When he spotted the vehicle he was looking for, Hector led Will in that direction. He promised himself he’d make sure it was gassed up before he returned it. It was the polite thing to do, after all.
“Why would he just let you have his truck?” Will asked once they were on the road and headed home.
“It’s something I’ve found a lot of people in Cade Creek do.”
“Loan people their cars?”
“No, not exactly.” Hector chuckled. “It’s more of a neighbor helping neighbor thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Most everyone in Cade Creek has a strong belief in community. Like, when the church burned down a while back, people just showed up to help with the cleanup and then the rebuilding. Some people gave their time and labor, others donated building supplies. Some even cooked for the people working. But everyone pitched in to get the church back up and running as fast as possible.”
For someone from the city, Hector had been a little amazed when he’d seen the response from the community. He’d questioned Harvey about it and been told that’s what people in Cade Creek did.
“I really like Cade Creek.”
Hector smiled at Will before reaching over to pat his hand. “I like Cade Creek, too.”
Good thing I decided to live here.
Chapter Twelve
Hector slowed the truck when he reached his driveway. He had cut the grass in the yard, but not the field. It was tall enough to reach his chest. Still, he could clearly see a white cargo van parked next to the barn.
That wasn’t what disturbed him. He could have easily dismissed a vehicle parked in his driveway considering he did live in Cade Creek. The front door standing wide open concerned him greatly.
“Will, did you leave the front door open?” he asked as brought the truck to a stop just past the farm.
“Of course not,” Will replied. “Why would I—” Will gasped. “Someone’s in our house.”
Hector froze for a moment, stunned by how much he liked hearing Will call the old farmhouse theirs. He hadn’t realized until he heard it how much he would enjoy hearing it.
When a figure stepped out onto the porch, Hector returned his attention to the matter at hand. He squinted as he tried to see who it was, but the house was set too far back from the road. He could tell it was a man simply from their body size, but the man was unrecognizable beyond that.
Hector slid his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. “Keep an eye on them, Will. Tell me if they head for that van.”
“Okay,” Will replied.
“911,” someone said when the line was answered. “What is your emergency?”
“My name is Hector Cruz. I own the old Herne farmstead. Someone has broken into my house. I can see a man standing on my porch and the front door is wide open.”
“Are you in danger, Mr. Cruz?”
“No, we’re parked down the road from the house a bit.”
“Do not go into your house, Mr. Cruz. Just stay away until authorities get there. I’ve dispatched deputies to your location, and they should be there soon.”
“Thank you,” Hector replied. “Could you let the sheriff know about this? We’ve been having a bit of trouble out here, and this might be connected.”
“I’ll inform the sheriff, Mr. Cruz.”
“Thank you,” Hector said again.
“Hector.” Will tugged on his sleeve. “Hector. Another man came out of the house.”
Hector really wished he had a set of binoculars. Once again, he could tell it was a man on the porch because of his size and stature, but he couldn’t see exactly who it was. He pressed the phone to his ear again. “Are you still there?”
