pairing off for the dance. From then on the old pavilion would fairly rock
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on its foundation until around midnight, when the merchants of the town would put on a spectacular fireworks display, signaling the end of another happy, successful Fourth.
Then came the job of gathering sleepy, tired, slightly grimy children into parents' arms, rounding up all the empty dishes, and heading for home, tired but happy.
Well, she mused, she could always take her German chocolate cake. That always seemed to be a hit wherever she went. Just then she heard Jason's truck drive up and its door slam. A few minutes later he opened the back screen and poked his head in. ''Can you come out here a minute, Jessie?"
Jessica looked up in surprise, since he rarely was around the house during the day. "Sure," she readily agreed, closing the recipe file. She got up from the table and trailed him out into the yard. She saw his tractor sitting by his truck, jumper cables lying beside it.
"The tractor's battery is as dead as a doornail. I want you to drive the truck. I'm going to try to pull-start it," he stated calmly.
Jessica felt the first stirring of panic rising in her throat. "I don't know, Jason," she began uneasily. "I'm not very good at things like this. Can't you get Sam to help you?"
"Sam's over mending fence in the south section today," he informed her curtly.
"What about Rick?"
"Everyone's busy right now, Jessie. Just do what I tell you, and you won't have any problems," he said, walking around to hook a thick, heavy cable to the front of the tractor. "Just jump in my truck and drive it. It'll only take a minute."
She walked slowly to the truck, still protesting, "I don't think this is such a good idea, Jas"
"Just get in it and back it up to the tractor so I can hook this chain on."
She climbed onto the plush seat of the truck and turned
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the key in the ignition. The motor started up with a smooth sound. She carefully backed the truck up to the tractor, her palms sweating. Jason hooked the heavy chain to the back of the truck and jumped up onto the tractor seat, giving her instructions. ''Now just give it a little gas, ease off on the clutch pedal real slow until you feel the chain go taut, then let off on the gas when you hear the tractor start. Is that clear?"
Sweat was beginning to trickle down her back, and her hands were clammy. She was gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white.
"Pull me down toward the barn," he shouted. "Okay, go!"
"Jason"she stuck her head out the truck window"this really makes me nervous," she pleaded desperately one last time.
"Just do it, Jessie," he snapped and shifted the tractor into low gear. "I haven't got time to argue! Are you ready?"
"I guess," she said in a small voice.
"Okay," he ordered once again, "go!"
She started easing down on the gas pedal very slowly. She could bear the chain on the bumper making a popping noise like it was going to tear the whole bumper off the truck. She began crawling down the drive at a snail's pace, perspiration dripping off her face and arms.
"Faster," Jason yelled. "You got to get up more speed."
"Oh, God, I can't do this," she moaned, letting her foot slip from the gas pedal just a little. The heavy chain immediately went slack.
"Keep it taut!" Jason was shouting. "Keep the damn chain taut, Jessie!"
Her foot came back down hard on the pedal this timetoo hard. She immediately let up on the gas again. That was a mistake! She now had the truck jerking Jason along on the tractor in giant hiccuping jolts.
"You've got to get the slack out, Jessie!" He was near
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hysteria now, screaming at the top of his vibrating lungs. Her foot slammed down even harder on the pedal, and the truck surged forward at a rapid pacethe chain definitely becoming taut! Jessica heard a loud snap as the chain broke, catapulting the truck straight toward the barn at very nearly the speed of sound. Oh, my God, Jessica thought as she fought frantically
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on its foundation until around midnight, when the merchants of the town would put on a spectacular fireworks display, signaling the end of another happy, successful Fourth.
Then came the job of gathering sleepy, tired, slightly grimy children into parents' arms, rounding up all the empty dishes, and heading for home, tired but happy.
Well, she mused, she could always take her German chocolate cake. That always seemed to be a hit wherever she went. Just then she heard Jason's truck drive up and its door slam. A few minutes later he opened the back screen and poked his head in. ''Can you come out here a minute, Jessie?"
Jessica looked up in surprise, since he rarely was around the house during the day. "Sure," she readily agreed, closing the recipe file. She got up from the table and trailed him out into the yard. She saw his tractor sitting by his truck, jumper cables lying beside it.
"The tractor's battery is as dead as a doornail. I want you to drive the truck. I'm going to try to pull-start it," he stated calmly.
Jessica felt the first stirring of panic rising in her throat. "I don't know, Jason," she began uneasily. "I'm not very good at things like this. Can't you get Sam to help you?"
"Sam's over mending fence in the south section today," he informed her curtly.
"What about Rick?"
"Everyone's busy right now, Jessie. Just do what I tell you, and you won't have any problems," he said, walking around to hook a thick, heavy cable to the front of the tractor. "Just jump in my truck and drive it. It'll only take a minute."
She walked slowly to the truck, still protesting, "I don't think this is such a good idea, Jas"
"Just get in it and back it up to the tractor so I can hook this chain on."
She climbed onto the plush seat of the truck and turned
Page 95
the key in the ignition. The motor started up with a smooth sound. She carefully backed the truck up to the tractor, her palms sweating. Jason hooked the heavy chain to the back of the truck and jumped up onto the tractor seat, giving her instructions. ''Now just give it a little gas, ease off on the clutch pedal real slow until you feel the chain go taut, then let off on the gas when you hear the tractor start. Is that clear?"
Sweat was beginning to trickle down her back, and her hands were clammy. She was gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white.
"Pull me down toward the barn," he shouted. "Okay, go!"
"Jason"she stuck her head out the truck window"this really makes me nervous," she pleaded desperately one last time.
"Just do it, Jessie," he snapped and shifted the tractor into low gear. "I haven't got time to argue! Are you ready?"
"I guess," she said in a small voice.
"Okay," he ordered once again, "go!"
She started easing down on the gas pedal very slowly. She could bear the chain on the bumper making a popping noise like it was going to tear the whole bumper off the truck. She began crawling down the drive at a snail's pace, perspiration dripping off her face and arms.
"Faster," Jason yelled. "You got to get up more speed."
"Oh, God, I can't do this," she moaned, letting her foot slip from the gas pedal just a little. The heavy chain immediately went slack.
"Keep it taut!" Jason was shouting. "Keep the damn chain taut, Jessie!"
Her foot came back down hard on the pedal this timetoo hard. She immediately let up on the gas again. That was a mistake! She now had the truck jerking Jason along on the tractor in giant hiccuping jolts.
"You've got to get the slack out, Jessie!" He was near
Page 96
hysteria now, screaming at the top of his vibrating lungs. Her foot slammed down even harder on the pedal, and the truck surged forward at a rapid pacethe chain definitely becoming taut! Jessica heard a loud snap as the chain broke, catapulting the truck straight toward the barn at very nearly the speed of sound. Oh, my God, Jessica thought as she fought frantically
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