AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re close to home.”
“Mom!” Landon ran into the kitchen with my phone. “It’s ringing.”
No one had called, but I had a message from Holden.You all can still come ride horses tomorrow.
People liked to talk about Holden, but did they ever gossip about how considerate he was?
Avery rose and stretched. “Can I go play?”
“Of course.” I took her chair and called Holden. It seemed easier to call than to reply with a lengthy explanation.
After my misgivings about how and when this thing between us would end, I also missed him and wished he could’ve hung around. But I had the kids and he had his work.
He answered with “Is that a ‘Yes, Holden. I’d love to come out and ride’?”
I laughed. “Why do you think I’m going to say no?” I hadn’t thought that far ahead when I called.
“You’d have said ‘see you tomorrow.’”
I would’ve. “Avery asked, but I told her I didn’t think you had planned on it. But when I asked what she wanted to do and suggested we learn about our new hometown, she said she wanted to go camping.”
“That would be fun.”
“I’d have to keep the kids from getting lost in the wilderness, out of the river, and fishhook-free.”
His chuckle made me smile. I was worried he’d brush off my concerns. I wanted to do this for the kids, but I’d been camping with my dad. He’d taught me to start a fire and put it out, but I’d never done it as an adult. Then there was the food.
“I don’t want to let her down. But I’d have to get food, pack, figure out where to go, and—oh, crap—I’d have to find the fishing poles.” I wiped off Riley’s face.
“Do you have a tent?”
Surprisingly, that was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. It was on a shelf in the garage. “Yes, we’d picked up a new one, planning to go, but then Riley came along.”
“All right. I’ll send you some directions. Just bring you, the kids, and a tent.”
“What do you mean?” He couldn’t mean camping. He couldn’t mean now.
“Stetson has a lake cabin on Sakakawea. It won’t fit everyone, and I’m sure the kids would want the tent anyway, but it’s there for backup and a bathroom. I don’t know if it’s rained enough to do a fire, but we can rig up something for s’mores.”
“I can’t—”
“You won’t. Let me make some calls. Maybe Stetson will come out. Nora’s in town all weekend. She loves going to the lake—but don’t eat her almond flour graham crackers. They’ll ruin the taste of s’mores for the year. And don’t tell her I said that.”
“Are you giving me blackmail material?” I grinned as I helped Riley unbuckle from her booster and climb down. I watched her waddle-walk to the living room with the others.
“Yes. Nora is touchy about her concoctions. Some are good, but not her graham crackers.”
I paused. Camping. With people I didn’t know well. The kids would love it—and with other people to help watch my kids, I might have fun too. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Just the kids and the tent? I can bring something.”
“Bring whatever the kids need that a single guy like me wouldn’t know about, and I’ll bring everything else we need for camping and try to recruit enough adults that we’ll have at least one watching each kid.”
“You know how to sweet-talk a woman, Holden Barron.”
His deep laugh made me briefly close my eyes. There was nothing about him that wasn’t delicious. “Just follow the directions. See you in a few hours.”
