Page 31 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

She seemed to consider his words for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough. I’ll reserve judgment for now.”

“That’s all I ask.” He gave her a friendly grin. “Well, that and a taste of your lasagna. Sage says it’s blue-ribbon worthy.”

A little while later, he and Sage stood outside the waist-high portable fence surrounding the small carousel where Jenna was riding a pink-and-white unicorn. Adam held the little girl’s balloons—he was the only one she trusted with them. She was such a sweet kid and would always have a permanent place in his heart, right next to Matthew and Sage.

His thoughts returned to the information Shane had called him with the night before. After Adam had filled his foster brother in on what happened at the ranch, Shane had called in a favor with an FBI buddy who’d made a few discreet inquiries about Bart Sherman. They hadn’t wanted to ruffle any feathers with the local sheriff or risk alerting Sherman that someone was looking into him.

Unfortunately, the rancher had come through squeaky clean. He paid his taxes diligently, and nothing suggested embezzlement, shady business practices, or anything else that raised a red flag. There hadn’t even been reports of disgruntled employees or business associates, much less any domestic violence complaints. According to everything Shane’s friend had uncovered, Sherman was the salt of the earth.

Adam struggled to believe it.

The man wanted Sage’s property badly. The questions were why—and how far he would go to get it.

Beside him, Sage chatted with two women about a PTA meeting that had gotten everyone in an uproar over a new school curriculum. Over the carnival noises and chatter, he heard someone call his name. Looking around, he spotted Matthew and Toby sharing a seat on the Ferris wheel, waving at him as they descended from the top. Josh and his father were in the seat ahead of them. Adam smiled and waved back at the boys before turning to check on Jenna.

Barely a minute had passed when the sound of metal grinding against metal clanged loudly, immediately followed by screams of terror. One of the loudest belonged to Matthew.

Adam’s gaze shot toward the Ferris wheel. The seat the two boys were in, near the top of the ride, had partially disconnected from the frame. Toby’s feet dangled in the air as Matthew desperately tried to keep him from falling while holding onto the chair, which hung at a dangerous angle.

Beside Adam, Sage shrieked her son’s name.

Releasing the balloons, Adam pushed through the gasping and screaming crowd. He vaulted the metal divider to where the attendant frantically pushed buttons on the ride's control panel. The young man glanced up, his eyes wide with fear. “It’s stuck! It won’t move! I can’t get them down!”

“Jesus Christ!” His head whipped back and forth as he scanned the massive structure. The spokes and supports connected in a way that would let him climb it.

Jumping over another divider, he reached up and grabbed the nearest beam, hauling himself onto the framework. Reaching overhead, he grabbed the next one, ignoring the panicked crowd below and the crying children, still safe in their locked but rocking seats. His attention remained on the two screaming boys holding on for dear life sixty feet in the air.

“Matthew! Toby! Don’t move! I’m coming up!”

“Adam! I’m right behind you!”

Chris was a few feet below him on the other side of the structure, climbing as quickly as he could to get to his son.

An unknown male voice shouted from below. “Just secure them! The fire department is bringing the bucket!”

The aerial bucket truck would be the easiest way to get them down, but first, Adam and Chris had to reach the boys and keep them from falling. It was doubtful either child would survive a drop from that height, and Adam prayed as he’d never prayed before.

Hand over hand, the two men scaled the structure. Adam blocked out everything but the next beam he needed to grab and the two boys swinging precariously above him. The damaged seat squeaked as it hung from one side. The terror in their eyes kicked him in the gut.

Dear God, please don’t let us fail.

The roar of the fire engine came to a stop far below them, followed by the loud swoosh of its air brakes. Adam was about five feet from where Toby’s sneakers swung back and forth. From there, he could see that Matthew was more stable than his friend and had one hand wrapped around the back of the seat while the other clutched Toby’s belt, keeping him from falling.

“You’re doing good, Matthew. Just hold on. Toby, don’t move. I’m going to come up and grab you, but don’t move until I say so, okay?”

“Y-yes… h-hurry!”

Chris was now even with Adam, but he had to maneuver to the inside of the frame to reach the boys. “I’m right here, Toby. Do exactly what Adam told you to do.”

“O-okay, Dad.”

“Good boy.”

His heart pounding, Adam climbed until he was directly behind Toby, then wrapped an arm around the boy’s waist and pulled him securely against his body. Once Adam had him, Chris positioned himself behind Matthew.

“I’ve got Toby. You can let go of his belt now, Matthew. Keep holding on to the seat.”

Matthew released his friend, and Chris immediately wrapped an arm around him. The weight of both boys was now supported by the men, whose legs were long enough to reach the wheel’s spokes beneath them.