The wicked glint left his eyes. “There’s no dirt on you anywhere—not so much as a speck. Everyone in Heart Lake raves about how great you are with kids and chickens alike. Their only complaint is how long it took you to move back home.”
“You’ve been asking around about me, huh?” She wasn’t sure what to think about that.
“Not just you.” He dried the bowl she handed him and set it inside the upper cabinet. “Rex Turner, too. Mainly him. I only chatted about you to cover the fact that I’ve been interrogating everyone I run into about him.”
“Oh, really?” She pulled the stopper from the sink and let the soapy water drain.
“Really.” He hung the damp hand towel on the handle of the stove and ushered her toward the bar. “I found out some interesting things about him.”
She perched on the stool he pulled out for her and swiveled his way expectantly.
“In addition to his pilot’s license, lowly farmhand Rex has a degree in Aerospace Engineering,” he informed her. “Before he applied for a job at Garrett Farm, he worked as aflight instructor at a coastal flight training school. Being the detail-oriented private investigator that I am, I placed a call to the school and spoke with one of his fellow flight instructors. A very talkative guy who might’ve been under the impression that I was calling for a job reference.”
“Oh, wow! And…?” she prodded.
“Rex resigned from the flight school without an explanation, though the employee I spoke with thought it might have something to do with the woman who broke off their engagement.”
“Ouch!” Sympathy welled inside Halle. She could relate all too well to that brand of heartache.
“Sorry.” Owen grimaced. “I wasn’t trying to bring up a sore subject.”
She waved away his apology. He was just doing his job. “It sounds like Rex Turner is exactly what he appears to be—a hardworking farmhand.”
Owen nodded gravely. “He wouldn’t be the first person who traded in a demanding six-figure job for a quieter life. There’s no crime in that. Oh, and there’s something else.” He tapped a finger on the top of her hand for emphasis.
Her insides fluttered like a thousand butterflies in response to his touch.
He spoke in a dramatic stage whisper. “At one point, Rex took out his phone to check his messages, so I dialed the mysterious number you’ve been corresponding with for the past few months.”
“And…?” she said again, heart pounding with anticipation.
“And nothing.” He sat back on his stool. “Either Rex isn’t the guy who’s been impersonating Jensen, or he’s got another phone I didn’t see around.”
She was secretly glad Rex didn’t appear to be theimposter, since she was starting to like him. “If he’s not our guy, then we’re back to square one. Besides him and the Carters, who else would’ve been able to send me so many pictures of the chicken pens, coops, and garden?”
“I won’t stop digging until I can answer that.” Owen stood. “In the meantime, I’d like to drive you downtown to browse through another thrift store.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure you have better things to do.” She twisted the ring on her finger that Brooke had returned, afraid to get her hopes up again. They’d already visited most of the resale shops in town without any luck.
“Nope. I don’t,” he assured her cheerfully. “And I really need you to ride along since you’re the only one who can identify your stuff.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes at him. “But this is the last one.” She was ready to throw in the towel on their search for her family’s missing furnishings that had once filled the farmhouse.
The boys were initially disappointed about taking a break from their train building.
Ryder scowled. “Is that scary-looking dude coming with us?”
Halle knew without asking that he was referring to the Lonestar Security bodyguard who’d been accompanying them to their baseball practices.
“I’m the only scary-looking dude coming on this trip,” Owen assured him with a wink. “There’s a chance we’ll make a detour to the ice cream shop if you two behave yourselves.”
Both boys shot to their feet, cheering and clapping.
“The good behavior part is non-negotiable,” their father warned, pointing them toward the bathroom. “Now go get ready.”
“Yes, sir!” They took the bathroom break he’d suggested, then raced each other to the truck.
“Last one’s a rotten egg,” Cooper shouted.
