“Yeah. He had a good heart.”
“You know, he was clean for two years, Harley, before—”
“Before Mars Sorros walked back into his life.” She didn’t mean the hard edge to her voice. “Sorry.”
“I get it. It’s hard to see the people you love ... well, walk back into their wounds.”
“I don’t know how he stayed clean after Mom and Dad died. And then...” She shook her head and pulled out two plates from the cabinet, the ceramic clinking. “I should sell this place.”
“I often see lights here, especially in the winter. I can see the dome all the way from our place.”
“It’s a high-rated Airbnb.”
“You dad would like that part.” Winter set the ashes box on the coffee table, then slid onto a high-top seat at the counter as Harley plated the ribs. “He always saw this place as sort of a beacon in the woods.”
“That was my mom’s influence. She was such a dreamer.”
“I still have one of her poetry books.”
“You and three hundred of her friends.”
“Fans. Your mom was talented. It doesn’t take the world’s acclaim to see that.”
Harley handed her a plate of ribs. “You haven’t changed.”
“What?” She pulled the ribs closer. “Yum.”
“Always seeing the silver lining.”
“My dad would call it having my head in the clouds.” She winked, laughed.
“Oh no. Please do not damage this meal with your father’s bush pilot puns.” Harley took her plate. “How’s that going?”
“Oh, we’re swamped. With the winter socking in the homesteaders, we’re doing medical and humanitarian runs, mail, supplies. And now that Maverick Air is gone ...”
“Yeah. Another victim of the Sorros brothers. I don’t know how Conan got on that plane without being recognized.”
“I saw footage at the airport—he was disguised. Did you know that singer Bliss was on that flight?”
“The pop star?”
“Yeah, Dawson Mulligan saved her life.”
She took a bite of the ribs. “Huh.”
“And his parents came back to town too.Married.”
She set the ribs down. “Really?”
“Just saying, Copper Mountain is a good place for happy endings.”
Harley cocked her head, picked up a napkin. “Good try. You heard about the fight at the sheriff’s office.”
“Shasta called me too. So...” Winter also wiped off her fingers. “He’s back.”
She sighed. “Yeah. Working on the Mars case with his tracking dog.”
Winter picked up another rib. “And?”
