Page 80 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

Alex ducks inside the old red barn door and grabs two pairs of worn leather gloves from a shelf. “You'll want these.”

I pull mine on, flexing my fingers.

“They're a little snug.”

“They'll do.”

John reaches toward a pair of hay hooks hanging on a post.

Ryan catches it out of the corner of his eye. “Oh, hell no.”

John pauses. “What?”

Ryan crosses the barn in three strides and takes the hooks from his hand. “They're not using these.”

Lucas frowns. “Why not?”

“'Cause you've never thrown hay before.”

“We'll figure it out.”

Ryan shakes his head. “No, you'll stab yourself or worse, one of us before you figure it out.”

“I won't.” I assure him.

Ryan raises an eyebrow. “You know how to carry a bale?”

I hesitate. “...No.”

“You know where to stand when it comes off the elevator?”

“No.” I admit.

“You know how not to catch your fingers between bales?”

I don’t answer.

Ryan hangs the hooks back on their peg. “Exactly.”

Alex laughs. “First lesson. Stay out of Ryan's way or you may end up in the emergency room.”

Ryan ignores him.

“You'll unload by hand today. Once you know what you're doing, then we'll talk hooks.” John chuckles. “Good luck, boys.”

He heads back toward the tractor as Alex motions us outside.

“Up we go.”

I stop at the base of the elevator. “We're climbing that?”

Alex looks back. “How else were you planning on getting into the mow?”

The elevator stretches from the ground to the hay door high on the side of the barn. Metal cleats run between the rails like a ladder.

Lucas steps onto the first one without hesitation.

I sigh. “If I fall...”