Page 24 of Moonlit Colorado

“If you wind it up here, it plays ‘New York, New York,’” he said, pointing.

She looked up at me. “Will you help me with the music, Aunt Grace?”

I cleared my throat. “Of course.”

I set down my coffee and helped Maisie wind the little piece of metal at the back of the globe, feeling Dane’s gaze on me the entire time. The melody started faintly, not easy to hear over the noise of the festival. Maisie held the globe to her ear and a wide grin bloomed on her face.

Then I made the mistake of glancing at Dane again, who was still down on one knee in the grass. His eyebrows lifted slightly when our eyes locked, and the corner of his mouth curved.

I blinked and looked away, grabbing my coffee.

“Mr. Dane, do you live in one of those buildings?” Maisie asked, pointing at the snow globe.

“The buildings in there are pretty small. Not sure I’d fit.”

Maisie giggled. “In one of the real ones.”

“I don’t live in any of these, no. But I do have an apartment in a tall building. It’s near Central Park.”

“I’ve read a book about Central Park.”

“Dane sent that to you for Christmas a few years back,” Ashford said.

Dane stood, brushing off his knee. “You like that book, Maisie?”

“It’s the best! And this snow globe is too. Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome.”

“Dane seems like a charmer,” Emma whispered in my ear.

Oh, she had no idea.

We helped Maisie pack up her snow globe. Then my niece asked, “Is it time for the pumpkin patch now? Please please please?”

“Okay, monkey.” Ashford ruffled her hair. “Butyou have to hold someone’s hand. Seven is not old enough to be free range.”

Maisie held onto my hand, and we all walked through the festival toward the pumpkin patch. The whole way, I felt the warmth of Dane’s gaze on my back. I could only stomach half my latte before tossing it into a trash can.

Near the entrance to the pumpkin patch, we ran into Piper and her son Ollie. As soon as Ashford introduced Dane, Piper winced. “I assume you recovered from the coffee incident?” Piper asked him. She had recognized him from the coffee shop, just as I’d known she would.

“I did. Though I don’t think my sweater will be as lucky.”

“We had no idea you’re Ashford’s Army friend.” Piper tapped my arm. “Isn’t that hilarious, Grace?”

“So hilarious,” I said through gritted teeth.

Thank God Piper hadn’t met him at the party last night. Because then I’d have to make her lie to my brothers for me. She would do it, of course, but it wouldn’t feel right. I hated lying.

Also, Piper and I were both pretty terrible at it.

The kids ran through the rows of pumpkins, and the minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. But my determination grew. I had to talk to him. We had to sort this out, and then we were going to pretend last night hadnever happened.

The first moment that nobody else was watching, I grabbed the sleeve of Dane’s Henley and pulled him behind an apple cider booth.

“Please tell me you didn’t know,” I hissed.

Dane leaned one shoulder against the red wooden siding of the booth. “Of course I didn’t know.”

---