After supper was over, and the table was being cleared, Guthrie raised his eyebrows at me and gave me a nod of encouragement.

I went upstairs to collect all my completed homework, and came back down thru the kitchen, carrying it. Guthrie was still there, as was

Adam, and they were beginning to do the dishes. Hannah was still clearing the table.

I was more than beginning to have second thoughts on Guthrie's idea. Remembering what Crane had said, and how he'd sounded just

the afternoon before, when I'd asked about Kenny coming over...well, it wasn't going to go well, with me asking to go into town with

Guthrie, either. I had just about made up my mind that I wasn't going to say anything at all about what I'd gotten done, and just tell

Guthrie to go without me.

Adam spotted the papers in my hands, though, and said, "What d'ya have there, sugar?"

"Oh. Just my homework," I said, vaguely.

"About ready to get it wrapped up?" he asked.

"She's all done," Guthrie volunteered, turning from the sink, and dripping water on the floor.

"Are you?" Adam asked me, looking surprised.

I nodded in response, as Hannah stepped around Guthrie, and she said, "Guthrie, you're getting water all over the floor."

"Sorry," Guthrie said, putting his hands back in the sink, but keeping his head turned to look at Adam and me.

"That's good, Harlie," Adam told me, looking pleased. I mean-he really really looked pleased with me. I hadn't seen him have

particular look on his face anytime lately, well, at least about me I hadn't.

Crane chose that moment to reenter the kitchen. He was wearing one of his nice shirts, and had on his good boots.

"You look nice," Hannah told him, with a fond smile.

"Thanks."

"Are you and Ivy going to try that new restaurant in Angels Camp tonight?" Hannah asked.

"No, not tonight, I don't think. Maybe next weekend," Crane said.

"We should go, too," Adam said. "Next weekend."

Hannah paused in her cleaning of Isaac's high chair tray to look at Adam. "Really?" she asked, looking happy.

"Sure. If you want to," Adam said, with a grin at her.

Hannah smiled at him, her dimples showing. "Okay."

And then, just as I would have slipped past them all, Adam said to Crane, still sounding proud, "Harlie's got her all her school work done."

Crane looked somewhat surprised, as well.

"Well, that's real good," he said.

"Now you'll have time to ride tomorrow, like you wanted," Adam said.

"Yeah," I said.

"Need me to look over your trig for you?" Crane offered.

"Sure, yeah. When you have time," I said.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you all later," Crane said, and then he left, as Hannah and Adam both said goodbye to him.

"I thought about goin' into Butch's to play some pool," Guthrie said, to Adam. "That alright?"

"Home by midnight. No drinking," Adam responded, just as he does every single time Guthrie goes out.

"Okay. I was thinkin'-" Guthrie began, and I shook my head at him. I didn't want to ask to go with him, and I didn't want him to ask about

me going, either. It was just going to make Adam mad.

Adam looked between Guthrie and me. "What were you thinkin', Guth?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinkin' maybe Har could ride along with me."

Ah. Now he'd done it.

"Well, Harlie's grounded," Adam said, treating both Guthrie and I to his gaze. "So she's not gonna be goin' along with you."

"It's fine-" I said, and moved to the side to get past Adam and Crane both.

"Stay put," Adam said, and I paused, looking back at him. Feeling the sudden tension in the room. Even Guthrie knew he'd made a

blunder, and was looking uncomfortable.

"Come back over here," Adam said, and I moved reluctantly over to where I'd been standing at before.

"You both know how it goes when you're grounded for something. And Harlie, if you're working on Guthrie to get him to argue

for you, then that's a problem," Adam said, stern.

"I wasn't," I protested, but my voice was overrode by Guthrie's, who by now had turned completely from the sink of remaining dishes, and

was leaning against the cabinet.

"She wasn't," Guthrie said. "It was my idea. She didn't even want me to do it."

I was grateful to Guthrie for shouldering the blame, but Adam's expression didn't soften all that much.

"Alright, then. Guthrie. Have you forgotten how the rules go, or do you need to stay home tonight as a reminder, maybe?" Adam said.

"I remember how the rules go," Guthrie said.

"You're sure about that?" Adam said, and the tension between them was touchable nearly.

"I'm sure." Guthrie's face was red and I hoped he wasn't going to mouth off to Adam.

"Alright," Adam said. Hannah was looking between Guthrie and I, her expression regretful, but staying quiet.

I exchanged a look with Guthrie, one of misery. Guthrie shook his head slightly at me, and turned back to the sink to

continue washing dishes.

I clutched my school papers to my chest, and wished I could just float away.

7

Guthrie went out to meet Trent, but he was home early. Well before midnight. It was only just a bit after nine when he came up,

tapping on my bedroom door. I'd been reading a novel that I'd been hoarding back for awhile, and I was glad that I had, because it

came in handy tonight, when I was bored silly.

When Guthrie stuck his head in, I sat up taller on my bed, where I'd been laying while I read.

"What are you doing home?" I asked him.

Guthrie produced the shake in his hand and handed it off to me. "Here," he said, flopping down on the foot of my bed, on his back.

I moved my feet back just in time before he landed on them.

"What kind?" I asked him.

"Chocolate, of course," he said.

"Thanks," I told him, taking a long sip thru the straw. "How come you're home so early?"

"Just decided to come home."

"Did you play pool?"

"Yeah, we played a couple of games."

"Was Lori there?" I asked.

"Naw. She had to go somewhere with her mom."

"Who all was there tonight?"

"Just the regular crowd," Guthrie said, vaguely.

"Oh." I sank back against the pillows I had propped up. "Well, thanks for the shake."

"No problem. I only took a few drinks out of it," Guthrie said, and grinned at me.

"Disgusting," I said.

"So what you been doing all night? Just reading?" he asked.

"Yeah. Not much else to do," I said.

"Didn't wanna hang out downstairs with Adam, huh," Guthrie said.

"I notice that you're up here, and not down there, yourself," I said sarcastically.

"Yeah," Guthrie said, turning serious. He folded his arms under his head. "Sometimes Adam's just-too tough."

"Yeah," I said, in somewhat agreement.

"Yeah," Guthrie echoed.

"He's good, though, too," I defended. "I mean-if you need him to be there for you, then he is."

"Yeah. He's good that way," Guthrie agreed.

I sighed. "I'm hating the thought of Monday at school," I said. "People are gonna ask me why I'm there-why I'm not leaving for work

study-"

"Tell 'em you found their nose," Guthrie said.

"Huh?"

"Tell 'em you found their nose where they lost it. In your business," Guthrie said.

I had to smile at that. "Good one."

"I got an idea," Guthrie said. "How about I see if Kristen can come over here tomorrow? We can take some food and go for a ride or go to

the creek. At least you can get out of the house for awhile, and have Kristen to talk to."

"Yeah. That's a good idea," I said, gratefully. "Thanks, Guth."

7

The next morning most of the family went to church. Guthrie said he would go by Kristen's on the way, to talk to her and see

if she could come to church with us and then over to the house. At breakfast, he'd asked Hannah about some food to pack up to take

to the creek.

"That sounds fun," Hannah said. "The temperature is going to be just about perfect for a picnic today."

"Just sandwiches is okay, right?" Guthrie asked me.

"Uh, sure," I said. "It doesn't matter."

I sensed it. That Crane's eyes were on me from across the table. I looked at him. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a very slight smile.

As everybody was getting ready to crowd out of the door to head to church, I had planned to ride with Guthrie, but Crane caught my arm.

"Ride with me, will you?" he said.

I guess I my reluctance showed, because Crane looked at me and said, "Please?"

"Sure. Okay," I said.

"Once we were in the truck, Crane swept some leather gloves and baling twine to the middle of the seat.

We had driven a couple of miles when he spoke first. "So, picnic today, huh?"

I turned to my left to look at him. "Yeah," I said, but I said it sort of drawn out, questioning. Like, 'yeaaah?"

"Kristen hasn't been over for a while," he said.

"No. She hasn't."

A couple more minutes went by in quiet, and I kept thinking he was going to say something that I wasn't going to like at all.

"She has a rough time of it, alright," Crane said, his tone full of sorrow.

I gave him a longer look, and lost a bit of my peevish feeling towards him. Crane has always been so kind to Kristen. So good. She thinks

he's the greatest.

"Yeah. She does," I said. "Guthrie said her mom lost her job. And, I thought we could do some groceries for them or something."

"We could do that," Crane said in agreement.

"Except Guthrie said Kristen doesn't want anybody to know," I remembered. "You won't say anything, will you?"

"No. I won't say anything."

That made me feel better about Crane. He really was a good guy. Even if he was too strict about grades and school.

It gave me the nerve to ask outright. "How come you wanted me to ride with you to church?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" he asked.

"No. I guess not. I just figured it was about today. Me going on a picnic with Guthrie and Kristen." If there was a challenge in my tone

with that statement, Crane didn't rise to it.

"It's not about today. You got your school work done."

"Okay," I said.

"I checked over your trig homework. You've got a couple to redo. It's on the desk."

"Okay. I'll do it after lunch."

"What classes are you thinking about at school, to fill out your day?" he asked.

To fill out my day? A nice way of putting it.

"I don't know. Maybe-welding?" I asked, with an attempt at humor.

"Sure. Why not?"

"I guess Home Economics," I said, more serious.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Or Family and Finances," I said.

"Those both sound alright," Crane said.

I sighed. "I guess."

"You can get your grades up, Harlie." He spoke reassuringly.

I looked out the passenger window as we drove along. "I know."

"That's not what's bothering you most, though, is it?"

I shook my head, more in response to his question than anything else. It was a ridiculous question, I thought.

"You know it's not," I said, low.

By now we were at the church, and Crane parked, while people were streaming all around us heading into the church.

"I don't want to keep repeating it, Harlie, but you knew the requirements to stay in the work program."

I sighed a huge sigh. He was lecturing me now?

"I know," I said.

"I know you know it here," Crane said, and tapped his forehead. "But you haven't accepted it here," he added, and tapped his chest

in the area of his heart.

"I-" I started to answer him. But, any words would just get me in more trouble, because they would be sharp and not very respectful.

"Can we be done talking?" I asked, and now Crane sighed, just as I had.

"Yeah. For now."

I got out of the truck and walked ahead of him, as we went into the church sanctuary, where I settled myself between Hannah and Guthrie, as far

from Crane as I could.

7

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