“We’re here to help,” Avery said.
Laurel touched Charlotte’s arm. “Where do you want us?”
Charlotte blinked, touched by their obvious care. Almost all the Robinsons had shown up to help her—and were apparently not angry, except for maybe Gavin. Her heart bucked. Her eyes stung with tears. She cleared her throat. “I’m so glad to see you. Cooper, can you help kids onto the horses? My arms are about to fall off.”
“Got it.” He turned to greet the next kid in line.
“What about us?” Laurel asked.
“Can you spot the kids? The parents are doing it, but I’d feel better if—”
“We’re on it.”
Charlotte put the helmet on the little girl, then Cooper scooped her up and onto Ginger. Laurel chatted with the little girl as they headed off around the ring.
It seemed like minutes, not hours, later when the fair lights came on. Twilight was already upon them, and the line was finally starting to die down now that folks were heading off for food or leaving for the day. The air had chilled a bit with the setting sun, but that didn’t account for the improvement in her mood. There had been such great camaraderie since the Robinsons had shown up to help. She’d felt like she was a part of something.
Charlotte made eye contact with Emerson across the ring.
Her sister’s expression said,Can you believe this?
Charlotte’s gaze drifted over the Robinsons, who were tackling their jobs like they were invested in the ranch. Even Gavin exchanged pleasantries with the customers in line. Of course, he hadn’t spoken to Charlotte except when necessary. The thought was like a hole in the bottom of a bucket, draining away some of her joy.
By the time she assisted the last child in line, it was dark and several minutes past closing time. She made her way to the booth where Jeff was stowing brochures in a box.
She stopped across the table from him. “Thank you so much for your help, Mr.Robinson. You were a lifesaver.”
He slid her a smile. “It’s Jeff, remember? And I was happy to help out. Passed out quite a few of these. I have a feeling your business is about to have a growth spurt.”
He was right. She paused a moment and let that sink in. Even though she might feel overwhelmed by the growth, all of her efforts to save the ranch had worked.We did it, Mom. It’s a full-time operation once again.Oh, there’d be a lot of hard work going forward. But for Charlotte it was a labor of love. A business she hoped to carry on to the next generation.
Laurel appeared and threw her arm around Charlotte. “You were wildly popular today, lady. I’m pretty sure we gave half the county pony rides.”
Charlotte glanced around the area. “I can’t believe I have to do this for another whole day. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to move in the morning.”
“Don’t worry.” Avery approached. “We’ll be here to help. I would’ve been here earlier, but the clinic needed me. I swear fairs bring out the crazy in people. A teenage boy ate sixteencorn dogs, a three-year-old stuffed a balloon up his nose, and a fistfight resulted in a fractured jawbone and a head laceration. The woman in the middle ended up leaving both guys high and dry.”
“What’s this about a fight?” Cooper asked as he met them at the booth.
“Never mind,” Avery said. “You’re off duty today, Sheriff Robinson.”
While the two of them bickered, Laurel leaned in and said quietly, “I’m sorry about Gunner.”
His name brought a pang of loss. “How did you know?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Small town.”
Avery approached. “Well, it’s been real, but I need to talk to Alex about a funnel cake. I’ve been dying for one all day.”
“You’re on a first-name basis with the funnel-cake guy?” Cooper asked.
“Well, duh.”
“I wanna know the funnel-cake guy,” Laurel said.
“I’ll introduce you.” Avery crossed her fingers. “We’re like this.”
Gavin approached then, having been standing silently outside the circle.
