Page 89 of Starcrossed Colorado

“I think all of Silver Ridge knows by now. I stopped at the market this morning, and Dixie put a case of sports drinks in my cart. She said I needed to, and I quote, ‘replenish all the electrolytes I’ve been losing’.”

Emma snorted.

Last week, Callum, Elias, and Judson had asked me point-blank at the gym if Emma and I were seeing each other. I had confirmed it. My brother had gotten all smug, acting like the whole thing had been his idea and he deserved the credit.

“Dibs on being best man at the wedding,” he’d said.

“It’s a summer fling, dumbass,” I had responded. “Don’t be an idiot.”

Then Judson had asked, in that serious voice of his, “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

As if it could be anything else.

But they had respected my request to not say anything around Maisie. I couldn’t let her get the wrong idea. We had blurred enough lines already. Like having almost every meal together and making Emma a part of bedtime.

Plus inviting Emma and Stella on the camping trip I had planned for the beginning of August. A couple weeks or so from now.

The only member of the Lonely Harts club who hadn’t brought up my “fling” was Grace. I had no idea what my little sister thought of it, and if she wasn’t speaking up, then why should I go looking for trouble? Same with the sudden lack of phone calls from Los Angeles area codes.

Maybe Ayla had finally given up.

I didn’t want to question it.

Usually, my baseline was making sure that my kid was happy. But these days, I actually felt good too. Thinking about all the shit that could happen, thatwouldhappen at the end of the summer, would just ruin it.

Emma made me so happy, and why shouldn’t I get to enjoy that while I could?

By the time we said goodbye in my office, Emma’s lips were swollen from kissing me. “Send Maisie up when she’s home?” she asked. “I’ll feed her a snack and then take her and Stella to the park for the afternoon.”

“Sounds good.”

I watched her jog upstairs, then waited in the lobby with the front door open for Grace and Maisie to arrive. They charged up the sidewalk a couple of minutes later, laughing about something.

“Head upstairs for a snack, Mais.”

“I get to play with Emma and Stella?”

“Yep. You’re going to the park.”

“Yay! Bye, Aunt Grace!” Maisie ran upstairs.

I thanked my sister for watching her. Grace also needed some upgrades done in her kitchen, which I’d volunteered to do for her, so I double-checked her paint color choices and let her know I’d stop by in a couple days.

But after all that was settled, Grace lingered in the lobby. “Seems like Maisie is getting really close to Emma.”

“She is.”

“What about you? From what I hear, you’ve been getting very close to Emma too.”

Uh oh. This was the conversation I’d been hoping to avoid. “You already said you don’t approve of Emma and me being together.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“That’s how I remember it.”

“I said I didn’t want you getting hurt, but I also acknowledge you’re a grown man who can make his own decisions.”

“Who’s also older than you.”

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