Page 11 of Stormswept Colorado

There’d been a bit of drama when Stella tried to run off with the black stallion, but we recovered the horse figurine before any real damage was done.Phew.

A few people at the park had seemed to recognize me, but I stayed focused on my niece, and they left us alone. My driver Bryan had been able to relax on a nearby park bench.

Now, we were back in Maisie’s room. She was setting up her horse sanctuary on her dresser, while I sat on the floor, my back toher bed. “There you go,” Maisie cooed at the dappled mare. “This is your new home. You’ll love it here.”

I rested my head against the mattress and smiled.

The afternoon had been exactly what I needed. Just a few hours of feeling normal, like I wasn’t the starring attraction of the celebrity circus.

Some people thought that being famous meant my life was perfect. But I’d been stabbed in the back so many times. A few years ago, my former assistant had sold a story about me to the tabloids, violating her NDA for a quick buck. I wished she was the only one.

True friendships were even harder. Plenty of people wanted to be seen with Ayla Maxwell, but it wasn’t so simple to find someone who saw me forme.

Yeah, I knew how that sounded. Champagne problems. All my dreams for my career had come true and then some. I had more money than I would ever want to spend.

But that didn’t make me any less lonely when I was on the road or at some award ceremony, surrounded by people who saw me as a product instead of a human being. I was only as valuable as my last big hit.

Which made this time with Maisie and the O’Neals even more precious to me. I loved visiting Silver Ridge. Maybe it was a cliché, but the small-town pace of life was slower. I had time to stop and breathe here.

“What’s all this?” Ashford stepped into Maisie’s room, grinning fondly at her.

“Dad, look at my horse ranch! Isn’t it pretty? Aunt Ayla bought it for me.”

“Did you remember to say thanks?”

“Yes! Twice! Thank you, Aunt Ayla. See, Dad? That’s three.”

“I stand corrected.”

I reached out to brush her dark hair from her eyes. “You’re so welcome, cutie-pie.”

Ashford’s gaze slid over to me. “We’re going to need a new house just to hold everything you and Dane buy for her.”

“That’s what aunts and uncles are for.”

Maisie went back to playing, and I got up. Ashford and I stepped out into the hall. I followed him toward the living room. “So, are you thinking about getting a new place?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It’s been on my mind. Need to get through this wedding first. But I’ve been scoping out some places.”

I nudged him with my elbow. “If you need help with a downpayment, all you have to do is ask.”

“Dane’s offered the same. But there are some things a guy has to do for himself.”

“You’ll work it out. Just be sure your new house is zoned for horses. I see a pony in your future.”

Ashford shot me a glare. “Don’t even think about it.”

I poked him in the side, loving that he and I could joke around like this after so many years of being estranged.

When I left home at sixteen, I broke ties with my family, including Lori. It was one of my biggest regrets. My sister and I had reconciled shortly before she died, but I’d lost years of being with her. Having a family. Knowing Maisie as a baby. Ashford had thought I was a terrible person, and honestly, I’d had my doubts about him.

Then a couple of years ago, the pressures of fame had nearly broken me. I hadn’t been able to trust anyone. Not even the people closest to me. The label execs, my manager, my assistant… I’d had to be strong to make it in this business, but too often I’d been tricked or taken advantage of. It had felt like the walls were closing in.

I checked myself into a rehab facility for exhaustion and anxiety. But even there, paparazzi had climbed the fences to get photos of me. I left in secret one night, bought a car with cash, and drove all the way to Silver Ridge.

Ashford and Emma helped me find a safe place to stay over in Hartley, with Emma’s aunt and uncle. I’d finally gottenthe peace and quiet I so desperately needed. Ashford and I talked through all our misconceptions and mistakes.

After that, everything changed. I hired a completely new team, including Cheryl as my artist manager. I started making more decisions on my own and fighting for my freedom, even if I had to claw for it piece by piece. It hadn’t been easy.

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