Wilde Ride (Love is a Cowboy Book 2), page 4
He didn’t tell Ladd because he didn’t want his friend asking about Caroline.
They had a strained relationship. After Caroline decided years ago that she wanted nothing to do with the family business, telling her father that we were moving to Denver instead, he had never really forgiven her.
“How’s Rhett doing? Caden told me he was having nightmares since Brooke’s passing.”
“He doesn’t have them as often. Some days are better than others, but with him losing his mother as well, he’s struggling.”
I didn’t want to tell Vivianne that Rhett thinks Caroline doesn’t love him, and that she left because of him. I would never be able to forgive her for that—ever. The way she’d hurt our son was something I couldn’t understand. After all, she wasn’t the only one who lost Brooke. We all did.
“We would love to have you both join us for Sunday dinner. I’d love to see Rhett and get to know him better. Ladd and I cannot wait to have grandchildren of our own.” She shot a weary look at Caden, who took a step back.
“If you’re waiting on me, you’re going to be waiting a long time.”
Vivianne rolled her eyes and laughed. “One day a woman’s going to catch his eye and he’ll be eating crow.”
With a huff, Caden replied, “Don’t hold your breath, Mom.”
“Hold her breath for what?” Emeline asked as she walked over.
“Nothing,” Caden said quickly before anyone could say anything. I hated that Rachel had broken my best friend so badly.
“Waiting for your brother to find a girl and settle down so I can have grandkids.”
Emeline’s eyes widened as she looked to Caden. “He’s way too grumpy for any woman to put up with.”
He smiled at his sister. “Thank you, Emeline.”
She grinned at him before turning to me. “I’m actually free now. Ready for lunch?”
“I am if you are.”
“Give me a second to grab my purse and sunglasses.”
When Emeline slipped into her office, Vivianne raised a brow in my direction. “Going to lunch together, are we?”
Looking between her and Caden, who was attempting not to laugh, I replied, “I wanted to talk to Emeline about Rhett attending summer camp.”
Vivianne’s face broke out into a wide grin. “What a wonderful idea! You know, Levi, if you have some free time, we’d love it if you could pop by a few times during the camps, to talk to the kids about what it’s like to be a veterinarian.”
Now Caden did laugh. Then he cleared his throat when Vivianne shot him a warning look. What she was warning him about, I had no idea.
“I’d be honored to do that.”
When Emeline walked out, Vivianne grinned at her. “Levi’s volunteered to be part of the summer camps by talking to the kids about being a veterinarian. Plus, he’d like to have Rhett attend a camp.”
Emeline glanced at me, eyes filled with excitement. “Really? The kids would love that! Your dad always said he’d try to come and do it, but he’s always so busy, his schedule never works out with ours. Since you’re just back in town, I bet we can work some days into your schedule before it gets too crazy.”
“Um…” I looked around the small group, and noticed Caden had an amused smirk on his face. “I guess that’s true enough. Right now, I’m not on the schedule at all.”
Emeline gave an excited little jump. “This is going to be perfect! We needed another volunteer.”
Concern set in. “Wait—you’re just talking about me coming to talk about being a vet a couple times, right?”
With a wave of her hand, Emeline replied, “Among other things. Mom, we need to meet and discuss how to make this work. Oh—why haven’t you left with Dad yet?”
“He needed to take a call before we left.”
I looked to Caden, who simply held up his hands. “I tried to warn you.”
Leaning in, I whispered, “You most certainly did not try to warn me.”
He grinned. “You’re going to have to learn to read the room. Or in this case, the barn.”
I slowly shook my head and started to say something, but Emeline approached. She’d managed to disappear again. Apparently into her mother’s office this time, coming back out with a calendar.
A calendar!
“I’ve got our camp calendar right here. We can do all the planning at lunch. And the best part, you’ll be here while Rhett is at camp!” She hooked her arm in mine and started pulling me out of the barn. “Who’s driving?”
“Um, I’ll drive.”
“Perfect! We can also head over to the campgrounds so you can see it.”
Glancing over my shoulder at Caden, I saw him wave at me with his fingers while still grinning. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get him back, but I’d find a way.
Emeline
Levi opened the passenger door of his silver Ford F-250 and held out his hand so I could use it to climb in. I tried to ignore the way his touch caused my entire body to flush with heat, not to mention my traitorous stomach, which felt as if it were doing an endless pirouette.
“Thank you,” I said with a soft smile.
He shut the door and walked around the front of his truck to the driver’s side.
Once he climbed in, I said, “If you’ll just drive around the barn and head south, I can show you the camp. It’s been a while since you’ve been there.”
When he smiled, I swore it lit up the entire cab of the truck.
Turning my gaze away, I looked straight ahead. “Are you happy to be back in River Falls?”
Levi started the truck, and we were on our way down the gravel road. “I am happy, yes. Rhett loves it here. Or rather, he loves being on the farm with my mom and dad. His new favorite thing is to get up with Mom and help her feed the chickens. She’s keeping him busy, which also keeps his mind busy.”
Nodding, I replied, “He has the love for animals like his father and grandparents, I see.”
Levi chuckled. “That he does. I had horses at our place in Denver, since we lived outside of the city and had a few acres, so I got him on a horse early on. He loves it.”
I wanted to ask if Brooke had enjoyed animals but wasn’t sure whether Levi wanted to talk about his daughter. “A boy after my own heart,” I mused. “If I remember correctly, Caroline also liked to ride.”
“English, not western. She won some events she competed in during high school, but that was about as far as her love for the sport went. She thought they smelled, and she despised having to take care of them. Brooke loved to ride as well. She was just starting to learn.”
“I almost asked if she loved animals but I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to talk about her.”
When he glanced over at me, his eyes were so sad. “I don’t mind talking about her. I try to talk about her often around Rhett. It’s painful, but I don’t want her memory to fade.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you all, Levi. I can’t even imagine how painful it is.”
He let out a slow breath. “It is, but life goes on. Brooke wouldn’t want us to sit around and cry all the time. She was so full of life, always had a smile on her face. I miss her energy.”
“I wish I could have met her.”
He looked at me again. More sadness. “Me too. Every time we came to town, you were never at the ranch. You would have adored Brooke, and she would have loved you and Ensley.”
“I’m sure I would have,” I said softly. “And I haven’t seen Rhett since he was like three, maybe.”
“He’s growing up fast.”
When the sadness in his voice became too much, I decided to change the subject. “We have one summer session in June and one in July. We’re discussing the possibility of adding an additional week of camp in August, for children with special needs and their parents. It will be a different type of camp for the trial run. Only a day camp.”
“Wow, that’s exciting. So this will be your first year to offer that camp?”
I nodded. “It will, if we can make it happen. They’ll get a fun week on the ranch, and we’ll see if this is something we’re going to be able to offer annually. We’ll have to have properly trained staff on hand, and of course, all the legal stuff that goes along with something like this.”
Levi laughed. “The legal stuff? That’s one way of putting it.”
Shrugging, I replied, “My mother takes care of all that. She’s been doing this a lot longer than I have. I guess at some point I’ll need to learn it all, but for now, she deals with the lawyers.”
He pulled around the barn, and I pointed to a small parking area. “You can park there and we’ll get out and walk around.”
He pulled up and parked. “Wow, this place has changed since I was here last.”
I smiled. “It has changed a lot. We’re still on the small side as far as camps go, but that’s how we like it, and our needs don’t require anything on a larger scale.”
“You know, when I was in Denver, I heard someone talking about the camps here at River Falls Ranch.”
Surprised, I replied, “Really? Were they saying good things?”
Levi nodded. “They were basically saying they wished you would open it up to more campers, and since you catered to the local kids first and foremost, it’s tough to get a spot.”
“Yes, we do. But there are numerous camps available across the country, including in Denver. We began our work with kids by holding a Christmas Day event for the local orphanage, as you know. That’s what first gave me the idea for the camps when I was thirteen. We’ve grown to what you see today, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done, but my mother and grandmother are really the ones who started it all with the Christmas event. I just added to it. Being able to help kids, give them a safe space on our ranch, has been a dream of my mother’s for as long as I can remember.”
“Not to mention what you’ve done.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Yes, it’s been my dream as well. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
We got out and walked down the path. “That cabin over there, behind the trees? That’s Ensley’s place. She wanted to be closer to the barn since she’s our farrier.”
“Does she only work here on the ranch?”
“No, she works all over the River Falls area and beyond. It took some convincing for a few ranchers that a woman could do just as good a job as a man, but she won them over.”
“I’m not surprised Ensley was up to the task. She’s been out to prove herself since she was little, when she used to challenge me and Caden to races. She was always so sure she’d win, and I remember us laughing about it.”
“Did she win?” I asked, giving him a smirk.
“She blew us out of the water. And I actually started slow the first time, thinking I’d be a gentleman and give her a head start. Big mistake that was.”
I chuckled. “Yep, that was a mistake.”
We walked a bit more. “Here are the cabins the kids stay in. There’s a counselor assigned to each cabin, who stays with the kids at all times. They sleep in there with the kids as well, but in a separate little bedroom. We’ve had the same group of counselors come back for the last few years. They have to be at least sixteen and complete a training course, which we cover the cost of. They also learn CPR and basic first aid.”
“Do they have any training for kids who might have…issues?”
I paused to face him. “Mental or physical?”
He shrugged. “Both.”
“They’re trained on what to look for if they suspect abuse, or if the camper might be in crisis, but they’re kids themselves, keep in mind. We do have one certified counselor who volunteers for each camp. She’s from Denver. We don’t actually offer that type of counseling here at the camp, but we do find it helpful to have someone available in case we face an issue.
“Ninety-nine percent of the kids at the camps are local, and around eighty percent of those come from the orphanage. The rest are from low-income families. The kids from River Falls Haven are divided between the two camp sessions, to give them a chance to meet kids outside of the orphanage. They don’t have to pay for camp, of course; it’s offered free of charge to anyone living at River Falls Haven. We’re able to do that through the rodeo fundraisers we do, as well as the charity dinner we host each year. We make most of our donations through those two events.”
We started to walk again, and I stopped at the largest building.
“This is camp headquarters. The building is relatively new, having been constructed just three years ago. It’s where the kitchen is, the dining hall, and the living room.”
“Living room?”
I nodded as I opened the door. “Yep! It’s exactly what it sounds like. A common place for the kids to hang out together. I wanted this to feel like a home as much as possible, not just like a rec center or anything like that. It was more for the kids from River Haven. The orphanage is actually pretty nice, but it doesn’t exactly have a homey feel.”
We walked past long rows of tables where the kids ate. I showed him the kitchen, which housed two industrial stoves, two huge sinks, two dishwashers, and a large industrial refrigerator. “Before we had this area, we mainly had food brought in each day for the campers. That got to be pretty pricey, and my father did the numbers and said we’d end up saving more money by having it all done onsite.”
“Who does all the cooking?”
“My mother, grandmother, and several volunteers, some of whom are the mothers and fathers of the kids. They like giving back as much as they can.”
He looked around and smiled. “This is impressive, Em.”
Feeling a sense of pride and embarrassment at the compliment from him, I simply nodded and headed out of the kitchen. I wasn’t sure why I felt embarrassed, though. Maybe it was because it was Levi. We walked into a huge open room with exposed log beams and walls, featuring a giant wood fireplace at the opposite end. Several sofas, chairs, and beanbags were scattered throughout the space.
“The loft up there,” I said, pointing, “holds a pool table, a foosball table, a card table, and a Ping-Pong table.”
“Wow! That sounds like fun.”
Someone walked out of one of the three bathrooms to our right.
“Hi, Charlotte,” I called out as I waved.
“Hey there, Emeline. We’ve pretty much cleaned up everything. I just need to stock the bathrooms, and when we get closer, narrow down the menus for each week.”
“Charlotte, this is Levi Tucker. He’s Caden’s best friend and pretty much part of the family. His father is the local veterinarian.”
Charlotte reached out her hand. “Charlotte Hastings. I’m the camp steward.”
“Camp steward?” Levi asked.
“She’s in charge of budgeting, shopping, and getting the daily menus in place. She also prepares all the snacks for the kids. Plus, she gets all the cabins ready and cleaned, as well as the main building.”
Levi’s eyes went wide. “Whoa. That’s a lot.”
Charlotte laughed. “Emeline’s making it sound like I do it alone. Nellie and Vivianne have the last say on the budget, and I have a staff of three who help me do all the other work.”
Glancing at me, Levi slowly shook his head. “My gosh, I never knew what a big operation this was—or is, I should say.”
“Most of the others only work the weeks we hold camp in the summer, and if we have any other events here, but Charlotte works year-round, making sure everything stays okay with the cabins and we have no issues. We also rent out the cabins to companies that want to host work retreats, among other things. That’s something we just started last year. They have access to the whole camp, but it’s their responsibility to do all the cooking and cleaning. The income goes toward the summer camps and the Christmas event.”
“What a great idea.”
“That was Emeline’s idea,” Charlotte chimed in with a smile.
“Do you stay on the premises?” Levi asked her.
Charlotte shook her head. “No, no. I love it here, but after my long work hours, I enjoy heading home to my own little log cabin a few miles outside of River Falls. It’s not far from here, though.”
“Well, you do a great job of making the place look so good.”
She smiled. “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a ton of work to do.”
“See ya around, Charlotte.” Gesturing to Levi, I said, “Let me show you the cabins.”
We walked a short distance. Like the main building, they were all log cabins, and each could hold up to ten kids. I’d had a hand in designing them when I was younger, and to this day, they’re still one of the things I’m most proud of.
After we made our way through one of them, I turned to Levi. “If Rhett decides he’d like to join us, he’d stay in one of the four cabins over there.”
“So it’s co-ed then?”
“The camp, yes, but not the cabins. Boys stay with boys; girls stay with girls. We also hire a couple River Falls police officers to come and provide security at night. They watch to make sure we don’t have anyone coming in or going out.”
“Like, as in kids sneaking out?”
“Yes. We had a group of fourteen-year-old boys one year who decided it would be fun to meet down at the pier and do some night fishing. Unlucky for them, Caden found them. I don’t think I have to tell you how that turned out.”
His brows shot up. “I bet he scared the living shit out of them.”
“Let’s just say they won’t ever try that again.”
He chuckled and looked around. “Do you live on the ranch?”
I nodded. “I do. I live in my great-grandmother Lileth’s cabin. It’s back behind that row of trees. I kind of remember her, but only a few vague memories.”
“I don’t remember her, if I’m being honest.” He looked around and said, “I think Rhett would love this.”
I leaned against a tree. “And what does Levi think about volunteering to teach the kids all about the animals?”
He shook his head and stared off into the distance, a smile on his handsome face. “Well, when a pretty woman’s asking, it’s hard to say no.”
