Page 4 of Sweet Beginnings

“No. Wewerethe best. Then we opened the Corn Hole Heaven and retired from competition. Conflict of interest. Now we just sell to players.”

“But this is different. Alice is in a rough spot.”

“I know.” Vicki stared down at her phone again. “You ever get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that something just isn’t quite right?”

“It’s the new millennium and the world is turning upside down. I get that feeling every day.”

Vicki blew out a deep and soulful sigh. “You’re right. Who the heck ropes cattle and rides a horse with their cell phone in their hand?”

“While I get your drift, I doubt Alice is roping any cattle. She’s probably just doing something safe like checking fence lines or feeding chickens.”

“They don’t have chickens.”

“You know what I mean. Our sister is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them. She wouldn’t do anything dangerous.”

Vicki pressed her lips together and then blew out another sigh. “I sure do wish all the kids weren’t spread out so far from home. My Luke and Chase would want to do all they could to help their aunt.”

“I know, same with my boys, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Liz flashed her sister a toothy grin, something she did often when quoting their Grandma Davis. “Which brings me back full circle. First prize is fifty thousand. That could go a long way to helping Alice get back on her feet.”

“Yes.” Vicki fingered the new holster and a sparkle lit in her eyes. “Yes, it would.”

Liz’s cheeks pulled back in a wide smile to rival her sister’s and snapped the new holster onto her hips again. “Looks like we’re going to show Mildred McEntire she’s not the only one who can bedazzle the crowd.”

“You’d better not mean you’re going to blind me with bling.”

“Of course not. That’s not my style.”

“Good. For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to find a new sister.”

“Don’t you look serious.” The door closed behind their niece Jillian.

“Oh, hi sweetie.” The holster still on her hips, Liz turned and drew her niece into a big bear hug. “You look prettier than an East Texas rose.”

“I do take after my aunts.” Jillian grinned at them. The long-running joke between the Davis women and the twins always brought a smile to their faces.

Liz undid the holster. “What brings you by? I thought y’all were going to the ranch for a family dinner.”

“I am.” Jill picked up a red bean bag with an embroidered American flag on it and weighed it in one hand. “I was just thinking.”

Liz looked to Vicki. She didn’t like the glint in her niece’s eyes. Ever since the twins learned to speak, they could get their aunts to do or say anything. Right about now, say was the problem.

“Mama tells y’all absolutely everything.”

Uh-oh. With there being nothing but boys in the family until Jill and Rachel were born, it was plum easy for every adult in the family to cave in to the blonde pigtails and sweet smiles. Even if they didn’t wear pigtails anymore, resistance was futile. Except this time their sister had sworn them to secrecy.

“I don’t know about everything,” Vicki offered up quickly. They needed to stay strong—and silent.

“But enough?” Jillian dropped the bean bag back in the display bowl, then inched closer. “Something is going on with Mom and I’d like to know what it is.”

“Something’s very wrong.” Preston stomped the dust free from his boots and strode across the kitchen. “The bunkhouse is empty. No sign of Ray or any of the other hands.”

Carson sprang to his feet. “What do you mean no sign of?”

“No clothes, no equipment, nothing. Except for one bunk.”

“That does it.” Rachel reached for the phone. “I’m calling the sheriff.”

“You do realize,” Jillian held up a hand, “I couldn’t get a word out of Aunt Liz and Aunt Vicki. I admit they looked a little nervous, but you know neither one of them has ever been able to keep a secret.”

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