Starcrossed Colorado (Hart County #1)

30. Emma

THIRTY

Emma

I watched from the window as Judson arrived in his cowboy hat and snug T-shirt, followed a minute later by Teller and Piper. All three pushed past the throng of reporters on the sidewalk. A couple of Silver Ridge PD officers waved their arms, trying to keep the path clear.

When Ashford let them into the apartment, I grasped Piper in a hug. “Thanks for being here.”

“Hey, the media can take as many pics of me as they want. I did my makeup.” Piper fluttered her lashes.

Judson smiled and touched my arm in greeting, then reached to clap Ashford on the shoulder. “Happy to help.” He was so big that he took up most of the entryway by himself.

Ashford waved Ayla forward. “This is my sister-in-law. Ayla, this is Piper Carmichael. Judson Lawrence. And Chief Teller Landry.”

Teller was in his police uniform, his expression grim. His intense gaze swept over Ayla, taking in her simple tank top and shorts, her long platinum hair in a ponytail. “So you’re who all that fuss is about?”

Her pink lips opened slightly. Then she let out a shocked laugh. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Would’ve been wiser if you told someone before you showed up here,” Teller said. “We could’ve prepared.”

“I didn’t ask for anyone to make a fuss over me. But isn’t it your job to keep these reporters from harassing your citizens?”

Teller turned to Ashford. “If you weren’t right on the public sidewalk, we would have more leeway to get them away from your building. But this is a touchy situation as it is.”

“I get it,” Ashford said.

Teller eyed Ayla again, and she returned his glare with equal force before sweeping her ponytail over her shoulder in a dramatic gesture. She spun and walked away.

Well, then.

Until now, Ayla had been extremely low key given her superstar reputation. But within seconds of appearing, the chief had brought out her inner diva.

Judson crossed his arms, eyes impossible to see beneath the brim of his hat. Piper looked like she was stifling a laugh. “Does Maisie have her bag packed?” she asked.

“Yep,” I said, welcoming the subject change. “Right, Ashford? I can grab it.”

Ayla was in Maisie’s room. When I walked in, Maisie ran over and hugged my legs. “I really have to go?”

“Yes, but we’ll be back together later tonight.”

“Can I stay up late and watch shows? And have extra dessert?”

Ayla snickered, meeting my eyes. “Girl knows what she wants. I love that.”

There were more hugs and kisses as we got Maisie ready to go. Ayla promised to FaceTime Maisie as soon as she could. “I’ll have to send you the new songs I’m working on.”

“Will you sing for me some more?”

“Of course. I would love to.”

Maisie glanced over at me. “Emma can play the music for you. She’s super good at violin and piano and guitar too. And Daddy’s also an excellent singer.” She shrugged. “For a boy.”

Ayla winked at her niece. “You’ve got a promising future as a talent agent, Maisie.”

“What’s that?”

“I will tell you all about it next time I see you.”

Ashford came in and picked up his daughter, holding her tightly and whispering to her. It was time for her to go, and I felt how anxious he was. But Maisie would be in good hands.

He carried her to the entryway. Ashford handed Maisie over to Teller. “You’re going with Ollie’s uncle. You remember the chief, right?”

“I’ve heard from your dad how brave you are,” Teller said.

“I’m taking jiu-jitsu,” her tiny voice replied.

“Of course. Just like my nephew, right?”

“Is Ollie coming with us?”

“Ollie is at Dixie’s.” Piper leaned in to tickle her. “Maisie, you can protect us with your fancy fighting moves.”

Teller frowned at his sister. “No need for fighting moves. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Ashford draped a blanket over Maisie. “This is just until you’re in Teller’s police car, okay monkey?”

He reached for my hand as Teller carried Maisie out the door and Piper followed with Maisie’s bag. Then we both watched from a window as they made their way toward the waiting police SUV. Once the reporters realized it was the chief of police and a child, they stepped back. Only the most zealous kept shouting questions.

Everyone in the apartment seemed to breathe a collective exhale when Teller drove away.

Callum and Grace were up next. They didn’t wait long. Less than ten minutes after Maisie’s departure, they hurried out the door. Grace had a thick shawl draped around her face and a big pair of sunglasses, which Ayla had loaned her. It helped that they were a similar height. She’d also added Ayla’s signature bright pink lipstick, never mind the fact that Ayla herself hadn’t worn a swipe of makeup her whole time in Silver Ridge.

I held my breath, peering down from the window. Another police SUV had just pulled up, driven by another officer.

I couldn’t see Grace yet from this angle. But I knew the exact moment she stepped outside. The waiting crowd gasped.

And then lunged .

Shoving each other, waving cameras and phones set to record. Their shouts rose in a cacophony. Callum barred his arm in front of the frenzy of reporters, yelling for them to get back.

An officer opened the back door of the SUV, and Callum pushed Grace inside, leaping in after her. The SUV’s tires peeled as it accelerated, reporters chasing it down the street with their cameras held high. Then a dozen media vans took off after the SUV’s taillights.

Afterward, less than half a dozen people were left milling on the sidewalk, talking excitedly into phones.

I smiled at Ashford. “They bought it.”

“Callum did get the lead in the third-grade spring pageant. Kid wouldn’t shut up about it for months.”

“He and Grace both deserve Oscars for that performance.”

They were headed to Judson’s ranch. Out of anyone in the Lonely Harts club, he lived the farthest out of town, so that goose chase would lead the reporters nearly a half hour away from Silver Ridge. His property was also surrounded by acres and acres of land with a gate and fencing, so they wouldn’t be able to get too close.

Ayla was sitting on the couch in the living room, hands clasped around her knees. “Well?” she asked. I assumed she’d been too nerve-wracked to watch.

“It’s working,” Ashford said. “Next it’ll be Emma and Judson’s turn.”

I planned to wear a similar disguise to Grace’s. The remaining reporters would definitely get suspicious when I appeared, and they might call back some of the vans that had followed Grace and Callum. So we were going to wait until it was fully dark and use a different exit, so it seemed like the real Ayla was trying to sneak away.

By the time Ayla and Ashford would leave, another hour after that, they’d hopefully be able to slip away without a single eye on them.

“Talk to me a minute?” Ashford murmured.

We left Judson and Ayla making polite conversation in the living room and went to Ashford’s bedroom, closing his door partway.

“You sure you’re okay going with Judson instead of me?” he asked.

“It was my idea.”

“I know. Still not happy about it, though. I’ll get to Elias’s as soon as I can.”

Judson was going to drop me off there before heading to his ranch to meet Grace and Callum. I’d never been to Elias’s place, but apparently Ashford would be able to head there without passing through Silver Ridge on his way back from the rendezvous with Aiden.

I had no doubt that a bunch of scary what-ifs were going through Ashford’s mind. Now that I knew him so well, I understood that he focused on the negative because he was determined to protect those he loved. As if he could outrun anything bad if he saw it coming in time.

But everything was going to be fine.

I rubbed my nose against his. “I love you.”

“Love you more.” He dropped his mouth to mine. I put my hand on Ashford’s chest over his beating heart.

There was a noise in the hallway. “Oh, gosh. Sorry.” Ayla started to turn away.

“It’s all right,” I said, putting a few inches between Ashford and me, though he didn’t move his hands from my hips. “What’s up?”

She turned back, smiling sheepishly. “Wanted to thank you both again for your help. And apologize that you got mixed up in this mess, Emma.”

“Oh. It’s really okay.” I shrugged. “I should’ve told my family about the drama at my school last semester. That tabloid article saved me the trouble. Or rather, forced me to deal with it.”

“And your family? Are they supportive?”

“They’ve been great about it.”

I was lucky. Plenty of people, like Ayla and Lori, didn’t have that support system. Which was so unfair.

I’d been fan-girling about Ayla earlier, but she was a genuine person. Sweet and kind. She deserved to have people around her who loved her, and who she could trust. Everyone deserved that. Money and fame couldn’t buy it.

Ayla shuffled her feet in the doorway. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing this up. But it’s not right what happened with your ex. How you were treated by the school. They should’ve done more to defend you. Maybe there’s some way I could help.”

I didn’t see how she could, but I appreciated her offer. “Thanks. If you need anything else, please let me know.” Ayla’s life was so much more uncertain than mine at the moment. Her world tour was on hold. She probably had a manager, agent, and countless others demanding to know when she’d be back at work. What she needed was some peace and rest.

“You’ve done so much already. I’m glad we got the chance to meet. And I’m sure it won’t be the last time.”

“I hope not.”

Ashford rested his hand on my lower back, his expression carefully neutral.

When it was time for me to go, I gave Ashford another kiss goodbye. One turned into three.

“Tick, tock,” Judson reminded us.

I grabbed my scarf and sunglasses. No pink lipstick, though. Which was a good thing, because Ashford would’ve been wearing it too.

We’d already switched off all the lights. Judson and I went to the kitchen and climbed out the window onto the fire escape. He extended the ladder leading down. Once we’d climbed to the ground, he pushed the ladder back up, and Ashford secured it into place.

The creaking of the metal ladder had created just enough noise to draw the few remaining reporters’ attention. Behind the building, Judson rushed me into his truck while the reporters dashed around from the front, snapping pictures and shouting questions.

Judson slammed the door shut on the passenger side. Seconds later, he jumped in, and we took off. The reporters dashed toward their vehicles to follow.

In the rearview, I watched the Big Blue Monster disappear into the darkness.