I woke up to something, or someone, tickling the bottom of my foot. In reflex, I yanked my foot back, and then opened my

eyes.

"Wake up," Guthrie ordered, standing over my bed.

"Uggghh," I said, pulling the quilt up over my face.

"Come on," Guthrie prodded.

I uncovered my face, and looked up at him. "Why are you waking me up? What time is it?"

"Six-thirty."

I struggled to a sitting position. "What?" I asked him, still trying to wake up.

Guthrie sat on the edge of my bed. "I thought ya wanted to talk-about Kristen."

"Oh. Yeah," I said, sitting up taller, and pushing my hair out of my face.

"Okay. Well-Kristen is the one who broke it off with me-because I got on her because she's gettin' messed up with takin' some stuff."

"What stuff?" I asked him, confused. "You mean she's shoplifting?"

"No," Guthrie said, with an eye roll. "Well, she might be doin' that too. I wouldn't put anything past her right now."

He had my full-on attention now. I was wide-awake.

"I mean takin' stuff. Like dope," Guthrie said.

I stared at Guthrie, in that state you're in when told something shocking, something that you don't want to believe.

"No way," I said.

Guthrie didn't argue. He just looked at me.

"Like marijuana?" I asked.

"I don't know about that-I just know about the pills."

"Pills!" I said, even more shocked. "What kind of pills?"

"Like uppers. Speed. I think."

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"Because I saw her take them. And-because she told me."

"She told you?" I asked, in disbelief.

"Well, yeah. She didn't have much choice. I saw her take them a couple times. At first she told me they were like antibiotics or

somethin', but she was so different after she took 'em-" here Guthrie's voice trailed off.

I was so rattled, and upset now that I clambered out of my bed, and stood, my hands on my hips.

"She told you, though?" I persisted. "I mean-you might be wrong, you know-"

"I know ya don't wanna believe it," Guthrie said. "But I'm sure."

"Well-why didn't you do something!" I hurled at him. "Help her!"

"You think I didn't try?" Guthrie demanded, looking mad. "I talked to her until I was blue. She said she's just havin' fun, takin' them. That

it's her business, and she'll stop when it's not fun. I even got in her purse when went back into the school to get somethin' she forgot,

and I saw some in a baggie thing. I confronted her and she came at me, scratching me, and telling me she didn't want to have anything

to do with me any more."

"You went thru her purse?" I asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. Guess it wasn't one of my best decisions," Guthrie admitted.

I dropped my hands from my hips. There were noises in the hallway. Talking and laughter. Sounds of boot steps.

"Daniel made it home," Guthrie said, changing the subject. "After midnight. I went down to get some milk and he was talkin' to Adam."

"Good," I said.

"Yeah."

We were both quiet for a couple of minutes.

"So-is that why she's either up," I raised my hand up above my head. "Or down?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Well, what can it do to her? If she keeps using them, I mean?" I asked him.

"I dunno. It can't be good."

I went to sit beside him on the bed. "Well-what are we going to do?"

"I talked to her. I confronted her. I told her that it scared me for her. I threatened to tell her mom," Guthrie said.

"She wouldn't worry about that part. Telling her mother, I mean."

"No. She didn't seem to care," Guthrie said.

"Well-we have to try to talk to her again," I insisted.

"Harlie, I did try."

"So-you're just alright with letting her be, then?" I demanded. "Letting her become an addict? Guthrie, what's wrong with you?"

Guthrie stood up with a suddenness that shook the bed. "I don't know what else to do, Har! You tell me what to do, then!"

Before I could say anything else, Guthrie went on, his voice raised. "You act like this whole thing ain't botherin' me! Like I haven't done

anything to try to stop her!"

There was a quick tap on the door, and then it opened, and Brian stuck his head in.

"Hey, you two. Breakfast is on," he said.

"Okay," Guthrie said, in answer.

Brian paused, looking at both of us. "Everything alright?" he asked us.

"Yeah," Guthrie said.

"Sounded like you were in a disagreement," Brian said.

Neither one of us denied it. We just looked at each other, and then back at Brian, quiet.

"Early in the morning for that sort of thing," Brian said, then, halfway serious, and halfway joking.

"We're just workin' somethin' out," Guthrie said. "Well-better get down to breakfast before Daniel eats all the bacon."

"Good idea," Brian said.

"Yeah," Guthrie said, and with a final glance at me, he went past Brian and down the stairs.

I said, "I gotta get dressed. I'll be right down."

7

I pulled on a pair of jeans that had seen better days, but they were comfortable. I noticed they were a little looser than the

last time I'd worn them. I put on a flannel shirt, and went downstairs, barefoot, carrying my socks with me. I went down the back

stairs, and rounded into the kitchen, lively and full of McFaddens. Daniel was at the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup as I came

to the last step and into the kitchen. He was laughing, and fake boxing Brian with his free hand. When he saw me, he set down

his full cup and said, "Hey, you," in greeting. He held out his arms. "Comere."

Relieved, I hustled myself into those open arms. I mean, I hadn't expected that he was going to jump all over me at 6:45 a.m. or

anything like that, but still-I was glad to be greeted that way.

Enveloped into his arms, I pressed my face in his shoulder.

"You're skinny," he said.

I raised my head to look at him, but we kept our arms around each other.

"No such thing as being too rich or too thin," I quipped.

"Not true."

"How's Jill?" I asked.

"She's alright. Gets tired easy," he said.

"How's Pepe?" I asked.

"That darn skunk," Daniel said, shaking his head.

"Awe, you mean you and that skunk aren't best friends yet?" Brian asked Daniel, laughing and going to his own seat at the

table.

"No such a thing," Daniel said. He patted my waist and released me from the hug, grabbing his cup of coffee and going

around the table to sit beside Crane, in his regular place.

I slipped into my own seat at the table. We were all just starting to eat when Evan and Nancy came in the back door. Daniel stood up

again, to greet them, and chairs were scooted closer together to make room for them.

"I'm so glad you two came for breakfast," Hannah said, passing the plate of cinnamon rolls around to Evan and Nancy. She looked

happy having everybody at the table that way. I couldn't help missing Ford and wishing he was here, too.

"Mmm," Nancy said, biting into a cinnamon roll. "These are so good. I need something like this. It's going to be a long day

at the store. We've got a sale going on so there's bound to be lots of customers in."

Talk turned to the building that Daniel and Crane had bought in town, and what work they hoped to get completed for the next

few days that Daniel was home.

General cleaning, and some talk of taking down a wall, or something like that. Daniel was full of ideas, outlining

plans he had, and Adam and Crane and Brian all joined in. I ate my eggs and drank coffee. Every couple of minutes I would think

about what Guthrie had told me, upstairs. I left some of my eggs to catch up with him as he scooted in his chair and headed outside

to start his chores.

"Harlie," Hannah protested. "Where are you going? You haven't finished eating-"

"I'll be right back," I said, and sped out after Guthrie. I managed to catch up to him, as he began loading range cube sacks into the

back of the Jeep.

"I'm sure you tried hard with Kristen," I said.

Guthrie kept stacking the sacks, and didn't answer.

"It explains a lot," I went on. "About her mood and how she's so different than what she was."

"Yeah."

"What do you think we can do?" I asked him.

"I don't know what to do."

"Maybe we could talk to Adam," I suggested. Then I thought of something. "Or Crane. Kristen really likes Crane. She

cares a lot about what he thinks. We could talk to him."

"She likes Crane, sure, but she's not gonna listen to him, either. I'm tellin' you, Har, she's in this thing full-on," Guthrie said. He

paused and looked at me, and I could tell he was discouraged. And, too, I thought he must still have some feelings for

Kristen.

Voices were near and we both turned to see the mass of McFadden brothers coming out of the house and towards

the barns.

"Can we talk about it some more?" I asked Guthrie, before we could be overheard.

"Yeah, we can," he said.

I went back into the kitchen to finish my breakfast. Clare and Hannah were planning lunch to take into the building later on.

Hannah asked me what time I planned to go to Lori's house.

"About four or so," I said, as I started to help clear the table. "I thought I'd go in and help out some with everybody at the building, too."

"What are you girls going to do tonight?" Clare asked, rubbing her hand over her rounded belly.

"Maybe go to Butch's for a while, or watch a movie," I said.

"What about snacks?" Hannah asked me. "I know you feel strange about taking your own, but maybe you should. You're bound

to be eating some junk food."

"That's part of the fun of sleepovers," Clare said. "You just have to be careful."

"I'll take some grapes and carrot sticks in a baggie," I said.

Hannah nodded her approval.

"Are you coming in to help?" I asked them both.

Clare and Hannah looked at each other and then Hannah said, "We'll bring lunch in, but otherwise, I think the two of us are

going to hang out here at home."

"And enjoy the quiet?" I asked.

"Most definitely," Hannah said, with a laugh. "I might even take a nap when Isaac takes his."

I headed outside to do my regular Saturday morning chores. I tended to the goats, checking their water and all, but they were happily

grazing in the field. Earning their keep by keeping weeds down, as Brian likes to say.

I fed the barn cats and forced Fat Clarence to go out for a walk down the driveway as I pulled Isaac in his wagon. I paused several times to

allow Clarence to catch up. Finally, I put Clarence in the wagon alongside of Isaac and pulled them both back to the house. Isaac was giggling, and

Clarence, obviously relieved to be riding now, allowed Isaac to rub at his ears.

When I handed Isaac back off to Hannah, I went upstairs to collect my overnight bag, and then gather my diabetes stuff

together, and head off to town.

In town, I stopped in to say hello to Ivy, and ended up staying around there awhile. I helped her give baths to a couple of elderly

Cocker Spaniels. I actually felt that familiar draw whenever I want to love on an animal. When Ivy told me that they'd been relinquished

by an older woman who couldn't afford to feed them due to her own health and hospital bills, I felt my heart squeeze.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Pray," Ivy said. "I've put out some feelers around about them, hoping somebody might take them in, but-you know how it

is around this area. There's too many animals and not enough homes."

I knew Ivy had a mass of bills, and wasn't financially secure like Doc G had been. She was already feeding her own dogs and all the cats

that hung around the back of the vet office. She did get boarding fees for two of the horses but the other two were her responsibility to

feed, which is not cheap by any means. She couldn't afford to feed more dogs. I knew that.

"I'm going to talk to Adam and Brian," I said, recklessly. "See if they'll let me keep them for awhile, until they find a home."

Ivy smiled at me. "That's nice of you, Harlie, but I thought they'd put a halt on dogs at your place."

"Well-they have," I admitted. "But it won't hurt to ask."

I left shortly after that, and Ivy tried to give me ten dollars for my help. I shook my head.

"No. You don't have to pay me. All I did was give baths to them."

"Well, alright. But, the next time you pop in to help, you're going to be paid," Ivy said, firmly.

I drove the short distance to the edge of town, where there were various McFadden vehicles scattered about the parking lot. The lot

needed to be weed-eated and mowed. I could hear voices and hammering from inside. The door was propped open with a cement block

so that fresh air could circulate inside.

Brian and Crane were in the back area, and Crane was on a ladder. He'd lifted out one of the ceiling tiles, and there were wires

hanging out and down.

Guthrie came past me, carrying a weed-eater, obviously heading out to begin on the parking lot.

Brian and Crane both greeted me, not pausing in their work. I went in search of Daniel, who I found by the back door, which

was also propped open. He was lifting and tossing pieces of broken lumber out the back door from where they'd been left

stacked inside. He was aiming for a dumpster that was there, as he tossed.

I paused, watching him, and he looked up to greet me.

"Hey."

"Hey. I'm here to help," I announced. "What do you want me to do?"

Daniel paused, looking thoughtful. "Well-how about starting in the kitchen? There's probably some stuff in the cabinets that needs

thrown away. You can drag one of those black trash cans in there to use."

"Okay," I said, agreeably, glad he had something for me to do.

"Before you start that, let's talk," Daniel said.

I felt my good mood deflate. I should have known he would eventually get around to it.

"Okay," I said, again. "I know it was ridiculous of me to hang up on you that way. Like a little kid. I should be grown enough

to not do that stuff-"

Daniel, meanwhile, was going out the back door, like I hadn't said anything. "Let's sit out here. I need some air," he said.

He sank onto an old iron bench that looked as though it had seen much better days.

"This thing's old," Daniel said, running his hand over the iron arm of the bench. "Still got a lot of life left in it, though."

I stepped on outside, too, and stood there, looking at him.

"Come sit," he told me, patting the space beside him.

I sighed, but not really loudly, and went to sit beside him.

Daniel laid an arm along the back of the bench, just behind my shoulders.

"So-what's going on with you?" he asked.

I wasn't sure what he meant, really. Did he mean what I was up to on a daily basis, or did he mean what had been going on that I hung up

on him that day?

"I'm doing good," I said, in answer.

"You're adjusting to not being in the work program?"

I hesitated. "It's still hard. I try not to think about it too much. I've got all my grades up, though."

"That's good."

"Yeah," I said, and then for a few moments there was silence. "I'm sorry for what I did, Daniel."

"I believe you."

I felt relief at that comment. I smiled at him.

"That doesn't mean that I wasn't mad at ya when it happened," Daniel said.

"I know you were mad," I said, losing my smile.

"I'm not gonna let you act like a brat, Harlie."

Aw, he was calling me Harlie. That changed the whole shift of this talk we were having. It sounds silly that something so

trivial could change things. But, it wasn't really trivial, because Daniel only calls me by my name when he's mad or very serious.

"I'm not a brat," I said, in defense of myself. I was starting to feel less sorry and more sulky.

"I know you're not," he said. "And the reason that you're not, is because you're usually called out when you behave like you

are one."

I sat up straighter. "I've said I was wrong. That I'm sorry. What else do you want me to do?"

"There you go," he said. "Gettin' all huffy."

Huffy?

"I'm not huffy," I denied.

To my somewhat surprise, Daniel sounded a bit amused. "You sort of are," he disagreed.

"Well-" I paused, and then turned to meet his eyes. "What now? If I promise never to hang up on you again?"

"It's not just the hanging up, Harlie. When somebody says something you don't agree with, you've gotta learn to listen, or at

least be respectful."

"Brian said something like that to me, too," I said. I slumped back against the bench, not trying to avoid Daniel's arm any longer.

"You're going to work on that, right?" Daniel said, his fingers lifting one of my curls.

"I am," I said, trying to look properly contrite, and giving him a slight smile. "I'm going to work very, very hard on that."

"Now you're bein' a smart ass," Daniel said.

"I mean it."

"Okay," Daniel said. He wrapped an arm around my neck tugging me closer. Keeping his arm like that, he said,

"You know how lucky you were that I was 2,000 miles away when you did that?"

"I know," I said, and got his meaning.

"Don't do it again," Daniel said. "Okay?"

"I promise," I said, meeting his eyes.

"Alright," he said, and moved his arm, leaning forward on the bench. "Time to get to work."

7