Pick Your Spot (Heroes To The Core #1)

1. Upset The Apple Cart

Chapter 1

Upset The Apple Cart

K nox Malssum barely contained his excitement as he drove onto the property. His brothers and sisters might not be thrilled at the prospect yet, but he’d get them there.

He wanted to have his whole remaining family in one place again. This unexpected gift of land from a family member they’d never known existed was what was going to pull them together. He’d make sure of it.

They’d had enough loss in their lives, and it was time to start building again. The Malssum way was to never stay down for long. As their grandfather Fox used to say, “Let it suck for a minute, then suck it up and get back to work.”

It had made Knox laugh from a young age. They’d lost their parents in a crash when Knox, the middle of the five kids, had been eleven. Fox, an Abenaki elder, and their dad’s father had taken them in. Over the years they’d learned many of his phrases. Not always wise or kid-appropriate, but always entertaining.

Like the man himself. Gruff and practical. With a good heart hidden under the scowls and grumps. Much like Knox’s eldest brother, Burke. The comparison always pissed off Burke, but it was true. Knox hoped owning this huge old orchard was going to be the key to giving Burke a piece of the happiness he so deserved. At fifteen, he’d taken on the role of raising the four other kids along with their grandfather.

Fox had lived alone before they’d come along. His wife had died when Knox’s dad had been born, and he’d never remarried. Never shown interest in another woman as far as the kids knew.

But Fox had a brother he’d never spoken about. Jay, the great-uncle who’d left the apple farm to Knox and his siblings. How many secrets had Fox hidden from them?

Fox had died about a year before, so the five of them might never get the answers as to what had happened between the brothers. With the way Fox had always stressed the importance of family sticking together, it was a mystery. One Knox wanted to solve.

Shoving it all aside, Knox drove the truck down the long driveway. They’d grown up in Northern Vermont, but this property was nearer the south of the state. Not far from the town where his army buddy, Troy Phail, lived. He and Troy hadn’t worked on the same team, but they’d worked on several missions together. Troy and his crew were some of the best men Knox had ever met. Once he was settled, he’d have to let his buddy know he was here. Hopefully, here to stay.

As long as he could convince his siblings to keep the property. Burke and Lawson wanted to see if they could fix up the place enough to sell. Amber hadn’t expressed an opinion either way. The youngest, Jolie, was always up for an adventure, and he figured she’d be the first to be onboard with his plan.

Well, plan might be overstating it. So far, Knox had done a shit-ton of research on apple orchards. It excited him like nothing else had done. While he was proud as hell of the good he and his team had done in the army, it wasn’t something he’d wanted to do forever. It was a young man’s game, and Knox hadn’t felt young in a long while.

Thirty wasn’t that far in his rearview mirror, and it was time to find a little fun. If restoring a neglected apple orchard sounded like a shit-ton of hard work, work had never bothered him. In fact, it energized him, just like the rest of his family. Thanks to the work ethic passed to them by their parents and Fox.

The amount of work this farm needed should be enough to keep them all busy and happy for decades to come.

Knox had quit his bodyguard job in Boston without hesitation. It had been a decent job, but it didn’t excite him. He wanted to do something. To build something.

And, apparently, he wanted to run an orchard.

Just the thought made him grin. It was going to be a blast.

He parked his truck in front of the closest barn. According to the blueprints he’d seen, there were several barns, cabins, and sheds scattered around the property, along with two farmhouses. What had happened in the past that had required two farmhouses? Another mystery that might lure in his family.

Knox stepped out of the truck and drew in the spring air. Nothing like Vermont air.

The keys the lawyer had sent him rested in his pocket but he didn’t pull them out yet. He didn’t want the indoors. He wanted to check out the whole place first. All four hundred acres of it.

There hadn’t been a sign over the entry to the land, so he wasn’t sure if the orchard already had a good name they could use or if they should make up their own.

Amber worked in hospitality. She’d have a good idea of what worked. It would need to be appealing—hah. Maybe something with a pun in the name would be good. Troy had a ton of fun with his surname of Phail and the town of the same name his ancestors had built.

A fun name might be good for business.

He could hear Burke snort at that. They weren’t exactly business-ready. While Knox could see dozens and dozens of trees from where he stood, he didn’t know how far away actually opening the business was.

Looking at the overgrown spaces and the worn buildings, he figured it would take more than a few bucks to bring the place up to speed. They’d need to evaluate the buildings, the trees, and everything else before they made a decision.

He’d love to call in his army buddy Ford who was currently working at his family’s construction business down in Florida. With seven older brothers, Ford had joined the army to be his own man. Maybe he’d consider coming up to help. That would be a lot of fun.

Nodding to himself, Knox walked over to the farmhouse closest to the main road. It was huge, with porches on three sides. Had to hold about a dozen bedrooms. Which would eliminate the need to spend any money on housing for his entire family and anyone they brought in to help.

What looked to be former flower and vegetable gardens, along with more apple trees, separated the two farmhouses. The second looked to be newer and to have been updated more recently.

It was almost as large as the first. If they used both, there’d be more space for everyone. Between the two homes, they would have more privacy and separation from each other, too.

More porches gave this one a friendly vibe. More gardens around the side and the back. Jolie liked plants. Hell, her degrees in environmental sciences meant she’d probably salivate over the amount of potential in this place. Jolie was big on potential. So far, this place had loads of it.

He hoped that potential would lure them all in. On a farm, there was always a ton of machinery to fix. Lawson was a whiz with engines. He loved working on cars, but he’d always wanted his own business. Which was expensive back in Boston.

Would fixing tractors, harvesting machines, and whatever else was involved here be enough to lure him in? Knox would make sure it was.

Burke might pretend he wanted to sell, but the man loved numbers. He could crunch them to his heart’s content here. Inventory. Reducing debts. Cost-effectiveness of any changes they’d want to make. Productivity. That would still leave him time to keep up with some of his other accounts. Would he be able to keep those if he left his company? Did Burke want the independence of running his own accounts? More questions to ask.

Growing up with Fox, they’d all learned to like questions. The man had rarely offered solutions, and always asked questions until they came up with those solutions on their own. For a grumpy old fart, he’d been a fantastic grandfather.

Knox rubbed his heart. He missed him so damn much. The ridiculous sayings, the pretend scowls, the dramatic sighs. And the hidden heart of gold.

With a sigh, Knox turned to the roads leading to the back part of the land. The orchard itself.

Despite his research, he didn’t really know what he was looking for. Other than answers to life’s big questions. As an adult, he’d never fit anywhere. Could he find his place here?

Feeling hopeful for the first time in far too long, Knox turned his feet and attention to the orchard. He’d walk the land to see if he could find any answers hidden there.

T hea Zimmer dragged the large branch another few steps, then stopped to breathe. It would be far easier with the chainsaw and other tools Jay had locked away in the barns, but she wasn’t breaking into the old man’s buildings.

Even though she’d thought he’d leave her that right, along with at least part control of the farm. Instead, she had nothing. Almost literally.

She brushed aside the hurt and drew in the spring air. It was different from where she’d grown up in Iowa. Nope. Not thinking about Iowa or Asshole Andy or his most recent job offer either. She’d never work for the jerk again.

She was living in the present and the future, not the past.

Although the present and the future were as unsettled as the past. Maybe more so.

After Jay Malssum’s heart attack and subsequent death, the good life she’d been building here was at risk. The lawyer wouldn’t tell her much, only that the land and business had been left to Jay’s family.

What family?

Her friend had never mentioned them. Not once in the year she’d been here.

She’d stumbled onto Jay’s farm when she’d heard a group of old men grousing about how their lands were dying. The soil wasn’t what it used to be.

She’d snorted. Of course it wasn’t. There was so much pollution in the air. People dumped all kinds of things into the water that shouldn’t be there. Chemical pesticides which eliminated the natural biodiversity that allowed plants to thrive.

Unable to help herself, Thea had been drawn into a fascinating—and sometimes loud—discussion with the old-timers. One thing had led to another, and she’d found herself with a job working for Jay Malssum.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a regular job. But it was a safe place to live, all the food she could eat, work she loved, and a cranky old man to discuss life’s big questions with.

Jay had lived up to the ornery reputation he’d earned, but he’d had a streak of sarcasm she loved, and he’d been full of ridiculous sayings that cracked her up.

Thea had never known grandparents, or parents for that matter, but she couldn’t have had a better grandfather than Jay.

His gruff exterior had hidden a softer heart than she’d expected and a sharp mind. One that had been intrigued by her new-fangled ideas.

When she’d told him they were actually old-fangled ideas, he’d cackled.

She missed the old bugger.

And she wondered about this family of his. Who were they? What were they planning to do with her land?

Not hers. Theirs.

Would they kick her out of the tiny cabin Jay had let her use? The lawyer had told her she could stay until they arrived and made decisions about the property. Would she be homeless again?

If she was, she’d handle it. Her bank account wasn’t empty. She’d saved most of the money she’d earned in Iowa. And while Jay always said he didn’t have a pot to piss in, he’d paid her regularly. Not a lot, but something every month.

She could start again. She just didn’t want to. Jay’s farm suited her. The soil wasn’t alive yet, but it would be after a lot more effort.

Which she’d better get back to doing. Her muscles ached, but it was a good ache from hard work. According to Jay, hard work cured everything.

Since Jay’s passing she’d buried her grief into her job, hoping the new owners would keep her on.

She dragged the dead branch over to the compost pile and left it on the edge. Her body wasn’t tall or strong enough to toss it on top until she’d chopped it up, but at least it would start the composting process with its buddies.

Her dream of talking Jay into building a top-of-the-line composting facility wasn’t dead yet. The new owners might be progressive thinkers. People she could convince of the power of worm poop. People who would want a Worminator.

Laughing at herself, Thea checked out the nearest compost section and used her long pole to move things around. A facility would be so much better. It would do the stirring compost needed. Quicker. More consistent and reliable.

Any hopes of making Jay’s place a success lay in regenerative farming. Good compost was an enormous part of that. Helping the soil thrive was the key.

It took a few moments for the whistling to register in Thea’s brain. She was used to working alone. Being alone. Well, alone except for the birds, the bees, and the dog, but he was nowhere in sight today.

The ATV’s motor had always announced Jay’s presence. And he certainly hadn’t whistled upbeat songs like this person.

A song that tickled her brain.

Was this the new owner? Jay’s family. Or an intruder?

The song was from a musical. Something she’d heard at one of her foster homes. The kids had been into Broadway and one of them had auditioned for Annie while she’d lived with them.

Annie . That was it. The person was whistling ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ from the musical.

Would that be an intruder’s choice? Probably not the choice for most thieves or serial killers.

Which made her realize she didn’t have her phone with her. Not that it would help. She wasn’t sure if an emergency call required Wi-Fi. The electricity hadn’t been cut off after Jay’s death, but the Wi-Fi had disappeared. She only used her phone for research and had dropped the habit of carrying it with her.

So calling 911 was out of the question. Thea’s only weapon was the stick she held. And the compost. Even the most hardened of criminals wouldn’t likely follow her if she had to leap into the compost.

The whistling approached, and she wondered if she should announce herself. If it was the new owner, she should. But announcing herself to a criminal wasn’t wise.

Before she could decide on a course of action, she spotted movement through the trees. A man. She studied him as he neared. He hadn’t seen her yet, and she didn’t move to draw his attention.

Tall. Strong. Ball cap. Jeans and a padded flannel jacket against the chill of the spring air. His attention was on the world around him. Trees, ground, sky.

He finished the song and started whistling another. ‘Tomorrow.’ Another one from Annie . The man liked his Broadway.

He angled closer to her direction, and she studied his profile. Strong features. Handsome. A little thrill chased itself across her skin. Very handsome.

Then he smiled up into a tree. “Hello there, my friend. Don’t like my choice of song? Let’s hear what you’ve got.”

Definitely not a serial killer. Or a criminal. She’d bet her best boots that most criminals didn’t stop to chat with songbirds. Still, she wished the dog would arrive from wherever he’d wandered.

Time to announce her presence before he thought she was the serial killer. “Hello there.”

The man didn’t so much as flinch, which wasn’t something Thea could have accomplished.

He turned to face her, and he was even more striking than she’d imagined. Rugged face with eyebrows raised high, clearly surprised to see her there. “Hello.”

For an awkward moment, they studied each other. He didn’t look as wary as she felt, but that was probably because she sensed he was always prepared. Always ready to take life by the horns and wrestle it into submission. She could use some of that.

Faking confidence, she nodded at him. “I’m Thea Zimmer.”

He nodded but didn’t close the distance. “I’m Knox. Knox Malssum.”

Not a serial killer, then. Although since Jay had never mentioned him, she supposed it could be possible. Instead of rolling her eyes at herself, she nodded back. “Jay’s family, then.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “He mentioned us?”

She shook her head. “Not a word, but Jay wasn’t much for conversation about much other than the land and life’s big questions. I figured if you shared the surname, you must be the family the lawyers mentioned.”

Knox’s mouth twisted, and she wished she could have told him differently. “I am, along with my siblings.”

Her heart reared at that. Siblings. Family. Things she knew nothing about.

Not in the least threatened by the large stick she held, Knox took his eyes off her and checked out her compost area. There were several huge clumps in various stages of breakdown. She’d started the first section on her first day of work and she was proud of the progress she’d made. They’d have good material for the orchards. Not nearly as much as they’d have if Jay had agreed to spend the money on the Worminator she wanted.

“What’s all of this?”

Thea’s heart sank. If he didn’t recognize a natural composting system, the chances of him wanting to keep the land and her were slim. “These are the composting piles we’ve been working on.”

Okay, the we might have been a stretch, but Knox Malssum didn’t need to know that.

“For what?”

Her heart sank a bit more. “To improve the soil. Apple trees need lots of nutrients that come from healthy soil. Unfortunately, years of pesticide use, along with a lack of biodiversity, has depleted the soil here. To grow premium apples, we need better soil. For better soil, we need excellent compost.”

Knox continued to frown as he looked over her compost. She wondered if he had any idea of the amount of work required for a project this size. Or if he only saw piles of dirt.

He turned back to her. “Why are you still working? Why are you still here?”

Oh shit. Knox Malssum was going to get rid of her, and she was going to lose not only her job but her home as well.