"Then whoever is responsible needs to help make the situation safe."
For several seconds, Otis remained quiet.
Then he rubbed his hands together.
"My brother's got three kids."
Naomi looked toward him.
"I know."
"He needs that job."
She nodded.
"And my children need a safe place to live."
Otis lowered his eyes.
For a moment, he seemed ashamed.
Then Naomi added gently.
"Those things shouldn't have to be enemies."
He looked up.
She continued.
"A company can provide jobs and still be responsible for preventing damage to neighboring property."
Otis considered that.
Then nodded slowly.
"You're right."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he smiled faintly.
"You're a stubborn woman."
Naomi laughed.
"Apparently, it runs in the family."
The first serious emergency occurred on a Tuesday evening.
The sun had just begun setting when Dale noticed one of his cattle standing too close to the temporary fence near the lower pasture.
The animal had pushed through a weak section while searching for fresh grass.
Dale approached carefully from stable ground.
Then stopped.
The soil beyond the fence was moving.
Not visibly sliding at first.
But settling.
Tiny cracks spread across the dry surface.
The cow became nervous and stepped backward.
Then a section of ground collapsed beneath the rear edge of the old fence line.
The animal stumbled.
It managed to regain its footing, but its path back toward the safe pasture was blocked by the broken ground.
Dale called Naomi.
She arrived with Otis and Emmett.
For a moment, all four stared toward the trapped animal.
The cow stood on a narrow section of relatively firm ground, separated from the main pasture by a newly opened depression.
Naomi remembered the rope experiment.
She felt her heart racing.
But she refused to repeat the mistake of rushing into unstable ground.
Dale contacted the appropriate local assistance and explained that an animal was stranded beside a suspected sinkhole.
The response involved people with suitable equipment and experience.
They assessed the terrain before attempting to move the cow.
Naomi watched from a safe distance.
For several tense minutes, the animal shifted nervously.
Then the team established a controlled route and guided it away from the unstable area.
When the cow finally reached solid ground, Dale exhaled so hard that Otis laughed.
The laughter wasn't mocking.
It was relief.