Summary: Madeline Cartwright, Ben’s oldest stepdaughter, is Virginia City’s new schoolteacher. She has a school program planned but doesn’t have anyone to build the stage she needs, that is until Kevin Butler steps in. Kevin and Madeline are very close to being enemies, so the sparks are bound to fly!

Rating: T

Word Count: 20,397Note: The Cartwright Gals trilogy is a spinoff series for Romancing the Ponderosa and it focuses on Ben’s three adult stepdaughters. It should be read in chronological order, starting with “Mrs. Little Joe”.

Romancing the Ponderosa series:

Mrs. Little Joe (Book 1)
The Redhead (Book 2)
Leo (Book 3)
Rose, My Love (Book 4)

Cartwright Gals Trilogy:

A Romancing the Ponderosa – Spinoff Book 1
Captive Heart – Spinoff Book 2
Ryan & Juliet – Spinoff Book 3

 

 

Ponderosa Schoolmarm

 

Chapter 1
(Madeline)

 

“Class you are dismissed!” The room fills with the sound of books snapping shut and children’s laughter. As I scan the swell of kids in the room, trying to decide which one to pick, I spot a sandy brown haired boy and call out, “Oakley, will you please clean the blackboard today?”

“Yes, Miss Cartwright.” He answers, looking up from his books which he’s stacking neatly, tying a piece of twine around them. He walks over to the blackboard, grabs the eraser and begins the daily chore of wiping it clean. I always try to choose a different student each day so that the chore isn’t punishment; the corner’s reserved for that. Sitting down behind my sturdy desk, I watch as the rest of my pupils filter out the door calling goodbyes to one another. Within seconds the only people in the room are Oakley and I. 

“Miss Cartwright?”

“Yes, Oakley?” Glancing up from the paper I am grading, I look at the seven year old boy who’s the spitting image of his father, Kevin Butler. Well, minus his kind, sparkling green eyes which I’m guessing he inherited from his late mother. The poor child’s been motherless ever since she died five years ago giving birth to another baby, who sadly also passed away. I didn’t feel comfortable asking Mr. Butler how he lost his wife so I asked Pa instead and that’s what he told me.

“Who’s going to build the stage for our school program?”

“Oh, I was going to ask one of my brothers or Candy. Why?”

“Well, my Pa’s real good at buildin’ things with wood, I thought maybe he could do it for ya.” He looks over his shoulder at me with a smile. “He built that desk you’re sittin’ at.”

“He did?” I run my hand over the smooth surface of the desk. I didn’t know Mr. Butler was a carpenter, too, let alone that good of one! This desk must have taken hours to make with all of its intricate details and the way it’s completely smooth all over so there’s not even the slightest chance of getting a splinter. 

“It’s pretty ain’t it?” He comes over and rests his elbow on my desk, plopping his chin into his hand. The smile he gives me is the exact replica of the smile I looked up at while dancing with his father three and a half months ago during the party my Pa threw. Grinning back at the sweet little boy in front of me, I reach out and wipe the chalk dust off his nose.

“It’s pretty isn’t it.” I correct. “Oakley, you know your Pa and I aren’t exactly friends so I’m not sure if he’d want to build it for me.”

“I know.” He sighs. “But it’s not for you, Miss Cartwright, it’s for the whole school. Anyways if my Pa were to build it, it would last for years and years and years.”

“So you’re saying that if one of my brothers or Candy were to build it, it would fall apart the first year?” I tease, a smile on my lips, right brow raised a little. 

“Oh, no, ma’am!” He exclaims, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean that at all.”

“I know, Oakley, I was just playing around with you.” I laugh as his shoulders relax and his worried expression is replaced by a grin. We both glance at the schoolhouse door as a wagon pulls up outside. “Sounds like your Pa’s here to get you.”

He runs back over to the blackboard and quickly scrubs off the two arithmetic problems he left when he walked over to talk to me. Putting the eraser away, he dusts his hands on his pants before grabbing his tied books and lunch pail off his desk near the front of the room. Tucking his books under his left arm, he throws his other hand up in a wave. “See ya tomorrow, Miss Cartwright!” 

“Goodbye, Oakley.” I call back as he runs towards the door. When he hears me, he glances over his shoulder with a smile and doesn’t see his father step through the door as he crashes right into him. His books and lunch pail take flight as his backside hits the wooden floor. I cover my mouth with my hand to try and hide my grin as Oakley looks up with a stupied look. 

“Hiya, Pa!” He laughs, his shock short lived. 

“And hello to you, too, Oak.” Mr. Butler laughs, pulling him to his  feet and dusting off the back of his pants. Oakley quickly gathers his scattered things. “Oakley, go on out to the wagon, will you? I’ll be out in a second, I wanted to talk to Miss Cartwright for a moment.”

“Sure thing, Pa.” He zips out the door.

“Miss Cartwright?” Mr. Butler begins, taking his black cowboy hat off. The way he bends the brim back and forth in his hands makes it look like he’s nervous or something.

“Yes, Mr. Butler?” I ask, my voice polite. 

“Well, uh, I’m going out to the Ponderosa to look at some horses your Pa’s wanting to sell, so I was wondering if I could take you home since I was going that way already.” I toss the idea around in my head a moment, trying to decide. Kevin Butler and I aren’t exactly enemies but we’ve rubbed each other the wrong way since the very beginning. Well, not exactly the very beginning because it wasn’t until after we argued at that party that we began to dislike one another. That argument was just the first of the many we’ve had in the short amount of time we’ve known each other. But despite the mutual dislike between us, we try to be civil, polite, and as friendly as possible to each other. 

“Mr. Butler, it’s very kind of you to offer to take me home, thank you.” I respond, my mind made up. “I have a few things to gather up, so if you’ll give me a moment, I’ll be ready in a second.”

“Of course, I’ll be in the wagon.” Slapping his hat back on, he slips out the door. I quickly put all my papers in a stack and shove them into my black bag that Adam gifted me the day before my first day of school. He said that every teacher needed something to safely transport her papers safely back and forth. Standing up, I look around the room, making sure it’s all clean and tidy before I walk out the door. Shutting it behind me, I pull the key out of the pocket of my light brown skirt. As I turn the key in the lock, I hear the wagon seat creak behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Mr. Butler climbing down from where he was sitting on the bench. Walking over to my blue roan horse, Trixie, he grabs her reins from off the hitching post and ties them to the back of the wagon. 

Still watching him, I step up to the side of the wagon and climb onto the seat. Just as I sit down, I feel my skirt tug and hear a loud rip. My shoulders fall and a small huff escapes my lips as I reach down to tug my skirt free. Peering down at it, I see a four inch tear straight up the side. Looks like my sewing box will be coming out tonight if I want to wear this skirt again tomorrow like I plan to.

Mr. Butler clambers up onto the other side of the wagon seat and it tilts to the left under his weight. I have to quickly grab the handle beside me to keep from sliding sideways into him. He glances over at me briefly before turning to Oakley behind us in the bed of the wagon. “All ready back there, little man?” 

“Yes, sir.” He chirps back. Even though the father and son duo look the same, their temperaments are nearly opposite. While Mr. Butler is hot tempered and almost nasty at times, Oakley is sweat tempered and so kind I don’t think he’d hurt a fly. I’m sure Mr. Butler is a kind man once you get to know him but I have a feeling Oakley inherited his gentle spirit from his mother. 

“Guess what, Pa?” Oakley breaks the silence after we’ve ridden about eight or nine minutes into our ride to the Ponderosa. 

“What?”

“Miss Cartwright told us today that at the end of the school year we’re going to have a school program. It’s goin’ to be like one of those fancy plays you can go watch in the big cities. All of us are goin’ to have words we have to remember so we can say them in front of everyone!” I can’t help but smile at the excitement in his voice. When I told the class my plans this morning, the whole room erupted into one big cheer. A loud one at that!

“That sounds very exciting.” He glances over at me with a smile nearly as big as my own. “I’m sure it’ll be a whopping success!”

“But we’ve got a bit of a problem, Pa.”

“And what can that be?”

“We need a stage built an’ we ain’t got anyone to build it.”

“I’m going to ask one of my brothers or Candy to build it for me.” I quickly say before Oakley gets a chance to ask his father to do it for me.

“Oh, well, Miss Cartwright, if none of them can do it for you, I’d gladly step in and do it for you.” He nods. “I enjoy working with wood, and if I don’t say so myself, I’m pretty good at it, too.”

“If my desk in the schoolhouse is any indicator of your skill, you’re a very fine carpenter. But I’m sure one of my brothers will be able to build it for me.”

“Alright, but my offer still stands.”

“I’ll remember, Mr. Butler”

“Oh, and thank you, I’m glad you like your desk.”

“You’re welcome, it’s the best desk I’ve had in the seven years I’ve taught school.”

 

Chapter 2
(Kevin)

 

“Mr. Cartwright, these broodmares are just what I need to grow my ranch.” I glance over the chestnut’s neck that I’m stroking to look at the older man who’s almost like a father to me. He stands casually leaning against the fence, watching me inspect his mares. “Your stock’s always the best for miles around and I’ve never seen better mares than these. In fact, they’re better than the ones I already have.”

“Well, thank you, Kevin.” He smiles. “You know the boys and I put a lot of hard work and pride into our stock. Both horses and cattle. But those horses you have, they’re something, too, especially that white stallion of yours.”

“Yeah, Prince is something to behold.” Giving the mare a final pat, I duck back under the fence. On the other side now, I stand beside Mr. Cartwright, propping my elbows on the top rail. “I think I’ll take the chestnut, the buckskin, and the bay.”

“I had a feeling those would be the ones you’d want.” He slaps me on the back with a grin. “Let’s go into the house and figure out the price. I’m sure my wife will have something for you to drink. If we do all our business out here and I don’t invite you into the house, Rose’ll skin me alive!”

“Something to drink would be nice, my throat is quite dry. Oakley’s already in the house, I’ll have to go in to round him up anyways.” We turn towards the house just as Adam rides into the yard. Waving, he jumps down. I wave back, calling, “Hello, Adam.” 

“Kevin, Pa.” He nods. “Kevin, I figure you’re here to buy some broodmares. Let me guess, you’re buying that chestnut, buckskin, and the bay.”

“Yep, how’d you know?”

“They’re the best of the bunch and you only buy the best mares to breed that stallion of yours with.” He laughs as we walk together towards the front door. 

“How’re those grandsons of mine?” Ben asks, throwing his arm around Adam’s shoulders.

“Growing like weeds!” Adam shakes his head in amazement. “It’s like every time I blink, they’ve gotten bigger.”

“How old are they now?” I ask. I can’t remember when his twins were born but I know it wasn’t that long ago.

“Three and a half months.”

“I can remember when Oakley was that age.” I laugh, shaking my head as we step through the door. “Now the little man’s seven.”

Oakley’s head pops up from the other side of the sofa, a grin spreading across his face when he sees me. He hops off the sofa and runs over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist in a hug. I ruffle his hair before he lets go. Glancing to the left, Miss Cartwright catches my eye. She’s sitting at the dining room table, nose buried in her school papers but she looks up, sees Adam and her smile is nearly as big as the one still plastered to Oakley’s face. Standing up, she walks over to the bunch of us men making our way to Mr. Cartwright’s desk in the corner. 

“Adam, I didn’t think you’d be here today.” Her smile is still bright on her face.

“I had a few things I needed to talk to Pa about.” He smiles back, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a hug. 

“Well, once you’re finished, I have something I wanted to ask you.”

“Alright, I’ll stick around.” He tosses her a wink and she turns to go back to her papers. 

Sitting down in the chair in front of Mr. Cartwright’s desk, I hear her say something to someone else. I look over my shoulder and see the now familiar figure of Mrs. Cartwright coming our way with a tray. Adam props himself on the edge of the desk just as she circles around behind me to lay her tray down on Mr. Cartwright’s right side. They share a smile as she turns to me, “Kevin, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, ma’am. That would be nice.”

“Adam how about you?” She glances up at him.

“I’ll gladly take one, Ma.” She hands me a delicate looking china cup and then pours Adam a cup. Oakley goes back up to the sofa, apparently finding our adult business boring. He plops back down again, picking up the book he was reading. 

Our business is completed in less than fifteen minutes and standing up, I shake both Mr. Cartwright and Adam’s hand. We walk back across the room towards the door but all of us turn to look when we hear someone skipping down the stairs. It’s Mr. Cartwright’s middle daughter, the auburn haired one who Candy’s been sparking. She smiles at all of us as she makes her way over to the table, sitting down across from the oldest Miss Cartwright. After seeing who it is, Adam turns to walk out the door but stops suddenly, turning back. “Hey, Madeline, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

“Oh, I’m planning a school program and I need a small stage for it.” She turns sideways in her chair to look at him. “I was wondering if you could build it for me.”

“When do you need it?”

“Well, I plan on having the program for the end of the school term but I wanted the stage to be a permanent structure in the schoolyard. I figured it would be a good addition and it could be used for more than just school things as well.” She explains, as Adam steps up to the table to talk to her better. “Since the winter months are coming up, I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and get it built before the first solid hard freeze. Plus if we were to wait until spring, there might not be enough time to get it built since we would have to wait on the ground to thaw, which might take quite a bit of time.”

“That sounds like a good idea but unfortunately I’m going to be too busy to do it for you.” He sighs. “I have that timber contract that’s got to be finished by the end of November. Maybe Joe or Hoss can do it.”

“Joe, Hannah, and Lilia Marie are going to San Francisco at the end of the week.” Mr. Cartwright says. “They’re going to be there for a little over two weeks doing some business for me in preparation for next year’s cattle drive.”

“Oh, I forgot about their trip.” Miss Cartwright sighs, plopping her cheek into her hand. “Is Hoss doing anything?”

“Hoss came by earlier when I was the only one home.” Her mother chimes in. “Leo and the little ones have some sort of stomach sickness and he said he’s up to his ears in work trying to keep up with his chores and Leo’s. I was going to send Jewels out there to give him a hand but he doesn’t want anyone around just in case it’s catching.”

“Well, I guess that leaves Candy.” She looks up at her sister across the table. “Brie?”

“Candy’s going to start rounding up strays on Monday and he won’t be back for a while.” 

“Miss Cartwright, I could build the stage for you.” I offer, speaking up. 

“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Butler, but I’m sure you’re very busy with your ranch.” Her words are said kindly, but we both know the real reason why she doesn’t want to accept my offer and it doesn’t have anything to do with my ranch. The two of us don’t exactly get along, we’re like oil and water together. We both have hot tempers and even though she has better control of her’s, almost every time we talk, we end up butting heads and our conversation turns into an argument. But with all that pushed to the side, I still would like to build that stage for her. 

“It isn’t a problem, Miss Cartwright.” I nod. “I could come by after school hours and work on it until it’s almost dark each day. And when I need to, I could even work on it on the weekends.”

She looks at me for a moment, obviously thinking about what I just said, the same expression on her face that she had when I asked if I could bring her home. Sticking her hand out for me to shake, she says, “Alright, Mr. Butler, you’ve got yourself a job building that stage. My Pa and I discussed it last night and he agreed to supply everything that’s needed plus pay the builder fifteen dollars when he’s finished.”

“I’ll come up with a design for it tonight and bring it by the schoolhouse tomorrow when I pick up Oakley.” I let go of her hand. “You can tweak it to your liking and then I’ll get the supplies to start building on Saturday.” 

“Sounds just fine, Mr. Butler.” She nods, giving me that overly polite smile. 

 

Chapter 3
(Madeline)

 

“Alright class, I’ve got everyone’s parts written out for the school program.” Standing, I grab my stack of papers and begin to walk up and down the aisle between the desks, handing the right ones to their new owners. I stayed up till nearly one thirty last night writing them and even though it’s not noon yet, I’m already feeling it. My hands now empty, I stifle a yawn as I walk to my desk. Sitting back back down in my chair I look at the excited faces of my students again. “Now, I know the program isn’t until spring but I thought you all would like a lot of time to memorize everything. And since everyone’s part is a different character, I also thought it would be nice if you had costumes, which of course take time and money to make. Hopefully with this much time we can get everything ready without rushing at the end. You know, take our time and drag it out so it’s more enjoyable. Like when you lick a piece of candy really slowly to savor it and make it last longer than if you were to bite it off in chunks.”

After the class quiets back down, I look at my watch and seeing that it’s five minutes till twelve, I dismiss them for lunch. The room is quickly emptied and even though I’d rather eat my own lunch, I push myself to my feet. Walking over to the big blackboard, I begin to write out the arithmetic problems for our next lesson. Standing on my tip toes, I reach up and start with easy problems and as I travel down, each row gets harder with the bottom row ending in complex long division for my oldest student, Hattie Miller. 

Laying down the chalk, all finished, I dust my hands briefly on my skirt since it’s already smudged in chalk dust. When I drop it back down, the tear from yesterday catches my eye. With a sigh, I walk back over to my desk, plopping tiredly into my chair. I forgot to sew that rip last night like I had intended and I was too tired to notice it this morning. I’ll have to fix it tonight so Hop Sing can wash it for me if I want to wear it on Monday. I don’t have too many clothes, let alone work appropriate clothes. Pa tried to buy me new ones before I started teaching but the only thing I let him purchase was that purple party dress I wore to their wedding. I make my own money to not be a burden to my parents and also to help out, so therefore I buy my own clothes. But I have a bad habit of buying more books or things for my class instead of the clothes I need. I’m really surprised that this skirt didn’t split in two when it ripped, especially since it’s five years old and I’ve worn it nearly everyday. 

Looking at my watch again, I jump slightly when I see there’s only about eight minutes left of the lunch break. Quickly pulling out the sandwich Hop Sing packed for me, I inhale it with a very unlady-like speed, glad no one’s in the classroom to see me eat my lunch like a heathen. My sandwich gone, I glance back at my watch. I still have two minutes to spare. Standing up, I slowly walk across the room towards the door. I bounce on my toes slightly, trying to wake myself up since the food in my stomach, even though it got there quickly, is making me even sleepier than I already was. Stepping outside, I glance around making sure none of the kids ran off as I reach up and pull the rope attached to the bell. As it chimes, all the kids skid to a halt and quickly grab their lunch pails, taking back off into the schoolhouse. 

The day seems to drag on, yet at the same time go quickly. When I wasn’t interacting with any of the students, I kept catching myself trying to doze off so to keep myself awake, I laid my hand in my lap and whenever I felt myself drifting towards dreamland, I gave my thigh a sharp pinch. I’ll probably have a small bruise there now but at least it kept me from falling asleep and embarrassing myself in front of my class. Feeling like it should be nearly three o’clock, I pull out my watch again for what seems like the hundredth time today. A quiet sigh escapes me when I see that it really is three o’clock this time. I’ve never been happier to say, “Class you’re dismissed, I’ll see you all on Monday morning. Make sure you finish all the assignments I gave you. Oakley, I know I asked you yesterday, but would you please clean the blackboard again?” 

“Yes, ma’am, of course.” He quickly puts his things down and walks over to the board. The loud room rapidly quiets as the students filter out the door and within minutes the only sound is Oakley’s quiet scrubbing. I begin to grade a spelling paper that’s in front of me but the words blur horribly. After closing and opening my eyes, I try again but they don’t clear. With a sigh I open my desk drawer and gently run my finger over the frame of my glasses. I only need them when I’m extremely tired and I haven’t needed to wear them in a while. They aren’t the most comfortable things in the world and they make me look shrewish and mean, well at least that’s what Jewels told me. Hearing the scrubbing stop across the room, I glance up just as Oakley turns towards me. “Miss Cartwright, since my Pa ain’t here yet, can I go outside?” 

“Of course you can but make sure to wear your coat, it’s chilly out there.” After slipping his coat on, he flies out the door, completely forgetting to shut it behind him. Not wanting to get up or yell for him to come back, I just leave it open. It’s a little stuffy in here anyhow so the cool air feels good. I look back down at the paper and then over at my glasses again, deciding to ignore the both of them right now. Dropping my face into my hands, I let myself drift into a light doze. At least this time with my head propped up there’s less of a chance for it to fall forward and smack my desk. 

“Miss, Cartwright, are you all right?” The sound of Mr. Butler’s voice makes my eyes open and my head swivel up out of my hands. I didn’t hear him pull up outside or step through the open door. I must have dozed off deeper than I thought. I quickly sit up straight in my chair, hoping that I don’t look like a mess. 

“Yes, I’m all right, Mr. Butler.” He continues to give me a worried, concerned look. “I’m just tired, I stayed up really late last night preparing the written portion of the program.”

“Oh, I’m glad that’s all. I thought you had gotten sick or something.” He tosses his hat onto one of the desks in the front row and pulls a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. “I brought the plans I drew up last night.” 

Unfolding the paper, he smooths it out on my desk right in front of me. I blink and realize my eyes are still blurry, so quickly reaching down into my drawer, I pull out my glasses. As I slip them on I get that odd feeling like I’m getting stared at. Looking up, I find Mr. Butler watching me with a surprised expression. Apparently my glasses have caused him a little bit of surprise, but ignoring him I study the design in front of me. 

“It’s quite big.” I comment after I read his extremely neat figures beside it indicating the measurements.

“I know, I did that on purpose.”

“Don’t you think a forty foot long stage is a little on the big side?”

“No, not really.” His right brow moves up a little. “Once all your students are up there, there needs to be enough space for them all.”

“Mr. Butler, I only have fifteen students.”

“Then it’s just the right size. It would be a tight fit for fifteen kids to be moving around if it were smaller.”

“But all of them won’t be on it all at once except for the very ending.” I insist, my temper beginning to flare and take control. He takes a deep breath and it looks like his is beginning to, too.

“If I’m remembering correctly,” he practically growls back, “you said that the stage could be used for more than just the school, right?”

“Yes, I did say that. Why?”

“Well, if that were to happen, then it would be grown adults using it and it would be just the right size. Not too big, not too small.”

“But I still think it’s too large!”

“What I don’t understand is why you’re so fired up about the size of this dang stage, anyway!” He slams both of his hands down on the desk, glaring down at me, eyes flashing fire. “It’s not like you’re the one paying for it. Your father is!”

His words somehow get past my anger and bring me to my senses. Why in the world am I arguing about something this silly? I guess I’m way more tired than I thought. I open my mouth to answer but hearing the floor creak over by the door, we both turn to look. Oakley stands in the doorway, green eyes wide as he watches us, “Pa?”

“Oakley, go get in the wagon, we’re almost done here.” His son turns back around and does what he’s told. Mr. Butler spins on his heels, facing me again. “I’ll pick up the supplies in town this weekend and start on the stage on Monday, but I’m making it the size I planned.”

He turns and walks towards the door, boot heels clicking across the floor. Suddenly remembering something Pa told me to give him and not wanting this conversation to end like this on such a sour note, I jump to my feet, pulling a paper out of my skirt pocket, “Mr. Butler, wait!”

He stops in the doorway and turns to look back as I rush over to him. In my haste I stub my toe on one of the desks. I try to hide the pain but looking up I see him smirking at me. Giving him back a smirk, I hold out the folded piece of paper. “Pa told me to give this to you. Show it to the store clerks in town tomorrow and they’ll know to put everything on Pa’s tab.” 

“Thank you.” He reaches out and takes it, slipping it into his pocket with his design. He nods and turns to step out the door but I quickly throw out my hand and touch his arm, stopping him. 

“Mr. Butler, I’m sorry for losing my temper a few seconds ago.” I apologize, my pride taking a small bruise. “Even though it’s not a very good excuse, I’m really tired today, I’m sorry. I think the stage will be the perfect size.” 

“It’s all right, ma’am.” He tips his hat at me and steps out the door. 

 

Chapter 4
(Madeline)

 

“Whoa, Trixie.” I pull her to a stop in front of the dressmaker’s shop the next day. Last night while I was trying to mend my skirt, I ended up ruining it instead. The fabric just fell apart in my hands. I’m honestly surprised it lasted this long, so this morning after throwing on my other simple skirt I rode into town with money in my pocket. Money to buy fabric this time, not books. Pa tried to offer me money but I declined since I have more than enough to buy the fabric needed to replace my brown skirt. Swinging myself out of my saddle, I rub Trixie’s face as she nuzzles her nose into my neck. “Good girl, Trix.” 

Looping my reins around the hitching post, I skip up onto the sidewalk and into the dressmaker’s shop. The bell above the door rings and the familiar face of Miss Young peers out of the back room at me. Her face lights up in a beautiful smile as she calls out, “Be with you in a moment, Miss Cartwright.”

“Oh, don’t rush, I’m in no hurry.” I walk over to her table full of fabric bolts. Searching for a fabric similar in color to my skirt, I trail my fingers over the different bolts in front of me, marveling over how so many of them look very similar in texture yet feel so different. Miss Young sweeps back into the room, her cheerful spirit lighting up the shop. 

“Now what can I do for you, Miss Cartwright?”

“Well, first off just call me Madeline.” I laugh. “When I’m outside of my classroom it feels odd to be called Miss Cartwright.” 

“Alright,” she laughs and it sounds almost like a bird song, “but only if you call me Ellie.” 

“Agreed!” I smile. “Ellie, I need brown fabric for a skirt.”

“What type of skirt?” She asks, shuffling through the bolts of fabric. Just as she pulls out a bolt of brown fabric nearly the same color as my old skirt, a bolt of royal purple fabric catches my eye. I gasp in awe. It’s a stunning shade which just happens to be my favorite and not only my favorite, but the color I’ve always dreamed of having a dress made in. Hearing my gasp, Ellie asks, “Madeline, what’s wrong? Don’t you like this fabric?”

“No, that brown fabric is just right but,” I reach out and touch the dazzling purple peering out at me. It feels butter soft and even though it’s silk, it isn’t thick but thin and airy, “this fabric is, is…”

“Divine.” Ellie finishes for me as she shoves the other bolts to the side to get to it. Pulling it out of the stack, she unwinds a section of it and holds it up to me. “And not only divine but the perfect shade for you!”

“And way out of my price range.” Pulling the end towards me to look at the price tag, I cringe. “Too bad. But I don’t need a fancy dress, I already have that party dress you made for me for my parents’ wedding.”

“Who says a girl can only have one party dress?” She cocks her right brow up at me, a small grin playing on her lips. 

“But it’s too expensive.”

“Well, the Cartwrights are known for throwing large parties and I do remember you sayin that you like to sew your own clothes.” She says slowly, her grin turning mischievous. “If you were to, say, sew the dress yourself, there’s a possibility the price just might lower.”

“I can’t let you do that for me.” I shake my head, putting the bolt of beautiful fabric back down. “I need the brown fabric, not this.”

“You sure are stubborn!” She exclaims, laughing. “But I’m going to try and break that stubbornness of yours with a deal you’ll never be able to resist. I’ll give you the whole bolt for twenty dollars if you’ll sew it yourself and go on a lunch date with me next Saturday.”

“Twenty dollars!” I feel my eyes widen in my face. “It’s eight fifty a yard and there’s nearly a full bolt here. Probably enough for a whole dress, a skirt and then some. I’d be stealing it with only giving you twenty dollars for it!”

“I know.” She giggles.

“You know?” My brows nearly reach my hairline.

“I’ve had this bolt for over a year now.” She explains. “All of the richest ladies in Virginia City have cast it to the side either because of the price, the color or they said it was too elegant of a fabric for the wild west. In a way you’re doing me a favor by taking it from me at that price, especially since it was gifted to me. So, all in all, I’m not losing any profit.” 

I look at her, studying her face to see if she’s really serious or not. I let out a sigh and smile when she nods again pushing the bolt towards me. “Oh alright, Ellie, I’ll buy it.”

With a huge grin pushing her cheeks up, she grabs both the purple and brown bolts. Carrying them over to her cutting table she begins cutting the brown after I tell her how much I need. Wandering over to the shelf stocked with thread and other sewing notions, I pick out a purple thread and snag the right amount of buttons for the back of the dress. Looking at them in my hands, it dawns on me that there’s only twenty dollars in my pocket. Only enough for the purple fabric and nothing else, especially since I had planned on getting lunch at the hotel. With a sigh, I put the thread and buttons back. 

“You’re going to need those.” Ellie must have been watching me. “Can’t sew a dress without thread.” 

“I’m not going to be able to buy that fabric after all, Ellie.” I sigh, turning to face her, my dreams feeling crushed. “I just remembered I only brought twenty dollars with me and that’s not enough for the silk, the cotton, and the notions plus lunch.”

“Who says I wanted it all right now?” She puts her elbows on the table, leaning into it, resting her chin in her hand. “The brown fabric will be two dollars and that thread and ten buttons add up to thirty-five cents. In total, that’s twenty-two dollars and thirty-five cents. How about you give me fifteen dollars today, that leaves you enough for lunch, and then on Saturday you bring the leftover seven thirty-five?”

“You’d let me do that?” She nods at me, so I quickly grab the thread and buttons back off the shelf, laying them on the table. “You’ve got yourself a deal!” 

The fabric is quickly packaged up and paid for. Picking it all up, my arms full, I head towards the door. Ellie walks beside me to open it for me since there’s no way I can. “Till Saturday.”

“See you then.” I step out the door and up to Trixie where I quickly tie my package down behind my saddle. Deciding to leave her here and walk to the hotel, I head down the sidewalk, boots clicking quietly on the wooden planks. 

Nearly halfway to the hotel, three drunks stagger up to me suddenly. They’re foul smelling and the smiles they give me are sloppy and crooked from the amount of alcohol running through their systems. The three of them surround me and I can’t get past without shoving my way through.

“Well, lookee here, if it ain’t the Ponderosa schoolmarm.” The one on my right crows. I cringe at the term Ponderosa schoolmarm, it’s something that the town dubbed me after I became a Cartwright. Truly I don’t mind it since most people use it in a nice way, but it makes me feel old.

“Sure is, Duffy.” The one in front of me cackles. Reaching out, he grabs my hand in his grubby one. Lifting it, he kisses the top of it. I feel bile rise in the back of my throat when I see his lips leave a greasy, brown smudge on my hand. “Hey, teach, you think you can learn us how to read an’ write?”

“I’m sure she can.” The third one on my left, wraps his arm around my shoulders. Fear, panic, and disgust fill my body as I feel myself stiffen but he doesn’t notice. “Right, hun?”

“I’m sorry, gentlemen, but I can’t teach any classes right now.” I try to push his arm off but it doesn’t budge. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I have things to do and places to go.”

“But we ain’t done talkin’ to ya.” The one named Duffy interrupts. “Right, boys?”

“Right!” They both chime. 

“I’m sorry, but I really need to go.” Panic begins to take over and desperation makes me begin to lose my temper. Bending my knees slightly to make myself shorter, I shove his arm off my shoulders and yank my hand away from the one in front of me. They both look surprised but then their surprise turns to anger. 

“Well, when we say we ain’t done, we ain’t done.” The one who’s arm I shoved off, grabs my arm. His rough, tight grip makes me flinch but it also causes my temper to snap. 

“Let go of my arm!” I growl, my insides boiling, but his grip only tightens. “I said, let go of my arm!”

“Why would I want to do that fer?” He cackles.

“The lady asked you to let go of her arm.” The three of them jump, fear in their eyes at the sound of Mr. Butler’s voice. Relief spreads through my body and I feel the drunk’s hand release my arm. Mr. Butler towers over all three, a dark almost scary look on his face. “You three best get out of here before I give you a licking you won’t be able to forget for quite some time.”

They scurry across the street, tails tucked between their legs. I look down at my light blue blouse and see a smudge where his hand was on my sleeve. It’ll have to be washed before Monday. Mr. Butler turns towards me, laying his hand gently on my shoulder, “Are you all right, Miss Cartwright? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m all right and no, they didn’t hurt me, thankfully.” I give him a small smile. “If you didn’t show up, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

“I’m glad I got here in time. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to walk you wherever it is you’re going.” He offers me his arm, which I take gratefully. “Where are you headed?”

“I was on my way to the hotel to get some lunch.”

“Oakley and I were just about to head there ourselves.” He points briefly over at his wagon in front of the general store. It’s full of supplies for the stage and Oakley’s sitting on the seat, his back to us. “Care if we join you?”

“You’re more than welcome to.” I glance up at him with a wide smile. “Eating alone isn’t one of my favorite things.”

 

Chapter 5
(Kevin)

 

Driving to the schoolhouse, wagon full of supplies, Oakley on the seat beside me, I absently hum a tune, the scene from on the street today playing  in my head. Something inside of me cracked when I saw Miss Cartwright being hounded by those drunken fools. Even though we don’t get along and she’s not exactly my favorite person, it made me angry to see the way they were touching her, especially since I could see the discomfort and fear in her eyes. But as I walked towards them, something made that temper of hers let loose. It almost made me smile the way she shoved those two off of her, that is until that idiot grabbed her arm. With all the times we’ve argued, I’ve never heard her voice so angry. The relief on her face was payment enough for getting those drunks out of her business. Well, that and the lunch we had later. She was different during lunch, calm, kind, and polite. Granted she’s always polite and kind but I can tell it’s always forced, this time it seemed genuine. It was like she put down the guard she always has up around me. I guess we’ve rubbed each other wrong so many times, she expects it and puts up her guard, ready to fight if she has to. I actually liked the version of her I saw today and if I do some admitting to myself, she is a very pretty woman. Not stunning like her younger sister but pretty in her own sort of way. Knowing she’s probably different with her class, I turn to Oakley, “Oak?”

“Yeah, Pa?” His head swivels towards me. 

“What’s Miss Cartwright like?” 

“That’s kinda a silly question, ain’t it?” He giggles after looking at me for a confused second. “You know what Miss Cartwright’s like.”

“Yeah, I know her I guess.” I grin. “She’s mean, hot tempered, and always ready to fight in a good argument.” 

“No, she ain’t!” He exclaims, shocked. I was half joking but he took it completely seriously.

“No, she isn’t.” I correct, knowing if I don’t, it’ll just be another thing Miss Cartwright will hold against me. “If she isn’t mean and hot tempered, then what’s she like?”

“Kind, carin’, and nice.” He emphasizes each word with a serious nod. “She’s always ready to help and when she does help, she talks in a sweet soundin’ voice and tells you you’re doin’ a real good job.”

“She’s never lost her temper?”

“No!” He sounds shocked that I’m still asking if she’s a mean woman. “She’s never yelled at any of us and when one day she had to send Tommy Andrews to the corner, her voice just sounded stern and almost cold. He hasn’t sassed since that day either.”

“I guess I just make her mean and hot tempered.” I shrug. She sounds like a lovely lady to be with, I didn’t realize I rubbed her the wrong way that much. Maybe something’s wrong with me and not her. 

“She told me you two weren’t exactly friends. Why aren’t you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know why.” I sigh. “When Mr. Cartwright introduced me to her at that party at his ranch, I really liked her but then as the night went on, we began to talk about different things and ended up in an argument. We disagreed on how spelling words should be learned. She thought they should be said over and over again while I think you should write them until they stick in your brain. We ended up arguing about it and she ran up the stairs right before I stormed out of the house and came home.”

“You two don’t get along because you argued about spelling?!” He exclaims, sounding both shocked and surprised. I look at him, realizing how stupid it truly sounds. Pulling the wagon to a stop in the schoolyard, I stare out into the distance, thinking. I’ve been such an idiot letting something as silly and as little as spelling words ruin a relationship that could’ve turned into a friendship. Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I climb down off the wagon seat as Oakley follows suit. We both grab a shovel out of the back.

“How does Miss Cartwright teach spelling, anyhow?” I ask as we walk towards the spot in the schoolyard that she marked off for the stage. I pull the stakes out of my pocket and begin pacing out the size of the stage, sticking one in the ground ever so often to make an outline so Oak and I know where to dig. 

“She has us say and write them.” He says casually as he leans on the handle of his shovel, waiting on me to finish.

“She does?” Bent over sticking a stake in the ground, I pause, looking at him. He nods at me with a smile. Pondering what he just told me, I quietly continue to mark the plot, my thoughts spinning fast in my mind. Maybe Miss Cartwright would accept an apology and agree to start over fresh with me. If she’s anything like what Oakley said, and I’m positive I got a peek of that side of her today at lunch, I’d like to be friends with a woman like her.

Oakley and I quickly begin digging the shallow hole for the foundation. Even though it’s long, it’s shallow so after about four hours of us steadily digging, we’re finished. I quickly glance up at the sky, calculating the time. Tossing my shovel onto my shoulder, I reach down and ruffle Oakley’s hair. “Well, Oak, I think we’re done for today. Let’s unload the wood and then head on home.” 

“Alright, Pa!” He grins at me, tossing his shovel onto his shoulder, giggling when I step away so I don’t get smacked. “Let’s hurry, I’m starvin’!”

 

Chapter 6
(Madeline)

 

With Hop Sing’s help, I spread my freshly ironed brown fabric out on the floor as I listen to Brie and Jewels crowing over my purple fabric at the table. Thanking Hop Sing for his help, I glance up at them and see Mama standing behind them, admiring it from over their shoulders. I know that both Brie and Jewels are slightly jealous over it. Neither of them even like purple and the color doesn’t suit them yet I know the color isn’t what’s making them jealous. It’s the quality, quantity, and the extremely low price I got it all for. Part of me wishes I could have gotten something as nice for them or that there was enough to go around, but then the other part of me is glad that it’s all for me. I very rarely indulge myself with new clothes unless they’re absolutely needed like this brown skirt. I think that’s why those two are only slightly jealous because they know I’ve never gotten something like this for myself and that I won’t again for a very long time, if ever. Anyways, it’s not like they haven’t gotten any new clothes recently, Pa and Mama have bought them multiple new dresses since their marriage. 

Sighing, I drop to my knees and begin to pin my pattern to the fabric. With all the pieces neatly in place and with even a little bit to spare, I reach over and grab my sewing shears. Swiftly cutting out my pieces, I fold and stack them neatly just as Candy opens the door. Taking off his hat, he waves to Brie and calls out, “Howdy, everyone.”

“Hi, Candy.” Brie smiles brightly at him, caressing the purple fabric one last time before walking across the room. “I’ll get the checkerboard.” 

“Madeline, how come you’re crawlin’ around down there?” Glancing over, I see his black boots right in front of the extra fabric I shoved to the side. Looking all the way up, I find him grinning at me but I can see slight confusion in his eyes. Grabbing my stacked pieces, I try to get gracefully to my feet but crawling around on the floor made me a little stiff and one of my feet is asleep. I’m about halfway off the floor when suddenly a hand appears in front of my face. Reaching out with my empty hand, I grab it and Candy pulls me to my feet. 

“Thanks, Candy.” He nods at me as I shake out my skirt and smooth it back into place. “I was cutting out fabric for a new skirt.”

“Oh, I see.” He gives me a small smile as he walks over to where Brie has the checkerboard set up. Laying my stack of pieces on the table behind the sofa, I bend at the waist and scoop up the leftovers, swiftly folding them. “I thought the dressmaker sewed dresses and skirts and stuff like that for you?”

“She does,” I explain, “but it’s cheaper to just buy the fabric and sew it yourself.”

“Madeline likes to get her clothes as cheaply as possible.” Brie jokes as the sound of checkers slapping on the red and black board begins to come from the table. Ever since that night Misty had the twins, Candy and Brie have played checkers or chess nearly every night. They’re both very competitive so it’s always fun to watch them get sucked into the game. 

“I do not.” I throw back, plopping into the blue chair. “I just don’t think I need to spend every penny on new clothes.”

“But you’d spend it on books.” Jewels chimes in.

“Hey, I’ve bought you multiple books.” I point my finger at her, grinning. “In fact, I even bought you that copy of Romeo and Juliet that you’ve read so much I’m surprised it’s still in one piece!”

“It’s a good story.” She insists as she comes across the room towards me. “You need that skirt by Monday, don’t you?”

“Yeah, why?” I look up at her from the skirt panels I just put two stitches in. 

“I thought you might like some help.” I grab the other two skirt panels and toss them at her in answer. Jewels’ sewing skills are so good she could easily be a dressmaker. Her stitches are always tiny, neat, and straight yet she sews so fast that when you watch her, her fingers almost look like a blur. When the pieces I tossed her way hit her hand, she scrunches up her face in a cringe, “Ow, Madeline, you could’ve just handed it to me. A pin stuck me right in the palm!” 

“Sorry, Jewels.” She walks over to the sofa and plops down next to Mama, who brought out her knitting. She’s making Jeff and Cherry hats for the winter. She wanted to make some for the twins and Lilia Marie as well but she said that they’re growing too fast for her to keep up. Pa sits in his red chair, nose in a book. It’s a nice, quiet evening with the only sounds swirling around the room being Mama’s needles clicking, Pa turning a page every so often, and Candy and Brie’s quiet muttering accompanied by the click of the checkers on the board. 

“Oh, Madeline, I just remembered, I heard that something happened to you in town today.” And just like that, the nice evening turns sour. I know exactly what Candy’s talking about and I was hoping I could have told Mama and Pa myself, but apparently it’s not meant to be. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret, I just hadn’t had the chance to tell them yet. I hear the quiet, gentle thump of Pa’s book hitting his thigh as I keep my eyes glued to the needle I’m continuing to pull in and out of my fabric. 

“Madeline, what happened today?” Pa and Mama’s voices blend beautifully as they speak at the same time. 

“Oh, it was nothing really.” I look up at both of them and muster the brightest smile I can. But I feel it crack a little when I hear a, “pfft” come from Candy. 

“I guess getting surrounded by three drunks on the street is nothing then.” He gives me a look. “I heard tell the only reason they quit bugging you was because Kevin stepped in and made them tuck tail outta there.”

“Butler?” Pa asks.

“Yeah, Kevin Butler.” He nods. “I also heard that the little Ponderosa Schoolmarm here lost her temper on them and nearly gave them what for. Well, that is until Willie Keen grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let go when she yelled at him. That’s when Kevin entered the picture.”

“Madeline, why didn’t you tell me?” Pa’s voice sounds stern, but looking up at him, I see his eyes are gentle and concerned. 

“I was going to, I just didn’t have the chance to yet.” I continue to look at him. “Both you and Mama were busy when I got home and I got so wrapped up in ironing my fabric it slipped my mind.”

“What did you do to them?” Jewels asks, wonder in her voice.

“She shoved Willie’s arm off her shoulders and then yanked her hand away from Andy.” Candy chimes in, clearly enjoying being able to be the one to tell this story. I was about to answer Jewels but seeing that he beat me to it, I just lean back in my chair, sewing set aside in my lap and listen to him. “I also heard that while she was doing it her face kept getting redder and redder until it was nearly purple.”

My face felt hot but I didn’t think it was that red. Just the thought of it makes my face heat up again. I can’t imagine how foolish I looked out there today, but it wasn’t my fault. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if Mr. Butler didn’t show up when he did. 

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Mama asks worriedly. 

“No,” I quickly answer, “the only thing I was left with was a smudge from his hand on my sleeve. They were too busy rambling on with each other about whether or not I could teach them to read to do me any real harm.”

“Even though they’re always drunk, the Keen brothers have never done any real harm to anyone thank goodness. They’ve hounded quite a few people but never hurt anybody.” Pa says, shaking his head. “But I still want you girls to be careful in town no matter what, do you hear?”

“Yes, Pa.” We all chime at the same time. 

“And next time, Madeline,” he points his finger at me, “tell me immediately if something like this happens.” 

“Yes, sir.” My serious face cracks in a smile. “But let’s hope there’s not a next time.”

He laughs and the conversation ends as we all continue what we were doing. Swiftly pulling stitches through my fabric, my mind wanders back to the lunch I had with Mr. Butler and Oakley. It was a pleasant affair. Everyone seemed relaxed and Mr. Butler was quite the gentleman. His attitude and demeanor was very different than I’ve ever seen, no hot temper or even a peek at it. He was gentle and very kind, in fact so much, it was like an older and larger version of Oakley. Maybe I was wrong assuming Oakley got his attitude from his mother. Because I like it a lot better, I can only hope that this side of Mr. Butler stays present, especially since in the weeks to come we’ll be coming in contact everyday.

 

Chapter 7
(Madeline)

 

Dusting the bookshelves in the schoolroom on Monday afternoon, the day of teaching done, I pause, listening to the sawing coming from outside. I step over to the window and push back the curtain just enough to peek out but not be seen by Mr. Butler outside. He’s still busy sawing away on that wood. If the pile of planks and two by fours on the other side of him is any indicator of how much he’s gotten done in only an hour, he’s definitely been one busy fella. When he showed up earlier just as I dismissed my class, he told me his plan for today was to get all the wood cut for the foundation and then he’d start building tomorrow. The sound of his saw has been ringing through the air ever since. 

I decided to stay after school until he was finished today because it feels odd to go ahead and ride home, leaving him here to sweat over something that was my idea in the first place. So I’m keeping myself busy by giving the schoolroom a much needed dusting and sweeping. I’ve already graded all of today’s papers, so with that and the dusting finished, I grab the broom out of the corner. 

Sweeping the aisle between the desks and all the open space, I stop and look at the kids’ desks, one hand on my hip, with my other wrapped around the broom handle resting under my chin. Quickly propping up the broom against the wall, I grab the edge of the desk closest to me and drag it across the floor, stopping with it along the far wall. Within ten minutes all eight desks are pushed to the side. I look over at my desk, thinking about moving it too but I quickly reject the thought. It’s a sturdy thing and way too heavy for me to move alone. Snatching the broom again, I begin to sweep up all the dirt I uncovered. Pretty soon there’s dust flying all over. Coughing, I swat at the airborne dust around my face. I didn’t think there was this much dirt in here, but then I’ve never swept under the desks since I became the new teacher here two months ago. They haven’t been moved since this past Spring at the end of the school year which I guess can be the reason for all the dirt. Well, that and fifteen kids running around nearly everyday. 

Going around the room a second time, humming quietly to myself, I suddenly hear a quiet giggle. Whirling around to face the sound, I see Oakley and a very sweaty Mr. Butler standing in the doorway, grins on their faces, clearly enjoying the show. Instinctively reaching up, I smooth my frazzled hair as I realize to my horror that I wasn’t only humming but that I also was dancing around a little, too. I didn’t even know I was doing it and it probably looked like I was trying to two-step with the broom. My already flushed face heats up even more as I look at their still grinning faces. Mr. Butler steps further into the room and once he’s out of the doorway, I can see it’s nearly dark outside. 

“Well, Miss Cartwright, it looks like you’re doing a very good job in here, dancing included.” He tosses me a wink and even though I didn’t think it possible, I feel my face heat up even more. “But I hope you’re almost done because if you want to get home before it’s pitch black out, you’d better get a move on it.” 

“All I need to do is sweep up this pile and put the desks back.” I say, realizing he’s right. Bending at the waist, I quickly push my pile into the wooden dustpan. Side stepping both of them, I take the dustpan outside and dump it in the yard. Walking back in, I see one of the desks already back in place and Mr. Butler pulling another one into the middle of the floor. I toss the broom and dustpan back in the corner as I walk over to grab another desk. “Mr. Butler, you don’t have to help me. I’m sure you’re tired and ready to go home. I can do this myself.” 

“Don’t you know four hands go faster than two?” He grins at me as we each grab another desk. “Anyways, I want to talk to you about something.”

“You do?” I ask, a little surprised. 

“Yeah.” He starts as we walk back over to the last four desks along the wall. “I was wondering if we could, you know, start over?”

“What do you mean by start over?” As I’m pushing my desk across the floor my foot slips and I stumble into it, knocking my right hip on the corner. He looks up at me as I get myself to a standing position again and give my sore hip a quick, hard rub. There’s going to be a nasty bruise there tomorrow. 

“You all right?” I nod. “Well, what I meant was, um, well, we didn’t have a very good start that night at the dance and I was thinking maybe we could forget all about that and start fresh.”

I watch him as we go to snag the last two desks. He’s nervous, his voice told me that much and I bet if he wasn’t pushing a desk but standing in place, he’d be shifting back and forth on his feet. Rolling around what he just said in my mind, I think about how he was on Saturday at lunch and how he’s been like that today as well. It would be nice to start over and try to be friends instead of balancing on the very thin edge of almost being enemies like we are now. Before I grab the edge of my desk, I turn to face him, “Mr. Butler, I believe I’d like to do that.”

“You do?” His jaw nearly hits the floor in his surprise and I have to bite back a smile. “You do!” 

“Yes, I do.” I grin at his near boyish excitement as I stick out my hand for him to shake. “Mr. Butler, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Miss Cartwright.”

“Miss Cartwright, the pleasure’s all mine.” He shakes my hand, his grin turning goofy. It looks just like the one the boy sitting over in my chair has on his face. “But please call me Kevin.” 

“Only if you’ll call me Madeline.”

“Alright, Madeline.” He lets go of my hand and we both grab our desks. “Let’s put these back in their places so we can get home.” 

After we finish lining up the desks with the others, I grab my coat as we head for the door. To my surprise, Oakley gives me a quick hug around the waist. Reaching down, I smooth his messy brown hair and hug him back. “Bye, Miss Cartwright, see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Oakley.”

As we walk out the door, Kevin and Oakley head for their wagon while I walk over to Trixie. Swinging myself into my saddle, I grab the reins in my  right hand and look up just in time to see Kevin wave as he begins to pull out of the schoolyard. “Good night, Madeline, see you tomorrow.” 

“Night, Kevin.” I call back, turning Trixie in the other direction towards home. 

 

Chapter 8
(Kevin)

 

Hammering the last nail into the finished frame, I wipe the sweat out my eyes with my sleeve. Glancing up at the sky, I figure it to be about four o’clock. It’s been a little over a week since I started and I already have the frame finished, the rest should be a breeze to finish since the hardest part is done. Thirsty, I stand up and walk over to where I left my pail of water resting on a stack of wood that still needs to be cut. Turning to look over at the schoolhouse where Madeline sits in a chair on the little porch, I watch her as she continues to pull her needle in and out of that purple fabric. When I asked her what she was making, she told me it was a dress. The fabric sure looked fancy but it’s definitely the perfect color for her. As I watch, Oakley runs up to her, his ball in hand. She bundles up her sewing as they talk and to my surprise, she gets up and after stepping into the clearing of the yard, begins to toss the ball back and forth with him. 

Going back to work, my thirst taken care of, I begin sawing the planks for the floor. Over the sound of my sawing and the thud of the planks when I toss them into a pile, I hear Oakley’s familiar giggle and a girlish shriek. Looking up, I find them playing tag and apparently Oakley’s it, the ball forgotten in the dirt behind them. Shaking my head at Madeline’s girlish antics, I lay down my saw and just watch them zip around the schoolyard. Madeline’s skirt, even though she’s holding it up, flies out around and behind her as her boot clad feet move fast to keep her away from Oakley, who’s about five feet behind her, giggling, his hair trying to take flight off his head. The kid needs a haircut really badly but I haven’t been able to find the time to take him to get it cleaned up with all my ranch work and this stage. Maybe if I asked Madeline, she might take him into town tomorrow to get it cut for me. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, I mean after all, she’s been staying here after school every day since I started building when I’m sure she’d just rather go home. I asked on the third day why she didn’t just go home and she told me she felt bad about just leaving me here with all this work when it was her idea. I told her I didn’t care about staying here alone with Oakley, but she said it was easier because she didn’t have to carry her papers back and forth when she graded everything here. So we’ve fallen into a little routine this past week. Oakley does his homework while she grades her papers, then he helps her clean up around the schoolroom, and when he’s all done, he wears off his extra energy outside while I continue with the stage.

Oakley loves that woman and she loves him. She’s more than just a teacher to him. Without even knowing it she’s become more like his mother. It’s something I really admire her for, especially since he probably can’t remember his mother because of the fact that Susan and our baby girl passed away when he was only two. After I lost them, I temporarily lost myself, too, but thankfully Mr. Cartwright and the boys were there for me. They took care of Oakley for a few weeks while I found myself again. Mr. Cartwright almost helped raise me after my Pa died when I was ten and Adam, Hoss, and Joe are more like brothers than just close friends. But I’ve always been the closest to Adam since he’s a few years older than me and is like the older brother I never had. The Cartwrights have helped me more than anybody else. They’ve been there for me during the hardest times of my life when Pa died, then Ma nine years later, and probably the hardest, when I lost Susan five years ago. Even though a lot has changed in the past two years with all three boys getting married and starting families and then Mr. Cartwright remarrying and adding three step daughters to the large family, I know they’ll still have my back should, God forbid, something else happen. 

Picking up my saw again, the two tag players now out of sight, I let my mind wander back to Susan. Despite the fact that it’s been five years, I can still see her clearly. She was really tall, tall enough to be eye level with me and I’m six foot. I can still remember the look on Little Joe’s face when I introduced her to them. It was almost comical the way he leaned his head up slightly to look her in the face, his open jaw looking so loose that I bet if someone pushed it a little, it would’ve swung back and forth. Even though Joe’s average height, anyone close to six foot makes him look short so Susan nearly towered over him with the few extra inches she had on him. Despite being on the tall side, she was a beauty with her extremely light blonde hair that looked white in the dark and green eyes that Oakley inherited. Even though those things aren’t as common, her most unique feature was her voice, which was very high and smooth. She was a soprano and could hit and  hold high notes like no one else in Virginia City. People used to say that she sounded like a songbird. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Oakley and Madeline as they run, Madeline chasing Oakley this time. I nearly shake my head at how opposite Susan and Madeline are. The flush faced, black haired girl with her skirt fisted in her hands up out of the way is nothing like Susan, who would’ve rather died than be seen with her hair tumbling out her bun, red faced with her chest heaving like Madeline is. Susan wasn’t exactly prim and proper but she liked to be put together all the time and she wouldn’t have run around with Oakley like Madeline still is. Susan was a very mature woman, she very rarely goofed off even though she loved to smile and laugh. She took life seriously and now that I think about it and if I’m honest with myself, too seriously. That’s another way her and Madeline are so different. Madeline’s mature and put together but at the same time she’s got a girlish, carefree side that I’ve recently been finding out about. Madeline had a temper, that I guess I have a knack for pulling out, and an independent nature that makes her speak her opinion openly and sometimes loudly. Susan wasn’t anything like that with her soft spoken, even tempered, people pleaser ways. I loved Susan and the way she was with all my heart but something about Madeline fills me with admiration. I’ve never thought about her romantically and the idea hasn’t even crossed my mind. I haven’t given much thought to remarrying since Susan still holds a large hunk of my heart but in the back of my mind I know I need to for Oakley’s sake. The boy needs a mother. I can’t give him everything he needs raising him alone. I haven’t found the right woman to do just that yet, but maybe someday she’ll come along.  

 

Chapter 9
(Madeline)

 

Slipping my needle through the silk, I listen to the hammering outside. It’s been three weeks since Kevin started building the stage and he’s finishing it today. Well, almost finishing it, we’re going to come tomorrow to put the stain on it. He said it needed to be stained so it’ll last longer and since tomorrow’s Saturday, I offered to come help. I don’t have anything else to do and anyways four hands do go faster than two. 

These past three weeks have been very pleasant, Kevin and I haven’t clashed once since that day when he showed me the design. I’ve stayed everyday after school and even showed up a few Saturdays when he wanted to get more finished. It hasn’t bothered me one bit. I enjoy spending all this time with Oakley. Oakley’s a blast to be with, he’s sweet, kind yet hilarious and a giant burst of energy. He makes me feel younger than I have in years. Even though twenty-seven isn’t exactly old, all the responsibilities life has thrown my way sometimes make me feel older. 

When I haven’t been running around with Oakley acting more like a child than a woman, grading school papers, or cleaning the schoolhouse, I’ve been working on making my dress. It’s nearly finished now, all I have left is to sew on the sleeves and attach the bodice to the skirt. As soon as it’s completely finished, I’m going to use the extra fabric to make Cherry and Lilia Marie dresses for Christmas. Some people might think making dresses for them out of fabric like this is a waste, especially for Lilia Marie, who’s only seven months old, but they’re my nieces and I’ll spoil them however I please. 

Cherry’s a precious little thing who I almost didn’t get a chance to meet because Hoss and Leo nearly lost her earlier this year. Everyone spoils her just enough but not too much. Hoss put a stop to a lot of everybody’s spoiling because he said he didn’t want his daughter to turn into an entitled, arrogant brat. We all knew he was right so the spoiling has gotten cut back but she’s still a very special little lady without any of it. 

And Lilia Marie, well that little doll is just too adorable for her own good. Even though she’s only seven months old, she already has her Pa’s grin and puppy eyes. Puppy eyes the exact emerald green as her Mama’s. Despite her young age, it’s already obvious she’s going to be a beauty when she becomes a young woman. She’s been growing so fast, she can already sit up and eat solids. Plus her hair is already almost all the way down her neck, the curls nearly touching her shirt and constantly getting in her eyes. 

Kevin’s hammering stops, he must be finished. I cock my head to the side, listening as I suddenly hear a soft thud and then an even quieter silence. Oakley had been running around out there, his feet slapping the earth, a happy yell coming out of his mouth every once in a while but now I don’t hear him either. Shrugging, I continue to sew, not really thinking much of it but I look up when I hear his feet again, this time coming towards the schoolyard. The door flies open and he nearly slips, face planting. His face is pale and his eyes filled with tears and fear. 

“Oakley!” I jump out of my chair, my sewing hitting the floor, forgotten. “What’s wrong!?”

“It’s Pa!” He sobs, the tears begin to fall out of his eyes. “He’s hurt real bad!”

“Where is he?” I grab his hand and rush out the doorway, my heart filling my throat. He quickly points to the stage once we’re outside. Letting go of his hand, I grab my skirt and take off running when I see Kevin laying all too still on the ground beside it. The sight terrifies me and I fight back panic as I fall to my knees next to his still form. Trying to keep a level head so I can think straight, I quickly look him up and down for injuries. A gasp escapes me when I see the blood in his hair towards the back of his head. The panic and fear tries to take over but I quickly give myself a mental shake and come back to reality. Reaching out, I gently turn his head so I can see where the blood’s coming from. I glance over my shoulder at Oakley, “Did you see what happened?”

“He was steppin’ down off of the stage and his boot slipped. He fell and smacked the back of his head on the edge of it.” He sputters, trying to hold back his tears and be strong. Pulling Kevin’s shoulders and head into my lap, I rake my fingers through the hair on the back of his head, looking for the cut. I quickly find it and discover it’s rather small and that all the blood is overdramatizing everything. 

“Oakley, go get the bucket of water for me, will you?” He looks at me confused and scared, so without getting blood on him, I wrap my arm around his shoulders and pull him close. “Your Pa’s all right, he just hit the back of his head really hard. He gave himself a nasty cut and knocked himself out but he’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, now go get that water.” He darts off and is back with it in seconds. Grabbing the dipper, I fill it and with a mumbled apology, I slowly pour the cold water on his pale face. His eyes open as soon as it hits his face. 

“What, what do you think you’re doing?” He sputters in an angry growl. As he tries to sit up, he grabs his head with a moan. Looking down, he glances at my wet, bloodied skirt and then peers up at me in confusion. “What happened and why am I in your lap?”

“You fell and cracked your head open.” I look down at him, his face blurring thanks to the tears filling my eyes. My whole body begins to relax in relief as I try to keep them from falling. “You knocked yourself out and gave Oakley and I quite a scare.”

“Sorry, Oak.” He looks up at him where he stands beside me. Oakley gives him a small smile, his green eyes still shining with tears. “Sorry for scaring you both.”

“It’s all right.” I whisper, still fighting my own tears. 

“Now, if you two would be so kind,” he grins but then it turns to a grimace as he sits all the way up, “as to help me stand up, I’d appreciate it.”

Standing up myself, I help him as he grabs his head again and shuts his eyes against the pain. Looping my arm through his, we slowly make our way towards the schoolhouse. Once inside, I walk him to my desk and gently push him into my chair. Stepping behind him, I inspect his cut again. It’s not deep or big enough to need stitches thankfully, but it’s large enough to produce enough blood to wet his hair. He yelps a little when I accidently touch it. Apologizing, I walk over to wash my hands in the bowl of water near the door. 

“I was coming to tell you I finished the stage.” He says as I walk back over to him. His eyes dart down to my wet and blood spotted skirt. Looking back up at me, his eyes get an apologetic look to them. “I’m sorry about your skirt. You tore the other one on my wagon and now I got blood on your new one.” 

“It’s all right, Hop Sing can get the blood out of it.” I brush off his concern with a wave of my hand. “You’re going to have a pretty nasty headache for the next few days. It looks like that stain’s going to have to wait until Monday now.” 

“No, it’s not.” 

“What do you mean, no, it’s not?”

“I’m going to do it tomorrow.” He answers, his voice almost sounding frustrated. 

“But you just hit your head, you need to rest!” I exclaim. 

“I’ll be fine!” His voice gets a little bit louder. “Staining isn’t hard to do and I’ll be better by tomorrow.”

“No, you won’t.” I insist, my temper beginning to flare thanks to his stubbornness. “You have a cut on the back of your head, which you hit so hard, you knocked yourself unconscious. It takes longer than one night to heal from something like that.”

“I don’t know why you’re so concerned,” he stands up, his pale face beginning to flush red, “you’re not the one who’s hurt.”

“Because you scared the living daylights outta me!” My voice escalades to nearly a shout. 

“Well, I’m sorry.” He snarls. “There’s only a few days left that’ll be nice enough to stain that stage out there and I want to get it done before the first snow, which can be anytime now.”

“But I don’t want you working when you’re injured.

“Oh, that’s right, I nearly forgot, I’m just your hired hand and you’re my boss.” 

“Kevin, I didn’t mean it like that.” I growl. “I just don’t want you hurt more than you already are.”

“So, you’re just concerned?” He asks stiffly, arms crossed his chest. 

“Yes…” I trail off, my anger dissolving as my eyes fill with tears. Seeing my shining eyes, Kevin’s shoulders fall out of the stiff position he was holding them in. Stepping up to me, he reaches out and touches my shoulder gently. 

“I’m sorry about losing my temper, Madeline. I guess the pain in my head is causing me not to think straight.” He squeezes my shoulder tightly. 

“It’s ok.” I nod. “I’m sorry I lost mine, too. You gave me quite the scare.”

“Sorry about that, too.” He gives me a small smile. “But I have to stain that stage tomorrow, alright?”

“Alright.” I sigh. “I’ll be here tomorrow to help like we already agreed.”

“Then let’s all go home.” He gives my shoulder a final pat and moves to step to the side but quickly stops, looking down at the floor. I follow his gaze and see my nearly finished purple dress on the floor next to his boots. Bending, I quickly pick it up as he steps around me and the desk. Lifting his hand in a wave, he calls out, “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye!” I wave back, gathering up my things so I can leave.

 

Chapter 10
(Madeline)

 

“Madeline, what on earth are you wearing?” Jewels asks the next morning as I walk down the stairs. 

“Are those Little Joe’s old clothes?” Pa asks as he takes in my button up creamy white shirt and light brown pants.

“Yeah, I found them last night in the very bottom of the bureau in my room.” My room used to be Joe’s before he moved out with Hannah. I lift my arm to show the light blue jacket I have tossed over it. “I found this, too. He must have forgotten them when he moved out.”

“But why are you wearing them?” Brie’s brows nearly vanish into her hairline, confusion written plainly on her face. 

“I’m going to help Kevin stain the stage today.” I explain, flopping the jacket over the back of my chair as I sit down at the table for breakfast with the rest of them. “I didn’t want to ruin any of my clothes and since these have holes and tears in them, I figured I’d wear these instead. But, Pa, if you’d rather me not wear them, I’ll change.” 

“Of course it’s all right!” He laughs. “Those clothes are really old, he wore them when he was about seventeen, eighteen years old. Let me guess, there’s a small hole near the shoulder.”

“Yes.” I glance down at the small hole in the right shoulder of the shirt. It’s a strange size, probably big enough for me to stick two fingers in but not small enough for only one. Curious, I ask, “What’s it from?” 

“A bullet.” He casually answers as I feel my jaw drop and hear Jewels’ fork fall onto her plate. 

“Bullet?!” Our voices chirp together, sounding like one.

“It was when he was eighteen.” He begins. “Inger’s brother, Gunnar, had showed up but we didn’t know at first that he was leading a band of rogue Mexican banditos. They raided a neighbor’s farm and Joe just happened to be there that day helping them build a fence. The banditos captured Joe and Carrie, who was Joe’s girl at the time. One of Gunnar’s men was trying to rebel against him and take over. He wanted to kill Joe and Carrie just because Joe was related to Gunnar, but Gunnar helped them escape. Joe and Carrie got separated because Joe sprained his ankle and made her keep running but the man who had been chasing them caught up to Joe, who he shot. Joe was all right, of course, but Hoss thought Gunnar was the one who shot Joe and went after his uncle. He found out just in time that it wasn’t Gunnar but the other man. Hoss shot the other man just as he shot towards Gunnar. It was fatal to both of them and Gunnar died in Hoss’s arms.” 

“That had to be hard on Hoss.” I quietly say as I peer down at the little hole again. Who knew that such a little hole could have such a big story. Looking back up at Pa, my fingers brushing the hole in the knee on the left pant leg, I comment, “I doubt the hole in this pant leg has a wild story like that behind it.”

“Oh, no!”He rolls his eyes. “That boy had holes in the knees of almost all his pants. I was constantly buying him new pants because everytime I turned around, he had a new hole in them somehow.”

We all laugh but then becoming serious again, Mama turns to me, “Madeline, didn’t you say last night that Kevn hurt his head?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Then why is he doing the staining today?”

“Because he wants to get it done before the colder weather hits.” 

“I’d offer to help,” Pa reaches over and pats Mama’s hand, “but I have to take your mother to a neighboring ranch so she can visit with one of her expectant mothers.”

“It’s alright, Pa, we’ll be fine.” I smile at him. “We can always put Oakley to work, too.”

Everyone quickly finishes their breakfast and before I know it, I’m stepping outside, pulling on Little Joe’s old blue jacket. Like the other clothes, it’s too big for me so I roll up the cuffs a little above my hands. I had to fold up the bottoms of the pants because they were too long but Joe must have been really skinny when he was younger, the waistband is barely loose, not even loose enough that I have to wear a belt. Swiftly, I saddle Trixie and ride off into the chill air towards the schoolhouse. 

As I ride to the schoolhouse, my mind drifts to the jumbled thoughts that I was trying to sort out last night in bed. Yesterday when I saw Kevin lying on the ground, unconscious, it terrified me but what I was trying to figure out was why it scared me so badly. Staring at the ceiling, I told myself that I was scared for Oakley’s sake but some nagging thought in the very back of my mind told me that wasn’t the complete, honest truth. Letting that thought drift forwards from the place I had shoved it in, it filled my whole mind with such a large thud it brought tears to my eyes. It scared me half to death because I needed him. Besides Mama, the girls, and now Pa and my brothers, I’ve never needed anyone, especially not a man. I’ve discovered that not only do I need him but somehow I’ve started to fall in love with him. That thought alone nearly made me laugh out loud. Me, Madeline Olivia Cartwright falling in love with the man who almost became my enemy because we started out on the wrong foot by arguing over something as stupid as how spelling words ought to me memorized. But even though he can sometimes be stubborn, hard headed, and hot tempered, I love him for the kind, caring man that he is. 

Pulling into the schoolyard, I spot Kevin standing in the middle of the stage, a small paint can in hand. Jewels always says that when you see the man you love that it makes your stomach flutter and you get a giddy feeling all over, but the sight of Kevin just warms my heart and makes me smile. She’s never had a beau before and she reads way too many romance novels so I don’t know why I ever paid any attention to her ideas about romance in the first place. But then, of course, I’m just as inexperienced when it comes to romance and boys as she is. I haven’t given boys a thought in nearly seven years. I’ve been so zoned out and focused on my teaching that I haven’t given it time. 

Seeing me, Kevin throws his hand up in the air, waving. I wave back as I hop down, tying Trixie’s reins to the hitching post. Oakley runs up to me and hugs me around the waist. He leans back and I see his nose is pinked up from the chilly air. I wrap my arm around his shoulders and we walk over to the stage where Kevin stands watching us with a quizzical look on his face. 

“Is something wrong, Kevin?” I ask curiously. 

“I never thought I’d see that jacket again.” He looks my outfit up and down. “If you were a few inches taller, had your hair tucked up under a small black hat, a gun slung on your left hip, and a cocky grin on your face, I’d think you were Little Joe.”

“It’s that obvious?” I look down, grinning. 

“Yeah!” He laughs. “Why are you wearing Joe’s old clothes, anyways?”

“So I don’t ruin my own clothes.” I pull a bandana out of my pocket which I  fold. I tie it around my head to keep my hair from getting in my face. “Pa said it was all right so you’re getting a Little Joe-ized Madeline today. How’s your head feeling?”

“It still hurts a little, but not too bad.” He tosses me a paint brush and hands me one of the other small cans of stain. “Did your skirt come clean?”

“Yeah, Hop Sing has some sort of old Chinese stain remover that works like magic.” We both drop to our knees on the stage and begin to rub the stain in. We work silently for a while, the only sounds swirling around are our paint brushes on the wood and Oakley playing over by a tree. 

“Madeline?”

“Yeah?” I look up at him from where I’m taking off my jacket, getting a little toasty. 

“I wanted to apologize again for losing my temper with you yesterday. My head was pounding really bad and I guess I let the pain get to me.” 

“Apology accepted.” I feel my lips spread into a wide grin. “Again.”

He grins back and we continue our staining. I can’t help but wonder if he could ever love me. We were talking about his wife, Susan, just earlier this week and I could tell he still loves her. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to love again, let alone love me, who just happens to be the complete opposite of the wife who still holds his heartstrings despite being in the grave. 

 

Chapter 11
(Madeline)

 

Thanksgiving came and went, bringing with it the exciting news that Leo was expecting. I guess a stomach sickness wasn’t the only thing plaguing her. The two short weeks between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas break went by like a breeze, the classroom nearly bursting at the seams in excitement. The Christmas season filled the Ponderosa with such a state of joy that I’m surprised our cheeks didn’t break and fall off from all the smiling we did. The house was filled to the brim on Christmas Eve since Adam, Hoss, and Joe brought their families and stayed the night. They wanted to be in the house first thing in the morning and to be honest, I think they just wanted to be back home for the night. It was a very special Christmas since not only was it our first one as a whole family, it was also Lilia Marie, Gavin, and Benjamin’s, who we all call by his middle name Tyler, very first Christmas. The wooden walls echoed with laughter, excited squeals from the older grandchildren, and baby coos from the youngest as we all sat around in our night clothes, opening presents. And then Candy, the only actually one dressed for the day, dropped to one knee in the middle of it all and proposed to Brie. I’ve never seen her so excited and happy before. She even surprised us all by kissing Candy right in front of everyone. 

The holiday season finished, we began a new year, which brought Jewels’ nineteenth birthday on the tenth of January. Pa threw her a huge party but even though I finished it right after the stage was complete, I didn’t wear my purple dress. I’m saving that dress for something special though I don’t know what that something is yet. All of the festivities ended, I fell back into my normal teaching routine again with the start of school. Dismissing the class became my favorite part of the day, not because it meant I was finished for the day but because I could talk to Kevin, who still came everyday to pick up Oakley. We would talk for thirty to forty-five minutes each day, and to be honest, I looked forward to it all day. 

But then February began and within a week of it we had a horrible blizzard that closed the school for the rest of the month and the first two weeks of March. It was a depressing time with being stuck in the house and no way to go anywhere. Candy couldn’t even get from the bunkhouse to the main house the first few weeks to play checkers so I filled in for him and discovered that Brie is a checker playing rogue. I caught her cheating more than once but even without cheating, she could beat me with her eyes closed. The worst part about being stuck in the house was that I couldn’t talk to Kevin, who my feelings for had deepened over time. But I had a feeling that it was all one sided because he hadn’t acted differently with me or mentioned anything about being more than friends. 

Thankfully all five feet of the snow we had melted enough so we could get to and fro by the middle of March. The school opened back up and my conversations with Kevin started again. The class buckled down with their studies and caught back up but it nearly took us a whole month. 

Finally in the middle of April we really began to prepare for our school program, which I have planned for the end of May right after school ends for the year. Excitement nearly as strong as it was right before Christmas filled the classroom again as everyone rehearsed their lines with each other and made last minute costume alterations. That excitement and the love I felt for Kevin filled me with a happiness like I’ve never felt before. 

But now two weeks before the program, I ride to the schoolhouse, warm almost hot Spring air swirling around me. I’m going to give the schoolhouse a complete deep clean to get it looking spotless for the special day. Kevin is coming out to help me as well. I left him behind me at the Ponderosa where he was discussing horse breeding with Pa. The mere thought of that man makes me smile yet it also makes my mind churn. It’s been nine very long months since I realized my feelings for him and he hasn’t so much as hinted at having the same feeling for me. It’s very frustrating and at the same time almost heartbreaking at the same time, but what worries me the most is that maybe all I’ll ever be to him is a friend or worse, Susan holds too much of his heart to let him ever love again. I discussed it with Mama and she told me to give it some time and be patient. But I’m running short on patience. Sighing, I look ahead of me and watch the budding trees as they go by. Making myself think about the program instead, I’m soon riding along with my thoughts making a cloud around my head. 

 

Chapter 12
(Kevin)

 

Coming around the curve in the road, I spot Madeline about fifty feet ahead of me. I can tell by the set of her shoulders that she’s a million miles away thinking about something. One thing I’ve learned in these past nine months is that I’ve become so close to Madeline that I can read her like an open book. She’s turned into a friend like I’ve never had before. I was close to Susan but the closeness I have with Madeline is different and to be honest, I like it better. Yet I still can’t figure out if what I feel for her is just friendship or more. I loved Susan but how I feel about Madeline is very different and I haven’t discovered exactly what it is yet. I do know that I’m very glad we didn’t turn into enemies like we almost did. 

I quickly escape my thoughts and come back to reality as Madeline’s blue roan mare makes an odd, skittish movement. Madeline’s so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t notice. I scan the ground around her, looking for whatever spooked Trixie but I can’t find it because I’m still too far away to see anything clearly. Suddenly Trixie bucks, sending Madeline flying backwards. She smacks the ground with a loud cry of pain as Trixie turns, running past me for home. My heart feels like it drops down out of my body yet at the same time fills my throat as I kick Prince into a gallop to get to Madeline’s still form on the ground. Right as I pull Prince to a stop, I hear the distinct shake of a rattler’s tail. Whipping my pistol out of the holster on my hip, I look around for the little devil. Spotting it, I aim, firing a shot that sends its head flying off behind it. 

Leaping out of my saddle, I quickly tie Prince’s reins to a branch before hitting my knees beside Madeline. The impact must have knocked her out, her eyes are closed, face ghost white, and when I touch her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze she doesn’t even stir. My heart begins to pound in my chest as fear pulses through my veins. She’s laying too still but thankfully her breathing seems normal. Remembering that cry of pain she screamed out when her body met the ground, I know she hurt something. She landed on her right side which she’s laying on, so I roll her over and when I see her arm, I feel the air gush out of me. Her shoulder is dislocated badly and her arm is twisted at an odd angle because the joint is out of place. I’ve put a few shoulders back in place before over the years but never on a woman and especially not one dear to me. Yet I know I have to. Laying her completely flat on her back, I pat her cheek to try and wake her up but it doesn’t work. I quickly stand up and grab my canteen off my saddle. I have to wake her up, I can’t put her shoulder back with her unconscious, even though I wish I could. Pouring some of the water on my hand, I pat her cheek again. It doesn’t work so with a regretful sigh, I slowly dump some on her face. This time it does work as she sputters and opens her eyes. 

“Kevin?” She asks after a moment of confusion but before I have a chance to answer, her eyes well up with tears as she reaches for her shoulder. They begin to drop out of the corners of her eyes as she starts to sob. “My arm! Kevin, it hurts so bad!”

“Ssh, I know.” I grab her left hand in mine and squeeze it tight. “You dislocated your shoulder when you hit the ground after Trixie bucked you off. I’m going to fix it but I need your help. Do you think you can?”

“Yes, I’ll try.”

“Ok, it’s going to hurt really badly when it goes back in but then the pain will be gone.” I move to her right side and gently grab her wrist. “I’m going to put my knee in your armpit then lift your arm and pull gently. When I pull I want you to turn your hand around slowly until it’s straight, alright? You ready?”

She nods so I quickly put my knee in her armpit. As I lift her arm, beginning to pull, her sobbing gets worse but she turns her hand. It feels like forever but then suddenly the joint pops back in place. She lets out a high pitched scream that leaves my ears ringing but before the scream even has a chance to completely disappear from the air, she has a smile on her face. “It doesn’t hurt anymore just like you said!”

“I told you so.” I joke as tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision. “Let’s get you to a sitting position now. I’m sure it’ll feel better than laying on the ground.”

Slipping my arm behind her shoulders, I help her sit up. She gently moves her right arm in front of her, cradling it against her chest. I’m sure it still feels funny and it will for a while, too. I hand her my canteen, telling her to drink and as she does, her face gets back some of its color. But after a few minutes, it suddenly goes pale white again. She leaps to her feet and runs over to some bushes a few feet away. Dropping to her knees, her breakfast unfortunately decides to make a reappearance. I quickly get to my feet, grabbing the canteen and untie my neckcloth as I go over to her. Bending down beside her, I soak the cloth in the cool water and pulling back her braid, I lay it on her neck. Rubbing my hand gently up and down her back, I wait for her to stop heaving. Her stomach done giving her the pleasure of seeing its contents, she leans back on her heels, face buried in her hands. Brushing her hair out of her face, I lean in to get a look at her, asking, “You all right, Madeline?” 

“Yeah, I think so.” She uncovers her face and looks at me with bloodshot eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I don’t know why it happened.”

“It happened because your body was going through shock.” I explain. “You smacked the ground hard enough to knock yourself out and then your shoulder dislocated and we had to put it back. That’s enough to make anyone lose their lunch.”

“I guess so.” I help her as she moves to stand up. Leading her over to where Prince is still standing patiently by the road, I make her sit back down on a rock and hand her the canteen. 

“Take a few sips but not too much.” I tell her as she looks at it with a weary glance. Instead of drinking straight out of it, she pours some into her right hand which she’s still moving very slowly. 

“What made Trixie buck?” She looks up, handing me back the canteen, grabbing the wet cloth from off her neck. “I never saw it coming.” 

“A rattlesnake spooked her.”

“I never even saw or heard it.” She shakes her head. “I guess this is what I get for not paying attention.”

“It could’ve happened to anyone.” I quickly put the canteen away and turn back to her, offering her my hand, “I better get you home so you can rest. You’re going to be bruised and sore for a while.”

Pulling her gently to her feet, I help her get in Prince’s saddle. Swinging up behind her, we’re soon on our way back to the Ponderosa, which thankfully is only two miles away. Even though I keep Prince at a walk, we’re back at the house rather quickly. 

As we ride into the front yard, Ben rushes over from where he was standing next to his saddled horse. I help Madeline get down as he reaches us, worry written plainly across his face. “Madeline, what happened? Trixie came home without you and I was about to go search for you. Your mother and I were worried.”

We both quickly fill him in on what happened as we walk into the house where Mrs. Cartwright grabs Madeline in a hug. Sitting her down on the sofa, she makes Madeline hold still while she goes to find something to make a sling for her arm. Madeline’s arm is soon slinged and Mr. Cartwright’s on his way to fetch the doc to make sure her arm is put back right. Mrs. Cartwright drifts back to the kitchen to make some coffee and then it’s just Madeline and I in the room. I shift nervously on my feet where I stand by the fireplace and decide to act on the decision I made while we were riding back here. 

“Madeline?”

“Yeah, Kevin?”

“I was, um, wondering if maybe tomorrow if you’re feeling up to it, you’d like to go on a buggy ride with me.” I sputter. “You won’t be able to clean the schoolhouse for a while now so it’s not like it would be interrupting anything.”

“Kevin, I’d love to go on a buggy ride with you!” She grins at me.

“You would?”

“Yes, I would!”

 

Chapter 13
(Kevin)

 

We ride side by side in my buggy the next day, silent but not uncomfortably silent. Despite her still slinged arm, she’s in a very cheerful mood, which makes my stirred up nerves settle a little. What I have planned for today has my stomach feeling like I swallowed a bushel full of butterflies. Not a very comfortable feeling, especially for a man with a stubborn will and a whole lotta pride. But hopefully I’m not showing it too badly and I think I’m succeeding because I know that if I were acting funny she would say something to me and she hasn’t. I thought I was nervous when I talked to Mr. Cartwright this morning but the nerves swirling around inside of me right now are way worse than those from earlier. 

Pulling the reins, I turn the horse in the direction of my ranch, the Double B. Madeline’s head swivels towards me and I can feel her questioning eyes watching my face which I’m trying really hard to not let grin. “Kevin, where are we going? I thought we were just going on a buggy ride not to a planned out destination.”

“Well, we’re doing both, first a simple buggy ride and then to the destination I have planned.” This time I let myself grin as I look at her puzzled face. “The buggy ride part is done since now it’s time for the destination.”

“But where and what is that destination?” She cocks her right brow up at me, a smile trying to break free but she’s got a tight rein on it.

“My horse ranch. The Double B.”

“But why?” Her voice turns suspicious. “Oakley isn’t there. He’s back on the Ponderosa where we left him with Little Joe.” 

“I know.” I nod, thinking briefly about Oakley and Joe. That boy has loved Joe ever since the Cartwrights watched him after Susan’s death and thankfully the feeling is mutual. Joe just happened to be there when we showed up this morning and when he found out about our plans, he offered to keep an eye on Oakley for me. Feeling Madeline’s eyes burning a hole in me, I glance back over with a shrug. “Can’t a man show a pretty gal his ranch if he wants to?”

I feel her jump a little beside me and looking over, I find her staring down at her skirt like it’s suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. Worried I offended her somehow, I quickly ask, “What’s the matter, do you not want to see the ranch? Because if you don’t, I’ll turn around.”

“Oh, I would love to see your ranch. Please don’t turn around.” She looks at me for a moment but then glances back down at lap again. “Do you really think that I’m pretty?”

“That’s a stupid question.” I shake my head, a small smile on my face, “Of course I think you’re pretty! What man wouldn’t?”

“Are you sure you’re not just trying to be nice to me? I know I’m not much to look at, especially compared to Brie or Misty.” 

“Hey, don’t think like that!” I pull the buggy to a stop in the yard in front of my house. Shifting on the seat until I’m facing her, I reach out and gently grab her chin, tilting her face up towards me so she’ll look me in the eye. “Never think like that. I think you’re beautiful and to me that’s all that matters. It’s not right to compare yourself to others. Everyone was born different looking and there’s nothing wrong with that. The world would be a very boring place if everyone looked exactly the same.”

“You’re right.” She sighs with a smile as I let go of her chin. Turning, she looks at the house. It’s a shack compared to the Ponderosa but her smile widens as she looks around at it. “You have a very nice place here, Kevin.”

“It’s nothing compared to the Ponderosa.” I shrug. “But it’s all been built out of hard work and love.”

“That’s what makes it special.” We both step out of the buggy. “Something doesn’t have to be big to be important or special to someone. It’s about how it’s created.”

“I’m glad you think that way.” Opening the front door for her, I take a deep breath and decide to jump right into my plan. “Especially since it’s all I have to offer you.” 

“Kevin, what do you mean by that?” She stops and whirls around to face me so fast I nearly plow right into her. 

“I meant what I said, it’s all I have to offer you.” I wave my hand, pointing to the house around us as I watch her face go white and then bright pink. She sways slightly so I quickly grab her arm and lead her to the sofa on the side of the room. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she sighs, looking up at me, “but please explain yourself.”

“I want to marry you, Madeline.” Her eyes get so wide I’m surprised they don’t pop clean out of her head but she stays silent. I continue. “In the past months that we’ve been friends, you’ve slowly become more than just a friend to me but I couldn’t figure out what you’d become. But I finally figured it out yesterday when I saw you fly backwards off your horse. I don’t know why sometimes it’s only when you nearly lose someone you finally realize that you love them. Because that’s exactly how I feel, Madeline, I love you and I realize that I have for a while now. I don’t know if you feel the same way or not but I want you to think about my offer. Not only will you have a home to tend to and call your own, you’ll have Oakley’s love and mine, too.”

“You really mean it?” Tears have begun to slowly trail their way down her cheeks. “You really love me?”

“Yeah, of course I mean it.”

“I almost can’t believe it.” Standing up, she walks over to the fireplace and rests her elbow on the mantle. “I’ve dreamed of hearing you say those words for months now and I was beginning to think I’d never hear them.”

“What do you mean?” Going over to her, I turn her towards me so I can look her in the face. 

“What I mean, Kevin, is that I love you, too.” The tears still run down her face but now I know they’re happy tears. “The same thing happened to me that day you knocked yourself out on the stage. The possibility of losing you terrified me and that’s when I realized I was falling in love with you.”

“But you still haven’t answered my question. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you, Kevin.” Being careful with her arm, I pull her into a tight hug. Leaning back a little, I bend down to kiss her but she stops me. “What about Susan?”

“What do you mean, what about Susan?” I ask, confused. “She’s been dead for five years now.”

“I know that but I’m so different from her.” I read between the lines and realize what she’s really asking. 

“Madeline, I love you, not Susan. Yes, a very small part of my heart will always be hers but you and Oakley completely fill up the rest of it.” I take her face in my hands so she has no choice but to look at me. “I loved Susan but  I never loved her like I love you and I’m closer to you than I ever was to her. She’ll never come between us in any way because I love you for who you are and I could never compare the two of you in any way. You are both special in your own ways and I wouldn’t want to change that for the world.”

I wipe the tears off her cheeks as I lean in and kiss her. She doesn’t stop me the time but instead leans in. My nerves completely dissolve as a happiness like I’ve never felt before fills my whole body. 

 

Chapter 14
(Madeline)

 

Buttoning up the back of my purple dress which I decided to finally  wear today, I hurry over to the door as someone knocks. Opening it, I find Brie standing in the doorway, the curling irons I put on the stove in her hands. She hurries in and nearly throws them down on the towel I have laying on my bureau. “Man, those things get hot!”

“Thanks for bringing them up, Brie.” I laugh as I pull a chair up to the bureau. Beginning to brush my hair, I see her step up behind me in the mirror. 

“Want me to curl it for you?” She offers. “It’ll go faster.” 

“Go ahead.” I hand the brush over my shoulder to her. Grabbing it, she quickly has my hair parted and sectioned off. I lean back in my chair and watch her do her thing. I don’t know if it has anything to do with her artistic talents but Brie’s a wizard with hair. She just somehow knows exactly how to twist, pin, and curl it into a stunning masterpiece. 

“We’ve both been so blessed since we came to Virginia City. It was the best thing we’ve ever done.” She says, winding a piece of hair around one of the curling irons. “We wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t for you.”

“I’m glad I saw that teaching application in the newspaper. If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here.” I watch her pull the hair off the iron and bounce it up before letting it relax on my back. “I never thought moving to a new town miles away from where we grew up would change our lives so much.”

“Mama was reunited with her first love after not seeing him for over thirty years and they fell in love all over again. And then when they got married we not only got a Pa who loves us but three brothers as well.” She grins at me in the mirror. “Both of us are engaged to men we love with all of our hearts and Jewels is turning into a very lovely young lady under Mama and Pa’s watchful eyes. I think she needed Ben more than we did.”

“That she did.” I nod but then instantly regret it as the hot curling iron touches my neck. I glance up at Brie to find her trying not to grin at me. “Do you think she’s jealous?”

“Jealous of what?”

“Us being engaged and about to be married while she hasn’t even had a beau yet.”

“Maybe a little.” She shrugs. “But she’s got so many romantic thoughts going through her head right now, I doubt she’d know what real love was if it smacked her right in the face. I do know of someone who’s jealous of you though.”

“Who?” 

“Me.” I look at her in the mirror, confused. “You get to marry Kevin as soon as school is completely wrapped up for the year while I have to wait almost until the end of summer to marry Candy.”

“I’d be in the same position too if it wasn’t for the fact that Kevin already has a house.” 

“I know, I’m just beginning to get impatient, is all.” She sticks the last pin in my hair just as a buggy pulls into the front yard. “It looks like I’ve finished just in time. That’s probably Kevin here to pick you up to take you to the schoolhouse.” 

“Do I look all right?” I ask as I stand up.

“Like perfection! You’ll knock his socks off for sure.”

“Thank you, Brie.” I lean in and give her a quick hug.

“You better get down there.” She laughs. “You don’t want to be late for your own students’ school program.”

Laughing, we both hurry out of the room and down the stairs. Pa opens the door for Kevin just as I reach the bottom of the stairs. Kevin’s eyes glance around the room after he shakes Pa’s hand and when they find me, they stop dead in their tracks. I can nearly hear his jaw pop as his mouth flies open. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the comical look on his face. 

“She’s real pretty, isn’t she, son?” Pa slaps him on the back, trying not to laugh, too. The hearty slap brings Kevin back to reality. 

“Yes sir, that she is!” He hurries across the room to me. Taking my hand, he kisses the top of it, bowing slightly over it. “My lady, your carriage awaits.”

Quickly telling everyone goodbye and see you later, we dart out the door. He helps me climb in so I don’t tear my dress as Oakley stares at me from the middle of the seat. He continues to stare for a moment but then leaning over, he gives me a hug. With a flick of the reins, we’re soon out of the yard and down the road. 

Pulling into the empty schoolyard that’ll soon be full of people including my whole family, Oakley and I hop down. He takes off for the yard to play around while he can. “Don’t get your clothes dirty, young man!”

“I won’t, Ma!” I grin when I hear him call back over his shoulder. It still feels funny to be called Ma.

Walking arm in arm with Kevin, we make our way to the schoolhouse. Unlocking the door, I go to slip in but pausing, I look back at the stage. If it wasn’t for that stage I wouldn’t be engaged right now. Kevin looks at me and follows my gaze to the stage. “What are you thinking about?”

“That stage. The program.” I shrug.

“The program is going to be just fine, don’t you worry about it.” He wraps his arm around my waist as we stand in the doorway, both of us looking at that wooden structure out in the yard. “It’s funny to think that we wouldn’t be standing here like this if it wasn’t for that stage out there.”

“I know. I was thinking the same thing.”

“I’m glad none of your brothers or Candy were able to build it for you because I never would’ve had the opportunity. And thanks to that opportunity, now the Ponderosa schoolmarm is going to be all mine.” He tilts his head down towards me as I raise up on my tip toes. As our lips meet, I decide that I like the name Ponderosa schoolmarm after all. 

 

The End 

 

Tags:  Family, school teacher, Sister