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)
“She’s a few years older than me, at twenty-nine, but Lilibeth and I have become good friends over the last few months. I’m sure you’re aware already, since you know her parents, but when she got the idea for the perfumery and candle bar, she knew she wanted to open it in River Falls, so she could be close to her mother and father when they retired here.”
My mother nodded.
“Right, sorry, now I’m getting off topic. I was telling her about our summer camps, the Christmas event we hold each year, and the annual fundraising rodeo. She wants to give back to the community, so she pitched me an idea. She’d like to volunteer to help with the camps, and even do a class to teach the kids how to make candles and perfume! I thought it was a wonderful idea, and something new and fun that we could add to the schedule.”
My mother’s face lit up. “I think it’s a great idea! And she said she’d be willing to do this for free?”
I nodded. “She likes to volunteer. Said her father taught her early on that if she’s able, she should find causes that are dear to her and give to them in any way she can. She also loves kids. Has a niece and nephew from her older brother Ron, who still lives in Denver—where she relocated from—and she misses them a lot. She’s also so fun to be around. The campers will adore her.”
Mom grinned. “She’s definitely full of life. A bit of spit and fire in her, too, from the little I’ve been around her.”
“Definitely. And I don’t think I’ve ever not seen a flower tucked into her hair. She’s also super friendly. I told her once that I swear she wakes up with a smile on her face and falls asleep with the same one.”
“I think she’d be a lovely addition to the summer camps. Would she want to do all three sessions? That’s asking a lot from her.”
I nodded. “Yes, she wants to help not just with the classes she’ll teach, but in any way she can.”
“Won’t her store be busier in the summer, though? How can she be here and there?”
“She wouldn’t be at the camp every day, just the days she’s scheduled to do the classes. Plus, she has an employee who can help at the store.”
Mom thought for a moment. “And she is willing to volunteer her time? What about the supplies?”
“She said she’ll cover it all. It’s a way for her to give back.”
My mother’s brows rose slightly. “That’s very generous of her.”
“Lilibeth really wants to be part of the community, and like I mentioned, she loves kids. It’s a win-win.”
Clapping her hands, my mother beamed back at me. “I love both of these ideas. We’ll need to meet with Jack to go over the legal aspects of the additional week of camp, so we know about liabilities and such, but I don’t foresee any issues.”
Jack Russell was a good friend of my father’s, and the family lawyer.
Mom went on. “Mark and Berkeley volunteer for our camp sessions now, so I can ask them if they’re willing to add a week.”
Mark Johnson was one of only two doctors we had here in River Falls. His father owned a clinic in town, and Mark was his only son. His sister, Berkeley, was a nurse practitioner who also worked for the clinic. She and Mark each worked a week during the camps, staying on the property throughout the duration. That way, if any of the kids ever needed medical attention, we had someone here twenty-four hours a day.
“I already did, and they both said they’d have no issue adding another week.”
“It seems you’re on top of things then. You simply wanted my approval?”
I nodded. I never did anything with the camps without at least my mother’s approval, even though I was basically in charge. My mom and grandmother still had complete control of the annual Wilde Christmas event, but of course, I helped. As for the ranch itself, my grandparents, Nellie and Gus, had retired and given control over to my two uncles and my oldest brother, Caden. They were the final say for anything that happened on the ranch.
“If you agree, I’ll meet with Caden, Uncle David, and Uncle Mike to get the final approval for the additional week.”
Mom stood and Moose jumped up, clearly ready to go wherever she was going. “That sounds like a plan. I’ll warn you ahead of time, I think they’re going to suggest doing a day camp first for the trial run…which might be a better idea, now that I think about it. Let’s see how having a day camp with special-needs kids works first before we commit to overnight.”
My mother was good at drawing me back in when I had an idea. I was usually the one to run at it a hundred miles per hour. I stood as well. “You’re probably right. I was just so excited about adding this additional camp, but I can absolutely see your point. I’ll pitch it to them as a day camp. We’ll see how it goes and decide from there. Anything else you want to chat about?”