Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
I shrugged. “If I’m being honest, that sounds kind of fun, too.”
She chuckled. “I guess it does.”
“A little bit of fun competition is good for the soul.”
Tilting her head, she asked, “Do you really want to get on your hands and knees and attempt to roll a yam across the floor with your nose? I promise you, Emeline’s chocolate lab, Moose, will most certainly try to hump you.”
My attempt to keep my laughter in failed.
“You think it’s funny now, but don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. Moose is nearly ninety pounds.” She turned on her heel and started away from me.
I followed her with a smile on my face.
Damn, it was good to be home.
“Colt,” Vivianne called out as she crossed the living room. She pulled me in for a hug, kissed my cheek, then said, “Go help the boys set the table, will you?”
It felt like old times as I made my way to the kitchen and clapped my hands. “I’ve been directed to help set the table.”
Caden glanced over and said, “Just like old times,” reading my mind.
Gatlin handed me the plates. “Here you go.” I started to turn, when he said, “Wait, there’s more.”
Caden walked over and put bowls on top of the plates.
“Don’t leave,” Gatlin warned, grabbing napkins and placing them in the top bowl. “Hold on.”
“If you put anything else on here, it’s all gonna fall. And what point are you both trying to make, anyway?”
“Just making up for all the missing years,” Caden said with a wink.
“Ahh, okay. We’ve got jokes. You know, I never did think either of you were very funny.”
“Is that why we never hung out in school?” Caden asked, looking thoughtful as he folded his arms over his chest.
I smirked. “If that’s what you want to tell yourself, sure.”
Gatlin snickered. “I thought it was because you didn’t like each other.”
Caden and I both frowned at him. “That’s not true,” we said at the same time.
“Then why?” Gatlin asked, shrugging.
Caden and I exchanged a look.
With a shrug, he said, “I mean, we talked, but you hung out with the jocks more.”
“You played football.”
“I did, but I was also dating someone who was high maintenance and demanded all of my attention,” Caden stated.
“We were good friends in elementary school.”
Caden’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. That’s right. We were! I forgot that we used to hang out together.”
“Do you remember the time we took the ranch truck and went for a joyride?”
Laughing, Caden nodded. “I do remember that. We couldn’t have been more than ten. I had to get a pillow to sit on to see over the dash!”
“I love to see you boys reminiscing about old times, but the table isn’t going to set itself. Gatlin Wilde, you help Colt right now! Honestly, asking him to carry all that in!”
Gatlin tried not to smile as he walked over and took some of the items off my pile.
As we walked out of the kitchen, I heard Vivianne say, “Caden Wilde, you may be a husband and a father, but I can still put you over my knee!”
Game night never happened, much to the Wilde children’s relief. Instead, the evening was filled with love and lots of laughter as we took many walks down memory lane. My mother and father told stories about when Grady and I were little, while Vivianne and Ladd shared stories of Caden, Ensley, Emeline, and Gatlin. Even Gus and Nellie told tales about Ladd and his other brothers. It was a great evening, and it helped heal a couple of my oldest wounds by being able to talk and laugh about Grady. I know it helped my mother and father, as well.
“I still can’t believe you and Caden were little buddies,” Ensley said, as we stood on the front porch and watched huge snowflakes fall from the sky.
I wrapped my arms around her a bit tighter as I rested my chin on her head. “It’s so beautiful.”
She let out a soft, “Mmm-hmm.”
“Pip?”
“Yes?”
“I need to take you back to your place so you can pack a bag.”
Turning in my arms, she looked at me with a confused expression on her face. “Pack a bag for what?”
“For our first date.”
She laughed. “I need to pack a bag for our date?”
Smiling, I replied, “Yep. We leave early tomorrow morning.”
Ensley took a step back. “Leave for where?”
“Banff.”
Her mouth fell open. “Did you just say Banff?”
“I did. Don’t worry about your clients; Gatlin helped me find a farrier who could take care of the few we both had scheduled on Monday and Tuesday. Since neither of us had anyone on the books for Friday, we’re good there. We leave tomorrow and head back to River Falls on Tuesday morning. We have three fun-filled days planned. Well, three and a half, if you count tomorrow.”