Starcrossed Colorado (Hart County #1)

7. Ashford

SEVEN

Ashford

By the time I got there, Callum had pulled up a seat right next to Emma’s.

I grabbed a free chair from another table, scooting in beside Piper. She grinned at me and lifted her beer. “Parents’ Night Out, amiright?”

I clinked glasses with Piper. “That’s where Ollie is?”

“Where else? Not like he’d be at Danny’s.” Her ex rarely took their son overnight, always having some excuse. Piper’s older brother, Teller, was happy to spend time with Ollie, but Teller was also chief of the Silver Ridge Police Department, so he often had his hands full. I didn’t see him here tonight.

In fact, I had trouble paying attention to anything except Emma and my brother on the other side of the table.

Emma pointed at his shirt. “Army? You served?”

“I did.” Callum hooked his thumb in my direction. “Ashford did too.”

Emma’s blue eyes lingered on me. “I have a couple of uncles who were Army. My dad was a Navy SEAL.”

“Was he stationed at Coronado?” Callum asked.

“Yeah, when he wasn’t deployed overseas. But we ended up in West Oaks. It’s a small beach town not far from Los Angeles. My dad and stepmom are both law enforcement. West Oaks PD.”

I drummed my fingers on the table. “Close to LA. That tracks,” I muttered.

At my words, Emma’s head turned, and her eyes locked on mine. “How does it track, exactly?”

I shrugged. “You just seem like a Californian. Like everything is breezy and simple.”

She barked a laugh. “I don’t think everything is simple. Far from it. You’ve never been to California, have you?”

“Why do I need to? We see plenty of it in movies and on TV. Can’t get away from it. People are obsessed with celebrities. It’s ridiculous.”

“Sure, but you’re making an awful lot of assumptions about a big place. And a lot of assumptions about me.”

Callum cleared his throat. On my other side, Piper poked my arm. “Can you tone it down a few notches?” she murmured. “Chill.”

Hey, not my fault if the music teacher got easily offended when a guy expressed his opinion.

Callum took out his phone, tapping the screen with his thumbs. “Just googled West Oaks. Location looks sweet.”

I noticed how he was leaning closer to Emma. Close enough to brush against her. I took a gulp of beer and thudded my glass onto the table.

“Emma, what brought you to Silver Ridge?” Piper asked, changing the subject.

“She’s on summer break from college,” I supplied. Then both Piper and my brother glared at me again, and I said, “What?”

Emma smirked. “It’s grad school , not college. I have my bachelor’s degree. I’m on summer break, but my plans changed pretty suddenly. I’m looking to transfer. My last program…” She sat back in her seat, blowing out a long breath. “It wasn’t a great fit. Mostly because my ex-boyfriend is there. So it’s better for me not to be.”

Callum winced. “Sounds like there’s a story behind that statement.”

“I would need to be a lot drunker to tell it.”

An ex. Made me wonder about this guy. What had happened? What had the guy done to her that she’d run to another state to get away from him?

Not that I needed to know. It was just curiosity.

“No confessions necessary,” Piper said. “It doesn’t have to be that kind of night. Unless you want it to be.”

Emma laughed. “Maybe another time. I have a class to lead in the morning. It won’t be good for my reputation if I show up hungover.” She bit her lip. “The gist of it is, I ran from a disastrous breakup. I’m here to find my way again.”

Callum put a hand on Emma’s arm. “Well, whatever happened, I think you’re brave for coming out here alone.”

I snorted. My brother was laying it on thick. I shifted my weight in my chair.

“I do have family over in Hartley,” Emma said. “Not like this is a foreign country.”

“But still, they’re not in Silver Ridge,” Callum went on. “That takes some guts. Even when I enlisted in the Army, I did it knowing my two older brothers were already there. Piper’s brother too, though Teller decided to be all impressive by joining Special Forces.”

Emma’s gaze shot back to me.

Piper stood up, putting her hands down on the table. “I propose a round of shots. We need to welcome Emma into the Lonely Harts club.”

“The what?”

“Piper’s pet project,” Callum explained. “We commiserate over being single. Or something like that. I happen to like being single.”

“I never said I have a problem being single,” Piper protested. “We’re commiserating over the bullshit we’ve all gone through in the name of love.”

I grunted in annoyance, and Emma’s eyes cut toward me once again. “I don’t think Ashford wants me as a member of any club he’s in. Assuming he’s a member?”

Callum snorted. “Oh, he’s a member all right. Practically the mascot.”

I would never wish bodily harm on anyone in my family. Not even Grayden. But the glare I was giving my younger brother might indicate otherwise.

“You can join anything you want,” I said to Emma. “I’m sure I couldn’t stop you.”

Her smirk broke into a full-on smile. “Now that is the truth.”

Callum went to the bar to get a tray of whiskey shots for us. On his way back, he brought Elias and Judson along with him. Neither of them were likely to turn down a free drink. Cal passed the tray around, and we each took one. Even me, though I thought this was stupid.

“Let’s officially welcome Emma to the Lonely Harts club.” Piper winked. “You’re one of us now.”

The whiskey went down smooth. Callum had gotten the good stuff. As I swallowed, licking my lips, my gaze found Emma’s again. I couldn’t explain why. I just knew that, out of anything or anyone else in this room, my eyes were determined to settle on her.

After another hour or so, our group started to scatter. Piper wanted to play a round of pool before Parents’ Night ended. I wound up back at the bar with Judson beside me, drinking another round of beers.

Callum wandered over, draping his towel over his shoulder. “You didn’t walk Emma home?”

I shook my head. “Elias offered to drive her. It’s on his way, and he didn’t drink much.”

“And you let him?”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?”

“No reason.” Callum looked amused.

“Just FYI, I’d rather you didn’t make a move on her. I have to see the woman every day. It’ll make things awkward if you hurt her feelings.” My brother was a one-night-and-done kind of guy. Some women didn’t want to accept that.

“That’s your only objection to me going after Emma? The awkwardness?”

I tightened my grip on my glass. “Pretty much.”

Also, the thought of Callum with her made me itchy all over. It didn’t sit right.

I would’ve offered to walk her myself if nobody else had stepped up. Just to make sure she was safe, because I’d do the same for anyone. But Elias was okay too. He wouldn’t try to hook up with her. Probably.

As for why I cared so much who Emma hooked up with…I wasn’t going to examine that too closely.

Callum picked up some empty glasses, swiping the bar top clean. “I doubt Emma’s interested in me, anyway. She couldn’t take her eyes off you.”

I almost choked on my mouthful of beer. “Only because she can’t stand me. And I don’t care for her. The dislike is mutual.”

“Nah, I’m not buying it,” my brother said. “I know chemistry. You and Emma? There’s chemistry.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hey, Judson. You know what I mean. Right?”

Beside me, Judson chuckled softly. Then nodded.

I shifted on my bar stool. “Both of you can keep your opinions to yourselves.”

Callum sighed. “Ashford, how long has it been since you got laid? Or at least got off with anyone besides your own hand.”

I glanced around. “Would you lower your voice? I teach these people’s kids.”

“Nobody’s listening.” Still, Callum lowered his volume and leaned across the counter. “Women are interested in you. I’ve heard the complaints that you’re unattainable, and it’s not for lack of offers, man. Has there been anyone since Lori? Even with her, I’m sure it was a while since… you know .”

Judson looked on sympathetically.

Callum and Judson both knew the nature of my marriage to Lori. After I’d returned stateside from my last deployment, she and I had tried briefly to start something. It had seemed right. Falling for my best friend. We’d both wanted stability. Love. To find a safe place to land when so much in the world was ugly and uncertain.

Only, neither of us had fallen very far. The spark just wasn’t there. We’d realized we were better off as friends than lovers. By then, she’d missed her period. And then came those two pink lines.

I would never call Maisie a mistake. She was everything. But by mutual agreement, our marriage had been platonic. We’d even slept in separate rooms.

And no, there hadn’t been anyone else. Not then. Aside from a few very occasional encounters, not since.

“I don’t have the time for that,” I said. “I have a kid at home. People are counting on me. Unlike you, I can’t be irresponsible.”

Callum laughed, not taking my insult personally. “You’re the one who pointed out you see Emma every day. Why not take advantage?”

“Because of a million different reasons. Like the fact that she can’t stand me. She’s too young. She’s leaving at the end of the summer.”

“Isn’t that a pro versus a con? They call it a summer fling for a reason.”

I glanced over at Judson. “Can you talk some sense into him?”

“I’m staying out of this.”

My brother was out of his mind. “I am not interested in Emma that way. Period. The end.”

Callum grabbed my empty glass and set it aside. “You want to know your real problem?”

“Not really.”

“It’s that you want to keep your world small because you’re scared.”

I glared at the mirrored wall above his head. “Fuck off, Cal.”

“You think that if you allow someone new into your life, you’ll be responsible for her too. But Emma’s a grown adult. She’s young, but she gives every indication of being able to take care of herself. That doesn’t have to be your job.”

I shook my head, continuing to glare at the wall.

“After what happened to Lori, you’re scared of letting anyone else down. But you deserve more in your life. Your daughter does too.”

Anger surged into my throat. Pounded at my temples. I loved my brother, but I was also so tempted to hit him right now. “Not another word. Unless you’d like to have it outside.”

Callum threw his towel down and walked to the other end of the bar.

“You all right?” Judson asked. “If you ever need to talk…”

“No.” I pushed back, getting up from my seat. “I need to go pick up Maisie. It’s getting late.”

Callum had stepped way out of line. What I needed was to stay focused on running my business and taking care of my family. I didn’t need anything else. Couldn’t afford to need anything else.

Because when you stopped being careful, that was when everything fell apart.

Maisie was a wild bundle of energy when I picked her up from the community center. The kind of overtired and hyperactive that Lori and I used to call “toddler drunk.” Once I had her in the truck, she was sound asleep within five minutes.

I carried her into our building with her soft, heavy head resting on my shoulder. She barely stirred as I tucked her into bed. I patted her quilt around her and smoothed her hair from her peaceful face.

My heart was full at moments like these. As long as my girl was safe and happy, things were okay. I didn’t need anything else, except for people to leave me alone.

Callum didn’t know a damn thing.

Quietly closing the door to Maisie’s room, I made my way down the hall. I passed the extra bedroom along the way. What had once been Lori’s room. We used it for storage or for guests, like when Grace stayed over to help with Maisie.

I didn’t look inside.

In my own room, I set my phone and wallet on the dresser and stripped to my boxer briefs.

Summer was my favorite season in Silver Ridge. Our apartment never got too hot or too cold at this time of year. Juggling Maisie with my work schedule was more complicated in summer, but we also got to enjoy lazy walks outside, with breezes blowing through the groves of aspens that bordered Main Street and days that seemed to last forever in the best way.

When Emma had appeared, I’d thought she would throw a wrench in my summer. But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having her around. I would have to ignore my brother’s idiotic innuendos, but that wasn’t Emma’s fault.

She was sweet to Maisie. Hard for me to hold a grudge against someone who was nice to my kid.

My phone buzzed with a text, and I grabbed it, possessed by a sudden instinct that it was Emma. We’d exchanged numbers. What if she hadn’t gotten back to her apartment okay? What if something was wrong?

I cursed when I saw an anonymous number. That fucking area code.

Unknown

You can’t ignore me forever, Ashford.

“You’re wrong about that,” I said to my empty bedroom, blocking the number. I was nothing if not stubborn. Switching my phone to Do Not Disturb, I tossed it angrily onto my dresser.

Was I just pissed off about an unwanted text?

Or was I actually disappointed that Emma hadn’t written?

I blamed Callum. He’d put ridiculous ideas into my head, no matter how much I’d tried to push them away.

Fine , I was attracted to the woman. But there was zero chance of me hooking up with her. There would be no summer fling. All those reasons I’d listed earlier still applied.

Unfortunately, I was all worked up and restless as I slid under the covers. My brain wouldn’t be quiet. And that wasn’t the only part of me demanding attention.

I was hard.

How long had it been since I’d jerked off? Three days? Four?

Groaning, I rolled over and faced the ceiling. Orgasms were a basic physical need. Usually I took care of it in the shower. I’d been preoccupied lately. Stressed.

But right now, the apartment was quiet. I didn’t have to be anywhere. Nobody needed me.

I slid my hand into my boxer briefs. My fist closed around my shaft. A moan rumbled from my chest, surprisingly loud in the silence. Whoops.

Quickly, I kicked off my covers and jumped up to lock my bedroom door. If Maisie woke up and needed something, she would knock.

On my way back to the bed, I stripped off my briefs altogether and lay on my back in the middle of the mattress. I’d managed to keep one hand on my aching cock the entire time. I slowly slid my fist up to the thick tip.

Mmm, yes. This was exactly what I needed.

I bent my knees. Shivers spread across my body as my breaths came fast and shallow. My fist worked down to the base of my cock, squeezing, then sliding up again. Nice and tight. Just how I liked it.

I tipped my head back, eyes drifting closed.

Against the backdrop of my mind, I saw lustrous, dark hair. Plush lips on a shot glass. Long fingers plucking the strings of a guitar. Then those same long, delicate fingers pushing my hand away from my cock to take over.

She would stroke my shaft. A little hesitant. Nowhere near enough.

Fumbling for my nightstand, I found the lube I kept at the back of the drawer and poured the glistening liquid over my cock.

“Nngh,” I moaned, speeding up the pace. My fantasy kept unfolding. That same gorgeous woman bending over me to take my cock into the velvety warmth of her mouth. I snapped my hips, imagining I was pushing into her mouth instead of my fist.

“ Emma ,” I gasped.

My release splashed onto my stomach in hot pulses. Waves of pleasure wiped my mind clean for a few perfect seconds. I lay there panting as I came down from the high.

So…yeah. That had just happened.

But it didn’t mean anything. I didn’t need any new complications in my life.

There would be no summer fling between me and Emma Jennings.