Every fight, every miscommunication, every late night had been worth it.
The staff and interns had cleared out the largest field in preparation for the candy drop and local businesses had banded together to set up a carnival complete with games, prizes, snacks, horse rides and a petting zoo on the opposite side of the driveway. The little goats included in the petting zoo were the talkative type, filling the air with their bleats. Buses lined the fenced area in the overflow parking section. Clint Oakfield was stationed near the mess hall for photos and signatures, and Jack Donnelley had the helicopter parked near Sheep and Romeo’s enclosure. The helicopter was open so kids could go inside, pretend they were flying it and have their pictures taken. A tent nearby served as a place where kids could paint eggs to take home.
Macy decided it was the most successful Easter event the ranch had ever hosted. Wistfully she wished Brock had lived to see this day. He would have been so proud of Rhett, proud of her too.
A sudden stiff wind tore down through the row of hills lining their property, sending some of the promotional signs flying. Macy jogged after them, gathering up the mess.
“Here’s another one.” A man in a red shirt handed her one she must have missed.
Macy thanked him and stowed the rest inside the Jarrett house, using the diversion as an excuse to also check on Mrs. Jarrett. Rhett’s mom observed the event through the floor-to-ceiling, two-story-high windows in the comfort of her living room. For as long as Macy had known the woman, she had been this way—watchful, perceptive and thoughtful. Alzheimer’s might have stolen her ability to make new memories or to recall what year she was currently in, but it hadn’t taken the truest things about her. Not yet.
“Ah, there’s our dear lady.” A smile bloomed on Mrs. Jarrett’s face when she spotted Macy. “Looks like a good turnout despite the forecast.”
“Everything is going really well,” Macy assured her. “Last I heard, it’s not supposed to storm until later.”
Mrs. Jarrett gestured toward the large bank of windows. “I know we have you to thank for this day. And don’t tell me this was Rhett’s doing because I know you’ve worked so hard, dear. I’m so proud of you.” She reached out her hand.
Macy grasped it. “You’re too kind. You always know how to bless me with the right words.”
“Bless you? Oh, child, you’re the one who has always been a blessing to this family. Not the other way around, Macy Howell. You are our blessing. I want you to remember that.”
You are our blessing.
Could it be true? Macy had never considered herself a blessing to anyone. A burden. Forgettable. Not enough.
Never a blessing.
But Mrs. Jarrett was not one to say anything carelessly.
“Send Brock inside if it gets bad, will you?” Mrs. Jarrett twisted toward the windows again. She drew a blanket around her shoulders. “His joints are probably already barking at him. All this moisture will do that.”
Macy urged the nurse on duty to make sure Mrs. Jarrett had extra opportunities to rest today as all the additional people and excitement could make for a rough night for the older woman.
With the knowledge that Mrs. Jarrett was in great hands, Macy headed back outside and surveyed the party from the large wraparound porch. She rested her hand on the walkie-talkie and considered calling Rhett, but she knew he was busy giving tours of the camper cabins to local businessmen who had expressed interest in potentially partnering with Camp Firefly. He was exactly where he needed to be and she wouldn’t distract him.
No matter how badly she wanted to.
The weeks leading up to the event had blurred together in a whirl of planning, running errands and scheduling. Rhett had thrown himself into helping and had even called in favors from past dog-training clients, all of which had made a huge difference. Through his connections the price of the food had been covered, among other things. On top of that, the man had spent every weekend working on last-minute maintenance throughout the ranch, but especially devoting extra time and attention toward getting the camper cabins ready for the summer. Time and again she had stopped by on a Saturday to find him knee-deep in manual labor, sleeves rolled up and covered in sweat...handsomer than ever.
It had warmed Macy’s heart to see Rhett finally stepping up to help with the foster programs offered at Red Dog Ranch. He went about it in a different way than his father had, but honestly, Rhett had a better mind for the big picture when it came to planning. Macy had come to really appreciate his input and insight. She had come to rely on him.
Not only that but he had started seeing his dog-training clients again. Only a few for now, but it was progress. She had left information about courses for people who wanted to train therapy dogs on his desk and he had promised to sign up for something in the fall.
While she had loved finally being able to work toward a common goal with him, side by side, and while it had been exhilarating and encouraging striving in tandem to make the event a success in such a short amount of time, Macy couldn’t help the lingering feeling of disappointment that occasionally tiptoed into her heart.
What had happened to the romantic man she had enjoyed supper with on the pier weeks ago? Perhaps she had misinterpreted everything that evening, but whenever she replayed it—his warm gazes and tender words, his kind gestures like the cookies—she found herself bewildered all over again.
Despite his many mentions of the word friend, that night she had wanted him to kiss her. More than she ever had before. But he hadn’t. Even after they left the pier, Rhett had insisted on walking her to her bungalow and she was sure he had a reason other than her safety. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t walked alone on the ranch’s property a million other times. But he had strolled beside her all the way to the pebbled path leading to her bungalow, wished her good-night and walked away.
In the following days she had expected him to offer some sort of clarification, but it seemed that Rhett had clammed up again, at least where she was concerned. Oh, he had completely gone all out helping with the egg hunt and had begun intentionally mentoring Gabe, as well. He was talking about hiring some of the interns on for the summer. Rhett had risen to the occasion. Macy had no complaints there.
But it left her wondering...
He felt something for her, something more than friendship. No one could have convinced Macy otherwise, but something was holding him back.
Jack flagged Macy down. “We’re going to move up the candy drop. I don’t like the looks of that.” He pointed to the black clouds piling up in the distance. “Rhett okayed it, but he said to check with you.”
Macy radioed to Cassidy. “How are the hams? About done?”
Her walkie-talkie crackled a second later. “We can plate as soon as twenty minutes.”
Macy nodded and Jack jogged toward his helicopter. The interns helped direct the crowd to line up near the marked off portions of the large field and Macy followed in their wake. As was tradition, Rhett’s uncle Travis took the stage to rattle off instructions.
The helicopter lifted off, beating the air in huge waves. Macy shivered, but the children cheered. Jack circled the field once, allowing the rest of his onboard crew to get into position along the open sides of the large craft. When Travis sounded the bullhorn the helicopter crew began dropping candy out of the helicopter until the field was colorful with it.
Although raindrops weren’t falling at the ranch yet, the sky just beyond their property had turned pitch-black with rain. A storm would rip through Red Dog Ranch within minutes. As Jack’s helicopter left the area kids were allowed to converge on the field to fill their bags. Macy wanted to urge everyone to go quickly, but the kids hardly needed to be told.
Macy ran toward Romeo and Sheep’s enclosure. “I know neither of you appreciate getting rained on.” She attached lead lines to both of their halters and walked them toward the barn. Halfway there, Ro
meo pinned his ears back and started braying. He planted his hoofs.
“Come on, you goof.” Macy tried to coax him with a promise of a treat later. “Let’s get you inside and everything will be fine.” But the tiny donkey balked.
Rhett appeared beside her, his brow creased with worry. “This storm is bearing down quicker than they predicted.” His head swiveled in the direction of the approaching storm. “It looks like a wall of clouds. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like it.”
Macy tossed the lead lines over her shoulder to free up her hands. She grabbed both animals’ halters and used the leverage of all her weight to lean in the opposite direction. “We just need to get people inside.”
Rhett pushed Romeo’s rear end, getting the donkey moving again. “I’ll send everyone to the mess hall.”
“You deal with the people and I’ll get everything else stowed away,” she called after him as he headed to the stage.
Kodiak took off after Rhett, but suddenly stopped and looked back at Macy. She whimpered low in her throat.
Rhett glanced back. “Stay with Macy.”
Kodiak charged to join her as Macy fumbled with the lock on the barn.
Rain began to ping off the roofs, the dirt. One second it was sprinkling and before she could open the barn door it was pouring down. Cold water trickled down her spine and her legs.
As she secured Sheep and Romeo in their stalls she heard Rhett on the loudspeakers directing people toward the mess hall. A heartbeat later, a loud crash of thunder had Romeo bucking in his stall. Macy hoped someone had seen to the group of horses that were being used for rides.
Kodiak pressed close to Macy’s legs.
“You can stay in here, girl.” Macy ran her fingers over the dog’s coarse fur. “You’ll be safe and dry and don’t need to worry about me.” Macy made for the door and Kodiak matched her step for step.
“I said stay.” Macy made her voice commanding.
Kodiak barked and followed Macy as she plucked one of the shared heavy-duty raincoats from a peg on the wall and made her way outside.
Macy looked down at the dog beside her. “You’re just as stubborn as your master, aren’t you?”
Kodiak met her eyes and barked again. Her last command from Rhett would be followed to the letter, no matter what Macy told the dog.
Macy tugged the hood of her coat up. “Well, come on then. We’ve got work to do.”
* * *
“It’s warm inside. And smell that?” Rhett sniffed the air for the benefit of the scared, young kids filing past him. “Nobody makes ham like our cook, Miss Cassidy. And if I were you, I’d snag an extra one of her cheddar-cheese rolls. Believe me.” Rhett held the mess hall’s front door open until the last person had entered.
Due to the storm, many people had opted to get on the road instead of stay for the meal the ranch always hosted as a fund-raiser afterward. Rhett couldn’t blame them for heading out. He prayed they all made it to their destinations safely. It looked as if it was going to be one wicked storm.
He secured the door then shook rain off of his hat. Outside the sky was as dark as midnight despite it only being four in the afternoon. Bright veins of lightning spliced through the black. They lighted up the grounds below the hills for a heartbeat. Rhett frantically scanned the area through the windows along the front porch of the mess hall, looking for any families that might still be out there, but the main fields where they’d held the event were deserted.
The rumble that followed the lightning was immediate and powerful. Inside the mess hall younger kids screamed and ducked their heads under tables.
Rhett lingered in the entryway with his hat still clutched in his hands, waiting for Macy and Kodiak. He wasn’t even going to deny that fact. He was fully aware that Macy was smart and capable and did not need him fretting over her because of a thunderstorm.
Yet here he was.
He wouldn’t be able to relax until he saw her safe inside.
Rain pelted the building hard. It was as if someone was heaving bucket after bucket of water against their windows. The south pasture near the lake would flood. It always did during bad storms. Thankfully, rain of this magnitude was a rarity. And they had moved the cattle to a different field to get them away from the event, so that wouldn’t be an issue.
Wind bent smaller trees sideways. There would be plenty of shingles to fix tomorrow.
Rhett paced the small area and worked his hat around and around in his hands a few times before he remembered his cell phone. Because of dog training, he was in the habit of keeping the contraption on silent. What if Macy had tried to call? What if she needed him? She had warned him to turn the thing on occasionally.
He tugged his phone from his pocket and his heart leapt when he saw one missed call and a voice mail. He thumbed the screen to unlock it. One missed call from Hank, his lawyer friend, who had started booking training sessions for Riptide again. Hank had already told him that the will was as ironclad as they had originally believed, but Rhett didn’t care any longer.
Uncle Travis popped his head into the entryway hallway. “You’re needed.”
Rhett stopped pacing. “Have you seen Macy or Shannon?” His sister was usually actively involved during events, but he hadn’t seen her all day. Hopefully she was in the house with their mom.
His uncle gave Rhett a thoughtful look. “I saw Macy on my way in. She said she was going to gather as much of the setup stuff as she could before the worst of the storm rolled in. Good thing too. Stuff from the games would have ended up all over the ranch with this wind.”
Rhett headed toward the door. “She shouldn’t be out there alone. I should be helping her.”
His uncle snagged his arm. When Rhett looked back to argue, Travis jerked his head toward the speaker system set up at the front of the mess hall. “This shindig always starts with a word from the owner and a prayer. It’s tradition.”
“But—”
“Macy is a grown woman who knows what she can handle. You’re the owner. These people are your responsibility. You are needed here.” Uncle Travis ushered Rhett away from the doorway. “I’ll try to get in touch with Shannon if that would ease your mind.”
Rhett nodded and tucked his phone away, but he glanced through the front windows one last time. Macy was out there and so was Kodiak. Keep them safe, Lord. Please watch over them.
When Rhett stepped into the dining area, a hush fell over the crowd. He dipped his head as he walked. Rhett made eye contact with a few of the children on his way to the front of the room. One little boy flashed him a thumbs-up so Rhett returned the gesture and added a wink for good measure.
The aroma of freshly baked rolls and chocolate cake along with ham and caramelized pineapple drifted through the room. Rhett’s mouth watered. Cassidy and her crew of volunteers had spent all day in the kitchen working on the feast. He couldn’t wait to taste everything.
The speaker system was used primarily during the summer months for making announcements or telling the campers to simmer down on occasion. They hadn’t used it recently and Rhett absently hoped it was still functioning. Rhett picked up the microphone and tapped it twice. It worked just fine.
“Good afternoon and thank you for braving the storm for this event,” Rhett started. He hadn’t planned anything to say. In truth, he had forgotten about the little spiel his dad had always given. Brock’s talk had lasted a few minutes, a sermon of sorts. Often it included the salvation message.
Rhett let his focus slowly trip across everyone in the room. So many kids and all of them either waiting for a permanent home or waiting for their homes to become a safe place for them once again. Seeing so many of them in front of him, it tore at his heart. After visiting with them all day and seeing their hopeful faces, now Rhett knew that he wanted to help them to continue to be the legacy of Red Dog Ranch.
No matter wha
t, he would choose these kids. This life. This place.
The legacy not only his dad had secured for him, but God too.
He would figure out a way to keep all the programs, turn a profit at the ranch and still train dogs on the side. With Travis, Macy, Cassidy, Shannon and many others—there were plenty of them to divide the work between. Together they would make it a success.
For the first time in what felt like years, Rhett finally understood his dad’s passion and drive and he wanted to lay down all his past hurts to honor all his dad had built.
Rhett blinked against the sudden rush of emotions. “I know many of you must have wondered what would happen to Red Dog Ranch after my father passed.” He found Uncle Travis in the room and for a heartbeat he pictured Brock there too, beaming and happy. Though this wasn’t for his dad any longer; it was for Rhett. “A wise man once asked me if I knew the heart of God when it came to this place and I’m ashamed to admit I brushed his challenge off. But God has this funny way of not letting us forget something like that.”
A loud rumble of thunder shook the building and the lights browned out for a few seconds. People in the crowd murmured worriedly. He needed to keep this short and sweet.
Rhett began to walk between the tables as he spoke. “How do we know the heart of God?”
“The Bible!” a little girl called out.
Rhett pointed her way. “Great answer. The Bible shows us God’s heart. And what are we celebrating today?”
“Easter!” This time a chorus of kids joined in.
“That’s right, Easter. The greatest showing of God’s heart for this world. Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He wanted to make a way for us to never be parted from Him. He loves us enough to sacrifice His son so that we can have a relationship with Him.” Rhett headed back to the front of the room. “So back to my friend’s question—do I know the heart of God in this matter? Yes, well, yes I do. The heart of God, the answer to every question concerning what I should do—what each of us should do in our lives—is love. In any situation we have to ask ourselves, ‘What is the loving thing to do?’ Then we have our answer.”
The Rancher's Legacy Page 12
