It was four days later that Hannah rose early, Jeb pestering her for breakfast, and found Brian sitting on the front steps. She set Jeb on the bench on the front porch, a piece of toast in his hands and lowered herself awkwardly to sit beside him.

"Morning." She said gently, reaching out and brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"Morning." He said and glancing behind him at Jeb he said, "Hey there partner!"

Jeb smiled and said, "Bri! Bri!" which brought a smile to both their faces.

"I can't believe how much they've grown." He glanced down at her stomach. "Won't be too much longer for this little girl."

"Brian, Kathleen and I talked, before, and I hope it's alright with you, but we want to name her Kathleen - Katie Joy." She said softly.

Brian said nothing, but blinked rapidly. He reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot, Sis."

She smiled sadly at him. "You doing okay, Brian?"

"I'm . . .I'm getting by." He turned away from her face and then he rose and stood in front of her.

"Listen, Hannah, you aren't gonna like this, but I'm gonna go away for a bit." She looked up surprised, and concerned.

"Brian . . ." She began. "No, stay here with us."

"I just need some time and space, you know. I can't . . .I just need to get away. I'm really sorry and hate to cause you any worry." He looked down at her. She studied him thoughtfully and realizing his mind was already made up, she relented.

"You do what you need, Brian. I can take care of myself." She said.

He smiled then, "Yeah, I know that. I don't want you worrying. I can't have you upset, but I just need to get away. I'm gonna head up to the round-up corral and just camp for a bit. I need to . . . I'm gonna miss the baby probably, but I'm coming back, and tell Crane, I promise I'll be here for the wedding."

"The wedding's in July." She said softly. "That's a long ways off."

"I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I promise I'll be back for that. Katie wouldn't . . .she'd be mad if I missed it. She was really looking forward to . . ." He stopped unable to finish.

"Brian, I'm so sorry." She said her hand resting on his arm.

He smiled at her. "I love you, Hannah." He said teary-eyed. "You can't know how much. You coming here, and the way you take care of us all . . . I promise, I'll take care of myself, and you promise me you will try not to worry." She looked up at him and nodded.

"Here." He said. "It's for Adam." He handed her an envelope. "I wouldn't just run off."

She reached out her hands, and he helped her rise. She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too, Brian. Everyone acts like I'm some noble saint because I love all of you! But I'm the one who's lucky! I've got six brothers, and for a few months, I had the best sister anyone could ask for." She swallowed down a sob. "I'll try not to worry, Brian, but come back to us. Don't stay away forever. We all love you so much."

"I know you do." He said and kissing her, he hugged her one last time. He crossed over to where Jeb sat covered in crumbs, and lifted him up into his arms. "I'll see you in a little bit, partner. You look after your Mama for me." He kissed Jeb and set him down, and with one last look at Hannah, he strode down the steps and away.

Crane came out the door just then and saw Brian walking away determinedly. "What's going on?" He asked.

Hannah shook her head with tears in her eyes. Crane looked at her. "Where's Adam?"

"Upstairs with Jack." She said clearing her throat. "I'm fine, Crane. Don't fuss. Let him sleep."

He walked down to stand beside her, and wrapped an arm around her. "Where's Brian going?"

"Away for a bit." She held onto Crane's arm when he started to go after him. "We have to let him, Crane. He just wants to be alone. He promised to be back for the wedding."

"The wedding? How long is he . . ."

"He doesn't know. He'll be okay." She said. "We need to let him do this." She looked up at Crane, and he nodded his head slowly.

He sighed. "God, this really sucks." And glancing at Jeb behind him, said, "Oh, sorry, honey."

"That's alright. It does." She sighed and looked so sad that Crane felt guilty. He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

"Come on, I'll make you some breakfast. I'm not sure you eat enough these days." Lifting his nephew into his arms, he led her inside the house.

***7***

At Brian's request, they repainted the apartment and moved Daniel's bed back in. They tried to make it look as different as possible, but no one stayed in it. It stood empty, waiting.

It was in early June that Kathleen Joy McFadden made her arrival. As she made her appearance, the nurse proclaimed, "Oh! You've got yourself a redhead!" Her eyes were a bright blue, and her hair was most definitely red.

"Oh!" Adam had said. "She's so beautiful!" He had wept seeing her, and smiled at his wife. "Her eyes look just like Mama's." He said.

Next to her brothers, who had grown unbelievably, and at sixteen months were already tall for their age, she looked tiny. Hannah couldn't remember Jackson and Jeb being that small. She smiled at her husband, brothers and niece who had all come to see Katie Joy. She was happy, and yet, there was a sorrow too. She looked around the room and felt Brian's absence; and Kathleen's.

Brian had been the most reluctant to accept her. He'd been angry with Adam for bringing a stranger into the home. He had watched her with distrustful eyes, and resented when Adam turned to her, instead of him. He had made her nervous. She was unsure how to win him over, but persevered. When she'd helped them to win a prize bull from Wheeler, their rival, he had softened towards her a bit. Slowly, over time, he had come to accept her, and one day, after she and Adam had been married for almost eight months he had turned to her and said, "I'm going into town. You need anything, Sis?"

She had blinked back tears, surprised and understanding precisely what he was saying. It had filled her with joy. It was strange that the one brother who had given her the most grief would be so dear to her heart. She loved all of the brothers; every one of them. It had taken time to know and understand all of them, but two of them she kept close to her heart; Guthrie and Brian. She understood her connection to Guthrie. He had been quick to accept her and love her, and he had a sweetness that drew people to him, but Brian had been so difficult. It was only later that she realized that Guthrie and Brian were the two brothers who had needed her most.

***7***

It was just a week after Katie had been born that Hannah had come to Adam and said, "I want to go see Brian."

"Honey, I don't think you can. We can't take the jeep, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to go horseback riding just yet."

"We could hike." She responded.

"That would take days. You just had a baby." He told her.

"Well, I'm not suggesting we leave this afternoon, but maybe next week." He studied her, seeing how determined she was.

"Honey, no. I know you miss him, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Adam, I'm not some city girl." She said. "I think its important. I feel like he needs us now."

"No." He said firmly and she'd stomped her foot frustrated.

They repeated the conversation daily, until finally he had relented, and reluctantly set out. And in a desperate attempt to ensure her safety, he'd done the unthinkable and gone to Wheeler.

"I need a favor." He said, and Wheeler had stared at him bug-eyed.

"A favor?" He said shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I need to borrow two of those high-powered walkie-talkies you've got." Adam looked him in the eye, ignoring all of the other men who stood around watching.

"What for?" He'd asked.

"My brother Brian's been up near the high corral since . . . since he buried his wife, and my wife's got it in her head to go check on him, but she just had a baby and . . . I want to be able to get help if we need it."

Wheeler studied him saying nothing until at last he turned to one of the men and said, "Bill, go get the walkies."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." Adam said, as Wheeler handed him the walkies.

"This don't make us friends." Wheeler said eying him and for some reason that comforted Adam. He wasn't sure he could manage a world in which Wheeler and he were pals.

"Thanks all the same." Adam said.

***7***

It took Adam and Hannah four days of steady walking. Adam didn't push it, and walked slowly on purpose, until finally irritated, Hannah said, "Could you maybe pick up the pace? I can walk you know."

He laughed at her. "Well, I just had a baby fourteen days ago, so I was hoping you could go easy on me." He said.

"Lightweight." She grinned.

They climbed the last rise and could see the corral in the distance, and Adam feared Brian might have moved on, but he could see a curl of smoke in the distance.

He turned to Hannah now, she was rosy-cheeked from hiking, Katie nestled against her in the sling.

"Just up the trail now. You want some water?" He asked her. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Let's go find Brian." She said, and nodding he turned and walked toward the smoke unsure of what they would find.