Page 45 of Spur of the Moment
“Don’t people usually have the table on thebackporch?” Lennon asked as he reached for Charlotte’s homemade potato salad.
“Lennon Bronson, is there a problem with the way I have things set up?”
His cheeks flushed. “No, Ma.”
“Your mother wanted to see the sun set on the horizon when we ate out here. This is the best spot,” Travis explained, grabbing the tongs off the plate full of ribs.
“Ain’t no one around, anyway. You could put the table in the middle of the driveway, if you really wanted to,” I pointed out.
Travis shot me a look that saiddon’t give her any ideas.
I stifled a chuckle as Charlotte spoke up. “A little outdoor setup in the yard would be nice.”
Charlotte’s pretty soft-spoken but when she’s passionate about something, she came at it full force. She had Travis basically eating out of the palm of her hand. The man loved her harder than I ever thought possible. Their dynamic worked for them. Hell, it had kept them happy ever since they got married straight out of high school.
“So, Lennon, how’s the feed store?” I asked before taking a bite of the tender meat. Reed sat across from me, silently pushing his potato salad around on his plate.
“I lost an employee yesterday, so I listed an opening today. Hoping someone fills the spot soon. Winter will be here before we know it.”
“I could help out if you need it,” Lettie offered.
He waved her off. “Working with siblings is the worst idea.”
I laughed as Lettie said, “We’ve all worked on this ranch our whole lives.”
“That’s different. Dad was here to delegate. You wouldn’t like me as your boss.”
She rolled her eyes, taking a bite of potato salad.
“Plus, you’ve got that barn to finish, in case you’ve forgotten,” Travis piped in.
If Brandy’s finger was broken, which I was almost positive it was with the way it looked before she left, it’d just be Lettie and me working on the beat down structure. I had a feeling Lettie would be more than willing to work with me this time around though.
“And...” Charlotte nudged Travis with her elbow.
Lettie looked between the two of them. “What?”
Travis took a bite of food, taking his sweet time before responding. “We thought you might like to learn a bit more about managing the rescue.”
Lettie’s fork dropped to her plate and my eyes shot to her, her mouth popping open, then closed, as she struggled to form words.
“I-I’d love that,” she managed to get out.
Charlotte gave her a sweet smile. “Your father told me how you felt like you had no purpose. You’ve made a huge impact on this ranch, Lettie. If you’re planning to stay in Bell Buckle, you’re more than welcome to keep living in your old room until you figure something else out.”
I smiled as Lettie nodded vigorously at her mom. What better purpose than the rescue?
“But what about our conversation before the trip, Dad?” she asked.
“I underestimated you, Lettie, and I apologize for that. You clearly handled the trip well and proved to me you could hold your own under the stress rescue can bring. With you being gone so long, I guess I forgot how capable my little girl is.”
“I guess I should apologize for that extra horse, then,” Lettie said to her father. Lennon had a big smile on his face while Reed rolled his eyes.
He waved his hand through the air. “Why do you think I sent Bailey with some extra money? I had a feeling you’d do that. Your mother raised you, remember? I know the effect she’s had on you when it comes to rescue. But Lettie, try to keep that under control, alright? There’s only so much space and money in our budget for all these horses.”
She bobbed her head back and forth like she was contemplating it. “I can try.”
“That’s all I ask,” he said.
