AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s for sure,” Maura agreed. “She stopped paying Andrea’s college loan. That’s why she needs the festival to go well.”
“Why? Does she get paid for it?”
Maura laughed. “Hardly. She’s trying to get a management position at the college. Having a successful festival will look good on her résumé.”
He took another bite of his burger and thought about that. “Which means she needs the damn corn maze.”
“Without it,” Bridget said, “her mother and her boss will be able to say they were right about her leadership skills. That’s why she’s been pulling all-nighters to give you afreebilling system.”
“That’s notmyfault...”
Maura’s eyes narrowed. “She has a full-time job. And ason. And the festival. She’s squeezing in your work on top of all that.”
“Okay, ladies.” Mike McKinnon walked up behind his cousin Bridget, giving Zayne a sympathetic nod. “Quit ganging up on the guy. I think you’ve made your point.”
The conversation rattled around his head all the way home. She’d been working to get a new job. A raise. To make a better life for the son she clearly adored. And he’d been a jerk about it.
He pulled the truck into the driveway and saw the lights on in the shop. He looked at the dash—it was after ten o’clock. She’d probably forgotten to turn them... Wait. Her car was still parked by the door. She’d said she only needed forty-five minutes, and that was over three hours ago. He parked next to her car and went inside.
Duke sat up when Zayne came in. The dog was right next to the office chair where Andrea was slumped forward—her head on her arms, eyes closed, sound asleep. Zayne knelt at her side, calling her name and stroking her shoulder, brushing her hair back. It felt like satin through his fingers. He was beginning to fear she was unconscious when she finally let out a soft moan and moved, her eyes fluttering open. Her eyelashes were a mile long, framing her caramel-colored eyes.
“Oh...” she sighed, blinking and trying to straighten. “I fell asleep. Sorry. I’ll go home...”
“You’re not going anywhere like this. You’re barely functioning.”
Being this close to her, he could see the grayish pallor beneath her freckles. Her gaze was unfocused. She pushed herself upright and went to stand.
“I’m fine. I’ll just go home...” Her legs refused to hold her, and he swept her up in his arms to keep her from hitting the floor.
“I’ve got you, girl. When did you eat last?” He looked around the desk. “Have you had anything to drink?”
She curled up against him. Something very weird happened insidehis chest when she did that. She mumbled something, then he heard “...not drunk...”
“I know you’re not drunk. But you’re probably dehydrated.” He nodded for Duke, who looked as worried as Zayne felt, to head to the door. It wasn’t easy to lock up the shop with Andrea in his arms, but he managed. Her eyes opened briefly as they passed her car.
“I can drive...”
He just chuckled, shaking his head. “I think not. Go to sleep.”
He got her into the house and laid her on the sofa, covering her with the throw blanket his brother’s wife had given him for Christmas. Duke plopped down on the floor right in front of the sofa that was often Duke’s bed. The dog didn’t seem to mind loaning it to Andrea. Zayne sat in the armchair and stared at the woman, now back in a deep sleep. Her pale pink lips were slightly parted, her breathing slow and steady.
Should he tell somebody she was here? She said Hudson was at a sleepover, so there wasn’t a sitter waiting. He’d grabbed her leather bag from the desk, and cautiously went through it to find her phone. It was locked, but there was a text message on the home screen from Zoey Hartford.
Z: Thought you were stopping by tonight? Call me.
Zoey and her new boyfriend, Mike McKinnon, had been a few years ahead of Zayne and Andrea in school. Zoey had taken over her late father’s appliance repair business, and she’d done an emergency repair on his band saw motor a few months ago. Heknewher, but it wasn’t as if they were close friends. Still...she might be able to give him some guidance. He dug out his own phone and called, walking into the kitchen so he wouldn’t wake Andrea.
There was a long beat of silence after he explained the situation to Zoey.
“She’s asleep. On your sofa,” Zoey said slowly. “And you’re thinking of leaving her there. All night. In your house.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” he asked, raking his fingers through his hair. “She can’t drive like this. And I think it would be creepier to take her home. Besides, I don’t know if she should be alone. What if she’s actually sick or something?”
Another beat of silence.
“Mike’s sister, Mary, told me that Andrea’s been burning the candle at both ends lately. Students are moving in at college, so it’s wildly busy there, and then she has the festival and Hudson...” She paused. “And rumor has it that some total asshat challenged her to create a complete billing program for him forfree.”
“Hey, that washeridea, not mine.” He was beginning to realize a lot of people in town were unhappy with him. There was a time when he wouldn’t have given a damn, but—as everyone kept pointing out—he wasn’t a sullen teenager anymore. He rolled his eyes, sharing the decision he’d reached at the Shamrock earlier without even realizing it. “She’s going to get the damn corn maze, okay?”
