Horses grazed peacefullyin the front paddocks and ducks floated on the water where he’d gottensunburned more times than he could remember. The weeping willows that lined thelagoon and followed up the driveway were taller but otherwise the picture inhis memory was the same.
A tractor rolled overpaddocks on one side, down past the old convicts’ barracks, cutting hay and hewondered if it was Kate. He smiled to himself. Fancy his brother's shadow allgrown up and running the place. Things really had gone full circle. Little Katehad adored Cade, following him everywhere, at every chance she could.
How his brothercouldn't see that she'd worn her heart on her sleeve was beyond him. But thenall the girls had adored his brother. The blond-haired, blue-eyed sporting heroalways had someone running after him. It was a shame that none of them hadmanaged to tame him.
Constantly in the newsfor his antics and celebrity girlfriends, Cade had scoffed at the playboy tagand insisted his goal was only to play the best he could for his team. Now Russwondered if those days were finally over.
The thought of Kate allgrown up made him smile. I wonder if she’ll still fall at Cade’s feet afterall these years? Russ put the car in gear and headed down the road, turningin at the same cast iron letterbox that had sat as a sentinel for over ahundred years.
He drove up the longsweep of the driveway and through the wrought iron gates, pulling up in frontof the house. Nerves fluttered in his stomach as he turned off the key.
Before he was out ofthe car, a small woman came running from the front door.
"Russ, you'rehome." She raced down the steps and threw herself into his arms, sobbingagainst his chest.
"Shh, Essie, it'sokay, I'm here." He held her close, feeling the sobs racking through herfrail body. When her cries turned to small hiccups, he held her back and wipedthe tears from her wrinkled cheeks with his thumbs. "Still throwingyourself at the boys after all these years, Essie."
"Oh, away withyou." She reached up and batted him on the shoulder and he feigned pain."It's so good to see you home. It threw me for a minute."
"I get it, Essie.It kind of threw me off coming up the driveway too."
"I'm sorry this isthe reason you came home. I know your dear mother would have wanted be here tosee you return."
"I know, but hey,better late than never." He flicked a button on his key ring and openedthe boot to take an overnight bag from between the boxes.
"Are you home forthe funeral or for good, Russ? Looks like you have a bit of stuff withyou."
He tucked an arm aroundher slight shoulders and walked up the steps onto the veranda. "Bigchanges are happening for me, Essie. Pour me a cup of tea and I’ll fill youin."
As they walked throughthe dark polished oak doorway, his gaze picked out the familiar family crestinlaid in the stained glass panels either side of the door. The smell hit himfirst, a mixture of beeswax furniture polish entwined with the softer fragranceof roses. His mother had loved her roses and Russ stopped when he spotted them.The crystal bowl sat on the low table in the reception room as if she'd placedthem there herself. Even the old leather chairs were still tucked into thecurve of the stair case and he remembered seeing her there, waiting.
"You fatherwouldn't let me change a thing when she died."
"I'm glad hedidn't. It's like she is still here."
"I swear some daysshe is. Your room is still the same. I haven't moved a thing since youleft."
Russ dropped his bag atthe foot of the stairs and followed Essie into the back of the house to thekitchen where the smell of baking filled the room. "You've been busy againI see."
She filled the kettlebefore placing it on the stove and grinned at him. "You know me well enoughto know I wouldn't have people over to farewell your father and not feedthem." She took a tissue from her apron pocket and blew her nose. "IsCade coming home?"
"Yes, he should behere soon. I met him at Tory's but he has his own car. I don't know if he willstay, Essie. His world is football." Russ stood with his hands in hispockets and looked around the room. Nothing had changed in here either but hehadn't expected it to. Essie was a stickler for order and kept things exactlyhow she liked them.
She made him tea andput it on the island counter between them. "I guess Tory filled you in onwhat has happened here since you left?"
"Yeah, hedid." He lifted his cup and took a sip.
"Kate should be insoon. She is a godsend to this place, let me tell you. When your dad startedfinding it hard to manage on his own, she was happy to help out. She's run theplace ever since, taking on more and more until he could relax and let hermanage it on her own."
"I never thoughtfarming was her thing growing up. She always talked about going to thecity."
"Pfft, you knowwhy that was don't you? Your brother was going and she was stuck on him. Stupidboy couldn't see what was under his damned nose."
"But all the girlsfollowed him around. That’s the way it was."
"Yeah, and morefool me for being one of them." Kate walked in the back door throwing herAkubra on the hook on the wall. She slipped her arm over Essie's shoulders,giving the older woman a hug. "Russ, how are you?" She stepped overto him and into his arms, a smile lighting up her emerald eyes. "It's beentoo long."
"It has but I canhonestly say time has been very kind to you. You look great, Kate." Heheld her at arm's length and gazed at her.
"Hard work mustagree with me then." She moved away and opened the fridge door, taking outa plate of cold meat. "Can I eat this, Essie? I'm damned hungry."
She ripped off thecling film cover and pulled a strip of meat from the bone. Kate closed her eyesas she chewed and smiled
