As soon as I went into the house, I looked up Beth Ann's phone number in the telephone book. I called right then, but the telephone
rang and rang. No answer.
I hung up, and went on to do my chores. Kenny was supposed to come over by six and we were going to leave with Guthrie,
to pick Kristin up. I needed to get ready, too. But, when I came in from doing my chores, I went right to the telephone again.
This time, I was able to get an answer. Beth Ann's mother called her to the telephone.
I tapped my foot impatiently, until Beth Ann said, "Hello? Harlie? What's up?"
"The pup that's left, he got loose and chased our cattle-I need to find a place for him right away," I said.
"Everybody's full up with dogs," Beth Ann said, sounding regretful.
"I know, but he has to be somewhere where there's no livestock," I said.
"Maybe somebody will see one of the posters you put up about him," she said.
"Maybe. But that could take a lot longer than today. And, I don't have time on my side."
"I can't think of anybody right now," Beth Ann said.
"Could you take him?" I asked.
I could hear the thinking going on in the silence that followed.
"I can't, Harlie," she said. "I wish I could. Really. But, I brought home two rabbits yesterday from some kid at school that
couldn't keep them anymore, and my mom about had a coronary."
"I understand," I said. And, I did. Animal lovers and rescuers always understand each other. Still-that didn't help solve my problem.
"If you think of somebody, can you call here?" I asked her. "If I'm not home, you can tell whoever answers, and they'll give me the message."
"Okay. Good luck," she said, and hung up.
I sighed, and replaced the telephone receiver.
When I turned around, I saw that Jill was sitting, curled up on one end of the couch, filing her nails.
"Dog problems, huh?" she asked, obviously having heard the conversation.
I nodded, and she said, "Bummer."
"Yeah," I said, thinking that 'bummer' was putting it mildly.
"I'm sure you'll find somewhere for him," she said.
"It's harder than it seems," I said. "Everybody around here has enough dogs already."
"Why do you put yourself out like that?" she asked. "I mean, if you know how hard it's going to be to find
another home, why do you even try?"
I stared at her. It just hit me wrong.
"Because I love dogs," I said. "And, because I'm just stupid enough to try the impossible, I guess."
Jill blinked at my curt tone, and my choice of words, with the hint of sarcasm behind it.
For a moment, I thought she looked hurt. Just for the briefest moment. It was in her eyes. Then, it was
just as quickly gone. She shrugged, and said, "Well, I guess you're more idealistic than me."
"I guess so," I said, feeling as though I was simmering. I turned around and went up the stairs to my bedroom.
I closed the door, and took a few minutes to just sit in the quiet, getting my thoughts together.
There was nothing more to do right now about the dog. I decided to start preparing for the night out with
Kenny.
I went to take a shower, thinking I was lucky since the hot water tank would be at its optimal best. I didn't want to
overuse it, though, and not leave any hot water for Guthrie.
After my shower, I went back to my room, and got dressed, wearing a pair of tan corduroy pants and a matching vest, with a blue
blouse underneath the vest. It was an outfit that Clare and Brian had given me last Christmas, and I thought it was cool enough outside
tonight that I could wear it without getting too hot.
I brushed out my hair, and put a wide headband on to hold it out of my face. I was putting on a bit of makeup when there
was a knock at my door. When I answered, Clare came in.
"I thought I'd see if you needed any help," she told me.
"Thanks," I said. "I think I'm pretty much ready."
"You look great," she said, standing back to survey me. "Your hair looks good down like that."
She came over to my dresser, and opened my jewelry box. "Going to wear some earrings?" she asked me.
We were sitting on the edge of my bed, looking thru my sparse supply of earrings when Jill spoke from the doorway.
"Hi."
Clare responded with an immediate 'hi' in return. I wasn't all that thrilled to see Jill standing there.
I felt this simmering whenever I was near her. Anger, I guess. Irritation. I hadn't put it all into clear thoughts, but I
couldn't look at her without being sad for Daniel. I know that made no sense, but, it was how I felt.
"Do you want me to do your hair for you?" Jill asked me.
"No, thanks," I said. Again, I thought she looked hurt. Just for a moment. I looked at Clare and she was regarding me
with a regretful sort of look. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, exactly.
"I mean, I think I'll just leave it down for tonight," I amended my refusal.
"It looks good like that," Jill said, and wandered on into my small bedroom.
She perched herself on my desk chair, watching as Clare held up a pair of light blue earrings.
"How about these?" she asked me, and I nodded.
I tried putting them in, but I hadn't worn earrings in awhile, and the piercing had started to close up.
"Want me to try?" Clare asked, and within a few moments she was able to get them in.
"Kenny's here!" came a yell from downstairs.
"Prompt as always," Clare said, with a smile.
When we were preparing to leave the bedroom, and Jill was standing up, scooting my desk chair back up, I thought
it seemed that her flat belly wasn't so flat anymore. I did another look, trying not to be obvious. It had just been flat a couple weeks
ago when they'd gotten here. I knew that because I remembered that mid-riff baring shirt she'd been wearing. But, now-there
was a definite pooch to her stomach.
I wrinkled my forehead in thought.
7
Kenny's eyes lit up when he saw me, and I felt a thrill at his appearance, too. He was wearing a blue shirt that
matched the color of his eyes. Guthrie, too, looked nice. He was wearing a button up western shirt that looked new to me,
and his best blue jeans and boots.
"Good lookin' bunch of kids," Adam said.
We were preparing to head out, and Adam made his usual warnings to drive safely, and no drinking.
"What's the plan after the restaurant?" Crane was asking.
Kenny and Guthrie exchanged a look. "Maybe a movie," Guthrie said. "We were gonna let Kristin and Har decide."
"That's nice," Hannah said, looking pleased.
Once we were out on our way, with Guthrie driving his truck, we headed to pick Kristin up at her mobile home. She was
waiting outside for us, and Guthrie got out so she could slide into the seat, next to me.
I was able to forget about the pup and Jill and Daniel and all of that, and we were in high spirits, as we headed to the
restaurant.
7
The restaurant was every bit as nice, and even opulent, as what we'd heard. We had to wait to be seated, at least twenty minutes,
and Guthrie said in a low voice that we should have called ahead for a reservation. Finally, though, we were shown to a corner table,
which I was glad about, because it had the perfect vantage point to watch all the other people coming and going from their tables.
We were brought menus, the really tall ones, and I was shocked at the prices.
"Wow," Kristin said, and I knew she was thinking the same thing as I was.
"It's okay," Guthrie told her.
Since all the dinners seemed to be close in price, whether it was steak, or seafood. Even the huge salads were close to those
prices. We all ended up deciding to have steak, with baked potatoes, topped with sour cream and cheese.
Everything on the table was beautiful, from the napkins to the tablecloth, to the etched glasses. They brought a dessert tray
around, and there must have been at least ten different desserts available on there.
We all had pie, or in my case, blackberry cobbler. It was so good that I thought I might ask Hannah to make some.
When the check was brought to the table, Kenny picked it up, and held my chair for me, as we got ready to leave.
Kristin and I waited off to the side, while Guthrie and Kenny both went to pay.
We walked out into the parking lot, where it was getting to be dusk, hand in hand.
"What should we do now?" Guthrie asked, looking at Kristin and at me.
"It doesn't matter to me," Kristin said.
"No. Me, either," I said. I was enjoying myself. Feeling free and like a normal teen. I wasn't even thinking about my
diabetes at that point.
We ended up going to see a movie. Crocodile Dundee II.
When we walked out of the movie theater we were all still laughing. We finished up the evening at the Dari Kurl, mingling around
and talking to other kids that were hanging out.
When it got closer to ten-thirty, Guthrie said we had to be getting around to head home, so we'd be home by eleven, and curfew.
Kenny's parents don't really set a time for him to be home, but his mother always waits up for him, because she worries. Kristin doesn't
have a curfew at all, and nobody waits up for her. Frank or her mother, or even Buddy might still be up, but it wasn't because they
were waiting for her, or wanting to make sure she was home safe, or okay.
But, Guthrie and I have a curfew. We always have. Sometimes, if it's something unusual, like a school dance or like that, curfew
might be extended out. But, usually, it's eleven. Sometimes eleven-thirty.
We drove Kristin home, and all the lights were on inside the trailer house.
Her mom's small car was parked there, in the driveway. When Guthrie opened his door so that Kristin could slide out, we could
hear the shouting from inside the trailer. Not make out any words, really, but we could hear the yelling.
Guthrie stood there, by the open truck door, and I could tell he instantly went into his protective mode.
"Sounds as though they're at it again," Kristin said, sounding resigned. I scooted over to where I was sitting in the driver's seat.
"Don't go in," I said. "Come home with us."
"I better go see about Mom," Kristin said.
"Do that, and then come back out," I persisted. I swung a look to Guthrie, who was standing there, silent. "Right, Guthrie?"
"Right," Guthrie said, in a clipped tone. I knew it was that way because he was angry. It usually takes a good bit to anger Guthrie. But,
with Kristin's home life, and what she has to deal with on a regular basis, it doesn't take much to rile him.
"Let me go in and see what's happening," Kristin said. I thought she sounded as though she was about thirty years old.
"I'll go in with you," Guthrie said.
"I don't think you should," Kristin said.
Guthrie was silent, but looked as though he wanted to argue that point. Kristin squeezed his arm.
"I'll come back out and let you know what's going on," she said, and slipped around Guthrie, and up the couple of steps to go
inside of the mobile home.
I slid on out of the truck, too, standing by Guthrie. Kenny, I guess, felt weird being the only one in the truck cab, so he got out
and came around to stand beside us.
"This happens a lot," I said, to Kenny.
"That's lousy," Kenny said. He hesitated. "I guess Frank came back, huh?"
That's when I realized how even more awkward Kenny might be feeling. Frank was inside. Frank. As in, the Frank who had
been involved last summer with the capturing of the Mustangs, along with Kenny. I wasn't sure just what sort, or how much, contact
that Kenny had had with Frank. From what I understood, Frank had been sort of on the fringe part of it all. Kenny had
been with the main participants more. Still...horrible and awkward.
"Are you okay?" I asked him, feeling badly for him.
He looked at me in the light of the street lamp, and said, quietly, "I'm okay, Harlie."
We could hear more yelling, and the sound of what seemed to be something crashing and breaking inside.
Guthrie visibly flinched. "I'm gonna go knock," he said.
"No, Guthrie-" I protested.
I was still pulling at his arm to restrain him, when a man came walking across from the mobile home on the other side of the
street. I recognized him as the father of one of the girls in middle school.
"I've called the sheriff," he said, in greeting.
Oh, my.
When none of us said anything, the man said, "I'm tired of this-all they do is fight, fight, fight. Raise a ruckus, all hours of
the day and the night. Deputy ought to be here in a few minutes."
I felt my stomach knot up. I wasn't sure, but I guessed it was a good thing that a deputy was on the way.
We stood there, feeling helpless. At least I did. I'm sure Guthrie did, too. Kristin came bounding out of the trailer,
obviously emotional.
When she saw the other man standing there, she looked startled.
"Kristin, I've called the sheriff," the man said.
"Oh, no," Kristin said. She turned to look back towards the mobile home, as if unsure of what to do.
"Your mother needs help," the other man told her.
"We'll stay and see what needs doin'," Guthrie told Kristin, taking her hand.
"I better call home," I said, and Guthrie nodded.
"Could I use your phone?" I asked the neighbor man, who was still standing there.
"Yes, certainly," he said, and walked with me across the street. I used the telephone in their kitchen, and dialed
the ranch.
Looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, I saw that it was after eleven already. 11:15 to be exact.
I knew that it would likely frighten whoever heard the telephone ringing at this time of night.
Adam's 'Hello' was terse. I knew he'd reached the level of 'concern' about where Guthrie and I might be at.
"Adam," I said. "It's me."
"Harlie-" he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice.
"We're still at Kristin's," I said. "At the trailer park, I mean. They're fighting inside, and a neighbor called
the sheriff."
"You're alright?" he asked.
"We're okay."
"Kristin alright, too?" he asked.
"Yes. She's standing outside with Guthrie right now. She went inside when we first got here. I think we need to stay around
until the deputy comes-I don't think we should leave Kristin yet. Do you?"
"No. You should stay until they talk to her. See what happens, and if somebody gets arrested," he said.
Somebody. If Frank got arrested, that would be fine. But, I didn't think it would be a good thing if Kristin had to see
her mother getting arrested.
"What if she's left on her own?" I asked, thinking that maybe both Frank and Linda might be arrested.
"She should come on along home with you and Guthrie," he said.
"Okay." I hesitated. "Do you want me to call you back before we start for home? I don't know how long this is going
to take."
After a moment, Adam said, "I'll head in there, and see if there's anything I can do. I'll be there in a few minutes."
I was actually glad to hear him say that.
"Okay," I said.
"Harlie-" he said, just as I was about to hang up.
"Huh?"
"Tell Guthrie that I said neither one of you are to step foot inside that trailer. Not even if you're asked to go in. Hear me?"
"Yes-"
"You tell Guthrie I'll tan his hide if he does," Adam said tersely.
"Okay. I'll tell him," I said.
"I'll be there in a few," he said, and hung up.
When I went back outside, I found Kenny waiting for me, talking to the neighboring man. I remembered now. His last name was Randall. His
daughter's name was Alicia, I thought.
It was just a few minutes after that, that two deputies arrived.
7