A Hopeful Kind of Love (Kinds of Love 1.5)

“We have to find them,” she said, finding her voice. She didn't stop to think, she just started walking to the barn. She needed to check the hayloft. She needed to find them.

“Whoa, hold up,” Jace called, jogging to catch up to her. He handed her a walkie talkie. “Take this. You're search group four. Ethan, go with her.”

“Me?” Ethan replied, his eyebrows going up.

“That's really not-” Laura began but Jace cut her off.

“Yes, Ethan go with Laura.” Jace motioned to his own walkie talkie at his belt. “I'll be with Ella. Jack and Carter are checking the pool area, and Emma and Mia are back at the house coordinating with security and making sure someone is there if the kids head that direction.”

“What about Brian? I could go with him?” Ethan replied, motioning to the big security guy.

Laura tried not to feel insulted that he was looking for literally anyone to be with but her.

“He's working with Jack's security guy, Dean,” Jace said. He gave Ethan a stern look. “She's got the walkie. Just go with her, okay?”

“Okay,” Ethan replied, holding his hands up. Jace shook his head and turned to go meet up with Ella. Brian was already gone.

“So, I guess it's just us,” Laura said, feeling awkward as hell. If there was a way for this day to become worse, this was probably it.

“Yup.” Ethan shuffled his feet and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. He looked about as excited to be with her as she felt.

“I was thinking we should go check the barn,” Laura told him. “Grayson snuck up there and scared us once this summer. Maybe they're up there.”

“Sure.” Ethan shrugged, not looking at her.

Laura took a deep breath in and looked up at the darkening gray sky. She started walking. This was not going to be fun.

Chapter 7

Ethan

Ethan watched as Laura walked off, muttering to herself. He couldn't hear what she was saying due to the wind, but he had a good idea that it was about him. She was not happy that he was stuck with her.

He followed behind her, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, trying to keep his hands warm and out of the wind. He looked up at the sky, trying to figure out a way to make the situation better, but short of miraculously finding her brother, he had no ideas. He shook his head and grumbled. Why did Jace have to stick him with her? Who died and made him boss?

Laura wanted nothing to do with him. She'd made it very clear that she didn't want to talk to him after their night in the museum. She'd told him so in multiple texts. He'd even tried calling her, but some guy answered the phone and read him a riot act. The guy told him to never call back and that Laura wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

So, he didn't look her up or try to contact her again. He didn't know why she had suddenly changed her tune after the fantastic time they had at the party, but he was going to respect her decision.

Except, now they had to work together. This was not what he wanted. If he had known this was going to happen, he would have just stayed in California. He didn't want her to have to deal with him and looking for her brother.

She was already halfway up the hayloft ladder when he got to the barn. It felt so much better inside than out in the wind. The barn was warm and lit up with soft yellow light. It smelled of hay and horse, but it was better than being outside. He hoped the two boys were here and not out in the bitter cold.

He walked past a horse stall, stepping wide. He didn't trust horses. They were just so big. And smelly. He didn't see the attraction that Laura and Carter obviously did in them.

“Here,” Laura said, tossing him the walkie-talkie as she reached the top of the ladder. “Hold this. Hopefully, they're just asleep up here and that's the end of it.”

She called out the boys' names as she started to look for them. Some hay fell from the open hole as she walked around above him. The tone of her voice became more panicked. More hay fell. Laura's feet appeared and she nearly fell down the ladder. Her eyes were huge.

“They're not here. They're not here,” she whispered, as she paced the barn floor. Her hands dry-washed as she walked. “Where are they? I can't lose him too.”

“It's okay,” Ethan told her, reaching out a hand to try and comfort her. He missed as she spun to pace the floor in a different direction. He pulled his hand back. “We'll find them.”

She stopped her pacing and nodded. She looked away and wiped at her cheek. He hated to see anyone so upset. As an only child, he wasn't sure exactly what level of concern was normal for a sibling. She was certainly worked up and he wanted to help.

“Jace said something about them being with the dog, Jupiter,” he said, trying to think of something that might help. “If we find Jupiter, we'll find them.”

“Right,” she replied with a sniffle. “Um, he probably chased a rabbit or something? I saw some baby rabbits yesterday by the camp counselor house.”