Free Lead Him Not Into Temptation (Redemption Book 2) by M.L. Steinbrunn

hears my sniffles, he squeezes my hand, but continues to remain silent. I’m so emotionally exhausted it soon becomes a challenge to keep my eyes open. It isn’t long before I feel the calmness of sleep pull me under.

Casen
    As soon as we get to the camper I keep parked at Mueller State Park, I carry a sleeping Jen to the back bedroom and make a bed for myself on the foldout couch. As much as I want to sleep, I’m unsuccessful, tossing and turning until I force myself out of bed to get things ready for Jen in the morning.
    I don’t know how I contained myself from killing that guy. Lord knows I fucking wanted to. Since that was off the table, I at least wanted him arrested. I was more than shocked when Jen wouldn’t let me call the authorities. I really don’t know what to do for her; I don’t know how to fix any of this, fix her—but I want to. It’s apparent she’s been through some kind of shit in her life…haven’t we all? This is different though, she’s hiding something. I’ve always been able to tell when someone was running, when they’ve buried secrets, and Jen MacLauchlan has buried something vicious.
    All night I’ve wandered into the bedroom to watch her sleep, to smooth her hair when her sleep talking and rambles turn into frightened night terrors. My Great Dane, Hendrix, hasn’t left her side, alerting me of her terrors with whimpering. I think they upset him as much as they upset me to witness.
    When I can’t handle the restlessness and useless feelings I have any longer, I lay out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt on the bed for when she wakes up. I write her a note and leave her in the care of Hendrix. I hop into Nelly and head toward Woodland Park. It’s the nearest town to the campsite with a Walmart where I can at least pick her up a few toiletry items, some clothes, and medical supplies to clean up my knuckles and her scraped-up knees. Also, I have some food in the camper, but definitely not enough to serve her a proper breakfast and sustain us both for the entire weekend. She may not intend to stay with me longer than the hour to travel back to Colorado Springs where her car is parked, but if I have my way, she will stay the weekend.
    It’s still early by the time I return, and she’s still asleep. I don’t want to wake her by continuing my restless hovering, so I busy myself outside by bandaging my knuckles. I then set to work making a campfire and preparing bacon and eggs to make over the open flame. It isn’t long after getting everything on the griddle when a bloodcurdling scream from the inside of the camper pierces the morning silence.
    I move as quickly as I can, bursting through the front door and down the small hallway to the bedroom. The screams continue, and I prepare for the worst as I turn the door handle to enter the bedroom. The scene before me is not what I expect and I barely contain my laughter.
    “Get it off me!” Jen shouts. “I’m covered in slobber!” she continues as she struggles to find her way out of the blankets. Somehow, Hendrix has made his way under the covers with her, to snuggle no doubt…he never got the memo he’s too big to be a lap dog. Together they are rolling around, tangled in sheets, Jen frantically trying to get away, and Hendrix trying to lick her. When Jen finally falls out of the bed onto the floor and out of the grips of the flannel sheets, Hendrix halts his slobber attack and barks at her.
    “Henri, enough, boy. Outside,” I warn. He immediately jumps off the bed and trots past me to go outside by the fire. “Sorry, about that. He’s a snuggler; he was trying to tell you he likes you,” I explain.
    “Likes me? Are you stoned? That giant horse dog was trying to attack me. My hair is matted with dog drool. If I had exposed my neck, he probably would have punctured my jugular.” She’s being a tad overdramatic. I absolutely want to continue to laugh at her, but considering the events of the previous evening, I would prefer to