18. Hard Knox Life
Chapter 18
Hard Knox Life
T he next morning, they left Thea’s cabin and walked to where they’d left the ATV. Knox grinned. “Okay, we can knock Sex on an ATV off the bucket list.”
He loved hearing Thea laugh. “Not sure it was ever on the list, but check.”
He swung her into a dance. “Let’s call it memorable and never talk of it again.”
“Deal.”
It had indeed been memorable, but it wasn’t something he’d care to try again. However, if it made Thea laugh as much as she had, it would be worth it. He’d always enjoyed sex but he’d never experienced such joy in the act as he did with Thea. She brought joy to everything.
His body fired up at the memory of the way they’d woken each other up this morning, but he forced himself under control. He wasn’t a kid and his brain was fully capable of thinking about other things, even with Thea at his side.
Thea put on her helmet. “Do you need a refresher on how to drive?”
He shook his head. “I think I’m good. You trust me to drive it back?”
“Of course. As long as you don’t forget how to use the brakes, we’re good.”
He grinned and swung onto the seat. When she swung on behind him, he realized that having her wrap her thighs around his was another turn on. Except he knew that was really all Thea being herself.
It took a while for him to figure out the exact pressure he needed to brake and speed up but it wasn’t as difficult to drive as he’d expected.
When they were at a crossroads in the middle of the orchard, he took a different turn. Instead of heading to the farmhouse, he drove to a part of the orchard he hadn’t visited yet. The entire property was about four hundred acres, and he hadn’t seen it all.
In different sections, Thea tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out various things. The further they moved into the land the less vibrant the trees appeared. To his untrained eye, they looked healthy enough but they didn’t have the same power as the front section.
At one point, he killed the engine and studied the area.
Thea ran her hands down his arms. “Let’s see what you’ve learned. What do you see?”
He grinned at her. “I was just thinking that a few weeks ago, I probably wouldn’t have seen the differences back here. Now I can see some of them.”
“Show off your knowledge.”
He laughed. “Okay, the trees here aren’t as vibrant. I can’t think of another word, but the ones near the compost are brighter somehow. I don’t know if those ones have more branches or brighter leaves, but there’s a difference.”
She nodded. “What else?”
He pointed. “The ground cover, no, the cover crop here is thicker. More plants and vines are growing on the trunks. The grasses are higher and nearer the trunk. Even the paths between the trees are more overgrown.”
She laughed. “Very good. In an old orchard like this one, many of the trees aren’t grown in rows like they are in more modern farms. They cluster together more, and that affects the ground as well. There’s not as much sunlight in these areas, which changes things, too.”
“You told me that nature taking over with non-invasive plants helps. Do you see that here?”
She nodded. “I see a lot of that. We want to increase the natural biodiversity here, so we want plants that are native to the area. Sadly, many of the invasive species have strong roots and spread easily. We’ll have to eventually clear out some of these, but many of them can stay.”
He nodded. “I’m hoping Jolie can add to what you know. She’s got a couple of degrees at this point. Environmental sciences and ornithology are her interests. I’m not sure what the actual degrees are called, but I know she wants to help the planet and the animals. She believes in eliminating harmful chemicals and using natural methods.”
Thea squeezed him. “I’m going to like your sister a lot.”
“She’s going to like you as well.” In fact, Knox figured the two of them would bond quickly. They approached the world with the same positive attitude. “How do you feel about meeting them all during our next call?”
He felt her body tighten around his and worried he’d pushed too soon.
Thea rolled her lips together. “I’d like to meet them, but I’m nervous. I don’t want to do or say anything that would put them off investing in the farm.”
Knox swung off the ATV so he could see her properly. “There’s not a chance of that. We’re all normal people. Even Burke.”
That made her laugh.
He brushed his fingers along her jawline. “Our parents and Fox taught us to love the land and to treat it with respect. You do that naturally. They’ll love your vision of the farm and your plans to improve it. The biggest worry is that they don’t want to dump money into a losing venture. The two of us know that there’s the potential to grow this place into a healthy, thriving business. All we have to do is show them that.”
She smiled, but he was pretty sure she didn’t completely believe him. He pulled out his phone and opened the photos app. “I’ve got pictures of them here. Maybe seeing their faces will help.”
He frowned when he realized how few recent pictures he had. “I can’t believe it’s been so long since the five of us were together. That’s another reason to invest in this farm. We’re a close family but the most recent photo of all five of us is over a year ago.”
He’d do better. Even if they didn’t all move to this place, Knox wanted them to get together more often. He’d make a point to travel to where they were. And he’d take more photos. Losing Fox so quickly had him wishing he’d taken more pictures of him as well.
He scrolled through the ones he did have, telling Thea stories about them all.
“Fox and Jay weren’t identical, but there were enough similarities that people would have known they were brothers.”
He stopped the scroll on one he’d taken of Fox while he’d been planting in his vegetable garden. Thea tapped the image. “Without seeing his face, that could be a picture of Jay. Their body shape and ways of moving seem to be similar too.”
He hugged her to his side. “Do you have pictures of Jay?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have any other than the few on the wall in my cabin. I’ve never been one for taking a lot of photos. Something I never regretted until now.”
He figured that was because she’d never been surrounded by family.
Knox switched his phone to take a picture and held it up in front of them. “We’re not going to make that mistake. I’m not usually one for selfies, but I think we need to document the ATV that made the bucket list.”
He caught her laugh in the photo and knew it would always be a favorite.
T hea braced herself. She’d had more than twenty-four hours to prepare for the call. She wore a stain-free shirt, and her nails showed no trace of compost. It was as good as she got.
Knox turned in his seat to fully face her where they sat on the back porch. “Relax. There’s nothing to worry about. Just be you.” And then he kissed her until desire raced through her system, pushing out most of the nerves.
When he raised his head, she smiled at him. “You’re good.”
He grinned and kissed her forehead. “Not me. Us. We’re so damn good together.”
Then he connected the call and placed the phone against a canister so they would both be on the screen.
Jolie connected first with her big smile. “Hi, you must be Thea. It’s so great to meet you.”
Thea barely had time to respond before Lawson and Burke connected. They both greeted her with smiles before an empty space connected.
“Amber.” The four other siblings said her name in unison and with their complaints audible.
Thea stifled a laugh as she heard the fifth sibling chuckle. “Sorry, everyone. Soon. I promise.”
Burke scowled. “Pretty sure you said that last time.”
“I know, I know. I’ve been busy, but I’ll get to it.”
Knox shook his head, a frown visible on his face. He was worried about his sister, and Thea hoped the woman’s reason for not getting a phone was true.
Knox sighed. “Well, I’d like to introduce you all to Thea Zimmer. Jolie, Lawson, Burke, and the blank square.”
Amber sighed audibly. “I really am sorry. I’ll make time for it before the next call. It’s nice to meet you, Thea.”
Thea swallowed hard. “It’s nice to meet everyone. I’ve heard so much about all of you.”
All the eyes shifted to Knox, making her laugh. “All good, I promise.”
Jolie grinned. “There’s only good to say about most of us, anyway.”
There were immediate protests to her use of the word “most.” Thea’s nerves lessened with the friendly ribbing and smiles.
Burke turned his attention to Knox. “Tell us what’s new with the farm.”
Knox nodded. “I’m learning a lot. We took a tour of the grounds on an ATV the other day. Even though a lot of the orchard isn’t in prime condition, the trees are healthy and we should be able to get a decent harvest. Enough to earn a little. I’m hoping to figure out how to harvest and sell the apples when the time comes, but I’ve been too busy learning the process and helping Thea with the trees.”
Lawson nodded. “Did you order a Worminator? And I can’t believe I’m using that word as if I know what I’m talking about.”
Thea laughed at his exaggerated eye roll. So far, he reminded her a lot of Knox.
Knox nodded. “Ordered. It should be here in less than a week. I talked to Ford, and he’s considering joining us. Thea drove me around on the ATV so I could video chat with him and let him see the place.”
Jolie grinned. “That’s a great idea. I’d like to see it that way, too.”
The others nodded. Knox raised his eyebrows at Thea, then turned back to the screen. “Do you want to do it now?”
They all agreed. She and Knox had left the ATV beside the porch, hoping for this opportunity. Once they were on board she drove up to the top of the driveway so they could get an overview. Like they had with Ford, they stopped at all the buildings, and she shut off the machine so they could talk and ask questions.
Although Amber couldn’t see the places, the reactions of the others were comforting. They enjoyed the scenery and exclaimed over the size of the property.
When they stopped at the compost piles, Knox spoke again. “This is where the famous Worminator will live. We’ve got electricity and hydro up to this point of the farm. The back half has neither.”
Burke frowned. “Don’t the trees need both to thrive?”
Knox gestured for her to answer. “Not necessarily. People ran apple orchards long before the invention of electricity, although they were a lot smaller then. From what Jay told me, the last owners only focused on the front part of the farm. The trees in the back are still producing apples but they won’t be as high in quality or quantity as the happier trees.”
Burke nodded. “Do they only rely on rainfall for water?”
Thea nodded. “For now. Jay and I had planned to add an irrigation system using the natural pond that’s further back. The pond is currently stagnant and needs a ton of work before it’s ready for irrigation, though.” She wasn’t going to hide the truth from these people.
Jolie clapped her hands. “Okay. I’m in. I’m all in. That pond is mine. I’m in charge of bringing it back to life.”
Everyone grinned at her enthusiasm. Burke asked. “What about your job, Jolie? Are you really quitting?”
A shadow passed over her happy face, but she blinked and cleared it. “I’ve already put in my notice at the job and for my apartment. I only have a week left and I’ll be on my way. After this tour, I’m even more excited than I was. I love everything about the property, and I can’t wait to dig in and help out.”
Thea found herself grinning along with the others. She would bet Jolie made things better wherever she was. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She only hoped the rest of the family would come aboard with the same joy.
It would be great to see Amber’s face. The woman was quiet and generally let the others lead the discussion. Part of that was probably the fact that she was missing out on the visuals.
Both Lawson and Burke appeared intrigued, or at least willing to go along with the plan for now. She’d bet they would both be more of a challenge for Knox to convince to join them.
They drove to the pond next, and Jolie’s enthusiasm only ramped up. Knox panned the area slowly for her and she visibly bounced in her seat. “This is great. I can’t wait to join you.”
After they disconnected the call, Knox pocketed his phone and then picked Thea up and swung her around in a circle. “It’s going to work. We’re going to bring them all here eventually.”
She didn’t doubt it. “And you’ll have your family together again.”
“See, they weren’t scary.”
“They were all great. I wish Amber could have seen the tour, though.”
His joy dimmed. “Me too. She’s always tough to read, but not having her face on-screen makes it even more difficult. I hope she’s okay and the phone thing isn’t a ruse.”
“Why would it be?”
He sighed. “Amber doesn’t like to worry anyone. But I’m probably imagining trouble where it doesn’t exist. She sounded like she wasn’t against the idea anyway.”
“Maybe once she has a new phone, we can do another tour for her.”
“I like the way you think.” Then he grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “How do you feel about checking sex by the pond off the bucket list?”
She was all in.