DamionI was going to take full advantage of Oliver being in trouble. We had a long talk about safety on the farm and I was confident my message had gotten through. I wasn’t going to hold him back from being a boy, like Alex had accused. She didn’t know me or my son. He wasn’t aware of the dangers. After we talked, he helped me go through more of my grandfather’s things. I had a few boxes of clothing for the donation center and a huge bag of what I was going to classify as rags.He’d gone to his room to read a bit ago. I hadn’t heard a peep from him. I quietly pushed open the bedroom door and saw he had passed out on his bed, his book lying next to him. I smiled as I watched him sleep. I pulled his favorite blanket over him and gently moved the book. I had known he was tired. It had been a busy week. I wouldn’t have minded a nap myself.I went to the living room, peeking out the window to see if Alex was still there. I hadn’t heard her truck start up. I had come inside and managed to

AlexI looked in the rearview mirror, smiling when I saw the little black car eating the dust kicked up from my truck. Damion and Oliver were following behind me. I was looking forward to getting to know them both a little better. I wanted to know who I was leaving the farm to. I wanted to reassure myself it wasn’t going to fall apart the moment I walked away. Once I had that peace of mind, I could move on.I would miss the farm, but it was really Oliver Senior I would miss. He was gone and there was no reason for me to stick around. Oliver wanted his grandson to have the farm. It was my job to make sure Damion didn’t completely screw it all up.I pulled my truck into one of the spots in front of the restaurant and waited on the sidewalk while Damion got Oliver out of the backseat. Oliver was a really cute kid. I could see the intelligence in his blue eyes that were so much like his daddy and granddaddy’s. He even had the same leggy walk, his long arms swinging as he moved in a fluid

DamionI woke early, anxious for the day. I liked that Alex and I had been able to talk and iron out some of the wrinkles in the very brief relationship we had. She wasn’t quite the horrible person I first believed her to be. She was tough and I could tell she was no-nonsense, but I saw the softer side as well when she had talked with Oliver. I liked that side of her and was going to do everything I could to stay on her good side. I needed her help. I was way out of my league with the farm. I couldn’t walk in one day after thirteen years and expect to know what the hell I was doing.Alex was an invaluable resource and I planned on learning everything I could from her. I needed to learn everything all over again. It wasn’t enough to simply know how to take care of the horses and fix the fences. I would be stepping into my grandpa’s shoes. I didn’t realize it back when I was a kid, but I now knew he was doing a lot more work than it had appeared.I had been surly and pissed a lot, think

AlexI couldn’t stop smiling. I felt ridiculous. It wasn’t like I had never had two breakfasts in one morning before. It wasn’t the food. It was the company. I had enjoyed sitting at the kitchen table and talking with Oliver and Damion. I loved watching the two of them together. I could tell Damion was a good father. Maybe a little overprotective, but good nonetheless.It would be interesting to see how they did in the barn. We had stalls to clean and hay to haul. I had a busy day planned and hoped the boys were up to the task.“We’re here!” Oliver exclaimed as he walked into the barn.I smiled. “I see that. Are you ready to work?”He nodded. “Yep!”“All right, we need to bathe the horses first,” I told them.They both looked at me like I had grown a second head.“Bathe?” Damion questioned.“In the bathtub?” Oliver asked as he turned to look at the horses. “They are too big!”“Not in the tub. There’s a place out back we’ll use. Before we do that, we need to get all our supplies. Follo

DamionI drove down the long driveway, my eyes popping up from time to time to look in the rearview mirror. Oliver had been smiling since he had awoken for the day. He was truly excited for school. It was a first. He had never been excited about going to his old school. Not even on the first day. This was going to be a good change for him.“This is a big day,” I told him.“Yep,” he agreed, his eyes out the window.“If you get nervous or have any problems, you can talk to Miss June.”“I know,” he answered without a care in the world.My pep talk wasn’t needed. I shut up and focused on driving and let him enjoy the ride. When we got to the school, I waited for him to tell me he was scared or changed his mind. He didn’t. He marched right up to the doors. I followed behind him as he led the way to the classroom.“All right, buddy, I’ll be here for a bit while you get settled,” I told him, helping him hang his backpack on the hook with his name above it.“I’m okay, Dad. You can go home.”