It took us another good two hours or longer to get home. It wouldn't have taken Daniel and I that long, but we kept stopping

and waiting for Ford to catch up, pulling the cow along behind him.

"Why don't you take off the rope?" I pointed out. "She'll follow the other two, won't she?"

"She might not. Skittish as she is, I'm gonna leave the rope on," Ford said.

"I wonder if anybody else had any luck finding cows," I mused out loud.

"Hope so," Daniel said fervently.

"Well, we did our share, right?" I asked cheerfully. "We found three out of twelve."

"Three's good," Daniel agreed. "But if nobody else had any luck, then that still leaves nine gone, and that puts

us in a spot."

"I know," I said, thinking that he was awfully grouchy.

"I was thinking," Ford began, "maybe I could get some side jobs."

"Yeah?" Daniel asked, looking across me at Ford, as we rode three across.

"Yeah," Ford said. "You know, bring in a little bit of extra money."

"You don't have time for that, Ford," Daniel said.

"I was talking to Mr. Anderson at the newspaper," Ford went on. "He said he might have be needing some help

to print up the flyers for the street dance next week, and for stuff for the 4th of July. If it worked out, he might keep me on for the rest of the summer."

Daniel shook his head a little, but didn't say anything more.

By the time we'd reached our own pastures, we left the two cows with the rest of the herd, and Ford led the

injured cow on thru the gates, and into the barn, where Ford tied her in a stall, and he and Daniel began to

look over her wounds.

"We have any old antibiotics around?" Daniel asked.

He looked at Ford and Ford looked at me. Since they'd both only been home for a few weeks, and weren't up yet on

everything that had taken place on the ranch the last few months, they were looking at me for an answer.

"I think there might be," I said, trying to remember the last time that we'd an injured or sick animal.

"Go see if you can find it, will you?" Daniel told me.

I went into the back door of the house, poking thru the old refrigerator in the mudroom, where my brothers keep animal

medicine and sometimes extra beer.

There was a bottle of medicine there, and I picked it up to read it, recognizing the name from working with Doc G. It was an antibiotic,

alright.

The door behind me to the kitchen opened, and Hannah stepped out.

She had Isaac in her arms, and she said, "Harlie, you're back."

"Uh huh," I said.

Hannah went on to the door and pushed it open, looking out into the back yard. "Who's with you?" she asked. "Adam?"

"No, he's with Evan," I said. "I was with Daniel and Ford. I don't think Adam's back yet."

"Oh," she said, and I thought she sounded sort of funny. Strange.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

Hannah shut the door, and made a point to meet my eye. "I'm alright," she said. "Daniel's out there, you say?"

"He's in the barn. I'm supposed to be getting this medicine," I said, holding up the bottle. "One of the cows got

tangled in some wire."

"Oh. Well, when you take it back out, will you ask Daniel to come in for a minute?"

"Sure," I said, still studying her.

Hannah gave me a smile, but it wasn't a convincing smile by any means.

When I went back out to the barn, I handed off the medicine to Ford.

"Found some, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think it was for another time when one of the calves was cut up," I said.

"Okay," Ford said, reading the directions on the bottle, and measuring it out in the syringe.

"Daniel, Hannah wants to talk to you," I said.

"Okay," Daniel said, but made no move to leave the cow's side.

"I think she meant right now," I added, and Daniel looked up at me from where he was kneeling in the

stall, looking at the cow's leg.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

"She acts sort of funny," I admitted, worriedly.

Daniel looked at Ford, and then got to his feet. "Alright. I'll go see what she needs," he said, and went out of

the barn.

"Something's wrong, Ford," I said. "I can tell."

"Hmm," Ford said, sounding concerned. "Well, let's get the shot in her."

I braced myself against the cow's hip, and Ford gave the cow the shot. After that, he knelt down and between the two

of us, we cleaned the wire cuts and put some topical medicine on them.

"Are we going to leave her in here, or turn her out?" I asked Ford.

"Let's leave her in here until we see how she's gonna do," Ford said.

We gathered up all the supplies and put them away, and Ford handed me the bottle of medicine to put back

into the refrigerator.

We heard horse's hooves, as we were heading out of the barn, and went around the corner of the barn to

find Brian and Clare unsaddling their horses.

"How'd you three do?" Brian asked.

"We found three," Ford said. "One's in the barn. She got tangled in some wire."

"Bad?" Brian asked, about the extent of the injuries.

"I think she'll be alright. We dosed her and cleaned the cuts. She's in there if you want to take a look," Ford said.

"I'll take care of this," Brian told Clare, gesturing to her saddle. "You can go on in."

"I'll start making some sandwiches for everybody getting back," Clare said. "Unless Hannah has something

else planned. Do you know, Harlie?"

"I don't know," I said. "I only talked to her for a minute."

"Alright," Clare said, and started for the house.

Ford took over unsaddling Clare's horse, and toting the saddle to put it away. I stood there watching Brian, as he

uncinched his own saddle.

"Hannah's upset," I said.

"What'd you do wrong now?" Brian asked me, teasing.

"I'm serious, Bri," I said. "She told me to come out and get Daniel."

Brian looked at me for a long moment, and then nodded, and took his saddle to put it away. I waited, and walked

inside with him, and we went into the back door. Clare was closing the refrigerator door.

"Hannah fried up some meat for tacos," she told Brian and I. "So we just need to heat that up and then get out some

lettuce and stuff. But I'm going to take a quick shower, alright?"

"Sure, darlin', go on," Brian told her.

"Something happened today, I think," she said then. "Hannah's talking to Daniel."

Brian nodded again, just as Daniel came thru to the kitchen, and Clare went up the back stairs.

"Hey," he greeted Brian. "How'd you and Clare do?"

"No where near as well as you three did," Brian told him. "We didn't see a trace of any cattle."

"Too bad," Daniel said.

"Hannah alright?" Brian asked him.

"Yeah."

Brian just nodded again, and didn't ask anymore questions right then. I knew, or I suspected, that it was because I happened to be

standing there.

"You all can talk in front of me, you know," I offered, washing my hands at the sink, and then drying them.

I was mostly serious, too.

Neither one of them said anything to my comment. Daniel just gave me a half-joking push to move me out of the way, and

began washing his own hands at the sink.

"Start cuttin' up some tomatoes and lettuce, peach," Brian ordered.

I sighed and went to take several tomatoes from the countertop, getting out the cutting board, and beginning to slice

them up for the tacos.

"Is this Steven kid gonna stay for lunch?" Brian asked me then, as he turned the stove burner on and began to warm up the

taco meat.

"I don't know. If he wants to, I guess," I said. "Why? Don't you want him to stay?"

Before Brian could even answer, I went on. "I mean, he gave up his whole morning to come and help out. The least we can do is

have him stay to lunch, don't you think?"

"Good lord, I didn't say anything against it," Brian protested, pausing to look at me.

I felt my face turn warm with embarrassment. "Sorry," I muttered, and went back to my tomato chopping.

The next group to arrive was that of Crane, Guthrie and Steven. We had just gotten the meat all warned up, and the side

stuff set out when they came in, washing up. Steven stood sort of to the side until Brian told him to get washed up

and then pull up a chair to eat.

"Thanks," Steven said, looking a little unsure.

He was given Evan's vacant chair across the table from me, and we were rejoined by Clare and then Hannah and Isaac, who

had his high chair pulled up to the table.

"I hope Adam and Evan are alright," Hannah said, almost as though she said it without thinking.

"They're fine," Crane told her.

I had seen Daniel pulling Crane aside a few minutes before, talking quietly to him, and to Brian, and so I knew that whatever had

upset Hannah, Crane and Brian were in the loop.

The conversation consisted of the cattle that had been found, which was the three we had located, and the five that Crane's group of

he, Guthrie and Steven had found.

"Four left," Crane said. "Hopefully Adam and Evan have rounded them up."

"We can hope so," Brian added.

"How'd you like your long morning in the saddle?" Daniel asked Clare, with a teasing glint in his eye.

"It was enjoyable," she said. "Mostly, anyway."

"She's a rancher now," Brian defended. "Not some city gal who can't handle life on the range."

Clare gave him a slow smile of approval.

We put the food away again when everybody had finished, and everybody helped clear the table, before

going back outside to focus on other chores.

Steven said he ought to be heading home, and mostly everybody had a word to say to him, 'thank you' and 'goodbye' and

'come back again'.

I walked with him to his truck.

"I like your family," he said.

"Yeah. They're a pretty nice group most of the time," I said.

"They sure are."

"How was your morning with Crane and Guthrie?" I asked him.

"It was good. Crane's a real sort of a guy. You know what I mean?"

"I think I do."

"He's-" Steven hesitated, "Well, he's sort of insightful, and he's interesting to talk to."

"He's one of the nicest people that I know," I said.

Steven nodded, and opened the door of his truck. "Want to go to a movie tonight?" he asked me.

I hesitated. "Maybe. I'll have to ask first."

"Okay. I'll call you later on."

"Steven-" I hesitated.

"What?" he asked.

"I really like hanging out with you," I began slowly. "And I think we have a lot in common, and all of that. But-"

"But you think of me as a friend, right?" he finished for me.

"Yeah," I admitted. "But I think we could be really good friends. Be there to support each other, bounce ideas off

each other. You know?"

Instead of looking crushed or disappointed by my 'just friends' speech, Steven grinned a little.

"It's cool, Harlie. I can handle being your friend."

I felt really relieved, and grinned back at him. It was later that I realized that Steven must not have had any romantic

feelings about me, either.

7

I spent the rest of the afternoon picking peaches, which is the chore that I was told to do. I changed into shorts and a tank top

before I went out to our orchard. The temperature was searing, and I knew my jeans and t shirt would be way too hot.

I picked as far up as I could reach, and then I went to fetch a ladder. It was really heavy and I was trying to wrangle it when

Evan came into the barn.

"What are you up to?" he asked me, observing my struggle with the bulky ladder.

"Can you carry this for me?" I asked, instead of answering his question.

"Yeah. Where do you want it carried to?" he asked, as he picked up the ladder.

"To the orchard," I told him.

We began to walk out of the barn to the orchard. "You're not gettin' on here, are you?" he asked.

"Well, yeah I am," I said sassily, "Since I don't have the ability to fly to the top of the trees."

Halfway to the orchard by now, Evan said, "You're all mouth, you know that?"

"Well, it's a dumb question. Why would I ask you to carry the ladder for me unless I was going to climb on it?"

Evan made a 'humph' sort of sound, which suggested that he was vastly irritated with me.

When we were back among the fruit trees, he leaned the ladder up against the nearest peach tree.

"Thank you," I told him.

Instead of answering, Evan proceeded to climb up the ladder himself. "Hand me a bucket," he ordered.

"I can do it," I protested.

"Just hand me a bucket," he insisted.

So I handed him up a bucket, which he took from me and hooked over the top of the ladder.

He began to pick the peaches with a speed that I found impressive, although I didn't say so.

I moved to the pear trees with another bucket, and began to pick there. I was deep in thought and jumped

when a voice right behind my head said, "Hey!"

"Dang it, Guthrie," I told him. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

He laughed, and stomped on over to Evan. "I'm supposed to do that," he told Evan. "Brian needs you, he said."

Evan climbed down the ladder, lowering the nearly full bucket of peaches with him.

"Okay." Then, to me he tossed back a comment of, "Bye, Mouth."

I made a face at him, and he laughed and headed back across the yard.

Guthrie wasted no time in moving the ladder to the next tree, and taking over where Evan had left off.

I remembered suddenly that I should probably give Guthrie a heads up.

"I slipped up yesterday and said something to Crane about talking to that guy in front of the bar," I said, from my spot

at the bottom of the ladder.

"Yeah. I know. He already talked to me," Guthrie said.

He didn't sound particularly bothered, and I was glad about that.

"I should have warned you last night," I said. "But everything was so busy that I forgot. Crane wasn't mean about it, was he?"

"No. Not mean. Just-intense. You know how he is."

"Yeah. I made sure he knew you weren't thrilled with me about talking to that guy. I wasn't trying to get you into any trouble."

"I know," Guthrie said, pausing in his picking to bite into one of the peaches.

After that we both concentrated on picking the peaches, and some of the pears, talking about stuff as we picked.

I told him Steven had asked me to go to another movie, but Guthrie seemed fairly certain that the theater in Angels Camp

was still showing the one that we'd seen the other night.

"Maybe go bowling?" he suggested.

"Yeah. That sounds fun," I agreed.

In a quick change of topic, Guthrie said, "You better not mess around in anybody's vehicles anymore."

"I'm not going to," I told him.

When Guthrie and I had all our buckets filled with fruit, and only a few trees left to pick, we toted the buckets

to the back door, though he carried two buckets at a time to my one.

A discussion was going on in the kitchen, and it continued even though Guthrie and I came in. As they all went on

talking, Guthrie and I went to the sink to wash up. My skin felt all sticky from the juice of some of the peaches.

After we'd washed, we both stood there, leaning against the kitchen counter, quietly listening.

"I know I probably overreacted," Hannah was saying.

"I don't think you did," Clare said, sounding loyal. "I would have been scared, too."

"Hal says there's not much to be done about it," Adam was saying. "Can't accuse somebody when they can't be

identified."

Guthrie and I exchanged a quick glance, wondering what they were talking about.

Brian was pushing the salt shaker back and forth, from one hand to the other. "None of you girls need to be home alone,"

he said, sounding agitated.

"We can't suddenly become prisoners," Hannah protested.

"Maybe not prisoners," Adam said, "But I agree with Brian. One of us needs to be close by the house from now on."

"What's goin' on?" Guthrie asked, and I was glad that he had spoken up.

As if they were seeing us there for the first time, they all turned to look at the two of us.

"Hey, kids," Adam said.

Hannah gave us a smile. "How's the peach picking going?"

"We're done with the peaches. Only a couple of pear trees left," I told her.

"Good job," she said.

"What are you guys talkin' about?" Guthrie persisted.

They all looked at each other and then Brian pulled out the chair on the other side of him, and motioned Guthrie

to come and sit down, and Adam beckoned me over.

Guthrie took the chair, and I stood beside Adam's chair, and he put his arm around my waist.

"Hannah had a threatening phone call today," Adam said.

"Somebody threatened Hannah?" Guthrie burst out.

"Not Hannah specifically," Adam said. "The family in general."

"Well, what kind of threat?" Guthrie asked then.

"Listen for a minute, Guth," Adam said, sounding irritated.

"Alright, sorry," Guthrie said, subsiding.

"Somebody called and when Hannah answered, they told her that the McFaddens should get ready, that trouble was

coming," Adam said grimly.

"Told her that we all need to beware," Brian added.

"Beware of what?" I asked, feeling my stomach knot in nerves.

"He didn't say of what," Hannah said. "I asked him what he was talking about, but he hung up so quickly."

"Did he sound old, or young, or what?" Guthrie asked then.

"I don't know, Guthrie," Hannah said. "It sounded sort of muffled, now that I think about it."

"Why would somebody be threatening us?" I asked. "I mean, what did any of us do to make somebody

mad?"

Nobody really answered that. I guess they were as puzzled as I was.

"Well, like I said, one of us will be near the house from now on," Adam said. "And, Hannah, I want you to keep

a rifle nearby, too."

"Oh, Adam," Hannah said, sounding upset. "We can't be afraid. Not in our own home. It's not right."

"Whether it's right or not isn't the point anymore," Crane said. "Precautions need to be taken."

"I know you're right," Hannah said.

"I think we should have a couple of practice sessions with the rifle, too," Adam told her. "It's been awhile since

you've fired a gun."

"Clare can join those sessions," Brian volunteered. "She needs a good bit of practice."

"I didn't know that being Annie Oakley was one of the requirements to marry you," Clare said, trying to inject a

note of humor into the conversation.

Brian gave her a half-smile, but still looked serious.

"That means you too, peach," Brian told me. "You should be able to at least hit the broad side of a barn."

Now, I've done my share of target practice over the years with my brothers. I can hit certain targets with a

pistol, but with a rifle, I'm inept. It's not something that they insisted on me becoming proficient at.

I gave Guthrie a quick look, which he interpreted correctly. He knew that I didn't want anybody working with me

that was going to end up short-tempered over my shooting skills. Or rather, the lack of them.

"I'll help them," Guthrie volunteered.

"Aw, thanks, Guthrie," Clare told him. "You're a prince."

"We'll see how it works out for who does what exactly," Adam said, and Guthrie gave me a shrug, as if to say,

'well, I tried'.

It wasn't until much later that it occurred to me, from who and why Hannah might have gotten that phone call.

7