Page 5 of Sunkissed Colorado

Don’t go.

ONE

Zandra

Present Day

The momentI crossed over into Hart County, I felt it in my gut. It wasn’t just the sign proclaiming “Welcome to the Hart of Colorado,” though that was certainly a major clue.

With every mile that took me closer to my hometown, it felt like layers of skin were peeling away. Years from my past stripped bare.

Sixteen. It had been sixteen years since the last time I’d called Silver Ridge, Colorado, home.

Of course, I’d visited here and there over the years for holidays, but never more than two or three nights at a time. I hadn’t brought Ian here much, though we were together for six years. That probably said more about our relationship than anything else.

The last time I had called Silver Ridge home, my best friend had still been alive.

A disgruntled meow came from the backseat, as if Chloe had sensed the morbid turn of my thoughts. Or maybe she just wanted to get free of her cat carrier. I couldn’t blame her.

“We’re almost there, Coco. I promise. Just a little further.”

We were both grumpy after an endless day of driving. At least mid-July in Hart County was just as beautiful as I’d remembered. The meadows and hillsides were vibrant green, dotted with colorful grasses and wildflowers. Fireweed, columbines, yarrow. I smiled, surprised I still recalled those names from my childhood.

A slow drive down Main Street brought more familiar sights. The coffee shop, which was now called Silver Linings and owned by Piper Landry, or so I’d heard. Except her last name was different now, wasn’t it? Auntie Rosie had mentioned Piper getting married and then divorced. I was really behind the times.

I’d heard about Piper’s older brother Teller dating a pop star, too. Silver Ridge had been in the media a lot lately, which had been surreal. Ian had joked about it.Hey, isn’t that your town they’re talking about?

But Silver Ridge hadn’t been my town for a long, long time.

There was Main Street Market, where I’d run through the aisles as a kid after school, getting into mischief because Auntie Rosie let me get away with it.

And of course, Hearthstone Brewing, the origin of the Alvarez family business empire. My heart twisted as I thought of Grandpa Manny’s booming laugh as he welcomed customers. Nana Julia’s warm smile and open arms.

Memories of my past running headlong into my present.

And then I caught sight of the creek, sunlight glinting on the water down below the bridge as I drove across. My stomach roiled.

Nope. I couldn’t let my mind go there. My memories of that night were strictly off-limits.

My phone rang, and the caller ID displayed Ian’s name. For safety’s sake, I pulled off to the shoulder, letting the engine idle. “Hello?”

“Zan,” he said in a syrupy tone. “How are you?”

At the start of our relationship, I would’ve fallen for that tone instantly. But I was smarter now. The fact I’d answered him at alljust showed how much I wanted to get my mind on something else. Even my obnoxious ex.

“What do you want, Ian?”

A beleaguered sigh came through the phone speaker. “Business-like, as usual. Not even going to pretend we can be friends?”

“No, because we can’t. We were nothing but roommates for the last few months, and now we’re not even that.”

I’d been fooled by his shiny shoes, impeccable haircut, and old-money pedigree. Such a contrast to my background in small-town Colorado. I’d made the mistake of believing in Ian’s aura of success. When really, it was just his trust fund.

He dropped the act.

“I’m looking for my tie with the houndstooth pattern,” Ian said. “Have you seen it? You didn’t accidentally take it with you, did you?”

Un-fucking-believable.