Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)(56)

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.





Chapter 17


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.”