“Mostly just quarter horses for now. My mother loves horses and gives riding lessons.”
“I adore your mom. Remember I mentioned that I’ve never ridden a horse but have always wanted to.”
“Yes, and we’re going to make that happen this week.”
“Are we?” I asked on a laugh.
“Nothing is more magical than riding a horse in the snow.”
I glanced out over the pastureland. “This is a gorgeous spot, Ladd.”
He exhaled. “Yeah. It is. This is where I want to build my future house. See that small cabin off in the distance?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the old hunter’s cabin, but it was the original cabin my great-grandfather built when he bought the ranch. He lived there alone for a bit until my great-grandmother Sarah married him and moved here. Lawrence was in the process of building the house that my great-grandfather Flint was born in. My father was of course born there as well.”
“So the original cabin is that cabin down there, so why is it called the hunter’s cabin?” I asked.
“After Lawrence and Sarah moved out, they only used the cabin when they were hunting this side of the ranch. It was easier to stay there rather than go back to the main house.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“My father said I can live there once school’s done. It’s two bedrooms and just one bathroom, but it’ll be perfect.”
I glanced down and smiled. “It looks like a perfect little home. I can’t wait to see the inside.”
“I can’t wait to show you soon,” he said, a lightness to his voice that hadn’t been there a few moments ago. Had he been worried about showing me where he planned on living? I’d count myself lucky to be able to live in that little cabin, on this beautiful ranch, surrounded by family.
We sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Ladd glanced at me. “We should head to the house. Mom’s expecting us.”
I nodded and drew in a deep breath. This was it. I was going to meet the entire Wilde family, and I was excited and terrified at the same time.
Ladd
When I showed Vivianne the hunter’s cabin, I couldn’t help but notice how she smiled when she saw it. She didn’t turn up her nose or ask why I wouldn’t want to live in a bigger house. She said it wasperfect.
If things went the way I planned this week, it would beourhouse next summer.
We turned back onto the main road of the ranch and drove a bit more before I turned right and headed to my parents’ house. Once it came into view, Vivianne gasped.
“Ladd!That’sthe house you grew up in? That’s the house Lawrence built for Sarah?”
I smiled. “That is the house.”
The two-story ranch house was in full view now. The sun was just starting to set, casting a red glow on the house and the trees behind it. It was a phenomenon that didn’t always occur, but when the sun was positioned just right in the sky and the clouds were at just the right density, the sunset cast the entire valley in an orange-red glow. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
“I’ve never seen anything so amazing in my life,” Vivianne whispered as I pulled in and parked behind my father’s truck.
“There are certain times of the year when the sky turns that orangish-red like this, and it paints everything this incredible color.” I helped her out of the truck, then turned her by the shoulders. “Look at the river.”
The river was a good bit down the hill from the house, but the colors of the sunset reflected off the waters.
Vivianne put a hand on her chest and slowly shook her head as she said, “I’d never want to leave this place.”
Placing a hand on her lower back, I said, “Come on, let’s get inside. I’ll come back out to get the luggage.”
We weren’t more than two steps up the porch when the door flew open and Mom rushed out. “You’re here! We held off on dinner, hoping you’d arrive in time to eat with us.”
