Sam helped Libby out of the truck, and they headed into the big metal building that housedthe mercantile.
“Mornin’, Sam.” Fran Tilman, one of the employees, hurried over to help. A stout, older woman with silver hair cut in a bob, Fran knew everyone in town and was alwaysfull of gossip.
Just what Sam didn’t need.
“Morning, Fran.” He turned. “Fran, this is Libby Hale. She’s working at the ranch this summer. She needsa few things.”
Fran’s shrewd gaze went from him to Libby. “Always happy to help.” Meaning she was happy to get a chance for fresh gossip.
Fran smiled, and Libby smiled back. “We got just about anything you can think of,” Fran said. “What do you need?”
Libby glanced around the big open area that held everything from farm equipment to saddles and horse gear, along with racks of clothing, heavy winter jackets, and Western wear.
“I’ll leave you to your shopping,” Sam said, eager to escape. “I’ve got some errands. I won’t be gone long.” He started to leave, stopped and turned back. “I don’t think I mentioned there’s a lake in the mountains where we’re camping. If you don’t have a bathing suit, you can probablyfind one here.”
Libby’s smile widened, betraying the first real excitement he had seen. “A lake. That sounds great. Don’t worry, I’ve got my own suit. I never travel without one.”
Sam ground down on the image of Libby in a miniscule bikini, but his body ignored him and stirred to life. He managed to nod as he walked away. Maybe he should have let her skip the packtrip after all.
* * * *
Libby glanced around the dome-shaped metal structure, taking in the automotive supplies, bags of dry dog food, saddles, bridles, and RV equipment.
“I came to buy a disposable camera.” She thought of her cell phone with longing. “If they still makethose things.”
Fran nodded wisely. “Fujifilm Instax Mini. They come in different colors. There’s a rack right over here.” The plump woman led the way andLibby followed.
“Which one’s the best?” she asked.
“Well, you can buy the camera bundle, which has some extra goodies, but it costs quite a bit more.”
“I’ll take it.”
Fran eyed her a little differently, plucked a pink plastic camera off the rack and handed it over. “So how did you come to be working on the ranch? Are you a long-time friend of Sam’s?”
“My uncle was a friend. He suggested I come up for the summer.”
“Maybe I knew him. Whatwas his name?”
Libby was there because she had no choice, but the woman didn’t need to know that. “Uncle Martin only came for a couple of weeks. He passed a few months back.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” They started toward the register. “You said you have a swimsuit. Is there anything else Ican show you?”
She looked over at the Western clothes. “Sam thinks I need a pair ofcowboy boots.”
Fran grinned. “We have a big boot department. And you might want to look at some Western shirts or jeans. We just got in a new shipment. Oh, and we got some beautiful Montana Silversmith’s jewelry: earrings, belt buckles, bracelets, that kind of thing. You’re new here, but eventually, you’ll probably end up over at the Elkhorn Bar and Grill. They have dances there onthe weekends.”
“They have a band?”
“Sure do. If you don’t know how to country dance, I’m sure Samcan teach you.”
The implication was clear, but Libby didn’t take the bait, just smiled and made no reply. She followed Fran over to the Western wear department, which immediately captured her interest.
By the time Libby walked out of the mercantile, she was carrying an armload of jeans, boots, shirts, Western tank tops, some pretty silver jewelry, and of course herFujifilm Mini.
She set the bags down on the sidewalk and began to watch for Sam’s truck. Across the parking lot, she noticed Max and Vince’s blue Ford Fusion sitting in front of the gas pumps. Vince filled the tank while Max stood a few feet away, deep in conversation with a bearded man in jeans and a red flannel shirt. There were a few streaks of gray in his reddish-brown hair, and above the scraggly beard, a suntanned, weathered complexion.
Preoccupied, they didn’t seem to see her in an alcove near the front door. Vince finished pumping gas, and he and Max got into the car. Max started the engine while the bearded man took off around the side of the building and disappeared.
