Page 11 of Wilde Ride

I moved my gaze to Emeline, who smiled, watching the young one play and kick. I was struck by how beautiful Emeline was. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her body had definitely grown shapely over the years.

With a quick shake of my head, I focused back on the horses.

“She’s amazing,” Caden said.

Looking at him, I asked, “Who?”

He nodded in the direction of his sister. “Emeline. I always thought my mother and Ensley had the gift with horses, but after watching Emeline, it’s clear she’s more than just a horse lover. I swear she can read their minds. You should see her when one comes in from an abused or neglected situation, and no one else can even get near them. But Emeline, she just walks up to the horse and within no time at all, she’s running her hands all over them, making them feel safe. I don’t know how she does it.”

“Natural horsemanship. Or as some call it, a horse whisperer.”

Caden smiled. “Well, that’s Emeline, for sure. She’s got a gift.”

I turned my attention away from his sister and asked, “How’s the cattle side of the ranch? Any issues?”

He shook his head. “All good. We’ve started to push the last of the cattle up the mountainside for grazing. We’ve gotten one harvest of hay, and plan on doing another cut on the south pasture once we get the cattle off.”

I glanced back at Emeline, only to find her laughing with a guy I hadn’t ever seen before. “Who’s that?”

“That’s Jon. He’s one of the new ranch hands we hired this year,” Caden answered, looking in the same direction.

“He’s young.”

His shoulder lifted with a shrug. “He’s twenty-eight, if I remember correctly. I think he has the hots for Emeline.”

I looked back at Caden. “And you’re okay with one of the ranch hands flirting with her?”

He burst out laughing. “I do not tell my sister what she can and cannot do. Either of them, actually. Besides, I trust our guys, and I know my sister. She makes sure the ranch hands know she keeps her business and her private lives separate.”

We both turned to see Emeline laugh again and put a hand on Jon’s arm. As if sensing us watching her, she turned and glanced our way, instantly dropping her hand. She tilted her head as if questioning why we were looking at her.

Turning, I started back for the barn. “If you don’t need me to take a look at anyone else, I should give my mom a call and see how Rhett’s doing.”

“No, just Aurora. I’m sure I’ll hear it from Emeline that I went around her to have you come out, but I wanted to play it safe. She’s one of my favorite mares.”

I smiled. “I get it.”

“When will you start officially at the vet clinic?”

“I’d like to get settled in with Rhett first. It’s going to be hard to find a place, so I need to get it into my head that I could possibly be with my folks for a while. I told my dad to give me about three weeks. That affords me some time to find someone to watch Rhett while I’m at work. I don’t want to depend on my mother all the time. I’m hoping he can meet some kids before school starts in the fall, so he feels like he fits in more. That’s why I want to talk to Emeline about camp. I know it’s for underprivileged kids, but I was hoping I could get a pass.”

Caden nodded. “Well, if he comes to one of the camps, I’m sure he’ll meet a few kids his age. I’m not sure if they have any open spots, and I’ll be the first to admit, I have no idea how Emeline runs the camps. But I know they have different age groups. The camps have actually gotten smaller over the last few years. The need isn’t there as much as it was in the beginning, which is a good thing.”

“Yeah, I figured they might be full. I know it’s last minute, but I’m hoping I can pull the whole your-brother-is-my-best-friend card to see if she’ll get me in.”

He laughed. “I don’t think you need that card. From what I remember, my baby sister always had a crush on you.”

I stopped in my tracks and gaped at him. “What?”

He narrowed his eyes and gave me a look. “Come on, Levi. You can’t tell me you never realized she liked you.”

I glanced back at Emeline, who was now talking to Marshall, a serious expression on her face. “I had no idea she had a crush on me.”

He frowned, looking bemused. “I thought that was why you always went out of your way to be nice to her.”

“No. I just thought she was a sweet girl, and I liked her.”

His brow raised.