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marathons, and I thought he would live forever. He died one afternoon while on the field with the football team he coached. He was running with them when he suddenly dropped to the ground. A heart defect no one had detected. If it hadn’t been for Nick, my son... I don’t know what I would have done.”
    Andy suddenly felt betrayed by Dr. Payne. “You know...what happened to me?”
    Eve shook her head. “I only know that pain in your eyes. I saw it in my mirror for a long time. If there’s ever anything I can do...”
    â€œThere is,” Andy said. “I need something to do. I don’t have much money, but Dr. Payne said it was possible to help in the community. I’ve always paid my own way.”
    â€œWhat did you do in the army?” Eve asked.
    â€œYou don’t know?”
    â€œNo. Dr. Payne says very little about his recommendations to my husband. Josh probably says even less to me. He figures if you want anyone to know your business, you’ll tell them. He’s a sphinx where other vets are concerned.”
    â€œI think I’ll like him.”
    â€œYou will. He would tear off his arm to help someone, particularly a vet.”
    â€œI’ve known someone like that.” Andy bit her lip as the image of Jared popped up again.
    Eve looked at her. “They are rare,” she said. “Are you interested in history?”
    An odd question and quick change of subject. But she nodded.
    â€œDo you like writing?”
    â€œI’ve kept a journal, that’s all.”
    Eve’s eyes suddenly lit. “We’re trying to grow the town, create more jobs. We think tourism is the first step. My husband and Nate are finishing rehabbing—rebuilding, really—a very nice inn, but we’re a fair distance from populated areas. We need attractions, and I think that attraction could be our history.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œThe town was founded by a Scot who came here in the 1840s, saw the lake and established a trading post. There were Native raids, but he saved the life of a Ute chief and they rewarded him with protection and the chief’s sister as a wife. He basically built the town and became instrumental in the campaign for statehood. Then there’s our falls, where much of this happened.”
    â€œI’m not a writer,” Andy said. “And shouldn’t someone from the community write about the town?”
    â€œWe don’t need a book,” Eve explained. “Just a short, coherent narrative we can use in a brochure and advertising program.”
    â€œWouldn’t someone who lives here be more qualified...?”
    Eve sighed. “There’s a few rivalries around here. And different versions of what happened and where we should go in the future. I think an outsider will be objective and produce a narrative appealing to people outside the community. I want fresh, unbiased eyes.” She paused. “We’ve been thinking about hiring someone, but why don’t you take a stab at it? We don’t need Gone with the Wind .”
    â€œWhere would I begin?” Andy asked, a kernel of interest building inside. She had always liked history, even thought about being a history teacher, but there had been no scholarships for that.
    â€œProbably the best place is the small museum we’ve started in the community center. There’s old newspapers and photos and some mining equipment. You can start there, and then contact Al Monroe. He’s a descendant of the founder of Covenant Falls, Angus Monroe. There’s rumors that Angus kept journals. Al might have them if, indeed, they do exist.”
    Eve’s proposal was the last thing Andy had expected. The more Eve talked, the more intrigued she became. It was far more interesting than the pounding nails or filing papers that she’d expected. And she’d always liked research.
    Plus, it would absorb her. She needed something like that.