Page 37 of Sweet Surprise

“Except for one teeny weeny little problem,” Carson continued. “When we reached the shack, the baler was gone.”

“What?” Rachel uncrossed her legs and sprang up. “What do you mean, gone?”

“Gone. G-O-N-E.”

“But who?” Sarah asked this time, her hand tightly gripping her husband’s.

“And that,” Garret steepled his fingers in front of him, “is the sixty-four thousand dollar question.”

“You don’t think…” Rachel scanned the room, but didn’t say another word.

Jess had watched the interaction amongst the siblings, recognized the growing concern, but had no clue what it all meant.

Carson reached over, taking Jess’s hand in his and squeezed. “It could be any number of people. Could be rustlers, a burglary ring, or,” Carson swallowed hard, “Ray and his men are still around.”

Now she understood. Understood why Carson had gripped her hand, why the others looked more nervous than a cat in a room full of rockers.

“So,” Jillian didn’t address anyone in particular, “what do we do? Call the sheriff?”

Carson shook his head. “He doesn’t know anything more than we do. He’s been unable to track down Ray or any of the others. If it’s them, he doesn’t know it.”

“Maybe Clint?” Rachel asked. “I mean, I know he’s been good to Mom, but then we thought the same thing about Ray.”

“No.” Preston sighed. “He was in the barn with Mason all morning and then with Mom while we were off to the shed.”

“What I want to know,” Sarah asked, “is does anyone else think it rather a coincidence that one minute it’s there and the very same day we find it, it’s gone?”

“Wait,” Jillian eyed her sister in law, “are you saying they were watched?”

Sarah shrugged. “The timing of all this is rather uncanny.”

“We thought the same thing.” Carson continued to hold Jess’s hand. “Now the question is, what do we do about it?”

“Can we trust Clint?” Rachel suggested.

All three brothers shrugged.

“Damn,” Rachel muttered under her breath.

“That about covers it.” Carson inched forward in his seat. “From now on, no one goes anywhere alone. And first thing in the morning, we’ll pair up and start checking out all the line shacks, just in case there’s anything else hidden we might want to know about.”

Preston spoke up, “We’re also going to install cameras. If anyone besides us comes near the shacks, we’ll know it.”

“Don’t you need wifi and power?” Jillian asked.

“No.” Preston shook his head. “We can use batteries and SD cards.”

“If you’re going to secure the line shacks,” Rachel stood up, “we should secure the house too. Cameras. Whatever. You know, just in case.”

Again, all the men nodded, and Jess could feel a sense of panic tickling her spine.

The conversation continued for a little bit longer, everyone more alert, Jillian and Rachel promising to carry again until this mystery was resolved.

When everyone left the room, Carson remained seated. Still holding onto her hand, he turned. “I know joining the family now is something like trial by fire, but I promise you, everything will be all right.”

She nodded slightly.

“Do you trust me?”

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