17. Dont Knox It Til You Try It
Chapter 17
Don't Knox It 'Til You Try It
A ll through the afternoon and while he was grilling baked potatoes and chicken, questions simmered in Knox’s gut. Triple-A was an obnoxious jerk. Was he dangerous? Why this sudden need to have Thea?
Knox understood that her expertise was invaluable, but there had to be other soil consultants in Iowa.
Asshole Andy’s need seemed professional. At least, it had better be. Everything about her face and body language had proven her complete lack of interest in the man. He wasn’t a rival Knox needed to deal with.
But he’d sounded confident Thea would be working for him by the following week. Knox had heard the initial conversation from her end, and she’d said absolutely nothing to encourage the man.
From everything Knox had read, Thea’s knowledge about the land and soil was superior. Add that to her passion for the subject, and he was sure she’d been really good at her job. It sounded like Triple-A had thought he could get rid of her with no repercussions. He had the farm contracts she’d worked on. Maybe the man figured she’d done the initial work, and all he had to do was coast on what she’d already implemented. Then he’d found out differently.
After the way he’d treated Thea, the man had to be a dumbass to think she’d work for him again. The big question was, was he a dangerous dumbass?
Thea came out of the kitchen with a salad bowl and plates. In moments, they were enjoying their meal and he shoved down the questions about Triple-A. The man didn’t know where Thea lived and Knox didn’t want to ruin the evening by focusing on him. “What do you think I should show Ford if he calls me tonight? What part of the farm would be most enticing to him?”
She smiled. “I’m partial to the compost, but I’m guessing that’s an acquired taste.”
He laughed. “I think you’re right.”
“What about starting up at the top of the drive? It doesn’t take long for the first farmhouse to show up. There are apple trees everywhere. Then he’d see the second farmhouse and the barn on the other side of the road.”
“That would be a good overview. Maybe I should take a truck and drive him around the property.”
She nodded. “Or an ATV. I know at least one works.”
“I’ve never driven an ATV.”
She looked at him like he’d admitted to being born on another planet. “Wow. Okay. You didn’t grow up in farm country.”
He shook his head. “Haven’t driven a tractor either.”
She grinned. “It’s not hard. I can show you. As long as you stay on private property, you don’t need a license.”
“Is there room for two people on any of the ATVs?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
“If he calls tonight, would you drive while I talk to him? Even if you show me how to drive, there’s no way I’d be competent enough to drive and show him the land.”
She laughed. “Even if you were an expert, there’s no way to drive and deal with a video chat. Sure, we can do that.”
After they’d cleaned up their supper, they headed to the equipment barn. Thea handed him a couple of helmets and led the way to where three ATVs were parked. She pointed at the front one. “This is the one Jay always used. I don’t know if the others work, but we used this one all the time.”
Knox watched as she checked the fuel gauge and explained how much gas a tour of the orchard would take. The three-quarters full tank would handle at least ten tours.
She jumped on the ATV, and he locked the barn behind them.
Thea frowned at him as he put on his own helmet. “Are you worried? I don’t think I’ve ever seen an uninvited person on Jay’s land.”
He shrugged, not ready to tell her he wondered if Triple-A was working on a way to find her. Knox imagined the man thought he was charming and would stand a better chance in person. “Better to be safe.”
She looked over her shoulder and around the property with a frown. He hated making her feel unsafe but figured it was better to be prepared.
She visibly shook off the feeling and turned her attention to teaching him about the ATV. She was thorough and focused on safety. “You’re a good teacher. I feel like I might not roll over when I try it.”
She laughed and pointed at the seat. “Big talk. Let’s see it in action.”
His phone rang, and he laughed when he saw Ford’s name. “Saved by the bell. Literally. Hey, Dodge. How are you?”
His buddy grinned at him. “Nice hat.”
Knox rapped his helmet with his knuckles. “Safety first, bud. I want you to meet Thea.”
Knox wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Thea, meet Ford Evans, also known as Dodge. Ford, this is Thea Zimmer, soil consultant.”
Knox’s buddy grinned at her. “Hi, Thea. It’s great to meet you and now I know why Annie is suddenly so interested in apples.”
Her cheeks flushed even as she laughed. “It’s nice to meet you, Ford. I think.”
Knox grinned at the camera. “Thea is going to drive me around on the ATV. That way, I can hold the phone and show you all the places.”
“The engine is loud, so you won’t be able to talk once I start it up.”
Ford grinned. “That’s okay, I’d rather check out the place than listen to Annie ramble. Let’s go.”
For the next thirty minutes, they drove around the farm, stopping at the houses and the barns. Thea turned off the engine at each stop so he could explain to Ford what he was seeing. Thea let him take the lead and it surprised him that he could answer most of his buddy’s questions.
When they got to the compost piles, Knox grinned into the camera. “This is where the Worminator is going to be.”
Ford’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to have to explain that one.”
Knox turned the camera to Thea. “This is your baby, so you can explain it to him.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile. “We’ve ordered a farm-sized compost facility. It’s the most important ingredient in regenerating the soil and making this into a top-quality farm. With the Worminator, we can produce enough compost to have the trees thriving.”
Ford frowned. “Where does the Worm part of the name come into things?”
Knox loved the way her face lit up with the question. “Worms are the best natural composters. They’re the key to the Worminator. With their help, we’ll have the best worm-poop compost in Vermont.”
Knox pulled the phone back to him. “It’s going to be delivered in a week or so. We could use some help getting it set up.”
Ford grinned. “You mean you want me to build it for you.”
Knox shrugged. “Maybe. Can you get a couple of weeks off to at least come up and see the place? I’m serious about wanting you here. You can be your own boss and make all the decisions about what needs to be done first.”
Thea poked his shoulder. “After the Worminator. That has to come first.”
He and his buddy laughed. “Worminator first, then you can make the priority list.”
Dodge grinned. “In other words, Thea makes the big priority list and the rest of us listen to her.”
Her face flushed, but she laughed along with the two of them. Knox kissed her temple. “Pretty much. She knows what she’s talking about.”
Thea pulled off her helmet. “You guys talk, I’m going to water the compost.”
Knox pulled off his own and watched her walk away. Ford laughed. “You’ve got it bad, Annie.”
He grinned at the camera. “You’ve got that right. So, when are you coming?”
T hea watered and stirred the compost while Knox and Ford finished up their conversation. In her opinion, the tour had been successful. It had given Ford a real look at the place, and a chance to ask questions. She wondered if they should do the same for Knox’s family.
Was she ready to meet them? Even virtually, it was a daunting proposition.
The Malssums owned the property together and would make decisions together. That was a tough enough position for her. Added to that, she was in love with Knox. Not that she’d told him that yet.
Would his family consider her good enough for their brother? She owned nothing of substance except for the truck they’d transferred into her name. There was some money in her bank account, but not a lot. Certainly not compared to most other women in their thirties. Would they think she was using Knox? With her job entwined with the property, she could imagine they might.
Again, she reminded herself they were Knox’s family. If he’d become such an amazing adult, chances were good his siblings were the same. All she could do was be herself.
She’d never been able to live any other way.
Knox’s arms wrapped around her middle, making her smile. Being herself was easy around him. She’d hope it was as simple with his family.
He kissed her neck, and she dropped the shovel to lean back into him. “Thanks for the tour. We’ve got Dodge intrigued. He’s disappointed about not finding a place in his family’s business. For his sake, I wish that was different, but it’s working in our favor. And I truly believe he’d be happy here.”
She shook off her gloves and turned in his arms. “You’re such a good man, Knox. You wouldn’t push him to leave if he was happy. You’re looking out for his interest.”
He grinned and shrugged. “My own, too. He’s my best friend. I’d love to have him here, as well as my family. And you.”
She smiled. “You’ve got me, already.”
“And I’m gong to work my butt off to keep you. And to get them all here. So, what’s next on the To Do list?”
Thea’s phone rang, and she blew out a breath of frustration. “It has to be him again, I never get calls.”
Sure enough, Asshole Andy showed up on the screen. “I forgot to delete him after we listened to the last message.”
She opened her screen and found she had another missed call from Triple-A.
Knox frowned at her phone. “This asshole needs to get the message.”
She agreed. “Maybe he won’t leave a message this time. I hoped he’d give up when I didn’t respond last time.”
Knox pulled out his own phone. “If he does leave a message, do you mind if I record it?”
He obviously thought Andy might be dangerous but Thea had never seen evidence of it. “If you want. After I see if he leaves a message this time, I’m blocking him.”
The message icon blinked. With a sigh, she put the voicemail on speaker.
Hello, Thea. You must have missed my other call. It would be much easier to finalize details if you would call me back. I’ve set up a series of meetings with farmers for next week. Two per day. If you send me your email address, I’ll send along the information. I tried your previous email, but didn’t receive a response. You’ll have a twenty-five percent salary increase and added responsibility. As my assistant, you’ll be in charge of the other consultants.
The sooner you arrive, the better. We need to speak face-to-face. It is imperative that you call me immediately. I’ll see you soon.
Thea wanted to throw her phone in frustration. “He’s delusional. I told him no, and I was clear about it. Did you get the recording? Do you have everything you need?”
Knox grunted. “I got this one. Let me record the other one, too.”
After that was done, she blocked the number. The tension that had been running around in her settled. “Done. Much better.”
“Was he always like this?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t have all that much to do with him. He ran the business and had maybe a half-dozen of us working as soil consultants at any one time. We covered a large area, and I rarely spoke to him unless there was an issue or we had a new client.”
Knox pocketed his own phone. “Let’s hope that’s the end of it.”
“I never mentioned where I am, and I haven’t spoken to anyone back in Iowa. No one from my past life knows I’m in Vermont.”
Knox nodded, and his expression softened. She wondered if her words had sounded pathetic but that wasn’t the emotion she saw in his eyes.
He shoved his phone in his pocket and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, boss. What’s next on the To Do list for the day?”
She laughed. “I believe we’ve finished up the day’s chores.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Good. Being wrapped around you on the ATV was sexy as hell.”
Surprise shot through her system even as desire blossomed. “Seriously?”
He dropped his hands to her butt. “Seriously. Competence is incredibly sexy. Added to that, I had my legs wrapped around your sexy butt and thighs. The rumbly engine. It was all I could do to keep my mind on the conversation with Dodge.”
Thea grinned, delighted that he saw her as competent and sexy. “I was too nervous about your conversation with Ford to think of anything else. But I like the way you think.”
He looked from her to the ATV and back. “I don’t imagine sex on that thing would be very comfortable.”
That made her laugh. “I think you’re right.”
“Want to find out, anyway?”