Page 87 of Pick Your Spot

Then the doctor grinned. “Okay, serious talk over. You’re going to feel a hundred percent in a few days. You’re going to talk to each other. And now, you’re going to take me and Joe on a mini-tour of the farm.”

When Thea grinned, Knox relaxed again. Not only was he reassured that Thea was going to be fine, but they’d added a new friend to their circle.

Chapter26

Glow Worm

Two weeks later

Thea hugged Fox and ruffled his fur. The dog had added Knox to his daily routine, and he hugged him next. It was one of her favorite parts of her new life here in Vermont.

Because it was a life. A full one. One she’d never dreamed was a possibility for her. That little girl on the Merck farm learning all about soil and growing things would be shocked to know that not only had Thea managed to go to college and learn all she could about soil, but she’d found a home.

A real home. In a gorgeous old farmhouse with a man she loved more than she’d thought possible. A man with a heart as big as the world.

Knox was the steadying force in her life. The source of all the good that had come her way. He loved freely and easily, always ready to help anyone in need. Always ready to bring someone else into their circle.

With Fox at their side, they walked through the orchard and watered the compost. Even with the Worminator at work, it was important to have other sources of compost. The dead trees and plants from the property would enrich the ones that were thriving. The compost from the plants was different from that produced by the worms and the Worminator. Together, the composts would combine and help the farm thrive.

They’d cleared a few more trees from invasive plants. There were dozens and dozens of acres to go, but they’d made good headway.

After she’d put away the hose, she turned to Knox. “It’s too bad Jolie couldn’t make it for today.”

He nodded. “I know. I’d like her to meet the people who have helped us so much.”

They’d planned a Worminator party for the day. They planned to serve lunch and show off the compost facility in action. They’d even followed online directions to makedirt desserts, complete with layers of soil and gummy worms.

Ford’s truck rumbled down the lane, and they moved to help him unload the coolers of food and drinks.

Soon, the farm was filled with the people from Phail and Midnight Lake. They had met them all more than once, and they were great people. She, Tansy, Levi, and Isla had made an online chat group with Levi’s old geezer network, including Stan Phail and his buddies Mo and Paddy. It was another favorite part of her life to check in on the group chat at the end of the day. The group was creative and she loved throwing ideas around with them all. She figured Knox’s sister might like to join in as well once she was here.

When she moved to clean up some of the food, Knox materialized by her side. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Hey there, Warrior. You doing okay?”

She smiled. “I’m good. A few months ago, the size of this crowd would have overwhelmed and exhausted me.”

“And now?”

She turned to look at their friends. “Now, I’m comfortable. I know them all. They’re such good people.”

“Comfortable enough to do your Queen of the Compost speech.”

She laughed. “My what?”

He grinned. “Your Queen of the Compost speech. The entire gang is here because they’re fascinated by the Worminator. Who better to show how it all works than the Queen of Compost?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“But you love me, anyway.”

She reached up to kiss him properly. “I do. More than anything. More than I thought possible.”

He kissed her back until someone nearby whistled, making them break apart, laughing. Knox took her hand. “Let’s go show off the Worminator.”

She laughed as the group gathered around them. There were no speeches involved, but she and Knox moved through the various parts and explained how it all worked. “We’ve hooked up the current irrigation lines, so the compost concoction can be delivered straight to the roots. Most of the orchard isn’t irrigated, but we’ll work on that soon. We’ve also got a few sprayers we’ll start using when we have more compost to use. It’s good for the leaves to be exposed to the compost tea as well.”

“You mean worm-poop tea, don’t you?” Elina’s voice was laced with laughter.

Thea grinned. “I do. I don’t suggest drinking it, but the plants love it.”

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