I put the picnic basket behind me on the four-wheeler, and then hooked the thermos over one handle. I was almost up to
the area where I'd first seen all the guys. But, now it looked as though Evan and Daniel were herding the bull. I hung back a bit,
letting the motor idle, so I wouldn't startle the bull. Although he looked to be walking slow, head down, as Evan and Daniel
rode along either side of him.
When they'd gone far enough, I thought, I rode on up to where Adam and Brian were standing beside their horses,
talking. Brian was taking a long drink out of his water canteen.
They both said 'hey' to me in greeting, but not with any exuberance. That didn't bode well for the news of the bull.
"Hannah sent some food," I told them, after I'd turned off the motor, and was still sitting on the four-wheeler.
"Bless Hannah," Brian said, coming over closer to me. "What do we have?"
"Ham and roast beef sandwiches. Cookies. And sweet tea," I said, tapping the top of the thermos.
"Well, break me out one of the roast beef," Brian told me, and I tugged the picnic basket to the front, and opened it,
pulling out a sandwich to hand to him.
"Clare home yet?" he asked me.
"No, not yet. She gets off at two-thirty, she said."
"I thought it was earlier than that," he said. "How was she? Alright?"
"Yes. Alright," I said.
Brian went back to watching Evan and Daniel and the bull grow smaller in the distance.
"Where are they taking the bull?" I asked.
"To the pen at the cabin," Brian said.
I took out two more sandwiches. One of each kind. "Adam, what kind do you want?" I asked him.
"Oh, I don't know, sugar," he said, still looking off in the distance, as though deep in worried thought.
"It's not gonna help anything not to eat," Brian told him.
"You're right," Adam said, and turned to me. "I'll take a roast beef, too."
I handed it off to him, and pulled out Styrofoam cups from the basket, and poured them each a cup of the sweet tea.
Brian took a seat on one of the square bales of hay that had gotten left out in the field. It had the look of a hay bale that's
been left out in the weather, dark, and as if it might fall apart, straw by straw. But, he still sat down on it, and it held him
alright. Adam stayed standing, though, resting one hand on his horse, and eating with the other hand.
I got off the four-wheeler and brought the cups of sweet tea to them.
"What do you think is wrong with the bull?" I asked.
Adam sighed heavily. "I don't know," he said, sounding discouraged. "He's favorin' his leg."
"Ivy and Crane should be home soon," I said, trying to sound encouraging.
"We can hope," he said. "I've got a call into a vet at Stockton. It'd be better if Ivy was the one, though."
"Do you want me to ride back to the house and see if the other vet has called back yet?" I offered.
"The office said not to expect to hear back for a couple of hours," Adam said. "Thank you, though," he said, giving me
a half-smile. A worried half-smile.
"How about some of those cookies?" Brian asked me, and I went to burrow thru the basket, pulling out the foil-wrapped
cookies.
"Chocolate chip?" I asked him, and he nodded.
I handed him two cookies, and said, "There's a second sandwich. Hannah made two apiece."
"The cookies are good enough," Brian said.
"Adam?" I asked.
"No, thanks. No cookies for me."
"Do you want your other sandwich?" I asked him, offering it to him.
"Yeah, I'll take it," he said. He looked so tired, so down, that I felt a gripping of concern. And worry.
From where we sat I could see Ivy's truck pulling down the long driveway.
"Look," I said, and I could tell they were both relieved.
"We'll head on up to the cabin," Adam told me. "Can you go down and tell Ivy where we'll be? If she stopped at the office, she
got the message I left."
"Yes," I said, already picking things up and putting them back into the basket.
"You can ride on up after that, and make sure Daniel and Evan get their sandwiches," he said.
"Okay," I said, and went to install the basket and thermos, and climb on.
They mounted and rode off and I rode in the opposite direction to the house. I rode really fast, and, just as I was approaching the
barn, the thermos bounced and flew off. I left it where it landed, and pulled to a stop, and shut off the motor. Ivy was standing on the
porch talking to Hannah, and Crane paused from where he stood on the bottom step of the porch, his arms full of two bags.
"Evan and Daniel herded the bull up to the pen at the cabin," I reported, pausing at the bottom step beside Crane. "Ivy, Adam says
for you to come up there."
"Alright," Ivy said, and immediately made her way down the stairs. I could see she was shifting into 'vet' mode.
"Do the guys have any idea what's going on?" she asked me.
"Adam said no. He didn't."
"I'll give these to you," Crane told Hannah, and handed off the two bags of groceries to her.
"Is some of this for tonight?" Hannah asked him, looking into the sacks.
"I was going to make up some tacos and smothered burritos,' Crane said. "Take some of the work off of you. I'll ride up to see if
there's anything I can do, and then I'll come back down and start cooking."
"Thanks," Hannah said, smiling at him, as if he'd told her the sacks held gold pieces.
Crane went to get into the truck with Ivy, and I drove back out and up towards the cabin, stopping to pick up
the thermos. I went a shortcut, but Ivy had to drive the easier terrain way, the way that was getting worn by Evan driving
back and forth every day.
I beat Ivy there, and parked in front of the cabin, and went to stand beside the pen where the bull was at. Adam and Brian, Evan
and Daniel were all leaning on the pen posts, looking in at the bull, who was ensconced in the squeeze chute.
I knew that chute hadn't been used for a long time, and I was surprised that it hadn't needed some WD-40 to get it to
open.
"Was it hard to get him in there?" I asked.
Daniel was the one who answered me. "No. He feels so puny he didn't even fuss much."
"I brought you and Evan sandwiches and stuff," I told him. "Want I should go get it for you?"
"Yeah, I could go for a sandwich," Daniel said.
I went back to the basket yet again, and toted it over to the pen, setting it on the ground.
I handed Evan and Daniel both a sandwich, and by that time Ivy and Crane had arrived, backed up to the pen, and
Crane was out, lowering the back tail gate.
By the time Ivy had determined that the bull had, she believed, been bitten by a snake on the right front lower leg, she gave it a
dose of antibiotics, and an anti-inflammatory drug.
"That will help keep the swelling down," Ivy said. "And the pain."
"Damn," Brian said. "That's one thing we haven't had trouble with much, is snakes."
"And it will help to keep him contained," Ivy said. "Since he's having trouble walking. We'll need to keep an eye on him, make sure
we don't have to open that area up, and get rid of the dead tissue."
They talked some more, and Evan told me to come inside with him to help carry out some beers. He took three and gave me three to carry,
and we walked back outside. All the guys took a beer, but Ivy refused the one Evan offered to her.
When Crane had finished his beer, Ivy suggested that it would help to run cool water over the bull's leg, before he was released from
the chute.
"If you have a garden hose," she told Evan.
"Yeah. We do," Evan said, and went to pull the garden hose out. It only just barely reached, and he bent down, running
the water onto the bull's swollen knee.
"Got supper to start," Crane said.
"I can come back tomorrow and see how he's doing," Ivy told Adam and Brian.
"Thanks, Ivy. Sorry to greet you with all this when you're just gettin' home. How's your dad?" Adam asked her.
"Frail. But, in one piece," Ivy said.
I wondered briefly what Ivy's elderly parents had thought of Crane, and if Ivy had introduced him as her boyfriend.
"You're stayin' for supper, aren't you?" Brian asked her.
"Of course she is," Adam said.
"I've been invited," Ivy said, giving Crane a special smile.
The two of them left, and I began gathering up the basket and thermos.
"I'll finish this up," Evan was saying, still running cool water over the bull's leg.
"Alright. Head on down when Nancy gets home," Adam said.
"Yeah, I'll probably grab a shower first," Evan said.
"We'll take Diablo down for you," Daniel told Evan, since Evan would be riding down with Nancy in her car most likely.
So, we all headed down, them on horseback, and me on the four-wheeler. I went around them and, while I didn't think I
was going overly fast, or being reckless, Brian yelled, "Slow that down!"
I was parking the four-wheeler, and had taken the basket and thermos into the house. Crane was busy in the kitchen,
and Ivy was coming back down the stairs, wearing a pair of clean jeans and shirt that I recognized as Hannah's.
"Thanks, Hannah," she said. "I didn't want to sit down at the supper table with those work clothes on."
"I'm glad they fit," Hannah said, eyeing Ivy.
Ivy is about the same height as Hannah, maybe a smidge taller, and a little slimmer in the hips, but the clothes did seem to
fit her well.
Crane took an apron out of the drawer, and tied it around Ivy's waist. I went out to do my regular outside chores, and
Guthrie and Ford were both arriving at the same time.
I went to greet Ford with a fierce hug, as he talked to everybody outside, getting caught up on things.
As I was coming out of the goat pen, I saw Jill, arriving home, in Daniel's truck. She got out, and began tugging
things out. Sacks of things, I couldn't tell just what.
"Jill was picking up some groceries," I heard Daniel telling Adam.
"Ford, come here!" Daniel was hollering, and Ford headed over to where Daniel stood with Jill.
I saw Jill rubbing Ford's shoulder and smiling really big.
Guthrie was passing by, returning a bucket to the feed shed, and he paused beside me.
"She's really something," I said, not in a complimentary way.
"Maybe she's gonna try to get along," Guthrie said.
"She's been gone all afternoon, shopping," I told him. "Hannah has so much to do around here, and she's done
nothing to help out. It's ridiculous."
"Guess she thinks since she's a guest and all-" Guthrie said, with a shrug.
"So you think it's okay, then?" I demanded. "That she lays around or disappears, and doesn't do one single thing to
help out? She's been here like four days now. Hannah's tired."
I knew bringing Hannah into it would goad Guthrie. He doesn't like for anything or anyone to upset Hannah.
"Ivy's in the kitchen, helping Crane make supper. Even though Clare worked all day, I'll bet she's doing something-helping
with Isaac, or folding laundry, or something. Nancy will be here soon, and she'll jump in to help clear up the dishes afterwards.
When Kristin is here tomorrow, she'll see what she can do to help-" I went on.
"Yeah, okay," Guthrie said. "I get what you're sayin', Har. You don't have to convince me."
7
It was a large, large, rowdy, group that was gathered around the table for Crane's smothered burritos and tacos. We had to
scoot in extra chairs, but everybody fit, somehow.
I have to say, whatever had been ailing Jill that morning had apparently gone away. She was all smiles, bright and vivacious. She still didn't
eat much. When it was time to clear the table and do the dishes, she didn't disappear. But, she also didn't lift a finger to help. She perched
herself on the edge of the table, and talked, mostly to Ford, but to Evan and Nancy, too. Guthrie and Brian were actually on dish duty, but
Nancy helped, like I knew she would, and Adam grabbed a towel to help dry dishes.
It was a rowdy time, and, now that they were more hopeful that the bull would recover, everybody seemed to be in a happy
lighter mood.
When the dishes were done, Hannah brought out two cakes that she'd found time to make. I don't know when she did, but she
managed.
Crane sat down at the piano later, Ford beside him, and they played a couple of duets. One jaunty and light-hearted. Daniel
played his guitar, too, and we all sang a couple of songs. It was the sort of evening that I love, the sort that makes me glad, glad,
glad that we have such a big family. We stayed up later than usual, but most of the guys were ready to head to bed by
ten. It had been a long day. In the chorus of goodnights, and last-minute snack grabs, Ivy said her goodnights, and Crane
walked outside with her.
Evan and Nancy left, and everyone else began to scatter to their respective sleeping quarters. I went to do my diabetes injection,
and went upstairs. The bathroom was empty, shockingly. I brushed my teeth, and smeared Noxema over my face. I was doing
that when Daniel paused in the doorway, a hand on either side of the door frame.
"Hey."
"Hey," I answered.
"Still using that stuff, huh?" he asked.
"Yep. I love it."
He grinned at me, and I said, "It was nice, hearing you and Crane and Ford play and sing again."
"Yeah. It was a fun evening. And, hey, we're gonna have that time together. Today was crazy, but we'll do somethin'
soon," he said.
"I know," I told him.
"Okay. 'Night, squirt."
"Aren't you gonna hug me?" I asked, pretending innocence.
"And get that stuff all over me? Nooo, thank you," he said.
"You mean this stuff?" I asked, and swiped a glop of Noxema from my own face onto his nose.
"Alright," Daniel said, "That's it, you're gonna get it now-" He wiped at his nose.
"What?" I said, filling my hand with more Noxema and stepping back. "Watch out-I'll rub it in your hair!"
"Oh, yeah?" he challenged, grinning.
"Yeah. And, you haven't had your haircut from Hannah yet-so it'll be a real mess," I said.
"Alright," Daniel said, holding up his hands as if in surrender. "You win this one-"
"Darn right," I said, gloating. I reached out and swiped more Noxema on his chin.
"Now, you're just bein' contrary-" he said, and I was so busy laughing that he got the jump on me. He snaked his hand out
and grabbed my wrist, and had me out in the hallway, lifting me up off my feet, my back against his chest, and his arms
wrapped around my waist.
That left me, off my feet, and kicking my legs helplessly in front, trying to get free of his hold on me.
I was winded before long at all. "Okay-Daniel," I said, breathlessly.
"Okay, what?"
"Put me-down, okay?"
"Nope. I don't think I will."
Crane appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Crane, help!" I hollered.
Crane paused, looking amused. "I imagine you provoked the situation, peanut."
"No-" I said, still breathless. "I didn't-"
Crane laughed. "You're on your own, kiddo," he said, and walked on towards his own bedroom.
I managed to free my hand, that had the glob of Noxema in it, reaching up backwards to rub it into Daniel's hair.
"I told you-" I was saying, as he whirled me around. That's when we saw Jill standing there, at the top of the stairs,
watching us. The look on her face. It caught me by surprise. It was full of something akin to sadness. Wistfulness, maybe.
Longing.
7