He's Got to Go

Alex

I stared over the green hood of the newer John Deere tractor. I glared at the man with the cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. It was a prop. He wore it like it was part of a uniform. I wanted to pull the damn thing down over his ears and then choke him with it.

“I’m going to say this one more time,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “You cannot just drive the tractor around the field. You need to make circles or do rows if that’s what floats your boat. This meandering about isn’t going to cut it.”

“Alexandria—”

“Stop. I’ve told you about twenty-eight times to call me Alex.”

“But you’re a girl,” he insisted.

I grabbed my ample breasts and fluffed them. “Yes, yes I am. I suppose that’s why I’ve got tits. My name is Alex.”

He sighed, pushing the hat up. “Alex, I made straight lines.”

I rolled my eyes. “No, you didn’t.”

The guy was nice enough, but in the words of my granddaddy, I didn’t think his elevator went all the way to the top floor. Oliver had hired the man to act as his manager or foreman over the farm’s operations. I didn’t know who he owed a favor to, but hiring Deke was too big a favor for anyone. Deke was not foreman material. He’d probably be okay as a hand, but he was never going to be able to run the farm.

I was the one that was going to have to break that to Oliver.

“I’ll do better next time,” he promised.

“Deke, you can’t keep plowing the same field. At some point, it has to get planted.”

“But it’s all just dirt,” he insisted.

I smiled. He was a simple man. “All right, let’s not worry about the field. What’s done is done. Let’s talk about that feed order.”

“I did good, right? I ordered plenty to last all month.”

I prayed for patience. “Deke, you ordered enough to last six months.”

He grinned. “Oh, good.”

I slowly shook my head. “No, not good. Part of running the farm means you need to pay attention to the expenses. Buying six months’ worth of feed is not wise. Mice and raccoons and god knows what else are going to get into it before the horses will ever eat it.”

He looked confused. “Oh. Well, can’t we just shoo the vermin away?”

If only that were possible. “I see Oliver pulling up. I need to talk with him. Can you take care of filling up those troughs?”

He nodded, the same goofy smile on his face. “I sure can, Alexandria.”

I ignored the Alexandria part and walked across the wide dirt parking area in front of the barn. The old house was the typical ranch home. It was white, two-story, with a covered porch that wrapped around three sides. The house had been modestly updated but nothing extravagant. The first time I had met with Oliver, I knew I wanted to work for him. He was the real deal. He was a salt of the earth kind of man.

My work as a fixer had allowed me to meet a lot of people. Some I liked, some I didn’t. Oliver, I liked. He got out of his old Ford pickup and waved. He was moving slower than he had a month ago.

“You’re back,” I called.

He smiled. “I can’t be away from this place for long.”

He opened the front door and gestured for me to go inside. Another one of the many traits I liked about him was that he was a perfect gentleman. “I’ll get you some tea,” I told him.

He chuckled. “You’re the guest. Aren’t I supposed to be getting you the tea?”

“I’m not a guest. You pay me, which means I am your employee.” 

He took a seat at the old, scarred, wood dining table. I poured two glasses of iced tea from the pitcher and carried them to the table. Oliver was staring out the window, watching Deke fumble around.

“How’s he doing?” he asked.

I laughed. “Oliver, you and I both know that kid is not cut out to be a farm manager. I’m not sure what he’s cut out for, but this isn’t it.”

We both watched as he picked up a feed bucket and pulled it on over his head, laughing at himself. He ambled out to the pasture, presumably to fill the water trough like I had asked. One could never be sure with him.

“I suppose he isn’t. I told his daddy I’d give him a shot, but this just isn’t going to work.”

I slowly shook my head. “No, it isn’t. Do you want me to do some checking around town?”

He looked lost in thought. “No, I’ll take care of it.”

“How was your flight?” I asked him, noticing he looked tired. He looked wiped out really.

He sighed. “I hate flying.”

I laughed. “I don’t know a lot of people that actually enjoy it.”

“It isn’t natural,” he complained.

I watched as he sipped his tea, still staring out the window. I turned to look out the window as well. I didn’t see Deke. There was nothing but the sprawling pasture that stretched on as far as the eyes could see. The flat land looked like it reached all the way to Square Butte, but it was a trick of the eye. Oliver’s farm wasn’t quite that expansive.

“I’ve talked with Deke and we’ll get that alfalfa planted within the next couple of days.”

“How’s the wheat?” he asked.

I smiled. “Beautiful. It will be ready to harvest next week as scheduled. The crop looks great. I don’t think you’ll have any problems with selling it for top dollar.”

“You’ve got those hands coming in to take care of the harvest?”

I nodded. “I do. I’ll be overseeing the process.”

“If time allows, I’ll be able to run the combine,” he said, sounding almost defeated.

“That would be great,” I told him, thinking of the time that could be saved with an experienced man like himself running the harvester.

He sighed, pulling his gaze from the window and turning the steely-blue eyes on me. “There was a time I would do this all myself with the help of one or two guys.”