I wrap my arm around her shoulder and whisper in her ear, “Of course you can, but you don’t have to.”
Hannah reaches Beck first. I reluctantly release her so she can pull her into her arms. Claire is close behind. Meg gives me a soft smile as she follows them to the picnic table so they can talk to her privately.
“What are we dealing with?” Riot asks, his voice gruff, as he comes to stand across from me.
Carson and Logan brush past and peer inside the trailer door.
“He trashed everything she had left behind.” My jaw aches from clenching it.
“Fuck.” He runs his tongue over his teeth and squeezes his hands into fists.
“Jesus Christ,” Logan mutters, shutting the door and shaking his head. I watch him stride to the table to check on Beck.
“Thanks for calling everyone and coming over,” I say when Carson joins us.
“No problem. I called Mason as well. He will be here shortly.”
“What did you tell him?” I ask.
“Nothing more than what you told me, then I asked him to come.”
“Good,” I say, glancing over to where Beck is sitting surrounded by her friends. She’s stopped crying, but anguish mars her face.
“How is she?” Riot asks, his voice rough with concern.
“She’s a wreck,” I say quietly. “She said she wasn’t feeling great even before we got here. I want to get her back to her place, so she has space to process this. But she doesn’t want to leave. She wants to clean up.”
Riot exhales, jaw tightening. “We’ll do it for her.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Carson huffs out a quick breath. “We’ll save everything we can.”
“Let’s see what Mason has to say first.” I’ve given up hope Mason can place any charges. We know Braden did it, but with no physical evidence or witnesses, what can be done—legally?
“Once he gives us the go-ahead, I can haul the trailer over to the farm and put it behind closed gates,” Carson suggests, shoving his hands in his coat pockets as Logan joins us.
“That’s a good idea,” I agree. “I’ll have to let Maggie know too. Braden would know that she starts early at the bakery, so it would be easy for him to slip in and out without detection.”
“We should ask Brian,” Carson mutters, rolling his eyes. “He seems to know everything that’s happening in this town.”
“What about the yellow house?” Riot asks, looking between us. “Has he been nosing around there at all?”
“She would know if he had. I installed a security system and cameras before she moved in,” Logan reminds us.
“Good.” Riot tips his chin to where everyone has crowded around Beck. “Do you want the girls to take her home?”
“I would like to be with her if you don’t mind dealing with this.”
“With all of us, it won’t take long. How about we come over when we are done?” Riot suggests. “I know Claire will want to see her.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” As much as I would like to keep her to myself, I know she needs the support of all her friends.
The crunch of tires on gravel draws all our attention. Mason’s SUV rolls to a stop behind Carson’s truck. The engine cuts off, and he steps out, scanning the scene with practiced calm before he approaches. Beck pushes to her feet and walks towards us, the girls trailing close behind her.
He stops in front of us, his gaze settling on Beck first. “Are you okay?” he asks, looking past her towards the trailer. “What happened this time?”
She leans her back against my chest, and I loop my arms around her waist, providing the comfort she’s seeking. “Physically, I’m fine,” she sighs. “Mentally? Questionable. Braden helped me purge the rest of my stuff and redecorate.”
Mason runs a hand along his jaw. “When was the last time you were here?”
