Chapter 13 Building Up Speed
Building Up Speed
Lawson grinned as Dani swung their joined hands. They’d woken with the sun, made love again, and were now returning to her cottage.
When she danced as they walked, he laughed. She joined in and then bounced up on her toes to kiss him. “I like being able to do that.”
He twirled her in a dance spin and tugged her back into his chest. Then he kissed her deeply. “Me too.”
No sedan awaited them at the cottage. Once she unlocked the door, she headed straight for Bibi’s food and water bowls while he locked up behind them.
Then she glanced at the counter where she’d left her phone. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but then she shook her head and turned to grab his hand. “I think the shower’s big enough for both of us.”
Lawson didn’t blame her for wanting to avoid her family drama for a few more minutes. He approved of the bubble they’d wrapped around themselves. They would deal with the real world when they had to.
For now, they’d have some shower fun. He’d have to run home for some fresh clothes, but that could wait.
Everything could wait.
The shower wasn’t big enough for two, but they made it work, almost laughing themselves silly until the laughter turned to moans and desperate gasps for more.
He sent her flying twice before grabbing another condom. At this rate, he’d need to get another box.
It was a hell of a good problem to have.
A peek outside showed no sedan yet. “Want to head over to the farm with me? I can grab some fresh clothes and catch up on whatever’s happening. Maybe we can snag everyone at breakfast.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she worried that bottom lip, but her eyes danced. “Okay.”
It would be obvious they’d spent the night together. Maybe not as obvious that they’d slept together.
Dani had told Jolie and Ford the basics of the issue with her family. Not all the details, but enough for them to know she was worried. None of them would be shocked Lawson had stayed the night to keep her safe.
He would have stayed for that, but he much preferred how the night had turned out.
Realizing he’d been grinning almost nonstop since waking, he figured it would be obvious to everyone they’d slept together. Not that anyone would bug Dani about it. However, he’d be fair game for his buddies when they were alone.
Which didn’t worry him in the least. It was what they all did.
Bibi easily hopped into his truck’s back seat, and they were on the way.
Like a family.
One night of mind-blowing sex, and he was turning into a sap. Strange thing was, he didn’t mind it a bit.
Maybe something about this area of Vermont made falling in love with the right person easy. It had happened to his sisters and Knox, plus his buddy Gray. They needed to get Burke here. Their eldest brother could use his own happy ending.
Or even a night of mind-blowing sex.
Clearing his head of the disturbing image, Lawson glanced at Dani. “Did you bring your phone?”
She shook her head. “No. If it were an emergency, my mother should have explained it to me yesterday. I’m not going to treat it like an emergency, or even a danger, anymore.”
He grinned at her. “Good for you.”
She smiled. “It’s time I stopped relegating my family to the villain role. They’re just people who are very different from me. We do nothing the same way; we don’t have the same approach to life. That makes them different, not evil.”
Lawson wasn’t relieving them of their villain status yet. Not until he knew more. They’d made Dani feel like she was somehow less because she had different dreams and needs. That wasn’t something he could forgive easily.
He hadn’t researched her family yet, but maybe he should. Knox had worked as a bodyguard for a while. So had Gray. Between the two of them, he was sure they knew how to dig into a person’s past.
Even without their skills, it sounded like it wouldn’t take much to learn about her family. He knew her mother’s and great-grandmother’s names, and the name Frannie B had chosen for her company. It would be enough for Lawson to get a feel for their online personalities.
The whole paperwork situation felt wrong.
While Dani had received a few answers from the lawyer, her mother wasn’t forthcoming.
If the family weren’t desperate for the money, explaining the potential merger should be easy.
Businesses merged and changed names all the time. Why did this have to be so secretive?
Shoving it all to the side, Lawson parked his truck in what was now his spot outside the equipment barn. “Want to see where I’m going to set up my shop?”
Which meant he was staying. Not returning to Boston, but staying in Nowhere, Vermont, with no drive-by traffic, who would stop at his shop.
Taking into consideration the woman beside him, his plan was emotionally viable, but he needed to contribute to the farm. No way in hell was he going to be a drain on anyone. Fixing up and maintaining the vehicles on the property was fine, but he needed to add an income.
Worries for another time.
Lawson unlocked the barn’s massive front doors and swung them open to the morning sun. Bibi’s ears picked up, and she padded into the space to explore.
Dani gasped, and Lawson grinned. “It’s pretty big.”
She laughed. “It’s enormous. You could fit ten of my garages in here. And it’s already full.”
He nodded. “I’m hoping to organize it and decide what needs to stay where. Some machines are used only seasonally. They don’t need to be accessible all year, so they can hide at the back.”
She nodded. “Or you could add one of those tents outside and park them there. That would give you more room to work.”
He glanced outside and saw there was room for that. The multi-bin trucks were only used for a month or two during harvest. Getting them right out of the barn would be great. “Good thinking.”
They walked through the barn, where he explained all the machinery. “I’d like to do some solar or electrical conversions for some of them. Experiment to see if it works first.”
“Fewer gas-powered vehicles would be great for the environment and the orchard. When I’m able to afford an upgrade, I’m going to get an electric truck.”
“I haven’t investigated the details yet. There were plenty in Boston, but the weather’s mostly milder there. How do they handle Vermont's amount of snow and cold in the winter?”
She shrugged. “From my research, you get about a quarter less mileage from a full charge. Nothing that would bother me as I don’t go much farther than Phail and the other towns around here.”
He shook his head. “Still can’t believe Epic hasn’t changed the name of his town.” Troy Phail was another friend from his army days. The town was apparently named after his family. Lawson had heard Troy was the mayor and enjoying the hell out of promoting the town and its weird name.
Dani laughed. “It’s memorable.”
He grinned. “Like Frannie B’s Honey.”
Her smile widened. “I like it. It’s not as unique as Phail, but it makes me think of wonderful memories whenever I say it or see my labels.”
“If I can figure out a business here, you’ll need to help me come up with a name.” Hell, he hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
But he couldn’t regret it when Dani’s face lit up even more. “You’re really thinking of moving here permanently? Setting up your own shop and business?”
He nodded slowly. “I have things to look into. I have to ensure it’s viable before I decide. Because I’ve always worked for someone else, I have no idea how to run a business, let alone create one. Don’t have a clue what’s involved.”
“I can help with that. It’s not my forté either, but I’ve had to learn a lot over the past few years. I’d love to help.”
Unable to stop himself, Lawson leaned down and kissed her. Even without her offer to help, Dani Richards was a hell of an incentive for him to stay.
Dani couldn’t get over the size of the barn and the amount of machinery inside it.
Lawson showed her every machine and explained its purpose. He might not have known much about apple farming before arriving in Vermont, but his knowledge of machinery was vast. As she listened to him talk, she realized he knew a ton about the farming process as well.
His voice was confident and happy. She wondered if he knew he’d fallen in love with the idea of staying at the apple farm with his family. It was evident in his tone of voice and the pride shining in his words.
Workbenches and toolboxes lined the sides of the barn, with all the vehicles parked in the middle. It was an enormous space, but she wondered if there was a way to improve efficiency.
Lawson’s rumbly voice broke into her thoughts. “What are you thinking? I can see ideas brewing.”
She grinned. “Trying to devise a way to organize the space so it’s more efficient for you. How many types of jobs do you want to do?”
He turned to survey the space with her. “If we’re delving into my wildest dream realm, I’d need a few separate work areas.
The first would be a mechanic’s bay for fixing and maintaining the farm’s vehicles.
Then, I’d need storage for spare parts and tools.
If I’m doing this, I’m not sending out for parts every week. I’d like to have my own stockroom.”
“That makes sense. I’ve done the same in both my garage and my home office. Having what you need on hand makes everything more efficient.”
He nodded. “And less frustrating. I hate having to stop working on something when I’m in the groove, but I don’t have the parts.”
“What else do you need?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh even as tingles ran through her. They’d made love only hours before, but her body craved him again.
“In my dream garage, I’d also have a welding area. One for sanding and painting. Like your setup in some ways, but large enough for the vehicles and the bigger tools they require.”