Ellis lowered himself onto the next bale. "Roland had seasons like this. One year we broke three bearings in the same week, and the creek took a fence the night before a cattle sale. He sat exactly where you are sitting and said he might as well grow stones because they didn't need harvesting."
Hollis looked up. "Dad said that?"
"With a few more words your mother wouldn't have approved of."
She laughed again. Ellis smiled and continued. "The next day he got up and fixed what he could. The day after, something else broke. That's farming. The trick is to know which part deserves your energy right now."
She looked toward the dark S780. "What if this entire mess was supposed to make me give up?"
"Then the person who planned it doesn't know you. But don't spend a year fighting shadows. Learn what the evidence says, and let the rest come in time."
His words followed her that night when the county reporter called. The article about the disabled combine had been published online, accompanied by photographs of the old tractor and volunteers working under storm clouds. A dealership spokesperson had provided a brief statement saying the company could not discuss an individual customer's account and that it followed applicable agreements and safety procedures. The story had already attracted attention from farmers beyond the county. Some shared their own disputes over repair access. Others questioned whether the reported remote hold could have happened as described. Hollis appreciated the skepticism. She had the documents, and she wanted them examined rather than blindly believed.
The reporter asked whether she thought the dealership had acted to benefit Kessler. Hollis looked at the signed land offer on her kitchen table and resisted the desire to say yes. "I don't know," she answered. "I know he approached me after the hold. I know someone sent a message about his prior offer. I know the service paperwork contains errors. I'm not going to claim those things prove a conspiracy until somebody can verify the connection."
"That may disappoint readers."
"Then they'll have to be disappointed."
The reporter was silent for a moment. Then he thanked her for being careful and asked whether she would provide the document showing the disputed balance, with personal information redacted. She agreed after consulting the lawyer. She wanted the