Page 17 of Caden's Situationship

“How many more piles of mud do we have to shuffle through before we get there?” I asked, referring to the on-property villas that Caden told me would be the last stop on our tour.

“Are you sure you’re stepping in mud piles?” he asked with a laugh. “If the color looks a little lighter than mud, make sure you aren’t stepping in any shit.”

I froze. “I’m sorry, but are you implying that I could be walking through … horse dung?”

He looked back to me and nodded. “Not just horses. We use manure for this part of the ranch to help with the garden, but sometimes, an animal gets loose and leaves us a few gifts.”

“Oh my heavens!” I’d been lollygagging behind Caden for most of the tour, but his words made me pick up my pace, ready to get to the green grass I saw ahead. “I can’t believe you waited until now to tell me I was walking through poop!”

“Calm down, princess. Like I said, it's just fertilizer. If you didn't want to get dirty, maybe you should have put on some sensible shoes and clothes."

"This is the most reasonable outfit I have! Had I known I'd be taking a hike through a country jungle of animal feces, I probably would have asked for a virtual tour instead."

His hearty laugh was so loud, I almost stumbled the last few steps to the grass.

“We’re practically there. The villas are just over this hill.”

As I neared the top of the semi-steep hill, I was grateful when Caden reached his hand out to help pull me up the rest of the way. The moment my eyes landed on the view before me, the fact that my shoes were ruined and there was mud to my ankles were suddenly not my sole focus.

“This is breathtaking,” I muttered, looking from the first villa to my left, to the last and largest villa to my right. A big reason why Red Rose wanted to invest with Wild Valley Ranch was because it aimed to give veterans and their families a safe space to relax and connect with one another. It was the type of mission we loved to stand behind. Even though I was so wrapped up in the natural beauty of the area, my smile slightly faltered when I noticed …

“Is that a road that goes throughout the villas?

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s the road we had built for easy access for our guests.”

“Yet, you made us hike here?” I asked, my voice louder than intended.

“This hill is the best way to appreciate the overall view of this part of the property,” he explained. “I figured you’d want to view the villas the best way possible, and this is my favorite way to see this part of my property.”

Well, dang.After that explanation, it didn’t seem right to get on him about it anymore. “I’m surprised you don’t call them cabins, instead of villas.”

“We have cabins on the property as well,” he clarified. “They’re built differently, though. I wanted the villas to be a dedicated space for veterans. Our cabins, on the other hand, can be rented by the general public. Originally, I built the cabins because we had a lot of people visiting Wild Valley for outdoor activities, so it made sense to have a few cabins available for rent. But since we’re renovating the entire property, the cabins are closed for now.”

“What about your parents’ B&B? It’s the only place to stay in town to stay. Were they worried about competition with your cabins and soon with your villas?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. My parents’ B&B is a staple in the community, but as you know, my ranch is thirty minutes outside of town. Since Wild Valley is a Cranberry Heights destination for horseback riding, hiking, and the largest garden that’s open to the public, the tourists who come here aren’t typically the ones who stay in my parents’ B&B. We also have several bike trails and a designated camping ground that’s on Hou’s property a couple miles down the road. So we get a lot of people back-packing across states or wanting to immerse themselves in nature with the comforts of electricity, running water, and food that’s served in our main cabin.”

“That’s pretty incredible. When do you plan to reopen?” I asked.

“Definitely before the summer, so that’s why it’s important for us to work with Red Rose since it’s already March.”

Thinking about everything he’d told me and what I’d observed so far—and against my better judgement business wise—I couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you need to partner with our firm? You seem to be doing so well on your own. Is it about money?”

He seemed surprised by my question and I couldn’t quite place the look in his eyes. Caden was usually pretty direct, so I wasn’t sure what I said to make him hesitate. But after a few more seconds, he seemed to have his thoughts together.

“It’s not about the money. Not sure if you remember, but I’m a triplet. You know Crayson, but you’ve never met Carter. He went right into the service when we turned eighteen. Crayson was doing whatever the hell he wanted to do at the time, and I felt more disconnected with my brothers than I had in a long time. If it weren’t for Linc, Houston, and Hou’s brother, Wade, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today.”

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a growing need to want to hold his hand. Or hug him. Mainly because he was staring out into the distance like he was recalling times that may have been harder than others suspected.

“It’s nice that you have such good friends,” I told him.

He nodded. “Yeah, those dumbasses keep me in check when I start thinking too hard about things.”

“I thought you never took life too seriously,” I stated. “I remember you used to tease me for even stressing about a test, yet you always seemed to have everything together. You made college work seem effortless.”

He laughed. “I guess back then, it really was kinda easy for me. Most people only saw the Caden they wanted to see. Folks still do, but back then, anything I wanted to do, I just went for it. I graduated early. Got into bull riding for a while and some other business ventures. Had a few things really take off, and one day, I realized that even having my friends, I was still kinda lost. Carter had always been my best friend and no one in my family expected him to be the one to leave home and never look back.

“I suppose it hit me harder than I realized, so I moved back to my hometown. Helped my parents for a bit. Slowly, a few of my friends started moving back, too, and it seemed natural to open my ranch. I’ve always loved the country, and it turned out, Cranberry Heights needed Wild Valley as much as Wild Valley needed it.”

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