Answering Hannah's question about my evening, as I turned off the porch light, I said, "It was good. Lots of fun."

"Leave that on, hon," she told me, referring to the porch light. "Crane's not home yet."

"Okay," I said, switching it back on again.

"Come and sit," Hannah invited. "Just for a couple of minutes," she said, patting the space beside her on the couch.

I went to sit down, turning to face her, and tucking one leg under myself.

Hannah asked about Kenny's grandmother, and I told her how nice Gram Ida had been, and how she'd asked me

to call her that. Gram Ida.

"She made this really good salad," I went on. "Sort of more of a dessert than a salad." I described the green creation, filled

with whipped topping and marshmallows.

"That sounds delicious," Hannah said. "We'll have to make it soon."

I went on to tell her about the restaurant, and how I'd tried the lobster.

Showing real interest, Hannah wanted to know what I thought of it, if I'd liked it.

I told her that I really had liked it.

After we'd talked for a few more minutes, Hannah patted my arm. "You'd better get your shot done, and get to bed."

She went with me to the kitchen, waiting while I did my injection, and then we walked up the stairs together.

"Everything alright here at home?" I asked.

"Yes. Alright," she said. "Daniel said you took a hard fall this morning from your horse. He said you seemed as though

you were alright before you left. Are you? Alright, I mean?"

"Yes, I'm alright," I said. "A little stiff, maybe. I soaked in your tub before I left."

"Alright. Well, make sure you tell us if you have a headache, or anything else," she said.

I said that I would, and she gave me a brief hug at my bedroom door, before she went on down the hallway to

her and Adam's room.

7

The next morning, I had difficulty in getting up. I'll admit to it. But, I only stayed lying there for a few extra minutes. I knew

if I was late, or seemed as though I was tired, that Adam would take notice, and not let me go out again on a school night.

I slid into my seat at the breakfast table, which was nearly already filled with McFaddens. A round of 'good mornings'

passed.

Clare leaned forward to look at me, and ask how my evening had been.

I told her that it had been lots of fun, and eventually the subject of the lobster came up.

"Wouldn't catch me eatin' that," Guthrie said.

"It was good," I told him.

"Yeah, Guth, you need to branch out a little," Crane told him. "Try new things."

As I was finishing, and getting up to take my plate to the sink, Adam said, from his end of the table, "What time did you

get home?"

I glanced at him, and said, "It was before eleven. I think it was like-10:45 or so."

"That's right," Hannah verified. "It was about that time."

Adam nodded, and said, "Good."

As he walked out with Guthrie and I as we headed to school, he paused on the porch, leaning against a porch post, coffee in hand

as was usual.

"Real tired?" Adam asked me.

I shook my head. "Not too much," I said.

"I heard about the toss off your horse," he said.

I hugged my backpack closer to my chest, looking up at him. "It wasn't that big a deal," I said.

"Evan seemed to think it was," Adam said.

I met Adam's eye, and there was a moment or more of silence, and then Guthrie interrupted.

"I'm gonna head out," he said. "Looks like this is gonna be one of those conversations."

I reached out to give Guthrie a pinch. "It is not," I denied.

"Yep," Guthrie argued. "And I do not need to be here for it."

"See ya," he said, clomping down the steps, and getting into his truck. He started the motor, and waved, and then drove

down the driveway, and Adam and I watched him go.

And then, I turned to look back up at Adam again.

"I'm okay," I said.

Adam gave me a long look. "Bruised?" he asked me.

"Maybe a little," I said, with a shrug.

"You don't know?" he asked.

"I had to get ready to go with Kenny-and then when I got home last night I went right to bed-" I hesitated, and then

lifted my shoulders again. "I haven't really done a total body check over. Or anything," I said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Well, I bet it's safe to say you have more than a couple of bruises," Adam said.

Adam had a look on his face. A look. I sensed that there could be trouble brewing. It sounded as though Evan had done

a good job of setting off worry.

"It's all part of the ranch life, right?" I said, sounding breezy.

"Sometimes," he said. "What caused you to come off?"

I thought about repeating what I'd said to Kenny and in front of Daniel and Evan, about D.C. stepping into a hole or

something like that. But, Adam was studying me so intently, that I lost my nerve.

"I'm not sure," I admitted.

"Was he actin' up?" he asked.

"No. He was fine. Wanting to run," I said.

"Hmm," Adam said, looking sternly thoughtful.

"D.C. didn't do anything," I said, not caring for that look. "He wasn't trying to bolt, or buck."

"You still came off though," Adam said.

I was trying to find the words, the right protest, to convince Adam that he didn't have to worry about D.C. That he

didn't have to worry about me continuing to work with the horse.

But, before I could, Adam pushed himself off the porch column, and said, "You'd best be gettin' to school. Have a good day."

7

I finished my day, at school, and then went to the vet office. Ivy and I stayed busy. She told me that she was

taking off a couple of days to go out of town. She needed to check on her parents, she said.

"Do you think you can stop by each day to feed and water the horses?" she asked me.

"Yes. Sure," I said. "Do you want me to exercise them, too?"

"If you think you can," she said.

"I can do them on alternate days," I suggested. "Or Guthrie might stop after school and ride one of them, if I ask him."

"Good old Guthrie," Ivy said, with a smile.

"Anything else you want me to do?" I asked her.

"Check the messages, maybe. Tend the horses. That's about all."

"Okay," I said.

I wondered briefly if Crane was going along with Ivy on her trip, but we got busy again, and so I didn't ask.

7

At home, I changed my clothes, and drank two glasses of water at the kitchen sink.

Hannah, coming back up from the basement, said, "Are you alright?"

"Just thirsty," I said.

"Eat some nuts," Hannah said, and so, to satisfy her, I shook out a handful of almonds from the jar on the refrigerator.

"Where is everybody?" I asked, popping nuts into my mouth.

"Clare's taking a nap. Jill went with Daniel somewhere. Isaac should be waking up anytime now."

Hannah went on to the crock pot, lifting the lid, to look in and then replacing the lid.

"Guess I'd better go do my chores," I said.

"Okay. You should try to get bed early tonight," she said.

"I'll try," I said. "I've got an anatomy paper to do."

"Maybe go to bed early, and then get up in time to do it in the morning," Hannah suggested.

I was just preparing to head outside, when there was a commotion coming from the living room, and I waited, finishing my

glass of water. Daniel came into the kitchen, carrying a sack in each arm, and a jug of milk dangling precariously from his fingertips.

"Hey, squirt, grab the milk, will ya," he told me. "I'm about to drop it."

I set my glass down and went to rescue the milk jug, taking it from him and going to put it into the refrigerator.

Jill followed behind him, carrying another bag, with celery sticking up out of the top of the bag.

"The store's were crazy busy," she was saying, as she went to set the bag down.

Jill looked exuberant, full of vitality, and high spirits. Daniel, meanwhile, seemed preoccupied. When Jill pulled

a box from one of the sacks, which contained a baby brush and comb, pink with white flowers on it, she held it up.

"Look what we found-Daniel said we should wait-but I couldn't resist it," Jill was saying.

"It's beautiful," Hannah said.

"I know it's pink and all-but that's because I know it's going to be a girl," Jill was gushing.

Ugh. I took an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, and headed outside to do my chores. I fed the goats, and the cats, and checked

on Pepe, refilling his water and food dishes. I went to feed Petra and old Charlie an apple each, from the box of apples left in the barn.

I took an extra one for D.C., and walked out into the pasture. D.C. was off by himself, as is fairly common, and I walked toward him,

holding out the apple. He waited until I got within five feet or so, and then he tossed his head, and pawed at the ground a couple

of times.

That was new. I stopped walking suddenly.

"What the heck," I muttered. "What's your problem?" I accused him.

He'd tossed his head before, but never just when I was trying to approach him. And, pawing the ground, well, that was new

behavior.

I still had homework, and it was nearly time for supper, so I gave up. For that moment, anyway.

"You're not gonna get the best of me, mister," I told D.C. He, in return, gave me a steady look, and another head toss.

7

Things around our house-well, very rarely are things dull. At supper, the conversations were all over the map, so to speak.

Crane said he was going with Ivy, leaving the next morning to travel to her parent's home with her. That reminded me, so I

asked Guthrie about stopping after school the next day, to help me exercise the boarded horses. It was when everybody

was finishing up, and the table was being cleared, that Daniel dropped the news.

The news that he'd taken a job in Fremont. Which is about 90 miles from our house.

He'd caught everybody by surprise. Once again. Except for Crane. I got the impression that Crane had known about

the announcement ahead of time.

"A job where?" Brian asked.

I think Brian, as was mostly everybody else, figured it was likely a job at a country bar, or a honky-tonk, playing music.

"At the power plant," Daniel said.

There was silence for a long few moments, and then Adam said, "You've got a job right here." I could hear the tenseness in

his tone.

"Damn right you do," Brian added.

"It's a good job up there," Daniel said. "Good money."

"Full-time?" Adam asked. "Forty hours a week?"

"More than that with overtime," Daniel said.

"Daniel, that's so far," Hannah spoke up. "How long is the commute?"

"Around an hour and a half one way," Daniel said.

"That's a lot of drivin'," Brian said.

Clare gave me a nudge, and went on to the sink to begin running hot water for dishes.

"I heard of a lot of guys that went up there lately to apply," Guthrie said, sounding interested.

"Let's talk outside on the porch," Adam said, scooting his chair away from the table and standing.

So, Daniel went off to the porch with Adam and Brian, and Crane. I would have liked to have talked freely to

Hannah and Clare about everything, but Jill was there, too. At least now that she'd been around for awhile, she helped

with chores, like clearing the table, and drying dishes.

"Daniel went to see about the job today," Jill offered.

"It's a long drive to make every day," Hannah said, again.

"The money's so good, though," Jill said.

Hannah's mouth tightened a bit. I could see it, and I knew she was feeling stressed. I felt suddenly badly for her. Hannah

does so much, every single day, for everybody. And, she had to deal with Jill now, too. And, even if Jill was trying to get along,

she was still needy and annoying.

7