“Ma and Pa are going to step down.”
I gasp with delight and he smiles at my reaction.
“They’ve agreed it’s time to hand over the reins to Jonas. Pa told him he was proud of him, that he wished he’d had the guts to try something different himself.”
“Wow! That’s incredible.”
“Even Ma was surprised.” He stares ahead for a while and then he sighs quietly. “Last night, she told Jonas and me something we didn’t know, that Pa has suffered with depression allhis life. She said that before we were born, there was a time when she was seriously worried about him. When she saw Jonas withdrawing and drinking more, and then realized he’d been clearing out his cabin, she panicked because they were all things Pa did too. Luckily, she had a therapist friend all those years ago who had some knowledge about depression. Ma doesn’t know what she would have done without her.” He exhales heavily and I reach over and squeeze his knee. He looks down at my hand for a moment before continuing. “Pa’s carried a lot of weight on his shoulders over the years, trying to protect Ma, Jonas, and me without ever really going about it the right way. But hearing all this from our mom cast a different light on everything. Jonas and I felt so sorry for him.”
I let him go as he reaches for a CB radio on a curly black wire, bringing it to his lips. “Can you come now?”
“On my way,” Jonas replies, his voice crackling over the air.
“We’re almost full,” he tells me.
“Already?”
“Yep.”
“What did you think of Tyler?” Anders asks, leaving the darkness of his parents’ pasts behind.
“I thought she was really nice. Jonas seemed to like her.”
“He took her number.”
“Did he? Awesome! I was half expecting Heather to turn up and steal away his attention.”
“She tried to buy a ticket, just one for herself, but Jonas told her he thought it would be best if she stayed away.”
“No way! Really?”
He nods.
“Yes!” I punch the air and he chuckles.
“I don’t think Jonas is going down that road again.”
“I hope not.”
Jonas arrives withthe grain cart before long, riding beside us while a big arm extends from the combine and unloads the corn into his trailer. He aligns himself perfectly and Anders doesn’t slow. They even turn the corner at the end of the field without spilling any kernels.
“That was so smooth,” I say with amazement as Jonas drives off back to the farm.
“You going to tell me what’s on your mind in the next twelve minutes?” he asks with a playful smile that suddenly transforms into a frown. “Something’s wrong,” he says as he studies the digital display. We slow to a stop and he cuts the engine. “Excuse me.” He squeezes out past me, his legs knocking against my knees as he swings the door open and climbs down the ladder with the ease of someone who has been doing it his whole life.
I lean out of the door and watch with concern as he opens up a dusty panel on the side of the combine.
“Don’t you fall,” he calls up to me.
“I’m holding on tight,” I reply, liking that he cares enough to keep reminding me. “Can you see what the problem is?”
“The drive belt to the threshing drum has snapped,” he replies distractedly, climbing back up to the cab and reaching for the CB radio to fill Jonas in.
“Okay, hang tight,” Jonas replies resignedly.“I’ll check if we have a spare when I’ve finished dumping this load, but I think I’ll have to order one. Could be a couple of hours. You want me to send Ma over on the Gator to get you?”
Anders looks at me, silently requesting a response. I shake my head.
“No, we’re fine here,” he says into the receiver, his eyes still on mine.
