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)
“Emeline was looking for you earlier, but I think you both kept missing each other. She skips all of this. By the end of the week, she’s exhausted and typically heads to her place to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be emotional for her when she says goodbye to the campers. For some, this will be their last time here. The older kids, anyway, unless some get adopted, which is the end goal.”
“I was helping get horses back in stalls and out to pastures. I knew the equine side of the ranch had a lot of horses, but seeing them all together is shocking.”
She laughed. “It is.”
“Thanks so much, Charlotte. I appreciate all you’ve done this week. I know the kids have enjoyed it.”
She squeezed my arm. “It’s my pleasure.”
Turning on my heel, I headed out the door with every intention of going home.
Instead of turning to the right, toward my truck, I headed left…and walked down the trail that led toward Emeline’s cabin.
Emeline
“Meow.”
I glanced down at the five-month-old kitten who was rubbing against my legs. I’d found Luna as a premature kitten in the barn, all alone. I’d taken her in and bottle-fed her. She was white and gray and the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Moose had treated her like his own baby from day one. Cleaning her after each feeding and letting her lie on him while she napped.
“I know you’re hungry. If you give me two minutes, I’ll have your food ready for you, my queen.”
“Meow!”
Her cries of hunger grew louder, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I hadn’t even had time to get changed before she greeted me at the door to tell me she wasn’t happy at all with my absence this week. Moose had somehow made his way home with my mother and father, so I only had one furbaby to tend to this evening. I was okay with that, since I knew Moose would want to go for his usual nighttime walk. I was exhausted and just ready to relax.
“Tomorrow’s the last day for a few weeks before I get busy again,” I said as I opened my phone and found my Spotify app. “Let’s listen to our girl, shall we?”
Pressing play on “Landslide,” I smiled when the familiar notes began. Hearing Stevie Nicks always brought up memories of my childhood and my mother having her music on blast. It didn’t matter if we were in the car or in the kitchen, Stevie was playing any chance Mom got.
Luna reached up and clawed at my legs.
“Excuse me, I’m not a scratching pole.”
Once I got her food, I walked over and set it in her spot. She quickly dove into the wet food. And by dove, I mean she was standing inside the bowl, eating.
“Enjoy yourself while I go get changed.”
By the time I got out of the shower, threw on a pair of Caden’s sweatpants and Gatlin’s oversized Denver Broncos sweatshirt—items that I’d stolen from both of them—Luna was sitting on my bed, bathing herself.
I bent over, grabbed my hair, and threw it up into a haphazard bun. Tonight it was going to be all about me. No one asking me for anything or giving me advice on what to do with the camps. This was my time before the emotions of tomorrow would have me in tears all day. I always spent the last night of camp tucked away in my cabin by myself. It was my way of decompressing after the long week of nonstop activities. My only regret was not finding Levi to tell him I’d be leaving early. I had sent him a text and wondered if he had gotten it. It was strange he hadn’t responded back.
Picking up Luna, I held her against my chest while she purred. “How was dinner, my little princess?”
Her answering meow made me laugh. “That good, huh? I think I’m going to make chicken quesadillas as a snack. How does that sound?”
“Meow.”
“Okay, quesadillas it is.”
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on my sofa with hot tea on the coffee table, along with a glass of ice water, my dinner, a warm blanket, and the Hallmark channel. Luna was, of course, sitting next to me, waiting so patiently for me to share my dinner with her.
“Okay, you don’t have to judge me. I know I used the giant tortillas, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”
Luna winked, then began to clean herself once again.
Before I could get totally settled in, someone knocked on my door.
I froze, as did Luna.
“Who in the world could that be?” I asked the kitten, who jumped off the sofa and followed me to the door. I picked her up so she wouldn’t run out as I opened the door. I was fully expecting to see one of my siblings. Or even my mother standing there, coming to give Moose back because he’d gotten into something.