I read it five times. My heart dropped every single time.
The west pasture was my pride and joy. When my ex left, it was trashed—eroded soil, busted fences, an irrigation experiment gone wrong. I spent a year rebuilding it. Reseeding. Fertilizing. Fixing the water lines. It’s the most beautiful patch of land I’ve ever worked. Lush and green. My future.
So who was accusing me of… something? And what did they think they “knew”?
Maybe it was some punk kids pulling a prank. Or maybe Roy, trying to rattle me. But that wasn’t his style. He’s blunt, not sneaky.
I stuffed the note in my back pocket and tried to move on with my day, but my head wouldn’t let it go. By late afternoon, I grabbed my truck keys and drove across the creek to Roy’s place.
Roy was out by his workshop when I rolled up. His hand went up in a wave—until he saw my face.
“This ring any bells?” I asked, holding up the crumpled note.
He squinted. “Nope. Somebody left that at your place?”
“Nailed it to my barn door.”
Roy scratched his chin. “Weird. Garrison maybe?”
