Page 7 of Stormswept Colorado

And I didn’t want to think any more about the dark sides to my career or my past. Not this weekend. My slump in the charts, my uncertainties about the future… That could all wait until when I was back in LA.

“Now tell me more about you and Dane,” I said.

Maybe there was a storm headed to Hart County, but I needed to keep my mind on happy thoughts and clear skies.

Luckily, today the Colorado weather gods were pulling out all the stops.

About an hour later, I found myself strolling down Main Street with Maisie. Grace and I had finished the wedding favors and cleaned up the craft supplies. Then Grace had taken Ashford to run some errands, and I was in charge of entertaining my niece, which left Emma free to take a bath or a nap.

Such a hard job, I know. Taking my favorite little girl in the world out for an afternoon adventure. But I was up for the task.

Maisie and I skipped along the sidewalk together, holding hands. The air was that perfect kind of chill that was invigorating instead of uncomfortable. Not a cloud in sight, with yellow sunlight promising a hefty dose of vitamin D.

“Where should we go first?” I asked. “The park?”

I glanced back and saw an SUV with dark-tinted windows following about a block away, keeping pace with us. But the sight reassured me instead of raising concern.

That was Bryan, my driver and sometimes-bodyguard.

I’d also worn a baseball cap and sunglasses, though I still gotsome curious looks. The locals were used to me by now. Tourists could be another story. The ski resort drew plenty of them, and the media attention on my Silver Ridge connections had inspired some of my fans to visit in the hopes of seeing me.

But it still wasn’t as much of an issue as the paparazzi who liked to follow me on a daily basis in LA. Most of the time, I kept my cool when dealing with reporters. But every once in a while, my temper got the best of me.

Back home, my house was in Malibu, where I lived in a quiet, gated community. I rarely traveled with a big entourage unless I was on tour. The last thing I wanted was to roll in with a bunch of handlers and a massive security detail and take over the town.Sonot my style.

Bryan hung back at enough distance that I had some freedom, while staying close enough to swoop in if needed. It was a delicate balance.

Just another one of those realities of being me.

Maisie tapped her chin, a tiny replica of her dad. “How about we go to Silver Linings?”

“You goof. We went to the coffee shop this morning. I seem to remember you eating a cinnamon roll as big as your head.”

“But I didn’t get to have a muffin,” she said reasonably.

“You’re determined to get as many treats out of me as possible this weekend, aren’t you?”

“Is it working?”

It kind of was. Maisie knew I was a soft touch.

After not being in her life for so many years, I tended to give Maisie anything and everything she wanted. But maybe it was just my deprived inner child coming out.

I wanted to give Maisie all the things my sister and I didn’t have growing up.

Well, a loving father was number one on that list, and thankfully Ashford had that covered. I was determined to fill in any other possible gaps.

The fact that Lori was gone only made the empty spacesinside of me ache more painfully. So, was I overcompensating? Possibly. But I didn’t tend to do things halfway. I rarely took no for an answer.

Especially when it was a territorial man standing in my way.

That was why I hadn’t given up on reconnecting with Ashford and Maisie, even though my brother-in-law tried to avoid me for years.

Ugh, speaking of territorial men.

“There’s Uncle Teller!” Maisie said, waving at the police SUV as it rolled slowly by. Police Chief Landry sat in the driver’s seat, arm draped casually over the steering wheel, sunglasses hiding his eyes. He smiled and waved back, but his mouth twisted a moment after.

That frown had to be aimed at me. Annoyance flared inside me like a sudden burst of lightning.

---