Page 9
They’d all been able to count on Fox. His death had left a hole in them all.
It continued to flummox Burke that Fox had never spoken about his brother, Jay. Burke had heard countless stories of Fox’s youth. None of them included Jay.
Yet Lawson and Knox had found photos of the two men as boys. Not twins, but close in age. The family genes were strong enough that the photos could have been of Burke and Lawson, or of Lawson and Knox.
What ripped the brothers apart? Burke couldn’t imagine anything that would do that to their family. Hell, he’d do anything in his power to prevent it, especially after seeing what Curt’s weakness had done to Joel.
He’d left Boston before sunrise, so it was still early when he crossed the state line. Not long now.
He drove through Phail on the way, smiling at his buddy’s ridiculously named town. The business names made him laugh. Trust Troy Phail to take a terrible surname and turn it into an advantage. It would be good to see Epic and his military team again, too.
But the lure wasn’t enough to make Burke stop. Not even for the legendary cinnamon buns from the No Fail Diner. He’d do that another day. Today, he was eager to see his family, to surprise them. They’d been nagging him to come for more than a year.
Because he’d been working undercover for the FBI, he hadn’t been able to explain why he was working so many hours. Cleaning up Curt’s mess had mostly fallen on Burke, as Joel’s heart had been shattered. Then the interviews and the trial. It had been a hell of a year.
Burke shoved it all to the back of his head and enjoyed the winter scenery as he passed the farms where Troy’s team grew hops and ran an equine and canine therapy center.
Even if Burke himself hadn’t been able to come earlier, his family was surrounded by friends from the military. Friends who could be counted on to help.
Anger rippled through Burke’s veins at the thought of what his siblings had been through when he’d been too far away to help.
Angry and jealous assholes had tried to hurt his family and their friends. Even jewel thieves had brought danger to their corner of rural Vermont.
Hell, thugs in Chicago had beaten up Amber, and they’d followed his quiet sister to Vermont to kidnap her. Now she was safe with Gray and expecting a baby. He was going to be an uncle.
That helped him shove down the anger and guilt. He’d be here now for them all. He could take over the farm’s books properly and ensure its growth and security.
He’d also dig into Jay’s personal books. The others said they didn’t want to do it without him, that it was something the family should do together which had been another ploy to lure him to the farm. They hadn’t even tried to be subtle about it.
They were all happy here. Settled. Could that work for him?
He’d spent years in Boston, living with takeout on every corner. Pro sports, when he’d been able to carve out time to enjoy a game, which hadn’t been often enough.
He’d have more time here. He’d only kept on a dozen clients for now, but he could increase that if he wanted. For now, he needed a break—time to recuperate from Curt’s mess and make a life for himself in Vermont.
The first thing he needed was another cup of coffee. He’d drained his travel mug, and the rest stop he’d hit hadn’t had vending machines. He should have stopped in Phail, but that would have cost him time, and someone might have ruined his surprise. He wanted to be the first to tell them he was here.
Burke knew the farm’s layout from video chats. The first building was the No Phailed Apples Inn. Amber and Gray lived on the top floor, while Seth and Mara had a suite near the kitchen they commanded.
The second building was the farmhouse where Knox and Thea, Jolie and Ford, and Esme and Wyatt stayed. It also held Jay’s room and spare rooms for some of the other couples who lived on the rear portion of the property but wanted to stay over for special events like the Halloween party they’d thrown, probably for Christmas, which was just around the corner.
Dani’s property connected to the farm at the back. She and Lawson lived there. Nash, Olivia, and their kids, Charlie and Ella Mae lived in a cabin they’d renovated into a full house at the back of the orchard.
He’d seen it all in those chats, but it was different in person. The buildings were larger than he’d expected, especially the barn he knew was the machinery barn where Lawson maintained and restored vehicles. He parked in the area that was now a parking lot in front of the barn. Cars, trucks, and even an old RV filled the space.
When Knox had first arrived on the farm, the only person on the property had been Thea, and she hadn’t owned a car. There were now more than a dozen people living here. Add in the inn’s guests and it was a busy place.
A successful place for his siblings. A place where they’d all found love and a home.
Was this going to be his place, or would it turn out to be a vacation from his real life? Exhaustion pulled at him, but he knew only part of that exhaustion was from lack of sleep. Curt Anderson was responsible for the rest.
Either way, he was excited to see his siblings. When was the last time they’d been together in the same room?
He shoved aside the weariness and got out of the car. A blanket of snow covered the area, waiting for kids to make snowmen. Was it cold enough to start a rink? He knew they’d made one the previous year in the field across from the gardens. Helping with that would be fun. He kept in shape with the help of his building’s gym, but prepping the rink and skating sounded better, especially if they added the skating path through the orchard again.
He hadn’t skated in years, but now he couldn’t wait. Maybe they could even play some hockey.
After another deep inhale of the crisp air, Burke locked the Blazer and wondered which building to check in with first. He didn’t have a clue where everyone was, so he decided to check on his pregnant sister and headed up the road to the inn.
