By Friday evening, I pretty much understood the routine and rhythm of the farm. Bear was front and center most of the time—except when he was in the office shuffling paperwork. He set the example for all of us by working harder than many men and women combined, it seemed.
He appeared…driven to outdo the world, as if he had something to prove, though I couldn’t for the life of me think what on earth that could be. He reminded me of the way I’d been in the army. Bear was polite whenever we crossed paths, though if no one else was around, his gaze lingered just a touch. Deliberate or not, I chose to ignore it and kept my mind on the job at hand. The foreman was firm in his instructions and sparse in his praise, though always sincere.
He treated everyone the same, though I noticed he was ext
