I fell asleep quickly, and I slept hard. The sort of sleep where you don't wake at all in the night, and when you do wake up in the

morning, it takes you a few minutes to become fully awake.

I laid there for a bit, stretching. When I remembered, suddenly, the events of the evening before, and the tragedy of the

cows, I felt a heaviness come over me. I wondered what was going to happen from here on out. If the sheriff's department would

find anything soon.

There were the usual morning noises in the hallway outside of my bedroom. Footsteps. Some light. Some heavier. The sound of the shower

water turning on.

The sounds, though, that were absent this morning were, playful scuffling between brothers, and laughter ringing down the hallway.

I got up to get dressed, thinking that it was likely to be somber around our house for some time.

As I went downstairs, I carried my boots in one hand. A sudden burst of thunder startled me. I hadn't heard it from

upstairs.

I went to the window near the front door, lifting the curtain to look out. Rain was coming down, in a steady amount, but it

was still clear enough to see the barnyard, where a couple of the horses were galloping across the pasture.

From behind me came the sound of others coming downstairs. Daniel, looking as though he was still half-asleep, and

Guthrie, tucking in his shirt as he walked.

Another burst of thunder rang out.

"Good grief," Daniel said, coming over to look out the window, as well. "It's gonna be fun out there today."

"The roof's leaking again," Guthrie said. "In the corner. Right above my bed."

"Oh, boy," Daniel said, with a sigh.

"It's not much yet," Guthrie said. "A drop here and there. I put down some towels."

I spoke up quickly, before I lost my nerve. It made me feel more capable, with Daniel still standing there.

"I'm sorry I needled you again about Kenny last night," I said, looking at Guthrie.

Guthrie returned my look, and said, "Okay."

I couldn't tell just what he meant by that 'okay'. Did he mean 'okay, it's alright', or did he mean 'okay, I still think you're

an ass'?

"I shouldn't have called you an ass," Guthrie said then. We exchanged a long look, until Daniel said lightly, "Sounds like

it was an eventful evening around here last night."

Guthrie didn't say anymore right then, and neither did I. We followed along behind Daniel to the kitchen, where

nearly half of the family was already congregated, sitting down at the table, and reaching for the platters of

eggs and biscuits and gravy.

The mood around the table seemed subdued, for sure. Guthrie was at the refrigerator, getting out

some pear jelly. He must have told Brian about the roof, because there was a low oath, and Brian turned from the coffee

pot, going to sit down in his chair.

"Guthrie says the roof's leakin' in his room," Brian said.

"Oh, no," Hannah said, her forehead getting all wrinkled in worry.

"That's great," Adam said, with a sigh, from his end of the table.

"We can get up there and put some plastic over it," Daniel said.

"Plastic over what?" Crane asked, coming down the back stairs, and into the kitchen.

"Over the leak in the roof," Daniel supplied.

"You're kidding," Crane said, looking, for lack of a better word, shell-shocked.

"Not kidding," Guthrie said, sliding into his chair beside me.

"Where's Ford?" Daniel asked, spearing a biscuit with his fork.

"He left early," Adam said, sitting back a little in his chair. He'd finished eating, and rested his arm on the back of his chair. "They were

finishing up the posters for the Fourth of July events at the print shop."

"Should we go?" Clare asked Brian. "There'll be a dance, won't there?"

"There's always a street dance," Brian said.

"So?" Clare prompted, giving Brian a nudge in the side. "Are we going to go?"

"I don't feel much like goin' dancing," Brian said.

"Come on. It will do you good." Clare looked around the table. "It will do everybody some good to go. Have a little fun

for a change."

"Clare's right," Hannah said.

I felt suddenly hopeful. Excited. The events on the Fourth usually brought out most of the town. Eddie was likely to

be there. Of course there was always the chance that he would have some other girl with him.

"I guess so," Brian was saying to Clare. "If you want to."

"How about you, cowboy?" Hannah asked, looking down the table at Adam.

"Oh, I don't know," Adam said. "Maybe."

After that, the talk returned to work of the day. It seemed to be the agreement of the majority of my brothers that

the cattle up in our higher pastures should be brought down, where they'd be more protected. And as soon as possible.

"So all hands on deck," Evan said. "Right?"

"Right," Adam said. "Except for who stays here, to do chores, and keep an eye on things."

"How many nights will you be out?" Hannah asked.

They all exchanged some looks amongst each other, deciding.

"Maybe two?" Brian said tentatively.

"That's if we move and move quick," Adam said.

"So," Crane said, "Do we draw straws?"

"What's the straw drawing for?" Clare asked, curiously.

Since she and Brian only got married last summer, she hasn't been around during the time when the cattle are moved.

"To see who stays behind," Brian told her.

"Oh. So is it good to draw the short straw, or not?" she asked.

"I guess that depends on how you look at it," Adam told her, with a half-smile.

It was decided then, that if enough preparation work was done, those going up to fetch the cattle would leave in two days time.

Everybody had finished, and I was helping to clear the table, when Brian paused on his way outside, to tug on

one of my braids.

"Some of your special-made cookies would go real good on the ride up there," he told me.

I felt a prickle of guilt for a moment. It had been a long time since I'd made Brian's favorite, which happened to be peanut butter cookies. If

you add walnuts to them, he's really happy.

"Sure, Bri," I said.

Hannah and Clare began to wash up the dishes, and I put on an old rain slicker, and went outside to feed the goats. They didn't

seem to mind the rain that was still falling, though lightly.

I found Clarence pressed against the back door of the house. The other three dogs were out, following everybody around, but not

Fat Clarence. He's old and he doesn't like to be cold, or wet.

I opened the back door, peeking into the kitchen to see if Hannah was there. She doesn't usually like the dogs in the house,

though she doesn't say too much, as long as it's not often. And I knew that she had a soft spot for Clarence.

Hannah wasn't in sight, at that particular moment, so I went to get a dirty towel from the basement, and then back out, to

dry Clarence off a bit. I rubbed each paw free of mud, or nearly free, anyway.

After that I opened the door, and told him to come inside. He looked at me as he passed, as if understanding me exactly, and

came into the kitchen, his toenails clicking on the floor.

I took off my rain slicker, and hung it up on the hooks by the back door, and tossed the dirty towel onto the first steps going into

the basement.

I went upstairs to change out of my jeans, which were wet and soggy on the legs, even after just the short time outside. I pulled on

a pair of cut-off jeans, and went back down to find Clarence, still resting in the kitchen. He'd taken the braided rag rug that lays

in front of the sink, and had worked it with his paws until he made his own little scrunched-up bed out of it.

I washed my hands at the sink, and then went to work, baking. I got down all the ingredients that I needed for the peanut butter

cookies, except for the walnuts, because I didn't think we had any. I had the dough all ready from those, and I left them in the bowl,

and started mixing up a batch of pumpkin cookies next. I put the pumpkin ones on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven, and then

I went to the downstairs freezer to look for any walnuts that we might have. I propped up the freezer lid with the piece of wood that we

keep there for that purpose. I rooted around as far as I could reach, and then went to get a crate to stand on.

After I'd moved it over and climbed on it, I could reach further down, and sift thru more of the stuff in there.

Packages of meat were abundant, a few packages of fish, homemade breads, and all of that. I kept sifting, and moving stuff around,

and then I saw a couple of packages of chopped nuts, to the side.

I leaned over so far that I nearly fell in, bracing myself. The edge of the freezer was pressing into my stomach.

"Bat shit!" I swore.

A voice at the top of the stairs called down, "Hey, what's goin' on?"

"Evan!" I hollered. "Comere!"

There were boot steps on the stairs, and then they stopped suddenly.

"What the heck are you doin'?" I heard him say.

"Help me!" I said.

I heard him laugh a little, and come on down the stairs. He put a hand on my back, and then gave me a pull with his other hand.

"Tryin' to cool off a little, huh?" he asked.

"I couldn't reach," I said, rubbing at my stomach where the freezer had pushed in.

"What were you after?" he asked.

"Looking for nuts," I told him, holding up the bag of chopped walnuts.

Evan was moving the piece of wood, and closing the freezer lid.

I followed him back up the stairs, where I laid the bag of nuts on the counter, and went to run hot water over

my hands.

"My fingers are frozen," I complained.

Evan shook his head at me, as if he thought I was being goofy.

He went to the cabinet to get a glass, and then the refrigerator, pouring a glass of sweet tea, and drinking it down.

"Who's going to stay home, when everybody goes to get the cattle?" I asked.

"Haven't decided yet," he said. He paused long enough to crouch down and rub Clarence behind his ears.

I mixed the walnuts into the peanut butter cookie dough, and got some of them going in the oven. While they were baking,

I hoisted Clarence up into the sink, and preceded to give him a much-needed bath.

He mostly just sat there, in the warm water, looking at me reproachfully, but I was out of breath from

lifting him. I soaped him up with what was left of the dog shampoo, and was giving him a good scrubbing.

Brian and Crane came in then, and Brian said, looking less than approvingly at Clarence, "What goes on here?"

"He needs a bath," I said.

"Well, why aren't you doing it outside?" he demanded, going to the cabinet to pull down a glass.

"It's raining outside," I pointed out.

"Well, do it later outside then," he insisted.

"I'll be done in a minute," I said, trying to mollify him.

I smelled the cookies, done and smelling as though they were starting to burn.

"Grab the cookies for me," I said. "Please."

"Good grief, peach," Brian said, pulling a oven mitt from the drawer, and opening the oven door.

He set one on top of the stove, and then reached in for the other cookie sheet.

"Look as though they're burnt," he said.

"I have plenty of cookie dough. I'll put some more in," I said.

I let the water in the sink out, and began rubbing Clarence dry with the towel I'd grabbed. Brian, and Crane, too, were both

watching me as I finished up with Clarence.

"I'm making your favorite cookies," I told Brian.

"The burnt ones are mine, huh?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll make more," I said again.

7

The next day was the Fourth of July, and even though Brian or Adam were neither one very eager to go to the events in town, we all did go,

the whole family. Guthrie went to pick Kristin up, and Steven drove to our house, and I rode in with him.

Lori was there with Trent, and so the six of us hung out together.

Guthrie and I hadn't talked any more about our argument from a couple of days before. Our tenuous apology seemed

to have taken root, at least somewhat.

I saw the rest of the family, off and on throughout the afternoon, and I was glad to see that Brian looked as though he

was having a good time after all.

Marie had offered to babysit with Isaac, and Adam and Hannah had dropped him off at her house earlier in the day.

Adam, to me, also looked a bit more relaxed.

When it was time for the dance to begin, it was sort of a casual thing. Music was being played by a few local people, up on

the makeshift stage, and couples began dancing, first to a few fast numbers, and then a slow one.

I danced with Steven a couple of times, and then, out of breath, we stopped to take a break. Since sitting spots were limited,

with practically the whole town gathered, I stayed where I was, on the back of a hay wagon somebody had brought for seating,

while Steven went to get us both a bottle of cold pop.

I was swinging my legs back and forth, and watching everybody mingle and dance. I'd seen Eddie a couple of times, at

a distance. He was always talking to someone, and, though he seemed to not be with any one particular girl, he didn't

lack for dancing partners, either.

Of course he wouldn't, I thought, with a sigh.

And then I saw him again, closer this time. Just a skip away, really.

I'd assumed that he'd also seen me thru out the afternoon, but as he took a long drink from his bottle of Coke, and let his

gaze drift over the crowd of townspeople, he looked at me.

I saw his eyes linger, and then he lifted a hand in greeting.

I waved back, and then I watched him walk my direction.

7

"Hey there, Harlie," he said easily.

"Hey," I returned.

"I didn't see you before. Have you been here all afternoon?" he asked.

"Yeah. We all came in together."

"I saw Ford, and Evan and his girl. I just hadn't seen you." He smiled at me.

"There's a pretty big crowd," I said.

"Yeah. It's good for the stores. Bucks up the sales a little."

"Yeah," I echoed, in agreement.

"I heard about what happened at your place, with the cows," he said then.

"It's rough," I said.

He nodded. "It is."

He hopped up onto the hay wagon with ease, sitting next to me. I could feel my heart leaping as he did so.

"The Peterson's had a cow shot, too," he said.

"I heard. I wish they could figure out what's going on."

"Hopefully soon," Eddie said.

I nodded again, feeling my face get all warm as he looked at me. He lifted my hand, just for a moment.

"Still have that thing, huh?" he asked, nodding at the bear ring that he'd given me at the Pizza place.

"Yeah," I said, not knowing whether I should feel embarrassed or not. Would he think it was silly of me to still be

wearing what had come out of a gum machine?

He let go of my hand, and smiled at me again.

"You out with the same guy again?" he asked then. "Steve, right?"

"Steven. Yes."

Eddie nodded, and there was a few moments of silence. I gathered my nerve and said, "We're just friends."

He gave me an intent look. "Yeah?" he asked, in question.

"Yeah."

"I thought he was probably your boyfriend," he said.

"No. Just a friend."

And then it seemed as though we looked at each other in silence for a long time, though I know it couldn't really have

been long.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked me then.

It was all I could do to nod.

He hopped down from the wagon, and held out a hand to me. I took it and hopped down, too.

7