Free Sharp Shootin' Cowboy by Victoria Vane

you. When do you come home?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t know for certain. It’ll still be a couple of months yet. Probably early April,” she answered his question without knowing why.
    â€œGood. I’ll still be around.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice. “I’ll be waiting for you, Haley Cooper.”
    â€œGood-bye, Reid.” Haley ended the call feeling dazed and confused.
    His doggedness was flattering. No one had ever shown that kind of interest in her before, but she resented how his words had roused her own feelings of self-pity and loneliness. She also hated that he made her feel unsure of Jeffrey, a man who’d offered nothing but encouragement and support. Reid, on the other hand, made her question almost everything she believed in.
    She still couldn’t deny her attraction to Reid, but it could never be enough to overcome their incompatibility. Nevertheless, late that night, in the darkest and loneliest hours, it wasn’t thoughts of Jeffrey, but a tall cowboy with sky-blue eyes that heated her body and haunted her dreams.
    * * *
    Dubois, Wyoming, the same night
    Reid had stepped outside to escape the sudden crushing sensation in his chest. He’d never suffered claustrophobia before, but the music, the laughter, the smells, and the questions he wasn’t ready to answer were like sensory overload. His family all just carried on like normal, but he couldn’t. He almost wished he hadn’t come home. It was just too much, too soon after his deployment.
    He sucked in a breath, filling his lungs with frosty air and then shut his eyes in a silent prayer for all the guys who’d never see another Christmas. Bravo company had arrived in Kuwait with 185 men; a quarter of them would never return to their families. His platoon had been among those hit the hardest. They’d accomplished their mission but had paid a heavy price in blood.
    He took a long swig of his beer.
    A moment later he’d dialed his phone. He hadn’t even thought about it. He’d just wanted to hear her voice. The conversation was short, even a bit terse. He’d felt her resistance about seeing him again, but in the end she hadn’t actually said no. He pocketed his phone with a smile.
    â€œHey you! The party’s inside.” Tonya sat down beside him, drink in hand. She rested the other one on his thigh. Her touch and voice were light, as if testing the waters.
    He tensed slightly but couldn’t think of a tactful way to get away from her.
    â€œWho was that on the phone?” she asked.
    â€œA friend.” He decided just to play it cool. Tonya wasn’t dumb. She’d eventually get the hint.
    Her black brows arched, but she didn’t press that line of questioning. Instead, she tilted her head skyward and released a long sigh. “I love the cold weather, don’t you? It lights up the night. The sky seems darker, and the stars more intense. And I love the snow too, walking in it, skiing on it, and even catching the flakes on my tongue. Did you miss it much, Reid?”
    â€œYes, I did. I hate the desert.”
    â€œThen why did you go? Your family’s outfitting business is doing well. Better than well. There’s a whole new lot of oil barons coming in from the Dakotas.”
    â€œI’m doing what I was called to do. If you don’t understand that by now, you never will.”
    She shrugged. “I was hoping you’d be back for Christmas. We really need to talk, Reid.”
    â€œThat so? Then why didn’t you just text me?”
    â€œOuch.” She winced. “I’m sorry about that. More than I can say, Reid, but I just didn’t know how else to break it off. I was afraid that if I called you, I wouldn’t be able to do it, and that wouldn’t have been fair to either of us.”
    â€œAt least it was clean. I’ll give you that much,” he replied with a dry laugh.
    Although it had