“I think I’ll be okay. I’m so tired right now I’m pretty sure I’d be able to sleep in the middle of a Guns N’ Roses concert.”

“You need sleep, Franny.”

“I know.” She rubs her lips together.

“So then use my guest room.”

“I don’t really want to leave PJ. I’ve been gone all morning, and he gets anxious when he’s alone too long.”

“Then bring him with you. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Dayton,” she whispers, and without thinking, I reach my hand out and wrap it around the lower part of her jaw.

“Come over and take a nap. Your dog will be okay with me for a few hours while you sleep,” I tell her, and her eyes wander over my face before she lets out a breath.

“Okay.”

“Okay.” I let my hand fall away. “I’ll follow you.”

After getting her nod, I open her door and wait until she’s in and buckled before I leave her to walk over to my SUV. It takes a little time to get to our building. Traffic in the city on the weekends is always bumper to bumper, with people here from out of town and all the party buses that drive up and down the strip.

As she parks, I pull in behind her, shut down the engine, and then get out, meeting her at her door before she has a chance to get it open.

“Should I just meet you upstairs?” she asks, taking my hand when I reach for hers to help her out of the car.

“No, I’ll come with you and help you get PJ.”

Receiving her nod, I follow her to the door of our building and punch in the code to let us in. As we are stepping inside, I bite back a curse when I see my brother, Tucker, getting off the elevator while pushing an empty stroller, followed by his stepson, Kingston, on his scooter. His wife, Miranda, finally emerges while holding their daughter—Jenny, who is just a few months old—as if the two males insisted on making sure the coast was clear before letting their ladies out of the safety of the elevator.

“Dayton!” Kingston jumps off the scooter, letting it hit the floor with a thud before he runs to me. When he hits me full force, I go back a step as his arms wrap around my hips.

“Hey, bud.” I rub the top of his head. “You heading out with Mom and Dad?”

“Yep.” He pops the last letter. “We’re going for a walk and stopping for ice cream.”

“Nice.” I lift my eyes to Miranda and notice she’s eyeing Franny curiously.

Shit.

“You good, man?” Tucker asks, and I take my eyes off Miranda to meet my brother’s gaze. I haven’t told him or Miles about Franny; the only one who knows about her is Clay.