After breakfast, I made a quick call to the vet office. Ivy didn't answer, so I left a message, saying that I would come into town later that morning

and see if she was around, and ready for my help.

After that, I did my outside chores, and then went to hunt up Adam or Brian.

I found them both, together with Crane and Evan, giving injections to baby calves in the corral. They were doing the old 'you hold and I'll

jab' routine, and were arguing about whether Brian had missed a particular calf.

"That one!" Evan was insisting.

"I did that one!" Brian argued.

"No," Crane said. "I don't think you did."

"I'm telling you, I did," Brian insisted.

"Just do it again to be sure," Adam told him.

"Damn foolish, if you ask me," Brian was grumbling. "I know which ones I stuck already-"

"I'll get a notepad," I said, and no one answered, as I ran off to the house.

I returned with a pen and pad, and scrambled up onto the top board of the fence to sit.'

"Hollar out the ear tag numbers and I'll write them down," I told them all.

After that whenever a calf managed to mix itself back into the herd, one of them would call out the ear tag, and I'd say yes or no,

that they'd had their injection, or that they hadn't.

An hour or more passed before that was all finished, and Adam came over to take the pad from me, and look it over.

"Got 'em all?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure."

"Good deal." He gave my leg a pat, and handed me back the notepad. "Put that on the desk somewhere. And thanks for your

help."

"Yeah, peach, thanks," Brian added. "Otherwise I don't think Evan would have survived until lunchtime, telling me I'd missed one when

I hadn't."

"Hardee har har, funny man," Evan returned, and they both did a playful punch at one another.

"Still goin' to town to see Ivy?" Adam asked me.

"Yeah. Do you want me to get the feed while I'm there?"

Adam looked at Brian, who looked at Crane.

They both nodded and Adam turned back to look at me, where I was still perched on the top of the fence, my boots hooked between

the slats.

"Yeah. That'd be good. Save us a trip to town," Adam decided.

"How much gas do you have in your truck?" Crane asked me, coming closer.

"A little over a quarter of a tank, I think," I said carelessly.

"You know you should never get under a half a tank," Crane told me.

"I know," I said, hoping to forestall a lecture. My money from my savings, that I'd tucked away while working for Doc G was nearly gone. I had to

be miserly with it.

Crane dug into his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill. "Get some gas," he said, handing the money to me.

I took the money from him. "I can wait to get it," I protested mildly.

"You could. Probably. But I don't want you to. Get some gas," he said, with a frown.

"Yes, Crane," I said, demurely.

"I mean it," he said.

"Yes, sir," I said, giving him a wide-eyed teasing look.

He shook his head at me, and I hopped to the ground from my position on the fence.

"This is why I need to get a job," I said, casually, for the benefit of anyone listening.

Crane, who'd been about to walk away, stopped walking to turn back to me.

"We've talked about this already," he reminded me.

"I know. But I could find something that was only on Saturdays, maybe. What's the harm in that?"

"We agreed you should wait until summer to take another job," Crane continued with his reminder.

The way I remembered the conversation, it hadn't been quite that way. Crane, and Adam, too, had told me that

I needed to wait until summer before getting another job, and instead just concentrate on school and all of that. There wasn't, as I recall,

much agreement on my part. I'd come home from a shift at the Dari Kurl, and they'd told me. Period. End of discussion.

"Lots of kids work on Saturdays," I pointed out, determined to make my point.

"Harlie, hush it," Adam told me.

I flicked my glance to Adam, and then back to Crane, who was looking irritated. Brian, on the other hand, was

barely concealing his amusement at the conversation.

I decided that Adam's warning was probably a wise one. It takes a lot to tick Crane off. Once there, a person has to work

their way back to his good side slowly. I decided I didn't want to have to do that.

I have a apologetic shrug of my shoulders. "Okay," I said, meeting Crane's eyes.

He was still looking miffed, and I added, for good measure, "Sorry for arguing with you."

Crane gave a brief nod. "Don't forget to hit the gas station," is all he said, though.

"Okay," I told him, and went inside to tell Hannah that I was leaving. Of course, anyone going to town runs the risk

of being sent on other necessary family errands. This morning was no exception.

Hannah, who was looking a bit frazzled, looked up from where she was alternately stirring something that looked like soup on the stove,

and folding baby laundry, spoke up over Isaac's cries.

"Sweetie, can you stop at the drugstore and get some teething gel for Isaac, please?"

I paused beside Isaac's baby bouncer that was setting on the table, holding a clearly-distressed Isaac.

I caught his small fingers in my hand. "What's wrong, little man?" I asked him, leaning down close to his little red face.

"He's miserable," Hannah answered.

"It's hard to believe that he's teething already," I said.

"It is," Hannah agreed. "I don't know where my purse is. Ask Adam for some cash for the medicine, alright?"

"Okay," I said. I kissed Isaac's fingers. "See you later, Scooter," I told him, and went back outside, my keys in hand, to look

for Adam.

So, armed with money from Crane for gas, and money from Adam for Isaac's swollen little gums, I started for town.

7

I made my first stop at the feed store, drinking a grape Nehi from the pop machine while the guys there loaded the back of the

truck with sacks of feed.

Across the street, at the lumberyard, I saw Eddie coming out, carrying a couple of boards and helping an older man that I didn't recognize

load them into his truck.

I paused, watching him covertly, and when he was done, he turned and looked across the street at me. I was a little embarrassed, and hoped

that he hadn't thought I was just standing there staring at him. He waved, and I waved back, trying to look casual.

After a moments hesitation, he sprinted across the non-busy street, coming to stand beside me.

"Hey, Harlie," he greeted me.

"Hi, Eddie."

"How're you doing?"

"I'm good. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm good, too," he said, and then both of us were silent for a couple of moments.

Eddie's eyes crinkled in amusement. "Since we both know the other one is doing so well, maybe we should talk about the weather now, huh?"

I gave him a smile. "Maybe so," I said, taking a long drink of my pop.

"What're you up to today?" he asked me then.

"Running errands, stuff like that," I said.

"I'd ask you to get a Coke at Butch's, but I've still got a couple hours of work left," he said, and I couldn't help the leap of my heart.

I didn't know if Evan would consider getting a Coke together a date or not, but if Eddie had been able to, I would have gladly gone to

Butch's with him, and told Evan about it later.

"That would have been fun," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah. Well, maybe another time," Eddie said. sounding just as casual.

"Okay."

When we'd said goodbye and he'd headed back across the street, and the feed was all loaded, I got into my truck, driving to

the drugstore to get Isaac's teething medicine. There were at least three types of gel to choose from, and so I read the back of all the

boxes, and then chose one, going up to the front to hand it to Mr. Vawter.

"Don't tell me that baby is old enough to need this," Mr. Vawter said, sounding jovial.

"He is. It's hard to believe," I agreed.

Mr. Vawter ran thru the family, asking questions about most everyone.

He finished with Daniel, saying, "Are you all going to have to go to Tennessee and hogtie that boy to get him back here for

a visit?"

"It might come to that," I said, and then made my exit from the drugstore, tossing the sack with Isaac's meds into the seat beside me.

I saw Marie out front of the café, sweeping the front walk. I honked at her, and she turned to wave, as I slowed down, and rolled down

my window.

"Hello, honey-girl!" she called.

"Hello!"

"Are you coming in to visit me?"

"I will! A little later," I told her.

"Alright!" she said, and waved again.

I couldn't bring myself to park directly in front of the veterinarian office. I parked across the street. I wasn't actually certain that

I could go thru with this. Going into the office, where there were so many, many memories. Maybe this was a bad idea. I was debating, giving myself

a pep talk, when I heard a voice call to me.

"Hullo, Harlie!"

It was Ivy, and I got out of the truck, raising my hand in greeting.

"Hi."

"I got your message. I was out on a call."

I nodded. "That's okay."

"Do you know Dale DeHoff?" she asked.

I nodded again, trying to keep my face in a neutral expression. "I do."

Ivy looked at me, her mouth turned up in amusement. "Wheee," she said, and I giggled.

"Yep," I agreed. "I know exactly what you mean."

Without thinking about it, I added, "Doc G used to say Dale was a real character."

Ivy smiled. "I'd say Doc G nailed it on that one."

"Yeah," I said, feeling a twinge at the thought of Doc G's blue eyes crinkled in amusement.

"I was out there late last night," Ivy continued on. "I've got to run back out again here in a bit."

"Oh. Did you want to wait on looking thru Doc G's record books, then?" I asked her.

"We can. Would you like to ride out to Dale's with me?" she offered.

I was so surprised that I didn't answer for a moment.

Suddenly, I thought that yes, I would like that. I liked Ivy, and I missed going out on calls with Doc G. Though this wouldn't be

the same at all, I still thought it sounded interesting. And definitely preferable to entering the memory-filled vet office. If I could

put that off till another time, that would be fine with me.

"Yes," I told her. "Sure. I'll go with you."

"Great. Let me run in and get some more supplies. I'll meet you at my truck in a few minutes."

7