Page 62 of Pick Your Spot

Then he connected the call and placed the phone against a canister so they would both be on the screen.

Jolie connected first with her big smile. “Hi, you must be Thea. It’s so great to meet you.”

Thea barely had time to respond before Lawson and Burke connected. They both greeted her with smiles before an empty space connected.

“Amber.” The four other siblings said her name in unison and with their complaints audible.

Thea stifled a laugh as she heard the fifth sibling chuckle. “Sorry, everyone. Soon. I promise.”

Burke scowled. “Pretty sure you said that last time.”

“I know, I know. I’ve been busy, but I’ll get to it.”

Knox shook his head, a frown visible on his face. He was worried about his sister, and Thea hoped the woman’s reason for not getting a phone was true.

Knox sighed. “Well, I’d like to introduce you all to Thea Zimmer. Jolie, Lawson, Burke, and the blank square.”

Amber sighed audibly. “I really am sorry. I’ll make time for it before the next call. It’s nice to meet you, Thea.”

Thea swallowed hard. “It’s nice to meet everyone. I’ve heard so much about all of you.”

All the eyes shifted to Knox, making her laugh. “All good, I promise.”

Jolie grinned. “There’s only good to say about most of us, anyway.”

There were immediate protests to her use of the word “most.” Thea’s nerves lessened with the friendly ribbing and smiles.

Burke turned his attention to Knox. “Tell us what’s new with the farm.”

Knox nodded. “I’m learning a lot. We took a tour of the grounds on an ATV the other day. Even though a lot of the orchard isn’t in prime condition, the trees are healthy and we should be able to get a decent harvest. Enough to earn a little. I’m hoping to figure out how to harvest and sell the apples when the time comes, but I’ve been too busy learning the process and helping Thea with the trees.”

Lawson nodded. “Did you order a Worminator? And I can’t believe I’m using that word as if I know what I’m talking about.”

Thea laughed at his exaggerated eye roll. So far, he reminded her a lot of Knox.

Knox nodded. “Ordered. It should be here in less than a week. I talked to Ford, and he’s considering joining us. Thea drove me around on the ATV so I could video chat with him and let him see the place.”

Jolie grinned. “That’s a great idea. I’d like to see it that way, too.”

The others nodded. Knox raised his eyebrows at Thea, then turned back to the screen. “Do you want to do it now?”

They all agreed. She and Knox had left the ATV beside the porch, hoping for this opportunity. Once they were on board she drove up to the top of the driveway so they could get an overview. Like they had with Ford, they stopped at all the buildings, and she shut off the machine so they could talk and ask questions.

Although Amber couldn’t see the places, the reactions of the others were comforting. They enjoyed the scenery and exclaimed over the size of the property.

When they stopped at the compost piles, Knox spoke again. “This is where the famous Worminator will live. We’ve got electricity and hydro up to this point of the farm. The back half has neither.”

Burke frowned. “Don’t the trees need both to thrive?”

Knox gestured for her to answer. “Not necessarily. People ran apple orchards long before the invention of electricity, although they were a lot smaller then. From what Jay told me, the last owners only focused on the front part of the farm. The trees in the back are still producing apples but they won’t be as high in quality or quantity as the happier trees.”

Burke nodded. “Do they only rely on rainfall for water?”

Thea nodded. “For now. Jay and I had planned to add an irrigation system using the natural pond that’s further back. The pond is currently stagnant and needs a ton of work before it’s ready for irrigation, though.” She wasn’t going to hide the truth from these people.

Jolie clapped her hands. “Okay. I’m in. I’m all in. That pond is mine. I’m in charge of bringing it back to life.”

Everyone grinned at her enthusiasm. Burke asked. “What about your job, Jolie? Are you really quitting?”

---