Once in town, Adam parked the truck in front of the feed store. When we all got out, Adam handed me some money. A twenty dollar bill,
and a ten dollar bill.
Then he asked me to go and get the items on the grocery list, which he pulled out of his pocket, all crumpled.
"When you're finished, just wait out front, and we'll swing down and pick you up," he told me.
"Okay," I agreed.
Daniel said he was walking over to the bank, and that he'd meet Adam, to help load the feed in a few minutes. Before he left to cross
the street, Daniel pulled out his wallet, and took another ten out and handed it to me.
"What's this for?" I asked.
"Just in case you don't have enough for everything on the list," Daniel said.
I gave him a puzzled look. "Huh?" I asked, confused.
"Just take it and get going," he said then. And, walking away, he called over his shoulder, "Get some ice cream!"
I was still puzzling over what he'd meant by giving me the extra money, but when I was all done with the shopping, and ready to pay, I did
have to use six or seven dollars of Daniel's ten.
The store wasn't so busy at that time, so Marcie, the checker, helped me tote the five sacks outside, and sat
on the bench, talking for a few minutes. She mostly wanted to ask questions about Daniel, so I didn't kid myself that she
really wanted to talk with me, as much as it was to wait so she could possibly say hello to Daniel. But, I sat down on the bench, too,
not really caring. I like Marcie alright, and it was nice to talk to somebody instead of just sitting there.
When I saw the truck coming, I stood up, picking up two of the bags. Adam pulled up, and parked, getting out and
leaving his door open.
He said hello to Marcie, and went to pick up more of the bags.
Marcie helpfully picked up a bag, too, and began chatting Daniel up.
Adam was putting the bags into the bed of the pickup, next to the sacks of feed. I held one bag back.
"This one ought to be up front out of the sun," I told Adam. "It's got the cheese and ice cream and stuff in it."
"Alright," Adam said. He and I got into the truck cab, and I held the bag of the cold stuff on my lap. We waited for
Daniel, who was standing on the sidewalk, talking with Marcie. We sat there for a couple of minutes, and
Adam sighed. I don't think he even realized that he'd done it. I gave him a sidelong glance. He looked tired.
"Lover boy, huh?" I said lightly, gesturing towards Daniel thru the windshield.
"Broken hearts wherever he goes," Adam said jokingly.
Finally, Daniel got back in with us, holding the bag he'd taken from Marcie.
"Let's get some lunch at Marie's," Daniel said, as Adam started the engine.
"Aw, I don't know-" Adam began, and I knew he was thinking of all the work that needed doing at home.
"Come on," Daniel coaxed. "Lunch is on me."
Adam hesitated a few more moments, but then he agreed, so we drove to the café.
"We should put this bag in Marie's fridge, so everything doesn't spoil, or melt," I said, holding onto the sack.
We went in, and there was already quite a crowd for lunch time.
Marie called out a greeting to us, and we all waved at her.
Daniel gestured to a booth near the back, and Adam and I followed him. I slid in and Daniel sat beside me, with Adam across
the table.
When Marie came over to take our order, Adam stood up, and she gave him a hug. When Daniel stood up, Marie gave him an
extra long hug.
"What can I get for the McFaddens today?" she asked cheerily.
"What's the special today?" Daniel asked.
"Meatloaf and potatoes, and green beans," Marie rattled off. "And blackberry cobbler for dessert."
"Three?" Daniel asked, looking at Adam and then at me.
Both Adam and I nodded, and Marie took our drinks down, as well.
"Can you put this in the refrigerator?" I asked her.
"You bet," Marie said, and took the sack of groceries from me. The other waitress, a girl I didn't recognize, brought us our
drinks. Iced tea for Daniel and I, and coffee for Adam.
"Crowded in here today," Daniel said.
I was glad we weren't all that near to the booth that Doc G and I had always sat in.
There were a couple of our neighbors there as well, and they came over to our table on their way out. After shaking hands
with Adam, and with Daniel, Mr. Weaver began talking about what he'd heard of the sheriff's department.
"We had a ruckus at our place the other evening," Mr. Weaver said, and went on to say that some of their fences had
been cut. The conversation went on, about how the sheriff had sent a deputy out.
"Heard they've got a lead, though," Mr. Weaver went on. "Hopefully, they can settle it all soon."
When Adam asked what the lead was, Mr. Weaver said he wasn't sure, only that he'd heard they had one.
They stood there and talked until the young waitress brought over our plates of food.
While we were eating, the bell over the door announced somebody else coming in. There was a raised voice, overly
loud, even over all the other diners talking.
I half-turned, thinking I recognized the voice. And there he was. Freaky Frank. Kristin's stepfather.
He was sitting at one of the stools at the counter, and Marie set a cup of something in front of him. He got louder and
louder, until everybody in the café was giving him looks. His loudness didn't really seem to have anything to do with
a specific issue. Just being loud in general.
I saw Adam flick a glance at Frank, and I said, in a low voice, "That's Frank." I knew that although Adam had heard plenty about
Frank, he'd never actually seen him.
Adam looked again, and said, "Hmm."
"Who's Frank?" Daniel asked.
"Kristin's stepfather," I told him.
I gave a couple of more backward glances at Frank. I didn't think I was being obvious about it, but apparently Adam thought differently.
"Harlie, turn around and eat," Adam ordered.
I turned around and began on my potatoes again. "He's drunk, as usual," I said.
"Shush," Adam said.
Frank finished whatever he was drinking, coffee, I think, and went outside. He was hesitating on the sidewalk, right in my line of
sight. He seemed sort of unsteady, and disoriented. Then he ambled on.
When we were beginning on our cobbler, of which I decided to have a piece, Adam said, unexpectedly,
"What's up with Kristin?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"She's quiet, and all, but I do still notice when there's an extra person around for a week straight."
"Oh." I laid my fork on my plate, finished with my cobbler. "Well, her mom let Frank come back."
"Mmm," he said.
"So she doesn't want to be there," I went on.
"Is that common?" Daniel asked. "For him to be drunk like that?"
I realized that, with Daniel being gone last year, he didn't know all the details about Kristen's situation like the
rest of us did.
"Ninety-eight percent of the time, he's like that," I said.
"That's rough," Daniel said, in sympathy. "I thought she just liked hanging out at our house."
"She does," I assured him. "She loves being at our house."
Adam just looked thoughtful, and went on eating his cobbler.
I didn't know if this was the right time to approach it or not, or if I even should. Maybe I should wait for Crane
to talk to Adam about it.
Still, I thought I'd at least plant the idea in his mind.
"She'd like to stay for awhile longer," I said, and took a drink of my tea, meeting Adam's eyes over the top of
my glass.
He met my eyes, but didn't say anything. He pushed his empty plate away, and looked to Daniel.
"You both ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah," Daniel said, and pulled out some dollar bills for the tip. He left them on the table and then went to
the register to pay the check.
Marie went to the back to retrieve our sack of groceries, and handed it off to Daniel.
The ride home was fairly quiet. Once there I slid out with the bag, and reached into the back for another of the lighter
ones. I saw Daniel tuck something into the pocket of Adam's shirt, and saw Adam take it right back out again.
"No, Daniel," he said, in a firm tone.
He tucked the mystery object back into Daniel's pocket.
"I can do it," Daniel said quietly. "Let me help."
"No."
"Bein' stubborn, Adam," Daniel said.
Adam didn't respond to that, and Daniel said, low, "Come on."
"Not now. Maybe later," Adam said, and I saw Daniel nod, and he came over to lift some of the bags out of the
back.
Well, I thought back to how Daniel had given me an extra ten for the store earlier. I'd bet on it being money just now
that Daniel had tried to get Adam to take.
I bit at my lip, thinking. As we all three carried groceries into the house, I decided to keep my eyes and ears open. Daniel and Adam
went on back outside to work, and I put all the groceries away.
After that, I went upstairs in search of Kristin. She was in Hannah's bedroom, sitting on the bed while Hannah dressed
Isaac. The baby's hair was damp.
They both said hi to me as I came in.
"How is he?" I asked, reaching out to touch Isaac's hand.
"He's just fine. Kristin just got done giving him his bath," Hannah said.
Kristin's face was all lit up. "I never got to do that before. Give a baby a bath, I mean."
"Did he splash water all over you?" I asked her.
"Not too much."
"How was the grocery store?" Hannah asked me.
"Alright. I put everything away."
"Thanks, sweetie," Hannah told me. "Did you get some lunch?"
"We ate at Marie's."
"Good," she said.
"Do you have anything for us to do?" I asked her.
"I think we've got everything pretty well done," Hannah said. "Why don't you two go and enjoy yourselves the rest
of the afternoon? Go swimming at the creek, or something."
"Okay. Thanks, Hannah," I said. "Come on, Kris."
Kristin stood up, and we went out into the hallway.
"You think maybe Guthrie could go swimming, too?" she asked me, looking hopeful.
"Maybe," I said. "We can find him and see."
We both changed into older t shirts and cut-off shorts, and went outside on the porch.
Guthrie, leaning out of the hayloft of the barn, yelled out to us.
We waved back, and went to stand directly under. "Can you go swimming with us?" Kristin called up to him.
"I dunno. Maybe in an hour or so," Guthrie called back.
"What's in an hour?" a voice behind us spoke out. Adam.
"We're going to the creek to cool off," I told him. "We just wondered if Guthrie could go, too."
Adam looked up towards Guthrie. "Go on, Guth," he said.
"Yeah?" Guthrie asked, looking surprised, and then happy.
"Yeah, go on," Adam said.
Guthrie, still standing and leaning precariously out the door of the loft, gave a whoop and disappeared,
coming out a few moments later.
"I'll get changed," he said, in a run toward the house.
We stood there for a couple of moments, the three of us.
"Keep your eyes open and watch for snakes," Adam said.
I said okay, and Adam turned his gaze to Kristin. "Let's have a talk tonight. Alright?"
Kristin instantly became nervous. I could tell by the way she answered him.
"Yes. Okay," she said.
"Okay," he said, and then he smiled at both of us. "Have fun," he told us, and walked on, into the barn.
Kristin looked nearly panic-stricken, and I said, trying to sound reassuring, "Don't be worried."
"He looks so serious-maybe he's mad at me-" Kristin said.
"He's not mad at you," I said, with certainty. "He just wants to talk about you staying here."
"Oh," she said, still sounding nervous.
I was telling her how we'd seen Frank come into the café earlier that day, and how I'd pointed him out to Adam.
"Was he drunk?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. It seemed like he was."
Guthrie burst out of the house, running towards his truck. "Come on!" he yelled to us.
We ran to climb in. "Why aren't we walking?" I asked.
"Just thought we'd drive partway at least," he said.
We bounced along the bumpy road-path towards the creek, parking at the usual stopping point, and
walking the rest of the way. We all dived into the water as soon as we got there, and Guthrie began his
swings and drops from the rope. He coaxed Kristin to swing off, too, but I was content, floating around in
the old inner tube that we leave there. Ford showed up some time later, and then Daniel.
After that there was a whole bunch of hollering and dunking each other, and laughing. We played chicken,
with Kristin on Guthrie's shoulders, and me on Ford's. After awhile, I was floating in the inner tube again,
while Ford, Guthrie and Kristin were swinging and dropping off the rope again. Daniel was floating on his
back in the water beside me.
His eyes were closed and I splashed him. "Wake up," I teased.
"I'm awake," he said, still keeping his eyes closed.
I used my arms to paddle over closer to him. "Daniel?"
"Hmm?"
"I had to use about seven dollars out of that ten you gave me this morning."
"It's fine."
"I'll give you back the other three dollars later," I said.
"You can keep it," he said.
"Ok." I paddled around some more, ending up on the other side of him.
"How come you did that?" I asked him, sort of quietly.
"How come I did what?" he asked, eyes still closed.
"Gave me the extra ten."
"I just thought you might need it." He opened his eyes, and came over, resting his arms on one side of
the inner tube, which nearly made it tip over.
I squealed at that, and he laughed, and splashed water all up into my face.
I slipped down thru the center of the tube, and came up on the other side, resting my arms on the side opposite
of Daniel.
"Were you trying to give Adam money?" I asked him then.
Daniel gave me a squint-eyed look. He didn't answer immediately, just gave me that look. I knew he wasn't
happy because I was asking him about it. I also knew he hadn't known I'd seen what had happened between him and Adam.
"Are things bad, money-wise?" I persisted.
Still no answer from Daniel. Which, in itself, was a plain enough answer. He would surely have just said so, if there weren't
money issues within the family. Or so it seemed to me, anyway.
"I'm just worried, Daniel," I said, wanting that look to pass off of his face.
"Things are okay," he said.
"Then, why-" I began, insistently.
"Just drop it," Daniel said. He didn't say it roughly, but it wasn't said exactly gently, either.
I really dislike it when I'm treated like a baby, as though I don't need to know things, or couldn't understand them. Usually,
Daniel doesn't do that sort of thing. He most generally talks to me as though I'm worthy of understanding.
To say that I was hurt by his response would have been accurate.
"Okay," I said, though I didn't really mean 'okay'. I swam away from him with choppy strokes, adding in an
undertone, "Fine," in a sarcastic way.
"Hey," Daniel said to me, his tone challenging. "Don't be like that."
I kept swimming, toward the bank of the creek. "I'm not being like anything," I answered, without turning around.
I got out of the water, stretching out on the grass, where the sun shone thru the trees.
Daniel stayed in the water, swimming over to join the others at the rope. I watched them for awhile, taking turns,
and the sun was so warm that I began to feel drowsy. The sort of drowsy that's so comfortable that all you want to do is
close your eyes and go with it.
Eventually, Guthrie and Kristin got out and came over to lounge beside me on the grass.
"Let's go get pizza tonight," Guthrie suggested. "Maybe go bowling."
"I have to talk to Adam," Kristin reminded him, sounding nervous again.
"That won't take long," Guthrie said, in easy dismissal. He gave me a poke in the side. "You wanna go, Har?"
"I don't have very much money," I said.
"I'll pay," he said, sounding like Evan had the day before.
I shrugged, thinking that I wouldn't go anywhere if I didn't have brothers willing to pay.
"Maybe," I said.
"Aw, come on," Guthrie coaxed.
I wanted to say that he and Kristin didn't need me along on a date, but I knew both Guthrie and Kristin would
protest at that.
I looked around to see if Daniel was within earshot. He and Ford were still standing on the wooden plank, above the water,
so I said, "There's something going on, with money," I said.
I briefly explained what I'd seen pass between Adam and Daniel earlier, and how Daniel had put me off when I asked
about it.
"Hmm," Guthrie said, looking concerned. "Maybe it's just because Daniel wants to help out."
"Maybe."
"You know he does that sometimes," Guthrie went on. "Gives money, I mean."
Daniel had jumped into the water, and was swimming our way, and Ford was swinging out on the rope.
"Don't say anything about it," I said, in a low tone so Daniel wouldn't overhear.
Guthrie went back to talking about going bowling, and Ford, when he reached the creek bank, and sank down, pushing his
hair back, said, "I'll go. Haven't gotten to go bowling in a while."
I sat back while they kept talking about it, and kept still.
After awhile of sitting in the sun, we all started hiking back towards Guthrie's truck.
At the truck, Kristin slid in and Guthrie got behind the steering wheel.
"You ridin', Har?" Guthrie asked me.
Before I could say yes, Daniel spoke over me. "You all go on. She's gonna walk with me."
"Who says I am?" I returned smartly, but Guthrie must have thought I was joking, because he
laughed, and said, "You wanna ride up, Ford?"
So Ford climbed in, and they pulled off, going around Daniel and I with a joking honking of the horn.
Daniel looked at me, his expression questioning. I looked away, and started walking, carrying my tennis shoes in
my right hand.
"What's the matter?" Daniel asked, walking after me.
I gave him an "I can't believe you' type of look, and then looked straight ahead again.
"What's that look for?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said.
I heard Daniel sigh. "What's up with the pissy attitude?" he asked me.
"Now you're saying I have a pissy attitude?" I said, stopping walking, and staring at him.
Daniel stopped, too. Suddenly, he didn't look so cautious, and his tone wasn't so conciliatory.
"Yeah. That's right. That's exactly what I'm sayin'," he said.
"Wow," I said. For a minute, I just couldn't believe Daniel.
"Now you're just being mean," I told him.
"Mean, huh?" he said slowly, repeating my words as if he was double-checking what I'd said. I was sorry then that
I'd said that.
Even if I was irritated at Daniel, I didn't want to argue with him. He would be gone soon, back to Tennessee, and then I knew I'd be
remembering this moment, and wishing I could take it back, because I'd be missing him so much.
"I guess I am being pissy," I said, with a sigh.
Daniel gave me a long, considering look.
"I was worried about the whole money thing," I said. "That's all."
"Alright," he said. "I get that." He started walking again, and I went to catch up with him.
I waited for him to continue on, and tell me what was going on with finances, and why he'd been offering Adam money.
But, he didn't continue on. He just kept walking, not saying anything more.
"So?" I prompted him.
"So, what?" he asked.
"Aren't you gonna tell me about the money stuff?"
Daniel stopped walking again, so quickly that I was several steps ahead of him before I even realized that he'd stopped.
I turned to look back at him. The sun was so bright that I put my hand up, to shade my eyes.
"What the heck is with you?" Daniel demanded.
"What?" I asked, puzzled.
"I told you to drop it, that it wasn't anything to worry about, and you're still goin' on about it," Daniel said.
He sounded miffed, even mad, and when I stepped closer, still shading my eyes, I saw that he looked mad, too.
"Daniel-" I began.
"You don't think you have to listen, is that it?" he accused.
"I know I have to listen," I said, suddenly feeling unsure. This whole conversation with Daniel had taken a wrong turn.
"Sure couldn't tell that you know it, from the way you're actin'," Daniel said.
I tried to defend myself then. "You're treating me like I'm a baby," I said.
I'd meant because he wouldn't talk to me about the money situation. Daniel thought I meant because of the way
he was talking to me now, getting onto me and all.
"Should we have a different sort of a talk?" Daniel said then, and I didn't like the way his eyes narrowed
at me.
"No," I said quickly.
He was giving me such an intense look that I took a step back. A fact which I knew that he didn't miss.
"I was just worried," I said, trying to explain.
"And I told you I understand that. I'm not tryin' to be mysterious, or anything like that. If there was somethin' you
need to know, then Adam would tell you. No need for you to act like a brat when you don't get your way," he said.
I stood, stunned by his words, words that were on the cusp of being said harshly.
"Okay," I said, feeling as though I was going to start crying embarrassed tears.
Daniel hesitated, studying me, as if to judge whether I was really hearing what he'd said.
His face softened a little, and I could tell he felt badly about our stress-filled conversation.
"Ready to walk back?" he asked, nodding towards the path.
I would have liked to have stalked off, away from him, or told him outright that I didn't want to be around him
right at that particular moment. But I lacked the nerve.
So I nodded, just barely, and started walking with him.
7