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“Autumn?”
Seth pulled up to the pickup spot, threw his SUV into park, and then jumped out. His gaze moved over her as if checking to see if she was all right.
“I would do it in a minute.”
Sam chuckled. “That’s what I thought, love.”
Seth took her bag and then helped her into the car.
“Thank you,” her father said, but she heard more. He had thanked all of TFH for saving her, but he had especially thanked Seth.
“Of course. You have my number, right?”
He nodded as he stepped up to the SUV. He gave Autumn a kiss on the forehead. “Rest when you get home.”
Before she could tell him that she was going to Seth’s house and not her own, her father shut the door and waved them off.
“You can be mad at me, but I promised everyone at work you would rest.”
She still didn’t like him being heavy-handed, but she decided not to say anything. She knew he was right, but she had always had a hangup admitting that she was wrong.
So, she settled back for the short ride back to his rental.
Seth glanced over at his passenger as he pulled into his neighborhood. Autumn fell asleep before they cleared the gate at Tripler. Even with the stop-and-go of traffic, she never jolted awake. That told him she was more tired than she wanted to admit.
He knew she was grumpy about coming home with him, but he could be just as stubborn as she was. When he told her he would be patient, he had been telling the truth. Still, he wouldn’t let her put herself at risk. Bullying her was the only way to save face. Her father could take care of her, but he would let her do what she wanted, which meant she would try to work.
Granted, Del had told her she had to take off until the end of the month. She complained about that, too, and he knew she planned on connecting with some contacts about that Rapture drug. Joseph was in jail and was probably going to prison, but Seth had heard someone had the formula on how to make the deadly narcotic. Knowing Autumn, she would want to get it off the streets.
He pulled into his driveway. Still, Autumn slept. After putting the SUV into park and turning off the vehicle, he watched her. The fact that she was still sleeping told him everything he needed to know. Yes, she was tired, but she also trusted him.
After unlocking the front door, he returned to the SUV to get her. When he opened the door, she finally stirred.
“Come on. We’re home.”
The moment he said that he realized how true it was. Seth knew she wasn’t ready for that. Hell, he wasn’t prepared to admit it out loud, but he knew they would both have to come to terms with it in the future. Right now, though, he just needed to take care of her.
She blinked against the sunlight. Since she seemed slow to move, Seth reached across and undid her seatbelt.
“Hey. I can do that.”
“I know you can.”
Before she could say anything else, he slipped one arm behind her, the other under her legs, and lifted her out of the SUV.
“I can walk.”
“I know you can.”
“Seth.”
He said nothing as he kicked the door shut and carried her into his house bridal style.
“Seth.”
He looked at her. She raised her hand to cup his face. “I’m okay.”
“I know. Can you shut the door?”
