Exasperated by Little Joe’s behavior, Adam launches into an all-out tirade detailing his brother’s many character flaws.  Ben’s efforts to keep tempers from flaring between his two sons are sidelined when there’s a sudden accident.  Rating T, WC 17,710

Just the Way You Are

*** Don’t go changing to try and please me.  You never let me down before.  And don’t imagine you’re too familiar and I don’t see you anymore.  I would not leave you in times of trouble.  We never could have come this far.  I took the good times, I’ll take the bad times.  I take you just the way you are.  I said I love you, that’s forever.  And this, I promise from the heart.  I couldn’t love you any better.  I love you just the way you are. *** (Excerpt from song, “Just the Way You Are” lyrics by Billy Joel.)

Ben Cartwright had a long and frustrating day and wanted nothing more than to walk inside the Ponderosa ranch house and warm himself in front of the grand fireplace.  He had just returned from a trip to Virginia City where he had argued with the owner of the mercantile over a delayed shipment of machinery.  It had been ordered over a month ago and he needed the equipment for the new sawmill that was being built on the ranch.  After addressing his concerns with Frank Keller and having been promised that everything would arrive in the next few days, Ben had taken his close friend Sheriff Roy Coffee to the International House Hotel for lunch.  That had been the only pleasant part of his long day thus far.  Afterwards there was a meeting with the local bank president and contracts that had needed to be signed waiting for him over at his attorney’s office.

“Hi, Pa,” Hoss called to his father as he rounded the dining room and spotted the man standing there at the front door.  “Everything go okay?”

Ben let out a tired sigh as he shrugged out of his coat and stared over at his middle boy.  It had only taken one quick look at Hoss’ face to know that the big man had something on his mind.

“Well – it was a frustrating afternoon, but I guess I straightened out a few things, Hoss,” he smiled and gave the boy a pat to his shoulder.  “That fireplace looks mighty inviting right about now.”

“Come on and sit down, Pa,” Hoss nodded as he watched his father rolling up his holster and setting it on top of the credenza.

Ben tossed his hat on the rack next to the door and turned and walked into the living room alongside his son.  He let out a comfortable sigh the minute that his body conformed to the cushions of his red leather chair.  Ben watched as Hoss settled down on the settee and stared hesitantly over at him.

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Ben announced.  “Are those two brothers of yours still at each other’s throats?”

“Yes, Sir,” Hoss sighed as he wearily shook his head.  “And they really went overboard today.  Adam cuffed Joe but fortunately I’d just ridden up to the mill about a minute after they went at it.  I was able to keep Little Joe from sending a punch of his own.  Then Adam rode off.  He told me that he’d had enough of Joe for one day.”

“Those two!” Ben let out an aggravated groan.  “What was it this time?”

“Gosh, I don’t know, Pa!” Hoss replied and threw his hands in the air.  “I guess my little brother didn’t do what Adam wanted – or didn’t do it fast enough.  Neither one of them would tell me when I asked.”

Ben cleared his throat and stared in the direction of the front door.  “Alright – where are those two?”

“Well, Adam has been up in his room since he got back and Joe – well I ain’t seen him.  He’s probably off brooding about what happened today.”

Closing his eyes Ben thought on the way that his youngest and eldest sons had been behaving lately.  It wasn’t as though those two boys of his ever spent much time trying to understand each other, but lately they seemed to be having an all-out war of personalities brewing.  Ben had spoken to both of his sons separately and had done his best to try to get them to ease up on one another, but evidently those lectures had been of none effect.

Witnessing the look of exasperation spreading across Hoss’ face, Ben knew that his middle boy was growing tired of being the voice of reason whenever he spotted his brothers going after each other.  He leaned over and placed a commiserative hand on his arm and said, “Hoss – I’m so sorry you’ve had to play referee for the past couple of weeks while your brothers have kept this feud of theirs going.  I know it’s not been easy on you.”

“Yeah,” Hoss sighed and directed his gaze on the floor.  “I’m used to Adam and Joe arguing but now it’s an everyday occurrence, Pa.  I don’t know what would’ve happened if I hadn’t been there at the mill today. Isn’t there anything you can do to stop them?”

Standing from his chair, Ben reached for the poker and rotated the top piece of firewood just to have something to do other than wringing his hands.  He thought about the question Hoss had posed and tried to come up with a solution to the problem.

“I’ve asked both of them what’s going on and neither has told me what started the argument weeks ago.  Of course, Adam says it’s because Joe doesn’t work as hard as he does and Joseph just says Adam won’t get off his back.”

Hoss stood and joined his father in front of the fireplace, placing a hand on his shoulder.  “I’m sorry that I had to drop all this on you the minute you got home, Pa.  You look like you’ve had a tough day yourself.”

“Eric – Hoss – Cartwright,” Ben smiled warmly at his son.  “Why couldn’t I have had three boys all like you?”

“Shucks, Pa,” Hoss chuckled, “that would’ve been boring, wouldn’t it?  My brothers keep things stirred up around here.  One thing’s for sure – there’s never a dull moment!  But you wouldn’t want it any differently.”

“At the present moment I would,” Ben responded with an insistent nod of his head.  “Alright,” he groaned again.  “I guess I’ll go up and address the situation with Adam.  Later I’ll talk to your little brother.”

“Good luck, Pa,” Hoss called and watched as his father moved over to the staircase.

Adam wasn’t surprised to hear the knock on his bedroom door nor the call of his name.  He surmised that his father would have something to say about what had happened up at the mill.  Standing from his drafting table, Adam walked to the door and opened it.

“Mind if I come in?” Ben asked. an uncomfortable smile on his lips.

Adam simply nodded as his father walked inside his bedroom and sat down in the chair next to the window.

“I know why you’re here, Pa – and I just don’t want to talk about it.”

Ben frowned and responded, “Well, I do.  Now – what’s going on with you and your little brother?  Hoss said you cuffed the boy earlier.  Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right I did,” Adam nodded, frustration in his tone of voice as he took a seat back in front of his drafting table and lifted a pencil in his hand.  “Pa – I’m going over these plans – so it’s not the best time.”

“Oh? Well, do I need to schedule an appointment with you so we can discuss what’s going on and why you hit your brother?”

“What – did the kid cry on your shoulder as usual?” Adam fired back.

“I haven’t seen Joseph since breakfast.  Hoss told me about it when I got in.”

“I barely hit him – he deserved a lot more than a cuff as you called it, Pa!  That boy never does what he’s supposed to.”

Clearing his throat, Ben studied his son’s face trying to determine what had set him off.  “Just what did Joseph do today that riled you up?  And why did you hit him?”

“I should’ve hauled off and knocked him to the ground – but I showed more restraint than I should have.  Two of the hands who were supposed to be up at the mill setting the foundation posts never showed up leaving me shorthanded.  And that baby son of yours didn’t bother to get there until after one o’clock!”

“Adam, it sounds to me like you getting angry with Joseph today is due to something other than his failure to show up at the mill on time.  Now – come on — what’s got you so all-fired mad with the boy?  And Joseph wouldn’t appreciate you calling him my baby son by the way!”

“That’s how he acts,” Adam insisted and angrily tossed his pencil down on top of the table.

“He puts in a hard day’s work – just like you do, Son.”

“I figured you’d say that, Pa!  You always defend that kid’s actions no matter how atrocious they are.”

“Now, just a minute,” Ben returned sternly as he stood from the chair and approached his eldest.  He placed a hand onto his son’s shoulder and continued.  “Joseph might fail to show up on time but once he does, he works just as hard as anyone else on this ranch.”

“That kid’s always had you wrapped around his little finger,” Adam muttered shaking his head.

“Adam, what’s eating at you?” Ben questioned, and this time there was a softness in his tone.  It was easy to see that his son was upset about much more than Joe arriving late that afternoon.

“I’ve got a job to do and I need responsible workers to get it done.  It’s bad enough that we have some irresponsible hired hands but Little Joe is even worse!  And when he did finally show up he smarted off to me as usual!”

“What exactly did you say to the boy?  Was there a reason that Joe responded the way that he did?”

“Don’t turn this around on me, Pa.  I asked him where he was and he said it wasn’t any of my business.  And he just stood there with a smirk on his face!”

“So, then you cuffed him like Hoss said?”

“Yeah – and it’s a good thing Hoss was there, or it wouldn’t have gone well for that kid!  I would have gone after him a whole lot worse.”

Ben dropped his hand onto his son’s arm and gave it a slight squeeze trying to redirect his gaze so he could read what was in his eyes.  “Adam, here lately the two of you boys seem to be at each other’s throats almost every day.  Tell me what’s going on and why you’ve been so upset.  It’s not just a case of Joseph not showing up on time today.”

“I just don’t like him,” Adam announced bluntly.

“What?  You don’t like your brother?”

“No, I don’t like him.  I’ve grown tired of watching the way he acts and witnessing everything that you allow him to get away with around here!  And it’s not that I don’t know how you feel about him – so it shouldn’t surprise me that you let him do whatever he feels like.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Ben continued, still trying his best to get to the bottom of the reason why his eldest was so upset.

“Oh, Pa — you know!  He’s the fair-haired child – the one you’ve always doted on.  And he’s spoiled rotten – and you’re the one who spoiled him!”

Ben stood there shaking his head, surprised by the fact that Adam was being so brusque in his remarks.

“I don’t have a favorite son – and you know it!” He protested insistently, upset by what his son had accused him of.

Adam let out an ironic laugh as he stood from his chair and walked over to the window.  “Come on, Pa – Hoss and I both know that Little Joe’s your favorite!  I guess it’s like they say – the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.”

“Just what has Joseph done to you that’s made you so irate, Adam?  Talk straight with me!”

“It’s just like I told you a minute ago – I don’t like him.  Yes, he’s my brother – but that’s just the way I feel about him now.  He’s always in trouble but you always defend his actions.  You’ve spoiled him – and that’s why he gets far more leeway than you ever gave Hoss or me when we were his age.”

“I’ve made him pull his own weight around here.  You can’t say that he hasn’t.”

“Sure – he does –that is when he feels like it!  He knew that he was supposed to be up at the mill right after breakfast.  I told him this morning right before I left.  But no, he showed up when he felt like it!  He’s done that his whole life.  I mean, what if I just didn’t show up?  Who would get these projects done?  But I’m your eldest son – and it’s just expected of me – to be the responsible one.  I guess when you’re the youngest and spoiled rotten the way he is — it’s easy to just come and go as you please.  And you never get after him about it either!”

Ben shook his head sadly.  He believed jealousy was rearing its ugly head and though he took issue with what Adam had said he knew that there were other things he’d have to address before defending his actions concerning Little Joe.  Clearing his throat he continued, “Son, you said that you wanted to tackle the construction of the new mill – and you even insisted on drawing up the plans for it.  It appears to me that you really didn’t want to oversee the project.”

Adam shook his head in frustration over his failure to get through to his father.  “Pa – I don’t mind being in charge and I wanted to draw up the plans for the mill.  But I’m sick of seeing that spoiled brat not even trying to do like he’s been told!  He’s almost eighteen now.  When I was eighteen, I was heading off to college while that boy just coasts through life doing whatever the heck he wants.”

“Joseph is not you, Adam.  You wanted to go away to college – I didn’t force you to do it.”

“You just don’t understand, Pa,” Adam returned quietly, directing his attention back on his father.

“I’m trying –but I guess we’re talking in circles here.  You said you don’t like your brother and that I’ve spoiled him.  The next minute you seem to be upset that Joe doesn’t do exactly like you want him to do.  I wish I knew what’s going on in your head – and why you suddenly have so much vitriol towards that boy.”

“Pa – come on – there’s never been any love loss between the two of us.  Joe doesn’t like me anymore than I like him!”

“You’re wrong about that, Son,” Ben stated adamantly.  “You’re very wrong!”

“No, I’m not!  He’s got a tight bond with Hoss – but that’s because Hoss does everything that Joe wants him to do.  That kid doesn’t listen to me, and he doesn’t respect me either.”

Ben shook his head wearily as he stared directly into the penetrating brown eyes of his eldest.  He had listened and he had tried to understand what Adam was saying.  But Ben hadn’t been able to make any headway regarding his eldest son’s animosity towards his brother.

Clearing his throat again to rid himself of the tightness he was experiencing and to gather his thoughts, Ben responded, “I think it would be wise for you to speak directly to Joseph regarding the way you’re feeling.  Other than my having spoiled him, according to you, your beef is with him and not me.”

“Oh, no – I’m not doing that,” Adam insisted, raising a hand in gesture.  “I’ll hurt his little feelings, and he’ll end up crying on your shoulder like always!”

“You two are going to talk this out tonight right after dinner.  It’s about time that we ended this feud.  I’ll not have it any longer.”

“I’m not going to speak my mind only to have you sitting there holding Joe’s hand and defending him!  And if Hoss is there, he’ll feel sorry for the kid too so it will end up being three against one.”

“It will be just you and Joseph – I’ll be there just to make sure that there isn’t any bloodshed, but I won’t interfere.   And I’m quite sure that Hoss won’t want any part of it.  You two boys have put him in the middle of all this enough here lately and he wants peace the same as I do.”

Adam sighed and followed his father’s retreating path to the bedroom door.  As Pa stepped out into the hall he replied, “Okay, if you insist.  But I’m warning you I’m not going to hold back.  I’m going to let Joe know exactly what I think about him.  He’s going to get an earful from me!”

“After supper,” Ben warned and turned down the hallway.

Growing anxious due to his conversation with Adam and worrying over what was going to happen later that evening, Ben walked out into the yard just to get some fresh air and clear his mind.  He mulled over everything he’d heard from his eldest.  Ben was beginning to think that the problem Adam was having with his brother had been his fault and not that of his eldest.  He had placed Adam in the role of being the responsible son most of his life just out of necessity.  Ben knew that he couldn’t always be there and during his absences had left Adam in charge on many occasions.  His son obviously hadn’t appreciated doing that, especially when it came to looking after Little Joe.  But, then again, he hadn’t taken the time to get to know his youngest brother either.  When Adam had left for college at the age of eighteen, he’d left behind Hoss who was twelve and Little Joe who was just six years old at the time.  Then when he returned things had changed and Hoss and Joe had bonded, them being the only sons there at the ranch.  Of course, with Hoss’ personality it hadn’t been hard for him to reacquaint himself with Adam and soon it was like he had never gone away for four years.  But with Joseph it was an entirely different matter.  To Ben it seemed as though the animosity had taken root between his eldest and youngest boys almost immediately upon Adam’s return.  Adam had matured and Joseph was only ten years old.  On top of that age difference there were vast differences in their personalities.  Adam was a logical thinker and a no-nonsense kind of person.  He had the typical New England Stoicism that Ben had witnessed in the boy’s mother Elizabeth.  And Joseph was just the complete opposite.  Outwardly the boy seemed wild and undisciplined.  He lived each day in the moment, something that was contrary to his brother Adam’s approach to life.  Ben wondered if his two sons were just having a momentary breech in their relationship or if it would turn out to be something a bit more permanent.  Before he had the chance to further dwell on the matter, he heard the rapid approach of a horse coming into the front yard.

Ben watched as his youngest brought Cochise to a dead stop there at the front hitching post.  He studied his son’s appearance as he moved over to the boy.

“Hi, Pa,” Little Joe smiled as he dismounted.  He clapped his father’s arm and asked, “everything go okay in town?”

Reaching over to brush the dust from the boy’s jacket, Ben sent a forced smile to his lips.  “Yes, everything’s fine.  How did your day go, Joseph?”

Casting a wary glance to the house before redirecting his gaze to his father, Joe answered, “Oh, about like it usually does.  Old Bill got on me again!”

“Bill?”

Little Joe chuckled and patted his father’s arm.  “Yeah – Bill Shakespeare, Pa.”

Ben shook his head and tried not to show his amusement over what the boy had said, though he did think it was funny.  “Oh yes, I heard a little something about that, Joseph.  Care to explain?”

Little Joe draped his arm across his father’s shoulder as they turned toward the house.  “Pa – I was late because I was handling that little situation I told you about.  But old Bill gave me what for about being so irresponsible.  Fortunately, Hoss was there so we didn’t have to duke it out,” He explained.

“I see,” Ben grinned as they walked inside.  “Go get cleaned up – you’re a real mess!”

“Oh, I just threw some dirt on my jacket, so it’d look like I actually worked today and didn’t just goof off like somebody around here thinks I do.”

“Get cleaned up,” Ben reiterated firmly though his affection for the boy was easily read by the proud gleam in his eyes.

“Yes, Sir,” Little Joe gave his father a mock salute and then turned for the staircase.

Ben shook his head, amused by the sound of the boy’s laughter as it followed him up to his bedroom.  *** Well, no matter what happened earlier – I guess Joseph didn’t take his brother’s anger to heart.  That is, of course, if his outward appearance isn’t all an act. *** he thought and then turned into the kitchen.

The mood around the dining table was very subdued with only Ben and Hoss keeping the conversation going.  Both Adam and Joe hadn’t spoken more than a few words and only responded to questions fielded by their father.  Hoss explained how things were going out with the herd and talked about his plans to go back to help the drovers the next day.  He had been warned by Pa that he was going to force his brothers to discuss their problems after supper and advised him that he might not want to be in the living room with them when they did it.  Hoss appreciated the heads up as he wanted to steer clear of both Little Joe and Adam, sure that there would be loud voices raised.

A loud knock sounded on the front door and Ben stood to see who it was.  He hadn’t minded the interruption as he had grown tired of watching his eldest and youngest sons avoiding each other.

“Frank?  You’re out awfully late – come on in,” Ben greeted the owner of the mercantile and ushered him inside the living room.

“I can’t stay, Ben – just wanted to tell you what I found out about your order,” the man explained and handed him a telegram.

“As you can see there – that equipment won’t be arriving like I thought it would.”

Ben sighed and shook his head.  “Yes, I see.”

“Looks like you’ll have to get it directly from the factory, Ben.  I’m sorry I did my best,” Frank apologized and turned back for the door.

“It’s not your fault.  Thanks for coming all the way out here,” Ben replied as he followed the man, pausing at the door.

“It wasn’t any trouble.  Goodnight, Ben.”

“Thanks again, Frank,” Ben nodded to him and closed the door.  He walked back to the dinner table and retook his seat.  *** As if I don’t have enough problems! *** he thought to himself.

“Trouble, Pa?” Little Joe asked after witnessing the look of exasperation on his father’s face.

“I’m afraid that equipment we’ve been waiting on won’t be arriving in town.  I’m going to have to send one of you boys to Sacramento to fetch it.  The Jameson Brothers won’t accept a bank draft and want payment upon purchase.  The wire I just received said we’ll have to pick it up ourselves because they no longer deliver and all orders have to be paid in cash right at their warehouse.”

“I’ll go,” Joe volunteered, trying to quell his father’s worry.

“I think it should be me – you wouldn’t know what we need,” Adam piped up and looked at his father.

Little Joe shook his head as he stared over at Adam.  “It doesn’t take a college diploma to know what type of equipment is needed for a sawmill!  I’m not stupid.  I can figure it out just the same as you.  How about it, Pa?”  He turned his attention back to his father.

“Now just how would you know about a sawmill, Kid?  You haven’t spent more than a few hours working up there since the project began two weeks ago!” Adam argued, making his point known about what he thought about Joe not having worked hard enough lately.

“I was talking to our father – not you,” Joe complained as he shot Adam a very displeased look.

Ben cleared his throat, trying to bring the room to order.  He studied the situation and then answered, being as diplomatic as possible, “Well, you both could go and get the shipment.  It’s probably a two-man job anyway.”

Adam looked back and forth between his youngest brother and his father and then added, “Well, if it’s a two-man job that leaves you out, Kid.”

His face turning beet-red due to the condescending remark Adam had fired his way, Joe’s left hand balled up into a fist.  Ben spotted the mounting anger spreading across the face of his youngest.  He quickly grabbed the boy’s arm as he suddenly stood from his chair.

“No, Joseph,” Ben whispered and gently tugged his arm until he sat back down in his chair.  “And, Adam, I don’t want to hear those kinds of remarks.  They’re uncalled for.”

Regrouping his emotions, Joe bowed his head and whispered, “never mind, let someone else go, Pa.”  The last thing he needed was to spend more time with his eldest brother who had railed on him earlier that day.  “Come to think of it – I’ve got plenty of things to do here.”

“You want me to go with you, Adam?” Hoss offered, hoping to instill some calm in the heated discussion.  “There’s enough hands out with the herd right now – and it shouldn’t take more than about five days up and back.”

“Fine by me.  You’re welcomed to come along, Hoss,” Adam smiled at his brother.

“Alright – then you two take the buckboard and bring back our order,” Ben nodded to his sons.  He dropped his napkin on the table as he cast a wary eye around the room.

“Well, I’m for bed – guess we’ll be leaving in the morning and I’m plum tuckered out,” Hoss announced as he witnessed the look of apprehension spreading across his father’s face.  He knew what he was getting ready to say to his brothers.

“Goodnight, Son,” Ben nodded to the boy and watched as Hoss exited the room and headed over to the stairs.  He then directed his attention toward both Joe and Adam.  “I want to see you both in the living room,” He stated firmly and arose from his chair.

Adam knew what was about to happen, but Little Joe hadn’t gotten the word that there was trouble brewing and he’d be facing his brother’s wrath soon.  They wandered into the living room with Joe taking a seat on the settee while his brother sat down in the blue winged back chair to his right.

“What is it, Pa?” Little Joe asked after witnessing the severe look on his father’s face as he dropped down into his chair next to the fireplace.

Ben cleared his throat and looked from one son and then to the other before answering.

“The two of you boys have been at each other’s throats for quite a while now, and as I told Adam earlier, I want you both to talk it out now.  I also told Adam that I wouldn’t interfere and I’m only staying just to make sure that there aren’t any punches thrown.”

Little Joe frowned and replied, “If it’s about him cuffing me – forget it, Pa.  I don’t need his apology.”

“Apology?” Adam sounded out indignantly.  “For what?  Because I asked you why you were late and as usual you gave me nothing but lame excuses?”

Ben watched quietly as the conversation got off to a very heated start.  He sat back in his chair and waited.

“I did my work,” Little Joe insisted, dropping his gaze down to the floor to avoid his brother’s angered visage.

“You did a half day’s work and that was all you did.  Just like always – you did a halfhearted job as well.”

Little Joe stood from the settee and prepared to leave the room.

“Joseph,” Ben chimed in and pointed a finger back to the settee.  “I want these differences aired out.  Sit back down, please.”

Not wanting to upset his father, Joe reluctantly retook his seat and then stared over at him.  “Pa – what’s the point to this anyway?  Adam just wants to ride me about everything – just like he did earlier today.”

“You need Pa to bail you out as usual,” Adam returned condescendingly.

“No, Adam,” Joe responded, shaking his head.  “If you’ve got something to say about me, go ahead let’s hear it.  I won’t interrupt you.  And I don’t need Pa to defend me neither.”

Adam looked at his father and then back over to Joe.  “Fine, Kid, I will.  Pa asked me why I have a problem with you and I told him a few things.  But he suggested that I should take my complaints directly to you.”

“Go ahead,” Little Joe announced and folded his arms across his chest, preparing for the worst.

“You are perhaps the laziest person I’ve ever known.  You are inconsiderate of everyone’s feelings too!  The only time that you do a full day’s work is when Pa’s breathing down your neck.  Half of the time you trick Hoss into doing your work for you when our father isn’t around.  The other half of the time you make up some tall tale as to why you’ve not pulled your own weight around here.  There’s always an excuse for your bad behavior, isn’t there, Little Joe?”

When his brother failed to respond to anything he had said, Adam continued his rant, “You’re also the most undisciplined person on this ranch!” Adam paused as he shot a glance over at his father wondering when he was going to interrupt and make him stop his tirade.  Pa still sat unmoving in his chair and surprisingly Little Joe had yet to offer any rebuttal either.  Standing up, Adam moved in front of the fireplace and stared at his brother who still held his arms tightly across his chest like he was trying to hold in his anger.  “Joe, most of the time you only care about yourself – and what you can get away with.  I told Pa this evening that he’s spoiled you rotten — and you know it!  You use your position of being the youngest to your advantage and whenever Hoss or I point out the fact that you haven’t held up your own end around here you run to Pa and cry to him that you’re misunderstood!”

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and held it in.  He wished that Adam had just punched him because it would have hurt a lot less than hearing what he was saying to him now.  Still, he held his peace and waited for his brother to finish.

“I’m tired of dealing with you all the time.  You don’t show me any respect – yet you expect me to show it to you.  As far as I’m concerned, you are a spoiled, ill-tempered brat and you’ll probably never change.  You showing up late like you did today was yet more proof that you think that you can get away with anything because if challenged, you’ll run to Pa and twist things around so it will end up being everyone else’s fault and not your own.  Time after time he mollycoddles you because you know that you can twist him around that crooked little finger of yours.”  Adam looked back over to his father and remarked cooly, “There – I’ve said what I wanted.”  He walked back to the chair and sat down before directing his attention to his brother.  “Go ahead, Little Joe, explain how you’re so misunderstood.”

“Pa?” Joe asked quietly, never looking at either man.  “Can I go up to my room now?”

“Oh sure!” Adam exclaimed and then chuckled due to the pathetic look on his brother’s face.  It was easy to see that the boy was going into one of his usual heart-wrenching performances that would elicit a response from their father so he would end up feeling sorry for him.  “Sit there and act like a victim so Pa will feel bad and hold you to his chest and comfort you!  Come on –that’s usually how these types of arguments end up!”

Little Joe closed his eyes battling the hurt that he felt inside.  Adam had gone after him before but never as venomously as he had done that night.  He wanted nothing more than to escape to the solitude of his bedroom so he wouldn’t break down in front of his brother.

“Oh – you playing to the audience, Kid? Trying to make me feel guilty for telling the truth, right?  Or are you just sitting there looking so forlorn so Pa will think you’re really hurt due to what I said?  As if words can ever really hurt a narcissist like you!”

*** Great!  It’s bad enough that he’s just called me every awful thing he could think of, but now he’s got to go and use one of those ten-dollar words that he learned in college. *** Joe thought to himself shaking his head in disbelief.  “Pa?” Joe whispered.  “Pa – can I go now?”

Ben leaned forward in his chair and drew in a quick breath.  He could tell how badly his brother’s words had hurt Little Joe and he felt his pain deeply.   He understood the boy sitting there in front of him whereas Adam had never tried to look below the surface when it came to his youngest brother.

“No, Joseph.  Tell him,” Ben insisted and nodded his head in Joe’s direction urging him out with his explanation.

“I can’t, Pa,” Joe responded mournfully, closing his eyes to ward off the tears he could feel welling up inside them.

“Yeah,” Adam nodded.  “Tell me – tell me off.  It’s what you’ve wanted to do all day so go right ahead!” he chided the boy there in front of him.

His voice barely above a whisper, Joe once more asked for his father’s permission to leave the room.  “Please, Pa?”

“I said tell him,” Ben stated emphatically and reached over to touch the boy’s arm to coax him along.

Little Joe knew that his father wasn’t going to allow him to leave the room unless he explained himself to his brother.  Drawing in a deep breath, he finally spoke.  “I didn’t make it out to the mill on time today because I was busy doing something else.”

Adam shook his head and returned, “Oh – I see a sad story is about to unfold.  Go ahead – alibi yourself out of another hard day’s work, Little Joe.”

“Let your brother talk!” Ben called over to Adam sternly.  “You had your say – let him have his now.”

Settling back in his chair, Adam said, “Fine – go right ahead.”

“I was busy gentling a horse – I’ve been working on doing it for more than a week,” Joe finally announced, not looking at his brother.

“That’s an out and out lie!  I passed by the breaking corral today on my way to the mill.  There aren’t any new horses on the ranch — but good try, Joe!  I bet Pa fell for your tall tale hook line and sinker.”

“Pa – let me go – please!” Joe begged his father.  He didn’t think he could endure his brother’s ill remarks any longer.

“Joseph,” Ben called softly.  “Tell him.”

“I wasn’t out at the main breaking corral.  I fixed up a make-shift corral over by Miller’s Pond.  I had Dusty there to spot me – you can ask him if you want.”

Adam stood again and raised an arm in gesture.  “Fine!  Okay you were out breaking a horse somewhere.  That doesn’t negate the fact that I told you to be up at the mill right after breakfast!  I guess you found a new “toy” and decided that you needed yet another horse.  Did Pa buy it for you as a gift for behaving yourself and not getting thrown into Roy’s jail for a few weeks?”

Little Joe stood and was just about to head outside when his father hurried over to him and grabbed his arm.

“This has gone on long enough!  You tell him, Joseph, or I will,” Ben demanded and pulled his son around to face his brother.

“I spent a week trying to catch that stallion – it was the finest horse I’d ever seen,” Joe began, dropping his head down to his chest.

“Now tell him why, Son,” Ben whispered seeing how hard it was becoming for his youngest to hold up under his brother’s insults.

“It was a present – that’s why I needed to get it gentled slowly.  I didn’t want to ruin that stallion by bringing it along too fast.  I wanted it to be all saddle broken and ready to ride by the end of the month,” Joe confessed, his voice both shaky and hesitant.

“The end of the month?” Adam questioned, wondering just where his brother was going with his explanation.  “Why?”

Little Joe finally looked over at his brother, staring intently into his eyes.  “For your birthday– -it was for you,” He announced remorsefully.

Adam felt as though he had taken a direct blow to his gut after hearing what his brother had confessed.  He shot a quick glance over at his father and noticed him nodding his head as if to confirm the boy’s story.

“I didn’t say anything about why your brother hasn’t been around much lately because Joseph wanted the horse to be a surprise.  Hoss doesn’t even know about it,” Ben explained.

“Well — someone should have told me,” Adam fumed shaking his head upset with the situation and with himself as well.

“Pa – can I go now?” Little Joe whispered, staring down at the floorboards.

“Joe –,” Adam began but then stopped abruptly.  He wasn’t sure what he could say by way of an apology.  Words felt like they were wedged tightly inside his throat.  He cast a quick glance over to his father and then muttered, “I have to get things packed for Sacramento – I’ll be back by the end of the week.”  And with that his final statement, Adam hurried up the stairs.

Little Joe stared up at his father.  Unable to speak, he merely shook his head sadly.  Then he turned and ran to the front door, flinging it wide open.  Joe needed to be alone to grieve over what had just happened and try to forget the hurtful words that his brother had said to him.

Ben stood alone in the living room wondering if his two sons would ever learn to appreciate each other.  It didn’t look as though that was possible at the time.  He worried about Joseph, being acutely aware of how much his brother’s remarks had injured his soul.  Ben knew that he’d have to give the boy a little time alone to try to cope with everything that had been said, but then he would go outside and try to make him understand that Adam really hadn’t meant any of them.  At least he hoped that he hadn’t.

Little Joe stood out at the front corral leaning heavily up against it.  He wasn’t just hurt by what Adam had said to him, he felt emotionally wounded by every single word.  It had caused such a deep injury to his soul that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get over it.  On top of all that, Little Joe believed that his brother had meant them all and he worried that Adam had spoken the truth about him.  He doubted himself and his self-confidence had been dealt a mortal blow.  As he stood there staring down at the ground, Little Joe felt worse than he had in a long time.

“Joseph?” Ben’s voice came out from the darkness and soon Little Joe felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

Swiping a hand underneath his nose, Little Joe pushed away the spent tears.  “There’s nothing to say now, Pa,” he choked out.

Ben squeezed the boy’s shoulder and whispered, “I know you’re hurt, Boy – why don’t you come inside and we’ll talk about it?”

Shaking his head, Joe whispered, “No, Pa – I can’t – I just can’t.”

“Son – your brother didn’t mean most of what he said in there.  I think he’s been taking some of his frustrations out on you.  Being responsible for getting that mill up and running has gotten him a bit flustered.  Some of the ranch hands who were supposed to help today never showed up and I think that’s how all of this started.  Adam has a lot on his plate right now and you know how he gets when he’s determined to finish a job on schedule.  It will blow over, Joseph.”

“No, Pa,” Joe’s voice cracked and he fought to get his words out.  “It was pretty easy to see that Adam has been holding back from telling me off for a long while.  He meant everything he said about me.”

“No, Joseph, you’re wrong,” he insisted and attempted to pull the boy around so he could look him in the eye.  The light from the porch lamp, assisted by a waning full moon was just enough for him to detect the reflection of sadness in the eyes of his youngest.

Little Joe stared off into the darkness and whispered, “I guess I should just go out to the corral tomorrow and turn that stallion loose.  There isn’t much of a point to me giving it to Adam now.”

“Joseph,” Ben paused and finally succeeded in bringing the boy over to him so he could see him more clearly.  “Now, you don’t mean that.  You chased after that horse for an entire week just so you could catch it and give it to Adam for his birthday.  And I know that wasn’t an easy thing to do.  You’ve gone through a tremendous amount of effort to bring that stallion along slowly so it will be ready by the end of the month.  What happened tonight shouldn’t stop you from doing what you’d planned.”

Shaking his head, Joe whispered, “he won’t want it, Pa – not if it’s from me.”

“You two just need to work out your differences – you’re still brothers.  You’ve had arguments before, Joseph.  But deep down I know you two boys care about each other.”

Little Joe begrudgingly gave up on the idea of turning the stallion loose.  He turned his sad hazel eyes on his father.  With his voice faltering and still trying to hide his tears, he asked, “Pa—if I was to ask you something would you tell me the truth?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Ben already knew what the boy was about to say to him.  Joseph was consumed with self-doubt after listening to his brother and he knew it.  He finally nodded to the boy, “Alright – go ahead.”

“What Adam said about me, Pa – is there – is there truth to it?  Do I really act like that?  Tell me – and be honest with me,” Joe pleaded with his father.

Holding his right hand up to his mouth, Ben mulled over what his son had asked.  He knew that he’d have to handle the situation delicately and yet answer as truthfully as he could.  Ben held onto Joe’s shoulders and looked him squarely in the eyes.

“Oh, Joseph,” he sighed and shook his head sadly due to the hurt he read on the face before him.  “You want me to tell you the truth – are you sure?”

Little Joe nodded as he blinked back tears.  “Yes, Sir, I have to know.”

“Adam said you were undisciplined – and ill tempered.  He also said that you were inconsiderate and lazy.  I believe those were the main issues.  Is that right?”

“And spoiled,” Little Joe added woefully.  “He also called me a narcissist, and I don’t even know what that means, Pa.”

Ben fought a smile over what the boy had just confessed.  Clearing his throat, he answered, “That means that you only think about yourself, Joseph.”

“Okay – add that to the list too,” Little Joe nodded again.  “So—am I all those things, Pa?  I need the truth – no matter how hard it is for you to say – or for me to hear.”

“Fair enough,” Ben agreed and tilted his head to get a good long look at the insecure boy standing there before him.  “Undisciplined – let’s see.  I suppose that could be said about a lot of people, Joseph.  And sometimes I guess it could be said about you as well, but not all the time.  Now – ill-tempered – that’s true sometimes — but not always either.  Now as far as being inconsiderate, I take umbrage to that because I’ve never known you to be inconsiderate-“ Ben was cut off by his son.

“Pa?  That’s another one of those words I don’t know – what’s umbrage mean?”

Not wanting to laugh due to the odd expression on his son’s face or because of the question he had posed, Ben cleared his throat again and replied, “That just means that I disagree with Adam saying that you’re inconsiderate, Joseph.”

Nodding his head, Joe seemed satisfied with his father’s explanation.  “Go ahead, Pa, but I guess he should’ve added my being illiterate to the list.”

Chuckling, Ben patted the boy’s shoulder and shook his head.  “You’re no such thing!  Now, where were we?”

“I think we’re up to me being lazy now,” Joe frowned at the thought.

“Okay –as for being lazy – well —I suppose when you really don’t want to do something – it could be said about you.  As for being a narcissist – no you’re definitely not that.”

“Sounds like Adam was mostly right about me, Pa,” Little Joe sighed crestfallen and sadly looked down at the ground.

“Joseph,” Ben paused and lifted his son’s chin to direct his gaze.  “You asked me for the truth – but I need to clarify some of the things I just said because it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“What?”

“Son, I don’t think that you’re any of those things that your brother said.  In fact, I know that you’re not.  But you see — it’s different with me.”

“I just don’t understand, Pa.  Why is it different with you?”

“Because I’m your father and you’ve shown me what’s underneath that cleverly crafted façade of yours.  Sometimes I honestly believe that I know you better than you know yourself, Son,” Ben whispered, trying to get his meaning across.  “Joseph, you spend a great deal of your time hiding behind what you want people to see when they look at you.  If you’d be honest with yourself, you’d have to admit that I’m right,” he explained and forced his son’s gaze.

Little Joe could read what was in his father’s eyes, knowing in his heart that he had been truthful with him.  “Yeah, Pa – I know.  It’s easier with you – because you always look for the best in me.  Others don’t.”

“I know that you have a heart that’s so easily injured that you protect yourself by hiding behind a quick grin and an atrocious sounding laugh.  You care – and you always have.  I know that you love your brothers – both of them — no matter how mad you get at Adam.  I also know that there’s not a harder worker on this ranch than you.  But that’s only when you want to be.  You’re different from your brothers, but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your behavior.  It’s what makes you Joseph Cartwright.  The problem is you don’t show your true self to others, and they don’t take the time to see the things in you that I do.”

Little Joe looked down at the ground, feeling somewhat emotional and a bit guilty after hearing what his father had said to him.

“Joseph, you and your brothers have different qualities and traits.  Adam’s always been the logical one, Hoss the practical one and you’re the mercurial one.  That’s just your nature.  I suppose it’s a lot easier to list someone’s faults than their attributes and you have many of the latter.  For one, you are loyal to a fault.  You never give up on someone who you care about, no matter what the problem or situation.  Maybe that’s your stubbornness but it’s also your abiding faith in all those you love.  No matter what you might project to others I know that if anyone fights anyone of us – as far as you’re concerned — they’ve got to fight with you.  Now as to whether your brother Adam will ever realize any of those things about you – that’s going to rely on the two of you to work out.”

“He said I always run to you – and that you always bail me out of my problems.  I guess that’s true, isn’t it, Pa?”

Joseph,” Ben paused and shook his head, surprised by what the boy had asked.  “I’m your father – and that’s what father’s do.  But it’s not always the case that I’ve been involved in getting you out of a problem.  There’s been so many times that I’ve practically had to get a crowbar to pry the truth out of you before you finally fessed up and told me what you were going through. And there’s been plenty of times you’ve gotten yourself out of tough situations long before I’ve even found out about them.”

“Then why does he have such a problem with the way you and I relate to each other, Pa?  He’s always saying things about me turning to you when I’m upset about something.  I just don’t understand.”

Wrapping his arms around his son, Ben pulled him to his chest.  “I love all three of you boys – and I always have.  Hoss knows that – but sometimes I think the problem with Adam is that he’s not as demonstrative as you are.  He holds his emotions close to his vest – always has.  Maybe it’s that New England blood of his?  It’s just his way.  But I sometimes think Adam is just a tad bit jealous over the way you share your feelings with me.”

“Why?  He could do that too, Pa.”

“Yes, he could and I’d be there for him if he wanted to show me that side of himself.  But, because he doesn’t want to share his deepest feelings with me, instead I try and encourage him about his plans and dreams.  That’s what matters to Adam and how he relates to me – by talking about those types of things.  And there’s nothing wrong with that either, Joseph.  You boys are all different – and you all have different needs.”

Little Joe thought about what his father had just told him but was still having a difficult time understanding why Adam had said all that he had to him.

“Sometimes I honestly think that he hates me, Pa – and that he’d like me to just go away.”

“No, Joseph, your brother might get angry with you – and get after you a lot.  But deep down he loves you,” Ben tried to reassure the boy.

“Well, he wants me to change— I guess that’s the only way he’ll ever approve of me,” Little Joe replied despondently, still dwelling on what his brother had said that night.

Pulling his son back, Ben stared into the eyes that were still filled with both confusion and sorrow.  “No, that’s not the answer, Joseph.  And I don’t want you to change.  You’re just as special to me in your own right as he is in his.  In fact, because of that heart of yours – that you try so hard not to show anyone else but me – I’ve learned a lot from you over the years, Son.  Whether you know it or not.”

“From me?” he responded with disbelief.  “I don’t know what you could’ve learned from me, Pa.”

“Yes, from you,” Ben nodded insistently.   “Joseph, after your mother died, I became what I’d call hardened.  I think it was because I had dealt with so many personal losses.  I built a wall around my feelings to protect myself – or so I thought.  I still tried to be a good father to the three of you boys – but I wasn’t very demonstrative.  I put all of that behind me after your mother died.  And then there was you.”

Little Joe stared into his father’s eyes and his confusion over what he had said was easily read in his gaze.

“Joseph – over the years you taught me how to show my affection again.  Because of how deeply you feel things.  You helped me to remember how precious every minute really is, especially those that I’ve shared with the three of my sons.  It was a valuable lesson too,” Ben nodded and smiled affectionately over at his boy.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by what his father had said, Little Joe’s eyes brimmed with tears.  He reasoned that no matter what Adam thought about him at least his father understood him and loved him despite any character flaws.

Ben cleared his throat as he set the palm of his hand against his son’s cheek and said, “My life would never have been complete without you, Joseph.  And I wouldn’t have you any other way.  The goofing off, the tall tales, and that sometimes undisciplined nature of yours – I accept them all.  Because what’s underneath all of that is your loving nature and your zest for life.  When you love someone, you love them all the way, unconditionally and without reservations.  And that’s who you really are, in my opinion.”

Pa’s praise meant so much to him, Joe was too choked up to comment; he simply thanked his father with his eyes.

“Now,” Ben started and tilted his head to get a better look at his son to determine if he had understood his words and what he had tried to convey to the boy.  “You asked me to be honest with you about whether I thought what Adam said about you was true.  And deep down,” Ben paused again and lifted his son’s chin to direct his gaze, “you already knew.  I wouldn’t change one thing about you – even those traits that aggravate me the most.  Because, Joseph, I love you just the way you are.”

Little Joe fell into his father’s arms and held onto him.  He felt the familiar touch of Pa’s hand as it swept across the back of his head, brushing back his curls.  Neither of them spoke for a long while, each knowing how much what had been said that night had affected all of those involved.  Finally in a soft whisper came Little Joe’s response, “I love you too, Pa.”

Ben drew in a deep breath having been a bit overwhelmed by the events of the evening along with all that both sons had said.  He pulled Joseph back and examined his face to see if he was feeling any better.

“Son, I’m going to ask you the same thing that I’m going to ask Adam.  I want you to try to understand each other.  I’m not asking you to change anymore than I’m going to ask him to change.  But you’re brothers.  Just try to put yourself in Adam’s shoes before you judge him.  Okay?”

“Yes, Sir,” he agreed, nodding up at his father.

Ben smiled and patted his son’s back. “Now, how about we go inside and get some coffee?”

Little Joe nodded and replied, “Okay – but Pa?”

“Yes?”

“Adam said I was spoiled – you never addressed that fault of mine.”

Chuckling, Ben ruffled the boy’s hair and exclaimed, “Oh you’re definitely spoiled!  But since I’m the one who spoiled you – well – I guess it’s okay.  Now come on inside – I can fix one of your faults right now.”

“Huh?  Which fault?”

“I’d have to say that of all three of my sons you make the worst coffee.  Now let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll show you how it’s done,” Ben grinned and threw an arm around the boy, turning him towards the house.

Ben had said goodnight to his youngest and the boy went on up to his room a short time after they both had a few cups of coffee.  He sat in his red leather chair dwelling on all that had happened that evening and all the hurtful words that had been exchanged in the living room earlier.  By ten o’clock he set the last large log on the grate in the fireplace and turned in for the night.  Upon walking to his bedroom Ben spotted the light streaming from underneath Adam’s bedroom door.  He wasn’t sure if his intrusion would be a welcomed one, but he knocked on the door anyway.

“Pa?  It’s kind of late,” Adam remarked as he opened his door and saw his father standing in the hallway.

“I wanted to talk to you for just a minute,” Ben answered and waited for his son to usher him inside which he reluctantly did.

“I looked out of my window earlier and saw you outside with the kid,” Adam announced as he sat down on the bottom of his bed.

Ben nodded, “Yes, the boy was pretty upset.”

“You should’ve told me about that horse, Pa.  If you had, I would never have jumped Joe’s case tonight.  It made me look a bit petty don’t you think?”

“He wanted that stallion to be a surprise, and I didn’t want to ruin it for him.  But once I realized that he was about to run off, I thought it best that he let you know.”

“That still doesn’t negate the fact that the kid should’ve told me that he wasn’t going to show up at the mill on time.  There’s a lot to do out there and it was bad enough that two of the hired hands didn’t show up.  I needed him there and way before one in the afternoon!  I’m just saying that he should’ve said something to me regardless of what else he was up to.  It’s the least he could’ve done after I told him to be there right after breakfast.”

“And that’s the problem,” Ben stated emphatically.

“What?  Joe not telling me?”

“No, you said that you told Joseph to show up right after breakfast.”

Adam shook his head, not understanding what his father was getting at.  “What?”

“You told your brother.  That’s a whole lot different than asking him, Adam.”

“Why do I have to ask him?  You put me in charge,” He complained.

“Because you’re not his father.  I’m his father and I tell that boy what to do and he does it without any complaint.   You’ve got to admit hearing something from your father is a whole lot different than hearing the same thing from your brother.  You’d do well to remember that.  Your brother reacts much better to being asked something than he does by being told to do it.  I’d have thought you’d figured that out after all these years.  Joseph is growing up and he’ll soon be a man.  You still see him as a little kid but he’s not that any longer.  He’s a young man and he has feelings the same as you do.”

“I’m not going to beg Joe to do his work, Pa,” Adam insisted.

“Asking is not begging, Son.  I know you have expectations when it comes to Joe but just because he doesn’t see things the same as you do doesn’t make him wrong.  It just makes him Joe.  I’d not expect him to act as you do, and neither should you.  You’re both different.”

“Hoss is dependable.  If he knows there’s a job to do he does it without my having to order him around or ask him twice.  I don’t see why Joe can’t do the same.”

“Joseph is younger than your other brother and like you just admitted you ask Hoss – you don’t tell him.  Adam,” Ben paused and set a hand onto his son’s shoulder and directed his gaze.  “I’m going to ask you to do the same thing that I’ve just asked your brother to do.  Try to understand him and perhaps try to put yourself in his shoes.  I hope both of you boys will try to do just that.”

Adam sighed and shook his head.  “Pa, I know Joe’s different and he’s aggravating.” He paused and then looked directly into his father’s eyes and admitted, “And I didn’t mean everything I said tonight.  I did feel bad after I saw the look on his face.  I was expecting him to yell and act up but instead he just sat there and took it.  Then when he told me about that horse and all he’s done to get it ready for my birthday – well – it made me feel terrible.  And when I realized just how bad I’d made him feel due to the things that I said to him I wasn’t happy with myself.”

“Maybe you put yourself in his shoes, huh?” Ben nodded.

“I guess,” Adam frowned, upset by all that had transpired that night.

“I know you’ve got a long trip tomorrow.  Maybe think about what I’ve said while you’re away and hopefully things may be a little different when you return?”

“I’ll think about it, Pa,” Adam agreed.

“Good,” Ben smiled as he turned for the door.

“Pa?”

“Yes, Son?”

“Hoss and I’ll be leaving at first light.  I’ll send word once we’ve got that equipment.  Can you oversee the work at the mill until I get back?”

Ben nodded, “Don’t worry.  It will get done.  Have a safe trip.”

Adam watched as his father walked into the hall still mulling over all that the man had said to him.

Little Joe didn’t make it to the dining table until seven o’clock the next morning.  By then his brothers had already left for Sacramento in the buckboard.  He stared over at the two empty place settings and felt bad about the way the previous night had gone and all that had been said.  Joe turned when his father came in from the kitchen with a pot of coffee.

“Sorry, Pa – I didn’t mean to sleep so late,” He apologized and handed his cup to the end of the table.

“You had a rough night,” Ben began and poured his son some coffee and then passed the cup back to him.  “I’m glad you got some rest.”

“What time did they leave?”

“Oh, I saw them off about an hour ago.  Your brothers wanted to get an early start.”

Little Joe stirred his coffee and grew quiet, still mulling over some of the things that Adam had said about him the prior night.

Ben knew exactly what his son was fixated on and stared over at the boy.  “How’s that stallion coming along, Joseph?  Do you have much more to do to get him ready?”

“No, Pa – I think he’s all set.  I’ll just ride him a little every day until I give him to Adam.  Why?”

“Well, I was thinking,” He paused and studied his son’s face.  “If you’re freed up, I’ve got a job for you.”

“What?  You want me to go help up at the sawmill?  I know there’s still a lot to do up there.”

Reaching to the right of his plate, Ben pulled up a notepad and handed it over to his son.  “Adam left a day-by-day construction schedule.  He asked me to take charge in his absence.”

Little Joe took a quick look at what his brother had written and then stared back over at his father.  “Sure, Pa – I’ll go out there with you and help out.”

“No, Son,” Ben shook his head and smiled knowingly at the boy.  “I have other things to do here.  I’m putting you in charge of the sawmill — just until Adam returns.”

“Oh no!” Joe exclaimed and handed the notepad back to his father as though it was burning his fingertips.  “I’m not even going to try to take charge of that thing, Pa!  I’ll help out but that’s all I’m gonna do!  If I messed things up, I’d never hear the end of it from Adam.  If you think he called me a lot of awful things last night – just think of what he’d say if I ruined his project.”

Chuckling, Ben patted the boy’s arm and nodded his way, “Joseph, I have faith in you – even if you don’t.  Everything’s written down in his notes – they’re very thorough.  All you have to do is keep to that schedule and work alongside the crew.   I’ll make sure you’ve got all the help you’ll need but you’re in charge now.”

“But Pa –” Joe continued but was cut off in midsentence.

“Don’t you know better than to argue with your boss?” he asked raising his eyebrows in gesture.

Shaking his head, Little Joe frowned but didn’t say anything in rebuttal.

“Now – eat your breakfast and then head out there.”

Joe stood from the table and dropped his napkin on the side of his plate.  “Now I’ve lost my appetite.   Okay – but if Adam starts yelling at me when he gets home, you’d better let him know that it wasn’t my idea!”

“You’ll do fine,” Ben nodded and watched as his son walked into the next room to get his holster and hat.  “Have a good day, Son!” He called only to hear the boy groaning as he walked out the front door.

Ben studied the telegram he’d gotten the previous day from Adam.  The wire said that everything had gone smoothly and he and Hoss were heading back and should arrive the following afternoon.  For four straight days Little Joe had diligently worked up at the sawmill and had kept up with Adam’s schedule.  Ben had gone out to see the boy earlier in the day and found Joseph covered in sweat hammering boards onto the studs that had been erected the previous day.  He had told his youngest how proud he was of all that he had accomplished, and Joe seemed very pleased that for the most part everything had gone smoothly other than a few minor problems the first two days.  But the boy had also mentioned being glad that he’d soon be turning all the responsibility back to his eldest brother.  Ben hoped that after having overseen such a large project, and dealing with some of the problems that arose, it would help Little Joe understand some of the pressures that Adam had been under.   He thought that it would give the boy a glimpse into why his brother had been so harsh with him.  Though he presumed that only time would tell if his two sons would ever try to put themselves into each other’s shoes.

There was a loud shout coming from out in the yard and Ben abruptly stood from his desk.  He hurried over to the front door and jogged outside.  Sitting there in the buckboard that was pulled up in front of the porch was his foreman, Fletcher, who yelled over to him.

“Ben!  Joe’s been hurt!” He sang out as he jumped down from the bench seat and hurried over to the bed of the wagon.

Running into the yard, Ben made his way to the buckboard and stared down at his youngest son lying there unconscious.

“What happened to the boy, Fletcher?” He questioned fearfully.

“Darn kid!” the foreman exclaimed shaking his head with frustration.  “I told him to wait on me to help him, but he just went ahead and did it himself!   Joe’s been hellbent on getting a day ahead of schedule this whole week just so he could impress his brother Adam.  Dad burn hardheaded little idiot just wouldn’t listen!”

His fingers trembling as he touched the large purplish bruise on Little Joe’s forehead, Ben directed his attention back to the foreman.  “How did he get hurt?”

“He was scrambling up that sloped principal rafter to secure one of the wind braces and fell straight down.  Knocked himself out and his right leg is broke, Ben.  I’ll go fetch Doc after I help you inside with the boy.”

“You get the door,” Ben nodded as he gently pulled Little Joe up into his arms.  He followed Fletcher inside the house and up the stairs, finally spreading Joe out on top of his bed.

“I’d have sent someone else to bring Doc out here, Ben, but everyone quit for the day, and it was only Joe and me left up at the sawmill.  We were supposed to be picking up tools and that would’ve been that – but he crawled up there before I could stop him.”

Ben reached over and set a calming hand onto his friend’s shoulder.  He could tell that Fletcher was a bit shaken to see the boy injured as badly as he was.  “It’s alright – you got him home.  Now if you’ll get Doc here, I’d appreciate it.”

Fletcher dropped a hand onto Little Joe’s head and sighed, “Dang fool kid – never done a lick of work in his whole life – no account little varmint.” He stopped his tirade and stared at Ben.  “He about scared the life out of me this time!  I was afraid he’d broke his fool neck, Ben!   You know that I don’t give one hoot about him – but –well — just take care of the boy, Ben.”

Reading the worry etched across the foreman’s face, Ben nodded.  The man talked a good game, but he knew that Fletcher liked all of his sons, but he had always been a bit partial to the youngest who was now lying hurt.  “I will,” he reassured and watched the man hurrying out of the bedroom.

“What have you done to yourself this time, Joseph?” Ben muttered and went about the arduous task of getting the boy out of his clothes.  He carefully removed both boots, spending extra care when pulling off the boy’s right one.  Then removing Joe’s belt out from underneath him, he carefully eased his son’s pants off.  There was blood on the right leg of Little Joe’s long-john bottoms and Ben gently drew the material up to the boy’s knee.  He winced his face after getting a good look at the nasty break.  

***Oh Lord! ***  Ben thought as he studied the swollen leg and felt the separation in the bone just underneath Little Joe’s right knee.  He knew that he couldn’t wait for Doctor Martin to get there.  Ben had dealt with broken bones before and was aware that he’d have to try to set his son’s leg since it might be hours before Paul could get to the ranch.

“Pa?” Joe muttered as he began to come around.  Blinking his eyes a few times his father’s face slowly came into focus.

“Well, Young Man – were you trying out for the circus?  I heard you were up on the rafters playing around.  Fletcher said you just about scared him to death when he saw you fall.”

“Sorry, Pa,” he muttered weakly.  “I was just trying to get that last wind brace into place – then I was gonna get down from there.”

“Oh, Joseph,” Ben sighed.  “A wind brace isn’t as important as your life.  And neither is a sawmill.”

“I just wanted to –” he trailed off.

Ben sat down on the side of the bed and swept a hand across his son’s forehead, pushing aside the same unruly bangs he had fought with for seventeen straight years. (Note from the writer: I’ve written some variation of that same line two hundred times now and I never grow tired of it!)  “I know – you wanted to get ahead of schedule, so when Adam got here, he’d be pleased.”

“No, I wasn’t expecting him to be pleased, Pa,” Joe shook his head.  “I just wanted him to know that I tried – that’s all.”

“You boys are all going to be the death of me,” Ben remarked and then squeezed the boy’s hand.  “Okay, I won’t fuss at you right now because unfortunately we have a leg to set, Young Man.”

Little Joe watched as his father stood from the bed wondering what he was going to do.  “Aren’t we gonna wait for Doc?” he asked weakly, scrunching up his face in woeful anticipation.

Staring down at the boy’s right leg, which was now doubled in size due to the swelling, Ben shook his head.  “No, Joseph, sorry but you’re stuck with me this time.  Paul’s probably not going to make it here for hours and that leg needs to be set now.  Don’t move, Boy, I’ll be right back.  I’ve got to get a few things from downstairs.”

“Hey! Bring me up some whiskey!” Joe called as his father made it to the doorway.  He heard Pa’s laughter out in the hall in response to his request.

When Ben made it back up to his son’s room Little Joe had gone back under again.  He set the two wooden slats to one side along with the bandage material.  Knowing that Joe would surely wake up once he began to feel the pain from having the bone in his leg set, Ben readied a small shot of whiskey.  “Joseph?” He called as he lightly slapped the boy’s cheek.  “Son – wake up for me.”

Blinking his eyes open again, Little Joe’s pain had gone from bad to excruciating causing a loud moan to escape from his lips.

“Here, I honored your request,” Ben tried to sound upbeat though he dreaded what he would have to do.  “Have some of this, Son,” he insisted and lifted the boy’s head while holding the shot of whiskey to his lips.

Joe obliged his father and emptied the glass before he dropped his head down onto his pillow again.  “Leg feels like it’s on fire, Pa,” he groaned.

“I’m sorry – I know it does, Son,” Ben nodded sympathetically as he squeezed the boy’s hand hoping to instill some calm into the terrible situation.  Placing the two pieces of wood off to the left as he sat down at the bottom of the boy’s bed, Ben wondered how Little Joe would react to the bone in his leg getting snapped into place.  “We’ve got to get this done – it’s been far too long already.  Now,” he paused and reached for Joe’s right wrist first.   “Since there’s no one to help me hold you down this time, let’s see how this will work.  I want you to set this hand up over your head – there – just underneath your headboard.  That’s it.  I want you to hold on tight, Boy.  Now let’s get your other hand up there,” Ben instructed and grabbed Joe’s left wrist and waited for him to wrap his fingers underneath the bottom of the headboard.  Studying the placement of both of his son’s hands he smiled confidently and nodded.  “That’s going to work just fine.  Now listen to me — I don’t want you to take either of those hands down until I tell you to.  Understand, Joseph?”

Little Joe simply nodded his head.  Bracing himself for what was to come, his body stiffened as he held his breath.

“Good boy,” Ben sent a reassuring smile over to his son and got into position.  “I’ll try to do this as quickly as I can, Joseph.  Now on the count of three.  Are you ready?”

Again, Joe nodded, his knuckles going white from holding on to the bottom of the headboard so tightly.

With his left hand grasping his son’s knee and with his right hand getting a firm hold of Joe’s ankle, Ben drew in a quick breath and said a silent prayer for extra strength.

“Three!” Ben sang out as he forcefully snapped the bone back into place.

Fighting to catch his breath, tears welled up in Little Joe’s eyes as the agonizing crunch of bone meeting bone tore right through him.

“That’s got it, Son,” Ben announced with a deep sigh of relief, glad to have the awful ordeal over with.  “Are you alright?” He asked softly, as he witnessed the anguished appearance on Little Joe’s face along with the couple of tears which had slipped out from the corners of his eyes.

“Sure, Pa,” Joe nodded, though his voice betrayed his attempt to sound in control.

Ben grinned knowingly as he reached up and pushed the tears off the boy’s cheeks.  “That’s my boy,” he said proudly.  “Now I’ll just get this leg strapped down some – won’t take long.”  Taking his time to secure both boards to form a splint on either side of the leg and wrapping it tightly with the bandage material, Ben finished his ministrations.  “I’m done,” He announced staring back up at his son.

“What happened to one and two, Pa?” Little Joe asked, still fighting for control over his voice.

Ben stood and approached the head of the bed, dropping down to get closer to Little Joe.  He reached up and one by one gently removed each of his son’s hands which were still clutching the headboard.  “Oh, I just thought I’d catch you off guard this time,” he announced drolly, attempting to appear unphased over what he’d just done in completing the set to the boy’s leg.   But no matter how hard he tried to sound lighthearted about the whole procedure, Ben hated that he had caused his son more pain.  Joe was lying there trying his best to ignore the tears which were involuntarily tracking down his cheeks.  There was no real reason to hide them; not from Pa.   Ben knew Joseph had tried his best to conceal the agony he had just experienced due to the sudden realignment of the broken bone in his leg, and he was keenly aware that the boy was holding back for his sake.  At that moment, knowing exactly what Joseph needed, Ben leaned down and slid his left arm underneath his son’s shoulders and carefully pulled Joe’s upper body close to him until it came to a rest against his chest.  Holding the boy securely in his arms, he whispered softly, “I’m sorry, Son – sorry that I had to hurt you like that.”  Pressing his lips to Little Joe’s forehead, he kissed him and announced, “You know I’ll just bet you that by this time tomorrow you’ll forget all about the pain that you’ve just gone through getting that leg set, Joseph.”  Then, still holding his son tightly to his chest he shared a tender moment with his boy. Ben felt Little Joe’s arms as they reached up and wrapped around his shoulders, holding on with a sudden urgency born out of both pain and relief.  “Oh, Pa,” he sobbed due to the excruciating pain he had endured from having the broken bone snapped into place.  Little Joe abandoned any attempt to prove his bravery because he needed the closeness of being held in his father’s arms and the comfort he could only find there in his embrace.  And neither of them felt even the least bit embarrassed by the open display of affection.  Joe knew that Pa had always accepted the fact that he needed his love and compassion, especially in times of crisis or sorrow.  That particular trait of Joe’s would never change, no matter how old he got.  He was relieved to know that Pa understood him and what he needed from him.   The calming effect that Little Joe found wrapped in the security of his father’s arms had the power to lessen his pain and soothe his worries far more than anything that Doctor Martin could ever prescribe.  And it had always been offered freely to him without a request; Pa just knew.   His father had summed it up in those few words he had said to him a few nights prior, “I love you just the way you are”, and it was very obvious that Pa did.   And Little Joe felt that exact same way about his Pa.

Clearing his throat to hide the worry in his voice, Ben whispered, “Now – how about we get you comfortable and then maybe I can get you to go back to sleep for a little while?”

Little Joe closed his eyes and nodded his head.  He was hurting more than mere words could ever say, but he knew that Pa had been through enough and didn’t want to alarm him.

Carefully easing his son underneath both the sheet and blanket, Ben straightened the boy’s injured leg and then reached for the water pitcher.  “Here – have a little of this — it might help.”

“No, Pa – I’m okay,” Joe shook his head, waving the glass away.

“Get some rest, Joseph,” he insisted with a well-honed calmness to his tone of voice.  Ben sat next to the boy until he finally drifted off.  Once he knew that his son was sound asleep, Ben leaned forward and softly kissed his brow.  “Son, you never cease to amaze me.  You’re about as brave as they come,” he announced proudly even though he knew that Little Joe was beyond being able to hear his father’s praise.  It didn’t matter.  Ben would be sure to tell his son those exact words later, once Joseph was awake.

Ben had just made it down the staircase when he witnessed the front door opening and saw both Hoss and Adam walking inside.  Smiling to see that his boys had made it home safely, he called over to them.

“Glad to see that you’re both back!”

“Good to be home, Pa!” Hoss announced cheerily as he removed his hat and gun belt, placing them on top of the credenza.

“Everything’s delivered out at the sawmill, Pa,” Adam announced as he likewise removed his holster and hat.

The two men walked across the living room, and both offered their father a pat to his shoulder.

“Good job, Boys,” Ben smiled.  “I’ve put some stew on the stove in the hopes that you both would make it home in time for supper.”

“Hop Sing ain’t back yet?” Hoss frowned as he stared over to the dining table.

“Don’t worry, Son,” Ben grinned knowingly.  He knew that the big man had missed the cook and his culinary skills.  “He’s going to be here in time for Adam’s birthday in two days.”

Adam took his seat in the blue winged back chair as Hoss settled down on the settee.

“Thanks for taking charge of the sawmill, Pa.  Everything seems to be running on schedule,” Adam offered a grateful nod.

“Yes, everything that was written down on that well-detailed notepad of yours has been done and then some,” Ben smiled.  “But – I wasn’t the one who managed to keep the crews working.”

“What?”

Ben sat down in his chair next to the fireplace and stared over at his eldest.  “I put someone else in charge in your absence.”

Adam cast a perplexed glance over to his father and replied, “Who?  Don’t tell me you made Fletcher supervise?”

Shaking his head, Ben said, “No, I got someone else to do it.  I had to find someone I could trust, someone well-disciplined.  Not that Fletcher wouldn’t have done a good job, but I needed to appoint someone who I knew would understand how important it was for you to keep the construction running smoothly and on time, Adam.”

Hoss stared back and forth between his father and brother and then asked, “What’s the big mystery, Pa?  Who did you get?”

“Joseph,” Ben stated with a nod to his head.

Disbelief displaying across his face, Adam asked, “The kid?”

“The young man,” Ben corrected firmly.  “A kid couldn’t have worked from sunup to sundown and kept those crews in line the way that Joseph did.”

“But you helped him, right?” Adam continued, staring suspiciously over at his father.

“Oh, yes, I helped him,” Ben nodded.  “I gave him your notepad.  And that’s all the help I gave him.  It wasn’t easy on him either.  Joseph dragged in here most nights and was too tired to eat his supper. He had a few problems with some of the men – just like you did, Adam – but he settled them in short order.  Once your brother sets his mind on accomplishing something he just refuses to quit.”

Adam wore a frown on his face when he thought back to some of the terrible things that he had said to Little Joe.  He had time out on the road to and from Sacramento to think about how badly he had railed on the boy and felt bad about it.  Though he believed that some of his remarks were warranted, not all of them had been.

“Where is he?  I’d like to tell him that I appreciate him taking charge up at the sawmill and for doing such a good job.”

Ben sighed deeply as he stood from his chair.  “That’ll have to keep.”

“Why?  Hoss and I saw Cochise out in the barn – he’s got to be here somewhere.” Adam continued.

His eyes focusing up to the top of the staircase, Ben explained, “Joseph got hurt – and Doc has him on some very strong pain killer right now.  He’s probably going to sleep through supper.”

Both Hoss and Adam stood after hearing what Pa had said.  “Is he okay?” Hoss was the first to ask.

Ben nodded, “He will be – but right now he’s not in very good shape, Hoss.’

“What happened, Pa?”

Turning to stare into the eyes of his eldest boy, Ben answered, “Joseph was up on one of the rafters trying to secure one of the wind braces and he fell.  Fortunately, Fletcher was there and brought the boy home.  Doc says it’s a bad break and the boy’s in a cast now, but he’s been in a lot of pain.”

“Why was Joe working on that roof so soon?  I was planning on doing that once I got back.” Adam questioned, shaking his head.

“I think your brother wanted to get ahead of your schedule, Adam.”

“I get it,” Adam sighed.  “He wanted to prove to me that he could get things done faster than I could.”

“No,” Ben announced and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.  “He wasn’t trying to show you up – Joseph was just worried that he wouldn’t measure up to your expectations.”

“Because of what I said to him, Pa.  I never should have been so hard on him – no matter how mad I was,” Adam confessed.

“Maybe both of you boys have learned a little something?  I think Joe put himself in your shoes when he had to keep things running up at that mill.  And hopefully you’ve had some time to think about the way you see him.”

“I’ll talk with him about it, Pa,” Adam nodded.

“Well – you can do just that tomorrow,” Ben smiled.  “But as for tonight—” he paused and looked over at Hoss.  “I’m going to get all of us some supper before this one falls dead away from hunger,” he indicated Hoss and grinned.  “It’ll be ready soon,” Ben announced and then turned for the kitchen.

“That darn fool kid,” Adam muttered shaking his head.

Hoss reached over to his brother and dropped a large hand on his arm.  “Yeah, ain’t he a pure caution?  But he’s stubborn – just like you, Adam.  You know, you and Little Joe see your differences – but as for me – I see the ways you’re both alike.  You’re both stubborn cusses; you’re both hard workers – that is when you both want to be.  And you both sometimes say things that you don’t mean.”

Grinning, Adam nodded over to his brother, knowing that he was right.

“Pa?” Little Joe muttered as he tried to home in on his father’s face.  The room was dark with the wick to his lamp on the nightstand turned way down low.

“Right here, Joseph,” Ben whispered and reached for the pitcher on the nightstand, pouring the boy a glass of water.  “It’s about time you woke up – you’ve been out all night.”

“Kinda groggy, Pa,” He announced and felt his father’s hand on the back of his neck lifting his head up.  Joe took a couple of sips of water and then Pa eased him back down on the pillow.

“That’s due to the medicine Doc gave you.  You’ve had quite a time with that leg of yours.  How’s it feeling, Son?”

“Not too bad.”

Grinning, Ben set a hand onto the boy’s arm and replied, “I saw you wincing your face, Young Man.  Now come on – how is it?  I need to know if it’s time for another dose of pain killer.”

Joe shook his head and groaned.  “Pa – I’m so out of it that I don’t even know what day it is.  I’d rather wait awhile before getting knocked out cold again.”

Leaning back in the chair next to the bed, Ben smiled at his son and announced, “You broke your leg on Wednesday.  You slept most of Thursday and now it’s the wee hours of the morning on Friday.”

“Last thing I remember was you setting my leg, Pa,” Joe confessed groggily.

“I can just imagine,” Ben chuckled.  “It wasn’t easy to pop that bone back into place – but Paul said I did a pretty good job.  At least he didn’t have to set it again.”

“Ben Cartwright, medical doctor,” Little Joe grinned.  “But you’ve had a lot of experience.”

“Unfortunately, that’s true and mostly due to your wild escapades — not to mention you being accident prone, Young Man,” Ben agreed.  “You’ve got to be hungry by now.  How about I bring you up something to eat?”

Little Joe’s attention was focused on something more pressing than food.  He thought for a few minutes and then asked, “Pa?  I need to get that stallion ready.  I was planning on riding it a little every day, so it’ll be ready for Adam’s birthday Sunday!”

Ben stood and moved over to the bed after witnessing his son growing restless.  He carefully eased down at the head of the bed and dropped a hand onto Little Joe’s shoulder.

“Joseph, I took care of that for you.  I’ve had Cody working that horse every day.  It’ll be ready by Sunday so just settle back and stop worrying.”

“Thanks,” Joe sighed with relief.  “Did Hoss and Adam get back?”

“Yes – they’re back and the equipment is already up at the sawmill.  So, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.  Now – let’s get you some food and then you’ll be due for some more pain medicine.”

“Does Adam know that I took charge up at the mill, Pa?”

Ben nodded, “Yes – and he and Hoss both said that they were surprised to see so much having been done up there.”

“Bet Adam wasn’t too thrilled to hear that you put me in charge, huh?”

“That’s not true,” came the voice in the doorway.

Ben and Joe directed their attention across the room where Adam was standing.

“Adam?  You’re up awfully early,” Ben said and watched as an apprehensive look spread across Joe’s face.

“I couldn’t sleep very well, Pa,” He replied and drew closer to the bed.

Knowing that his sons needed to air out their differences, Ben pushed the bangs off Little Joe’s forehead and offered the boy a reassuring smile. (201)

“Well, why don’t you sit with your brother so I can bring him up something to eat?” He suggested and stood from the bed.

Adam nodded and watched as his father exited the room.  He sat down in the chair that Pa had vacated earlier.

“How do you feel, Little Joe?”

Directing his gaze down to his bedspread, he answered quietly, “I’m okay.”  He hadn’t spoken to his eldest brother since the night Adam had said such terrible things about him and Joe felt trapped.  He sure couldn’t get out of his bed, what with the heavy plaster cast weighing down his leg.

“Relax, Joe – I didn’t come in here to get after you about anything.”

“Then why did you come in here?” he asked warily.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Adam drew in a deep breath and replied, “Two reasons.  I wanted to tell you that I appreciated all your hard work up at the sawmill.  You did a great job – and kept those men in line too.  I know from firsthand experience that’s not always an easy thing to do.”

Joe simply nodded his head but didn’t speak.  He waited to hear what his brother was going to say to him.  There was an awkward silence in the room for several minutes before Adam finally piped up again.

“I also wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.  I said some things about you that I shouldn’t have —” Adam was cut off by his brother.

“You don’t have to apologize, Adam.  You told me exactly how you feel about me – and that’s just the way it is.”

“Little Joe – I was angry.  I was angry at you for not showing up on time – and I was frustrated that day because I couldn’t get the men up at the mill to do like I expected them to do either.  Some of them didn’t bother to show up and that started my day off wrong.  And then when you got there – well – I thought you’d purposely arrived late just to rile me up.”

“Well – you didn’t know that I was out trying to get that horse ready for your birthday,” Joe offered, attempting to put himself in his brother’s shoes like his father had asked him to do days earlier.

“That’s true – I didn’t.  But regardless – I never should have said those things to you that night.  I handled it all wrong – and I feel bad about it,” Adam sighed and dropped his gaze down to the floor.  He had done the same thing that Little Joe had and tried to put himself in his brother’s shoes.  On the trip back from Sacramento, he had thought about the fact that he had expected his little brother to act like him and hadn’t appreciated the fact that the boy was much different in nature than he was.

“Let’s just forget it, Adam,” Joe announced quietly.  Though his brother’s harsh words had wounded him he was willing to try and forget them.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, Little Joe.”

“It was my own fault – I should’ve just quit for the day.”

“Yeah – Pa told me that,” Adam nodded over to his brother.  “Well, it was probably due to that stubborn streak of yours.”

Joe frowned but nodded his agreement.

“Joe?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just like Hoss told me last night – you and I have that in common — we’re both stubborn to a fault,” Adam smiled.

“Okay – he’s probably right about that one particular flaw of ours,” Joe paused and then stared intently over at his brother.  “Well, you might be stubborn like me –but at least you’re not a narcissist!”

Adam chuckled and reached over and patted his brother’s arm.  “Come on, Kid, you don’t even know what that word means!”

“Sure I do!  I’m not stupid you know!” Joe insisted defensively, trying to hide his smile.  “It means that I’m extremely good looking.”

Carrying a tray of food up to Little Joe’s bedroom, Ben paused just outside the door and listened.  The sound of both his eldest and youngest son’s laughter filtered out into the hallway.  To Ben Cartwright it wasn’t merely the sound of mirth coming from the next room.  It was the sweet sound of peace and understanding emanating from the two boys who most often warred with each other.  His mouth forming a contented smile, he waited for a few minutes before walking inside the room.

Epilogue

Hop Sing returned by Sunday and had gone right to work preparing a lavish birthday dinner for Adam along with a four-layer chocolate cake.  So, with all five men present under the same roof, including the Chinese member of the family, the day was off to a great start.  Ben insisted that Adam sleep in late that morning and by early afternoon both he and Hoss presented him with their birthday gifts.

“This new saddle is great, I really appreciate it, Hoss,” Adam smiled broadly as he stood in the living room inspecting the workmanship of the saddle which was resting on top of the coffee table.

“Old Nate Billings made it special for you,” Hoss grinned.  He was happy to see that his gift had been so well received by his brother.

“Well, he did an amazing job – thanks again, Brother,” Adam clapped the big man on the back.

“Here you are, Son,” Ben handed his eldest a big brown envelope.

Adam eagerly opened his father’s gift and looked up at him, emotionally overwhelmed.  “Pa – are you sure about this?”  He studied the train tickets that were inside along with a large amount of traveling money.

Ben nodded to his son and smiled warmly, “Of course I am.  You wanted to go to your college reunion in two months so I figured that you could take the trip at your leisure.  I know you could get there in about six weeks – but you might as well take your time and enjoy the scenery.  Those train tickets are for your own private berth, so you’ll get some sleep at night.  That way you’ll be all rested once you reach your destination.”

“You don’t mind my being away for four months?”

“No, Son,” Ben said, and patted Adam’s back.  “You’ve more than earned some time off this year what with all the projects you’ve handled for me.  I want you to go and have a wonderful time.  Now that’s not saying we won’t miss you.  But we’ll look forward to hearing about all your adventures when you return.”

“You better believe we’ll miss you!” Hoss exclaimed and playfully gave his brother a slight jab to his ribcage.  “Especially when Little Joe and I have to take those ornery cows to market without you!”

Adam laughed and nodded to his brother.  “I’m sure you will.”

“Well – Hoss,” Ben broke the sudden silence which had fallen over the room.   He reached for his middle boy’s arm.  “I believe we have one more package to give Adam.  Go and fetch it.”

“Be right back!” Hoss announced and hurried to the stairs.  Adam looked over at his father, puzzled by what he had said.

“Just wait—you’ll see,” Ben grinned.

Both men turned when they spotted Hoss at the top of the stairs with Little Joe held in his arms.

“Put me down you nit wit!”  Little Joe whined.  “I’ve got crutches—I can get down these dang stairs!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Hoss insisted as he slowly descended the staircase, never releasing his little brother from his tight hold.  “Pa don’t trust you with heights anymore – and neither do the rest of us!”

Making it into the living room, Hoss eased his little brother into the blue winged back chair and gently positioned the boy’s wounded leg out in front of him.

“Oh no!  Don’t tell me that he’s my present?” Adam laughed and pointed at his little brother.

“No, I’m not your present,” Little Joe groaned.  His attention was directed over to the coffee table.  “Hey, nice saddle, Adam.  Oh, and Hoss told me that Pa gave you an all-expense paid trip to Boston!”

“That’s right.  Four months without a care in the world,” Adam said with a look of contentment on his face.

Little Joe stared over at his father and feigned being upset.  “Gosh, Pa – I thought you only spoiled me,” he complained with an impish grin pulling up the corners of his mouth.

“I spoil all three of you!” Ben laughed and nodded over to his youngest.  Winking, he added, “It’s one of my very few faults.”

“But you never gave me an all-expense paid trip anywhere!” Little Joe continued, still fighting to hide his amusement.

“That’s not true, Joseph – here you are,” Ben announced and handed the boy his crutches.  “You’ll have an all-expense paid trip back up to your room in about fifteen minutes.  Doc told you to stay off that leg and that’s what you’re going to do.  Now stop talking and let’s go, the clock is ticking.”

Little Joe frowned but nodded his head in agreement with his father’s terms.  He pulled himself up out of the chair and carefully limped across the living room, stopping at the front door.

“Adam — come here a minute,” Joe called across the room.

Adam met his brother at the front door and was soon joined there by both Hoss and Ben.

“Open the door for me,” Little Joe insisted and moved back a bit to allow his brother some room.

Pulling the door open Adam was surprised to see Fletcher standing there on the front porch.

“Well, don’t just stand there looking stupid,” The foreman called over to Adam.  “Get out here!”

Adam made his way out into the yard with his family trailing behind eager to see what Little Joe had chosen for his brother as a gift.

Fletcher stared over at Little Joe, taking notice of the crutches that the boy had slung underneath both arms.  “You dumb kid.  Now see what you done to yourself,” he remarked shaking his head.  “Didn’t I tell you not to get up on that danged rafter?  You ain’t got the sense the Good Lord gave you.  I swear, Boy, you’ll never amount to anything laying around in a sick bed most of your no-account life!”

Smiling over at the foreman, Little Joe laughed due to what he had said.  He knew that Fletcher liked him regardless of his ill-timed insults.  “Yeah, I miss you too, you old coot.  Now go on and get it will you?”

Fletcher turned and whistled and another ranch hand appeared.

“Had to bring Cody with me because he doesn’t want to part with that new horse of yours, Adam,” Fletcher grinned.  “Happy birthday, Boy.”

Smiling, Adam nodded to the man, “Thanks, Fletcher.”

Cody led the black stallion over to the Cartwrights and handed the reins to Adam.  “Wish this was my present, Adam.  Happy birthday,” he smiled and patted the other man’s shoulder and received a grateful nod from Adam in return.   Cody then turned and walked over to stand next to Fletcher who waited on the front porch admiring the horse.

Adam couldn’t take his eyes off the stallion before him.  He was cognizant of the fact that Little Joe knew his horseflesh, however he hadn’t expected to receive such a fine animal from him.

“Well?” Little Joe called over to his brother.  “You gonna get up on him or just stand there gawking?”

Adam walked around the stallion and swung up into the saddle.  He gently tapped the horse’s sides, bringing it up into a cantor.

“Fine animal, Joseph,” Ben nodded proudly over to his son and set a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Pa.”

“You done good, Little Brother,” Hoss whispered.  “Of course, that horse will have a smoother gait to him once Adam puts that new saddle I got him on it.”

Little Joe grinned at Hoss and nodded his way.

Adam finally rode back to where his family stood.

“It’s some horse,” Adam announced, a bit overwhelmed by his brother’s thoughtfulness.

“You gonna just sit on him or see how fast he is?” Little Joe chided, smiling up at Adam.

Returning his brother’s smile he replied, “Just watch for the dust cloud — it’s all you’ll be able to see in a few seconds.”

Turning the horse around in preparation to race it out of the yard, Adam looked back at Joe and said with a smile and a nod to his head, “Not bad, Kid.  You know your horseflesh.”

Little Joe grinned knowingly.  To anyone else what Adam had said to the boy wouldn’t have seemed like much of a compliment or anything special by way of a thank you for the stallion either.  But between the two brothers they knew.  Adam had shown his youngest brother respect in what he had offered in his own inimitable way, and Little Joe had received both the compliment and the thank you gratefully.  He knew that Adam was letting him know that he appreciated the gift.  And foremost, in his words and in his actions the last few days, Adam had revealed to Joe that he had finally begun to understand and accept him, flaws and all.

*** I took the good times; I’ll take the bad times.  I take you just the way you are. ***

The End

Written by Wrangler

10/6/2026   ***Feedback or “likes” are not required but are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading! ***

(Dedicated to my story consultant who made me rewrite the last paragraph a million times, thanks Rob, you were right. And for Joan on her birthday 10/17, who is always in my heart and always missed.  Without whom there would never have been a Wrangler.)

*** Note from the writer.  I’ve been asked numerous times in twenty-five years why, in just about every story that I write, I have Pa push Little Joe’s curls off his forehead. The answer is a simple one.  Pa can’t kiss Joe’s forehead if he doesn’t push the bangs back first. ***