3. Pick My Brain
Chapter 3
Pick My Brain
K nox sat on his ass, patted the dog, and stared at the woman.
Fox.
Fox’s brother had named his dog after him. And he left his property to Fox’s grandkids. What had torn the men apart?
Whatever it was, Knox was sure Jay had regretted it. Maybe he’d wanted to make reparations with Fox but hadn’t known how. This might have been his way.
Or maybe Fox had rebuffed him? Knox couldn’t picture that, but anything was possible. Burke and Lawson were older. They might have some memories that would help him figure out this mystery.
And the mystery might help him lure them all in.
Everything about the farm enticed Knox and made him want to learn more. He wanted to see the apples ripen and discover the best way to pick them. He wanted to know how to sell them and the best ways to make a profit.
He hadn’t gone through any buildings yet but this place already felt like home.
He was almost sure the woman and the dog had nothing to do with that.
Thea sat on the ground across from him and the dog. “I think that’s some proof that Jay never forgot your grandfather. I wonder why they never spoke of each other.”
Knox nodded. “Or to each other. It seems impossible that they would have kept in touch without anyone in my family knowing it from our end. Without you knowing it. Was Jay close to anyone else?”
Thea shrugged. “He didn’t leave the property very often. He loved driving the ATVs, but he didn’t like driving on the roads much. I’d drive his truck for him when we needed to go for supplies.”
“Where did you go? What’s close to here? I know Phail isn’t that far.”
She grinned. “Phail is a great town. We tend—tended—to go there for most things, although this area has a bunch of towns in small pockets.”
Her smile dropped. She’d obviously cared for Jay. He hadn’t seen anyone else on the property. He looked round with a frown. “How many people worked here? Is there anyone else around?”
Fox bounced off Knox to curl up with Thea. The dog might weigh as much as she did, but he obviously thought he was a lap dog.
“Jay was still learning the business of apple farming. It was just me and him, although a lot of volunteers came to help with the harvest. Jay paid them with apples and then sold the rest.”
That surprised him. “This is a huge place. There were only the two of you?”
She nodded. “Jay wanted to develop the business, but he hated spending money. He was always in a quandary about it.”
Knox laughed. “Fox was always in a quandary about things too. They seem to have had a lot in common. I wish I’d known more, and I wish I’d met Jay.”
Thea nodded. “Jay was lonely, although he wouldn’t admit it. I wish the two of them had fixed whatever was broken between them.”
Knox did as well. It would have been great to see Fox connect with his brother. He could imagine the two of them nattering at each other from matching rockers on the porch of the farmhouse out front.
What a waste.
And it reinforced Knox’s desire to bring his family together. He, Lawson, and Burke all lived in Boston but didn’t see each other often enough. Probably once a month.
With Jolie in the Carolinas and Amber in Chicago, he saw them even less. Video chats were few and far between. He didn’t want them to become the next generation of Fox and Jay. He wanted his family to be whole and happy.
And to achieve that, he needed to know more. “If you had unlimited funds, what are the top three things you’d do to improve this place?”
Her eyes lit up as the huge dog settled on her lap for a nap. “Unlimited funds? That’s an amazing dream. The first thing I’d do would be to build a state-of-the-art Worminator.”
Knox couldn’t stop the laugh. “A Worminator?”
She grinned. “That’s what I call my dream composting facility. Worms are vital to the health of the soil. Between them and their poop, they create top-quality compost, which equals top-quality soil.”
“You really have a thing for compost.”
She grinned. “I do. That’s why I’m a soil consultant.”
“I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
She shrugged. “Obviously, you didn’t grow up on a farm.”
“Did you?”
Her face showed sorrow for a moment before she cleared her expression. “No. I wasn’t that lucky. But I grew up in Iowa, and farming was everywhere. Conversations about soil were as common as those about sports or celebrities, maybe more so.”
He shook his head with a smile. He wanted to know more about her past, but he didn’t want to push. And he needed to stay focused on the goal. “Hard to imagine. Tell me more about this Worminator.”
“It’s a small worm-sewage facility, similar to sewage treatment plants in cities. For a farm this size, it would be optimal to produce about three tons of compost per year. Worms do a lot of the work in composting. A facility turns worm poop into magic soil.”
Knox laughed again. When was the last time he’d laughed this often and this easily? “Other than branches, moldy apples, and worm poop, what else goes into the compost?”
She grinned. “Animal poop too. Coffee grounds are super helpful.”
“I can help with that part. I need coffee to function as a human being.”
She smiled back, but her tone was wistful. “Me too.”
Knox wanted to know more about Thea Zimmer but he needed to know more about the farm.
“Okay, the composting facility is your first choice. Second choice?”
“Still unlimited funds?”
He nodded, and her answering grin had his chest puffing up. He had it bad.
She closed her eyes, and a soft smile lit her face. “I’d fix up the pond.”
“Seriously? I wasn’t expecting that.”
“A healthy pond would help increase the biodiversity. It would attract good predators like geese and ducks. They’d help keep down the pests that are difficult to eliminate. I’d hope for some owls and bats to arrive, too.”
He’d never met anyone like Thea. Composting and predators at the top of her wish list. She was a fascinating woman. “Now I have to know what item number three would be.
She grinned. “Manpower.”
His body revved but that wasn’t what she meant. “For what?”
She waved her hands at the woods around them. “So many things. To pull out the dead trees and the invasive species that are trying to root. To fix up the machinery. To stir and wet down the compost. To collect compost materials. To drive to nearby towns and ask them to collect leftover coffee grounds. To plant and tend gardens full of pollinators. To spread the compost, pick and separate the apples. And to install a more modern irrigation system.”
He was sure his mouth had dropped open. “And that’s just off the top of your head?”
She grinned. “I’m sure I can think of more. You did say unlimited funds.”
T hea knew she’d rattled off a long list, but she’d been dreaming about fixing up this farm for over a year. She could see the potential, the possibilities. The climate was perfect for apples. The orchard and land slept in the winter and thrived during the other months.
She wanted to fix up Jay’s place and fulfill his dream of a functional apple farm. But she wanted to have those unlimited funds to make it happen in a healthy way. Starting with her compost facility and including someone to fix up the buildings and the machines on the property.
Instead of stopping like a rational person, Thea grinned and added to her list. “That manpower could include a mechanic to fix up the spreader and the multi-bin trucks. And the ATVs. We’d also need a carpenter to work on the buildings. A baker to make some apple pies and donuts. Maybe a brewer to make some cider.”
Knox laughed as she kept talking. The man had a great laugh. Rich and full. As if he felt the humor right down to the bottom of his boots.
“Why not wish for the farm to be ready-to-go?”
She shook her head. “Where’s the fun in that? I want to be part of the process, part of the building of this place. I want to see these trees thriving and happy.”
His smile told her he understood.
He rose to his feet and held out a hand to her. “I like your vision. Why don’t you walk the rest of the property with me and show me how you’d implement those ideas?”
She only hesitated a moment before taking his hand. Fox jumped from her lap, and Knox pulled her to her feet easily. Awareness zipped from her hand right up her arm, through her brain, down to her heart, and then her toes in a heartbeat.
Thea dug deep for her willpower and tugged her hand free. The man oozed chemistry and sexuality. Her body hadn’t been awake and aware of a man in a long time. Why did it have to be this man who did it? Knox was her potential boss and he held her future in his hands. The very last thing she should do was feel attracted to him.
To be fair, she figured anyone who was attracted to men would be enticed by Knox. He was an impressive specimen. She needed to control herself and her desires. This had to be all business.
She turned and gestured. “There are acres of trees in all directions. This composting area is a little deeper than halfway and to the southern side of the property.”
“Would this be a good spot for your composter?”
“It is. I started the process here because it’s close to one of the roads. There are several throughout the property. They lead to barns and sheds. Keeping everything close by to where you’ll need it is a good plan.”
She turned and headed around the compost and pointed out the road. “Going west leads straight to the front of the land. There are more roads and intersections everywhere.”
Knox grinned. “This would be a great place for kids to play hide and seek. There’s so much cover, I didn’t even notice this barn sitting here.”
That brought good memories of her short placement with the Meyer family. They’d had a huge yard, and the kids had included her. Hide and seek had been a favorite. “Apple trees provide pretty good cover, especially further into summer. This barn holds all the equipment we have for composting. I think there are a couple of tractors in there that we use to scoop up fallen apples in the fall.”
“You think?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t been inside since before Jay’s death. I don’t have keys to any of the buildings.”
Knox’s face registered surprise. “I didn’t think of that. You’ve been continuing to work without any of your usual equipment?”
Another shrug. “I didn’t want the work we’ve been doing going to waste. And I was hoping the new owners would allow me to stay on.”
Knox frowned at her. “I wish I could promise you that. But it’s a family decision, and so far, I’m the only one on board.”
She rolled her lips together to control her emotion. “I understand. But I’m hoping to convince you to convince them to keep the farm going.”
He returned her wry smile. “Sounds like a good plan to me. Let’s see what’s in the barn.”
He pulled keys out of his pocket, and Thea’s heart ached at the sight of the key chain she’d bought for Jay. She’d driven him to Phail for supplies. Inside Phail Phoods, a couple of local kids had been selling bracelets and keychains they’d made.
She’d bought one with the town mascot of Phil the Fox on it. Below the smiling cartoon fox, the phrase Phail Better was printed. It had sounded like one of Jay’s phrases. And with Jay naming the dog Fox, it had been a perfect fit.
She swallowed hard at the sight. Knox proved himself perceptive as he watched her reaction. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I bought Jay that keychain one day when we were in Phail. I thought the fox was funny because that’s what he named the dog. And the words just sounded like him.”
Knox held the keychain closer, and his eyes softened as he looked at it. “Honestly, I never even looked at it until now. I’m not sure I would have made the connection before. Sounds like you miss Jay as much as I miss Fox.”
She shrugged. “Jay wasn’t my blood but he felt like family.” Not that she really knew what that felt like.
For a moment, she thought Knox was going to hug her, but the moment passed, and she was relieved.
Not sad. Relieved. Yes, she was relieved.
Who knew what her body would have done if he’d wrapped his arms around her. She’d been so lonely since Jay’s death she might have never let go.