Page 78 of Rocky Mountain Devil

Nicole twisted in the front passenger seat, one arm on the backrest so she could see all three women. “Okay. I’m tour director. Shopping is on the agenda. And lunch. Who needs to go where?”

“I need a craft shop and a lumber mill,” Ashley said. “Oh, and the junkyard.”

Laurel couldn’t resist. “Doing some decorating?”

Ashley looked both ways before turning onto the main highway. “I’m starting on Christmas presents.”

“At a junkyard?” Becky was obviously amused. “You have waywaymore artistic ability than me.”

“Says the woman who makes pictures with teeny tiny bits of fabric.”

“You quilt too,” Becky pointed out.

“Mine are different,” Ashley insisted. “I throw fabric at the wall then stick uncomfortable things to it. Your quilts are soft and pretty, and I’m going to cheat this year during the Coleman Christmas exchange and make sure you get my name.”

“You guys pick names?” Nicole asked.

“Have you seen the size of the gathering on Boxing Day?” Ashley said in a shocked tone. “I had no idea that getting involved with Travis and Cassidy meant I was signing up for a biannual dose of insanity.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Laurel protested.

“Oh, really? You can let me know down the road if you change your mind about that, little Miss Freshman Coleman Woman. By the way, Becky, Laurel’s taken over newbie status from you. You’re off the hook for teasing—it’s her turn.”

Heat rushed Laurel. “There’s nothing official between me and Rafe.”

“Yet.” Three voices echoed back simultaneously.

She turned to Becky. “I expected them to be terrible teases, but you too?”

Becky answered the question with another question, pressing a finger to her lips as if considering before speaking. “Hmmm, how come I’ve seen your car drive past our place so many times in the last month? You know, headed toward Angel land?”

“Wow, and I’ve seen her car parked outside Rafe’s rental at least a few times. A fewdozentimes,” Ashley deadpanned.

“And here I was wondering at how often Rafe’s truck was outside her apartment.” Nicole twisted a little further to offer a cheesy grin. “Yeah, you two aren’t spendinganytime together. None. Nada.”

Laurel let the happy feelings inside bubble before trying to change the topic. “So where else do we need to go? After the thrill of the junkyard?”

“Where do you need to go, Becky?” Nicole asked.

The young woman flushed bright pink. “Ummmm…”

Ashley chuckled evilly. “Does this mean you want to hit another toy store?”

“Ashley,” Becky whispered in shock. “I don’t… I mean, don’t talk about… I mean—”

“What? I think it’s safe to talk about sex in this group. Nicole is living with Troy Thompson, and I’m damn sure that boy’s got the moves. Laurel is seeing Rafe, who is a Coleman, which means the man’s got the libido of a bull, which means with all the time they’re spending together there is surely somespectacularhanky-panky going on. You are with a Coleman, ergo, ditto on the tomfoolery, and me…” She tilted her head to the side and batted her lashes at Becky in the rearview mirror. “Okay, you’re right, then there’s me, pure as the driven snow. Oh, horrors, don’t mention the s-e-x word.”

“You’re so bad,” Becky said with a smile.

“Just spit it out, woman. We’re all friends here.”

“Not toys, but something pretty to wear, is that right?” Laurel asked, the magazine articles she’d found Becky peering at a dead giveaway.

“Ooooooh, like lingerie?”

Becky nodded. “Yes. I want to get some pretty things. I want to surprise Trevor.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, although Laurel was stumbling a little mentally over Ashley’s assumption that she and Rafe were already a lot more sexually involved than they were.