Page 12 of Stormswept Colorado (Hart County #3)
ELEVEN
Teller
I was about to doze off when I heard someone climbing the step ladder to the roof of Emma and Ashford’s building. A pale blond head appeared, glowing in the moonlight. “Oh. I didn’t realize anyone was up here.”
She turned to go.
“Wait, it’s fine,” I murmured, so I wouldn’t wake the sleeping nine-year-old in my lap. “Not much happening, but feel free to join us.”
Ayla stepped onto the roof. “I don’t want to wake him.”
“You won’t. Ollie sleeps like a drunk in the tank. Hard part’s going to be getting him downstairs and home to bed.”
Ayla walked closer, her soft features coming into view. She had her long coat back on, along with the same cowboy boots from earlier, and a beanie on her head that she’d probably borrowed from Emma.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned her face to the sky and inhaled. “Wow. The sky is so clear. All those stars. Hard to believe there’s a storm coming in a couple days.”
I breathed in. “Smells like snow.”
“But not like it’s going to snow now , right? I thought it wasn’t coming until Saturday. ”
“True, but forecasts change. Plenty of other unexpected things have happened since today started.” Reaching down, I grabbed the extra blanket we’d brought up earlier. “Here. You’re shivering.”
“You don’t need it?”
Ollie had one blanket wrapped around him, and he was keeping me warm. “Nah, I’ve got my own personal furnace right here.”
After draping the blanket around her shoulders, Ayla sat in the chair beside me.
We were both quiet, glancing sidelong at one another. Like we were each waiting for the other to speak first.
Earlier, I’d convinced Ollie to eat a couple of chicken tacos with guacamole. Then we’d joined in while everyone played a trivia game. It got raucous, especially after Piper pulled out the Malibu rum.
Ayla had been there in the living room, and I’d given her space. Hadn’t wanted to force an interaction, given everything that happened earlier. And given what Callum had told me.
I’d been constantly aware of her, though. Like I could feel her gravitational pull.
But then the kids had gotten bored, so I took Maisie and Ollie up here for some stargazing through Maisie’s telescope.
Half an hour ago, Ashford called Maisie down to get ready for bed, and since then, I’d been wondering how long I could sit with Ollie like this before my shoulder started giving me too much trouble.
“I assume Maisie’s in bed?” I asked.
“Yep. I said goodnight.” Ayla snuggled deeper into the blanket. “Thought I’d grab a few minutes of quiet. It’s nice.”
“It is.” I forced myself to look away from her. I was staring.
“Ollie must really trust you. Letting you hold him like that while he sleeps.”
“Or he’s beyond exhausted from going nonstop all day. He used to be cuddly when he was littler. Lately he’s been trying to act like the thirteen-year-olds down the street. Skateboards and baggy jeans. He asked Piper to buy him hair gel the other day.”
Ayla barked a laugh, hand flying to cover her mouth. “Oh my gosh. I feel the same about Maisie. They grow up too fast. Plenty of kids her age already have phones and social media. She’s still a little girl now, but I dread the day I show up with a new toy and she scoffs at me.”
“I get it. I never want Ollie to close himself off to affection based on what boys are supposed to do.”
She tilted her head, turning those expressive eyes on me like she was curious. “I guess it’s good he has you.”
“I hope so.”
My own father had definitely viewed things differently. If I’d reached out for my dad to hold me when I was older than four, my dad would’ve pushed me away. I could count the number of times he’d ever hugged me on one hand.
And dammit, that had me thinking about Ayla’s father again. What she might have gone through.
“I’ve never seen you out of uniform before,” she said.
“Contrary to rumors, it’s not surgically attached.”
“You’re funnier than I expected. I thought you didn’t have a sense of humor.”
I looked up at the star-filled sky. “Despite my current reputation as the biggest boy scout in Silver Ridge, I was a hellion as a little kid. My kindergarten teacher’s worst nightmare. I refused to be tamed.”
“ Really . So Ollie takes after you?”
I turned and gave her a sardonic look.
“I’m not criticizing your nephew! Ollie’s as sweet as can be. Maisie adores him. But he does keep things exciting. He’s…spirited.”
I laughed. “Yep, that’s what they call it these days. Ollie’s got a big spirit and then some. But if he’s acting out, that has more to do with his dad not being around. I had to grow up fast, and I don’t want that for Ollie. ”
“Same,” Ayla said softly. “I grew up way too fast.”
And there went that fist in my chest, squeezing at the thought of Ayla hurting.
I knew almost nothing about this woman except what she’d revealed in her song lyrics, or what other people had said about her. And I wasn’t dumb enough to believe that was the whole picture.
But I found myself actually wanting to know. I was curious about the real Ayla. She was more than I’d given her credit for.
Ayla gathered her hair over one shoulder, and I caught the scent of caramel. “I wanted to thank you again for letting Bryan go and not formally booking him. That would’ve been a mark on his record, and he might’ve gotten fired from the agency he works for. He has a wife and son to provide for.”
“Not a problem.” But I didn’t mind hearing Bryan was officially off the market and not a potential love interest. As if Ayla’s love interests had any relevance to me . “To be honest, I wasn’t thinking that much about Bryan when I made the decision. I did it for you.”
“For me ?”
Shit, I needed to backtrack. That sounded like I was trying to make a move on her. “You impressed me with how tenacious you were. Defending your friend. Could’ve gone about it a better way?—”
“No argument there. I still can’t believe I put my hands on you.”
I was holding my nephew, so I didn’t let myself think about Ayla putting hands on me in a different context. “ But , you convinced me I should be more flexible. Being a troublemaker isn’t always a bad thing.”
She didn’t say anything, and she was looking down, so I couldn’t see her expression.
Ayla was close enough that I imagined putting my arm around her, drawing her up against me. Which was a foolish urge. This woman didn’t like me. It was possible I downright scared her.
Yet she was sitting here with me. Relaxing in the quiet darkness. Like this wasn’t such a bad place to be.
“Is Bryan feeling okay?” I asked. “He took quite a punch. He declined a visit to the hospital.”
She glanced up. My gaze zeroed in on her lips as they pursed. “He mentioned he had a headache. Went back to his hotel. But he was a mixed martial arts fighter before.”
I whistled. “Then he’s probably been hit in the head in the past. If he’s had concussions, that makes a subsequent one more likely.”
She cursed, pulling her phone from her coat pocket. “I should call him.”
“Better yet, I’ll send an officer to check on him. If he’s not doing well, they’ll take him to the hospital.”
“One of your officers would do that?”
“Barring some other emergency, yes. Of course. Hell, I would do it myself. But I’d prefer to delegate.”
Ayla hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
I carefully slid a hand into my pocket to extract my work phone and unlocked the screen. “Which hotel is he staying at?”
“I can text you the info.”
I gave Ayla my number, and a moment later, a message popped up from her. A ridiculous part of me got a small thrill that I had Ayla Maxwell’s phone number. Susan would give me so much shit if she knew, and I deserved it.
Using my voice-to-text feature, I sent a message to the department, asking anyone available to do a welfare check on Bryan Krueger. Since we were a small crew, we often did things informally. “Someone will head over to check on Bryan,” I said. “We can go from there.”
Ollie shifted around, but he didn’t wake up.
“Thank you. ”
Then another potential issue occurred to me. “Bryan’s supposed to drive you to Hartley tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if he has a concussion, that’s not going to work. Plus, if the snowstorm does hit early, I don’t love the idea of him driving you if he’s not used to it. Same thing if you decide to drive on your own. Unless you have experience driving on icy roads.”
She shifted around, pulling the blanket tighter. “I don’t. That’s why I have a driver .”
“Most everyone is heading over to Hartley tomorrow morning. Catch a ride with one of them. Emma and Ashford or Callum. Piper’s driving Ollie. She’ll have room.”
Ayla’s lips pursed again. “I don’t need you to fix this for me.”
“But I’d like to know that you’re covered. Just tell me you’ll ride along with one of them.”
“I have other things I need to do. And besides, Bryan is supposed to drive me directly from the wedding hotel to the airport on Sunday.” She cursed, rubbing her face. “Maybe the agency could send someone else. Another driver. I can’t miss the wedding.”
“You’re not going to miss the wedding.” I made the decision without allowing too much thought. “I’m going to drive you.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’ll?—”
“My plan is to leave tomorrow afternoon. I have responsibilities here before then. You can take care of the things you need to do.” Whatever those were.
“We’ll be there for the whole day on Saturday.
And on Sunday, I’ll drive you to catch your flight back to LA.
” No doubt she was flying private, so it was the small regional airport.
“That’s an hour each way.”
“Yeah, it’s nothing.” Assuming the plows took care of the snow on the roads by then, but…one thing at a time.
“That’s a service you commonly offer? The Silver Ridge Chief of Police drives random people to the airport?”
“You’re not random. You’re a family friend. ”
“Whom you can’t stand.”
Damn, she was calling me out, yet again. Why did I enjoy that so much? “I never said that.”
“It was implied by that scowl on your face whenever you see me.”
“Am I scowling now?”
Her eyelashes fluttered, and I felt a tug low in my belly. “I guess not.”
“It won’t be that bad.” I pointed at Ollie. “Some people even like me.”
“Seems you’re not giving me any other choice.”
“Don’t make me take you back into custody. It’ll be far less pleasant a drive if you’re in handcuffs.”
Her eyes widened.
The fuck are you doing, Landry? I asked myself. Almost sounded like I was flirting with her. Something I was extremely rusty at.
Ollie sat up. “Uncle Teller?” he asked blearily.
“Hey, bud. It’s time to head home to bed.”
“But the party.”
“The party’s over, and you’re exhausted. C’mon.” I nudged him, and his feet landed on the ground. My hand reached out to steady him.
“Don’t try to argue, Ollie,” Ayla said. “Your uncle is the bossiest man I’ve ever met.”
Ollie half laughed, half yawned. “Yeah, true story.”
“Hey!” I looked over at Ayla, and she was smiling back at me, and fuck that was a good feeling. Was there any possible way she was feeling it too?
Keep dreaming.
Ayla Maxwell could be with any man she wanted. Actors and rock stars and athletes lined up to date her. I had to put any attraction on my part out of my mind. She was a superstar in her twenties. I was a forty-year-old small-town cop.
But I could make sure she had a good trip, then send her safely on her way back to her glamorous life in Los Angeles. A life I couldn’t begin to fathom, much less imagine being a part of.
Ollie wobbled toward the step ladder, so I jumped up to head him off. I had to help him down. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at five p.m.,” I said over my shoulder. “Okay? Let me take care of this for you.”
“Okay,” Ayla whispered.
I saw something in her eyes then that I’d never expected. Trust. And if I reminded her of her father, of a past she wanted to forget, then I knew how much it meant that she was willing to try.
I wanted to deserve the trust Ayla was giving me. It felt like something precious, resting in the palm of my hand. Easy to crush if you didn’t take the utmost care. I couldn’t say where that image came from. But it felt like the truth.
Come hell or six feet of snow, I was getting her to that wedding.
Fuck . I wasn’t sure I could get Ayla to the wedding.
“The mountain pass between here and Hartley will be closed within the hour,” I said to my officers.
It was Friday afternoon. Hours before Ayla and I had been scheduled to leave. Overnight, the forecast had shifted, saying the storm would arrive earlier in Hart County than we’d expected. That was bad enough.
But the weather service had just issued another update, and it did not look good.
“This storm is moving very fast,” I explained.
“Once it hits the mountains, it’s going to stall.
The weather reports now say it’ll be dumping two inches an hour on the pass by tonight.
Conditions will be too dangerous for travel.
” The Department of Transportation had consulted with local authorities before making the final call, but I wouldn’t have done anything differently .
“But Ashford and Emma’s wedding,” Susan said.
“Yes, I know . Thankfully, the O’Neals left earlier this morning. Same with Piper. She texted that she and Ollie arrived in Hartley an hour ago. But the pass won’t open again until Sunday at the earliest.”
And I had to break that news to Ayla. Why hadn’t I listened to Jimmy Perkins when he was stocking up on toilet paper? Which was not a thought I’d ever anticipated having.
Seth put his hands on his hips. “We’ve got a lot of other people heading to Hartley. Both later today and tomorrow.”
“Yep. Unfortunately, they won’t be going anywhere if they haven’t left already. Including me.”
All our emergency services would be ready. We prepared regularly for situations like this, and we had major storms every season. But I already expected a flood of phone calls from irate Silver Ridge citizens, blaming me for the closure of the pass.
Then again, there was only one person in town right now who it killed me to disappoint. I remembered that look of trust in her eyes last night.
Surrender wasn’t in my nature. There had to be something I could do. I’d given her my word, and I wouldn’t break it.
After finishing up our meeting, I went to my office. But instead of going to my desk, I stared at the map of Hart County on my wall.