Page 40 of The Pretenders of Copper County
“Copper,” Reed said thoughtfully. “Is there a copper mine nearby? Or was there, at some point?”
“Nah.” Watt adjusted his ball cap. “Some of the first European settlers to this area were big into butterflies, and they found the area around the lake is inundated with them every summer. So the name comes from the?—”
“Copper butterfly!” I exclaimed. “Like the American copper and the scarce copper and the bronze copper. Not the metal!”
“Exactly.” Watt beamed like I’d just passed some kind of test, and I grinned back.
Reed grunted impatiently.
Once again, I ignored him. He was the one who’d asked about the name in the first place, for gosh’s sake.
“I think it’s cool to have a whole county named after butterflies,” I said to make up for Reed’s lack of enthusiasm over this cool fact.
“Actually, Copper County’s not a county,” Watt explained. “It’s a town and a tiny one at that. Even smaller than O’Leary, population-wise.”
“Not just small buttiny?” Reed said. “How… great.”
“It is,” Watt agreed. “See, we used to be part of Piermonte, back when Piermonte was a huge sprawling town.But then Titan Security bought up some land to build their headquarters, and a buncha people moved in, and they built a Costco and a Mega-Wegs and a Massage Envy, and folks started calling that part of town Piermonte Village, and this area around Copper Lake became known as ‘Copper County,’ and there was a municipal split, which is kinda like a town divorce, and…” He waved one huge hand. “Anyway. We didn’t end up with much. Our kids go to the regional schools, and we do most of our business in O’Leary, which is closer to us than the Village anyhow, but we got the lake and all the houses and families around it, which was the important part.”
“And now you have atownnamed after a lake that’s named after a butterfly,” I pointed out.
Watt smiled. “Exactly.” He pointed past the little sheds to a gap in the trees. “About a hundred feet back on that path through the woods, you’ll find the campground’s dock and a little beach. Some of the local retirees go fishing there in the mornings, but I’m not sure they catch much. They mostly sit there and enjoy the view. For my money, though, the best view of the water on the whole property is from right about…” He ambled over to the driveway, walked uphill a few paces, and squinted at the trees like he was assessing. “Here. Come see.”
I hurried toward him, and Reed followed, dropping the gear he was carrying on the grass. Both of us peered obediently at the trees like Watt had.
After a second, Reed’s face creased in a reluctant but genuine smile. “Huh. Itispretty.”
Even standing on my tiptoes, though, and moving this way and that, I couldn’t see anything but branches. It reminded me of staring at those Magic Eye puzzle bookswhen I was a kid, when everyone else wouldoohandaahh, and I’d wonder what the fuss was all about.
“Hmm,” I said doubtfully. “Maybe I’ll just go down and check out the view from the dock later?—”
Reed nudged my hip. “Come on. I’ll give you a boost.”
I hesitated. I could think of nothing less John-Ruffian-competent than a man standing in an open field needing a boost.
But Reed didn’t seem put off. He squatted slightly and patted one thigh like he boosted vertically challenged folks all the time. “Put your foot here and lean your hand on my shoulder,” he commanded.
Oh, man.Stay down, I warned my dick firmly.Don’t get ideas.
“So bossy,” I sighed as I complied. “Like this?”
“Yup. Now, lift.” He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist and straightened, lifting me easily, until I was plastered to his side with my feet dangling a crucial foot or two off the ground. “Can you see?”
I nodded, but I couldn’t actually answer out loud. The sight was too glorious for words.
The cottonwoods on this side of the lake had just started to change color, framing the sliver of shining water in green and gold like a painting in a book, while the trees on the opposite side were already a half-turned riot of russet and scarlet and neon yellow. A warm breeze made the trees whisper like they were having a cozy chat and set the lake sparkling. And when I sucked in a deep breath, the air smelled like…
“Honey,” I said in satisfaction, closing my eyes and digging my fingers into the meat of Reed’s shoulder. “Smell that? That’s sweet alyssum. There must be some growing around here. It’s good for your lungs, Nonna used to say.”
“Your nonna said a lot of shit,” Reed said softly. “Not sure I’d take her medical advice.”
I laughed. “She did make herbal remedies sometimes, but I think with the alyssum, the cure comes mostly from breathing it in. It’s relaxing.” I opened my eyes and looked down at him. “Don’t you feel it?”
Reed looked up at me, which was a novel sensation, and his fingers tightened at my waist. “Yeah,” he said roughly. “I think I?—”
Watt snickered, and I whirled to face him, almost falling out of Reed’s arms. Somehow, I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.
Reed straightened and set me down gently, then stepped two paces away, scowling at the ground like it had hurt his feelings.
