The Edge of Forever

“Maggie?”

Blake pushed open the door and proceeded to let her enter first. A thin woman was bent at the waist and rifling through a box of papers.

“Hey, Maggie.” The woman stood at the sound of Blake’s voice. She pushed her wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and smiled.

“Hi, Blake.” She flicked her eyes toward Poppy, and a slight frown wrinkled the skin between her eyes.

“This is Poppy Ellis, my sister in-law, and the one who is going to help us get the files organized.” Maggie smiled, but Poppy could tell it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Poppy.” Maggie wiped her hand on her brown corduroy pants before sticking her hand out. “Maggie Harris, wildlife botanist and Blake’s partner.” The way she said “partner” sounded almost like she tried to stake some kind of claim on him.

Okay.

Poppy took her hand and shook it and didn’t miss how the other woman tightened her grasp marginally. “Nice to meet you too.”

“I was just showing Poppy the place then we’re going to head up to Falls Cliff.”

“Oh, well, have fun. The storm is supposed to hit tonight, so you’re heading up there just in time.” Maggie looked behind her. “I’m just trying to find the files on Hierochloe odorata. I could have sworn I put them there, but I’m having a hell of a time finding them.” When Maggie turned back around, she looked at Blake.

“I think you stored them in the Calamagrostis canadensis.”

Poppy looked between the two of them, not sure if they were speaking English. Blake turned to her and smiled.

“Those are just the scientific names of two different types of grass.”

Poppy nodded but still felt so completely out of place. She was totally out of her element. When she lived in Ohio, she worked in advertising. Now it seemed she had to work with long, foreign-sounding names for different types of grass.

“Don’t worry. We don’t expect you to memorize the scientific names or anything.” Blake threw his arm around her shoulders and grinned down at her. “Come on.”

Blake led her toward the door, and Poppy glanced behind her shoulder. “It was nice meeting you,” she said, but Maggie’s attention was on Blake’s retreating form. When she finally looked back at Poppy, she had a forced smile on her face.

“Likewise.” With that, Maggie turned away and continued to dig through the box.

Once they were back in the vehicle and on their way to the falls, curiosity got the best of Poppy. “So, uh, you and Maggie work together long?”

“About three years now. She came from Seattle to do an internship in my office. Once she completed it, she decided to stay in Blithe.”

Poppy watched the scenery as they passed by. She would have been a fool to miss the attraction on Maggie’s face. She would have also been blind not to feel the hostility that came from the other woman that had been directed right at her.

Blake maneuvered the SUV up the winding mountain for another twenty minutes. Finally, he stopped and climbed out of the car. Poppy followed.

“It’s about a fifteen-minute hike to the falls, but the trail is fairly flat and shouldn’t be too difficult, even with the light layer of snow.” He led the way, and Poppy kept close behind him.

The sights, smells, and noises were stunning. Large trees towered on either side of them; the smell of crisp air and pine surrounded them, and the small sounds of animals scurrying about made her feel like one with nature. Blake pointed out the different types of flora and fauna, and although she honestly couldn’t keep up with his scientific lingo, she was interested. Blake was intelligent and knew exactly what to say to keep her mind in a positive light, whether he knew it or not.

The wind picked up, and she tucked her chin to her chest and pressed on. The sound of rushing water could be heard before anything could be seen. A break in the trees led to a clearing that overlooked a gorgeous waterfall. Poppy hadn’t realized the trail ascended so much, but as she stepped closer, she saw a steep drop-off just feet from her. Blake’s hand gripped her bicep. “Careful.” His breath teased tendrils of her hair that had fallen free from underneath her knit hat. “The ground is slick, and the edge might not be stable. I wouldn’t want to have to dive in after you if you go over.” She looked over her shoulder and realized he was far closer than she realized. His voice held a teasing tone, but she found herself growing uncomfortable by the tightening in her gut.

Disentangling herself from his grip, she took several steps back and looked at the scene before her. The waterfall cascaded from at least twenty feet. It was just a steady stream of water and not the rushing torrent she imagined, but then again, it was October. A basin of water pooled below the falls, churning slowly then traveling down the mountain. The cold air rose up from the bottom, and Poppy pulled her coat tighter around her.