Black Hills

stupid smile off your face.”
    She spun around, stalked away.
    Her temper turned his smile into a mile-wide grin.
    He’d kissed Tansy Spurge, he thought. And before she’d gotten her dander up, she’d kissed him right back.
     
     
     
    LIL TOOK THREE extra-strength Tylenol for the stress headache and topped it off with a long, blistering shower. Dressed in flannels, thick socks, and a comfortably tattered University of North Dakota sweatshirt, she added logs to the flames in her compact fireplace.
    Heat, she thought. She couldn’t seem to get enough of it. She kept the lights blazing, too. She wasn’t ready for the dark yet. She gave some thought to food, but couldn’t work up the energy or the appetite.
    She’d called her parents, so that was crossed off the list. She’d reassured them, promised to lock her doors, and reminded them she had a refuge loaded with early warning signals.
    She’d work. She had articles to write, grant proposals to complete. No, she’d do laundry. No point in letting it pile up.
    Maybe she should upload her photos. Or check the webcams.
    Or, or, or.
    She paced like a cat in a cage.
    The sound of the truck had her pivoting toward the door. The staff had been gone nearly two hours now, and Mary would have locked the gate across the access road behind her. They all had keys, but . . . given the circumstances, wouldn’t whoever might have forgotten something, wanted something, needed something have called first to alert her?
    Baby gave a warning cry, and in the big-cat area, the old lioness roared. Lil grabbed her rifle. Farley beat her outside by a step.
    In contrast to her thudding heart, his voice was calm as a spring breeze. “Why don’t you go on back inside, Lil, while I see who . . . Okay.” He shifted the shotgun he’d carried out, angled the barrel down. “That’s Coop’s rig.”
    Farley lifted a hand in greeting as the truck eased to a stop, and Coop climbed out.
    “This is a hell of a welcoming committee.” Coop glanced at the guns, then over to where the animals let the newcomer know they were on alert.
    “They set up a ruckus,” Farley commented. “Sure is something hearing those big jungle cats carry on, isn’t it? Well.” He gave Coop a nod. “I’ll be seeing you.”
    “How did you get in the gate?” Lil demanded when Farley had slipped back inside.
    “Your father gave me his key. Lot of keys floating around, from what I understand. A lock’s not much good if everybody’s got a key.”
    “Staff members have keys.” She knew her voice lashed out in defense because she’d been frightened. Really frightened for a moment. “Otherwise somebody’d have to open it every damn morning before anybody else could get in. You should’ve called. If you came by to check on me, I could’ve told you and saved you the trip.”
    “It’s not that long a trip.” He stepped up on the porch, handed her a covered dish. “My grandmother sent it. Chicken and dumplings.” He picked up the rifle she’d leaned against the rail and walked into the cabin without invitation.
    Setting her teeth, Lil went in behind him. “It was nice of her to trouble, and I appreciate you bringing it by, but—”
    “Jesus, Lil, it’s like a furnace in here.”
    “I was cold.” It was warmer than it needed to be now, but it was her damn house. “Hey look, there’s no need for you to stay,” she began as he stripped off his coat. “I’m covered here, as you can plainly see. It’s been a long day for both of us.”
    “Yeah. And I’m hungry.” He took the dish back from her, then strolled toward the back of the cabin to her kitchen.
    She hissed under her breath, but hospitality had been ingrained since childhood. Visitors, even unwelcome ones, were to be given food and drink.
    He’d already turned on her oven, and he stuck the dish inside as she came in. As if, she thought, she were the guest.
    “It’s still warm. Won’t take long to heat it through. Got a beer?”
    And visitors, she thought resentfully, should wait to be offered food and drink. She yanked open the refrigerator, pulled out two bottles of Coors.
    Coop twisted off the cap, handed it to her. “Nice place.” He leaned back, enjoying the first cold sip as he took a quick survey. Though the kitchen was compact, there were plenty of glass-fronted cabinets and open shelves, a good section of slate-colored counter. A little table tucked in the corner in front of a built-in bench provided eating