Someone Like Her by Sandra Owens

students file in while she tried to find the girl who’d run away from Fortunada’s house. They couldn’t even be sure it was the right school, only that it was the closest one to where she’d last seen the girl. Maria had to find her, though; had to make sure she was okay. She also needed to know why the girl had been there. Had she been lured to the house for despicable reasons?
    She had witnessed firsthand the life of a whore. If the girl was headed down that path, or being led in that direction, then someone needed to step in and do something about it. If it meant keeping a girl from ending up like Lovey Dovey, Maria wouldn’t stop until she found her.
    “Well, we gave it a try,” Jake said when the last students hurried inside, the doors closing behind them. He started the car.
    “School lets out at three thirty, so we need to be back a little before then.”
    His eyes squeezed shut. “I just knew you were going to say that.”
    She waited for him to open his eyes and then gave him a big smile. “And I knew you’d understand. Thank you.”
    He opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head, then made a laugh-snort sound. “I’m doomed,” he said mysteriously.
    “Poor Jake.” She patted his hand. “I need to check in at school, let my professors know I’ll miss a few classes. After that, can we stop at a grocery store?”
    “If you’re going to tell me you’re making dinner tonight, then I’ll know the apocalypse has arrived.”
    She thought that was funny. “No, you’ll wake up tomorrow to the same old world. I need to get Mouse some food and cat litter. But speaking of dinner, what would you like for lunch?” His grin, forming at the pace of a snail, sent her heart into a fluttering frenzy. “What?”
    “Speaking of dinner, what would I like for lunch?” His grin grew wider. “Only you, Maria.”
    She didn’t get it, and shrugged. “Whatever.”
    “Yeah, whatever.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, then turned the car toward Florida State, a smile still on his face.
    During the next three hours, she scheduled a makeup exam; arranged to get class notes from Gina, who fortunately took almost all the same classes; and caught a few minutes with her professors during class breaks. All the while, Jake stood quietly by her side, ever alert, ever supportive.
    Maria hadn’t missed the way Gina’s gaze had appreciatively roamed over Jake from head to toe when introduced to him. After promising her friend she’d call later that night to explain what was going on, Maria slipped her arm around Jake’s and pulled him away before the word that was dancing on the tip of her tongue spilled out: Mine.
    By the time she’d finished all her tasks it was after one. Way past time for lunch. “Come on, I’m starving,” she said, grabbing Jake’s hand and heading for his car.
    His big hand engulfed hers, giving her a sense of safety, as if there were a wall around her that couldn’t be penetrated by anything bad. Only one other man had made her feel protected and that had been Logan. But he was her brother and Jake was not.
    Halfway through their lunch at a popular pizza joint near the college, Jake’s phone rang. Maria listened to his end of the conversation as she finished off her double-cheese loaded pizza.
    “Was that Detective Nolan?” she asked when he clicked off.
    He took a bite of his spinach-and-goat-cheese pie. “Yeah, he had some info on Fortunada.”
    “Well?” she said when he hesitated. “And don’t hold anything back.”
    “They still haven’t found him, but the man has a long record.” His gaze speared hers. “Especially for domestic violence.”
    Maria shuddered, wondering how many women he’d hurt the way he had hurt her. What if she hadn’t been able to get away?
    “He spent a year in jail for breaking the arm of a woman he lived with. He’s also done time for breaking and entering, and car theft.” Jake glanced down at his pizza, then pushed the remainder away before