“Howdy,” Reese offered with a shaky voice.
The girl blinked her lashes through a wand of mascara before glancing at her. “Can’t wait to get my hands on that crown,” she said. “Are you sad about giving it up?”
Reese shook her head. “Only a little. I mean, it’s been a great year, and you’re going to enjoy every minute of it I’m sure, but I think I’m about ready to be done with it and move on. You know?”
The girl reached into her makeup bag before twisting a small lid off a tube of lip gloss. She smothered it over her top lip as she spoke. “I don’t know,” she said, moving to the bottom lip. “I’m not gonna stop here. I plan to go onto Brazoria County, Miss Texas, Miss America. I want it all.”
Reese smiled, charmed by the young woman’s ambition. There was quite a difference in their ages. Pearland’s new rose had won at the young age of eighteen, while Reese had taken the crown at the maximum age of twenty-three. “Well, good for you. I’ll be cheering ya on from the sidelines,” she said before closing the stall door. The latch to lock the metal door was old and rusty. Nearly impossible to slide. She tightened her grip around the dull knob and shoved, the loud ‘pop’ filling the quiet space. “Sorry,” Reese said. “Stubborn lock.”
Her gaze fell to the small tiles on the floor as she folded her arms over her chest, wishing she could skip the ceremony altogether, slip out the back door and go home. Her interaction with the man on the dance floor had her feeling nervous. Afraid, though she knew it was foolish. The guy couldn’t possibly mean her harm. He’d only been awkward was all. Not dangerous. She nodded to herself, convinced to shake it off.
With a wave of assurance urging her forward, Reese reached for the latch to unlock the stall. Just as she shoved the stubborn thing into place, an ear-splitting explosion rocked the room. Reese pressed her hands to her ears and ducked down, cringing as the deafening blast echoed throughout the small space.
A gunshot? Had somebody just shot a gun? Her heart thudded against her chest, the pressing rhythm making it hard to breathe. A sharp ringing pierced her ears as she lifted her chin, and then straightened to a stand altogether. Through the crack of the stall frame, a view of the mirror came into sight. Only she didn’t see the girl. Instead Reese saw a man reflected there – his green eyes wild. And then he was gone, lost in the black fabric folds.
The door creaked to a close. The shrill ringing only intensified as she yanked open the flimsy stall door. Blood. A dark, oozing pool of it soaked the satin banner across the young girl’s chest. A hand flew to Reese’s mouth as she screamed, a horrid realization coming to mind: The man in the mirror – it had been him. The one who’d sent her rushing to the restroom in fear. He was dangerous after all. And though it hurt to think it, Reese was certain the bullet in the girl’s chest had been meant for her.
Sample chapter end. Reese’s Cowboy Kiss is available on Amazon.com now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberly Krey lives in the Salt Lake Valley with her husband, four children, and two dogs. She has a great love for literature, family, and food.
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
Dear Reader,
Next in the Second Chances Series, Mending Hearts.
Also look for Fresh Starts.
Also by Kimberly Krey:
A Sample Chapter from Reese’s Cowboy Kiss
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rough Edges: Allie's Story, A Companion to the Sweet Montana Bride Series (Second Chances Book 1) Page 23