Sitting there, the time got later, and our group in the living room dwindled down. Brian went up to bed, and Ford followed

shortly afterwards. Since Hannah and Clare had already gone up, there was only Adam, Crane and Guthrie and I left downstairs.

I ate what was left of the popcorn, digging my fingers on the bottom of the bowl so as to coat my fingertips with the

salt that had settled there. Guthrie said he thought he heard something outside, and I followed him to the door, licking my

fingers.

When Guthrie edged the screen door open, though, and listened, we couldn't hear anything. Or see any headlights.

"I thought I heard a truck," Guthrie said.

"I did, too," I said.

Guthrie and I went back to the living room, and then Guthrie went to get us both a bottle of Coke.

"It's late for that," Crane said, in half-hearted disapproval, with a glance up at the big clock. Nearly eleven.

"Nothin' will keep me awake," Guthrie said, in protest, and went back to take his spot on the floor, in the center

of the rug, lying on his back.

I'd drank that bottle, and, when Guthrie said he was going to have another, he asked me if I wanted more.

I started to say yes, but then I changed my mind and told him, no, thanks. I had felt Adam looking at me, and though he

hadn't said anything directly, I knew he was thinking that it wouldn't be responsible of me to have more than one sugary

bottle of pop. Ever since he'd told me to find a place for diabetes in my life, and respect it without letting it become me, well, I've

tried hard to do better.

I went to do my shot, and then went upstairs to wash my face, and brush my teeth. I went back downstairs after that,

though, and Guthrie and I played a short game of UNO.

"You two had ought to be thinkin' about getting to bed," Adam told us, as Guthrie gathered up the cards.

"I want to wait up for Daniel," I said, in protest.

"Yeah. Me, too," Guthrie echoed.

"He might be real late tonight," Crane said. "It's still raining, and he'll probably take it slow."

Another thirty minutes passed. Guthrie fell asleep, stretched out on one of the couches. It had been okay, fun, even,

hanging out with Guthrie and Adam and Crane. But, now, it was starting to rain harder, again, pelting on the roof, and Crane kept

going to the door to look out into the rainy night, even though I don't know how he could have seen anything. Adam was

seemingly reading a ranching magazine, but I saw that he wasn't turning the pages hardly at all. I went to sit beside him, curling

up, laying my head against his shoulder. After a few more minutes went by, and Adam kept glancing up, towards the door, and

Crane, looking outside, and only turned the page once, I said, quietly, "You don't read that slow."

"Slowly," Adam corrected my grammar.

"You don't read that slowly," I allowed. I hooked my left arm thru his right one.

"Are you worried about Daniel?" I asked, softly.

"I reckon that he and Jill will work out their problems," Adam said.

I squeezed his arm slightly. "I don't mean that. I mean-because he's not home yet."

"He'll be along," Adam said, sounding confident.

I squeezed him again. Adam turned to look at me, and, after a minute, he looked as though he was going to

say something, but then-he didn't. He patted my leg, and gave up his pretense of reading the magazine article on

cattle. At 11:45, Adam dislodged me from his side, where I'd been nearly falling asleep.

"Go up to bed," Adam told me, getting to his feet.

I sat up, trying to get more alert. Adam went over and put his hand on Guthrie's shoulder, shaking him awake.

"Huh?" Guthrie asked, stirring around.

"Time to go upstairs to bed," Adam said.

Guthrie sat up, rubbing at one eye. "Daniel home?" he asked.

"Not yet," Adam said.

I could still hear rain pelting the roof and the windows.

"It's still raining really hard," I said.

Guthrie and I exchanged a glance between us.

I had the feeling then, of things being out of control. Where was Daniel? Even without knowing his exact schedule, I knew that

with as early as he'd left that morning for work, he should have been home by ten-thirty at the latest.

I sat right where I was at, and so did Guthrie. Neither one of us made any move to stand up.

Hannah had come down so quietly that I hadn't heard her, until she was near the bottom of the stairs.

"Adam?" she said, softly, and Adam turned to see her there. Hannah came over to stand beside him, tying the

belt of her blue robe.

"Not home yet?" she asked him. Meaning Daniel, I knew.

"No," he said.

"Maybe he went to have a beer with some guys from work," Guthrie suggested.

I knew, and I knew that Guthrie knew it, too, that it wasn't likely that Daniel would have done that. Not that he was

against going out with friends, or having a few beers, or whatever-but he wouldn't tonight. He would be tired from working

all the hours that he'd been working lately, and would just want to come home. And, if I admitted it, he would probably want

to get home so he could possibly talk to Jill. He wouldn't drink and then attempt to drive all that long way home, either.

Nobody really answered Guthrie's comment, though. Crane had, at some point, left his post at the door, and had taken

a seat in the over-sized chair. He had one foot resting on his opposite knee, and was still wearing his boots. As was Adam, now

that I paid attention.

Adam started to say something then, but paused. He seemed to take notice that Guthrie and I were still sitting just

where we had been when he'd ordered us upstairs.

"You kids go to bed," he said, again, looking at both of us.

"You might need me for somethin'," Guthrie said, in protest. I assumed that he meant in case they went out looking for

Daniel, or something like that.

"No. He'll be along soon," Adam said. His voice became more firm. "Go to bed."

Guthrie sighed, and stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You, too," Adam told me.

I too, like Guthrie had, gave a sigh, and stood up.

Hannah asked Adam if he wanted her to wait up with him, and he said, no, for her to go back to bed.

I followed Hannah up the stairs, and, when we'd reached the top, she said, "Do you want to come and lay in our room

for awhile?" to me.

I nodded in answer, and, once we went into her and Adam's bedroom, I saw that she'd left the small lamp on. Hannah went

over and looked down at Isaac in his crib. He was sleeping in his usual position, on his tummy and knees, with his behind stuck

up in the air. Hannah patted his back, and I went to climb into their bed. She turned off the lamp and, in the darkness, I

heard crossing the room and then the sound of the sheets rustling as she laid down.

"Daniel should have been home by now," I whispered.

I felt her take my hand in hers.

"I'm worried, too," she admitted, softly. "He's probably just having to drive really slowly in this heavy rain, though."

"I wish he didn't have this job."

Hannah said, "Try to go to sleep. Adam won't come to bed until Daniel gets home, anyway. I'll wake you to go to

your own bed then."

I said okay and moved closer to her, and she wrapped her arm around me.

7