"It's Evan-and Adam," Nancy reported.

"Brian, too?" Clare asked, her tone hopeful, as she crowded in behind Nancy and I to look out.

"Yes," Nancy said, and I heard Clare let out a deep breath. "Everybody but Daniel, and Jill," Nancy added.

We all six, counting Isaac, went out onto the porch, watching as Evan parked, and then Crane, and the four of them, Adam, Crane, Brian and Evan got out and walked towards the porch.

Nancy went right down to greet Evan, giving him a hug. Hannah reached out a hand towards Adam, and the questions began.

"What happened?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Where's Daniel?"

"Did you find them?"

"Is Daniel alright?"

We were all firing questions so fast, and Adam held up one hand.

"Daniel's alright," he said, answering only the one question. "Hold on-let's go inside, and talk," he said.

Hannah nodded, and looked at Crane. She reached up to touch his face softly, near his lip. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You got hit?"

"I'm alright," Crane said. "No real harm done."

We all turned to go inside again, with Nancy squeezing Evan's arm and chattering away. Clare, I noticed, was standing on the top step, just

quiet, and not going to hug or squeeze Brian. Brian paused beside her, and I could tell she was letting him know she was upset.

We all sat in the living room, just all over the place. Fat Clarence had taken advantage of the open door, and worked himself inside as well. He

laid down, content, on the big area rug where Isaac's toys were spread out.

I sat down beside Crane, wrapping my arm thru his.

"Daniel's just behind us," Adam said. "He'll be here in a few."

Hannah let out a sigh and I did, too, I was so relieved. I squeezed Crane's arm tighter.

"I need a beer," Brian said, and went off towards the kitchen. I watched Clare, but she sat where she was, not going after him.

Between Adam and Evan and a bit from Crane, it was explained that though they'd looked at The Rusty Bucket, Chess and Leo were

gone, by the time Brian and Crane got back there with Daniel and Jill.

They'd tried to get Daniel to come on home then, but Jill had volunteered the information that the two guys had likely just gone on to

another bar, so Daniel set his mind to looking at the other two bars within Murphys and Angels Camp.

I was thinking, but not saying, that Jill had a brain the size of a pea-why would she further antagonize Daniel, so that he wanted to keep

looking? Nancy gave a humph, letting her own thoughts be known on that account.

They hadn't been anywhere in the vicinity, though, so when the group met to talk it thru, Adam encouraged Jill to go to the sheriff's office.

"But she didn't want to?" Hannah guessed. Correctly, as Adam shook his head.

"Nope," he said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hannah said softly, almost to herself.

"How does she know them?" Clare spoke up, as Brian came back from the kitchen, carrying a six-pack of Coors. He handed one off to Adam,

then to Evan, and to Crane, taking one for himself, and setting the remaining two on the coffee table. He went to sit in the vacant spot next to Clare, and

I saw him give her a glance.

Adam sighed, looking tired. "What she told all of us is that she owes them some money."

"Enough money to make it worth their time to come here from Tennessee?" Hannah asked. "I can't imagine she would owe that much-"

Adam shook his head. "I don't know. That's what she said. We only had a few minutes, really, to talk."

"Daniel says she'll explain more," Brian offered up.

"I'll bet she doesn't," I said, speaking up for the first time.

That got Brian's attention on me. "Did you wash that cut out?" he asked me, nodding towards my lower leg, where I'd cut it

on the milk crate when it collapsed.

"Yeah," I said.

"What cut?" Hannah asked, leaning across Crane to look at me.

"It's nothing," I said.

"Oh, it's somethin'," Brian said, giving me sort of a glower. Since he was the only one who knew about the milk crate and my window snooping, I

wished he would drop the topic. As in right away.

If I'd been a very much braver girl, I would have sassed him, and told him he'd best be worrying about his own problem of his wife being really mad at him-but I wasn't that brave. Or that stupid. So, instead, I gave him a sort of pleading look, and said, "Can we talk about it later, Bri?"

"Oh, we will," he said, darkly.

Ugh. Just lovely. Not.

"Are you all hungry?" Hannah said. "Let's go in the kitchen." She stood up, and I could tell she felt better, just at the thought of organizing everybody and feeding

everybody.

"Starving, darlin'," Adam told her, and they went first, followed by Evan and Nancy, and Guthrie, and then Crane and I. Brian and Clare were bringing up the

back of the group.

I was glad to see, after half of the refrigerator's contents had been brought out and put onto the kitchen table, that Clare's fingers were linked

with Brian's. Not only because I didn't want to see Clare upset, or want them to fight, but also, selfishly, because it would put Brian in a better mood,

and maybe he wouldn't be as harsh with me later.

We were all sitting, or moving around the kitchen, eating, and drinking. Talking, too, mostly about the two men, with us females sharing more

of what had happened when they'd driven up first to the house.

"I was never so glad to have something in my hand," Hannah was saying, talking about the moment that Nancy had slipped the small gun into

her hand on the porch.

"You should have gone out with the gun showin' in the first place," Brian said.

"I didn't realize they were going to be a problem, Brian," Hannah said, snappily. I felt like cringing. Everybody was so tense and on-edge.

"It's alright," Adam said, a sandwich in his left hand, and rubbing Hannah's back with his right hand to soothe her.

"This has been a horrible day," Clare said, with a deep sigh.

"Where is Daniel?" Hannah asked, worriedly. "I thought you said he was coming right along behind you."

"He was. He is," Adam said.

I myself was beginning to think, and to worry, that Daniel had taken it into his head to go off somewhere else to hunt Chess and Leo

down. I said as much to Crane, in a really low tone, so nobody else could hear.

"He won't," Crane said.

"What if he does, though?" I insisted.

Crane took another drink of his beer, and said, "He won't, Harlie. He's just taking a while longer to get his thoughts together before he

comes home to the interrogation."

I hated to think that way. That Daniel would feel we were going to interrogate him-but of course there were so many questions to

answer. I resolved to keep my mouth shut, and not add to what awaited Daniel. I had questions, as well. Lots of them. But, he would

be facing enough.

As if he knew what Crane and I were discussing, Adam spoke up. "Let's go easy on Daniel at first, okay?" he said.

It was just a few minutes later, when, amid the chatter, Daniel and Jill came into the kitchen, from the living room. We hadn't, any of us,

heard the front door open and close.

"Hey, everybody," Daniel said, in greeting.

There was a chorus of 'hey' and 'hi' in return.

"You should eat," Hannah said.

"Yeah," Adam said, easily, gesturing towards the empty chairs. "Both of you, sit down."

"I don't think so," Jill said, looking at Daniel. "I'm not very hungry."

"You need to eat. You have to think of the baby," Hannah said.

It was just Hannah being Hannah. You know-taking care of everybody. But, her comment seemed to jolt Jill.

Jill visibly winced. "I'll get something in a bit," she said.

She paused, and I saw her reach out for Daniel's hand. "I know this has been an upsetting day for all of you," she said. "I feel badly about

that. I really do. I know you all want answers, but I'm just not up to it right this moment. Please be patient for awhile longer."

For a long, long few moments there was silence in the kitchen. I think everybody was mostly surprised at what she was asking. Instead

of explaining things, she was begging off, yet again, when things got uncomfortable.

"When they showed up here, and made all the girls feel unsafe, well, that changes things," Adam said, his face grave. He was talking quietly,

not appearing angry, but I could hear the steel under his quiet tone. I wasn't sure Jill would, since she didn't know Adam all that well, but everybody

else in the room heard it, and understood it. "You can have tonight.," Adam went on. "Rest. But tomorrow, we all, every one of us, deserves an

explanation. Of who they are, and why they came all this way to find you."

Jill had high flashes of color in her cheeks. I thought she wasn't used to being told what she should or should not do. I found myself holding

my breath. It was almost suspenseful, waiting to see if Jill would agree, or if she would fly back at Adam in a temper. Oh, if she did, gads, it would

get ugly.

"She knows, Adam," Daniel said, in Jill's defense. He sounded serious, but not really defensive. I think, from what I'd seen between he and jill earlier

in the day, that Daniel had reached a limit of his own.

"Alright, good," Adam said, still calmly. "I'm glad. I'm just puttin' it out there, so we're all on the same page."

"Fair enough," Daniel said, looking to his left at Jill. "Right?" he prompted Jill.

"Yes. I'm very aware," Jill said, with a touch of sass in her tone. "I've said I will explain things tomorrow-or since nobody wants to

wait-Daniel, you can tell them how I know Chess and Leo, and why they came all this way." She ended her statement with an edge to her voice and the tilt of her head.

"There ain't any need for that," Brian spoke up, from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter, a beer can in his hand.

I knew he was warning her off her attitude, and I felt even more like wincing. This whole thing was making my stomach ache. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even though I'm not in any way Jill's biggest fan, or anything, I still didn't want anybody to argue and fuss. It had been a very long day.

"Well-I guess there is a need," Jill said, and to my surprise, I saw tears welling up in her eyes. "If noone can just wait until

tomorrow-"

"Jill, stop," Daniel said, quiet, but I could see the edges of his temper beginning to show.

"Well-" she continued to sputter.

"No. Stop," Daniel said, more firmly than I'd ever heard him speak to Jill before. She hushed up, sweeping a hand up to her eyes to

brush off tears. "Tomorrow's good," Daniel said, and he gave Jill a pointed look, though he still held her hand. "Right?" he asked, again.

Jill nodded now, looking somewhat deflated. "Yes. Alright," she said.

They stood there a moment or so longer, and Hannah said quietly, to Jill, "You've got to be tired. I'll make you something to eat

and Daniel can bring it up to you."

Jill looked at Hannah in what I thought was surprise. "That's really nice of you, Hannah. Thank you."

Hannah smiled at Jill. "It's no problem."

Jill turned as if to go back out of the kitchen, but then paused, and turned back. Facing the whole mass of McFaddens there, she looked

at Brian, and at Crane. "Thank you both for what you did today. Coming to look for me, and trying to help me. I-" she hesitated. "Well, I

appreciate it. You didn't either one of you have to do that."

"You're welcome," Crane said, simply.

"We wanted to make sure you were okay," Brian said.

Jill and Brian's eyes met across the kitchen, and they seemed to face off. "I know you felt like you had to-" Jill said.

"Naw," Brian said, interrupting her. "We didn't. If we didn't care, we wouldn't have come."

Jill was still for a moment, and blinked back more tears. "That's really nice, I mean really, really nice." Then, she seemed to gather

herself together. "Good night, everyone."

There was a chorus of 'good night' and 'see you in the morning'. Daniel stood a moment longer, and then he said,

"I'm beat. I'm gonna grab a shower and get to bed soon, I think."

"I'll fix you both a plate," Hannah said. "Come down after your shower and they'll be ready."

Daniel gave Hannah a slight smile. He came forward and wrapped his good arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks, Hannah," he said. He eyed the rest of the room, and then just sort of nodded, with a half-smile at all of us. "Love you guys," he said,

in a general way. And, then, he too, turned to leave the room.

"I'm about ready for bed myself," Adam said. They all talked for a couple minutes about chores, and found that Guthrie and I had

gotten them all done.

"You're a couple of good kids," Adam said, hooking his arm around Guthrie's neck, and smiling at me.

After that, everybody headed to the living room to relax, or upstairs to bedrooms. I did my diabetes shot, feeling like I couldn't wait to

crawl into my bed. I'd thought I was alone in the kitchen, and hadn't heard him come up behind me, so I was startled when I turned

and saw Brian standing there, leaning once again against the kitchen counter.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, yourself."

I sighed. And figured I might as well meet it head on. "I was worried about you and Crane. But I shouldn't have been climbing up

trying to look in the window."

"Right." He snapped his fingers at me. "Hop up there on the cabinet."

"Bri, I already doctored it. Honest."

"Get up there." He went to the back porch, returning with one of the many first aid kits we keep around the house, as I was hitching myself

up onto the cabinet.

Since I'd changed to shorts, my leg was within easy access. I pulled my leg up, resting my chin on top of my knee.

"See?" I said. "All cleaned up."

Brian did his own inventory of my leg. "Good-sized cut," he said, with disapproval.

"I've had worse," I said, attempting some humor.

"Uh huh," he said, applying a healthy layer of antibiotic ointment onto the cut, and then using several bandaids to cover it. "Keep it covered

till morning, and we'll take another look at it," he said.

"I'll be okay," I said.

"You know with your diabetes that you have to be way more careful with cuts, Harlie," he said, sounding stern.

"I know," I said. "I'll keep a good eye on it. I promise."

Brian closed up the first aid kit, and then looked me in the eye. "Do I say things to you just to hear my own voice?"

He'd used this line on me before during other lectures.

"No."

"I oughta kick your butt for not stayin' where you were told to," he said.

I knew it wouldn't do any good to make excuses, or plead, so I just stayed quiet, looking at him, still hugging my knee to my chin.

He gave me a hard look. And, then, he shocked me when he said, "Get yourself to bed."

I lowered my leg, swinging my feet. "Right away," I said, hopping down. "Before you change your mind." I gave him

a grin.

seven