Page 100 of Starcrossed Colorado

“You bet he did. Was already packing up when we arrived. He knew he’d gone too far. He’s driving out of the county as we speak.”

Emma exhaled. “Chief Landry, did you by any chance see a dark blue rain slicker in the reporter’s motel room?”

I lifted my eyebrows, locking eyes with her. I hadn’t thought to ask about that.

“Huh.” The chief thought a moment. “You know, I believe I did see one. A raincoat hanging on a hook by the door. What’s the significance?”

“Someone was watching me and Maisie about a month ago wearing that coat. Then followed me to my apartment. Ashford saw him.”

“I chased him off,” I said. “Didn’t report it because we couldn’t be sure he’d done anything wrong.”

But now, I was kicking myself for not realizing what it meant.

“There probably wasn’t anything I could’ve done at that point,” Teller said. “But now we know the situation. So does Sheriff Douglas. Next time someone shows up in Silver Ridge digging for info on your sister-in-law, we’ll at least know what’s up. But Ashford, I’ve gotta be honest with you. If these reporters follow the rules, there’s very little I can do. They have First Amendment rights. I can’t banish them from town or forbid Silver Ridge residents from talking to them. Much as I might like to.”

“I know. Thanks for all your help, though.”

“Keep me posted, and we’ll keep doing what we can.”

I ended the call. “Now we know who was following you the day of the rainstorm. The whole time, it was that reporter. He could’ve followed you other times, too. Like the night you left the brewery.”

“It’s possible. Kind of anticlimactic, in a way. The guy’s a nuisance, but he wasn’t actually that dangerous.”

“Hehurtyou yesterday. Bruised your arm.”

“I know. But he wanted information. Not to actually hurt us.” Emma glanced in the direction of Maisie’s bedroom. We couldstill hear her Netflix show playing. “If more reporters show up, there has to be something more we can do to fight back.”

I smoothed a lock of hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “Aside from leaving messages for Ayla on every possible phone number, I don’t see what else I can do.”

Exactly why I’d always dreaded the media’s discovery of this secret. I was all for reporters exposing corrupt politicians and important news events. But my child’s blood connection to a celebrity wasn’t news. And yet they could upend our lives because of it.

Emma seemed like she wanted to say more, but she was hesitating.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Do you think, if you speak to Ayla, you’ll ask her again about what Lori was keeping secret around the time she died?”

For a moment, I struggled to respond. “I don’t know. That’s a tough question to answer. Part of me still wants to know the truth. But the other part of me…” I shook my head. “Just wants to never see or speak to Ayla Maxwell again.”

Emma nodded. “Then maybe you should get legal advice about this. My dad and stepmom are friends with a bunch of lawyers. Including one of the top private attorneys in West Oaks, Jane Holt. I’m sure she knows lawyers who practice in Colorado.”

“I don’t want you worrying about this. It’s my problem to fix, not yours.”

“But—”

I stopped whatever she was about to say with a kiss. If I really got desperate for legal representation, I could call my Army buddy Dane for a loan. But that wasn’t anything I wanted Emma stressing about. “I just want to enjoy spending time with you and Maisie,” I said. “Couple more weeks until we can get out in the wilderness for our camping trip, and it can’t come soon enough.”

“You still feel okay about going?”

“Absolutely. I want to get away more than ever.”

I had little control over this situation with Ayla, and I hated that feeling. All I could do was keep Maisie and the other people I cared about close.

I had to enjoy whatever time with Emma I had left. After this summer, I would go back to focusing solely on my kid. That had been enough for me before Emma. It could be enough for me again.

Even if I knew deep down that I was lying to myself.

TWENTY-FIVE

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