Page 14 of Two Hearts' Christmas Homecoming

“Bath time,” Amy said, grinning.

He sat up quickly. “Really?”

“Sure. We have to walk up a bunch of stairs though.”

When Caleb scrambled off the couch, Amy took his hand and walked him through the room toward the box they’d left near the door.

“Let’s grab your box of toys, and then we can stop off at my bathroom so I can fetch a new bottle of bubble bath from underneath the sink,” Amy said, letting go of his hand.

Caleb looked so excited that even Lex couldn’t help smiling.

“What a sweet kid,” Jake said softly, looking concerned. “I’m afraid I might have some bad news, boys. Gabe, can you get the projection going from your laptop onto the TV screen out here? It would probably be easier for us to see the property on your big screen since it’s getting dark.”

Standing, Dad walked through the room, reaching for the laptop resting on the desk in the seating area near Mom. “Put the TV on screenshare, will you Luce?”

“Sure,” she answered, picking up the controller to change the settings before positioning the big screen away from the wall on its mount so that everyone in the room could view it.

Bringing the laptop over to the table, Gabe powered it on, going online. “What’s the web address Jake?”

Jake shoved a piece of paper over to Gabe, and he copied it into the browser before projecting the website on TV.

“Oh, no,” Zane groaned, staring at the charred remains of the barn as it appeared onscreen. “That’s where we were living alright. I recognize the iron gate that he just walked through. The barn was way beyond the house, and you couldn’t see it from the gate during the summer. But it’s definitely gone.”

They watched as the person who was live streaming the feed walked onto the property, moving into position to show an alternate panoramic view with another camera. The other images would appear online shortly.

“I did some checking before coming out here,” the cameraman said. “Apparently, there was a fire here approximately two months ago. It was definitely arson.”

“Thanks, Aaron,” Jake said into the phone. “We’d better get a team on it right away, although I’m willing to bet that there’s nothing much to find.”

“You’ve got it, boss. I’ll have them here tomorrow morning.”

Jake continued, “See if you can get a name on the owner too, although I’m willing to bet that you’ll find some dummy corporation on the title. Maybe check with some of the neighbors if that’s the case.”

Lex heaved a sigh. “That’s the place alright. Sometimes we worked in the fields, but each of us was watched like a hawk.”

“It looks like the house is gone too,” Zane said, looking dejected. “I wonder if everyone is safe?”

“At this point, I think I’m worried most about the three of you,” Gabe muttered. “Let’s go through some mug shots this upcoming week. We can even do it online.”

Lex was looking at all the equipment curiously. “I’d sure like to learn how to use all of this stuff. I can’t believe how electronics have changed so much since the last time I got on a computer.”

“How long ago was that?” Jake asked, sitting back down as Gabe continued watching the feed.

“Probably ten years. It’s hard for me to remember,” Lex replied.

“If you’re really interested, I’ll see what I can do,” Jake replied.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to learn,” Lex responded, turning away.

“I think I understand,” Jake said after studying him for a moment. “But let’s not let that discourage you. We can talk about it next week. Gabe and I are going to have to get you two boys caught up with your schooling.”

“Yeah,” Lex said glumly. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Don’t be, son,” Jake said gently. “It’s never too late. I promise.”

Lex was still doubting as he nodded his agreement.

Jake turned back to Gabe. “Are you saving that feed, Gabe?”

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