“Happy to help,” I said, and let out a heavy sigh. I hadn’t intended to invite her up to my place to sleep, but she was just about out already.
Attempting to be quiet, I strode down the hall and to the linen closet, retrieving a spare pillow. I brought it back out to the living room only to discover Harper softly snoring, stretched out, and asleep on the sofa.
I bent down to her level, not wanting to startle her. “I brought you a pillow,” I said in a soft, soothing tone, guiding her head up just a bit and the pillow under her neck to make sure that she was comfortable.
“Thank you,” she mumbled.
I shut off the lights and quietly stalked to my bedroom.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I glanced down at the dozens of text messages that I’d missed from my friends, the guys at Eagle Tactical.
It would have to wait.
I’d answer them tomorrow morning when I knew more about what was going on, assuming she’d tell me.
* * *
Early the next morning, my phone buzzed beside me on the nightstand, waking me at the crack of dawn.
“Yeah. It’s Lincoln,” I said, answering the caller. I hadn’t even noticed who had called on the caller I.D. since I’d been half-asleep when I answered the phone.
“I’m downstairs in your restaurant. Can you come down?”
“Jaxson?” What was he doing visiting with me on a Monday morning?
Did we have a new client? That was the only thing that made sense.
But why show up and not just call me?
“Yes, get dressed and come downstairs.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah. I’ll be down in a second.” I ended the call and tossed my cell phone onto my mattress.
Stumbling around the bedroom in the dark, I grabbed a pair of jeans, a dark shirt, and socks and threw them on before I slipped on my shoes and quietly headed out of the bedroom and past the living room.
Harper was still sound asleep.
I didn’t want to wake her. I hurried down the stairs, the bright light of the restaurant made my eyes burn.
Jaxson stood downstairs, leaning against the counter that had been pelted with dozens of bullets.
“Morning,” Jaxson said. “I came up to visit but saw you had company.”
I ran a hand through my tousled hair.
“Yeah. Busy night.” I didn’t want to elaborate, and while Jaxson may have thought something happened between the girl I left with at the bar, I wasn’t going to confirm or deny his suspicions.
I don’t kiss and tell.
“You could have just called,” I said and folded my arms across my chest.
I needed coffee, but the brewer was shot to hell, and those little coffee pods didn’t do justice.
“I texted you last night, but you didn’t answer.”
“Yeah, I was busy.” I ran a hand through my hair and headed back to the kitchen to at least fetch a glass of water for myself. “You didn’t drop by just to tell me you texted.”
That wasn’t at all like Jaxson. Something had come up, but I hadn’t the slightest notion of what.