By Linc
Note: This story originally appeared on LockedMEN. It is being shared here with permission.
The heat of summer was well underway, and things had finally slowed enough that weekends started feeling like weekends again: shorter days, lighter work.
During the midday sun, when no one wanted to move more than they had to, Jack sat beside Ethan on the porch, drinking nothing stronger than sun-brewed sweet tea.
“Been meaning to ask,” Jack said, tipping his glass. “That barn — it belong to a neighbor? I know we don’t have livestock.”
“Still mine,” Ethan replied. “Nearest neighbor’s a mile off, easy.”
Jack squinted toward the fields. “How big is this place, anyway? I’ve been working it, but if someone asked me, I don’t think I could even guess.”
“Just over five hundred acres,” Ethan said, like it wasn’t much.
“So what’s it for then, if it’s not for livestock?”
“Storage, mostly. Used to be my dog’s spot during the day — back when I had one. He didn’t like it when I got too far off. I needed him somewhere out of the way. Safe from the equipment.”
