I kept the Fall Fest a surprise for Ethan and Olivia right until the day of the event. As I’d hoped, they were incredibly excited to see the place I’d been working and to ride the horses. We bolted down a quick breakfast and hurried out the door to make our trail ride reservation.
Thanks to JJ’s tours, I had a pretty good idea of where the stables were located. It was shaping up to be a nice, sunny but cool day, and there were already several families milling around when we arrived.
One person I hadn’t expected to see, however, was Ellie.
She wore faded jeans that hugged her hips, a white t-shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat, with cowboy boots to finish the outfit. Ellie was standing with a slightly older man sporting a greying beard, and two kids that looked about Ethan and Olivia’s ages. If I had to wager, I’d guess this was her brother.
My suspicions were confirmed when we parked and she waved us over.
“Jake, this is my brother James and his children, Liam and Ava. Guys, this is Jake.”
James offered me a firm handshake with a small smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” I shook back, then addressed his kids. “Guys, this is Olivia and Ethan. This is our first time going horseback riding. Have you gone a lot?”
“We go all the time,” Ava announced proudly. “Buttercup is my favorite. She’s really smart.”
“She’s really slow,” Liam snorted. “I like to ride Duke. He’s way bigger.”
“Well, for this ride we’ll all be going the same pace,” Ellie interjected. “Olivia, do you want to try on your own? Liam and Ava do, but they have ridden quite a bit.”
Olivia glanced at Liam, then returned her determined gaze to Ellie. “If he can do it, I can do it.”
An abrupt laugh escaped Ellie’s perfect lips, and she glanced up at me over Olivia’s head with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, that sounds pretty confident to me. I like your spirit. You know, Buttercup’s best friend is Rosy. They like to walk together. Maybe you and Ava can ride together, and me and your dad will be right behind?”
Olivia nodded again, then turned to me. “What about Ethan?”
“He’s going to ride with me, honey. That way, he’s got some help if he needs it.”
Ethan’s eyes darted between Ava, obviously younger than him, and the smug expression Liam wore. “I don’t need help. I can do it myself.” Hot color rose in his cheeks and I could practically see the steam building inside his ears.
Dammit. It hadn’t occurred to me there would be kids his age here riding on their own. I met Ellie’s eyes for just a second before she turned her focus to Ethan, crouching down to his level and lowering her voice.
“Ethan, can I ask you a favor?”
Completely enamored with her already, he nodded with wide eyes.
“Would you ride with me? Just in case I need someone to help me? I’m going to be on Buckhouse. He’s even bigger than Duke, and sometimes he scares me a little.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Ethan replied seriously.
“Thank you, I mean it,” Ellie replied with equal weight. “Let’s go this way and see if our horses are ready.”
When she stood back up, her gaze drifted to me once more, and I mouthed ‘thank you’. Her answering smile was nearly blinding. I thought my heart would melt into a puddle and pour out the bottom of my jeans when Ethan slipped his tiny hand into hers and tugged her toward the stables. Ava snaked Olivia’s hand, and Liam followed them.
James and I shared a glance and followed, bringing up the rear on the wooded path to the stables.
“So,” he began casually. “How are you liking it at Aspen Ridge?”
“So far, so good,” I answered honestly. “It’s still a bit of an adjustment for the kids, but I definitely think getting to spend time with them like this will help. I didn’t have much time for them in my previous career.”
“Which was?”
“I was in the military for quite a while. Air Force. My last assignment was training new officers.”
To my surprise, James laughed loudly in response. “So she wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Sorry?”
“My sister, Ellie. A few weeks back, she was ranting and raving about Dad bringing in a drill sergeant to get her in line. I thought she was exaggerating, but you actually are. Unreal.”
“Well, not exactly.” I scratched the back of my neck, chuckling. “I left as a captain, so not a sergeant. And I taught officer candidates, not enlisted. So we were actually called Military Training Officers… Drill Sergeant is kind of an Army thing.”
He threw his hands up, still chuckling. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to cause offense.”
“None taken at all,” I assured him. “It’s just habit, correcting nomenclature. Trust me, at this point, I don’t expect civilians to know all the lingo, but I’m always happy to clear things up.”
“So, how long were you in?”
A knot stuck in my throat. “Fifteen years.”
James let out a low whistle. “Fifteen years, huh? Why didn’t you stay, if you don’t mind me asking? Can’t you retire at twenty?”
“It wasn’t a good choice for the kids. Life in the military is hard, especially for a single parent. And after their mom left, I thought they would benefit from having a stable home with family nearby. My parents retired here a few years back, so it seemed like a good choice to get all of us back on track.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” James replied, his tone somber. “Ava and Liam, their mom is… not with us anymore, either.”
“Ellie told me, I’m sorry. A different circumstance, to be sure, but I doubt my kids will see much of their mother in the future. I don’t know which one is worse, if I’m honest. Losing a mother who loved them and wanted to be with them, or having a mother that doesn’t want them.”
James shook his head. “Now that I can’t understand at all.”
“Same. I don’t claim to be a perfect man—lord knows I have my share of blame about why our relationship went south—but I’d never just walk away from my kids. It was like—one day she just decided this wasn’t the life she wanted, and she’d had enough of all of us.”
“Well, you picked a solid place to land and pick up the pieces. I grew up here, but there are lots of people who fall in love with Aspen Ridge and just never leave.”
“Yeah, I’ve visited a few times, and it always seemed like a great place to raise a family. Small town, but big enough to feel you’re not missing anything. Not to mention a world-class ski resort in your backyard. My kids have never been skiing, but they’re already looking forward to learning.”
James smiled widely at that. “Well, you couldn’t pick a better place. We have great instructors here—of course my kids have been on skis practically since they could walk. Liam actually switched to snowboarding last season, and now Ava wants to switch as well. But if you need a hookup for an instructor, just let me know. We’re all family here. We take care of each other.”
A cinder of warmth spread through my chest. “Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” I offered my hand for another shake and he gripped it firmly, his expression far more open than a few minutes ago.
“Of course, anytime. Not that she has a lot of enemies, but if Ellie likes you, you’re good people in my book.”
I tried not to read too much into the statement ‘Ellie likes you’ and followed silently while he led me into the barn.
The phrase ‘back in the saddle’ felt rather ironic, in more than a few ways. I rode a horse a few times, long before I joined the Air Force and definitely before I had kids. The handler walked us through some basic horse info and made sure everyone had a good seat before we took off up the trail. Olivia attacked horseback riding the same way she approached everything in life: with single-minded, fierce determination. Ava rode beside her and gave her friendly pointers like only one kid could teach another.
Ellie rode beside me, and I was extremely grateful she offered to take Ethan on her horse.
There wasn’t a ton of room in my saddle and my horse seemed a little skittish, while hers plodded dutifully along. Ethan had a firm hold of the reins and was one-hundred percent convinced he was all that stood between them and certain death. Ellie kept him from over compensating and we enjoyed a pleasant ride along the wide, smooth trails that wove through the mountains.
When our tour was over, the kids asked to visit the other events together. James and Ellie agreed to meet us at the festival entrance. During the short ride between locations, I enjoyed listening to Ethan and Olivia chat excitedly about the horses.
When we arrived, James immediately offered to take all four kids around to play lawn games while Ellie gave me a tour of the festival. I could hardly say no, so while the kids ran off to start a game of corn hole, Ellie led me up a wide aisle of booths.
When she said the town participated, I didn’t really understand what she meant. But now I was quickly grasping the importance of Aspen Ridge Resort to the community. There were dozens of booths, each with a sign proclaiming their business, but all hosting some sort of carnival game. Some were simple games for kids–like Go Fish, where the child could cast a line over a wall and someone behind would attach a small prize to their ‘hook’. Others were more games of skill or chance, and all free to play. A local coffee shop, Bear Paw Brew, offered fresh coffee and tea. Crowds of employees shuffled between the booths, visiting friends and enjoying the festival atmosphere.
“This is pretty epic,” I commented, and Ellie grinned.
“Thank you. I think it gets better every year.”
“It’s like…” I searched for the right words to describe my feelings. “It’s like an eighties movie.”
Ellie barked a laugh. “I can’t say that’s what I was going for.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I just mean there’s this warm, ‘welcome home’ feeling to it. It reminds me of watching an eighties movie.” When I saw her one-eyebrow raised side-eye, I gave up. “Ignore me. I’m not making sense.”
“It’s an interesting description for our little Fall Fest, but I think I understand where you’re coming from. I love eighties movies too, and this certainly evokes a feeling of nostalgia.”
“Yes, nostalgia, thank you. There’s something very nostalgic about it.”
“I agree.”
We walked in silence for a moment while I struggled for something to say. Ellie didn’t seem bothered. She beamed around at the people enjoying the celebration she had put together, seemingly just appreciating the results of her work. A few people passed and offered their thanks, and Ellie accepted graciously.
“The ride went well,” she offered eventually.
“Oh, yes, the trail ride. It did! It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a horse, but I think I did okay.”
“I meant for the kids, but yes, you did a great job, too.” Her voice turned indulgent with a hint of sarcasm, and I flushed deeper.
“Of course. I hope Ethan behaved for you. Thanks, by the way, for redirecting him when he got upset. I’m still learning how to manage it, but you seem to be a pro.”
“Liam was like that, at his age. Super quick to blow his top over the littlest things. I think it helps to have an outsider redirect, since I seemed better at it than James, now that I think about it.”
“Or maybe you’re just great with kids,” I suggested, bumping her shoulder with mine. “It’s okay to own it. I’m not offended that you might be better at handling my kids than I am. I’m working on it, but let’s just say it’s not something I consider myself naturally gifted at.”
Ellie’s smile widened. “I do like kids, but I’m not sure I’d say ‘gifted’. Sometimes it’s just easier to go with the flow, try to bolster their little egos instead of crush them.”
“You think I was crushing his ego?”
“Well, yeah. You said he’s seven, right? And Ava is six, she’s obviously younger, but she sits a horse herself. So with her older brother watching–Liam being a giant nine-year-old–Ethan couldn’t be caught dead needing help.”
“But he needs help. He’s never ridden a horse before. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“That’s easy for you to admit now, and to have that grown-up perspective on. But for him? It’s a lot harder to own. So when you said he needed help, it was a challenge to his ego, since his sister didn’t need help. And giving him an out–saying that I needed help–allowed him to ride with assistance without feeling like he lost cool points in front of an older boy. Win-win.”
I shook my head in wonder. “You really are a marvel. I would have just insisted he ride with me and not really understood why he was so upset.”
“Well, logic is helpful, but kids are mostly emotional creatures.”
“Not my eldest,” I chuckled. “That girl rivals my battle-hardened commander for stoicism. Is being born middle-aged a thing?”
This time Ellie laughed loudly. “You mean that girl?”
She pointed, and I followed her finger. Clearly the festival had some sort of arts and crafts booth–my daughter had two blotches of bright pink paint on her cheeks, and was racing madly after Ava, whose hands were coated in the same color. The girls emitted peals of laughter as they darted around festival goers, whose eyes trailed after them in delight. The two radiated joy outward, like ripples in a pond.
A smile spread across my cheeks and tears prickled my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I heard Olivia laugh like that—full, high-pitched belly laughs that were pure joy.
“Alright, point taken, she actually is a nine-year-old girl. So it must just be me who makes her devoid of all happiness.”
The very thought confirmed every fear I had harbored deep in my chest: my kids were miserable with me. It was my fault Ethan was so moody and Olivia so joyless. Always my fault.
My expression must have changed to reflect my thoughts, because Ellie stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure things were hard when your wife left, and now they’re just getting used to a new routine. But as you can see,” the girls raced past us laughing, Ava circling in a loop and Olivia hot on her heels, which made Ellie smile fondly, “they’re adapting well.” Her eyes trailed the girls then settled on mine, and her smile widened. “You’re doing a great job. I promise.”
A thick lump formed in my throat, so large I couldn’t swallow. I didn’t know until that moment how much I’d needed someone, anyone, to say those words to me.
I held her gaze for much longer than I should have, and when I spoke, my voice was unexpectedly rough. “I’m not sure you’re right, but thank you all the same.”
“Oh, I’m right. I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
“Well, thank you again.” Somehow things had gotten more awkward, and I was entirely at a loss as to what to say next. We reached the end of the row and turned around, heading back toward the lawn games and my suddenly mischievous children.
As we passed a booth sponsored by Aspen Ridge Brewery, a leggy brunette in jeans and a flannel shirt immediately approached us.
Ellie cleared her throat. “Jake, I’d like you to meet my friend Tessa. Tessa, this is Jake.”
I held out my hand for a shake, and Tessa shook it vigorously, her green eyes rolling over my body speculatively. “Nice to meet you, Jake,” she said at last with a wide grin. There was a hint of meaning in the way she said it that was clearly not meant for me.
“You too, Tessa. Have you known Ellie long?”
Her eyes darted to Ellie, and she answered with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “We’ve been friends since elementary school, actually. Ellie’s parents didn’t really approve of their princess being friends with a townie, but somehow they couldn’t get rid of me.”
“Now that’s not true,” Ellie protested. “Aspen Ridge is our home, so technically I’m a townie, too. And they just didn’t like that you were constantly getting me in trouble.”
“Not fair. We got in trouble together. It was 50-50.”
“Well, I never got in trouble before I met you, so draw whatever conclusions you like.”
The pair of them bantered like siblings, and I couldn’t help chuckling. “Well, Tessa, I look forward to a long chat with you soon. I’m sure you can give me all sorts of dirt on Isabelle Tremont.”
A wicked smile took up residence on her face. “You bet your ass I can. Did Ellie tell you about our junior prom? She-”
“THAT’S enough,” Ellie said loudly, stepping between us. “We’d better be moving along.”
“I’ll find you later,” Tessa said with a wink before returning to her booth.
“She seems nice,” I commented as we walked away.
“She’s… Tessa,” Ellie answered with a laugh. “Watch out for that one. She can strike like a cobra if you’re not paying attention.”
We continued making our way back toward the games, but a bear of a man with an auburn beard and a young athletic woman with platinum blonde hair stopped us.
“Ellie!” the girl squealed, bouncing forward and squeezing Ellie in a tight hug.
She stepped back to allow the man to embrace Ellie, and I waited for some sort of introduction.
Unsurprisingly, Ellie was on it. “Guys, this is Jake Wright. He’s working for my dad at the moment. Jake, this is Stella and Reece Blackwell. They’re the kids of my dad’s partners. Reece supervises the events part of the business, and Stella-”
“Wastes all her time snowboarding instead of taking over her duties for the family,” the younger woman intoned in what was clearly a mockery of some sort of authority figure.
“Nice to meet you both.” I shook Reece’s hand but Stella just gave me an odd little wave and whipped out her cellphone to take a selfie with Ellie.
“Have you been here long?” Reece’s tone was pleasant despite his burly appearance.
“Just a few weeks, actually. Pretty sure I’m already in love, though.”
His eyes drifted to Ellie, and I suddenly found myself choking on nothing.
“With Aspen Ridge, that is. I love it here.”
“Ah, yeah, that makes sense. What’s not to love?” But his gaze returned to Ellie, who was dutifully snapping photos with the younger woman. When he looked back to me, his meaning was clear.
I rushed to find a different topic of conversation. “Indeed. So how long have you managed the events? Are you the one behind building that new center? It’s really beautiful.”
“Yeah, I’m the one that pushed for it. I see a lot of opportunities here to grow and expand the business. Honestly, I’d like to get out of the events management and start a distillery. We have quite a lot of property and there’s so much we could do with it. The more value we can bring to the town, the better for everyone.”
I chuckled. “You sound a lot like Ellie. She seems very passionate about the community.”
“Yeah, we have a lot of similarities. We both grew up here and want to make sure the resort is doing everything in its power to benefit the locals.”
“I think it’s in excellent hands,” I replied, and the larger man grinned.
“Come on Reece, Jess’s insta story says she’s working the Bear Paw booth and I have to talk to her right now!” Stella appeared between us and grabbed Reece’s arm, towing him back the way Ellie and I had just come.
“Nice to meet you!” he called over his shoulder.
Ellie watched them go with a fond smile before we continued.
“That was… interesting,” I commented.
“Yeah, that’s a good word for them. But they’re basically family, so it doesn’t bother me.”
“What was Stella’s comment on snowboarding about?”
“So Stella is 22, and her life is snowboarding. She was actually on her way to the olympics in her teens, before she took a nasty fall and ended up with a broken leg. She missed out on that year, plus a year of training while she went through physical therapy. She was still not at the top of her game for the last olympics qualifications, so she’s spent the last few years really working hard. This year she’s going to all the qualification events to hopefully secure a spot for the games in two years.”
“Wow, that’s sad, but also exciting. I hope she gets it.” I didn’t want to think about how many things I gave up to dedicate my life to the military. I made my choice, and I didn’t regret it. But the idea of having the freedom to chase a dream…
“Well, her parents aren’t thrilled. They worry about her getting hurt—it can be a dangerous sport—and they want her to think about the business. But she’s just 22, you know? It’s not on her radar yet.”
I cast a skeptical expression at Ellie. “From the sounds of it, running the business has been on your plan for most of your life.”
Ellie flushed. “Yeah, well, I’m not a gifted snowboarder. Maybe if there was something else I was really good at, dedicating my life to Aspen Ridge would have been a more difficult choice.”
“I think you know this is your calling,” I replied in a low voice, and Ellie glanced up at me in surprise. “Caring about people, improving things for them through your family’s business. That’s a gift, Ellie. Few people can do that.”
Her sky-blue eyes locked on mine, and suddenly the world around us was a blur. Sound dampened in my ears, and all I could hear was the rush of blood through my veins and the soft breaths Ellie took. Her lips were parted, an invitation so tempting I leaned in to take it without thinking. My hand rose to cup her cheek, and Ellie’s breath hitched as she waited for my lips to meet hers.
A shrill scream brought me back to reality, and I jumped away from Ellie as if her skin had burned me. My eyes darted around us for the source of the scream, finding a pair of children racing through the crowd, the girl holding a toy truck above her head and the boy in hot pursuit. The girl screamed in delight again, and they disappeared between two booths.
I turned back to Ellie, my face hot. “I’m sorry,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. “I shouldn’t have-”
“It’s okay,” she replied quickly, folding her arms across her chest. “Let’s go back and find my brother.”
When we located James, we found Liam patiently coaching Ethan at corn hole, and following their impromptu race the girls had returned to the craft booth and were working diligently at painting birdhouses a lurid shade of pink. James stood between the two spaces, monitoring both pairs.
“If you like, I can take over,” I offered. “So you can go enjoy some of the festival?”
“Don’t worry about it,” James waved me off. “The kids are entertaining themselves. It’s really no problem at all.”“I just feel bad, leaving you to watch my kids like this.”
James smiled. “Pro tip? When someone offers to help with your kids, always accept.”
“Unless they’re a creeper,” Ellie interjected.
“Yes, obviously, that is the exception,” James agreed. “Duly noted: Always accept help except from creeps. Got it.”
“Come on, I’ll show you the rest.” Ellie tugged my arm, and we waved goodbye to James as she steered me up the hill.
By the time we finished the full tour, it was nearly time for my shift at the grill. James and I got to work slinging hot dogs and hamburgers by the dozens, and Ellie entertained the kids for the rest of the afternoon.
And it finally hit me: that sense of community, of belonging, that I’d missed ever since leaving the Air Force. There was an intangible quality about it, something difficult to explain to someone who never sought it out, never craved that feeling of being part of something bigger.
But here I was, a million miles from my life in the military, and I found it all the same.
I couldn’t help but wonder if that was more to do with Aspen Ridge or Ellie Tremont.
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