I got home and found the house pretty sparse of McFaddens. Adam and Crane had gone to a cattleman's meeting. Hannah was at a meeting. She was

considering running for a position on the school board. That decision had come as a surprise to me. And to Guthrie, too. Neither one of us had a problem

with it. It just seemed as though it was sort of weird, and something we would have to get used to. If she decided to run, that is.

Brian and Clare were busy making supper, and Guthrie was doing his homework, spread out over the living room rug.

"Where you been?" he asked me, as I first came in, and going to drop my book bag on the couch.

"You don't want to know," I said, with a tired sigh.

"How come?" Guthrie asked, looking up at me in question.

I could hear the noises from the kitchen, and I said, "I'll tell you about it later."

Brian had stepped to the door from the kitchen to the living room. He was drying his hands on a towel.

"Where have you been?" he asked, echoing Guthrie of a moment before.

I walked towards him. "I was going to help Daniel at the building. Remember?"

"Yeah. I remember now," he said, turning to go back into the kitchen. I followed him.

"I didn't know you were gonna be this late," he said.

"Well-" I began, and then I paused.

I said hi to Clare, who was sitting at the table, holding Isaac, and then went to smooch Isaac on the top of his head.

"I'm getting ready to give this little guy a bath," she told me. "Want to help?"

"I would," I said, with regret, because I loved helping with Isaac's bath time. "But I've got to do my chores yet before supper."

"Okay," Clare said, and stood, holding Isaac on her hip.

"Supper'll be ready by the time you get Scooter done," Brian told her.

"Alright," Clare said, and gave Brian a special little smile.

"Here," Brian said, apparently having second thoughts. "I'll carry him upstairs for you."

Clare stood, holding Isaac, and shaking her head at Brian.

"Honey-" she began to protest. "You don't need to-"

Brian laid his wooden spoon to the side. "He's gettin' heavy," he said. "And going up the stairs he's going to seem heavier for you."

"Brian, I am fine," Clare said. "I'm not so pregnant yet that I can't carry him up the stairs."

Brian reached to take the baby from her without arguing any further, and Clare sighed a bit.

"You treat me like I'm made of glass, you know that?" Clare asked him, though she didn't look displeased about it.

"You mean you're not?" Brian countered.

And, at that, Clare smiled at him adoringly.

"Watch that for me, will you, peach?" Brian asked me, gesturing to the stove, where there were steaks sizzling in a large skillet.

"Yes. Okay," I told him. I went to wash my hands at the sink, and then kept my eye on the steaks, turning them once with a fork.

They were smelling so good, and I found I was really hungry by now. I hadn't had anything since lunch, which I knew wasn't good or

healthy for me with my diabetes. I did a quick check of my blood sugar, which was what I was doing when Brian came back down the

back stairs.

He saw me doing the finger prick, and said, "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," I said. I put things away again, and went to get a handful of nuts from the bowl on top of the refrigerator.

"I'm so hungry," I said, and poured myself a glass of milk, drinking it down.

"Evan and Dan'l coming along soon?" he asked me.

"I don't think so," I said. "Daniel said he wanted to do more."

"Alright. Four of us for supper then."

I yawned, and then sighed.

"Tired?" Brian asked, eyeing me.

"Yeah. I am," I said. I hesitated.

"I turned the steaks," I told him.

He nodded, and took a drink from his tea glass.

I leaned against the counter, drinking my milk, and suddenly feeling drawn to talk to him.

"I had to walk today," I said.

"Walk? Where?" he asked.

I paused. "I ran out of gas," I admitted.

That got his full attention. "Today?" he clarified, and at my nod, he said, "Where were you at?"

"After school, when I was going to help Daniel. Kristen needed a ride, and I ran out taking her."

Brian frowned. "You ran out in town? Taking her to her trailer?"

"No. It was in the country. Where I took her the other day. To her boyfriend's grandma's house."

His frown grew. "You took her out there again? How far did you have to walk?"

"I walked to a house-but I walked back to my truck. The boys came and found me, and took me to get gas."

Brian surveyed me in silence for a long few moments, as if taking it all in.

"You have a reason why you weren't paying attention to your gas gauge?" he asked me. A typical Brian sort of a remark.

"Pure carelessness," I said, eating another few nuts, and looking at him. Making no excuses.

"That's not a good thing. Especially out in the country like that," he said.

"I know. I'm going to pay good attention from now on."

I thought about telling him about the dogs, and the weird guy, but I didn't want to worry him. I also didn't really want any more

scolding. I'd been honest at least, about telling him the basic part of running out of gas.

"I better get the goats and cats fed," I said.

"When you come back in, I want to talk to you some more."

I paused at the door to look at him. "We just did talk," I said, trying to sound light.

"I want to go over a few things with you."

He sounded sort of terse. Not mad, but more short.

"I'll watch out on my gasoline from now on," I reminded him.

"You definitely need to. I want to talk to you about something else."

I gave him a long look, and he looked up from the steaks to say, "Go on. Get your chores done."

I went out to feed the animals, doing my chores, and then I went back inside, rubbing at a spot of mud on my school jeans. I should have

changed my clothes, I thought.

When I went back into the kitchen, Brian was chopping up lettuce and tomatoes to make a salad, using the wooden cutting board.

Guthrie was perched on a kitchen counter, eating an apple, and watching Brian.

"I'm starving," Guthrie was saying.

"Me, too," I said, going to the sink and washing my hands, yet again.

"Here, sit down," Brian told me, using his knife to point to a chair. "You can finish chopping this stuff up. Guthrie, you can set the

table."

Guthrie pushed himself down from the counter, and went to begin taking plates from the cabinet. "Just four?" he asked.

"Yep. Four. Well, set a place for Daniel, in case he shows up," Brian said.

I was sitting down where he'd told me, thinking maybe since Guthrie was in the room that Brian might not talk about anything serious

to me right then.

"You have homework?" he asked me.

I nodded, and he said, "As soon as supper's over, you can get started on it. Guthrie, yours done?"

"Done," Guthrie said.

For a few minutes we just worked in the kitchen, and talked about everyday stuff, like the strong wind, and the new owner of the Dari Kurl.

I was surprised, then, when Brian said, "Why are you always taking Kristen out that far?"

I sliced the tomatoes, and said, mildly, "I'm not always doing it. I've done it like twice, Bri."

"Once, alright," he said. "But now it's becoming a habit, it sounds like."

I caught Guthrie's eyes on me.

"It's not a habit," I denied. "It's been twice."

"How does she get around when she doesn't get a ride from you?"

"I guess a ride from somebody else. Or sometimes she drives Dean's car," I said.

Immediately, Brian paused in his coffee making. "Then let her do that," he said.

"Why is it such a big deal if I give her a ride out there?" I asked, and then caught myself. "I mean-obviously, I shouldn't if I don't have

any gas like today-but otherwise, I'm just trying to help her out."

"It's a big deal when she starts taking advantage of you," Brian said.

"I don't think she's doing that," I said, quieter, and looking at the vegetables as I chopped.

"Have you given her money?" he asked, and I was so shocked at his perception that I looked up fast.

I didn't say anything, but I guess I didn't need to.

"I can tell by that look that you have," he said, sounding grim.

"Once," I said, in defense.

"Has she paid you back?"

"I just loaned it to her a couple of days ago," I said, beginning to sound defensive.

"She'll ask you for more," Guthrie said, and I shot him a glare.

"Stay out of it, Guthrie,' I said.

"I'm just sayin' the truth," Guthrie said.

"This isn't even your conversation," I told him. "Shut up."

"Harlie, that's enough," Brian said.

I laid down the paring knife, feeling put upon. "Why are you picking on me, Bri?"

"That's not what I'm doing," he said.

"It's what it feels like," I said. "I've seen you help friends before. What's wrong with me doing it?"

"It's a bad situation that's only going to get worse," Brian said. "And I don't want you being drug into it any more than you are already."

"I'm not being drug into anything," I said.

I met his eyes, and he was looking at me, very directly, looking stern.

"I've chopped it all," I said. "Can I go get started on my homework now?"

"Go," he said, shortly, and I made my escape to the living room, where I sat down on the couch to start on my homework.

Guthrie wandered into the living room a few minutes later, and he paused long enough to say, "You don't have to get sore."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, shortly.

"Kristen will use you. She''ll use you until you're all used up," Guthrie said.

"I guess I'll find that out myself, then," I said.

I stayed there, doing homework, until Brian called everybody to supper. Isaac, fresh from his bath, sat in his high chair,

and ate green beans and bread. I ate my steak, and salad, and stayed mostly quiet during the meal. After the meal, Brian and Clare

were going to do the dishes, and Guthrie offered to play with Isaac for a bit, and then read to him before putting him to bed.

I took my homework upstairs to finish. I heard from downstairs when Hannah got home, and then later, when Adam and Crane

got there. I took my shower, and then went down to do my shot, and get a bedtime snack. Adam and Hannah and Brian were

sitting at the table talking in the kitchen.

Both Adam and Hannah greeted me, and I went to stand beside Hannah's chair.

"How was your meeting?" I asked her.

Hannah's eyes were bright. "It was interesting," she said, and I could tell she was excited by the prospect of the school board membership.

"How was your day?" Adam asked me.

Brian must not have told him how I'd run out of gas, and all of the stuff about Kristen. I flicked a look at Brian, and then

answered Adam. "It was okay. I'm tired, though. I'm going to bed."

They all told me goodnight, including Brian, and I went up the back stairs. I was brushing my teeth, when Brian came to lean against

the door jam.

"You pouting?" he asked me.

"No," I said, insulted. I spit out my toothpaste. "I said goodnight-I'm not pouting."

He was giving me one of those intent Brian type looks, and I rinsed my mouth out, using my hand to cup the water.

"I know you're just trying to look out for me," I said, quietly, snapping off the bathroom light.

"I am," he said, in agreement.

"What do you want me to do? Not talk to her at all?"

"I'd rather that you didn't," Brian confirmed. "But-I guess I need to be realistic. And reasonable. So I won't say that, no. But, you

don't give her any more money. And, you don't give her a ride all that way out there. I don't want you going into that house."

"What if she asks for a ride, though?" I said.

"You tell her you can't. If you need to, you can put it onto me. Tell her I said no."

I sighed. "Okay," I said. In a small way, though I wouldn't admit it to Brian, I was sort of glad that he was laying down the law. That

way it might make it easier for me.

"Okay," he echoed.

7