Running to You: Small Town Romance

Chapter Three

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

GRAYSON

She worked with that horse until she was too tired to work with it any longer, which meant we ate dinner extremely late, and she passed out after her shower on the couch while we were watching a movie.

Chase had texted me a few times to check on her. Apparently, her phone had been gone with Mr. Collins's barn, which meant she needed to get a new one. But she still didn't seem to be in any shape to venture out into town. I knew if we did, everyone was going to bombard her with questions – it was the way our little town worked. And while Farrah was normally the number one gossiper, I knew she wouldn't be able to handle all the questions yet.

I set my book aside and got up, going to get a shower. I'd waited to make sure Farrah was deep asleep before I did. I was hoping that if she did have a nightmare, it would at least wait five minutes so I could shower and get dressed again.

She gave me literally just enough time.

As soon as I tugged my sweats up my legs, her scream rang through my house. I rushed out of my room and into the living room. She crashed into me as I emerged from the hallway. "Easy, baby. Easy," I rumbled, holding her tight to me. She was shaking like a leaf during a harsh, summer storm, and I was a bit afraid her legs were going to give out on her.

"Grayson—" she cried.

"I'm here. Just breathe. I'm here, baby girl. I'm not going anywhere," I promised her. "I've got you."

I led her back to the couch, and she clung to me with every bit of strength within her tiny, little body. Somehow, we wedged together on the couch, and I tugged her blanket over us. Then, just like when she was still a little girl terrified of the monsters under her bed, I told her a fairy tale with my own twist to it.

This time, I told her favorite one: Little Red Riding Hood. Except in this one, Little Red falls in love with the wolf and he takes care of her. It was dark and twisted, but my sweet girl didn't care.

She just wanted her happily ever afters.

~*~*~

The sound of my front door opening had me jerking awake, an automatic reflex when something was abnormal. Having a crappy childhood hadn't left me unscathed.

I've got scars on my brain that don't show up in scans.

"Do I even want to know?" Chase whispered when he stepped into the living room, eyeing me and his sister with a bit of distaste, though it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I pressed my finger to my lips and managed to get myself off the couch without waking her. I tucked her in more to help her still feel secure before I led Chase outside onto my porch. He ran his eyes over me. "Better start talking, Grayson. You're not wearing a shirt."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know me better than that, Chase," I reminded him.

He sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Sorry," he muttered. "I know you wouldn't do anything with her without my permission." He looked over at me. "But . . ." his voice trailed off, and he sighed. "If your feelings for her are real and deep, then you have my blessing. But if they're not, then stop everything you're doing with her right now, Grayson, because my little sister is head over heels for you."

That news was definitely shock to me, but I didn't say anything on it. Farrah would make her feelings towards me known when she wanted.

"Chase, I love your little sister," I quietly told him. "And not as family, either. Been in love with her for years now. But I'm not pushing anything with her. Farrah moves on her own time."

He nodded and clapped a hand to my shoulder. "Honestly, if she ends up with anyone, I'm glad it'll probably be you," he confessed. "I know you'll take care of her."

"She's it for me," I quietly told him as I stared out over my farm, watching as the cows grazed in the left field. "It's either her or die alone."

~*~*~

Farrah's throat was feeling a bit better that morning, and she managed to eat some scrambled eggs, but the ham was still too rough going down her throat. Heck, I was just happy to get something solid in her stomach, and I could tell she was happy for it, too. Lord only knew how hungry she'd gotten.

She was with me as I made my rounds around my property, checking fence lines and feeding the animals. Then, after talking to the farm hands and delegating my other tasks to them, I stuck by Farrah as she and I cleaned out the horse stalls.

"Bossman, one of the cattle just got attacked," Brennan, an eighteen-year-old kid straight of high school huffed out as he rushed into the barn.

I muttered a curse and set my shovel aside. I looked at Farrah. "You going to be okay?"

She looked around nervously before finally blowing out a breath and nodding her head at me. "I'll be fine. Chances of another fire when we've been in here all day are slim to none."

I hated leaving her alone, but I needed to check on this. And I knew it would hurt Farrah to see an animal she couldn't save. And I had a gut feeling this would be one that had no hope of living. I was going to have to put it out of its misery.

I grabbed a rifle from the corner of the barn and rushed to the ATV. By the time we got down to the bottom of field, the poor heifer was already dying. I shook my head and slid off the ATV. I hated this. I knew it was part of the life, but I still hated seeing an animal in misery, and I hated even more that I had to be the one to put them out of it.

Brennan looked away as I pointed the rifle at the poor cow and put it down. Sighing, I ran a hand down my face afterward. I pulled out my phone and called my foreman, asking him to get a guy down here with the backhoe.

We had a cow to bury.

I ran my eyes over the fence line and gritted my teeth.

And apparently, I also had a fence to repair now.

~*~*~

The smell of something burning reached my nostrils right before Farrah's panicked scream did. I dropped the piece of fence I was holding. "Call 9-1-1!" I yelled at Brennan who was helping me.

I jumped on the ATV and rushed up the hill. She was sprinting down it, tears running down her cheeks, soot smeared on her face. I jumped off and grabbed her into my arms, holding her tight to me as she screamed and cried, her entire body shaking in my hold.

"One is still trapped!" she wailed. "Grayson—"

I rushed past her and up the last bit of hill. The fire hadn't made it to the room I held my ammo in yet, but I didn't have time to throw it out.

It was either save the small bit of bullets or save the horse.

And I had to save the horse. I couldn't do that shit to Farrah.

I rushed in, my mouth covered. The flames were eating everything up fast, and I heard the horse neighing and stamping its feet. I rushed forward, jumping over a burning board. Using my shirt, I undid the latch and swung the gate open. The horse rushed out, and I ran after it. I didn't care where it went so long as it was no longer trapped in that barn.

"Get back!" I yelled at Farrah just as the fire reached the ammo room. I tackled her to the ground just as the sound of bullets exploding sounded through the air. I kept my arms tight around her head, burying her body beneath mine to keep her as safe as I possibly could.

When the loud sounds of gunfire stopped, I leaned up just as the sounds of sirens reached my ears. Not even thinking twice about it, I grabbed Farrah's face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. Her tears tasted salty on my lips and tongue, but I didn't care.

She was safe. She was alive.

That was all that mattered to me.