Page 133 of Starcrossed Colorado

“You know,” Elias said, “I didn’t get the chance to meet Ayla. What’s she like? You would expect a celebrity to be difficult and stuck up, but her sister Lori was a sweet girl. Totally down-to-earth.”

We reached the first floor, and I paused there to answer his question. “Ayla’s down-to-earth too. She seems like she’sstruggling. But hopefully, now that she and Ashford have sorted out their differences, things will get better for her. And for Ashford too. That secret was weighing on him.”

“Yeah, secrets tend to do that.” Elias glanced away. “Did Ayla mention anything else about Lori?”

My brows drew together, confused why he’d even asked. I didn’t feel comfortable telling him about Lori’s affair with the mysteriousL. “No,” I finally said.

He shrugged and smiled. “I’m going to check my fermentation tanks and take care of some things in the barn. That’ll give you and Maisie some privacy to get her ready for bed. Just holler if you need me.”

“Thanks. It’s really kind of you to let us all stay here.”

“I’d do anything for Ashford. He’s one of my best friends.”

As Elias left and walked to the barn, I felt guilty that I’d been uncomfortable with him. Every time I’d been around Elias before tonight, I’d found him friendly and easygoing. He was going to a lot of trouble just to help us out. If he’d been acting strangely, it was probably the stress we were all under.

When I got to Elias’s office, where Maisie was staying, she hadn’t finished her movie yet. So she, Stella, and I cuddled up to finish the rest of it.

“Bath time,” I said when the movie was done.

“I don’t want a bath. I want Daddy to get here.”

“I know. He’ll get here as soon as he can. But I’ve got bubble bath,andElias has a fancy bathtub with little feet on it.”

She perked up. “Really?”

The clawfoot tub was a hit. Same with the pineapple-scented bubbles. Maisie pretended to be a mermaid and we told stories until her little fingers were wrinkled. I rinsed her with fresh water, then wrapped her in a fluffy towel.

But when we got to Maisie’s room, Stella wasn’t there. Dang it. I must’ve left the door partly open and she slipped out. What if she was chewing up an antique chair leg?

I went to the hallway and listened just as a crash came from upstairs.

Crap.

I pointed at Maisie. “You get your jammies on and brush your teeth. I’m going to find Stella.”

“Can I come?”

“Absolutely not. You stay down here.” Hopefully Elias was still outside. Since I didn’t hear barking, I assumed he was. If Stella had broken something, I would have to fix it. Or pay for it. I groaned, imagining how expensive an item it might be. Probably something irreplaceable that had belonged to Elias’s grandmother.

As I hurried up the stairs, I heard Stella’s collar jingling. A glance in the guest room didn’t reveal a naughty dog. Same with the upstairs bathroom. Which left Elias’s bedroom, the only other door on the second story.

“Stella, get your tush out here.”

I looked into Elias’s bedroom, and there she was. Slipper clenched in her teeth, growling and shaking it in a death-grip. “You are in so much trouble. What has gotten into you?” I got the slipper away from her. It was mangled beyond repair. Replaceable though. Not a priceless antique, thank goodness.

But what had caused that crash?

I couldn’t see very well, so I switched the light on. Elias’s bedroom was similar to the guest room, but with an unmade bed and more knickknacks and photos. Thick drapes hung over two windows facing the front of the house.

A tall chest of drawers stood just to the side of the doorway. Several framed photos decorated the top. But one frame was lying facedown on the wood floor. That explained the noise.Stella must’ve knocked it onto the floor when she was getting up to mischief.

When I picked it up, the frame came apart in my hands. I glared at Stella. “Big trouble. No treats tomorrow.” She’d be lucky if Elias didn’t make her sleep on the porch. We’d been guests in the man’s house for an hour or two, and we’d already made a mess.

Flipping the broken frame over, I glanced at the photo inside. Then held it up for a closer look when I noticed Ashford.

The picture showed Elias, Ashford, Judson, and Callum, arm in arm and wearing Silver Ridge High School gear. The older boys looked around eighteen. I’d never seen Ashford clean-shaven before. Or with such a boyish smile. Adorable. If I’d been his classmate, I would’ve noticed him in the hall and developed a massive crush.

There was so much more I wanted to know about him. All his stories from high school, from the Army. From when Maisie was a baby. My chest ached with all the love I felt for him already. Once I got to know him even better, it would probably be worse.

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