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She grinned. “Most people don’t get to work outdoors in all weather. They don’t get to play around in ponds and creeks and rivers.”

That made him smile. “Very true. Although, to be fair, most people probably don’t want to.”

She shook her head. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”

“Tell me.”

“What?”

“Tell me what they’re missing.”

She tilted her head to study him and decided he was serious. “They’re missing out on seeing nature in action. Watching how species thrive in less than ideal circumstances. Life on the edges of water echoes life as it began way back in the primordial age. It’s fascinating to study a biome and see how one slight change can affect all the species living there. From plants to bacteria to insects to fish to birds. And then there are the animals that use that water for drinking and cleaning. By studying how the species adapt, we can figure out how humans can adapt to the changes as well.”

She drew in a deep breath and laughed at herself. “Sorry. You probably were just being polite and didn’t want to hear all of that.”

His answering grin had butterflies playing in her belly. “Actually, it’s fascinating. Tell me more.”

His deep voice had shivers running over her skin. She was officially ridiculous. Her brother’s best friend had no interest in her, and she needed to remember that.

Plus, she’d screw it up, and then she’d have to deal with the awkwardness she created or leave. While she’d been on the farm for less than twenty-four hours, she felt like she’d found home.

So, she couldn’t screw it up.

Chapter2

Pond Scum

Ford forced his hands to remain at his sides. No reaching for this bright, fascinating woman. Her love of the environment shone in her eyes and through her voice. She was a passionate woman.

And he needed to stop thinking about passion. Specifically, about passion and Jolie in the same sentence. He was over thirty and had learned to control his body and his emotions in the army. Still, his body wanted to surge to life and explore that passionate nature with his buddy’s little sister.

Not today, probably not ever.

He forced himself to continue the neutral conversation. No one could lose control while discussing biomes and primordial ooze. “Have you seen the pond yet?”

She sighed. “Not yet. I thought I should do a walk-through of the entire farm first. While I want to dive right in—not literally, at least not yet—I figured I’d have a better idea of what Knox envisions for the whole place if I got a good overview first.”

He laughed. “You won’t want to dive in literally once you see the pond. It’s pretty stagnant.”

Her eyes lit up. “You’ve been there? Lucky.”

“Again, most people wouldn’t agree with you.”

Her almost-black eyes sparkled with joy. The woman was potent. “As you’ve probably guessed, I’m not like most people.”

And he liked that way too much. Instead of saying that, he grinned down at her bright rubber boots again. “Yeah. I got that.”

And before he could do the sensible thing and wish her fun with her farm tour, he spoke again. “I’m doing an overview of the farm today, too. I’ve been here for a few days, but with all the work to get the Worminator up and running, I haven’t been around the entire property yet. I need to check it all out and make a priority list.”

She smiled. “Great minds think alike. Is it okay if I walk with you, at least for a bit? You have more of an idea what Knox and Thea are planning, and I’d like to hear your take on the farm as well.”

Ford kept his grin to himself, nodded, and they headed toward the first barn.

Jolie’s head swivelled to take in everything around her. “The trees all look healthy to me. I didn’t see much last night because it was dark when I arrived. Are these trees typical of the ones in all sections of the farm?”

He shrugged. “I think so, but I don’t know much about trees and I haven’t been everywhere yet. From what Thea says, the trees on the front part of the farm are in better shape than the ones in the back. Something about irrigation and invasive species. I think they’ve been ignored longer than the closer ones.”

Jolie nodded as if he’d imparted something insightful instead of parroting Thea. “Burke will be happy when he sees that the entire place isn’t a wasteland. Knox showed us some on video, but it’s different seeing it in front of you. It looks to me like the farm has been well loved over the decades. Even though it’s been neglected recently, I can easily imagine it thriving. It’s a good place. The trees are happy.”