Under the Dusty Sky (Holloway Farms)

did. Like Carter did. I do not in any lifetime want a farm. The work is torture, but trying to fix up this massive piece of machinery steadies my hands. It calms my mind. Until I think of Gracie, then I’m screwed.
    “ What are you thinking so hard about?” A deep voice shatters my thoughts, and I jump.
    “ Shit, Carter, you scared me,” I say, forgetting he’s my boss and the dad of a girl I may be falling for. But Carter just laughs, his easy-going attitude is hard for me to digest because I can’t tell if nothing bothers him or he’s just as good as Gracie at keeping it hidden.
    “ You look like you’re working out some serious stuff in there.” He points to my head.
    “ Yeah, I guess. My sister wants me to go back home with her.”
    His eyes are shadowed by his thick eyebrows, and he casually hooks his thumbs in his huge belt buckle. I’ve never seen a real life cowboy, but Carter looks like something straight out of a movie, plaid and all.
    “ Are ya gunna go? You know we have to finish harvest this weekend.” He sounds partially concerned and partially irritated.
    “ No, no, not until after. If I leave at all. I dunno yet.”
    His eyes are wary, but I think he believes me.
    “ Trouble at home?”
    I laugh. “Always trouble at home. You met my sister.”
    Carter returns my laugh. “She’s interesting, that’s for sure. I think my boys are having a hard time figuring out what to do with her.”
    “ It’s a common feeling. I have a hard time figuring out what to do with her.”
    Carter slaps my back and fortunately changes the subject to the swather. I run down the things I think it needs and different things I’ve already tried.
    “ I have no clue what this thing is so you might want to have someone who’s licensed take a look at that, but mostly I think it’s fixable.” I point to this huge rotating thing that powers the blades
    “ You know, Ben, you’re really good at this. Have you ever thought of Heavy Duty Mechanics?”
    My jaw tightens, and I feel my expression flatten. It shouldn’t bother me so much when people want to talk about the future. I just graduated. I’m eighteen. It’s that time. What am I going to do with my life? I just don’t want to give a voice to anything specific because I’m afraid that means I have to commit to it.
    I shrug and wipe the rest of the grease off my hands. “Yeah, that’d be kinda cool. So the twins and I start back up tomorrow, to make up the lost time, right? Then you’ll be here on Saturday to finish with us?”
    We start to make our way back across the yard to the house. We are passing Gracie’s run down barn, and I watch it, wondering if she’s in there.
    “ I’ll be here in the morning. I won’t be leaving to meet Diana until the afternoon. We’ll be going to the diner for supper. I don’t remember the last time I went on a date. I’m sure you have lots of dates. Do I have to bring her anything? Like a gift? Do women still like flowers?”
    I can’t stop myself from laughing and feeling awkward at the same time. “I don’t really know, sir. I’m not the flower buying type. My sister would say diamonds probably, so that’s a bad example.”
    Carter looks at me blankly, and I shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. I don’t think he gets it, so I change the subject just as we’re passing through the two half rotting tractors. “Why don’t you ask Gracie? I’m sure she’d give you way better advice than I ever would?”
    “ Advice for what?” Gracie’s voice makes us both jump as she steps out from behind the tractor. Her eyes are wild, her face tight. She doesn’t look happy already, which does not bode well for Carter. I press my lips firmly together and wonder how a skinny sixteen-year-old girl can dominate this full-grown man, but then again, I’m standing here silent, too. Neither of us speaks, but Carter sighs.
    “ I’m going on a date with Ms. Trimble tomorrow night. I was asking Ben here for some tips on how to not make an ass of myself.”
    Gracie’s eyes flash between us as she registers what Carter said, and I feel my jaw tense.
    “ You’re going on a date? Since when?” she asks. Her voice matches the look in her eyes. Pure betrayal. I can’t think of why she looks like that. The man deserves to find someone.
    Carter clears his throat. “Since I asked her at the Summer Kick-Off.”
    “ That was like two weeks ago. Why didn’t you tell me?” Her arms cross, and I’m looking