“Look—”
“Buster, let it go. You might be his boss, but I’m yours. He might have to come to me at times.”
Buster glanced at her, then back at Wilder.
Rory held her breath, then let it out when Buster nodded.
“I get that, but I still think he should come to me first.”
“Next time, if it’s something I think you can answer, I’ll come to you,” Wilder said.
“ThinkI can answer?” Buster took a step forward.
“Just stop you two. Buster, please let it go. If that was all you needed, you can head back to the milking. Please.”
Buster looked at her, back at Wilder, and walked out.
“So, you haven’t found out anything?” she asked once Buster left.
“None of the men seem like the type to be rustlers, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to check into them. That was another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I need their full names, date of birth, and where they’re from.” He glanced at the door. “All of them.”
“I can give you that information. Come to my office, and I’ll print it out for you. Are you sure nothing is going on with you and Buster?”
“Not that I’m aware of. I guess I should have told him I was coming to the house.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She tilted her head. “So, none of the men seem suspicious to you?”
“I can’t think of any reason your men would do it. They seem to love working here, so I don’t know what’s happening. I brought new cameras with me, and I’m going to set them up. I’ll put them up higher, so they’d need a ladder to get to them. I doubt they’ll see them. Of course, I didn’t think they’d see the ones they stole.”
“I’m sorry you lost your cameras.”
“I didn’t pay for them. The department did. It’s not the first time we’ve had cameras taken. I thought I hid them better, but apparently not.”
“I see. Well, there’s a ladder in the barn you can use.”
“I’ll head to my place and get one. I don’t want anyone to see me getting a ladder.”
“You just said you didn’t suspect them.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t suspect them. I said I couldn’t think of any reason they’d do it. People do desperate things.” He shrugged. “I’m not ruling anyone out.”
“All right. Let me get their info for you. Follow me,” she said, then led him out of the kitchen, and down the hallway to her office.
She walked around her desk and took a seat. She motioned for him to sit in one of the wingback chairs in front of the desk. He removed his hat and took a seat. Damn, did he have to smell so good?
“I was told your husband passed away some years ago. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Rory smiled. “Thank you. It’s been six years.”
“You’re too young to be a widow.”
“I was only twenty-six when Clay died. It devastated me, but the farm kept me going.”
“How did he die, if you don’t mind me asking? He had to be young.”
“Twenty-nine. He was on a fishing charter in Florida when another boat hit the one he was on. All of those aboard died. I almost gave up on the farm, but I put too much time into it.”
“It’s an impressive operation you have here. I never knew so much went into dairy farming.”