I traced the sharp metal edge with my thumbnail while I waited for his decision.

The silence in the yard stretched on.

The only sound was the harsh wind rattling the bare cottonwoods near the red barn.

The temperature seemed to drop another ten degrees while the man studied his screen.

Luke pressed his fingers gently against my spine.

We both knew this was the end of the line.

If the man in the wool coat nodded one more time, we were completely out of money.

We would lose the eighty acres to a leasing corporation.