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Those two things work very well together. Wes smiled.

Yesterday had been one of the hardest days they had worked all season, but when he thought back over it, he remembered Kate with dirt on her jeans, Penny carrying windfalls in her little bucket and the Harlands arriving with their tractor. He liked having Kate in his world. More than that, he liked how easily her family had begun to fit into his life.

And us into theirs, his bear said.

His phone buzzed. Russet Hill had started early too. The cider block was moving well, and the exposed rows were already taking more wind than he wanted. The pleasure of another day with Kate sat beside the knot of concern in his stomach.

Our orchard still needs us, his bear said.

It does. But we need to make sure the Harlands get off to a good start this morning if they’re going to get their harvest in before the storm hits. Wes climbed onto the tractor and headed across the boundary.

Alan and Janice were already in the lower block when he arrived. Alan had a picking bag over one shoulder while Janice stood several trees along, checking containers and talking with Eileen. Kate was near the end of the row with Penny. There was a different energy about Bramblewood this morning. Excitement.

Alan spotted Wes and came toward him. “We walked the block again. I still think we start here.”

Janice joined them. “So do I. If we wait another day and the forecast is right, we’ll probably wish we hadn’t.”

Wes checked several apples with them, taking his time. Alan and Janice had asked for his experience, not permission. He cut into one and showed them the seeds.

Janice nodded. “That’s what we were seeing.”

Alan looked down the row. “Then we go?”

Wes smiled. “You go.”

For a second, neither of them moved. Janice slipped her hand into Alan’s.

“We’re actually bringing the main crop in,” he said.

“We are.”

The look they shared made Wes turn his attention back to the fruit. This was theirs. The orchard, the risk, the months of work and uncertainty, all of it.

Then Janice pulled her glove back on. “Come on. We’ve waited long enough.”

Within half an hour, the lower block was busy. Wes had brought several of his crew and the trailer Alan had lent him the day before. Alan and Janice worked alongside everyone else, asking questions when they needed to and getting on with it when they didn’t. Janice was every bit as involved as Alan. She picked, carried, checked containers and occasionally disappeared into another row with Eileen before returning with some piece of information about the trees.

Alan was simply more obvious about how happy he was. Wes caught him smiling at a half-full bin as though he had personally invented apples.

His bear chuckled. Let him enjoy it.

I am.

Kate was working near her mother when Wes finally reached her. “Morning.”

She looked up and smiled. That one look had the same effect on him as it had yesterday. “Morning. Dad’s been awake since some ridiculous hour.”

“I gathered.”

“He tried to get Mom up before six.”

“Did she go?”

Kate laughed. “Eventually. But she made him make the coffee.”

Wes took the folded block map from his jacket and held it out. “As promised. Both orchards, every block. My crew knows to come to you about trailers and bins. Anything about fruit still goes to me or your dad.”

“Thank you.” Kate opened it far enough to find the lower block, then tucked it into her jacket pocket.