Page 2 of Pick Your Spot

More porches gave this one a friendly vibe. More gardens around the side and the back. Jolie liked plants. Hell, her degrees in environmental sciences meant she’d probably salivate over the amount of potential in this place. Jolie was big on potential. So far, this place had loads of it.

He hoped that potential would lure them all in. On a farm, there was always a ton of machinery to fix. Lawson was a whiz with engines. He loved working on cars, but he’d always wanted his own business. Which was expensive back in Boston.

Would fixing tractors, harvesting machines, and whatever else was involved here be enough to lure him in? Knox would make sure it was.

Burke might pretend he wanted to sell, but the man loved numbers. He could crunch them to his heart’s content here. Inventory. Reducing debts. Cost-effectiveness of any changes they’d want to make. Productivity. That would still leave him time to keep up with some of his other accounts. Would he be able to keep those if he left his company? Did Burke want the independence of running his own accounts? More questions to ask.

Growing up with Fox, they’d all learned to like questions. The man had rarely offered solutions, and always asked questions until they came up with those solutions on their own. For a grumpy old fart, he’d been a fantastic grandfather.

Knox rubbed his heart. He missed him so damn much. The ridiculous sayings, the pretend scowls, the dramatic sighs. And the hidden heart of gold.

With a sigh, Knox turned to the roads leading to the back part of the land. The orchard itself.

Despite his research, he didn’t really know what he was looking for. Other than answers to life’s big questions. As an adult, he’d never fit anywhere. Could he find his place here?

Feeling hopeful for the first time in far too long, Knox turned his feet and attention to the orchard. He’d walk the land to see if he could find any answers hidden there.

Thea Zimmer dragged the large branch another few steps, then stopped to breathe. It would be far easier with the chainsaw and other tools Jay had locked away in the barns, but she wasn’t breaking into the old man’s buildings.

Even though she’d thought he’d leave her that right, along with at least part control of the farm. Instead, she had nothing. Almost literally.

She brushed aside the hurt and drew in the spring air. It was different from where she’d grown up in Iowa. Nope. Not thinking about Iowa or Asshole Andy or his most recent job offer either. She’d never work for the jerk again.

She was living in the present and the future, not the past.

Although the present and the future were as unsettled as the past. Maybe more so.

After Jay Malssum’s heart attack and subsequent death, the good life she’d been building here was at risk. The lawyer wouldn’t tell her much, only that the land and business had been left to Jay’s family.

What family?

Her friend had never mentioned them. Not once in the year she’d been here.

She’d stumbled onto Jay’s farm when she’d heard a group of old men grousing about how their lands were dying. The soil wasn’t what it used to be.

She’d snorted. Of course it wasn’t. There was so much pollution in the air. People dumped all kinds of things into the water that shouldn’t be there. Chemical pesticides which eliminated the natural biodiversity that allowed plants to thrive.

Unable to help herself, Thea had been drawn into a fascinating—and sometimes loud—discussion with the old-timers. One thing had led to another, and she’d found herself with a job working for Jay Malssum.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a regular job. But it was a safe place to live, all the food she could eat, work she loved, and a cranky old man to discuss life’s big questions with.

Jay had lived up to the ornery reputation he’d earned, but he’d had a streak of sarcasm she loved, and he’d been full of ridiculous sayings that cracked her up.

Thea had never known grandparents, or parents for that matter, but she couldn’t have had a better grandfather than Jay.

His gruff exterior had hidden a softer heart than she’d expected and a sharp mind. One that had been intrigued by her new-fangled ideas.

When she’d told him they were actually old-fangled ideas, he’d cackled.

She missed the old bugger.

And she wondered about this family of his. Who were they? What were they planning to do with her land?

Not hers. Theirs.

Would they kick her out of the tiny cabin Jay had let her use? The lawyer had told her she could stay until they arrived and made decisions about the property. Would she be homeless again?

If she was, she’d handle it. Her bank account wasn’t empty. She’d saved most of the money she’d earned in Iowa. And while Jay always said he didn’t have a pot to piss in, he’d paid her regularly. Not a lot, but something every month.

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