Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)(63)

He dismounted and then helped Haley do the same. “We’d best proceed the rest of the way by foot. It’s too treacherous to ride.”

“What about them?” she asked as he tethered the nervous horses. “Will they stay put?”

He cocked his head. “Let’s just hope so.”

She chewed her lip as he retrieved his rifle, but refrained from any comment about it. They moved cautiously down the rocky embankment, Reid leading the way. Several times he caught her as her footing slipped on loose rocks. Even in cowboy boots, Reid proved as sure-footed as a bighorn sheep.

The putrid smell of decay assailed them before they even reached the bottom. Haley fought her gag reflex. Reid offered his handkerchief. She accepted it gratefully, covering her nose and mouth with one hand as they approached the carcass. It was indeed a horse, or what remained of one. By the look of things, the kill was at least two days old.

“It’s him.” Reid nodded. “And something’s been making a meal of him.”

“It isn’t a wolf kill,” Haley declared with certainty. Although wolves and grizzlies were both known to scavenge, the hindquarters were still intact. Wolves almost always attacked from behind and devoured their prey the same way.

“Agreed,” Reid said. “It’s also half-buried, which means it was either a mountain lion or a grizzly. My first guess would be griz, but I don’t relish getting up close and personal with either one of ’em.” Reid grabbed her by the elbow. “C’mon. We have the answers we came for. Let’s go.”

“Just a minute,” she protested. “We came all the way out here. Let me at least document the predation. If it was a grizzly, the WGF needs to know. You also have every right to file a claim with your insurance company.”

“Look, Haley. You know as well as I do that there’s nothing more dangerous or aggressive than a griz that’s protecting his meal. I’m not about to risk my life or yours for a few hundred dollars. C’mon.”

“But I only need a few seconds to take some pictures.” Shaking off both his hand and his warning, she pulled out her phone, moving quickly around the carcass snapping shots of the carnage.

“I’m not screwing around,” he warned. “We need to get the hell out of here. Now.”

The brush stirred to life behind her. Reid’s warning had come too late.

Haley’s heart surged into her throat as a huge fur-covered body emerged. Her hands flew to her can of pepper spray but were too unsteady even to release it from the holster.

The bear let loose a bone-chilling growl and then charged.

“Hit the f*cking dirt, Haley!” Reid bellowed.

His voice barely penetrated her consciousness. She recognized the command to play dead, but was utterly paralyzed by fear. The following seconds unfurled in a fog. A deafening roar filled her ears. Her body hit the ground with a bone-crushing force that drove the air from her lungs. Then the distinct smell of bear assaulted her nostrils.

She contracted into a ball, squeezing her eyes shut on a fervent prayer. Dear God in heaven, please don’t let me die!

An explosion. A low groan. And then dead silence.

*

With his instincts screaming at him to protect, Reid reacted instantly to the attack, but he still wasn’t fast enough. The bear charged, taking Haley down, but now his shot was clear. It was a monster, but at this close range, one well-placed cartridge took him out. Releasing a final agonizing roar, the bear crashed lifelessly to the ground.

His pulse still racing with adrenaline, Reid rushed to Haley. Dropping his rifle and kneeling beside her, his hands shook as he proceeded to assess the damage. She was pale, her skin clammy, her body trembling convulsively, but other than torn clothes and a few abrasions, she appeared unharmed.

“Y-you sh-shot it?” Her voice was a choked whisper.

“Yeah, I shot it.”

“B-but I h-had b-bear spray.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Shh,” he soothed, gently, wiping the dirt and debris from her face. “You’re babbling, sweetheart. It’s a common shock response. No amount of pepper was going to stop that son of a bitch. Are you hurt?”

“I d-don’t know. My head is throbbing real bad.”

He gently palpated her scalp. “There’s no blood, but you hit the ground pretty hard. Could be a concussion. Least I got him before he could do a dance on you. What else are you feeling?”

“Kind of numb.”

“Numbness is shock too. Anything like this ever happened to you before?”

“N-no. Never.”

“Count your blessings. I’ve seen it more times than I can count. Can you move your legs?”

“Y-yes. I think so.”

“Think you can walk? I’d like to get you out of here and back to the ranch.”

She sat up, looked wildly about and then began crawling around on all fours. Was she out of her mind?

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

“My phone. I’ve lost it. I need my phone.”

“You get mauled by a griz and you’re worried about your damned phone? Un-f*cking-believable.”

“You don’t understand. Killing it is a felony, Reid. I’ll need a picture to file a report. It’s documentation for your sake.”

He joined her on the ground, digging around through leaves, pine needles, and debris until they found it. Reid placed it in her hands with a shake of his head. She blew off the dirt and then scrambled back to the dead bear to take a few more pictures.