“A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…” – Ecclesiastes 3.5, The Holy Bible

Summary:  Adam and Shiloh are in their seventh month of marriage and have been busy learning the boundaries of married life and how to live with each of their busy schedules.  They think the ghosts of the past are gone.  The worst is behind them,  In life, things can change in an instant.  They think they’ve learned to compromise.  Rating: PG-13  Reader Alert: Some violence, mild adult situations  (159,575 words)

Feedback: I like all feedback, good or bad. Truly. Even if it’s brutal. How else will I learn?

To Everything, There is a Season Series:

Reacquaintance
Falling
Togetherness
Growing Pains
Family Ties
Life’s Demands

 

                                          Family Ties

 

Chapter One

Tiptoeing into the bedroom, Adam sat down on the chair by the bed, watching Shiloh sleep.   They had arrived home just the day before from her last performances of the year in Salt Lake City and Denver City where, after fainting on the last note of the last song of the last performance, they discovered she was carrying their first child.

The private coach her brother, Micah, had purchased for her had been a blessing for their travels.  Even so, this last trip home had taken its toll on her.  For days, she sat by the window, trying to stay comfortable in the unusually warm October weather while watching the starkness of the desert landscape pass by.  Occasionally she’d sigh and move her hand to her stomach.  She had been virtually silent after they left Denver City, saying little more than ‘thank you’ or ‘no thank you’ and offering a timid smile every now and then.  Adam patiently waited, knowing she would speak when she had settled all the conflict going through her mind that she could alone.

She had questioned whether she was ready.  She had said the idea of being responsible for another life frightened her.  Yet, she had stopped being careful, knowing how badly he wanted a child.  Over the course of the nine day return trip and now at home, she was quietly coming to terms with the effect a child would have on their lives, her independence, and her aspirations.

If loving her even more deeply was possible, he did.

She had felt fine through most of the trip until they reached the Forty Mile Desert.  Adam had made very specific preparations for crossing that part of the desert.  He knew the heat, the sand and the lack of water would turn the distance from what normally would have taken a few days into possibly a week long hot, gritty, sweaty journey that many people as well as animals didn’t survive.

 

He had her change into a light day dress and stay in the coach out of the sun, bringing forth complaints that the coach was like an oven.  Adam knew it felt no different than being outside in the scorching heat.  He had acquired a barrel of water that he placed in the rear boot, knowing that any water they drank, they’d sweat out.  He also purchased dried beef, bacon, beans and coffee for them and the driver, and hay for the horses.

Her growing lethargy had concerned him.  Not only had she become physically tired, she also had begun to show mental weariness.  He knew she hadn’t slept well during the trip.  He also knew this baby weighed heavily on her mind.  He had hoped that after they arrived at the Flying W, where she would be comfortable in her own home and her own bed, her physical fatigue would diminish.  And perhaps after a visit with Paul Martin, some of her fears would be assuaged.  Until then, all he had been able to do was make her as comfortable as possible.

Instead of going on into Virginia City, Adam had decided to stop at home and send for the doctor, but Dr. Martin had been delayed.

When her eyes fluttered open, she looked at him for a moment, and then turned away.

“Are you angry with me?” he asked.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the sheet up to her chin.  “Not angry.  Worried.”

“About what?”

“Adam, you didn’t even let me walk into the house.”

“You heard what the doctor said.”

“He saw me for all of twenty minutes after I fainted.   I haven’t fainted before this, and I feel fine.  I don’t even have a stomach ache.  I’m just tired.”

He moved to the side of the bed, and smiling, brought her hand to his lips.  “Paul will be here soon.”

“I hope so,” she said, eliciting a wide grin from him.  “What’s so amusing?”

“Your willingness to see Paul.”

“I’ll be a captive for the next six months if I don’t.”

“Sweetheart, there will be things for you to do that won’t require you to be on your feet if Paul agrees with Dr. Westley,” he said, leaning over her and moving a lock of hair out of her face.  “I think what concerned Dr. Westley most was the pain you’ve been feeling.”

She sighed.  “It’s not pain…really…and it’s not bad.”

“And Paul might even tell us it’s normal, but until then, I don’t want to take any chances.”  He turned her face to his and gently kissed her, then looked into her eyes.  “You still look tired.”

“I’m not that tired,” she said, sitting up against the headboard.  “Adam, did you read the Denver newspaper?”

“I did.”

“What did it say…about me fainting on the stage?”

“It speculated that your performances in Salt Lake City and Denver City were tiring, and that all you needed was rest.”

“Nothing about the baby?”

“Nothing.  There were two articles; one about your performances, and the other about your apparent change of attitude toward your admirers.  Both were good articles.  You should read them.  I brought the paper home with us.”

With her eyes closed, she said, “Maybe later.  What’s left to be done here?”

“Well, you pretty much took care of the winter preparations before you left for Salt Lake City.  Micah’s moved the herd down, and the hay’s been brought in.  He’s got the line shacks stocked, too.  And with the Flying W hands helping, the Ponderosa is almost ready for the winter.”

She smiled and took his hand.  “Hoss is on his way to Philadelphia.  You think he’ll come back?” she giggled.

“I don’t think Hoss will do anything to distract Annie from her school work.  He knows how important it is to her to follow in her father’s footsteps.”

“So we’re in for the winter?” she asked, yawning.

“Not exactly.  I’ll have Shorty continue milling square sets until the snow starts, so we’ll have some for our mine.  Then I need to help Micah get it started.” Pushing the cover away, she moved her legs over the side of the bed.  “And just where do you think you’re going?”

“I haven’t been home for weeks.  I need to check the horses.”

“I’ve already spoken with Johnny this morning.  The horses are fine.”

She frowned.  “You’re not going to make me stay in this bed all day, are you?”  His eyebrow arched, and she returned a wounded look.  “Dr. Westley didn’t say I needed to be confined to bed.  He said I shouldn’t be on my feet too long until I spoke to my doctor.”

Standing, Adam lifted her legs and swung them back around on the bed, quickly sitting next to her to prevent her from getting back up.  He inhaled deeply.  “Shiloh…I would like to hear what Paul has to say…to make sure.  If Paul says you’re all right, and you can do what you normally do, I’ll stop coddling you.  But if Paul gives you restrictions, I expect you to follow them.”  Letting out a timorous sigh, she looked at him with watery eyes. “You’re afraid of what Paul will have to say, aren’t you?”

“I’m not afraid of that.  I’m afraid it won’t make any difference.”  She sniffled.  “I’m afraid you’ll put limits on me beyond what Paul says.”

Adam had leaned closer, but now straightened up.  “Why don’t I bring up some breakfast for you?  You didn’t have dinner last night, and you’re eating for two now.”

She looked at him wretchedly and closed her eyes, knowing he planned to keep her in the bed until Dr. Martin could see her.  Sinking down under the covers, she turned away from him.

“I’ll be back up in a few minutes with your breakfast.”

After he left, she turned back over, looking out the open door.  He’s doing this to me because his mother died.

Chapter Two

Adam and Ming Lin both came back to the bedroom bearing a tray of food and a pot of coffee.  Setting the pot of coffee and cups on a table by a chair, Ming Lin excused himself as Adam waited for Shiloh to sit up in bed so he could place the tray over her lap.  On her plate were eggs and fried potatoes, and on separate plates, biscuits and bacon; enough to share.  The setting also included a honey pot and butter.

Preparing two cups of coffee, Adam took one to Shiloh, and then retrieved his own, staying near the table to look out the window.  “It looks like a storm’s coming in.”

“If it’s going to be a bad storm, I want my foundation horses in the big barn.  Tommy and Johnny can move them there.  How close does it look?”  Just as she asked, a single, large raindrop struck the window.

“It’s almost on top of us.  Excuse me,” he said, setting his cup of coffee on the table.  “I’ll go find them.”  He hurried out of the room.

“Adam!”   When he stuck his head back in, she said, “I want Eli and Sampson in the barn up here.”

“Why?” he asked with furrowed brows.

She raised her eyebrows.  “Because that’s what I want.”

He rolled his eyes and disappeared.

Moving the tray off her lap onto the bed, she got up, tied her robe around her and stood by the window, watching Hank, Adam, and some of the other men running around the yard, moving wagons, feed, hay, and saddled horses to the barn.  Adam and Hank spoke, and in another minute, Hank ran into the bunkhouse.   Soon, Johnny and Tommy came out in rain slickers, heading for the back corral.  When Adam turned back to the house, he glanced up at the bedroom window and stopped, looking directly at her with his hands on his hips.  She could easily see the deep breath he took, exasperated she was sure. Smiling, she moved the tray to the table and sat in the chair, sipping her coffee.

When he stepped into the bedroom, he wore the same annoyed expression he had looking up at her from the yard.

She smiled up at him, appreciating that he was trying so desperately to take care of her and their child.  She really couldn’t be angry with him…but she would stand her ground…to a point.  “You need to relax.  I’m not on my feet, and I’m sure no one would object to the few steps it took to get to this chair.  Now, I’ve warmed your coffee, and there are extra biscuits and bacon for you, so why don’t you sit with me and tell me about your morning?”

His flared nostrils and furrowed brow slowly melted to a slight smile that created small dimples at each corner of his mouth. As he walked toward her, he opened his mouth slightly and crooked his jaw, she guessed, to prevent an all-out grin.

“You really shouldn’t try so hard not to smile,” she said in a teasing tone that took over her eyes.

He sat down and took a biscuit out of the towel in which they were wrapped.  It was still warm enough to melt the butter he spread over it after he gently pulled it open.  Finally, he set it on a plate and dripped honey over it.  He then set the plate next to her and began another one for himself.  “I assume you haven’t eaten anything because you were waiting for me,” he said, looking up at her from under his brow as he moved several pieces of bacon to his plate next to his biscuit.  He was on to her little game of being purposefully sweet to the point that one couldn’t quite argue.

She tightened her lips into a defeated smile, beaten at her own game, and then picked up her fork and began to eat.

The rain began to pour down and with it came lightening and a thunderclap that made both of them jump.  “That got bad fast,” she said.  “I hope Paul wasn’t already on his way out.  He’ll be drenched by the time he gets here.”

Twisting his mouth, Adam looked out the window, and then cut his eyes back to her.

She interrupted the motion of her fork to her mouth, setting it back on her plate, and leaning back in her chair.  “You’re not telling me something.  Out with it.”

“It may be awhile before Paul gets out here,” he replied, wiping his mouth, and looking straight into her eyes.  “There was an accident at one of the mines.  They don’t have everyone out yet, and Paul has his hands full with the men they’ve gotten out.”

“I thought you said cave-ins weren’t as likely with the square set timbering.”

“This mine doesn’t use square sets.”

What little appetite she had was suddenly gone.  Even though she wasn’t directly affected by the cave-in other than Dr. Martin being delayed, she still felt sad.  She had seen wives receive news that their men were never coming up out of the ground.  It made her heart sink.  She stared off into the space of the room.  “Adam, promise me we will never be ruled by silver or gold.  I don’t want to become some faceless mine owner who cares nothing about the people who work for us; who only thinks of suspended production when our men are killed or injured, and who does nothing to help the families left behind by mine accidents.”

Reaching across the table, he covered her hand.  “Sweetheart, we’ve never been that way, and we’re not about to start now.  Try to eat a little more, please.”

She moved the plate of eggs and potatoes away and pulled the biscuit that Adam had prepared for her forward.

“No more eggs?”

She winced.  “They’re cold.”

Pouring a glass of milk, he set it in front of her.  “Drink this, then.”  He expected a complaint, but instead, he got a coy smile as she moved her hand to her stomach.

“Adam?”

“Mm hm,” he grunted with his mouth full of bacon.

“I’m not going to die.  Neither of us is going to die.”

He hesitated for a moment, and then picked up his coffee cup and sat back.  “Of course you aren’t.”

“Why is it that you expect me to share everything with you, yet you can’t share your fears with me?”

Another clap of thunder roared and shook the house followed by a shout from downstairs. “Hey Adam!”

He stood and went to her side.  “I need to see what Micah wants,” he said as he bent to kiss her.  “Finish your breakfast.  I’ll be back up in a few minutes to help you back into bed.”

Chapter Three

Mornings were no longer Shiloh’s favorite time of day.  Adam insisted she eat breakfast, but she felt so nauseated in the morning, she couldn’t make herself eat as much as he wanted.  This morning, he left, so she drank her milk.  That was all.

She had no intention of waiting for him to come back upstairs to help her back into bed.  In fact, she had no plans to get back in the bed at all.  Shrugging off her robe, she laid it over the back of the chair with her gown and went to her closet, looking for something to wear.  She tried on dress after dress, but the waists had become uncomfortably tight.  She even tried on a pair of her britches and just barely got them buttoned.  Settling on a blouse and skirt, she left the bottom of the blouse and the top of the skirt unbuttoned.  She needed to go into town to have her clothes altered and to purchase appropriate under things, but it seemed Adam wasn’t going to let her go anywhere until she saw Paul.  Biting her lip, she thought maybe he’d take her if she promised to see Paul while she was there.

Looking out the window one more time, she knew she’d have to wait, at least until this storm blew itself out, and at the moment, it didn’t appear it was going to do that anytime soon.

She stopped at the top of the stairs, trying to make out where Micah and Adam’s voices were coming from.  She couldn’t make out the words, but they were definitely in the study.  Tiptoeing down the stairs, she quietly made her way to the door of the study, and listened for a moment before stepping in.

Both men stopped talking and glared at her.  “You’re supposed to be in bed,” Adam said with furrowed brows.

“Not exactly.  You left me sitting at the table and said you’d be back up to help me to bed.”  When he cocked his head, giving her a deadpan look that she knew meant he was displeased, she smiled.  “If I hadn’t left the bedroom when I had the opportunity, you would still have me imprisoned up there.”  She raised her chin stubbornly.  “I have the advantage in our little tug of war now.”

Micah sat on the edge of the desk.  “Are you two fighting again?”

“No, Dear Brother, we are not.  We don’t fight anymore.  We have…discussions.  This time, let’s just say we’re trying to see who can out-maneuver who.”

Rising from his chair with a sarcastically sweet smile, Adam walked around behind Shiloh, putting one hand at her waist while the other firmly grasped her arm.  “Micah and I were just talking about the mining equipment that’s out in the rain,” he said as he guided her to the desk chair and glared her into it, leaning over her as she sat down.  “I can always carry you back up the stairs.”  He looked into her eyes and raised his eyebrows again, making sure she understood he would win any physical battle.

“Mining equipment is always out in the rain,” she said, acquiescing for the moment.  “Why is it a problem now?”

Micah moved to sit on the edge of the desk next to her.  “Rails and headstocks that are already put together are out in the rain and snow.  They rust, and that helps keep the bolts tight.  But if they rust before they’re together, it’s hard to get them together.”

“Bring the rails back here,” said Adam.  “We’ll keep them in the barn until we can build a storage building at the mine site.  Some of the men can dry them off.  We know where we want the headstock, so we might as well put it together now, even if we won’t be using it until we have to go deep.  Store the timbering with the tools in the shaft, so as the men dig, the supports will be right there.”  Adam leaned over the map laid out on the desk, pointing to the place where the vein of silver was discovered.  “Micah, the vein has a minor slope, so have the men start shafts to the east and west of this point.  They won’t get very far going east since the vein angles up on that side.  They’ll probably come out on top of the ridge. The west side angles down, and I’m betting it widens as it goes.  We’ll want the headstock at the point the vein is at grade with the existing shaft.”  He made a mark on the map.  “Right about here.”

Micah smiled.  “Does this mean we’re digging?”

Grinning back, Adam answered, “Yep, we’re digging.”  The two men shook hands with the beginning of their new venture, and Micah turned to leave.

“Adam, aren’t you going?” asked Shiloh.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes before he answered calmly, “No.”

Micah cleared his throat.  “Excuse me.  I’ll go find some men to help move the rails.”

When Adam heard the front door open and close, he finished.  “I don’t trust you to stay off your feet.”

Shiloh glanced down at the map on the desk with her mouth puckered.  “I have no intention of putting my life or the life of this baby at risk, and I have to admit, I’m a little…annoyed…that you think I would.”

“Shiloh, I have no doubt you think you’re fine, but the doctor…”

“The doctor said I shouldn’t be on my feet for any length of time…no more than to walk across a room or to prepare a light meal,” she interrupted.  “He did not confine me to bed.”

“So what will you do if I go with Micah?”

“I’ll practice my piano,” she said, raising her hand, turning it over and examining the scar.  “I haven’t exercised my hand since I left for Salt Lake City.  If I want to play again the way I used to, I need to get serious about it.”  Smiling up at him, she finished, “Though I don’t believe Dr. Martin is going to limit my activities as drastically as you would like, I do think he will forbid any that are strenuous…like cleaning hooves, moving hay…”  Her smile disappeared as she continued.   “…maybe even…riding.”  She had said the last word so quietly, Adam barely heard her.  She sighed and looked up with a smile.  “I will wait until he has time to see me.  Until then, I will limit myself to things I can do in the house that won’t require me to be on my feet for any appreciable amount of time.”

Taking her hand, Adam pulled her up out of the chair and held her.  “Promise me.”

She didn’t smile when she looked up into his eyes, but rather let him see her own concern.  “I won’t do anything that will harm our child.”

His kiss was different; light and tender, and his embrace, gentle as if he were holding his most precious and fragile possession.

 

 

 

Chapter Four

Before Shiloh left for Salt Lake City, Dr. Martin had sat with her at the piano.  After watching her play with her left hand, he had suggested short, repetitive scales at first to retrain the muscles in her hand.  Once there was no pain and her hand felt flexible instead of stiff with that exercise, he asked her to add on another repetitive, but different movement and continue that routine until she was playing full runs from one end of the keyboard to the other.

While she was away, she hadn’t practiced at all, and when she sat down at the piano after Adam left with Micah, she realized she would have to start at the beginning.  Her hand had become stiff again.

Playing the same scale over and over again lasted only an hour.  She tried a full piece of music and failed miserably, so she continued to play her scales, understanding this would be the only way she would ever be able to play as she had before…before Will had impaled her hand with a knife.

Laying her hands in her lap, she let her head fall back.  “Damn you, Will Stewart.”

“You’re too late,” said Ben, standing at the door of the parlor.

She jumped and quickly turned her head.  “Pa, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Ming Lin must have seen me ride up.  He was at the door before I was.”

Rising from the piano bench, she went to greet him, tiptoeing to give him a kiss on his cheek.  “Please come in and have a seat.  I’ll ask Ming Lin to bring some coffee.”

“I hear you’re supposed to be staying off our feet.”

“Who told you that?”

“Micah.  Ming Lin has been told, too.  He’s already making coffee.”

Walking him into the room, he waited for her to be seated on the sofa before he sat on the chair next to it.  “You must have enjoyed your trip based on what I’ve been reading in the newspaper.”

“Well, yes, except for that last night.”  She fidgeted.  “Actually, the faint wasn’t so bad.  It was the last note I was going to sing anyway.  It’s just been…uncomfortable since.”

“Oh?  In what way?”

“Did Micah tell you why I fainted?”

“Well no.  I just assumed you were tired.  At least that’s what I’ve read in the newspaper.  Is there something else wrong?”

“Oh no,” she answered quickly.  “Nothing else is wrong at all.  So what brings you all the way over here in the middle of a storm?  Is it still raining?”

“It’s not raining, my dear, it’s pouring.  And it hasn’t slowed down since it started.  I came over to speak with Adam.  The grocers in Sacramento want a delivery of cattle…like you did your first fall back.  Since you started it, I think it should be Flying W cattle, if Adam will agree to do it.”

Ming Lin brought in the coffee service, handing Ben a cup before serving Shiloh.

She rolled her eyes.  “Pa, if I remember it all correctly…”  She paused and gave him a pointed look.  “…and I do, he called me reckless and irresponsible for doing that.”

“Well, the part you don’t know occurred on the front porch at the Ponderosa where he admitted that under the same circumstances and conditions, he’d have done it, too.  So I don’t think he still believes you were reckless.  But with this early storm, it may not be possible.”

“Surely it’s not producing any snow up on Johnson’s Pass.  It’s still a little early for snow, even in a normal year.”

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to him.  I also need to talk to him about the town council meeting that took place while he was gone, but Ming Lin said he’s not here.”

“He went with Micah to the mine to put the headstock together before everything rusts.  I have no idea how long that takes, but I don’t really think he’ll be much longer.  He’s been gone since this morning.  He’s adamant about me staying off my feet to the point that he’s hovering.  I just hope Dr. Martin can get here soon.”

Ben furrowed his brow.  “Are you sure this isn’t something more serious?”

They were interrupted by someone running in through the front door out of the storm.  “That would be Adam,” said Shiloh.

After he hung his hat, rain slicker, and jacket on the coat tree, he hurried into the study.  “Pa, what brings you over here?”

Ben stood and shook Adam’s hand.  “Cattle.  But I was just asking if there’s something more serious going on with Shiloh.”

Shiloh bit the inside of her cheek when she looked up at Adam who answered, “Oh…well…no…Pa…it’s nothing really serious.”

“But she says you’re keeping her off her feet until Paul can see her.”

Bowing his head and scratching his nose, Adam looked back up and smiled at Shiloh.  “We wanted this to be a surprise.”  Walking over to her, he asked for her hand and pulled her up to his side, wrapping an arm around her and smiling proudly at his father.

“We’re expecting a baby, Pa.”

 

 

Chapter Five

Ben stood wide-eyed and speechless for a moment wearing a wide grin and at a loss for words.  “Well, I…I have to admit, I suspected this when Micah told me you were keeping Shiloh off her feet, but then I thought you’d have come straight over with that kind of news.”

“Sorry, Pa.  Shiloh slept through to this morning after we got home, and I had to make sure we were ready for winter.”

Ben scoffed.  “No matter,” he said excitedly, drawing Adam into a hug when he offered his hand.  “A new generation of Cartwrights.”

“And you, young lady,” he said, taking Shiloh’s hands.  “You look radiant.  I should have known just by looking at you.”

“I probably should have told you when you first asked, but I wanted Adam to be the one to tell you.”

Pulling Shiloh into a gentle hug, he said, “You must make sure you don’t take on too much.  You may have a hard time with all of us around you as the only woman in the family and carrying the first grandchild and the first niece or nephew.”

“And the first son or daughter,” added Adam.

Shiloh laughed nervously.  “Oh my. I’m already having trouble with one of you. I can’t imagine being around all of you if you’re all going to be that way.”

“Speaking of all of us, we should ask Joe over to dinner so we can tell him.  I’ll send someone after him,” said Adam.

When Adam returned, Shiloh sat quietly on the sofa, thinking she needed to tell Hoss and Annie, too. She stole away into the study while her husband and his father discussed a late cattle drive to Sacramento.

“Adam, we know it can be done.  Shiloh did it.  Besides that, they’re offering top dollar.”

“Pa, it’s still risky taking cattle over the pass.  Johnson’s Cutoff has gotten a lot busier since she did this.  You wouldn’t believe how slow it was coming back from San Francisco.  If you got off the road, you couldn’t get back on for hours.  We can’t herd cattle through that.”

Ben grunted.  “What about the north route, Henness Pass?”

“That’s no good either.  It’s as crowded as Johnson’s Cutoff, and it’s too narrow in places.”  Adam leaned forward, propping his arms on this thighs in thought.  “We might be able to take them through Hope Valley; the old stage route before Kingsbury opened up.  Shiloh sent a hundred head.  If the Hope Valley route is still in decent shape, we could possibly double that.  I’ll send some men to scout it out.  That route ends in Placerville, so we’ll know by the end of the week if it’s passable.”  Looking around him, Adam sat straight up.  “Where did Shiloh go?”

Sitting behind the desk in the study, Shiloh stared at a blank piece of paper.  Should I write both Annie and Hoss?   Both letters should be sent at the same time so that one doesn’t get news of the child before the other.  But Adam should write Hoss to tell him the news.

My Dearest Annie,

I must apologize for not writing to you sooner.  My time has not been my own with performances in Salt Lake City and Denver City, and since I have arrived back home, I have been, well, overly coddled.  I can understand Adam’s reasoning.  I wish he would heed mine some of the time.

I am three months with child.  I remember telling you my fears in our long talks before my marriage, not only with childbirth, but with the changes having a child will necessitate in my chosen path in life.  I do not know how I will continue to do all that I do with a child.  Adam believes I can continue everything with the help of a nursemaid, however I am not convinced.

As you have most likely read in the newspaper, I took ill during my last performance in Denver City.  The doctor there advised me to limit my time on my feet.  Adam has chosen to limit all of my time on my feet until we are able to consult Dr. Martin here in Virginia City.  Unfortunately, Dr. Martin has been unavailable due to a mining accident.  Until I see him, I will do as Adam asks, though not happily, and praying that Dr. Martin finds me well enough to continue some of my work with the horses.  Winter is upon us, and there is not much to do but feed them and keep them warm.

I hope this letter finds you well and happy.  We have not heard from Hoss as yet.  If he has arrived or when he does arrive, please ask him to let us know he is safe and well.

I am very excited for you both that Mr. Cartwright allowed Hoss to visit, and I pray that you both have a wonderful holiday.

All my love,

Shiloh

“Sweetheart?”

Without looking up, she answered, “Hm?” and folded the letter, slipping it into an envelope.  “I was just writing a letter to Annie.  You should write one to Hoss.”

“Why?”

She looked up and cocked her head.  “To tell him he’s going to be an uncle.”

Adam chuckled. “I’ll write one tonight, and I’ll take both letters to town tomorrow.” He held out his hand to her.  “Come on.  Joe’s here and dinner is ready.”

***

“Shiloh, Ming Lin seems to be working out well,” said Ben after biting into a piece of tender roast pork.

“We rarely have to ask him to do anything,” she replied.  “He’s always one step ahead of us.”

Adam winked. “Can’t complain about his cooking either, Pa.   He’s almost as good as Hop Sing, but…ah…don’t tell Hop Sing I said that.”

Cutting her eyes up to Adam’s, Shiloh asked, “What did you two decide about the cattle?”

Smiling, Adam said, “I’m sending someone to scout the route through Hope Valley. Johnson’s Cutoff has gotten too busy to drive cattle down the road.”

“If it can be done, I’m willing,” offered Micah.

“All right,” answered Adam.  “Why don’t you go ahead and bring two hundred head down to the corral behind the barn and arrange a cook for the chuck wagon.  If we’re going to do this, we’ll need to do it quickly before the weather turns.”

“And what about the city council?” asked Shiloh.

Adam’s brow creased, and he turned his attention to his father.  “Pa, is there council business we need to discuss?”

Taking a deep breath, Ben set his fork down and took a sip of water.  “The council is concerned that between your new partnership and Shiloh’s performance schedules your time for the council will be limited.  They want to know if you’ll be able to continue as a member.”

“Is there something pressing?”

“Statehood, Son.  Virginia City will be entertaining politicians and territorial legislators.  The council wants to compete for the site of the new state capital.”

“I thought Carson City was the popular choice.”

“As long as the decision is still to be made, the council believes we have a chance.”

“I guess I have missed a lot,” said Adam, frowning.  “Isn’t there a council meeting tomorrow?”  Ben nodded.  “Then I shall be there.”

Shiloh had stopped eating to listen to the council conversation and wondered what Adam would do.  Neither of them would be doing much travelling in winter, so their immediate future wasn’t in question, but come spring…no, she still wouldn’t be travelling with a new baby.  He might.  “Adam, I’d like to go to town with you tomorrow if it’s not raining.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

Closing her eyes, Shiloh took a deep breath before she replied.  “It will be easier for Paul to see me if I go to him, rather than expecting him to take several hours out of his day to come here.  I don’t think he’ll need more than a few minutes with me, and he won’t have to leave his patients from the mine accident.”  She bowed her head.  “I also need to have some clothes let out.  They’re almost too tight.”

Adam covered her hand with his, prompting her to look up at him.  Even though his smile was slight, it was a contented smile, and along with his eyes, it conveyed his love for her.

Joe had been quietly listening as well, but when Shiloh spoke about clothes being too tight, he jumped right in, smiling impishly.  “Is there something you need to tell us, Older Brother?”

Adam and Shiloh looked at each other and grimaced as both had forgotten why Joe was there.  Ben covered his mouth with his napkin and chuckled even as Micah stood up to fill everyone’s wine glass. “As a matter of fact, Joe, there is another reason you’re eating dinner here tonight,” Adam said, smiling.

Joe’s mischievous smile changed to an open mouth, matching his raised brows.  “You’re kidding.”

Chuckling, Adam replied, “Nope.  You’re going to be an uncle.”  Lifting his eyes up to the ceiling, he added, “Heaven help us.”

Chapter Six

“Adam, I want you to go Dr. Martin’s office with me, so why don’t you drop me off at the dress shop before you go to your council meeting, and then we’ll go to his office when you’re done.”

“On one condition; you wait there for me to come get you.”

A sly smile played across her lips as she turned away.  “And what are you gonna do if I don’t?”

Raising his chin, he shifted his eyes toward her.  “You won’t like it, I promise you.”

She crossed her arms and looked up at the second story windows they passed as they drove through town, all the while, tapping her foot.  “When Dr. Martin says I can stand on my own two feet, I’m going to walk to the post office, and then I’m going to walk to the International House for lunch with your father.”

Stopping the buggy in front of the dress shop, Adam turned and leaned so that his mouth was at her ear.  “And I shall walk with you…if…Paul says it’s all right for you to do so.”

Facing him nose to nose she gazed into his cheerful hazel eyes.  “I’m not worried.”

He kissed her with a loud smack, and then helped her out of the buggy and into the dress shop with a bag of dresses to be let out.  “I don’t think I’ll be more than an hour, and I expect to find you right here where I left you.”  He pulled her into him with one arm, and while he gave her more than a smack, he removed his hat and held it next to their faces to block the public’s view.

Looking at her with an arched eyebrow, he was rewarded with a demure smile.  “I’ll wait.”

***

Adam arrived in front of Frank Armisted’s office just as his father was dismounting his horse.  “Adam, I thought Shiloh would be with you this morning.”

“She is, Pa,” he said as he shook his father’s hand.  “She’s at the dress shop.”

Ben smiled at the thought of his first grandchild.  “She seemed a bit annoyed at you yesterday.”

Scratching his nose, Adam looked down at his feet, and then looked everywhere else but at his father. “Maybe I have been a little overly protective.  I just don’t want to take any chances until we know she’s all right.”

“I don’t envy you living with her if Paul places too many restrictions on her.  She doesn’t sit still very well,” said Ben, climbing the steps to the office door with Adam.

Holding the door open, Adam waited for his father to enter.  “No, Pa, she doesn’t sit still at all.”

When they entered the office, Mr. Carter was already seated in front of Mr. Armisted’s desk while Mr. Browning leaned against the back wall.  Extending his hand, Frank Armisted welcomed Ben and Adam to his office.  “Please, have a seat.  I don’t think we’ll be very long.”

“Frank, I thought this was a closed meeting,” said Ben.

“It is, Ben.  But Browning speaks for many of Virginia City’s citizens.  I didn’t think there was any harm.”

Adam sat forward on his chair. “This goes against our bylaws.   If we are going to have a meeting that’s open to anyone, it has to be open to everyone.  Besides that, if this meeting is to discuss my availability, I might just have something to say that I don’t want to become public knowledge.”

“If you’ve got something to hide that has to do with your position on the council, Adam, the citizens of Virginia City have a right to know,” countered Browning.

Smiling, Adam turned in his chair to face Browning. “What I have to say in no way affects the people of Virginia City.  Pa can vouch for that.”

“Gentlemen, that’s beside the point.  We can’t start ignoring our own bylaws when we feel like it,” said Ben.

Nodding, Armisted stood up from behind his desk.  “Browning, I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Ben.”

Browning turned to leave the office, and just as he passed through the door, he turned back.  “Mark my words.  If young Cartwright doesn’t start taking his council responsibilities seriously, he won’t be re-elected next spring.”

“I may not run for re-election,” Adam replied coolly without turning around.

Browning continued out the door even as Armisted sat and leaned over his desk.  “Now, Adam.  Don’t let Browning get to you.”

“I’m not.  It was a statement of fact.”

“You’ve done very well for the citizens of Virginia City in the past.  There’s no reason to think the townspeople won’t remember that.”

“You misunderstand me, Frank.  If I don’t have the time, I won’t run.  Isn’t that why we’re here?”

“Well, yes, it is, but I had hoped we could work this out.”

Taking a deep breath, Adam shifted in his chair and crossed his legs.  “In the immediate future, I don’t see a problem.  I’m not planning any business trips over the winter, and there’s nothing else that will take me out of town.”

“What about Mrs. Cartwright?”

“My wife is home for the winter…and much of the spring…and quite possibly summer.”

“I don’t understand.  She takes care of your horse business, doesn’t she?   And what about her singing?  You missed the last council meeting because you were in Denver City with her.”

Glancing back at his father and smiling, Adam propped his elbow on the arm of the chair and held his chin in his hand.  “Frank, Carter, I don’t want this to leave this office.  Shiloh and I are expecting a child in the spring.”

Both men sprang to their feet with smiles and extended hands, offering their congratulations.  “Well, I can see why you’ll be staying put for awhile…besides, of course, winter,” said Armisted.

“Even so, I believe we should think seriously about opening another council seat at the next election,” said Adam.  “The growth of Virginia City alone warrants it.  And with the way the West is growing, representation from the outlying ranches will be more difficult.   Every other ranch will be just as busy getting their herd to market as we are.”

“That’s true,” agreed Ben.  “With a fifth council member, a majority vote will be easier to achieve.”

Armisted leaned back in his chair.  “That’s an excellent idea.  It will certainly solve the problem with a split vote.”  Standing, he walked around his desk.  “Well, I think this concern has been addressed quite adequately.  I’ll let Browning know that you plan to be available, at least to the next election, Adam.”   He shook Adam’s hand as he and Ben walked toward the door.  “And I assure you, Carter and I will say nothing about Mrs. Cartwright’s condition.”

“Thank you, Armisted.  Carter.”  Tipping his hat, Adam followed his father out of the office.

Chapter Seven

“Adam, I have some business over at the bank before lunch,” said Ben.

“We’ll be going over to Doc Martin’s when Shiloh is finished at the dress shop.  Why don’t we just meet you at the International House when we’re finished?”

“Sounds good, Son,” said Ben as he turned to make his way across the street.

Normally, Adam would have walked the few blocks to the dress shop, but that would mean that Shiloh would have to walk back to the buggy.  He climbed in and drove, and when he arrived and opened the door, he removed his hat and called, “Hello?”

“Adam, is that you?” came Shiloh’s voice, floating melodically from the back.

“None other,” he replied.

She and Mrs. Lewis chatted all the way from the back door to the front counter.  Looking at the pile of clothes on the counter, Adam said with a bright smile, “Well, I can see you two have been busy.  How are you, Mrs. Lewis?”

“Oh, never better.  I’m just so happy to see the Cartwright family growing again.  It’s been far too long.  Adam, did you know I made some of Marie’s dresses while she was carrying Little Joe?”

“Ah, no Ma’am, I didn’t.  But then, I was only twelve at the time.”

“We were just homesteaders back then.  I took in sewing to help make ends meet.  Now Shiloh, these are the ones you decided to leave alone, so let’s get these back in your bag.  I’ll have the buttons moved over on the rest of the skirts shortly, so you can come back on your way out of town to get those.  That should last you at least a couple of weeks, and by that time, I’ll have these dresses let out, and your new ones ready.”  Both women folded dresses to pack into the valise.  “Oh, and let’s not forget these,” Mrs. Lewis said, moving boxes from the back counter onto the front.”

“What’s all this?” asked Adam.

Shiloh glanced up at him with a timid, but adorable dimpled smile.  “Under things.  I won’t be able to wear what I have for very long.  I’m afraid there’s not much room to grow in them.”

“I’ll take these boxes to the buggy while you ladies finish up.”  Scooping up the boxes, Adam balanced them on one arm as he opened the door, and just as he was coming back in, Shiloh met him with her bag.  Taking the bag, he waited for her to drape her shawl over her shoulders before he offered his arm.

“We’ll be back in a few hours, Mrs. Lewis.”  Shiloh waved and stepped out the door.

As Adam helped her into the buggy, he said, “Next stop is Paul’s.”  When he was seated, he turned to her before he reined the horses forward.  “Nervous?”

“Not in the slightest,” she replied, facing forward.

“You, my love, are lying,” he quipped as they started down the street.

***

“Adam,” greeted Paul. “This is a surprise.”  He took Shiloh’s hand.  “How are you, my dear?”

“We were hoping you could tell us that, Dr. Martin,” she answered, smiling.

“We thought it might be easier for you if we came here instead of you taking several hours to come out to the house,” explained Adam.  “We know you have your hands full.”

“Actually, Adam, it’s not a bad idea.  I really can’t leave for any amount of time.  I still have some injured men here.  But I do have some time to talk to you both before lunch.”

“Well, how about when we finish here, you join us at the International House.  We’re meeting Pa there.”

“Splendid.  Now, why don’t you two come into my office,” Paul said, stepping to the side and motioning for Shiloh to lead the way.  He closed the door and turned.  “I know that a doctor in Denver City pronounced you a mother-to-be.  And I read that you fainted on stage.  Why don’t you have a seat here, Shiloh?  Adam, pull up a chair,” he said, walking behind his desk.

Shiloh took a deep breath before she spoke.  “Yes, well, Dr. Westley advised that I limit my time on my feet until we could speak with you.  I did pass out, but I think Dr. Westley was more concerned with my stomach discomfort.”

“Were you singing when you fainted?”

“Yes, I was singing the song that closes my performance.”

“It didn’t happen to occur on that last note, did it?”

“Well, yes, it did.”

Paul chuckled.  “I’m not surprised.  That last note takes a lot of air, and I’m sure you had depleted it by the time you got to the end.”

Snickering, Shiloh said, “True.”

“Any more stomach aches?”

“They’re not really aches…more like the uncomfortable feeling I have just before my time.”

“I don’t think that’s anything to worry about.  Shiloh, your womb is growing right along with the child you’re carrying.  That kind of discomfort is normal.”

Turning her head toward Adam, she raised her chin and gave him a triumphant smile.  He snorted and shook his head.

“Don’t celebrate just yet.  If it were possible for all the mothers I see to stay off their feet while they’re expecting, I’d prescribe rest for every one of them.  But for most women, it’s just not.  On the other hand, for you, it is.  You have Ming Lin to take care of the cooking and the house.  There’s no reason you can’t rest.”

Her eyes widened, and she turned away, clenching her teeth.

“Now, don’t panic.  I know you’re normally a busy woman.  And I won’t tell you that you can’t continue to do some of the easier things you do.  But I don’t want you lifting saddles, or throwing hay, or cleaning hooves.”

“What about riding?”

“I’d prefer that you didn’t.”

She bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling while Adam listened intently.

“Dr. Martin, you don’t understand.  If you give me any restrictions, Adam will have me confined to bed.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Paul chuckled.  “Unless you over do it.”

Adam reached over and took her hand.  “Paul, want can she do?”

“Well, I don’t see a need to restrict her time on her feet just yet, but I don’t want her to do anything strenuous.  She can still groom her horses as long as she does no lifting, she can still sing, though I’d stay away from those long, high notes, and if she goes anywhere, I’d prefer she go in a buggy or a buckboard with springs.  And taking walks will only do her good.  In a few months, Shiloh, you won’t be able to get up on a horse anyway.  You’ll be too big.”

Shiloh stared at the front of the desk as Adam watched her.

“If your feet and ankles start to swell, I want you to prop them up for awhile, and if it continues, I just might tell you to stay off your feet.  We’ll just have to see how it goes.  Now, how far along did Dr. Westley think you are?”

Both men looked at Shiloh, but she was now staring at the floor.  “Three months,” said Adam.

“Well, let’s see.  Shiloh, come lie on the chaise.  I want to listen to your stomach.  Adam, this won’t take but a few minutes.  You can stay.”

Adam watched as Paul moved the big bell of his stethoscope over Shiloh’s stomach at the same time he moved his hand over it.  Standing up straight, he looked over at Adam.  “Everything sounds just fine.  I still put her at about three months.  How much of an examination did Dr. Westley perform?”

“He didn’t do much.  He felt her stomach, but he didn’t listen…just asked questions about how she felt.”

“Shiloh, have your clothes gotten any tighter?”

“I was at the dress shop before we came here having some of my dresses and skirts let out.”

“That’s about right.  We’ll still call it three months.  Now, unless you two have more questions, I’m hungry, and I don’t have much time before I need to be back.”

As they walked out of the office, Paul pulled Adam back and spoke in a low voice…too low for Shiloh to hear.  “Everything is normal, Adam.  I’ll tell you when it isn’t.”

After lunch, Paul and Ben said their goodbyes, Paul going back to his office, and Ben heading for the Ponderosa.  Shiloh and Adam walked to the post office and back to Paul’s office where they had left the buggy.  On the way out of town, they stopped by the dress shop to pick up Shiloh’s altered skirts, and then headed toward home.

Chapter Eight

“I’m sorry it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.”  Adam moved the reins he was holding in his right hand to his left and reached for hers.

She sighed and sat quietly until he drove past the road to the Flying W.  “Where are we going?”

“I have a surprise for you,” he said, smiling.  “With everything you’ve been doing lately, you’ve probably forgotten about your wedding present.”

She looked up at him, and her eyes brightened with her mood.  “The house?”

When his eyebrows rose, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arm around his.  “It’s not that I wasn’t expecting most of it.  I just wish I could still ride.  And I never thought he’d yell at me for not eating enough.”

“He didn’t yell at you,” Adam laughed.  “He didn’t raise his voice at all.  And you don’t eat enough to sustain a bird.”

“He said it loud enough for practically everyone in the restaurant to hear.  What do you think they’re thinking now?”

“Sweetheart, you won’t be able to hide it much longer anyway.  And it’s nothing to be ashamed of.  We all came about the same way.”

Sighing again, she pulled her arm from around his and folded her hands in her lap, looking away.  Adam worriedly glanced over at her, but said nothing, hoping that seeing the house would cheer her up.

When they started up the hill toward the house, Adam heard her take a deep breath, but didn’t hear her exhale.  “Shiloh, you need to breathe.”

She let out the breath she was holding.  “It’s beautiful.  It looks big…as big as Pa’s house.”

“It’s not quite as big.  It’s just laid out differently, though it could be as big with a few additions.”

“Why do we need such a big house?”

The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up as he moved his hand to her stomach.  “This one is going to have someone to play with, isn’t he?”

She cocked her head slightly and resumed her sullen mood, causing Adam to look apprehensively at her again.   Pulling up to the front of the house, he tied the reins and stepped out and around the buggy to help her down.  He turned his head and twisted his mouth, looking at the front door, then turned back to her and lifted her into his arms.

“What are you doing?  Dr. Martin did say that walking is good for me.”

Raising his chin, he smiled smugly as he walked toward the door.  “This is your new home, you know.”

“We don’t live here yet.”

“Ah, but we could,” he said as he squeezed the latch with the hand under her knees and stepped in.  “First things first.”  His lascivious gaze caused her to catch her breath and made it impossible for her to draw her eyes away from his.  Before she realized it, his lips hovered over hers, and when he kissed her, she felt the old familiar warmth flow through her at the same time a chill washed over her skin; sensations she hadn’t felt since their last night in Denver City.

He set her feet on the floor, and held her close, kissing her again.  “That was nice,” he said, staying close enough to feel her breath on his face and the rise and fall of her breasts against him.  His hands slipped down her arms until he found her hands.  “Let’s look at the house.”

Shiloh looked up and down in each room.  Stepping up on the hearth and touching the mantel over the fireplace in the living room, she smiled.  “I’m surprised you didn’t make it as big as your father’s.”

He chuckled.  “I thought you’d like to have a mantel you could reach.”  Taking her hand, he guided her to the back of the house beyond the living area where there was a large area surrounded by windows.  “Your piano will go here.  And on the other side is the space for the study.  I’m building bookshelves around the room for all of our books.  The dining room is there, and beyond that the kitchen.  Ming Lin’s room is off the kitchen.”

“Adam, if Ming Lin’s room is off the kitchen, where will the bath house be?” she asked, poking her head into the kitchen.

“There’s a bathhouse back there off the end, but…”  Grinning widely, Adam took her hand again and led her up the stairs.  “Our bedroom is here, and there’s a washroom with a water closet here next to it.  There’s also a door into it from our bedroom.  You have a sitting room that we can use for a nursery at the other end, and I’ve finished another bedroom there,” he said, pointing.

She smiled as she walked into the washroom.  “It will be nice not to have to go out in the middle of the night…and not be worried that someone is going to walk in on me in the bath house.”

When Shiloh came out of their bedroom, she walked down the hall toward the second bedroom intending to go in, but her jaw dropped at what she saw beyond.  “Adam, what’s all this?”

He walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.  Those will be bedrooms.”

“How many are there?”

“I have four more framed.  I’ll work on them this winter.  And if we need more, we can extend the side of the house.”

Turning around and wrapping her arms around him, she looked up to his eyes and smiled.  “What are we going to do with all those bedrooms?”

He raised his eyebrows and looked innocently back at her.  “Well, we could fill them.”  A sudden tingle moved over her, and she cast her eyes down.  “You’re trembling.”

She glanced quickly up at him, and then turned away.  “I’m a little chilly,” she lied.

“I know just the thing,” he said, leading her back to the second bedroom.  He pushed open the door and waited for her to walk in.

Dragging her hand over the furniture, she surveyed the room. “Where did all this come from?”

“This is my furniture from Pa’s house.  Hoss and Joe moved it over for me while we were away.”  Standing against her back, he moved his arms around her and placed both hands on her stomach.  “This will be his room when he’s ready for a bed.”

She looked down at his hands.  “That’s the second time you’ve referred to the baby as a ‘he’.  Are you going to be disappointed if it’s a girl?”

“Not in the least.  I’ll just have to get one of those other rooms finished.”

“Why can’t a girl have this bedroom?”

“Well, just look at it.  It’s not very…girlish.”

Folding her lips together, she nodded, taking on her former sullen look.

He turned her around, taking her hands hanging at her sides.  “You’ve had that look on your face for most of the ride here.  What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to miss riding in the winter.  Everything is so quiet and peaceful.”

“That’s not all of it.  You’ve been in a mood since we left Denver City.”

She raised her hands to his chest, but still didn’t look him in the eye.  “Well, you haven’t…I mean…you’ve certainly been attentive in keeping me off my feet, and you still hold me at night, but you…”  She glanced up at his eyes.  “You haven’t…touched me…since we left Denver City.”

Moving his hands around her waist and laying his forehead on hers, he said softly, “I didn’t want to the take the chance that I’d hurt you.  But now that we’ve seen Paul…” As he wrapped his arms around her, he whispered, “Hold on tight,” then lifted her, taking her to his former bed.

Chapter Nine

The trip across the Isthmus of Panama had been mostly quiet other than the rattles and grinds of the old steam train.  Even so, Hoss got no sleep or any rest to speak of.  The heat and humidity were worse than any he had ever experienced, and the conductor insisted he wear his jacket to avoid insect bites.  He heaved a sigh of relief as he disembarked in the town of Aspinwall and was immediately escorted to the ship he would be taking to New York.

With the Union Blockade of all ports in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast, his travel papers were checked and rechecked before the ship left Panama.  The ship made it through the Gulf untouched, but after rounding the peninsula of Florida and heading up the East coast, the ship was stopped somewhere off the coast of Georgia.  All passengers were ordered to their cabins.

Hoss lay back on a bed that was too short and too narrow for his big frame.  Still, it was the one place in his cabin where he could find the most comfort.  There was a swift knock at the door just before it flew open and three uniformed men stepped into the cramped quarters. Hoss didn’t bother to stand.  There was no room.

“You are…”  The officer looked down at a paper in his hands.  “Eric Cartwright?”

Sitting up, Hoss answered, “Yessir.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I apologize for the intrusion, but we have reason to believe that persons aboard this ship are carrying contraband for the Confederacy.  We must search your baggage.   Do you have any weapons, ammunition or gold?”

“No sir.  Nothing but my clothes and such.”

“May I see your tickets?”  Hoss complied.  “What is your business in New York?” asked the officer as he shuffled through Hoss’s travel papers.

“I ain’t staying in New York.  I’ll be takin’ a train to Philadelphia.”

“Why?”

“I’m visitin’ a young lady.”

The officer looked up, surprised.  “You’ve come all this way to see a young lady.  She must be very important to you.”

Smiling, Hoss looked the officer straight in the eyes.  “I hope to make her my wife.”

“Sir, nothing but clothes and personal items, except for these,” said one of the enlisted men, holding out the Christmas presents Shiloh had sent.

“And these?”

“My brother’s wife is this young lady’s best friend.  She sent one for Annie and one for me since I won’t be home for Christmas.”

“Mr. Cartwright, are you hiding something?”  Hoss raised his eyebrows.  “You haven’t stood up since we’ve been here.”

Hoss chuckled.   “Well, there ain’t hardly room, but if you insist.”  The act of standing backed the officer away.  Hoss stood with his hands in his pockets and his head bent to one side to avoid hitting the ceiling of his small cabin.”

The officer’s lower jaw dropped as he followed Hoss up with his eyes.  Clearing his throat, he said, “Yes, I see.  Do you know what’s in these boxes?”

At this point, Hoss was beginning to get agitated. “Well, they are Christmas presents, so no, I don’t.  But I can tell you there ain’t no gold or ammunition in ‘em.  They ain’t heavy enough.  And they ain’t big enough for no gun.”

Passing one of his men his papers, the officer hefted a box in each hand, and then passed them over to Hoss.

“Enjoy your trip, Mr. Cartwright.  And please remain in your cabin until the ship is underway.”

“Excuse me, sir,” said Hoss.  The officer stopped and turned back into the cabin.  “Why would you be lookin’ for someone to be carryin’ anything for the Confederacy on a ship that’s headed for New York?”

“The Confederate sympathizers travel away from the Confederacy believing that we won’t search them.  They simply throw whatever they happen to be carrying over the side to a passing blockade runner.  Good day, Mr. Cartwright.”

Settling back down on the bed, Hoss frowned at the growl from his stomach.  He’d have to wait until the soldiers left before he could wander into the dining room.

***

Adam watched Shiloh as he dressed and made his way to the door, looking back one more time to make sure he hadn’t awakened her before he slipped out to take care of the horses and buggy.  The sky had darkened early with heavy, gray clouds that threatened to rain sheets down on them at any moment.

There was a temporary shed next to the house where Adam moved the buggy after which he put the horses in a small corral built for the worker’s horses while the house was under construction.  He moved several loads of firewood to the front porch, and then took some into the house for the main fireplace.  Once he had a fire going downstairs, he carried another arm load upstairs, and tiptoeing into the bedroom, he quietly placed the logs one by one in the fire box.

After lighting the fire, he turned around and found Shiloh snuggled underneath a blanket watching him, the light of the fire flickering in her eyes.

“We should go.  Micah and Ming Lin will be worried,” she said quietly.

He walked over to the bed, sitting and leaning over her.  “No one will be worried,” he said, kissing her.  “I told both of them we’d be here, and that we’d stay here tonight if a storm blew in.”

“It’s not raining yet, is it?”

“No, but it will be any minute.”  Rising up on his forearms, he furrowed his brow.  “You don’t want to stay?”

“Are we alone?”

“Yes,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

Moving her arms out from under the blanket, she wrapped them around his neck.  “Then yes, I would like to stay.”  She pulled him over her into the bed, rolling on top of him and smothering any surprise or objection with a sizzling kiss.

“Uh, Shiloh?”

“Hm,” she grunted as she continued to kiss his neck.

Taking her by her arms, he pushed her up, wearing a wary look.

“What’s wrong?”

With a nervous laugh, he said, “Well…you…ah…you’ve never…”

“It’s been a long time,” she answered teasingly with smiling eyes, laughing as she kissed him again.  This time he laughed with her, drawing her back down and returning her kiss.

Chapter Ten

Adam and Shiloh slept peacefully in each other’s arms amid the pouring rain and distant rumbles of thunder outside the cozy bedroom until their eyes flew open at hearing a deafening thunderclap.  Looking out the window, they both squinted at the close lightning that made the evening look brighter than midday in the sun outside.

Adam settled back down on his pillow while Shiloh sat up.  “Adam, the house sits awfully high on this hill.”

Taking her arm, he drew her back down next to him, pulled the blanket over her, and nuzzled her cheek sleepily.  “We have a lightning rod.”

“Where?  I didn’t see a lightning rod on the house?”

“It’s the weather vane.”

“Oh.”  After another minute, she asked, “What time is it?”

“Does it matter?” came the muffled reply.

“I’m hungry,” she answered, rolling and facing him with big, blue, round eyes.

Adam opened his eyes to see her blue eyes staring back at him and wondered if Shiloh was going to be like he remembered Marie when she was carrying Little Joe; up at all hours of the night eating some odd concoction she’d brewed in the kitchen. Rolling away from her, he reached down for his trousers on the floor and retrieved his pocket watch.  “It’s ten.”

“I suppose there’s nothing in the house to eat.”

“Don’t assume.  Ming Lin has been busy stocking this kitchen, and he knew we would be here.  I’ll bet there’s something in the icebox.”  He sat up, ran his fingers through his hair, being very careful to hide his smile and chuckle from her.  Standing, he pulled on his trousers, and then held out his hand to her.  “Come on.”

Gathering the blanket around her, she took his hand and followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen.  Adam opened the ice box and both peered in.  Reaching in, he named items as he moved them around.  “Let’s see…ham, cheese, corn, fried chicken…what’s that?”

She stuck her finger in the bowl and pulled back a gob, tasting it.  “Potatoes.”   Trying another bowl, she smiled and pulled it out, then turned and stopped, looking up toward the ceiling.  “You know what I’d really like right now?”

“Whatever happens to be in that bowl,” answered Adam as he pulled out fried chicken, potatoes and corn.

“I guess this will have to do.  But what I’d really like is…you know those little oysters that come in a flat can from Monterrey.  We saw some in Santa Cruz.  And you ordered some when we were in San Francisco on our honeymoon.”

Adam stopped preparing his plate and looked up at her from under his brow. “You want oysters?”

“Yes.  And mustard sauce.”

He grimaced disgustedly.  “You’re not serious.  You don’t even like oysters.”

Sinking into a chair at the kitchen table, she scooped up a spoonful of custard.  “Do you think Mr. Cass can order some?”

“I don’t know.  He usually orders by the case.  I’m not sure he gets many requests for canned oysters when there are plenty of fresh oysters available in Virginia City.”

“Well then, I’ll order a case.”

Adam cringed and shuddered, thinking about oysters and mustard sauce as he watched her put a spoonful of custard in her mouth. After preparing two plates and pouring two glasses of milk, he sat down next to her, taking the bowl of custard away from her and sliding one of the plates in front of her.

“Will Hoss have any problems once he boards a ship from Panama?”

“Why would there be any trouble?” he asked, biting into a chicken leg.

She took a sip of milk.  “Well, he has to travel north from the Gulf of Mexico…through the Confederacy.”

Adam snorted.  “The Union Blockade has the ports in the South shut down.  He shouldn’t have any problems, especially traveling north.  He might be questioned on his way back, but I don’t think they’ll give him any trouble once they know he had been in Philadelphia.  Did Annie say if she had any trouble?”

“No.  She said her trip was pretty peaceful.”

“I wouldn’t think they’d give a woman travelling north on a ship any trouble.”

“I’ll feel a lot better when we hear from him.”

Picking her fork up off her plate, he handed it to her with raised eyebrows.  “I thought you were hungry.”

She dutifully took it and dug into her mashed potatoes.

“It’s still early.  He’s probably on a ship heading up the coast now.”

“Adam?” she said with a mouthful of chicken as she pulled the blanket tighter around her with her other hand.

He stopped eating and watched her expectantly.

“When can we move in?”

“So you…ah…like the house?” he teased between bites.   Her smile and eyes suddenly transported him back in time to when she was a child who had gotten exactly what she wanted for Christmas.  He maintained his smile, but his brow furrowed slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.  Some of your expressions haven’t changed from when you were a little girl.  Like the way you turn your feet inward so your big toes touch, then glance up at me when you want to do something you know I might not want you to do.”

“I don’t do that.”

“Yes,” he declared, laughing, “you do.”

“Does it work?” she asked, looking up at him with a very mature smile.

He chuckled.  “Sometimes.”  Sitting up straight, he dug his watch out of his pocket.  “We should get back to bed.  It’s almost midnight.”

On her way up from the table, she gathered her dishes and asked again, “So when can we move in?”

“Well, I suppose we could start tomorrow,” he said, following her with his dishes to the wash basin.  “The first thing we need to do is decide what comes here and what stays with Micah.  I’ll get Micah and Joe to help me move the furniture over, and you and Ming Lin can start packing boxes.”  They moved the food back into the icebox.  “Let’s get some sleep,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out of the kitchen.

Chapter Eleven

“Now that’s called planning,” said Adam as he carried the piano bench into the house.

Micah and Joe stopped in the middle of the porch to rest from lugging the sofa up the front steps.  “Planning had nothing to do with it.   You’re lucky it hasn’t rained for the last three days,” said Micah.  He pointed to dark gray clouds slowly moving over the lake from the west.  “You’re luck is about to run out.”

Jim Tyler stuck his head out the front door.  “Adam, the window is back in.  You should come check it before I leave.”

Setting the bench down in the entryway, Adam turned to Micah and Joe.  “As luck would have it, the window is the last thing that needed to be finished before it rains.”

Joe folded his arms across his chest and smiled impishly. “Your wife, Older Brother, will be happy she has her piano.  That’s a fact.   But what are you going to do with her horses, her coach and your buggy?  You have no barn.”

“Jim’s men are working on the stable for her foundation horses, and her other horses will stay in the south corral.  She’ll be able to see them from our bedroom.  I’ll be working on a barn up here.   In the meantime, the horses and the coach can stay where they are.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to inspect a window.”   On his way, he stopped to watch Shiloh walk down the stairs.  “Sweetheart, come make sure the piano is positioned the way you want it.”  Motioning for Shiloh to go ahead of him, he resumed his walk to the back of the house.

When they returned with Jim, Micah and Joe were relaxing on the sofa in the living area.  Shiloh sat on a chair next to the fireplace as Adam walked Jim to the front door.

“Adam, all we have left on the stable is the inside work, so rain won’t slow us down there. But Mrs. Cartwright mentioned something about a bunkhouse.  I know you wanted the layout of the stable to be a surprise, so I didn’t say anything about your plans.”

“I appreciate that, Jim,” said Adam, placing his hand on Jim’s back.

“Well, I’m calling it quits for the day, but we’ll be back out tomorrow morning.  I’ll have the men go straight to the stable, so we won’t bother you.”

“Sounds good.  I’ll see you sometime tomorrow to square the bill for the house.”  Adam waved as Jim mounted his horse and rode down the road leading away from the house.  Turning and closing the door, he rubbed his hands together as he walked toward the living area.  “Fellas, I guess that’s it until the new furniture gets here.”

“New furniture?” said Joe incredulously.  “Didn’t you have enough furniture in the other house?”

Shiloh cocked her head and smiled.  “Joe, we couldn’t just empty the house.  Micah still lives there.”

Looking around him at all the living and dining room furniture, Joe asked, “What’s left?”

“I kept the study furniture, the bedroom furniture and the kitchen table,” explained Micah.  “I wouldn’t have eaten in the dining room, and this furniture,” he said, patting the arm of the sofa, “is Shiloh’s.  She bought new furniture for the parlor when the tree fell on the house.”

Adam walked to the liquor cabinet and pulled out the whiskey, holding it up, asking if Joe or Micah wanted a drink.   Both men nodded.  “We’ll be using my bedroom furniture from Pa’s until our new furniture gets here.  I’ve still got to order a desk for the study.”

“Micah, you’ll have to come over here for dinner,” said Shiloh.

“Why?”

Adam stifled a chuckle.

“Because there’s no one to cook for you at the Flying W.  We brought the last of the boxes over today.  Ming Lin almost has the kitchen the way he wants it, so he won’t be back over there.”

Micah looked pointedly at her after he turned up his glass for the last drop of whiskey. “Just because you never learned to cook doesn’t mean I didn’t.”

“You mean you did?” Shiloh asked quietly with a frown.

Standing, Micah picked his hat up from a side table.  “Shy, a man learns to cook when he’s on the trail.  If he doesn’t, he starves.  Until I came back here, I didn’t sleep under a roof much.”

She closed her eyes and lowered her head, reminded of the life he had led before he came home.  “Will you ever settle down?”

“I’m runnin’ a ranch and a mine, and I’m livin’ in a house.  How much more settled can I get?”

She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow.

“Don’t you be gettin’ any ideas, Little Sister.  If I decide to take a wife one day, she’ll be someone of my own choosing.”   He bent and kissed her cheek.  “I need to be headin’ out.  I still need to ride over to the mine and see if the headstock is standing.”

Joe stood and walked with Micah to the front door.  “I’d better be getting back to the house.  Pa’ll have my head if I’m late for dinner again.”

Following Joe to the door, Shiloh stepped into Adam’s side, wrapping her arm around him at the same time he moved his arm around her shoulders.  They waved as Joe and Micah rode away, and then turned to each other.  Looking up into Adam’s eyes, she softly said, “We’re home.”

Chapter Twelve

Shiloh had spent the next few weeks unpacking boxes and decorating the house.  Adam had noticed she seemed quite tired in the evening.  On this cold, cloudy day, when he came in for lunch, he had to go in search of her.  He became concerned when Ming Lin said he hadn’t seen her for the last few hours.  Being quiet and still wasn’t like her.

He found her lying on her side across the bed next to a pile of clothes she had been folding and putting away.  Sitting next to her, he moved her hair away from her face.  “Sweetheart?”  She rolled to her back, and he leaned over her.  “It’s time for lunch.”

“It can’t be time for lunch.  I just stopped to rest my eyes,” she said, keeping her eyes closed.

“I’m not kidding.  It’s lunchtime.”

Quickly sitting up, she held his shoulder and the arm still across her as she swayed from the sudden movement.  Adam twisted toward her and pulled her against him.  “You all right?” he asked softly.

“Mm hm.  Just a little dizzy,” she answered, keeping her eyes closed.  “I shouldn’t have sat up so fast.”  After a moment, she opened them and looked back at Adam.  “Has it really been that long?”

“Yes,” he answered, smiling.

“I’m afraid I didn’t get much done this morning.”

Helping her up off the bed, Adam wrapped her arm around his and walked her out of the bedroom and down the stairs.  “Maybe you’re trying to do too much.  Why don’t we have some lunch and see how you feel afterward?”

When they were seated at the table, Ming Lin served hot beef stew.  “Ming Lin, this is perfect; just the thing to warm me up,” said Adam.

Ming Lin bowed.  “I thought you would like something warm after working outside all morning.  And Mrs. Cartwright did not finish her breakfast this morning.”

She gave Ming Lin a displeased look, and then glanced at Adam who was returning the same look at her.

“He’s doing what I asked,” Adam said sternly.  Ming Lin quickly returned to the kitchen.  “Did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason you’ve been so tired is because you’re not eating what Paul asked you to eat?”

“I’ve never eaten this much food in my life.  If I keep it up, I’ll be as big as the side of the house.”

Adam laughed as he filled her bowl with stew.  “I need to go into town for more building supplies.  I’d like you to go with me and see Paul.”

“I need to pick up the rest of my clothes from Mrs. Lewis.  But why do you want me to see Paul?  It’s only been a few weeks since I saw him last.”

“Because you don’t seem to be feeling very well…and you’re not eating like you should.  I know you’re still a little sick in the mornings, but Paul said that should pass.”

Looking at the bowl of stew he placed in front of her, she sighed.  “I need to go to the Flying W and see how Tom is doing with the horses.  And I’d like to spend some time working on their ground manners.”

“I’ll take you if you’ll see Paul, and if he says it’s all right.”

She didn’t even look at him, but rather looked at her bowl as she took a bite of stew.  She felt too tired to argue.

***

Looking disappointed, Paul Martin stood in front of Shiloh seated on the examination table.  “Shiloh, do you realize that the reason you’re so tired is because you’re not eating what I told you to eat?  Besides that, it’s not unusual for expectant mothers to require a nap during their day.”

“How do you expect me to eat when I’m sick or beyond full?  I throw up when I don’t eat, I throw up when I do eat, especially in the amounts you suggested.”

He turned to Adam.  “Have Ming Lin prepare two more small meals for her every day; one between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and supper.  Maybe if we spread the food out, she’ll be able to keep it down.”

“Paul, is this normal?” Adam asked with his brow furrowed and wearing a frown.

“I’d have thought she’d be past the stomach upset by now,” answered Paul.  “She’s never been a good eater.”  Turning back to Shiloh, he continued.  “But you’re not just eating for your own nourishment, Shiloh.  What and how much you eat will affect your child.”

She lowered her forehead into her hands.  “I’m trying.”

The two men looked at each other, Adam giving her a sympathetic look first, and then nodding at Paul.

After a long pause, she asked, “Dr. Martin, can I do some ground work with my horses?  I won’t be riding.  I’ll just be walking around the corral with them.”

“No.  Not until you start eating what you’re supposed to and keep it down.”

She closed her eyes and let her head fall backward, groaning.

***

Late afternoon in Virginia City was early evening in Philadelphia where Hoss Cartwright stepped off the train from New York.   As he looked over the crowd at the depot, he finally saw a sight that made his blue eyes sparkle like the sun on Lake Tahoe and his mouth turn up into probably the biggest smile he had ever worn.  Annie was jumping up and down and waving to be seen over the multitudes loading and unloading.

Hoss retrieved both of his bags from the steward. With everyone stepping out of his way, his trip through the crowd was short and easy.   Suddenly, he was standing in front of Annie who was all smiles and fidgety, but he was at a loss for words.

“Hoss, it’s good to see you.  Did you have a nice trip?” asked Annie.

Blushing and raising his shoulders, Hoss smiled down at her.  “Miss Annie, just about all I thought on was you.  It sure is good to see you, too.”  Looking around him and seeing that no one was paying attention, he bent and kissed her cheek.

“Why don’t we get out of his crowd?” said Annie.  When Hoss picked up his bags, one in each hand, Annie wrapped her arm around his.  “Have you had dinner yet?”

“No Ma’am, and I’m awful hungry.”

“Well, let’s get you fed, and then I’ll introduce you to Mrs. Levine.  She owns a boarding house that’s right down the street from the hospital.  I’ve told her all about you.”

When they arrived at the restaurant, Annie arranged for Hoss’s bags to be left in a back room while they dined.  Once they were seated and their food was ordered, both sat back in their chairs smiling in awkward silence.

“Miss Annie…”

“Hoss, it’s just Annie,” she corrected him, smiling.

“It’s been awhile since I seen you.  I wasn’t sure if anything had changed.”

Reaching across the table, Annie held her hand open.  “I feel the same way I did the day I left Virginia City.”

Hoss took her hand and held it, looking into her eyes.  His expression was serious, and his brows were slightly furrowed.   “I do, too.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Do you think Philadelphia is anything like San Francisco, Hoss?” Annie asked as they walked through town toward the boarding house.

Hoss moved the bag he was carrying underneath his other arm, and took Annie’s hand, holding it as they walked.  “This doesn’t seem to be as rough a city as San Francisco.  But then, I don’t expect you have a Barbary Coast here either.”

“Nope.  You don’t have to worry about being shanghaied here.  But don’t sign anything while you’re here.  If the military finds out you’re staying until spring, they might try to draft you into the Union Army.  And there’s a curfew, so once I introduce you to Mrs. Levine, I have to get back to the hospital.”

“I woulda thought after Gettysburg things would settle down.”

“Well, they have, especially after the entrenchments around the city were built.  But that didn’t stop the Confederates from trying to get in.  They’d be fools to try it now.  All the soldiers from New York and New Jersey come through here, so there are a good many troops in the city all the time.  In fact, many of the wounded are brought here.  Some of my training has been in the military hospital.”  She pointed to a house just up the street.  “That one is Mrs. Levine’s.”  When they were on the porch, Hoss knocked on the door, and a woman answered.  “Hello, Mrs. Levine.”

“Annie, I was starting to get worried.”

“Mr. Cartwright hadn’t eaten dinner, so we stopped to eat, and then walked here.”

“Please, do come in,” said Mrs. Levine as she stepped back and opened the door wide.  “My, you are a big man.  You’ll have to be careful.  The Army might take one look at you and forget to ask any questions.”

Hoss set his bags on the floor next to him and smiled.  “Miss Annie already warned me, Ma’am.”

“Mrs. Levine, I hate to leave you so soon after we arrived, but I have to get back to the hospital before the curfew.”

Frowning, Mrs. Levine eyed Hoss warily.  “Well, you’ve already told me so much about him…and I trust you, Annie…besides, I could use a strong back around here at Christmas.  You will help me decorate, won’t you Mr. Cartwright?”

“I’d be happy to help, Ma’am,” replied Hoss.  “And please, Ma’am, call me Hoss.”

“Is that one of those frontier names?  We don’t hear that one here.”

“Well, my name is Eric, but most folks call me Hoss.”

“All right, Hoss, let’s get Annie on her way, and then I’ll show you to your room.”

Mrs. Levine walked both Hoss and Annie to the front porch, and then excused herself.  “Hoss, I have classes tomorrow, so I won’t see you until the afternoon.”

“Come on.  We’ll talk while I walk you to the hospital.”

“Oh, you can’t, Hoss.  You won’t be back before the curfew.”

“You let me worry about that.  I ain’t about to let you walk down to the hospital at night by yourself.”  With a huge grin, he bowed somewhat, held out his arm, and slightly wagged his head.  “Shall we?”

Smiling, Annie took his arm, and the two hurried down the street.  When they arrived, Annie stopped at the door and turned to Hoss.

“Annie, would it be all right if I kissed you goodnight?”

“I would be awfully disappointed if you didn’t.”

What started as a soft, tender kiss turned into long, firm one as Hoss pulled her into his arms.  By the time the kiss was finished, Annie was short of breath.   “Hoss,” she breathed.  “No one’s ever kissed me like that before.”

Hoss blushed. “Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away.”

“No, it’s not that,” she said, smiling and stepping into him.

Kissing her again, Hoss picked her up against him and straightened up, bringing her feet off the ground.

***

“Adam, can we please stop by the Flying W?  I promise…I won’t do anything.  I just want to see them.”

Giving her a stern look, he gave in when he saw her pleading blue eyes.  “You are not to go into the corral.”

She stifled a smile and returned a short nod.

When the buggy entered the Flying W yard, a man was riding out and tipped his hat to Shiloh and Adam.  Micah was standing near the barn, his feet apart about shoulder width, his hands down at his sides with his right hand hovering near his gun.

Shiloh recognized that stance.  She moved quickly to step out of the buggy, but Adam held her arm.

“It’s none of our business.”

Jerking her arm away, she continued out of the buggy, stomping toward Micah.

Placing a hand on the arm of the seat and the other on the dash, Adam swung out of the buggy, reaching Shiloh just as she stopped in front of her brother.

“What did that man want?” she asked brusquely, pointing in the direction he left.

Micah crossed his arms and smiled at her, answering calmly.  “Is that any way to welcome me back from a cattle drive?”

“Don’t avoid the question.”

“Your husband is not pleased with you,” said Micah, nodding toward Adam who was standing right behind her.

Adam reached around her and held out his hand to Micah.  “How’d it go?”

Taking Adam’s hand, Micah replied, “It went so well, I think we should plan to do it every fall.”

Stepping into Micah’s chest, Shiloh tiptoed to look him in the eye.  When Adam pulled her back, she stiffened and glanced back over her shoulder, seeing only the black of his shirt as he stepped into her back and squeezed her shoulders.  Ignoring him, she turned back to Micah.  “Was he looking for Mort Williams?”

Micah took a deep breath and looked down, twisting his mouth.  Looking back up from under his brows, he replied, “Adam’s right.  This doesn’t concern you.”  He expected the fire he saw smoldering in her eyes, but he didn’t expect the fear that accompanied it.

Before her marriage, Shiloh tended to blurt out whatever she was thinking, but lately, she had learned to hold her tongue and consider her words.   Looking him in the eye, she explained, “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be so concerned because I wouldn’t have the knowledge of who you were.  But because I know what I know, if something is going to happen to you, I don’t want to be surprised.  I don’t want to come over here one day and find you dead in the yard.  I want to know upfront if you’re in danger.”  Lowering her eyes, she continued, “Even so, I don’t know if I could handle finding you dead in the yard, or hearing about it from Adam, or…seeing it happen.”

Relaxing his grip on her shoulders, Adam looked at Micah, raised his brows and gave a short nod.

Micah took another deep breath and studied both of them, first Adam, and then Shiloh.  “There’s something to be said for living alone.  You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.”

Shiloh wilted and looked away to hide the moistness in her eyes.

“Shy,” he said, turning her face forward again with a finger.  “Men like the one who just left here aren’t a problem.  I can deal with them when they ask me if I’m Mort Williams to my face.  It’s the ones who won’t ask…the ones who won’t face me, but will shoot while my back is turned who’ll be a problem.   I can’t warn you about something I don’t see coming, Little Sister.”

“Is it that bad?” she whispered.

“I don’t think so.  I did make some enemies, but not that many who would want to kill me.  And those who do would want people to know they’re the one who killed Mort Williams, so they’ll be facing me.”

“Gunfights!” she spat disgustedly.

“You know, most of ‘em won’t try because they know they can’t outdraw me.”

”And bragging about it,” she said, glaring.

Motioning toward the house, he chuckled, “I’m not bragging.  Now, let’s have some coffee.  The breeze is a might brisk out here.”

“You two go ahead,” said Shiloh, pouting and stopping as the two men stepped past her.  “I came to see my horses.”

Both men stopped and turned back.  “Stay on this side of the fence,” said Adam, meeting her eyes.  He kissed her frown and continued to the house with Micah.

Chapter Fourteen

Shiloh waited for both men to enter the house before she made her way to the corral.  As they always did, her horses met her at the fence.  “Sorry, fellas.   I don’t have anything for you today,” she said as she scratched each nose in turn.

After watching Shiloh with her horses for so long, Tom had gotten into the habit of carrying a bag of carrot pieces with him as he worked around the corrals.   When he presented himself next to her at the corral, he did so with an open bag at which she gave him a wide grin before she dug in and retrieved some carrots.

“How are they, Tom?  How are they really?”

“You’ve been away from here for so long, you probably don’t know that four of them have foals on the way?”

Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him, making his heart flutter.  He had been what some people would call cruel to her when they were in school, but the truth was, she captivated him as much now as she did then.   “How are last year’s foals?”

“I’ve got them all up here,” he answered, pointing across the corral.  Two of them look like they’re gonna have Sampson’s color.”

“Excellent.  With Sampson and Eli, and possibly two more, we can keep the high quality in our foundation horses.  I was worried about that when I lost Max.”

When Adam and Micah entered the parlor with their coffee, Adam slowly wandered over to the side parlor window.  If he leaned against the frame on the front side, he could just see the back corral.  “What was the final take on the drive after you paid the men?” he asked.

“A little over six.  And we have enough ore out of the mine to take a load to the mill.”

“Already?” said Adam, looking at Micah, and then turning back to the window.

“Yeah, so we’ll be sittin’ pretty fat over the winter.”  Micah took a sip of his coffee and shook his head.  “Adam, don’t you trust your wife?”

“I trust her implicitly.  It’s Tom I don’t trust.”

Micah chuckled.  “You’re forgetting who you’re talking about.  Shy can handle him.”

Adam was leaning and looking when Tom moved behind Shiloh and bent forward to smell her hair. Crooking his jaw and flaring his nostrils, Adam abruptly sat his coffee cup on a table and walked toward the front door. “She can’t handle him when she doesn’t see him,” he said on his way out.

Micah watched him go, shook his head, and took a sip of his coffee before he followed at a discreet distance.  He knew Adam would calm himself before he approached Shiloh and Tom, but still, he would be ready to step in if necessary.

Stopping at the corner of the house, Adam unclenched his fists and breathed. In reality, Tom had only smelled her hair, and Adam was sure she didn’t even know it.  If he confronted Tom in front of Shiloh, it would upset her, and he had no desire to do that to her in her condition.  Taking one final deep breath, he forced himself to relax.  As soon as he stepped around the corner, he called her name so both she and Tom would know he was there.  Tom sidestepped away from her just before Adam stepped into her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  “So how are they?” he asked with a wink.

She smiled lovingly up at him.  “They’re all just fine.  Tom’s been taking excellent care of them.”   Her wink at Tom brought out a handsome, bright smile that instantly disappeared when he saw the look on Adam’s face.

“Well, now that you’ve seen them for yourself, I think we should be heading home.”  Pointing at the sky, he added, “Clouds are moving in, and I have no intention of letting you get wet before we get home.”

He swung her around toward the house, but she turned back.  “Tom, thank you.  You’re doing a wonderful job.”

Tom smiled at her again, but quickly turned back to the horses when Adam glared back at him.  He stayed at the back of the house until he heard the buggy leave the yard, and then hurried into the barn.  He knew Adam was aware of his feelings for his wife, and wondered how long it would be before Adam decided to do something about it.

After feeding the horses for the evening, he went to the bunkhouse where Hank was saying goodnight to the rest of hands.  “Tom, what’s got you moping?  Things are going well with the horses, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, sure they are…mostly.”

Hank watched him brood all the way to his bunk where he climbed up on top and turned away from the men.  “I wonder what’s got into him.”

Leaning in so his voice wouldn’t carry, Johnny replied, “Mrs. Cartwright musta been here with Mr. Adam.  He always gets like that when he sees them together.”

***

Adam had used the guise of a kiss to pull Shiloh to his side when they were seated in the buggy.  She had naturally wrapped her arm around his and stayed close when they drove off.  Looking down at her, Adam asked, “Have you thought about what you’d do if Tom leaves?”

“Tom won’t leave.  He likes it here.  At least, I hope he doesn’t leave.  He’s so good with the horses it would be very difficult to replace him.”

“Sweetheart, I’m concerned that he’s become a little too…familiar…with you.”

Leaning away, she gave him a dubious look, and then laughed.  “Adam, you’re not jealous of Tom are you?  Because if you are, there’s no reason to be.  Tom and I are good friends.  We’ve known each other a long time, and the familiarity you think you’re seeing is only a close friendship.  Besides, I’m about to get as big as the side of the barn.  I can’t imagine anyone thinking of me that way.”

Turning up the corner of his mouth, he replied, “Oh, I don’t know.  I can’t think of anything lovelier than a woman full of child.”

“That’s probably only true for the man who fathered that child,” she said, pinching his side playfully.

 

Chapter Fifteen

Hoss walked down the sidewalk with his hands in his jacket pockets and a smile on his face, remembering how good it felt to hold Annie; to kiss her.  All his fears that she might not feel the same way she had when she left him were laid to rest when she kissed him back.  His pleasant ruminations of the evening were interrupted by a shrill whistle behind him.

“You there!  Hold your hands out to your sides and turn around slowly.”

Dadgummit!  I shoulda been payin’ attention to the curfew instead of appreciatin’ the moment.

“What’s your name?”

“Eric Cartwright.”

“You from around here?”

“No.  I’m visitin’ from Virginia City in Nevada Territory.”

“Who you visiting?”

“I’m visitin’ a young lady.  She took me by Mrs. Levine’s boarding house…” he twisted his large frame and pointed up the street, “…and we was late gettin’ in.  I couldn’t let her walk on the street at night all by herself, so I walked over to the hospital with her.  I was just on my way back to the boardin’ house.”  Hoss studied the soldier in front of him.  He was just a kid, and a nervous one at that with a twitchy trigger finger.  “Look, I ain’t carrying a gun, and I don’t want any trouble.”

“Didn’t anyone tell you there’s a curfew?”

“Yes, but I reckon gettin’ the young lady back to the hospital safe was more important.” The two stood and looked at each other for a minute or two until Hoss decided this young fella didn’t know what to do and was probably scared half to death.  Hoss lowered his hands, but the young soldier waved his rifle, so the hands went back up.  “Look fella, we can stand out here all night, or you can follow me up to Mrs. Levine’s house.  She can tell you I ain’t lying.”

***

As he stood in the Union Army hall, the sergeant walked all the way around Hoss, looking him up and down.  “If I had a dozen men your size, I’d win this war by the end of the month.  How come I haven’t seen you before?  It a been mighty hard to miss you.”

Hoss looked back at the boy who had brought him in and swallowed hard.  “Sergeant, he seems a might nervous.  Can you tell ‘im to put down the rifle before he accidently pulls the trigger?”

Sergeant West leaned to the side to see the young man standing behind Hoss with the barrel of his rifle digging into Hoss’ back.  “At ease, soldier,” he barked.  Moving back to an upright position, the sergeant warily looked Hoss in the face.  “Why are you in my office after curfew, Mr….”

“Cartwright, Sir.  Hoss Cartwright.  I was walking a young lady home, and I knew I was gonna be late gettin’ back to the boardin’ house, but dadburnit, I couldn’t let her walk home at night by herself.”

Moving behind his desk, the sergeant sat down and motioned for Hoss to do the same.  “No son, I don’t suppose you could.  Any grown man would know that.  But I keep gettin’ these barely weaned kids coming in and enlisting just to be fed.  Where you from, son?”

“Virginia City out in Nevada Territory,” said Hoss, sitting back and crossing his legs.

“You’re a long way from home.  You staying?”

“No sir.  I’ll be goin’ back in the spring.  I came out to spend Christmas with a young lady who’s studyin’ to be a doctor.”

“Ha!  A female doctor! Them women think they can do a man’s job.  We even have some signin’ up as men…and for what?  To get their scrawny heads blowed off.”

Hoss bit the inside of his cheek to keep from expressing his own opinion of the sergeant’s view of women.  After all, he still didn’t know if this man was going to let him go or force him to enlist. “Look, Sergeant, Mrs. Levine was expectin’ me back.  She’ll be worried by now.”

“You’re staying at Mrs. Levine’s boarding house?  Well, why didn’t you say so?  If she trusts you, there’s no reason for me not to.  You go on, now, and if any of these other army brats stop you, just tell ‘im you already spoke to Sergeant West.”

Hoss stood and offered his hand.  “Thank you, Sergeant.  I’ll do just that.”  Wasting no time, Hoss turned and made a quick exit.

***

The beginning of December brought with it storm after storm, one particularly vicious.  Shiloh yawned at the breakfast table, having been kept awake most of the night listening to the wind howl around the outside of the house.

Adam watched as she opened her mouth wide and squeezed her eyes shut, patiently waiting for the yawn to conclude, but it just kept going.  When she finally finished, she didn’t even open her eyes, but rather propped her elbow on the table, chin in hand.

“Why don’t you go back to bed?” he asked, covering her other hand.  “You didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“If you know that, you didn’t get much sleep either.”

“Yes, well, I have some work to do this morning in the barn.  Another week or two, and it’ll be finished.”

Ming Lin brought breakfast to the table, refreshed their coffee and went back into the kitchen.

“I wanted to talk to you about that.  I’m worried about my horses.   There isn’t enough room in the big barn at the Flying W for all of them, and I’m worried about them being out in a storm like the one last night.  With all that wind, I’m afraid they won’t be warm enough, especially last spring’s foals.”

Looking at her from under his brow with a slight smile, Adam replied, “You don’t have to worry.”

She opened her eyes, and waited, expecting him to continue, but he was silent.  “Why?”

“Because they’re here,” he said, raising his eyebrows while still paying attention to his food.  “Along with Johnny, Billy and Tom.”  He almost broke out in laughter when he glanced over and saw her face, her brows furrowed and her lips turned in adorable puzzlement.  She cut her eyes to his and puckered her lips upon seeing the laughter in his eyes.

“Where are they?” she asked impatiently.

“In the stable,” he responded with a laugh.  “It’s finished.”

“You mean the men are in the stable, too?  They can’t be very comfortable.”

“Well, I wanted it to be a surprise, but since you brought it up…there are two rooms at the back of the stables with several bunks.”

With her mouth wide open and jubilation on her face, she started out of her chair. “Can we go see it?”

Once again, Adam lowered his head and moved his eyes up to hers.  “No.”  He paused to watch her whole face turn to a frown, then laughed again.  “We’ll go down after you eat breakfast.”

Later that morning, Adam drove Shiloh down the hill to the stables.  She walked through slowly, looking closely at every little detail; the white-washed finish, the opening in the ceilings above the stalls where hay could be dropped from the loft into feeders, the inside pump and water trough, tack hooks on the outside of each enclosed stall, and the double-hung stall doors. At the back end were two bunk rooms where her three stable men had already stashed their belongings, and at the front end was a room to be used as an office across from a well-organized tack room.  There were steps in the office that led up to the loft where Adam had installed double doors in the side of the barn with a rail across them. Shiloh could stand and watch horses being worked in all six large paddocks.

“In the spring when the snow stops falling, I’ll have the fences all painted white,” said Adam, standing with Shiloh as she looked out over the property.

She moved her fingers over her mouth and looked up at him affectionately.  “I don’t remember this in Daddy’s plans.  I don’t remember the cupola either.  I don’t even remember the double-hung doors.”

Putting his arm around her and pulling her into his side, he looked out over the land all the way up to the house at the top of the hill.  “Well, maybe I added some things. But if you and Hoss are going to have people here to see your horses, the facilities should match the quality of your animals.  Did you notice their names on the doors of their stalls?”

She nodded and turned into him, gazing warmly into his eyes.  “I did.  Thank you.  It’s wonderful.”

Over the next few weeks, things settled down around the newest piece of the Ponderosa.  Adam spent his days finishing the barn at the house, riding with Joe and Micah to check the herd and periodically checking the progress at the mine.  His evenings were spent at the dinner table, reading building specifications and making drawings.  So why did Shiloh seem so somber?

Chapter Sixteen

Adam opened the front door, stomping the snow from his feet.  He had just hung his jacket and hat and removed his gun belt when he heard a familiar sound of irritation coming from the back of the house where the piano sat.  Just as he looked, he saw a pile of paper rise into the air and float down in what looked like a snow shower, only the flakes were large and rectangle.

Puckering his mouth, he hunched his shoulders as he thought about whether he wanted to step into one of her outbursts at Will Stewart, but decided he’d console her now rather than waiting for it to turn into a swollen river of tears.  As he made his way to the back of the house, he remembered Paul’s warning, “Adam, don’t be surprised if she gets more emotional than usual.  Women seem to carry their emotions on their sleeves when they’re expecting a child.”  He smiled, remembering the last part of Paul’s advice.  “Don’t be surprised if she gets a bit more…affectionate…either.”

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, pouting.  “Do you think it’s funny that I can’t play any one of these pieces of music yet?”

“No, Sweetheart, that’s not what I’m smiling about.”  He stood watching her with a pleased look on his face, his arms crossed, his hands tucked into his armpits.  “It’s just that you’ve grown so fast in the last few of weeks.”

She stomped behind the piano, and made a short sob, looking down at her belly.  “I’m fat.”

Adam’s eyes widened as he stumbled over his next words and began to pick up sheet music from the floor.  “I…I never said that, Sweetheart.  You’re not fat.  You’re just…well…” standing, he half-smiled and laid the sheet music on top of the piano.  “…you’re…it’s a baby.”

Her bent head and frown remained as she glanced up at him, then moved to the sitting area and slowly sat on the sofa, folding her legs up under her.  Adam followed and sat next to her. “You’d think that by now I could play something.”

“Paul did say it would take some time, Shiloh.  It hasn’t been that long since you started practicing again.”  Taking her hand, he pulled her into his side and moved his arm over her shoulders.  “Why has it suddenly gotten worse?   What else is bothering you?”

Pushing herself up from his shoulder, she looked pitifully at him.  “I don’t have anything else to do.  I can’t work with the horses in the snow.  I can’t play my piano.  You won’t let me go for a walk alone.”  She wrung her hands.  “There’s nothing else for me to do.  I don’t know how to cook or sew or knit.  I sit in this house all day…and do nothing.  Nothing at all.”

“That’s not true.  You still do the books.”

“Well, there’s not much to do with the books.  We aren’t selling any cattle right now, and Micah does the books for the mine.  And you…you do everything you’ve always done, and then you come home and draw.  This is supposed to be our child, but I seem to be the only one who has to….”  Rather than finish her sentence, she threw her hands out in front of her.

Adam pushed his lower lip up as he bent his head to see her eyes.  “You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself.”   Her lower jaw dropped, and as she pushed herself up off the sofa, he grabbed her and transferred her to his lap.  “Now, there are plenty of things you can do.  You can spend some time in the kitchen helping Ming Lin.  He can teach you how to cook.  You can ask Mrs. Lewis if she would bring her quilting club here for lunch so you can learn how to quilt.  I’ll bet she can even teach you how to sew clothes for the baby.  And we’ve only got a few weeks until Christmas, and we have nothing to hang on our tree.  You could make some ornaments and plan how to decorate the house.  We haven’t had a party here yet. We could have a Christmas party sometime before the party at the Pa’s.”

“Quilting, sewing, cooking…all those things I didn’t learn as a girl growing up in a house of men.”

“That’s your own fault.  Amos tried to get you to learn those things, but you wanted no part of it.”

“Well, at the time, I was never going to be a mother.”

Adam raised his chin and looked down on her.  “And you didn’t care for me either.  But things change, don’t they?”

“I guess this is one more thing I can blame on you,” she said, propping her hand on her belly.

Adam’s eyebrows shot up.

“Well, you did do this to me, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t hear you complaining at the time.”

“Oh really,” she said, turning away to hide a smile.  “What do you think all that noise was?”

He gently pushed her backward so that she was lying on her back on the sofa and leaned over her.  “There is one way to find out.”   He kissed her smiling lips, and then looked into her eyes while he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.   Moving her hands around his neck, she pulled him down to her, and they kissed again, this time, longer, deeper.

“I smell lunch,” she said distractedly with her eyes closed and a sated look as he nibbled at the side of her neck. “Ming Lin could come in at any minute.”

Folding his lips together, nodding and grunting, Adam pulled her back up onto his lap, his lips lingering close to hers. “I’ll talk to Mrs. Lewis when I go into town.  In the meantime, you can offer some help to Ming Lin…or at least ask him to teach you how to cook.”  After one more kiss, he carried her up with him as he stood, steadying her when her feet touched the floor, and with an arm around her waist, he walked her to the dining room table.

Chapter Seventeen

Adam walked in the front door, stomping the snow off his boots and brushing it off his jacket with his gloved hand.  Slowly standing from the wingback chair on the side of the fireplace where she could see the door, she bowed her head and clasped her hands in front of her.  Turning up the corner of his mouth, he smiled at the stance he had seen for so many years when she wanted something and was being told ‘no.’ He crossed his arms and waited to see how her argument for going to town would change since he came back from saddling his horse.

Her eyes moved up to his without raising her head, and her toes pointed inward. Her view of him had changed quite drastically over the last year.  Now as his wife, she couldn’t help but appreciate the vision of a man that he was, both inside and out.  She admired his principles, his resolve, his integrity all supported by his imposing charisma, the fearlessness he presented, and his physical abilities as well as his skill with his gun. His baritone voice was strong and commanding when he needed to be and so soft and gentle when she needed him.  All that left her wondering what he saw in her, who at the moment was a frumpy, pathetic looking thing with a big, round belly. How could he love her, looking like that?  “You don’t want to be seen with me, do you?” she asked softly, casting her eyes back down.

His lower jaw dropped.  He had expected something out of her that would play on his heartstrings, but this…and the way she said it…she believed it, if only because of her current condition.  Pulling off his gloves and jacket, he laid them on the entry table and walked to her, her curls falling down over her shoulders, the glowing, smooth skin of her cheeks flushed, her full, pink lips, and a dress of forest green with a long generous plaid apron that draped over the round mound of her belly that was his child. He had watched her grow from an adorable little girl to an awkward, mouthy teenager to a willful, bright, talented young lady, and lately into a beautiful, confident, strong woman; except for right now.

Taking her face in his hands, he said, “Shiloh, if I didn’t want to be seen with you, I wouldn’t be riding to our neighbors and into town to invite all of our friends to a party.”

“Adam, why can’t you take the buggy so I can go with you?  Mrs. Lewis hasn’t been able to get out here to teach me anything.  I have no decorations for our tree, and I need material and ribbon to decorate the house.  You won’t even let me go outside to collect pine and cones for garland and swags.”

Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her as tightly as possible with her belly between them.  “I can get around much faster on a horse.  It will take a lot longer to go where I need to go in the buggy, and I don’t want you out in the cold that long.  Besides that, the buggy would probably get stuck.”  He turned her face up to his with a finger under her chin. “Ming Lin gave me a list of things to get to make decorations, and I can go by Mrs. Lewis’ and pick up material and ribbons and ask if she has some easy ideas.  And while you and Ming Lin are working on those, I’ll go out and collect pine boughs and cones.” Maintaining her frown, she looked away.  “Sweetheart, I know you haven’t enjoyed this time of year for a long time, except maybe last year.  And now this year you’re mostly confined to the house, but Shiloh, there’s a lot to keep you busy here.”  He placed his hands on her shoulders and bent at his knees, slightly leaning to see her eyes.

He was right.  She hated Christmas.  She hated being cooped up when ordinarily she’d be spending time outside with her horses and collecting pine branches and red berries herself. Her hand dropped to her belly where she absentmindedly rubbed it gently.  He was trying so hard to cheer her up and keep her safe and comfortable at the same time.  She had to try for him, if not for herself.  Slowly raising her eyes to his, she smiled hesitantly and nodded.

“That’s my girl.” Adam turned at a knock on the door, but kissed her tenderly before he went to answer it.  “Joe, I didn’t expect to see you here.  Come on in.”

Stomping the snow from his boots, he shook Adam’s hand and went to Shiloh, kissing her cheek.  “How are my two favorite people?”

“We’re fine,” answered Adam.

“Oh, I’m not talking about you,” Joe said, looking back briefly at Adam who scowled.  Turning back to Shiloh, he smiled.  “I’m talking about these two.”

Shiloh had smiled, but an odd expression suddenly took over her face as she moved her hands to each side of her stomach, prompting Adam to rush over and shove Joe aside.

“What is it?” he asked with his hands hovering near her, but not touching her, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.

She stood motionless for a moment with her arms wrapped around her belly when understanding settled in, and a grin slowly appeared.  Taking Adam’s hands, she placed them on both sides of her belly.  “Do you feel it?” she asked, looking up at him, elated and tearful at the same time.  “I’ve been feeling flutters, but this…”  Everyone held their breath and waited.

Shaking his head, Adam said, “I don’t feel a thing.  Except for your stomach.”

“Not that,” she scolded.  “Just wait.”  No one moved.  Then she moved his hand to the bottom of her stomach.  “There.  It feels like he flipped over.”

Moving behind her, he put his arms around her and laid his hands on her roundness.  A look of wonder took over his face when he finally felt the baby move under his hands.  “Joe, come ‘ere.”  Taking Joe’s hand in his, he placed it on the side of her stomach and held it there.

Adam laughed with a wide grin at the same time Joe giggled.  “Is that…is that really the baby moving around in there?”

“That’s him,” said Adam proudly, wrapping his arms around Shiloh and kissing the side of her face.

She was grinning as widely as he; a sure sign that her day had just gotten better.

Chapter Eighteen

Joe had come by the house because Hop Sing had a list of things he needed, and with the recent heavy snows, a wagon wasn’t going to be traveling the roads to Virginia City for quite some time.  On his way out, Joe decided Ming Lin might be of like mind since he and Hop Sing usually stocked up on supplies together, so he stopped by to see if Adam, perchance, would be braving the snows today.  While Joe waited on the top step, both Adam and Shiloh were still laughing as they kissed goodbye, once, twice, and finally as Adam went back to her for a third time, Joe made his impatience known.  “Come on, you two. You act like you won’t see each other in a couple of hours.”

While Shiloh stood at the door, letting snow blow into the house as she watched them leave, Adam told Joe his plans.  “It’s not going to be a couple of hours…more like four or five.  I have to ride to our neighbors to invite them to our party Friday night, and then I have to ride around Virginia City to deliver invitations before I get Ming Lin’s supplies.”

“Party?  How come I haven’t heard about a party?” Joe yelled to be heard over the snow- laden wind whipping around them.

“Because Pa’s was going to be the last stop on the way home.”

“Well, let me save you some trouble.  I’ll go south, you go north, and we’ll meet at the junction and ride into Virginia City together.  Then while I’m getting both orders filled, you can deliver your invitations in town.”

“I appreciate the help, Joe.  Shiloh’s expecting me to gather some pine branches and cones to decorate, and I still need to find a tree.  But I’ll get Micah to help with that.”

Pulling the collar of his coat up around his face, Joe said with a smile, “Let’s get started.  If we stand still here much longer we’ll freeze like this.”  Both men mounted up, and at the end of the road leading to the house, they went in separate directions.

Shiloh watched until they blended into the driving snow, then shivered and closed the front door.  With a hand rubbing her stomach, she turned and looked out at the interior of the house, thinking how warm and inviting it felt, and how much more so it would be once decorated.  Smiling, she thought that, perhaps, Christmases would be more enjoyable now that she had a husband and his family to share them with.  She even got a little misty-eyed that she could include Micah again.

Deciding to ask Ming Lin to indulge her in the kitchen, she took a deep breath before she shuffled in.  Even though she was only five months along, she felt as if she was waddling. “Ming Lin, may I speak with you?”

He stopped kneading dough for sandwich bread and bowed.  “Permission is not required, nor expected.”

Smiling, she sat on a stool across from him.  “Please continue.  I think we can talk while you work.  I had spoken to Hop Sing when Mr. Cartwright and I were first engaged about this, but…well, I was a bit clumsy, and he got a little irritated at me.  But I’d like to learn to cook.”

Ming Lin stopped kneading and gave her a momentarily startled look before he resumed.  “I will do whatever you wish.  But I will not allow you to carry a flour bag.  I do not wish to turn white.”

She swore she saw a quick smile as he kept his head bent over his work and erupted in laughter herself.  “I guess Hop Sing told you about that.  I’m sorry for laughing, Ming Lin.  It wasn’t funny at the time, but you should have seen the look on Hop Sing’s face,” she explained still laughing.

He snickered and blushed, then looked up again with a mortified expression.  “I am sorry, Mrs. Cartwright.  I did not mean to laugh.”

“Ming Lin,” she said with a wide grin.  “It’s all right to laugh at something funny.  I hope you’ll be with us for a long time and feel as comfortable here with us as Hop Sing is at the main house…like family.”

Looking up again, he hesitated, but eventually smiled. “What would you like to learn?”

“Everything eventually.  I already know how to cook bacon crispy the way Adam likes it, and I can scramble eggs.  Hop Sing taught me how to make stew before he gave up trying.  And Annie taught me how to make basic cookies and bread.  I have no idea how to make preserves or cakes and pies, or how to cook meat so that it’s tender.  I’ve never plucked a chicken or turkey, and I’ve never prepared a pig either.  I have no clue what herbs to use.  But what I’d like to learn first is how to make party food and punch.  We’ll be having a party next Friday, and I’d like to help you.”

“May I ask a question?”

“Permission is not required, nor expected,” she answered with a wink.

“Why do you wish to learn to cook?”

“Well, Ming Lin, the sad story is that I have nothing to do right now except practice the piano, and I can only take that in small doses without getting angry.  I need to learn all those things I didn’t as a child in my father’s home…those things my mother would have taught me had she been alive.  Mrs. Lewis was going to come out to teach me how to sew and quilt, but the snow is keeping her away.”

Ming Lin placed the dough he had been working in a bowl, brushed the top with butter, and then laid a towel over it and set it aside to rise.  “I will teach you to cook.  I can also teach you to mend.”

“Do you know how to make Christmas decorations?”

“I am familiar with American decorations.  I can help you make what I know.”

***

Adam had gone north along the Ponderosa border and began to work his way down to the ranches and homesteads along the way back to the junction at the Ponderosa’s main road and the road to Virginia City.  Each time he cleared the cover of the trees, his pace slowed because of the heavy snow coming down that had already accumulated over a foot on the ground.  Before he reached the first ranch house, he moved his eyes to either side of him as he rode, having the feeling that he was being followed.  When he saw no movement, he smiled and continued on.  He was sure the dismal grayness and darkness beyond the trees on either side of the road were making him edgy.   He stopped at the first three homes, delivered his message and rode on.

The road to the next ranch ran through a particularly dense grove of trees, and under the cover of the boughs, the darkness enveloped him.  Half way through, he jerked his head to the right, sure he’d seen a flash of white, but could see nothing, the only sound the wind through the trees and the occasional crack of a limb under the weight of snow.  He relaxed until he saw another movement out of the corner of his eye to the left, but didn’t look this time.  Twice was not his imagination.  He unbuttoned the lower buttons of his coat and removed the strap of leather over the hammer of his gun, letting his hand rest there as he coaxed Sport into a faster gait.  Riding on, he already knew what he was facing.  The only animals in those parts that would stalk in numbers were wolves.  But it was unusual for more than a lone wolf to be this low in the mountains, the only possible reason being they could find no food higher in the Sierra.  That would be reasonable considering the ferocity of the recent storms they had experienced in the lower elevations; in the higher ranges, the storms would be worse.

But there were herds of cattle grazing on all the ranch land, and under cover of one of these storms, a single wolf could easily take a beef.  Several working together would be even more efficient.  So why were wolves stalking him?

As he rode, the wolves became bolder, traveling closer to the road, but still in the trees.  At any one time, Adam could see more than one on both sides of the road.  He knew not to run, but rather turn and face them.  If he ran, it would trigger something primal in the animals that told them to follow and attack.  A lone wolf might not be so daring, but for a pack of wolves, it would be instinctual.

He began looking for a suitable place to stop and stand his ground, searching for a rock face or high pile of boulders to cover his back.  He had ignored the turns to the other homesteads for fear of leading the pack to the unsuspecting families.   He was close enough to the junction that under normal circumstances, if Joe was already waiting there, he’d hear the sound of gunfire.  But the howl of the wind could easily muffle the sound or carry it away from the junction.  Still, he removed his revolver and shot twice into the air.

The wolves retreated deeper into the forest, but continued to shadow him, so he began to look in earnest for a place to stop.  A large mound of boulders was taking shape just beyond where the forest opened up to clear terrain.  He replaced his revolver in its holster and slowly pulled his rifle from the scabbard, preparing to quickly dismount and move Sport behind him against the rocks.  As he approached the boulders, he tensed.   If he couldn’t dismount quickly enough and stop Sport, the horse might keep going and fall victim to the pack…or they might decide he was the easier prey.

There was no more time for thought.  He pulled back hard on the reins and swung his leg forward over the saddle, landing on both feet in front of Sport and facing the pack whose members had stopped in a line on the road.  Adam scanned them back and forth, watching as they spread out and slowly closed the distance.  He aimed for the wolf further to his left, but before he pulled the trigger, a shot rang out from beyond the line of wolves in front of him.  Hearing a high pitched whine above and to his back, he risked a quick look and saw a dark, almost black wolf fall to the ground behind Sport.  Looking quickly back to the line, he raised his rifle and shot the wolf closest to him.

The members of the pack, slowly losing their confidence, whined and paced before retreating back into the darkness of the forest.

“Adam?  Adam, it’s Joe,” came a call from the darkness.  As Joe rode into sight, Adam breathed a loud sigh and caught himself on his saddle.  “Are you all right,” asked Joe as he dismounted and rushed to Adam’s side, taking hold of an arm.

“I am now, thanks to you.  I had no idea another one was above me.  I’d have been dinner if you hadn’t come along.”

“I was only a few hundred yards south of the junction when I heard the shots.”  Looking around them, and then at the wolf on the ground behind Adam, he said, “I don’t understand.  We’ve never had a pack down this far, and there’s beef for the taking.  Why did they come after you?”

“I don’t know, but we have to find out before they find the outlying ranches.  They went back toward the Ponderosa.  We’ve got to warn Pa and Shiloh.”

“I’ll go back to the house.  These supplies will have to wait,” said Joe.

“The supplies and the party will have to wait.  We can’t have people riding through here with a pack of wolves around.   But it’s too dangerous for us to ride alone.  Pa and Hop Sing are in for the night, but Shiloh may go out on the porch for firewood.  There wasn’t a lot left on the hearth when I left.  Hopefully Johnny has the horses inside the stable and the doors closed.”

Joe took a long look at the wolf that fell from the top of the boulders.  “He’s a big one.”

Mounting his horse, Adam looked down at the carcass.  “We can hope he was the leader of the pack.  I’d hate to think what might happen if there are bigger wolves in that pack than this one.  Let’s go.”

Chapter Nineteen

Ming Lin brought out a cup of hot tea for Shiloh as she sat on the sofa reading a letter.  He had begun to offer her a special blend of hot tea rather than preparing coffee for her, knowing that the tea would make her condition more comfortable.

She had read the letter so many times she knew it by heart.  It came from Annie and Hoss, both writing separate paragraphs on the same sheet of paper.  Though it was short, it certainly was sweet. Every time she read it, she couldn’t help but smile.

Hoss had arrived safe and sound a little over a month ago and was settled into a boarding house for the winter.  There wasn’t much for him to do on his own until Annie was free from her classes, so he helped the woman who owned the boarding house with minor work and the seasonal chores that came along with Christmas.  Evidently, Mrs. Levine was keeping him busy while Annie wasn’t.

Annie was doing so well in her classes, her instructors made the decision to shorten her time there.  She would be coming back to Virginia City in time to spend the next Christmas with the Cartwrights, and couldn’t wait to meet the newest addition to the family.  She hoped to offer specialized medical services to the women of Virginia City, but was concerned how she would be accepted.  Shiloh made a mental note to bring up the possibility of a female doctor working with the women of Virginia City to Dr. Martin the next time she saw him.  Lowering the letter to her lap, she sighed, wondering when the next time would come for her to go to town, considering the harsh winter they were experiencing.

While Shiloh quietly pored over the letter, Ming Lin busied himself stoking the fire and adding another log.

“Ming Lin, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes, Mrs. Cartwright,” he answered with a smile, approaching her and standing facing her with his hands crossed in front of him.

“Please, sit down.”

Ming Lin’s happy smile changed to a nervous one as he slowly sat in the wing chair next to the sofa.

“I’d prefer that you didn’t call me Mrs. Cartwright.  It sounds so formal, and I’d like you to feel at home here.”

“I do feel…at home.  But I am hired help.  It would not be proper to address you any other way.”

“Hop Sing doesn’t call me Mrs. Cartwright.”

“Yes, but he calls the master of the house Mr. Cartwright, and you are the mistress of this house.”

“I won’t require that you don’t, Ming Lin, but it would make me feel more comfortable if you didn’t.”

“Perhaps…with time,” said Ming Lin, smiling and nodding.  “If you are ready to learn, we can begin now.  I am preparing your lunch and will start dinner after.”

As they walked into the kitchen, Shiloh asked, “Did I ask you if you know how to make Christmas tree ornaments?”  Ming Lin just smiled and continued on.

***

The new leader of the wolf pack stood on the edge of the woods, his snout held up in the air taking in the scents of the surrounding area.  He was bloody, having fought for his position in the pack, and after losing two of the pack’s members including their former leader, he didn’t kill his rival, but rather left him with a nasty bite to his hind quarter.  He would live.

The other pack had driven them away from the plentiful source of food, and finding other suitable meat was proving to be difficult.  But now he could smell the unmistakable odor of dung, though light on the bitter wind, and where there was dung, there was meat.  Considering the structure in front of him with its unfamiliar odors in the air, odors that did not appeal to him, but would do if necessary, he disappeared back into the trees to follow the more appetizing scent.

***

Billy had gone outside the stables to retrieve wet towels he had laid on the snow to chill.  He was going to use them to wrap one of the horse’s legs where he’d felt heat just above the fetlock.  Tom and Johnny were warm in the bunk room, heating up a pot of beans to go with the bread Ming Lin had delivered to them earlier that day.  Ming Lin had been good to them this winter, bringing them pork to add to the beans and leaving eggs, bacon and coffee for their mornings.

They had just finished feeding the horses and returned to the warmth of the bunk room when a disturbance broke out in the stables. The horses suddenly began to fidget in their stalls, kicking at the walls. The two men left their bunk room and watched the horses.  Those on the other end of the stables near the door seemed more agitated than those further inside.

“I don’t like it,” said Johnny.  “Somethin’s got ‘em spooked.”   Taking his gun from the holster hanging on the bunk room wall, he entered the stables, walking slowly down the middle aisle and looking from side to side into the stalls.  Tom was close behind when both men jerked to a stop at the sound of a horrific scream coming from the other side of the stable doors.  Their first thought was that Billy was outside those doors.

Running to the end of the aisle, Johnny pushed the door to the side, making a gap wide enough for both men to peer out into the grayness.  Dark images moved in from the forest and gathered in a huddled, snapping, writhing mass until Johnny raised his gun and began firing.

Tom froze, knowing what the wolves had been tearing at, and when the pack had been chased away by Johnny’s bullets, he ran to what was left on the snow.  Standing rigid, he looked down at the two bodies below him, the body of a wolf lying limp over the mutilated remains of Billy.  Dropping to his knees, he cried.

Johnny slowly approached the pile, his stomach churning at the thought of what he would find.  He stood behind Tom unable to move, the cold chill of winter seemingly more piercing than usual.

Both men looked back up at the sound of howling and barking coming from the edge of the woods.  The wolves had regrouped, some struggling to walk forward, but all covered in the blood of their victim, their eyes glowing in the dim light that sifted through the clouds.  Each man took an arm and dragged what was left of Billy into the stable, closing the door behind them and dropping the bar that held the doors closed securely.

***

“Ming Lin, did you hear that?”

“I heard nothing Mrs. Cartwright.”

“I could have sworn I heard gunshots from down the hill.”  She walked out of the kitchen to the big windows behind the dining room, watching for any movement at the stables.  Seeing nothing, she shrugged at the sudden chill in the room.  The fire was dying down, and finding no wood on the hearth, she called to Ming Lin.  “I’m going to bring more wood from the front porch.  I’ll be right back.”

Ming Lin heard the front door open followed by delicate footsteps moving across the porch to the wood stack.  He could see the front porch from the kitchen window and watched as Mrs. Cartwright stacked more wood than she should be carrying in her arms before she turned back toward the door.  Then he saw what looked like a dark figure just beyond his ability to clearly see.  He wiped his eyes, but upon seeing a second dark, stalking figure, he dropped the mixing bowl he had been holding and ran into the front room.

Shiloh struggled under the weight of the wood.  It was a good thing she had left the door cracked, and just as she stepped in and then leaned back against the door to close it, something hit the other side hard enough for her to lose her grip on the wood.  The door had latched, but puzzled, she reached down for the latch and squeezed.

A hand slammed against the door in front of her.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“Do not open the door,” ordered Ming Lin in a tone of voice so forceful, she drew back.

Chapter Twenty

Without removing her hand from the latch, she barked, “Something hit the door.  I need to see what it was,” as she squeezed the handle.

Grasping her wrist so tightly that she released the latch, Ming Lin stepped between her and the door.  “It was a wolf.”

An icy chill ran from her head to her feet as she stared at Ming Lin with wide eyes.

“I saw from the kitchen.  We must hurry and close the shutters,” he said, pointing to the windows on the far side of the house.

“A wolf,” Shiloh barely uttered, unable to move at the thought of how close it had come to knocking her through the door.

Ming Lin didn’t wait for her, but instead ran from window to window securing the shutters.  Both of them turned at the sound of breaking glass coming from the kitchen.  Grabbing Shiloh’s hand, he ordered her up to the top of the stairs.

“No.  The rifles.  We need guns.  Detouring to the gun cabinet, she fumbled with the key to the lock on the chains as Ming Lin watched beyond the dining room.  They could hear pots and pans crashing to the floor before she finally pulled the chain through the trigger guards, handing a rifle to Ming Lin and taking one for herself.  Next, she pulled a box of ammunition from a drawer and both climbed the stairs, loading the rifles as they watched the kitchen.

They held their breath as they waited with their guns at ready.

Banging at the front door startled Ming Lin so severely that he pulled the trigger.  The recoil sent him backward as the bullet lodged in the dining room wall.

“Shiloh!  It’s Adam.  Let me in.”

She scrambled down the stairs before Ming Lin could restrain her.  Running for the door, she threw the latch just as a wolf loped out of the kitchen, stopping at the corner of the dining room and looking around the room, its tongue hanging out and dripping with saliva as it smelled the air.  Lowering its head, the wolf slowly stepped closer and closer to the door just as Adam stepped in.  Another gun shot rang out as the wolf leapt into the air at the same time Adam pulled Shiloh into him and drew his gun.  This time Ming Lin’s shot hit its mark.

Burying her head in Adam’s chest, she braced herself for the worst, but what she heard was a loud thud.  No sooner had she taken a relieved breath when a second wolf thundered around the corner.

Pulling Shiloh around him, Adam enveloped her in his arms as he turned his back to the animal, expecting to take the brunt of the wolf’s attack.

Two more gun shots from the direction of the kitchen brought it down on top of its companion.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Micah and Joe standing at the corner, their guns drawn and leveled at the wolves.  A morbid look passed between the men before Adam nodded at the carcasses on the floor, and then at the door.  “Get them out of here.”

“Adam, we’ve got to get the windows in the rooms back here covered.  There might be more of the pack outside,” said Micah, holstering his gun.

Nodding, Adam turned his attention to Shiloh who had squeezed herself into the smallest amount of space she could manage against him.  Her face was ashen, her eyes bloodshot and full of fear, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her fingers gripped his jacket so tightly her knuckles were white.  Turning her face up to his, he whispered, “It’s over.  Everyone’s all right.”

She blinked back tears as she met his gaze, understanding his words.  Even so, she couldn’t stop shaking, nor could she loosen her grip.

“Adam, we’ve got everything closed up back there except for the kitchen door.  They came right through the glass…splintered the muntins,” said Micah.

Without taking his eyes off Shiloh, Adam replied, “Move the hutch in front of the door.  If they can’t see in, they won’t try to get in.”

“Is Shy all right?” asked Micah quietly, taking another step closer.

Adam didn’t answer.  His eyes remained fixed on Shiloh’s.  “Are you?” he asked softly.

She couldn’t lie to him; she was more frightened than she had ever been, her thoughts centered on the baby and what might have happened had any of the wolves taken her to the floor.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she maintained her grip and pressed her body into him as if she could possibly get closer.

Lifting her into his arms, Adam carried her toward the stairs where Ming Lin, still holding the rifle, stepped to one side. “Ming Lin, would you make some of that hot tea she likes and bring it to our bedroom?”

Dutifully nodding, he took the rifle back to the gun cabinet and made haste to the kitchen.  When he entered, he stopped and surveyed the damage.  It appeared at least one of the wolves had jumped on top of the work table, scattering all the bowls, pans and dough.  The meat that had been basted and readied to go into the oven was gone, remnants of bone and gristle strewn over the floor.  Stepping over the debris here and there, he found the kettle where it had been knocked off the stove, washed it in the wash basin and proceeded to heat water for Mrs. Cartwright’s tea.

Upstairs, Adam laid Shiloh on the bed and pried her hands away from his jacket as he slipped it off.  “Ming Lin is going to bring you some tea to help you relax.”

“Will you stay with me?” she asked in a barely audible whisper.

“I have some things to do, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Please don’t go back out,” she said on the verge of tears.  “What if more are outside?   What if they get back into the house?” she cried anxiously as she shot up from the bed.

“Ssh…ssh,” he said comfortingly, hugging her tightly against him.  “The house is buttoned up tight.  They won’t get back in.   I don’t really think there are very many left…maybe two or three.”

“How do you know that?” she whimpered into his shoulder.

He winced as he looked beyond her toward the window.  He couldn’t tell her what had happened on the road just yet…it would only upset her more.  “It’s just a guess, Sweetheart.”

“A-Adam,” she whispered.  “I-I heard g-gun shots earlier.  They came fr-fr-from the st-stables.”

Prying her away, he looked into her eyes.  “Don’t you think I should go down there and make sure everyone’s all right?”

“Not alone!” she exclaimed.

“Joe and Micah will go with me.   Once we’ve checked out the stables, we’ll ride over to Pa’s to make sure he and Hop Sing are all right, and before Micah and I leave, we’ll get some men from the bunkhouse to ride back with us.  There’s safety in numbers.  The wolves won’t come after that many of us.”

When he rose from the side of the bed, Shiloh wrapped her arms around herself and looked toward the window, another tear making its way down her already wet face. Reaching down, he wiped the tear away, and then moved his finger under her chin, raising her face.  “Sweetheart, it’s over.  But you’ve had quite a scare.  I’d like you to rest until I get back.  It’ll be dark soon, and I want everyone where they’re supposed to be before then.”  Bending down, he kissed her tenderly before he turned to leave.

She said nothing as she watched him go.   Despite his reassurances, she had a nagging feeling deep inside her that the ordeal was far from over.  Climbing out of the bed, she went to the window in the empty master bedroom, leaned against the sash and watched as the dim figures of the three riders on their horses trudged through the snow down the hill toward the stables.

Chapter Twenty-One

Though their bedroom was devoid of furniture, the sitting room, which would be a nursery when the baby came, contained one piece; a rocking chair Adam had purchased for Shiloh while they were in the house at the Flying W.  The sitting room was surrounded by windows looking out over the corrals and stables in a small valley at the side of the house with views of Lake Tahoe through the back windows.   Even though it was still too early in the day to be dark, no bright light shone into the room.  Outside it was dim and gray and…depressing. The gloom seemed to portend the events of the day.  Even the lake with its small whitecaps looked like the cold coal remnants of a fire.  The constant snow made it difficult to see any detail at all.  The trees looked like a water color painting that had gotten wet and turned into a smear of dull green.

Sitting quietly in the rocker, Shiloh watched the stables, an ominous foreboding consuming her.

***

Dismounting their horses at the stable doors, Micah stopped cold when he saw darkened snow off to the side of the stable.  “That doesn’t look good.”

All three men dropped their reins and walked over to look.  “That’s a lot of blood,” said Joe.  “And look at the way it’s spread out…like pieces of something were taken.”

“There’s a dead wolf over here,” called Micah, who had walked at little further toward the side of the stable.

A chill ran down Adam’s spine as he spoke to Joe.  “Like something was eaten.”  Bringing his hand up to cover his mouth, he closed his eyes and turned away, quickly stepping back to the stables doors and opening them.

There in front of him, Johnny and Tom were kneeling over a body, both men in tears as they attempted to pull the shredded remains of a shirt back over its missing gut.

Slowly removing his hat, Adam new that body had been Billy before he even looked.  He turned away to find a blanket as Micah and Joe entered the stable, removing their hats as well.

Returning with canvas, Adam spoke to Joe, nodding toward Johnny and Tom, and then to the bunk rooms.  “Take them back to their bunks, and see if you can find them some whiskey.  Micah?” he said, holding out a corner of the canvas.

“What’re you thinking, Adam?” asked Micah as he helped wrap the body in the canvas.

“We can’t leave him in here, and we can’t bury him out there.  The ground is too hard to dig anything more than a shallow grave.  We’ll take him up to the barn and leave him there until we can get to Roy.  It should stay cold enough to…”  Without finishing his thought, he secured the canvas with rope, and then went deeper into the stables to retrieve Billy’s horse.

Once Billy’s body was secured to his horse, Micah and Adam went back to the bunk room.  “Johnny?”

Looking up with red-rimmed eyes, Johnny nodded.  “We’ll be all right, Mr. Adam.  But what are you going to do with Billy?”

“He’ll be in the barn up at the house until Roy can come out.  You two should be all right here.  The wolves won’t be able to get in.  Even so, I’m bringing another hand back from the main bunkhouse to help with the horses, so expect a knock on the doors.”

Both men nodded and watched Joe, Adam and Micah leave with Billy’s horse in tow. When the three men got to the barn, they placed Billy’s body on top of a storage box off the dirt floor.  Once they had turned back toward their horses, Adam stopped them.  “Both of you.  Not a word to Shiloh.  I’ll tell her when she’s calmer.”

“I think I need to be there when you do,” said Micah.  “Ever since Dad took him in, Shiloh’s been the one that made sure Billy was taken care of.  She’s not going to take this well at all.”

“What do you know about Billy?”

“Do you remember Bill Reed?  He was foreman at the Flying W before Hank.”

Adam nodded. “Wasn’t he killed by a wolf?”

“Yep,” answered Micah, bowing his head and scuffing the dirt floor.  “He was Billy’s pa.”

“I didn’t know Bill had children,” said Adam in surprise.

“He kept it quiet because he didn’t want any trouble.  He married a Washoe woman.  And then when Billy came along…well, after a year or two, they knew he wasn’t quite right.  He learned everything later than normal.  Anyway, after Bill died, his wife…I don’t remember her name, but Shy will…she said she couldn’t take Billy back to her people.  They wouldn’t accept him in the tribe because he was only half Washoe and because he was cursed.”

“Do you know if Billy’s mother is still alive?”

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to find her.  The Washoe are fairly spread out, and they tend to hide from white men.  Shiloh might know.”

“Well, I’m not going to tell her tonight.  She’s going to have a hard enough time sleeping.  I’ll tell her tomorrow.  If she knows if Billy’s mother is alive and where she is, we’ll take Billy’s body to her.”

***

Shiloh stood when she saw four distinct shapes leaving the stables.  As they got closer to the house, she could see that one of the riders wasn’t upright and hung her head, her mind racing around which of her three men was now wrapped in canvas.

She jumped at a knock on the open bedroom door.  “Mrs. Cartwright.   I have brought you tea.”  She closed her eyes and didn’t move, prompting Ming Lin to walk to the window.  He looked at her first, then looked out the window, and seeing the four horses that had almost reached the house, he gently took her hand.  “You come downstairs with me to drink your tea.”

Jerking her head up, she whispered, “No,” as if being heard might bring more bad things down upon her.

Ming Lin smiled.  “It is safe in the house.  The shutters are closed and bolted and the kitchen door has been blocked.  Nothing can get in.  Not even Mr. Cartwright without knocking.”  Taking her hand, he urged her again.  “Please, come.”

***

Adam, Micah and Joe left for the main house, arriving as the already muted light began to fade.  They entered the house in such a rush that Ben, who was sitting in the leather chair next to the fireplace, smoking his pipe and reading his paper, jumped to his feet.  “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Hop Sing?” asked Joe, heading for the kitchen.

“He’s…,” Ben started, but Joe had already disappeared around the corner.  “In the kitchen.”  Glaring at Adam, Ben asked, “Would you mind telling me what’s going on?”

“We have a wolf problem.  A big wolf problem.”  Adam filled his father in on what had transpired throughout the day.

When he relayed what had happened to Shiloh and Billy, Ben fell hard back into his chair.  “Is Shiloh all right?”

“She’s pretty shaken up.”

“I imagine so.  Does she know about Billy?”

Bowing his head, Adam replied, “No, not yet.  I wanted to make sure everyone was where they needed to be for the night before I told her.”  Looking up at the ceiling, he added.  “I’m not looking forward to telling her.  It’s going to be a long night.”

Ben straightened in his chair. “What in thunder is a pack of wolves doing down this far when there’s plenty of beef on the range?”

“I don’t know, Pa.  But we don’t have time to figure it out.  We have to set out bait and kill the rest of this pack.  Now you and Micah haven’t seen any signs of them around your places, so I say we bait closer to my house and wait them out.  We’ve already killed five that we know of so there can’t be that many left.”

“All right.  Joe and I will gather some men early tomorrow morning and meet at your place.”

Adam nodded. “Don’t worry about the men, except bring one with you.  We should travel in threes.  I thought I’d take some men back with us so Joe can stay here, and Micah can get back to the Flying W.  The men can stay in the bunkhouse there and ride back to my house with him in the morning.  And I’ll be putting one of them in the stable with Johnny and Tom until this is over.”

“That’s a good idea, Son,” said Ben as he walked Micah and Adam to the door.

“Hop Sing said he hasn’t seen any signs.  There’s no chickens, goats or pigs missing,” said Joe as he joined them at the front door.

“Good.  Maybe we can keep it that way.”  Adam turned and walked out the door, tipping his hat to his father.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adam stood on the front porch, his hand on the door latch, but he couldn’t squeeze it just yet.  Taking a deep breath, he looked up at nothing in particular hoping the air would clear his head.  Unfortunately, he still had no idea how he was going to keep Shiloh from seeing on his face that things had been much worse that evening.

In the end, once he opened the door, he knew he couldn’t.  Shiloh had heard his boots on the front steps and stood ten feet away from the door, waiting.  She had already unbolted the door; something that his troubled mind had forgotten should be in place.  With her eyes swollen half closed, the blue of her irises still stood out prominently against the surrounding red. She was bent, as if she was having trouble standing, and her hands were drawn into fists at her sides.

He hesitated before he closed the door and began to remove his hat, jacket, gloves and gun.  She didn’t move, her eyes fixed on his wherever he looked.

“Who?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

Micah slipped in the door and stood motionless behind Adam, waiting for whatever was about to happen.

“Who?” Adam asked back, feigning confusion.  He had hoped he could ease into it.  How could she know?

He stepped toward her, and she took an equal number of steps backward.  “Who came up from the stables wrapped in canvas?” she asked as tears began to make their way down her cheeks.

“Shiloh…”

“Don’t do that to me.  Just tell me.”

His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and looked up at her from under his brows, first looking at her eyes, then at her belly.  Lurching forward, he grabbed her hands even as she tried to pull away to go behind the sofa as she often kept the sofa between them during difficult discussions.  Holding her against him as she tried to push away, he lay his cheek on hers and spoke quietly in her ear.  “Listen to me.  There’s nothing you can do to change what’s happened.  There’s nothing any one of us can do.  You getting so upset isn’t good for you or the baby.”  He listened to her breathe.  “Deep breaths, Sweetheart.  That’s it,” he said as she stopped pushing, eventually moving her hands to his sides.

“Who?” she whispered.

He closed his eyes.  “Billy.”

“Noooo!”   He thought he had prepared himself, but his heart sank at her agonized cry.   “No,” she whimpered, burying her face against him and clenching his shirt in her fists.

***

Micah poured two glasses of whiskey as Ming Ling served Shiloh’s tea.  He had made a special brew, stronger than the tea he normally made for her hoping it would calm her and later help her sleep.  Adam had managed to quiet her and coaxed her to the sofa.

“What happened?” she asked quietly after taking a long drink of the tea.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa next to her, Adam kept a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to know what happened.  It won’t do you any good to know.”

“It was the wolves, wasn’t it?  He was by himself outside, and they attacked, didn’t they?”

“Why do you want to torture yourself, Shy?” asked Micah.  “It really doesn’t matter how he died.”

Her eyes bored into her brother’s. “You know it does.”

He knelt in front of her.  “Why?”

“I need to tell Cheron what happened.  It will be important to her since Billy’s father was killed by wolves.”

“How do you know that?” asked Micah, looking sideways at her.

“When the men brought Bill’s body into the yard, I was looking out the upstairs window when Daddy uncovered it.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.  I was too young to understand what had happened, but now…”  Both Adam and Micah held their breath as Shiloh bowed her head, salty tears dropping into her tea.  “Billy was so innocent and to think of him alone…and terrified…and screaming in pain while they…”

“Stop,” said Adam, taking her face and turning it to him.  “Just stop.  There’s no point in thinking about it, Shiloh.  You have to think about you and the baby.”

“I am thinking about the baby,” she cried.

Moving in close, Adam said firmly, “Look at me.”  When she tried to turn away, he held her face close to his.  “Look at me.  The baby is fine at the moment.  But he might not be if you don’t calm yourself.”

“I still need to find Cheron,” she whispered.

“Who’s Cheron?”

Micah stood and moved to the wing chair adjacent to the sofa.  “Billy’s mother.  How do you know she’s still alive?”

“Sometimes when I went riding, I’d go down to Clear Creek.  That’s where her village is.  She’d see me and would leave the village to talk to me.  I promised her I’d let her know how Billy was doing.  But it’s been awhile.”

Adam released her and took her hand.  “When’s the last time you saw her?”

“After you left on the last cattle drive…to Salt Lake.”

“All right, once we take care of the rest of the wolves, Micah and I,” he looked at Micah who nodded, “will ride down to Clear Creek and find her.”

“She won’t talk to you.  Her people didn’t want her back after Bill died, but she promised she would have nothing more to do with whites.  That’s why she leaves the village when she sees me…so we can talk without her people knowing.”

“You can’t go,” he said, shaking his head with his jaw set.

Micah sat forward with his elbows on his knees.  “Adam, there’s another way.  The old Indian in town…the one they call Chief…he’s from the Clear Creek band.  He can get a message to Cheron.”

“And tell her what, Micah?” Shiloh asked insolently, dabbing at her eyes.  “Tell her that her son is dead…sorry?  You can’t do that.  I need to tell her.”

“Then we’ll send word that she needs to come here,” said Adam.  Stroking her hair, he looked lovingly into her eyes as she swallowed hard, unable to stop the tears.  Even so, she nodded.  “Micah, the men are outside waiting for you.  Ride down to the stables with Jake, and the rest of you go on to the Flying W.  We’ll meet here before first light tomorrow.”

Micah went back to Shiloh, and when Adam stood, he sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms as she broke down again.  “Ssh, Little Sister.  I know it hurts, but making yourself sick isn’t going to do anyone any good.”  He leaned back and moved a hand to her cheek.  “Especially my little niece or nephew.  Listen to me.  You took good care of Billy.  You have to do one last thing. You have to give him back to his mother.”

“What if her people won’t let her take him back?” she asked, sniffling.

“Then we’ll do whatever Cheron needs to do at the Flying W where he grew up.”  Kissing her forehead, he stood and walked to the door with Adam.

“Keep your eyes open,” warned Adam. “We don’t know how many of them are down here.  Light some torches.”  Micah looked back worriedly at Shiloh.  Moving a hand to Micah’s shoulder, Adam said. “Don’t worry.  I’ll make sure she rests.”

Micah nodded. “I know you will.”

***

Ben gently knocked his pipe on the side of the pipe stand letting the burned tobacco fall into the ash receiver before he stood and headed for the stairs.  Joe had already gone up a half hour earlier, and the house was dim and quiet.  Still Ben had stayed up later than usual, contemplating the wolves, always coming back to the same question; what drove them down this far?  His slow, thoughtful ascent of the stairs was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Turning and glancing at the grandfather clock, he shook his head and muttered, “Who’d be knocking on the door at this time of night?”

When he opened it, he was taken by surprise. He had names running through his head of any number of people it would most likely be, but the man standing before him hadn’t entered his mind.  “Gray Wolf?” he said, cautiously.  “Please, come in,” he finished, stepping aside to allow the Paiute into the house.

“Ben Cartwright, you are surprised to see me.  You have not been bothered by the low wolves.”

“On the contrary, Gray Wolf, we have been unpleasantly bothered by the wolves.  They’ve stalked my son, terrorized his wife, and they’ve killed one of our men.

Gray Wolf grunted.  “The same has happened in our village.”

“But your village is further up in the mountains.  Do you know why they’ve come this far down?”

“They have come down from the mountains near the lake of our fathers in search of food, food that was once plentiful, but is no more.”

“Yes, I know Gray Wolf, but why now?  The white settlers destroyed the elk herds several years ago.”

“White ranchers to the north have come onto our tribal lands to hunt them.  They have nowhere to roam in safety.  The pack that is already there has chased them down further.”

“So this is a different pack; not the Sierra wolf pack.  But why have you come down, Gray Wolf?  If they’re here, they aren’t a danger to your people any longer.”

“They have attacked our village when our men were hunting, killing our women and children.  They must be killed or they will continue.  But they must be brought back to the lake of our fathers.  It was their land before us.”

Ben nodded thoughtfully, knowing the spirit world of their people as well as the animals that roamed their ancestral lands were an important part of Paiute tradition.  “My men will be gathering at my son, Adam’s house early tomorrow morning.  He’s going to bait a trap.  Several of the wolves have already been destroyed.  Will you stay here tonight and go with me tomorrow morning?”

“We will go with you.  We will camp near.”

Ben looked out the door at the braves standing with their horses. “Come with me,” he said, holding the door for the Paiute.  Leading him to the smoke house, Ben took a canvas bag from the storage chest next to the door and entered, taking down a hind quarter of beef and placing it in the bag.  Passing the beef to Gray Wolf, he said, “Your journey has been long and difficult.  Feed your men well.”

Having been the recipient of the Cartwright’s kindness each year since the elk herds had disappeared when Ben and Adam began taking several beeves to the Paiute for the winter, Gray Wolf nodded, neither embarrassed nor outwardly thankful.  Such an act by this white man was simply accepted without shame.

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hearing shouts out in the street, Hoss and Mrs. Levine turned away from decorations and went to the front window.   A wagon had stopped near the hospital, the driver yelling, “We need a doctor!” at the top of his lungs.  A crowd began to gather, and as each person peered over the side of the wagon, they drew back in disgust.

“Mrs. Levine, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna see what all the ruckus is about.”  Taking his hat and coat off the pegs on the wall next to the front door, Hoss opened the door and exited as he pulled the sleeves of the coat over his arms.  When he got to the wagon, he pushed through the crowd and looked in, grimacing as the young man continued to yell for a doctor.  “Boy, there ain’t no use in yellin’.  This man’s dead.”

Sergeant West appeared at Hoss’ side.  “You’re right about that.  Ain’t nobody in this man’s army could survive that.  Looks like wolves to me.”

Hoss drew back a piece of a blanket that partially covered the body.  “Yep, looks like wolves.  They always go for the middle first to get to the organ meat.”  Looking up at the boy on the wagon seat, he asked, “Son, do you know where this happened?”

“Y…yessir.”  It was about a half mile out of town on the other side of the bridge over the entrenchments.  The others said there was more of ‘em out there, too.”

“Sergeant, seems to me like you got a problem.  From the looks of this, more ‘n one wolf did this.  They’ve got a taste for human meat now, and they know exactly what to look for, so any of your men that might wander out alone just might end up their next meal.”

“Excuse me.  Please, excuse me.”

Hoss turned at the sound of a familiar voice, taking Annie by the arms and preventing her from looking into the wagon.  “Ain’t no reason you need to see that.  There ain’t nothing you can do.”

Annie’s hands went to her hips. “Hoss, I’m a doctor.  At least, I will be soon enough.”

“Doctor or not, he’s dead.  Best anyone can do for him is give him a decent burial.”

Sergeant West told the boy to drive the wagon down to the company office and have the undertaker take possession of it.  Before he left, he pulled Hoss aside as Annie watched.  “You seem pretty smart when it comes to wolves.  You ever do any tracking?”

Burying his hands in his pockets, Hoss answered, “I reckon I’ve done my share.”

“Then would you oblige us and track these wolves?”

Hoss glanced up at Annie whose mouth had drawn tight below furrowed brows.  She stood with her hands down at her sides curled into fists.

“Well, Sergeant, I don’t rightly know I’d do any good.  I don’t know the area, and I ain’t got a horse or a huntin’ rifle.”

“That’s no problem.  We can get you everything you need.  You can take some of my men with you.”  Hoss hesitated.  “Look, all I have is these boys.  I don’t have anyone with tracking experience.  Besides that, if we don’t do something fast, those wolves are likely to come into town at night, and anyone out alone might not see the morning.”

Hoss looked at Annie who had gotten into the habit of walking back and forth to Mrs. Levine’s just after dark along with some of the other women from the hospital.  “I’ll do it on one condition.  You find me some men who ain’t afraid of their own shadow.  I don’t want none of these trigger happy boys with me when it comes to facin’ down a pack of wolves.”

Moving a hand to Hoss’ back, the Sergeant said, “All right folks.  Go back to your homes and don’t be out after dark until this wolf business is done.”

Hoss turned to Annie, taking each hand in turn and unfolding her fingers.  She let out an exasperated breath.  “Hoss, this isn’t your fight.  You don’t know these people.”

“I reckon you’re right,” he said, keeping his eyes on her hands.  “But Annie, it’s just like if someone were to come in your hospital needin’ help.  I figure you’d help ‘em whether you knew ‘em or not.  Besides, I’ll not let you keep walking back and forth to Mrs. Levine’s when there’s wolves on the loose.”

Interlocking her fingers with his, Annie looked up into Hoss’ face. “Hoss, sometimes I think you’re heart is too big for your own good.  But then, you wouldn’t be the man…well, you wouldn’t be Hoss Cartwright.”  She stepped into him.  “Please be careful.”

Moving his hands to her shoulders, he said quietly, “My pa always taught us to help folks when they need it.  I reckon that’s because a lot of folks helped us when we first got to the Ponderosa.  Don’t you worry none.  These little wolf pups out here prob’ly don’t compare with those big ol’ timber wolves we see up in the mountains back home.”

***

Adam took Shiloh upstairs directly after Micah left.  She needed to rest, and he did, too.  He’d be up well before first light with Micah, Joe, his father and their men, baiting a trap and laying in wait for the wolves to take their last meal before daybreak, and hopefully their last meal on Earth.

He had already disrobed and was watching Shiloh at her dressing table, holding her brush in her hands, staring in the mirror.  Her tears had stopped, he imagined, only because they’d dried up, but she still looked haunted.

“Shiloh, come to bed.”  He waited a moment, and when she didn’t answer, he tried again. “Sweetheart?”  Throwing the blanket off, he got out of the bed, walking to her and standing behind her, watching her reflection in the mirror.  She wasn’t staring blindly into the mirror as he had thought.  She was looking at her belly.

She had been more terrified than she ever remembered, and a slow realization had begun to sink in.  Her fear wasn’t so much for her own life as much as it was for the life inside her.  She had fought for her life when Will Stewart had attacked, she had run for her life from Satan more than once, and she had finally killed the horse when he went after Adam. Looking up at his reflection in the mirror, she remembered feeling so small as he protected her from the wolf with his arms wrapped tightly around her.  She had cowered into him, afraid, certainly for herself and her husband, but mostly for her baby.  Now, she studied him, muscular shoulders and arms much larger than her own, a broad chest…bigger, stronger, the way it was supposed to be…so he could protect her…them.  She had finally come to realize that she had changed…he had changed her by giving her this tiny life to nurture…someone who needed her protection, her guidance, her…love.

He watched her hand move slowly over the mound of her stomach, and then knelt down next to her.  “Would you feel better if I can get Paul out here…to make sure the baby is all right?”

For the first time since she sat down at her dressing table she turned her head…toward him, and with the same sad, worried look he’d seen in the mirror, she looked into his eyes and nodded.

“I have to take care of the wolves first.  As soon as that’s done, I’ll fetch Paul.  Now, come to bed…please.”

Pulling her hair back, she braided and tied it while Adam waited at her side.  She took his hands as she rose from the chair, and the two climbed into bed together, Adam watching her until she fell into a fitful sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Wolves were all around them, circling as they stood with their backs to each other with nothing but torches to hold the beasts at bay.  They seemed to be growing in number, the rows of circling wolves expanding out beyond the edge of the darkness.  Eventually, the three men moved her inside their own circle, moving round and round in time with the wolves until one of the beasts lunged forward, grabbing hold of Billy’s pants leg and dragging him kicking and screaming into the fray.  Though she couldn’t see them, she heard their howls and growls and the sound of meat being ripped amid Billy’s screams.  One by one they took each man until there was no one left in the circle with her.  She was alone, and the wolves were slowly moving closer as they circled.

She jerked and realized she was in her bed, but she could still hear a low growl and feel hot breath on her face.  She dared to open her eyes, and screamed at the bared teeth of a wolf in front of her.

Bolting upright in the bed, she looked around the dark bedroom, but saw no movement.  There were no sounds save the quiet, steady breathing of her husband sleeping peacefully beside her.  Closing her eyes, she willed her own breath to slow, willed her heartbeat to calm, then gently rose from the bed, going to the wash basin to splash water on her face and wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed.

Quietly, she moved to a chair by the window that looked out to the lake. There was a break in the angry clouds allowing a sliver of moon to shine its white light down on the cold waters, but only briefly as the clouds swallowed it back up as quickly as they had let it out.

She drew her legs up into the chair and closed her eyes, waiting for the lurid details of the dream to fade away.

***

Adam was one of those people who could get by with only four or five hours of sleep, having an internal alarm clock that woke him when he’d had a sufficient amount.  This morning he woke at four in the morning, looking next to him for Shiloh.  When he didn’t see her in the bed, he looked around the room and found her silhouetted form curled in a chair next to the window.  Creasing his brow, he thought to himself, trying to remember her getting up, but nothing came to mind.  It was unusual for him not to have noticed her getting out of the bed, even during his heaviest sleep.

He rose and dressed in the dark, leaving his shirt unbuttoned as he turned up the lamp next to the wash basin to shave.  He mixed and slathered on his shaving cream and began shaving, but stopped and looked back at the chair when he felt her eyes on him.  “You’re awake.  How long have you been in that chair?”

“I have no idea.  I had a…dream.”

“Nightmare?”

She snorted.

Wiping the leftover lather from his face, he turned and knelt next to her.  “You want to talk about it?”

“I don’t remember all the details.”

“Wolves?”

“Wolves, you, Billy…and…” She looked away from him in thought.  “Someone else.”

Taking her hands, he coaxed her out of the chair and back over to the bed.  “I want you to get some sleep…in the bed instead of the chair.”

“Adam?”

Sitting down on the side of the bed, he leaned over her.  “Hm?”

“Please come back to me,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him as if her life depended on it.  “Promise me,” she whispered.

“I promise.  Now try to sleep,” he said, bending and gently kissing her.  He blew out the lamp before he left the room, closing the door without even a thump.  When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he sniffed the air, and then creased his brows as he quietly went to the kitchen.  Leaning in, he couldn’t believe his eyes.  Ming Lin was at the stove preparing eggs and bacon, and the coffee pot filled with the special blend Hop Sing had shared was already sitting on the kitchen table in front of a place setting.

“Ming Lin?  What are you doing up?”

“It is very cold outside, Mr. Cartwright.  You must eat to keep your strength and warmth.  Please,” he said, motioning to the table.   “Your breakfast is ready.”

Adam sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a cup of coffee.  When Ming Lin set a plate of food in front of him, he bowed his head, reminded of how Hop Sing had always taken care of him.  “Thank you, Ming Lin.  And thank you for taking care of Mrs. Cartwright the way you do.”

“You are most welcome,” said Ming Lin, bowing with a smile Adam had become accustomed to seeing on the man’s face.

“Mrs. Cartwright may sleep for awhile yet.  She didn’t have a good night.  Just let her.”

Ming Lin bowed slightly and turned back to his work.

Adam was washing down the last bite of his breakfast when he heard a voice calling from the front door. “Anybody up?” yelled Micah.

Walking from the kitchen, Adam turned the corner of the entry way.  “Is Pa and Joe here yet?”

“They just rode up, but Adam, they have company.  I don’t know if it’s good or bad.”

Pulling on his jacket, Adam asked, “What do you mean?  Who’s with them?”

“Indians.”

Adam stopped for a moment, shooting Micah an uneasy look, and then hurriedly grabbed his gun belt.  Once on, he moved his hat to his head and slipped on his gloves as they walked out the front door.  Trotting down the front steps, Adam approached his father’s horse looking at the men behind him.  “Everything all right, Pa?”

***

“I don’t understand, Mr. Cartwright.  Shouldn’t we be looking for these wolves in the daylight so’s we can see ‘em.”

“I done told you,” said Hoss.  “A pack of wolves don’t hunt during the day.  They sleep, and we sure don’t wanna wander into their den.  We’ll find ‘em when they’re out huntin’ for food.  Now get saddled up.  It’ll be dusk before long, and we need to be out at that bridge by then.”  He turned to Sgt. West who was handing out rifles to all the men who would be accompanying him.  “Are you sure this is the best you could find?  They’re already scared, and we ain’t even left.”

“Well, Mr. Cartwright, we just don’t see wolves in the cities and towns out here.  And even out on the farms it’s usually a single wolf causin’ problems.”

“They can stand out on the battle lines and shoot each other, but they’re afraid to go out and shoot wolves,” Hoss grumbled under his breath.  He turned back to the men who had begun to mount their horses.  “All you men listen to me, and listen to me good.  We stay together.  Don’t none of you wander off on your own.  And you just remember.  If we don’t stop ‘em now, it’ll be your farms they come to next.  You won’t have any help then.”

“Hoss!  Hoss, wait!”

Hoss had just started to mount his horse when he heard Annie calling and turned to see her running toward him.

“I didn’t know how long you’d be gone, so I packed you some sandwiches…no cheese.  And some cookies,” she said, out of breath and forcing a smile.

“Aw shucks, Annie,” he said, smiling bashfully.  “I won’t be gone too long, but I’m sure these sandwiches will come in mighty handy.”  He started to bend down, but stopped and twisted his mouth as he glanced over his shoulder.  When Annie offered her hand, he grinned and kissed it.  “You’d best be stepping back.  I sure don’t want you to get run over by these horses.”

Once he was mounted, she said, “Please be careful,” and blew him a kiss.

He turned a little red and nodded, then raised his arm, motioning for the men to follow him.  When they arrived at the bridge, it was just before dusk as Hoss had hoped.  He motioned for the men to dismount.  “Two of you, take these horses back across the bridge and tie ‘em.”  Turning to the men already posted at the bridge, he asked, “What direction did the wolves come in from?”

The men pointed toward a line of trees on both sides of the road.

“Was they spread out or bunched up?”

“They were spread out all across the road and on both sides, sir.”

“How many?”

“Probably seven or eight of ‘em.”

“All right, men, get your rifles.  Half of you come with me.”  When Hoss began to walk down the road toward the trees, no one moved.  He stopped and hung his head, then turned and began pointing.  “You, you, you and you, you all look gangly enough to climb trees.  Now you’re gonna go to the edge of those woods, and you’re gonna climb the trees I tell you to climb.  And then you’re gonna be quiet and wait until I give you a signal to start shootin’.  Now come on. We’re running out of time.”

Once he had the men in the trees and had given them instructions, he came back to the men standing at the bridge.  “Now listen.  Those wolves are prob’ly comin’ in here just like they did last night, through them trees. We’re gonna be hidin’ behind the bushes here around the bridge waitin’, and when I give the signal you start shootin’.  Now, you gotta aim low so you don’t hit the men in the trees on the other side.”

“If they don’t see any men, are they gonna keep coming toward the bridge?”

“You men already posted on this bridge, I want you on the bridge behind us.”

“You mean we’re the bait?” asked one of the men in a high pitched whine.

“Well, yeah, sorta,” said Hoss, nodding.  “But they ain’t no way any of those wolves are gonna make it to the bridge because I’m givin’ the signal to shoot when they’re halfway between us and those trees.  They’ll never make it.  Now you men get back there on the bridge.  The rest of you get down behind these bushes and be quiet until I give the signal.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Before dismounting, Ben turned back and nodded at Gray Wolf who also dismounted and walked forward.

A slow smile formed on both Micah and Adam’s faces.  Adam and Gray Wolf clasped each other’s arms in greeting.  “Gray Wolf, it’s been many seasons.  Are you well?” asked Adam.

“Yes, I am well.”  He turned to Micah and grasped his arms as well.  “You rise from the dead?”

Chuckling, Micah answered, “No, Gray Wolf.  I cannot rise from the dead if I was never dead.”

“What are you doing this far away from your village?  It must have been a hard journey?” asked Adam.

“It seems Gray Wolf and his people had trouble with our wolves,” said Ben.

Adam quickly turned back to Gray Wolf.  “What kind of trouble?”

“They have come into our village while our men were away, taking our women and children for food.”

A slow breath escaped Adam.  “I’m sorry, Gray Wolf.  These wolves…they seem desperate.”

“What is desp…?”

“Too eager.”

Gray Wolf gave a sharp nod.  “Too eager.  We have come for them.”

“But why?  They aren’t a danger to you here.”

“They must be killed and taken back to the lake of our fathers…to calm the spirits.”

“Adam, you can set the bait, and you can have the men standby in case Gray Wolf and his men need help, but I’ve told Gray Wolf he and his men can take them in their own way,” said Ben.

“Pa, don’t you think that’s a little dangerous?  These wolves have attacked a man here.  They won’t be hesitant to fight back.”

“I’ve told Gray Wolf everything that has happened.  His men will take them with arrows; not guns, and they’ll be taking the bodies back with them.”

“All right,” said Adam, acquiescing to his father’s wishes…and to Gray Wolf’s.  “But we’re going to be ready with our rifles if any one of Gray Wolf’s men is attacked.”

“No, Adam Cartwright.  You will not come with your men.  The wolves will know your scent.”

“They’ll smell you, too,” responded Adam angrily.

“We will cover our scent with the blood of the dead wolf you have here.  We wear the fur of the wolf,” explained Gray Wolf, touching the furs he wore.  “They will not believe we are men.  You have live cow?”

“Micah, Joe, go get the carcass we left at the stables.  You two,” he said, pointing at two of the men.  Ride out to the herd and bring back a steer.”  Turning back to Gray Wolf, Adam asked, “Where do you plan to do this?”

Gray Wolf pointed beyond the barn.  “We will hide in the boulders there beyond the clearing.  When it is time, we will cut the cow and send it to the clearing.  The wolves will smell the blood and come.  But you and your men must not be here.  The wolves know your scent and will stay in the forest for much time.”

Adam moved his hands to his hips, folded his lips and blew heavily out his nose.  “Gray Wolf, if you’re men don’t kill all the wolves, we’ll still have a problem.”

Moving his hand to Adam’s shoulder, he answered, “We will not stop until all are dead.  You must….tr..ust…this, friend.”

Adam paced while they waited for the men to return with the steer.  When it arrived, he passed the rope tied around the steer’s neck to Gray Wolf, then turned to the men.  “All you men go back to your bunks.  We won’t be needing you,” Adam said loudly.  When the men looked at each other warily, Adam added, “We appreciate you coming to help, but Gray Wolf’s men are going to handle it.”

Ben stood quietly, smiling at his son who he knew would do what was in the best interest of everyone, but especially, the Paiute he and Micah had befriended long ago.

When Joe and Micah arrived with the wolf carcass, two braves ran forward to take it, throwing it over the back of a horse. Gray Wolf had already mounted, holding the rope attached to the steer.  “We will return when it is done.”  He turned his horse, and his men followed, slowly moving beyond the barn.

“Well,” said Adam, frowning in frustration.  “Gray Wolf doesn’t want the wolves to smell us, so why don’t we wait inside the house?”  He led the way.

***

Shiloh lay where Adam left her for a time.  But sleep, at this point, was out of the question.  Her worry for her husband and her fear of more nightmares kept her awake.  Slowly, she pushed herself up out of the bed, the simple act of getting up becoming more difficult with each passing week.  She dressed, and sitting in front of her dressing mirror, she decided to leave her hair down rather than moving it all up on her head.  She wasn’t going to be seeing anyone but Adam.  Smiling at the thought that she knew Adam preferred her hair down, she brushed it out and pulled it back away from her face, holding it in place with a comb on each side.

Light had just begun to show through the windows, and her thoughts went to Adam and Micah, hunched down in the cold waiting who knew how long for the wolves to come.  And when they did, there would be gunfire, and she would wait nervously for it to fade.  Even then, it would be awhile before Adam came back through the door when she would know he was safe.  She pulled a defiant expression, deciding to wait on the front porch.  He’d be angry with her, but that wouldn’t last long; even less if she snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.  She still had a smile on her face from her last thought as she exited the bedroom, only to hear voices drifting up the stairs.

With the smile gone, she rushed to the top of the stairs and hurried down.  The quick motion caught Adam’s eye, and he rushed over and up to her.  “Slow down,” he ordered, taking a hand and putting his other arm around her waist, walking her down.  “How many times have I asked you to move slowly on these stairs?  You can’t even see where you’re putting your feet.”

“Is it done?  What’s happened?” she asked anxiously.

Walking her over to a chair in the living area, he waited until she was seated, and then turned to look at everyone else sipping their coffee and waiting.  “We, uh, had a change of plans,” he said as he scratched his upper lip.  “Gray Wolf and his braves came down to see Pa last night.  They wanted to take care of the wolves themselves and take them back to Pyramid Lake.”

“Why are they here?  Did something happen?”

“The wolves attacked their village,” explained Ben.  “Some of the women and children were killed.”

“Oh my.  Oh, that’s terrible.  Are they already gone?”

“No.  They didn’t want us near,” said Micah.  “They were afraid our scent would scare the wolves off.”

She opened her mouth to ask about the Indian’s scent, but then quickly closed it, remembering the times in her childhood when she visited the Paiute village.  The men would smear the blood of an animal over them and wear fur to disguise their scent when they went hunting.

Joe stood to refill his coffee, and at the same time he poured a cup for Shiloh, taking it to her.  “We’re just waiting for them to come back.”

“How long has it been?” she asked quietly.

Adam took his watch from his pocket.  “Almost an hour.”

Sitting on the coffee table in front of Shiloh, Ben took her hand in his and covered it with his other hand.  “Are you all right, my dear?”

She bowed her head, put on a tentative smile, and then looked back up at him.  “I have to admit, it was frightening, and I was worried for the baby.  But I’m fine now, though it might be awhile before I can get some decent sleep.  My sense of security has been somewhat shattered.”

“Well, I don’t think anything like this will happen again.  It’s unusual to have two wolf packs in an area.  They usually defend their territory.  It’s just a more severe winter than we’ve had in long time,” said Ben, trying to reassure her.

She gave him a grateful smile, although it couldn’t hide the moistness in her eyes.  “Sometimes, I wonder, Pa,” she said softly in a shaky voice, “if it wouldn’t be better to raise children in a city.  Here, they could be outside playing, and then just…be gone.”

“Shiloh, there are wolves in the city,” replied Ben.  “Just a different kind.”

Adam walked over and knelt beside her. “Shiloh, I’ll have the kitchen and bathhouse doors fixed in the next few days.  I’ll build shutters for them, too.  Once that’s done, they won’t be able to get into the house.”

She took a sudden sharp breath, stifling a need to cry and wondering if she should tell him just how close one had come to knocking her through the front door.  A timid rap on the door relieved her of that decision for the moment.

Adam sprang up quickly to answer it.  Gray Wolf had returned with his braves waiting next to their horses at the bottom of the steps.  “It is done, Adam Cartwright.”

“How many?” he asked as all the men made their way to the door, stepping out onto the porch.

Gray Wolf held up his hand with all of his fingers extended.  “You have more here?  Those that entered your lodge?”

Joe stepped forward and made his way through to the steps.  “I’ll get them.”  Two braves went around the side of the house with him.

While the men stepped back to let Joe pass, Shiloh took the opportunity to wrap a heavy shawl around her shoulders and step out on the porch away from the huddle of men without being noticed.

But one of the braves, a tall, lean, well-built young man, saw her and came forward to the edge of the porch.  “You have returned from the place where the sun rises.”

Stepping to the edge of the porch to see the man’s face, she sucked in a quiet breath and bowed her head.  “Yes, Running Elk.  I have been back for two winters.”

Adam gave the two a sidelong glance as he slowly moved toward Shiloh.

“Why did you not come to the village as you said?”

Tilting her head, she looked sadly at him. “We were children when I left, Running Elk.  It had been seven winters.”

Ben leaned over to Gray Wolf.  “She spent time in your village?”

Nodding, Gray Wolf answered, “It is well that she left.  We called her Little One With Big Mouth.”  Ben struggled to hold back a chuckle.  “She is right.  They were children.”

When Adam arrived at her side, Running Elk looked to him, then back to Shiloh and her belly.  “You carry the child of this man?”

“He is my husband.”

Both men drew themselves up to their full height carefully sizing each other up.  Without any expression to reveal his feelings, the Paiute said, “Running Elk waits no more.” He turned quickly and moved back to his horse, looking straight ahead and waiting for Gray Wolf to lead them away.

Adam looked down at Shiloh with furrowed brows and his lips slightly parted; a look that told her this wasn’t finished with Running Elk’s departure.  Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked off in the opposite direction, feeling the weight of his gaze.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Looking down the line of men on either side of him, Hoss winced at what he saw.  It was easy to tell the closer ones were shaking; a shake that had nothing to do with the cold.   Even further down the line, he could see them rubbing nervously at their triggers.  “Now don’t none of ya pull a trigger until you hear me signal,” he told them for good measure.

They crouched and waited, but no wolves came.  “Dadburnit, they can smell us a mile away.”

Suddenly, an unearthly shriek cream came from the forest; a shriek that sent icy chills down every man’s spine who was anywhere near the bridge.  Next, they heard wood cracking followed by the men who had been in the trees running toward them for their lives.  On their heels was a line of wolves, gaining on them every second that passed.  Hoss stood, aiming his rifle and firing between two men, sending one wolf to the ground.  The other men stood.  Some fired and some didn’t.  Most turned and ran down the bridge, and were soon followed by the bridge guards they passed.  Three men stood their ground with Hoss as they watched man after man fall when one of the wolves bit deep into a leg.  Still Hoss aimed and shot bringing done another, and another, until he stepped from behind the bushes and began walking toward the charging wolves.  The men with him followed and continued to shoot, aiming at the wolves that had a man down.

Hoss pulled his trigger, but this time he heard nothing but a click.  He was out of bullets, and if he was out, the other men would soon be out, too.  “Two of you men, fall back and reload.  And bring some ammunition back with you.”  The other man stood beside Hoss with his rifle aimed.  “You got any bullets left.”

“No, sir. But maybe they’ll think I do if I just stay aimed.”

The four wolves that were left stopped running toward them, unsure of what they should do.  They paced back and forth between the bodies of the four men on the ground.

“You men on the ground.  Don’t move,” yelled Hoss, hoping they could hear him.

“Wha’ do we do now, sir?”

“We wait until the other two get back with the ammunition, and then we take down the last four.”

Only one man returned.

“Where’s the other fella?” asked Hoss.

“He ran, sir.”

“Keep your rifle up, and if any of those wolves start this way, shoot.  You need to keep ‘em scared until we can get these rifles loaded.”

Hoss and the other man brought their rifles down and knelt to reload, prompting the wolves to start forward.  The young man shot and missed.  Again, he shot and missed, and by the time Hoss realized he wasn’t hitting anything it was too late.  The wolves were nearly upon them.

Standing, he grabbed the man’s rifle, aimed and shot, felling another wolf.  Three left.  Another shot, and only two were left, both falling back warily, then turning tail and running into the forest.

“You there. Is that rifle loaded?”

“Yessir.”

“Get these other two loaded.”  He turned to the other man.  “Go back and see if anyone’s left.  We need a wagon to carry these men back to town.”

“Can’t we come back to get ‘em tomorrow.  I mean, they gotta be dead.”

“No, son, we can’t come back tomorrow,” said Hoss, wagging his head.  “They may not be dead.   And even if they were, there’d be nothing left to get by morning.  Now git.  And if you don’t come back, I swear, I’ll hunt for you in town until I find you, and when I do, you’ll wish I hadn’t.”

Hoss stood watching the forest for any signs of movement.  “Tell me somethin’,” he said to the man loading the rifles.  “Have any of these men actually fought in the war?”

“No sir.”

“It’s just as well.  They’d a never come back.”

A wagon could soon be heard, lumbering across the bridge.  As the young man drove, Hoss walked next to the wagon, keeping his eyes on the forest.  He walked several feet beyond where the first man had fallen and stood guard as the two young men loaded the bodies into the back.

“Anyone alive?”

“Yessir.  “Three alive.  Only one dead.”

Bending to pick up their rifles, Hoss said, “You boys head on back to the bridge.  I’m right behind you.”

As the wagon began to pull away, Hoss thought how good it was going to be when he got back to the boarding house.  It was Friday night, and the next day, Saturday, Annie would be out of school for the weekend.

He stopped short, dropping all the rifles but one when he heard a low growl behind him. By the time he turned, it was too late to bring it up.  The last two wolves lunged forward.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hoss heard a gunshot as the wolves jumped.  One dropped.  The other slammed into Hoss’ chest, knocking the big man to the ground.  Vaguely, he heard men shouting, but at the moment, he was concentrating on the keeping the large fangs snapping at his face from sinking in.  Moving his arm up to take the brunt of the attack, he shoved it into the wolf’s mouth.  The wolf clamped down, and though Hoss didn’t hear himself, everyone else heard a bellow that could have shaken the ground.  With his other hand, he wrapped his powerful fingers around the wolf’s throat and squeezed for all he was worth, causing the animal to relent, but for only a moment.  The wolf was back in an instant, gnashing his teeth at any flesh he could see, ripping material and the soft tissue beneath it.

Hoss’ only thought was that he was going to be bitten to death if he didn’t do something now.  He threw his weight forward, sending the wolf on its back, then grabbed a hind leg and pulled; the loud cracking sound and high-pitched yelp assuring him that he’d broken it.

The wolf slunk back, sizing his opponent up as he growled and snapped, and evidently deciding he had nothing else to lose, he went back in, latching on to Hoss’ leg and bringing Hoss down to his knees.  Amid yells around him of “shoot it, shoot it” that he didn’t hear, Hoss put his hands around the wolf’s neck from the back and pushed until the head was on the ground.  He didn’t quit pushing even when one of the men came forward.

“Mr. Cartwright, it’s dead!  You done killed it!” he yelled.  “You can stop now!”

Snarling and growling himself, Hoss was in his own solitary nightmare.  He kept all his weight on the neck of the wolf until the man standing next to him shot his rifle, bringing Hoss out of his trance.  He shot the wolf even though it was already dead, hoping that would bring Hoss back to them.

Looking out at the men who surrounded him, he swayed, trying to bring them into focus until he finally relented to his fatigue, his fear and his loss of blood and fell face forward over the wolf.

***

Gray Wolf and his men left quietly, taking the sacrificial steer with them with Adam’s blessing.  The Cartwrights and Micah stayed for lunch, and while they waited for Ming Lin to prepare and serve it, they sat in the living area warming up by the fire.

“Adam, Joe tells me you were planning a party when all this wolf business started,” said Ben.

“We were planning one for this Friday, but I don’t think we have the time now.”

“I’m not sure I’m ready to go riding all over the country handing out invitations just yet anyway,” said Joe.  “The way those wolves cornered Adam…”  Micah elbowed Joe who glanced over at Adam, wincing.

Shiloh had been sitting quietly in a chair, her feet flat on the floor, her hands folded and laying in what lap she had, and her head bowed, dreading the conversation she knew was going to start the minute everyone left after lunch.  Now, she quickly looked up at Adam, questioning him with her eyes.

“Joe, the wolves are gone,” said Adam.  “Gray Wolf said they killed five today, and we had already killed five.  That’s more than you’ll generally find in a pack.”

“I still don’t think any of us should ride alone for awhile.  Just to be sure.”

“If you were cornered, how did you get away?” asked Shiloh.  The sudden silence in the room was deafening.  “I would appreciate it if you all would stop trying to protect me from something that didn’t happen.  Obviously Adam is all right.”

Adam closed his eyes and took a deliberate breath. “It doesn’t matter.  It’s over.”

“Anymore than it matters that I had a close call, too?  Before you ever got here?”

Adam perked up.  “What close call?”  He could see a fire rising in her eyes just before she turned away.  Keeping his eyes trained on her, he said, “We still have to find Cheron, Billy’s mother.”

“The next time we’re in town, we should talk to Chief…ask if he can tell Cheron we need to speak with her,” said Micah.

“It’ll be too late by then,” said Shiloh.  “Billy’s body is still in the barn.  We have to do something with it.  We have to find her now.”

“We aren’t going to do anything,” Adam replied more sharply than he had intended.  “Micah and I will ride down to Clear Creek tomorrow.”

“She won’t talk to you.”

“Then we’ll have to ride into the village and take our chances,” said Micah.

Ben shifted in his chair and nodded. “The Washoe people are peaceful.  You won’t be in any danger.”

“You won’t be in any danger,” agreed Shiloh. “But you might cause them to exile Cheron from the village.”   She rose and climbed the stairs while the men silently watched her.

Micah glanced back at Adam guardedly, but Adam shook his head.  “Wait.  She’s not finished.”

When Shiloh came down, she was carrying a brightly colored woven blanket.  “There are some boulders just north of the creek where the women go to clean fish.  Stand on top of the highest boulder holding this.  She’ll come.”

“What is it?” asked Micah.

“It belonged to Billy.  Cheron made it for him and gave it to Daddy when she left.  Billy asked me to keep it safe for him.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Shiloh didn’t speak another word until after lunch when Ben, Joe and Micah had left.  Adam closed the door behind them and promptly spun around, eyeing Shiloh severely.  Normally, she had no problem holding his gaze when he was not happy with her, but this time, her eyes dropped even as she inwardly cursed herself for letting them.  Somehow his look seemed harder.

“I’d like to speak with you upstairs,” said Adam, his voice low and deep with the same sternness he sometimes used with his youngest brother.

She looked away defiantly.  “We can speak right here.”

“I’d prefer more privacy than we have here.”  He stepped up to her so close he was against her stomach.  When she refused to back away or look at him, he simply said, “Upstairs.  Now.”

Taking a deep breath, she snapped sharply, “As you wish, your royal highness,” before she turned, lifted her skirt and headed up the stairs.

As he followed her up, he grumbled under his breath, “Little One with Big Mouth.”  He followed her into their bedroom and quietly closed the door.  “You’re not going to curtsey?” he asked with a sarcastic smile while looking at her back.

She glanced over her shoulder in his direction and scoffed.  “What is it that we can’t discuss downstairs in the warmth of the fire?”  Moving toward the window, she spun around, her eyes flashing and her mouth drawn into an angry pucker.

Adam crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot. “What did you mean by ‘close call’”?

“Hmf,” was the only sound she made as she crossed her arms over her belly.

“We’re not leaving this room until I hear the whole story.  And even then, after we discuss Running Elk.”

“It doesn’t matter.  It’s over.  Your own words as I recall.”  She narrowed her eyes, looking sidelong at him. “I’ll tell you what.  You tell me all about getting cornered by wolves, and I’ll tell you about my close call.”

“All right,” he agreed, sitting down in the chair by the other window. He told the story quickly as if he was aggravated to be reciting details that were inconsequential. “Joe and I had gone separate ways to deliver the invitations to our party.  I felt like someone or something was following me through the woods, but never saw anything until I was almost at the junction to the road to Virginia City.  It was then that I saw wolves on either side of the road stalking me, getting closer and closer.”

Shiloh had let her arms drop as she listened, her face slowly turning from angry to anxious.

“I knew I wasn’t going to outrun them, and I knew there were too many to fight, so I fired twice in the air, hoping Joe would be close enough to hear it, and then found a place to stop to defend myself.  I stopped in front of a tall pile of boulders and pulled Sport behind me, and as the wolves lined up in front of me, I hadn’t realized that one had climbed to the top of the boulders behind me.”

Shiloh covered her mouth with her hand.

“Joe shot the wolf just as it leapt, and it fell dead right behind me.  I shot one that was in front, and the rest scattered.”  Clasping his hands, he brought them down hard on the knee of his crossed leg and glared back at her, his brows quirked, his nostrils flared and his mouth turned in an agitated scowl.  “Your turn.”

The fight had left her, and when she spoke she told the story quietly.  “I was in the kitchen with Ming Lin and left to bring in more firewood from the porch.  Just as I was closing the door behind me on my way into the house, something hit the door hard; so hard I dropped all the firewood, but the door had latched.  I went to open the door to see what it was, but Ming Lin stopped me.  He said it was a wolf; that he had seen it from the kitchen coming toward me.  He threw the bolt, and then started closing shutters.  Then we heard glass breaking in the kitchen, so we got rifles and ammunition and went up the stairs.  That’s when you knocked on the door.”

Adam now studied her with his mouth agape.  “Why would you hide that from me?”

She snorted.  “Probably for the same reason you hid your encounter with the wolves from me.  As you said, it doesn’t really matter.  It’s over,” she finished, looking away again, her clasped hands resting on her stomach as she twiddled her thumbs.

Adam half smiled.  “I’m not having nightmares about wolves.”

Looking down at her belly, she gently rubbed it.  “Do I have to tell you what would have happened if the door hadn’t latched?” she asked, holding back tears.

Springing out of the chair, he was holding her before she knew it.  “The stuff nightmares are made of.”

“No more wolves, please,” she said, accepting his embrace.

“Running Elk?”

Exasperated again, she pushed away and turned her back on him again.  “Have I ever asked you about Ruth Halverson or Regina Darien?”

He had moved toward her, but stopped, caught off-guard by her question.  “How do you know about them?”

“People in town were more than willing to talk about you when they thought we were at odds.  I’ve known about them since before we were married.   Had you intended to share that part of your life with me?” she asked, turning around.

“No,” he replied rather innocently.

“Then why do you expect me to share my life before I even liked you?”

“Were you in love with him?”

“Were you in love with them?”

“Yes,” he said with certainty. “I was.  It didn’t work out.”  He looked into her eyes, expecting to see something akin to hurt, but he saw…surrender?   “Were you in love with him?” he asked softly.

She inhaled deeply.  “No.  I was only fifteen.  I didn’t know what being in love was.”

“It seems he was in love with you.  He waited for you.  In fact, if it hadn’t been obvious you were with child, we might have had a serious problem on our hands.”

Walking back to the window, she leaned on the sash and looked out.  “How could he know he loved me?  He was sixteen.”  She frowned, glancing back at him.  “Did you know him?”

“Not really.  Young Wolf and I were close friends once.  Gray Wolf was a little older. But Young Wolf didn’t invite his nephew to run around with us, and Gray Wolf was fine with that.  He didn’t want Running Elk to be influenced by a white man at that age.  The only reason Winnemucca allowed my friendship with Young Wolf was because I was Ben Cartwright’s son.”

“Well, none of them seemed to mind that Running Elk had befriended a white girl. We had a fondness for horses in common.  He taught me some Paiute, and I taught him English.  We just…well, we took to each other.  It was nice to finally have someone my own age to talk to.  But I always thought of him as a friend.  I never imagined he felt differently.  After I left, I forgot all about him after awhile, and hadn’t thought about him since…until this morning.”

Adam reached for her and brought her into a long hug. Touching the side of her face, he said, “I still have some things to do, and you still look tired.  Why don’t you lay down for awhile and rest while I’m gone.”

“What’s left?” she said, leaning into him.

Moving his hands to her arms, he answered, “Well, I need to go down to the stables and see how Tom and Johnny are doing…and send Jake back to Pa’s bunkhouse.  Then I need to gather provisions for the trip to Clear Creek.  It’ll be slow going with the recent snows, and we might have to camp overnight.”

“Oh, I hope not. It would be the first night I’d have to spend without you in this house.  I’m not used to all the squeaking and popping.  Besides that, wolves come out of the walls.”

He smiled lovingly at her. “You’ll be fine.  Just stay busy.  And before bed ask Ming Lin to make you some strong tea.”

***

Adam had come back into the house upon his return from the stables.  He heard Ming Lin and Shiloh’s voices in the kitchen and decided not to disturb them, smiling at her efforts to stay busy as he quietly ascended the stairs to gather the gear he would need for the ride to Clear Creek.

When he came back down with his bedroll under his arm and his saddle bags slung over his shoulder, one half of which was filled with all manner of personal items, he stopped on the bottom step, lifting his nose into the air to breathe in the delectable smell of freshly baked bread.  He dropped the bedroll onto the entry table and took the saddle bags with him to the kitchen where he found his wife wearing an anticipatory smile as she watched butter melt into a recently sliced piece of steaming bread.

A vague movement drew her attention away from the object of her desire, so she glanced up briefly, and then looked up, realizing that he was standing there laughing at her under his breath.  “Did I do something funny?” she asked in an oddly provocative way.

He cleared his throat, taking a quick look at Ming Lin before he continued into the kitchen and set his saddle bags on the table.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look at a piece of bread quite that way.”

“Quite what way?” she said innocently with the slightest hint of a smile touching her lips.

Snorting, he said, “Never mind,” as he made his way to the storeroom.  He returned with a tin coffee pot, two plates, two cups and a sack, placing them on the table, and then disappeared again.  This time, he returned with bacon, beans, two potatoes and a small sack of coffee beans.  The food was unceremoniously dropped on the table, and the coffee beans were poured into the hopper of a coffee mill.

With the butter melted to her satisfaction, she picked up the bread, and as she took a bite, she closed her eyes and slowly chewed.  Truthfully, she didn’t have to expend much effort chewing as the bread virtually melted in her mouth.  Raising her hand, she fluttered it in the air.  “Adam, you must try this.”  All she could hear was the sound of the coffee grinder, so she turned in her chair.  “Adam?   Adam!”

He stopped grinding.  “What?”

Rising from her chair, she took the bread to him.  “Taste,” she said excitedly.

He bit, chewed once and stopped, moving his eyes to hers.  “Did you do that?” he said with a mouthful.

She smiled so big, her eyes were almost pinched closed.  “Do you like it?”

He swallowed and took another bite.  “You’ve gotten very good at baking bread since Annie was here.  You wouldn’t happen to have another loaf I can take with me, would you?”

Shiloh nodded and busied herself wrapping a loaf while he finished grinding his coffee.

Ming Lin, though busy at his own work, occasionally looked up at his employers, smiling his approval.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Adam was pleased that Shiloh still had a smile on her face when he blew out the lamp for the night.  She lay on her side facing away from his side of the bed.  When Adam climbed underneath the blankets, he moved against her back and propped his head up on his hand.  “You finished the day happier than you started it,” he said, running his fingers up and down her arm.  “What happened?”

“Hm,” she giggled.  “The baby was kicking up a storm this afternoon.  It’s funny.  Until I was actually sure I felt him move, I was…I don’t know…maybe a little ambivalent about having this baby.  But feeling him…”

Adam moved his hand forward, resting it on her stomach.  “I understand,” he whispered as he planted several light kisses on her cheek, and then laid his head next to hers.  “Do you still want me to send for Paul?  I’ll be leaving early, but I can send one of the hands.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary.”  She moved his hand lower.  “Do you?”

Moving his hand over her stomach, he chuckled each time the baby kicked.  “You don’t suppose he’s ready to ride a bronc, do you?”

“Seems like he’s already practicing.”  Yawning, she held his hand as he moved it over her stomach, eventually falling into a deep, restful sleep.

***

Standing on the front porch wrapped in her heavy shawl, Shiloh shivered and wondered if it was from the cold or from her anxiety at Adam leaving.   Or was it why he was leaving.

Adam had sent one of the hands to town to inform Sheriff Coffee of Billy’s death and the planned disposition.  It would be up to Roy if he needed to come out to examine the body.  He had known Bill Reed and was aware of his Washoe wife and young son.  Perhaps he would come out just to view the body out of the respect he held for Bill.

Seeing that faraway look in Shiloh’s eyes, Adam kept a close watch on her as he saddled Sport.  He knew she’d be thinking about Billy and Cheron until the burial ritual was done.  It looked like she already was.  Throwing his saddlebags behind the saddle, and then pulling the cinch, he walked back up the steps and cupped her chin in his hand.  “It’ll be over soon.  Try not to think about it so much.”

“You don’t ask for much, do you?” she said with a weary smile.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.  “We should be back sometime tomorrow evening.  If Cheron does come, she can stay here until it’s done.”

“She won’t stay here.  If Billy’s burial is on the Flying W, she’ll need a hut built.  She’ll stay there for several days praying over his body until it’s time to bury him, and once he’s in the ground, she’ll go home.”  She lowered her face.  “I’ll probably never see her again.  I can’t help but feel that I failed her.”

Moving his arms around her, he drew her into him, holding her close.  “Sweetheart, this wasn’t your fault.  It wasn’t anyone’s fault.  And there was no way Billy could have known there were wolves outside the stable.”

She moved her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.  “I know that.  I still feel like I let them down.”

Turning her face back up to his, he said, “You’ve taken good care of Billy, Shiloh.  I’m sure Cheron knows that.  Come in the house with me.  Micah will be here any minute, and I need to get the gunnysack out of the kitchen.”

Once Adam had the gunnysack waiting on the front table, he carried armload after armload of firewood into the house, taking some upstairs to their bedroom and leaving the rest by the hearth downstairs.  Just as he set the last load down, Micah knocked and entered, finding Shiloh and taking her in his arms for a warm hug.   “How are you?”

“I’ve been better.”  Smiling up at him, she added, “But I’m all right.  Micah, you have to convince her to come.  She’ll mourn the rest of her life if the burial isn’t done properly.”

“I’ll do my best, Little Sister.  Now where’s Billy’s blanket?”

She retrieved the blanket from the sofa and handed it to him.  “Cheron made a good, sturdy blanket to keep him warm, but he was afraid he’d ruin it.”  Unable to stop the tears, she turned away.  Adam stepped behind her and touched her arms.  “I’m sorry.  It just seems unfair that the only time it’s going to be used is to wrap him when he’s buried.”

Turning her around, Adam held her.  “She may not use it, Sweetheart.  Don’t the Washoe make burial blankets with symbols to protect the spirit on its journey so it’s not earthbound?”  He felt her nod.  “She may take it back with her then.”

She sniffled and managed a smile.  “What she does with the blanket isn’t really important.   But she has to come.  I have to tell her,” she said, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

He nodded and gently kissed her.  “We have to go.  Can you sit tight for two days…until I get back?   We’ll make better time if I can keep my mind on the task at hand instead of worrying what you get yourself into.”

She glanced guiltily up at him expecting to see a teasing smile, but instead, she found serious concern in his eyes.  She smiled anyway.  “You’ve brought in plenty of firewood, and Ming Lin has agreed to teach me to cook, so I have things to keep me busy in the house.  I might even try playing my piano again.”  His look didn’t change.  Moving her hand to caress his cheek, she raised her eyes to his.  “Adam, I will not do anything that would cause you concern.  I promise.”

His look melted into a half smile. As he brushed her face tenderly with the back of his fingers, he kissed her one more time, and then went to the entry table for his hat and gloves.  Turning to the door, he quickly turned back when she called to him.  “Adam, don’t forget the food.”  She picked up the gunnysack on her way to the open door, handing it to him with a smile and stood waving as they mounted and rode away.

***

A tear fell from her cheek with every groan that escaped his lips as Annie tenderly cleaned each wound.  As she worked her way down from his head, she stopped and sewed when she encountered one that was too deep or too wide to leave alone.

“Miss Annie,” said the sergeant, stepping into the room with his second load of firewood.  “I’ll just build up the fire before I bring anymore in.  How is he?”

Before she turned to answer, she wiped the wetness from her face.  “He’ll survive his wounds if infection doesn’t set in.  I’ve cleaned out most of them, but I still need to sew a few up.  Build a big fire, Sergeant West.  I won’t be able to cover him with more than a sheet, so it needs to stay warm in here.  There’s just too many cuts and gashes to bandage without wrapping him up like a mummy.”

As Sergeant West began loading the firebox, feeding the flames he had already started, Annie watched.  Did he know he was sending Hoss to those wolves with men and boys who were evidently in Philadelphia because they were cowards?  Folding her lips into a tight line, she restrained herself from the tirade that was begging to be let out and turned back to her work on Hoss.

Mr. Tyrell, the man who had stayed next to Hoss as the wolves attacked, sat nervously in a chair downstairs in the parlor awaiting news of Hoss’ condition.  Mrs. Levine smiled at him as she brought him a cup of hot coffee.  She felt some pity for him, having been the only man who didn’t run and having seen what a wolf can do to man; even a man as big as Mr. Cartwright.  She shook her head sadly and went back to her work in the kitchen, warming water for Annie’s ministrations.

A knock at the door brought Mr. Tyrell to his feet.  He opened the door wide and saluted, allowing Captain Fletcher and a doctor from the military hospital to enter.  “Any word?” asked Captain Fletcher.

“No sir.  Miss Walters from the women’s school is up with him now.”

“I’ll go up and see how she’s doing,” said Dr. Stephenson.  Captain Fletcher followed.

When Dr. Stephenson peered in the door Annie was sitting next to the bed cleaning a nasty bite on Hoss’ leg.  Sergeant West snapped to attention.

“At ease, Sergeant.  You and I need to find a private place to talk.”

Annie stopped cleaning the wound, moved the cloth she was using to the wash basin and stood with her hands clasped in front of her.  “Captain, I would like to know what you intend to do about the young men who ran.”

Giving her a rather placating smile, he answered, “I assure you Miss Walters, they will be severely dealt with.”

“I don’t think that is what Mr. Cartwright would want.  Nor I.  You see, they weren’t really men.  They were boys, and they’re here in Philadelphia for this very reason.  They couldn’t be trusted on the lines to do their duty.”

“Miss Walters, we have fine young men of the same age on the lines today doing their duty.”  The captain turned to speak to Sergeant West, but Annie kept going.

“I understand that, Captain.  Even so, the Army can’t possibly expect that every boy can be that stoic when it comes to killing.”

“I’ve heard you, Miss Walters,” he said a bit more loudly.  “Now Sergeant, if you will accompany me, we’ll get this matter dealt with.”   The Sergeant sent a smile her way as he left the room behind the Captain.

Dr. Stephenson touched her arm. “I’m not sure I would have stood up for those men.  They left Mr. Cartwright to deal with those wolves virtually alone.”

“He wasn’t completely alone, doctor.  Mr. Tyrell probably saved his life.  And they’re just boys.  The oldest was only fourteen.”

“Yes, well.  Let’s take a look at what you’ve done.”  Dr. Stephenson began to look over the wounds Annie had already cleaned and sewn.  “You’ve done very well, Annie.  I see that you’ve left several open.”

“Yes, the area around those is considerably red, so I was going to pack them with sugar to stem an infection.”

“Do that with these three here.  And what about this one?”

I planned to debride this one, and perhaps this one here,” she said, showing the doctor a wound in Hoss’ side.

“Hm.  Yes.  They probably started as bites.  It looks like a chunk of flesh is missing from this one.  Has he awakened?”

“No, he groans every now and then as I clean the wounds, but he’s not opened his eyes.”

“This is the young man you’ve told me so much about, isn’t he?”

She gave him a weak smile.  “How did you know?”

“Your eyes are red and swollen, my dear.  You don’t usually cry over your patients.  And considering who he is, I’m going to finish up here.  We don’t usually allow students to practice on their loved ones.  You may watch.”

Chapter Thirty

Adam and Micah hadn’t gone far before they had to stop to rest the horses.  “Maybe we should stay in the trees instead of trying to take the road.  If it’s this deep all the way south, it’ll take days just to get there,” said Micah, surveying the area around them.

Adam leaned on one leg, looked down and shook his head. “If we stay in the trees, one of the horses just might break a leg in a snag under the snow.  It’s too dangerous.”

Micah spun around, moving his hands out to the side. “Well, what do you suggest?  We can’t keep this up.  We’re only five miles from the house.”

Looking around them, Adam settled on west.  He grimaced as he thought how difficult it would be to get down to the lake.  “What if we headed toward the lake?  We could follow the shore down to Captain Pray’s sawmill, and then cut back up towards Kings Canyon.  It wouldn’t be far from Clear Creek from there.”

Taking a drink from his canteen, Micah spit the water back out into the snow.  “It has to be better than up here.  The snow shouldn’t be as deep.”

They were silent most of the way to the lake, both men concentrating on where their horses were putting their feet.  When they got to the lake, the going wasn’t as rough as it had been.  The tension eased from their muscles as they began a slow but easy pace.

Adam was in the lead, and turning his head so Micah could hear him, he asked, “Did you know about Running Elk?”

Micah clenched his teeth and took a moment to answer.  “Yes and no.”

Pulling back on his reins, Adam turned Sport sideways in the trail so that Micah could do nothing but stop.  “What does that mean?”

Letting out a deep breath, Micah crossed his arms over his saddle horn.  “I knew she was spending time in the village, and I knew she spent a good bit of it with Running Elk.  I couldn’t get too close to watch.  The Paiute always had scouts out looking for any signs of trouble.  But I always felt Gray Wolf would put a stop to anything more than a friendship.  He didn’t even want Running Elk around us.”

“Do you realize what might have happened if it hadn’t been obvious Shiloh was going to have a baby?” asked Adam with flared nostrils.

“Now just hold on, Adam.  I had no idea he was still pining for her.  Neither did she, so it must not have been that important to her.  What did she say?”

Pinching his nose, Adam turned Sport forward and starting moving down the trail.  He spoke over his shoulder.  “She said she never loved him; that she was too young to have those feelings.”

“Then why are you letting it bother you?  Nothing happened.”  When Micah didn’t get an answer, he repeated a question he had asked months ago.  “Adam, don’t you trust your wife?”

“It’s not Shiloh’s feelings I’m worried about.”

“Running Elk said he was through waiting.  And Gray Wolf and Winnemucca aren’t going to let him start any trouble with a Cartwright.  The Cartwrights and Whitneys are about the only friends the Paiute have.”  They rode in silence for a few minutes before Micah added.  “You just wait.  Gray Wolf will have his son married to the prettiest girl in the tribe by spring, and he’ll have forgotten all about Shiloh.”

Adam shook his head, knowing there were never any guarantees with the Paiute. “You seem to forget what Young Wolf was planning to do.  And that Winnemucca was going to let him.”

***

Before Shiloh could close the door, she saw someone coming toward the house from the direction of the barn.  She waited for him to dismount and climb the steps.  “Shorty, I guess the snow’s too deep to run the sawmill by now.”

Removing his hat, revealing his white hair, the old man smiled an almost toothless smile.  “Yes ma’am.  We removed the blades for storage before this last storm blew in.  Mr. Adam told me to come here and help keep things up around the house and the barn.”

Smiling sweetly, for she was very fond of this kind, well-mannered old man, she welcomed him into the house.  “Do you know if the road to Virginia City is clear?”

“Well, it’s not clear enough for a buggy, but a good horse can get through now.  It won’t be so bad today since the sun’s shining.  If you need something, I’ll ride into town for you today.  My bones are telling me we’re in for another bad round of weather.”

She took him into the kitchen and asked him to sit at the table, then poured him a cup of coffee.  “Have you had breakfast?”

“No, ma’am.  I was hoping to get here from the main house before Mr. Adam left, but I reckon I missed him.”

“Not by much.  Ming Lin will fix you something for breakfast, and while you eat, he can put together his list of things he needs from town.”

“I thought he might have a list,” he said, pulling another list out of his pocket.  “Hop Sing had a list.”

She laughed and turned to see Ming Lin standing at the stove, smiling as well.  “There are bunk rooms in the stables.  You can stay there with Johnny and Tom.”

Standing, Shorty bowed his head and timidly moved his eyes up to hers.  “I heard about Billy, ma’am.  I know you were fond of the boy.  I am truly sorry.”

It was all she could do to keep from bursting out in tears.  She managed to get out a hoarse “Thank you,” then excused herself from the kitchen.  Turning the corner of the small hallway between the kitchen and the dining room, she leaned back against the wall, covered her mouth with her hand and wept.

In only a few minutes, Ming Lin appeared with a handkerchief, which he offered to her, and a tea set which he sat on the dining room table.  After pouring a cup of the tea he made especially for her, he coaxed her to a chair.  “Your breakfast will be served in a moment.”

“Ming Lin, thank you, but I’m not very hungry.”

“Still, you must eat…as much for the health of the baby as to honor your word to Mr. Cartwright.”

Despite her tears, she chuckled and nodded.  “I’ll eat in the kitchen with you and Shorty.  I’ll be there in a minute.”

Ming Lin bowed and took the tea service back to the kitchen.

After her breakfast, Shiloh spent the rest of the morning at the piano, exercising her hand.  She found that if she soaked it in warm water her hand was more flexible, and after several iterations of playing and soaking, she was able to complete a simple run all the way from one end of the keyboard to the other.

Someone knocked at the door, and though she stopped playing, she only turned on the piano bench to watch as Ming Lin answered.

“Is Mr. Cartwright or Mr. Whitney here?”

“They left early this morning for Clear Creek,” answered Ming Lin.

Clint Miller was the foreman at the Whitney Mine, and though Shiloh knew who he was, she’d met him only once and very briefly.  She rose from the piano bench and went to the door. “Mr. Miller, won’t you come in?  Is there a problem at the mine?”

“Yes, ma’am.  We’ve had a minor cave-in.”

Her eyes widened as she looked up into his. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Two men were in that part of the shaft when it collapsed, but we got ‘em out.  Just cuts and bruises.  But I need Mr. Cartwright to take a look at the slide.  It happened in the upper end toward the top of the ridge.  I’m not sure it can be stabilized.  We may have to abandon it.”

Shiloh took a deep breath.  “Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Whitney won’t be back until late tomorrow.  If another storm comes in tomorrow, it could be later than that.  Don’t do anything on that side of the mine until you can speak with him.  Did it affect the other side of the main shaft?”

“No ma’am.  I believe we were just too close to the top of the ridge.  The weight of the boulders up there was too much.”

“What if you dig out the side of the ridge instead of trying to tunnel next to the upside of the vein?”

He gave her a sidelong look.  Word was she was smart…college educated like her husband.  He knew she’d run the Flying W before her marriage to Adam Cartwright.  But up until now, she had stayed away from the mine.  “We could do that, but it will take a lot longer to extract the silver and what gold there is.”

“Well, it doesn’t appear you’re going to be able to continue tunneling, so it may be our only recourse if the cost doesn’t exceed the value of the ore.  If the collapse of the upward side hasn’t affected the shaft on the other side, keep your men working on that side of the main vein and leave the up side alone until Mr. Cartwright can look at it.  But Mr. Miller, at the first sign of trouble, I want you to pull the men out of the mine.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, mines don’t usually shut down until there’s a collapse.”

“Mr. Miller, there’s already been a collapse, even though you say it was minor.  We’re not that kind of mine owner.  We don’t put the value of the silver above our men’s lives.”

The mine foreman looked at his hat as he turned it round and round in his hands. “I’m not sure Mr. Whitney or Mr. Cartwright would agree with you.”

She smiled. “Then you don’t know either of them very well.”  She walked to the door and opened it.  “I’ll let both Mr. Whitney and Mr. Cartwright know what’s happened as soon as they’re back.  In the meantime, please do as I ask.  And give the two men who were trapped adequate time off with pay to recover.”

Moving his hat to his head, Mr. Miller tipped it and walked out the door, turning for just a moment to look back at her.  He wasn’t sure he liked taking orders from a woman; the bosses’ sister and wife, or not.

Chapter Thirty-One

Annie sat by the side of Hoss’ bed after several days of repacking and rebandaging his wounds.  She watched as Dr. Stephenson checked her work. “Doctor, he’s been unconscious for three days.  Shouldn’t he be awake by now?”

“Your young man lost a good bit of blood in that row with the wolf.  Sleeping in his case is a good thing.  His body is replenishing what he lost.  No, you’re doing the best thing you could possibly do for him at the moment, and that’s keeping these wounds clean and packed.  There’s no sign of infection so far, and I’d like to keep it that way.  Now, young lady, I’ve asked Mrs. Levine if she wouldn’t mind sitting with him for a few hours while you get some sleep.  She’ll be up momentarily, and I expect you to go without any dissent.”

Before she was relieved by Mrs. Levine, Sergeant West removed his hat, lightly knocked on the door and stuck his head in.  “Any change, Miss Annie?”

Looking at Hoss, she answered, “Not yet, but the doctor says that’s not necessarily bad news.”  She turned her attention to the sergeant. “What did the captain do about the young men who ran?”

The sergeant lowered his head.   “He sent ‘em all home.  Only all of ‘em may not have had a home to go to.”  Annie shook her head and sighed.  “You have to understand, ma’am, that the army ain’t no orphanage.  Them boys just wasn’t soldier material.  They just wasn’t old enough yet to take on this kind of responsibility.  They didn’t get branded or nothing like that.  Their records were wiped clean.  It’ll be like they was never here.”

“But what if they didn’t have a home to go to?”

“I reckon they’ll stay in the city and try to find work.  The good thing out of this is I’ve got a contingency of men in the city now.  The South’s sending in saboteurs these days, so Captain Fletcher will be stationed in the city with his men for awhile.”

Annie stood and walked away from the bed. “Saboteurs…in the city?” she asked quietly, taking a step closer.

“Yes ma’am.  You know the warehouse fire up on Delaware Avenue wasn’t no accident.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, it wasn’t.  And Captain Fletcher’s been ordered to defend the city, even if it means every man here has to take up arms.”  Annie looked back anxiously at Hoss.  “It’s just as well Mr. Cartwright is taking his time to recover.  Captain Fletcher asked about him, and Mr. Tyrell told him Mr. Cartwright was setting up lines of defense and giving orders just like he was an experienced officer.  In fact, the captain asked me to report back what I found here today.  I aim to tell him Mr. Cartwright’s still in real bad shape; that he ain’t even come to yet.  Maybe then he’ll leave him be.”

“Thank you, Sergeant.  I think it will be awhile before he’s able to do much of anything.  He has stitches pretty much all over.”

***

For Adam and Micah, the going was easy as long as there was a shoreline.  That wasn’t always the case on Lake Tahoe.  Where huge slabs of vertical granite and boulders plunged down into the water, they had to veer back into the trees and find a way up and over the rocky terrain.  Still, they were making better progress than if they had stayed on the previous trail.

Riding shoulder to shoulder on a well-used trail, they let the horses pick their way through the knee-deep snow that was rutted by deep wagon tracks.

“I’d forgotten how bad the winters can be here,” said Micah.  “Not that there were that many before I left.  They just kinda catch you by surprise.”

Adam chuckled.  “Weren’t you watching your sister?  We’ve had a couple of bad winters lately, one that almost killed her.”

“Oh, I remember that one.  If you hadn’t been there, that probably would have been the time I revealed myself in order to get her to a doctor.  What I don’t know…and I never asked her…was what happened in your house that turned her feelings for you around.”

Frowning, Adam was hesitant to tell Micah what had happened.  Not that it would be a surprise to him, but rather because it was Shiloh’s story to tell.  But she would never offer, and he would never ask.  “She explained why she…hated…me.”

“That’s a strong word.  I don’t think she’s capable of that particular emotion.”

Adam snorted. “Oh, she hated me.  And with good reason to hear her tell it.  You probably never realized how I kept her from…the most important goodbyes.  You and your father were in the room with your mother when she was dying, but Amos didn’t want Shiloh to see her that way.  He asked me to keep her in the parlor.”  Looking up at the sky, he took a deep breath.  “And I did.”

“She was so young.  How could she remember that?”

“I never thought about it until she told me that, but things changed after your mother died.  Before your mother got sick, Shiloh used to run up to me for a hug whenever she saw me.  Afterwards, she clung to your leg whenever I was around, and when I picked her up, she wiggled until I had to put her down.  Then, there was your demise, and she blamed me for that because I didn’t do anything even though you and Amos told her over and over again…”

“And what about Dad?”

“I sent her away to school, and she was gone for seven years.  He was already gone by the time she got the last telegram from Pa.”

Shaking his head, Micah started, “Adam, you can’t blame yourself for…”

“Micah.  There were no goodbyes for her…because of me.  She had every right to hate me.”

“So why did it change when she came back?”

“It didn’t at first.  But she left here a child and came back a woman…a very bright, very talented, very…capable…woman.”

Micah chuckled.  “I can see why it changed for you.  But why her?”

“‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.’”  The level track ran out, and Adam reined Sport down the hill toward the shore, finishing over his shoulder.  “She grew up.”

***

Shiloh leaned against the window casing looking over the valley toward the stables, watching a light snow begin to fall as the sun slipped behind the clouds.  She didn’t really see the subtle nuances of the flakes as they swirled, dipped and fluttered.  Rather, she pictured Adam riding through the high snow, the drifts, and the new snow coming down.  Was it snowing where he was now?  She glanced down at her stomach, then looked back out the window.  Under normal circumstances, she’d be making this trip with him.

She knew that when spring weather permitted, Adam would have to go to San Francisco for another inspection of the San Francisco court house.  The possibility that spring would be long in coming didn’t settle well with her.  If it came too late, he might not let her travel with him.  If it was very late, he might not be here when the baby came.  Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, and wandered into the kitchen where Ming Lin was collecting ingredients to make a fruitcake.

“Is there something I could help you with, Ming Lin?  I need to take my mind off…”  Her sentence trailed off as she frowned and looked away.

“Mr. Cartwright?”

She smiled.  “It probably sounds strange to you that I would want to take my mind off my husband, but…”

“But you miss him.  And you worry.  It is not so strange,” he said, glancing up from his work with a smile.  “You may help measure and add ingredients for the fruitcakes we will be taking to the Christmas Eve party at the main house.”

“Why are you making these ahead of time?”

“They will soak in buttered brandy after they are baked.”

“Oh.  Would you mind if I made bread instead?  The smell makes me feel better. And maybe some cookies.”

“And perhaps your dinner?” he asked without looking up.  “You can learn to clean a chicken, and make dumplings.”

Twisting her mouth, she repeated, “Clean a chicken?”

“Yes.  It must be killed, plucked, gutted and cleaned.”  If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn she turned green. She wore a sickly frown, closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

Shiloh watched as Ming Lin added one ingredient after another into the mixing bowl that would eventually hold a fruit and nut-loaded batter.  After the fruitcakes went into the oven, she began preparing dough for bread, and once she had the bread rising in a bowl, Ming Lin took her out the back door of the kitchen to watch as he caught and slaughtered a chicken.

That night for dinner, as Ming Lin served the chicken and dumplings, Shiloh swallowed hard and managed a smile, but fought an internal struggle not to do something very unlady-like in the dining room. “Ming Lin, I’m not sure I can…”

Looking surprised, Ming Lin said, “Chicken and dumplings is your favorite dinner.”

“It is…it was.”  She covered her mouth with her hand.  “Maybe tomorrow.  Is there any roast beef left from last night?”

Ming Lin removed the plate he had prepared for her and went back to the kitchen.  She watched him go and winced, knowing he wasn’t pleased with her.  But how could she eat pieces of that chicken after watching it die, molt, boil and lose its insides by someone ripping them out through its…?  Shuddering, she heard a knock on the door, placed her napkin on the table, and thankfully, got up to answer it.

“Pa,” she said, reaching up to hug him as he stepped into the house wearing a broad smile.

He had started to hug her, but stopped and looked down, laughing.  “I’ll have to wait awhile for real hug.  “How are you, darling?”

Taking a step back, she smiled and blushed.  “When it comes to horses…or on stage, I can hold my own against some of the best.  But at the moment, my condition is bringing out my weaknesses.”

Ben furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

She chuckled and absentmindedly rubbed her belly.  “Things that never bothered me before seem to really bother me at the moment.  Have you had dinner?”

“Yes, I have.  Have you?”  Her cringe answered his question, and he moved his hands to his hips and looked disapprovingly at her.  Holding out his arm, he beckoned her to take it, and then walked her to the dining room.  “It seems you had started.  What happened?”

Ming Lin walked into the dining room carrying a plate of warm roast beef among other things.  “Mr. Cartwright will not be happy with me if you do not eat, Mrs. Cartwright.”  He placed the plate on the table where she had been sitting.

Tilting her head, she smiled warmly. “I’m sorry, Ming Lin.  I’m sure chicken and dumplings aren’t ruined for me forever.  Perhaps I should wait to learn to clean a chicken until after the baby is born.  Pa, can I offer you some coffee?”

“Yes.  But only if you will eat your dinner while I drink it.” He raised his brow giving her an insistent look, prompting a smile and a nod.  After seating her at the head of the table normally occupied by Adam, Ben took the chair to her left.

She reached for his hand and covered it with her own.  “What brings you out in the snow?”

“Well, I thought since Adam isn’t here and may well be longer than he planned, that you and Ming Lin might like to come stay at the main house until he gets back.   You’re here alone.  You can’t get out because of the snow.  And I’m sure Hop Sing could use the help getting ready for the Christmas Eve party next week.”

Washing down the bite of roast beef she had just taken with a drink of water, she smiled and shook her head.  “Pa, I need to be here when Adam gets back.  Hopefully he’ll have Cheron with him.”

“I don’t think he will.”  She stopped cutting the roast beef and swiftly looked up at him.  Patting her hand, he said, “Oh, not that she won’t come.  Just that she won’t come with Adam.  The Washoe have rituals when one of their tribe dies.  Cheron will want to collect the things she’ll need to send Billy’s spirit into the heavens.   She’ll have someone come with her to help.”

“How do you know so much about the Washoe?” she asked as she continued to eat.

Ben sat back in his chair, crossed his legs and brought his coffee cup to his lips, taking a sip.  “The Washoe were here long before we were.  They had a summer village down by the lake, and when I bought the land, I told them they could stay.  They did for a time, but other whites came…frightened them, so they moved south…to Clear Creek.  While they were here, we traded, and Adam and I were privileged to witness some of their rituals.”

“If that’s true,” she glanced up at him with a teasing smile, “and I know it is, then Adam already knows she won’t come with him.”

“Yes, he does.  I’m sure he didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to worry you.  I remember Cheron.  I remember how protective she was of Billy before his father died.  She’ll come.”

“Still, Pa, there’s no reason for me to leave.  Ming Lin and I have everything we need here.”

“Would it make a difference if I said I’d feel better if you were at my house?  Hop Sing has some experience where babies are concerned.”

She chuckled.  “You know, it might be good to get out of this house for a little while.  I’ve been stuck inside since the snows started.  Perhaps a change of scenery would do me good.  But how do I get there?  Dr. Martin has forbidden me to ride, and Adam said the snow’s too deep for the buggy.”

A smile spread across Ben’s face, making it to his dark eyes, causing them to twinkle.  “I came in the sleigh.  We’ll glide right over the top of the snow.”

“We’ll need to get some things together.  Do you have time to wait?”

Laughing, he answered, “It’s winter.  Other than checking the herd, we don’t have much else to do.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Annie sat at the desk in Hoss’ room, re-reading the letter she had just written to Mr. Cartwright.

Mr. Cartwright,

It is with angst that I write this letter to you, especially with such a joyous season upon us.  There has been an incident here in which Hoss has been injured.  Let me say now that he is resting, and we believe will make a full recovery.

The Army here asked that Hoss help track down a pack of wolves that had been terrorizing the troops stationed on the outskirts of the city. Hoss, being the honorable man he is, did so. The soldiers stationed within the city were actually young boys who were not suited to the task.  Nor were they suited to assist him as when the wolves attacked, they ran, leaving Hoss alone to face the last of the beasts. 

He did so bravely; a fight to the death of the wolf.  Unfortunately, the wolf fought valiantly as well, leaving Hoss with numerous deep wounds and bites.  Dr. Stephenson, the military doctor stationed here, and I have seen to his wounds and are watching Hoss closely for infection.  As of yet, there is no fever and the wounds are healing well.

I thought it prudent to let you know of his condition.  If there becomes further cause for concern, I will contact you by telegram.  Otherwise, I pray the next letter you receive will be written by Hoss as he continues to recuperate. You have my solemn promise that I will not leave his side.

I leave it to you and Adam as to whether you inform Shiloh.  I know that she will worry; something that is not recommended in her condition.

Affectionately,

Annie Walters

Turning in the chair at a faint moan coming from the bed, she watched as Hoss moved his head from side to side while licking lips that were much too dry.  She set the letter down and hurried over to his side, dipped a clean cloth into a glass of water and moistened them.

Hoss clamped his mouth down on the cloth, releasing a relieved moan.  When his eyes fluttered open, he looked at Annie and smiled.  He tried to speak but could only manage a hoarse grunt.

“Don’t try to speak, Hoss,” said Annie with a smile and a hand on his forehead.  “You’ve been out for awhile, and your mouth and throat are dry.  “Would you like to try a sip of water?”

He closed his eyes and nodded ever so slightly, prompting her to hold a glass to his lips as she moved a hand behind his head and lifted.

“One more sip and you can try speaking again,” she said softly.

Swallowing hard, Hoss spoke in a raspy voice.  “What’s wrong with me?”

“You got beat up by a wolf.”  She leaned over him with moist eyes after she set the glass back on the night table.  “As I understand it, the wolf looked worse.”

Hoss lay still with his eyes closed and a grimace fixed upon his face.  “I don’t see how he could.  I feel like I had words with a grizzly bear.”

“Don’t you remember what happened?”

“It’s slowly comin’ back.  How long have I been out?”

“Several days.   You lost a lot of blood, so it’s no surprise.”

As Hoss shook the cobwebs out of his mind, he first looked around the room, and then looked down at himself wearing nothing but a sheet.  Pulling it up to his chin, he quickly glanced up at her, then lowered his eyes.   He tried to feel his body; his arms, legs, torso.  “Who done stitched me up?”

“I did most of it.  Dr. Stephenson did some.”

He held his breath for a moment before he asked his next question, wincing.  “You bandaged me up?”  She nodded.  “All of me?”  She nodded again.  He gave her a slight, embarrassed smile.  “You mean…you mean you saw me nekkid?”  The last word was no more than a squeak.

It was all Annie could do to hold her laughter in.  She knew for Hoss, seeing him ‘nekkid’ would be a serious matter.  “Now Hoss, I am a doctor…or at least, I’m almost a doctor.  In the shape you were in, there wasn’t time for propriety.  Besides, would you rather Mrs. Levine had seen you naked?”

He grimaced again.  “No.  I suppose not.  But it don’t seem right…you and me being sweet on each other and all.”

Clasping her hands in her lap, Annie bowed her head, uncertain how she should feel, having evidently embarrassed him. It seemed unfair to her that people couldn’t separate the fact that she was a woman from her chosen profession.  Male doctors saw women all the time, and nothing was ever said about it.  Why couldn’t it be the same for the opposite gender?

“Aw, Annie, it ain’t that I don’t appreciate you takin’ care of me.   It’s just…well…the only female who ever saw me…you know…that I can remember…was my mama, and I was just a small fry then.”

Standing in frustration, Annie began to gather the used cloths.  “Hoss, there was nothing else I could do.  Dr. Stephenson wasn’t available, and you were in bad shape.  The only other person here was Mrs. Levine.  I wasn’t about to let you lie there and bleed to death.”  She plopped the rags into the bowl of water, then picked it up, holding it against her.  “Now, I’m going to bring up some broth for you.”

Closing his eyes, he let his head drop back to the pillow.  “I don’t suppose I could have something with a little more to it, could I?”

Annie exhaled and smiled understandingly.  “Maybe later this evening.  I just need to make sure you can keep something down before I give you anything substantial.  Now rest.  I’ll be back up shortly.”

Hoss opened his eyes and watched her leave the room wearing a smile. One corner of his mouth turned up.  He wasn’t about to give his little gal any trouble.

***

“It’s getting dark.  We should find a place to camp,” yelled Adam over the whistle of the wind-whipped snow.

Micah had pulled the collar of his coat up around his face, held onto his hat with a gloved hand and yelled back.  “It’s too early.   We can make it to the camp at the sawmill.”

Pulling Sport up to a stop, Adam turned and looked around him, especially across the lake.  He could see very little, but one thing was sure.  This storm was coming in from the west across the lake, and when it hit the mountains on the east side, it would stay put until it blew itself out.  Shaking his head, he shouted. “We’ll never make it.  It’s already too dark.”

“And just where do you plan on camping?  We can’t stay out in the open.  We’ll be buried by morning.”

Adam motioned for Micah to follow him, leading him further down the trail to a granite wall soaring thirty feet up the side of a mountain.  All around this wall of rock were boulders strewn here and there, and one impressive piece of granite suspended like a table over several of its companions, sheltering the ground underneath it.  The cavern it created was small.  Neither man could stand up in the space, but it was large enough to sit under and most definitely lay underneath somewhat protected from the weather.

Micah gave Adam a sidelong look.  “This place has been used for shelter before.  It wouldn’t happen to be you that used it, would it?”

Adam dismounted Sport with a one side of his mouth upturned and an impish glimmer in his eyes.  “Not lately, but it has come in handy over the years.  We’ll build a fire at the back so the smoke can go up that crack,” he said, pointing to the back edge of the table rock where years of campfires had blackened the granite.  As the men stood back to back while removing their saddles and saddlebags from their horses, Adam remarked, “You haven’t been to Pray’s lately. You should be thanking me. That place is no more than a huge mud hole in winter.”

“You’re the one who mentioned Pray’s.”

“For information and maybe a beer.  Not to stay.”

Once the two men had their saddles down and their bedrolls spread out with their saddlebags near, Adam pulled out the bacon, beans, a potato and the sack of coffee.  As he prepared their dinner, he asked Micah about his chosen work in his former life.

“I don’t know, Adam.  There was no way I was going to be able to work at the ranches without someone figuring out who I was.  Dad had sold horses to all the big spreads.  I needed to do something where I could stay away from people, and believe me; people stay away from a range detective like he’s got plague.”

“Most range detectives I’ve ever met shoot first and ask questions later.  And if the answers don’t say guilty, things get changed to make them guilty.”

“Adam, I already told you and your pa I didn’t do anything illegal.  I didn’t change anything. If I found a problem, it was the rustler or the thief’s doing.  Sometimes a ranch hand.   And sometimes the rancher.”

“Mort Williams had quite a reputation,” said Adam as he put the potato he had peeled into a shallow pan of water by the fire.  “Coffee’s ready.  You want some?”

Micah grabbed a cup and held it out.  “When did you get to be a decent campfire cook?”

“I’ve done my share of trail riding.”

“Mort Williams.  Micah Whitney.  One in the same in every way, Adam.  Mort’s reputation had a life of its own.”

“Gun fighting?”

Micah shrugged. “Part of the job, especially with the reputation.  Besides, I understand you’ve done your share.  Over the years, I’ve gotten the impression that outdrawing a Cartwright…two of you in particular…could be as popular as outdrawing Mort.”

Pushing his bottom lip up, Adam tended the fire, unwilling to continue the path the conversation had taken.  The conversation dropped as Micah stirred the beans.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Leaving the warmth of their rocky shelter, Adam and Micah slowly made their way behind some tall boulders where they had run a picket line for the horses.  They removed the feed bags and offered the horses some water out of the cook pan.  Even though wind and snow were whipping around the rock outcroppings, the space between the bands of rock offered some respite from the worst of the bad weather.  With their tethers long enough for the horses to stand front to back against each other, they would stay warm enough through the night.

Once back underneath the table rock, Adam stoked the flames, adding another log from among those that had been drying at the fire’s edge.  Both men lay down on their bedrolls, reclining against their saddles, and settled down for a cold and windy night in the wild.

***

As Ben pulled the sleigh into the yard of the main house, he finally let his body relax, his grip upon the reins loosening just enough to stop the ache in his hands.  Snow was coming down harder than it had all winter, making the going slow for the horses trying to high step through it.  It was coming down so hard and so fast, Ben actually worried about making it that single mile from one house to the other.

He turned to Shiloh, whose face was barely visible with her hood pulled down over her head and her neck scarf high up on her face, leaving only her eyes exposed.  She saw the furrows of worry across his face before he could remove them with a warm smile.  “We’re here,” he yelled to be heard over the wind.  “Let’s get you inside.”

Two men from the bunkhouse ran out to the sleigh, taking the reins from Ben.  “Jake, get some of the men to bring the bags into the house while you put the sleigh away.”

“Yessir, Mr. Cartwright.”

Shiloh had been expecting her father-in-law to help her out of the sleigh, but when she looked down at the ground, she saw that he was knee deep in snow.  Looking into his eyes, she said, “I hadn’t prepared for this,” then folded her lips into an apologetic line.

Ben smiled and held his arms out.  “Then you shall ride all the way to the front door.”  He reached into the sleigh and swept her off her feet from where she was standing on the sleigh floor, drawing a gasp from her followed by a embarrassed chuckle, and then an all out laugh that sent her head back.

Setting her feet on the porch in front of the door, he said, “Now that’s a sound that’s been too long missing from this house.”

After settling into to her surroundings, Shiloh wandered into the kitchen where Ming Lin was already helping Hop Sing prepare cakes, pastries, cookies, pies, sweet and savory jams, and bread for the upcoming traditional holiday party.  As the day continued with the snow still falling hard, Shiloh assisted them, all the while singing Christmas songs that put smiles on the faces of the two Chinese men.  Joe even joined them, sitting at the table and tasting all the wares, joining in the song between bites.

Ben sat in his leather chair next to the fireplace, smoking his pipe and staring into the fire, remembering a similar time when Marie would sing as she and Hop Sing prepared the Christmas feast.  The sounds and smells from the kitchen brought about a pleasant journey into the past, leaving a wide smile on his face.

***

Sitting up with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Micah reached past the smoldering fire across the space that separated him from Adam, and just as he grabbed a piece of wood for the fire, he noticed Adam’s eyes were open.  He hesitated for only a second before he continued moving wood to the fire.  “How long have you been awake?”

“At least as long as you.”  Adam slowly sat up.  “I don’t remember feeling this stiff in the morning.”

“When’s the last time you slept outside in the snow?” asked Micah with a chuckle.

Raising his eyebrows, Adam bounced his head back and forth and mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way.  You and I are the same age.”

“True enough.  But I haven’t spent the last fifteen years living it up in a big, warm house with a nice soft bed.”

Adam shrugged.  “Your choice.”

The two men sat in companionable quiet, warming up next to the fire as their morning coffee and beans boiled and their bacon sizzled.

Micah broke the silence.  “Have you given any thought to how we get Cheron’s attention?  You can bet she won’t be cleaning fish in the creek today.”

“I have.  But I don’t know enough about the area to know what options we have.  We’ll have to look around when we get close.”

“They’ll have scouts out.”

Smiling, Adam nodded.  “You and I have done our share of avoiding Indian scouts.”

“We have.  A long time ago.”

“So you are feeling your age,” said Adam with a playful gleam in his eyes.

Micah snorted.  “I’m not old.  You can be old for both of us.   Seriously, we need to be careful.  Your father was mostly right.  They won’t kill us, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be hospitable.  And we could end up causing more trouble for Cheron than she can handle.”

Sarcastically smiling, Adam asked, “You got any better ideas?”

Micah winced.  “No, not really.”

***

Shiloh bounced down the stairs early and was immediately admonished by Hop Sing.  “You come down too fast.  You hold on.  Walk slow.”

Wearing a wide smile, she took Hop Sing’s arm and twirled him around as she took her place at the breakfast table waiting for her father and brother-in-law to join her after hearing them moving around in their bedrooms as she passed.

As Hop Sing muttered his way back into the kitchen, Ben and Joe appeared on the stairs.  “It’s way too early in the morning to be upsetting him,” Joe said, laughing.  “What did you do?”

“I came down the stairs much too quickly for his tastes.”

Ben bent and kissed her head as he stepped around her chair and took his own at the head of the table.  “If Hop Sing thinks you came down the stairs too fast, you did.”  He ended with raised eyebrows and a stern look.

Moving her napkin to her lap, she picked up the cup of coffee that Ben had just poured for her and took a sip.  “None of you are going to spoil my day today.  So stop trying,” she teased.

“What’s so wonderful about today?” asked Joe, rolling his eyes as the word ‘wonderful’ rolled off his tongue.  “The only wonderful thing about winter is the end of it.”

“Well, there’s Christmas.  If I remember correctly, you always enjoyed the Christmas Eve party and Christmas dinner.”

“Two good days out of four or five months does not make it my favorite season.”  Joe winked at her and prepared his plate. “So why are you in such a good mood this morning?”

“Adam will be back today.”

Ben moved his eyes to hers.  “Now Shiloh.  It’s quite possible he won’t be back because of the snowstorm.”

She frowned.  “But he could,” she said in a child’s voice.

Covering her hand with his, Ben lowered his head and gazed up at her.  “Darling, I don’t want you to spend all day counting on it.  It’s not likely he would have gotten to Clear Creek by now in this weather.  This storm started from the west, so it would have been upon them long before we felt it.”

She sighed and clasped her hands in front of her.

“None of that, young lady.  You can help Hop Sing and Ming Lin in the kitchen again today, and you can help me decorate in here.”

She gave him a half-hearted smile and nodded.

“Shiloh, both of them know their way in a storm like this.  They’ll take it slow and safe.  Now eat.  I’ll not have you bedridden because you haven’t.  We have much to do, and I need all the help I can get.”  His warm smile brought about a genuine grin from her.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Captain Fletcher had just stepped through the front door of Mrs. Levine’s boarding house when Annie and Hoss began slowly descending the stairs.  Hoss was holding onto the rail while his other arm was draped around Annie’s shoulders, her hands firmly set upon his back and chest as if she would be able to stop him from falling if he stumbled.

This would be the first time Annie had allowed Hoss to venture down the stairs for fear of him tearing his more severe wounds open, but he had insisted to the point that he was going to go whether she wanted him to go or not.

“Ah, Mr. Cartwright.  I see you’re doing better.”

Hoss had begun to sweat with the effort of coming down the stairs. He moved his eyes to Captain Fletcher and bit his lip.

Annie, on the other hand, had no problem speaking up.  “Captain Fletcher, he’s still not in any shape to join your army, and he won’t be for awhile.  We’re still packing some of his wounds to stave off infection, and he still has sutures in the deeper ones.”

Clasping his hands behind his back, Captain Fletcher waited until Hoss was comfortable in a chair before he defined the reason for his visit.  “Mr. Cartwright, as I believe you know, we have authorization to use every able-bodied man to protect this city.  Now, since you have availed yourself of the amenities this city has to offer, I would expect you to return the favor and assist in her protection.”

Hoss scowled. “And just how do you figure I can do that, Capt’n?  I could barely walk down them stairs,” he said, nodding toward the staircase. “Besides, I didn’t even get to see much of your fine city before your sergeant asked for my help, and I near got killed for it.  I figure I’ve done my share.”

“I can assure you, Mr. Cartwright, that your skills are sorely needed.  And as I understand it, your father is quite influential and admired in the Nevada Territory.  The Union would prefer to keep all that gold and silver out of the South’s hands.”

Hoss retained his scowl and nodded.  “So that’s what this is all about.  You want to me to sign up with Union Army thinkin’ my pa would support the North because of it.  Well, Mister, let me tell you somethin’.  There ain’t nothin’ you can do to convince my pa to take a side in this war.  We ain’t part of it.”

“Everyone in a state or territory is part of it.  You and your family are not immune.”

As he struggled to push himself up to his feet, Hoss gently pushed Annie’s helping hand away.  “Capt’n Fletcher, my family has already come too close to splittin’ apart because of this war.  My older brother, Adam, was born a Yankee granite-head, and my younger brother, Joe, has sympathies with the Rebels as you folks call ‘em.  And let me tell you, they both live up to those names. We’ve already seen firsthand what this war can do to a family, and we don’t want no part of it.”

“And what about you, Mr. Cartwright?  Do you have ties to either side?”

Hoss slowly sat down.  “Nope.  I was born in a wagon somewhere in the middle.  I don’t cotton to people ownin’ other people, but then I don’t rightly take to one group of people tellin’ another group of people how they’re supposed to live.  The way I see it, fightin’ a war and killin’ each other ain’t the way to solve problems, and that’s because someone has to lose.  It’d be a whole lot more civil if both sides could win somethin’.”

Snorting, Captain Fletcher answered, “That’s why they call this a war.  Someone has to lose.  And it’s going to be the South.”

“Suit yourself, Capt’n.  I ain’t fightin’ for you.”

“We’ll see.”  Capt’n Fletcher replaced his hat on his head and pulled on his gloves.  “I will have Dr. Stephenson watch you closely, and as soon as he pronounces you fit for duty, you will receive orders.   If you don’t follow those orders, you will be held in a military prison as a southern sympathizer.”

“You can just count on me not following them orders then.  Because if you do what you say, you’ll be nothin’ but a liar, and if that’s what the North is made of, I won’t be doing you any more favors.”

Captain Fletcher spun on his heel and left the house.  As soon as the door clicked shut, Mrs. Levine came in from the kitchen.  “Hoss, that Captain Fletcher isn’t someone you want to anger.  He’s the law around here at the moment, and folks here will do as he says.”

“Mrs. Levine, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about right now.  The way I’m feeling ain’t no one gonna pronounce me fit for anything but bed.  Annie, I’m sorry I doubted you,” he said, smiling bashfully up at her.  “You were right.  I shoulda stayed in bed.  I’d be mighty thankful if you’d help me back up them stairs.”

“I’ll help you up after you eat.  It will be easier sitting up in a chair than me trying to prop you up on your pillows.”

Once Annie had brought out Hoss’s lunch tray, she sat in the chair next to his.  “Hoss, we have to do something.  You’ll be well before you planned on going home, and Captain Fletcher will do what he said if you don’t join the army.”

“Now look.  I don’t want you worrying about none of this.  You need to concentrate on your schoolin’.  You let me worry about Capt’n Fletcher.” Hoss dipped a spoon into his bowl and took a bite.  “This stew is real good.  Almost as good as Hop Sing’s.”

Looking at Hoss with furrowed brows, Annie asked, “Aren’t you worried?”

He smiled, and with his blue eyes twinkling, she couldn’t help but smile back.  “I figure there ain’t no point in worrying about it now.  I’ll deal with it when the time comes.  But I do wanna let Pa know what was said here.  If Capt’n Fletcher knows the Cartwright name, you can bet some higher ranking officers than him have their eye on Pa and the Ponderosa.”

***

Micah and Adam squatted in the snow behind Manzanita bushes and watched the villagers move from place to place moving snow, carrying firewood, and tending the fires.

“Micah, do you see Cheron in there?” whispered Adam.

“No, not yet.”

“What does she look like?”

A slow smile spread over Micah’s lips as he remembered.  “Well, she has tan skin, long, black, straight hair…maybe with a little gray by now.  She’s taller than Shiloh, just as lean and very graceful.  She doesn’t walk, she glides.  Kinda like Shiloh as Isabella.  In fact, I’d bet Cheron’s who she learned that from.  She’s also very beautiful.  At least she was the last time I saw her.  Of course, that was fifteen years ago.”

“Why don’t I remember her?”

“She kept her and her son hidden from most whites.  She didn’t know you well enough to risk exposing her husband as an Indian lover.”

“Well, she knew Pa.  I am his son.”

Micah didn’t answer.  He simply moved a hand to Adam’s arm as he moved the index finger of his other hand perpendicular to his lips.  Meeting Adam’s eyes, Micah imperceptibly shook his head, telling Adam not to move.  As bad fortune would have it, Micah hadn’t seen the man behind him who had already trained his gun on Micah’s back.

“You two, come out of there with your hands high.”  Adam looked back at Micah, quirked his mouth with a slight tilt of his head and exhaled when he stood with his hands up above his shoulders.  Another man came from behind Adam and took their guns.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” asked a Cavalry officer sitting a horse only a few steps away.

“My name is Cartwright.  His is Whitney.”

“That’s one answer.  What about the second?”

Adam slowly lowered his hands and clasped them in front of him.  “What are you doing here…” he looked at the man’s upper arm.  “Lieutenant?  You know, you’re very close to private property.”

“I know where the borders of the Ponderosa are, Mr. Cartwright, and you are not on the Ponderosa.  So I ask again, what are you doing here spying on these Indians?”

“We’re looking for someone,” said Micah.

The lieutenant looked up at the sky and shifted impatiently in his saddle.  “Who?”

“A woman called Cheron.”

“Gentlemen, we could stand out here in the cold all day asking and answering one question at a time.  Just tell me why you’re here…the whole story.”

Smiling sarcastically, Adam started a diatribe all the while raising his chin and cocking his head.  “Cheron is the mother of one of our hired hands who was killed by a wolf.  Knowing the Washoe have very specific burial rituals, we’ve come looking for her to go back to the Flying W to bury her son.”

“Again, Mr. Cartwright, I must ask why Indian burial rituals are so important that you would risk your lives in this storm to find Cheron?”

“Cheron and my wife are close.  When Cheron’s husband was killed, she tried to return to her people, but they wouldn’t accept her son.  So she left him in the care of the Whitneys, and it was my wife who looked after him.”

“Not very well, I think, considering he’s dead.  In any case, these people are going to be moved off this land.  The Clear Creek property has been purchased for logging and mining.”

Adam gave the Lieutenant a sidelong look.  “By who?”

“A government contractor.”

Flaring his nostrils and narrowing his eyes, Adam snapped back, “You mean a Union contractor.”

“That’s what I said.”

“And just where do you plan to take them?” he asked, pointing behind him.

“We’re not taking them anywhere.  They have no agreement with the government, and therefore are considered squatters.”

“Squatters have rights. These people have occupied this land for hundreds of years. You can’t just remove them.  It’s their land.  It’s always been their land.”

Micah shook Adam’s arm.  “You make a good argument, Adam, but you might be wasting your breath.  Look,” said Micah, pointing to the village.

Adam spun around, looking everywhere around the encampment. Seeing no one, he let his arms fall down at his sides and his chin fall to his chest, and then looked back around at the Lieutenant. “It seems they heard us.  They’re probably all around us by now.”

The lieutenant and his men tensed and looked off into the surrounding forest.

“Are these the only men you brought with you?” Adam asked.  “Because if they are, you are greatly outnumbered.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Cartwright, you’re in the same boat as the rest of us,” said the lieutenant as he dismounted his horse and ordered his men into the Manzanita.

Both Micah and Adam stepped out of the bushes.  “We didn’t come here to cause problems for these people.  It’s not our fight, and it’s not one we can be convinced to join,” said Adam, standing with his hands clasped around his reins in front of him.

“If you want to stay alive, you’ll get behind this cover with the rest of us,” barked the officer.

Turning toward their horses, they ignored the lieutenant until he yelled after them.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

After mounting, Micah stopped in front of the Manzanita that hid the lieutenant.  “The only safe place around here.  Down there,” he said, pointing to the abandoned village as he followed Adam down the hill. They rode into the middle of the main clearing and dismounted, looking around before they faced each other.  “Now what?” asked Micah.

“We wait.”

“For what?”

“For the Washoe to return with their prisoners.”  Looking beyond Micah up the hill, he added, “We have a completely different view from down here.”

Micah turned and looked where Adam was looking.  The men of the tribe were closing in on the soldiers from all directions.  It would only be a matter of time before one of the soldiers fired, and when that happened, the Washoe would be upon them before any of them could fire again.

***

While Ben was outside gathering more pine boughs from the pile that Joe had collected, Shiloh decided to affix a large red bow to the end of the mantel.  Stepping up on the kindling box, she slowly straightened and busied herself tying the bow on a limb as Ben stepped through the door.

“Shiloh!”

She jumped and wavered a bit on the kindling box before she steadied herself.

Ben dropped his armload of boughs on the floor and rushed over to her, taking her by the arm.  “Get down from there!” he ordered as he gently pulled her down off the box.

“Pa, what’s wrong?” she asked, looking bewildered.

“Joseph!  Joseph, where are you!” Ben bellowed, looking around the room.

Little Joe sauntered in from the kitchen with a cookie in his hand.  “Yeah, Pa?”

“I thought I told you to stay in here with Shiloh.”

Moving her hands to her hips, her brow furrowed, and if steam could have come from her ears it would be billowing above her.  “I do not need a nursemaid.”

“Nursemaid!” said Joe, flaring his nostrils.

Ben bent over, glaring down at her, but slowly brought his anger under control and straightened up.  “Shiloh, dear, most women in your condition…well…they’re not as graceful as they normally would be.  I wouldn’t want you to fall.”

“Not as graceful!  I wasn’t having a problem until you yanked me down off that box!”

“Now see here, young lady.”  Pointing his finger at her, he continued, “From now on, you will limit yourself to what you can reach with both feet on the floor.”

She huffed and turned, lifting her skirt as she approached the stairs and proceeded to waddle up.  Ben and Joe watched her go, and continued looking at the top of the stairs even after she had disappeared around the corner until they heard a door slam to which both of them flinched and closed their eyes.

“Pa, you yelled at her.”

Ben scoffed and turned back toward the pine limbs he had dropped on the floor.

“Pa, you have to remember she’s having a baby.  Didn’t Adam say she was more sensitive about things?”

As Ben bent to pick up the pine from the floor, he said irritably, “Joseph, there’s a big difference between sensitive and sensible.  And right now, her sensitivity is beside the point.  If she had fallen, she could have been seriously injured.  She could have lost the baby.”  He slowly stood up, letting his hands, still clenching the boughs, fall to his side.  “If I had allowed that to happen to her while she was in my care….”

Joe appeared at his side and moved a hand to his shoulder.  “Adam wouldn’t have blamed you if something had happened.”

Snorting, Ben took the pine to the coffee table, sat down on the settee and began to tie some of the limbs together with twine.  “Adam is so happy about this child…about his life now.  He’s finally gotten some things he’s wanted for a long time, but he’s also worried because of what happened to Elizabeth. He’d blame himself if Shiloh were to lose this baby.”

Smiling, Joe sat next to his father and picked out another bunch of pine.  “Pa, she’s not going to lose it.  She’s fine.”

Ben looked up to the top of the stairs and stood.  “Maybe I should go up and speak with her.  I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

Joe shook his head wearing a tight-lipped smirk on his face and raised brows. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.  Maybe you should let her cool off for awhile.”

Ben grunted. “Maybe you’re right.  I’ll go up a little later.”

***

Sitting in the chair by the window of her bedroom, Shiloh wore a troubled look as she thought about her last encounter with her father-in-law.  How could she have gotten so angry at such a caring man; a man who had always treated her like one of his own?  She could blame her almost unbearable concern for her husband, but then thought that Ben would be worried as much as she, only he was hiding it.  Oh, Adam, I wish I’d never sent you and Micah to find Cheron.  We could have given Billy a Christian burial and been done with it.  She let out a heavy sigh.  But then, I would be breaking my word to Cheron.  Somehow I don’t think I’d deal with that any better. Gazing longingly out the window, she said a prayer.  “Please Lord.  Bring him back to me.  Bring them both back to me unharmed.”  She let her head drop into her hand, and then jumped at a light knock on the door.  “Come in.”

Ben stepped into the room and paused, smiling at the lovely young woman draped in a generous dress of royal blue that brought out the blue of her eyes.

She smiled back and beckoned him further into the room. “I’m so worried, Pa.  What if something’s happened to them?” she said as her eyes became watery.

Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the chair into a warm embrace.  “Darling, there’s no need for you to worry.  They’ve both traveled and worked in conditions worse than this.  It’s just taking longer because of the snow.”

She stepped away from him and turned to look out the window, wringing her hands.  “Pa, what if they’re not warm enough?  There’ll be animals scavenging for food.”  A quiet whimper escaped.  “Maybe even…wolves.”  Raising her hand, she wiped a tear from her cheek.  “I should never have asked them to go.”

Turning her back around, he took her hands and frowned.  “Your hands are so cold.  Why don’t we go back downstairs and get you something warm to drink?  Then we’ll find something to keep your mind occupied.”

Between all the men in the house, Shiloh was kept busy decorating, cooking, checking Joe’s calculations in the ledgers, and singing. At the end of the day as Ben, Joe and Shiloh sat in front of the fireplace enjoying one last cup of hot coffee after dinner while admiring the decorations now in place, Ben asked Shiloh to sing one more time.

“Pick a song, Pa.  One of your favorites,” said Shiloh with a sweet smile as she stood and walked to the fireplace.

“All right.  How about Ave Maria?”

“You might be disappointed without the appropriate accompaniment.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” he answered with a pleasant, sidelong look.

Shiloh corrected her posture, and then started the song while Ben and Joe relaxed into their chairs at ease with the melodious sound filling the house.  Hop Sing and Ming Lin came into the dining room to listen, looking at each other, smiling and nodding their approval.

Chapter Thirty-Six

As expected, a shot had been fired after which the soldiers were quickly subdued with no more gunshots.  Two arrows took down the man who fired.  It was not the Washoe’s intention to kill, only to weaken.  The arrows when into the man’s arm and thigh.  After that an arrow was in the face of each of the remaining soldiers.

When the Washoe arrived with their prisoners in the encampment, Micah had already pulled Billy’s blanket from his saddlebag.  If Cheron was anywhere close, she would see it.

Their chief, Chu’o, motioned for two of his braves to take hold of the horses while two others forced Adam and Micah to their knees.  “Why have you come here?”

Adam looked warily at Micah before he addressed the chief.  “A long time ago my father, Ben Cartwright, gave your people refuge on our land.  Now I have come in friendship; that which we shared long ago.  We seek Cheron.”

Adam and Micah both noticed the turn of the chief’s head, his eyes looking somewhere behind them.

“And what of these men?” the chief said, indicating the soldiers.

“We did not come with them,” explained Adam. “They stopped us where you found them.”

“Cher’on!” the chief called out.

In another moment, a tall, slender woman with a distinguished bearing glided into the center of the village and stood next to the chief, her posture straight, shoulders back, chin slightly raised.  She now saw the blanket, and a faint frown and furrow appeared only briefly.  She regained her composure and stood silently.

Speaking quietly, the chief asked, “Do you know these white men?”

Closing her eyes, she swallowed.  “I know the one with the blanket, Chu’o; my son’s blanket.  He would only be here because something has happened to my son.”

“You have not spoken of your son since we left the village by the lake.  Why do you fear for him now?”

She turned swiftly, looking into the chief’s eyes, straining to maintain her composure.  “He is my son.  I left him with people who would take care of him because I could not.”

Micah slowly stood, forcing himself up against the hands that were pushing him down.  “Cheron, Shiloh sent us with this,” he said, holding out the blanket, “so you would know we speak the truth. She wishes to see you.”

“Then why is she not here?”

“She is…unable to travel.”

“And what of this man who says he is Ben Cartwright’s son?” asked Chu’o.

“He is Shiloh’s husband.  She carries his child.  That is why she couldn’t come.”

When Adam tried to stand, an arrow was pushed against the skin of his neck.  The chief nodded, and the brave holding the arrow stepped away, allowing Adam to rise.  “Cheron, Shiloh believes she should be the one to tell you what you already know.  We’re prepared to leave your people in peace.  Shiloh requests that you come to the Ponderosa.”

Looking now into Adam’s eyes, Cheron couldn’t hold back the tear that escaped.  “His body is there?”

“Yes. With Shiloh.”

She held her head high and looked beyond them, addressing the chief.  “I will speak to these men.”

Chu’o’s nostrils flared and a deep, angry frown appeared on his face.  He jerked his arm toward his men, and then pointed to Adam and Micah.  “Tie them.”  Looking back at Cheron, he jerked his head toward a wiki-up.  She followed him obediently and both disappeared through the opening of the lodge.

Once their hands were tied behind their back, Adam and Micah were once again shoved to the ground.  Adam tilted his head toward Micah.  “Have we gotten Cheron exiled?”  Micah shrugged. He didn’t see the man standing next to him draw his arm back and punch Adam in the face.

“You will not speak!”

Feeling blood trickle down his cheek, Adam furrowed his brow and glared up at the man who glared back and walked away.

“Cartwright!”

Adam closed his eyes and sighed when he heard the yelled whisper.

The Indian who had dealt Adam a blow, turned back and approached the Lieutenant, drawing his knife out of the sheath at his waist and kneeling behind the officer.  “You are without sight, white man?”  Moving the blade of the knife against the Lieutenant’s neck, he slowly pressed the edge into the skin until blood dripped down.  The officer closed his eyes and bit his lip.  “Cartwright.  You defend these murderers?”

“If he wanted to kill you, you and all of your men would be dead.” The Indian quickly stood up and went back to Adam, pulling him up to his feet.  He stood so close, glaring into Adam’s eyes that Adam could feel the brave’s breath in his face.  “Your chief won’t be happy,” said Adam, holding the man’s gaze without flinching.

“Do’a!”

The Indian slightly backed away at the sound of the chief’s voice. “Bring them.”

After pushing Adam toward the wiki-up, he jerked Micah to his feet and pushed him as well, causing Micah to stumble to his knees.  Adam spun around ready to defend him, even with his hands bound behind his back.

“Do’a!” said Cheron sharply.  “You will not harm these men.”

Micah pushed himself up and followed Adam into the wiki-up.  The chief looked in one last time before he stormed away.

“I have food and drink for you,” said Cheron as she untied them.  “Please sit with me at the fire and share a meal.”

Silence reigned while Cheron prepared three bowls of sliced meat, cut roots and tubers and the leaves of numerous plants that had been cooking over the fire.  She passed bowls to Adam and Micah and took one for herself.  Micah and Cheron spoke while Adam sat quietly, listening. “How is your father?”

“He died almost two years ago.  Shiloh was away at school…back east.   She came home to take over the ranch.”

“What of you?”

“I was dead.”

Cheron stopped eating and raised her eyebrows.

“I hadn’t been at home since Shiloh was nine.  I left, and she was told I was dead.  I live at the ranch now.  Shiloh lives on the Ponderosa.”

Turning to Adam, Cheron said, “I remember you.  You are the eldest of Ben Cartwright’s sons.  You left also.”

Adam had been enjoying the meal Cheron had prepared, but he noticed the light fading through the opening of the wiki-up, and a sudden urgency consumed him.  “Cheron, can I tell Shiloh you’ll come?”

“It will be difficult to leave.  I am medicine woman to my people.  And I am wife of Chu’o.  There are not many who remember why I left.  Chu’o does.”  She placed her bowl next to the fire, looking toward the opening. “I have a son and daughter.  You have met Do’a, my son.”

Raising a finger to the cut just below his left eye, Adam snorted.  “We’ve met.”

“How is Shiloh?”

“She’s happy,” said Micah.  “She’ll have her child in the spring.  She sings, and she trains horses like Dad did.”

Cheron smiled as she looked almost absently into the fire.  “She was not happy after her mother died.  It is good that she learned many things.  It is good that she carries on her father’s work.”

“Will you come?” asked Micah. “It’s important to Shiloh to tell you about Billy.”

Standing, Cheron looked ahead of her, unwilling or unable to say she would go.  “If I am not there in four days time, I will not come.”

Both men stood with her, Adam stepping toward the opening and looking out, and Micah facing Cheron.  “What should we do about Billy?”

The face that had been almost expressionless slowly filled with pain, her mouth turned in a deep frown, her eyes growing dark under the deep lines of her brow.  “Will you allow him to rest on your land…at the place of our cabin…next to his father?  Will you give him the same burial?”

“Of course.”

Adam had been watching as Do’a paced back and forth in front of the soldiers.  “Cheron, once we’re gone, what will happen to them?”

She joined Adam looking across the clearing where the soldiers sat on the ground shivering.  We will show them our way of life.  We will show them why we stay at the river.  They are not the first to come.  They will not be the last.”

“And what if they don’t listen?”

“Son of Ben Cartwright, my people wish to live in peace.  If the soldiers leave peacefully, we will allow them to leave.  If they fight, we will protect our home.”

“Cheron, you must know that more will come…in greater numbers until there aren’t enough of you left to fight.”

Grasping his arm and squeezing, she looked into his eyes.  “Would you do less to defend the Ponderosa?”

Adam smiled, dropping his gaze and nodding.  He looked back up.  “Probably not.”

“Do’a,” she called, leaning out of the wiki-up.  “Bring their horses.”

Before Micah stepped out of the wiki-up, he stopped.  “Don’t you want to know what happened?”

“If I come, I will know.   If I do not come, I do not want the visions that will come if I do not send his spirit to the sky.”

Micah nodded and left the wiki-up.  As both men mounted and turned to leave, the Lieutenant shouted, “Cartwright, you’re just leaving us here?”

Turning in his saddle with his hand resting on Sport’s rump, Adam answered, “If you and your men behave yourselves, you’ll be fine.  You have a unique opportunity here, Lieutenant.  I’d listen to what they have to say if I were you.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The closer the night of the Christmas Eve party came, the quieter Shiloh became.  With each passing day, Ben watched her slowly withdraw from the preparation activities, spending more time in her bedroom, barely eating, and eventually saying nothing. He had tried to talk to her, and she looked like she was listening, but in the end, nothing changed.  She’d withdraw even deeper.

Christmas Eve morning, the house was unusually still.  With two sons away, Joe spent more time in the barn and yard preparing for the extra horses and sleighs that would fill the yard by evening.  Ben and Shiloh sat in silence at the breakfast table.  He watched her eat, a process that seem quite distasteful to her.  If not for the baby, he thought she wouldn’t be eating at all.

“Pa, there are so many people without a sleigh.  How will they get here?”

Unprepared for the question, much less the sound of her voice, he gave her a surprised look at first, but warmed into a smile that reached his eyes.  “Some of the men will be going out in extra sleighs we’ve gathered to pick them up.”

“How will you know who needs a ride?”

“Oh, word travels fast in these storms.  We’ve had to do this several years before.  Generally, there are several families waiting at one house.”

***

As Joe was spreading hay from the loft on the barn floor, he heard voices outside in the yard and opened the barn door to look.  A grin spread across his face as he opened the door wide for Micah and Adam to enter.  “Well, it’s about time you two came home.”  Both men stepped down off their horses and led them into the barn.  “Shiloh’s worried sick.”

Adam stopped where he was in the doorway.  “Shiloh?  She’s here?”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“No. We thought we’d stop by here to let you know we were back before we went to the house.  Why is Shiloh here?  Is she all right?”

“Well, she was when she got here, but that was four days ago.”

Furrowing his brow, he handed Joe Sport’s reins.  “Do you mind?  I should probably let her know we’re back.”

Joe took the reins from him and chuckled.  “I think that’s about the smartest thing you could do for the rest of the day.”

Adam quietly stepped through the door, staying to the left as he removed his gloves, hat, jacket and gun.  Ben and Shiloh didn’t seem to notice, both expecting to see Joe coming in from the barn.  Even when Adam stepped into view, Shiloh wasn’t aware that it was her husband who had walked in the door.  Her head was bowed over her plate as she pushed her food around with her fork.

Winking at his father, Adam gingerly walked to the table and pulled out the chair to Ben’s right, sat down and began to prepare a plate.  “Mornin’, Pa.”

Shiloh’s head snapped up to see an impish grin and dark eyes looking up at her from a lowered face.  She sat motionless for a moment with her mouth agape, and when she exhaled through her lips and sucked it back in, tears began to flow.  Pushing herself away from the table, she hurried around behind Ben, bumping into the chair and falling into Adam who had already stood up, his arms ready to receive her.

“Whoa there. Slow down,” he said as he steadied her.  He pulled her body into his and looked down into her moist eyes.  “What’s all this about?” he asked softly.

“You’ve been gone almost five days, and the longer you were gone, the worse thoughts I…  I was so afraid you were cold or hurt or wouldn’t be coming back.”

Moving his hand to caress the soft curls that spilled down her back, he guided her head to his chest and kissed her hair.  “Shiloh, I’m fine.  It was just slow going in the storm.”

She looked up at him and saw the cut under his eye with dark bruises around it, and reaching up, she gently touched the edge. “So you fell off your horse, then.”

“Well, ah…no.”

Micah and Joe noisily burst through the front door and took off their outdoor gear before joining Adam at the table.

“Good, we’re all here.  Now, can we eat our breakfast,” said Ben, eyeing Shiloh severely at first, but allowing a slow smile to appear.  Hop Sing heard the commotion and brought out extra plates and silver as Joe and Micah took their seats.

Still standing, Adam and Shiloh looked into each other’s eyes.  “I didn’t mean for this to be so hard on you.”  Taking her face in his hands, he gave her a gentle, long kiss before he nodded to her chair.  Sitting next to her, he held her hand as they bowed their heads for the blessing.

After grace was said, Shiloh ignored her plate and turned to Adam.  “Is Cheron coming?”

Micah and Adam both took a deep breath as they gave each other a look that said neither wanted to try to answer a question they couldn’t.

“A lot has changed for Cheron, Shiloh,” answered Micah as he passed the eggs over to Adam.  “Did she ever mention to you that she had another son and a daughter?”

Sitting back in her chair, she clasped her hands in her lap.  “No.”

“Well, she does.  And she’s married to the chief who didn’t seem to like the idea of her coming to take care of Billy.”

Shiloh lifted her hands and rubbed her arms, looking away at first, but then leaning slightly toward Adam. “How’d you get that cut under your eye?”

“Why don’t you eat while I tell you about it?” he said, looking at her insistently.  Volumes passed between them in that moment of silence while their eyes were locked, so when Adam passed her the plate of bacon followed by the basket of biscuits, she dropped her eyes and complied, taking some from both.  He passed her a jar of preserves before he started, talking at a leisurely pace between bites of breakfast and sips of coffee.  “We got to Clear Creek by the afternoon of our second day out.  While we were looking over the village waiting until Micah spotted Cheron, a small Cavalry contingency stopped us, and in speaking with us got the attention of the Washoe.  We ended up in the village, held prisoner at first, but Cheron recognized Micah.”

“That doesn’t explain your cut.”

He moved his eyes to hers with a slight smile to which she responded by lowering her eyes again and taking another bite.  “The chief and Cheron had a private conversation in a teepee.  When they came out, the chief had Do’a, the man standing guard over us, escort us to the teepee.   That was after he got in a few threats.”  He raised his hand to indicate his face.  “My eye and the lieutenant’s neck.”

Picking up where Adam left off, Micah said, “We were able to speak to Cheron alone, and that’s when we found out Do’a was her son and that she had a daughter and was married to the chief.  He knew Cheron had another son.”

Adam took a deep breath. “But we both got the feeling he didn’t approve of her leaving.  She’s their medicine woman now.  She said if she came, she’d be here in four days.  If she wasn’t here by then, we’re to bury Billy next to his father.”

“Well,” said Ben with a smile.  “I guess that’s all we can do for now.  Adam, Shiloh has become quite the cook and decorator.  She’s even been keeping us entertained with Christmas songs.”

Offering her father-in-law a stunted smile, she moved her attention back to her plate, only she wasn’t moving much food into her mouth, and the smile she gave him quickly faded.

“The house looks great,” said Adam, looking around the room.  “And we could smell the baking all the way to the barn.”

“I think your young brother has eaten a few dozen cookies in the last few days.”

“Come on, Pa.  It wasn’t near as much as Hoss would’ve eaten.”

They all looked at Shiloh who continued to look despondently at nothing in particular.

Leaning forward against the table so he could see her face, Adam asked, “Why did you decide to come here?”

“Hm?  Oh, I didn’t.  Your father kidnapped me.”  Ben’s mouth dropped open, but when Shiloh gave him a shy smile, he chuckled and returned a grin.  “I think Ming Lin has enjoyed helping Hop Sing prepare for the party tonight.”

Moving an arm over the back of Shiloh’s chair, Adam asked, “Is there anything left to do?”

Ben laid his napkin on the table next to his plate. “There’s a few more pine boughs to be hung and a few more decorations for the tree…”

“Oh, and don’t forget,” said Joe, winking at Adam, “Pa still has to make the punch.”

***

Adam and Micah had ridden to their respective houses to clean up and dress for the Christmas Eve party, and when Adam returned, he noticed that Shiloh was missing from the frenzy that had taken over the downstairs of the house.  Pulling off his yellow jacket as he stomped his feet, he straightened his black dress jacket as Hop Sing fussed at the snow that dropped off his boots and pants legs.  “Hop Sing, if you don’t want a puddle right here in front of the door, you’d better put a rug out on the porch.  I promise you, boots and shoes will be covered.”  Hop Sing stopped fussing, looked from Adam’s boots to the front door, and nodded as he shuffled off to the kitchen to locate a suitable rug.  “Where’s Shiloh?”

Ben turned from his work with the pine on the mantel.  “She said she was getting dressed, but she’s been up there a long time.  Maybe you should check on her.  She’s been awfully quiet considering we’re about to have a party.”

Taking two steps at a time, Adam took the stairs as if they were flat ground.  He stood at the bedroom door and listened, but heard nothing.  Turning the knob, he pushed the door open only a crack and found Shiloh standing at the window, her robe open in the front exposing her drawers and camisole.  Her corset lay in a chair.  Watching for a moment as she stood quite still, he finally spoke.  “What do you see that’s so interesting?”  He stepped in, closing the door behind him, and then slipped off his black jacket.  When she looked back at him, he smiled for he was quite pleased with the vision standing before him. She had turned so that her belly was quite prominent from the side.  Ever since she started showing, she had seemed quite embarrassed by her bulge, having always been very slender with a flat stomach.  Now, no one could possibly describe her as skinny or flat.  To Adam, it didn’t matter.  He marveled at her belly as if he could actually see it grow.

Looking down at the chair, he furrowed his brow. “You’re not planning to wear that, are you?”

She opened her mouth and raised her eyebrows.  “Of course I’m going to wear it.  I have…good reasons to wear it.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, considering…” he pointed to her belly.

She relaxed and smiled.  “Mrs. Lewis replaced the cord with a longer one, so I can tighten it up here,” she said, pointing to her breasts, “and leave it loose across my stomach.  Don’t look so worried.  You can tie it.”

As he had gotten into the habit of doing because he could get closer, he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her.  “You were staring pretty intently out the window.  What’s bothering you?”

“I was just thinking about Cheron.  If it were her decision, she would come.  I’m sure of it.”

Adam busied himself at her neck, slowly turning her to face him and working his way to her lips. She tilted her head as he kissed his way across her jaw, and once at her lips, he teased before he finally kissed her after he had aroused such passion within her that her quick breaths made her dizzy.

Growling at the touch of her hands moving down his back, he whispered in her ear.  “Do you remember our wedding night?  Maybe I should teach you something else about yourself you don’t know.”

With her eyes closed, she breathed through her open mouth as he nibbled her lips.  “I thought you taught me everything I didn’t know about myself.”

“A reminder then,” he said as he covered her mouth with his.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ben looked up from mixing his legendary concoction when he heard Adam trotting down the stairs.  “I was about to come up and get you.  It’s time you and Joe took the sleighs out to see who needs a ride.”

“I came down to do just that, Pa.  Where’s Joe?”

“He’s hitching the horses.  Where’s Shiloh?”

Adam had headed toward the door, but stopped in mid-stride, scratching his upper lip. “She was…ah…a little tired, so she’s taking a nap before everyone gets here.”

Ben grunted.  “It’s no wonder she’s tired.  She’s been a mess the last few days.”

Furrowing his brow, Adam detoured over to stand next to his father.  “It’s been that bad?”

Ben smiled and squeezed Adam’s shoulder.  “She’s put up a good front, but as more time passed it was difficult for her to hide her fear for you and Micah.  But now that you’re both home, I’m sure she’ll be all right with a little rest.  Even so, we should make sure she doesn’t do too much tonight.”

***

Hoss sat in a chair Mrs. Levine and Annie had moved next to the fireplace to keep him warm.  He was dressed in slacks and a shirt for the first time since his fight with the wolves.  Mrs. Levine always opened her home to neighbors and friends on Christmas Eve.  There was no dancing like the parties at home, but he still felt just a bit more comfortable with the reminder of home; the people were happy and kind, and the well wishes genuine.  Rather than staying for the evening, the visitors would come, enjoy a drink and a bit of some treat Mrs. Levine or Annie had made, make small talk, and then leave amid a cordial ‘Merry Christmas.’

When the influx of people began to slow, Annie and Mrs. Levine sat with Hoss in the parlor after they had fussed around him, making sure he had everything he wanted or needed.

“Mrs. Levine, if you don’t mind my askin’, how come you don’t have more boarders?  This is pretty near one of the nicest places I ever stayed.”

“Well, Hoss, it’s actually simple.  Living in a boarding house makes one sound like a resident; someone who’s planning on staying.  I had several boarders before the army started the draft, but they all left hoping to avoid it.  Annie and I didn’t think you’d have a problem since your family is so well known, but it seems Captain Fletcher doesn’t want to accept that you’re here for only a short time.”

Annie took his hand.  “Dr. Stephenson was here tonight.  I’m sure he’ll tell the captain that you’re looking better.  We need to think of something, Hoss.  The last thing I want is for you to get involved in this war, especially since the only reason you’re here is to spend Christmas with me.”

“Well, Annie, I don’t see how’s they can draft me just yet.  I cain’t even walk down them stairs by myself.  That telegram I asked you to send Pa’ll let him know what’s going on here.  I got a bad feeling the government might try something on the Ponderosa…or maybe try to sway Pa over to their way of thinkin’.”

“I’m more worried what will happen when you’re better and able to travel home.  I have a feeling they won’t let you go home.”

Hoss brushed his thumb over her hand and smiled up at her.  “It’s Christmas.  Ain’t nothing gonna happen tonight or tomorrow, so you just stop frettin’.  I brought you some presents from back home, and I want you to enjoy opening them tomorrow.”

There was a light tap on the door followed by singing, and while Mrs. Levine went to open the door, Annie helped Hoss out of the chair.  The three of them stood out on the front porch and listened to the sweet sound of carolers harmonizing Silent Night.

***

Joe and Adam had to make only one trip to pick up party goers.  Several other ranchers in the area who had sleighs brought in load after load of people.  Rarely did anyone miss the Cartwright’s Christmas Eve party.  The food was delicious and plentiful as was the wine, Ben’s famous punch, and this year’s Egg Nog, Shiloh’s favorite holiday drink.

There was only one problem. By the time Adam returned with a full sleigh, she hadn’t come down yet.

Shiloh had lain in the bed for awhile after he left, basking in the lingering pleasure of his love, smiling at the memory of the gentle touch of his fingertips, the softness of his lips, and the warmth of his skin against hers.  It was during these times between them that she could let go of the constant swirling thoughts in her mind.  If only she could always feel that warm and safe and carefree.  It wasn’t that she didn’t feel that security all the time.  Rather, she was always thinking about her horses, her singing, and what she still thought of as her ranch, at least partly.  She was terrified that when the baby came, she’d somehow be separated from all that.

Throwing the covers off, she sat up with her legs hanging over the side of the bed.  Dizziness consumed her for a moment, and that caused queasiness in her stomach.  She mentally admonished herself for sitting up too fast, but all those thoughts had been crowding her mind again, and she didn’t want to think about them.  It was Christmas Eve; time for her to relax and enjoy the company of her family and friends.

She stood to dress, but suddenly bent almost double, her hand going under her stomach as she searched for the bed post with her other hand.  When she found it, she pulled herself into it and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain in the lower part of her stomach to pass, and when it didn’t, she lowered herself slowly back down to the edge of the bed.

Tapping on the door before he entered, Adam pushed it open, and seeing Shiloh hugging the bed post, he rushed to her side, his brows creased in concern.  “Are you all right?”

The pain was subsiding, but still with her eyes closed, she attempted a reassuring smile.  “I’m fine.  I just sat up too fast.  I’m a little dizzy.”

“Then why are you holding your stomach in your arm?”

“Looking down, she snorted and closed her eyes again.  I guess that’s just where it landed.”  Moving the hand that had been on her stomach to his thigh, she patted.  “Really, Adam.  There’s no cause for concern.  I just moved too fast.  If you’ll remember, I’ve been getting dizzy since very early on.”

Pulling her away from the bedpost, he wrapped his arms around her, raising his chin so that her head fit in the crook of his neck.  “Maybe you should stay up here for awhile.   I’ll come back up and check on you.”

“Don’t be silly,” she said, gently pushing away from him.  “I’m fine.  The dizziness is gone.  And just to be sure, why don’t you wait up here until I get dressed, and then you can help me down the stairs?”

He searched her eyes for the truth.  Not that it would have made any difference.  She had gotten very good at letting him see what she wanted him to see, and she had no intention of telling him about the pain…at least, not tonight…or tomorrow.

When they came down the stairs, Adam moved his arm around her waist and held her other hand, holding her firmly against him.

“Adam,” she whispered.  “Relax.  I’m not going to fall.”

He quirked his mouth and raised an eyebrow.  To be sure, he was not about to let go, and didn’t until she was seated comfortably in the blue chair out of the way of the dance area, but close enough to watch.  Puckering her mouth, she stewed as she watched him walk straight over to Paul and engage him in conversation as they both periodically glanced her way.  She sighed agitatedly and looked away when both men headed toward her.

“Shiloh, you look lovely tonight,” said Paul with a smile.  “It’s been a little while since I’ve been able to check in on you.  Are you having any problems?”

She narrowed her eyes at Adam before she answered, looking up at Paul with big, bright eyes and a sweet smile.  “Paul, whatever Adam has told you…well…he’s just an expectant father.  I’m fine.”

“And what about this dizziness?  He said you were holding onto the bedpost for dear life.”

Looking down at her hands in her lap to prevent Paul from seeing her ire at Adam, she said quietly, “I was lying in bed when I realized it was getting late, so I jumped up very fast, and that’s why I was dizzy.  I sat for a moment, and the dizziness passed.  After that, I had no trouble dressing.”

“I still think it would be a good idea if I examine you just to be sure.”

She folded her lips into a tight line, aggravated that her Christmas Eve, her time to forget about everything for just a little while and enjoy herself was slipping away from her.  “When would you like to do that, doctor?”

“I think now would be prudent.  Don’t you?”

Adam held out his hand to help her up, but she just looked at it, then glanced up at him with fire in her eyes.  Ignoring his hand, she quickly stood straight up without even pushing off the arms of the chair, gave Adam one more peeved look, lifted her skirts and began to ascend the stairs with both men following close behind her.  “So much for enjoying Christmas Eve.”

“What was that?” asked Adam.  He could see her head wagging as they climbed the stairs.  Leaning over to Paul, he said, “She’s angry with me.  You might have your hands full.”

Paul was amused at her antics and smiled, shaking his head at the same time.  “It will be over soon enough, Adam.  She’ll still get to enjoy the party, I’m sure.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Paul watched as Shiloh waddled down the hall into the bedroom she and Adam were sharing at the main house, making a mental note that he couldn’t tell she was expecting from the back.  That meant that her belly was high and completely forward.  It also told him she probably hadn’t gained much weight and that she was wearing a corset.

Shiloh stood next to the bed while Adam held the door open for Paul, and then shut it, walking over to the bedroom window as he watched Paul study Shiloh.  “Young lady, you are wearing a corset.”

“Of course I am.”

“Would it make a difference if I told you you could be harming your child?”  Paul removed his jacket and laid it over the back of a chair, then began to roll up his sleeves.

“It’s not really pulled tight at my waist, doctor.  It’s only tight at the top.”  She turned red and looked away.  “I…my…I’m bigger…and still getting bigger.”

Paul sat down in the chair and motioned for her to step forward.  “We already discussed what changes to expect, Shiloh. Now, I’m just going to check your stomach,” he said, moving his hands up under the skirt of her dress and all the layers underneath until he was at her drawers.

When she sucked in a breath and moved a hand to her chest, Adam appeared behind her with his hands on her upper arms, holding her steady.  “This is…uncomfortable,” she said.

“I know it is,” answered Paul. “If we’re lucky, this will be it.”

She felt his hands move up under her corset.

“Good.  It’s not tight at all at your stomach.  Adam, you need to make sure she doesn’t tighten it at all while she’s expecting.”  Adam nodded.  Shiloh turned her head into his arm as Paul felt her belly.  “Have you had any pain across the middle here, or maybe here near the bottom?”

When she stiffened and folded her lips into a line, Adam bent sideways to see her face.  “Shiloh, you’ve been having pain?  Is that what happened earlier tonight?”

She said nothing, but rather kept her eyes closed and bowed her head, prompting Adam to twist his mouth and look up at the ceiling.

“Adam, there’s no cause for alarm.  Some women experience pain as their stomach grows with the baby.  Some have light contractions.  It’s all normal.  But if it gets any worse than it is, we may have to consider confining you to bed.”  Jerking her head up, she looked at him with fear in her eyes.  “Shiloh, we discussed this the first time you and Adam came to my office,” Paul said as he moved his hands to her ankles and squeezed.  “You have some swelling as well.”  As he sat back in the chair and waited for Shiloh to straighten the skirt of her dress, he continued.  “You’re stomach also seems bigger than it should be at five months.  I’d like to listen before I leave tonight, but I see no reason you can’t enjoy the party now.  I’d prefer you stay off your feet.”

“So I can’t dance?” she asked sadly.

Paul had never seen her so disappointed as she looked now.  “We’ll try one.  And then we’ll see.”  Standing and reaching for his jacket, he said, “I’ll leave you to straighten up. I’ll see you both downstairs.”

When the door closed behind Paul, Adam turned to Shiloh who had faced the mirror and lifted her skirt, adjusting her undergarments.  She stopped when she saw Adam’s reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t the anger she expected, but rather what she thought might be disappointment. His brow was creased with concern, his mouth not quite a frown, but certainly turned down.  It was his eyes…distressed and sad…that made her let out a small, quiet breath.

He took her arm and guided her to the bed where she sat down.  Walking to the chair Paul had recently vacated, he sat down himself, leaning back, crossing one leg over the other and raising a fist to his chin, letting it bounce there.  “You lied to me.”

She frowned and looked away.

“Shiloh, why?  You knew Paul would be here.  It would have been easy to get him up here when this started.”

“It went away.  I didn’t want to cause a stir tonight.  This has always been such a joyous occasion.  Besides, it passed.  I felt much better by the time I was dressed.”

“You’re missing the point.”

Dropping her head into her hand, she flexed her fingers, and then looked back at him.  “I’m not missing it.  I’m avoiding it.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to have this conversation with you; especially now.”  She stood and walked to the window looking out.  Snow had begun to fall again.

He cocked his head.  “I don’t see how you can possibly avoid it now.”

“If I had said anything about the pain, you would have already had me in bed.  As it is, Paul doesn’t seem too worried about it.  But you,” she said, turning around and waving her hand, “you’re ready to confine me at the drop of a hat.”

Shifting in the chair, Adam slightly smiled.  “Are you going to stand there and try to convince me that the pain didn’t worry you at all?”

“Of course it worried me.”  She crossed her arms and looked sullenly over at him.  “I’ve had more aches and pains and odd feelings in the last five months than I’ve had my entire life. But with everything that’s happened in the last few weeks…you and wolves, me and wolves…Billy…Cheron…and now this…I was hoping that I could have one night to forget about it all and just…be…happy.”  She walked over to him and held out her hand.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my hand.  Since you always insist on walking me down the stairs, I thought you should come with me since I’m going downstairs.”

He raised an eyebrow and nodded as he stood, taking her hand and walking with her down the stairs.  After he deposited her in the blue chair, he slowly made his way through the crowd to retrieve a glass of egg nog for her.  The remainder of their evening was spent with Shiloh mostly sitting, sometimes standing, sometimes walking to the refreshment table, and Adam dancing, discussing current events with their male guests, and escorting Shiloh back to the blue chair when he felt she’d been standing long enough.

Ben watched as the two did a dance of a different sort all evening, constantly eyeing each other.  It seemed Shiloh took every opportunity available to attend the refreshment table assured that Adam would soon be at her side.  Then again, when Adam danced with one of the women in attendance, Shiloh would sit and watch every move they made while Adam inwardly smiled, knowing he’d found a way to keep her in her chair and still entertain their guests.

Earlier in the evening after Paul had come downstairs from tending to Shiloh, he went about pulling Ben into a corner.  “I wanted to give this to you before it slipped my mind again, what with keeping an eye on Shiloh.  Barney asked me to make sure you got this telegram.”

“Oh.  Thank you, Paul.”  Opening the envelope, Ben smiled.  “It’s from Hoss.”

“Nothing bad then,” said Paul with a relieved smile.  “I’ll give you some privacy,” he said, walking into the crowd of dancers and taking the hand of a woman on the fringes, twirling her into the dancing crowd.

Ben furrowed his brow as he read the telegram.  It was only three short sentences, but its message was clear.  Hoss promised there would be letters following, so he’d just have to wait for the whole story.  Folding the telegram, he placed it in a pocket to read again at a later time.

Mrs. Lewis spent some time with Shiloh, presenting her a box filled with material, needles and thread, and patterns for baby clothes with some seams started so that she could show Shiloh the stitching, after which she promised she’d get by as soon as the snow allowed to show her how to quilt and leaving a pattern for a quilting rack that Adam could build.

The evening was winding down when Adam finally asked Shiloh to dance after he had discussed it with Paul.  As he slowly turned her about the room, he asked, “Did you accomplish what you set out to do tonight?”

She glanced up at him, and seeing the teasing twinkle in his eyes, she moved her eyes to the side, trying to stop a smile however unsuccessfully.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“And you?  Marilee seemed to catch your eye.”

Chuckling, he stuck his tongue in his cheek.  “It was the other way around, and you know it.”

“How many was it?  Let’s see.  You danced with Marilee five…six times?  And your poor lonely wife but…was it…once?”

“Jealous?” he asked, closing the space between them and looking impishly into her eyes, only her eyes changed suddenly from laughing to fearful as she slowly began to bend, her hands slipping from his and moving to her stomach.

Before she could stop it, a cry of pain escaped her lips.

Adam lifted her into her in his arms, heading for the stairs, and Paul, hearing her cries, hurried after him as did Ben and Mrs. Lewis.

Ben stopped Joe at the bottom of the stairs.  “Joseph, get Paul’s medical bag from the guest room.”  By this time, a hush had spread across the room as everyone had turned worried faces to the top of the stairs.

Chapter Forty

Adam sat on the side of the bed once he’d laid Shiloh down, but Paul pulled him back up and ushered him out the door at the same time he pulled Mrs. Lewis inside, shutting the door with a resounding thump.  A moment later, he opened the door, saw his medical bag in Joe’s hands, grabbed it and disappeared again behind the door.

While Joe and Ben paced the hall, occasionally bumping into one another, Adam took few steps away from the door, stopping and listening, then crossing his arms and turning back to the others.  Their only distraction was Ming Lin appearing with hot water and towels, leaving them on a small table in the hallway just in case they were needed.  Before he retreated back down the stairs, he looked at Adam who shook his head and shrugged.

The first sound they heard from beyond the door was in no way comforting if only for the thought of how they could possibly accomplish what they now assumed Paul wanted.

“You can’t do that!  How could I possibly survive looking at the same four walls for the next four months! I can’t just lie in bed!  I won’t!”

Adam spun around facing the door at the same time Mrs. Lewis quietly opened it, motioning for him to join them in the bedroom.  He found Shiloh sitting up in bed against the headboard and Dr. Martin standing over her, both engaged in a glaring match.  Adam stood calmly, looking from one to the other.  “Paul, are they both all right?”  Joe and Ben lingered outside in the hall listening for the answer.

Tearing her eyes away from Paul’s, Shiloh glanced at Adam, slightly groaning at his cool demeanor before she exhaled heavily, dropped her hands onto her lap, and looked away, taking in another deep breath and letting it out loudly.

Paul kept his eyes on her for just a moment before he shook his head and turned to Adam.  “They’re both all right for now.  What she had was a contraction, and by what you described before when she was hugging the bedpost, that was likely another contraction.  That, in and of itself, isn’t unusual.  Many expectant mothers start having some contractions as early as their fifth month.  But what makes these out of the ordinary are their strength.  That, with the swelling in her feet and ankles is worrisome.  She’ll need to stay off her feet and keep them elevated to reduce the swelling.”

“So you’re confining her to bed?” asked Adam.

“Yes, for the time being.  If she goes for a time without pain, and if the swelling subsides, we’ll talk about what else she can do.”

“You were concerned earlier about her size.”

“To be honest, Adam, the first thing that entered my mind was twins.  But I hear only one heartbeat.  Considering what was happening when you found she was expecting, I don’t think we were far off on the date.  This might just be a big baby.”

Shiloh looked up at the ceiling and blew gently out of her mouth, trying to stall the tears she was fighting.

Turning back to her, Paul sat on the side of the bed and took her hand.  “Shiloh, many new mothers who experience this type of pain lose their babies.  Now I don’t mean to scare you, but you need to know the risks involved.  Most of these women run a household and can’t take the proper amount of time to rest.  You can, and if it means that your baby is born healthy, isn’t that worth a little time off your feet?”

She met his eyes, her prior fight taken over by a guilty frown and sad eyes.  “Can I at least have Christmas dinner at the dinner table?”

An understanding smile appeared on Paul’s lips as he patted her hand.  “If you’ll promise before and afterwards you’ll stay off your feet and keep them elevated.”  Looking over at Adam, he waited for his answer.

“I’ll make sure of it,” said Adam, smiling first at Paul, and then raising an eyebrow when he looked back at Shiloh who huffed and smirked.

Joe and Ben smiled and with Mrs. Lewis, they left the hallway, going back downstairs to tell their guests that both mother and baby were all right, but would be resting.  Relieved sighs and smiles abounded in the room as everyone began to gather their belongings to head for home.  Joe gathered several ranch hands to help drive the sleighs, and as Ben offered goodbyes and Merry Christmas to his departing guests, Hop Sing and Ming Lin began to clear the food and empty plates and cups from the room.

Paul finished up with Shiloh and came downstairs after everyone had left.

“Can I offer you a drink, Paul?” asked Ben, who had just poured a glass for himself. “Something stronger than coffee?”

“I’ll take you up on that this time, Ben.”  With drinks in hand, the two men settled into the leather chairs.

Ben took a sip, then stared into his glass with a frown.  “What’s troubling you?  She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“Oh yes.  At the moment she’s doing fine, and will continue to be all right if Adam can keep her off her feet.  But Ben, I’m worried about the size of the baby.  If I hadn’t already known her, I would have guessed she was closer to seven months by her size.  The birth could be difficult for her.”

Turning in the chair, Ben sat his glass down on the table.  ‘Difficult’ was the word Elizabeth’s doctor had used when he referred to Adam’s birth.  “How difficult?”

Paul downed his drink before he answered.  “She’s a small woman, Ben.  Small women and big babies…   There is a procedure sometimes used to take babies that can’t go through the birth canal, but the rate of success isn’t good, and that’s in a hospital.  Outside a hospital without the proper conditions…

“Rate of success?  What exactly does that mean?”

“The baby usually survives.  The mother rarely does.”

Ben swiftly rose to his feet and faced the fire.  “Paul, it will destroy Adam if Shiloh dies in childbirth. Isn’t there anything else to be done?”

Pushing himself up out of the chair, Paul walked to the fireplace, standing beside Ben.  He put a hand on Ben’s shoulder.  “I know what you’re thinking and why.  It’s too early to tell if there will be a problem.  We won’t know until it’s time for her to have this baby.”

When Paul headed for the door, Ben glanced back, and then turned to join him, taking his hand.  “It’s always good to see you, Paul.”

“You as well,” said Dr. Martin with a smile and a firm grip on Ben’s hand.  “I’ll be back in two weeks, weather permitting and unless you send someone for me.  Goodnight.”

Ben watched him high step through the snow and mount his horse, something unusual since Dr. Martin usually took a buggy.

***

Sitting on the side of the bed, Adam studied the face of the woman he loved; her eyes so blue they reminded him of the blue of the lake in spring, the perfect line of her nose ending in a cute button, and her lips, generous and pink, though they turned a darker shade of pink when her emotions ran high.  Reaching out his hand, he brushed the back of his fingers down the smooth softness of her cheek, continuing underneath her chin with his index finger.   She hadn’t looked at him, and now with her eyes closed, she exhaled, opening them and looking away only to glance back at him disappointedly.

“I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”

Her head snapped back toward him, and she looked him square in the eyes.  “How did you take advantage of me?”

“You wanted to wait,” he said, taking her hand and slowly running his thumb up and down each one of her fingers.  “I was all too happy to throw caution to the wind when you offered, even though I knew you weren’t ready.  You weren’t prepared for what might happen.”

She watched as he caressed her hands before she looked lovingly back into his eyes.  “I’ve never been around any expectant mothers.  I’ve never been around a baby.   I would have been unprepared whether we had waited or not.  Anyway, there’s nothing we can do about it now.  We’re having a baby,” she said, patting her stomach.

Adam didn’t smile and looked back at her hands.  He pushed his bottom lip up, a sign that he knew there was nothing he could do to correct the situation.  It pulled at her heartstrings that he was being so hard on himself.

“Look at it this way.  I’ll know exactly what to expect the next time.”

Swiftly moving his eyes to hers, he found bright eyes and a slight smile that caused the corner of his mouth to turn up.

“Now, would you please get my nightgown out of the wardrobe?  I’m sure I’m done for the evening, and you probably need to help move the furniture back into place.”

With a smile, he complied, bringing her the gown and stepping out of her way as she rose from the bed to slip it over her head.  When she was back in the bed, he fluffed her pillow behind her and pulled the blanket up to her lap.

“Before you start moving furniture, would you please bring up the box Mrs. Lewis left for me?  It’s on the gun cabinet right behind the blue chair.”

Leaning in to kiss her, he said, “I’ll be right back.”  When he returned, he had the box lid open and was curiously looking inside.  “What’s all this?”

“It’s everything I need to make clothes for the baby.  Mrs. Lewis started one for me to practice with.  Now shoo.  I’ll look at all this while I wait for you to come back up.”  Adam smiled and turned to leave.  “Adam?  Micah said goodnight early.  Was he all right?  Did he say anything to you?”

Leaning with his hand on the doorknob, Adam scratched his upper lip. “You know your brother.  He was never comfortable at parties.”

“I do know my brother.  And he never left a Cartwright Christmas Eve party early.  Something’s up with him.”

Adam puckered his mouth and nodded.  “I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”  At this particular moment, he wasn’t going to tell her again that it was none of their business.

 

Chapter Forty-One

After Ben and Adam moved the last piece of furniture back into place, both men sat down, winded from exertion.  For a moment, they just looked at each other until Ben broke the silence.

“How’s Shiloh?”

“She seems to be in a calmer state of mind.  Paul said something to her that I think might have frightened her.”

Ben shifted in his chair, moving his elbow to the chair arm and resting his cheek on his hand.  “Oh?  What was that?”

“That some women who have that kind of pain this early lose their babies.”  Adam leaned forward, propping his elbows on this thighs and clasping his hands.  By Ben’s disposition and the lines of worry on his forehead, he knew his father was more concerned than he had reason to be unless Paul had told him something else.   “What did Paul tell you?”

“Hm?  Oh, nothing really definite.  He said something about the size of the baby.”

Adam’s eyes bore into his father’s, though Ben didn’t notice.  Standing, Adam walked slowly but purposefully over and sat down on the table in front of his father.  “Pa?”

Smiling, Ben shook his head.  “He just said the birth could be difficult.” Adam sat up straight, slightly turning his head.  It was a look that was all too familiar to Ben.  It seemed his eldest had gotten very good at reading him.  “That’s what he said.”

“He didn’t elaborate?”

Ben shrugged.

“Pa, I shouldn’t have to remind you that I’m all grown up.  Exactly what did Paul say?”

“It’s not so much what he said.  It was the look on his face…and the fact that he accepted a glass of whiskey.”   Adam impatiently arched an eyebrow.  That was about as close as he was going to come to telling his father to spit it out.  “He was worried that because Shiloh is small, and the baby might be large, she’d have a difficult time giving birth.”

“How difficult?”

“He talked about a procedure to take the baby; one that isn’t very successful at saving both mother and child.”  Ben watched the color drain from his son’s face.  “Now Adam, he also said it was too soon to worry.”  Closing his eyes, he swore to himself before he sat forward.  “What you need to concentrate on at the moment is keeping her off her feet.  I’m sure Paul is going to be watching her very closely from now on.”  Adam’s eyes had already moved away before Ben had even spoken his last sentence, telling Ben that he’d already lost his son.  Even though he wouldn’t say anything, and most probably he’d act as he normally would, Adam’s mind would be constantly tortured by the possibility of a major problem until the baby was born, and there was nothing else Ben could say to change it.

***

Before Adam opened the door to the bedroom he and Shiloh shared at the main house, he moved his hand off the doorknob he had just grasped and clenched his fist, exhaling heavily through his nose.  He would never say anything about this to Shiloh, but she could sometimes see right through him.  What if she did now?  Taking another deep breath, he quietly opened the door and peered in.  Fabric lay crumpled in her lap.   Her head was as reclined on the pillow as it could be in a sitting position, her eyes were closed and her breaths were deep and even.  Gently taking the material out of her hands, he gathered all the notions she had removed from the box, and after moving everything back into the box, he set it aside before he sat down on the bed next to her, causing her to stir.

She opened her eyes wide, blinked and yawned.  “Did I fall asleep sitting up?”

Pulling the end of his tie, he chuckled.  “It seems so.”   Reaching to the bed table, he lowered the flame of the lamp, leaving the room in a dim glow.

She watched him through sleepy eyes as he moved away toward the wardrobe, first unfastening the buttons at his cuffs, and then starting on the buttons down the front of his white shirt.  As he worked on the buttons, he looked into the mirror on the door of the wardrobe.  It seemed he was barely aware of what his fingers were doing.  “Adam, where are you?” she asked softly.

“Hm?” Her question startled him back to the present.

“You’re not paying much attention to what you’re doing.  What are you thinking about?”

Looking back at her for a moment, he smiled and slipped his shirt down off his arms, opening the door of the wardrobe and taking out a hanger.  “Not what…who.  You…and the baby.”

Looking at her hands as she fidgeted, her voice trembled, “Paul thought I might have twins because of my size.  If it’s not twins, then why am I big enough to make him think it could’ve been twins?”

Adam looked up at the ceiling, breathing in deeply as he pulled his belt out of the loops of his pants. He tossed the belt onto the chair, then turned back to the bed.  “Sweetheart, you heard him.  The baby may be bigger than he expected for your size.  But with you being so small…well…he might look bigger than he is.”  Sitting on the side of the bed, Adam slipped off his boots, and then stood and slipped off his pants, hanging them over the footboard of the bed.  He slid under the covers and pulled her into him as much as he could.  “He said you’ll be fine with rest.  Now go back to sleep.  If you’ll remember, Cartwright Christmases start early.”

She looked into his eyes as the light from the lamp shown on his face.  Though he hid it well, she could hear the concern in his voice.  She ducked down against him when he reached over her to extinguish the lamp.  As they settled into each other, nothing more was said.  Adam ran his fingers into her hair as he kissed her tenderly, then guided her head to his shoulder.  She watched him close his eyes and kept vigil until his breathing became deep and steady.  Only then did she allow her tears to flow.

***

“Mornin’ Older Brother.  I didn’t expect you to be up this early.”

“Me?  You’re the last person I’d expect to see up this early.  Even on Christmas morning.”  The two men looked at each other sharing slow smiles.  “Merry Christmas, Joe.”

“Merry Christmas, Adam.”

As they stood grasping each other’s arms, each man, snorting at the same time, thought of Hoss.  “You think he’s up yet?” asked Joe.

“Well, I would imagine it would depend on when he went to bed, and considering it gets darker and lighter there long before it does here, I expect so.” Adam raised his brows and turned back to Sport’s grooming.  “It does seem odd, though, that he’s not here.  This is the first Christmas on the Ponderosa he’s missed.”

“What d’ya mean ‘on the Ponderosa?’”

“Well, there were Christmases before we got to the Ponderosa…long before you came along.”

“Do you even remember any of them?” asked Joe as he threw some hay in Cochise’s trough.

Bowing his head, Adam pulled hair out of the curry brush. “The only one worth remembering was the Christmas Inger was with us…before Hoss was born.  We didn’t have much, but she managed to make it feel special.” After a long silence, Adam threw the brush into a bucket.  “I’ve already taken care of Chubb.  That leaves Buck for you,” he said, heading for the door. “I need to get back upstairs and wake Shiloh.”

Just before Adam reached the barn door, Joe asked, “How is she?”

Adam half-turned, moving his hands to the pockets of his coat.  “She’s scared, Joe.  And I don’t know what to say to make her feel any better.”

Watching his brother close the door behind him, Joe knew Adam was probably at least as scared as his wife.  So was their father.  Taking a deep breath, he admitted to himself that he was, too, as much for Adam as Shiloh.

***

Shiloh stood in front of the wardrobe mirror making final adjustments to her dress.  She had tried on several dresses, tossing each one aside disgustedly as she checked her look without a corset in the mirror.  There was definitely more of her to worry about besides her stomach, so she needed a dress that would hide her bounciness. She knew Adam would hit the roof if he discovered she was wearing a corset.  The cloth she had wrapped over her breasts would have to do.

Adam had quietly stepped into the room and watched her, first irritated that she was on her feet, and based on the clothes thrown over the chair, had been for too long.  Then he watched her bounce up and down on her toes and realized what she was looking for in the mirror.  He tried to stifle a smile, but the smile won, and soon he was laughing.  “You won’t be moving around enough for anyone to notice.”

“You noticed.”

He appeared behind her and moved his hands around her stomach, and then up.  “As your husband, I notice all sorts of things in all manner of your dress…or undress.”   She might have been embarrassed, but didn’t have the chance as he finished his explanation at her neck, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin.  The tiny mounds rising against his lips elicited a deep chuckle from him.

“Ow!   Be careful, please.”

Raising his head, he wore a dismayed look.  “That never bothered you before.”

“I’m sore.  Paul said that was normal.”

Tightening his lips into a line, he grunted.

“Don’t start something you’re not going to finish,” she said, turning to her side and dropping her head back.

Adam accepted her invitation for a kiss, but when she moved her hand to the back of his head and rose into him, his kiss moved to her chin.  “We can’t do this.”

“Why not?” she barked as she patted her stomach.  “It’s not something we haven’t done before.”

He smirked as he drew her up straight. “We could make things worse than they are.”

“Oh spsh!”  She threw his hands away from her and walked back to the bed, sitting and tying on her shoes.  “I’ve now lost everything.  I can’t get to my horses, I can’t play my piano because I can’t prop up my feet, I can’t sing anything worth singing, and now…”  Her chin quivered as her hands fell into her lap.  “The one thing that’s kept me going has been your attention.  And now I’ve lost that.”

After pinching the bridge of his nose, Adam swiftly walked to the bed and sat next to her, taking her hands in his.  “I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.  Why are you so upset?”

Moving her eyes to his first, she squeezed them closed and whispered, “I’m scared.”  She opened her eyes, looking intently into his and clutching his hands tightly.  “I need you.”

Adam’s mouth dropped open slightly. His eyes softened as he watched a tear trickle down her cheek.  Never had she said aloud that she needed him.  Loved him, yes, but he never imagined she would ever say she needed anyone. Moving his hands to either side of her face, he touched her forehead with his.  “My love, you have me.  Nothing will ever change that.” He moved his arms around her and held her, all the while looking uneasily at the far wall.

He was going to have to leave her in a few days to go to San Francisco for another inspection of the courthouse and to meet with a group of business investors looking for an architectural firm to design and build a row of apartments.  It seems San Francisco was growing quickly, and Slater and Cartwright had developed a sought after reputation.  He had planned on both of them traveling to the coastal city together, but in her present condition travel was out of the question.  He had no idea how he would tell her, but most definitely, he would not tell her today.  Today, he would make sure she had a happy, peaceful Christmas.

“Now,” he started, facing her with a smile.  “I’m betting Pa and Joe are downstairs waiting to sit down for breakfast.  “Are you ready to join them, Mrs. Cartwright?”

Wiping her cheek, she nodded and returned a timid smile, prompting him to lift her into his arms and carry her out the bedroom door and down the stairs.  As he whispered things only a wife should hear into her ear on the way, she fought a giggle, but by the time they arrived at the dining room table, she was in full laughter.

Chapter Forty-Two

Annie was surprised when the door she had just knocked on opened.   Standing in front of her was Hoss, completely dressed and walking, however slowly, without a cane.

“Hoss, I’m not sure you should be moving around without help.  You still have some stitches.”

“Aw, Annie, you got them stitches trussed up s’tight they ain’t about to bust open.”  Stepping out the door with a pile of boxes, he winked at her.  “But I’d be mighty grateful if you could help me get these presents downstairs.”

She smiled sweetly at him and took all the boxes from him, then followed him as he slowly descended the stairs.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Mrs. Levine came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron.  “I was just about to call you two breakfast,” she said with a wide grin.  “I’ve made all sorts of goodies for the day, but I wanted us all to start off with a good breakfast.”

Hoss nodded as Mrs. Levine stepped aside for him to enter the kitchen.  Annie finished placing the presents underneath the Christmas tree and followed Mrs. Levine in.

“Mrs. Levine, all this sure looks mighty good,” said Hoss, eyeing the bacon and ham, biscuits and gravy, and of course, the eggs.  Then his eye caught a shiny swirly thing that looked like bread all wound up, only the bread had brown edges and was topped with nuts.

Mrs. Levine watched him and giggled.  “Oh Hoss.  Haven’t you ever seen sticky buns?”

Slowly sitting down, Hoss kept his eyes on those sticky buns.  “Well, no ma’am.  Hop Sing, that’s our cook back home, he makes the best donuts I ever tasted.  But these look even better,” he said, reaching out to take one.  He pulled with one hand, but the bread didn’t pull apart.  Glancing over at Mrs. Levine and Annie, he pulled his had back.  “I guess I don’t rightly know exactly how to get one of them buns.”

Both women laughed as Annie stood and deftly pulled one off, placing it on Hoss’ plate.

“Now, you can’t just eat that sweet stuff, Hoss,” said Mrs. Levine.  “Help your plate with some of the other, but after we say grace.”

Hoss had raised his hands to the closest dish, but once again, he drew his hand back and smiled, remembering home.  “If I’d been at home and done that, my pa and brothers would have stared at me until I noticed.”

“Your very close to your family, aren’t you, Hoss?”

“Yes’m, I reckon I am.  And I miss ’em.  But Mrs. Levine, you make me feel about as close to home as I could get without actually bein’ there.” The three held hands as they said the prayer, and everyone enjoyed a hearty meal.

After breakfast, they sat in the parlor where the tree sparkled with candlelight as they opened the few presents that had appeared slowly…one by one underneath the tree.

Annie opened one first; a blue knitted shawl with black trim from Mrs. Levine who also gave Hoss a new wallet.  Mrs. Levine received a green wool hooded cape lined in black satin and a matching pair of gloves from both Annie and Hoss.

Next, as Mrs. Levine sat in her rocker admiring her new cape, Annie handed Hoss the gift Shiloh sent.  “Open it.”

“I tell you what.  Why don’t we open ’em together,” he suggested as he smiled like a man who had lost his heart in a woman’s eyes.

Annie blushed and nodded happily as she tugged the end of the bow.  She gasped as she pulled out a delicately carved alabaster music box.  Slowly opening it, she smiled at the tinkling sound of Greensleeves.  “Only Shiloh would have known about that tune.”

Hoss pulled the top of his box off and looked in.  “Well I’ll be.  She’s prob’ly the only one who really listens.”

“Listens to what?”

“Well, I can’t never keep up with the time when I’m workin’ with her horses.  I recollect telling Joe when he came to fetch me for dinner that it’d sure be easier if I had one of them pocket watches like Adam’s.”  He slowly pulled out a chain, and at the end of the chain dangled a gold watch complete with scroll work and engraved with his name on the back.

“It’s beautiful,” squealed Annie as she clapped her hands.

“Dadburnit!  I didn’t think to get everyone Christmas presents before I left.”

“Oh Hoss, they won’t care.  They’ll just be missing you terribly,” she said, handing him one more gift.  “I hope it’s not…well, I hope you like it.”

Opening a box about the same size as that containing the watch, he peered inside, squeezed his lips together and reached in taking something out, and just sitting there staring at the object cradled in his hands.  His face was consumed by a warm smile as he studied the small case containing a photograph of he and Annie that had been taken just after he arrived in Philadelphia. “This is about the best gift I coulda gotten.  I’ll keep it with me all the time.”

Gently placing the case back in the box, he reached into the tree.  Both Annie and Mrs. Levine watch curiously as he pulled out a small box.  “I couldn’t thinka no better gift or time to give you this.  I guess I just wanted to make sure you were coming back to Virginia City when your schooling was done.”  Struggling to one knee, Hoss opened the box and took out a ring.  “Annie, there’s a reason I wanna make sure you come back to Virginia City.  You see, I’d actually like you to come a little further and make the Ponderosa your home…with me.”  He blushed and smiled.  “I reckon I’m asking for your hand in marriage,” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Annie’s face lit up like a fireworks show, but when she went to throw her arms around his neck, he tottered just before he fell over onto the floor with Annie still holding on.  Laughing so hard he couldn’t get up, Mrs. Levine and Annie were soon on either side pulling at his arms, and when he tried to heft himself up, he pulled both women down to the floor with him, scooping them both up in his arms and hugging them.  “If this ain’t the dangdest Christmas I ever had,” he said, consumed by laughter.

On their feet with their breath caught from the laughter, Hoss asked hopefully, “Does that mean ‘yes?'”

Looking down at the ring on her finger first, she looked up, not with a smile, but with a look that told Hoss she knew what she wanted and that was to be his wife.  “Yes, Hoss.  Yes,” she said, stepping into his hug.

“But you gotta do somethin’ for me.  You gotta promise me you’ll finish school.  Then when you come home, you’ll be the first female doctor Virginia City’s ever seen.  We’ll get married then.”

“Does your family know?”

“Well, I didn’t come right out ‘n tell ’em, but I think Adam and Shiloh are probably thinkin’ on it.”

“I wish I could see Shiloh’s face when you tell her.”

“Well, you two, you’ve had quite a morning,” said Mrs. Levine who had stepped back to take in the happy sight of two people on the brink of a new life.  “I’m going to go start dinner.  We have a few guests coming.  Why don’t you two go for a walk and let that proposal settle in.”

“We can take a walk a little later.  I should help,” said Annie, stepping away from Hoss toward the kitchen.

Grabbing her hand, Mrs. Levine said, “Not on your life.  Mary’s coming over to help me.  When you get back from your walk, there might still be room for you then.  Now go,” she said swinging her hands toward the door.  “Enjoy this time.”

After Mrs. Levine had made sure they were warmly attired, Hoss and Annie walked down the street hand in hand with Hoss leaning on his cane.  Annie had just taken in a breath of the clean, crisp winter air as snow floated around them when a voice behind them broke the serenity of the morning.

“Mr. Cartwright, I see you’re up and around.”

As Hoss slowly turned, Annie spun around and stepped in front of him.  “He’s not ready to join your army, Captain Fletcher.  He’s just now been able to get down the stairs.  Your own doctor hasn’t even released him.”

Reaching out, Hoss squeezed Annie’s shoulder and eased her back to him. “Captain Fletcher, you can follow me around all you want, but the fact is, I don’t live in your city.  Heck, I don’t even live in your state. I ain’t signin’ up for your army, and once the good doctor declares I’m fit for travelin’, I’m going home.”  Captain Fletcher handed Hoss a piece of paper.  “What’s this?”

Standing rigidly with his heels together, Captain Fletcher wore a smug sneer on his face. “It is the letter of the law that explains my authority to draft you.  The next two papers are your draft papers and orders to report.  If you do not report, you will be arrested, Mr. Cartwright.   I suggest you think about this as long as you have, because our prisons aren’t anything like your Ponderosa.”  Tipping his hat, the Captain ended with, “Merry Christmas” before he turned and left Annie and Hoss dumbfounded.

Looking down at the papers in his hand, Hoss began to read as he turned and slowly walked back toward the boarding house.  Annie hadn’t followed, but rather ran after Captain Fletcher.  “Captain Fletcher, surely you can’t draft a man who has a serious medical condition.”

The captain pulled up quickly and spun on his heel.  “Miss Walters, I will say this once, and afterwards I do not expect to hear you speak on the subject again.  Frankly, it is none of your business.  Dr. Stephenson has suggested that Mr. Cartwright continue his recuperation in the Army hospital, so that his availability for duty will be more expedient.  He is to report to the hospital day after tomorrow.”  With that said, Fletcher left Annie standing there fighting tears.  Was Fletcher so consumed with fighting a war that he would ignore the desires and needs of the citizens he had sworn to protect?  If that were the case, then who is supposed to protect the general population from the Army?

“Annie,” said Hoss, putting his hands on her shoulders.  “Don’t let him rile you.  We just need to go back to the boardin’ house and read through these papers.  There’s gotta be something in here that says he’s wrong.”

“Hoss, we don’t have much time.  He said you’re supposed to report to the Army hospital the day after tomorrow.  I won’t be able to see you.  Women aren’t allowed there.”

Taking her hand and coaxing her back in the other direction, he said, “Come on.  We’ll think of somethin’.  If not, Pa’ll know what to do.”

“Hoss, don’t you see?  You don’t have time to send for help.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Adam made Shiloh comfortable on the settee, turning her so that her feet were extended along its length while Ben stole away up the stairs.  Every now and then his sons and daughter-in-law heard a loud bump that grabbed their attention until Ben appeared at the top of the stairs carrying a round fabric-covered hassock.

Adam looked up and smiled, then met his father at the bottom of the stairs.  “I can’t believe you still have that thing.”

“Well, I’ve always hoped for grandchildren.” Ben looked fondly at the hassock and smiled.  “And that would mean there would be a woman who might need it again.”  Taking the hassock into the living area, he placed it on the floor in front of the leather chair next to the fireplace.  “Shiloh, you’ll be warmer over here by the fire.”

She looked up to his eyes, and with a slight smile, she rose more gracefully than she had in what seemed like a very long time and took the hand he offered her.  “This was Marie’s, wasn’t it?”

Joe stepped forward, looking down at the hassock trying to remember.  “I don’t remember Mama using this.”

“With good reason.  She used it while she was carrying you.  After you were born it went into the attic above our bedroom.  It’s been there ever since.  Turning to Shiloh, he said quietly, “It’s yours now.”

“No.  I mean, thank you, but I don’t accept ownership of it.  I will borrow it.  Then it can belong to all Cartwright women.”

He kissed her forehead, and held her hands as she lowered herself into the chair and moved her feet to the hassock.  Already having a light cover in hand, Adam draped it over her legs and tucked it snuggly around her.

“Well,” said Ben, bringing his hands together and rubbing them.  “We’re expecting guests for dinner, so we should open presents now.”

As tradition would have it, they went around the room opening gifts one by one.  There was an assortment of scents and leather goods in addition to a pearl handled razor and  a new handgun given. After Joe opened his last gift, Adam stood and left the room.  When he opened the front door, he motioned to Ben.

Standing, Ben offered his arm to Shiloh, who glanced up and gave him a sidelong look.  “Do I have permission to get out of this chair?”

Trying his best to hide his amusement at her attempted sarcasm, Ben simply bowed.  “Yes, you do.”

It took her a moment to move to the edge of the chair.  By the time she was ready to stand, Ben had figured out that he’d have to give her more help than his offered arm, so he took her hands and pulled her to her feet, then escorted her to the front door, grabbing her heavy shawl off the coat hook behind the door and draping it over her shoulders.

She took only one step out the door and froze, not because of the frigid temperatures or the icy wind, but because the sight standing at the edge of the porch took her breath away almost blending in perfectly with the white of the snow.  The only things that made it stand out were the halter, and the dark gray skin of her nose, around her eyes and ears.

Shuffling to Adam’s side, she reached up and stroked the mare’s nose.  “Adam, she’s beautiful.”

“She’s yours,” he said softly.

Quickly looking up at Adam, and then back to the horse, she said, “I don’t understand.”

“You said you wanted to see if you could breed white horses like Eli.  That all you needed was the right mare.”

“She looks good, Adam, but how did you know what I meant by ‘right?'”

He chuckled.  “I have been told I’m a good judge of horse flesh.  And I think I’ve observed you enough to know what you look for.”  He watched as she looked back up at the horse, seeing well controlled excitement in her eyes.  “Merry Christmas.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she said quietly.

Passing the reins back to a ranch hand, he took her into his arms.  “You probably never noticed, but your eyes speak volumes.”  Bending, he kissed her tenderly before he turned her back toward the front door, anxious to get her inside to the warmth of the fire and off her feet.

There in the blue chair that had been moved closer to the settee to make room for the tree, leaned a guitar, but not just any guitar.  Adam’s lips parted slightly as he moved his eyes to the side to see Shiloh, who was biting her lip.  “I hope you like it.  I know it’s not something you’d take riding, but the sound was so rich, so perfect, I couldn’t resist.”

Adam picked the guitar up and looked inside, then whistled.  “How did you…?” he asked, glancing at her, then back to the guitar.  “When…?  This is a Lacôte; probably one of a kind.”  Running his hand over the wood, he admired the white maple burl from which the body and neck had been cut.  The fingerboard was a raised ebony veneer with brass frets, and the headstock, the fingerboard and the opening in the body were decorated with alternating ivory and obsidian inlay.

“You treat your guitar like it’s the most fragile thing you own.  You caress it.  When I heard this one…well, I wanted to hear you play it.”

Carefully setting the guitar back on the chair, he pulled Shiloh into his arms again and enveloped her as much as he could, whispering in her ear.  “I can’t wait to hear how you got your hands on it.”  He kissed her ear.  “Thank you.”

As he began to move way, she grabbed him and held him to her, softly giggling.  “Good.  We can talk about where you found that horse, too.”

***

Shiloh spent the rest of the morning in the leather chair, studying the baby dress Mrs. Lewis had started for her.  Her attention to the details didn’t last long.  She fell asleep, so everyone tiptoed around the living room trying not to wake her.

A knock on the door didn’t seem to even make her stir, but when Ben opened it, the shouts of  “Merry Christmas!” brought her hands into the air along with the box and notions, sending them all over her and the floor.  The new family, the Brents, who had just moved into the old Dawson place off the road to Virginia City just past the Ponderosa property line sang a rousing rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful before they entered the house, giving Adam just enough time to tend to Shiloh, picking up all the material, thimbles and ribbons and placing them back in the box on her lap before anyone noticed what had happened.

The Brents were made up of Mr. and Mrs. Brent, Walter and Helen, and their three children, oldest son, David, middle son, Andrew, and two-year-old Allison.  The adult Brents, who were closer to Adam’s age, and already met everyone except Shiloh, though having moved from San Francisco, they certainly knew who she was.

“Can we see the big white horse?” asked Andrew before anyone had shed their coats and capes.

Joe bent down with his hands on his knees.  “If you’ll leave your coats on, I’ll take you out to the barn and introduce you.”

“We already know Cotton, Mister,” said David.  “She used to be one of Pa’s horses.”  Joe looked back at Adam, raised his eyebrows, and then straightened, leading the boys back out the front door.

“Cotton.  That’s a fitting name,” said Shiloh still seated in the chair.

“Forgive me, Mrs. Cartwright.  I hope the boys didn’t spoil the surprise,” said Helen, allowing her husband to take her cape, and then making her way into the living area.  “My name is Helen,” she said, offering her hand.  “And this is Allison,” she said, moving her skirt aside just enough to reveal the little girl hiding there.

“Oh no, not at all.  Adam showed me the horse a little while ago.  She’s quite beautiful.”

Adam walked David into the sitting area and offered him a drink.  “Dinner’s not quite ready.  Would you like some coffee, ladies?” Mrs. Brent nodded, sending Ben into the kitchen as the Brents settled in on the settee.

“Mrs. Cartwright…” began Mr. Brent.

“Please call me Shiloh.”

“Thank you.  We’ve had Cotton since her birth, but I didn’t have the heart to break her.  She was such a wonderful spirit I just let her be.  I met Adam in town and during our conversation, he told me who you are…Amos Whitney’s daughter.  I’d heard of your father, and I knew that his method of training didn’t involve breaking the horse, so I thought the match would be a good one.  Then Adam told me you were looking for a white horse to breed with your blacks, so it worked out well for both of us.”

“Well, Mr. Brent…”

“If you’re Shiloh, I’m David.”

She treated him to one of her brilliant smiles before she continued.  “You’re welcome to come see her anytime.  I’m not sure I’ll train her for riding just yet.  I’d like to see how she fits in with herd before I do anything.”

Hop Sing brought out the coffee, and the adults along with little Allison got to know one another until dinner was ready.  Conversation around the table during the meal included listening to the children explain what they got for Christmas and what they planned to do with their gifts.

Shiloh had stopped eating, asking questions and listening to every word while studying the little faces of each child as they spoke.  Adam watched, seeing a happy contentment he hadn’t seen from Shiloh lately. It seemed she was very good with children, even though as an adult she’d never really been around them.  He also noticed that she hadn’t eaten much, so he reached next to him, giving her thigh a gentle, but firm squeeze along with a look that went from her eyes to her plate and back.

She sneered so lightly that no one but Adam would have noticed, but quietly picked up her fork, and by the time dessert was served, she had eaten everything on her plate.

Another knock on the door in the middle of dessert changed the evening for everyone.

 

Chapter Forty-Four

Shiloh had just finished lamenting that Micah hadn’t made it to dinner when they all heard a knock at the door.  Ordinarily, Micah would have opened the door and called out, so they knew it wasn’t him. Ben wiped his mouth on his napkin and excused himself from the table.  Everyone at the table heard the latch of the door click when Ben opened it, but after that, there was silence before they heard the door latch again.

Leaning back in his chair, Joe realized his father had stepped out.  He gave Adam a wary look, prompting Adam to wipe his mouth, excuse himself from the table and follow his father outside.

Micah was there, but with him were two Indian women and one older Indian man Adam recognized from the Clear Creek village.  How they had travelled this far on foot this fast, Adam had no idea.  But when he saw it was Cheron, he felt a mixture of anxiety and relief.  Shiloh would want to see Cheron; to help her in any way she could.  Unfortunately, in her condition there wasn’t much she could do, and even if she thought she could, there wasn’t much Adam was going to let her do.

Ben had taken Cheron’s hands and smiled as he welcomed her to the Ponderosa.  “Won’t you all come inside where it’s warm?  Have you eaten?”

Cheron was as he remembered her, tall and slender with a regal carriage, but older with small lines around her eyes and a few gray hairs mixed in with her straight, black braids.  Her eyes, however were as bright and clear as ever.  “Thank you, Mr. Cartwright, but yes, we have eaten.  I hope we are not causing you trouble.  Micah reminded me that this is a special day for whites, but I wanted to arrange to take Billy’s body home to the place his father and I shared life with him.  I wanted also to thank Shiloh. Micah has told me she is the reason he and Adam sought me.”

Adam stepped forward and took Cheron’s hand. “She’ll be pleased to see you, Cheron.  She’s inside the house.  Won’t you come in?”

Glancing behind them at the buggy, Cheron asked, “Others are here?”

“Yes,” said Ben, nodding. “Our neighbors have come to celebrate Christmas with us.  But that doesn’t change anything.  You are as welcome here as they.”

Cheron smiled. “I remember your kindness during my time here.  But I do not want to cause any concern for your guests.”

Ben looked at Adam with raised brows, and Adam smiled.  “I suppose it wouldn’t do her any harm to come outside.  I’ll get her.”

Looking back at Ben, Cheron asked, “Harm?”

A warm smile appeared on Ben’s face.  Evidently, Micah, who had listened quietly to all that was said, hadn’t told Cheron that Shiloh had been told to stay off her feet. “You’ll understand when you see her.”

Only a few minutes passed when Shiloh appeared at the door, a long breath swelling her bosom at the same time a relieved smile slowly transformed her face.  She started forward too quickly for Adam’s tastes.  He grabbed her hand to slow her.

When she reached Cheron, the two women embraced, and when they parted, Cheron touched Shiloh’s stomach.  “Little One, I never thought I would see this day.  It is good the father is a Cartwright.  The Whitneys and the Cartwrights were always as close as family.”

A sudden sadness took over Shiloh’s countenance as she bowed her head.  “I’m so sorry, Cheron.  You trusted me, and I’ve let you down.”

“No child. You did well with Billy. It was the wolf who stole him away from us, as he did with Billy’s father.  Now, we must set him free from the broken body that binds him to the land.”

Stepping forward, Adam took Shiloh by the shoulders.  “Cheron, she can’t go with you. The doctor has told her to stay off her feet.”

Cheron’s brow furrowed. “You are unwell?”

Bowing her head, Shiloh took a deep breath before she answered.  “I feel fine,” she said, glancing at the hand on her shoulder. “But there’s been some pain.”

“Is there a place where we may speak?”

“Uh…well, yes.  Upstairs, I suppose.”  The question had caught Adam off guard as much as Shiloh, but he removed his hands from her shoulders and stepped aside.

As Cheron and Shiloh turned to the house, Ben spoke to the two Washoe who had come with Cheron.  “You are welcome to wait inside.”

“We…stay,” said the man, and he and the other woman retreated to the far edge of the yard.

Before she entered the house, Cheron turned.  “Mr. Cartwright, they mean no disrespect.  They do not speak your language very well and would feel uncomfortable among your guests.”

“Yes, I see…our guests,” he said, looking at Adam with a nod toward the house indicating they’d been away from their guests too long.

Adam put a hand on Micah’s shoulder.  “You’re in time for dessert.”

***

Hoss, Annie and Mrs. Levine sat around the small table in the kitchen poring over the papers Captain Fletcher had given Hoss.

“Hoss, here’s what he meant by his authority,” began Mrs. Levine.  “Residency is defined as a living situation meant to be long term such as a rental apartment, a boarding house, or a house.  Excluded accommodations are camps and hotels.”  Once a steady two month period has been established in residence, the party is subject to residency laws.”  She looked up from the paper.  “It was two months yesterday that you got here.”

Annie sat quietly and listened to everything Hoss and Mrs. Levine had read.  She repeatedly read the papers in her hand over and over again without offering anything new to the conversation.

Hoss sat back in his chair with his legs crossed. “It looks like I ain’t gonna have a choice.  I sure didn’t expect to be joinin’ an army when we made these plans, Annie.”

“This is all my fault.  I shouldn’t have encouraged you to come in the middle of a war.”

“Now don’t you even think it.  I’d a come anyway, war or not.  I guess the army’s gettin’ sorta desperate because of all the men they’ve lost in last two or three years it’s been goin’ on.”

Annie tucked her chin and stared at him with moist eyes.  “Hoss, you’re not saying you’re going to follow these orders, are you?”

He winced.  “I don’t reckon I have any other choice.”

Looking back down at the papers she was holding, she said, “We’ll see about that,” and determinedly rose from the table, heading for the door.

“Wait just a doggone minute.  Where are you goin’?”

“I have an idea, but I have to see someone to make sure it will work.  I’ll be back in awhile.”  By this time, Annie had pulled on her cape and gloves.  She picked up the papers she had laid on a table and rushed out the door.

***

When the women arrived at the bedroom, Cheron ushered Shiloh to bed.  “You must do as your doctor has told you.”

Shiloh sighed.  “If that’s all you’re going to tell me, why did we have to talk about this?”

Cheron smiled, turned and pulled a chair to the bed.  “Now, tell me what your doctor has told you.”

“At first he thought I was carrying twins, but he said he only heard one heartbeat.  He said something about the size of the baby, but he really didn’t say much more to me.”  She loosely clasped her hands in her lap and frowned.  “He must have said something to Adam.  He’s worried.”

Indicating Shiloh’s stomach, Cheron asked, “May I?”

Shiloh moved her hands to her sides and nodded.

First, Cheron lay the side of her head on Shiloh’s stomach, listening.  Next, she moved her hands over the entire mound and then pushed and prodded.  “You have one.  And he is large.  Your doctor and your husband are worried with good reason.  It may be difficult for the child to pass through.”

Fear brought tears to Shiloh’s eyes.  “Wha…what happens if the baby can’t pass?”

Taking Shiloh’s hands in her own, Cheron smiled with sincere certainty.  “I will come when it is time.  If your doctor will listen, I will help him bring forth your child.  You will not lie on your back.  You will squat down.   Your weight will help make room for the child to pass.”

“How do you know this, Cheron?”

“Your husband did not tell you?   I am medicine woman to my people.  And I gave birth this way to my son.”

“You’re sure this will work?” asked Shiloh, wiping her face.

Looking down at their hands, Cheron answered after she looked back into Shiloh’s eyes. “Little One, there is always a chance the birth may not be good with either the white way or our way.  Many things can happen.  If your size is all that worries your doctor, then I am sure.”

When Shiloh and Cheron returned to the living room, Adam escorted Shiloh from the bottom of the stairs back to the leather chair, and then went back to offer Cheron his arm.  “I take it that went well.”

She smiled, nodded, and turned to Ben.  “Mr. Cartwright, I apologize for interrupting your dinner.  Thank you for allowing me in your home.”

Ben had already stood, but was taken aback.  “Cheron, you are always welcome in my home.”

She bowed her head.  “Micah has offered to help us take Billy back to the cabin.  He has told us that the cabin has been kept up; that Shiloh thought Billy might return there to live one day.  We will have everything we need there.”

“We’d better get going,” said Micah, pushing the plate of fruitcake crumbs away, and standing. “I need to make sure there’s plenty of firewood and some supplies.”  Passing by Shiloh’s chair, he bent and kissed her on top of her head.

As Micah walked by, Adam lightly backhanded his arm.  “You need help?”

“Naw,” Micah answered, shaking his head.  He leaned closer to Adam, pointing behind them where Shiloh couldn’t see.  “You have your hands full here.”

“I’ll walk you out,” said Adam, grinning.

Turning to the Brents, Micah said, “Mr. and Mrs. Brent, it was nice to meet you.” He nodded to Ben and Joe and followed Adam and Cheron out the door.

As Micah mounted his horse, Adam spoke quietly, “Uh, listen.  I have to go to San Francisco in two days.  Will you keep an eye on your sister?”

Micah gave him a displeased look. “You’re leaving her at a time like this?”

Shaking his head, Adam closed his eyes and grimaced.  “You know I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t have to.  I have to do another inspection on the courthouse.  If I don’t, we’ll be responsible for a hefty penalty.”

“Does she know yet?”

“No, I wanted her to have a calm Christmas.  I’ll tell her tomorrow.  I thought maybe I could talk her into staying here.”

Micah rolled his eyes and snorted.  “Good luck with that,” he said as he turned his horse to follow Cheron and her people.

Adam waved as they left the yard, then turned back into the house, settling on the hearth next to Shiloh.  The conversation had turned to the visitors and their reason for being there.

“You must forgive us.  Living in Sacramento, we saw few Indians.  Certainly, none who we would feel comfortable inviting into our home.   Are there many in these parts?”

Glances passed around the room between all the Cartwrights.   “Well, yes, David,” started Ben, “there are.  The Washoe,” he said, nodding toward the yard, “as well as the Paiute and some Shoshone.  We’ve managed to achieve peace with the Washoe and Paiute.  The few Shoshone who are left don’t cause many problems.”

“Many problems?”

“Oh, every now and then they rustle a steer or two.  There’s been no real trouble with them for awhile.”

“But there could be trouble.”

Ben nodded. “I suppose there could. But David, that’s true everywhere except in the cities. Everyone of us living on the frontier accepts that risk.”

“You’re not afraid, Shiloh?” asked Mrs. Brent.

Shiloh smiled as she looked into the cup of tea Ming Ling had just delivered.  “Helen, a good amount of my childhood was spent with them. Cheron, the woman who was here, lived on the Flying W for a time with her husband. Her son, Billy, has been a ranch hand for a long time.  And I spent some time in the Paiute village, as did Adam.  A young Paiute befriended him when the Cartwrights first arrived here.  Pa is a good friend of Winnemucca, the Paiute chief.”

Adam set his cup of coffee next to him on the hearth.  “The Washoe were here when we arrived.  They helped us through our first winter.  If it hadn’t been for them, we might not have made it.  Mrs. Brent, there’s really no reason to be frightened.”

The two Brents looked uneasily at each other.  When Mr. Brent patted his wife’s hand, both exhaled and smiled.  “You must understand.  I was a merchant in Sacramento, so living on the frontier is something entirely new to us.”

“May I ask why you left?” asked Adam.

“Sacramento is growing so fast, and because of the port, some rather unsavory people frequent it.  We didn’t want the boys to grow up like the rascals that run up and down the streets.  We thought they’d be safer out here.”

“They probably are,” said Ben.  “Adam and Hoss were just young boys when we arrived, and Joe was born here.  There was some trouble years back, but not as much now, and never any trouble that hasn’t been provoked by whites.”

The Brent boys bolted through the door shouting, “Ma, Pa, did you see the Indians?”  Joe followed them in, carrying a crying Allison.

Mr. and Mrs. Brent jumped to their feet.  Taking Allison from Joe, David demanded, “What happened?”

“Nothing happened.  She started crying when she saw the Washoe,” explained Joe as he passed Allison to his father.

“David, may I speak with Allison?” He put the little girl down and walked with her over to Shiloh, who sat forward, moving her feet to the floor and taking the little girl’s hands.  “Would it make you feel better if I told you the tall woman you saw is a very old friend of mine?  She’s a very nice woman.”

Allison wiped her eyes, and in a soft high voice asked, “Is she an Indian?”

Shiloh smiled.  “Yes, she is.  Her people are known as Washoe, and they are very friendly people.  But they live far away from here, so you might not see them again.  My friend’s son was a ranch hand on the Flying W, and he died.  She’s here to take care of him.”

“Is she sad?”

“She’s very sad,” said Shiloh as she stroked the little girl’s long hair.  “But the Washoe believe that a person’s spirit lives on, just as we’re taught in church.  So there’s no reason to be frightened.  She would never hurt you.”

Nodding, the little girl ran back to her mother, throwing her arms around her mother’s skirt and looking up with a smile.  “She was very pretty, Mama.”

Mrs. Brent smiled lovingly down at her daughter.  “Yes, I know.  I saw her, too.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Shiloh lay in bed enjoying that time in the morning between sleep and waking when heavy eyelids and the total relaxation of the body feels even better than when tired bones hit the softness of bed after a long day’s work.  Allowing awareness to slowly take hold, she lazily moved her hand over to the pillow next to hers, and when she found no thick curls in which to bury her fingers, she opened one eye.  Of course, Adam would have been up for at least an hour, and most likely was in the barn taking care of Sport.

The holiday was over. After breakfast this morning, she and Adam would go home where she would be held captive in her bedroom.  Heaving a sigh, she pushed her bottom lip up.  Perhaps he’d let her move around the house…as long as her feet were up.  There would be little floor time for her.  The worst part was not knowing how long her feet touching the floor would be restricted.

Rising, she dressed and brushed and arranged her hair before she ventured out into the hall, first peering both ways before she lightly, but quickly made her way to the top of the stairs.  Listening before she looked around the corner, she neither heard nor saw anyone in the living area, the study or the dining room.  Tiptoeing down, she settled into the leather chair and moved her feet to the hassock, waiting patiently for breakfast as she studied the child’s dress Mrs. Lewis had started.

The front door suddenly swung open, and Ben, Adam and Joe entered in deep conversation that continued as they removed their hats and jackets.  “Pa, there’s no point in you going.  Hoss’ letter was dated after Annie’s.  He says he’s all right.”

Ben’s brows were furrowed, his voice rough.  As Shiloh watched, she realized they’d been talking about this subject long before they came into the house.

“Adam, he also said the army is out to draft him.”

With a defiance Shiloh had witnessed many times since before she left for college, Adam responded, “He also said it would be awhile before he could physically do anything, and that by that time it’d be time to come home.  Besides, as long as it would take for you to get there whatever is going to happen will have already happened.”

“Well, I can’t just stand by and let this Captain Fletcher get away with it!”

Breathing heavily through his nose, Adam looked up at his father from under his brow, then turned and twisted his mouth.  At the same time he turned toward the living area, he raised both eyebrows, looked back and pointed his finger at his father.  “You need to be careful, Pa.  If you walk into that, you just might be drafted yourself by the sound of it.”  Walking to the fireplace, Adam held his hands out in front of the fire to warm them.  He didn’t say a word to Shiloh, but she waited patiently, knowing he would when he had calmed his anger and frustration.

Ben stood next to the settee with his hands on his hips, looking at nothing in particular as his fire began to smolder.

Shiloh looked at Joe with questioning eyes.  He tightened his lips and shook his head, telling her to wait for the other two to settle as he handed her both letters which she immediately began to read.  When she had finished, she lay her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes.  It was no wonder they were upset.  “Pa, do you know anyone in Philadelphia who might be able to help?  Maybe an attorney? Or might your attorney know anyone?”

Ben had already started shaking his head, but at that last question, he actually looked at her with a hopeful upturn of his mouth.  Walking back to the bureau next to the front door, he began to buckle his gun belt.

Adam had turned around to watch his father prepare to leave.  “You should send a telegram to Hiram in San Francisco, too.”

“I’ll do that.”  With hat in hand, Ben opened the door and was gone, leaving a strange silence in the room.

Hop Sing came in fussing.  “Why Mr. Cartlight leave?  Breakfast almost ready.”

Heading into the dining room, Joe moved a hand to Hop Sing’s shoulder.  “Let’s eat then.  In the mood Pa’s in, I doubt he’d eat anything anyway.”

Accepting the hand Adam offered, Shiloh pulled herself out of the chair.   Once seated at the table, she asked, “Can the army do that?”

As Hop Sing brought plates of food to the table and they were passed around, Adam answered, “The Union Army has started using the draft to increase their numbers.  Both sides have lost thousands of men, probably more.  Pa’s not questioning the legality of the draft. He’s questioning their definition of a resident.  I don’t care how you look at it, Hoss is not a resident of Philadelphia.  He planned to leave. He’s got his return tickets, and that proves he had no plans to stay.”

“I guess this Captain Fletcher is desperate.”

Joe accepted the plate of eggs from Adam.  “Whatever he is, it seems he’s got Hoss whether Hoss wants to join or not.  And I’m sure he doesn’t.”

***

Never had Annie seen a time when Hoss picked at his food.   She had given him much to think about yesterday, and now, it was hard to imagine what was going through his head.

“Hoss, you asked.   Don’t you want to now?”

“Aw, Annie.  You know it ain’t that.  You’re supposed to finish your schoolin’, and after that…well…”   He looked up at her with blue eyes she had come to love, but where they usually sparkled, they were dull.  “I was sorta countin’ on bein’ at the Ponderosa when it all happened.”

Reaching across the table, Annie touched his hand.  “I’ll finish school, Hoss.  I was already ahead when I arrived, and Miss Preston feels I can pass the exam now.  She’s prepared to test me today, and once I pass, declare me a graduate.”

“Annie, don’t you want a weddin’ like Shiloh and Adam had; a real nice one?”

Annie smiled.  “If we get married now, Captain Fletcher can’t draft you.  And then, we’ll leave Philadelphia and have a big party when we get back home.  So you see, we won’t have missed a thing.”

Mrs. Levine had been eavesdropping from the kitchen.  Quietly walking into the room, she offered her opinion.  “Hoss, this seems to be the only way to keep you out of Captain Fletcher’s clutches. I can have the minister over here tonight, and I have a friend who can witness the marriage with me.  I don’t see you’ll be missing anything if you go back home to celebrate.”

Hoss gave her a weak smile.  “Boy will Pa be surprised.”

***

Everyone waited anxiously for Ben to return from town.  Shiloh sat with her feet on the hassock and stared into the fire.  Joe and Adam attempted to play checkers, but neither one was paying much attention to the game.  By the time Ben walked in the door, they hadn’t finished their first game.

Ben stopped when he felt everyone’s eyes on him, smirked, and then slowly removed his gun, hat and coat.

“Well, Pa?” asked Adam.

“Hiram did have a friend in Philadelphia who explained that there was nothing Hoss could do.  He’s met the requirements for residency and has to report, even if he’s not healed.  He said they’d keep him in the military hospital until he was fit for duty.”

“And that’s that?”

“Mm hm,” grunted Ben as he took a seat in the other leather chair while Adam grimaced and scratched his eyebrow.

“Come on, Pa.  There must be something we can do.”

“Joseph, the law is the law.  We are not going to go against it.”

Everyone brooded for a few minutes until Shiloh stood and walked toward the stairs.  Seated on the coffee table, Adam took her hand as she walked past, gently pulling her in front of him.  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, looking up into her eyes.

“I’m going to pack.  We’re supposed to go home today.”

Wearing a strained look, Adam glanced up at her and puckered his lips.  “What if you stayed here?”

She narrowed her eyes.  “What reason would I have to stay?  We do have a home, and I’m sure Ming Lin is looking forward to getting back to his own kitchen.” By the way Adam wiped the lower part of his face with his hand all the while watching her, she knew he was working on how to say something he wasn’t looking forward to saying.

“Well, there is reason,” he said, nodding.  Taking one last short, clipped breath, he just said it.  “I have to go to San Francisco to inspect the courthouse.”

She snorted.  “Is that all?  I’ll need a few more things from the house, but…”  Her brows furrowed.  “I am going.”  He winced apologetically. “I am going,” she said emphatically.

Still holding her hands, he stood.  “No, Sweetheart, you aren’t going.”

“There’s no reason why I can’t.  I’ll be sitting in a coach all the way there, and then I can stay in our hotel room.”

“And what if something happens along the way?   What if we needed to get you to a doctor?”  Her breathing had become faster, deeper, and her mouth was drawn in.  “It’s too big a risk.”  He drew a finger down her cheek. “Shiloh?”

She didn’t know whether to cry or yell.  On one hand, she felt he was being cruel and unfair.  On the other hand, she knew there was a risk, especially in winter weather.  And then a third thought crept in.  She had always accepted that business had to be attended to, and this was Adam’s business.  But why did he have to leave her at a time like this?

Bound and determined not to become an emotional mess, she removed her hands from his and took a step backward.  When he reached for her, she raised her hands palm side out up to her shoulders and defiantly cocked her head, wearing almost a sneer on her lips.  Without another word, she backed away until she was out of his reach, turned and climbed the stairs as fast as she could.

Chapter Forty-Six

Adam’s mouth had dropped open at the confusion he saw on her face.  He crooked his jaw as she backed up, and then watched until she disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs.  He waited, expecting to hear a door slam, but surprisingly, there was nothing. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, he bowed his head into his hand and rubbed his fingers over his forehead.  He met a closed lip smile and a wink when he glanced over at Joe.

“I’m just glad I’m not the one who has to go up and talk to her.”

“Thanks,” said Adam, returning a sarcastic smile before he purposefully took the stairs two at a time.

Once at the bedroom door, he listened first and heard nothing.  Next, he tried the door knob, but she had locked him out.  His nostrils flared as he knocked.  “Shiloh, unlock the door.”

Shiloh sat on the bed leaning sideways against the headboard lost in thought, her head bowed in her hand. She knew he was right.  Still, she couldn’t shake the anger she was feeling at the changes this baby required of her while it seemed nothing at all required any sacrifice from Adam.  She was the one whose body was being stretched out of proportion, she was the one getting sick, she was the one who had to give up her work, her horses, her music, and now, she was the one who had to give up her freedom.  And when the baby came, it would be her in excruciating pain while he would feel nothing.  She stifled a sob.  Dear God, how selfish could she be?  This wasn’t his fault.  But he was leaving her at a time when she needed him most.  How could he?

“Let me be.”

The weakness of her voice along with the distress he heard frightened him.  “Sweetheart, please.  You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

He heard giggling at first, the giggles slowly changing to an all out laugh that morphed into sobs.

Moving his hands to his hips, he knew he could kick in the door.  But taking a deep breath to calm the urgency he felt, he trotted down the stairs and to the desk to retrieve a key.

Ben rolled his desk chair away from the drawer Adam was opening. “Is everything all right?”

Adam had already headed toward the stairs, but stopped and turned, continuing to move backwards.  “I’m not sure.”  He turned and ran back up the stairs.

Putting his ear to the door, he listened to her moving around in the room.  He put the key in the lock, but before he turned it, he tried the knob.  The door opened.  Shiloh was moving between the wardrobe and the bed, folding and packing clothes into a valise.

“Shiloh.”

Without even acknowledging he was in the room, she continued her packing until he stepped in front of her, taking the dress she was folding out of her hands and tossing it on the bed.  She exhaled loudly and tried to step around him, but he held her arms.

“Stop.”

She stepped back.  “I don’t know what it is that you want me to stop.  I’m simply packing clothes.”

“I would like you to stay here while I’m in San Francisco.”

“I don’t want to stay here,” she said without looking at him. “If I have to stare at walls and ceilings until the baby comes, I would prefer they be my own.”

“You’ll have help here.”

Turning, she went to sit in the chair.  “I have help at home.”

“Shiloh, what’s the harm in staying?” he asked, moving his hands out to the side.

“There is no harm, Adam.  I simply want to sleep in my own bed and have my own things around me.  If you won’t let me go with you, at least let me be comfortable while you’re gone.”

Bowing his head, Adam let out an exasperated breath, then glanced up at her.  “I’m just trying to keep you safe while I can’t be here.  What I heard earlier…”

“What you heard earlier…Adam, look at what this is doing to me.  I have trouble eating. I…”

“You didn’t eat properly before any of this started.”

She stood as quickly as she could, giving him a desperate, last effort look.  She already knew nothing she said would stop him from leaving.  But maybe she could make him feel as uneasy about his leaving as she felt.  “I can barely get up from a chair by myself, I can’t see…just see…my horses, I can’t sing.  I’ve been forbidden to do anything.  And now I have fears about the birth.  And you’re leaving to do what you’ve always done,” she said waving her hands in the air.  “You’ve not had to make one change.  And your leaving…now?”

He sighed and looked at the floor.  Surely she knew how badly he felt with everything that had happened since she had conceived. He’d talked her into having a child even though he felt she wasn’t ready.  “Shiloh, I don’t feel any better about this than you,” he said slowly, and then found her eyes.  “But I can’t get out of this.  Robert isn’t familiar enough with the project to do the inspection, and I’m not going to just sign off on a building until I know the structure is sound.   If I don’t do this inspection, the penalty alone could wipe out everything Slater and Cartwright has gained since I joined.”

Catching a glimpse of her eyes clouded over with such despair before she closed them, he moved forward to take her limp hands and move them around his waist.  Guiding her head to rest on his chest, he lay his cheek on top, moving his hands down to her lower back where he gently dug into the muscles he knew ached. “Shiloh, it’s all right to be upset.  You have every right to be.  But we’ve started this course, and we have no choice but to see it through.”

“Adam, I understand you have to do this inspection.  It’s just come at a…”

“I know it has, Sweetheart, believe me.  I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to.  This is why I want you here, so I know that if anything happens, you’ll be taken care of.”

Looking up with pleading eyes, she spoke her case.  “Adam, all Joe or Pa could do is send someone into town to get Paul.  Ming Lin could send for Micah, and Micah could bring Cheron.  She’ll be here for a little while, at least.”

“And what about after she leaves?”

“Dr. Martin isn’t any further away from  our house than this house.  And if I do what he says, I shouldn’t have a problem.  He’ll be out to check on me, I’m sure Pa will come over, and so will Micah.  Please, let me go home.”

How could he resist her big, blue, sad, moist eyes?  “All right.  I’ll take you home,” he said, kissing the top of her head and holding her tightly.  “I never meant to upset you so,” he whispered.

Pressing against him, she felt warm and safe in his arms.  “Under the circumstances, I don’t see how you could have avoided it,” she answered softly.  “I don’t like it.  I don’t like it one bit.”

Bending, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.  “You’ve already been on your feet too long today.”

“But I still need to pack,” she protested.

Walking to the wardrobe, he pulled the few garments out that remained, including his, and laid them on the bed opposite the valise.  “You can pack from right there.”  He gathered his shaving and her personal items from the wash stand and the dressing table and took those to the bed as well as his bag, then sat next to her, moving a finger under her chin.  “If I agree to take you home, you have promise you’ll stay off your feet,” he said with raised eyebrows.  “If you don’t convince me you’ll do as I ask, I won’t take you.”

“Do I have to stay in the bed the whole time?”

“Well, no.  You can still bathe and take care of necessities, but other than those, you have to keep your feet up.  You can sit on the sofa if you like.  I’ll take the hassock with us,  but you have to call Ming Ling to help you down the stairs.  Agreed?”

When she nodded, he leaned in to kiss her, lingering at her lips for a moment before he stood.  “It doesn’t look like you have that much more to pack.  I’ll be back up for you as soon as I get the horses hitched to the sleigh.”

“Adam, when do you have to leave?”

Looking down at the floor, he breathed deeply before he answered her.  “Tomorrow.”

“So soon,” she said quietly, her chin quivering.

“We’ll talk about it when we get home, all right?”

Casting her eyes down, she pulled a dress to her and began to fold it.   Adam watched for a moment, and realizing he wasn’t going to get a verbal answer, he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Settled in her own bed, Shiloh watched as Adam unpacked the valise, hanging her dresses and his shirts in the wardrobe before he began repacking for his trip.

“How long will you be gone?”

He looked up and smiled.  “I don’t know.  Robert asked me to go with him to meet some men who want to build an apartment row.  I don’t know when that meeting is, but I promise you as soon as everything is done, I’ll leave for home.”

Looking curiously at him, she asked, “How will you do that?  You can’t leave until the steamer or stage is ready to leave.”

“I’m not taking the stage.”  She looked like the wind had been knocked out of her.  Abandoning his packing, he sat down on the side of the bed, taking her hand in his.  “What’s wrong?”

“I wouldn’t be so concerned if you were taking the stage.  You’d be with other people.  But alone, you might get stranded…or worse…because of the storms in the mountains.”

Reaching forward, he touched the tip of her nose.  “I’ve made this trip before…more times than I can count.”

“It only takes one,” she replied, frowning.

“If something were to happen to you, I could be back in a day if I ride straight through.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me.”

Tightening his lips, he looked sternly at her under an arched eyebrow.  “You’re here at home because you said you’d feel better.   Let me have mine, won’t you?”  Standing, he went back to packing.  She said no more, but slid down into the bed and turned away.  With a knowing smile, he asked, “Would you like something to do while I’m away?”

It took her a moment to answer.  “Like what?”

“I’ve been preparing for spring.  I’ve gotten the ledgers updated with the budget for next year, but they’ve not been checked, and I have Crocker’s contracts figured and ready to go, but I haven’t checked them either.  I’ve also designed the cold storage for a dairy, and I have a list of materials we’ll need to build it, but I haven’t priced them out yet.  You need to do the budget for your horses, too, and you need to give performances for next year some thought.  You can also ask Micah if he’d like you to do the Flying W budget since you’ve been doing the ledger.  Either Hank or Micah can help you with that.”

“What about the mine ledger?”

“Micah will start it, and I’ll check it when I get back.”

“Adam, how do you expect me to do any paperwork in the bed.  I need to be at the table.”

He nodded.  “I just happened to have already thought about that, and you…”  Bending over her, he kissed her.  “…will be able to sit in one of the chairs by the fire downstairs with your feet on the hassock while you work.”

Trying not to smile, she said, “You’re making it hard to be angry with you for leaving.”

Adam moved the valise to a chair next to the wash stand where his shaving items lay.  He would pack them after he shaved in the morning. “Sweetheart, I understand your need to be involved…to do things.  I think you described it as ‘not being useless.’  You are far from useless.  At the moment, you’re doing one of the most important things you will ever do.”

She couldn’t help but smile…and blush as she rubbed her belly.

“Now,” he said, sitting back down on the bed.  “What shall we do the rest of the evening?”

“I’d like to take a bath, please,” she answered, reaching forward to touch his lips with a finger.  “And I’d like to hear you play your new guitar.”

He grabbed her hand, kissing her finger.  “After dinner.  I’ll ask Ming Lin to prepare a bath while we eat.”

***

In the living room of Mrs. Levine’s boarding house, the minister stood with his back to the window, flipping through his Bible while his wife directed everyone present to their appropriate positions.  When Miss Preston had shown an interesting in attending after hearing Annie’s reason behind taking her exams early, Annie asked if she would be a witness to which Miss Preston delightedly replied ‘yes.’

Looking up over his glasses and seeing everyone in their places, the minister cleared his throat and began, “Dearly beloved…”

Annie stood to Hoss’s left holding his hand and listening closely to every word the minister recited.

Hoss stood frozen stiff, though he was holding Annie’s hand.  Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, surely as much from nerves as the temperature in the room, especially as he was properly dressed in his nicest jacket.  His eyes bore into the window glass just above the minister’s head, and the thoughts racing through his head had more to do with what his pa was going to say when he found out Hoss, for all intents and purposes, had run off and gotten married, rather than the idea that Annie was lovelier than he’d ever seen her and seemingly happier, too.  Just before he repeated his vows while staring at the same spot on the window, he swallowed hard.

Before Annie began her vows, she jerked his arm, causing him to turn.  The sudden movement brought him out of his stupor as Annie gazed up into his eyes, repeating her vows.

A slow smile began to grow upon his face, and once it had made it to his eyes, Annie, who had been somewhat frightened that perhaps he really didn’t want to go through with this, and that maybe she had trapped him with the only alternative being his enlistment in the Union Army, finally knew in her heart of hearts that he wanted to marry her as much as she wanted to be his wife.

Whatever doubts or fears Hoss had when the ceremony started, they were lost in her exquisite hazel eyes, and when it came to his turn to say those last two, but very important words, he said them loudly, “I do,” to make sure everyone could hear at the same time giving the minister and Annie a definitive nod.

A very timid kiss had both of them blushing, but that didn’t last long as Miss Preston and Mrs. Levine as well as the few guests who had attended overran them with well wishes and hugs.

Mrs. Levine had made a lovely dinner for the two newlyweds and their guests.  While everyone was enjoying a pleasant meal with pleasant company, the front door burst open, and six soldiers forcibly pulled Hoss away from the table and took him away.  Captain Fletcher entered after Hoss had been removed, stepping in front of Annie.

“Miss Walters, your marriage to Mr. Cartwright has been deemed a sham to avoid his conscription and is thus null and void.”

Annie was stunned, trying her best to hold her tears at bay.  Stepping between her and Captain Fletcher, Mrs. Levine had finally reached the end of her rope. “Captain Fletcher, if that young man isn’t brought back to this house immediately, I will personally see to the end of your military career.  You have overstepped your bounds here, sir, and none of us who have witnessed this legal joining of two people in marriage will stand by and let you get away with it.”

The captain leaned in much closer than comfortable to Mrs. Levine, and said with a conceited sneer, “I’ve already gotten away with it, Mrs. Levine, and no one in this city is going to do anything to stop me.  I’m the law here, or haven’t you heard.  The protection of this city is now the responsibility of the military made up of my men who follow my orders.”

To Fletcher’s surprise, Mrs. Levine stepped nose to nose with him. “Mr. Fletcher, and I call you Mr. Fletcher because I assure you, once I contact my old friends in Washington you will be taking up residence somewhere else…without the benefit of your uniform, and your men will be under the orders of someone worthy of their respect.”

Unsuspecting of Mrs. Levine’s spit and vinegar, Fletcher seemed visibly shaken for just a moment before he turned on his heels and stormed out of the house with Annie on his heels.

Mrs. Levine caught her and pulled her back into the house, closing the door.  “My dear, do not fret,” said Mrs. Levine sternly, but with kindness, still feeling the ire that had risen within her.  “I’ve shaken him.   And before I’m through, he will be cowering in fear, and most assuredly will be facing court martial.”

***

Shiloh stood facing the tub watching tendrils of steam rise into the air.  Even though Adam had built a fire in the room that would be their bedroom when the furniture arrived, the attached washroom was still chilly causing her to shiver just a bit.  With a heavy sigh, she dropped her robe off her shoulders, hung it on a wall hook and proceeded slowly toward the tub, glancing nervously back to see if Adam was watching.

Adam hadn’t yet looked, busy removing his own clothes and hanging them neatly on another wall hook.  He turned just in time to see the most ungraceful entry into a tub he thought he’d ever seen…not that he’d seen many women enter a tub of water.  In fact, he thought with a smile at the memory, he’d seen just one, and she had been fully clothed and stinking drunk at the time.  He would know.  He’s the one who had helped her into the tub.  He watched as Shiloh bent over the tub, holding onto the side while she moved one leg in at a time.  Once in, she bent at the knees and kneeled first before she slowly rolled to a sitting position.  His chuckle escaped, and she froze and glared testily at him.

“You try it with this belly in front of you.”  Then she shrugged.  “It’s the best I can do.  You should see me get out.”

His smile was wide, showing his dimples, and his chuckle turned into a slow, deep laugh as he stepped into the tub behind her.

“Adam, did I ever thank you for building this washroom up here?   Having my own washroom next to the bedroom…it’s very nice.  The…what did you call it?  The thing that replaced the outhouse?”

“It didn’t replace the outhouse.  The outhouse is still necessary.   In Europe, it’s called a toilet.”

“So when you pour water in it, where does it all go?”

Adam let his head drop forward as he shook it.  “It goes down the pipe on the side of the house out to the same hole the outhouse sits over.  Can we talk about something else?”

She leaned back against him and smiled.  “After I tell you how much I appreciate it.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, closing his eyes and sliding down a little further into the tub so he could lay his head back on the side.

“What about the children?”

“What about them?”

“Aren’t you going to build another one up here?  For the children?”

“I had thought about it, but I’m not sure I want that much going through pipes down the side of the house.  They can use slop jars like everyone else or they can go to the outhouse.  And they can use the bathhouse downstairs.”

She said nothing to that, but instead, sat back up and began to bathe.

An unexpected knock on the door from the hallway startled both of them.  “Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Whitney is here to see you.  He has said it is important.”

“Thank you, Ming Lin.  I’ll be right down.”

“What could that be about?  Micah would never send Ming Lin up here unless something was terribly wrong.”

Pushing himself up out of the water, Adam stepped over the side of the tub and toweled off.  “I won’t know until I talk to him.  Why don’t you enjoy your bath while I find out.”  He hurried out the door half dressed.

Shiloh knew he was more than just a little concerned by the way he let the door swing closed on its own and by the quick cadence of his footfalls on the stairs.  “I’ll be hanged if I’m waiting.   Something’s wrong.”   Struggling to her knees, she put a hand on either side of the tub, pushed herself up, and then climbed over the sides as clumsily as she had climbed in.

She didn’t bother to dress, but rather pulled her robe on and hurried to the top of the stairs in her bare feet just in time to hear Micah say, “We’ve got a cave in at the mine.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Hoss lay on a cot in a jail cell, unconscious, completely unaware of where he was, where Annie was, or what exactly had happened to him.  No one came to check on him, and when the moon rose, sending its chilling light into the cell, no one saw.

***

Shiloh listened at the top of the stairs as Micah told Adam what had happened.

“It wasn’t a collapse, Adam.  It was a cave in.  The rock on the side of the hill rolled down through the headstock and into the shaft.”

“Adam.”

Both men turned to look at the top of the stairs.  “Shiloh, I have to go to the mine.  Don’t wait up for me.”

Her mouth dropped open.  “Of course I’m waiting up for you.  This is our last night before you leave for…God knows how long.”

Adam quickly glanced at Micah before he turned to the stairs, moving his hands to either post and looking up at Shiloh.  “Sweetheart, we have injured men in the mine.  I can’t leave until they’re out.”

Without any sign of resistance, she nodded.  “Clint Miller came to the house while you and Micah were looking for Cheron.”

Micah walked to the side of the stairs and looked up.  “What did he want?”

“He wanted you and Adam to go to the mine.  The side opposite the main shaft collapsed, and two men were injured.   I told him neither of you were here.  I told him to leave the up side of the shaft alone, and to give the men enough time off with pay to recover.  And I told him if there was any sign of trouble at the main shaft to pull everyone out until you got back.”

Adam turned to Micah.  “Do you know when this started?”

“No, but I’m going to find out.”  Micah turned toward the door.

“Wait for me.”  Running up the stairs, Adam took Shiloh by the arms. “Please, stay off your feet.”

Moving a hand to his cheek, she smiled.  “I will.  Be careful.”

Taking her hand, he kissed her palm, then trotted down the stairs, following Micah out the door.

When they arrived at the mine, both men jumped down from their horses, handing the reins to a man who had been waiting for them before they rushed to the ladder that led down into the shaft.  Adam first looked at the square set supports and determined that the short shaft itself was still stable.  Several feet of rocks and boulders had come from outside the mine off the slope on which the headstock stood.  Their final resting place was in the small area where the men had just begun to dig horizontally from the vertical entry shaft.  Some were able to step into the safety of the new tunnel, but others were caught underneath the raining rocks.

“Mr. Whitney, we still got one man buried under the rocks.  Everyone else who got hit is up top.”

Adam looked down at the man’s hand.  “Digger, your hand is smashed.  Go up and get it cleaned up so Dr. Martin can take a look at it when he gets here.”

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Cartwright, I’d rather stay here and help.  I can still work with it.”

Adam smiled a half smile, thankful that there was still some loyalty among the men.  An accident this early in the digging could be considered a bad omen for many of them.  He’d have to wait and see how many decided to move on.  At the moment though, he wanted those men out of the shaft as quickly as possible until he had a chance to look at the ridge above the headstock.  Moving his hand to Digger’s shoulder, he answered.  “All right.  But as soon as he’s out…” he looked around at the men moving the rocks and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him, “as soon as he’s out, I want everyone out of this shaft.”

“But Mr. Cartwright, we should start hauling these rocks out.  We’ll lose too much time if we don’t go ahead and move ’em.”

Micah stepped forward.  “We don’t know that there won’t be another rock fall, and we’re not willing to risk your lives.  Everyone leaves until it’s safe.”   Looking around at the disappointed faces, he added, “Don’t worry.  You’ll be working outside on the ridge, so you won’t lose any pay.  And those of you who are injured, will take some time off with pay. Whatever the doctor feels is necessary.”

The men looked at each other, nodding and smiling.  There would be no reason for the bosses to question their loyalty.

“Adam, I’ll stay down here and make sure everyone gets up top. I’ll join you on the ridge when I’m done here,” said Micah.

Nodding, Adam climbed back up the ladder.

***

Shiloh watched as the front door closed.  She stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, unable to think of the possibilities…because the possibilities could turn out so bad.  Retreating to the bedroom, she pulled on her gown, wrapped herself up in the robe, then went back to the top of the stairs and called for Ming Lin.  She had promised Adam she would call Ming Lin to help her down the stairs.   If that was going to be her last promise to him, she was certainly going to keep it.

Descending the stairs slowly on Ming Lin’s arm, she looked forward, fighting back tears.  There was no point in crying.  Whatever was going to happen, there was nothing she could do but wait.

Still, Ming Lin could feel her stress.  Her hands were stiff, her walk was deliberate, and her breathing was clipped.  Once she was seated in a chair next to the fireplace with her feet on the hassock, he withdrew to the kitchen to make her special tea after he had stoked the fire and delivered the blanket she had recently begun to keep on the sofa.

Shiloh propped her elbow on the arm of the chair and lowered her head into her hand.  She had always involved herself in everything about the Flying W, but now she could do nothing but wait for Adam to return.  Knowing both Adam and Micah, they’d be right in the middle of it…in harm’s way.

When Ming Lin delivered her tea, she managed a ‘thank you’ and a slight smile, but the minute he was out of the room, the lines that creased her brow reappeared, and the tea slowly cooled in the cup untouched.

She didn’t hear the latch of the door click, nor did she notice the click of his heels on the wooden floor.  Adam approached her as quietly as he could once he saw her in the chair.  Her tea cup had been removed, and the fire had been kept up, but Shiloh was sound asleep.

Kneeling next to her chair, he raised her hand from her lap and kissed it, causing her to stir.

Without lifting her head from the wing of the chair, she opened her eyes only a little and smiled.  “What time is it?” she whispered.

“A little after midnight.  You should be in bed.”

“So should you.”  Reaching out, she drew her fingers over a rip in the shoulder of his shirt.  “Was anyone seriously hurt?”

He stood and bent, lifting her from the chair.  “I’m tired.  Let’s go upstairs.”

With her head on his shoulder, she remained quiet as he carried her up to their bedroom and put her to bed.  But once there, she asked again, “Adam, was anyone seriously hurt?”

Letting a breath out through his mouth, he answered as he unbuttoned his shirt.  “Most were minor, but we’ve got two men Paul’s watching.  We took them to the Flying W.  He didn’t want to risk taking them to town.”

She appeared behind him and gently touched his shoulder.  “And what happened here?”

Glancing at his shoulder, he unfastened his belt and trousers, then turned around.  “Bed.”

“Can I at least clean that for you?”

“No.  I’ll clean it in the bathtub.”

“You’ll freeze.”

“It can’t be any colder than the lake,” he said, turning her around and herding her back to the bed.

Adam hid his emotions very well, but she knew he was disturbed. Quietly climbing into the bed, she settled in and waited for him to finish his bath.  When he slipped underneath the blankets next to her, she turned to face him, and for a moment they looked at each other quietly.

“Is Micah all right?”

“He’s fine.  A little scraped up, but fine.”

As he raised his hand to caress her cheek, Shiloh noticed the knuckles of his right hand were cut and bruised.  She sat up quickly, holding his hand.  “Adam, what are you trying not to tell me?  You’ve been in a fight.”

Turning to his back, he let his hands drop to his sides as he stared at the ceiling.  “The shaft is stable.  But the hillside isn’t.  We’re going to have to build a break above the headstock to stop the rock from falling into the shaft before we can send the men back down into the mine.”

She looked over at him with raised eyebrows.  “And?”

“This didn’t start tonight.  Rocks have been falling into the shaft for weeks, and Miller didn’t report it or do anything about it.  When Micah questioned why he continued sending men into the mine after you told him to shut it down if there were problems, he laughed.”

“You punched him because he laughed?”

“No.  I punched him because of what he said after he laughed.”  She opened her mouth to ask, but he stopped her with a warning look.  “And I’m not going to repeat it.”

She lay back down and turned to her side.  “I take it you fired him.”

“Micah paid him his wages and escorted him off the property.”

“I see.  You don’t usually lose your temper like that.  It shouldn’t have mattered what he said.”

Rolling to his side to face her, he moved his hands behind her and pulled her into him as close as possible.  “The men heard what he said, and most of them know who you are.  So does Miller.  I assure you.  He won’t be running his mouth.”

“That doesn’t worry me so much anymore, Adam.  But I understand that this is one of those things that men…husbands do.  Let it go and get some rest, please.  You’ve got a long ride ahead of you.”

Running his thumb lightly across her lips, he moved into her for a kiss, moving from her lips to her nose, her jaw and to her neck as his hand moved down her back, stopping at the back of her leg.

“Adam…we can’t.  The baby.”

“I’m not leaving you without…something. We’ll just have to go slow and easy,” he whispered mid-kiss.

Shiloh tensed.  “But you need your rest.”

“I can’t think of anything that would help both of us rest better.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

“Mrs. Levine, this telegram’s going to cost you a small fortune.  Can’t you leave some of this out?”

“No, I can’t,” she answered angrily.  “That Fletcher won’t let anyone see him.   I haven’t even been able to find the doctor to make sure Mr. Cartwright was seen to after those men hit him over the head before he could even stand up from the table.”

“Now, Mrs. Levine, don’t get riled up at me.  I’m just trying to save you a little money.”

She flapped her hand at him.  “Just get on with it.  The sooner that telegram is received, the sooner all this will be over.”

Annie rushed through the door of the telegraph office out of breath. “If found him.”

“You found who?” asked Mrs. Levine, spinning around.

“Dr. Stephenson.  If found Dr. Stephenson.  He said he hadn’t told Captain Fletcher that Hoss would be better off at the military hospital.  In fact, he said he didn’t think Hoss was there.  He’s going to talk to the captain.”

“Did you tell him that Hoss was hurt…that he received a violent blow to the head?”

“I told him.  He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t seem too pleased.”

“Well, good.   Doctor’s have the final say when it comes to who is able for duty.”

“Mrs. Levine, do you still want me to send this?” asked the clerk.

“You should have already sent it.  Of course I do.”  Turning to Annie, her faced melted into that of a kindly, motherly type as she took Annie’s arm in hers.  “Now, you and I are going  back to the house, drink some coffee, and get your things packed.  We’re sending you off as soon as Hoss is able.”

On the cot in the cell, Hoss grimaced and raised his hand to his head as he slowly sat up.  He waited with his head hung low until the room quit spinning before he tried to stand.  When he did, he reached quickly for the bars of the cell to steady himself, and shuffled forward until he was leaning on the bars.  “Hey!” he tried to yell, but said no more as the sharp pain in his head worsened.  Dizziness took over and as consciousness ebbed, his hands slid down the bars of the cell until his knees touched the floor.  He fell backwards and lay as still as death itself.

***

Adam hadn’t remembered to tell Shiloh, but before he went into the house the night before, he rode down to the stables and brought one of her horses up to the barn by the house intending to ride him to San Francisco.  It’s not that he didn’t trust Sport in the snow, but Buster was a steam engine of a horse and had proven time and time again that he could plow surefooted through the deepest snows.

Before he kissed her one last time, leaving her sleeping soundly bathed in a contented glow, he sat down at the desk he’d brought over from the Ponderosa with his bedroom furniture and wrote a letter.  He left it on his pillow, sure that she would reach for him as she always did and find the letter in his place.  Then he removed a delicate rose-scented linen handkerchief from her dressing table drawer.  Before he left the room, he lingered at the door for one last look at her where he smiled and quietly closed the door.  Heading down the stairs, he followed the smell of fresh brewed coffee to the kitchen.

Once again, Ming Lin was ready and waiting with eggs, bacon, biscuits and apricot jam as well as a freshly poured cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Good morning.  I didn’t tell you I was leaving early.  How did you know?”

As Ming Lin placed a plate on the table, he smiled.  “Your voice is very deep.  It is easily heard.”

The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up as he sat down at the table.  “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

After packing his saddlebags with supplies, Adam left Ming Lin with instructions to make sure Shiloh stayed off her feet, even if he had to resort to fetching Adam’s father, then moved all the ranch paperwork from the end of the dining room table where he worked to a side table next to the chair she’d fallen asleep in the night before.  He left a board leaning against the side of the chair that he’d sanded, stained and varnished as if it were a fine piece of furniture. The board would lay over the arms of the chair so that Shiloh would have a surface on which to work while her feet rested on the hassock.

He buckled his gun belt around his hips, and then pulled on his coat, putting her neatly folded handkerchief in the inside pocket after he’d taken in a deep breath of her scent.  With his gloves on, he reached for his hat and pushed it snuggly down on his head, then threw his saddle bags over his shoulder.  Turning, he looked around the room one more time, glancing up the stairs with another smile, then picked up his valise and stepped outside to be greeted by a frigid wind that whipped the snow against the skin of his cheeks and felt like the sandpaper with which he’d sanded the board.

He sighed before he trotted down the steps, lamenting that he’d start his journey most likely without the sun to warm him.  It was too early to tell yet.  Sunrise wouldn’t be for another half hour.

***

As Adam had thought, the sun never peeked out from beyond the snow clouds that shrouded the Lake Tahoe basin.  Still, enough light shown through the bedroom window to cause Shiloh to turn away and reach for Adam.  Her hand searched up and down the mattress before she moved to his pillow where she felt the letter he’d left for her.  She lay still, looking at the folded letter on the pillow. He didn’t say goodbye?  Then a slow smile formed on her lips as she remembered how he’d said his goodbye the night before.  Snatching the note off the pillow, she snuggled underneath the blankets as she unfolded it.

My Love,

Please do not be angry with me for not waking you.  I have no regrets in leaving you with pleasant memories rather than that of watching as I left you this morning. 

I neglected to tell you last night, and you were sleeping so peacefully this morning…I’ve taken Buster instead of Sport for reasons you well know in the hope you will have some respite from your worries about my travels.

I will stop for the night in Placerville, and will send you a telegram from there as well as Sacramento and again when I arrive in San Francisco.  I promise you, my love, that the very minute my work is done, I will be on my way home to you.

The paperwork we discussed is on the table next to the chair downstairs along with a lap board that fits over the arms of the chair, so you have no excuse not to stay off your feet.

Please do as Paul asks.  He will be stopping by before he returns to Virginia City. I have also asked Ming Lin to make sure you eat as I know without a reminder you tend to forget.

Robert and Evelyn have invited me to stay in their home which I intend to do.  If you need to find me, start there.

I watch you with happy affection as I write this letter, remembering the sweetness of your mouth, the softness of your skin, your gentle caresses and contented smile, and the closeness we shared this past night.  I shall cherish these memories until we are together again.

All my heart,

Adam

Shiloh held the letter to her breast, closed her eyes and remembered, and that memory left her calm and sated.  She started at a knock on the door.  “Yes?”

“Mrs. Cartwright, your breakfast is almost ready.  Would you like me to bring it up?”

“No, Ming Lin.  I’d like to go downstairs.  I’ll need a few minutes to dress.  I’ll call you when I’m ready to come down.  Would you prepare a tray for the chair next to the fireplace in the living room?”

“Yes, Mrs. Cartwright.”

After helping Shiloh down the stairs and getting her settled in the chair, Ming Lin served her breakfast on the lap board Adam had made.  Smiling as Ming Lin moved the dishes from a tray to the board, she said, “This is perfect.  There’s plenty of room for all the reference material and the ledger, and he’s even made grooves to hold pencils, pen and ink well.”

“Mr. Cartwright is a thoughtful man,” agreed Ming Lin.

A quick knock on the front door turned both their heads.  Micah stuck his head in and smiled before he opened the door to come in.  “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Shiloh matched his grin.  “Have you had breakfast?”

“Long ago, Little Sister.”  Bending down next to the chair, he kissed the top of her head.  “But I would appreciate a hot cup of coffee.”

Ming Lin smiled, nodded and went back to the kitchen only to return moments later with the coffee service which he placed on the low table in front of the sofa.  Pouring a cup of coffee, he passed it to Micah.

“Thank you, Ming Lin.  Shiloh, I just stopped by to make sure you have everything you need.  Adam said he left you a pile of paperwork.”  She nodded and pointed to the stack on the side table.  “If you need to send any mail out, have Ming Lin send Shorty.  We’ve got some men this winter without much to do in these storms, so Adam suggested they use the road scraper to keep the road to Virginia City clear.”

Looking down at her plate smiling, she said, “He thought of everything, didn’t he?”

“Mm hm.  But I need a favor.”

“For you, anything.”

“Can I borrow some of your Clydesdales?   They’d make short work of that road.”

“Yes, but you’ll have to shoe them.  I don’t keep them shod over the winter.   There should already be some shoes that will fit them in the forge.”  She studied a scrape across his cheek.  “What happened there?” she asked, lifting her chin toward his cheek.

“I had to dodge a falling rock last night.  I didn’t quite make it out of the way.”

“Micah.” She lowered her eyes and bit her bottom lip.  “What did Miller say that made Adam lose his temper?”

Inhaling deeply, Micah let his head tilt to the side before he looked at her.  “Let’s just say he has no respect for women anywhere other hearth and home.”

“That’s a bit vague,” she replied with narrowed eyes.

He downed his coffee and sat the cup on the tray.  “Lemme guess.  You asked your husband and didn’t get anything out of him, so you’re trying me.  Sorry.  Be satisfied that Miller got what he deserved.”  Standing, he leaned over her, kissing her forehead.  “I have to go.  Adam asked Shorty to stay close.  If you need anything, send him.”

***

Yank’s Station was situated in the Tahoe basin just prior to the climb back up into the high Sierra on the west side of Lake Tahoe.  Adam rode Buster into the station barn and tied him in a stall, anxious to wrap his hands around a hot cup of coffee and warm his insides.  The cold wouldn’t have been so bad had the wind not been gusting, but as it was, it felt like it cut straight through his coat, gloves and trousers even with his long underwear.  This was exactly the kind of weather Shiloh feared, and she was right to do so.  It was just such storms that stranded men and left them to freeze to death.

When he swept through the doors of the station, the wind blew snow in and whipped papers off a counter that doubled as a bar.  “What kind of warmth you looking for?” asked the station master as he bent to pick up his papers.

Adam grimaced.  “Considering it’s too early to be drinking, I’ll just have a cup of hot coffee and a chair next to the fire, if you don’t mind.”

“Make yourself to home.  Lydia’ll be right out with the coffee.”

Adam did just that, not bothering to remove his gloves and jacket.  The only thing that came off was his hat which he placed on a table next to the chair he slowly eased into. The gloves came off and were slapped down next to the hat when the coffee appeared.

“Adam, all the locals got the sense God gave ’em to stay inside in a storm like this.  What in Heaven’s name are you doing out in it?” asked Lydia.  “Nevermind.  You’re on your way to San Francisco again, aren’t you?”

Ephraim “Yank” Clement and his wife, Lydia, purchased the property the way station occupied in 1859 and had seen the Cartwrights come and go over the years, especially Adam and Ben.  They’d even met Shiloh.

“I am, Mrs. Clement.  It was unavoidable.”

“And how did your wife feel about that?  I know she grew up in the Sierra, same as you, so she knows how bad these storms can be.”

Adam smiled.  “She does.”

“Lydia, leave Adam alone.  He probably heard enough of that before he left the Ponderosa.”

“I did,” Adam said, laughing.

“Oh,” huffed Lydia as she exited back to the kitchen while Yank followed her with his eyes before he sat in the chair at the opposite side of the fire and joined Adam in a cup of coffee.

“I can rightly see why you’d be riding.  After all, the stage ain’t going nowhere.  Can’t get it up the summit.”

“I hadn’t heard that, but I guess it’s as good a reason as any,” said Adam, sipping his coffee and closing his eyes as the warmth flowed down to his stomach.

“Yeah, horses are slippin’, wagon wheels are slippin’.  Nothing’s going up that road until this storm blows out and the snow’s cleared.  You probably ain’t going up that road either.  It’s frozen solid.”

Adam sat up. “What about Hope Valley?”

“Well, it’s the long way around,” answered Yank, sitting back in his chair.  “But you avoid the higher elevations.  Should be passable.  What you ridin?”

“One of Shiloh’s horses.  Not Sport.  Buster’s solid in snow.”

Yank chuckled. “That’s one woman who knows her horses.”  Snapping his head up, he added, “Not that you don’t, Adam, but…ah…it is her horse.  I’d stop and rest at Grizzly Flat, and from there, you can go through Diamond Springs and settle there for the night if it’s dark.  It ain’t that far from Placerville.  It’ll be quicker from Diamond Springs if you go on over to Shingle Spring, and then take the road to Sacramento.  But Adam, that’s an awful long ride in a storm like this. The last stagecoach came through here from Sacramento said the snow is low as Sportsman’s Hall, so you won’t get much relief until you hit Diamond Springs or Placerville.”

Puckering his lips, Adam thought seriously about where he might stay if he couldn’t make it to Diamond Springs or Placerville.  “Yank, I’ll need to get to a telegraph office before it closes.  Is there one at Grizzly Flat?”

With a big nod, Yank answered, “Yep, if the wires are up.  If not, you might be able to send it ahead of you, and then ask them to try their lines if Grizzly’s out.  Two different lines.”

“It’s Hope Valley then,” said Adam, setting his coffee cup on the table and standing.  Placing a coin in Yank’s hand, he said, “Thanks for the coffee…and the conversation.  If it’s as bad as you say, I should be on my way.”

“You be careful, Adam.  I don’t wanna be the one to tell that pretty wife of yours I was the last one to see you alive instead of her.”

Adam winked and nodded, and then stepped out into the cold fury.

Chapter Fifty

The man approaching the military offices wore a heavy fur-lined coat with the collar turned up against the cold.  His gloved hands were buried deep within the pockets, and his hat sat low on his head.  Nothing could be seen that might identify the man, but standing in the window, Captain Horace Fletcher knew by the man’s gait who he was.  Scowling, he sent his aid out just as Dr. Stephenson entered.

“Fletcher.  I received word that you have a man in your custody who should be in the hospital.  I want him released into my care immediately.”

Fletcher calmly sat down at his desk.  “And who might that be, good doctor?”

Standing at the front of the desk, Dr. Stephenson removed his hat and glowered. “Don’t play games with me.  Mr. Cartwright is not in any shape to be given any military duties.”

“I disagree,” replied Fletcher, leaning back and clasping his hands in his lap.  “Mr. Cartwright was out for a walk recently with Miss Walters.  I saw nothing that indicated he was still ill.  In addition, he and Miss Walters were married yesterday; an obvious attempt to disqualify him for duty.  This army has laws against such practices.”

“You’re an idiot, Fletcher.” The doctor stepped away from the desk and turned to the side in an attempt to calm himself.  “One has nothing to do with the other.  He is not healed from his battle with the wolves.  You’re lucky none of the wolves displayed any signs of rabies.  And he’s supposed to be walking at my request.”

“He’s getting plenty of rest,” the captain said, waving the doctor off.  “As soon as he’s fit, he’ll assume his duties.”

“Where is he?  I demand to see him.”

“Evidently, you haven’t been to your office this morning.  I’ve entered into a contract with another doctor.  Your services are not required here.”

“And just who is this other doctor?”

“Jeffrey Freeman.”

“Jeffrey Freeman is a negro doctor.  None of your troops will allow him to tend to them.”

“That may be true.  But Mr. Cartwright will.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.”  Without another look, Fletcher took a roster book out of his desk and began to write in it.

“You may ignore me now, Fletcher, but I assure you, you have not seen the last of me nor have you heard the end of this.  And if Mr. Cartwright’s condition worsens during his time in your keep, I will see you held responsible.”

“Good day, doctor,” replied the captain in a completely uninterested tone.

Dr. Stephenson stormed out of the military offices and headed toward the hospital.  Not more than a few feet from where he started up the sidewalk, he stopped, hesitated and changed direction, heading toward the area of town inhabited by the small black population.

When he arrived at Dr. Freeman’s home, he hesitated to climb the steps to the door.  Looking up at the front of the house, he wondered how it was still standing. Then he looked up and down the street and realized, for the first time, that this was the shape of most of the houses in this neighborhood; once elegant homes most likely inhabited by whites, but left behind for richer districts in the city, leaving behind the only choice the black population had for living situations.  Shaking his head, he climbed the steps and gently rapped on a door that looked like it was about to fall off its hinges.

A woman opened the door.  She was young and soft-spoken, but offered a bright smile.  “Can I help you?”

Removing his hat, Dr. Stephenson slightly bowed.  “I’m looking for Dr. Freeman.  I’m Dr. Stephenson.”

“Dr. Stephenson?  My, this is a surprise.  You just missed him.  Capt’n Fletcher sent for him to tend to a man in jail.  Seems he got hit on the head and ain’t come to yet.”

“I see.”

The woman’s smile faded as she noticed the troubled look on the doctor’s face.  “I’m sure Jeffrey wouldn’t mind the company, ‘specially if this man’s hurt bad.”

“Yes.  Perhaps I will go to the jail and offer my help.”  A smile appeared on his face as he moved his hat to his head and bowed.  “Thank you for your time.”

***

After tying his bandana around his neck and pulling it up over his mouth and nose, Adam flipped the collar of his coat up, then nudged Buster down the road to Hope Valley.  He’d been through Hope Valley in better weather and knew well the homesteads that farmed this fertile high valley.  Today, the snow was so heavy, he couldn’t make out much more than the trees that lined the road, and even they were vague images.

Going was slow, but Buster trudged on through the high drifts until they got to an area through a narrow pass where there was no snow on the ground despite the blizzard that roared on.  The wind blew so strongly through the pass that it scoured the snow away. Adam had to dismount and walk to avoid being blown off Buster’s back.

Only a few miles from Grizzly Flat, the wind eased, but snow was still coming down in thick sheets of large, powdery flakes.  Still, without the wind, he was able drop his bandana off his face, allowing him to breathe easier.

When he arrived at Grizzly Flat no one was on the street, but lights were flickering in the windows where everyone that had sense to stay in from the cold basked by their fires.  Tying Buster at the rail in front of the wood frame hotel, Adam stomped the snow off his boots as best he could before he entered.  He stepped into a crowd of ten to fifteen people looking for accommodations for the night and could hear the desk clerk yelling he had no more rooms.

Without any hesitation, Adam left quickly, gathered Buster and walked to the livery where he asked for a stall for Buster for the night, and then asked the stable master, “Do you mind if I bed down in here tonight?  There’s no rooms available at the hotel.”

Grizzly Flat was a small town…no more than a young mining community, and the stable master was always looking for a way to make a little extra money.  “It’s two dollars for your horse with hay, and two dollars for you to occupy the stall with ‘im.  You can throw your bedroll on the tack box across the back of the stall.  At least that’ll keep you off the floor.”

Turning back toward Buster and raising his brows with a slight smile, he quickly turned back, pulling four coins out of his trouser pocket.  “Where can I find the telegraph office?”

The stable master bit one of the coins, nodded and dropped them into his pocket.  “Across the street, two doors down on the right.  But you need to hurry.  Elery was talkin’ about closin’ early ’cause the lines are out to the west.”

Adam tensed.  “What about east?”

“As far as I know, mister, they’s still up.  But might not be for long.  A man came in not too long before you.  Said the wind was whippin’ up on the ridge, which is where the lines run.”

Tipping his hat, Adam moved Buster into his stall, but didn’t unsaddle or unbridle him.  He’d do that after he sent a telegram.

***

Shiloh first went over Adam’s numbers in the ledger, and as expected, found them perfect.  Then she picked up the budget and noticed immediately he had not added anything to the income from her performances.  At first, steam rose, but then she remembered he hadn’t added the money she earned from singing to the general fund of the ranch.  She barely convinced him to use that money to purchase the mining equipment.

She started to add that same amount she made last year, but stopped and put the end of the pencil in her mouth.  She sang in three cities last year, not including Virginia City.  For Sacramento, she was away from the ranch for three weeks, and for Salt Lake City and Denver city she was gone for eight weeks.  How could she possibly handle that schedule with a baby she’d have to feed?   If she didn’t sing, would she be forgotten?  Even worse, would she lose her ability to breathe correctly without the kind of practice only possible with an orchestra?

Closing the ledger, she took out a blank sheet of paper and wrote a letter to Tom Maguire.  If she could sing in Virginia City and San Francisco…just two performances…that would be enough.

Ming Lin had come and gone several times to stoke the fire and bring her tea or coffee.  This time he brought in a glass of milk and cookies.  “Lunch will be ready soon, Mrs. Cartwright.”

“Thank you, Ming Lin.  Would you mind helping me up?  Adam has made this so comfortable, I’ve been sitting for too long.  I’ve gotten a little stiff.”

“But you are not supposed to be on your feet.”

“That’s true, however Mr. Cartwright said it would be all right to do necessary things, and that is what I intend to do.”

Nothing seemed to faze the man.  He nodded and dutifully lifted the board, laying it on the sofa, then helped Shiloh to her feet.  When he bent to retrieve the tray bearing the milk and cookies, she stopped him with a sweet smile.  “I’ll have the milk and cookies when I return.”

Little did she know that Ming Lin’s smile was one of relief that he wouldn’t have to remind her of the importance of eating as Mr. Cartwright had requested.

After lunch, she continued to work on the stack of paperwork.  She got to the supplies needed for the cold room of the dairy and slowed down, reading every detail Adam had written down.  The plans for the building were with the paperwork, and though the drawings didn’t do her much good, the notes Adam had written in the margins explained the building fairly well.  He was going to build it into the side of the mountain to the north of the house which would put it right at the boundary of the property Adam’s father had given him.  Most of the building would be underground, and at the far back of the building a large, deep hole would be dug out, lined with concrete and filled with packed snow each winter. She got so engrossed in Adam’s notes, that she forgot the time, and by the time she looked up, she had missed the shadows moving across the room as the light from the windows slowly faded.  Now, there was only a slight gray light and the soft yellow glow of a lamp Ming Lin had lit without her noticing.

Once again, she needed to stand and stretch, and take care of those necessary things.  On the way back she looked out a window toward the stables, and though there was still a little light outside, she couldn’t see the building.  The snow had begun to blow fiercely across the pastures that separated the house from the stables.  She could barely see the outhouse.  Realizing Adam would have already gone through this and might still be in it, she lost all interest in paperwork as worry set in.

“Ming Lin?” she called toward the kitchen.  She walked swiftly across the room and turned the corner calling him again about the same time he met her in the small hallway.  “Oh.  Is Shorty back from town?”

“He has not come by, but I will go and check the barn.”

“That’s not necessary.  I’m sure he’ll come to the house when he gets back.  I wouldn’t want you lost between here and there.”  She looked through the glass of the kitchen door toward the barn and could see nothing.  When she turned back to Ming Lin, he had already shrugged his heavy coat on.”

“I have already been out several times for firewood.  I have tied a rope between the house and the barn.  I will not get lost.”  Pulling a chair out from the kitchen table, he poured a cup of coffee and beckoned her to sit while he went out.

The furrows of her forehead eased as she slightly smiled.  She could never be angry with Ming Lin for doing what Adam had asked him to do.  Settling into the chair, she nodded, sending Ming Lin out the door into the wind and snow.

Chapter Fifty-One

Standing on the boardwalk, Adam waited for a black coach to pass before he stepped down into the street.  He had already observed that the sleepy little, out-of-the-way town had suddenly become very busy.  Those who thought they couldn’t afford to wait out the storm to get to Sacramento or San Francisco had resorted to the only other route available; the old stagecoach route before Kingsbury Grade had opened.  Only Grizzly Flat was still a little off the beaten path. The stagecoaches had never stopped here.  He chuckled to himself when he remembered that he was one of those who couldn’t wait out the storm.

Once again, he stomped his feet before he stepped into the telegraph office, thankful the door was still unlocked.

“What can I do for you?” asked the clerk.

“I need to get a telegram to Virginia City.”

“Lines are down.  Nothing going from here to Virginia City until this storm blows itself out and the lines can be repaired.”

“I was told your lines west are still working.”

“That’s true, but relaying a message back is mighty costly.” The clerk gave Adam a sidelong look.  “Most folks can’t afford it.”

Lifting his chin, Adam replied.  “I’d like to use the relay, if you don’t mind.”

Furrowing his brows, the clerk passed Adam a piece of paper and a pencil which Adam accepted without comment.

Shiloh Cartwright

Ponderosa Ranch

 

Johnson’s Pass impassable. Took Hope Valley.  Stopping at Grizzly Flat.

 

Adam stopped writing and chuckled, and with a smile, he continued writing.

 

Buster sends love.  As do I.  Adam.

 

Shoving the piece of paper over the counter to the clerk, Adam said, “I don’t expect an answer.”

 

The clerk added the words up on his fingers, then moved his eyes up to the ceiling to figure the extra.  “That’ll be two dollars even.”  Adam arched an eyebrow.  “I told you it would be costly.”

 

The clerk had no clue that Adam’s eyebrow raised at what seemed to be a trend so far in Grizzly Flat.  Everything cost two dollars.   Maybe dinner would prove different.

 

“Where can I get a hot meal?”

 

As the clerk moved behind his desk and sat, preparing to send the telegram, he answered, “There’s only one restaurant in town.  We ain’t got a delivery in a week, so Mamie might be running short just about now with all you folks coming through.   You’re a little early for dinner.  If you go now, you might be one of the lucky ones.”

 

Adam nodded with a tight-lipped smile.  “And just where would I go?”

 

“Take a left out the door.  Three doors down.”

 

Tipping his hat, Adam pulled the door open, and seeing a wave of people heading his way from the hotel, he hurried down to Mamie’s.  Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.  There were only three other couples seated.  Removing his hat, he walked to a table and was almost immediately offered a hot cup of coffee.  He chose hot beef stew with bread over a steak, and then gave the woman a warning.  “You’re going to have a crowd in here any minute.  They were on their way when I left the telegraph office.”

 

Mamie was a buxom older woman who Adam thought had probably been beautiful in her younger years.  Her eyes were bright as was her smile, and her voice sounded much younger than she looked.  “Well, I won’t be able to make anymore stew.  Don’t have any more carrots or onions in the root cellar, but I can serve beef and potatoes until the cows come home.  We’ve had some frozen cattle in this storm, so I’ve made a deal with the ranchers.  They’ll butcher ’em and sell me what they can at half price.”

 

“Are you serving breakfast tomorrow morning?”

 

“Honey, there’s nothing wrong with my chickens.  And I’ll save some bacon and coffee just for you,” she said, winking.  “Where you from?”

 

“Near Virginia City.”

 

Mamie sat down and propped her elbows on the table resting her chin in her hands.  “You got a wife?”

 

Adam’s nostrils flared as he suppressed a chuckle.  “Mm hm.”

 

“I figured,” she said, straightening up.  “All the handsome ones do.”  The door flew open and a crowd of people came in.  “I’ll have your food to you in a few minutes, Mr….”

 

“Cartwright.”

 

“All right, Mr. Cartwright.  You just sit tight.”   As she walked away from his table, she gave the entering crowd a wary look.  She was expecting to close early tonight, but it seemed she was going to have to call in reinforcements.

 

Mamie turned out to be a loud woman, yelling orders across the room to the two young girls she recruited to help her, though she really wasn’t that much louder than the crowd.  There were people waiting to sit down, so Adam invited a man and woman to join him at his table.  Mamie herself saw to them to make sure their food was served at the same time as Adam’s.  She was aware of the Cartwright name and of the Ponderosa and hoped that Adam would be generous when paying his bill tonight.

 

The man and his wife were from San Francisco.  He worked in the mayor’s office and was also familiar with the Cartwright name.  “You wouldn’t happen to be the same Cartwright who’s the architect for the new courthouse, would you?”

 

Adam smiled as he finished chewing a piece of bread.  “I am.  I’m on my way to San Francisco for an inspection.”

 

“Really.  I thought you lived in the city.”

 

“No.  I live near Virginia City.   My family has a ranch there.  My wife’s family has a ranch there as well.   What brings you to the Sierra?”

 

“I’m looking for a woman who sells a particular breed of horse.  They are as black as obsidian, very large and, as I understand it, very beautiful.”

 

Adam puckered his mouth.

 

“I understand she’s a fine singer as well.  You might know her.   Isabella Whitney from the Flying W Ranch.”

 

Bowing his head, Adam scratched the back of his neck.  It seemed the couple was going to Virginia City, not away from it.  He wasn’t necessarily happy about someone going to the ranch to talk to Shiloh about her horses while he wasn’t there; not that it had anything to do with Shiloh’s ability to handle her horse business.  He would have preferred she not be disturbed when she was supposed to be resting.  “What do you do for the mayor’s office?”

 

“I’m the head stable master for the city.  Mayor Coon had seen these horses in San Francisco before he was mayor.   He believes the official city carriages should be drawn by equally magnificent animals.”

 

“I hope Mayor Coon isn’t too disappointed.  She doesn’t sell her breeding foundation horses, but she does sell foundation geldings and other impressive stock.  I’m not sure you’ll be able to see anything.  This storm has probably made its way to the other side of Lake Tahoe, so the ranch will be under several feet of snow.”

 

“You evidently know this woman.  Perhaps you could let her know we’re coming.”

 

“I do know her, and I’d prefer that you didn’t ask to see her horses until spring.”  The man and his wife looked at each other perplexed.  “She only uses Isabella Whitney when she sings.  Everyone else knows her as Shiloh Cartwright, my wife.  And at the moment, she isn’t supposed to be doing anything but resting.”

 

“Surely there must be some way to see these horses.”

 

“I’m not even sure you can get to the ranch, and even if you could, she won’t allow them out of the stables in this storm.  So unless you have other business, there’s really no reason for you to continue on to Virginia City.”

 

The man sat back, obviously disappointed.  His wife, however made one more attempt.  “Mr. Cartwright, we have come this far.  Surely it wouldn’t hurt for your wife to let us see them in the stables.”

 

“I’m afraid my wife can’t go down to the stables at the present.  She’s expecting our first child, and the doctor has ordered her off her feet.”

 

Sitting back and leaning on her husband’s arm, the woman said in a faint voice, “Oh, I see.”

 

Adam studied the two defeated-looking people across the table.  Based on their demeanor, he wasn’t sure if Mayor Coon would understand their turning back without, at least, talking to someone about the horses.   “Look…ah…if it would help, I’d be happy to talk to Mayor Coon.  Perhaps we can arrange a time in the spring when you can come and spend a few days at the ranch.”

 

The man’s face brightened as he turned to his wife, both nodding.  “Yes, Mr. Cartwright, that would be most helpful.”

 

Standing, Adam took out his wallet and laid paper money on the table, then took his hat in hand.  “It’s settled then.  I’m sure the mayor will be at the courthouse when I start the inspection.  I’ll talk to him then.”

 

From the other side of the room, Mamie saw Adam stand and place money on the table.  “Leaving so soon, Mr. Cartwright?”

 

“I’ll be getting an early start tomorrow.  The stew was very good.  Thank you.”

 

Escorting him to the door, she asked, “Aren’t you coming in for breakfast?”

 

“Probably not.  Are you open at first light?”

 

“Honey, there’s nothing open in this town at first light, especially when there’s a lack of it.”

 

When they reached the door, he shrugged on his coat and moved his hat to his head wearing a bright, dimpled smile that almost sent her melting to the floor.  “Then perhaps I’ll ride through again some time,” he said in a deep, husky voice.   Tipping his hat, he opened the door, letting a cold gust blow in that had the patrons near the door shuddering.

 

Mamie leaned back against the closed door and lifted her face dreamily toward the ceiling with her eyes closed. “If only I was twenty years younger.”

 

***

 

Kneeling next to the large man on the cell floor, Dr. Freeman strained to roll him onto his back.  The man’s injury was immediately apparent; two black eyes and crusted blood that ran down his face from a nasty cut on his head.  “This man didn’t agree to see nobody,” said the doctor under his breath.  He opened a makeshift medical bag and began to clean the blood away so he could see just how bad this man had been injured.

 

When the cell door clanged behind him, Dr. Freeman jumped to his feet, stepping over the man on the floor, bowing his head and clasping his hands in front of him.

 

“Dr. Freeman?”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“I’m Dr. Stephenson.  I know this man.  May I assist you?”

 

Dr. Freeman was speechless at the invitation.  Surely a white doctor had no use for him.

 

“Please, tell me what you know of his injuries.”

 

“The man been beaten.  His eyes is swelled shut, and he got a bad cut on his head.  Look like someone opened him up with the butt of a rifle.  He need stitches for that, and he shore don’t need to be here.”

 

Dr. Stephenson knelt next to Hoss and looked at his face.  “I see you’ve cleaned him up.  And I agree, we need to get him out of here, but we can’t take him to the hospital at Chestnut Hill.  We need to find a place Fletcher won’t think to look.”

 

“Dr. Stephenson, I don’t want no trouble.”

 

“Doctor Freeman, if that’s what you claim to be, you have a duty to help this man.  He’s done nothing to warrant this treatment other than to challenge Captain Fletcher.  He’s not a soldier.  He’s a visitor from the West.”

 

“Well, sir, the first place I can think of is Camp William Penn.  Ain’t nobody gonna look for a white man there.”

 

Chapter Fifty-Two

 

The Union Army in Philadelphia was broken into sixteen training camps and one large military hospital, Camp Chestnut Hill.  Philadelphia was considered to be one of the safest places in the north for training new troops and treating those who had been injured.  Each camp had its own commanding officer, all of whom were equal rank, except for Camp Chestnut Hill who was headed by a higher ranking physician, Dr. Augustus Stephenson.  His authority had only to do with the sick or injured who were quartered in his hospital.  He could not interfere with any activities at the training camps else he would surely disapprove of many of the tactics their commanding officers allowed.

 

Hoss Cartwright was no soldier.  As far as Dr. Stephenson was concerned, he had been in the wrong place at a time when the north was trying desperately to maintain a sufficient number of soldiers to win the war.   His first priority was to ensure the man’s health.  His second was to ensure his health was sustained long enough to get him on a ship toward his home with his wife, a recent event he had no doubt was wrought in love rather than convenience.  Annie had spoken frequently about her beau.  Dr. Stephenson was also on the committee at the Female Medical College that allowed Annie to take her exam early, and knew that Cartwright had proposed on Christmas Day with a ring he had brought with him from Virginia City.  There was no doubt the intent existed much longer than Captain Fletcher would admit.

 

Now, with the help of the doctor who saw to the needs of the colored unit at Camp William Penn, he was in the process of either assisting in an escape or rescue, depending on the point of view, of an apparent prisoner of Fletcher’s.  His only hope of saving Mr. Cartwright would be to get someone who outranked Captain Fletcher to come to Philadelphia to overturn Fletcher’s flagrantly imprudent decision. But that would have to wait.  He and Dr. Freeman would have to remove Mr. Cartwright from Camp Philadelphia right under the nose of Captain Fletcher.

 

***

 

Shiloh waited at the table, fearing more for Ming Lin as each minute ticked by.  Glancing back at the clock on the kitchen mantel, she waited fifteen minutes before she began to think of what she might do.  Shorty and Ming Lin were the only two people besides herself at the house.  She could probably navigate her way to the barn by holding the rope Ming Lin had tied, but what if she slipped and fell…and then couldn’t get back inside the house?

 

Staring at the cup in front of her, she finally nodded and stood, going to the front room for her heavy shawl and taking a gun out of the drawer of the gun cabinet.  She made sure it was loaded, then went back to the kitchen and stepped out into a cold that took her breath away for a moment.  With snow stinging her eyes, she tried to see any movement in the whiteout conditions, but saw nothing.  She yelled for Ming Lin at the top of her lungs, but the sound was carried away on the wind.  Struggling down the steps to the rail where the rope was tied, she tugged on the rope which pulled freely, and when she reached the end, she knew Ming Ling was in trouble.

 

Pointing the gun up, she fired…and waited.  “Ming Lin!” she yelled.  Still nothing.  She fired again and watched the whiteness in front of her.  There…in the distance…did she see movement?  She fired a third time and waited.  Yes, she saw something, but not from the direction of the barn.

 

In another minute, Shorty rode up on his horse, and jumping down from his saddle, he ran to her side.  “Mrs. Cartwright, what in tarnation are you doin’ out here?   Mr. Adam’d be fit to be tied if he knew you were out here.”

 

She had grabbed a wad of Shorty’s coat sleeve with one hand as she nodded urgently, waiting for him to quiet.  “Ming Lin went to the barn, but the rope he tied came undone,” she yelled to be heard over the wind. “I’m afraid he’s lost out there.”  She moved her hand back to her shawl which was trying to escape with the wind.

 

Shorty’s eyes widened with urgency, and taking her arm, he helped her back up the steps to the porch where he moved her back underneath the overhang.  “In a couple of minutes, you shoot that gun again, you hear me?”  After receiving a nod, Shorty trotted down the steps, grabbed the rope and disappeared into the white.

 

Ben looked up from the ledger he was working on at his desk, turning his ear toward the window behind him.  Had he heard a gunshot?  Shaking his head, he dismissed the sound as something created by the howling wind and continued working in the ledger.

 

But there it was again; a pop that could only be a gunshot.  He rose from his desk and went to the front door, opening it and letting snow blow in.  He closed it again only to take his coat and hat off the hook behind the door, before he stepped out.   Hop Sing joined him from the kitchen.

 

“Hop Sing, did you hear that?”

 

Nodding, Hop Sing answered, “Sound like gun, but wind too loud.  Maybe not gun.”

 

They heard it again.  “That was a shot, and it came from the direction of Adam’s place.”

 

Both men ducked their heads against the wind-whipped snow and headed to the barn, making quick work of saddling their horses.

 

“Hop Sing, stay close.  It’ll be hard to see the road, so I’ll be going by dead reckoning.”

 

***

 

Adam had thought he’d turn in early. There was really nothing else to do in Grizzly Flat in the middle of one of the worst snow storms he could remember.  Trotting back over to the barn, he noticed quite a few coaches that had not been in the yard when he’d left.  When he opened the door, the wind tore it out of his hand, sending it banging against the front wall.  He struggled to pull it to, then turned to see a barn full of men and women; those who had been turned away from the hotel.  Raising his hand to cover his mouth, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.  It seemed the night was going to be a long one.

 

Walking through the crowd to Buster’s stall, he stopped and looked around.  Buster was gone, having been replaced by three men spreading out their bedrolls in the hay on the floor of the stall.

 

Adam cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but these accommodations are already taken.  What have you done with my horse?”

 

“Mister, it’s people first, and then animals.  Your horse is outside with the rest of ’em.”

 

“These just happen to be my accommodations as well, and I’d prefer to spend the night with my horse,” he said with a tight lipped smile and quick nod.  “So if you fellas will gather your things and leave, I’ll go get my horse and spend the night in the stall I’ve already paid double for.”

 

The three men stood and crossed their arms.

 

“Where’s the stable master?” Adam turned and yelled across the barn.

 

“We’re all looking for him,” was the answer that returned from the crowd.

 

Puckering his mouth and nodding, Adam slowly turned back to the three men.  “Look fellas, I don’t want to fight, especially…” he turned and motioned toward the men and women who had begun to gather, “in front of all these people, so why don’t you pick up your blankets and wait to pay for your own space like everyone else.”

 

“You thinkin’ you’re gonna take on all three of us?”

 

“I won’t need to. I’m going to go get my horse, and when I get back, he’s going in this stall whether you’re here or not.”

 

Adam backed away toward the door, and when he turned to open it, one of three men caught him across his shoulders with the handle of a pitchfork, sending him sprawling to the floor.

 

The crowd consisting mostly of those who arrived in buggies and coaches wearing fashionable attire began to step back toward the back of the barn as Adam shook off the blow and pushed himself up off the barn floor.  Turning slowly, he met a smile missing a tooth with flared nostrils and an angry glare.

 

“As I said,” he began, shrugging his shoulders against the pain, “I’m going to get my horse, and he is going in that stall.”

 

The man lifted the handle of the pitchfork again, but Adam was ready this time.  With his left hand, he caught the handle and pulled it out of the man’s hand at the same time his right fist flew into the man’s jaw, sending him reeling back and falling unceremoniously over a barrel to the floor.

 

The two other men rushed forward, and though Adam received at least one blow, he dealt out enough of his own that eventually all three men were back on the floor.  Mostly out of embarrassment, they got up again, but this time Adam had had enough and drew his gun.

 

“All right, that’s enough. Get your gear and get out.  You’ve caused enough trouble for one night.”

 

When they began to protest, one of the spectators, a man about Adam’s build, but wearing a suit jacket and waistcoat came forward.  “It seems this man has the upper hand, and after seeing how quickly he drew his gun, I wouldn’t argue if I were you.  You’ve worn out your welcome with all of us.”

 

As Adam and the well-dressed man looked on, the three trouble makers quickly gathered their bedrolls and saddles, glancing back grudgingly at the gun in Adam’s hand.  They eased by him, sidestepping to the door and left.

 

Placing his gun in its holster, Adam stuck his thumbs in his belt and exhaled, turning to the man who had backed him up.  “Thank you,” he said, holding out his hand. “Adam Cartwright.”

 

Accepting his hand, the other man said, “My pleasure.  William Ralston.  My friends call me Billy.”

 

Adam hesitated shaking Ralston’s hand only for a second that was hardly noticeable.  He recognized the name as being the founder of the Bank of California, and he knew that Ralston was a bull when it came to business.  Ralston had foreclosed on a few of the mines in Virginia City when the owners couldn’t pay the notes held by the bank. Having no desire to talk business, Adam let the conversation drop and excused himself to retrieve Buster.

 

Buster had worked his way into the middle of the horses in the corral next to the livery.  The horses stood right next to each other, head to tail, and because he was the biggest horse there, it had been easy to push his way into the warmest spot.  The horses on the outside of the tightly packed wad were shivering to the point that Adam questioned whether they would survive until morning.  But there was nothing he could do.  As one of the trouble makers had said, ‘people come first,’ and there was no room for all these horses in the barn with all those people.

 

Adam collected Buster and took him back to his stall where he brushed the horse down and gave him some carrots he had taken from Hop Sing’s root cellar and stashed in his saddle bag.

 

“Excuse me, Mr. Cartwright, but could you tell me where we might find some blankets. It seems we are spending the night in this barn.”

 

Adam turned his head, but kept brushing Buster.  “Well, this is a stable. The only blankets you’ll find here are horse blankets.”  He leaned around Mr. Ralston to see the woman who had been standing with him.  “And I don’t think the young lady will appreciate the smell.”

 

“You seem to be familiar with barns,” said Ralston, apologetically smiling for the way that sounded.  “Perhaps you have some suggestions.”

 

“Well, I’d find a space on the floor, pile up some hay so it’s soft, and get some sleep.  Use your overcoats and capes for cover.”

 

It seemed everyone was listening for Adam’s advice as all the women began to look around at the floor.

 

Adam pulled Ralston closer.  “Do you suppose your wife can climb that ladder?” he said, pointing to ladder that led to the hayloft.

 

Ralston looked up. “Whatever for?”

 

“That’s probably the softest and warmest place in the barn. The hay up there is clean, and any heat from all these bodies in here will rise, so that,” he said, moving his eyes from Ralston to the loft, “will be the warmest place in the building.”

 

Smiling, Ralston clapped Adam on the back and made his way over to his wife.

 

“One more thing,” Adam said loud so everyone could here.  “If you find those horse blankets, I’d put them on your horses.  Some of them might not make it tonight without them.”  Without waiting for a response, Adam turned back into his and Buster’s stall and prepared to get comfortable.

 

Chapter Fifty-Three

 

Adam sat on the tack box listening to Buster chew his hay and watching everyone else in the barn nest.  He cringed as Mrs. Ralston climbed the ladder to the loft, but once there, she busied herself fluffing up the hay for her and her husband’s bed.  She and Ralston spoke in low voices as she worked, occasionally looking down at the stall where Adam was sitting in the shadows out of sight.

 

Conversation among the men and women dwindled as each couple slowly settled into their place.  Mrs. Ralston, however decided to venture back down the ladder and wander aimlessly through the barn as if looking for something…or someone.  She stopped at Adam’s stall.

 

“Forgive me…Mr. Cartwright, isn’t it?”

 

Adam nodded.

 

“I’m afraid sleep isn’t going to come easily, so I thought I might find someone still awake to talk to.  Mr. Ralston is already fast asleep.”  She inched by Buster, who lifted his head and watched her as she warily made her way to the back of the stall.  “May I?” she asked, motioning to the tack box.

 

Adam had leaned back into the far corner, the solid wood of the stall side supporting his sore shoulders.  “Please do.”

 

“Billy mentioned that he thought you were one of the Cartwrights from the Ponderosa.”

 

“I am.”

 

“He also said he thought you were married to Isabella Whitney, whom I greatly admire.  She has such a beautiful voice.”

 

He smiled and nodded again.

 

“I hope I’m not being too forward, but tell me Mr. Cartwright.  With a ranch as big as the Ponderosa and your wife there as well, what reason could you possibly have for being out in this storm?”

 

Adam knew the woman was fishing for her husband.  He smiled and scratched his neck.  “I have business in San Francisco that couldn’t wait.”

 

“Yes, of course,” she said, smiling.  “Of course, Billy had business at the bank in Virginia City.  I don’t think he was counting on this storm.  I don’t usually travel to Virginia City with him, but I thought…well, it was a childish thought.”

 

“What thought?” asked Adam, chewing on a piece of hay.

 

“Well, I thought that perhaps Miss Whitney…oh, my apologies…Mrs. Cartwright might be entertaining the residents of Virginia City this winter.  I had so hoped to see her.”

 

“We don’t often leave the ranch in winter.  And this has been a particularly hard winter in the Sierra.”

 

Lightly laughing, she nodded.  “Oh yes, I’m afraid we’ve found that out the hard way.”  She looked around for a moment in the awkward silence, wondering how she would possibly get to the information her husband really wanted.  “And aren’t you partners in a mine with your wife’s brother?  You are a busy man, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

There it was.  Adam folded his lips and bowed his head, trying to figure out how to end the conversation without being overly rude.  “I am.  I’m so busy that I need to leave tomorrow at first light whether this storm,” he moved his eyes upward and waved his hand at the invisible air,  “decides to break or not.  I think it’s time we all got some rest.”

 

She gave him a sharp nod and stood up quickly.  “Yes, of course, you’re right.  Good night, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

“Mrs. Ralston.”  He watched as she quickly walked across the barn to the ladder, and before she began to climb up, she looked back nervously one more time.  Adam felt sorry for her.  She was younger than Ralston and very attractive.  He got the distinct impression that Ralston used her youth and beauty to obtain whatever bits of information he could leverage to increase his holdings.

 

The barn was quiet except for the occasional snort of a person or a horse.  Adam prepared to spend his night on the tack box in the back of Buster’s stall.  Buster was relatively quiet.  Even so, the box was only two and one-half feet across; not enough room to move from one side to another without raising up, and then rolling.  Besides that, the back stall wall was the outside wall of the barn and the cold easily penetrated it.  He was glad for the second blanket he had included in his bed roll.  Doubling that kept the wind coming through the tiny spaces between the boards at bay.

 

When he sat up after a fitful sleep, it was still black as coal outside.  He yawned, ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp, and then noticed the steam of his breath rising in front of his eyes.  He quietly chuckled to himself as he nodded, then rose to begin his day.  If he started now, he could be reasonably cleaned up and still have time to give Buster a good brushing and a good meal of hay before the light he expected to be quite dim finally broke.

 

After moving fresh hay into the feeding trough, he quietly lifted Buster’s water bucket to the tack box, then removed his shirt and splashed water on his face.  He pulled out a small mirror and checked his beard, running his fingers over the stubble and deciding he’d forgo shaving this morning in favor of hot water at the next place he stopped.

 

Once Buster was saddled, Adam looked around the barn.  Everyone was still sleeping. He grimaced, knowing that the squeak of the big barn door would awaken them, so he acted on a hunch.   He opened the smaller door and looked up and across the street.  Sure enough, there was a light in the window of the restaurant.  Looking up at the sky, he found it to be pitch black still, so he looked at his watch…still too early for any significant light.  Stepping out, he made his way over to Mamie’s for hot coffee and breakfast.

 

***

 

Shiloh did as Shorty asked and fired another shot into the air.  Ben and Hop Sing were close enough now to know for sure what they’d heard, and knowing Shiloh and guns, Ben knew something had to be terribly wrong.

 

“Shorty!” she yelled.   She heard nothing, so she set the gun down on the porch floor, eased back down the steps and grabbed the rope, following it into the snow.

 

Ben stepped down off Buck first, ran up the steps and opened the front door, calling out for Shiloh.  When he got no answer, he turned and found the gun, then noticed the rope tied to the rail of the steps.

 

He and Hop Sing tied their horses to a post, and Ben pointed toward the barn, starting to follow the rope, but Hop Sing pulled his sleeve to stop, and ran back up the steps.  He moved an armload of firewood to the edge of the porch, then came down the steps with another armload.  Leaning into Ben, he yelled, “Drop log.  Find way back.”

 

The two men struggled through the snow that blew up off the lake and over the ridge where the house sat, settling and drifting in the wind between the house and barn.  Ben had been able to see the trees along the side of the road, but the wind on this hill made visibility almost nothing.

 

“Shiloh!” Ben yelled, thankfully close enough for Shiloh to hear.

 

“Pa, we’re over here!” and with that, Shorty shot his gun into the air.

 

Hop Sing took the logs Ben was carrying and continued to drop them as they made their way toward the gunshot.  When they saw the three gray images struggling through the snow, it was evident something was, indeed, wrong.  Shiloh was easy to distinguish from the other two.  Her shawl had blown away, leaving her with her dress flapping in the wind.  She and Shorty had hold of Ming Lin’s arms, and he was limping badly.

 

Without delay, Hop Sing took the arm Shiloh was supporting, and Ben lifted Shiloh into his arms, leading the way with the logs making a clear trail.

 

Taking them in through the front door, both Ming Lin and Shiloh were deposited on the hearth while Ben ran to get blankets and Hop Sing ran to the kitchen to heat water.

 

Hop Sing pulled Ming Lin’s coat off and wrapped a blanket around him at the same time Ben wrapped a blanket around Shiloh and rubbed her hands.

 

“What were you thinking?” he said with just a slight edge in his voice.

 

Her teeth were chattering and her hands and feet were completely numb, her hands having had no cover and her feet covered only in her slippers.  “I-I w-w-was thinking M-Ming Lin w-w-was in t-trouble…and then Sh-Shorty.”

 

“Hop Sing, how is he?” asked Ben.

 

“He too cold.  But good for ankle.   Ankle broken.”

 

Shorty brought the bucket of hot water into the living area along with some cloth.  Moving his hands to his hips, he scolded Shiloh.   “I told you to stay up on that porch.  The house breaks the wind coming up off that ridge.”

 

“I’m s-sorry, Shorty.  I th-thought you m-might n-n-need help.”

 

“Shorty’s right.  You had no business going out there, especially without a coat or your boots.”  Ben dipped a cloth in the water and wrapped Shiloh’s feet.

 

“I had my sh-shawl.  It b-blew away.”

 

“Women!  They all think they can save the world,” Shorty complained.  “Mr. Cartwright I’ll go take care of the horses and tie another rope to the barn.  We’ll have to build a windbreak between the barn and the house when this storm’s over.”

 

Ben looked back over his shoulder.  “Thank you, Shorty.  Come back in the house when you’re done.  No one is leaving this house until this storm breaks.”

 

“Shorty, w-wait.  Was there anything at the t-telegraph office?”

 

“Oh, yes’m,” he answered, digging into his pocket.  “It’s from Mr. Adam.”

 

Taking the telegram from him, Shiloh held it in her trembling hands and closed her eyes, trying to warn off her tears.

 

Realizing how worried she’d been, Ben touched her shoulder, then asked for the telegram.  He wrapped her hands in a warm wet cloth. “Would you like me to read it?”

 

She looked up with round, moist eyes and nodded.

 

“Shiloh Cartwright. Ponderosa Ranch. Johnson’s Pass impassable. Took Hope Valley. Stopping at Grizzly Flat.  Buster sends love.  As do I.  Adam.”

 

Bowing her head, she let her tears flow.  Oh, how she wished he was home.

 

***

 

Dr. Freeman stood in front of Captain Fletcher’s desk with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him.   “I done what I could, but he need someone to watch over ‘im.  He gonna need help eatin’ and drinkin’.  He got a nasty cut on his head that need the bandage changed regular.”

 

“Is he awake?”

 

“No sir.  I don’t ‘spect ‘im to be for awhile.  He beat up real bad.”

Fletcher’s head jerked up.  “Are you accusing me of allowing him to be beaten?”

 

“No sir.  I jest sayin’ what he look like.”

 

“Freeman, you are not to discuss Mr. Cartwright’s condition with anyone, is that clear?”

 

“Yessir.  I be back in the mornin’ to change ‘is bandage.”

 

“Never mind about that.  I’ll send for you if you’re needed again.”

 

“Yessir.  My fee come to two dollar.”

 

Looking up from his paperwork, he gave Dr. Freeman a disgusted scowl, then reached into a side drawer and drew out a coin, tossing it over the desk to the floor.

 

Freeman took his time bending and picking it up, first returning a sad look.   Little did Fletcher know the look was more of pity.  Besides that, Dr. Freeman had another reason for prolonging his visit with the captain.  He had to stay as long as possible because he knew Fletcher would be standing at the front window the minute he left the office, watching until Freeman disappeared down the street in the direction of the black quarter.

 

And while Dr. Freeman was occupying the captain, Dr. Stephenson was rolling Hoss off the camp grounds in a laundry cart.

 

Chapter Fifty-Four

 

Though it was difficult to get the huge man down the ladder, Hoss now lay in a hidden cellar on a comfortable bed snoring away, his wounds properly cleaned and bandaged.  Dr. Freeman had gone home after leaving Camp Philadelphia, but left out the back of his house and made his way through the alleys of the city to Camp William Penn where he met Dr. Stephenson and made arrangements for Hoss’ keep.  Only a few men knew Hoss was there; men Dr. Freeman trusted.

 

Dr. Stephenson had no choice but to trust them as well.  He knew based on the cleanliness and supplies in the cellar that many a man and woman, perhaps children, came through this cellar on their way to freedom.

 

“Dr. Freeman, I must speak to Mr. Cartwright’s wife.  She’ll be stricken with fear at the disappearance of her husband.”

 

“Maybe the missus would like to stay here with ‘im.  No harm will come to her.”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I’m sure Fletcher is watching her, hoping she’ll lead him to Mr. Cartwright.  He’ll probably be watching me as well, so I must leave him in your hands.  If you need anything…anything at all to pull him through, send a messenger to the hospital.  And follow your normal rounds.  I’m sure he’ll be watching for anything suspicious from all of us.”  Dr. Stephenson started up the ladder.

 

“Dr. Stephenson, when do it end?” asked Dr. Freeman as he sat next to Hoss’ bed and placed a damp cloth on his forehead.

 

Stephenson stopped and looked down upon the unconscious man. “I don’t know.  But we can’t let Fletcher have him.  He has no intentions of sending this man to fight.  More likely, Mr. Cartwright would simply disappear.”

 

Dr. Stephenson made a quick exit from Camp William Penn, hoping it was too soon for Fletcher to realize Hoss was missing.  He went to the hospital and made quick rounds, making sure the hospital staff saw him before he left for Mrs. Levine’s.

 

When he knocked on the boarding house door, Mrs. Levine answered.  “Dr. Stephenson, I’m glad you came by.  I’m so worried about Annie.  She’s not eating, and she’s worried sick.”

 

Looking down the street both ways, Dr. Stephenson looked Mrs. Levine in the eye and nodded toward the inside of the house with a look that could only mean he had information.

 

She invited him in and looked down the street herself.  “Please, Mrs. Levine, sit down here with Annie.  I have something to tell you both.  Hoss is at Camp William Penn being seen to by Dr. Freeman.  He’s safe.  But he’s been beaten, and he’s unconscious.”  Annie sucked in a quick breath.  Taking her hand, Dr. Stephenson continued.  “My dear, he’s going to be all right.  But more importantly, we have to get him out of the city, and to do that, I need to find someone who will listen to what has happened; someone who outranks Fletcher.  The man should be in his own jail for what he’s done.”

 

Mrs. Levine closed her eyes and let out a long breath.  “Dr. Stephenson, we may have just what you need on the way.  You see, my given name is Mary Hanks.  My father was Norman Hanks, Nancy Hanks’ brother.”

 

Creasing his brow, Dr. Stephenson shook his head.

 

“Nancy Hanks was Mr. Lincoln’s mother.  The President and I are cousins. I have sent a telegram explaining what has happened, and I have received an answer.  Help will soon arrive.”

 

***

 

Both Shiloh and Ming Lin had been ordered to their beds.  Hop Sing would be staying to see to Ming Lin’s needs and run the house until Ming Lin was back on his feet.

 

Despite the weather, Ben had sent Shorty back to town to bring Kam Lee to see to Ming Lin’s broken ankle. Ben knew that Shorty was seasoned enough to know how to travel in such weather.  Micah had the men keeping the road to Virginia City cleared as best they could, so only the short trip from Adam and Shiloh’s house to the main road would be deeply covered under heavy snow.

 

Standing at the window of Shiloh’s bedroom, Ben looked out at the falling snow.  It was wet snow, not uncommon for the Sierra; the kind of snow that could collapse buildings if they weren’t adequately supported.

 

Shiloh had changed into her nightgown and was comfy and warm underneath extra blankets on the bed as she sipped hot tea brought to her by Hop Sing.  “Pa?”   Ben continued to stare out the window.  “Pa?”

 

Taking a sudden deep breath, Ben grunted, “Hm?” without moving his eyes from the outside scene.  He finally turned his head toward her and smiled.

 

“A penny for your thoughts,” she said, smiling back.

 

With his hands in his pockets, he bowed his head and snorted before he moved the chair next to the bed and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.  “Are you sure you want to hear them?”

 

Folding her lips into a tight line, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come.  “I’m sure.”

 

“I don’t think I could face Adam if something were to happen to you while he’s gone.”  He had been looking down at his hands, but moved his eyes up to hers.  “What were you thinking going out into the snow without the proper cover…without any regard for the child?”

 

Her eyes involuntarily crinkled at the sting of his words.  “Pa, I hope you understand this.  I have never thought of using my condition as an excuse to leave someone to their death.  If Ming Lin hadn’t been badly hurt, he would have been back.  And then Shorty was gone too long.  The rope was taut, so I was sure I could follow it.   And I was so worried about them, I didn’t think about my boots or a coat.  I just knew they needed help, and I was the only one left who could help them.  If I had stayed on that porch and they had died, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself; baby or no baby.  Both of them have been so good to us…to me.”

 

Ben fought a smile, preferring her to see the gravity of the situation on his face.  Still, he couldn’t help being proud that she would risk her life to save her men.  It was the risk of the baby that still disturbed him.  “This is the kind of thing Adam wanted to avoid by you staying at the main house.”

 

She closed her eyes and nodded.  “I see that now.”

 

Both turned when Hop Sing gently rapped on the door, and then pushed it open, entering with a tray laden with a bowl of hot stew and bread.  Shorty followed with a coffee pot and cups.  “Ming Lin say you eat.  Missa Adam not be happy you not eat.”

 

As Hop Sing set the tray on the dressing table, Shiloh asked, “How is Ming Lin?”

 

“Kam Lee see him now.  He come up see you, too.”

 

She smiled as he fussed around her, fluffing her pillow so that she could sit up, and then straightening her blankets.  Next, he started to move the tray over her, but only looked dismayed as he had no idea where he could put it for her to reach.

 

She giggled.  “I suppose I could eat downstairs in the chair.  I sit so low in it, the board Adam made goes over my stomach.”

 

“Hop Sing, why don’t you and Shorty take all of this back downstairs,” said Ben standing and looking at the tray in Hop Sing’s hands, and then turning to look at the coffee pot Shorty was holding.  “As soon as Kam Lee has had a chance to look at her, I’ll bring her down.”

 

Smiling, Hop Sing nodded and left with Shorty following close on his heels.

 

Ben waited in the hall outside Shiloh’s bedroom when Kam Lee appeared.  He could hear Kam Lee’s calm voice asking permission to touch her stomach.  He opened the door fairly soon after, suggesting to Ben that they escort Shiloh down the stairs so she could have her meal. When she was settled in the chair with her feet on the hassock, Kam Lee placed the back of his hand on her forehead, nodded, and then gave Hop Sing instructions.  “Prepare Yin Chiao tea with her meal, and for morning, noon and before bed.”

 

“What’s the tea for?” asked Shiloh.

 

Moving his arms into the sleeves of his robe, Kam Lee smiled.  “You will have a fever by morning.”

 

Shiloh’s eyes grew large.  “But I feel fine.”

 

Kam Lee bowed before he explained.  “I hear a disturbance in your lungs which balance your qi.  With qi out of balance brought on by sadness, illness comes.”

 

“Oh, well.  Of course,” she said with a stiff smile while looking across the room at Ben.

 

Stifling a chuckle, Ben approached Kam Lee with a smile.  “Thank you for coming out, Kam Lee, and for taking care of them both.  I’ll have Shorty see you to the road.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.  I will come again in a few days.”

 

Once Kam Lee and Shorty had left, Hop Sing brought Shiloh’s stew.  “I bring tea very soon,” he said, smiling.

 

“Well,” started Shiloh. “We had a crowd for a time, didn’t we?”

 

“Mm hm,” said Ben as he sat on the sofa and studied her.

 

Taking a bite of stew, she glanced over at him, then set her spoon in the bowl as she quickly chewed and swallowed.  “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t want you to send for Adam.  There’s no reason to.”

 

Lifting his head to look directly at her, his only response was “Oh?”

 

“Pa, I’ve learned my lesson.  If you tell him, he’ll never feel comfortable leaving me behind, especially if I’m not…at my best.  This business he’s in with Robert Slater is important to him.  It’s something he’s wanted to do for a long time, and as it turns out, he can do most of it from here, so he doesn’t have to leave the Ponderosa permanently for the job.  I don’t want to ruin that for him, but if you tell him what’s happened, he won’t go when he needs to go.”

 

***

 

With his belly full of hot breakfast and coffee, Adam slowly rode out of Grizzly Flat.  He noticed on his way out that several of the coaches were already gone.  Evidently, there had been others who had planned to leave at first light, though they didn’t leave with full stomachs.  None of those he saw in the barn had made it over to Mamie’s for breakfast.

 

The snow had let up some, though it was still coming down, and the wind was breezy, but certainly not the gale he had experienced the day before.  Taking a deep breath, he smiled up at the sky, knowing he’d be out of the snow in only a few hours.

 

The road to Diamond Springs was a long, clear swatch of white between rows of trees; easy for Buster to follow.  It never ceased to amaze Adam how quiet the world seemed in winter.  Anything that fell from the trees made no sound landing in the soft snow.  The small streams here and there were frozen over, the trickle of the water underneath the ice muffled out of existence.  Even the footfall of animals foraging for something edible was silent.

 

What he did not expect in all this glorious peace was the bickering voices of a man and a woman.  Looking up, he saw a buggy up ahead tilting severely off the side of the road.  Where there had been a wagon wheel, there was none.  It seem the man and woman were looking off into the woods, Adam surmised, searching for the wheel that taken its own course.

 

He pulled Buster up next to the buggy and cleared his throat, getting the attention of the couple.  “I see we meet again.  I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” said Adam.

 

The man carefully stepped out of the snow.  “It’s Pickerd.”  His wife stumbled to his side.  “I’m Amos, and this is my wife, Emily.”

 

Tipping his hat, Adam stepped down from his saddle. “It looks like you could use some help.”  He looked back at the other side of the road, creasing his brows at the sheer mountainside that rose just behind the trees; a mountainside covered with a thick layer of snow that had already sagged a bit from the top.  “We’ll have to be quiet while we look,” he said, pointing up at the mountain.  “Don’t want that to come crashing down on top of us.”

 

“It’s just snow.  How bad could that be?” asked Mrs. Pickerd.

 

“Ma’am, I don’t mean to alarm you, but that much snow will bury you, and the likelihood of you climbing out from underneath it by yourself is slim.  It’s called an avalanche.”  Both of them looked at him with horror at the thought of being buried alive.  Adam gave them a quick nod and smiled.  “Why don’t we find that wheel and get it back on your buggy?”

 

It was easy to see where the wheel had rolled.  There was a track leading into the trees.  Following that track, Adam was able to find the wheel where it had fallen in snow so deep, the wheel sank and the snow around it collapsed on top of it, leaving an indentation in the snow that looked like a wagon wheel.  Pulling it out of the snow, he began to roll it back to the road, and had almost made it to the buggy when he heard a scream.  He stopped and looked out, finding a wolf standing in the road beyond the buggy.  But worse than that, he felt a sudden lurch in his stomach when he heard a loud bang, followed by an unmistakable rumbling that preceded the mountain of snow thundering toward them.  Buster was already galloping away back down the road, Mr. and Mrs. Pickerd were frozen where they were staring at the white tide that was almost upon them.

 

Adam could do nothing but drop the wheel and run.

 

 

Chapter Fifty-Five

 

Adam ran without looking behind him.  He had thought earlier how quiet everything seemed in the snow…until it came barreling down the mountain toward him.  Now, his only thought was to run until the thunder died.

 

Then he realized it wouldn’t be the snow that first caught him, but rather the debris field it was creating in its wake.  Boulders rolled past him.  He could hear the tall pines of the forest snapping behind him like match sticks.  It would only be a matter of time before one of those immovable objects either rolled right over him, or smacked him down hard.

 

Or so he thought.  Suddenly he felt as if he was running on air as the snow began to engulf him, and by the time he realized his was in the wave, it was too late.  He pitched forward, rolling in the enormous surge along with the rocks and splintered wood until he slammed against something hard.  His right arm had been taken around the side of whatever he was lodged against, though no one heard his scream of pain as the arm and shoulder dislocated.  He turned toward it and was swept forward again, knocked to this side and that, rolling helplessly until he finally came to a stop.

 

He could hear the roar weaken above his head, taking note that he was right-side up.  The ache of his shoulder was the only thing keeping him conscious.  Somehow his head was in a pocket of snow created by twigs and branches tangled above him.  He had, at least, a little air for a few minutes before he would suffocate.  Closing his eyes, he steeled himself mentally, took several deep breaths, and then began to concentrate on his body, sensing everything from his feet, up his legs, his torso, and down his arms to his fingers.  There was pain all over, but nothing that could match the fire burning in his shoulder.

 

Struggling to gather his feet underneath him, he managed to find a position where he could push upward with his back.  Again, he took several deep breaths and pushed, and even when nothing seemed to move and getting out seemed hopeless, he pushed, until finally something gave enough for him to see light above him.  Raising his good arm toward the light, he let his body relax just long enough to catch his breath.  He knew if he stayed covered in snow, he’d eventually freeze, something he was well aware would be a slow and painful death.

 

Then he heard a sound that seemed not far away.  He listened again, and when he realized what it was, he let go an almost manic laugh as one who was on the brink of death at the realization that he might actually live.  Pulling at the tangle of limbs around him, he tried to clear enough room to push his head and shoulders up.  With each pull, snow fell in, slowly filling the space he was in, but with each push up, he gained more room until his arm and one shoulder was out.

 

Standing close by was Buster, who upon seeing Adam flailing had moved almost next to him on top of the mass of snow and debris.  The stirrup from the saddle was hanging just out of Adam’s reach, so he pushed against the side of the pile and grabbed at the stirrup, wrapping his fingers around it.  When Buster began to move away, Adam whistled and said in a weary voice, “Ho, boy.”   Buster quieted long enough for Adam to work his way closer to the stirrup so that he could wrap his arm up to his elbow around it.

 

Then Buster went to work, slowly pulling as if he knew exactly what Adam needed him to do.  He pulled steadily, stopping and starting as Adam pulled himself from the snow and rubble.  Once out, Adam’s arm dropped from the stirrup.  He lay on the ground panting as Buster turned to nuzzle him, licking the side of his head.  Willing himself to take the stirrup again, Adam pulled his legs underneath him and struggled to his knees, knowing full well if he didn’t get up and out of the snow now, he never would.

 

Finally pulling himself up to his feet, he ignored his pain and fatigue and moved a foot into the stirrup, pushing himself up against Buster as he reached for the saddle horn with his left hand.  Lying over on the saddle, he clenched Buster’s mane and worked his leg over the horse’s back until he was astride the saddle.  Only then did he lean over the horn, draw the rein hanging down from the bridle up to him, and then nudge Buster in whatever direction he wanted to go.

 

***

 

Hoss opened his eyes to darkness.  No, it wasn’t dark, but very dim.  Slowly raising his arm, he touched his head and felt a bandage, and then felt another hand moving his back down to his side.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, can you hear me?”

 

Hoss’ throat was dry, and all he could manage was a grunt.

 

“Take some water.  Make your mouth and throat feel better.”  Dr. Freeman turned up the lamp and held a glass of water to Hoss’ lips.

 

“How come it so dark in here?”

 

“Open your eyes, Mr. Cartwright.  Ain’t dark now.”

 

Hoss did as he was told, but still… “I cain’t see nothin’ but dim light and shadows.”

 

Holding his hand in front of Hoss’ face, Dr. Freeman asked, “How many fingers you see?”

 

“I done told you.  I don’t see nothin’ but shadows.  What happened to me?  And who are you?”

 

“Name’s Dr. Freeman.  And you in a safe place, Mr. Cartwright.  Captain Fletcher’s men beat the dickens outta you and threw you in his jail.  Me and Dr. Stephenson got you out and hid you ’til help comes.  And it be comin’, too.  That Mrs. Levine…she be cousins with the President,” he said in a slightly higher voice with a laugh afterward.

 

“How d’you know Fletcher ain’t gonna find me here?”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, ain’t nobody gonna think you be hiding with a black man.  Now, you ain’t eat for days.  I get you some food.  You just lie still ’til I get back, and we talk some more.”

 

Hoss did just that.  His head throbbed as did his face, and when he moved, he felt like he was going to vomit.  He had no idea how Dr. Freeman expected him to eat.

 

When Dr. Freeman returned, he sat a tray on a table, and then went back to Hoss’ bedside, taking Hoss by the arm.  “Mr. Cartwright, let’s git you sittin’ up.”

 

“Dr. Freeman, first, my name’s Hoss.  And second, I don’t think I can sit up without the room buckin’ like a wild range pony.”

 

“Come on an’ try.  I ain’t gonna be able to git you up by m’self.  And you might find that the room won’t buck so much lookin’ at it straight-ways ‘stead of sideways.” Hoss did as he was told, and sure enough, the dizziness passed.  “Now, we gonna go over to the table to eat.  Come on.”

 

Dr. Freeman held Hoss’ arm as Hoss tentatively rose from the bed, moving his hand out in front of him.  “I still cain’t see nothin’.”

 

“Hm.  I’ll help you over to the table, and then we’ll see how you do.  I sent for Dr. Stephenson.  He take a look at your eyes.”

 

Once Hoss was seated, Dr. Freeman poured the soup into a mug and placed the mug in Hoss’ hands.  “Drink it slow ’til your belly get used to food agin.”

 

After a few small sips, Hoss asked, “Dr. Freeman, you really a doctor?  I mean, I ain’t seen too many black doctors.  Matter a’ fact, I ain’t met any.”

 

Dr. Freeman chuckled.  “I suppose I ain’t got a fancy piece of paper hangin’ on a wall, but I put more boys back together than I can count.  O’ course, it was the army taught me.  No white doctor wanted to patch up the black boys, so they trained a black man to take care of ’em.”

 

“Freeman.  Is that your real name?”  Hoss heard nothing.  “I don’t mean any disrespect, but it just seems…my older brother’d call it poetic or some such nonsense…that a black man would have that name.”

 

Freeman leaned back in his chair and considered Hoss.  The man’s face, though badly bruised, was a kind, innocent face.  Besides that, he was right.  Freeman was an odd name for a black man and rightly so.  Most of the black folk in those parts knew how he got the name.  None of the white folk cared.  “When a black man be the property of a white man, his name be the master’s name.  When he get his freedom, he get to choose.  When my master died, he give me my freedom in his will. I wanted everybody, black and white, to know I was a free man, so that’s the name I give myself.”

 

Hoss smiled and nodded, then took another sip of soup.

 

***

 

Dr. Stephenson had left laudanum for Annie to help her sleep.  She had refused to use it, and while Mrs. Levine sat trying to convince her she needed to rest, someone knocked harshly on her front door.  When she opened the door, she froze, not in fear, but rather in disbelief that the man standing before her would have the audacity to come back to her house.  “Mr. Fletcher, I have nothing to say to you.  I’ll do my speaking to a superior officer, and only a superior officer.”

 

“My dear Mrs. Levine, I am the superior officer in Philadelphia, and you will speak to me one way or another.”

 

“I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Fletcher.”

 

“It’s Captain Fletcher.  And I believe you know something about the whereabouts of one Hoss Cartwright.”

 

Her eyes widened.  “You mean you’ve lost him?  How could you lose a man that big?”

 

Fletcher paused at her apparent astonishment.  “He’s escaped, and he most assuredly had accomplices.  Now, I want to know what you know about it.”

 

“I assure you, sir, I know nothing whatsoever of this escape you claim.  Could it be that you’re covering up your own misdoings?  What have you done to Mr. Cartwright while he’s been in your care?”

 

Mrs. Levine had managed to fluster him for a second time.  Surely she would have no knowledge of Cartwright’s condition.  He looked past her at Annie, sitting in a chair next to the fireplace.  “I’ll speak with Miss Walters then,” he said as he tried to step into the house and pass Mrs. Levine.

 

She quickly moved her arm across the threshold.  “Stop right there.  Mrs. Cartwright is under a doctor’s care, and is in no condition to speak with anyone.  Again your doing, Mr. Fletcher.”

 

Stepping back, he gave Mrs. Levine a sour smile.  “There is no Mrs. Cartwright. I have declared that farce of a wedding null and void.”

 

“You have no authority to do that, Mr. Fletcher, and I’m sure the major will find it interesting that you think you do when he arrives.  He’ll be given all the information from the minister and the witnesses.  So Mr. Fletcher, you had better find Mr. Cartwright soon, and he’d better not have any injuries, or you will be explaining to the major how he got them.”

 

“What major are you talking about?”

 

“The major who is on his way to attend to your abuse of office, sir.”

 

“You’re bluffing.”

 

She smiled and narrowed her eyes.  “You just keep thinking that, Mr. Fletcher, for it may well be the most pleasant thought you have for a very long time.”

 

Scowling, Fletcher turned and moved out to the sidewalk while Mrs. Levine watched.  He gave her a furious look, then turned to his men.  “I want Freeman and Stephenson in my office at Camp Philadelphia within the hour.  And once you have them, go to the hospital and look for Cartwright. I don’t care if you have to turn the whole hospital upside down.  Find out from the staff if Stephenson was there this morning.”

 

Shortly after, there was a knock on the trap door that led to the cellar below the kitchen at Camp William Penn; two quick raps, then three spaced out, followed by four short raps.

 

Freeman released the hook that held the trap door shut. “Dr. Freeman, Fletcher’s lookin’ for you.  He ought to find you at home ‘stead  of here.”

 

Hoss heard the knock as well as the voice, but he wasn’t close enough to hear what was said.  He jumped when Dr. Freeman touched his arm.  “It’s time for you to get back in the bed and rest.  I got to go for awhile, but someone be down soon to make sure you got what you need.”  Climbing the ladder, Freeman turned one last time before he pushed the door open.  “Now you be quiet down here.  It ain’t time for no one to find you just yet. Not ’til that help gets here.”

 

Hoss lay back on the bed with only one thought on his mind.  He knew Annie must be worried sick, and there was no way for him to tell her he was all right.  Even though he couldn’t see, he closed his eyes anyway and said a little prayer asking God to take care of her until he could hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her.

 

Chapter Fifty-Six
“Atchoo!”

 

“You drink broth.  You feel better.”

 

“I’mb sorry, Hob Sing, but I really don’t feel like any…aaatchoo!”

 

Ben heard the whole conversation as he walked up the hall.  Strolling to the window, he opened the curtains, letting bright sunshine into the room.

 

Cringing at the glaring light, Shiloh sank below the blankets and turned away.  “It hurts mby eyes.”

 

“Nonsense,” said Ben cheerfully.  “Sunshine is good for you.  It’s good for all of us, especially since it’s the first sunshine we’ve seen in…” he chuckled.  “Well, it seems like years.”   Walking to the bed and uncovering her head, he took her arms and lifted her into a sitting position against the headboard.  “Hop Sing, where’s that broth?”  Smiling, Hop Sing retrieved the bowl.  Before Ben took it, he pulled the chair right next to the bed and sat down, then took the bowl from Hop Sing and dipped the spoon in.  “Now, open up.  All this broth is going down, one way or another.”

 

“Pa, I need to see Mbicah.  I need to know if Cheron and her people are safe.  She would be berforming the ritual for Billy even in this weather.”

 

“I’ve already sent Shorty over to the Flying W to tell Micah what’s happened.  I’m sure he’ll be here.  And if he chooses to tell Cheron, I’m sure she’ll come as well.  Now take this broth,” he said, moving another spoonful to her mouth. “And while you’re eating, I want you to think about going back to the main house.  There’s plenty of beds there, and Hop Sing will be better able to take care of everyone.”

 

Shiloh finished her broth and was left to rest before Micah came by with Cheron.  “Ben, how is she?” asked Micah.

 

“She’s got a bad cold, but she’s resting.”

 

“What happened?  Shorty didn’t make much sense.  I thought he said she went out to help Ming Lin without a coat and in her house shoes?”

 

Ben relayed the whole story while Micah shifted his weight to one foot, moved a hand to his hip and twisted his mouth in anger.

 

Clapping him on the back, Ben said, “Now Micah, you can’t blame her for wanting to help.  You know as well as I that we all do similar things before we think about our own safety.  Besides, I’ve already spoken with her about her responsibility to the baby she’s carrying.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, may I see her?” asked Cheron.  “I may be able to give her some relief.”

 

“Of course.  Her bedroom is at the top of the stairs to the left.”

 

When Cheron entered the room, Shiloh was propped up on pillows, napping even though her breathing sounded quite congested.  Cheron felt Shiloh’s forehead and cheeks, and listened for a moment before she went back downstairs to the kitchen in search of Hop Sing.

 

“O si yo, Hop Sing,” she said, bowing and remembering how kind Hop Sing had been to her when she lived with Billy’s father, and how they had shared their knowledge of plants and herbs.  She untied a pouch from a leather cord at her waist and held it out to him.  “This will help Shiloh breathe better.”  Emptying the contents of the pouch onto the work table, she separated the different herbs and explained to Hop Sing what they were and what they would do.

 

Smiling, Hop Sing bowed.  “Many thanks.  Before you go home, you come back.  Show Hop Sing plants.”

 

“Yes, Hop Sing. I will come back before we leave for our village.  We will be able to find some of them, but not all because of the snow.”

 

Joining Micah and Ben in the living area, Cheron waited patiently while the two men talked.

 

“She has a point,” said Ben.  “If Adam knew what’s happened, he would never leave her behind. She’s afraid he won’t go take care of business if she can’t go.  She’s afraid it could ruin this business he’s in with Robert Slater.”

 

Micah was sitting on the sofa, and leaned forward, propping his elbow on his thigh and rubbing his temple.  “Ben, I don’t like keeping secrets from Adam. But she’s right.  He might not leave her after this.”

 

“Look at it this way.  It’s her responsibility to tell him.  And it’s her decision whether she does.”  Ben stood and took Cheron’s hands.

 

“She is still sleeping, but not a good sleep.  I have given Hop Sing herbs that will help her breathe better.   I will come back tomorrow to speak with her.”

 

“How long do you plan to stay?” asked Ben.

 

“We will be a few more days before the ceremony is done.  With the storm broken, it will be better to return to our village before another bad wind blows.”

 

“We can help you get back to the village.”

 

“It is best not.  The Paiute watch.  I do not want to make trouble.”

 

Ben understood the reference to the Paiute.  The Washoe and Paiute had been at war years ago.  The Paiute had won, and as punishment, forbade the Washoe from owning or borrowing horses.  If he insisted, Cheron would be obliged to accept, but likely at a high cost to the Washoe people.  “I hope you’ll have time to share a meal with us, Cheron.  Adam and Micah have told us about your village, but I’d like to hear how you and your people are getting along.”

 

“I will come to the big house before we leave, Mr. Cartwright,” she replied, bowing again before she turned toward the door.

 

Following her, Micah looked back.  “I’ll come back tomorrow with Cheron.  I’d like to see Shiloh when she’s awake.”

 

Ben nodded and held the door open as Micah helped Cheron down the snow covered front steps.  “If we’re not here, we’ll be at the main house.  I’m trying to convince her we’ll all be more comfortable over there.”

 

***

 

Adam had no idea where he was.  He’d let Buster go, hoping he’d find a town or settlement.  When hands reached up and pulled him down off the horse, he heard someone say two words that instantly made him feel safe enough to let consciousness slip away; doctor and sheriff.

 

Once awake, he discovered he was on a cot with his arm in a sling, a bandage on his head, and two fingers in a splint.  Slowly sitting up, he groaned when he felt pain across his torso.  Running his hand down his chest, he felt the wrapping around his ribs and noticed the large bandage around his left calf.

 

“Well, nice of you to join us, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

“How…”

 

“I’ve got your valise and saddlebags out here in the office.  And your horse is at the livery.  I hope you don’t mind, but I paid for his keep and for the doc’s services from the money in your wallet.”

 

“How long have I been out?” Adam asked, his head still bowed in his left hand.

 

“Five, six hours.”  Moving a chair into the jail cell, the sheriff straddled it backwards.  “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“Avalanche.  Back on the road between Grizzly Flat and Diamond Springs.  There was a buggy on the side of the road…two people…husband and wife.”

 

Frowning, the sheriff said, “I was afraid of that.  A rider came in just before you got here.  Said the road was covered in about thirty feet of snow, rock and trees.  It’s gonna be awhile before we can dig ’em out.  You have any idea who they were?”

 

Adam exhaled loudly.  “Amos and Emily Pickerd.  Mr. Pickerd was the head stable master for Mayor Coon in San Francisco.”

 

“Oh dear.  Why would they be all the way out here?”

 

“Leaning back against the wall, Adam looked up at the ceiling.  “They were on their way to Virginia City to see some horses.”

 

“So you spoke to them?”

 

Nodding, Adam replied, “In Grizzly Flat.”

 

The sheriff furrowed his brow.  “If they were going to Virginia City, and you spoke to them in Grizzly Flat, why were they on the road to Diamond Springs?”

 

“Because I told them there’d be no point in continuing to Virginia City.  The horses they were going to see belong to my wife, but my wife isn’t going to be showing any horses for awhile.”  When the sheriff tilted his head, Adam added, “Grizzly Flat was full of people trying to get to San Francisco through the storm because Johnson’s Pass was iced over.  I left at first light.  I never expected anyone else to leave that early, but they were ahead of me.  When I caught up to them, they’d lost a wheel, and I stopped to help them get it back on.  The wheel had rolled into the woods.  I found it, but I heard a scream and a gunshot, and by the time I turned, the snow shelf had broken loose. It was almost on them, and they…just…stood there.”  Adam had seen avalanches during his tenure in the Sierra, but  never had he seen anyone swallowed up by one.  “There was nothing I could do but run,” he said quietly, then snorted. “Not fast enough.”

 

“Do you know what the scream and the gunshot were about?”

 

“Yeah.  There was a wolf in the middle of the road.  I only saw it for a moment before it was covered.”

 

“All right.  I’ll send a telegram to the mayor. Anyone I need to notify for you?”

 

Adam stood on wobbly legs.  “I can’t stay.  I have to get to San Francisco.”

 

“Whoa there, Cartwright.  The doctor said you need a couple of days before you start moving around.”

 

Giving the sheriff a weary smile, Adam said, “I’ll be fine.  I was going to ride, but I think I’ll take the stage to Folsom, catch the train to Sacramento, and then take a steamer the rest of the way.”  Like Shiloh wanted. I should have listened. “If I can just collect my things, I’ll go make arrangements for my horse and wait for the stage.”  Taking only one step toward the cell door, Adam swayed, but caught himself on the bars.

 

The sheriff steadied him and lowered him back down to the cot.  “I’ll tell you what, Mr. Cartwright.  I’ll go tell the livery you’ll be leaving your horse.  He said he knows your family, so I’m sure there’ll be no problem.  The stage won’t be here for another hour.  I’ll take your wallet, buy your ticket, and tell the clerk there to make sure he waits for you.  You just lie down there and rest.”

 

Adam didn’t argue.

 

***

 

Dr. Stephenson and Dr. Freeman both stood in front of Captain Fletcher’s desk, their hands clasped in front of them.  Captain Fletcher studied their faces for what seemed like a very long time, looking for anything; a twitch, avoidance of his eyes…anything that might confirm either man was complicit in Cartwright’s escape.

 

A soldier hurried in through the door behind them. “Captain Fletcher, the staff at the hospital all say they saw Dr. Stephenson there this morning.”

 

“I see.  That leaves you, Freeman.”

 

“Cap’n Fletcher, Mr. Cartwright wadn’t in no condition to leave this mornin’.  He wadn’t even conscious.  As big as he is, how you expect one man to move ‘im?  No sir,  either he woke up and walked out, or a whole army section took him out.”

 

“That meddling Mrs. Levine is behind this,” Fletcher said under his breath.  “Soldier!  Take three men and post them around Mrs. Levine’s boarding house.  I want to know about anyone who goes in or leaves immediately. And you two.  If I find out either one of you is involved in this, I’ll bring you both up on charges.  Then you can both spend some time in my jail.”

 

“May I remind you, Fletcher, that I outrank you,” said Dr. Stephenson. “In order for you to charge me with a war crime you must request a military court hearing overseen by a superior officer.  Since my rank is major, that would be at least a Lt. Colonel.”  With a smug smile, he said, “Please do.  As a matter of fact, Fletcher, if I were you, I’d seriously start thinking about desertion.”

 

“Both of you.  Leave.”   Though he made no remark one way or the other, Captain Fletcher had added Dr. Stephenson’s suggestion to his list of ways to get out of this mess.

 

Both doctors felt it safe to go on to Camp William Penn, since Fletcher had sent his men to watch Mrs. Levine.

 

Hoss awoke to the squeak of the door and made it to a sitting position at the same time Dr. Stephenson stepped off the ladder.

 

“It’s good to see you sitting up, Mr. Cartwright.  But Dr. Freeman tells me you can’t see.”

 

“Doc, my name is Hoss.  And about all I can see are just…dark…shadows.”  Hoss had had time to think about his missing sight and what a burden it would be for Annie if he never regained it.

 

“Why don’t we get you over to the table so I can have a look,” said Dr. Stephenson, taking Hoss’ arm and helping him to a chair.  “Now, turn your head toward the light.”   Dr. Stephenson moved his hand to the side of Hoss’ head and pushed gently.  “Good.  You have a great deal of blood in the sclera.  Not surprising considering the beating you must have taken.”

 

“Sclera?”

 

“The whites of your eyes.”  Examining the bruising around Hoss’ eyes, the doctor said, “You may not be permanently blind.  If your blindness is caused by the blood blocking your vision, it will clear up as tissue reabsorbs the blood.  However, if your retna has become detached, I’m afraid there’s not much we can do.  But it is highly unlikely that you would have a detached retna in both eyes.”

 

“So the answer is you don’t know whether I’ll see again or not.”

 

“I’m afraid not.  Only time will tell.”

 

Leaning back in the chair, Hoss sighed.  “I cain’t do this to Annie.  She married a man who could take care of her.  Not a man she’d have to take care of the rest of her life.”

 

“Now, Hoss.  Don’t underestimate Annie’s ability to help you help yourself.  And certainly don’t underestimate her love for you.  Anyway, it’s much too early for you to give up on your sight.”

 

Moving his hands to the top of his thighs and rubbing them, Hoss said quietly, “If you gentlemen don’t mind, I’d think I’ll go on back to bed.”

 

Chapter Fifty-Seven

 

Like it or not, Adam’s rest ended too soon as the stagecoach was early.  The reason it was early was because this stage came from Sacramento, and instead of continuing up into the high Sierra, it would be turning around in Placerville.  Since everyone’s destination was further east than Placerville, the stage emptied quickly and took on the few people who waited in Old Hangtown; Adam and one other.

 

Before Adam boarded, Buck Henry from the livery offered to buy Buster.  “After all, the cost of boarding him might just approach what he’s worth.”

 

“Buck, I hope you’ll never have to know what that horse is worth.”  Buck gave Adam a sidelong look.  “Never mind.  The horse isn’t mine to sell.  He belongs to my wife, my wife wants him back, and I want her to have him back.”

 

Laughing, Buck said, “I can understand that.”

 

Adam snorted and narrowed his eyes.  “No, Buck.  I don’t think you can.  If I have to stay in San Francisco more than a week, I’ll send someone down to get him.  Here’s a week’s worth,” Adam said, passing Buck some coins.  “You’ll get the balance either when I pick him up, or someone from the ranch gets him.”

 

“I’ll take good care of him, Mr. Cartwright.  Don’t you worry about a thing.”

 

Turning to board the stage, Adam staggered and grabbed the door.  The sheriff was standing by close enough to catch him again and help him up.  “You sure you don’t want to take a few extra days to rest?”

 

“Can’t afford to,” Adam gasped.  “I’m expected in San Francisco to inspect the courthouse.  Construction can’t continue without it, and the mayor is anxious to move in.”

 

“At least tell me someone’s going to meet you.”

 

“Well,” said Adam, slowly sliding into the seat.  “I hadn’t planned on needing anyone to meet me.  I’ll send a telegram from Folsom or Sacramento to my partner.”

 

Closing the door, the sheriff stepped back and tipped his hat.  “Have a good trip, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

Adam nodded back, and as soon as the stagecoach was rolling, he winced and struggled to find a comfortable position where he could lean back and nap.  Though he seemed to shift continuously, he evidently found an acceptable position because the next time he opened his eyes the stagecoach rattled to a stop in Folsom.  Pulling his saddle bags out of the coach behind him, he looked up just in time to see his valise falling toward him and closed his eyes.  When nothing happened, he cracked one eye open to see a young man smiling back at him.

 

“You must be Mr. Cartwright.  The clerk at the office in Placerville wired ahead.  Said you might be needin’ some help.”

 

Chuckling to himself, Adam lowered his head.  For things to have gone so badly earlier on this trip, they were certainly going well at the moment.  “Thank you.  I need to catch the train if it hasn’t already left.”

 

“I think you might just have time if we hurry.  I’ll tote your bag for you.”

 

Giving the young man an even bigger smile, he said, “Lead the way.”  Before the boy left him, Adam had his ticket and was sitting in his seat while the stage office clerk left his valise and saddlebags on the seat next to him.  Again, Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, handing them to the boy.  “Thank you for your help.”

 

Looking at the money in his hand, the clerk smiled broadly and tipped his hat.  “You’re welcome, Mr. Cartwright.   Anytime.”  Feeling the train jerk, he moved a hand to the hat on his head and scurried down the aisle to the exit, but before he jumped down off the slowly moving train, he looked back, removed his hat and waved.

 

The train ride was much smoother than the stagecoach, but still the car rocked back and forth on the sometimes uneven rails.  There were several stops along the way, but Adam napped, and boarding passengers passed by and left him alone.

 

In Sacramento, he had just enough time to send a telegram to Robert, but none left to send a seriously overdue telegram to Shiloh, so he asked Robert to let her know he was on the steamer to the city.

 

The steamer was even more comfortable than the train.  He was able to get some much needed rest in his berth, and didn’t leave until it was time to disembark.  As he walked down the gangplank, he stopped and looked back with a half smile and a shake of his head; I really should have listened to Shiloh.

 

“Adam!”  Robert rushed up the gangplank to take his valise.  “What the devil happened to you?  You look like you lost the battle to a grizzly.”

 

“Robert, I’m tired, I hurt, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast.  I’m going to find a comfortable place to sit where they serve good food, and then I’ll tell you all about it.”

 

“No need to look any further.  I’ll take you straight to the house.  Evelyn has planned a feast for you.  And I’ll make sure you get a soft chair.”

 

As they rode toward the Slater’s home in a carriage, Adam asked, “How is Evelyn and the baby.”

 

“They’re doing fine.  Robert Jr. is almost six months old, and Evelyn has blossomed.  How is Shiloh doing?”

 

“The doctor has ordered her off her feet, and it’s taking the entire family to keep her off them.”

 

“Here we are,” said Robert.  “Let’s get you fed and send you up to bed.  We have an early day tomorrow. The building looks good, so I’m sure the inspection will go well.”

 

***

 

Captain Fletcher called out at the knock on his office door.  “Come!”

 

A soldier stepped in, saluted and stood at exaggerated attention waiting for permission to speak.

 

“Well?”

 

“An officer…rank of major, sir…is at the house.”

 

Fletcher froze, only moving his eyes up to the enlisted man.  “How long’s he been there?”

 

“About half an hour, sir.”

 

“Pull the men away.  All of you go back to the barracks.  And don’t let the major see you.”

 

Once the door had closed behind the soldier, Fletcher sat straight in his chair, breathing deeply.  The old woman had really contacted someone who had sent a higher ranking officer to investigate.  He’d underestimated her, thinking she was no more than an old bag of wind.  Standing, he paced back and forth in front of his desk, deciding what to do.  Cartwright’s disappearance had certainly left a gaping hole in his plans.  He couldn’t make a man disappear who had already disappeared. And he was sure that Cartwright would mysteriously reappear now that the major was here.  He had to do something quickly, and remembering Dr. Stephenson’s words, there was only one thing left to do.”
***

 

“Mr. Hoss, I heard about you and them wolves.  Mrs. Levine was mighty nice to take you in.”

 

“Well, she really didn’t take me in.  I was already boarding there.  Annie…Miss Walters…I mean, Mrs. Cartwright arranged for a room before I even got here.”   Hoss was afraid to lay the sandwich he’d been trying to eat down on his plate, concerned first that he’d miss the plate, and second that he’d be able find the side he’d been eating.  He let one side drop as he slowly searched for his glass of water, taking a sip and then lifting his sandwich to his mouth.”

 

“So how come you come all the way out here in the middle of a war?”

 

“To keep Miss Annie from leaving school and coming all the way out to Nevada Territory for Christmas.”  Hoss smiled.  “I guess I was just a little anxious for her to finish school and come out permanent-like.  And since I was comin’ out, I decided I’d give her a reason to go back to Virginia City.”

 

“What was that?”

 

“Well, Dr. Freeman, ain’t that what all the ruckus is about?  Me marrying Annie.  Only that Fletcher fella thinks I did it to get out of fighting the war.  The way I see it, it ain’t my war.  Us folks out on the frontier ain’t got the problems folks in the north and south got, and I just don’t see it’s my responsibility to  argue their points.  Anyway, I’d already asked her to marry me.  It was Annie who thought goin’ ahead with it would get me out of joinin’ up.”

 

“Still ain’t no reason to beat the sight out of a man.  I hope they take Fletcher off.  Theys too many young men in his city to have a man like Fletcher in charge.  He’ll mess them boys up good.”

 

Hoss bowed his head.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t blame Annie at all.  In fact, Mrs. Levine, all her friends and the minister thought it was a good idea. Fletcher didn’t see it that way.  Anyway, Annie went to see Miss Preston at the Women’s College and went ahead and took her graduation test, so when we get home, she’s gonna be the first woman doctor in Virginia City,” he finished proudly.  Then he slumped.  “Only now, things have changed. She don’t need to start new life with a blind man.”

 

“Why you think that?”

 

“She’ll spend all her time takin’ care of me and not pursuin’ her dream.”

 

“Don’t you think that be the lady’s decision?”

 

Hoss didn’t answer, but suddenly, he’d lost his appetite. “Dr. Freeman, how come you here?  I didn’t think there was any slaves in the north.”

 

“Oh, theys slaves.  Northern folk just quiet about it.  I coulda left, but I figure black folks freedom was worth fightin’ over.  I was on the lines, and when the army saw I could bandage up the wounded, that’s what they had me do ’til Camp William Penn opened up. Now, I do it here.  Cap’n Fletcher had me see to you ’cause he figured I wouldn’t say nothin’. But I figure everyone be treated fair; black or white.”

 

“Got any plans after the war’s over?”

 

“Naw.  Black folk take care of themselves.  Without the war wounded, I wouldn’t have many patients.  But I ain’t got no land to farm, and I figure the house we stay in’ll be torn down to make way for new fine homes for the white folk.”

 

“I tell you what.  You done patched me up, fed me and hid me.  The least I can do is help you and your family get your lives back.  When this war’s over, you write me or send me a telegram.  You’re welcome to start over out in Nevada Territory.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, I got no money to pay for no land or even get me and my wife and little girl out there.”

 

“Don’t make no difference.  You let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll send for you.  My family can always use good men on the ranch.  You stay with us a year, and you’ll get some land and ten head of cattle to start your own ranch.”

 

Hoss couldn’t see, but a tear had welled in Dr. Freeman’s eye.  “You would do that for a black man?”

 

“Black, white or yella, it don’t make no difference.  A good man is a good man.”

 

***

 

With Shiloh ensconced in a bedroom at the main house, things had slowly settled back down to normal on the Ponderosa.   Even with two sons away, what little ranch business took place during the winter was being handled.  In fact, Ben was actually more relaxed with two boys who had nothing to do for days on end out from under him.  They were grown men, but when it came to being confined indoors, they tended to act like little boys.  The only difference was the size of the trouble they got into.

Take Little Joe.  With both brothers gone, he had plenty to keep him busy.  He, like Ben, was grateful that his brothers were gone.  It left him with enough to keep him mostly occupied and still allowed him some leisure time.  Except for today.  With both brothers around constantly telling him to be careful, he generally came out of winter unscathed.  However, his luck would run out when he decided  to slap a bull on the hind end to move him toward the herd; a bull already in a bad mood for having to move.  The bull charged Joe, sending him running toward a bank that dropped ten feet into the river at a point where there were more boulders than river, and what river there was mostly iced over.

Joe and Micah had been watching the herds together. Micah had been a short ways down the road going over the day’s chores with Shorty and Hank when all three men heard Joe’s long yell as he dropped down hard onto the snow-covered rocks that bordered and crossed the river.

When the men arrived, Shorty and Micah looked down off the bank while Hank lassoed the bull and pulled him off toward the herd.  By the time he was back, Shorty was steadying a horse with a rope tied to the horn and pulled tight with Micah’s weight as he worked his way down the embankment.

Joe had huddled against the bank underneath a rock overhand, waiting for him.

Once at the river, Micah made his way over to Joe, noticing that Joe was holding on to his right hand.  “Joe, you all right?”

“Mostly.  I think my hand is broken,” he said, tentatively holding it out for Micah to see.

“Can you wiggle your fingers?”

“Not without inventing a few new words.”

“All right.  Let’s leave it be until we get you home.  I’ll send Shorty after the doctor once we get you back up the bank.”

“What about the herd?  We got to get ’em to the lower pasture.  They’ll freeze up here with that storm moving in,” Joe said, nodding toward the west.

Standing as best he could, Micah helped Joe into a standing position and tied the rope around him.  “I’ll worry about that.”

“There not your cattle to worry about.”

“Not true.  Adam left me in charge of you, so that means I’m your stand-in older brother.  He said you couldn’t survive intact without one.  So you just start walking up that bank.  Shorty,” he yelled.  “Pull him up slow.  He’s prob’ly got a broken hand.  Hank?”

“Yeah, Micah.”

“Take some men off the road and get these cattle to the lower pasture.  They need to be there before nightfall.”

“Sure thing,” yelled Hank as he turned his horse toward the road the Flying W men had been keeping clear.

By the time both Joe and Micah were back on top of the bank, the front edge of the storm had reached them, dropping a light snow.  As Micah helped Joe into his saddle, he told Shorty to fetch the doctor.  “Tell ‘im he’s got two patients…the two youngest Cartwrights.  You come back with him.  You and I need take the men down at the stable some supplies.  And I want you to bunk down there with them.   I don’t want anyone alone when this next storm is on us.”

Nodding, Shorty turned and headed toward town.

As Micah and Joe rode to the main house, Joe’s hand steadily became worse, and by the time he was in the house, he wouldn’t say much for fear of yelling.

 

Ben looked down at his son in the leather chair still wearing his jacket, his nostrils flared and his mouth drawn into a line.  “You hurt it pretty badly?”

 

“Yessir, I think so.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“I smacked a bull on the rump, and he didn’t like it.”

 

“You were off your horse?”

 

“Yessir.”

 

“Joe…”

 

“Pa, I know.”

 

“You’d not gotten away with that if Adam had been here.”

 

Joe sprang up out of the chair.  “Well why don’t you bring him back if you think I can’t handle the work around here?”

 

Ben’s eyebrows furrowed. “Joseph!”

 

“Pa, he doesn’t even live here anymore.  He has a job that has nothing to do with the Ponderosa.”

 

Ben gave him a tired look.

 

“I just…I just wish you’d trust me to take care of the work without throwing Adam at me every time something happens.  He’s had his share of trouble.”

 

Nodding, Ben said, “That’s true.  But he was never injured this badly because of foolish behavior.   You knew better than to slap a bull, especially that bull, on the rump.  Now settle down.  You’ll wake Shiloh.”

 

“Too late,” came a soft feminine voice from the top of the stairs.  Though she had a dismayed look on her face, she managed a smile.  “I’m awake.”   Then she sneezed, prompting Ben to climb the stairs to her.

 

“Now, Shiloh, you should be in bed.”

 

“Pa, if I lay in that bed any longer, every bone in my body will hurt.  Right now, it’s just my shoulders and back.  Can’t I…atchoo…sit by the fire for a little while?”  She was breathing through her mouth and her nose was red; a look that made Ben feel sorry for her.  He helped her down the stairs and got her situated in the leather chair next to the fireplace with her hassock under her feet, a blanket over her, and a handful of Adam’s handkerchiefs on her lap.

 

“Joseph, sit back down and wait for the doctor.  Shiloh, I’ll ask Hop Sing to bring your tea,” said Ben, leaving the room.

 

Micah came in from the barn, having taken care of Joe’s horse.  He went straight over to Shiloh, sat on the table in front of her and took her hand, but leaned back when she sneezed.  “You don’t sound much better.”

 

“Truthfully, I don’t remember when I’ve felt worse, but I can’t lay in the bed any longer.  I’m sore.   Micah, was there a telegram today?”

 

“Shorty didn’t have a chance to go into town, but he’s on his way now, so I’m sure he’ll check.”

 

“Oh.”

 

He bowed his head slightly and looked up into her eyes.  “He’s a big boy. He’s been taking care of himself all these years all by himself.”

 

She glanced over at Joe.  “His father thinks he doesn’t do anything foolish, but riding out in that storm was pretty dumb if you ask me.”

 

“Little Sister, we could say the same thing about you.”

 

She puckered her mouth and looked away.

 

Joe smiled and chuckled.  “Micah’s right.  He can handle himself.  He’s fine.”

 

Chapter Fifty-Eight

 

Paul Martin slowly walked down the stairs and set his medical bag on the coffee table.  “Ben, we need to talk.”

 

“How’s Joseph?”

 

“He’ll live.  But he’ll be in considerable pain soon.  I’ve set his hand and wrapped it up tight.  He needs to keep it still, so I’ve told him to use a sling. Now I fully expect that he won’t, so you need to make sure he keeps that arm in a sling to keep his hand still.”

 

Ben passed Paul a cup of coffee.  “I’ve seen that looked before, Paul. Shiloh?”

 

Looking down into his cup, Paul took his time answering.  “I’m concerned about the congestion I hear in her lungs, Ben.  She could be on her way to pneumonia.  I don’t think she’s there yet; she has only a slight fever, but if we don’t take care now, I’m sure it will get worse.  You need to keep her up and out of that bed during the day.”

 

Ben’s look was one of surprise.  “Well, Paul, didn’t you just tell us she had to stay off her feet?”

 

“I did.  What I want you to do is have her sit up, but keep her feet up.  It’s the position of her lungs that’s important.  If she’s on her back, fluid will build up.  If she’s sitting up, that’s less likely.”  Based on that step Ben took toward him and the fear in his eyes, Paul went on.  “The baby is all right at the moment.  And Shiloh is healthy and strong.  But the risk to the baby goes up with the fever.”

 

“Isn’t there anything you can do?”

 

“Other than what I’ve already told you, no.  Those who survive pneumonia are the strong.  The weak generally don’t.  So you make sure she eats to keep up her strength.  She’s sleeping right now, but first thing in the morning, get her down here in a chair.   And make her eat.”   When Ben stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned, Paul set his coffee aside.  “Ben, is there something else?”

 

“I’m surprised she’s sleeping.  She didn’t get a telegram from Adam today after he promised he’d send one from Sacramento and San Francisco.  He should already be in San Francisco.  She’s worried.”

 

Retrieving his medical bag, Paul headed for the door.  “It’s late, Ben.  And I have long ride ahead of me.”   Looking back at the worry on his friend’s face, he added, “Ben, Adam’s a grown man.  He’s been to San Francisco and back more times than I can count, even in bad weather.  He’s fine.  I’m sure you’ll get a telegram from him tomorrow…that is, if the lines are up.”

 

Ben quickly raised his head.  “Of course.  The wires could be down.”  Forcing a smile, he shook Paul’s hand.  “I appreciate you coming out so late.  Shorty can ride back to town with you.”

 

“It’ll be late for him to be coming back.”

 

“I’ll send him with some money for a hotel room.  He can come back tomorrow.”

 

***

 

When the trap door suddenly flew open, Hoss stiffened, but didn’t move.  There was really nowhere for him to hide…that he could see.

 

He heard more than one person climb down, and he felt them standing in front of him, but it was a moment before anyone spoke.  “I see what you mean, Dr. Freeman.  Mr. Cartwright, I assume?”

 

Hoss sat up on the side of the bed.  “Yessir.”  Holding out his hand, he waited for the man to shake it, and when the major did, Hoss finally relaxed.

 

“You seem relieved, Mr. Cartwright.  Did you think it might be someone else?”

 

“Yessir.  I thought you might be Cap’n Fletcher.”

 

“And just why would you be so concerned about Captain Fletcher?”

 

Hoss lowered his head.  “I think you know the answer to that question, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”

 

“Dr. Freeman, get this man out of this…room, and get him back to Mrs. Levine’s.  After you do that, I want everything cleared out of here, and I want this room filled with dirt.  Do you understand me?”

 

Hoss could hear the defeat in Dr. Freeman’s voice.  “Yessir.”

 

A gentler, kinder voice came from the other man in the room.  “Dr. Freeman, we abide by President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.  There is no longer any reason for your people to hide.  They are free here in the north.”  Stepping closer, he added, “And we don’t want to reveal that part of the Underground Railroad was underneath a Union camp in Philadelphia.”

 

“I undastand, sir.”

 

“Sir, what about Cap’n Fletcher?” asked Hoss.

 

“We’re looking for him now, Mr. Cartwright.  He’ll answer for what he’s done here, and what he’s done to you.  You’re free to go home.  Mrs. Levine and Miss…Mrs. Cartwright are anxiously awaiting your arrival.”

 

Hoss’ smile was short lived.  He was grateful for leaving the cellar, but scared to death to face Annie.  He snorted as he thought about seeing Annie again. Imagine that.  A man as big as he afraid to face the woman he loved.  He didn’t feel much like that man at the moment.

 

“You ready, Mr. Cartwright?” asked Dr. Freeman.

 

Tightening his lips, Hoss gave the doctor a quick nod.  “I guess as ready as I’ll ever be.”

 

Dr. Freeman had much less trouble getting Hoss back up the ladder.  He knew it was a good sign that Hoss squinted from the brightness of daylight, but he still had to hold Hoss’ arm, guiding him out of the camp and down the sidewalks of Philadelphia toward Mrs. Levine’s house.

 

When they arrived at Mrs. Levine’s, Dr. Freeman knocked on the door.  It was opened by Dr. Stephenson, who thanked Dr. Freeman and took Hoss’ arm, leading him into the house and to a chair.

 

“Dr. Freeman…I don’t even know your first name,” said Hoss.

 

“Jeffrey, Mr. Cartwright.  Jeffrey Freeman.”

 

“I want you to leave how to contact you with Mrs. Levine.  I meant that offer out in Nevada Territory.  You just let me know when you and your family are ready.”

 

Mrs. Levine smiled and motioned Jeffrey Freeman into the kitchen where she wrote down his street address.  “Dr. Freeman, you and your family are welcome in my home anytime.  If you need help, you make sure you let me know.  And when you’re ready to take Hoss up on his offer, I’ll be more than happy to help you get there.”

 

Dr. Freeman looked down at the straw hat he worried in his hand.  “Does Mr. Cartwright really have all that land that he can give it away?”

 

Mrs. Levine said proudly as if she knew it well, “It’s called the Ponderosa, and I hear it’s the largest ranch in the west; bigger that some states out here.”

 

“All this time, I ain’t never knowed there was white folk like you and Mr. Cartwright.  My wife’ll be right happy to find we got friends.”

 

As Dr. Freeman moved toward the back door, Mrs. Levine caught his arm.  “Dr. Freeman, when you come to my home and leave from my home, you will use the front door.  There’s no reason to hide.”

 

Smiling, he turned and went to the front door, looked back one more time, smiled and said under his breath, “Friends.”

 

Hoss missed Freeman’s leaving.  Dr. Stephenson was examining his eyes again and telling Annie how to treat them while they were on the way home.  “Now you must keep them covered.  I don’t want him straining to see.  He needs to just let them heal.  Put the gauze pads lightly over each eye and then wrap the cloth all the way around.  You may remove them when he sleeps, but they must go back on each morning.  Once you are home, you may test him, however, if his vision is still too blurry to see your fingers in front of him, put the gauze back on.  Test him regularly each week.”

 

Annie nodded and smiled, but when she caressed Hoss’ face with her hand, he flinched, causing her to draw back, a hurt frown appearing across her lips.

 

“Dr. Stephenson, do you still think there’s a chance…well…I might not see again,” asked Hoss.

 

“I won’t lie to you, Mr. Cartwright.  There’s always that chance.  But Dr. Freeman said you squinted in the daylight when you came up from the cellar, and that’s a very good sign that your eyes are healing.”  Leaning toward him, even though he knew Hoss couldn’t see him, he said kindly, “You need to be patient.  The eye is a very fragile organ.  It could take some time to heal.  But once you’re home, you should see some improvement each time Annie tests them.”  Hoss nodded, but didn’t smile.

 

As Dr. Stephenson exited, Major Sanders entered.  “I have acquired tickets for the two of you on the train to New York, and from there you’ll catch your ship for your return trip to San Francisco.”

 

“Major Sanders, I appreciate that, but I…”

 

“The President insisted the military pay for you and your wife’s passage, Mr. Cartwright.  It’s small penance for what one of our own has done to you.  You see, Captain Fletcher enlisted you which means you were injured during service to the Army of the United States of America.  Therefore, you are entitled to reparations, Mr. Cartwright, for the rest of your life if you remain blind, as are your wife, and your children for the rest of their lives.  If your sight returns, and you are declared an able-bodied man, the payments will cease.”

 

“Major, if it’s all the same to you, I don’t want no repairations, or whatever you call ’em.”

 

“Even so, Mr. Cartwright you will receive a monthly scrip.  You may do what you wish with the money.”

 

Again Hoss nodded without another word.

 

When Major Sanders left, Mrs. Levine retreated to the kitchen, and finally, Hoss and Annie were left alone.  The awkward silence seemed to last an eternity to Annie until she decided on the right words to say.  “Hoss, I was terrified at what Captain Fletcher might do to you.”  She moved to stand next to him and lifted his hand to her breast, clasping it tightly.

 

“Annie…when you and me got married, I could look in your eyes, and I knew you loved me.  Now, I know you still love me, but…well, you didn’t marry a blind man.  You married a man who could take care of you the way you deserve, and well, I’m not sure I’m that man anymore.  I think we ought to wait and see if my sight comes back…before we…well before you find you have to spend your life with a invalid.”

 

If Hoss could have seen Annie’s face, he’d have shrunk back.  “Hoss Cartwright, you made me your wife for better or worse and in sickness and health as long as both of us are alive.  If you think for one minute you’re getting out of it just because you have temporarily lost your sight, well…you just think again.  I took your name, and I intend to keep it!” She let his hand fall back down to his lap and turned to stomp out of the room, but turned back.  “I’ll be in the kitchen helping Mrs. Levine with dinner.  If you need anything, you make sure you call me, because if you don’t…well…you won’t like it if you don’t!”

 

***

 

When Adam awoke, he didn’t move at first, taking inventory of all the pains in his body.  His shoulder was definitely still there, as well as the broken finger of his left hand.  At least the arm injuries were on the same side.  His leg was throbbing where a splintered piece of wood had gouged out a fairly deep canyon from the top of his thigh, and when he began to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed, he instantly fell back, hugging his ribs with his good arm.  He knew it would take more than a week, possibly two before he could hide the damage.  How could he possibly keep this from Shiloh?

 

Taking a deep breath…no, that was a mistake.  No deep breaths for awhile.  Taking a tentative breath up to the point that it began to hurt, he slowly rolled to his side and pushed himself into an upright position, waiting for a moment until the pain in his chest was tolerable.

 

And so it went for the entire duration of his ablutions, dress and journey down the stairs.  It was a later hour than usual for Adam. The Slater’s had let him rest assuming that he needed it, but held breakfast for him as it was still only eight in the morning.  The men were expected at the courthouse at ten.

 

Adam’s appetite suffered because of his pain, and though he could have gotten something to relieve his aches, he didn’t want the mentally muddled feeling that came with it.

 

After giving his wife a furtive look, Robert said, “Adam, perhaps it would be better if I represented the firm for this inspection. I’ve toured the building as it’s been going up, and it looks good.  Of course, I’ve not paid that much attention to the structural specifications.  But if you’re comfortable with it, I will sign.”

 

Taking a sip of coffee, Adam gave Robert a smile of thanks that faded into one of cautiousness.  “This is no slight to you, Robert, but I won’t have the firm’s name on a building I can’t guarantee is sound.  It’s not good for business.  I understand you haven’t studied the structural specifications, and it would be unfair to you to put you that position.  No, I intend to do a thorough inspection, though,” he chuckled, “I could use your help.  That means no suit today.  I’ll put you to work if you’re up for it.”

 

Robert grinned, glad that Adam felt that strongly about the reputation of the firm.  “This might actually be enjoyable.  I haven’t gotten my hands dirty in a building in a long time.”

 

Evelyn had been listening to the men’s conversations.  She had the feeling that each was dancing around the problems Adam had encountered on his way to San Francisco.  “Adam?” she said quietly.

 

He looked up from his breakfast plate, and seeing the same expression on her face that he had seen on Shiloh’s face so many times when he was about to do something she considered dangerous, he smiled.  “Yes, Evelyn?”

 

“I’ve read about avalanches.  People don’t usually survive them.  How did you manage?”

 

With his brows furrowed, Adam’s nostrils flared, and his lips twisted into a thoughtful curve.  “I wasn’t at the center of it.  I was actually at the forward edge, and though it overcame me, I wasn’t left far enough underneath the surface to suffocate.  But there were others there, the Pickerds, who were right at the bottom of the slope.  It covered them in less than a second, and was probably so heavy, they had no time to…”  Adam stroked his forehead.  “They died instantly.”

 

“Oh, how awful.  Have you told Shiloh what’s happened?”

 

“No.  And I’m not going to.”

 

Robert had been studying his coffee trying to comprehend what it would have been like to be tumbled by a wave of snow.  He looked up.  “Doesn’t she deserve to know?”

 

Starting a deep breath, Adam caught himself before he fully expanded his lungs, moving a hand to his chest.  “Robert, Evelyn, we live in the Sierra.  Avalanches occur somewhere up there every winter, and I don’t want her to start expecting the worst every time I have to go out in it.”

 

“It’s winter, Adam,” said Evelyn reproachfully.  “How much work can there possibly be in the winter?”

 

The question put a smile back on his face.  He knew Evelyn had spent her entire life in a city.  “We have to go out every day to tend to cattle, fences, buildings, sheds, horses, and now a mine.  Winter does give us a bit more time to relax, but when we work outside, it’s harder because of the snow.  And all this reminds me; I have to speak with Mayor Coon today.  The people who didn’t survive were Amos and Emily Pickerd.  Amos was the city’s stable master.  Coon’s probably received a telegram from the sheriff in Placerville by now, but I’m sure he’ll want to know the details.”

 

“What in Heaven’s name were they doing in the Sierra?” asked Robert as he wiped his mouth and laid his napkin on the table.

 

As Robert went to move Evelyn’s chair away for her, Adam also stood. “He was on his way to see Shiloh’s horses.”

 

Both Slaters stopped, their jaws slack and their eyes piteous.

 

“I told them she wasn’t showing horses and advised them to turn back.”  Adam didn’t wait for a response. He simply turned and left the dining room.

 

Chapter Fifty-Nine

 

Ben, Joe and Hop Sing had already made brief appearances this morning in the big room, each going their separate ways for their morning chores.  No one had heard a peep out of Ming Lin. Hop Sing was keeping him still in the room off the back of the kitchen and  kept everyone up-to-date on his condition.

 

When Joe came in from the barn, Ben had just started across the room from the desk.  “And just where have you been?  You were supposed to give the horses hay and come straight back.”

 

Joe’s frown reached his eyes.  “Pa, I just need something to keep me busy.  It takes my mind off my aching hand.”

 

With the crease of his brow easing and a slight smile, Ben walked over to Joe and moved his arm around Joe’s shoulders, gently guiding him toward the stairs. “The doctor said you are to keep that hand still in order for it to heal properly. I know it’s difficult, but you do want the use of that hand again, don’t you.”

 

Sighing, Joe looked at his shoes, and said rather glumly, “Yessir.”

 

“Good.  Now, I want you to go upstairs and try to wake Shiloh.  Tell her to she has to come downstairs for breakfast.  If she argues…just tell her…I need to talk to her down here.”

 

Wagging his head, Joe silently climbed the stairs, and when he reached Shiloh’s bedroom door, he quietly knocked.  Hearing nothing, he knocked harder, and then cracked the door open and peered in.  Seeing nothing more than a mound on the bed, he stepped in and tiptoed to the bed, grimacing.  Her head was propped at an odd angle.  If she’d slept that way all night, she was going to have a headache worse than a hangover.  He touched her shoulder.  “Shiloh?”

 

When she didn’t move, his brows furrowed, and he moved his right hand to her other arm, pulling back quickly and swearing under his breath.

 

“I heard that,” she said in a hoarse voice.  “Go away.  I don’t want to see anybody today.  A…a…atchoo!”

 

“Pa says you have to come downstairs for breakfast.  He wants to talk to you.”

 

“Ca…a…choo!”  She felt for a handkerchief on the blanket, covered her nose and blew.  “Can’t he come up here and talk to bme?”

 

“Nope.  He said to bring you down.  Now swing your feet around.  I’ve got your house shoes right here.”

 

Shiloh hadn’t bothered to braid her hair the night before.  She looked like someone had dug their fingers in and given her hair a good tousle.  Seeing her swing her legs around was more like watching a huge ball with arms and legs rotating in the bed.  She looked as sick as she was, and as bad she must have felt, it didn’t seem to matter to her what anyone saw.  Joe winced, blowing a slow breath out of his open puckered mouth. There were just some forms of dress that only a husband should have to see, especially when his wife was that front heavy.

 

“Would you excuse me for a bminute?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I have to…”

 

“Oh, I’ll…ah…just wait outside.”

 

In only a few minutes, she called him, but nothing but air came out.  Hanging her head, she tried one more time, and this time it was just loud enough for Joe to hear.  “Robe, please,” she coughed.

 

Holding her robe so she could slip her arms in, he draped it over her shoulders, and once tied, he offered her his arm and led her down the stairs where Ben and Hop Sing were waiting with a blanket and hot tea next to the leather chair by the fireplace.

 

“Good morning,” said Ben in his normal booming voice that sent her shrinking at the resulting pounding in her head. “Oh no.  I’m sorry, Shiloh.  I didn’t think that you’d have a headache.”  Ben took her arm and helped her into the chair.

 

“Pa, we really have to do something about the way she sleeps.  Her head was all…”  Jerking his head awkwardly to the side into his shoulder was enough to communicate that it wasn’t good.

 

“We’ll just have to find more pillows to prop you up on.  Now sit right down here,” Ben said as he covered her with the blanket and lifted her feet onto the hassock.  “Hop Sing will bring you some breakfast.  You can eat right here where you’re comfortable.”

 

Raising the handkerchief to her mouth, she went into a coughing fit.

 

“Paul said it’s good that you’re coughing.  It means the congestion in your lungs is loosening.  He also said that you need to sit up as much as you can so this doesn’t turn into pneumonia.”

 

“Pneubmonia?”

 

“Not yet.  And if we can help it, not ever.”

 

She let her head fall back against the chair and closed her eyes, feeling too bad to argue.  “Did I get a telegram?”

 

“I don’t know yet. Shorty rode into town with Paul, and he stayed the night.  He’ll be back sometime this morning.”  He watched her shoulders sag as her head dropped forward.  “Shiloh, it’s possible the lines are down.  If they are, we won’t hear from him for several days.”

 

Giving him one the clearest looks she had managed for the last two days, she asked, “Aren’t you worried?”

 

He snorted as one side of his mouth turned up. Taking a seat on the coffee table in front of her, he answered, “You’ll discover this soon enough yourself, but a parent always worries about a child when he goes off on his own.  Of course I’m worried.  But my years of experience, especially with Adam, tells me that whatever he faces, he’ll manage.  He’s done that since he was just a small boy.”

 

She smiled as she thought of her husband.  “Somehow, I just can’t picture him as a small boy.  The way I see him, he’s always been a bman, even when he was young.”

 

“In a lot of ways, that’s true, but you know most of those stories.”  Taking her hand, he added, “That’s one very good reason why I don’t think he’ll ever put any of your children in a position to go through that kind of hardship.”

 

“Pa…a…a…choo.”  She blew her nose. “I never bmeant to ibmply he didn’t have a good childhood. I know life was hard, but he learned so bmany things from you that he bmight not have otherwise.  And you taught him so well, he went to a prestigious college without any preparatory work at all.”  Asking for his hand, she squeezed it.  “I really don’t think he regrets a bmoment of that journey, except bmaybe that you were alone for so long, and then the loss of Inger.  Adam loved her very bmuch.”

 

Ben smiled at the memory of Inger holding the little boy she had accepted as her own.  Rising from the table, he kissed the top of Shiloh’s head. “Drink your tea before it gets cold.”

 

***

 

The foreman at the construction site took one look at Adam and grinned.  “You look like you tangled with a bear.  I guess this is going to be short inspection, huh?”

 

Though his body looked beaten, his voice was as strong as ever.  “That depends on whether you’ve followed the plans and specifications.  If you haven’t, I may be here for a long time to be sure you correct any errors.”

 

With an angry frown, the foreman huffed and walked away, stopping and speaking with another man and pointing to Adam and Robert.

 

The man approached them with his hand held out.  “I’m Willis Timmons.  I’ll be showing you around the building.”

 

“Mr. Timmons, I don’t need to be shown around, but I do want to look at some specific things, mainly structural.  So get your mallet and chisel.  The instructions said to leave the areas to be checked accessible, but if I know your foreman, they’re already closed up.  We’ll have to open them.”  Turning to Robert, he said, “Robert, these men need to stop what they’re doing until this inspection is done.  I want them all off the site except the foreman, and Mr. Timmons here.”  Willis had started to object, but Adam held up his good hand.  “I know they don’t get paid if they’re not working.  The quicker we can get this done, the quicker they can get back to work.”  Pulling a drawing from under his arm, Adam rolled it out and showed Willis the first anchor he wanted to see.  As he and Willis went into the building, Robert went to find the foreman.

 

The day ended in Mayor Coon’s office.  The Mayor had listened to each side when they started, but was straining to make out what was being said as Robert and the foreman began to yell at each other.  He noticed that Adam was still sitting in his chair at the conference table, calmly running his fingers over his forehead, so he decided he’d leave the relative comfort of his desk and take the seat next to him.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, I understand you have news of my stable master and his wife.”

 

“Yes sir, I do.  Both were killed instantly in an avalanche between Grizzly Flat and Diamond Springs.”

 

“Do you care to elaborate?”

 

Adam told him the entire story, including that the horses Pickerd wanted to see were his wife’s, that she was in no condition to show them, so he suggested they return to San Francisco.    He continued to tell him about the wolf, the scream and finally the gunshot that brought the snow shelf down upon them.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, you sound like you feel responsible.  Let me assure you, no one will pursue that.”

 

“I’m sorry Mayor, but that doesn’t really settle it for me.  You can’t deny if I hadn’t sent them back, they’d still be alive.”

 

“Yes, but how often can each of us say that an innocent action on our part put someone in harm’s way?  How can we take responsibility for circumstances of which we have no knowledge?  We’re not seers.”

 

Smiling and nodding, Adam said, “True.”

 

“Now, tell me what all the shouting is about,” Coon said, indicating the other two men in the room.

 

Adam exhaled heavily and started to clasp his hands in front of him, but stopped abruptly at the pain in his left hand.  “I’m not prepared to sign off on the inspection until some corrections are made…some fairly substantial corrections.”

 

“There were errors in the specifications?”

 

“No, the specifications are fine.  The problem is that the specifications for most of the load bearing supports weren’t followed.  Your foreman authorized the use of bolts made locally because he could get them quicker, thereby getting the work done faster and getting his bonus.  The specifications called for a specific bolt made in New York that was en route.”

 

“And what is the difference in the bolts?”

 

“The bolts he used can handle only half the load of those coming from New York.  Vertical pressure on the lower flours will eventually lead to metal fatigue, and after that, any sheering force will cause the metal to crumble.  If two of the four bolts on each support beam go, the other two won’t hold the weight and that part of the building will collapse.  The biggest concern is the tremors you experience here.  The side motion will make things worse.”

 

“And what will it take to correct them?”

 

“Well, part of the problem is that they’ve all been covered with finished walls.  I have no way of knowing whether some or all of the bolts will have to be replaced, so a good amount of time will spent be cutting through the walls, and then replacing the walls after the bolts are swapped.   He did the same with the rivets for the cross beams.  We’ll have to take down the ceiling and set up temporary supports to hold up the ceiling and upper floors in order to replace the rivets.”

 

The yelling got louder, so Mayor Coon leaned in.  “And how do I know this isn’t a specification issue?”

 

Adam pulled over the plans that had been spread out over the conference table along with the list of specifications that accompanied each drawing.  Next, he fished two bolts out of his pocket.  “This is the bolt I specified.”  Turning the bolt to its side, it was easy for Mayor Coon to see the size and weight of the bolt in Adam’s hand matched what was in the specifications.  “This bolt,” he said, holding up the other one, “is the bolt your foreman used.  You can see here right on the bolt that the load rate is half of these, and you can see here on the other side where this bolt was manufactured.”  He sat the two bolts on end on the table in front of the Mayor.  “You can look at these bolts and see the difference.”

 

“You don’t suppose I should investigate this San Francisco manufacturer, do you?  See if there was any money passed between them and my foreman?”

 

“Mayor, that’s entirely up to you.  The damage is done here, but the correct bolts and rivets have arrived.  We have to fix this, and we have what we need to fix it.  My only concern is how long the delay will be, but perhaps, your foreman and the company who made these bolts should pay for the delay.”

 

“Would you stay long enough to interview for a new foreman?”  The mayor watched as Adam winced, and before he could decline, the mayor added, “I would like you to go over the specifications with the new foreman and act in that capacity until we hire a replacement.  You can get the work started, and he can continue it.  And I’ll throw in a good bonus for your time and trouble.”

 

Adam looked over at the two men still arguing, his face showing unhappy acceptance.  Robert could do what needed to be done in time after he became familiar with the plans and specifications, but that would only delay the project even longer.  If he didn’t stay, he’d probably have to come back fairly soon to finish the inspection, but if he got the work started and brought Robert into it, Robert could finish the inspection.  Coming back ordinarily wouldn’t be a problem, but with Shiloh only a few months away from giving birth to their first child, he didn’t want to risk it.

 

Holding out his good hand, Adam said, “All right.  I’ll stay.  But there should be no delay in finding another foreman.  My wife is expecting our first child in a few months, and I have to get back.”   Rising slowly from the table as he girded his ribs with his good hand, he called, “Robert, let’s go,” then placed his hat on his head and left the room with his drawings and bolts.

 

Robert and the foremen abruptly stopped arguing, and looking quite confused, Robert reached for his hat and rushed out the door after Adam.  It was easy to catch up as Adam wasn’t moving very fast, and just as Robert opened his mouth to ask what was going on, both men heard an angry string of unrepeatable phrases coming out of the mayor’s office.  “We need to get some of the crew back, Robert.  I’ll talk to Timmons tomorrow morning. You and I have a building waiting for us.”

 

Chapter Sixty

 

Adam staggered as he climbed the steps to the front door of the Slater’s home.  He was lucky Robert was there to catch him, because his landing would have been on hard concrete rather than the soft dirt or duff back home.  “Once we get you inside,” said Robert, “I’m sending for the doctor.”

 

Adam was too dizzy to argue, and when Robert guided him to the sofa, Adam almost fell onto it, groaning at the pain in his shoulder and ribs.

 

“Evelyn, bring a blanket.  We need to keep him warm until the doctor arrives.”  While Evelyn removed Adam’s boots and tucked a blanket around him, Robert left the room, sending the butler after the doctor.

 

When the doctor arrived, both he and Robert got Adam to his bedroom; one arm over each man as they bore him up the stairs.  By the time the doctor was finished with him, Adam was in a night shirt in the bed with his wounds newly bandaged.  “Mr. Cartwright, I want you to rest for the next few days.”

 

“I can’t do that.”

 

“I understand you want to get back to your wife, but unless you rest, time won’t matter.  You could be going back in a pine box.”

 

Tired of everyone telling him he had to rest, Adam shot back, “What’s going to kill me?  I have a knot on my head, a broken finger, a sore shoulder, some busted ribs and a scratch on my leg; nothing I haven’t had before.”

 

The doctor smiled, understanding Adam’s frustration.  “All at the same time?”

 

With his nostrils flared and his lips pursed, Adam cut his eyes up at the doctor.

 

“Adam…may I call you Adam?” Adam looked away at the same time he slightly nodded.  “You have more than a knot on your head, though Robert assures me you have one of the hardest heads he’s ever known.” The smile that accompanied that remark wasn’t missed.  “That knot is the reason for your dizziness.  Truthfully, though, Adam, I’m concerned about your ribs.  If you move the wrong way, you could puncture a major organ.  And the scratch on your leg was deep enough to warrant stitches and had to be restitched because of your activity today.  Thank goodness you had the sense to keep your arm in the sling, because if you hadn’t you might have done some permanent damage to your shoulder.  Now, I have instructed Mr. Slater that you may direct and watch the work at the courthouse, but you may not participate in any other way.  Do I make myself clear?”  The only sound was a heavy breath.  “I understand your wife is expecting your first.  Is that right?”

 

Turning his head forward, Adam looked up at the ceiling and relaxed.  “Yes.  The baby’s due in April.”

 

“Wouldn’t it be unfair to her if she had to raise the child without you?”

 

A half-smile snuck onto Adam’s lips.  “Shiloh will never be alone.  Her brother and my father and brothers would see to that.”

 

“I’m sure your family could never replace you in her eyes…or her heart.”

 

Letting his eyes fall to the blanket over him, Adam was silent, thinking…wondering…what life would be like for Shiloh…alone.  She’d borne enough loss.

 

The doctor smiled and rose from the chair next to the bed, reaching into his bag and pulling out a bottle.  “I understand you don’t like laudanum, and I can understand why.  Tonight, however you are going to take a dose to help you sleep. If you don’t, I’ll tell Robert to lock you in this room until you do.”

 

Chuckling at the absurdity of Robert locking him in his room, he gave in.  He knew he needed sleep more than anything, and knew he wasn’t going to sleep without some relief from the pain.  Perhaps tomorrow he’d feel better with some rest.

 

***

 

Hoss sat on a bench at the train station with his eyes covered by gauze while Annie and Mrs. Levine arranged to have the luggage loaded.  Jeffery Freeman was with them and happily went along to carry the heaviest of the bags.  Before they returned for Hoss, Major Samuel Stafford entered the station, immediately spotting Hoss by himself on the bench.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, I came by to see you off.”

 

“Major, that was mighty nice of you.”

 

“Where, may I ask, are the ladies?”

 

“They’re fussin’ over the luggage.  Doc Freeman went with ’em to heft the heavy bags.  Uh, Major, I know you don’t know me or nothin’, and I really don’t know you, but I need to ask a favor of you.  I’ve asked Dr. Freeman to bring his family out West to sorta start over.”

 

Hoss couldn’t see the sudden crease of the major’s brow.  “May I ask why you’d do that, Mr. Cartwright?”

 

Smiling, Hoss explained, “Well, ya see, I figured with the way he put himself in danger to help me, it’s the least I could do.  My family’d be glad to have another hard workin’ family  as neighbors.  We got a lot of land out there, and if Jeffrey works for us for a year, he gets some land of his own and some cattle to start his own place.”

“And what would be his wages while he worked for you?”

 

“Eight dollars a week, plus bunk and beans is what we generally pay.  Only Jeffery and his family would get one of the cabins on our property instead of a bunk, plus whatever they need out of the smokehouse and garden.”

 

The major’s eyebrows went up and a smile slowly appeared.  “You realize there may be a problem with acceptance, don’t you?”

 

Hoss’ smile disappeared and a furrow appeared on his brow. “Ain’t none of that on the Ponderosa, Major.  The man who starts it gets his pay on the spot and leaves.”

 

Nodding thoughtfully, the major was satisfied that the Cartwrights would treat the Freeman family fairly.  “What is the favor?”

 

Hoss had asked Annie to take three hundred dollars out of his wallet so he could put it in his pocket.  While digging it out, he said, “I want you to hold some money for Jeffrey; enough to pay him and his family’s passage to Virginia City once he’s released from duty.  When you give ‘im his last pay, I want you to hand him the tickets and make sure he gets on the train.”  Nodding toward the money in his outstretched hand, he added, “This oughta be enough to get ‘em a cabin.  Ain’t no need for ‘em to be in steerage.  There’ll be enough left for the stage from San Francisco to Virginia City.  All he needs to do is let us know when he’s s’posed to get there, and we’ll come get ‘im.”

 

The major smiled and took the money.  I will do as you wish, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

“Tell me somethin’, Major.  You never found Fletcher.  Got any idea where he mighta gone?”

 

Shifting his weight to one side, Major Stafford replied, “If I knew that, I would have found him by now.  Frankly, Mr. Cartwright, I think the man was quite mad.  You and Mrs. Levine are probably the only ones who ever stood up to him, and he simply couldn’t handle it.”

 

***

 

Shorty had come in through the kitchen trying not to disturb the household.  He knew they were all trying to get Mrs. Cartwright to rest.  Quietly easing around the corner of the dining room, he looked over toward the fire.  Ben motioned him over.

 

“Shorty, any problems?”

 

“No sir, Mister Ben.  Just a little slow goin’.”  Reaching out, Shorty continued, “I picked this up from the telegraph office this morning.  Arnie said the first one for Mrs. Cartwright came in day before yesterday kinda late.”

 

“Thank you, Shorty.  Have you had breakfast?”

 

“No sir.  I wanted to get back with them telegrams quick as I could.”

 

Ben smiled.  If there was one man on Adam’s payroll he knew would try his best, it was Shorty.  “Go on back in the kitchen and tell Hop Sing I said to feed you breakfast.  Then I want you to go to the stables and check on Shiloh’s horses.  I’m sure she’ll want to hear they’re safe and warm.”

 

“Thank you, Mister Ben.”  He looked over at Shiloh who was peacefully sleeping.  “How’s she doin’?”

 

Looking over at her fondly, the hand holding the telegram softly fell to Ben’s lap.  “She’s had a rough morning, but she drank some of Cheron’s tea.  This is as quiet as I’ve heard her in the last few days.”  As Shorty strode back toward the kitchen, Ben raised the telegram.  There were actually three notes in the one envelope; two for Shiloh and the other addressed to him.  He placed Shiloh’s telegrams back in the envelope and began to read his.

 

Problems with building.  Staying longer than planned.  Please try to convince Shiloh to stay with you.  I would be much relieved.   Much love to you, Hoss and Joe.  Adam.

 

Exhaling, Ben pondered his next action.  He needed to let Adam know that Shiloh was at the main house without telling him of her condition.  He would suggest to Shiloh that she do that.  He also wanted a newspaper if any had arrived from San Francisco.  If experience served him where his son and daughter-in-law were concerned, whatever delay had taken place at the courthouse would be first page news.  Rising from the chair, he glanced down at Shiloh with a smile as he passed her still asleep and went to the kitchen.  “Shorty, when you’ve finished at the stables, I want you to come back here.  I’ll have some telegrams for you to send, and I want you to look for a recent San Francisco newspaper.”

 

“Which one, Mister Ben?”

 

Ben had turned back toward the dining room, but stopped and thought.  “The Alta.  It would be the first paper of the day.”

 

By the time Shorty was back from the stables, Shiloh was awake and reading her telegram.

 

Mrs. Adam Cartwright

 

Adam has asked that I contact you as he was still en route to San Francisco.  He is well, but has been delayed because of the storms in the Sierra.  He will contact you as soon as he arrives in the city. 

 

Robert Slater

 

Without folding the first, Shiloh quickly pulled out the second.

 

Arrived in city later than expected.  Am well, my love, but am concerned for you.  Inspection found problems, so may be delayed.  Will write and explain.  All my heart.  Adam.

 

Shiloh stared at the paper as she slowly lowered it to her lap.  Delayed.  At the moment, that’s the only word on which she could focus.  Delayed.  How long?

 

Studying her face as she read the telegram, Ben watched her anxious eyes devour the words, and then slowly dull as she stared at the paper.  He crossed his legs and puffed on his pipe.  “Shiloh?  Is everything all right?”

 

“He says he’s well, but may be delayed.  I have no idea how long,” she said, slowly folding the telegram.  “He said he’d write.”

 

Ben gave her a reassuring smile.  “He’s a man of his word.  Be patient.”

 

Chapter Sixty-One

 

Rest was, indeed, what Adam Cartwright needed most if his mind wasn’t ordering his body to lie to him.  Though he was still sore, he felt invigorated when he awoke and looked forward to the day at the construction site.  Although he still moved slowly, still wore the sling, still limped and still turned his torso with great care, he wore a smile, and the twinkle that shown in his eyes when he was able to apply all his education to the work at hand was back.

 

He had risen earlier than usual so that he could write Shiloh before he headed downstairs for breakfast.  He stopped and started several times when writing about the trip, making sure he kept his injuries off the paper.  Then he dove into the problems at the construction site and what it was going to take to correct them before an inspection could be completed, promising that he would get the work started and leave the rest for Robert so that he could return home as quickly as possible.

 

Reading through the letter one last time, he smiled and stuffed two full pages in an envelope he had already addressed.

 

Evelyn turned from setting fresh flowers in the center of the dining room table when she heard footsteps on the stairs, expecting to see her husband.  She turned and smiled.  “Well, you look quite improved.  How do you feel?”

 

Adam returned the smile.  “Still sore, but better.  I guess the doctor knew what he was talking about.”

 

“You’ve beaten Robert down, but please sit down and have some coffee.  Breakfast will be ready any minute.  I’ll go hurry Robert along.”

 

“No need, my dear,” said Robert from the top of the stairs.  As he stepped down off the last riser, he said good morning to Adam.  “I was wondering if you’d even try to go to the site today.  You were limping pretty badly last night besides leaning against the walls.”

 

“I feel much better this morning, and I’m anxious to get started.  I thought I’d finish the inspection for the other areas of the building while the men are opening up the walls.  I particularly want to look at the sewer and the chases for the heating and stove pipes.”

 

“I have been ordered to limit your work on the site.  There will be no climbing through the chases.”

 

“Robert, I have to check the pipe supports and couplings.  How else am I going to do that?”

 

Sitting down at the head of the table and flipping his napkin before he placed it on his lap, Robert scowled.  “I am perfectly capable of checking pipe supports and couplings.  I would prefer you concentrated on directing the men who will be opening up the walls and adding the shoring to hold up the ceilings while the bolts are being replaced.  You can also find a foreman.  I’m sure there’s a few good men already on the crew who could do that job.”

 

Nodding, Adam said, “I had thought about Timmons.  I remember him from my first inspection.  He was familiar with everything I had asked about, and he’s the one who opened up the walls where we found the inferior bolts.”

 

As food was placed on the table and coffee was refreshed, Robert leaned forward.  “I’ll leave that in your capable hands while I’m crawling through the building.  I’m rather looking forward to it.  I haven’t gotten to do much of that lately.”

 

Adam narrowed his eyes.  “Haven’t you always inspected the buildings you’ve designed?”

 

“Well, yes, but the courthouse is the first design of its kind for us.  You have large open spaces without floor supports, you’ve put boilers in the basement, and you’ve managed to modernize necessities.  Frankly, I didn’t think the universities here in the states were teaching those things.”

 

“They weren’t twelve years ago.  I’ve been reading the architectural journals from Boston and New York as wells as British journals and some Greek and Roman history.”

 

“Ah yes.  Greeks and Romans,” remarked Robert, chuckling.

 

“Don’t discount the Greeks and Romans. They had internal heat and baths long before the rest of us were around.”

 

Robert and Adam prepared to leave after breakfast, gathering all the drawings and specifications they would need.  Robert spent the major part of his day climbing through the chases while Adam interviewed Timmons, and then had him choose the men who would make up the small crew that would be correcting the building support defects.

 

It was difficult to physically keep his hands off the work.  Each time he rushed in to help, his ribs and shoulder stopped him.  Even Timmons threatened to call Robert on more than one occasion.  The last temporary support of the day was in, and the ceiling had been opened to reveal the rivets in one of the main cross sections.  Adam didn’t wait to be told about the rivets.  Rather he climbed the ladder before anyone realized what he was doing and stuck his head and shoulders into the hole in the ceiling.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Slater said you are not to climb those ladders,” Timmons admonished.

 

Adam didn’t respond.  He was too busy maneuvering his body to a position where he could get a good look at the rivets.  Not only that, he was checking the support beams as well.  He had discussed the bolts and rivets with the mayor because that was what they had immediately seen.  But this was a chance to observe the beams themselves to ensure they were up to snuff.

 

“Timmons, where’s Mr. Cartwright?” said Robert, walking onto the dust covered marble lobby floor.   Timmons frowned and pointed to the top of the ladder.  “Oh really,” replied Robert, stepping up on the lowest rung.  “Adam, just what do you think you’re doing?  Come down from there this instant.”

 

Satisfied with the beam, Adam slowly lowered himself down the ladder to the floor.  “The beam looks good.  The rivets have to be replaced.”

 

Robert gave him a disgruntled look that made Adam chuckle.

 

“Come ‘ere.  I want to show you something,” Adam said as he lightly backhanded Robert’s chest and walked to the makeshift table where the drawings and specifications were laid out.  “You, too, Timmons.  You both have to learn this.”  Pointing to various places on the drawings, he said, “All these beams need to be checked to make sure they meet the specifications.  If the foreman cut corners on the bolts and rivets, there’s reason to suspect the supports.”

 

“I don’t understand,” said Timmons.  “What could he have done to iron supports?”

 

“Do you know anything about different grades of iron?” asked Adam.  Timmons shook his head.   “There’s pig iron…that’s the raw metal before it’s refined.  But then there are different grades of refining.  If the supports were properly worked, they are wrought iron which is what we want.  But if any shortcuts were made, we may have gotten some cast iron supports which will be brittle and over time will break.  You can tell the difference with a hammer.  If you can knock a piece of the support off with a hammer, it’s cast iron.”  He looked at Robert.  “If he used any cast iron in this building, we have a serious problem.  You have to check all the joints for the rivets, so while you’re doing that, I want you to test all the beams.”  The three men turned back to the drawings where Adam showed them everything he had marked to be checked.

 

Timmons shook his head.  “This could take weeks.  It’ll put us behind schedule.”

 

“The mayor already knows that,” said Adam.  “Checking the beams as you replace the rivets won’t add any significant time unless you find a cast iron beam.  Then everything has to stop until we evaluate how to replace the beam.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, I’ve never been on a job where this kind of inspection was done.  What made you start looking at the joints anyway?”

 

“My name is on these plans.  I want it done right.  And I don’t want to be responsible for the injuries and deaths that would result if this building collapses in one or two years.”

 

“Look at this lobby, Mr. Timmons.  “Have you ever seen a lobby this large without support posts?” asked Robert.

 

Turning in a circle, Timmons really looked at the interior of the building for the first time.  From the marble floor, to the carved wood banister of the stairs and molding, and the decorative iron pillars embedded in the walls, he recognized the beauty of the design and materials.  “I reckon this will be about the most beautiful lobby I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Make sure you keep it that way.  I don’t want anyone to see the seams when you patch up the holes,” said Adam as he turned to Robert.  “How are the chases so far?”

 

“I’ve started from the top and worked my way down two of them.  Everything is in order.”

 

“Good,” said Adam with a smile as he walked toward the main entrance. “I think it’ll take about a week to have you both comfortable with the correction work.  After that, I’ll work on the cost and give the mayor an updated bill, and once I’ve inspected the windows, doors and the water system, including the water tower, I’ll leave it to you two.”  Stopping on the front steps, he looked out.  The sun was just beginning to disappear behind the buildings across the street.  “Gentlemen, we should call it a day.”

 

That evening after dinner, Adam sat alone in his bedroom at a small desk.  He had made his apologies after a short conversation with Robert in the parlor and retreated upstairs. He was exhausted and sore, but as he stared out the window, his thoughts were of Shiloh.  It had become quite clear since his conversation with Annie in San Francisco, when he finally thought of Shiloh as a woman rather than a girl for the first time, that the two of them together could do remarkable things.  But they weren’t together, and their chosen careers were worlds apart; hers taking her to the stages of the largest cities in the country and his taking him to participate in building the largest cities in the country.  Looking down at his hands on his lap, he chuckled.  Perhaps they weren’t so far apart after all.  She designed music using the intricate drawings of musical notes on a staff with a treble and bass clef.  He designed buildings much the same way.  They had ranching in common, they had education in common.  Perhaps, he should learn her methods of training horses to bring them even closer.

 

He inhaled deeply and looked back out the window. Closer…two hundred miles separated them now.  But it wasn’t the work that separated them.  He knew his father and everyone else in Virginia City wondered if he would ever find someone to settle down with and raise a family.  And now that it was about to happen with his child arriving in only a few months time, he felt guilty for clipping Shiloh’s wings. Thinking of her sitting with her feet up off the floor and not much more to do than read a book or check his figures in the ledger…to go to bed each night alone with the enormous responsibility of nurturing a life…without him…bothered him.  She was doing it all alone.  She’d given up her work, those things that made her happy because he wanted a child. Perhaps having the career of his dreams was too much when it seemed he was getting everything he wanted, and she was doing all the work; none of it, it seemed, for herself.

 

Turning in the chair, he removed the stopper from the ink bottle and put pen to paper.  He needed to tell her how much he loved her for the sacrifices he knew she was making for him.  He wanted to make her feel closer.  He did this each night before he closed his eyes until the day he left the city.

 

Chapter Sixty-Two

 

As Hoss and Annie sat quietly on the train to New York, Annie slipped her hand underneath Hoss’ on his lap.  They were a full hour into the eight hour trip, and neither had uttered a word.  The train was crowded, but they were seated in the back, up against the back wall of their car and had a bit of privacy if they spoke quietly…if they chose to speak at all.

 

Annie laid her cheek on Hoss’ upper arm and turned her face up to his, whispering so that only he could hear.  “I didn’t marry you because I knew you could take care of me, although, I know that you can in the truest sense of those words.  I married you because I love you with the understanding that you and I can survive in any circumstance together.”

 

Hoss took a deep breath, and when he opened his mouth, she stopped him.  “I’m not finished.  Just listen.  I’m not concerned for myself by your blindness.  I’m actually more concerned for you.  You never seemed the type of man to just give up.  And I don’t care what Dr. Stephenson told you about the chances of remaining blind.  I’m not accepting that.  I refuse to believe that you won’t get your sight back.  And even if you didn’t, I’d still love you.  Don’t you realize that there are people all over the country living their lives without sight, taking care of themselves and sometimes their children?  If it’s necessary, Hoss, you can learn to care for yourself and me without your sight.  We can learn together.”

 

“I just don’t feel like you got a fair deal.  You married a man who could see; a man who could build a house and run cattle.”  Holding up his hands in front of him, he continued. “A man who could use his hands to give you what you deserve.  Without my eyes, my hands ain’t gonna be much good.”

 

She took his hands and lowered them back into his lap.  “All I’m asking Hoss is that you give us a chance.  I’m not giving up.  I don’t want you to give up either.  As long as there’s a chance you can see, and there is a good chance, we shouldn’t give up.  Or don’t you still love me?” she asked with watery eyes he couldn’t see.

 

He heard it in her voice.  Turning, he raised his hand, looking for her face, and when he found her cheek, he smiled.  “I do love you.  More ‘n anything. Ain’t nothin’ ever gonna change that.”

 

“Then fight for us,” she begged in a shaky voice.

 

Searching for her lips with his fingers, he slowly bent and kissed her, then moved his arm around her and held her against him where they stayed for most of the trip to New York.

 

When they arrived, the ship they would take to Aspinwall was in the harbor and ready to take on passengers for an early departure.  The newest pair of Cartwrights, unbeknownst to the rest of the Cartwrights, entered their stateroom and went to bed, and though they lay in each other’s arms, they merely spoke about their arrival at the Ponderosa and what the future held for them.

 

“Pa’s gonna be real surprised.  Matter of fact, you might say he’ll be…well…real surprised.”

 

“Hopefully it won’t be an unpleasant one for him,” said Annie.  “I’d like to have a wedding at the Ponderosa, Hoss.”

 

“We already had a weddin’.”

 

“Yes, but I want to share that happiness with the rest of the family.  You remember Adam and Shiloh’s wedding.  Everyone was so happy.”

 

Smiling, Hoss remembered.  “Yeah.  Yeah, they were.”

 

“Besides, ours was only happy until dinner.  Then it became a nightmare.  But that’s what I want.  For all of us to be happy.”

 

“You know, Annie, life on the Ponderosa ain’t all good times and roses.  We work long and hard, we have problems just like everybody else, and we argue.”

 

“But you always come back together, Hoss.  I don’t expect it to always be easy.  But I do expect that the family will remain close…like you always have.”

 

“And just how would you know that?” he asked with a slight wiggle of his head.

 

“Because that’s what you all are now.”

 

“Yeah,” said Hoss with a tired, but satisfied smile.  “I reckon we are.”

 

***

 

Ben knocked on Shiloh’s door, and when he heard no response he cracked it open.  She wasn’t there.  Creasing his brow, he looked around the room before he headed down the hall to the stairs, and when he arrived at the top he stopped at the sound of familiar voices.

 

Before he took that first step downward, he had a wide grin on his face, and looking over the living area confirmed that the voices he heard were Shiloh and Cheron.  He swiftly walked the short distance to the settee where Cheron sat and reached out for her as she stood and took his hands.

 

“Mr. Cartwright, it is good to see you again.  I hope I did not intrude, but I wanted to see how Shiloh is feeling.”

 

“Cheron, you’re welcome anytime.  There’s no need to apologize.”  Turning to Shiloh, he said, “I see you’ve gotten yourself out of bed this morning.  And I didn’t hear you coughing last night.  Does that mean you’re feeling better?”

 

Still sounding just a little stuffy, she smiled.  “I do feel better, if only because Shorty rode into town at first light.  There was a letter from Adam waiting,” she said cheerfully, holding the envelope up.

 

“And what did Adam have to say?”

 

“Well, it seems he had a hard time getting there, but once he got to San Francisco, he was…” Her face saddened just a little before she put on a smile. “He’s in his element.  Though they’ve had problems with the building, and he’ll have to stay longer than he expected, he sounds…excited…to be there.”

 

Ben didn’t smile, hearing the forced cheer in her voice.

 

“Here,” she said, passing him the letter.  “You can read all about the avalanche and the substandard building materials the foreman used.”

 

Looking at the letter, Ben said, “Well, perhaps I’ll read it later.  Cheron, would you join us for breakfast?”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

The next subject at the breakfast table didn’t make Ben feel any better.

 

“Pa, Cheron will be staying on until after the baby is born.”

 

“Oh?” he said, turning to Cheron.  “And what about those who came with you?”

 

“They have already left to return to our village.  I have taught my daughter all I know.  She is prepared to take my place as medicine woman until I return.”

 

Ben smiled as he sipped his coffee.  “I would have thought you’d look forward to going back to your people.  After all, I’m sure this wasn’t the most pleasant experience considering why you came.”

 

Cheron looked at Shiloh, and then lowered her eyes to her plate.

 

“Pa, I’ve asked Cheron to stay for the delivery.  If I have trouble…well…Cheron has handled difficult births due to the size of the baby.”

 

“Don’t you think you should discuss your concerns with Dr. Martin?”

 

“I have.  I asked him what would happen if the baby is too big to deliver.”

 

Placing his fork on his plate, Ben gave her his full attention.  “What did he say?”

 

“He didn’t.  He changed the subject, and when I asked again, he avoided the question.  He didn’t want to say that one of us wouldn’t survive.  And I have no intention of placing the responsibility of making a choice on Adam.   If it comes to that, I want Cheron to deliver my baby.”

 

Ben’s brows furrowed as he sat up straight. “You do intend to discuss this with Adam.”

 

“Of course.”

 

With a disbelieving harrumph, Ben replied, “Shiloh, I…I…”  Taking his napkin from his lap, he wiped his mouth.  “I’m not sure you’ll get agreement from Adam.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, there is something you and the baby’s father must know,” said Cheron.  “This child will come early.  Shiloh is too small to carry it through.  It will be better for mother and child if the birth is quick.”

 

“Well, Cheron, the birth of a child occurs when it happens.  I’ve seen long and quick births alike.”

 

Turning her body toward him in the chair, Cheron searched for the correct words.  “If the birth is not made to be quick, the child will die while still inside.  And mother is still in danger.”

 

“I don’t understand, Cheron,” Ben said, slightly shaking his head.

 

Shiloh rubbed her fingers across her forehead.  “She’s saying that at the first sign that it’s time, she can give me tea that will hasten the labor so that we don’t tire so badly that we become too weak.  And Indian women don’t give birth lying on their backs.  Their way will make it easier for both of us.”

 

Ben had listened and was obviously disturbed. “You intend not to send for Paul at all.  Is that right?”

 

Looking away, Shiloh quietly said, “I’ll discuss it with Adam.”

 

Both Ben and Shiloh said goodbye to Cheron after an uncomfortably quiet breakfast.  Cheron would be staying in the cabin she had shared with her husband and her son, Billy.

 

Once the door closed, there was a precarious silence as Shiloh and Ben sized each other up.  Finally realizing she would find no support in Ben, she excused herself, picked up the paperwork that had been awaiting her attention from the low table in the sitting area, and retreated up the stairs to her bedroom where she stayed, sitting in bed, working through Adam’s figures, her horse inquiries left from last fall, and reading.

 

Hop Sing delivered another letter to her that first evening and each evening after; letters she would never share with anyone, that told of Adam’s love for her, that shared his dreams of life with their children, that made her blush, and smile, and close her eyes imagining those things he described that he missed most, and then in the end, weeping at her own loneliness.

 

Chapter Sixty-Three

 

It took three days for Ben to venture a knock on Shiloh’s door.  Shiloh had remained in her bedroom, content to work on the contracts and ledgers and read…and reread…Adam’s letters.  She had already given one letter to Hop Sing to send to Adam, staying up late the day she received his second later to write it, and saying precious little about her cold or her conversations with Paul and Cheron.  She did tell him that Ming Lin had broken his foot, and therefore both of them were staying at the main house.  She was writing another letter when she heard the knock.  “Come in.”

 

Ben opened the door, and seeing her in a white, frilly nightgown with all her curls piled atop her head amid the white sheets of the bed, his first thought was that she looked radiant and much healthier than she had been only a few days ago.  The color was back in her cheeks, and her eyes once again sparkled.

 

She lowered her pen to the board Adam had made for her and waited for Ben to speak, unsure whether it would be pleasant or a continuation of the subject she’d left downstairs.

 

He smiled reservedly.  “May I come in?”

 

Returning a wide grin, she answered, “Of course.  Come sit with me,” she said, pointing to the chair still near the bed.

 

He did so, but slowly eased into the chair. “Well,” he said, searching for words as he clasped his hands, “you’ve been getting letters from Adam.  Has he said when we should expect him home?”

 

“He said they were lucky that the original foreman hadn’t replaced the iron beams with something cheaper.  They’re finding the beams themselves in good shape, but they still have a good many bolts and rivets to replace.  He’s hired a new foreman, a man who’s been there from the beginning, and he’s supervising this new foreman and Robert Slater as they do the majority of the work.  As soon as he’s confident that Robert can oversee the repairs and perform the inspection after they’re done, he’ll be on his way home.”  She bowed her head.  “Still, he said it could be the end of the month.”

 

Ben raised an eyebrow and nodded.  “That long.”

 

She glanced up at him.  “Pa?  Have I overstayed my welcome?”

 

With his eyes softening, Ben chuckled as he leaned forward to pat her hand.  “Never, my darling.  But I am concerned…with your ideas about the birth of this child.”

 

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye.  “Go on.”

 

“This is really none of my business. It’s between you and Adam, but as long as Adam isn’t here…have you told him anything about you in any of your letters?”

 

She smiled weakly and looked away.  “No.  I don’t want him to worry, and at the moment,” she continued, looking back at Ben, “there’s nothing for him to worry about.  I’m doing what Paul’s told me to do, and my cold is much better.  I’ve not had any pain at all.”

 

“And when he gets home?”

 

Taking a deep breath as she pushed a lock of hair back up on her head that had fallen in her face, she answered, “Pa, do you really think I could arrange for Cheron to deliver this baby without Paul here?  Even if Adam is all right with the idea, he’d want Paul here just in case something happens that Cheron can’t handle, though I don’t think there’s much of a chance of that.”

 

“But you are going to try to convince Adam to let Cheron deliver the baby.”

 

She cocked her head as she tried to explain.  “It’s not really what you’d call delivery.  It’s more like assistance.  But yes, I’m going to discuss it with Adam.”

 

“And if he prefers Paul?”

 

She rubbed her forehead.

 

Leaning forward in the chair, Ben took her hand in his.  “Shiloh, Paul was the first doctor in Virginia City back when it started as tents and shacks.  He’s been taking care of this family since he came here.  I imagine Adam would want him to deliver his first child…the first Cartwright child since Joseph was born.”

 

Moving her other hand over the top of his, she looked into his eyes.  “This isn’t a challenge to anyone’s abilities.  And I can understand tradition and sentiment as much as anyone.  But Pa, Paul wouldn’t answer my question.  He already believes one of us won’t survive.  I made Adam a promise when this started.  He was frightened that something would happen to me…just like his mother.  I promised him that neither of us was going to die, and I intend to keep that promise.  Cheron believes both of us can survive.  Paul doesn’t.”

 

It was Ben’s turn to take a deep breath.  He squeezed her hand, unable to dispute her logic.

 

***

 

“Mr. Cartwright, how…”

 

“Adam.   Call me Adam.”

 

“How come you didn’t just sign off on the inspection?  You coulda saved a lot of time and trouble.”

 

“Timmons…”

 

“Willis,” Timmons shot back just as quickly as Adam had.  Both men smiled.

 

“Willis, it has to do with self-respect and responsibility.  You know the ground shakes here.  If this building collapses because of it, I have to live with it.   Especially if people die in it.”

 

“That doesn’t seem to bother the other architects.  They rarely look at their buildings much less build them.”

 

Adam opened a box of bolts and smiled.  “Think about it, Willis.  Mayor Coon already knows what happened here.  He fired his foreman.  He authorized the corrections, and the city is paying for them.  Who do you think has the better chance of getting the next contract to design a building for the city?  Who do you think is going to more easily be able to get permits approved for other buildings in this city?  People remember integrity.”  Looking back over his shoulder before he continued on to the next beam joint, he smiled.  “Remember that, and you’ll be able to work anywhere.”

 

“For you?”

 

Adam’s smile grew into a wide grin.  “Are you looking for a job?”

 

“If there’s one available.”

 

“I’ll have to speak with Robert, but it would be good to offer our own foreman along with our plans.  I’ll let you know before I leave.”

 

At the end of the day, Adam sat quietly in the carriage that took he and Robert to the Slater home.  He hurt.  He could barely move his arm, his chest throbbed and his leg was on fire, and every time he bumped his left hand he had to consciously stop himself from cursing out loud.  But it was his building; his responsibility, and more than just his name.  It was his father’s name, his brothers’ name, his wife’s name and would be his children’s name.  It was a name already synonymous with integrity, and he would do everything in his power to keep it that way.

 

***

 

It had been a long, boring train ride to New York, but neither Hoss nor Annie cared.  Both were content being close without reminders of the war that had almost drawn them inextricably in.  And now, they were on their way home to a new life and new responsibilities.

 

Waiting until the other passengers were almost off the car, Annie stood, taking Hoss by the hand and leading him down the aisle to the door.  A Union officer was waiting for them, having already arranged for their baggage to be taken to their ship.  He guided them to a carriage that would take them almost to the gangplank of the ship they would take to Aspinwall.  Before the officer departed at the gangplank, he handed Annie papers she was to show any Union official who questioned their reasons for travel.

 

“Excuse me, sir, but have there been any problems in the Gulf of Mexico with the Confederates?” asked Annie.

 

“Nothing troubling. There are still blockade runners, however they are generally in small boats without the ability to do much more than annoy the larger ships.”

 

Once in their private cabin, Annie sat Hoss down at a small table to change his bandages. He hadn’t said a word since they’d left the train, and now he sat patiently, enjoying the tender touch of her fingers on his face and the smell of her perfume as she leaned in close.  As she unwound the gauze wrapped around his head, he lifted his hand to her face, caressing her cheek, and when she had removed the last of the bandages from his eyes, he pulled her onto his lap, cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her as he had never kissed her before; as a man kisses his wife.

 

It is said that actions speak louder than words.  By the morning, neither had any doubt they were loved more than life itself.

 

 

 

Chapter Sixty-Four

 

Joe wandered listlessly around the house, his hand still wrapped up so tightly he couldn’t use it and his arm still in the sling so that he wouldn’t jar it as ordered by Dr. Martin.  His father was out taking care of the ranch business he would normally have seen to, and Hop Sing had declared he would have to brave the snow in a wagon for they were getting seriously low on supplies.  Flopping down in the leather chair, he sat with a scowl on his face looking around the room for something he could do besides read.  He’d been reading.  He knew Adam would have been in Heaven in his predicament with nothing to do but read, but him…he hated reading books.  The newspaper was fine.  He could pick out what he wanted to read and discard the rest, but a book was an investment in time to which he normally wasn’t willing to commit.   He had nothing but time now…and he’d read…

 

“Joe?  Joe, can you hear me?”

 

Perking up at the angelic voice drifting down the stairs, Joe quickly stood, taking the steps two at a time despite his hand.  He tapped on the open bedroom door.  “Shiloh, did you call?”

 

“Come in, please, Joe,” she invited and greeted him with a sunny smile when he entered.

 

“Is everything all right?” he asked with wide eyes.

 

“Oh yes, of course it is.   I’m just tired of this room.  I wonder if you’d help me downstairs.  I think I’d like to sit by the fire for awhile.”

 

“I could stoke the fire here,” he offered.

 

“But then I’d still be in the same room, wouldn’t I?” she teased.  “Thank you, but I would like a change of scenery.  Would you bring my robe?  It’s on the back of the chair,” she said, pointing.

 

He did as he was asked, waiting for her to maneuver herself out of the bed to hold the robe up for her arms and escorted her down the stairs, keeping her on his right.  Once she was settled in the chair next to the fireplace, Joe sat in the other leather chair and continued to stare blankly at the room.

 

After studying him for a few minutes and inwardly laughing, Shiloh asked, “You’re bored, aren’t you?”

 

“Now how did you know that?” he replied sarcastically.

 

“I wish I could help you find something to do, but I’m afraid I’m in the same position you are.”  She picked up the sewing she’d left by the chair the evening before and held up the tiny dress she’d been working on.  “I’m afraid I’ll never be much of a seamstress.  I’ve taken the seams out of his little thing so many times the edges of the fabric are frayed.  But I have been able to mend a hole in the seam of one of Adam’s shirts.”

 

He pushed his lower lip up and nodded, having nothing to say on the subject.

 

“Joe, isn’t there something you can do with your right hand?  Maybe now would be a good time to work on your dexterity with it.  You can practice your letters and numbers.”

 

He rolled his eyes.  “You’re beginning to sound like Miss Abigail.”

 

She laughed.  “Oh, I remember Miss Abigail, but I never had the pleasure of attending her classes.  Adam had sent me home before she got there.”

 

A smile crept upon Joe’s lips, remembering the predicament he’d put Adam in many times, having to go to the schoolhouse because Joe had misbehaved.  “Has he told you about him and Miss Abigail?”

 

“Adam?   And Miss Abigail? The way I heard it, she was quite attracted to him, but the feelings weren’t mutual.”

 

Giggling, Joe nodded.  “That’s probably true, but he still had to see her…and be nice to her.”

 

“How about telling me some stories over a game of checkers?  I haven’t played checkers in so long, and I just don’t feel like taking the seams out of this dress again.”

 

***

 

Quietly opening the front door, Ben peered in, finding Joe and Shiloh laughing over a game of checkers.  “Well, it’s good to hear some laughter for a change.  Who’s winning?”

 

Concentrating on his next move while chewing on his thumbnail, Joe answered without taking his eyes off the board.  “We’re tied two games to two.  This one is the tie-breaker.”

 

Shiloh hadn’t looked up either, so Ben motioned behind him and stepped aside for Adam to enter the house.  Both men watched the players, completely absorbed by the board until Adam loudly cleared his throat.

 

In almost the same instant Shiloh’s head snapped up, and she pushed herself up out of the chair, turning the checkerboard on end and sending checkers skittering across the table and floor.  She took a step toward Adam, and then realizing what she’d done, hesitated and looked apologetically at Joe.

 

Giggling, Joe waved her on as he bent to stop a checker from rolling away.

 

Rushing forward, Adam met her before she could run headlong into the furniture, bending and accepting her embrace around his neck while his arms gently moved around her.  After a moment, he moved his hands to her sides, but had to wait for her to release him; something she didn’t seem to want to do.  He moved her arms from around his neck and pulled her against him, looking down at her stomach with a smile.

 

“You didn’t tell me in your last letter you were coming home.”

 

“And you were surprised.”

 

Even though she was smiling, her eyes were moist.  She tiptoed into another tight hug that ended in a tender, but restrained kiss.  Again they stood close for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes silently saying everything that needed said as Ben and Joe looked on until Ben interrupted.

 

“Well, is Hop Sing back?”

 

Joe had finished gathering the checkers and had walked around to the back of the settee.  Reaching out for Adam’s hand, he answered with a smile, “He’s in the kitchen making dinner.  I’ll go tell him to set another place.”

 

Though he had shaken Joe’s hand, he hadn’t removed his arm from around Shiloh, and when she moved closer to him, he flinched.  She was standing under his left shoulder.

 

“What…are you all right?”

 

Slowly moving his arm back around her, he said, “I’m fine.  I got a few bumps and bruises climbing around the courthouse.”

 

Now taking notice of something besides his eyes, she asked, “Your finger is broken?” as she took his hand and cradled it in both of hers.

 

“I broke it at the same time I hurt my shoulder.”  Seeing her frown and furrowed brows, he turned to face her, taking her gently by her arms.  “Shiloh,” he said with raised brows.  “I’m all right.  Really.  And I’m home.  Where’s my smile?”

 

Ben had watched the exchange, and when Adam had Shiloh sitting back in the leather chair, he caught his son’s eyes and gave him a stern look.

 

Adam narrowed his eyes and slightly tilted his head, prompting Ben to nod toward the desk.  When Adam joined him, Ben pulled a newspaper out of the desk drawer.  On the front page was a detailed story about the avalanche that occurred on the road to Diamond Springs.  Adam had been identified as the only survivor, despite being caught in the tumbling mountain of snow.

 

“Shiloh hasn’t seen this?” he whispered.

 

“No.  But if your injuries are as bad as what’s here, it’s only a matter of time before she figures out something much worse than getting a few bumps and bruises while climbing around a building occurred.”  Putting the newspaper back in the drawer, Ben shook his head.  “I think you’ll both find it’s better to tell the truth…the whole truth…from the beginning.”

 

“Both of us?” said Adam, first glancing back at Shiloh, but then meeting his father’s eyes, his nostrils flared and his eyebrows curved in anger.

 

Moving a hand to Adam’s good shoulder, Ben gave it a firm pat, and walked away.  Hop Sing appeared and announced that dinner was ready, so Ben continued on to the dining room while Adam stood next to the desk with his injured arm wrapped around his chest and his other elbow resting on it as his hand stroked his chin. He studied Shiloh, who, at the moment, was staring into the fire.  Her expression was much darker than it should have

been considering he had just arrived home.

 

Walking to her, he offered his hand. “Shall we?”

 

Smiling up at him, she accepted and let him pull her up out of the chair.  She turned toward the table, and his hand instantly went to the small of her back.  In fact, he didn’t take his hand off of her even after she was seated at the table where he held her hand until after the prayer was said.

 

“Adam, Shiloh has shared some of the problems with the building from your letters.  Was it just the bolts?” asked Ben.

 

Almost choking on the last bite he had taken, Adam reached for his napkin, and then his water before he answered.  “Pa,” he said with a nervous chuckle.   “That was quite enough.  The support beams are iron instead of wood, so that when another earthquake happens, there won’t be anything structural that could splinter or crack.  Bolts and rivets  hold the vertical and cross beams together at the joints.  The bolts and rivets the former foreman used weren’t those called for in the specifications.  Even if they’d been the right size, they were so badly made, they probably would have sheered.  The structural stability of the iron beams would have been worthless with faulty bolts and rivets.”

 

“And what would have happened if there was an earthquake?” asked Shiloh.

 

“Most likely, the building would collapse.  If people were in the building, there would probably be some deaths.  And besides the fact that I don’t think I could build another public building if that happened, I don’t think anyone would offer Slater and Cartwright another chance.”

 

Shiloh took her hand from his and reached for her water.  “I guess it’s a good that you left to do the inspection then.”

 

Adam’s lips parted as he turned to look at her.  But rather than responding, he took a deep breath.  He knew that later in the evening when they were alone in their room there would be a discussion, and he wasn’t looking forward to it, especially as he had just arrived home.  His last thought was that four weeks away during the winter while she was confined because of her condition wore on her more than he imagined.

 

There was no time for any other thoughts or conversation because they all heard a wagon pull up to the front of the house.  Adam wiped his mouth as he pushed himself up from the table.  “I’ll see who that is.”

 

“Well,” said Ben, breaking the awkward silence that hung over the dining room table.  “I wonder who that could be.”

 

The next sound was Adam yelling back in the door excitedly, “Pa!”

 

Chapter Sixty-Five

 

By the time Ben stepped out of the front door, Adam was already beside the wagon helping the female passenger down.  Ben stood with a look akin to shock on his face while Adam walked to the other side of the wagon.  “Hoss?” Adam, softly.

 

“Hi, Older Brother.”  Reaching out his hand, Hoss asked, “Do me a favor and help me down outta this rig.”

 

Adam took Hoss’ hand and held it steady while Hoss leaned on the side of the seat and tentatively lowered his foot, looking for the wooden step. With a mixture of confusion and apprehension on his face, his lips slightly parted, and a crease on his forehead, Adam first looked across at Annie, and then up at Hoss, watching as Hoss felt his way down out of the wagon.

 

“Hoss,” said Ben, rushing forward to greet his son, forcing a smile in his voice and on his face.

 

“Hi, Pa.  I reckon you wadn’t expectin’ me home so soon.”

 

“No, son.  This is quite a surprise,” Ben answered, looking into Hoss’ face.  “Well, it’s cold out here.  Let’s get into the house where it’s warm.”  Looking back over at Annie, he added, “You’re just in time for supper.  We’ve just started.  Adam, go tell some of the boys to take care of the wagon, and then tell Hop Sing we have two more for supper.”

 

Annie took Hoss’ arm and led him to the front door behind Ben, and when they stepped into the door, Shiloh pushed herself up from the dining room table.  “Annie!” she exclaimed, moving as quickly as she could toward Annie, both girls stepping into a tight embrace.  “Annie, what in the world are you doing here?  What about school?”

 

Annie moved her hands to Shiloh’s stomach.  “You’re so big!” she said excitedly.

 

When Shiloh looked back up, she noticed Hoss’ bandages for the first time. Her smile was instantly gone, replaced with a fearful frown.  “What’s happened?” she asked quietly.

 

Adam had turned the corner from the kitchen just as the question everyone had been thinking was said out loud.  Joe stood, but remained at his place at the table, wearing a surprised, but worried look.

 

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Ben motioned toward the table as Hop Sing set two more places.  “Why don’t we sit down for supper?”  He pulled Hoss’ coat off his shoulders and hung it on a hook behind the door, then took Hoss’ arm and guided him to the chair at the end of the table.

 

Smiling, Adam gently took Annie’s cape, laid it on the bureau and led her to the chair between Joe and Hoss, then took Shiloh’s hand who had been watching, and led her to the chair next to his before seating himself.

 

While no one knew quite what to say, Hoss lifted his hand, searching for Annie’s, finding it on the table and squeezing it.  “Well, I guess this is surprise for everyone.  We woulda sent a telegram, but we were in a sorta hurry to leave Philadelphia.”

 

“Hoss, the last we heard you were about to be drafted into the Union Army,” said Ben.

 

“Yessir, I was.  But when we were readin’ the paperwork, Annie found something we thought would take care of that little problem.  I think you know the reason I went to Philadelaphia was…”  he lifted Annie’s hand to his lips and turned his face toward her. “Was to ask Annie to marry me.”  Slight smiles settled over everyone’s face when they noticed, for the first time, a ring on Annie’s left hand.  “I asked her Christmas morning.”  His smile disappeared as he lowered his head.

 

Annie squeezed his hand.  “Fletcher gave Hoss the draft papers that morning, and we spent the rest of the afternoon looking through them.  He had met the residency requirements in the papers.  But it also said that if he was married, he wouldn’t be eligible.”

 

“Now before you all jump up, you need to let us get this all out,” said Hoss, proudly moving his face toward his wife.  “Annie went to Miss Preston over at the women’s college and arranged to take her final test…and she passed it.  You’re lookin’ at the first doctor in the family.”

 

“Good,” said Ben, chuckling.  “Because with all the aches and pains going on here,” he said looking over those at the table, “you’ll never have to look very far for patients.”  Looking back at Annie, he finished,  “It seems all three of my sons have need of a doctor…as well as my daughter-in-law.”

 

“Hey, whatsa matter with everybody?” asked Hoss.

 

“Nothing that can’t wait until later,” said Joe.  “Keep going.”

 

“Well, Annie and me were married that night, and during dinner, Fletcher’s men busted in and dragged me out of the house.”

 

A look passed around the table as everyone settled in to hear the story.

 

“I didn’t see Hoss until the day before we left the city,” said Annie, bowing her head.

 

Hoss told the rest of the story, and Annie filled in the details he didn’t know.    “Fletcher disappeared.  The Army paid our way home because Fletcher had done gone and enlisted me.”  Sitting up, he pushed his lower lip up and nodded.  “And they’re payin’ repairations every month as long as I cain’t see.”

 

Joe sat with his chin on his hand and his fingers on his cheek.  Adam sat much the same way, but with his fist on his chin.   “Reparations.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” said Hoss.

 

During the story, no one touched their dinner.  Ben sat back with a leg crossed over the other and his hands clasped in his lap.  Leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his clasped hands under his chin, he asked, “And what did the doctor say about your eyes?”

 

“Dr. Stephenson told him there were no guarantees,” Annie explained.  “But Hoss can see light when I change his bandages which means his eyes could be healing.  It means the optic nerve isn’t detached.”

 

Joe lowered his hand to the table. “You said could be healing.”

 

“The only way we’ll know is if more of his sight comes back.  It could happen all at once, or it could happen gradually.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam added, “Or it might not happen at all.”

 

Annie met his eyes with a fierce determination.  “It will happen, Adam.”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Adam merely nodded.

 

Pushing herself up from the table, Shiloh walked around to the side where Annie and Hoss sat.  She beckoned Annie up out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Annie’s neck, whispering into her ear.  “I don’t know how to say this.  I’m so happy that you’re part of this family, but I know it’s hard when faced with what you’ve been through.”  She leaned back and looked into Annie’s eyes.  “Hoss is wonderful man.  I know he’s going to be a wonderful husband, sighted or not.”

 

By this time Hoss had stood as well as the other Cartwright men, waiting their turn at hugs and encouragement.  When it was Ben’s turn, he put his hand on Hoss’ cheek and looked at his face.  “Son, whatever it takes, we’ll do.  It’s good to have you home,” he said, pulling his son into a hug.  Moving to Annie, he took her hands.  “And I can’t think of a better addition to the family.  Welcome home.”   After he hugged her, he looked around him and smiled.  “It’s good to have everyone home. Now let’s eat before Hop Sing decides to quit.”

 

***

 

After dinner as the men talked about Joe’s hand, Adam’s finger and shoulder, and what had been happening on the ranch, Annie and Shiloh retired upstairs.  “Annie, we’ll have a party…a reception as soon as the snow allows it.”

 

“On the way home, Hoss never stopped talking about a party. You’d think the Cartwrights have a party for just about anything.”

 

Shiloh laughed.  “It’s true.  Get used to it.  But this isn’t just any old reason.  It’s not every day a Cartwright gets married.”

 

“And what about having children?” said Annie, pointing at Shiloh’s stomach.  “That doesn’t happen every day either.  As a matter of fact, it’s been decades.”

 

Rubbing her stomach, Shiloh’s smile faded.

 

“Is something wrong?” asked Annie.

 

“You’re a doctor, Annie.  I need to ask your opinion.”  Annie sat on the side of the bed next to Shiloh and took her hand.  “Dr. Martin has said that the baby is big, maybe too big.  He’s not confident that both of us will survive the birth, and frankly, I’m not sure he thinks either of us will survive.”

 

“Has he said that?”

 

“He won’t say anything.”

 

“I had no idea it had come to this.  I suppose you want me to be honest.”  Shiloh smiled and nodded.  “If the baby is too big to pass, unless he takes the baby, it won’t survive.  If he takes the baby, you likely won’t survive the surgery.  And if he does nothing, neither of you will survive.  He can do something to force you into labor now, but if I’m counting right, it’s too early.  The baby isn’t developed enough and may live for a short while, but will eventually die.”

 

“What if I told you I knew someone who says she knows how this baby can be delivered successfully?”

 

“Shiloh, everything we know about birth says it’s not likely.  Who is this woman?”

 

“Her name is Cheron, and she’s a Washoe medicine woman.  She’s been delivering children this way since her own son was born twenty years ago.”

 

“I’d say if there’s a reasonable chance, then we have to consider it.”

 

“Would you talk to Cheron…let her explain it to you?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Adam tapped lightly on the door.  “I don’t mean to interrupt, but it’s getting late.”

 

Leaning into Annie, Shiloh whispered.  “He’s just gotten home from San Francisco, and I haven’t discussed this with him yet.”  When she nodded toward Adam, Annie slightly nodded back.

 

Standing, Annie said, “You’re right, of course, Adam.  I need to change Hoss’ bandages. I’m sure he’s as tired as me.”

 

Kissing Annie’s cheek as she left the room, Adam smiled and closed the door behind her, then went to the wash basin, running his hand over the shadow of his beard as he looked in the mirror.  “Catching up?”

 

Shiloh walked up behind him and moved her arms under his and around his chest, laying her head on his back.  “Something like that.”

 

Turning, he moved his hands to either side of her face and raised it to his, first kissing her lightly and looking back at the smile on her face.  “I missed you,” he said, kissing her nose.

 

“I missed you, too,” she answered just before he moved his arms around her and took her lips with his in what started gently, but finished hungrily by both.

 

Adam raised his chin while looking down into her eyes.  “You and I need to talk.”

 

“I don’t want to talk now,” she said softly, slightly smiling when he pursed his lips and cocked his head; an expression she had learned signified bargaining. “Tomorrow,” she whispered, moving her hand to his cheek and guiding his face down to hers, then tiptoeing. Even though she was still not tall enough to kiss him, her insistence was enough for him to meet her for another fevered kiss, and while they kissed, Shiloh’s fingers deftly worked the buttons of his shirt while Adam moved her robe off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

 

Moving his hand down her neck and over her shoulder, he delighted in the softness and warmth of her skin.  But when he bent to kiss her neck, she flinched, albeit almost imperceptibly.

 

He raised his head back up and looked at her lips, then into her eyes.  “I need to clean up before we turn in.”

 

She didn’t argue, happy he would do that for her.

 

Chapter Sixty-Six

 

Though sleep came late, both Adam and Shiloh slept well for the first time in a month.  When she stirred and turned over, he slowly became aware of the absence of her softness and body heat against his back.  He lifted his head off the pillow just enough to look behind him.  She lay huddled under the blanket with her back to him.

 

Rolling over, he slid his hand over her side and onto her belly, cuddling up against her back, and noticed the flutter of her eyes lashes.

 

“You’re awake,” he whispered as he kissed her ear.

 

“Did I wake you?” she answered softly, smiling.

 

“Yes and no.  It wasn’t your movement, but more your sudden absence.”

 

She giggled.  “And I thought the baby kicking would wake you, so I turned away.  He’s gotten quite active, especially in the early morning as if he’s saying, ‘today mommy?’”

 

Moving his hand further over her stomach, he asked, “Is he still kicking?”

 

“Every now and again,” she said, moving his hand to a particular spot.  “There.”

 

A satisfied moan escaped him.  “He’s strong, isn’t he?”

 

She turned over into him, her stomach against his and his arms cradling her.  “Yes, he is,” she said, first looking into his eyes, and then casting her eyes down.

 

“What’s bothering you that you can’t look me in the eye?”

 

She gave him a slight smile, but still didn’t look back up.  “Maybe…now…while it’s quiet and warm…and too early for anyone to be up, we could talk about everything we need to talk about without either one of us getting angry or upset.”

 

Drawing in a deep breath, he exhaled heavily.

 

Rather than interpreting his breath as a foreboding of the coming conversation, she enjoyed his warm breath blowing gently on her face.  “Adam, I wasn’t planning to tell you everything because it’s all turned out fine, but then I get the feeling you aren’t telling me everything either, and I don’t want to start keeping secrets from each other.”

 

“Why do you think I’m not telling you everything?” he asked, moving his head back so he could see the changes on her face.  There were none.  Just…calm as if she’d resigned herself to this conversation long before it began.

 

“Your shoulder must have been very bad if you’re still hurting as much as you are.  And there’s your finger still in a splint.  But there are also old bruises on your back and chest, and you tense when I hold you tightly, and there’s an awful cut on your thigh that’s been stitched that you think I didn’t notice last night.”  Now, she did look into his eyes where she met a serene smile.

 

“Are you going to take inventory of me every time I come home from a business trip?”

She gently played with the hair at the top of his chest below his neck.  “And every cattle drive, and every fence ride, and every time you have to stock a line shack.”

 

“And what about you?  How did you catch a cold that bad when you were supposed to be inside and off your feet?”

 

She looked away.

 

“I didn’t want to…” they said together.

 

Moving his hand to her cheek, he finished, “…to worry you. There was nothing…”

 

She rested her finger on his lips, before she said, “…you could’ve done.”

 

Both laughed quietly.

 

“Why do I have the feeling this has something to do with Ming Lin’s broken ankle?”

 

“Is it enough to know that after talking with your father, I realized you were right?  I should have come over here in the first place.  Ming Lin wouldn’t have been in the position to break his ankle if I had.”

 

With the corner of his mouth upturned, he snuggled closer, if that was possible.  “No.  I want the whole story.”

 

“So do I,” she said, pushing back and narrowing her eyes, causing him to tighten his hold on her and chuckle.

 

“All right, but you first.”

 

She breathed out first before she began, remembering how it had started.  “I’d sent Shorty to town.  I don’t remember for what.  When I asked Ming Lin if he’d gotten back, he said he hadn’t seen him and offered to go to the barn to look.  I told him ‘no’, but he insisted, so I waited…and waited…,and then got worried, so I went outside to call for him.  We were in the midst of a really bad storm…blizzard, and I was sure he couldn’t have heard me yell, and he’d been out there much too long.  Then I noticed the rope he’d tied to the porch rail had come undone, so I pulled it until I got to the end of the rope. So I got the gun and shot it in the air, hoping he’d hear it, and that’s when Shorty rode up.  I told him what had happened, and he told me to stay right where I was and keep shooting the gun.” She bowed her head.  “But then Shorty didn’t come back either, and the gun didn’t seem to do much good.  So I…I went after them.”

 

Adam raised his chin, his mouth and eyes turned down in a frown.

 

“Your father and Hop Sing heard the shots and rode up while Shorty and I were trying to get Ming Lin to the house.  By the time we were in, Ming Lin and I were too cold, and of course, Ming Lin’s ankle was broken.”

 

“I can understand why Ming Lin might have felt that cold, but weren’t you wearing your coat?”

 

She cringed.  “No,” she croaked.  “I had shawl, but it blew away.”

 

“Your boots?”

 

She winced and slightly shook her head.

 

Removing his arm from over her body, he brought his hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Just how bad was this cold?”

 

“Paul watched me very closely.  He was afraid it would turn into…” she glanced up at stormy eyes.  “I’m not saying another word if you’re going to be mad at me.  I already told you, your father and I spoke, and you were both right. I should have come over here when you left.”

 

“Pneumonia?”

 

Rolling her eyes up as far as they’d go, she twisted her lips.  “Don’t you dare be mad at me.  From the looks of you, you could have been far worse than I.  How could you possibly be hurt that badly doing a building inspection?”

 

He harrumphed. “We were crawling into walls, and ceilings…and chases.”

 

With a defiant scowl, she asked, “What’s a chase?”

 

“Never mind.”

 

“You’re not being honest with me.”

 

“How do you mean?” he asked innocently.

 

“You didn’t get hurt in your building.  You were hurt before you arrived in San Francisco.  Otherwise, you would have contacted me on time.  Instead, you missed two days, and when I did hear something it was from Robert, not you.  Robert said you took the stage from Placerville, so what happened occurred between here and Placerville.”

 

“Is it that important?”

 

She drew back with a hurt look, rolled and sat up on the side of the bed facing away from him.  “You made an agreement with me.”

 

“Shiloh, sometimes it’s better not to know the details.  This particular time, there was no way to avoid it.  The stagecoach wasn’t going over the summit.  The road was frozen.  I had no choice but to ride to Placerville.”

 

She stood, going to the wardrobe to dress.  “Are we going home today?”

 

“I think that depends on Ming Lin.  I have work to do, and you are still supposed to stay off your feet.”

 

Rising off the bed, he walked up behind her, running his hands down her arms.  As he bent to kiss her neck, she spun around, gave him a fiery glare, and sidestepped him, moving away and dropping her clothes for the day on the bed.

 

He stood naked with his hands hanging down at his sides.  “I don’t want you to worry every time I go out to work around the ranch.”

 

Shiloh had already removed her gown, and standing by the bed, began to wrap herself  in the normal under garments.   “Adam, I understand the need of a man to protect a woman, but I have grown up here the same as you.  I know the dangers, and trying to shelter me from them,” she turned and met his eyes, “especially those in winter, is futile.”

 

She turned back to continue dressing as he turned to begin, staying silent for a few minutes until he finished thinking his answer through.  Perhaps she was right. She knew the dangers out here in all seasons.  In that respect, she was as experienced as he.

 

When he said the word, “Avalanche,” she froze, letting the chemise she had just pulled over her head drop over her shoulders and settle around her, her eyes fixed upon a point on the wall in front of her, and the sudden chill that began when he’d said it slowly working its way down and out.  She fumbled with the panels at the sides of her maternity corset without looking at them.  That word had instantly frightened her.  Even so, she would do her best to prevent him from seeing just how badly.

 

He occasionally glanced back at her trying to judge her reaction, but it was impossible with her facing away from him.

 

She remained quiet as she pulled on her skirt and blouse, then went to the dressing table and swiftly moved her hair up on top of her head as she thought. He survived an avalanche. I should be thankful.

 

As he wrapped a bandage around his leg, he stopped for a moment when he felt her hands move up his back and around to his chest, gently touching the bruises there.  “You’re supposed to keep your ribs wrapped as well, aren’t you?”

 

Smiling, he continued to bandage his leg.  “Mm hm.”   Straightening, he reached for his trousers and slipped them on, then paused.  She was standing in front of him ready to wrap his ribs, her lips turned in a slight smile, and her eyes calm and bright with the intensity of her love for him.

 

When he raised his arms, she stepped close, gently but snuggly wrapping the long bandage several times around his back and chest, then helping him into his shirt.

 

Dull light had just begun to show through the windows, and with it brought the sounds of awakening, not only from those within the house, but also from the house itself as it began to warm.  Hop Sing had risen early as well, stoking the fire in the big fireplace downstairs and making the first pot of coffee of the morning, its aroma drifting up the stairs and through the halls as the Cartwrights readied themselves for a new day.

 

Chapter Sixty-Seven

 

Even though they were probably the first of the Cartwrights up, they were the last to arrive at the breakfast table.  Everyone watched with smiles as Adam, with a hand at Shiloh’s waist, and the other holding her hand, escorted her carefully down the stairs and to the table.  When he seated her, he gave her a quick kiss and wink.

 

Once grace was finished with ‘amen’ all around, the family dug in as they always had, except that Annie prepared Hoss’ plate. As he sniffed the air, he told her each item he wanted and even pointed in its direction.

 

Joe and Adam looked at each other and laughed.  “Annie, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but our brother, Hoss, is the best huntin’ dog anywhere around.  He can smell food miles away,” said Joe, with a contagious giggle.

 

“Annie, did you notice any change this morning?” asked Ben, nodding toward Hoss and causing a sudden quiet at the table.

 

She smiled.  “No, Mr. Cartwright.  I don’t expect I’ll notice until there’s been a significant change.  I expect Hoss’ sight to come back slowly rather than all at once.”

 

The awkward silence lasted until Shiloh said with some defiance, “Well, this is just not fair.  Pa, if I can’t call you Mr. Cartwright, then neither can Annie.”

 

The smiles around the table returned.  “You’re absolutely right, Shiloh.  Annie, you are forbidden to call me Mr. Cartwright.”

 

Annie stared at Shiloh at a loss.

 

“Everyone at this table calls him Pa,” said Shiloh with an impish grin.

 

Looking from Adam then over to Joe, and finally looking back at Hoss, who was grinning from ear to ear, she exhaled, nodded curtly, and said, “Pa it is.”

 

Ben looked over at Hoss.  “Son, I’ll have some of the boys bring the rest of your things to your room.  You and Annie can get settled in.  Adam, what are your plans?”

 

“We thought we’d go home, but then we need to find out how Ming Lin’s doing.”

 

Hop Sing scurried in from the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee.  “Ming Lin ready to go home,” he said with a smile.  “Dr. Paul put cast on foot, so he can move in kitchen.”

 

“Did Dr. Martin give him any instructions?” asked Shiloh.  “I can’t believe he’d just let him resume his work without a good amount of rest.”

 

“He sit in kitchen.  No stairs.  He say three more weeks in cast, then cast come off.”

 

“You could stay here for three weeks until Ming Lin’s cast comes off,” said Ben, eyeing his eldest.

 

Glancing over at Shiloh, Adam smiled.  “Thanks, Pa.  But I’ve got work to do at the house, and I’m sure Shiloh is anxious to see her horses.”

 

“How is that possible?” asked Ben, stopping his fork at his mouth just before he took a bite.

 

“I don’t mean go down to the stables,” Adam said, shaking his head with a mouthful, swallowing before he continued.  “She can see them in the corrals from the bedroom window.”

 

“I didn’t think you were in that bedroom yet.”

 

“We’re not.  We don’t have the furniture, but I’ve moved a rocking chair in there for her to watch Johnny and Tom exercise them.”

 

“Paul Martin said he would be coming back out to check on Shiloh. I think it would be a good idea for him to take a look at you.  In fact, I think it would be good idea for him to look at all of you, except of course, you Annie.”

 

Shiloh watched Annie lower her eyes. “Pa, have you forgotten we have a doctor in the family now.”

 

“No, I haven’t.  But I’m sure Annie will agree with me that experience is important.”

 

Annie’s smile didn’t make it to her voice.  “Of course, Mr. Cartwright.”  When everyone looked at her, she bit her lip and nodded.  “Pa.”

 

“Well, Pa, I don’t need to see Doc Martin,” said Hoss, searching for Annie’s hand and bringing it to his lips when he found it.  “I have a doctor who’s been doin’ just fine.”

 

After taking a drink of coffee, Adam looked over at Annie.  “How are you at removing stitches?”

 

“Stitches?  You have stitches?”

 

“I’ll answer that, Adam,” said Hoss, puffing up.  “She not only can take ’em out, but she can put ’em in.  She had more stitches in me from the wolf bites than I could count.  Still got a few.”

 

Looking over at Ben, and then at Adam, Annie smiled. “I have no issues with stitches, but I’ll understand if you would prefer a male doctor to do that for you, Adam.  And I think that would be a good opportunity for you to speak with Dr. Martin about Shiloh and the baby.”

 

Shiloh’s head snapped up.

 

Adam caught the wide-eyed look she gave Annie, and set his fork down, wiping his mouth.  “Is there any particular reason I need to talk to Paul about Shiloh and the baby?”

 

He got no response from Annie, so he turned to Shiloh. “Sweetheart?”

 

Shiloh hadn’t taken her eyes off Annie as she wondered how Annie could have betrayed her.  “Paul won’t talk to me.  Perhaps he’ll talk to you.”

 

Giving her his full attention, Adam put his napkin down on the table and turned his body toward her.  “What’s going on?”

 

“Shiloh, it would be better if you and Adam talked about this sooner than later,” said Annie.  “If you wait too long, he might be faced with making a decision you won’t like.”

 

Shiloh threw her napkin on the table and stood.  “If you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to finish packing.”

 

All the men stood.  As Adam started to step away from the table, Annie said, “Adam, she’s angry with me.  I’ll go.”

 

Standing at the table, Adam watched Shiloh turn the corner at the top of the stairs followed by Annie, then turned back to his father and brothers.  “What was that all about?”

 

Hoss and Joe sat back down, but Ben remained standing, considering Adam.

 

“Pa?”

 

“Son, it would be better if you hear it from your wife.”

 

Even though Adam had kept his tone even, Ben knew he was simmering by the flare of his nostrils.  “It would appear my wife is occupied at the moment.  Would you mind telling me what’s going on?”

 

Ben sat down and moved his napkin back to his lap.  “It’s not my place.”

 

Clenching his teeth, Adam threw his napkin on the table and headed for the stairs. He took them two at a time, and hurried to the bedroom door, but stopped, hearing quite an argument on the other side of the door.  He thought about listening, but then decided he’d prefer to hear it first hand, so he grabbed the knob and turned it, bursting in the bedroom.

 

Shiloh looked at him, threw her hands in the air and growled.  “Annie, I had every intention of speaking with him when we got home.”  Shiloh turned to face her.  “In private.”

 

“And you’d let the first thing that came up delay you.  This isn’t something that can wait.  You only have a little over two months.  Probably not that long.  And you can’t just spring this on him at the last minute.”

 

Shiloh sneered.  “Thanks for having faith in me.   Of course I’m going to discuss it with him.  He’s my husband!”  She turned her hands in, pointing to her stomach.  “And this is his baby!”

 

Adam had stepped further into the room, and before Annie could say anything else, he moved his hands to her shoulders and gently squeezed.  When she looked up at him over her shoulder, he slightly nodded, and then nodded toward the door.

 

Looking back at Shiloh, Annie said, “I only brought it up because I love you,” then retreated to the door, closing it quietly.

 

Shiloh glanced up at him, but cast her eyes down when he came closer.

 

“I’m listening,” he said softly.

 

“Do you remember…before you left…that Paul said something about the size of the baby?”

 

Adam nodded.  The calm expression that had been on his face gave way to a slight crease of his brow, eyes that turned dark, and slightly parted lips.

 

She took a breath before she turned back to her packing. “Cheron is still here. She sent the others back to her village, but she stayed.  She came by to see me and told me that the baby would come early because he’s too big.  She wants to help me through the birth.”  She stopped packing and looked straight ahead of her.  “When I tried to talk to Paul about it the last time I saw him, he wouldn’t say anything.  When I asked him what would happen if the baby was too big, he refused to answer.  He told me to continue to stay off my feet and to make sure I ate well…that I would need my strength.”   Spinning around, she looked pleadingly up into his eyes.  “Adam, he thinks one of us isn’t going to make it.”

 

Adam reached out to her arms and drew her into him, guiding her head to his chest, and then holding her against him.  “Did he say that?”

 

“No.  He wouldn’t say anything.  Cheron believes both of us can survive.  She said I shouldn’t be laying on my back during the birth, that I should have this child like the women of her tribe give birth.”

 

“Have you told Paul what Cheron said?”

 

“No.  I haven’t seen Paul again, and I’m not sure I want to.  I have Annie.  And I have Cheron.  And Annie promised she’d speak with Cheron.”

 

“Sweetheart, I know Annie’s a doctor now, but she doesn’t have much experience.  Has she ever delivered a baby?”

 

Shiloh turned her face into his chest so that her voice was muffled.  “I don’t know.”

 

“Hop Sing mentioned the road was passable yesterday when he got back from town.  Why don’t we ride into town today and talk to Paul?”

 

Gently trying to push away, she made little progress with Adam holding her to him.

 

“Shiloh, we need to listen to what all of them have to say before we make a decision about what you’re going to do.”  Lifting her face to his, he said, “I don’t want you to worry about leaving me with a decision.  As far as I’m concerned, my mind is already made up if the odds are even.  My first responsibility will always be to you, Sweetheart.”

 

When she closed her eyes, he kissed them, then kissed her mouth.

 

“I know one thing is true no matter how this goes.  You didn’t eat any breakfast to speak of, and you’re going to need your strength.  Now, let’s go back downstairs and finish breakfast.”

 

“I don’t think I can eat.  My stomach is in a knot,” she said quietly.

 

“Well, at least try, please.  We’ll get Ming Lin settled at home, and then you and I will go into town.”  He bent at his knees and raised his eyebrows, lowering himself far enough to see her downcast face.

 

She tried to resist his charm, but eventually nodded.

 

Adam led her down the stairs and held her chair for her as she sat back down.  “I apologize for disrupting dinner.”

 

Ben smiled.  “Shiloh, we all understand this is difficult for both of you.  Have you made any decisions?”

 

Adam motioned for Shiloh to finish preparing her plate.  “Not yet.  We’re going into town today to speak with Paul, and depending on what he says, we’ll pay a visit to Cheron.  Annie, Shiloh said you agreed to speak with Cheron.  I think it would be a good idea if you went with us.”

 

“Hoss and I are going into town today.  I have to get more bandages. I’ll be there if you want me to talk to Dr. Martin.”

 

Adam nodded.  “All right.  We’ll let Ming Lin stay one more night under Hop Sing’s watchful eye so he won’t be alone, and we’ll go into town together.”

 

Chapter Sixty-Eight

 

Pulling the buggy to a stop in front of Mr. and Mrs. Murdock’s store, Adam jumped down and turned to help Annie down.  “Annie, would you mind keeping Shiloh occupied while I go speak with Paul?”

 

Shiloh turned on the front seat.  “I thought we were all speaking with Paul.”

 

Adam folded his arms with his hands in his armpits.  “Well, I thought maybe I should go in first.  You said Paul wouldn’t speak to you.  Maybe he’ll feel more comfortable with me.”

 

Shiloh steamed.  “We are going to talk to him about what Cheron said, aren’t we?”

 

Giving her a half-nod, he answered, “Yes, but after I find out what it was that he couldn’t say to you.  I’ll come get you and Annie.”  He leaned into the buggy in front of her and spoke quietly.  “Shiloh, please wait here for me.  I’m afraid Paul won’t say something we need to know if you’re in there with me.”

 

“He’s acting like whatever he’s not saying doesn’t affect me.  I’m the one having this baby.  I’m the one he should be talking to.”

 

Raising his eyebrows, Adam took her hand. “But he’s not talking to you at the moment.  Let me find out why, all right?”

 

She said neither yes or no, but rather looked away.

 

Determined to get an answer, Adam moved his hand to her jaw and turned her back, arching one eyebrow.

 

Slowly raising her eyes to his, she exhaled heavily and pouted, causing him to smile and kiss that pout.  “I shouldn’t be too long,” he said, turning and walking toward Paul’s office.

 

As Shiloh watched him go, Annie walked around the buggy.  “Why don’t you come inside with me while you wait?”

 

Taking a quick, deep breath, Shiloh looked down at Annie with her mouth twisted.  “I think I’ll just stay here and keep Hoss company.”

 

Annie smiled and patted Shiloh’s hand.  “I know you know that Adam will take care of this.  You need to learn to trust him.”

 

“I trust him with everything…mostly.  Sometimes, I don’t trust him to tell me the whole truth when it’s something bad.”

 

“I won’t be long,” Annie said, squeezing Shiloh’s hand, and turning toward the mercantile.

 

“Hoss, can I get you anything while we wait?”

 

“Well, I could use a beer, but I think I’ll wait for Adam for that.  You know, Shiloh, Adam believes he’s protecting you.”

 

“Hoss, I’m about to live through whatever he thinks he’s protecting me from.  I’d rather know what that is than have to deal with it in the throes of childbirth.”

 

“Annie’s right, you know.  You need to trust him.  He ain’t gonna let nothin’ bad happen to you or the baby.”  Hoss felt her hand slide up on his shoulder and squeeze.  Then he felt the buggy bounce.  “Shiloh?” There was no answer.  “Shiloh!”

 

***

 

“Morning, Paul,” said Adam as he stepped in the door of Dr. Martin’s office.

 

“Adam, what brings you into my office this morning?”

 

Removing his hat, Adam fidgeted with the rivets on the band.  “I thought maybe you’d tell me what you didn’t want to discuss with Shiloh.”

 

Dr. Martin looked around nervously.  “And what would that be?”

 

“She asked what would happen if the baby is too big.  She said you wouldn’t answer her.”  Studying the doctor, Adam slightly turned his head.   “Paul, what is it?”

 

Dr. Martin inhaled deeply, then invited Adam into his office.  After closing the door behind them, he walked to his desk and sat down on the front edge.  “Adam, I didn’t want to frighten her with the alternatives.  There are no good ones.  If the baby is too big, there are three options.  If I do nothing, both of them will die.  In order to save the baby, I would have to perform what’s called a cesarean birth.  That means I would make an incision across her stomach, open the uterus and take the baby out.  The child would most likely survive, but the chances of Shiloh’s survival aren’t very good.  There’s blood loss, and infection.  I don’t know of any woman out this way who has survived.  There have been a few back East, but the conditions there are far superior to what we have out here.”

 

“And what’s the third alternative?”

 

“The preferred method would save the mother.  The child will not survive.  It’s called a craniotomy.”

 

With narrowed eyes, Adam asked hesitantly, knowing the word had something to do with the head.  “What’s that?”

 

Adam, in order to remove the child, it has to be made smaller.  Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

Adam’s nostrils had already flared.  “I have an idea.”

 

“We have to go in through the birth canal, puncture the baby’s skull, and remove the brain in order to collapse the head.  After that, we remove the baby little by little.”

 

The color drained from Adam’s face as his hand moved to cover his mouth. However, he didn’t have much time to think about what Paul had just described because of a loud clatter in the waiting room of the office.  The two men looked at each other and rushed to the door just in time to see a skirt swishing out the door.

 

Shiloh ran as fast as she could around the corner of the building and into the alley. She stopped and wrapped her arms around herself until she heard Adam calling for her.  The desperation she heard in his voice almost made her go back, but then she thought about what the doctor and her husband had been discussing and burst into tears.  On the brink of hysteria, she moved through the alley quickly, not daring to look back.  She screamed when someone grabbed her arms, and before she knew what was happening, she had been pulled back deeper into the alley and was moved with her back against a wall.  Adam stood in front of her, though she couldn’t understand what he was saying.  She couldn’t hear him over her own cries telling him to let her go.

 

Annie had just come out of the Murdock’s store when she saw Shiloh bolt from Dr. Martin’s office.  On her way across the street, she watched Adam come out and call her, then turn into the alley.  Now, she waited at the entrance of the alley where she could see that Adam had caught up to her.

 

He tried to put his arms around her, but she pushed against his chest with a strength that shocked him; strength created by a survival instinct.  “Shiloh, listen to me.  You have to calm down.”

 

“He wants to kill my baby.”   Her frenzied eyes turned up to his when she grabbed his hands and moved them to her belly.  “Feel this, Adam.  This is our baby.  It’s alive and healthy…and he wants to kill it.  Please, don’t let him kill our baby!” she cried.

 

Grabbing her flailing hands, he was finally able to hold her, though nothing he said stopped her sobs.  “Now you know why Paul wouldn’t speak to you about the alternatives,” he said, stroking her hair.  “And with good reason,” he added softly.

 

“Promise me you won’t let him do that.”   She felt him stiffen and looked pleadingly into his eyes.  “Adam, promise me.”

 

His chin quivered as he tightened his lips, his dark eyes turned down at the sides underneath a furrow on his brow.   “We need to talk to Cheron.  We need to know if she can really deliver this child without harming either one of you.”

 

Keeping his arms tightly around her, he guided a still sobbing, still shaking Shiloh to the entrance of the alley.  “Annie, would you bring the buggy over here?” asked Adam, looking around them.  “I don’t want to take her across the street like this.”

 

Annie nodded, quickly turned and ran across the street.  Dr. Martin stood in the doorway of his office watching, and once Adam had Shiloh in the buggy, he detoured on his way around the back to the other side.  Placing a hand Paul’s shoulder, Adam said quietly, “I need to get her home and calmed down.  I’ll be back to talk.”

 

Paul simply nodded, knowing that just the sight of him might upset Shiloh even more.

 

***

 

Annie paced while she waited for Adam to come down the stairs. She wasn’t alone. Hoss sat in one of the leather chairs, tapping his fingers on the arm.  Joe had ridden out with Micah, who promised to come back to hear what Dr. Martin had said.  Ben was glad they weren’t back yet, knowing he’d have to deal with both Adam and Micah once Shiloh had been settled.  Ben sat at his desk with a pencil in his hand, tapping it on the desk as he stared off into a void.   The sight of her had shaken him; such a capable woman reduced to a sobbing, muttering, frail-looking shadow of the woman his son had married.

 

Adam sat on the side of the bed, still holding Shiloh.  He gently lowered her to the pillow when he heard Hop Sing lightly rap on the door before he entered carrying a tray with a tea pot and cup.

 

Setting the tray on the night table, he then poured the tea out into a cup and passed it to Adam.  “Missy Shiloh drink tea.  Help rest,” he said softly, nodding, concern obvious in his frown.  Quietly, he left the room.

 

Placing the tea on the edge of the night table, Adam lifted her off the pillow and waited for her to take the tea cup from him.  But her hands were still shaking so, he put the cup to her lips to allow her to sip.  She hadn’t said a word since they had left town, and now it didn’t appear she was going to try.  She would look at him, but just silently wept.

 

When she had finished the tea, he lowered her back down to the pillow and hovered over her, cupping her cheek in his hand.  “I’m going to go downstairs and explain what’s happened.  I’m sure everyone down there is worried.  I’ll send Annie back up to sit with you.”

 

“Can we go home?” she whispered between sobs.

 

He wasn’t going to tell her no at the moment, but the truth of it was that he didn’t want to take her home.  He didn’t want her in the house alone, fearing what she might do in her present state of mind.  Hopefully, Annie could offer some comfort that would make her forget about going home just now.  “We’ll see.  It depends on how you feel after you’ve had some rest.”  Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it.  “I’ll send Annie up.  I won’t be gone long.”

 

Where she normally would have watched him leave, she turned away to her side and continued to sniffle.  She couldn’t get the thought out of her head that he wouldn’t promise her; that he might actually consider allowing Paul to do that unspeakable, horrible thing.

 

At the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned to Adam.  “Annie, I need to speak with Cheron and get her to go into town with me to see Paul.  Would you stay with Shiloh?”

 

“I need to go with you, Adam.  Cheron is an Indian.  Dr. Martin might not listen to her, and if he doesn’t…I need to understand.”

 

Ben rose from his desk and quickly went to Adam and Annie, moving a hand to the back of each of them.  “Before anyone goes anywhere, I want to know what’s happened.”  He pointed up the stairs.  “I never thought there would be anything that would affect her the way this has, whatever this is, after what she’s already been through.”

 

“Adam, what did Paul say?” asked Annie.

 

“She overheard him explaining a craniotomy.”

 

Annie spun around with her hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.  “I suppose if the baby is too big, and you made the decision to save Shiloh, that would be the only way he’d know,” she said quietly.

 

Shaking his head, Ben started to ask, but faltered at the just the sound of the word.  “What…What is a craniotomy?”

 

Adam’s chin began to quiver as he looked helplessly at Annie.  As he walked away toward the fireplace, he squeezed her shoulder.

 

Taking a deep breath, Annie began to explain, “It’s a procedure where the baby is taken through the birth canal.  Because it’s too large to pass, it’s…it’s…”  She wiped her eyes as she tried to steady her voice.  “The head is collapsed so that it will fit, and then the rest is taken out…a little at a time.”

 

Ben’s mouth opened as he took a slow, deep breath, all the while watching Adam’s back become rigid.

 

“There is another way…cesarean section, but because of shock due to the size and depth of the incision and infection later, the mother likely would not survive. Then there’s forceps that are used to pull the baby out, but they can cause quite a bit of damage to both the mother and baby.  And if nothing is done, both will die.”

 

“And Cheron’s method?”

 

“Shiloh told me only a little, but what she said made some sense.  She said Cheron’s people…and the Paiute…have been doing it for thousands of years.  But I would need to speak with Cheron to understand.”

 

Ben thought for a moment, then gave a quick nod.  “Both of you go.  I’ll sit with Shiloh.”

 

Adam turned and headed for the bureau where he retrieved his jacket and hat. “Hop Sing took up some tea that’s supposed to help her rest.  Hopefully, she’ll sleep.”

 

“If that’s so, then I can sit with her, too,” said Hoss.  “We won’t leave her alone, Adam.  You and Annie go on and figure this out before that little gal cries her eyes out.”

 

Chapter Sixty-Nine

 

“Joe, I appreciate you coming out with me,” said Micah, “despite your hand.  I thought Dr. Martin wanted you to keep it still.”

 

Joe laughed.  “I’ve been keepin’ it still.  I’ve been keepin’ everything still.  I should be thanking you for getting me out of the house.”

 

Micah didn’t smile, but rather bowed his head and took a deep breath.

 

“She’ll be all right.  Adam won’t let anything happen to her.”

 

“Did you not notice how worried he looked?”

 

Joe’s eyebrows rose.  He couldn’t argue.  “We’ll know something when we get back to the house in a few minutes.”  He watched Micah, who didn’t seem reassured at all.  “Look, there was nothing else you could’ve done.  Those cattle had to be brought back down before they disappeared.  Pa and Adam aren’t gonna be happy when they hear we’ve got rustlers.”

 

By the time Micah and Joe arrived at the main house, Adam and Annie had already left to find Cheron.  Hoss was alone in the living area.

 

“Hey Hoss,” said Joe as he came through the front door with Micah behind him.

 

“Joe, wha’d’ya find?”

 

“Rustlers.  Well, not the rustlers.  We did find the cattle and brought ’em back down.”  Stepping in front of the fire, Joe slowly pulled his left arm out of the sling that held it and lowered both hands toward the fire.  “It’s still cold, but the snow in the lower pastures is starting to melt.  Unless we get more, I figure it’ll be gone down there in two or three weeks.”

 

Hoss turned his head.  “Micah, is that you?”

 

“How’d you know I was here?”

 

“I can hear you breathin’.  Sit down a minute.  I need to talk to you.”

 

Raising his chin, Micah closed his eyes and let out a breath before he walked around to the low table in front of the fire, sitting down right in front of Hoss.  “Where is everyone?”

 

“Pa’s upstairs sittin’ with Shiloh.  Annie and Adam are on their way to find  Cheron, and then they’re all goin’ to see Doc Martin.”

 

“What’s got everyone so upset?  Is Shiloh all right?”

 

Leaning forward, Hoss looked toward Micah, a look that unnerved Micah as Hoss’ face was right in front of him, but Hoss’ eyes seemed to skim the top of his head.  “I guess you’ve heard the talk about the baby bein’ big; too big for Shiloh to have ‘im.”  He leaned back in the chair.  “Well, it seems the last time Shiloh saw Paul, she asked him what would happen if the baby was too big.  He wouldn’t answer her, so Adam went into town this mornin’ to find out why.  Shiloh and me and Annie went, too, thinkin’ they’d all talk about it, but Adam went in first by himself.  Shiloh went in while they was talkin’ and overheard.  That little gal’s been a mess ever since.”

 

“It’d have to be pretty bad to make that big a mess of her.  And Adam, too.”

 

“Annie and Adam were sayin’ some big word I ain’t even gonna try to repeat.  But what it meant was clear.  They were talking about killing the baby and taking it out in pieces to save Shiloh.”

 

Micah’s lower jaw dropped as he let his head fall backward.  He sprang up from the table and took the stairs two at a time, but stopped dead at the bedroom door.  It was open, and Shiloh was there on the bed, sleeping.

 

Ben sat in a chair next to the bed, and when he saw Micah, he moved a finger over his lips.  He slowly stood and walked softly to the door, moving Micah into the hallway by his arm and quietly pulling the door closed behind him.

 

Micah didn’t need to say a word for Ben to know what was going through his head.  It was written all over his face.  “Micah, she’s all right at the moment.  She had a good scare, but she’s resting.  Did Hoss tell you anything?”

 

Unable to speak, Micah merely nodded without looking Ben in the eye as his own were becoming blue pools.

 

“Now, there’s no need to think the worst.  Annie, Adam and Cheron will be speaking with Paul.  Cheron may have a way for Shiloh to have the baby.”  Moving his arm over Micah’s shoulders, Ben smiled.  “We need to wait for them to get back before we jump to any conclusions.”

 

“Do you mind if I sit with her for awhile?”

 

“Of course not,” Ben answered, turning the knob, opening the door and stepping aside for Micah to enter.  “I’ll bring some coffee up.”

 

Micah nodded as he slowly sat down in the chair, turning to watch his sister.  Her face seemed so peaceful now, it was hard to believe she’d been in such turmoil not too long ago.

 

***

 

Standing at the top of the stairs and watching his youngest slip his arm back in his sling, Ben took a deep breath before he descended.  “Joseph, what did you and Micah find?”

 

Joe turned away from the fire and faced his father.  “We found about fifty head just beyond our border.  Someone had strung barbed wire around a thick stand of trees to corral ’em, so they were hidden pretty well.  They were both Ponderosa and Flying W beef; some of our best.”

 

“Did you see anyone?”

 

“No sir.  Just the cattle.  We brought ’em back here.  I figure we can separate ’em later.  Micah asked Hank to send Jake back over here to coordinate what men we have to watch the herd.  Hank’s doing the same over at the Flying W.”

 

Ben nodded and grunted.  “Either of you want coffee?”

 

“That’s sounds good, Pa,” said Hoss.  “I reckon there’s nothing else we can do ‘cept wait for Adam and Annie to get back.”

 

***

 

Before Adam had brought the buggy to a halt, Cheron was out the door of her cabin standing on the front porch, calling out, “Is it Shiloh?”

 

Adam looked over at Annie and folded his lips into a line.  “Cheron, I want you to meet someone,” he said as he stepped down and offered his hand to Annie, then walked her to the porch.  “Cheron, this is Annie Wal…”  Twisting his mouth, he glanced back at Annie, then offered an embarrassed smile.  “Annie Cartwright, Hoss’ wife.  She’s a doctor.”

 

“A woman doctor?  I did not know the white man allowed such things.”

 

“Well, white men don’t particularly like it, and they make it difficult for women to get an education in medicine, but there are schools specifically for women.  Annie has just returned from back East where she graduated from one of those schools.  And she’s like a sister to Shiloh.  That’s why I’ve brought her with me.”

 

“Please come in,” said Cheron, leading the way into the cabin.

 

What had been Cheron’s home as the wife of a former Flying W foreman was nothing more than walls, a ceiling and a floor.  The furniture that had been left when her husband was killed was gone. Only Cheron’s blankets, skins, trinkets and various wooden implements occupied the space, all folded or stacked neatly out of the way.  The middle of main room floor was covered by some of the skins and blankets where Cheron sat and meditated.

 

“I cannot offer you a chair to sit, but please join me here,” she said indicating the blanket-covered skins on the floor.  “You came to speak about the birth of your child.”

 

Adam and Annie both knelt and sat on the floor with Cheron. “Yes, we did,” said Adam. “Dr. Martin…from Virginia City…believes the baby is too big for Shiloh to have…normally.  He hasn’t given me an alternative to one of them…not surviving.  Shiloh said the way of your people might save them both.”

 

“The women of my tribe have given birth the same way since our beginnings. There have been deaths of both mother and child, but those do not happen often.”

 

“Would you go with us to Virginia City to speak with the doctor…to explain your way?”

 

Cheron straightened her back, drawing herself up from her relaxed position.  After a moment, she answered, “No.  My presence would gain you nothing, and might cause problems for you and your doctor if I was seen entering your doctor’s healing hut.  But I will tell your friend of our ways.  Perhaps your doctor will listen to her,” she said, smiling at Annie, but her frown returned quickly.  “Is the little one well?”

 

Adam’s mouth suddenly went dry, and when he looked at Cheron, he opened his mouth to speak, but instead sighed.  Cheron watched him and waited.

 

“She overheard the doctor explaining a procedure to me.  It…upset…her.”

 

“What was this procedure?”

 

Adam looked at Annie with askance in his eyes.

 

“Cheron, in white medicine, when a woman can’t give birth, a decision is made whether to save the child or the mother.  If the child is to be saved, the child is removed from the mother’s womb by an incision in her stomach.  It puts the mother at great risk, and many do not survive.  If the mother is to be saved, then the child is removed through the birth canal by…by being made smaller.”   Annie watched Cheron’s eyes as she tried to grasp the meaning of what Annie had said.

 

Once she had, her piercing eyes shot back up to Annie’s.  “And you call my people savages!”

 

“We wouldn’t be here if we thought that,” said Adam.

 

Looking at Adam, she said, “You must wait outside.  I will teach this woman the ways of my people.  And while you go to your doctor, I will go to Shiloh.”

 

Chapter Seventy

 

Micah was standing by the bedroom window, looking out when he heard the lightest utterance of the word ‘no’ from the bed, and turning, found Shiloh sitting bolt upright.  He could still see the dream fading from her eyes by the time he sat in the chair next to her.  He saw her squeeze her eyes shut, thereby squeezing the liquid out until it ran down her cheeks.  She hadn’t even acknowledged seeing him there, though she couldn’t have missed him.  He was leaning close.

 

“Say something,” he whispered.

 

“What was there to say?” she thought.  Her eyes ached, so she closed them again and slowly lay back against her pillows.

 

“Shiloh, please.  Tell me what I can do.”

 

“You can tell Adam I won’t see Paul Martin again.  He’s a butcher.”

 

Moving to the side of the bed, Micah took her hand which remained limp in his hands.  “Shiloh, Paul isn’t a butcher.  He was just telling Adam the alternatives.  You’d want him to be honest about it wouldn’t you?  Besides, you weren’t supposed to hear that.  If there was ever a time you should’ve done what Adam asked, it was then.”

 

As she pushed herself up to a sitting position, Micah fluffed her pillows for her so that she could lean her back against the headboard of the bed.  “Micah, I was upset by what Paul said, but what has me…”  Struggling for the right words to describe her feelings, she shook her head.  Devastated.  That was how she felt, but she wouldn’t admit it to Micah.   “He wouldn’t promise me,” she whispered as she wiped another escaped tear from her face.

 

“What?  He wouldn’t promise you what?”

 

“I can’t believe that Adam would consider letting Dr. Martin do that.”  She quickly looked up into Micah’s eyes.  “He couldn’t promise he wouldn’t.  It’s as if I have no say in the matter.”

 

Pulling her into a hug, Micah moved a hand to the back of her head and stroked her hair.  “Ah, Little Sister.  You have to know he’s as upset about this as you are.  I don’t think he knows what to do, but you can bet he’ll find out.  In fact, he and Annie have gone to talk to Cheron, and then they’re going to see Paul again.”

 

Sniffling, for she had begun to cry again, she said, “But if Paul won’t try Cheron’s way…if Adam won’t let Cheron deliver the baby….  He said his first responsibility is to me.   If he lets Paul do that…”  She grabbed a handful of Micah’s shirt with each hand as she buried her face against him.  “I can’t live with it.  What they do to the baby will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

 

Micah took her by her arms and gave her an angry shake.  “Don’t you think he knows that?  Don’t you think he feels the same way?”  Standing, he walked away from her, speaking with his back to her.  “Sometimes I wonder if he thinks you’re more trouble than your worth.”  Spinning around, he continued.  “Don’t you realize everyone in this family is upset about this?”

 

Shiloh drew back against the headboard, breathing through her mouth and trying to forestall the next flood of tears.  She refused to look at him.  “You should go,” she said hoarsely.

 

His eyes bore into her before he left the room.  When he got downstairs, he went straight to the bureau at the front door and silently gathered his things.

 

Ben watched as he strode purposefully from the stairs to the door, then stood and approached him quietly.  “Micah?”

 

“I’ve got some work to do.  I’ll be back later to hear what Adam and Annie found out.”  Without even looking at Ben, he reached back for the handle and pulled the door open between them, then stepped out and quickly closed the door behind him.

 

With his brows furrowed, Ben watched the door close, then glanced up at the stairs, deciding that he should check on Shiloh.  When he knocked on the door, he heard a much stronger “come in” than he expected.

 

Shiloh had two valises on the bed and had started removing clothes from the wardrobe.

 

“I thought you and Adam were staying.”

 

He gasped when Shiloh looked at him.  It seemed her entire face was swollen, her eyes were quite puffy and her nose was red.  “Darling, you’ve had quite a fright.  Shouldn’t you be resting?”

 

She opened her mouth, but only managed a shake of her head before she closed it and quietly and inconsolably wept as she moved back and forth between the bed and wardrobe.

 

When Cheron stepped into the bedroom, she watched for a moment while Ben looked on helplessly.  Taking his arm, she pulled him slowly toward the door, even though he didn’t take his eyes off Shiloh until Cheron had moved him into the hall.  There, she nodded for him to leave it to her, and then closed the door.

 

Taking Shiloh by the shoulders, Cheron looked deeply into her tormented eyes, and seeing how lost Shiloh was, she drew her into her arms and held her.  Shiloh’s resolve disappeared as she slowly sank to the floor with Cheron following, and burst into heavy, mournful sobs.

 

***

 

Though most of the ride into town was spent in nervous silence, every so often Adam would ask Annie a question about what Cheron had shared.  He had already asked if she thought an experienced doctor like Paul Martin would even consider it, and the answer she gave him was encouraging.

 

“Do you think it will make it easier for Shiloh?”

 

“To tell you the truth, Adam, I don’t know why this changed.  At some point in the past, I believe all women gave birth this way.  It’s so natural.  Yes, I think it would be easier whether the baby was this big or not.”

 

She sat in silence for a moment, then offered more.  “Cheron uses herbs to start labor early in this situation.  She says there is a time when the child is only growing bigger, so having it early won’t hurt.  She thinks Shiloh is further along than we thought, and that her time is near.  She wants to start preparing Shiloh…showing her what she has to be able to do.  That means that, depending on what Dr. Martin will agree to, you need to make a decision soon.”

 

“Decision?”

 

“If it comes to it, you’ll have to decide very soon whether Dr. Martin delivers this baby his way or Cheron does.  And you need to give some thought to what you want if she can’t have this baby either way.”

 

“I’ve already made that decision.”

 

“What about Shiloh?  Did you ask what she wanted?”

 

Adam continued to face forward without answering and without paying much attention to the horse.  The horse knew its way to town.  But Adam had no intention of doing anything other than what he’d already decided, even if Shiloh wanted to save the baby.  He wasn’t going to leave his child to wonder what his mother was like as he had.  He wasn’t going to force his child to feel guilty for his entire life because his mother died giving birth to him.  His hope was that Paul would, at least, consider letting Cheron deliver the baby.  And even if he did, Adam had already decided he wanted Paul there, just in case something went wrong.

 

When they arrived in town, they hurried into Paul Martin’s office, waiting impatiently until Dr. Martin was available.  Annie explained Cheron’s teachings, and once she had finished both she and Adam held their breaths awaiting Paul’s answer.

 

“Adam…Annie, I’ll be the first man to admit that the Indians have passed down some marvelous knowledge in their dealings with plants for thousands of years.  But there is no medical basis in this.  There are no proven facts; only the assurances of an Indian medicine woman.”

 

Both Annie and Adam slumped.

 

Sitting on the edge of his desk, Paul continued, “Still, if there’s the possibility that it will save both their lives, I have to consider it.  We’ll try it Cheron’s way.   And if that doesn’t work, Adam, you have to be prepared to…”

 

Adam held his hand up to stop Paul.  “I am.  Shiloh won’t be.”

 

“Shiloh won’t be in any condition to offer dissent.”

 

“I’m not as worried about her during the birth as I am after it’s done.  If you have to take the baby, I don’t know that Shiloh will be able to get past it now that she knows how you do it.  I can understand why you wouldn’t tell her.”

 

Sitting forward in her chair, Annie said, “Dr. Martin, Cheron thinks that Shiloh is near her time.  She was on her way to see Shiloh when we came here.   She’s taking everything she needs and is prepared to start Shiloh’s labor.”

 

Paul nodded. “We could’ve been off a bit.  Shiloh didn’t have regular monthlies so we really had nothing to go by except her size and condition.  But I want to speak with Cheron before she does anything.  Why didn’t she come with you?”

 

Adam snorted.  “She was concerned about your reputation.  There are those in this town who might have started trouble if they’d seen an Indian come in here.”

 

“I remember when she used to come into town with her husband and Billy.  She tried very hard not to be seen.”  Shaking his head, he began to gather items he might need at the Ponderosa.  “I would never have turned her away.”

 

“I think she knows that, Paul,” offered Adam.

 

“Well, I have to get a few more things together.  Why don’t you two go on back to the Ponderosa.  I won’t be far behind you.   And please, make sure Cheron doesn’t do anything until I get there.”

 

Adam nodded and escorted Annie back to the buggy.  “What do you think?” he asked.

 

“About Dr. Martin?”  Adam nodded.  “It seems he’s a fair and open-minded man.”

 

Adam turned to her and winked, then whistled the horses into a slow trot out of town.  “He was pleased with what he saw you do before you left for school.  He respects you.  And you’re right.  He’s a fair man.   He refuses his services to no one.”

 

***

 

It was a testament to where their minds were that no one heard the buggy pull into the yard.  But they all turned when the front door suddenly opened and Annie walked through followed by Adam, who took Annie’s cape and hung it on the hat rack followed by his jacket and hat.

 

“Is Cheron here?” he asked.

 

Standing, Ben met Adam half way to the stairs.  “She’s with Shiloh.  Isn’t Paul with you?”

 

“He’s on his way,” answered Adam as he started up the steps.

 

Ben grabbed his arm. “Before you go up…”

 

“Yeah, Pa?”

 

Looking over at Micah who had collected himself from his talk with Shiloh and had returned, Ben said, “She doesn’t want to see Paul.”

 

Adam’s eyebrows creased.  “I don’t care if she wants to see him or not.  He’s the only doctor around here.”   He immediately winced and looked over at Annie who was sitting quietly on the settee.  “Annie, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean that.”  Offering her an apologetic smile, he finished.  “It’s gonna take a little getting used to having a doctor in the family.  Even so, I want Paul involved in case something goes wrong that Cheron can’t handle.”

 

“Then I suggest you go upstairs and discuss what each of you expects to happen, because at the moment your thinking isn’t the same,” said Ben.

 

Drawing his lips into a pucker, Adam took one step backward before he turned and went up the stairs.  When he opened the door, he found Shiloh busily packing their belongings.

 

“What are you doing?” He looked over at Cheron in the chair next to the window, and then back to Shiloh.

 

Without looking at him, she raised her chin stubbornly.  “I’m going home, Adam.  I want to have our firstborn in our own home.”

 

“Dr. Martin is on his way.  He wants to speak with Cheron.”

 

Dropping the dress she had been folding, Shiloh looked back at Cheron, who nodded.  Turning back to the dress, she said, “That’s fine.  But I won’t be seeing him.”

 

Adam took a step toward her, and she immediately pulled the dress to her and faced him, steeling herself for a fight.

 

He smiled.  “Cheron, would you excuse us?”  He waited patiently while Cheron left the room and pulled the door closed.

 

“Annie explained to Paul what Cheron wants to do.  He’s willing to try it her way, but I want him here in case something goes wrong.”

 

“To do what?”

 

Looking down first, Adam glanced back up.  “I don’t need to explain it to you.  You already know.”

 

“And if I don’t agree?”

 

Walking to her, he took the dress from her hands and let it fall to the bed, then sat down and pulled her down next to him.  He turned to face her and took her hands.  “Besides the fact that you did this for me earlier than you would have otherwise, I have other reasons that have to do with what I live with everyday because I survived and my mother didn’t.  This way, he won’t even know if it comes to that.”

 

“Adam, I’ll know.  And don’t be so quick to tell me I’ll get over it.  Not this.  This is brutal and horrid and…unthinkable, but it’s something I’ll think about every day of my life…probably in great detail.  I can’t live with it.”

 

“Then it comes down to one thing.  It will be me making the decision.”

 

“So what I want doesn’t matter?” she asked, pulling her hands away from him.

 

“I didn’t say that.  But you won’t be in any condition to voice your opinion.”

 

“Then I’ll voice my opinion right now.  I don’t want you to take the baby that way.  If Paul were to take the baby by cesarean, the baby will survive, and I’ll have a chance.”

 

His nostrils flared and his eyebrows lowered.  “Not much of one.  Paul’s never performed that surgery, and he’s not confident his office is adequate to do it.”

 

“Then I’d rather you let us both go, Adam.  I don’t want to have to live knowing how the baby died.”

 

Adam flew up off the bed and stood with his back to her and his hands on his hips.  “And what makes you think I’m strong enough to lose you both?”

 

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and when Adam opened it, Dr. Martin, Cheron and Annie entered the room.   Shiloh glared at Dr. Martin before she looked away.

 

Annie and Cheron stepped forward to the bed.  “Shiloh, Dr. Martin has agreed that we’ll try it Cheron’s way,” said Annie with a smile.

 

“My mind was already made up on that point regardless of what Dr. Martin said, and I’m not going to even discuss the alternatives with him. As far as I’m concerned, there are none.”

 

Annie took a step back at Shiloh’s coldness.

 

Dr. Martin had moved to the side of the bed next to Cheron and Annie, and all three faced Adam who stood at the other side.  “Adam, Cheron will prepare what she needs here, and Annie will assist her,” said Paul.

 

“It will take time to prepare her…many days,” said Cheron.

 

Adam nodded and looked at Cheron.  “When it’s time, we’ll make sure you have whatever you need.”

 

Paul continued, “I’ll have what I need ready, and at the first sign of trouble I’ll take over.”

 

“Stop talking about me like I’m not sitting right here!”  yelled Shiloh, standing and facing them all with clenched fists.  “First, I’m going home to have my baby.”  She turned to Adam with tears in her eyes and took his hand, holding it to her breast.  “Please let me go home,” she pleaded.

 

Stepping into her, Adam moved his hands to either side of her face.  “Sweetheart, I think it would be better if we were here.  We have to be prepared if it doesn’t work.”

 

She gave him a wet but sure look. “No, we don’t. Cheron would tell me if she wasn’t sure it would work.  It’s not going to fail, Adam.  I won’t let it.”

 

“But what if it does?” he whispered.

 

She closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his chin.  “It won’t. It can’t.”

 

Letting out a heavy breath, Adam wrapped his arms around her. A few minutes passed before he said anything.  “We’re going home.”

 

Chapter Seventy-One

 

Annie and Cheron accompanied Shiloh and Adam home, but before they left the main house, Dr. Martin pulled Annie aside.  “I have other patients to tend to today.  I’m depending on you to watch  everything Cheron does.  Ask her about every herb she gives Shiloh.”

 

“You don’t trust her?”

 

“I trust what I know.  I question everything I don’t,” he said with a smile.

 

Annie nodded and smiled back knowing it never hurt to be careful or well-informed.

 

The trip home was uneventful and even brought a smile out of Shiloh as she watched their surroundings go by.  She’d been cooped up for the better part of the last month, and even though the chill was still quite crisp, being outside lifted her spirits.

 

Once back at the house, Cheron and Annie took charge of Shiloh, much to Adam’s chagrin.  They left him to carry their bags up to the bedroom, and then tend the horse and buggy.  By the time he got back to the bedroom, Shiloh was sitting comfortably in bed wearing her favorite gown.

 

Cheron had gone to the kitchen to prepare the first of the herbal teas she would give Shiloh to quicken her delivery and help her through it. While she was there, Ben and Hop Sing brought Ming Lin home and moved his belongings into his room.  Ming Lin and Hop Sing were quick to stop and sit in the kitchen, hoping to gain some knowledge from Cheron who was happy to share with them.

 

When Ben arrived upstairs, he smiled at Shiloh before he looked over at Annie and raised his brows.

 

“Excuse me,” said Annie, smiling.  “I should be learning from Cheron.”

 

Before Ben took a seat in the chair at the side of the bed, he chuckled as he looked around the room at Adam’s furniture positioned much like it had been at the Ponderosa.  “I can’t tell you how many days and nights I’ve sat next to this bed waiting for Adam to wake up from…whatever hurt he had at the time.”

 

Shiloh gave him a sheepish smile.  “Was he hurt…or sick…very often?”

 

“More hurt than sick, but thankfully, no, not too often.  I think they’ve all come home beaten up a fair amount, but none of them are very good at walking away from a fight.  They all just handle them differently.”

 

“How so?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

 

Ben noticed that sparkle and was only too happy to oblige with something that kept her mind off the trouble at hand.  Well, Hoss…it takes quite a bit to get Hoss to use his fists.  Someone might have some terrible insults for him, and that’s all right, but the minute they throw insults at a child…or a woman…or even a man who isn’t able to defend himself, he jumps right in.  He and Adam are a lot alike in that respect.  Joe, now…Joe’s not particular about the reasons.  In fact, he’s been in fights simply as a bet of the outcome.”

 

Shiloh laughed, but quieted quickly, looking down at her hands.  “Pa, can I ask you a question about Adam?  About when he was growing up.  Before the Ponderosa.”

 

Ben nodded.  “But I won’t promise I can answer.”

 

She smiled again.  “Did he ever talk to you about his mother?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Did he say he missed not knowing her?  Or did he blame himself for her death?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Ben crossed his legs and got comfortable.  “He asked about her…what she looked like, what her favorite things were.  He was much too young on our journey here to think too deeply about her death, and then Inger came into our lives.  She filled a void for him.”

 

“What about guilt?”

 

“That came when he was much older.  After Inger and Hoss…and then again, after Marie and Joe.”

 

“Recently?”

 

Ben frowned.  “No.  The last time he spoke of his mother was the day before your wedding.  He wished that you could have known her, and she you.”

 

Both were quiet.

 

“Shiloh, why these questions?”

 

“It was something he said earlier today…about how he felt because his mother died.”

 

“And he’s concerned for this child growing up without his mother.”

 

Shiloh nodded.

 

“What are you two discussing?” Adam asked as he came into the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed.

 

“I was remembering the times it was you in that bed with some ailment,” said Ben, standing.  “And you two have some things to discuss.”

 

Reaching for him, Shiloh said, “Please don’t go, Pa.  I really don’t want to talk about that right now.”

 

Ben looked over at Adam, who shrugged.

 

“Before I forget,” started Ben.  “Joe and Micah found some rustled cattle just over our property line.  They brought them back.”

 

“Did they see anyone?” asked Adam.

 

“No, but it was about fifty head, both Ponderosa and Flying W.”

 

Standing, Adam walked to the window and looked out. “Now would be a good time to do it.  The Ponderosa doesn’t have a full bunkhouse in the winter.”

 

“Yes, but the Flying W does.  We have men, albeit fewer, watching the herd,” said Shiloh. “I’ll bet they were strays.”

 

“I’ll take care of it if you want me to, Pa,” offered Adam.

 

“No.  Hank and Jake are handling it.  If they need help, I’m sure they’ll ask.  Besides, you have some healing to do, said Ben, pointing to Adam’s chest.

 

Without much thought, Adam moved his hand to his chest.  “I have some work to do here.”  He winked at Shiloh.  “We have furniture ready to be delivered as soon as the roads are clear, and I have some bedrooms to finish.”

 

She smiled sweetly at him. “But you’re going to take some time to heal, first, right? Besides, we have some contracts to discuss,” she said, pointing to a stack of papers on her dressing table.”

 

Looking at his father, Adam laughed under his breath.  “It appears we’re in for awhile, and that includes Ming Lin.”

 

Ben stood and harrumphed.  “And you’ll all be stark raving mad before it’s over.”  Following with a laugh, he bent to kiss Shiloh’s forehead.  “I should be getting back.  I have work to do, too.”

 

Adam raised his chin as his father walked by with hat in hand.  “Bye, Pa.”  He looked back at Shiloh, crossed an arm over his chest, resting the other elbow on it and raising his hand to his chin. “At some point, we have to talk about it.  We can’t just ignore it.”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Adam.  That would be admitting that it won’t work, and I don’t want to do that because the alternatives are just too terrible.  You and I are going to have a healthy child, and we will raise him together in this house…together.  You just have to be strong enough to handle both of us.”

 

“And what if something happens?”

 

Casting her eyes down, she clasped her hands in her lap.  “Please, Adam.  Haven’t we discussed it enough?  Why can’t you just believe that it will turn out all right?”

 

Moving to the side of the bed and sitting next to her, he looked into her eyes.  She’d worried enough. She’d cried herself sick enough.  And she was right. Talking about it wasn’t going to change anything.  “All right.  No more discussions about it,” he said as he leaned into her for a kiss.

 

When Cheron and Annie came in with tea, Shiloh moved her hand to Adam’s face and smiled as she admired the clear, hazel eyes smiling back at her.

 

Handing Shiloh a cup of tea once Adam had moved away from the bed, Cheron explained, “You will drink this tea at the first, noon and last meal each day.”

 

Sniffing it, Shiloh asked, “What is it?”

 

“It is black cohosh.  It will bring the baby soon,” Cheron said.  “I have left enough with Ming Lin for three days.  I will return then.”

 

“Why don’t you stay?” asked Shiloh hopefully.

 

Cheron leaned down to feel Shiloh’s forehead.  “I must prepare other herbs for you.  I will be at the cabin.”

 

“Annie?” said Shiloh with a bit of dread in her voice.  Without Annie, she’d be alone much of the day if Adam was going to spend his time finishing the bedrooms.

 

“I have to get back home.  I’ll take Cheron to her cabin first, and then take the buggy back to the main house.”  She turned to Adam.  “Unless you’re going to need it before tomorrow?”

 

“No.  That’s fine.  I’ll walk you two out,” he said, waiting for the two women to exit the room and following behind.  “I’ll be right back,” he said over his shoulder, leaving Shiloh to sip her tea alone.

 

***

 

When Annie walked through the door of the main house, Hoss raised his head.  No one else was in the room, and without his sight, there wasn’t anything for him to do…except sit and wait for someone to talk to him.  He smiled.  “How’d it go at Adam’s place?”

 

“How did you know it was me?” she asked, removing her cape.

 

“I can smell your perfume.  It smells mighty pretty.  Besides that, you don’t make near as much noise as Pa or Joe.”  He felt her hands loosening the bandage around his head, and then felt her gently remove the gauze from his eyes.

 

Sitting on the low table in front of him, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”

 

“Nothin’ really.”

 

“Can you see light?”

 

“Well yeah, but I been seein’ light.”

 

“Is the light all one shade or color?  Can you see any dark areas?  Shadows?”

 

He creased his brow and bit down on his tongue in concentration. “It’s sorta light in the middle and darker on the sides.” Reaching his hand out, he touched the dark and quickly drew his hand back.

 

Annie smiled.  “Don’t be afraid, Hoss.  Tell me what you see?”

 

Reaching his hand out again, he touched the line of darkness and realized he had touched Annie’s hair at the side of her face.  A slow smile began to form even as Hoss’ eyes began to shine with wetness.  Knowing now the light was her face, he reached out to her waist and pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly.  “I can’t see your nose or your mouth, but I can see enough,” he said.

 

Ben walked in from the kitchen and stopped abruptly.  He saw the kiss and heard the sniffles followed by quiet laughter and one of the tightest hugs he’d seen lately.  “What’s this about?”

 

“Pa,” said Hoss excitedly as Annie moved back to the table wiping her eyes.  “I can see Annie’s face.  Well, not her mouth or nose, but I can tell it’s her face…” he reached out to touch her again.  “And her hair.”

 

Ben rushed forward and clapped his hand down on Hoss’ shoulder.  “That’s wonderful news, Son!”

 

“Now, we don’t want to rush it,” said Annie.  I need to put clean gauze on your eyes and put the bandage back on.”

 

“Aw, Annie, cain’t you leave that off now.  Maybe if I had somethin’ to see, it’d come back quicker.”

 

“No, you won’t be resting your eyes if you’re straining to see.  They need rest to heal,” she said, standing.  “I’ll be just a minute.  I need to run upstairs for the gauze.”

 

“Your brothers are going to be relieved to hear this,” said Ben.

 

Hoss nodded, but his smile had left his face. “Pa, I need to talk to you.”

 

“Of course, Hoss.  What is it?”

 

“Well, me and Annie didn’t really have a big weddin’ like Adam and Shiloh, and well, I think Annie…and me, too…we’d like to have a weddin’ here and invite all our friends.  Kinda make it official and all.”

 

“Well, Hoss, as far as the law goes, I’m sure it is official.”  Ben’s eyebrows went up.  “It is official, isn’t it?  You were married by a minister?”

 

“Yeah, Pa, it’s legal and all.  But the people out here don’t know that.  They’d be expecting a weddin’ to go to.”

 

Lightly slapping Hoss’ knee, Ben said, “You’re quite right, Hoss.  Why don’t we see how quickly your eyesight is coming back, now that you can see more, and go from there?  If it turns out it’s coming back quickly, we’ll wait for it.  If not, we’ll go ahead and plan it.”

 

Smiling, Hoss nodded.  “Thanks, Pa. It’ll sure make Annie feel more at ease.  I mean, I don’t think she quite feels like part of the family yet.”

 

“Nonsense.  Of course she’s part of the family.  There’s just been too much going on at the same time with Adam hurt, Joe hurt, Shiloh confined to bed, and you, Hoss, I think you gave us the biggest scare of everyone.”

 

Hoss looked doubtfully at his father even though he couldn’t see him.  Ben caught the look.  “Oh, well.  Perhaps Shiloh’s news was worse.”

 

“It didn’t sound like they was talkin’ to each other much when they left.  You think they’ll be all right?”

 

With a half-smile, Ben nodded, then remembered Hoss couldn’t see the expression on his face.  Patting Hoss’ arm, he said, “I’m sure they’ll work things out.  They’ve had some practice at it now for awhile.”

 

Chapter Seventy-Two

 

Micah entered through the kitchen when he arrived at Adam and Shiloh’s house knowing no one would be able to get to the front door with any speed.  “Ming Lin, how are you feeling?”

 

Nodding, Ming Lin said, “I am well, Mister Micah.  I have only two more weeks before the doctor will remove the cast,” he answered, holding out his foot.

 

“Is Mr. Cartwright home?”

 

“Yes.  And Mrs. Cartwright.  They are both upstairs.”

 

Both men turned at the sudden banging echoing through the house. “Mister Adam is working on the unfinished bedrooms.”

 

Micah smiled.  “Yes, I hear.  I’ll just go on up,” he said, exiting the kitchen.

 

Before he headed for the sound of the banging, Micah turned in the opposite direction at the top of the stairs and knocked on the bedroom he knew Shiloh and Adam occupied until their new furniture arrived.  Sticking his head in, he watched Shiloh busily working on a ledger while sitting up in bed.  “I’d hold up a white flag if I had one.  Is it safe to enter?”

 

When she raised her head from her work, she did so with a wide smile.  “No white flag needed,” she said, closing her ledger and setting it aside.  “Come in.  I want to talk to you.”

 

“Well, you look…better…happier.  I take it Dr. Martin approved of Cheron bringing this baby into the world.”

 

“How could he not?  Her outcome was better than his.  Anyway, I wanted to apologize.  You were right.  I wasn’t thinking about anyone but myself and the baby.”

 

Sitting on the side of the bed and taking her hand, he said, “Ah, well, there’s where I was wrong.  You’re scared to death, and you’re only thinking about the baby.  And although everyone in this family is worried sick, I shouldn’t have lost my temper, though I’ll stand by what I said about trusting your husband and doing what he asks.  He only has your best interests at heart.”

 

“I know he does, Micah, but this is hard for me.  Even before I left for school, I was pretty much taking care of myself, and I did that until I came home.  After, too.  I didn’t marry Adam because I needed him to take care of me.”

 

“I know that, Little Sister, and he does, too, but most men have been brought up with the idea that we take care of our wives and children, and our wives take care of the home front.  Adam knew that wouldn’t necessarily be the case when he married you, but still, you’ve got to let him take care of you once in awhile.”  Turning back toward the door and the banging, he added, “It looks like maybe you’ve both already come to that conclusion.”

 

“Micah, for a man who’s never been married, you sure know a lot about it.  How come?”

 

“Your mother and father weren’t always so easy with each other.  You get your spit from Mom.  Dad was a patient man, and he loved her dearly, but she sometimes tried that patience.  I had a few years to watch them…and sometimes stay clear of them.”

 

She laughed and put her hands to her ears.  “Oh, don’t say another word.  My parents were perfect.”

 

Micah laughed.  “Tell me what’s next?   Do you just stay here in the bed and wait?”

 

“I’m drinking one of Cheron’s teas three times a day.  It’s supposed to quicken things up a bit.   I’ve been drinking it for three days now, though, and I don’t feel any different.”

 

“Well, give it time.  Cheron always knew what she was doing with her herbs.”

 

Adam stuck his head in the door.  “I thought I heard another man’s voice in my bedroom.”  Stepping in with his hand extended, he continued.  “I figured I ought to find out who had captured her attention…besides me.”

 

Micah stood and shook his hand.  “We had something to set straight.”

 

“So is it straight?”

 

“As an arrow.”

 

“Good.  I could use a hand in here for a minute,” said Adam, pointing down the hall.  “Thanks to the avalanche, I still can’t lift much with my left arm.  Can I borrow your brother?” he asked Shiloh.

 

Waving her hands toward them, she said, “Shoo.  I have a ledger to balance.”

 

As they walked down the hallway, Micah asked, “So…what’s changed?”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Adam as he motioned for Micah to enter the last bedroom.

 

“Well, considering she was a mess just a few days ago, it’s as if nothing ever happened.  What did you do?”

 

“Nothing’s changed,” said Adam, shrugging.  “We just stopped talking about it.  She’s trying to convince herself that everything will be fine with Cheron, and she won’t talk about the other.  Now, help me hang this door.”   Micah moved the door into the jamb.  “Push at the top while I drop in the hinge pin,” said Adam.

 

Reaching up, Micah steadied the door.  “Is that…all right?”

 

“Yeah, that’s perfect.”

 

“Not the door.  Is it all right that she doesn’t talk about it?”

 

As Adam hammered the pin into the hinge, he answered, “It’s gotta be better for her than dwelling on it.  You saw how upset she was.  If she wants to believe everything will be all right, why stop her?”

 

“Do you believe everything will be all right?”

 

“Push in on the bottom.  Good.”  Squatting down, Adam went on while he worked on the bottom hinge. “To tell you the truth, I don’t want to think about the alternatives either.  There’s no point until something happens, and if it does, I already know what to tell Paul.”

 

“Without discussing it with her?”

 

Letting his hands drop down between his knees, Adam looked down at the floor before he stood.  “Micah, that’s what’s caused all the problems in the first place; trying to discuss it with her.  I’ll make the best decision I can with what information I have at the time…if necessary.  It won’t do either one of us any good to keep turning it over and over.  She’s calm.  She’s eating and sleeping, and I’m not going to do anything to change that right now.  Now, did you come over here just to see your sister or is there something else on your mind?”

 

“Oh yeah.  There is.  We may have some trouble at the mine.”

 

Adam had been plastering the walls and adjusted the bucket on a table.  “What trouble?”

 

“One of our guards saw Clint Miller ride by with two other men.  They were up on the high ridge behind us…on Hearst’s property.”

 

“It’s not Hearst’s property anymore.  He sold it.”

 

“He said they sat up there for awhile and just watched.”

 

Grabbing a trowel from the floor, Adam said, “Well, there’s no law against watching. There’s not much we can do until he does something.  Tell the guards to keep their eyes open.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

“No.”  Lifting a pile of plaster out of the bucket with the trowel, Adam slapped it on the wall.  “You and I are going into town tomorrow to have a little conversation with Mr. Miller.”

 

“It’s early enough.  Why don’t we go today?” asked Micah, itching to get to town.  He hadn’t been to town in over a month, and he was looking forward to a beer.

 

Stepping back, Adam admired his handy work.  “Tomorrow.  Today, I’m going to finish these walls and build the mantel.”

 

By evening, Adam had the walls finished and the mantel put together, though he still had to mount it.  He stopped and went downstairs to check on dinner.  Ming Lin was just lifting a pork roast out of the oven, and Adam rushed over to help him.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

“Anytime, Ming Lin. How’s the foot?”

 

“It is a bit sore, but all right.  Dr. Martin said it would be sore by the end of the day.”

 

“Why don’t you rest for awhile and prop it up.  I’ll take care of dinner from here.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright, but that is not necessary,” Ming Lin answered as he hobbled to the hutch and retrieve plates.

 

“I insist.  Prepare a plate for yourself and get off that foot.  I’ll take care of Mrs. Cartwright and myself.”

 

Though Ming Lin didn’t like the idea of allowing Adam to prepare their dinner, he politely smiled and did as he was told.  He would come back after Mr. Cartwright brought their dishes back, put the food away and clean the kitchen before he turned down his light for the night.

 

Adam waited to prepare their plates until Ming Lin had limped into his room with his dinner in hand.  He retrieved a tray from the pantry, managed to get everything on it, and headed up the stairs to the bedroom.  Stopping in the open door, he asked, “What are you reading?”

 

She looked up from her book and followed him with her eyes as he walked to her dressing table.  “Jane Eyre.”

 

Adam raised his head up from the plate he was preparing and looked forward, biting the inside of his cheek.  A wadded piece of paper that hit him on the back of his head interrupted his thoughts, and he smiled.

 

“She’s taken to throwing things at me now,” he said as he delivered her dinner on a bed tray.  “Wasn’t that required reading at Vassar?”

 

“No, it was not.  As a matter of fact, I found it in your box of books.  It doesn’t seem like the type of book you would enjoy.”

 

Adam had a prepared his plate and sat in the chair next to the bed.  “Research,” he said, winking. Her wrinkled nose and puckered lips made him laugh.  “Eat your dinner while it’s hot.”

 

“How is Ming Lin?” she asked as she cut her roast into small pieces.

 

Adam took a bite of roasted potatoes. “He said his foot was sore, but that Paul said that would happen.  I’m sure he’ll be happy to get his cast off and get back to normal.”

 

“And the bedroom?”

 

“Coming along.  The plaster is finished.  I’ve made the mantel pieces.  I just need to mount them around the fireplace.  How is the ledger?”

 

“I found a mistake.”

 

He looked up from his plate and asked with a mouthful, “Bad one?”

 

“Almost eight hundred dollars.”  He whistled.  “We’re all right,” she said. “There was plenty in the account to cover it.”

 

Small talk ruled their dinner conversation, both avoiding the one thing on their minds neither could really forget about.

 

Chapter Seventy-Three

 

Before Adam rolled out of the bed, he propped his pillow up under his head and watched Shiloh as she slept.  She had spent most of the night in the same position she was in now; on her side facing him.  Early on, as soon as the baby had begun to move, she slept with her belly up against him, so he could feel it, too.  But the last few nights had been still, and that worried him.  He let her sleep and rose to prepare for his day.

 

It would be a long one, first going out to the mine with Micah to speak with the guards.  After that, he and Micah would be going to town to find Miller.  Micah didn’t know it yet, but Adam was planning to stop by Roy Coffee’s office just as soon as they arrived in town.  If there was anything odd going on in town, Roy’s nose would be in the air sniffing it out.

 

He’d just pulled on a boot when he heard a soft, sleepy voice. “Adam? Come back to bed.”

 

He didn’t say anything, hoping she’d fall back to sleep, but when he looked over after pulling on the other boot, she was curled up with the blanket pulled up to her chin, wearing a smile that would surely pull any man back to her bed.  If she hadn’t been so ripe with child, he’d consider it.  Tempting as it was, he did go back to her bed, but only sat on the side and leaned over her. “You should go back to sleep.  It’s too early to be up,” he said, hovering over her lips.

 

“You’re up,” she whispered, moving her hands behind his head and pulling him down the rest of the way.

 

She loved his kiss. Almost always starting with a light touch of his lips to hers, followed by a light tickle with the tip of his tongue, he opened his mouth for a longer, deeper kiss that was guaranteed to take the starch out of her knees.  If he only knew she would do anything for him in the rapture of one of those kisses.

 

When he rose up to look at her, her eyes were still closed, and her lips here curled in a blissful smile.  “I have to go,” he said, trying to sit up.

 

Her arms remained wrapped around him. “But you’re not well.  You’re still healing.  You shouldn’t be out working.  Come back to bed with me.”

 

Moving his hands up her bare arms, enjoying their creamy softness, he gently took her wrists, and feeling some resistance, applied the smallest amount of muscle to untangle her fingers and pull them down in front of him.  “Micah and I have some mine business to take care of today.  I have to go out to the mine, and then we’re going into town.”

 

Frowning, she pulled her hands away from his and scratched her belly.  “That means I’ll be alone in this room all day.”

 

Adam stood and began to load his pockets with his effects from his night table.  “You could have been at the Ponderosa, but you chose to come back home.  You’d have gotten lots of attention there.”

 

“Wouldn’t you rather say your children were born in their own home?”

 

He snorted and smiled.  “Has he moved this morning?”

 

Her playfulness instantly left her as she looked over at him.  “Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, he’s usually pretty active at night.   He’s been still.”

 

She smiled.  “She’s moving right now.”

 

Adam looked at her with raised brows and hurried over to her side of the bed, placing both hands on her belly.  “Where?”

 

Taking his hand, she moved it to the bottom.  “Right there.”

 

He lingered for a moment wearing a wistful smile before he looked around the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything.  “Maybe you should mention how still he’s become to Cheron and Annie.  Cheron’s coming today, isn’t she?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So you won’t be alone in this room all day.  Nice try.”  He bent to kiss her, grabbing her hand before it made it to the back of his head, then kissing it.  “They won’t be here for awhile yet.  Go back to sleep.”  Before he closed the door behind him, he gave her one more smile.  “I’ll try not to be late.”

 

Adam approached the top of the stairs with his nose in the air, wondering how Ming Lin could have possibly known he was getting up even earlier this morning. He hadn’t told him. Striding into the kitchen, he stopped just before the corner and leaned his head around.  Ming Lin was standing in front of the stove, cooking bacon and eggs.  Clearing his throat, Adam entered the kitchen and stood right next to Ming Lin, glaring down at him.

 

Ming Lin responded with a smile.  “Good morning, Mr. Cartwright.”

 

“You’re supposed to be minimizing your time on your ankle.”

 

“It does not take long to prepare bacon and eggs and coffee.  If you will leave your dishes in the wash basin, I will wash them when I prepare Mrs. Cartwright’s breakfast.  Until then, I will rest.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere.  Ming Lin had won over both he and Shiloh, and he knew it.  “I won’t be back for lunch.  Make sure Mrs. Cartwright eats.”  He sat down at the table and poured a cup of coffee.  “Oh, and Cheron and Annie will be here today.”

 

“Yes.  I will be preparing lunch for them all.”  Bowing, Ming Lin left the kitchen, leaving Adam alone to eat his breakfast.  He did eat, but very fast.  Within twenty minutes, he was riding out of the yard toward the Flying W.

 

***

 

Adam had been riding along without really thinking about where he was going.  His mind was on Shiloh and the birth of their child.  It seemed Shiloh had found a way to stop dwelling on the unfavorable possibilities, but they were always on his mind.  Staying busy was the only thing he could do for any respite.  Perhaps that’s why Shiloh lamented being alone.  Even though she had chosen to think positively about the birth, he guessed she was still fighting thoughts of the alternatives creeping in.

 

“Adam!”

 

The call brought him from his thoughts and he looked in the direction of the voice.  Upon seeing Micah’s horse trotting toward him, he stopped.  “I was just on my way to the Flying W.”

 

“You could’ve fooled me.  The cut-off is back there,” answered Micah, pointing behind them. “What’s on your mind this morning besides the mine?”

 

Without answering, Adam turned Sport around and backtracked to the Flying W road.  The track to the mine was just a few hundred yards away from the house.  The ride was quiet, and when they got there, the reception was just as quiet.  The normal sounds of mining, hammers clinking on rock, explosions, yelling and such were absent, replaced with the sound of feet against metal…and a little grunting.

 

Adam and Micah looked at each other in confusion, then looked at all the men standing outside the mine looking up at the headstock.  Following their line of sight up, they found a man climbing up.

 

Dismounting, they walked up behind their men.  “What’s going on?” asked Adam.

 

“Lift ain’t working, Mr. Cartwright.  Mutt’s checking the cable.”

 

A yell came down from above them.  “Someone’s put a bar in the wheel.”

 

Turning his head slightly, Adam thought for a quick moment before he yelled, “Don’t pull it out!”

 

He was too late.  As he yelled, Mutt pulled the bar out and the cable and wheel whizzed with the weight of the lift falling to the bottom of the shaft, knocking Mutt off balance and sending him careening to the ground. The lift struck the bottom of the shaft with such force heavy dust spewed out of the hole.

 

Though everyone went into a coughing fit from the dust particles hanging in the air around them, they all rushed over to where Mutt landed.  Micah and Adam had to push through the circle of men to get to him, and when they did, they immediately knelt at his side.  “Don’t move him,” said Adam.  “Mutt, can you hear me?”

 

There was no reply.

 

Adam felt the man’s neck, then bent down to his face listening for a breath.  Looking up at Micah with his lips drawn, he shook his head.

 

“Tate!” called Micah angrily without looking up.  The crowd shifted as Tate broke through.  “Send a man to get the wagon hitched.  Two of you take Mutt into town.  Then get that lift up out of the shaft.  If it’s damaged, fix it and then test the cable with a loaded ore car a couple of times before you let anyone use it.”

 

Adam had risen and started to walk through the crowd.

 

“Where you going, Adam?”

 

“To find the guards,” he answered without looking back.

 

From his conversation with the guards, Adam found that one was posted in front of the shaft, one was posted on the ore carts, and one guard roamed the area.  During the day, the roamer frequently checked the ridge, but at night, it was too dark to see anything, so he checked the headstock, and then kept moving.  There would have been plenty of time for someone to chock the wheel and disappear.

 

Only one name came to Adam’s mind and by the look on Micah’s face, Adam knew he was thinking like thoughts. Silently, both men mounted their horses and rode into town.  Though Micah was of a mind to continue on without notifying the Sheriff, he kept his mouth shut, knowing Adam would have none of it.

 

Without Micah’s company, Adam went into the Sheriff’s office, giving Roy the details he knew.  He’d kept his suspicions to himself; a tact that would pleasantly surprise Micah.  Even so, Roy followed Adam out of the office demanding to know what he wasn’t saying.

 

“Now, Adam, I’ve seen that look a hundred times.  You’ve got somethin’…or someone on your mind.  You best just tell me, and then get on back to the Ponderosa.”  When Adam mounted Sport without a word, Roy gave him a warning.  “I don’t want any trouble in my town.  If there’s someone to be brought in for questioning, it’ll be me who does it.  And if you’re thinkin’ a might differently, you ought think twice.  I’ve got plenty of extra room in my jail for the both of ya.”

 

“Afternoon, Roy,” said Adam as he turned Sport up the street.

 

Micah tipped his hat.  “Sheriff, we’re gonna go have a beer.  Have a nice evening, sir.”

Trotting his horse to catch up to Adam, he slowed down to meet Adam’s pace.  “Would you mind telling me what you plan to do?”

 

“Find Clint.  Have a little talk,” Adam answered, facing forward, but moving his eyes from one side of the street to the other.

 

“You know as well as I do that Clint isn’t going to want to talk.”

 

Adam pushed his bottom lip up and shrugged.  “Maybe.”

 

“Need I remind you that you have a broken finger, a sore shoulder and busted ribs?  One good poke in the right place and you’ll be talking to the floor.”

 

“I don’t intend to fight him.  Just give him a warning.”

 

“He’ll take that as an invitation.”

 

Adam stopped his horse in front of the Bucket of Blood and dismounted, wrapping the split rein around the hitching post.

 

“You’re wrong this time, Adam,” said Micah, dismounting and standing beside Adam in front of the bat wing doors.  He’s been wanting a shot at you since you busted him up the day he was fired.”

 

Giving Micah a quick raised-eyebrow glance, Adam looked back into the saloon and moved his hand to the top of the swinging door.  “That was bad judgment on his part.  He should’ve left your sister out of it.”

 

Before he could step in, Micah clamped down on his shoulder.  “If this is about my sister, you’re here for the wrong reason.”

 

Adam stopped, only slightly turning his head back to Micah.  He wanted to keep his eyes on Miller.  “Shiloh is only a small part of this.  He’s responsible for Mutt’s death.  There’s not enough evidence against him for Roy to arrest him, so we have to get it.  And the only way to do that is make him mad enough to go back to the mine.  When he does, the guards will be waiting for him,” he said, giving Micah a resolute look. After an acquiescent nod, Micah followed him in.

 

The two men walked to the bar.  “Two beers.”

 

“Sure thing, Adam.  You two look like someone died.”

 

“Someone did,” said Micah.  “Jed Riley.”

 

All heads looked up from whatever they were doing and turned toward the bar.  “Mutt’s dead?” said the bartender in disbelief.

 

Jed ‘Mutt’ Riley had been a fixture in Virginia City for as long as anyone could remember.  He was the kind of man that had a smile for everyone he passed, no matter how bad his day was going or how drunk he was.  He’d spent most of his life in the mines; first in California as a young boy.  He was in what would become Virginia City when the big lode was found and had worked at every mine on the Comstock at one time or another. He went to the Whitney Mine because it was new and shallow; not yet deep enough to be oppressively hot as were the other mines in the area.  The pay was fair, too.

 

Another man called from one of the tables, “Hey, Adam.  What happened?”

 

Turning around and leaning back on the bar with his beer in hand, Adam took a long drink. “Someone chocked the lift wheel.  When Mutt removed the bar, he fell off the headstock.”

 

Another miner approached them.  “Any idea who done it?”

 

Looking straight at Miller, Adam said, “Yep.  Can’t prove it…yet.”

 

All eyes turned toward Miller, who glanced around him and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.  His two friends did likewise.  Adam knew the miners had their own unwritten laws.  They paid close attention to the details of every mine accident, tending to stick together at perceived wrongdoing toward one of their own.

 

Miller relaxed and sat back in his chair, lifting his own beer mug to his mouth.  “Cartwright, just because you and I had a disagreement, it don’t make me guilty of anything.  Did that little wife of yours send you all the way to town today just to pick on me?  She never did like me.”

 

Micah moved behind Miller and stood with his thumbs in his belt.  “My sister doesn’t even know about it, Miller.  I suggest you leave her out of it.”

 

“Our guards saw you and your two friends here,” began Adam, nodding toward the men at the table, “up on the ridge behind the headstock.  Seems you watched the mine for a long time.”

 

“So?”

 

All was quiet in the saloon, everyone listening to the exchange between Adam and Miller. Adam turned and set his empty glass on the bar, then turned back.  “So, I don’t want to see you around the mine again.”

 

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell a smart man like you, Cartwright, that you don’t have any say so on where I go as long as I’m not on Ponderosa or Flying W property.  And I wasn’t.”  He stood and walked right up to Adam.  “I’ll ride wherever I please.”  Crossing his arms, Miller assumed a comfortable position not a foot away from Adam.  “Tell me, Adam.  There’s something I always wanted to know since I worked at the Whitney. That little wife of yours…”  Adam’s nostrils flared imperceptibly as his expression turned cold.  “Word has it you had some trouble finding a woman who was good enough for you.  You couldn’t find one so you made one in your own image.  Well, not exactly your own image.  She is a woman, and a right pretty one at that.  But she’s smart, and she’s got a mouth on her.  She does things a woman’s got no business doing.   Yeah, you took her out of school and fed her all that nonsense about education, and then sent her off to get one. When she got back, she was all done, just like a piece of freshly ripened fruit hanging on a tree ready to be picked.”

 

Looking over Miller’s shoulder, Adam caught Micah biting the inside of his cheek, shaking his head.  Filling his lungs and bringing himself to his full height, he allowed a smile to play at the corners of his mouth.  “You’re right about my wife in at least two respects, Miller.  She is intelligent, and she is beautiful.  And that’s where you should leave it.”  Glancing over at Micah and nodding toward the door, Adam turned to leave with a parting jab.  “Face it, Clint.  You’ll never be man enough to handle a woman like that.”

 

As Adam walked away, Miller grabbed his left arm and pulled him back, but before he could bring his fist around, Adam was already swinging with his right, connecting with Miller’s jaw, sending him staggering backward.  Just as Miller recovered and took a step forward, a gunshot startled everyone into stillness, the only sound a small storm of plaster raining down from the ceiling.

 

Miller opened his mouth to speak, but Sheriff Coffee stopped him cold.  “I heard the whole thing, Miller.  The way I figure it, that’s what you get for insultin’ another man’s wife.  Adam, Micah, you best be gettin’ on back home.”

 

Each man tipping his hat, Adam and Micah left the saloon.  While they were untying the reins of their horses, Micah said, “Well, you got him riled up.  Now what?”

 

“We wait for him to make a mistake,” said Adam after swinging his leg over Sport’s back and settling into his saddle.  “You heard the Sheriff.  It’s time to go home.”

 

Chapter Seventy-Four

 

Though Adam and Micah had left, the saloon had remained unnervingly quiet while each and every miner present stared ominously at Miller and his friends.   Miller downed his beer.  “Let’s get outta here,” he said standing.

 

His friends followed him out the door.  “Miller, Ralston isn’t going to be happy about this,” said one of them as they watched the buckboard carrying Mutt’s body to the Sheriff’s office.

 

“I don’t really care if he’s happy or not,” said Miller, following the buckboard with his eyes.  “This ain’t got nothing to do with him.”

 

The other man stepped forward.  “If you’re planning anything against Cartwright, you’ll be doin’ it alone.  Ralston wants to deal with Cartwright, not kill him.  All he wants is some pressure applied so’s they’ll bring in another partner or maybe have to take out a loan…spread out the liability.  And as far as the other fella goes, his name might be Micah Whitney here, but up north a ways, folks know him as Mort Williams.”

 

“Is he wanted?” asked Miller.

 

“I’m about to find out,” said his companion, strolling away toward the Sheriff’s office.

 

***

 

“How long do you think it’ll take Miller to show up at the mine?” asked Micah as he rode at a slow trot next to Adam.

 

Adam kept his eyes straight ahead.  “He was pretty hot.  Could be soon.”

 

“You know this is lousy timing.  Shiloh could go into labor anytime now.  You should be with her when she does.”

 

Smiling, Adam looked down at his hands.  His smile quickly left when he remembered the trouble that might lie ahead at the birth of his child.  He didn’t like to think on it, but one thought was slapping him in the face at the moment.  He could lose Shiloh.  “That’s why I went to Roy, Micah.  If there’s more trouble at the mine, or even if you just see Miller, send someone to get Roy.”

 

“I don’t need Roy.  I can handle Miller myself.”

 

Adam pulled back hard on the reins, stopping Sport in the middle of the road.  His eyes bored into Micah’s.  “We don’t need that kind of attention.  You don’t need that kind of attention.”

 

“You’re warning’s a little late.  One of the men with Miller…I recognized him from up north in Utah Territory.  I’m pretty sure he recognized me.”

 

“Will he come after you?”

 

“No.  He’ll send someone else.”

 

“So we have time.”

 

Micah kicked his horse forward, and as he passed Adam, he said, “There is no we in this, Adam.  You know the rules.”

 

“I do,” said Adam, nudging Sport along to catch up with Micah.  “I just don’t know if Shiloh’s understanding will survive the rules a second time.”

 

***

 

Cheron and Annie made their way up the stairs after Ming Lin let them in the front door.  Cheron carried a soft-sided basket covered in a blanket on her hip while Annie carried her medical bag.

 

Easing Shiloh’s bedroom door open, they found her sleeping peacefully and tiptoed in. Cheron deposited her basket at the foot of the bed, then went forward and placed her hand gently on Shiloh’s forehead.  “She is warm.”  Slowly pulling the blanket that was covering Shiloh down to the foot of the bed, Cheron felt Shiloh’s stomach and motioned for Annie to feel as well.

 

Shiloh’s eyes flew open.  “Good morning to you, too.  Do you normally sneak into someone’s bedroom and feel their stomach?”

 

Annie snickered.  “If you were in a hospital, yes, I would.  Cheron, it seems the baby has dropped.”

 

“Yes.  Ming Lin is preparing your tea,” Cheron said, turning back to Shiloh.  “Before he comes, we will help you walk around the room.”

 

“Uh…what will that do?”

 

“If you’re time is near, you will lose your water.”

 

“Oh,” said Shiloh nervously as she accepted Cheron’s help in getting up.  “Is that good or bad?”

 

Annie laughed.  “For a smart girl, you sure do ask a lot of questions.”

 

“Well, I didn’t get any medical training in college,” she shot back, wagging her head with a smirk.  “And I’ve never had a baby before.”

 

Glancing up at the ceiling and shaking her head, Annie answered, “Shiloh, you’re a mammal.  It will be the same as one of your horses giving birth.”

 

Shiloh stopped walking, let her chin drop to her chest, folded her lips into a tight line, then continued her pacing.  “Oh.  Adam wanted me to make sure you knew the baby has gotten still.  Not completely still.  He just doesn’t move as much as he did.”

 

“Another sign,” said Cheron.

 

Walking quickly to the other side of the room, Shiloh went to the window and turned.  “Legs are fine, ladies.”

 

“Just keep walking,” said Annie.  “We didn’t see Adam downstairs.  Is he home?”

 

“No.  He said he and Micah had some mine business to take care of, and then they were riding into town.  But that was several hours ago.  He was gone before light.”

 

Pulling the chair away from the dressing table, Annie sat and watched as Shiloh walked back and forth across the room while Cheron began emptying her basket.  She had several pouches of herbs, several blankets and skins, and a small pot which she filled with water from the pitcher at the wash basin and set next to the fireplace to warm.

 

“This isn’t really going to work, is it?  I feel fine.  I’m not in any pain.”  Shiloh looked from one woman to the other, and when neither was forthcoming with an answer, she added, “And I’m hungry.”

 

Adam had stopped in the hall just outside the bedroom door bearing a tray of breakfast and the tea Ming Lin had been requested to make.   He stepped in.   “Well good thing.  Because I have your breakfast.”

 

Shiloh spun around at the sound of his voice.  The room began to spin, and she staggered backward against the wall.

 

Quickly setting the tray on the end of the bed, Adam as well as Annie and Cheron rushed over to her.  Adam beat them, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against his side.  “Let’s get you back to bed.”

 

“I don’t want to lie down.  I just want to sit…here,” she said, reaching down to the bed with one hand while the other rested on the side of her stomach, “on the side.”

 

“Are you feeling any pain?” asked Annie.

 

Shiloh thought a moment.  “No.  Not pain. Just…uncomfortable.”

 

“I’m sending Shorty to town,” said Adam, heading for the door.

 

“Why?”  Her voice was anxious; almost, but not quite a shout.

 

Adam stutter-stepped to a halt and hesitated before he turned around, his eyes first shifting to Annie, and then to Cheron before he answered.  “To get Paul.”

 

“No,” Shiloh said definitively.

 

Giving her a hard look with his lips pinched and his nostrils flared, he said, “I’ll be right back.”  He started out the door again, but stopped when she responded.

 

“Even if you can get Paul here in time for this, he will not be allowed in my bedroom.”

 

Adam took a deep breath and eventually smiled.  “You won’t be in any shape to kick him out.”

 

She stood and wobbled, but pushed Annie’s steadying hand away, walked to Adam and stood against him, looking up to his face with furrowed brows.  “I will not have this baby if Paul is in this room.  Do you hear me?” she said with her hands on her hips, though it was hard to distinguish hips from belly.

 

Adam let go a high pitched laugh.  “Sweetheart, when it’s time for the baby to come, the baby will come whether you like it or not.”

 

“If that man lays one hand on me I’ll…I’ll kick the stuffing out of him.”  She grimaced and moved her hand to the bottom of her belly.

 

“Is that pain?” asked Adam anxiously.

 

“Spsh!”  He hadn’t heard that particular noise out of her in some time.  It was a noise she made when she had gone beyond talking.  Knowing that, he left her standing alone as he went to send Shorty to town.

 

With a frustrated pout on her face, she whimpered and turned to go back to the bed.  Before she got there, she winced again, stopping and leaning against the post of the footboard.  “I think I will lie down.”

 

“No, you won’t,” said Annie.  “You will walk.   I’ll help you.”

 

“It has begun,” said Cheron who excused herself as she left the room, heading to the kitchen to ask Ming Lin to prepare a different tea; one that would make Shiloh’s early pain more tolerable.  When she returned, she put more logs on the fire and added herbs to the pot of water now steaming by the fire.

 

The room became dim as Cheron pulled the curtains closed. Next, she spread skins over the floor and covered them with blankets, moving any furniture that was in the way to the opposite side of the room.  In essence, she recreated the environment of a sweat lodge.

 

The moment Adam opened the door Cheron rushed him back out of the room.  “What have you done to the bedroom?  It feels like a sweat hut in there.”

 

“As it should. You may not enter here.  No man may enter until it is done.”

 

The hairs on the back of Adam’s neck stood on end.  “Cheron, I didn’t agree to this.  I expect Paul to take over if there’s trouble.”

 

Folding her hands in front of her, Cheron cast her eyes down, looking for the correct words.  “Adam, this is the way my people have brought our young into the world from the beginning of time.  Each part has a purpose.  Shiloh must remain calm.  If she becomes upset, her body will tighten.  The baby will not pass easy.”  She looked for understanding on his face.  “She is not calm when you are in the room.  She will not be calm if your doctor is in the room.”

 

Standing with his hands on his hips, he glared at her for a moment before he let his hands drop and turned away.  Bringing his fingers up to this mouth and pinching his bottom lip between them, he also searched carefully for the right words before turning back. “Paul has to be in there if the baby really is too big; if what you do doesn’t allow her to give birth to this child.  Cheron, you need to understand.  I will give up the baby before I give up Shiloh.”

 

Placing her hands on his, she answered his concern, “You must trust me, Adam. I will tell you if that is what is needed.  Until then, you and your doctor must wait out of the room.”

 

“I’d like to speak with her once more.”

 

Ming Lin appeared with the new tea made from the bark of the wild black cherry tree, so Cheron nodded and allowed Adam in the room along with Ming Lin.  Before Adam entered, she pulled him back.  “She must remain calm.”

 

Adam nodded and quietly stepped into the room.   The fire was roaring, causing the air in the room to be heavy with scented moisture, the smell almost intoxicating.  He quickly shook his head and blinked his eyes.  He watched as Annie steadied Shiloh while they slowly walked back and forth across the room before he appeared behind Annie to take over in steadying his wife.

 

Shiloh stopped and tensed.

 

“I’m not here to talk about Paul,” he said softly, then nodded to get her moving again.  After she relaxed and leaned into him, he continued.  “Cheron says men aren’t allowed in here during the birth.  But if you need me…if you want me here, send Annie downstairs for me.”

 

As Shiloh walked, she was slightly bent, bracing herself for the next contraction.  Still, she glanced up at him with a smile.  In a very faint voice, she said, “I don’t know if I would want you to witness this birth.  It might make you reconsider having more children.”

 

He chuckled quietly.  “It’s liable to have the same affect on you.”

 

When Ming Lin brought the tea over, the two stopped walking.  Before she drank it, she turned to Cheron.  “I’d like Adam to stay until it starts in earnest, if that’s all right.”

 

Chapter Seventy-Five

 

Several hours had passed before Dr. Martin stopped his buggy in the yard of Adam and Shiloh’s house.  In the meantime, Shorty had ridden back to the Ponderosa and the Flying W and informed Ben, Joe, Hoss and Micah of the impending birth.  By the time Paul arrived, all the men were ensconced in the living room.  Hop Sing had come with them, and he and Ming Lin prepared coffee and sandwiches for the long wait.

 

Ben answered the door with an anxious smile.  “Paul, we thought you’d never get here.”

 

“How’s she doing?” Paul asked as he pulled his coat off and hung it on the hooks beside the door.

 

“Annie came down awhile ago.  Said she was doing fine.”

 

“Adam?”

 

“He’s been up there with her all this time.”

 

“Well, I’ll go on up and see for myself.”

 

As Paul stepped toward the stairway, Ben took his arm.  “Uh, Paul.  Cheron has requested that no men enter the bedroom.”

 

An open-mouthed smile formed on Paul’s face.  “I can’t help them if I’m not in the room, Ben.  Isn’t Adam in the room?”

 

Ben shoved his hands into his pockets and raised his shoulders, bracing for Paul’s reaction. “Yes, at Shiloh’s request.  But only until Cheron sends him out.”

 

“And Cheron has sent him out.”  Everyone turned to watch Adam slowly coming down the stairs.

 

“Shiloh’s been walking around the room all this time, but her water just broke.  Paul,” he said, acknowledging Dr. Martin’s presence in the room.

 

“Then I should be up there.”

 

Holding up his hand, Adam shook his head.  “Not until there’s a problem.”  He winced.  “I promised.”

 

“And what do we do if something does go wrong?” asked Paul, looking a bit perturbed.

 

“Now Paul, Cheron gave her word she’d send Annie down for help if it came to…that.”  Adam couldn’t look Paul in the eye, nor could he think, much less talk about saving one or the other, not both.  He didn’t want to admit, at least out loud, that he was counting on Cheron being able to deliver the baby.  Though Shiloh was putting up a brave front, it was obvious she was in a good deal of pain, and based on Adam’s own experience with waiting on other babies with some of his friends, he knew she would be in much more pain before it was finished.

 

Ben passed Adam a glass of whiskey.  “Son, you’ve waited down here with me before when you were much younger.  You know how this goes.”

 

Taking a drink of whiskey and tightening his lips at the burn on the back of his throat, he nodded.   “I do, Pa, but that was different.  I didn’t see Marie in pain, nor was she having my child.”

 

Ben smiled.  “No, but you heard her.”

 

“Maybe that’s why this is unnerving.”  He looked up at his father.  “Have you heard Shiloh?”

 

Raising his brows, Ben shook his head.  “The pain must not be that bad yet.”

 

“It’s bad, Pa.  She’s been bent double more times than I can count.”  Holding out his hand, he added, “She squeezed my hand harder than I ever imagined she could.  But all she does is…sort of…grunt.”  Sitting down on the hearth with his arms on his thighs, Adam rubbed his hands together and clasped them.  “How long has it been?”

 

“About six hours,” said Joe.

 

“Hey, Adam.  You ain’t had nothing to eat since breakfast,” said Hoss.  “Hop Sing and Ming Lin made sandwiches.  You ought to get you one.”

 

Adam gave Hoss a smile, albeit a short one.  “Not hungry, Hoss.”

 

Upstairs in the bedroom, Cheron had removed Shiloh’s gown while Annie cleaned the floor.  They both doubled the skins on the floor and covered them with one of the blankets.  Shiloh had been bent over again with her hands on her knees.  She was sweating, partly from the pain, but also because of the moisture in the air from the pot of herbs on the fire.

 

“Come, Shiloh.  Do you remember how I showed you?”

 

Shiloh nodded, and got down on her knees on the blanket.  “How much longer?” she whispered.

 

“As long as it takes,” answered Cheron.

 

For the next few hours, Shiloh moved all over the blanket, sometimes squatting, leaning on one hand first, then the other, moving around to find a comfortable position that didn’t exist, but never on her back.

 

Every so often a much louder cry escaped her, and when it did, each man in the living room looked to the stairs, except Adam, who went to the bottom of the stairs, moving one foot up a step and holding onto the post.

 

Annie held a teacup for Shiloh to take a sip of Cheron’s tea, something she had been doing the entire time.  It was Cheron’s tea that was easing some of the worst pain; that along with the herbs Shiloh was breathing in the air.

 

Soon, it came time for Shiloh to push, and push she did, taking short, quick breaths with each push until she couldn’t contain her cries of pain.

 

The men had all begun to pace, except for Hoss, who leaned forward in his chair with his hands resting on each side of his head.  Adam made a small circle on the landing of the stairs, letting out loud breaths, moving his hand to his face and rubbing his chin, then stopping and moving a hand to his hip.

 

In the middle of all this, there was a knock on the door, answered by Joe.  He stepped outside, and sticking his head back in, he summoned Micah.  Adam hardly noticed.

 

“Mr. Whitney, there’s been shootin’ at the mine. The guards sent everyone down the shaft while they stayed up,” said Tate.

 

“How’d you get out?” asked Micah as he fastened his gun belt.

 

“I was over by the wagon when it started.  I was able to get to the corral without bein’ seen.”

 

“Did you see who it was?”

 

“No sir.  They had their faces covered.”

 

“Joe, if Adam asks, tell him Hank called me back to the ranch.  Do not tell him somethin’s up at the mine.”

 

“You want me to go with you?”

 

Micah laughed.  “No.  Why would you be going to the Flying W?”

 

“Yeah,” said Joe, smirking. “Good point.”

 

“No, it’s not.”

 

Both men jumped at the sound of Adam’s voice coming from the open door of the house.  “Tate, who was it?”

 

“Can’t tell you, Mr. Cartwright.  They was hiding behind some boulders.”

 

Shifting his weight to one leg, Micah pulled a match out of his shirt pocket and stuck it in his mouth, chewing on the end.  “You can’t leave.  I’ll take care of this, Adam.”

 

“You have no idea what you’re walking into,” said Adam, his brows furrowed and his jaw set.

 

“You wouldn’t either.  And you’ve got a wife up there,” he said, glancing at the upstairs window, “who needs you here.”

 

Adam flared his nostrils.  Micah was right.  He couldn’t leave.  “Take some men with you.”

 

Micah snorted.  “Adam, if it’s Miller, the guards can take care of him.  If it’s not, all the men on both the ranches won’t stop them from doing what they came to do.”

 

“And what do you think this will do to my wife…your sister?  She brings a child into the world at the same time she loses her brother?”  The two men glared at each other.  “You don’t have to go.  Some of the men can go back with Tate and take care of it.”

 

“Adam,” started Micah with a look rarely seen on his face…anger amid his determination.  “I’m not going to be the reason any of our men get killed.  I’ve never run away from a fight, and I don’t intend to now.  Now, you just go back in the house and wait for your kid to come into the world while his uncle tries to make it a better place for him.”  He turned and headed for the barn.

 

“And what do I tell your sister?” Adam asked with a sting to his voice.

 

Micah continued on to the barn, talking as he went.  “If I’m back before the baby’s born, you won’t have to tell her a thing.  If not, just tell her I’m taking care of some mine business.  She’ll be too tired or too busy with the baby to give it a second thought.”

 

Adam stood helpless to stop him.  He wasn’t even sure he could.  Most times Micah did what he suggested without question when it came to the ranch and the mine.  But when it came to Mort Williams, he wasn’t the easygoing man Adam always thought of as a brother.  He was blunt, single-minded, and set on doing what Mort Williams did best.  “Who was he protecting?” Adam wondered to himself.  “Shiloh or Mort Williams’ reputation?”  Adam’s eyes darkened as he glowered toward the barn when Micah rode out without a word.  Shiloh was well protected here.  That only left the reputation.  Disgusted, Adam turned back toward the house.  He strode straight to the liquor cabinet and poured himself another whiskey, then stared into the glass.  “Any word?”

 

Everyone looked up, but Ben answered, “No.  Nothing.”

 

By the eleventh hour, Hoss and Joe were dozing in their chairs, and Ben was sitting with one leg crossed over the other with his chin propped in his hand.  The only two men left standing were Paul and Adam, both looking up the stairs with each loud cry.

 

As the moans came closer together, Adam looked at his father.  Ben gave him a slight, reassuring smile.  “Adam, it sometimes takes this long.  I’m sure if something was wrong, Annie would come.”

 

In another hour, after a cry that seemed even louder, Annie appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair and clothes soaked from the moisture in the room.  “Adam, would you come up, please?”  Paul advanced, but Annie stopped him.  “We’re not there, Dr. Martin.  But she’s exhausted.  Just Adam.”

 

Running up the stairs, Adam almost pushed Annie down the hall to the room, and when he stepped in, he stopped so suddenly at the sight in front of him, he almost fell over.  Shiloh was in a squatting position on the blanket on the floor, naked, soaked in sweat, and struggling to stay upright.  Her belly seemed elongated.  It was obvious the child was passing through the birth canal.

 

Taking Adam’s arm, Annie took him around behind Shiloh.  She pulled a chair up behind her and motioned for Adam to sit.  “Adam, we need you to help her stay upright.  She’s so tired, she’s falling backward.”

 

“What about the baby?”

 

A small tear ran down Annie’s cheek.  “She’s through the worst of it.  The baby is on his way out.  But she’s having trouble pushing.  That’s why you need to hold her up.  It will be easier for her to push if she doesn’t have to worry about falling back.

 

Cheron knelt in front of Shiloh, observing as the bulge of the child slowly moved downward each time Shiloh pushed.  “Move close and let her lean on your legs,” she instructed. “Keep her up when she falls back.”

 

Shiloh hadn’t even looked at Adam.  Her eyes were closed.  With every contraction, her face twisted in pain, and a cry came forth, but her eyes never opened, and in between, her body slumped.

 

“Shiloh, you must keep pushing.  If you do not, the baby will not come out.”

 

“I can’t anymore,” she softly cried.

 

“If you do not, the doctor will have to take this child his way,” said Cheron with a sternness that surprised Adam.  “You must push,” said Cheron, looking up at Adam and nodding.

 

“Sweetheart, I’ve got you.  Push.”  When she struggled to move back into a squat, Adam pressed against her back and moved her forward, holding her upright in the squatting position.  “Push, Sweetheart.”

 

Shiloh’s face turned to a hard grimace again as she squeezed her eyes closed, letting out a loud yell.

 

“That is good, Shiloh.  I see the head,” said Cheron.  “Now push again.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Shiloh curled forward, sobbing loudly as she pushed.

 

“Adam, move the chair and lean her back…quickly.”

 

Pushing the chair behind him with his legs, Adam sat on the floor and pulled Shiloh back into him.  He watched as Cheron, with one hand on the baby’s head and the other on a shoulder slowly, carefully, pulled the child out.  Shiloh’s body instantly relaxed, her head falling over on Adam’s arm.

 

Leaning down so that his lips were at the side of her face, he whispered, “Sweetheart, it’s over.”

 

“Is he…all right?” she asked faintly.

 

Adam looked up at Cheron, who nodded.

 

“The baby is fine.”

 

“So…tired,” she managed to say before she let exhaustion take her.

 

“Shiloh?  Shiloh!  Annie, get Paul!”

 

Chapter Seventy-Six

 

When the baby arrived, Cheron passed the child to Annie and went to Shiloh’s side, touching her face and moving her hand over her nose.   She smiled, then rose to open the windows.  As she went to the fireplace to prepare a third tea made from steeped buckwheat, she spoke.  “She is in no danger, Adam.  Just very tired.  The birth was…difficult.  The child is big as we first thought.”

 

“Still, I’d like Paul to check on both of them,” he said, raising his brows, first looking at Annie, then at Cheron.

 

Cheron moved to the baby, and nodded at Annie, who shot a heated glare back at Adam before she hurriedly left the room.  Standing at the top of the stairs, she called down quietly.  “Dr. Martin, Adam would like you to come up.”

 

Having heard the baby cry, those downstairs had smiled in relief.  Now, Ben rushed to the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Annie with fear in his eyes.  “Everything is fine, Mr….Pa.  Adam would like Dr. Martin to examine them both.”

 

Glancing back at Ben with furrowed brows, Paul picked up his medical bag and ascended the stairs, disappearing around the corner with Annie.   “Tell me about the birth.  Was there anything unexpected?”

 

“No, other than how hard she had to bear down.  The baby’s head is slightly misshapen, but I understand that is not uncommon in that it conforms to the birth canal.  He’s moving and crying.  Shiloh exhausted herself and passed out soon after Cheron took the baby.”

 

When they entered the room, Shiloh was still on the floor with her upper body on Adam’s lap.  Cheron had attended to the baby, and left it wrapped in blankets on the bed, then started the task of cleaning Shiloh so she could be moved to the bed.

 

Kneeling down next to Cheron, Paul looked on as Cheron gathered the afterbirth, moving it away.  “Looks like a she’s lost more blood than usual.”

 

“She has torn inside more than most.  When she is awake, I will give her a tea to hasten the bleeding to stop.”

 

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Paul’s mouth.  “Do you have a tea for everything?”

 

Cheron didn’t smile back, but answered simply, “Yes,” then rose to carry the soiled cloth and blankets out.  On her way to the door, she said, “You may move her to the bed now.”

 

Once Shiloh was settled in the bed, Paul checked her breathing and pulse, and felt her forehead.  Nodding his approval, he turned to the child, opening the blanket covering it.  The child’s eyebrows furrowed at the loss of warmth before he stiffened and let out an all out bellow. Paul checked where the umbilical cord had been cut before he turned the child every direction which seemed to only aggravate him more.  “Well,” he started, standing upright, “he certainly has an adequate set of lungs.  Adam, he’s fine.  He’s big…maybe bigger than I’ve seen, but he’s all right.”

 

Adam had knelt at the side of the bed and moved Shiloh’s hair back away from her face as he bathed her face, neck and shoulders in cool water.  Without looking away from her, he asked, “Shiloh?”

 

“I think what she needs most is rest, Adam.  She’s lost more blood than I would ordinarily like to see.  I would never have thought she could have this baby.  The position Cheron had her in must have created more room for the child to pass.  All we need to do now is watch her, make sure she’s kept clean, and send someone for me if the bleeding becomes worse.  Somehow, though, I don’t think that will happen. Cheron’s teas seem to do a marvelous job.”

 

Forcing his eyes away from Shiloh, Adam asked, “Are you leaving?”

 

“Yes.  It seems with Cheron and Annie, you really didn’t need me at all.  Annie is going to make a fine doctor for the women in the area.  There’s plenty of patients to go around.”

 

Adam stood and considered him.  “You mean you don’t mind not being involved?”

 

“How could I be angry, Adam?  If I had handled this birth as I normally would, you wouldn’t have a son.”  Paul extended his hand.  “Congratulations.”

 

Adam lightly harrumphed and took Paul’s hand.  “A son,” he repeated as a slow smile appeared.

 

Paul watched as Adam’s thoughts took him elsewhere.  He smiled and left the room.

 

Adam noticed him leaving, but let him go without a word.  He looked down at the baby lying on the bed next to his sleeping wife.  He had settled down somewhat, only occasionally puckering up for a cry, but then easing back into a peaceful stillness, though his lips were pursed with his little tongue curled. Smiling, Adam wondered how long it would take him to realize something was missing.  Missing…  “Annie?”

 

“Yes, Adam?” she said, appearing next to him.

 

Adam didn’t really know how to broach the subject.  “What…how?  He’s going to be hungry any time now.”

 

Chuckling, Annie moved her fingers to cover her lips.  “It’s all right, Adam.  Shiloh will have  milk.  I’ll just have to help.”  She looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye.  “Unless you’d like to?”

 

Adam’s eyebrows went up.  “To what?”

 

“Allow the baby to nurse while Shiloh sleeps.”

 

“Oh…well…maybe you should.”

 

Walking around to the other side of the bed, Annie lifted the baby into her arms.  She walked back around and carefully passed him to Adam. “You’ll have to hold him while I move her.  Make sure you keep his head supported.”

 

His eyes narrowed.  “I’ve had plenty of experience holding babies.”  He took his son to the chair next to the window, and sat, laying his child on his crossed leg and moving the edges of the blanket away from his face.  His head was covered with dark hair that was trying to curl, but was too fine.  It was hard to tell who he looked most like; his face was round, his cheeks full, but his eyes were closed, and his lips formed a circle around his tongue.  Moving his little finger to the baby’s mouth, a wide smile appeared on Adam’s face as the baby sucked on it, his tiny fingers finding it and wrapping around it. It wasn’t long before the baby realized he was getting nothing, so he pushed Adam’s finger out of his mouth with his tongue, turned red in the face, stiffened and bellowed.  At least that’s what it looked like he did.  In reality, the child had a very quiet cry compared to Adam’s memories of his youngest brother’s piercing screams.

 

Once Annie took the baby back to the bed, Adam wondered back downstairs in time to hear Paul tell everyone the news. “The baby is a big, healthy boy.  Shiloh is going to need a good bit of rest to recover.  She went unconscious soon after the baby arrived and hasn’t woken up yet.”

 

Ben creased his brow.  “She’s all right?”

 

“She’s fine, Ben,” said Paul with a smile.  “She just needs to rest.”

 

Adam had stayed at the foot of the stairs while Paul was speaking. Ben first escorted Paul to the door, thanking him for coming out, even though he didn’t really do anything; a comment that made Adam grimace and scratch his ear.  Then Ben walked slowly over, watching his son’s reaction with some amusement.  “And how are you?”

 

Moving his hand over his mouth and squeezing his lips as he thought, he eventually nodded.  “I’m all right.   I suppose I saw something most fathers don’t have to see.”  He snorted, raised his brows and sidestepped his father away from the stairs.  “But I’m worried about Shiloh.  She’s still not awake.”

 

“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Son.”

 

Adam looked his father in the eye.  “You’re probably right…Grandpa.”

 

Ben looked startled, then chuckled.

 

By this time, Joe had guided Hoss over.  Holding out his hand, he waited for Adam to take it, then pulled him into a hug.  “I’s beginning to wonder if maybe you’d decided to leave the grandchildren to me and Joe.  Congratulations, Older Brother.”

 

Joe lightly slapped Adam’s arm.  “Me, too.  So when do we get to meet the newest Cartwright?”

 

“After his first meal,” answered Adam, looking beyond everyone.  “Did Micah get back?”

 

“No,” answered Ben.  “Why?  Is there something going on at the ranch…or the mine?”

 

Adam gave his father a concerned look and bit the inside of his cheek.  “There was some trouble at the mine.  Tate came by and said there were gunmen; that the guards had moved everyone into the shaft and were shooting back.  That was hours ago.  Something must have happened.”

 

“You want me to go find out?” asked Joe.

 

Moving his hand to Joe’s shoulder, Adam said, “If there’s any sign of trouble, I want you to come straight back and get some men.”

 

Joe nodded.  “You bet.”

 

“Papa,” said Annie, standing at the top of the stairs with the baby.  “He’s sated for awhile.”

 

Meeting her halfway up the stairs, Adam took the baby from her.  “How’s Shiloh?” he asked quietly.

 

“She’s still sleeping.  She didn’t wake up while he nursed.”  He folded his lips into a tight line as he met her eyes.  “She’ll be fine,” she said reassuringly.  “She just needs some time to regain her strength.  Cheron will give her another hour, and if she’s not awake by then, we’ll wake her up to give her the tea.”  Annie turned to go back up the stairs.  “We have little more cleaning to do.  I’ll be down soon,” she said loud enough for Hoss to hear.

 

He smiled and nodded as he was quite proud of his wife.

 

Adam brought the child down the stairs so Joe and Ben could see.  Joe giggled, “Would you look at that?  I thought you said he was big.”

 

“Oh, he’s big,” said Ben, looking down on his grandson.  “He’s certainly bigger than either of you were.”  Turning so Hoss could hear, “He’s even bigger than Hoss was when he was born.”

 

Joe smiled as he watched the child’s fingers wrap around his own.  “I need to go,” he said, carefully drawing his finger down the baby’s cheek before he turned to leave.  “I’ll get back as quick as I can, Adam.”

 

Adam’s smile disappeared.  He didn’t like sending his younger brother out to handle something that was his responsibility; a responsibility that wasn’t even connected to the Ponderosa.  But his first duty was to Shiloh.  He had to be sure she was really all right before he would leave her, but he also needed to know if Micah had gotten himself in more trouble than he could handle and if the men who worked for them were still in any danger.  He needed to know that as much for Shiloh as himself.  Resigned to the fact that he could do no better, he took the baby over to Hoss.

 

“Hold your arms open, Hoss.”

 

When Adam carefully laid the baby in Hoss’ arms, Hoss smiled.  “Don’t you go nowhere.  I can’t see enough to know how I’m doin’.”

 

Adam took Hoss’ open hand and moved it against the baby’s head.  “Your hand’s on his head.  Move down from there.”

 

“You oughta get yourself somethin’ to eat.  You ain’t ate nothin’ since all this started.”

 

Looking over at the table, Adam moved his hand to his stomach and winced.  He still had a knot there and thought it would remain until he was certain the Whitney branch of the family was collectively all right.  “Maybe some coffee.  I don’t think I can eat at the moment,” he said as he poured himself a cup of coffee at the table, then came back and settled himself on the settee next to the chair Hoss occupied.

 

“Adam, Micah can take care of hisself.  You know that.”

 

Not that Hoss could see, but Adam looked away as he pursed his lips in thought.  His real concern with Micah was that he’d do something or rather be seen doing something that might make it impossible for him to stay.  Micah had kept a very low profile since he had returned home with the fear that men from his past would find him.  Evidently, there were a few of those who would like to have a shot at Mort Williams.  If they started showing up, Micah would leave to protect them all, but especially his sister, and that might destroy her.  But he couldn’t protect Micah, even if he went to the mine, and he wouldn’t leave Shiloh until he could see for himself she was all right.  At the moment, all Adam could do was sit and wait.

 

Chapter Seventy-Seven

 

Adam hadn’t sat still for very long.  He gathered the baby, taking him back upstairs to Shiloh’s room where he sat in the chair next to the bed, watching.  She seemed peaceful enough.  Annie had managed to dry and brush her hair, and she had a rosy glow on her cheeks.

 

When Cheron went to the other side of the bed and sat a tea cup on the night table, he barely noticed.  But when she began to wake Shiloh, he sat forward, anxious to see his wife awake after the difficult birth.

 

Shiloh’s eyes fluttered as her hands went to her stomach, and finding herself flat, her eyes flew open, her voice frightened and demanding all at once.  “What’s happened?”

 

Sitting down on the side of the bed, Cheron quietly shushed her. “You have a boy,” she said, smiling.  “Before you meet him, you must drink this tea.  It will help stop the bleeding.”  As Cheron handed her the tea cup, her pleasant look turned to one of consternation. “Adam, would you ask Annie to come?”

 

“Why?  What’s wrong?”  Reaching out, he took Shiloh’s chin firmly in hand and turned her face toward him, gasping.  He shot up out of the chair with the baby in one arm and headed for the bedroom door.

 

“Cheron?”

 

“How do you feel?”

 

Casting her eyes down, she thought about how she felt.  She was sore from the strenuous birth, certainly.  “I have a headache,” she said.  “And I’m sore.  My stomach and hips ache.”  Looking back at Cheron, she saw fear in her eyes.  “Cheron, what’s wrong?”

 

Before Cheron could answer, Annie came into the room with Adam right behind her, both rushing to Shiloh’s side.  Annie stared intently at Shiloh’s eyes.  “How do you feel?”

 

Shiloh chuckled.  “Well, that’s the question of the day.  Considering I just gave birth, I feel remarkably well.  Just sore.  And I have a headache.”

 

“Mm hm,” said Annie.  “How are your eyes?”

 

Shiloh glowered.  “What’s wrong with my eyes?   Get me a mirror!”

 

Adam was already on his way to her dressing table before she made the request.  Almost as quickly as the words were voiced, he handed her a mirror, and her hand went immediately to her mouth.  “Oh my goodness!  Annie, what’s wrong with me?”

 

“Do you have any pain around or behind your eyes?”

 

“No, just a headache.”

 

“Well, I don’t think this is serious.  You pushed quite hard during the birth.  It’s likely you ruptured some blood vessels in your eyes.”

 

Peering intently into the mirror, Shiloh said, “But they’re so red…blood red.  “That’s because it is blood,” said Annie calmly, taking the mirror from Shiloh.

 

“We’ll keep a close watch on them, though I believe the blood will be reabsorbed in a few days.”

 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Adam.  “Annie, are you sure?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Annie answered, “I have been studying the eye very closely since Hoss was returned to me blind.  I’m confident this is only a minor vessel rupture that will heal itself in a few days.”  She stood and faced Adam, taking a deep breath before she continued.  “However, if you want Paul’s opinion, that’s your prerogative.”

 

“I don’t want to see Paul,” said Shiloh vehemently.  “As far as I’m concerned, Annie’s my doctor.”

 

When Adam turned back to Shiloh, he missed Annie’s smile.  “Sweetheart, what harm could there be in getting Paul’s opinion?” he asked, wearing a placating smile.

 

She smiled back too sweetly.  “It will be a waste of his valuable time.  I will not be seeing Paul again.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam acquiesced for the moment.  After all, she’d had the baby without him, and he was thankful for that considering what Paul probably would have done. Even so, he made a mental note to send for Paul if Shiloh’s eyes weren’t back to normal in a few days.  Pursing his lips first, he said, “Fine.”

 

Annie touched the blanket over Shiloh’s foot.  “I’ll be back in a little while.  I need to finish rebandaging Hoss’s eyes.”

 

Shiloh relaxed and slowly pushed herself up as against her pillow.  Looking over to Adam, she gave him a genuine smile.  “That’s him?”

 

“Mm hm.   How do you really feel?”

 

Looking down at her hands, her face suddenly looked very tired and  her eyes moist.   She opened her mouth to tell him what she remembered, but then closed it and gave him a feeble smile.  She didn’t want to tell him she’d felt like someone was ripping her insides out.  He’d take the burden of that pain upon himself, and that was the last thing she wanted him to feel.  “It feels like things have been moved around a bit.  I’m sore.  But it’s tolerable.”

 

Cheron passed her the cup of tea.  “You must drink.”

 

Just as Shiloh finished the tea, the baby stretched, and his mouth and tongue began to work against the air.  Adam laughed.  “He’s about to realize he’s hungry again.”

 

“Again?”

 

“Yes, he nursed while you slept.”

 

“Oh,” she said, slowly turning her head and twisting her mouth.  “You…arranged for that?”

 

“No, Annie took care of it.”

 

Letting out the breath she held, she looked into Adam’s eyes.  “Can I see him?”

 

“Of course,” he said, chuckling.  He held the baby out to her.

 

Shrinking back, she said, “I’ve never held a baby.  I don’t want to hurt him.”

 

Moving to the side of the bed, Adam laid the child on her lap. “You won’t hurt him.  You just have to remember to support his head.  He’s not strong enough yet to keep it from flopping around.”

 

She smiled lovingly at her child, and gingerly drew a finger across his head and down the side of his face.  “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

 

“Head’s a little lopsided, but I’ve been told it will straighten back up.”  After he winked at Cheron, drawing a smile, he glanced up at Shiloh.  Her lax jaw made him laugh. “Yes, Sweetheart, he’s beautiful.  I just can’t tell you who he looks more like; you or me.”

 

She carefully unwrapped the blanket that surrounded him, leaving him virtually naked save the flannel Annie had folded into a diaper.  She observed everything about him, first studying his face and hair, his ears, then moving down to his chest, arms, legs, and ending with a count of all his fingers and toes.

 

When she moved her finger back up to his cheek, he turned his head, searching with his mouth.

 

“He’s hungry,” said Adam.

 

Shiloh looked round-eyed at Cheron.

 

“You must teach him to do it right,” Cheron said as she showed Shiloh how to hold the baby and then adjust.  If milk comes from the sides of his mouth, it is not right, and you must try again.”

 

Once the baby seemed comfortable, Shiloh looked timidly at Adam and blushed. “It feels just like…never mind.”

 

Adam gazed at her, hoping she’d look at him, but she kept her eyes on the baby.

 

Standing, Cheron poured another cup of tea.  “When you are finished feeding him, you must drink the tea.  I will ask Ming Lin to prepare another cup for you before you rest,” she said as she headed out of the room.  Before she stepped out of the door, she turned.  “Move him to the other side.”

 

“Why?”

 

Cheron looked down and shook her head, smiling.  “So you will be even,” she said, holding her hands out and bouncing them in the air.

 

“Oh…well.   Makes sense.”  Shiloh glanced at Adam several times, unsettled by the way he was looking at her.  That particular look where his lips were slightly curved upward, his nostrils flared, and his eyes bright and lusty as he gazed up at her from under his brow always made her feel as if her very soul was…exposed.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She smiled as she continued to watch the baby.  “For what?”

 

“For standing your ground.  For saving him.”  Leaning forward, he tenderly kissed her as his hand joined hers near the baby’s bottom.

 

“We have a son,” she whispered, looking into his eyes.  After a long gaze, a twinkle appeared in hers as she quite matter-of-factly said, “Now, what are we going to call him?  We can’t keep referring to him as the The Baby.”

 

“What would you like to call him?”

 

“Uh uh.  We agreed you would name this one.” They both looked at the child when he suddenly stopped nursing, turned red in the face and made a tiny little grunting sound.  “What’s wrong?” asked Shiloh, looking terrified.

 

Adam laughed as he pushed himself up from the side of the bed.  “I’ll go get another diaper.”

 

Chapter Seventy-Eight

 

By the time Adam returned with a diaper, Shiloh had lain the baby back down on her lap, her nose crinkled at the odor emanating from her beautiful child.

 

She blew out.  “How can a smell that bad come from something this small?”

 

Adam just shook his head and rolled his eyes, laying the diaper down next to her.  He retrieved a cloth and the wash basin and sat down in the chair next to the bed.  “Well, go ahead.  You have to learn to do this.”

 

With her hands hovering over the child, she looked intently at the diaper, deciding where to begin.  “All right, I’ll remove the pins.”

 

“Put your fingers inside behind the pins so you don’t stick him.  I promise you, he won’t like it.”

 

Looking ahead of her, she feigned a laugh as she narrowed her eyes and wagged her head, then followed his advice.  With the pins removed, she slowly lowered the front of the diaper and peered underneath.  “Oh, how cute,” she giggled.

 

When she continued to giggle, Adam’s smile slowly disappeared.  “What’s so funny?”

 

“It’s hard to believe you were ever this small,” she said, laughing, but her amusement ended when she lifted the baby’s legs and peered at the back.  Instead, she moved her hand to her mouth and almost wretched.

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam set the wash basin on the floor and moved closer to the side of the bed, turning the baby.  “Watch and learn.  You’re doing this the next time.”

 

With a practiced hand, Adam moved the clean diaper underneath as he held the baby’s ankles between two fingers and lifted, removing the soiled diaper and wiping the baby clean with a wet cloth.  When he lowered the baby back down, he immediately moved the front of the diaper over him.  “This is important, Shiloh. If you don’t keep him covered, he’ll pee on you when cool air hits him.  Now, fasten the diaper so,” he said, pinning one side, pulling the other side tight and pinning it.  He passed the child back to his mother, and cleared away the wash basin and its contents.

 

When he returned, he sat back down on the side of the bed, and watched as mother looked on at her child with moist eyes.  “What’s wrong?”

 

“I feel so…inadequate.”

 

Taking her hand and bringing it to his lips, he said, “I’ve had a little practice.  You’ll learn.”

 

Annie tapped on the door before she pushed it open and went in, bearing a tray.  “I’ve brought your tea, and you need to eat something before you rest.  Adam, why don’t you take the baby back downstairs?  Your father is still here, and I’m sure he’d like to see his grandson.”

 

Smiling, Adam took the baby from Shiloh and kissed her before he left Shiloh in Annie’s care.  When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he looked around the room.  “Joe and Micah aren’t back?”

 

From the wing chair in the living area, Ben looked up from a newspaper.  “No,” he answered, letting the newspaper drop to his lap.  “I’ve sent several of the men out to the mine.  We should be hearing something soon.”

 

Just as Adam had passed the baby to his father, both men looked toward the door, hearing a rather hard, quick knock.   Glancing back at his father, Adam headed to the door and snatched it open.

 

Tate removed his hat.  “Mr. Cartwright, Joe sent me.”

 

“Tate, come in.  What’s happened?” asked Adam, stepping back to admit Tate into the house.

 

Ben stood and came forward holding the baby.

 

“He’s a new one, ain’t he?” said Tate, peering over Ben’s arms.  “I reckon congratulations are in order, Mr. Adam.”

 

With a slight smile, Adam thanked him, then furrowed his brows.  “Micah and Joe?”

 

“Yeah,” said Tate, wringing his hat in his hands.  “I ain’t got good news.  Them men that came out to the mine.  Well, they caught Joe on his way in and held a gun to his head until Mr. Micah surrendered.  Then they knocked Joe on the head, tied Micah’s hands and took him.”

 

Adam grabbed his gun belt off the bureau and began to fasten it.

 

“Now just hold on, Adam,” said Ben, giving his son a hard look.  “Tate, you said Joe sent you.  He’s all right?”

 

“Yessir.  He sent another man to town to get the sheriff, and then took one of the guards and some of the men after them that took Mr. Micah.”

 

Ben passed the baby back to Adam.  “How many of them were there?”

 

“Five of ’em.   Joe had about ten men with him.”

 

Passing the baby back to his father, Adam tied the holster string around his leg. “Did any of them say where they were taking Micah?”

 

Scratching his chin, Tate shook his head.  “Didn’t say where.   But I did hear them say a name…a Mr. Holman.”

 

“Holman!” said Ben.

 

“You know him, Pa?”

 

“He owns a big spread up in Utah Territory.   I’ve never met him, but his reputation says he’s a hard one.”

 

“Micah said before he’d run into someone like that.”

 

When Adam took his jacket off the coat hook, followed by his hat, his father asked, “Where do you think you’re going?  You have responsibilities right here.”

 

Adam had turned to the door, but drew himself up as he took a deep breath and folded his lips into a line, turning back to his father.   “Pa, Annie’s upstairs with Shiloh getting her to eat something and then rest.  How do you think Shiloh’s going to feel when she finds out Micah has been taken by someone from his past?”

 

Ben looked at the child in his arms and moved his eyes under furrowed brows back to his son.

 

“If I can find something…anything to tell her before I have to tell her something, it’ll be easier for her.”

 

“And what do we tell her in the meantime?”

 

Rubbing his fingers across his lips, Adam lowered his gaze.  He hung his hat on the coat hook and gently took the baby from his father.  “I’ll tell her…something,” he said, heading for the stairs.

 

He stood against the bedroom door frame watching Shiloh eat.  It seemed each spoon of soup was a struggle for her.  He could tell she was tired, yet she smiled when Annie quietly urged her to take another bite.

 

The baby’s sudden mewling drew Shiloh’s attention to the door.  She smiled at first as she watched Adam coo at the child and slightly bounce him, but when she noticed Adam was wearing his jacket, she frowned.

 

Noticing the change in her demeanor, Adam stepped to the foot of the bed.  “There’s a situation at the mine.  I need to see that it’s being handled.”

 

“Micah’s already there.  Can’t he take care of it?”

 

Exhaling, Adam studied her, then walked around to sit on the bed beside her, passing her the baby.  He’d not told her the whole truth in prior situations in an effort to keep her from worrying, and it had backfired on him each time.  But now was certainly a time when she needed to remain calm.  Still, she’d asked him not to keep her in the dark.

 

“Shiloh, I don’t know any other way to say this.”  He lowered his head and twisted his mouth considering his words.  “There were gunmen at the mine; men from Micah’s past.  They’ve taken Micah.”

 

Her entire body became stiff.  “Taken him where?”

 

“Some time ago, Micah mentioned a rancher he’d had trouble with up in Utah Territory.  And Tate heard mention of a Mr. Holman.  Pa says the man’s reputation is…questionable.”

 

“This is the rancher who had the local law on his payroll, isn’t he?”

 

With a short nod, Adam answered, “It’s likely, though there could be more ranchers out there who have an axe to grind with Micah.”

 

Shiloh’s eyes searched the air in front of her for answers.  “How could they have traced him here?”

 

Adam took her hand.  “Sweetheart, I don’t have any answers.  The most important thing at the moment is getting Micah back.”  Looking across the bed, Adam asked, “Annie, can you stay with Shiloh?”

 

“Well, I suppose.  Hoss can go back with Pa.”

 

Snorting, Adam said, “He’d probably feel better sleeping on the sofa.”

 

“Annie,” said Shiloh.  “You don’t have to stay.  Cheron will be here with me, and if she needs help, she can send Shorty.”  Taking Annie’s hand, she added, “Go home with your husband.  He’s been sitting down there without much to do.  I’m sure he’ll appreciate your attention.”  She turned back to Adam.  “How long will you be gone?”

 

“That depends on how long it takes to catch up to them.  And they have a head start, though Joe’s already taken some men to track them.  I’ll have to ride hard to catch up.”  He leaned forward to kiss his wife goodbye and began to stand, but didn’t get far when she grabbed his collar with one hand while balancing the baby in the other arm, pulling him back down into a longer, more intimate kiss.

 

Turning her head slightly with her nose next to his, she kissed the side of his mouth and whispered.  “Please don’t get yourself killed.  I need you.  We need you.  I want him to know his father.”

 

Moving his hand to her face, he caressed her cheek.  “I have no intention of getting killed…or letting Micah die.  The baby will know his father and his uncle.”

 

She sniffled and smiled, enjoying his closeness for whatever time she had with him.  “You have to name him before you go.  I won’t keep calling him The Baby.”

 

Leaning back, he grinned as he looked at his son, then back to Shiloh.  “His name is Abel.   Abel Benjamin Cartwright,” he said as he kissed the child’s head before he rose.  Looking back on his way to the door, he smiled at what would be waiting for him when he returned.

 

Chapter Seventy-Nine

 

Ben already had Adam’s horse saddled and waiting with what supplies were available from the kitchen in his saddlebags.

 

“Adam…”  Ben always had something to say when one of his boys were leaving under dire circumstances.  This time, he had no words of support or encouragement.   Adam knew what he was leaving behind. He also knew what he was heading into.  He was at that point between the proverbial rock and hard place.  He couldn’t save one without the other; nor himself.   “We’ll make sure Shiloh and the baby have everything they need.  Best you not worry so you can keep your mind on whatever trouble Micah’s in.”

 

Adam merely nodded, being a man of fewer words than his father.  He stepped up into a stirrup and swung his leg over Sport’s back, giving his father one last nod before he loped away.

 

Once past the barn, he heeled Sport into a gallop, riding to the mine.  There, he spoke to the two remaining guards who described the older man giving the orders among those who took Micah and pointed Adam in the direction they had gone.  From that point, Adam kept Sport in a gallop, resting him occasionally.  He knew he had at least half a day to make up before he could hope to overcome Joe, but he had no idea how far Joe was behind Holman’s men.

 

He hadn’t made good progress because of his late start and finally stopped when he felt the going was just too dangerous in the shroud of darkness that overcame him after the moon had set.

 

***

 

Shiloh had been awakened often during the night answering her son’s cries of hunger.  Cheron rose to sit with her, but Shiloh smiled and sent her back to her pallet next to the fire.

 

When light shone through the bedroom window, Cheron awoke, moving the skins and blankets of her bed to a corner of the room.  She went to the bed and touched Shiloh’s forehead.

 

Opening her eyes, Shiloh took a deep breath.  “I didn’t hear him.  Is it time again?”

 

Cheron smiled.  “No.  He is still asleep, but you must try to get up today.  Before you do, I will bring up breakfast.  Then you will get out of the bed.”

 

Shiloh nodded and pushed herself up against the headboard, yawning and stretching.  “I don’t feel like I slept at all.”

 

“It is always hardest in the first days.  The time will come soon when he sleeps longer between meals.”

 

When Cheron returned, Ben came with her.  “Well, good morning.  How are you?”

 

With a smile, she replied, “Tired.  But I had no problems last night.”  Her smile quickly faded as she looked away.

 

Ben moved a chair next to the bed.  “I know what you’re thinking,” he said, taking her hand and patting it.  “The hardest part is waiting, but it’s best not to dwell on it too much.  We’ll hear from them soon.”

 

Ben drank a cup of coffee while Shiloh ate her breakfast slowly, moving it around on the plate until Cheron admonished her to eat.  “You must eat for strength.”

 

Nodding, Shiloh took another bite.  She looked up at a light tap on the door, and smiled when Annie stepped in appearing almost giddy.  “I have good news.”   She stepped aside allowing Hoss to enter.  His eyes were no longer covered with bandages, and though he took tentative steps, he walked to the end of the bed and stopped before he bumped the footboard.

 

“You can see?” asked Shiloh excitedly.

 

Ben was up on his feet and at his son’s side.  “Hoss, can you?”

 

“Yeah, Pa, but not completely.  It’s still a little blurry around the edges, but I can make things out enough to know what they are.”

 

“He can see some detail, too,” said Annie, stepping into Hoss’s side.

 

“Does this mean he’ll get it all back?” asked Shiloh.

 

Annie nodded.  “I think he will with a little more time.  The good thing is that he’ll be able to do more.  He’s about to go crazy with nothing to do but sit.”

 

Moving to the side of the bed where the baby lay, Hoss bent over and looked at him.  “Dang it if he don’t have a head full of hair.  Can I hold him?”

 

“Yes, Uncle Hoss, you may.  Just settle in the chair there.”  Ben was more than happy to deliver the little bundle.

 

Looking down at the baby with a smile, Hoss said, “You know, for all that talk about him being too big, he’s a little thing, ain’t he?”

 

“Hoss, all babies seem little,” said Ben.  “As babies go though, he’s not.”

 

“I wonder how big he’ll grow to be.”

 

“Just because he’s a big baby doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a giant,” said Annie. “Now, why don’t you two gentlemen take Abel downstairs while Cheron and I get Shiloh out of his bed?”

 

“Come on, Hoss. I do believe we’re being kicked out.”

 

Hoss carefully stood, holding the baby close.  “You hear that little fella?  The men have to leave.  That means you, too.”

 

Shiloh laughed as she watched the men leave the room, closing the door behind them.  “Hoss is going to make a wonderful father,” she said, looking back at Annie.

 

Annie pulled the blanket covering Shiloh down and out of the way.  “I’m sure we’ll find out at some point.  Now, let’s get you up.  I want you to slowly move your legs to the side of the bed.”

 

“You will be a sore, but moving will help,” said Cheron.

 

Shiloh began to move and grimaced.  “Is it supposed to hurt this bad?”

 

“It’s probably not really that bad.  You just haven’t moved.  Come on,” said Annie.

 

By the time Shiloh had her feet over the side of the bed, she was breathless and almost in tears.   “This really hurts.”

 

“Where?” asked Cheron.

 

“Here,” she said, moving her hands to her groin.  “The pain isn’t near the surface.  It’s deep.”

 

With Annie on one side and Cheron on the other, Shiloh tried to stand, but collapsed on the floor at their feet.   On her hands and knees, she breathed in gasps, trying not to cry out.  “Something’s wrong.  It feels like my hips are on fire.”

 

***

 

Rising early, Adam skipped breakfast and rode hard.  Stopping to rest and fill his canteen at the headwaters of a creek fed by a spring high above a relatively open valley, Adam searched across the expanse as he drank the cool water while Sport helped himself.  He could see a faint cloud of dust moving slowly across the valley, at least it looked slow from where he was standing.  He knew they’d have to be going at a decent clip to be making a dust cloud he could see.  He thought about firing his gun to signal them, but decided against it, not wanting to slow them down.  But he would certainly speed up now that they were in his sights.

 

Continuing on, he swore under his breath at his slow, steep descent, allowing Sport to pick his way through the boulders and trees.  But once on the valley floor,  he pulled his hat down tight on his head, hunched over and rode as fast as Sport would carry him without slowing down to look at the trail signs, but rather going on dead reckoning.  As his luck held, Joe and the other men’s luck had almost run out.  Adam ran up on them, close to running several of them down before he brought Sport to a sliding stop.

 

“Adam!  I didn’t expect to see you,” said Joe.  “Shiloh must be all right.”

 

Adam stepped down as one of the men held Sport’s bridle.  “Yep,” he said, looking around him.  “What’s this?”

 

“They’ve split up.  Two went west; three went north.”

 

Impatience was getting the better of Adam.  “And why aren’t you still after them?”

 

Joe’s nostrils flared.  “We were trying to figure out what they were up to.”

 

“We head north,” said Adam loud enough for the men to hear as he walked back to Sport.  “Send four men after the two who went west to make sure they aren’t doubling back to catch us from the rear.”

 

Joe looked at the men, pointed to four of them, and then to the west, agitated that Adam had ridden in like a devil wind and summarily made the decision without even discussing it.  He paused before he mounted Cochise.  Adam only acted this way when something, somewhere was wrong, and it had to be more than just Micah being taken.  “Adam, are Shiloh and the baby all right?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam looked at his hands before he answered.  Having recognized how it must have looked with him riding in and taking over, a smile touched the corner of his mouth.  “They’re both fine.”  Squinting, he looked up into the bright sky.  “After what she’s been through, I can’t go home and tell her that her brother isn’t coming back.”  Stroking his forehead beneath the rim of his hat, he continued.  “She knows Micah’s past could come at him at anytime, but to have this happen now…when Abel arrives…it’s a lot for her to bear.”

 

“Abel?”

 

Adam snorted and smiled, turning Sport north. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

Joe gave him a wink and a quick nod more determined than ever to find Micah and deliver him back home.

 

They couldn’t keep driving their horses as hard as they’d been, so they slowed down and paid attention to the trail.  Based on the tracks, the three horses in front of them rode mostly single file.  Thankfully, they’d reached the point where the granite-slab ground gave way to the fine dirt of the desert.  Because that dirt had blown and tumbled down the hard rock of the Sierra, it was really no more than dust at rest.  Looking ahead of him, Adam knew a trail would be easy to spot if Micah’s captors were in a hurry.  But there was nothing on the horizon in front of him, but clear blue sky which meant Holman was taking his time.  And that meant he wasn’t planning to take Micah all the way back up into Utah Territory.

 

Once again, lady luck turned her back on them when a slight breeze turned into a strong enough wind to kick up all that fine dust.  The men pulled their bandanas up over their mouths and noses and continued in the direction they were already headed. But the wind was slowly erasing any trace of the trail.

 

Chapter Eighty

 

Cheron and Annie were barely able to get Shiloh back up in the bed without her screaming out.

 

“I don’t understand,” cried Shiloh.  “I wasn’t hurting like this in bed.  What’s wrong with me?”

 

“Ssh,” said Annie softly.  “Let’s get you settled in, and I’ll take a look.”

 

It took some time, but once Shiloh was on her back, Cheron sat on one side of the bed while Annie bent down over the other.  Moving her hand over the lower part of Shiloh’s stomach, Annie asked as she went, “Does that hurt?”

 

Each time, Shiloh shook her head until Annie moved near the inside of Shiloh’s leg.  When Shiloh flinched, Annie pulled back, but then slowly proceeded, noting each place that made Shiloh react.  She and Cheron shared a worried look.

 

“What is it, Annie?” asked Shiloh after taking a slow deep breath.

 

“Cheron, have you ever seen anything like this?” asked Annie.

 

“No, but the women of my tribe are accustomed to the birth position.  We sit that way regularly. We cook, we wash, we eat that way.”

 

“Could something be broken?” asked Shiloh, her eyes following Annie’s to Cheron’s, and when Cheron shrugged, Annie’s cheeks blew into round orbs.

 

“Shiloh, I want you to see Paul.”

 

Turning her head away, Shiloh said, “No.”

 

“Listen to me,” said Annie, sitting down on the side of the bed.  “Much of what a doctor learns, he learns from experience.  There’s just so much that can be taught during the course of a few years.  I’ve never seen anything like this.  Paul has the experience I don’t.  You need to see him.”

 

“Annie, he wanted to kill Abel.”

 

“No, he didn’t.  He was told to save you, and that was the only way he knew how.  If you had gone to any other doctor in Virginia City or Carson City, they would have considered the same thing.”  When Shiloh looked doubtfully at her, Annie leaned over her.  “He was relieved, Shiloh, that he didn’t have to.”  She stood and turned toward the door.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“To send for Paul…whether you like it or not.”

 

By the time Paul arrived, Abel had awakened, been fed and changed, and was sleeping peacefully on his stomach on top of his mother as she lay on her back asleep.  When she felt someone lifting Abel off her, she stirred, and watched Annie pass Abel to Cheron.  When Annie stepped aside, Shiloh saw Dr. Martin, her eyes turning dark and glaring.

 

“Shiloh, Annie tells me you have some pain.  May I examine you?”

 

Opening her mouth to object, she caught Annie’s expression out of the corner of her eye, and closed it.  “I don’t think I have a choice.”

 

Paul snorted and turned to Annie.  “Would you show me, please?”

 

After his examination, the doctor sat in the chair next to the bed, clasped his hands over his knees and looked at them in thought.

 

“I don’t understand.  I didn’t have any pain like this right after the birth.  I had no pain the next day.  Is it really that bad?” asked Shiloh.

 

Looking up, he smiled.  “I don’t think it’s anything that won’t heal in time. As far as the pain, Cheron had given you several different teas, one specifically for pain.  Even the herbs she was steeping could have prevented some of it.”

 

Shiloh tensed and gave him her full attention.  “What do you mean ‘in time?'”

 

“Shiloh, we all have tissue that connects muscle to bone and muscle to muscle.  Sometimes during heavy strain in a position the body isn’t accustomed to, those tissues can be strained or even tear.   I think you have that kind of damage in your pelvic area, maybe even a slight fracture.”

 

“Fracture!” she said, attempting to push herself up before remembering how much it hurt.

 

Paul raised a hand.  “Wait just a minute.  Let me finish.  I said a slight fracture, more like a tiny crack in a tea cup.  That kind of fracture will heal on its own. So will the connective tissues.  But you have to give them time.  For now, I’d like you to stay off your feet.  Then as the pain starts to lessen, we’ll see about getting you up.”

 

“You mean I have to stay in this bed?”  Shiloh looked around her, letting her thoughts of being in the bed so long already almost drive her to tears.

 

“Well, no.  There is an alternative.  You can use a wheelchair while you’re recuperating.

 

Looking away, she let her hands fall into her lap.  “So I’m a cripple.”

 

“No, you are not a cripple. But if you don’t allow the muscles and connective tissue to heal properly, it could affect your ability to carry another child to full term.  It may also make it difficult to ride a horse.”

 

Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she snorted.  “Another child?  I’m not sure I want to go through this again.”

 

Paul took her hand.  “Just because Abel is a big baby doesn’t mean all your children will be that difficult.  In fact, they probably won’t.  I’d be willing to bet that your second child will be much easier.  After the first one, subsequent births usually are.”  Standing, Paul added, “I’ll arrange for a chair to be delivered.”  He turned to Annie. “One of the men should lift her from the bed into the chair.  I don’t want her trying to move into it herself until the pain has lessened.”   Turning back to Shiloh, he continued, “I’m leaving laudanum.  I want you to use a spoonful at night and another in the morning before you’re moved to the chair.  You can’t feed Abel while taking the laudanum, so I’ll send a wet nurse out.”

 

“No,” she said fiercely.  Glancing up at Paul, she calmed her voice.  “I don’t want someone else feeding him.  I don’t want him to look up and see another woman’s face when he’s nursing.”

 

“Any kind of movement is going to be painful for awhile.”

 

She stuck her chin out obstinately.  “Then I’ll be in pain.  Another woman is not going to feed my child when I’m perfectly capable.”

 

“Wet nurses are used all the time, Shiloh.  I think you should discuss this with Adam.”

 

“He and Joe are…away.  I don’t know when they’ll be back.”

 

“Send someone to let me know when they get back, and I’ll send out the chair.  You can’t use it without help getting into it.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright can help me with it.”

 

Paul grunted and collected his medical bag.  “Then I’ll discuss it with Ben before I leave.”

 

***

 

Holman had stopped when the dust storm prevented them from seeing where they were going.  He’d had a place picked out much further away, but considering what Williams would be left with, he didn’t think it would really make much difference.  He had no intention of outright killing him.  But he’d make sure Williams died trying to live as Holman knew he would.  He wasn’t very worried about anyone finding them.  The wind would have already obliterated their tracks and once it died down, anyone following would find an almost impossible amount of nooks and crannies, blind canyons and precipitous cliffs to search.

 

Holman had managed to build a fire and keep it going, sheltering it in a fissure in the rocks that created a small cave.  He had brought with him resin saturated wood from the heart of a pine tree to make the fire burn long and hot. Williams was ordered to remove his boots and socks, belt, jacket and hat, all of which were thrown into the fire.  The leather of his boots and belt stank like burning flesh.

 

Micah didn’t say a word. He’d already seen the branding iron tied to Holman’s saddle.  And he remembered Holman’s threat from long ago, “I’ll own you, Williams, if it’s the last thing I do,”  a threat uttered just as a lawman had delivered a territorial judge’s decision that would wipe out fully half of Holman’s holdings; a decision made based on the word of a range detective named Mort Williams.

 

Knowing there was no point in trying to talk his way out of this, and assuming the chances of anyone finding them in this dust storm were pretty slim at best, he decided to wait for whatever punishment Holman would exact upon him, knowing full well it would be memorable.  But he also knew Holman wouldn’t kill him, though he was fairly certain Holman would leave him with little to survive on after he was done with him.  He’d have a chance however slight it might be.

 

After Holman’s man laid the iron in the fire, he tied Micah’s hands to either end of his rifle with the rifle laid across his shoulders behind his head.  Micah would not be able to use his hands.  Next he put a bar between his legs at his ankles, attaching it with shackles at each end.

 

Micah kept his eyes on Holman’s as he was bound, maintaining a completely blank expression.  In order to survive whatever Holman had in store for him, he knew he could do nothing to further provoke the rancher.  Holman had a temper and would think nothing of putting a bullet through his head, so Micah remained silent.

 

Shoving him toward the rocks, the other man forced Micah to his knees, facing the rock, then proceeded to wrap a rope around him and the rock, tying it so tight, Micah couldn’t move.

 

Holman stood on the top of the boulder looking down at Micah as his man went to the fire and began turning the iron over and over.  “Williams…Whitney, whatever you call yourself, no man has ever cost me what you did and walked away.  It’s taken me five years to track you down.  I promise you, you won’t be walking away from me or anyone else for a good long time.”  Holman nodded to the man at the fire who smiled and lifted the red hot shape of ‘RH’ up so Holman could see it.

 

***

 

Adam and Joe turned toward a small box canyon where the rock walls climbed up thirty feet.  The wind whistled by the entrance to the canyon while the inside was relatively calm.

 

Even so, Adam had to yell to be heard.  “We’ll wait it out in here.”

 

Joe didn’t try to answer.  He just nodded.

 

They’d managed to build a small fire, and by standing around it, they were able to prevent the occasional gust that made it down the rock walls from blowing it out.  As they sipped coffee and ate hardtack, Joe and Adam’s eyes locked when a gust brought what sounded like a scream floating into the canyon and then up the walls.

 

“Did you hear that?” asked Joe.

 

Adam listened for a moment before he answered.  “Could have been a cougar…or a wolf.”

 

Pouring his coffee over the fire, Joe looked toward the entrance of the canyon.  “Didn’t sound like any animal I’ve ever heard.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam let it out.  “There’s nothing we can do at the moment.”  He hoped all Joe could see was the calm exterior he was trying to maintain, but his guts were churning.  Joe was right.  It didn’t sound like any animal he’d ever heard either.

 

Chapter Eighty-One

 

Holman’s man untied the rope that held Micah to the boulder without giving any thought to how hard or how unnaturally he’d hit the ground. Unnatural certainly described well the way his arms and hands were crumpled and folded underneath his chest as well as his head falling face first into the inch deep soil that had blown into the canyon.

 

“Mr. Holman, what if his friends find him before he dies?”

 

Holman chuckled as he sat his saddle waiting for his hired hand to mount.  “Let ‘em.  Even if he lives, he’d be a fool to come looking for me.”  Looking back one more time, he added, “If he lives, and if he ever walks again.”

 

Micah lay in the dust unconscious, slowly being covered by the wind-whipped dirt, the blood from his feet seeping into it and turning it into glossy, black soup.

 

Hours passed as Adam, Joe and their men split up and rode in and out of the canyons and gullies, up and down the small mesas and flats.

 

When Micah came to, his thoughts turned to his father’s steadfast faith.  His father’s God had chosen not to have mercy and allowed him to regain consciousness, a wakening that brought unthinkable, unimaginable pain.  Still, Micah knew his best chance of being found was to move out into the open, out of the deep ravine in which Holman had left him to die.  Digging his elbows into the ground, the dragged himself across the loose soil, sweat dripping down his face as anguished moans escaped him with every few inches.

 

Finally, he allowed himself to drop to the ground, breathless, close to insanity at the searing pain of what raw flesh was left on the bottoms of his feet.  He’d heard the signal that meant someone was close; three shots.

 

The next thing he felt other than the fire in his lower limbs was hands turning him. Adam’s face appeared above him, the brow deeply furrowed, the nostrils flared.

 

“Easy there,” came the low, soothing voice.

 

Micah watched as Adam looked toward his feet at Joe, then tightened his lips.

 

Joe shook his head and opened his mouth to speak.  With his jaw quivering, he turned his head.

 

“Joe, get the whiskey out of my saddlebag and the blanket and shirt from my bedroll and bring them here.  “Davey,” he said to one of the men, “see if you can find some water.  Empty all the canteens and fill them with fresh water.  Leave one here,” he added as a second thought.

 

Micah had kept his eyes on Adam’s.  He knew the look.  It wasn’t good.  But if anyone could keep him alive, Adam would be the one who would refuse to let him go.

 

Joe appeared with two bottles of whiskey which he set down beside Adam who had brought Micah up onto his lap.

 

Taking one of the bottles, Adam bit into the cork, pulled it and then spit it away.  “Micah, you know what I have to do.  You have to drink as much of this as you can.”

 

Faintly nodding, Micah opened his mouth when he felt the bottle at his lips, and though the golden liquid burned, he swallowed.  At the moment, he could think of nothing that could come close to the pain radiating through his body from the burns on his feet.

 

Adam intended to drain the entire bottle, but Micah hadn’t made it half way through when his head finally fell to the side.  Carefully laying him back down on the ground, Adam directed Joe to Micah’s right side and another man opposite him.  Lifting Micah, they rested him on top of a fairly flat boulder, leaving his feet jutting out over the edge.  Joe moved to Micah’s shoulders.

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam first poured the water from the canteens over Micah’s feet to wash away as much dirt as possible. Even though he was unconscious, Micah flinched.

 

“Hold him, Joe.”  When Adam doused his feet with whiskey, Micah screamed out.  Bowing his head and closing his eyes, Adam reminded himself it was a scream Micah wouldn’t remember.  He folded his lips into a determined line and continued until the bottles were empty.  Micah’s feet were still bleeding, but Adam merely covered them as best he could with pieces of his clean shirt.  The branding iron would have cauterized the skin to some extent when it was applied, but pulling it away took the charred skin with it.  The area was too large and too damaged to do anything else.

 

Once Micah was wrapped in the blanket, Joe and the hands passed him up to Adam who had already mounted, and who would carry Micah home in his arms.

 

***

 

Shiloh sat quietly in her bed alone save the little one sleeping at her side.  Ben had lifted her into a sitting position while Annie positioned pillows to support her.  At the moment, the pain was tolerable, but it was prevalent enough that reading was futile.  Without something to occupy her mind, she had been dwelling on Micah’s fate.  Would this rancher from Utah Territory kill him?  Would he leave him helpless somewhere?  She might never see him again never knowing what happened to him.  And what of Adam?  Was this man who hated her brother evil enough to kill her husband for trying to rescue Micah?

 

Cheron had silently slipped into the room while Shiloh’s head rested in her hands.  Just as quietly, she set a tea service on the dressing table and began to prepare the tea that would eventually stop the blood still flowing from Abel’s birth.

 

“Little One?”

 

Shiloh’s head popped up.  “I didn’t hear you come in,” she said softly as she wiped a tear from her face.

 

Looking down at the tea cup she held in her hands, Cheron said, “We must always believe the best.  To believe the worst is giving up.”

 

“I know that, but…,” she looked up at Cheron with helpless and pleading eyes, “how do I stop thinking about it?”

 

Cheron smiled.  “You have the blood of your brother and your husband next to you.  Let your mind live there.”  When Cheron carefully sat on the side of the bed, Abel stirred, but didn’t awaken, soon settling back down.  “I will speak while you drink,” she said, holding out the tea cup.

 

Though she didn’t feel like smiling, a small one touched her lips in thanks as she took the cup, sipping while Cheron spoke.

 

“I must leave soon.  My people have been without a healer for too long.  I have given Ming Lin the tea leaves.  He will make your tea until you tell him there is no more blood.”

 

Shiloh knew the day Cheron would leave was fast approaching.  Still, she sniffled.  “When will you leave?”

 

“I will wait a few more days for Micah and Adam to return.  I must also tell you that Annie has asked if she may come to my village and learn the medicine of my people.  Hoss needs more time for his eyes to heal.  They will both come for a time.”

 

When the tea cup started rattling on its saucer in Shiloh’s hand, Cheron took it and placed it on the night table while Shiloh bent her head in her hands.  “It seems as if they just got back.  But if that’s what she wants to do…”

 

Reaching forward to stroke Shiloh’s hair, Cheron smiled and said softly, “It is only for a short time.  She will be back to help the women here.  That is what she wants to do.  And Hoss will heal while he is with us.  Our medicine will take away that which clouds his vision.”

 

Shiloh snorted.  “It’s not that I don’t want Annie to learn or Hoss to be healed.  It’s just that…well, never mind.  I’m being selfish.  I just always imagined we’d be together after she came back from school,” she said as she wept.

 

Cheron took Shiloh’s hand in hers.  “You will be.  The baby will take up your time, and it will go very fast.  Annie is worried about telling you.  I thought that if you already knew, it would be easier for her.”

 

“I haven’t seen her since this morning.  Where is she?”

 

“She has gone with Mr. Cartwright to bring back a woman who will take care of you until you can take care of yourself.”

 

Shiloh’s eyes flew wide open.  “Who?  What do you mean take care of me?  I already told Dr. Martin, I don’t need a wet nurse.”

 

“She is a friend of Mr. Cartwright’s.  He says you know her.  And she is not a wet nurse.  She will help with your daily needs so that Adam may do his work.”

 

Shiloh looked wistfully toward the window. “Adam’s been gone for four days.”

 

Both women looked toward the bedroom door at the sound of light tapping.

 

“Come in,” answered Cheron.

 

When Joe stepped into the room, Shiloh knew something was terribly wrong.  Joe had never been one who could hide his feelings.  His mood was somber, his eyes dull and his voice very quiet.  “Adam wanted me to let you know we’re back.  He’ll be here in a little while.  He’s helping Micah get settled in.”

 

Shiloh had been holding her breath and let it out.  “He’s alive?  He’s all right?”

 

Though the corner of Joe’s mouth turned upward, the smile didn’t make it to his eyes.  “He’s alive.”

 

Chapter Eighty-Two

 

Based on what Shiloh had told her of Micah’s past, his troubles in Utah Territory with a rancher there, and the knowledge that it was that rancher who took him, Annie prepared for Micah to be brought to the main house.  If he was seriously injured, he couldn’t stay at the Flying W with no one to take care of him, and Adam and Shiloh’s new furniture hadn’t arrived, so there was no extra bed at their house.  She had thought she’d prepared herself for the worst, but when Adam and Joe brought Micah through the front door, she stepped back, horrified.

 

Hoss stepped forward, taking Micah from his brothers and heading toward the staircase.  “Joe, go up in front of me so I can judge the stairs.”

 

“Hop Sing!  Hop Sing!” yelled Ben as he headed toward the kitchen in search of his cook, confident that his old friend would be able to help.

 

As Hoss and Joe climbed the stairs, Adam took Annie by her arms.  “Annie, I brought him here because you’re here.   One of the men is going after Dr. Martin, but there’s a chance he won’t get here in time.”  He waited for some acknowledgment, but she was still staring at the vision that had just come through the door imprinted in her mind.  “Annie!” said Adam through gritted teeth, gently shaking her.  He took a deep, calming breath so that his next words were more gentle.  “You’ve seen worse.”

 

“No, Adam, I haven’t,” Annie said softly. “The students didn’t see the really bad ones in Philadelphia.  I’ve never seen anything like that.  I’ve never treated burns like that.”

 

“Will you try?”

 

Annie closed her eyes.  “If I do and he dies, Shiloh will never forgive me.”

 

Adam’s expression was pleading as he raised her face to his with a finger under her chin.  “No.  She’s more likely not going to understand if you don’t try.”

 

For the first time Annie looked Adam in the eye, and seeing his determination, she nodded and turned toward the stairs with Adam right behind her.  “What have you done so far?”

 

“I poured water over them to rinse the dirt away.  After that, I used whiskey.”

 

Annie abruptly stopped.  “Was he conscious?”

 

“No,” Adam said slowly, cocking his head at the memory of the Micah’s unconscious scream. “But he felt it.”

 

When she walked into the bedroom, Hoss and Joe had removed Micah’s trousers and shirt, and had covered his torso, leaving his feet hanging off the end of the bed.  Taking a deep breath, Annie eased forward, bending down for a better look.  “What’s this cloth?”

 

“I wrapped his feet in pieces of a clean shirt to keep the dirt away during the ride.  Most of it fell off on the way into the house.”

 

“Well, that’s probably a blessing, because the rest of this is going to have to come off now.”

 

By this time, Hop Sing and Ben had joined them in the bedroom and looked over Annie’s shoulder.  Hop Sing shook his head.  “Burns deep.  Bad trouble.”

 

“Hop Sing, I’ll need water, as hot as you can get it…and linen cut into strips the width of his feet, but long.  Hoss, would you get my medical bag. It’s on the chair next to the window in our bedroom.”  While she waited, she pulled up a chair and studied Micah’s burns.

 

Adam pulled Joe aside.  “Joe, would you ride to the house and tell Shiloh we’re back.”

 

“She’s gonna ask about Micah.  What do I tell her?”

 

Adam puckered his mouth.  “As little as possible.  I need to tell her.”

 

“Adam,” said Annie who continued to look over Micah’s burns.  “Shiloh isn’t up yet.  She strained some ligaments and tendons and may have a pelvic fracture.  Dr. Martin has confined her to bed, but truthfully, she’s in too much pain to move around.  He offered laudanum, but she refused.”

 

“Why?” he asked, creasing his brow.

 

“If she takes laudanum, she can’t nurse Abel.  She’s refused a wet nurse.”

 

Adam bent his head down and stroked his temples.  He looked back up at Joe.  “Don’t say anything about Micah’s feet.  Tell her I’ll be there in awhile, that I just want to make sure he’s settled in.  And if Cheron is there, stay with Shiloh and send Cheron over here.”

 

As Joe left the room, Ben took Adam’s arm.  “Mary Anderson will be over there tomorrow. She’s prepared to stay until Shiloh can get around on her own.”

 

Adam looked deeply into his father’s eyes.  “How bad is it, Pa, that she needs someone else to take care of her?”

 

“Now, Adam, you have work to do.”  Turning to look back at Micah, he added, “And you’ll be taking on even more.  Mary can help with…you know…things that women need.”  Ben cast his eyes down under Adam’s intense gaze.  “Paul’s sending over a wheel chair.”

 

With wide eyes, Adam said more loudly than he’d intended, “A wheel chair!”

 

Moving a hand to Adam’s shoulder, Ben nodded toward the hall, and when Adam didn’t move, Ben took his arm and nodded again, this time with insistence in his eyes. “Adam, Paul wants her to be still until she has more time to heal…”  When Adam opened his mouth, Ben raised a finger and closed his eyes.  “She will heal.  She needs time to heal properly.”

 

Brushing his hand over his hair, Adam moved his other hand to his hip.  “I don’t understand.”

 

“The position she chose to give birth along with how hard she had to push did some damage.  She tried to get out of the bed after you left, but she was in too much pain.  Paul said the tea Cheron had been giving her and whatever she was steeping in the room probably prevented her from feeling it until she tried to get up. By that time, Cheron’s tea had worn off.”

 

Hoss and Hop Sing passed them in the hall going back into the bedroom with those things Annie requested.  When Ben and Adam re-entered the room, she had already begun to remove the rest of the wrapping from Micah’s feet with tweezers, dropping each piece into a bowl at her feet.

 

“This is going to take awhile,” said Annie, her brow furrowed in concentration.  “I need to get every string of the material off without disturbing what skin is left.”

 

Hop Sing quietly left the room and hurried downstairs and into the kitchen.  He put a pot of water on the stove to boil, then moved around the kitchen in a flurry, removing pots and jars and mortar and pestle from the cabinets.

 

***

 

“Cheron, do you mind if I speak with Shiloh?”

 

When Cheron passed Joe at the door, he turned toward the hall and whispered.  “Adam asked me to send you to the Ponderosa.”  When he spoke, his eyes told her Micah was in serious danger.  She knew that if Adam asked for her, he was looking for all the help he could get. “Take my horse.  You’ll get there faster.”

 

She nodded and left.

 

“Joe?  What’s going on?  Is Micah all right?”

 

Joe managed a smile as he walked over to the chair. “He’s…he was resting when I left.  Adam just wanted to make sure Micah had everything he  needed.  He was right behind me when I left the house,” he said, taking Shiloh’s hand. “Now, as I understand it, I’m an uncle, and since I’ve never been an uncle before, I think I need to see my first nephew.”  This time, he wore a genuine smile which brought one out in Shiloh.

 

She moved a light cover away from what Joe thought was a wadded blanket at Shiloh’s side, revealing a head covered with fine, dark hair.

 

Joe’s smile widened as he gently ran his finger over the tiny hand and giggled.  “Can I hold him?”

 

“Have you ever held a newborn?”

 

“No,” he said, crooking his jaw.  “But it can’t be that hard, can it?  “People do it all the time.”

 

Shiloh chuckled and lifted Abel off the bed.  “Here. Cradle him in your arms and support his head.  He can’t hold it up by himself yet.”  When Shiloh twisted to pass the baby to Joe, she grimaced.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

With a half smile, she nodded.  “I’m just sore.  Dr. Martin says it will pass.”  As Joe cooed at the child, Shiloh let her smile fade, knowing it wasn’t going to be that easy to explain why she was still in bed when Adam came home.  Then she regained her smile.  She missed her husband and was looking forward to seeing him.  He hadn’t had much time with his son.

 

“I don’t know why everyone thought he was too big.  He’s just a little thing,” said Joe, carefully holding the little bundle.

 

“Dr. Martin thought he may weigh as much as eleven pounds. That’s big for a baby.  Joe, what happened to the man who took Micah?”

 

Glancing up at Shiloh, Joe smiled nervously and quickly looked back at the baby.  “He got away.”

 

“Why didn’t someone go after him?”

 

Trying his best not to look at her, Joe stuttered through his explanation.  “We…got caught…in a windstorm.  By the time we found Micah, Holman was gone.  The…the wind had covered his tracks.”

 

Shiloh looked doubtfully at Joe, noticing a lack of his usual confidence.  “Oh,” she said quietly.  “I’m sure Adam will go to the Sheriff.”  She waited for a response, but Joe was silent.  “Joe….”

 

“Look, Shiloh…Adam’ll be here any minute.”  Joe finally looked her in the eye and said,  “He wants to talk to you himself,” then watched the color drain from her face.

 

Sinking into the pillow behind her, she looked forward and didn’t say another word.

 

Chapter Eighty-Three

 

Joe had moved downstairs when the baby began to cry so that Shiloh could feed him.  When Adam walked through the front door, he stalled when he noticed Joe sitting in the wing chair in front of the fireplace, then removed his jacket, hat and gun belt.

 

“How’d it go?”

 

Rising from the chair, Joe walked to the front door and gathered his things.  “I didn’t say anything specific, but she knows.”

 

“She knows what?”

 

Joe’s nostrils flared.  “That it’s bad.  What did you expect…that she wouldn’t guess?”

 

Adam glared back.  “What did you say to her?”

 

“I didn’t say anything,” Joe answered with his voice raised.  He glanced at the stairs, and quieted.  “That’s how she knows.  I didn’t have anything to say.  When things are all right, you tend to say that.”

 

Closing his eyes, Adam nodded.  “How’d she look?”

 

“She looks fine, but it’s not hard to tell she’s in some pain.  Every time she moves, she sort of grunts.”  Joe managed a smile.  “Look, I need to get back to see what didn’t get done while we were gone.”

 

Nodding again, Adam said, “Thanks for coming out, Joe.”

 

“Good luck.  Let us know if you need anything.”  With that, Joe was out the door on his way to Cochise, whom Adam had brought back with him.

 

Heading for the kitchen, Adam stepped in and found Ming Lin hard at work preparing dinner.  “Ming Lin, has Mrs. Cartwright been eating well while I’ve been away?”

 

“She tries, but she does not eat everything on her plate.”

 

“Go ahead and bring dinner up when it’s ready, please.”  With a slight smile, he added, “I’ll see if I can get her to eat better.”

 

Shiloh sat against the pillows on her bed, one arm holding Abel so that he could nurse, the other laid gently over him with her hand cradling his head and her thumb brushing the soft, dark hair on his head.  She didn’t notice that Adam had arrived at the door and leaned quietly against the casement, watching as she lovingly smiled down at their son.

 

He couldn’t help but grin.  The vision of his son wrapped up so tenderly in Shiloh’s arms and her gaze of such complete devotion warmed his heart so much he didn’t want to disturb the serene scene.

 

But when she went to move Abel to the other side, his smile was instantly gone as she flinched and seemed to hold her breath, remaining completely still for a moment.  After taking several short breaths and blowing out through her mouth, she winced and slowly settled Abel down to finish his meal.

 

Adam cleared his throat and walked into the room, met with a smile and slightly furrowed brow from Shiloh.  “Yes, I saw that.”

 

Pushing her bottom lip up, she simply nodded.  “I guess Pa or Annie told you.”

 

“Mm hm,” he said, bending and giving her several small kisses before he looked into her eyes.  No words were necessary for either of them to understand they had each missed the other sorely.  “They also said you refused laudanum.  Based on what I just saw, I’d like you to reconsider,” he said, pulling the chair right next to the bed and sitting down.

 

She smiled when she said ‘no.’   “I don’t want him looking up and seeing another woman’s face smiling down at him.  Besides, I enjoy my time with him too much to give it up.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam lowered his head and looked back up from under his brow.   Remembering the warm adoration on her face when he first arrived and seeing it again now, he allowed a smile to touch his lips. “I understand.  But I want you to promise you’ll tell me if becomes too much.”

 

Looking down at the baby, she moved her finger to his tiny hand and watched as he curled his fingers around hers.  “It will never be too much.”  Looking back up, she gave Adam a serious look.  “Are you going to tell me about Micah?”

 

Pursing his lips, he let his eyes drift away, keeping his lips pursed until he decided exactly what to say. “Well, you know he’s alive.  He’s been unconscious just about from the moment we found him.”

 

“Was he shot? Was he beaten?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then why is he unconscious?   Adam, you’re not making this easier.”

 

He winced.

 

“Putting it off isn’t going to make it any better,” she said, facing straight ahead and bracing herself for the worst.

 

“I’ll be back in a minute,” said Adam as he rose from the chair and left the room.   When he returned, he was carrying a cradle with a little pillow on the bottom and blankets draped across it and over the sides.  His timing had been fortuitous as Abel’s mouth had already gone slack when sleep overcame him.  Setting the cradle on the floor next to the chair, Adam took Abel from his mother and gently laid him down.  When he was sure the child was still asleep, Adam sat back down and took Shiloh’s hands.  He let out a breath and looked up, but only saw the side of her face. “Look at me, Shiloh.”

 

She slowly turned her head, and even more slowly raised her eyes to his.

 

“It will be a long time before Micah will walk again, if he ever does.”   He watched her eyes dart around at the same time she sucked in a shuddering breath.  “Holman used a branding iron on the bottoms of Micah’s feet.  He’s burned pretty badly.”

 

It was as if someone had knocked the breath out of her.  Her body seemed to deflate as her shoulders hunched, and her hands became lifeless in his.

 

“We don’t know how bad it really is yet.  Annie’s cleaning the burns, but Paul hadn’t arrived by the time I left.”  With everything she had endured in her life, Adam thought he had never seen the depth of utter despair showing on her face.

 

Though she wasn’t making a sound or even sobbing, tears were trickling down her face. “Will it ever end?” she said quietly.  “Will there ever be a time when something bad doesn’t constantly come along?”

 

Adam nudged a little closer. “Sweetheart, we have had times when nothing bad happened.  We were both working hard, but if you think about it…”  She choked back a sob, and resumed her sorrowful gaze.  “Do you remember the night you invited me to your bath?” Watching her and deciding her mood wasn’t going to change, he said, “Don’t make this bad if it doesn’t have to be.”

 

Taking a handkerchief from the side of the bed, she wiped her nose.  “Burns with a branding iron,” she said softly, shaking her head, “are bad.  Even if Paul or Annie…”

 

“Don’t forget about Cheron and Hop Sing.”

 

“Even if they can get the burns cleaned, there’s still infection.  Burns are the worst.  You know that.”

 

“Are you already settled on the worst?”

 

“No, but I understand the odds.”

 

“And how many times have we all beat the odds?” he asked softly.

 

Closing her eyes, she leaned back and let her head fall backward on the pillow behind her.  “I want to see him.”

 

Adam leaned back as well.  “And just how do you propose to do that?   According to Annie, you can’t get out of the bed.  Pa told me Paul was arranging for a wheelchair.”

 

“I need to see him.”

 

“No, Sweetheart, you do not.  He’s not awake, and I don’t expect Paul to allow him to stay awake for very long when he comes to.  Pa’s made arrangements with Mary Anderson to stay and help you while you recuperate.” He paused to look at her, but her expression didn’t change.  “I’ve asked Joe to come back for me when Paul arrives.  I’ll speak with him tonight to find just how much you can do without causing permanent damage.  Then we’ll discuss it.”  He turned his head toward a tap on the door, and when Ming Lin pushed the door open with a tray of food, Adam turned back to Shiloh.  “What you need is food, and I don’t want to hear one complaint out of you.”

 

When Shiloh turned away, Adam moved to sit on the side of the bed, but stood up quickly at the loud gasp that escaped her.  Along with that ragged breath, she pressed her hands down into the mattress on either side of her trying to steady the bed and only eased up when Adam was standing.

 

Bending over her, his brows curved in concern, he waited for her to open her eyes and let out the breath she was holding. Perspiration began to glow on her skin before she took another breath and slowly released it.  He didn’t need to talk to Paul to see the obvious.

 

Ming Lin had set the tray on the dressing table and hurried over to the bed, waiting to help if he was called upon.

 

“Thank you, Ming Lin.  I’ll just have to remember not to sit on the bed.” Straightening, Adam gave Ming Lin a short nod and smiled.   “I’ll bring the tray down when we’re finished.”

 

Bowing, Ming Lin left the room.

 

After taking one last deep breath, Shiloh said, “I’m alright now.”

 

As he placed his plate and cup on the dressing table and brought the tray to the bed, Adam said, “It looks like I need to bring up a bed from the bunkhouse.  I think it would be too painful for you if I slept in the bed with you.”  Answering her forlorn look with a smile, he set the tray across her legs, then brought his meal over from the dressing table and sat back down in the chair.

 

As many times as he asked, Shiloh made no effort to eat.  “Sweetheart, you’re feeding Abel. You can’t continue to do that if you don’t feed yourself.”

 

Wiping her face with her hands, she said almost in a whisper.  “I’ll try in the morning.  Right now, I’d just like to lie down.  Would you bring Abel back to the bed before you go?  He’ll be hungry in a little while.”

 

After he helped her slide down under the covers, he moved Abel to her side, then gathered the dishes and quietly left the room.  Downstairs in the kitchen, Ming Lin looked at the untouched plate on the tray.  “Mrs. Cartwright was very worried about Mr. Micah, and now you bring bad news.  She can do nothing.”

 

Adam slightly nodded.  “She can.  Taking care of Abel is just as important as taking care of Micah, something that she couldn’t do even if she could walk.  We just need to keep reminding her of that.  I’m going back to the Ponderosa to speak with Dr. Martin while she’s resting.  I left the door open so you can hear if she calls.”

 

“I will make something special.  Perhaps she will eat after she rests.”

 

Smiling, Adam moved a hand to Ming Lin’s shoulder.  “Thank you, Ming Lin.”  He turned and left the kitchen, gathering his coat, hat and gun, and opening the front door.  Looking up to the top of the stairs, his eyes slowly drifted back down before he stepped through, closing the door behind him.

 

Chapter Eighty-Four

 

Cheron and Hop Sing were busy at work in the kitchen, discussing their different herbs and plants and combining the better of them all to make a creamy salve to cover Micah’s burns.

 

In the meantime, Adam leaned against the wall by the window, looking out, occasionally looking back at Annie who was still cleaning every string, every piece of dirt, and every piece of burnt, loose skin from the bottoms of Micah’s feet.

 

Hoss was leaning against the opposite wall, not really looking at anything.  His wife sitting in the middle of the room was mostly a blur that far away.   But he was determined to be right there if she needed him.  He was also prepared to help Adam restrain Micah if he regained consciousness before Dr. Martin arrived.

 

Annie had been bent over in the chair working on Micah’s feet for almost two hours when she finally couldn’t hold her arms up any longer and allowed them to fall over her knees.

 

Adam rushed over behind her, and laying his hands on her upper arms, he brought her up out of the chair.  “Paul shouldn’t be too much longer.  Why don’t you take a break?”

 

Stepping away when she turned around, she brought her hands up.  “Would you mind pouring some warm water from the kettle into the wash bowl?”

 

Adam bit the inside of his cheek seeing her blood-covered hands, then smiled.  “Of course.”

 

Walking toward the blur of his wife with his hands in his pockets, he asked, “Annie, can I help?”

 

“Oh Hoss,” she said, smiling and bringing up her hand to touch his face, but stopping when she remembered she was a bloody mess.  “Your being here with me is helping tremendously.  But other than cleaning the burns, there’s not much I know to do until Paul gets here,” she said, turning to look at Micah who had begun to move his head back and forth,  “unless he comes to.  Then you and Adam will have to get more whiskey into him.  We have no laudanum in the house as far as I know.”

 

“How ’bout I go down to the kitchen?  Hop Sing might have some tea or somethin’ that’ll either knock ‘im out or help the pain…or both.”

 

Adam pushed the curtain aside.   “No need.  Paul’s here.”

 

Hoss followed Adam out of the bedroom, but slowed at the staircase.  Adam’s pace was too fast for him to comfortably move down the stairs.

 

Adam had the door open before Paul got there.  “He’s upstairs.”

 

Without missing a step, Dr. Martin headed straight for the stairs.  As he approached them, he looked over at Ben standing at the fireplace.  “Ben, would you mind coming upstairs?  There may be some decisions that need to be made quickly, and I need a voice of reason to be part of them.”

 

Looking at Adam who was on Paul’s heels, Ben nodded and followed them up the stairs.

 

***

 

When Shiloh awoke at her son’s mewling, she expected the room to be dark, save the low light of the small fire in the fireplace.  Instead, a warm glow bathed the room.

 

“Adam?” she asked sleepily.

 

“No, Mrs. Cartwright.  It is Ming Lin.  I have brought tea.  Miss Cheron said you should drink tonight.”

 

“I need to sit up first.  Would you help me?”  Shiloh had found that despite Ming Lin’s small stature he was strong and was able to steady her as she slowly maneuvered her body inch by inch up in the bed so she could lean back on her pillow against the headboard.  Even with the help, it took her several minutes to recover.

 

Though Abel was not prone to loudness, when he became impatient she was sure anyone anywhere in the big house would hear him.  With the upstairs virtually devoid of furniture, she imagined the sound bouncing off the walls, reverberating into every corner like a well-balanced opera hall. Though her hips and groin still ached, she smiled at the thought that because Abel had a good set of lungs and apparent control of his volume, he might enjoy singing, and since his father sang, he wouldn’t think it was too…feminine.

 

“Ming Lin, would you leave it here on the table?  I’ll drink it after I take care of Abel.”

 

“Yes, Mrs. Cartwright,” said Ming Lin, slightly bowing.

 

“Before you go, would you tell me what the time is?”

 

“It is 8:30.”

 

She frowned.  “I see.  Thank you.”

 

***

 

Hop Sing and Cheron busily moved around the kitchen, taking dried herbs and blooms and twigs out of bags and jars, adding boiling water, and then adding more until they brought everything to the work table in the center of the room.   Speaking in low voices, they referred to the bowls, pointed, nodded, sprinkled, spooned, stirred, and dropped things from all the smaller bowls on the table into one large bowl, both sniffing the growing contents as they went.  When they were finally satisfied, they both climbed the stairs to the room where Micah was just coming to.

 

Paul had looked at Micah’s feet and nodded his approval at the work Annie had already done.  Turning his back away from the bed, he gathered Adam, Ben and Annie in front of him and said in a low voice, “I’m not sure his feet can be saved.   It’s hard to tell, but it looks like some of those burns go right down to the bone.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam stuck his tongue in his cheek before he looked Paul in the eye.  “Not yet, Paul.   It’s Micah’s decision.”

 

“Adam, you don’t want him waking up.  He’ll be in excruciating pain.”

 

“Micah isn’t the kind of man who will tolerate life in a wheelchair anymore than Shiloh would.  He was awake when we found him.  When he wakes up again, I’ll ask, and if he says no, it’s no.”

 

“Then I can’t do anything for him except make him comfortable and try to keep his feet clean,” said Paul, shaking his head.  He’d decided before he even got to the house he wasn’t going to argue.  He’d done that and lost before, and he was glad he did.  The Whitney’s were just as bull-headed as the Cartwrights.  It was just possible Micah would pull through, though Paul had serious doubts.

 

Hop Sing and Cheron quietly entered the room.  “Adam,” said Cheron quietly.

 

At that moment, Micah groaned.  Adam looked at Cheron and Hop Sing, then turned and went to Micah’s side.  Micah’s eyes were shut tight in a grimace that said loud and clear he was in unthinkable pain.

 

When Adam took Micah’s hand, Micah squeezed so hard, Adam winced, but held on.  “Micah, listen to me.  Dr. Martin says it’s bad.  He doesn’t think you’ll make it unless…”

 

“No.”  Speaking in short bursts through the pain, Micah continued, “My feet… have been with me…everywhere I’ve gone.  I’m not abandoning them now.”  A sound akin to a laugh passed his lips.  “Even if they take me to that hole on top of the hill with my name on it.  If you let him, I’ll…”  Micah opened his eyes and looked straight into Adam’s.  “If you let him take my feet, I’ll never forgive you.”   Micah didn’t take his eyes off Adam’s until Adam nodded and cast his eyes down.

 

“The pain will be bad for awhile.”

 

“I know.  But I’m sure Paul has something to keep me knocked out.  Even if I feel it, I probably won’t care.”

 

Dr. Martin stepped forward and set a bottle of laudanum on the side table.  “Micah, I’m giving you laudanum.  You’ll sleep.  Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee you’ll be awake to say goodbye to anyone.”

 

“Everyone knows how I feel.”

 

“All right. You need to get two spoonfuls down.  After that, I’ll do what I can for your feet.”

 

“Thanks, Doc,” Micah whispered as trickles of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

 

Hop Sing pulled Adam back into a corner of the room where he and Cheron explained the creamy substance they carried in a bowl.  At his concerned look, Cheron said, “We have put what works for my people with that which Hop Sing knows works from his home far away.  It will stop the fire in his feet.  It will allow what is left to heal.”

 

Adam sniffed the contents of the bowl.  “I smell…honey?”

 

Both Cheron and Hop Sing nodded.  “Mista Adam, it work.  You see.”

 

“Paul, wait,” Adam said, turning quickly.  Moving back to Micah’s side, Adam explained what Hop Sing and Cheron wanted to do.  “The stuff smells like honey, so it can’t be all bad.   Cheron says it will help the pain and will heal what’s there.”

 

Though Micah really didn’t feel like laughing, he did make Adam laugh.  “Bee spit, huh.  Who’d a thought?”   Swallowing hard, he continued.  “Cheron was right about Shiloh.  Maybe she and Hop Sing are right again.”  When he closed his eyes and nodded, Paul stepped in with the laudanum.

 

Once Micah was out, the doctor turned to Cheron and Hop Sing.  “I hope you’re right.  Because if you’re not, you,” he said, looking Adam in the eye, “are going to have to explain this to Shiloh.”

 

“Paul, do you have a better treatment?”

 

“Not really.  Not for burns this bad.”  Picking his medical bag off the side table, Dr. Martin walked to the end of the bed and sat on the chair Annie had previously occupied.  “I need to finish cleaning this out.  I’ll have to do a little surgery to removed some of this charred skin.  When I’m done, Hop Sing, you can apply your cream and bandages.”  Hop Sing took Paul’s jacket and Paul bent over his work with a pair of tweezers.  As he worked, he gave out instructions.  “Hop Sing, each time Micah wakes, I want you to get a full glass of water in him.  Adam, you’re needed at home.  There’s nothing you can do here but wait.  I’m sure Shiloh will want to hear what’s happening.  She shouldn’t have been left alone.”

 

When Adam hesitated, Ben took his arm and pulled him toward the door.  “Adam, Paul’s right.  You have responsibilities elsewhere.  Micah has all the help he needs.”

 

“Adam, I will be going back with you,” said Cheron, walking up behind the two men.  “Hop Sing will take care of the bandages.  He knows how to make…natesu’uN.  But I must speak with Annie before we leave.”

 

Adam glanced up at his father and hesitated, but finally nodded.  He wasn’t happy about leaving Micah, but they were right.  There was nothing more he could do.   And Shiloh would be worried.

 

***

 

Shiloh did as she promised. After she settled Abel back down on the bed, she reached for the teacup sitting on the night table.  As she sipped her tea, Ming Lin came into the room carrying another tray laden with a steaming bowl and a glass of milk.

 

Smiling, she stopped him before he made it to the dressing table.  “I’m not very hungry, Ming Lin.”

 

“Yes, Mrs. Cartwright, but you must eat.  I have made your favorite,” he said, setting the tray on the dressing table and taking the bowl over to her.  He lowered it so she could see inside.

 

She fought the smile that tickled the corners of her mouth until she couldn’t contain it any longer, and when it bloomed, Ming Lin smiled and nodded.

 

Chapter Eighty-Five

 

The moon had risen and with it came a calm quiet after the day’s events.  Cheron and Annie stood on the front porch of the main house wrapped in their shawls and looking out between the house and barn at the silhouetted horses with their heads bent into the gently waving grass, their breath visible in the lingering winter air.  If one listened closely in the stillness, one could almost hear the pulling and crunching of crisp, green grass.  They glanced at each other and smiled, neither wanting to be the one to break the silence.

 

“I will be leaving for my village tomorrow after Mary Anderson arrives,” said Cheron.  “It would be best if you and Hoss go with me.  Chu’o will not have any chance to disagree.”

 

Taking a step forward, Annie’s voice held concern.  “We don’t want to make trouble for you.  If you believe your husband wouldn’t want us there, perhaps we shouldn’t go.”  She turned and looked up into the night sky.  “I certainly have enough to keep me busy here.”

 

“Chu’o is of no real concern.”  Cheron smiled and slightly shrugged.  “It is more pleasant when he is not angry.  I believe it would be better for you to come now.  Hoss’ eyes need rest for the healing to be complete, and he will not get rest here.  And you must let Adam and Shiloh have their time with their child.  You must allow Shiloh to heal herself.  Do you understand?”

 

Annie looked down at her hands as she rubbed her fingers nervously. “It won’t be easy to tell Shiloh.  She’s always…well…we’ve always thought we would be together…always.”

 

“You were both still children in a way.  You are women now, and it is time to let childish wishes go.”  Cheron took Annie’s hands and squeezed.  “You will be back, and when that time comes, you will have the knowledge you need to become what you want; to help the women of this territory.  We will go tonight and speak with Shiloh. And with the new day, we will leave.”

 

Ben had just stepped out of the door.  “Leave?  You’re leaving?” he asked with a nervous smile.

 

“Yes, it is time,” answered Cheron with her head bowed.  “Hop Sing has what he needs to help Micah, and Shiloh will have Mary Anderson and Ming Lin.”

 

Putting his hands in his pockets, Ben raised his shoulders.  “And Annie?”

 

Annie looked down at her hands again.  “Hoss and I are going with Cheron, Mr. Cartwright…uh…Pa.”

 

“Oh.  Well, I thought with both Shiloh and Micah confined to bed, you’d be staying to help.”

 

Stepping toward Ben, Annie glanced up at him.  “Pa, I can’t do anything else for Shiloh. She has to get up out of that bed on her own.  With Mary’s help, of course, but she needs to push herself.  I’ll just be a crutch.  And Hoss…Hoss really can’t do any work without his eyes, and though he’s better….” She cocked her head.  “Cheron says she can do more for his eyes.  I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do.  And I want him to see again.  He feels…well…he feels like he’s less of a man.”   Ben opened his mouth to object, but Annie held up a hand and shook her head.  “I don’t think that, and I’ve told him I don’t feel that way, but it’s easy to understand why he does.  He watches Adam and Joe…and you…run up and down those stairs…he watches you all head out the door, and it’s killing him that he can’t keep up.”

 

Ben raised his hand to cover his mouth and rubbed his face.  Though he would prefer Hoss stayed, the woman standing in front of him was his wife.  In addition to that she was a doctor, and Paul had whispered to him earlier that she had worked miracles with Hoss’ eyes; that other doctors would have given up.  And then, there was Shiloh.  “Does Shiloh know?”

 

“No sir,” said Annie.  “I’m going to see her with Cheron tonight.  We’ll be leaving in the morning.”

 

A quick smile gave way to concern and disappointment, but Ben knew there was nothing else he could say to change her mind.  He wasn’t even sure he wanted to.  “While you’re there, I’ll help Hoss get supplies together, so you’ll be ready early.”

 

With a relieved smile, Annie tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek.  “Thank you, Pa.  We are coming back, I promise.  But I don’t know how long this will take.  Maybe through the summer.”

 

“Well, if you need anything,” he looked over at Cheron, “either of you, you have help here.   Please remember that.”  Stepping between the two women, he moved a hand to each woman’s shoulder. “You’ll need more than those shawls tonight.  I’ll send Joe out to hitch the buggy.”

 

***

 

Once again, Adam quietly leaned against the bedroom door jamb, his arms crossed, one leg crossed over the other at the ankle, watching Shiloh…eat.  He stifled a chuckle at the look of enjoyment on her face as she savored each bite she took.

 

She stopped, catching the movement of his balled-up hand moving to his mouth trying to silence his laugh.  Smiling, she fluttered her free hand, inviting him in as she finished chewing the bite in her mouth.

 

“Let me guess,” he said, grinning.  “Chicken pot pie.”

 

She nodded as she happily took another bite, but when he sat in the chair, her smile disappeared and a serious look bathed her face.  She very purposefully laid the fork in the bowl and set it aside, then looked up at him, waiting for a moment.  “Do I have to ask?”

 

Adam had lifted the light blanket that covered his son, peering under.  Taking a deep breath, he nodded toward the bowl, silently asking her to eat.  Lifting Abel from the bed, he settled the baby upright on his chest and pulled the blanket up over him.  “It’s nothing you didn’t expect.”

 

“I want to hear what Paul had to say,” she said, lifting the bowl and staring into it.

 

Watching his son breathe, Adam spoke quietly so as not to disturb Abel’s sleep. “A man with these kind of burns would normally lose his feet.  Micah was awake for a few minutes and refused to allow it, so Paul finished cleaning them.  He said he had to do a little surgery to remove some of the skin.  And Hop Sing and Cheron concocted a salve.  Cheron said it would ease the pain and heal the skin that’s left.”

 

“But what did Paul say?” she asked, moving the food around in the bowl.

 

After another deep breath, Adam answered, “He accused us all of being bullheaded, said he couldn’t guarantee Micah would have the chance to say goodbye…to anyone, and then gave Micah a dose of laudanum that knocked him out before he started cleaning his feet again.”

 

“What did Micah say…besides ‘no?'” she whispered.

 

This time Adam smiled and snorted.  “He said his feet had been everywhere with him, and he was keeping them even if they took him to that ‘hole on the hill with my name on it.'”

 

She actually snorted before she frowned.  “And what do you think?”

 

“I’m not a doctor.”

 

“I know.  But you’re an intelligent man.  You’ve seen some pretty bad things in your life.  Do you think he has a chance?” she asked as a tear escaped her eye.

 

“Sweetheart, I’ve seen Cheron work a miracle,” he said, looking down at his son.  “I’ve seen Hop Sing come up with a few himself.  Paul as well.  Micah has the best chance he’s going to get where he is.”

 

Turning away, Shiloh set the bowl back down on the bed.  It wasn’t the answer she had hoped for, but she knew it was the only answer he could offer.  There was nothing either of them could do but wait out each day until Micah got better…or didn’t.  And so they sat in silence until it was broken by voices in the hall coming from Cheron and Annie just before they entered the bedroom.

 

Annie went directly to Shiloh’s side, bent and kissed her cheek, then looked down at the bowl.  “I see you’ve eaten something.  That’s good.”  She saw the deep frown and the moisture on Shiloh’s face, then glanced at Adam.  “And you’ve already talked about Micah.”

 

Adam slightly cocked his head.

 

Still looking at Adam, Annie asked, “Would you mind taking Abel downstairs while Cheron and I speak with Shiloh?”

 

He looked questioningly at Annie who met his eyes without indicating anything. His eyes moved as he thought, and though he wasn’t comfortable being excluded from their conversation, he rose from the chair, looked over at Shiloh who closed her eyes and nodded, then left the room with Abel.

 

Cheron closed the door behind him, then turned back toward the bed.  “We must clean you up for the night.  Mary Anderson will help you in the morning.”

 

As the two women pulled down the blanket and sheet, Annie tried to look Shiloh in the eye, but failed.

 

“It’s all right, Annie,” she said peacefully.  “I know.”

 

Standing upright, Annie finally looked at something she didn’t expect; a wet, but smiling face that soon broke up.

 

“I don’t want you to go,” Shiloh said tearfully, “but I can’t ask you to stay.”  Trying to smile, Shiloh continued.  “You have to go, Annie.  You have to take Hoss and go with Cheron.  I have all the help I need.  So does Micah.”

 

Annie kept her attention on the work at hand, raising her hand every now and again to wipe the moisture from her face.   She and Cheron managed to remove Shiloh’s nightgown, and checking the thick pad of flannel underneath her, they decided to remove only a few of the top layers.  It appeared the bleeding had slowed.  Their next task was helping Shiloh with necessities, a chore that had Shiloh perspiring from the effort and Cheron and Annie wincing with every pained groan that escaped her. Finally, after a sponge bath and a clean gown they settled her back down in the bed and sat down to talk, though it was clear Shiloh was drained.

 

“When will you leave?” Shiloh asked wearily with her eyes closed.

 

“We will be leaving early in the morning,” answered Cheron.  “Soon after Mary Anderson arrives.”

 

“There’s still some snow, but we’ll be taking a wagon,” said Annie.  “We’ll probably be there through summer.”  Sitting forward in her chair, Annie reach for Shiloh’s hand and squeezed it.  “So we’ll be back in the fall.  It really won’t seem that long for you with Abel to keep you occupied.”

 

Turning her head toward Annie, Shiloh opened her eyes, smiled and nodded, then settled into her pillow.  Annie thought the conversation was over, but after a few moments, Shiloh spoke after winning a battle to keep her emotions in check.  “It’s good that you have this opportunity, Annie.  And if Hoss’ eyes are meant to get better, Cheron is the one to help him.  Don’t worry about me.  With Mary here, I’ll have all the help I’ll need.”

 

Adam had been sitting in a chair near the fireplace in the living room going over every square inch of his son.  The little guy was quite compliant with all the rolling, turning and lifting going on.  But when his little tongue starting pushing through his lips, Adam knew it was almost time to take him back upstairs.  The new Pa had waited through the initial whimpers, followed by grunts and wiggles, and finally when Abel’s eyes opened as his brows furrowed and his face turned red, Adam quickly rose, rushing up the stairway.  By the time he was at the bedroom door, everyone in the house knew Abel had been kept waiting too long.

 

The ladies looked toward the unquestionable demand from Abel, and laughed at the apologetic look on Adam’s face.  “It seems I’ve made him angry.”

 

Cheron and Annie were up in an instant helping Shiloh sit up in the bed while Adam looked on, gently bouncing the baby in his arms, though his bouncing seemed to anger the child more.  When Shiloh reached out, Adam was more than eager to deliver Abel to his mother, afterward standing back and wagging his head proudly.  “He’s definitely kin to Hoss.”

 

Annie laughed despite her red eyes.  She leaned over Shiloh, kissing her cheek.  “I have to go.  I still need to pack some things. And remember, I’m not that far away.  When you feel better, you can come and see us.”  Stepping away from the bed, she turned. “Cheron, we’ll come by in the morning on the way out.”

 

“I will be ready,” answered Cheron as she and Annie walked out of the bedroom.

 

Adam and Shiloh found themselves alone…and silent…again.  While Shiloh attended to the baby, Adam walked over to the window and got comfortable against the wall in a position where he could look out as well as observe his little family in the bed.

 

By the time Cheron returned, Abel was sated and lying next to his mother who was trying hard not to drift off.   Cheron and Adam spoke quietly as Cheron spread out the skins that had been her bed during her entire stay.

 

Adam lightly kissed Shiloh’s forehead, causing only a stir as she had lost her battle with sleep, then retreated to his bed for the night; the sofa.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eighty-Six

 

With the last of the cold weather hanging on, Annie, Cheron and Hoss left for the Washoe village at Clear Creek, but not alone.  Ben sent two men along with them to make sure they got through any difficult spots on the trail.

 

There had been an unexpected late snow that stopped any possibility of an early round-up and any early timber cutting, and those men who had come to town specifically to work for the Cartwright timber operation began to leave for work elsewhere until spring decided to remain in the Sierra.  That meant that Adam had a reprieve, albeit short, from the hectic pace of spring work made even more frenetic with both Micah and Hoss incapacitated.

 

He wasn’t complaining.  The respite gave him time to spend with Shiloh, Abel and Micah while Slater and Cartwright exercised his mind and the few winter chores exercised his body.

 

The desk Adam had placed in the furnished bedroom was the same one his father had shipped from New England long ago; the same desk his mother had sat at meticulously keeping the ledger for their Chandler’s Shop.  Now it was used to prepare conceptual drawings for the additional buildings in Jackson Square and for a hotel building Slater and Cartwright were bidding on for Anson Hotaling.

 

It was late.  Adam had been working by the light of a single lamp on top of the sloped desk.  He didn’t see that Shiloh had opened her eyes and lay very still watching him.

 

“What time is it?” she asked softly.

 

Without raising his head, he smiled and glanced over at her.  He finished the line he was drawing, then dug into his pocket for his watch.  “It’s much too early for you to be awake.”

 

“Then it’s much too late for you to be awake.  I’m worried about you.  Your working hours are interrupting your sleep hours.”

 

Standing from the desk, he walked to the bed and seated himself in the chair, leaning forward.  “Well, your sleep hours are so erratic, I stay up just to have the chance to speak with you.”   Taking her hand, he asked, “How do you feel?”

 

“The tea helps some.  I wonder if you’d do something for me.”  His mouth opened in mild surprise that she’d have to wonder, causing her to smile.  “Adam, I don’t want you to think I’m being…selfish or too ambitious.  Even if I can’t…get around easily ever again…”

 

“Stop right there.”

 

“No, let me finish. Please.”  He breathed in deeply and nodded.  “I’ll never regret this…this incredible gift…of our son whether I walk…or ride…again or not.  But while you have the time and while Abel is sleeping would you help me get out of this bed?  Mary isn’t really strong enough to help me up, so she just tends me where I lay.  Cheron said I need to keep trying.”

 

“And what did Paul say?” he asked, sitting back in the chair and crossing his legs.

 

She lowered her eyes.  “He said I’d have to exercise, but that I need to go slowly just in case there is a fracture.  He said if the pain is too great to wait.”

 

“And how is the pain?”

 

She snorted.  “I don’t really know.  It still hurts to move, but it’s not nearly as bad as that first time Cheron and Annie tried to get me out of the bed.”

 

His direct look told her he wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

 

“Adam, if I could just get to where I could sit on the side of the bed…then I would know I could sit in the wheelchair.  I don’t really like the thought of me in a wheelchair, but if that’s the only way I’m going to get out of his bed and out of this room, then so be it.”

 

His gaze softened.  He never thought she’d be willing to use the wheelchair.  “What’s selfish?”

 

“As soon as the weather turns, you’re going to be so busy, I don’t know that you’ll have much time for me.”

 

His lips tightened while his eyes glared.

 

“Oh, stop looking at me like that.  You know it’s true.  Without Hoss and Micah, you’ll be doing twice the work at both ranches.  You’ll have to go by the mine every day and handle whatever problems turn up there, you’ll have to do payroll for the ranch and the mine as well as keep up with the supplies for both.  There’s the timber contracts for the railroad and spring round-up, repairs, and then the cattle drives.  You’ll come home dead tired and still have to work on drawings for Slater and Cartwright.”

 

Looking away, he creased his brows.  He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but she was right.

 

“While you’re stuck here, I could use your strong arms…”  She giggled at his sudden smile.  “To help me up.  If I can’t walk, I need to be able to get into the chair by myself.  If I can do that, I can help with payroll, the ledgers and the contracts.  Maybe I can even start playing my piano again.  And as soon as I can get in a buggy, I’d like to see Micah.”

 

Propping an arm on the chair, he dropped his chin down on his fist.  He’d wasted time worrying about Micah and Shiloh while he could do nothing about either of them when he should have been planning how to handle the work.  Evidently she’d been giving it a lot of thought.

 

“I can do the order for supplies for the Flying W, too, and ask Ming Lin to pick them up.  I can send Johnny or Tom to help him.”

 

He smiled at her without moving his chin off his fist.  “I think we need to take one step at a time, at least until the weather breaks.  Why don’t we wait until morning to see if you can get to the side of the bed, and we’ll go from there?”  She twisted her mouth. “You need to get back to sleep.  It won’t be long before Abel’s hungry again.”

 

“You?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

 

“I still have a little more work to do.  I’ve got to figure out how to stabilize a building on unstable fill.”  She gave him a questioning look.  “The Hotaling Hotel is being built on sand, dirt, and whatever else was handy where the shoreline of San Francisco Bay used to be.  In fact, the long pier at the end of Commercial Street will soon be over land instead of water.”

 

“Adam, that pier has to be several miles long.”

 

“It’s two miles long, and it’s one of the busiest streets in the city.”

 

Reaching for his hand, she gave him a pleading look.  “Can’t you do that tomorrow?  You need to get some sleep as well.  You’ll be no good to me if you’re too weak to hold me up.”

 

He laughed and scratched his forehead.

 

“Please?” she asked with a sweet smile.

 

It was then that Abel decided to remind them of his presence underneath his light blanket by stretching as babies do, after which he announced in no uncertain terms he was hungry.

 

Adam watched as Shiloh lifted Abel into her arms and settled him down for his meal.  It appeared that after that first awkward time she fed him, nursing him had become quite natural for her.  It was obvious she enjoyed the closeness with their son.  Smiling, he rose from the chair.  “I’ll finish up over here.  When he’s done, we’ll get some sleep.”

 

Adam really didn’t get much more done.  He spent the time watching Shiloh as she fussed over Abel.  When she lay the baby back down on the bed beside her, Adam prepared his own bed, pulling the blankets down and fluffing his pillow.  The bed he’d moved out of the bunkhouse wasn’t the most comfortable, and truth be told, he was looking forward to sleeping in their bed again, but it would have to do, and he was happy to have it so he could, at least, sleep in the same room with Shiloh and their son.

 

He kissed them both goodnight before he turned down the lamp, removed his clothes and climbed under the blankets for a few hours of sleep.  Though he was tired enough to sleep through another feeding, Adam awoke early and was standing at the window drinking his first cup of coffee for the day when Shiloh stirred. He turned away from what had held his attention when she grunted while trying to sit up.  Setting his cup on the dressing table, he hurried over to help, but she held up her hand.

 

“Thank you, but I need to get used to doing this on my own.”

 

All he could do was watch…and wince.

 

Once up, she lifted the blanket over Abel and looked underneath, and satisfied he was snug, warm and still sound asleep, she turned to Adam.  “Good morning.  How long have you been up?”

 

“Whether I’ve been up late or not, I wake up at the same time every morning.”

 

“Then why are you still in the bed when I wake up late?”

 

A wide smile spread over his face as he bent down for a kiss.  “Because I enjoy watching you sleep.”  Just before their lips met, he added, “You’re so quiet.”

 

She bit his bottom lip…not hard, but enough for him to take immediate notice.

 

Both were frozen in place, almost eyeball to eyeball, and when it was apparent she wasn’t going to let go, he offered, “I wa tea…ing.”

 

“Hmf,” she uttered, letting go.

 

He kissed her again amidst a laugh.

 

Adjusting her blanket, she asked, “What’s so interesting outside that window?”

 

“It’s raining,” he said with just a hint of an edge in his voice.

 

“Wonderful,” she chimed in with the same dread.  “Now all that snow will turn to slush and mud.  The wagons will still have trouble getting through.”

 

“Mm hm.  Maybe one day man will be able to predict the weather beyond what Hoss feels in his big toe.”

 

“Adam, before Mary comes up, would you help me?  I want to try to sit on the edge of the bed.”

 

Frowning, he stood.  “You’ll have to tell me what you want me to do.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Chuckling, she carefully moved the blanket covering her to the side, but below the place where Abel lay.  “I’m not exactly sure.  We can try one thing, and if that doesn’t work we’ll try another until we’ve exhausted the possibilities.”

 

***

 

Ben looked up from the newspaper when Adam opened the front door of the main house.  “Adam, I didn’t expect you today.  Everything all right?”

 

Adam’s lips were pinched into a tight line when he tossed his hat onto the bureau a little harder than he’d intended.

 

Ben watched his son assume that all-too-familiar stance; his hands on his hips, brooding eyes and his mouth puckered as he breathed deeply to calm himself.  Folding the paper and placing it on his lap, Ben propped each elbow on an arm of the chair, clasped his hands and waited until Adam walked to the table in the center of the living area and sat down, propping one foot on the hearth as he stared into the fire.

 

“Surely it can’t be Shiloh.  She’s confined to her bed.”

 

“Not anymore,” came the clipped reply.

 

Now Ben’s brows were furrowed as he sat forward on his chair.  “She could barely move yesterday.   Are you telling me she’s gotten out of the bed?”

 

Adam grimaced.  “Yes…well, no.”  Shaking his head, he repeated, “Yes, at least to the side with her feet on the floor.  She asked for help this morning because she wanted to be able to get into the wheelchair by herself when I started getting busy.”

 

Raising his brows and slowly nodding, Ben eased back in his chair.  “And?”

 

Dropping his forehead into his hand, Adam rubbed his temples.  “We must have tried three different ways before she pushed me away and moved, all on her own,” he said, glancing at his father, “despite the fact she was crying and sweating.  When she finally made it, I thought she was going to pass out.”  His voice became quiet as he lowered his head and looked at his hands.  “She sat there crying for a minute before she pushed herself up.”

 

“But she stood.  On her own.”

 

Adam nodded.

 

Ben smiled.  “Adam, do you remember the times you were confined to the bed.  Even when you were very young, eleven or twelve, you got out of your bed when you shouldn’t have, even when Paul told you to stay put.”

 

“It’s not that she’s trying, Pa, though I think I would have preferred to just hear about it rather than see it.”

 

Watching his son stare into the fire with his fist gently bouncing on his purse lips, Ben waited, knowing that whatever was bothering Adam would come out in good time.

 

“I guess I’m feeling a little guilty.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I pushed when she wasn’t ready.”  When he heard his father chuckle, he glanced in his direction, but not at him, then turned away.

 

“Adam, do you really believe that waiting for her to be ready to have a baby had anything to do with the size of the child?”

 

Thinking for a moment, Adam finally snorted.  “No, I guess not.  I just don’t like to see her in that kind of pain.”

 

Ben grunted.  “I think it’s good…for both of you…that she’s ready to get out of that bed.  I have a feeling, if it were completely up to you, you’d confine her until she was too weak to try.”

 

“Paul said she should take her time.  He was afraid she’d make it worse.”

 

“She’s been in bed for two weeks now.  I think she’s right in wanting to take those first few steps.  Tomorrow, she’ll try again, and the day after that.  She may even use the wheelchair for awhile, but eventually, Adam, she’s going to try to walk without it until one day she won’t need you to help any longer.”

 

Sitting up straight, Adam flared his nostrils as he turned and looked into his father’s eyes.  Was that really what was bothering him?

 

Chapter Eighty-Seven

 

Was that really what was bothering him?, he thought again. It was a startling realization.  He’d never thought of himself as someone who needed much, much less needed to be needed.  He broke the look he shared with his father and cast his eyes down, smiling.  “It’s hard to think of Shiloh needing anyone.  I suppose in some basic way, it’s nice when she does need me.”

 

Standing, Ben moved a hand to Adam’s shoulder.  “She wouldn’t have married you if she hadn’t needed you in one way or another.  Now, it’s time for Micah to have more laudanum.  He still has a fever, and he’s not been very lucid, but he’ll know you’re there.   And I’m sure  he’ll want to hear about Shiloh and the baby.”

 

Both men climbed the stairs, and when Ben opened Micah’s bedroom door, Adam stayed at the door, lifting his hand and covering his mouth.  Micah’s feet were off the end of the bed with what looked like fresh bandages covering them.  Looking away, Adam found himself watching Hop Sing gather the old bandages he had just removed along with the bowl of cream he had applied to Micah’s feet.

 

Hop Sing stopped next to Adam as he was walking through the door.  He glanced back at Micah as he said in a low voice, “He not eat enough.  He starve before feet take him.”

 

Following Hop Sing out into the hall, Adam asked, “Hop Sing, what do you mean before his feet take him?  Aren’t they any better?”

 

Hop Sing shook his head.  “Hard to tell. Feet still raw.  More skin come off.”

 

Ben bent low so that Micah could hear him.  “Micah, you can have more laudanum, but before you take it, Adam is here.”

 

Adam slowly approached the bed, and when he saw Micah’s face, he sucked in a quiet breath, noticing for the first time Micah’s hollow cheeks and sunken eyes.  Hop Sing had said he wasn’t eating enough, and though Adam could understand Micah’s lack of an appetite, he knew he had to convince him to eat more.  Pulling a chair forward, Adam sat on the edge and leaned in toward Micah, almost whispering, “Micah, it’s Adam.”  When Micah moved his hand slowly toward him, Adam took it and gently squeezed.  “I don’t want you to try to talk.  Just listen.  You’re losing weight and that will only weaken you.  I know it’s hard, but you have to eat whatever Hop Sing offers you.  Do you understand?”

 

Looking up at Adam from underneath heavy eyelids, Micah managed a grunt through his laudanum induced stupor.

 

“Well, that’s more than you’ve said all week,” said Adam with a lightness in his voice that he knew Micah heard because he attempted a smile.

 

“Shi…baby?” asked Micah faintly.

 

“Both are fine.  Shiloh stood this morning.  She’s still in some pain, but she’s made some progress.  And Abel does three things very well.  He eats, sleeps and…”  He glanced up at his father, looked back at Micah and grinned.  “…uses diapers.”

 

Micah barely whispered, “Work?”

 

“There’s not much work right now, Micah.  We’ve had some late heavy snow.  Today it started raining, so we have slush and heavy, wet snow.  We’ll have to wait it out.”

 

Adam had been watching Micah slowly clench the sheet with his other hand.  Nodding at his father, he squeezed the hand he was holding.  “Time for me to get back to the house.  And you need to take another dose before it gets too bad.”

 

Ben was ready with the spoon of laudanum, and Micah was eager to take it.  After the second spoonful, Adam and Ben quietly left the bedroom.

 

“Pa, what does Paul say?” Adam asked as the two men walked down the stairs.

 

“He says Micah’s holding his own, if we can just keep the infection at bay.  Hop Sing and Cheron’s salve seems to be doing some good.”  At the bottom of the stairs, they continued to the door where Adam pulled on his coat.  “Any word from Roy?” asked Ben.

 

Adam shook his head as he put his hat on. “I really didn’t expect to hear anything this soon.  The best he can do at the moment is send some wires out to Utah Territory.”

 

“Hm.  Oh, before you go…”  Ben hurried over to the desk and picked up an envelope.  “One of the men brought this from town with the mail yesterday.”

 

Taking the envelope, Adam pulled out the piece of paper, and after a moment, he sighed. “It seems our furniture is in Placerville, but the drivers refuse to go any further and say they can’t stay to wait out the weather.”  Stuffing the wire back into the envelope, Adam continued.  “I’ll have to arrange storage in Placerville until the weather turns.  So, I’ll be going to town today,” he said irritably.  “You need me to do anything while I’m there?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I do.  Would you go by Isaiah Smith’s feed store?   Tell him I need our feed order by the end of the week, or I’ll have to cancel the order and get it in Carson City.   We need to start fattening up our beef and with the bad weather, we’ll need every bit of that feed to get started.”

 

Adam nodded.  “I’ll be on my way as soon as I check in on Shiloh.”  He turned to leave, but stopped and bowed his head in thought.  “Pa, with Hoss gone for awhile, and all the late spring work ahead of us…”  He knew his next question would be met with resistance. “Have you given any thought to hiring a foreman?”

 

Ben raised his brows.  “No.  I’m not sure we need a foreman.  Joe and I can oversee everything that needs to be done.”

 

Looking at his father almost apologetically, Adam said, “I’m just not sure I’ll be able to help much with Micah down.  Hank can handle most of the day-to-day work on the Flying W, but there’s still the repairs and books…and the mine.  I was thinking about talking to Philip Deidesheimer over at the Ophir to find out if he knows of anyone I can trust in a supervisory position.  If I can hire someone there, I’ll have more time to help here.  I just don’t want to leave you shorthanded.”

 

Moving his arm over Adam’s shoulder as Ben steered him toward the door, he answered, “Now Adam, we’ve managed before with a mountain of work and one of us down.  Let’s wait and see if Philip can come up with anyone.   And we’ll wait for the repair list before we decide what to do.”  He stopped and looked Adam in the eye.  “Whatever the work, I don’t want you to feel it’s all on your shoulders.  We’ll manage.  We always have.”

 

Giving his father a tight-lipped smile, Adam nodded.  “I’ll let you know what Philip says.”

 

Riding back to his own home, Adam looked in on Shiloh.  Mary told him Shiloh was exhausted from her attempts to get out of bed and was mostly sleeping between Abel’s meals.  He found her on her side with her knees pulled up just a bit; something she either hadn’t been able to do or hadn’t attempted.  She was sound asleep, so he assumed there was little to no pain in that position.  He smiled at the perceived improvement.  Sneaking a peek at his son, he found Abel’s eyes open, so he lifted the child into his arms and spent a few minutes with him before the baby drifted off the sleep.  Kissing the child’s head, Adam gently laid him down next to Shiloh, reached out to her, touching her hair, and then left for town.

 

Though the trip was slow with Sport slogging through the rain-heavy snow, it was uneventful, albeit uncomfortable.  Before he went to the telegraph office, he stopped at the Silver Dollar for a whiskey to shake off the cold he felt inside his soaked-through coat.

 

“Adam, it must be something real important for you to be out in this mess,” said Cosmo, the bartender.

 

The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up.  “I suppose it’s not by itself.  Just something that has to be taken care of on a long list.”

 

Cosmo poured a glass of whiskey and passed it to Adam as he leaned closer over the bar.  “You need to watch your back.  That Clint Miller is back in town.  Rumor has it he’s asking about Micah.”  It was no surprise to Adam that Cosmo would have thought that was important.  By now, everyone in town knew what had happened to Micah, and they knew who had done it.

 

Adam froze in place with the whiskey glass at his lips and arched an eyebrow, and Cosmo answered by nodding toward the back of the saloon.  Focusing on the images in the mirror behind the bar, it didn’t take long for Adam to spot his former mine superintendent; the same man who brought Randall Holman to the Flying W.

 

Adam held the glass at his lips as he spoke quietly.  “Cosmo, you’d better send for the sheriff.”

 

“Now, Adam, I don’t want no trouble in here.  I’ll send for Sheriff Coffee, but you stay put!”

 

Looking back into the mirror, Adam shrugged before he downed his whiskey.  “Doesn’t look like I need to go anywhere.”  Turning, he waited for Miller to get to the bar while Cosmo called the boy who kept his floors swept over to the bar and sent him to get Roy.

 

Clint walked tall with his hands hanging by their thumbs from his front pockets as he approached Adam.  “I hear tell Micah Whitney met with some bad luck.  How’s he doing?”

 

“You should know, Miller.  You arranged for him to be taken.  I’m sure Holman’s done some bragging.”

 

“I really have no idea what you mean,” said Miller with a smug smile.

 

“You’ve been identified as one of the men at the mine.  Sheriff’s looking for you,” said Adam, smiling.

 

Miller cut his eyes toward Cosmo as the bartender slowly reached under the counter.  He looked back at Adam, then took a step back…and another, and when he turned to leave, Adam drew his gun.

 

“I think you ought to wait for him.  It’s only a matter of time before you’re back in jail, but this time, it’ll be for attempted murder.”

 

“That’s right, Miller,” said Sheriff Coffee as he stepped through the batwing doors with his shotgun aimed at Miller.  “Now why don’t you unbuckle that gun belt real slow.”

 

Clint tensed and slowly moved his hands to his gun belt.  “No one tried to kill Whitney, Sheriff.  In fact, Cartwright will tell you he’s alive at the Ponderosa.”  He had just unfastened his gun belt, and as he swiftly pulled his gun from its holster as the belt fell away, Adam fired a shot, hitting him in the arm.  Silence fell over the saloon.  The customers and working girls stopped what they were doing and turned to watch Miller’s gun clatter to the floor as he grabbed for his arm.

 

Roy bristled. “One of you fellows fetch the doctor over to the jail.  Miller, I’ve seen firsthand what Holman did to Micah.  There ain’t an honest man around who don’t know the kind of burns Micah has is enough to eventually kill him.  If that ain’t attempted murder, I don’t know what is.  You were in on it.  That makes you just as guilty as Holman.  Now, you’re coming with me to jail, and you’ll wait there until the territorial judge comes through next month.  And if I were you, I’d say some prayers because the next place you’re likely to be is the territorial prison…unless Micah dies, and then you’ll hang.  Adam, would you mind picking up his gun and walking with me to the jail?”

 

Bending to pick up Miller’s gun from the floor, Adam said, “Sure, Roy,” then fell behind Miller as Roy led the way.

 

Once Miller was locked up waiting for the doctor, Roy returned to the front of the office.  “Adam, what brings you to town on day like this?  Shiloh and the baby all right?”

 

“They’re both fine, Roy.  I came to send a telegram to Placerville, and Pa asked me to check on a feed order over at Isaiah’s.”  Adam removed his hat and picked at the rivets on the band.  “Have you heard anything about Holman?”

 

“Not a word,” answered Roy, sitting down at the desk.  “But then, I don’t expect anyone out there to do anything until the weather turns.  And if I don’t hear something before the territorial judge gets here, I’ll ask for a warrant for Holman, and then I’ll ask a federal marshal to serve it since Holman’s over in Utah Territory.  That’s about as much as I can do.”

 

“And what if the judge won’t issue a warrant?”

 

Roy sat forward in his chair. “I don’t know why he wouldn’t.  But if he won’t, there’s nothing else I can do.”  When Adam nodded and pursed his lips, Roy continued,  “And don’t you go getting any ideas about going after Holman on your own.  Even if you were to bring him back here, there’d still be nothing I could do without a warrant.”

 

Adam arched a brow as he gave Roy a quick nod, moved his hat to his head and headed for the telegraph office.  After he sent the telegram to Placerville, he went to Isaiah’s feed store leaving a worried proprietor behind him, having delivered his father’s threat of taking the Ponderosa business to Carson City in no uncertain terms.   Adam didn’t mince words.  He was still uncomfortably wet and cold.  That and the possibility presented by Roy that there could be a chance Holman would get off scot-free put him in a foul mood, and he still had to ride to the Ophir Mine, and then all the way home in the frigid rain and slushy snow.

 

 

 

Chapter Eighty-Eight

 

By the time Adam had arrived at the Ophir Mine, he’d been riding through sleet for half an hour.   What normally would have been a fifteen minute ride had turned into a slow, slippery trip.  Generally, the miners walked to the mine from their homes when they started their shifts.  There was no barn or shed where Sport could wait for his master out of the weather, and Adam wasn’t willing to let him stand in the slushy mix raining down, waiting for however long it took to speak with Philip. He did the only thing he thought fair to Sport, and rode him back to the livery where he could wait under cover for Adam’s return.

 

Adam, on the other hand, went back out into it, slipping and sliding down the steep slope of Mill Street, past the come hither calls from the doves on D Street, past E and F Street and finally turning on Carson Street where the Ophir Mine office was located.

 

He quickly knocked, and upon hearing a familiar grunt, he stepped in and found Deidesheimer as he had anticipated, poring over the tunnel maps of the mine, planning the next installation of square sets.

 

“Adam,”  said Philip, pushing away from his desk and extending his hand.  “I am surprised to see you out in dis storm wid a new baby at home.  What brings you to town?”

 

“Philip,” replied Adam with a smile and a warm handshake, “I need some advice.”

 

“Oh.  De only advice I am qualified to give is wid de mine.  Is dere a problem at de Whitney?  Give me your coat.  I will hang it by de fire.”

 

Adam gladly obliged.  “Not with the mine, but I need a recommendation for a superintendent.  Someone who knows mining and can direct the men.”

 

“You had a superintendent.  He did not work out?”

 

Adam had been facing the fire as he warmed his hands, but turned as his hands slowed their rubbing together and finally clasped.  “Philip, my superintendent is responsible for an accident at the mine.  He’s also responsible for almost getting Micah killed.”

 

Philip bowed his head.  “I did not know.  And how is Micah?  Please, sit down,” he said, pulling two chairs toward the fire.

 

Once both men were seated with a hot cup of coffee, Adam began, “Micah’s holding his own, but he’s still got a long way to go.”  After sipping his coffee, he continued, “It was Clint Miller who notified Randall Holman that Micah was here.  Micah ran into Holman up in Utah Territory, and…let’s just say Holman had a grudge.”

 

“And where is Miller now?”

 

“Jail.  Roy arrested him on conspiracy to commit murder.”

 

“I see,” said Philip after a grunt. “I do hope Micah overcomes dis.  He is a good man.  Now about de mine; I have several men here at de Ophir who could act in dat capacity, but it will be up to dem to leave.  Working conditions in de mine have improved greatly with de square sets.  Everyone wants to work at de Ophir now.  De other mines have not been quick to make improvements.”

 

Tilting his cup back for the last of his coffee, Adam said, “Well, we do use square sets at the Whitney.  We pay normal wages while a man recovers from injuries caused by an accident.

And I’m betting that any man will trade a miner’s wage for a superintendent’s.”  Adam stood and reached for this jacket.  “I trust your judgment, Philip. If you find some who’s qualified and interested, send them out to the Ponderosa.”

 

As he walked Adam to the door, Philip replied, “I will do dat.  It should only be a few days.  And maybe if you have de time, Adam, you can look at my calculations for de square sets as we dig deeper.”

 

Adam had just pulled on his gloves and opened the door, but closed it again. “Philip, you’re figures have always been good.  You shouldn’t doubt yourself.”

 

“Adam, you are de only engineer in Virginia City dat I trust to use as a sounding-board.  You do not just nod your head while de information travels in and out of your ears.  No, if I have made a miscalculation, you will see it.”
Smiling, Adam tipped his hat.  “You know where to find me when you’re ready.”

 

Leaving Philip with a smile, Adam slogged through the icy slush back up the slope of Mill Street, staying close to the sides of the buildings on the steeper part that intersected C Street to catch himself if his feet began to slip underneath him.  Finally on the flat boardwalk, he made quick progress to the livery where Sport waited.

 

Once back on the road toward home, he pushed his hat down snug on his head, flipped the collar of his jacket up, hunched his shoulders and bent his head forward to keep the stinging sleet away from his face.

 

***

 

Despite the snowy weather outside, Hoss was warm…uncomfortably warm in the small hut Cheron insisted he rest inside several hours in the morning and late afternoon.

 

She had built the fire around a basin into which she sprinkled an abundance of different dried plants, explaining that the steam created contained healing properties.

 

He was not to wear bandages over his eyes while in the small hut, but rather allow the steam to touch his eyes and skin.

 

In the meantime, Cheron had Annie follow her everywhere she went, gathering plants, preparing them for drying, visiting ill tribe members, and showing her how to minister to them based on their ailment.

 

When Hoss emerged for the midday meal, Annie took him to a large wiki-up where several families had gathered.   He hadn’t uttered a word, but rather studied his wife, watching how she moved, how she approached the Washoe, how she spoke…and what she was wearing.

 

Her wardrobe surprised him more than anything.  The people of the tribe had taken a liking to her and each one she spoke with helped her struggle with the meanings of their words.  Those who didn’t speak the language of the white man were happy to ‘trade’ words with her.  More than that, however, she looked like them except that her hair was light brown instead of the black or black-brown of the Washoe.  Her hair fell over her shoulders and contained the same decorations of the young women of the tribe.  She wore skins rather than her own skirts and blouses, having given some of those to other women of the tribe.  Skins covered her feet as well as her legs underneath the simple leather dress she wore.  When out in the cold, she wore plush skins over her as she went from one wiki-up to another or out into the surrounding land with Cheron.

 

Hoss and Annie had been fed since they had arrived, sharing a place with Cheron, her son and daughter and husband, the chief, who usually preferred to sit away from his family so that he could speak with the other men about tribal affairs.

 

As they sat cross-legged before a meal of a thick porridge with chunks of some kind of meat, Annie whispered to Hoss, “How is your vision?”

 

Hoss had already decided that the reason the porridge was so thick was because the Washoe used their fingers the way he was taught to use a spoon.  He didn’t enjoy eating with his hands, but he had quickly gotten over the embarrassment it caused him because everyone around him, including Annie, was doing the same thing.  Licking porridge off the back of his hand, he answered, “It’s still blurry.  I can’t tell if it’s any better in these dark tents, and it’s too dim outside to tell.  I just wish this storm would break.  I reckon there ain’t much work gettin’ done back at the Ponderosa.  What’s Cheron got you doin’?”

 

“Two of the women are ready to give birth.  We’ve been preparing huts similar to yours for them.  Besides that, she’s been showing me how to identify the plants she uses, and what specifically they’re for.  And how to administer them.”  After a bite of food, she continued, “I brought my medical bag and have been showing her how I use my tools.  I’m going to leave it with her.  She’s very good at stitching.”

 

“You don’t s’pose there’s somethin’ I can do around here, do you?”  If I have to sit another hour in that tent without anything to do, I’ll…well, I’ll prob’ly be mistaken for a rabid animal.”

 

Annie thought for a moment.  “I have an idea.   If I bring you some dried skins and a knife, can you cut them into strips and make a leather headstall for Chu’o.  Maybe some braided reins to go with it.”

 

Hoss creased his brow.  “Why d’you want to make Chu’o a bridle? He’s not been real hospitable if you ask me.  Besides, the Paiute took away all their horses.”

 

“Actually, Hoss, he has been hospitable.  He’s letting me go anywhere I want…” she gave a slight shrug, “…with Cheron.  And he’s allowed Cheron to try to heal your eyes.  He doesn’t like us being here.  He puts up with us because of Cheron. And he and Do’a have two horses hidden from sight.  I thought if we could give him something that would separate him from the tribe, something he could use and show off, he might not grunt and scowl at me every time our eyes meet.”

 

“I reckon it’ll give me somethin’ to do,” Hoss answered after having shoved a large chunk of meat into his mouth.

 

“I think it’s bear,” whispered Annie.

 

“It’s mighty greasy.  Greasier than Hop Sing’s fried chicken.  Speakin’ of grease, I’ll need somethin’ to soften the leather with.”

 

“I’ll ask Cheron what they use and bring some to our hut.”

 

Later that night, after Annie and Hoss had retreated to their hut, they prepared their bed of skins and blankets at the back side of the hut behind the fire.  Annie gathered her bandages to cover Hoss eyes, but Hoss took the bandages from her, moving them back to the medical bag.

 

“Hoss…”

 

He moved a finger to her lips.  “Hush now.”  Pulling her to him, he said, “I don’t wanna think about no bandages.”  After kissing her, he whispered, “I don’t wanna think about bear meat, and I don’t wanna think about no present for Chu’o.  In fact, I don’t wanna talk at all.”  Moving his hand to the back of her head, he ran his fingers into her hair as his other arm moved around her.  Laying back, he brought her down on top of him, then rolled over with her in his arms.  He had no problem seeing her bright smile.

 

Chapter Eighty-Nine

 

Mary had been watching out the kitchen window for Adam to arrive. What had been sleet in Virginia City had turned to snow on the mountains surrounding the lake, and Adam’s place was no exception.  It seemed he’d brought a good amount of fog home with him as well.

 

Ming Lin shook his head as he began preparations for the evening meal.  Mary had been carrying on about how Shiloh had sent her out of the room with the baby, and when she had returned, the young mother had somehow managed to get to the side of the bed and pull the wheelchair around in front of her.  Mary had settled Abel on the bed and offered to help, but the missus would have no part of it.   Ming Lin knew that once Mrs. Cartwright set her mind to something, the best thing to do was get out of her way.   If she needed help, she’d asked.

 

Mary just knew Adam would be upset with her for leaving Shiloh alone.  She paced in front of the door waiting for it to open.

 

Adam stepped in and quickly closed the door against the wind behind him.  At the same time he began unbuttoning his coat, he looked up, and stopped cold.  “Mary, is everything all right?”

 

“Yes, Adam, I believe so.”

 

After hanging his hat and coat on the hooks at the side of the door, he went to Mary, taking her hands.  “You’re shaking, Mary.  What’s happened?”

 

“It’s Shiloh, Adam.  She…she sent me out of the room, and when I came back, she was at the side of the bed.”

 

Moving his hands to her arms, he squeezed them gently.  “But she’s all right?”

 

“Yes, she’s seems to be.”

 

One side of Adam’s lips crooked upward.  Mary had little experience in taking care of the infirm.  She had just started working for Paul in helping him care for the elderly in town, and she knew both Adam and Shiloh, having grown up in Virginia City.  Paul thought Shiloh would be easy enough for her to assist given that Adam and Ming Lin were there as well.  “Mary, you’ve known Shiloh all your life.  You know how…stubborn…she can be.”  He began to unfasten his gun belt.

 

“Yes, but after this morning’s attempt exhausted her so, I didn’t think she should try again this soon.  But she wouldn’t listen to reason.”

 

Adam tightened his lips and nodded as he laid his gun belt on the entry table, knowing how frightening Shiloh’s act of moving to the side of the bed must have looked to Mary.  It had been enough to make him think twice about it this morning as well.  “I’ll go check on her, Mary.  Why don’t you see if Ming Lin needs any help in the kitchen?”  He knew Ming Lin needed no help, but sending Mary to the kitchen would occupy her mind while he looked in on Shiloh.  He watched as she hesitated, but eventually left him for the kitchen.

 

When she had disappeared around the corner, he sprinted up the stairs, stopping and taking a deep breath before he entered the bedroom.  Slowly turning the door knob, he gently pushed the door open and peered in.  Abel was asleep in the cradle on the floor next to Shiloh, who was sitting in the wheelchair in front of the desk.  She had managed to move the desk chair out of her way and rolled right up to the desk.

 

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly.

 

She jumped, dropping her pencil on the desk and moving her hand to her chest.  Without looking back, she answered as she continued to pore over paperwork,  “I didn’t hear you come in.  You startled me.”

 

“Sweetheart, you should be resting, especially after all your…activity…this morning.  What are you doing?”

 

“I’m working on a task list and a supply list.  After that, I’m going to put together a schedule of everything that needs to be done at the Flying W and who’s going to do it.  You can fill in the holes, but I should be able to relieve you of much of the physical work at the Flying W, so you can deal with the timber and the mine…and Slater…and whatever is left on the Ponderosa.”

 

Adam rolled her around and squatted in front of her.  Looking at her face, he noticed fine lines across her forehead and at the sides of her mouth.  “You’re in pain.”

 

Bowing her head, she softly replied, “No more than in the bed.”

 

Drawing his mouth into pucker, he slightly lowered his head and looked up at her.

 

“Adam, I have nothing to do in the bed but read, and that doesn’t take my mind off the pain.  This…helps. And it’s not something that’s going to cause any harm.  For goodness sakes, I’m sitting in a wheelchair.”  She made a sound something like a laugh that caught in her throat.  “It’s not like I’m up walking around or doing anything else I’m not supposed to do.”

 

His head bounced as he tempered his voice.  “It’s just a matter of time before you try.”

 

Dropping her forehead into the palms of her hands, she answered, “Adam, I am not an invalid.  Please don’t make me one.   If Paul didn’t think I should try, he wouldn’t have sent the wheelchair.”

 

Standing, Adam walked away.  He turned halfway around with his thumb under his chin and his index finger under his nose.  He was silent for a moment as he studied her, then said, “You’re right.  We wouldn’t have a wheelchair if Paul didn’t want you to use it.  But is there any harm in allowing Mary…or me…to help you out of the bed and into the chair?  It seems to me you wouldn’t exhaust yourself with some help.”

 

“I’ll let Mary help if you’ll heed your own words.”

 

He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“I don’t want you to exhaust yourself handling everything that Hoss and Micah would be doing along with all the other things you do.  Let me help you, at least with the paperwork.”

 

Stepping behind her, he leaned down with his face next to hers, looking at the papers spread over the desk.  “Isn’t that what you’re doing?” he asked with a smile.

 

She kissed his cheek.  “Thank you.  Now, how is Micah doing?”

 

Adam straightened and pulled the chair next to the desk, sitting down and crossing his legs. “Hop Sing said his skin was still peeling and raw, but Paul had said more would slough off as it healed.  He also said that Cheron and Hop Sing’s salve seemed to be doing some good.  Micah’ll make it if he doesn’t get an infection.”

 

“Did you speak with him?”

 

“Mm hm. He wanted to know about you and Abel.  And he wanted to know about work.  He was still in a lot of pain, so we didn’t talk very long before Pa gave him more laudanum.”

 

Shiloh heaved a sigh and propped her chin in her hand.  “I guess this weather is a temporary reprieve, but Adam when it clears…how are you going to handle all this work.  Even without the Flying W, with Crocker’s contracts, and the other timber contracts, the mine…Slater…the Ponderosa…roundup…you can’t be everywhere.”

 

Leaning forward, he took her hand and met her eyes.  “Shiloh, we’ll manage,” he answered calmly.  “I spoke with Philip Deidesheimer at the Ophir today.  He’s going to send someone qualified to supervise the mine.  Oh, and Clint Miller is in jail for attempted murder.”

 

“Well, there’s some good news.  Any word about Holman?”

 

Adam shook his head.  “Nothing yet, but then Roy didn’t expect anything this soon.”

 

“This soon?” Shiloh asked incredulously.  “It’s been over two weeks.”

 

“And everyone in these parts is still dealing with late winter storms.” Raising her hand to his lips, he added, “Sweetheart, Roy will hear something in due time.”

 

She opened her hand and caressed his cheek. “So what do we do?”

 

Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the warmth of her hand on his face.  He missed her touch.  He missed being close to her.  He missed holding her.  Remembering how comforting…how normal…her presence felt next to him, he longed for the day he could share their bed again.  “We wait, and while we’re waiting, we plan,” he answered, smiling.  He covered her hand on his cheek with his hand, drew it to his lips, and kissed her palm contentedly.

 

Next story in the To Everything, There is a Season Series:

Life’s Demands