Page 76 of Beat around the Bush
I turned to Cal. “Can you drive her car home?”
Oakley looked up at me. “I can drive.”
I shook my head, meeting her gaze. “I’m taking you to my place.”
“Yeah, I’ll have Dad pick me up,” Cal said.
“Thank you,” I told him.
“I don’t want to inconvenience him,” Oakley said to me.
I brushed her hair out of her face, then bent to kiss her forehead, closing my eyes as I murmured, “You’re not inconveniencing anyone. Let me take care of you.”
She fisted her hands in my shirt, the trembling nearly gone now. “Okay,” she whispered. “My things are in the break room.”
“I’ll get them,” Cal offered.
“Thanks,” I said.
Cal turned to head inside to get her belongings from the break room, reappearing a few minutes later with her phone, coat, and keys. “Thank you,” she said quietly, taking the coat and phone from him.
I still had her pressed against me, too scared to let her go, like she might crumble if I did.
“You two get home safe.”
“Let me know when Dad picks you up,” I said to him.
“Will do.” He headed for her Subaru in the corner of the lot.
I tipped my chin, looking down at her where she was watching Cal cross the lot. “I’m taking you to my house tonight.”
Her eyes moved to mine. “Lennon, I said I don’t want to inconvenience-”
I cupped her cheek, shaking my head. “You’re anything but an inconvenience, Oak. I want nothing more than for you to stay at my place tonight, break-in or not.” She was shaken up by the whole thing, and I wasn’t about to let her be alone at her place tonight.
Retail stores were broken into all the time. Not as frequently in small towns like Bell Buckle, but regardless, as much as I didn’t want to assume it was a targeted attack, you could never be too safe. I’d make sure the police found whoever did this, andif they didn’t make them pay, I would. No one got to scare my girl and get away with it.
“Okay,” she whispered, her eyes dropping like any fight had left her.
“Do you have everything you need from here?” I’d figure out the window when we got home. The police had already taped it off, so it wasn’t an immediate concern of mine. Right now, all I cared about was Oakley. My focus was solely on this redheaded, freckle-cheeked woman in my arms, and I couldn’t be bothered with anything else.
She nodded, then dropped her head to my chest again, leaning against me. The adrenaline of the break-in must have exhausted her.
“Let’s go home, baby,” I murmured, pulling her to my side so we could walk to my truck.
I helped her into the passenger seat, then came around to the driver's side, starting up the truck and heading out of the parking lot. The entire ride home, she was slumped in her seat, fiddling with her fingers in her lap as she stared at the dark, snow-covered fields out the window.
We pulled into my driveway, and I got out, opening her door for her and offering her a hand. She took it, sliding out of the seat. Closing the door behind her, I kept her hand in mine as I locked the truck and walked her up to the front door. Unlocking the door, I pulled her inside behind me, closed the door, and immediately wrapped her in my arms, her face pressed against my chest.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” I muttered against her hair with my hand cupping the back of her head.
“It’s not your fault. It’s notanyone’sfault, Lennon,” she said, looking up to find my eyes.
“I should have been there. I shouldn’t have said yes to Cal, I should have stayed at my damn store. You would have been safe, Oakley. But you were fucking scared. You’restillscared.”
She shook her head. “I was just shaken up.”
I looked up at the ceiling, pursing my lips tight together to keep my frustration with the whole situation at bay. She didn’t need me being upset about this, but fuck, what if something had happened to her?
