Page 58 of Bridles and Bribery

“The new one. She made a present for him.”

The only new baby boy in town that Dave knew about was little Bo. Surely, there were others. Regardless, Jordan’s talk about his mom visiting a baby sent a wave of alarm rolling through his chest. For one thing, she wasn’t supposed to leave the farm without a Lonestar escort. The whole idea of sheltering in place was to actually stay in place. Was Jordan getting the details of what was happening around him mixed up inside his head again?

While Dave deliberated what to do next, Jordan stopped brushing his horse. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “I know I’m not normal, but I’m not crazy, Dave.”

His words made Dave’s heart ache. “I don’t think you’re crazy, man. You’re probably smarter than all the rest of us put together.” At least, when it came to book smarts.I just wish you made more sense sometimes.

“Everyone thinks I’m crazy,” Jordan grumbled, getting back to work. “Especially my mom.”

Who was still notably absent. Dave and Gil exchanged a troubled look that caused Gil to call the security guys on patrol.

“Where’s Jan Jacobson?” There was a pause. “Thanks, man.” He disconnected the line. “They said she’s inside the cabin.”

“No, she isn’t.” Jordan continued brushing his horse with dogged determination. From his expression, one might’ve thought his very life depended on the next stroke of the brush.

Without warning, he threw his brush down and stalked to the back of the barn, disappearing into one of the empty stalls.

Dave hurried after him. When he caught up to Jordan, he stopped short.No way! Not again!

“Gil?” He nodded him closer to take a peek at the navy blue sleeping bag that Jordan had plopped down in the middle of. Their high school friend had his knees pulled up to his chest and his forehead resting on his knees. A spare set of sneakers and boots rested against the wall to Jordan’s right, the toes pointed in a perfectly straight line.

There was only one conclusion to draw. Jordan had been sleeping in the barn.

Again.

Dave didn’t get it. What was Jan thinking? He understood that her son had his struggles, but he wasn’t another one of Triple J’s blasted horses! Jordan’s socialization skills were poor enough as it was, and they sure as all get out weren’t going to improve by allowing him to hole up in another barn.

Maybe the isolation that accompanied their extended sheltering in place in the country was messing with Jan’s head.

Dave gritted his teeth, knowing he could speculate all day long, but what he really needed to do was talk to Jan. As unpleasant of a conversation as it might be, only she could provide the answers he needed.

“I’ll be back, Jordan.” With a baleful look at Gil, Dave exited the barn and moved toward the cabin to go check on her. Jogging up the porch steps, he knocked on the door a few times. There was no answer.

“Jan? It’s Dave,” he hollered. He could hear musicblaring on the other side of the door. Rattling the doorknob, he found it locked.

You’ve got to be kidding me!Indignation on Jordan’s behalf spurted through him. What if her son got hungry or needed to use the restroom? What kind of mother barricaded herself inside the house while her special needs son fended for himself in a blasted barn?

He pounded louder on the door, calling her name again. There was still no answer.

Gil rounded the corner of the barn and jogged up to the front porch. “Everything okay out here?”

“Not sure, but I’m about to find out.” Dave reared back and kicked the door handle off. The knob flew to the floor of the porch, and the door swung open. He drew his weapon and entered the cabin.

Gil was right behind him with his weapon drawn. They quickly worked their way through the cabin. Nobody was in the kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, or bathroom.

“Clear,” Dave called from the second bedroom.

“Clear,” Gil called from the kitchen.

They reconvened in the living room, where Dave switched off the country music channel that had been belting out of the television.

“Where is she?” he muttered beneath his breath.

Gil shook his head. “The only place we haven’t checked is the storm shelter out back. Used to be a cistern. I keep a case of water in it, a flashlight, and a few blankets for emergencies.”

Dave shrugged. “Let’s go have a look.”

They headed outside to stand in front of the slanted double doors leading down to the storm shelter. They had a fresh coat of white paint on them and a few long, black scrape marks.

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