Russell's Return by J.J. Ellis Page B

you?”
    “No,” she said shaking her head
emphatically. “That was nothing compared what happened to…in Seattle.”
    “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he raised
her chin so he could look into her eyes. His lips inched toward her, settling
gently on them. The sweet gentle kiss quickly turned deep and passionate.
“Where’s the bedroom?” he asked breathlessly.
    “Over there,” she returned, pointing
down the hall. “I’ll grab our clothes and meet you there.”

 
    CHAPTER
7
     
    Russell smiled when he heard his
favorite song on the radio but then the damn thing kept sticking on the chorus.
    “Russell...Russell, your phone is
ringing.”
    He sat bolt upright at the sound of
Emily’s voice. “Miranda! What’s wrong with Miranda?” Leaping up, he rushed to
the chair where he’d put their clothes, to dig for his phone. “Hello.”
    “Hi son. Don’t worry, Miranda is fine,
but I need you to come home.”
    “What happened, Ma?” he demanded as he
sat on the edge of the bed.
    Evelyn sighed. “It’s your brother. He’s
had an accident and I need to get to him. Someone needs to stay with your
daughter.”
    “Okay Ma, I’ll be right there.” He hung
up the phone and started to get dressed.
    “What’s going on Russell? Is there
anything I can do?”
    “My brother’s been in some kind of
accident and Mom needs to leave.”
    “Oh no!” Emily worried. “Which brother?”
    “She didn’t say, but it has to be Dylan.
I swear Logan never leaves that damn grocery store anymore.”
    Emily nodded and rose from the bed.
“I’ll come with you. You never know how Miranda will react to the news.”
    Russell didn’t argue, he just moved so
Emily could get to her dresser. Somehow he already knew, this early in their relationship,
not to bother arguing with her. And he could really use her quiet comfort right
now.
    The word ‘relationship’ reverberated in
his head. What they had was so new, he couldn’t call it that yet. Could
he? Yes, they got along well, and yes the sex was fantastic. He really liked her but…
    Shaking off his troubling thoughts, he
grabbed his keys and turned to Emily. “Ready?”
    She nodded and headed for the living
room. With a growing sense of urgency, they left the former bunkhouse and
headed to the main house.
     
    **********
     
    Evelyn was waiting in the backlit
doorway when the SUV pulled into the driveway. Russell and Emily rushed over to
her. “What happened?” he asked.
    “Dylan ran off the road and was thrown
from the car,” she said quietly as another round of tears formed.
    “Ma, you can’t drive in this state,”
Russell insisted as they made their way to the kitchen. “Let me drive you.”
    Emily busied herself with making coffee
while Russell and Evelyn sat at the breakfast bar.
    “I didn’t plan on driving myself, son.
Evangeline Ballas is taking me. Tomorrow is her weekly trip to see her mother
in the nursing home so she said she would just go up today instead.”
    Russell released the breath he’d been
holding and covered his mother’s hand with his. “He’ll be okay Ma. You know
Dylan, he won’t leave a world where there are still women to conquer.”
    A small smile appeared on Evelyn’s face.
“You’re probably right Rusty, but just in case, keep praying.”
    “I will, Ma. But ixnay the icknamenay ,” he whispered with a sly glance to
Emily.
    Evelyn chuckled as she accepted a cup of
coffee. “Thank you, dear.”
    Emily sat down next to Russell and
joined the somber conversation. “Did they take him to Casper or Billings?”
    Evelyn took a sip of coffee and closed
her eyes. “Billings,” she murmured.
    They all knew that if he had been taken
to Billings, Montana, there were traumatic injuries. Casper wasn’t as equipped
to handle cases that serious.
    The doorbell rang, breaking the mood in
the room. Russell hurried to answer it with Evelyn and Emily not far behind.
“Hello Mrs. Ballas. It’s nice to see you again.”
    “Well Russell dear,