Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,96
Josh set out the plates and silverware.
“The other items she mentioned as far as travel had to do with the steamer trunk. But I think you’re right. She has a parcel of a thousand acres of land that I inherited. Maybe something’s hidden in an old barn on the acreage,” Brooke said.
“Do you have the deed?” Adam asked.
“I’ll get it.” She went to her office and pulled it out of her file cabinet and returned to the living room. She looked it over while Maverick and Josh peered over her shoulders.
“This land borders ours,” Maverick said. “I vaguely remember our grandparents mentioning that William, your great-uncle, purchased the land next to ours and built a home, and then they ended up later moving into town to buy two Victorian homes joined by a courtyard and turned one into the gift shop.”
“That’s great news. So we’ve been neighbors all along.” Brooke returned to the kitchen and served the meal. “Time to eat.”
Adam brought glasses of water to the table for everyone. “Who’s going to look for a barn on the property after lunch?”
“Who’s going to protect the house and shop?” Brooke asked.
The guys all joined her at the table to eat lunch, but they also looked eager to find rare vehicles in the barn—and forget about the house and the shop!
Chapter 22
“Someone can stay and safeguard your house and shop,” Josh said to Brooke, his brother, and Adam. Josh wouldn’t leave her behind though. He’d be worried about her safety if she was all alone. “We need to have someone stay here with Brooke while the others look for the barn.”
“I’m going with one of you. We only need one person to stay at the house if I’m not here,” Brooke said.
“Who’s staying?”
Adam held up his hand. “I will, since I’m a police detective and can handle a crisis if someone tries to break in to either the house or the shop.”
“I guess we’ll take separate cars so that I can be home after we look for the barn,” Maverick said.
“Good idea,” Josh said.
They finished lunch and helped Brooke clean up afterward.
“Let’s go,” Josh said, eager to go. “We’ll keep you informed about what we find, Adam.” Josh got the car door for Brooke when they were outside, and she climbed in. “If we have this figured right, I don’t understand why your great-aunt would have all these cars hidden in an old barn.”
“If we’re right, they were probably my great-uncle’s and she didn’t want to sell them off because they reminded her of him. She knew he wouldn’t have wanted to part with them.”
“Thirty years in an old barn that might or might not be where he’d put them that many years ago.” Josh shook his head.
“Would they be that valuable?” Brooke asked. “I mean, if they’re old and rusty and all.”
“Oh yeah. They could still be valuable. I’m going to give Leidolf a call and tell him we’re mated, if that’s all right with you.”
“It sure is.”
Josh reached over and squeezed her hand. “I couldn’t be happier, you know.”
“Me either.”
Josh called Leidolf and gave him the good news. Cassie got on the phone, too, and congratulated the two of them.
Cassie said, “You know we only just found out you had moved here to take over your great-aunt’s shop and home. The bachelor males said Josh didn’t play fair. Not that I blame him at all.”
Leidolf added, “We can’t wait to meet you.”
“I guess you know I want to be part of the pack,” Brooke told them.
“Yes, and we’re happy to have you,” Cassie said. “Will we see you at the Christmas party?”
“Yes. I look forward to meeting everyone.”
“See you then. And congratulations to both of you,” Cassie said.
Then they ended the call, and Brooke let out her breath. “My great-aunt might not have made the time to do pack events, but now that you can help me manage things, I sure want to.”
“We’ll certainly do that. I haven’t been able to make a lot of the events either because of the work I do, but it’ll be different now. Well, once I retire.”
“This will be good for both of us then.”
They followed Maverick as he drove past a sign for the reindeer ranch. He finally pulled off the main road onto a rutted, paved road that weeds and grass had partly taken over. Trees encroaching on the one-lane road made it even narrower.
Maverick finally parked his truck at a gate and got out of his vehicle. He checked out