He looked outside again, imagining her hearing the ping of his text and swiping her phone’s screen to read it.
Moments later, his phone announced a reply.
Jace smiled as he read it.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I had a good time. It was just what I needed.”
He wanted to keep chatting with her but didn’t know what to say. Instead, he typed, “I’m glad. Have a good night, Bonnie.”
There was no response at first. Jace headed back downstairs again. Just as he reached the landing, the welcome ping sounded.
“You, too.”
* * *
Jace was hikingin the mountains and couldn’t figure out where the strange chime was coming from. It wasn’t until the mountain range faded into the familiar surroundings of his bedroom that he realized it was his phone ringing.
He sat up in bed, turned the nearby lamp on, and reached for the offending device. It was just after four in the morning. As soon as he saw it was Bonnie calling, he swiped to answer it. “Hey. Everything okay?” His voice sounded deeper and gravel-filled even to his own ears. He cleared his throat.
“Jace?” Her voice was a harsh whisper. “It sounds like someone is downstairs in the garage. It isn’t you, is it?”
“No.” He couldn’t remember actually getting out of bed. He pulled a pair of jeans on while holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder. “Is your door locked?”
“Yes. And I moved a chair in front of it, too.”
“Okay, good. Stay there. I’ll check it out.” With that, he ended the call, pulled a t-shirt on over his head, and slid his feet into his boots. Next, he opened the gun safe on the side table and quickly slid his handgun into the leather holster at his hip before jogging downstairs.
He met Noel in the living room. She had her arms folded as she stifled a yawn. “What’s wrong? I could hear you stomping around up there like a herd of elephants.”
“Bonnie called and said someone’s in the garage. I’m going to head over and check it out.” He sent a text to see if Cabe was up and around the ranch. “Lock the door behind me,” he instructed his sister.
Noel nodded. “Be careful.”
“I will. Be back in a few minutes.”
Jace’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it to read Cabe’s response. “Hang tight, I’ll meet you there.”
Normally, Jace would wait for Cabe, but not with Bonnie above the garage. With any luck, if someone did break into the garage, they were long gone by now.
He went outside and waited until he heard the door latch behind him before continuing around the front of the house. He’d just reached the side when the sound of a truck approaching stopped him. Cabe jumped out, a smug look on his face. “I knew you wouldn’t wait. Definitely Jethro’s grandson.” He grabbed a rifle out of the cab of the truck. “Let’s go.”
Jace nodded his agreement and followed the older man's lead. The door into the garage was open, and the scratches in the wood informed them the lock had been broken.Most likely with a crowbar or something similar.
The men made eye contact. Bonnie was right. Someone was in the garage who wasn't supposed to be there. Now the question remained: Was the intruder still present?
Jace forced himself to breathe evenly to keep his heart rate lower and his focus sharp. Systematically, he and Cabe went through the garage and storage area but found no evidence of the intruder.
Cabe lowered his rifle. "Probably heard my truck when I pulled up to the house."
Hopefully that was the case. On one hand, if the person who broke in was the same person who damaged the fencing, at least they might have caught the guy. On the other, the intruder could’ve been armed and waiting for them.
He glanced at the stairs leading to Bonnie's apartment.
"Go ahead," Cabe told him. "I'll keep watch down here and call the police."
Jace didn't wait to see if Cabe took out his cell phone. When Jace got to the top of the stairs, he called out, "Bonnie, it's me. We're all clear down here."
The sound of a chair scraping the floor was quickly followed by the deadbolt sliding open. The doorknob twisted and soon he was looking into her dark eyes.
