Page 29 of Pick Your Spot

How About Them Apples?

Knox needed the walk, the air, and the trees to bring his system back to ground zero. Neutral. He could do neutral. He could bring his body under control, and not race back to the tiny cabin to toss Thea onto the bed.

His steps faltered but he pressed on. He was not going straight to sex without having a first date. They wouldn’t go there tonight. As much as he wanted to, he would show restraint. Despite how attractive she was, despite the desire that crackled in the air between them.

Knox had never experienced anything like it. He’d been attracted to plenty of women over the years, but he’d never felt this level of desire before.

“What is it about her, Fox?”

The dog didn’t have an answer, but Knox figured talking it out couldn’t hurt. “She’s gorgeous. Those eyes of hers make me want to get lost in her secrets and her shadows. I think she’s had plenty of shadows in her past. I’m glad she’s had you, Fox. And Jay. If those two hard heads had figured their shit out before maybe I could have met her before. We could already be together.”

Damn, that was a nice picture.

He could see the two of them ensconced in the farmhouse. Or her cabin, although it might burst at the seams if he brought any of his own shit in there.

Knox wished he could talk to Jay. Find out why he hadn’t left the farm to Thea. She’d earned it. She’d worked with the man for over a year. Together, they’d made plans. They were going to improve the soil, improve the whole farm.

Had Jay not thought of the will? Had he not made any changes to it after Thea arrived? Probably figured he had plenty of time.

Or maybe he’d wanted Thea to meet him and his family. Was Jay a closet romantic and he’d wanted Thea to gain a family of her own?

He was pretty sure the old man wouldn’t have known that chemistry would zip between him and Thea like lightning bolts to the rods on tall buildings. Maybe he’d wanted her to have more people her own age around.

Or maybe he just wanted the farm to stay in the family.

“What do you think, Fox? Was Jay a romantic or a practical man?”

Either way, he was glad he’d met Thea. If Jay had left her the farm, Knox would have never known about it.

Even without the allure of Thea, the entire farm intrigued Knox. He liked the thought of building up something that had been let go. Not quite starting from scratch but building. Making things better. Improving the place with new knowledge and new techniques.

Or old techniques. With new knowledge incorporated. It was exciting.

He studied the land, the trees, and the buildings as he closed in on the farmhouse. It stirred something in him. Had from the moment he’d read the letter from the lawyer.

He’d earned a business degree and spent almost a decade in the army. Worked as a bodyguard. He was proud of all he’d accomplished. He’d learned so much from the experiences.

But nothing had stirred his excitement and his curiosity like this farm.

Apples of all things.

“How about them apples, Fox? Who would have thought it would be apples that made me want to settle down?”

He looked around, but the dog was gone. Loped off into another section of the orchard.

When he neared the farmhouse, he slowed to study things with a practical eye like Burke would do. Although he and Burke shared a degree in business, Knox didn’t breathe the stuff. Burke did, and he would be the most difficult to convince.

The to-do list would be overwhelming but it would be a good place to start. Along with a pros and cons list.

He could divide the To Do list into sections. Immediate needs. Next steps. Wants. Ideas for growth.

Hell, he could even make a three-year plan. And a ten-year overview. Those would help convince everyone, including himself, that the farm was a viable option not only for Knox but for them all.

Lawson for the machinery. While he loved his job as a mechanic, Knox knew he wanted more. Restoring old vehicles was his passion. This job would leave him time for that. There had to be space in the machinery barn for him to have a section where he could work on his own projects.

Jolie would love the pond and improving the biodiversity of the land with Thea. He’d bet the two of them could concoct plans to save the environment in ways he couldn’t even imagine. It would be exciting to see those two team up.

As always, Amber was tough to read. She’d always been the quietest of the five. When they’d moved in with Fox, she’d taken it upon herself to take care of the home, to reduce the burden on the old man.

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