Leo got the wheelbarrow and went to work picking up all the wood and paper scraps on the ground around the house. When he had a full load, he aimed for the dirt path that led around to the back of the barn. He stopped there, squatted under the wood handles, and flipped the wheelbarrow upside down onto the debris pile that had grown five or six times since that first week cleaning out the ash basement. He was glad they were knocking off a little early. And none of this pride stuff today; he was going to walk straight to Beatrice’s. Business there was slow about this time of day and he was going to get Allie alone in a corner and just ask her flat out what he did wrong. He was just going to put that question to her pretty face and handle what comes.

The sky had darkened and a warm wind blew east from the fields. Leo rolled the wheelbarrow into the barn next to the generator, then he and Tom pulled the tall sliding door shut and padlocked it.

“You did a good job nailing off that roof today,” Tom said. “Some fellas can’t function up off the ground like that.”

“I like it.”

“’Course you do.” Tom started his station wagon and backed out of the driveway. He kept his eyes on the road and waved a big hand at Leo and drove off.

Chick yelled down from the second floor to ask if Leo had seen the leather notepad he kept in his back pocket. Leo said no, he hadn’t seen it. He could hear Chick walking over the plywood, then saw him lower himself feet-first through the stairwell opening. Chick held on to the header, swung once, then dropped square on his work boots to the first floor. He wiped his hands off as he walked towards Leo and the truck, his eyes scanning the ground. “Tomorrow’s materials list is in there. I’ll have to drop you off and come back.”

“I’ll help you look.”

“I appreciate that, but I got enough people picking up after me as it is.” Chick climbed in behind the wheel of the flatbed and started her up. Leo was barely in with his door closed when Chick had the truck in gear and was heading out.

“How do you mean?”

Chick glanced over at Leo. The right lens of his eyeglasses had a speck of tar in the upper corner. “You’re very fond of Allie Cat, aren’t you?”

“Yes sir, I am.”

“Good. That’s good.” Chick kept the flatbed in second gear as he drove down the hill to the river road. He was clean-shaven and tanned in the face. He didn’t look nearly as tired and distracted as he had at the beginning of the week.