Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
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.”