Ethan smiled.
“Only when I'm right.”
The man laughed.
“Six thousand.”
They loaded the machine that afternoon.
Ryan watched the wrecked tractor arrive at the Miller workshop.
“You're actually going to make something out of that?”
Ethan looked at the engine.
“That's the plan.”
For the next several weeks, the workshop became a battlefield.
Parts covered the floor.
Tools covered the benches.
The smell of oil never disappeared.
Ethan worked late every night.
Ryan handled whatever Ethan couldn't.
They rebuilt the engine.
Reinforced the frame.
Cleaned the hydraulic system.
Replaced damaged wiring.
Nothing happened quickly.
Some days, they made progress.
Other days, they spent eight hours removing one stubborn bolt.
One night, Ryan dropped a wrench.
“Why are we doing this?”
Ethan didn't look up.
“Because we need a tractor.”
“We could just borrow one.”
“For how much?”
Ryan sighed.
“You know how much.”
“And then we'd owe someone.”
“So?”
“So I don't like owing people.”
Ryan looked at his brother.
“You got that from Dad.”
Ethan smiled.
“I got everything annoying from Dad.”
Ryan laughed.
The laughter echoed through the workshop.
Outside, the Nebraska wind pushed against the doors.
Inside, the tractor slowly began taking shape.
By the end of March, it finally looked like something that could move.
It wasn't beautiful.
Green paint covered one side.
Gray metal covered another.
The hood came from a different model.
The cab had been salvaged from an old machine.
The tires didn't match perfectly.
Ryan stood back.
“It looks terrible.”
Ethan nodded.
“It does.”
“You're proud of it?”
“Not yet.”
“What does it need?”
“A lot.”
Ryan groaned.
Ethan smiled.
“Good news.”
“What?”
“We're learning.”
The first test happened on a cold April morning.
The machine sat outside the workshop.
Ethan climbed into the unfinished cab.
Ryan stood beside the door.
“You ready?”
“No.”
Ryan laughed.
“At least you're honest.”
Ethan turned the key.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Ryan crossed his arms.
“Maybe it doesn't like you.”
Ethan ignored him.
He opened the hood.
Checked the battery.
Checked the starter.
Checked the wiring.
Nothing.
They spent the morning troubleshooting.
Then the afternoon.
At sunset, the engine finally coughed.