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“They can make cooperation difficult.” She gave him a humorless smile. “And considering what happened at the other gathers this year, nobody’s feeling especially trusting. They lied about using bait traps and brought in helicopters instead.” She sighed. “God knows what’ll happen at Sand Wash.”

Mac studied her for another moment, then nodded toward the range.

“So, Ranch Girl. Want to show me what you’ve got?”

Jodie grinned and reached for her hearing protection.

“Try to keep up, Mountie.”

Mac grinned and shook his head. Jodie put her hearing protection back on, clipped a fresh target to the carrier, and ran it out.

Her next group started well. The first two shots landed close together, just a little off center. The third went wide. She frowned. The fourth followed it.

What the hell?

Jodie lowered the rifle. Her first string had been better than this one. She knew what she was doing. She knew how the rifle should feel against her shoulder, how to breathe, how to let the shot happen instead of jerking the trigger.

So why the hell am I getting worse?

Beside her, Mac continued shooting without comment.

Jodie shifted her stance and tried again. Better. Then worse again. By the end of the string, the group had wandered right again.

She pulled off her hearing protection. “Son of a bitch.”

Mac lowered his rifle before he looked over. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Jodie stared at the target as if she could intimidate the holes into moving. “I’m just annoyed.”

She knew how to shoot. She’d been doing it since she was a kid. Her brain knew exactly what was wrong with every bad shot after she made it, but fixing it was another matter. Jodie pushed her hearing protection back on, loaded again, and shifted her position. The moment she settled the rifle into her shoulder, her ankle protested. She adjusted without thinking, fired, and watched another shot land right.

“Dammit.”

She moved her feet and tried again.

Worse.

Frustration made the muscles on the back of her head and neck tighten.

I know how to do this. Why can’t I make my body do what I know?

Saturday she couldn’t keep up with Dale. Then she’d fallen and couldn’t get herself off the mountain. Now she couldn’t even stand correctly long enough to hit a target she should’ve been able to nail without thinking.

Stop it.

She wasn’t going to let one sprained ankle turn into proof that Douchey Dale had been right about anything. Jodie cleared the rifle, set it safely on the bench, and pulled her hearing protection off.

“Mac?”

He immediately lowered his own rifle and slid his hearing protection down. “Yeah?”

“Would…you mind watching me? Just for a minute, then I’ll let you get back to practicing.”

“Sure, Jodie, be happy to.” He cleared his rifle and set it safely on the bench. “Go ahead.”

Jodie left the rifle empty and picked it up, settling into position again. Mac stayed several feet away, giving her room while he watched. She tried to ignore how much she wanted to get this right with him looking at her. She took her stance, brought the rifle to her shoulder, and aimed downrange.

“Hold there,” Mac said.