“Those’re Dodd’s. Even twenty miles out, they changed the landscape and the economy,” Mick said. “Then he put in a coupla strip malls close to the developments, more change to the landscape and the economy.”

“Houses are big, people in them loaded. They got money to spend, sometimes that’s good, sometime’s it isn’t so good,” Jeff put in.

I touched Mindy’s back and set her coffee by the range where she was studiously frying bacon like taking her attention from it would mean it would combust, igniting us all in a fiery inferno then I turned and walked Jeff’s coffee to him.

“Money in the town would be good,” I noted. “Wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, for shop owners, some more jobs. The rest live like they live. When there’s not much to compare it to they like that life just fine. When a bunch of fancy cars and folks with fancy clothes and fancy attitudes sweep through town, they find reason not to like their life so much,” Jeff said.

I nodded and went back to the coffeepot.

Well that possibly explained Sarah the restaurant hostess’s face closing down on me when she saw my “fancy clothes”.

“People here like a small town, some good tourist trade, neighborly folk,” Mick explained as I made my own coffee. “Town’s bigger now, not everyone knows everyone else, not everyone’s so neighborly anymore.”

“And crime’s up,” Jeff added. “Petty stuff, nothin’ big, but more people means more people misbehavin’. Last ten years, we’ve had to add three more officers to the payroll to keep up with it.”

I turned and leaned against the counter with my coffee, taking a sip then I said, “I can see your point.”

“Well, seein’ it then knowin’ that those developments you drove through, those are only coupla ones Dodd put in. He builds in four counties, changed them all. Within a twenty mile perimeter ‘round our town, he’s put in twelve developments, four strip malls and he was plannin’ to put in even more.”

“Don’t strip malls have to be, um… on a strip?” I asked.

“Dodd’s are in the middle of nowhere, though they’re close to the road. Not exactly what you expect when you’re drivin’ through the beautiful state of Colorado,” Mick answered.

“Again,” I remarked, “I can see your point.”

“And people here don’t only like bein’ in a small town, lot of them live here because they like it and they’re pretty damn proud of the beautiful state of Colorado,” Mick went on.

“If it’s that unpopular, how’d he get zoning permission?” I asked.

“Can’t say,” Mick answered.

“Bribes?” I guessed.

Mick nodded but said, “Can’t say.”

“Really?” I whispered, my eyes big and they were on Mick.

Mick kept nodding and Jeff grinned at him as he repeated, “Really can’t say.”

I smiled at Mick, the toast popped up and I went to the fridge to get the butter.

“Anyone want jelly?” I asked the room at large.

“Not for me,” Mick said.

“Nope,” Jeff answered.

“Crazy,” I muttered and Max chuckled.

I took out a plate, grabbed the toast, put in more bread and started buttering before I asked, “Mindy, darling, you working tonight?”

“Yeah,” she answered and I looked at Jeff.

“You know, Jeff,” I called and his eyes, which were resting on Mindy’s bottom, jolted to me. I ignored catching him checking Mindy out and asked, “It’s asking a lot, considering how much responsibility you carry in your day to day job –”

“Nina –” Max muttered low but I kept going.

“Because I know your job is super important –”

“Nina –” Max muttered again but I ignored him.

“But, if you could look in on Mindy tonight at The Dog, it would be appreciated.”

Mindy twirled around, fork in hand, and stared at me.

“No problem,” Jeff said quickly.

“I’m…” Mindy whispered and turned to Jeff, not meeting his eyes. “That’s all right Jeff. You don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”

“Don’t have to, but I’m gonna,” Jeff said back and Mindy’s face flamed.

I smiled.

Then I was jerked back with a steely arm around my waist and my back hit a wall of solid Max.

“Stop it,” Max whispered in my ear.

I twisted my neck to look at him and whispered back, “What?”

“Really, I’m good,” Mindy said to Jeff and I looked back into the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Jeff replied firmly. “We’ll see you stay good.”

My smile came back.

The steely arm gave me a tight squeeze that pushed the breath out of my lungs.

I gave a quiet but happy wheeze when Mindy grinned shyly at Jeff, tucked her hair behind her ear and turned back to her skillet.

Max’s arm loosened but didn’t go away and I heard him call, “What’d I say, Mick?”

Mick’s eyes were moving between Max and me, Mindy and Jeff.

“Yeah, Max,” Mick grinned in Max and my direction. “You were right, Nina’s somethin’ else.”

“I still don’t know what that means,” I complained.

“Trust me,” Mick said, still grinning. “It’s definitely a compliment.”

“Well,” I muttered, “then I guess that’s all right.”

Then the toast popped up.

* * * * *

I was making the bed upstairs and I could hear Mindy in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast when Max came up after walking Mick and Jeff to their SUV.

I looked at him briefly but didn’t pause as I smoothed the covers and then my head bent to watch what I was doing as I rearranged a pillow that was slightly askew.

“Everything all… oof!”

I stopped speaking when I was hooked at the waist, pulled up, twirled round then I was falling back, Max coming with me. I hit the bed, his big body hit me, the breath evacuated my lungs but I didn’t have time to process this predicament because his mouth came down on mine and he kissed me.

He did it hard and he did it long.

My body was liquid under his, my fingers in his hair, my other hand under his t-shirt at his back and I was breathing heavily when his head came up.