As I surveyed the crowd and smiled, I watched all the kids filled with excitement. Mine included. I had insisted they let me pay for Rhett to attend. Of course, that was only after Vivianne and I had argued about it for thirty minutes straight. We had the means, and Rhett wasn’t going to attend unless they allowed me to pay. We haggled over a number, and she eventually agreed.

  But…once some of these people found out Rhett was the son of the new veterinarian in town, they might start to question why he was attending.

  “Shit,” I mumbled.

  “What’s wrong?”

  The sound of Emeline’s voice behind me made my stomach feel like I’d just tipped over the peak of a roller coaster and started the freefall.

  What in the hell is that about?

  I quickly told myself she’d simply scared me. Turning—my breath got caught in my throat.

  Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she wore jeans that hugged her curvy body in all the right places. Her white T-shirt had River Falls Summer Camp on the front, and she was wearing a baseball cap. Fuck, if she didn’t look adorable.

  “Em.”

  The way I said her name softly caused her to look a bit surprised. My cheeks heated, and I started talking too fast. “I just got to thinking. What if people think Rhett isn’t paying for the camp, since none of the other kids have to? We’re not from an underprivileged family. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.”

  Emeline smiled as she put her hand on my arm and gave it a slight squeeze. A bolt of heat raced through my body.

  “It’s okay.” She chuckled. “We have kids at camp who are part of our family all the time. My uncles’ grandkids all attended. And even though my mother argued about it, you insisted on paying. We won’t share that, of course, but it’ll be okay.”

  “I just don’t want him…” I glanced down at Rhett, who was talking to a young girl around his age as they both pet Moose, who’d made an appearance after all. “To be treated differently by the staff or the kids. I don’t want them to think he’s…”

  “Privileged? He is, if we’re being honest. And don’t worry, I plan to have Rhett do a lot of helping out, so it doesn’t seem like he’s being treated any differently. It would really only be the older kids who’ll likely figure out who he is.”

  “I see you’ve already thought about this.”

  She shrugged. “When my uncles’ grandkids come to camp, we do the same for them. The kids who’ve been coming to camp the longest know that the Wilde kids attend, as well, but that they’re required to help out a bit more. Pull their weight, if you will.”

  It felt so damn nice to know that Rhett was being treated as if he were a Wilde. “That means a lot to me, Em, that you think of Rhett as part of the family.”

  A wide smile broke out across her beautiful face. Christ, when did this girl become such a beautiful woman? A flash of desire swept over me, and I fought the urge to pull her into my arms. I quickly turned away to see the young girl and another boy, also around the same age as Rhett, skipping away hand in hand.

  Moose and Rhett watched after them, the dog not moving from my son’s side.

  “Moose is trained well.”

  Emeline nodded. “He’s a good boy.”

  “Who was that?” I asked Rhett.

  “That’s my two new friends! Katie and Jimmy. They’re twins and they live in a place called River Haven. They don’t have a mommy or daddy.”

  Crouching to get to his eye level, I nodded. “I know, bud.”

  “They said none of the kids from there have a mom or a dad. How come?”

  I glanced up to Emeline in a silent plea for help in explaining this to my six-year-old.

  She squatted next to me. “River Haven is an orphanage. I think your grammy talked about it with you and your daddy.”

  How in the hell had she known that?

  “It’s a place where kids who’ve lost their mother and father can stay when no one else can take care of them.”

  “Where did their mom and dad go?” asked Rhett.

  “Well,” Emeline started, “some have gone to Heaven. Some were too young to be able to care for babies. And some went to live at River Haven because their mother or father didn’t take very good care of them. But, they have us. And we’re like a family to them. This is why we have the camp, Rhett. So that the kids from River Haven, and other kids who can’t afford to do fun things like go to camp and ride horses and such, can come here and feel safe and loved. And do lots of fun things.”

  Rhett frowned. “Can we not afford to do fun things anymore, Daddy?”

  Before I could answer, Emeline replied, “You’re my special guest at camp. Since you’re basically family, you’ll be asked to help out a bit more. Don’t worry, though, you’ll still get to do all the fun things with the other campers.”

  I watched as my son’s eyes lit up. “So, I’m like your helper?”

  Emeline nodded. “Yep!”

  “I can help with anything, Ms. Emeline!”

  “Of course! That’s why I’m so thankful you’re here. But first, let’s get your stuff to your cabin, and then you can start helping me.”

  Rhett hugged Emeline, then stepped back. “I’ll be the best helper ever!”

  Moose barked, and we all laughed.

  “Moose and I both know you will be.”

  Before I could reach for his stuff, Rhett tossed the sleeping bag over his shoulder, reached for his bag, and said, “Let’s go, Dad! I need to help Ms. Emeline.”

  As we put Rhett’s things away, a few more kids came into the cabin. Jimmy was one of the kids, and he lit up when he saw Rhett.

  “You’re in my cabin!”

  The two boys exchanged excited bouts of running around before they were seated on Rhett’s bed, and he was telling my son all about horses.

  An older woman, maybe in her late fifties, walked up to me. “Jimmy and his sister Katie love horses. They haven’t been with us long at River Haven.”

  “What happened to their parents?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the boys.

  “They passed away in a boating accident. No living relatives on either side.”

  Turning to look at her, I asked, “Were they from River Falls?”

  She nodded, then faced me. Holding out her hand, she smiled. “I’m so sorry, I’m Leanne Rogers. I’m the director at River Haven.”

  “Levi Tucker, that’s my son, Rhett. I’ve known the Wildes pretty much my entire life. Caden Wilde and I are best friends.”

  Leanne grinned as she shook my hand. “I know your father. He donates to River Haven often, and we appreciate it very much.”

  “Sounds like my father. I’ll be taking over his practice, and I can assure you, that means carrying on with his dedication to helping the community.”

  She gave me a nod. “That’s appreciated.”

  I looked back at Jimmy. “Do you mind if I ask who his parents were?”

  “Jim and Lori Mills.”

  The ground felt like it shifted under my feet. I’d known them both in high school. Played football with Jim, and had even taken Lori out a few times.

  “But…Jim and Lori both had parents here in River Falls.”

  Leanne sighed. “All deceased. Jimmy and Katie were living with their maternal grandparents after their parents’ accident, but both ended up getting very sick and passed within a few months of one another.”

  Caden walked into the cabin, smiling when he saw Rhett sitting with Jimmy and another little boy, who must have come in when I wasn’t paying attention.

  “Looks like Rhett and Jimmy are hitting it off.”

  Frowning at Caden, I asked, “Why didn’t you tell me Jim and Lori Mills passed away?”

  His smile faded. “It happened almost the same time as Brooke. I didn’t want to bring you more bad news. I thought I did tell you, though. I’m sorry about that.”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s okay.” More senseless death.

  “Brooke?” Leanne asked.

  Caden gave me an apologetic look.

  “My daughter. She passed away in a car accident earlier this year.”

  Leanne’s face went from curious to stunned to sympathetic all within a few seconds. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.”

  Clearing her throat, Leanne said, “I’d better go see who else I can get settled. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Tucker.”

  Tipping my hat at her, I replied, “The pleasure was all mine.”

  Two teen boys entered the cabin, introduced themselves, and said they were camp counselors assigned to this cabin and the one next door. They were both high school seniors and had been volunteering at the camp for the past five years.

  The cabins were all named after constellations, which paired with the fact that all the horses were named after stars and constellations. Rhett was in Orion. I’d heard Jimmy tell Rhett that his sister, Katie, was in Aquarius.

  Caden and I slipped out so the counselors could get things going with the kids. I waved goodbye to Rhett, who waved back. He looked so happy. I had a strong feeling this camp was going to be better for him than I’d even initially thought.

  The rest of the day was filled with what some might call organized chaos. The kids spent time with their cabinmates, getting to know each other. Then, after lunch, they all gathered in the camp’s central area and started playing games. The older kids helped the younger ones when needed. The laughter alone was enough to make anyone’s bad day better.

  Even Caden, who was a grump to the highest level, got in on the action. It was nice to see him laughing and enjoying himself. The only time he seemed unhappy was when Lilibeth was around. She was also volunteering today, and I swore I saw her everywhere. Her long blonde hair was in a single braid with flowers woven through the length. She practically beamed happiness, which was the opposite of Caden.

  They ended up having to partner in the three-legged race, and you would have thought Caden had been paired up with the devil himself, given how he acted.

  Once dinner was done, the kids all went to the living room to watch a movie and settle down. It would be an early night, since tomorrow was filled with endless activities.

  Rhett had proved to be a good helper, and I was so proud of him. I could see him volunteering at this camp when he got older. It was clear he enjoyed being involved.

  Caden and I walked back to the barn to make sure everything was set up for tomorrow. The younger kids, ages ten and under, would be going horseback riding. The older kids will either do archery or head to the lake to fish and swim.

  “You take part in the camps more than I thought,” I said as we entered the barn.

  He shrugged. “I always try to help the first few days, since things are a bit crazy. Then I go back to my side of the farm and avoid this like the plague.”

  I laughed. “It’s a lot of work. I was stunned when I pulled up and saw all the people.”

  “Yeah, it’s a lot to manage, and my mother and sister do a great job with it. Emeline gets the volunteers and counselors lined up each year. I don’t know how she keeps up with it all, but she does. There are only two camp sessions, but it’s a hell of a lot of work on top of what she already does on the ranch.”

  Marshall and a few other hands were setting out saddles in the aisle of the barn.

  “Getting ready for tomorrow?” Caden asked, hitting him on the back.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How did you guys afford to buy all these saddles for the kids?” I asked.

  “Fundraisers. The rodeo fundraiser brings in the most, and then Emeline hosts a charity dinner every winter, which is our second-biggest fundraiser. Some of them were donated by community members, as well.”

  Emeline walked around the corner, leading a beautiful white and brown paint mare. It was saddled up, and she was wearing riding gear.

  “Taking your ride?” Caden asked.

  “I am.”

  “Your ride?” I asked.

  “She always checks the trails before they take the campers out,” Caden replied before his sister could.

  “Do you mind if I ride out with you?”

  That seemed to surprise Emeline. She glanced at her brother, almost as if asking for his permission, before turning her attention back to me. “No, I don’t mind. You can ride Leo. He’s been itching to get out and stretch his legs.”

  “Stallion?” I asked wearily.

  Caden smirked. “No, he’s a gelding.”

  I followed Caden, got the gelding saddled up, and met Emeline in front of the barn.

  “Ready?” she asked with a smile that lit up her entire face. It was clear that being on horseback was her happy place. I couldn’t blame her for that. It was mine, too.

  “Lead the way.”

  We walked side by side away from the barn and toward a trail that I’d ridden a dozen times in my youth with Caden and Ensley.

  “I haven’t been on this trail in forever,” I said, as Emeline took the lead.

  “I used to hate that I couldn’t ever go with you guys when you went riding. Mom always told me I was too young.”

  I chuckled. “Trust me, you weren’t missing out on anything. Caden and Ensley would spend most of the time fighting with one another. Each one thought they knew the best way up to the lookout point.”

  “We’ve added a few trails that you haven’t been on.”

  My horse followed hers as she turned to the right. It was indeed a trail I’d never taken before. “Is this heading toward the lake?” I asked.

  “Sure is.”

  The trail widened, and I moved up alongside her.

  “Today seemed to go good, from what I saw.”

  She smiled. “It did. The first day is always a little overwhelming, but once the kids get settled, everything falls into place.”

  When we arrived at the top of the trail, it opened into a large meadow. The sun was hanging lower in the sky, but we still had at least another hour before sunset.

  Emeline got off her horse, tossed the reins over the saddle, and let her roam. “You can leave them, they won’t go anywhere.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Glancing back over her shoulder, she winked. “It’s a surprise.”

  I couldn’t ignore the way my heart felt like it kicked into overdrive as I watched Emeline walking in front of me. My eyes drifted to her perfect ass, and I nearly moaned. My dick came to attention, too, and I had to admit this was the first time in ages that I’d desired anyone sexually.

  Christ, this was Emeline I was gawking at. Caden would kick my ass.

  As if she’d read my mind, she called out, “Enjoying the view back there, or did you want to join me?”

  Picking up the pace, I quickly made my way to her side. “The view was pretty damn nice, I have to say.”

  She smiled as her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “How do you think Rhett did today?” she asked.

  “Great. He met a little boy named Jimmy, and they hit it off.”

  “Jimmy Mills?”

  I looked at her, noticing her intense focus as we climbed an incline.

  “Yes. His parents died in a boating accident, I was told. I went to high school with them both.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, it was really sad. They went to live with Lori’s parents, and within months, they’d both passed from pneumonia. They couldn’t find any other living relatives, so the kids had to go to River Haven. Breaks my heart. I heard a young couple from Estes Park wanted to adopt Katie, but not Jimmy. I think that it’s so incredibly cruel to separate siblings, especially twins. They have a special bond.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I agree.”

  We made it to the top of the trail—and I froze. The scene before me looked like a picture. Damn, I missed these views. The ragged edges of the mountains rose over the valley, lit by the evening sun. Dots of snow scattered across the mountaintops seemed to glow a light pink. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like once the sun started to set.

  “Oh wow! This is beautiful, Em.”

  “I know. It’s one of my favorite places on the ranch. I found it one day while following the wildlife path. Then I showed it to Uncle David, and the next thing I knew, there was a riding path. I used to come up here to think.”

  “Do you bring the kids up here?”

  “No. The pasture we rode up in is where we bring them. They collect wildflowers, bring them back to camp, and the kids can press them to take home. It’s a bit too dangerous to bring them up here, what with the drop-off right there.”

  “I bet it’s beautiful at sunset.”

  She walked over to a large boulder and sat on it. “It is. You should see it in the winter. The way the sun hits the snow on the sides of the mountains, it looks like Heaven opened and diamonds spilled out. It sparkles.”

  I joined her on the boulder and stared out at the view. I could get lost in my own thoughts easily, sitting here.

  “Em, I wanted to talk to you about the clinics.”

  Drawing her legs up closer to her chest, she rested her chin on her knee. When she didn’t say anything, I went on.

  “I didn’t mean for you to think the guys should replace the camps. I didn’t mean that at all. Caden and I were talking about profits and such, and I thought the clinics would be a good addition to the ranch. Please know I wasn’t trying to push you out.”

  Keeping her head on her knee, she turned her head and smiled softly. “The camps are growing smaller each year. I know it’s a good thing that our need for them is lessening, which hopefully means more families are doing well. Or the kids at the orphanage are getting adopted. It’s just…I’ve worked so hard on these camps to grow them to what they are today. I know we could open them to paying campers, but that isn’t why we started the place. And my idea of doing a camp for kids with special needs is something I really wanted to try.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  She sighed. “I had a meeting with Caden, Uncle David, and Uncle Mike, as well as my mother. The insurance cost alone would be more than we could afford right now. Then you have to hire the right staff, who are certified to work with kids with disabilities.” She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “We do great with the fundraising, but it wouldn’t be enough to cover the current camps, plus one that would require so much additional cost.”