I smile back.
“I’m okay, Kimmy,” I say, finding my words with much more confidence than I had when I walked in here. “But I need to file a report.”
“Of course. Let’s get you back here.”
Another deputy buzzes the door to unlock it, and I follow her in. She directs me to a table to sit, and Dutton sits with me.
“Is my dad here?” I ask as Kimmy begins to access something on her computer.
She shakes her head. “Not at the moment.”
“Oh. That’s okay.”
Dutton squeezes my hand again, and I let out a breath.
Kimmy goes over the process of filing a report and then walks me through each step. She’s calm and kind and stays close. A couple of the other deputies stop to check on me, and of course, Dutton never leaves my side.
Through all of it, a thought hits me more than once.
Is Dad even worried about me?
Chapter
Twenty
DUTTON
LeavingBrooke at the bakery to come to work today was the last thing I wanted to do.
But she wanted something normal after the morning we had, and I can’t blame her. The last twenty-four hours have been a lot.
Hell, I went to jail, and even I know what she’s going through is worse than that.
“Morning, Dutton,” Mason greets me from behind the front desk, even though it’s closer to lunch at this point.
“Hi,” I say, keeping it short and heading straight for my office.
My mind is on Brooke, but I’m fully aware that work isn’t going to be all sunshine and roses.
Everyone knows I was arrested.
Which means my father knows.
Which means he’s going to have a lot of bullshit to say to me about it.
I open my office door, flick the light on, and come to an abrupt stop.
“It’s about time you showed up,” my sister says to me, crossing her arms.
I shrug my jacket off and hang it up, ignoring her as I take my seat and open my laptop.
The sooner I get to work, the sooner I can pick Brooke up.
I’m not obsessed with her, but my mind is not at ease right now, and clearly, I don't trust anyone to be the person she needs.
I want to be that person.
Iamthat person.
