Page 3 of In Pursuit of the Truth

He prayed she’d realize just how important it was to keep herself and the boys safe right now. Someone had gone onto her property and intentionally caused damage. There was no reason for that if not to either get attention or work out some anger. Neither set well with Nate.

“Wait seven minutes, Bailey.”

“Yeah. Okay. We’re in the truck by the barn.”

That offered him some relief. Still, he couldn’t get there fast enough. “Did you call the police yet?”

“No. You were the first person I thought of.”

His heart flip-flopped at her words, and just as he’d done for the last eight years, he ignored the reaction. It didn’t matter that he’d fallen for Bailey years ago because even before that it’d been love at first sight between her and Joe, one of his best friends.

It took less than a year for the couple to go from dating to engaged to married.

Nate had wanted nothing more than for the two of them to be happy. Letting anyone know how he felt would’ve only made everyone uncomfortable and likely ruined the friendships he had with them both. He’d buriedthe feelings down deep and hoped to eventually meet a woman who could capture his heart like Bailey had.

He was still waiting.

“I’m at the gate now.” He’d insisted she stay on the phone until he got there. He rolled the window down and entered the security code on the keypad. The metal gate swung open, and he drove through, pressing the gas pedal and making his way to the barn.

Bailey’s old, gray pickup was right where she said it would be. Their phone connection ended as she got out of the truck and closed the door behind her.

Nate noted the stress on her face and the worry flashing in her pretty blue eyes. Then he noticed the blood on her pants.

She looked down and frowned. “It’s Poppy’s. I was going to put her in the barn until I could get an appointment. I need to drive through the property and make sure nothing else has been damaged.”

All while trying to keep two active little boys happy. Speaking of which, they were both waving at him, big smiles on their faces, as they looked out the truck windows. He grinned and waved back, hoping to put them at ease.

He turned his attention to her. “I’ll go check out the barn. Call the police and report what happened. Then call the vet and see if you can take Poppy in. Okay?”

Thankfully, she nodded and turned to climb into the truck.

Whoever vandalized the goat pen was likely long gone. Should be, if they had any sense whatsoever. Still, Nate would feel better once he’d cleared the barn.

He opened the doors wide, reassured by the weight of his handgun tucked into the holster inside the waist of his pants.

The barn was only a few years old. There were three stalls and a large storage area for hay, grain, and other feeding supplies. The other side of the barn served as more of a garage for tools, a riding lawn mower, and things like that.

Everything seemed to be in order. Nate went through to reassure himself that no one was hiding.

When he got back to the truck, Bailey was leaning against the closed door, her phone to her ear. Her gaze swung to meet his. “All right, thank you. I’ll bring her right in.” She hung up and slipped the phone in her back pocket. “They said I can go ahead and bring Poppy in first thing.” She cut a glance at the back door of her truck.

“Did you call the police?”

Bailey nodded. “Jenny is on her way out.”

“Good.” Officer Jenny Durant had also worked with both Nate and Joe at the precinct. “As soon as she arrives, I’ll take Poppy to the vet for you. That way you can be here to answer any of Jenny’s questions. I’ll take Jordan with me.”

One of Bailey’s eyebrows lifted. “You sure about that?”

Nate might have chuckled in a different situation. There was no doubt the youngest boy was full of energy and could be a bit of a handful, which is exactly why Nate wanted to take him along. “Yep. Seth can help you clean things up if needed and get the rest of the chores done.”

“Thanks, Nate.” One corner of her mouth pulled to the side. She slipped her hands into her pockets and leaned back against the truck. “I don’t understand why anyone would do this. Was there any sign of someone breaking through the main gate?”

“It was secure when I arrived.” Although with 400 acres, someone could have gone over the fence at any otherpoint. The fences around here were to mark the property lines, but they didn’t do much to deter someone from crossing them if they chose to do so. He didn’t voice his thoughts, though. Chances were, Bailey had already considered it. If she hadn’t, there was no need to bring that fear to mind right now. “Let me grab the crate and put it in the back of my truck for Poppy.”

As sympathetic as he was toward the poor goat, he didn’t want to get blood in the cab of his truck. Plus, a loose animal in the back with Jordan while on the road was a recipe for disaster.

Bailey gave him a nod. “Thanks again.” With that, she went back to her vehicle to check on the boys.

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