Page 31 of Buried Treasure
Chapter 10
"Ryan?" Sydney whispered. "Ryan?"
She smiled down at him on the couch, his head flopped back on the cushion and his mouth gaping open. The only response she got from him was a loud snore as he moved into a better position.
"Is he asleep?"
Sydney could feel Andy's breath on her shoulder as he leaned over to get a good view of the rookie.
"Apparently,Birdsmade him tired."
Andy scoffed. "Not enough explosions, I guess."
She smiled at his remark and reached behind her to grab a blanket Ryan kept on the back of the couch. She gently covered him with it and put a pillow next to him in case he needed it in the middle of the night.
"Should we go?" she asked Andy quietly.
"Might be a good idea."
She stood and staggered a bit on her feet.
"Whoa," she said, grabbing Andy's arm for some support. "I guess my beer tolerance isn't what it used to be," she said quietly before letting go of him again.
"No problem," he replied quickly.
Sydney gave him an awkward smile, trying to ignore the feeling that had crept up on her after she put her hand on Andy's body. It was warm and solid and she could feel her fingers itching to touch him again. Instead, she just nodded towards the door, and he seemed more than willing to follow her out.
The harsh light in the hallway was not at all inviting as she closed Ryan's door behind them, and she noticed Andy sway a bit on his feet as he put on his heavy winter coat and dark red scarf.
"You OK?" she asked.
"Yeah. I think that winter ale has a bit of an extra kick," he said. "Plus,Birdsgot a little intense."
He gave her a lopsided smile. She couldn't help returning it. But she could also feel herself growing more concerned for Andy, which was a bit of a surprise to her. Standing in her hallway, the worry she usually reserved for Ryan was starting to creep up. This time, though, it was for Andy, and that little brother thing that made her feel so protective of Ryan was not there. There was something else. Some warm spark that was just different.
"Are you sure you're OK to get home?"
"Yeah," he said reassuringly, his eyes closing slightly longer than a natural blink. "My car is in Ryan's guest spot. I'll just sleep there for a little bit."
"No, you won't," she said, putting her key in the lock of her door. "Come on."
"What?"
She nodded towards her open door. "I have a very comfortable couch for you to sleep on in my place."
"You don't need to—"
"Just get inside."
Andy gave her a small nod and followed her directions.
She immediately dropped her keys and cell phone on the table by the door and headed for her linen closet. She pulled out a blanket that Lucy had bought her as a housewarming gift when she first moved into her condo. Then she ducked into her bedroom to grab an extra pillow from her bed.
Andy was standing in her living room where she had left him, still in his big winter coat and scarf.
"I invited you in, you know," she said teasingly. "You can take your jacket off."
He gave her a sheepish smile. "I just didn't know where to put it," he said.
