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Her heart said no, but her experience said otherwise. She wanted to believe her heart.

A small head butted into her thigh. The therapy goat, Popcorn, proving she was in tune with emotions from people as well as animals.

Jolie squatted down to pat the goat. “I’m okay, Popcorn, but you’re right. Time to live in the present and not let the past dictate my feelings.” She kept her voice soft enough for only the goat to hear.

Kimi nodded. “For now, you could build a temporary mobile duck shelter. If you put in on wheels, you can move it around at night. Without a floor on it, you’ll get the ducks to fertilize a different section of the field each night.A half-dozen birds to start with should be manageable. The mobile coop would give you time to build a full-time building for winter.”

Ford laughed. “A mobile composting duck house. Thea will approve.”

Jolie stood and tuned back into the conversation. Ford raised his eyebrow at her as if he’d noticed she’d checked out. She smiled at him to let him know all was good.

Really good.

A home. New friends. Several projects that fulfilled her. And a man who intrigued her on every level.

Too bad she wasn’t sure she should take on that risk. Because she was pretty sure her heart was tumbling quickly for this man who was planning to help her protect the ducks she didn’t own yet.

Chapter8

Quackers

Ford’s mind spun with ideas as he drove back toward the farm. Home.

Fences. Duck coops. Mobile duck coops. Jolie. The future.

All of those things blended together in his mind, and he liked the picture they made. He wanted to build the coops because building weird shit was fun. He also wanted to build them for Jolie. To show her he liked her ideas and wanted to help.

To show her he cared. Ford wasn’t one to look for random hookups. He preferred to know and like a woman before they took things to the next level.

His feelings for Jolie were larger than anything he’d ever felt. No one had ever touched his heart like she did.

He’d never been in love. None of the women he’d dated had inspired those feelings. Probably why he’d drifted away from all of them. There hadn’t been dramatic breakups. No betrayals. Just no feelings strong enough to make him imagine forever.

He was sure as hell imagining it now.

Jolie stared out the window as he drove, a small smile on her face.

“Excited?”

The smile widened. “Very. I can’t believe how amazing this part of the world is proving to be. Everyone we meet here is so willing to help. They’re all doing amazing things and spreading happy.”

“And fulfilling their potential?”

Her laughter filled the truck’s cab. “Definitely fulfilling their potential. That’s what I want to do as well. Not only for myself, but for the farm. For Knox. And the others. And you.”

His heart softened. Again. Around Jolie, his heart was about as tough as a butterfly.

“You’re doing amazing things at the farm already. And you’re going to do more. Your pond is going to be home to so many kinds of wildlife and you’re already increasing the biodiversity of the place. It’s going to be amazing.”

“Thanks. I really want to help my family. I love Knox’s idea of pulling us all together, and I want to help him do that. Growing up, I was always the little one, the one everyone took care of and worried about. I want to contribute equally now.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. The road was like a roller coaster, so he didn’t keep it there, but he wanted her to feel his support. “You’re doing exactly that, Jolie.”

“Thanks. I hope so.”

He hadn’t realized she’d felt like a burden to her family. “Just so you know, your brothers all talk about you with pride.”

“Really?” Her voice showed her surprise.