Whiskey River, Drown my Soul

Chapter Twenty-Three

I borrowed Ip's navy blue Silverado after I watched him work with the magnificent Pele, then I spent half the day at the closest mall. I texted Ip an update every half hour as planned.

I found myself a dark red dress with a double v neckline, and got Ip a dark blue (almost black) button up shirt with pinstripes in the same color red. At another store I found a tie in that same red. I bought him black dress pants and hoped the leg opening would fit over his shiny black cowboy boots.

Rev called as I was walking from that store to a salon.

"Hey", I said.

"Hello, love. I've got good news and bad news".

"Shoot".

"We know that Stubs intends to be at a New Years Eve party at the bar we've been at, but we're going to need to deal with some heavy protection guarding him that night. Also, I won't be with you for the holiday".

"I'm glad you know where he is, get the local cops to help you, and I already planned on you not being here anyway. I just bought a dress to go out with Ip, Lia, and Tim", I said matter of factly.

There was a moment of silence. When Rev replied, he sounded stunned.

"You seem pretty nonchalant about all this, love. Are you all right?"

"Like I told you yesterday, I'm doing more healthy processing and healing here than I probably ever have. I am really good, Rev. I'm not completely okay, but I am doing better than I was, better than I have been for years. I'm getting my mind right and working on my emotions. I had a feeling you wouldn't make it here for New Years and I'm okay with that. I've got something to do".

"All right then, love", he said quietly. "I miss you".

"I miss you, too", I said honestly, feeling an ache in my heart. "I love you".

"Love you".

I hung up with Rev and walked into the salon with a decision I had made that morning. I was going back to brunette and I was going to have my nails painted to match my dress. I didn't believe in wasting money, and though I had a lot, I wasn't extravagant or frivolous with it, as I had told Ip. Painting my nails was something I was capable of, so I usually did it myself, but this would save time.

The woman who did my hair was shocked about the condition of my face. I told her I was bucked off a horse and fell on a fence. She readily believed it.

I got my nails done while the hair dye was setting in. After she washed the dye out, she blow dried it, trimmed the ends and added some more layers around my face to try to hide the bruises and stitches, then used a curling wand to add some waves. My hair was now a medium brown balayage with golden tones, close to my natural hair color, and a more complementary color for my bronzed skin and green eyes. The reddish blond had washed my face right out.

When I left there, I found black strappy sandals with three inch heels, lipgloss in the almost exact shade of red as the dress, a styling wand to curl my hair, a chunky black necklace that laid flat across my bare collarbone, and long black dangling earrings. Rev's silver studs would remain in the second spot in my ears as they had for years.

It was well after lunchtime when I rolled back up to the ranch. Ip casually vaulted himself over the metal fence and came loping over from the ring where he had been working with a sleek black horse. Again, I was struck by how appealing him doing anything in his natural habitat was to me, and felt a slight fluttering in my belly as I watched him move.

He grinned good-naturedly as I opened the door and hopped down.

"Well, look at you", he said with his perfect grin.