Chapter Two – Levi #2
“Just the person we were looking for!” Caden said, hitting me on the back and walking toward his sister.
Emeline called out to her mother, then turned and stilled when she saw us. Her smile slowly fell, replaced by a look of shock.
I hadn’t ever come across Caden’s sister on my trips back home to River Falls.
She was either in college or off doing something whenever I was in town.
Now, looking at her, I was stunned to see the young girl who used to chase us around the ranch, begging us to let her hang out, was now a grown woman. And a beautiful one at that.
“Look who I found!” Caden stated.
As we drew closer, I could see Emeline’s beautiful blue eyes sparkle.
“Hey, Em.”
Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as she watched us approach. “Levi! What are you doing here?” She closed her eyes and gave a brief shake of her head before focusing back on me and giving me a bright smile. “I mean, it’s wonderful to see you.”
She stepped forward and hugged me. A strong smell of vanilla with a hint of lemon penetrated my senses, and memories of a younger Emeline flooded my mind. She’d always had a smile on her face, and if she wasn’t riding a horse, she was usually talking about them.
After giving me a slight squeeze, she stepped back. “I was so sorry to hear about Brooke. I hope you and Caroline got my card.”
I nodded. “We did. And the flowers at the memorial were kind of you.”
“It was the least I could do. Are you and Caroline in town visiting your folks?”
I shook my head. “I’ve moved back to River Falls.”
Her brows shot up. “You have?” Turning to Caden, she said, “You didn’t mention anything about Levi moving back.”
Caden held up his hands in defense. “I just found out not that long ago myself.”
She smiled at her brother, then turned back to me. “So, what made you guys decide to move back?”
Caden and I exchanged a quick look. “I just decided that Rhett and I needed a fresh start elsewhere, especially since he’s been having a difficult time adjusting to the loss of Brooke.”
“You and Rhett?” she asked quietly.
I nodded. “Caroline and I are divorcing.”
She blinked a few times, opened her mouth to speak, then quickly shut it. When she didn’t say anything, Caden cleared his throat. That seemed to snap her out of her shock.
“Wow, I…I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Shrugging, I replied, “Don’t be. It’s harder on Rhett than it is on me. It’s been a long time coming.”
Emeline looked at her brother, then back to me. “I just can’t imagine how difficult this is on poor Rhett. Will you share custody?”
“That conversation would require more time, plus I wanted to talk to you about camp for Rhett. Are you free for lunch?”
“Um,” she glanced at her watch, “I’ve got a few things to do, but I could join you guys.”
Caden quickly piped up. “It’ll be just the two of you. I’ve got a meeting at one.”
Her head snapped back to look at me, and for a moment, I thought for sure she was going to decline the lunch entirely. Instead, after a pause, she nodded. “Are you going to be around here for a bit longer, or should we meet somewhere in town?”
“Caden asked me to come and take a look at a horse; so how about if I give you thirty minutes? Is that enough time?”
“Which horse?” she asked her brother.
Caden laughed and held up his hands once again. “Just want him to take a look at Aurora.” Before she could say anything else, he added, “Nothing’s wrong. Just with it being her first foal, I wanted to make sure all was okay.”
“Caden, you do realize I’m in charge of this area of the ranch?”
He grinned. “I do believe I’m still your boss.”
Emeline rolled her eyes, and I had to look away before I laughed. Same stubborn Emeline…and Caden. They were two peas in a pod.
She finally looked back at me.
“Thirty minutes?” I asked again.
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “Just come by and get me. This is my office.”
She pointed to a room that used to be the tack room.
“You’re not sharing your office space with the tack, are you?”
Emeline let out a laugh, and it made my chest flutter. What in the hell was that about?
“No, we moved the tack room. It’s just an office now.”
I nodded and replied, “Then I’ll see you in a few.”
“See you then.”
Turning, she quickly headed into her office, shutting the door with a soft click.
I pulled my eyes from the door and turned to Caden, who motioned for me to follow him. We went through the barn and turned a corner, and I heard a horse nickering.
“That’s our Aurora. She’s the most vocal horse I’ve ever met.”
I smiled. When we approached a stall, the horse looked up. One ear was forward, the other back, indicating her attention was divided at the moment.
“Who’s in the next stall?” I asked.
Caden looked at me. “How’d you know there was a horse in there?”
“Well, there wasn’t one in the stall we passed, and Aurora here has her attention divided between us and something else. I’m guessing another horse next to her.”
“There’s a mare in there with her three-day-old foal.”
Pointing to the door, I asked, “May I?”
“Yep,” Caden replied. “Please do.”
Walking into the stall, I spoke in a soft voice. It didn’t take long for Aurora to give me her full attention. She was a sweet horse, and she nickered a few more times.
“She is vocal.”
“Told you.”
“She’s eaten today?”
“Yes.”
I moved around her and took a good look from all sides. “She’s dropped, and her sides are sinking in a bit.” I moved to the back and attempted to lift her tail, to which she protested slightly. “Her tendons are getting looser, that’s a good sign.”
Glancing under the horse, I took a look at her udders. I glanced at Caden and asked, “Do you have cameras in the stalls?”
He frowned. “No, I honestly haven’t thought about adding any. I’ll have to talk to Emeline about it. She runs the equine part of the ranch, as she mentioned, so she knows the budget best, along with my mother.”
“How many months have you known she’s been pregnant?”
“Eleven months.”
I nodded. “I know you know this, but once her water breaks, if she doesn’t birth the foal within twenty minutes, you need to give me a call.
First-time moms may not exhibit any signs of labor, so I highly recommend using a camera.
Also, I suggest getting the horse and foal in the next stall out.
If Aurora is agitated by the noise from next door, she’ll hold off on her labor. ”
About two minutes later, Emeline walked up with Marshall. “Sorry to interrupt. We’re going to take Kamaria and Lynx out to give Aurora some privacy. She’s easily distracted, and I don’t want their presence to hinder her labor.”
Caden smirked. “There’s a reason she’s in charge over here.”
I chuckled. “Who names these horses?”
Caden pointed in the direction of Emeline. “That would be my sister.”
She glanced back and smiled. “Do you have an issue with Kamaria and Lynx’s names?”
I held up my hands in surrender. “Not at all. They’re…unique.”
Emeline brought the foal out first and started in the opposite direction from Aurora’s stall. “They’re all named after stars or constellations,” she stated, as she pointed up. “This is Kamaria.”
“And Lynx?” I asked. “That’s a star?”
“It’s a constellation. Mom named her.”
I looked at Caden, who shrugged. “I’ve learned not to question or argue with my mother and sisters. They have a strange way of doing things, but it always works.”
Marshall walked out with Lynx. “I like her name,” he said with a smile.
“I’m sure you do, Marshall!” Caden laughed. He turned to me. “The princess now has her privacy.”
I turned back and ran my hands down the mare’s neck. “There you go, girl. You have this whole side of the barn to yourself. Let that little one come out so you can get to feeling like your old self again.”
Leaving the stall, I softly shut the door. Caden started walking in the direction Emeline had gone. “You’ve got to see this filly. She’s nuts.”
“Aren’t they all?”
We walked out to the indoor arena, where Emeline was just letting the filly off her lead.
The young horse took off running around its mother with utter happiness. Lynx kept a close eye on Kamaria, and at one point, I swore she rolled her eyes. She was obviously a very protective mother, and she made it known to her foal that she wasn’t happy with her carefree behavior.
I moved my gaze to Emeline, who smiled, watching the young one play and kick. I was struck by how beautiful Emeline was. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her body had definitely grown shapely over the years.
With a quick shake of my head, I focused back on the horses.
“She’s amazing,” Caden said.
Looking at him, I asked, “Who?”
He nodded in the direction of his sister.
“Emeline. I always thought my mother and Ensley had the gift with horses, but after watching Emeline, it’s clear she’s more than just a horse lover.
I swear she can read their minds. You should see her when one comes in from an abused or neglected situation, and no one else can even get near them.
But Emeline, she just walks up to the horse and within no time at all, she’s running her hands all over them, making them feel safe. I don’t know how she does it.”
“Natural horsemanship. Or as some call it, a horse whisperer.”
Caden smiled. “Well, that’s Emeline, for sure. She’s got a gift.”
I turned my attention away from his sister and asked, “How’s the cattle side of the ranch? Any issues?”
He shook his head. “All good. We’ve started to push the last of the cattle up the mountainside for grazing. We’ve gotten one harvest of hay, and plan on doing another cut on the south pasture once we get the cattle off.”
I glanced back at Emeline, only to find her laughing with a guy I hadn’t ever seen before. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Jon. He’s one of the new ranch hands we hired this year,” Caden answered, looking in the same direction.
“He’s young.”
His shoulder lifted with a shrug. “He’s twenty-eight, if I remember correctly. I think he has the hots for Emeline.”