Page 21 of Starcrossed Colorado

Judson clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically.

Elias’s wife Holly had left Silver Ridge a couple of years ago to move to Denver. It had come as a shock to everyone, including Elias, because they’d been the golden couple of our high school.Nobody expected them to break up. Just went to show, didn’t it? No happy endings.

“Piper didn’t name us the Lonely Harts for nothing,” Elias said.

My back muscles tensed. “Well, she can rescind my membership. I’m not lonely.”

My friends’ silence said they didn’t buy it.

My nachos finally arrived. As my friends and I ate, Callum left his dish towel with the other bartender and went to take his break. My gaze followed him across the room from the corner of my eye.

He said something to the occupants of Piper and Emma’s table. Female laughter drifted over.

“You’re really not gonna go over there?” Elias asked.

“Nope.” I gulped the rest of my amber ale, lifting a finger for another. “I’m enjoying my night off.”

But I glanced over again. And I saw Emma look up at Callum. She smiled at him, head tilting. My brother leaned down to say something in her ear.

Before I’d even realized I was moving, I was out of my seat. I swiped my fresh pint of ale from the bar. Then I was striding across the room, with Judson and Elias’s low laughter trailing after me.

SEVEN

Ashford

By the timeI got there, Callum had pulled up a seat right next to Emma’s.

I grabbed a free chair from another table, scooting in beside Piper. She grinned at me and lifted her beer. “Parents’ Night Out, amiright?”

I clinked glasses with Piper. “That’s where Ollie is?”

“Where else? Not like he’d be at Danny’s.” Her ex rarely took their son overnight, always having some excuse. Piper’s older brother, Teller, was happy to spend time with Ollie, but Teller was also chief of the Silver Ridge Police Department, so he often had his hands full. I didn’t see him here tonight.

In fact, I had trouble paying attention to anything except Emma and my brother on the other side of the table.

Emma pointed at his shirt. “Army? You served?”

“I did.” Callum hooked his thumb in my direction. “Ashford did too.”

Emma’s blue eyes lingered on me. “I have a couple of uncles who were Army. My dad was a Navy SEAL.”

“Was he stationed at Coronado?” Callum asked.

“Yeah, when he wasn’t deployed overseas. But we ended up in West Oaks. It’s a small beach town not far from Los Angeles. My dad and stepmom are both law enforcement. West Oaks PD.”

I drummed my fingers on the table. “Close to LA. That tracks,” I muttered.

At my words, Emma’s head turned, and her eyes locked on mine. “How does it track, exactly?”

I shrugged. “You just seem like a Californian. Like everything is breezy and simple.”

She barked a laugh. “I don’t think everything is simple. Far from it. You’ve never been to California, have you?”

“Why do I need to? We see plenty of it in movies and on TV. Can’t get away from it. People are obsessed with celebrities. It’s ridiculous.”

“Sure, but you’re making an awful lot of assumptions about a big place. And a lot of assumptions about me.”

Callum cleared his throat. On my other side, Piper poked my arm. “Can you tone it down a few notches?” she murmured. “Chill.”

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