Page 53 of Moonlit Colorado

“Grace,” he warned.

I groaned. Big brothers were the worst sometimes. “Okay, I saw him at the grand-opening party for the hotel a few weeks ago. I came with Piper.”

There. It wasn’t a secret anymore.

“Why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”

“Because I don’t have to tell my older brothers every single thing I do. Dane and I got to talking that night, and then yesterday at bingo he asked me to help him get to know Silver Ridge. We’re friends.”

Ashford frowned, squinting at me like I was a math problem that wasn’t mathing. But I didn’t want him to add it all up and realize I was lusting after his buddy.

“Come on,” I said, “we’re falling behind. You’re missing the tour.”

We made a thorough circuit of the hotel and grounds, then stopped by the restaurant for some lunch. Maisie had plenty of time to run around outdoors, though they hadn’t brought Stella with them. Then Dane said, “Let’s head upstairs. I’ll show you the view from the top floor of the hotel.”

I nearly panicked. I had avoided discussing the fact that I was staying in Dane’s suite with him, and it would be obvious once we got upstairs. But apparently, Dane wasn’t worried about that. As if he had no idea that Ashford would have strong opinions on the matter.

It’s nothing, I told myself. I was a twenty-eight-year-old woman, and it wasn’t Ashford’s business who I spent the night with. I had slept in a separate room, anyway.

We took the elevator up. Dane swiped his keycard. Inside, Maisie ran straight for the living room, while Ashford immediately got a sour look on his face.

It had taken him all of two seconds to zero in on the open bedroom door where my stack of books sat on the dresser along with my bag.

Thankfully, Ashford kept his observation to himself. For the moment. Probably because Maisie was within earshot. But that grumpy look of his still pissed me off.

While Ashford and Dane went into the kitchen, I took the opposite direction, following Emma into the living room. Maisie had found a sunny spot on the carpet right in front of the windows. Dane had given her an illustrated map of the ski runs, and it looked like she was trying to match the picture to the actual landscape through the window.

“How’s the wedding planning?” I asked Emma. “I haven’t had an update lately.”

My future sister-in-law huffed. “If it were up to Ashford and me, we would have a little party at my aunt and uncle’s place in Hartley and call it a day. But no, my parents are all very determined to be there. Of course I want them there, but with my mom living overseas, her dates of availability are limited. And don’t even get me started on Ayla’s scheduling issues.”

“Family. What can ya do.”

She laughed more than my little quip warranted. Like she could guess that I was thinking of my brothers. Emma’s siblings were around Maisie’s age, but she did have several uncles with strong opinions of their own.

“Nice of Dane to give you a place to stay last night,” Emma said. “I’m so sorry about the break-in. Must’ve been scary.”

“That kind of thing doesn’t happen often in Silver Ridge, that’s for sure.” Then I grimaced, thinking of what had happened to Emma last year. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to downplay what you went through?—”

Emma reached for my hand and squeezed it. “We were talking about you. That’s okay, you know. Letting people focus onyoufor once.”

I squirmed, because I wasn’t so great with being in the spotlight. “Dane has been focusing on me plenty.”

“He likes you.”

“We’re friends.”

She tilted her head. “I overheard you saying that to Ashford. But I mean Danelikes youlikes you. He looks at you like he came to Silver Ridge just to find you.”

Blood rushed to my face. My stupid blush always gave me away. I did need some girl talk, though. Piper was my number one, but Emma had become a close second.

“He invited me to New York for his brother’s wedding,” I whispered. “As his date.”

“What?” she hissed. Emma grabbed my arm and pulled me a few feet away so Maisie wouldn’t hear us. “When is his brother’s wedding?”

“Next week.”

“You’re going, right?”

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