that would have seemed like an odd statement, but she’d learned it all in stride, having grown up with a father who not only worked as the veterinarian for the Wilde Ranch, but also served as a veterinarian to farm animals and pets … and goat farmers. Although many of the local farms and ranches had been sold to major corporations, her father maintained a thriving practice.
She walked into the kitchen, leaned over her mother’s shoulder and inhaled.
“Hmm … that smells great, Mom. What are you making?”
“Oh, just a little something I threw together.”
Ellie opened the refrigerator, pulled out a can of cola and grinned at her mother.
“Something you just threw together, huh?” she asked, seeing the small smile playing around the corners of her mother’s mouth.
“It’s your favorite—pot roast. It’s not every day my only child returns home,” she quipped. Although it was said lightly, Ellie frowned. She opened her mouth to remind her mother that she didn’t know how long she’d be home, but just as quickly closed it.
That was just it. She herself didn’t know how long that would be.
Her return home had come at a time when she was deciding the next course in her career, her life.
Instead of joining her dad in practice after graduating, Ellie had chosen to do an extended study in animal husbandry at an overseas tertiary institution. Although her parents had been proud of her, having been chosen among thousands of applicants, she knew her father had also been disappointed that she hadn’t joined him in his practice.
But, as much as she loved her parents, appreciated them, after the accident she’d suffered as a child and the looks of pity she’d come to abhor as she’d grown older, Ellie knew that she had to leave Lander, the home she’d grown up in.
Even if that had meant leaving her parents, and the community, the only home she known for all of her life.
Completing the extended study, she’d elected to remain for a period of time as an associate professor as well as vet for the small rural community she’d come to love. But, after her last visit home, she’d been struck by how much her parents had aged despite their active lifestyle, and decided it was time to come home.
Not only for her parents, but for herself, as well.
A ghost of a smile graced Ellie’s mouth as she watched her mother fussing over the food she’d prepared. Ellie had been home for almost a week, and every day her mother had “thrown together” something special for her for dinner. And breakfast, as well as anytime Ellie walked into the house.
She glanced around the immaculately kept home. Nothing was ever out of place. From the crocheted doilies set on the highly polished kitchen table that her father had made when he’d first married her mother, to the cherrywood floors and every knickknack in between, everything was neat and orderly.
Her mother turned toward her, a small smile on her face, “It’s good to have you home, baby. We’ve missed you.”
A wealth of emotion passed along the older woman’s features and Ellie paused before moving toward her mother near the stove.
“Have a seat, Mom. Let me do that,” she said softly. But when she tried taking the plate from her mother’s hand, she was gently, but firmly, moved away.
“You go sit down and tell me how your day went. I told you … I enjoy doing this,” her mother replied. Ellie shook her head, but lifted her cola can from the counter and sat at the table. Her glance went over the table set with silverware. In the middle of the table a basket was filled with bread, a large bowl of salad nearby.
“How’d the first day go? Did you get to talk to the boys?” Leandra Crandall asked, as she went about filling two plates before walking to the table and placing them down. Immediately she walked to the refrigerator and removed a pitcher of tea and brought it to the table.
Running a critical eye over the table, making sure she hadn’t left anything out, finally Ellie’s mother sat down next to her.
Ellie reached over to remove a roll from the basket, her stomach growling. Her mother’s sharp tap on the back of her hand and scowl stopped her from taking a healthy bite. Ellie bit her lip to prevent a laugh at the silent admonishment.
“Oops, sorry, Mom,” she mumbled, and bowed her head as her mother said grace.
Once her mother had blessed the food to her satisfaction, she turned to Ellie, raising a brow.
“What?” Ellie asked, swallowing down a sigh. If her mother didn’t just let her eat, she would scream.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Did you get to talk to the boys?” Leandra asked.
“If by boys, you mean Nate or Holt, the answer would be no.”
“And what about Shilah?” her mother replied, as she began to eat.
“No,” Ellie replied shortly, after a brief pause. When her mother stared at her she felt like a deer caught in the headlights.
“What, Ma?” she asked, around a bite of food.
She felt as she had as a child whenever her parents caught her telling a lie. She felt the tips of her ears burn, something that happened whenever she hedged on the truth.
“Hmm,” was her mother’s noncommittal reply, and Ellie’s ears burned even hotter.
After a few moments of silence, Ellie reluctantly spoke. “Okay, so I did run into Shilah. But we didn’t get a chance to talk about the ranch, at least not about my involvement with the USDA.”
“Oh, really? So, if you didn’t talk about the ranch, what did you talk about?” her mother asked, a gleam in her eye. Ellie quickly picked up her glass of tea and took a deep drink.
“Oh, nothing important. Mainly just caught up. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other,” she said with a shrug, forcing a lightness to her expression she was anything but feeling.
“He didn’t bring up the troubles going on at the ranch?” her mother probed.
Ellie inhaled a deep breath, thoughtfully chewing. At that point she would give every one of her advanced degrees to make her mother just drop the subjects of both the Wilde Ranch and Shilah.
“No. Like I said, we just caught up on old times. Hmm, Ma, did you put cinnamon in these rolls? I really have missed your cooking,” she said, smiling.
Although her enthusiastic reaction to her mother’s rolls was feigned, she mentally held her breath, hoping her mother would at least take the hint that Ellie didn’t want to discuss the ranch.
“Hey, thanks again for setting up my office for me, you and dad did a great job.”
“Do you really like it? I didn’t go overboard with all your plaques? As soon as it was official, I couldn’t wait to get may hands on it and decorate,” Leandra said, a smile splitting across her face. Ellie let out a long breath,
