Chapter 1

Chapter One

B ailey Thompson scooped up her dark blonde hair and twisted it into a messy bun. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and frowned. One of these days, she was going to get her hair cut and styled. Maybe dye it something bold. A shade of blue would pair nicely with her gray-blue eyes.

She gave herself a scowl. Who was she kidding? Not only didn't she have time for silly things like lengthy hair salon appointments, but she wasn't sure she even had the energy. Not with a farm and two little boys to take care of.

As though Seth had been reading her thoughts, the five-year-old boy shouted from the other end of the house. "Mom! Something's wrong with Poppy!"

Poppy was one of three miniature goats they kept on Thompson Family Farms. Visitors loved the animals' cute bleats and funny antics. Her boys, Seth and three-year-old Jordan, treated the goats like puppies.

The problem was that Poppy shouldn't be within eyesight of the house. Normally, the goats were kept secure in their pen by the small barn, especially overnight .

Her reflection and hair forgotten, Bailey dashed through the house to the front room where Seth was standing on the couch, his arms resting against the back as he looked out the large window. Jordan was copying his brother. Even though he was two years younger, he wasn't much smaller than his big brother thanks to genetics from her dad's side of the family.

Seth looked over his shoulder, saw his mom, and pointed. "See? I think she's hurt!"

Bailey barely had time to spot the animal's form before Seth jumped off the couch and raced for the front door.

"Stop!" Bailey's firm voice had its intended effect.

Seth turned to look at her, his eyes wide.

She pointed to the couch. "I want you and Jordan to stay on the couch. I'm going to check on Poppy, and then I'll be back. Don't leave this house. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Seth plopped down on the couch next to his brother.

Jordan nodded emphatically. "Yes, ma'am."

His little voice would have brought a smile to Bailey's face if she hadn't been so focused on the reason why Poppy might be running around the farm. She and the boys always took a quick drive around the property in her pickup truck after dinner to check on the animals and make sure the main gates leading onto the farm were closed and locked. Everything had checked out last night, and all animals were where they should have been.

She shoved her worry down and gave her sons what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back. You can watch me from the window."

With that, she stepped outside, closed the door behind her, and hurried toward the goat's form. To her relief, Poppy lifted her head and gave a sad bleat. At least the animal was still alive.

"What happened, Poppy Girl? What did you get yourself into?"

Bailey knelt beside Poppy, who struggled to her feet. A gash ran several inches down one of her legs, and her hoof was stained with blood. Bailey ran her hands over the animal's body, checking for any other injuries. When none were present, she gave a sigh of relief. She'd need to take Poppy to the livestock vet they used and have the gash stitched up and wrapped, but it could've been so much worse.

Still, none of this explained how the goat got out of her pen in the first place or how she was hurt.

Thankfully, it was Thursday, and the farm was closed to the public until tomorrow. At least Bailey wouldn't be rushing to get everything cleaned up before visitors came by. On the other hand, if Rachel, the country store manager, were coming in today, then Bailey would have some extra help.

She'd considered expanding their small petting zoo beyond the goats and ducks they already had. Now, she was glad they hadn't. Sometimes the three goats and six ducks were more than she could handle.

Bailey ran a comforting hand over the goat's white and brown head. "We're going to take good care of you. But first, we need to check on your sisters." With a grunt, she scooped the goat into her arms and carried her to the front of the house. "Seth! Come on out here, please."

The words had barely left her mouth when the front door flew open. Seth ran onto the porch, followed by Jordan.

"What happened to her, Mom? Is she going to be okay?"

Jordan stood, his thumb in his mouth, and stared with wide eyes at the injured leg.

"She'll be fine. We need to take her to the vet, but first, we have to check on the other goats. I want you to sit right here and hold Poppy while I get a few things." She set the goat down, made sure that Seth had a tight hold on her, and then picked up Jordan. "I'll be right back."

Five minutes later, both boys had their shoes on, and she had her pistol in its holster, concealed in the waist of her jeans. She helped them into the old pickup truck she used around the farm. Once they were both secure in their booster seats, she heaved Poppy inside and set her on a blanket at Seth's feet.

Bailey followed the gravel road that led from the front of their house, around a small peach orchard, and toward the red barn. The goat pen was set up along one side of the barn on the outside.

Along the way, she kept her eyes open for the other two goats in case they'd all somehow managed to get out.

She sought out the goat pen, and her stomach sank when she saw that it was empty.

"Mom? Where are Pansy and Petunia?" There was no missing the worry in her oldest son's voice.

"I'm not sure. Stay in the truck. I'm going to take a closer look at the gate. I'll be right back."

Bailey didn't wait for his response. She turned off the engine and climbed out of the truck. The gate hadn't just come open. It'd been destroyed. Pieces of wood littered the ground in front of the pen.

She ran a finger over the smooth ends of the wood. Someone had gone so far as to cut through the wood with a saw or something similar.

Her gaze caught on the blood that stained one of the more jagged spots low on the gate.

Bailey imagined Poppy cutting her leg on it as she squeezed through the hole. The goats were curious, but she couldn't imagine Poppy forcing her body through hard enough to cause that much damage. Not unless she'd been scared. Had something—or someone—chased them out of their pen?

Where were the other two goats?

The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and a chill ran up her spine. She scanned the area, shading her face with her hand as she peered toward the east. Nothing else seemed out of place, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

She needed to check on the ducks and then make sure the rest of the property was okay. What if the goat pen wasn't the only thing that had been vandalized?

Her heart twisted, and she fought to keep an echoing grimace from her face.

All of this would've been easier if Joe were here. He'd take care of everything—fixing the fence, checking the property, and ensuring their family was safe.

It'd been over two years since a car accident took her husband's life and changed everything. Two years since she'd started managing all of this with the help of some friends who refused to let her retreat when things got hard.

That was especially true of Nate Walker, who'd been their friend even before she and Joe married. Nate and Joe had met while working for the Destiny Police Department. He was just one of several other officers at the precinct who had become family friends.

Nate took an extended leave of absence early last year after an especially difficult case that he still didn't talk about. Before that, he was a police detective, and an amazing one, according to Joe. Nate always insisted that she call him if she ever needed something.

A sound from the truck drew her attention. Seth had rolled a window down and stuck his head out. "Mom! Poppy's getting blood all over."

Bailey was confident enough to admit she was stubborn and preferred to do things on her own. Today, however, was too much.

She bit the inside of her cheek as she pulled the phone from her back pocket. Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she dialed Nate's number.

His deep voice, one she'd recognize anywhere, responded after a single ring. "Hey, Bailey. Are you and the boys okay?"

"We're fine, but we had some trouble." She took in a steadying breath. "I could really use your help."

"I'm on my way. Tell me what's going on."