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“Ian’s right. And there’s no use placing blame.Ifthey’re here, then we need to make a plan. If it’s not them, then at least we were vigilant.” Sean’s eyes bounced from Ian to Brock. “You’re sure you didn’t see anything?”
Brock shook his head. “Nothing. Rusty freaked out so we left.”
Sean lifted a hand to his chin. “We’ll need to canvass the area, look for any tracks. If we see footprints, I think it’s safe to assume they’ve found us.”
Ian frowned. “We’ve been walking the perimeter of the property since Jessica got here, right? Were there any signs of people crossing over?”
Sean shook his head. “We also haven’t been going all the way to the outskirts. I figured anyone who’d come here would take the dirt road first, then move off the beaten path.”
Ian felt sick to his stomach. Brock was right. They shouldn’t have gone to Jessica’s apartment. But they also should have been taking better care with keeping their property secure. “So no broken fences?”
Sean turned an irritated gaze to Ian. “No. I’m beginning to wonder if you think you could have done a better job.”
He puffed out his chest. “Maybe I could have.”
“You mean if you weren’t so focused on wooing that girl?”
Their voices became heated, rising with each statement. Ian clenched his fists at his sides. “I was in charge of keeping Jessica safehere. You guys agreed to check the property.”
Brock stood between them. “I’m just as upset as either of you. But fighting about it isn’t going to help anyone. First, we need to find out what was out there.”
Sean and Ian continued to scowl at one another. Ian shouldn’t be upset. If anything, he should be grateful that his brothers had stood by him when he brought Jessica out here on day one. It was that itch he couldn’t get rid of. The feeling that something bad was going to happen and soon.
He released a breath and gave Brock a nod. “Right. Let’s go.”
They climbed into the truck and headed off down the main dirt road, to where it split toward the orchards. The tires bumped, jostling them in their seats. No one spoke the whole ride. Small talk wasn’t as important as solving this problem. If there had been strangers on the property, he didn’t want to think about where they ran off to after Rusty scared them off.
Ian pulled out his Smith and Wesson nine-millimeter and turned it over in his hands. He checked the chamber, then the magazine. He had seven rounds, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to use them.
Shoving the magazine into the gun, he glanced out the window as the trees came into view. Only a few short hours ago, he’d been here with Jessica. He hated to think what could have happened if Rusty hadn’t alerted Brock. Or what would have happened if Brock hadn’t been there.
He shuddered, attempting to shake off the thought of Jessica going missing. They still didn’t know why these guys were after her besides being a witness to the shooting. The not-knowing was the hardest part. He couldn’t fight something he didn’t know anything about.
Brock pulled his truck to a stop where the large bin held the apples from earlier. All three of them exited the vehicle. Sean grabbed a rifle from the back of the truck, and Brock pulled out his handgun. Brock opened the tailgate and let Rusty out. The dog wasn’t agitated, so that was something. At least they knew they weren’t in imminent danger.
With careful, gentle steps, they followed Brock. They spread out much like a flock of geese, trailing in a “v” shape. Rusty loped happily beside Brock, running ahead to sniff at something then coming back.
Birds erupted from an apple tree a few yards ahead, causing them all to jump. Brock glanced back at Ian and Sean. Ian gave him a nod. They continued until they reached the edge of the tree line. Rusty didn’t react like Ian had expected him to. He trotted around the corner, and they followed. The dog stopped and sniffed at something. He lifted his head and let out a whimper.
As they neared Rusty’s location, Ian’s blood ran cold. It was just what he’d feared. There were several boot tracks pressed into the mud behind a larger tree. The footprints along the side of the orchard clumping together as if the intruders didn’t want to be seen.
Brock crouched down and pressed his fingers into the mud. He glanced up at Sean. “They’re fresh. I don’t see any evidence that they’ve been here before this morning.”
Sean cursed and surveyed the perimeter. “We’re going to have to let Sheriff Donahue know. And we’re going to need to change the way we secure the property. I bought some stuff to alert us when anyone crosses the property lines, but I haven’t set them up yet. If these men are still on the property, there won’t be much use in it. They could be anywhere.”
Brock shook his head. “I don’t think you need to worry about that yet. It looks like they left.” He pointed farther down from where they were. “That way leads off the property if you go far enough. I’m guessing that’s how they got here.” He rose to his feet and placed his gun back in its holster. He turned to Ian. “They probably found out we own this whole property and decided to sneak on in a less occupied area. I’m out here less during this part of the season. If I wanted more information and I scouted the area, this is where I would start.”
“I guess it’s a good thing the orchard is farther from the house than the road. We can set up that security system between here and the house. We’d want to set one up at the road too.” Ian placed his gun in his holster and pointed in the direction where Brock thought the men had come. “I think we should make the rounds in sets of two once it gets dark. I don’t want them getting this close again.”
Both his brothers didn’t argue, but by the looks on their faces, they weren’t thrilled with the situation he’d put them in. It was his fault, after all. It was time he figured out a way to go on the defensive. He wasn’t exactly delighted over the prospect, but it looked like he’d have to speak to the sheriff himself.
They headed back to the main house. The air hummed with an urgency none of them could do anything about. Before Brock could even put the truck into park, Ian shot out of the vehicle and darted toward the house. He grabbed the knob, but it wouldn’t turn. Good, she’d listened.
He knocked on the door and waited. By the time the door opened, Brock and Sean had made their way up the porch steps. Jessica peeked through the door then opened it wide. Behind her his mother held a shotgun, and Tate leaned against the wall as casually as if they were all getting together for tea.
Ian moved inside and pulled Jessica into a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. Brock and Sean motioned for his mother and Tate to follow them down the hall. Luckily, Jessica didn’t seem to notice.
“Well?” she whispered. “What was it?”
