July 8, 1944
Sid stared at Anna, wanting to take her in his arms but unconvinced she’d let him. Instead, he stood, arms hanging at his sides, shifting from foot to foot, as she fought for control. Would she ever realize she could depend on him? That he didn’t see her as a burden? That he wanted—no, longed—to help?
After a minute he cleared his throat. “Will you finish the detasseling without help?”
She shook her head. She stayed still a moment longer, then sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t worry about us. I’ll get us through this.”
“Maybe you don’t have to.”
She whirled on him, eyes blazing extra bright. “What? Have a plan up your sleeve to keep the prisoners here without Papa shooting them? I’ve carried this place for more than a year. I’ll keep doing it.”
“All I’m saying is you don’t have to do it alone. We can keep your dad away from the prisoners. Keep the reminder out of sight.” Sid pulled his hat off, then raked his fingers through his hair.
“You think I can’t handle this.” The set of her chin matched the tone of her words.
How was he supposed to respond to that? No, he didn’t think a woman could handle a three hundred-plus-acre farm on her own. Especially when she worked four to five days a week in a factory. He didn’t know many men who could do that.
“Look, you don’t have to do anything to convince me you’re an incredible person. But everybody needs help.” He glanced at the prisoners.
The six men had finished their lunch. They clustered at the edge of the field, a cautious alertness to their postures, as if ready to bolt at the next attack. Luka eyed Sid, a stiff air about him, as if he understood the tension that crackled in the air. Luka gestured to the men. “Time to get back to work?”
Sid nodded. He’d get the men back into the field. Too much work remained to waste time talking about things he couldn’t fix. Anna’s father wouldn’t change unless he wanted to, but the acres of corn remained to be detasseled.
“We’ll be in the field if you need us.” He went to where his men stood before Anna could protest. She might not like his methods, but better to get back to the fields now while her father couldn’t tear into a German.
The afternoon stretched out in a slow succession of hours. Anna avoided him like he had a contagious disease, but she hadn’t order them to leave. She needed the labor and kept her father inside and away from the Germans. Sid missed her teasing presence rom the morning.
At the end of the day, Sid gladly hauled himself into the truck. With a few groans and mild complaints, the prisoners collapsed in its bed. Once they’d settled, Sid headed back to Camp Atlanta. It had been a long day. Already his shoulders and back ached from the work. He had a feeling by morning he’d feel all kinds of other muscles he’d forgotten. Anyone who thought farmers had an easy life hadn’t spent a day like his.
Problem was that, after a full fourteen hours in the fields, they’d barely covered a third of the crop. Sure, the men were became proficient at the work. But it had taken too long to reach that point. Tomorrow had to go faster. He’d attend the early chapel service, then head back. Luka promised he’d have the men ready.
The old men had creaked through their rows. Sid supposed their help was better than nothing, but he didn’t avoid the fact they needed more hands. He’d bring more prisoners tomorrow except he needed approval. The prisoners were spread thin between the local farmers and branch camps. With the fields planted and crops growing, work wasn’t in short supply. No, the farmers needed and valued the prisoners’ labor. Even by folks who felt like Anna’s dad. Fortunately, he hadn’t come back out after Gus led him inside.
Soon as he reached his barracks, Sid dropped onto his bed and kicked off his boots. In minutes he fell asleep.
Sunday passed in a blur of repetitive motion. Anna remained aloof until Sid decided she’d pouted long enough.
As the prisoners marched to the truck that evening, he stalked up to her. “Be ready in an hour.”
“For what?” She crossed her arms and stared at him.
“I’m coming back and getting you away from here. We’ve worked hard, and it’s time to relax.”
“But Dottie will be here soon.”
“When?”
“Around six.”
Sid frowned. “Tell her to wait. I’ll bring something back for all of us.” He squared his jaw. She couldn’t put him off that easily. “Don’t go anywhere until I get back.”
He turned toward the truck but could swear he caught her sticking out her tongue in his peripheral vision. If he weren’t so tired, he’d smile. Crazy girl had spunk.
After returning the prisoners to their compound, Sid flew through a shower and into clean clothes. He pulled out of Camp Atlanta and drove to Atlanta. He reached the little café in town thirty minutes before it closed and grabbed a quick picnic of fried chicken and potato salad.
When he pulled into the Goodmans’ lane, Dottie’s car stood next to the house. He released a breath at the realization Anna had waited. Maybe she wasn’t as angry with him as she acted. He hopped out of his car and hurried toward the house.
“We’re over here.”
He found the girls lounging in chairs next to the barn. Anna looked wrung out, her face pink with sunburn, short curls tucked behind her ears. Her eyes were closed, a tired smile on her lips. Even exhausted she stole his ability to think. He tried to rein his thoughts in. The important thing was discussing how she’d make it through a week in Kearney after the weekend she’d had. And how the detasseling would be finished while she did.
Dottie smiled at him, a hint of Mary Martin flashing in her grin. “I’d begun to think Anna lied about you coming back.” She looked over his shoulder. “Bring anyone with you?”
Sid shook his head and then shrugged. Hadn’t crossed his mind to grab someone like Trent.
“I’ll entertain myself while you guys enjoy your dinner.”
“There’s plenty here.”
“Thanks, but I don’t like playing third wheel.” She stood and patted Anna lightly on the cheek. Anna opened her eyes and glanced up at her. “We leave in forty-five minutes.”
“Sure you don’t want to eat with us?”
“Certain. I’ll be over by the apple trees.”
Sid watched Dottie head off. Why hadn’t he thought to bring Trent with him? Anna shifted in her chair, and he pulled his attention back to important matters. “I brought some chicken.”
“Thank you.”
Sid pulled out the meat, salad, plates, and silverware. Once they each had a plate of food, he said a quick grace. Silence settled between them as they ate. When he’d cleared his plate, he set it aside and focused on Anna.
“I’ll bring the prisoners back until the job is done. Hopefully, we’ll finish before Jude reassigns them.”
“He’s never liked Papa much.”
Sid could imagine. If her father had always been this prickly, it was easy to understand. But Gus and Teddy seemed to genuinely like him, so something at the core of the man had appealed to others at one time.
“Maybe Papa’s right.” Anna’s sigh resonated with heaviness. “Perhaps I need to quit at the air base and stay here for awhile. There’s no way he can handle the farm. Yesterday made that clear if I hadn’t already known it.”
“Do you like your job?”
“It’s fine, and I’m making a difference. The boys need those parachutes packed properly. I’ve gotten good at it.” She set her plate on the ground. “The problem is, if I come home, I don’t know how I’ll stand it.”
“Do you like the farm?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. You seem to come back week after week because you feel a sense of duty. But I haven’t seen you enjoy it.”
Fire sparked in her eyes. “What about my life am I supposed to love right now? I have a father who is angry all the time. I have a job that requires long hours. I live in a small room in a boarding house with my best friend. I come home on weekends and work until I’m past exhausted. What part should I enjoy? The part where the Germans are holding my brother? Or the part where they’re working my fields?”
“The fact you’re alive. That you live in a free country. Maybe the fact that God loves you. That He’s given you a job to do, whether it’s in Kearney or here.” Sid stopped, counted to ten. Where had this rush of words erupted from? “When I look at you, I see a beautiful woman who has a lot to offer, but you’re held back by cares you carry alone.”
Anna stared open-mouthed at him, color flashing up her face.
Sid raked a hand through his hair. How could he explain what he saw in a way that she would accept? “Frankly, I think you’re needed here this week. There’s a lot that must happen to maintain the crops. You said yourself if the detasseling isn’t done, it could ruin the entire crop of corn. But if you don’t want to stay, go. Whatever you choose, you need to decide in your heart that you’re going to find a way to release the load. You can’t carry everyone else’s burdens for them.”
Her mouth shut like a trout pulled out of a stream, desperate for water. She snapped her lips together and hurried away from him.
Sid’s shoulders sagged as she got into the car without a word to him. Guess she’d made her decision about what to do. He watched her go and wondered if he had ended any hope of more than a tentative friendship with her.
He turned toward the fields. The corn waved in rows across the land, seemingly unending.
If he wanted to bring more prisoners to work tomorrow, he needed to return to camp. He’d bring as many men as he could. Get the job done and move on. Anna had made it clear that she didn’t want his help or his friendship. And her father didn’t hide his feelings.
Walking to his car, Sid caught Mr. Goodman watching him through the kitchen window. Sid waved at the man—sooner or later he had to soften. And maybe his daughter would join him.