If this was her truck, she would be the one he’d need to negotiate with, and it was always smart to understand your competition.
The woman obviously hadn’t used the truck in years.Her outfit suggested an older woman, and he wouldn’t invade her privacy with the drone to see her.Once he had a location, he’d meet her in person to see how much she wanted for the truck.
Surely, she’d be pleased to see the truck restored and to have a few extra bucks in her pocket.
He flew the drone up and around, studying the area around the clearing.There weren’t any visible roads leading into it.The tree cover was heavy on the edges, but there had to be a path leading there.He could ease a tow truck there once he found it.If the path was too narrow for a tow, he could use his truck and pull it out with a chain.
Hell, he’d get the other guys on the farm to help him push the damn thing out if that was the only option.
Lawson flew the drone in wider circles around the clearing until he found Jolie’s pond at the back of the farm.
The ducks wandered the area around their Duckington Palace.The name made Lawson grin.His sister was full of fun, and she’d found the perfect partner in Ford Evans, another buddy from Lawson’s time in the army.
The two of them worked along the pond’s edge, and he buzzed the drone down to wave at them.
It took Ford only an instant to spot the machine.His body tightened, and he tugged Jolie to his side.Lawson swore.He should have warned them, especially because of what happened down at that pond the previous summer.
He waggled the drone, flew in a silly circular pattern, then waggled again.
Ford laughed and said something to Jolie.They waved at the drone, and Lawson waggled it again before flying high.
Now that he knew the location of the pond, he used the drone to fly back to the truck.He flew past it until he found the nearest house and road.Then he repeated the pattern until he had the location in his head and a solid idea of how to get there.
It took a few minutes to return the drone to where he sat near the front of the farm.He landed it easily and then set it all back in the box.
As he packed it up, he realized he was still grinning.How long had it been since he’d smiled so much?
All it had taken was a drone and the beauty of a truck.A truck full of potential, as his sister would say.Jolie was big on potential.
Their parents and Fox had instilled that in all of them, but Jolie took it to a whole new level.Between her work on the farm and Ford, she was the happiest he’d ever seen her.
Maybe the truck he’d just found would be the key to finding his own slice of happiness.
Lawson returned the box to his truck and locked down the tonneau cover on the back.The farm had lots of security installed, but it was an enormous property, and impossible to lock down completely.
As had been proved over the past year.
Lawson gritted his teeth as the anger roared through him again.His siblings had all been in danger here at the farm while he’d been in Boston, unable to help.
He knew a large part of his decision to relocate was to reassure himself that they were okay, and to help protect them if more shit happened.
A backup alarm sounded, and Lawson straightened to see a large truck backing down the farm’s driveway.His weapon was in its lockbox on the top shelf of his closet.He hadn’t expected to need it.Who the hell was coming onto their property?
Gray and Amber exited the No Phailed Apples Inn, and Lawson relaxed as his buddy waved at the truck.Gray stood on the step bar and spoke briefly to the driver.
Then he hopped down and took Amber’s hand as they followed the truck.
Part of Lawson settled.Amber had always been the quietest of the five of them.She was the one who took care of everyone else.Gray, another army buddy, had put himself in charge of taking care of Amber.
Her huge German shepherd, Boomer, walked along beside her.The protection dog had been with her since three armed men had attacked her at her job in Chicago.Another thing Lawson had known nothing about until the danger had passed.Too late for him to help.
At least Gray had been there.That was how the two of them had met.And what he’d done for his sister had cemented Gray’s friendship with all the other Malssums.He was a good guy, and he made Amber smile.Actually, she beamed with happiness all the time now.
Lawson walked over to find the truck full of shrubs, bushes, and flowers.Gray’s smile widened as he surveyed the plants.
“Need some help to unload all this stuff?”
Gray nodded.“Absolutely.Amber has the plans, and she’ll tell us where everything goes.”
