Page 60 of The Payback Adventure
But there was a problem.
He was beginning to want to be a Wheeler himself.
He no longer minded living on the farm. Sleeping in was a luxury he could live without. Eating out wasn’t as good as staying in for a home-cooked meal. Using his credit card wasn’t as rewarding as spending hard-earned cash. He didn’t even miss champagne all that much. Though he still hated having to clean up after himself.
It didn’t take an IQ the size of Abby’s to realize he was in over his head—way over and about to drown if he wasn’t careful. Leaving the farm was the best option, but Manny hadn’t returned yet. Henry couldn’t leave Elisabeth and the kids alone.
He wasn’t about to shirk his responsibility.
This was the one time he wouldn’t pack up and hop on his private jet as usual.
Down at the river, Elisabeth pointed out the irrigation equipment they needed to pull out. “I can’t believe I didn’t remove the irrigation pump before Manny left. But we need to do it today. See the electrical wiring up there? A heavy rain could cause the water to swell, which would ruin the electrical system, and we’d need to replace it.”
That would cost money they didn’t have, and it was already raining hard. They’d better get to work. Henry adjusted his gloves.
The Wheelers were barely scraping by. He didn’t see any way for Elisabeth’s life to improve if she continued with the berry farm. Farming was a lose-lose situation, with prices set for harvests, payments from canneries spread out over months, and intense competition from foreign produce importers. The fact he’d learned that stuff in the past couple of weeks blew him away as did watching Elisabeth refuse to give up despite the odds.
Not even money would help make a difference. Sure, money would make the family more comfortable and less dependent on the land, but nothing would change the weather or the crop yields or the other uncertainties she faced every single day working on the farm. There was no control. No stability. Only responsibility. He hated that and wanted no part of it. But he had to help Elisabeth. He couldn’t let her down.
She placed a pair of hip waders on the tractor. “Ready?”
Staring at the mucky water, he nodded. “I’ll go in the water.” Better him than her.
She drew her brows together. “Are you sure?”
No.
“Yes,” he said, but she didn’t look convinced. “You’re better with the tractor.”
“Not by much.” She grinned. “You’ve really caught on.”
Henry wished her compliment didn’t mean so much to him. “Thanks. I had a good teacher.”
Lately, everything Elisabeth said or did seemed important. Too important.
That was because she was his friend. But would a friend’s opinion matter so much?
Knowing this wasn’t the time to ponder that question, he snatched the hip waders and shoved his feet into them.
She handed him a screwdriver. “Use this to pry open the foot valve on the suction pipe. Make sure the valve is in the down position. Once the water drains, we can pull out the pipe. Any questions?”
About a million. He gripped the screwdriver. “None.”
“Be careful.”
He was more afraid of disappointing her than of the water.
With a nod, Henry waded to the center of the lake. He held the screwdriver in his teeth and lifted the pipe. It was heavier than he thought it would be. He struggled to get a good grip. It was wet and slimy and kept slipping. Using the screwdriver, he pried the valve open. Warm stinky water burst out, a poor man’s version of Old Faithful, right onto his face.It tasted worse than it smelled. He clamped his mouth closed and squeezed his eyes shut.
Make sure the valve is in the down position.
He’d forgotten. At least the water was draining. Goal accomplished. So what if he got blasted in the face? He’d gotten the job done. A satisfied feeling settled in the center of his chest. A feeling he’d only found working on the farm. He hoped he could take it with him when he left.
“Are you okay?” Elisabeth shouted.
He nodded and hoped she could see him.
She attached the pipe to the tractor, hopped into the seat, and started the engine. As the tractor moved forward on the wet ground, it heaved and slid toward the water.
