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not worth the equipment for three. We just get enough for Glenda to make her goat cheese and maybe a glass or two of milk.”
    “I’ve heard of goat cheese, but you actually drink the milk?”
    “It’s a lifesaver for some that can’t process dairy milk. My brother was like that; from what I was told, he almost died because he couldn’t drink cow’s milk, and my mother had difficulty breastfeeding. My grandmother finally took control of the situation and got goat’s milk down him.” Walt released the last cow and shut the processor down. He went over to a wall of switches and pressed a couple of buttons.
    “What’s happening now?”
    “The milk is being filtered, in the off chance hay or dirt was in the tubing. After that, it’ll be flushed into the holding tanks. Every other day the tankers come to take it away.” Walt picked up a couple of buckets and motioned for Kyle to pick two up as well. “Come on, it’s out to the field now. I’ll introduce you to the expectant mothers.”
    Kyle trotted out of the barn, trying to keep up with Walt. While the milking wasn’t strenuous, it was more than what he’d ever done in an entire day. And after looking at his watch and realizing it was only now eight, he knew it was going to be a long day.
    After hitting a couple of puddles and cowpies, they made it to a smaller enclosed pasture. Walt looked down at Kyle’s filth-covered sneakers.
    “Tell ya what. After lunch we’ll run into town and get you some proper footwear. Sneakers are okay for running around in town, but not very practical for fieldwork.”
    Kyle took a deep breath. He had no clue how much “proper footwear” was going to cost. He recalled his mother hugging him good-bye and sneaking in a crumbled twenty-dollar bill in his hoodie’s pocket when Hank wasn’t looking. He doubted twenty dollars was going to cut it, but how could he bring this up? He figured Walt and Glenda had been straightforward with him. He’d be straightforward with them. “Um, Walt, I… I only have twenty dollars. Will that… will that be enough? Um, if not, is… is there a way I can work more for it?”
    Walt stared at him. “Didn’t Glenda give you the talk this morning?”
    Kyle looked at the ground. “She said, um, she said I wasn’t hired help, that she, uh, you both wanted to make a difference in my life.”
    “Well, she should have emphasized being part of a family. Don’t you worry about the cost of anything while you’re here. If it snows in July and you need a winter coat, I’ll get it for you.”
    Kyle’s eyebrows shot up. “ Snows in July ?”
    Walt laughed. “Well, it did happen. I think it was 1818 or something, but yeah. How many pairs of jeans, t-shirts, did you bring?”
    “Two pairs each. That’s all I own.”
    Walt took in a deep breath and looked away for a moment. He turned and focused his stare on Kyle. “Son, I won’t ask, and you don’t need to tell about where you came from. But I won’t have any person under my roof who is in need of anything. Glenda will take you into town today and buy you whatever is required to do this job. And believe me, two pairs of jeans and two t-shirts isn’t going to cut it.”
    “I don’t want to be a burden. I never want that. I can do whatever you need….”
    Walt put his hand up. “Stop. You are not a burden. I can tell from the way you handled the cows this morning you are a gentle soul, probably gone through more than most people have to experience in a lifetime. I know you’ve been abused, and from what I can tell, certainly neglected. Let me do this for you. Let me show you how life’s supposed to be. Hard work with great payoffs in the end.”
    “Y-yes, sir.”
    Walt looked heavenward. “You can call my father ‘sir’. Not me, please.”
    “Yes, si… Walt.”
    Walt laughed. “Tell ya what, I’ll allow one ‘sir’ a day. Sound fair?”
    Kyle gave him a small smile. “I’ll try.”
    “Good. Now, let’s milk our five expectants