Ben had Joe and Hoss with him. To be more accurate, Ben and Hoss had Joe with them. Or perhaps Joe had his father and brother with him. No matter how one viewed it, Adam was missing.“Charles,” Ben went up to the front desk, “Is Adam in?”“Sure is, rolled in last night,” the clerk said with some surprise. “I ain’t seen him come down yet.”Hoss sighed. “What’s his room number? I’ll go get him.” The clerk said the number without hesitation and Hoss headed off with a look of determination.
“Mgh,” was the reply to Hoss’s knock on the door.
“Adam, get your behind out of bed! It’s nearly noon!”
“Noon!” Adam’s voice hollered and there was a thump and footsteps. A moment later Adam called back, “Aw, for crumb’s sake, Hoss, it’s only eight.”
“May as well be noon,” Hoss laughed. “Get your rear in gear.”
There was the sound of moving around and rummaging. “Be down in a minute.”
“If you’re not, I’m coming back up,” Hoss said firmly and nodded. Satisfied at the sounds of rapid movement on the other side of the door, he went back down the stairs.
Joe looked like a bowstring. He gulped as Hoss came closer. “Adam’s okay, isn’t he?”
“Sure he is, Joe. He said he’ll be down in a minute.”
Joe knew he wasn’t going to feel better until he laid eyes on Adam. He had a bad feeling about today.
It wasn’t long before Adam ran down the stairs, hat in hat, gunbelt securely fastened around his hips and back in his usual black, even to the leather vest. His eyes twinkled although his mouth was serious. “Let’s go. I need some breakfast.”
Ben wasn’t worried about Adam obtaining breakfast. He knew his eldest could demolish a meal as fast as Hoss. Once done and the bill paid, the four set out down the street shoulder to shoulder, looking ready for anything.
Patience herded India out the door. “We should be there to greet the poor girl.” She clucked her tongue.India was still wondering how to convince this Becky that she needed to pull out of this wedding. After all, she had many, many arguments on hand against marriage, but they were simply against marriage, not marriage to Joe Cartwright, reluctant groom. Oh, and she did have a few biting things to say about honesty, honor and not lying to get a man to marry you, but Patience was probably the woman to deliver that side of the lecture. Her tone could take paint off a wall when she was affronted.“There,” Patience hurried India down the street. “I see the Cartwrights standing in the middle of the intersection. With no regard for the travelling needs of the common man, I might add.”“Yes, Patience,” India said in a monotone.
“Oh, there’s your cowboy and he’s all in black again. He does wear it well.”
The admiration in the tone sent India’s eyebrows up a mile.
“But the dust must show terribly,” Patience carried on as they made a racket with their heels along the boardwalk. “The others are dressed more sensibly. Joseph is quite the angelic cupid, isn’t he?”
India’s eyebrow went up another notch. “Patience, you are engaged!” she managed to stutter.
“What has that got to do with it?” Patience snapped. “I am merely observing what so many in town already discuss openly. Your intended is viewed as quite the figure, but so is the entire family. Surely you look.”
“Not when I’ve got Adam to look at,” India hissed. “So stop going on about him.”
“Now is not the time to fight. Again,” Patience grimaced. “Look! That must be the Collins party. Quite a few of them, I’d say.”
“They’re here for a wedding, and they don’t live more than two days ride. Why shouldn’t—” she counted—“about forty come for the celebration?”
The ladies made it to the Royal and ducked into the lobby to wait the arrival of Joe’s bride.
Adam’s teeth were already on edge. The chit had managed to insult him, then insult Hoss, who had laughed, and then insult Adam to his face all over again. She seemed to think he was supposed to have read her mind about what she wanted for this farce of a wedding. He’d picked what he thought best out of what was available, and frankly he’d paid good money for the florist to come and decorate the church tomorrow. But the flowers weren’t sufficient, apparently.Ben pulled his eldest aside. “If you spank her I’ll not interfere.”“Tempting,” Adam grit his teeth. “Good lord, have we thought of nothing yet? Will we all be stuck with this?”“Yes. Unless my plan works.”
“Oh thank God,” Adam visibly sagged. “Tell me.”
“No. It won’t work if you know. Just be yourself.”
“Got it,” Adam winked and clapped his hand to his father’s shoulder. “Now I think I won’t go take a long walk off a short pier.”
“All things considered, I’m the one who should be feeling that way, not you. Although even Clementine is looking pretty good right now.”
“Yeesh, Pa, you are in a bad spot,” Adam winked again and turned around to face the next complaint over his wedding preparations. He trailed after Joe up the steps to the Royal Hotel, followed the wedding party in and was met with a surprise. India and Patience, both in elegant daytime fashions, eyebrows raised indicating they saw something that needed work, were meeting Miss Becky Collins.
In a nutshell, Miss Collins lost.
Joe barely caught the ice and fire that flew between the ladies. He blithely added, “And my brother Adam and Miss India are stepping out. She and her cousin are going to help you, Becky!”
Adam watched with growing shock as India came forward to examine Becky. She was every inch a society lady, poised and groomed to perfection. She took Becky by the arm and said something Adam couldn’t catch but Joe didn’t seem to mind.
Then Patience came forward, all pale, icily fashionable and oozing restrained disdain. Becky wilted.
India shot Adam a wink as she went by to usher Becky upstairs.
Joe bounced up to Adam as the women rounded the corner of the landing to the upstairs. “Whoo-ee! I think Becky is in good hands,” he announced with great relief.
Adam wisely kept his mouth shut about the fact that Pa even had a plan. “Sure, Joe,” he nodded and had to tear his eyes away. That was a side of India he’d not seen even on the stagecoach. She could be quite the grand dame, he mused. It made him feel a little worried, though. If he’d run across India all done up like that and acting like that, he’d have never approached her. She was too… he could not think of the word.
“Who’d have thought your girl would turn out to be such a hoity-toit,” Joe said with admiration.
“Yeah. Who’d have thought,” Adam’s eyes went back to the stairs.
“Now, c’mon.” Joe grabbed his brother by the arm. “Let’s take my future brother-in-laws out for some drinks. Then we’ve got that box social tonight and you gotta get India to go all done up like that. I mean,” Joe shook his head in awe, “she is just what we all thought you’d eventually get hitched to, some uppity gal. But she’s really not,” Joe added because he felt the thunderous look long before he saw it. “We can raise our kids together!” he added to lighten the mood.
“I keep telling you, Joe.” Adam lowered his head to whisper. “This isn’t going to happen.”
“It is,” Joe whispered back. “I won’t disgrace my family.”
India was warm towards Becky. She lightened Patience’s disparaging remarks, and tried to seek the good in the girl. The cousins had Joe’s bride- to-be turn around again and hold up the home made white wedding gown to check for last-minute work. Patience felt it was thoroughly inadequate; India felt it was charming.“So.” Becky tried to stand up straighter as the Montagues did. “I hear you hooked the big catch: Adam “cursed” Cartwright himself!” she tried to make conversation.“My dear, my cousin was not fishing, and her intended is not a carp. I do not wish to have a fish in my family tree. Please.” Patience shook her head. “Nor it is polite to refer a gentleman’s past in such a manner. It shows your lack of breeding.”India’s palm nearly itched to swat her cousin, although, in her heart, she echoed the sentiment about referring to the past. She turned to Becky and hated to see how the girl was starting to tear up. “Don’t mind her,” India sighed. “It must be that time of the month.” She shot a look at her cousin that could wound an elephant.
Becky gaped. “Ladies can say that?” she gasped.
“Why not,” India shrugged and checked Becky’s blonde ponytail for split ends. As she’d suspected. Not just split, but frayed. “We’ll wash your hair and trim it, then oil it and wash it again. It will be brushed dry so it lies—” she tugged out a frizzy curl—“smoothly. And then we will tame these curls into proper ringlets.”
“My hair?” Becky put up a protective hand.
“Your cheeks could use powder; you go in the sun too much,” Patience lost her head of pettiness and came forward to peer closer at Becky. “Freckles. Hmm. No time to juice them out.”
“We must lotion her hands,” India sighed. Her mind was trying to find the right place to stick in the lever of clever argument against this marriage and push with all her might, but nothing had presented itself yet.
“Oh, how rough,” Patience clucked her tongue. “I think we have what we need in the carpetbags.”
Becky’s eyes went rather wide as India opened one of the bags and took out a deadly looking pair of scissors.
Enjoyed this romantic story about Adam and Indy.
What a wonderful story! Loved it from beginning to end. Would love to see much more of this. I know it’s been awhile but could you please do a sequel. Thank you for this feel good read!
Bit late finding this but absolutely loved it – good to be able to read all the way through in one go. Ever the romantic myself and an Adam fan, just so enjoyed the growing relationship with India. Just brilliant, thanks.
Did you ever finish the sequel? I read this so long ago and it was wonderful and you had started a sequel, but I don’t see it here.
I haven’t been on here in literal YEARS. I opened my own business and have almost no time!!
It’s the third time Ive read this, it’s terrific. It makes me smile and laugh every time.
India is the perfect companion for Adam. A happy ending for him after all his bad luck.
Excellent story! Poor old Joe, woman trouble again & Adam finally sorting his love life. Nicely humorous & just the right touch of romance. Loved it!
I absolutely loved this story. I could not put it down. It made me laugh so much. Loved the humor and most of all, the romance. Have you considered writing a sequel? The wedding or a story of their lives together married? I absolutely loved India’s character as well as Parience. They were so funny together and made a terrific team. I can’t say enough about this one. Thank you so much. I had fun reading this.