She sought out the goat pen, and her stomach sank when she saw that it was empty.
“Mom? Where are Pansy and Petunia?” There was no missing the worry in her oldest son’s voice.
“I’m not sure. Stay in the truck. I’m going to take a closer look at the gate. I’ll be right back.”
Bailey didn’t wait for his response. She turned off the engine and climbed out of the truck. The gate hadn’t just come open. It’d been destroyed. Pieces of wood littered the ground in front of the pen.
She ran a finger over thesmooth ends of the wood. Someone had gone so far as to cut through the wood with a saw or something similar.
Her gaze caught on the blood that stained one of the more jagged spots low on the gate.
Bailey imagined Poppy cutting her leg on it as she squeezed through the hole. The goats were curious, but she couldn’t imagine Poppy forcing her body through hard enough to cause that much damage. Not unless she’d been scared. Had something—or someone—chased them out of their pen?
Where were the other two goats?
The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and a chill ran up her spine. She scanned the area, shading her face with her hand as she peered toward the east. Nothing else seemed out of place, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
She needed to check on the ducks and then make sure the rest of the property was okay. What if the goat pen wasn’t the only thing that had been vandalized?
Her heart twisted, and she fought to keep an echoing grimace from her face.
All of this would’ve been easier if Joe were here. He’d take care of everything—fixing the fence, checking the property, and ensuring their family was safe.
It’d been over two years since a car accident took her husband’s life and changed everything. Two years since she’d started managing all of this with the help of some friends who refused to let her retreat when things got hard.
That was especially true of Nate Walker, who’d been their friend even before she and Joe married. Nate and Joe had met while working for the Destiny Police Department. He was just one of several other officers at the precinct who had become familyfriends.
Nate took an extended leave of absence early last year after an especially difficult case that he still didn’t talk about. Before that, he was a police detective, and an amazing one, according to Joe. Nate always insisted that she call him if she ever needed something.
A sound from the truck drew her attention. Seth had rolled a window down and stuck his head out. “Mom! Poppy’s getting blood all over.”
Bailey was confident enough to admit she was stubborn and preferred to do things on her own. Today, however, was too much.
She bit the inside of her cheek as she pulled the phone from her back pocket. Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she dialed Nate’s number.
His deep voice, one she’d recognize anywhere, responded after a single ring. “Hey, Bailey. Are you and the boys okay?”
“We’re fine, but we had some trouble.” She took in a steadying breath. “I could really use your help.”
“I’m on my way. Tell me what’s going on.”
Chapter Two
Nate flexed his hands around the steering wheel and focused on the road ahead of him. He listened as Bailey told him what happened, her voice tight with unease, and wished he didn’t live on the other side of town.
He’d often worried about Bailey and her young sons living in the country alone. They didn’t even have a dog on the property to warn them if someone started sneaking around.
Nate thought about his own Rottweiler, Minnie. He’d feel a lot better if Bailey had a dog like that roaming her house and property. In general, Minnie was an absolute teddy bear, but she certainly didn’t look it. Sometimes, those first impressions were everything.
Most people—even crooks—had enough common sense to walk away from a place when they saw a large dog protecting it.
He drove his truck across the railroad tracks, the tires bumping over the raised metal rails.
Bailey’s voice came over the speaker. “I’m going to takePoppy into the barn and keep her there until I can get an appointment with the vet.”
He shook his head even though she couldn’t see it. If the person who had destroyed the goat pen were still in the area, the barn would be the perfect place to hide. “Don’t go inside. Stay in the truck with the boys. I’d rather check the barn first and help you get her settled. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
There was a moment or two of silence. Nate could imagine the resolute set of her chin and the flash of her blue eyes. She’d instinctively balk at his suggestion because she was always determined to do everything on her own.
