Return to Birch Woods

By Cammy Trubisky

For the first time in her life, Emma Kate Stone feels truly alone. Her mother died ten years prior during Emma Kate's senior year of high school. Deciding not to attend her dream school in Chicago, she attended the local college to help her father run Stone Stables, their family farm. It was a choice that Emma Kate never regretted.

But a few short weeks ago, Emma Kate's father passed away. On her first day of running Stone Stables since his death, she discovers a letter from the IRS and quickly learns that Stone Stables is faced with an impending tax bill. Benjamin Stone had been getting more forgetful before his death. The taxes had not been paid in some time and now the IRS is threatening to seize the property and auction it off. Emma Kate has to find a way to save the jobs and livelihoods of those in the small town that depend on the farm.

To complicate matters, Mack Nolen has returned to Birch Woods after leaving a decade ago. His company has sent him to up-and-coming Birch Woods to look for development property. Mack had been Emma Kate's high school boyfriend. Mack only applied at Emma Kate's dream college, Northwestern, to follow her there. However, when her mom died and she stayed local, Mack left for Chicago promising to return. That was the last time Emma Kate ever saw Mack.

"Return to Birch Woods" is the story of hope and determination for Emma Kate Stone. She must navigate saving Stone Stables which has been a stronghold in Birch Woods for generations with managing her feelings about her only true love returning. But when Mack's company sets its sights on Stone Stables, everything Emma Kate is trying to save, including her future dreams, may fall apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350961744

Cammy Trubisky

Cammy Trubisky lives in Ohio with her husband, Ron, and college-aged twins, Ellie and Will. "Return to Birch Woods" is her second novel.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Emma kate stone sipped her coffee on her porch as she watched the sunrise over the hills of Stone Stables, her family farm. It was early, very early, but the air was heating up quickly. Emma Kate pulled her long, brown, naturally curly hair into a bun on the top of her head. She could feel the beads of sweat forming on her neck. Tying her hair up, she exhaled and looked out at the morning that was just beginning.

Emma Kate had grown up on Stone Stables, which was located in the small town of Birch Woods, Ohio. Birch Woods was about an hour from the city. When Emma Kate was younger, the city felt as far away as the moon. Back then, Birch Woods had just one stoplight in the middle of town. The town square was historic, with bricked, tree-lined streets. The pride of the town was the Birch Woods Bears—the high school sports teams. Friday nights at the football stadium were a highlight of the fall to cheer on the team as the crops were picked and the leaves changed. 

Stone Stables was composed of several parts. There was the big, old wooden farmhouse that Emma Kate had grown up in and still lived in. It was painted white, and the shutters were a deep shade of green. A tall oak tree still stood next to the home. The oak was old but strong and its branches spread far. The oak was a symbol of the Stone Stables label. A wide front porch was covered and looked out over the rest of the property. The barn was the same deep green as the shutters of the house. It contained an indoor sand arena and twelve stalls that held schooling horses owned by Stone Stables. Emma Kate’s personal horse, Riley, was stabled there, too.

Next to the barn, was an outdoor sand arena to exercise and train the horses. Lessons were given outdoors whenever it was nice enough weather-wise, which was most of the year. A white-fenced enclosure surrounded the perimeter of the riding arena to give a boundary for the riders and their horses. Emma Kate had recently had the arenas redone to give the best possible footing for the horses to train on.

Leading out from the arena were the pastures, which were also enclosed in fencing. These thirty acres were mostly used for letting the horses graze and get exercise. Equestrian students also practiced their cross-country training there. Emma Kate, herself, enjoyed riding throughout the fields.

On the other side of the pastures were over four hundred acres of farmland. Stone Stables leased out this land to farmers. Emma Kate’s grandfather and great-grandfather had been farmers. But Emma Kate’s father, Benjamin, had not gotten the trait for a love of farming. He had tried his hand at it back when he’d first taken over the land from his dad, but after a few years, he leased out the land. At that point, Benjamin Stone had gotten married to Georgia Katherine Ross, Emma Kate’s mother, and she was an equestrian. The Stones grew the equine side of the business from that point on. When Emma Kate came along, she’d developed the same passion that her mom had for horseback riding and the family often traveled to horse shows with the team of riders that Georgia trained at Stone Stables.

Emma Kate looked at the long driveway that looped itself through the property to the farmhouse. Hopefully, Ava, her best friend and assistant, would arrive in time to share a cup of coffee before they started their morning. Today was going to be an important one. This marked the first day that Emma Kate would run the family farm since her dad passed away last month. Decisions needed to be made about the care of the animals, equestrian lessons, and possible summer camps. Stone Stables had to keep going if they were going to pay the bills. Emma Kate was now the sole person left from her small family to keep Stone Stables viable.

Stone Stables was an integral part of the town of Birch Woods. The local farmers who leased their farmland grew corn, pumpkins, soybeans, and other vegetables. Luckily, Noah Miller managed that aspect of the business, and his continued help would be invaluable to Emma Kate. Noah had gone to school with Emma Kate since kindergarten. His family was local, and their dads had been best friends. It was a no-brainer for Benjamin Stone to hire Noah when he applied for the position several years ago.

Noah had been especially helpful since the death of Emma Kate’s father. He had kept the day-to-day things running and communicated with the staff until Emma Kate felt up to it. Emma Kate knew that moving forward, she and Noah would only work closer together than they ever had. She wished she had a guidebook for running the farm side of Stone Stables. But in the absence of that, she would have Noah, who knew everything there was to know about her family farm. Emma Kate was suddenly overwhelmingly appreciative of Noah. She made a mental note to schedule some time to meet with him as she took another sip of her coffee.

Stone Stables was better known outside of their town for their equestrian facility, though. Lessons were given in dressage, stadium jumping, and cross-country. More importantly, the equestrian students learned how to take care of the horses and clean the stalls. When students reached a certain level in their riding, they were invited to join the Stone Stables Pony Club, which was part of the national Pony Club organization that builds a foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and the care of horses and ponies.

Emma Kate had ridden through these hills and every inch of their property for as long as she could remember. Her mom used to like to tell everyone that Emma Kate could ride a horse before she could walk. Although Emma Kate was pretty sure that was an exaggeration, the thought still made her laugh. Emma Kate’s mom could sure tell some stories.

Georgia Katherine Stone, Emma Kate’s mother, had passed away suddenly from a stroke ten years prior. Emma Kate often thought that she should start writing her mom’s stories in a journal. Sure, she had a few albums and mementos passed down to her, but her mom’s stories were the most important to her. Living in her family’s farmhouse, Emma Kate felt like the walls and floorboards had documented her simple, but picturesque, childhood. Oh, how Emma Kate wished these walls could talk. She missed her parents immensely and was thankful that she grew up riding horses and spending her days outside.

Emma Kate primarily looked like her mother, and many of her physical characteristics had come from her mom’s side of the family, including her natural curls and athletic build. Emma Kate was taller than most of her friends, standing at 5’8". Her long, lean legs sure came in handy when it came to riding a horse, and for that, she was thankful. Every time Emma Kate looked into a mirror, she felt like she was looking at a younger version of her mother.

The day that Georgia Stone died had been on one of the first warm days of spring. Emma Kate’s dad, Benjamin, had been meeting with the farmers that day as they were getting ready for the upcoming planting season. Emma Kate had been at school all day, and it was her senior year. She’d been late coming home that afternoon because she and her friends had stopped to get milkshakes and make plans for that upcoming weekend. When Emma Kate entered her family’s farmhouse that early evening, she called out for her mom. Normally, Emma Kate would smell whatever meal her mother had started for dinner. Not only were there no smells that particular day, but there were no sounds like music playing and pots banging. She called out again. Walking into the kitchen, Emma Kate saw her mother sprawled out on the floor. She ran to her, tried to give CPR, and called 911. But it was too late. Georgia Stone had died of a massive stroke. After the fact, the doctors told the family that even if someone would’ve found Georgia sooner, she wouldn’t have been saved. Georgia’s stroke was sudden and substantial. She had passed quickly.

Emma Kate walked into the house to make a second cup of coffee and picked up the pile of mail that had started to accumulate since her dad’s passing. Her dad had handled all the finances of the farm, so Emma Kate was going to have to quickly learn this area. As her coffee percolated, she thumbed through the mail. One envelope, in particular, caught her attention. There was a large, red Important Tax Information stamped on the front and it was addressed to her father, Benjamin Stone. This envelope did not promise to contain happy news. Emma Kate felt nervous and started to fumble with her favorite coffee cup that had a picture of Tryon International Equestrian center on the front of it. It had been the last place that she had traveled to with her mom before Georgia passed away. Emma Kate would forever have fond memories of that trip, horse show, and the quaint cabin they had rented near a babbling creek. She took a sip of her steaming coffee and headed back out to the porch to investigate the tax letter.

As she rocked on the porch swing, Emma Kate marveled at how stunning the fields looked with the fog lifting off of them that morning. Each hill seemed to roll into the next. At this time of the year, the beginning of summer, the grass was a deep green from the spring rains. Birds were chirping, and the crickets were singing. Hummingbirds and bees were starting to appear around the flowering plants that surrounded the porch. Stone Stables looked like an oil painting come to life. She continued to sip her coffee as she breathed in the fresh aroma of French vanilla. She had so very much to accomplish today, but Emma Kate decided that another cup of coffee would help her be that much more efficient, so she continued to savor her drink.

Emma Kate’s attention turned as she heard a car in the driveway. Ava’s sporty black Jeep was approaching the house. Emma Kate put down the envelope she was holding and waved to her best friend. Her heart just felt better watching Ava jump out of the Jeep and head her way. Emma Kate was a strong person and could handle a lot, but today would be better with Ava. Everything was always better with Ava.

In a town as small as Birch Woods, most people knew each other all their lives. Ava and Emma Kate were no exception. Like Emma Kate’s, Ava Carter’s family had lived in Birch Woods for generations. Ava and Emma Kate were in the same friend group at school and competed in horse shows together, as Emma Kate’s mom had taught even Ava how to ride. Emma Kate and Ava were each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Horse girls were just that way. They looked out for one another.

As Ava came up the steps, her two blonde braids were swinging beneath a ball cap. Ava was petite and quite a bit shorter than Emma Kate. She immediately reached up to hug Emma Kate. I’ve been thinking about you all morning. Hope I’m not here too early. She held her friend even tighter.

Ava had been up for hours. She’d spent a lot of time with Emma Kate since Benjamin Stone’s funeral, but they had talked little about the business side of things. Ava worked as an equestrian trainer for Stone Stables and appreciated the opportunity to work not only in the horse business but also with her best friend. Having gone to a small, private college close by, Ava had majored in equine studies. Working for Stone Stables was her dream job with her best friend.

Ava owned a horse who was named Maisie. Maisie was a Palomino and the sweetest creature when she wanted to be. Maisie loved to show the other horses who was the boss so often that Ava would put Maisie out in the smaller pasture with her horse friends than in the larger pasture with more horses. Horses are like humans; they have their buddies. Being able to stable Maisie where she worked was an added bonus for Ava at Stone Stables. Ava would often ride the trails with Emma Kate.

Emma Kate smiled gratefully. Absolutely not. I’ve been praying that you could still come over today. Can I get you a cup of coffee? I’ve got French vanilla, dark roast, or hazelnut flavored.

French vanilla would be great.

Emma Kate prepared a cup for her friend and then rejoined her out on the porch. Ava was swinging on the wide porch swing that Emma Kate’s grandfather had built ages ago. Emma Kate thought about the number of problems that were probably settled on this very swing. It was fitting that her first important decisions in taking over the operations of the barn would be made on this swing, hopefully this morning.

After handing Ava her cup, Emma Kate began. We have a lot to figure out. We need to determine a class schedule for the equestrian lessons and decide if we want to hold a summer camp, too. With the large number of equestrian students graduating this year, a summer camp may be a good way to increase our group of new riders for the fall session.

That makes sense. And with so many new housing developments popping up, it will get our name out to the new families.

I guess there are good and bad points to all these new developments, Emma Kate shrugged.

I suppose. Just seems like they are throwing houses up, though, here in Birch Woods.

The schools will probably need to expand with all this growth. I heard there’s a new tax levy to vote on in the next election. Speaking of taxes, I need to open a letter that I found this morning from the IRS.

Emma Kate reached over and opened the letter. As she silently read the words on the page, they began to blur. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Tears began to well up.

Em, what is it? What’s wrong?

Emma Kate was silent. Her hands were trembling.

Emma Kate…talk to me.

Emma Kate swallowed hard. Surely, what she was reading couldn’t be right. There just had to be a mistake. She silently read it to herself again to make sure before she read the letter aloud to Ava.

Umm…the letter says that Stone Stables owes several years of back taxes. With the penalties and fines, the amount is more, way more, than what we have in the bank. It states that this is a final notice and that if it’s not paid by June 30, they’ll seize Stone Stables and auction it off.

Oh, no… Ava was in a state of disbelief as well. That can’t be right. There must be a mistake.

Emma Kate stared at the letter. What was she going to do? This just couldn’t be happening. But it looked so official. In her head, Emma Kate knew the letter was real.

Do you think your dad knew about this? There’s no way that he would’ve let things with the taxes go, Emma Kate. Anyone who knew Benjamin Stone knew he would not have allowed things to get this far.

Emma Kate put the letter down and looked at her hands in her lap. She felt like she was aging by the minute. She suddenly felt so old. The burden of this tax bill would fall solely on her shoulders. Looking up at the sky, she prayed for guidance or a sign that everything would work out.

Dad was becoming very forgetful with each passing year. I was getting ready to talk to him about hiring an accountant, or even showing me how to do the financials, but there was never a right time. If I even brought up finances, he would say that I shouldn’t worry and that he had everything under control. He never wanted me to worry and was always trying to protect me.

Emma Kate’s father had been headstrong, and she got many of her personality characteristics from him: determined, confident, decisive, independent. But the combination of Benjamin’s recent forgetfulness and his strong-willed independence might have been a recipe for disaster as far as Stone Stables was concerned. Emma Kate sure hoped this wasn’t the case. She exhaled slowly, reminding herself to breathe.

Oh Emma Kate, I’m so sorry. We will find a way to fix this, make it right. Let me know what I can do to help. Maybe we could go to the bank and look into taking out a loan.

Ava thought there just had to be something that could be done to fix the tax issue. The Stone family were the most upstanding and honest people in the county, and everyone knew that.

Yeah, maybe. I guess it’s worth a try. I have to start somewhere. Emma Kate stared out over her land. The rolling hills seemed to soothe her worries for the moment. In her heart, she knew her father would never have left her in this position on purpose. Knowing him, he probably thought that he had everything under control. Emma Kate should have asked more questions, been more proactive about learning the business-side.

But Benjamin had been mentally slipping before he passed away. The familiarity of his day-to-day routine had more than likely covered up just how forgetful he was becoming. Emma Kate wished she could go back in time and push harder to get her dad to let her help more with the accounting and books. It wasn’t just her family’s barn that she had to save, but the jobs of the people they employed and the land that the local farmers grew crops on. Birch Woods depended on Stone Stables in more ways than one. Emma Kate’s favorite saying had always been, when there’s a will, there’s a way and she would just have to find a way.

CHAPTER 2

After a long morning of planning out a summer schedule, Emma Kate and Ava headed out to get started on some chores around the barn. Emma Kate began with giving her horse, Riley, a bath. Riley was an Arabian, crossed with a Westphalian horse, and thoroughly enjoyed being cleaned and brushed. This was a good thing because the pale gray coloring of his mane and tail got dirty easily. It didn’t help that Riley loved to roll around in the mud on a consistent basis.

I think that’s the cleanest that I’ve ever seen Riley! Noah Miller, the farm manager for Stone Stables, exclaimed as he came into the barn that morning. You’re really giving him a scrubbing. Is everything ok? You look like a woman on a mission.

Oh, Noah, it’s just been a stressful morning. Emma Kate already looked and felt worn out for the day.

Anything I can help with?

Actually, yes. Emma Kate stopped cleaning Riley and sat down on an overturned bucket. Maybe Noah knew something about the finances. Did my father ever talk to you about the finances for Stone Stables? Please say yes, Emma Kate thought to herself. Please say that the tax bill was a big misunderstanding and that my dad has already taken care of it.

No, not really. We would discuss the percentages for the farmers leasing out the land and when those payments were due. I’d give your dad the amounts, but your dad would take care of all that. I often offered to help, but you know how your dad was. He always said that he had everything taken care of.

Noah had worked for Emma Kate’s father for a while now and knew her father well. Emma Kate could hear her father saying those exact words to Noah. Her father trusted Noah explicitly, but he still would’ve wanted to take care of everything himself.

That’s what I figured, Emma Kate replied. Thanks anyway. Emma Kate stood up to get back to cleaning Riley.

Is everything okay? Noah thought that Emma Kate seemed worried.

I hope it will be. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Sorry. I’ll fill you in later, I promise. Emma Kate knew she needed to give Noah more details, and sooner rather than later, but she was still wrapping her head around the situation.

You look like you could use some cheering up. How about I take you out to dinner tonight?

Noah could tell that Emma Kate seemed off. It made sense, as she’d just lost her father. Noah also knew that Emma Kate would need help in more ways than one with the running of Stone Stables, so he thought that it’d be a good idea to discuss that over dinner, when she wasn’t so busy in the barn.

Emma Kate had known Noah for forever. He was wearing his usual jeans, boots, and a plaid shirt. He usually wore a hat over his light hair. She liked Noah a lot, as a friend and coworker. Noah was dependable. If you ever needed anything, Noah would be there. Emma Kate got the feeling that Noah would like for them to be more than friends. She tried very hard not to lead him on. But they were good friends, and she really could use some cheering up. She was getting lonely in the big farmhouse all by herself. And she would need to come up with a solution for the tax bill. Not only did Noah deserve to know what was going on, but he might have some excellent suggestions of where to start with that.

That’d be nice, Noah. I have so much work to do. Could we go later in the evening?

Sure thing. I’ll pick you up at 8?

8 would be perfect.

Later that evening, Noah and Emma Kate headed to dinner at the new brewery in Birch Woods. Emma Kate had a quick shower and threw on a sundress. Noah had obviously taken care to look nice for the dinner, changing into clean jeans and a button-down. Emma Kate really