Free Oil Patch Romance (Mail Order Bride Series) by Susan Leigh Carlton Page B

asked. 
     
    “I’m going back to the farm.  After that, I don’t know.  I will probably run the farm.  Maybe do some exploration.  It doesn’t matter.”
     
    “You’ll be miserable as a farmer,” she said.
     
    “No more miserable than I am now.”  He left, leaving an equally miserable Laura.
     
    The next morning, Laura went into the office.  His office was empty.  He had never had personal things in there, but there was no sign he had even been there.  She went to Bill’s office.  “Where’s Jonathon?” she asked.
     
    “He’s gone.  He came in this morning, and emptied his desk and left.  I don’t know where he was going or what he’s planning. 
     
    “I spoke with personnel this morning.  They have rescinded your transfer.  You are again part of this office.”
     
    “I don’t want to be a part of this office if he’s not here.  He’s the only reason I'm here.  I wanted to work with him,” she said.
     
    “Well, I don’t know where he was going, so there’s nothing I can do,” Bill said.
     
    “If I can get him back, could you work with him?” she asked.
     
    “I have a request to transfer out,” he said, “but I don’t think they will let me, if Johnny is gone too.”
     
    “But could you work with him?” she asked.
     
    “I guess I could, he was genuinely sorry for what he did.  He was in tears, pleading with me to stop the evaluation from being acted upon, but it was too late.”
     
    “I think I know where to find him, but I just don’t know how to get there.  Rebecca does, though.  Tell me how I can contact her.  After she kills him, she’ll tell me where he is.”
     
    Bill laughed, and gave her Rebecca’s phone number in Houston.
     
    * * *
     
    “Becky, this is Laura.  No, I’m fine.  He’s why I’m calling though.  I need your help.  He’s disappeared, but I think he went to your parent’s place.  I love him, Becky, I’ve forgiven him for what he did, but he doesn’t know that.  They rescinded my transfer, so I’m still in Beaumont.  I talked with Bill, and he can work with him, but he doesn’t know how to contact him either.”
     
    “I can give you the telephone number for the farm, but he’ll be so filled with false pride, and self pity, he wouldn’t talk to you.  Tell you what.  I’ll come up there tomorrow, and we’ll go to the farm together.  After I beat him half to death, then you can talk to him, though why you want him back, I don’t understand.”
     
    “You don’t know how much I appreciate this.  I’ll see you tomorrow.  Do you want me to tell Bill you’re coming?”
     
    “No, don’t do that.  He might try to stop us, and I like him too much to fight with him.  I’ll let Mama know we’re coming, but ask her to keep our secret.  It’s about a four hour train ride.  She’ll meet us at the depot.
     
    Rebecca made the introductions, adding, “Mama was a mail order bride.”
     
    “Was she really?” 
     
    “We lived in Yorkville, where many men were lost, my father among them.  She found someone in another state she liked so she went for him.  You’ll get to see how well that all worked out. 
     
    When they arrived at the farm, they were greeted by a barking dog.  Her mother stood on the porch, drying her hands.
     
    “Where is he, Mama?”
     
    “I think he and his Pa went to the general store to get some fencing material to replace some that had been damaged.  We’re trying to keep livestock from ruining what’s left of the cotton. 
     
    “Do you want to tell me what is going on?” Rebecca’s mother, Sarah, asked.
     
    Your son made a big mess of things in Beaumont and Laura asked me  to help, so I’m going to try.  Then I’m going to kill him, plain out.
     
    “Just do it outside,” Sarah said.  “It’s hard to get blood stains out.” 
     
    “I should have called Cass.  It would have been nice to have her around in case the maiming goes too far.” 
     
    “You’re