Summary:  Marie is worried about the dangers out west.
Rating:  G   5,710  words

Life’s Hazards

for Helen … thanks for the idea

Ben held the small wriggling child out at arm’s length as he carried him into the house. Little Joe grinned up at Ben in delight, his small arms and legs going in all directions as his father tried to keep hold of him. Ben wrinkled his nose in distaste at the smell that was emanating from the child and tried to keep him from grabbing hold of him as he opened the back door. “Marie!” he called. “Marie!”

Marie appeared instantly from the dining room. “Oh thank goodness!” she breathed. “You’ve got him!” she reached out to take her wriggling son from his father, but Ben stepped back and shook his head as he kept the child away from her.

“I wouldn’t,” he warned. “He needs to go straight into a tub first.”

Marie sniffed the air and then pulled a face. “He does indeed,” she said, turning to lead the way towards the washhouse. “Where on earth did you find him?”

“He was having a wonderful time in the middle of the manure pile out back,” replied Ben, still holding the child out at arm’s length as he followed his wife. “How on earth did he get out there?”

Marie sighed. “I have no idea,” she said. “I only took my eyes off him for a minute…”

“A minute is all it takes,” Ben reminded her.

She nodded in agreement. “Don’t I know it! Still, I’m sure that the back door was shut and Hop Sing is in town, so there is no way that he would have left it open.” She groaned. “He must have found a way to open that one as well as the kitchen one,” she continued. “Now we’ll have to watch him out there too.”

“I’ll put a lock on it the same as I did for the kitchen door,” said Ben as he began to strip off the little boy’s smelly clothes. “Thank goodness he hasn’t worked out the front door yet.”

Little Joe giggled with pleasure as he felt himself gradually being freed of his constricting clothing. He clapped his hands in delight and grinned up at his father, but his grin soon turned to displeasure as he spied his mother filing the washbasin with warm water from the kettle on the stove. “Joe no barf,” he said firmly.

“Indeed you are having a bath,” said his father, just as firmly as he dunked him into the tub. “You smell.”

Little Joe pouted. “Joe no mell,” he insisted as he tried to stand up and get out.

Ben pushed him down to a sitting position again and took a washcloth to him as Marie sat down on a stool to watch. “You do smell,” said Ben. “You’re a naughty boy to go in that manure pile. Naughty boy,” he repeated, wiggling a finger at his little son.

Joe stared at the finger in a slightly cross-eyed fashion as it wiggled in front of him. “No mack Joe,” he said anxiously.

Ben tried not to laugh as he scrubbed the little torso clean. “We’ll see,” he said, making no promises.

“This child is going to be the death of me,” sighed Marie. “Ever since he found his feet he’s run me ragged.”

Ben smiled at her. “Here,” he said, handing her the washcloth. “You finish up with him while I get my tools and put a lock on that back door.”

“What are we getting a lock on the back door for?” asked Adam, who had suddenly appeared in the passageway with Hoss behind him.

“Your little brother has obviously learnt how to open it,” said Ben. “He escaped into the manure pile.”

Hoss sniffed the air. “Yuck!” he said.

“Come and help me get some tools please Adam,” said Ben as he folded down his shirtsleeves again. “I’ll need you to hold the lock while I screw it on.”

Adam shook his head as he followed his father. “This place is becoming more and more like a prison each day thanks to that kid,” he muttered. Behind them, Joe splashed happily at the water while his mother tried to get the washcloth near him without being splashed.

++++++++++

Marie rushed through the kitchen door, looking in every direction at once as she scanned the front yard for a glimpse of her wayward little son. “He’s over here!” called Charlie the foreman as he spied the woman.

Marie looked across the yard just in time to see Charlie scoop up the small child as he made it through the two bottom rungs of the corral fence. Her hand went to her mouth instinctively and she gasped. “Oh,” she breathed in relief. She walked quickly towards the corral as Charlie climbed up on the bottom rung of the fence and swung a cranky Little Joe over the top of the fence towards his mother. “Thank you,” she said as she grabbed the boy.

“He’s all right ma’am,” Charlie assured her. “I got him just in time.” He glanced over his shoulder at the horses that were milling together in the corral. “Lucky he didn’t make it any further but. This ain’t exactly a safe place fer a young’un that small. He could easily get hurt.”

“Or worse,” added Marie as she smacked the little boy sharply on the leg. “Naughty boy Joe!”

Her small son glared at her. “No mack Joe!” he said firmly. “Wanna see horsh!”

“No!” she said, just as firmly. “You’re a naughty boy to run away from Mama like that!” She smacked him again and he smacked her back on the arm as he tried to wriggle down from her arms.

“Horsh!” he shouted. “Wanna see horsh!”

Marie ignored him and walked back towards the house with the wriggling child still in her arms.

++++++++++

“But he could have been killed,” Marie insisted to Ben that evening as they were getting ready for bed. “You didn’t see him Ben … he was right in the corral by the time Charlie got hold of him!”

“Thank goodness Charlie happened to be there,” said Ben.

“Of course, but what if he hadn’t been?  Think what could have happened,” she insisted.

Ben put his arms around her. “But he was there,” he said. “Joe is all right and that’s all that matters now.”

Marie leant in against her husband and rested her head against his broad chest. “I was so worried about him,” she said softly. “He’s driving me to distraction Ben. “He’s my precious baby boy and I can’t stand the thought that something could have happened to him.”

“I know,” replied Ben soothingly as he patted her hair.

“He’s so quick on his feet and most of the time I don’t even know he’s gone until it’s too late,” she continued. “There’s so much danger around here …” She lifted her head and looked up into Ben’s eyes. “I’m frightened Ben.”

“There’s no need to be frightened,” Ben assured her. “We just have to be one step ahead of him whenever we can, that’s all. He’s a little boy who is growing up and wants to find out about the world, so it’s only natural that he tries to explore.”

“I know, only ….” Her voice trailed away.

“Only what?” he prompted.

Marie drew back from him. “Only out here it’s …” She sighed. “I thought I was getting used to it out west Ben, but now that Joe has found his feet I look around and I see so many dangers here that …” she bit her lip. “I worry that he’s going to get into something that we can’t get him out of and I’ll lose him. The west is such a big and frightening place.” She buried her head against Ben’s chest again and was silent.

Ben stroked her hair. “Is that how you feel about it here?” he asked softly. “Does it frighten you?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “I’m trying Ben …. really I am … but sometimes it’s just all too much for me. And now with Joe …”

“He’ll be fine,” Ben assured her.

“But how do you know?” she insisted. “How do you really know that he won’t get hurt with all these animals around? Not to mention the lake …. and …the wildlife …. and …”

Ben lifted her face by the chin and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. “I don’t know for sure,” he said. “No one can possibly say that they do. But consider this my love … with you and I and the boys and Hop Sing …. not to mention Charlie and the hands … there are an awful lot of people around here to watch him…. aren’t there?”

Marie nodded reluctantly. “I suppose so,” she said.

Ben kissed her again. “Stop worrying,” he said. “It’ll give you grey hairs …. Believe me, I know.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair that was splattered with grey and laughed, watching Marie intently until she joined him in his laughter.

++++++++++

Ben handed Marie down from the buggy and then reached up to take Little Joe from Adam who was holding onto him. “Come to Papa,” he said, smiling at the little boy who was grinning back at him. “Get down now boys.” Both he and Marie waited until Adam and Hoss had climbed down and then they all headed into the mercantile.

“Can I look at the candy Pa while you’re buying stuff … please?” begged Hoss.

Ben ruffled the boy’s fair hair. “All right,” he said. “But no tasting … just looking.” He turned to Adam. “Have you got something you want to do son?” he asked, knowing exactly what the answer would be.

Adam’s eyes lit up. “Can I go and check out the …”

“ … books,” Marie finished for him with a twinkle in her eye. “Go along Adam. I’ll be quite a while here.” Adam grinned at her and disappeared.

“I need to get to the bank and then the Livery stable,” said Ben. “How about I take this one with me?” He indicated Joe in his arms.

Marie frowned. “That would certainly be a big help,” she said. “But he’ll get in your way Ben. Besides …” she hesitated. “There are so many things here in town that he could get into. Maybe I’d better keep him here with me.”

Ben shook his head and swung Joe up over his head and onto his broad shoulders. “I’ll put him right up here where he can’t get into anything,” he said. “I used to carry Adam up here quite a lot when he was this age and it kept him quiet for ages.”

“Well I’m sure Adam was a lot quieter than Joe,” replied his wife.

“True,” said Ben.

“What about Hoss?” asked Marie.

“Him too,” replied Ben. “But not for very long. That middle boy of ours was quite a big youngster even at this age.” He laughed as he noted Marie’s worried expression and he bent down and gave her a peck on the cheek. “He’ll be fine my love,” he said. “You enjoy your shopping and stop worrying.”

“I can’t help it Ben,” she said. “He’s just so quick. He could get under a buggy out there before you even realise it.”

Ben shook his head again. “Not from up here,” he said, indicating the little boy above his head who was bouncing up and down in delight and clapping his hands at the novelty of sitting up so high. “He’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ll know where he is every minute. I’ll be back later to pick all of you up.”

Without another word he left the building, ducking to go through the door so that Joe wouldn’t hit his head. As he walked down the street he stopped to say hello to several people along the way and Joe gurgled happily and reached out to them.

“Well lookee here,” said Sheriff Roy Coffee as Ben entered the bank to find the sheriff engaged in conversation with one of the bank tellers. “Who’s this up there?” he asked playfully tickling Joe.

Joe giggled at the sheriff and clapped his hands a couple of times. “Joe,” he crowed in delight and bounced up and down a couple of times, causing Ben to nearly lost his hat.

Ben took his hat off to save it and then winced as Joe clutched hold of his hair and pulled on it. “Steady on there,” he said, lifting the boy down and holding him in his arms instead. “Your Papa is losing enough of that without having you pull it out young fellar.”

Roy held out his arms to take Joe who was bouncing around trying to get to the Sheriff, when suddenly the door burst open. “Sheriff!” shouted a man. “You’re needed out here quick!”

Roy immediately turned and ran from the room, leaving a very disgruntled Joe pouting in his father’s arms. Ben walked to the doorway and looked out to see two very drunken men standing outside the saloon facing each other. They were both swaying on their feet and shouting abuses at each other, obviously intent on shooting out whatever their differences were about. As Roy reached them, one let fly with his pistol and several people on the sidewalks ducked for cover.

Ben ignored his tiny son’s wriggling and watched with bated breath as Roy disarmed the first man who looked quite dazed at the sound of the gun going off. Two other men took the opportunity to pin the second man’s arms to his sides and take his gun from him before he could use it. Roy then gestured to them and they pushed the two men towards the jail.

The bank teller, who had come to stand next to Ben, shook his head. “Stupid fellars,” he muttered. “Too much drink fer this time of the morning. Now … can I help you Mr Cartwright?”

By the time Ben arrived back at the mercantile a while later with Joe perched once again on his shoulders, Marie was standing anxiously scanning the street for him, Hoss next to her contentedly licking on a peppermint stick. “There you are!” she called. “I was afraid.”

“Afraid about what?” said Ben calmly as he approached her.

“Didn’t you hear the shooting a while ago?” she replied. “There were two men outside the saloon and …”

“Yes, I heard it,” said Ben. “I was with Roy in the bank when it happened. He got it under control. Those two will be sleeping it off in a cell by now.” He pulled Little Joe down from his shoulders, much to the little boy’s dismay. “Where’s Adam?”

“Inside, still looking at books,” she replied. “How can you be so calm about it?”

Ben smiled at her. “No one was hurt,” he said. “It’s all over now.”

“Yes, but someone could have been!” she insisted as she held out her hands for Little Joe who bounced into them willingly and gave his mother a wet kiss on her neck. “This one could have been hurt!” she said, hugging Joe to her protectively. “Or this one,” she added, putting her free arm around Hoss who gave her a confused look as he sucked on the peppermint.

“Marie, none of the boys was anywhere near it,” Ben said reasonably. “They weren’t in any danger.”

“Hoss, go and sit in the buggy,” said Marie and turned to Ben as soon as the boy had left them. “You just don’t get it do you?” she demanded of Ben angrily. “I know that they weren’t hurt, but they could have been!  Don’t you see? You never know what is going to happen around this town. Today it was two drunks having a shoot-out, tomorrow it could be a runaway buggy. There are so many things in this …” she waved her arm around. “This rough part of the world … that none of them are safe!”

“Marie …” said Ben, stepping forward. “I think you’re over-reacting to all of this.”

“That’s right!” she said angrily. “Just like a man! Tell me I’m over-reacting if you like Ben Cartwright, but I know what I know. This place isn’t safe. I’m taking the boys home now … are you coming?”

“Of course I’m coming,” said Ben. “I’ll get Adam.”

The trip home was tense as Marie refused to engage in any sort of conversation, but merely sat holding Little Joe towards her protectively. Ben finally gave up trying to talk to her and conversed with the two boys in the back seat instead. As they rode into the front yard, he asked Adam to take Hoss inside and then turned to his wife. “Marie, we need to talk about this,” he said.

Marie gave him an angry look and then got down from the buggy. “According to you there’s nothing to talk about,” she said stiffly. “Apparently I’m just over-reacting, remember?”

Ben rolled his eyes as he also got down from the buggy. “I just meant …”

“You just meant exactly what you said,” she retorted angrily. “I’m sorry if I’m not living up to your expectations as wife, but I’ve tried!”

“What on earth are you talking about?” asked Ben incredulously. “I never said …”

“You didn’t have to,” she interrupted. “Maybe you should have married someone who was used to all of this …” she waved her arm around. “Someone who would have been more at home in all of this wilderness!”

“I married you,” he said, taking her into his arms and promptly squashing Joe in between them. The little boy let out a howl of protest, so Ben took him from his mother’s arms and put him onto the ground. “I love you and I married you … end of story,” he added.

Marie sniffed as she wiped her teary eyes. “Well maybe you shouldn’t have,” she said. “I’m not the wife you need out here Ben. I don’t cope as well with all of this as I should.”

“You’ve done amazingly well,” he said gently. “It just takes some getting used to, that’s all. It was never going to happen overnight.”

“I wonder if it will ever happen?” she said miserably. She dabbed at her eyes again as she watched Little Joe who had found something interesting on the ground beside them and was crouched down on his small legs examining what it was. “I worry about him so much Ben … growing up here … all the dangers around him.”

“I know,” he said gently and drew her towards him. “I worry too. But we can’t spend our lives worrying, can we?” She shook her head miserably. “Look at Adam and Hoss,” persisted Ben. “I came all the way from Boston with Adam as a toddler by myself and he survived. Hoss survived here as a toddler when we had hardly anything at all … and I couldn’t watch him all day.”

“But don’t you think that Joe is different?” Marie asked. “I don’t just mean because he’s mine. He’s a very lively child and he runs so fast. You can’t honestly tell me that Adam and Hoss were like that at his age.”

“No … that’s true,” acknowledged Ben as he looked down at Joe who had finished examining whatever he’d been looking at and was now trying his new skill of jumping. “Adam was much less lively and he spent a lot of his time with me anyway. Hoss was a very placid child, that’s for sure. But neither of them had two parents to look out for them as Joe does.”

“But what about as he’s growing? I’m worried that he’s going to get beyond my control.”

“All children have to grow up,” Ben reasoned. “They grow away from their parent’s care in time. You need to allow Joe to be independent.”

Marie looked past her husband. “Joseph!” she called. Little Joe gave his mother a cheeky sideways look before continuing to trot over to the barn. “Joseph!” she called again. “Come back here!”

“Joseph!” Ben boomed and Little Joe immediately stopped and gave his father a wary glance. Ben strode over to him and picked him up. “No!” he said. Joe began to play with the conches on his father’s vest happily, seeming to have forgotten where he had been headed seconds before. “You just have to be firm with him,” said Ben.

“Sometimes I think he doesn’t understand,” said Marie.

“He understands perfectly,” replied Ben. “We just need to be tough with him. If we know that he’s going to obey us, then it will lessen the dangers around here for him.”

“You’re right about that,” agreed Marie. “It’ll make me feel better if I know that he obeys when I call to him. I’ll work on it … for all our sakes,” she added.

++++++++++

Adam put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands as he sat on the edge of the porch watching his stepmother and little brother. “Whatcha doing Adam?” asked Hoss, coming up beside him and munching on a cookie as he observed his older brother.

Adam pointed across the front yard. “Watching them,” he said.

Hoss frowned as he sat down next to his brother and adopted the same pose after shoving the rest of the cookie into his mouth. “What’s Mama doing?” he asked, trying to work out what was happening.

“She’s training Joe,” replied Adam, watching his stepmother closely. “See? She’s trying to get him to stay by her when she walks.”

Hoss watched for a moment. “He ain’t doing it,” he said finally as Little Joe took off in the other direction towards the water trough.

Marie sighed as she ran after her little son for what felt like the hundredth time. “No!” she called as he pulled him back by his hand. “Stay with Mama Joseph.”

Little Joe looked up at his mother and gave her a grin, then put his arms around her legs and hugged her. “Luv Joe?” he asked.

Marie couldn’t help but smile back down at him. “Of course Mama loves you,” she said endearingly. “Now let’s try again. Stay next to Mama while we walk over here.” She took a few steps forward, but Little Joe took off in the other direction again. “No!” Marie called. “Back here Joe! Back to Mama.” Little Joe took no notice of her, but this time headed for the barn as that she was forced to run after him again.

Back on the porch, Hoss and Adam continued to watch. “It’s like training a dog,” explained Adam knowingly. “He has to learn to obey so that he knows not to get into trouble.”

Hoss nodded wisely. “Only when ya train a dog they does what ya says after a bit,” he said. “Joe ain’t doing nuthin Mama tells him to.”

Adam shrugged. “Guess you’re right,” he said.

Marie took hold of Joe’s hand again and waggled her finger at him. “Naughty boy,” she said. “Mama said to stay with her while we walk.”

Little Joe gave her another grin as he looked up at her. “Luv Joe?” he asked. Marie sighed as she patted the little boy on the head.

Suddenly Joe spied his two brothers sitting on the porch and gave a whoop of delight. He took off on his small legs as fast as he could and flung himself onto Adam who was forced to clutch hold of him to stop him from ramming them both into the pole next to them. “Hi Hoss,” said Joe across to his other brother as Adam dangled him on his knee. “How ya?”

Hoss ruffled his little brother’s hair. “Good Joe,” he said. “Are you being a good boy?”

“No he’s not,” said Marie wearily as she approached. “He won’t do anything I tell him.” She bent down and took him from Adam. “I might try this inside where there are less distractions.

“Good luck!” called Adam as their stepmother disappeared with a protesting Little Joe in her arms. “I reckon she’s gonna need it,” he confided in Hoss.

Hoss nodded as he took another cookie out of his pocket. “I reckon you’re right,” he agreed.

++++++++++

No sooner had Ben opened the front door than he felt a tugging on his trousers and he looked down to see his youngest son bouncing up and down on his heels as he grinned up at his father in glee. “Hello there,” he said as he took off his hat and began to unbutton his gun-belt. “What are you up to eh?”

It was immediately obvious to him that Little Joe was up to a great deal. The little boy practically threw himself against the front door and slapped it repeatedly before jumping up and down several times and clapping his hands. “Horsh!” he shouted loudly. “Horsh Papa!”

“No,” said Ben, as he put his gun-belt on the credenza. “We’re not going to see the horses now.” He tried to pick up the little boy, but Joe ran from him towards the sofa and giggled as he jumped against it several times.  “Hey!” said his father. “Stop that!” Little Joe gave his father a quick glance and then ran to the fireplace, climbing up on the hearth and then jumping down from it again as he squealed. “What is the matter with you?” asked his father, grabbing him before he could topple backwards into the fire.

“He’s been like that for the past hour,” said Adam, looking up from his book. “He’s gone all stupid.”

“Your little brother is not stupid,” said Marie firmly. She turned to Ben. “He’s just full of energy because I didn’t take him outside today.”

“Horsh!” shouted Little Joe in his father’s ear. He put his little finger up his nose and looked at Ben hopefully.

“Why on earth did you keep him inside all day?” asked Ben as he slapped the finger away.

“Well I’ve been trying to train him as we discussed but he doesn’t listen to me out there. There are too many distractions,” she replied. “Besides, it’s much safer for him in here.”

Ben sighed. “For heavens sake Marie.  “No wonder he’s like this.” He slapped Joe’s finger away again as the little boy tried to insert it into his father’s nose this time. “He needs to get his energy out somewhere.”

Marie stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Yesterday I wasn’t training him properly and today I’m not giving him enough freedom. It seems that I don’t do anything right with him, doesn’t it?”

“I never said that,” replied Ben, taking Joe’s finger out of his nose again.

“You didn’t have to,” she said angrily. “It seems that whatever I do I can’t win. Apparently I’m a bad mother!” She turned on her heel and ran up the stairs before Ben could say another word.

There was silence for a moment as Ben and Adam stared after her. Then Ben turned and handed Little Joe to Adam. “Take him for me please son,” he said. “Go and show him the horses in the corral.”

“Horsh!” shouted Little Joe, bouncing in his brother’s arms gleefully as he tried to put his finger up Adam’s nose.

“And be careful with him,” added Ben.

“OK Pa,” replied Adam, slapping Joe’s hand away. “Come on squirt.”

Ben walked up the stairs muttering to himself, but stopped as he reached their bedroom door. He glanced in to see Marie lying across the bed sobbing. “I’m sorry,” he said as he walked in and sat down beside her. “I didn’t mean that you are a bad mother.” Marie said nothing, but continued to sob quietly. “Marie?” he said.

She shifted her head slightly so that she could look up at him. “Well it sounded like it,” she sniffed.

“You’re a wonderful mother,” he said, stroking her curly hair. “I couldn’t ask for a better mother for my boys. Joe is healthy and happy … they all are. That’s the sign of a good mother, surely.”

Marie sat up and buried her face against his chest. “That’s a nice thing to say,” she said softly.

“I mean it,” he replied sincerely.

“There’s no easy answer to any of this is there?” she asked, looking up at him.

Ben shook his head as he hugged her to him. “No there isn’t,” he said as he smiled. “I don’t think anything is ever easy where children are concerned.”

“I’ll try to be … less intense about the whole thing,” she murmured.

Ben planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I like you just the way you are,” he said softly.

++++++++++

Marie ran across the front yard, waving her arms at Ben as he rode around the side of the barn with Adam. “Thank goodness you’re back!” she called.

Ben reined in his horse. “What’s the matter?” he asked quickly. “What’s wrong?”

Marie looked up at him frantically. “Little Joe is missing!” she said, her anxiety evident in her voice and her expression. “I can’t find him anywhere!”

Ben dismounted quickly and took her in his arms. “What do you mean he’s missing?” he asked. “When did you see him last?”

She took a deep breath before replying. “About fifteen minutes ago,” she said quickly. “He was in the living room. I only took my eyes off him for a minute when I went into the kitchen to tell Hop Sing something and when I came back he was gone.”

Ben frowned. “Then he must still be in the house,” he said. “Unless he got out the back door.”

Marie shook her head. “No,” she said. “It’s still well and truly locked. The front door was open Ben … he must have learnt how to open that one now!”

“Oh great!” murmured Adam softly. “That means yet another lock on a door.”

“Adam, look in the barn,” instructed Ben. “I’ll get the men to check down near the creek while I …”

Marie went pale. “The creek!” she said. “Oh Ben!” Her hand went to her mouth and she stared at her husband frantically.

Ben hugged her towards him. “We have to check,” he said. “There’s no telling if …”

“Pa! Marie!” called Adam from the barn. “He’s in here!”

Marie gave her husband a puzzled look. “He can’t be,” she said. “Hop Sing and I checked in there already and we couldn’t see him.” She ran over to the barn, followed closely by Ben.

As they entered the barn, Adam pointed into one of the stalls. “He’s in there,” he said. “Look.”

They looked … and saw their little boy snuggled up in a dark corner of the empty stall, half covered with hay and fast asleep. He was sucking furiously on the thumb of his left hand and the forefinger of his right hand was firmly placed in his nose. “I didn’t see him,” said Marie, shaking her head. “He’s so little … I just didn’t see him.”

Ben bent down and picked his little boy up. Joe snuggled into his father’s chest and snuffled slightly in his sleep without taking either finger or thumb out. Ben put his free arm around Marie. “Thank you Adam,” he said. “Could you put my horse up for me please son?”

He walked out of the barn, his son in one arm and his wife encircled in the other. “This won’t be the last time this happens,” he said to her. “You can be sure of that with this young scamp.”

Marie put her hand on the little boy’s back and rubbed it. “I suppose I’d better get used to it then,” she said. “There’s just so much I have to get used to.” She reached up and fingered her husband’s greying hair. “I suppose the next thing will be that my hair will start turning this colour,” she added.

Ben smiled at her and kissed her on the top of her head. “You’ll still be beautiful,” he said.

++++++++++

Ben put his arms around Marie as they leaned against the corral fence together. “That’s it!” he shouted to Adam who was riding a black horse around the corral proudly. “Let him have his head!” He bent down to whisper in Marie’s ear. “You’re coping very well,” he said softly.

She inclined her head towards her knuckles which showed white on the corral fence in front of them. “I’m closing my eyes most of the time,” she admitted. “It’s easier that way.”

Ben laughed. “He’s fine,” he said. “Look.”

“That’s good Adam,” Marie called out and then smiled at Ben. “I’m getting better … don’t you think?”

“Much,” he said and kissed her lightly. “And not a grey hair in sight yet,” he added.

There was a small movement beside them and they both looked down to see Little Joe standing on the second bottom rung of the fence. “Did ya see that?” asked Hoss proudly. “He done climbed up on it all by himself!”

Marie groaned. “Now he’s climbing,” she said. “Wonderful!”

Hoss looked up at her. “Are we gonna put a lock on the stairs now?” he asked.

Marie laughed. “No Hoss,” she said. “I suppose your little brother is going to have to learn how to cope with the stairs.” She smiled up at Ben who smiled back at her.

“That’s my girl,” he said and kissed her again.

Suddenly there was a shout from Hoss as Little Joe leant over the edge of the water trough and overbalanced. Marie gasped and Ben reached out, but too late to stop their little son from falling in. Ben bent down quickly and pulled the wet, bedraggled child out by the arms before Marie even had time to react further. Little Joe gasped in astonishment and then looked around at everyone in amazement as he spat out the water that he was holding in his mouth. As it dribbled down his chin he giggled and clapped his hands. “Nuther one!” he shouted and tried to climb down from Ben’s arms into the water trough again.

“Soon we’ll be teaching him how to swim,” said Ben, laughing at the horrified expression on Marie’s face as he spoke. “Only joking,” he said quickly. “There’s plenty of time for that yet.”

“I hope so,” she replied. “I can only take so much at once my love.”

The End