Page 11

“I didn’t think to ask him yesterday. I was more focused on the outside spaces.”

“You’ll need a set, anyway. There are a couple of ATVs over in this barn. Do you know how to drive one?”

“Not yet.”

He laughed. “Good answer. I can drive you down there today, then give you a few driving lessons whenever you like. I’ve only ever seen the one machine running, but I’m hoping the others work as well.”

That would be a good reason to have Lawson here, and a potential way to lure him in. He’d been tinkering with engines from Jolie’s first memories.

Ford unlocked the barn and opened one of the large doors.

The interior had Jolie’s eyes going wide. “Wow. That’s a lot of machinery.”

He grinned. “I know Knox is hoping to use it to talk Bobby into coming here.”

Hearing the nameBobbymade her laugh. One of her brother’s teammates had a British background, and he’d been the one to call Lawson Bobby. Police officers were bobbies in England, and with his name starting with Law, the nickname had stuck. “You military guys and your callsigns. You’re going to have to tell me more about them one day.”

He grinned at her. “I look forward to it. Your brother’s isn’t even the weirdest of the men I’ve worked with.”

His grin was wide and happy. Jolie wanted to taste it. No, no, she didn’t. To distract herself, she checked out the barn. “Lawson is going to love this place. It’s probably his version of paradise. Well, if you add in some old cars and trucks to restore, it would be.”

Ford nodded. “I think he could figure out space for that. It’s a huge barn and the farm will need someone to keep these machines in prime condition.”

It would be perfect for Lawson. Knox was going to make all of this happen. He’d get her whole family here, and she was going to help.

Ford grabbed a couple of helmets off a shelf and then showed Jolie the basics of driving the machine. He was confident, and she felt like she could hop on and drive with no further lessons. “So, where did a big-city kid learn to drive an ATV?”

He grinned. “When I first joined the army, I was in boot camp with a sergeant who believed we should be able to jumpstart and drive any machine we came across.”

“I bet Lawson would have liked him.”

Ford nodded. “Bobby and I never worked on the same team, but I’ve been on a few missions with him. I’ve never asked him if he ran into Jenkins during training, though.”

“Were you ever on missions with Burke?”

“Boss Man? More than once. Our teams were often in the same area. Your brothers are some of the best men I know.”

Pride filled her. She’d known her brothers had all worked hard overseas. That’s what they did. Knowing others respected her brothers as much as she did filled her heart.

She blinked away the mistiness trying to settle in her eyes, and turned her attention back to the ATV.

Ford drove it out of the barn, and she locked the door behind him. By the time she reached where she’d left her tote, he’d strapped it to the back of the ATV. “Anything else you want to bring down there?”

“That should be good for today. I really don’t know what I’m facing yet, but this should do me for now.”

Ford swung onto the driver’s seat and motioned to her to sit on the seat behind him. There was a running board, so she stood on it and squeezed herself between the tote and Ford.

Not a lot of wiggle room. Her legs bracketed his, and her body instantly wanted to get closer. Instead, she made herself to find a comfortable spot and stay still.

There was nowhere else to put her hands, so she set them on his torso and forced herself not to cuddle in. Although she’d have clunked their helmets together if she’d tried.

“All set?”

Ford’s gravelly voice reached her easily through the helmet. “All set.”

He started the engine and took off into the orchard at a sedate pace. There was no need to wrap herself around him to keep safe.

Too bad.