Page 37 of Misadventures Of A Single Mom

“I checked it, too,” the Colonel said. “It was hooked up just like it’s supposed to be.”

I looked at him, surprised. He smiled at me. “I like to make sure everyone’s safe.”

I smiled back.

“Then how? If the hitch didn’t hold, the chain would have caught the camper and kept it from rolling away. Besides, the front jack would have hit the ground and just dragged. There’s no way anyone could miss that. The sound would have been terrible and sparks probably would have shot up in the air.”

“The wheel jack was down,” I said. I poked at the remainder of my Jell-O. “When the tow truck pulled it out of the creek, it was down, not up like it’s supposed to be for travel.”

Ty sat forward in his chair, placed his arms on the table, gazed at me with a new intensity. “Are you telling me someone tampered with the camper?”

“Looks that way,” Goldie added. She’d been unusually quiet since the incident. It was a treat to have her off my back, but I could live without the reason why. “We stopped to fish at the bend above the beaver dam. We were all down by the water for close to an hour. It could have happened there.”

“I didn’t see a thing. I fell asleep,” I told Ty.

“Let me get this straight. Someone disconnected the safety chain and unlatched the hitch so it would come loose around one of the turns or over a bump. They lowered the wheel jack so that when it did come loose, it wouldn’t tip over, but ride on three wheels, at least for a little way.”

I nodded.

“The question is: Why?” added the Colonel. He looked between me and Ty. He was a smart man. He’d been to war. He knew when things had been left out. People didn’t just sabotage a camper for the hell of it.

I glanced at Ty. He grimaced, nodded his head but stayed quiet.

“In this particular case, someone wanted to scare me, but I think someone is trying to kill me.”

I related allthat had happened over the past week, sharing the details about the gnomes, the vial, Morty Moore, the explosion, the convenience store holdup and the derby car. No one said a word. Goldie’s mouth clamped tighter and tighter as I went on until her lips were barely visible. Paul remained quiet. Most likely contemplating all the details.

“The only thing that doesn’t fit is the convenience store robbery. That was happenstance, although I have to say you have a knack for finding trouble,” said the Colonel.

Ty looked at me as if he wanted to say,I told you so.

“Everything that’s happened up until today has all been directed at you,” Paul pointed out. “Your gnomes, your doorstep, your camper. Even the derby car. Ty was there too, but he aimed for you.”

“At work today, I had time to check with the fairgrounds and friends with the police.” Ty scraped smears of yellow on the plate with his spoon. “A derby car was stolen from the ready area. A driver was pistol whipped and left behind a hay bale.”

“Is he going to be all right?” I asked, alarmed. It only confirmed it hadn’t been an accident. It also confirmed whoever wanted me harmed was serious, hurting some innocent person like that. Besides me, that is.

“Just got his clocked cleaned. Concussion. He’ll be fine in a few days.”

“Unlike the derby car, the camper today seems more like a warning. Like someone’s trying to tell you they’re watching you,” said the Colonel.

I didn’t like the thought. Someone had been there in the canyon, following us. Watching us. Not just me but Goldie, theboys, the Colonel. My family. They’d seen me napping, and then messed with my camper.

“Exactly,” Paul continued. “It wasn’t meant to kill you, just shake you up. To make you know their intentions. Thankfully, no one was driving the other way and got hit.”

“The boys,” Goldie said, her voice rough.

Just what I’d been thinking. I hadn’t decided what to do with them yet, but I knew they needed to be somewhere safe, somewhere away from me. And that ripped my heart out, knowing we had to separate. I hadn’t been away from them for more than a day or two since they were born. The farthest I’d ventured was to an adult merchandise convention in Vegas with Goldie when Bobby was one.

“The boys were in the car. That’s where I draw the line. We need them away from here until all this is settled,” Paul added.

“I’ll take them to your mom’s. The boys will think it’s an adventure and you know she’ll be thrilled to have them. She’s coming next month anyway so we’ll bring them back then,” suggested the Colonel.

Relief washed over me at the idea. In Georgia, they couldn’t get any further from the danger. “Thanks, Colonel. It’s a great idea. And reassuring. I’ll feel better knowing they’re with Mom. And you.”

“I’ve wanted an excuse to get down there. And stay.” A small smile played about his lips. Maybe a few weeks with my mom could move their romance along. “Now I’ve got one.” The Colonel patted my hand again. “Get the boys packed up. We’ll fly out tomorrow.”

Ty and Iwere sitting on the couch in my living room watching TV, although I didn’t think either one of us was absorbing anything about the ballgame. I didn’t even know which team was ahead. I didn’t even like baseball. But I did like sitting near Ty. Over a foot of empty couch separated us, but felt like a mile. I knew if I crossed the line, I’d never go back. Figuratively and literally. Ty probably had the same thought, so we kept the No Man’s Land there between us. For now.

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