Page 36 of Stormswept Colorado

Once, I was baking cookies in my Malibu kitchen, got distracted by a song idea, and almost burned the house down.

But it had been a while since that kind of inspiration had struck me. It felt amazing. Like the best high no drug in the world could ever replicate.

I was never happier than when I was creating.

My phone buzzed. I checked and found a message waiting from Teller. Oops, make that another message. He’d written me several.

Storm’s coming in faster than expected. You free? I have some updates.

We’ll get to Hartley. I’ve been working on a modified route. No worries.

Free soon? We have to leave ASAP.

Sparks of anxiety hit my stomach. But I’d already packed my suitcase, and I had the rest of my stuff downstairs.

I was about to write him back when I noticed a new email message in my inbox. It came from someone who’d putBiggest Fanas their first and last name. Very few people even had my email address, which I rarely used for anything except business.

The subject was:Smile for me.

Dread slowly rose inside me like dark water. But at the same time, I had to see what this was. I had to know.

I clicked on the message.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Smile for me

Dear Ayla,

Someday you’ll smile like this for me. And only me. Until then, I’ll be watching.

Love, your Biggest Fan

Below the message was a photo of me standing inside the baby boutique, smiling at Bryan. This photo had been taken yesterday, clearly through the shop window. Had this person been out there in that crowd?

My stomach flipped. The blood rushed from my head. Distantly, I heard a door open. Footsteps.

“Ayla?”

Teller walked toward me in his police uniform. I looked up at him, and the room seemed to swim and blur.

“What’s going on?”

My knees went weak. I couldn’t make my voice work to respond. He gripped my upper arm, while the fingers of his other hand touched my neck. “Your heart is racing. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I’m…I’m okay.” I pushed the fear way, way down. I didn’t want to think about it.Couldn’tthink about it.

“You don’t seem like it.”

My phone was still clutched in my fist. Then it was suddenly gone, and when I blinked, it was in Teller’s hand.

His thumb flicked over the screen. “What in thehell? Who sent this to you?”

I grabbed the phone and turned it dark. “You had no right to do that.” I tried to push away from him, but Teller held me there with a firm grip on my arm.

“Do you know who sent it?” he asked, so quiet and yet infinitely dangerous.

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