Adam’s Bible, or Adam, Age 37

Chapter 1

“Adam, you should just give Hoss your own advice. You know, that thing you said about ladies.”

“What thing I said about ladies?”

Picking up on where Joe was going in the conversation, Hoss was distracted from his worries and had an idea. “Just a minute. Let me go get Adam’s Bible.” Hoss hurried from Adam’s room and returned in just a few minutes with a leather journal that he handed to a thoroughly mystified Adam who recognized it from a very long time ago.

“That’s not a Bible. It looks like the journal I gave to you when I left for college. I told you to write down the things that happened here so you could remember and tell me all about them.”

“I know, but, dadburnit, I never was much for writing. I gave the journal to Little Joe cause he said he wanted to write down some of the things you had taught us so we wouldn’t forget em. Then he just kept writing stuff down that you told us until he filled this here journal from one end to the other. I know there’s some stuff in here about women.” Hoss paged through the journal and finally found what he wanted. “Aha, here it is. You said ‘Many ladies will catch your eye, but you should only pursue those who capture your heart because the beauty that your eye sees will fade but the beauty that grows in your heart will always be there.’ That’s what you told Joe when he was doing that thing where he was after a different gal every month.”

Joe had a better idea then what Hoss was thinking. “You see, Mo caught Hoss’ heart so she is the one, and he shouldn’t be nervous.”

“That sounds like something I might have said, but I don’t remember saying it.”

“Oh, you did. Little Joe only wrote stuff in here that you said. Joe, do you remember when Adam told you that.”

“I’m not sure. It might have been when I was thinking of marrying Laura or maybe when I was going to marry someone else. It’s hard to keep them all straight.”

Chuckling, Adam walked to his father’s room to get his tie. With the door to Hoss’ room open, Adam could hear Hoss and Little Joe talking. Little Joe sounded a bit upset. “Now you told him about Adam’s Bible. That was our secret. You promised not to tell him.”

“Joe, we were kids then. We’re men now, and we can talk about stuff like this. Now c’mon and tell Adam the stories of when he said some of that stuff to you.”

“Well, he said some of it to you too.”

“Not nearly as much as he had to say to you. You needed a lot of advice when you was growing up. You could use some now and then again.”

“Do you think he’s mad that I wrote all that stuff down?”

“Course he’s not mad. Why would he be mad anyway cause it’s stuff he said and most of it’s good advice too.”

Walking back into Hoss’ room after tying his tie, Adam had his own question. “What parts weren’t good advice?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I ain’t read through it lately. I remember one that Joe didn’t like. You said that the best short cut is hard work. He never did believe that.”

“Yeah, and Hoss didn’t like the one where you said there isn’t any such thing as luck. You said that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Now Hoss is a big believer in good luck and bad luck so he didn’t like that. I bet if you check, he’s got that lucky rabbit’s foot in his pocket right now. He doesn’t go anywhere without it.”

“I assume Seneca would disagree then.”

“You got that from an Indian chief?”

“No, a Roman philosopher. A lot of those things are ideas I wrote down in my own journals when I heard them. If I thought it was meaningful and didn’t want to forget it, I wrote it down.”

“Hey, Adam, you ever write down anything I said to ya?”

“Yes, Hoss, I believe I did. I tend to blame myself for things not going the way they should have gone. You told me that I can’t control other people, only myself, so that was the only thing I should worry about.”

“Hey, Joe, you wrote that in your journal too after Adam told ya that. Bet you never knew he was quoting me?”

“Adam, you ever write down anything I ever said to you?”

Thinking quickly of a way to dodge that question, Adam pointed out the door. “Look, it’s just a few minutes before this wedding is supposed to start. With the wind starting to blow out there, we need to be on time or we’re going to have fifty house guests and Hop Sing will quit and go back to China.”

“Aw, heck, Adam, with your new house and Joe’s, we could put those people up for a bit.” Then Hoss began to guffaw and Joe almost fell over giggling when they saw the look of horror on Adam’s face. Just the day before, Lea had gotten the clearance from Doctor Martin to resume normal marital relations. It had been eight weeks since her miscarriage as her recuperation had taken much longer than expected. She and Adam had moved into their new home a week earlier with the help of the family. When she got the good news from Paul, she of course had told both Mo and Katherine who were staying at Adam’s house for a couple of days before the wedding to get all the preparations done. Once the wedding was over, Adam expected to have some privacy with his wife. The thought of waiting any longer was almost painful for him to contemplate. The ladies had told their men so Adam’s dilemma was apparent to all.

Before the laughter even subsided, Ben was at the door asking if they were ready because the ceremony was about to begin. “And the groom and his best men should be there before the bride if you three could move things along a little faster. What is so funny to you two anyway?”

“Aw, we was talking about Adam’s Bible and how maybe the guests might have to stay over if the wedding runs too late.”

Adam rolled his eyes because he was fairly certain he knew what was coming. Ben noticed and thought that perhaps it would be best to wait until another opportunity arose to tease his son about that. At that moment, there was a very nervous young woman waiting in the guest bedroom downstairs so he thought to get his three sons downstairs as quickly as he could. Adam looked quite relieved when Ben simply signaled with his hand that they should all get going. Ben walked down the stairs first with Adam and Joe right behind him. Hoss followed with a strange look that was like a cross between a cow being led to slaughter and a miner who just found a six-pound nugget of gold. Ben noticed and stepped close to him at the bottom of the stairs.

“Smile! This is one of the best days you will ever have. You will look back happily to this day for the rest of your life.”

Close enough to hear, Adam and Joe nodded and smiled. Hoss took a big breath and smiled like the canary that ate the cat. “Just wanted to be sure that you all thought the same thing as I did. Leastways, I know it’s true. Ain’t that much you three ever agree on so it’s gotta be true.”

Adam stepped closer and whispered one more thing. No one knew what he said until after the wedding ceremony when Hoss dipped Mo into a romantic kiss. Joe looked over at Adam.

“Did you tell him to do that?”

“Not that exactly. I told him when it was time to kiss the bride, he should kiss her with everything he had. He did that rather well.”

“Well, now everyone here knows how much he loves her.”

“Exactly. And how much she loves him. That smile she had when he pulled her to his side to be introduced as his wife was priceless. Any doubts she had are gone now.”

Soon Lea was at Adam’s side. “Did you tell him to do that?”

Joe answered. “He didn’t tell him to do that. Adam told him when it was time to kiss the bride, he should kiss her with everything he had. Hoss did real well with that.”

“It seems to me that I remember a kiss just like that when we got married. That’s a rather big coincidence.”

“Lea, I may have mentioned to Hoss how I kissed you after you said I do. If he chose to use that style, well, we could hardly blame him. Look how well it worked for us.” Adam had that devilish smirk he had whenever he managed to do something warm and funny at the same time.

Lea shook her head before taking his arm. “Dance with me, mister funny man, before Abel wakes up and demands all my attention. Keeping him up late and waking him early was a good idea. He needed a nap at the right time but he is going to be a bundle of energy when he wakes.”

“My lady, I need no encouragement. I hear the music starting, so let’s dance away as soon as Hoss and Mo lead us onto the dance floor.”

Having Lea in his arms made Adam want the day to end quickly so he could take his wife to their home. Mo would be in the main house with Hoss, and Katherine was staying in a guest room, so Adam and Lea could resume their physical relationship. It had been a very long eight weeks with Lea so close and yet unavailable as she recuperated from her miscarriage. No one was happier than Adam to see the guests leaving a few hours later.

The wedding celebration had to end early so that people could get home before dark. The next few hours were used to clean up and rearrange the furniture once more. Joe and Alice left with Joey soon after, and then Adam picked up Abel and asked Lea if she was ready to go.

“Perhaps we should stay so we can help Hop Sing with the dishes and putting the food away.”

“He has his cousin and there wasn’t that much. It was a small wedding. He’s handled far bigger events than this.” It seemed to Adam that Lea was reluctant to go to their home. He had no idea why, but was anxious to get going. Ben assured them that if Hop Sing needed any help, he and Katherine were there. Hoss was anxious to get everyone gone so that he and Mo could begin their wedding night so he told Adam too that he and Lea should head home. Lea accepted that, got her coat, and took Adam’s arm when he offered it.

Ben frowned a bit wondering what was going on with the two of them because they had seemed so loving when they had been dancing. Katherine had an idea but didn’t think she ought to say anything. Instead, Hop Sing said he and his cousin had done all they needed to do for the evening, and that they would finish in the morning. Ben offered his arm to Katherine to walk her to the stairs and up to her room before retiring himself. Hoss waited until Ben and Katherine were around the corner upstairs and Hop Sing had turned down the lamps in the kitchen. He turned to Mo and pulled her to him.

“Now, darling, it’s our turn. Would you like a champagne toast before we go to our room?”

“I think I’ve had enough toasting for one evening. I want nothing else but to be with you now. The room is ready for us. Your valise is just inside the door with your things.” Mo and Hoss were going to use the downstairs bedroom for the night. The next day, they would move Mo’s belongings into Hoss’ bedroom and make it theirs.

Hoss bent down to slide his arm behind Mo’s knees and then he picked her up and carried her into their honeymoon room. He set her down inside and pushed the door closed before pulling her into the most passionate kiss they had ever shared. Mo was almost overwhelmed by the raw emotion and desire she was feeling from Hoss but luckily it balanced with the same desire on her part. She wanted to be with Hoss and be his wife in every way. She knew he would be gentle and considerate when he unleashed his passion for in the few months she had known him, she had learned to respect and admire him as well as love him. As he gently helped her undo the buttons on her dress and then remove her petticoats, he kissed her softly and gently a number of times as his hands touched and caressed her. As she stood there in only a lacy chemise and pantaloons, she pushed his hands from her clothing to his.

“You need to take some of that clothes off too so I can touch you and kiss you.”

Grinning, Hoss was more than willing to oblige. He stripped off his jacket and tie quickly but Mo began unbuttoning his shirt slowly and kissing and touching him as gently and sensuously as he had done to her. Hoss had never had an experience like this with a woman who wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. He found it incredibly intoxicating and understood even more what his father had told him that morning. He would forever look back on this day as one of the happiest of his life.

Chapter 2

Alternately crying and snuggling, Abel was overtired. Adam rocked him in a chair in his room until he finally relaxed against Adam’s chest with Adam’s shirt collar held tightly in his little fist. Adam reached up and gently loosened each finger until he could move his arm and had his son cuddled into a little bundle. He stood and placed him tenderly in his crib and pulled blankets up to cover him. He assumed he would sleep well after all the activity and the attention as well as the very early nap instead of his usual afternoon nap. Adam stoked the stove in the corner of the room and made sure that it would keep the room warm until morning. Then he moved to the bedroom he shared with Lea and found her already in bed. That would have made him even more anxious to be with her except her back was turned to him. After undressing quickly, he slipped into bed beside her and gently pulled her shoulder to get her to turn toward him.

“Adam, I’m so tired. It’s been such a long day.”

“Sweetheart, won’t you sleep even better if we spend a little time together. It’s been so long since we did.”

“I know it has, and I’m sorry to make you wait longer, but it’s just not a good time.” Lea rolled over again on her side leaving her back to Adam.

Normally, Adam would have slid up behind her then spooning and cajoling her until she willingly agreed to make love with him. But for a few weeks now, he had been trying to be as loving as he could, and Lea had rebuffed his efforts saying the doctor said it was too soon. He offered alternatives to their usual lovemaking, and she had said she didn’t want to take any chances. Now he lay and stared at the moon shadows on the ceiling and wondered what he should do. Sleep was elusive, and he worried that in the morning, he would still not have any answers as to what had gone wrong between him and his wife. He assumed that he has done something very damaging to their relationship and tried to think of what it could be. The only thought that he had on that subject was very disturbing to him, and all he could do was hope that it wasn’t true. As Adam lay awake worrying and Lea was on her side pretending to be asleep so she wouldn’t have to answer any questions, Hoss and Mo were raiding the kitchen.

“I hardly ate anything for dinner. I’m starving.”

“Hoss, I’m hungry too. My stomach was so tied up in knots, I was afraid that if I tried to eat something, it would come right back up. Now I’m famished.”

“I’m right glad that Hop Sing didn’t put all the food away. There’s cake here, and some of the ham is still in the warmer. I’m taking those with us.”

“Hoss, I found some bread and a crock of butter.”

“All right, you bring that, and I’ll grab a knife and a couple of forks.”

“I got a couple of plates and napkins.”

“We’re all set then. Let’s go have a picnic in our room.”

“How about this bottle of champagne.”

“Oh, good, bring that too. I’ll come back for a couple of glasses.”

“Hoss, we can just drink out of the bottle can’t we? That way there’s less chance anyone will see us.”

“Good thinking. Let’s go.”

In his room, Hop Sing smiled and turned over to sleep as his cousin lay on a pallet and chuckled. At the top of the stairs, Ben waited for Hoss and Mo to head back into their room before coming down the stairs to get a sandwich and a drink for himself. He was smiling though at the antics of his middle son and his daughter-in-law. He had remembered as he found sleep elusive that the reason he was so hungry was that he and Katherine had entertained Abel and Joey as their parents ate. Then Ben had gotten so busy talking with guests, bidding them goodbye, and helping to clean up after the party ended, that he had forgotten to eat. He knew there was a lot of food left so he was confident there would still be some even after the midnight raid by Hoss and Mo. As he gathered some tidbits on a plate, he heard someone entering the kitchen and was surprised to see Katherine there.

“I’m hungry too. I don’t think I remembered to eat with all the conversation and dancing.”

“And taking care of Abel and Joey. I love my grandsons immensely but they take a lot of energy. I don’t know how I managed when I had three boys in my care.”

“I would guess the older helped with the younger.”

“Yes, that’s true. I only had one to care for by myself. Adam helped with Hoss, and they both helped with Joe, and of course, Marie was here for five years to help too.”

“Do you think Lea is feeling overwhelmed by it all? I mean a husband, a little boy, and a new house, and she’s still recovering from that miscarriage.”

“Sometimes I wonder. She doesn’t seem herself at times, and then other times, it seems there’s nothing wrong. When I saw Lea and Adam dancing, they looked so much in love, but later it seemed like she didn’t want to be with him.”

“I thought the same thing. I hope they can work it out soon. It would be a shame if there was something wrong that couldn’t be fixed.”

“My son and Lea are both very smart. I’m sure they will work out whatever differences they have.”

“Even smart people can be very stupid when it comes to love. Look at me. I walked away from you five years ago for something that could not be helped. None of it was your fault, and yet I couldn’t free my heart enough to say it.”

“And now?”

“The more time I spend with you, the more time I want to spend with you. The next couple of months look to be very enjoyable for us, don’t you think?”

Forgetting food for a moment and wrapping his arms around Katherine, Ben pulled her into a passionate embrace. He broke away only long enough to ask a question.

“Will you come with me to my room?”

“Ben, it’s too soon. That offer is more than tempting, but I don’t want to rush this. You don’t know how difficult it is for me to say no, but tonight I have to say just that. I hope you aren’t too upset with me.”

Hugging Katherine and kissing the top of her head and she leaned into his chest, Ben smiled. “No, you did what was right for both of us. It’s that waiting is becoming a much more difficult task. Let’s take our snack upstairs so we don’t disturb anyone else. By now they may have finished eating and might hear us.” Very quietly and with only an occasional giggle, Ben and Katherine made their way from the kitchen and upstairs like two guilty teenagers.

The next morning, Hoss and Mo appeared for breakfast at about the same time as Ben and Katherine made their way downstairs. Hop Sing had a few choice words about the missing ham he had been planning to use for breakfast, but there was no heat in it so everyone knew he had probably expected it to be gone. They had a light breakfast and began planning for the rest of the week. Hoss and Mo would spend a short time moving her things into his room and decorating it to show that two lived there instead of just one. That wouldn’t take long. The weather was agreeable so the next task was to get trees. There would be the traditional big tree in the main house, but both Joe and Adam had expressed that they wanted a small tree in each of their homes. With boughs needed for decorating three homes instead of one, the trip would require two wagons and probably the rest of the day to accomplish. The next day was Sunday so they would be attending church and having some family time. The following days could be used to decorate the trees and the houses as well as do baking for the holiday that was less than a week away.

On Sunday morning, Adam and Lea arrived to join the family for the trip to town and church services. Ben was more worried than he was the day before. Adam and Lea were usually arm-in-arm and talking when they arrived. This time they walked in separately and Abel was resting his head on Adam’s shoulder. It was if he could sense the tension and it made him unhappy. As soon as he saw Ben though, he clapped his hands together and put out his arms to be taken. Abel’s antics distracted Ben from his worries about his son’s marriage, but in church, those worries rose again. Adam didn’t sing. When Ben looked at him wondering about that, Adam pointed at Abel who was asleep in his arms. That had happened before and Adam had still participated in the singing. Something was wrong but Ben didn’t know what it could be. Actually, Adam didn’t know either except that Lea had been especially distant and cool that morning. After lunch when Lea took Abel home for his nap, Ben and Adam were sitting on the porch enjoying the crisp but mild weather.

“Adam, I couldn’t help but notice that something is wrong between you and Lea. Is there anything I can do to help?”

This was exactly the type of conversation that Adam never liked to have with anyone. His father had talked to him over the years about his relationship with Joe just this way. It made him feel like his father thought of him as a child, and yet he knew his father cared a great deal, which was why he asked. Ben waited knowing what a struggle it was for Adam to express his innermost feelings, but he hoped he would be able to do just that. He was disappointed but had no idea that Adam didn’t understand what was wrong either. “If you’re asking if we’ve been arguing, the answer is no. Lea just has some things that are bothering her, and she needs some time to adjust to everything.”

“Adam, if the two of you let the little things simmer along like low fever, it will eat away at your relationship until there’s nothing left. You need to talk to Lea. Aren’t you the one who said that honesty is efficient, moral, and necessary?”

“I’m really getting tired of people quoting me to try to push me to do something.”

“I won’t say any more. Just know that I’m here if you need me.”

Wisely, Ben headed inside at that point. It was up to Adam now to talk with his wife and try to work out what was wrong. He could hope for them and offer up a prayer. By the time Christmas morning arrived and the whole family was in the main room of the house opening gifts and laughing at the antics of the two littlest Cartwrights, it appeared that Adam and Lea had worked things out at least partially. They were warm and engaging with each other as they put on a great act. Neither was comfortable with everyone knowing they were having a problem, so without even discussing it, they were putting on a performance whenever any other member of the family was present. Even the night before, they had been unable to open up to each other. There had been some angry words and then the same cool indifference that marked every night in bed.

Adam knew he had a lot of choices. He had told Joe once that if he struggled to face each day and seldom smiled, then he knew he had made some bad choices and needed to make different ones. He was sure Joe had probably written it down in that journal he called Adam’s Bible. But Lea had become half of Adam’s soul, and he could no more think about pulling away from her than he could think about ending his own life. To lose Lea was to lose himself. He knew that but had no idea what he should be doing. His frustration was beginning to turn to anger and restlessness. He knew that releasing the anger would create even more problems so he held it all in. Adam had tried to spend as much time with Abel especially visiting with Ben and Katherine as well as Hoss and Mo, but when he returned to his home, the black cloud that hung between them confronted him. He and Lea would smile, but there wasn’t the warmth that had always been there before.

Soon, there would be even less diversions, and he and Lea would be spending even more time together. Ben and Katherine were planning to leave the day after Christmas to try to get through the mountains before heavy snows covered the passes to California, which would require a much longer trip to the north or south to get through the mountains. The southern route still did not have any regular stage route, so ironically they would have to travel north to get to less snow. Adam volunteered to drive Ben and Katherine to town. It was one last diversion that they could give him. He warmly wished them safe travels and a good time in California.

As Adam was walking back to the carriage, the head of the bank hailed him. Adam worried that it was some kind of problem, but instead, the man wanted him to design a house for him. He had the map of the location, which he handed over to Adam when he accepted the commission. Adam was smiling as he went home. He had started his architectural business officially, and he had something to keep him very busy for the next few weeks. He also planned to design a new stable and paddocks for his horse breeding business. That was a few weeks more of work to do. As he neared home though, he wasn’t smiling as much realizing that he was happy because he wouldn’t have to be with Lea and endure the coldness that was developing. He wanted to just grab her and carry her to bed to make love and to break the barrier between them if he could. But he wouldn’t ever make her do something she didn’t want to do. Little did he know that would probably have worked at that point to mend their relationship.

Chapter 3

As the stage pulled out of Virginia City and began the climb later that day up the foothills to the mountain passes, the air turned decidedly chillier. Ben reached under the seat for the blanket he had stowed there at Adam’s insistence. Adam had more experience traveling in these kinds of weather conditions and had assured his father that he would want the blanket before the day was done. Ben recalled the conversation as he and Katherine were boarding the stage. Adam handed a blanket, two canteens, and a small basket of food.

“We’re not going on an expedition. We’re simply riding the stage.”

“Doesn’t hurt to be prepared. If it’s not needed, that’s fine. But better to have extra than to have a disaster.”

“Don’t worry about unnecessary planning and preparation because it’s better than the disaster that could occur if you don’t plan and prepare?”

“Hearing myself quoted is becoming tiresome.”

“Tiresome? Well think about how we felt hearing all that wisdom spouted over the years.” Ben had laughed, and Adam had rolled his eyes. Then Adam had frowned, and Ben thought he knew why. Adam needed some of his own wisdom at that point, and it had failed him. Ben wished he knew what was wrong, but he had to trust Adam to figure it out. Now they were on the road, and that blanket was very welcome.

Ben and Katherine tied the window shades down as tightly as they could and then sat close together with the blanket over them. Ben was thinking that in his younger days, this kind of situation would have led to some romantic behavior, but at his age, he thought he should refrain. He did feel Katherine moving against him in what had to be a giggle.

“What’s funny?”

“I was thinking that just five years ago, you would have tried something by now. You haven’t gotten past being romantic, have you?”

Arching his eyebrows, he had to answer that. “I certainly have not.” Then in a more playful mood, he wrapped his hands around Katherine’s waist and pulled her to him. “I can show you a thing or two yet. The time will pass faster, and I, for one, will be much warmer as a result.”

“I think we may both be a bit warmer. I feel warmer already.”

Snuggling and kissing in the coach darkened by the tightly tied shades, Ben and Katherine didn’t notice that it was getting decidedly darker outside and that the wind was even stronger. Their first clue that something was wrong was when they felt the coach lurch to one side before the driver righted it. Within seconds, it slid to the other side of the road throwing both Ben and Katherine to the side of the coach. The coach slowed some but kept on going. Ben pulled one of the blinds to the side and was shocked to see a white environment outside. They were in the middle of a snowstorm and miles away from a way station. He looked back at Katherine who could not see his expression in the gloomy interior of the coach, but she could feel the tension in his hand and arm as he moved closer.

“It’s looking pretty stormy out there. We need to hang on to the side struts, and it wouldn’t hurt to say a prayer or two.”

No more than fifteen minutes later, the coach came to a halt, and the driver was at the door. “Gotta slow down to a walk. We only got about a few miles to go, but the road has iced up, and I can’t let the coach slide like it done back there. The road’s too narrow. We could slide right down the side. Normal speed, and we woulda made the way station in a half hour or so. Walking, it’s gonna take us a couple of hours at least. The horses are gonna struggle pulling the wagon up the grade.”

“Do you think we’ll still make the way station?” Ben was worried because of the drop in temperature.

“Course we will. Snow ain’t that heavy, but it’s slicked the road something awful. Wish I had some provisions for ya, but I never planned to be out here so late.”

Ben smiled. There was Adam’s advice. “We have sandwiches and water. We have plenty and we’ll share.” Katherine began rummaging in the basket as Ben pulled out a canteen. A sandwich in hand, the driver left with a smile as Ben and Katherine pulled the door tightly closed and snuggled under the blanket again. A few sandwiches and hours of talking later, the coach stopped once again. The way station manager pulled the door open and offered his hand to Katherine. They trudged through the snow into the warmth of the station.

On the Ponderosa, when Adam returned, Hoss had come out to talk with him. He had been watching the storm clouds build over the mountains all day and worried about their father and Katherine. “You think they’re gonna be all right?”

“I packed a blanket, water, and food with them. These early snows often don’t last that long. They’ll be fine.” Adam wasn’t as confident as he sounded but there was no point in worrying about what they couldn’t change. He and Hoss unhitched the horses and put the carriage away before heading to the house. Adam told Hoss about the plans he had for his architecture business. Hoss thought that was a good idea because Adam could spend a lot of time at his house which Abel would like.

“Lea’s in the house with Abel. That little guy is a hoot.” Hoss didn’t miss the change in Adam’s expression when he had mentioned Lea. Hoss didn’t know what was wrong, but there were signs of it in Adam and in Lea although Abel was as joyous as always so whatever it was, it hadn’t affected him. “Adam, you know you can always come to me ifn ya gotta talk about anything, dontcha?”

“I wish it was that easy. Hoss, I don’t know what to say. I guess it’ll work itself out in time. I don’t have any other answers right now.” When Adam entered the house, Abel saw him and immediately smiled, clapped his hands, and then went to him. He hardly liked anything better than to be up in his father’s arms and looking out over everyone unless of course, his father was playing with him, which he liked even more. Adam was smiling on the outside, but on the inside, he was in deep sorrow. He was beginning to think that Lea no longer loved him as she had because of the things he had told her about himself. That had happened about six weeks earlier by his best recollection, and they had been having problems getting reconnected since about that time.

Mo greeted Hoss with a hug. “Did you ask him?”

“Ask me what?”

“Aw, Mo wanted me to ask you to design a house for us. I know you’re busy with the plans you already got for your new stable and corrals and such, and you told me you got a commission from Mr. Tanck. I wasn’t sure if now was a good time to ask.”

“Now is a fine time to ask, but I thought your plan was to live in the main house here with Pa?”

“Well, we was thinking that at first, but Mo thinks Pa’s gonna marry Katherine. She’d probably like her own house here, and Hop Sing has said he would teach Mo to cook some too. Besides, I know we’d be welcome here any time we wanted so it ain’t like we’d be gone. I want a houses not too far away just like you and Joe got.”

Adam was thoughtful for a moment only. “I’m guessing that Katherine coming to live here isn’t your only concern.”

“Well, maybe. Mo and I been talking and we’d like a passel of kids. Ifn that happens, I’d like my own house, and I think Pa and Katherine wouldn’t mind at all.”

Adam had seen Lea look very serious when Hoss mentioned that he and Mo wanted a lot fo children. He guessed that he might only have Abel the way things were going. He tried not to let his sadness show and affect the happiness of his brother and his wife. “A ‘passel of kids’ sounds just right. I’ll work on plans as soon as you give me some idea of what you would like. You can talk it over and write down your ideas. I’ll draw some preliminary sketches, and if you like them, then I could do the actual building plans and specifications. Is there a timeline for this?”

“Nah, it’ll be a while. We just would like those sketches like you said. That would be nice. Then we can pick a spot and think about how we want to decorate and such.”

“Be sure to put some of those ideas down in your list of ideas for the house. It can make a difference in how I design it for you. Now I think I’d like to take my son home and have some good father and son time before he decides he needs another nap.” With that, Adam bundled up Abel as Lea put on her coat and a scarf. Then they headed to their home.

For the next several weeks, Adam was busy drawing sketches and plans as well as making lists of materials needed for each project. He made a few trips into town to get prices so he could do cost estimates. The weather remained mild and travel was not too difficult. Ben and Katherine had found the same after that first snowstorm that had threatened to strand them. The rest of their trip had been uneventful and a month in Roseville had quickly depleted their ideas for evenings out.

“Katherine, how about a trip to San Francisco? We could spend a week or two there enjoying the theatre and concerts I’m sure they have for the winter season. It’s always a mild weather there it seems.”

“Ben, that sounds wonderful. The new woman I hired to run my shop is very competent. I just have one more meeting at the bank regarding my investments and then we could go.”

Delighted, Ben made arrangements for travel. He also stopped and made a few purchases before returning to his hotel to let them know he was leaving the next day. When he and Katherine traveled, he saw the scenery with a new perspective. He was not on business so he enjoyed the views, and both of them were intrigued by the various behaviors they observed. Ben understood, better than ever, why Adam felt the need to travel. His long buried desires to see the wonders of the world was re-emerging. Katherine stood at his side as their paddlewheel boat headed to San Francisco.

“Travel kind of gets in your blood, doesn’t it?”

“It does, but I couldn’t leave my family to indulge it.”

“Why not?” Katherine didn’t need to say more. She knew that Ben knew exactly what she was thinking about that, and he did.

“I suppose the boys could handle the ranch a bit more.”

“They’re men, not boys. They haven’t been boys for a very long time.”

“I know, but they’ll always be my boys to me.”

At home on the Ponderosa, Hoss rode home after getting Ben’s telegram. He rode directly to Adam’s house because he was concerned about one thing in the telegram. Lea answered the door and sent Hoss to Adam’s office where he was working on drawings. After a brief greeting, Hoss told Adam why he was a bit worried. “Pa says he and Katherine are headed to San Francisco for a week or two. He says they may be out of touch for a while and not to worry. Adam, do you think Pa forgot about that meeting with the railroad next Friday?”

“He must be enjoying himself a lot if he forgot that. That usually brings us some of our best contracts for logs. I guess I’ll have to go. If I get to work on that right now, I can have all the figures I need and still have time to travel to get there. I suppose he forgot the meeting with the cattleman up in Paradise too. I’ll take care of that while I’m there. If Pa happens to show up for either meeting, we can do them together.”

Two days later, Adam packed for the trip. He planned to ride because he could make better time. As he said goodbye to Abel, he looked directly at Lea. “We need to talk when I get back. I don’t like living like this. You’re here and I’m here, but we are not here. I need to know what I did to make you act this way toward me. I wish I could be a better husband and a better man, but I will do my best to fix it, whatever it is. You have to know that.”

Caught completely off guard, Lea had nothing to say at first. Shocked that Adam could think that he was responsible, Lea wanted to say something to change that perspective. All she could say though were simple admissions. “Adam, it’s not you. It’s me. Yes, we do need to talk. I just haven’t known how to say what I need to say. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you. I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless, and I don’t like feeling that way.”

For the first time in a few months, Adam pulled Lea into a warm embrace, and she hugged him back. He kissed her, and even with her tears, she kissed him back. “We can handle anything if we’re together. When I get back, we’ll work on whatever it is. Now, I’m very sorry that I have to go. I’d like to stay and take care of us.”

“No, you need to go. I’ll be here, and I’ll find a way to tell you what’s wrong. I love you.”

“I love you.”

Abel was standing by Adam’s leg and tugging to get his attention. He was upset to see his mother’s tears, and neither of them was hugging him. Adam picked him up and hugged him close. “Now for a sandwich kiss.” Lea kissed one of Abel’s cheeks and Adam kissed the other. Abel loved that game and giggled. Adam handed him to Lea as he leaned forward to kiss her again. “We’re going to be all right. I’ll be back in about two weeks.” With a smile that was genuine, Adam left to get Sport and ride out. Hoss had him saddled up and ready to go. He saw the difference in Adam’s demeanor.

“Things getting better at home?”

“Progress, yes, and hopefully all will be well. Take care of them for me while I’m gone?”

“Of course. Good luck with your meetings.”

As Adam made camp that night, his father was in San Francisco and about to change the whole family dynamic. He had a ring in his pocket, champagne ordered for their table, and was wearing the new suit Katherine had helped him buy. She sat across from him dressed in a rich purple dress. Ben smiled as they talked, and finally got up the courage to ask the question that had been burning in his heart for at least a month. He had not wanted to be impulsive, but he had to ask her. “Katherine, I know I did this once before, but I have to ask again. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?” Smiling, Katherine nodded and then said she would. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“Ben, I’ve been wondering when you would ask. Ever since we were riding in that snowstorm, I knew we would be together. It felt so wonderful and safe to be in your arms. That’s when I knew we belonged together. You know that I hired a woman to run my shop in my absence. What I didn’t tell you was that those meetings at the bank and with my lawyer were to transfer all of my investments to Nevada or put them in the hands of people I can trust here. I wanted to be ready when you asked.”

Pulling the ring from his pocket, Ben reached for Katherine’s hand and slipped it on her finger. “Thank you so much. Then, can we go home? I need to tell my boys, ahh, my sons.”

“Yes, Ben, let’s go home.”

Chapter 4

Sitting on the edge of the bed in the home of Thomas Archer, Adam rubbed his neck and tried to stretch out the tight muscles of his back as well. He was angry and frustrated. The terms, the price, and the conditions that had been offered and then counter-offered a number of times were unacceptable. The Ponderosa would almost certainly lose money unless the weather, the cattle, and the terrain were remarkably forgiving and gentle. They would have to get the herd to this area in record time and in great condition. Considering the terrain that had to be covered and that the delivery was desired in springtime when weather conditions were the most variable, he knew it was a hopeless venture. He thought he would try to get a decent night of sleep and then head home in the morning. He felt he had wasted enough time. A knock at the door interrupted his angry thoughts. He opened the door to find Melanie Archer standing at his door.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? I have some things I’d like to tell you.”

Reluctant to do that because Adam remembered all the flirting, teasing, and light touches he had received from Melanie Archer ever since he arrived, Adam could hardly deny her entrance into a room in her home. He simply backed away to allow her to enter. She did and pushed the door closed, which made him uneasy because he didn’t want Thomas to get any wrong ideas. Things began to get worse almost immediately.

“You aren’t being very friendly to me. I’ve tried to be nice to you, but you won’t let me. Why don’t you like me?”

“I like you just fine, but I’m married.”

“That’s all right with me. I’ve been liked by quite a few men who are married.”

“It’s not all right with me. I would never be unfaithful to my wife.”

Melanie unbuttoned the top of her dress then exposing her breasts and moved closer to Adam. “If that’s true, why are you reacting to me?”

Briefly, Adam was tempted, but then recalled his parting with his wife. He knew that if he did anything wrong now it could end his relationship with Lea. He backed away from Melanie. “You should go now. You shouldn’t be in my room at all. This isn’t proper.”

“Who cares about proper. All I’m asking is for you to show me a little consideration. It won’t take long. Then you can finish your negotiations with my father. You would be a lot more relaxed if you just did what I wanted.” Melanie moved closer and reached out to touch Adam below the waist. He grabbed her wrist and prevented her from touching him. “Stop that. Ouch, you’re hurting me.”

At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Thomas Archer stood there shocked. “Get away from my daughter. Melanie, did he hurt you?”

Quickly pulling her dress together, she quietly answered her father. “Only my wrist.”

“I could see that. Mr. Cartwright, I’m going to have to insist you come with me to the sheriff’s office. In some places, I would have the right to shoot you, but I will try to be civilized about this.”

“I didn’t do anything to her. She was propositioning me. I grabbed her wrist to stop her.”

“Do not add to your crime by lying. If you do not accompany me, I will be forced to go to the sheriff and file a complaint against you. Now come with me, and we can keep this relatively quiet.”

“Melanie, tell the truth.”

“But, Mr. Cartwright, I did tell the truth. You lured me in here and tried to take advantage of me. You touched me and tried to get me to touch you.”

“This is ridiculous. She’s lying, and you’re unreasonable. I’m packing my things and leaving here.”

As Adam began grabbing his clothing and stuffing it into his saddlebags, Thomas turned and left pushing Melanie ahead of him. Adam should have grabbed his pistol first, but he was so angry and frustrated that he neglected to do that. When he heard noise at the door, he turned to see Thomas there with a shotgun. “Both barrels are loaded and I could cut you in half right here. Now you will come with me. Melanie, pick up his saddlebags and his holster and hand them to me.” Thomas gestured with the shotgun and Adam was forced to comply moving to the door and out into the hall. Thomas grabbed the saddlebags and holster. “Now we are going to the sheriff’s office. If you run, I will shoot.” Looking back once, Adam saw the smug look on Melanie’s face. He knew he was in a lot of trouble in a strange town. He didn’t actually know how much trouble he was in but would soon find out.

Thomas filled out a complaint against Adam, and the sheriff locked him up. Adam couldn’t understand why the sheriff wouldn’t even listen to his version of events until Thomas left and the sheriff came to his cell to talk to him. “Now, I don’t want no trouble from you. With what you done to my niece, you should hang. If you think you’re walking away from this cause your family has money, well that ain’t gonna happen. The judge will be here next week. He don’t take kindly to men who abuse women. You can expect to spend the next year or two in prison for what you done.”

“I didn’t do anything. Melanie lied.”

“My brother saw you trying to force her to touch you and her dress was open. You trying to say my brother is lying too?”

“No, but he is mistaken. I was trying to get her to stay away from me. Now, can I send a telegram to my family? My wife and my brothers are going to be worried because I should be heading home soon. When I don’t arrive, they won’t know where I am.”

“You can send a telegram after the trial. I don’t want you trying to use your family’s influence to get outta this. Now you just sit there and worry a bit about what the people in this town will do if they find out what ya done. I’m only one man. I won’t be able to stop em if they all decide to come down here and give you a little justice Paradise style. My brother is good to the people in this town, and they won’t take kindly to a man who took advantage of his daughter.”

“Can I at least have a blanket?”

“You got a jacket. That ought to be enough.”

As the sheriff exited the jail, Adam sat down on the bare mattress. He was thinking that somehow he was destined to end up in prison. He had been in one before and barely survived. He had a fair idea of what would happen to him in prison if he even got that far. In the west, people didn’t take kindly to women being abused by men. A man who cursed Julia Bulette had been beaten nearly to death in Virginia City. To have the daughter of the wealthy man who ran this town accusing him left little hope for his safety or even his survival.

Almost a week later on the Ponderosa, Ben and Katherine arrived home and announced their good news. Ben had to take some ribbing from his two younger sons because he forgot to attend the Sacramento meeting with the railroad and also forgot that he was to travel to Paradise to meet with a potential buyer for their spring drive. Hoss was starting to get a bit worried though.

“Pa, Adam sent a telegram over a week ago that he was in Paradise and heading home in two days. He oughta be here by now. I sent two telegrams to Paradise and got no answer at all. I was thinking of sending one to the sheriff of Paradise to see if he could tell me if Adam was still there.”

“All you got was that first telegram?” As Hoss nodded, Ben began to worry a bit too. “Adam should have sent another when he was leaving. He always does that. Have you said anything to Lea?”

“Nah, Joe and I been talking about it, and we didn’t want to worry her if it wasn’t necessary, but Pa, it’s beginning to feel like it’s necessary.”

“It is beginning to feel necessary. Katherine and I will go tell Lea. You two decide who’s going to go find out what’s going on.”

“Pa, we already decided. Joe and me are both going. Candy’s coming too. The spring roundup starts in about two weeks. We all got time now to go see about Adam.”

“So you had this decided before I even got back.”

“Yessir, we did. We didn’t know you was coming back about now.”

“Good. I like hearing that you two can make such good decisions. Now Adam might just be tied up in negotiations. That Archer is one stingy skinflint. No one ever seems to walk away with a good deal from him. I have heard rumors that something underhanded was going on. I’m sorry I never gave that information to Adam. It might have helped him make a deal.”

“We understand, Pa. Joe and me been a might forgetful too when we was in love.”

“But you’re still in love, aren’t you?”

“Course we are, Pa. It’s just that when you get married, it’s a different kind of love, not the kind that makes ya weak in the knees, but more like the kind that makes ya like coming home every day, and makes ya stronger cause ya got something worth fighting for.”

Smiling, Ben slapped Hoss on the shoulder. “You are one very wise man, son. Now when are you and Joe leaving?”

“In the morning, at first light. We aim to be there as fast as we can. We kinda think Adam might a run inta some trouble.”

“Perhaps he’s just not as enthusiastic about coming home as you are?”

“Nah, Pa, things was just looking up for him and Lea. He said as much to me just before he left. He woulda been in a hurry ta get home. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my gut.”

Never one to doubt Hoss’ gut feelings, Ben nodded and motioned to Katherine that they should go. They walked to Adam’s house to talk with Lea. She had the same gut feeling as Hoss, and both of them could see how worried she was with dark rings around her eyes. She had clearly lost some weight as well. Ben left and Katherine stayed. Lea finally unburdened herself of her fears and was comforted by Katherine who stayed with her for the rest of the afternoon. The next morning, Ben and Katherine stood with Mo and with Lea who was holding Abel as they wished a good and successful journey to Hoss, Joe, and Candy. Alice wasn’t feeling well so Joe had bid her and Joey goodbye before joining the others at the main house for breakfast.

For the next several days, the men rode hard like they were chasing a fugitive. By the time they reached Paradise, they and their horses were exhausted, but one bright spot was Sport standing in the stable. Adam’s saddle was there but dusty. The liveryman wouldn’t tell them where Adam was but directed them to the sheriff’s office for information.

When the three men crowded into the sheriff’s office, he shocked them with information after relieving them of their pistols. “We got an Adam Cartwright in jail here. He’s been sentenced to one year at hard labor for assault on a woman. Prison wagon ought to be here tomorrow to fetch him.”

“Adam would never assault a woman.” Joe spoke exactly what the three shocked men were thinking.

“Why didn’t he send a telegram to let us know what was happening?” Candy struck at the heart of the matter incredulous that Adam had not contacted his family.

“He had a lawyer. It’s all that was required. Now seeing as how you’re family, you can see him but only for a little while. I ain’t hosting no social club here.”

Walking ahead of the sheriff to the cell behind the office, Hoss and Joe were shocked when they saw Adam shackled to a cot. He lay on a bare mattress with his coat wrapped around him. Adam had a number of bruises on his face as well as some dried blood.

“Dadburnit, Adam, what happened to you?”

Turning to face his brothers, Adam found speaking difficult and spoke so softly that his brothers could hardly hear him. “On the way back from the trial, some men decided that I needed some punishment for my testimony as well as for what I was accused of doing. They weren’t gentle.”

“Sheriff, why is my brother shackled? He’s already in a cell.”

“It’s for his own protection cause that way nobody can break in here and haul him off to be lynched. It’s what some of them have said they would like to do. I told them he was chained so they’d never get him out of here. Now you got fifteen minutes to talk, and then you gotta go.”

As quickly as he could, Adam explained what had happened with Melanie at the Archer home and how he had been held incommunicado and convicted. ” I had a lawyer that I first met at the table at the trial. He told me to plead guilty and throw myself on the mercy of the court. He didn’t want me to testify. I did, and you can see the result.” The effort to talk so much was exhausting Adam. Both Joe and Hoss could see that he probably had some damage to his ribs because his breathing was labored and got worse as he talked more. They quickly informed Adam that Lea and Abel were fine and that Ben and Katherine were home with good news. Then the sheriff was there ordering them to leave.

“Time’s up. You can leave now. Ain’t nothing you can do anyway.”

“Sheriff, our brother needs to see a doc.” Hoss knew Adam was far worse than he was letting them know.

“Won’t matter where he’s going. He got about what he deserved, and there’ll be more of that where he’s going. We’ll make sure the other inmates know what he did to my niece. Now time for you to go, or you could find yourself locked up with him for disturbing the peace.”

Hoss and Joe exchanged looks. Joe winked and Hoss nodded. As Hoss walked back out to the office, Joe spoke up. “Sheriff, I’m not going anywhere until you get some help for my brother.”

“I already warned ya. Now get moving or you’re going in that cell with him!”

“I already told you. I’m not leaving until you get a doctor for my brother.”

“Well, you can doctor him while you sit in that cell for a few hours. Your other brother can pay your fine to get you out when you cool down.” Pulling keys from his pocket, the sheriff opened the cell door and motioned for Joe to enter. He did, and the sheriff locked the door. Moving to the office, the sheriff found Hoss and Candy standing there.

“Sheriff, my little brother does have quite a temper, but could he at least have his saddlebags? He’s got some food in there, and we ain’t ate nothing since breakfast. I’ll be back in a couple hours like you said to pay the fine and get him out.” Candy managed to keep a neutral expression as Hoss picked up his own saddlebags and handed them to the sheriff who grudgingly agreed that he could have them. Outside the office a few minutes later, he had to ask.

“My saddlebags always got some food in em, and my spare shirt is a lot bigger so Joe can use it to make some bandages for Adam’s ribs. I hope it’s enough. Now let’s get some rooms and some food while we wait to see what Joe can find out.” The Hoss proceeded to tell Candy everything Adam had been able to tell them in such a short time. “I think Joe’s got a plan. I seen the look in his eyes. He and Adam can talk it over, and we’ll go back there after we’ve had some supper to see what we’re gonna do next.”

Two hours later, there was a heated discussion in the sheriff’s office. “Sheriff, how can it hurt anything? Aren’t you sworn to uphold the law? Ain’t that about finding the truth? Ain’t you supposed to be in favor of justice?”

“I don’t like it.”

“If everything you said is true, then you have nothing to fear. She won’t say anything to change your mind or her father’s. You’ll sleep better at night for knowing the whole truth, won’t ya?”

Hoss was being as persuasive as he could. Joe’s plan was to have Melanie come to the jail at Adam’s request because he supposedly had some last words for her before he went to prison. Based on everything Adam had said, Joe suspected she would want to gloat. Sending a man to prison was quite an accomplishment for the young woman, and without knowing her, he still believed she would be quite proud of herself and unable to hold it all in if she thought only Adam was listening. Within an hour, a very reluctant Thomas Archer had agreed to the plan. He, Hoss, Joe, and Candy waited to the side of the jail in a dark alley. The sheriff walked Melanie to the jail and escorted her to the cell where Adam sat on the cot as he had for much of the last few days.

“Now, I gotta go get a meal for him. I’ll be gone about fifteen minutes. If you don’t like what he’s saying to you, then you can go sit out in my office. Those ribs of his won’t let him talk very loud so you won’t be able to hear him out there. You all right here alone with him?”

“I’ll be just fine, Uncle Dave. He can’t say anything to bother me. He’s just where he belongs.”

The sheriff made a big pretense of leaving as he clomped to the door and opened it letting the other men into the office. He slammed the door then as all five men waited silently so they could hear everything that was said.

“Melanie, why did you do it?”

Chapter 5

As Joe had suspected as he talked with Adam and devised his plan. Melanie couldn’t stop talking about how clever she was as she gloated over Adam’s fate. “All you had to do was to be nice to me. Lots of men who come to see my daddy are nice to me. I let them have what they want most, and then I tell them that I’ll tell my daddy unless they agree to the contract he offered them. They always say yes to that. Daddy thinks he’s a great negotiator because he always beats them down, but he doesn’t know the help I give him. Then Daddy gets more money, and he buys me all sorts of wonderful things.”

“Aren’t you the least bit ashamed to be selling yourself like that?”

“Not at all. It’s quite a lot of fun too. You were the best though. So many of those men were old with big bellies and wrinkles. We had to turn the lamps out so I could do it with them. None of them ever seemed to mind that. But you are all hard and muscular. You would have been the best one yet, but you had to be so mean.”

“I was being faithful to my wife. Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes. No man is faithful. Daddy goes to the fancy house in town. He doesn’t think people know, but I’ve heard them talk. I think Mama knows too. On those nights, she has a real unhappy look to her. She goes to bed real early. So don’t talk to me about men being honorable. It’s all a joke. You want one thing and one thing only. I tried to give that to you, but your insulted me. Now you’re going to get what you deserve. I’ve heard stories of what men can do to men in prison. When they find out what you did, they’ll make you pay.”

“But I didn’t do anything except say no to you.”

“Yes, and for that, you are going to suffer. No man says no to me and gets away with it.”

In the sheriff’s office, Joe wanted to feel smug, but all he could feel was sympathy for Melanie’s father and uncle. Both looked like they had lost their whole world. Devastated by what they were hearing, neither one seemed even able to breathe. Thomas Archer looked deathly pale even in the dim light thrown by the one lamp on the sheriff’s desk. The sheriff looked at his brother and softly asked him what to do.

“Let him go. He didn’t do anything. I’ll be sending Melanie to live with her aunt in Portland. Maybe she’ll be able to do something with her. It’s clear that we’ve failed.”

“What do I tell the people in town?”

“Tell them that I’ve withdrawn the complaint and that Mr. Cartwright is innocent of any wrongdoing. That’s all they need to know. I’m sure the gossip will take care of the rest.”

Melanie had heard their voices and came out to the office to find out what was going on. When she heard her father say he was banishing her to Portland, she was shocked. “But Daddy, I did it all for you. I made you the best negotiator ever. How could you do this to me?”

“Shut your filthy mouth. You’re no better than a whore. Come along home now. Your mother is going to be sick when she finds out what you’ve been doing.” Thomas grabbed his daughter by the elbow and shoved her ahead of him as he exited the office.

Without a word, the sheriff took the keys to the cell and the shackles and freed Adam. Hoss supported Adam as he walked out. Joe and Candy grabbed his saddlebags and holster when the sheriff handed those over. “I’m real sorry about all this. I had no idea.”

“Maybe if you were more interested in justice and fairness, you could do a decent job. As it is, you should resign. There’s got to be a lot of better people for this job than you.” Adam was bitter and his sharp words made that clear. He fully intended to let the attorney general of California know what had happened here and the miscarriage of justice orchestrated by the sheriff who was more interested in getting a conviction to satisfy his personal agenda than in doing his job. If the sheriff did not resign, he would face a lot more trouble in his future. He didn’t know that then, but Adam’s commitment to justice and law was strong. He would make sure things changed in Paradise. At that point though, he could barely walk by himself so a bath, a good meal, and sleeping in a real bed were higher priorities.

Hoss sent a telegram home that Adam would be fine but that they wouldn’t be home for two weeks as they were traveling slowly. Ben read between the lines to know that Adam had been hurt somehow, but was relieved that Hoss said he would be fine. Hoss would never mislead him about something like that so he told Katherine and Lea that Adam was headed home with his brothers and Candy. On the trail, the men had to nearly walk their horses most of the time and stop often. Adam had little stamina for the trip. Finally they neared Ponderosa land, and Joe and Candy rode ahead to tell everyone that Hoss and Adam would be home by the end of the day. Lea had found the waiting to be difficult and those last hours were torturous. Finally they saw specks in the distance and knew that they were nearly home. Again the slow pace of the riders made the waiting longer and more difficult, but as the specks grew larger and eventually coalesced into the shape of men on horseback, the smiles emerged. When the weary men rode into the yard, Lea carried Abel and nearly ran to where Adam was dismounting with some difficulty. He kissed her and kissed Abel before Hoss got to him to help hold him up as he began to slip to the ground. Ben was there to hold up his other side and they walked him to his house as Lea trailed behind with their son. Soon Adam was in bed despite his objections. Lea sat on a chair next to the bed with Abel who was wondering what was going on.

“If you can close your eyes for five minutes and then open them, you can stay up.”

“You’re talking to me like I’m a child.”

“When you’re hurt, you act like that sometimes. So just do it.”

To no one’s surprised, Adam was sound asleep and breathing softly before the five minutes were up. Lea smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. She held Abel so he could do the same, but he jerked back and rubbed his lips after coming in contact with Adam’s stubble for he needed a shave too. Lea smiled and then walked down the stairs where Ben and Hoss were waiting and had been joined by the rest of the family and Candy. Hoss and Joe then told them the whole sorry story. Ben wasn’t as surprised as the others.

“I knew there was something wrong with that whole situation in Paradise. People whom I know are very good at business negotiations were making terrible deals there. I wish I had never agreed to meet with Archer. Adam wouldn’t have been in this mess if I hadn’t.”

“Now Pa don’t get like ole Adam on this cause it weren’t nobody’s fault except that gal’s. She done made the whole mess herself. Joe and me met her and I feel sorry for whatever poor man her father gets her to marry.”

“Pa, Hoss is absolutely right on that one. I heard the way she talked with Adam. She’ll do anything to get what she wants. Well, and she did try to do that with Adam but he didn’t give in to her.”

Sitting very quietly, Lea listened and felt even guiltier. Adam wouldn’t have wanted to go on that trip if he had felt better about being home. She knew they needed to talk, but she wondered how that would go. When she went to put Abel to bed for the night, Katherine said she would check on Adam to see how he was doing. He was awake and asked about his family.

“Lea and Abel are fine.”

“I wish that was true.”

“Tomorrow, you come over to the house. You and I need to talk. For now, you need to rest. Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

“I get some of Hop Sing’s stew and bring it up. He brought it over when he realized we were all at your house. There’s plenty left even though Hoss enjoyed it very much.”

When Katherine was bringing the stew, she met Lea on the stairs and handed the bowl and spoon to her. “He’s hungry, but don’t let him get out of that bed. He needs to sleep more than anything now.”

Lea brought the stew to Adam and saw his eyes were drooping. She offered to feed him, but he said he could do it. Halfway through the bowl, he handed it back to her and said he was too tired to finish. He lay back down and was soon asleep. The next morning, Adam woke to a room brightened by sunshine. He felt next to him and could tell that Lea had slept beside him but was already gone. Slowly, he pulled on a robe and then made his way down the stairs. As soon as Lea saw him, she smiled.

“I have hot water ready for you. I’ll fill the tub in the washroom. I have clean clothing in there already and some nice towels.”

Adam nodded in appreciation and walked to the washroom where he dropped the robe and began pealing off the wrap around his ribs. When they were gone, he tried a deep breath and found it wasn’t too painful.

“Do you need me to wrap those ribs when you’re done?”

Declining, Adam moved to the tub that was filled with hot water. He slipped in and leaned back letting the water soak away a lot of the soreness. Then he soaped himself up trying to scrub away the grit of the trail as well as the memory of Melanie and all that had happened in Paradise. After bathing and shaving, he sat down to a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits. He ate it all.

“Katherine wants to see me this morning. I thought I would walk over there with Abel. I know he probably missed his Uncle Horsey as much as he missed me.”

Knowing what Katherine probably had in mind for a conversation with Adam, Lea smiled. “Perhaps you could leave Abel with his uncle when you’re ready to come back?”

“I don’t know. I missed him a lot too.”

“Well, whatever you think best. I’ll be waiting for you.”

It was a warmer conversation than they had been having before he left except for that last promising one. Adam could only hope that they would be able to reconnect. He needed her more than ever but found that difficult to admit. Once he was at the main house, Katherine had him sit by the fireplace. Hoss, Mo, and Ben were sitting at the dining room table enjoying coffee. They all knew what the conversation would be, and wanted to be there to help if needed.

“She’s afraid of you.”

Adam was affronted that Katherine had even said that. “I would never hurt her. Why would she ever be afraid of me?”

“She’s afraid of what you can do to her. When you’re together. At night. In bed.” Katherine kept adding more because it was clear that Adam had no idea what she meant. Finally he got it.

“She’s afraid of being with child?”

“Of course she is. Most women feel terrible after a miscarriage. Lea feels it was her fault, and she’s afraid of doing it again.”

“But it wasn’t her fault. Paul said there was something wrong from the beginning and that’s why she had the cramps and even some bleeding. Lea didn’t do anything wrong. She has no reason to blame herself.”

“You two are way too much alike. Of course she blames herself. She’s the one who lost the baby.”

“We lost the baby.”

“Yes, I know that, but she was the one who physically lost the baby. She feels that loss deeply, and her fear is keeping her from doing anything that could lead to the same result. But just because you bury something, that doesn’t mean it stops existing. That baby is still here with you.”

“But the other time she was with child, we had Abel. We could have another child who is just as wonderful.”

“I know that too, but you need to tell that to Lea and convince her. Healing this wound is not about forgetting but about learning to live with the memory.”

After walking to the table and handing Abel to Hoss, Adam walked back and grabbed Katherine to give her a kiss. Then he turned and left leaving his coat and hat on the credenza. At first, Katherine thought to call out to him that he had forgotten them, but then smiled as she realized he wouldn’t even notice. He was heading home to take care of his marriage and to be with his wife. The temperature of the air wouldn’t matter. A short time later, Adam was in another serious discussion.

“Worrying won’t stop the bad things from happening. It just makes it nearly impossible to enjoy the good things in life.”

“Another Adam’s Bible quotation?”

“No, that’s something Joe has told me on more than one occasion. I worry too much. You worry too much. We need to find time to enjoy the good times. You never know when they will be snatched away so you have to get everything you can while you can. We don’t know what will happen if you are with child again. Abel is wonderful, and the miscarriage was terrible. We can’t deny either of those truths, but we can trust in God that whatever happens, it was meant to be.”

“All right. Let’s go to bed now.”

“What?”

“We need to go to bed. I won’t be able to do this unless we just do it. Please?”

Kissing Lea and holding her close, Adam felt her relax into his arms, but as they walked to the bedroom a few minutes later, he could feel the tension in her body. He had a better understanding at that moment of high wire artists like those he and Lea had seen in Italy. One tiny misstep could result in disaster. He knew he had to be exceedingly careful, but there was the goal in mind that he couldn’t forget either. Their future was figuratively in his hands at that point.

Helping Lea undress, Adam never released her from him. He kept one arm around her the entire time as he touched, caressed, and kissed her. She helped him undress as well. As he moved her to the bed, he guided her down with his arm around her and lay beside her. He kissed her again, and then very slowly worked to make her ready for him. Never releasing her even in the midst of passion, they made love for the first time in months. Afterwards, Lea lay in his arms with her face pressed against his chest. Adam could feel the tears. Finally, Lea spoke.

“I could be with child now.”

“Yes, you could but probably not. Perhaps we will have a blond girl the next time or maybe a blond boy.”

“Or maybe a girl with brown hair and hazel eyes.”

“She would be a beauty then if she looked like her mother.”

“Or her father.”

“We’ll take things as they go. Together.”

“Yes.”

The two of them lay together quietly then, and satisfied to be in the arms of the one they loved. After about a half hour, Lea looked up at Adam.

“How long do you think they’re willing to take care of Abel?”

Grinning like he hadn’t in months, he had an answer. “I’m sure it will be long enough.” Then he kissed her with unbridled passion.

Chapter 6

“Joe, how did you know she would confess it all to me? She hadn’t said anything truthful up until then.”

“I thought she wouldn’t pass up the chance to gloat if she thought no one was there but you. She tried to make you do things the way she wanted, and I just thought she would want to throw that in your face that she had been able to do that to you. She was sending you to prison and there was nothing you could do about it.”

“Very well thought out, younger brother. Well done. If I haven’t thanked you enough, thank you again. You saved my life with that one.”

“Well, you pulled my bacon out of the fire more than once. It was the least I could do.”

The brothers were standing on a section of level pasture not too far from the houses where Adam wanted to put another stable and some paddocks for his horses. He had purchased a pair of Merens ponies, and five Friesians. He thought that the Merens ponies would make a good horse for the mountains because that was what he and Lea had ridden in the mountains of France. He thought the strength of the Friesians and their beauty would make them in high demand as carriage horses. There was a very large demand for carriage horses and not that many for sale so prices were quite high for them. With the beauty of the Friesians and their strength, he thought to make a large profit on each sale.

Joe had already bred the Friesian stallion with some mustang mares and even those foals looked promising. He and Joe planned to improve the bloodline of the horses on the Ponderosa for strength, agility, and looks. The Merens ponies were being crossbred with Ponderosa stock for that reason as well. If they were successful, then Ponderosa horses would be in even greater demand and the prices would go up.

Adam had purchased several more Friesians, which had not yet arrived, because he wanted his own horse breeding operation as well. Ben raised his eyebrows every time Adam and Joe began talking about the horse breeding plans they had. The stables were for the Friesians and the Merens horses only. The plan was that the Friesian mares were only to be bred by the Friesian stallion, but the Merens would be carefully crossbred with horses Joe picked for that purpose.

“How many horses do you have coming?”

“Six Friesians: two stallions and four mares. If you and Hoss would like to share the cost, I was thinking we could gift the two of the mares to Pa and Katherine for their wedding. They would have the prettiest and best set of carriage horses this side of the Sierras.”

“I like the idea, but they’re getting married in two weeks. Will the horses be here by then?”

“I got a telegram yesterday that they’re in St. Louis. They should be here by the day after tomorrow. All we have to do is find a place to keep them until the wedding. Then they can show up pulling the carriage for Pa and Katherine.”

“That’s a great idea. I bet Hoss would want to be in on it too.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you about an offer I got for the Merens ponies. A horse breeder in California is willing to pay me three times the amount I spent on them. That would pay for the shipping too, and give me about one hundred per cent profit.”

Whirling to look at Adam, Joe was shocked. “Why don’t you just pull the heart out of my chest and eat it in front of me.” That earned Joe one of Adam’s classic looks until he finally had to ask. “What? You said you were going to sell those ponies just after we talked about how much they could improve the bloodlines of our horses here.”

“No, I said I got an offer.” Then Adam made him sweat a little. Adam rather liked this conversation. It reminded him of earlier and happy times.

“Well, so what are you going to do about it?”

“So, what am I going to do about it? That depends on you somewhat.”

“Stop talking like Pa, and just spit it out, would you?”

Hoss walked up to them about that point and heard those last statements. As he had neared them, he had seen Joe’s red face and Adam’s smirk, and he knew this would be a great conversation to observe. Those two brothers of his could be very entertaining especially when Adam began casting things out there to rile Joe. It was like making a fish chase after the bait before you hooked it and reeled it in for dinner. Hoss could tell that Adam was enjoying it too. Joe wasn’t, but Hoss assumed there would be a payoff in this for Joe because Adam never did this out of cruelty so there was always something for Joe for enduring the wordplay.

“I was wondering if there was anyone around here who would like to get in the horse importing business with me. I have contacts to buy the horses, but I could never go back to Europe to set up a deal. In fact, I would rather not have anyone in France or Italy knowing that I’m alive and well in Nevada. The troubles I had there were more than enough.”

“So if we got into this business, I would have to go to Europe?”

“Or we would have to find someone who knows something about horses who would be willing to go.”

Joe started to smile then. “It would also have to be someone who knew about setting up bank transfers and arranging contracts.”

“Oh yeah, and it would have to be someone who didn’t mind traveling and had the time to do all of that too.”

“Yes! And someone who had a good reason to take an extended trip so for a honeymoon or something like that.”

Adam and Joe grinned at each other then. Hoss wondered why until it dawned on him as well. “Pa!”

“Will he have to go every time we want to buy some horses?”

“No, we just need someone to set up the arrangements for purchase and shipping. After that, it would be like clockwork.”

“But, Adam, what if they tried to cheat you?”

“Hoss, we’ll pay premium prices for their horses. They’ll make more money by not cheating us.”

“But how are you fixing to make money on this if you have to pay high prices for the horses?”

“Premium prices in their market are bargain prices here. We’ll charge two or three times what we paid for them. That will take care of the shipping and leave at least one hundred per cent profit. Even if we have some losses along the way, we’ll still make a lot of money with this.”

“Hot diggity! Can I get in on this too?”

“Of course, and if Pa agrees, it can be a Ponderosa business. We should probably create a corporation for it, but we would be the stockholders so it would be a privately owned corporation.”

“Yeah, yeah, you figure out all that fancy business stuff. I jist like getting them horses here. Joe, do you like the idea too?”

“Of course I do. Adam, who would run this corporation if you set it up?”

“Well, we would need a president, secretary, and treasurer. How do you feel about being one of those?”

“I suppose I get to be the secretary or the treasurer.”

“I was thinking president, but if you want secretary or treasurer, then you can have it.”

“No, no, if you want me to be president, I’m all for it. What job does Hoss get?”

“Well, if you’re president, then he would be the vice-president. I could be secretary and Pa could be treasurer if he’s willing. We could put stock in our children’s names too. Hoss, when you have some, we’ll do that for yours too.”

“Well, I was meaning to mention this to ya. You won’t have to be waiting too long on that. Doc says he figures it’s about six months from now.”

Joe jumped up and down, and then slapped Hoss on the back. “Congratulations, big brother. Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“Well, we wasn’t sure, but the Doc said it’s all normal like, and everything is all right, so we figured now would be the time to tell everybody. Now don’t be telling your ladies cause Mo wants to do that, and I ain’t told Pa yet either.”

“Lots of changes around here. Pa’s doing well with them so far, but I have to wonder how much he can take. He likes to be in charge, and he’s losing some of that especially if we set up this horse import business.” Adam was worried. He knew his father had been uneasy finding out that Adam was going to run a small architectural business from his home as well as a horse breeding operation for the Friesians. Now that Joe and Hoss were in favor of the new horse import business, he wondered how his father would react. He had never easily accepted the changes that Adam suggested for running the Ponderosa although those windmills had done wonders for providing adequate water for their herds.

“Adam, you look a mite worried. You don’t think Pa’s gonna be upset about all this, are you, cause I think he’s gonna like the idea. We need to set things up for the next generation so that they can inherit just like we’ll each get a piece of the Ponderosa.”

“Well, Hoss, you see, that’s another thing I’ve been thinking about. If we divide the Ponderosa three ways, and then divide again for our children, and they do that for theirs, the Ponderosa won’t exist any longer. It happened to the Puritans. They kept dividing up their property with their sons, and soon no one had a farm large enough to support a family, and a lot of them had to move on to other areas and the ones who stayed behind could barely support themselves.”

Joe understood immediately. “You want to make the Ponderosa one big business so that all of us have plenty and so will our children and their children.”

“That is what I was thinking. If we diversify into some other businesses, we can keep the main ones we have now with the cattle and the timber, but we can have lots of other businesses we can handle from here too. Instead of dividing the Ponderosa, we divide the responsibilities.”

“What do you think Pa will think about doing that, Adam. You know he don’t like no new ideas when he thinks the old ideas are working just fine.” Hoss was concerned especially with their father’s wedding approaching and didn’t want to upset him.

“He probably won’t like any of the ideas much. I would think that perhaps the trip to Europe would work the best. He and Katherine deserve a honeymoon, and he hasn’t been able to travel much for the last few years. We could suggest just that, and we could talk more about doing the other things. Maybe if the horse importing works out, he would be willing to listen to some other changes.”

“So we got to be patient.” Hoss was willing to do it that way.

“And persistent. We should be like the trees and the grass.” Adam stared into the distance.

“Huh?” Hoss was confused.

Joe was ready. “You know, Hoss. That one old saying Adam used to use. The tree teaches me patience and the grass teaches me persistence. I’m sure it’s in Adam’s Bible. It reminds me about that saying that a mighty oak that grows from a tiny acorn. We start small and stick with it, and eventually, we’ll get it like we want it.”

“Yes indeed, Joe, patience is bitter but it’s fruit is sweet. Just keep this among us for now. We’ll drop the idea about the trip casually in conversation saying one of us will have to go, and then we’ll see if we can guide Pa to that decision.”

“Adam, I always said you was sneaky, but, dadburnit, you really are good at this sneaky stuff.”

“Hoss, it isn’t sneaky to plan and to prepare.”

“It just seems sneaky to me, I guess. You seem like you’re in a good mood. Things better at home?”

Pausing before answering, Adam nodded. “It’s taking some time for Lea to accept everything. When she finds out Mo is with child, it may stir things up for her a bit again, but she can handle it now that she’s faced it. There are some days that are better than others. Today is a very good day already.” He grinned then and his brothers laughed. They knew exactly what he meant.

When the three met their father for lunch, they brought up the horse import idea and the plan to incorporate it as a separate business so that the Ponderosa would not be liable if anything went wrong.

“Boys, that sounds like a wonderful idea, but which of you is going over there to set everything up? There have to be contracts signed and arrangements will have to be made with the banks. All of you are very capable of judging horseflesh, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for Adam to go back there.”

“Pa, we were thinking along those same lines. We were wondering if you wouldn’t mind considering an extended honeymoon trip to Europe and taking some time to do all of that for us. We could handle things here with the three of us.”

“Oh so you thought an extended honeymoon trip to Europe and taking time to set this up for you is a good idea? And you three would handle everything here?” Joe’s head dropped and Hoss sighed, but Adam caught that glint of humor in his father’s eye. They had intrigued him with the possibilities. He was thinking it over. He had that way of repeating what someone said in order to buy time to compose his response. Keeping a neutral look, Adam waited. “Well, I think I should talk that over with Katherine because it’s her honeymoon too. I’ll get back to you on that.”

After their lunch to discuss business, Joe and Adam went to their homes. Adam was concerned about how Lea’s reaction to the news Mo had shared with the ladies. He found her smiling and playing with Abel. She saw Adam’s look and had a fair idea of why he looked so worried.

“I’m fine. Seeing how happy Mo is about this, I couldn’t help but smile. I remember how I felt when Abel was growing inside me. It was like being in heaven walking around knowing there was a life in there that we created. I know those are the memories I need to keep close to my heart. When I was with child the second time, I never felt that way. I was worried all the time. Now I know why there was such a difference. I’ve accepted that the second one was never meant to be, but I want to give that little one a name so I can see our baby in heaven. They must go to heaven, don’t they even if they’re so small?”

“I’m sure they do. What name did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking Clare. It can be a boy’s name or a girl’s name, and we don’t know which our baby was. Hop Sing told me he knows where he buried Clare, so if we could put a marker there, just for us, that would help me.”

“We’ll do that. I can chip that name into a stone. We’ll place it there and then plant a rose or something else permanent so it’s never disturbed.”

So that’s what they did. They marked the spot where Clare was, and Adam planted an apple tree at Lea’s request. The rest of the family knew what they were doing but let the couple have their privacy. It was never mentioned again but was in Lea’s thoughts every time she saw that apple tree bloom in the future and then bear fruit for the family. In her mind, Clare was there and still part of them. It was what made her able to look forward to another baby, and she began hoping very much to have a daughter.

Chapter 7

“Calm down. Mo had our baby and there wasn’t any problem. Alice had her second and no problem there either. Lea’s gonna be fine.”

“The first time she gave birth, Hoss, I was in so much pain from the broken bones, I never heard her or knew how hard it was for her. This time I can hear her, and it’s been so long.”

“It has been quite a while, but Mo and Alice have been down here a couple of times to tell you everything was fine. You know they’d never lie to ya, dontcha? And ya gotta think of Abel. If you keep acting so scared like, he’s gonna stay upset. Now Pa’s gonna be back with him shortly, and you need to be ready to smile for him and tell him everything is gonna be all right.”

“I wish Doctor Martin would get here.”

“Now you got three women up there who done did this before. They know what they’re doing. You gotta trust em. Besides, it seems like a real long time to us, but it’s only been six hours. Heck, Mo was twelve hours with Dot.”

“Why do you persist in calling her Dot instead of Dorothy or Dottie like everyone else?”

“She’s just a little Dot to me. I cain’t help it. She looks like a Dot to me. It’s like Joseph is Joey and Maureen is Mo and Gabrielle is Gabi. Heck, Abel is Abel. Cain’t see calling him anything else. I’m Hoss even though my given name is Eric. And Joe is Little Joe no matter how much it irritates him nowadays.”

Smiling, Adam nodded. Joe did get perturbed when his brothers or father slipped into the old habit and called him Little Joe. Hoss was happy to have gotten Adam’s mind off of Lea’s labor and getting him to smile. At that moment, Ben walked back into the house with Abel who clapped his hands when he saw his father smiling. Adam grinned and reached out his arms for his son who nearly leaped from Ben’s arms into Adam’s.

“Mama?”

“Your Mama is upstairs having a baby. Soon, you’re going to have a baby brother or a baby sister.”

“Dot?”

“No, a new one.”

“Gabi?”

“No, even newer than Gabi and smaller.”

Pointing at the stairs, Abel wanted to go see his mother. “Go to Mama.”

“No, we can’t yet. We have to wait until she tells us we can go upstairs to see the baby.”

“Now.”

“Abel, I said no. You need to listen to me.”

“No. Now.”

Walking to the kitchen, Adam had only one comment. “Excuse me because my son and I need to have a little discussion.”

“Pa, do ya think he’s gonna spank him?”

“I doubt it. I saw him have a talk with Abel a few days ago about his use of no, and Adam had him in tears by talking to him. He has that teacher voice that can scare the smart mouth out of grammar school children. One two-year-old boy doesn’t stand a chance with him.”

Soon, Adam was back, and Abel had his head down on Adam’s shoulder. The tear tracks were still visible. Adam sat in his favorite chair and asked if anyone needed anything. Abel leaned back to look at his father. “Cookie?”

“What are you supposed to say first?”

“Please?”

“Yes, I’ll get some cookies for everyone. Abel, will you help me?”

That got a smile, and the two of them went back to the kitchen in a much better frame of mind than a short time earlier. Soon they were back with coffee, cookies, and one small glass of milk. Abel knelt down by the coffee table in front of the fire. Adam put a cookie and the milk in front of him.

“You let him eat out here? Now that’s not a criticism. I’m only curious.”

“Pa, he’s on the slate part of the floor. He knows that he can eat there or at the dining table. At either place, it’s easy to clean up a spill, so yes, he can eat there if we’re out here with him.” Abel smiled at his grandfather and held up his cookie. The men ate cookies too, and when Abel finished his, he wanted another. “No, only one for you. You need to eat dinner in an hour.”

“Uncle Horsey had more.”

“Your Uncle Hoss is bigger than you. When you get as big as he is, you can have more than one too.” That caused Abel’s eyes to get very big. “Or perhaps as soon as you get as big as me or your Grandpa, you can have more than one.” That seemed to reassure the little boy. All of this activity had taken Adam’s mind off of Lea’s labor, but Doctor Martin arrived then, and suddenly Adam realized how quiet it had been for the past half hour. He looked at Hoss and his father. “You don’t think anything is wrong, do you?”

By then Paul was in the house and headed up the stairs. Adam wanted to follow but was told to be patient. He wasn’t good at being patient. When Lea had discovered that she was with child, Adam had been encouraging and supportive. He spent so much time making sure Lea was in a good frame of mind, he didn’t have time to worry. However in the last two months as she grew quite large and his birthday approached, he had been more and more concerned that something could go wrong. He knew he shouldn’t, but he had the attitude that if he expected the worst, then anything else that happened would be a relief. However he had been fighting being in despair for some time, and that morning when she had awakened with labor pains, Adam had found his heart racing. It had yet to calm down although he did his best to remain outwardly calm and in control. His flushed cheeks however were a dead giveaway as to his inner turmoil. Ben walked to Adam’s study and returned with a glass of whisky.

“Here, you take this and I’ll watch over Abel for a bit. You don’t want to go up to see Lea looking like you’re so scared. It will only worry her.”

Wanting very much to deny his father’s words, Adam couldn’t. The truth was there and couldn’t be denied. He took the glass and swallowed a generous portion even though he rarely drank whisky. There were times when he did, and this was one of them.

Ben watched his eldest son. Ever since he had returned home, he was different. There was a vulnerability there that hadn’t been visible before he had traveled to Europe and ended up in a horrible ordeal. In many ways, he was still the same, but he was more willing to enjoy the moment than he had ever been. It was also a lot of fun for Ben to observe his son being a father. Adam had always liked things orderly and efficient. It was what made him so frustrated with his youngest brother for Little Joe upset the routine of life on a over and over again when he was young. Now Adam was experiencing that with his son who had a stubborn streak that threatened to be even greater than his father’s. Abel was also intelligent and quite agile already which meant he got into a lot of mischief although he never meant harm. Ben couldn’t help the grin that had threatened to break out into a full smile as he watched Abel eat his cookie with those blue hands. Just a few days earlier, he had gotten into Adam’s ink well and both hands were stained very blue yet. Lea very wisely bought dark colors for the boy to wear which also made him happy because he dressed a lot like his father.

A knock on the door surprised almost everyone, and Hoss went to answer. It was Lea’s parents and a stack of luggage. Harry escorted his wife in and smiled when he saw Adam’s expression. From what they told us at Ben’s house, you have good reason to forget we were arriving. Now don’t feel badly. We found a man at the livery stable more than willing to make the drive, and your sheriff was very friendly and informed us of all the changes in the your family. In great detail, I might add.”

“Harry, I am so sorry. I had every intention of taking the carriage into town to greet you.”

“Now is this our grandson. I don’t think I remember him with blue hands though.”

Adam dropped his head to the side and scratched his neck. “He had an unfortunate incident with the ink well yesterday. It should all fade away in a few weeks.”

Lea’s mother couldn’t wait any longer. “Is our daughter upstairs now?”

“Yes, and I’ll show you the way. I’d like an update myself.”

Just at that moment, Katherine appeared at the top of the stairs and was surprised to see two strangers with her family. Nevertheless, she had an announcement to make. “Adam, Lea would like you to greet the newest addition to the family.”

Forgetting all about Lea’s parents, Adam bounded up the stairs and past Katherine almost before she finished speaking. “I was going to say she could use a few minutes, but I guess it’s too late for that.” Descending the stairs, Katherine smiled at the couple standing with Ben for as she had watched them, she had seen the resemblance to Lea. “She’s fine. It was a relatively simple labor and quick. I’m Katherine.”

“Where Papa go?”

“Sweetie, he went up to see your Mama and the new baby.”

“Go.”

“No, you should wait a few minutes.”

With that, Abel began to cry. He didn’t know these two strangers, his father and mother were gone, and no one would take him there. The cry was so plaintive that Katherine gave in. She took him from Ben’s arms. “Now I’ll take you upstairs to see your Mama and your Papa, but you can’t cry. All right?” Sniffling, Abel nodded. Ben had a tear in his eye at how much Abel was like his father at that age. As Katherine walked up the stairs with Abel, Ben followed behind and signaled to Lea’s parents to follow. Doctor Martin was leaving the bedroom when Katherine arrived.

“Lea is fine, and young Abel here is going to be the big brother to his little sister who looks a great deal like him. She’s healthy. Go on in but don’t let Lea hold Abel. She needs to stay still until tomorrow morning. I’ll talk to you all downstairs after you see the baby.”

As Katherine stepped into the room, she was nearly overcome with emotion. Adam was kneeling next to the bed by Lea’s head. He had one hand on their baby’s head, and was leaning forward talking softly. “Adam, your son was a bit distraught with all of you gone.”

Turning to his son, Adam put out his arms and took him from Katherine. “Abel, this is your baby sister.” Abel said nothing as he stared at the tiny bundle in his mother’s arms. He looked at Adam and then back at the baby. He was speechless, which was very unusual for him. Adam knew that his mind was trying to process this news, but he was finding it difficult. Lea pulled the small blanket back from the baby’s face to show more of her to her brother. Abel stared as his grandparents smiled at their grandchildren. “Katherine, can you hold the baby and sit with Lea? I want to take Abel downstairs and introduce him to the grandparents he doesn’t know yet.” Adam leaned down to kiss Lea and then held Abel so he could give her a kiss as well. All the time, Abel was staring at the baby and continued to do so until they left the room. Then he turned his attention to Lea’s parents. Doctor Martin was having a sandwich and cup of coffee by the time they returned to the seating in front of the fireplace. Adam sat down with Abel in his lap as Doctor Martin explained what he already had explained to Adam and Lea upstairs.

“Lea had some bleeding. Everything has been repaired, but she needs to stay in that bed at least until tomorrow morning. Then she can get up but only to sit in a chair for meals or to nurse her baby. Someone needs to help her from the bed to the chair and back again. That will be the routine for the next week. I’ll come back every day to check to make sure there is no infection. I know there are a lot of people here to help out, but you know how stubborn she is. Everyone has to be forceful with her and not let her do anything until she’s healed.”

Harry had a question. “What’s the baby’s name?”

“Emma Cynthia Cartwright.”

Harry grinned and his wife nearly cried. “Adam, thank you so much. I love the name.”

“We thought that you might. Now, perhaps my father could hold Abel, and I’ll show you to a guest room. It’s next to Abel’s room, and you’ll be the first guests to stay in it. Eventually it will be Emma’s room, but for now, she’ll be in the room next to ours. The water closet is between the two sets of bedrooms.” Once Adam got his in-laws settled into the guest room, he came back downstairs. “Lea is sleeping, and Katherine is rocking Emma who is also sleeping. Cynthia is going in there soon to take a turn rocking the baby. Harry will be down soon.” Once Harry returned, Adam introduced him to Abel as his grandfather.

“No.”

“Yes, everyone has two grandpas. You have Grandpa Ben and this is Grandpa Harry. You have two uncles, don’t you? And two aunts?” Abel looked less sure of himself then. “Well you have two grandpas and two grandmas too.”

“Grampa and Grampa Harry?”

“That will do, I guess.”

“Gramma and Gramma Sintha?”

“Yes, that’s what you have.”

“Cookies?”

“After dinner.” Suddenly Adam realized that there was nothing for dinner, and he had guests besides. Ben saw the panicked look and assured him that Hop Sing had taken care of it, and there was plenty of food on the stove. Adam sighed and wondered how he would get through the next week. Harry smiled and reminded him that Cynthia would be there and was a good cook herself. “Thank you, Harry. Your visit is certainly welcome, but I don’t want you to just work while you’re here.”

“Oh, I won’t. Ben and Katherine have already volunteered to show me and Cynthia around the place. We’ll fit it in with getting to know Abel, and helping you out with Lea. I still find it odd to call her that. I want to call her Harry, but that would really confuse the boy, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, probably.”

For the next week, Harry and Cynthia helped out with Lea and the baby but also had time to take tours of the Ponderosa. They were very impressed with the horse breeding operation that Adam had started with Joe. Since the Merens ponies and Friesian horses had arrived, Adam and Joe had purchased some thoroughbreds and were building up a market for race horses as well as carriage horses and horses for ranches and the Army so there were actually three horse breeding operations. The Ponderosa had started a separate business for importing and selling horses that was very profitable. Ben had made the arrangements for that when he took Katherine on a four month honeymoon which included a trip across the Atlantic to England and France. Hoss had gotten his Red Poll cattle as well as Texas Longhorns and was crossbreeding to get a hearty but meaty animal for market. That was going quite well too. The night before Harry and Cynthia were planning to leave to head back home, Harry and Adam sat outside Adam’s house talking.

“I can tell how happy Lea is, and Abel is one of the happiest little boys I have ever met. Are you happy, Adam?”

“Yes, I am. I’m busy, but I feel like I’m making a difference now. Pa and Katherine are handling a lot of the paperwork for the separate businesses we’re operating, and all three sons now have individual responsibilities although we are still working some of that out. We help each other and offer advice, but when it comes right down to it, the one in charge gets to make the decision. I also have some architectural work, which I do mostly over the winter months. That has been very satisfying as well. And I get to come home to Lea and my children in my home every day. That is perhaps the most satisfying of all. So, yes, I am happy.”

“So the risks, the trouble, and the challenges were worth it?”

“Yes, by taking risks and breaking out of the routine I was in led to all of this, so it was definitely worth it. I would recommend to anyone to go out there to take some chances and to face some challenges. The wisdom gained and the knowledge accumulated makes life better. I’m looking forward to what comes next.”