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I joined Kathy for dinner at a table for four, the only one available. The dining room was full of laughter and talking and guests lined up to have heaps of food piled on plates. I swirled my fork in the mashed potatoes, pushed roast beef slices into peas.
“You’re quiet tonight,” Kathy said between bites.
“Have you seen Luka today?”
“Just yesterday around lunchtime, but I’ve been slammed all day. July has arrived and so have all the tourists. Look at all the kids in here.” We both looked out over the room. Every table was packed, including the two twenty-five-foot-long tables with split-log benches that filled the center of the room, and every smaller table on the perimeter. An overabundance of youngsters, mostly girls, wiggled happily on the benches, each one with a set of parents but eyeing every other kid in the room.
Ryder walked through the back door, looked around at the full room, and caught my eye.
I waved. “Get some food and join us,” I said.
He nodded and got into the serving line.
He joined us a few minutes later. “Quite a crowd tonight,” he said.
“How’s everything going in the horse world?” Kathy asked.
“Good. Busy. Just like everywhere else on the Ranch.”
“Are you and Ingrid getting along?” I asked, hoping Ingrid was feeling good about their shared responsibilities. Ryder looked flustered. He sat speechless, motionless. Even Kathy glanced at him sideways.
He finally seemed to recover his senses, took a sip of coffee, and said, “Good. She’s getting ready for horse camp. That’s what all these kids are doing here. Horse camp.”
“I checked them all in this afternoon,” Kathy said between mouthfuls. “These kids are loaded for bear. I hope Ingrid’s ready.”
At the mention of Ingrid’s name Ryder seemed to freeze again.
“Think Ingrid’s ready?” I asked, realizing with chagrin that I’d been remiss in not checking in with her earlier. “Oh, God, I should have been making sure she has everything she needs and is ready to go.”
Ryder took a forkful of mashed potatoes and peas, expression contemplative. “She’s ready,” he said at last. “She’s spent the better part of last week sorting supplies and getting everything set up. I’ve pretty much left her alone and handled all the trail rides myself.”
“Good,” I said. “I’ll go out after dinner and have a chat with her.”
“Was there any pie left?” Kathy asked Ryder.
“There were eight pies when I went through the line, most only halfway gone.”
Kathy stood. “Then I better go elbow my way to the dessert line.”
“So, you and Ingrid are getting along,” I couldn’t help but probe a little. “I just want to make sure she feels like we trust her. Like she’s capable of being in charge.”
Ryder gave me an odd look again, but answered, “You’ll have to ask her how she feels.” Then he set about studiously eating his dinner.
***
I wandered out to the corral after dinner, sure Ingrid would already be in her cabin for the night, but instead she was busy setting up tables outside the corral fence. The evening was dead calm and warm, and the aroma of horse and hay and manure filled the air, not an unpleasant combination.
“Ingrid,” I called as I got closer.
She jumped a little when I called her name, an almost imperceptible tensing of the muscles as she looked up. When she spotted me, I could swear she looked relieved.
“Hi, Olivia.” She waved and offered a weak smile.
Plastic tubs of supplies covered the top of the table. “What have you here?” I asked, peeking into a tub.
“Lots of activities for the kiddos,” she said, relaxing. “Paint and glitter for them to decorate their horse. Crayons and pens and pencils to draw and color with. Tape measures to measure their horses, rules for horse games once they learn to ride, which will be day two or three, depending.”
“I’m impressed,” I said, and I was. “Oh, I figured you might be busy getting ready, so I brought you this.” I held up a paper bag. “It’s a sandwich I put together from the roast beef at dinner. And a piece of pie in tin foil.”
“Thank you so much. I haven’t had time to get to the dining room since breakfast.”
“If you need any help, I can ask Kathy if we can free up Greta for half a day each day during camp.”
“That would be incredible. Yes, please.” She flashed her first genuine smile.
“And how are you Ryder getting along?”
The smile morphed into a stricken expression.
What the heck was going on here? First Ryder looked like a deer in the headlights, and now this. “Has something happened between you two?”
“No, no, no, not at all,” she answered too fast. “Ryder is great and wonderful with the horses and of course the guests. No, everything is fine.”
“And you’re feeling good, not like he’s not trying to boss you around or anything? You’re happy with the situation?”
She nodded, almost comically enthusiastic. “Oh, very good. It’s a very good situation, thank you so much.”
Mmmm. “Well, I’ll talk to Kathy about freeing up Greta. Good luck tomorrow. All the little urchins are in having dinner with their parents—tired parents who look very ready for horse camp to begin.”
