I was still feeling some satisfaction at getting Evan all stirred up while I took a bath, and then went down to help get supper
ready. As I was setting the table, the phone began ringing.
"I'll get it!" I called out, loud enough for everybody within range to hear.
My hello was breathless.
"Could I speak to Harlie McFadden, please?" a male voice asked.
"This is Harlie."
"This is Nathan Reynolds," the voice said, rather abruptly.
I was silent, thinking. I had absolutely no idea who this person was.
"Hello?" the voice said, as if thinking I'd hung up.
"Yes?" I said.
"We've had some progress on the case, and we may be needing some more information. Would you be available
to come into Angels Camp to talk with us?"
I felt as though I'd entered the twilight zone or something. I didn't know who he was. And I had no idea what
he was talking about at all.
I'd begun to wonder if it was a prank call or something. I heard a deep sigh. That was it. It must be
Guthrie or Trent messing around. Or Kenny.
"You guys are so hilarious," I said, sarcastically.
There was a silence on the other end of the telephone. "Hellooooooo," I said, dragging the word out sarcastically.
"Hello. Yes," the voice said.
"Quit joking around," I warned, still sure it was Trent or Guthrie.
"I assure you, I am not in any way joking around, as you put it." The voice was decidedly snappy now. "This is Nathan Reynolds."
"Yes?" I asked.
"From Animal Control?" he prompted then. "We met with the dog release? A few months ago? You were with Doctor O'Brien?"
Ah! Now I got it! It was that pompous ass I'd met that day when we were helping to remove the dogs. Bastardo, as I'd dubbed him
that day.
"Oh, yeah," I said. "I remember you now."
I don't know just what he thought of my comment, but he went on talking.
"I've been trying to get in touch with you," he said. "I called a few days ago-"
"Oh, yeah. My brother told me. You didn't leave a number, did you?"
He ignored my question, and said, "We're making some progress on the case-"
"That's fantastic!" I said, enthused. "What sort of progress?"
"We can talk about that when you come in to the office," he said, and I thought that he sounded just as
jerky as he had that day up on the hill.
"When do you want me to come?" I asked.
"As soon as possible. Would Monday or Tuesday of next week be an option?"
"What time?"
"Early in a morning is best here. Nine a.m.?"
"Alright. Monday at 9," I said.
"Alright. Fine," he said, and I think he was going to hang up.
I said quickly, "You know about Doc G, right?"
A momentary silence. "Yes. I heard." A pause again. "We'll talk on Monday then."
And with that, he hung up.
What a pompous, freaking jerk! Acting so nonchalant about Doc G! I was so mad I was shaking as I hung up. I went stomping back to the kitchen, flinging the
silverware around on the table.
"What's got your tail all twisted?" Brian asked me, with the candor of an older brother.
I stopped slinging silverware, and reported to the family members standing nearby about who had been on the phone, and
what he wanted.
"That sounds like good news," Crane said. "Like they're getting closer to being able to make some charges stick on that
guy."
"I hope so," I said, vehemently.
"So what's got you so steamed?" Brian asked again.
"This guy, Nathan, he's just such a prick," I said. "He was a jerk that day we were up there picking up all the dogs, and he's still a jerk! I said something about
Doc G, and he just said, 'I heard'! What an ass! Bastardo!"
"Harlie, you don't need to use that language," Hannah said, reaching around Brian and I to set a bowl of corn on the table.
"I'm not using any words that aren't totally the truth," I responded, with spirit.
"That doesn't mean that you need to say the words," Hannah pointed out, turning back to the stove.
"Sometimes they're the only words that suit the purpose," I said, still laying out the silverware, and I thought I heard Brian chuckle a little.
"Harlie," Hannah said, and her voice was so abrupt that I turned to face her.
"What?" I asked her.
She stood there, just looking at me, her expression a mixture of disappointment and annoyance.
When she didn't say anything, I said, again, "What, Hannah?"
It was then that I realized that the entire kitchen had gone quiet.
"I'm asking you to stop talking that way." There was no denying the terse tone to her voice, and it wasn't changed any by the addition of, "Please."
I felt sullen, and embarrassed in front of everybody. I looked towards Brian, who very studiously was avoiding my eye, and then at Crane, who was looking
all serious. In Crane-speak that sort of look generally means that he is disapproving.
"Okay," I said, my voice just as terse.
"I don't see why you're standing here arguing with me about it," Hannah said then.
I was so shocked that I stared at her. Where had my sweet, easygoing Hannah gone to?
"I'm not," I protested, feeling affronted. "I said okay!"
I felt a nudge in the center of my back. "Cool it," I heard Crane say, really quietly.
It took everything I had not to lay down the remaining forks and knives in my hand, and disappear out of the kitchen, outside. I would, I thought furiously to myself,
go get on Petra, and ride far up into the pasture-
I think I might have done it. I had actually opened my hand to lay down the silverware, when Crane said, "Finish setting the table," in that same quiet voice.
I looked up at him in silent protest, and he met my look right back.
I sighed in resignation. And as I turned to the table to finish setting it, I saw Adam standing there, in the doorway of the kitchen, listening.
He looked quizzical. Puzzled. And he looked mad, too.
I looked quickly away, and went back to my job.
7
Even though everybody started talking again right away, I still felt weird about the encounter with Hannah. And now Adam was probably mad at me for
talking back to Hannah.
I wished that I'd made plans to do something that night. I had no desire to spend my evening being lectured, or looked at in disapproval. I was contemplating
finishing my meal and going to call Lori to see what she was doing. Still, she was probably going out with Trent. I suddenly felt sorry for myself. For a day that had started out so promising, it was certainly looking to end on a low note.
I was glad to hear the front door shut, and see Guthrie bursting into the kitchen.
"Hey, everybody," he said cheerfully, going to the sink to wash his hands.
"Nice of you to honor us with your presence," Brian said, jokingly.
"Sorry I'm late," Guthrie said, going up behind Hannah's chair, to lean down and kiss her on the cheek.
Hannah looked up at Guthrie with a tolerant smile. "Sit down and eat before there's nothing left for you."
What?! It's not that I wanted Guthrie to get yelled at for being late. Of course I didn't. But why was Hannah so different with Guthrie than with me? Even if she was in a bad mood, she
hardly ever said a cross word to Guthrie. While I, on the other hand, seemed to irritate her more and more lately. At least, that's how it seemed to me.
Not for the first time, I envied Guthrie for his easy-going way with people. His sunny disposition and captivating grin drew others in.
I stabbed a piece of lettuce with my fork.
As Guthrie was filling his plate, he was still observant enough to notice that I was subdued, and miffed about something.
He gave me a nudge in the ribs with his elbow. When I turned to look at him, he raised his eyebrows in question, and I knew he was silently asking what
was bugging me.
I shook my head at him, very slightly, and filled my mouth with salad.
Everybody started talking about what their plans were for that evening. Guthrie said he was going back to Butch's to play pool with his friends. Evan had a date with Nancy, of course.
Ford had the date with Valerie that we'd discussed earlier. Crane had a date, too, with his "mystery" woman, that he had yet to reveal to
all of us. Brian said he and Clare might go out for awhile, too.
Brian leaned over closer to Clare. "What do you think?" he asked her. "Want to go boot-scootin' with me?"
Clare's pretty face lit up. "That would be fun! It seems like forever since we did that."
By the process of elimination, that left Adam and Hannah and me, at home for the evening. I could hardly suppress a groan. I thought that I would ask Guthrie if I could tag
along with him. Or, maybe I would just hole up in my room for the evening, with a bowl of popcorn and my mom's journal.
As I was thinking along those lines, Hannah spoke up with a sigh. "I think I'll give Isaac a bath and put him down for bed, and then have a long soak in the tub myself."
Adam looked down the table at her. "Gonna turn in early tonight?" he asked her.
Hannah nodded. "I think I will. It's been a really long week."
And even though I was irritated with her, I noticed how tired she looked as she said that.
Adam nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."
As everybody started standing up, and pushing in their chairs, I was still thinking my own thoughts. Maybe I'd go for a ride on Petra, I mused. I wasn't on dish duty. I knew because
I'd already checked. So I thought I'd go back up and change to my jeans and boots.
As the family began to disburse, I was ready to head up the back stairs to my room.
I was mid-way up the flight of stairs when I heard Adam's voice, and I turned back to look down at him as he said, "Hey."
"You have any plans tonight?" he asked me.
"Not really," I said, wondering why he was asking. "I thought I'd go riding for awhile, maybe."
"You feel like some company?" he asked me.
Adam and I used to go riding together all the time. But it had been a long time now, since we had.
I wondered if he was using this as an opportunity to ream me about Hannah, and if 'going riding' together was really just a euphemism.
If that was what he had planned, I really didn't want him to go along. But, what could I say, really?
"Okay," I said, without enthusiasm. A fact which was apparently evident to Adam, because he raised an eyebrow at me.
"Try to control your excitement," he said dryly, and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"I'll meet you outside," Adam said then, and I nodded at him, going on up the stairs, muttering to myself.
Petra was saddled and ready to go, and I was nearly done saddling Adam's horse, too, by the time Adam joined me at the barn.
"Thanks," he told me, as I was finishing cinching his saddle.
"Welcome," I said.
Adam was carrying a rolled up blanket, and he tied that on behind his saddle.
I wondered briefly what it was for, but I didn't ask.
We both mounted our horses, and then Adam looked at questioningly. "Where you wanna ride to?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," I told him. "Anywhere is fine with me."
"Let's just head north then," he said. "And see where we end up. Sound good to you?"
"Sounds good," I told him, and nudged Petra with my knees to start her off.
We rode thru the barn lot, and out past the barn, and then thru the pasture, among the cows, munching on their grass.
It was already beginning to cool off for the evening, and as the wind rustled thru my hair, I pulled my jacket collar up.
We were both quiet for a long time. After a few minutes, when he didn't immediately start in getting onto me about Hannah, I began to relax a little.
Being on horseback always does that for me.
When Adam did speak, he said, "Feeling better?"
I gave him a surprised sideways glance.
"Yeah," I said.
"You were always that way," Adam said. "Even when you were little, and all riled up about something, we could put you on a horse, and it seemed
to sooth your soul."
I thought of all those times, when I'd climbed on my pony, or, before I could mount by myself, been plunked into the saddle by a taller brother. And then, I'd snapped my
hat strap under my chin, and galloped off, working out whatever mad I had going on.
"I remember," I said.
After a few more minutes of silent riding, I ventured to ask, "I wasn't trying to argue with Hannah earlier."
Adam didn't say anything at first. After a few minutes, he said, "I guess to her it seemed as though you were."
"Well, I wasn't," I said, feeling righteous.
"Alright," he said.
I waited. He didn't say any more, and I looked at him, puzzled.
"So you're not gonna holler at me?" I asked him, wishing that if he planned to, that he would just get to it.
"Holler?" he asked. "I didn't think I did all that much hollering, as you put it."
"You know what I mean," I told him.
"I hadn't planned to scold you, if that's what you mean."
"Okay." I couldn't help the relief I felt.
"Hannah has her bad days, just like all of us," Adam said then. "I think today might have been one of those for her."
When I didn't answer, he went on. "She's entitled to have a rough day, too, every now and then."
"I know."
"Just try some understanding on your part when they do come along. It's not easy to be a new mom, and try to run the house, too."
"Okay," I said.
We'd gone quite a long distance by this time, and then sun was beginning to fade to orange in the sky, preparing for sunset.
I waited for Adam to suggest that we head back to the house, but he didn't say anything about it.
I decided that I would bring up the other issue on my mind.
"Ivy was telling me something this morning," I began.
"How's she doing?" he asked. "She getting along alright?"
"Pretty good, I think. Dale was rough with her. It shook her up a little."
"That's too bad," Adam said, sounding regretful. "I was afraid of that."
"Afraid of what?" I asked curiously.
"That some of the older ranchers around might give her bad time for awhile."
"Why would they do that?" I asked.
"Being a female, she's bound to have to face some of that stuff."
I thought about that for a moment. "That's not fair," I said.
"Nope. It's not. Hopefully it will pass."
I hadn't thought about facing any prejudice in my future as a female in the field of veterinary medicine.
I tucked the thought away to think about later on.
"Ivy told me you asked her to approach me," I said, returning to my original train of conversation.
Adam turned a little in his saddle so that he was looking at me more directly.
"Uh huh," he said, and sounded as if he was waiting for more to be said.
"You know how you say we can disagree with you, and be honest, as long as we're respectful about it?" I reminded him.
"That's right."
"Well, it made me feel kind of weird," I told him. "Ivy was nice about it, and all, but-" I hesitated. "I don't think you should have asked her to do it. It wasn't right."
He was quiet, and I was worried for a moment that I'd gone too far.
"How come?" he asked.
He didn't sound angry, or anything, so I went on. "Because. Even if I do hang around with her some, it's not going to make me stop missing Doc G."
"I know that, Harlie. That was the furthest thing from my mind. No one, or nothing but the passing of time is going to ease that pain for you. I know people aren't interchangeable like that."
I looked at him in curiousity. "What were you thinking then?" I asked.
"I just wanted you to have some joy again," he said simply. "I thought maybe doing some things with Ivy might do that for you."
"Oh."
After a couple of silent minutes, he said, "I see now that it wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I'm sorry, sugar."
An apology from Adam isn't unheard of. But it's also not a common thing, either. So I appreciated it for the substantial thing that it was.
"It's okay," I told him. "I know you were just trying to look out for me."
"Are we heading back?" I asked, a few minutes later.
"I guess we can," he said, and then he grinned at me. "If you're tired or somethin'."
"I'm not tired," I said stoutly. "I could ride all night." And I smiled back at him.
"Well. Alright, then," he said, and we rode on.
7
