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“You’re nuts.”
Yeah, I was, but it felt like ages since I’d enjoyed a run through the orchard without a destination in mind. I’d always worked the fields and the store, but for once, I didn’t have responsibility weighing me down.
I waved to Beckett on one of the large tractors. He shook his head and gave me a wave with his ancient Yankees cap. As we passed the Honeycrisp trees, I noticed the old barn next to the distillery.
“Is there still power in the old barn?”
Hayes turned down the music as I settled back into my seat. “You want to stay in the barn?”
I shrugged. “I could work in there and not bother anyone. It’s certainly warm enough that I don’t need to
worry about any of that.”
“That’s true. I think there is, but it’s easy enough to hook you up from the distillery. We’re still building in there, so it’s not done. Probably won’t get back to working on that until after the harvest.”
“So, it’ll be quiet.” I liked that idea even more.
“Pretty rustic.”
“I don’t need much.”
“I’ll remind you of that when you’re screaming about how hot it is in there.”
“Then don’t come visit me without a call or you’ll get a surprise.”
“Oh, gross.”
I laughed as we pulled through the orchard into the wide open mouth of the parking lot and main store. I leaned over and gave Hayes a kiss. “Thanks. Think you could round up Beck and Justin to help me get some lights in there tonight?”
“In the barn. You’re serious?”
“Totally. I have been ousted by orchids. And that place is huge. All my canvases are between seven and eight feet tall.”
“What? Since when?” He whipped off his sunglasses to stare at me.
“Lots of new stuff brewing, big brother.” I hopped out. “I’ll use one of the apple carts to head out there and look around.”
He shook his head and put his aviators back on. “Chaos is back in town.”
It felt good to be home.
Twenty
“I can’t believe you bought a house.”
“I can’t believe you’re a mom.” Margo leaned forward at the table. She hadn’t quite gotten to the tell-my-sister-about-the-baby part of the program. Between Simon’s unrelenting hovering and the closing on the house, it never seemed to be a good time.
Juliet’s baby came in the middle of everything and things got even more crazy with the cops getting involved in the end of the kidnapping. Margo had no idea how Donovan had kept it out of the news, but then again, he was Donovan.
She was fairly certain he had a secret handshake with half the powerful men in the country—possibly a few countries.
Margo grinned at her sister through FaceTime on her iPad. “Let me show you around a bit. It should be baby-proof soon enough. As soon as you decide to leave the house with little Joshua, you can come over and make a day of it.”
Jules slid her gaze over to the little bassinet beside her. “I know we’re being a little weird with the baby, but it’s so big and all so new. We just wanted some time alone with him before everyone came to visit.”
The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of interviews with the police, calming Simon down enough to get back to normal, and going to every doctor visit he arranged. He was still afraid something had happened to the baby during her kidnapping. Based on the status of her ribs, Margo was absolutely sure her little girl was fine.
“I understand. And things have been insane with the house anyway.” Margo stood and panned the camera around the wide kitchen area and living room. “Look at all the natural light. And my kitchen? I’m going to have to learn to cook,” she said with a laugh.
