I look over my shoulder as Dad walks towards us, his gaze moving over the piles of potatoes.
Winston abandons his hope for fallen sandwiches and bounds towards him, circling his legs as Dad bends to give him a quick pat.
“Hey,” I say, pushing to my feet.
“Morning,” Levi adds around a mouthful, lifting a hand in a lazy wave.
Dad chuckles and nods down at him, then steps in beside me and looks up at the fan, its housing rattling as it struggles to push air across the bay.
“Thanks for getting on this first thing,” he says. “That russet pile is starting to lock up, and it’s stacking too high on this side.” He tips his head towards the mound behind us. “So this uneven airflow is becoming a bigger problem.”
I glance back at the tall pile of potatoes. He’s right. The slope is too steep, so sections are packed tight where they dropped in instead of settling like they should. And that’s how heat pockets form and result in rot or damage, especially if it’s not receiving proper airflow from the ventilation system.
“I’ll have it fixed this morning, and I’ll knock that section down,” I say.
Dad smiles. “Thanks.” Then he looks at Levi, who has his head tipped back against the wall, looking half asleep as he lazily chews his sandwich.
“Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” Dad asks with a small smirk.
Levi slides his gaze to Dad. “Because my boyfriend’s a farmer.”
Dad huffs out a laugh, then reaches out to squeeze my shoulder. His hand lingers as his expression softens, then he gives it another squeeze. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will,” I say.
I watch him with a smile as he leaves the shed, then I drop the screwdriver back into my toolbox and turn towards the russet pile behind me. I bend down to pick up a potato and turn to face Levi.
He watches me for a moment, then his eyes flick towards the pile and back to me as a smile slowly spreads across his lips. He pushes to his feet and comes to stand next to me, bending down to grab a potato of his own.
When potatoes need to be dislodged, the best way to do it is to throw more potatoes at them.
We turn at the same time and launch them into the centre of the looming pile, sending a small cascade of potatoes tumbling down.
The sound of our laughter mixes with the soft thuds of potatoes rolling, the humming of the fans, and Winston’s excitedbarks as we keep going. We grab more potatoes and throw them, watching the pile loosen and settle, becoming the perfect reflection of the feeling inside me.
I pick up another one and turn to face Levi, tilting my head as I observe him.
He meets my eyes with a smile, but then it slowly falls.
“No.” He holds up a finger and backs up a step.
I just nod, stepping closer to close the distance. “Yes.”
He glares at me… but I see the flicker of excitement in him.
And that crisp grey hoodie could use a little dirt.
So I launch the potato at him and hit him right in the stomach.
“Ow!” He folds over and grabs his stomach, glaring up at me.
Winston jumps between us with an excited bark as I laugh.
Until one hits me in the same spot.
“Fuck!” I place a hand over the spot that is definitely going to be a bruise and shoot daggers at him. He threw that harder than I did.
Levi just stares back at me with his shoulders tense and his hand open at his side, like he’s ready to grab another potato if he needs to.
