Summary:   This is a what happened instead for a scene in The Lady from Baltimore and a what happened next after the Bannings left story.

February 2013 Chaps and Spur and Pinecone Trifecta.

Word Count: 1,023  Rated: K

                                                                  Fools Rush In

Story Notes:

February 2013 Chaps and Spur and Pinecone Trifecta.

• • Violet

• • Honey

• • Drew

• • Cast

• Fortune

WHI/WHN  The Lady from Baltimore

The title was taken from an Elvis Presley song of the same name.

It was a beautiful summer evening; the sun had set leaving the sky a breathtaking shade of violet. A soft breeze, infused with the sweet scent of roses, floated around the couple, creating the perfect atmosphere for romance.

Joe leaned against the tree next to Melinda Banning and cast eyes full of awe at the fascinating woman next to him. He couldn’t believe his good fortune when Melinda showed an interest in him, a simple rancher’s son who knew nothing about the sanctity of the upper echelon. That was his brother Adam, not him. Joe’s only dealing with society were the dances held in town, parties given at the Ponderosa, or other homes, and church socials. The idea of servants waiting on him, the expensive china and crystal that was used for everyday dinning were above him. The stories that Melinda’s mother, Deborah Banning, told of lavish parties that the governor and other dignitaries attended were beyond the young man’s comprehension. Yet this sophisticated woman looked at him, singled him out as the object of her attention. Joe was in love, head over heels in love. He was already thinking marriage, even though they barely knew each other. Joe was positive this was a match made in Heaven.

Reaching out Joe slid his arm around Melinda’s waist and drew her close. Tentatively, he lowered his head to hers until his lips softly touched hers. When she responded Joe deepened the kiss.

Breathless, he pulled away from her, ending the kiss.

“Honey,” he sighed.

“What?” Melinda whispered.

“Honey. You taste as sweet as honey.”

Smiling at the young man in front of her, Melinda leaned back against a tree with a serene look on her face.

“It’s beautiful here.”

“It sure is,” Joe whispered his eyes on the woman next to him. “Melinda, could you ever see yourself living here?”

Melinda looked across the yard that was bathed in the silvery glow from the moon overhead. “It would be a change, but I could adjust; especially if I was with the man I love.”

A small smile graced Joe’s lips. “If I were to ask you a certain question, what would your answer be?”

Melinda considered the question for a minute before her mouth curved into a soft smile. “My answer would be yes.”

Joe released the breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding. He was afraid to believe that this beautiful creature before him would give up the excitement, the balls, and the servants to live here in the West, where life was rough and unpredictable, for him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Joe, I’m sure.”

He came around in front of her and lowered his lips to hers. What started off as a tender meeting of their lips soon took on a life of its own when Joe’s tongue requested entrance to her mouth as the kiss deepened.

“I love you,” he murmured against her mouth before devouring it again. Breaking away, Joe’s lips trailed across her cheek to her earlobe where he used his tongue to circle the sensitive parts before blazing a path down to Melinda’s neck. Pulling her closer Joe alternated between nipping and sucking at the delicate skin, to kissing and soothing the area with his tongue.

Melinda moaned and pushed herself closer, fitting her body to his. Reluctantly, Joe pulled away from her. Slipping his knuckles down her cheek, he caressed it before tracing the outline of her lips with his finger.

“So lovely,” he whispered. Forcing himself to release her, he took a step back and grabbed hold of her hand. “We better go back inside.”

After closing the door behind them, Joe cleared his throat to gain the attention of the occupants in room. Once he had everyone’s attention, he looked down at Melinda, his love for her shining in his eyes for all to see.

“Melinda and I have an announcement,” he said, his brilliant smile lighting up the room. “I asked Melinda to marry me and she said yes.”

Stunned silence settled over the Cartwrights, whereas Deborah Banning rushed to the happy couple.

“Oh, Melinda, how wonderful.” She took her daughter into her arms and hugged her close. “Well done, my dear,” Deborah whispered into Melinda’s ear.

Ben and Hoss were the first to recover from the shocking announcement, and rushed over to the couple to offer their congratulations. All the while Adam remained sitting in his blue chair, a dark frown marring his face.

Noticing that Adam hadn’t moved, Joe’s brow wrinkled in consternation. “What’s the matter, Older Brother, you’re not going to congratulate me?”

“Sorry, Joe, I guess I was a bit shocked,” he said, offering his youngest brother a smile, forced as it may be, and went over to share in the happiness of the couple.

~~~~~~

“A fool, that’s what I was, just a fool who rushed in and believed I was in love with a woman I had just met,” Joe berated himself.

He sat by the doors of the hayloft overlooking the yard. The Bannings had departed for San Francisco after Melinda admitted she wasn’t in love with him, and pretending so was only the means to an end. Joe had smiled and said all the right words, but at the time he felt his world was falling apart. It wasn’t until that night that he had a chance to examine his true feelings. Joe now saw what he didn’t want to see. Melinda never loved him, if anything she was drawn to Adam, the only one of the three brothers that could understand the life that people led back east, even if it wasn’t the life she had.

With a sigh he looked to the house. The soft, golden glow from the windows invited him into its warm comforting interior; into his father’s understanding, compassionate arms.

“That’s it, Joe Cartwright, you’re a blind fool and you have no one else to blame but yourself.”

Closing his eyes, Joe took a deep breath and slowly released it before pushing himself to his feet and making his way to his warm, welcoming home and his waiting father.