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can’t.” She put her hand over his. “It’s my home. Everything I own is there. I can’t leave them to tear up the place or sell my things to get even with me for leaving.” She clenched her hands in her lap. “Carl ordered me to cook dinner tonight and I refused, so who knows if I’ll find my china shattered all over the house again.” She shook her head. “I knew that when I refused he’d figure out a way to make me pay. But I just couldn’t take seeing him or Floyd and Dickey. And if Freddy’s there it will make it even worse.” She shuddered. Truth was, Freddy scared the hell out of her.
    John slammed his palm into the steering wheel. “I can’t watch you go through this.”
    “It’s the only way.” She offered him a little smile. “I’ll make it through this. I’ve lived with them for a long time now. I don’t think it’s going to get any worse than it is.” At least she hoped not. And right now all she could do was hope.
    John said nothing for a long moment. “We can’t let you drive home even slightly intoxicated. Do you want to go to my house for an hour or two?” He held his hands up. “Scouts’ honor that I’ll behave.”
    “I’m not worried about that.” She gave him a shy smile. “I trust you.”
    “On second thought, I don’t know if you should.” He brushed hair from the side of her face. “I’m more than attracted to you.”
    She put her hand over his. “I do trust you.”
    “Your car is warm,” he said, “so why don’t we leave my truck here and I’ll drive your car to my house?”
    “Let’s go, Lieutenant,” she said.
    His grin was quick and sexy. “Buckle in, Teacher.”

Chapter 6
    Hollie buckled her seatbelt as John put on his own. He shifted the car into gear and backed the vehicle out of the parking space and headed for the street. While he drove, he took her hand and held it on the console between them. She liked the feel of his hand wrapped around hers. How could she feel so unbelievably comfortable with him now? Her nervousness had ebbed with their conversation and his kisses.
    She looked out the window at the Christmas decorations passing by in mostly red and green blurs. What a strange day. She’d gone through so many emotions and now she was with John. She’d had a mad crush on him and had admired him from afar and now he’d told her he wanted to date her…and they were on their way to his home until she was totally sober. It was strange how things could change in just a matter of hours.
    It wasn’t far to his neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Homes along his street were decorated with Christmas lights and displays that glittered and shone in the night. When they pulled up to his house, she saw that he lived in a modest ranch-style home.
    “I think I expected you to live on a ranch like most of the other McBrides,” she said before they got out of the car.
    He shrugged. “I intend to go into ranching. I’ve just been waiting for the right time.”
    She blinked with surprise. “So you don’t plan on staying on the police force?”
    He opened the driver’s side door. “I guess you could say ranching is in my blood.”
    She slipped on her jacket. Just as she grasped the door handle, John opened it for her. She grabbed her purse in one hand while he took her other and helped her out of the car. He locked the vehicle before wrapping her cold fingers in his warm ones and leading her to the front door of the house. Even though they would soon be inside his home, the biting cold had her wishing for gloves and a scarf.
    It was too dark to get a good look at the outside of the house. When he let her inside, she breathed a sigh of relief as warm air met her. She liked this time of year, but it was good to get out of the cold.
    When he closed the front door, he helped her remove her jacket and draped it over one arm of a chocolate brown leather sofa, and he set her purse next to it. He removed his own jacket that he must have put on after