“Sorry to disturb you, TJ, but I have wonderful news. Claire and I found Jeremy on our own tonight and he’s home with us right now.”
“What?”
“It’s a shock to me, too.”
“Thank God you found him!”
“Agreed. Ranger Rodriguez can call off the search.”
“Okay. Now that I’m wide awake, tell me everything all over again.”
Vic filled him in. “If you want to suspend me because I found Jeremy on my own, you have a right to do so.”
“What in the hell are you talking about? I figured you would do something on your own. I just didn’t expect results this fast. Are you sure your nanny isn’t working undercover for the CIA?”
A smile broke out on Vic’s face. “She’s a chemist with a brilliant, inquiring mind. I’ll email you all the details so Rodriguez can follow up on everything. And just so you know, I’ve arranged to see Dr. Marshall and will follow through.”
“Good. You do that and call me at the end of next week. Then we’ll talk about you coming back. I’ll have Ranger Rodriguez follow up on the kidnapping case. I’m glad you have some time off to spend with your son. Enjoy it.”
“I intend to.”
“Vic? Do me a favor and watch your back. You’re a target.”
“I know. Thanks for understanding, TJ. Good night.”
* * *
“HEY, DAD? CAN WE show Claire the miniature horse farm before we drive home?”
They’d just finished a picnic with Clint and his family in Luckenbach and had said goodbye to them. Though Claire knew Vic wanted to leave before nightfall, how could he refuse when he saw the excitement and pleading in his son’s eyes?
Jeremy had been acting so natural all day, you would never know he’d been through such a harrowing ordeal. Then again, he’d had his father’s and Claire’s undivided attention.
“Tell you what. Let’s finish loading the horses in the trailer, and then we’ll drive over there before heading for home. But we won’t be able to stay long.”
“You’ll love them, Claire.”
“I can’t wait. I’ve never seen a miniature horse. ”
After the horses were loaded, she got in the back of the black Dodge Ram truck so Jeremy could sit in front with his father.
“Dad met Mom there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She worked for the owner. Someone stole one of the owner’s horses, and Dad went there to find out who took it.”
Claire happened to meet Vic’s glance when he looked at her through the rearview mirror, prompting her to ask, “Did you catch the guy?”
“Yup,” Jeremy answered for his father.
“I’ll have to hear about that.”
“Tell her, Dad.”
“It wasn’t hard to track down the horse thief. He carried the new foal off in his truck in the middle of the night, but the tires left track marks. All I had to do was find out what kind of tires were mounted on that truck. I checked around at all the tire stores until I found out who’d bought tires like that. It led me to the man’s house in Fredericksburg, where I made the arrest.”
“Yup,” Jeremy cried with animation. “He said Mom was so happy when Dad brought the horse back, she started crying.”