A Run for Love (Oklahoma Lovers 1)

Tori.

He locked up the office and rushed next door. Relief washed over him when he saw her all in one piece. Except she paced back and forth, wringing her hands. Something was up.

“What’s wrong?” He scanned her face. Tears wet her cheeks, and his gut clenched at the thought of Tori being upset.

He grabbed her shoulders. “Tori, what’s wrong?” She continued to cry, her shoulders shaking. He softly shook her, his chest tightening with fear. “Talk to me, Tori. What’s happened?”

“Rachel.” The only word he understood.

“What’s happened to Rachel?”

“Gone.”

Jesse put his arm around the weeping woman and led her to the table. He pulled out a chair and urged her to sit. Tori took a deep breath, swiped her apron across her cheeks, and accepted the water he offered. After she drank, he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. “All right, take another deep breath and tell me what’s happened to Rachel.”

She held out a shaking hand. Jesse pushed away from the wall and took the wet and crumbled note from her hand. As he studied the words, his eyebrows moved together. He read it a second time, and his heart fell to his feet.

“Is she out of her mind?” he fumed.

Tori began crying again in earnest. He pulled her up and gathered her into his arms. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“Don’t call me honey,” she sobbed, as she clung to his shirt. He smirked and patted her back, mumbling comforting words. The soggy note still in his hand, he read it again.

What the hell is wrong with the girl?

Tori wiped her eyes again, and pulled back from him. “I have to go after her.”

He leaned his head to one side. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, no? She’s a young girl traveling by herself.” She took a gulping breath. “All sorts of horrible things could happen.”

“Right. And if you go after her, you’ll be a woman out there traveling by yourself with all sorts of horrible things that could happen to you. I’ll go.”

“You would have no idea where to go.” She pointed to the paper. “Her note says she’s going to live with Mary Jane McRae. She’s her friend from Maple Grove, the town we came from.”

“I’m not incompetent. I can

find my way to Maple Grove and locate this Mary Jane McRae.”

“Yes?” Tori lifted her chin. “And then what? Grab Rachel by the hair and drag her home?”

“I’ll talk some sense into her.”

She scowled. “And how do you propose to do that?”

“I’m a lawyer.”

Tori rolled her eyes. “So what will you do? Wave your law book at her?” She paced. “She needs me. I did this to her. She didn’t want to move here. She didn’t want to stay. It’s all my fault.”

“Whoa.” He put his hands on her shoulders to stop her pacing. “You’re not to blame for what Rachel did, and I won’t listen to it. You did what was best for your family. She’s old enough to understand the situation when her father died.” He pulled her to his chest as she began to cry again.

Of their own volition, his arms wrapped around her. Even with the growing wet spot on his shirt, holding her felt right. He had no idea what that meant, but now he faced convincing this stubborn woman he needed to go with her to find Rachel. There would be the inevitable fight, but she would not go alone.

She pulled back, and his heart thrummed inside his chest when she gazed up at him, her nose red, chin trembling. “Then Michael can go with me.”

Jesse sighed and released her. “No, that won’t work either. Michael needs to be here for Hunter and Ellie.” He hung his head and placed his hands on his hips.

“I’ll go with you. You can’t travel to Kansas by yourself.”