Running to You: Small Town Romance

Chapter Two

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

GRAYSON

When Farrah was released the next day, I immediately put my foot down and told her she was staying with me until she recovered completely. I could tell Chase wasn't a huge fan of it, but it wouldn't be the first time she slept over at my house. He knew I respected his sister too much to ever try anything with her.

She was quiet most of the day, not saying much at all, which definitely wasn't like her. Farrah was loud and outspoken, always telling me what was on her mind.

Her throat was too raw to eat anything solid, so for lunch, I gave her some broth, water, and coffee. She kept getting a lost, faraway look in her eyes when I left her alone for too long, so eventually, I'd had enough.

I didn't like seeing Farrah lost in her head. It wasn't her. And while I knew that she had just gone through something traumatic that had almost cost Farrah her life and I was trying to be understanding about it all, I didn't know how to act around her right now.

"Up," I ordered as I stomped into the house. She jerked in surprise and looked up at me with alarmed eyes. I gripped her upper arms and gently pulled her up from the couch. "You're not sitting in here anymore. You're going out in the fields with me."

She frowned. "Grayson, you don't like anyone up your ass while you're working."

I grunted and grabbed her boots, setting them in front of her so she could tug them on. "Well, today, I'll fucking deal. I can't stand to have you sitting around here lost in your head anymore."

Her eyes welled with tears. "I can't stop picturing it, Grayson!" she snapped at me. She drew in a shaky breath, and a tear slid down her cheek. "I can't—"

I quickly grabbed her and pulled her against me, my hand cradling the back of her head to hold her to my chest. "I know, baby girl," I soothed. She sobbed against my chest, her tears now sliding endlessly down her cheeks. "I know. But girl, you've got to cry – something, anything. You've got to let it out. Sitting in here trying to hold it all in is going to drive you mad."

"Someone wanted to hurt those horses," she whispered.

Or you, I silently added, but I didn't dare voice that out loud. The realization that someone very well could be targeting her was chilling enough to think about. I didn't want to scare her. Animals were her livelihood, and I wouldn't dare dream of making her think that working with them was now too dangerous for them.

Because if I knew anything about Farrah, I knew she would put any animal above herself. If that meant she had to stop working with them, she would in a heartbeat just to keep them safe from her.

"Come on," I said softly when she had calmed down a bit. "Get your shoes on. Spend the day with me."

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to my cheek with trembling lips. My heart skipped a beat in my chest. "You're one of the best men I've ever known, Grayson. Don't ever change."

I blew out a soft breath, watching as she leaned down to tug on her boots.

Don't worry, baby girl. I won't ever change because the only person I'm worried about impressing is you.

~*~*~

After dinner, Farrah disappeared into my spare room to take a shower and go to bed. I knew she had to be exhausted. She was still recovering the fire ordeal, and then, on top of that, I'd had her out on a horse for the majority of the day as I worked on fixing a fence line while she sat there looking pretty for me.