Page 25 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)

The friendliness of the couple immediately put Amber at ease with them. Her brother took the tray into the kitchen to keep it cool until later.

Two more vehicles pulled into the driveway and another couple strolled down the drive. Amber tightened her stranger shields.

She needn’t have bothered.

Sally and Greg, who owned the land south of the apple farm, were friendly. The couple had lived off the grid for forty years and were delighted with Knox and Thea’s vision for the farm.

Sylvia Newberry lived across the road and ran a Christmas tree farm.

After Sylvia shook their hands, she dropped to her knees to introduce herself to Boomer.

“You’re a love, aren’t you, Boomer? I didn’t bring my wack-a-doodle today, but I’ll bring Squirrel over another time.

Maybe you can teach him to remain calm.”

The woman smiled up at Amber. “Squirrel is a golden doodle and a perpetual puppy. He’s the happiest dog, but has more than a few impulse control issues. He’s never met a stranger and just wants to play with everyone.”

Amber smiled. “He sounds fun.”

Sylvia grinned. “He is. My best friend. But I thought he’d be better off napping at home today.”

“He’d be welcome any time.”

Another woman walked down the drive with three dogs at her side.

Two Bernese mountain dogs and a boxer. Boomer straightened, and his tail wagged.

He didn’t move from Amber’s side, but she knew immediately that this woman wasn’t a threat.

Boomer was never wrong. And anyone who had three such gorgeous dogs was probably a wonderful person.

Sure enough, she was introduced to Lorraine, who lived just to the north of the farm. She knew the woman had once bred show dogs, but that she was now retired.

Hemsworth and Fox bounded out of the forest to greet the new guests. Again, the guilt of holding Boomer back from making friends ran through Amber.

Boomer nudged her hand, making her smile. “Thanks, bud. You’re a great friend.”

Lorraine ran an appreciative eye over Boomer. “You’re a handsome lad. These are my friends, Gilbert, Anne, and Marilla.”

Amber laughed, sensing a kinship. “Another Anne of Green Gables fan?”

Lorraine’s eyes sparkled. “One of my favorites.”

Amber patted Boomer’s head. “Boomer. Free. Go play with your new friends.”

Boomer licked her hand and then bounded off to go through the dog-sniffing ritual with the new arrivals.

Gray and Mort threw a few balls and frisbees into the orchard, and the dogs had a blast racing to bring them back.

After watching the dogs for a few minutes, Lorraine smiled.

“You’ve got a winner there. He never lets you out of his sight and he’s very tuned into your emotions.

Some protection dogs struggle to get along with other dogs and even humans, but Boomer is the perfect blend of all the good traits. You’re very lucky.”

The woman’s quick identification of Boomer’s job shocked Amber. Her voice shook when she spoke. “I am. He’s the absolute best.”

Lorraine nodded her head. “I won’t intrude on your privacy with questions, but I’ll let you know that no one said a word to me about him being a protection dog.

If I hadn’t spent so many years working with all kinds of dogs, I wouldn’t have known either.

Just know that if you ever need me or any of my troops for an added layer of protection, we’re here for you.

I’ve got more of these beauties at home. ”

When the talk turned to dogs instead of protection, Amber relaxed into the conversation. When the final new neighbor arrived, she joined the two of them. Dani Richards ran an apiary behind Lorraine’s property.

The woman was quiet, and because she knew the signs so well, Amber spotted her nerves, which helped Amber settle into her role of host.

When she discovered Dani was another dog lover, with a Newfoundland dog of her own, it was easy to keep the conversation going.

The people from Phail and Midnight Lake arrived in a caravan of vehicles. In addition to the ones she already knew, she met more than a dozen more. All friendly and fun. Still, she was glad no one else was arriving.

A horn beeped in a friendly pattern and she looked up to see Ford backing up the multi-bin truck their way.

A sharp whistle from Lorraine had all the dogs returning to their humans. Even Hemsworth and Boomer.

Sylvia laughed. “I’m glad I didn’t bring Squirrel. He’s never responded to a command for longer than a few seconds.”

Lorraine smiled. “One day, you’ll have to bring him over and we’ll work on that. My troop will help him out.”

Thea directed Ford to a section of the forest that Amber and her family hadn’t yet touched. Gray appeared at her side and took her hand while Boomer took up his position on her left.

The group walked into the orchard in a loose group. Gray leaned down to whisper. “All good?”

She nodded. “They’re all really nice people.”

“Agreed. I’ve got a ton of suggestions from Mort, and Sally has my head spinning with ideas. I’m glad I hadn’t made final decisions because I have a ton of things to tweak now. They all know so much about native plant species and are so generous with their knowledge.”

Amber nodded. “Through Fox and Jay, we sure landed in a wonderful place.”

Gray lifted her hand to kiss it. “And we’re going to help make it even better.”

Knox demonstrated how to gently pick the apples, and the group spent a couple of happy hours filling the bins.

Back at the farmhouse, a few of them helped everyone transfer the apples to the baskets and cartons they’d found for them all.

Amber helped Gray, Ford, Knox, and Thea bring the food out to the tables they’d set up near the farmhouse. When she handed her brother a charcuterie board, he studied her. “You doing okay? That was a lot of new people.”

She smiled. “I’m good. They’re all great.”

He nodded. “They are. And the awesome dogs don’t hurt either. I think Boomer made some new friends, too.”

She smiled, knowing her brother was reminding her the dogs added another layer of protection to the farm—another method to help her feel safe.

For another hour, the group sat around the tables and chatted. About the land, the area, and climate change. Books, music, and movies too. And ways to bring more tourism dollars to the Phail area.

Mostly Amber just listened and watched, but then Piper and Jolie lured her into sharing her vision for the inn.

To her relief, none of the neighbors objected to having an inn on the property.

She’d worried they might hate the increased traffic and people, but they all approved. Another worry she could set aside.

After the group dispersed and they’d cleaned up, she took Gray’s hand and they walked up the quiet road to the inn.

She leaned into him. “I’m tired out, but that was a good day.”

He squeezed her hand. “It was. We’ve got some really terrific people around us. I can see Boss Man strategizing how to incorporate their businesses with ours to improve everyone’s bottom line.”

That made her smile. “You’re right. Burke is always thinking of ways to improve the lives of everyone around him. He loves assisting small businesses. That’s another hook we can add to lure him in.”

He chuckled. “Annie’s got you helping him get Bobby and Boss Man here, too?”

“Yes. Knox had the right idea all along. Not a surprise, as he’s always been one to make plans that help others out. He’s always seen to the heart of all of us. And this farm can be that heart. For everyone.”

Along with the man at her side, it was exactly that for her.