Russell's Return Read Online Free PDF Page B

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Wyoming was definitely the good old-fashioned home cooking. His restaurants
were good, but not quite that good.  His mom had to be the best cook on
the planet. For dinner he had two plates packed full of roast, mashed potatoes
and green beans, fresh from the garden.
    “Anyone want dessert?” Evelyn asked.
    “Not yet Ma, I’m stuffed,” was Russell’s
groaned reply.
    “I’m ready Grandma,” Miranda piped up.
    “Well, then, we need two pieces of warm
apple pie a la mode, and your daddy can have his when he’s ready.”
    “Yay!” was Miranda’s enthusiastic
response. Russell laughed, his daughter sure did like her desserts. Sometimes
it was almost like she obsessed over them.
    “I think I’ll leave you two young ladies
to dessert, and I’ll take a walk and check out the old homestead.” He stood and
stretched. “I really missed your cooking, Ma. Thanks for dinner.” He was
definitely going to have to increase his workouts now.
    “Yeah, Grandma, Daddy’s cooking can get kinda icky.”
    Russell laughed. “Yeah, it’s a good
thing I own three restaurants or we would have starved. Right, Kiddo?”
    Miranda giggled. “Yep.”
    “Well, I’ll be back in a while ladies.
Be good for Grandma, silly girl,” he said patting her on the head.  He couldn’t
wait to get some of that prime Wyoming fresh air in his lungs. It would clear
his head and aid in digestion.
    Russell was almost out the door when his
mother called him back. “Could you take this apple pie over to our renter at
the old bunk house?” He stood there blinking, a million thoughts running
through his head. “Uh Ma, since when do we have someone renting the old bunk
house? And why is there someone renting the old bunk house?” Russell
went from anticipation to worry in a split second.
    Evelyn let out a sharp laugh at her
son’s harsh tone. “Since I figured one old lady living on a one-hundred-fifty
acre ranch was kind of ridiculous. We have all of these great buildings and all
of this land. I figured I might as well make some money off of it. The bunk
house, foreman’s house and the guest house are all rented and your brother
Logan has plans to build a place here on the ranch. Your brother Dylan is even
living in the lake cabin. I figured maybe someday you might want to do the
same. You know, when you settle down and marry again.”
    “First, don’t go there Ma, and second,
is the business doing okay? If you need money…”  His tone was even more
worried now.
    “The business is doing just fine son.
You need to relax, the city has you all uptight. I just hate to see good land
and buildings go to waste.” She smiled up at him. “Now take this pie to the
bunk house. Please.” It was more of a demand than a request this time.
    Russell was reeling from what his mother
had just told him. He didn’t know if he liked the idea of strangers living on
Harper Land. But if he thought about it, why should it bother him.  It
isn’t like he had ever wanted anything to do with this land. He left at
eighteen and never missed it one bit. Wow, these new feelings of protectiveness
for the homestead were more puzzling to him than the concept of his mother
renting out the ranch. If he didn’t have to deliver the stupid pie to the
renters he would take off toward the river and give himself some thinking time.
Just like when he was a kid.
    Russell walked around the large, white
two story farmhouse to pick up the trail that ran between the main house and
the out buildings. This was one of his favorite parts of the ranch. Views of
the mountains that would soon be snow packed on one side, and open ranch land
with stands of pines and cottonwoods scattered along the way on the other side.
Wyoming summers were fantastic on this type of terrain. Rolling hills to run
on, trees to climb, gulleys to hide in, and meadows
to race across. His heart battled, torn between the life he built for himself
in the city and the beauty of his home state. If only his