Page 144 of Starcrossed Colorado

Tucking my phone into my back pocket, I leaned down to kiss her. “Then I’d better help tuck her in.”

We went together into the game room. I read Maisie some more of her current book, then made sure she was comfy with a glass of water on a small nearby table. Emma and I would join her later, all three of us squeezing onto the king-size air mattress.

If anyone had asked, I would’ve claimed it was for Maisie and Emma’s benefit. But it was for me too. I needed my girls. Even Stella, who had been sleeping curled up at our feet.

“Go to sleep now,” I said. “Emma and I will come and join you soon.”

Maisie yawned. “Okay, Daddy.”

The first night, we’d all gone to bed at the same time. But last night and tonight, Maisie didn’t seem to mind going first. I was relieved she hadn’t been too scared for that. She knew Emma and I, along with her aunt and uncle and our friends, would be close.

Someday, I would sit her down and explain what really happened to her mom. Who Elias really was. But not for a very long time.

Emma and I retreated to the hallway, where we were out of sight. “Should we go upstairs and hang out with everyone?” she whispered.

“I’d rather stay right here and kiss you. I haven’t had enough of that.”

My fingers slid into her hair to cradle the back of her head, and my tongue licked teasingly into her mouth. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be more than a tease with so many people staying here and Emma still recovering. Not that I really needed more.

I just needed to touch her. Savor every moment that we had.

We stood in the hallway and kissed and touched until our lips were swollen. Then we both went to change and get ready for bed.

When we carefully lay down on either side of the mattress, Maisie was deep asleep, her lips parted as she dreamed. I kissed my daughter’s head, then reached over her to smooth Emma’s hair, my thumb tracing along Emma’s cheek.

I was so in love with her. Now more than ever.

But love wasn’t always enough.

So I had to memorize each moment and live off of those memories later on. Because there would never be anyone else like Emma Jennings for me.

Another week passed. When news broke about Elias Camden being Lori’s killer, there was another flurry of media interest. But the crush of attention finally stopped, eclipsed by some other celebrity controversy somewhere else.

I got back to work, and Emma started up her toddler music classes again to finish out her lease. We spent every single day together. I tried to somehow keep the sun from setting through sheer will.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen.

I spied on her through the one-way window as she sang and strummed her guitar. The babies made me smile as I thought of Maisie at that age. How cute she’d been, even with the mess and the late nights.

Yet time always moved forward.

Today was the day. Ayla had texted me earlier, letting me know she’d gotten the final word on that opportunity for Emma. After Emma’s class, I planned to pull her into my office and call Ayla so my sister-in-law could deliver the news.

Was she still my sister-in-law? I didn’t know how that all worked. I just knew she’d quickly started to feel like a real sister to me. Lori would’ve approved.

Ayla didn’t know she was engineering my heartbreak. But I’d asked her to do it. And if it made Emma happy, how could I regret that?

“Must feel good to be back.”

I glanced over to find Dixie beside me. Her frame was so slight that I hadn’t heard her come inside, even with those big gold sneakers she loved.

“It does. Thank goodness things have calmed down.”

“I saw the latest video Ayla Maxwell posted,” Dixie said.

“You’ve been following those?”

“Oh hon, who hasn’t?”

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