Harper spoke up in his soft, Appalachian drawl that was neither fully Southern nor fully Northern. “Y’all ever thought that maybe you’ll end up with a woman horse trainer?”
Noah shrugged. “I’m not gender-prejudiced. If she can do the job, has the chops for it, I’m all in. I just need someone who is really, really good with horses that need to be broke and trained.”
“But how many women vets have that kind of experience?” Shay wondered.
“Not many,” Noah said.
“Yeah,” Garret said, “but look at Kira. She was a woman put into a male combat environment. There could be other women out there who have worked with horses before going into the military.”
Kira nodded. “That’s true. The top-secret program I took part in could very well have someone like that in their ranks.”
Noah smiled a little. “Well, that would be a good place to go to find out, because a woman’s energy is way different from a man’s. Horses respond very well to a woman trainer versus a male one if the animal has been hurt by a male.”
Kira brightened. “Noah, that gives me an idea. Let me make a call tomorrow and I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Sure,” he murmured, giving her a grateful look, “anything to get Poncho’s attention on someone other than on me.” He chuckled. “Maybe he likes women.”
* * *
“Things went well tonight,” Kira said to Garret later as they went back home after dinner. Garret hung up his Stetson and shrugged out of his coat.
“Yeah, better than I expected. Crawford was good. Well, as good as he can be. He’s still a snarly bear at best.” Turning, he saw Kira go into the kitchen. They had a lot of leftovers they’d parceled out to the other vets. “You really handled yourself well with him.”
“I’m getting used to his new normal,” she said, turning, giving him a slight smile. Opening the fridge, she put the leftovers inside. “And I think Ray was really trying today.”
“He was trying all right,” Garret said. The clock on the wall read 6 p.m. The next storm had arrived over the valley and snowflakes were falling fast and thick outside. “But he seems to respond more positively to you than to Shay right now.”
Shutting the fridge, Kira said, “Poor Shay. My heart just bleeds for her. Ray is angry at her and Reese. It’s obvious.”
“Well, he’s pissed at me, too. I was there when Reese laid down the law to him.”
“His focus is on them,” Kira said. “Are we going to try to find out who’s supplying Ray with his whiskey?”
Moving toward the living room, Garret nodded. “You’re taking Ray in for his PT two days from now at one p.m. I’m going to do a little black ops work at that time. I’ll follow you into town and be your eyes and ears.”
“You have the camera,” she reminded him, sitting down in the corner of the couch and pulling off her boots. Picking up the pink afghan, she tucked it around her lower body and snugged it around her waist. “If you can get photos, that would be good.”
“I’ll have it with me.” He sat down nearby, leaving about twelve inches between them. There was soft, instrumental music, all Christmassy, playing in the background on the radio. “If I get photos, I’ll go to the guy who’s buying Ray his whiskey. Let him know it’s not appropriate and tell him to stop doing it.”
Sighing, Kira said, “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”
“I wish Ray would consider what he’s doing to his family, to all of us, but it isn’t going to happen.” His mouth turned into a slash.
She leaned forward, her hand brushing the fabric along his arm. “I never knew how alcoholism could infect a family . . . everyone. I’m so sorry it happened to you, Garret.”
He shrugged and sat back, relaxing. “It taught me one thing: never to touch alcohol. I’ve seen firsthand what it does to a family. It destroys it.”
Leaning into the corner, Kira studied his harsh profile. Garret wasn’t movie-star good-looking, but his face was strong. “I noticed you never took beer when we managed to get some in from time to time when we were at Bagram.”
“No, I don’t touch the stuff.” He smiled faintly, holding her soft gaze. “Coffee is my bad habit.”
She smiled a little. “Do you think your father will ever stop drinking?”
His voice hardened. “Not until he dies from it, like Crawford is presently heading straight to his own demise.”
“I like a glass of wine sometimes. For special occasions. I guess, being in the military, coffee is the norm.”
“There are worse things than coffee.”
Kira wanted to ease out of her corner and slide next to Garret, place her arms around his shoulders, but she stopped herself. He looked bereft in that moment, the sadness and probably grief about his father apparent. Instead, she gently nudged him with her toe. “Hey, could we take a drive tomorrow so I can get some shots down by Moose Lake in the park? It should be a beautiful time with fresh snow having fallen.”
“Sure, but let’s see if this storm passes quick enough. They’re saying we’ll get six inches tonight. If the plows get out and salt the highway, we should be able to make it into that area, no problem.”
“Good,” she murmured. “I think we deserve some time out. And I can teach you a little more about framing a bright snow landscape shot.”
“I’d like that.”
A warmth settled in her heart. What would it be like to love Garret? Kira wanted him so bad. She saw the way he looked at her. Felt him wanting her. No longer did she deny it, but there was another question: Was Garret seeking a long-term relationship with her or not? What really lay between them?
Kira had never been built for one-night stands. Everything told her Garret wasn’t that kind of man either. Even at Bagram, when some of the team was allowed a break from their village duties and flew to the huge Army base, Garret never caroused. And, to be honest, the other members of the A team were either married or engaged, so they didn’t either. None of them had gone after women that she could remember. It said something about their love, their loyalty, to the women in their lives. Her heart squeezed with pain. Now that was all lost. Gone. Forever.
* * *
Moose Lake was oval, frozen-over and covered with snow. On one side of it were tall Douglas fir, decked out in heavy winter overcoats of the white stuff. The sky was cloudy with a few riffs of blue sky every now and again. Everything was quiet, that special, muted silence Kira loved so much.
They moved from the parking lot to the lake. They had a few hours and Kira eagerly trod through the knee-high snow, Garret cupping her elbow to keep her upright. In her gloved hands was the small Canon PowerShot.
Garret looked around. The grizzly and black bears were well asleep now, hibernating. The Snake River wolf pack was now the alpha predator of the area. He knew the wolf pack wasn’t known to frequent the park at all. Still, it would have been an incredible shot if the large pack of fifteen wolves had shown up here. He knew Kira would be thrilled. He grinned just thinking about it.
She wore her red knit cap, the red muffler around her neck and shoulders. The snow was deep for her and Garret patiently cut his stride so she could walk without stumbling or falling.
Their breaths were white jets coming from their noses and mouths. “Look,” Garret said, halting and pointing to the right. “Tracks.”
“What are they? Do you know?”
He craned his neck. “Maybe fox or bobcat?”
“What I’d give to see a wolf!” She looked up at him, grinning.
Garret wanted to absorb her sparkling gray gaze that tugged so powerfully at his heart. Her cheeks were flushed and he was seeing the old Kira again, realizing how much of a damper Crawford put on her. He was glad he’d suggested this little outing, thanking Canon and the photographic gods and goddesses for the opportunity. “Probably won’t,” he cautioned.
“Do you see any other tracks?” she asked, pushing forward, heading to the west side of the small lake because the sun’s posi
tion would be behind her and excellent for good photographs.
“Yeah, lots,” he said, looking here and there as they trudged through the snow. “Where do you want to set up to shoot?”
Pointing, Kira said, “Over there. You always shoot with the sun behind your back.”
“Why?”
“You’ll get a black shadow instead of all the colors and details you wanted if you shoot directly into the sun. The sun is in the eye of the lens. Not good.”
“Okay, then,” Garret murmured, giving her a smile, “let’s get over there.”
Once in position, Garret stamped out an area with his boots where Kira could move around a little without slogging through a bank of snow. It was a small circle but large enough for both of them. The shadows were long and the tree trunks thin, dark lines across the snow. He watched as Kira put the camera on manual and then adjusted a lot of things he still wasn’t familiar with.
“Now,” she said, “the camera is ready. I’ve guesstimated the F-stop, the ISO and other functions. All I need to do now is take a test photo to see if my settings are correct for the light and conditions.”
Garret enjoyed her enthusiasm. “Okay, go for it.” He watched her adjust her bulky gloves, which had sheep’s fleece inside them to keep her fingers warm. It hurt him to see the camera nearly fall twice because the weakened fingers on her left hand wouldn’t hold it correctly. Each time, she caught the camera and patiently readjusted it until she was satisfied.
He watched her place her elbows against her body to keep the camera as still as possible and then click. Once she had the test shot, she lowered it and turned to him. Their heads were nearly touching as she told him about the shot and the light.
“It’s good,” she said.
He heard the pleasure in her voice. “Then shoot away. I’ll stand watch for bears.” He grinned, drowning in her shining gray gaze.
“They’re hibernating. You’re going to take some shots, too.”
“I will, but you go ahead,” he urged. The stillness enfolded them. After the swift-moving front had come through last night, the cutting, icy wind had left with it. Now there was a stillness that fed Garret’s soul. It always had. This was what he loved about the winter. It had an incredible, healing quiet that silently embraced him. The only thing he heard were the clicks from the camera.
Then he caught movement near the lake and narrowed his eyes.
“Kira!” he rasped in a low tone, “wolves at eleven o’clock!”
She gasped, turning her camera in that direction. “Oh,” she whispered excitedly.
Disbelieving, Garret watched a black alpha male, the leader of the pack, come silently out of the tree line, leading confidently through the chest-deep snow toward the back of the lake. A white wolf wasn’t far behind him, more than likely the alpha female. They skirted the edge of the lake, where the snow was only ankle deep, heading toward the deeper, denser forest on their side of it. Garret saw eight more gray wolves following them. His heart pounded with excitement at their unexpected arrival. He heard Kira making happy sounds in her throat, pure pleasure, as she snapped away, following the swiftly moving pack. In less than ten seconds, the wolf pack disappeared into the other tree line, disappearing into the darkness.
“Oh my God!” Kira squealed, turning, jumping up and down, the camera in her right hand. “Oh my God, Garret! It was a wolf pack! I got them! I got them!” and she stopped jumping and turned on the camera to look at the shots.
Garret watched her hunch over the camera, her eyes riveted to the screen. He heard her gasp and she moved over to him, body against his, holding the screen up toward him.
“Look! Look, I got him! Oh, God, this is such a great shot!”
He’d seen Kira like this in Afghanistan, but never here, as he steadied the camera, looking intently at the screen. She’d expertly caught the head and neck of the black wolf and it was a stunning shot against the white snow. Garret lifted his head, smiling. “Wow. This is a great photo.” He handed the camera back to her. “Look at all of them,” he coaxed, happiness soaring through him.
She made more purring sounds in her throat as she quickly dialed through the rest of the shots. Garret looked over her shoulder and honestly, he couldn’t see a bad photo in the bunch. She’d clicked on automatic and had at least twenty shots, both close-ups of individuals and of the entire pack strung out along the edge of the lake. He wasn’t prepared for Kira turning around and throwing her arms around his neck, her lips crushing his.
Garret’s world exploded, anchored to a screeching halt as Kira’s warm, soft mouth pressed against his. Her breath was swift, punctuated with excitement. Her arms were damn strong. Stronger than he’d given her credit for being as she hugged him fiercely with all her woman’s strength. Only in reaction did his arms sweep around her body, nearly lifting her off her feet, crushing her as close as their heavy clothing would allow.
Her mouth . . . oh sweet Jesus, her mouth tasted like delicious cotton candy, heat combined with eagerness as she kissed him hungrily. There was such enthusiasm, boundless joy and need all wrapped up in her lips sliding against his as he opened his mouth to allow her to explore him more deeply. All sounds, the coldness, everything . . . disappeared around Garret. All he felt was her moist, ragged breath against his face, her fierce kiss that took no prisoners and her arms holding him as tight as she could. There was no space between them. He couldn’t get enough of Kira as she melted into him, her body languid, trusting, fused to his. Her mouth was like the petals of a rose slowly opening beneath his exploration and onslaught. His entire body became galvanized, heat roaring through him as she cherished his mouth with an eagerness that caught him completely off guard.
Without thinking, because she trusted his arms, his body surrounding hers in that magical moment, Garret groaned deeply. Kira’s taste was like a perfume awakening his body from a deep, dormant sleep. She was bold and he absorbed her lips, feeling them give and take beneath his. And then she gave the signal she wanted to be let down, to be on her feet once more.
Garret placed her solidly on the packed snow, unwilling to leave her mouth, which was sending his lower body into a spasm of agony, but he didn’t care. He’d crawl through hell just to feel her mouth gliding, sipping and hungrily relishing his.
Reluctantly, Garret felt her mouth leave his. He barely opened his eyes, staring into her cloudy, aroused-looking gray ones. She gripped his arms, clinging to him as if she were unsteady. Their breaths were sharp and punctuated, thick vapor rising between them, their gazes locked together. Slowly, she eased her fingers from digging into his biceps. He opened his arms, allowing her space between their once-fused bodies. Kira’s lips glistened, were pouty and swollen from the fierce kiss they’d shared. His heart was thudding in his chest and a quiver roared through him as he kept his hands on her shoulders, staring down at her, disbelief and shock still funneling through him. Kira had kissed him. Him! His throat closed and he felt a lump form that he tried to swallow away. His mind was mush. Garret was always good with a verbal comeback, but this time he had none, absolutely none.
Kira gave him a confused look, touching her lower lip with her gloved hand. Her cheeks were flushed as she stared wonderingly up at Garret.
“Why did you kiss me?” Garret growled unsteadily, refusing to let her go. She felt wobbly and he suddenly realized the power his kiss had on her. The thrill of knowing her reaction was heady, racing through him like an unleashed animal, howling through him. Seeing arousal in her shining eyes, the joy in those huge black pupils staring up at him in wonder, made Garret dizzy for a moment. Fighting the euphoria, the shock still singing through his veins that Kira had kissed him, he didn’t know what to say.
With his gloved hand, he caressed her cheek. Garret felt as if his whole life hung on her reaction to their kiss. He saw her close her lips, compress them, then look away for a moment. Did he see fear in her eyes? Impossible. But why? Why would she suddenly look fearful and unsure of herself? Garret di
dn’t understand, and he so desperately wanted to. So many words, an avalanche of them, wanted to tear out of him. His mind spun with questions. Had Kira kissed him in the heat of the moment? Was that what this was about? Just joy being expressed with him as a friend? Nothing more? Nothing deeper? More meaningful? He wanted that one, branding, forever kiss still tingling on his mouth to mean Kira loved him. She’d kissed him like she damn well meant it. She wasn’t innocent. She’d had relationships before they’d met. If only . . . and a gutting pain went through his heart. If only Kira meant that kiss with him for the right reasons.
Too soon, his brain screamed at him. Too soon. Can’t go there. Don’t dare . . . Wrestling with his wild, fluctuating emotions while his mind called for logic and calm, Garret had never felt like he did right then with Kira. When she turned and lifted her chin to hold his gaze, he saw as many emotions in her eyes; it was impossible to know what she was really feeling. Why had she kissed him? He had to know. His fingers caressed her shoulders lightly, a lover’s touch, silently urging her to speak to him.
Giving him a flustered look, Kira whispered unsteadily, “I don’t know what happened to me, Garret. I was so happy . . . I wanted to celebrate it with you was all . . .”
He tried to swallow his hurt and disappointment. Kira had kissed him in the heat of the moment. Nothing more. Searching her eyes, he still saw arousal banked in them. Or was it only that he wanted to see that reaction?
Managing a sour smile, he released her shoulders. “Seeing a wolf pack, getting it on film is worth celebrating.” Garret wasn’t going to take out his disappointment on Kira. He instantly saw relief in her expression. How could she have kissed him so passionately and then said what she had? Garret had had enough relationships in his life to know the kinds of kisses a woman could give a man. Was there celebration and joy in her mouth clinging to his? Absolutely. But there was more. And he desperately wanted Kira to be honest, completely honest, with him.
Warning himself that he was expecting far too much too soon, Garret forced himself to slow down, take a long, deep breath and stop pushing Kira. He’d seen fear in her eyes and he didn’t know what that was about. Fear of him? Fear of something from the past?
Wind River Cowboy Page 20
