Page 30 of Snow River

“You never know with these transplants.”Trader John drank deeply from the mug and smacked his lips.The new espresso machine caught his eye.“What in the asscrack of a hairy moose is that?”

Always had a way with words, did Trader John.“Never heard of an espresso machine?”

“Not out here I haven’t.That’s city gear.”

“You really don’t like change, do you?”Bear patted the shiny new machine, which pleased him more every time he set eyes on it.Lila might not have liked kissing him, but she loved the latte maker.

“I like it in my pocket.Nowhere else.”

“Amen to that.”Martha took the stool next to him and offered him a high-five.“What am I high-fiving?I don’t even know.”

“Then why’d you say ‘amen’?”Trader John frowned as their palms met.

“It’s how I enter conversations midstream.I heard about it on a podcast for socially awkward types like your favorite neighborhood sheep farmer.”

Bear’s lips twitched at that self-deprecating description.In the broad scheme of things, Martha was probably one of the less socially awkward people in Firelight Ridge.She was in her early forties, chatty and kind-hearted.Compare that to the folks who only came out of the forest to sell their furs.

“What’s a podcast?”growled Trader John.

“It’s something you need WiFi to listen to, so don’t you worry about it.”She patted the old man on the shoulder.“It’s an odd day, huh?”

“Thank the sweet lord, yes.Bear got himself an espresso machine.I told Newt it was a mistake to sell to him.”Trader John offered Bear another baleful glare.

“Yes, haven’t you noticed it yet?It’s been here for days.I wonder if you’re like those isolated islanders who couldn’t see ships arriving because they’d never witnessed such a thing before.I heard about that in a podcast too.”

Trader John shifted to the next stool over, then two more just to be safe.

But Martha was clearly in too good a mood to let that affect her.

“I’ll have a double cappuccino, Bear.”

“Sorry, Lila’s the only one who operates that thing.”

“Lila is an angel.Where is she?”

“She’ll be in soon.”Not that he’d been counting the minutes, but her shift was scheduled to start in ten minutes.

“Do you know who made that mess out at the Community yet?”

“Nope.I’m just a bartender.”

“Well, if anyone does, it would be you.Aside from whoever did it, of course.You always have your finger on the pulse.But if you ask me, you should take a good hard look at the Harts’ grandson.My fence butts up against their property and he had the nerve to tell me that I was over the property line.Actually pulled out a GPS to prove it.My fence has been there for fifteen years, solid concrete posts at every corner, steel four foot deep, and I’m not changing any of that now.”

Bear sighed.So that was what was going on.Every grudge in town was fodder for vandalism accusations.“What motive would Hart’s grandson have?”

“Can’tyoufigure that out?When he comes in here for his next drink, slip him a little extra and see if he cops to it.”

Bear laughed, happy to see Martha give him a wink from smiling gray eyes.He’d always liked Martha, even though he’d turned her down when she’d invited him over a few years ago.She was the salt of the earth, a hard-working woman, someone always ready to lend a hand—probably a lot like him.Maybe that was why he felt no attraction to her, just respect and friendship.

“Just don’t tell anyone I drugged a customer for information.”

“I didn’t hear that.”Nick Perini slid onto the stool that Trader John had vacated.

“You’re still in town.”Bear had heard that he and Charlie were headed out soon.

“Yes, every time we try to leave, something happens.”

“What happened now?”

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