Page 53 of I Want Crazy (Loco, Texas 3)

She continued to wet the front of his shirt as he held her, and she pulled away a little to wipe at the damp spot. “I am so sorry.”

“Stop.” He brought her head back to his chest and rocked her back and forth for a few minutes. The warmth and strength of him made her feel better.

“You are better than what happened to you. You did nothing wrong.”

* * *

Red had never wanted to hurt someone as badly as he did the man who’d made Jessie cry.

He left her at work and went to see Jake at the store. He should go home and finish his last round of revisions before sending his next manuscript off to his editor, but he couldn’t. He was too wound up, and he needed someone with a clear head to help talk him down.

He walked through the feed store entrance and caught Jake’s eye. He headed back to Jake’s office and sat down heavily in one of the chairs.

“Geez, what’s the matter with you? Jessie dump you already?” Jake asked, and Red could have sworn his friend looked disappointed.

“No, I need you to talk me out of killing a man,” Red said, running his hands over his face and head.

Jake looked surprised for a minute, and then a slow grin spread over his face. “Who?”

“Jessie’s ex,” Red said darkly.

Jake lost his smile. “What did he do?” Jake asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

“He’s here in town, messing with her,” Red said.

“What does she want you to do?”

Red breathed a heavy sigh. “Stay out of it.”

“Then I think that’s what you should do.”

“If some guy was messing with Rand and causing her pain, would you be able to stay out of it?” Red asked, and saw Jake tense up.

There was a pregnant pause before Jake said, “Do I need to sell you a new shovel?”

Red laughed. “Not yet.”

Chapter Fifteen

Jessie asked Ray to walk her to her car and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see Will’s Sedan.

“You okay, Jessie?” Ray asked. “You seem jumpy.”

“Yeah, sorry, just had a weird visitor today,” Jessie said evasively.

“Do I need to watch out for anyone?” Ray asked warily.

Jessie smiled at the tall man she had come to think of as a good friend, almost an older brother. “No, it’ll be fine. Thanks for staying with me.”

Ray looked sad. “Nothing else to go home to.”

Jessie didn’t like to see Ray so sad. He’d opened up a little more about his family, and she thought he’d gotten a bum deal.

“You’re a fantastic addition to the bar, Ray, and I’m so lucky to have you.”

Ray’s trademark smile flashed in the dark. “You take care, and be sure to let me know if there’s something I should be concerned about.”

“I will.” She climbed into her car and pulled out of the parking lot toward the hotel, but as she drove by, she saw the silver sedan Will had been driving out front.

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