Page 79 of Deserving Ryleigh
“I suppose it’s what we took on when we decided to live on the property,” Tiny said with a shrug.
“Again, you’ve all done an amazing job. The Refuge is the perfect place for those with PTSD to come and unwind. To live without having to worry about the world judging them.”
Wolf’s praise meant a lot to Tiny. He and his friends had worked their asses off to make this a safe place for anyone who needed it. Hearing from a third party, another vet, that they’d succeeded made him feel proud.
As he took Wolf around and showed him The Refuge, a part of Tiny was always thinking about Ryleigh. Hoping her own tour was going well. He had no reason to think it wouldn’t be, but he knew she always stressed aboutmeeting someone new. He was counting down the minutes until he saw her again. She centered him. Grounded him.
And he couldn’t wait to hear how things with Caroline had gone. Couldn’t wait to see her smile. Hear her laugh.
He was completely besotted, and he didn’t feel an ounce of trepidation about it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ry smiled at the chaos all around her. The tour of The Refuge with Caroline had gone really well. The other woman was funny and down to earth. She’d loved meeting all the animals at the barn and had even gotten down on her knees in the dirt to meet one of the new goats that had been born recently.
By the time Ry dropped her off at the cabin where she and Wolf were staying, it felt as if they’d been friends for years rather than just meeting an hour earlier.
They were now sitting at tables in the lobby of the lodge, eating dinner, while everyone laughed and talked loudly. Tiny was on her right, and they were sitting with Tonka, Henley, and his friend he’d served with, Raiden, and his wife, Khloe.
Raid, as he’d asked to be called, was huge. He towered over everyone. He said he was six feet, eight inches tall. Khloe was tiny compared to him, but somehow her personality made her seem much bigger. Raid’s bright red hair made him stick out almost as much as his height. Buthe was so gentle, and when he’d taken Tonka’s tiny daughter into his arms, Ry’s eyes actually teared up.
She knew all about what these two men had been through with their service K9s. It was horrific, and so damn sad. But both seemed to be happy now, which Ry was grateful for. She silently swore to do a search as soon as she could for anyone associated with the asshole who’d hurt the two men and their dogs, and make sure karma was taking care of them.
This bloodthirsty side of her was new, but she was discovering that the thought of anyone messing with those she loved was unbearable.
Jasna was sitting at a different table with her friend Sharyn and the little girl’s mom. Brick’s mom was also at that table, along with Lara and Owl.
Cora and Pipe were sharing a table with their four foster children, and Cheri Singleton and her daughter. Cheri used to babysit Jasna. The older woman had four-year-old Max on her lap and was entertaining him with games on a piece of yarn she’d woven through her fingers.
Wolf and Caroline were sitting with Reese and Spike, and her brother and Isabella.
Stone and Maisy were at a table with Brick and Alaska, and Paige. Paige was the woman who’d basically raised Maisy, and was the closest thing she had to a mother.
All in all, the mood in the room was joyous. Alaska had insisted that Robert make this meal a buffet, so he could sit and eat with everyone else and wouldn’t have to be running back and forth to the kitchen all night. All the other Refuge employees were there as well, although they’d be heading out to their homes after dinner.
A big bonfire would take place once it got dark, soeveryone could continue to hang out before heading to bed and meeting back up for brunch the next day, then Alaska and Brick’s wedding ceremony. Afterward, they would have another buffet dinner, then dancing. All the tables and chairs would be pushed toward the edge of the lobby, and Jason had volunteered to be their DJ. Apparently, he was more than just their maintenance man; he worked as a DJ in a small club in Los Alamos on the weekends.
“You look happy,” Tiny said in her ear.
Ry took a moment to reflect on his words, before turning to him with a smile. “I am. I think this is the first time in my life I’m not worrying about what tomorrow will bring. I used to stress about what my father would ask me to do, who he’d want me to steal from, and then after I left, I was constantly on alert and on the move, always afraid he’d find me. But now? I’m not thinking about anything other than how fun this is. How happy I am for Alaska and Brick. And how being around so many happy people makesmehappy by osmosis.”
Tiny squeezed their clasped hands, resting on his thigh. “I’m glad.”
“Me too,” she agreed.
Talk at the table turned to Khloe, and her job as a veterinarian in their small town in Virginia. She talked about some of her clients—the ones with fur, not their human owners. Then she bragged about her husband, how Raid had started a Dungeons and Dragons club at the library he managed, and how popular it was.
Ry wouldn’t have pegged the man as a D&D nerd, but then again, most people wouldn’t ever guess that she couldhack into the President of the United States’ email without anyone being the wiser. It drove home the fact that everyone had hidden talents and passions…it didn’t make them more or less likable. It justwas.
Slowly, people began to leave the lodge after eating. The plan was for those who wanted to attend the bonfire to reconvene at the firepit around sunset. Ry had volunteered for kitchen duty, making sure Alaska was nowhere near any dirty dishes. This was her wedding week, and everyone was determined she’d work as little as possible and enjoy every second of her unplanned vacation.
Tiny—along with Luna, Maisy, and Paige—helped. Ry had tried to shoo Paige out, but she told Ry and the others in no uncertain terms that she’d spent her life in a kitchen, and it was one of the places she felt the most comfortable. After that, no one had the heart to make her leave.
The dishes were cleaned in no time, the lobby of the lodge swept and the tables and chairs straightened for brunch in the morning. As Ry was walking to the firepit to assist before the others arrived, she once more reflected on how different her life was now, than when she was on the run from her father.
Choosing The Refuge had been a stroke of luck. She’d not only found a place to hide out—and money she’d earned legally—but she’d inadvertently discovered the place she was always meant to be. She’d never be an outdoor girl, but she’d learned to appreciate the silence, the fresh air…and waslearningto tolerate the bugs.
“What’s that smile for?” Tiny asked as they walked hand-in-hand toward the property’s designated bonfire area.
