HANNAH McFADDEN let the wind blow through her hair and couldn't help but grin as she and her husband road toward town. "I can't believe it!" She exclaimed.
"I could take you anywhere today and you'd be overjoyed." He laughed. "Wanna go to the feed store?"
"I wouldn't mind it one bit." She agreed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I am sick of that ranch."
"Well, four weeks staring at the same four walls will do that to a person. Although, you did get a color tv out of it."
"Like sitting around watching episodes of McGuyver is going to replace real life." She shook her head. "I'm so happy right now."
"I'm glad." He smiled and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm taking you to dinner at this real nice place, and then, yes, I will sit through Out of Africa. And I think you should keep in mind the kind of sacrifice I'm making for you because the only thing I've heard about the movie is that it is REALLY LONG."
"Oh! This is the best day, ever!"
"You know, though, if you get to feeling too tired. We can always head back home and skip the movie. I don't want you overdoing it. You need your rest. And I know how much you will worry about Kate."
"Why would I worry about Kate? She's with your brothers! There's no one I trust more. And 'you need your rest' is my least favorite sentence on the planet! Daniel and Katie will have fun, but I hope he remembers to feed her. He gets so preoccupied by playing songs for her."
"That little girl LOVES music!" He laughed. "Lord, I hope she doesn't want to follow in her uncle's footsteps. I can't take the stress of that twice!"
"I am so grateful I married into a house of brothers who are willing babysitters." She laughed.
"That's not what you told me, when you first found out you'd be living with seven men."
"I didn't see the upside just then." She grinned up at him, wrapping her hands around his arm. "Sometimes it just takes me a minute."
***7***
The movie was interminably long, and Adam had lost the plot somewhere back. He glanced down at Hannah expecting her face to be upturned to the screen with a rapturous smile. This was her kind of film; lots of talking and feelings. He was surprised that she was so still, and then he heard it; a soft snore, and he had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud. He nudged her gently, and leaning low, whispered in her ear, "Enjoying the movie, Girl?"
"Is it over?" She asked, yawning.
"Not quite, darlin'." He couldn't help but laugh, and was rewarded with a shush from a lady in the row behind them. "Hey, you want some ice cream?" Ice cream was her greatest weakness.
"Oh, yes!" She smiled. "Now?"
"You sure you don't want to see the end?" He whispered.
"I don't think it'll be a happy ending and beside, I read the book." He took her hand and ignoring the angry glare the people around them.
"That might be the LONGEST movie, ever!" He said when they stepped into the lobby.
"It was romantic." She said half-heartedly. "Well, the book was better."
"You say that every time we got to a movie that was once a book. You are always disappointed." He kissed her. "Would a milkshake comfort you?"
"No, but a sundae would."
Driving back to the ranch later, he felt perfectly content. The horror of the crash was over. She had diligently endured bedrest, and been given a clean bill of health. The jeep which had been totaled had, amazingly, been well-covered by insurance, and they would be picking up it's replacement next week - a newer and bigger version, and had even been granted a rental which they were all stunned to discover was a huge Range Rover. His brothers injuries had healed nicely, and Guthrie had just recently been willing to get behind the wheel again. All in all, they had survived.
"So, you don't want to find out?" She asked him, interrupting his thoughts.
"No. I mean, how many times in life are surprises good?" He asked her. "And beside, Mark and Cari were told it was a boy, and then Amy arrived."
"Well, that's true."
"Why? Do you really want to know?" He asked her.
"Only if they were positive about it. I'd hate to have my first thought be, 'you were supposed to be someone else'. It is not the best start."
"Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see." He smiled at her. "I'm over the moon either way."
"Me, too. I am just grateful." She leaned contentedly against his shoulder.
He should have known. Life had taught him over and over and over that happiness and contentment were always fleeting. He should have expected trouble, but he didn't and found himself blindsided by it.
The house was dark when they returned even though it was still early. The'd gone to the earliest showing of the movie, and so it wasn't even nine yet. He felt it then, as though the molecules in his body could feel trouble before his brain processed it.
"Why didn't he turn on a light?" She asked, as he helped her down from the runningboard of the Range Rover. "There's no way Katy fell asleep this early."
He had this powerful urge to protect her; to tell her to go back and wait in the truck. They walked up the front steps together, and he wanted nothing more than to grab her by her arm and take her back to the truck and say, "Wait here."
They could hear Kate wailing by the second step, and she shot ahead of him, somehow able to nearly run at six months pregnant. He was just a clip behind her.
"Hannah, slow down." He warned but knowing it was in vain. He shot up the stairs, assuming that Katy was in bed, but she turned toward the kitchen, her ears better tuned. He doubled back and pushed open the door just a second behind her.
Katy was alone, in her high chair, red-faced and sobbing. Seeing them she threw out her arms, and Hannah, flustered couldn't seem to get the highchair undone, as Katy's wail rose in pitch and fury.
"Adam!" Hannah's voice was unrecognizable, despairing and panicked.
"We got you sweetheart." He said opening the highchair as Hannah lifted Katy out. She clung to her mother's neck, sobbing even still.
"She's soaking wet." Hannah said looking up at him with huge blue, tear-filled eyes. "How long has she been here? Where's Daniel?"
"I didn't see anyone. I'll . . . I'll . . .Is she okay?" He asked, his hand rubbing circles on his little daughter's back. Her shirt was wet and her skin sticky. "Let's . . ." He began but he could see Hannah's pale face looking up at him, and he reached out just in time, pushing her into a chair. "Sit down, hon. Hey, easy now." He lifted Katy out of her arms, as Hannah white-faced, collapsed into the kitchen chair.
"I . . .I . . ." She started, her breath coming in quick clips. "Adam . . .I . . ."
"Put your head down." He told her, his hand on the back of her head, gently pushing down. "She's okay. Just breathe for a minute."
"What's going on? Crane stood just inside the backdoor, his eyes wide and worried.
"Where the hell is Daniel?" He found himself shouting.
"He took Elizabeth out." Crane managed. He looked from Hannah to Adam and back again. "What's going on?"
"Why did he go out? He was watching Kate!" Hannah shouted this, unable to contain her fury. The sound of her voice, angry, startled Kate, who had just begun to settle down, and her tears increased again.
"No, he got a call after you left and Bri . . ." He didn't even finish the sentence, understanding dawning on him. There was a moment of utter stillness except for Katy who's tears had subsided back down into hiccups.
"Let me have her." Hannah demanded, her arms outstretched toward Kate. She made soft shushing noises, kissing Kate's cheek. Then she slowly rose, Adam automatically, wrapping his arm around her in support. "She needs a bath." Hannah said, sniffing and wiping her own eyes.
"Okay." Adam said, his own voice hollow in his ears. "Let me walk you up the stairs."
"I'll go check the barn." Crane said, resigned. "Maybe . . ."
Hannah broke away from Adam, and holding Kate in one arm, hugged Crane to herself, kissing his cheek. "I am so sorry that I screamed at you." She apologized, tears falling again. "I am so sorry."
He squeezed her shoulder. "Don't give it a second thought. What do you need?"
"Nothing. I'll give her a bath, and make sure she's . . ." Her voice stopped, overcome with emotion, and Crane kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry, Sis."
***7***
"Maybe I should call the doctor?" Hannah asked.
"I already did." Adam told her. They were in their room with Kate on their bed between them, bathed, dressed and wrapped in a blanket, she slept. "He's on his way."
"Thank you." She said, and he was surprised by the emotion in her voice. "She seems okay, but . . . she fell asleep so quickly."
"I know and she seems find, but . . . and also, I was a little worried about you, too." He reached out and put his hand on hers.
"I'm fine." She told him, gazing down at the sleeping child between them, her hand running back and forth on the little girl's back. "I mean," She looked up at him, and the look in her eyes leveled him, "I'm not okay, but . . ."
"Yeah." He crossed the room, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arm around her. She leaned back against him, and he could feel her body tremble as she cried.
There was gentle knock at the open door to the room. He turned to see Daniel, who had returned home earlier. "Doc just pulled in the drive." He told them.
"Oh, good." Hannah said sitting up and wiping her eyes. "Daniel, come here."
He hung his head, took one step inside the room. "Hannah, I am so, so, sorry!" He told her for the fifth time that night. "I'm just. . . I am so sorry."
She rose, and crossing to him, put an arm around him. "You didn't do anything wrong! You expected him to take care of her! And like you said, Guth and Ford were both sill home. You didn't leave her home alone! You left her with three people!"
Daniel turned and hugged his sister-in-law tightly. "I'm sorry all the same." He said, kissing her cheek and releasing her. "I'll go let the doc in, okay."
Adam nodded at him, and reached out for Hannah's hand, pulling her back toward the bed. "Sit down, or better yet, lie down beside her."
Surprisingly, she complied, stretching out beside their daughter, her body turned toward the sleeping girl. "I'm okay." She told him, but there wasn't anything in her voice or tone that made him believe it.
***7***
"The baby is just a little bit dehydrated, and already is showing signs of a diaper rash." The doctor told Adam. The two of them stood in the living room surrounded by every brother except Brian. "You already got her drink those first two bottles, so I don't see a need to admit her, but really keep a close eye on her for the next few days. I'll come back out tomorrow evening and check again."
"What about Hannah?" Crane asked.
"Her blood pressure was a little high, but I think that's understandable. I think she should spend the weekend in bed." He told the group.
"She was thrilled about that." Adam told them. "I sure appreciate you coming all the way out here, Doc."
"Oh, that's no problem at all. Just remember, every time she wakes up, give her some water and some of that pedialyte I left with you. Actually, do the same with Hannah. She's had quite a shock and that pedialyte will balance out her electrolytes, too."
"Thanks Doc," Crane said, his brothers agreeing. They walked him to the door.
"Well, those girls are in good hands, and both will be bossing the lot of you around in no time." He said and with a nod, left.
They all turned toward Adam, who was opening his mouth to say something when the phone rang. "Get it would you, Crane? I'm worn out."
Crane answered the phone, and Adam sat down where he was, which was on the first step of the stairs as heard Crane ask, "Well, is he alright?" They waited in silence as Crane finished the phone call, but no other words were discernable to Adam.
"Hey," Crane said gently, and he was surprised to find Crane crouched in front of him, his brothers flanked around him. "Taylor has Brian."
"He crashed the truck?" Adam asked without looking up.
"Well, sort of. He drove it into a ditch, I guess. He's not hurt, and Taylor will keep him. He says that he's going to have face some charges this time. Taylor told me to tell you to leave Brian where he is. I guess Doc had to call him and tell him about everything, too, but he'll keep that part of it quiet, I guess. But Brian crashed the truck on Main Street, so there's no hiding that."
"Okay." Adam said, and rising slowly went upstairs without another word.
They stood where they were in silence for a long minute, stunned that their older brother left them without his customary words of wisdom.
"What are we gonna do?" Ford asked.
"Go to bed." Crane answered. "It's late. And Dan'l and I will cover morning chores. Guth can you cover breakfast?"
"Sure." Guthrie said. "No problem."
"I'll help." Ford said. "But what about Brian?"
"I dunno." Crane confessed. "This isn't forgetting chores, or putting a ding in the truck."
"He just left her." Guthrie said completely shocked. "He just left her sitting in her highchair."
"That's what it looks like." Crane answered.
"This is my fault." Daniel told them.
"No, it isn't!" Guthrie interjected. "I was here. She called and you told her no. Brian offered to watch her. You didn't even ask him!"
"But they asked me." He told them. "They didn't ask Brian."
"This kind of thinking will get you nowhere, Dan'l." Crane said, putting his arm around his brother's shoulders. "You didn't leave her alone, and this isn't your fault. Hannah and Adam both told you that already." He sighed. "Nothing can be fixed today. This is something we are just going to have to work our way through, alright. Katy is fine - the Doc said so."
"We all gotta do a good job with the house, and making sure Hannah rests." Daniel said.
"No problem." Guthrie answered.
"Alright, so since we can't do anything tonight, why doesn't everyone get to bed. It's late, and this day has been long enough." Crane told them.
They all went upstairs, and Crane went back through the house, turning off lights. He paused in the kitchen, which Ford and Guthrie had cleaned. The highchair was on the back screened porch. They'd scrubbed it down and left it out there to dry. All evidence of the evening erased from the room. He clicked out the lights, and checked the front door, pausing just outside Hannah and Adam's room. He was surprised to find that both Guthrie and Ford had dragged sleeping bags onto the floor.
"You want me to kick them out?" Crane asked Adam who was sitting up in bed, the dim light on one lamp illuminating him. Ford sat up, ready to protest, but Adam held up a hand.
"Nah, can't blame them." He shrugged. "You can sleep in here, too if you want." He chuckled.
"They asleep?" Crane asked indicating Katy and Hannah, lying beside Adam.
"Yeah, these girls are tuckered out."
"You must be, too."
"Too hopped up on stress to sleep." He shrugged. "Just been reading, and trying to keep it together."
"Yeah." Crane agreed. "We got morning chores and everything else. You guys can take it easy."
"Thanks, brother." Adam said. "Got get some sleep, huh?"
"You, too." Crane left the room surprised to watch his older brother lift a copy of Out of Africa and begin reading.