Page 65 of Daddy's Little Farmer

They walked out the back door to see both of their cars.

“Call me when you hear anything or if you need to talk,” Darian said.

Rafael nodded.

Darian gripped his shoulder. “I have discovered over the years that littles have an amazing amount of love and forgiveness. I learned that firsthand with my Larkin.”

“Yeah, I remember that.” It gave him hope.

“Talk to you soon,” Darian said and got in his car.

Rafael turned to see Jorge waiting with the door open. He stopped before getting in. “Thank you, Jorge, for staying up this late.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep with Miss Mara missing.”

Rafael nodded. “We’ll get her back, and I’ll make sure she never wants to leave us again.”

“I hope so, sir. She’s a very special lady.”

“Yes, she is.”

Rafael sighed as he relaxed back against the seat. He went over everything in his head time and again. When they got to his house, he had a massive headache.

“Good night, Jorge,” Rafael said as he got out of the car.

“Good night, sir.”

Rafael was at the door when it opened.

“Landry, what are you doing up at this time?”

“None of us can sleep until we know Miss Mara is safe.”

Rafael nodded. “I’ll be in my office.”

“Can I get you anything, sir?”

He shook his head. “No, but thank you.”

The first thing he did when he got into his office was walk to the bar, pour himself a scotch, and then knock it back before pouring a double. He sat in the chair and stared off into space.

Rafael stood up and paced for a while. He just needed to know she was okay. They’d work on the rest, but her safety was the most important thing right now.

The light of dawn brightened the sky, and there was still no clue where she’d gone.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

Landry walked in with a tray. “Here are some coffee, eggs, toast, and fruit. You need to keep your strength up, sir.”

He looked at the food and got nauseous. “I’ll try, Landry. Thank you.”

“You should get a little sleep. Maybe a nap on the sofa. You look ready to collapse. You’ll hear the phone, and I’ll send in anyone that comes.”

“I’ll try. Thank you.”

The door closed quietly behind the butler. He couldn’t bring himself to eat, and the thought of lying down anywhere without Mara beside him made his throat clog with emotion.

He could get some rest in his chair. All he needed to do was close his eyes. The problem was that he saw her when he did that, and the look in her eyes when she ran from him, so he knew he wouldn’t rest for a while. Not until she was back with him where she belonged.

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