Page 31 of Moonlit Colorado

Grace

When I pulledinto the community center parking lot, it was still mostly empty. In another hour, this place would be packed. In Silver Ridge, community bingo was always a hot ticket. It could get pretty wild sometimes. Especially when Dixie brought a batch of her homemade rum runners or margaritas.

But this afternoon, I’d brought backup.

Chief Teller Landry waited beside his Silver Ridge PD vehicle, arms crossed over his uniform as he studied his phone. As soon as I turned my engine off, he tucked his phone into his back pocket and headed toward me. I was dressed in my own uniform, in a way. Worn-in jeans, pale lavender sweater, glasses, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.

Teller stopped in front of me, hands on his hips and his expression grave. “Here I am. Reporting for duty.”

I laughed. “It won’t be that bad. I promise.”

“Well, if I make my officers do this, I should make appearances myself.”

I opened my trunk. “Except I know you’d rather be just about anywhere else than calling out bingo numbers.”

He grunted. “We all have to make sacrifices.”

Teller helped me unload. Inside, I set my things down against the wall. “We can grab the extra-long folding table from the storage room to get started,” I said. “We’ll set up the microphone and the ball cage here beneath the windows. Then we just need the rest of the tables and folding chairs. Oh, and the concessions, but Mrs. Stuckey has the money box for that.” I racked my brain for what else I might be forgetting.

“What about the bingo cards?” Teller asked.

I snapped my fingers. “Those are important. And they’re still in my car. You make an excellent assistant, Chief.”

“A man does like to feel useful.”

I ran out to the car to get the stack of cards and a fresh box of mini-pencils. When I returned, Teller had already carried several folding tables from the storage room.

The community center was one of my comfort zones. It smelled familiar, like dusty old books and pine cleaner. As a little girl, I’d taken ballet lessons here. The center had also hosted prom my senior year because the high school gym got flooded. I’d made some fond memories here. Many included Teller, since he was Piper’s older brother and had been close to my older brothers growing up.

“Anything new and exciting to report from the world of law enforcement?” I asked.

“Thankfully no. It’s been quiet. With all the activity at that hotel grand opening last weekend, I stepped up patrols in case the out-of-towners caused any problems. But it proved unnecessary.”

“Oh?” I bent over to unfold another table, which also conveniently hid my expression. Teller’s mention of the party brought Dane to the forefront of my mind, and I had no idea what my face was doing in response, but it wassomething. “There weren’t any issues at the hotel party?”

“The resort is the sheriff’s jurisdiction, but I didn’t hear reports of anything. Which is good. I don’t like disruptions in my town.”

Dane was a disruption, alright. But not so much in our town as in my own mind.

I hadn’t seen Dane in the last week. And trust me, I’d been watching for him, torn between anticipation and dread. Every time I was around the man, I got flustered.

Heck, even when Ithoughtof him it was difficult to keep my composure.

He’d brought that elaborate cheeseboard to Ashford’s house for me. BecauseIwas the ridiculous person who’d said I would get myself a fancy cheeseboard if I suddenly struck it rich. If I was being extra cynical, I might assume Dane had some nefarious ulterior motive. But my gut told me that it had been a peace offering. A kind gesture, given simply because Dane liked making people happy. Ashford had always been the same way.

Of course, my brother didn’t have nearly unlimited funds available. Unlike Dane Knightly.

A couple of days ago, I had given in to the urge to google him. That was how I figured out he’s an actual billionaire. He had been telling the truth about the gossip columns, too.

Jealousy had surged in my stomach, taking me by surprise, as I saw those pictures of him with elegant Manhattan socialites.

I’d suspected he was the playboy type. Of course he was. He was a handsome, rich man in his thirties who traveled the world. Silver Ridge was just a stopover for him. He could go anywhere and have anything he wanted.

But I had maybe stared at those pictures of him a little too long, feeling a secret satisfaction that he’d wanted a night withme.

It was better for all of us that it hadn’t actually happened, but…I could still fantasize about what-ifs. That was harmless.

Only me and my vibrator would know.

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