Page 16 of Wilde Ride

Someone walked out of one of the three bathrooms to our right.

“Hi, Charlotte,” I called out as I waved.

“Hey there, Emeline. We’ve pretty much cleaned up everything. I just need to stock the bathrooms, and when we get closer, narrow down the menus for each week.”

“Charlotte, this is Levi Tucker. He’s Caden’s best friend and pretty much part of the family. His father is the local veterinarian.”

Charlotte reached out her hand. “Charlotte Hastings. I’m the camp steward.”

“Camp steward?” Levi asked.

“She’s in charge of budgeting, shopping, and getting the daily menus in place. She also prepares all the snacks for the kids. Plus, she gets all the cabins ready and cleaned, as well as the main building.”

Levi’s eyes went wide. “Whoa. That’s a lot.”

Charlotte laughed. “Emeline’s making it sound like I do it alone. Nellie and Vivianne have the last say on the budget, and I have a staff of three who help me do all the other work.”

Glancing at me, Levi slowly shook his head. “My gosh, I never knew what a big operation this was—or is, I should say.”

“Most of the others only work the weeks we hold camp in the summer, and if we have any other events here, but Charlotte works year-round, making sure everything stays okay with the cabins and we have no issues. We also rent out the cabins to companies that want to host work retreats, among other things. That’s something we just started last year. They have access to the whole camp, but it’s their responsibility to do all the cooking and cleaning. The income goes toward the summer camps and the Christmas event.”

“What a great idea.”

“That was Emeline’s idea,” Charlotte chimed in with a smile.

“Do you stay on the premises?” Levi asked her.

Charlotte shook her head. “No, no. I love it here, but after my long work hours, I enjoy heading home to my own little log cabin a few miles outside of River Falls. It’s not far from here, though.”

“Well, you do a great job of making the place look so good.”

She smiled. “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a ton of work to do.”

“See ya around, Charlotte.” Gesturing to Levi, I said, “Let me show you the cabins.”

We walked a short distance. Like the main building, they were all log cabins, and each could hold up to ten kids. I’d had a hand in designing them when I was younger, and to this day, they’re still one of the things I’m most proud of.

After we made our way through one of them, I turned to Levi. “If Rhett decides he’d like to join us, he’d stay in one of the four cabins over there.”

“So it’s co-ed then?”

“The camp, yes, but not the cabins. Boys stay with boys; girls stay with girls. We also hire a couple River Falls police officers to come and provide security at night. They watch to make sure we don’t have anyone coming in or going out.”

“Like, as in kids sneaking out?”

“Yes. We had a group of fourteen-year-old boys one year who decided it would be fun to meet down at the pier and do some night fishing. Unlucky for them, Caden found them. I don’t think I have to tell you how that turned out.”

His brows shot up. “I bet he scared the living shit out of them.”

“Let’s just say they won’t ever try that again.”

He chuckled and looked around. “Do you live on the ranch?”

I nodded. “I do. I live in my great-grandmother Lileth’s cabin. It’s back behind that row of trees. I kind of remember her, but only a few vague memories.”

“I don’t remember her, if I’m being honest.” He looked around and said, “I think Rhett would love this.”

I leaned against a tree. “And what does Levi think about volunteering to teach the kids all about the animals?”