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An abrupt laugh escaped Ellie’s perfect lips, and she glanced up at me over Olivia’s head with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, that sounds pretty confident to me. I like your spirit. You know, Buttercup’s best friend is Rosy. They like to walk together. Maybe you and Ava can ride together, and me and your dad will be right behind?”
Olivia nodded again, then turned to me. “What about Ethan?”
“He’s going to ride with me, honey. That way, he’s got some help if he needs it.”
Ethan’s eyes darted between Ava, obviously younger than him, and the smug expression Liam wore. “I don’tneedhelp. I can do it myself.” Hot color rose in his cheeks and I could practically see the steam building inside his ears.
Dammit. It hadn’t occurred to me there would be kids his age here riding on their own. I met Ellie’s eyes for just a second before she turned her focus to Ethan, crouching down to his level and lowering her voice.
“Ethan, can I ask you a favor?”
Completely enamored with her already, he nodded with wide eyes.
“Would you ride with me? Just in case I need someone to help me? I’m going to be on Buckhouse. He’s even bigger thanDuke, and sometimes he scares me a little.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Ethan replied seriously.
“Thank you, I mean it,” Ellie replied with equal weight. “Let’s go this way and see if our horses are ready.”
When she stood back up, her gaze drifted to me once more, and I mouthed ‘thank you’. Her answering smile was nearly blinding. I thought my heart would melt into a puddle and pour out the bottom of my jeans when Ethan slipped his tiny hand into hers and tugged her toward the stables. Ava snaked Olivia’s hand, and Liam followed them.
James and I shared a glance and followed, bringing up the rear on the wooded path to the stables.
“So,” he began casually. “How are you liking it at Aspen Ridge?”
“So far, so good,” I answered honestly. “It’s still a bit of an adjustment for the kids, but I definitely think getting to spend time with them like this will help. I didn’t have much time for them in my previous career.”
“Which was?”
“I was in the military for quite a while. Air Force. My last assignment was training new officers.”
To my surprise, James laughed loudly in response. “So she wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Sorry?”
“My sister, Ellie. A few weeks back, she was ranting and raving about Dad bringing in a drill sergeant to get her in line. I thought she was exaggerating, but you actually are. Unreal.”
“Well, not exactly.” I scratched the back of my neck, chuckling. “I left as a captain, so not a sergeant. And I taught officer candidates, not enlisted. So we were actually called Military Training Officers… Drill Sergeant is kind of an Army thing.”
He threw his hands up, still chuckling. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to cause offense.”
“None taken at all,” I assured him. “It’s just habit, correcting nomenclature. Trust me, at this point, I don’t expect civilians to know all the lingo, but I’m always happy to clear things up.”
“So, how long were you in?”
A knot stuck in my throat. “Fifteen years.”
James let out a low whistle. “Fifteen years, huh? Why didn’t you stay, if you don’t mind me asking? Can’t you retire at twenty?”
“It wasn’t a good choice for the kids. Life in the military is hard, especially for a single parent. And after their mom left, I thought they would benefit from having a stable home with family nearby. My parents retired here a few years back, so it seemed like a good choice to get all of us back on track.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” James replied, his tone somber. “Ava and Liam, their mom is… not with us anymore, either.”
“Ellie told me, I’m sorry. A different circumstance, to be sure, but I doubt my kids will see much of their mother in the future. I don’t know which one is worse, if I’m honest. Losing a mother who loved them and wanted to be with them, or having a mother that doesn’t want them.”
James shook his head. “Now that I can’t understand at all.”
“Same. I don’t claim to be a perfect man—lord knows I have my share of blame about why our relationship went south—but I’d never just walk away from my kids. It was like—one day she just decided this wasn’t the life she wanted, and she’d had enough of all of us.”
