Daniel and I got a late start the next morning. We were preparing to leave after breakfast, and were actually even at the

truck, when Jill came out onto the front porch, and called out to Daniel.

He paused, his hand on the opened door of the truck, to look back over to her.

"Can I talk to you?" she called out.

He nodded, and said to me, "Go on and get in, and pick out a good station on the radio."

So, I got into the truck, and reached over to turn on the engine, and began to adjust the radio. I turned to look out the

rear window, watching Daniel as he stood talking to Jill. Daniel took her hand, and they stood close together. Jill was waving

her free hand, and seemed agitated. So what else was new?

When I saw Daniel give her a quick kiss, and then start back towards the truck again, I turned around real quick-like so

he wouldn't see me watching them.

When he got in, and we set off down the driveway, I said, "Everything okay?"

"Nothing major," Daniel said.

I gave him a couple of covert side glances as we drove. He looked deep in thought. I sipped at the coffee that I'd brought

along in a travel mug. A good ten to fifteen minutes passed, and still he was quiet. I had the sudden thought that if he was going

to be this silent the whole time, then we might as well have stayed at home.

I told myself that wasn't a bit nice. Daniel had a lot on his mind. He had good reason to be thoughtful. Contemplative. Still-this

jaunt out together had been his idea, so that we could talk, he'd said.

Then, after another few minutes, I began to feel badly for him. My own protective feelings rose up. I drank my coffee, and

stayed still, looking out the window at the passing scenery. I would keep quiet until he wanted to talk.

I was surprised when I felt Daniel take my hand, and squeeze it. I turned quickly to look at him.

"Sorry-I was lost in my thoughts," he said.

"It's okay," I said.

He squeezed my hand again, and then let it go, returning his hand to the steering wheel.

"What's new with you lately?" he asked.

"Um, well-nothing too exciting," I said, with a slight grin at him.

"School okay?"

"It's alright."

"You still workin' on the school paper? That was sure somethin' when they put one of your articles in the newspaper," he said.

"I'm still on the school paper," I told him.

"You like that, don't you? Writing?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Writing's a good field to get into. Lots of ways that a person could go with it. Reporting, and free-lancing," Daniel

said.

"I guess so," I agreed.

"You always ought to stick with where your heart lies, though," he added. "If it's in veterinary medicine, then you should keep

your focus on that."

I surveyed him, wondering what had brought about this thread of conversation. "How come you're talking to me about this?" I asked.

He gave me a puzzled look. "Why shouldn't I talk to you about it?" he countered.

"No reason," I said, and then I spoke my mind. "No reason except-it's like you don't want to talk about other stuff."

Daniel gave me such a long look that I began to worry he should look at the road.

"Touche, squirt," he said.

As he focused on his driving once again, I said, in apology, "I didn't mean that I don't want to talk to you about school and

college and all that, Daniel."

"I know. You just want me to get to the point, though. Right?"

"Daniel," I said, feeling sorry for saying what I had.

"You're right," he said. After a moment's hesitation, Daniel went on. "Jill hasn't had an easy life. She never had a real home, growing

up in foster care like she did. It's made her needy. Insecure."

I pretty much already knew all that. I asked one of the things that I really wanted to know.

"What about your music?"

"What about it?"

"Are you going to pursue it?"

"I'm not gonna quit my music," he said, turning to give me a look. "I've just some other stuff that's priority right now."

"Will you go back to Nashville?" I asked.

"Yeah. But, I don't know when, exactly."

There was a couple moments of silence and then I said, "I like having you home. It's hard, not seeing you very often. Nashville's so far."

"It's hard for me, too," he said. "It's been nice, not havin' a set time to have to leave this trip home."

After a couple of moments, Daniel said, "Instead of me ramblin' on about stuff-why don't you just ask me anything that

you want to ask?"

To lighten the mood, I said, jokingly, "Anything?"

"Well, within reason," he said, with a hint of a smile.

"You know how you said that the father of the baby isn't going to be a part of things?" I said.

"Right."

"Well-I was wondering, how come? I mean, what's wrong with him that he wouldn't want to see his baby, or any of that?"

"Sometimes, guys just don't have any interest in bein' a father. They're okay for the makin', but not the takin' care of," Daniel

said, bluntly.

"But, you are?" I asked. "Interested in being a father? I mean-you're not just doing it because you feel like you have to?"

For a long, long moment, Daniel looked stunned. I could tell I'd shaken him by my question.

"Is that too personal?" I asked, feeling momentarily shaken myself.

"It's okay. Give me a second," he said.

I sipped at my coffee, watching him as he turned his thoughts over in his mind. I really did want an answer to my question, but

I felt sort of bad about making Daniel look that way.

"I do feel responsible for Jill. I can't deny that," Daniel said.

"But, why? You're not responsible for the baby-" I said.

"Sometimes things are more about feelings than facts," he said. He gave me a side look, almost apologetic at his explanation. "I

know it doesn't make much sense, squirt."

"No, not really," I said, in agreement.

We were pulling out onto the highway into morning traffic by now, and for a little while we talked about other things. Some of the

latest songs, the fact that he needed to purchase new guitar strings, things like that.

After we got to Oakdale, I was busy looking out the window. It had been quite awhile since I'd been there.

Daniel told me he was going to stop at a music store to buy the guitar strings, and look around.

"After that, we can do somethin' you want to do," he said.

"I don't have anything special in mind," I said.

"Well, think about it," he said.

We spent over an hour in the music store. Even after Daniel got his strings, he found things to look at. He perused the sheet music,

and after he'd paid for everything, we walked back out into the sunshine. Even though there was sun, there was a chill in the air, and

I was glad I'd brought my jacket. Daniel held out a hand to me as we walked back down the sidewalk to where he'd parked.

"So-where to?" he asked me.

"It doesn't matter," I said. And, then, I added, "Something to eat would be good. What do you think?"

"I could eat," Daniel said, agreeably.

So, a short drive later, we were ensconced in a corner booth at a small cafe. We both ordered peanut butter pie, and I asked

for coffee. Looking around, I found the similarities to the cafe at home comforting.

"It looks like Marie's," I said, leaning forward and wrapping my fingers around the warm coffee cup.

"Yeah. It does, sort of," Daniel said.

When we'd finished our pie, we sat, in quiet for a bit.

"It's nice, being out together," I said.

Daniel smiled at me. "Yeah. It is." He gave his tea glass a push back, and said, serious again, "I don't want us to have a problem

between us, squirt."

"I don't want that, either," I said, quietly.

"I understand this whole situation, with Jill, and the pregnancy, was a shock to everybody. And, I know it's hard for you and Guthrie

to understand, about why I'm makin' the decision that I am, about the baby," he said.

After he said that, he just sat and looked at me for the longest moment. He didn't look upset, or anything like that, but there was

something in his expression that tugged at me.

"I just didn't understand why you didn't tell us," I said. Repeating, I knew, what I'd already expressed to him before.

"I know," Daniel conceded. "And, I'm sorry for that. I don't know what else to say."

"I know," I said, with a sigh. It seemed that we were both frustrated. "I don't mean to harp on it, Daniel."

Daniel sighed, too, and I met his eyes across the table. "I want you to be happy," I said, softly.

"I know you do. And I want the same thing for you," he said.

After a couple of seconds, he said, "I need you to do somethin' for me."

"Okay," I said, holding my breath a bit, wondering.

"Try to accept Jill. I know she's a little different, a lot different, than Hannah or Clare. Or even Nancy. But, I need you to

try," he said. "Give her a fair chance."

"I have been," I said, feeling as though I should protest.

Daniel sat back in the booth, and gave me a long look. It seemed as though he was censoring me, somehow.

"I have," I insisted. "You're not around all the time. You don't know everything that goes on-"

"Is there somethin' that went on that I need to know about?" Daniel countered.

Since I didn't think that Jill had told Daniel about our set-to in the barn that one afternoon, I didn't particularly care to

tell him, either.

So, we just looked at each other for a long few moments, and I saw that Daniel's eyes hadn't been censoring, but more pleading.

I realized that I could try a lot harder with Jill. I just hadn't felt inclined to do so.

"I'll be fair, Daniel," I said, softly, and I was sincere, too.

A smile lit up his eyes. "Thanks."

I moved my cup back and forth between my hands.

"So the guy-" I hesitated over how to describe him, the father of the baby. "He's not gonna bother you and Jill? Or try to cause trouble?"

"He might like to," Daniel said, and then, when he saw my alarmed expression he went on, quickly. "But it's nothin' to worry about."

"I thought you said he didn't want anything to do with the baby," I reminded him.

"No. He doesn't. It's Jill, not the baby, that he's interested in," Daniel said.

"Oh," I said, worriedly. "What if he comes around when you go back to Nashville, and goes after you?"

"He's all talk," Daniel said.

"I don't want you to get beat up," I said.

"Thanks," Daniel said, dryly. "Maybe he's the one that would get beat up, how about that?" he said, lightly.

"Is he still in love with Jill?" I asked, not smiling at his attempt at humor.

"I don't think it's really like that," Daniel said. "It's more-he's one of those control freaks."

"You mean like Kristen's stepfather?" I asked. "He treats her mom really bad, but yet he doesn't want Linda to divorce him or

go out with other men."

"I don't know. I guess it might be a little like that," he said.

I wrinkled my forehead, in worry.

"Don't look like that," Daniel cajoled me. "I've told you-it's nothin' to worry about."

"It sounds worrying to me," I said.

Daniel reached across the table, and hooked one of his fingers thru one of mine, tugging it gently back and forth. "I didn't tell you

any of this to upset you, or stress you out," he said. "I just wanted us to talk, and hash stuff out."

"I know," I said.

Daniel gave me a grin. "I've got everything under control," he said, sounding confident.

7