21. Cant Pick Your Neighbors
Chapter 21
Can't Pick Your Neighbors
A s they approached the first of their neighbors, Knox sensed Thea tensing beside him. “Nervous?”
“A little bit. I’m still a little on edge after Andy’s arrival this morning. I hope he doesn’t bother anyone.”
He nodded. “I get that but no one is boing to blame you for his actions.” He reached across the console and squeezed her hand for a moment. While the farm was in a valley, Vermont was filled with mountains and curving roads. It made for a beautiful ride into Phail, and he couldn’t wait to see it in the autumn. Boston had its share of gorgeous autumn leaves, but he suspected Vermont would be even better.
On their left, the landscape changed. The evergreens grew in orderly lines. “How did I not notice that this was a Christmas tree farm? I’ve driven this road several times now, and the orderly rows didn’t register.”
Thea laughed. “I’ve been here for a year, and I had no idea.”
It made Knox think again how lonely her life had been. How secluded she and Jay had been on the farm without a lot of outside contact. “I’m betting anyone who owns a Christmas tree farm has to be friendly. Why don’t we make that our first stop?”
Thea nodded and looked at the map Ginny had drawn for them. “Sylvia Newberry.”
Her nerves were apparent in her shaky voice, but he also heard determination. He headed up the long drive and parked beside a garage that held a sign. Christmas Trees to buy and rent .
Thea cocked her head. “You can rent Christmas trees?”
Knox parked. “Apparently. We’ll have to find out more.”
Thea carried the first bakery box, and they knocked on the garage. When no one answered, they walked to the small farmhouse and up the porch. Beyond the door, a dog barked as if he couldn’t wait to meet new friends. He watched the sound help Thea relax as he knocked.
A woman’s voice reached them. “I hear it, Squirrel. Let’s see who it is.”
The door opened but only far enough for a dark-haired woman to peek out. Smart lady, not taking any chances with strangers. Her eyes moved from him to Thea and he thought he saw a spark of recognition. “Can I help you?”
Knox nodded. “Hi. I’m Knox Malssum, and this is Thea Zimmer. We’re from the apple farm across the road. We thought we’d stop by and introduce ourselves.”
The dog stuck his curly head around the woman’s legs and kept barking. He couldn’t squeeze past her legs, so he bounced in place, trying to reach them.
Thea squatted down and held out her hand. “We brought treats for your mom, but we didn’t know you were here. Next time, we’ll bring you something, too.”
Smiling, the woman reached down and patted the dog’s head, then wrapped an arm around him to keep him in place. “I wasn’t expecting anyone so he’s not wearing his collar. Squirrel might be five, but he’s still a puppy at heart. I don’t think that’ll ever change. Come on in.”
Once they were inside, the woman closed the door behind them. “Prepare yourself. He’s very enthusiastic with everyone.”
Thea laughed. “He’s fine. We love dogs.”
“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She released the dog, and he bounded the two steps toward them. His tail wagged as quickly as hummingbird wings as he bounced up to try to lick their faces.
Knox knelt down, and the dog wiggled right into him, unable to contain his happiness. Laughing, he rubbed him down. “Well, Squirrel, it’s not difficult to see how you came by your name. You’re a bouncy thing.”
He stood and took the bakery box from Thea while she repeated his moves and let the dog lick her face and dance around her.
As he was able to play with them both, the barking stopped and Sylvia heaved out a sigh of relief. “Okay, now that Squirrel has welcomed you both, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Sylvia Newberry, and I’ve owned this farm for a couple of years.”
Thea shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you and Squirrel.” The dog wound himself through their legs in dizzying figure eight patterns.
Sylvia smiled. “I’ve seen you in Phail once or twice with Jay. I didn’t know him well, but I’m sorry for your loss.”
Thea thanked her. “Knox and his family inherited the farm.”
Knox nodded. “He was my grandfather’s brother but I never met him. Didn’t even know about him before we got letters explaining the inheritance. He and my grandfather must have had a huge falling out. Now that they’re both gone, I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened.”
Sylvia grimaced. “That’s so sad. Come on back to the kitchen, and I’ll put on some tea. I don’t have coffee but there’s also some lemonade if you like.”
He ruffled the dog’s head. “Tea would be great.”
The dog led the way to the kitchen and headed straight for a water bowl.
Sylvia smiled as she put on the kettle. “Hopefully, he’s worn himself out. He’s a golden doodle but I call him a wack-a-doodle.”
Knox laughed. “That’s appropriate. He’s a happy boy.”
She nodded. “He sure is. And no one in their right mind would break into the house with him here. He won’t stop barking until he gets to meet the new people. A thief wouldn’t have a clue that all he wants to do is play.”
Thea smiled, but he could see the tension return.
He rubbed her back as they sat at the big farm table. Sylvia put out mugs and several selections of tea. “That’s another reason we dropped by. We had an unwelcome visitor at the farm this morning, and we thought you should know.”
Her eyes flicked between the two of them. “I’m sorry. Were either of you hurt?”
Thea shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. He’s a man I used to work for. I quit before I arrived here in Vermont. Suddenly, he wants me to work for him again and he’s not happy about me saying no. I don’t think he’s dangerous, but I don’t want to take any chances.”Gammon’s name and photograph. They explained the entire situation, and Sylvia’s eyes hardened. “Men like that are horrible. I’m sorry you’re going through that. I haven’t seen him, but I will keep my eye out. I’m glad you’ve spoken to the people in Phail. It’s a great town filled with good people.”
“Do you have a security system on your place? We’re going to install one.”
She smiled at the dog, who was snoozing at her feet. “Other than Squirrel, no. I haven’t felt the need before but maybe I should look into it.”
Knox didn’t like the idea of a woman living on her own but he couldn’t push too far. “If you’d like more information, my buddy Troy Phail is the one who’s helping us get set up.”
She smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me. Troy strikes me as someone who takes care of the people around him.”
They talked for a bit longer and then rose to leave. Squirrel bounded to his feet like he’d been prodded with a branding iron. He bounced to the door with them and then into the driveway.
Thea patted him as they neared the truck. “I think you and Fox would get along.”
“Fox?”
Knox grinned. “He’s a Great Pyrenees who lives on the farm. Another dog with a name of a different animal.”
Sylvia smiled. “Well, if you’re going to live near a town named Phail, you have to think outside the box.”
And he would have to remember that. Thinking outside the box might be the best way to deal with Gammon.
T hea relaxed as they drove onto their own property a few hours later. The neighbors they’d met had turned out to be great people.
Sally and Greg Kelly ran an amazing self-sufficient farm that was mostly off the grid. They grew their own food and probably wouldn’t notice if the electricity stopped working. They composted well and had an incredibly diverse biome surrounding them.
They were thrilled with Thea’s approach to reclaiming the farm’s soil and their plans to increase the biodiversity and health of the area. Touring their property had proved that the Vermont climate was capable of sustaining all kinds of plant life.
Lorraine Apostle had raised several kinds of dogs over the years. Trophies and awards on her walls proved she’d also put the dogs into shows where they’d done very well.
She still had several Bernese Mountain dogs and boxers who lived with her but she didn’t breed or show anymore.
The woman had been fascinating and entertaining. She’d been interested in their approach to farming and happy to know the farm was being tended. She’d also been more than happy to keep an eye out for Andy. “The dogs are well-trained and ready to defend. I’m glad you’ve got your Fox but if you ever feel the need for more, let me know. I can lend you any of these guys or help you find one of your own.”
After that visit, they’d felt it was too late to see anyone else.
Knox pulled up close to the farmhouse and sighed as he turned off the truck. “Now that the idea of a security system is in my head, I can’t let it go. I’m more than ninety percent sure that no one messed with the place, but if we had a system, it would be better.”
Thea nodded as she climbed out of the truck. “I’ve been here for a year and haven’t felt unsafe even once. Not even the first night I was here. Triple-A’s visit changed everything, and I hate that.”
Knox rounded the truck to hug her. “Me too. Another reason for me to hate his guts. If he’s smart, he’ll stay far away from us.”
The anger in his voice had Thea shivering. “I’m sorry I brought him here.”
He leaned back and then bent down so they were eye-to-eye. “Still not your fault. I don’t want you blaming yourself for that asshole’s choices. If he returns, we’ll get him. But none of it is your fault. I need you to believe that.”
His sincerity had her nodding. “I’ll try.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Okay. How do you feel about taking the ATV around the property? It would be a fast way to check on everything and make sure he wasn’t stupid enough to return and do something dumb. Then we can come back and spend the night here.”
Her eyebrows shot up. So far they’d spent their nights at her cozy cabin.
He grinned. “Two reasons. One, I’d like to be closer to the road tonight. Two, I’d like to see you in my bed with your hair spread all over my pillow while I make love to you.”
Her body warmed up at his words. “I’m not going to argue with that.”
He laughed. “Good. Do you want to drive the ATV?”
She shook her head. “You might as well get in some practice so that you’re an expert. You can show off to the others when they arrive.”
He laughed and kissed her. “Let’s go.”
She wrapped her arms around him and soaked up his warmth as they drove toward the back. The evening light was soft and romantic, reminding her of their first time together.
Fox met them by the pond, and they dismounted to spend some time with him.
After he’d greeted them, he sniffed at their legs. He gave a happy bark and then sniffed their hands and arms.
Knox grinned. “He knows we made some new doggie friends today.”
Thea sat on the ground while the dog checked out the scents. “Looks like he’s not the jealous type. I wonder if he’s met some of the other dogs on his romps.”
Knox nodded. “It wouldn’t be far to Lorraine’s property to the north. Her dogs are incredibly well-trained and probably don’t leave her space. But if Fox crosses over there, I’d bet they’re buddies.”
She ruffled his fur. “Have you met Squirrel yet? I don’t think Sylvia lets him roam on his own, so maybe not. If you’d go in the truck, we could take you there.”
But he wouldn’t. The dog never even left the orchard to go to the farmhouse. When she and Jay had brought trucks and ATVs around, he never got close enough to sniff. He had no interest in vehicles. The few times they’d tried to coax him in, he’d simply turned away and ignored them.
Knox rubbed Fox’s head. “We’ll have to invite Sylvia and Squirrel over for a playdate one day. She seemed interested in the farm. It would be fun to tour hers as well.”
When Fox loped off, they returned to the ATV and checked out her cabin and the compost area. Nothing had been disturbed, giving her hope that Andy had taken her words to heart and left the area.
Knox was right, though. She’d feel better once they had a security system installed and they could see any disturbances on their phones.
They returned to the front of the property and ensured the barns and the other farmhouse were undisturbed as well.
Inside their farmhouse, she felt better when Knox locked the door behind them. There were ancient bolts they could throw across the doors along with the good deadbolts Jay had installed.
Knox took her hand and tugged her up the stairs. He showed her the progress he’d made in cleaning all the bedrooms and bathrooms earlier.
She laughed at the fixture colors. “Who would choose a pink or a green toilet?”
Knox grinned. “But they made you smile. I’m glad I chose a room with yellow fixtures. They’re almost neutral enough to ignore.”
She laughed. “They’re the best of the choices for sure. At least, they’re all functional.”
“Which is both good and bad news. We won’t have to spend the money to renovate immediately.”
“And the bad news?”
“We have to live with them in the meantime. And whoever is last to arrive will probably get stuck with the pink.”
He grinned at her. “I’m betting it might be Burke.”
She laughed. From what she’d seen so far, the eldest brother took his responsibilities and his family seriously. He would likely hate the pink bathroom, but if it made the others smile, she wondered if he would really mind it. If he was anything like Knox, he might even do it on purpose.