Angels Fall

my mind I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached. God knows you've got a lot on your mind."
    She gave Reece's arm another friendly pat. "You should try aromatherapy. When I'm stressed, nothing smooths me out like lavender oil."
    "I'll put that on the list. The next time a murderer breaks into my apartment and floods it. I'll smooth myself out with lavender oil. Good tip."
    "Well, for God's sake—"
    "No offense." Reece pushed off the stool. "I appreciate the attempt. I've got to get back to work." She hesitated, then decided to finish it out. "Debbie, you're a nice woman, and you've got reallv nice kids. Sticking with the theme, it was nice of you to take the time to be friendly. But you don't know, you really can't know, what's on my mind. You've never been there."
    She stewed about it for the rest of her shift, and was still stewing when she left the diner. Since Brody  had insisted on driving her in that morning—and that was going to stop—she didn't have her car. Didn't matter, she thought. She could use the walk to cool herself down. It was warm enough to leave her jacket unbuttoned, breezy enough to smell the water, the woods and the grass that was beginning to green.
    She missed the green, the lushness of it on lawns and in parks. The stately old trees, the zipping traffic. The anonymity of a busy, thriving city.
    What was she doing here, flipping elk burgers, defending herself to Wyoming's version of a soccer mom, worrying about the death of a woman she didn't even know?
    She had twelve dead people, ones she'd known and loved, on her heart already. Wasn't that enough?
    She couldn't change it. She couldn't help. Living her life was her only responsibility now. And it was more than enough to handle.
    She walked with her head down, her hands stuffed in her pockets. And wished she knew where the hell she was going.
    When the car slowed beside her, Reece didn't register it. The light tap of the horn made her jump.
    "Want a ride, little girl? I've got candy."
    Reece scowled at Brody through the open window. "What are you doing?
    "Driving around looking for hot women to pick up. You're close enough. Get in."
    "I don't want you breaking up your day to drive me back and forth to work."
    "Good, because I didn't. Break up my day." He unhooked his seat belt to lean over and open the passenger door himself. "Get in. You can snarl just as well in here as out there."
    "I'm not snarling." But she got in. "I'm serious, Brody, you have your own work, your own routine."
    "I like changing my routine. In fact, getting my ass out of bed early enough to drive you in had me at the keyboard earlier than usual. I had a damn good day there, and now I feel like driving. Buckle up, Slim."
    "Had a good day? Kudos. Mine sucked."
    "No, really? I never would have guessed, not with that black cloud rumbling over your head."
    "I've been bombarded with country music all day; the sheriff thinks I'm a scatterbrain at best, but he'll look into all my strange and wild allegations; his wife came in to pry into my personal life in the guise of a friendly pep talk. My feet hurt, and it'll be a miracle if I don't catch Pete's cold. I'm the town cuckoo who's been advised by the seriously pretty, annoyingly perfect Debbie Mardson to lower my stress with lavender oil.
    Oh, and I snatched you away from all the female hopefuls in the Fist because we're both from big cities and creative."

    "I thought it was my sexual endurance."
    In an irritable move, she yanked her sunglasses out of her bag, shoved them on. "We didn't get into that area, but it could be next up for discussion."
    "Well, when it's on the table, don't forget to mention you've never had better. No, not just better, more inventive."
    She shifted on her seat. "You really did have a good day."
    "A fucking excellent day. And it ain't over yet."
    He drove out of the Fist. He wanted the flats, the bloom of them. The quiet and the space. He figured it was a major shift in place that he didn't want all that alone. He wanted her with him. He was surprised by his own sentiment when he stopped where they'd had their first kiss. She stared out the window, saying nothing. Still silent, she reached out, touched her hand to his before climbing out.
    She stood where the world was a carpet of color guarded by the silver and blue peaks or the Tetons, gilded by the sun that sat low in the west.
    Pinks and blues, vibrant reds and purples, sunny yellows spiked and spread among the soft green of sage. And where