Page 69 of Pick Your Spot

They had a paper copy of the restraining order as well as copies in their emails. Marcus would keep them up to date on any progress.

Knox tugged her hand and they moved into Phail Way Park to sit on one of the benches scattered around the park. He sat and tucked her into his side. “How are you feeling?”

She laughed but knew it didn’t sound happy. “I’m feeling about a dozen things. Marcus strikes me as an extremely capable police chief so that makes me happy. I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to track down Andy. I’m also worried that we’re all overreacting. I can’t imagine Andy doing damage to your property, so I’m worried that you’re wasting a lot of money.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “After spending time with that bodyguard firm in Boston, I’ll always want a security system in my home. It’s not a waste. It’s an investment.”

She supposed that was true. “Okay. I’ve got some savings. I’ll chip in to pay for it all because it’s mostly my fault.”

Knox cupped her cheek and gently urged her to look at him. His eyes were serious and intense. “Hey. None of this is your fault. Triple-A is a jerk. You’re not allowed to take any responsibility for his actions.”

She studied him closely, and he let her look. She didn’t see any regrets in his eyes, absolutely no sign that he was upset about the money.

Knox leaned forward and kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there while he murmured. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, Thea. Even if Gammon hadn’t shown up, one of my siblings would have mentioned it at some point. It’s a good idea.”

She leaned back and tilted her head to kiss him. “Okay. I believe you.” He was such a good man. Her feelings almost tumbled out of her mouth, but she held them back. In the middle of Phail Way Park with all the tension of the day, it wasn’t the time or place.

For a few minutes, they sat and enjoyed the peace of the park. After a bit, Knox kissed her temple. “While we’re here, why don’t we stop in to chat with Troy. He might know the names of some of our neighbors. Unless things have changed, Epic will be the one to keep track of everyone. We can maybe pick up some brownies or something to give people when we barge in and introduce ourselves.”

She laughed. His kindness was showing again. “Bribe them to like us? Good idea. Too bad we don’t have apple pies or something appropriate to the farm to hand out.”

He nodded. “Maybe one day. If things go well, we’ll have to look into finding someone who likes to bake after the harvest.”

That filled her with warmth. He was definitely making long-term plans around the farm. “It would be amazing to have a baker. I’d probably gain twenty pounds in no time.”

He grinned. “Me too, but I bet it would be worth it.”

Probably true.

Inside Phail General, they found Troy working on his laptop at the counter. He smiled as they walked in. “Hey, guys. Glad you’re getting in the habit of regular visits.”

That made Thea smile. She’d probably only been in town three or four times with Jay. She was already at that number with Knox.

No one else was in the store, so she wasn’t surprised when Knox pulled out his phone and pulled up Andy’s picture from his business’s website. “Any chance you’ve seen this guy?”

Troy straightened with the same alertness she’d seen in both Knox and Marcus. “No. I take it he’s not someone we want around?”

Thea smiled. “You’re right. We just spoke to Marcus and he’s going to ask around about him.”

“What happened? Who is he?”

She gestured for Knox to fill in his friend. Troy took his phone out. “I’m going to pull up that picture as well. You can bet I’ll call you if I see him. Have you thought about adding a security system? Sam out at Midnight Security and I have good contacts. We can come out and help you figure out what you need if you want to get a system.”

She and Knox shared a look. “Marcus suggested that.”

Troy grinned. “Great minds. Let me talk to Sam, and we’ll see when we can come out in the next day or two. Are you sticking in town for a bit?”

Knox nodded. “Going to grab something to eat at the diner if it’s still open. If not, we’ll hit the Saloon again.”

Troy checked the time. “Ginny’s still open for another hour. You’re good. If I hear from Sam, I’ll catch up with you there.”

“We’re also hoping you can tell us about the neighbors at the farm. We haven’t met anyone yet, and I’d like to fix that.”

Troy nodded. “Good idea. Go ahead and eat. I’ll just finish up the inventory and be over in a few minutes.”

That made her frown. “You don’t have to close up your store for us. We can come back.”

Troy grinned at her. “Everyone knows how to find me if they need anything. I’ll leave a sign on the door. No worries.”

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