Chapter 43
Forty-Three
J ane reached over to the side of the bed. Empty.
The sheets were cool under her hand, so Ethan must have gotten up early. She wasn’t sure of his schedule yet since their relationship was so new. She lay back on her pillow, letting memories of their lovemaking play in her mind.
Ethan was a fantastic lover, but what Jane liked most was his ability to make it fun. She hadn’t heard him laugh so much in all the months she had known him.
And wasn’t that fascinating—despite her being in Vermont for only a matter of months, it felt as though she had known him for ages.
But sometimes, when you know, you know.
She knew Mike four years before they married. They knew almost immediately they were meant for each other but wanted to graduate and get jobs first.
She eased her way out of bed and heard voices coming up from the kitchen. Men’s voices. One was Ethan’s. But who was the other? Then Jane remembered Sean was coming down today to install the security cameras. She rushed through her shower and got dressed.
“There she is,” said Ethan with a grin. He reached into the cupboard, grabbed a mug, filled it with coffee, and handed it to her but not before kissing her cheek.
“Good morning to you,” said Jane. She turned to look at Sean.
If she hadn’t seen the two men side by side, she wouldn’t have guessed they were brothers.
Ethan was tall, dark-haired, with brown eyes. Sean was a couple of inches shorter with a muscular build. They both had been in the military, but Sean was an ex-SEAL and even more intense than Ethan. He was clean-shaven with a strong jaw. His dark hair was cut short, and he had piercing blue eyes that seemed to be sizing her up. He wore a black polo shirt with his company’s logo on it and black tactical pants and boots. Go figure.
“Jane. I’m Sean.” He did not extend his hand until she moved closer to shake his. A lot of men wouldn’t assume a woman wanted to shake hands. Points to Sean.
“Sean has the cameras with him. Want to come to the barn and see where he puts them?” asked Ethan.
“I’d love that. And I also want to know how they work,” she said. She was curious, having never watched someone install cameras before.
“More knowledge for a mystery book?” teased Sean with a slight smile.
Jane chuckled. “Maybe one of these days I’ll write another. But first, I’d like to make sure I stay alive to do it.”
“I hear you.” Sean nodded. “Ethan and I are committed to ensuring your safety.” He looked at Ethan. “I know he’s doing his part, so hopefully, the cameras will help catch whoever is doing this.”
“Let’s get this show on the road,” said Ethan, looking at the clock. “I have to be at the station in two hours.”
“I can handle this without you,” Sean said.
Ethan shot him a look. “No way. Jane will take one look at you flexing your muscles and fall head over heels.”
Sean shook his head and smirked.
Jane lightly slapped Ethan’s arm. “Maybe if you flex yours, I can compare.”
Both men struck exaggerated poses and flexed their biceps. Jane burst out laughing. “You two!” It reminded her of her brother Rob and his friends in high school when they were trying to impress a girl.
Jane put on a fleece jacket, and the three of them stepped outside. She inhaled the crisp, cold air. “Mmm. I love this.”
Ethan leaned in and kissed her. “Me too.”
“Okay, you two lovebirds. Let’s get this show on the road. My truck’s parked at the barn,” said Sean as they walked toward the barn.
He opened the door to his truck and pulled out several boxes. Opening one, he handed a small black camera to Jane.
“Wow. This is small and lightweight,” she said, lifting it up with one hand. “I was expecting something a lot bigger and heavier.”
“Technology has come a long way,” Sean replied. He got a ladder from the back of his truck and carried it over to a corner of the barn. Jane and Ethan followed, carrying the boxes. “I’ll put one on each outside corner to cover all the angles and one inside. They’re motion-activated with night vision. Also”—he looked at Jane—“they connect to an app on your phone or computer, and you can monitor what’s going from anywhere.”
He climbed up the ladder and attached the first camera before climbing down and repeating it four more times.
Jane was impressed with his knowledge and efficiency. But also saddened by the fact that she even needed security cameras on her farm. “So I can see what’s going on in real time just by connecting to the app?”
“Yes. You’ll also get notified any time something triggers the motion sensors,” he replied.
Ethan nodded. “The cameras will record everything, so you can always go back and review the footage, and they have a good range.”
“Right,” Sean said in agreement. “They also have two-way audio, so you can speak to someone through the app.”
Jane’s brows shot up. “You mean I can actually talk to the person? Sort of like a voice from beyond.”
“That’s one way of scaring the crap out of someone,” teased Ethan.
A small smile tugged at Sean’s lips. “You two. Seriously, it’s a great feature and will make someone think twice about being on the property.”
Sean completed installing the final cameras. Placing the ladder in his truck, he made his way toward Jane and Ethan.
He handed Jane his phone. “I’ve downloaded the app. Let me show you how to connect the cameras and its features.”
Jane took the phone, watching Sean go through the setup. Easy peasy. “I had no idea it would be this easy. I feel safer already.”
Sean chuckled. “That’s the goal.”
She handed the phone back to Sean. “I can’t thank you enough for coming down.”
“My pleasure,” replied Sean. “I wanted to see with my two eyes the woman who captured and melted my brother’s cold heart.”
Ethan coughed and shot him a dirty look.
Sean winked at Jane. “His no longer cold heart,” he amended.
Jane could only shake her head. Siblings—you either loved them or hated them, but for sure, you were stuck with them.
She walked back to the house while the two brothers finished their conversation. So far, she’d met Tanner and now Sean. She’d yet to meet Dylan and Kane. If the twins were anything like the three brothers she met, the McQueeneys were a force to be reckoned with.
Ethan left for work right after Sean drove off.
She had a busy day running errands, followed by coffee with Leah and Claire before heading home. Bucky was coming back to work today. She wanted him to take another day or two off, but he refused, saying he couldn’t stand lying around the apartment. It wasn’t the money. She was paying his salary for the sick days and the hospital bill. It was only fair since he was hurt on her property.
And this weekend, Savannah was coming up. Jane hadn’t seen her in a few weeks and was eager to catch up. Phone calls were nice, but in-person visits were always better.
After ordering some more farm supplies at Feed the other was short with gray hair. Both looked very serious.
“Claire, Leah. How are you?” asked the taller one.
“Oh, hi, Maggie, Sally. I didn’t see you come in,” said Claire, her voice tightening. Leah finger-waved.
Maggie? Maggie Thornton? Claire was right when she said crap.
There was an awkward silence as the women stared at each other. Finally, Claire asked Maggie, “Have you met Jane?”
Maggie’s smile was thin as she shook her head.
“Jane owns the old Jenkins far—” said Claire, who suddenly remembered the connection and covered her mouth. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry. I forgot that your dad…”
Maggie’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Maggie, her voice cold. She directed her attention to Jane. “I noticed you’re doing a lot of renovation.”
“Yes,” Jane replied. “I love the farm.”
Maggie’s expression tightened. “My dad had fond memories of working there as a kid. He spent a lot of time working with the cows, mucking the stalls, doing whatever Mr. Jenkins needed done.”
“It must have been a special place for him,” said Jane.
“It was until…” Maggie’s voice drifted off. “He always thought he’d have a chance to own it.”
Her friend Sally tugged at Maggie’s sleeve and said, “We’re going to be late.”
Maggie frowned. “Oh, right. Well, it was interesting meeting you, Jane.”
The two women exited the shop.
“Oh my God, that wasn’t weird,” said Claire as she shook her head. “Nope, not at all.”
Jane let out a deep breath. “Wow. I’ve never seen Maggie around town. Now I’m glad I haven’t.”
“She’s unpleasant most of the time, and we try to avoid her whenever we see her,” said Leah. “Although I heard that she’s dating some handsome guy and is moving away.”
“Humph. I wonder who,” asked Claire. Then she shuddered. “I don’t care.”
“Enough of Maggie,” said Jane. “Let’s take a selfie of the three of us and send it to Ethan. Show him what he’s missing.”
“Oh, sweetie, you’ve got it bad,” Leah quipped.
Jane laughed. Yes, she did have it bad. What wasn’t to like about a sexy, tall drink of water who discovered his long-lost humor and was in full protection mode?
Gosh, she could make him the next hero in her book. That is, assuming she took up writing again.