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Peace was good. After the shit he and his team had experienced in the army, he knew he’d never take peace for granted. They’d rescued a lot of people and stopped many acts of terrorism. It still swam around in his brain and his heart at night.

People deserved to be surrounded by peace. Deserved to live their lives as they wished instead of at the whims of dictators and drug cartels.

Knox brought out a tray of mugs, making Ford realize he’d zoned out enough to miss his friend heading back in. That never happened. His body must trust in the safety surrounding them.

Knox passed him a steaming mug that smelled like cinnamon and other spices he associated with the villages from overseas. “Chai?”

Knox grinned. “Maybe not as good as some places we visited in Afghanistan, but close. There’s a woman nearby in a place called Midnight Lake who likes to experiment with pretty much everything. Along with creating robots, Tansy’s blending different teas. All caffeine free.”

“You landed us all in an interesting part of the world, Annie.” Using his buddy’s call sign made him think of Mara because she’d been the one to give Knox the Annie call sign. Even now, the melody ofIt’s a Hard Knox Lifedrifted through his head. “I think my sister would like this place.”

Knox laughed. “Reading my mind, Dodge? At some point, I think the farm would benefit from someone who likes to bake. We don’t have the product yet, but if Mara ever wants to visit, encourage her. Even if she doesn’t want to live here, I’m betting she’d be full of ideas of what we could make here to help the farm and its apples stand out from the crowd.”

Ford nodded, smiling at the use of his own callsign. With a name like Ford, he was constantly being called by the names of other vehicle companies, but Dodge was the one that stuck the most.

At least the teams had picked his, not his sister. Although the Annie callsign had always made his buddy laugh and whistle the tune. “Not exactly a hard Knox life up here, is it?”

Knox grinned. “I’m loving it. I find the whole place fascinating. The trees, the process, the Worminator. The farm is full of potential, isn’t it, Jolie?”

She laughed, and the sound warmed up Ford as much as the tea.

Jolie sipped from her own mug. “I’ve been here for a whole twenty-four hours, but it’s got even more potential than I expected. Tomorrow, I’m going to explore the pond. I want to find out what exactly is living in there. Then I’m going to start removing the plants that don’t belong. That alone should help move around some of that stale water. Do you know how deep it is?”

Knox and Thea exchanged a glance and shook their heads. “Not a clue.”

Jolie didn’t look in the least bit deterred. “More to find out. It’s going to be fun.”

Thea turned to Ford. “How did your overview go today?”

He shrugged. “Pretty well. Aside from some sheds, almost everything is in at least halfway decent shape. The people who built the barns built them to last for centuries. All the foundations are solid. The wood has worn down a bit over the decades, but that’s normal, and adds to the visual attraction. There’s nothing quite like the appeal of a barn that looks friendly and lived in. If you ever decide to open the place up to visitors, there are going to be plenty who want to take selfies in front of the barns.”

Knox nodded. “Maybe down the road. This year, I think we’re going to have our hands full getting things moving in the right direction.”

Jolie smiled. “Burke will like the idea of diversifying the income streams. Visitors, especially during apple-picking time, will love this place. They could pick their own. Families would love to bring kids to a place like this.”

Ford didn’t contribute much more as the conversation swirled around him, batting around ideas for various income streams, and ideas for the future ranging from the practical to the ridiculous.

He settled deeper into the chair and sipped the comforting spiced tea. It was a good place. A place he could be an important part of the team, not an errand boy like he’d been back home.

He hadn’t committed to more than coming to visit the farm and help Knox get things fixed up and moving. But the past few days had been the most interesting of his last few years.

Who’d have thought a kid from Miami would travel the world with the army and then settle his ass down on an apple farm in Vermont?

Jolie laughed along with her brother and Ford smiled into his mug. It was a hell of a good place.

Jolie couldn’t settle. Her room, with its attached bath appointed with pastel green fixtures, was comfortable and clean. Her brother had done an excellent job of polishing the entire farmhouse before anyone arrived.

She didn’t remember much before moving into Fox’s home, but she knew they’d all chipped in and helped there. Cleaning, cooking, laundry. They’d all pulled their weight. Well, Amber had probably carried the biggest load there, but they’d all learned the value of keeping the small home tidy and clean.

Knox said he’d honed those skills in the army where having things out of place or dirty could cost you hours of extra jogging with packs weighing over fifty pounds.

She’d have never survived army training.

Exercise for the sake of exercise wasn’t her thing. She preferred to walk and work in nature. Although she loved a good game of volleyball or softball, too. Maybe they could set up a volleyball net somewhere in the orchard.

Her job kept her in good shape. Hiking through the woods, climbing mountains, and digging into streams and ponds required strong muscles and a relaxed attitude about staying clean all day long. She was okay getting dirty as long as a hot shower awaited her at the end of the day.

Jolie slipped out of her room and down the stairs. She’d never been a great sleeper, so the act made her think of the times she’d found Fox in the kitchen with his mug of decaf coffee in front of him. As an adult, she could look back and see the grief in him. As a child of seven, she’d only thought that her grandfather had been waiting in case one of them had a nightmare. She’d had lots.