Chapter 3

The country unfolded before us nearly unchanging as each minute moved us a little more than a mile closer to our destinations. Any way I looked the land was flat, stretching out to a distant horizon. Of course I knew the Great Plains lay around us but somehow I had never completely imagined the reality of them. The sky was a hard, clear blue and when we stopped for gas the outside air hit me like a furnace. I saw a thermometer on the station wall that read 97 degrees and I could easily believe it.

About noon the sky in the far distance ahead of us began to change. At first it looked just a little gray but soon began to darken until I could clearly see a dark mass of cloud building both in front of us and to our right. As the minutes passed it started to move closer and towering dark thunderheads were rising high up into the blue dome. As we watched the obvious storm get closer Matt commented, "Maybe it might be a good time to look for somewhere for lunch. What do you think?"

"I think you might be right." We began to watch for signs alongside the road and I played with the GPS looking for nearby restaurants. At last a sign appeared for an A&W some five miles ahead. I looked at the sign and then up at the darkening sky. "Maybe some root beer would be good."

Matt looked up at the sky, laughed and said, "What was it? Another four or five miles? I think we can maybe make it there before everything turns loose." In fact we were inside and seated for a good five minutes before the storm broke with a furry that was quite surprising. Thunder, lightning and driving rain and I think even a little hail. After a few minutes the wind slackened slightly but the rain continued to come down in torrents, making the view through the big windows look like the inside of a fish bowl.

I had at first started to ask for separate checks but then I thought about it. I decided that Matt was the kind of guy who would be more comfortable with a traditional role and let him answer "one check" when the waitress asked. After she had left I quietly said we could settle up later. Matt gave a slight nod and simply said, "We'll work something out."

We took our time with our burgers and fries and then ordered root beer floats for dessert. When we had finished these the rain had at least slowed to just a heavy drizzle and I thought I could once again see blue sky in the distance to the west. We paid for the meal and stopped just inside the front door. The rain was still coming down but not really too hard. Matt pulled the car key out of his pocket and as we raced out he clicked the remote to unlock the doors. Then he surprised me by still opening my door for me even though he had to stand in the rain for a little longer to do it.

The air had cooled and the temperature now felt like it had dropped to at least the low eighties if not more. Within twenty minutes the rain stopped altogether and the sky once again took on an unbroken blue, spreading to an horizon in front of us that looked like it must have been at least a thousand miles off. However, in another couple of hours we could again see some darker color along the boundary between earth and sky but as we continued on this darkening resolved itself into rises in the land itself. My first view of the western mountains! I knew from the map that these weren't really the Rockies but rather the Black Hills. Still they indicated a change in landscape. Once when I was thirteen we had made a trip to Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. In one of the visitor books a tourist from Wyoming had written, "You call these mountains?" But they were still mountains to me. Now I would get to compare the Rockies and see if he was just exaggerating.

The signs giving the distance to Rapid City were now down to double digits and before too long we were entering the edge of the city itself. We had a Triple A guide book with us and had looked for an inexpensive motel. We found one that wasn't too bad and had the AAA rating so it wouldn't be shabby or anything and pulled off. We both went into the lobby but I could see that Matt was a little hesitant. I suddenly guessed it was because I was going to pay for the room and he felt a little embarrassed so I quickly stepped forward to the desk. "Do you have a double for tonight?" I asked.

The clerk replied, "I'm sure we do. Just let me check." He typed something into the computer and looked back up. "Yes, we do. Would you prefer first or second floor?"

I glanced at Matt and he shrugged. I turned back and said, "Second, I guess. It doesn't really matter." He then handed me the registration card. I filled it out with my name and listed the number of persons as two. When I got to the space for the car information I turned and asked Matt, "Do you remember the license number?"

He nodded and told me what it was as I filled it in. Then I handed it and my credit card to the clerk. He ran it and handed us two keys. No questions at all.

We went back out and pulled the car around near a stairwell. Each of us took our small case and headed up as Matt pressed the lock button on the remote. The room was number 222, just one down from the stairs. Inside we found two queen sized beds and I noticed that Matt seemed to relax a little. Well, I'll admit I did also. I hadn't had nerve enough to ask for separate beds. I supposed I could have managed with only one but this would certainly be easier.

After we had placed our cases on the bed Matt said, "Want to go out and look at Rushmore tonight? We should still have plenty of time."

"Sure. We can probably even just get something to eat out there." We made our way back to the car and piled in once again. In just a short time we pulled into the large Rushmore parking lot. There were quite a few cars in the lot, but, then, this was major vacation time. A double row of flags led us towards the visitor center and coffee shop and on to view the huge monument high above.

We both stopped and stared like tourists. Well, what did we expect. Of course we'd seen pictures of this gigantic sculpture but the reality of it was far more than any photograph could convey. As we were looking Matt made the comment, "I once read that the man who planned this was told that granite would erode about an inch in fifty thousand years. He then added a foot to the length of Washington's nose."

"Really?"

"That's what I read. I guess he planned for it to last a long time."

I couldn't help but murmur, "Not like my cousin's commitments."

Matt laughed. "Tyler does not always stick to a long term goal." Then he moved slightly closer to me and said, "I really don't mind as long as you don't. Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "No, not really." Now that the decision had been made I was just as happy that I wouldn't have to put up with Tyler for the new few weeks.

Then Matt surprised my by placing his arm around my shoulders and saying, "I guess we can muddle through by ourselves."

The feel of his arm around me seemed welcome. I mean I had liked Matt from when I had first met him but there hadn't been any fireworks or flashing stars or tolling bells or anything. I did feel an attraction to him. After all, he was quite a hunk himself and he and I seemed to get along well together. I just hadn't thought of him in that light. Now at the touch of his arm, I began to see things a little differently and if anything I leaned a little more into him.

We stood like that for probably ten minutes, just looking at the monument. Then Matt finally said, "Want to see about some food?"