And Jenna.
The thought of her was enough to spark his chest with a very real fear. The lady continued to pull at the locked and hidden doors. He yearned for a closer relationship with this lady, almost as much as the prospect frightened him.
That was when Noah heard the sound.
A soft clink. A hiss. Then nothing.
“Hello?” Noah couldn’t be certain, but he thought the noise came from the barn. “Who’s there?”
Nothing.
For the first time since he had moved into the farmhouse, he fretted over the surrounding darkness. He reentered the kitchen, opened the drawer by the sink, and found the police-grade flashlight Amos had given him as a housewarming present. A place this old and poorly maintained, Amos had told him, losing power was a constant. The flashlight was sixteen inches long and weighed almost a pound and a half. It was encased in black rubber, molded into ridges for grip. Unbreakable plexiglass lens. Powerful as a searchlight.
Noah returned to the porch and swept the light over the barn. “Who’s out there?”
He hesitated, wondering if he should call Amos. But that seemed so lame, the citified brother frightened by a sound. It could have been a fox, anything. Or just his imagination. Noah forced himself down the steps and started across the backyard.
Then far off in the distance, he heard the rattling clamor of a dirt bike climbing the ridge.
CHAPTER18
Noah told Jenna about his midnight scare over coffee the next morning. She heard him out, then asked, “What did Amos say?”
“I haven’t told him.”
She straightened, almost coming out of her rocker. “Are you nuts?”
“What if it’s nothing? I feel kind of silly even telling you.”
She rose to her feet as he spoke. “Where is your phone?”
“Kitchen table.”
She entered the house and returned. Extended her arm. Planting the phone in his face. “Call him.”
“Jenna . . .”
“Did it sound to you like I was making a suggestion? Something we can stand around and discuss?” She wiggled the phone. “Call your brother, Noah.” She crossed her arms, watched him hit speed dial. “I can’t believe we’re actually having this conversation.”
Neither, apparently, could Amos. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
Noah felt Jenna’s glare on him, strong as the day’s rising heat. “I started to call you this morning. But then I saw you peel out of here in a hurry. I figured . . . Tell the truth, I thought it might be, you know . . .”
“A robber?” Jenna’s voice carried a real anger. “Somebody armed and dangerous?”
Amos asked, “That Jenna?”
“She made me call.” Sounding to his own ears like a sullen teen.
“Give the lady a gold star. You and I, now, we’re going to have words. Have you been inside the boat?”
“Right after I woke up. Nothing’s missing that I can tell.”
“It’s not about you checking, Noah. It’s about preserving a potential crime scene.”
“Come on, Amos. What if it was just a neighbor’s dog?”
“Do you even hear yourself?” Amos’s tone matched Jenna’s glare. “You have a boat that was torn apart, then sunk. The perps have vanished. Now you have a possible B&E where the culprit escapes on a trail bike.”
