“I don’t know for certain it was cut. It just looked like it,” Jack said.

“If we’re missing any cattle there, then we’ll know for sure,” Duke said, as he pulled up and stopped. “First gate, little brother.”

Jack jumped out and opened it, and as soon as Duke drove through, he fastened it shut and got back in the truck.

A few minutes later they were driving the boundaries of the West pasture, and as they expected, the sound of the old truck brought the herd running.

“I’ll spread the cubes. You drive,” Jack said. He got out again, but this time got up in the truck bed and opened up the first sack. “Ready!” he yelled, and then braced himself as Duke started moving, pouring cattle cubes over the side of the truck, leaving a trail of them in the grass. Jack opened two more sacks and emptied them before he stopped, and by that time all of the cattle were lined up and head down, eating.

At that point, Duke got up in the back of the truck with Jack and they both began a head count.

“I got fifty-three,” Duke said.

“So did I,” Jack said. “That means they’re all here. Now on to the North pasture.”

They got back in the truck, going through one more gate, then followed Jack’s tire tracks through the field.

“What are you doing?” Jack said. “It’s shorter if you cut across to—”

“Just making sure I don’t mess up some kind of trail that thieves might have left,” Duke said.

“Why would you think to do that?” Jack asked.

“All those North Woods Law shows I watch, I guess,” Duke said.

Jack grinned. “You do have a thing for them,” he said. “You know, when we were growing up, nobody ever asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. It was just understood that we would take over the family farm.”

“I know,” Duke said. “Did you ever want to do anything else?”

“No. After Mom and Dad died in that accident, you stepped up big-time and got me through my last year of college. You knew I wanted to come home to work with Dad, and the family farm was still here when I graduated because of you. You used to talk about taking your degree and going to work for the National Park Service.”

Duke was silent just a moment, and then he shook his head. “It was just talk. I didn’t want to lose the farm any more than you did, and we’re doing just fine.”

Jack sighed. “You gave up a lot for me.”

“I didn’t give up a thing. You and Hope are my family.”

“And you put the farm and us ahead of every personal dream you might have had,” Jack said.

Duke grinned. “Well, there were those few weeks when I thought Hope’s sister, Mercy, should just marry me and move into the house with us, and that would solve my single status.”