Page 70 of Starcrossed Colorado

In the brewery tonight, it had been so hard not to stare across the room at the burly, bearded martial arts instructor. Even when Josh had invited me to join him and his friends. I’d tried to appreciate the distraction, but there was no hope of some new face taking the place of Ashford in my thoughts.

It wasn’t even about him being sexy as hell. It was the man underneath the gruff exterior. The sides of him he let me see when he finally let down his guard.

The man who’d listened to me play my work in progress for the very first time—a nerve-wracking thing for any artist—and who’d kissed me right after.

And then pushed me away that same night.

I turned the corner. There were fewer streetlights over here, leaving the sidewalk mostly in shadow. At least I didn’t have too far to go. But I couldn’t stay at Ashford’s anymore, not now.

I had to move out of his apartment. There was no other solution. It would be a stretch for my budget unless I moved in with Dixie’s friend and her potentially creepy grandson. Or accepted Dixie’s offer of her couch, but as much as I loved her, that wasn’t my top choice. She had a tendency to mother, and I already had two of those.

I hoped I would be able to find a new place that was in walking distance of the Big Blue Monster.

But even if I moved, I would still have to see Ashford almostevery single day. Especially if I continued babysitting Maisie, which I wanted to keep doing. There was no escaping him.

The sound of footsteps snapped my attention back to the present moment.

I didn’t think much of it at first. Silver Ridge was no metropolis, but there were always people out and about, especially this close to the business district.

But when the footsteps didn’t disappear, instead continuing to echo behind me, I glanced back.

Nobody was there. Nobody I could see.

“Hello?” I said. No answer.

My skin crawled with a sense of unease.

While I had grown up in a small beach town, I had spent the last year living in LA. I knew how important it was to have situational awareness. And don’t even get me started on my dad’s lectures about safety. I had experienced danger myself when I was younger.

Something felt off.

I thought of that creep in the blue rain slicker who had been watching me and Maisie weeks ago. There hadn’t been any sign of him since. Or of anyone else following me or doing anything suspicious. Until tonight.

Maybe I shouldn’t have left the brewery alone. In LA, I never would’ve walked home by myself in a million years. But I’d gotten so comfortable here. After a month of living in Hart County, it felt like a second home. A far safer one than where I’d come from.

But now, my mind went to Lori. To the person who might’ve been on the highway with her that night three years ago. Who’d pushed her. Silver Ridge wasn’t always safe.

Call Ashford, I thought. But he was busy tonight with his newfriend. The blond. Calling 911 wasn’t an option either. Not unless I knew for sure I was being followed.

I stuck my hand into my messenger bag to close it around my pepper spray.

“If you’re following me,” I said loudly, “don’t. I have a weapon and know how to use it.”

I sped up, ducking around a corner at the next building, and hid in an alcove. The footsteps started again and kept coming.

Breathe, I told myself, remembering all the advice my dad and Madison had given me over the years. And what Ashford had said in the self-defense class the other day.

Move fast. Be aggressive.

When the footsteps had almost reached me, I lunged out, holding my pepper spray up with my finger on the trigger. “Are you following me?”

The man on the sidewalk reared back, his face a mask of shock. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“Are you following me?” I demanded again.

“No!” He brushed off his polo and khakis, blowing out a breath. Then he laughed, and I recognized his perfect white smile.

He was the dentist, Dr. Carmichael. Piper’s ex-husband.

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