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They took a stack of boxes out of the cruiser and brought them to the farmhouse’s back porch. Marcus patted the stack. “I’m betting some of these deliveries are Christmas presents.”
Burke grinned, spotting a couple he’d ordered. He grabbed the small one and shoved it in his pocket. “They are. It’s weird not having next-day delivery out here in the boonies.” Troy’s Phail General was the local post office drop. Unlike the city, few delivery services operated in rural Vermont.
Marcus laughed. “All part of the small-town charm. Nothing’s as big a rush here, which means you have to be more organized with the presents.”
It was definitely part of the charm. “Come on up to the inn for lunch. We don’t have guests until the new year, so Seth and Mara are trying out new recipes. You can catch up with everyone.”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “And meet your woman?”
The phrasing made Burke laugh, even as it felt so right. “You can. She’s amazing.”
The dinner bell clanged at the same time his phone beeped with a notification. Seth had texted the Apple Chat Gang. “Lunch. Bring Oz and Arrow. Come as a group.”
He showed his friends the text. “Let me put these boxes in the mudroom, although there are a few we can take up to the inn.”
As he picked up the first box, a shudder shot through him. What if someone had rigged one of these boxes with another explosive?
When he said it aloud, Marcus swore. “Good thinking. Let’s see if there’s anything addressed to anyone they didn’t order.”
Rissa emerged from the farmhouse with the others, smiling. That dropped when she saw his expression. “What’s wrong?”
Burke wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Hopefully nothing. We need to ensure these packages are legitimate.”
Her face paled, and several people behind her cursed. It didn’t take long to sort through the mail and determine that nothing was unusual. Everyone had ordered something that matched the package size, and they all received notifications that the package had been delivered to Phail General.
“Sorry, everyone, I didn’t mean to cause panic.”
Lawson shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. That was a smart call. We need to be alert. With that last gift being rigged to blow, this could have been an escalation.”
Burke introduced Rissa to Levi, then took her hand as they walked to the inn, Frizzle trotting at her side. He kept his senses open and eyes moving as they walked, certain everyone was doing the same. Whoever had created the exploding gift had a lot to answer for. Ruining the peaceful vibe on the farm was unforgivable.
He hoped they could figure out the mystery before long so they could all enjoy their first Christmas together in years.
Rissa stashed the boxes that arrived for her with Mara. She’d wrap them in the Q Lab later. She hadn’t known what to get Burke, but she wanted something meaningful, something to show him how much she loved him.
While she finally had a savings account, some of it had been used to buy all the parts Lawson had upgraded on her Q Lab. She’d figured out an amount to pay the Malssums weekly for her use of electricity and food. Everyone contributed to the mortgage, and she loved being a part of that group.
With only this afternoon’s lesson left until the new year, money wasn’t coming in. If money got tight, she knew the Malssums wouldn’t mind her putting off payments until she got paid again. Maybe she’d get some income off the website over the holidays, but most teachers needed those two weeks off to recuperate and build up their energy again.
Maybe she should put together a holiday special for homeschooling parents and kids. Combine a few lessons and offer a discount.
She joined the group and took her spot next to Burke at the table. Her regular spot. That shot a thrill through her. Seventeen-year-old Rissa would be amazed to see her now. Happy. With Burke and his family again. In love. Things she hadn’t believed could happen.
Frizzle moved with a yip to join Oggie and Gomez in the corner in some kind of tag game. The larger dogs watched them with amusement evident in their eyes.
When she laughed at the antics, Burke’s arm came around her shoulder, and he squeezed. “Frizzle enjoys being part of a pack.”
Rissa nodded. “She doesn’t have a clue that she’s not as big as the other dogs. She fits right in.” Kind of like Rissa felt she fit in here with the Malssums and their friends. She might be the odd one out in several ways, but they included her, and she felt welcome.
As if reading her thoughts, Burke murmured. “You both do. Even if I weren’t head over heels for you, you’d fit in, Rissa.”
That filled her heart, and she turned to brush her lips over his. Seth put the last of the serving crocks on the table. “I’ve got several soups for you to try. We’re using small bowls so you can taste a few. The first is an apple-based soup. It’s got parsnips and their orange cousins that I’m not going to name. The second is a twist on borscht with apples. The third has our littlest’s favorite vegetable as its base and is seasoned with ginger. We’ll see if I can score another victory in the C wars.”
Ella’s dislike of carrots had become a war between her and the chef. Mara had made a carrot cake one day that Ella had devoured. She’d also liked the pickled beet and carrot dish from a few days before. The final soup would be a challenge because the dominant flavor was carrots.
Seth spooned out the soup and passed out the bowls. When everyone had three bowls in front of them, he grinned. “Let the taste test begin.”
Rissa had never tried borscht, carrot, or apple soup. In fact, she would have never thought apples could be in soup. But everything Seth made was delicious, and she was more than willing to try.
