Page 54 of Starcrossed Colorado

“Much better. You had a cold, right?”

She made a face. “I did, and it was the worst. I hate being sick.”

“Same. It’s really sweet of you to drop by. Ashford and Maisie are out though.”

“I know. Ashford takes her to the farmer’s market in the square every Saturday. I will admit I came here with an agenda. I was hoping to chat with you alone.”

“Uh oh.”

She laughed. “I promise I’m not that scary. Just…curious.” Grace glanced around the kitchen. “This place looks amazing, by the way. So clean.”

“Trying to help out, since Ashford’s done a lot for me lately. He’s a great guy.”

“He is.” Grace smiled again, but I felt the way she was assessing me.

We unpacked the food she’d brought. To my surprise, not burgers. “Elias makes really good turkey-avocado club sandwiches. I asked for blue cheese dressing on the side. Might sound weird, but it’s my favorite.”

“I’m up for it. Bring me all the cheese.”

She held up her hand for a high five. “Yes. I can already tell we’re going to get along.”

Grace looked like her brothers, with her straight nose and the prominence of her jaw. But all of her features were the feminine version. Her bright brown eyes matched theirs, hers with even more flecks of amber, though partially hidden by her oversized glasses.

She’d tied her hair up with a pencil. Unlike Callum and Ashford, hers was lighter, a mix of brown and gold with auburn tones. Grace was stunning, but she had the kind of beauty that could go unnoticed because she was so unassuming.

“So you moved in here.” She dipped a corner of her sandwich in the dressing. “I was surprised when I heard that from Elias. Especially because Ashford hadn’t told me.”

There it was. The awkward part of the visit. “It happened a couple days ago. When you were sick with the cold. I babysat Maisie, and Ashford walked me home afterward. I was staying at the Ponderosa Apartments.”

She grimaced. “That place? No offense, but it’s kind of…”

“A dump? Trust me, I’m well aware. We got all that rain, and my ceiling was about to fall in. Ashford offered me his guest room. It was incredibly kind, and I’m so grateful.”

Last night, I had given notice to Sheldon at the Ponderosa that I wouldn’t fulfill my lease. Dixie had assured me that she and her friends would pressure the landlord to return my security deposit. Which meant I could use that money elsewhere. Maybe toward getting a new car, once I’d saved up more, since my old Nissan was never going to recover.

Grace frowned at her sandwich. “Like you said, my brother is a great guy. But he hasn’t known you very long. It’s one thing to help out a friend. But inviting you to live with him and Maisie? It was sudden. Really sudden.”

“Are you asking if I’m sleeping with him?”

“Since you mentioned it…”

“I’m not.” I almost told her that it wasn’t her business, but that was a tough call to make. Ashford and Maisie were her family. Of course she was protective of them. “I realize it might seem like I’m trying to take advantage. But I already told Ashford I’m going to pay rent. Plus helping out around the apartment and taking care of Maisie.”

“He trusts you with her. That’s impressive. And it’s obvious how much she likes you. The past few weeks, she’s hardly talked about anything except Emma the music teacher.” Grace folded up her trash into a neat square. “Here’s the thing I’m worried about. Ashford hasn’t dated anyone since Lori. I know he seems tough on the outside, but my brother feels things intensely. He always has. He’s the kind to make sacrifices for the people he cares about.”

“I gathered that. But I told you I’m not dating him.”

“I’m just asking you to be careful. Don’t start anything with him unless you’re sure about what you want. Ashford has been through too much in the last few years. I just want to look out for my big brother, since that’s what he always does for me.”

“No, I get it.” My first reaction was to defend myself. She didn’t know me. If Ashford was interested in me, his sister wasn’t his keeper. “But it’s not necessary.”

“Good.” She blew out a breath. “I brought cookies for dessert. Silver Linings has these amazing chocolate-dipped shortbread ones. You in?”

“Absolutely. Bring it on.”

What would Grace say if she knew my past? I had slept with a married man. Not on purpose, of course. But I still blamed myself for not seeing the truth. If Grace had known that, then there was no way she’deverwant me involved with her brother.

That wasn’t the real issue though. Grace had reminded me of all the legitimate reasons Ashford and I shouldn’t cross the line. But when I got close to him, I seemed to forget everything except how much I liked him.

---