Page 48 of Pick Your Spot

“Keep your mind out of the gutter and on the compost, Thea.”

She laughed, something she was doing often. “It’s all your fault. You’re too sexy standing there stirring up dirt.”

They were still laughing and teasing when they reached the farmhouse an hour later. Sexy banter with a drool-worthy man. Who would have thought she was even capable of that? Certainly not her.

“I’ll make some coffee, and we can sit out here on the porch to research Worminators. I’m going to guess you already have opinions.”

She nodded. “Strong opinions. And don’t forget to keep the coffee grounds. We’ll add them to the compost piles.”

“Always with your mind in the compost.”

Soon they sat side by side with his laptop in front of them. She pulled up her bookmarked tabs on her phone, and he opened them on the laptop to look them over.

When he didn’t swear or pass out at the prices, she relaxed a bit. “I know they’re expensive.”

He shrugged. “Most investments are. You can’t make money in a business without investments. Good equipment is always worth the cost. If you buy cheap stuff, you end up having to fix it or buy new. Better to start off the right way. Even Burke would tell you it’s a cheaper option in the long run.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Now, that’s some sexy talk.”

He burst out laughing and turned to kiss her. Of course, her body reacted predictably and she melted in only moments.

When Knox pulled back, he grinned at her. “I like being able to do that.”

She nodded. “Me too.”

With a sigh, he turned back to the laptop. “We should be responsible adults for a while. The sooner we get your Worminator ordered, the sooner we’ll be on our way to profit and convincing my family to live here.”

“Do you think they’ll be happy here? It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere.”

He nodded. “We grew up in small towns. For business and career reasons, we’ve mostly moved to big cities but we all like the quieter life. With Phail and some other towns close by, we’re not truly isolated. Not when we have vehicles.”

Then he frowned at her. “I’m sorry you were alone here without access to a vehicle or keys to the buildings. The lawyer never mentioned you lived on the property. I’m sure that’s not what Jay wanted.”

She sighed. “I miss him so much. He was a good friend. I don’t think he thought much about dying. He was healthy and probably expected to have many years ahead of him. The heart attack was a surprise because he’d never had heart issues that I knew about. He never mentioned taking medication.”

Knox shook his head softly. “It amazes me how alike he and Fox were. I wish they’d figured their shit out before the end.”

She nodded. “There are a lot of signs proving that Jay wished things had turned out differently, but I don’t know if he ever made any effort to contact his brother.”

Knox frowned. “I’m determined that’s not going to happen to my family. We’re still in contact with each other, and I can’t imagine that being different, but I want us closer. Even if I can’t convince them all to live here, owning the farm together is a strong connection. It gives as a reason to get together and have conversations. We’re not going to drift apart like Fox and Jay.”

She squeezed his hand. “I don’t think you will. Even without the farm, you’ve got strong bonds with each other. You’re going to make it work. You’re not going to lose each other.”

He kissed her lightly. “Thanks. Your belief helps. And we’re going to make kickass improvements to the farm to help with that.”

They were deep into comparing Worminators when her phone rang. It took her a moment to realize what the noise was. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a phone call.

Her phone rested on the table and the name of the caller flashed across the screen making her stomach tighten.

Knox’s voice was hard and angry when he demanded. “Who the hell is Asshole Andy and do I need to kick his ass?”

Maybe she should have changed the name she’d assigned her former boss, but it was a perfect fit. She took a deep breath and patted Knox’s arm. She considered ignoring the call, but curiosity compelled her to find out what he wanted. It had been months since his last email and he’d never called before. “I’ll tell you in a minute.”

Then she answered the phone and put it on speaker. She didn’t want any secrets from the man beside her. “Hello.”

“You’re a difficult woman to find.”

Well, that was weird. She hadn’t had any missed calls and he’d never asked her location in the emails. Not that she would have answered him. Instead of responding, she waited to see what else he would say. She didn’t have to wait long.

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