“And gathering eggs,” Cooper added. “Can we use ‘em to make pancakes in the morning?” He fixed his pleading gaze on Halle.
His brother gave him a scoffing look. “There’s no egg in pancakes, silly! If you want eggs for breakfast, you haft eat eggs and bacon.”
“Actually, there are.” Halle waved a finger, smiling to take the edge off the correction. “They’re mixed into the pancake batter. That’s what makes them so fluffy.” She tossed a counteroffer at the boys. “I think we should make pancakes, eggs, and bacon in the morning. What do you say to that?”
Their eyes rounded with amazement. “That’s a lot of food! Dad usually just makes toast or cereal.”
“Oh, I think we can up our game a little.” Halle bit her lower lip, looking like she was trying not to laugh. “It’s summer break, so we have plenty of time.”
“Can Kenny join us?” Ryder clasped his hands beneath his chin, spinning toward his dad.
Owen nodded. “Absolutely. His dad can join us, too.” He didn’t bother telling them he’d already planned a breakfast meeting with the Carters. Fortunately, Halle’s ideas for breakfast fit right into his plans.
He caught her eye. “I’ll make a run to the grocery store this evening for the bacon and other stuff. Just help me make a list.”
“I can do that.” She wrinkled her nose ruefully at him. “I’d offer to make the grocery run, but…” Instead of completing the sentence, she pulled the empty lining out of her pockets.
He waited until the boys weren’t looking to pull out his debit card. He held it out to her. “If you really meant that, go for it. We’ll take two vehicles. While you and the boys get a head start on the shopping, I’ll drop off the moving truck and hike back to the grocery store in time to load the groceries into the truck. That is, if you’re sure you don’t mind adding one more thing to your evening.” It had been a long day for both of them. She had to be nearly as beat as he was.
She bit her lower lip and hesitated a beat before accepting his debit card. “I can do that.” She was no longer smiling, which made him wonder what she was thinking.
Money could be a touchy subject, and her personal finances had certainly taken a beating lately. He replayed his words inside his head, hoping he hadn’t offended her.
However, she was no longer looking at him. “Who’s that?” She nodded at the tall, sandy-haired man trudging up a row of green beans in one of the distant gardens. He paused to tinker with the irrigation machine parked over multiple rows of beans.
“Rex.” Owen was surprised she didn’t know who the guy was. “Rex Turner. Jensen said he was brought on board to oversee the gardening so he and Kenny can focus on the egg side of the business.”
She frowned in puzzlement. “How long has he been working here?”
“Four months.” Owen could easily imagine what she was thinking, since he was probably thinking the same thing. Four months ago, her ex had put her family farm up for sale.
The timing of Rex’s arrival was suspicious at best. Had he played a role in conning Halle out of her farm? Was he the person who’d been texting Halle pictures and updates, pretending to be Jensen?
“I’ll see what I can find out about him,” he promised in a low voice. It was their first lead. Halle could bet her boots he would be following it to see where it went.
“Thank you.” Her whispered words were laced with cautious hope—like she wanted to believe him, but was afraid to.
It made him all the more determined to get her the justice she deserved.
Chapter 3: Stolen Ring
Atriple knock on the front door made Halle close her eyes to stifle a groan of irritation. She almost succeeded. Despite her efforts, a bleat of frustration escaped her. After three days on the job, she recognized the signature knock of Owen’s next-door neighbor all too well, and Brooke Aspen wasn’t a person she was looking forward to seeing again.
Brooke stopped by every stinking day around lunchtime, hoping to make Owen’s acquaintance, even though Halle had made it clear that her employer’s schedule was pretty chaotic right now. He’d been running errands like crazy to get his family settled in before he started work at Lonestar Security on Monday.
Today, he was handling some paperwork that involved their medical insurance. On his way home, he was going to stop for a haircut. He’d told her not to hold lunch for him—that he’d grab some leftovers when he got home.
It was beginning to feel as if Brooke Aspen was going out of her way to be annoying.
Either that, or I’m just being a grump.That was entirely possible, too.
“Do you have a stomachache, Miss Garrett?” Ryder’s worried voice yanked Halle back to the kitchen. “That’s the same sound Coop makes when he eats too much candy.”
She met his worried gaze. “My stomach is fine, but thank you for asking, sweetie.” She climbed down from her barstool, since she and the twins had just sat down for lunch. Walking backward toward the door, she pointed at them with both hands. “There’d better be some taco meat left when I return.”
They were having build-your-own tacos and burritos with a full tray of trimmings to choose from—shredded lettuce and cheese, seasoned black beans, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
“If there’s nothing left, it’ll be Coop’s fault.” Ryder grinned as he tugged the brim of his baseball cap to one side. “Dad says he eats like a vacuum cleaner, shlooping up everything he sees.”
