Page 48 of Hero's Prize

She and Colton hadn’t talked since that night when he caught her and they’d almost kissed. Yeah, she had been avoiding him a little bit. Because…what could she say? She had no idea where things stood between them or if he was interested in her at all.

But she’d definitely seen him looking at her. Like, all the time. Like, whenever she felt eyes on her and looked up, it was Colton.

“Now I’m seeingthe gleamagain,” Annie said.

Ella tore her eyes from Colton. “Afraid I’m going to become a doctor also?”

“Not that gleam. The gleam you get when you look at Colton.”

“It’s not like that. We’re not together.” Dr. Annie probably didn’t know anything about the one night she’d spent with Colton, but in a town as small as Oak Creek, Ella couldn’t be one hundred percent certain of that.

“You are not togetheryet. Don’t forget, I was once the near-invisible girl in love with the alpha warrior. So, I recognize that look when I see it.”

Ella didn’t even have it in her to deny her feelings to the other woman.

“Well, I’m very glad it worked out for you and Mr. Zac so that my best friend ended up being born.”

Annie walked over and rubbed Ella’s back gently. “I got my hero. Becky got hers. Neither of those were simple situations either. But I have a feeling when this is all said and done, you are going to have your hero too.”

There was nothing Ella wanted to believe more desperately. “Iwish I could believe that, but I just don’t think Colton Harrison thinks of me that way, Dr. Annie.”

Colton chose that moment to glance up from where he was standing on a ramp. He saw Ella and Annie looking at him and gave the handsome grin he was so famous for, before winking at Ella.

Dr. Annie laughed out loud, the sound pure and joyful.

“Oh honey, if that’s what Colton looks like when he’snottaken with you, then I’d hate to see the look when he is.” She reached over and squeezed Ella’s arm. “I’ll catch you around later. I see my own hero right now.”

Dr. Annie walked over to where her husband, Zac Mackay, and some of the other original Linear Tactical members were standing, watching the kids laugh and carry on on the obstacle course.

Ella couldn’t stop watching Colton. Everything he did seemed to draw the kids in more. They were laughing and cheering and yelling more than she’d seen them since they’d gotten here.

She desperately wanted to latch on to what Annie had said about Colton’s feelings for her, but she wasn’t going to let herself. Colton was here, and yes, they seemed to gravitate toward each other more and more.

But in another week, the camp would be done and Colton would be gone. She didn’t fit into his world. She couldn’t let herself forget that.

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

Ella closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as the five industrial mixers whirled in front of her. It was late, nearing midnight, and she was tired. She’d had an exciting day but was now regretting staying to watch the obstacle course for so long.

Kind of.

She’d completely enjoyed it at the time. Hell, it had almost been like a reunion, so many people had shown up. The kids had gotten as many turns as they wanted, and then the adults—both the former Linear Tactical founders, the current Linear Tactical employees, and all their loved ones—had wanted a turn.

Ella had not been interested in going on the obstacle course. No need to reemphasize how much slower, chunkier, and nonathletic she was compared to everyone else. But she’d had a blast watching everyone else.

Now she watched, bleary-eyed, as mixers continued their spinning in front of her. Her gaze fell on a note she’d made for herself on the giant whiteboard over the prep table.

Hire someone.

That note had been up there for months now. She had hourly employees who worked the counter and register for her, but for some time, Ella had known she needed to hiresomeone with an affinity for baking. Someone with actual experience. It was all becoming too much for Ella to do on her own.

Fancy Pants was hers. She had bought it from Violet Teague when the other woman had retired. It had been a labor of love for Violet and was a labor of love for Ella also. But this washercompany. Except for when she’d bought it, she hadn’t dipped into her family money at all.

And she loved the business. Even as exhausted as she was, she still loved it. Not to mention since she was a business owner, people were more content with allowing her the lack of a dating life. Nobody expected you to be a social butterfly when they knew you were the sole proprietor of a small business. That had kept the questions about Colton at bay for many years. For both other people and for Ella herself.

Normally, she didn’t mind the long hours; she truly didn’t. But tonight, something felt off. She glanced over at the windows at the front of the shop. She could almost swear she felt eyes on her.

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