Chapter Twelve – Levi
Levi
Once Emeline and Ensley headed to the kitchen, I said, “I didn’t mean to make Emeline upset, or make her think I don’t care about the camps.”
Vivianne waved off my concern. “Emeline lives, eats, and breathes those camps. She has since she was young, and I think for a moment she thought we were going to phase them out.”
“I didn’t mean to suggest that at all.”
Ladd shook his head. “You didn’t. Emeline has always dreamed big, and I love that about her. But the truth of the matter is, it’s getting more expensive to run the camps since we don’t charge the campers. Her idea for a camp for kids with special needs is amazing, but would cost even more to run.”
“Have you ever thought of opening them up to paid campers?” I asked.
Nellie shook her head. “That isn’t why we started the camps.
It was never about making a profit off of them.
The need is diminishing; therefore, the camps are shrinking.
That, in itself, is a good thing. That means fewer kids are growing up in poverty in River Falls, and there are fewer kids at River Haven, which is a community goal we’re very proud of. The clinics are a great idea, Levi.”
“I agree,” Ladd said. “Gatlin, Caden…get with your uncles Mike and David. Put your heads together and come up with a business plan. Then we can all meet. Levi, I’d love to have your input as well. I think it would be advantageous to have a vet on hand for some of these clinics.”
I nodded. “I agree, and I’m here to help in any way I can.”
Ensley entered the room and went straight to her mother. She bent down, whispering something into her ear.
Vivianne stood. “Excuse me a moment.”
Turning to Caden, I said, “If I upset your sister in any way, I won’t forgive myself.”
“You didn’t.”
“Maybe I should go talk to her.”
“I think something else is bothering her. My mother and sister can handle it.”
Gatlin and Ladd started to clear the rest of the table. I stood and offered to help.
“Nonsense,” Nellie said. “Let’s head into the living room.”
Gus helped his wife up, and they motioned for Rhett to follow. Moose was stuck to Rhett’s side like glue, and I knew my son was loving it.
Once it was just me and Caden in the dining room, I raised a brow. “What was that really about, man?”
He shrugged. “I don’t even pretend to understand women anymore.”
I laughed, but it didn’t sound authentic, even to me. I followed Caden into the living room with an uneasy feeling I couldn’t shake. I glanced back and could see through the large opening to the kitchen. Vivianne was hugging Emeline…and my heart felt like it dropped straight to my stomach.
“Daddy.”
The feel of someone gently pushing on my shoulder caused me to stir.
“Daddy! Daddy, are you awake?”
I opened one eye and found my son standing over me, a wide smile on his face.
“I’m awake now, Rhett.”
He tugged on my arm. “Get up! Get up! Today is camp day!”
Laughing, I let Rhett pull me into a seated position. He crawled onto my bed and started to bounce on his knees.
I dragged my hands down my face. “Son, what time is it?”
“It’s six!”
Frowning, I slowly shook my head. “Why in the world are you up so early? We don’t even drop you off until ten this morning.”
He shrugged. “I’m happy, that’s all.”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “I’m glad you’re excited about it, bud.”
“You’ll be there today, right, Daddy?”
“All day. I’ve volunteered to help get everyone to their cabins and settled in.”
He smiled. “Can we make French toast for breakfast?”
I let out a breath. “We’ve got everything packed up and ready to go, so I don’t see why we can’t make some French toast.”
Rhett stood on my bed, jumped a couple of times, then jumped off.
“Do you think Moose will be with Emeline?” he asked right before he got to the bedroom door.
“I’m not sure, buddy.”
I hadn’t seen or spoken to Emeline since we’d had dinner with her family. She’d texted me information about camp—what Rhett would need, how I would be helping out, things like that.
I stumbled to the bathroom. After splashing water on my face, I got the day started.
Breakfast was filled with Rhett going on and on about how excited he was for camp.
I was hoping he’d be able to make some friends before the start of school this fall.
He was going into first grade, and I was pretty sure most of the kids, if not all, had gone to kindergarten together, and so they would already know each other.
“Dad, did you pack my toothbrush?”
“Dad?” I asked, placing his bag into the back seat of my truck. “When did I lose the title ‘Daddy’?”
Rhett rolled his eyes. “I have to practice so I don’t say it in front of my new friends.”
I lifted my chin. “Ahh, got it. We’re playing it cool.”
He nodded. “Let’s go!”
When I pulled up to the campgrounds, I was surprised by the number of people already milling about.
Parents were pulling sleeping bags and suitcases out of trucks and cars, as volunteers helped them find the right cabins.
Larger vans were parked to the side, each emblazoned with the name River Haven.
My heart broke for the kids from the orphanage.
I knew they tried their best to give the kids good memories, but I couldn’t imagine what life was like without parents.
I glanced at Rhett, who wore an excited expression.
“I hope I meet my new best friend!” he said with a smile as he scanned the crowd of adults and younger kids.
Feeling a tug in my chest, I ruffled the hair on the top of his head, only to have him push my arm away.
“Dad! You’re treating me like a baby.”
I held up my hands in defense. “Habits are hard to break, kiddo.”
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.