“I know you’re not drunk. But you’re probably dehydrated.” He nodded for Duke, who looked as worried as Zayne felt, to head to the door. It wasn’t easy to lock up the shop with Andrea in his arms, but he managed. Her eyes opened briefly as they passed her car.

“I can drive...”

He just chuckled, shaking his head. “I think not. Go to sleep.”

He got her into the house and laid her on the sofa, covering her with the throw blanket his brother’s wife had given him for Christmas. Duke plopped down on the floor right in front of the sofa that was often Duke’s bed. The dog didn’t seem to mind loaning it to Andrea. Zayne sat in the armchair and stared at the woman, now back in a deep sleep. Her pale pink lips were slightly parted, her breathing slow and steady.

Should he tell somebody she was here? She said Hudson was at a sleepover, so there wasn’t a sitter waiting. He’d grabbed her leather bag from the desk, and cautiously went through it to find her phone. It was locked, but there was a text message on the home screen from Zoey Hartford.

Z: Thought you were stopping by tonight? Call me.

Zoey and her new boyfriend, Mike McKinnon, had been a few years ahead of Zayne and Andrea in school. Zoey had taken over her late father’s appliance repair business, and she’d done an emergency repair on his band saw motor a few months ago. He knew her, but it wasn’t as if they were close friends. Still...she might be able to give him some guidance. He dug out his own phone and called, walking into the kitchen so he wouldn’t wake Andrea.

There was a long beat of silence after he explained the situation to Zoey.

“She’s asleep. On your sofa,” Zoey said slowly. “And you’re thinking of leaving her there. All night. In your house.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” he asked, raking his fingers through his hair. “She can’t drive like this. And I think it would be creepier to take her home. Besides, I don’t know if she should be alone. What if she’s actually sick or something?”

Another beat of silence.

“Mike’s sister, Mary, told me that Andrea’s been burning the candle at both ends lately. Students are moving in at college, so it’s wildly busy there, and then she has the festival and Hudson...” She paused. “And rumor has it that some total asshat challenged her to create a complete billing program for him for free.”