Reed by R. C. Ryan

Author:R. C. Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2017-04-24T16:00:00+00:00

“Look, Mama.” As Ally studied the neat rows of Yancy’s garden, Kyle used a little shovel to dig around green fernlike stalks. Minutes later he held up a carrot with the sort of pride expected if he’d been holding a gold nugget. “They grow in the dirt, and Yancy says all we have to do is dig them up and wash them.” The little boy carefully set his treasure in a basket half filled with vegetables.

“Yes. I see.” Ally looked around as her son and Lily moved on to another row and began to dig. “Yancy, this is magical.”

He straightened and walked over, peeling off his garden gloves as he did. “I guess growing things is a lot like magic. We dig and hoe and cultivate, and pray Mother Nature will smile on us and present us with this bounty of food.”

Like Yancy’s kitchen, his garden had been very carefully laid out to be both efficient and pleasing to the eye. There were tomato plants in wire cages to keep them from drooping under the weight of the green tomatoes slowly ripening in the sun. There were rows of lettuce, carrots; green, red, and yellow peppers. Snap peas and beans curled upward around rows of twine anchored between posts. Lining the far side of the garden were strawberry plants nestled in straw, and tall raspberry plants heavy with fruit. Offering shade nearby were apple, cherry, and pear trees.

“This garden isn’t the only magic. What you do with the things you grow is amazing.”

The man flushed with obvious pleasure. “I found my life’s calling here on the Malloy ranch. They give me the freedom to do exactly as I please.”

“And why not? It benefits everyone.”

“It benefits me, most of all.” He adjusted the brim of his hat. “Before coming here, I had no life to speak of. Since being here, I’ve found everything I dreamed of, and more. They’re the family I always hoped for.”

Family. His words touched her deeply.

“Yancy. Look.”

Lily’s excited cry had him turning away. “What’s up?”

“Look at the size of this turnip. It’s the biggest one yet, and Kyle was the one to dig it up.”

“Wow, Kyle. Way to go.” Yancy turned to Ally. “Care to join in our little dig?”

She shook her head. “I have to go to town to talk to the sheriff. I came by to get Kyle.”

“Would it be all right if he stayed here?” He gave her a gentle smile. “I know he’s new to all this, but it would be a shame to take him away now. I think he’s having the time of his life.”

She looked over at the smile on her son’s face. A smile that stretched from ear to ear. “You don’t mind?”

“Mind? Ally, I intend to turn those two into my little students. By the time you get back, we’ll have harvested a ton of food, and they’ll learn how to prepare it all into a royal feast.”

“It sounds like a lot more fun than what’s awaiting me in town.

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