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“It’s fine. I was told by MDOL that an agent would be here.” She sighed. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll text or call you if I need any information.”
“You do that, Agent Reeves, because I’m not happy with my bull being stolen.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be in touch.”
He saw her nod, then she turned and walked back into the woods behind her. Alex heaved a relieved sigh. It wasn’t the first time a weapon was pointed at him, but it still shook him to his core. Being shot and almost dying would do that to a man.
Once she was gone, he continued through the woods to the fence surrounding the property. Dylan Walters raised bulls for stud service, and someone had stolen one.
Alex knew prized bulls were expensive, and Mrs. Walters owned four. He’d do his best, but sometimes the stolen livestock wasn’t recovered. It was more about finding the thieves than the livestock. The bull probably was long gone.
****
Dylan crept through the woods to the road where her truck was parked. She opened the door, put the rifle on the rack, and climbed into the vehicle. She hit the steering wheel with her fist as tears rolled down her cheeks. Damn them for stealing her bull. She hoped the agent would do something.
Two of the men who worked for her were watching the other bulls. She wanted to check out where her stolen bull was last seen. That’s when she saw the agent creeping through the woods.
The flashlight couldn’t penetrate the shade of his cowboy hat, but his voice made her long for a man’s touch.
“A man is the last thing you need.” She shivered as she started the truck. It was mid-March and still chilly at night and in the mornings. She drove along the field road until she reached the two-lane blacktop, and then followed it to her home.
Parking beside the barn, she strode across the yard, the porch, and then entered the house. The warm air felt good.
Once inside, she removed her coat and hat, hung them on pegs, pulled a chair from the table, and sat down to remove her boots.
She looked at the clock to see it was past midnight and knew she needed to get some sleep. She hadn’t slept since her bull was stolen a few days ago.
Rustling was a farmer’s and rancher’s worst nightmare. The hard-earned money didn’t mean a thing to thieves. They didn’t care if the owners lost money. They only cared about stealing livestock and selling it for God knows what reason. It could be they’re working for someone or stealing to get money. Possibly to buy drugs or get themselves out of a dangerous situation, but all Dylan knew was that she was losing money every day that bull was gone.
She hoped the agent would find her bull, but she also knew that the odds were slim to none.
Later that afternoon, she drove to town to meet her friends for lunch at the Clifton Diner. They’d been best friends since grade school. The three were inseparable, and she loved them like sisters.
Dylan parked in the lot, strolled to the front door, opened it, and stepped inside. She smiled when people waved or called out to her. She saw her friends and weaved through the tables to get to the one they were sitting at.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late,” she said as she pulled a chair out and sat.
“No problem. I just got here myself,” Peyton Donahue said.
“I’ve only been here a few minutes,” Marlowe Barnett added.
“Good afternoon, ladies. What can I get you?” Connie, the owner of the diner, asked them.
Once their food arrived, they dug in, and conversation and laughter flowed.
“Did they find your bull yet?” Marlowe asked her.
“No. In fact, they sent a new livestock agent because the other one had a family emergency.”
“So, it starts over?” Peyton raised an eyebrow.
“He said he just got the case but was working on it.”
“Oh, so you spoke to him?” Marlowe tilted her head.
Dylan chuckled. “I probably scared him to death. I found him wandering around my property and aimed my rifle at him.”
