Summary: Christmas is the time for bringing peace and good will. A young woman returns to the Ponderosa hoping to do just that, after her delusional mother left a broken triangle of love in her wake.
Rating: G Words (4,000)
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar

Bonanza

~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~

* Day 5 *

Bringing Peace

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes Daddy. After all that has happened, it is something I must do.”

“But it’s almost Christmas. You won’t be back in time.”

“Christmas is a time of peace and goodwill. It’s the reason I have to do this.”

“I’ll tell you what. You go and take care of things. Let me know if all goes well, and if you want me to join you. I can leave early next week after putting the paper to bed. Thomas can run everything until we get back. How does that sound, my angel?”

“Oh daddy, it sounds wonderful.”

The stagecoach bounced and rattled its way through the Sierras leaving its passenger jarred and exhausted. During the trip the only woman passenger remained silent, lost in her thoughts. She ran the last conversation with her father, and many others, through her mind as she left the city behind. She continually questioned if she was doing the right thing, but once the stage reached its final destination, she settled on the truth. Her departure months ago left too much unsettled with two members of the family who hosted her family and she couldn’t move forward in her own life until she answered the lingering questions concerning them.

******

Stepping onto the boardwalk, ghostly memories flashed before her. In the chilled afternoon air she shook them off and turned to the driver to identify her luggage.

The station manager stepped up. “Would you like me to have your suitcases taken to the hotel, Miss?”

“No thank you. I’ll be staying with some friends for a few days. Could you show me where I could rent a buggy?”

“Certainly. Go to the corner and turn right. You’ll see the livery on your left.”

“Thank you.” She dropped a few coins into the man’s hand. “I’ll return shortly to collect my luggage.”

The manager watched the young woman until she turned the corner. He then winked at the stage driver. “She’s a wonder. Anyone dressed like that would be lost in this little town of ours, but she’s got quite a lot of spunk about her. I’d love to see what ol’ Jake thinks of her.”

The two friends shared a laugh then separated to their own jobs.

Jake’s impression of the young lady was quite different. He was a man who didn’t mind an independent woman, but to let one as young and as pretty as this one drive herself into the mountains, well, that made his protective nature kick in. It took a bit of persuasion but she finally agreed to let him drive her to her destination, at no extra charge. And off they went, after Jake got his son Danny to take over for him.

As the afternoon shadows grew, Danny stopped sweeping out a stall when he heard his father’s name called. The teen peered over the stall wall and smiled at the big man in front of him. “Howdy, Hoss. What can I do for you?”

“Oh, hey there, Danny. Just came to see if I could leave Chub here for the night. I’m waitin’ on some important mail but it looks like it won’t be in ‘til tomorrow. Say, where’s your Pa anyway?”

Danny leaned on the broom and scratched his itchy nose. “He took off while back to drive a lady up to your family’s place.”

“Ya don’t say. Did ya catch her name? I don’t think we’re expectin’ any guests.”

“Nope, but I bet Pa wrote it in the book.”

Danny found the ledger and Hoss glanced over the young man’s shoulder. He mumbled something about trouble and took off.

“Hey, Hoss. Ain’t ya gonna board your horse?”

“Nah, changed my plans. You think it was only an hour or so ago that they left?’

“Yeah.”

“Thanks, Danny.”

Hoss reined his mount around and raced out of town. “Oh Lordy. I sure hope I can catch up to her before she gets to the house.”

The lower trail to the Ponderosa was an easy climb for horse and rider, and Hoss knew Jake would be driving the buggy at a slower pace. It was on the steeper portion that he hoped to catch up to their unexpected guest. Pausing to let Chub rest, he caught a glimpse of the buggy making a sharp turn. It seemed he had been wrong about Jake. They had covered more ground than Hoss had expected. He nudged Chub forward and caught up to the vehicle before they started their final descent toward the house.

“Ho there, Jake.”

“Whoa!” Two heads turned at once to watch Hoss approach. Jake’s surprised but amicable smile greeted the rider. The lady released the breath she was holding and put on a friendly smile.

“Hey Hoss.”

“Jake, I saw Danny and he told me you were bringin’ a guest out to see us.” He tipped his hat toward the lovely lady with the hesitant hazel eyes. “Howdy, Miss Melinda. It’s mighty good to see you again.”

“Hello, Hoss. I hope your family won’t mind if I show up unannounced.”

Hoss didn’t miss the nervousness in her voice. Well, he was none too calm himself. “Nah, I don’t think they’ll mind. How ‘bout I ride along with you.”

Melinda gave a slight nod of acceptance. Jake snapped the reins and led the way into the front yard of the Ponderosa.

Hoss was glad his family was out on ranch chores. It gave time to get Melinda Banning settled in the house and Jake on his way back to Virginia City. After freshening up, she joined Hoss in front of the fire.

Ornaments on the Christmas tree were reflecting the dancing flames. She wandered over and touched some silvery ribbons hanging from the branches. “What are these, Hoss? I thought they were ribbons but they’re not.”

“Oh, that’s called ‘tinsel’. Adam ordered some from back East. It’s meant to look like the icicles outside. I kinda like ‘em ‘cause they’re shiny. But they sure create a mess when we hafta take ‘em off.”

She pondered what he’d said. The silvery tinsel made her think of her mother’s dreams. They were a false taste for glamour and Melinda’s marriage for money.  She turned her back on the tree and faced Hoss. “I know you want to ask me what I’m doing here. Well, it’s difficult to explain but in truth I’m here to see your brothers. When I left here with my family last Spring, I settled a few things with Joe but you and Adam were away. I never got to speak to him about some of the things that happened.”

Hoss’ face was gentle as he listened to Melinda speak. “Why didn’t you just write to him? I mean, I’m not sayin’ you ain’t welcome here but…”

“You think seeing me again will bring up all those awful memories and some harsh feelings between Joe and Adam.”

“Well, it’s possible.”

Melinda leaned over to rest her hand on Hoss’ knee. “I have a story to tell all of you that will address many concerns from my first visit. Also, I hope to speak to Joe and Adam separately to settle any feelings, good or bad, between us. A lot has happened that I would like you all to know about and I felt Christmas was the best time to do this.” At Hoss’ puzzled frown, Melinda added. “It’s the time of peace on earth and goodwill toward men, is it not? I strongly feel led to make sure there is peace among us all after everything my mother did to me, my father, and to your family.”

Hoss rose up and nodded toward the front door. “I think you’ll have your chance. It sounds like my Pa an’ brothers are home.”

Melinda stood and smoothed out her skirts. “Well, no time like the present.”

Noticing her nervousness, Hoss touched her elbow. “Why don’t you go chat with Hop Sing a bit. I’ll go out to the barn an’ pave the way for you.”

The brightness in her eyes pleased Hoss and the light kiss Melinda gave him made him blush. “Hoss, you’re the best. Thank you.”

Opening the door and gazing at the barn, Hoss sighed. “If only my pa and brothers could be that easy to please. Shucks, here goes.”

******

Four men entered the house, each with a unique cautiousness. Ben was wary of a new hurt to his sons. Joe had a spark in him he was afraid to ignite. Adam wondered what her motive was for coming. Hoss hoped his family would be united and happy when the visit was over.

After removing their outerwear, they gather silently in front of the fire. The dark cloud over each of them was dispelled when warm laughter emanated from the kitchen. In a matter of moments, Hop Sing appeared with a tray of coffee, brandy and cookies. He set the tray down and gave each man a cool look. “You give Missy happy smiles and a good listen. You make her cry, you deal with me. Dinner in thirty minute.” He gave a firm nod of his head and padded back to his domain.

While eyes darted from Cartwright to Cartwright, Hoss cleared his throat. “It’s been said for various reasons that the Cartwright men have hard heads. Well, we also appear to have long memories, for good or bad. I hope the latter ain’t true tonight. That little gal in there has come a long way to bring peace an’ goodwill, and to make amends for what her mother did. I hope it all turns out well for her an’ for us.” He paused to let his words dissipate in the silence. “I’m gonna go wash up in the wash house. The smell of that roast pork is startin’ to drive me crazy.”

After Hoss exited, Ben glanced at his remaining two sons. “Well?”

Joe shuffled his boots and put one foot on the hearth, finding interest in the dancing flames. Adam rubbed his stiff neck then shoved his hands into his pockets. He was the first to speak.

“I for one would like to have a chance to clear the air with Melinda since I wasn’t here when she left.”

Joe sniffed and turned away from the fire. “Yeah, me too. I’ve had time to think things through and I guess she has too. I’ll listen with an open mind, Pa.”

“I’m pleased to hear this from both of you. I know you settled things between yourselves but I hope this will end all the conflict and let us enjoy a good friendship with the Bannings.”

With that Ben placed an arm on each son’s shoulders. “Let’s go wash up and welcome our guest appropriately.”

Hop Sing smiled to himself as he peeked around the corner from his domain. He would be pleased to report to Hoss that the atmosphere was brightening. It looked to be a happy meal for Missy Melinda and the Cartwrights.

******

Melinda relaxed in the soft bed, the downy covers creating a warm nest for her to sleep in. She pondered the evening meal and the after-dinner conversation. Mr. Cartwright welcomed her warmly and when he inquired about her parents’ wellbeing, she was pleased to tell him of her father’s successes with the newspaper. No one could have imagined that Horace Banning would become the publisher after only a few months on the job.

“I’m quite pleased to hear Horace is doing so well. I’d like to send a telegram inviting parents to come visit us while you’re here.”

“My father would love that, Mr. Cartwright. Thank you. However, I have some rather sad news about my mother.” For some reason she didn’t understand she sought Hoss’ hand for support. “While my mother changed her ways after we left here, she was never the same. Oh, she accepted our love for her but some kind of light had gone out of her. We had a few good times together as father’s job solidified, but after a couple of months she just withered away. At least her last words to us was that she loved us, and she regretted her actions toward us.”

“I’m so sorry to hear this, Melinda.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright but we’re alright now. She is at peace and so are Daddy and I.”

After a moment of silence, the conversation turned to lighter topics, making her grateful to have the truth told. It wasn’t much later that she announced she would like to retire for the evening.

Melinda closed her eyes and snuggled against the pillow. It had been a long day of traveling and she still felt overwhelmed at being there. But as her father was fond of saying, “tomorrow is a new day, with its own hopes and dreams”.

“Oh, Daddy, how I wish you could be here. But this is my journey and I will see it through. Tomorrow, I will begin to put things right with Adam and Joe.”

With a plan in mind, sleep enveloped her in its velvety arms until the early rays of dawn would chase it away and welcome her to a new day.

******

“Good morning, Melinda.”

At the sound of the cheerful voice Melinda paused at the bottom of the stairs. She was expecting the whole family to be at the table but found it to be Joe all alone, not even any extra place settings.

“Good morning, Joe.” She smiled as her plans crumbled silently in her head. Once seated with a full plate of eggs and ham in front of her, she regained her composure.

“Where are the others?”

“Out and about. It may be near Christmas but we still have lots to do until the snow sets in. Pa and Hoss went to town and Adam’s checking one of the herds. He’ll be back this afternoon but I don’t know if Pa or Hoss will be here before dinner.”

“Oh, I see.” She nibbled at her breakfast until Joe cleared the air.

“I hope you don’t mind but Hoss clued us in as to why you’re here. You’ve been on my mind a lot and I’m glad you came. It will give us some time to settle things better than when you left.”

“Hoss is a good friend. I’m glad he spoke to you all about this.”

“Tell you what. Let’s enjoy our breakfast then I’ll take you out for a ride. The lake and mountains are something to see this time of year.”

“I would enjoy that very much.”

Melinda found the ride to the lake refreshing. She marveled at how the cold mountain air cleared her thoughts and calmed her. She actually enjoyed strolling along the shoreline with Joe. When he stopped in the shelter of boulders, she turned to him in amazement.

“It’s warm here. How is that possible?”

“The sun shines on these and warms them. It fades quickly as the sun sets but on a sunny day it gives a reprieve from the winter air. You ought to feel them in the summer. They get so hot they’ll dry our wet clothes and even stay warm through the night.”

“Your land is always full of surprises.”

“I like to think so.” Joe took her hand in his. “I guess this is a good time to say that I understand now that a marriage would never have succeeded between us. Pa was trying to show me that love is the only thing that can keep a marriage going.”

“And at least a few common interests.”

Joe laughed. “Yeah, that too. You’re a beautiful woman Melinda, inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you by his side.”

Melinda felt her cheeks warm to Joe’s compliment. She reached up to touch his cheek. “Thank you, Joe. Even though things didn’t work out between us, may I call you a friend?”

“I hope you will.”

They embraced and Joe felt her shiver. ‘You’re cold. We should head back.”

“Alright, but I’m not shivering from the cold. I’m shivering from the joy of having peace between us.”

“Is that what Hoss was talking circles around? I kept feeling like he was telling us something about the reason you are here without telling us that reason. Am I right?”

“Silly Joe, and Hoss. Yes, you are right. I guess Hoss wanted so much to smooth the way for me to talk with you and Adam but he felt my reasons were a secret he needed to keep. He’s such a dear man and friend.”

“Well, let’s get home and warm up. Hop Sing promised venison stew for lunch and I for one don’t want to be late.”

“I’ve never had venison stew. It sounds delightful.”

The pair made their way back to the horses and arrived just as Hop Sing set the bowls out. They noticed a third bowl and a warm baritone voice coming from the stairs confirmed their guess.

“Hello, you two. Did you enjoy your ride to the lake, Melinda?”

“I did. Joe showed me how the boulders absorb the sun’s heat and make a warm spot to stand against.”

“Yes, it is quite something. May I fill your bowl?”

“Please.” She returned Adam’s warm smile and settled down for a leisurely lunch with the two brothers.

******

That afternoon while Adam completed some paperwork Melinda read then spent time at the Christmas tree. She couldn’t get her thoughts off the tinsel.

Adam closed the ledger and glanced up to see Melinda lost in thought at the tree with several strands of tinsel in her fingers.

“Would you like to go out to the barn with me? One of our mares just foaled and I thought you would like to see her. I recall your interest in horses from the first time you visited.”

“I would love to see the filly.”

Their short walk to the barn turned out to be a challenge. The wind swooped down from the hills and made walking quite difficult. Many times Adam nearly toppled into Melinda or she into him. Breathing hard from the cold and from laughing, both were grateful to reach the warmth and security of the barn. Adam lit a couple of lamps before leading Melinda to the largest stall.

She peered over the wall and beheld the wondrous site of the sleeping foal and the mother looking on. She turned her shining smile to Adam who mirrored hers. He indicated some boxes to sit on so they could talk.

“Are you alright?”

She lifted her eyes to gaze at him. “Yes. It was such an amazing site to behold.”

“It is. The foal is only a couple of days old.”

“Were you here to see the birth?”

“No, but Hoss was. This is one of his mares he raised from a filly and he wouldn’t let anyone else handle her when the time came.”

“How special. He really loves animals doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does.”

The conversion slowed as Melinda began to realize something about her and Adam.

“What’s on your mind, Melinda?”

“I was just thinking how you and I never spoke like this when I was last here.”

“There weren’t any proper opportunities.”

“Yes, you are correct, of course. My mother was determined for me to love Joe and I found you more intriguing and mysterious.” She eyed him shyly. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this now.”

He shook his head. “Please continue.”

She pulled a few strands of crinkled tinsel out of her pocket. “Adam, I realize it was just a few months ago but I feel I was looking at you through the eyes of a school girl with her first crush. In truth I was hoping you would acknowledge some kind of feeling for me, so I could be rescued from marrying Joe. Instead, my selfishness caused a deep rift between you and your brother. For that I am truly sorry.”

Melinda lowered her head, refusing to meet Adam’s soulful eyes. He reached out and gently guided her to look at him.

“It is I who should apologize. At first I was confused and concerned by your attempts to attract me to you. You must know I would never do anything that would put me between one of my brothers and a woman he was interested in. That is why I left after you kissed me. Once I was away, I felt it was a cowardly retreat, but Hoss told me that if I had stayed it would have been impossible for me to work out the truth with you as long as your mother was directing your steps.”

“Yes, my mother made things…very difficult.”

“Listen to me, Melinda. Your mother pushed you to Joe because he was the most gullible, the easiest to persuade to love you. Hoss clearly showed no interest in you. And as for me, I knew she was studying each of us at the table that first night as she wove her tale of glamour and glitz.” He reached for the silver strands and held him up. “She knew I  would see through the tinsel of her false wealth, and couldn’t be manipulated like Joe could be. I was not pleased by any of it then but now I hold no ill-will toward you or your mother. I have long since moved on from what happened. With that said, I am glad you chose to visit and to give us a chance to share our true thoughts. It brings a sense of closure for each of us, does it not?”

“It does and that is why I came, Adam. I knew then that you had no feelings for me and your gruffness was your way of trying to protect me from myself. I came to see if each of us, you, me and Joe, could find peace between us.”

“Did you find it with Joe this morning?”

“Yes.”

Adam squeezed her hand. “And you have it with me as well.” Her face brightened into a wide smile making Adam laugh. “That’s the Melinda I recall. When you were away from everyone, joy and beauty filled your face. I hope you stay this way.”  Adam slipped his arm around her in a brotherly embrace.

She leaned into him, peace and security filling her heart as she acknowledged that she had found another friend she could look up to.

“The wind seems to have stopped so we better get going.”

She watched Adam with a new eye as he quickly checked the feed and water for the animals then put out the lamps. Opening the door, Adam and Melinda both gasped at the sight before them. Yes, the wind had stopped and now large snowflakes were drifting down and landing on the already whitened ground.

Melinda ran out and twirled around with her hand held high, the tinsel strands flying through the icy air. “Adam, it’s lovely! Just look at how gently the flakes fall and feel how soft the snow is.”

At that moment, Ben and Hoss rode in and the laughter drew Joe and Hop Sing to the front porch to take in the sight of Adam and Melinda chasing each other round in the snow. Joe couldn’t resist. He rushed to get his coat and grabbed more tinsel from the tree. Racing outside he joined them flinging silver strands everywhere.

“No, no. You all get sick. Come inside now.”

Soon Hoss and Ben had joined in. When Hop Sing fussed at them, no one listened but instead they drew the venerable cook and family member out into their snow dance. He joined in for a few minutes before scurrying back to the sanctity and warmth of his kitchen. Warm pie and hot cocoa were in order for the snow angels outside. To the music of their laughter Hoss paused to grin at the sight and wink at Hop Sing. Hop Sing happily nodded. “Everything good now. Peace and goodwill have come to all.

******

Merry Christmas!

Peace and goodwill to all this Christmas season!

______________________

Primary Character: Hoss

Item: tinsel

Second Character: Melinda Banning

A WHN for A Lady from Baltimore

Many thanks to BettyHT for some special inspiration concerning the tinsel.

Link to the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar – Day 6 – Casey’s Candy Cane (by ElayneA)