Page 19 of Starcrossed Colorado

I’d never done any classes like that with Maisie when she’d been that age. Had Lori? I would guess not. There hadn’t been anything like this in Silver Ridge then. Unless Lori had driven to a nearby town, like Hartley.

It pained me when I thought about how much I didn’t know about my best friend, even though we’d been trying to make a life together.

I shook my head, shaking off thoughts of Lori as I always did whenever they rose in my mind.

Then I went to sit in my office and tapped at my computer, answering emails and paying bills. Exciting stuff. The guitar music and singing coming through the wall set my teeth on edge.

I knew I was being slightly unreasonable. It wasn’t Emma’s fault that O’Neal Martial Arts had been slower to grow than I would’ve liked. I had helped her move her things in. Listened to her ideas for how to rearrange all my stuff that had been here for years. I’d made room for her here.

But inside, I was constantly bracing myself against her presence. Probably because she had to be so stinking positive about everything. Who was that cheerful all the time?

Except for when she was dealing with me, of course. I brought out Emma’s sardonic side. A distinction I surely deserved.

Did I have to be so uptight with her? Maybe not. But I had the feeling that, if I didn’t draw some kind of line in the sand, shewould end up taking over. And most of the town wouldn’t have a single problem with that.

I grabbed my pad of Post-it notes and jotted out another message.

Trash pickup is tomorrow. Don’t forget to empty the diaper pail and re-latch the bear lock on the trash cart. VERY IMPORTANT.

Ashford

Then I marched over to the kitchenette and stuck the note to her box of tea. There. If she preferred to communicate with me in writing, fine by me.

A nagging voice, which sounded distinctly like my sister Grace, told me I should be the better man and find a way to get along with her. Otherwise, it was going to be a long three months.

I told that voice where it could shove its advice. Right in the diaper pail.

Once upon a time, whenever I’d been home on leave in my Army days, my favorite spot to meet up with my friends had been Hearthstone Brewing Company.

They’d done renovations since then, updating the wood-paneled interior with modern light fixtures and sleek new chairs and tables. But thankfully, the low-key energy was still the same.The concrete floor was just a bit sticky from spilled beer beneath my boots.

It had been a long-ass day, and I needed to unwind.

I didn’t hang out here every night like I used to back in the day. I was a home-for-dinner kind of dad, unlike my own had been. But tonight, Maisie was at a Parents’ Night Out event at the community center. Free babysitting, mostly by teenagers from the local high school. Grace was there to help supervise. Whenever there was a community-building event around Silver Ridge, Grace inevitably had a hand in it. By day, she was an accountant for several local businesses.

As I wove between tables to reach the bar counter, I spotted my brother Callum working the taps. He was the brewery’s assistant manager. My buddies Judson Lawrence and Elias Camden were already here, perched on two barstools with a free one next to them. Perfect.

I sat down and nodded hello. “How’s it going with you two?”

“Can’t complain,” Judson said softly. His cowboy hat shadowed his features.

“I can,” Elias quipped. “Did you see the score on the Rockies game last night? Brutal.”

Callum made his way over. “What can I get you, big brother?”

“Amber ale. And some nachos.”

Callum nodded, grabbing a pint glass. “It’ll be awhile on the food. Kitchen is backed up.”

Damn summer season. “There should be a tourism tax,” I said. “Places are getting too crowded. Barely any room for us locals.” We had been inundated with tourists, especially in the last year since a small ski resort had opened on a nearby mountain. Now that it was summer, they were offering lift access to mountain bikers.

Elias laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. “Please don’t run for mayor or town council anytime soon, man. I’ve beenappreciating the uptick in business. If only we could find a better way to get them here during the shoulder seasons.”

Callum handed me my beer. “I’ve been enjoying all the pretty new faces.”

I snorted. “I bet you have.”

My brother’s favorite pastime was finding tourists to hook up with. He was a volunteer firefighter in addition to working at the brewery, and the firehouse had a prominent spot on Main Street. He never had any trouble charming the out-of-towners.

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