Back in the house, I washed up at the sink in the kitchen, and had a quick snack of grapes and crackers. Kristin was sitting at the
table, frosting one of the two cakes. Hannah was showing Jill how to stir up homemade chocolate frosting.
"I never knew a person could make their own frosting," Jill was saying.
"It helps to know how, in case you ever don't have pre-made and don't want to drive to get any," Hannah said.
"It saves money, too," Clare spoke up. She was sitting at the table, with her feet propped into a second chair, and
holding Isaac on her lap, while he knawed on a teething ring.
"I know all about that," Jill said, as she stirred the melting butter in the saucepan. "There was never enough money when
I was growing up."
"Not having much money isn't such a bad thing, as long as you're not going hungry," Hannah said. "And as long as
you're with the ones you love."
It sounded sort of trite, or whatever, but I knew that Hannah really meant it. And believed it. It was common enough around
our house.
"You would think that at least one of my homes would have had enough money-" Jill said. "The butter's nearly melted."
"Alright, you can add the cocoa," Hannah told her.
As Jill began to do that, I exchanged a look with Hannah, and Clare, and Nancy, too. Maybe Jill hadn't realized what
she'd let slip. What did she mean, at least one of her homes?
Nancy gave a light lift of her shoulders, and Clare sort of shook her head in puzzlement.
"Was your dad in the army or something?" I asked, from my spot where I was sitting, next to Kristin, eating my grapes.
Jill blinked at me as though I was crazy. "My dad? No. Why?"
"I just thought you meant you'd moved around a lot, when you said that about all your homes," I tried to explain,
wishing that I'd kept quiet.
"Oh," Jill said, and looked away, stirring at the chocolate mixture. "No. I'm not sure what my dad did, really. I didn't
see him much after I was six or so. I guess he could have been in the army."
"Oh," I echoed. Again, we all exchanged looks without Jill noticing.
"How is that?" Jill asked Hannah, and Hannah went to inspect what Jill had gotten stirred.
"That's good," Hannah said. "Now we can mix the powdered sugar with the milk." She set Jill up doing that, and told her
to alternate adding milk and vanilla to the powdered sugar.
I was curious, but I figured I'd better leave it to someone else to ask any further questions, or wait for Jill to offer information.
Once the cakes were both frosted, with Jill having done the second one, the chocolate one, I thought she again seemed
almost shy.
"I hope Daniel likes the cake," she said.
"He'll inhale it," Nancy said.
"Well, I know you told me what to do and everything," Jill said, looking at Hannah, "But, I've never really made a whole cake
before like that."
Hannah smiled and put her arm around Jill's shoulders, giving her a squeeze. "I just gave directions-you did all the work yourself. Daniel
will love it."
For a moment Jill looked startled, and I wasn't sure whether it was because of Hannah's spontaneous hug, or her kind words.
She ducked her head, and smiled, though.
I left shortly after that, and went upstairs to change my clothes, and wash up. Kenny's seen me in my worn and dirty chore
clothes plenty of times, but it was different now. I wanted to look nice when he came over. I put on one of my better pairs of
jeans, and a lacy, yellow, long-sleeved shirt. I pulled on my second best boots and looked at myself in my mirror. Surprisingly, the
braid that Jill had done the day before was still holding up well. She hadn't been kidding when she'd said it would stay a while.
I put on a bit of mascara, and headed back downstairs.
It was getting on by then, later in the afternoon, and everybody was starting to gather closer to the house. Marie showed up,
parked her old Pontiac, and went to the kitchen, preparing, she said, to make her own special potato salad.
Ivy came, and she and Crane went up to the cabin, along with Brian and Evan, to take another look at the Peterson's bull. It was
a nice afternoon, not too hot, and so Ford and Guthrie and Kristin and I began setting up tables outside. The boys toted
the two picnic tables closer together, and then we set up some of the white folding tables that we keep stored in the basement.
"Tablecloths, or no?" I asked, in general, standing with my hands on my hips and surveying our 'picnic' area.
"Don't need tablecloths," Guthrie said.
"We kind of do," I argued. "The tables have been out in the weather. They look pretty rough, Guth."
"Why ask me, then?" Guthrie complained.
"Hey, I made a rhyme," I said, ignoring Guthrie's complaint. "Rough-Guth, rough-Guth, get it?"
"Hilarious," Guthrie said, rolling his eyes heavenward.
"Want me to go ask Hannah for tablecloths?" Kristin offered.
"Yeah, sure," I told her.
Kenny was just coming up the driveway, in his father's truck, and I went over to greet him. He got out and I walked
up to him.
"Hey, there," he said, grinning at me.
"Hey."
"You look terrific," he said.
"Thanks," I said.
We just stood there, looking at each other.
"How are things 'round here?" he asked.
"Good. I rode D.C. this morning."
"How'd that go?"
"It went pretty well, for the first time," I said.
"Hey, Kenny!" Guthrie shouted out.
Kenny waved to Guthrie.
"What else?" Kenny asked. "How's things with Jill?"
I shrugged. "I guess it's getting a little better. She's trying to get along, I think."
"That's good. Hey," he said, snapping his fingers. "I just remembered-I brought somethin' for Warrior." I followed him as he
went to the bed of the pickup, and he pulled out a fair-sized package wrapped in white butcher paper.
"A bone?" I asked, smiling at him.
"Yep. It's got plenty of meat left on it, too."
"Let's give it to him now," I said.
"Where?"
"Behind the barn," I said. "That way, Clarence won't see and get jealous. And, I'll tell Guthrie to keep Jethro and Gus
out front."
"Great, let's go," he said.
Kenny took the bone and went to wait behind the barn for me and Warrior. I had no problem getting Warrior to tag along
with me, but when we rounded the back of the barn, and Warrior saw Kenny, he came to a halt, and simply sat down.
"Come on, boy," I told him, coaxingly.
I sat down with Kenny on the hay bale back there, and continued to try to convince Warrior to come closer.
"Man, he really hates me," Kenny said.
"He'll change his tune, once you give him that bone," I said.
Finally, we resorted to taking the bone to Warrior. I went to kneel beside him, holding him around his neck, while
Kenny approached, with the unwrapped bone.
"Hold it in one hand, and then let him sniff your other hand," I said.
So, Kenny did that, and after a couple of minutes, I told him to give Warrior the bone. We sat on the ground for a few
minutes, real close to Warrior while he cleaned the meat off the bone and then began to knaw on it.
"Guess we'd better get back to seeing what needs done," I said. We stood up, and I dusted off my backside.
"Shouldn't have made you sit in the grass, when you're all dressed up," Kenny said.
"Aw, it's alright," I said, with a wave of my hand.
"That's what's so great about you," Kenny said.
Sensing compliments, I smiled at him. "What's so great about me?" I asked.
Kenny wiped his hands on his jeans, and stepped closer to me, until we were practically nose to nose.
He wrapped his arms around my waist. "Want me to start listin' every single thing?" he asked me.
"Sure," I said.
"We don't have that much time," Kenny said. "That would take hours."
"You're the sweetest guy," I said.
"That's a secret," Kenny said, and grinned at me, right before he kissed me.
7
When Kenny and I reappeared in the yard, now followed by Warrior, happily carrying the bone in his mouth,
we found that the table-crew had been joined by Evan and Nancy.
"Where did you two disappear to?" Ford asked, with a smile.
"Yeah," Evan chimed in. "Some of that 'alone-time' stuff, huh, Har?"
"Shush it," I said, giving him a narrowed eye look.
"We're goin' to play a game of Horse later," Ford told Kenny. "You up for it?"
"Sure," Kenny said, agreeably. "I'll be glad to play a game of b-ball."
"That okay with you, Har?" Evan asked, in a loud staged whisper, as we all began to head into the house.
"Quiet, or I'll rub broccoli all over your hamburger before you eat it," I hissed back at him.
7
Crane had begun the set up the barbequing, with Ivy as his 'assistant'. I had to smile as I walked out carrying a
platter of cheese for the hamburgers. I caught them exchanging a quick kiss as I was walking up.
"Here's the cheese for the burgers," I said. I couldn't help smiling.
Supper was a spread-out happy time, with everybody calling across to each other from the different tables. Jill got up
mid-way thru the meal, and went inside quickly. Daniel followed her, and I watched, exchanging a look with Kenny. It wasn't
as though it was real noticeable, though. And, they were back before too long. When it was time for dessert, and Hannah made
sure that Daniel knew Jill had made the chocolate cake and frosting. Daniel leaned over and kissed Jill on her ear, and Jill
looked so happy in that moment. Happier than I'd seen her look since she'd first arrived.
7
There was another late-night trip up to see the bull at the cabin, with Adam and Brian and Ivy. When they came back, they
said that the bull had again, seemed to take a turn for the better.
"Back and forth," Adam said, tossing his ball cap onto the coffee table in the living room.
He sounded encouraged, and as we all sat around the living room in a large group, Jill made the statement that it must be horrible to be so dependent
on good weather or bad, or on the illness of an animal.
"That's part of ranching," Brian said.
"I know, but-" Jill waved a hand. "It's just-something like this cow being sick-that's enough to cause panic. It can affect you
financially, right?"
I wondered if anyone was going to correct Jill's mistake of the bull being a 'cow'.
"Bull," Daniel said, and squeezed her hand.
"It can definitely affect us financially," Brian said.
"I guess I just don't understand why-" Jill said. "I mean, it really is beautiful here, and I can see why you all love it
so much. But, to choose a life where there's no real security-it just doesn't seem like the best thing-" She let her comment trail off,
and managed to look truly perplexed and cute as she said it.
Which was, I figured, the only reason that Brian didn't blast his temper across the room at her. I was actually amazed at his
restraint. Adam's, too.
"The life here can be like that," Adam said, quietly. "Nothing for certain. But, when you wake up in the morning, and the fields
look as though there's been a green dusty bed sheet spread over 'em, and as far as you see, you know it belongs to your family-that
helps a lot."
Hannah's face as she looked at Adam was so full of love, and respect at that moment, I felt a warmth spread thru me. I reached
out and took Kenny's hand.
"We always pull out of situations," Brian said, sounding confident. "We've never let anything get the best of us."
"The bull will likely be just fine," Crane added.
"That's right," Ivy said.
As everybody was beginning to stand, preparing to leave, or to head to bed, Adam paused beside Jill and Daniel.
When Adam spoke quietly, he was speaking to Jill. "Sometimes-" he said, slowly, "There's not much security, like you said. Sometimes,
all there is-is belief that you're doin' the right thing, and the faith to do it."
He smiled at Jill, and to my surprise, she smiled back, and nodded.
7