Page 85 of Pick Your Spot

He lifted her hand to kiss it. “He’ll never bother us again.”

She loved that he saidusand notyou. They were a team, and if she was in trouble, he took it on as his problem, too. Just like she would for him.

The rains of the previous night had left the ground wet and happy. Drops sparkled on the leaves from the late-morning sun. “It’s perfect.”

He squeezed her hand. “It is.”

As they moved deeper into the trees, Fox barked and loped toward them. Knox chuckled, knowing it was their first greeting of the day. “I’ll brace you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her steady as the Great Pyrenees neared. As if sensing her injuries, again, the dog slowed and then reached up to gently wrap her in his hug. His compassion had tears misting in her eyes. “Thanks, Fox. You helped Knox find me last night. You’re my oldest friend, buddy, and I love you, too.”

She held on tightly to the dog until he wiggled down.

Knox squeezed her again, then stepped back.

To Thea’s surprise, Fox turned to Knox and hopped up to put his forefeet on the man’s shoulders. He licked his face and then leaned into the same kind of hug he gave Thea.

She’d never seen him do this with anyone else, and the love in the gesture had her eyes misting again.

Knox closed his eyes, and hugged the dog, whispering his thanks for his help as well. When Fox wriggled free, Thea walked into Knox’s arms and hugged him hard. He squeezed her back, and Fox nuzzled his nose between them to be included.

When she’d swallowed the emotion, she stepped back and rubbed Fox’s head. “Thanks, Fox.”

Knox’s voice was thick and husky when he repeated her words.

Then he took her hand again, and the three of them walked deeper into the orchard.

Marcus used Thea’s cabin in the middle of the orchard to take their statements. Knox was glad when Thea agreed to have him stay for her interview. He wasn’t going to be comfortable with her out of his sight for a long while.

It didn’t take long to find that Marcus’s quiet style had them both remembering little things they might not have without his prompting.

Thea nodded when he questioned her about the initial attack. “I was mostly thinking how nice it was to have friends who were willing to help despite the rain while I returned the equipment to the shed. I’d already put the sticks away and I was winding up the hose, but I hadn’t touched the shovel. Hadn’t seen it while I was cleaning up.”

Marcus nodded grimly. “I suspect he used the shovel to hit you on the head.”

Anger coiled in Knox’s gut. “Coward. Waited until her back was turned, and she had nothing to defend herself with. He could easily have killed her.”

Marcus nodded. “Agreed on all counts. From our work session yesterday, I suspect no one regularly goes behind the shed. Only those with a specific purpose. The boot prints are deeper there, indicating he waited a while for his opportunity.”

Thea sighed heavily. “And I gave it to him. I wasn’t careful enough.”

Knox hugged her into his side as Marcus smiled. “You were human. It had been a few days without contact. You were surrounded by friends. And the rain caused a bit of chaos. That was probably the bit of luck he needed. Everyone was focused on cleanup. None of us were thinking about Gammon.”

Knox agreed. “I hate to admit he didn’t cross my mind much yesterday. With the excitement of the Worminator, I got preoccupied, too.”

She looked up at him with those gorgeous, deep eyes. “It’s not your fault. Not at all.”

Marcus leaned in. “The entire fault lies at Gammon’s feet. He’s the only one to blame in this situation. Don’t waste any time or energy blaming yourselves. He’s locked up, and you have better things to think about.”

Thea frowned. “Is he in Phail Jail?”

“He is. He won’t be alone in the building. One of the deputies is with him now. If I’m late getting back, the other will take over. He’s secured, and you don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay. What happens next?”

Marcus leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been in contact with the authorities in Iowa and with the FBI.”

He and Thea shared a look. “The FBI?”

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