Maybe the lack of engine exhaust was eroding his brain.But instead of heading to the garage and sliding under one of the engines, he pulled up a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and got started.
While they were cooling, he texted Amber to see if he could take a couple of the treats they used for Boomer.Dani’s dog had shown none of her owner’s nerves, but Lawson was determined to hedge all his bets.
He hoped food was the way to the woman’s heart.
Nash had also given him a thermos filled with their newest cider flavor—a combination of apple, ginger, and cranberry.
With all his bribes in his backpack, Lawson set out through the orchard.The blossoms were bigger than the previous day.A pretty day for a date.
Except this wasn’t a date.This was him digging himself out of the hole he’d dug, and making sure the woman realized he posed absolutely no threat to her peace.
He could even clean up her space by taking that sweet truck off her hands, and putting some cash in her pocket.
Lawson’s spirits lifted as he walked through the orchard.Now he understood why Knox had fallen in love with the place from the first moment he’d arrived the previous spring.
Knox and Thea worked together to bring the farm to life and bring the family together.If Lawson decided to make his stay permanent, Burke would be the only holdout.
Burke’s life was in Boston because his job was there.Lawson was pretty sure Burke’s life revolved around work.From the time they’d moved in with Fox, Burke had taken on as many jobs as he could.He’d wanted to assure the family of financial security.
Instead of playing all the sports in high school, he’d been learning about 401(k)s and savings bonds.If any of the siblings had a problem, Burke wanted to solve it.
Lawson wanted Burke to find more to life than that.But even when all three of the brothers had lived in Boston, Burke had canceled more get-togethers than he’d made.Time for him to add more living to his life.
Just like Lawson hoped to do.
And if that living involved a beautiful woman and her friendly beast of a dog, all the better.
Lawson spent an hour with Nash’s family at the cider house.His buddy had left the army to raise his son when his wife had died in childbirth.It had been over a decade, and Lawson was thrilled to see him beaming with happiness again.
Nash’s son chatted nonstop about the house plans, eager to show off how his family would live together.Charlie was a great kid.He took care of his new little sister, Ella Mae, who was a spitfire with a ready smile and squeals that nearly burst his eardrums.The happy sounds made everyone laugh.
By the time he headed into the forest in search of Dani, she was calling him Law and demanding hugs before he left.
Family was a hell of a thing, and he was glad to see that his own was expanding along with Nash’s.
Fox would love the kids.He’d been the best grandfather.
Would Fox love this space?Or the fact that his brother had left it to the five of them?Maybe the idea of them all living here, thanks to Fox’s brother, would piss him off.
It was bizarre that Fox had never mentioned his brother.Even before their parents had died, Fox had been an integral part of their lives.He’d taken each of the kids forFox Days,getting to know them as individuals.He’d also taken the boys together.And the girls.Mixed them up as well.Did special activities together to help them all bond.
Some of Lawson’s best memories were fishing with his brothers and Fox.When his grandfather realized Lawson had a thing for engines, he immediately started scouring thrift stores and garage sales for anything with an engine.Then he’d spend time with Lawson, taking them apart and putting them back together, learning how things worked.
Like the other siblings, even when he’d moved out, Lawson frequently stayed in touch with Fox.They’d chatted about engines and favorite cars.It had been through his grandfather that Lawson had learned to love vintage vehicles, especially trucks.
Like the beauty in the field somewhere ahead of him.
Shoving aside the memories of Fox and the mystery behind the estrangement between him and Jay, Lawson turned his attention to how to fix the mess he’d made the previous day.
He hoped his efforts wouldn’t make things worse.
Dani climbed onto Beatrice and patted the truck’s bed.Bibi might outweigh Dani and be covered in more fur than most wooly mammoths, but her girl was agile when she wanted to be.
Bibi loved sitting in Beatrice to enjoy the sunshine.And the bits of Dani’s lunch that she could sneak.
Dani had found out the hard way that no amount of training, and no amount of love for Dani, would stop Bibi from stealing all the cheese from her lunch.She was even happier if the cheese was inside a sandwich she could gulp down in a single bite.
Dani had already removed the pillows and blankets she stored in Beatrice’s cab.She arranged them so the cab provided a backrest for her and closed the tailgate, giving them a cozy nest.Bibi circled a few times and then plopped at her side.
