Page 50 of Pick Your Spot

“Maybe, but he’s not getting it this time.”

“He wants something from you. If you get a dangerous vibe from him, will you let me know?”

She nodded. “Of course, but Asshole Andy might be arrogant but he’s not dangerous.”

Knox kissed her hair. “Okay. Now let’s choose our Worminator.”

Chapter15

Early Bird Gets The Worm

Knox’s natural instincts were to protect. Those instincts had been honed in the army and his time as a bodyguard.

He wanted to hunt down Asshole Andy and kick his ass for ruining Thea’s last job and her reputation. She’d had a lot of loss. It was apparent in the facts he could see. She lived in a tiny cabin without a lot of amenities. Her lack of a car. Or family. Even friends.

He wanted to protect her, even though she was perfectly capable of defending herself. If Asshole Andy hadn’t lived up to his name, they might never have met.

Still, he wanted to kick his ass.

More, he wanted to add Thea to his closest circle. Pull her into a world with his family and friends. She hadn’t expected Troy to know her when they’d gone into Phail. She expected no one to notice. Which made his heart ache.

He also wanted to keep her safe. Asshole Andy wasn’t getting near her. Knox would stand beside her and help her shut the jerk down. If that didn’t work, he was prepared to make sure he got the message.

He’d be protective in any circumstance, but he was falling for Thea, so he was damn sure going to keep her safe. Emotionally and physically. Asshole Andy didn’t know it yet, but Thea wasn’t alone or vulnerable. If Knox’s instincts were right, and the man felt like he needed Thea in order to get his reputation back, he was going to learn differently.

It didn’t sound like the asshole knew where she was. It also didn’t sound like he had the skills to search for her phone’s location online.

Knox mulled things over as they found a Worminator that would fit the size of the farm. Prices ranged, but they decided on one of the better ones. One with excellent reviews. It had been the first bookmark on Thea’s phone, and Knox had seen it circled in Jay’s catalog beside his recliner.

“It’s a lot of money.”

He shrugged. “It is. I expect it’s a bitch to put together, too. I’m going to give Dodge a call tonight. We’re going to need help with this and all the other renovations this place needs. Especially if I can talk Amber into turning the other farmhouse into a B&B. There’s no rush for that because we won’t have anything to really show off on the farm until next year. But there’s a ton of work for Ford as is.”

Thea’s voice was reverent. “We’re really doing this.”

He laughed. “We are. We’ve got six months to prove to the others that not only is the farm viable but that it’s the right place for everyone. I’m betting they’ll all be onboard before that six months is up.”

“Are you always this optimistic?”

That brought on another laugh. “Pretty much. I’d rather go through life believing in the best than the worst. It’s a hell of a lot more fun that way. Besides, it kind of drives Burke nuts. He needs more fun in his life, and I’m determined to help him find it.”

“You’re a good brother.”

The wistfulness in her tone had him pulling her in for a hug. “I wish you’d had a family growing up. You’re going to love mine, and they’re going to love you.”

And look at him, throwing the love word around as if it wasn’t rocketing around in his soul.

Thea didn’t say anything, and he wondered if he was pushing too far, too fast. Time to slow it down. Or change direction. “How about we go into Phail for lunch after we get the Worminator ordered? I want to get some extra keys cut for Dodge and my family. I’d like to get a better lay of the surrounding land, too. I don’t even know if we have neighbors, and if we do, I don’t know who they are.”

Thea chuckled. “I can’t help much with that. Jay wasn’t social and didn’t talk much about neighbors. I think something happened between him and one of the women who lives somewhere nearby. It was before my time, but he sometimes groused about who he called a miserable old biddy. Never found out her name or what happened to annoy him so much.”

Knox grinned. “Fox liked to throw around the old biddy phrase sometimes too. He wasn’t nearly as polite about the men he didn’t like.”

It bothered Knox that Thea didn’t even know the neighbors. She had a few acquaintances in Phail but no one to call a friend. She’d been almost completely isolated on this farm, and he wanted to help her change that. Knox hoped Jolie would arrive sooner than later. The two women had so much in common that he was sure they were going to get along.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Thea kept reminiscing. “Jay did have a few men he chatted with in Phail. Stan owned an apple farm when he was younger but I don’t remember the others. They were always willing to give Jay advice.”

“If it was good advice, we should try to find them. We can use all the help we can get.”

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