Page 129 of Stormswept Colorado

His house was set into a clearing with a babbling creek. Woods surrounded the clearing, cut through by just the driveway and a bridge that crossed the water. The home itself wasn’t giant. It had a small footprint with an attached garage, everything about it quaint and inviting. A combination of timber and stone, with a stone chimney rising over the shingled roof.

“I love it so much.”

He beamed with pride. “I’m glad.”

We both got out, not bothering with the baggage yet. I wanted a better look around. “How far are we from Main Street?” I asked. It was like we’d stepped into another world. Yet it was somehow still quintessential Hart County.

“A fifteen-minute drive. I didn’t want to be too far from Piper and Ollie. They live right near the center of town, close enough for Piper to walk to her coffee shop and to Ollie’s elementary. But I also wanted privacy.”

“Because everybody in Silver Ridge is always in your business otherwise?”

“They are. I don’t have my constituents spying in my windows when they walk by. Anybody who’s out here came here on purpose.”

I laced our fingers together as Teller showedme around the rest of the property. He’d done a lot of work on this place. But there were still unfinished projects. Like a messy shed and a half-built picnic table. “The table is a project with Ollie,” he explained. “Lately we’ve been focused on building the treehouse at Piper’s place. Otherwise Ollie’s going to grow out of the treehouse phase too soon.”

The mention of Ollie made me think of Maisie. How close she was right now.

And somehow, Teller knew just what I was thinking. He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “We can invite family over later. Surprise them. If you want.”

“Yes. That would be amazing.” Even though I wanted my visit to stay quiet as far as the bulk of the town was concerned, I had to be able to see Maisie and the O’Neals. That was nonnegotiable.

“But first, I’m taking you inside.” Teller swept me off my feet and into his arms, bridal style. I laughed in surprise.

The interior of his home was just as quaint. Simple decor, lots of warm wood. An updated mountain cabin feel. All of which I’d seen on video during our calls, but homier than a screen could convey.

“Take me to your bedroom? I want to see it in person.”

His smile was heated. “I know what you want, Troublemaker.”

“If you’re thinking I want to get naked and horizontal in your bed, then yes, you’re correct.”

I’d shared my home and my bed with him, and now I was getting to enjoy his. LA and Silver Ridge were so different, yet Teller and I were a perfect fit in both locales.

I could get used to this.

“Teller Landry, hosting a party,” Ashford said. “Now I’ve seen everything.”

I hid around the corner in Teller’s kitchen pantry as the O’Neals arrived. Laughed silently as Teller greeted them. But when I heard Maisie’s voice, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

I stepped into the living room. Maisie did a double take. Gasped. Then she barreled toward me. “Aunt Ayla!” she screamed, loud enough to hurt my eardrums.Ouch. But worth it.

“Hey you.” I caught her when she leaped at me. She was too heavy for me to carry around at this point, but I squeezed her thoroughly before easing her down.

Stella loped over, tail going a mile a minute as she licked all over my face.

“Good to see you too, Stella,” I said, laughing and wiping my wet cheek.

“What are you doing here?” Maisie asked. “Is it ’cause Uncle Teller is your boyfriend? Do you live with him now?” She bounced excitedly.

“Um, no, I don’t live here. But I did come to visit him for a while. And visit you too.”

“But then why aren’t you staying at my house with Daddy and Emma and me?”

“Monkey, Aunt Ayla can stay wherever she wants.” Ashford came over for a hug next, followed by his wife.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Emma said. “You look great!”

“So do you. How’s married life?”

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