Page 155 of Stormswept Colorado

Growling, Teller pulled me into his lap, wrapping me up in a whirlwind of kisses and exploring hands. Warm, unwavering strength. When his mouth broke from mine, he said, “Just keep in mind, Ms. Maxwell. This is one contract you’re not getting out of.”

And even though I knew he was teasing back, that sounded like a vow.

“Good. You’re not either. It’s you and me. From now on.”

His eyes glowed like he’d never been happier.

FORTY-NINE

Teller

Three Months Later

“Step right up!”Dane shouted. “Who wants to see Police Chief Landry all wet? All proceeds go to charity, but come on, like you need an excuse.”

I rolled my eyes at the blue summer sky, fighting back a smile.

There were cheers as the next contestant paid for a chance to dunk me. Nobody had managed it yet. It was early, the mountain air chilly in the morning even in July, but the sun poured warmth onto my head.

Then I saw who was winding up to take a shot.

“I’ve got this,” Ayla said, to a chorus of encouragement. More than one onlooker had their phone up filming, but nobody was filming me. Nope, every eye was on the stunning blond in the baseball cap. She had a tendency to turn heads wherever she went.

Especially mine.

“I’ll believe it when I see it, sweetheart,” I taunted.

Laughter. Shouts. Ayla’s emerald eyes gleamed.

She threw once. Missed. I wasn’t a boastful guy, so I just shrugged. All confident in my swim trunks and Silver Ridge PD T-shirt.

Her next ball thunked into the target.

Splash.

The crowd went wild, though I could barely hear them over my own sputtering and laughing.

As I climbed out, Dane met me with a towel and a grin. “We’re even now. That was so satisfying to watch.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I swiped the towel over my wet face.

“The Silver Ridge Children’s Center thanks you.”

Ayla waved from the side, along with Grace, Emma, Maisie, and Piper. All of them whooping and clapping. A bodyguard stood subtly a few yards away, keeping an eye on everything, but the summer festival attendees were behaving themselves. I waved back at my audience and climbed onto my perch for the next person to take a shot at dunking me again.

And I didn’t mind at all.

I’d been adjusting to my new life over the last several months. A life as Ayla Maxwell’s other half.

A lot of the time, it felt like a dream. If it was, I never wanted to wake up.

We’d been traveling between Silver Ridge and Los Angeles, spending several weeks at a time in each place. At first, in the spring, I had quite a bit to settle here in town. Cooperating with the state investigators on Finn Mackie’s case. Transitioning away from my role as chief of police.

It hadn’t been easy to say goodbye to my team. But after the upheaval they’d experienced with Finn/Jarod’s betrayal and Seth’s murder, it was time for a clean slate anyway. Mayor Barker had officially appointed Susan the new chief, and I made sure she got off to a great start in her role.

Since then, Chief Nichols had been doing a fantastic job. Though she still liked to give me grief. But now I had to listen, since I was just Officer Landry.

In Los Angeles, I’d slowly been getting used to a very different way of doing things. The traffic. The sheer number of people. At least Ayla’s home,ourhome, in Malibu was quiet and secluded.The Mexican food was phenomenal, and I’d taken up running on the beach.

---