searching his.
It took him a moment since he was still trying to figure out how to get her to agree to the move. When her words registered, he nodded quickly.
“Can we stay there tonight too? I don’t think any of us want to be left alone,” Darby asked, running her hands through Blue’s soft fur. “And I don’t want to wake my dad up. He took the morning shift for me.”
“Sure.” He touched Darby’s shoulder.
“I’ll need to meet with you in the morning and ask you all a few questions,” Sean said.
“You know where they’ll be,” Cade said, pulling Raven up to her feet. “Do you need anything?” he asked her.
She glanced towards the elevators. “No.”
“Our bags are in your room,” Darby said.
“I can have one of my men bring them down?” Sean suggested.
“Thank you.” Carrie stood up. “They’re just inside the door.” She turned to Raven, who reached into her small purse and handed Sean her room key.
“Do you want anything?” Sean asked.
Raven’s eyes moved to his. He remembered the last time she’d spent the night at his place. They’d slept in the nude, holding one another all night long. However, knowing that her friends would be there, most likely in the guest room just down the hallway, he nudged her slightly.
“I can go up…” Raven started.
“No,” he broke in. “Whatever she needs, I’m sure I have something she can wear for tonight.”
“Thanks,” Raven agreed.
“Come on. Let’s go home.” He wrapped his arms around her just as Blue happily barked at one of his favorite words.
They rode in his truck in silence, the only sound other than the engine was Blue snoring as he lay across Darby’s lap.
“We should talk about it,” Carrie said suddenly.
“I don’t think I can,” Darby replied.
“I know I had a few glasses of wine earlier, but I’m totally sober now,” Raven said with a slight sigh.
“I could totally go for some chocolate,” Darby said as they approached the general store.
“I can run inside and get you ladies something,” he offered, even though it was past one in the morning.
“Cookies,” Carrie suggested.
“Brownies,” Darby added in.
“With double fudge ice cream,” Raven suggested.
He pulled over and parked, then turned around. “Anything else while I’m in there?”
“Wine,” Carrie said with a slight sigh. “If I had a little buzz again, maybe I could get a few moments of sleep tonight.”
“Any preference?” he asked.
He took their orders and tried to quickly grab everything they’d requested. By the time he walked out of the store with a bag of sweets and three bottles of wine, the ladies were talking. He hated interrupting their conversation, since he knew it was probably the best therapy for them.
As he figured, they stopped talking the moment he got settled in the truck.
He was surprised when they continued talking when he pulled out of the parking lot. Raven was telling her friends how much Rachelle had meant to her and the business.
“I doubt I’ll be able to find anyone else like her,” she said with a sniffle. “We were beginning to really be close friends.”
“I’m so sorry,” Carrie said as he pulled into his driveway.
“I’m so thankful you guys were here with me this time,” Raven said, touching her friend’s hand.
The friends climbed out of the truck, and they all held onto one another for a moment.
“I’ve been wondering what this place looked like on the inside,” Darby said as they stepped inside.
“Take a look around,” he suggested, shifting the bags of groceries. “I’ll put this stuff in the kitchen.”
“I’ll show them around. We can put their bags up in the guest room,” Raven offered.
He guessed that the friends needed a few moments alone. He could hear them talking quietly as they moved about his house. Blue was on their heels as if it were a game.
After putting the ice cream in the freezer, he pulled out a few glasses for the wine and then took out a beer for himself. He’d only had one earlier and figured if he was going to play host for the remainder of the evening, he might as well have a drink.
When the three friends came back downstairs, he’d started a fire. Even though it was dead summer, the night had turned chilly. He had set out a bowl of crackers, some cheese, and some grapes he had as well as the junk food they’d requested. He figured they’d want some more healthy food, since for the past few hours, they’d only been drinking.
“I don’t think I could fall