Black Hills

Coop’s face perfectly. “Which makes it—me—more of a challenge?”
    “Maybe. If I’m right, this is at least his fourth time here, in this area. He may have been here other times. When he didn’t make contact with you, or when you were away. He could’ve picked up work around here, on one of the farms, one of the outfits. He knows the territory.”
    “So do I.”
    “He knows that, too. If he just wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”
    The cool, flat way he said it brought on another shudder. “Now that boosts my confidence.”
    “He could’ve picked you off the night he let the tiger out. Or any other time you were here alone, he could’ve kicked in the door, and taken you out. You ride over to your parents, he ambushes you. Lots of scenarios, but he doesn’t do any of that. Yet.”
    She picked up her wine, took a slow sip. “You’re trying to scare me.”
    “Damn right I am.”
    “Unnecessary. I’m scared enough, and I intend to be careful.”
    “You could take another trip. There has to be somewhere else you could work for a few weeks, a couple months.”
    “Sure. I’m practically renowned. And he could find out where I am, follow me, go after me somewhere I’m not as familiar with my territory. Or he could just wait me out, wait until I start to relax. And you’ve already thought of all that, too.”
    “Maybe a better than halfway decent cop,” he acknowledged. “Yeah, I’ve thought of it. But I’ve also thought of the odds of tracking him down while you’re somewhere else. I like the odds.”
    “I’m not leaving, Coop.”
    “What if I could arrange for your parents to be somewhere else for a few weeks, too.”
    She set her wine down, tapped her fingers on the table. “That’s low, using them.”
    “I’ll use whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
    She rose then, walked over to start a pot of coffee. “I’m not leaving,” she repeated. “I won’t be run off my own place, one I built. I won’t leave my staff, my animals vulnerable while I hide out. You know that, or you don’t know me.”
    “It was worth a try.”
    “You put a lot of time and work into this.”
    “You want a bill?”
    She glanced back. “I’m not trying to make you mad. I was before, hoping you’d get pissed off and go, give me some space. I don’t know what to do about you, Coop, that’s a fact. I just don’t. I know we need to have all that out, but it’s not the time. Not enough time,” she corrected. “I need to call my parents, and take my shift outside.”
    “There are enough people out there. You don’t need to take a shift. You’re worn out, Lil. It shows.”
    “First you boost my confidence, now my ego.” She got out a thermos. “I guess that’s what friends are for.”
    “Take the night off.”
    “Would you? Could you, in my place? I’m not going to get any sleep anyway.”
    “I could shoot you with the drug gun. That’d get you a few hours.”
    “What are friends for?” he said when she laughed.
    She filled the thermos, took it to him. “Here you go. I’ll be out after I call home.”
    He got up, set the thermos on the table to take her arms. “Look at me. I’m never going to let anything happen to you.”
    “Then we’ve got nothing to worry about.”
    He laid his lips on hers, a brush, a rub. And her heart rolled over in her chest. “Or given that we’ve got other things to worry about. Take the coffee.”
    He pulled on his rain gear first, then picked up the thermos. “I’m not sleeping on the couch.”
    “No.”
    She sighed when he went out. Choices, she thought again. It seemed she was making hers.
     
     
     
    LIL STATIONED HERSELF and wandered along the fenceline of the small-cat area. Despite the rain, Baby and his companions played stalk-and-ambush with the big red ball. The bobcats raced each other up a tree, making a lot of mock growls and snarls. She suspected if it hadn’t been for the floodlights, the sounds, scents, sights of humans, the cats would have settled down out of the rain.
    Across the habitat, the newest addition sent out the occasional barking roar, as if to say she didn’t know where the hell she was, as yet, but she was pretty damn important.
    “It’s like they’re having a party.”
    She smiled at Farley as he stepped up beside her to watch. “I guess they are. They appreciate an audience. I feel stupid out here tonight,” she told him. “Nobody’s going to troop down here in all this mess to bother me.”
    “Seems