That break that Crane allotted to me was really helpful. I went out into the pasture, and fed Old Charlie and Petra some apple slices. There wasn't time

to go for a ride or anything, though I wished so much that I could have. The weather was perfect for a long ride. I sighed in regret at the fact that I couldn't, but

I was appreciative enough of Crane's understanding that I went back to the house when I was supposed to, and sat down with an intent to work.

Crane came from the direction of the kitchen, carrying a cup of something steaming hot, and saw me sitting there, at his desk, working on

my math worksheet.

He didn't say anything about the fact that I was back, and seemingly working with a better attitude. He sat down in his original spot on

the couch, and went back to reading the newspaper.

I did four or five of the word problems. On the sixth one I was stumped for sure. It was: ABC is a right-angled triangle. AB=7 cm, angle ABC=90 degrees an angle

ACB=64 degrees. Calculate the length of BC. Um, what?

I took the paper and my pencil and went to sit beside him. "This one's got me totally fooled," I told him.

"Which one?" he asked.

"Number six. And I redid one thru five. Will you see if they're right now?"

"Yep," he said, and took the worksheet from me.

"One thru four are good now," he said. "Recheck five."

"Okay. What about six? Explain it to me. Please," I said.

Crane did explain, and even though he didn't give me the answer, I struggled thru it, and after a couple of further hints from him, I

finally got it right.

When it was finally finished, I gave a sigh of relief, and closed my book, sticking the worksheet in the pages.

"Finally," I said.

"You came in here and got to work," Crane said, in praise.

"That break really helped," I admitted.

"Good. I'm glad."

I bobbed my head against his shoulder in affection. "Sorry if I was a pain."

"Oh, I'm used to that," Crane said, with humor, and I dug an elbow in his rib.

"Oh, ha ha," I said. "Not funny."

"How about studying for the quiz?" he prompted me.

I groaned. "Ugh. Not tonight, please. It's on Wednesday, I think. My brain's fried, Crane."

"Okay, okay," Crane said. "Get to bed early tonight."

At that moment his suggestion or his order, whichever it was, sounded darn good to me.

"I'm going to."

7

The next day at school one of the girls in the animal group that had taken in some rabbits and ducks that had been abandoned after Easter,

said she needed help, and was asking other members to take a few of the rabbits. There were thirty or more.

I thought of Pepe LePew's empty cage. Pepe had gone with Jill and Daniel. It was a nice big cage. I could have four or five rabbits in it without them

being too overcrowded. When I was going to tell her that I could probably help, I remembered Adam's face and his tone of voice when I'd brought

Pepe home, and then the extra pups without asking first. One of the dogs had made it a habit to chase our cattle, but-anyway, I didn't think there

was any reason why Adam or anybody else would care about some rabbits. After all, they couldn't bother the cattle, right?

I still thought I'd better ask about it first. At lunch time, I went to the school office, and asked to use the telephone. I called home and

when Clare answered, I asked if Adam or Brian had come in for lunch yet.

"No, toots, not yet," Clare said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong," I said. "I just need to ask them something."

"I think I hear them coming in, let me check," she said, and put the receiver down.

I waited, tapping my foot, while Mrs. Wilson gave me the evil eye. I tried giving her a smile, but she didn't return it.

"Hullo," Brian's voice came onto the telephone. "Peach? What's up?"

I explained quickly about the rabbits, and how I could use Pepe's cage for them, and I said all of that without taking a breath.

"Good Lord," I heard Brian mutter. "We've got more things to worry about than some rabbits, Harlie."

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"Sick cow," Brian said, and then, sounding sorry that he'd said anything, he got back to the topic at hand.

"I don't think you need to," he was saying to me.

I heard talking in the background, and I knew Adam was probably asking what I was calling about.

"Brian-" I said, louder, to get his attention back to me and not on Adam. "It's for a little while-"

"You've got enough going on," Brian said, then.

"It's not for long, probably," I insisted.

"You don't need to do it," Brian said.

I sighed, disappointed, and dreading having to tell the other girl that I couldn't help.

"Is it you saying that, or Adam?" I asked. I knew my mistake as soon as I said it. The line went stone cold silent.

"What?" he demanded.

I bit my lip, and twisted the phone cord in my hand. "I better get to lunch," I said.

In a tone so quiet that it was scary, (because I knew that Brian only sounded like that when he was really mad) Brian said, "Yeah. You'd best

do that."

"Bye," I said, softly, but I wasn't all that surprised when he didn't say it to me. I hung up the receiver carefully, and mumbled a

'thank you' to Mrs. Wilson. I went back outside to the lunch table where Guthrie and Kenny, and Trent and Lori were sitting.

"Better hurry up and eat," Guthrie told me. "Bell's almost gonna ring."

I hurriedly ate a few bites of my school lunch, but it didn't even taste good. Guthrie was watching me. I could feel it, as Lori chattered

to me about the new movie that was going to be at the theater the next weekend.

I looked up at Guthrie, and he was frowning at me. Kenny, too, was observant, and squeezed my hand.

"You okay?" Kenny asked, quietly.

"Yeah. I am," I said.

Guthrie caught me as we were all throwing away our trash and the first bell was ringing, signaling that lunch was over.

He took my elbow in one hand. "What's wrong?" he asked me, low.

I told Guthrie briefly what had happened, and when I came to the part about how I'd questioned Brian, Guthrie's eyes grew wide,

and he said, "Ya didn't."

"Yeah. I sort of did," I said.

Guthrie and I stood there, as other kids surged around us on their way back into the school building.

He and I both understood the seriousness of the words I'd used. We knew better, had always known better, even as little kids,

not to try to put either Brian or Adam over on each other. And, in effect, that's what I'd done. To insinuate that Brian was (1) not making

up his own mind; or (2) to insinuate that Brian should go against Adam for me; or (3) to insinuate that I would just go over Brian's head, sort of,

and ask Adam instead. Any or all of those signaled giant trouble for me.

Guthrie sighed, and looked as though he was thinking. Trent hustled by us, saying, "Hurry up, last bell's gonna ring."

We started walked towards the building, and Guthrie advised, "Just talk to Brian as soon as you get home today. Fix it up with him."

"He's got the rest of the day to get even madder," I said, glumly. We had reached the school steps by now. "Guthrie, what's wrong

with me? Lately, all I do is say the wrong thing."

The principal was making his hallway patrol and told Guthrie and I to hurry along to get to class.

7

I was hardly able to concentrate for my last class of the day, and then on the drive to the vet office for work, I kept replaying it

in my mind. Grrrr. Ivy even noticed how quiet and distracted I was, and asked if I was alright.

I just told her that I'd said something wrong to Brian and was worried about how mad he was.

Ivy looked sympathetic, and said, "I'm sorry, Harlie, I guess I don't have any advice to give. I don't have any experience at having

older brothers."

That's right. Ivy had been an only child.. An only child of parents who were a bit older when they'd had her. Such a thing, being an only child

that way, was interesting to me. Of course, Kenny was an only child, too.

Ivy was still talking. "If I was going to give advice, it would be the obvious. Talk to Brian as soon as you can. Apologize. I'm sure then that

he'll be reasonable."

I guess I looked doubtful at that, because Ivy said, "He won't be reasonable?" in question.

I sighed. "It's hard to say. He's had all day to think about it more-and I did say something that I'm not supposed to say to him or to Adam. Or

to Crane."

"I'm sorry, Harlie. I wish I could say more to help," Ivy said.

"It's okay," I said. "Thanks."

I told Ivy about the rabbits and about the ducks that needed to be rehomed.

"Thirty rabbits is a lot," Ivy said. "And it's going to be a lot more than that any time, with the way they populate."

"I have a cage and everything," I said. "I don't see why Brian would even care. It's not as though I'd be asking him to help feed them or

whatever."

Ivy paused in the lifting of a feed sack. "I wouldn't take that approach with Brian. I can offer that much advice, at least."

"No," I said, hastily. "I wouldn't. I won't."

"Okay," Ivy said. "Just saying that to me, right?"

"Right."

We finished up our work for the afternoon, and Ivy prepared to go out on a call. I wished that I could go with her, and avoid going home

for a bit longer. I actually did think about calling home again, and asking for permission to do that, but, even if Hannah said I could,

it wouldn't make any of the olders happy. Not at all. Since I'd been so busy over the weekend and so tired and all, adding more time not at

home wouldn't be a good thing in their eyes. I knew all that. Still-

"Do you need my help?" I asked Ivy.

"It's to the Ivy's," she said. "How's that? Ivy going to the Ivy's." She laughed. "Sick sheep. Do you know them?"

"Yes," I said. "I went there once with Doc G-" I paused, remembering that day. I'd fallen chasing sheep down a hill, and Doc G had told

me that I bounced like a ball. "They have a lot of sheep. Do you need me?" I asked, again.

"I can always use your help," Ivy told me, then gave me a questioning look. "But, I thought you wanted to get home to talk to Brian."

"I need to," I said, "But I'll talk to him after supper. Maybe he'll be in a better mood."

Ivy looked somewhat reluctant. "I don't know, Harlie. I feel as though I'm keeping you when I should send you on home."

"I'll call home and ask first," I said.

Ivy nodded, still looking as though she was thinking better of me going along with her.

I dialed the number to home, and again, Clare answered the telephone.

"Are any of the guys in the house?" I asked her first.

"No. Not yet. Just Hannah and I. And Isaac. Do you need one of them?" she asked.

"No. Can I talk to Hannah?"

Clare said sure, and a moment or so later Hannah spoke into the phone. I could hear Isaac babbling in the background.

"Sweetie?" Hannah said.

"Hi," I said. "Ivy's going out on a call at the Ivy ranch. To look at some of their sheep. I was wondering if I could go along with

her."

Hannah hesitated, and I knew she was turning things over in her mind. She may not know exactly what had happened with Brian earlier,

but she had to have been in the kitchen and knew something.

"How long will she be?" Hannah asked.

I didn't ask Ivy that. She wouldn't know. It would depend on what was happening with the sheep.

"I'm not sure," I said.

"I think you should come on home," Hannah said. "It sounds as though it could be something that takes a while."

"But Ivy needs me," I said, I said, quietly, turning to make sure that Ivy didn't hear what I was saying. She was busy gathering up

supplies.

"Well-" Hannah said, and I could hear her wavering.

"Please, Hannah? I'll be home as soon as we're done."

"What about homework?" she asked.

"I hardly have any today," I said.

"I have an idea," Hannah said. "You drive your own truck over there, and help for awhile. Then you can leave, so you're home by six."

"What if we're in the middle of something, though?" I said. "I'd hate to just take off and leave Ivy there like that-"

"Harlie," Hannah said, her voice rising over mine. "Why are you arguing? If you want to help Ivy, then drive yourself, and be home

by six. Alright?"

I realized I'd gone too far. I did not want to lose Hannah as an ally.

"Okay. I will," I said.

7

I did drive over to the Ivy's place by myself, and Ivy and I got to work looking at the sheep that had been put into one of the corrals.

There were three of them, and Ivy was asking Mr. Ivy about the symptoms they were showing.

"Sticking to themselves, off their feed, and hunched up a bit," he said.

"We'll take some blood," Ivy said, and for the next hour we did that. I helped Ivy pack up everything, and she told Mr. Ivy she

would get back with him soon with the results.

Mrs. Ivy came out to say hello, and she greeted me as if I was a frequent guest, remembering me from when I was there

with Doc G.

She patted me in a motherly way, and said, "The Mr. and I are glad to see you working with the new veterinarian. Garrett would be

pleased about that."

"I hope so," I said, feeling my emotions well up.

"Both of you come in, you can wash up and have some refreshments," she invited.

I remembered how good her desserts were the last time I was here, but I caught a look at Ivy's watch and said,

"I need to get home. Thank you, anyway."

"Well, you come again," Mrs. Ivy invited.

I told Ivy I'd see her the next day, and began my way home.

I was looking forward to a hot shower. My clothes were filthy and I was nearly offending myself with the smell.

At home I parked, and got out, gathering up my bag of school clothes, and my book bag. I paused beside the truck, feeling really

tired all of a sudden. I wished I could take a shower, get my own sandwich, and go right to bed. I was still leaning there, against the

truck like that, when I heard crunching of boot steps behind me.

I pushed myself off of the truck and turned to see Adam walking towards me from the direction of the small shed. I wasn't sure what

sort of greeting to expect from him. If Brian had told him about earlier today, then he would likely be all stern, too.

"You're home," he said.

"I went to the Ivy place with Ivy-" I began.

"Hannah told me."

"Oh. Okay," I said.

"Ivy ask you to go?" he asked.

I blinked at him. "She needed my help. Three of their sheep are sick."

"Uh huh. I don't want to have to spell things out for you real detailed, Harlie. But, considering the talk we had yesterday, I think I need to. It's

after six, your supper's being kept warm. You still have chores to do, and homework, and you look done in."

"I'll do my chores first, and then clean up, and eat. Then I'll get started on my homework," I said.

"Are you hearin' me at all?" Adam asked. "I said that you look done in."

I blinked at him again, feeling suddenly as though I was floating, or the ground was tilting just a bit.

"I hear you," I said, but then, Adam took the clothes from my hands and the book bag from my shoulder. And, he had an arm around

me, and we went up the front steps and into the house. I knew the living room was full of family, but Adam sat me on the corner of one of

the couches. Immediately, family was swarming around.

"What's wrong?" Hannah was asking.

"I'll check her glucose level," I heard Clare say.

"I'll get her some candy," Hannah said.

"I'm okay," I protested. Now that I was sitting, things weren't so tilty.

Somebody was pulling off my boots, and then there was a cold cloth pressed against my head. It was Adam holding it, and I

said, again, "I'm okay, Adam."

"Alright. You hold that, then," he told me, and I held the cloth to my forehead. Hannah was back and unwrapping a piece of hard candy, and a few

jelly beans. She put the piece of hard candy in my hand, and I ate it.

"Maybe some juice?" Hannah was asking.

"Let's wait and see," Clare was saying. She was sitting next to me, and in obvious nurse-mode. "When's the last time you had something

to eat, toots?"

"You didn't eat much lunch," Guthrie said, standing in the center of the group in front of me, his face lined with alarm. Then, I knew, he was

sorry that he'd said that, since it was bound to set off the avalanche.

Clare effectively cut all that off before it began. "When did you eat?" she asked me, again.

"Lunch," I said.

Clare asked more things, like what it was that I'd eaten, and all that.

"Let's get her a sandwich and some fruit," Clare said, and Hannah went off towards the kitchen.

Clare was on one side of me, while Adam had stood up, and Guthrie stood there beside him, with Crane on the other side. All

watching me. The front screen door flapped closed, and I heard Brian asking what was going on.

I kept my eyes on my hands. I didn't want to look at Brian right then. I felt so icky I didn't think I could handle it if he

went after me right then. Not that I thought he really would then.

"She started feeling woozy," Adam was telling him.

"Her blood sugar is low," Clare said.

And now Brian was there, too, in the row of brothers, his face a map of lines of worry.

Hannah was back with a plate of food, apple slices, and a roast beef sandwich. and a small glass of milk.

"You eat, and you'll start feeling better," Clare said, in her calm way.

I said okay, and started eating my sandwich. Hannah sat down on the other side of me, her hands touching my hair on my shoulder.

"As soon as you eat, you can go up and shower," she was saying.

"I've got chores," I said. I wasn't trying to get sympathy, I was just stating a fact, but Adam shook his head, just very slightly.

I looked at him, chewing my bite of apple. Immediately, Guthrie said, "I'll do 'em for you." And he went out, the screen flapping shut.

"Maybe a bath, huh?" Hannah was asking me.

"That sounds good," I said. I had eaten nearly half the sandwich.

"I'll go up and run you some hot water," Hannah said.

She got up, and headed upstairs. I felt better already. Nearly normal. Just tired mostly. And wanting to get cleaned up.

I looked up at the three brothers standing in front of me. "I'm sorry if I worried you," I said, in a general way.

"You know to eat," Adam said. "Keep something with you, and not let so long go between meals."

I was going to say I got busy or that I was worried about Brian, and forgot, but I knew that would be like throwing gas onto an already

smoldering fire. Adam was bound to be upset now. He always was, when something went wacky with my diabetes. Especially if he thinks I wasn't taking

care of myself, like not eating or something like that.

So, instead, I didn't answer at all. He was right, so I didn't try to make an excuse.

The telephone rang and Crane went to answer it. It must be Ivy, because he didn't call anyone else to the phone, and he kept talking quietly.

Adam kept standing there, his hands in his pockets, watching me.

I finished the sandwich, as Hannah came back downstairs. "Your bath's all run for you," she said.

"I'll go up and sit on the bed while you bathe," Clare said. "In case you start to feel fuzzy again."

"You don't have to," I said, though inwardly I was glad about it.

"I don't mind," Clare said.

Hannah asked if I was finished eating, and when I said I was, she took the plate from me.

I stood up, and I could feel Adam watching me like a hawk. I walked past where Brian was sitting, one booted foot resting on the

opposite knee. I avoided looking directly at him, and went upstairs. I took a bath, scrubbing clean, while Clare sat on the bed.

When I got out, and dried off, using one of Hannah's big fluffy towels, I sat down on the edge of the tub to pull on my pajamas.

I came out of the bathroom, rubbing my hair dry, feeling way better than earlier.

"Thanks for waiting with me," I told Clare.

"You're feeling better, I can tell," Clare said.

"I am," I said.

"Sit down here and I'll brush your hair," Clare offered. "Go get your brush, or do you want to use Hannah's?"

"I'll use hers," I said, and handed it to Clare.

As she brushed my hair, I thought for the one millionth time how glad I was that Clare was a part of our family.

"I have to lecture you a little," Clare said. She said it so nice, though, that I knew she wasn't going to say a whole lot.

"I know," I said.

"You have to be careful, Harlie. You have to. Diabetes is nothing to mess around with."

"I had a rough day," I said. "I'll pay more attention, though."

Clare stopped brushing, and wrapped her arms around me from behind. "You're precious to all those guys downstairs. You can't forget

that."

I felt suddenly emotional. I put my hands over Clare's as she hugged me. "They are to me, too," I said. "It's just that sometimes

it's a lot."

"They worry. You're their baby," Clare said, with a light laugh.

There was a tap on the door, and Hannah stuck her head in.

"How are you doing?" she asked me.

"I'm fine, Hannah," I said. "I'm sorry for causing all the upset."

Hannah didn't say that I didn't have to apologize, or that it wasn't my fault. She gave me a mom sort of a look.

"Did you have snacks with you?" she asked me.

"Yes. In my truck," I admitted.

"Then even if you're not feeling hungry, you need to have something," she told me.

I nodded in agreement, and there was another rap on the half-open door of the bedroom.

7