I was so excited the next morning that I could hardly eat my breakfast. It was Wednesday. Not a fact which would ordinarily signify
anything spectacular. But, it was the Wednesday that I started my job with Ivy!
Hannah was telling me to take some peanut butter crackers or something to eat on my way back to Murphys when I
left school.
"I'll just have eaten lunch an hour or so before that," I reminded her.
"It's still a good habit to get into," Hannah insisted. "Having healthy snacks with you."
I gave in, because it was just easier.
Adam did his morning walk-out with Guthrie and I, and then stood talking to me, as Guthrie went back inside for something
he'd forgotten.
"Exciting, huh?" Adam asked me.
"Yeah. I guess I'm a little nervous," I admitted.
"You'll do fine," he said, in encouragement. He looked thoughtful, and then added, "Are you prepared? To go into the office? You
haven't been in there, have you, since before?"
He wasn't saying, 'since Doc G died', but I knew what he meant.
"No. I haven't. I think it will be okay, though."
"I know it will be. Just remember, when you first go in, that he'd be proud to have you there, helping Ivy. It might make
it easier."
Good advice. I nodded. "Okay."
Guthrie came tearing out, and down the steps. "See ya, Adam," he said.
"Have a good day, Guth," Adam told him.
After Guthrie had started his truck, and waved breezily, heading down the driveway, Adam smiled at me.
"You have a good day, too. I'll want to hear all about it, when you get home."
I nodded, giving him a hug.
7
I followed Adam's advice later. When I got to the vet office, I paused outside, and then opened the wooden door. It still stuck
a bit, as it opened, just like it always had. The bell over the door jingled. The office was empty, though I could hear Ivy's voice,
and someone else's, in the back. I walked over to the desk, touching the familiar things. I felt my throat sort of tighten, and
felt my emotions rise to the top. And then, I could have sworn that I smelled peppermint. The smell of it was so real, so pungent,
that I had to catch my breath. That was the smell that I most associated with Doc G. He was always known to have peppermint
hard candies in his shirt pocket. It was one of those weird things that happen, the sort that you know can't possibly be true. After all,
the smell of peppermints wouldn't still be clinging to the office that way. Not after all this time. Not after more than eight months.
But, I smelled peppermint. I did. I smiled a little. And, then, I went on thru to the back of the office, to see
what Ivy wanted me to do first.
7
Ivy kept me busy. Even on the first day. I helped her tend to a horse that had been brought in, with a cut to its leg. I
cleaned out the stalls in the small stable. I swept up. It was time to go home before I knew it.
"Four o'clock already," Ivy told me, as we worked together, rolling up a water hose.
"It went fast."
"You probably have homework, right? You should get going."
"I have homework. But, I can stay awhile longer, if you need me to," I offered.
"I'm tempted to let you," she said, and smiled at me. "But, four o'clock is when the program is actually over every day. I
won't keep you over that time, unless there was an emergency or something. I don't want to get on Crane's bad side, by doing that."
I smiled back. "You won't get on his bad side."
"Does he even have a bad side?" she asked, as we walked into the back entrance of the building. "It doesn't seem as though he does."
"He doesn't, really," I said. "He's even-keeled. And patient."
"Nice guys like him are few and far between," Ivy said.
I agreed, and after we said goodbye, and she'd sent me off, telling me she'd see me the next day, I started driving home.
I wondered if Ivy had a boyfriend. I didn't think she did, at least not here in Murphys. If she did, with it being a small town
and all, everybody would know. Maybe she had a boyfriend elsewhere. A long-distance boyfriend. She was so nice, and so, so
pretty, that I couldn't imagine her not having guys interested. Although, maybe she was more of a career type of woman.
There'd been something in her voice, though, when she'd said that part about nice guys like Crane being hard to find.
7
I was full of enthusiasm, talking during supper, about how it had gone the first day with Ivy. Everybody was asking
questions, and seemed interested. Crane, for the first time in days, was home for supper.
I didn't have dish washing duty, thank goodness. I had a mass of homework, and I knew it was going to take me
at least two hours to do it all.
I spread my work out over the kitchen table to do, and did the easiest stuff first. Studying for a phycology quiz the next day. I pushed
thru my math homework, and set it aside.
After that, I was struggling thru definitions and terms in Anatomy.
I was so engrossed in it all that I didn't hear anyone behind me, until I felt a hand run across my hair. Crane.
"Hey."
"Hi," I said, sitting up straighter and stretching.
"Doing alright?"
"Yeah."
Crane went to the refrigerator and got out the tea pitcher, taking it over and pouring himself a glass.
He came back over, and sat down in the chair that Hannah always sits at, right next to me.
"Need any help with your math?" he asked me.
I reached out and handed him the worksheet I'd finished. "It's done, but can you check it?"
Crane took a few minutes after that, to go over several things that I'd gotten wrong. I felt myself getting
frustrated. But, I tried not to show it.
Intuitive. That's Crane.
"You're doing fine," he said, calmly. "No need to get all uptight about it."
"How do you always know what I'm thinking?" I asked, and started working to correct the ones he'd showed me.
It wasn't long and then I was closing the books, with a relieved sigh. "Another day of homework done."
He took a drink of his tea, and I studied him. "How's Cindy?" I asked him.
"She's fine. Good."
"You really like her, don't you?" I asked.
"Yes. I like her."
"You've been spending lots more time with her," I said.
Crane gave me a sort of 'raised eyebrow' look at that comment.
"I'm not being nosy, or anything," I told him. "It's just this is your first night home for supper in days. So, I was just
figuring that you and she were getting closer."
"Uh huh," he said dryly.
I smiled at him. "Which I think is fine. You and her, I mean. She's nice."
"She is nice. And, I'm happy as heck that you think it's all fine," he said, again with that eyebrow look. "But, I haven't
been with her every night. Not that it's any of your business, but I haven't been."
"Oh," I said, looking at him curiously. Wondering where he had been, then.
"Oh," he echoed me, mockingly, reaching out to tap my nose with his finger. He got up, and went to put his empty
glass in the sink.
7
The next two days were like Wednesday. School, and then work with Ivy. Then home to chores, and homework. And
supper. And bed.
On Thursday, it was just after lunch when I saw Bill coming toward my table, where I'd been outside sitting with some
other girls, and was just standing up. I hadn't seen or talked to Bill since the day he'd come over with his father, to load up our cattle for auction.
He'd called those few times, and I'd always missed his calls. And, then, he'd just stopped calling.
"Hi, Harlie," he greeted me.
"Hi," I said, dumping my trash into the trash can.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yes, I guess so," I told him, looking up at him expectantly, as Lori and Chelsea waved and went on inside the school.
"I'm real sorry about not calling you-" he began.
"It's okay," I said, feeling embarrassed.
"I wanted to. I really did. But-well, some stuff happened with my sister, and things got crazy around my house
for the rest of the summer."
"Oh. Well, it's alright," I said. I felt better, knowing that he hadn't stopped calling because of anything that I'd done. Or anything
that any of my brothers might have said to him on the telephone.
"Yeah," he said, and then we sort of stood there, looking at one another in silence.
"I'd tell you about it-my sister, I mean, but I don't want to do it here," he said.
"Oh. Okay."
I was trying to remember which one of the new students might be his sister. "Is she the one with really dark hair?" I asked.
"Yeah. Felicity."
"That's a pretty name," I said, wondering what to say next.
"Yeah."
"Well," I said, as the conversation still lagged, "I better get inside to class."
"Yeah. Can I call you? Maybe we could go out to a movie?"
"Okay."
"Well, how about Saturday?" he asked me.
I tried to think quickly. "I probably can," I told him. "Call me tonight and I'll let you know for sure."
7
We were in the midst of eating supper, when the phone began ringing.
Adam got to his feet, saying that it might be one of the other men from the Cattlemen's Association, calling to talk
about the next meeting. He was gone only a few minutes, and then came back to the kitchen, saying, "It's for you, sugar."
"Okay," I said, scooting my chair back.
"It's Bill," Adam said, looking amused.
"Who's Bill?" Brian demanded, just as Evan said, "Oooo, Bill!"
"The boy whose father picked up the cattle," Clare said, trying to hush Brian.
"Oh, that kid."
I walked past them all, going into the living room and picking up the telephone receiver.
After I'd answered, and Bill and I had talked for a few minutes, he asked me again about going to a movie on Saturday.
I told him I would, and we set up a time for him to pick me up. When I went back to the supper table and sat in my chair
again, I fielded the questions that greeted me, avoiding for the most part.
After I'd done my homework, and started upstairs to take my shower, I paused at the bottom, and took a few steps
back.
"I have a date on Saturday," I announced to the room in general.
"With Bill?" Hannah asked.
When I said yes, Brian asked me what we were going to do.
"Go to the movies."
"Why don't you go to Butch's or something?" Brian countered. "Instead of going over to Angels Camp to the movies?"
"Because he didn't ask me to go to Butch's. He asked me to go to the movies," I said,
"You don't need to get sassy," Brian said, giving me a frown.
"I didn't mean it that way," I said, trying to explain. "I just meant-well, it's just the movies, Brian."
Brian didn't say anything right then, but Clare, ever the peacekeeper, said, "It sounds like fun."
I looked from Clare to Hannah, and then to Adam, avoiding Brian for the time being.
"What time Saturday?" Hannah asked me.
"Bill thought we'd go to an afternoon movie. His dad needs him around in the evening."
Hannah nodded in response, and I said, looking at Adam, "Is it alright?"
"We don't really know this kid," Adam said. "So to the movies and then home, alright?"
"Yes," I said, in agreement. I looked to Brian, feeling my stomach knot up.
"Bri? Do you care if I go?"
For a long few moments, I thought Brian wasn't going to answer me at all.
Then he said, sort of gruffly, "Like Adam says, best to do the movies and then back home. First date with him, and all."
"Yes. Okay."
Brian nodded, and looked away. I went on upstairs to take my shower then, and fell asleep with the light still on in
my room.
7
There was still a lot of talk about Kenny going on, at school. Sometimes I just wished all the kids would stop talking
about it. I knew it bothered Guthrie, and Trent, and some of the other guys who stood loyal to Kenny.
I was eating lunch at an outside table on Friday with Lori and Kristin, when I saw Steven walking past, his arms full
of books. I watched him, trying not to be obvious about it. During the first two weeks of school, I'd managed to
not have any contact with Steven. I'd gotten fortunate enough to not have any classes with him. I hadn't talked
to him since the night he'd called to apologize for attacking me. I'd only had to pass him occasionally in the
hallways at school, and had always looked away.
Now, for the first time, he seemed to see me. Our eyes met, just very briefly. He looked uncomfortable. Embarrassed.
And then he walked on.
Kristin and Lori both knew what had happened with him, and were sympathetic. I tried to shrug it off. But, I couldn't help
feeling sort of weird about it.
7
The hour right after lunch there was an meeting in the gymnasium, for sophomores thru seniors. It was concerning the college credit
classes offered to high schoolers. I listened, and couldn't help thinking about it. It would be so good if I got another three hours of
credit under my belt. I had a long road ahead to get to veterinary school. Every little bit would help.
I could, I thought, handle a history class. I was good at that. It would be like the English class I'd done last year. Easy.
I took the forms necessary, and tucked them into my backpack, and headed out to work with Ivy.
That afternoon, when I got home, I was tired. It had been a busy week. I went up to where Crane and Adam were sitting
on a hay bale beside the corral, talking.
"Hey, peanut," Crane greeted me. "How was work?"
"Good. I got to help Ivy stitch up Junie Kinder's poodle."
"What happened?" Crane asked.
"He got caught in some wire from the garden. It was interesting. I mean, I didn't get to actually do the stitches, or
anything, but Ivy says I was a lot of help."
"I'll bet you were," Adam said, smiling at me.
I opened my backpack and pulled out the paperwork about the college history class. I held it out.
"What's this?" Adam asked, taking it from me.
"The college counselor came today to talk about the night classes," I said.
Adam was looking over the form, while Crane was looking at me.
"We've already talked about this, haven't we?" Crane asked me.
I thought back to the conversations that he and I had had over the summer. Vaguely, I remembered him saying that I could
choose between the job program, or taking a night class. Not do both.
"Did we?" I asked breezily.
"You know we did."
"It's the history one that I was thinking of," I said, as Adam handed the papers off to Crane. Crane barely glanced at them,
before looking back up at me.
"What's your point?" Crane asked.
"History's easy for me. I could manage it."
Crane held the papers back out to me. "No, Harlie."
I took the papers from him, feeling frustrated. "Can't we talk about it, at least?"
"We did talk about it. You said the job program was what you wanted to do."
"It was. It is," I tried to explain. "But, this is history, Crane! I can do it!"
"You've got enough. Your regular classes, and the job. Keeping your grades where they're supposed to
be at, to stay in it. That's enough."
"I agree," Adam said.
I gave them both a look. And then, feeling disgruntled, I stuffed the papers back into my backpack. I sighed, and then slung
it over my shoulder, and turned around to walk to the house. I was irritated, and I knew if I stayed there then, I would
say something that I probably shouldn't. I would, I thought, back off for a bit, and maybe I could talk to Crane again.
I went to the kitchen, and slung my backpack down on the kitchen table, while stuff slid out of
the unzipped top. Clare was sitting at one end, books from her own class spread out in front of her.
"Hey, toots," she greeted me, looking up.
"Hey." I went to the cabinet and took down a glass, filling it with water and drinking it all down.
"How are things?"
"Okay." I went to the refrigerator and got out the pitcher of lemonade, pouring some into my empty water glass.
Clare reached out and picked up the papers and books that had slid out of my backpack.
"You have a bunch of homework for the weekend?" she asked me then.
"Yeah. Not too much math, but a bunch of Anatomy."
"What's this?" Clare asked, picking up the now-crumpled night class paper, to look at it.
"It's the night class stuff," I told her. "Thru the college."
"Oh," Clare said, reading over it. "Like the one you did last year?"
"Uh huh," I said, pausing beside her chair, and taking a long drink of lemonade.
"Are you thinking about doing this, too?" Clare asked, looking somewhat impressed.
"I was thinking about it," I specified, stressing the word 'was'.
"But, now you're not?" she asked, looking at me.
"Crane said no," I said, unable to keep the frustration out of my voice.
"Oh." Clare laid the paper aside.
"You'd think, wouldn't you, that they'd be happy to have a teenager who wants to do things like take extra
classes to get ahead? But, nope."
Clare gave me look of an indulgent older sister. Both supportive of my feelings, but unwilling to tell me that
I was totally in the right on the issue.
"You are doing an awfully lot already," she said mildly.
"I know."
"I think Crane's probably just concerned," she went on.
I sighed. "I know."
"Maybe next semester?" Clare suggested. "You could bring it up again then."
That was actually a really sound idea. I nodded. None of this was Clare's fault, after all. And, at least she had an
actual, productive suggestion. She didn't lecture.
I leaned over and gave her an impulsive hug. "I'm glad you're here," I told her. "I mean, here with the family, not
just here, in the kitchen-"
"I knew what you meant," she said, smiling at me. "I'm glad I'm here, too."
7