A week later, Haley pulled into the Everett ranch. Her stomach knotted with trepidation as she knocked lightly on the door. To her relief, it wasn’t Krista, but an older woman who answered. She was tall and thin with vaguely familiar features.
“Mrs. Everett?” she began. “I’m Haley Cooper, a friend of Reid’s.”
The warm smile evaporated from her face. “I know exactly who and what you are, Dr. Cooper. And you are no friend to my son or to his family.”
“Please! Listen to me, Mrs. Everett!” Haley cried, sensing the door was about to slam in her face. “I had nothing to do with it. It’s all a big misunderstanding. I’ve been trying to reach Reid for almost a week, but he doesn’t answer my calls. It’s urgent that I talk to him.”
“I’m sorry. My son isn’t here,” she responded tight-lipped.
“When will he be back?”
“I don’t know. He’s on an extended trip. I’ve got nothing more to say to you, Dr. Cooper.”
“Wait! I can explain everything!”
The door swung only marginally wider as Krista appeared behind her mother. “I’ll bet you can,” she snorted. “Haven’t you already caused my brother enough grief?”
“Did you ever give him my message?” Haley asked. “I called before any of this happened. I was trying to warn him about it. You must remember that. Someone stole the pictures from my phone. I had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Someone?” Krista’s brows met in doubt. “Like who?”
“His name’s Jeffrey Greene. He’s the head of the Wolf Recovery Alliance. I used to work for him.”
“You mean before you came to Wyoming to spy on us?”
“That’s not how it was. Not why I came here. I’m as much a victim in all this as Reid is.”
“I doubt it. You aren’t about to face a felony charge, are you?”
“That’s what I’m trying to say. Reid isn’t going to be charged with anything. I’ve given my sworn testimony to U.S. Fish and Wildlife about what really happened. I want Reid to know I’m trying to make things right.”
“Why should we believe anything you say?”
“Do you honestly think I would have come here if I were guilty of setting Reid up?”
“Maybe…” Krista chewed her lip and then shook her head. “Probably not.”
“I’ve also quit my job. Call Jim Banks if you don’t believe me.”
Krista blinked in surprise. “You really quit?”
“Yes. I gave my notice as soon as I knew Reid was in the clear. I refuse to be used and manipulated any longer. Please tell me where he is.”
Krista looked to her mother.
Mrs. Everett regarded Haley with a narrowed gaze. “Do you have anything else to say to my son?”
“Yes,” Haley confessed. “As a matter of fact, I do. I have a lot more to say to him, but the rest is private. I need to tell him face-to-face.”
After another pause, Mrs. Everett’s mouth curved into a slow smile. “In that case, c’mon in, Dr. Cooper.” She swung the door wide open. “It seems we might have something to talk about after all.”
* * *
River of No Return Wilderness
Salmon River Canyon, Idaho
After collecting her equipment, Haley set out for Idaho, determined to track down Reid. The rangers at the Salmon, Idaho, station had informed her that he’d packed in with a horse and three mules carrying enough supplies to last a month. They told her Reid would probably work his way from the ranger cabin he’d be using as a base camp to the river where they’d be dropping his supplies, but precisely where he was now, no one seemed to know.
Given that he was somewhere unspecified in the second-largest wilderness in the continental U.S., her quest seemed all too much like hunting for a needle in a haystack. If that wasn’t already daunting enough, with no roads for over eighty miles, she had only two approaches, either by chartering a plane and landing on one of the backcountry airstrips or by jet boat for the fifty-mile trek up the raging River of No Return.
To Haley, either option was more terrifying than any ride on Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
Choosing what she considered the lesser of two evils, she boarded the jet boat at Corn Creek with her two packs and Reid’s hunting dog. His family had sent Jethro, thinking he’d help her find Reid. But with the grizzly encounter still fresh in her memory, she was glad to have the dog’s protection, as well as his company.
Mountains splayed out in all directions, flanking her as they traveled up the Salmon River Canyon. The unspoiled wilderness, alternating between treacherous rocky embankments speckled with bighorn sheep to heavily forested sections of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, took her breath away.
But while others on the jet boat laughed and squealed whenever the boat rocked and listed, the numerous sections of the white water made Haley’s heart hammer and knuckles whiten. She squeezed her eyes shut on a prayer that it would be over soon, but it was several hours before they approached the section where Reid would eventually make camp.
They finally pulled up along a sandy stretch of river, where Haley and Jethro disembarked with two packs containing a week’s worth of food and equipment. They’d dropped off the other passengers at a rafting launch about twenty miles back. Now it was only Haley and the river outfitter.
“You sure you’re going to be okay out here all by yourself?” the guide asked, looking reluctant to leave her.
“Yes. I’ve spent weeks at a time camping out in national parks in Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming. I’ll be fine,” she replied with more confidence than she actually felt. She really had camped out for long stretches—just never completely alone.
“When do you want me to come back?”
“Five days,” she replied. “I’ll be waiting right here. But if I’m not, please feel free to send a posse,” she ended with a hollow laugh. She reached down to scratch Jethro’s head, inhaling a shaky breath as she watched the boat launch back into the river.
Minutes later, she found herself completely on her own in a vast, nearly untouched wilderness, a place numerous predators called home, and clueless as to where to begin her search.
With daylight growing short, she decided to make camp. Careful to avoid any stretches of brush where an animal might conceal itself, she chose a spot in the open to set up her tent. She then went about collecting wood for her fire pan. Although her campfire would be small, she hoped Reid would see it and come to her. If he didn’t, she resolved to put Jethro on the scent first thing in the morning.
* * *
After two weeks of complete isolation, Reid was having second thoughts. He didn’t mind being alone. That was the sole benefit of this whole gig. He finally had time to get his fucked-up head back together. At the time, he’d known bailing was a chicken shit thing to do, but he had a deep-seated need to get away from everything after Haley’s betrayal.
Taking the job as a wolf killer had been a purely knee-jerk reaction. Now he faced serious qualms about his decision. It wasn’t that he had issues with hunting in general. He believed to his core in responsible game management, but it hardly seemed ethical to introduce a species to a wilderness area, protect it for two decades, and then summarily exterminate it.
On the other hand, the wolf population in Idaho was booming, while the elk numbers were way down. And elk hunting was vital to the state economy. Ergo, the state’s answer was to get rid of all the wolves. Not just a handful, but to eradicate entire packs. Issuing wolf hunting and trapping permits to sportsmen, however, had proven ineffectual. The vast majority of sport hunters had come up empty-handed. Wolves were too cunning. Hence the need for a professional, and Reid was uniquely qualified.
In the first week he’d caught four wolves in traps and shot two others. Problem was, he didn’t feel right about it. Killing wolves purely to increase the elk population for hunters was doing the wrong thing for all the wrong reasons. And now that he’d faced up to his self-centered and petty motives for taking the job, the question remained of what he was going to do about it. Should he stay on and finish the contract or head back home to possible felony charges?
All things considered, it was a no-brainer.
Tomorrow he’d collect the remaining traps, pack up his shit, and go back to face the music.
* * *
Haley awoke just before dawn to a chorus of howling wolves. She lay in her sleeping bag for the longest time just listening. Although the lupine choir aggravated Jethro, their proximity didn’t instill any fear in Haley. She found an odd sort of comfort in it. Wolves were her whole life, or had been for the last five years.
She wondered what would happen to her now that she’d quit her job. Teaching didn’t appeal. No doubt Jeffrey would do his best to blackball her anyway. Perhaps this was the ideal time to pursue research full time? All she needed to do was secure enough funding. And fund-raising was her particular talent.
Jethro nudged her out of her ruminations. With wolves so close, she leashed him before exiting the tent. His natural instinct would be to track them, so she’d have to keep him close. A pack would rip a dog to shreds in an instant. Wolves’ hunting style was the one thing about them she could never completely reconcile. Other predators killed their prey before eating them.
Wolves ate them alive.
After a quick breakfast of granola bars and powdered milk, she bathed in the frigid river, dressed, cleaned up the campsite, and prepared to depart. “C’mon, Jethro. You have a job to do.”
Pulling one of Reid’s T-shirts from her pack, she let the dog get his fill of his scent. She paused, shirt in hand, purely to indulge her own senses. Shutting her eyes, she drank in his musky essence with a deep sniff that sent a ripple of desire coursing through her. But the T-shirt was no substitute for the real thing. Not even close. She had a lot of things to say when she found him, but talking wouldn’t necessarily be her first priority.
* * *
Having made his decision to leave, Reid set out early to collect his traps. He’d laid out over a dozen in areas where he’d seen signs of wolves and had filled almost half of them the first week. Once he’d gathered them all, he planned to work his way toward the supply drop site on the river. He’d be over a week early, but planned to make the best of his situation on a river heavily populated with fish. Although it was too late in the season for steelhead, he had an excellent chance of landing a Chinook salmon. At least he’d eat well while waiting for the boat to arrive.
Unlike all the others he’d collected, the last trap wasn’t empty when Reid arrived. A young wolf greeted him, growling and snarling with hackles raised.
Shit. He hadn’t planned on taking any more, but the deed was half done already. Dismounting from his horse, he unsheathed his rifle and approached by foot. “This just isn’t your lucky day now, is it?” Reid raised the gun with a resigned sigh and took aim.
The wolf went silent, staring him down with its intense golden eyes.
His finger relaxed on the trigger. He lowered the rifle with a shake of his head.
He just couldn’t do it. He was finished.
“Looks like I was wrong. You’re one lucky bastard after all.”
* * *
Haley always carried a compass and a GPS, but neither did much good when you didn’t even know your destination. She’d set out in a general northeasterly direction, but the dog had yet to show any sign of picking up Reid’s scent.
Growing thirsty and frustrated, Haley dropped her pack and sat on a stump to rehydrate. She had the bottle poised to drink when Jethro began circling, whining, and pulling on the leash. She froze at a sound in the near distance. A bark? Was it a dog? She listened more intently, recognizing the lower-pitched, shorter bark of a single wolf.
Was it injured? Or maybe trapped? She couldn’t risk her life over it, but also couldn’t ignore it without investigating. Haley took quick inventory. She had bear spray, but that was iffy with wolves. She also had her tranquilizer gun and a few darts, but drugging took time. Provided she could keep him from harm, Jethro was her best defense.
She relaxed her tight grip on the leash. Given encouragement, the dog let out a howl and then half led, half dragged Haley through a quarter mile of brush and brambles.
She spotted the horse and mules first. Reid? It had to be him.
At the sight of its master, Jethro let out a howl and jerked wildly on the leash, yanking it completely out of her hand. Haley stumbled after him.
Reid spun around, freezing with a look of abject shock. For several seconds he didn’t move, speak, or even bat an eye.
“Reid!” she gasped, breathless from the chase. “I can’t believe we found you.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Looking for you. Why do you think I would have come?”
“I don’t know. Maybe to take pictures of me brutally slaughtering wolves?” One brow rose above a stare that gave her chills. His tone was equally glacial. “Or did you bring a whole film crew with you this time?”
Her heart, filled to the brim with joy only a minute ago, sank deep into her stomach. But how could she blame him after what happened? Of course that’s what he’d think.
“Please, Reid. It’s not like that at all. You have to let me explain.”
“What are you doing with my dog?” He posed the question through gritted teeth.
“Your brother said he’d help me find you.”
“My brother?” He looked confused. “Jared sent him with you?”
“Yes. And your mom gave me one of your shirts.”
“My mother? Why would they—”
“Because they know I didn’t do it, Reid. Jeffrey did. He stole my phone and used the pictures to spread his propaganda and lies. I tried to call and warn you, but Krista didn’t trust me.”
“So what are you saying?”
“That there’s no case against you. I went down to Cheyenne and filed my reports with both the Feds and the Board of Outfitters. We can’t undo the damage, of course, but there won’t be any charges.”
His expression remained wary, but his chest fell on a deep exhale.
“The wolves are innocent too, Reid,” she said softly. “You have every right to be angry about what happened, but they don’t deserve extermination for it.”
His gaze and tone softened. “I know that… Now.”
She took a step closer. He did the same.
“So you came here to tell me I can go back?”
Haley bit into her lip. “That was part of it.”
He cocked his head. “Only part?”
Her mouth was suddenly so dry she wasn’t sure any more words would come out. She swallowed twice. But it didn’t help. “Yes, Reid. There’s something a whole lot more important I have to tell you.”
He waited, his expression impassive.
Her pulse raced. It was the moment of truth, but she didn’t know if she could finally voice what was in her heart. Her gaze suddenly darted to the object in his hands. “What are you doing with a snare pole?”
“A responsible trapper always packs one. It comes in handy in the event of catching something you didn’t intend to.”
“And you did?” Even as she asked the question, she spotted the wolf about thirty feet away. So did Jethro. Thankfully, Reid was quick to grab his collar.
“I don’t think it’s hurt. I was getting ready to release it. Wanna help?”
Haley gaped. “Did you say release?”
“Yes. But it’d be a lot easier, not to mention safer, with another set of hands.”
She instantly dropped her pack. “Of course I’ll help.”
“Chances are this guy’s gonna bolt straight into the brush when I let go, but I can’t take a chance on him attacking one of us.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Grab my rifle just in case,” Reid commanded.
She reluctantly retrieved the rifle while Reid secured the dog at a safe distance from the wolf. He then took up the snare pole. It took several minutes for Reid to get the snare over the snapping wolf’s head. They moved quickly after that. Reid used both his hands and his body to subdue the animal. Haley laid down the rifle to release the wolf from the trap. She was relieved to see he’d used the padded version. The animal’s leg appeared swollen from limited circulation, but there was no outward sign of injury.
“Pick up the gun.” Reid jerked his head toward the discarded rifle. “It’s already loaded and chambered. You only need to take the safety off. It’s that little lever on the side.”
“I can’t do it, Reid. I can’t shoot it.”
“I’m not asking you to shoot. It’s just a precaution.”
Reluctantly, Haley complied.
“Ready?” Reid stood and slowly backed off to the pole’s maximum reach, which was only about four feet.
Haley nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Just don’t shoot me, okay?” Reid returned an uncertain smile.
Reid released the snare and leaped back. The animal shook its head but didn’t move. Instead, it held its ground, baring its huge teeth in a snarl. Haley’s throat constricted as its golden eyes tracked from her to Reid and back again.
“He’s not showing much appreciation, is he?” Reid took a step to shield her, his eyes never leaving the wolf. “Now give me the gun.” He reached for the rifle. “I’m giving him about thirty seconds to either disappear or be dispatched. Get behind me, Haley. Move slowly.” Reid continued his own deliberate retreat.
“But he’s just frightened, Reid,” she protested. “Look at his tail—”
“I don’t want to hear any more. I gave him a fair chance.” He raised the rifle. “Last time, buddy. Get the hell out of here if you know what’s good for you.”
“Go! Scram!” Haley hissed.
For a terrifying second the wolf looked as if it would lunge, but then spun around and bolted into the brush. Haley collapsed against him as Reid lowered the rifle.
“You really would have done it?” she asked.
“If he hadn’t backed down? Damn straight.”
“I don’t understand you at all, Reid. If you came here to hunt wolves, why did you release him?” she asked.
“Because it was wrong to come out here.”
“You were doing it only to hurt me?”
“Mostly,” he confessed. “But it was a petty way for me to lash out at you.”
“I’m sorry, Reid. I swear to you I had nothing to do with that grizzly business.” She gazed into his face, praying he’d accept her words as truth.
“I believe you,” he replied.
She exhaled a lungful of relief.
“Why else would you come all the way out here?” he said.
“I had another reason, Reid…a much more personal reason.”
“And what’s that?” he prompted.
Her heart galloped violently in her chest. Now that the moment had come for her finally to confess her feelings, she felt herself faltering. Again. “Maybe this isn’t the best time.”
“Maybe not,” he pressed. “But I’m thinking I might want to hear it anyway.”
She drew a fortifying breath and then exhaled a long gush of words. “I’ve been unfair to you, Reid. I see that now. Horribly unfair. You said to make things work we’d have to meet in the middle. Well, here I am.” She gestured to the endless expanse of forest with a nervous laugh. “Meeting you right smack in the middle of nowhere.”
She searched his face for any encouraging sign, but his expression remained unreadable. Her eyes burned and her tongue felt too thick, but she forced herself to continue, “I came to tell you… What I need to say is…”
“What, sweetheart?” he finally prompted in a husky voice.
Sweetheart? The endearment was all the encouragement she needed. “I’m ready now, Reid,” she blurted. “That is, if you still—”
Without warning his big arms came crushing around her, squeezing her tight. His mouth claimed hers, branding her with his hot, hungry kiss that stole all her remaining breath.
She shut her eyes on a moan. Their tongues tangled. Her knees went weak.
In seconds he had her reeling like a drunk.
Dear God, how had she lived so long without this? Without him?
She shoved his hat off to curl her fingers in his hair. His hands slid down her back to cup her ass, lifting her clean off the ground. She clamped her legs around his waist, embracing him with her whole body, but it still wasn’t enough. They’d kissed many times before, but this was different. It was fevered and feral and almost frantic, as if they’d broken through some kind of barrier.
They were both panting when he finally broke the kiss. Reid raked a hand though his hair, looking as wild and desperate as she felt. “You’re right about one thing, sweetheart. You couldn’t have picked a more inconvenient time and place if you’d tried.”
* * *
Reid devoured her mouth once more before reluctantly setting her on the ground. He had some things to tell her too. Lots of things. But they’d have to wait just a little bit longer. Although the surrounding wilderness cried out to his primitive side to claim her in the most primal way, he held himself in check. Once he started, he intended to finish.
His mind raced until locking onto the perfect setting for what he had in mind. “C’mon. There’s something I want to show you.”
Moving with fast efficiency, he stripped the gear from the back of his saddle, moving it to the pack mules to make room for her. He then untied the dog, hoping the dumb mutt would have the sense to stay close. He mounted the horse first and then helped Haley up behind him.
She gazed at him in bewilderment. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
It took a while to locate the overgrown trail that led back toward the river. They traveled several miles parallel to the waterway with her breasts at his back and her hands clasped on his hips. It was agony to want her so badly and to be so close. Soon, he told himself.
They waded on horseback up an icy stream running through a narrow canyon with two-hundred-foot cliffs on either side. Her grip tightened on him the deeper the water got. It had risen to the horse’s belly. Jethro swam happily beside them, seemingly oblivious to the frigid water.
“You’d better bring your legs up,” he warned, “or you’re going to get a soaking.”
She wrapped them around him about the same time a blast of arctic water filled his boots. Thankfully, it didn’t get any deeper. After a distance, the gorge widened to a large mouth. He’d found it—one of the best-kept secrets in this entire two-and-a-half-million-acre wilderness.
Reid guided the horses and mules up the embankment where moss-covered cliffs soared above a small clearing. Gushing from these cliff faces were numerous natural water jets blanketing the entire area in a fine mist. Interacting with the sunlight, the mist created rainbows all around.
Catching her first glimpse of it, Haley inhaled on a gasp. “This place is amazing. It’s like some kind of geothermal fairyland.”
“It gets better still,” Reid said.
He’d stumbled onto the hot springs a week earlier and had spent the better part of a day exploring it. “There’s a great place to make camp right there.” He pointed to an open space, just large enough for a couple of tents.
After helping her down from the horse, he set straight to work unpacking the gear while she tended to the animals. An hour later, they’d established a temporary claim on this secluded piece of paradise.
“C’mon.” Reid took her by the hand. “It’s time to show you the best part.” He led her down an overgrown trail to a sandy-bottomed pool of the clearest crystal blue.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he replied, his eyes never leaving hers. “Now I’ve got something to say to you.” He clasped her chin, tipping her head up. “Since you’ve come all the way out here, I have to assume you’re finally ready to hear it. If I’m wrong about that, and you’re not, I’m asking you to speak up now, before I make a giant ass of myself.”
“You’re not wrong,” she whispered.
“Good.” He gave a short, dry laugh. “I’d hate to think I wasted all this scenery.”
He slid his hands down to her shoulders. “I’ve been waiting a long time for the right woman, Haley, one I can both love and respect. I’ve been waiting because I don’t compromise, because I’ve never settled for second best. I’ve been waiting for you.”
He paused, giving her time to absorb his words.
“We were meant to be together. I’ve been patient, hoping you’d eventually see that too, but every time I thought we might be getting close…”
“I panicked,” she said. “I panicked because this didn’t feel like I expected it to. Like I thought it was supposed to. I thought when it happened it would be warm and wonderful, but it wasn’t like that with us…well, not completely. I felt vulnerable, scared, insecure—”
“Welcome to my world.” He gave another dry laugh. “I spent eight years in a war zone and never felt any of those things until Haley Cooper came along—all five-foot-nothing of you. Even now, you have the power to devastate me. Do you know that?”
“Then maybe it’s time I laid those fears to rest.” She brought her hands up to his face. “I love you, Reid. I know that now.” Her green gaze never wavered. “I think I’ve been in love with you for quite a while, but I wouldn’t acknowledge it because it didn’t fit. I thought love had a certain formula. I thought it had to be built on friendship and shared ideals. I thought all we had together was shared lust… I was wrong.”
He shut his eyes on a groan of relief. She’d finally given him what he desired most.
Haley had surprised the hell out of him by showing up like she had. But then again, she’d never done anything in half-measures. Her passion was one of the things he loved most about her, but he needed not just her body, but her heart. He might be able to take the first, but she had to give him the rest. He never would have opened his mouth if he hadn’t thought she reciprocated at least some of his feelings, but he’d still harbored some doubts. Until now.
“If that’s really how you feel,” he said, “I think it’s time to lay it all on the line.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “I thought we just did that.”
The uncertainty clouding her eyes made his pulse drum in his ears, but he’d already crossed the point of no return. There was no holding back now. He took a fortifying breath. “That was only half of it. There’s more. I want you, Haley… I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
* * *
She couldn’t believe the words that just spilled from his mouth. But it still seemed impossible. “This is all happening so fast.”
“Hardly.” His mouth curved sardonically. “It’s been almost seven years since you slapped that twenty on the pool table. Seven years, sweetheart. It’s a snail’s pace. I’m offering you everything I have. Everything I am.” He caressed her face. “Marry me, Haley. Let’s prove to the whole world that two strong people with widely differing views can make it work.”
“Do you honestly think we can?” she asked.
“Depends on how much we want it,” he repeated his earlier reassurance.
“I do, Reid. More than anything, but—”
He silenced her with a finger to her lips. “We’re smart people. We can figure it all out.” The same finger gently traced her mouth. “Marry me, Haley. I swear I’ll love, honor, and cherish you, if you’ll let me.”
She could hardly breathe for the pounding in her chest. He’d just offered her everything she’d ever wanted, voiced everything she’d never thought to hear in her wildest dreams.
She swallowed hard, taking the biggest leap of faith ever. “Yes, Reid. I’ll marry you.”
The answer was barely out of her mouth before his lips claimed hers in a long, lush kiss, the kind that sent ripples of desire all the way to her toes. His hot mouth moved slowly up her neck to hover at her ear. His hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples. His breath was hot and humid on her skin. “When is the boat coming back for you?”
“In four days,” she replied. “I told him to send out a posse if I’m not back by then.”
“Then that only gives us ninety-six hours.” He grinned, big and sexy. “We’d better not waste any of it.”
Between fevered kisses, they kicked off boots and peeled off clothing. Moments later, a squeal ripped from her throat as Reid pulled her into the crystal clear pool. The steamy water engulfed them, but nothing compared to the heat of his hands and mouth.
He settled on a natural ledge, pulling her onto his lap. She wound her arms around him and shut her eyes, suffusing her senses in the feel of his hard, muscular thighs supporting her body and his hungry mouth feasting on her breasts.
Writhing with need, she reached for his erection, jutting large, hard, and proud between them. “I want you inside me, Reid,” she gasped. “Please.”
He suddenly tensed, his breath leaking out in a long, unnerving hiss.
“What’s wrong?”
“Shit! I don’t have protection. Do you?”
“No,” she replied in dismay.
He shook his head on a sigh. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. I’m happy to take care of you.”
“No, Reid. That’s not enough for me. I need you inside me.” After their heartfelt exchange, the prospect of anything less made her feel cheated.
He stared back at her in protracted silence, the tension of the moment stretching out.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I promise you I’m safe, but—”
Safe? She almost laughed. With Reid Everett, safe was the last word that ever came to her mind. “I’m certain,” she replied. “I want to feel all of you and I want you to feel all of me. All or nothing, right? I want you to come inside me, Reid.”
His pupils flared, darkening his irises to cobalt. “Sweetheart, if you want a bareback ride, I’ll make a cowgirl out of you yet.”
She threw her head back on a cry of pleasure as he pierced and filled her. They merged and melded with mingled moans and synchronous sighs. Kissing, nipping, groaning, and gasping, they embraced the sweet, wet friction. Harder. Deeper. Careening into a climax as pure and primordial as their surroundings.
* * *
Hours later, after making love again, they lay in joined sleeping bags, gazing up at a nighttime sky exploding with brilliant stars. Haley had never felt more content, or more in harmony with the world. Everything was so right when it was only the two of them. It was only when the outside world came crashing in that things always fell apart.
But they wouldn’t be alone forever. Once they went back, would they discover that it was all just a delusion? Would their differences lead to constant discord and strife?
“Reid?”
“What, Runt?” He nuzzled into her hair.
“What’s going to happen when we get back? You know I don’t fit into your world.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“Do you think your family will accept me?”
“They will if they want to be part of our lives,” he replied solemnly.
“Are you going to go back to outfitting?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there something else you want to do instead?”
“I don’t know that either, although I have a few ideas.” He ran his tongue around the shell of her ear.
“Like what? You need to stop that now, Reid. This is a serious discussion. Tell me what you’ve been thinking about.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. It’s a bit premature to discuss. I want to do a bit of research first.”
“Don’t be so mysterious,” she persisted.
“That’s me,” he remarked dryly. “Mr. Enigma.”
“C’mon, Reid,” she cajoled. “Tell me. Maybe I can even help. Research is very much what I do, remember?”
“You truly want to know?”
“Yes!”
“It’s going to be really anticlimactic now.”
“I want to hear it,” she insisted.
“All right. Maybe you do, especially since it concerns wolves.”
She regarded him quizzically. “Wolves?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking a lot, Haley. This whole situation has gotten so far out of hand. There’s gotta be a better, more proactive method of managing it. A lot of folks seem to think the silver bullet is killing more wolves, but reducing their numbers is only a partial solution. As long as there are any wolves, they’re gonna compete with hunters and threaten livestock. That’s a real problem when people are fighting just to make ends meet.
“But there are programs in place—”
“But they don’t always work. You gotta understand how it is with ranchers, Haley. Once they move their cattle out to summer range, they only do spot checks a few times a week, sometimes less. They can’t afford to spend all day babysitting cows. On the other hand, if they aren’t around to witness a predator attack, they may never find the carcass to report. No carcass means no reimbursement.”
“I understand that, but what more can we do that we aren’t already doing?”
“Ever heard of range riders?” he asked.
Her forehead wrinkled. “Aren’t they just cowboys?”
“They’re the old-school kind, the kind that stay with a herd for the entire grazing season, moving cattle around, doctoring whatever needs to be doctored, and watching out for the stock. They don’t kill predators, but they do haze with rubber bullets, flash rounds, or shellcrackers. Some of the big commercial cattle operations use them to minimize losses while grazing stock on public lands.”
“So where are you going with all this?” she asked.
“I’d like to start a range rider program and recruit returning vets. There’re a lot of good men and women out there who are having trouble adjusting to civilian life. And a lot of them can’t find jobs. They already have survival skills and arms training. They just need to learn about the livestock. It’s only a seasonal gig and wouldn’t pay a whole lot, but it could give people who need it time to decompress and get their heads together, just like I have out here in the wilderness.” He added with a dry laugh, “When all I’ve had is my own company, it hasn’t taken me long to figure a lot of shit out.”
“It’s a brilliant idea, Reid, but how could small ranches afford to hire these riders?”
“That’s the dilemma. For this to work, I think it would have to be a co-operation between the Feds, ranchers, and conservation groups. That leads to the research part I was talking about.”
“But I can help you with that,” she said. “God knows I have enough experience with grant writing. I did almost all of Jeffrey’s for him. I’m certain a number of veterans’ organizations would get on board, and I’d be happy to contact some the conservation groups that set funds aside for projects like this.”
“So you support the idea? It’s something you could get behind?”
“Absolutely,” she assured him. “And it looks like I’ll have plenty of time to devote to it since I’m now unemployed.”
“What do you mean? What happened to your job?”
“I quit. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do with nothing else lined up, but I couldn’t stay after everything that happened. Problem is, Jeffrey has a lot of clout and will likely retaliate. I may not be able to find another position.”
“What about that independent study you wanted to do?”
She snorted. “The one I’ve been denied funding on for three years?”
“Yeah, that one. Why not apply for an independent grant?”
“I admit the thought occurred to me after Jeffrey shot me down again.”
“Screw Jeffrey. He has his own agenda.”
“He used me, Reid, and I’m sorry you had to suffer for it.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. There’s nothing you could have done.”
“How can you be so damned nonchalant about all this?” she asked.
He turned her face to his and brushed her lips in a soft and tender kiss. “Because I have everything I want right here. Everything I need. You. In the great scheme of things, nothing else matters.”
Haley nuzzled into his chest, breathing him in with a blissful sigh. How could she ever have doubted him? Just as Yolanda had said, he was everything she needed to bring her life into balance. He was a warrior and a lover—tender, sensitive, passionate, attentive, masterful when he had to be, but still willing to give up control. As a husband, she knew he would love and respect, provide, and protect. And as a father…
“What are the chances?” Reid’s softly spoken question eerily echoed her thoughts.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “It probably wasn’t very smart or safe.”
She gazed up at him with a sudden onset of guilt. She hadn’t even considered that he might resent being rushed into fatherhood. She’d been far too caught up in the moment, in her need for him, even to care.
“And if you are?” He softly stroked her hair. “Any regrets?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes. Always. There isn’t room for anything but honesty between us, Haley.”
She shook her head. “No regrets, Reid. Not a single one. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
To her relief, the wrinkle eased from his brow. “Glad to hear it, Runt.” A slow, sexy smile spread over his face. “It might take me a little longer than a heartbeat, but I’ll be happy to oblige you.” Rolling on top of her, his eagerness for an encore emerged between them as his tongue sought hers in a long, lush kiss. “Then again…” He pulled back, chuckling. “Maybe not.”