by J. Darling
She burst into tears, and he pulled her to him, holding her tight. “I’m sorry about today. There’s more going on than you know, and maybe we can talk about it later. But for now, know that you’re an amazing cook, and breakfast was nothing short of spectacular. And Linnie’s right, it is okay to use Mom’s china. If she were here right now, she’d be ecstatic you were.”
She looked up at him, and nodded as she tried to smile.
Wiping away her tears, he asked, “Do you need me to help you with anything?”
She shook her head.
“Alright, I’m going to go take a shower, then make a few calls. Nik and Kris are going to take over my chores for the rest of the time you’re here. Is there anything special you’d like to do?”
Thinking about it for a few moments, she said, “Will you give me a tour of the whole farm, and explain to me what’s going on? I only saw a little bit of it the day I arrived, and I didn’t know what was what, and I’ve never fished before. Linnie says I need to catch a fish, and that there’s great fun to be had in an ice house, but somehow I don’t think she was talking about fishing.”
He started laughing. “Anything else?”
She shrugged. “See a movie maybe, and tomorrow night, Hottie Havlat’s on the ice, and then Sunday, the Bears are going to trounce the Slackers, so I definitely want to see those two events.”
He started beaming. Oh yeah, he did too, with her. Giving her a quick peck on the lips, he said, “You just wait, you’re going to regret those words, bebis. I promise.”
CHAPTER 7
Jake woke when he heard his watch beep. It was five in the morning. Turning on the bedside lamp, he looked down and stared at Jules snuggled into the crook of his arm. Brushing some of her hair back, he placed a kiss on her head. She responded by wiggling closer. She was lovely. Looking beyond her, he saw her sketch pad lying on a suitcase. Last night they’d rented a movie, and she’d drawn in that book the whole time. Hating to leave her, he slid out of bed and tucked the covers around her.
Stepping over to the book, he thumbed through it. Page after page of charcoal drawings, of things she’d seen and captured in her mind from the dinner table last night. Images of all of them. Then he happened upon a beautiful rendering of the sun surrounded by stars. He thought back to that little episode yesterday, and then looked back to the drawing. Good, he thought, this meant she’d never forget.
Closing the book, he took notice of a piece of lace hanging out of her suitcase. Opening the case, his eyes popped open. Stunned, he lifted out some of the items. Lingerie. Tons of it. He turned and looked at her. Well, well, the little vixen had a naughty streak. Who would’ve ever guessed? He sure the hell wouldn’t have. Turning back, he picked through the assortment. Hmmmm, he’d like to see that one on, and this one, why this one too. Hell, all of it looked sumptuous, and he was vastly interested in this little revelation.
Picking up what looked like a pair of bottoms, he sure hoped she hadn’t paid full price for them, because they were missing a whole lot of fabric in the back, and then this pair, picking up another, was little more than a patchwork of ribbons, and it appeared there’d been a ration on ribbons that day. Oh well, he sure the hell wasn’t about to complain, her loss was his gain.
Pleased with this happy little discovery, he headed up the stairs two at a time. Nearing the top, he stopped. The kitchen light was on. He sure hoped it was Nate, but he had a sinking feeling it wasn’t. If it was who he thought it was, he was in for it.
His dad was going through a stack of papers, when he walked in. Pouring a cup of coffee, he went to sit at the table, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
“That little girl is alone in the world, and she’d best not turn up pregnant. You know better than to behave like this.”
“I haven’t slept with her.”
His dad looked at him over the top of his reading glasses, then raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, okay, we’ve been in the same bed together, so I guess I’ve slept with her, but we haven’t had sex.”
Now his dad’s chin dropped to his chest, and he looked back at him in total disbelief.
“I’m serious,” he defended, holding his hand up, stopping his dad. “I haven’t. I want to, boy do I want to, but I haven’t. I can’t. Well, I can, but I…” He rubbed his face. “Hell, I don’t know. I shouldn’t I guess, or I won’t maybe. I don’t know. I’m so damn confused right now. If she’d throw me a bone, I might be able to figure it out.” His dad started chuckling, and Jake looked up to see him smiling.
“It’s different with this one, is it?”
“I want her, Dad. She’s the one. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want to screw this up. I know, it doesn’t make sense, but…”
“Sure it does,” his father said.
Jake perked up, looking for answers. “It does?”
“Yeah, it does. You respect her. It’s been different with other women because you simply appreciated them, but this one, you respect, and that makes all the difference in the world.”
Jake blew out a big breath, as he ran a hand over his head and down his neck. “I worry about her, think of her all the time.”
Finishing a drink of his coffee, his dad went on, “Woke up thinking about them Swedish meatballs, and that Pepparkaks cheesecake thing she made. Mighty fine cook, she is. Glad I got some more before it’s gone. The gingersnap crust tastes pretty damn good with a cup of strong coffee. There’s one piece left.”
Jake got up, grabbed a fork, and headed for the fridge. “It was a chart topper for excellence, wasn’t it?”
“Yep. Got behind on paperwork over the holidays. Mail’s been piling up. You want to tell me what this is all about? It’s from the admissions office at the University of Wisconsin.”
Setting down the dessert, Jake took the envelope and opened it. Yes! They’d accepted it all! He wanted to shout from the housetop, he was so pumped. Unable to keep from smiling, he handed the papers to his dad and sat.
Looking things over, his dad’s eyebrows went up, then he looked over at him. “A major in Animal Science and a minor in Veterinary Technology, huh? I thought dairy science was your interest. Doesn’t look like it’d take much to finish up your major, it says twenty-four credits, but the vet tech thing would tack on an additional three semesters. What are you thinking?”
“Dairy science will always be my first and greatest interest, but with Mom gone, and the specialty end of the business shut down, I’ve had to shift my focus to my next best interest, the health and management of our animals. I’d like to see about increasing the quality and overall size of the herd, maybe get into artificial insemination and seed stock.”
His dad nodded as he listened. “Are you thinking of leaving the farm to work with a vet, maybe start a business.”
“No, I meant it when I said I didn’t want to leave the farm,” Jake answered, shaking his head adamantly. “My interests lie here, making what we have better. Kris likes the agricultural piece of the business, so it was good to put him there, and Nik’s good at seeing the big picture, so farm ops fits. Not to mention he has the people skills to see his way through conversations with those we deal with, but my focus lies specifically with the animal, our animals. Over time, as I learn and become proficient, I could offer services to others, but only as time allowed.”
Taking a drink of his coffee, his dad asked, “Might Jules have something to do with what you’re thinking?”
“No,” Jake answered quickly, while focusing on the last of his cheesecake.
His dad started chuckling again. “I’ve been doing this a long time son, have stood in the shoes you’re standing in right now, heard all the jokes about dumb old farmers and country folk, and I’ve had my share of worries on how I’d provide for my family when times were lean. With the way you’re feeling towards Jules, and given her background, I can’t help but think your thoughts may be along those lines too.”
He looked at his dad. “Maybe.�
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His dad dropped his chin again, and looked over his reading glasses. “Just maybe?”
“Alright, why would she want me? She’s financially solvent, makes more money in a year than I make in five. She speaks five languages fluently, another four well enough to communicate. She draws so well that her sketches are museum worthy, and she paints. I can only imagine how good she is at that. She obviously knows how to cook. Hell, she’s more like a chef than a cook. Her intelligence is off the charts, and you’ve got eyes, you know how beautiful she is. Me, I’m nothing. I milk cows, shovel shit, and play hockey. That’s it.”
Picking up the admission papers, his dad looked them over again. “You’re no dummy. Good for you. I think it’s time for you to get your degree. From the looks of this, if you want to start right away, you’d need to go to Madison, or wait till summer for a spot in Minneapolis. What are you going to do?”
Jake shrugged. “I’m not sure what to do. When I spoke with them, they said I could start in Madison, and then transfer to one of their schools closer to home when a spot opens. What do you think I should do?”
“Well, as I once told Linnie, everything happens for a reason. Maybe, for whatever reason, you’re meant to be in Madison for a few months. It just so happens to be about two hours from Chicago. I think you should go. We can spare you for a semester.”
Jake sat back in relief. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you so much.”
His dad nodded. “When I talk to the accountant, I’ll see if your tuition can be written off as a business expense under the farm, so save all receipts including mileage and gas.”
“Will do.”
“So does this change anything? Will it make a difference where Jules is concerned?”
Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I mean, when you look at it, we’ve only spent a total of eight days in each other’s company. Yeah, I met her years ago, and knew I had a thing for her then, but I can’t really go and ask her to marry me after eight days, and she’s leaving on Tuesday. Plus she’s up for that promotion, so who knows what’ll happen then. It’ll help being in Madison though.”
“Word of advice, son, don’t give up. Things worth having are worth fighting for.”
*****
“So the cows just go up there on their own, and it turns while they’re being milked?” Jules asked, as she stood watching from a platform in the milking parlor.
“Yep,” Jake answered. “It’s a milking carousel. It takes about ten to twelve minutes to go around, with about nine of them for the actual milking, the rest for udder care before and after. The cows don’t mind at all, you’ll see, they push and shove a little to get to the head of the line, and they’re rewarded with some high end nutrients as the carousel goes around.”
“Oh, look, there’s one getting on now!”
Jake smiled, loving her enthusiasm.
“How many can it hold?” she asked.
“A hundred.”
“Wow! Really? How many cows do you have?”
“We milk about eight hundred twice a day,” he answered. He could see her doing the math in her head.
“Around two hours, morning and night,” she answered in an instant, observing the process with scrutiny. “Can I get closer? See what Nik’s doing down there?”
“Sure, you can even try it yourself,” he answered.
“I can!” She grabbed his hand and started pulling him along, “Come on then, I want to milk a cow!”
He couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, alright, I’m coming.”
Fifteen minutes later, she started jumping up and down, and then threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss. “Jake, I milked a cow! Did you see? I did it! What’s her name? What’s my cow’s name?”
Damn, she was cute. “Ah, that was Annabelle.”
She let him go, then turned and stuck her head through the ramp rails and yelled “Thanks, Annabelle. You did good!” Turning back to him, she positively beamed. “Where’d it all go? Show me where the milk goes.”
Talking as they walked, he explained, “It goes to the milk house where it’s cooled and stored till the milk trucks come to pick it up.”
“Trucks?”
“Each cow produces about four gallons of milk with each milking, so on average thirty-two hundred gallons morning and night, for a total of sixty-four hundred gallons a day, give or take. The trucks the dairy co-op sends, hold anywhere from four to five thousand gallons.”
She pulled him to a stop, her eyes as big as saucers. “At a gallon, that’s six thousand, four hundred families a day! For an average family of four, that’s…that’s…twenty-five thousand, six hundred people you’re feeding in a day! Jake, that’s amazing!” Then she threw her arms about his waist and gave him a tight squeeze. Looking up at him with adoring eyes and a wide smile, she said, “I’m so proud of you guys.”
Well hell, he was starting to like math. The benefits were sure worth the effort. Now if she were to get excited over the amount of manure they had, he’d be a new man. “Here’s the milk house and holding tanks,” he said, watching as she began to study things over, entertained by her inquisitive mind peering and peeking, looking at everything.
Coming back to stand by him, she said, “Where do the cows live?”
“In the barn.”
Turning, she stared at him, thinking over what he’d said. “You have eight hundred cows in a barn?” she asked, sounding skeptical.
“We have around nine hundred fifty cows, with about eight hundred in milk.” Shuffling her out one door, and then across the way to another, they stepped into one of the wings of the barn. “We have four main wings set up for two hundred cows in each, a hundred to each side in fifty stall increments, and a corresponding alleyway where the cows move in and out, in what’s called a free stall barn system. The very center of each wing is fenced off for us to move our equipment in and out, and to keep the hay and feed separate and clean. While dad and Nik are milking one group, Kris is cleaning that wing and getting it ready for when they come back.”
She stepped out into one of the long corridors and looked left, then right. “What kinds of things do you have to do here?”
“Clean up cow poo, fluff and level their beds, clean up poo, feed them, clean up poo, strip and refresh their beds, clean up poo, monitor cow behaviors, clean up poo, assess for illness, clean up more poo.” She looked back at him, and after a few moments, he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Exciting, huh?”
She returned his smile, then came to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head on his pec. Staring up at him, she said, “So, you’re a poo professional.”
“Should be. It’s Dairy Farming 101. Been stuck in that class ever since I was old enough to carry a shovel.”
She laughed, then moved a hand up and patted him on the back. “Stuck with honorable mention, when you deserve first place. Well, I give you an A-plus, plus, and declare you winner of first prize.” Then standing on her tiptoes, she gave him the sweetest kiss, as her hands slid up his arms. Whispering in his ear, she said, “It explains these,” then she rubbed her thumbs over his biceps, “and I love these.”
She’d just thrown a log on his fire and thrown open the dampers. His temperature shot through the roof as he internally combusted. Snapping his hands out, he pulled her hips in tight against him, then wrapped his arms tight around her. His inner caveman danced with glee. “Listen up buttercup, trust me when I tell you you’re playing with fire, because I’m ablaze right now.”
Nuzzling his neck, she answered, “Don’t need to take your word for it, I can feel it. It’s amazing what us chemists can do with some raw elements and a flame, isn’t it? So believe me when I tell you, I’m definitely playing with your mind.” Then she quickly pushed back from him, merriment dancing in her eyes.
“Hey, get back here! I was enjoying first prize, I won it and I want it!” He reached out to grab her and pull her back, but she danced out of his reach
and laughed at his frantic attempts to catch her.
Laughing more, she shook her head as he came towards her, then skipped out of his reach. “What do you do with all this poo?” she asked, hopscotching her way around the evidence.
He frowned. “I don’t want to talk about poo,” he groused. “I want to go back to what we were doing.”
“Dairy Farming 101, focus, I want to learn. I love to learn,” she answered.
He stopped and laughed, then laughed some more, and then more still. Hell, he nearly fell on the floor he was laughing so hard.
Looking at him like he’d lost his mind, she said, “What’s so funny about wanting to learn things?”
Coming up to her, he put his arm around her shoulders and looked down at her. “Trust me when I tell you, you were definitely in for an education, and I’d be sure you enjoyed that lesson.”
She blushed at his words, obviously understanding his intention.
“You’re beautiful when you blush, bebis.”
More blushing. “I, ah, need to, ah, work on my prerequisites for that class,” she said in a shy whisper. “I’d hate to fail that one.”
Squeezing her shoulder and kissing her on the temple, he reassured her, “Not possible, not even remotely possible. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Fanny.”
Moving down the corridor and crossing into the next wing, they exited a side door and walked over to an adjacent building. While standing outside, he explained, “The manure comes across to this building where it enters the bedding recovery unit, or Fanny as we call it. It separates the slurry into its two basic forms, solids and liquid, via a large press. The liquid is drained off and makes its way to a lagoon out back for later use, while the solids are dried in a large tumbler that runs twenty-four seven. It provides us with all our bedding material, and is ninety-nine percent pathogen free.”
