Page 6 of Peach Tree Family

"You said you were moving for work?" Theo said as they set off with Ace a few steps ahead of them.

"Wherever I find a job, that's where I'll stay. The only thing keeping me back home was my grandpa, and he passed." Seth thought about the old man and his long silences and empty eyes. "Small town life just isn't for me."

"So you'll go right past Peach Tree? It is a small town," Theo said and he sounded like he wouldn't regret never seeing him again.

"I won't turn down work wherever I find it," Seth said. "I don't want to end up right back in the same kind of place I started from, but work is work. Can't afford to be picky."

"I'm looking for a job too. So you'll have some competition," Theo warned him.

They had covered the area north of the house without finding anything, and now they were going a little more east. Ace was always trying to rush ahead, but Theo didn't let him go too far.

"Ace, you stay where I can see you and watch where you're going," he told his little brother. "A well is a hole in the ground, the last thing we need is you falling in."

"I won't fall in," Ace said automatically.

"You know Seth fell into a puddle."

"Yes, please remind me. It's not like my shoes are all the way dry. And I didn't fall in. I stepped in," Seth corrected Theo. "I was real graceful about it. Like a ballerina."

That made Ace laugh, but Theo didn't even crack a smile.

It turned out the well wasn't that easy to fall into. There was a stone wall around it, and it was covered with a manhole cover that had a large stone placed on top of it.

"We have to work to uncover it and we still don't know if there's any water there," Theo said as they approached.

"Only one way to find out," Seth said and he tried to get the stone off by himself, like he wanted to show off or something.

"I want to do it," Ace said and tried to help Seth lift it.

"Pick one more your size," Theo told him and took his place helping Seth. It took both of them to get the stone off.

They lifted up the cover and Theo shined a flashlight down.

"All right, we have water. Now let's see how clean it is." Theo opened up his backpack.

"And you have rope too," Seth said seeing him getting it out and tying it to the handle of the galvanized bucket.

"How else would we lower the bucket down there?" Theo dropped the bucket down and brought it up mostly full.

"It looks clean," Ace said.

"Looks can be deceiving, but it's good enough to flush with," Theo decided and he transferred the water to the collapsible bucket. He lowered the empty bucket back down into the well. "That pot is going to be heavy when it's full of water." Theo sounded like he doubted that Seth could carry it.

Seth stood up a little straighter. "I can manage."

Using the galvanized bucket, they filled up the big pot, covered the well again and then headed back. Ace wasn't happy that Theo didn't let him carry either bucket now that they were full. Seth carried the pot balanced on one shoulder and did his best to make it look easy.

But why was he showing off? Hell if he knew, but he didn't want Theo thinking he was anything but plenty strong. He might not be as sure of himself as Theo, but at least Seth had a little more muscle on him.

Not that Seth was measuring himself against him, but he did find Theo a little intimidating, maybe because he seemed to know what he was doing and how to go about it. Next to him, Seth felt like something that got cast aside, his only aim any job that would keep him fed, any place that wasn't where he came from.

"It is too heavy," Theo said while frowning at him. "Let me have a turn."

"No. I got it. I was just thinking heavy thoughts." Seth gave him a lopsided smile and Theo shook his head.

"Just don't spill it."

Theo had his hands full carrying both buckets and Ace was still pouting because he only got to carry the rope.

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