ride snowmobiles as well as work on trucks, and Jake tells me you also run an excavation company.”
“Yep, sorry not much for the soft feminine personality here, and, just like Tess, I hunt. Both my dad and mom have been taking us girls to do all that sort of thing, since we were tiny, it just became part of who we are. But unlike her, I’m not much of a fisherman. For one thing, I really don’t like fish. I eat it when need be, you know, because it’s good for you and all that crap, but I could really live without it. I mean we do live in Montana after all,” Sydney said, looking almost sheepish about it.
“There is nothing to be sorry about. I think it’s great when a family does all that kind of stuff together. Besides, it isn’t like this is the 1950s where the woman is expected to stay home and cook, clean, and take care of the kids.” Cody looked at her, a little puzzled as to why she would apologize in the first place.
“True, but unfortunately a lot of men still think that way, trust me. It has not been easy for me taking over for my parents. Some of the guys on that grew are just chauvinistic pigs. But I have handled it and will continue to make sure they understand that I am the boss, whether they like it or not,” Sydney said. She had no idea why she was telling this stranger her life’s story. She needed to shut up before he decided that walking back would be a better option. “I’m really sorry, I don’t even know you and here I am spilling my guts to you. I bet you think I’m a real head case. All I can say is it’s been a long week and I guess the stress just bubbled over a bit.”
“It really is okay, I’m a great listener. Hazard of the job. They actually train you to listen,” Cody said, smiling at Sydney.
“Well, even so, let’s talk about something else. Like, how did you and Jake meet?”
“On the job,” Cody answered, short and sweet.
“Wow, so they train you to listen but must fall short on the talking part,” Sydney joked.
“Well, there really isn’t much to tell. I was a beat cop when he started on the EMT crew, and because of our line of work we ran into each other quite often. It’s not some long bromance story, just developed a friendship.”
“Must be more than just your regular camaraderie friendship for him to have you as his best man,” Sydney probed.
“I guess you could say that,” Cody replied. “Through the years, we’ve hung out and been there for each other when shit hit the fan, in personal life or on the job.”
Sydney could tell that if there was more to the story, he wasn’t about to share it with her. Really, who could blame him, she was a complete stranger to this guy. Nobody in their right mind tells their personal stuff to strangers.
“Fair enough.” She smiled. “Now, for the real reason you are in this very spot at this very moment.”
She watched as Cody’s face flushed a bit. “Now, that’s not mysterious or anything. Are you here to warn me as the best man, that if Jake does anything to hurt Tessa, you will kill us both? I get the feeling you are pretty protective of your sister.”
“Oh, God, no! Nothing that cheesy. But yes, I am, and you are right about that if he hurts her I am coming after both of you.” Sydney paused and tried to hold a straight face. But the look on his was too much to handle and she busted out laughing. “I’m kidding, you don’t have to worry about me. Shit, Tessa can hold her own. No, look out over the valley and just watch, this is the most beautiful sunset you will ever see. This is the real reason I come up here. After the adrenaline rush bombing up the hill, this sunset just sets everything back in place. Brings a nice calm over the soul.”
Cody chuckled. “Good thing, I was just starting to think we could be friends.”
“Oh, you were, huh? I guess that stands to reason, with your best friend and my sister getting married very soon. I am sure there will be a lot of events we will all be at. Might as well not hate each other. To be honest, I promised Tess that I would get to know you because you are Jake’s best friend, and, well, I am hers, and she wants us to all be comfortable around each other. So that is the root of why I invited you up here. I figured that there was no better way to get to know someone than up here with this beautiful view and no distractions.”
“Sounds like a pretty great idea to me, glad you did. Because you are right, I don’t think I have ever seen a sunset so beautiful. The city looks amazing from up here.” Cody stared in awe over the valley below.
As the sun set slowly over the city, the two of them watched in silence. To Sydney’s surprise, the silence was comfortable. How does that even work, she wondered. She doesn’t even know this guy and yet she felt so comfortable with him. Extremely strange for her, after what had happened to her. Ever since then, she couldn’t hardly stand her own skin, let alone being in the company of a man for any length of time, especially by herself.
As the sun finished setting over the valley and darkness washed over them, Sydney supposed it was time to head back to town. “Well, shall we head back? The sky is too overcast to see the stars, which, by the way, is an awesome ending to the sunset if you ever get the chance.”
“Yeah, I need to get back to finish up some things at the office before I head for home anyway,” Cody replied.
Looking up to the sky as she opened her door, Sydney couldn’t help but hope for some snow. “I sure hope it snows, so far this year has been a bust. This drive would have been much better on my snowmobile.”
“It looks like it might, and the weatherman did say that we should be getting some finally. I’m not sure how much, and God only knows if they are right, but we can hope for some.”
“True, well I’ll be praying for some, you can count on that. Do you like to snowmobile?”
“I do. My grandparents got me into it when I was a kid. I go as often as the weather and my job permits,” Cody said with a big grin on his face.
Sydney could tell he loved the sport as much as she did. “Well, maybe if it would ever snow, we could get Jake and Tess and all go riding. It would be a great time.”
“That sounds like fun to me, but if looking around is any indication, it might not be this winter.”
“I know there is a lot of snow up high, we just need enough to coat down here so we don’t kill our sleds getting there.”
“You’re right about that. Let’s hope I can wrap this case up first. Otherwise I might not be able to get away for even a day.”
“Well, in that case let’s hope for a quick open-and-shut case.” Sydney smiled at Cody as she started her truck and headed back toward the city.
“That would be nice, but I have as much luck of that happening as the chance we have of getting two feet of snow.”
Sydney could see the stress of the case come over his handsome features. She couldn’t help but think of how hard that must be on him, on anyone. The burden of trying to solve such horrible crimes, to know the intimate details of what happened to these people and see the loss in the family’s eyes. Then she thought about her unsolved case; it sure didn’t seem to burden the other detective that her case wasn’t going anywhere.
“What’s wrong? You look like someone just stole the last cookie you had been dying to eat.” Cody watched her as she tried to wipe the look off her face and pretend all was all right.
“Me? I’m good. I bet it’s taxing on you to not get cases closed, huh?”
“Well, some cases take a larger toll than others, yes, but I am not about to not close them. I’ll get it figured out in time. I’m not one for quitting something once I’ve started. Some might just take a little longer than I would like.”
“Wish all the detectives had your commitment,” Sydney said softly.
“What do you mean by that?” Cody could see the pain gripping her beautiful face.
“Nothing, really,