Page 9 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)

She smiled. “It’s a good place. I think Knox was right. This would make an excellent inn. Although I don’t know how many people would like to visit an apple farm in Vermont.”

But that would be her job. Demo. Renovation. Design and planning. Then marketing. And running the final project. It wouldn’t be easy, and it certainly wouldn’t be quick, but it was doable.

That made her smile again. She hadn’t even seen the inside yet, and she was making plans to lure people to Vermont in all its seasons. “Looks like I’ve found my project.”

It wouldn’t bring in money, not yet. But it would be fun.

She pulled out her keys to check out the inside when she heard a bell. The dinner bell. Knox had found it somewhere, and the sound made her smile.

“I guess the interior will have to wait, Boomer. Dinner’s ready. We’ll come back later to explore.”

For the first time in a long time, Amber’s excitement was bigger than her fear.

G ray watched Amber’s reaction to the dinner bell. She hadn’t flinched, and he could tell from her body language that she was as relaxed as he’d ever seen her. Not that he’d known her that long.

Boomer hadn’t wandered far from her, but he’d checked out the road and the front yard of the farmhouse. The dog had acknowledged Gray’s presence but hadn’t alerted Amber, showing he knew Gray meant no harm.

He hadn’t meant to spy, but Amber lured him. He’d been checking out the perimeter of the garden area, inspecting the trees and bushes along with the weeds.

For security reasons, he’d been drawn to the dense bushes along the side of the farmhouse Amber studied. He’d need to eliminate, or at least move, the bushes. He wouldn’t leave hiding spaces for lurkers or burglars.

Not that he expected many on an apple farm in rural Vermont, but security was always important. Having the edges of the buildings clear would help.

The way Amber studied the building with a slight smile on her face, he knew she was going to work on it. Her sister had been right that it would bring her joy.

When Amber turned toward the sound of the dinner bell, Gray stayed put and waved. She started for a moment, but her smile returned and she waved back.

Boomer checked on her, then trotted right up to Gray for a pat, making him smile. “Are you two evaluating as well?”

She nodded. “I was dreaming up plans, and I haven’t even set foot inside the place yet.”

He grinned. “Same. I think I’ll have to eliminate a lot of the scrub around the foundation of your building. I hope that works for you. From what I could see through the bushes, I think there’s a good porch on this side of the building.”

She nodded again. “I hope it’s a nice, wide one. Good for rockers and swings.”

“That would be perfect. I’ll eliminate the overgrown stuff. Leave the apple trees and wait to start planning the gardens until the junk is gone. That’ll give me a better idea of how the land works.”

Her eyes brightened. “That would be amazing. It would improve the view exponentially. I can see guests sitting on the porch with their morning coffee, enjoying the peace and the garden view.”

The dinner bell clanged again, making Gray smile. “It’s Knox’s turn to cook, and it sounds like we need to move. Can your brother cook? Or will we be filling up on PB&Js later on?”

He loved watching smiles bloom on Amber’s face. Figured he could spend many happy years making that happen.

“Our grandfather Fox made sure we all knew how to cook. Knox is the pancake master and I’m sure whatever he makes will be good. Although a PB&J never goes wrong.”

Boomer trotted a little to the sides, checking out the area, but continually assuring himself Amber was safe and comfortable.

The dog waited for them at the bottom of the porch stairs and then followed them inside. The kitchen smelled great. “Smells like Annie can cook.”

Knox flipped him off, then put a large dish on the table. “Mac and cheese with chicken and veggies. You almost missed it.”

They laughed and washed up at the sink. “We were checking out the potential out front. Got a little caught up.”

Jolie’s face lit up, and he realized she had tuned in to the attraction simmering between him and Amber. It looked like she wasn’t averse to the idea.

Good.

Because Gray knew he wanted to follow up on the chemistry. He would never rush Amber into anything, but he fully intended to spend as much time with her as possible.

And if that led to kissing, he’d be a happy man.

Over dinner, they worked out the new cooking rotation.

Amber offered to take the next day. He’d follow her, like he’d follow her anywhere.

He kept his smile inside. Amber captivated him, but he wasn’t quite ready to show his hand yet.

Fascination could filter out. He wasn’t taking a chance on screwing up his place here until he was sure there was far more there than simple attraction.

He figured his Italian heritage and his mamma’s cooking lessons could give him a hand there. His marinara sauce was a thing of beauty, and he’d never met anyone who didn’t love his mushroom risotto.

Yeah, cooking for Amber would be fun.

Over the meal and the group cleanup, he learned more about the overall vision of the farm. He loved the idea of regenerative farming. Allowing the native plants to take the lead was a great idea.

He had a few more, many of them based around the plants his sister had loved.

Vegetable and herb gardens were natural sensory spaces.

He’d figure out how to play that up. “We should be able to attract more butterflies and bees next year. Fall is the perfect time to clear out that mess and plant some perennials. I’ll add more in the spring, but we should have a decent base for it all before the snow flies. ”

Knox grinned. “The snow arrives early here, but I bet you’ll have made excellent progress by then. What about you, Amber? Did you get inside the other farmhouse?”

She flushed a little as everyone turned to her. “No. I got caught up just looking at the exterior. And only the front at that. It’s a beautiful home, but I’m sure the place needs major upgrades.”

Knox and Jolie shared a smile before he continued. “Perfect. That’ll keep you here and busy for a very long time.”

Amber shot up a brow. “I didn’t say I wanted to take it on.”

Jolie laughed. “Maybe not with words, but we can tell. You’ve got that look you get when you’re imagining how to transform a building into a comfortable and welcoming home.”

Her cheeks flushed more, but she smiled. “Maybe. I’ll have a look inside soon.”

“Not tonight?”

She shook her head, and her fingers tightened on her fork. “No. I think I’ll let the ideas I have shift around in my head tonight. I’ll check it out tomorrow.”

He wondered if she was convincing the others, because she wasn’t convincing him. She had no intention of going in that building tonight. Alone and in the dark.

Tomorrow, he’d offer to go in with her. Using the excuse of seeing what the view was like from the windows should work. He didn’t want her to go anywhere she felt uncomfortable.

Plus, he would get more time with her. Alone. Give them both a chance to get to know each other better in a setting that didn’t carry the pressure of a date.

How would she respond if he asked her on a date? Maybe he’d know enough tomorrow. He already knew he wanted more. Now to see how she felt.