Herb Simmons carried the heavy basket of carrots into the kitchen of the farmhouse, kicking the screen door open with his foot and letting it slam behind him.
Richard Mann, the boy he’d hired to help him was just finishing the dishes in the sink.
“Here, Herb, let me help you with those,” Richard said, crossing the kitchen floor quickly.
“I got ‘em,” Herb said, dropping the basket to the floor. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, went to the sink and poured himself a glass of water, then drank it down quickly. “Hottern’n hell out there today!” he said.
Richard’s attention was distracted. He was looking at the new crop of carrots and at the same...