Crane's stew and Hannah's rolls turned out really well. I made Koolaid and that's what

Guthrie, Kristin and I drank with our meal.

Guthrie sat across the table, and gave Kristin his usual chair, so she could sit next

to me. During the meal, Evan told some rodeo stories, and Crane and Brian told jokes. Kristin seemed to enjoy herself, too.

After supper, Hannah told us to go have fun for awhile, so we went outside, and climbed

up in the hayloft, taking turns swinging out on the rope, and landing in the hay.

After a few turns each, we flopped down in the hay, and talked.

"This is so much fun," Kristin said.

"If some of the girls at school saw us like this, all messed up, with hay all over us, they'd

think we were crazy," I said.

"Yeah, probably they would."

After a couple of minutes, she said, "You don't much care what other people think, do you,

Harlie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seem -so strong, I mean. And confident."

I thought for a minute. "I don't know about that. I don't feel all that confident a lot of the

time."

"You seem like you do. I wish I was strong."

"I'll bet you're stronger than you think you are."

"I don't know," she said, sounding uncertain.

"You have to believe in yourself, and know that you're worth being treated well," I said.

"See?" she said. "That's what I mean. You just sound so sure about things."

"Years of being lectured to by older brothers probably caused that," I said ruefully.

"I wish my dad was still around. Maybe things would have been different for me-better."

"What happened to your dad?" I asked curiously.

"He died when I was ten. He had cancer." She talked about that for a few minutes,

and then said, " My mom got married again pretty quickly after that, and

then we moved here last year. My dad was real nice."

"And your stepfather?" I asked, not certain if I was being too inquisitive. "Do you like

him?"

"No, not really," Kristin said quietly. "He doesn't really say a whole lot to me. Him and

my mom fight a lot. Especially after he drinks. Which is most of the time."

"I'm sorry," I said, not sure what else to say.

"Anyway, it sure was great being here tonight. I really like your family. I liked Hannah already,

but I'm glad I got to meet the rest of them."

"Maybe you can meet Daniel sometime, too. He's lots of fun."

"I'd like to." She looked thoughtful for a minute. "Is Adam sort of like a dad to you

and Guthrie?"

"Well, yeah. And Brian and Crane are, too. But Adam fills the spot pretty good."

"He seems sort of," she hesitated, "sort of steady. Like you could count on him."

I thought how well she'd managed to sum Adam up in just the short time she'd been

around him.

"That's Adam, alright," I agreed. "He never lets us down."

"You're really lucky, Harlie."

We were interrupted by Guthrie, who'd climbed up into the loft without us seeing him,

and was dropping armfuls of hay down on top of us.

"Hey!" I yelled, as Kristin and I both looked up to see Guthrie's head with a wide grin

looking thru the hayloft opening.

"Move out of the way," Guthrie ordered us. "I'll show you two how to get down from

here with style."

"Ooo, big talker," I said, but Kristin and I got up accommodatingly and watched as

Guthrie swung off the rope, and turned a somersault in mid-air, before he

landed on the pile of hay.

I'd seen Guthrie do that a million times in my life, so I faked a wide yawn, like I was

bored. Kristin, however, was looking properly impressed.

"Wow," she said, and Guthrie grinned even bigger at her.

"I'll do two somersaults this time," he said.

"You can't really, can you?" Kristin asked, in disbelief.

"Sure," Guthrie said, and climbed back up the ladder.

I would have told Guthrie to quit showing off, but I was glad he was joining in and

having fun with us. It was like having the old Guthrie back again.

Guthrie did his two-somersault descent, and then Kristin and I both jumped again.

We were having so much fun that when Crane walked in we hardly noticed him.

"Alright, you monkeys," he said. "Time to break up the party. Kristin, I'm your elected

taxicab driver to take you home."

"Ok," Kristin said, and we scrambled to get up. Kristin went to get her backpack

and said her goodbyes to Adam and Hannah.

"Thank you for letting me come over," she said, and Hannah smiled.

"It was wonderful to see you again," she told Kristin.

"You come back anytime, alright?" Adam said.

Kristin's cheeks turned a faint pink. "Thank you."

"She's coming over again when Daniel comes home," I added.

"Good," Adam said.

We climbed into the Jeep and Crane drove into Murphys. Kristin told him which street

to turn on, and when we pulled up into the trailer park, and stopped in front of the mobile

home Kristin pointed out, it was totally dark within.

"Anybody home?" Crane asked her.

"Probably not. The car's gone. Mom's probably with Frank."

"Well, you go check," Crane told her.

Kristin looked surprised, but did as he said. When she went up on the porch, she

jiggled the doorknob, and then came back to the Jeep.

"They're not home yet."

"Don't you have a key?" I asked.

"I did, but Frank lost his, so he borrowed mine last week. He hasn't given it back yet."

Kristin looked a little embarrassed, and I looked at Crane.

"Well, climb back in," Crane said. "We'll wait with you till your mom gets here."

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that!" Kristin protested. " They'll be along soon! I can wait on the porch."

"It's going to be getting dark soon. I'm not going to leave you sitting on a porch," Crane

said.

"It will be fine-I do it all the time," Kristin told him, and I saw something flash in

Crane's eyes, and then quickly disappear.

"Well, tonight you're not," he said, sounding so firm that Kristin looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Climb back in," he said, and when she had, he turned to both of us.

"Do you two think you're hungry enough for ice cream?" he asked us.

We agreed that we did, indeed, think we were hungry enough to manage some

ice cream. Crane drove to the drive-in, and we ordered chocolate shakes, and then

drove back to Kristin's house, where we sat in the Jeep and passed the time by talking about school, and Crane told us about

some of the teachers he'd had in high school.

We waited probably close to an hour before a car's lights pulled up beside us in the dusk.

With only the headlights from the car to see by, it was hard to make out much about

Kristin's mom and stepfather. Especially Frank, as he said, "How you doin'?" and went on

inside, stumbling a little.

"I'm Crane McFadden," Crane said, holding out a hand. "We sure enjoyed having

Kristin over for supper tonight."

Kristin's mother took the hand Crane offered. "Well, thank you-" she said. "I thought

you had your key, honey," she said to Kristin.

"No, mom," Kristin said quietly.

"Oh. Well thank you for bringing her home," her mother said.

"Sure. I was glad to do it," Crane said. "Goodbye, Kristin."

"Bye. I'll see you at school, Harlie."

"Okay. See you tomorrow," I told her.

7

As we drove out of Murphys, heading out on the lonely stretch of road leading home, Crane and I

were both quiet in the darkness of the Jeep's interior.

I broke the silence when I said, "The temperature's dropping, isn't it?"

"Feels like it," Crane agreed.

"I still have homework to do," I sighed.

"Math?"

"Yeah. And a English vocab paper. Will you help me with the math?"

"I suppose so."

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What?"

"I've been talking to Mrs. Fisher, and she says that since I've carried a steady A

average in advanced English so far, that next semester I might be able to take

Senior level English."

"Finish Senior English in one semester?"

"Yeah. She thinks I can do it. And then next year I could take a college English

class, and get that out of the way."

"You've been doing some thinking, it sounds like."

"Yes, I've been thinking for awhile now about it."

"Hmm," Crane said, like he was considering something.

"Ford said you'd think it was a great idea."

"Ford said that, did he?"

"You mean you don't think it's okay? You don't think I can do it?" I asked, disappointed. I

would need Crane's support before Adam would agree.

"Well, I haven't said any of that, have I?"

"No. Sorry."

"It'd be a lot of work. You wouldn't have time for much else."

"I know. I'm ready to work hard."

"Okay."

"You'll go to bat for me with Adam?"

"You promise to give it a hundred percent of your effort?"

"I promise."

"Alright. I'll go to bat for you."

"Thanks, Crane! I won't let you down."

"Okay."

"The more classes I get out of the way in high school, the less money it will cost for me to

go to college. The classes are cheaper if I do it now. It'll be easier on the family that way."

"It's sweet of you to worry, but the money will be there for you to go to school on."

"I think I'll have the money for the English class next fall, but if I don't, will you help me out? I'll

pay you back."

"Yes, I'll help you. And if you carry a B or A, you don't have to pay me back."

"Really? Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

I thought for a few minutes and then said, "Crane?"

"What?"

"It looked to me like Kristin's stepdad had been drinking."

"Looked like it."

"He's not a nice guy."

"There's no law against a man having a few drinks, peanut."

Since all my brothers except Guthrie like to drink sometimes, I knew what Crane meant.

"I know. But Kristin said that he drinks and then fights a lot with her mom."

"That's rough," Crane said, sounding serious and sad.

"Guthrie says her mom drinks a lot, too. I'm not sure about that part, though."

Crane didn't say anything, and I talked on.

"Kristin says her dad was a really nice guy. A good dad."

"Hmmm."

"Thanks for staying around tonight. And for not letting her sit on the porch to wait alone. That was

really cool of you."

"I wouldn't want you sitting alone like that," he said.

"I know. You know what? She didn't even have to ask permission or tell anybody where she was

today."

"Huh. Well, I think she needs a friend pretty badly."

"I wish I'd tried to be friends with her before now."

"You're doing it now. That's what's important."

Crane reached over and squeezed my hand.

After that, we started talking about school again, and how difficult I was finding sophomore

Algebra.

7

At home again, Crane helped me struggle through my math. Math really frustrates me, and even

though he never actually gives me the answers, it always goes a lot quicker and easier when

Crane helps. Finally, I snapped the book shut with satisfaction.

"Thank goodness gosh!" I said in relief.

"What about the English worksheet thing?" he reminded me.

"Oh that," I waved my hand. "I can finish that in the morning, easy peasy."

I went to find Adam and Hannah to say goodnight. Adam was in the kitchen,

making hot chocolate on the stove.

"Hi," I greeted him.

"Hey."

"Where's Hannah?"

"In bed already."

I went to lean against the counter beside the stove.

"She sure does get tired a lot now."

Adam heard the worry in my voice, because he said,

"It's alright, Harlie. It's pretty normal."

"I know that's what the books say, but-"

"It's right, sugar. The doctor says so."

"Okay."

I watched him as he added more milk to the pan.

"Want some?" he offered.

"No, thanks. Crane bought Kristin and me chocolate shakes. I'm still full."

"Okay," he said, and laughed.

He turned the stove off, and poured some into a cup.

"I kind of want to say something," I told him.

"Okay," he said, looking at me.

"I don't tell you enough, that I know how much you do for all of us, especially me and

Guthrie. You're always there for me, and I appreciate it."

Adam was looking at me with a funny look on his face, sort of a surprised look.

"Well, thank you," he said finally.

"It's okay. I should say it to you more often. I know sometimes I'm a royal pain, but I just

wanted to tell you that I know how lucky I am to have you."

Adam set the cup of hot chocolate down on the counter, and put his hands on my shoulders,

pulling me closer to him.

"What's going on, sugar? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just something Kristin said that got me to thinking." I suddenly felt emotional, and

looked up at him. "I love you, Adam."

Adam kissed the top of my head. "I love you, too," he said.

I laid my cheek on his chest. "I don't know what would happen to me if I didn't have you-"

"Hey," he said, trying to raise my chin.

I pressed myself tighter to his middle, and he sat down in a kitchen chair, pulling me down

to sit on his knee.

"Look at me, now," he ordered, and when I did, he said, "Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't really know that," I said. "Mama and Daddy probably thought that, too. And Kristin's

dad got sick, and it was a really long, slow battle for him with cancer-"

"Harlie Marie," he said, with authority, and I stopped rambling.

"You're right, about nobody knowing for certain what's going to happen to them. Even if something did

happen to me, you'd be taken care of. You'd have Brian and Crane and Hannah, and all the others."

"Yes," I said, and nodded. "I know. There's only one you, though."

"Well, I have every belief that I'll live to a ripe old age to drive you and all the rest of the babies crazy."

"Okay." I said, fervently. "I hope so."

Adam gave me a gentle push off his lap, and we both stood up. He retrieved his cup of hot chocolate,

and we went out of the kitchen, and he snapped off the light behind us.

The living room had only one lamp left on, and Adam left that on for Evan, who wasn't home yet.

We climbed the stairs together, and said goodnight in front of my bedroom door.

"It's late," he said. "I hope you're able to get up on time in the morning."

"I will," I promised.

"Thanks for the kudos tonight, sugar," he said, with a smile. "It's nice to hear."

"Goodnight," I said.

"Night. Sleep good."

7