By the time I'd put Kristin's cot away, I left my door open, so I could hear when Guthrie got home and see him

walk by to his room, and talk to him.

Somebody else must have thought differently, because when I woke up the next morning, my door had been

closed at some point, and I hadn't seen Guthrie the night before.

I got up and headed to the bathroom, (which surprisingly, was vacant), and then I went to get dressed. Since it

was nearly eight, I didn't think we were going to church. Otherwise, somebody would have gotten me up by now.

When I got down to the kitchen, there were various family members sitting at the kitchen table.

"Mornin'," Adam greeted me, from his spot at the end of the table.

"Morning," I said.

"There's eggs on the stove," Hannah told me.

"Okay," I said, going to take down a plate from the cabinet. "I'm hungry."

I began scooping eggs onto my plate, and asked Crane, "How was Kristin, when you left last night? Did it go

alright?"

"She seemed alright. She was real quiet," he said.

"Did you talk to Linda?" I asked.

"For a few minutes."

I stood beside his chair, holding my plate. "How is she?"

"She looks a bit worse for the wear," Crane said.

"Do you think she's going to go and bail Frank out?"

"Peanut, I don't know," Crane said.

I went to my seat to sit down, reaching for a piece of toast.

"Where's Brian?" I asked.

"He went outside, to give the dog some eggs," Clare said, sipping at her juice.

"Aw, to Clarence?" I said. "That's nice."

"Not to Clarence. To the stray," Adam said.

"What?" I asked, looking at Adam and Clare both in surprise. "He made eggs to give to the pup?"

Adam gave a raised eyebrow shake of his head, and Clare smiled.

"Is Guthrie still asleep?" I asked Hannah.

"No. He was up and had his breakfast an hour ago."

"Oh."

I ate my breakfast, and listened to the five of them talking. Ford came in from outside at the same time that Brian

did. There was more sitting around the table, drinking coffee.

I finished my breakfast, and went out to get the pup out of his stall, and stake him out in the orchard again, with a bowl of

water. I went to work with D.C., not really to work with him, but just trying to stand near him in the pasture, trying to

tempt him with apples. Evan came up upon me, swishing thru the grass.

"How's it goin'?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I can't figure it out. He just doesn't seem to warm up to me."

"Maybe if you just relax a little bit," Evan said.

That sounded like a repeat of what Adam had told me the day before-about how I was wound too tight.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Just-be," he said. "Don't look at it like you're asking somethin' from him. Just spend some time every day with him-just

bein'."

"Okay," I said.

"Try some sugar cubes, too," he advised. "Not for long term, just to get him warmed up to you a little."

I did what Evan suggested, and it took an hour or so, and D.C. watching Charlie and Petra and the other horses

crowding around me for sugar cubes, and then he allowed me to approach him.

He took the sugar cubes from my hand, and allowed me to touch him, pet him. Which was more than he ever had

without being in the confines of a corral.

Following Evan's advice, I left him alone after that, not even trying to put the halter or bridle on.

7

It was later, and I was in the kitchen, making lemon bars for Ford. He was supervising me, so so he said. Mostly he

was sitting on the counter, watching, and nibbling at them just as they came out of the oven.

"I'm making you enough to take back to school with you," I told him.

"You're the best, Har," he said.

Jill came into the kitchen at one point, going to pour herself a glass of juice.

"Do either of you know where Daniel went?" she asked us.

I shook my head, and Ford said, "Haven't seen him for awhile."

Jill nodded, and stood watching, drinking her juice. She was just chatting with Ford, about his classes or something. I

was only listening with half an ear, as I put the second round of lemon bars into the oven.

"You alright?" Ford asked her, and when I looked up at that, Jill was standing, with her hand on her belly.

"Yeah. I just felt the baby," she said, with a satisfied smile.

"Oh," Ford said, and I could tell he was a little embarrassed. He wasn't with Hannah, and I don't think he would be

with Clare, but, after all, he hardly knew Jill.

"Well," she said, putting her empty glass in the sink, "I think I'll go out and see Pepe, if that's alright, Harlie."

"Um, sure," I said.

She smiled at both Ford and I, and went out the back door.

"What's wrong?" Ford asked me, and I realized that I was standing there, still, with the pan in my hand.

I wrinkled my forehead, and went on to put it into the oven.

"I don't know for sure," I said, vaguely.

"What do you mean?"

I faced him, wiping my hands on a dish towel.

"Things feel weird, Ford," I admitted.

"Weird, how?"

"It's just-" I hesitated. "She's getting bigger so fast."

"Maybe it just seems that way."

"No," I said, with certainty. "For real, she is, Ford."

"Well-some people just naturally do that, right? Everybody's different," he suggested. "Maybe she's just one of those

women who gets that way quicker."

"Maybe," I said.

"And skinny girls show more," he said.

When I looked at him, he shrugged. "That's what I hear, anyway."

"What do you think of it?" I asked, in a low voice.

"You mean Daniel and her?"

When I nodded, he said, slowly, sounding as though he was thinking out his words, "It's quick. It's hard to wrap my head

around it sometimes."

"Me, too," I said.

7

The afternoon passed quietly, and I was doing my homework, sitting on the couch, in companionable quiet with

Adam, who was reading the newspaper. Clare and Brian were sitting on the other couch, and Evan and Nancy were

sitting on the floor. Nancy was, again, working on the family photo albums.

Ford had gotten around and left for college, and I didn't know where Daniel and Jill were.

When I came back from getting a glass of milk, I went to sit beside Clare on the other couch. She had been leafing

thru the book 'What to expect when you're expecting'. Hannah had read it cover to cover when she was pregnant with

Isaac, and now Clare spent hours reading over it.

I picked it up from where she'd set it aside. "Can I look at it?" I asked.

"Sure," Clare said.

7

Some time later, when Adam went off to the kitchen to help Hannah make some sandwiches, and Nancy and Evan

disappeared, I was curled up, my legs tucked underneath me, when Clare came and sat down beside me again, carrying

a plate of crackers and cheese.

She held out the plate to me, and I shook my head in refusal.

"No, thanks," I said.

I'd found what I was looking for, in the pregnancy book, and my stomach was jumping all around after reading it.

I leaned closer to Clare, against her shoulder.

"Interesting stuff, huh?" she said, gesturing towards the book.

"Yeah."

I hesitated, and then said, "Have you felt the baby yet?"

"No, it's too early for that," she said. "I'm excited for it to happen, though."

"The book says sometimes by sixteen weeks," I said.

"Sometimes. It can be later than that, too. Twenty weeks or so."

"Can it be earlier than sixteen weeks?" I asked her.

"Not usually."

"Oh," I said, and I guess my voice gave something away.

Clare half-turned to look at me. "What is it, toots?"

The living room was empty, except for Clare and I, and Brian, sitting opposite us, in the recliner, reading the

newspaper that Adam had abandoned.

So...I went on and said, "Jill said she felt her baby move."

I didn't miss the way Clare's eyes widened a bit. Brian was paying attention, too. He lowered the newspaper, listening.

"It was a while ago, before Ford left. We were in the kitchen, and she said she felt it," I said.

Clare looked at Brian quickly, and then back at me again. "Oh," she said.

There was a loaded silence.

"Does it mean what I think it means?" I said.

"Does what mean what you think it means?" Adam asked, as he and Hannah walked back into the living room.

As they sat down, Clare said, "Harlie says that Jill told her she felt the baby move."

Hannah didn't say anything right away, but her face sort of changed.

Adam didn't look immediately as though he understood the significance.

"It's soon, for that," Clare said, in explanation, and Adam sighed, and then nodded a bit.

The room was so quiet, I think you really could have heard a pin drop, as they say.

"She also said something weird, before," I said. "She said, that she didn't think there were good men like

Daniel, and then she met him, and she knew then that her baby would have a good father-"

"Oh, jeepers," Clare said, and I knew she'd reacted without thinking.

"Well, I think this is something that Daniel needs to talk to you about," Adam said. He looked-uncomfortable.

"Okay," I said. "But, why? Is there something to talk about?" My tone was a bit accusatory.

Clare wrapped an arm around my shoulders. She didn't say anything, but I found it comforting.

"It seems as though Jill has a case of mouth run-on," Brian said.

"Brian-" Hannah protested, mildly.

"Well, it's the truth," Brian said.

"What is the truth?" I asked. I already knew. From my own deducement, and from the way they were all reacting.

But, I wanted them to say it.

"Daniel needs to talk to you," Adam repeated.

"It doesn't matter, I already know," I said, feeling a mounting fury.

"Sweetie-" Hannah began.

"It doesn't matter," I said, again.

"You know that's not true, sugar," Adam said.

He came over to the front of the couch, and reached down and pulled me to my feet.

"Where's Daniel?" he asked, looking around the room. "Anybody know?"

"They were going for a walk," Hannah said.

"This is pourin' gasoline onto the fire," Brian said, standing up. He sounded upset. "I'll find Daniel."

He went out the front door, letting the screen door flap shut.

Again, there was silence for a long, long few moments.

Adam rubbed my back. In an effort, I knew, to comfort me.

"I think I'll go for a ride," I said.

"Just hold on," Adam said. "Daniel can explain things to you."

"Everybody knows," I said, looking at him, and then Hannah and Clare. "Right?"

"No, Harlie," Adam said.

"Just not Guthrie and me, then?" I said. I thought of my time with Ford earlier. I was feeling really blind-sided. Betrayed. Did Ford know? He

hadn't seemed to.

"No," Adam said, again.

"Sit down here," Clare said to me, pulling at my hand. I let myself be pulled down.

"Daniel was going to talk to you-well, to everybody," Hannah said.

I thought of uttering a 'Hmmph' of disbelief to that, but I kept quiet.

"He promised that he would do it soon," Hannah went on.

There were boots scuffing at the door, and Guthrie came in. "What's up?" he asked the room at large. "Brian says

there's a pow wow goin' on."

"Yeah. Come on and sit down, Guth," Adam told him. He motioned to Guthrie, who came over to the couch and sat down

beside Hannah.

I met Guthrie's eyes and he gave me a quizzical expression, asking without words what was going on.

I gave a slight shake of my head.

"Somethin' wrong?" Guthrie persisted.

"No, not wrong, exactly," Adam said.

Again, I wanted to make a smart ass comment. Such as, 'No, Guthrie, we're just left in the dark again', or 'depends on how

you look at it'.

But, I sat, resolved to be quiet. I was so fuming that I was nearly afraid to let go.

More boots scraping at the doorway, and then Daniel came in, with Jill by the hand, and Brian behind them.

Daniel had walked into a charged situation, in that living room. I think Brian had told him what was going on before

they came in.

Daniel paused, one hand on the back of the couch, taking in the room, and its inhabitants.

He sighed and then went to sit in the vacated recliner, while Jill said, "I think I'll go on upstairs."

It figured, I thought darkly. Of course she was going to cut and run. Jill make a quick exit towards the kitchen, and the back stairs.

"Brian says you've figured things out," Daniel began, looking at me and at Guthrie.

"It wasn't hard," I said, in a clipped tone.

"The plan was to tell you about it," Daniel said.

"When?" I said, sarcastically. "When the baby graduated high school?"

Clare squeezed my shoulder, and every adult in that room except Clare gave me an admonishing look.

"What the heck is goin' on?" Guthrie demanded.

Daniel looked at Guthrie, and said, "The baby-it's not mine."

Guthrie stared at Daniel, and then around the room a moment, and then said, "It's not yours?" in a shocked voice.

"No," Daniel said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and folding his hands together.

"Then, why?" Guthrie asked. "What's all the marriage stuff, then?"

"Because I wanna marry her, Guth," Daniel said. "And, I want to take care of her and the baby."

"Where's the father?" I asked.

Daniel's glance swung to me. "It was a bad situation-he's not gonna be involved."

Brian, obviously agitated, went to the door, and stood, looking out.

"So-you're gonna take on a baby that's not even yours?" Guthrie asked, his tone suggesting that Daniel was

crazy.

"After it's born, it'll be mine," Daniel said.

"I think you're crazy," Guthrie said, slumping back against the couch.

"I know it sounds crazy," Daniel admitted.

"Anything else to spring on us, Daniel?" I asked him, furiously, sarcastically. "I mean, Guthrie and I need to get caught up. We're way behind."

I heard Adam say, "Harlie," to try and rein me in, but my eyes were on Daniel only.

"It wasn't just you and Guthrie," Daniel said, quietly. "Ford doesn't know, and I just talked to Evan about it a little while

ago-"

"So, you were relaying the news in stages," I said. "McFadden by McFadden." I lifted my hands. "See, Guth? Eventually, he would have

had to have gotten to us."

Daniel gave me a look of pure misery. He felt bad, I knew. But, at that point, I did not care! I felt betrayed.

"We made a promise to each other yesterday," I told him. "I meant it, but you obviously didn't."

"I tell you what," Adam spoke up. "I think you kids-and Daniel, ought to talk this out." He held a hand out to

Hannah, who stood up, and Clare promptly followed. They all headed towards the front porch, and Brian was the last

to follow, giving us all a long look.

"They know when to get out," Guthrie muttered, crossing his arms.

"Yeah. They're the smart ones," I said, bitingly.

Daniel was still looking regretful. Solemn.

"Man, Daniel, I don't get you," Guthrie told him.

"I know," Daniel said, sounding resigned.

"If I was gonna do somethin' like this, what would you tell me?" Guthrie demanded.

Daniel hesitated, and then said, "First of all, Guth, you're seventeen. So, my advice to you would be alot different."

"Forget that I'm seventeen," Guthrie insisted. "What would you say?"

"Well, I'd say to be sure, very sure, that you loved somebody else enough to put their needs ahead of your own," Daniel

said, quietly.

"You make it sound real simple," Guthrie said.

"It's not simple. It's hard," Daniel said.

He looked towards me. "Squirt?" he prompted.

"What?" I said, close to snapping at him. "What do you want me to say? Congratulations on however you're gonna become

a father? And, thanks ever so much for treating me and Guthrie like we're at the tail end of your concerns? Didn't you think we're

smart enough to notice when the baby arrived like three months before it was due?"

"I had every intention of tellin' you both, and Ford, too," Daniel said.

"Well, thankfully you didn't have to," I said, sarcastically. "Jill decided to do show and tell, so she took that off of you."

"Alright," Daniel said, and now his tone was different. Firmer. "I understand that you're upset, both of you, and you've

got a right to be. But, nothin' is gonna be solved between us, if all you do, squirt, is toss sarcasm bombs at me."

"You're lecturing me?" I accused.

He regarded me somberly, steadily, and I stood up, very suddenly.

"If I say that I'm leaving now, are you gonna try to insist that I stay, and talk some more?" I said.

Still with that same expression on his face, Daniel said, quietly, "No. I won't. Not right now."

"Groovy," I said, again with sarcasm of the old 1970's saying. I stalked past him, in the chair, and Guthrie, on the couch,

and went outside, letting the screen door flap closed.

7