Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Carter talked her into skinny dipping at the lake one night. He succeeded in getting her in the water by the simple expedient of picking her up and carrying her while she squealed and clung to his neck laughing.
She begged him not to drop her in, so instead he dunked them both, while keeping her in his arms. “It’s cold!” she shrieked, clinging even tighter to his warm body.
He laughed. “Spring fed. It never gets that warm, but it’s really nice after a long afternoon of work, especially in the summer.”
She grumbled but eventually adjusted enough to swim around him. She never let herself get too far away, and the first time a fish brushed against her leg, she practically levitated as she hurtled toward the shore.
Carter laughed the entire time, watching with his hands on his hips as she splashed away. “Surprised there’s any water left in the lake after all that flapping,” he called to her.
She said something that probably would have gotten her in trouble, if he’d heard it, but she was far enough away that all he caught was the rudeness of the tone.
He stayed in the water a little longer, leisurely paddling around as he tried to coax her to give it another try. But Allegra could be stubborn when she had her mind made up. She never got back into the water, and eventually he gave up and joined her on the shore.
“You know nothing in there is going to bite you, sweetheart. It’s just fish,” he said as he pulled his shirt on.
“So you say.” She shuddered and shook her head. “I prefer clear water with a blue bottom, just to be sure.”
With a laugh he pulled her to her feet and hugged her. “Fine, next time we’ll skinny dip in the pool, but don’t blame me if we end up with an audience.”
“I—that’s not where I was going with this,” she said, huffing a little as she snuggled against him. “But I have to admit the moon on the lake is really beautiful. I’m going to miss seeing all this sky.”
He would too. The city sky just couldn’t compare.
There was other beauty to be found on the ranch, and he enjoyed showing her all his favorite spots when they had time, between the planned activities. The week sped by and before they knew it was the final night.
Most of the guests would be leaving in the morning, though a few other couples had also booked the extra week to relax. Their hosts made the last evening an outdoor celebration with a bonfire and a barbecue. There was even live music.
The ranch boasted an all-cowboy band that was happy to play for the guests. They knew a lot of old-time cowboy songs, folk music, and now and then they threw in a few modern hits, done in their own style. It was the perfect backdrop and left everyone feeling mellow and relaxed.
Carter had claimed a log by the bonfire, and he sat with his arm around Ally, humming along to the songs he knew. The audience was encouraged to sing along if they knew the words, but he wasn’t much of a singer. He had no intention of adding his rough voice to the beautiful harmony.
Finally, when the fire had begun to die down and the band had claimed plates of food and moved off to relax, Ma and Pa called for their attention. Carter was expecting it. They were big on speeches, and it was the final night.
“We would like to thank you all for being part of this adventure,” Ma began, smiling. “We hope that you’ve learned a few things here, and that you’ll take some of these new skills home with you.” She wasn’t talking about riding and tying knots, of course, but the real reason they’d all come.
She leaned against Pa as she continued. “Helping people has been more than a career for us. It’s been our passion, our dream. For almost forty years, we’ve been able to live that dream … but now, it’s time for it to end. You will be our last group of couples at the Second Chance Ranch.” Her voice got furry toward the end, and Pa took over.
“This session has been special, at least in our minds, because we knew it would be the last. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to end with.” For a second, Pa’s eyes seemed to rest on Carter, and his mouth quirked up at one side before he continued.
“We’ve watched each of you grow with pride and we hope your time here is something you’ll remember fondly for the rest of your lives. I know some of you will be here for another week, but after that the guest quarters will be closed and the ranch will be listed for sale. We are hoping to find buyers who want to continue our mission, or at least keep the place as a working ranch, but this is the end of the road for us.”