All around him, cows pushed and fought to get closer, eager to drink. He glanced back to the tractor, where Rachel sat on top of a load of hay. If only life could go on like this forever. A few days ago, he’d driven out to a drugstore in Jackson. It would have been simpler to add the contraceptives to Martha’s weekly shopping list, but it would have cost him his privacy. He wasn’t ready to tell anyone about Rachel. Least of all Martha, who would want to be introduced and keep asking about Rachel after she’d left. Jed strode back to the tractor and got into the driver’s seat. “How many more pastures?” Rachel asked. “Three.” He started the engine and rolled along the snow-covered trail. The weather had been cold all week. He’d waited for a milder day for Rachel to accompany him. Her childish excitement when the cows came running as soon as he tossed down the bales of hay brought enjoyment to the mundane task. “No problems with frozen water?’ she asked. “No.” He’d told her about the miles of underground pipes to deliver the water, and the fields where he put up enough alfalfa to feed the herd.
