5. At Your Own Risk
CHAPTER 5
At Your Own Risk
I sla woke to the sound of snoring. She had to blink away the sexy dreams she’d had revolving around Levi to realize he wasn’t in her bed with her.
It took another blink or two to remember she was now the foster mom of a chocolate brown Labrador retriever. Kimi Twinishe, the local vet, had been out on a call the night before and had stopped by Isla’s cottage in the evening to save her the trip.
She’d had a handheld microchip scanner, but Hopper didn’t have a chip. In less time than it would have taken to plant a row of seedlings, Kimi had checked over the dog and found no obvious injuries.
She’d left dog food, a dog bed, and dog care instructions with Isla before giving her an appointment to take Hopper to her clinic for a full checkup.
The vet had taken Hopper’s picture and was going to post it, but she didn’t have much hope that someone was looking for him.
People who don’t want pets anymore drive out to the country and dump them on the side of the road. It’s one of the most frustrating parts of my job, but I get lots of support from people willing to foster these poor, lonely animals.
Then she’d grinned at Isla, and waved as she left in her van. For a long minute, Isla and Hopper had stood watching the empty road. So many emotions had run through her. Excitement. Hope. Nerves. What if she screwed this up?
Then Hopper had peed on her car’s tire, making her laugh and sigh. Apparently, she was going to have to figure lots of things out. Instead of dwelling on the possibility of failure, she’d used the doggie shampoo Kimi had left and cleaned the dog properly.
Isla rolled over and checked out Hopper, who was sleeping soundly in his doggie bed. He hadn’t shown any new home nerves. She couldn’t quite say the same about herself. She’d never lived in a house on her own. Especially not one in the middle of a field. It was very different from living in a tiny apartment surrounded by dozens of families.
The quiet had been unnerving. Having Hopper had given her someone to talk to and had made her feel safer. Dogs were supposed to be able to sense threats, weren’t they?
Add in Sam’s security system, and she’d managed a few consecutive hours of sleep. More than she’d expected. More than she’d had in a while.
Hoping not to wake the sleeping dog, Isla slipped out of bed. But as soon as her feet touched the floor, Hopper’s eyes shot open, and he lifted his head.
“Good morning, Hopper. I’m going to get up, but you can sleep if you want to.”
The dog stood and stretched with an enormous yawn. He rubbed his body alongside hers and then stretched again. His routine made her smile, and she enjoyed his company as she dressed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.
After checking with Kimi’s instruction list, she measured out food for Hopper, and put on oatmeal for herself. Adding cinnamon and bananas this time made it another perfect breakfast.
Constanza had cooked for Isla’s family growing up, and had often made oatmeal. Making it herself brought back some of her best childhood memories. Constanza had also cultivated a garden behind the house, and Isla had learned her love of plants from her. Isla had been closer to the quiet woman than anyone else.
Isla’s memories of her mom mostly revolved around the cancer that had eaten away at her for years. Her only good ones centered around the garden, where her mom would sit on a bench and watch as Constanza taught Isla how to tend vegetables, fruits, and flowers. For Isla, a house would never be a home without a garden and the memories it would bring.
“Okay, Hopper, today we start making this place a home. We’ll start on that patch of garden. I can work on it and on the greenhouse. I don’t have to choose between them.” Because she was in charge of her schedule.
The day was sunny, but the temperatures required a few layers of clothing. “Kimi says you don’t need a jacket, but you let me know if you get too cold. We’ll figure out something.”
Hopper followed her outside and didn’t seem bothered by the weather. “The land is drying, but there’s plenty of mud in the lower sections. Try to avoid it, okay?”
Hopper’s tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, and she wondered if he was laughing at her.
When she stopped to study the garden, he plopped onto his haunches beside her and tilted his head. “Going to help, are you? Perfect. I think I’ll start with the basics this year. Carrots, beans, peppers, onions, some greens and herbs. Maybe some squashes, too. I can’t do garlic until the fall, but I’ll add those in later. We’ll maybe get some berry bushes near the fence, but they’ll take a year or two to get going.”
Warmth rushed over her. “And we’ll be here to see them grow. We’ve got a future here, Hopper, and it’s going to be a good one.”
She could picture the garden as it would look in the fall. Full of green and life. “Well, I can’t do anything without equipment. Time to check out the barn and see what the previous owners left for us. If there’s nothing there, I’ll text Tansy to see where to buy some.”
Or maybe she’d text Levi. She hadn’t seen him yet this morning. As promised, she’d texted him the night before to let him know about Kimi’s visit with Hopper.
Asking where to buy shovels and plows was a good excuse to text him again, wasn’t it? While she hoped the barn held some goodies for her, a bit of her hoped she’d need to text Levi about something.
The barn was locked with padlocks, but Tansy had left those keys with the house keys. Sam had suggested she replace those locks soon, so that she had the only keys. It was a good idea, and she added it to the mental list she was making. Putting it on paper might be smarter, but she knew that probably wouldn’t happen.
“One day, I’ll be an organized list-maker, Hopper, but today is not the day. Tomorrow probably won’t be it either.”
She knew part of her reluctance to use lists was because her father had been obsessed with them. Not that she’d seen him in over a decade, but she knew he wouldn’t have changed. She didn’t know if she’d ever met anyone as inflexible as Reginald Duggan.
His way was the only way that mattered. And his way was all about making money and keeping up appearances. To hell with the planet and other people’s feelings. They didn’t matter.
Isla closed her eyes and drew in a few deliberate breaths to toss thoughts of her father out of her brain. She was looking forward to a new start here, and he didn’t deserve to have even a moment of her attention.
Although part of her wanted to call him. To find out if he still had no use for her. Or if they could somehow find their way back to being a family. She wasn’t quite brave enough, so today wouldn’t be the day for that either.
The interior of the barn was dark, and the air was musty. She took a few steps inside and waited for her eyes to adjust. Some sunlight peeked through gaps in the boards, but not enough to provide much light. “I guess I should’ve thought to look for a flashlight in the cottage. My phone will have to do for now.”
The app was brighter than she’d expected. A quick sweep around showed the barn was far more full than she’d anticipated. Another thrill of excitement shot through her. Maybe she wouldn’t be starting from scratch.
“I can’t see the floor clearly, Hopper. I don’t want you to hurt your paws. Stay by the door.” She realized immediately that she’d probably used too many words, so she turned to the dog. “Stay.”
Hopper sat on his butt and tilted his head at her as if to ask if she was sure. “Stay. I’ll see if I can open the large doors for some light. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
There’d been no lock on the outside of the door, so she wasn’t surprised to find the padlock on the inside. It didn’t take long to unlock it, but the doors were too heavy for her to move far.
“Levi could probably move them with his pinky, but I’d have to work out for a year or two to get them all the way open.” She shoved a bit more until there was enough room to get in and out through the door.
She leaned against it and gulped in some air. “I’d add a workout to my routine, but I think just getting the garden started is enough to half-kill me. And who am I kidding? I’m not exactly a workout kind of person.”
When her breathing was more regulated, she moved back into the barn. The sun that angled in lit up some of the gloom. Tarps and sheets covered large lumps. Maybe farm machinery?
Boxes, barrels, and crates filled up much of the space that she could see. Rakes, shovels, and hoes stood inside some barrels, so at least she could get a few things started in her garden without outside help. Mechanized help would be even better.
A ladder led up to a hayloft and made her squeal a little. She’d always wanted a hayloft. It was silly and romantic and wonderful. If there was a window, she’d be able to see her land and feel like the queen of her world. She could feel important up there. Like she was doing something important.
She swallowed the emotion and headed to the ladder. “I’m just going to have a peek, Hopper. Stay.”
Isla gave the ladder a quick shake, but it seemed sturdy. With her wellies on, she’d have to be careful not to slip on the wood. She turned off the flashlight app and slid the phone into her pocket. Just a quick peek, and then she’d do something sensible like check under the tarps, pull out a hoe, and get to work.
Halfway up, she turned to look around the barn and check on the dog. Grinning, she realized one shape under the tarp looked like a small tractor. If it had the right attachment, she could use it to aerate the garden. Much better than using a hoe.
She climbed a few more steps to peek into the loft. No windows were open, so it was extremely dim. She reached into her pocket to grab her phone when the rung she was standing on disappeared from under her feet.
She tried to grab the ladder with her other hand, but it slipped out of her reach and, with a scream, Isla dropped into the black.
L evi leaped over the fence before Isla’s scream faded. He’d been working on his tractor since early morning and figured he’d earned a break. Checking on the dog was a great excuse to see Isla.
He’d only been a few yards from the fence when he’d heard her brief cry. His body and his mind shifted immediately into warrior mode. Military training ran deep and stayed in your instincts long after you’d retired.
He shouted her name, trying to pin down her location. Hopper’s bark brought his attention to the barn. The small door was open and one of the big barn doors was also ajar.
It didn’t take more than five seconds to cross the field, but those seconds could cost Isla her life. Wishing he had his gun, he moved to the smaller door and crouched low. He closed his eyes to start the adjustment to the dimness inside. He gave himself five seconds to adjust and to listen. The dog licked his hand and barked again, but Levi didn’t hear any additional sounds.
He stayed in his crouch as he moved inside and opened his eyes. Equipment and machinery filled the space. Similar to his own barn, but much of this was covered in tarps. Isla was nowhere to be seen.
“Isla?” He didn’t bother whispering. If someone was hurting Isla, Levi was confident in his ability to gain the upper hand.
He put his hand on Hopper’s head. “Find Isla.”
The dog bounced immediately into the middle of the barn and Levi followed on his heels. Nothing looked disturbed until he reached a ladder that had toppled onto a pile of something hidden under a tarp. Had she fallen?
“Isla? Where are you?”
A rustling to his left had him turning that way, and then he heard her voice mumble something. Relief roared through him. He wasn’t going to see someone else he cared about die.
“Isla. Talk to me.”
She groaned. “I’m here. I’m fine.”
Like hell.
Levi pulled out his phone and flipped on the flashlight app. “Keep talking. Help me find you.”
“I’m okay.” Her voice was thin. “I just had the wind knocked out of me.”
No shit. “If you fell off that ladder, you’re lucky that’s the only thing that happened. You know better.” He didn’t know her well, but everyone knew not to climb a tall ladder alone, especially in an unknown space.
A strangled laugh was his answer to that. “I know, and I’m regretting my decision.”
“Not sure what’s under the tarp. Stay where you are while I check it out.”
It took her a couple of heartbeats before she agreed. He’d bet his good boots she’d been about to argue but thought better of it. Smart girl. Getting winded was painful and took more than a minute to get over.
“I’m going to see if I can open the door wider and get more light.”
The door was heavy, and didn’t want to move much. He was impressed Isla had got it open as far as she had. After a few shoves, he moved back into the barn.
“Looks like it might be a tractor that broke your fall.”
He heard her choke out a laugh. “That would be nice. I could use a tractor.”
He shook his head. “You’re lucky you didn’t break your back or your neck.”
“I know.”
Levi shoved back the tarp as he moved. There were a few barrels stacked beside the machine. It didn’t take long to realize it was indeed a tractor. An older one, but with an aerator attachment on the front. He climbed up the side until he could finally see Isla. She was on her side, facing him and using her hands to press herself to a sitting position.
“Better not to move. Let me check you over.”
She smiled. “Didn’t realize you’d been to med school.”
He rolled his eyes but was glad her sarcasm was alive and well, right along with the rest of her. “We all get trained in field medicine in the Army.”
“I’m fine. Lucky, too.”
“No kidding. What the hell were you doing up on that ladder by yourself?”
“Sorry I scared you. I decided to explore the barn and I couldn’t resist the hayloft. I’ve always had a thing for haylofts.”
That sent Levi’s imagination spinning in all kinds of fun directions. Although hay was itchy as hell, he was sure a few quilts or sleeping bags would solve that problem.
He climbed onto the tractor’s roof and helped ease her into a sitting position beside him. “You could have been seriously hurt.”
She sighed. “I know. I checked the ladder from the bottom, and it seemed sturdy. I was just going to have a peek. When I could see over the top, I reached into my pocket for my phone. I wanted the light to see what was up there. The rung collapsed out from under me, and down I went.”
Hell. She was damn lucky the ladder had tipped sideways and not backward. Having only one hand on the ladder had probably shifted the balance and saved her. “Mind if I check you over?”
“I’m fine.”
Instead of replying that she was indeed fine, he waited her out. Sure enough, she sighed again, and shrugged. “If it’ll help you feel better, but I didn’t break anything or hit my head. Just winded myself because I’m a dingbat.”
That made him laugh. “I think the last person I heard use the word dingbat was my grandmother when I was a little kid.” Good memories.
Levi reached over and lifted her to the middle of the tractor’s roof. At least that was secure. He wasn’t sure what else was under the tarp.
He ran his hands over her, checking for broken bones and anything obvious, like blood from a cut she may not have noticed. He kept his touch strictly professional, not only because he was concerned about her but because, despite his desires, getting involved with his neighbor was stupid.
When he found nothing obvious, he checked for concussion signs, and found nothing there either. “I think you’re right. You’re a lucky woman.”
She grinned. “Thanks for not saying I’m a dingbat.”
He laughed. “I’ll reserve that in case you do something that dumb again.”
It didn’t take too long for him to slide down the tractor and help Isla move down safely. Hopper had fallen asleep beside the machine. The dog looked up with a yawn and then got to his feet to lick Isla’s hand and rub against both of their legs.
Isla patted the dog. “Thanks, Hopper. I’m good.”
Levi followed suit. “Thanks for letting me know where she was. Those seconds you saved me could have been important.”
Isla shuddered. “I’m glad they weren’t.”
He nodded and moved to pick up the ladder from where it had fallen. There were two broken rungs near the top of the ladder. The second one was probably where her hand had rested. She hadn’t stood a chance of staying on the ladder if both rungs had rotted.
Which was weird, as the other rungs on the ladder were solid. No rot at all.
Levi flipped the ladder over to look at the other side and couldn’t contain the growl. This hadn’t been an accident.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Levi used his phone to light up the ladder so she could see. “Someone cut these rungs almost all the way through. See how there’s only one small section that’s not a smooth cut?”
She frowned at the ladder. “Why would anyone do that and put the ladder back up?”
He didn’t answer straight away at first. “It’s not just those two, either. The top seven rungs are the same.”
Isla turned her frown to him. “That is bizarre.”
He nodded.
“Someone wanted whoever used the ladder to fall.” She looked back at the hayloft and to where she’d fallen. “If I hadn’t fallen to the side, I’d be in definite pain right now.”
Which pissed him off.
Isla sighed. “Someone didn’t like the person who owned this barn before me. I wonder if they knew someone was out to hurt them.”
It was Levi’s turn to frown. “Why do you think it was done in the past?”
Her eyes opened wide. “You think someone did this to hurt me ? Why?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility. We’ll have to ask Troy about the people who lived here before. Do you know anyone who wants to hurt you?”
To his surprise, she didn’t shake her head immediately. Her eyes blanked, and she shrugged. “Doubtful, and hardly anyone knows where I am. I’m sure this has nothing to do with me.”
Levi hoped that was true, but he’d be keeping a close on his neighbor for more than one reason now.