Wind shift. Light west breeze blowing cool. Cooler. The Beast's nose quivered as he sampled the new air.
        Tree, grass, dust.
        Rock.
        Bison, horse.
        Coyote.
        Mouse... Wait.
        Danger!
        His built-in radar pinpointed the location. There. Not moving toward them, but too close.
        Human. Unknown human. Not allowed. Not safe. His ears, constantly attuned to the noises of the young under his care, registered a faint, foreign sound, and the hair on the ruff of his neck stirred.
        He glanced at his charges. Finishing their feed. Soon heading home. Good. Away from danger. Young ones knew little about danger. Best keep it that way. Best hurry.

        Despite the busy, hurrying crowds of people surrounding us, walking into the airport left me feeling cold and alone. I gripped Danny's hand more tightly. Only a few more minutes and I would be alone.
        "You're crushing my hand, Constancy, darlin'. It's family you're going to, not a firing squad."
        I relaxed my grip a little. "I know."
        "And you can't honestly tell me you haven't been longing for family all your life."
        "I know," I said again. "But, Danny, it's nearly eight hundred miles away." From you.
        "Deep into the wilds of South Dakota. Having culture shock already?"
        "Culture shock or cousin shock. Or the specter of Danny deprivation. I don't know."
        My husband of five weeks grinned and squeezed my fingers. I knew he felt the coming separation, too, but he managed to stay cheerful and more adult about it as he tried to distract me into looking beyond the sadness. "Right," he said. "The cousins. What is it? Seventeen Fraser relations living on that ranch?"

        "Something like that. Blazingstar Ranch. It seems very far away."

        "It is very far away, but it's not like you'll be suddenly submerged in total strangers, love. You already know Caleb and Stuart. You've met Gwyn and Noah and Rachel. You've talked on the phone for hours with Grandpa George. You're family, and these Frasers are going out of their way to make you feel a part of them."
        "I know, and I'm eager to be with all of them."
        "And your mum will be along in only a few days."
        "Yes. But...but I'm going to miss you so much."
        "And I'll be missing you the whole time. Very badly." He frowned. "Maybe I should come."
        Part of me wanted to beg him to do it. "No. It's okay, Danny. I'm being juvenile. You're saving up your vacation days so we can go to Ireland for our delayed honeymoon."
        "If I can banish my juvenile complexes and dredge up the courage to do it."
        The Ireland trip had been his suggestion, but I knew going there could be emotionally harrowing for him.
        "I want to do it only if you do. If not, we'll go someplace else special to celebrate. As for this trip to South Dakota, you couldn't go, anyway. There's no chance you can get off on Christmas this year. Your sisters warned me. When other people have holidays, troopers work overtime."
        "I'm sorry."
        "Don't be. I married you for better or for worse. Danny, you know I wouldn't leave you for any reason other than to meet Grandpa George. At his age-"

        "That's exactly why you must go."

        "I'll be thinking about you every minute, and talking to you every day."
        His beautiful green eyes twinkled. "See you do that. I'll not have you falling for some cowboy up there."
        "Given my history of clumsiness, I won't promise not to fall. But for a cowboy? Not a chance! It's you I vowed to love forever, and I take my vows very seriously."
        "Constancy."
        "What?"
        "Nothing. I was only thinking what a lovely and perfect name you have."
        "Oh, right. You once told me my name was totally inappropriate."
        "I'll thank you not to be holding that over my head."
        "Well, I hate to admit it, but 'Constancy' was a pain of a name in school. I didn't like it, but I didn't want to be called 'Connie', either. I always wished I had a regular name, not a...a trait."
        "But it's such a rare, beautiful trait. Constancy, steadfastness, loyalty, faithfulness. Was it your mother who named you?"
        "I guess so. I never thought to ask. Why?"
        A tinny, echoing voice interrupted before he could answer. "Flight 4737 now boarding for Minneapolis/St. Paul."
        Danny squeezed my hand again. "That's it. Are you going, then?"
        "I'm going."
        "That's my brave lass."
        "No. Never brave."

        He grinned and pulled me into a hug. "You have been. You are. You will be. 'The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight.' That's from somewhere in Genesis and said in a much different context if I remember correctly, but the words are a fine prayer for us for today. Remember, I love you, and He loves us both."

        St. Louis to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Minneapolis/St. Paul to Rapid City. The first plane hadn't been crowded. I had a window seat with nobody next to me. Homesickness quickly faded and anticipation kicked up to full throttle as I watched the fascinating miniaturized landscape advance and recede below us. Despite that, I couldn't help but wish that Danny were seeing it with me.
        After the short layover in Minnesota, a large crowd of people boarded the second plane with me. Who would have thought so many people wanted to get to Rapid City? I still sat by a window, but this time the airline had assigned Santa Claus to the seat beside me.