Part 5
Beth took the key and tried it in the padlock. The shackle opened cleanly. She tucked the key into her jeans and walked through without waiting for Cora to lead her.
They worked in the cool part of the morning. Nell arrived with the stock trailer and parked where the cattle could approach without being driven across the open hill. She looked over the four cows and calves, watched them walk, and checked the records Cora had laid on the hood of the pickup.
Midge stood squarely and breathed easily. Nell watched her long enough that Cora began to answer questions she hadn’t asked. Nell held up a hand, then asked the one she needed answered about the calf.
When they agreed on the price, Cora reached for a pen. Her hand left a faint greasy print beside the written cow numbers. She signed and set the paper down flat so Nell could sign beneath her.
“I’ll take two pairs at a time,” Nell said. “Get them settled, then come back. No reason to crowd anybody.”
She had checked the forecast and arranged help at her place. She would be back for the second load while it was still early. Cora nodded, then nodded again, as if the plan required something from her that she hadn’t understood.
Beth opened the route to the loading area. They moved the first two cows slowly, letting the calves stay close, and stopped when one turned to look back. Nell waited with them instead of filling the pause with advice.
Cora had a habit of tapping the rail twice when she wanted somebody to shift a panel. She did it now, and Beth looked over before Cora said anything. For years they had been able to move a gate between them with barely a word.
The first load went without trouble. After Nell left, Cora returned the remaining cattle to shade and checked the water. Beth carried the record folder back to the pickup, careful to keep it out of the damp patch on the hood.
“I’ve got Wade’s estimate,” she said.
Cora stared at the space where the trailer had stood. She had almost forgotten the cutter, which seemed impossible after spending two days thinking about him.
“We can look at it after.”
Beth studied her face. “After Nell gets back, or after the calves sell?”
“After Nell gets back.” Cora put the float guard down. “This morning.”
Nell returned before the sun reached the handling area. Cora brought the last two pairs along the familiar lane. Midge came readily until she could see the trailer, then stopped with her nose level with Cora’s elbow.
They gave her time. Nell checked the footing and the clear space ahead, while Beth stayed where the calf could see its mother. Midge sniffed the edge of the trailer and shifted her weight backward.
Cora felt the old answer gather in her mouth. They could leave this pair, take another, make the figures work some other way. She knew which younger cow she would offer before she could stop herself looking toward the pasture.
Beth saw the look. She didn’t argue, and that made Cora turn back to the cow.
Midge’s curled tag brushed the rail. Cora remembered threading it into the applicator while Beth read the number twice, determined not to make the same mistake she had made with another calf. Their mother had watched from the pickup, one swollen knee wrapped in a towel with an ice pack inside.
That cow had grown old while Cora was busy keeping everything going. For the first time that morning, Cora looked beyond the familiar muzzle and saw what she was asking Midge to carry through another short pasture and another winter. Nell knew her condition and still wanted her; Cora had no reason to pretend she was being taken by a stranger.
“Give her a little room,” Nell said.
Cora stepped back. Midge tested the ramp, then followed her calf into the trailer. When she was safely inside and Nell had positioned the partition, Cora closed the rear gate and fastened it herself.
She kept her palm against the metal until Nell came around the side. The cow moved, and Cora felt the small shift through the gate. She removed her hand so Nell could check the latch.
“I’ll let you know when they’re settled,” Nell said.
Cora handed her the last page of records. She started to explain Midge’s preferences again, then stopped at the information Nell needed. The cow was quiet behind the slats when the truck pulled away.
Beth walked toward the pickup with the empty folder. Cora remained beside the loading gate until the trailer disappeared beyond the bend. There were still cows to check, and Beth still had to get to work.
In the kitchen, Cora deposited Nell’s check through the bank app. The credit union wasn’t making the full amount available immediately, so she showed Beth the deposit confirmation and arranged the transfer of thirty-two hundred dollars for when the funds cleared. Then she gave Beth a signed acknowledgment of the amount owed, with the date, keeping a copy for the farm records.
“The rest stays for hay and water,” Cora said. “I’m putting the current bills with it. You won’t have to wait for receipts.”
Beth read the date before she folded the paper. She checked the deposit amount on the screen Cora offered and handed the phone back without saying that everything was all right.
Nell’s message arrived while they were putting away the loading panels. Both pairs were out of the trailer and at water. Cora read it once and put the phone in her pocket.
Beth leaned a panel against the shed wall. “You said we’d talk this morning.”
“We are.”
“I mean about next year.” Beth kept one hand on the panel so it wouldn’t slide. “I need to know what happens the next time you think I can’t afford to say no.”
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