Page 67 of This Time Around
Twenty-Two
Rebecca
Muscles I didn’t know existed ached.I longed for a hot bath, a gallon of water followed by a glass of wine, and an ice pack to soothe the heat on my neck from a day of hard work.But it was done.
I had a dozen if not more people to thank profusely for their help today.Near the end of the night, Peter and Gloria Whitman had even stopped by.Gloria said she’d heard all the ruckus on the ranch and seen the tractors moving in the hayfields.Knowing what we were doing, she and Peter came over and brought so many pies all of us could practically have our own.We were still stuffed from the four, six-foot-long subs Christa had delivered, eating those throughout the day but at the mention of one of Gloria Whitman’s prize-winning fruit pies, everyone acted like we hadn’t eaten in a week.
After those were desecrated, Peter had gone to hang with the men still moving bales to the barns and putting the equipment away.
Gloria had grabbed a beer and settled down with Brooke, her boys, Kelly, and I on the back patio and kicked up her feet where we talked about the day, the fact we made around five hundred bales, enough to get me through the next year assuming everything went well, and hundreds more square bales I used to feed the goats.
Kelly and Ryan left shortly after.He was on the night shift at the police department and had to get home to change.I’d felt horrible when he reminded me of that.The guy had spent twelve hours tossing hay bales around and he still had twelve hours to work.
My good friends weren’t just good, they were incredible.
“What a day.”My arm was so sore it trembled as I brought my glass of water to my lips.“Every year I forget how long this takes.”
It was almost nine o’clock, but no one had been in a hurry to head home.Next to Brooke, her Nathan was curled into a lounge chair, eyes closed and sleeping.The kid had worked hard all day long.Oliver, their six-year-old, had been active too, but mostly he played with the goats and occasionally sat on the hay in the flatbed while his dad worked.Still, he hadn’t been a nuisance.
I made a mental note to have him back to the ranch more often.I’d forgotten how much he loved the goats and chickens.On the years my mom had grown a vegetable garden, Nathan had always enjoyed tending it with her.I didn’t have time for a garden, although I’d always wanted a large one.I imagined it being self-sustaining and enough where I could occasionally get a tent at the farmer’s market to sell what I didn’t need.I’d buy canning equipment and have my cellar lined with walls of canned vegetables and tomato sauces to last me all winter.
Currently it was a pipe dream, considering I didn’t have much time for anything more than I was doing.
Brooke pulled a piece of stray hay out of her messed ponytail and flung it toward the ground.“I’ll be picking hay out of strange crevices for days.”
“Gross.”My shoulders shook.My friends were so weird.
“Woman!”Andrew called, stomping up the steps.“Let’s get these boys to bed.I gotta hit the hay.”
I snickered and then groaned.“That was the lamest dad joke ever.”
“Never know what’s going to work unless you throw it out there.”
“Better not get too crazy,” Brooke said, moaning as she lifted her tired body out of her chair.“Or you might be the one getting thrown back.”
“Your threats are worthless.”He kissed his wife and came to me, bending down and planting a kiss on my cheek.“You host a hell of a workday as always, Rebecca.Remind us not to curse you too much when none of us can move tomorrow.”
“You young un’s,” Gloria piped up.“Don’t know hard work.Hell, the tractors do most of the job.”She glared and pointed at Andrew.“And tomorrow’s the Lord’s Day.Your behinds better be in church like they always are.”
“Come on, ma’am,” Andrew replied, cheeky grin on his face.“Even Jesus took a day of rest.”
“Well I’ll be.”She grinned back.“Didn’t know thanking the Lord for all your blessings was exhausting work.”
“Ugh.You got me.”He grinned at her and then lifted Oliver into his arms from his resting spot in another lounge chair.“When you put it that way, we’ll be there.”
Brooke flashed me wide eyes that said over her dead body would she be in church in the morning.I bit back a laugh at her expression.
Gloria got out of her chair as well and looked at me.“Will we see you?”
Not likely.“I’ll think about it.”
She came to me, her soft, old lips pressed against my temple.“Think harder, sweetheart.Know you’re mad at the lot you’ve been given, but guarantee that God wants to turn your ash field into somethin’ precious if you trust Him to.”
I wasn’t ready for that.Although my field, as she called it, didn’t feel nearly as ashy lately.“Point made, ma’am.”
Her wrinkled hand settled on my shoulder and squeezed.“I’ll keep prayin’ for ya’.He’ll work on you, I know it.”
The woman was relentless.“Thanks for the desserts.They were all delicious.”
