head. “Let's see how Red Bird does.”

Reid pulled Red Bird's head around and tested a foot in the stirrup. She sidled. He circled and soothed her before trying again. A moment later, he vaulted smoothly into the saddle, his gaze intent on her flattened ears. “Shit. She's gonna blow, ain't she.”

The words had hardly left his mouth before she did just that.

It'd been more than eight years since Reid had ridden bucking horses, but it was something one didn't forget. He held off the spurs, but let her have at it, encouraging her to kick and buck and wear herself out. He could sense the turning point, the very instant she realized she wasn't going to win. It took a bit longer than he'd expected, but a lot of mares were feisty. It was a good quality, if you could win them over. Finally acknowledging her defeat, the horse dropped her head with a deep sigh.

“You ready to play nice now, Red Bird?” Reid crooned and stroked the horse on her sweat-slickened neck. “C'mon now. Just move your feet in the right direction, and we'll get along just fine.” He urged the horse again and she took a tentative step. “Good girl,” he praised her. “Now you're gettin' it.”

She began walking forward calmly. Once he was certain of her submission, he flashed a triumphant grin, one that faded away the moment his gaze rested on the petite blonde standing behind Tonya and Krista with her brows drawn in disapproval.

Haley? What the devil is she doing at the ranch?

* * *

No one answered the door when Haley pulled into Two Rivers Ranch, so she headed out toward the corrals where she saw three people gathered. They had their backs to her, but it didn't take long to recognize Reid's tall and muscular form. She pretty much had every inch of him memorized.

She watched unnoticed while he mounted a horse and gasped when it exploded in a wild bucking fit. As a staunch animal advocate, she'd never enjoyed rodeo sports but still found herself mesmerized by the contest between horse and rider. At first she was torn between wanting Reid to get thrown and fearing he'd get hurt, but as the seconds passed into minutes, with Reid still firmly anchored in the saddle, her anxiety increased for the panting, wide-eyed horse. Should she intervene?