The bed has nothing to do with how much I want to stay, and everything to do with the girl in it.
After a quick shower, I throw on some jeans and a tee and make us both smoothies for the road. I sit down at the bar and text Mom to check on Evan. She sends a photo of the two of them making pancakes and I smile.
God, I love that kid.
“All ready.”
I look up and see Holland standing in front of me in a sweater and a pair of jeans with knee-high black boots. She looks good enough to eat.
“Reed…” she warns, with a smirk, “if you keep looking at me like that, we’re never going to this secret place you keep telling me about.”
“Fine. I can’t help that I want to bring you right back to bed and pick up where we left off last night.”
Her cheeks redden, and I grin. “I love that I make you blush. C’mon, let’s go.”
I hold out my hand for her, and she slides her small one into mine. We walk to the truck and I help her inside since she’s so fucking tiny then I pull out onto the highway. Holland has no idea where I’m taking her, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while and doing research, so having a few days off is the perfect time to bring her.
We drive for thirty minutes, out of the city and into the country part of Illinois. Finally, I pull my truck into the long gravel road, and Holland looks at me in confusion.
“Serenity Ranch? What is this?”
I keep driving, but take her hand in mine. “You’ll see.”
She looks nervous, but when I squeeze her hand to reassure her, she smiles at me.
This place is beautiful. Nestled on the outskirts of Chicago, it’s a piece of heaven all in itself. Acres and acres of farmland with rolling green hills, tall tree lines, and fresh air.
When I park and help Holland out, the owner, Bert, walks over and greets us. I’ve spoken to him a few times on the phone in the past few weeks and recognized his picture from the website’s directory.
“Mr. Davidson?” he asks. Tall, wiry, with a kind smile and a cowboy hat, Bert immediately gives off a good vibe. He seems trustworthy and genuine based on the conversations that we have had.
I stick my hand out for him to shake. “Hi, yes. Call me, Reed, this is my girl-… This is Holland.” Shit. Holland looks at me with wide eyes, then smiles and shakes Bert’s hand.
“So Holland, welcome to Serenity Ranch. I’ve been speaking with Reed for a few weeks now about our program, and I know he wanted to surprise you.”
Holland looks at me then back at Bert. He just smiles warmly and gestures for us to walk with him.
“My wife Delores and I started Serenity Ranch ten years ago now. My father-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and my wife decided to buy this little slice of heaven, and dedicate our lives to helping others who were diagnosed the same as he was. We’ve spent the last ten years growing it into what you see today.”
Holland’s teary, and I know she’s starting to understand why I brought her here.
Bert continues walking down the dirt path until we get to a large stable with several horses grazing about.
“We offer a safe place with certified nurses as well as volunteers to give people with Alzheimer’s a place where they feel needed. We have animal therapy, gardening, group time, and therapy dogs here on the property. Sometimes people with Alzheimer’s just need a place where they feel unrestricted by everyone, that’s also safe. That is the goal here at Serenity Ranch.”
She gazes out at the farm, the large barn and the animals. “This place is incredible, Bert. What you and your wife are doing, it’s amazing.”
I grab Holland’s hand and squeeze it gently in mine and she looks up at me. Her blue eyes are swimming with tears. “Thank you,” she mouths.
“Bert, could you give us a second?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be right over here if you guys need anything.”
When it’s just the two of us, I pull her to me, and tip her chin up so I can gaze into her eyes. “I hope I wasn’t overstepping by finding this place. I just… after seeing your dad, I wanted to see what this place was about. A buddy of mine, his mom has Alzheimer’s, and she comes here a lot. He said that he thinks it has truly made her happier. What if your dad came here, baby?”
A tear slips free from her eye, and I swipe it away. “Reed, this place probably costs a fortune, but God, it’s amazing. I want to know more about it, but just what I’ve seen, it looks incredible. This could be life-changing for him.”
I nod. “That’s why I wanted to surprise you with this. Holland, I’ve known your dad longer than I’ve known my own. He was there for me whenever I didn’t have a father. He’s important to me, and if I could do this for him, if you’d allow me to take care of this, it would mean a lot to me.”