They lay still for a while until Brendan began to shift. “We need to get up and feed the horses.”
Jameson bounded out of the bed in an instant.
ChapterSeven
Brendan openedthe main barn door and stopped in his tracks. Every side door was open and the barn was empty. He could only stare at open stall and paddock doors. “Run inside and tell Lucas that the horses are gone. Go!” he told Jameson, who took off toward the house. Brendan began checking through the barn, closing stall doors as he went. Thankfully, he found some horses still in the paddocks, and he was able to lead them back inside and close the doors. However, other paddock gates had been opened, and he had no idea where those horses were or how long they had been out.
He managed to get seven of the horses back in their stalls by the time Lucas came out, carrying Jameson. “What do you want me to do?”
“Check that side of the barn and get all the gates and doors closed. Then we’ll have to go looking for the horses. They could be anywhere.” He could feel himself beginning to panic.
Lucas set Jameson on a bale of hay and asked him to stay there. Then he took off, closing doors and even leading a horse inside. “I found this one over by the paddock fence. Which stall should I use?” Brendan pointed, and Lucas walked the horse around and got him inside. “All the gates are closed. So where would the rest go?”
A car pulled into the yard with one of the riders. Nicole was experienced around horses and knew her stuff. She was also old enough that she didn’t panic.
“Someone opened every stall and paddock door as well as the gates last night.”
“Oh God,” she said, knowing the full extent of the issue.
“We have some of the horses back in their stalls. Would you be willing to get them settled down and keep watch here? I’m going to try to find the others.”
“I didn’t pass any horses to the east. So I suggest you try the other way. And don’t worry. I’ll watch Jameson for you. Just go.” She patted his shoulder and then turned toward the barn. He and Lucas jumped in Lucas’s truck and headed out, turning west as soon as they reached the road.
“I want to wring the neck of whoever did this. The other incidents could have been accidents, but this is definitely deliberate.”
“Those were no accidents,” Lucas told him. “I have seen you habitually close every gate behind yourself and others. You drill it into everyone who sets foot on the farm, including me. And I’m sure this was deliberate.” Lucas drove slowly while Brendan scanned the fields at the side of the road. “There,” Lucas said, and slowed even further, taking the curve in the road before coming to a stop. “Right over there.”
“Oh, thank God,” Brendan said, before getting out of the truck. “Turn around slowly and go back to the farm. Get anyone else who might have showed up and bring them out here.” He closed the truck door and headed to where the horses were grazing in a field beside the road. “Hey, guys, I was really worried about all of you.” He counted the horses and sighed. They were herd animals, and they’d stayed together. He approached the stallion of the group and gently took his halter, stroking his nose. He blew and nuzzled his chest like he’d been waiting for Brendan to find them. Brendan gently guided him back toward the farm, leading him away from the others, who all looked up from their munching. As he passed a second horse, he got her halter as well, and with one on each side, began walking back toward the farm.
And thank God in heaven, the others followed. He stayed to the side of the road, and sure enough, he was able to lead the string of horses back toward the barn. After five minutes, Lucas’s truck appeared on the road, coming his direction. Lucas pulled to a stop a ways away from him, and two people got out, Nicole and another rider, Carrie. They each took charge of two horses, while Lucas and Jameson turned the truck around again, heading back.
“I don’t think the horses were spooked, and they didn’t go very far.” He was just happy that none of them seemed injured. They could have hurt themselves or been hit by a car.
A truck approached and was good enough to slow down. The last thing they needed was the horses to spook. Finally, the barn came in sight. Carrie must have taken her horses into the barn, and she took change of the horse that had followed the others.
Brendan led the way into the barn, getting the first two horses into their stalls. Carrie followed, and once he had the doors closed, Brendan got another horse, leading her in as Nicole stood outside, keeping the last horses calm.
Finally, all the horses were back in their stalls. Lucas made sure they had hay and water, while Nicole and Carrie worked with their horses.
“What can I do, Daddy?” Jameson asked.
Brendan’s mind was still running a million miles an hour, and he needed a chance to calm down.
“Why don’t you help me,” Lucas said, lifting Jameson so he could put hay in the mangers.
Others arrived, and Brendan explained what had happened. “Check over your horses. They’re going to need a good brushing. Just keep them calm. If you want to work with them, be sure to keep it light. I’m not sure how much exercise they’ve already had.”
He got agreement, and soon the barn felt more normal. He kept telling himself that none of the horses were injured, and while he had been frightened half to death, they were okay. Brendan went through the barn, making sure all of the latches were working properly and that the stall doors hadn’t been damaged.
“I’m going to take Jameson inside and get him something to eat,” Lucas told him as he held Jameson’s hand. “Then I’ll see what I can find out about our little visit last night.”
“Okay,” Brendan agreed as he went outside to check all the gates. He had been so focused on the horses that he hadn’t checked any of the other pens. Thankfully, the goats were where they belonged, as were all the other animals. He stood in the middle of the yard, breathing deeply, trying to get himself under control. Brendan was so angry, his hand shook. Though maybe that was anxiety; he wasn’t sure. He stood there trying to think about what he should do next.
Drops caught his attention, and he lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky. It was raining, and from the looks of it, once it started, it wasn’t going to stop any time soon. He returned to the barn, where the horses all munched their hay and seemed none the worse for wear. Even the newest addition stood in her stall, belly swollen. Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten farther than the paddock outside.
“All the horses seem fine,” Nicole said to him in that gentle way she had. “I know it was a real fright, but in the end, they’re eating and their lives are back to normal.”
“Thanks for everything,” Brendan said, wondering ifhislife would ever get back to something approaching normal.
