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Amber flushed deeply as she laughed. “I wanted him to be happy.”
Burke grinned. “I’d forgotten how determined you were. How many accidental meetings did you arrange between him and every available woman in the area?”
Amber groaned. “Far too many. Poor Fox.”
Gray rubbed her shoulder. “I’m sure he knew you were trying to help.”
“I hope so. I thought I was subtle, but I doubt I was.”
Rissa watched the rest of the Malssums snicker at that. Burke’s voice was full of affection for his sister and the memories. “You were barely a teenager, and I think you’d started reading romance. You were so sure you could be a matchmaker.”
Amber shuddered even as she smiled. “I’m glad that phase didn’t last long.”
On the phone, Stan chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d sent Linda into Jay’s orbit. If I remember correctly, she spent a couple of months trying to convince Jay to think of her romantically. When she wasn’t successful, she moved away.”
Everyone was silent for a few moments as they absorbed the news. Rissa turned to Burke. “Do you remember the context where Linda’s name was mentioned? Did Jay have regrets about her as well?”
Burke frowned, then flipped a couple of pages in his notebook. He called out book titles and page numbers.
Soon, the group was laughing. In almost every reference, there was a story about a relentless woman who didn’t give up. In a few stories, the woman was the heroine; in most, she was the villain or the comic relief.
Jolie smiled. “Thanks, Stan. You’ve helped us solve at least one mystery.”
After they’d said goodbye, Rissa smiled at Burke. “Now you’ve got a new angle to research.”
He grinned. “Time to find out what Jay was doing in Michigan.”
Burke needed a walk to clear his head and let the new information settle. He’d have preferred to walk with Rissa, and maybe kiss them both senseless, but she’d gone with Wyatt and Esme down to the greenhouse where they were planning a botany unit based around fine-tuning plants to cope with pollution and climate change.
Part of Burke wanted to dig into Jay’s bedroom immediately to see if they could discover more information. The smarter part of him knew it was better to make sense of the newly acquired information first.
Once he adjusted the new puzzle pieces, he’d be able to refine his next steps. As a kid studying to ensure his grades would get him scholarships, Burke had learned to take breaks. If he powered through, he lost information. A walk around the block helped him absorb the latest information, then he was clear to add more.
Over the past year, he’d taken countless walks, mostly at night, trying to work his way through Curt’s betrayals and schemes. Boston Harbor at night was a good place to think. He figured the farm would be similar.
They now knew Jay had spent time in Michigan, but they didn’t know what he’d done or how long he’d been there. Nor did they know why he’d returned to Vermont. Had he been coming home? Why not go to Swanton, where he’d grown up with Fox? Maybe he had. Burke would look for clues to indicate that.
If he and Fox met each other again, Burke figured they’d have made things right between them. But maybe Jay had done a visual check-in on his brother before buying the apple farm.
Rissa was right. They knew Jay had regrets and knew that, although he hadn’t met them, he loved them enough to leave them the farm. It had been his way of reconciling with his brother and making amends.
Instead of heading down to the orchard and greenhouse, Burke turned his steps toward the front of the property. He passed the large field that was now an enormous garden filled with paths and fountains. He looked forward to seeing it in the spring. So far, everything about the farm was bigger and brighter than he’d expected, even though he’d seen it all in photos and videos. Real life made it…more, maybe because the photos couldn’t capture the heart behind it all.
Knox had locked into that heart first. He’d been the impetus behind accepting the inheritance, to keep the property rather than sell it. Now, the land was healing, and the farm was working toward making a profit. That wouldn’t happen for a while yet because they’d made investments.
Smart ones, he admitted with a grin, because he’d done a ton of research on those, too. The Worminator was a brilliant facility. Thea had been right to point Jay and then Knox in that direction.
Jolie’s stagnant pond, now clear of scum and diamonds, helped with the biodiversity, as did Gray’s gardens and Dani’s bees.
The investments hadn’t just been in the land, but in the buildings, too. The farmhouse and the inn, the barns and the new greenhouse. Security systems.
The investments in the people had been even smarter. The team of people Knox had assembled added to the whole, each in their own way.
Best of all, they were happy. No one griped about the work because they’d chosen it and chosen to dig in and be a part of this whole regenerative farming venture.
Burke imagined Jay would be happy to see the progress, both in the farm itself and in the way the people brought it to life and gave it purpose. If Fox and Jay were as alike as he thought, it would make both men happy to know the farm was now a home to so many.
Burke walked past the inn, thinking of the baby who would arrive soon and add to the family in the very best way. Amber and Gray would be amazing parents and ensure the little one grew up surrounded by love.
