Page 62 of Give Me Redemption

But she stays mostly silent the whole time. Her shoulders tense, her eyes glued to the TV screen, but she goes through beers like nobody’s business. Her dad asks me about where I grew up and how we met and everything else he can think of.

We find common ground when we start talking about the war. He’s a vet. I leave out the part about getting kicked out, and I let him talk about his glory days, because that’s one thing I know the older guys love to do.

By the end of it, he actually gives me a handshake/pat on the back, kisses his daughter on the forehead, and leaves us with a mostly empty bar.

Dalton is still oddly quiet, though, and I think she might be a little drunk.

“Wanna get home?” I ask her.

“Yeah,” she says, sliding off her stool, but not quite catching herself, so I do.

“I think you might have had one too many,” I reply with a grin. I’ve yet to see drunk Dalton. It’s cute.

She places her hands on my chest, looking up at me. My face grows serious, my pulse kick-starting.

I study her eyes, loose lit, but full of something I can’t touch. I want to kiss her so badly, but I don’t want to scare her away again.

“Maybe it was a bad idea saying we should take things farther?” I ask her.

She blinks and then swallows before regaining her composure. “I think the bad idea was putting a label on this. Let’s just see where it goes?” she says, grabbing her keys from the bar before sliding her cell phone into her back pocket.

My heart sinks.

I wanted a different response.

“You’re not driving,” I say to her.

“I can drive.” And that’s when I see it. She’s more than drunk. She’s tired and not the kind of tired you get from staying up too late, but the kind you get from life. That bone tired that even sleep can’t fix.

I don’t know why she would be this way. Dalton seems to have a good little life. A great dad, a stable job. She’s the best person I think I’ve ever met and yet, she looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I shake my head. “Nope.” Reaching over, I pluck her keys from her hand. “I’ll take you home.” I start to walk, and she follows.

“That’s ridiculous,” she argues. “I am perfectly capable of driving myself. It’s only up the street.” But then she trips over her own foot and falls into my back. I don’t move for a moment, making sure she gets it together. I feel her forehead against me, and she starts to laugh.

“Okay,” she says, pulling away. I miss her touch. I look back at her. She waves her hand toward the door. “You drive.”

Once we get inside my truck, I turn the radio on, and she buckles up. I reverse and head out of the parking lot, not saying anything as we ride, and when I look over, Dalton’s head is leaning against the window and her eyes are closed. Her chest moves up and down at a slow pace, telling me that just that quickly, she’s fallen asleep.

I look back at the road, my thoughts scattered like the wind. I like this woman. That much is clear. I wanted to take things farther with her and yet, I took off to Grant Ranch as soon as shit got too deep with Bryce and me.

I’m afraid, without even meaning to, I may have been the one to push her away.

Once at her apartment, I get out and walk around to her side. Looking at her sleeping form, I try to figure out how I’m going to open the door without her falling out. So, I reach for the handle, carefully open it, and put my hand in to keep her from tipping over.

I slide my arm under her legs, scoop her up, and head into the lobby. It’s late, so there isn’t anyone around when I get inside the elevator. I lean back on the railing as we ascend. She sleeps deep in my arms, this woman who seems so strong on the outside, but so fragile behind her eyes.

I can’t help it, so I put my face in her hair and breathe in. She smells sweet and comforting.

God, what is happening here?

I’ve never had these feelings before, not like this. My chest feels tight, my stomach in knots. I don’t just want to sleep with this woman. I want tosleepwith this woman. I want to crawl into bed with her and wake the next morning with her warm body beside mine. I want to have slow morning sex. The kind I’ve never had before, but seen on TV and thoughtwhat’s the point in that?

I see the point now.

I bet it’s the best fucking thing on the planet.

The elevator opens and I walk down to her place. I have her keys in my hand, so I unlock the door and head inside. It’s dark, save for the soft glow of a lamp on the desk near the window. I hear her cat, Slim, and then I see him.

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