I went to bed shortly after Brian and I went inside. I think I fell asleep as soon as I laid down. The next morning, I slept late, too. I got up and pulled

on jeans and a t-shirt proclaiming that dogs are angels on earth. I went barefoot downstairs, finding Daniel and Crane in the living room. They were

sitting on the fireplace seat, and Daniel had his guitar in hand. They had their heads close together, and Daniel was running his fingers over the

guitar strings. They were harmonizing together, no words, just low humming.

I thought what a wonderful sight that it was. Daniel looked so much like his regular self right then. Happier, in his glory, sitting with

Crane and messing with his music...

I paused beside them, resting a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Morning there, squirt," he greeted me, without looking up from his hands.

"Morning." I felt so relieved right then, just to see such a comforting, familiar sight. It made me feel safe. I dropped a kiss on the

top of Crane's bent head, and rustled Daniel's hair with my hand, successfully making it stand on end.

"Hey, now," Daniel admonished me, without heat, still concentrating on the guitar strings.

I giggled, and headed to the kitchen. Breakfast looked to be on ongoing event. Some were finished, with their empty plates pushed

forward, and others, like Guthrie, were still eating from heaped plates.

I was greeted by various 'morning', 'hey sweetie,' and 'how did you sleep?'

"Good morning," I said, in general, and then answered Brian's specific question.

"I slept good," I said. "Hard sleep."

"Good," Hannah said. She was taking bits of scrambled egg and putting it on Isaac's high chair tray. Isaac was starting to hold

a baby spoon or fork at times. He didn't really know how to use it, but it was funny to watch him poke at the food, trying to get it onto

his fork.

I stopped to give the top of his baby head a light kiss. I could smell the baby shampoo lingering to him.

"There's plenty of eggs left, Harlie," Hannah told me.

I got down a plate from the upper cabinet, and went to the stove, taking eggs, and bacon, onto my plate.

I went to my seat at the table, squeezing in between the high chair, and Guthrie's chair. Hannah pushed the plate with

buttered toast over closer to me.

Adam made a light remark, teasing, that Jill should get some bacon before Guthrie or I ate it all. He reached for the platter at his

end of the table, and offered it to her.

"No, thanks," Jill said, shaking her head. "I've had enough."

From across the table, Brian said, "Just barely."

Jill blinked at him, and I could tell she was startled.

"Don't eat enough to keep a bird goin'," Brian went on. "Gonna have to start calling you 'little sparrow', or something."

I knew Brian was teasing Jill, and it spoke volumes for him to do it. Concerning the conversation I'd had the night before with Jill,

and how she was sure that Brian truly disliked her...well, I hoped that Jill recognized Brian's teasing.

She must have, because her cheeks had a spot of color in them. She looked a little confused, and embarrassed, and I knew she

wasn't sure how to take Brian.

"I eat a ton," Jill denied.

"I can't say that I've seen that, either," Adam added, his own tone light.

"If it was pizza, I could out eat you all," Jill said, her own tone lighter. I was glad she was going along with the teasing.

"That so?" Brian asked. "We might have to see about that. See who can out eat who."

I was relieved and glad when Jill gave Brian a half-smile, and said, "Maybe so."

Good. Maybe now she would see that Brian wasn't always harsh. That he didn't dislike her.

Daniel had come into the kitchen just to hear the last of the conversation, and his face was lit up. "Eating contest coming

up, huh?" he asked, sounding happy.

Brian got to his feet, scooting in his chair to the table. "Maybe so, Dan'l, maybe so," he said.

Later on, while we were all clearing the table and stacking the dishes, Evan showed up, bearing a huge pan full of cinnamon rolls.

"I come bearing gifts," he announced, setting the rolls in the center of the now-cleared table.

"Oh, yeah," Guthrie said, reaching for a roll with enthusiasm.

"Whoa there, Guth, get back," Brian said, helping himself as well.

"Did Nancy make those?" Hannah asked.

At Evan's nod, Hannah smiled. "Good for her."

"She made a bunch," Evan said. "Her dad's comin' over for supper, so if you see him driving thru, that's what's happening."

After that, they started talking about the chores they were planning to do that day.

"We aren't gonna do a lot today," Adam said.

"I see a nap in my future," Brian said.

I was drying the dishes while Guthrie washed them, when Crane and Daniel, along with Adam, started talking about a lawyer visit.

"Able to get in on a Sunday?" Adam asked, sounding surprised.

Crane went on to explain that it was a friend of his that he'd met in college, that had gone on to law school, and opened a practice in Oakdale.

"He said he'd see Daniel and Jill today," Crane said. "As a favor."

"That's good," Adam said, looking pleased. He looked at Daniel then. "You and Jill?" he asked, and I knew that he thought maybe someone else

should go, too.

"Crane's going along with us," Daniel said, and Adam nodded, looking relieved, I thought.

"I'm sure Daniel and I could manage," Jill said, suddenly, and I turned so fast that I nearly dropped the plate in my hand. No. She wasn't going to

be catty and hateful about Crane going along with them...now? of all the times? I swore that if she said anything offensive, I was going to

let her know what I thought...

Then, just as suddenly, Jill said, "But, I know Daniel feels better with Crane along, and I will, too."

I wondered if she was being sincere...she looked it. Adam must have thought so, too, because he gave Jill a nod of approval.

Jill gave him a half-smile in return.

7

Kenny came over that afternoon, and we went for a horseback ride. I rode on Petra and let Kenny ride Charlie.

It was nice to get away from the house, and be alone with Kenny. Sometimes-in a family as large as ours, it's hard to have any

privacy in the house. Hannah always says that Kenny, or any friends, are always welcome, and all of that, but sometimes-well, sometimes

Kenny and I want to be alone. And, that's nearly impossible in our house. There's always eyes and ears around. At least it seems that way.

We rode to the creek, and tied the horses, walking along the edge until we finally stopped to rest. We found a rock to perch ourselves on, and

talked. Well, we talked in between some kissing, I'll admit.

Then we walked some more, back towards the horses, hand in hand.

"Want to take the boat out?" Kenny asked me, nodding towards the old rowboat tied to a stake.

"It leaks," I reminded him.

"So?" he asked, raising his eyebrows up and down in a comical way that made me laugh.

"So-we'll sink and get wet," I pointed out.

"So?" he asked again, and gave me a gentle jab in my ribs. "Who cares about gettin' a little bit wet?"

At that moment, with his face all lit up with, as Adam would say, two shades of ornery, Kenny reminded me of his old, carefree self.

The boy who had been, before he got into trouble, and came out of it more serious, more somber, more grown up.

"Okay," I said, laughing, and we ran to get into the boat.

We made it out and down the creek quite a ways before the leak began to really cause a problem. Kenny had just made a comment

about how it was hardly leaking at all.

"Yeah, Ford-or Guthrie, somebody must have tried to repair it again," I said.

Ah, but then, it did start. Water seeping in, slowly at first, and then faster.

"Here she comes," Kenny said, eyeing the spouting of water.

We began to row back again, and the water was covering the toes of our boots by the time we reached the creek bank.

We paused then, just sitting there a bit.

"How come you don't wear your promise ring?" Kenny asked me, out of the blue.

I looked at him, startled a bit.

"You know why," I said. "I haven't told the family yet. Adam-or anybody."

"Yeah. But I thought maybe you could wear it out when we're alone," he said.

"I've thought about it, but what if I forget to take it off sometime?" I pointed out.

Kenny was watching me, and he'd gone all quiet, and serious looking.

"Until I tell them, I mean," I hastened to explain. I didn't want Kenny to think I was never going to share about the promise ring.

"Yeah," Kenny said, sounding as though he understood.

"I'll think about talking to Adam soon," I promised.

"I should've talked to Adam and to Brian first," Kenny said, looking again like the serious, somber guy he'd become.

"They would have just told you no," I said, without thinking it out first. "They would have said no ring."

I realized how abrupt I'd sounded when Kenny sighed.

"I know," he said.

"It's not you," I hurried to assure him. "You know that. It would be anybody-" That wasn't the way I wanted to sound, either. As though Kenny

was just anybody. "They like you a lot," I said. "They trust you, and all that-they just would have said that sixteen is too young for me

to have a ring. Any sort of ring. Even a promise one."

"Yeah. Probably. But-I still should've talked to them. Before I gave it to you," Kenny said. "It's like-bein' dishonest. Going behind their

backs. They trust me again, like you said, and I don't wanna ruin that."

I knew that Kenny was right-it was like being dishonest. And-I'd promised Adam I'd always be honest with him, and tell him the truth

about things-that he wouldn't have to find out stuff other ways than from me...

Still, I felt a little stab of hurt, too.

"Are you sorry you gave it to me?" I asked Kenny.

"Of course I'm not sorry," Kenny said, and reached out to take one of my hands. "That's not what I'm saying, Harlie."

"Oh, I know," I said, to reassure him. "I'm just being dramatic."

Kenny was just watching me, his eyes so blue that I had to swallow hard.

"I'll think about talking to Adam soon," I said.

By now the water had seeped thru enough to cover more than the toes of our boots.

So we rowed the rest of the way, and tied up the boat. Kenny held his hand out to help pull me up the side of the

bank. We mounted the horses and rode back, side by side, still holding hands.

7

We went into the back door to the kitchen. Clare was stirring something at the stove, and she turned to greet us.

"Just about time for supper," she said.

"I ought to go," Kenny said.

"Don't be silly," I said. "You know Hannah will ask you to stay."

Hannah chose that moment to walk into the kitchen from the living room.

"Hello," she said, smiling at Kenny and I.

"Hello, Hannah," Kenny said, politely.

Hannah, who never misses much, said, "Your feet are wet."

"We were down at the creek," I explained.

"You can't stand around with wet socks," Hannah said. "It's getting too cold for that. Harlie, go change, and then go in our bedroom and get

a pair of Adam's socks for Kenny."

I had to admit it-my feet were feeling soggy and numb.

"That's alright," Kenny was saying. "I ought to be going anyway."

"You're welcome to stay for supper," Hannah said. "If you'd like to? We're having spaghetti and garlic bread."

"That sounds good," Kenny said. "I'd like to stay. Thanks. I'll give my mom a quick call."

Hannah nodded. "Harlie. Socks," she said, pointedly.

I exchanged a quick grin with Clare and Kenny, and pulled off my wet boots, running up the back stairs.

7