Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  A knock at the door startled Spirit, and he barked. Boone put down the book he was reading and went to the door. Who would be out on such a blustery night, especially at this hour? It was nearly ten. He flipped on the porch light, then opened the door.

  Esther stood in the wash of light spilling from the entry. She wore what looked like a real fur coat and slim jeans tucked into leather boots. Time crawled to a stop as he stared into her beautiful face and the full lips that had once enticed him. He’d thought she was long gone with her husband.

  Her smile held a trace of nervousness. “Don’t look so surprised. Surely you knew I’d come by to talk.”

  “We said all there was to say years ago.” And it had been four days since she and her husband showed up. He stood aside to let her in, which was probably a mistake, and looked past her to her empty SUV. “Where’s your husband?”

  “Dead drunk and asleep. He won’t wake up until morning.” As she sashayed past him, her perfume wafted in her wake.

  How did he get rid of her? And why was she even here? He reluctantly gestured toward the fireplace. “Have a seat.”

  She took off her fur coat and settled on the sofa, then patted the spot beside her. “Nice little cabin. Cozy. I never expected you to leave Arizona.”

  He ignored her invitation and sat in the chair across from her. “I needed a fresh start.”

  “You ever see your old buddies? Tess, Flint?”

  “Tess and Chase are as happy as two cubs in a cave on their ranch. They have two kids now, both boys. Chase is still fighting fires from one end of the country to the other. He comes this way on occasion.” She’d never cared about his smoke-jumper friends before, so he wasn’t sure why she’d bothered. Maybe she felt the awkwardness between them like he did.

  “That’s good.” She wet her lips and looked down at her clasped hands.

  He shot a glance to the clock on the wall. “Why are you here, Esther?”

  She looked up then, her eyes luminous with tears. “I never got over you, Buck, not really.”

  “So you said. And the name’s Boone.” Hearing his old smoke-jumper nickname roll off her tongue hurt like the dickens. Once upon a time, the sound of his name on her lips lifted him to the heights. No more.

  Her blonde hair shimmered in the firelight, and she turned those big blue eyes on him. “I still love you, honey. I never stopped. I tried to move on with my life, but you’re my knight in shining armor, the strong man who would risk it all for others.”

  His pulse leaped, just a little, and he squelched it. “You’re married.”

  She flicked her fingers. “That’s easily remedied.” Her lips curved in a smile. “We could be together the way we should have been from the start. I know it’s all my fault. I have the money to get your face repaired. You won’t have to live that way any longer. Neal never asked for a prenup so I’ll get half of everything he has. You can sell this crummy old outfitting business, and we can travel the world together. You’ve always wanted to see Rome. That could be our honeymoon trip.”

  Bile burned his throat, and he fought it back down. How had he ever loved someone so shallow, so focused on money, so faithless? “What makes you think I still love you after the way you treated me? And you’re talking trash about your husband, the man you promised to love forever. What kind of woman does that?”

  Her smile faltered. “You love me. I know you do.” She rose and stepped to his chair.

  When she reached his side, he again caught the scent of her perfume, a familiarly sweet scent that tightened his gut and brought memories flooding back. He flinched and turned his head away when she leaned down to kiss him.

  She reached out to touch his chin, and he grabbed her wrist. “I’m not interested, Esther. Whatever I felt for you was over long ago. I have a great life now, a life that doesn’t include worrying whether or not I meet your standards. We are like oil and water. I was too naive to see it back then, but I should have known you weren’t the sticking kind. You just proved it. I pity Neal.”

  Her eyes flickered, and she straightened. “I was young and didn’t understand things of true importance. As a Christian, you have to forgive me.”

  Funny how she flung that in his face when she used to roll her eyes at his faith. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to have any kind of relationship with you. As I said, you’re married. Even if I felt anything for you, I would never break up a marriage.”

  “So you do feel something for me!” She reached for him again.

  He leaped to his feet to evade her. “I don’t love you, Esther. I’m not sure I ever did. I didn’t know you very well, and I was just as guilty of looking on the outside as you were. Go back to your husband. He loves you.”

  “He’s a drunk.” Her voice trembled, and she tucked a blonde lock behind her ear. “If I were a bottle of vodka, he might notice me. Most of the time he barely knows I’m in the room.”

  So she’d just come looking for comfort from her home situation. He had to admit he was relieved that her feelings didn’t run any deeper than that. “I’m sorry, but you married him. I had nothing to do with it.”

  “I went looking for someone the opposite of you—someone who would always do what I wanted, who would give me what I wanted. I never dreamed that wasn’t what I needed at all. He has no true character and doesn’t stand up for much of anything. I suppose he might get angry if I hid his whiskey, but he doesn’t love me. Not really. I’m just a bauble at his side.”

  “Kind of like I was to you.”

  Her eyes widened, then she nodded. “Touché.”

  He started for the entry, then turned the doorknob and opened the door to the blustery wind. “Have a nice life with your husband, Esther, but don’t come back. We have nothing more to say to each other.”

  She grabbed her coat and followed him. She paused as she neared the door and reached for him, then dropped her hand. “I suppose you’re right. Good-bye, Boone. I hope you find whatever you need to be happy.” She pulled on her coat and stepped into the opening.

  “What makes you think I’m not happy now?”

  She gestured to the tiny cabin space. “You were never meant to be alone. I hope forgiving me will at least heal the scars on your heart enough to find someone else.”

  The door closed on the silence she left, and her last words reverberated in the room. Her vehicle lights flashed through the window a moment, and as he watched her pull away. Maybe he was able to forgive her after all.

  Dana felt sweaty and sticky from the martial arts workout on Wednesday afternoon. Boone had been quiet and intense through the lesson, and she was beginning to wonder if he regretted Monday night. They sat in the warm sunlight streaming through the kitchen window as if they’d done it a thousand times. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee would have made her feel right at home if he’d shown the least bit of romantic interest in her. She’d thought he might at least kiss her after he tossed her to the mat, but he’d just held out his hand to hoist her to her feet.

  She took a bite of the turkey sandwich slathered with mayo and piled high with lettuce and tomato. “Good,” she mumbled past a mouthful. “I was starving.”

  “Me too.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I was thinking about the encryption problem. The easiest way to get into Allyson’s files is to access the software she used and figure out her password.”

  “That doesn’t sound easy. How can you possibly figure out her password?”

  “If I had her computer, I might be able to guess it.”

  “It will do no good to ask Mason for it back.” She shook her head. “It’s an active investigation. He’s not going to give it up.”

  Boone ran his hand through his thick black hair, and it stood on end. “What if we cloned the hard drive? Then I could play around with it just as if it’s her computer.”

  Surely he understood his request was highly unlikely. “Mason won’t want you poking around in his investigation.”

  “Could y
ou get into the evidence room and clone it?” He held up a large tanned hand. “Look, I realize I’m asking you to do something that could get you fired. It’s not like we’re tampering with evidence though. I just want a copy. If I discover the password, Mason will thank us for helping him out with the case.”

  She cared way too much what he thought about her. This had been her downfall all her life. She wanted to be liked and admired. If she did this for him, he’d think she walked on water and envisioning that made her heartbeat speed up. She liked her job though, and she wanted to play fair with her employer.

  She gave a slow shake of her head. “I can’t do that, Boone. I’d like to help you, but it wouldn’t be right.”

  He sagged back in the chair. “I didn’t think you would. I’m sorry I asked, but I’m desperate. I don’t think the sheriff will be able to figure this out without my help.”

  Dana took a sip of her coffee. “I have an online backup of my entire computer. Do you think Allyson had anything like that?”

  His hazel eyes brightened. “I hadn’t even thought of that. I know she was crazy about making sure she didn’t lose any files, but Mason didn’t mention a hard-drive backup. Maybe she did.”

  “This isn’t a hard drive. It’s a backup in the cloud. We could try several popular services. You’d have to know what password she used for that too, but it would be a place to start. Login is usually the person’s e-mail.”

  He grabbed his plate and coffee. “Come with me.”

  She took the rest of her sandwich and followed him down the hall to a small bedroom. It was scrupulously neat and held only a pine log bed, matching dresser, and a small corner desk with a laptop. A blue-and-red Ohio star quilt covered the queen-size bed. An oval rag rug was on the right side of the bed closest to the closet. The room held Boone’s scent, an enticing aroma of man and spicy cologne. The top of the dresser was bare except for a picture of a pretty young woman who looked vaguely like him around the eyes and mouth.

  She stopped and stared at it. “Your sister?”

  His mouth twisted, and the sunshine streaming through the window threw the scar on his face into sharp relief. “Yes, that’s Renee.”

  Dana’s chest squeezed. She’d been so young. “She was beautiful. I love the laughter in her eyes. I bet she was one of those people who lifted your spirits whenever you were around her.”

  “She was.” His voice was choked, but he strode past the dresser and went to the laptop. “What are some of the online backup services?”

  She named the top one and watched him call up a window. “Just click forgot password and see if it accepts her e-mail address. Do that until you find a service that recognizes it.”

  “Good idea.” The computer keyboard clacking stopped. “Not that one. What’s another one?”

  She named another. “That’s the service I use.”

  He called it up. “It recognized her e-mail!”

  “Try the most likely password. I know they say not to use the same password for multiple sites, but it’s tempting to do so you remember it.”

  Intent on the screen, he didn’t look at her and nodded. “Maybe her birthday.” He tried that and shook his head. “I should have known that was too easy.”

  They tried several other passwords, but nothing worked. Boone stared at the screen. “It’s going to lock us out after another failed attempt.”

  Dana felt a sense of déjà vu. Some hint was so close to being able to remember. She and Allyson had been friends a long time. In high school they’d all called her Ally Cat. Dana moved to his side and tried to ignore his scent. “Try AllyCat, no space between the two words and capitalize the first letter of each word. Add the last two digits of the year she was born.”

  He nodded. “That’s it, Dana. You did it!” He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug on his lap.

  His lips brushed her cheek and the corner of her lip. Time stuttered and slowed until all she saw was the gold flecks in his hazel eyes. She could drown in those eyes.

  His grin faded, and he leaned forward a fraction. Her lids fluttered and started to lower until his arms came around her waist and he set her on her feet.

  “Let’s see what we can find out now.”

  His impersonal words were as cold as a rainy November day. What had happened between Monday and now?

  CHAPTER 26

  What had he been thinking? While seeing Esther had allowed him to forgive her, it had also been a reminder of what he might experience again if he let Dana get too close. The hurt in her eyes when he’d turned away had been a knife to his chest though, and he called himself every kind of coward under the sun. But he still couldn’t bring himself to look at her.

  He scrolled through the list of files in Allyson’s backup. “I don’t remember that nickname. None of the family called her that.”

  “It was just in high school, but when I called her that at the café, she smiled and said she didn’t think anyone remembered that old nickname.” Dana’s voice held a wobble.

  Untouched and forgotten, their sandwiches sat on the desk. They were going to find something from this. They had to. He leaned forward and let out an exultant cry. “I can just download this entire backup to my computer. It will restore all her programs and files.”

  “Will it overwrite your files though?” Her voice regained its usual timbre, well-modulated and polite.

  “I can create a new user, then download it all as if it’s her.” He went to System Preferences and created a new user, then started the download. “It’s going to take a while. Let me get you a new sandwich and freshen your coffee.”

  “I should get going. I’m sure you have t-things to do.” There was that wobble in her voice again.

  “If you happen to have a change of clothes in the car, you can shower here. I mean, it would be great if you were here long enough to rejoice when I crack the encryption.” He wouldn’t blame her if she turned and rushed out of the cabin and never came back.

  The workout had caused her dark-blonde hair to curl all over her head. “I’ve got some clothes in the car. I’ll grab them and shower while it’s downloading.” Her gaze searched his before she turned toward the door.

  How did he even explain what he was feeling? For so long he’d felt stuck in a time warp, determined to be alone, but now he was beginning to imagine another kind of life. One that included Dana. The thought terrified him.

  He shoved the emotion away and went back to his computer. For the next fifteen minutes he sat and watched the files copy. It seemed an eternity before the patter of the shower ended. When the bathroom door finally opened, she brought the scent of his soap and shampoo with her.

  He swiveled in the chair as she came back into the bedroom. “Sorry I only had guy shampoo.”

  Dana looked even more beautiful after her shower with her wet hair slicked behind her ears and her skin flushed all over from the hot water.

  She smiled as she approached him. “It was fine, and I feel almost human again.”

  He forced his clenched fist to relax and reach for the keypad. “We’re only at 10 percent. This could take all day.”

  “Probably not.” A dimple showed in her cheek when she smiled.

  He turned his attention back to the computer. It was at 25 percent. Maybe another half an hour and he’d have it. Then what? What if he couldn’t figure out the encryption password? He doubted Allyson would have been able to figure out his passwords if she were on this end of things.

  But maybe she would. His preferred password was EsthersFool. Maybe it was time he changed it and moved on to something more positive. She had no power over him any more. He could clearly see her now, and he was lucky to have escaped.

  Dana’s blue eyes were shadowed when he looked up and caught her gaze. He’d put that hurt there. What was wrong with him? One step forward and two backward. “So you mind staying and working with me on this? I promise to whip up something better than sandwiches in a little while.”

  “I don’t
have anything else to do. Phantom will like hanging out with Spirit.”

  “We might actually crack this thing by bedtime.”

  “Let’s not get too crazy. Her password might not be the same.” She leaned over to look at the computer.

  His shampoo smelled much better on her. He had to heal this chasm that suddenly yawned between them. His stupidity had put it there, and he needed to figure out how to bridge it.

  She tapped the screen. “I was thinking about the encryption program while I was in the shower. The password might have something to do with the investigation. She might have used your sister’s preferred password. Do you have any idea what it might be?”

  What might it be? Renee had been the sweetest person he’d ever known. She had a passion for people, kittens, and chocolate, in that order. As far as he knew, she didn’t have a nickname. He shook his head. “No clue.” He looked back at the screen. It would still be a while, and there was time for him to make amends.

  “Listen, Dana, I don’t want to hide anything from you. There’s something I need to tell you.”

  She straightened. “Okay.”

  “Esther came to see me last night.”

  “Your former fiancée?”

  He nodded. “It was nearly ten. She said she still loved me and wanted me back.”

  Dana backed away as hurt overtook her face. “So that’s why you’re being so cold.” Her head bobbed as her eyes filled with tears. “I totally understand. Don’t think any more about it. You’ve loved her a long time.”

  Love? It hadn’t been real love at all. It was more like some kind of fever that had gripped him. He rose and stepped toward her. “It’s not like that. I told her to leave, but I’ll be honest. It scared me to realize what might happen.”

  Her eyes were huge as she stared at him. “M-Might happen?”

  He ran his fingertips over the rippled ridges of his scar. “I’m not sure I’m ready for a relationship. You’d have to look at this a lot of years.”