Page 85 of Montana Manhunt

“If he tries enough times, he might succeed. Sorry, buddy, but bullets don’t bounce off of you.”

Too bad. Think of all the missions he could go on without worrying that he’d return home in a body bag. “I hear you.”

The server loaded food on two trays and called their number. Noah and Grant carried the trays to their table and distributed the food. “What do you want to drink?” Noah asked Violet.

“Water.”

“Same,” Rayne said.

“I’ll get them,” Grant said and walked to the drink dispenser with one tray. He returned a minute later with the drinks.

When they finished their meal, Grant drove to a nearby mall.

“If you want to stay in the SUV, Rayne and I won’t be long.” Violet said, reaching for the door handle.

Noah climbed out and came around to open her door. “Where are we going first?”

She gave him a faint smile. “If I’m lucky, the only shop I’ll have to visit is The Dress Boutique. Cami loved that store.”

And so she would honor her sister by purchasing a last dress from her favorite store, a sweet but difficult gesture. “If you don’t find what you need at the boutique, we’ll go somewhere else. This purchase is at the top of our priority list today. Everything else can wait.”

Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “Thanks.”

Noah wrapped his hand around hers and walked with Violet into the mall. Inside, they found the boutique halfway down the long row of stores. He and Grant stayed near the entrance, keeping tabs on the foot traffic in the mall and three customers inside the boutique.

After a few minutes of browsing, Violet chose a dress. “This is the one,” she said.

“Why this one?” Rayne asked.

“Cami sent me a picture of this one a few weeks ago and asked me what I thought about it.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“You’ve got this?” Noah asked Grant, voice low.

His gaze shifted to Violet. “Yeah. Go.”

Noah closed the distance between him and Violet, meeting her at the checkout counter.

“Oh, this dress is gorgeous,” the saleswoman said, a smile curving her mouth. “You’ll look beautiful in it, Camilla, and I bet your boyfriend will love it, too.”

Violet stared for a moment. “I’m Violet, Cami’s twin sister.”

The other woman’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, my goodness. Camilla mentioned she had a sister, but I didn’t realize you’re twins. You two are mirror images of each other. I apologize.”

“No, please. It’s fine.”

Noah rested his hand against Violet’s lower back, heart aching for her. Violet must have experienced horrendous emotional pain during this interaction.

The saleswoman finished the transaction and handed the bag and receipt to Violet. “I hope you enjoy the dress.”

Violet gave the woman a faint smile. “Thanks.” She turned away from the counter and hurried from the store.

Noah caught up with her and pulled Violet into his arms. She buried her face against his chest, body shaking with her sobs.

He remained quiet while she worked through the emotions tearing her apart. When Violet quieted, he pressed a white handkerchief into her hand.

That brought a smile as she blotted her face dry. “Ready for the worst, huh?”

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