Page 22 of Starcrossed Colorado

Hey, not my fault if the music teacher got easily offended when a guy expressed his opinion.

Callum took out his phone, tapping the screen with his thumbs. “Just googled West Oaks. Location looks sweet.”

I noticed how he was leaning closer to Emma. Close enough to brush against her. I took a gulp of beer and thudded my glass onto the table.

“Emma, what brought you to Silver Ridge?” Piper asked, changing the subject.

“She’s on summer break from college,” I supplied. Then both Piper and my brother glared at me again, and I said, “What?”

Emma smirked. “It’sgrad school, not college. I have my bachelor’s degree. I’m on summer break, but my plans changed pretty suddenly. I’m looking to transfer. My last program…” Shesat back in her seat, blowing out a long breath. “It wasn’t a great fit. Mostly because my ex-boyfriend is there. So it’s better for me not to be.”

Callum winced. “Sounds like there’s a story behind that statement.”

“I would need to be a lot drunker to tell it.”

An ex. Made me wonder about this guy. What had happened? What had the guy done to her that she’d run to another state to get away from him?

Not that I needed to know. It was just curiosity.

“No confessions necessary,” Piper said. “It doesn’t have to bethatkind of night. Unless you want it to be.”

Emma laughed. “Maybe another time. I have a class to lead in the morning. It won’t be good for my reputation if I show up hungover.” She bit her lip. “The gist of it is, I ran from a disastrous breakup. I’m here to find my way again.”

Callum put a hand on Emma’s arm. “Well, whatever happened, I think you’re brave for coming out here alone.”

I snorted. My brother was laying it on thick. I shifted my weight in my chair.

“I do have family over in Hartley,” Emma said. “Not like this is a foreign country.”

“But still, they’re not in Silver Ridge,” Callum went on. “That takes some guts. Even when I enlisted in the Army, I did it knowing my two older brothers were already there. Piper’s brother too, though Teller decided to be all impressive by joining Special Forces.”

Emma’s gaze shot back to me.

Piper stood up, putting her hands down on the table. “I propose a round of shots. We need to welcome Emma into the Lonely Harts club.”

“The what?”

“Piper’s pet project,” Callum explained. “We commiserate over being single. Or something like that.Ihappen to like being single.”

“I never said I have a problem being single,” Piper protested. “We’re commiserating over the bullshit we’ve all gone through in the name of love.”

I grunted in annoyance, and Emma’s eyes cut toward me once again. “I don’t think Ashford wants me as a member of any club he’s in. Assuming he’s a member?”

Callum snorted. “Oh, he’s a member all right. Practically the mascot.”

I would never wish bodily harm on anyone in my family. Not even Grayden. But the glare I was giving my younger brother might indicate otherwise.

“You can join anything you want,” I said to Emma. “I’m sure I couldn’t stop you.”

Her smirk broke into a full-on smile. “Now that is the truth.”

Callum went to the bar to get a tray of whiskey shots for us. On his way back, he brought Elias and Judson along with him. Neither of them were likely to turn down a free drink. Cal passed the tray around, and we each took one. Even me, though I thought this was stupid.

“Let’s officially welcome Emma to the Lonely Harts club.” Piper winked. “You’re one of us now.”

The whiskey went down smooth. Callum had gotten the good stuff. As I swallowed, licking my lips, my gaze found Emma’s again. I couldn’t explain why. I just knew that, out of anything or anyone else in this room, my eyes were determined to settle on her.

After another hour or so, our group started to scatter. Piper wanted to play a round of pool before Parents’ Night ended. I wound up back at the bar with Judson beside me, drinking another round of beers.

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