someone.
"I'm Harry Jones," he said with a smile. I've come to Shady Oaks to see if I could find my niece."
"Ah," Charlie said with a grin. "I know who you remind me of now; you're here for Bitsy, aren't you?"
Harry nodded. "I sure am, is she all right? Her parents made it to our place, but we ran into problems and unfortunately I'm all she has left in the world now."
Charlie returned the nod solemnly. "Sorry to hear of your loss, but yes - Bitsy's fine. She's quite the firecracker and had to manage on her own until we found her or as she tells it, she found us."
"She's been staying with my wife and I," Mick interjected. "We've really enjoyed having her around. Right now she and her friend Travis are at one of the farms fetching eggs; she'll be thrilled to see you."
Charlie glanced down the hill; several people were headed their way. "Looks like the welcoming committee is almost here." He glanced back at Harry. "Please feel free to stay here for as long as you need, I'm sure you and Bitsy need some time together. We'll make sure someone keeps an eye on the chopper for you."
With a quick glance at Charlie, Mick said, "We were on our way to check on some things, we'll make sure someone gets you over to my place where you can wait for Bitsy."
"Thank you," Harry replied. "I need to secure the chopper first, so if you'll excuse me."
Both men watched Harry for a moment until he was out of earshot.
"I see Judith leading the pack, so I'm going to ask her to escort him over to your place," Charlie said in a low voice. "Then let's get out of here."
"Okay, I don't see Cindy, she must have stayed behind. I'll get back in the truck and maybe after you talk to Judith we can make our break."
"Sounds good to me," Charlie said. Mick headed for the truck as Charlie went to greet Judith and the others. He was excited about Harry Jones appearing literally out of nowhere with a helicopter, which could turn out to be something they could really use, but he was beginning to feel frustrated by all the delays.
Charlie introduced everyone to Harry then quickly said goodbye again to Judith before trotting over to the truck and hopping in.
"Phew," he said as he reached over and started the truck. He looked in the rear view mirror. “They're swarming the poor guy," he said with a chuckle as he slowly pulled away from the curb.
Mick turned to watch for a moment before turning back to Charlie and grinning. "Harry is probably wondering what he got himself into."
"He'll find out soon enough."
"What do you think his plans are? If he stays at Shady Oaks, that helicopter could sure come in handy."
Charlie reached the road leading up to the meadow and turned. "Guess we'll find out soon enough," he replied. He pointed to a spot ahead. "Sorry, to change the subject, but see that big tree? Let's stop there and go over what we have and what we're going to do once we get up there so we'll be ready."
Mick nodded. "Sure thing, we definitely do need some kind of plan."
Chapter Six
"I can't believe so many people take this hike," Charlie huffed. He glanced up at the tree-lined, meandering deer trail they walked on. He waved a hand in the air. "Okay, time for a break."
Mick spotted a fallen log and headed directly for it. He sat on one end, sighed loudly, and wiped the sweat from his brow with the bottom of his shirt. "Good timing, I was about spent," he managed to say. He quickly swung his canteen around and took a long drink.
Charlie sat down next to him and took a swig from his canteen. "Cold still, oh man that's good," he said with a chuckle. He took another drink and wiped his mouth. He watched Mick take a drink and pointed his canteen toward the path.
"See where the trail turns?" At Mick's nod he continued. "If I read the map correctly, right past that bend we should come across the meadow, so we'll have to stay within the tree line once it starts to open up."
"Do you think we'll run into the boys?" Mick asked as he screwed the
"I'm Harry Jones," he said with a smile. I've come to Shady Oaks to see if I could find my niece."
"Ah," Charlie said with a grin. "I know who you remind me of now; you're here for Bitsy, aren't you?"
Harry nodded. "I sure am, is she all right? Her parents made it to our place, but we ran into problems and unfortunately I'm all she has left in the world now."
Charlie returned the nod solemnly. "Sorry to hear of your loss, but yes - Bitsy's fine. She's quite the firecracker and had to manage on her own until we found her or as she tells it, she found us."
"She's been staying with my wife and I," Mick interjected. "We've really enjoyed having her around. Right now she and her friend Travis are at one of the farms fetching eggs; she'll be thrilled to see you."
Charlie glanced down the hill; several people were headed their way. "Looks like the welcoming committee is almost here." He glanced back at Harry. "Please feel free to stay here for as long as you need, I'm sure you and Bitsy need some time together. We'll make sure someone keeps an eye on the chopper for you."
With a quick glance at Charlie, Mick said, "We were on our way to check on some things, we'll make sure someone gets you over to my place where you can wait for Bitsy."
"Thank you," Harry replied. "I need to secure the chopper first, so if you'll excuse me."
Both men watched Harry for a moment until he was out of earshot.
"I see Judith leading the pack, so I'm going to ask her to escort him over to your place," Charlie said in a low voice. "Then let's get out of here."
"Okay, I don't see Cindy, she must have stayed behind. I'll get back in the truck and maybe after you talk to Judith we can make our break."
"Sounds good to me," Charlie said. Mick headed for the truck as Charlie went to greet Judith and the others. He was excited about Harry Jones appearing literally out of nowhere with a helicopter, which could turn out to be something they could really use, but he was beginning to feel frustrated by all the delays.
Charlie introduced everyone to Harry then quickly said goodbye again to Judith before trotting over to the truck and hopping in.
"Phew," he said as he reached over and started the truck. He looked in the rear view mirror. “They're swarming the poor guy," he said with a chuckle as he slowly pulled away from the curb.
Mick turned to watch for a moment before turning back to Charlie and grinning. "Harry is probably wondering what he got himself into."
"He'll find out soon enough."
"What do you think his plans are? If he stays at Shady Oaks, that helicopter could sure come in handy."
Charlie reached the road leading up to the meadow and turned. "Guess we'll find out soon enough," he replied. He pointed to a spot ahead. "Sorry, to change the subject, but see that big tree? Let's stop there and go over what we have and what we're going to do once we get up there so we'll be ready."
Mick nodded. "Sure thing, we definitely do need some kind of plan."
Chapter Six
"I can't believe so many people take this hike," Charlie huffed. He glanced up at the tree-lined, meandering deer trail they walked on. He waved a hand in the air. "Okay, time for a break."
Mick spotted a fallen log and headed directly for it. He sat on one end, sighed loudly, and wiped the sweat from his brow with the bottom of his shirt. "Good timing, I was about spent," he managed to say. He quickly swung his canteen around and took a long drink.
Charlie sat down next to him and took a swig from his canteen. "Cold still, oh man that's good," he said with a chuckle. He took another drink and wiped his mouth. He watched Mick take a drink and pointed his canteen toward the path.
"See where the trail turns?" At Mick's nod he continued. "If I read the map correctly, right past that bend we should come across the meadow, so we'll have to stay within the tree line once it starts to open up."
"Do you think we'll run into the boys?" Mick asked as he screwed the