Joe wasn’t at all surprised that Ed quickly learned how to operate the tractor and accurately pull the hay rake through the field. He’d let Ed finish the afternoon in the field while he’d reorganized the stuff in the barn and outbuildings to get a more detailed idea of what they had.
As he stepped out of the barn, he saw Ed putting away the small tractor. Apparently, he had finished hauling the corn to the cattle feeder trough. But Joe was sure something was bothering Ed. He’d been somewhat subdued after the encounter with Bill, but had returned to his old self rather quickly. Today, though, he seemed downright morose.
They met at the front of the house, and Joe put a hand on Ed’s shoulder. God, he was tense. “Something up?”
Ed sighed. “I don’t know. Shouldn’t let it bother me.”
“Was i
