Gary took a breath. "Come get it in the morning."
"Gary, I haven't finished paying for what happened the first time."
"I heard you. Come get it in the morning. I'll walk the work plan with you and we'll write down which ground it goes on. If it makes you feel better, we'll agree on how any new damage would be handled."
Gary paused. "And you're going to stop saying that you don't have a right to ask. Asking gives me a choice. I'm capable of making one."
Tom closed his eyes. He had expected either a refusal or a generosity that would make him feel indebted in a way he could not repay. Instead Gary had offered a practical agreement. Tom thanked him and promised to arrive early. When he hung up, he stood in the kitchen with the phone still in his hand, feeling both relief and the unfamiliar discomfort of accepting that his neighbor trusted him more than he currently trusted himself.
Jenny sat at the table with the latest budget. "He said yes?" she asked.
"He did."
"Good. What's the condition?"
Tom smiled faintly. "That I stop talking like he isn't allowed to help me."
Jenny returned to the spreadsheet. "Sensible man." Then she highlighted the tractor costs and said they needed to handle the dealership next, because silence from Tom would only make the bill more frightening when it arrived. Tom had been putting off that call, hoping for a number low enough to be spoken without a deep breath. The damaged machine was still in the service bay, and the diagnostic report had not yet been finalized.
Colin answered with the strained courtesy of a manager who had his own expenses to defend. The inspection confirmed that the driveline had suffered a severe load, but the dealership had not found evidence that the rental's internal parts simply failed under ordinary use. Tom sent the photographs of the exposed drain, the old map, and Dana's preliminary findings. He explained the underground cavity and said he would cooperate with their insurer's review. Colin did not promise to waive any costs, but he agreed that the new evidence should be included before a final determination.
"I appreciate you calling," Colin said. "Most people wait until they have to."
"I'm tired of being surprised by things I should have asked about," Tom replied.
Colin laughed once, more from recognition than amusement. "That's a farming problem and a machinery problem. We'll send you the estimate when it's verified. In the meantime, don't operate on that damaged line."
Tom told him the field had already been restricted and that a drainage contractor was managing the site. The call did not save money immediately. It replaced a hostile unknown with a process Tom could follow.