“Oh, it’s not quite that easy,” Ella said, laughing a little. “The machine digs into the ground and turns up soil and the sweet potatoes with it. But someone has to follow behind the machine, pull the potatoes out, sort them, and get them up to the barn to be washed and crated.”
She waited for Dalton to offer to run the machine. In her experience, young men viewed themselves as natural experts when it came to any kind of driving or machines. But running the harvester wasn’t easy, and where they really needed muscle was on the ground.
And he’s got muscles to spare…
Dad had taught Ella how to run the harvester, and she could do it in a pinch, but she insisted that Mom be the one to do the driving. Ella was happy to do more of the grunt work if it saved her mother a little heavy labor.
“I assume you’re in charge of the machine, ma’am,” Dalton said, looking to Ella’s mom.
“For heaven’s sake, call me Mary,” Mom laughed. “And yes, I’m the chauffeur, or at least I always have been.”
“So then Ella, can you teach me how to sort the potatoes?” Dalton asked.
“Of course,” Ella told him, feeling pleasantly surprised.
“Thank you,” he said.
Their eyes met again and she saw nothing but gratitude in those blue depths. He really was an easygoing guy, and Ella was relieved that he wasn’t holding onto any bad feelings over her harsh words after breakfast.
An hour later,she had him up to speed with all his important questions answered. Mom was getting ready to do a second pass over the first row with the harvester, and this time Dalton was starting the gathering of potatoes on his own since Ella needed to get Dove to school.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Mom?” Ella asked a little worriedly.
“Oh yes,” her mother replied. “He’s a hard worker, honey. It’s so nice we can keep going while you get Dove to school. We’ll wrap up the harvest a little faster this year, won’t we?”
Ella nodded and hurried off. Dalton was watching after her, so she gave a little wave, which he returned.
Her heart tugged and she hurried back up to the house, wishing her emotions would ease off a little. She was feeling rubbed raw, almost like she had in the first days after hearing about Andy.
“Mama,” Dove said, as Ella came in the back door. “Grandpa got meall the wayready. We thought you might have to stay with Dalton.”
Ella looked over at her father.
He was smiling, but she could see by the tension in his jaw and his ashen complexion that he was in pain.
He helped Dove get ready because he didn’t get to cook breakfast,she realized, her heart sinking.
“I can drive her, honey,” he offered.
“Thanks so much, Dad,” she said. “But I’ve been looking forward to driving Dove to school all morning. And Dalton’s a natural potato picker, so no worries there.”
“Is your mother coming up for another coffee?” Dad asked.
“They wanted to keep going a little,” Ella told him.
He nodded, looking relieved.
“Dove and I will head out now,” she told him, knowing he was probably dying to put his feet up, but didn’t want to do it in front of her. “There’s a quick errand I need to run.”
“Okay,” her dad said gratefully. “Drive safely, daughter and granddaughter.”
“Bye-bye, Grandpa,” Dove said, dashing over to hug him.
“Gently, Birdie,” Ella said without meaning to.
Her father scowled, but Dove hugged him carefully and then flew toward the hallway.
“Love you, Dad,” Ella threw over her shoulder asshe followed.
