Page 102 of Starcrossed Colorado

He hefted the bag with the tent on his shoulder, stopping to kiss me. “Even more gorgeous with you here. I’ll have to book it again for next year.”

His smile faltered, like he’d just realized what he’d said.Next year.

“You should,” I said quickly. “Maisie clearly loves it.” But I wouldn’t be there.

We set up the campsite, then hiked a nearby trail that took us up to a waterfall. Ashford didn’t let Maisie get too close, but she was able to splash a little with Stella right beside the bank. Then it was back to the camp, where we started a fire.

“Everything okay?” I asked. I’d noticed Ashford checking his phone.

“Just seeing if there’s reception. No service.”

I pulled out my phone and found it was the same. “That’s good though, right? No news is good news.”

He huffed a laugh. “That’s my motto lately.”

Around sunset, and after a dinner of campfire-grilled steak tacos, Maisie begged for s’mores. I grabbed my guitar. Because how could we have a proper campout with no music?

I started with the opening strains of “Dust in the Wind.”

Ashford chuckled. “I know what you’re doing.”

“What, Daddy?” Maisie was sitting in his lap. She looked up at him while she licked her sticky, marshmallow-covered fingers.

“Emma’s trying to get me to sing along to something.”

“I’m not giving up. Iwillfind out what you like.”

I strummed and sang the words of “Dust in the Wind,” quickly losing myself in the lyrics and the melody and wishing I could play the solo on my violin, but I’d only brought my acoustic Yamaha. That song became another. And another. Until the campsite was dark around us, and embers from the campfire rose up toward the starry sky.

Then I started “Let it Be,” and Maisie said, “Daddy loves this one!”

I gasped. Ashford laughed softly. “Got me. See, I’m not that interesting.”

“I disagree. The Beatles are timeless.” I played my heart out, singing along, but nearly lost my place when Ashford started singing along. He shrugged at me and kept going. As if this wasn’t a minor miracle.

He had an amazing voice, too. Smooth and deep.

I played every Beatles song I could think of. When I stopped, Maisie was sound asleep in Ashford’s lap, and the fire had burned down.

“You have a great voice,” I said quietly. “Why don’t you ever sing?”

In the couple of months I’d known him, tonight was the first time I’d ever heard him. He was better than me. I had a serviceable voice, enough to get a song across. But Ashford had that extra special quality to his tone. Something rare and beautiful.

“I used to. Sang to Maisie when she was a baby. Lori couldnotcarry a tune.” His teeth flashed in the dark as he smiled. “I guess I forgot how good it could feel. Letting go like that.”

I set my guitar carefully aside and moved closer to them. Ashford wrapped an arm around me while cradling his sleeping daughter. And suddenly, it felt like my chest was ready to break open with all I was feeling. Tears stung my eyes.

I told myself it was the smoke from the campfire.

“I’m glad you could do this with us,” he whispered.

“Me too.”

“Do you… Is everything settled for your new school? Does it start this month?”

What are you really asking me? I wanted to say.

“The semester starts at the beginning of September. I’ll have to be there by the end of the month. Unless…”

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