still enjoyed hearing the story, though.
Sarah walked up to the Custer hotel’s doors and headed inside. She heard Abby before she saw her. The redhead was in the hotel’s bar, though she wasn’t ordering her usual gin martini. The bar was actually closed. Tables and chairs were stacked to one side and covered with canvas. It appeared to Sarah that the workmen were actually preparing to cut a hole in the bar’s back wall.
“I need this knocked out and the framing done by next week,” Abby was explaining to the foreman. “Though the finish work can take longer.”
Sarah was normally polite having been raised in the South. She understood that she should wait until her best friend was finished, but she couldn’t.
“Abby,” Sarah called out.
“One sec,” Abby replied, not even glancing over her shoulder. To the foreman she said, “So, listen, if this floor needs to be refinished after, I’d like to-“
“Abby,” Sarah said again.
“Hang on!” Abby called back.
“Vegas!” Sarah yelled.
Abby finally turned to face Sarah. “What?”
Sarah held up the strip of photos.
A piercing scream rang out in the bar. Abby launched herself at Sarah.
“Oh, my GOD!”
Sarah caught her, gripped her around the waist, and both women devolved into bouts of hysterical laughter.
“I knew it!” Abby proclaimed. She took Sarah’s face in her hands, beaming at her. “I knew it would happen for you guys. No one deserves it more. I need some champagne!” Abby announced. “And I’m in an empty bar! Ugh. We have to go out for lunch.”
Sarah grinned at her. “How about some shopping?”
“Oh, God yes! She needs her first dress. Her first shoes. Do they make high heels for babies? What about cowboy boots?” Abby squealed. “Oh, she’s going to look so cute in boots!”
Sarah laughed. “How do you know it’s a girl?”
“Because I’m the aunt and I say so! Oh! Baby’s first jewelry!”
Sarah smiled and shook her head. She looked at the flower made of rubies and diamonds that was always nestled in the hollow of Abby’s throat. To the outside world it looked like a beautiful vintage necklace. But only Abby and her boyfriend Tex and their friends knew its real meaning. Abby Raines was used to getting her way. Except in the bedroom, where she submitted to the, probably slightly depraved, desires of the man she loved.
Sarah didn’t know exactly what went on between Mark and Abby in the bedroom. She suspected she didn’t want to know. But they were both happy and Sarah was happy for them.
But Sarah had her own ideas about bedroom sass. And right now she wanted to shop for some things that would make tonight special. It was Poker Night (ha) but that was the only appointment Sarah could get on such short notice. She wanted to call the guys and cancel, but then they’d want to know why. And she didn’t want to alert Chris to anything suspicious.
She’d already told him she was headed to Maria’s bar to work the lunch shift, as she often did on Thursdays. Instead she’d called out, telling Maria everything. She knew she could trust the older woman to keep it quiet.
A year ago when Sarah had been attacked, for the second time, she’d fled South Dakota to her native North Carolina to deal with the aftermath. After deciding that her life and her future lay with the second family she’d created here, she’d returned.
Even though Sarah’s life story was the talk of the town, it wasn’t the talk of Maria’s bar where Sarah had worked before the kidnapping and where she worked again upon return to Rapid City.
Maria was nice enough. But it was her place and her rules and she’d l aid down the law when Sarah returned. Any gossip about Sarah Sullivan and you were out on your ass. Permanently.
Maria was overjoyed that Sarah and Shooter had been trying for a baby. She’d waxed poetic a few times that it was going to be hard to lose Sarah, the best waitress Maria had ever had. But Shooter and Slick, Maria
Sarah walked up to the Custer hotel’s doors and headed inside. She heard Abby before she saw her. The redhead was in the hotel’s bar, though she wasn’t ordering her usual gin martini. The bar was actually closed. Tables and chairs were stacked to one side and covered with canvas. It appeared to Sarah that the workmen were actually preparing to cut a hole in the bar’s back wall.
“I need this knocked out and the framing done by next week,” Abby was explaining to the foreman. “Though the finish work can take longer.”
Sarah was normally polite having been raised in the South. She understood that she should wait until her best friend was finished, but she couldn’t.
“Abby,” Sarah called out.
“One sec,” Abby replied, not even glancing over her shoulder. To the foreman she said, “So, listen, if this floor needs to be refinished after, I’d like to-“
“Abby,” Sarah said again.
“Hang on!” Abby called back.
“Vegas!” Sarah yelled.
Abby finally turned to face Sarah. “What?”
Sarah held up the strip of photos.
A piercing scream rang out in the bar. Abby launched herself at Sarah.
“Oh, my GOD!”
Sarah caught her, gripped her around the waist, and both women devolved into bouts of hysterical laughter.
“I knew it!” Abby proclaimed. She took Sarah’s face in her hands, beaming at her. “I knew it would happen for you guys. No one deserves it more. I need some champagne!” Abby announced. “And I’m in an empty bar! Ugh. We have to go out for lunch.”
Sarah grinned at her. “How about some shopping?”
“Oh, God yes! She needs her first dress. Her first shoes. Do they make high heels for babies? What about cowboy boots?” Abby squealed. “Oh, she’s going to look so cute in boots!”
Sarah laughed. “How do you know it’s a girl?”
“Because I’m the aunt and I say so! Oh! Baby’s first jewelry!”
Sarah smiled and shook her head. She looked at the flower made of rubies and diamonds that was always nestled in the hollow of Abby’s throat. To the outside world it looked like a beautiful vintage necklace. But only Abby and her boyfriend Tex and their friends knew its real meaning. Abby Raines was used to getting her way. Except in the bedroom, where she submitted to the, probably slightly depraved, desires of the man she loved.
Sarah didn’t know exactly what went on between Mark and Abby in the bedroom. She suspected she didn’t want to know. But they were both happy and Sarah was happy for them.
But Sarah had her own ideas about bedroom sass. And right now she wanted to shop for some things that would make tonight special. It was Poker Night (ha) but that was the only appointment Sarah could get on such short notice. She wanted to call the guys and cancel, but then they’d want to know why. And she didn’t want to alert Chris to anything suspicious.
She’d already told him she was headed to Maria’s bar to work the lunch shift, as she often did on Thursdays. Instead she’d called out, telling Maria everything. She knew she could trust the older woman to keep it quiet.
A year ago when Sarah had been attacked, for the second time, she’d fled South Dakota to her native North Carolina to deal with the aftermath. After deciding that her life and her future lay with the second family she’d created here, she’d returned.
Even though Sarah’s life story was the talk of the town, it wasn’t the talk of Maria’s bar where Sarah had worked before the kidnapping and where she worked again upon return to Rapid City.
Maria was nice enough. But it was her place and her rules and she’d l aid down the law when Sarah returned. Any gossip about Sarah Sullivan and you were out on your ass. Permanently.
Maria was overjoyed that Sarah and Shooter had been trying for a baby. She’d waxed poetic a few times that it was going to be hard to lose Sarah, the best waitress Maria had ever had. But Shooter and Slick, Maria
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