Starcrossed Colorado (Hart County #1)

9. Emma

NINE

Emma

Over the last couple of weeks, I’d made a habit of visiting Silver Linings Coffee most afternoons. Their wi-fi was much faster than my apartment’s, even when it was actually working. The coffee was great, and the vibes were the perfect level of cozy.

And most importantly, I got to visit with Piper whenever she was around.

“Quite the storm this morning,” she said as she made my vanilla latte.

“Stella was not happy.”

“Oh no. Poor puppy. But at least the sky has cleared up.” She nodded at the front window, which showed pure blue and sunshine. “Welcome to Colorado weather. I’ve seen snow in July.”

“Seriously? I’m not ready for that. I didn’t even bring a raincoat with me.” I made a face. “Which is my fault completely, but I just didn’t think of it when I was packing for a summer trip.”

I’d gotten over that embarrassment. Ashford’s change in mood, combined with the prospect of spending time with Maisie later, made me able to laugh at myself.

“I don’t blame you. I’m happy to loan you anything you might need.”

“I’m set. Ashford loaned me his extra rain jacket.”

Piper almost dropped her jug of milk. “ Ashford did?”

I shrugged. “He saw how wet I got walking to work and took pity on me, I guess.”

She just stared another moment before going to the espresso machine. “Wow. How gentlemanly. I’ve known the guy most of my life, and he’s never given me any of his clothing to wear. He must really like you.”

I barked a laugh. It was loud enough that a few heads turned. “He’s barely starting to tolerate me.”

“Still. For Ashford, that’s quick progress.”

Piper passed my latte over, and I stepped aside while she helped another customer. Taking a sip, I glanced at a display, which held an assortment of gifts for book lovers. There were bookmarks, mugs, stickers. But the notebooks with beautiful covers caught my eye. Made me miss my journal. Maybe I’d have time to run back home and get it before babysitting.

Then I saw a notebook with iridescent unicorns all over the cover, and that gave me an idea.

When the register was free, I grabbed the unicorn notebook and set it on the counter. “I’ll take one of these, too.”

“Excellent choice.” Piper rang me up. “I have a break in a bit. Want a sandwich? I make amazing paninis, and they’re huge. I’ll share one with you. On the house.”

“You have a bad habit of giving free food to paying customers.”

“What can I say? Food is my love language.”

I weighed my options. I’d meant to run by my apartment. But sharing a sandwich with my friend sounded so inviting. “I’d love that.” I already knew she’d refuse any more money from me, so I added several bills to the tip jar. “I just have to be back at Ashford’s in an hour. I’m babysitting Maisie.”

“Hold on, Ashford is trusting you to babysit Maisie?”

“Ouch. And I thought you liked me.”

She shook her head. “It’s not you. You’re totally trustworthy. Ashford’s the problem. If he accepts you, you’re in . But he does everything he can to keep people out . He usually needs to know someone for, like, a year before he’ll leave his daughter with them.”

I shrugged. “He seemed pretty desperate.”

Piper hummed thoughtfully.

Fifteen minutes later, we were tucked into a corner table with gooey cheese oozing onto our fingers. “You’re a wizard with a sandwich,” I said with my mouth full. “If I dated women, I’d be asking you to marry me right now.”

“Sadly, even if I dated women, I would say no. Because I will never get married again. But since you brought up the topic of dating…”

“Uh oh.”

“Can we talk about Ashford again for a sec?”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t seem to realize how remarkable it is that he gave you his own clothing to keep you warm. And he’s letting you take care of his little girl.”

“He also made me a cup of tea. It doesn’t mean anything.”

She set her sandwich down on the butcher paper it had been wrapped in. “A cup of tea ?”

“Don’t make it something it’s not. You were there at the brewery last week. You know I’m not his favorite person.”

“Mmhmm. But things change fast, it seems.” Piper took another dainty bite of her sandwich. “If he were interested, would you?”

“Would I what?”

“You know.” She pumped her eyebrows. “Take a ride on that stallion.”

I coughed as a glob of cheese nearly went down the wrong way.

“I would be tempted,” I said once I could finally speak again. “He’s a good-looking guy. Don’t get me wrong. But the last time I fell into bed with an older man, it didn’t end well.”

“The ex you mentioned before?”

“Yep.”

My ex had convinced me to believe everything he said because I trusted his experience and his judgment. He’d made me feel unsophisticated in comparison to him. What a mistake that had been.

“I think you’d be good for Ashford, though. It would help him relax if he had a little fun instead of being so serious all the time.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“ Me date Ashford?” She looked horrified.

“Not Ashford.” I was surprised at how vehement I sounded. “I mean, someone else. Do you have your eye on anyone?”

“Remember how I said I’d never get married again? That includes falling in love. Not for me.” She sighed, wiping her mouth and hands on a napkin. “My divorce was awful. I can’t imagine going through anything like that again.”

I squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. That’s rough.”

“Things got really bad about three years ago. Danny, that’s my ex, fought with me constantly. Often in public. Danny is a dentist. Dr. Carmichael.”

“I’ve seen his office up the street.”

“I walk by it every day. Joys of breaking up in a small town. But anyway, we would end up yelling at each other in front of his staff.” Her eyes got a faraway look. “Lori O’Neal was Danny’s dental assistant.”

“Ashford’s wife?”

She nodded. “Lori and I had always been friends, but with my marriage collapsing in front of everyone, I felt awkward around her. And that was right before she died. I wish I’d spent more time focused on Lori and not reacting every time Danny picked a fight. One day I came into the dental office, and Lori was crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she wouldn’t tell me. I didn’t press the issue. But I had this feeling it was about a man.”

“A man who wasn’t Ashford?”

Piper leaned in closer. “Well, she and Ashford weren’t together that way. They were allowed to see other people as long as they kept it separate from Maisie.”

“Oh.”

Piper cringed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you. I feel like the worst gossip right now. You’re way too easy to talk to.”

“I’ll take the blame if you want. But you were sharing your own experiences. No crime in that.”

“I know. After her death, I told Ashford about how Lori was upset. It felt wrong not to. He didn’t know what it meant either.”

“Maybe she was afraid to tell anyone. Or didn’t want to disappoint him.”

“Whatever it was, she took it to the grave.”

A cold shiver traced down my back. “And it was definitely an accident? Not…intentional, somehow?”

Now I felt like the gossip. But I came from a law enforcement family. Questioning these kinds of scenarios was second nature.

“There was an investigation, and that’s what the police ruled. A tragic accident. Ugh, I’m sorry. This conversation took a really depressing turn. Divorce and death.”

I squeezed her hand again. “Seems like you needed to talk about it.”

She blew out a breath. “And now, I need to get back to work. Let me know if you want to hang out later. Ollie and Maisie love to play together. I’m taking Ollie to his baseball summer league this afternoon, but we’ll be free after.”

“Thanks.”

I gave Piper a big hug. Truth was, we both needed it.

Before I left Silver Linings, I stopped by the bathroom to fluff up my hair. I tried not to think too hard about why I was doing it. The rain earlier had left me with messy waves, and it didn’t look half bad.

When I reached the Big Blue Monster, I went inside and climbed the stairs. There was an external door that led directly to these stairs as well, but that one required a key I didn’t have.

I paused on the upstairs landing. I’d never been up here before. Ashford had emphasized that it was his home only about a million times, making clear that this area of the building was off limits.

Shifting the strap of my bag on my shoulder, I knocked firmly a few times. Voices and running footsteps came from inside.

The door burst open, revealing Maisie with a big grin, and Ashford right behind her. “Mais, you can’t just open the door like that. You have to check who it is.”

“But it’s Emma.” She grabbed my hand and started pulling me into the apartment. Zero hesitation there.

Ashford had to step out of the way, and I almost brushed up against him. Different T-shirt than this morning, this one even more snug around his muscles. If that was possible. His slim-cut pair of athletic pants hugged him in exactly the right places.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi.” Why did I sound so breathy?

“You made it on time.”

Ah, there it was. His personality. “Of course I did.”

“Emma, this is the kitchen,” Maisie said. “Over there is our living room. That’s where we watch TV.”

I snickered. “Oh, really?” There were framed family photos on the wall, different combinations of Ashford, Maisie, Callum, and Grace. Several showed Maisie with a pretty, golden-haired woman who had to be Lori.

“This way to my room.”

“Hold on. Your dad probably wants to give me some instructions before he needs to go.”

Ashford walked into the kitchen. “Emergency numbers are on the fridge. She can have one bag of chips or one pack of cookies. Otherwise, there’s cut-up veggies and fruit for snacks.”

Maisie rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. Six going on sixteen.

“There’s Netflix for kids on the TV. Don’t put on anything else.”

“Oh darn. I had my heart set on HBO.”

He stared at me. “I assume that was a joke.”

I smiled and shrugged.

“Keep the door locked, and I’ll text when I’m on my way home. Should be three and a half hours or so.”

“I thought I’d take Maisie over to get Stella. She’s at Dixie’s house. And then we can head to the park for a while.”

“Is that another joke?”

Maisie jumped up and down. “Daddy, that sounds so fun. I want to see Stella and play at the park.”

“Mais, I don’t know…”

“I didn’t get to go this morning at camp ’cause it was raining. Pleeeease?”

I bit my lip, unsure if I’d stepped out of bounds by suggesting the park excursion. Ashford studied me. “You won’t let her out of your sight?”

“Not for a second. But if you prefer, we can stay here instead. There’s plenty we can do indoors, and I can get Stella from Dixie later.” Hopefully that wouldn’t cause any problems for Dixie’s bingo plans. She’d said dogs were welcome at the community center.

“Daddy, no ,” Maisie whined.

“You can go to the park,” he said, though it looked like the words pained him. “Just be careful.”

“We will,” I promised.

He had to give Maisie several hugs before they separated, and he held my gaze intensely as if he was repeating the words. Just be careful .

“We’re going to have a great time,” I assured him. “I’ll text you with plenty of updates.” Often his distrust of me got on my nerves, but not this time. I understood. Maisie was his whole world, and I would never do anything to jeopardize her.

We left together, Ashford heading to his car while Maisie and I set out on foot. I’d taken the spare key to their apartment, snacks and water bottles, plus a small first-aid kit he’d foisted on me. We made quick time to Dixie’s place, Maisie tugging on my hand the whole time because she was so excited to see Stella.

“Ashford’s letting you babysit?” Dixie asked when we appeared at her door.

I just nodded, since I’d been through all of that with Piper already. I didn’t need someone else getting the wrong idea about me and Ashford.

I had high hopes that we’d find a way to get along, maybe even be friends after this, but that was it.

I would not be riding any stallions this summer, thank you very much.

On our way, we passed by Silver Ridge Dental. The sign in the window showed the smiling face of Dr. Daniel Carmichael, who I now knew was Piper’s ex-husband.

No wonder I hadn’t trusted that perfect smile the first time I’d passed this sign. In my experience, men who were too charming were trouble.

Once Maisie and I reached the park, I took Stella off her leash so she could run around the open green space. Maisie took off after her, and I kept a close eye on them both.

Stella was so sweet and patient with the little girl. Always circling back around to let Maisie catch up.

Maisie got tired after a while, so we found a spot on a bench to eat our snacks. Stella drank water from a collapsible bowl I’d brought. My dog also eyed some leftover puddles from the morning’s rainstorm, but I gave her a stern word to warn her away. If I returned Maisie with her cute outfit all muddy, Ashford wouldn’t be impressed.

Maisie popped a chip into her mouth. “My mom used to take me to the park.”

My entire body went still. “Yeah? That must’ve been wonderful.”

“She pushed me a lot on the swings. She was really pretty and nice. Like you.”

Oh, God. That hit me straight in the heart.

Maisie had been three when her mom died. Some people didn’t have any memories from that age. I was glad that Maisie did.

“Thank you,” I said. “You must take after your mom then, because you are very smart and an absolute sweetheart.”

“Can we listen to that music again?”

It took me a moment to recall which music she meant. “Ayla Maxwell? The singer on my phone the other day?” I pulled up the playlist. Maisie nodded, crowding beside me to look at the album cover on my screen. It showed Ayla with her hair in a dramatic up-do and sparkly green shadow around her eyes.

“Wow. She’s beautiful.”

“She is.” Ayla was also the most famous pop star in the world right now, though I didn’t expect a six-year-old to know that. “She looks a little like you,” I said. “Bright green eyes like yours.”

Maisie fluttered her lashes and lifted her chin proudly, then went back to her snacks. “Do you have a mom?”

I smiled. Maisie kept me on my toes with her rapid changes of topics. “Sure. I have a mom, and a stepmom who’s married to my dad.”

“Really? Are your moms alive?”

Ugh, another pang. “They are, yes. I’m close to both of them. They’re awesome. So is my dad.”

“My daddy is the best. Except when he won’t let me do stuff.”

“My dad’s the same. He can’t tell me what to do anymore since I’m grown up. Well, he tries, but I don’t have to listen. He does it because he loves me though. He wants me to be safe and happy.”

“Yes. That’s what dads do.” Maisie nodded sagely. “Can we play fetch with Stella now?”

“Absolutely.”

“Do you think Stella likes me? Even as much as she likes other dogs?”

“Look how much fun she’s having with you.” I pretended to think. “If you were a dog, what kind would you be? A Maisie-doodle?”

She laughed like that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. A sound full of joy.

After fetch, we went to the playground. I helped Maisie on the swings. Then she pumped her legs to keep going. Stella sat by my side and watched. A few other kids appeared, and I said hello to their parents or sitters or whoever was with them.

Meanwhile, I took pictures with my phone and sent them to Ashford.

Me

Look who’s having a great time at the park.

About ten minutes later, the response came.

Ashford

Wish I was there.

And to my surprise, I kind of wished he were there, too.

My day had started out awful. But now, it was the best day I’d spent so far in Silver Ridge.

Until I kept noticing the stranger in a dark blue rain slicker.

He, or maybe she, was standing between some trees in a wooded area of the park. The person had their hood up, their face shadowed. They were average height, medium build. But something about the build seemed male. The raincoat was odd, since the skies were clear now.

At first, I ignored him. But after a while, I couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that his eyes were on us.

“Hey, kiddo,” I called out. Maisie had run over to a kid-sized climbing wall. I didn’t want to shout her name, just in case that creep was listening. “We’re going to head home now.”

Was I overreacting? Maybe. But I didn’t want to take any chances. Strange men hanging out alone near children’s parks were a definite no .

“Not yet! Please, Emma? I have to reach the top.”

“It’s time to go,” I said, more firmly this time. “I’m counting to five, and when I get there, your feet need to be on the ground, missy.”

“Nooo.”

“One, two, three…” When I reached five, Maisie jumped down to the ground and fell to the grass. I cringed, worried she’d hurt herself, but she jumped up. The knees of her pants had grass stains.

“Where’s Stella?” she asked.

I looked around. A wave of worry hit me.

There was no sign of Stella anywhere.