The men glanced at one another and shook their heads. Austin turned to leave.
“Boss.” Brody, a recently hired cowboy, sat up in his bed. “I went to the outhouse in the middle of the night and saw him. He was mounted and leading another horse. Said you’d sent him to town.”
Austin’s gut clenched. “What time was it?”
Brody scratched at his chest. “I reckon maybe one or two. I thought it was odd you’d send him out at that hour, but I don’t question your orders.”
Austin nodded. “I appreciate the information.” As he left the bunkhouse and headed back to the barn, he didn’t like where his thoughts were headed, but as long as he’d been alive, two plus two had equaled four. In the barn, he lit a lantern and walked down the alley, checking each stall. Cody’s bay was gone, as well as a gray mare that was one of their more gentle horses. He returned the lantern to its peg and stormed out of the barn. He dreaded telling Rebekah what he feared.
The front door opened and she rushed out, staring at him. She hurried down the steps and met him halfway across the yard. “Did you find her? Perla and Josefina checked the whole upstairs, and I checked the lower floor. Jenny is nowhere to be found.”
Gritting his teeth, Austin stared at the woman he’d started to care for. He hated to hurt her. Hated to give her such awful news, but she deserved the truth. “I’m afraid it appears that your sister ran away with one of my cowhands.”
Rebekah gasped, her mind struggling to understand. “No! Surely not. Why do you suspect that?”
Austin narrowed his gaze, staring her straight in the eye. “I checked in the bunkhouse, and Cody is gone. One of my men said he saw him mounted and leading another horse around one or two this morning. It makes sense. I caught Jenny down near the barn talking to Cody twice.” He ducked his head, regret pressing his lips into a firm line.
“I didn’t want to believe it, but I think you’re right. Most of Jenny’s clothes are gone. I felt sure she couldn’t have gotten far on foot, but if she had help, she could be anywhere by now.” She reached out to touch his arm. “I’m so sorry, Austin. I never would have thought Jenny would do such a foolhardy thing.”
He drew in a deep breath. “I had my suspicions that she wasn’t happy after we met.” He rubbed hand across the back of his neck. “But I never expected she’d run away. It’s hard to think I wasn’t man enough to keep her.”
“Don’t say that!” She wasn’t about to let him think this was his fault. “This is all on Jenny. She made a commitment to you then broke it. That’s unconscionable. Don’t you dare think this is your fault.”
He stared at her as if wanting to believe her. She could tell he was blaming himself and needed to hear more.
“You’re a kind, generous man, Austin. Most women would be honored to be your wife.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked, and he stared off. “But not Jenny.”
She squeezed his arm. “I don’t think Jenny’s heart was ever in getting married—no matter who the groom was. Perhaps I pushed her too hard, but neither of us had a choice. With the bank repossessing our aunt’s home, we’ll be out on the street by the end of the month. We had no source of income, and there is precious little paying work for decent women. Our only choice was to marry.” She didn’t mention the fact that she’d sold the last of her aunt’s furniture to fund her trip to Texas and had just barely enough to get back to Missouri. “You needed a wife fast, and Jenny needed to marry…”
She sighed. “I’ve never truly known what Jenny thought. In some ways we were close, but vastly different in others. She’s more spirited and independent.” More stubborn and picky. Rebekah sighed, her heart breaking. Where was her sister? Was she safe?
Austin reached out to grip her shoulder, his gaze serious. “This isn’t your fault, either. So don’t try to take the blame.”
She nodded, but she still couldn’t help wonder if she’d done her best to help her sister after their mother died. Please, God, keep her safe. “What do we do now?”
“I’ll gather up the men, and we’ll go after her.”
“I want to go, too.”
Austin’s lips pursed as he shook his head. “You’ll slow us down. You don’t know how to ride astride, do you?”
“I rode a few times when I was a girl. Please, Austin.”
He took hold of her hands, sending delicious warmth scurrying up her arms, across her shoulders, and settling in the pit of her stomach. “I know you want to help, but our best chance to catch up with Jenny is to ride fast. We can’t do that if you go.”
She frowned but nodded. He was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “When you find Jenny, are you going to bring her back?”
He shrugged. “I can’t force her to return. She’s a grown woman and able to make her own choices.” He gazed past her then motioned to someone, and she turned to see several of the ranch hands exiting the barn. One jogged up to Austin.