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The command to let the herding dog know the task was done always made Ford smile. They’d learned a lot from Lorraine and the internet.

When Hemsworth stopped herding the ducks, the birds stopped to check out their new surroundings. With a weird quack that sounded more like a honk, one of the ducks fluttered her wings, then half-ran, half-flew to a tree. She gulped down a snail faster than Ford would have thought possible, and waggled in what looked like delight.

The rest of the flock followed her lead and in no time, the ducks were gulping down snails quickly enough to have Ford’s stomach churning. “I know they’re helping the farm, but this image is going to fuel my nightmares.”

Jolie laughed. “Me too. They’re pretty voracious.”

He gave an exaggerated shudder that had her laughing more.

When they figured the ducks had eaten their fill, they had Hemsworth round them up and head back to the clearing by the pond.

The birds complained at first, but then moved easily through the orchard, quacking and fluffing their feathers as they waddled. Jolie grinned at him. “Well, we know Hemsworth can gather them up without much trouble.”

“He’s a pretty great dog.”

Back at the clearing, Hemsworth rounded the ducks into the Quack Mobile. Ford hadn’t started the winter coop for them yet. He was waiting to see how many birds they’d have before he started. No sense in beginning it until then. It needed to fit the birds comfortably. Too big and their body heat wouldn’t keep them warm enough. Too small and they wouldn’t be comfortable.

He’d studied a variety of duck and goose coops. Chicken coops too. Hell, he’d gone down a rabbit hole of all the kinds of coops there were. Building them was going to be fun. He even had a name prepared for the first one. One he figured Jolie would love.

Once the ducks were settled for the night, Ford took Jolie’s hand and led her toward the spot he’d set up earlier.

She grinned. “Is this Adventure Part Two?”

“Sure is. Ready?”

“With you? Always.”

And Ford wondered if his heart would simply explode right there in the orchard.

Jolie wondered what Ford had planned for them next. She was still bouncing from the success of their ducks in the orchard. While the sight wasn’t for the squeamish, it had been thrilling to know that the ducks were going to control the snail population in the orchard. Over the next few days, she’d figure out a schedule for them. Figure out if they needed to increase their flock.

Maybe they should add geese next. Then they’d need another coop aside from the one Ford was planning for the ducks for the winter.

She couldn’t wait to see all her ducks and other visitors using the pond.

Her thoughts came to a halt as they rounded a bush and she saw what Ford had planned for their adventure. “Oh, Ford. This is amazing.”

He’d set up a cozy nest for them in the open area behind a stand of bushes. Sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows were mounded. A large log rested next to a metal fire pit. Wood was stacked beside it. A couple of cooler bags and a duffel bag sat beside the bed.

Jolie wrapped her arms around Ford. “This is amazing. I can’t believe you got this set up without me knowing about it.”

He chuckled in her ear and swayed her into a dance. “I wanted to help you reclaim this area. It’s your favorite part of the farm, and I want you to have good memories here to help erase the bad stuff.”

This man. “Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

His sexy chuckle rumbled through her as he kept their feet moving in a slow dance to the sounds of the night deepening around them. “I love you, too, Jolie. So much.”

They continued to sway as the peace of the evening settled around them. Hemsworth wandered the area, sniffing the rocks and bushes with every sign of the contentment she felt deep within.

She rested her head on Ford’s chest and he ran his hand softly up and down her back.

Eventually, he kissed her hair. “We should probably light the fire.”

A soft rustling sound had her looking up and squeezing Ford. “Wait.” Her whisper was barely audible.

She searched the sky and then pointed. In the light of the full moon, a small colony of bats flew over the pond. As a group, they dipped to drink and then swooped into the orchard.

Ford picked her up and whirled her in a circle. He kept his happy whoop quiet as a whisper. “You did it, Jolie. You’ve lured in the bats.”