Page 36 of Sweet Surprise

Shaking his head, Carson’s jaw tightened. “I don’t have an explanation, but I’ll come back with my brothers and the right transportation. We’ll take this where it belongs.” Heaving out a deep breath, he tried to wipe his concerns from his face and turned to his wife and son. “Come on. Let’s go home and tell everyone what we’ve found.”

The three left the shed, locking it up again, but something was definitely off, and whatever it was, Carson didn’t like it one bit.

Since leaving Dallas, Jess didn’t get very many texts, and almost forgot what her phone buzzing meant. Retrieving it from her pocket, she glanced down:In thirty minutes, family meeting in dad’s study.Jess blinked. It took her a moment to realize she was now part of the Sweet family and hence, included in a group text about a family meeting.

Checking her watch, the phone buzzed again.Don’t tell Mom.Okay, now she had to wonder what the heck was going on that Alice couldn’t be included but she was. The least Jess could do was help make sure that Alice didn’t stumble into the study. Waiting ten minutes, she went to the kitchen and finding Alice at the sink, headed for the cupboard.

“Did you enjoy this morning working on the fences?” Alice stuck a clean dish in the nearby drain board.

“Very much.” Pulling out a mug, she filled it with water and placed it in the microwave. “But I’m a bit worn out. Not to mention sore.” That much was the truth. “Thought I’d make some warm tea and go lay down for a bit.”

“Good idea. Naps always help right what’s wrong.”

Her gaze lifted to the kitchen window where Mason was in his usual place, playing in the dirt with both Brady and Samson at his side. “I know Mason is all right with the two dogs, but would you mind keeping an eye on him for me?”

“Absolutely.” Alice beamed. “I’ll do better than that. We’ll go check out the new foal in the barn.”

“He’ll love that.”

Alice stood a little taller and grinned like a cat with a belly full of cream. “I know.”

Carrying her tea in hand, Jess proceeded to the study where Rachel and Jillian were already seated.

Pouring herself a cool drink, Rachel glanced at Jess “Any idea what this is all about?”

“No.” If Alice hadn’t been excluded she might have guessed it was about the baler, but she had no idea what Alice couldn’t be privy to.

Practically tip toeing into the room, Sarah inched to the nearest chair. “Just for the record, it is almost impossible to sneak quietly into a house wearing cowboy boots.”

The two sisters chuckled.

“Alice is in the barn with Mason.”

All three of the other women snapped around to face Jess.

She shrugged. “I thought it might be helpful to get her out of the house.”

Rachel collapsed into her favorite chair. “I gotta admit, my brothers do know how to pick good women.” She raised her drink to Jess. “Thank you.”

Another few minutes and the three brothers marched into the room. Carson headed straight for the bar, pouring three bourbons, handing one to Preston who went and sat on the arm of the chair where his wife sat, the next to Garret who took a seat at their father’s desk, and taking the last one himself, he came and sat beside Jess on the small sofa.

“What’s going on?” Rachel leaned forward.

Garret waved at Carson. “This is your discovery, bro, the floor is yours.”

“Bottom line, we have a problem.”

Everyone waited quietly for his next words.

“This morning when Jess and I took Mason to go fix some downed fence line and search for the mustangs again, we stopped at the nearest line shack. Inside, I found the usual, and one of the hay balers Dad had bought.”

“What?” Jillian leaned forward. “I thought Ray sold them all.”

“So did we,” Preston interjected.

“This afternoon, Preston, Garret and I returned to the shack with the flatbed and whatever we might need to hoist it and bring it home. Figured we could either use it the way Dad had intended or sell it and pay off some of the loan.”

“Makes sense,” Rachel agreed.

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