Free My Little Runaway (Destiny Bay) by Helen Conrad

the sides. The only thing left to do was to get out on the freeway himself and beat the creep to her.
    He spun on his heel, ready to hurry back to his car, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He hesitated for a moment, staring down a lonesome, unlit dirt road that led away from the station toward the hills. Someone was walking his way.
    He took two quick steps toward her, then stopped and waited for her to come to him. It was Jennifer. Anger mingled with relief as he watched her approach.
    “Hi,” she said brightly as she came close. “I was
just—“
    Only seconds after telling himself not to overreact, he did exactly that. “Where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “Don’t do that again, Jennifer. Don’t try to hide from me.”
    “I wasn’t—“ she began, but he wouldn’t listen.
    “Don’t try to get out of doing what you have to do with any of these childish tricks.” His silver gaze raked over her. “You’ve got more integrity than that, Jennifer.”
    She opened her mouth to explain to him that she’d just been returning a little girl to her mother, but then she closed it again.
    “I was just taking a walk,” she said stiffly. The heck with him! If he wanted so badly to believe she would run, let him. She should have told him before she left, but she hadn’t realized Nita’s people would be so far down the road.
    It had turned out that Nita was staying in a trailer parked in a dirt lot with other itinerant pickers. She’d been sent to the bathroom at the station, but when she came out, she had lost her way and had gone back to the bathroom as the only hiding place-she could find. Her mother had been overjoyed to see her. The scene of the reunion had been heartwarming, as had been the earnest thanks the family had bestowed upon Jennifer. Too bad Reid had missed it.
    She was angry with him and not about to try to explain herself. She let him lead her back to the car, but she didn’t speak. And in a moment they were back on the freeway again, getting closer to Destiny Bay by the minute.
    It was so dark she couldn’t see the emerald-green hills or the sapphire-blue ocean. Everything was masked by the same blanket of darkness. Neither one of them said another word as they sped up the coast. Finally, they reached the outskirts of town, and Reid turned off onto the road that led right into the exclusive area , La Bahia, which was their destination. Jennifer’s heart was thumping as she began to recognize landmarks. This was home. How could she have forgotten?

    They stopped in front of the Carrington house, and she stared across the green belt to where her own parents lived. The house was dark. It was very late. She was tired. Maybe that was why she didn’t feel anything, not even love.
    “Are your parents here?” she asked Reid.
    “No,” he said shortly. “They’re in Europe.”
    She nodded.
    Reid watched her, and the look on her face made his heart ache. He wanted to take her into his arms, to hold her and let her cry, but he wasn’t sure she wanted that. After what he’d done in her bedroom, he was going to be extra careful not to give her the idea he’d just brought her down here to get her into his bed. So he didn’t touch her. But he spoke, softly, urgently.
    “This isn’t going to be easy, Jennifer. I know that. But you can do it. I’ll be here for you, right behind you ... all the way. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask.”
    He reached a hand toward her before he could stop himself, but she’d already turned away and didn’t see it. He drew it back again and gripped the wheel.
    “I don’t know what I’m going to do—and what I’m not going to do,” she told him, her voice so low he could barely make out the words. “I’ll stay with you for a few days, Reid. But I’m not making any promises.”
    “I know that. We’ll take it one step at a time.”
    He got out and came around to open the door for her, reaching inside to help