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“Never. I admire Justin a lot. He is one of the few of us who left for a while and came back to serve the community. I’m just lucky that I had the hardware store to fall back on.”
“Aw, what would I do without the hardware store! Anyway, I wanted to be honest with you.”
“Thank you for that, and bring on the single girls when you can.”
“Wait one second. I have an idea. A dear friend, a psychologist as a matter of fact, is single and I think would be a perfect match for you.”
“A shrink? She’d dump me within an hour.”
Roaring laughing, Maggie shook her head. “I don’t think so, Steve.”
She quickly sent her friend Annie a text.Can I give your number to a super guy? He’s standing right here.
They continued making small talk while she waited for an answer, and then her phone beeped.
Yes! What are you waiting for?
“Okay, Steve, she’s given me permission to pass her phone number on to you.”
They laughed together as he keyed in her number, a friendship forged.
After he left, she took Brulee to the back terrace, tethered her in the shade with a bowl of water and a large soup bone to gnaw on, and continued digging up bricks. It was mindless, satisfying work, and she imagined horses back there grazing peacefully and safely.
When she finished all she could do for the day, the heat getting to her and exhaustion from her sleepless night catching up, she got Brulee and they went around to the front of the cottage together.
Rounding the corner, her intuition told her right away that something wasn’t right. The gate was open on the porch, and through force of habit to keep Brulee safe, she always closed it. The rug at the door was tousled, and a piece of paper that wasn’t there when she’d left for the backyard was on the steps. She was afraid to go inside but foolishly had left her phone in the cottage. Creeping around to the front of the porch, she looked up, trying to see through the screen, and her heart sank.
Closing the gate to the porch, she put Brulee down and approached the door. The refrigerator door was open and its contents had been strewn around the kitchen. Peeking into the living room, it was a mess, but it didn’t look like anything had been destroyed. Her computer and phone, usually on the kitchen table, were gone. The landline phone was on the floor at the side of her grandfather’s chair where she’d left it last, thankfully. Lifting it to her ear, it had a dial tone. Without hesitating, she dialed 911, gave her address, and said she’d just been robbed.
“Are you in the residence now?” the operator asked.
“Yes,” she answered, chills going up her spine when she got the dispatcher’s point.
“Get out,” she said. “It will take a while for someone to get out there, so stay clear of the house.”
“I’m out,” she said, leaving with the wireless phone and picking Brulee up. “They took my cell, so once I’m too far from the house, that’s it for me.”
“Well, stay there if you feel safe. Do you have a vehicle?”
“No, just a boat.”
“Okay, if you feel in danger, head to the boat. In the meantime, stay on the phone with me. Help is on the way.”
The dispatcher made small talk as the sun started to move lower in the sky. Fear gnawed at Maggie. How could she stay in the cottage after this? Someone was trying to frighten her, and now her computer and phone, the only way she had to communicate with most of her friends back in Florida, were gone.
In twenty minutes, the sheriff arrived, led by Justin’s pickup truck. He hopped out and unlocked the gate, keeping his eyes on her the entire time.
“They’re here,” Maggie said, wondering how Justin had gotten mixed up in the mess. It was surely a coincidence if he just happened to lead the way.
Slamming on the brakes, he jumped out of his truck and ran to her, embracing her and Brulee.
“This is my fault,” he said. “I should have leveled with you right away, but I was hoping to take care of it myself.”
Dave Chastain joined the couple, holding out his hand. “Justin’s brother,” he said. “This sucks! Dispatch said you had a theft?”
“My computer and phone, but I didn’t go upstairs once I realized the person could still be in the house. My shotgun might be gone, my jewelry, I don’t know.”
As the officers began the investigation, a deputy came bounding down the steps. “All clear inside.”
