Black Hills
Page 117

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 annoyed, the people just got in the way, and she wanted nothing more than to be back at the refuge-which only the night before had begun to feel like a prison.
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!” Sueanne clasped her hands together at her heart as her eyes filled. “Baby, you look like a princess.”
“The color’s lovely on you, Tansy,” Jenna put in. “That warm white.”
“And the lines.” Lucy rubbed her hand up and down Sueanne’s back. “It’s very romantic.”
“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,” Sueanne insisted.
“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, Sueanne managed a wobbly smile. “It has to be your dress.”
“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, Sueanne.” Jenna took the mother of the bride by the arm to steer her out.
“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 stunning and it’s so absolutely you.”
“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 Sueanne bustled back in, leading the parade. Sueanne stared at Tansy, then pressed her hands to her mouth. Tears spilled out of her eyes. “Oh, baby. Oh, my baby girl.”
“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 Sueanne’s insistence, a bottle of champagne. With the mood as bubbly as the wine, they went back to the task at hand, scouring florists and bakeries for ideas and inspiration.
Triumphant, they squeezed back into Jenna’s SUV with their mountain range of shopping bags. By the time they dropped off Tansy and her mother in Deadwood, the streetlights burned.
“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,” Jenna admitted. “I wonder what I can eat in the tub.”
“That’s because you walked out of the store wearing new shoes.”
“I couldn’t resist.” Jenna curled and uncurled her aching toes. “I can’t believe I bought three pairs of shoes at one time. You’re a bad influence.”
“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.”