22. A Bright Spot
Chapter 22
A Bright Spot
K nox scrambled eggs with a smile. Waking up with Thea in his bed was a hell of a good way to start the day. “Do we have time to meet the rest of the neighbors today, or are there things we should be doing here?”
She looked up from where she buttered toast. “I’d like to work on the compost a bit. If you want to go on your own?—”
He cut her off before she finished the sentence. “Not a chance, Thea. We’re sticking together until the security system is installed and Triple-A is in custody or there are confirmed sightings of him in Iowa.”
It took a beat but she nodded. “Good idea. At least for a few days. I’ll feel better if we’re together.”
He plated the eggs, and they sat at the table with the toast and some sliced fruit between them. “So, compost first, then we’ll decide.”
His phone beeped with an email before they were finished breakfast. The notification had him grinning. “The Worminator is on its way. It’ll be here tomorrow.”
Thea cheered. “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to get it all set up. I can’t believe we’re going to have one. It’s a dream come true.”
He grinned. Not many people would think something with the word worm in its title was a dream come true. “I’m going to text Ford. I’d love to have his help setting it up. I don’t think this is a two-person job.”
“Probably not. I’m guessing it’s going to take more than a few days, even if we have an extra set of hands.”
Ford didn’t return his text immediately. Not surprising, but Knox had hoped to hear his friend had made the decision to join them.
Once they cleaned up, they took the ATV down to the compost area. With the threat of Gammon hanging over them, Knox wanted to have a vehicle near them at all times.
Thea grabbed the hose and watered the compost while he used her stick to stir up other sections. After the first dousing of compost in his face, he’d learned to work out of the splash zone.
Thea smiled over her shoulder at him. “Do you have the specifications of the Worminator on your phone? We could save some time and work out exactly where to place it before it arrives.”
He nodded. “I’ll pull it up when we’re done here. Does it need a large open area around it?”
Thea shrugged. “Not really. There should be enough room between the trees. The tallest part is the kettle. The platform that holds it is about seven feet tall. Beneath it, we’ll set up the beds for the vermicomposting. We should be able to kickstart things with some of our coffee grounds and scraps. That’ll have things moving well. It should all fit between the trees over by the shed, maybe a little further up.”
Soon, they were pacing things out and Knox was wishing he’d grabbed a tape measure. It would be more accurate than their guesses.
“Does it matter which part is facing the sun, or can we angle it anyway we like?”
“It doesn’t need sun at all, so we’re good to put it wherever it fits. I think having the plumbing and electrical hookups close to the shed is the most important thing. We should probably bury the pipes to protect them, so we’ll need the ground to be free from the larger tree roots.”
He nodded. She was not only a soil expert, but she had a logical brain and wasn’t afraid of hard work or a challenge. A hell of a woman. He knew his family was going to love her.
His phone rang with a call, and Knox pulled it out, expecting a family member. Close. “Hey, Dodge. Thanks for calling me back.”
“Hey, Annie. Where are you?”
He grinned. “Thea and I are pacing out the measurements for the Worminator.”
“Can’t trust you to do that without me. How do I get there?”
Excitement rippled through him. “You’re here?”
“In the driveway. Can my truck make it to that part of the orchard, or should I walk?”
He gave the directions to his friend and hung up. He couldn’t contain the grin. “Dodge is here. As in, driving out to meet us right now.”
Thea smiled. “That’s awesome. You’ll love having your friend here.”
“He’ll be your friend in no time.”
She smiled but he could tell she didn’t believe him. “He’s a great guy. You’re going to like him.”
She nodded. “I already do. He seemed really great on the video chats.”
Because he knew a fair amount about her past, her reaction was perfectly understandable. Getting to know and trust new people would take her some time. Every time she’d moved foster homes, she’d had to live with strangers. He couldn’t imagine.
They’d been so lucky to have Fox take them in when their parents had died. There hadn’t been any other relatives, well, not that they’d known about then. The five of them would likely have been split up in foster care. No one wanted to take on five kids, especially with the oldest in his middle teenage years and the youngest only seven.
Thea squeezed him. “You okay?”
He pulled back and kissed her forehead. This woman was so intuitive. “I’m good. Just thinking how damn lucky we were that Fox was willing to take us in. Five kids is a lot.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“That’s small to Ford. He has seven older brothers plus one younger sister.”
She smiled. “That’s as many kids as we had in some of the group homes. And there were a bunch of adults in charge of those. Ford’s parents must have been exhausted.”
He laughed. “Probably so.”
The sound of the truck’s engine reached them, and Knox grabbed Thea’s hand. He could barely contain the excitement. His dream of building the farm and bringing his family together was starting to take shape. Ford might not be officially family, but blood didn’t necessarily make family. Knox knew he was a lucky man to have it both ways.
A shiny Ford truck rumbled into sight, and Knox waved. Ford parked and hopped out of the vehicle with a grin as wide as Knox’s own. He released Thea and pulled his friend into a hug, slapping his back. “I’m so glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure you were coming.”
Ford laughed and squeezed him back. “Always wanted to pull one over on you, Annie. Glad I finally managed.”
Laughing, Knox squeezed him again and then released him. “Come and meet Thea.”
She’d moved back a few steps, probably giving them privacy for their reunion. Knox held out his hand for her, and she moved forward. “Thea, this is Ford. Dodge, this is Thea, soil consultant, creative thinker, and all mine. Hands off.”
Laughing, Ford completely disregarded his command and wrapped Thea into a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you in person, Thea. Knox has been babbling about your awesomeness for weeks.”
He wanted to protest the babbling, but it was probably true. There was also the fact that his buddy’s words had Thea laughing and relaxing.
When Ford released her, Knox pulled her back into his side with a mock growl. “Mine.”
Thea’s cheeks flushed while she and his friend laughed.
Ford looked around the space. “The whole place looks great. A little worn out and in need of some TLC, but everything I’ve seen so far has excellent bones and roots.”
“Man, I’m glad you’re here. I think the place is full of potential, and you’re just the man we need to make it shine.”
Ford laughed. “Potential? Isn’t that your sister’s word?”
Knox nodded. “Sure is. She should be the next to arrive.”
Ford grinned. “Next? Does that mean you’ve convinced the whole gang? Even Burke?”
He shrugged. “Not yet but I’m working on it. Jolie quit her job, so she’ll be here to stay. None of the others are all in yet but I’m working on it.”
Ford grinned and turned to Thea. “In the forces, Annie was always the one making plans and making sure we followed them. He knew everyone’s strengths, liked thinking outside the box and finding weird ways to make things work.”
“Never could get rid of the call sign, though.”
Ford’s laugh boomed out. “You can thank my sister for that one.” He turned to Thea again. “Mara loves musicals almost as much as she loves baking. The girl is always singing. As soon as she heard Knox’s name, she started singing “It’s a Hard Knox Life.” From that moment on, he’s been Annie. Whether he likes it or not.”
“Definitely not.” Although he’d become so used to it, he rarely even noticed it anymore. It had become part of his identity overseas and if it gave someone else a smile, it was all good. “Mara’s going to owe me a whole ton of baking when I finally get a chance to meet her in person.”
And the idea that had been simmering grew. He wouldn’t mention it to Ford. Not yet. But he’d probe a bit and find out how Mara would feel about moving to Vermont and specializing in pies.
Ford rubbed his hands together. “I’ve looked up your Worminators online, Thea. They’re pretty ingenious. Which one did you choose, and where are we building that sucker?”
She pointed. “We’re thinking right in front of where you parked but we’d love some input from someone who actually builds things.”
Knox nodded. “And it would be even better if we had a tape measure.”
Ford’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re planning where to build it and you don’t have a tape measure? Amateurs. Let the pro take over.”
So they did.
T hea didn’t think she’d ever smiled this often. Not outside Knox’s bed, anyway. Knox and Ford bantered back and forth as if they were reading a comedy script.
She’d seen that kind of repartee on some TV shows, but she’d never experienced it in real life. Most of the kids in foster care had been quiet or surly. Sometimes both. The foster parents had usually been kind enough but harried. The Merck’s farm was the only place she’d lived where she was the only foster kid. The older couple had been kind, hard-working, and quiet. They’d given her the foundation for her career, but they’d never made an effort to reach out to Thea after she’d been placed elsewhere.
In school, she hadn’t had big groups of close friends, although she’d gotten along with most people. Still, this kind of banter was new. And fun.
The Worminator had been delivered two days earlier, and they were nearly finished building it. If it hadn’t been for Ford, they wouldn’t be even a quarter of the way. He was smart and saw angles and problems neither she nor Knox would have considered.
Now, the plumbing and electrical lines were buried in a pipe that would protect them from the elements, along with any animals who decided to dig. They’d built the walls and added the platform that would house the kettle. They still needed to hook up all the plumbing that was required.
Building the raised beds for the vermicompost had been easier, but they still needed to get those inside the structure. The kettle would have to be installed first. It was heavy and would require more than the three of them to lift.
A crew of people from Phail was coming out to help after they’d finished their jobs for the day, and they were bringing something called a zoom boom to lift it into place.
She, Ford, and Knox were in the farmhouse kitchen, filling a couple of coolers with food and drinks for the crew. They’d made a ton of sandwiches and salads and had grabbed some of the apples from the cold room.
Knox turned to his friend. “Didn’t Mara teach you anything? You can’t even bake up some pies for everyone?”
Ford laughed. “Not a thing. She always kicked me out when she was baking and said I was more trouble than I was worth.”
“No shit.”
Ford grinned. “I didn’t want to hear all the musicals. I swear I can tell you the lyrics from everything from Phantom Of The Opera to Lion King to Rent . The girl loves them all.”
Thea didn’t know much about music, but she’d bet Ford’s sister was a lot of fun.
A deep horn sounded outside the farmhouse, and she almost bounced in place.
Knox laughed and passed her the smallest cooler. “Let’s go get your Worminator working.”
She didn’t know how much they’d have to do after getting the kettle installed, but it didn’t matter. The rest they could do on their own, and it wouldn’t be long. Soon they’d be making compost and the farm would be one giant step closer to being productive. One step closer to convincing Knox’s entire family that it was a viable proposition.
Outside, Sean Falcone drove a huge truck with a machine on the back, and Branna sat with him in the cab. Three other vehicles followed, filled with the people from Phail. Marcus and Elina. Troy and Piper. Garrett and Kimi. Levi and Isla. Heath, Addison, and their daughter Nina.
Thea’s heart fluttered. So many people. All coming to help them. Knox had made a hell of an impression on these people, first by rescuing Elina overseas, but also by being such a good man. In some ways, he reminded her of Troy Phail. Outgoing. Friendly. Taking care of everyone around him.
Knox was the best man she knew. No wonder she was head over work boots for him.
They placed the coolers on the back of Sean’s truck and hitched a ride. Sean backed the truck down the twisty orchard roads and parked as close as he could to the Worminator.
Once there, everyone piled out. Thea was hugged and greeted by them all as if they’d been friends forever. Her eyes misted, but she blinked away the emotion. Of course, Knox sensed something. He appeared at her side and ran his fingers along her jaw and into her hair. “Hey. What’s up? You okay?”
She nodded, feeling silly. “I’m good. Happy. I just realized that these people aren’t just acting friendly. They are friendly. With me.” She swallowed hard. “I have friends.”
Grinning, Knox hugged her hard. “You do. A lot of them.”
She laughed. “It’s a first for me, and I got a little overwhelmed. Sorry.”
He pulled back to smile at her. “Don’t you dare apologize. You’re allowed to revel in friendship. You’re allowed to be overwhelmed with happy.”
She rose up to kiss him lightly. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
“Not a chance. They’re all your friends because of you. You’re an incredible woman, Thea. It’s time you believed that.”
She smiled but didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, she hugged Knox again. “Let’s go play with our friends.”
Ford and Sean huddled together with the plans and their phones. The rest of the group milled around, chatting. Elina waved her over to where she stood with Addy and Nina. “This place is beautiful.”
Thea agreed. “I fell in love with it when I first arrived with Jay that day. It’s a beautiful property, and it’s only going to get better with Knox’s plans.”
Elina laughed. “Plans that he wouldn’t have a clue how to make without your input.”
She blushed but shrugged. “He would have figured it out.”
Addy touched her arm briefly. “But with your help, he was able to skip most of the learning curve. You make a good team.”
She smiled at that, and her eyes wandered to where Knox was chatting with Ford and Sean.
Nina grinned. “I think it’s more than a working partnership. Am I right? Are you and Knox together?”
Addy sighed even as Thea and Elina laughed. Addy hip-bumped her daughter. “Aim for polite, not nosy.”
Nina grinned. “Okay, but you don’t find out as much that way. I like to know things.”
Her mom groaned. “No kidding. You like to know all the things.”
Nina nodded and turned her attention to Thea. “I want to learn all about the Worminator and how it works. About the vermicomposting setup, too. We use those in school so I know a little bit but I think there’s more to it that they explained. I don’t get the difference between fungal and bacterial compost. Can you tell me?”
“A girl after my own heart. Why don’t we go over to my compost area, and I’ll show you how it all works.”
Levi and Isla followed them to the compost. For the next hour, the four of them talked about regenerative farming, the joys of good compost and ways to help the planet and feed the hungry. Thea didn’t know if she’d ever had such a stimulating work conversation.
Levi was already implementing a lot of similar practices into his hops farm. “I may have to get my own Worminator, although my farm isn’t as large as the orchard.”
Thea nodded. “It might not be worth the expense. Once I get to the point of having excess compost, I’d love to share. But that’ll be a few years before we’re there.”
A whistle had them all turning to the Worminator. Sean shouted. “Everything is set now. We’re going to lift the kettle into place. Stay clear.”
The four of them moved closer to watch, and Thea could barely contain the excitement as the huge metal piece was lifted and set into its place on the platform. Knox and four of the others stood on the platform, ready to anchor it into position.
When it was secure, Knox gave a thumbs up. The entire group cheered and clapped. Levi gently pushed her forward. “Go, see your machine.”
The group started chanting her name, and her skin flushed deeply. They urged her forward and up the stairs to where Knox handed her a drill with a flourish. “The final bolt needs to be tightened.”
Grinning, she tightened the bolt to the cheers of the group. Laughing, she took a bow and handed back the drill. She patted the kettle and grinned. There was still a ton to do before the Worminator could start working and then producing, but the most difficult task was done.
She turned to the group standing below her and leaned into Knox’s side. “Thanks, everyone. Let’s eat.”