Page 6 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight

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hey fell into a nice routine after that, crossing paths before dusk in the kitchen and well before dawn in the wheatfields.

Cole never did learn how to run a straight line, but the fields were almost done a good month before Grady thought they would be.

It set up a kind of hope in his chest he knew was dangerous.

Can sow them fields all ya like, but if there ain’t no rain, then there ain’t nothin’ to hope for , his daddy used to say.

And Grady learned he had as much control over the rain as he did over the wind.

Grady was finishing up a row and expecting Cole to appear any moment from out of the dark like usual, but he didn’t.

He reached the far end of the final field and turned so it was facing out, ready to make the final rows.

He turned the key and looked down at the dogs, who were looking back up at him.

Maybe it was too far to walk. Grady had known it was, especially in the black of night to get out here before dawn, and he’d told the kid to use the truck, said he’d use the flatbed. But Cole had shaken his head and said he liked the walk, and that was that.

Grady hopped down and scanned the darkness but couldn’t see anything.

He was beginning to think maybe the boy was sick because he might not know a damn thing about Cole other than him being a foolish man’s youngest boy and a damn good sandwich maker who liked dogs, but he didn’t reckon he was the kind to bail on a job once he was in it.

Lady barked, and her tail started wagging. She and Dog rushed out into the blackness on the edge of the lights.

Grady heard him, that soft way he had of greeting the dogs and making a big fuss over them, then he was stepping into the light with an apology for being late already coming out of his mouth.

“Ain’t late yet,” Grady said even though that wasn’t entirely true.

Grady got his things and came out of the cabin, went to step aside to let Cole up, but Cole stopped him.

“We done after this one, right?”

Grady nodded and stayed where he was between the door and Cole. He couldn’t make out much on his face, and anyway Cole was looking down at his boots, but then he lifted his head and gazed out past Grady’s shoulder into the pitch black of the horizon.

“So, I guess I’ll get a move on after I finish.”

Grady frowned and studied Cole. He was putting a brave face on it, but Grady reckoned the thought of going back out there was worrying him.

It was none of Grady’s business, or his problem, but he could use a hand to get the sheep moved, and Cole wasn’t any trouble to have around, even if he made Grady uneasy in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

“If you want,” Grady said and watched as Cole nodded, a slow movement of his head, his eyes still looking out at nothing. “Or I could use you on this sheep run.”

Cole’s eyes met his.

“But if you got somewhere to be...”

“I don’t got nowhere to be.” The words rushed out before he huffed and smiled like he was trying to hide his excitement.

“Good.”

“Good,” Cole repeated around a nod and another suppressed smile.

Grady stepped aside. Cole climbed up, and when he reached to close the door, Grady held it. Cole looked down at his hand bracketing the door.

Grady didn’t know what he was going to say, and Cole was watching him, those big black eyes still defiant even under the relief.

“We’ll take a day off and then get to it Sunday,” Grady finally said.

Cole nodded. “All right.”

“Maybe go into town.”

Cole’s expression shifted. Grady swore he looked frightened, but he closed off fast.

“I don’t need anythin’ from town.”

Grady nodded. “All right. See you back at the house then.”

Cole exhaled. “Yep.” And that yep was full of so many words it was set to bursting.

Grady left it alone. He stepped back and shut the cabin door in one movement. He walked out in front of the tractor across the lights, then back into the dark on the other side. He headed for home on foot, leaving his truck for Cole no matter what the boy said.