Black Hills

“You could buy new sexy underwear.”

She slanted him a look. “You’ve got a one-track mind.”

“Stay on track, you eventually reach the finish line.”

“I need the hills, Coop.” Her fingers went back, tugging and twisting the strings of the hoodie. “How long can I let him take them from me?”

This time he leaned down, pressed his lips to her hair. “We’ll take the horses down to Custer. We’ll ride the hills all day.”

She wanted to say those weren’t her hills, but it would have been petty and pouty.

She looked toward their silhouette, blank and black under the night sky. Soon, she thought. It had to be soon.

LIL REMINDED HERSELF, again, she liked to shop. Geography and circumstances meant she did a lot of that online, so when she had the chance to really dig into the colors, shapes, textures, smells of shopping in three dimensions, she did so with enthusiasm.

And she enjoyed the company of women, particularly these women. Suea

She liked the city, too. Usually. She enjoyed the change of pace, the sights, the stores, the crowds. Since childhood a trip into Rapid City had been a special treat, a day of fun and busy doings.

But now the noise a

She sat in the pretty dressing room of the bridal boutique, sipping sparkling water garnished with a thin slice of lemon, and thought about what trails she would take if she had the opportunity to hunt Ethan.

She’d start on the flat, where he’d disabled the camera. The search had covered that area, but that didn’t matter. They might have missed something. He’d killed there, at least twice. A human and her cougar. It was part of his hunting ground.

From there, she’d cover the ground to the Crow Peak trail, where he most likely had intercepted James Tyler. From there to the river, where the body had been found. From that point-

“Lil!”

Lil jolted back so fast she nearly tipped the water into her lap. “What?”

“The dress.” Tansy spread her arms to model the off-the-shoulder ivory confection of silk and lace.

“You look gorgeous.”

“All brides look gorgeous.” A hint of impatience edged into Tansy’s tone. “We’re taking opinions on the dress.”

“Um…”

“I just love it!” Suea

“The color’s lovely on you, Tansy,” Je

“And the lines.” Lucy rubbed her hand up and down Suea

“It’s a spectacular dress,” Lil managed finally.

“And it’s an outdoor country wedding. Doesn’t anyone else think this is, yes, spectacular, but too much for a simple, country wedding?”

“You’re still the showpiece,” Suea

“Mama, I know you’ve got Princess Tansy in mind, and I love you for it. I love the dress, too. But it’s not what I have in my mind for my wedding.”

“Oh. Well.” Obviously deflated, Suea

“Why don’t we go hunt some more?” Lucy suggested. “Lil can help her out of that one, and into one of the others we’ve got in here. But maybe we missed the perfect one.”

“That’s a great idea. Come on, Suea

“I love it, I really do.” Tansy did a turn in front of the three-way mirror. “What’s not to love? If we were doing something more formal, I’d snatch this in a heartbeat, but… Lil!”

“Hmm. Damn it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Setting the water glass aside, she rose to unhook the back of the dress. “I’m a terrible friend. I’m the worst maid of honor in the history of maids of honor. I deserve to wear puce organdy with two dozen flounces and puffy sleeves. Please don’t make me wear puce organdy.”

“I’m holding it in reserve,” Tansy said darkly, “so watch your step. I know you didn’t want to come today.”

“It’s not that. I just haven’t been able to get my head here. But now it is. I’m keeping it here. Solemn swear.”

“Then help me get into the one I hid behind the one with the enormous skirt. I know Mama wants me in a big white dress, and would like it better yet if it had a twenty-foot train and six million sequins. But I saw that one out there and it hit. I think it’s the one.”

It was the color of warm, rich honey, its sweetheart neckline outlined with tiny, delicate pearls. It dipped in at the waist then flowed out in a subtle flair. Ribbons crisscrossed the back down to the elaborate bow that flirted from the waist.

“Oh, Tansy, you look… edible. If it weren’t for Farley I’d marry you myself.”

“I glow.” Tansy turned in front of the mirror, her face radiant. “That’s what I want. I want to glow on the outside the same way I am on the inside.”

“You really do. It’s not spectacular. It’s stu

“It’s my wedding dress. You have to help me convince my mother. I don’t want to disappoint her, but this is my dress.”

“I think-”

Lil stopped short as Suea

“I don’t think she needs convincing,” Lil concluded.

Shopping did take her mind off things when she let it. And there was nothing quite like the fun of an all-girl day in the shops. Pretty dresses and pretty shoes and pretty bags, all guiltlessly purchased thanks to Tansy’s wedding.

Intermission was a fancy lunch, which included, at Suea

Triumphant, they squeezed back into Je

“I bet we walked twenty miles.” With a little groan, Lucy stretched out her legs. “I’m going to top off the day with a nice long soak in the tub.”

“I’m starving. Shopping makes me hungry. And my feet hurt,” Je

“That’s because you walked out of the store wearing new shoes.”

“I couldn’t resist.” Je

“They were on sale.”

“One pair was on sale.”

“You saved money on the one, so it’s not like buying them.”

“It’s not?”

“No,” Lucy said in reasonable tones. “It’s like saving on them. So look at it that way: you only bought two pairs. And one of them’s for the wedding. Those you were obligated to buy. Really, you only bought one pair.”

“Your logic is wise. And confusing.”

In the backseat Lil listened to the old friends enjoy each other’s company, and smiled.

She hadn’t taken enough time for this, she admitted. Time to just sit and listen to her mother talk, to be with her, with Lucy. She had let that bastard steal that from her too, those little moments of pleasure.

That would stop.

“Let’s have a spa day.”

Je

“A spa day. I haven’t had a facial or a manicure since before I left for South America. Let’s figure out when we can all take a day off and book a bunch of decadent treatments at the day spa.”

“Lucy, there’s someone in the backseat pretending to be Lil.”

Lil leaned up, poked her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to have Mary call and book us as soon as I check my schedule and Tansy’s, so you’d better let her know if you’ve got any day next week that doesn’t work. Otherwise, too bad for you.”