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)
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.
“In a brotherly way, Caden.” His brow went a little higher. “Okay, maybe not in a brotherly way toward the end. It was hard not to notice her once she got into high school.”
He smirked. “Well, I highly doubt she’s still crushing on you. But I’m glad I told you.”
Confused, I asked, “Why?”
Laughing, he simply shook his head.
Before I could press the issue, Vivianne, Caden’s mother, appeared at the other end of the barn entrance and smiled at us.
“Levi Turner, what in the world?”
I smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Wilde.”
She waved me off. “Call me Vivianne; how many times do I have to tell you that? I practically raised you as one of my own!”
Laughing, I gave her a quick hug.
Caden spoke next. “Levi and Rhett have moved back to River Falls.”
Vivianne smiled, but I could see the confusion in her eyes. “Caroline?”
“Divorced. Well, about to be, anyway. Just waiting for her to sign and send the papers to my lawyer.”
She gently squeezed my arm. “I’m sorry to hear that, Levi. And I know I said it at the funeral, but I’m even more sorry about Brooke.”
“Thank you, Mrs…er…Vivianne. And no need to be sorry about me and Caroline. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Will you share custody of Rhett?”
I shook my head. “No, I have full custody. Caroline gave up custody, but has visiting rights, of course.”
A look of surprise washed over her face. “She gave up custody?”
“The accident impacted Caroline in a pretty big way. I told her if she ever changes her mind, we can open it up for discussion, but that once we moved to River Falls and Rhett started school, this is where she’d have to live.”
“I’m sure it was an unbelievably terrible thing to lose a child like that, for both of you.”
When I didn’t say anything, she went on.
“What about Mitch? Has he seen Rhett since you’ve been back?”
Mitch was Caroline’s father. I nodded. “He has. With him getting ready to retire early, he probably hasn’t had a chance to let Ladd know we were back in town.”
Vivianne smiled. “I’m sure that’s it.”
We both knew what I said was a lie. Mitch and Ladd were not only business partners, but best friends. Yes, Mitch was several years older than Ladd, but they still spoke every single day.
He didn’t tell Ladd because he didn’t want his friend asking about Caroline.
They had a strained relationship. After Caroline decided years ago that she wanted nothing to do with the family business, telling her father that we were moving to Denver instead, he had never really forgiven her.
“How’s Rhett doing? Caden told me he was having nightmares since Brooke’s passing.”
“He doesn’t have them as often. Some days are better than others, but with him losing his mother as well, he’s struggling.”
I didn’t want to tell Vivianne that Rhett thinks Caroline doesn’t love him, and that she left because of him. I would never be able to forgive her for that—ever. The way she’d hurt our son was something I couldn’t understand. After all, she wasn’t the only one who lost Brooke. We all did.
“We would love to have you both join us for Sunday dinner. I’d love to see Rhett and get to know him better. Ladd and I cannot wait to have grandchildren of our own.” She shot a weary look at Caden, who took a step back.
“If you’re waiting on me, you’re going to be waiting a long time.”
Vivianne rolled her eyes and laughed. “One day a woman’s going to catch his eye and he’ll be eating crow.”