That sounded plausible, but something kept me on edge. Maybe it was just my natural distrust of strangers, or maybe it was everything that had happened in the past few days.
“Well, I appreciate you looking after things, but I’ve got it covered now.”
Margret nodded, wiping her hands on her overalls. “Sure thing. You are staying at Ella’s place?” When I hesitated, she added, “Small town. Word gets around when strangers show up.”
I didn’t classify myself as a stranger anymore, but whatever. “Just for a few days,” I said vaguely.
“Well, if you need anything, I’m just over that ridge.” She pointed again. “Blue farmhouse with the red barn. Can’t miss it.”
I nodded, forcing a polite smile. “Thanks.”
Margret walked toward the back door, then paused. “By the way, that handsome fellow with the bum leg... is he doing okay? Heard there was some hunting accident.”
My grip on the broom tightened again. “He’s fine. Just resting.”
“Good to hear. Tell him I said hello, though we haven’t formally met.” With that, she slipped out the back door, leaving me alone with Scout and an unsettled feeling in my stomach.
I finished the remaining chores quickly, constantly glancing over my shoulder. When I locked up the barn, I deliberately walked around to check the back door, making sure it was secure.
Outside, I scanned the landscape, looking for the blue farmhouse Margret had mentioned. Sure enough, I could make out a blue structure in the distance, beyond a line of trees and across an open field.
“Come on, Scout,” I said, tugging lightly on his leash. “Let’s get back to Caleb.” Before heading back, I took the keychain from my pocket and tried every key on the ring in the lock. At last, I found the right one, took note of it, and locked the barn door. No way was someone else going to get in there unannounced.
As we trudged through the snow back toward Ella’s house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about that encounter. How had Margret known about Caleb’s leg? And why had she really been in the barn this morning if she knew someone else would be taking care of the animals?
By the time I reached Ella’s front porch, my mind was racing with possibilities, none of them good. I stamped the snow from my boots and opened the door, finding Caleb exactly where I’d left him, though he’d set his empty plate aside and was scrolling through his phone.
He looked up immediately, relief washing over his features. “You’re back. Everything okay?”
I shut the door firmly behind me and turned the lock. “I’m not sure.”
Chapter 2
Caleb Brennen
“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” I straightened up, wincing as pain shot through my leg. Something in Lana’s expression sent my instincts into high alert. “What happened out there?”
Lana unzipped her coat and hung it by the door, her movements precise and controlled, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. Scout trotted over to his water bowl, seemingly unconcerned now that they were back inside.
“I met someone in the barn,” she said, moving toward me. “A woman named Margret Holloway. She claims she lives in the blue farmhouse with the red barn just over the ridge.”
“And that bothers you because...?” I prompted, watching her closely.
Lana perched on the armchair across from me. “She knew about your leg, Caleb. Called it a ‘hunting accident.’ She said she was going to take care of Jake’s animals, in case no one was.” Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “It just felt... off. Like she was fishing for information.”
I absorbed this, my mind immediately mapping potential threats. “Did she say anything else?”
“That she’s known Jake forever. That word gets around when strangers show up.” Lana’s eyes met mine. “She specifically mentioned you as ‘that handsome fellow with the bum leg’ and said to tell you hello, though apparently you two haven’t formally met.”
“That’s... concerning, considering Jake and I are from Manitoba and he only bought the ranch four years or so ago,” I muttered, reaching for my crutches. The movement sent another jolt of pain through my thigh, but I ignored it.
“What are you doing?” Lana asked, half-rising from her chair.
“Getting a look at our surroundings.” I levered myself upright, balancing carefully. “If this Margret person is watching us, I want to know how and from where.”
Lana hovered nearby as I made my way to the window overlooking the backyard. Nothing seemed out of place—just the pristine blanket of snow, disturbed only by Lana and Scout’s footprints when she let him out this morning.
I hobbled to Nora’s bedroom window and scanned the tree line, the driveway, and the distant ridge where the blue farmhouse supposedly stood. Everything looked peaceful. Too peaceful.
