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She didn’t hesitate, didn’t even look over to make sure her brother wasn’t on his way. Which made him realize he hadn’t told her about his conversation with Knox yet.

While she turned back to the oatmeal, he grabbed a couple of bowls and spoons. “Annie knows we’re doing that, by the way.”

Eyes wide, she turned off the element and set the oatmeal to sit. “You told him?”

He shrugged. “More like he asked me.”

She worried her bottom lip. “Everything okay between you two?”

He moved back and framed her face. “We’re fine. He’s worried I’ll hurt you, but I think that’s normal big brother shit, not about me specifically.”

She scowled. “I can make my own decisions. He doesn’t get a say in this.”

Ford grinned, loving her feistiness. “I’m a big brother too, so I get where he’s coming from. He just wants to make sure you’re okay. He’s not trying to decide for you.”

She studied him seriously. “And you two are really okay?”

He nodded. “We are.” And then he kissed her.

A loud, dramatic groan had them both smiling.

Thea and Knox moved in from the hallway, and his buddy groaned again. “No PDA in front of the big brother. Have some compassion here.”

Grinning, Ford pulled Jolie up on her toes and kissed her again. Laughing, she framed his face and placed a smacking kiss on his lips.

Then she slipped out of his arms and moved to Knox. She repeated her actions, framing his face and placing a smacking kiss on his lips, making him laugh.

Then his buddy pulled Jolie in for a hug. Ford wasn’t close enough to hear what he said into her ear, but whatever it was had Jolie smiling and nodding.

Then she whispered something back and Annie gave a full-body shudder worthy of a middle-school acting class. “I guess I don’t get to kill him. Not yet, anyway.”

Over a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, the four of them discussed the farm. Ford nudged Jolie’s elbow. “Have you told them about Cyril yet?”

Thea leaned forward. “Who’s Cyril? I don’t think I know anyone around here with that name.”

Grinning, Jolie caught them up to speed on the cylinder she’d found in the pond and her worries that someone had used it in the past as a garbage dump. “I’m worried about the possibility that there are noxious substances inside it. Whatever it is.”

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and they tossed ideas back and forth about how to retrieve Cyril without Jolie having to scuba dive in the water.

When they asked about surrounding properties, Thea frowned. “I think the forest goes pretty far back there. I don’t think there are any farms or houses in that direction, but I’m not sure. We should drive around to see.”

Ford nodded. “Good idea. First, I’d like to check out the area in the daylight. It was getting too late that night to study the woods properly. And then I forgot about it. With the rain, I’ve focused on indoor projects instead.”

Thea and Knox shared a glance. Without a word, they nodded at each other. “We’ll go check out the pond with you.”

Not a single person in this group had a shortage of curiosity. The farm was going to be a huge success. “I want to take the ATV down to the pond. I’m not sure if it’s got a winch on it or not. Either way, maybe we can find something to haul Cyril up.”

The ATV had a winch, but they still needed something to wrap around Cyril. They grabbed a few items they thought might be useful and headed out.

Thea drove the ATV with Jolie on the back. He and Annie jogged. He glanced at his buddy. “You have a weird feeling about this cylinder, too?”

Knox nodded. “It seems so out of place. It’s a stupid spot to dump anything. Other than the farm owners, how would anyone know it’s there? It’s easier to dump something at the landfill than drag it all the way back to the pond. The farm road doesn’t even go that far.”

Ford had been thinking the same thing. Another reason he’d been up half the night. “If Jolie had found a bunch of junk, it would be one thing, but only having one man-made item down there doesn’t sit right. There aren’t any roads leading to it from this side. I want to check the woods to see if there are trails going into the trees. We should be able to judge how often they’re used. Figure out if someone is living back there or using your property for their own reasons.”

Knox nodded. “If none of the trails have been used lately, I’ll feel better. Maybe Cyril’s been down there for decades.”

Ford hoped that was the case. He wanted Jolie safe when she was working down here. Maybe it was the overprotectiveness he felt toward her, but he wouldn’t rest easy until he knew the cylinder was a benign piece of trash.