Page 43 of Hero's Prize

Her green eyes met his before quickly looking away. That had been happening all day. She was keeping her distance but, like him, couldn’t ignore this spark between them.

It was there, and it wasn’t going away.

Between that and working with the kids, he realized his system felt calmer than it had since the accident. No shaky hands. No feeling like the pressure on his chest would stop him from breathing.

He wasn’t focusing on himself, and that felt really fucking good.

Right up to the point where Tony and Rick showed up on the Linear Property. Immediately, tension flooded Colton’s body. He beelined toward their car.

“Was I unclear about something last night? Today is not about me or filming or fans.” He pointed over at the last set of kids, including Marshall, who were getting into the helicopter. “I thought you guys were going back to Denver.”

Tony shook his head. “We are, I promise. We stopped by your cabin to drop off some stuff so you would have it.”

Now, Colton felt like a jerk. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked what you were doing here rather than just assume. I just don’t want to make today about me.”

And damned if his hand wasn’t starting to tremble just slightly.

“It’s not like this would be very exciting to film anyway,” Rick muttered. “Kids petting horses and going for a ride in a helicopter isn’t exactly going to go viral.”

Tony ignored the younger man. “When we went by the cabin, there was a problem.”

“What? Look, whatever that place lacks in luxury doesn’t matter to me. I’ll handle it. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

The cabin was simple, containing only the very basics. No TV,no computer. But Colton didn’t care. And while he wouldn’t expect his team to live that way, he had no problem with it. Liked it, actually. He might be used to certain luxury, but there was something satisfying about living much more simply.

“Unfortunately, it was another letter from the stalker,” Tony said. “It was on the door of your cabin.”

Now, they definitely had his attention. “What? How the hell did that woman know I was here?”

“I don’t know, but she does,” Tony replied.

Rick slapped him on the back. “And now, it’s starting to look like she’s pissed. So, you better watch your back.”

Colton looked between the two other men. “How do you know she’s pissed?”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest, his face pinched. “Because this one contained a picture of you and had a knife stuck through it.”

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

Callum Webb had been the sheriff in Oak Creek for as long as Colton could remember. He’d worked with Ian DeRose and Zodiac Tactical—stories Colton had heard all his life—before moving here.

He’d had a wife at some point, but she had died. Colton had been a self-involved adolescent at the time, so he couldn’t remember much in terms of details, but he thought it was cancer.

The man had always beengrumpy Sheriff Webbto Colton. The one he and his friends had to keep an eye out for when they were planning stuff as teens they knew would get them into trouble. Hell, Callum had been the one who had delivered Colton and Bear back to their parents when they’d gotten caught underage drinking.

All half dozen times.

In Colton’s mind, Callum had rarely been more than a one-dimensional law enforcement figure. Someone set in place to keep all others from having any fun.

But looking at him now as they studied this new letter from the stalker, Colton realized Callum wasn’t one-dimensional at all. That vision of him had been Colton keeping the older man trapped in the past—filtering him through a child’s eyes.

Hell, Callum wasn’t even that much older than Colton. He’dalways assumed that Callum was his parents’ age, but really, the man split the difference in the Oak Creek generations. There was no way he was any older than his midforties.

“So, this is the first time there has ever been a knife. That means something, right?” Rick asked, pacing back and forth excitedly. The younger man might have been hesitant to bring in law enforcement before, but now that the sheriff was here, Rick had all sorts of stuff to say. He pretty much hadn’t stopped talking since Callum had arrived.

“Like a… What is it called…?” Rick continued. “You know, when things are getting worse and worse.”

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