Learning to Love Again

Just Another Day

The sun was warm on my face as I groaned and covered my face with the covers until I remembered that I was at Dalton's house. Throwing the cover back in a panic I sat straight up looking around the room confused, I was in my room in the same clothes I had on yesterday. I rubbed my eyes with my knuckles still in a daze, throwing the covers off of me I stood up. With a yawn I walked to my mirror and noticed that there was a note.

I'll be back in the morning to pick you up, p.s. your keys are on the kitchen table.

Smiling I stuck the note back to my mirror and then checked my phone, I had two text from Dalton and a missed call from mom. I decided to wait and call mom back then I opened the messages from Dalton.

Good morning I hope you slept good :) I smiled and scrolled to the next one

I'll be there in 15 minutes.

My eyes widened in terror, he sent that text five minutes ago meaning that I only had ten minutes to take a shower and get dressed.

I just woke up come in and wait in the living room till I get dressed. I replied back as quickly as possible

In a rush I picked out an outfit and ran to the bathroom. After taking the quickest shower ever I put my clothes on and brushed through my hair fast as I could without pulling it all out. With my wet hair I walked into the living room and saw Dalton sitting on the couch in his uniform playing on his phone. I was trying terribly hard not to admire how good looking he was in his uniform but it was kind of hard to deny.

" Mornin." I said walking past him towards the kitchen

" Mornin to you too." He smiled making his dimples show looking over at me then back to his phone. I went into the kitchen half paying attention when I saw that there was a bag of food from McDonalds.

" Dalton McFadden!" I hollered

" Yes." He said right from behind me making me jump because I didn't know he was there.

Placing my hand on my chest I finally caught my breath " You scared me!" I shrieked as I turned to see him leaning up against the doorframe with crossed arms and a smirk.

" Sorry I didn't mean too. What'd you need?"

" Why did you get me breakfast?"

"What makes you think that's all yours?" He stood up straight and walked over taking the bag out of my hands then sitting at the kitchen table.

" You get on my nerves." I watched as he took the food out of the bag.

" I know." He said giving me a cheesy smile. Shaking my head I sat down and ate breakfast with him then went and finished getting dressed.

" Har I've got fifteen minutes till I start my shift we need to hurry!" Dalton hollered from the living room.

" I'm coming!" I ran out of the bathroom and into the living room where Dalton was at the front door waiting for me.

" Your slower than Christmas." He said as we walked out the front door.

" Well you don't have the patience God gave a goose." I looked snarked back as we walked down the steps.

" You've always got a comeback don't you?" He opened the passenger door of the truck for me.

" Yep." I said sitting in the seat. With a roar, Dalton's truck started up as he drove me back to his house to pick up my truck. On the way there, I asked him something I had been wondering all morning.

"So I must've fallen asleep last night, huh?"

With a chuckle, Dalton replied, "Yeah." Looking over at the driver side, I tried to hide my blush when Dalton's dimples peeked through, making a crater in his cheeks.

"Well, thank you for driving me back." I replied, tearing my eyes away from Dalton. 'Why does he have to look so good in his uniform?' I asked myself.

"Of course. I didn't think it was proper or right to leave you stay at my house all night. You were so konked out. I had to carry you to my truck and inside your house. I took a wild guess at which bedroom was yours, plus the door was open and I didn't see a ensuite bathroom unlike the one across the hall."

"Yeah, you dropped me off in the right room. I don't remember anything at all from last night. Well, anything that happened after the movie, that is." I smiled, sparing a glance to my left. "I had to have broken your back with all of that carrying you had to do. I've been told my body is practically rigamortis when I'm sleeping."

"Darlin', you weigh 100 pounds soaking wet. You didn't hurt my back at all." Turning down a road before an intersection, Dalton said, "Plus I have had to tackle guys who could be sumo wrestlers at work, so you, my dear, are not a problem."

"Is that how you got your black eye, there captain?" I prodded. It was bothering me that he wouldn't tell me how he got such a bad shiner.

"I was hopin' you'd forget by now." Dalton replied, switching his hands on the steering wheel.

"Nope." I replied, shaking my head.

With a sigh, Dalton replied, "Honey, I really don't want you worrying about it. It's really nothing and it happens all the time at work." Looking over at me, he continued, "But I promise you, I'm okay. I don't want you worrying about me so much."

After that I dropped the subject knowing he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He drove up the gravel driveway that led to his small farmhouse where my truck was parked next to his Dodge patrol car.

" Thanks for breakfast and picking me up to come and get my truck." I said as Dalton put his truck in park.

" It was no trouble, I enjoy spendin time with you." He smiled over at me making me blush yet again. We said goodbye then headed off to work Around lunch time I was expecting Dalton to show up but he didn't so I figured he would at supper but when he didn't show up then I started to worry. After my shift ended I went out to my truck and decided to call Dalton before I headed home but he didn't pick up the phone so I just drive on home.

I got halfway to my house when my phone started ringing so I pulled over to the side of the road and saw the caller ID was Dalton.

" Hello?" I said in kind of a worried tone

" Hey I'll be off in about an hour and a half so if you want to come over I'll make some diner."

" Okay sounds good are you okay?"

" I'm fine see you later." He said tiredly and distant before hanging up the phone. I threw my phone in the passenger seat and made u turn towards the direction of Dalton's house. I kept wondering what was wrong with him the whole way there, he seemed really stressed out on the phone.

I sat on the front steps an hour and fifteen minutes exactly before Dalton's car came up the driveway making gravels pop. He got out slamming the door behind him, he started towards me with his he head hung low and his feet dragging. His shirt was wrinkled and half way unbuttoned revealing a white t-shirt while his left hand rested lazily just above his belt. I stood up wanting to run a give him a hug but I couldn't let myself.

We stepped inside the house and I went and sat on the couch trying to stay out of the way while Dalton took his gear off. He looked so distant staring at the floor, he untucked his shirt then unbuttoned it throwing it on the floor along with his vest he hung up his belt on the hook by the door kicked off his boots and went to the kitchen without a word. Debating whether or not to follow him I decided to follow him and try to figure out what was wrong. I walked into the kitchen where he was getting pots and pans out so I hoisted myself up on the counter and sat there as he started frying some beef. He still hadn't said a word and I was getting worried because usually he would say something about me sitting on the counter.

" Dalton what's wrong?" I asked hoping for an answer. His jaw tightened up and he looked off into the distance.

" Just another day at work."