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A girl could get usedto having her own little oasis in the woods. Beth carried the plate of grapes, cheese, smoked sausage, and crackers to the outdoor table and set it down next to the tea glasses on her small back patio where Vivien sat in a lounge chair. Beth’s cabin had a forest view, and she loved relaxing to the cacophony of bird song.
Beth’s heart had nearly exploded into a million pieces when Grayson had gone after Eli on Monday, and no, she hadn’t been the least bit surprised when Eli begged to stay late and help with the horses.
And again the two afternoons since.
Because she knew his mom had been at appointments each day.
And when he’d announced with conspiratorial glee that Grayson had said she was untrustworthy, all she could do was smile when Grayson winked at her.
She looked forward to the rides—a reprieve from the stacks of paperwork and computer files she’d been working on.
Even treating Tally’s wound had become an ordinary part of her day, and Lena had been pleased with the healing when she’d stopped by.
Three days into camp and she wasn’t sure whose life it was changing more. One of the kids’, hers, or Grayson’s.
If she could just gain some ground on the grant proposals and paperwork.
Vivien snagged a slice of cheese and took a bite.
“You should have seen them, Vivie,” Beth said. She grabbed her ice tea. Sipped. “It was…I don’t even have words for it. This camp makes a difference.”
“Mm-hmm.” Vivie adjusted in her chair, her blue eyes on Beth. “Guess you’re done being my emergency stand-in at the theater. Sounds like you’re finding plenty of real life to keep you busy.”
“Kind of nice for a change.” Beth took another drink of her tea. “It is a lot of work, though. I was up late finishing a grant application, and this morning, I had to delegate a few things to Grayson. He’s going to chase down farrier appointments and a load of hay.”
“It also sounds like you are a little smitten with the cowboy.”
A warm summer breeze blew across the patio, carrying with it the sweet lilac from the bushes planted along the side of the cabin. Beth set her hat on the table.
Summer on the North Shore was what made winter tolerable.
“It’s not that. But it is satisfying to be riding again. And he’s very helpful.” He was leaving. Or not—because the man owned a lot with a premium view of the lake. A lot he was a little reluctant to sell, even though she’d seen Nathan posting the For Sale sign at the corner.
“Right.” Vivien rolled her eyes and checked her watch. “You haven’t been going on and on about Grayson this and Grayson that for the past twenty-seven minutes.”
“You asked how things have been going. We’ve had a lot of time together.”
“Right,” Vivien repeated.
“Seriously. Working. We work together.” Beth adjusted in her seat. “My office and his apartment are both in the barn.”
“The camp. His grandparents’ place. The bakery.” She popped a grape into her mouth. “It just seems like everywhere you go, Grayson is.”
“It can’t happen, Vivien. He’s leaving.” Beth pulled several grapes from the bunch. “Besides, what about when things fall apart? When we break up? He’s one of Dylan’s oldest friends. They’ve just patched things up.”
“You’re a twenty-eight-year-old woman. They’re grown men. They’ll figure it out.”
“I’m enjoying the horses.” Beth tried to shift the direction of the conversation. She wasn’t going to start another relationship that would break her heart.
“Are you going to run some barrels again?”
“Oh, racing?” Beth laughed. “No. My frontal lobe finished developing several years back.” She crunched a cracker.
Vivien scooped up several crackers and cheese, topped them with sausage on her plate. “You had one accident. It doesn’t mean you’ll have another one.”
“It doesn’t mean I won’t.” Beth wrinkled her nose. “But trail riding? That’s fun. Seeing the kids’ faces? Amazing.”
Vivien chewed her food and chased it with a swig of tea. “They have trails in Oregon.”
