The Pride of Howard County

by Kevin Bachman

  Chapter 28

  Summer now in full swing, it seemed that everyone was going in different directions. Moses was growing up fast and no one could make up their mind as to whether he looked more like his mama or papa. Turned out he was big like Muncie but had the long hair and same kind of markings as Lucky. Muncie thought he was generally a nuisance but played with him for hours just the same. Lucky had done her job as Mother and was now re-engaged in the war with the groundhog.

  John decided one litter of puppies was going to be enough and so Lucky had surgery soon afterwards. That slowed her up for a couple of days.

  John had planted three hundred acres of corn that was now waist high. He’d landed a job with a family counseling center in Columbia. Terry was still with the electric company and Abby would be around for a few days and then gone for a few.

  The Department of Conservation contacted John saying they were needing to make plans to put in place a couple of parking areas for visitors to the conservation area. John talked it over with Terry and Abby before making the necessary arrangements and then met with a local conservation agent about the locations for the parking areas.

  The Bobwhite’s call broke the silence of Howard County’s afternoons when the drone of a tractor couldn’t be heard off in the distance. Fluffy white clouds sailed along in an endless blue sky.

  Abby, usually barefooted, no makeup, hair worn up and wearing a sun dress sat on the porch swing working on her laptop. She felt like she had the best office in the world.

  When the boys came home in the evenings she usually had supper ready for them.

  Terry and Abby had formed a deep friendship and looked forward to each others company.

  The days, then weeks went by and John found himself looking forward to the harvest.

  Once, the trio went to Gus and Graces final resting place in the little cemetery, Abby placed a bouquet of wild flowers on her parent’s graves. No one actually said it out loud but they all were thinking once would be enough.

  And then, just when things seemed to be perfect, way off in the corner of John’s mind the tiniest little thought began to whisper.