Page 4 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)

Get Caught Up

A few months later.

Amber parked just inside the fence of her family’s apple farm. She was really here. For a moment, she sat in the car. She needed to catch her breath before she alerted them to her presence.

Out of habit, she checked her rear and side mirrors to ensure no one was creeping up on her.

It had been months since the attack, but the fear remained.

She saw nothing other than glorious autumn leaves and the worn three-rail fence along the road.

She hadn’t seen a car in at least ten minutes, but that didn’t stop her from constantly checking her surroundings.

Especially now that she knew the Lauzon family knew her name. Apparently, T and his buddies were part of a crime family. A crime family with extensive connections. A family that hated Amber for thwarting their attempts to get to Brandon Wells.

According to the police, the Lauzons had wanted to coerce Wells into partnering with them. They wanted to expand their reach by joining with a legitimate business.

Wells had refused all offers.

T, Spade, and Brown had been sent to The Sidderlight Hotel to convince him to see the error of his ways.

Thanks to Dark Eyes, that hadn’t worked out.

Now the family was pissed.

The police believed it would be safer if Amber wasn’t in Chicago. They didn’t think she’d be in any danger if she moved out of reach.

Now that her visible injuries were fully healed, she’d decided to come home. Well, it wasn’t her home, as she’d never stepped foot on the property. But it was home to two of her siblings and that was the same thing.

Nathaniel Sidderlight had finally accepted her resignation with a generous severance package. He’d offered to help her find a new position anywhere in the world. The man had connections with a lot of hotels.

But Amber couldn’t face that anymore. She’d managed to put on her uniform and work a few shifts once she’d healed. But that had been all about proving to herself that she wasn’t a coward. That she could do it.

She just didn’t want to anymore.

In the back seat, Boomer yawned and shoved his massive head through the seats to nuzzle her throat. “Hey buddy. We’re here. I’m just building up my courage.”

The German Shepherd licked her nose. It always made her laugh. “You’re a silly boy for a dog that weighs nearly as much as I do.”

She’d worked with a company that trained personal bodyguard dogs to select this beauty. Some days, having Boomer at her side was the only way she dared to leave her hotel room.

Now, they’d travelled across a few states to get to Vermont. To her family. “We should be safe here, Boomer. You’re going to like the farm.” She hoped they both would.

He licked her ear, and she laughed. “Fine. I’ll put it in gear. I probably should have told them I was coming.” But she hadn’t been sure she’d be brave enough to get in the car and drive all that way. What if she brought danger here?

She eased the car down the farm road and slowed at the older farmhouse that appeared first. This was the farmhouse that Knox and Jolie thought she should turn into her very own hotel.

The building was huge and friendly, with trees and bushes leaning into it from all sides. Additions over the years made it interesting and fun. Not perfect. Scars showed the passage of time, and she wondered at the stories of the people who’d lived here.

She imagined a large, boisterous family filling the space. Multi-generational. Working together to farm the apples that grew in the back.

Similar to what her family was doing. Knox had been the one with the vision. The one who wanted to use this surprise inheritance to pull their family together. Well, everyone who was left.

She wondered how their grandfather Fox would feel about the venture. He’d never mentioned his brother Jay, but Amber figured Fox would be happy that Jay had left them the farm, that he’d wanted it to stay in the family.

Boomer woofed softly. “Too much introspection, Boomer? Okay, I’ll keep moving.”

The road widened a bit, and another farmhouse appeared on the left, with a huge barn on the right.

Both buildings shining with the golden leaves of the apple trees surrounding them.

She knew Knox was hoping this barn would lure in their brother Lawson.

He was a mechanic with a penchant for restoring old cars and trucks.

She figured it was a pretty good lure, and she wouldn’t be surprised if Lawson joined them in the future.

Them ? That implied Amber was staying and not just visiting.

She wished she knew if that was true. But she wasn’t sure of much now. “Running from the mob does that for a woman, Boomer.”

With a mental shake, Amber parked beside the Ford Escape that belonged to her sister. Jolie had fallen in love with Ford Evans, and the fact that she drove a Ford made everyone smile. Ford’s Ford truck sat on the other side.

Knowing that her sister had fallen for such a good man made Amber happy. Knox had found love on the farm as well. Thea was the queen of compost and the driving force behind helping the farm recover from years of neglect and earlier exposure to pesticides and other pollutants.

The group followed regenerative farming practices that echoed those of early farmers. They wanted to increase the health of the farm by improving its biodiversity and using natural products.

Amber knew nothing about any of it. Not yet anyway. She figured she’d learn a lot by listening to their plan and helping where she could.

“Okay, Boomer. Let’s do this.”

She opened the back door of the car, and Boomer moved to stand at her side, waiting for her command. The dog was a sweetheart, but he’d been taught to protect and was always ready to do his job.

He made her feel safe.

She grabbed her purse and locked up the car, then laid her hand on Boomer’s head. “Okay. This is a safe place, Boomer. It might even be home. Heel.”

They walked toward the second farmhouse, the one Knox had chosen for their living spaces. It was newer than the one at the front and had more recent renovations.

Boomer stayed to her left and matched her pace. His ears and eyes constantly checked the environment, searching for threats and learning the area.

As she walked, she kept her hand in Boomer’s fur, anchoring herself. He was used to her quirks and had quickly attuned himself to her moods. Worth every penny she’d paid. Boomer wasn’t only a pet, but a fully trained protection dog.

Plus, he was fun with a silly side when he wasn’t on duty. Adopting the German shepherd had been the smartest move she’d ever made.

She hoped coming to the apple farm would be another good one.

Amber knocked at the farmhouse, but no one answered. She didn’t even try the door. While her name was on the deed along with her siblings, this wasn’t her place. She wouldn’t intrude without an invitation.

“What do you think, Boomer? This place is enormous. Almost four hundred acres.” She laughed. “I don’t even know what that means in real size. I just know it’s big. How do we find four people out there? Or should we wait on the porch and enjoy the peace along with the view?”

She could also text either Knox or Jolie, but she wanted to surprise them.

Boomer gave a soft woof and nudged her hand, his signal to tell her he’d spotted something, and he wasn’t sure of the reaction she wanted.

“Smart dog, Boomer. I’m guessing it’s a friend, but let’s wait until we’re sure.”

Her heart rate rocketed as her gaze followed Boomer’s to the trees. Within moments, she heard another bark. One that sounded happy. Then Jolie’s laugh.

Relief shot through her, and she was glad her sister couldn’t see her tension. “It’s okay, Boomer. They’re friends.”

Then she remembered her training. “Boomer. Friends. Free.” Using the free command let the shepherd know he was off duty and that she knew there were no threats in the area.

The well-trained animal shifted out of his alert mode, but he continued to watch the orchard with curiosity.

An Australian shepherd loped out of the trees, ears flapping and tongue lolling. Hemsworth. The dog Jolie and Ford had adopted to help with the ducks. She’d met him on video chat, but didn’t know if the dog would remember her.

Boomer tilted his head and checked Amber’s face before barking and wagging his tail in welcome.

“Hemsworth. Wait.” The deep voice belonged to Ford. She knew they would have heard Boomer’s bark.

With the recent attack on the farm, she realized they would all be prepared for the worst. She should have texted after all.

Instead, she called out. “It’s okay, Jolie. Just me.”

She heard her sister’s squeal before she spotted her running through the trees. Jolie’s bright yellow sweatshirt, sporting a happy mermaid, had Amber smiling and running to meet her sister halfway.

Boomer loped along beside her. She wondered what the dog was thinking because he’d never seen Amber relaxed and happy before.

She smiled at her dog. “Boomer. Friends. The very best kind of friends.”

Jolie squealed again and threw her arms around Amber. “You’re here. You’re here. I’m so happy.”

The hard hug had tears threatening, and Amber tried to blink them back. Then she realized they were happy tears, and she didn’t have to hide them.

“I’m so happy to be here, Joles.”

Jolie squeezed her again. “Sounds like there’s a story behind that wobbly voice. Are you okay? Did anything happen? When did you get here?”

Ford’s chuckle reached her ears. “Let the woman breathe, Jolie. And let me have a turn.”

Then she was surrounded by Ford’s strong arms. She’d met the man who was head over heels for her sister on those video chats, but this was their first in-person meeting.

Ford let her go. “It’s great to meet you in person, Amber. Jolie can finally stop concocting elaborate plans to lure you to the farm. Welcome.”

Amber smiled. “Thank you. It’s good to be here and to meet you, too.”

Jolie hugged her again. “I’m so happy you’re here. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming.”