I felt guilty when she snuggled up against me, her body completely relaxed as she fell back to sleep. I was so stupid. All I could think about was how appealing she’d looked in that short nightgown. In fact, I had been dreaming about it the exact moment she’d woken me up. I tried to keep my mind from picturing her that way, but my body didn’t care what my brain wanted.
Now all I could think about were the two thin pieces of fabric separating us. I sighed at my inner turmoil, knowing I had more important things to worry about. The most important being, I refused to keep her anything other than safe—even if that meant saving her from myself.
I woke up before her, as I was used to only having four or five hours of sleep at any given time. I knew all too well she’d not had a decent night’s sleep in days, so I made sure to keep as still as possible.
Every time I thought about the physical and—possibly permanent—mental damage Jim and Pat had done to her, I wanted to march back to that hell-hole and kill them both. I’d struggled for a long time on where to place my anger. Before I ripped my shirt off like some kind of super hero and went balls to the walls on their asses, I tried to consider the consequences of such actions.
I was too young to be responsible for myself, according to the law, even though I’d been doing it since I could remember. It wouldn’t get me to my end goal, which was leaving it all behind. I was totally okay with that. I had accepted it. I’d already decided that contacting the police after I turned eighteen was the best way to go.
Until I found her, that is.
Now, I wanted to throw years of planning out the window because they’d hurt her. My heart ached and I was having trouble catching my breath, trying to keep my head straight. I needed to focus on reasoning, and not what my heart was telling me to do. Going to prison and leaving her on her own wouldn’t keep us together. Plus, the unknown of what would happen to her was something I just didn’t want to think about.
Her long blonde hair was splayed out on her pillow and mine. She’d gone to bed with it still wet and I thought it was going to bother me sleeping so close to her, but it didn’t. The strawberry smell from the dollar shampoo we’d purchased from the store wafted through my nostrils for most of the night and had me trying to get closer to her. She looked so beautiful snuggled up to me. I felt a sense of peace surrounding her that hadn’t been there before. She looked completely different from the night I’d found her.
She was laying on her side, arm across my stomach. We’d somehow managed to change positions throughout the night. Again, it was difficult not to look at her. Even though the bruises were dark and ugly, I’d never seen anything more beautiful. My eyes trailed over her frail body, taking advantage of her sleep, so I could see how bad some of them were. She was banged up, but underneath all of it she was strong.
She felt like she was mine. I had never had anything I wanted to take care of. I’d always been on my own, and I was okay with that. But emotions were stirring in me I didn’t understand. The need to give her a life until she could return to her old one was fierce, and since the moment I’d found her, it was like I had no other choice. My instinct took over and now we were in Texas, about to live a fake life, while we waited for her memory to come back—so she could return to her old one.
I’d thought about her family all night long. Something wasn’t right. There was no way a girl like her wasn’t missed. I hoped with everything I had they hadn’t harmed her parents. I wouldn’t necessarily have put it past them, but then again, I wouldn’t have guessed they would’ve abducted a teenage girl either. All I knew was, I was going to find her family. Or at least find out what happened to them; why no one was looking for her. I wasn’t going to let her have the life I’d had. If I never did anything else again, I was going to return her to her home, so that she could enjoy the rest of her life with loved ones.
Just as I was getting lost in thought, she stirred. Her small feet kicked the blanket off and the sheet piled at our feet. My breaths were shallow and fast. There was nothing stopping me from really looking at her. I wrestled with my moral code, feeling like a creep because I didn’t have the will-power to turn away.
First, a silver toe-ring caught my eye. A grin tugged at my lips, knowing she had to be a little eccentric to wear one. I slowly took in her long, lean, tan legs. I grimaced every time I saw a scrape or discolored piece of skin. I wanted to touch them. I wanted to run my hands up and down them, making them feel better.
My gaze soon found her pink satin panties, as the gown had bunched up damn near to her chest. I was going to hell for this. I was so turned on, I felt like my head was going to explode. What in the hell am I doing? I had never had this much temptation in my whole life, and I hadn’t even touched her. My tongue felt swollen as I struggled with my conscience. I shouldn’t be looking at her.
I was obviously no stranger to females, and had even bagged a few. But I had never thought one was so beautiful. It was almost like she wasn’t real. I knew it kind of made me a douche, but I kept looking, searing every inch of her body to memory. Her stomach was bare and I wanted to kiss it—which made me question my sanity.
I shook my head at the thought. I had to quit thinking about her like that. If she woke up now, she’d think I was a fucking creeper. I changed my direction of thoughts and concentrated on the fact she’d remembered her name. Sophia. It was beautiful, just like her. I wondered if she might remember more when I woke her up. I could only hope.
“Sophia.”
She moaned and turned her face into my arm.
“Soph.” I shook her a little bit.
“Hmm?”
“We have to get up and get moving. We’ll have time to go down and get some breakfast, if you want.”
“I don’t want to get up,” she said, stretching. Obviously not realizing she wasn’t covered.
“You can stay here if you want.” I needed to get the hell away from her and her perfect body. “The door has two locks and I—”
“No,” she said, quickly scooting off the bed.
“Soph, you’re safe, I promise.”
“I know. I just want to go with you.” She smiled, untwisting her nightgown and pulling it down as far as it would go.
I wasn’t buying it. Her smile didn’t reach her beautiful blue eyes. “All right. Do you want in the bathroom first?”
“Sure.” She walked over to the plastic bags to grab some of her new clothes. Her brow creased as she rooted around from one bag to the other.
I hid my smile as she apparently had a little trouble considering what to wear. Quickly wiping the smile off my face, I busied myself with making the bed. I made the decision right then and there; I wasn’t going to act on my feelings for her. She was too vulnerable and in no position for anything other than returning home, hopefully with her memories intact. Adding my selfish wants to the equation was just a dickhole move. She deserved peace and happiness, not to be pawed at by some dude who couldn’t keep it in his pants for a couple of days.
We headed out twenty minutes later. I was excited to be doing something new. Even though we had the black cloud hanging over our heads, I still felt like I was starting over. I was making my own decisions, and that felt riveting. I was away from the past and she was too. So for now, we were safe. We still had a lot to figure out, but at least we were able to pursue it freely and weren’t back in Oklahoma.
I wasn’t picky when it came to work. I didn’t even care if it was shoveling cow shit, as long as I was able to make an honest living. We had to survive and I knew my savings wouldn’t last forever. I’d made a mental note to find the public library to do more research on Sophia, and to figure out what the process was for turning in Jim and Pat to the proper authorities. I knew that both situations were going to take careful preparation, and I needed to be settled somewhere so that I could give both proper attention.
We had to figure out who Sophia was and where she’d come from. I wanted to find her family and figure out why in the hell someone ha
dn’t reported her missing. As for Jim and Pat, I didn’t want to just call the police. I wanted to bury them. I needed to be well-spoken and clear on the laws when I turned them in. I also had to make sure I was eighteen, which wasn’t for another month and a half.
“This place is huge,” she said, as we pulled up to the gates.
“I know. I thought it was supposed to be a farm. I certainly wasn’t expecting all of this.” The land surrounding us was never ending. Rolling hills, fence lines, and cattle went as far as the eye could see.
A man with brown skin met me at the driver’s side of my truck and I rolled the window down. “Abram?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Follow me up to the main house. I’ll introduce y’all to Ms. Tonya.”
“Ms. Tonya?”
“Cal’s wife.”
“Oh, okay.” I rolled the window back up as he turned toward the drive and hopped on a horse.
“I hope they like me,” Sophia said, pulling at the draw strings of her pink sweatshirt.
“They will, just be how you are with me.” I chuckled. I hadn’t meant to laugh at her, but her apprehension was endearing.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You act like you’re the one going on the interview.”
“I can’t help it. I’m nervous.”
I reached over and took her hand in mine. “Don’t be. I’ll get the job and we’ll have an income. We’ll get settled, then start doing more research on your family. We’ve got this.” I squeezed her hand for reassurance.
“I’m sorry you have to take care of me. I know it’s weird for me to be tagging along everywhere you go, and you’re paying for everything.” She sighed. “Maybe I should try to get a job too, just to help out.”
“No. You don’t need to help. Don’t ever think you are a burden to me. I’m glad I found you.” I hadn’t realized how true those words were, until I said them out loud. After the short amount of time we’d spent together, I now had trouble picturing what my life would be like had we not been together.
“Me too,” she agreed.
We pulled in next to the house and walked up to the man who’d met us at the gate. The wrap-around porch on the huge, craftsman type farm house was inviting.
“Paco,” he greeted, holding out his hand.
“Abram Scott.” I took his hand firmly.
“I’m Sophia, his sister,” she introduced herself and glanced up at me.
She and I had never talked about the fact I’d introduced her as my sister. I wasn’t sure if it was the dumbest or smartest thing I’d done since we’d run away; it wasn’t like I could’ve told them the truth. She didn’t seem to mind though.
“Nice to meet you, Sophia. Follow me,” he said, walking inside.
The house was huge. I had never seen anything so big or lavish. Even though it looked like an old farm house on the exterior, everything on the inside was new and modern. It was clean, which made me relaxed. Even though I didn’t know anything about these people, they were clean and took care of their things, and that meant something to me.
We walked into the large kitchen and found an attractive woman washing dishes. She was dressed in jeans and boots. Her button-up shirt had the sleeves pushed up her arms.
“Damn heathens,” she grumbled to herself.
“You ain’t talkin’ bout us men, are ya?” Paco strolled up to her, completely at ease.
“You bet your ass I am. The next time I slave over breakfast, you better at least offer to help clean up.” She turned around, her eyes going wide when she saw us standing there. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we had company,” she said, drying her hands on a dishtowel.
“This is Abram Scott and his sister, Sophia. Cal gave him a job yesterday while we were at the diner,” Paco introduced.
“Hello, Abram and Sophia. It’s nice to meet you both,” She shook both of our hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. Please call me Abe.”
“There will be none of that. I’m only thirty-four, which means I still have years left before I become a ma’am. Tonya will be fine.” She winked.
“Tonya then.”
“How old are you, Abe?”
“Eighteen.”
“And you?” She turned to Sophia.
“Sixteen.”
“Parents?”
“Nope,” I answered. “I take care of my sister.” I tried to sound convincing.
She watched us for a minute. I thought she was going to see right through us, or tell me I didn’t get the job; I could tell she was suspicious. But instead of doing either, she hugged us both. “Welcome to the ranch.”
“Thank you,” we both replied.
I gave Sophia a pat on the back when Paco asked me to take a walk with him around the property. I wanted to make sure she was okay with me leaving her, even though I knew she would be timid. The touch wasn’t necessarily intimate, but I think it did the trick. Her eyes told me she’d be okay. I needed her to be strong, or people were going to start talking.
I patiently accompanied Paco, as he showed me what I would be doing and introduced me to some of the other employees. Even though I was interested in what he was showing me, I worried about Sophia the whole time. She’d looked nervous as I walked out. I made sure not to ask any questions, mainly because I was ready to check back in with her. I figured if I wasn’t sure what to do regarding any of the tasks, I’d either figure it out myself, or ask one of the other guys.
Finally, we made our way toward the house and I all but ran back inside, not sure what to expect. At that point, I was just hoping I didn’t find her huddled in a corner with Tonya and Cal ready to call the police. I’d been gone for an hour, but she was a strong girl. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.
Rounding the corner into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. I surely wasn’t expecting to see her smiling. She was helping Tonya cut a tomato and get lunch prepared. She tossed her head back laughing at something Tonya was saying. Her body language was perfectly relaxed. It made me smile, knowing she’d been okay.
“Hey,” I said, walking into the kitchen. I kept my eyes on Sophia so I could try to read her.
“Hey, are you all hungry?” Tonya asked.
“You know it. The other boys will be up here in twenty. Cal’s on his way,” Paco answered.
“You two sit down. I’ll get the drinks.” Tonya whirled around the kitchen like she did it every day.
Cal walked in a couple of minutes later with four other men. They all went to the sink and washed up, talking the whole time. It was weird. They were like one big happy family. Even the ranch hands were respected and joked with Cal and Tonya. It almost seemed too good to be true. I had never been around people who cared about everyone and were genuinely nice. There was no tension; nothing seemed forced.
“How long have you owned the ranch?” I asked Cal as we settled into the meal.
“It’s been in my family for over a hundred years. I grew up here, in this very house. My father passed away ten years ago and left it to me.”
“That’s pretty cool. This history, I mean.”
“It is pretty awesome. Tonya’s the lucky one, though. She got to marry into it,” Cal joked.
“You’re the lucky one. I’ve been with you since I was sixteen years old and that hasn’t changed, not one time.” Tonya winked at him.
We all laughed at their banter. I already liked them, only after a few hours. They told stories about their lives and stories about the ranch. It was entertaining. And I could tell by Sophia’s face she was enjoying their company as well.
Once we had finished eating, I helped Sophia carry our plates to the sink. I needed to check on her and took advantage of us having a moment alone. “Are you okay?” I whispered.
“Yes, I like her. She asked me where we were staying and I told her. I hope that was okay. I explained how we just moved here.”
“That’s good. The only lie we’ll keep up is how we know each other.”
I was usually better at coordinating my lies for people I might have come in contact with, but with another person in on them, I’d been preoccupied.
“Okay.”
“Guys, we’d like to talk to you a minute,” Tonya said as she and Cal walked up behind us.
They’d figured something out. I just knew it. I hated the feeling of being found out. They would wonder what kind of creep I was, and why I had crossed state lines with a minor. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have blamed them in any other circumstance.
Sophia turned, facing them all, while staying behind me. She pressed closer, until finally her front was touching my back. I still wasn’t sure why she trusted me so much. I didn’t know what to do about our situation any more than she did. I guess it was because I was all she had.
“Tonya tells me that you’re staying in a hotel,” Cal said, his eyes boring into mine as if we were in the old west and he was challenging me.
“That’s right, sir. We haven’t had a chance to look around yet.” My voice felt tight, but I refused to look away. I knew that was a red flag for when someone lied. I hoped they didn’t pick up on it.
“Sophia needs to be enrolled in school. I can help her with that. My mom works up there,” Tonya said.
“Of course, we just haven’t had time yet,” I said looking at Soph.
“The reason I mentioned your lodging is because we have a bunk house that’s vacant. It’s small, but functional. It would be the perfect fit for you two,” Cal said.
I looked back at Sophia. Her blue eyes twinkled with surprise. It was so good to see her excitement. Normally, I saw fear, frustration, and uncertainty. I could tell she felt safe here.
“That would be great. How much per month?” I asked.
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