Page 49 of Pick Your Spot

“Where are you?”

She wanted to tell him it was none of his damn business. Instead, she asked, “Why does it matter?”

“Your job is waiting for you.”

She frowned at the phone. It wasn’t as if he’d fired her. She’d quit. “Not interested.”

His fake laugh tried to ooze sincerity. “Of course you are. You know the people in the area, and you understand the land here.”

“That isn’t what you told people before.”

She could almost see him gritting his teeth while he controlled his temper. “That was a misunderstanding. There was no reason for you to walk away. The job is waiting for you.”

“Still not interested. Goodbye.”

He was sputtering when she disconnected the call.

Knox wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her in for a hug. “Asshole Andy lives up to his name.”

She choked out a laugh. “He certainly does. It’s been over a year since I quit. He’s sent a couple of emails offering the job back, but that’s the first time he called. I can’t imagine why he would think I’d have any desire to work with him again. And he’s never asked where I was before.”

Knox rubbed her shoulder. “That makes his comment about you being difficult to find very odd.”

She nodded. “It does.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened with the jerk?”

She shrugged. “Not a lot to tell aside from what you heard. I worked for him as a soil consultant. He had a business that matched farmers with consultants. Hiring an individual consultant can be expensive for small farmers, so Andy ran a business where we worked part-time with a variety of farmers.”

Knox kissed her hair. “Tell me where the asshole part comes in.”

She sighed. “He told more than one farmer that I was implementinghisideas. He took credit for everything I implemented and told one man I was lucky he continued to keep me on the payroll.”

“Yep, Asshole Andy fits.”

“He didn’t expect me to find out. However, several farmers started questioning me. They wouldn’t accept new ideas from me without his approval. Said they knew I wasn’t the expert I claimed to be. Andy had trashed my reputation.”

“And stole credit for your work. Did you sue?”

She laughed harshly. “Not a chance. It was ahe said, she saidsituation and would be difficult to prove. I quit, but no one in the area would hire me. No farmers trusted me.”

“And then you came to Vermont and found Jay?”

That brought a smile. “Yes. We met in a diner where he and some friends were debating pesticides. Jay saw me roll his eyes at one comment and next thing I knew, we were debating regenerative farming and soil. In an hour I had a new job and a new friend.”

“Why would Andy be calling you now? Why would he think you’d want to work for him again?”

She shrugged. “Good questions. He’s an arrogant man. Maybe he believes his own bullshit.”

“Or maybe it’s been an entire season without your ideas, and the farmers are realizing he’s the one who was full of crap. I wonder how his business is doing without you.”

Another shrug. “Honestly, I’ve never had any interest in looking him up. I can’t believe he would think I’d have any interest in talking to him again but I am curious as to what changed.”

Knox frowned. “You think this guy could be dangerous?”

That made her laugh. “No. He’s a self-important businessman who wants the world to think he’s amazing.”

“Sounds like he’s used to getting his way.”

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