Boy Who Shoots Crows (9781101552797) by Randall Silvis

hasn’t talked to him yet?”
    â€œNaw, his class is off on a field trip all day. Far as I know, they’re not home yet. They went to one of those wraparound movies about penguins or something. Then there’s a museum or two and I think dinner at some place with belly dancers. I tell you what, if I’d had that kind of education when I was his age, I’d still be in school.”
    â€œSo you’re not at all worried then? About Dylan being involved somehow?”
    â€œNot in the least. I mean, the boy’s got some issues, no doubt about it. But hell—you know anybody who doesn’t have issues?”
    â€œNo,” she said. “Not a soul.”
    â€œDylan will be okay, don’t you worry. Meantime, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
    â€œMike, wait. I, uh . . . I was wondering if you would mind if I store some bags of garden compost in one of the barn stalls.”
    â€œWhy would I mind? But put them upstairs where it’s dry. Those stalls are pretty much open to the weather.”
    â€œBut that’s your storage space upstairs,” she told him.
    â€œHow much room are a few bags going to take up? Besides, why go to all the trouble of having to haul the bags all the way around the barn to the pasture side? Set them inside the front entrance. In fact, now that I think about it, that shed of yours is only, what, twenty feet from your garden?”
    â€œYes but . . . I think I saw a snake under the shed last summer.”
    â€œWhat kind of snake was it?”
    â€œI don’t know, it was . . . pretty big, I think.”
    â€œWhat color was it?”
    â€œBlack?”
    â€œProbably just a king snake. They’re good to have around. They’ll keep the rodents away.”
    â€œYes, well, that’s fine, I guess. I mean, in that case, he’s welcome to stay. But I still don’t want to go near the shed if I don’t have to, not if there’s a family of snakes living under it. So I’d really like to put the compost in the barn if you won’t mind.”
    â€œThen put it upstairs where the bags’ll be easier to get at. You can’t have all that many bags.”
    â€œI bought a dozen.”
    â€œThat’s nothing. You got them in the back of your Jeep, right? So just drive on up to the barn door and stack them inside.”
    â€œBut I’m afraid they’ll get in your way when you come for a load of hay next time.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what,” he said. “Just leave the bags in your Jeep. After the search tomorrow, I’ll run them up to the barn and unload them for you. What else are you using?”
    â€œWhat else?” she said.
    â€œWhat all are you planning to put in this year? Same as last year? You had, what—pole beans, squash, cucumbers, green onions . . .”
    â€œI did peppers and tomato plants too.”
    â€œYou have any interest in doing cantaloupe? Because I’ve got plenty of extra seeds. Not to mention sweet corn. I plant both the Bodacious and the Kandy Korn.”
    â€œI don’t know, I’ll . . . I’ll have to think about it.”
    â€œHow’d your tomatoes do last year?”
    â€œThe cherry ones did fine. But the Better Boys didn’t produce at all.”
    â€œYou could probably use some 21-7-7.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    He chuckled. “It’s a fertilizer mix. I’ll bring some of it along for you.”
    â€œYou don’t need to do all this, Mike. In fact, I wish you wouldn’t.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it. We’ll have you growing blue-ribbon tomatoes in no time. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
    â€œMike, wait.”
    He waited.
    Charlotte forced a little laugh. “I already stored the compost in one of the stalls.”
    â€œNow, what did you go and do that for? It’s bound to get wet down there.”
    â€œIt will get wet when I put it on the garden