34. Dani
34
dani
october
The smell of fall was in the air. Luckily for us, the breeze that blew through the mountains this afternoon wasn’t bad enough to deter anyone.
And I do mean anyone .
Everyone from around our towns, from towns near and far from us, had come out for the Three Rivers Trevors Ranch Festival—or Double TR—today, something renamed by Quinn and Viv, who said people would love the new name.
They weren’t wrong, either.
There was a small booth that was being manned by Cal and his family where they sold hats, mugs, tee shirts, and stickers with the ranch logo on it. With that margin of income alone, they would feel like they won a small lottery when it was all through.
Cade was in the barn, talking to prospective clients and giving a beginner clinic on care for horses, my cousins were his help today, and he reluctantly admitted that it felt better having them around than last year when he was all on his own.
Local businesses set themselves up in long rows of two, all selling a variety of things. Aveline was here with her husband and Tori as backup. I’d offered to help out too, but she declined, saying it was more important I help out the Trevors, though they mostly had it in hand.
My parents were around somewhere as well, enjoying the food and music by a local band. There was a booth for Bottle Grounds run by Annmarie, showcasing the wine they had started to make. I’d seen my cousin Stetson over there twice already.
There was a photographer running around, kids playing in bouncy houses and playing games at booths, and there was a pumpkin patch set up. The pumpkins were grown by local farms and homesteads around Fall Springs and donated to the ranch for this festival.
If you needed it, they had it at this festival, and it was unlike any they’d had before.
The festival was a staple in the community when we were teenagers. When Cade’s mom had decided to start it, Donna went all in. She had never met a challenge she didn’t accept, and this was one of the biggest during her lifetime.
“Dani!” A voice pulls my mind from its wandering, and I look over my shoulder to see a smiling Viv. She’s holding hands with a tall, bulky male who looks happy to come along. Behind them is a group of people. I wonder if they’re the friends from Denver Quinn’s always talking about.
“Hey, Viv, how are you?” I lean forward to give her a tight hug that she returns. She’s been up to the ranch a couple of times and even down to another show—one where Lady didn’t get along as well as I would have liked, making me end the season with a less-than-stellar score.
But I had to let it go and focus on what was good. There were always more shows, and next year was going to be my year.
“I’m doing great! I’d like you to meet my husband, Archer. Archer, this is the amazing Dani West.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” he says, holding out a hand.
I shake it and smile back. “Husband, right. I thought I heard Graham mention you two tied the knot. Congratulations.”
“Thank you! I finally got this one to become the newest Mr. Capello.” Viv beams up at her husband, and he rolls his eyes while I laugh at their antics. I’ve heard her on the phone before, and she seems to be always teasing with him.
I feel a pang of jealousy. Moments missed and memories Cade and I could have been making were some of my biggest regrets.
Moving forward, I remind myself. No dwelling on what we can’t change.
She introduces me to the rest of the group, starting with her brother Enzo and his girlfriend Nora, their friends Garrett, Derek, and Mike, who shake my hand. Derek kisses the back of my hand and rather than be grossed out, I find myself laughing at his charming sense of humor.
Then, from the back of the group steps a figure I know very well. “Warren?”
“Dani West.” He smiles, his arms coming around me in a tight hug. Warren was the shyest guy in school, always had his nose buried in a sketchpad and had little to no interest in riding or sports. But Cade and Graham always watched out for him, and by default, I became good friends with him. Though I’d lost touch when he left town for school.
“It’s so great to see you. Have you seen CT?” I ask him before I notice the woman behind him. She’s beautiful and looks like she could work a runway if she wanted to. “Oh sorry, is this your wife?”
They smile at each other sweetly, and she reaches a hand for mine. “Girlfriend, actually. I’m Jane Leads.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” I tell her with a smile, shaking her soft hand. They’re a glaring contrast to my calloused ones and a testament to how different we are already.
“To answer you, no, I haven’t seen him yet, but we’ve been in touch a bit,” Warren tells me.
This is amazing news to hear and gives me hope that Cade is more willing to let go of his past, of the people who let him down and who he let down in return, and keep moving toward bigger and better things.
We all venture over in a big group to the barn so they can say hi. Through Graham and Warren, apparently, Cade has made friends with all these guys. The women tell me about the next girls’ night and insist I come.
Nora, I think, nudges me on the arm and, clearly sensing how overwhelmed I feel, whispers, “Don’t worry, I’m still getting used to this group.”
I raise a brow and breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh? You’re new to the group?”
“Super new. I still don’t even know if they like me yet.” I laugh and Viv spins around .
“I heard that, Nora Miller, and we love you.”
Nora blushes and smiles at me. “Oops.”
Her boyfriend grabs her hand and pulls her under his arm as we enter the barn. Cade is talking with a couple and waves a hand when he sees me.
Excusing himself, he makes his way over and kisses me on the side of the head. The guys all converge, some shaking his hand, others pretending to sock him in the shoulder.
“Good to see you, guys.” He nods, and they spend a few minutes catching up with each other, the conversation light and easy. I see a side of Cade that I missed. That we’ve all missed. My heart swells in my chest at the sight.
They talk for a few minutes, the girls including me in their conversation and asking about different horses in the barn. Cade nods toward Logan, who’s grabbing a new addition to the barn. “If you’ve ever wanted to see someone get bucked off, now’s your chance.”
I scoff and playfully whack him on the shoulder. “Play nice.”
“I play honest,” he counters before offering me a wink.
The group moves toward the arena. They’re not alone either, with a bunch of people curious about what Logan is about to do. Cade and I hang back, and he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“So, what do you think?”
“Of the festival?”
“Yeah, of the festival, of the crowds, of the community.”
“It’s amazing. Quinn has really put something amazing together.”
“She has. She took what she learned about Mom and made it bloom into something amazing,” he says, and I look around the full arena. The standing room is crammed full of people, and I can see that Quinn brought this family back to life again. I push that familiar jealousy away. If I had been here…would I have been the one to do it? Or was my being gone essential to things working out the way they did? It hurts to think that.
Moving forward, Dani.
“What I’m wondering is, now that you’ve seen what we can do here, how do you feel about starting an equine therapy program here?”
I turn to him, his arm falling off my shoulders, studying him for a moment. “You’re serious?”
He frowns. “Did you think I wasn’t before?”
“Yeah, no, I did, but I wasn’t thinking you were, like, committed to it.”
He tilts his hat up slightly, so he can lean down and press his forehead to mine. “I’m committed.” He tilts his head to the side in a nod and says, “See that little boy over there?” I discreetly look to where he pointed and see a young boy in a wheelchair, what looks like his mom, standing behind him, and I frown.
“Yeah.” I turn back to Cade.
“His mom was asking about programs for disabled children, and I had to tell her we don’t have one…yet. He needs this to happen, and he’s not alone. I know that what you did for my brother, you can do for so many others. I believe in you, Dani.”
I try to picture it for a moment, us working together every day. Me helping some people overcome their fears, their disabilities…the thought makes me feel good, but the idea of doing everything is still scary.
I look back at Cade, who’s waiting patiently. “Maybe.”
He chuckles quietly. “Maybe, huh?”
“Maybe is better than no.”
“Anything is better than no, but I’ll take it for now.”
It’s enough for him, and right now, it’s enough for me too.