While we were closing up the corral, after turning D.C. back out with the other horses, Jill wandered out. She was wearing some

jeans that sat really low on her hips, and a plain white t-shirt.

Daniel set a hand on her waist and gave her a smile in greeting.

I had the bridle slung over my shoulder, and I was still rubbing at my backside, though not, I didn't think, blatantly.

"I was watching you, Harlie," she said. "That was really amazing."

"Don't tell her that," Evan said. "Her head will get fatter than it already is."

For a moment, Jill looked startled, as if she didn't know how to take that, and I said, "Evan's only joking," to her.

"Who says I'm just jokin'?" Evan countered, and went off to greet Nancy, who could be seen driving down from the

cabin.

Left there with Jill and Daniel, I said, "Evan's got a warped sense of humor," to Jill.

"Oh," she said. "Well, it really was something, watching you ride that way. I would have been scared to death."

"You should have come on over," I said, and she shook her head.

"No. I was fine watching from the porch."

I flicked a glance at Daniel. It seemed to me that Jill had some sort of fear or phobia about riding horses. Or about even really being

around them at all.

"Your hair still looks good," she told me, and I reached up to touch the back of my head.

"Yeah."

By now Nancy and Evan were walking over to us.

"Morning, everybody," Nancy said, in a group greeting.

We all said hello, and I saw Nancy was carrying a big canvas bag with lots of colored pieces of paper sticking out of

the top.

"What do you got?" I asked, peering into the bag.

"The place my sister works was doing inventory, and they were going to just throw all this stuff away, so she

brought it home." Nancy held up the bag as I put my hand in, moving stuff around. There were all sorts of colored paper,

stamps with words and things on them, like flowers, and sticky letters and numbers. "I thought we could work on some

of those photos that are still in boxes, from when you all were little. Make some scrapbooks."

"That's great," I said, instantly liking the idea. "Course you're not gonna find many of Guthrie or me. Only masses of

these two-" I said, and jabbed a finger into Evan's ribs and then Daniel's. "And Ford."

"Mom was always takin' pictures of you," Evan corrected me. "She even bought a new camera-remember, Daniel?"

Daniel nodded, looking pensive for a moment. "Yeah. I remember."

"She was always makin' me or Daniel make faces or do tricks to try to get you to laugh while she took the picture,"

Evan went on.

I hadn't known all that, and for a moment I felt a pang of emotion. My mother had bought a new camera to take pictures

of me as a newborn?

"See?" Nancy told me. "There may be more of you stored around here than you think there is."

"Even if there's just these guys, it'll still be fun," I said. I hadn't meant to sound spoiled, or that I didn't want to

help just because there weren't many pictures of me.

"Sure, it will," Nancy said.

"We better get to work," Evan told Daniel. "Actual work." He tugged on my braid. "Not standin' around watchin' a kid

ride a pony at the circus-"

His jab at me about what I'd said about feeling like a kid at the circus-ah, Evan was on point today with his

sarcasm. I enjoyed it now, mostly, though.

"Uh huh," I said. "Like I said, that guy that was leading me around was a real clown!"

"Keep it up," Evan told me. "I'll remember that insult the next time you need my help with somethin-"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving a hand at him.

"See ya later," Evan told Nancy, squeezing her hand.

Daniel, more comfortable with public displays of affection, gave Jill a quick kiss. "It sounds like there's gonna

be lots going on around the house to do." When he said that, he said it to Jill, but he looked at Nancy and at me.

Mostly at me. I got it.

"Yeah," I said, cheerfully. "We'll stay busy."

That was my way of telling him I understood his unspoken look. Sort of seeming to ask me, and Nancy, too, to

look after Jill. Well, maybe not look after her, exactly. But, I was thinking it was more like include her.

When I said that about staying busy, Daniel smiled at me, and his eyes were all warm. He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was

glad about it.

So, over the course of the rest of the morning, I began by showing Jill my goats.

She stood outside of the pen, as I went in with them. "This is Elwood P. Dowd," I told her. "And this is his first wife,

Harriett, and this is his second wife, Mabel. And Mabel's two children," I said, with a gesture. "I haven't thought of good

names for them, yet."

"They're cute," she said, but I thought she didn't sound too sure of it.

"Want to come in and pet them?" I offered.

"Uh, no," she said, and even took a couple of steps back, as if I was going to forcibly pull her into the pen.

"They won't hurt you," I told her. "Honest."

"I'm a city girl," she said. "I've never really been around animals much."

"Oh," I said. I couldn't imagine such a life. I picked one of the baby goats up, and came over closer to the side of the pen.

"Here," I said, in encouragement, and Jill reached out to pet the baby goat.

"He's softer than he looks," she said.

"She," I corrected, and grinned at her.

"Oh."

As I was closing up the pen, I rubbed my hands on my jeans. "I need to get my skunk out for a while," I told her.

I figured that would be enough to send her heading to the house in revulsion, but she looked curious.

"Daniel said you have a skunk," she said. "At first I thought he was teasing-"

"Nope. I really do," I said. "Do you want to come with?" I asked her.

"Sure. Seeing a skunk, it's not something that happens every day," she said, and I actually laughed a little at her

humor. It was unexpected.

"No, that's for sure," I said.

When we got into the barn, I went to open Pepe's stall, and pulled on the gloves I kept in there. I picked him up

and held him. "This is Pepe," I said.

"Awe," she said, and came over closer. "Is it okay if I pet him?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sure. He likes attention," I said, shocked that she would ask.

Jill began petting Pepe on the top of his head.

"How come you wear the gloves?" she asked.

"In case he bites," I said, and she stepped back, her eyes wide.

"No, it's okay," I told her. "He doesn't bite. He only did once to this kid who was teasing him. I found out later she

was poking him with a stick."

"Oh, that's awful," Jill said and began petting Pepe again. "If he won't bite, then why the gloves?"

"It's a long story," I told her.

When she looked at me expectantly, I said, "Adam sort of insists. I tried not doing it, but he said if I didn't, he'd make me

get rid of Pepe-"

"Oh."

"I'm supposed to be finding him a real home, but he's been here for two months, and I haven't had any luck," I said.

"Could I hold him, do you think?" she asked. Now, I really was shocked. Afraid to come near a horse like D.C., wary of Elwood P. Dowd,

not really seeming to be a dog lover, even when Fat Clarence begged for a belly rub...but she wanted to hold Pepe? Wow.

"Um, sure," I said. "Here, I'll give you the gloves," I said.

"Do I have to wear them?" she asked. "You said he won't bite."

"Well-" I hesitated. "Yeah, but-" I wasn't sure what to say to her. I thought then I sort of understood where Adam

was coming from, in his unyielding enforcement of the glove wearing. If Jill did happen to get bitten, I would feel responsible

for it happening. Even though she would be making the decision herself-I would still feel bad. Especially when it could

be prevented, by the wearing of gloves. It was one of those 'a-ha' moments for me. That's how Adam felt-and he loved me.

I didn't love Jill, I wasn't even sure I actually liked her a whole lot, but I still didn't want to see her get bitten.

"Well," I said again, "Maybe you should."

I would have said something halfway jokingly about doing it so as to not make Adam mad, but I didn't think Jill had been around long

enough for that. So, when she looked as though she might protest the glove wearing, I said, "Since Pepe doesn't know you

very well, it might be better if you do."

Jill said okay, and so I handed her the gloves and then passed Pepe off to her.

She asked a couple things, like the best way to hold him, and all of that. And then, she did hold him. For a long time. All while I

cleaned out his stall, and put fresh hay in, filled his water and food bowls, and still, she was sitting on a hay bale, holding

Pepe close to her chest, and talking to him.

Adam came in, and he did a double-take, seeing Jill sitting there holding Pepe. That was the first shock, I was sure, and

the fact that she looked so comfortable doing it, well, that was the second shock.

"Hey," I greeted him.

"Hey," he said. He walked on past Jill to go to one of the shelves, where he picked up a hammer and a tool belt with

nails. He gave me a look from over the top of Jill's head, so she couldn't see. He raised his eyebrows, in a clear sign of

question, and surprise.

I gave a slight shrug meant to convey that I was just as surprised as he was at what Jill was doing.

"What are you getting ready to do?" I asked Adam.

"Put of couple of new shingles on the tack shed roof," he said.

"Can I help you?" I asked him.

"If you want to," Adam said, and walked on out of the barn.

"We can put him away if you want," I said to Jill.

"I can put him away in a little bit, if that's okay," Jill said. "You can go on with Adam if you want to."

"Well, okay," I said. "That stall door is a little tricky. You have to double check and make sure it latches. Pepe's been known

to get out of there and wander around."

"Okay. I'll make sure it's closed."

I said okay, and went on over to the tack shed, where Adam was placing the ladder against the front of the tack shed. He strapped

on the tool belt, and slid the hammer into a hoop. Then he picked up a group of shingles laying to the side, and slung them over

his shoulder. He began to climb, while I instinctively reached out and held the ladder steady.

Once he was on the roof the small shed, I followed him up, a lot more cautiously than he had gone. Adam was already on his knees,

setting down shingles, by the time I got up there, and inched over to where he was.

"Put your skunk up?" he asked me.

"No. Jill wanted to keep holding him."

"Hmm," he said.

"I told her about wearing the gloves and all that," I said.

"That's good."

I thought about telling Adam how I'd realized where he was coming from in his insistence about the glove-wearing, but he spoke

up first.

"That was a surprise," he said, and I knew he meant seeing Jill hold Pepe that way.

"I know, for me too," I said. "She didn't really wanna pet the goats, and she told me she's not really a 'dog person', but she

actually asked if she could hold Pepe."

"It takes all kinds," Adam said.

We were quiet for a few minutes, as I watched him work.

"I'm trying," I said, after that silence. He flicked a glance up at me.

"With Jill, I mean," I added.

Adam nodded, and took out another nail. "That's good," he said.

"She's different," I said.

"You're gonna meet all sorts of people in your lifetime. A lot of them aren't gonna be what you're used to," he said.

"I know. This is different than that, though. I mean, those others, you can decide whether you want to get to know them or not. With

Jill, there isn't really that choice," I said, trying to explain.

"True," he said. "But, you can be kind and get along with someone, even if you don't feel particularly close or as if you

have much in common."

He'd nailed it with that statement, so to speak.

I nodded. "Yeah." I paused, and then asked, "Do you think Daniel loves her?"

Again, Adam's eyes landed on me. He sort of sat back a bit. "I think that he might," he said, sounding as if he

was being careful with his choice of words.

That had me wondering. Did Adam know more than what was evident? More than what he was letting on?

I wanted to ask, but I knew better. He would get stern, and tell me that I was sticking my nose where it did not belong, and

that I didn't have the right to, nor was it necessary, for me to know everything about everybody.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked him.

"What?"

"Like the second night after they got here, Jill was talking to me, and she told me that Daniel is meant for better things

than working here on the ranch."

Adam looked serious, but not upset or anything like that. "Hmm," he said.

Over the years, I've learned that Adam uses that as a response when he's thinking, considering, and doesn't want to

speak too quickly.

"It bothered me," I admitted.

"Daniel will make up his own mind about what he wants his life to be," Adam said.

"Maybe not," I said.

"Meaning what?" Adam asked, reaching for another shingle.

"She might influence him."

"Anytime two people are in a relationship, they are bound to influence each other, in one way or another," Adam said.

I looked at him, feeling disturbed at the thought of Daniel forsaking his interest in our family ranch.

Adam studied me, again seriously, and said, "I have no concerns about Daniel not bein' involved here, sugar. If that's what's

been bothering you about Jill, then I would chalk it up to 'just talk' and try not worry about it."

I met his eyes, and nodded, feeling better. If Adam believed that, then it was likely so.

"Okay," I said, and he smiled at me.

After a few more minutes, he asked me if I would go down, and back into the barn, and look for another handful of nails.

Glad to be able to do something to help, I went down the ladder, and ran back over to the barn. I was expecting to see Jill still

sitting there at the front, on the hay bale, but saw instead that she had walked towards the back of the barn. I went to the shelves,

gathering nails.

I saw that she was still carrying Pepe, and was holding him up close. And then, in the silence of the barn, I heard

the sound of weeping. I paused, my hand full of the sent-for nails. Jill's back was turned to me, and I knew she was unaware that I

stood there. She was crying.

Unsure, I stood, debating. Should I go over and see what was wrong? Call out to her so she would know I was there? Maybe it

would be embarrassing to her to know that I'd heard her crying that way. I took the easy way out of it, and high-tailed it out of the barn and back to the

ladder, climbing up.

When I got to the top of the ladder, Adam took my handful of nails and put them in his nail belt, and I stood there, leaning

against the shed, not going on up. "Thanks," he said.

"Adam," I said, as he kept on working. Intent on what he was doing.

"What?" he asked, without looking up.

"Jill's still in the barn. She's crying."

7