While It Lasts (Sea Breeze 3)

“Bet that was funny as shit,” I replied.

“Or nightmare-worthy. Depends on how you look at it.”

~*~

The one-hour trip with Marcus was easier this time. He wasn’t pissed off the entire trip. Probably because Low was so damn happy I hadn’t been fired yet. After he dropped me off, I thought of stopping by the house and talking to Eva. Her dad’s truck was still gone. She probably wouldn’t be real thrilled about me showing up at her door at nine o’clock at night. Might just need to wait until she came to me.

Before I could get to the far end of the house, I heard the gravel crunch in the driveway as a car pulled in. Turning around, I checked to make sure it was Wilson. I didn’t want just anyone showing up with Eva alone in the house.

The passenger side to Jeremy’s truck swung open and Eva jumped out.

“Cageisback!” she slurred happily. Her hand was gripping the side of the door to steady herself.

“Eva! Dammit, I told you to wait on me. You’re gonna fall down on the gravel and get hurt.” Jeremy ran around the front of the truck and quickly wrapped his arm around Eva’s waist.

“She’s drunk?” I asked in amazement as I walked back toward the driveway still not sure I was seeing what it looked like.

“Hammered is more like it. She went out to the damn honky-tonk with Becca Lynn. I got a call from Nelly, the owner, about an hour ago. She said I needed to come get Eva. Becca Lynn was passed out on the top of the bar. She’d already called Becca’s daddy.”

“Itwasfun,” Eva said with a sloppy grin and stepped out of Jeremy’s arms and into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her quickly to keep her from face-planting on the gravel.

“Yeah, looks like you had yourself a good ‘ole time,” I replied as she slipped her arms up my chest and clasped her hands tightly behind my neck.

“Youshouldcometoo.”

Nodding, I lifted my gaze from her adorably drunk expression to look at Jeremy. He was standing behind her waiting on her next move.

“We need to get her to bed. Her daddy ain’t coming home till tomorrow. He’s still got a bunch of people up at his hunting camp.”

“Should she be left alone in the house like this?” I asked as she leaned heavily on me.

“Probably not,” Jeremy rubbed his hand through his hair and glanced back at his truck. He had other plans. I could tell he was trying real hard to figure out the right thing to do.

“I gotta get some stuff packed up tonight and head out early in the morning to check on an apartment I’m looking at moving into with my cousin in the fall. You think you could watch her?”

So Jeremy was getting ready to move on with his life. Had he told Eva yet? Was that why she was completely wasted?

“I got her. You go on. We’ll be fine.”

The indecision on his face as he studied the back of Eva’s head had me thinking he might end up staying to watch her after all. I understood that kind of protective streak. I had it with Low. Eva rested her head against my chest.

“You good with that, Eva?” Jeremy asked.

“Mmmmmmhmmmm,” she replied then began sniffing my shirt.

Jeremy shook his head then looked back up at me. “She’s dealing with life. It’s moving on without Josh and she’s just now realizing it. Be good to her.”

“Of course,” I replied and dropped a kiss to the top of her cigarette scented hair. Not something I ever expected to smell on Eva Brooks.

Jeremy studied me a moment then with a quick nod he turned and headed back to his truck. I waited until he was pulling out of the drive before moving Eva.

“I need to get you to your bed, sweetheart. Do you want me to pick you up or do you want to walk? Or do you need to puke?”

Eva giggled against my chest and tilted her head back to smile sleepily at me. “Takemetoyourbed,” she slurred.

“Now that’s a bad idea, beautiful. You see, when you’re sober my bed is the last place you wanna be.”

She shook her head and standing on her tip toes pressed a tequila tasting kiss to my mouth.

“I wanna sleep in your bed puhlease.” She managed not to run her words together this time.

How was I supposed to tell her no when she was all sweet and playful? She was drunk off her ass but she was a nice drunk.

“Just sleep?” I asked

“Jussleep.”

I bent down and slipped my arm under her knees then cradled her against my chest and carried her to the barn. This was probably not my most intelligent moment but I wasn’t about to give up what could be my only chance at sleeping all night with Eva Brooks in my arms.

Eva

“Don’t you go to sleep yet. You need to drink this water and take the aspirin first.” Cage’s voice was even sexy when he was being all bossy.

I giggled and stared up at him as he stood hovering over me. His bed was nice and soft and I really just wanted to close my eyes. How was a girl supposed to turn down orders from a guy that looked like that? I stuck my arm up in the air, “Pull me up,” I told him. Cage grinned and reached for my hand that was unfortunately numb so I didn’t get the complete enjoyment from his touch.

Once he had me sitting up on the edge of the bed he squatted down in front of me until we were eye level. The glass of water he’d run up to the house to get was in one hand and the white chalky pills I hated were in the other.

“Can I just drink the water?” I asked, scowling at the pills. I hated swallowing pills. I did it if I absolutely had to but I hated the taste they left in my throat and the way they felt going down.

“If you don’t take the aspirin you’re going to have one helluva hangover in the morning. Drink this whole glass of water and take the pills.”

His voice was all deep and hypnotic. I wondered if he’d talk to me while I fell asleep? I’d have to ask him that. First, I needed to drink the water.