"Sure you feel up to it?" Evan was asking, as I tried to usher Kenny out the door.

"I'm fine," I said, just as Kenny asked, "Somethin' wrong?"

"She took a hard tumble a while ago," Evan told him.

As Kenny looked at me with concern, I said, breezily, "D.C. stepped in a hole, or something."

"Are you okay?" Kenny asked, and I reached out to take his hand.

"I'm fine," I said, again, and squeezed his hand in an attempt to signal my wish to depart. Now.

Daniel had come over closer, to stand nearer to the three of us.

"No headache?" he asked me.

"No." I gave both him and Evan a steady look. "I've told both of you that I am fine. Stop fussing." It had gone past time, I thought,

for me to be firm with them.

"Let's go," I told Kenny. "See you guys later," I said to Evan and Daniel.

"Have fun," Daniel said, as we walked out onto the porch.

"We will. Thanks," Kenny said.

I climbed into the back seat of Kenny's parent's car, saying hello to his mom and dad. As we began our drive down the

driveway, I looked back just for a second or so. Daniel was still standing at the open doorway, and Evan still standing on

the porch.

I said, good grief in my head.

7

I had a good time with Kenny and his parents. The drive to Sacramento was pleasant, and I enjoyed meeting his grandmother.

This was his grandma on his dad's side of the family. She was a spunky lady, funny. She had whipped up a wonderful lunch

of Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches, and different sorts of salads. One of them was called pistachio salad, and was really more like

a dessert. There were other desserts, too, though. Cakes and two pies. I couldn't help thinking of Ford and Guthrie. They would

have loved to dive into those desserts.

I had a piece of blackberry pie, and then, when Kenny was finished with his dessert, we went for a walk.

Kenny showed me around the property, which was huge, with lots of well-kept buildings, and landscaping, and sweeping

white fences. It had been in the family for a number of years, he said.

I admired it. It looked pristine. Neat. Our ranch and buildings are kept in good condition, but they're definitely not

like these.

"My mom and pop have thought about moving here to help Gram out," Kenny told, as we walked.

"Oh, no," I said, without thinking, and then I said, "I mean-I'd hate for you to go-"

"I know what you meant," Kenny said, squeezing my hand. "Don't worry. I don't think it's anything that they're gonna do

anytime soon. If they do it, it would likely be after I graduate."

"Oh," I said, feeling relieved. "Well, it's a beautiful place. It looks like something off the cover of a calendar."

After that Kenny talked about his grandpa, telling me that he had been a real interesting person.

"I wish you could have met him," Kenny said. "He would have liked you."

"Thanks," I said, feeling warm inside at the compliment.

When we went back inside, I spent some time with Kenny's grandma and mother, while Kenny and his dad

went outside. We looked at old family pictures, and, sitting in between the two women, I was generally fussed over,

and doted on. Kenny's mother sat, with her arm around my shoulders, her fingers twirling a strand of my hair gently. I mean,

I'm treated well at home, very well, and physical affection is a common thing around our house. Still, to be treated like

a princess almost, as if I was really something unusual and special-well, that was quite a lift to my self esteem. Kenny's mother

has always made over me, and treated me extra nice. And now, his grandma was doing the same. We watched an hour or so

of old home movies, and I liked seeing Kenny at younger ages.

When it was time for us to leave, I was actually sorry to say goodbye to Kenny's grandma. When I said goodbye to her,

and thanked her for having me, and all of that, I called her ma'm. She waved her hands, which had a ring on every finger,

and said, "I'm not ma'm. I'm my Kenny's Gram Ida, and I want you to call me the same."

"Alright," I said. "Thank you, Gram Ida."

She patted my cheek and whispered to me that she thought I was good for Kenny.

"He's much happier now, after his bad time he had last summer," Gram Ida said. Referring, of course, to Kenny's involvement with

the men who'd been rustling the Mustangs.

"Kenny's good for me, too," I told her, and she beamed. "You come back very soon," she told me.

The restaurant that we went to for the evening meal was a nice one. It was called The Homestead House, and Kenny and I, and his dad

ordered steaks, while his mom ordered lobster.

"Sure you don't wanna try the lobster?" Kenny asked me, leaning over to talk close to my ear.

"I've never had it," I said.

"So, give it a try," he encouraged.

I had seen the price of the lobster on the menu, and it was even more than the steak.

Kenny read my thoughts and said, quietly, "If you want it, it's fine."

"I don't know if I'd even like it," I admitted. I leaned closer to whisper to him. "I don't want to waste it, in case I don't like it."

"You could have a smaller order of it," Kenny suggested.

With Kenny's encouragement, I decided to take the chance. When the food was delivered to the table, I wasn't sure how to

eat the lobster, but with Kenny's quiet instructions, and watching Kenny's mother, I was able to figure it out.

And, I found that I liked the taste. When Kenny asked me, I told him yes, that I did like it. Very much. It had an unusual taste,

one I wasn't used to, but it was good.

Kenny's dad said he was tired as we came out of the restaurant. He is finished with his chemo treatments, but sometimes he

still gets tired, Kenny said. So, his parents sat in the back seat, and Kenny drove, with me in the front beside him. His mom kept up

a chatter halfway home, then she became quiet, too, and Kenny, after a quick look in the rear view mirror, said, "Both of them are

asleep."

That struck me as funny, the way he said it, and I giggled softly. Quietly, Kenny said, "I gotta keep my hands on the wheel, since

we're on the highway and all. But come sit closer to me, at least."

So, I scooted over until my leg was against his. After that, we talked real softly.

"Did you have fun today?" he asked me.

"I really did," I said. "I like your Gram Ida alot."

"She liked you, too," Kenny said.

"I hope so," I said.

"Believe me, if my Gram Ida doesn't like somebody, they know about it. Real quick," he said.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad she liked me. She seems like a really wonderful lady. Spunky," I said.

"Yeah. She was real great about everything when I got into trouble last year. She'd call me every time I had

enough points and she sent me letters and all."

"I'm sorry I only came that one time to see you," I said. Suddenly, I felt bad about that.

"That's okay," Kenny said.

"And, I never wrote to you or anything-" I went on.

"Harlie, it's okay," Kenny said. "I mean, it wasn't like-" he hesitated. "Like we were datin' or anything at the time. It was

nice that you came up to see me at all."

I wondered if I should tell him that I'd only come that time because Guthrie had asked me to. I didn't want to hurt him, but

still-I thought I should be honest, too.

"Guthrie asked me to ride along," I admitted.

"Oh. Well-that's okay," he said.

"I wish I'd at least written to you," I said.

"After what I did-to Warrior, well, I'm darned lucky you ever spoke to me again," he said.

"I forgave you for that a long time ago," I said, feeling emotional.

Kenny did take his right hand off the steering wheel then, long enough to take my hand in his. "I wanna be a good man, Harlie. The sort

that people can depend on. That you can depend on."

I found that I was, for once, speechless. Kenny didn't really talk like this generally. It was true that he was alot more serious

than he'd been a year ago, but still-

And, then, he went on talking, and I found my speech even harder to recover.

"You're important to me," he said, quietly.

"You're important to me, too," I managed.

Kenny squeezed my hand, and then released it, and put it back on the steering wheel.

As we drove on, and were by now only thirty minutes or so from Murphys, Kenny spoke up again, quietly.

"Harlie?"

"Hmm?"

"I've actually been thinking that I might give you a ring-for your birthday, or at Christmas," Kenny said.

It was like a hundred millions thoughts went thru my head in the next few moments. Shock, total shock, disbelief, and a heady feeling

of excitement. All of that.

I knew I'd given a small gasp of surprise at his words, and Kenny must have heard it, too, because he said, really quickly,

"I don't mean like an engagement ring, exactly. I was thinking, more like a promise ring."

"A promise ring?" I echoed.

"Yeah," he said, quietly, into the darkness.

When I was silent, Kenny said, "Are you okay? I mean-am I talkin' out of turn?"

"It's not that-" I said. "I'm just sort of surprised, is all."

After a couple of moments, he said, "Do you think you might want to? Take a promise ring from me?" I could hear the emotions

in his voice. The nervousness.

"I don't know," I said, and then I thought that sounded lame. I didn't want to hurt Kenny by seeming as though I was

totally uninterested.

"We're so young," I said. "To make a decision like that-"

"I know we're young," he agreed. "But, we're both not typical for our age. I mean, I had to grow up alot in the last few months.

I know what's important now, and what isn't. And you? You were born bein' an old soul."

I'd heard that term before. Old soul. I had, at times, thought of Ford in that way. And Crane, too. I'd never thought of myself

that way. To me, though, it was a high compliment.

"Kenny," I said, suddenly feeling choked up with emotion.

And then-there was a light cough from the back seat, and Kenny's dad said, "Are we nearly home, son?"

"Yeah. Nearly to Murphys," Kenny answered.

After that, Kenny's dad leaned forward and talked to both of us, and then his mother woke, and she talked, too.

I was mostly quiet, and my thoughts were all over the place. When we got to our house, and Kenny got out to walk me

to the door, his parents were effusive in their good nights.

"We so enjoyed having you with us, Harlie," Mrs. Harris said.

"We surely did," Mr. Harris echoed.

"Thank you very much for inviting me," I said.

On the front porch, where the porch light had been left on for me, Kenny squeezed my hand.

"I'm glad you came," he said.

"So am I," I said. "I had a really good time."

"I guess I surprised you, huh?" Kenny asked. "Askin' you about the ring?"

"A little," I admitted. "It's not that I wouldn't want to, Kenny."

"Okay. We can talk about it, huh?"

"Yes. We can," I agreed. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Mindful of his parents who were observing, I was sure.

I went inside, and found Hannah sitting up, waiting for me. She had been sitting on the couch, reading by the one

lamp. She put her book down immediately, as I was closing the door.

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted me. "How was your evening?"

7