Paislee's Path (River's End Ranch Book 48)

by Amelia C. Adams

  Paislee’s Path

  River’s End Ranch Book Forty-Eight

  by Amelia C. Adams

  With thanks to my beta readers—Amy, Erin, Laurie, Mary, Meisje, and Shelby.

  Copyright © 2018 by Amelia C. Adams

  Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter One

  Paislee Richards entered the diner and spotted Wes Weston and his wife, Amber, waiting for her in a booth by the window. She grinned when Wes stood up as she approached. She’d always appreciated that about the Weston men—they were gentlemen. That was a lot more than she could say about the guys she’d known back home in Little Rock, Arkansas.

  “Thanks for meeting with me, Paislee,” Wes said, sitting back down next to Amber.

  “Sure, but why are we being so formal? We’ve never had meetings over lunch before.”

  “Part of that’s my fault,” Amber said. “This is the first day I’ve felt like I can eat without throwing it back up, and I wanted to celebrate.”

  Paislee raised an eyebrow. “You want your first meal after morning sickness to be diner food?”

  “You make that sound like diner food’s a bad thing.” Amber nodded toward the menu. “In between throwing up, this stuff is all I wanted.”

  “Shouldn’t you be sitting on the end of the bench in case your stomach decides it’s too soon?”

  “Oh, that’s a good idea. Trade me places, Wes.”

  Wes slid out of the bench, waited for Amber to exit too, then slid in closest to the wall. “Thanks,” he said to Paislee. “You may have just saved me from getting trampled to death.”

  “I would not trample you,” Amber protested. “I would just climb over you as fast as humanly possible, screaming at you to get out of the way.”

  “Because that’s so much better than trampling,” Wes said in an aside to Paislee.

  She grinned. These two cracked her up all the time.

  Wes checked his watch. “So, what are we having?”

  “Western Wonder burger,” Amber said without hesitation. “Or maybe that should be meatloaf . . . or the pot roast . . .”

  “So, red meat. Gotcha,” Wes said good-naturedly.

  Lindy walked up to the table, notebook in hand. “What can I get for you folks?”

  “I’ll have the Western Wonder,” Amber said. “Or maybe the chicken and dumplings . . .”

  “Do you need a minute?” Lindy asked.

  “No, because it won’t do any good. Western Wonder. But tell Bob I need it almost burned.”

  “Really?” Lindy glanced back at the kitchen. “You know that won’t make him very happy.”

  Amber’s gaze turned pointed. “I’m pregnant, I’m hungry, and I want my meat burned. If he has a problem with that, I’ll meet him in the back alley.”

  Lindy laughed. “I’ll tell him. How about you, Paislee?”

  “I’ll take the chicken Malibu and fries,” Paislee replied.

  “And for you?” Lindy turned to Wes.

  He glanced out the window. “I’ll have the chicken and dumplings. Then if my own little chicken dumpling wants to trade, we can.”

  Amber glared at him. “Please tell me you did not just call me your chicken dumpling.”

  He laughed. “Okay, okay, forget I said that. But it’s still what I want to eat.”

  They gave their drink orders and then Lindy hurried back to the kitchen. Paislee could hear Bob roar from where they sat, and she smirked. “You pushed his buttons.”

  “A pregnant woman is entitled to order whatever she wants,” Amber said. “I don’t know if that’s an Idaho state law yet, but I will lobby to make it so.”

  The door to the diner opened, and a young man stepped inside. He glanced around until his eyes landed on Wes, then he made his way over.

  “There he is,” Wes said under his breath. Paislee wondered who this guy was and why Wes had been waiting for him.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” the newcomer said. “I got a little disoriented and ended up at a place called Quinn Valley Ranch. Nice people, but they looked confused when I mentioned rock climbing.”

  Wes laughed. “Yeah, I bet they would. They’re ranchers and potato farmers out that way. Good people—we’ve known them for years. Have a seat.”

  Paislee checked the guy out as he slid into the bench next to her. He was pretty cute, if you liked that whole Zac Efron/former Disney star thing. Which she wasn’t sure if she did because she’d been taken in by a pretty face before, and she’d learned that pretty faces didn’t always mean pretty behavior.

  “Paislee, Amber, this is Logan Harrison. He’s the reason we’re having this meeting today—he’s coming to work with us on the ranch.”

  “Oh, good,” Amber replied. “I know Wade’s been a little stressed out.”

  “Work with us? Like, rock climbing?” Paislee asked, confused. “Aren’t Noah and I doing a good job?” Granted, Noah had been a little distracted since he and Gabby got married, but that was to be expected, and once the honeymoon phase was over, they’d get back to normal. Probably. Hopefully. Okay, they’d better, because she was starting to feel like a third wheel in her best friend’s life.

  Lindy walked up just then, delivered their drinks, and took Logan’s order. Paislee supposed the guy deserved to eat, but she really wanted an answer to her question.

  Wes pulled a sheet of paper from his breast pocket. “It’s nothing like that, Paislee,” he replied. “You’re doing a great job, but we need a larger crew. Wade’s been really busy the last couple of weeks.” He spread the paper on the table where they could all see it. “He got a call from the McClain ranch asking if Caleb and Daniel could bring out six of the boys to do a trust-building exercise this weekend.”

  “You mean like the one that brought me out here?” Amber elbowed him.

  “Exactly.” Wes gave her one of those looks that people in love give each other when they have special memories. Paislee’s heart gave a little pang when she saw it. She and Xan used to have those special memories too . . . until he turned into a lying, cheating, no-good mess of a mean, mean man. She took a deep breath. No need to go there. Ever.

  “So, what’s all this?” she asked, motioning toward the paper.

  “Oh, sorry. So, after Wade talked to the McClains, he started getting other calls. Seems the McClains referred River’s End to their friends, and we are now booked solid all summer with youth groups.”

  Paislee’s mouth dropped open. “All summer?”

  “Well, we have gaps here and there, but pretty much. That’s in addition to our regular guests. So I did some hunting around and found this guy.” He nodded toward Logan.

  “Uh, he didn’t have to look too far,” Logan said with a chuckle. “I spent my senior year of high school here, and Wes taught me how to climb.”

  “You spent a summer here, and you still got lost?” Amber shook her head. “Not very impressive, I have to say.”

  Logan smiled, obviously picking up on Amber’s sense of humor. “I’ve never been the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. Actually, I drove down from the north this time, and things have sure changed since I was eighteen.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to explain to me,” Amber replied. “I like giving people a hard time. It makes me happy in my miserable state.”

  Logan looked confused, and Paislee grinned. Oh, poor guy. He seemed so innocent, so
unaware. Did he have any idea the types of people he was about to start working with?

  Lindy brought their food, and Amber took a giant bite of her burger. “Oh, my gosh,” she said after she swallowed. “This is heaven. It’s just . . . I can’t even tell you. Like, angels are dancing on my tongue right now.”

  Logan looked confused. Again. Paislee hoped that wasn’t going to be a perpetual state of being. “Amber’s pregnant,” she explained.

  “Not just pregnant—I’m pregnant with the most sick-making baby ever to be conceived,” Amber clarified.

  “Let’s get back to business,” Wes interjected. “I’m not sure Logan wants to hear about your adventures in motherhood.”

  “Sure he does,” Amber replied. “We’ll talk about it later.” She gave him a thumbs-up. He glanced at Paislee as though he thought she could help him, but really, she had nothing. At River’s End Ranch, you got thrown into the deep end, and it was up to you to keep swimming.

  “About this summer.” Wes kept trying to talk, and Paislee hid another smile. “Bringing in extra help will allow us to handle the special youth groups as well as our regular guests. Paislee, I thought I’d have you take Logan out this afternoon and show him where we keep all the equipment, show him all our usual climbing routes, that sort of thing.”

  “Sure,” Paislee said. “But where’s Noah in all this? Shouldn’t he be part of the planning?”

  “I invited him, but he’s fifteen minutes late,” Wes said.

  “Want me to text him?”

  “Sure. Maybe you can scare him up better than I can.”

  Noah was Paislee’s best friend, so she knew he’d reply to her, but it didn’t make any sense why he wasn’t replying to Wes. She sent a quick text. Hey, where are you? Meeting at the diner.

  “Did you get settled into your apartment yet?” Wes asked Logan.

  “Not yet—just got here officially. I figured I’d head over after I’m done here.”

  Wes nodded. “Bernie, Wade’s assistant, got it all set up for you, and if it meets her standards, it should be a decent place. It’s in Riston, so it’s not too far away.”

  Paislee’s phone chimed, and she picked it up. Sorry. Tried to call. Broke my ankle—at the hospital.

  She blinked a few times. What?

  I’ll fill you in later. Tell Wes I’m sorry.

  She looked up. “Um, Noah says he’s sorry to miss the meeting, but he did try to call. He apparently broke his ankle and is in the hospital.”

  “He did?” Wes pulled out his phone. “Oh, no. I never turned the volume back up this morning. I’ve gotten three texts and one missed call from him. Dang it.”

  “Did he say if it’s a bad break?” Amber asked.

  Paislee shook her head, and Wes scrolled through his texts. “Looks like we’ll have to wait for news.”

  “Well, this just shows that your idea to hire a helper was right on the nose,” Amber said. “Of course, maybe now you need two.” She chewed one of her fries, a solemn look on her face. “Can we write today on the calendar to be celebrated yearly in our family? The day Amber was finally able to eat?”

  “My mom tells a story about her first pregnancy,” Logan said. Paislee was surprised to see him join in the conversation—he didn’t look like a joiner. “She’d just kept down her first meal, but then my dad put some canned turkey chunks, cauliflower, and vinegar in the microwave. She said the smell was so bad, she ran straight for the bathroom and threw up through her nose.”

  Amber blinked. “Why did he do that?”

  Logan shrugged. “He likes eating weird things.”

  “So . . . canned turkey, cauliflower, and vinegar? In the microwave?”

  Logan nodded.

  “Excuse me.” Amber slid out of the booth, her hand over her mouth, and ran for the restrooms in the back of the building.

  Logan watched her go, regret on his face. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have told that story.”

  “At least Paislee warned me to let Amber sit on the end of the bench,” Wes replied.

  ***

  Lunch had been interesting, to say the least. Logan was glad to see Wes again—they’d really hit it off that summer, and he’d always thought of Wes as being one of the best guys he’d ever met. Now to have the chance to work on the ranch? It was a dream job. He’d spent the last several years hiking and rappelling around Southern Utah, and having the chance to turn that into a career was like having a wish granted.

  As he walked along beside Paislee, he couldn’t help but glance at her. She was really pretty, but not in a flashy way. He didn’t think she was wearing makeup, but he didn’t think she needed any. He liked the way her ponytail swished back and forth while she walked. It looked kind of sassy. He got the feeling she was that way too—lighthearted and carefree. That would make her fun to work with. And maybe to flirt with. Hmm—he’d have to think about that. She seemed pretty upset about this Noah guy—maybe they were an item. Or maybe flirting with a coworker would be a bad idea. All he knew was, if he were to flirt with someone, it would be someone like her.

  “This is the equipment shed,” she said as they came to a stop in front of a small building. She opened the door and motioned for him to come inside with her. “This is where you’ll find all the ropes, harnesses, extra carabiners, and all that good stuff. Gloves are in this box. If you have your own stuff, you can keep it in one of the lockers there on the far wall.”

  Logan looked around and nodded. Everything was organized on hooks or in large plastic bins—a lot nicer than how they used to store things. He couldn’t get over how much the ranch had grown—it was almost like a tiny little town now. It was so awesome.

  Something in his chest twisted, but he pushed it aside. He knew that feeling—it was homesickness, but he didn’t have room for that in his life. It was pointless.

  “Now we’ll go grab some four-wheelers and I’ll take you out to our climbing walls. The great thing about the ranch being right up against the mountains is that we have several cliff faces to choose from for difficulty levels.”

  She was speaking kindly, but he could sense a slight edge to her voice. “Hey, hang on a sec,” he said when she turned to show the way. “Are you all right?”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again. “Um, not really,” she said after a moment. “Noah, the other guide? I’m kind of worried about him.”

  Logan nodded. He’d thought as much. Well, Noah was a lucky guy to have her, even if he did have a broken ankle. “Why don’t you give him a call?”

  “But I’m supposed to be showing you around the ranch.”

  Logan held out his arms and turned in a slow circle. “Look—I’m seeing the ranch. What a great ranch. Might even be the best ranch I’ve ever seen.”

  She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

  “You’re doing a great job, so go ahead and call him. I’ll be fine for a few minutes.”

  She looked like she was going to argue with him, but then she smiled again and pulled out her phone. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she walked away, holding her phone to her ear. He’d tried not to notice how good she smelled, like coconut and sunshine and French fries, but it was hard to ignore. It would be another thing on his list to push aside—he shouldn’t be noticing that another guy’s girlfriend smelled good.

  A crash and a thump from his left caught his attention, and he turned his head in time to see a dozen or so little piglets come running across the gravel, their legs moving as fast as they could go. It was pretty adorable, actually. Behind them, it looked like the fence on their pen had fallen apart, and a guy wearing a River’s End Ranch T-shirt was chasing after them.

  “Hey! Hey, pigs! Wait up!”

  Logan stooped down and picked one up as it ran past him. “Where should I put it?” he called out.

  “In the lamb pen!” came the answer, and Logan looked around until he found the right place. He set the pig
let down next to a couple of wooly white lambs, then ran back to see what else he could do.

  The piglets had scattered in all directions, and their keeper was darting from one to the other, his hands outstretched. It was one of the funniest things Logan had ever seen. He crouched down and waited until one came his direction, and then he reached out and caught it. It wriggled and squealed, not anywhere near as docile as the first one had been.

  “What’s going on?” Paislee asked, walking up as she slid her phone back in her pocket.

  “Pigs got loose,” Logan replied, nodding to the animal he held.

  She laughed. “Oh, no. Here—let me take him.”

  He handed her the bucking, kicking little piglet, glad to be rid of it. Those hooves were hard and sharp. “We’re supposed to put them in the lamb pen for now.”

  “Got it.” She went off to deliver her captive, and Logan positioned himself and crouched for his next catch.

  A couple of the pigs had run under the wooden porch of a building marked “General Store.” The rest were running in circles, changing directions, and basically causing a lot of uproar. It wasn’t until Logan took a flying leap and landed on a pig that he noticed something else . . . there were a lot of movie cameras set up in front of the buildings, and it looked like they were filming something.

  “Cut,” came a dry voice.

  Logan looked up slowly, a little pig clutched to his chest. “Um, sorry,” he said, coming to his knees and then standing up. “I was just . . . catching pigs.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” the director said. “We’ll take a break until you’re finished. It won’t take you long, will it?”

  “No, not at all,” Logan replied, faking a smile. How was he supposed to know how long this was going to take? He’d never chased a dozen pigs around a ranch before.

  He turned to see that Paislee had caught another one, and the man in charge of them had one under each arm.

  “Does that make six?” he asked.

  “I think so,” Paislee said. “Which way did the rest go, Jamal?”

  “Toward Jaclyn’s,” the other man said.

  They put their pigs away in the lamb pen and headed that direction together. Logan smiled as they walked—he’d never forgotten Jaclyn, the older woman who managed the RV park at the ranch. She’d always kept snickerdoodles and lemonade ready for any hungry teenagers who wandered by, and he’d been hungry a lot that summer.