Summary:  On a business trip to Sacramento, Adam makes an astonishing discovery regarding the events surrounding Marie’s death and it creates a turmoil of emotions for Ben and the boys.  Alternate Universe.

Rating: K+      Word Count: 31,205

 

                                                       Collision Course

 

Chapter 1

Whistling a little tune, Adam loosened his tie as he exited the Central Pacific Railroad Office in Sacramento, pleased he’d won a bid to supply Ponderosa timber for the Transcontinental Railway project. Snow drifts in the Sierras reaching up to forty feet high had closed down the new railroad last winter and Central Pacific had plans to cover thirty-seven miles of track with snow sheds. He shook his head as he recalled the impressive drawings. It was going to be the longest barn in the world and the Ponderosa would be providing thousands of feet of timber! A profitable venture for sure, but as usual with railroad contracts, they’d be working their tails off to meet the deadlines. He didn’t mind the hard work, but in anticipation of the project, he fully intended to enjoy his last two days of freedom before catching the stage home.

Familiar with the area, he headed down the boardwalk toward the River City Saloon. It was an exceptionally hot day and he was thinking about a nice cold beer when a pretty young woman stepped out of a dress shop directly into his path, forcing him to do a quick sidestep. Blushing, she politely apologized and Adam continued on his way, but not before taking a second glance. He grinned and tipped his hat when he caught her doing the same thing. Embarrassed, she blushed and slipped into another store. Little Joe would be chasing after her, he thought with a chuckle. His eighteen-year-old brother wasn’t one to let an opportunity slip by.

Feeling in a chipper mood, he picked up his pace, eager to reach his destination. Not only was he thirsty for that beer, his stomach was beginning to rumble and he needed a bite to eat. Whether he was distracted by his hunger or just inattentive, he didn’t know, but in the next instant, he found himself on another collision course with a woman hastily exiting the mercantile and this time he didn’t have time to sidestep. He grabbed her arm to steady her and apologized profusely. “My apologies, ma’am. I hope you’re all right.”

The woman acknowledged him with a quick glance and smile. “My fault entirely,” she replied straightening her hat. Satisfied all was in order, she motioned for three school-age boys carrying baskets of groceries to follow her. “Come along,” she instructed in a cheerful voice.

Adam tipped his hat, but took a moment to observe her as she led her little entourage across the street. Strangely jolted by their brief encounter, he studied her from behind. There was something familiar about her voice and the way she carried herself. Her blonde hair had a few streaks of grey and he guessed she was in her late forties. She appeared to have a motherly relationship with the boys, but they were too close in age to be brothers, so that couldn’t possibly be the case.  Their teacher, perhaps? Unsettled, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Forget it, he told himself. But as fate would have it, he spied a carriage barreling down the street heading straight towards the group. Without another thought, he leapt off the boardwalk and ran as fast as he could, hoping to prevent the impending collision. A hair too late, he watched in dismay as the carriage clipped the woman’s shoulder causing her to spin, fall, and hit her head on the ground with a painful thud. Being the first to her rescue, he knelt down and carefully slipped his arm behind her head to cushion it.

In shock, the boys dropped their grocery baskets and crowded around the fallen woman while another passerby offered his assistance. “I’ll get the doc,” he said, rushing off.

Adam nodded and then attempted to quiet the boys who were now peppering him with questions, one after another.

“Is she gonna be all right, mister?”

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

“Is she hurt bad?”

“She ain’t gonna die; is she, mister?”

Having seen his fair share of injuries, Adam was certain her life wasn’t in danger. She had a nasty bump forming on the back of her head and possibly a concussion, but her color was good and her breathing was strong and steady. “No,” he replied in a comforting tone, “she’s not gonna die.”

The boys heaved a collective sigh of relief and smiled weakly at one another, glad to have this man take charge.

Seeing he’d succeeded in calming them down, Adam looked into the delicate features of the woman for the first time. Stunned, time stood still as he studied her. It can’t be, he thought in confusion. It’s impossible!

“She’s waking up!” exclaimed one of the boys.

A soft moan escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open. “Adam?” she whispered shakily. “What… what… happened?” She touched her head and tried to sit up, but the effort proved too much and she succumbed to the darkness once again.

Chapter 2

Adam helped carry the injured woman to the doctor’s office on a stretcher. When they arrived, they transferred her to a bed in the examining room and then Adam withdrew to the waiting room where he sat, deep in thought. He’d noticed the doctor’s solicitous behavior toward the woman and surmised they must be friends. He wanted to question him about her identity, but he really had no right. His mind raced. It can’t possibly be her! Marie died years ago! She’s buried by the lake! Yet, he couldn’t deny this woman, whoever she was, had looked into his eyes and called him by name. Don’t be ridiculous, he told himself, I’m not the only Adam in the world.  Shaken by the woman’s likeness to Marie, he ran his hand over his face as the circumstances surrounding his stepmother’s death bubbled to the surface.

*******

Despite Ben agreeing in private, Marie sensed her husband’s misgivings when she announced her upcoming plans to the boys at the supper table. “Now, Ben, it’s only three weeks.”

“Only three weeks?” he muttered grumpily. “That seems like an eternity. Are you sure someone else can’t help?”

“Julia is my dearest friend and I want to be there for the birth of her baby, especially now that Bill broke his foot. You know how tiring it is taking care of a newborn.”

Ben glanced around the table at his three sons and nodded. “I remember,” he said with a sigh. “I just wish they still lived in Virginia City and you didn’t have to travel all the way to Placerville.”

“I do, too, but Bill’s promotion to bank manager wasn’t something they could refuse.” She furrowed her brow. “Too bad Mr. Weems wasn’t ready to retire.”

Ben gave her an affectionate smile. He realized women needed each other in ways he’d never understand, especially when it came to birthing babies. “All right, boys, it looks like we’re going to be on our own for a little while.”

Little Joe hurried up and swallowed the food in his mouth so he could talk. “Can I go with you, Mama?”

Sitting beside him, Marie kissed the top of her five-year-old’s head. “No, darling, I’m going to be very busy.”

Unhappy with her answer, Little Joe scowled, but he knew from experience whining wouldn’t get him anywhere so he took another bite of mashed potatoes and kept quiet.

Proud he’d accepted her answer without a fuss, Marie turned her attention to her eldest. “Adam, with Hop Sing being away, I’m afraid my trip is going to impact you the most.”

Adam lifted an eyebrow and met his stepmother’s gaze. “How come?” he asked warily.

“Shaughnessy isn’t available to watch your brothers,” she said matter-of-factly. “So that, dear boy, leaves you.” She smiled. “N’est-ce pas?”

“No, that isn’t so,” Adam said with a groan. “I’ve got work to do, Ma. You can’t possibly expect me to babysit.”

Insulted, Hoss spoke up. “Hey, I ain’t no baby!”

“Me neither,” Little Joe exclaimed with an indignant nod.

“Settle down,” Ben said, issuing a warning. Unlike many fathers, he encouraged his children to engage in dinner conversation, but he didn’t tolerate outbursts and they knew it. Satisfied he’d put a stop to it, he turned his attention to Adam. “We hired a rough crew for round-up, Adam. I need to be on-hand to keep a tight rein, so there’s no choice.”

“Besides,” Marie said, smiling at him, “you don’t really mind a little extra swimming and fishing with your brothers these next few weeks, do you?”

Adam rewarded her with a dimpled smile. “No ma’am, but, uh, what about the army contract?” He gave his father an innocent look. “You gonna break the horses for me, Pa.”

All eyes on him, Ben puffed out his chest in mock indignation and wagged his finger at Adam. “If you think my horse breaking days are over, young man, you’re absolutely right!”

Laughter erupted and Ben laughed right along with them. “I’ll make sure you get time at the corral.”

Adam grinned. His stepmother’s vacation was shaping up to be a little vacation for him, too. As far as work was concerned, he didn’t mind skipping out on round-up and the long hours in the saddle that went along with it. He’d rather break horses, any day, and now that he knew he’d still get a crack at the wild mustangs they’d wrangled into the corral last week, he was happy with the arrangement. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he looked forward to some free time with his brothers.

So with plans in place, they all went to the stage depot two days later to send Marie off on her trip. Despite it being broad daylight, Ben and Marie stood in the middle of the walkway and shared a tender kiss. “I’m going to miss you,” Ben growled good-naturedly in her ear.

Always sentimental about goodbyes, Marie looked with passion into his eyes, “I love you, Ben.”

“I love you more,” he whispered before reluctantly letting her go.

Smiling radiantly, she called the boys over. “Be good,” she said to Hoss and Little Joe as she gave them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Aw, Ma,” Hoss replied, reddening. “Someone might be lookin’.”  He enjoyed his Ma’s affection, but not in the middle of town where his friends might see.

Marie smiled in understanding of her eleven-year-old’s sensibilities. “Well, then, they’ll see how much your mother loves you!” She reached down and brushed a curl out of Little Joe’s eyes. “Isn’t that right, mon petite?”

Little Joe nodded, but now that it was almost time for her to leave, his eyes began to well up with tears. “Don’t go, mama!”

Seeing the threat of tears, Ben picked him up. “Don’t worry,” he said, reassuring her. “He’ll be fine.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, smiling. “I’ll keep him so busy he won’t have time to fret.”

Marie gave Adam a kiss on the cheek. “Keep a sharp eye,” she said, quietly instructing him. “He can disappear in a blink.”

Adam wisely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

Reassured, Marie boarded the stage without any worries as her boys shouted their goodbyes until the stage was out of sight.

A week later, Ben received a telegraph announcing Bill and Julia were now the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy. Two exceedingly long weeks after that, he received another telegraph letting him know Marie would be arriving in three days.

*******

In a cheerful mood, Ben ordered supper at the International House. With Marie and Hop Sing both away, he and Adam had managed to scrape together some fairly decent meals, but nothing like the crispy fried chicken on the menu tonight.

“Well, boys, are you looking forward to having your mother home?”

Three heads bobbed in unison.

“How much longer,” Little Joe asked excitedly.

“Oh, about an hour,” Ben replied, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Little Joe wrinkled his nose, still not sure.

Seeing his expression, Adam put it in more concrete terms for him. “She should be here right after you finish your supper and go to the outhouse.”

Little Joe nodded. “Oh, boy! I’ll eat faster!”

Adam lifted his eyebrows in amusement and exchanged a smile with his father.

“Yuh know, it’s been kind of nice not havin’ to be so clean,” Hoss remarked, “but I sure am glad Ma’s coming home today. I been missin’ her somethin’ fierce!”

Ben’s eyebrows knit together as he inspected all his sons. Hoss was right, he’d been a little lax in the cleanliness department. “You all took baths this morning, didn’t you?”

“Sure did,” Hoss said, surprised he was even asking. “We wouldn’t want Ma to see how grubby we got!”

“No, and I don’t see any reason to mention it,” Ben replied with a twinkle in his eye.

*******

One hour stretched into two and Ben restlessly paced in front of the stage depot, eager to see his wife again. “Adam, watch the boys, I’m going inside to see if they’ve gotten any word.”

“Sure, Pa.” Tired of standing, Adam sat on the steps of the boardwalk and rested his back against the building while Hoss and Little Joe played a game of tic-tac-toe in the dirt.

A few minutes later, Ben came out and sat on the step next to Adam. “Pete Dunnigan is the driver.  He sent a wire from the station in Strawberry last night…said they’d got in late, but he still planned on starting out early this morning for Virginia City.”

“That leg can take anywhere from eight to ten hours,” Adam said, thoughtfully, “so technically speaking, they’re not really late.”

Ben nodded pensively. “True, but you know Pete; he isn’t one to coddle his passengers with long breaks.”

Adam frowned. “You worried?”

“No,” Ben replied, mustering up a reassuring smile, “just impatient.”

Having kept one ear on their conversation, Hoss piped up. “You always tell us patience is a virtue, Pa.”

“Well, then, I’d better start setting a good example!”

Tired, Little Joe wriggled his way onto his father’s lap. “Pa, when’s Mama gonna get here? We been waitin’ a long time.”

“I know,” he said in a comforting tone. He checked his watch and then made a decision. “It’ll be too late to ride back to the ranch tonight, so let’s get a couple of rooms at the hotel and surprise your mother, shall we?”

Little Joe looked at his brothers with excitement. “We’re stayin’ at the hotel!”

“Oh, boy!” Hoss exclaimed. “I heard they got somethin’ called room service and they bring food right to your door! Is that true, Pa?”

Ben stood up and ruffled Hoss’s hair. “Yes, it is, young fella, and if your mother’s hungry, maybe we’ll give it a try.”

Adam got up and fell into step behind his Pa and brothers. He couldn’t help thinking his father’s cheerfulness sounded a little forced.

*******

Two more hours passed and Ben couldn’t pretend he wasn’t worried any longer. He had a bad feeling in his gut and there was no shaking it. He rousted Adam from where he was dozing while the two younger boys slept in their beds. “It’s been too long,” he said quietly. “I’m going to round up Roy and ride out to meet them.”

“I’ll go with you,” Adam said in quick reply.

Focused on his plan, Ben shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “Stay with your brothers.”

Adam frowned in dismay, unwilling to accept ‘no’ for an answer. “I’ll get the reverend’s wife to watch them,” he said, making an impassioned plea. “Please, Pa, let me go.”

Ben took a deep breath and paused to consider it. He didn’t know what to expect and it was possible they might need Adam’s help.

“Come on, Pa, I’m not gonna sleep anyway and if the stage broke down…or…or…something worse…you might need another hand.”

Not surprised his sensible son had come to the same conclusion, he nodded. “Be quick. I’ll get the horses and supplies and meet you at the Sheriff’s Office.”

Adam didn’t hesitate, he grabbed his hat and gun belt and headed for the door. Seeing the worry etched in his young face, Ben reached out and gave him an encouraging pat on the back. “Don’t worry, son, it’s probably just something simple like a broken axel.”

Only it wasn’t.

They rode all night and just as dawn was breaking, they came upon the horrific scene. The battered and broken stage was on its side by the creek where it had landed after careening off the road and rolling down the steep embankment. Bullet holes riddled the cab.

His heart in his throat, Ben frantically searched for his wife. Working alongside him, Adam spotted Pete sprawled in the weeds in an awkward position, obviously dead.  He faltered and sucked in his breath, scared of what else they may find.

Roy wished he could protect the boy, but they needed his strength to help lift the cab. “Come on, Adam, take hold!”

“On the count of three,” Ben shouted. “One…two…three!”

Their muscles taut and their faces strained, the three of them managed to lift the bulk of the cab and push it away. Underneath it, lay Marie. She was in her green travelling dress, her skull badly crushed.

Ben’s anguished cry pierced his son’s heart as it echoed off the mountains. Unable to stomach the pain, Adam retreated a few steps away and sank to his knees. He felt the bile rising in his throat and he retched until he couldn’t retch any more. Sad as could be, Roy gathered him in a fatherly embrace and held him as the boy’s tears began to flow.

Chapter 3

Adam closed his eyes and attempted to get his emotions under control. It had been years since he’d brought those images to mind and while he wasn’t ashamed of how it still affected him, he could hear someone coming up the steps and he didn’t feel like making a spectacle of himself.

Her cheeks pink, Sister Margaret rushed into the doctor’s office only to be thwarted in her quest for information by a closed examining room door and no sign of the doctor. As anxious as she was for news, she didn’t want to barge into the inner room unannounced, so she resigned herself to wait. “Good afternoon,” she said, acknowledging Adam’s presence as she caught her breath, “are you the gentleman who helped Grace?”

Adam’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the injured woman’s name and he felt an overwhelming sense of relief at being able to put an end to his irrational thoughts. He politely stood up and removed his hat. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “My name’s Adam Cartwright.”

Still a bit winded, she nodded as she took a seat. “I came as soon as I heard. I’m Sister Margaret and I run the orphanage where Grace is employed. Do you know how badly she’s hurt? The boys said she’d been run over by a carriage!”

Wincing at the dramatic report she’d received, Adam took his seat again. “It grazed her and she hit her head hard enough to lose consciousness, but other than a nasty bump, she didn’t appear too badly hurt.” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his reason for staying. “Of course, I’m, uh, not a doctor.”

Greatly relieved, she gave a silent prayer of thanks. “Nevertheless, your account makes me feel much better.” She raised her eyes heavenward. “Those boys!”

Adam smiled at her. “Do you have many children in your care, Sister Margaret?”

“We currently have sixteen boys at Mercy House.” She wrinkled her brow in thought. “It’s hard to believe, but it’s been thirteen years since we first opened. You see, the Sisters of Mercy are primarily a teaching order, but as soon as we arrived out west, we were shocked by the number of homeless boys on the street.  The parish school was already in progress and thanks to some generous benefactors, we were able to build an adjacent orphanage.”

Adam nodded in understanding. “The gold rush,” he stated with a sigh. “It brought a huge influx of people into the area and more problems than anyone ever anticipated.”

Sister Margaret glanced toward the examining room door. “Grace was instrumental in helping us raise funds. I’m afraid my fellow sisters and I had big plans, but little idea of how to achieve them.” She eyed his business attire and noted it was of good quality, but she also noticed the gun strapped to his leg. She didn’t want to be too nosy, but curiosity got the best of her. “Are you a businessman, Mr. Cartwright?”

“Well, I’m here on business, but no, I’m a rancher from Nevada. I live with my father and brothers on a spread near Virginia City and I spend more time chasing steers than sitting in an office.”

“We passed through that area on our way west,” she replied with a nod. “It was rugged, but I remember the wagon train stopping at the most beautiful lake.”   She smiled envisioning the lovely scene.  Unfortunately, that particular memory led to another, not so pleasant one, and her smile faded just a bit.

Adam dropped his eyes and purposely ignored the tiny crease appearing in Sister Margaret’s brow. He’d already stayed longer than necessary and he didn’t want to prolong the conversation by prying into anything that wasn’t his business. After all, he was a stranger and one good deed didn’t entitle him to intrude. “One of my favorite places,” he replied, getting to his feet with a smile. “Our ranch borders the lake on the eastern shore.”

“How wonderful,” she exclaimed, smiling up at him. “But you’re not leaving, are you? I know Grace will want to thank you.”

“Yes, Sister, I really should be on my way.”

“Of course,” she said graciously. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cartwright, and I’ll be sure to tell Grace about your kindness.”

“I wish her well,” he said, suddenly embarrassed by the loud rumbling in his stomach.

“Goodness,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “you’d better get some lunch, young man.”

Reddening, he put on his hat and opened the door. “I intend to,” he replied with a sheepish smile. “Oh, and Sister? I also intend to make a donation to Mercy House for those boys of yours.” And with a tip of his hat, he went out the door and closed it behind him.

Well, now, that’s a good man, she thought with a smile.

Dr. Graham stepped out of the exam room and greeted Sister Margaret. “I thought I heard your voice. Did our good Samaritan leave?”

“You just missed him,” she replied, hurriedly rising from her chair. “Now, tell me Dr. Graham, how is Grace?”

“Physically, she’s going to be fine. The cut on her head will heal nicely.” He frowned and shook his head, perplexed. “It’s her mental status I’m concerned about.”

Sister Margaret’s eyes widened in concern. “In what way?” she asked, afraid of what he meant. “Is she awake?”

“She was, but she was so distraught, I sedated her.” He inclined his head toward the chair she’d just vacated. “Let’s sit down, Sister, perhaps you can help me sort this out.”

Privy to Grace’s condition, Sister Margaret, asked the first question that came to mind. “Is it related to her previous injury?”

He nodded. “I think the blow to her head may have triggered something, but at this point, I’m not sure if it restored her memory or brought greater confusion.”

“Well, what did she say?” she asked with impatience.

“She kept insisting I get her son, Adam, and when I tried to tell her she was confused, she became quite agitated.  In fact, her words were so disjointed, I had a difficult time understanding the full gist of what she was trying to say.”

Sister Margaret inhaled sharply, struck by the coincidence. “Adam? Did she mention a last name by any chance?”

Dr. Graham nodded. “She said it was Cartwright…Adam Cartwright.”

Her hands flew to cover her mouth and she visibly paled. “My goodness, God really does work in mysterious ways.”

Alarmed, the doctor reached out to check her pulse, afraid she was going to faint. “What is it, Sister? Do you feel light-headed?”

“He was here!” she exclaimed, shooing his hand away.

Dr. Graham impatiently shook his head and gestured towards the other room. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but perhaps you should lie down. I have another bed in the back.”

“I don’t need to lie down,” she said, her voice rising. “Now, listen carefully, Adam Cartwright is the name of our good Samaritan!”

Taken aback, Dr. Graham took a moment to digest the news and then, trying to make sense of it, he came up with a probable explanation. “Well, then, they must have gotten acquainted somehow and that blow to her head is causing her some confusion, just as I suspected.”

Sister Margaret gave him an exasperated look. “I had a chance to talk to Mr. Cartwright and he didn’t say anything about having met Grace before today. Besides, it’s more than just his name. He said his family has a ranch just hours away from where the sisters and I first found Grace.”

Intrigued, Dr. Graham raised an eyebrow. “Well, now, I have to admit, that’s an interesting development.”  He mulled it over for a moment and then nodded, knowing exactly what the good sister wanted.  “All right, let’s see if Mr. Cartwright is willing to meet with us.”

Chapter 4

Adam changed out of his dress clothes and flopped on the bed. His belly was full and he was looking forward to a short nap before it was time to get ready for the theatre. There was a musical comedy in town and after all the emotional ups and downs he’d experienced today, he could use a few laughs. He sighed in relief as his head hit the pillow and before he knew it, he began to doze.

He awoke shortly thereafter to a persistent knock on the door. Ever prepared, he slipped his gun out of its holster and approached the door, opening it just enough to see. “Yes?”

The bellhop smiled. “Pardon me, Mr. Cartwright, but Dr. Graham and Sister Margaret are downstairs in the dining room. They’d like to have a word with you if you’re agreeable.”

Taken by surprise, Adam paused and then nodded. “Uh, yes, tell them I’ll be right down.”

“Very good, sir.”

Adam closed the door and splashed some water on his face, wondering what it was all about. He was mildly curious, but in all honesty he really just wanted to put the afternoon’s events behind him, and so it was with trepidation that he strapped on his gun belt and went downstairs. He spied them sitting at a secluded table.

Sister Margaret was both pleased and nervous to see him approach. She hoped he wouldn’t be offended by her questions, but she had no choice. He was the only person who could put the pieces together, and if her instincts were correct, the conversation they were about to have could very well unite his family.

“Thank you for seeing us,” Dr. Graham said, standing up and offering his hand. “I hope we didn’t disturb you.”

Adam shook his hand and smiled at the two of them. “No, not at all. What can I do for you?”

Sister Margaret noted his change of clothes. When she’d seen him earlier, he’d looked like a typical businessman, but now, in his rugged black jeans and shirt he looked very much like a rancher. “Well, I’m afraid it’s going to sound a bit strange,” she replied as both men sat down.

Adam gave her an inquiring look. “You’ve got me curious, please, go on.”

She nodded. “Forgive me if this is too personal, but you mentioned living with your father and brothers, but not your mother. Is there a reason?”

Not one to divulge family business too easily, something in her tone compelled him to answer more thoroughly than he normally would. “Well, that’s complicated,” he replied with a little tug on his ear. “You see, my father was married three times and my mother and stepmothers all died tragically. My stepmother, Marie, was the only one who actually lived on the ranch.”

Sister Margaret smiled sadly. “I’m sincerely sorry, Mr. Cartwright, your family has suffered its share of heartache.”

“I suppose more than some,” he said with a little shrug. He wasn’t indifferent by any means, it just wasn’t something he liked to dwell on. “Please, Sister, call me Adam.”

She nodded. “Bear with me, Adam, but do you mind telling me how and when Marie died?”

Adam groaned inside. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about and if it wasn’t for Sister Margaret’s likable personality, he would have refused to answer the increasingly personal questions.  “Well, it’s been thirteen years. Bandits attacked the stage she was on. The driver was shot and the cab rolled down an embankment. She was crushed by its weight.”

Dr. Graham exchanged a meaningful look with Sister Margaret. He’d been skeptical, but knowing what he did, he was beginning to think she might be right. The time frame and circumstances all seemed to fit.

“Sister,” Adam said with a shake of his head, “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t understand your interest.”

“It’s about Grace,” Dr. Graham explained. “For the past thirteen years, ever since arriving in Sacramento, she’s suffered from amnesia. No memory of her past whatsoever, until possibly today.”  He exchanged another look with Sister Margaret.

Adam grew apprehensive, unwilling to even remotely connect this new detail to the gut reaction he’d had to this woman. “I’m sorry to hear that, but what’s that got to do with me?”

Sensing his uneasiness, Sister Margaret hurried to explain before he decided to bolt. “Do you remember me saying I passed through your area on my way west?”

He nodded.

“Well, that’s where I first laid eyes on Grace. She was on foot, mentally confused and physically exhausted.” She frowned at the memory. “Her dress was torn and stained with blood and she had a terrible gash on her forehead.”

Having a feeling he knew where this was going, Adam looked from one to the other and then simply said, “No.” He began to get up, but Sister Margaret put her hand on his arm and pressed him to stay. “Please, Adam, hear us out, and then if you think it’s nothing more than coincidence, we’ll leave you in peace.”

Adam took a deep steadying breath and against all sane reason, he reluctantly agreed. He’d hear them out. The details couldn’t possibly add up, his mind would be at ease, and that would be the end of it. “All right, Sister.”

Relieved, she gave him an appreciative look. She knew this last part would be difficult for him to hear and equally difficult for him to explain away. She spoke in a gentle voice. “She remembered being on a stage, but didn’t remember who she was or where she was going. The stage was attacked by commancheros and she was thrown from the cab when the driver lost control. The commancheros discovered her alive and took her with them to…well…to abuse her…but ironically her memory loss was her saving grace. The ignorant beasts thought she was cursed and after a time, they left her, untouched, by the side of the road.”

“That’s why the Sisters called her Grace,” Dr. Graham added. “She sought my help, but questioning her triggered such severe anxiety we decided to wait and see if her memory would return on its own. When it didn’t, I sent inquiries to all the neighboring towns, hoping she’d fit the description of a missing person’s report, but no one responded.”

Adam sat stunned and speechless. Of course they hadn’t responded because Marie wasn’t missing at that point in time, she was dead! His mind swirled and his thoughts collided. Are they trying to pull some sort of scam? A land grab scheme?  He looked at Sister Margaret and dismissed the notion.  What then?  He pictured the woman in the street. She’d looked at him with recognition as he’d cradled her head. “She said my name,” he admitted in a voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head angrily. “It can’t be!”

Dr. Graham took the opportunity to explain further. “When Grace woke up in the examining room, she tried to tell me her memory was back, but when she kept insisting I get her son, Adam, I dismissed it as confusion and sedated her. You see, when an amnesia victim’s memory returns, they normally don’t recall the life they lived in their altered state, yet Grace still recognized me and called me by name. I don’t, however, proclaim to know all the mysteries of the mind, so given the circumstantial evidence, I strongly urge you to speak to her, if only to put it to rest.”

“It would be a great kindness to her,” Sister Margaret added.  “If I know Grace, she’ll be desperate to know, one way or the other.”

Adam rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands for a long moment as his thoughts went to his father and brothers and all the events of their lives since that fateful day. Could we have made a terrible mistake that day? A terrible life-altering mistake?

Chapter 5

Nervously wringing her hands, Sister Benedicta waited while the bellhop delivered her note. She hated to interrupt, but it was an emergency. She was relieved when the trio rose from the table and headed her way.

“Sister Benedicta?” asked Dr. Graham. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Graham, but Grace woke up and insisted she didn’t need to stay at the office. She went home to Mercy House.”

Dr. Graham nodded. He’d only lightly sedated her and knowing Grace’s determination, it didn’t surprise him. “How did she seem?”

“She wasn’t herself,” she replied worriedly. “One minute she was hugging me and the next minute she was in tears.”

“Poor dear,” said Sister Margaret with a look of concern. “We’d better go.”

Equally concerned, Dr. Graham opened the door, but before Sister Margaret went through, she gave Adam a questioning look.

Jaw clenched, he gave a slight nod, and followed them.

*******

Feeling too confined in her bedroom, Marie paced in the kitchen, tears of joy comingling with tears of frustration as her memories came flooding back. She remembered everything…Ben and the boys…the Ponderosa…her friendship with the sisters….her work at the orphanage. Nothing was lost and it was overwhelming. Overcome with emotions, she willed herself to calm down and just concentrate on her next move. Oh, where is Sister Margaret?

Deep in thought, she was startled when Sister Margaret actually entered the kitchen. “Sister, thank goodness you’re here!” she exclaimed in a rush. “It’s happened, Sister, it’s finally happened! I remember everything!”

Eyes shining in response to her friend’s joy and excitement, Sister Margaret opened her arms in invitation, eager to give Grace a warm embrace. “It seems your prayers have been answered.”

Marie closed her eyes and savored the moment, so very grateful for her friend’s comfort and compassion. When she opened them, however, Dr. Graham came into view and her countenance changed dramatically. Incensed, she stepped away from her friend and wagged her finger at the doctor. “Don’t you dare think you’re going to sedate me again!” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing. “If anyone is confused, it’s you!”

Dr. Graham held up his hands in surrender. He didn’t blame her for being upset with him. “I’m sorry,” he said, sincerely apologizing. “You hit your head and I naturally thought you were disoriented from the blow.” He gave her a warm smile. “You must know I want nothing but the best for you, Grace, and if you’ve regained your memory, I couldn’t be happier.”

Relieved she didn’t have a battle on her hands, her temper vanished as quickly as it had risen. “Of course,” she said in a calmer tone. “I can imagine how I must have sounded.” A crease wrinkled her brow. “It’s hard for me to believe it myself. One minute I was crossing the street as Grace and the next minute I was waking up as Marie.” She glanced at them, her eyes shining. “That’s my real name…Marie…Marie Cartwright…and my husband is Ben…and I have three sons.”

Sister Margaret withdrew a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and dabbed at her eyes. “Well, now, Marie, that’s going to take some getting used to.”

Marie took a deep calming breath. “Yes, Sister, but at the moment, I just need to find Adam, my eldest son. He’s somewhere in the city.” She gave Dr. Graham an imploring look. “He held me in the street. I know it was him. Please, did you speak to him?”

He exchanged a glance with Sister Margaret and wondered what the gentlemen in the next room was thinking. “Yes,” he said with a nod. “A chance meeting in the waiting room with Sister got us thinking there might be a connection, so we spoke to him at the hotel.”

Aware Adam wasn’t convinced, Sister Margaret felt it was her duty to forewarn Marie. “You can imagine his shock and disbelief. He’s a discerning young man, not easily swayed by a stranger with an incredible story. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Yes, that’s Adam,” Marie said with a small smile, “but I know his doubts will vanish once we have the chance to talk and, honestly, I can’t wait another minute!”

Adam stepped into the kitchen. “You don’t have to,” he said with more calm that he felt. “I’m here.” He’d been waiting in the dining room at Sister Margaret’s request and now, after listening to her speak, he knew in his heart it was his stepmother despite all the reasons it seemed impossible.

Marie drew a sharp breath and momentarily stood rooted to the spot. He was a little taller and broader than the gangly seventeen-year-old she remembered, but he had the same voice and the same handsome face. “Oh, Adam!”

His eyes shimmering, he smiled and didn’t hesitate to gather her into his arms when she rushed to embrace him. “Ma,” he whispered. “It’s really you.”

Marie held him tight as she succumbed to a wave of emotions. Happy beyond description, she was also suddenly aware of the passage of time. Here was Adam, now a mature young man, comforting her instead of the other way around. Overcome, she knew the differences would be even greater in the younger boys. Hoss was only eleven and her baby was just five the last time she’d seen him.

His throat constricting and tears threatening to fall, Adam closed his eyes and simply held his stepmother as she wept softly in his arms.

Chapter 5

Slowly waking up, Adam rolled onto his back and stretched. The light streaming in through the window told him it was midmorning, but he wasn’t in any hurry to get up. Instead, he put his hands behind his head and thought about his stepmother. He’d hastened to put her mind at ease, assuring her everyone was in good health and that his father had never remarried. She’d laughed at his description of Ben being a little older and greyer, but still able to raise the roof with his bellow. She’d been delighted to hear Hoss still loved nature and she’d grown weepy at the thought of Little Joe being eighteen years old. They’d talked late into the night, hence his bleariness this morning. He groaned as he finally got out of bed and reached for his pants. As he tugged them on, he contemplated the best way to tell his Pa and brothers about Marie, but there was no getting around it, it was going to be a shock no matter what. He sat back down to pull on his socks and boots and then got up to wash, shave, and finish getting dressed. Shortly thereafter, he entered the telegraph office and penned a message to his father.

Ben Cartwright. Stop.

Won Contract. Stop.

Return delayed. Stop.

Adam. Full Stop.

Troubled, he gave it to the telegraph operator along with payment. He knew full well his father would be unhappy with such a brief note, but at least it would give him some time to talk to his stepmother and find out how she wanted to proceed.

**********

Adam knocked on the door at Mercy House and was greeted by Sister Margaret. Her face was flushed and she was holding a wet mop. “Adam,” she said ushering him in, “tell me, do you know anything about clogged drains?”

“Uh, sure,” he stammered, surprised, “I can take a look.  Do you have any tools?”

“Oh, we’ve got tools,” she said with a laugh. “We just don’t know what to do with them.”

Adam grinned and followed her. In the kitchen, they found two boys busily attempting to unclog the stopped-up drain.

“Stop pumping water,” yelled Tommy. “Can’t you see it’s not goin’ down?”

Billy shrugged as the water overflowed onto the floor. “Yep, it’s clogged all right.”

Sister Margaret raised an eyebrow at their antics and hurried to mop up the water. “Boys, step aside and make some room for Mr. Cartwright.”

The two boys eyed Adam, but obediently scrambled out of the way. Sensing their disappointment, he gave them a friendly smile as he rolled up his sleeves. “All right, fellas, it looks like we’ve got some work to do.” Seeing the wooden tool box on the floor, he sat on his haunches and began sorting through it.

Brightening, the boys crowded around him. “What are we lookin’ for, mister?”

“My name is Adam and we’re looking for a pipe wrench,” he replied. “We’re gonna take the sink trap off and if we’re lucky, that’s where we’ll find the clog, otherwise we’re gonna have to find something we can use to snake it out.”

Impressed, Billy nodded enthusiastically. “We’ll help! We seen you yesterday, when you helped Miss Grace. My name’s Billy and this here’s Tommy.”

Tommy smiled at the mention of his name and then pulled a crescent wrench out of the tool box. “Is this it?”

Adam shook his head. “Nope, that’s for nuts and bolts.” Rummaging around a little more, he found what he was looking for and pulled it out of the box. “See here, a pipe wrench has a ridged jaw so it won’t slip off.”

Heads together, the two boys inspected the differences in the wrenches.

Sorry she had to impose on Adam, but grateful he had things under control, Sister Margaret propped her mop against the wall and wearily went to the stove to pour herself a cup of coffee. With all the excitement last night, she’d gone to bed late and needed a jolt.

Hearing the commotion, Marie came into the kitchen and smiled at the scene. She was pleasantly surprised to see Adam with his sleeves rolled up. It was wonderful, yet surreal. “It feels like a dream.  It’s not, is it, Adam?”

Feeling much the same, he looked up and gave her a warm smile. “It’s real.”

“It’s a miracle,” interjected Sister Margaret as she handed Marie the cup of coffee she’d just poured. “And it will be another miracle if you get that sink unclogged!”

“Well, I don’t think I can pull off a miracle,” Adam said with a smile, “so let’s hope a little know-how will be enough.” He winked at the boys and then got under the sink and proceeded to loosen the pipe. “All right, fellas, put the bucket underneath and catch the water coming out of the trap.”

Sister Margaret poured herself another cup of coffee and then sat down with Marie at the table for a much needed break. “He’s a natural teacher,” she said quietly.  “Those boys are learning something and enjoying every minute of it!”

Marie sipped her coffee and watched with interest. She appreciated Adam’s easy connection with the boys and the patient way he was instructing them. He obviously recognized their need for a male role model and was making an effort to involve them in every aspect of the repair. As for Billy and Tommy, they were like two little sponges, so attentive and eager to learn. She shook her head. Right before her eyes, her two worlds were colliding and it made her feel happy and sad at the same time. When she thought about returning to the Ponderosa, it filled her heart with indescribable happiness, but how in the world was she going to say goodbye to the boys she’d loved and nurtured and the Sisters who were like family to her?  “I don’t know how I’m going to do it?” she said with a troubled sigh.

Sister Margaret gave her a commiserative look, guessing what was upsetting her. “You’ll be dearly missed, to be sure, but it’s the answer to your prayers, is it not?”

“Yes,” Marie said softly.

“Yes,” Sister Margaret repeated firmly, “so it’s only right you go and be happy. Your place is with your family now. We’ll be fine.”

Marie gave her a grateful look, knowing the parting would be difficult for Sister Margaret as well.  “I’ll write often.”

“It’s all fixed!” Billy said, interrupting them with a triumphant shout.

Sister Margaret clapped her hands and gave a cheer. “Wonderful boys! Thank you for coming to our rescue, Adam!”

Adam flashed her a smile as he got off the floor and tossed the pipe wrench back into the tool box. “I’m glad I could help,” he said, tidying up.

“Well, there’s more that needs fixing,” Tommy said with an earnest look on his face. “The roof leaks, the banister’s wobbly, and the back window sticks.”

“Yeah,” Billy said, chiming in, “and the stove pipe’s got a leak and, uh, someone put a hole in the wall.”

Thoroughly embarrassed, Sister Margaret arched an eyebrow in disapproval. “Shame on you,” she said, scolding them. “Pressing Adam into more work is no way to show our appreciation.”

Tommy ducked his head and lowered his eyes. “Sorry, Sister, I didn’t mean no harm.”

“Me neither,” Billy added in a subdued voice.

Knowing their hearts were in the right place, Sister Margaret smiled indulgently. “All right you two, come along, Sister Maureen is waiting for you in the school room.”

Marie gave them each an affectionate pat on the back as they passed by. “Thank you, boys, and good luck on your math test.”

Chuckling at their groans, Adam joined his stepmother at the table. “I take it they don’t have too many men in their lives.”

“I’m afraid not,” Marie said sadly. “Father O’Conner taught the older boys to ride, but it’s a busy parish and he doesn’t have a lot of spare time.” She smiled as an image from the past came to mind. “Does Little Joe still follow you around, mirroring your every move?”

Adam shook his head in amusement. He remembered Little Joe trailing after him, asking a million questions, but that was a far cry from their current relationship. In his quest to prove himself a man, Little Joe was exerting his independence, particularly from him. “Uh, no, he got over that years ago.”

“Of course,” Marie said in frustration. “In my mind’s eye, he’s still a little boy.” She tilted her head and gave him a searching look. “Tell me, Adam, do the three of you get along now that you’re all adults?”

Adam’s eyebrows knit together in thought. “I trust my brothers with my life,” he said in all seriousness, “and we enjoy each other’s company, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our differences.” He gave her a playful look. “We have our fun, too, and no one’s safe from a practical joke, so I give you fair warning.”

She laughed, reassured the boys were close as brothers should be. “Oh, your father must love that!”

“Like I said, Pa can still raise the roof when we get ourselves into dumb trouble, but yeah, deep down I think he enjoys it.” He smiled, but it faded into a more thoughtful expression as he broached the topic of her homecoming. “Speaking of Pa, I sent him a telegraph this morning. I told him I was staying a few more days, but I didn’t say why.”

Marie nodded as her thoughts turned toward Ben. “Will he be worried?”

Adam shook his head and gave her a sheepish smile. “No, in all honesty, he’ll probably be angry.” He shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to trouble her with ranch business. “It’s not really important anymore, but my business in Sacramento was with the Central Pacific Railroad. I won a timber contract and Pa is waiting to hear the terms.” He tugged on his ear. “I won’t be surprised if he sends a strongly-worded reply encouraging me to get home.”

Marie gave him a knowing smile. “I can just see those black eyebrows knitting together into a fierce scowl, but I don’t suppose that intimidates you anymore, does it?”

“Don’t be so sure,” Adam said with a slow smile.

“Oh, Adam, I can’t wait to get home, but seriously, the last thing I want to do is disrupt ranch operations, so please don’t jeopardize the timber contract on account of me.” She looked into his eyes with sincerity. “Promise me.”

Seeing she meant it, he nodded. “In that case, I’ll book passage on next week’s stage, that’s six days from now, if that’s all right with you.”

“Yes,” Marie said, thinking about her obligations, “that will give me time to speak to my regular donors and hopefully secure some additional funding before I leave.”

Adam hesitated. He didn’t want to state the obvious, but he needed to make sure they were in agreement on how to proceed. “You know this is going to be quite a shock for everyone so I, uh, think I should write Pa and give him some advance notice. If I get a letter on tomorrow’s stage, he’ll have time to talk to Hoss and Little Joe before we actually arrive.”

Marie’s brow furrowed in thought. “Yes, of course. It just feels so strange having to plan my homecoming. So many years have gone by…what if…what if your father doesn’t…”

Adam gave her a warm comforting look. “Trust me, he’ll be the happiest man on earth. And I don’t want you to worry about Mercy House, either. I’ll be making a donation and if Sister Margaret is agreeable, I’ll hire an agent here in Sacramento to help her with fundraising and all the other financial aspects of running an orphanage and school.”

Marie smiled through her tears, touched by his thoughtfulness. “You’re a dear, but I’m not so sure I should start spending your father’s money just yet.”

“Ma, I’m not seventeen anymore,” he replied with a humorous twinkle in his eye. “It’s my own money, but I know Pa will support Mercy House once he’s aware of the situation.

“Thank you, Adam. Your father must be proud.”

********

Running short on time, Adam went back to the hotel and wrote his father. He described the events exactly as they had unfolded, hoping it would lessen the disbelief and shock, but he knew no matter how he phrased it, the idea of Marie being alive would be difficult to accept. The next day, he sent it on the stage as planned and then got to work tackling the list of needed repairs at the orphanage while Marie settled her affairs. He rounded up the older boys and taught them to sand, paint, saw, and hammer. The little boys didn’t want to be left out, so he enlisted them to fetch and carry. Over the next few days they finished the inside repairs and then moved on to the roof. He understood the Sisters’ nervousness about the boys getting up on the roof, but he convinced them they were old enough to safely handle it and sure enough, they completed the job without a hitch.

Grateful for Adam’s help, Marie concentrated on wrapping up loose ends. She was pleased when she secured a sizable donation for the upcoming year. It helped assuage her guilt about leaving, even though Sister Margaret kept assuring her she had nothing to feel guilty about. She couldn’t help it, though. She felt like she was abandoning the very people who’d provided her a loving home when she most needed it. So, when the day arrived to board the stage, it was amid a sea of tears and heartfelt promises to keep in touch.

Once the stage was on its way, Adam felt a strong sense of responsibility to get Marie home safely. It was a three day trip and while he appeared to be outwardly calm, he never let his guard down. In Placerville there was a minor incident with some drunken cowboys, but Adam moved quickly to silence them. For the first time, Marie witnessed the dangerous look that came into his eyes as he drew his gun and effectively cowered the ruffians. He was a grown man fully capable of defending himself and his family should the situation arise and while that made her feel very safe, it was a startling reminder she wasn’t going home to a husband and three boys, but to a household of four men.

Chapter 6

Little Joe sat on the coffee table and worriedly poked at the fire.

Sitting in the leather chair by the hearth, Hoss didn’t say a word until sweat began to bead up on his forehead. “C’mon Joe, stop pokin’ that fire. You’re roasting me.”

Frowning, Little Joe put the poker down and then scooted closer to Hoss so they could talk without being overheard. “Pa’s fit to be tied. What do you think was in Adam’s letter to get him so riled?”

Hoss glanced at their father. He was sitting at his desk with a look as dark as a thundercloud. “I don’t know,” he replied uneasily, “but Adam sure is lucky he doesn’t have to face him right now.” He smiled half-heartedly. “Maybe he told Pa he was staying in Sacramento to see some play or something.”

“Nah,” Little Joe said, scowling. “Adam’s too responsible. He wouldn’t put off an important contract and upset Pa unless it was something big.”

Hoss frowned in concern. “Yeah, I know.”

With an impatient sigh, Little Joe ran a hand through his hair and furtively glanced at their father. “You think we should ask?”

Hoss hesitated. Pa sure didn’t look like he wanted to talk. He looked angry and upset and disturbing him didn’t seem like a good idea, but leaving him to simmer, without offering to help didn’t seem right, either. Making a decision, he got to his feet. “I reckon it’s the only way we’re gonna find out.”

Nodding, Little Joe got up and together they walked with a purposeful stride to his desk. Their confidence waned, however, when their presence was met with an angry glare. Hoss swallowed. “Uh, Pa, is everything all right?”

Ben contemplated the question, at a loss to even describe what he was feeling. “No,” he said in a furious voice. “I don’t know what’s gotten into your older brother.”

Little Joe gave him a worried look. “What is it, Pa? What’d he say?”

Ben looked at Little Joe for a long moment, and then plucked the letter from his desk and angrily crumpled it in his hand. “How dare he?” he exclaimed. “How dare he defile her name?”

Startled by the ferocity of his anger, Hoss shot Little Joe a troubled look. “We don’t rightly know what you’re talkin’ about, Pa.”

Ben took a deep breath and after an internal debate, he thrust the letter at Hoss. If Adam was going to show up with some woman claiming to be Marie, he supposed they needed to know about it. “Go on and read it.”

Hoss smoothed out the pages and read aloud, stopping several times in confusion and disbelief. By the time he got to the end, Little Joe’s face was white with anger and his hands were balled into fists. “If this is Adam’s idea of a joke, he’s gonna find out real quick it isn’t funny!”

Hoss shook his head and adamantly defended Adam. “He wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

Hearing his steadfast conviction, Ben calmed down enough to concede Hoss had a point. “Your right, it sounds like he believes it, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why.” He shook his head in bewilderment. “For Adam to actually suggest Marie is still alive is madness! Who does he think is buried in her grave?”

Hoss responded with a pained expression. “You think Adam is sick or somethin’?”

Considering the possibility, Ben’s anger gave way to fatherly concern. “It’s possible, but I think it’s more likely he’s been duped.”

Hoss wrinkled his nose in thought. “How’d she know all them details?”

Ben leaned back in his chair and his eyes narrowed in thought. “Most swindlers do their research,” he replied shrewdly, “that’s why they’re so convincing.”

Little Joe’s eyes widened. “You think it’s a land grab, Pa?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Ben replied with a nod.

“Yeah, but Adam’s no fool,” Hoss said, grappling with the idea. “He’s real good at peggin’ a liar.”

Ben eyed him. He appreciated Hoss’s confidence in his older brother, but accepting this story without question was plain ridiculous. “Anyone can make a mistake, Hoss, including your brother.”

“Some mistake!” Little Joe exclaimed in dismay. He didn’t like his mother’s name being dragged into a plan to swindle them out of the Ponderosa and he sure didn’t understand Adam falling for it and upsetting the whole family. Adam knew first-hand how his mother had died.

“According to the letter, they’ll be here the day after tomorrow,” Hoss said with a shrug of uncertainty. “What’re we gonna do?”

Ben rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. “I don’t want this playing out on the streets of Virginia City. Ride in and pick them up, Hoss. Bring her back to the ranch so I can get a good look at her and see for myself what she’s up to.”

********

Adam emerged from the coach and then turned and offered a helping hand to his stepmother. Grasping it tightly, she stepped down and took in the sights of Virginia City for the first time in years. She recognized a few buildings, but the town had grown and she was surprised by the hustle and bustle. Taking a deep breath, she put her hand on her stomach to calm the butterflies beginning to flutter in her stomach.

Imagining what she must be feeling, Adam looked at her in concern. “You all right?”

“Just a little overwhelmed,” she replied, smiling nervously.

Adam put his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry,” he said in a comforting tone. “It’ll feel like home before you know it.”

She nodded, grateful for his steadying arm.

Adam checked his pocket watch. He assumed someone was coming to pick them up, but they were an hour early and with no one in sight, they needed a place to wait. He called to the driver. “Hey, Dan, will you put our luggage in the office until someone comes to pick us up? We’ll be at the International House.”

“Sure thing, Adam!”

He waved in acknowledgment and then escorted his stepmother to the hotel restaurant where he found a table and ordered two lemonades.

Marie took a few sips to quench her thirst, but her stomach was growing queasier by the minute. “Oh, Adam, I’m as nervous as a cat,” she exclaimed as she tucked a stray tendril of hair back in place. “Do you know if there’s a place I can tidy up?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied as he stood up and helped her with her chair. “There’s a ladies water closet behind the stairs.”

She nodded in relief. “I just want to make myself presentable for your father and brothers,” she said. “I won’t be too long.”

Adam watched her make her way through the dining room and then sat back down and thirstily gulped his lemonade. It wasn’t bad, but knowing he was in for an emotional day, he would have preferred a cold beer from the hotel bar. If only he knew what his family was thinking, especially Little Joe. He knew Marie was beyond excited. On the way home, she’d asked him one question after another about his baby brother. Not wanting her to see Little Joe through his eyes, he’d kept his answers to a minimum, so much so, she’d gotten cross with him. He chuckled to himself. After he’d explained his reasoning, she’d immediately calmed down, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of that fiery look in her eye. He remembered it from when he was a kid and he was glad he was too old to be mothered.

“Hey, Adam, good to see yuh!”

Pulled from his thoughts, Adam smiled and stood up to shake Hoss’s outstretched hand. “Good to see you, too!” He looked past him towards the door. “Where’s Pa and Joe? You got my letter, right?”

“Oh, yeah, we got it,” Hoss replied nervously, “but we, uh, didn’t rightly know what to make of it, so Pa sent me to fetch you and the, uh, lady so we could talk at the ranch, private like.”

Adam nodded.  He was glad their family reunion wouldn’t be taking place in public, but his father’s absence told him his letter had obviously been met with skepticism. He wasn’t altogether surprised, but he’d hoped his word would at least carry some weight. “I know it’s farfetched, Hoss, but it’s the truth.”

Doubt written all over his face, Hoss closely studied his brother, looking for any signs of illness.  “It ain’t just farfetched, Adam, it’s downright impossible!”

Uncomfortable under his scrutiny, Adam’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Stop looking at me like that! I’m not crazy, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“All right, but if you ain’t hallucinating, then you’re being taken for a fool.” He shook his head, perplexed. “Strange since you’re always the one warning me about swindlers.”

“For pete’s sake,” Adam said impatiently, “don’t you think I thought of that?”

Hoss shrugged, not knowing what to think. “Well, just so yuh know, Pa’s hotter than a pistol and if you stick with that story, he’s liable to deck you.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. He’d expected his father to be shocked by the news, but if he didn’t believe him, and he thought he was disrespecting Marie’s memory, he could well imagine his fury. It was troubling, but he knew everything would be cleared up in a few short hours. “I’m not worried.”

“You oughta be,” Hoss said genuinely concerned. “Where is she anyhow?”

Adam looked past him as Marie approached the table.  “Behind you,” Adam replied, smiling and gesturing for him to turn around.

Hoss spun around to meet the woman and his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He’d only been eleven-years-old the last time he’d seen his stepmother, but the woman standing before him embodied everything he remembered. There was no explaining it, he just felt it in his gut.

“Hoss!” she cried, recognizing the blue-eyed boy in the man facing her now.  “My dear, sweet, Hoss.”

Lost in his childhood memories, Hoss stood transfixed, unsure of what to say or think. “Ma?” he whispered, not believing his own eyes. “Is it…is it really you?”  He shook his head answering his own question. “Nah, it can’t be.”

Smiling and getting teary-eyed, Marie nodded as she marveled at his size.  “It’s me,” she replied, lovingly holding his gaze.

His skepticism rapidly fading, Hoss shook his head in wonder and then looked at Adam for confirmation, wanting it to be true.  “So everything you wrote was true? You really know it?”

Adam nodded reassuringly. “Every word.”

Overcome with happiness, Hoss couldn’t contain himself.  He gathered his stepmother into a bear hug and lifted her off her feet with a whoop and a holler.

Marie laughed. “Oh, Hoss, you haven’t lost your enthusiasm!”

“I just can’t get over it!” he exclaimed, gently setting her down. Filled with excitement, he gave Adam a brotherly slap on the back. “Wait’ll Pa and Joe find out you ain’t loco, after all!”

Adam gave Marie an apologetic look. “It seems they thought I was either delusional or exceedingly gullible.”

Hoss reddened, wishing he hadn’t blurted that out. “Aw, Adam, you can’t blame us.”

Marie shook her head, recognizing the bashful look he used to get as a boy. “No worries,” she replied in a reassuring voice as she affectionately latched onto his arm. “We’ll get it all straightened out.”

Sniffling and wiping his eyes, Hoss nodded, eager to reunite her with the rest of the family. “C’mon Adam, we gotta get Ma home!”

Chapter 7

Adam opened the door to his father’s bedroom and walked over to his bed where he was napping. He gently shook his shoulder. “Pa,” he called quietly. His father stirred, but didn’t wake up, so he called his name a little louder and this time he woke up with a start.

“Adam,” he said, getting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I must’ve dozed off.” Smiling, he extended his hand and when Adam grasped it, he pulled him in for a fatherly hug. He was relieved Adam appeared to be his normal self. “Good to finally see you, son.”

Adam returned his smile, glad he’d been greeted with a handshake instead of a tongue lashing. Maybe he’d get a chance to ease his father into this reunion after all. “You too,” he replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back when you expected, Pa.”

Ben crossed his arms and waited, feeling his son had a lot more apologizing to do than that.

Seeing the expectant look, Adam knew his offering wouldn’t be enough. “I’m, uh, sorry my letter upset you.”

Ben harrumphed. “Upset is putting it mildly.” He gave him a piercing look to convey exactly how much he meant it. “And just so you know, Little Joe is still on edge.”

Adam nodded in understanding. “Where is he?”

“It wasn’t easy, but I sent him on an errand so I could talk to you and this woman in peace.  Is she downstairs or did you come to your senses?”

Hearing the detachment in his voice regarding the woman, Adam drew a deep breath. “I know you don’t believe it, but I wouldn’t have brought her home if I wasn’t absolutely sure.”

Despite his resolve to keep calm, Ben felt himself losing his composure. “Absolutely sure?” he asked in astonishment. “Adam, you saw your stepmother’s body with your own eyes!”

“Not her face,” he replied, evenly. “We found a woman wearing a green dress, that’s all.” It was the truth, but it was the wrong thing to say. It was a mistake to bring those terrible images to the forefront of his father’s mind and it raised his ire even more, the exact opposite of what he intended.

Incredulous, Ben fought down the urge to give him a good shake. “That’s enough,” he commanded in a stern voice. “I don’t know why you’re so convinced this woman is your stepmother, but I intend to get to the bottom of it.” Starting for the door, he gestured for Adam to follow him. “Let’s get this over with.”

Adam pursed his lips and wondered if his father’s pigheadedness would actually prevent him from recognizing his own wife.

********

While Hoss brought in her bags, Marie walked from room to room lovingly touching all the familiar furnishings. The dining table, the settee, and Ben’s desk were all the same and seeing them again elicited a turmoil of emotions. It was comforting, like a warm embrace from an old friend, but it was also a bittersweet reminder of the life she’d missed within these walls. Once again lamenting the passage of time, she wiped away a tear.

From his vantage point at the top of the stairs, Ben stopped to observe the woman. She seemed captivated by the room and he wondered if she were already making plans to rearrange the furniture. His eyes narrowed in suspicion when he saw her trunks stacked by the door and he gave Adam a sideways look, none too pleased. If he thought this woman would be staying at the Ponderosa, he’d soon learn he was wrong.

Becoming aware of his descent, Marie looked up and her heart skipped a beat. His hair was whiter than she remembered, but the silvery white was striking against his tan skin. His face was the same ruggedly handsome face she’d fallen in love with and while he was a little heavier, he was clearly strong and fit. His presence filled the room. She took a deep breath and nervously smoothed her skirt, terrified of what he might say.

Seeing her visibly pale, Adam hurried past his father and went to her side. He reassuringly squeezed her hand while Hoss stood by and nervously watched what he hoped would be a joyous reunion.

The dour expression on Ben’s face became even more resolute when he witnessed Adam’s display of affection. Aware this woman could potentially drive a wedge between him and his son, he was all the more determined to quickly expose her true intent before any real damage was done.

Adam saw the stern unyielding expression on his face and hoped his father wouldn’t say or do anything he’d live to regret. “Pa, this is Marie.” He bit his lip and waited.

Ben’s back stiffened at hearing her name. “Madam,” he said with nothing more than a cursory glance. “I understand you’ve made some extraordinary claims.”

Marie thrilled at hearing his voice and she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes, it’s true,” she said in a gentle voice. “My story…our story… is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Ben drew a sharp breath. He’d expected her to bear a strong resemblance to Marie, otherwise Adam wouldn’t have been so easily fooled, but he hadn’t expected her voice to sound so similar in tone and accent. It immediately stirred his emotions and he had to mentally damp them down. “Yes, well, it won’t work,” he said gruffly. “You see, my wife died years ago. I buried her with my own hands, so the only thing we need to discuss is the deceitful game you’re trying to play.”

“Ben, just look at me,” she pleaded. “Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.”

“No,” he said with a firm shake of his head, “there’s no point, and if you intend to make a legal claim on the Ponderosa based on this preposterous claim, you’ll only be wasting your time and money. The Sheriff, himself, was with me when I found my wife’s body.”

“I was too,” Adam said with an unmistakable challenge.

Ben glared at him and spoke in a dangerously low voice. “Exactly, and it’s about time you remember it and get this nonsense out of your head!”

Exasperated, Adam’s eye’s narrowed and he challenged him again. “It’s not nonsense, Pa! This is Marie!”

Infuriated by his claim, Ben’s eyes blazed in anger and he raised his hand, intending to slap his impudent son across the face, but when Adam firmly held his gaze and didn’t move or change his expression, he lowered it and angrily shook his head. “Not another word!”

“Arrête!” Marie exclaimed, demanding him to stop. “Why can’t you listen to reason or, better yet, open your heart to the possibility?” Her eyes flashed and her voice rose in frustration. “You’re such a stubborn man! Do you remember you insisted roses wouldn’t grow in this climate, yet they survived…you insisted Beauty was too much for me to handle, yet she was the perfect mount…you insisted the baby should be weaned, but he wasn’t ready and we were all miserable…you insisted Adam was too young to go on his first cattle drive, yet he saved you from being gored.” She stopped and brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I could go on, but for goodness sake, Ben, open your eyes before I’m forced to say something so personal, it will embarrass us in front of our sons!”

Startled, Ben listened to her feisty litany with growing clarity. Every fiber in his body told him it was Marie, but he was afraid to believe it and too stunned to speak. Instead, he boldly closed the gap between them and cupped her face in his hands. He gazed hard into her eyes, searching for reassurance and when he found the familiar spark he was looking for, he was overcome with emotion. “Marie,” he whispered fiercely. He drew her into his arms and kissed her lips with abandon. She responded in kind, mindless of their audience, and when she whispered a familiar term of endearment in his ear, he couldn’t hold back the tears.

Heaving an enormous sigh of relief, Adam exchanged a warm smile with Hoss. Little Joe, on the other hand, was filled with nothing but confusion. He’d come in, by way of the kitchen, just in time to see his father raise his hand to Adam. Stunned by their heated exchange, he’d expected his father to put an end to the discussion by ordering this woman out of the house, but not only had he listened to her outburst, his face had gone from cold and unyielding to profound joy and excitement. Astounded, Little Joe’s mouth dropped open in shock and he stood stock still while he watched them with dawning realization. It could only mean one thing. He felt his knees go weak and he gripped the nearest chair.

Hoss was the first to notice Little Joe. Concerned by the color draining from his face, he alerted Adam and then rushed to Joe’s side, worried he might keel over.

Knowing what he must be going through, Adam hastened to get his father’s attention. “Pa?”

Smiling through watery eyes, Ben put his hand around the back of Adam’s neck in fatherly fashion. “Thank you,” he said in a voice laden with emotion. “I’m sorry I—”

Adam gave him an appreciative look. “Let’s talk later,” he said, gently interrupting him. “Little Joe’s here and he needs you.” He looked at Marie. “Both of you.”

Marie’s eyes immediately swept across the room and when she saw her son, she was flooded with emotions. Ever since she’d regained her memory, she’d tried to imagine what Little Joe would look like as an eighteen-year-old, but all she could picture was the curly-haired energetic little boy she’d last seen. Now that he was standing right in front of her, he took her breath away. She was elated, yet heartbroken she’d missed out on raising him.

Trying to quell his emotions so he could better tend to his son, Ben escorted Marie over to Little Joe. “Joseph,” he said, gently, “I don’t fully understand it, but Adam was right, this really is your mother.”

Marie’s eyes locked with Little Joe’s and images flashed through her mind of all the times she’d held him in her arms and gazed into those same green eyes.

Little Joe shook his head, trying to process his thoughts and emotions, but it was too overwhelming and his body began to tremble. “You’re sure?” he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Ben put his arm around his shoulders to comfort and steady him. “It’s true,” he said, reassuringly. “You can believe it.”

“Oh, Joseph,” Marie cried, reaching out to gently caress his cheek. “You’ve grown into such a handsome young man.” Her eyes welled with tears of happiness and she desperately wanted to embrace him, but she held back, waiting for him to indicate he was ready.

His eyes glistening, he drew in a deep shaky breath. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

She smiled softly. “Words aren’t necessary, mon petit.”

Faintly recalling the affectionate term, his tears began to flow in earnest. “I remember,” he said in a voice fraught with emotion. “I remember you calling me that.”

Moved and overjoyed, Marie reached out to him and he responded by wrapping his arms around her and clinging to her as if she’d vanish. Relishing the long-awaited moment, Marie held tight, not wanting it to end.

Ben watched the reunion in awe and wonder and then, happy beyond belief, he enveloped Adam and Hoss in a tearful smile. Hoss tenderly put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “Ain’t it something?” he exclaimed, sniffling unashamedly.

Ben lovingly slipped his arm behind his son’s back and rested it there. “I never imagined,” he replied, shaking his head in wonder.

“If this isn’t a miracle,” Adam said softly, “I don’t know what is.” He swiped a hand across his eyes and Ben affectionately reached out and pulled him close.

Hop Sing peered in from the kitchen and smiled at the intimate scene. It was a blessed day for the family. Mrs. Cartwright was home! He smiled in anticipation of the happy days ahead.

Chapter 8

Sitting at the table after breakfast, Little Joe quietly observed his mother as she finished her morning coffee and chatted with his Pa and brothers. Much to his embarrassment, he felt himself getting choked up again and quickly took a gulp of coffee to tamp it down, only to cough and sputter when it was too hot.

“You all right?” Hoss asked, smiling and using his best manners. Some of his memories were a little fuzzy, but he distinctly remembered his stepmother being a stickler for manners at the table when he was a young ‘un and he didn’t want her thinking he’d grown up to be an uncouth cowpoke.

“Hot,” Little Joe replied sheepishly.

Marie graced him with a motherly smile. She’d felt him observing her and sympathized with his need to watch her every move. It had only been a few days since her return and her eyes had been drawn to him for the same reason. She wanted to know everything there was to know about her son and was delighted whenever something reminded her of the little boy she had once known so well.

Knowing Little Joe usually put milk in his coffee, Adam picked up the pitcher and set it in front of him. Little Joe eyed it with some annoyance. He didn’t want to be seen as a boy too young to drink coffee without milk. “Black is fine,” he said with barely a glance.

Adam heard a slight edge in his brother’s voice and gave him a quick look, wondering what was going through his mind. Ben heard it, too, but he attributed Joe’s touchiness to nerves. As thrilling as it was to have Marie home, everyone was still feeling a little awkward and self-conscious.

Marie also felt it. Now that the initial euphoria had calmed down, she was eager to get back to being a wife and mother instead of a revered guest in her own home. But as much as she wanted to jump right in, she was also keenly aware of the passage of time and knew she’d have to ease into it. “Goodness,” she said, gesturing towards the empty platters. “I’m going to get spoiled letting Hop Sing prepare all the meals. I think I’d better reacquaint myself with the kitchen today.”

Ben’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “By all means, if that’s something you’d like to do,” he replied searching for the right words, “but, uh, don’t feel you have to.”

Marie gave a little laugh. “I know cooking was never my forte’, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what I’ve learned living at the orphanage. The Sisters were very good cooks and I made breakfast for sixteen boys every morning.”

“I can attest to that,” Adam said with a grin, “best bacon and biscuits in town!”

Marie gave Adam an appreciative look. As fate would have it, they’d reconnected in an extraordinary way and he’d become her champion and protector, both on the journey home and in standing up to Ben’s initial disbelief and anger. As a result, he was the most at ease with her and she was grateful for it. “Well, I don’t know about that, but the boys certainly ate their fill, especially Billy and Tommy.”

“They’re good kids,” Adam said with a thoughtful look, “and if it wasn’t for their help, I never would’ve gotten so much done.”

Ben looked at Adam with interest. They’d discussed the events surrounding his meeting and recognizing Marie, but in all the excitement, this was the first time he was hearing about the extent of Adam’s involvement at Mercy House. “So you spent time at the orphanage?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said with a nod. “I got the older boys to help me with a few repairs.”

Marie shook her head at his description. “Now, Adam, don’t be so modest, you did more than a few repairs.” She smiled at Ben. “He went through the entire house, inside and out, fixing everything that needed fixing and he was so kind and patient teaching the boys. It meant so much to all of us.”

Ben directed a warm smile at Adam, pleased he’d been able to help. Little Joe, however, was conflicted. He was indebted to Adam for bringing his mother home, but hearing about the time he’d spent with the boys and Sisters at Mercy House, all the people who were so important to his mother, made him feel envious and he spoke without thinking. “That’s funny,” Little Joe said with a wry smile. “I wouldn’t describe older brother as being patient. He’s more of a task master.”

Adam raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten under Joe’s skin. He knew his emotions were running high, but this wasn’t the first critical remark he’d thrown his way the past few days and it was beginning to wear thin. “If you mean I don’t have patience with people who don’t realize there’s a time to work and a time to play, then you’re right little brother.”

“Boys,” Ben said, issuing them a quiet warning.

Bristling at Adam’s insinuation, Little Joe took no heed of the warning, but before he could retort, Hoss quickly intervened with an idea he’d been mulling over. “Hey, Pa,” he said, giving his brothers a disappointed glance, “what do you think about havin’ a welcome home party for Ma? Don’t you think we oughta tell all our friends the good news?”

Ben took a deep breath, grateful for his middle son’s sunny disposition. He was perplexed by Little Joe’s irritably with Adam, but he was equally disappointed in Adam’s response. This was no time to resurrect an old argument. Aside from being ill-mannered, Marie didn’t know them well enough to understand these little flare-ups came and went with no real harm and he didn’t want her worrying unnecessarily. He pulled his eyes away from the two of them to acknowledge Hoss. “Well, I think that’s up to your mother.” He gave Marie a questioning look. “Are you up for a celebration?”

Marie took her cue from Ben and didn’t probe into the verbal exchange between their eldest and youngest. She suspected it was one of the ‘differences’ Adam had mentioned early on. “It’s a wonderful idea,” she said, smiling at Hoss. “I’d love to get reacquainted with everyone but…” she paused and glanced at Adam for support, “not just yet. Adam was telling me about the tight deadlines for the timber contract, so I think we should wait until after the job is done. I know you’ve already delayed getting it started and I don’t want to be the cause of you backing out of an important agreement.”

Little Joe gave Adam an incredulous look, angry he could even think about business at a time like this. “You’re joking, right? You don’t seriously think that’s still important?”

Ben raised an eyebrow in disapproval. “Calm down,” he said quietly, but firmly.

Little Joe continued to glare at Adam but he took a deep breath and calmed a little. Seeing he was attempting to comply, Ben considered the timber contract for the first time in days. “I’d hate to forfeit it,” he said, shifting his gaze from Marie to Adam, “but I’m not sure my heart’s in it, either.”

Little Joe smirked at Adam. Hoss saw it and sighed. He understood where he was coming from. He wanted to concentrate on getting better acquainted with Ma instead of tackling such a labor intensive job, too, but he’d also heard the plea in his stepmother’s voice and understood it was important to her. He also knew it was important to the ranch, so whatever Pa decided, he’d go along.

Adam nodded. “I can understand that, Pa, but with last winter being so rough, the herd we drove to market was only half our normal size. We need this contract to recoup our losses and cover upcoming expenses.” He shrugged noncommittally. “Unless you don’t mind tapping that deep into savings.”

Ben rested his elbows on the table and steepled his hands together in thought. He wasn’t surprised Adam had mentioned the contract to Marie, after all, that was the reason he was in Sacramento and it would have come up in conversation. He was surprised, however, that Marie had obviously taken an interest and formed an opinion. He realized he’d been remiss in not discussing it with her himself. It was an important contract and the solvency of the ranch affected her now, too. He smiled at Adam and proposed a solution he hoped would make everyone happy. “Well, son, do you think you can boss this job without me?”

A smile twitched at the corners of Adam’s mouth. “You’ve got some pretty big shoes to fill, Pa, but I think I can handle it.”

Ben gave a firm nod. “All right, then, consider yourself bull of the woods!”

Now that the decision was made, Hoss jumped in to support his brother. “I’ll back you, Adam, but we better get into town today to reserve the teams and start hirin’ the extra men.”

“Now, wait a minute!” Little Joe exclaimed, frustrated. “Don’t I have a say? I don’t want to leave….” He swallowed hard and dropped his eyes to the table.

Ben and Marie exchanged a glance, both communicating the same thought. “I think your brothers can get along without you,” Ben said, giving him a warm look. “Right, boys?”

“Sure,” Hoss said, secretly relieved he wouldn’t have to referee his brothers, “but I figure we’re gonna have to hire two fellas to take Joe’s place.”  Grinning, he reached over and slapped Adam on the back, hoping he’d play along. “What do you figure, Adam?”

“I figure you’re right,” Adam quipped with a smile.

Unable to resist their banter, Little Joe bounced back with the beginnings of a grin. “Better make it three, I’m pretty good with an axe!”

Chapter 9

For the next six weeks, Adam and Hoss stayed at the timber camp, only coming home on one occasion to give their father an update and to garner some advice. Proud of the job they were doing, he and Marie rode up to the camp one day during the height of activity to see for themselves how things were going and they were suitably impressed by the magnitude of the job, the well-organized crews, and the excited energy as everything hummed along. It was the longest ride they’d taken to date, but it was just one of many they’d gotten into the habit of taking. In some ways, it felt like they were courting again and there was something special about the beautiful vistas on the Ponderosa that made it easy for them to dig deep into their hearts and open up to one another. On one such ride, Marie surprised Ben by asking to see the gravesite by the lake. He questioned the wisdom of it, but when she pressed him, he agreed and together they rode through the trees down to the site. She noticed the narrow path was well trodden and she was touched that he and the boys must have visited often. It was a peaceful spot with a beautiful view of the lake and the soothing sound of water lapping at the shore.

She dismounted and walked over to the marker. She’d mentally prepared herself, but seeing her name still gave her a bit of a jolt.

Ben joined her and tried to gently discourage her from staying. “Marie, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

“I’m fine,” she said, reassuring him as she ran her fingers over the script. “It’s beautiful. Did you carve it?”

Ben looked at the familiar carving that no longer marked the final resting place of his beloved wife. Now, it was just a reminder of their tragic separation. “No, it was Adam,” he admitted with a shake of his head. “I’m afraid I wasn’t in any condition.”

She nodded, thinking about the grief he and boys must have suffered. “In some ways, I think it was easier for me. For the longest time, I was angry and frustrated at not knowing who I was, at not knowing if I had a family, but I couldn’t grieve the loss of a husband and sons I knew nothing about.” She slipped her hand into his and smiled sadly up at him. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Ben brought her hand to his lips and then looked out over the lake as he thought about those dark days. “The first few months were unbearable and I’m ashamed to say it, but I relied heavily on Adam to take care of Hoss and Little Joe.” He turned to face her, feeling a need to get it off his chest. “I threw myself into my work and came home late most nights, too exhausted to pay much attention to the boys. It was the only way I could get through the long evenings when I missed you the most. The only way I could sleep in an empty bed at night.”

She looked with love into his eyes. “I don’t judge you,” she said softly. “I can imagine how difficult it must’ve been.  Knowing Adam, I’m sure he willingly helped.”

Ben’s eyebrows knit into a frown. “Help? Yes. Willing to take my place? No.” He shook his head in regret. “He was a seventeen-year-old boy…he needed to be out on the range…riding and roping and breaking horses…he needed time to see his friends…time to work through his own grief…but I was too consumed by my own needs to see it. Thankfully, for both of us, he eventually rebelled.”

“In what way?” she asked curiously. She could easily picture Adam at seventeen. He’d been a hardworking responsible boy, always respectful to his elders, but not above questioning his father and occasionally challenging his authority. He’d also had a quick wit and wasn’t above breaking a few rules in the pursuit of fun.

Ben gave a little smile. “It’s hard to imagine now, but he snuck out of the house and met up with Carl Regan at the Bucket of Blood. They both had too much to drink and busted up the saloon fighting over a girl. Roy threw him in jail.”

“I never liked that Carl,” Marie said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “He was always angling for something and it was usually at Adam’s expense.”

“I felt the same way, but Adam was drawn to him for some reason and that’s when I realized I’d better get my head out of the fog, before he got himself into real trouble and before Hoss and Little Joe forgot they had a father.”

Troubled, Marie turned toward the grave and lowered her eyes in despair. “It’s all my fault,” she said, quietly condemning herself. “If only I’d stayed home instead of going to Julia’s.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed in dismay. “Don’t, Marie, don’t even think it.”

She looked at him, prepared to argue the point. “But—”

“No!” he exclaimed in an adamant tone. “Not unless you blame me, too.” He gave her an intense look and pointed at the grave. “I should have known that wasn’t you. I should have kept looking!”

Marie’s eyes widened. “You had every reason to think it was me!”

Drawing a deep breath, he captured her in a penetrating gaze and held her there. “Then let’s agree, right here and now, that neither of us is to blame.”

Marie let his words sink in and then gratefully wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “Agreed,” she whispered.

“Agreed,” Ben repeated, burying his face in her hair and holding her tight.

After a long moment, he gently released her and then went over to the marker and gave it a forceful tug. “It’s time this came down.”

Marie’s expression became thoughtful as she watched him. “She was a widow traveling east to surprise her married daughter. We laughed about wearing the same color dress.” She bit her bottom lip in thought. “It’s a shame I can’t remember her name, but we need to mark her grave somehow, maybe a short bible verse.”

Ben glanced at her as he worked the stake free and then proceeded to break the whole thing apart. “Sounds fitting,” he said, puffing from the exertion. He smiled and tossed it aside. “There, now, let’s go home!”

She looked at the broken pieces. “I’m ready,” she said with a nod, “and when Adam gets back, I’ll ask him to make a new marker.”

Chapter 10

Little Joe was old enough to realize his parents needed time alone and he didn’t begrudge them their morning rides. On the contrary, he marveled at seeing his parents together and used the time to get his work done around the ranch. His Pa and brothers had been generous in allowing him to stay home and he wanted to uphold his end of the bargain. On most days, he was done by mid-afternoon and he and his mother spent the remaining time before dinner, talking and getting acquainted. He quickly learned she asked direct questions and he found himself squirming one day when the topic turned to drinking and gambling. He was eighteen and old enough to frequent the saloons, so he freely admitted to drinking beer and gambling on his Friday night trips to town with his brothers. He was relieved when she didn’t seem upset. He squirmed again when the topic of girls and courting came up and he wondered what, if anything, his father had told her. Pa was always lecturing him about being honorable and he took it seriously, but he still had a reputation in town for being a flirt. He didn’t think that was necessarily bad, but he wasn’t sure what a woman, a mother, would think. Through the years, he’d become an expert on his father’s expectations, but his mother was still very much a mystery.

********

Little Joe stomped the dust off his boots and went into the house through the main door. He spied his mother at the dining room table writing a letter and seeing she appeared to be done, he walked over to join her. “Hi, Ma! Mind if I sit down?” His question was paired with a jaunty smile.

Marie looked up at the sound of his voice and gave him a welcoming smile. It made her heart soar to hear how easily ‘Ma’ rolled off his tongue now. “Not at all,” she said, carefully folding the letter and putting it in an envelope.

Seeing the number of pages, Little Joe couldn’t help being curious. “Looks like you wrote a book!”

Her eyes sparkled as she concentrated on the wax seal. “It’s my first letter to the Sisters at Mercy House.”

He gave a little nod. Every time she talked about the boys or Sisters at Mercy House, he could hear the affection in her voice and he wondered how much she missed them. “I hope it’s all good.”

“Oui, bien sûr,” Marie replied emphatically and then realizing she’d slipped into French, she translated. “Yes, of course!”

Little Joe smiled at her enthusiasm, but he wondered how much of her happiness had to do with him. He dropped his eyes and began absently tracing the wood grain in the table with his finger. During the past few weeks, he’d begun to feel very close to his mother and he desperately needed to know if she felt the same. He looked up and nervously cleared his throat. “So…um…are you pleased with me?”

Marie’s eyes widened in surprise and then softened as she reached out to touch his hand, encouraging him to look into her eyes. Apparently, she’d gone too far in her efforts to treat him like a man instead of a boy and she’d neglected to reassure him along the way. He was grown, but not full grown, and it was nice to know she hadn’t completely missed out on being a mother to him. “Trust me when I say this, Joseph, I couldn’t be happier with the young man I’ve gotten to know these past few weeks.”

Little Joe reddened. It felt good to hear her say it, but now he felt kind of silly for asking. She squeezed his hand. “Now it’s my turn to ask,” she said, with a small smile. “Do I live up to the mother you imagined me to be? Your father was afraid you’d put me on a pedestal.”

His father’s assessment was fair, but it still made him squirm a little. “I probably built up some stories in my mind,” he admitted quietly, “but whatever I imagined doesn’t matter. I don’t have to cling to those stories anymore. I don’t have to hold one of your epees in my hand to feel close to you.” Feeling a tide of emotion, his eyes glistened and he held her hand with a gentle but firm grip. “I can hold your hand for real and I reckon that makes me the luckiest son in the world.”

Touched by the depth of his emotion, she held his gaze and smiled. “We’ve been given a gift,” she said affectionately, “and I cherish it.”

Little Joe gently withdrew his hand to swipe at his eyes. “There I go,” he said with embarrassment, “crying like a baby.”

“No,” she said softly. “I admire a man who isn’t afraid to show his emotions.”

“I guess, but Adam and Hoss—”

“Don’t compare,” she said, gently interrupting him. “They may not be as expressive, but they still feel it in their hearts and they aren’t immune to tears, even though they do it more discretely. When I met your father, I was drawn to his character and strength, but I could also see he was tender and compassionate and not afraid to show it. I’m so grateful he passed that on to all of you boys.” A tiny hardness crept into her features as she thought back to some of the men she’d known long ago in New Orleans. “A strong man with a cold heart, is no man at all.”

Little Joe nodded, soothed by her words.

“Now,” she said with a mischievous look in her eye, “may I see the epees?”

Little Joe’s eyes grew big. “They’re up in my room,” he said grinning and standing up. “I’ll be right back.” Full of excitement, he flew up the stairs and was back in a flash with his prized possessions. “Pa let me hang ‘em on my wall as a keepsake. They’re in good repair.”

Marie selected one and tested its weight. “It’s been so long since I’ve handled one.”

“Pa said you were an expert.”

“Oh, my, that was a lifetime ago,” she replied with a little shake of her head.

“Aw, come on, I bet it comes back to you,” he said, encouraging her. “Why don’t you give it a try?” And with a show of enthusiasm, he gripped his epee and made several stabs into the air.

Marie laughed in delight. “So quick, but your stance needs work, mon petit! You’d be run through in no time!”

Smiling, Little Joe took her comment good naturedly. “Really? You sure? Maybe you need another look!”

Marie indulgently watched him again. “Yes,” she said, nodding. “I see now.”

Pleased he’d impressed her with his little demonstration, Little Joe gave her a proud wink and a nod. It was all Marie could do to keep a straight face. “It’s worse than I thought,” she intoned with merriment in her eyes.

“Huh?”

Having a bit of fun, she took the proper stance and attacked the air. “You see?”

“Yes ma’am!” he exclaimed, suitably impressed by her bold stabs into an imaginary opponent.

“All right, then, follow me and do as I do,” she said, rising to his earlier challenge. She was actually surprised at how good the epee felt in her hand and she was curious to see if the fencing moves she’d once known so well would still come naturally.

Little Joe eagerly mirrored her, move for move, as she proceeded to teach him the intricacies of fencing. As the afternoon wore on, they were both having so much fun, neither of them heard Ben enter the room.

Dismayed, his eyebrows knit together and his voice boomed. “What in tarnation is going on in here?”

Little Joe gulped, but Marie calmly greeted him with a serene smile. “No need to scowl, Ben. Did you know our son is a natural?”

“I’ll tell you what I know,” he muttered, putting his hands on his hips. “I know our son has destroyed this room by leaping from one piece of furniture to the next with those epees!” He pointed at Little Joe. “You know the rules. If you want to swordfight, do it outside!”

“Yes sir,” he replied with a weak smile. He glanced at his mother apologetically. “I’m sorry, I just figured…”

“Don’t worry,” Marie said, calmly. “It was my idea and I’m sure your father knows the furniture wasn’t at risk. Don’t you, darling?”

Little Joe’s eyes widened. The idea of his mother being on equal footing with his father was going to take some getting used to and judging from the look on his father’s face, it was going to be difficult for him, too. With Adam being older, Pa often sought his opinion, but ultimately, he alone had the final say.

Ben’s initial surprise at her response turned into a chuckle. “Whatever you say, dear.”

Little Joe grinned at their interplay and then sensing they wanted to be alone, he took the epees. “I’ll be down for dinner,” he said, excusing himself and bounding up the stairs.

Smiling, Marie took Ben’s hand and led him to the settee where they snuggled together. “You know,” Ben said with an exaggerated sigh, “you have a distinct advantage. I’m so happy to have you home, I’d paint the house purple if that’s what you wanted.”

“Good to know,” she said, laughing prettily, “but seriously, Ben, I just want to be your wife and all that comes with it and a mother to the boys as much as they’ll let me.”

“I know, and I’ll do my best to remember we’re a team now, but old habits die hard so you’re going to have to be patient with me.” He gave her an endearing smile.

Marie looked at him with humor in her eyes. “Patience has never been my strongest virtue, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Chapter 10

Sweating from exertion, Little Joe picked up another log and then with a mighty heave, he brought the axe down and split it in two. He’d been working steadily for the past two hours and didn’t relish having to stack it all. Taking a break to wipe his brow, he thought about his brothers being due home today and looked down the road. To his delight, he spotted Adam and Hoss riding in with their pack horse in tow. He excitedly wedged the axe in a stump and with renewed vigor, he began stacking the wood while he waited for them to reach the yard. With their pace no more than a walk, he was half way done by the time they rounded the side of the barn. “Hey, brothers, welcome home!”

Smiling, Hoss rode over to the hitching post and dismounted. “Hey, shortshanks! It’s been so long I almost didn’t recognize yuh!”

Little Joe looked at his two grizzled brothers and laughed. “I was just about to say the same thing about you two!”

Dismounting, Adam handed Little Joe the reins to the pack horse and then tethered Sport. “Yeah, I reckon we look pretty scruffy.” He ran a hand over his whiskered face.

Hoss jovially clapped Little Joe on the back. “Adam says he’s gonna keep his beard, what do you think?”

Little Joe tipped Adam’s chin up and gave it a good look. “Not bad,” he said with an appreciative nod, “but you know what Pa’s gonna say.”

All three grinned and chanted together. “You look like a riverboat gambler!”

“Oh, well,” Adam said good-naturedly, “it’s probably not the best time anyway, not with us throwing a big party.”

“That’s right,” Hoss said, snapping his fingers in delight. “I plumb forgot all about that.” He looked toward the house, wondering why Pa hadn’t come out yet. “Where’s Pa? You got our message about me and Adam comin’ home today, didn’t yuh?”

“Yeah, but we didn’t think you’d be home so early. He took Ma over to Shaunessey’s place.”

Adam gave a little smile. His stepmother and Shaunessey were as different as night and day, yet he remembered them being good friends. “So they’ve been getting out and seeing people?”

“Some,” Little Joe said with a nod. “Sheriff Coffee came over the other day.”

“I wished I could’ve seen his face!” Hoss exclaimed, untying his bedroll and pulling it off.

Little Joe chuckled. “He couldn’t get a sensible word out for a full five minutes.”

“I’m not surprised,” Adam said, thinking back. “Roy was with us when we found the stage that day.” He shook his head to clear the memory and then started loosening the slip knots holding their gear in place on the pack horse.

Sobering, Hoss nodded in acknowledgement and then grabbed his dirty clothes bag and headed for the kitchen door. “I don’t know about you, Adam, but the first thing I wanna do is soak in a nice hot bath.”

“Right behind you,” Adam said, surveying the rest of their gear. “Help me out, will you, Joe?”

“That’s what I’m here for,” he replied, light-heartedly, “to fetch and tote for the big boys.”

Adam laughed, but his laughter died on his lips as soon as he stepped into the kitchen. Hop Sing wasn’t happy about all the dust and dirt being tracked inside and he was shouting instructions to Hoss as he ushered him towards the washroom. “You go right now and put dirty clothes outside!”

“You too!” he said, spotting Adam and waving him through to the washroom. “You and Mr. Hoss fill up tubs with pump water. I bring hot water to warm up.” He wrinkled his nose. “Long overdue!”

Adam glanced at the big pots of water on the stove, grateful for Hop Sing’s foresight. “All right, Hop Sing, no objections from me.”

In the washroom, Adam and Hoss got to work filling buckets and pouring the water into the two tubs. Once they were half full, they took their boots off and began to strip out of their dirty clothes. Right on cue, Hop Sing and Little Joe came in with the pots of hot water and carefully poured it into the tubs.

“Ahhhh, thanks,” Hoss said, sighing as he stepped in and sank blissfully into the warm water.

Hop Sing perfunctorily handed them each a bar of lye soap. “You scrub!” he admonished before retreating into the kitchen.

Little Joe giggled at the treatment his brothers were getting. “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears. Hop Sing’s liable to check!”

“Keep it up,” Adam said with a humorous glint in his eye, “and you’re liable to get thrown out with the bath water.”

“Nope, I’m gettin’ outta here!”

Adam grinned as his baby brother ran out the door and then he relaxed into the tub with a deep sigh. As he looked around, he noticed some feminine touches to the room. There was a new shelf on the wall with two new wicker baskets, no doubt for Marie’s things. There was also a newly painted wood bench and a couple of new towel hooks. The table holding the bowl and pitcher was now covered in a decorative table cloth and the mirror had been lowered a little. “Looks like Ma’s made a few changes.”

“Yeah,” Hoss said, looking around. “Kind of nice, ain’t it?”

“Yeah,” Adam said as he soaped up, “women sure have a way of sprucing things up.”

Hoss nodded, but a little frown creased his brow.

“Something wrong?” Adam asked after a few minutes of silence.

Hoss shrugged. “Nah, not really. It’s just that it’s hard using company manners all the time.”

“Well, I’m not sure I should discourage you from using good manners,” Adam said, lifting his eyebrows and smiling, “but seriously, Hoss, just be yourself.”

“Easy for you to say, good manners just come natural to you.”

Done with his bath, Adam got out and reached for a towel to dry off. With all the dirt he’d just washed off, the water was murky brown and he didn’t want to sit in it any longer than necessary. “I’m telling you,” he said as he wrapped the towel around his waist, “it’s not important.”

Not fully convinced, Hoss dropped the subject and got out of the tub and dried off. As he was wrapping the towel around his waist, he muscled his way in front of the mirror, pushing Adam out of his way. “I’ll be done shaving in no time,” he said with a cheerful smile. “It’s gonna take you a month of Sundays to get all that hay off your face.”

Conceding he was right, Adam watched in amusement as Hoss lathered up and took a few swipes across his face with the razor. “Smooth as a baby,” Adam exclaimed with an envious shake of his head.

Chuckling, Hoss finished up and then looked around the room for his clothes. His nose wrinkled when he realized they had a problem. “Hey, Adam, we don’t have no clean clothes.”

Adam paused in the middle of lathering up his face. “If you ask Hop Sing, real nice like, I’m sure he’ll get them.”

“Yeah, real nice like,” Hoss repeated as he walked over to the door and peered into the kitchen. “Hop Sing?” he called in a sing song voice.

Little Joe sang back. “He’s out in the garden.”

Hoss took a cautious step into the kitchen. His little brother was sitting at the kitchen table having a snack. “Uh, Joe? Me and Adam don’t have no clean clothes. Will you run up and get us some?”

With a glance out the window, Little Joe got up and walked over to Hoss. “Why don’t you just go upstairs and get dressed?”

Hoss checked his towel to make sure it was secure. “What about Ma?”

“I already told you, she’s not here.”

“Oh, yeah,” Hoss said, smiling. “I reckon it don’t matter then.” He called out to Adam. “Hey, Adam, I’m goin’ upstairs.”

Having heard the buggy pull up, Adam poked his head into the kitchen, but he was too late. Hoss had already rounded the corner into the dining room. He blew out his breath and looked at Little Joe who was grinning from ear to ear. Unable to resist, Adam grinned back and together they peered out the window just in time to see their father opening the front door.

Ben held the door open for Marie, but once they were inside, they both stopped in their tracks at the sight of Hoss standing directly in front of them wearing nothing but a towel. Marie quickly averted her eyes in an effort to spare him further embarrassment, but seeing the humor in it, she couldn’t help giggling.

“Hoss!” Ben bellowed, shaking his head in astonishment. “What in the world are you doing?”

Flushing scarlet, Hoss covered his chest with one hand and gripped his towel with the other. “I…uh…was takin’ a bath…see…and well…you see….me and Adam didn’t have no clothes.” He furtively glanced at his stepmother and turned even redder. “Pa, please, don’t ask no more questions.”

Hearing the cackling and laughter coming from the kitchen, Ben stifled a smile and pointed to the stairs, releasing him. Hoss took off as quick as lightening and with a firm grip on his towel, he made sure it didn’t flap open as he ran up the stairs. Grabbing his clothes, he swiftly dressed and then forgetting all about Adam’s clothes, he stalked back to the washroom in search of Little Joe with a determined look in his eye.

Conversing with Ben at his desk, Marie saw the hard expression on Hoss’s face and looked at her husband in alarm. “Should you intervene?”

Ben’s eyebrows knit together as he considered it. “If I do, I’m liable to get caught in the cross fire.”

Marie’s eyes widened. “If you don’t?”

“They’re liable to demolish the washroom,” he said, standing up with a sigh.

Marie shook her head and smiled, thinking he was exaggerating, but her expression turned to concern when she heard a crash and Little Joe’s pleas for mercy.

Panicked by the look on his big brother’s face, Little Joe tried to escape by skirting around the tub, but as luck would have it, he tripped on the new bench and fell to the ground. “C’mon, Hoss, it wasn’t my fault!”

Hoss pounced on him and pulled him to his feet. “You saw them out the window, didn’t yuh?”

“You got it all wrong,” Little Joe said, protesting.

Persisting, Hoss poked him in the chest. “That’s why you told me it was safe to go upstairs, wasn’t it?”

Little Joe did his best to look innocent. “Now, why would I do that?”

Not the least bit fooled by his innocent act, Hoss gave him a little shake. “Because you got a warped sense of humor, that’s why!”

Doing his best to avoid the ruckus, Adam laughed out loud as Hoss picked up Little Joe and prepared to drop him in the dirty bath water.

Little Joe made a last ditch effort to escape. “Aw, c’mon Hoss! It’ll ruin my boots!”

In response, Hoss swung Little Joe around so his feet were facing Adam. “Pull ‘em off, Adam!”

Adam grinned at Little Joe. “I don’t think you’re getting out of this, so you may as well cooperate.”

Little Joe scowled, but in the interest of saving his most comfortable boots, he stopped squirming long enough for Adam to pull them off. As soon as he was done, Hoss unceremoniously dumped him into the murky water. “Now, that’s funny!” he exclaimed as Little Joe splashed and sputtered.

“There’s nothing funny about all this water on the ground,” Ben said in a stern voice as he came in and pointed at the mess.

Marie rushed past him. “Never mind that, Ben, Joseph is drowning!”

Little Joe smiled to himself and coughed even louder as his mother bent over him in concern.

“Drowning?” Hoss looked at Adam in wonder. “She’s not really fooled by that, is she?”

Adam rolled his eyes at the ridiculous turn of events. He didn’t embarrass as easily as Hoss, but he was definitely uncomfortable at being caught in a state of undress.

Humoring Marie, Ben checked on his youngest and immediately recognized the mischievous look in his eye. “Are you all right?” he asked, giving him a chance to fess up.

Little Joe looked up and offered him a weak smile. “Yeah, Pa, thanks for asking.”

“Good,” he said with a slow nod, “then I suggest you get yourself and this room cleaned up.”

“Yes sir,” he replied, glancing at his brothers with a gleeful look in his eye. It wasn’t often he succeeded in pranking both of them on the same day.

Ben followed his gaze, intending to order Hoss to help him out, but he couldn’t help smiling when he suddenly realized Adam’s predicament. “Uh, Adam? Welcome home, son.”

Adam crossed his arms and eyed his father. “Thanks,” he replied drolly.

Realizing she’d rushed in unnecessarily, Marie hurried out the door. “I’m sorry, Adam, but I see what you mean about practical jokes now! No one is safe!”

As she exited, Hop Sing came in with Adam’s clothes in hand. He looked around and angrily shook his head. “Too much foolishment!”

Chapter 10

Done with dinner, Marie helped Hop Sing clear the dishes while Ben and the boys moved into the living room. Harboring no hard feelings about his impromptu bath, Little Joe approached Hoss with a hopeful smile. “Checkers?”

Hoss’s eyes lit up in anticipation. “Yeah, and I want black. I got a feeling it’s gonna be my lucky color tonight.”

“We’ll see,” Little Joe replied as he retrieved the game. In a cheerful mood, he sat on the coffee table and began setting up the pieces while Hoss sat on the settee and rubbed his hands together for luck.

Retrieving a book, Adam sank into the blue chair by the fireplace and sighed. “It sure feels good to sit in a comfortable chair, doesn’t it, Hoss?”

“That’s for dang sure,” he said, agreeing.

Ben gave them an appreciative smile. “You two might have trouble sleeping in your beds tonight after sleeping on cots for so long.”

“Hah!” Hoss chortled. “I can’t tell yuh how much I’m lookin’ forward to a nice soft bed.” He eyed the checkerboard and seeing it was all set up, he generously offered to let Little Joe go first. “Go on, Joe, make the first move.”

Little Joe nodded and distractedly moved a checker as he considered the best way to tell Adam he needed to sit somewhere else. He hoped he didn’t take it the wrong way, but Ma’s comfort came first now. “Hey, Adam?”

“Hmmm?” he said, looking up and waiting.

“Um, well, I know you usually sit there,” Little Joe said, hesitantly, “but while you were gone, Ma took a liking to that spot.” He smiled and gave his brother an expectant look.

Adam lifted his eyebrows. He considered pointing out she wasn’t even in the room, but he thought better of it. Little Joe seemed to have gotten over whatever was bothering him a few weeks ago and he didn’t want to set him off. “Well, then, I guess I better move.”

Listening, Ben motioned for him to stay put. “Stay where you are, Adam, you need the lamp to read.”

Adam got to his feet anyway and took the spot on the settee closest to his father so they could talk. “It’s all right, Pa, I don’t really feel like reading.”

“All right, but don’t let Little Joe scare you, your mother doesn’t have any special affinity for that chair.”

Little Joe gave him a puzzled look, surprised he wasn’t being more supportive. “What do you mean, Pa? She’s been sitting there almost every night.”

Ben eyed him curiously.  “Only because she was mending our socks and needed the lamp light.”

A few minutes later, Marie came in from the kitchen to join them and seeing the blue chair was the only seat available, she retrieved a soft well-worn quilt from the sideboard and then walked over and sat down. She smiled as she took in the family scene. Ben and Adam were quietly talking and Hoss and Little Joe were focused on their game. “It’s so nice to have everyone home,” she said with a happy sigh.

Everyone glanced at her with smiles. “I see you found your favorite quilt,” Adam said with a gleam in his eye.

“You remember?”

He chuckled. “How could I forget? You swatted me good.”

“It was well deserved,” she said with a laugh. “I couldn’t find this quilt for two whole weeks and you never once confessed you’d put it in the hayloft for the barn cat. I seem to recall you swore poor little Hoss to secrecy, too.”

Hoss scrunched his nose in thought. “Funny, I don’t remember that.”

“Well, let’s see,” Ben said, thinking back, “Adam was just twelve, so you were only six.”

Hoss looked at Adam with mock indignation. “And you were trying to get me in trouble?”

“It was your idea in the first place,” Adam said, giving him a sideways look. “You kept crying about the cat being cold.”

“Sounds about right,” Little Joe exclaimed with a grin.

Laughing, Ben and Marie told more stories and Little Joe listened with rapt attention. He hadn’t heard these stories before and with Adam usually being so tightlipped about the scrapes he’d gotten into as a boy, it was fun to hear his mother tattle on him. As the evening wore on, however, his enthusiasm began to wane. He realized he was the only one who didn’t have any real memories of her. Hoss didn’t remember as much as Adam, but he definitely had clear memories of specific events. His own memories were fuzzy at best, just fleeting images of his mother and he wasn’t even sure if they were true memories or just pictures he’d conjured up.

Noticing he’d grown increasingly quiet, Ben gave him a curious look. “Tired, son?”

He wasn’t, but he nodded anyway. How could he admit what was bothering him? Up until now, the stories about his mother usually revolved around his birth, the songs she used to sing, how she and Pa had argued over his first haircut and his first pair of britches and how she’d picked out his first pony. Listening to the stories tonight, however, he suddenly realized just how much his mother had been involved in raising his brothers. Adam, especially, remembered nearly seven years of having two parents. He remembered having a mother, his mother, and he was envious. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he replied, getting up and putting the game away. “I think I’ll turn in. Goodnight everyone.”

Hoss started to yawn and then remembering his manners, he covered his mouth. “Me too,” he said, following Little Joe up. “Goodnight all.”

Wishing them goodnight, Marie got to her feet and with a little smile, she lovingly fingered the worn quilt before draping it over the back of the chair.  It had been fun to reminisce.  “I’m going up, too, Ben.”

“I’ll be up in a bit, darling, after I talk to Adam.”

Marie nodded sleepily. “Goodnight, Adam. It’s good to have you home.”

“Goodnight,” he said, smiling at her before his gaze travelled further up the stairs. Little Joe had stopped to listen and the two of them made eye contact. Impatient, Hoss hurried him along.

Ben leaned forward and tapped Adam’s knee to get his attention. “Nightcap?”

“Sure, if you’re having one.”

Ben retrieved the brandy and poured two glasses. He handed one to Adam as he sat back down. “It’s been awhile since we’ve done this.”

Adam took a sip and enjoyed the soothing effect. “There’s been a lot going on.”

“True,” Ben said, giving him a warm look, “and that’s why I want to make sure you know how proud I am of you. You did a fine job handling the timber contract, Adam.”

Both pleased and embarrassed by his praise, Adam flushed and looked down. “Thanks, Pa, but I couldn’t have done it without Hoss.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, reassuring him. “I’ll give him his due, but this was your project from beginning to end. In fact, I received a letter the other day from Central Pacific telling me how impressed they were with you and our entire operation.”

Adam smiled into his glass and took a sip, glad both his father and the people at Central Pacific were pleased.  “So, tell me, how did everything go here?”

Ben sipped his brandy and pleasantly reflected on the past few weeks. “It went well,” he replied with a nod. “I think Little Joe and Marie both benefitted from their time together.”

Adam stretched his long legs and gazed into the fire, wondering why his little brother had stopped to stare at him on the stairs. “They seem closer. Is Joe still so sensitive?” He glanced at his father. He knew he wouldn’t break a confidence, but he was pretty good at hinting if he thought it would help.

Ben shook his head. “He didn’t say why he was so irritable with you, but I suspect he was jealous.”

“Yeah, I got that feeling, too, but why?” Adam asked with a puzzled expression.

“Well, by the time you got to the Ponderosa, you and Marie had already resumed your relationship and you seemed pretty comfortable with one another. Little Joe was anything but comfortable.”

“She and I had some awkward moments along the way,” Adam said with a small smile, “but, yeah, I see what you mean.” He sobered and looked down. “I was on pins and needles getting her home safely. I was scared something might happen.”

Ben nodded knowing Adam would have felt the weight of responsibility. “She was in good hands and now that Little Joe’s had a chance to be alone with her, I don’t think he’ll be so sensitive going forward.” He gave Adam a look full of fatherly wisdom. “That said, we’re all still learning to be a family again, so we need to be patient with one another.”

As the oldest, Adam understood his father expected him to take the high road should something come up between him and Little Joe. He raised his glass as he thought about the earlier incident with the chair. “To patience,” he said, agreeing.

“To patience,” Ben said, repeating the toast and raising his glass.

Adam downed his drink and then eyed his father with a half-smile. “What about you, Pa? Did you and Ma benefit from some alone time, too?”

Ben raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure, but he suspected his son’s question bordered on being cheeky. “Everything’s fine, young man, and that’s all you need to know.”

Adam looked at him wide-eyed and innocent as he got up and took his glass. “I’ll rinse these before I go up.”

Ben got up and nodded as Adam headed towards the kitchen. “Yes, you do that, son.”

Chapter 11

Hoss shifted in his saddle and heaved a sigh of resignation as he silently bemoaned his fate. The last thing he expected to be doing today was rounding up strays and mending fences. He and Adam had just gotten home yesterday and he’d been looking forward to an easy day, but ‘ol Mr. Jenkins had shown up at the crack of dawn complaining about a break in the fence line and Ponderosa cattle mixing in with his herd. Since Adam had just given all the hands a week off after working six weeks straight at the timber camp, he and his brothers had no choice but to take care of it themselves. “Didn’t even get a proper breakfast,” he muttered to himself as he prevented some strays from going through the break. “Oh, no you don’t!” he exclaimed to the dozen or so cattle meandering towards him. “We just got you on the right side of this fence and that’s where you’re gonna stay!”

“Comin’ through!” Little Joe shouted to Hoss from a distance.

Hoss looked in his direction and saw him and Adam headed his way with six more strays. He gave Chubb a little kick and made room for them to get the through the break in the fence and back onto Ponderosa land.

“That’s the last of them,” Adam said, riding up alongside Hoss and giving him an update.

Hoss nodded, glad to hear it. “Good! Now, let’s get ‘em over to the main herd so they quit circling back.”

“Let’s do it,” Little Joe said, checking the position of the sun in the sky. It was high noon and he was getting antsy for lunch.

“Hold on,” Adam said, dismounting. “I’m gonna use the wagon to block the hole in the fence. I don’t want Jenkins’ cattle coming through.”

Having already unhitched the team earlier that morning, Little Joe and Hoss dismounted to give Adam a hand. Working together, they pushed the wagon into position and then mounted up again. The main herd was just over the rise, grazing by the creek, so they were able to return the strays and get back to the fence line just as their hunger pains really began to make themselves known.

“You fellas ready to eat?” Hoss asked, dismounting and eyeing their lunch basket.

“Yep,” Adam said, grabbing his canteen and sitting under a tree. “My stomach’s been rumbling for an hour.”

“Me too,” Little Joe said, plopping down next to him. “What’d Hop Sing pack?”

Hoss eagerly retrieved the basket and then sat down next to his brothers and handed them each a roast beef sandwich wrapped in a cloth napkin.

“Just one?” Little Joe asked, eyeing his sandwich hungrily.

“There’s more,” Hoss replied, “and some apples, too. Now, quit askin’ questions so I can eat.”

Little Joe grinned and for a few minutes the three of them were silent as they devoured their food. Once their immediate hunger was satisfied, they slowed down and ate their second sandwich at a more leisurely pace. Groaning, Adam leaned against the tree and stretched his legs out in front of him.

“Whatsa matter?” Hoss asked with a humorous look. “You go soft after one night in a real bed.”

Adam shot him a pained expression. “I sure didn’t expect to be sittin’ under a tree eating my lunch today.”

“Me neither,” Hoss grumbled, sharing his pain.

Pleasantly full, Little Joe laid on his back and put his hands behind his head. “Don’t worry, it’s almost quittin’ time,” he said, closing his eyes.

Hoss guffawed. “Quittin’ time? How do you figure that?”

Undisturbed, Little Joe kept his eyes shut as he casually relayed the work schedule he’d been keeping for the past six weeks. “I been quittin’ about this time every day,” he explained. “That way me and Ma have the afternoon together.”

Hoss exchanged a hesitant look with Adam. He didn’t begrudge Little Joe spending time with his Ma, after all, that was the whole point of him staying behind, but they still had the fence to repair and it was only midday. “Uh, Joe, after spending all morning rounding up them strays, don’t you think we oughta fix the fence?”

“Sure,” he replied sitting up and giving him a smile, “first thing tomorrow.”

Hoss gave him a weak smile, unsure if he was being serious. He sure hoped not. “Aw, you’re joshing, right?”

“No, I’m not joshing,” Little Joe replied earnestly. “We can take the team home and leave the wagon right where it is. That way you two can rest up and we’ll all start fresh in the morning.”

Seeing where this was headed, Adam tactfully put a smile on his face and got to his feet. “Listen,” he said in an upbeat tone, “with the three of us working together, we can get this done and still be home in plenty of time for supper.”

Hoss nodded and got up too. “Sounds good to me,” he replied in a cheerful voice. “What do you say, Joe?”

Little Joe stared at his brothers in dismay. “I say you two hardheads aren’t listening. Me and Pa have an agreement.” He shook his head, perplexed. “The way you two been moaning and groaning, I thought you’d be happy to call it a day.”

Adam eyed him. Little Joe had obviously enjoyed his routine for the past few weeks and he sympathized with him not wanting to give it up, but this was a job that demanded immediate attention and his baby brother knew it. “Your right, we’re not thrilled about being here, but now that we’re in the middle of it, it doesn’t make sense to quit.”

Sensing Adam was about to exert his authority, Little Joe got up and faced him, determined to make him understand a few things had changed while he was gone. “Doesn’t make sense?” he asked, looking his older brother straight in the eye. “Are you saying you don’t understand why I want to spend time with my mother?”

“I didn’t say that,” Adam replied, holding his gaze.  “I’m saying there’s work to be done and I seriously doubt Pa would approve of you quitting before it’s finished.  Isn’t it time we all get back to our regular work schedule?”

Little Joe’s nostrils flared at what he considered Adam’s high-handedness. “You know what I think, Adam? I think you need to understand you’re not second-in-command anymore!”

“I’m perfectly happy for Ma to take her rightful place,” he replied through clenched teeth, “but her authority doesn’t extend to ranch work and you and I both know you don’t have any real plans for today.”

“You think you know everything, don’t you, older brother?”

“Likewise, little brother, but I know for a fact Ma’s not waiting for you.”

Little Joe heard the confidence in his voice and faltered. He hadn’t checked with her before riding out this morning, but he didn’t have any reason to think today would be different from any other day.

Adam went on to explain so Joe would know he wasn’t just blowing smoke. “When we were coming downstairs, she asked if I would help her this afternoon.  She wants to make a new grave marker for the woman at the lake and thought we could pick out a piece of wood and decide on a verse.” He paused to let that sink into Joe’s head before continuing in as reasonable a tone as he could muster. “With Jenkins showing up, I’m sure she knows all three of us will be working until the job’s done, so let’s just do it, all right?”

Little Joe lowered his eyes, hurt his mother hadn’t set aside their usual time. They’d been getting closer with each passing day and he didn’t want that to change just because his brothers were home. Since he couldn’t bring himself to find fault with his mother, he put the blame on Adam. He lifted his eyes and glared at him. “I’m not gonna let you start changing everything,” he said, lashing out. “And don’t think you know my mother better than me!”

Frowning, Hoss stepped in, hoping to calm him down. “Aw, Joe, that ain’t fair. Adam’s happy for you, boy.”

“Is he?” he asked with a skeptical look. “He’s only been home one day and he’s already meddling. Take last night, Pa stayed up to talk to Adam instead of going upstairs with Ma like he usually does.” He shook his head. “Pa doesn’t need to talk things over with you anymore, Adam. He’s got Ma now.”

Surprised that bothered him, Hoss shook his head and tried to reason with him. “Just remember,” he said, perceptively, “there’s five people in this family, not three.”

“I know that,” Little Joe said, snapping back, but deep down Hoss’s insinuation rattled him. He couldn’t deny he’d enjoyed having his parents all to himself for a while. He knew it would be different once his brothers got back, but he’d expected them to be more understanding, after all, she was his real mother and he’d missed out on so much. He wasn’t trying to shut them out, he just wanted to make up for lost time. Why couldn’t they see that?

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.  Well, at least he knew why Little Joe had stopped on the stairs last night. “Don’t tell me I can’t speak to my own father,” he said in a tight voice, “and if you think he’s gonna let you stick to that schedule, you’re kidding yourself.”

“I didn’t say forever,” Little Joe shouted, “but the point is, it’s not your call!”

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “Fine, that’s between you and Pa,” he retorted angrily, “but this job can’t wait, so let’s quit wasting time and finish it!”

Little Joe scowled at him. “You do what you want,” he yelled, walking away. “I’m leaving.”

Adam reached out and grabbed his arm, halting his progress. “Don’t,” he advised in a firm voice, “you’ll just get yourself into trouble.”

Little Joe angrily jerked out of his grasp, mounted Cochise, and rode off. Disgusted by his childish behavior, Adam didn’t spare him a second glance. Instead, he walked over to the wagon to find his work gloves. With or without Little Joe, the job had to get done.

Hoss watched Joe ride off and then walked over to Adam. “He’s headin’ towards town.”

“If he’s so all-fired sure it’s quittin’ time, why isn’t he riding back to the ranch?” He angrily tugged on his gloves.  “He’ll sound off to me, but he won’t take it up with Pa.”

The hint of a smile appeared on Hoss’s face. “Well, shoot, that’s the benefit of having an older brother.”

Adam raised an eyebrow and tossed him his gloves. “I wouldn’t know. I always had to go straight to Pa.”

“Yeah,” Hoss said, catching the gloves and smiling wider. “I reckon that’s why you’re so good at it.”

Doing his darnedest to avoid being charmed by Hoss, Adam grabbed a spool of barbed wire from the back of the wagon and set it on the ground. “It taught me to think things through, something our little brother hasn’t quite mastered. And if he knew Ma better, he’d realize he doesn’t have to work so hard at their relationship, he just needs to let it happen.”

Hoss lifted his eyebrows. “I reckon gettin’ to know her better is exactly what he’s trying to do.”

“I know that, but this is a working ranch and time off isn’t guaranteed. With Pa sticking closer to home and Joe wanting to knock off early every day, where’s that leave us?”

Hoss nodded. He agreed, things around the house seemed kind of off-kilter, but in fairness to Little Joe, none of them really knew what normal life was going to look like just yet.  But right now, he just wanted to know one thing. “You gonna cover for him today?”

Adam stopped what he was doing and stared at Hoss in disbelief. “Let me get this straight,” he said, shaking his head. “He’s in town, most likely having a nice cold beer, while we’re working our tails off and you want me to cover for him?”

“Yep,” Hoss said matter-of-factly. “You know darn well you could’ve been more dipo…diplo…

“Diplomatic.”

“That’s right, diplomatic.” He gave a firm nod. “And besides that, if Pa gets riled up, Ma’s sure to hear it and that’d be a real disgrace.”

Adam wasn’t so sure it would be a bad thing if Marie knew what was going on, but he nodded in agreement anyway. Instead of being the patient older brother, he’d gotten frustrated and hadn’t kept certain thoughts to himself. “All right, I’ll play along, but if you ask me, I started off as diplomatic as possible.”

Chapter 12

Ben poured a measure of whiskey into the fruit punch and gave it a little stir. He wanted it to have some cheer, but not be too overpowering. He tasted it and nodded. Perfect. As he corked the bottled and stowed it away, he surveyed the rest of the room. He’d hired a string quartet for entertainment and the musicians were busily tuning their instruments and going over their selections. The settee and coffee table had been moved to make room for a dance floor and Hoss and Little Joe were energetically arranging the dining room chairs in a semi-circle where guests could sit and chat. Under Hop Sing’s direction, Adam was carefully bringing food trays out of the kitchen and setting them on the table in an orderly fashion. Ben smiled. Everything was ready and the boys all seemed to be in a festive mood in anticipation of the party. None of them had said anything, but he’d sensed an undercurrent of tension between them for the past couple of weeks. His probes, however, had been met with shrugs and evasive answers, even from Adam. He knew they were old enough to settle their own differences, but he couldn’t help worrying when they didn’t do it quickly.

“Oh, it all looks so lovely,” Marie exclaimed as she came down the stairs and stepped into the room.

Ben looked at her with love and admiration. She was elegantly dressed and adorned, but not pretentious or overdone. Sometimes it still seemed so surreal. A few months ago, the thought of having a welcome home party for Marie would have been insane. “You look lovely,” he said, smiling. “Doesn’t she, boys?”

Little Joe’s face beamed with delight. This was the first time he’d seen his mother dressed so elegantly. “You look beautiful,” he exclaimed.

Hoss nodded in agreement. “Pretty as a picture!”

“Stunning,” Adam added.

Marie smiled radiantly and graciously accepted their compliments, well aware they were totally biased, but enjoying it nonetheless. At Mercy House, she’d worn simple, but pretty, day dresses, skirts, and blouses. She did, however, own a few gowns for charity events and she was wearing one of her favorites tonight. “Thank you, boys, but as the Sisters always reminded me, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Now, having said that, I must say you all look very dapper in your Sunday best.”

“Excuse me,” Hop Sing said, breaking in excitedly, “guests arriving.”

Ben offered Marie his arm and together they stood by the fireplace while the boys received their guests at the door. As their friends began to stream into the house, the musicians played in the background. Roy Coffee was among the first to arrive and he didn’t hesitate to approach Ben and Marie. He couldn’t have been happier for them and it showed on his face. Likewise, Doctor and Mrs. Martin joined them, clearly happy to be part of the celebration. As for the rest of their friends, they were in good cheer, but clueless as to the reason for the party. A few speculated it was an engagement party for one of the boys, but given the attractive woman by Ben’s side, they now wondered if Ben, himself, was getting married. Not wanting to be impolite, everyone mixed and mingled, confident he would share his news in his own good time. In the meantime, there was food, punch, and music to enjoy.

Maggie Wheeler, however, immediately noticed how much Ben’s lady friend resembled the late Marie Cartwright. Amazed, she excused herself from her husband and sought out Shaunessey. The three of them had been good friends and if anyone would see the resemblance, it would be her.

Shaunessey greeted her with a friendly smile. “Good to see you, Maggie.”

“You, too, Shaunessey. I missed you at the quilting bee last week.”

“Oh, I had every intention of going, but I woke up feeling poorly that morning. Are you going to the ladies tea this year?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Maggie replied, pleased she’d mentioned the tea. It was the perfect opening. “Tell me, Shaunessey, do you remember how much fun we used to have with Marie Cartwright at the tea?”

Shaunessey eyed her friend. She guessed her real reason for mentioning Marie, but it wasn’t her news to tell, so she simply answered her question and didn’t volunteer anything more. “Yes, of course, those were good times.”

“Sometimes I laughed so hard, I cried,” Maggie said with a chuckle. “Oh, how I loved Marie and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear that was her by Ben’s side.”

Shaunessey followed her gaze and was relieved to see Ben escorting Marie to the center of the room. Now that all their guests had arrived, it appeared he was going to make the big announcement. “Me too,” she said with a sparkle in her eye.

Ben motioned for the boys to join them and once they gathered around, he signaled the musicians to stop playing, thereby getting everyone’s attention. “Good evening,” he said, smiling. “First off, I want to thank you all for coming. We’re truly blessed to have such wonderful friends.” As people smiled and nodded, Ben looked at Marie and squeezed her hand. “I’m sure you’re all wondering what we’re celebrating tonight, so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. We’re celebrating a homecoming we never thought possible. Thirteen years ago, the boys and I lost Marie, beloved wife and mother, in what we thought was a fatal accident, but weeks ago we learned our loss wasn’t due to death, but due to a tragic set of circumstances.” He looked lovingly at Marie and his eyes began to glisten. “This,” he said in a voice cracking with emotion, “is Marie. She’s come back to us.”

His announcement was met with shock and astonishment which quickly gave way to elated cheers and more than a few tears from the Cartwright’s dearest friends, especially Maggie. “You knew!” she said, smiling at Shaunessey.

Shaunessey smiled in return, tickled by the look of joy on her friend’s face. “Isn’t it wonderful?” she exclaimed. In Marie’s absence, she’d helped Ben whenever he’d needed a woman’s touch or an extra pair of hands and since she and her husband had never been blessed with children, she’d grown more than a little fond of the Cartwright boys.

Ben held up his hand to quiet everyone down and then briefly shared the miraculous story of Marie’s return, hoping to spare his wife from having to answer a million questions. As he came to the end, Marie took over, her eyes shining with emotion. “Words can’t describe how wonderfully happy I am to be home with Ben and the boys.” She looked at each of the boys individually and shared a special smile. “And I’m overjoyed to see so many familiar faces here tonight. I can’t wait to resume our friendships. So, please, let’s celebrate!” She signaled the musicians to begin playing again.

Little Joe’s heart swelled with happiness at the warm reception his mother was getting from all their friends and neighbors. It was strange, though, to hear her greeting people he’d known since childhood with such familiarity.

“This is the nicest party we’ve ever had,” Hoss exclaimed as he gave Little Joe a brotherly pat on the back.

Little Joe beamed, never taking his eyes off his parents. “They’re gonna dance,” he said with a nod toward the happy couple.

Adam smiled softly as he watched them glide through the turns of the waltz. “They look good together, don’t they?”

Both Hoss and Little Joe nodded in agreement and for a long moment the three of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder completely mesmerized. The spell was broken when Ross Marquette joined them, offering handshakes all around. “Boy, oh, boy!” he said, pumping their hands up and down. “What a surprise! I darn near spewed fruit punch all over Doc Martin!”

Hoss’s eyes danced with merriment. “I’m glad no one needed it, but Hop Sing was ready with those smellin’ salts of his.”

Ross shook his head and chuckled as Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright twirled by, clearly enjoying themselves. “You remember your Ma teaching us to dance, Adam? I had two left feet back then.”

“I’ll say,” Adam replied with a gleam in his eye.

“Aw, you weren’t so smooth, yourself,” he replied, elbowing him in the ribs. “Seems to me you stepped on her toes more than me.”

Adam grinned. “Seems to me, you’re right!”

Little Joe politely laughed along, but his heart wasn’t in it. Ross’s banter only served to remind him he’d been robbed of the joy of having his mother teach him to dance.

“Well, speaking of dancing,” Ross said, perusing the room, “I’m gonna ask Delphine and I suggest you ask Virginia before someone else beats you to it.”

Adam glanced at Virginia Keith, catching her eye. “Yeah, I think you’re right,” he replied, smiling in her direction. She looked beautiful tonight and there was no denying he was attracted to her despite not particularly liking her father. Sooner or later, he’d have to really examine his feelings, but not tonight.

Knowing his brother the way he did, Hoss had a powerful feeling Adam’s relationship with Virginia was doomed, but only time would tell. He shrugged. “Hey, Joe, you hungry? I’m gonna get me some food.”

“No, you go ahead, I think I’ll find me a pretty little filly to dance with.”

“Well, now,” Shaunessey quipped, tapping him on the shoulder from behind, “I’m not a pretty little filly, but I’d love to dance.”

Little Joe grinned. Shaunessey was like a favorite aunt, always there when he needed her. “Will you do me the honor?” he asked, gallantly offering her his arm.

Smiling, she took it and together they danced to a lively little tune. In fact, it was so lively, she was breathless by the time the music stopped. “My goodness that was fun, Little Joe!”

“Whew, sure was!” he replied, smiling.  “That’s why you’re my favorite dance partner.”  He gave her wink and a little peck on the cheek.

Pleased, Shaunessey blushed and started to shoo him away. “Oh, go on now, go find yourself a pretty little filly.”

Witnessing her son’s affectionate gesture, Marie stopped dancing with Ben and joined them. “My dear, Shaunessey, it does my heart good to see you two together.” She smiled, grateful Little Joe had known this woman’s love growing up.

Shaunessey knew Marie was referring to something deeper than a mere dance and it touched her heart, but true to form, she humorously looked Little Joe up and down. “He’s a right handsome partner, isn’t he?”

Listening in, Ben chuckled and rested his hand on his son’s shoulder. “All right, young fella, I better take you with me before her husband gets the wrong idea!” He smiled at the ladies. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be at the punch bowl.”

Shaunessey smiled in amusement. “Thank you for the dance, Little Joe.”

“My pleasure,” he replied with a grin.

Marie smiled at her flirtatious son and then affectionately linked arms with Shaunessey. “I know I’ve said it before, but I’m so grateful for all the support you gave Ben and boys.”

“Honestly, it was for my sake just as much as theirs.”

Marie gave her a soft smile. “You know, Shaunessey, you’ll always be a part of this family. Never doubt it.”

She nodded and dabbed at her eye. It would have been hard to let go and she was relieved she didn’t have to. “So, tell me, is everyone adjusting?”

A little frown appeared in Marie’s brow and she lowered her voice so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Yes, for the most part, but as the only woman in a house full of men, I sometimes feel they’re treating me a little too delicately. There’s been some tension between the boys, yet no one speaks of it, not even Ben.”

“Have you come right out and asked?”

“No,” she said, smiling sheepishly, “it isn’t as if they’re children.”

“Goodness, Marie, if you think something is off, then speak up. How are they going to know what you’re made of, if you don’t show them?” Shaunessey gave her a wink and a nod. “And I’ll tell you something else, all men are perpetual children, don’t you know that?”

Marie laughed and shook her head. “You’re right about one thing. I have to stop acting like a guest if I don’t want to be treated like one. I’ve waited long enough!”

Chapter 13

Adam held Virginia’s hand and led her outside for a breath of fresh air. The party was winding down and even though they’d spent the evening dancing and mingling with friends, this was the first opportunity they’d had to be alone. It was a beautiful night and Adam found a quiet spot. “I’ve missed you, Ginny.”

“Why, Adam,” she said teasingly, “we’ve been together all evening.”

“So, we have,” he replied, taking her into his arms.

Virginia smiled up at him and then rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the closeness. “I can’t stop thinking about your parents, so in love, yet separated all those years. It’s so tragic.”

Adam reflected on his parent’s attitude. “I don’t know how much they talk about it in private, but when they’re with me and my brothers, they don’t talk too much about the tragedy of it all.” With a thoughtful expression he looked across the yard at his brother. Little Joe was holding a lantern and lighting the way for people leaving the party. “It’s probably best we don’t dwell on it.”

“Your right,” she said, looking up at him. “They’re together again and that’s all that matters.” She tilted her head and smiled invitingly.

Adam bent to kiss her, but as soon as his lips brushed hers, he heard her father calling her name. With a sigh, Virginia gave Adam an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Another time,” he said, taking her hand and leading her back to the porch.

Virginia smiled and called to her father. “I’m right here, Dad.”

Len Keith turned towards them. “Virginia, there you are! It’s late and time for us to be heading home.”

“I’m ready,” she replied pleasantly. “Adam, thank you for inviting us to such a special celebration. It was an honor, wasn’t it, Dad?”

He eyed Adam and nodded. “Yes, an incredible honor and I daresay an incredible story.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Incredible story?” he asked, detecting a hint of disbelief.

Virginia rushed to clarify, feeling Adam may have misunderstood. She knew their relationship was shaky at best, but she had high hopes they’d learn to get along. “He just means extraordinary, isn’t that right?”

Her father shook his head and looked at her as if she were a child. “Virginia, dear, don’t be so naïve.”

“What do mean?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

Adam folded his arms across his chest and looked him in the eye. “Yes, Mr. Keith, exactly what are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying your stepmother was a beautiful woman, still is for that matter, and if I recall, your father was a very busy man all those years ago, working long hours to build up the ranch.” He smiled smugly. “She must’ve had a lot of time on her hands, probably got lonely.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed, suspicious of what he was insinuating. “She was busy raising a family.”

“Yes, but isn’t it true she worked in the gambling houses in New Orleans before she met your father? A woman like that craves excitement, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she simply got bored and went off to look for someone not so bourgeois, as the French say.” He frowned, feigning sympathy. “I’m surprised Ben took her back, but then again, lust makes a man do foolish things.”

“Dad!”

Furious, Adam’s eyes flashed dangerously and it took all his willpower to keep from throttling him. “Get out, Keith, before I break every bone in your body.”

“Why so angry? Did I hit a nerve?”

Mortified, Virginia looked at her father in shock and disbelief and then hurriedly climbed into the buggy. “He means it, Dad, please stop talking and take me home!”

Heeding her advice, he got into the buggy and took his seat, well aware Adam could be provoked too far. “You didn’t hear him deny it, did you?”

Adam grabbed the front of his shirt and succeeded in cowering him with his cold steely gaze. “You’re a filthy liar and if I catch you spreading this filth, you’ll regret it.” He glanced at Virginia. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s going on?” Little Joe asked, rushing to Adam’s side. He’d seen his brother’s angry stance from across the yard and instinctively ran over to back him up.

Hearing him, Adam immediately released his hold. Off the hook, Len chortled with glee and slapped his reins, putting the horse in motion. “We’ve been talking about your mother’s character and that farfetched story,” he called over his shoulder. “Adam can tell you all about it.”

The hairs raising on the back of his neck, Little Joe gave Adam a disconcerted look as the buggy sped away. “What’d he mean by that?”

Knowing the truth would ignite a fire in his little brother, Adam took a deep breath and tried to temporarily put him off. “It’s not worth repeating,” he said, with a half-hearted smile. “C’mon, let’s get back to the party.”

Not buying it, Little Joe stayed right where he was and demanded an answer. “He said something about my mother. What was it?”

“Trust me, Joe, it’s better left unsaid.”

“What was it?” he demanded more forcefully.

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Adam relented, knowing full well it would escalate between them if he didn’t. “All right, I’ll tell you. He thinks we’re covering up the real reason Ma’s been gone all these years.” He shook his head, hating to repeat Len Keith’s lies. “He thinks she left because she got bored being a rancher’s wife and wanted a more exciting life back in the gambling houses, but Pa finally convinced her to come back.”

Little Joe’s face went white. “How could he?” he asked, stunned anyone could spew such venom. His astonishment, however, quickly turned to blinding rage. “He’ll regret it once I’m done with him!” He glared at Adam. “I can’t believe you let him go.”

Adam gently gripped his arm. “Think about,” he said, counseling him, “that’s not a good idea.”

Little Joe shook him off. “What’s the matter with you, Adam? He insulted my mother! He deserves a beating!”

“Look, I’m just as angry as you, but we’ll only ruin the party for Ma if we go after him tonight.”

“You call her Ma, but if you really thought of her as your mother, you’d defend her honor. Well, guess what? She really is my mother and I’m gonna do the right thing!”

Adam’s eyes narrowed in frustration. “Don’t be stupid, of course, I defended her.”

Little Joe gave him a disgusted look. “You think what you want. I’m gonna make sure Len Keith keeps his mouth shut.”

Seeing there was no reasoning with him, Adam gripped his arm again, squeezing it tighter. “No, Joe, not tonight.”

Incensed, Little Joe struggled to break free and when he did, he threw a punch, hitting Adam in the jaw. “All your memories about my mother don’t mean anything if you’re not willing to fight for her, Adam!”

Adam shook off the blow. “Use your head,” he replied, angrily. “If you want to protect your mother, you won’t draw attention to Keith’s twisted lies by giving him a beating!” He rubbed his jaw. “And don’t forget, Virginia’s with him, too.”

Little Joe hesitated, begrudgingly conceding to himself Adam had a point. If he gave Keith a beating, the reason for it was sure to come out. People would talk and his lies would spread like wildfire. He took a deep breath, but he was too full of anger to calm down. “Fine, I won’t go after him tonight,” he spat out, “but tell me, who are you more worried about, Virginia or my mother?”

“She may not be my real mother,” Adam replied, giving him a cold hard look, “but I’m loyal to her and you know it.”

Daunted by the quiet fury now emanating from Adam’s eyes, Little Joe covered his apprehension with a defensive retort. “Your right, she isn’t your mother, so why don’t you quit sticking your nose into our business.”

“The only thing coming between you and your mother,” Adam said, pointing a finger at him, “is your own insecurities and it’s time you realize it. It’s time everyone quits coddling you.”

Little Joe’s nostrils flared in anger and he impulsively took another swing at Adam. Half expecting it, Adam blocked it and countered with a punch that knocked his little brother to the ground. “I owed you one,” he said, towering over him, “now let’s stop before it goes any further.”

“Not a chance,” Little Joe said, diving for his legs. Adam landed with a thud and the two of them wrestled on the ground until Adam, outweighing Little Joe, threw him off and got to his feet. Not to be outdone, Little Joe came up swinging, but Adam ducked and followed through with a boot to his backside. Being twelve years older than Little Joe, he couldn’t bring himself to deliver a truly powerful punch, but he didn’t mind making his baby brother eat some dirt. Little Joe, on the other hand, had no such qualms and the more he sensed Adam holding back the more he goaded him into treating him like a man. He delivered a blow to Adam’s abdomen that knocked the wind out of him. Recovering, Adam gave in and returned the favor. Unwilling to accept defeat, Little Joe ramrodded Adam to the ground again and the two of them were wrestling when their father’s voice boomed loudly above their heads.

“Adam! Joseph!” Ben shouted. “Stop it! Do you hear me? I said stop it!” Shocked and disappointed by their behavior, Ben enlisted Hoss to help pull them apart. Hoss managed to get a grip on Little Joe while Ben got a firm hold on Adam. On their feet again, the two combatants both struggled against their restraints until their father’s admonishments finally registered. “Cool off,” he angrily bellowed, “before you disgrace yourselves more than you already have!”

Chest heaving, Adam worked to regain control, embarrassed the last of their guests had witnessed the fight. Seeing him calm down, Ben released him, but none too gently. Likewise, Hoss let go of Little Joe and then retreated a few steps, out of the line of fire. “I don’t know what this is about,” Ben growled in a dangerously low tone, “but you’d better be ready to explain once our guests are gone.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Little Joe said, breathing raggedly. He intended to protect his mother from Len Keith’s ugly lies and he hoped Adam had the decency to keep quiet.

Having kept her distance while Ben took command, Marie now came forward with a determined look in her eye. “Your mistaken, young man. It’s high time we all had a talk.” She gave them both a sharp look. “Please wait for us inside while we say goodbye to our guests. You too, Hoss.”

Hoss scrunched his nose as she and his father walked away. “Why me?” he wondered aloud.

Adam shrugged and then picked up his string tie from the ground and stuffed it into his pocket. Straightening his shirt, he noticed he’d lost his two top buttons. Little Joe’s shirt hadn’t fared any better. His shirt sleeve was pulling apart at the seam and he didn’t have any idea where his tie was. With a sigh, Hoss pulled his string tie loose, unbuttoned his top button, and silently followed his brothers into the house.

Chapter 14

Now that the party was over, Hop Sing got to work moving the furniture back into place. It had been a long day and he was ready for bed, but he knew the family needed a place to sit and talk, so he tackled this one last task. When the boys came in, they silently helped him restore the room to order. Aware of their fight, Hop Sing offered them an abundance of good advice but it was primarily in his native tongue. Seeing their blank looks, he threw up his hands and retreated to his room, regretting he couldn’t speak more eloquently in English. Hoss took a seat in the blue chair and sighed, wishing he could call it a night, too. Absorbed in his own thoughts, Little Joe plopped on the settee with a pensive look on his face. Adam sat on the coffee table and stared into the fire as he mulled over the situation. Shortly thereafter, Ben and Marie came into the house and joined them.

Ben eyed his sons with displeasure. He didn’t ordinarily insist on ceremony, but if they weren’t going to show their respect for Marie by standing up when she entered the room, especially after what happened tonight, they were going to hear about it. “I believe it’s customary to stand when a lady enters the room.”

Realizing their mistake, the three of them stood up and offered their apologies. Not really offended, but aware Ben wasn’t in the mood to overlook any lapses at the moment, Marie simply nodded and took her seat in the leather chair, signaling them all to sit down. Ben, however, remained standing. His hands moved to his hips and he scowled at Adam and Joe. “All right, what the devil got into you two tonight?”

Sitting down on the hearth instead of the coffee table, Adam caught Little Joe’s furtive look and gave a slight nod, indicating he could go first if he wanted.

Little Joe seized the opportunity, hoping to put the subject to rest in one quick statement. “I’m sorry we made a ruckus, but it’s all settled now, so there’s nothing to talk about. After all,” he entreated in a reasonable voice, “we’re both grown men and entitled to some privacy, right?”

Amazed he thought that would satisfy their father’s demand for an explanation, Adam lowered his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable explosion. Equally amazed, Hoss almost groaned out loud, glad it wasn’t him in the hot seat.

In no mood to play games, Ben’s dark eyes burned into Little Joe’s. “Grown men?” he repeated in a scornful tone. “Grown men don’t solve their differences by childishly rolling around in the dirt! And if it’s privacy you wanted, you wouldn’t have done it in full view of our guests!” Exasperated, he turned to Adam and demanded a straight answer. “I want an explanation.”

Thwarted in his plan, Little Joe silently implored Adam to keep quiet.

“I’m waiting” Ben said, seeing the exchange of looks.

Adam rubbed the back of his neck. If he went along with Joe, it would go a long way in patching things up between them, but deep down, he knew it would only be temporary. Besides, now that the party had already ended on an unpleasant note, Marie had a right to know about the gossip she might be facing. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, “but Len Keith made some disparaging remarks about Ma and Joe didn’t like the way I handled it.”

Little Joe glared at his older brother, disappointed he hadn’t done the right thing. “You just had to say it, didn’t you?”

Anticipating his outburst, Adam didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he concentrated on how his father and stepmother were reacting.

Caught off guard, Ben immediately put a protective hand on Marie’s shoulder, dismayed tonight’s celebration had taken such an ugly turn. Looking up and seeing the concern in his eyes, Marie gave his hand a pat and then took control of the situation, determined to hear the rest. “Go on,” she said to Adam in a calm voice. “I’d like to hear what he had to say.”

“Trust me,” Joe pleaded, leaning forward and looking at her. “It’s better left unsaid.” The fact he was echoing his brother’s earlier sentiment didn’t escape him.

She held up her hand to quiet him and then nodded at Adam, indicating he should answer her question. Adam nodded and with an apologetic look, he relayed Len Keith’s outlandish suspicions and the resulting fight between him and Joe.

“How dare he?” Ben said in a furiously quiet voice, his blood boiling.

Hoss shook his head angrily. “That no good liar! I’ll teach him to keep his mouth shut!”

Feeling vindicated, Little Joe nodded at Hoss, glad he could count on him. “You and me, both!”

“Absolutely not,” Marie said, disapprovingly. “I know it’s upsetting, but violence isn’t the answer.”

Seeing how his own anger was adding fuel to the fire, Ben forced himself to calm down. “Your mother’s right, boys, settle down.”

Hoss frowned at him in disbelief. “But, Pa, you’re not gonna let him get away with sayin’ such terrible things about Ma, are yuh?”

“Len Keith is a troubled man,” Marie said, interjecting in a firm tone, “and no one with any sense will listen to him. Our friends, the people who were here tonight, know the truth and that’s all that matters.”

Hoss shook his head. He didn’t want to be argumentative, but he wasn’t convinced she was altogether right. “Aren’t you forgettin’ Len Keith was here as a friend tonight, too.”

“Yeah,” Little Joe said, getting more wound up, “and he’ll just keep talking unless we convince him otherwise!”

A tiny frown creased Marie’s forehead, knowing her answer was going to hurt Adam. “Len Keith has never been a real friend. He was only invited as a courtesy to Virginia.” She gave Adam an understanding look. “She’s a lovely girl, just like her late mother.”

Adam lowered his eyes in guilt. If he hadn’t put off the inevitable, the Keith’s wouldn’t have been invited and none of this would’ve happened tonight. “Yes, she is, but I should have broken it off months ago. I’m sorry my involvement led to this.”

Little Joe’s eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief. “You mean you don’t even like her?”

Marie gently, but firmly chastised him. “I appreciate you wanting to defend me, Joseph, but Adam was right to send Len Keith on his way and I’m disappointed you fought him over it.”

Hurt, Little Joe shook his head in bewilderment. “Maybe Adam can listen to those lies and not do anything about it, but not me.”

“I told you why,” Adam said, losing his patience, “and if you weren’t so wrapped up in your own jealousies, you’d understand it.”

Sensing another argument was about to erupt, Ben cautioned his eldest. “It’s late, Adam, let’s not get into that.”

Determined to finally have it out, Adam angrily got to his feet. “No, not when it’s the real reason Joe took a swing at me.” He looked at Marie and spoke sharply to her. “What about you? Are you going to keep indulging him? Do I have to walk on eggshells indefinitely now that your back?”

Hands balled into fists, Little Joe jumped to his feet fighting mad. “Shut up, Adam!”

Reacting, Ben grabbed Little Joe by the arm to restrain him. At the same time, he glared at Adam. “I’m surprised at you! You owe your mother an apology.”

Not in the most reasonable of moods, Adam stared Little Joe down. “You mean Joe’s mother as he’s so quick to point out, don’t you?”

“Arrete! Stop it!” Marie said, raising her voice and standing up between them. “This behavior is beneath both of you!” She looked from one to the other, conveying her anger and disappointment.

Angry the boys had upset her, Ben gave Adam and Little Joe a furious look before turning to Marie. “I’m sorry, Marie, you must be tired.” His eyebrows knit together in concern. “Maybe you should go up to bed. I’ll talk to the boys and straighten this out.”

Incensed at being dismissed, Marie’s eyes flashed at her husband. “For goodness sake, Ben, don’t treat me like I’m too delicate to deal with our sons! You forget, I’m no shrinking violet!” She shook her head in dismay. “I don’t approve of Adam speaking to me like that, but at least he’s treating me like family and not a porcelain doll.” She gestured toward the settee. “Now, please, sit down, all of you.”

Ben’s eyes widened, surprised by his wife’s feistiness. It was a quality he admired in her, but not necessarily when it was directed towards him. “All right,” he said, going along with her, “but only if these two can manage to stay civil.” He gave Adam a pointed look and then directed a reluctant Little Joe back to the settee, where he took a seat beside him.

Calmer now and feeling sheepish, Adam sat back down on the hearth and apologized to his stepmother. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Marie nodded in acceptance and then drew a deep breath as she looked around at the men in her life. “The only way we’re going to avoid resentment and potential flare-ups like the one tonight is to be honest with one another.”

Feeling singled out, Little Joe quickly spoke up. “I didn’t think Adam was hard enough on Len Keith, that’s all, there’s nothing more to it.”

“Nothing more?” she asked, giving him a soft look.

Uncomfortable under her probing gaze, Little Joe lowered his eyes.

“It’s not just you, Little Joe. All of us, including me, are struggling to adjust. I’ve been afraid of overstepping so I haven’t spoken up like a wife and mother should. I’ve also allowed the company manners to continue far too long.” She smiled at Hoss. “You know, Hoss, I’m not offended when a man comes in hot and sweaty after a hard day’s work. You needn’t apologize.”

Surprised at suddenly being the center of attention, Hoss blushed and stammered. “Aw…Ma…I reckon…well…I just want everything to be nice for you.”

She gave him an affectionate look. “I can’t think of anything nicer than you treating me like your mother and being yourself.”

“Well, I admit,” he said, smiling warmly, “I like the sound of that.”

Little Joe’s mouth curved into a little smile, hoping if he provided some levity, he could avoid the deeper conversation his mother seemed determined to have. “Great, now that Hoss knows he can slouch in his chair and pick his teeth, we can all go to bed!”

“Oh, Joe,” Marie said, feeling let down by his lack of cooperation. “I know it’s not something men like to do, but talking really will help.”

Upset to hear the disappointment in her voice, Little Joe averted his eyes. She was probably right. He didn’t like the way he’d been feeling, but admitting his jealousies in front of the whole family was a daunting thought. “What’s the point?” he muttered, testing the waters. “No matter what I say, Adam will just tell me to get over it.”

Ben put a fatherly hand on his leg, both in reassurance and in warning, and then cocked an eyebrow at Adam. Marie was right, grown or not, these two needed help listening to each other. “Adam, what do you have to say about that?”

Adam looked across at his younger brother, stung he felt that way. “I admit I’ve been frustrated, but it’s only because I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” He glanced down in regret. Little Joe had gotten the biggest shock of his young life and it wasn’t his place to judge how he was dealing with it. “I’m not indifferent to your feelings, Joe, and I’m sorry I came across that way.”

Little Joe shifted uncomfortably. He hadn’t expected an apology and now he’d have to say something more. He took a deep breath and gathered his courage. “All right, I may as well say it since you’ve guessed anyway.” He swallowed hard. “I’m jealous…jealous you remember Ma being here…raising you…and I don’t. I know it’s crazy considering I used to pester you for stories…but now…it gets to me…she’s my mother…but you’re the one who remembers her giving you advice…taking care of you…teaching you things.” He hung his head, afraid of how he sounded.

Relieved Little Joe was finally voicing it, Ben and Marie traded knowing glances and anxiously waited for Adam to respond.

With his head down, Little Joe didn’t see it, but Adam gave him a soft look as he searched for the right words. There were certain things he simply couldn’t change and he hoped his little brother could accept it. “Well, I can’t help being older than you,” he replied honestly, “and I can’t pretend I didn’t have those years with your mother.”

Little Joe’s head snapped up. “In other words, get over it!”

“Let me finish,” Adam replied, testily.

Little Joe flushed, feeling like a fool for opening up.

Hoping to reassure him, Adam’s expression softened once again. “Now that I know what’s been upsetting you, I’ll be more mindful.” He gave him an earnest look. “I just thought once Hoss and I got back from the timber camp, you’d be ready to get back to our normal work schedule and things around the house wouldn’t be so, I don’t know, divided. Evidently, I rushed it, so from here on out, I’ll leave it up to the three of you and won’t say a word.”  He gestured to his father, stepmother, and Joe as he spoke those last words.

Concerned by what he was hearing, Hoss sat up straighter and leaned forward, determined to be heard before anyone else had a chance to talk. “Now wait a minute,” he exclaimed. “Family business is your business, Adam, and it’s mine, too.” He frowned at Little Joe. “I know Ma’s your real Ma and you feel like you got a lot of catchin’ up to do, but so do the rest of us and I don’t like being left out. All five of us are a family, leastways I hope so.”

Shaken by the vehemence in his voice, Little Joe’s eyebrows knit together in thought. He’d been prepared for Adam to push back, but not Hoss. Evidently, his concerns ran deep because it was the same thing he’d said that day out at the fence line. He didn’t want his brothers to feel like they were being brushed aside.

“You’re right,” Ben said, firmly. “We’re all a family and it’s time we all started acting like one.”

Marie’s eyes glistened in distress. “I agree. All five of us are a family and the thought of me coming between any of you is unbearable. The last thing I want to do is create a divide.”

Feeling guilty, Little Joe went over and knelt beside her. “I’m sorry,” he said miserably. “I’m the one who muddled everything up. I’ve only been thinking about myself. Adam and Hoss shouldn’t have to cover for me and they oughta be able to talk about their own childhoods without me getting upset.” He dropped his head in shame.  “It’s just…well…I wish I had those same experiences.”

Marie reached out and touched his chin, encouraging him to look at her. “Joseph, darling, I loved you from the moment I first realized I was carrying you and your birth was one of the happiest days of my life. Be confident of my love.”

Little Joe flushed with warmth, comforted by the depth of emotion in her voice.  Marie smiled at him and then glanced around the room at Ben and the boys, wanting to include them in the moment. “I remember the first time your father held you in his arms. He was so tender and gentle and when he called your brothers into the room to peek at you, they could barely contain their excitement. You were a much-loved addition to the family, mon petit, and now after all these years apart, we’re blessed to be a family again. Please, try to understand, if we dwell on what we missed, it will only rob us of our joy today.”

“I know,” he replied with a catch in his voice, “it’s just…it’s just so unfair! We lost all those years because of outlaws who didn’t give a whit about ruining our lives and then the years we did have together…”  He shook his head. “I can’t remember.”

Marie looked at him with sorrowful eyes, wishing she could take away his pain and resentment. “Don’t despair, Little Joe. You don’t remember simply because you were too little, but I do. I remember every detail of those precious days. I remember holding and rocking you as an infant and how you cooed and flailed your little arms when you got excited. I remember you as a toddler and the look of wonder on your face when you discovered something new. I remember you as an energetic little boy getting into everything and chattering nonstop. I cherish those memories, especially since they were lost to me for so many years.”

Little Joe nodded, a lump in his throat. The ties he’d been yearning for had been there all along, just as they were for the rest of the family.

“Be thankful,” Ben added softly, “for the second chance you’ve been given and keep in mind your brothers never had the opportunity to know their own mothers at all. Adam has a few precious memories of Inger, but your mother is the only mother they’ve ever really known.”

Marie nodded thoughtfully. “I was thrilled to raise Adam and Hoss as my own and I cherish those memories as well. Hoss was an adorable five-year-old full of hugs and smiles when I first came to the Ponderosa and I soon learned, he was a friend to every animal known to mankind.” She smiled fondly at Hoss. “I never knew what furry little creature you were going to bring me and I always had to brace myself, hoping it wasn’t a baby mouse or rat.”

Amid the soft chuckles, Marie let her gaze travel to Adam. “Adam was eleven and already a big help around the ranch, but still just a boy, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Sweet and helpful one minute and full of curiosity and mischief the next.” She smiled at him. “I had my hands full staying one step ahead of you.”

“You managed,” Adam said, giving her a soft smile.

Marie nodded and then her expression became more solemn. “In honor of Elizabeth and Inger, I wanted to be a good mother to both of you and that’s why it pains me to hear any of you boys diminishing my relationships with you. I may not have given birth to all of you, but I consider myself the mother of this family. I hope all of you do, too.” She looked from son to son, making meaningful eye contact with each one of them, beginning with Hoss.

Hoss grinned, his eyes twinkling. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied enthusiastically. “Like Pa said, you’re the only mother I’ve ever known.”

“Yes,” Adam said with a dimpled smile. His own mother and Inger were safely tucked in his heart, but Marie was the one who’d been there during those difficult growing-up years. She was the one he thought of as ‘Ma.’

Little Joe nodded when his mother’s gaze came to rest upon him. “Yes,” he replied, the quiver in his voice reflecting his emotion. Knowing his brothers the way he did, he could see how much they truly loved and respected his mother and it warmed his heart. All the important people in his life loved each other, just as much as he loved them, and that was the important thing.

Ben’s heart swelled with pride, glad to see them pulling together as a family. They’d all been through an emotional wringer and it wouldn’t surprise him if more situations cropped up in the future, but as long as everyone started from a place of mutual love and understanding, they’d work through it and the family bonds would remain intact.  “All right,” he said smiling wearily and standing up, “now that we’ve all come to an understanding, I think it’s finally time for bed.”

Marie’s eyes swept across the boys’ faces one more time, relieved the tense expressions from earlier in the evening had been replaced with soft gentle ones.  “Yes,” she agreeing. “I think I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Ben offered her his hand and together they climbed the stairs, both eager to shed their party clothes and collapse into bed.

The boys watched them a moment and then one by one they rose from their seats.  At the foot of the stairs, Little Joe put his hand on Adam’s shoulder, stopping him before he headed up.  “I’m, uh, sorry I’ve been such a pain,” he said, giving him a sheepish look.  “I shouldn’t have blamed you for the way I was feeling.”

Adam smiled reassuringly and nodded, glad all the tension was gone between them. “It’s all right, little brother, it’s forgotten.”

“That’s right,” Hoss said, winking and happily slapping them both on the back, “that’s the way it should be between us brothers.”

Epilogue

Sister Margaret’s attention was drawn to the shrieks of laughter coming from the yard. It was a beautiful fall day and she was sitting on the porch having a glass of sherry with Marie and she couldn’t be happier. It was a joy to finally meet the whole Cartwright family. Hoss and Little Joe were playing a lively game of horseshoes with the older boys and Adam was playing ball with the younger ones. Marie’s husband, Ben, was leaning against a tree, smoking his pipe and watching the fun. They’d only arrived a few days ago, but they already seemed like family.

“It does my heart good to meet Ben and the boys, Marie. They’re exactly as you described.”

Marie looked out over the yard. She enjoyed watching them run around and play as if they were still children. “They’re wonderful men, exasperating at times, but I love them.”

Sister Margaret gave her a humorous look. “I imagine you hold your own.”

“Oh, I think I’ve surprised them a time or two,” Marie replied with a little laugh.

“No doubt!” she chuckled.

Marie laughed along with her, but then her eyes became thoughtful as she thought back to her arrival at the Ponderosa. “After so many years apart, I was terrified Ben wouldn’t love me anymore.”

“Well, that worry has obviously been put to rest,” Sister Margaret replied, giving her an insightful look. “I can see the love in his eyes every time he looks at you.”

Marie smiled. “Yes, it’s been soundly put to rest.”

Sister Margaret reached over and gave her hand a pat. “Being a wife and mother suits you, Marie. It’s wonderful to see this side of you.”

Marie gave her an appreciative look. “Sometimes I get upset when I think about the years I missed, but then I tell myself the same thing I tell Little Joe—don’t waste precious time mourning something you can’t change.”

“You’re a strong woman,” she replied, “but still, I can imagine how hard it must be for all of you.” She shook her head, thinking about it. “Little Joe was so young.”

Marie nodded. “He grieves the years we lost and resents the men who caused it. I suspect my having lived here, raising other boys, only adds to his pain.”

Sister Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Then, forgive me for asking, but was it wise to bring him here?”

Marie sought out her son as he played in the yard and observed him a moment before answering.  “He’s a compassionate young man and I think meeting all of you will help him realize he shouldn’t be resentful of the life I lived here. We were victims of evil, but my amnesia ended up protecting me from being abused and dragged all over the country-side as a slave and by God’s grace, I was safely delivered into your hands. It’s something we should be grateful for and I’m hoping he’ll see that.”

“It takes faith to come to a place of peace and forgiveness,” Sister Margaret said, recognizing Marie’s conviction. “I’m glad you haven’t lost yours. Just keep living in the moment and counting your blessings and I’m sure he will, too.”

Bolstered by her encouragement, Marie nodded as Sister Benedicta came out onto the porch. “Supper’s ready,” she announced as she cheerfully reached up to ring the bell.

“I feel so guilty not helping,” Marie said, standing up.

“Nonsense!” exclaimed Sister Benedicta as she headed back inside in anticipation of the stampede. “It’s a pleasure to feed you and your menfolk. You’ve been so good to us.”

Nodding in agreement, Sister Margaret got to her feet and kindly called out instructions to the boys as they boisterously clambered up the stairs and funneled through the porch. “Wash your hands before you sit down! That goes for the big boys, too!”

“Yes ma’am,” Hoss replied with a chuckle. “It sure smells good!”

“Roast chicken and all the fixings for dinner and apple pie for dessert.”

“Hot diggety!” he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in delight. “Did yuh here that, Adam?”

“Sure did,” he replied appreciatively. Having previously spent time at the orphanage with Marie, he knew this wasn’t representative of their ordinary meals.

Sister Margaret gave him a warm look, touched by his gentleness with Danny who was only four and the youngest of all the boys. “It looks like you’ve got yourself a shadow.”

Adam smiled down at the little boy who was happily holding his hand. “I told him we could sit together at the table. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of course,” she said, ushering them in and following closely behind. “I can’t think of anything nicer.”

Marie smiled and waited for Ben and Little Joe, the last of the troops. “You know,” Ben said, joining her, “I was thinking the boys and I should forage for firewood tomorrow. There’s plenty of open land where the downed trees are free for the taking. We can probably chop enough to get them through winter.” He jovially clapped Little Joe on the back, including him in the conversation. “What do you say, young man, can I count on you to help?”

Little Joe flashed him an easy smile. “Sure, Pa, that’s a great idea. You think we can take the older boys, too? They’d be a big help.”

“I don’t see why not. I think it would be good for them.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” he said, thoughtfully. He started to walk away, but a rush of emotion stopped him and he turned to smile softly at Marie. “I’m really glad we came. Getting to know the Sisters and all the boys, well, it makes it easier to accept the years you were gone, you know?”’

Marie smiled softly in return. “I’m glad, son.”

He nodded, sensing she understood, and then went inside, eager to wash up and find a place at the table. Marie watched him and then looked happily into Ben’s eyes. “It was the right decision.”

“I think it’s helped all of us,” he replied, pulling her into an embrace. “I love you, Mrs. Cartwright.”

Marie looked up and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I love you, too,” she said, sighing contentedly.

Inside the screen door Sister Margaret happily observed the couple. “All right, you two lovebirds,” she exclaimed, “we’ve got a table full of hungry boys waiting on you!”

Ben and Marie laughingly broke apart and hurriedly went inside while Sister Margaret held the door open, her eyes full of merriment.

THE END

2017

 

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Family, Hoss Cartwright, Joe / Little Joe Cartwright, Marie Cartwright