She nodded. “Though ‘road’ is being generous. Sometimes, they’re little more than overgrown tire tracks through the grass. They crisscross all through the foothills and mountains. I’ll show you Secret Colorado. Bear and mountain lion country.”
Up they climbed until they came to a magnificent overlook. Sylvie parked in the narrow field between the side of the mountain and the sheer drop-off. Tall grass bordered a narrow streambed that tumbled down the side. A lone cottonwood provided them with shade. Alex had picked up sandwiches, chips, and drinks before work. They unpacked the food and a big blanket and spread it out under the tree. Sylvie seemed content while they drove, but now she picked at her food.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Alex asked.
“I’d rather pretend everything is normal.” Sylvie said with a smile. Everything about her posture screamed tension.
Alex took her in his arms. He leaned back against the cottonwood and held her on his lap. He stroked her hair until he felt her body relax against him and her breathing deepen.
“Talk to me. What happened?”
Before she could answer, his phone went off. It was the ringtone he’d set for work emergencies. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I have to take this.”
“I understand.”
He hated that she immediately went back to tensing up, all his good work relaxing her undone. Alex read the message.
“Oh shit. There was a car accident involving the musicians who came up here this morning.”
Sylvie sat up straight. “Anyone hurt?”
“Just minor injuries. Kyle’s sending out a general alert, even though it looks like they’re getting everything under control now.”
“Thank God,” Sylvie said. “It could have been so much worse on these roads. Do they need your help at all?”
“I’m letting Kyle know where I am, just in case.” He showed her the location on a map app. “We’re not that far. On these roads, twenty minutes?”
“Well, twenty ifyoudrive. Me, more like ten.” There was that confident smile he loved.
Alex called in their location and got more info from Brock. The accident sounded worse than Kyle had let on. One of the vans had lost control. Luckily, they weren’t far from Lyons Fire Station Two so they had plenty of help. Still, Brock was convinced that Glass had something to do with it.
“The vans were from Glass’s dealership, donated for the day,” Alex told Sylvie after he’d hung up with Brock and gave her the details of the accident.
Sylvie quirked an eyebrow. “He wasn’t riding in the one that got wrecked, I take it?”
“Nope. And Brock caught him snooping around all the vans earlier.”
She shook her head and pulled out her phone. “I should find out who’s on patrol and give them a heads up.”
“Already done. Frank and his partner are on the scene.”
Sylvie frowned, then quickly covered it.
“What is it? As soon as I said Frank’s name, you looked upset.”
“No, it’s nothing.” Her tight-lipped smile said otherwise.
“Sylvie, this isn’t working.”
She inhaled sharply. “We…aren’t working?”
“Not us,this. This dynamic right now,” he gestured between them, “is not working. You need to open up to me.”
She looked away toward the valley.
“Babe, come on. When I asked why you resigned, you said it was complicated. They found out, didn’t they?”
She looked back at him, bit her lip, then nodded. “They did.”
