Fuck it.Ben thought to himself. This wasn’t at all what he needed to be reminded of. Sure, there was no hard and fast rule if he kept harvesting in this extreme heat. But if there were a spark from his combine, it would start a fire, and there were unreaped paddocks of his neighbors that could end up burning, not just his. He didn’t want to be the idiot to cause a fire like that.
Ben:Just stopping now.
Fuck.
Ben breathed out with frustration as the last of the grain transferred from the combine to the truck. This was it for the day. He was done working out here.
He glanced at the weather outlook on his cell. There should be a slight cooling change tonight, so he could get back out here tomorrow. If he were lucky, the weather might be just a few degrees cooler by then and the fire ban lifted. He needed to keep working these long hours if he wanted to get the harvest finished and get the much-needed income.
Ben let the engine of the combine idle for a little while, so it would cool, before turning it off. His mind shifted through the very long list of jobs that needed to be done on the farm, which weren’t getting done while he had the harvest to focus on. There was the section of fence that needed fixing in the north paddock. Then, he needed to get some more feed for the alpacas. The machinery could do with a bit of oiling. If the truck was full, then he could take the load to the silos, but it wasn’t.
If only I could’ve got a few more rounds done, Ben thought wistfully.Then the truck would’ve been full, and at least I would’ve been able to deliver the load.
That would also mean he was one step closer to being paid for the grain, which could still take months before that would happen. There was no point agonizing over what could’ve been, there was so much he could do right now.
Then there was also the Christmas shopping he should go and do. Hell, he hated going into the shops. But this year, he needed to get something for Raven. It was her first Christmas with him and his family on the farm. He wanted to get her something special because, well, because he loved her. And she’d given up so much to come and live with him, to give them a chance of having a relationship and a future together. With the farm, there was no way he could’ve ever moved to the city. This was the way it had to be. So far, he was thinking things were working out very well between them.
Maybe it’s not so bad having to stop now, he mused, recognizing the very big silver lining to this cloud of having to stop here. If he went back to the farm now, there was a good amount of time he could spend with Raven, and well, he knew exactly how that was going to go. He couldn’t wait to get her naked and familiarize himself with her curvy body, but another, more sobering thought stopped this fantasy.
Ben didn’t want to think how bad he would look if he didn’t manage to get Raven a Christmas gift, even if it were hard with the long hours since the shops were usually closed when he finished for the day.
The shops it is, he decided as he turned off the engine. If he were quick enough, then he could go back to the farm and spend some time with Raven. She’d been so patient with him working such long hours at this time of year, especially since she had no idea of what farm life was like.
Ben jumped out and strode over to the ute. While he was in Keith, he’d pick up the feed he needed. This was working out better than he thought it would. Though the problem was, he had absolutely no idea what to get Raven. He’d never been very good at buying gifts. He wanted to give her something meaningful as this was a big deal having their first Christmas together, and he didn’t want to mess it up.
It was all he could think about during the twenty-minute drive into Keith. What the hell was he going to buy Raven? He couldn’t even think what he’d get his mom or Anne. They were used to him being late with his gifts, or even opting for gift cards, over Christmas. He knew that Raven wouldn’t be satisfied with that.
Not this year. Perhaps not any year.
Ben slowed down as he approached the outskirts of Keith. Houses now lined either side of the road instead of the open spaces of land. He was already starting to feel penned in, and he hadn’t got to the center of town yet.
With no idea of what sort of gift to buy Raven, Ben decided to get the feed loaded up for the alpacas first. He drove to the agricultural store in town, parked out the back, and then strode inside. It was so easy this time of year to forget it was Christmas on account of the harvest and the long hours he had to work.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw women’s work boots. An idea sparked in his head.
I can’t get that for Raven. Or can I?
He went over to the range of work boots. They were what she needed when out on the farm. He’d been meaning to invite her to come with him on the harvester, but she’d always seemed too busy on her computer. He didn’t want to interrupt the work she was doing for her graphic design business.
He picked up a pair. In a way, he thought it might be safer to stick to chocolates and maybe a necklace, but the work boots felt right to give her. Things had been slow, it had been a fling, but then Raven moving in, things had progressed very quickly. It was time to tread a little water and just see how things were going to go. Even though Ben was certain it was going well between them.
“Can I help you, Ben?” asked John, one of the owners of the agricultural store.
“I’ll take these.” Ben had to guess at the size of Raven’s feet.
“You sure on the size?”
“You’ll do an exchange if I’m wrong?” Ben handed the box to John.
“For you. Now, do you want it gift wrapped?”
Ben raised his eyebrow. “You do gift wrapping now, do you?”
John chuckled, “No, but these are a gift for your new girl, so things are getting serious?”
Were they?Raven had moved in with him, and hell, that was very serious.
“I’ll grab a box of chocolates.”
