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My uncle Ben still had the twinkle in his blue eyes. “The boy works his tail off. It’s not just a talented coaching staff. You should have seen him, Davis. He was the star of his last playoff. He was amazing!”
I was grateful for every member of my family, but I’d always been very close to my Uncle Ben. “Everyone’s been very supportive.”
“Are you nervous?” Davis asked.
“A little. I’ll be playing with, and against, the best in the world,” I said. “I’d be crazy not to be.”
“Dylan, will you go horseback riding with us today?” Lily asked.
“I want to stay in the barn. Shady is going to have her baby this week, right dad?” Lila burst out.
Marin and Ben both chuckled. “You know it takes a long time for a mare to foal, Lila. If her milk drops, I’ll find you. If Dylan is up for it, you can go riding today.”
“I’d love to,” I said as Marin passed me the large platter of pancakes and I piled four of them on my plate. “But I came to help out. Do you have many guests this season?”
“We have a full house, and are booked for the entire season,” Davis remarked. “As usual.”
“Some of them will want to go on a trail ride, maybe you and the girls can join in?” Ben asked.
“Sure. If you trust me,” I laughed.
Ben shot me a wry look. “Give me a break.”
He was right. Remi and I were adept at all the duties involved in running the ranch because we came here most of every summer for ten years.
I couldn’t help but break out in a full grin right before I shoveled a fork full of the now syrup laden pancakes into my mouth. “These are so delicious!” I said after I swallowed.
“Well, eat up. There is plenty of work to do today,” Ben said. “The guests should be finishing up breakfast in about thirty minutes at the cookhouse. You and the girls can head over and line up for the trail ride. Davis and I have a broken fence to patch in the south pasture.”
There was a larger building that housed a kitchen, dining room and showers centrally located so all the cabins had easy access. On nice mornings like this breakfast was served outside around a large campfire. There was nothing like waking up, coming outside, and smelling fresh air filled with coffee, bacon, and biscuits. I’d been tempted to grab one myself today but decided to eat with the family on the first morning.
“Yes… this is for you Dylan. Don’t get too used to it. Meals will be served at the cookhouse for the rest of the summer.” Marin stated with a wink.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” I winked back. The call to come to the house had been a good one. My Aunt Marin was pretty and had the same blonde curls as her girls.
After we’d finished and all had our fill of the delicious food, I headed with my young cousins out toward the barn while Ben and Davis got into my uncle’s old truck. He’d had that truck ever since I could remember.
“Uncle Ben, is that thing still running?”
“Obviously,” he smiled wryly.
“Don’t you want a new one?”
“For what? To get dirty and beat up on the ranch?”
“Yeah,” Davis shook his head. “When this dies, I’m sure Ben will go shopping at the dump to find another one just like it.”
“No sense spending good money on something that will take a beating,” Ben agreed.
I laughed in response and then looked down as Lily began tugging my hand.
“Our horses are in this barn, over here,” Lily explained.
“Yeah. Dad saved Maverick for you, Dylan, but he said ya hafta saddle him yourself.”
They were both dressed in jeans and tie-dyed T-shirts in various pastels, their long curls braided down their backs. “Do ya have a hat? City slickers sometimes get sunburns on their faces,” Lila commented as I fell in step between them.
I lifted both hands and plopped them on each of their heads. “Well… I’m not acity slicker. I spent every summer here growing up. Even when you were little, but maybe you don’t remember.”
