Chapter 2: Bridge Party

At around 4:00 in the afternoon, I pulled the tractor over near the shop and shut her down. Ron came walking over as I climbed out of the cab. Sticking his hand out he said "I can't hardly believe you got all 130 acres done already."

Taking his hand I shook it saying, "it is amazing what you can accomplish when you are pissed off and mad as hell at women."

He gave me a look that spoke volumes of his experience and told of the long road that lay ahead me. He shook his head and said, "I'm not even going to get started."

We stood there in silent fellowship for a moment before he spoke.

"Come on into the house Bill, We'll have a glass of lemon aid. There are some things I want to talk to you about", he said leading the way.

As we entered there were 4 large glasses of lemon aid sitting on the table. Kate was sitting in her normal spot on Ron's left and Jodi was sitting in her new normal spot on my right side.

As we sat down I noticed one thing right away. Neither Kate nor Jodi made eye contact with me right away, and when they did it was very brief.

Ron started out. "Now Bill as I am sure you know I have way more land then I need to raise the amount of cattle I have. I own a total of 400 acres and you just plowed 130. We have 160 that are all alfalfa, which is way more than we need. But I have always sold the surplus, making good money with hay over the last few years. We have a 30 acre pasture, plus the 15 acre farm yard that the house barn and all the out buildings and such sit on."

Looking at me Ron asked, "what does that leave?"

"Well it leaves the wooded 40 on the hill overlooking the fallow 25 in the big creek bottom, give or take some change." I said this last with a shrug.

"Correct." Ron said.

I Always figured I would give that 40 to you and Jo when you get married seeing as you two spend so much time there."

Jodi brightened with a smile, then immediately blushed as she caught the hidden meaning. Kate had her little knowing smile.

"Gee, thanks Ron." I said as I tried not to be embarrassed over what he said about the woods.

"OK Bill here is the point to all of this. We have always sold all of our bull calves either as feeders or new bornes. I was thinking we could keep them and run em as beef in that lower 25. What do you think?" he asked looking at me.

I took a long slow drink of my lemon aid giving myself a couple seconds to think this through.

"Well Ron." I said cautiously

"What I think is that that land is hard to use, because of being less then 5 feet above the creek in a lot of places. It is just as apt as not to flood in spots during spring run off. So that makes it a 50/50 hit or miss for trying to grow anything down there. I also know that the grass is at least waste high by mid July no mater how dry the weather is. We can't fence in the creek according to the law, but we can fence in the spring because it falls under the heading of farm pond, because your Dad dug out the original seep back about 20 years ago before the law changed."

Ron gave me a big grin. "So?" he prompted.

"So I would say other then running the fencing and building a feed lot so we can finish them off two years from now, it's a great way to use land that you are paying taxes on and not using."

"Agreed." Ron said

"The only problems I see with this is the possible surplus of calves which I guess we could just sell and you would break even there. The big one is wintering those cattle. That valley could support 50- 2 year olds with out having to feed them any hay during the summer, but winter and spring would be different." I said looking at him.

"OK Bill I run about 80 cows here, with and average of 30 -35 bull calves borne every year. That valley can support these numbers. We can also fence in the east two track going down into the valley and set up a winter feeding area up top that will be very easy to reach with the tractor. There is also plenty of room up there to build the feed lot when the time comes." Ron said getting a little excited.

"Right!" I exclaimed.

"Instead of taking the feed to the cows make them come to the feed." I said nodding my head.

"Now here is the carrot on this Bill." He said looking at me.

"You do an awful lot around here. There is no way I can pay you what you're worth, but I want to try to pay you better. So this is what I want to do. First off I want to give you an extra 50 cents an hour bringing you up to 4.00 an hour. Not to bad for farm wages for a guy your age, but not real good for how hard you work and more importantly how smart you work." He said these words with true conviction.

I could only nod my head in agreement.

"The problem is Bill I can't afford to pay you more then that. But what I can do is give you a little piece of the pie."

Jodi's and my heads snapped up as he said that, Kate just smiled at Ron obviously 100% behind what ever he was about to say.

"Here it is Bill I will pay for the wire and fence posts and supply all the feed."

"You supply all the labor of putting up the fence and feeding the cattle. I'll still pay you your hourly wage for all the labor and we split any and all profit from the sale of the beef cattle 50/50."

He sat there for a moment trying to read me.

'So what do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know what to say Ron. It's great, but giving me 50% leaves you awful short on profit. What with fencing and taxes not to mention the money you won't be making on the sale of the calves and the surplus feed." I pointed out shaking my head.

Ron laughed "some times Bill you are to smart for your own good! The point here isn't so I can make a profit."

"Then what is the point?" I asked somewhat suspiciously.

"The point is so I can give you a good raise, one that you deserve without costing me a dime in the long run." He said laughing at my suspicion.

Jodi spoke for the first time during the whole conversation. "Daddy that is very nice of you. Its hard to believe you would do something like that for William."

"Why is it so hard to believe honey? Bill works hard and is reliable. I know I can ask him to do something and not have to worry. I don't have to check on him to make sure he is working on it or doing it right." He paused smiling at his daughter.

" A man like that is very valuable. So I am trying to pay him the best I can. It's also part selfishness. I don't want to loose him to someone else, so I'm pulling out all the stops trying to make it worth his while to stay." He said smiling at us both.

"Well Bill, what do you think?" Ron asked me again.

I couldn't help but laugh. I stuck out my hand, "Deal!"

Ron shook my offered hand and said "welcome aboard partner."

After we finished it was almost 5:30 Ron stood up and said "Well, Kate and I got some choirs to do and you Bill need to get cleaned up. I hear Curtis is having a bash down by the old bridge, so I'm assuming thats what you and Jodi got going on for tonight."

Ron chuckled following Kate to the barn as Jodi and I sat there with our mouths hanging open.

After a quick bath I was dressed and ready to go. When I got downstairs Jodi had a couple of sandwiches sitting on a plate along side a large glass of milk, waiting for me.

"You haven't eaten all day so I wanted to make sure had something in your stomach before we left." she said.

"Thanks sweety I really am hungry." I told her.

As I sat there eating Jodi had sat in her Dad's place at the head of the table so she could see my face. She sat there fidgeting the whole time, just as I was about to ask what was up she spoke.

"William... About this morning, I..."

I cut her off in mid sentence. "Jo it's not a problem, I over reacted."

"No Will thats where you are wrong. It is a problem and you didn't over react. You had every right to be pissed at me, and not just a little upset with my mother."

Taking a pause she pushed on."Look, we've been going steady for almost 6 months now, but we have been friends... No, buddies for 10 years." Again she paused to collect her thoughts.

She reached out and took my hand. "I love you William. I can't even imagine what it would be like for us to be just friends anymore. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded my head yes but didn't say any words because I had no idea where this was going.

"When we were just friends hanging out with the guys, do you remember how we used to pick up on any weakness someone might have and just tear them apart with it."

I nodded my head still not wanting to speak.

"William I'm still doing it. I don't know why, it's not like I want to hurt you. It just comes so naturally like we're still both one of the guys, but I'm not anymore am I?"

I shook my head no.

"And you don't treat me like one of the guys anymore either."

Again I shook my head no, though I don't think she was expecting an answer.

For a long while we sat there in silence just holding hands, until she finally spoke again.

"I don't mean to be such a bitch William, I am trying to adjust to being your girl friend instead of your best friend."

"You'll always be my best friend Jo." I said trying to lighten her mood.

"I know William, but I have to make the transition from best buddy to girlfriend and lover, and I'm still in that transition. Some times it comes easy other times hard. Shit Will I just started having periods 4 months ago. I'm still trying to get used to that."

"I know you are having a rough time Jodi, but you are coming along nicely. I remember the first time I saw you in a dress last Christmas. I thought you were going to cry because your mom made you wear it. But by the end of the night I don't even think you were giving it a second thought."

She smiled and laughing said, "no I wasn't, but I did think you were going to burn holes into my chest with your eyes."

"What do you expect you were braless in a satin dress I could see your nipples plain as day."

"Mother wouldn't let me wear one. I think it was just part of her plan."

"What plan?" I asked.

Jodi laughed at me. "Well what plan do you think William?"

"I don't really know." I said with a shrug.

"OK William, let me lay it out for you as I see it. First off we have been friends for ever."

I nodded my agreement as she continued.

"OK, Momma puts me in a dress so you can look at my tits all night. Then she tells you to kiss me while we are both dazed and confused. Momma took me shopping and helped me pick out the perfect gift. Who took you?"

"Your mother." I said shaking my head to the affirmative.

"So next it's cool if we are bathing together and sleeping together and might I add, it is very clear we are fucking each other. After all Mom didn't get me on the pill two months ago because it would make me milk cows better."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Now Daddy is talking about wedding property and trying to make it so you don't want to go anywhere else. I mean really William who else do you know that makes 4.00 an hour working on a farm? Not to mention getting to sell a dozen or so beef cattle a year and keep the money?"

She looked deep into my eyes and said, "Now ask me what plan?"

All I could do was shake my head. "Yes I see what you mean, put like that it sure makes sense now."

"Not to mention Daddy reamed me and Momma this morning, me for teasing and her for dick teasing."

"No way!" I exclaimed with my eyes bulging out.

"Yes way! He asked us if we were trying to run you off. He went to the barn, pissed off and didn't finish his breakfast either."

"Wow!" Was all I could say.

"Yeah, Wow! I'm pretty sure they want us to get married and Christmas was a push in that direction. I think Mom was getting impatient."

"How so?" I asked again unsure of what she meant.

"I think Mom got tired of waiting for me to make the transition from tomboy to young woman. My body and hormones weren't doing the trick so I think she just gave it a jump start. I think she was worried I might wait to long, and you'd find someone else, so she gave us a push."

"OK it looks the way you say, but what's so special about me?"

"Like Daddy said William, You are trust worthy, you have character and good work ethics. You're smart, polite and handsome. My Daddy is proud of you, he approves of the man he sees in you. They adore you William, and they want whats best for me. In their eyes who better then my best friend in the whole world."

She came over and sat down straddling my lap facing me.