Page 71 of Pick Your Spot

Her nerves were apparent in her shaky voice, but he also heard determination. He headed up the long drive and parked beside a garage that held a sign.Christmas Trees to buy and rent.

Thea cocked her head. “You can rent Christmas trees?”

Knox parked. “Apparently. We’ll have to find out more.”

Thea carried the first bakery box, and they knocked on the garage. When no one answered, they walked to the small farmhouse and up the porch. Beyond the door, a dog barked as if he couldn’t wait to meet new friends. He watched the sound help Thea relax as he knocked.

A woman’s voice reached them. “I hear it, Squirrel. Let’s see who it is.”

The door opened but only far enough for a dark-haired woman to peek out. Smart lady, not taking any chances with strangers. Her eyes moved from him to Thea and he thought he saw a spark of recognition. “Can I help you?”

Knox nodded. “Hi. I’m Knox Malssum, and this is Thea Zimmer. We’re from the apple farm across the road. We thought we’d stop by and introduce ourselves.”

The dog stuck his curly head around the woman’s legs and kept barking. He couldn’t squeeze past her legs, so he bounced in place, trying to reach them.

Thea squatted down and held out her hand. “We brought treats for your mom, but we didn’t know you were here. Next time, we’ll bring you something, too.”

Smiling, the woman reached down and patted the dog’s head, then wrapped an arm around him to keep him in place. “I wasn’t expecting anyone so he’s not wearing his collar. Squirrel might be five, but he’s still a puppy at heart. I don’t think that’ll ever change. Come on in.”

Once they were inside, the woman closed the door behind them. “Prepare yourself. He’s very enthusiastic with everyone.”

Thea laughed. “He’s fine. We love dogs.”

“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She released the dog, and he bounded the two steps toward them. His tail wagged as quickly as hummingbird wings as he bounced up to try to lick their faces.

Knox knelt down, and the dog wiggled right into him, unable to contain his happiness. Laughing, he rubbed him down. “Well, Squirrel, it’s not difficult to see how you came by your name. You’re a bouncy thing.”

He stood and took the bakery box from Thea while she repeated his moves and let the dog lick her face and dance around her.

As he was able to play with them both, the barking stopped and Sylvia heaved out a sigh of relief. “Okay, now that Squirrel has welcomed you both, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Sylvia Newberry, and I’ve owned this farm for a couple of years.”

Thea shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you and Squirrel.” The dog wound himself through their legs in dizzying figure eight patterns.

Sylvia smiled. “I’ve seen you in Phail once or twice with Jay. I didn’t know him well, but I’m sorry for your loss.”

Thea thanked her. “Knox and his family inherited the farm.”

Knox nodded. “He was my grandfather’s brother but I never met him. Didn’t even know about him before we got letters explaining the inheritance. He and my grandfather must have had a huge falling out. Now that they’re both gone, I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened.”

Sylvia grimaced. “That’s so sad. Come on back to the kitchen, and I’ll put on some tea. I don’t have coffee but there’s also some lemonade if you like.”

He ruffled the dog’s head. “Tea would be great.”

The dog led the way to the kitchen and headed straight for a water bowl.

Sylvia smiled as she put on the kettle. “Hopefully, he’s worn himself out. He’s a golden doodle but I call him a wack-a-doodle.”

Knox laughed. “That’s appropriate. He’s a happy boy.”

She nodded. “He sure is. And no one in their right mind would break into the house with him here. He won’t stop barking until he gets to meet the new people. A thief wouldn’t have a clue that all he wants to do is play.”

Thea smiled, but he could see the tension return.

He rubbed her back as they sat at the big farm table. Sylvia put out mugs and several selections of tea. “That’s another reason we dropped by. We had an unwelcome visitor at the farm this morning, and we thought you should know.”

Her eyes flicked between the two of them. “I’m sorry. Were either of you hurt?”

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