Whisper In The Wind

Time passed quickly with wedding plans and getting Camp Chadwick under way. Yesterday, Jen threw a stumbling block in Caitlin's path. "Where are you going to live?" At first the answer seemed simple, with Garrett at the Second Chance. But then it hit her like a jolt of thunder- what would happen to Camp Chadwick? Someone had to be there twenty-four, seven. Why did she keep finding more bumps on the trail?

"Now here I am with one month until I marry Garrett and I still have no one to run the ranch with me. The newspaper ads did not help." She tried reading more applications and resumes, but the words blurred and she lay back on the bed, crossing her legs at the ankles and covering her eyes with her hand. The white Battenburg lace curtains allowed sunlight to brighten the room.

Nervous energy and relentless thoughts kept relaxation away. "Grandma, I'm going out for a bit." Even the shops in downtown did not curb her appetite. She stopped when she saw Scott standing in front of the hardware store. With a bounce in her step, she approached him. "Hey, you. I thought you left town."

"Not sure where to go. This is the first place that felt as if it could be home. But will they ever accept me?"

"Maybe, in time they will." Caitlin considered his words and the expression on his face. Moments they shared at the ranch came back and brought warmth to her. The answer to her dilemma stood right in front of her. "I need help at the ranch-someone who can help me oversee the operations. Do you know anyone who may be interested and qualified?"

"Me," he blurted. "That will never happen," he said, his head falling forward with dejection. "Winston won't go for it."

"Let me worry about him."

A dazed look crossed his face as he cocked his head to the left. "Why risk your upcoming marriage for me?"

"A look I saw when you were there, wishing and hoping it had been your home. You took pride in fixing an old barn and actually got upset when you weren't able to mend the fence." Caitlin's smile faded. "Remember this, they, meaning all of Valley View, will be watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake. Sure you want to stay?"

He looked at the shops and the people on the sidewalks. A peace washed over him as his shoulders relaxed. "Yes," he said.