Jill had her overnight bag packed, and was ready to leave after breakfast. Daniel had already gone before the sun was even up.

That made three days that I hadn't seen him. He was gone before I got up, and home after I went to bed.

Jill said she would appreciate a ride into Murphys, where her friend would be picking her up.

"There's not many places in Murphys that are good for waiting in," Adam spoke up, from his end of the table.

"I thought we'd meet at the cafe-the one Daniel took me to. It's owned by your friend, isn't it?" Jill asked.

"Marie, yeah," Adam answered.

"Well, that's where we're meeting at," Jill said. "That's what we arranged."

Adam nodded and said no more.

"Guthrie, would you be able to give me a ride into town on your way to school?" Jill asked.

"Sure. Okay," Guthrie said, standing to take his plate to the sink. "I'll be ready to go in about ten minutes. That okay?"

"Yes. I'll get my bag," Jill said, scooting away from the table.

"Gotta get my stuff," Guthrie said, and left the kitchen.

I was stuffing my backpack with books when Adam came into the living room, along with Crane.

"Ready to go?" Adam asked me.

"Almost."

"Homework finished?" Crane asked.

"Uh huh," I said. I finished what I was doing, and when I slung the backpack over my shoulder, and looked up, they

were both looking at me. Sort of studying me, I felt like. Contemplating.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?" I asked.

Adam stepped towards the screen door, beckoning to me. "Let's step out on the porch," he said.

I followed Adam, and Crane followed me, pulling the door closed.

Once out on the porch, I regarded them both, puzzled.

"What?" I asked.

Crane spoke first. "You're not planning to be late to school, are you?"

I wrinkled my forehead. "Huh?"

A sudden, swift thought occurred to me. I wished later that I would have just shut up. "Are you kidding?" I asked. "It wasn't that

big of a deal."

Now, it was Crane who looked confused. "What wasn't that big of a deal?" he asked.

I stared at him, while he gave me the same puzzled look as I'd given him.

"This is some sort of conversation," Adam said, into the momentary silence. "Mighty hard to follow along with."

"Well, what did you mean?" I asked Crane.

"I want to make sure you weren't planning to hang around Marie's, to get a look at this friend of Jill's," Crane said.

Okay. He'd managed to surprise me.

"I never even thought of it," I said, feeling indignant.

After a moment, Crane said, "Okay."

Now my ire was up, though. "Wow," I said. "Just wow." I made no effort to hide the insult in my voice.

"It's not out of the realm of imagining," Adam said. "Given the way that your mind works. And given how protective you

are of Daniel."

"Well, I'm not going to," I protested.

"Alright," Crane said. "That's good." When it looked as though he was getting ready to say something more, the doors opened and

Guthrie came out, followed by Jill, carrying her small bag.

"Well, I'll see you all later, then," Jill said.

Adam and Crane both said goodbye to her, and then to Guthrie.

"Have a good day, Guth," Adam said.

I turned to go, too, saying a general, "Bye."

"Hold up," Adam told me, and I paused at the bottom of the porch steps, looking up at him and Crane.

"I need to go, too," I protested.

"Just hold up," he repeated.

I sighed, and waited, as they both came down the stairs, and Guthrie drove away, with Jill in the seat beside him.

"I don't have any other sins to confess," I said. "Real or presumed."

I could tell that neither one of them cared overmuch for my sassy tone.

"Harlie Marie," Adam said.

"Well-" I said, in defense. "It's not a great start to the day. I wasn't going to skulk around, trying to spy on

Jill."

Crane reached out to cup my cheek in his hand. "I'm sorry for thinking that you had it in mind," he said, quietly. "It was my

mistake. Alright?"

It's impossible to stay mad at Crane. Or for very long, anyway. And, he was sorry. I could tell.

"Alright," I agreed.

"What was it that 'wasn't that big of a deal'?" Adam asked me.

"I had to get a tardy slip after lunch yesterday. Mrs. Wilson decided to be a grizzly bear about it. I thought you heard about

that or something."

"My ears aren't quite that good," Adam said. "Why'd you need a tardy slip?"

"I went to the vending machine to get a candy bar," I said.

"Blood sugar?" Adam asked.

When I nodded, Adam frowned. "Mrs. Wilson shouldn't have anything to say about that. She knows about your diabetes. Did

you explain that's what it was for?"

"Yes, Adam, I explained," I said, feeling a bit amused. He'd done a turn-around, and now was ready to do battle for

me. "You know how Mrs. Wilson can be sometimes. It's alright."

"You ought to have some extra snacks in your locker at school," Adam went on. "So, they're easier to get to when you need them."

"I'll grab a couple candy bars at lunch and stick in the top of the locker," I promised.

Once I got to the high school, I waited outside, wanting to see Guthrie. He came only about five minutes or so after

me, and I walked over to greet him.

"Did you drop Jill off?" I asked him.

"No, I brought her to school with me," Guthrie said, in sarcasm. He gestured to the empty truck cab. "Don't you see her,

sittin' in there?"

I didn't even respond to his silliness.

"Did you see this friend of hers?" I demanded.

"Nope. Stopped in front, and she got out and went inside the cafe."

"Oh," I said, disappointed.

Guthrie gave me a look of understanding. "From what she was sayin', I don't think her friend was gonna get there to pick her up

until nine or so, anyway."

"She probably planned it that way," I surmised. "So none of us would see anything."

"I don't think she's gonna do anything dumb like cheat on Daniel," Guthrie said.

"Why do you think that?"

"I just don't think she will," Guthrie said, again, as we walked towards the school building, merging with the other kids arriving.

We didn't have any opportunity to talk about it more right then.

At lunch Kenny told me that he and his parents were going to his grandma's again that weekend. To spend the night this time on

Saturday night. They were going to help her do some landscaping all day on Saturday and would stay overnight and leave Sunday

morning to return home.

After, Kenny told me, that Gram Ida had fixed them a huge breakfast.

"She won't send anybody home without feedin' them up first," Kenny said. He was smiling as he talked about Gram Ida,

and I smiled, too. I'd liked her very much.

"She asked about you, when she called," Kenny told me.

"She did? That's so nice," I said.

Kenny reached over and took my hand, under the table. "You think you could come along again with us?" he asked, sounding

hopeful. "Mom suggested it, and I know Gram would be real happy if you did."

I considered, liking the idea. It would be like a mini-vacation, almost. Even if I helped with the landscaping, or with the meal

preparations, which I would certainly do, it would still be like a vacation. I found that I quite enjoyed being treated like I was

something special, the way that Kenny's mom and grandma did. And, plus, it would be nice, just to be with Kenny and doing something

out of the ordinary realm of my weekends.

"I'll ask," I said.

"Great," Kenny said, squeezing my hand.

When I got to the vet office that afternoon, Ivy was up to her elbows in work. In more ways than one. She actually had her

arm inside of a mare, doing a pregnancy check.

"Is this one of the Clark's horses?" I asked, quietly, so as not to upset the mare. I figured if she had a human's hand inside

of her, she didn't need any more disturbance.

"Yes. One of the Clark's," Ivy said, twisting a bit to get a better angle.

"Is she bred?" I asked.

"I'm sure she is. Come over here, Harlie."

I walked over to where Ivy stood, behind the mare, thinking she needed me to fetch something, or to hand her something.

"Grab a glove," she told me, and when I'd done that, she told me to put it on.

Still not grasping, I did that, and she stepped aside.

"Do you want to try?" she asked me.

I gave her a wide-eyed look. "Seriously?" I asked.

"Yes. Seriously," Ivy said, with a smile, her green eyes sparkling. "No time like the present, is there?"

"I don't know what to do," I said, in semi-protest. I wanted to take this opportunity, (if that's what you wanted to call it), but, I

was nervous about it.

"I'll guide you," Ivy said, not sounding concerned about my hesitation.

So she did. Guide me, I mean. She told me what to do, and what to feel for. She told me about the uterine tone, the shape of the

uterus, and the presence of the sac containing baby.

"Can you feel it?" she asked me.

"I think so, but I'm not sure," I admitted. And then, I thought I did. "I think I feel the sac!" I said, in sudden excitement.

When I'd removed my gloved hand from the mare, it turned it's head to give me a look. As if to say. 'the indignancy of it all!'

"That was incredible," I said, feeling humbled.

In understanding, Ivy nodded. "We're a small, select group of females, Harlie. We, who consider putting our hand up a mare's backside

as an incredible thing."

That struck me as hilarious. Both the truth of it, and the way that Ivy said it so comically.

I burst into laughter, and she joined in, and soon we were nearly doubled over in fits of giggles.

7

When I got home, I saw Guthrie, already home from school, helping to hold some of the wood that Brian was

using a power saw to cut. I left my stuff on the ground beside my truck, and ran over to them.

"You won't believe it!" I announced.

"Hold that," Brian told Guthrie. "Right there. What won't we believe?" he asked me.

"I got to pregnancy check a mare today!"

"Are you kiddin'?" Guthrie asked.

"No, I'm not kidding. I really did! And, I felt the sac and everything!"

"Real exciting, Har," Guthrie said, obviously not terribly impressed.

"It was exciting," I told him. "Have you ever done it?"

"I've had my arm up a cow's ass," Guthrie said. "Isn't that right, Brian?"

"That's right," Brian said, looking mildly amused.

"A cow and a mare are two entirely different beings," I said.

"Uh huh," Guthrie said, and I gave him a shove, causing the metal ruler and measuring tape to fall from the saw horses.

"Hey," he protested, as he stooped to pick them up.

"That's good, peach," Brian said. "Sounds like it was a good afternoon for you."

"It was," I said, in satisfaction, giving Guthrie another push. "Even if certain people don't know what they're talking about-"

"Quit," Guthrie ordered, sounding irritated.

"What if I don't wanna quit?" I challenged. I was feeling like having a good go-round with Guthrie. We never really do it in anger,

and it usually ends with him pinning me until I promise to leave him be. It's a good way to work off energy.

"Leave Guthrie alone," Brian ordered.

I didn't hear a level much above three in Brian's tone, and I doubled up my fists in mock fighting stance.

"Come on, Guth," I challenged. "Let's see what you've got-" I gave him a fist punch to his upper arm.

"I mean, it, Har, stop," Guthrie said. "I don't feel like it."

"Harlie. That's enough," Brian said.

"I'm just trying to have some fun," I protested.

"If you're that full of vinegar, I'm sure there's some extra chores around here that need doing," Brian said.

"I don't need any extra chores," I said, backing down, and turning to walk back over to where I'd left my backpack on

the ground.

I stopped at the bottom of the porch steps to holler back over at Guthrie, with one last jab, "I'll be ready when you find

your nerve, Guthrie!"

I was laughing at myself, and just how funny I really was-when Guthrie broke into a sprint and began to cross the yard

towards me at an alarming rate of speed. I dropped my backpack, and began to run.

7