“I won’t get lost,” Isaac promised. Then he stopped at one of the stalks and studied it. “Can I take one?”
Dave scanned the rows of corns and figured missing one wouldn’t do any harm. “Alright, but just one. We’ll need to gather these during the harvest.”
Judging by how well the crop was doing, this year might yield a nice profit. That would be nice after all the time he’d spent just sitting. He’d like to think the summer hadn’t been a complete waste.
Isaac pulled up the stalk and grinned. “I’m reaping, Pa!”
Dave chuckled. “Yep. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
“When can I help with the harvest?”
“I think when you’re twelve, you should be old enough to handle a scythe.”
“I’ll never be that old.”
“You’re already nine. You only have three more years to go.” Noting that this didn’t seem to make Isaac happy, he added, “Just wait. When you’re reaping, you’ll be out in the hot sun all day. Sweat will be trickling down your back and over your face. Flies will be buzzing around you. You’ll spend most of your time hunched over. The scythe is heavy. At that time, I bet you’ll wish you were nine and able to stay with your ma.”
Isaac shook his head. “I want to be reaping with the men, not staying inside with the women.”
Dave thought for a moment then said, “I’m sure we can find some work suitable for a boy your age. Maybe you can help gather up the crops and load them into the wagons. Let me talk to Uncle Tom and the others about it.”
Isaac seemed happy by the promise, and that satisfied Dave. The two continued with their ride for another half hour. When they came back to the barn, Isaac helped him put the saddles and reins away.
Dave didn’t notice the ache in his leg until he took the horses out to the pasture. He was going to have to sit down in the chair on the porch. Riding the horse had worn him out more than he’d expected. But it’d been worth it. The ride had been a good one. He and Isaac had spent quality time together.
He returned to the barn to close the horses’ stalls when he saw Isaac sitting in front of the crate with the bird in it.
“Here you are, Richie,” Isaac said as he pulled a kernel from the corn. “I got this just for you.”
Dave remained still for several long moments while Isaac continued to fuss over the bird. If he had known Isaac wanted the cornstalk so he could feed the bird, he would have said no. Mary was already making sure the thing had enough to eat. It didn’t need the kernels of corn on top of it. So much for a pleasant afternoon. Now whenever he thought of it, he’d remember the only reason Isaac agreed to go out with him was to get the corn.
Hiding his disappointment, Dave shut the stall doors and left the barn.
***
That evening, Dave lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. From time to time, he could hear Isaac talking about the bird. He ended up having to shut the window to block the talking out. But even so, he couldn’t relax. He was tempted to take the article with the interview of Richard in it from Isaac’s room so he could burn it when he took care of the trash. The only reason he didn’t get up and get the article was because it would upset his son.
When Mary came into the room a while later, everything was quiet. She shut the door and glanced at the window. “I thought I left the window open.”
“I closed it,” he said.
“Aren’t you hot?”
Ignoring the fact that he still had on his shirt and pants, he shrugged. “I’m fine.”
She went over to him and touched his forehead. “I hope you’re not getting sick.”
“I feel fine. I just didn’t want to listen to everyone talking outside, so I shut the window for a while.”
With a smile, she went to the window and opened it. At once, a breeze came into the room and started cooling things off. “The children can make a lot of noise. We don’t really get any quiet until they’re asleep.” She walked over to the dresser and removed the pins from her hair. “Remember how quiet it was before Isaac was born?”
“Yeah.” He stared up at the ceiling again. He wished Isaac would be quiet when it came to Richard. But, of course, Isaac was just a child. He didn’t realize how much he went on and on about his uncle.
“Don’t misunderstand me,” Mary continued. “I love having the children around. I’m looking forward to having more of them. But I have to admit I appreciate the silence much more because they’re in our lives. It gives me time to plan out what I want to cook for the next day.”
Dave wondered if Isaac wished Richard had been his father. He tried not to think of it. No good could come from letting his mind wander in that direction, but the more he tried to resist it, the more his mind insisted on dwelling on it.
The bed shifted, and he blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized Mary was still talking or that she had already put on her nightgown.
“I think I’ll sleep on top of the covers tonight,” she said and got on her side so she could face him. “You want me to help you undress?”
“I’m fine. I’ll undress later.”
With a suggestive smile, she unbuttoned one of the buttons on his shirt and slid her hand across his chest. “It might be more
