Knox Malssum, aka Annie, and his woman, Thea, ran the overall farm. Thea had a working compost facility. Probably one reason the gardens out front looked so good. He was glad to have somewhere to send his scraps. The farm was more environmentally conscious than most places he’d been, and he heartily approved.
Gray would be another reason for the garden’s success outside. Gray could easily have been a chef. The man cooked better than anyone Seth had worked with in LA, although Claus had no official training. He and Amber Malssum were together, and she was the one opening the inn where Seth hoped he’d be working. He’d find out if his leg could support him standing on it during a shift. With an inn, it wouldn’t be a twelve-hour one, so he should be able to manage.
Their buddy Nash Cooper and his family lived at the back of the orchard and worked on creating cider flavors to sell and serve at the inn. That gave him another opportunity to play with flavors and recipes. Apparently, Alice’s son Charlie loved to try unique combinations that bombed as often as they worked. Seth’s buddy Wyatt would love to work with the kid. He was always splicing plants to make better combinations. He’d bet the kid would get a kick out of that, too.
Seth’s gaze roved the kitchen again. Not that this would be his workspace, but he hoped the other one was as roomy.
He could cook over an open campfire if he had to, but having counter space and room to do prep were important when he was cooking for guests.
And he was jumping way the hell ahead of himself. So far, he’d been welcomed, but they hadn’t talked jobs yet.
At least no one he’d been introduced to was a chef. Shit. Unless they’d hired Chaos Machine.
Everyone sat in what was obviously their regular spot around the table. He sat next to Lawson’s Dani as the men gathered drinks from the fridge and put on the kettle for hot options.
In no time, they were settled with drinks. Chaos Machine plated slices of her pie and loaves, then set them in the middle of the table.
She left the sink full of bubbles and dishes to take the seat across from him.
Damn, she looked good, but he nearly had to glue his feet to the floor to stop himself from finishing her cleanup. He couldn’t tolerate a dirty kitchen.
Lawson tapped his coffee mug with a fork to bring everyone’s attention to him. “We’d like to officially welcome Mara and Seth to the farm.”
Had she just arrived too?
Lawson grinned at them. “What are the odds that our new chef and our new baker would arrive on the same day? Serendipity in action. Welcome to you both.”
Seth nodded, and Mara’s smile lit up the damn room.
Down the table, Gray slung his arm around Amber and raised his glass. “We’re thrilled you’re here and hope you’re here to stay. Amber’s first guests will arrive a few weekends from now. That’ll give you time to figure out recipes, and we all volunteer as test subjects.”
The group laughed, and Seth sipped the chai he’d chosen from the beverage options. A good, strong chai that reminded him of the villages overseas where he’d worked.
That brought memories of the IED and Maki, but he shoved them away. No thinking about any of that shit with others present. Instead, he focused on the chai and the flavor combinations it inspired. Had Alice’s family tried a chai-flavored cider? Or had Dani infused it into some of her honey?
Chatter around the table turned to the inn and its preparations.
Seth contributed to the talk but mostly listened, trying to get a feel for the group and their hopes. The No Phailed Apples Inn was a rural, casual place. He needed to tour the building and talk more with Amber. No sense in creating fancy frou-frou recipes if people were after comfort meals. What would be popular at a rural inn?
He didn’t know much about Vermont yet, and he wondered about local meat options. He’d have to see what the yard was like here. Was there room for him to keep chickens? Both for meat and eggs. Wait, just for eggs. He’d seen enough killing overseas. He’d look for a local meat source instead.
They sat for over an hour before Lawson spoke up. “You two must be exhausted. It’s been a long day for you both. I’ll show Babs up to a room.”
Jolie stood. “And we’ve got the cleanup. Thanks for the baking, Mara. It was delicious.”
And it had been. Bold, bright apple flavors with subtle hints of honey, cinnamon, and other spices that tasted even better than they smelled.
Chaos Machine grinned. “Thanks. I’m glad you liked it, but I’m not leaving you with my mess.”
He and Lawson moved outside to grab Seth’s stuff from his Tucson. The Bolt beside him likely belonged to Ford’s sister. Clean and shiny. He wondered how long it would stay that way with Chaos Machine in charge.
Shaking his head at himself, he grabbed a couple of duffels. Bobby grabbed the others. As he locked the vehicle, he breathed in the air. Even in the midst of summer, the air was crisp and cool.
He smiled at the scent of apples permeating the evening. “You’ve landed yourself in a great spot, Bobby.”
Lawson nodded. “We have. I love it here, and I didn’t expect to.”
“How much of that is because of your beekeeper?”
