Page 22 of Maggie’s Match

“You’re sixty-five,” Bridget pointed out. “Far too old to be trying to take down someone crazy enough to poison livestock.”

“You’re right,” Bryson admitted with a sigh, then he hugged his wife. “At this point, I think we’ll stick to installing a few game cameras.”

“Good.” Bridget stood up quickly. “Now, sit right there and I’ll get breakfast started.”

“I can’t,” Bryson started, but one look from his wife and he nodded quickly. “Yes ma’am.”

“Can I help?” Maggie asked.

“No, you’re not moving until you get your color back.” Her aunt motioned to Becca. “You on the other hand. Grab the eggs.”

While her cousin and aunt made pancakes, eggs, and bacon, Maggie filled her uncle in on what they’d found the night before in his office. She also ran through her organization methods and where he could find everything.

“I guess it pays to be organized,” her uncle said when she handed him the stack of checks.

“I’ll deposit these today,” her aunt said, taking the stack. “I suppose it’s time I stepped up and took over the office work.”

Her uncle groaned then looked at Maggie. “She’s too organized. She wants receipts for everything I do.”

“It’s called running a business,” Becca added. “First lesson I learned working with Maggie.” Her cousin winked at her. “Besides, now that the office is clean and organized, maybe I can use it too.”

“I can promise you that I won’t step foot in that office again if you mother doesn’t want me to,” her uncle said with a smile.

“Finally.” Her aunt laughed. “And this time I have witnesses.” She turned to Becca. “Your father promised me I could take over all the paperwork years ago, but then we got into it about a receipt he lost.”

“It’s somewhere in the office,” her uncle countered.

Listening to her aunt and uncle’s playful banter had her smiling and laughing. The couple obviously loved one another. Even after all their years together, they could laugh and enjoy one another even when they were annoyed at something the other one had done.

The only fights she and Rick ever had were about him leaving and how it had made her feel. Even then, they’d never yelled or raised their voices at one another.

When Rick and Bent returned, they were both soaking wet and covered in mud. They’d had to strip off most of their muddy clothes just outside the back door.

“Well, we can pretty much assure you that the well water is okay,” Bent said as he stood under the hose just outside the back door.

“Yeah?” Becca asked. “How?”

“They busted a pipe trying to get to the well water. The way it’s set up, you’d have to remove the pump to drop anything, including poison, down into it,” Rick answered.

He too stood off the back porch, dressed in only boxer shorts, as he waited for Bent to finish with the water hose so he could rinse off.

Maggie’s mind had shut down when she saw him standing there, his hands, arms, hair, and face covered in mud and dust. The rest of him was clean and exposed for her viewing pleasure.

“Well, finish cleaning up and get some clothes on so we can have breakfast before we begin our very busy day. The sun’s about to come up,” her aunt added.

Maggie hated the fact that Rick quickly rinsed off and disappeared with her cousin. He returned a few moments later in fresh clothes with his hair still wet.

While they ate, Bent and Rick filled them in on what they’d found out in the well house. How someone had busted in the door and tried to pull up the pipes, ruining the well pump.

“The good news is that that well only handles the east field. While we’re out this morning, we’ll check the other wells, maybe put some locks and cameras on the doors while we shuffle the cattle to other fields,” Bent said through bites of food.

Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to finish breakfast. She was even anxious to go see the building that they were thinking of using.

The meal was quickly consumed and dishes were cleared before Maggie even stood up.

“Ready?” Becca asked her. “We’ll take the ATVs out there since they’ll need the horses to move the herd around.”

She looked down at her jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes. “I’ll pull on my boots.” She disappeared back upstairs for a moment.