Chapter Six #2
“You need to get some rest.”
She shook her head. “I’m starving. I’ve got some stuff already prepared. Just need to warm it up and get the coffee on.”
“Alright. I’ll finish this.”
He watched her hesitate. No doubt she wanted to do it all on her own. Hell, he should let her. It was none of his business if she wanted to work herself into an early grave.
But after that moment of hesitation, she walked away and went inside. Copeland finished taping up the plastic cover. He collected the tools, figuring he might as well get some breakfast before he grabbed his laptop and got to work, but as he turned, he stopped.
In the east, the sun rose. He was frozen to the bone, and yet he couldn’t quite force himself to go inside. The sky was a riot of colors as the light reached up its bright fingers and shimmered, changing the sky from night to day in an awe-inspiring display of pure beauty.
He’d seen his share of natural beauty since moving to Wyoming, even back home in Denver. The mountains. Sunrises and sunsets. The West was full of pretty landscapes he’d spent his entire life seeing.
But this was something else. Less a landscape and more a vibrancy that seemed to pull at something deep inside of him.
It was strangely poignant, a feeling he couldn’t quite ever remember settling over him, and he was afraid if he inspected that feeling too deeply, it’d be something too close to belonging.
When he hadn’t moved to Bent County—the middle of nowhere—to belong. In fact, quite the opposite.
So he turned away from the pretty sunrise that was just a sunrise. Same as the sun rising anywhere else. There were mountains in plenty of places. Nothing special about these.
He headed inside, following the smells of coffee and cinnamon into the kitchen.
It was very nearly warm in here. Maybe he could imagine taking off the coat she’d loaned him. Oh, in an hour or so.
It was some kind of strange homey picture, even with her bundled up against the cold. She moved around the kitchen with the same efficient certainty she did everything. Her braid swung with each movement. She moved a pan of some kind of frosted roll onto the table.
“Sit. Eat,” she instructed. Two plates and two forks were already set out, and she moved back into the kitchen, pouring coffee into two mugs.
The two of it all was really messing with his equilibrium. Because he’d been here before. Not here here, but he had a whole other life of being a two, and he’d moved here to leave it the hell behind.
Since he was feeling unmoored, he didn’t know what else to do but follow instructions. Besides, he was frozen and starving. Why not sit and eat? Audra wasn’t his ex-wife or anything else. They were no couple. So he should stop being an idiot.
He took a sip of coffee first, nearly closed his eyes and groaned in appreciation. Warmth. Caffeine. Then he helped himself to two giant, gooey cinnamon rolls.
After the first bite, he pointed his fork at her in accusation. “These did not come from a can.”
Her mouth curved, ever so slightly. “No, I make big batches from scratch, then freeze them. Then you just have to cook them and thaw the frosting.”
“There shouldn’t be a just in that sentence. That’s got to be a ton of work. Far more work than separating a log of dough and tossing it on a pan.”
“Maybe, but the reward is worth the work. Besides, baking is fun. A hobby, I guess.”
“You would have a hobby that was probably more for other people than yourself.”
He could tell she didn’t like that observation by the way she scowled briefly before smoothing it out into that haughty, chin-in-the-air expression of hers.
“My other hobby is shooting things,” she said coolly.
He tried to picture her shooting anything. Couldn’t. “I know word on the street is you can handle your own, but I cannot even begin to visualize it.”
“I’ll give you a demonstration.”
He grinned in spite of himself. “Sounds hot.”
She snorted, clearly in spite of herself. Then shook her head. She ate a few bites, sipped her coffee and kept her eyes on the unbroken window on the other side of the table that looked out over her ranch.
He didn’t know her, but it didn’t take a psychic to watch her gaze and know she was making a mental list of everything she had to do today.
When she needed sleep. He didn’t exactly know his way around a cattle ranch, and it was certainly none of his business if she got rest or not, but…
It was just the sensible thing to do to offer a hand.
In fact, it was sensible. Someone was targeting her, and if he stuck close, maybe he’d catch whoever was trying to scare her. She wouldn’t accept that, so he’d offer to help. Not that she’d accept that, either, but he’d push until she did.
“Since I’m going to be staying here, you should put me to work.”
Her gaze whipped to his, sharp and irritated. “You are not staying here.”
“Good. You’ve come to your senses. I’ll help you pack so you can go stay with Hart.”
“I’m—” But her furious retort was cut off by a loud knock on the door. She pushed back from the table, muttering as she went to answer it.
He doubted the shooter was knocking on the door, but he followed her anyway, casually resting his hand on the butt of his weapon.
She opened the door to an older woman he recognized because he’d worked on the murder at the Kirk Ranch last year.
“Natalie,” Audra greeted, surprise tinging her tone. And maybe embarrassment. “Uh. Good morning.”
“I came as soon as I heard. Why didn’t you call?” She engulfed Audra in a tight hug. “Oh. I see,” the woman said, her eyes meeting his across the room.
Copeland stood in the doorway between kitchen and living room, pinned by the older woman’s steady gaze.
It was obvious what Mrs. Kirk was thinking—which was hilarious considering why he was here. Considering what Audra thought of him.
And what you think of her, right?
“Morning, Mrs. Kirk,” he offered, as Audra turned to look at him. Embarrassment was etched into her gaze.
“Morning, Detective.”
“Copeland is investigating everything,” Audra said. And he didn’t miss the way she used his first name, the way she imbued it with a kind of familiarity they didn’t really have. Because she didn’t sound irritated and like she wanted to prove she could shoot things with him as a target.
Quite the opposite.
“He’s sticking around during the investigation. You don’t need to worry about me, Natalie.”
Mrs. Kirk’s gaze moved from Audra to Copeland. “I’m glad you’re here watching over our Audra.” She gave Audra another squeeze. “You can ask us for anything. And if Copeland can’t be around, you know we’ve got room and all those safety measures Duncan put in place last year. You can depend on us.”
“I know. I do. But it’ll be easier if I stay put, and Copeland will…be here.”
“Good,” Mrs. Kirk said firmly. She glanced at the boarded-up windows, her expression one of concern.
Why Audra couldn’t suck it up and take her friend’s concern baffled him.
“Natalie… If Duncan and Rosalie call, please don’t mention this. Let them enjoy their honeymoon. They deserve it.”
Mrs. Kirk’s mouth firmed. She clearly didn’t like the request, but eventually she nodded. “As long as it’s cleared up in a few days. If it’s not, no promises. Your family deserves to know when you’re in danger, when you need help.”
Audra nodded along, but he knew she didn’t agree. It was written all over her stiff posture. “Sure, but I’ve got Copeland,” she said.
He wanted to laugh. What a liar she was. She’d just tried to kick him out a few minutes ago. He wondered what made this woman so determined to reject help. He understood from him. But her own friends? Family? What the hell was that about?
“Be safe, Audra,” Mrs. Kirk said, hugging Audra close to her, and giving Copeland a look like “you better take care of her.”
And, because he didn’t know what the hell else to do, he nodded like he would.
Mrs. Kirk stepped back, gave Audra a wave and left. Audra closed the door, but didn’t move. Didn’t turn to face him. She just stood there, back to him.
He could have let it go. He should have let it go. But he couldn’t deny he was shocked that she’d let Mrs. Kirk think anything was happening between them. He’d have thought her pride would be too big to handle the weight of such an outright lie.
“You let her think we’re sleeping together.”
Her shoulders slumped a bit as she turned and leaned back against the door. He watched with more fascination than he should have as her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. “She won’t worry so much if she thinks you’re hanging around for…personal reasons,” Audra muttered.
“And heaven forbid anyone worry about you?”
Her chin came up. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”
Yeah, he didn’t doubt it. And it was certainly none of his concern, not his responsibility to swoop in and take some of those weights.
But he was here. “Put me to work, Audra.”