Summary:  This is fourth of the To Everything series.  Shiloh and Adam come home from their honeymoon and embark on a new life together discovering that fitting all their desires in can make for trouble as her past creeps in and as they balance the opportunities that come their way.

Rated:  T  WC 116,200

To Everything, There is a Season Series:

Reacquaintance
Falling
Togetherness
Growing Pains
Family Ties
Life’s Demands

 

                                             Growing Pains

 

The last stage of the return home from their honeymoon was just as unpleasant for Shiloh as the ride that had begun their honeymoon. The only redeeming part of it was that it wasn’t bone-chilling cold. Spring thunderstorms had turned Johnson’s Cut-off into mud most of the way with large puddles in places, two that forced the passengers to leave the coach so the horses could pull the coach through. Adam carried Shiloh so her dress wouldn’t be ruined, but the two other ladies in the coach weren’t as fortunate.

Sitting next to the window, Shiloh could see that spring was trying to burst through what little snow remained on the ground with the occasional snow plants pushing their bright red cone through matted pine needles and debris. The deciduous trees had just begun to open their fresh green leaves, and the grayness was giving way to light and blue sky.

When they arrived in Virginia City, Adam heard the breath she let out and watched as her body relaxed from the stiffness she had kept all through the ride. He stepped out of the coach and reached back for her hand, helping her down onto the street.

“Adam, good to have you back, Son,” said Ben cheerfully just as Adam turned toward the boardwalk.

Shaking his father’s hand, he said, “Thanks, Pa. It’s good to be back,” with a big smile.

Leaning down to hug Shiloh, Ben asked, “How was the honeymoon?”

Her answer was a bit subdued. “Parts were very good. Other parts…not so much.”

Straightening, Ben looked at both of them. “We’ve been reading about some of it in the newspaper.”

“We’ll tell you all about it at home, Pa. But right now, we have an errand to run. Do you mind waiting for us? I don’t think we’ll be long.”

Ben was about to speak, but was interrupted by Hoss and Joe coming down the boardwalk from the saloon. “It’s about you time you two got home. How was San Francisco?” asked Joe.

Adam and Shiloh looked at each other. “Santa Cruz was better,” said Shiloh, smiling.

“We’ll be back in a few minutes,” said Adam, taking Shiloh’s elbow and guiding her down the boardwalk.

“What was that about?” asked Joe, watching them go, then turning back to his father.

“I have no idea, but I’m sure we’re going to find out later. I didn’t get the chance to invite them to dinner tonight. Hop Sing wanted to introduce them to Ming Lin.”

Shiloh looked back over her shoulder to make sure she was out of earshot. “Adam, do we have to do this now? Paul’s probably already finished with his day.”

“Yes, we have to do this now because if we don’t, I’ll have to hog-tie you to get you back here.”

They stopped in front of Dr. Martin’s office and knocked on the door. Paul’s nurse answered. “Hello, Helen,” greeted Adam. “Is Paul in?”

“We were just about to close the office. He’s in the examining room straightening up.”

“Helen, who is it?” came a voice from behind her. “Adam, Shiloh, when did you get back?”

“Just now,” said Adam, smiling. His expression turned serious. “Paul, do you have a few minutes?”

“Is this for you or Shiloh?”

“Shiloh has some questions.”

“I think I can see one more patient today. Come in.”

Adam waited in the front room while Shiloh sat in Dr. Martin’s office. He clasped his hands in his lap and waited. “You’re going to have to tell me what the problem is.”

“Before I ask anything else I want to know what your views are about women…and their…wombs.”

Paul raised his hand to hide a smile. “I like to think I’m more enlightened than most. I’ve seen too much illness to believe that the womb is the cause of all female problems.”

“Good, because the last doctor I saw said my problems were caused by my intelligence.”

“Can I assume we’re talking about having a baby?” She nodded. “Shiloh, female reproductive problems have nothing to do with your education. But they could have to do with your mental state. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

Taking a deep breath, she told Paul about her sometimes late or missing monthlies as she fidgeted, not once looking up at him. “And now, it seems that I’m missing another one, only…now, there could be another reason it’s missing.”

“Well, considering you’ve only been married a month, it would be too early to tell if you’ve conceived. When did you start missing?”

Shiloh thought back. “Not until I was in Boston…after I had started performing on stage. And about the time I started seeing Will Stewart.”

Dr. Martin sat calmly in his chair. “Based on what I’ve been reading in the newspaper, that must have been a difficult time for you.”

“At the time, I didn’t think so, but now that you mention it, I guess that entire time I had some doubts…and fears.”

“And when you came home, you had to deal with your father’s death and some difficult decisions. Have there been any recent times when you were on time?”

“Yes. Not long after Adam proposed. In fact, I finished one only a few days before the wedding.”

“And now, you’ve missed the next one, and what’s been happening in San Francisco? Don’t answer that. From the articles, I have an idea. Shiloh, I think your level of anxiety is causing you to miss or be late. And in that case, I would say that cutting back the things that worry you the most might just solve the problem, unless of course, you have conceived, and if that’s true, we won’t know for a little while.”

“So you think the same way as the other doctor,” she snapped, crossing her arms.

“No, I don’t think there’s anything physically wrong with you, and certainly nothing that a little break won’t cure. You’re too young for me to think there’s a physical problem.”

“Dr. Martin, there are some things I need to do before….” How will I know considering I don’t always have a monthly?”

“Well, I would keep up with them as if you had them on schedule. Even if you don’t have one, I think we can assume everything else is working normally. And when you do have one, if it’s late, adjust accordingly. But you know that counting isn’t a guarantee that you won’t conceive. There’s only one way to know that for sure.”

Shiloh turned red. “Somehow, I don’t think that will be alright with Adam.” She stood and made her way to the door. “Thank you for your time, Doctor.”

“Glad I could help,” he said, stepping out into the front room with her. “Adam, would you mind coming back. Shiloh, we’ll only be a moment.” She bit her lip and sat slowly in a chair, watching the two men disappear into the office.

“Adam, I know you now about condoms. You’ve asked me about them before.”

Stumbling over words, Adam finally said, “Well Paul, those were to prevent catching a disease.”

“They can also be helpful in preventing conception.”

Adam looked down at his hat in his hands. “I would never consider using one of those with a respectable woman…certainly not my wife.”

“I understand you feeling that way, Adam, but they’re more reliable than counting,” said Paul as he walked to the door and pulled it open. “Give your father my regards.”

Smiling, Adam said, “I’ll do that,” then left the office with Shiloh, laying her hand over his arm and walking back down the street toward the waiting buckboard.

Shiloh looked ahead, but nervously cut her eyes upward toward Adam. “What did he say?”

“He…um…well…he talked about…the same thing you talked about. What did he say to you?”

“He said he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with me, and that we won’t know if I’m having a baby for awhile or until my next monthly. He said we could either…” she bit her lip, “…abstain…” Adam stopped walking and looked down at her with his mouth twisted. “…or I can count.”

He looked over her head back down the sidewalk and took a deep breath. “Start counting.”

**********

“Hop Sing!” yelled Ben.

Hop Sing hurried out of the kitchen. “Yes, Missa Carlight.”

“Hop Sing, Adam and Shiloh will be joining us for dinner. You had someone you wanted them to meet?”

“Hop Sing be right back,” he said, nodding and hurrying back the kitchen. Adam took Shiloh’s cape and hung it on the rack next to the door along with his hat. He laid his gun on the cabinet. Before they could sit down, Hop Sing hurried back into the entry way, pulling another Chinese man behind him. “Missa Adam, Missy Shiloh, this Ming Lin, number three cousin.”

Ming Lin bowed, saying very slowly, “It is very nice to make your acquaintance.” Hop Sing stood expectantly smiling.

Both Shiloh and Adam bowed. “Ming Lin,” said Adam, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Shiloh let Adam do the talking while she studied Ming Lin. He was younger than Hop Sing, and by the way he was speaking, he had recently gotten some instruction in the English language. He made a great effort to say all of his words and pronounce them correctly to the point that his struggle with certain words was obvious.”

“Do you have any experience cooking and cleaning?” asked Adam.

“I have been learning to cook American at the Washoe Club. Hop Sing has graciously allowed me to help here for several weeks. I’m familiar with his duties.”

“He good cook,” said Hop Sing. “Hop Sing teach cousin to cook food you like, Missa Adam. Hop Sing teach him more.”

Laughing, Adam turned to Shiloh. “Sweetheart?”

“How can I say ‘no’ with Hop Sing’s recommendation? When can you start, Ming Lin?”

“Ming Lin bring bags. He start now,” said Hop Sing, grinning. “We get dinner ready.” Pulling Ming Lin’s sleeve, Hop Sing bowed and led Ming Lin back into the kitchen.

Shiloh turned to Adam. “You were right. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ming Lin and Hop Sing have already stocked the house.”

“That they did,” said Ben, laughing. “They’ve already turned over the ground for a garden behind the kitchen, and they were both eyeing that empty field back there.”

“I guess he’ll stay in the downstairs bedroom for now. There’s no other place to put him except in the bunkhouse,” said Shiloh.

Adam nodded. “I’ll add a room off the back of the kitchen to the house plans.”

As they all walked into the sitting area, Ben got comfortable in the leather chair near the fireplace, and Adam and Shiloh sat on the settee while Hoss added more wood to the fire.

“You two have a lot to tell,” said Ben, giving them his full attention.

The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up as he looked down at Shiloh’s hand, and taking it in his,” he said, “I don’t know where to begin.”

Ben nodded. “How about at the beginning?”

“Well, the first day in San Francisco, everything was great. We saw Annie off safely, then went to our hotel and rested. I showed Shiloh the house plans, and that afternoon we decided to take a walk before dinner.”

“And that’s when all that business about Will started,” interjected Shiloh. “I had gone down to the lobby to see the piano, and while I was waiting for Adam to come down from our room, Will appeared. It turns out he’s the new city attorney for San Francisco, and he lives there now.”

“Even so, we went for that walk, but then the man who’s been following Shiloh appeared…”

“And Adam chased him…”

“He got away, but he was with us until we left for Santa Cruz.”

Hop Sing came out of the kitchen and announced that dinner was ready, and when everyone was seated and grace had been said, Adam and Shiloh continued their story during the meal. Adam told them about dinner with the Slater’s and why he had bargained for second position in the partnership. He skimmed over the theatre, opera, and Cliff House, and then picked up with Will’s complaint and the newspaper article.

“Hoss wanted to leave for San Francisco immediately when he saw that article,” said Ben.

“It was good you didn’t,” said Adam, looking at Hoss. “We didn’t stay in San Francisco. We stayed a few days at Jim Fischer’s ranch. He invited some of his friends to dinner to discuss Shiloh’s horses, and he and Shiloh worked out her performance contracts. After that, we took a clipper ship down the coast to Santa Cruz.”

“Now, that was the highlight of the honeymoon. Santa Cruz is such a beautiful little town,” said Shiloh.

“We went to see the Meder’s, Pa.”

“Moses Meder? How’s he doing?”

“He’s built an impressive dairy. In fact, I brought back some good information. I was thinking about building our own dairy.”

Ben suddenly coughed, quickly set his fork down and picked up his napkin. “A dairy? Here? Son, I’m not sure we want to be involved with a dairy. We don’t know how to run one, and we sure don’t know anything about making that much butter.”

“And cheese,” added Shiloh.

“Cheese?” said Hoss. “I don’t like cheese.”

Adam scratched his head and smiled. “Pa, we do know how to run a dairy. Shiloh and I spent several days at the Meders learning the whole process. But that’s something we can discuss later. That’s not even the best part.”

Next, Adam and Shiloh told them about their time on the beach. “That was the best part of the whole trip,” said Shiloh, looking over at Adam, and grinning from ear to ear.

“Then on the way home, we missed the stagecoach in Sacramento and had to stay an extra day. Charles Crocker found out and invited us to dinner.”

For the second time that evening, Ben put his fork down. “Charles Crocker…of the Pacific Railroad?”

“Yeah, Pa. It turns out the land that Shiloh purchased belonged to Charles Crocker. He used the sale to build up the initial capital he needed for the railroad. Now he wants to leverage the sales contract to lower his costs so he can get the loan guarantees he needs to start building.”

Ben drew in a breath and blew out of his mouth. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

Adam’s enthusiasm was evident when he threw his napkin on the table and turned to face his father. “He wants to use the five contracts to lower his costs by the fifty percent he’s entitled to. And if we deliver those on time, he’s prepared to use us exclusively for all the timber. That’s means a five or six year deal, Pa, the biggest contract we’ve ever had.”

Joe took his spoon and tapped it against his water glass, then picked up the glass. “Here’s to Older Brother, whose timber contracts just seem to get bigger and bigger.”

“Oh no, Joe. This wasn’t my doing. This is all because of Shiloh’s bid for the land.”

“That’s not quite true. I did buy the land, but it was the Cartwright name that got his attention in Sacramento,” said Shiloh.

“Then here’s to both of ya,” said Hoss. “The best timber selling team this side of the Comstock.”

Ben, Hoss and Joe raised their glasses, but Shiloh remained reserved, remembering Mr. Stanton’s hesitation and the reason she won that land bid. Still, she maintained a convincing smile.

After dinner, Adam and Shiloh sat with Ben, sipping coffee and discussing the situation with Will, and how Slater, Cartwright and Slater intended to handle him as the city attorney.

“I had no idea you were planning to submit plans and drawings for the courthouse,” said Ben.

Adam raised his hand off the arm of the settee and nodded. “I didn’t think there was any point in saying anything. I thought it was a long shot. It turns out the only thing the city required after they chose my plans was that I be part of a local firm. Slater and Slater had been looking for a partner when they bid on the courthouse, and when they found out I wasn’t part of a firm they offered the partnership to me. I couldn’t turn it down, Pa.”

“Oh, I’m not saying you should have. But we’re going to have to make some adjustments here.”

“You were going to have to do that anyway now that I’m helping at the Flying W.”

“That’s true, Son, but this is much bigger. It’s both now, but I know how long you’ve wanted to pursue that direction.”

“There’s something else, Mr. Cartwright,” said Shiloh.

“Now, Shiloh, I thought we got that Mr. Cartwright business settled.”

She smiled. “Sorry. I forgot…Pa. I have the opportunity to expand my horse business because of Jim Fischer, but I’ll need help if it’s going to grow. I need to teach someone how to train the horses. I thought about Johnny or Billy, but I don’t think either of them is up to it.” She looked across the room in the other direction. “I’d like to teach Hoss. He and I can become partners.”

Hoss looked up from the game of checkers he and Joe were playing. “Me?”

“Well, Hoss, you’re already comfortable around horses, and you’re good with them. You have the patience and the heart. All you need is the technique.” She looked down at her hands. “This way, when Adam and I decide it’s time to start a family, I’ll have someone I can rely on to keep things going forward until I can get back into it full time.”

Hoss looked over at his father with a hopeful smile that quickly changed into a look of concern. “I don’t know how that’s gonna work with Adam splittin’ his time between the Ponderosa and the Flying W.”

Adam moved to the edge of his seat. “If we do all of this, Pa, we’ll have to talk about how to handle things…we might have to hire a foreman or we’ll have to step into more of a supervisory role and hire more men to do the work that we’ve always done. The way I figure it, we’d have to do this anyway if we want to continue to grow.”

Ben raised his hand to his chin. “The question is, Son, at what point do we stop growing? And what’s the danger in growing too quickly.”

Adam pursed his lips, and breathed deeply. He had suspected his father would be hesitant to make any big changes. Now, he was fairly certain making the necessary changes would be an uphill battle.

“Well, it appears we have a lot to discuss,” said Ben. “Why don’t we wait a few days…let you and Shiloh get settled back in, and then sit down and determine what we can and can’t do. Shiloh, your horses are here at the Ponderosa.” She shot straight up off the settee, and Adam wasn’t far behind her. Ben raised both hands. “They’re all fine. Your shed collapsed in a windstorm and all the hay got wet. Joe and Johnny brought them here for shelter. As a matter of fact, Johnny’s been staying here to tend to them.”

She let out the breath she had been holding. “Thank you, Mr….Pa. I appreciate you taking care of them.”

Smiling, he said, “I do want to talk to you about Satan, but not tonight. I’m sure both of you are tired after the ride from Sacramento.”

“We should be getting home,” said Adam.

“Adam, Shiloh,” started Hoss, standing. “Before you go, I need to tell you somethin’. Annie sent me a telegram when she got to New York.”

Taking a step forward, Shiloh asked anxiously, “Is Annie alright?”

“Annie’s fine. In fact, she sent you a letter. I left it on the desk in your study. But it seems that Mr. Booth fellow is runnin’ a theatre up there, and when she got there, he met her. It’s Mr. Booth’s wife. Seems she’d been real sick, and well, she passed away.”

Shiloh stopped breathing and froze. When Adam took hold of her, she was trembling. He watched her eyes, searching, waiting for Hoss’s words to sink in. “Oh no,” she whispered as tears filled her eyes. “When?” she asked barely loud enough for Hoss to hear.

“She died back in February…before the weddin.’”

“He sent us both a telegram. Why didn’t he tell us?” asked Adam.

Hoss stuffed his hands in his pockets. “He didn’t want to spoil the weddin’ for you. He figured there weren’t nothin’ you could do anyway.”

Hanging her head, Shiloh let her tears flow. “She was a year younger than me. And Edwina…she’s just a baby.”

Adam pulled her to him, and she buried her face in his chest. “I’m so sorry, Sweetheart,” he whispered. “Let’s get you home.”

**********

Hoss had offered to drive the buckboard over to the Flying W and help with the trunks, but Adam insisted that wasn’t necessary. Hoss relented. It was late, and he didn’t relish the thought of driving back in the dark. Ming Lin sat on the back, and when they arrived at the ranch, he began to pull Adam and Shiloh’s bags from the wagon.

“Ming Lin, don’t worry about those,” said Adam as Hank walked up from the bunkhouse. “I’ll have the hands take care of the baggage. Hank, could you find someone to carry these trunks upstairs?” Adam asked, holding out his hand.

“Sure thing, Mr. Cartwright. And welcome home,” he answered, smiling and shaking the hand Adam offered.

Shiloh had already gone into the house with Ming Lin to show him to his room, and when Adam went into the house, he found her in the study, opening the letter from Annie. He sat on the side of the desk, flipping through a stack of mail, waiting until Shiloh had finished reading Annie’s letter. He found a letter for him from Edwin and opened it.

Adam,

It is with a heavy heart that I deliver sad news of my wife, Mary’s passing, though I know you may have already heard the news from Annie. I know you did not know Mary well, but Mary always held Isabella in high regard as they were very near the same age and occupation. Mary referred to her as a kindred spirit.

Please understand that I did not send news of Mary’s death only because I was afraid Isabella would have postponed the wedding and attempted to come to Boston, a futile action as there was nothing she could have done.

Edwina and I are moving to New York where I have taken employment as manager of the Winter Garden Theatre. Once I have permanent lodgings, I will notify you of the address.

Your friend,

Edwin Booth

Adam folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then looked up at Shiloh, convinced she had read over the letter from Annie more than once and was now staring at the words. “What did Annie have to say?”

“She said that Mollie had sent word to Edwin that she was quite ill, but he didn’t take her seriously at first and only made it to her side just before she died.”

“Mollie?”

“Edwin and I called her Mollie.” To everyone outside the family, she was Mary.” Shiloh took a deep breath and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Annie arrived safely. She stayed in Boston with Edwin for a few days, and then caught the train to Philadelphia. She was allowed to move into hospital housing early, and has spent her time learning the city. After an interview and a test of her abilities, they will start her in second year classes.” A slight smile appeared on her lips. “She thanked me for the music box.”

“I didn’t know you gave her a music box.”

“I slipped it into her bag when we left for San Francisco.” Standing, Shiloh walked to the side of the desk where Adam was sitting and lifted his hand in hers. ”I’m tired. I’m going up to bed. Would you mind seeing that Ming Lin has everything he needs? He can start with breakfast tomorrow. You and I need to discuss a schedule of meals with him.”

Adam stood, and she stepped into his waiting arms, sniffling. “I’ll be up in a little while. I want to talk to Hank and see if there’s anything specific I need to deal with tomorrow.”

“Mr. Cartwright, that’s the last of the bags,” said a ranch hand on his way out.” Adam nodded. “Would you ask Hank to come to the house?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Cartwright.”

Shiloh stepped back. “I should stay and listen.”

Still holding her in his arms, Adam said, “If there’s anything out of the ordinary, I’ll let you know. Go on up.” He kissed her and walked her to the foot of the stairs, watching as she climbed until she stepped into the bedroom. Then he walked to the front door, answering a knock.

“Mr. Cartwright, you wanted to see me?” asked Hank.

“Come on in, Hank. Besides taking the horses to the Ponderosa has anything else happened out of the ordinary while we were gone?”

“There was one thing. We found a fella up near the rim rock. He’d been shot. When we looked around, we found some shovels and picks, but we didn’t find any diggins. I’ve been sending two men up there a couple of times a week, but we haven’t seen anyone else. Sheriff Coffee came out and looked around. He said if we found anyone else up there to let him know. Other than that, it’s been quiet.”

“Cattle?”

“I had planned to move ‘em up to the high meadows this week if we don’t get any more rain. We’ve got a lotta calving going on right now. I’ve doubled the men on the herd just in case some of those cows need some help. I think we’ll be ready for the spring round-up by the end of the month. The rest of the men are repairing the fences and out buildings.” Hank removed his hat and took a deep breath. The extra snow and wind did a good bit of damage, but all those repairs Mrs. Cartwright had done last year paid off. It’s less than I thought it’d be.”

“Sounds like you’ve got everything under control. We’ll start meeting in the morning again to go over the day’s work. And we have a cook now; one of Hop Sing’s cousins. His name is Ming Lin. If he’s anything like Hop Sing, you might want to travel lightly in the kitchen.”

“If he’s anything like Hop Sing, Mr. Cartwright, I’ll avoid the kitchen altogether,” said Hank, heading for the door. He stopped midway through and turned. “Is there anything else you need tonight, Mr. Cartwright?”

“No, Hank, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m gonna head on home then. Your pa said you’d be home tonight, so I wanted to wait and fill you in about the ranch.”

“I appreciate that. Good night.”

Next, Adam knocked on Ming Lin’s door. “Yes, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Hop Sing said that you had been helping him at the Ponderosa.”

“Yes, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Your job here will be the same. The schedule will be the same as well. Is there anything else you need to know?”

“No, Mr. Cartwright. Hop Sing and I came to make sure the kitchen was stocked and in order, and I have moved everything for cleaning there. All the linens have been changed and washed. Breakfast will be ready at six-thirty.”

Smiling, Adam said, “Good night,” and headed up the stairs. When he opened the door, he found Shiloh sitting at her dressing table in her robe, brushing her hair. The corner of his mouth turned up, and he walked to his side of the bed and began to undress, thinking this is his life now, going to bed with a woman to hold, waking up at the crack of dawn, having breakfast with her, and then saying goodbye for the day as they went their separate ways. That’s a little different than I’d always imagined. He’d always thought that he’d be leaving his wife at home after she prepared his breakfast, that she’d be waiting for him with supper prepared when he returned, and her day would be spent doing all those things that Marie had done; sewing, planting a garden and arranging flowers in vases for the house…taking care of the children. He’d known from the beginning that Shiloh was meant for other things, but he had never thought that he’d end up falling in love with her…not until San Francisco where she was in control, and he was merely a bystander…where she became the woman Edwin had described from Boston. He pulled the covers on the bed back and crawled in, sitting up and leaning back on a pillow propped up against the brass headboard, watching Shiloh as she finished brushing her hair. She stood and dropped her robe over the back of the chair, climbing in the bed next to him.

“Are you alright?” he asked, putting his arm around her.

Nestling in close and laying her head on his shoulder, she said, “I expected a letter from Edwin. I wonder how he’s doing.”

“There was a letter for me from Edwin. He said he’s taking Edwina to New York. He’s taken a position as the manager of a theater there.”

“I’m…I just can’t believe it. Mollie was so young. She died of pneumonia. She had been ill for a very long time. Even when she and Edwin were in San Francisco, I knew she wasn’t feeling well.”

Raising his hand, he ran his fingers into her hair and kissed her forehead. “I wish I could say something that would make you feel better.”

She smiled weakly, and closed her eyes at the touch of his lips, pressing her body into his. “I’ll be fine. It’s just hard to understand why.”

Leaning toward the night table, Adam blew out the lamp, and moved down under the covers with Shiloh following. He held her close, and even after sleep came over her and she turned away, he pulled her back, wanting to give her what comfort he could offer, even if it was just to remind her by his touch that she wasn’t alone.

**********

When Adam awoke, Shiloh wasn’t next to him. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked around the room. She wasn’t in the room. He got up, put on his robe and trotted down the stairs, finding her dressed for her day at the desk. When he stepped into the study, she didn’t look up, so he cleared his throat.

She smiled and finally looked up. His eyes were half closed, his head was covered in tousled curls, and his face was scruffy, a look that had greeted her every morning for the last month that she had come to love. “Good morning.”

“Shiloh, it’s five a.m. What are you doing up?”

“I’m going through this mound of mail.”

“At five in the morning?”

“I’m used to getting up at five. If you want more sleep, go back to bed.”

“I’m used to getting up at six. When there’s not a mound of mail to go through, what are you going to do at five in the morning? It’s still dark outside.”

“Plan the day before Hank gets here. That includes what I’m going to do with the horses, any errands I need to run, and then a little time in the evening for practicing or writing. But this morning, I think all I’m going to have time for is this mail. I need to ride over to the Ponderosa and get the horses. I don’t think we’ll have any more bad weather, so they can stay in the corral here. I’ll ask Hank to have some of the men rebuild the shed.” She smiled and looked back down at the stack of papers.

“No.”

She looked back up. “No?”

Walking around the desk, he took the piece of paper she was holding away from her and laid it on the top of the stack, then pulled her to her feet and towed her behind him out of the study and to the stairs. “Adam, I’ve always gotten up at five.”

“From now on, you’re getting up at six. Unless there’s a cattle drive…then you can get up at four.” When they got to the bedroom, Adam unbuttoned her shirt, then gently pushed her backward on the bed and pulled her boots off followed by her britches. After shrugging off his robe, letting it drop to the floor in the same pile as her clothes, he climbed over her to his side of the bed, then pulled her up to her pillow and covered both of them. Lying with an arm around her and her head on his shoulder, he closed his eyes. After a moment, he said, “Close your eyes.”

“How do you know my eyes are open?”

“I can feel your eyelash brushing my skin.”

“But I’m wide awake. It’s not like I can control this. I always wake up around five.”

Turning over on his side, facing her, he nuzzled her cheek. “You didn’t wake up at five while we were away.”

She smiled, “Well, I was kept awake late into the night.”

A half smile formed on Adam’s lips. “Is that what it’s going to take to change this habit?”

“I guess we still have a good bit to learn about each other, don’t we?” she asked as she turned to face him.

He opened his eyes and found her watching him, looking amused. “You’re not going back to sleep, are you?”

“We’ve been discussing this for half an hour. There’s not much time left.”

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Alright, let’s get up,” and sat up in the bed, running his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp. “Tomorrow…six.”

Shiloh made it back downstairs first and began to separate the mail. The theatres she had been corresponding with replied with the weeks they wanted her to appear. She also had several letters from some of the men that Jim had introduced her to as well as other inquires about horses. There were large packages from Slater and what she thought might be a solicitation for another timber bid for Adam.

When Adam joined her, she pushed several open envelopes over to him. “What do you make of these?”

He read the first one, and then glanced at the others. “Evidently, it’s still not common knowledge that we’re married, but I don’t recognize any of these names. These could be from the original advertisement of the ranch for sale.”

“There’s one from Mr. Hearst in there.”

“I see. That man just doesn’t take no for an answer, does he?” said Adam, smiling down at her as he picked up his mail from Slater.

Standing, she walked around the desk and leaned into him as he sat on the edge. “If you’ll look at my performance schedules with me this evening, I’ll leave those and deal with the horse requests after I get back from the Ponderosa.”

“Mr. Cartwright, breakfast is ready,” said Ming Lin, who appeared at the door of the study.

“Thank you, Ming Lin,” said Adam, putting a hand on the back of Shiloh’s shoulder and ushering her toward the kitchen. Hank came in and joined them for coffee while they ate breakfast and discussed what he had planned for the day, and tentatively what he would have the men doing for the next week, including the rebuilding of the hay shed.

“When do you think you’ll be able to start on the barn again?” asked Shiloh. “I’m anxious to get it finished.”

Hank started to answer, but Adam interrupted him. “Why don’t we wait until I can figure out when we can start on the house? If we can get into the house by fall, maybe we should just build the barn over there. The barn you have here is more than enough for this place if we decide to rent it.”

“I had forgotten all about the house,” answered Shiloh, scratching her head. “When do we talk about a dairy?”

“We don’t for awhile. We’re going to have our hands full with the timber contracts from Crocker this year. And we’ll just have to remind Mr. Hearst that we’re not going to be mining anytime soon. I’ll ride over to the Ponderosa with you. I need to talk to Pa about all the timber contracts and how we’re going to handle those along with the round-up.”

“We need to talk to Hoss, too. If Hoss is going to be my partner, he needs to start learning now.”

After breakfast, everyone headed out, Hank heading for the bunkhouse, and Adam and Shiloh to the barn to saddle their horses. Hank sent Billy to help with the horses that were at the Ponderosa.

When they arrived, Shiloh went straight to the corral where all her horses but Satan were kept. Johnny had been feeding them, and came over to the fence. “Miss Whitney…I mean, Mrs. Cartwright,” he said blushing. “I thought you’d want to get these horses back home as soon as you could, so I got up early to take care of ‘em.”

“That’s good, Johnny, because they are going home today.” She looked over the small herd. “Where’s Sampson?”

“Oh, I left him down in the south pasture with the other yearlings. He’s too young to get into any trouble down there. Billy’s been checking on him.”

“Well, when we get them home, I want Sampson brought up with the others. We can’t really keep calling him a yearling. He’ll be two pretty soon, and he’s going to be as big as Max was.”

Adam had gone inside the house, and when he told Ben that Shiloh would be taking the horses back to the Flying W, the two men walked out to the corral. “Good morning, young lady,” said Ben, smiling and holding out his arms. She stepped into him, and they hugged like father and daughter. “By the look on your face, I can see you’re happy to see them.”

“I can’t wait to start working with them again. I’ve missed them.”

“Uh, Shiloh, I’d like to talk to you before you leave.”

“Pa, we need to talk about all these timber contracts, too.”

“Why don’t we go back inside and have some coffee then?” said Ben as he put his arm around Shiloh and walked her to the house. When they were seated around the desk with their coffee, Ben said, “I want to talk to you about Satan.” Shiloh cocked her head, regarding him, and waited. “What plans do you have for him?”

Taking a deep breath, she answered, “Well, that depends entirely on what my mares produce this year. I had planned on gelding him, but after Max died, I decided to postpone that until I see what we get. And I know why you’re asking. My reasoning is the same as my father’s. It would take a lot of money and time to import new stock. I’d rather breed it if I can.”

“Shiloh, surely you don’t want to breed Satan’s disposition.”

“Mr. Cartwright…” Ben lowered his head and raised his eyebrows, and Shiloh took another deep breath. “Pa, do you remember the trouble Daddy had with Max. I realize Satan killed a man, but Max broke one’s back, and look how he turned out.”

“Satan’s the one that killed Smalley?” asked Adam, looking worriedly at Shiloh.

She folded her lips into a tight line and looked down at her coffee. “Adam, do you remember one of the men at Jim’s asked me if I could train bad habits out of a horse? Daddy did it with Max, but I don’t know if I can. If I can train Satan, then I can train bad habits out of any horse.”

Adam tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. “When were you going to tell me you were going to try to train that animal?”

Drawing herself up straight, she said, “I didn’t think I needed to tell you what I was going to do with the horses. They were supposed to be mine to do with as I pleased.”

Ben raised his hands. “Now, just hold on. Shiloh, we already know he’s dangerous. Just getting into a corral alone with him is taking a big risk.”

“How will I ever know if I don’t try?” she asked, first looking at Ben and then back at Adam. “You have no idea how this will go. Satan is one of the most perfect horses we’ve bred, except for Max, and now Sampson, but Sampson’s too young. It will be another year before I’ll even consider starting him.” Adam sat his coffee cup on the desk and clasped his hands, resting his chin on them. “Adam, you promised. Decisions regarding the horses are mine.”

“I never agreed to you putting your life at risk.”

“I need to be able to breed Satan. If I can’t, I may lose what makes these horses so unique…so beautiful. Please, Adam. If he becomes too difficult…I’ll geld him, but please, let me try.”

Propping his chin on his thumb, Adam looked over at his father, who was shaking his head. “You are not to work alone with that horse. One of the men will be watching you with a rifle, and if that horse even looks like he’s about to come at you, he’ll have orders to shoot.” She crossed her arms defiantly and looked away. “Take it or leave it,” said Adam, raising his eyebrows.

“What choice do I have?” she said sarcastically.

Ben didn’t agree with Adam, but he wasn’t going to voice his opinion. It was none of his business at this point. All he could do was be ready to pick up the pieces when something happened, and he was sure something would.

Hoss ambled down the stairs and made his way over to the desk. “Hoss, I’m glad you’re here,” said Adam. “What do you think about learning to train horses?”

A wide grin took over Hoss’s face, and then he looked at his father and swallowed. “Well, Adam, how much time are we talkin’, ‘cause I’m gonna have a lot more to do now that you’re over at the Flying W.”

“Hoss, I have no intention of abandoning the Ponderosa. Hank handles the cattle at the Flying W just fine without me. I can do the Slater work in the evenings. I’ll just have to do more coordination to make sure nothing gets missed. And that includes all the timber contracts. Pa, we need to talk about what we already have. The first of the Crocker contracts will be for ties, and we can go ahead and mark the trees for those, but if we want the railroad business, we’ll have to walk away from some of the other bids.”

Ben nodded as he began to pull papers out of the desk. “The amount of work isn’t the only problem. We can only take what we will have teams for. Ottis Watts is the only one within a hundred miles who has those big draft horses, and we’ll be competing for them.”

“Actually, that’s not true,” said Adam, looking sideways at Shiloh. “What about the horses you keep in your lower pasture next to the spring?”

“I didn’t realize you had noticed them. Mr….Pa, do you remember that Daddy had plans to plant some crops? He did plant some wheat and buffalo grass, and he planted corn, too, but he never planted on the same scale that he had when he and Momma lived in the South. He even made a plow with three blades. It took two men to work it.”

Leaning back in his chair, Ben nodded. “Yes, I do remember that.”

“Well, I still have the horses Daddy was going to use to pull that plow. He also used them to remove stumps when he was clearing fields. All that wheat and buffalo grass that he planted is what they’re eating. It’s too rich for the other horses, but it keeps these big ones satisfied. He kept them, thinking he would eventually do some farming. I have twelve full-grown and some younger ones. They’re heavier than Eli and Satan, just as tall, and stockier. They’ve got good solid legs and hooves.”

Adam pursed his lips. “What else do we have that you thought I hadn’t noticed?”

“A forge.”

“We have a forge?”

“How do you think we keep up with all those hooves?” She turned to Ben. “Pa, can I have some of Hoss’s time? If he can come over three mornings a week for a few hours, that’s all I need to get him started learning to train. Then when you and Adam figure out all the time you’ll need to handle all these timber contracts, we can adjust if we need to. And Hank and our men can help with the round-up…like Micah used to. We can do one ranch first, and then the other, and we can combine our cattle drives. That’ll put extra men on both ranches when they’re at their busiest.”

Ben looked at Adam. “She’s right, Pa. When Micah and I worked together and shared men, we were able to do more work and do it faster. We did it again last year, if you’ll remember. It still works.”

“I remember,” he said, nodding. “Alright then, we’ll do it the way we used to. That should give you time to do the extra work you’ve taken on,” he said, looking at Adam. He turned to Hoss. “And that should give you time to work with Shiloh’s horses, if that’s what you want to do.”

Hoss grinned. “Thanks, Pa.”

“Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to get those horses back home, and then go through the requests I have.” When Shiloh rose from her chair, Ben and Adam stood as well.

“I’ll walk you out,” said Adam.

“Hey Shiloh, when do you want me to start?” asked Hoss.

“How about in the morning…say around seven?”

Smiling and nodding, Hoss said, “I’ll be there at six-thirty.”

Adam and Shiloh had gotten to the porch when he grabbed her arm and turned her around. “I don’t want to find out that you and Satan were in a corral before I tell Hank to post a man.” He watched her come to a boil, then fight to stay calm.

“This is no different than what you do when you break horses. Should I forbid you to do it any longer because you’re putting your life at risk?”

“There is a difference. I can take a much bigger jolt than you, and there are handlers in the corral with me.”

“Oh, really?” she said, crossing her arms. Seeing the flare of her nostrils and that all-too-familiar fire in her eyes, he braced himself. “I’ve been thrown from horses before, and other than a few scratches and bruises, I was fine.”

“Then you were lucky,” he said calmly.

“I’m sure it has something to do with the proportion of weight to bone and force with which you hit the ground. I’d be willing to bet you that my number turns out to be better than yours.” Stepping closer and looking up at him impudently, she said, “You’re an engineer. Do the math.”

Adam breathed out as he stonily met her glare, and then smirked. “I’m not going to argue with you. Leave Satan here. I’ll bring him home when I come.”

“Is everything alright?” asked Ben, stepping out onto the porch.

Shiloh had just opened her mouth to light into Adam, but at the sight of Ben, she took a step back. Adam continued to stare her down, his mouth drawn, his nostrils flared and anger in his eyes. “Everything is just…wonderful,” she growled, and stepped off the porch toward the corral.

Looking at the floor of the porch, Adam scratched behind his ear. “I’ll be in a minute, Pa,” he said without the slightest edge in his voice. While Ben retreated to the house, Adam walked to the corral next to the barn where Satan was kept and leaned back against the gate with his arms crossed and a look on his face that dared Shiloh to try to get to the horse. She didn’t go near Satan’s corral, but rather she gathered her horses and left.

**********

When Adam walked into the house, he went into the living area where Ben had the timber contracts they had won and those they were bidding on spread out on the coffee table. Taking a seat on the hearth, Adam stared for a moment at the table.

 

“She’s just like her father, you know…when it comes to those horses,” said Ben. Adam propped his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands, but said nothing. “She is right about Max. There was a time when he was just as mean as Satan, so it would seem training bad habits out of a horse is possible.”

 

“She’s already admitted that she doesn’t know if she can.”

 

“Did you think her determination was just going to disappear because you married her?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Adam answered, “No Pa, I didn’t, but I did think it had gotten easier to reason with her.”

 

“Maybe you should try reasoning with her instead of giving her an ultimatum.” Adam twisted his mouth and raised his eyebrows, then quietly chuckled. “Now, let’s figure out these contracts.” Pointing to the piles of paper in front of them, Ben said, “These are the bids we’ve already won, and these are the bids we are still working on separated by local and distant delivery. I think we need to consider how easy it’s going to be to deliver the timber, and if we have to do any milling when we decide which ones to bid and which ones to leave.”

 

“Well, we know we’ll have at least five from Crocker, and the first few of those will be for ties, so those will be straight forward and easy to deliver. If I remember correctly, one of these that we’ve won is for hardwood to expand the harbor docks in San Francisco, and the other one is for timbers that have to be milled for new square sets for the Overman Number Two mine.” Adam spread the other five contracts out, and picked one of them up, tossing it in front of his father who was sitting on the settee across from him. “That one is the biggest one, but a good bit of that profit will go into the effort to get that timber to San Francisco, and then hire a ship to get it to Boston. We’re the only West coast timber outfit they’ve asked for a bid. We can’t compete with the timber companies that own land in the mountains over there.”

 

Ben picked up the contract and set it aside, then spread the remaining four across the table. Adam picked up another one. “This one is for timber for a new school in Arizona City. There’s no easy way to get timber down there other than to haul it, and we’d be hauling it through desert.”

 

“That leaves the Gould and Curry, the Yellow Jacket and the Chollar; all of them local,” said Ben.

 

“If we can keep the cutting and milling going, I think we can supply these three mines, plus the Overman Number Two as they need it. The five Crocker contracts will be spaced out as the tracks are built with some extra as they get closer to the Sierra for trestles, and we don’t have to mill it, so the mill will be running nothing but square sets. We can start that now. For the docks, all we have to do is get the raw lumber to Sacramento. They’ll be taking it the rest of the way on a steamer.”

 

“Adam, we’ve never come close to ten contracts in a single year.”

 

“We’re definitely going to be busy,” laughed Adam. “But I think we can do it. It’s either that or tell one or two of these mines that we won’t bid, and that might send them somewhere else the next time they need square sets.”

 

“If you’ll take these three and price them out, I’ll go into town tomorrow and start hiring crews. Take a look at Shiloh’s horses and make sure they’ll work.”

 

“I’ll have to fix up some harnesses to pull logs, but if we have a forge, that won’t be a problem. Can Joe start marking timber?”

 

“He’s working on the pond in the north pasture. The gate is stuck in the mud, and he’s cleaning it out.”

 

Adam stood, heading for the front door. “I’ll ride out and see if I can give him a hand. If we can get it cleared, do you think he can start tomorrow?”

 

“Adam, we have normal spring repairs and round-up coming up. Someone has to be here,” said Ben as he walked Adam out onto the porch.”

 

“Well, Hoss and Hank can handle the round-ups, and I’ll take care of sending men out for fence and outbuilding repairs. After that I’ll go where I’m needed. That way, we make sure none of it slips.”

 

Holding Sport’s reins as Adam mounted, Ben said, “Once I get the crews hired, I can help. Adam?” Adam looked down at his father. “Listen to her. She just might surprise you.”

 

Adam nodded. “I’ll come back for Satan after I help Joe with the gate.” He turned and left for the north pasture.

 

***

 

When Shiloh rode into the Flying W yard, she dismounted and turned to Billy and Johnny. “Get the horses settled. Put the mares in the front and the rest of them in the back. I have to go down to the south corral and see what horses I have to fill some requests. I’ll bring Sampson back with me.”

 

“Uh, Mrs. Cartwright? Mr. Cartwright told me I had to go with you. He said you were still being followed.”

 

Letting her head flop backwards, she breathed deeply to keep from yelling at Johnny. “I want you to stay with the horses, Johnny. Get one of other hands to go with me.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll have to ride out to the herd.”

 

She clenched her teeth and looked at the ground, kicking the dirt up into dust. “That’s alright. I have to go through the requests anyway. I’ll be in the house.”

 

When Johnny returned, he went to the house and told Shiloh the hand was waiting. She gathered her notes and the book holding the list of her horses and left for the south pasture with her escort riding close behind.

 

***

 

Adam rode into the yard covered from head to toe in dried mud, leading Satan behind him. He and Joe had been able to clear the gate, but it involved shoveling mud out and away. He had almost forgotten Satan, and was almost home when he remembered, but decided the conversation he knew he was going to have with Shiloh would go easier if the horse was home.

 

Johnny met him at the hitching rail. “Mr. Cartwright, I’ll take him off your hands.”

 

“Where do you keep him?”

 

“He’s got his own paddock next to the barn away from the others.”

 

“Is Mrs. Cartwright in the house?”

 

“No sir. She’s down at the south pasture matching horses to all those inquiries that came in the mail.”

 

“Is she alone?”

 

“No sir. She took one of the hands with her.”

 

Nodding, Adam said, “Thank you, Johnny,” then remounted and turned Sport south. When he arrived, he found her escort and waved him back to the ranch house, then dismounted, and walked down the fence line toward the gate, not noticing that he passed Shiloh who was standing in the pasture.

 

She stopped writing in her book and watched his head moving back and forth as if he were having a conversation while he walked down the fence line. “Are you talking to me?”

 

He stopped and turned. “I didn’t say anything.”

 

“Oh, you said a mouthful.”

 

He clasped his hands in front of him. “And what did I say?”

 

“Since you’re used to telling me what to do, you were practicing how you were going to reason with me since you’re not very good at doing that.”

 

Biting the inside of his cheek, he dropped his eyes, trying to think of how to respond, and questioning his decision to send her to college.

 

“What you were going to say is that it isn’t unreasonable to ask that I have a handler close by. You all do it when you’re working with wild horses, and Satan, though he’s used to being around me, can certainly be accused of acting like a wild horse.”

 

He cut his eyes to the right, thinking that sounded pretty good…reasonable, so he was going to go with it. “And what else?”

 

Sighing heavily, she moved her eyes upward, then closed her book and cast her eyes downward. “That you’re just trying to look out for me because you don’t want me to get hurt.”

 

Climbing over the fence, he stood in front of her. “And is that so bad?” he asked, turning up the corner of his mouth.

 

“No, that part isn’t. But it is when you start by telling me what to do after you already told me the horses were mine.” He reached for her, and she stepped back. “So…I will have a handler standing by, but he will not be in the corral with me. The training depends on the horse being isolated. He has to come to trust me completely, and he can’t do that if he’s distracted by someone else.” She hung her head. “And if I can’t handle him, I’ll geld him myself.”

 

When he reached for her again, she let him take her hands. “Thank you.”

 

“Don’t mention it,” she answered, but she was thinking that she had dodged the proverbial bullet of him completely forbidding her to train Satan. She walked in front of him toward the fence, and looked up to the sky, saying a silent prayer of thanks that he could accept that what she said was reasonable. “What happened to you?” she asked, climbing over the fence.

 

“The gate in the north pasture pond was stuck. Joe and I had to dig the pond out.”

 

Taking several halters off her saddle horn, she climbed back over the fence into the pasture. “I think I can fill some of these requests with some of the horses I have, but a few of them are going to be hard to find. Would you mind if I ask the men to let me see the horses they bring in from the range? I might find what I’m looking for there.”

 

He watched her while she haltered three horses and walked them to the gate. “I’ll make sure the men let you see them before they start breaking.” He took the reins of the haltered horses while she mounted Spirit, then handed her two of them. Walking to Sport, he mounted and led the third horse back to the ranch house.

 

When they arrived, Johnny took the horses. “We’re running out of corral space up here,” said Shiloh. “Move all the horses but the mares and Satan to the pasture back there,” she said, pointing behind the barn, “and put these three in the corral. Make sure someone is watching the horses back there around the clock.”

 

Walking into the house, Adam turned toward the bath house, and Shiloh headed to the stairs. “I’m going to change for supper,” she said. “I’ll bring you some clean clothes.”

Before she stepped away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He didn’t say anything, but rather met her eyes, kissing her and looking back to her eyes, waiting for the smile he knew would appear. He kissed her one more time before he released her hand, then watched as she ascended the stairs and disappeared into their bedroom.

**********

Shiloh left clothes for Adam in the bath house before she went to the study to go through the horse requests, marking those she could fill. She looked at the performance schedules and marked the weeks she preferred. Of course, those would also depend on whether Adam had to travel for Slater. She was sure Adam would insist on going with her. As long as Will was close and her shadow was unidentified, someone would constantly be with her on the ranch, and elsewhere, Adam would be by her side. She smiled, thinking that she should feel lucky that he loved her that way, but there was still a part of her that resented being coddled. That wasn’t all. She was about to disappoint him yet again when she told him that she was not carrying his child. Her missing monthly had appeared.

When he entered the study, she was holding her head in her hand, tapping a pencil on the desk. “It can’t be that bad,” he said quietly.

“Adam…”

“Mr. Cartwright, dinner is ready,” said Ming Lin from somewhere behind him.

“Thank you, Ming Lin. We’ll be there in a minute.”

“Shiloh?”

Standing, she walked around the desk and took his hand. “We can talk after dinner.”

When they were seated, Ming Lin excused himself, leaving them alone. “Were you able to figure out what timber contracts you’ll bid?”

“We’re taking the local contracts. There were two others, but moving the timber those distances would take too much time. We have seven contracts, and we’ll be bidding on three more. In fact, I need to work on those bids tonight. Can we talk about your performance schedules tomorrow?”

“That’s fine. I wasn’t going to try to take any before July, and Julia Dean is performing at the grand opening of Maguire’s on July third. I’d like to be there. I’ll be in Sacramento in August, so that leaves September and October.”

“What’s happening in June?”

Smiling pensively, she said, “I’ll have more foals than I know what to do with. I need to get some pasture space cleared and planted before then.”

“I’d like to look at your draft horses and see the forge after dinner. I’ll need to refit some harnesses to pull logs.”

“We might already have what you need, though they’ll probably need some repairs. Daddy used harnesses similar to Ottis’ harnesses when he was clearing land for fields and pastures. There’s tack and equipment storage in the same building as the forge. The harnesses are hanging on the wall right where Daddy left them.”

“Well good. That’ll save us some time.”

Glancing up at her, Adam realized she had stopped eating. “Ming Lin learned well. This is almost as good as Hop Sings.” When she didn’t respond, he watched her. “What’s wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing is wrong. It’s just…it’s our first full day back. We didn’t even have time to take a breath before…”

“We can’t afford to let the railroad slip through our fingers. At the same time, we can’t afford to let the mines figure out they can go somewhere else for their square sets.” She nodded. “Sweetheart, it’s spring. Every spring seems overwhelming, but once we get everything going, things will settle down.”

“I know,” she said, nodding. “Adam, would you mind if we look at the horses and the forge tomorrow morning? I think I’d just like to curl up with a good book tonight while you work on the timber bids.”

“This would be a good time for you to learn how to do them,” he said, looking up at her from under his brow as he took his last bite of dinner.

“I don’t know that I want to anymore.” He propped his elbows on the table and folded one hand over the other, looking perplexed. “There’s really no need for me to learn that now that we’re married. I’m not running the ranch alone anymore, and at the time I thought I did need to learn it, I had no idea I would be marrying you. In fact, at the time, I didn’t think anyone would have me.”

Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Adam stood and walked around table, talking her hand. He looked at her plate disapprovingly, and then looked back at her, but she avoided his eyes. Leading her into the parlor, he sat down on a chair in front of the fireplace, pulling her down on his lap and surrounding her with his arms. “There’s something going on that you’re not telling me, and neither of us is getting up from this chair until you do.”

“Real life has hit with a vengeance, that’s all,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

He kissed her and asked, “Are you sure that’s all?”

“What else would it be? We’ve already argued about the horses.”

He snorted. “We didn’t argue about the horses. We argued about Satan. And your reasonableness seemed quite reasonable to me.” She drew in one side of her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t think you’d gotten away with that, did you?” She looked away, and he laughed. “You did think you’d gotten away with that.”

“I suppose Satan is part of it. I wonder what name I should give him once he’s trained.” Adam creased his brows. “Daddy renamed Max after he was trained.”

“What was his name?”

“Diablo.” Adam’s mouth formed an ‘o’. “I’m going to take a bath and then go upstairs to read while you work on your bids. Promise me you won’t be too late.”

“I don’t think it will take too long. We’ve supplied square sets to all of these mines before.”

She touched his cheek and leaned up to kiss him. “I’ll wait for you.” Standing, he lifted her up with him and walked her out of the parlor, watching her climb the stairs, then retreated to the study to work on the timber contracts.

Over an hour later, he opened the door to the bedroom and found her curled up on a chair near the lamp, reading, wearing a flannel gown with her hair braided. “I thought you weren’t angry with me.”

Closing the book, she set it on the table next to the lamp. “I put this off because I knew you’d be disappointed.”

He knelt next to the chair, took her hand and breathed in deeply, nodding. “Is this what’s been bothering you all evening?”

“Part of it.”

“It’s not all bad. We’ll be better prepared. And you won’t feel trapped.” He rose and pulled her up from the chair. She slid under the covers while Adam blew out the lamp. Undressing, he slid under the covers next to her, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

**********

Adam had gotten up at six sharp while Shiloh still lay in the bed. Bending down to her, he kissed her lips. “Are you getting up, Miss five a.m.?”

She yawned. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“You don’t have to get up. I can meet with Hank this morning.”

Sitting up on the side of the bed, she answered, “No. I’m up. Hoss is supposed to be here this morning. Why don’t you go on down and get started. I’ll be down in a minute.”

After Adam left the room, she took care of her necessities, and dressed, then joined him for breakfast. Hoss had already arrived and was working on his second breakfast of the morning. Leaning against the door frame, she watched as the two brothers ate.

“Adam, I just don’t understand why that Stewart fella keeps coming after her. He knows she’s married, don’t he?”

“He does. He might have loved her once, but I don’t think that’s it anymore. She walked away from him, and then she married me. Even in college, people didn’t tell Will Stewart ‘no’. He got this way. Except with me. And then he didn’t get his way with her… He’s obsessed, Hoss, and that makes him dangerous.”

“You think he’ll come after her again?”

“There’s only one reason he moved to San Francisco, and that was to get closer to her.”

“Can you two do me a favor and stop talking about Will Stewart?” Shiloh pushed herself away from the door frame and walked to the table, sitting between them.

Looking up from his plate, Adam looked apologetically at her. “I didn’t know you were there.”

While Hoss poured her a cup of coffee, Adam passed the eggs and bacon, then put a biscuit on her plate as she served herself. “Do you want some gravy for your biscuit?”

“No, just butter and preserves.”

“Hoss, you can go with us to look at the draft horses Shiloh has and tell me what you think.”

Talking with his mouth full, Hoss said, “That’s fine with me if Shiloh’s alright with it.”

“I have to go anyway, and while we’re down there, I want to pick a horse for you to work with and bring it up. The horse you’ll be working with has to be isolated for a few days before you start. I have a journal for you to read, too. What are your plans today?” she asked, turning to Adam.

“I need to take those three bids back over to the Ponderosa so Pa can go over them, and if he agrees with them, I’ll ride into the town and deliver them.”

“You don’t have to do that,” said Hoss. “Pa’s going back to town today to hire men for the crews. Turns out Mr. Fuller’s hiring, too, so he’s got some competition. But I’ll tell you what you do need to do. You need to go on over to the breaking corral with me to take a look at the horses comin’ in. If we’re combining round-up and cattle drives, we’re gonna need the extra horses.”

“I have to spend some time today working on some drawings for Slater.”

“Well, let’s get down there then and look at those draft horses,” said Hoss, standing.

“Wait, what about Hank?” asked Shiloh.

Adam stood, and waited for her. “He’s already come and gone.”

“You spoke to him without me?”

Adam held his hands out as he explained, “He’s not doing anything different than he said yesterday. It wasn’t really much of a talk.”

Shiloh huffed and walked past him to the front door, gathering her hat and jacket and leaving the brothers behind as she headed for the barn.

“What’s the matter with her?”

Opening his mouth, Adam put on his hat, and then raised his hand as if he was going to say something and thought better of it, shaking his head and stepping out the door.

When they arrived at the south pasture, Adam and Hoss stood at the fence waiting for Shiloh who was digging through her saddle bag and emerged carrying a burlap bag of carrot pieces. “When I’m working with horses, these stay with me.” She put her thumb and index finger in her mouth and blew a shrill whistle that made Adam and Hoss cringe. Looking out at the pasture, they soon saw the horses that had been off in the distance come thundering toward them.

“You feel that, Adam?” asked Hoss, first looking down at his feet, then at Adam with a surprised smile.

Shiloh watched proudly as the horses approached them. Stepping up on the corral fence and climbing over, she waited for the giant horses to gather around her. In a split second Adam was up on the fence, pulling her backwards, but she shrugged out of his hands. “Calm down, Adam. These horses are as gentle as babies.”

Adam watched as they surrounded her, all of them patiently waiting for her hand to touch their muzzle where they knew a carrot would be waiting. She reached up to each one, and as she went from horse to horse, the horses didn’t move…she walked upright underneath their heads. Even Adam and Hoss had to look up at them as they stood beside them.

“These are good lookin’ horses, Shiloh. You sure you want to use ‘em to pull logs?”

She stopped and slowly turned to Hoss with a blank expression. “What else do you suggest I do with them? I can’t ride them. I don’t have any saddles this big, and even if I did, my legs wouldn’t go even half-way around their bellies.” She snorted. “I’d need a ladder to get up on one.”

“They make Ottis’ horses look scrawny,” said Adam as he walked among them. “We should rent them out when we don’t need them.”

Hoss had walked over to the younger horses with carrots. “How old are these fellas?”

“These are yearlings.”

“There must be somethin’ wrong with my ears. Did I just hear you say yearlings?”

“I don’t think you’d recognize a foal if you compare them to other foals. The foals weigh almost two hundred pounds at birth.”

Whistling, Hoss looked back over at Adam. “They gonna give us any problems? I’d hate to have one of these horses cut loose in a loggin’ camp.”

“You won’t have any trouble. These are some of the gentlest horses I have,” she answered, straining to reach the nose of the mare she was feeding. “But you will have to shoe them.”

Adam and Hoss looked down. “That might take two people,” said Adam, raising his brows while Hoss pushed his bottom lip up and nodded his agreement.

They left the draft horses at the fence, and went to another pasture to retrieve a horse for Hoss to train, then went back to the ranch house. Shiloh walked them behind the house to a building that had been closed up tight every time Adam had been back there. Taking a key out of her pocket, Shiloh unlocked the padlock on the double doors and swung them open. She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then disappeared toward the back wall.

“Here are the harnesses you’ll be using for them.” Adam and Hoss had followed her back. “You’ll have to go over these and make some repairs, but I don’t think it’ll be anything major. There are six sets.”

“I reckon the first thing we need to do is get the horses shod, but I gotta ride out to the herd and have the men start rounding up the calves.”

“Can’t Joe do that?”

“Pa done sent ‘im up to start markin’ timber. He’s a might nervous about all these contracts.”

“Well, the only reason we’re going to be able to do this is because there’s only two sets; ties in the beginning of the Crocker contracts and square sets for all the others, except the docks, and all we have to do is cut and haul those to Sacramento. We can cut those now. I figure we can hire some teamsters to haul them, so only one of us has to go to Sacramento. We’re already set up for the square sets at the mill, so if we can supply the timber as they need it, we can do everyone at the same time.”

“By the sound of it, we’ll be cutting all through summer.”

“I’ll go get the men started rounding up the calves,” said Adam. “Billy and Johnny can start bringing up the…Shiloh, what are those horses?”

Shiloh was standing behind them, leaning prominently on one leg with her arms crossed. “Clydesdales.”

“Johnny and Billy can start bringing up the Clydesdales, and you can start making shoes; that is if we have enough iron.” Adam walked back to the door. “I’m going by the Ponderosa first to drop off those bids. I’ll come back that way and bring back what iron I can find.”

Shiloh turned sideways between them and spoke loudly. “Are you forgetting something?” Turning, Adam looked with his head craned forward, waiting.

“Hoss is here to work with me.”

Drawing his lips into a tight line, he spun on his heel, and walked back into the forge, nodding. “Hoss, work with Shiloh first, and when you’re finished, make shoes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

**********

Every other morning with Hoss turned into every morning. He had a way with the animals that set them at ease so much that he was training his first horse much faster than Shiloh had anticipated. He spent most of his time the first week listening to her explain the setup of the pen and paddock and reading her journal, and he was particularly appreciative of her explanations about her mistakes.

The Clydesdales had been shod and the harnesses had been repaired. The camp for the timber contract for the docks had already been set up. Only three horses were required to move the logs since each horse could pull a ton of weight on his own. By the end of April, the timber was ready to be shipped, and Ben had gone in search of teamsters to haul them to Sacramento.

Shiloh had finally corralled Adam to go over her performance schedules with her, and they settled on two weeks in September and two weeks in October in addition to the two weeks in August already signed. Those contracts had been sent out, and they were waiting for the return of the signed copies.

The Ponderosa round-up had been completed, and the men were well into the round-up at the Flying W. With the extra men from each ranch, the fence repairs and outbuilding repairs had begun.

Shiloh and Adam had been going in different directions for most of the month, and this particular evening, they both came in late, both sweaty, dirty and frustrated. When they met at the barn where they had both just ridden up, they exchanged few words while they bedded down their horses and slowly walked to the house, dragging from the day’s work. Shiloh ducked into the kitchen while Adam slowly ascended the stairs toward their bedroom. When she appeared at the bedroom door, she stood for a moment, studying Adam who had removed his chaps and was sitting with his head in his hands on the side of the bed.

“Are you alright?”

“Mm hm. Just sore. I’ve been breaking horses today.”

Closing the door behind her, she began to undress. Adam looked up, watching her, and jumped up from the bed, grabbing her arm when he saw a large bruise on her forearm. “What happened?”

“A horse bit me.”

His eyes flared right along with his nostrils. “What horse?”

“Adam, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been bitten by horses before. It comes with the territory. Besides, that was a few days ago.”

Relaxing his grip on her arms, he let out a breath. “Why didn’t I notice that?”

She smiled weakly. “You’ve been working late.” She finished undressing and slipped on a robe. “I’m going to take a hot bath. I asked Ming Lin if we could wait an hour for dinner. He’s begun to wait until we’re home to start dinner anyway.”

“I’m going to clean up and work on some drawings.”

“You got some mail from Slater today. It’s on the desk,” she said, walking toward the door, but she stopped, and with her head bowed, she slowly turned around. “I have a better idea.” He had sat down again and was taking off his boots, but stopped and looked back up at her. Holding her hand out to him, she said, “Get your robe and come with me.”

Taking her hand, he followed her out, lifting his robe off the back of the door on his way. They walked down the stairs together and into the bath house. Adam smiled for the first time this evening when Shiloh closed the door and dropped her robe. The first night she was late getting in, she had asked Ming Lin to prepare a hot bath, and since then, he had started preparing the steaming bath each evening upon her arrival. Stepping into the tub, she slowly sank down, letting the heat of the water sooth her. “Well don’t just stand there. Get out of those dirty clothes and join me,” she said with a grin that Adam hadn’t seen in…well, he couldn’t remember seeing it lately.

Standing next to the tub, he motioned for her to move forward, then stepped in behind her and moaned in delight when he lowered himself into the hot water, taking her shoulders and reclining her back into his chest. They exhaled in unison as heat coaxed the soreness and tension out of their bodies.

Lying against him with her eyes closed, she asked, “Have things slowed down for you at all?”

“I don’t really expect them to until the round-up and repairs are done. But this is normal for spring.”

“I don’t remember you being this exhausted.”

“Sweetheart, we’ve always gotten in at dark. Before Slater, I was able to relax in the evenings, but right now, I have to work. We talked about this. We both knew it would be busy in the beginning until we got things organized.”

“You’re not organizing, Adam. You’re still doing as much work on the ranch as you did before we were married.”

That’s not quite true. Joe and Hoss are doing more with the cattle and the repairs. I’m spending quite a bit of time setting up the lumber camps and getting those started. Now that we’ve won the last three, we have to start cutting and milling square sets.”

“Then why were you breaking horses today?”

“Because we don’t have any one who can stay on, so Joe and I have to do it until we can find someone. And what about you? I thought you would be working with your horses in the mornings.”

“I had to swap. I felt like I was disturbing your father, so I go to the Ponderosa in the mornings and work with the horses in the late afternoon. I’ve got more requests. Jim is still sending people my way, and even though Hoss is helping, he’s still learning. I’d like to train someone else. I think with three training, we’ll be able to keep up. But we don’t have the facilities I need to be training that many horses at once.” She paused and listened, but only heard his deep, slow breathing. “What are the chances we can get the piano moved?”

“We’ll need to hire more help. I’ll need some men who can handle carpentry to start the house anyway. I could get them to help with the piano before they start the house.”

“When were you planning to start the house?”

“Soon.”

When she sat up and began to bathe, he leaned forward, taking the sponge from her and began scrubbing her back. She hung her head forward. “That feels so good.”

Kissing from her shoulder all the way up her neck, he whispered, “My turn next.”

After a few minutes, they both turned around so Shiloh could scrub his back. When she finished, she stood, laying her hands on his shoulders and pushing herself up. “I’m going to get dressed for dinner,” she said, tying her robe around her. He took her hand and pulled her down toward him, and she kissed his waiting lips. “Why don’t you soak a little longer? I’ll bring your clothes down.”

***

Ming Lin had put dinner on the table while Shiloh waited in the parlor, looking out the window toward the barn. Satan…she wanted to start working with Satan, but she was going to have to ask for a ranch hand to watch her. For days, she had been trying to work out a way to ask Hank to send her someone without Adam finding out, but whenever she saw Hank, Adam was with her. She knew Adam would insist on picking someone out himself, and giving that person very specific instructions, and she was afraid those instructions would include shooting the horse. If this had been before they were married, she’d have no trouble going forward with it on her own. But she was his wife now, and she knew that Adam would be angry if she started without telling him. Still, not telling him would make her immediate life much simpler.

Adam stood just inside the parlor, watching her. He could see where she was looking and knew she was thinking about Satan. When he touched her arms, she jumped, and then relaxed when he stepped into her back, holding her against him. “Come to the table. We can talk about Satan over dinner.”

Shiloh sat staring at her empty plate, while Adam prepared his. “Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked.

“I’m not very hungry.”

Adam turned toward her. “You can’t keep going if you don’t start eating.”

“How am I supposed to eat when I’m not hungry?”

Taking her plate and preparing it for her, he said, “It’s actually pretty easy. You put a bite in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it.” She simmered. “Do you want to be confined to the bed because you’re too weak to walk?”

She rolled her eyes. “Adam, I eat breakfast and lunch. I’ve just never really eaten an evening meal.”

“You didn’t eat lunch today,” he said, replacing her plate in front of her with pork roast, potatoes, carrots and bread. He sat the gravy boat next to her plate.

“How do you know that? Are you spying on me?”

“And what if I were?”

“You don’t trust me?” she asked with a hurt look.

“Don’t even try that look on me. When it comes to eating, no, I don’t trust you.” She grudgingly picked up her fork and knife and began eating. Glancing back at her, he smiled slightly. “Now, you wanted to talk about Satan.”

She put a bite of roast in her mouth and stared ahead of her, chewing slowly. When she swallowed, she put her fork down and drank some water, then sat for a moment. With her head bowed, she said, “I want to start training him.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“How about day after tomorrow?” With that question, he had gotten her attention. “We need supplies, and I thought we could take a break and go into town together. Maybe have lunch in town.”

She didn’t know what to say, and just looked back down at her plate, finally settling on something simple. “Why?”

“Because it’s your birthday.”

When he covered her hand, she smiled at her plate. “How are we going to do that? You’re supposed to be up at the timber camp, I’m expecting Hoss over here, and there’s your Slater work and…”

“Hoss is going up to the camp for me tomorrow, and I’ll be finishing up the drawings for Slater tonight. We haven’t had any appreciable amount of time alone since we came back from San Francisco, and when we have had a little time, we were both tired.” Waiting for her to look up at him, he added. “You can even sleep in tomorrow…until seven.” He succeeded getting a short laugh out of her. “Now, eat…please.”

After dinner while Shiloh sat in the parlor going through her sheet music, Adam rose from the desk in the study to answer a knock at the front door. “Adam, how are you this evening?”

“Roy?” said Adam, looking past Roy at the gentlemen dressed in a suit standing behind him. “Is this an official visit?”

“I’m afraid so. Is the Missus home?”

Stepping aside, Adam motioned them in, and after closing the door, he led them to the parlor. “Shiloh, the sheriff is here to see you.”

She looked up. “Me?” she said, straightening the sheet music in her lap. “Well, would you gentlemen like some coffee?”

“That might be a good idea,” said Roy. “This is Officer Riley from the San Francisco police department. It seems the young lady you scuffled in the mud with last winter…well, she’s been found dead.”

********

Shiloh quickly stood, dumping the sheet music out of her lap into the floor. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please, have a seat. It will only take a moment for me to gather this up.”

Adam rushed over and began picking up the papers. “Shiloh, I’ll get this. Why don’t you ask Ming Lin to brew some coffee?” He caught her eyes, and without saying a word, he calmed her.

Taking a deep breath, she rose. “Please excuse me for just a moment.”

When she had left the room, Adam stood with handfuls of sheet music, and after placing it on a side table, he sat in another chair and leaned forward. “Natalie Peterson is dead?”

“Did you know her, Mr. Cartwright?”

“Yes, I’ve know her for years. I met her in Boston when I was away at college.”

“And Mrs. Cartwright? How did she know Miss Peterson?”

“They met in Virginia City last year.”

“Coffee will be ready in a moment,” said Shiloh as she came back into the parlor. The men stood and waited for her to be seated, then resumed their conversation.

“Mrs. Cartwright, I understand you fought with Miss Peterson.”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, I did. I was trying on my wedding gown, and when I came out of the dress shop, she pushed me off the boardwalk and into the mud. By that time, I’d had enough of her and pulled her down into the mud with me, and…we fought.”

“You fought?”

“That’s what Mrs. Cartwright said,” said Roy. “They rolled around in the mud, pullin’ hair, clawin’ and slappin.’”

“I didn’t mean…”

“Well, she said they fought. Now isn’t that the way ladies fight?”

“Mrs. Cartwright, you said you’d had about enough. Did something else happen?”

“Now just wait. Is my wife a suspect?”

“At this point, Mr. Cartwright, everyone is a suspect until we can definitely say they aren’t.”

“When was she killed?”

“I didn’t say she was killed.”

“Alright, when did she die?”

“A week ago yesterday.”

“My wife and I haven’t left the ranch since we came back from San Francisco. That was April sixth.”

“And there’s someone who can vouch for that?”

Roy came off his seat. “Now wait just a minute. I agreed to bring you out here to speak to the Cartwrights. If all you wanted to do was accuse them you and I coulda handled this in my office.”

“Roy, it’s alright. Officer Riley is just doing his job,” said Adam.

Ming Lin brought in the coffee service, setting it on the table and preparing coffee for everyone before he left the room.

“Our foreman, our ranch hands and the Ponderosa ranch hands, and my father and brothers can all vouch for us. We haven’t been doing much of anything but working since we got back.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re wife is a singer.”

“Yes, well, I haven’t been singing for the last month,” said Shiloh. “I’ve been training horses and updating ledgers.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, did you want Miss Peterson dead?”

“Well, you are direct, aren’t you?” she said, waving Adam, who stood up fuming, back down in his chair. “Miss Peterson came here for one purpose, and that was to try and come between my husband and me. We weren’t engaged at the time, and she almost did it. In fact, I was trying to sell my ranch and leave because of her when Adam proposed. But the thought of killing her never crossed my mind.”

“Do you know anyone who might want to harm her?” Shiloh bowed her head into her hand and rubbed her forehead.

“Natalie was sent here by Will Stewart,” explained Adam.

“Will Stewart…the new city attorney?”

Smiling, Adam leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “Yes.”

Officer Riley leaned back as well. “There’s obviously a story here.”

Adam relayed his past with Will, and then added Shiloh’s past, Will’s visit to Virginia City, and his attempts to see her in San Francisco when she was performing. He told Riley what Natalie had done while she was in Virginia City and that Roy had put her on the stagecoach and sent her out of town, but that she stopped in San Francisco. “We didn’t know that Will had resigned his seat in the Senate and had come to San Francisco until the day of our wedding. We found out he was the city attorney at the mayor’s banquet to celebrate the selection of plans for the new courthouse. You know the rest from the newspaper.”

“When was the last time you saw Will Stewart?”

“The night before we left for home he sent a bottle of champagne to our table at dinner. We didn’t see him. The maître d’ told us, and I told him we didn’t want it. We haven’t seen or heard anything about him since.”

“And what do you know about Mr. Stewart and Natalie Peterson?”

“He’s known her as long as I have. She was always near him, even back when we were in Boston, and she accompanied him to the mayor’s banquet. Beyond that, I only have my suspicions.”

“Officer Riley, Will Stewart was using her to get to me,” said Shiloh angrily. “If you want somewhere to look, you’d do well to start there.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, we do know that she was residing at his home. We also know that he’s rather distraught at her death.”

“You should also know that he’s a good actor,” she snapped.

“You think he’s capable of murder?”

She sighed heavily, looking over at Adam before she looked away. “He’s capable of a lot of things. I’m not sure murder is one of them.”

“Do you know why she might have wanted you dead?”

Shiloh started to speak, but hesitated, furrowing her brow. “I don’t understand.”

“We found a partially burned letter in the fire place at the Stewart residence. What was left of it said “Shiloh Cartwright/Isabella Whitney, $1,000 now…$1,000 after.”

As Shiloh stared toward the coffee table with her jaw slack, Adam watched the color drain from her face. When she looked away, Adam answered, “Natalie appeared to be jealous of Shiloh. Will is obsessed with Shiloh, and ever since Boston, Natalie has tried to hold his attention.”

“Do you know that for a fact, Mr. Cartwright?”

“I have no proof, if that’s what you mean. Their behavior toward Shiloh pretty much spelled it out.” As the policeman took notes, Adam got up and stood behind Shiloh’s chair. “Officer, what were the circumstances of Natalie’s death?” asked Adam.

“Her body was found floating underneath the docks in the harbor. At first we thought it was an accidental drowning, but the doctor we consulted said she was strangled. She had bruise marks around her neck the shape and size of a man’s hand. We also have a witness that saw her having dinner that evening with Mr. Stewart, but he said he had to go back to his office, and she went home alone.”

“Why would she have gone to the docks?” asked Shiloh. “She was gullible where Will was concerned, but she wasn’t stupid. I don’t think she would have gone to the docks by herself at any time.”

“We don’t think so either, Mrs. Cartwright. That’s why we’re investigating it as a murder.”

Officer Riley stood. “Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, thank you for your time.” The men stood and walked toward the front door.

“Oh, Adam, I almost forgot,” said Roy, pulling something out of his pocket. “Cecil brought these telegrams by when he found out I was comin’ this way.”

“Thanks, Roy.” Adam looked at the envelopes. “Wait for just a minute,” he said, opening an envelope from Jim Fischer. It contained only one sentence. Will Stewart left San Francisco two nights ago for parts unknown.

Adam drew his mouth into a tight line and handed the telegram to Officer Riley. “I’ll bet you a week’s pay he’s on his way here.”

**********

Daniel Slater sat at his own dining room table, enjoying his dinner. He had moved out of the house where he and his brother, Robert, had been raised, leaving it to Robert and his wife, Evelyn who had just found out she was expecting a child. Ever since Adam Cartwright came into the partnership, Robert had become intolerable, expecting him to take on more work to build the company, but Daniel preferred the current state of his life. He had enough income to make himself comfortable.

 

He smiled at the thought of the demise of the Cartwrights who had become San Francisco’s darlings despite the fact that they didn’t live there. Will Stewart had played his hand, walking the lovely Miss Peterson to the docks one evening, then disappearing under the guise that he needed some time away to mourn after hearing of her death. Stewart had booked passage for two to Europe before he left, listing his traveling companion as Miss Peterson.

 

Now, Daniel was going to make it easy for him. He had paid a handsome price to a man who would do his job and fade into the background, and with Adam Cartwright frequently riding alone on his huge expanse of land, no one would be the wiser. After all, the Cartwrights had all sorts of enemies. He knew Robert thought of him as one of those enemies, but Daniel was making sure he was seen all over San Francisco.

 

***

 

Waiting for Adam in the parlor while he saw their guests to the door, Shiloh sorted through the sheet music she had so unceremoniously dumped onto the floor. Once that was done, she paced in front of the fireplace and was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn’t hear him enter the room.

 

“Shiloh?”

 

She stopped pacing and turned, a wide array of emotions showing on her face. “Could he?” She followed him with her eyes as he walked to the liquor cabinet and poured a glass of brandy.

 

“Here,” he said, handing her the glass. “Drink this.”

 

“I don’t want a drink. I want…I need answers. Do you think she had…completed her transaction?”

 

“No, I don’t. I think Will found the letter, threw it in the fire, and then walked her to the docks.”

 

“Adam, he’d have to be out of his mind. He’s the city attorney. He has so much to lose.”

 

“Obsession like that is a sickness, Sweetheart. With Will, the more you fight him, the stronger his need to have you. I think he killed her because she was trying to kill you.”

 

Sinking down into the chair, she looked quite lost. The thought that anyone would want to kill her… “What am I supposed to do?” she said, her voice fading to a whisper.

 

“You’re not supposed to do anything,” he answered, kneeling in front of her. “You and I are going into town tomorrow. We’re having lunch as we planned.”

 

He stood and brought her up out of the chair, holding her face in his hands. “She can’t hurt you. She’s dead. And I have no intention of letting Will Stewart anywhere near you again.”

She was looking him in the eye, but he knew her mind was somewhere else, that intricate web of pathways carrying a hundred thoughts of every possible bad outcome, only this time, he was afraid she might overload. He shook her gently. “Shiloh.”

 

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. “May I have that brandy now,” she asked as tears began to well in her eyes. Reaching behind her, he took the glass from the side table and handed it to her, watching her tilt her head back to drink it all at once. “Another, please.”

 

He almost told her ‘no,’ but remembered many a time when he had belted several glasses of whiskey down to quiet the voices in his own head. This time he poured her a whiskey, and when she threw it back and handed him the glass, he studied her face, worried that the whiskey would rob her of her lucidity.

 

“If I had just stayed at home to become some man’s wife, obliviously happy to whelp out children and spend my days cooking and cleaning with a baby forever on my hip until I was old and used up…” She took the glass from his hands, stepped around him and went to pour another whiskey which she once again threw back. This time she swayed, and when she moved to catch herself on the cabinet, the glass dropped from her hand, shattering on the floor.

 

Hearing the noise, Ming Lin appeared. “I’m sorry, Ming Ling. Mrs. Cartwright isn’t feeling well.”

 

“Please do not apologize, Mr. Cartwright. I will clean the spill up at once,” he said, retreating to get a broom and cloth.

 

Shiloh hadn’t noticed Ming Lin reenter the room. “No one would ever have known anything about me and everyone would have been better off.” She looked pitifully back at Adam. “And he wouldn’t be hell-bent on destroying you.”

 

Adam sucked in a breath when he saw the deeply tormented look on her face. She began to sag as the whiskey took hold of her, and he caught her, lifting her into his arms. “Ming Lin, would you mind locking up? We won’t be back down tonight.”

 

***

 

Adam watched her as she slept fitfully, knowing that if not for the whiskey, she’d be wide awake. Her head tossed from side to side occasionally as her hands clenched the sheets. Sometimes she mumbled. Whatever she was doing, the tormented look on her face never left. He finally surrounded her with his arms, holding her against him as he held her hands, and when she fought him, his whispers in her ear seemed to calm her for a time.

 

Hours later, Adam drifted off with her when she finally succumbed to a deeper sleep. His plans to let her sleep in were extended until she woke up at eight.

 

Still holding her tightly against him, Adam awoke when she stirred. He relaxed his grip on her hands. “How are you?”

 

“I must not have slept very well,” she answered quietly. “I feel as tired as if I stayed up and worked.”

 

“You did work…in a way. Apparently you were working through the news about Natalie and Will.” When she moved to her back, he opened his arms, and when she had settled back against him, he held her again.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You tossed and turned…and talked most of the night.”

 

She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I kept you up, didn’t I?”

 

Nodding, he answered, “For a little while. But you settled down. We’ve slept a little later than I planned, but it’s alright. You needed the rest.”

 

“Adam, what do you think Will’s going to do?”

 

He sighed. “Nothing would surprise me at this point. I’m putting two men on you until we know what he does.” He brushed her hair back away from her face, and softly touched her lips with his. “I love you, Shiloh. I won’t let anything happen to you.” When she looked up at him, he saw complete trust in her eyes, and he kissed her like he had when he married her with all the emotion in his heart.

 

She pressed her cheek against his and whispered in his ear, “I love you, too; more than anything.” She moved back and looked him in the eye. “I even love your prickly whiskers,” she said as she rubbed her cheek.

 

Unwrapping his arms, he turned and sat up, reaching in a drawer of the night table on his side of the bed and pulling out a clean under garment. “I will take care of my prickly whiskers then.”

 

She did the same, and when she pulled on fresh drawers and camisole, she went to the closet to pick out her clothes for the day. “We’re getting supplies today, aren’t we?”

 

“We might as well while we’re in town. Hoss said we have some packages waiting that we’d need the buckboard for, so we’ll pick those up, too.” He pulled his pants up, leaving them unfastened so he could tuck his shirt in after he shaved, and turned. “What are you doing?”

 

She looked at him guardedly. “I’m dressing?”

 

“Oh no. I’m not taking you into a nice restaurant in your britches.”

 

“But don’t we have to load a wagon?”

 

“No, we do not. There will be no more loading wagons for you.” She crossed her arms insolently, and he gave her an amused look. “I’m making no slight regarding your ability to load a wagon, Shiloh, but there are some things you’re just going to have to let me do.”

 

“And what am I going to be doing while you load the wagon?”

 

“Shopping, reading the mail, sitting on the seat, looking beautiful…” he winked. “All those things that ladies of the house do.” She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off, raising his eyebrows and a finger. “Uh uh uh. You have a husband, and even though I know the thought of letting a man do anything for you goes against some of things you were taught in New York, you knew what you were getting into when you married me. It’s called compromise, young lady, and it’s time you learned. Besides, there’s no denying, Sweetheart, that you are a woman,” he said, letting his eyes rove over her, flaring his nostrils and wearing a lascivious smile. She suddenly felt quite exposed, and held her blouse up in front of her; an action that made Adam laugh. He pulled a clean, black shirt out of their closet, and standing behind her, bent and kissed her neck. “I have seen you naked.” She spun around with her eyes wide, and took a step back, but he stepped forward with her and cupped her chin in his hand, stealing a kiss. “I promise I won’t tell anyone,” he whispered secretively, moving his eyes from side to side with a pleased look on his face that made her giggle. “Now, get dressed. I’ll be downstairs removing my prickly whiskers.” She cocked her head and smiled coquettishly as she watched him leave the room with a smile on his face.

 

When she arrived in the kitchen, he was just walking in from the bath house cleanly shaven. Pulling her chair out for her, he motioned for her to be seated, then took the seat next to her. He could see she was in a better mood than she had been last night, and hoped she had forgotten about Will and Natalie for the moment and could enjoy her day. Little did he know that Officer Riley had already been asking questions in town…questions that would have everyone in Virginia City talking.

**********

 

When the buckboard rolled in to town, Adam and Shiloh didn’t notice people stopping to watch at first. But as they got closer to Mr. Cass’s store, Adam saw Shiloh’s hand search for his, and when he looked at her, she was looking around them, having noticed they were being observed closely.

 

Shifting the reins to one hand, he grasped Shiloh’s hand and squeezed. “Sweetheart?”

 

“Adam, everyone is watching us.”

 

Adam looked to the sidewalk on either side of town. A group of men had walked out of the saloon carrying their mugs of beer, while pockets of women gathered here and there, whispering back and forth to each other.

 

When they passed Cass’s store, Shiloh turned back to Adam. “Where are you going?”

 

“Roy’s office.”

 

After he stopped the buckboard, Adam reached up for Shiloh and set her down on the street next to him, then took her hand and led her up the steps in front of the sheriff’s office. He knocked on the door and opened it, finding Roy sitting at his desk.

 

“Adam, Mrs. Cartwright, what brings you here?” asked Roy, standing.

 

“Roy, is that police officer from San Francisco still here?” asked Adam.

 

“He is. He’s leavin’ on the noon stage today.”

 

“Did he talk to anyone while he was here besides us?”

 

“As a matter of fact, he did. He spoke to the ladies that were at the dress shop the day Miss Peterson and Mrs. Cartwright fought.”

 

Shaking her head, Shiloh looked downward in disgust. “The head of the Virginia City Gossip Society.”

 

“Somethin’ wrong Adam?”

 

Leading Shiloh back to the door, Adam looked back at Roy. “Nothing you can do anything about, Roy.” He tipped his hat on the way out the door. Once Shiloh was back up on the seat of the buckboard, Adam climbed up and turned the buckboard back toward Cass’s store. “Shiloh, if you don’t want to stay, we can get the supplies and go home.”

 

She smiled and patted his leg. “It’s alright, Adam. People are going to talk about me every time my name appears in the newspaper because of my performances. I may as well get used to it. Maybe we could talk to Sam Clemens. If he’d write the story, Virginia City could hear it from us instead of Mrs. Gable, who I’m sure only got bits and pieces from Officer Riley.”

 

Adam winked and pulled back on the reins, stopping the buckboard in front of the store. “We’ll give Mr. Cass our order, then walk down to the Enterprise.”

 

Will Cass saw the buckboard pull in front of the store, but waited behind his counter until the Cartwrights came in. “Mr. Cartwright, Mrs. Cartwright, what can I do for you today?”

 

“Will, why the formality?” asked Adam.

 

Cass dropped his eyes to the counter, nervously shuffling his order book. “That business about Miss Peterson. The whole town has heard that Mrs. Cartwright was accused of killing her.”

 

“Now Will, you know better than to listen to gossip, and that’s all it is. My wife was at the ranch when Miss Peterson was killed.”

 

“That’s not all, Adam. There’s this business about the senator.”

 

Glaring, Adam asked, “What about the senator?”

 

Cass pulled a San Francisco newspaper from under the counter, handing it to Adam. While Adam read, Shiloh stood back wearing a troubled frown. When he raised his head and looked out in front of him, Shiloh slipped the paper out of his hand, walking to the far side of the store to read. Scandal…love triangle…power struggle…reputation of an actress….

 

Adam watched her shoulders slowly slump as she read the article. “Will, surely you know none of that is true,” he said in a low voice.

 

“Well, she was involved with him.”

 

“She ended that courtship before she left Boston. She was with me then entire time we were in San Francisco, and if there is a power struggle, Stewart is fighting himself.” Adam turned to collect Shiloh and leave, but turned back around. “And she’s not an actress. She sings.” He took the newspaper from Shiloh, laying it on a counter, then took her elbow and guided her to the door. “We’ll be back in a few hours to load the wagon.”

 

Once outside, Adam laid her hand on his arm and walked her toward the Territorial Enterprise office. Walking close to his side, she remained a half step behind him until he pulled her forward. “You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, Shiloh. Hold your head up. If you shy away from them, they’ll think you have something to hide.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so humiliated.”

 

Adam stopped and faced her, sticking his thumbs in his gun belt. “Shiloh, where’s the determination you’ve always had to prove people wrong? This is no different.”

 

Avoiding his eyes, she said, “Adam, as much as I try, it’s not getting any better. People are just too willing to believe the worst.”

 

He raised his hands to the sides of her face and kissed her forehead. “There will always be people like that. And they’ll be quicker to believe anything that’s written now that your name is Cartwright. There are people who don’t like us. The only person you have to answer to is you.”

 

“And what about you?”

 

“I know the truth about you. That’s why I fell in love with you,” he said, giving her a loving smile. “Now, let’s go talk to Sam, and then we’ll have a lunch at the club.”

 

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and walked with her head high to the Enterprise offices where Sam was waiting for them at the door. “I heard you were in town and thought you might pay a visit to, uh, set things straight.” Holding out his hand, he said, “Adam, how are you?”

 

“I’m well, Sam,” he responded, taking Sam’s hand.

 

“And you, Mrs. Cartwright?”

 

“Sam, that sounds so stodgy coming out of your mouth. I’d like to think we’re friends.”

 

“That’s fine by me, if it’s alright with your husband,” he said, looking back at Adam, who snorted and smiled.

 

“And do I understand that you’re Mark now?”

 

“To you, dear lady, it’s still Sam as it is with all my close friends. The rest of the world can call me Mark. Why don’t you two step into my office and tell me everything? We’ll put a halt to the gossip.”

 

***

 

Mort Williams stood back in the shadows of the alley that had become his favorite place to watch Virginia City go about its day. Barrels and crates sat the entrance, hiding his presence, and it was easy to get comfortable while avoiding curious eyes. Setting himself up across from the International House, he watched as Will Stewart arrived, wearing pinstriped black trousers, white shirt, black vest and gray hat; a departure from the suit that screamed senator or city attorney. He rode in on horseback, wearing a gun, and not a soul recognized him. The ruse was completed by his registration at the hotel as David Reynolds.

 

Will Stewart wasn’t the only stranger in town that had escaped everyone’s scrutiny. This stranger was sitting on a chair outside the Sazerac, watching every move the Cartwrights made.

 

***

 

Seated in an alcove of the club, Adam watched Shiloh as he ordered their lunch. “You seem to feel a little better,” he said after the waiter had left the table.

 

Looking around at the people there, she said, “You find out who your friends are when you’re a public figure, don’t you? Only, I didn’t start with as many friends as you.”

 

“You’re not going to go all the way back to your school days, are you? That’s ancient history. Look around. These people are under scrutiny all the time. There are people in town who resent them, and though some of them might deserve it, they don’t let it ruin their day.”

 

“Are you saying I shouldn’t care what people think of me?”

 

“No, I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is that you can’t win everyone over. There will always be someone who doesn’t like you, either for your fame, your money, your talent…”

 

“Or that I stole Adam Cartwright right from under their noses,” she said, grinning.

 

Grinning back, he said, “I had to belong to someone before you could steal me, and I assure you, I did not.”

 

Shiloh placed her napkin on her lap and twirled the glass of wine that had just been poured for her. “Adam, what would you say if I said I wanted to stop performing?”

 

He had just taken a sip of wine, then set the glass back on the table and leaned back, considering her. “That’s the second time you’ve brought that up since we’ve been home. Sweetheart, don’t you want to give it a chance?”

 

“It would seem that the worst part of my reputation comes from that. Doesn’t that bother you; that your wife is seen that way? Doesn’t that embarrass you?”

 

Leaning forward, he took her hand. “Not in the least. I know what was written in the newspaper isn’t true. And a Cartwright doesn’t bend to everyone else’s whim. If you quit, it has to be because you don’t enjoy it any longer…not because some faceless people don’t like you.”

 

After the waiter delivered their food, Shiloh studied her plate and said, “Adam?” He looked up with eyebrows raised. “I was telling you that I wanted to teach another person to train horses.”

 

“Mm hm.”

 

“I’m going to teach Tommy,” she said, glancing up.

 

Adam stopped in mid-chew, put his fork on his plate, and wiped his mouth. “Tom Baker?”

 

“Johnny said he did very well while we were away, and he took it upon himself to take care of the horses in the south pasture while Johnny was at the Ponderosa. He said Tommy had a way with the horses…that he was very gentle with them. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him and more.” She looked hopefully at him, but he was still frowning. “Adam, he took a bullet for us.”

 

“Aren’t you afraid that anyone outside the family you teach might venture out on their own?”

 

“We could have him sign a contract that he won’t do that…or share it with anyone else.”

 

“And you think that would stop him?”

 

“I don’t think that he would, but even if he did, we’d have legal recourse. Besides, I don’t have any illusions that someone else won’t figure this out eventually. I’m counting on our reputation to sustain us.”

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

She twisted her mouth. “I’m not asking permission. The horses are mine.”

 

He sighed and said, “Eat your lunch,” then leaned forward to finish his.

**********

After lunch, Shiloh and Adam walked to the post office where several large boxes were waiting with the rest of the mail. “We’ll have to bring the buckboard back to pick up these boxes,” said Adam as he mailed off work that was ready for Robert Slater to check while Shiloh sorted through the mail they had received.

 

She turned back toward Cass’s store with the mail while Adam stood watching her go. He crooked his jaw, knowing she was still miffed at him, then hurried to catch up, taking her hand as he reached her side. “You know I’m just watching out for you.”

 

The way she let her head drop back slightly and continued to look ahead made him think she was going to refuse to talk, but when they got to the buckboard, she took his hands in hers when he reached for her waist to help her onto the seat. He knew the look on her face meant she was thinking carefully about her next words, so he waited quietly. “I would like to discuss this at home, but you’re making me feel…helpless. I know the risks I’m taking, Adam. I understand your need to take care of me, but I think you’re being…” She winced. “Too protective.” She watched his nostrils flare and waited for his shoulders and chest to rise from the deep breath he always took when he felt he was being challenged. Glancing up at him, she bit her lip.

 

He looked over her head. “Do you want to wait on the buckboard or on the chair in front of the store?”

 

Turning toward the wagon, she answered, “Buckboard. We have to go back to the post office for those boxes before you load, don’t we?”

 

“We do,” he said, lifting her by her waist as she pulled herself up into the seat.

 

The short trip to the post office was chilly even though the sun was shining on what was turning out to be a pleasantly warm day. When Adam stopped the buckboard, Shiloh grabbed his hand as he turned to leave, gently rubbing her thumb over the back and down his fingers. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to tell you…”

 

Dropping his head, he pursed his lips, and then looked back at her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “We’ll talk at home. I’ll be right back.”

 

The boxes had been left just inside the door of the post office, so Adam felt Shiloh was safe on the seat of the buckboard. He didn’t notice three horsemen slowly riding toward them, and he jumped down from the buckboard and pushed open the post office door. The three men stopped next to the wagon, and the man closest to Shiloh tipped his hat. “Mrs. Cartwright.”

 

Looking at each of the three faces, she asked just as Adam came out of the post office carrying a box, “Do I know you?” Adam put the box on the back of the buckboard, and while his gun was hidden from the riders, he removed the leather strap from the hammer.

 

“No ma’am. We haven’t met. Have a nice day.” The men rode on, stopping in front of the Bucket of Blood.

 

Adam watched them until they disappeared through the batwing doors, and then reached up to Shiloh, taking her arm. “Wait inside the post office. I’ll be right back.”

 

“What are you going to do?” she asked, looking from the saloon back to Adam.

 

Leaning down and kissing her, he ushered her through the door. “I’m just going to have a friendly conversation.” He closed the door behind her, and walked down to the Bucket of Blood, pausing at the batwing doors to look over the interior of the saloon. Two of the men were seated at a table while the third man stood at the bar, talking to one of the girls. He pushed through the swinging doors, and walked over to the table. “Gentlemen. I’m Adam…”

 

“We know who you are, Cartwright.”

 

“And just how do you know my wife?”

 

Snorting, the man said, “Everyone knows your wife, Cartwright. She’s famous in these parts.”

 

“I haven’t seen you around town. Are you staying or passing through?”

 

The second of the two men moved his hand to his gun and started to stand, but the man who was doing the talking put a hand on his arm and shook his head after watching Sam, the bartender pull a shotgun from under the bar.

 

“Don’t know yet. We’re trying our hand at a little mining not too far out of town. We’re just here to wet our throats,” he said, slowly standing with his thumbs stuck into his gun belt. “You can’t blame a man for noticing a pretty girl, can you?”

 

“Good luck with the mining,” said Adam coldly. “And while you’re here, stay away from my wife.” Tipping his hat to Sam, he turned and walked out of the saloon.

 

The man who had been at the bar sat down at the table. “You just gonna let him go?”

 

“For now. Ain’t no reason to upset the whole town. We don’t want anyone to start askin’ questions.”

 

Shiloh had been pacing just inside the door of the post office when Adam pushed it open. “Is everything alright?” she asked anxiously.

 

He smiled and answered as if nothing had happened. “Everything’s fine. You stay right here while I finish loading these boxes.” When he finished, he helped her back up onto the seat of the buckboard, then drove back to Cass’s store. Looking at her with a sweetly conniving smile, he asked, “Why don’t you sit on the chair down here out of the sun?”

 

“Actually, Adam, I prefer to sit here. There’s a breeze, and I’m afraid I’ll be chilly in the shade.”

 

“But, Sweetheart, you don’t have your bonnet,” he said, wearing the same smile, but adding raised eyebrows.

 

She laughed. “You can see me just fine through the window, and I promise if anyone tries to kidnap me, I’ll scream at the top of my lungs before I poke him in the eye.”

 

He scowled and waved his head back and forth, then spun and went into the store. Will Cass had everything stacked neatly in front of the window. He had already moved the bags of grain, corn, potatoes and onions out in front of the store. While Adam loaded, Shiloh read her mail. She had a letter from Annie and one from Edwin, and she read those first. The third letter only had her name and the ranch on the outside of the envelope, but she recognized the handwriting. She left it sealed and put it at the bottom of the pile. Turning on the seat, she watched as Adam hefted a box and placed it on the back of the wagon.

 

“Are you sure I can’t help you?”

 

He had turned back toward the store, and stopped, slowly pivoting on his heel. “I’m sure,” he said, smiling.

 

“Adam, who were those men that you followed to the saloon?”

 

“They’re new in town. They said they were miners,” he answered as he hefted a bag onto his shoulder.

 

“Miners? Do the miners around here usually wear guns?”

 

With his back to her, he tightened his lips into a line and furrowed his brow, wishing she had forgotten about those men. He bent to lift another bag. “Some of them do.” He knew they weren’t miners. They were more likely hired guns, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. In fact, he was going to do his best to change the subject. “Was that a letter from Edwin I saw?”

 

“Yes. I got a letter from Annie, too.”

 

“How’s Annie?” he said, adjusting the load for another box.

 

“She said she’s enjoying her classes. She’s doing some things she wasn’t allowed to do with the doctor she worked for, but she was able to watch, and that’s making it all much easier. There are only eight women in her class, so they all get opportunities to do the work.”

 

“Edwin?”

 

“He didn’t say so, but he misses Mollie terribly. He’s trying to occupy his and Edwina’s time, and he talked about things they used to do with Mollie. He has an apartment near the theatre, and he’s hired a woman to help take care of Edwina.”

 

Laying the last bag on the wagon, he said, “I’ll pay for this, and then we can head home.”

 

***

 

Will Stewart noticed Shiloh sitting on the seat of the buckboard at the post office. He watched Adam load the packages, and then drive to one of the town’s stores. He walked to the livery, looking like every other working man on the streets of Virginia City. Saddling his horse, he rode out of town unnoticed and waited a little ways down the road for the Cartwrights to ride by.

While he was waiting, hidden behind some brush growing up out of boulders, another man rode by and pulled his horse up, then guided it up a steep embankment another forty feet down the road. Standing on a high boulder, he held a rifle and watched in the direction he had come. When Will heard the wagon, he saw the other man duck down into the rocks. The rifle barrel was still visible and was following the buckboard.

**********

Mort Williams had followed Will Stewart out of town and had seen the man with the rifle as well. He gambled that Stewart would do nothing with the Cartwrights together, knowing that he was no match for Adam’s gun. Riding out behind the man with the rifle, he went a distance he knew would be enough to distract the hidden man, but close enough for Adam to become wary. He fired two shots into the air, then rode ahead to be sure the Cartwrights continued safely on their way.

 

***

 

Adam and Shiloh heard gun shots and looked, but rather than stopping, Adam flicked the reins to send the horses into a trot. “Hold on.”

 

“Adam, that was some distance away,” said Shiloh loudly to be heard over the noise of the horses and wagon. “It was probably someone hunting.”

 

With his jaw set, he answered, “I’m not taking any chances. We’re an easy target below these boulders.” He drove the horses until they came into a wide clearing on a hill with an unobstructed view all around them. Pulling the reins, he stopped the horses and stood, pulling his gun from his holster and slowly turning all the way around. His squint from the sunlight seemed to soften his tensed features, but Shiloh knew he was on high alert.

 

She sighed, and bowed her head, crossing her hands in her lap. Turning to step down off the buckboard, he stopped and looked at her. “Shiloh?”

 

She answered without looking back at him. “Will I ever be able to go anywhere without you believing someone is out to harm me?”

 

He continued down off the wagon and to the back, and began readjusting the load. When he climbed back up on the seat, he turned to her. “As long as Will Stewart is close, and until we find out who’s following you, I’m not taking any chances with your life.” Taking her face in his hands, he moved close, almost nose to nose. “I would never forgive myself if I allowed Will Stewart to get to you…to hurt you.” Pressing his lips to hers, he pulled her into him.

 

When she opened her eyes, her eyes met his and saw the love she understood, but there was something else in his eyes she didn’t comprehend. She moved her hand to his face. “Adam?”

 

He kissed her again, lingering before he said, “I need to get you home.” Taking her hand, he wrapped her arm around his, and then drove down the road toward the Flying W.

 

When they arrived, Ming Lin came out of the kitchen and began unloading the kitchen supplies. Johnny and Billy took the bags of grain into the barn, and Adam took the packages into the parlor.

 

“Shiloh!”

 

Hurrying from the kitchen, she stepped into the parlor. “You don’t have to yell.”

 

“How are you going to hear me in the kitchen if I don’t yell?” he asked, setting three of the packages on the floor in front of the sofa.

 

“Well, you could come and get me.”

 

“Come over here,” he said, sitting on the sofa and patting the cushion next to him. When she was seated next to him, he put his arm around her. “The rest of this day is going to be better, I promise. Now, open your birthday presents.”

 

“You bought me birthday presents?” she asked, looking at the boxes. “When did you have time?”

 

“I bought them while we were in San Francisco.”

 

“Adam, I haven’t celebrated my birthday since….” Her mouth moved, but she didn’t say the rest. She looked away.

 

Drawing her closer, he whispered in her ear, “I know, Sweetheart. Now, why don’t you open these?”

 

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she slowly removed the lid of the first box, and brushing the straw away that had been used as packing, she picked up a dinner plate with the pattern she had admired during their first walk in San Francisco. Looking back at him with a wide grin, she moved the lid off the second box, finding the crystal she had seen in the same shop, and moving finally to the last smaller box, she lifted an interior box into her lap. “Silver.” The silver service was engraved with a ‘C’ surrounded by roses. Leaning into him, she smiled demurely, turning her face up to his and sharing a tender kiss. “They’re wonderful, Adam. You watched me.”

 

“Hm…one of my favorite pastimes. A new bride needs new china, crystal and silver to go with her new house. I know some of your mother’s china is missing or chipped, and I don’t think you have a full set of silver. And speaking of houses, I’ve hired a crew, so as soon as I can measure out the foundation, work on the house will begin. While I’m doing that, those men are going to remove that window,” he said, pointing to the biggest window in the parlor, “and move your piano in.”

 

She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Adam, I’ve missed my piano. I won’t have to disturb your father anymore.”

 

“I’m not sure he’s going to be happy. He mentioned he was getting used to the music in the house, at least when you were playing and not writing.”

 

She giggled and shrugged. “Yes, well, when I’m writing, it’s hit and miss…literally. Adam, can we ride over to your land? I’d like to see it.”

 

His head cocked, and his face took on a mildly unsettled look. “It’s our land,” he said quietly. “It’s our house. Shiloh, all this,” he said, waving his hand around him, “and everything we acquire in the future is ours, not mine. I know the legal question has been on your mind, especially since we signed that first contract in Sacramento, but that’s not how I feel.”

 

“I know all this is ours. But, Adam…the Ponderosa belongs to your father. What he gave to you is a piece of something he worked so hard for. It will always belong to the Cartwrights.”

 

He looked away for a moment, and then looked back in disbelief. “What is your last name?”

 

“Well…it’s…”

 

“It’s Cartwright.”

 

“Adam, I don’t have the blood and sweat that built the Ponderosa running through my veins.”

 

Standing, Adam walked to the fireplace and spun around. “Pa’s dream was to find a place to raise his sons; a place to leave us and our families. You, Shiloh, are my family.” He stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at the floor. “How can you think that way about the Ponderosa when you’re so willing to call this…” he raised his hand and glanced up, “…ours.”

 

She looked at her hands on her lap, smiled and took a deep breath before she rose from the sofa and walked to him, placing her hands at his sides. “My father moved here for Micah and me; to get us away from what he knew was coming in the South. As he predicted, there is a war raging there. And though he did it for us, what he thought about this ranch…all this was supposed to be Micah’s; not mine. I was supposed to be taken care of by someone else because I was the daughter. When Micah died, Daddy didn’t really do much with the ranch, other than to keep it going to sustain us. His love was his horses. I think he expected me to sell it. The Ponderosa is much bigger than this, Adam, and I don’t mean in size. It’s the name. It’s the legacy.” She stepped into him and gazed into his eyes. “It’s your legacy.”

 

“What good is a legacy, if I can’t share it with the woman I love?”

 

Her eyes smiled as she looked into his. “I’ve told you before…I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. But Adam, the Ponderosa is in your blood, and it will be in the blood of our children. And I’m not saying that it won’t be a wonderful place to raise them with you, but it will never be a living, breathing part of me like it is for you.”

 

“Then what is the Flying W?”

 

“I told you…it’s Micah’s.”

 

“Shiloh…Micah is dead.”

 

Smiling sweetly up at him, she said, “I have looked into my brother’s eyes, Adam. He will be back, and when he comes, the Flying W will be his as my father meant it to be. Now, can we go look at the land where you’re building the house?”

 

She tiptoed and kissed his chin, then walked past him out of the parlor. He didn’t move other than to turn his head to watch her go. His jaw was crooked, and he looked back toward the cold fireplace as if to find an answer to the question running repeatedly through his mind; a question he didn’t want to put into words; a question of his wife’s sanity.

********

Adam pulled the buggy underneath trees at the top of a hill. On one side was a view of the lake, its shores trailing out in both directions from them and covered by a tall, stately alpine forest. Straight across the blue expanse that seemed to go on forever, one could just make out the tops of the mountains far off on the other side. If not for those mountains reaching up from the blue, a person seeing the vastness of the water for the first time might think they had reached the ocean.

 

On the other side of the hill was a field of high grass, its green flowing down from their position like a river, spreading over miles and miles of fertile land dotted with black and live oak.

 

“We’ll build the house here,” said Adam. “The back will face the lake. The front will look out over the pastures, and the road will come up from the left the way we came up. We’ll build the horse barn and riding corrals down there,” he said, pointing. “These cattle are ours. I started building my own herd after we got back from your performance in San Francisco.”

 

Stepping on something hard, Shiloh looked down. Below her feet were the remnants of a stump. “Adam, this land has been cleared. Was this part of the forest?”

 

“I’ve spent the better part of the last year clearing these fields and planting pasture grass.”

 

The corner of her mouth curled up. “After we got back from San Francisco?”

 

“I knew how I felt even then,” he said, drawing her into him. Bending down to her, he whispered, “I was just waiting for you.” They kissed, and then looked back at each other’s eyes. His hands moved down the sides of her back and over and around her hips where he pulled her against him. Anywhere else, his next kiss might have been seen as indecent, but here alone, she was his to kiss as he pleased, and by the way she pressed into him, he knew she was not going to object. Taking her hand, he led her to a shaded area underneath the boughs of two huge oaks where the sun filtered through and the hay was waist high. Their wide grins soon changed to salacious hunger as they slowly disappeared into the grass.

 

***

 

Lying on his side propped up on an elbow, he broke a straw from above their heads, and stuck one end in his mouth. She was lying on her back with her arms at her sides, eyes closed, lips parted, her hair spread out above her shoulders; the picture of peaceful bliss.

Pulling another straw, he drew the seeded end from her forehead, down her nose, across her lips, and when her eyes opened, watching him, he continued down her neck and between her breasts to her navel where he stopped and circled.

 

“You didn’t check your calendar.”

 

“That would have been exceedingly difficult to do since it’s at home on the night table.”

 

“Aren’t you worried?”

 

She reached up and took the straw from his mouth, transferring it to hers. Then she took the straw he was using to tickle her stomach and turned it on him, making circlets in his chest hair.

 

Grabbing the straw, he threw it over her and pulled her to her side and up against him. “You didn’t answer me.”

 

“Did you notice a difference?” she asked, running her finger down his nose and into the cleft of his chin, after which she kissed it.

 

“Mm hm. You weren’t worried, and because you weren’t worried, I wasn’t. It was like our first night in Santa Cruz. But what does that mean?” he asked with creased eyebrows.

 

“It means I’m not going to worry about it anymore. I miss you. I miss the way we were in Santa Cruz and on the beach.”

 

He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck while he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

 

“I have Hoss trained to the point that he can carry the horse business forward with some guidance. In another two months, I can have Tommy trained, and I’ll still have time to get all my performance contracts completed.” She moved her hand behind his head and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling herself so close she was touching her nose to his. Her lips brushed his. “I may not be.”

 

He smiled and touched her lips. “You may be.” He looked into her eyes, and seeing the twinkle there, he wrapped his arms around her, covering her lips with his. When they rolled back onto the ground, they were laughing.

 

***

 

Mort Williams was comfortable among the graves at the top of the hill. It had been a long time since Shiloh had been up to see them. Before her engagement, she came up and spoke to them regularly, but since, she hadn’t been up there once. The rhododendron had grown into a nice hedge that blocked the view of the base of the tree from the house. It was here that he sat and leaned with his ankles crossed, waiting for them to return.

 

Stewart had turned back toward town after the gun shots had stirred Adam into moving the buckboard quickly down the road. The other man had followed them to the ranch and watched them enter the house. He stayed only a few minutes before he left, but he didn’t head in the direction of town. He headed further up into the mountains.

 

For now, Williams was happy right where he was. The Cartwrights headed onto Ponderosa land in the opposite direction from the man with the rifle, and he was sure they were going to the land that Adam’s father had set aside for him. He’d wait for them to return and stay until he was sure they were in for the night. Then he’d make his way to the hayloft in the barn to get a little sleep before he went back to his post at the top of the hill before the ranch hands began to stir; about the time the lamp was turned up in the window of their bedroom.

 

***

 

Shiloh and Adam sat in the buggy underneath a blanket, waiting for the sun to dip below the mountain range across the lake to the west. The yellows and oranges slowly changed to pink as the sun slowly disappeared, and the haze in front of the mountains to the edges of the lake turned slate blue, both colors reflecting off the still water. The trees and boulders in the foreground stood as sentinels, shadowed in black against the pale pink and blue of the sky and the lake.

 

Adam had driven the buggy down the hill to a spot on the shore of the lake where he planned to build a small summerhouse for picnics and fishing with their children.

 

Snuggling into his side under his arm, Shiloh glanced happily up to his face. “It’s almost mystical, isn’t it? I half expect to see a sea monster glide by.”

 

He chuckled. “On this very spot, I’m going to build you a summerhouse so you can sit out of the sun and enjoy the view.”

 

“Is this part of the land your father gave you?”

 

“It is. Right down below these rocks is a small beach with boulders that go a hundred feet into the water.”

 

“I’d love to see it.”

 

He leaned down to kiss her. “Not today. We don’t have enough light left. In fact, we need to head for home.” Pulling his arm from around her, they both sat up straight on the seat. Adam picked up the reins, and they were on their way back to the Flying W.

 

After a quiet ride, they pulled into the yard, and Billy came out of the bunkhouse to take care of the buggy. “Thank you, Billy,” said Adam as he gently lowered Shiloh’s feet to the ground.

 

Ming Lin met them at the door to tell them that dinner was ready, and when they went into the dining room, the lamps had been dimmed and two candles had been placed on the table and lit. Her new china, crystal and silver graced the lace tablecloth, and a chocolate cake sat in the center. Roses from the Ponderosa garden had been arranged around the candlesticks. Shiloh smiled, cutting her eyes back toward Adam, who guided her to her seat at the table. When he was seated, Ming Lin served them chicken pot pie from the sideboard, and when he excused himself, Adam took her hand.

 

“Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.”

 

“Chicken pot pie?” she asked, grinning.

 

“That’s your favorite, isn’t it?”

 

“How would you know that?”

 

“It’s the only thing Hop Sing ever made that you had seconds.”

 

After dinner when they retired to their room, Shiloh sat on the side of the bed, flipping through the calendar book she had made when they returned from their honeymoon. Adam slipped underneath the covers behind her and leaned over, looking around her. She smiled at him and handed him the book which he immediately tossed to the floor next to his boots. Taking her hand, he pulled her into the bed.

********

“Mornin’ Mrs. Cartwright,” said Hank as he removed his hat and sat it on the chair next to her. He reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.

“Good morning, Hank. Have you had breakfast?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Pulling a piece of paper from his shirt pocket, he slid it across the table. “Here’s the cattle count from the round-up. We’re all finished.”

Shiloh looked at the piece of paper and smiled. “That many more? Any losses?”

“A few, but not as many as I thought with the rough winter we had.”

“Hank,” said Adam as he walked into the kitchen with his hand extended. Shiloh poured a cup of coffee and sat it next to Adam’s plate. When he sat down, she handed him the piece of paper. “You’re kidding.”

“No, sir. We only lost about fifty head. The boys watched ‘em like hawks.”

“I’ll want to run some of the heifers up to our property on the Ponderosa. I’ve brought in some Longhorns and Herefords from Texas to fill out the herd. So don’t let anyone go. We’ll be able to use some men over there.”

“The men will sure be happy to hear that, Mr. Cartwright, but I was hoping to use the extra men to finish up the repairs. Here’s a list,” said Hank, pushing another piece of paper over to Adam who picked it up and laid it on the table between him and Shiloh. “The sheds we repaired last year held up real good, but we’ve got a whole line of fence down on the east side, and the dam over Soldier Creek is about to give.”

Shiloh pointed to an item on the list. “The bridge over the wash?”

“Yes ma’am, one of the main timbers is split. It gave a bit when we ran the chuck wagon over it. I don’t think it’ll hold up much longer.”

Nodding, Adam said, “I’ll ride out and take a look. We can cut a new timber up at the logging camp, but if we have to replace any of the cross boards, will have to buy them at the mill in town. We can’t use our mill while we’re milling the square sets.”

Before Adam finished his sentence, they all heard a loud explosion that brought them all to their feet and to the front porch. “That came from up near the rim,” said Hank. “Close to the place we found that body while you were in San Francisco. There’s nothing up there to blast.”

Shiloh turned to Adam. “You don’t suppose that’s where the ore that Sam King had assayed came from, do you?”

Adam pursed his lips, then stepped back inside the door and came back out with his hat and gun belt. He turned to kiss Shiloh, and was stopped cold by the look on her face. “You’re not going.”

She turned into the house, and he narrowed his eyes, thinking that was too easy, but turned and went to the barn anyway, hoping she wasn’t going to come back out. When she hurried into the barn, wearing her hat and carrying a rifle and a box of ammunition, he stepped in front of her, grabbing the barrel of the rifle. He pulled, and she pulled back. “Shiloh, there’s no need for you to go. We might not find anything.”

“Then you shouldn’t have a problem with me going.” He wasn’t expecting the jerk that pulled the rifle out of his hand at the same time she side-stepped around him toward her horse. She leaned the rifle against a stall wall, and began to saddle Spirit. Standing at her elbow, he glared at her over her shoulder, but she ignored him. “Adam, I’m almost ready to leave. You should finish saddling Sport.” She heard him take a slow, deep breath, and braced herself for whatever physical assertion he was about to use.

He grabbed her forearm and spun her around, squeezing tightly. She refused to wince or look away, and for a moment they shared angry stares. Adam eased his grip on her arm, but still held it, and let out a slow, quiet breath. “I don’t want you to go, Shiloh,” he said calmly. “If there’s shooting…”

She wasn’t calmed by his attempt to win her over. “I have been running out to deal with trouble since I came home from Boston,” she spat. “And if there’s shooting, you might get hurt. That works both ways. Now unless you’re going to tie me to a post or a chair, I suggest you get your horse saddled, because I’m ready to go.”

Flaring his nostrils, he walked away and finished saddling Sport, then walked Sport out of the barn. She was on her way out with Spirit when he came back in the barn, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out without her horse, calling for the two men who had been tasked to watch out for her. “Jake, go in the barn and unsaddle her horse. Mike, stand here at the door and don’t let her in. Then both of you stay out here in the yard and don’t let her leave under any circumstances.”

While he was giving orders to the men, she stood back and gasped loudly, glaring up at him with her jaw set and an inferno in her eyes like he’d never seen. He leaned over her. “I’ll deal with you when I get back.” He turned away from her, and stepped up into the stirrup and before he was settled in his saddle, Sport was galloping away with Hank close behind.

Mort Williams was on his knees behind the shrubs on the top of the hill, snickering. Shiloh had always had an explosive temper. He thought she had been taught to control it at college; he hadn’t seen it since she’d been home…until now. He watched her storm to the front door of the house, and he cringed, closing his eyes, remembering the last time years ago when she had stomped through that door and slammed it. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know that she had shattered the glass for the second time in her life. He could hear it. Moving back to his place against the tree, he chuckled to himself at the thought of Adam dealing with the full onslaught of Shiloh’s temper. He knew Adam had seen her fury at its worst, but he’d never had to deal with it…until now.

Shiloh stood between the study and the parlor, head down and fists clenched. She heard Ming Lin moving behind her, sweeping glass out of the floor, but she paid him no mind. At the moment, she was too furious to think straight, and she knew it, so she took several deep breaths and stormed into the kitchen to retrieve the papers Hank had given them earlier. Ming Lin had a fresh pot of coffee prepared, so she poured a cup and went to the study. She pulled the ledger out of the desk drawer and laid it on the desk in front of her, but still, she wasn’t ready to open it. Taking her cup of coffee from the desk, she sat back in the chair, and replayed the scene in the barn over and over in her mind.

How many times had she run out of the house with her rifle and ridden out onto the ranch expecting trouble? How many times had she driven the wagon to town and loaded it? How many days had she gone without wearing a dress or a skirt because she ran a ranch?

He’d said before that she knew what she was getting into when she married him, and that she had to learn to compromise. This wasn’t compromise. This was giving up everything having to do with the ranch. He knew what he was getting when he married her, but it seemed he expected her to change.

Change.

She had just brought her coffee cup up to her lips, but stopped and held it there.

Change.

He was trying to change her. Was she trying to change him? And what was that look she saw in his eyes every time he felt she might be in some kind of danger; that look she could never figure out? She knew she couldn’t answer these questions on her own. She would have to wait until he got back. Sitting the coffee cup back down on the desk, she sat forward and opened the ledger.

***

Hank and Adam came to a stop when the trail reached the rim. “Mr. Cartwright, there’s an awful lot of ground to cover up here.”

“Let’s start where you found that body.”

“It’s up a ways,” said Hank, moving on up the trail.

When they arrived at the spot where the men had found the body, Adam dismounted and walked around.

“I came back up and looked around the area, but there was no sign of any diggins,” said Hank.

Adam nodded, and continued to look, walking across the rim. He had walked maybe half a mile before he stopped and looked down off the ridge. “Hank, what do you make of that?” he asked, pointing.

“Rock piles? It ain’t natural, that’s for sure.”

They tied the horses, and slowly made their way down the steep slope. When they got closer, they drew their guns and ducked behind boulders, watching for movement, and seeing none, they inched closer until they could see into what looked like the beginnings of a shaft; a shallow hole high enough for a man to stand in cut into the side of the ridge.

Squatting down, Adam studied the shaft, reaching up to dislodge a piece of rock and handing it back to Hank. “Hank, have you ever seen silver ore?”

“No sir. I never tried my hand at minin’.”

“Well, now you have.”

Stepping further into the hole, Adam took the knife from his pocket and opened it, using it to scrape dirt from around a vein of quartz jutting out of the back of the shaft. Digging the blade into the dirt, he managed to coax another rock out, and handed it to Hank.

“What do you see?”

“Is that gold?”

“It is,” answered Adam as he gathered several more rocks from around his feet. “Bring the horses down. I’m going to take some samples to the assay office in town.”

When Hank returned, Adam emptied the contents of a saddlebag into the other, and placed the rocks he had gathered into the emptied one. Just as he was about to mount up, they heard another blast at what seemed like a short distance away.

“Where’s the border of the Flying W up here?” asked Adam.

“It’s just on the other side of the ridge.”

They walked the horses back up the ridge, and when they made the top, they tied the horses behind an outcropping of rock and crouching low, made their way to a ledge that looked down on the other side. There they saw several men loading rocks into satchels.

Adam looked back in the direction they had come up, and then turned to Hank. “About where do you think the property line is?” he said in a low voice.

“We’re just about on it,” said Hank. “That area they’re blasting seems to line up with the shaft on the other side.”

“It does, doesn’t it? They’ve only got one problem. From the looks of the strata in the rocks over here, they run parallel to the ridge which probably puts those veins deeper onto Flying W property. The owner of the property on this side of the ridge could run a shaft right under us and we might never have known it. I’ll bet whoever owns that land is connected to the person who tried to sell the Flying W out from under Shiloh.”

“So they file a claim on the land on the other side of the ridge and tunnel underneath.”

“Yep. It looks like those men are leaving. We’ll wait and get some samples from their side. I’ll take both samples into town, and while I’m there, I’ll find out who our neighbor is.” When the men left, Adam and Hank scrambled down the ridge to the blast hole, collected some rocks, the climbed back up to their horses.

As the two men rode back toward the ranch house, Adam thought about the men he’d seen at the blast site. He knew he’d seen them before. Then he remembered. They were the three men from the saloon he had warned to stay away from Shiloh. “Hank, I’ll take the saddle bags. You go on back to the ranch. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Hank hesitated, then raised his eyebrows and nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Adam faced him. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I love that little girl like she was my own.” He lowered his head. “We both know she’s got a temper, and more times than not, it flares because someone’s tellin’ her she can’t do somethin.’” Looking back up, he finished. “She’s always made sense. She’s done a good job with the ranch.”

Hank turned his horse back toward the ranch while Adam thoughtfully watched him go, then headed to town.

********

Shiloh had heard the second blast and ran out to the front porch, looking in the direction of the rim. Then she looked at the barn where Jake was sitting in front of the door. In the other direction Mike was looking out over the herd of horses. Adam had told them not to let her leave. She couldn’t go to the Ponderosa to play her piano, and she could go out to the corral to work with the horses. Closing her eyes, she fought the rage she felt rising, and turned back into the house.

She headed for the kitchen for another cup of coffee, but stopped. She had drunk a full pot of coffee this morning. She spun on her heels toward the parlor where she poured a glass of brandy, taking it to the study and digging back into the ledgers.

Hank rode into the yard, looked over at Jake and Mike while he tied his horse, then walked to the house and knocked.

“Hank, you’re back?”

“Yes ma’am. Mr. Cartwright rode on to town.”

“Oh. Come in. Would you like some coffee?”

“No thank you, Mrs. Cartwright. I just wanted to let you know I was back.”

“Hank, please stop calling me Mrs. Cartwright.”

“But, ma’am, you’re a married woman now, and…well…it’s what’s done.”

“Hank, I’m still Shiloh. I’m the same person I was before I was married,” though one person in particular seems to have a problem with that. She shook the thought away. “You have more right to address me the way you always have than anyone else. I’ve known you all my life and you were here long before Adam was. Now, I insist.”

With a wide smile, Hank said, “Yes ma’am, Miss Shiloh. Now will you take some advice from an old man who’s known you all your life?” She twisted her mouth, but nodded. “His heart’s in the right place. Don’t yell at ‘im. Talk to ‘im.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes’m.” Leaning in, he removed his hat and kissed her cheek. “Now, I’ve got work to do. Oh, and I’ll have one of the boys come by and board up the door until we can get some more glass.” He hadn’t even asked about the door. He knew.

Smiling, she stood in the doorway and watched him leave. She missed Annie. When she was young, Hank had been the one that listened, but since college…since she had become a woman, it had been Annie who listened. Now Annie was clear across the country and Hank…Hank’s loyalties were now split. She could never…would never ask him to take sides.

She finished updating the ledger, and then turned to the shelves of books behind the desk, running her finger over the spines until she stopped at Paradise Lost. Adam kept a copy of the book upstairs on the night table. This copy belonged to her mother, and when she pulled it off the shelf, she blew a cloud of dust off the top of the pages. She’d read it in college. She had read most of the books in her mother’s library. Still, she took it into the parlor, curled her legs up underneath her in the big chair, and turned to the first page.

***

Adam was tying Sport to the hitching rail when Roy Coffee walked by. He stopped, smiling. “Adam, didn’t expect to see you again so soon. What brings you back to town?”

“Oh, just a little business.”

Looking at the sweat on Sport’s chest, and then the hole in the saddle bag slung over Adam’s shoulder, he asked, “Everything alright?”

“Someone took a shot at me on the way into town.”

“Did you see who it was?”

“No, I was out in the open, so I didn’t stay.”

“Adam, now I know there’s been some talk about that senator fella…”

“Roy, I doubt it was Will Stewart. Even if he had anything to do with it, he would have paid someone else to take the shot.”

“I guess there’s no point in writin’ a report. But you be careful goin’ home, you hear.”

Adam tipped his hat. “Roy,” he said, turning and walking across the street to the assay office carrying both sets of saddlebags.

“Mr. Cartwright,” greeted the assay clerk. “Ore from the Ponderosa?”

“Nope. This is sample number 1,” said Adam, dumping the rocks he had gathered from the Flying W side of the ridge into a bucket. “This is sample number 2.” He dumped the other saddlebag from the other side of the ridge into another bucket. “And do me a favor. Don’t let anyone know your testing ore samples for me.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Oh, and can you get it done today?”

“Well, Mr. Cartwright, I got several samples in front of you.”

“Were you here when Sam King brought his ore in?”

The clerk nodded. “I did the assay.”

“So you know how rich that ore was.” The clerk nodded. “Take a look at this ore. Does it look like the ore King brought in?” The clerk picked up several pieces, and as he turned them over his eyes widened. “If you’ll do my assay first, all these rocks are yours. All I want is the report.”

“I’ll get right on it, Mr. Cartwright.”

“I’ll be over at the Silver Dollar,” said Adam, heading out the door.

***

“Mrs. Cartwright?”

Shiloh looked up from her book and smiled. “Yes, Ming Lin.”

“Should I begin dinner preparations?”

Looking up at the mantle clock, then out the window, she answered. “Give it one more hour, then start.”

“Yes, Mrs. Cartwright,” he said, bowing, and leaving the parlor. In another few minutes, Ming Lin was back with a cup of coffee, setting it on the table next to Shiloh’s chair, and slipping out as quietly as he had entered.

She took a sip, and returned to her reading.

Adam had gotten his assay report and headed home at dusk, hoping to avoid being easily seen. He took the road to the Ponderosa, and then turned toward the Flying W. Johnny came out of the bunkhouse when he entered the yard and took his horse. Stopping on the front porch, Adam examined the boards nailed to the door. They hadn’t been there when he left, but he was sure he knew what had happened. He removed his hat and gun belt, leaving them on the entry table, then quietly walked further into the house, first looking in the study, then the parlor.

Shiloh’s head lay on the wing of the chair she occupied, the book she had been reading open on her lap. He gently picked it up and turned it around, then snorted, closed it and set it on the table. Squatting in front of her, he touched her hand, and when she opened her eyes and raised her head, her nostrils flared. She closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath, mentally catching up to the present. Adam watched her shoulders relax and the tight line of her lips soften before she reopened her eyes. Still, she said nothing.

Ming Lin entered the parlor so quietly neither of them heard him. “Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, dinner is ready.”

“Thank you, Ming Lin,” said Shiloh. Adam held his hand out to her. She looked at it, but stood up on her own and walked to the dining room. Raising his eyebrows and sighing, Adam followed. They ate dinner in silence.

********

When Shiloh finished her dinner, she excused herself from the table and went back to the parlor. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Adam followed her into the room, and closed the doors behind him, watching her walk to the window and turn. He walked towards her, meeting her eyes, and as he neared her, she moved to the back side of the sofa, keeping it between them.

“You act like you don’t trust me.”

“At the moment, I don’t.”

“How could you think that I’d hurt you?”

“Oh, I know you won’t physically hurt me, but you will try to seduce forgiveness out of me.”

He smiled. “I didn’t know I needed to be forgiven.” Turning, he went to the chair next to the fireplace and sat down, crossing his legs, and clasping his hands in his lap. “You obviously have something to say. I’m listening.”

“I don’t know what you expected from me when we were married, but what you appear to be expecting of me now is not….” Her hands slowly clenched as she spoke. She opened them and spread her fingers wide, then flexed them. “I don’t appreciate being imprisoned in my own home on nothing more that your word.”

“Imprisoned?”

“You told Jake and Mike that I was not to leave the yard under any circumstances. I couldn’t go to the Ponderosa to play my piano. I couldn’t even go to the corral to work with the horses. I could do nothing today, but work on the ledger.”

He twisted his mouth into a pucker. “You’re right. I apologize. But that’s not what’s really bothering you.”

“Ever since I came home from college, I’ve been dealing with all the problems on this ranch. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ridden out with Hank, carrying my rifle.”

“There’s no need for you to do that now.”

“In your opinion?”

“Yes, in my opinion.”

“Well, I don’t share your opinion.”

Adam set both feet on the floor and leaned forward. “What man is going to invite his wife into the middle of a gunfight?”

“Did you have a gunfight today, Adam?”

“No, but considering the assay that Sam King had done, and the fact that someone had been trying to sell the ranch, it was likely.”

Raising her hands to her face, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, and while her eyes were closed, Adam stood and walked toward her. Hearing his boots on the floor, her eyes flew open. “Don’t,” she said, jabbing her finger toward him. “You’re being too protective.”

“Shiloh, do you see any other husbands allowing their wives to go chasing after explosions with a rifle?”

“No, I don’t. But I’m not like those women, and you know that. I dealt with all these kinds of problems before we were married. I don’t expect to have to stop now that we are.” She leaned forward over the sofa. “You didn’t have a problem with it before. Why do you have a problem now?”

He moved a hand to his hip and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. “I thought you’d be happy with your horses and your music.”

“I am. But I don’t want to be excluded from the ranch business. I really don’t mind you doing what you do, Adam, but I resent being ordered to stay out of it. You didn’t ask me. You dictated.” She breathed and leaned back. “You treat me like I have nothing to offer; like I couldn’t possibly contribute or have an idea that might help.” She leaned against the back of the sofa and crossed her arms. “You made me feel that way in town when you wouldn’t let me help load the wagon. And you know, I can understand that having your wife load the wagon might embarrass you. But you did this today in front of Hank and the men. You made me feel like some frail, helpless…” She turned away from him, and he quietly made his way around the sofa. When she felt his hands on her shoulders, she spun around. “Don’t touch me!” Her hand went up to her mouth as soon as the words slipped out, and her eyes saddened. Stepping forward, she laid her hand on his chest. “I didn’t mean that.” She could see the hurt in his eyes.

He let out a deep breath and dropped his hands to his sides. “Yes, you did.”

She stepped closer, moving her other hand to his chest. “Adam, you weren’t this overbearing before. What changed?” Looking into his eyes, she saw again something there besides the love, something she couldn’t read…almost like fear, but this was Adam Cartwright, a man known to be unafraid. She touched his face. “Adam, what is it?”

Taking her hand away from his face, he answered quietly, “There was no reason for you to go today. It was not my intention to keep you from your work. I’ll be clearer next time.”

She took several steps back. “Will you at least tell me what you found?” she asked, flatly.

He chewed the inside of his cheek and cocked his head. “Not tonight.” Turning, he left the room and climbed the stairs.

Shiloh watched him until he entered the bedroom, then walked around the sofa and fell back on it, closing her eyes. What is it that he’s not telling me?

Several hours had passed when Adam came back down the stairs and into the parlor, expecting to find Shiloh where he’d left her. She wasn’t there. She wasn’t in the study or the kitchen. Walking to the front door, he noticed her jacket was gone from the coat tree next to the door. He stepped out onto the front porch and looked toward the barn. It was dark, but he went inside anyway. Her horse was there. Walking back out into the yard, he looked around, and then glanced up the hill.

When he got to the top, he didn’t see her at first. She was sitting in the moon shadow of her father’s headstone. “Is he dispensing any wisdom tonight?”

“No. Mama isn’t either.”

“It’s late. Would you come back to the house?”

She took several moments to move. When she stood, he stepped back out of her path and followed her down the hill and into the house. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs when she started up. “Are you coming up?”

“No,” he said, smiling. “I’m going to work for awhile.”

She started back down. “Adam…”

“I think we both need to sleep on it. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He turned and walked into the study, leaving her standing on the stairs, watching him go.

***

Adam sat at the desk, reading specifications for a building in Salt Lake that Robert Slater had sent. He had already read through them twice and was about to start for the third time when he finally laid the document down and leaned back in the chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was tired…no, he was weary. He had so much work to do he was just staying ahead, and now this business with Shiloh had to be dealt with. He’d known all along about her temper. He also knew there were times that she strained to keep it under control, but in all cases before, she had managed. Even now, she was trying, but it seemed that this had been building since they had gotten home from San Francisco.

He had no doubt she could handle normal ranch business. She had already proven that over and over again. But blasting usually meant mining, and when it came to a strike, men became greedy animals willing to kill anyone who came between them and riches.

She’d lost those she loved. Why couldn’t she understand his loss?

He took the stack of mail and wandered into the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on the stove. Sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the coffee, he began to flip through the mail. On top were the letters from Annie and Edwin. Under those two was a letter to Isabella Whitney that hadn’t been opened. The handwriting was familiar, but he didn’t immediately place it. He continued on through the mail until he came upon another envelope from Slater. Opening it, he found the first payment for the plans for the courthouse, with the legal documents that always accompanied a staggered payment signed by the city attorney, Will Stewart. He sat staring at the signature before he pulled the envelope addressed to Isabella out of the pile. Why was Will Stewart sending Shiloh a letter, and why didn’t she open it?

Shiloh heard a creak and turned in the bed to watch the bedroom door. She expected it to open, but after a few minutes, she realized it was only the sounds of the old house she had heard. Looking at the clock on the night table, she got up and pulled her robe on. She had been laying there for almost two hours, waiting for Adam to come up.

She padded in bare feet down the stairs, stopping at the study, and then continuing into the kitchen. She entered so quietly, he didn’t hear her until she moved to the cupboard and took two cups down. She brought the coffee pot to the table and poured them both a cup. “I see you found the rest of the mail.”

He sat looking at the envelope. “Why didn’t you open it?”

“I just didn’t want to deal with it at the time. I thought I’d open it later, but then I forgot about it. I really have no interest in anything he has to say, but if you do, please, help yourself.”

Adam tore the end of the envelope and pulled out the letter. When he finished reading it, he passed it to Shiloh. “You need to read this.”

My Dearest Isabella,

I am sure you have already heard of the tragic news of Natalie’s death. Poor girl. She was smitten with me, and I just did not have the heart to turn her out. She knew that my heart would always be yours, and apparently she could not live with that knowledge any longer. I will be taking a short break to decide what I shall do, whether to stay in the city or travel for awhile. I have made some good investments and can afford to take the time away.

It would mean a great deal to me to discuss my plans with you. You have always had the ability to help me think clearly. I need you now to help with this decision. Please considering coming to San Francisco. I will endeavor to make your stay comfortable.

Adoringly yours,

William Stewart, Esq.

Shiloh held her head in her hand. “He’s quite mad.”

“He left San Francisco almost a week ago.”

She looked up. “How do you know that?”

“I asked Jim Fischer to let me know if either he or Natalie left the city. Roy brought a wire with him when he brought Officer Riley out.”

“Were you going to tell me?”

Adam smiled and took a sip of coffee. “You weren’t in any shape to hear it at the time.”

“Adam, this has to end. All of it. This is no way to live.” She raised her cup to her mouth and sipped. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

Puckering his mouth, Adam thought that maybe she should hear it all. Maybe then she would understand why he wanted her at the ranch house where he could keep her safe.

“Hank and I discovered where Sam King found the ore he had assayed. It’s from the ridge on the north property line. There was a short shaft on the Flying W side, but the blasts came from the other side of the ridge. The three men I followed to the saloon when we were in town were there loading rock to be assayed. I took some samples from our side, and we waited for the other men to leave and took some rocks from the other side. That’s what took so long in town; I waited for the assay. There’s gold and silver on our side as rich as the report from King’s assay. There’s nothing on the other side of the ridge.”

“Who owns the property on the other side?”

“Hearst, Haggin and Tevis. Sometime after we got back from San Francisco, someone took samples from our side and had them assayed, claiming they were from the other side. So rather than continuing to try to sell the ranch out from under you, I think they were planning to tunnel underneath the ridge to the back side of the vein. They thought they could get away with it because I said we had no plans to mine it.”

“George Hearst always struck me as an honest man.”

“He probably hasn’t even been there.”

“I can’t believe he would have bought into a mine without checking it out for himself.”

“Sweetheart, there is no mine…yet. He made the decision based on the assay. That’s not all. On the way into town, someone took a shot at me.”

Shiloh sat her coffee cup down with a thud hard enough to slosh coffee onto the table. She swallowed hard before she spoke. “Did they see you on the ridge?”

“I don’t think it was them. If there had been three of them, I wouldn’t have gotten away so easily.”

“Could it have been Will? If he killed Natalie, he’s certainly capable.”

Leaning forward and taking her hand, he said, “Shiloh, that’s exactly why I want you to stay near the ranch. I don’t know where Will is. I don’t know where this other man is who’s been following you. I don’t know who the three men from the saloon are working for, and I have no idea who took a shot at me. On top of all that, this is the busiest work year we’ve ever had. I can’t be with you all the time. The safest place for you to be is here.”

Drawing her hand away, she sat back in her chair and bowed her head. “I’m not very good at being confined.”

“You’re not being confined. You can still work with your horses, and you can still go to the Ponderosa, though the men will be here tomorrow to take out the window, and I’d like you to be available to them if they have any questions. I’ll be up at the timber camp in the morning, and then I need to go by the mill to check on the square sets. After that, I want to go measure the bridge and see what we need for that repair. I’ll go by the dam tomorrow. And sometime in the next month or so, I need to go check the foundation at the courthouse in San Francisco.” Bending his head down, he tried to catch her eyes. “I want you to go with me.” She looked up at him, then away. “Shiloh, what is it?”

“What about town? I could at least help by getting the supplies. I can drive the buckboard. Maybe I should have learned how to do those timber bids.” Adam smiled. “Isn’t there anything I can do at the camp? There’s payroll, and there’s the schedules and the counting. I could do the paperwork.”

Tilting his head, his mouth opened in sudden realization that all she really wanted was to help. But he’d left her alone with her horses and her music. She was feeling isolated. “Shiloh, when would you have time? Your music takes up your mornings, and your horses take up your afternoons. What plans do you already have?”

“I’ll have horses ready for some of Jim’s friends within the next month, and I still need to arrange some music for my performances in Sacramento in August. There are still some things I need to work on with Hoss…ground manners and gait. And I need to start teaching Tommy. And I need to start working with Satan.” Adam’s nostrils flared, but she wasn’t looking. “Adam, I don’t want you to think of these as my hobbies. If they don’t contribute in some way to the Flying W the same as the cattle and timber, then I should be doing something else.”

“I’ve seen what you bring in for your horses, Shiloh. And I know what you get paid for singing. The horses alone carried the Flying W the first year you were back.”

“You haven’t even mentioned the Ponderosa. You still have responsibilities there.”

“Pa’s coming over tomorrow evening. He wanted to talk about some Ponderosa business. Why don’t we ask Hoss and Joe, too? We’ll have dinner here, you can talk to Hoss about the horses, and we can make sure all the work is covered for both ranches.”

She nodded. “What are we going to do about the ridge? We need to have a presence up there to prevent someone from stealing that ore.”

“I’ll send a wire to Jim and ask him to set up a subsidiary of the Flying W for the mine. We’ll have to come up with a name. I’ll also send a wire to Hearst and let him know what we’ve found. He’ll probably want to come out and take a look at the land he’s purchased. It would be interesting to find out just how he purchased it…directly or through a merchant banker.”

“Why would that make a difference?”

“If it was through a merchant banker, the individual who initiated the sale could be hiding behind several layers of investment companies. It would be harder to find out who that person was. I’d bet that person is the same one who tried to sell the ranch. But Shiloh, we’ll need money to start a mine, and we’re stretched with the extra payroll for the timber camp until we get paid for some of these contracts. I’ll have to arrange for a loan.”

“How much money will we need?”

“Well, we’ll have to buy mining equipment, ore cars, explosives, build a headstock and hire some men. Once we get some ore out, it’ll start paying for itself. We’ll need…oh…around twenty thousand to carry us until the ore starts paying.”

“We have money in the other account.”

Adam sat up straight. He hadn’t thought about the account he had set up for her performance money. “I thought we agreed that money was yours.”

“No, you said that. I never agreed it was mine. I’d prefer we invest it back into the ranch. That’s what I intended to use it for before I married you.” Adam leaned forward, listening. “Right now it has five thousand in it. I have another bank draft to deposit from the first half of my performance contract in Sacramento. That’s another twenty-five hundred. And I’ll be getting the same for the first half of the other two performance contracts, so that will be another five thousand. I’m expecting those any day. Once those performances are done, we’ll have another seventy-five hundred. That doesn’t count what I’ll get for the horses. There’s the money you’ll need to start the mine.”

Adam rose from the table and walked to her, holding out his hand. She took it this time and let him pull her up into his arms. “I don’t ever want you to think that you don’t contribute to his ranch, Sweetheart. Do you realize what we’ll save if we don’t have to take out any loans?”

She cut her eyes up to his, and smiled impishly. “Yes, I do.”

He grinned back. “You learned that at college, did you?” She snorted. He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her out of the kitchen. “We can still get a few hours of sleep,” he said, walking her up the stairs.

********

Hoss rode into the yard just as Adam was saying goodbye to Shiloh. She yawned.

 

“You could get some more sleep,” said Adam, chuckling.

 

“I would have been fine if you hadn’t been so…insistent.” She smiled and blushed.

 

“You could’ve said no.”

 

“I did…sort of,” she snickered.

 

Bending to kiss her, he replied, “It doesn’t count when you’re laughing.” He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her again, then stepped off the porch.

 

“Mornin’, Older Brother. Where you headed off to?”

 

“Lumber camp, mill, bridge,” said Adam, continuing on to the barn.

 

“Wait a minute. What bridge?”

 

Adam yelled over his shoulder. “The bridge over the wash.”

 

“Shiloh, I’ll be right back,” said Hoss. He turned and followed Adam into the barn. “What’s wrong with the bridge? I rode over that bridge yesterday.”

 

“Hank said one of the main timbers is split.”

 

“Come to think of it, it was might squeaky.”

 

“I may need to go to town this afternoon for some new cross boards. Are you going to be around?”

 

“I will if you need me.”

 

Adam walked Sport out of the barn and mounted. “What else do you have to do today?”

 

“There’s a couple of wagons I need to fix. Pa’s back from hiring some fellas to take the logs for the dock to Sacramento. I reckon he wanted to talk to you about that. But I was supposed to take over at the timber camp for you today.”

 

“I’ll leave Shorty in charge. Pa’s coming over tonight. You and Joe should come, too. We’ll have dinner here.”

 

“When I get finished here, I’ll get back to the Ponderosa and take care of them wagons and let Pa and Joe know about dinner. I’ll get back here as soon as I can.”

 

Adam smiled. “Don’t forget to tell Hop Sing.”

 

“Yeah, I reckon I oughta do that,” said Hoss, chuckling.

 

Adam rode out, waving back at Shiloh as several men rode in. “Mrs. Cartwright,” said one of the men who stepped down off his horse and approached the porch. “I’m Jim Tyler,” he said, tipping his hat. “Mr. Cartwright hired us to help move your piano. If you’ll show me which window needs to come out, we’ll get to work.” When Hoss came up beside them, Jim turned and held out his hand. “Hoss.”

 

“Jim, ain’t seen you in a while. What you been up to?”

 

“There’s lots of carpentry work in Virginia City. The town’s growing.”

 

“It is at that.”

 

“Jim, if you’ll come this way, I’ll show you the window,” said Shiloh, smiling, and feeling more comfortable, knowing that Hoss knew the men.

 

After furniture was moved out of the way, Shiloh left Jim and his men to do their work while she and Hoss went to the corral. “Hoss, what do you think about Tommy learning to train?”

 

Hoss leaned against the corral fence. “That boy is as comfortable around the horses as you and me. I ain’t got nothin’ against it, but have you talked to Adam? He don’t cotton to the boy.”

 

“I told Adam what I was planning to do.”

 

“Well, as long as he don’t have a problem…I think Tom’ll do real good.”

 

“I’m going to have him do more to help, but I’ll have to wait until I can get a contract for him to sign to really start, so don’t say anything to him.”

 

Hoss nodded. “Wha’ d’you want me to do today?”

 

“We’re going to work on ground manners, and then we’re going to saddle the horse. After that, I’m going to teach you how to train the gait. And once that’s done, Hoss, you will have trained your first horse. Then it’s exercises so he remembers.”

 

Shiloh asked Tommy to watch while they worked on Hoss’s horse. “Hoss, don’t let him crowd you. Make him keep his distance.”

 

“How do I do that?”

 

“Stiff arm him. After a few walks around he corral, he’ll get the idea.”

 

After several productive hours, Hoss left to fix the wagons at the Ponderosa. Shiloh asked Tommy to groom the horse, and then move Satan to the training pen. When he hesitated, Shiloh studied him.

 

“Tommy, if you’ve got something to say, say it. You don’t have to be afraid to talk to me as long as you’re honest.”

 

“Well, Mrs. Cartwright, it’s that horse…Satan. I’d just hate to see you get hurt. I mean, I’ve seen you work with some ornery animals, but he’s…well, I understand why your pa named him Satan.”

 

“Tommy, I know Satan is mean. You don’t need to be afraid to say it. He is. But if I can train that out of him, I can train any horse. And if I can’t…well, I’ll know that I can’t train any horse. But I have to try to know.”

 

Tommy looked away. “I just don’t think it’s worth maybe gettin’ hurt bad.”

 

She creased her brow and bit her lip. “I’ll have a handler close by. If he acts up, I’ll get out of the pen, and if he’s too quick, the handler will…” Her expression suddenly changed to dismay. “Handle him.”

 

“Mrs. Cartwright.”

 

Jim Tyler was standing next to the house. She turned to Tommy, and said, “Go ahead and do as I asked,” then walked over to Jim.

 

“Mrs. Cartwright, we’ve taken out the window and left it leaning against the house,” he said, pointing. “We covered the hole with some canvas. Adam wanted to be with us when we move the piano, so we’ll have to wait for him. He knows where to find me.”

 

“Thank you, Jim. I’ll let Adam know.”

 

***

 

Adam ducked underneath the bridge at the wash, running his hand along the timber from one side of the bridge to the other. When he got to the middle, he felt the split; a wide, dangerous gap. Crawling out and walking across the bridge, the found that a number of the cross boards near the split were splintered as well. He’d need a load of four by eights to replace them, so he and Hoss would be taking that trip into town. He rolled several large rocks across the center of the bridge to warn off anyone who needed to cross. Since the bridge was on Flying W property, the only people using it would be ranch hands. There was only a foot of water running through the wash, so riding through shouldn’t be a problem. His next stop was home to hitch the buckboard and wait for Hoss.

 

***

 

Ben rode to the south corral and watched as Shiloh walked among her horses, offering them carrots. He tied Buck to the corral fence and walked over. “Shiloh.”

 

“Pa, how are you?” she asked, wiping her hand on her britches and meeting him with a warm hug.

 

“I came over to ask you the same question?” he said, smiling.

 

“We’re fine,” she said with some reservation.

 

Ben creased his brows and looked down at her. “Something I can help you with?” She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t help if you won’t tell me.”

 

Stopping, she pursed her lips. “I don’t even know how to tell you what’s bothering me. I think Adam is being too protective of me, and he…well, he is very protective of me. But I used to run out when there was trouble on the ranch, and now he…he leaves me behind. I just don’t understand what’s changed. I went before we were married, but I can’t go now.” She hesitated for a moment. “That’s not really the problem. It’s the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m in danger…I know he loves me, but there’s something else there, and I don’t know what it is.”

 

Ben took a handful of carrots from her and turned to the gathering horses. “You say he’s too protective of you.” She nodded. “Just since you’ve been married.” Biting her lip, she nodded again. “You know, before you two were married, he worried about you quite a bit. But you weren’t really his to protect. Now you are. Shiloh, you know his mother died giving birth to him.”

 

“Yes, I know.”

 

“And you know that Hoss’s mother was killed by Indians on the way out West.” She nodded again. “Do you know how close he was to Inger?”

 

“No, not really. He hasn’t said much about her.”

 

“At the time, Inger was the only mother he had ever known. She was very easy to love, especially for a little boy. And then, there was Joe’s mother, and though that took longer because he was older, he came to love her. Do you know about Ruth?”

 

“I’ve heard Joe mention Ruth.”

 

“Adam asked Ruth to marry him.” Holding her breath, she looked up at him wide-eyed. “This was, oh, almost two years before you came home from college. The Shoshone threatened to kill him if she didn’t go with them. She left to save him.”

 

“Didn’t he look for her?”

 

Ben smiled. “No. If he had tried to take her, the Shoshone might have killed her.” Ben held her forearms. “Shiloh, the women that meant the most to him…those that he came to love deeply…he’s lost them all. Except for you,” he finished, touching her nose.

********

When Adam arrived at the house, no one was there or in the yard, so he rode down to the south corral where he found his father and Shiloh talking in the corral, walking among the horses. “Is this a private conversation?” he called as he walked over to them.

 

“Adam, how are you? I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

 

Smiling and taking his father’s hand and arm, Adam answered, “Just busy. Hoss said you found some teamsters to haul the logs for the docks.”

 

“They’re finishing up a run of mine cars from San Francisco. They’re looking for a load to carry back.”

 

Adam looked around at the horses and raised a hand to his chest. “Well, we have two. We’ve got the first load of lumber for the railroad ties ready to go.” Shiloh slid under his arm and looked lovingly up at him. Seeing the warmth in her eyes, he smiled. “Well, hello. Hoss and I are going to town. I have to buy some lumber for the bridge.”

 

“That bad, huh?” she said.

 

“Mm hm. I need to send some wires anyway.” He bent and kissed her.

 

“Why don’t you two go on up to the house? I have some horses to halter. I’ll be up in a minute.”

 

Ben and Adam rode side by side toward the house. “Adam, I don’t want to pry, but is everything alright?”

 

“We’re fine, Pa. We’re…adjusting.”

 

When they arrived, Hoss was watching Satan in the training pen digging at the fence line, turning and rearing, obviously anxious about being confined.

 

“When did Satan go in the pen?” asked Adam.

 

“Oh, hey Adam. Pa. He wasn’t there this mornin’, so it musta been right after I left. He don’t look too happy to be in there either.”

 

Adam’s jaw muscled flexed. “He’s not the only one.” He turned his back on the horse and tapped Hoss on the chest with the back of his hand. “We need to go into town. That bridge could go at any time. Did you tell Joe we were having dinner here?”

 

“Yep. In fact, he should be here any minute. I mentioned we might have to go into town, and he wanted to go.”

 

“Well, that makes all of us,” said Ben. “I’m expecting a letter from Salt Lake. Looks like we’ll be driving some cattle up there this year.”

 

They watched Shiloh ride into the yard, leading four horses to the back corral. She handed them off to Johnny and Tommy, then rode back to the front of the house and tied her horse to the rail just as Joe rode in. “Well,” she said, walking over to the training corral. “Are we having a party?”

 

Her smile left when she saw the frown on Adam’s face. “Sweetheart, I don’t like how agitated he is in the corral.”

 

“Oh, he’ll be agitated for awhile. He can’t see any of the other horses from here.” Stepping in the middle of the men and facing Adam, she patted his stomach. “Don’t worry. I won’t be going in the corral for several days…at least not until he calms down. And I’m going to town with you. If you’ll wait for a few minutes, I’ll change my clothes.” She headed toward the house, and yelled back over her shoulder. “There’s coffee in the house, gentlemen. And cookies.”

 

“She don’t have to tell me twice,” said Hoss. The others shook their heads and followed.

 

***

 

Ben and Adam waited by the fireplace while Hoss sat on the sofa eating cookies. “Adam,” said Ben in a low voice. “I wish you’d reconsider allowing her to train that horse. Nothing good can come of it.”

 

“Pa, I understand your concern. I share it.”

 

Shiloh stood by the door of the parlor, wearing a skirt and blouse. “But I won the argument with a few concessions. Pa, I know why you don’t want me to train Satan. But I watched what my father did. I’ve written it all down. There will be a handler watching me, and if Satan is too aggressive, I’ll…” she lowered her head. “I’ll geld him.”

 

Ben looked back at Adam who shook his head. “It’s the best I could do without starting a war.”

 

“Horses are hitched,” said Joe as he walked into the parlor. He bent down and took a cookie as everyone walked out.

 

Adam helped Shiloh up onto the seat of the buckboard. “Hoss, you drive. I’ll be riding.” He wasn’t going to tell his father and brothers that someone had taken a shot at him. Still, he wanted to be able to go after the shooter if he did decide to take another shot.

 

When they got to town, Hoss drove the buckboard to the mill. Shiloh waited on the wagon while Hoss and Adam ordered and paid for the lumber they needed, and while Hoss waited, Ben, Adam and Shiloh walked to the telegraph office. Ben walked on to the post office while Adam and Shiloh sent their telegrams. Shiloh looked at the message Adam was writing. “Is that going to Jim?”

 

“Mm hm.”

 

“Can you add something for me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Would you ask Jim to write up an agreement not to use my method of training outside employment by the Flying W or disclose it to anyone who isn’t employed by the Flying W to work with the horses?”

 

Adam stopped writing and turned to her. “You’re going ahead with Tom’s training?”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

“Then do me a favor.” She looked up at him. “Stop calling him Tommy. He’s not a boy anymore. He’s a man.” She broke out in wide smile. “Don’t be smiling just yet. If he slips up once, I’m going to fire him.”

 

Her smile was instantly gone. “He’s not yours to fire.” She started to say more, but he raised an eyebrow. “That’s not going to work this time.”

 

He maintained his raised eyebrow and cocked his head. “We’ll discuss it at home.” Handing the first telegram to the clerk, he turned back to Shiloh and leaned on the counter. “I need to let Robert know when to expect us in San Francisco. When can we go?”

 

“I need to take some horses to San Francisco. Can we combine trips?”

 

Rubbing his chin, Adam thought about everything they needed to deliver in that direction. “If we can arrange to haul the dock logs and Crocker’s timber at the same time, we can follow the teamsters to Sacramento. That way, Hoss can stay and supervise the cutting while I’m gone. But you said you were going to have foals by then?”

 

“Maybe, if we have to wait to go. If Joe or your father can help at the lumber camp, Hoss and my men can handle the foaling.” Adam nodded and wrote out the telegram to Robert Slater. “Oh, before I forget, Jim Tyler finished removing the window. He’s waiting on you to move the piano, and I need to go see Mrs. Riley. She ordered some staff paper, and I told her I’d buy half of it.”

 

Adam finished a third telegram to George Hearst and paid for them, then walked Shiloh out the door. “I’ll walk you over to the Riley’s. I want you to wait for me there while I go talk to Jim.” When they arrived, he stopped at the door. “Do not come looking for me. If Will Stewart is close by, I don’t want him to find you alone.” She twisted her mouth, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, looking at her affectionately. “Please.”

 

Sighing, she nodded and smiled. “I’ll wait.”

 

Bending to kiss her, he said, “Thank you,” and opened the door, closing it after she walked through. She grinned at him through the window, and he winked back before he walked across the street.

 

***

 

Sheriff Coffee stood leaning on the side of the buckboard while Hoss loaded. “Hoss, I haven’t seen you in town for awhile.”

 

“We’ve been real busy, Roy.”

 

“Well, Adam seems to get into town perty regular.”

 

“Yeah, he’s got a lot of irons in the fire, that’s for sure.”

 

“He must be handlin’ it all alright then. I haven’t heard of any trouble.”

 

Hoss put another board on the wagon and stopped, smiling. “Yeah, I reckon he’s been running all over the place keepin’ everything goin.’”

 

“That Adam’s turned out to be quite the manager.”

 

Hoss grimaced. “I don’t know about that. He’s doing as much work as he is managin.”

 

“Well, that’s because I’ve got two ranches to keep up with,” said Adam, walking up behind Roy and patting his shoulder.

 

Roy extended his hand, and Adam took it. “I hear you’re a real busy man, Adam.”

 

“Sheriff Coffee, Sheriff Coffee,” yelled little Jeremy Polk.

 

Roy turned around just in time to catch the boy. “Now slow down, Jeremy. What’s all the yellin’ about?”

 

“It’s Mr. Riley. Someone hit ‘im on the head. I’m supposed to get you, and then go get the doctor.”

 

“You run on and get the doctor, Jeremy. I’ll go over to the Riley’s right now.” When Roy turned around, Adam was already half way down the street.

********

Adam flew through the front door of the Riley’s shop. He stopped to look around, and then ran behind the counter where Mrs. Riley was bent over her husband.

Kneeling on the other side, Adam checked Mr. Riley’s head and looked up at Mrs. Riley.

“Dr. Martin is on the way. Where’s Shiloh?”

“Adam, he took her. Walter tried to stop him, but he hit him. And then Shiloh tried to fight him, and he hit her, too. Knocked her right out, and then carried her out the back.” Roy and Hoss came through the door. “Hoss!” called Adam, motioning for Hoss to follow him out the back. They found tracks leading west away from the back of the shop down the alley. “Go find Pa and Joe and tell them what’s happened.”

Hoss nodded and ran around the building to the street with Adam. He watched Adam run for his horse at the mill, then took off in the direction of the post office. Joe had run out of the saloon when the yelling started. “Hoss, what’s goin’ on?”

“Someone took Shiloh out of the Riley’s store. They rode west. Adam’s already gone after ‘em. I’m headin’ over to the post office to find Pa.” Joe didn’t wait any longer. He was up on Cochise before Hoss had even started toward the post office, riding out of town at a breakneck gallop.

Adam knew if he rode hard, he’d be able to catch the buggy he was following. It wasn’t long before he could see it up in the distance.

Shiloh was just coming to, and when she realized where she was, she starting swinging frantically at the man driving. She stood up when Will Stewart reached out to grab her, but he lost control of the buggy, hitting a rock on the side of the road. Shiloh turned and jumped.

Adam had seen her fighting and saw her jump. He pulled Sport up just as he was approaching, but before he could dismount, he heard a gunshot. Adam fell forward off his horse, landing face down on the ground.

Standing to run to him, Shiloh fell back down to her knees, grabbing her ankle. As she crawled toward Adam, Stewart caught up to her, carrying her kicking and flailing back to the buggy. He hit her again, stunning her, and drove away. He pulled the wagon to the edge of a clearing where he had a horse waiting to take them toward San Francisco. He knew he would never be able to escape in the buggy, but he would be able to stay hidden in the forest where the soft pine-matted ground would hide the tracks of a horse.

She fought him again, but this time when he hit her, she dodged and fell to the ground. When he bent to pull her up, she kicked at his knees, and when he went down, she continued to hit him until he flattened her on her back and straddled her, holding both of her hands above her head. “I’m taking you to Europe, Isabella. You’ve always wanted to see Europe.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she spat.

“Isabella, Adam’s dead. There’s no reason for you to stay.”

“You don’t know that,” she shouted as she struggled

He slapped her again, and when he bent down to kiss her, she bit his lip, opening a deep cut that poured blood. “You’re going whether you like it or not,” he growled and pulled out a knife, holding it to her neck.

She stopped fighting. “Will, don’t do this. I don’t want to go with you.”

“Adam is dead, and no one is coming. We have all the time in the world.” He lowered the knife to her blouse and began flipping the buttons off. Once the blouse was open, he stuck the knife between the bones of her corset, cutting the fabric. When she began to fight again, he let the tip of the knife score her skin. “You can go without a mark, or you can go a bloody mess. It’s up to you.”

He cut all the way to the top of her corset, then settled down on her, letting go of her hands and holding her head to kiss her again. Pushing against him as hard as she could, she clamped her mouth shut until he stopped, then continued to slam her fists into him. He beat back, knocking he wind out of her. He held her right hand above her and continued his attack, ripping and groping until she drew her fingernails down the side of his face. He yelled out, more in anger than pain, and taking her left hand, he moved it above her and jammed the knife into her palm, pushing it through and into the ground all the way to the handle. She screamed in pain, and he slapped her until she stopped.

Barely conscious, she felt his hands move under her skirt. She reached for anything close to her right hand, and wrapping her fingers around a large rock, she brought it up, smashing it into the side of his head at the same time a blood-curdling scream escaped her throat.

Joe had brought Cochise to a sliding stop next to Adam, and jumping out of the saddle, he knelt at his brother’s side, rolling him over on his back. “Adam, can you hear me?” he asked frantically, patting his brother’s face. They both heard a terrified scream from somewhere up the road.

“Go, Joe,” whispered Adam.

Ben had just arrived and knelt next to Joe. “I’ll find her, Adam,” said Joe, snarling and running toward the scream.

Will leaned to the side, holding his head, and when he regained his balance, he took the rock from her, holding it up over his head. “He’ll not have you either then,” he said, but when he moved to bring the rock down on her, another gun shot rang out. Will fell forward, covering her. It seemed like only a few seconds when she felt his weight lifted from her. Struggling to open her eyes, she could see a blurred face.

“Shy, someone is coming for you.”

Fighting to focus, she squinted and whispered faintly. “Micah?”

“Listen to me. Don’t tell anyone. Especially Adam. I’ll find you. I’ll explain it all. Just don’t tell them.” He moved to the far side of the clearing from where he had come, then slowly made his way down into a ravine as Joe entered the clearing with his gun drawn.

Looking around him as he made his way to Shiloh, Joe checked for a pulse at Stewart’s neck, then holstered his gun and moved next to Shiloh, wincing at the knife buried in her hand. He checked for her pulse, and then yelled at the top of his lungs, “I found her.”

He heard his father’s voice call back. “Is she alright?”

“No,” he yelled, and with tears in his eyes, he said to himself, “No, Adam, she’s not alright.”

********

“Son, can you hear me?” said Ben quietly.

“Shiloh.”

“Joe’s with her. Now let me take a look.” Ben turned Adam on his side, tearing the shirt away from the bullet hole in the back of Adam’s shoulder.

“We need to get you back to town,” said Ben calmly as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, folded it and pressed it against the wound to stem the bleeding. Turning Adam on his back, Ben said, “Now, you lie still. I’ll go check on Shiloh.”

Adam’s eyes were closed, but he nodded, and Ben stood and ran in the direction of Joe’s voice. “Joe!” he called.

“Over here, Pa.”

When Ben entered the clearing, he sucked in a breath, falling to his knees next to Shiloh. “Dear God,” he choked. Looking over at the body lying behind Joe, he asked “Who is he?”

“It’s Stewart. He’s dead.”

“We’ll need something to stop the bleeding when I pull the knife out. Tear her petticoat into strips.”

“Adam,” she said faintly.

Leaning close to her, Ben spoke softly. “Shiloh, it’s Ben.”

“Adam,” she whispered.

“He’ll be alright. Lie still now. We have to take care of your hand and get you to the doctor.”

Joe handed his father several strips of cloth, and Ben folded two into thick squares. “Joseph, hold her shoulders.” He moved next to her hand, took the handle of the knife and pulled hard, removing it in one smooth motion. Shiloh jerked, and then fell back into unconsciousness.

Once Ben had her hand bandaged, he lifted her, carrying her to where Adam lay. Adam turned and saw her bandaged hand, her battered face and all the blood. Reaching out to touch her, he called to her in a strangled cry.

“Joe, get the buggy,” said Ben as he looked at the blood-soaked handkerchief covering Adam’s wound. By the time he had the handkerchief replaced with extra strips of Shiloh’s petticoat, Joe had arrived with his horse and the buggy.

“Help me get Adam into the buggy. Then I’ll hand Shiloh up to you.”

When they arrived in town, Hoss was just coming out of Paul Martin’s office after carrying Mr. Riley in. He scooped Adam out of the buggy and disappeared inside the office. Ben took Shiloh from Joe, and the two men followed Hoss in as a crowd began to gather outside.

Paul asked Hoss and Ben to lay them on beds in the same room so he could decide who to work on first, then ordered them out and closed the door as Joe was about to step in.

The three men stood staring at the door, each man afraid of the worst. When Roy rushed into the office, he stopped and gasped at the look on their faces. “Ben?”

Looking at Roy gravely, Ben slowly sat down on one of the chairs lined against the back wall. He removed his hat and held his head in his hands.

“Joe?” asked Roy.

“They’re both in bad shape, Roy.”

“Well, what happened?”

“Senator Stewart beat Shiloh pretty bad. And someone back shot Adam.”

“Was it Stewart who shot ‘im?”

“I don’t think so. The shot had to have come from behind Adam, and Stewart was ahead of him. Roy, Stewart’s dead. We left him in a clearing a couple of miles west of town.

“Well, who shot Stewart?”

“I don’t know. He was dead when I got there.”

“I’ll have the undertaker go fetch the body. But just as soon as you hear something from Doc Martin, I want you all to come to my office to sort this out.”

Mrs. Murdock stepped inside the office with Mrs. Riley. “You sit down here, Sadie. I’ll see if I can find out something about Walter. Knocking lightly on the door of the back room, Mrs. Murdock entered, closing the door behind her.

“Mrs. Murdock, I’m glad you’re here. With my nurse in Denver visiting her folks, I could use some help,” said Paul.

As he finished listing the things he would need and sent Mrs. Murdock off to get them, he heard Adam whisper, “Shiloh?”

“She’s right here, Adam. She’s resting. The first thing I need to do is get that bullet out of your shoulder and stop the bleeding.”

“No. Shiloh first.”

“Mrs. Murdock is going to take care of Shiloh while I work on you.”

Turning his head, Adam looked over at Shiloh’s still body. He struggled to sit up, and Paul tried to push him back down, but Adam fought to stay up. Tears welled in his eyes. “She’s not breathing.”

“Yes she is, Adam. She’s unconscious, but she’s as alive as you and me. Now lay back down.”

Roy left the doctor’s office when the undertaker returned with Stewart’s body. He leaned over the back of the wagon and raised the blanket that covered it. “I never met the man. I’ll have to find someone who can identify him.” Looking around at the two dozen or so men and women standing quietly, waiting for some word from inside the office, he asked loudly, “Is there anyone here who can identify Senator William Stewart?” He got no response. He looked at the undertaker. “It’s gonna have to be one of the Cartwrights.” Roy went back into the office. “Which one of you can identify Stewart’s body?”

Joe stood up and put his hand on Roy’s shoulder. “I can, Roy,” he said as he and Roy left the office. Once he had confirmed Stewart’s identity, he turned back toward the office, but the crowd engulfed him.

“Joe, how are they?” asked Sally Cass.

Joe looked at her with hollow eyes. “I don’t know yet, Sally. They could use some prayers, though.” The crowd split and let him pass.

Several hours passed before Paul came out of the back room. The three Cartwrights and Mrs. Riley all stood. Paul gave Mrs. Riley a kindly smile. “Sadie, Walter will be just fine. He’s going to have a headache for a few days. Make sure he takes it easy until I come by to see him. I don’t want him working in the store until then.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Mrs. Murdock will bring him out in a few minutes, and you can take him home.”

She turned to the Cartwrights. “Ben, boys, I’ll be praying for your two to come through this.”

“Thank you, Sadie,” said Ben, taking her hands.

Paul took Ben’s arm, pulling him to the other side of the room and motioning for Hoss and Joe to follow. “Adam will be alright, Ben, with some rest. The bullet went pretty deep, and he lost a lot of blood, but it’s out and he’s sewn up. I want to keep him here at least overnight.”

“Shiloh?”

“She hasn’t come to. I’m sure she has a concussion. You just don’t take that kind of beating to the head and not end up with one. She has a good many cuts and bruises all over her, and we’ve cleaned those up. I still need to work on her hand, and there’s one bruise on her abdomen I need to watch. I don’t know how long, but she’ll have to stay as well. Now, I want you and the boys to go get a room at the hotel, and then get a bite to eat. It won’t do either of them any good if I have to bring you to the back and treat you, too.”

“Paul, I want to stay here tonight.”

“I thought you might, Ben. There’s a cot in my office you can use. I’m sending Mrs. Murdock home in a few minutes. She’ll come back tonight to spell me. Now, they’re both resting. Go on and get something to eat. I’ll send someone for you if anything changes.”

By that evening, Adam was awake and alert. At the moment, neither Paul nor Mrs. Murdock was in the room. He pushed himself up to a sitting position with his good arm, and sat for a few minutes, letting the fog clear from his mind. Looking around for his shirt, he realized they must have cut if off of him. His left shoulder was bandaged, and his arm was in a sling. He looked across the room at Shiloh. She was so still and pale. A blanket had been pulled all the way up to her chin, but her shoulders were bare and uncovered, and he could see the dark shadows of bruises even from across the room. Sliding slowly off the high bed until his feet touched the floor, he tentatively stood, not yet trusting his balance. He gradually made his way to her side, and gently touched the bruises on her face and the swelling around her eyes and mouth as a tear dropped onto her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I promised you I wouldn’t let him anywhere near you. Now look what he’s done to you.” He lifted the cover and caught his breath at the bruises all over her body, and then he saw the heavily bandaged hand. Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he pulled a chair to her bedside and sat next to her, watching her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath. “Why did I ever believe I could have a life with you when everyone else I’ve ever really loved has left me? My mothers…Ruth.” Taking her right hand in his, he whispered, “Stay with me, Shiloh,” then kissed her hand and lay his head on the side of the bed.

********

A strong hand settled on Adam’s shoulder, waking him. “Son, you need to lie back down.”

 

“Hm?” he asked groggily.

 

“You need to lie back down. Come on.”

 

Adam felt an arm underneath his good arm, pulling him up from the chair. He didn’t want to leave her side, but he had no strength left to fight and allowed his father to guide him back into his own bed.

 

“Here, drink this.”

 

Taking the glass of water from his father, Adam drank it all, and passed the glass back. “She hasn’t moved. And Paul hasn’t been back to see her.”

 

“It’s the middle of the night,” Ben said quietly. “Paul said the less she was disturbed, the better off she’d be.”

 

“Better than what?”

 

“He’s worried about her hand and a bruise on her stomach, but she’s not in any danger right now.”

 

“What happened to her hand?”

 

“Lie down, and I’ll tell you.”

 

Adam let himself drop down onto the bed, and tucked his right arm under his head, closing his eyes. He was in pain, but it was tolerable.

 

Ben pulled the chair from Shiloh’s bedside over to Adam’s. “Stewart used a knife to pin her hand to the ground.”

 

Adam lifted his head too quickly and had to fight back a wave of nausea. His first thought was how she would feel if she could no longer play her piano or violin. He gritted his teeth and snarled.

 

“Now, Adam, there’s no point in letting it upset you like this. There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it, and it’s done.”

 

“I should never have left her alone. I knew he would come after her.”

 

“You didn’t leave her alone. And no one would ever have thought that he’d enter one of the shops here and take her. Paul did a little surgery on her hand, and said he thought with some exercise she may be able to regain her flexibility. He’s sure she has a concussion, and that’s why she hasn’t woken up.”

 

Closing his eyes and swallowing hard, Adam said resolutely, “I’m going to kill him.”

 

The room was completely silent for a moment. “Adam, Will Stewart is dead.”

 

An eyebrow arched. “How?”

 

“Someone shot him.”

 

“Who?”

 

“We don’t know. By the time Joe got to her, he was already dead, and there was no one else around. His gun was still holstered, so it wasn’t Shiloh.”

 

“The man who’s been following her; he must’ve have seen Will take her.”

 

Nodding, Ben said, “Possibly, but unless Shiloh can tell us something, we may never know.”

 

Joe quietly pushed the door open for Hoss, who was carrying a pot of soup and a bowl. He looked over at Shiloh, then back at Adam and said quietly, “I knew it. I never saw a bullet that’d keep you down for long, Older Brother. We brought you some soup.”

 

“Thanks, Hoss, but I’m not hungry.”

 

“Son, you’ll need your strength when she wakes up. After what Stewart did to her, she’ll need you.”

 

Adam cut his eyes away and took a deep breath. “What exactly did he do to her?”

 

“You know he nearly beat her to death. Aside from her hand…well, her clothes were ripped to shreds. But that doesn’t mean what you’re thinking. He was fully dressed when Joe found him.”

 

Hoss brought a bowl of soup over on a tray while Joe helped Adam prop up with a pillow behind him. “Now, you eat every bit of that,” said Hoss. Mrs. Riley felt so bad that Stewart took her from their store, she stayed up late fixin’ that soup just for you.”

 

Mrs. Murdock silently entered the room, and stood with her hands on her hips and a disapproving look on her face.

 

“Now, Mrs. Murdock, you can’t be upset that he’s eatin’ some soup,” said Hoss.

 

“Hoss Cartwright, it’s not the soup that bothers me. It’s all the noise you three must be making. These two need to rest. Now as soon as he’s finished his soup, you three can go up to your hotel rooms and get some sleep yourselves.” When she turned and laid her hand on Shiloh’s forehead, Shiloh moved her head back and forth, and a tear trickled down the side of her face. “Joseph, would you run upstairs and knock on Dr. Martin’s door? Tell him she’s waking up.”

 

Joe jumped up. “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, disappearing out the door. Adam handed the bowl back to Hoss who put it down on the table at the foot of the bed.

 

“You two,” she said, pointing to Hoss and Ben. “Out, now.” She pointed at Adam. “You get right back up in that bed. You’ll just be in the way.”

 

In another moment, Paul was in the room in his robe, leaning over Shiloh’s bed. “Shiloh, it’s Paul Martin. Can you hear me?” She groaned and nodded slightly. “You’re in my office, and you’re safe. Now, I want you to lie still and answer some questions for me.” By now, Adam had moved to the foot of her bed. “Do you recognize me?” She nodded.

 

She licked her lips and grimaced without opening her eyes. “Adam?” she whispered.

 

“He’s right here. Open your eyes. He’s at the foot of the bed.”

 

“Adam. Shot.”

 

When Paul looked at Adam and nodded, Adam move to the side of the bed next to Paul and touched her hair. “Shiloh, I’m right here. Open your eyes.”

 

Her eyelids fluttered open and closed, then stayed open in two thin slits that instantly filled with tears. Her arms went up and found him as he bent down to her, holding her gently. “Please keep him away from me,” she cried.

 

“He can’t hurt you anymore, Sweetheart. He’s dead.”

 

“Adam, stand at the head of the bed so she can see you. I still need to examine her.”

 

Moving her arms from around him, Adam laid her left hand down at her side and held her right while standing behind her and leaning over so she could see him.

 

“Shiloh, I’m going to take a look at a bruise. Just lie still.” Paul lifted the blanket and looked at the bruise on her abdomen. He ran his hand over it and pressed it gently, making Shiloh flinch. “I know it’s tender. Try to be still.” Pulling the cover back over her, Paul turned to Mrs. Murdock. “Would you prepare a hot cloth, and lay it over that bruise. As long as the area doesn’t get hard and the bruising doesn’t spread, I think it will be alright.” He wrote something on a piece of paper and leaned over Shiloh’s face, holding the paper up so she could see it. “Shiloh, can you read what’s written on this paper?”

 

Squinting, she said, “Shiloh Cartwright.”

 

“Good. Now, tell me how many fingers I’m holding up.”

 

“Three.”

 

“Excellent.” He raised her left hand up so she could see the bandage. “Shiloh, do you remember what happened to your hand.” She squeezed her eyes shut and began to cry again, but she nodded. “You were lucky. The knife did some muscle damage, but it missed the tendons. You’ll be stiff, and you’ll have to do some exercises, but you should regain normal movement in your hand. Playing your piano or your violin would be wonderful exercise. Now, last question. How’s the pain?”

 

Tears still dripped down the side of her face. “I hurt,” she whispered.

 

“Understandable. I’m going to give you something for the pain. It will also help you sleep.”

 

“Adam,” she said in faint voice, looking up at him. “Don’t leave me.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere, Sweetheart. I’ll be right here.”

 

Shiloh stayed in Paul Martin’s office for two more days before he agreed to let her move to a room in the hotel. Hoss carried her over, and once she and Adam were settled, Ben sent Joe and Hoss home to keep the ranches and lumber camps running while Adam recovered. When they got her into the bed, she mumbled because of the bruises and swelling of her face, “Paul, why can’t I just go home?”

 

“Because I don’t want you to take that ride just yet, and I want you close so I can check on you. You could still have some ill effects from this.”

 

Hoss had come back to town the first day with a change of clothes for Adam and Shiloh’s gown and robe. Mrs. Lewis brought some skirts and blouses for Shiloh and left them in the closet of the bedroom of the suite that she and Adam were sharing with Ben.

 

She had her first nightmare the first night in the hotel room. Adam had undressed and slipped underneath the covers beside her. He slept close, but didn’t hold her, afraid that he’d hurt her. She had fallen into a fitful sleep, and just as he was dozing off, she pushed hard on his chest and started crying, “Let me go!” When she began to hit him, he held up his right arm to block her blows. “Let me go!”

Slipping his arm out of the sling, he grabbed her wrists and shook her gently. “Shiloh! Wake up.”

“Please don’t do this to me,” she cried as she continued to fight him, trying to pull her hands away.

He sat up and pulled her up with him, shaking her. “Shiloh, wake up.”

Her fingers dug into his arms, and when she opened her eyes, he saw absolute terror there. Taking her face in his hands, he tried to calm her. “It’s alright, Sweetheart. It’s me. Adam.”

She slumped, shaking, trying to stifle her need to cry. “Adam, I…I couldn’t…stop him.”

Holding her to him in a tight embrace, he lay back down with her. “I know, Sweetheart. But it’s over now. It was just a bad dream.” She held on to him, trembling and eventually fell back to sleep. Adam dozed off and on, waking every time she moved. He wondered how long the nightmares would last.

********

Adam came out of the bedroom, quietly pulling the door to, and walked to the table in the center of the sitting room where breakfast was waiting for him. He sat down and yawned.

“Bad night?” asked Ben.

“You could say that. She had a nightmare. If last night was any indication, she must have fought him pretty hard.”

“Paul said Stewart had some bruises and cuts on his face. He said his lip was split pretty badly. He also said she managed to land to pretty hard blow to his temple. The bullet hit right in the center of his head. Whoever pulled that trigger was an excellent shot.” He studied Adam who was deep in thought. “Adam?”

“Hm?” He snorted. “Sorry, Pa.”

“Do you have any idea who this other man might be?”

“I was going to ask Shiloh when she came to, but Paul wanted me to wait. I’ll ask her today when she wakes up. But Pa, she might not have seen him. Joe said by the time he got there, she was out.”

“Adam, your lip.” Adam glanced up with a questioning look. “You’ve got some blood in the corner of your mouth.”

Touching his mouth, he said, “She hit me. As a matter of fact, I need to have Paul take a look at my shoulder. I had to use my arm last night to stop her from beating the stew out of me. He needs to look at her hand, too. She was using both.” Rising from the chair, he said, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to wash my face.” When he opened the bedroom door, Shiloh was standing at the window, looking out. “Shiloh, you should be in the bed.” She jumped when he spoke and spun quickly around. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing. I just heard a commotion and got up to look.” She turned back toward the bed, and he glanced out the window in the direction she had been looking. When he leaned closer to the window, he saw a man step back into the shadows of the alley across the street. He dipped the corner of a towel into the wash basin and wiped his mouth, then left the room. Grabbing his gun, he shoved the barrel into the front of his trousers and headed for the door.

“Adam, where are you going?”

“I’ll be back in a minute, Pa.”

Shiloh got back out of bed and stood at the window. She watched Adam walk across the street and into the alley. When he came back out, he looked up at their hotel room window. She backed away, but too late. He had seen her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and went back to bed.

“Adam, what was that about?” asked Ben when Adam entered the room.

With a determined looked on his face, he kept walking toward the bedroom when he answered, “I don’t know Pa, but I’m about to find out.” He shoved his gun back in its holster, and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He stood at the foot of the bed, looking intently at her for a moment before he walked over and sat down beside her. “Shiloh, do you know who shot Will Stewart?”

“No.”

“Think about it for a minute. You must have seen someone in that clearing.”

“I did, but…everything was blurry. I couldn’t see him clearly.”

“Do you have an idea what he looked like? The color of his hair; how tall he was?”

She spoke slowly. Her face still hurt. “I think he had dark hair and a beard and mustache. He must’ve still been there when I passed out. I don’t remember him leaving.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Shiloh, did you just see him in the alley?”

She sighed. “Adam, I saw a movement. That’s all. I can’t tell you who shot Will.”

“Can’t or won’t?” he barked as he stood. She gave him a very tired look and turned away. He knew she wasn’t telling him something. Maybe she was afraid; maybe she was just too tired. He’d ask again later. “I’ll bring you some breakfast. Paul said to make sure you eat.”

He had left her alone this morning, and now she was alone again. She had time to think everything through. The thoughts that pushed through to the surface were flashes of Will’s attack, the knife cutting through her corset and into her skin, his hands…everywhere, and the knife going into her hand. She brought her hand up and held it at her breast as tears escaped her eyes. You don’t have time to think about Will. He’s dead. But Micah. Adam said that Paul pronounced him dead and that Daddy was with him. That means Paul Martin has known all along that Micah is alive. She could feel rage welling up within her.

Adam entered the room followed by Paul. “Shiloh, I understand you had a rough night,” said Paul. Shiloh lay still without turning to look. “Adam thinks I should look at your hand.”

He reached down for it, and she pulled it to her. “My hand is fine.”

Setting the breakfast tray down on the table next to the window, Adam stood by the bed with his hand on his hip. “Let Paul see your hand.”

She slowly held it out, and Paul began to unwrap it. “Adam tells me you’re not sleeping well. I want you to take a dose of laudanum at night before you lie down. It will help you sleep without the nightmares.” He turned her hand over. “The stitches are still in good shape. I’ll add some extra padding this time.” When he finished rebandaging her hand, he asked to see her stomach. Adam looked at her sideways as she grudgingly rolled to her back. “This is looking better. The edges are starting to change color which means there’s no more bleeding. It should fade away nicely. Now, you, young man. Let me see that shoulder.”

Slipping his arm out of the sling, Adam unbuttoned his shirt, letting the left side fall below his shoulder. “It seems you’re no worse for wear either.”

Shiloh had turned away. “When can I go home?” she asked without looking back.

“When I’m satisfied that you’re getting adequate rest and food, I’ll let Adam take you home. But you’re going to have to do a lot better with your meals before that happens. Adam, one spoonful ought to do the trick,” said Paul as he handed Adam a bottle of laudanum out of his medical bag.

Adam pulled his shirt back over his shoulder and walked Paul out, then turned back into the suite. “Pa, why don’t you go on back to the ranch? We’re both getting around alright now. Paul just wants us to rest.”

“We’ll see. I still have to finish up this cattle business. Did you have a chance to look at the letter?”

“It looks alright to me. It should be an easy drive, and it’s about the time Shiloh and I need to be in Salt Lake anyway.”

“Alright. I’ll go ahead and answer the letter, and then I’ll decide whether to go home.”

When Ben left the room, Adam went back into the bedroom. “You heard what Paul said. Sit up so you can eat your breakfast,” he said as he helped her up and fluffed the pillows behind her. He placed the tray on her lap.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Well, you won’t get to go home until you manage to eat more than you’ve been eating.” She scowled and picked up the fork. “Now, you want to tell what that business was with Paul?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said impassively without looking up at him.

“Paul Martin has been our friend for a long time. Why were you so short with him?”

“I’m sorry you felt that way, Adam.” She set the fork down on the plate. “I just want to go home. Do you realize the people here walk down the street and look up at this window as they pass? And can you just imagine what will be in the newspaper when this gets out. I can see it now. Love triangle ends in death. Will Stewart loses.”

He pulled a chair next to the bed and sat on the edge of the seat. “Why don’t you lay down for a nap after you finish eating? You didn’t get much sleep last night. You’ll feel better after you get some rest.”

“I don’t want to sleep. I need to…think.”

“No, you don’t. You need to stop thinking and rest,” he said as he rose from the chair. “I’ll get you a glass of milk to wash that down.” He left the room and poured a glass of milk from the pitcher on the table in the sitting room. Leaning back to look in the bedroom to make sure she wasn’t watching, he opened the bottle of laudanum and put two spoonfuls in the milk, stirring it. He’d had enough experience with laudanum on his own to know that one spoonful would make her drowsy; two would make her sleep. “Here you go, Sweetheart. If you can’t finish your food, at least drink the milk.” She left the half eaten food, and sat back to drink.

“Adam, what will this do to our schedule? We were supposed to be in San Francisco in two weeks.”

“The timber we were delivering was early, so that won’t matter. I’ll have to send Robert a wire to tell him we need to postpone the inspection of the courthouse foundation for a week. I don’t think that will matter. They’re not scheduled to finish it for another month.”

“Will we lose the teamsters?”

“Teamsters are constantly moving lumber from the south side of the lake. I’m sure we can find someone else.” He leaned forward and took the tray as she turned the glass up for the last few drops of milk. “Sweetheart, don’t worry about the work. You need to concentrate on getting better.” She smiled and looked toward the window, finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. “Why don’t you lie down?”

Nodding, she slowly moved down in the bed while he moved the pillows. Just before she fell asleep, she whispered, “You put laudanum in my milk, didn’t you?” Before he could answer, she had drifted off to sleep.

********

After another four days of bed rest, Dr. Martin allowed Adam to take Shiloh home with strict orders for more bed rest. The swelling around her eyes had subsided, but the bruises were still dark blue and purple with red dots around them. She was sore everywhere and still limped from the ankle she sprained while jumping from the moving buggy.

Adam’s arm was not healed enough to participate in any strenuous work, but he did manage it. He had received a wire from Crocker telling him to stop cutting after the second contract for railroad ties was completed until further notice. With the help of Sam Clemens, Adam found there was a power struggle within the railroad company ranks between Theodore Judah and the men who had become known as the Big Four. Their debate dealt with funding; whether to wait for the issue of government bonds or continue laying track on the personal credit of the investors. Still, the loggers Ben had hired were kept busy cutting and milling the square sets for the four mines with whom the Cartwrights were under contract.

To Adam’s vexation, Shiloh had begun to hobble out to the corrals near the house. She wasn’t yet able to work with her horses, but she did direct Hoss who was also helping to train Tom. The men had moved her piano into the house under Adam’s intense scrutiny, and the same afternoon, they reinstalled the window in the parlor.

When Shiloh wasn’t busy, she was withdrawn. She had tried to play her piano, but her hand wasn’t yet healed enough to completely straighten or bend her fingers. Her nightmares continued, though the thrashing that Adam had been taking had ended. Instead she woke up in cold sweats with an occasional spine-chilling scream.

Most nights she sat in the parlor, staring off into space for awhile before she quietly went up to bed without even saying goodnight. Tonight was different. When Adam went to check on her in the parlor, she wasn’t there. He usually saw her on her way to the stairs, but knew he could have missed her while he was poring over drawings for his Salt Lake project for Slater. Climbing the stairs, he slowly opened the bedroom door. She wasn’t there. He trotted back down the stairs and went into the kitchen. She wasn’t there. “Shiloh!” Standing in the middle of the house, he spun around when he heard the front door open. “Shiloh, where have you been?”

She limped into the door, closing it behind her, and answered quietly. “I went out for some fresh air.” Tottering by him, she walked into the parlor and sat on the sofa with her knees drawn up against her chest and her head lying on top of them. Micah had been outside. Now she had a chill that she couldn’t shake. The one question she had asked was all he had time to explain. Why? He told her about the gunfight with the youngest Horton; a gunfight he had won; a gunfight over a girl. The oldest Horton had come for him next the night he and Adam had gone to town, only this time, he didn’t win. There were nine Horton brothers who would keep coming and coming until they did kill him. If he had run, they would have come after his father and little sister. The Hortons had a well-known reputation in the early days of the mining camp that became Virginia City. Paul Martin was new to the territory, but he, like everyone else in the settlement knew just how bad the Hortons could be, so he went along with Micah’s plan to disappear. When her father came into the camp, he saw the wisdom of it. After that Amos stopped living for anything but his horses, and he took that secret to his grave.

Adam stood in the doorway of the parlor for a few minutes before he moved to sit on the hearth, watching her. She hadn’t moved, except for an occasional deep breath. She had no idea what to do. She knew that Adam believed she recognized Will Stewart’s killer.

Both he and Micah wanted to protect her. If she told Adam about Micah, she would be putting Micah’s life in jeopardy. If she didn’t tell Adam, Micah would be safe, but the secret could irreparably damage her marriage.

She didn’t hear Adam walk over to the sofa. When he sat beside her she tensed, feeling his eyes on her. “Shiloh, you need to tell me what you’re hiding before it eats you alive.”

Without raising her head, she replied, “I can’t tell you. You wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

Every muscle in his body tightened. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“I trust you with my life.”

“Then let me help.”

She raised her head. “I’m sure you could help, Adam. I’m just afraid of how your principles will allow you to help. And I’m afraid that…you’ll feel betrayed.” She turned to him. His mouth opened slightly, and he crooked his jaw. Shaking her head, she whispered. “Not by me.”

“Shiloh, if this man is in trouble, running or hiding isn’t going to fix it.”

“He’s not running. He’s trying to protect me….us.”

Adam bit the inside of his cheek and furrowed his brow. He stood and pulled her up off the sofa. “Shiloh, it’s my job to protect us.” She tried to turn away, but he held her so that he could see her eyes. “You know who he is. Tell me.”

“I can’t betray him,” she cried.

“But you can betray me?”

“How am I betraying you?”

“You’re my wife. We’re not supposed to have secrets.” She struggled to free herself from his grip, but he held on until she stopped fighting. Her eyes turned hopeless as they filled with tears. “Shiloh, trust me,” he said, tenderly pulling her into him.

“It was Micah,” she whispered.

He glared at her for a moment before he released her, and then walked to the hearth, staring at the empty fire box. Spinning back around on his heel, he asked angrily, “How do you expect me to believe that?”

Her heart sank. “Adam, I told you you wouldn’t believe me. I spoke to him tonight. He’s here.”

Micah had been listening outside the window. Now, he opened the front door. Adam stopped and looked toward the French doors of the parlor, listening while Shiloh held her breath. They heard slow steps on the wood floor coming closer until Micah stood at the door. Adam was looking into the face of his best friend, his wife’s brother, a man he knew to be long dead.

********

“I like what you’ve done with the parlor. I’m glad you were here when the tree fell,” said Micah.

Adam walked slowly forward, stopping right in front of Micah. He began to turn away, but quickly turned back, swinging, landing a blow that sent Micah to the floor. Shiloh backed up with her hand covering her mouth.

Micah propped up on an elbow and rubbed his chin. “What was that for?”

“That was for what you did to your sister.”

“I guess I deserved that,” said Micah, getting to his feet.

Adam turned toward Shiloh. “How long have you been watching her?” Before Micah could answer, Adam swung again. This time Micah lay still, looking back up. “That was for what you did to me.”

“Are you done?”

“I don’t know.”

Again, Micah got to his feet. “I’ve been watching her since she left for New York. While she was with Dad, I didn’t worry. He knew who to look out for. But when she met Will Stewart I knew she was in trouble.”

Adam’s arm was out of the sling and on his hip. “You did this because of the Hortons?” he shouted.

“You know as well as I do that they would’ve kept coming after me for killing their little brother, and there was a good chance they’d go after Dad or Shiloh. I had to protect them.”

Shiloh backed up against the wall, listening to the two men yell at each other.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you would have exposed me. Just like you want to do now.”

Looking down, Adam took a deep, calming breath. “Micah, it was a fair fight. You had no reason to run.”

“I told you,” said Micah just as calmly. “I had to protect Dad and Shiloh.”

Adam walked toward Shiloh as he spoke. “Why are you hiding now? We can take care of the Hortons.” When he reached her he held her face in his hands, and then cradled her in his arms.

“It’s not the Hortons I’m worried about now.”

“Then what?” Adam asked angrily.

“Adam, I had to earn a living. I do that with my gun.”

Adam turned back around and took a step forward. “You’re a gun fighter?” he asked unconvinced. “I would have heard something.”

“You probably have. You just didn’t know it.”

“Who?”

“Mort Williams.”

Adam seethed. “You’re Mort Williams…the range detective.”

“I couldn’t very well be Micah Whitney. The Hortons would have come after me or they would have come after Shiloh if they knew I was alive. And Mort Williams would have brought some pretty bad men right to Shiloh’s door if anyone knew.”

Shiloh stepped between them. “What about now?” she asked. “Shave the beard and the mustache. Let Mort Williams disappear and be Micah Whitney again.”

Shaking his head, Micah said, “Shy, that would raise too many questions.”

Adam stepped behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Only from the Hortons. No one has to know about Mort Williams.”

Leaning into Micah, Shiloh looked up into his eyes. “Micah, it’s time for you to come home.”

“Come home to what?” he asked, touching her face. “This place is yours and Adam’s now.”

“Daddy always meant for it to be yours. You must know Adam is building a house for us on the Ponderosa. You can live here, Micah. You can settle down and raise a family here.”

“Micah, there’s something else you need to consider.”

“What’s that, Adam?”

“What you’ve done to your sister. How do you think she felt losing you after she lost her mother; and then losing her father? She’s always felt she had no family.”

“She got over it.”

“No, I didn’t, Micah,” Shiloh said quietly. “Adam is right. There’s always been a huge hole in my heart that even he can’t fill.” Her eyes filled with tears as her chin quivered. “I need you to stay.”

Adam walked behind Micah while Shiloh was speaking and slipped his gun of his holster. “I’m not going to let you leave.”

“What are you going to do when the Hortons show up?”

Both men turned when they heard Ben Cartwright’s voice in the entry way. “They’ll have to come through all of us.”

Taking his hands in hers, and with tears streaming down her face, she pleaded, “Please, Micah. Don’t leave me again.”

He enveloped her in his arms, nodded at Adam, and whispered in her ear, “No more hiding.”

When Shiloh heard those words, she gave in to emotional fatigue from the last few weeks and physical exhaustion from her injuries. Micah held her up until Adam took her, carrying her up to the bedroom.

********

“Shiloh, I want to you rest for awhile,” said Adam as he laid her on the bed. She didn’t let go, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around him and sobbing onto his neck. Adam sat down, holding her and letting her cry. After a few moments, he pulled her arms from around his neck and lowered her to her pillow. “Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Please don’t let him leave.”

“He’ll stay for you.” Bending down to her and kissing her softly, he wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her again before he blew out the lamp and quietly left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

***

Ben watched Adam carry Shiloh up the stairs before he approached Micah wearing a mildly shocked look, but extending his hand. Micah shook his hand warmly, and the two men hugged. Ben remembered him as a young man. He had grown into a man’s body, and his face had become a man’s face, but he had the same dark hair, blue eyes and bright smile that he inherited from his mother and shared with his sister.

“Micah, I don’t know what to say. We all thought…we all knew you were dead.”

“How much did you hear, Mr. Cartwright?”

“I heard all of it. Amos knew the whole time?”

“Yessir,” said Micah, casting his eyes to the floor. “I know I hurt everyone,” he started, looking back toward the stairs. “Especially Shy, but at the time, it seemed the only thing to do to keep her safe.”

Adam walked slowly down the stairs, heading toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you two have a seat in the parlor while I put a pot of coffee on? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.” When he entered the kitchen, Ming Lin was already preparing the tray. Adam smiled and shook his head, then went back to the parlor.

“How is she?” asked Micah.

“I don’t know. She’s been through a lot in the last two weeks. Besides that, our marriage has been a big change for her.” Adam bent his head and rubbed the back of his neck while Ming Lin brought in the coffee and served everyone, then retreated to the kitchen.

“Adam, how do you plan to protect her from the Hortons when they find out I’m alive?”

Adam snorted. “You’ve been so busy watching Shiloh that you haven’t been paying attention. There are only three Hortons left; Raymond, James and Earl. And the only one of those who causes any problems these days is Raymond.”

“At least he left Dad and Shiloh alone after he shot me.” Ben and Adam glanced at each other, and Micah caught the look. “Did something happen?”

Ben shifted in his chair. “One of the reasons Adam spoke to your father about sending Shiloh to school back East was because Ray had made some threats.”

“What kind of threats?” asked Micah, sitting on the edge of his chair.

Creasing his eyebrows, Adam explained, “He said he was going to take her when she was old enough; that it would serve you right for killing his brother if he ended up with her. Then he’d take it out on her.” When Micah tensed, Adam shook his head. “Micah, that was eight or nine years ago. He hasn’t caused any trouble since she’s been back.”

“You know that’s liable to change.”

“And if it does, we’ll take care of it,” said Ben. “Now, I’d like to know why you followed her to New York.”

“She was still a kid when you sent her back there, Adam. I didn’t think she had any business going to New York on her own. But she did alright…until she met Stewart. I knew from the beginning he was trouble. He already had a reputation for being rough with the ladies. Then after Shiloh came home, I worked for awhile until I found out he was going to San Francisco. So I came back and watched her.” He cut his eyes over at Adam with an amused smile. “I watched her with you, too. I should probably apologize for that, but considering how it turned out, I don’t think I will.” Adam smirked.

Ben took a deep breath. “Micah, you know we have to talk to Roy. He’s still looking for Stewart’s killer.” Micah started to speak, and Ben raised his hand. “Let me finish. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that…this stranger…saved Shiloh’s life. That won’t be a problem. But there’s the question of Mort Williams. You’re going to have to answer to the law, if you broke it.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I’m not wanted anywhere if that’s what you mean. Everything I did was legal.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t believe one word out of the mouth of a range detective, but I’m going to take you at your word, Micah.” He looked over at Adam, then back to Micah. “It’s agreed then. There will be no more mention of Mort Williams.”

“You’ve come forward at a good time,” said Adam, smiling. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Before we talk about that, we need to talk about the man who shot you.” Both Adam and Ben straightened. “He’s fairly new, and I have no idea where he came from. He rode into town a couple of days after Stewart, and for awhile just sat in front of the Sazerac and watched you every time you came into town. He asked questions, so I don’t think he knew what you looked like before he got here, but after he got some answers, he started following you. The day you and Shiloh heard gunshots on the way back to the ranch…Stewart was there. This other fella was there, and he was ready to shoot then.”

“You fired those shots as a warning,” said Adam, cocking his head.

Micah nodded. “The day you were shot, after I took care of Stewart, I tried to track him, but by that time he was long gone. He’s still around. You need to watch your back.”

Ben grunted and stood. “It’s late. I should be getting back to the Ponderosa.”

“Why did you come by?” asked Adam.

“Oh, I wanted to find out when you thought you’d be ready to haul the dock timber and the railroad ties to Sacramento. I’m going to be in town tomorrow, and there’s another group of teamsters coming through who’ll be looking for something to haul.”

Adam stood, and taking a deep breath, he scratched his head. “I was hoping to take care of Shiloh’s horses and my trip to San Francisco at the same time we hauled the timber to Sacramento. But we can’t wait any later than next week. The timber will be due, and I need to inspect the courthouse foundation. I don’t know if Shiloh will be ready to make that kind of a trip. If she’s not, we’ll have to go without her. We can make another trip for the horses when she’s able.”

“Alright then. I’ll see if they’ll wait for the load.” Micah and Adam walked him to the front door. “Now Micah, you remember. Anything you need, all you have to do is ask. You’re as much a member of the family as Shiloh.”

Micah took Ben’s hand. “I’ll remember, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Adam.”

“Night, Pa.”

When the two men walked back into the parlor, the mantel clock struck eleven thirty. “Where’s your horse?”

“He’s in the barn,” snorted Micah. Adam gave him an incredulous look. “My horse has been in your barn almost every night since Stewart got into town. I’ve been watching you from the top of the hill, and after everyone turned in, I came down and slept in the hayloft.”

Adam’s nostrils flared. “You find that amusing?”

Laughing, Micah answered as they walked to the barn together, “For a man who’s so intent on protecting his wife, you aren’t real observant.”

“Well, when Shiloh was with me in our bedroom, I had no reason to worry about her,” said Adam, wearing a half-smile.

“Hey, that’s my little sister you’re talking about. I don’t find that amusing at all. You and I are gonna talk about that.”

“What?”

“You and my little sister…my young little sister.”

Chuckling, Adam put a hand on Micah’s shoulder. “Tomorrow. It’s late, and we have a long day ahead of us. Now get your things. You’re room is right where you left it,” said Adam, turning back toward the house.

********

Quietly opening the bedroom door, Adam hesitated for a moment when he saw Shiloh sitting in front of her dressing table mirror naked. He stepped in and softly closed the door. She gave no indication that she heard him. Rather she continued to stare at herself in the mirror.

Adam moved to the bed and sat down, removing his boots. “Your bruises are starting to fade.”

“The ones you can see, I suppose.”

He could see the wetness on her face shining in the light of the lamp next to her. “Shiloh, he can never hurt you again…thanks to Micah. And if Micah hadn’t killed him, I would have for doing what he did to you.”

“Adam, did you know he was going to kill me?”

His head shot up. “Sweetheart, I realize he brutally beat you, but you were his obsession. Why would he want to kill you?”

“I made him angry. I hit him on the side of the head with a rock. He was going to hit me with it when Micah shot him. I think he realized I wasn’t going to be easily controlled and decided I would be too much trouble.”

Standing behind her, Adam looked at her reflection in the mirror; really looked at her for the first time since he’d seen her in Dr. Martin’s office. Aside from the bruises all over her, he found what looked like a bite mark on the top of her shoulder. With his eyes, he traced a cut from the center of her breasts down to just above her navel. And there was a bruise that looked vaguely like a hand print on her right breast. He pulled her chair around and knelt in front of her. Aside from the large bruise on her abdomen, there were bruises on her thighs. Closing his eyes, he realized Stewart had done more than beat her.

New tears rolled down her cheek. “I’m so sorry. I tried to stop him.”

His mouth opened and his brow furrowed. “Shiloh, you’ve done nothing to apologize for. This wasn’t you’re fault.” Pulling her forward into his arms, he stood up with her, holding her tightly. “If anyone is to blame here besides Will, it’s me. I never should have left you alone.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. He would have killed you. He tried.”

“Will had nothing to do with that shot.”

Looking up at him, she asked, “Then who shot you?”

Tightening his lips, he shook his head almost imperceptibly. “It’s not important right now, Sweetheart. I need to find a way to help you through this. Tell me how I can help you.”

She gently pushed away from him and walked around the bed. “I don’t know that there’s anything you can do. I just need time. I need things…” Her nose wrinkled as the tears started again. “I just need things to be…easier…between us.” Pulling back the bed covers, she slipped underneath and curled into a ball, facing away from him. He finished undressing, blew the lamp out and slid in beside her, drawing her into him and holding her until she fell asleep.

***

Waking with a jerk when she saw the rock Will was holding above her come rushing down into her face, she rolled to her back, glistening with sweat in the moonlight shining through the bedroom windows. Chilled to the bone, she pulled the cover up over her. She stared up at the ceiling, toying with the idea of getting up since she was wide awake. Why bother? She wouldn’t be able to concentrate on any of her desk work. She looked back at Adam. A touch is all it would take for him to reach for her and pull her into the warmth of his body, and at the moment, she was shivering. Turning to her side, she lightly placed a hand on his chest. He took a slow, deep breath, moving his hand to hers, and then rolling toward her, he reached until he found her and drew her into him, surrounding her in his arms as he nuzzled her cheek, kissed her jaw, and settled back into a comfortable sleep. She lay still and quiet, listening to him breathe deep and long and letting his warmth flow into her.

She knew she was lucky to have someone like Adam, someone who never faltered with responsibilities or obligations; someone who defended those he loved; someone who loved fiercely, devotedly, completely. Was she selfish in wanting to continue as she had before their marriage, or should she quit trying to hold on to her independence? Would that be giving in or giving up? She could learn to cook. She could clean. But then, she wouldn’t be the same person he chose to marry. The truth was she didn’t exactly know what he wanted. She no longer knew what she wanted either. Then she wondered when she had gotten so good at circular thinking.

He and Micah would be going into town tomorrow to speak with Sheriff Coffee. She was sure he would want her to see Dr. Martin, but she had no desire to see him. He had been lying all these years when he knew she had been hurting all that time for losing Micah. And her father…would she ever be able to think of her father the same way? Then there was Micah. She was so happy that he was finally home. But he could have told her instead of letting her think he was dead. He could have explained it all. She loved him without a doubt, but she was angry with him, too. She pressed into Adam’s body as tears started again, and she felt his arms tighten around her.

Feeling the tickle of a teardrop slowly making its way through his chest hair, he opened his eyes and watched her. “Why don’t you take the laudanum, Sweetheart? It will help you sleep.”

“Will lives in my sleep,” she whispered. “Even with the laudanum.”

When Adam rolled over on her, he didn’t expect to be pushed away. Jumping out of bed, she grabbed her robe and headed out the bedroom door. She stopped on the front porch, and trembling, she wrapped her arms around a post, squeezing her eyes shut. She flinched when Adam touched her arms. “How can you look at me?” she cried. “How could you want me after he touched me that way?”

Moving his hands up to her shoulders, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “It doesn’t matter what he did. I love you. I want you. That will never change.” When she turned, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head as she sobbed. He had expected this much sooner. Breathing a sigh of relief, he was glad she was getting it out. Maybe now, she could move beyond it and start living again.

********

As Ming Lin placed the breakfast dishes on the table, he kept glancing over at Micah with a wary look. “Ming Lin, this is Micah Whitney, Mrs. Cartwright’s brother. He’ll be living here now,” said Adam. Ming Lin nodded and turned back toward the kitchen, but before he left the room, he looked back one more time, this time with a look more of surprise. When Adam caught his eye, he hurried on. “We need to tell Joe and Hoss…and Hop Sing…before they find out in town.”

Shiloh sipped her coffee. “Today is Hop Sing and Ming Lin’s day in town. You need to ride over to the Ponderosa and tell everyone before you leave for town.”

“You’re going with us,” said Adam, chewing his eggs.

“No, I’m not. I have…things…to do,” she said without looking up at him.

Adam stopped eating and watched her, hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a fight. “Dr. Martin will want to look at your hand, and I want to ask him if a trip to San Francisco will be alright. You need to go with us.”

She pushed her eggs around, finally scooping them up on her fork, and before she put them in her mouth, she said, “I’m not going to see Dr. Martin again. I’ll see Dr. Kay.” Dropping her fork, she wiped her mouth on her napkin, picked up her coffee cup and limped out of the dining room.

Adam stood to follow her, but Micah stopped him. “I know what’s going on. I’ll talk to her.” He found her in the study, pulling her horse records out of the drawer. Stopping at the door, he leaned against the door frame. “You can’t blame him. He was sworn to secrecy.”

“He knew how much I was hurting.”

“Yes, he did. But he also knew that by telling you, he would be putting your life at risk.” She continued to write in her books. “Shiloh, if you’re going to be angry with Paul, you have to be equally as angry at Dad.”

She slammed her pencil down on the desk, clasped her hands in front of her and propped her chin on them. “Micah, did you ever think for one minute that telling me wasn’t the same thing as telling the world. I could have kept that secret. At least I would have known you weren’t dead.”

“Ah, Shy. There would have been so many things that could have gone wrong if we had told you.” By this time, Adam was standing just outside the door, leaning on the other side.

“Like what?” she asked, glaring up at him.

“First, you were only nine when it happened…too young to understand. And what would you have done when you found out Dad was dying?” She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. “You would have made an attempt to contact me. Dad and I had already agreed there would be no contact.”

Adam entered the study and sat on the side of the desk. “Sweetheart, what is the point of being angry now? What’s done is done.”

“That might be easy for you, Adam, but I can’t just turn off my emotions,” she snapped.

Grimacing, he scratched behind his ear. “I don’t expect you not to feel what you feel, but I do expect you to use that educated brain of yours and reason that it will do you no good.” Folding her hands on the desk, she turned away wearing a sad look. Adam reached over and took her good hand. “Let’s go back to the table and finish breakfast, then we’ll all ride over to the Ponderosa and talk to them. Pa may have already told them.” As he was speaking, he rose from the desk and stood beside her chair, pushing it away from the desk and pulling her up. “Then we’ll all go into town and talk to Roy.”

“Why can’t I stay at home?”

“Because I don’t want you alone here when the whole town finds out that Micah is alive.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why? Will is dead. My shadow has revealed himself. There’s no reason I can’t be alone.”

He winced and closed his eyes, then opened one, looking at Micah who stepped forward. “Shy, when the town founds out I’m alive, the Hortons will also find out.”

She withered and closed her eyes. “You have no idea if the Hortons will do anything. There aren’t that many of them left. They’d be fools to go up against you here.”

“That may be true for a normal person, but Ray Horton is not normal.” Micah turned to leave the study. “He’s just plain mean.” Adam raised his eyebrows and smirked as he motioned for Shiloh to follow Micah.

When they were all seated at the table again, Shiloh made no motion to eat. Micah and Adam glared at her. She sighed deeply. “With the two of you here, I feel like I’m eight years old again.”

“That reminds me,” said Micah, waving his fork at Adam. “You told me what you were going to do when she turned sixteen to get me to fight, but you always said afterward you were just kidding.”

Adam shrugged and continued to eat. “I don’t know what you’re upset about. I waited until she was twenty-three.”

Shiloh’s jaw dropped. She hid her face with her hand on her forehead as she ate while the two men chuckled.

When the three arrived at the Ponderosa, Hoss and Joe were walking out of the house. Both stopped and gaped at the third person to ride up. Shiloh and Adam looked at each other. “He didn’t tell them,” said Shiloh.

Raising his eyebrows, Adam said, “I guess not. Wait. I’ll help you down.” Shiloh’s left hand was still bandaged and fairly useless, especially for holding the horn of her saddle. Besides that, she was still limping from the badly sprained ankle and had no intention of stepping down out of the saddle without help to soften the landing. Bringing her leg over and sliding down into Adam’s waiting hands, he held her for just a moment right above the ground and kissed her before he gently set her down. Then he turned to his brothers. “Hoss, Joe, I’d like you to meet Shiloh’s big brother, Micah.”

Hoss’s surprised look became a slow smile as he stepped forward with his hand extended. “This story is gonna be a good one. I can tell already.”

“Hoss,” said Micah, taking Hoss’s hand and wrapping the other arm around his shoulder. “I don’t suppose you refer to Adam as your big brother anymore.”

“Naw, he’s old brother.”

Joe stood back with his arms crossed, looking from Micah to Shiloh and back to Micah. “I don’t suppose you know what you did to your sister. I was too young to really remember you, but I remember what Shiloh went through for years.”

Taking Shiloh’s arm and moving toward the house, Adam stopped next to Joe. “You’re a little late, Joe. We’ve already done that.”

Shiloh moved away from Adam and wrapped her arm around Joe’s. Bowing her head, she said, “If it makes you feel any better, Adam knocked him to the floor…twice.” She cut her eyes up toward his with a slight smile. “We still have to tell Hop Sing,” she said as Joe walked her into the house.

“Where’s Pa?” asked Adam, looking toward the desk before he walked into the sitting area. He turned when he heard his father’s voice on the stairs.

“I’m right here. Is everyone ready to go?” I’d like to get this over with so we can get on with work.”

“Pa, I’m surprised you didn’t tell Hoss and Joe. Did you tell Hop Sing?” Ben looked back at Adam, raised his eyebrows and shook his head. The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up. “You’re not afraid of Hop Sing, are you?”

“You know how he dotes on her. He spent a lot of time trying to cheer her up.”

Adam walked toward the kitchen, shaking his head. “Hop Sing, would you come out here for a minute?”

Both Hop Sing and Ming Lin appeared. “Hop Sing already know.” Standing in front of Micah, he pointed his finger. “You bad brother. Hop Sing all time try to cheer little sister up. You make her sad.” He turned back to the kitchen, muttering in Cantonese. Ming Lin scowled and followed.

“Well, I haven’t made very many friends today, have I?” said Micah.

“Give it time,” said Adam with his arm across Micah’s shoulders. “People will be surprised, but they’ll get used to it.”

The Cartwrights and the Whitneys rode to town, spending more than an hour in Sheriff Coffee’s office. By the time they left, everyone but Hoss had made statements concerning Will Stewart’s death. “Now, I don’t see a reason to hold a hearing, but because Mr. Stewart was an important man in San Francisco and back East, the territorial judge may not agree with me. I’ll let you know if there’ll be one as soon as I find out.”

The folks that had lived in Virginia City for years all recognized Micah and turned to stare. The newer residents paid him no mind. But one resident, who had been in the crowd the night Micah was shot, not only recognized him, he bolted out of town toward the Horton’s place. Ray Horton knew Micah Whitney was alive and well before the Cartwrights and the Whitneys left Roy’s office.

********

When they left Roy’s office, Shiloh and Adam walked to Dr. Martin’s office while the rest waited in the saloon. “Adam, I told you, I don’t want to see Dr. Martin.”

“Paul is the one who stitched up your hand, and Paul is the one who is going to tell us how it is and whether you can ride to San Francisco with your horses.” He looked down at her as they walked down the boardwalk. “I’m not going to argue with you about it.” Her expression turned stone cold, but she didn’t fight him, thinking there would be no point. I couldn’t stop Will. Why did I ever believe I could stop anyone?

Adam opened the door of the office. “Paul?” Dr. Martin stepped into the waiting room from his office. “Paul, do you have some time this morning to check Shiloh’s hand?”

“Of course. It shouldn’t take but a few minutes. Come on back.” When they were all in the back room with the door closed, Paul said. “I should probably take a look at that bruise as well.” When he started unwrapping her hand, he asked, “Shiloh, is something bothering you?”

“You haven’t heard? Micah came home,” she replied coldly.

He stopped and glanced up at her. “And now you’re angry with me because I didn’t tell you he was alive.” She looked away. He continued speaking while he unwrapped and examined her hand. “Do you have any idea how many people, both men and women, I’ve had to treat or pronounce dead because of Raymond Horton?” He shook his head. “I will never regret not putting you in his sights…or your father.” Looking closely at both sides of her hand, he said, “I think we can get away with removing those stitches, but it needs to stay bandaged for at least another week, and I don’t want you to try to use it yet. Before we do that, let’s have a look at that bruise. Why don’t you lie down on the bed?”

She made no motion to comply, so Adam, who had been standing behind her the whole time, picked her up and sat her down a little harder than normal on the high bed, glaring at her with an arched eyebrow. He had reached forward to unfasten her britches when she quickly began to unbutton them herself, and then lowered the top of her drawers to expose the bruise on her stomach.

“Well, it’s faded to a lovely shade of green as have most of them.” He looked at the bruises on her face. “They’re beginning to fade as well. Any loose teeth?”

“No,” she spat.

“Alright, get dressed, and I’ll remove the stitches.”

“Paul, we were planning a trip to San Francisco to take some horses if you think she’s well enough to go.”

“Since you’re taking horses, I assume you’ll be riding?” Adam nodded. Paul lowered his head in thought for a moment, and then looked at Shiloh. Her angry expression had changed to eagerness. “She can’t use the hand to get in or out of the saddle, but since you rode in today, I assume you’ve already got that figured out.” Again, Adam nodded; this time smiling. “I expect she’ll get tired easily, so you need to allow for plenty of time for rest. And since you’re traveling, I want the hand to stay bandaged until you get back.”

“We won’t be going very fast,” said Adam. We’ll be following some teamsters to Sacramento.”

While they were there, Paul examined Adam’s shoulder as well, removing the stitches. “Now, Adam, I don’t want you doing anything that will put strain on that shoulder just yet. When the pain is completely gone, you can go back to your normal routine. And I see you’ve already gotten rid of the sling.”

“Thanks, Paul. Uh…about Shiloh…”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m sure she’s just as angry at Micah…and her father. She just needs time.”

***

Raymond Horton stood on the front porch of the house he shared with his brothers, James and Earl. The house was a large house, having held nine brothers, but with most of them gone, it had fallen into disrepair. The remaining Hortons had no interest in keeping up with the house or the property. If they weren’t robbing people at gunpoint along the roads or in the small mining towns scattered about for hundreds of miles, they were at home, working on a slow drunk.

Speaking over his shoulder to his brothers, who were also standing on the front porch, watching the messenger ride away, Ray said, “Ain’t a man alive that’s put a Horton in his grave, least-wise, that’s what I thought.” He turned back to the house and the whiskey bottle. “Seems we got some rectifying to do, boys.”

“Just how you think we’re gonna do that with him in thick with those Cartwrights?” asked Earl.

“We wait. Let ‘em think the Hortons ain’t what they used to be. Then we take one. Don’t matter which one.”

“What good’ll that do?” asked James.

“A Cartwright for a Whitney, Jimmy boy. I don’t rightly see them Cartwrights stickin’ their necks out that far for someone who ain’t their own.”

“But the oldest boy, Adam; he’s married to the Whitney girl.”

“Yeah, but he ain’t married to the Whitney boy.”

Earl stood in front of his brother. “Ray, maybe it’s time to let it go. After all, it was a fair fight. Billy was just slow…and stupid for trying to take that girl.”

Ray turned to put his whiskey glass down on the table, and when he turned back, he backhanded Earl. “Like I said, ain’t a man alive that’s put a Horton in his grave.”

********

Adam met Jim Tyler at the Ponderosa property with the plans for the house and the barn. The two men walked around the property with Adam explaining how he wanted the house positioned, then walked down the hill to the site for the barn.

“Now, remember Jim. Not a word to anyone. She’s probably forgotten that I hired you for the house, and she has no idea that you’ve started. I want this to be surprise.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, Adam. This place is deep enough on the Ponderosa that no one is going to stumble on it. And my men won’t say anything. They value their jobs.”

***

When Adam walked into the ranch house, Shiloh was in the study with letters for horses spread all over the desk. He walked around to kiss her. “What’s all this?”

“It’s all the requests that came from San Francisco. We’ll be taking…” she counted the requests she had possible matches for. “…twelve horses with us.”

“You’ve got buyers for twelve horses?” asked Adam, surprised.

“No, I have buyers for nine horses, but I’m taking three extra just in case someone isn’t happy with the horse I chose for them.” She dropped one of the requests on the desk in front of him. “That one may be hard to fill.”

He picked up the letter and read it. “Imposing and striking animals to pull his carriage?”

“Yes, it seems he’s English. Maybe he’s trying to keep up with the Queen,” she snorted. “Would you mind if we ride Eli and Apollo? Then if I take one of the Clydesdales, I can give him an idea of something we can breed for, though he may like the Clydesdale.” She put a hand on her hip and raised the other to her chin. “I’ve never even thought about training a Clydesdale, but then the training would have to be different for a carriage.”

“So that’s thirteen horses we’re taking? We’ll need help with that many horses. You can’t handle any with your hand.”

“I was thinking Micah could go with us. And I’ll take one of my men.”

Raising his chin and looking down at her, he asked, “Which one?”

She bowed her head and bit her lip, then looked him square in the eye. “Tom.” Taking a deep breath, he puckered his mouth, then turned and left the study. She followed him. “Adam, I honestly don’t see what problem you have with Tom. I know he was a bully before, but he’s proven himself…at least to me.”

“Sweetheart, a leopard can’t change his spots,” he said, turning to face her with his hands out at his sides.

“He’s not a leopard. He’s a man. And men can change.” She crossed her arms. “You haven’t given him a chance.”

Walking into the parlor, he stopped when he saw the mantel. Words were forming on his lips, but he didn’t get them out.

“Do you like it?” asked Shiloh, stepping to his side.

He looked down at her, then back at the mantel, stepping closer to examine it. “Where did you get it?”

“Remember the day we went for a walk in San Francisco; the day you caught me admiring the china?” He cocked his head and smiled. “You weren’t the only one paying attention that day. And I hope you don’t mind, but I promised we could display your spyglass as well, and it fits perfectly with your clipper ship.”

Standing on the hearth, he studied the workmanship of the model; the masts, sails, lines, halyards…everything from stem to stern. Then he noticed the shell sitting on the side opposite his spyglass. “You didn’t find that on the beach.”

Smiling, she said, “No, I bought that in Santa Cruz. Isn’t it magnificent? I had never seen a real Triton’s Trumpet.”

He stepped down from the hearth, taking her hands and moving them over his shoulders, and then held her at her waist. “And what is this for?”

Playing with the hair that curled behind his ears, she answered, “Well, I know you don’t celebrate your birthday. I don’t celebrate mine either. What we do is buy each other presents anyway and ask Ming Ling to prepare our favorite meals.” She cut her eyes up to his and smiled.

Adam grinned. “How did you get it up there with one hand?”

Arching an eyebrow, she smiled smugly. “Micah helped me.”

Drawing her closer, he bent and kissed her, then looked back into her eyes. He hadn’t seen them smile the way they were smiling now in weeks. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her long and thoroughly until they heard someone clearing their throat. They both looked. Shiloh pulled her arms from around Adam’s neck and blushed while Adam winked at Micah, then took Shiloh’s face in his hands and kissed her one more time. “Thank you.”

Dinner that evening was tender, thick steak cooked medium rare with potatoes and corn, and for dessert, chocolate cake.

Later that evening, Shiloh excused herself to the bedroom while Micah and Adam were discussing their day and what they planned for the next day. When Adam came into the room, Shiloh was at her dressing table, brushing her hair. Sitting on the side of the bed, he began to undress while he watched her. She had been distant since Will’s attack three weeks ago. She would jump whenever he came up behind her and put his arms around her. He understood her reaction, but even when she saw him coming, she became so tense he knew she must be in physical pain from the tightness of her muscles. So he made no advances. Tonight, she had allowed him to hold her, and he felt her relax in his arms. He stood and laid his shirt and trousers over the other chair in the room, and when she stood and laid her robe over her chair, he stepped behind her. She could see his reflection in the mirror, so when he touched her arms, she didn’t flinch, but she did stiffen.

“Take the gown off,” he said softly. “You’ve always slept without it.”

“I still have bruises. I’m not very nice to look at right now,” she said, turning to him.

Taking her face in his hands, he turned her head up to his. “You’ll always be beautiful to me.” She hesitated, but lifted the gown over her head and laid it with her robe on the chair. When he moved to pull her into him, she raised her hands to his chest and stopped him. “I miss you.”

Backing away, she whispered. “I’m sorry. When I close my eyes, I see him…and that rock.”

He caught her arms and pulled her back into him, bending and laying his forehead on hers, moving his hands over her shoulders to her neck. “Then don’t close your eyes.” When he kissed her, her eyes were open even though his were closed. He lifted her and laid her on the bed, leaving the lamp turned up. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, “There’s no one here but me.” He kissed her tenderly and buried his face in her neck when he felt her hands on his back.

Holding him tightly, she realized that she missed him, too.

********

Ben stood back and watched as Adam wielded a cant hook, rolling logs toward the teamster’s wagons at the same time he shouted orders at the men stripping bark from the poles to be loaded.

“Adam!” Ben yelled.

Looking up, Adam nodded to his father, then passed the cant hook to another man and gave him instructions to keep the logs moving. He walked over and shook his father’s hand. “Pa.”

“You’ve still got two of these wagons to load. Do I need to remind you you’re leaving in the morning?”

“We’ll make it, Pa. This batch didn’t get debarked. That’s why it’s taking so long. Hoss is at the other camp, making sure the lumber for the railroad ties is loaded, and Shorty’s running the mill.”

“What’s left?”

“I’ll have these men get everything cleared for replanting, and then send them to you to help cut for the square sets. The teamsters will camp here for the night. We’ll be heading out the south end of the Ponderosa and skirting the lake, so there’s no point sending them back to Virginia City.”

Ben nodded. “How’s Shiloh?”

Looking down, Adam scratched his nose, and then looked back out at the wagons. “A little better, I think. But she’s still not herself.”

“Give her time,” said Ben, smiling and wrapping an arm around Adam’s shoulder.” It’s only been four weeks since she was attacked. Women need time to get over that sort of thing.”

Adam snorted. “Maybe.”

***

That evening, Shiloh laid her and Adam’s clothes out to pack. Adam looked over her shoulder, checking the clothes she was packing for him. “I’ll need a suit, and you’ll need a dress for dinner at the Slater’s.”

She frowned. “I thought I’d stay at Jim’s while you’re in the city.”

“Why?” he asked, stepping against her back and looking over her shoulder.

“Because I still have bruises, and my hand is still bandaged. I don’t want to have to answer questions.”

He smiled. “The Slater’s would never be that inconsiderate.”

“It’s not the Slater’s I’m worried about.”

“Who then?”

Sighing heavily, she walked to the closet. “Everyone else. We can’t step one foot in San Francisco without the entire city knowing.”

Taking her hand, he turned her around to face him. “Maybe this trip is exactly what you need.” When she looked away and sighed, he turned her face up to his, and even then, she didn’t look him in the eye.

“Maybe I should just stop singing and training horses. It seems I’m asking for trouble by doing them.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. He took her hand and led her to the bed, sitting down with her. “Shiloh, you can’t draw a line from Will Stewart to your singing. Your singing had nothing to do with what he did. And there’s only been one problem with the horses, and that has to do with a particular animal. It has nothing to do with the business. Why would you want to give those up?”

“Maybe I’m kidding myself into thinking I’m really capable. I could learn to cook. I could stay here and take care of the house…like normal women do.”

“While that might last a short while…until you get past this, it won’t be satisfying to you the way your singing and your horses are. Sweetheart, you’re the most capable person I know.” He brushed her cheek with the back of a finger. “When all the reminders are gone, you’ll feel differently.” Taking her hands, he brought them up to his lips and kissed them. “I don’t want you to make any decisions one way or another until you’ve given yourself time to heal, and I’m not just talking about the bruises or your hand.”

“Hey, you two. Dinner’s ready,” said Micah, knocking on the door.

“We’ll be right down,” answered Adam.

Standing, he brought her to her feet and kissed her softly. “You can start by smiling,” he said, kissing her nose.

She glanced up at him, and gave him a weak smile that faded as her eyes moved away. “How long will we have to stay in the city?”

“A few days,” he said, moving his arm around her and walking her out the door and down the stairs. “It will take a whole day, maybe two, to inspect the courthouse foundation. The mayor may want to introduce us to the city’s new counsel.” In the dining room, Adam pulled Shiloh’s chair out and seated her, nodding to Micah. “And if any of the mining suppliers have equipment in a local warehouse, we might be buying some mining equipment and arranging shipment. That will depend on whether Jim has been able to set up the subsidiary. Micah, you and I need to discuss the mine and ranch.”

“What’s there to discuss?”

“Ownership. Shiloh said this place was meant to be yours. We need to get your name on the deeds.”

Choking on his coffee, Micah held up his hand as he coughed. “Just wait a minute. I’m not going to walk back in and just take over what you two have built back up. I know Dad let it go when he got sick, and I know, Shiloh, how much work you put into it to get it going again. Adam, you’ve done about as much since you’ve been here. No, this place is still yours.”

“Alright then, equal partners,” said Adam with a raised eyebrow. “Shiloh and I have land on the Ponderosa.”

Micah studied him while Shiloh sat quietly, hesitating with each bite she put in her mouth. Adam’s mouth was drawn, and his eyes were fixed on Micah’s in the way Micah remembered when Adam was dead serious and wasn’t going to argue.

Adam looked over at Shiloh while he spoke to Micah. “We can sign all the legal paperwork there.”

Both men watched Shiloh, and then looked back at each other. “Shiloh, is that alright with you?” asked Micah.

She stopped her fork midway between her plate and her mouth, and looked up at the men. “Whatever you think is best. Have I eaten enough, Adam? I’d like to finish packing, if that’s alright.”

His shoulders slumped as he exhaled. “Yeah,” he said, nodding disappointedly. Shiloh excused herself and left the dining room.

Watching her go, Micah asked, “What are we going to do about her?”

“I don’t know that there’s anything we can do until she’s ready to put this behind her.”

********

Normally, Adam didn’t need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, but getting up at four was a little different. When the alarm sounded, he rolled over on his stomach and reached for the clock on the night table, fumbling for the switch that stopped the bell. Then he reached for Shiloh.

He moved his hand up and down on her side of the bed, and then moved it up to her pillow. Raising his head, he looked for her, and not finding her in the bed, he rolled back to his back and looked across the room. “Shiloh?” he mumbled groggily. He snorted, threw the covers off and got out of bed, yawning and scratching his chest as he walked toward the closet. Stopping in front of the dressing table mirror, he looked at himself, rubbing his chin and glancing up at his wild hair. He looked for his brush and razor, and when he couldn’t find them, he assumed that Shiloh had packed them. Turning in a circle, he looked for their bags, and when he didn’t see them, he shrugged and dressed, then slowly descended the stairs with his boots in his hand, walking past the dining room.

He stopped and backed up when it registered that Micah was sitting at the table. “How did you get down here so fast?”

Looking up from his coffee, Micah laughed. “Well, aren’t we a lovely sight this morning?”

Adam glared at Micah for a moment before he made his way through the kitchen to the washroom. The corner of his mouth turned up when he found his brush and shaving things next to the wash basin with a note. Don’t forget to pack them. Your bag is by the front door. I love you. S

When Adam came back into the dining room, he looked at Micah with raised eyebrows and waited for a response before he sat down. “It’s an improvement,” said Micah, nodding.

Adam smirked. “Where’s Shiloh?”

“She’s making sure the right horses are brought up, and she’s pulling out the tack she needs to take. She said she’d be back in a minute. That was about twenty minutes ago.”

“Did she eat anything?”

“Nope. Went straight out the door.”

Adam pushed back from the table. “Excuse me.”

About the time he was pulling on the front door, she was pushing. “Where are you going?” she asked.

Looking at her from under his brow, he said, “To find you.”

She put her hat on the coat tree as she replied, “I’m not lost,” then left him with the door knob in his hand and went to the dining room. By the time Adam closed the door and followed her in, she was seated and was filling her plate.

After he sat down, he moved his hand to his cheek to prop his head on and watched her. “Hungry?”

Without looking up, she said, “Yes,” and pulled a hot biscuit apart and buttered it. She pointed her knife at him. “You should eat before it gets cold.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

Shiloh took a bite of bacon. “Micah, are you all packed?”

“Yes’m. All I need are the reins of my assigned horses.”

“Did you pack something suitable for dinner in San Francisco?”

Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m just gonna stay with the horses.”

“I don’t get to stay with the horses. Why should you?”

“Someone has to take care of them.”

“That’s why Tom is going.”

“Shiloh, what are you doing?” asked Adam.

Micah and Shiloh both looked up from their plates. “I’m eating.”

“Why are you trying to get Micah into San Francisco?”

Sitting up straight, she looked Adam square in the eye. “Because you won’t let me stay at Jim’s, and you won’t let me go anywhere by myself, and I don’t want to be cooped up in our room while you look at a courthouse foundation for two days.” She smiled cheekily and continued eating.

Adam narrowed his eyes and crooked his jaw. “I thought you didn’t want to be seen.”

Placing her fork very slowly and quietly on her plate, she reached into her lap and grasped her napkin, looking away. “You wanted me to be normal. I’m trying.” She glanced up at him as she brought her napkin to her mouth. “Excuse me. I’ll be outside waiting to go.” She took the small bag that held his grooming things and left the dining room. Propping his elbow on the table, Adam pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I need to go to San Francisco with you anyway, but not to watch Shy,” said Micah. “I need to watch you.”

Adam raised his head. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you forgotten that someone tried to kill you?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten,” said Adam, standing up. “Go ahead and finish. I want to talk to Shiloh before we leave.” Dropping his napkin on the table, he went to the front, took his hat and gun belt off the entry table and walked outside. He stood on the front porch, watching Shiloh attempt to fasten a leather strap to both of their bags. She jumped when he came up behind her. “You’re not supposed to be using that hand.” Letting out a loud breath, she dropped the strap and walked to a bench against the barn, sitting down. Adam bent down, picking up the strap and the two bags and sat on the bench beside her. “Tell me what you were doing, and I’ll do it for you.”

“Buckle the ends of the strap around the handles of the bags, and then put them behind my saddle with my saddlebags. I figure it will be easier for me to carry them since I won’t be leading any horses.”

“Makes sense.” When Adam had their bags and her saddlebags on Eli, he sat back down next to her. Leaning back against the barn and crossing his legs at the ankles, he pushed his hat back on his head. “Shiloh, I don’t want you to be better until you’re ready to be better.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. “I feel useless.”

He snorted and smiled, pulling her into his side with his arm around her. “Now that sounds normal. When one of us was hurt, Pa would never let us out of the house until he thought we were completely healed. By that time, we were all ready to shoot ourselves from being confined for so long.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “You won’t be cooped up in the room all day. I spoke to Tom Maguire. He said he would be more than happy for you to practice with his orchestra while I’m at the courthouse site.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You did?” she asked, cutting her eyes up to his.

“Mm hm. Now, why are four of those horses saddled?”

“Because I needed to take the saddles so the men buying these horses have a chance to ride them. Jim still has one of my saddles, and I think with these four I have a saddle that will fit all the horses, except the Clydesdale. I’ll ship what we can’t bring back with us. Or I suppose I could sell them and buy some new ones when we get back.”

Micah strolled out into the yard with a bag. “I’m ready,” he said as tied his bag to his saddle.

When Adam and Shiloh stood, she wrapped her arms around him, gazing up at him with a timid smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, hugging her tightly. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her, whispering, “My love.”

He closed one eye and winced when she turned away and yelled loudly for Tom. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, running out of the barn.

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes, ma’am. Ming Lin brought some out earlier for me.”

By this time Hank and Johnny were there as well, and when everyone was saddled, Johnny divided the reins among the three men while Adam spoke to Hank. “Pa will pick up payroll when he goes into town for the Ponderosa payroll. Hoss will be here to help with the foaling. There’s a list on the desk of the places we plan to stop and where we’ll be in San Francisco if you need to find us, and if you need help quicker, go to the Ponderosa.” Adam turned his horse so that Hank was on the side away from Shiloh. “Put some men up on the ridge. I don’t want them to do anything but stand at the top. Maybe that will stop any work up there until I can talk to George Hearst. If trouble starts, tell them to get out of there and ride into town to tell Sheriff Coffee.”

Shiloh walked Eli around Adam. “Double the men up there. Use the men who’re clearing the new pasture for me.”

Raising his head and looking down at her, Adam asked, “Don’t you need that pasture space?”

She raised her chin defiantly. “Yes, I do, but I can do without it for another month. I don’t want to put my men…” she hesitated “…our men…in that kind of danger. The men who spoke to me in town were hired guns. Our men are ranch hands. They’ll be no match. If George Hearst is the man we think he is, he’ll make sure we get back anything that was stolen, and even if he doesn’t, a little silver is not worth their lives.”

He smiled inwardly. She was being over-cautious, but that never hurt. Maybe her over- cautiousness was a good balance for them.

She leaned toward him and spoke quietly, “Adam, Daddy always told me that the most important thing we have as ranch owners are the men who work for us. They are the ones that make it all possible. We should do everything in our ability to protect them.”

“You’re right,” he said, grinning. He nodded to Hank, who also grinned and tipped his hat. Turning in his saddle, he looked behind him at Tom and Micah who were waiting with their horses. “Let’s head out,” he said, leading the way with Shiloh riding next to him.

********

Adam led the others into the timber camp just as the teamsters were hitching their horses to their wagons. Before they were on their way, Hoss rode into the camp to make sure the teamster wagons carrying the railroad ties had joined them. He also had a delivery for Shiloh.

“I’ll never get tired of seeing these horses of yours. I sure wish I could train one of ‘em.”

Looking down at Hoss from Eli’s back, she said, “Your wish will come true as soon as Sampson is three. He’s yours to train.”

Hoss grinned from ear to ear. “Oh, before I forget…I wanted to get this to you before you left,” he said, handing an envelope up to her.

She looked at it. “Help me down, please.” Swinging her leg over her saddle horn, she sat sideways in the saddle and slid down into Hoss’ waiting arms. She tied Eli, then took Hoss’s hand and walked over to the stump end of a log and sat down, beckoning him to sit with her. “Tell me, Hoss, how is Annie?”

“She’s a might upset about what happened to you. But she says she’s doin’ good in school.”

“I thought she needed to hear that from me; not the newspaper. What about you and Annie?” Hoss blushed. “It’s alright if you don’t want to tell me.”

Hoss hung his head. “The truth is, she’s talkin’ about takin’ a break at the end of the year and comin’ back for the winter, then goin’ back to school in the spring.”

“Won’t that extend her time there?”

“Yeah, it will. I told her I’d come out, but I’m afraid Pa’ll say ‘no.’ There’s a lot to do to get ready for winter. If I go, I’d have to leave before the winter storms start, and I won’t be comin’ back ‘til early spring.”

“Our men can help with winter preparations. With Micah here, we won’t be shorthanded if you go.” Hoss raised his head and smiled. “Do you want me to talk to Pa?” she asked.

“No, I can talk to Pa, but it sure wouldn’t hurt if you were there.”

Adam looked over just as she kissed Hoss’s cheek. “Don’t say anything until we get back,” she whispered. “Then we’ll talk to Pa together.”

“And just exactly what are you talking about with my best girl?” asked Adam, standing in front of them with his arms crossed.

Standing, Hoss held out his hand to Shiloh. “You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. I got my own best girl.”

Chuckling, Adam asked, “How is Annie?”

“She’s just fine. She wants to come back, but me and Shiloh think we can talk Pa into lettin’ me go to Philadelphia for the winter.”

Adam grunted. “Good luck with that. It’s time for us to get going.” He shook Hoss’s hand. “If you need to, stay at the Flying W for the foaling. With the number of mares Shiloh has in foal, it could get busy.”

“I may do just that.”

“Johnny and Billy are yours while we’re gone,” said Shiloh. They know where everything is if you run into trouble with any of the mares.”

Once Adam was mounted, he took Shiloh’s arm and pulled her up while Hoss lifted her high enough to get her foot in the stirrup. She took the saddle horn with her right hand, then swung her leg back and over.

The trip south through the Ponderosa was slow and uneventful. The teamsters had to stop every hour or so to rest their horses. They stopped once they got down to the lake, then stopped again at Friday’s station on the lake side of Kingsbury grade, and again at Yank’s station just before the climb to the top of Johnson’s Pass.

When they were nearing the summit, Micah rode ahead to have the oxen ready to pull the wagons up the grade. Once the ropes were tied to the first wagon and harness, they were wrapped around the base of trees at the top of the grade with the oxen tied to the other end, pulling down as the wagon was pulled up. With the heavy loads of lumber on the huge wagons, the oxen and teams were making slow progress. At this rate, with twelve wagons to pull up, it would be well past dark before the last wagon reached the summit.

Adam stood discussing the problem with the pull master and several of the team drivers. “Are there more oxen?” asked Adam.

“It won’t matter,” said the pull master. “I don’t have enough of them to last through your last wagon. We can change ‘em out, but after four or five of these wagons, they’ll be useless until tomorrow.”

Turning to one of the team drivers, Adam asked, “How do you get ‘em up Kingsbury grade?”

“We keep extra teams at the bottom for the heavier loads.”

“Can’t we use one of the other wagon teams and double up to get them up the grade?”

“We could do that, but we still won’t have ‘em all up until after dark if we have to keep changing ‘em out.”

Shiloh had been waiting in the saddle while the men discussed the problem. “Adam.” He continued talking to the teamsters. She called a little louder. “Adam.” He glanced back at her with an annoyed look, scratched the back of his neck, then excused himself, walking back to her horse and glaring up at her. Speaking in a low voice so only he could hear, she said, “The Clydesdale can pull a ton on his own, and Eli and Apollo can handle half a ton each. If you add them to the oxen, they should make quick work of this.”

Adam twisted his mouth. “I can understand your willingness to use the Clydesdale, but Eli and Apollo?”

Smiling, she answered, “Though they are beautiful animals, they are draft horses. They’re used for husbandry in the Netherlands. It’s in their blood. I’ve always said they’ll do anything you ask of them.”

Adam and Shiloh rode the two black horses up the grade. He unsaddled them and took them and the Clydesdale back to the road, tied them on shorter ropes than the oxen so the horses would pull more of the load, and within three hours all the teamster’s wagons were at the top of the grade.

The lead teamster, a man named Edvard who spoke in a thick Nordic accent, shook Adam’s hand. “Mr. Cartwright, thank you for the use of your great horses. I wonder if you could tell me where you got them. We don’t often come up Johnson’s Pass, but our teams do struggle up Kingsbury.”

“My wife breeds them. If you’re interested in purchasing some, you’ll want to speak with her.”

The man laughed, but stopped cold when Adam raised his chin and narrowed his eyes. “Your wife?”

Adam looked down, smiling. “Yes, my wife. The horses are hers.” He walked away, leaving Edvard standing with a puzzled expression.

Going down the slope on the other side of the summit was slow. The teamsters had to make frequent use of their brakes to prevent the wagons from going too fast. A runaway logging wagon could easily run over a team of horses when out of control. The convoy of wagons and horses stopped to rest at Slippery Ford, Silver Fork and Pacific House, pushing through until they were near the Sportsman’s Hall stage station just east of Placerville, where they made camp for the night.

Adam stood by Eli while Shiloh slid down out of her saddle into his hands. When she came down on her foot, she favored it. “Are you alright?”

Smiling tiredly, she said, “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just tired.” She took a step and limped badly. “And stiff.”

“Come over here and sit down, and I’ll bring your saddle and bedroll,” he said as he led her to a log where they would make camp. While the teamsters positioned their wagons into a circle that was big enough to corral the horses, Tom and Micah took care of Shiloh’s horses. Adam prepared Shiloh’s bedroll, and by the time he had his saddle down with his bedroll spread out, she was sound asleep.

The men built a fire and fixed their dinner of coffee and beans. Nodding toward Shiloh, Micah asked, “Is she alright?”

“Doc said she’d be tired. Maybe I should have sent her on the stage.”

“And let me miss all the fun?” she said, turning over to face them and pulling her blanket up to her chin.

“Since you’re awake, you should eat,” said Adam, smiling and spooning some beans onto his plate for her. “And don’t try to tell me you’re not hungry. It won’t make a difference.” She sat up and quietly ate her beans.

When Adam stood to collect the plates and spoons, Tom stood with him. “I’ll take care of those, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Thank you, Tom.” He watched Tom take a bucket toward the river, and then sat back down next to Shiloh. “When he’s done, we’ll turn in.” Lifting Shiloh’s blanket, he leaned into her and kissed her. “Why don’t you go ahead and lie down, Sweetheart?” She did, and before Tom finished cleaning the dishes, she was asleep again.

********

“I’m glad you didn’t wear your britches today,” said Adam as the convoy pulled into Sacramento.

Looking away, she said, “I didn’t bring any britches…just my riding skirts.”

“And why didn’t you bring your britches?” he asked, smiling.

“They seem to upset you, so I’ve decided that the only time I’ll be wearing them is when work on the ranch requires it. That way, I won’t embarrass you.”

“Shiloh, you don’t embarrass me. I just didn’t want some flippant remark by someone else to embarrass you.”

Turning back to him, she asked, “Why are you glad I’m not wearing britches today?”

Because I’m sending you and Micah with the railroad ties over to the Pacific Railroad office to deal with Mr. Crocker while I go to the docks to handle the turnover of the dock lumber. He knows you, so you shouldn’t have a problem. You can introduce him to Micah since he could be dealing with Crocker in the future.

The party split as they arrived in Sacramento. Adam led the four wagons of poles to the Sacramento River docks, Shiloh led the remaining eight wagons toward the Pacific Railroad office, and Micah and Tom followed her, taking with them the horses that Adam had been leading.

Stepping into the office, Shiloh advised the clerk her name, and he immediately went into a back office. In only a moment a grinning Charles Crocker emerged. “Mrs. Cartwright, I trust you had an easy journey.”

Smiling, she took his hand. “Easy no, but uneventful. It was a bit of a challenge to get the wagons over Echo Summit. We have the first two contracts of timber outside, and I’m sure the teamsters we used would be more than happy to haul them where you need them.”

“How are you, my dear?” he asked with a concerned look.

“I’m fine, Mr. Crocker. I assure you.”

“And your hand?” he asked, examining her bandaged hand.

“The doctor said there was no major damage. I’ll still be able to play after it’s healed.”

“Good. And who is this young man with you?”

“I apologize. This is my brother, Micah Whitney. Micah, Charles Crocker.”

Crocker looked confused. “Oh, I thought your brother had died, my dear.”

Clearing her throat, she answered, “Yes, we all did, but that’s a long story. Remind me to tell you the next time we have dinner.” Micah looked disbelievingly at her as Mr. Crocker shook his hand, then Micah offered a twin smile to Shiloh’s.

“If you’ll both come into my office, I’ll give you the bank drafts for the first two contracts.” Shiloh and Micah followed Crocker into his office where he seated them in front of his desk. He handed Shiloh the bank drafts. “If you’ll just sign here that you received them.” She signed the receipt. “Now, if you’ll take a look at these modifications, we can get this all signed as well.”

“Mr. Crocker, I would never think of putting at you risk on any of these contracts. We both know with my signature they aren’t legally binding, though I appreciate your trust in me. I’ll take this with us and give it to Adam. He’s here delivering timber to the docks, but we’ll be off to San Francisco as soon as we’re finished here, and I’m sure he’ll want some time to review them. Perhaps he can drop this off on our way back to the Flying W…in about a week.”

“Can’t Mr. Whitney sign them?”

“That would be a little premature,” said Micah. “I’m not legally on the deeds or other papers for the Flying W yet. That will also be rectified this week in San Francisco.”

“Well then, next week it is. To tell you the truth, the timber you’ve delivered today will keep us busy for a few months. Would you let Adam know that we expect the other two contracts to go through as well? We are in negotiations with Mr. Judah to buy out his interests in the railroad. Once that’s done, we’ll be quickly moving forward.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him.” Shiloh stood and offered her hand to Mr. Crocker, who took it and bowed, then held his hand out to Micah.

“Mr. Whitney, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

“You as well, Mr. Crocker.”

When they walked outside, Shiloh introduced Mr. Crocker to one of the teamsters. “Adam has already paid Edvard, the lead teamster, who is over at the docks. There are four extra wagons there if you need additional hauling.”

Just then, Adam rode around the corner down the street. Dismounting, he joined them in front of the wagons. “Mr. Crocker,” said Adam, offering his hand. “These gentlemen will be looking for work and since the wagons are already loaded….”

“Mrs. Cartwright was just telling me you’ve released an additional four wagons. We can use the extra wagons to haul some equipment with the lumber for the ties. Of course, the ties will be milled here before we send them up the track.”

“I’m glad you can use them. They did a good job for us. Well, we should be going. We’ve still got a long way.”

Mr. Crocker had been scrutinizing Apollo and Eli. “Just quickly, where did you find your horses?”

Shiloh grinned. “I breed them.”

“Oh yes, I remember Mr. Stanton telling me you continued your father’s horse business.”

She stepped away from the first wagon and pointed down the street. “Those are some of my horses bound for San Francisco. If you’re interested, let me know. Perhaps you can come to the ranch and take a look at what I have.”

“Well, if they’re all as magnificent as these, I’ll definitely make plans to do that.” Crocker took her hand again. “Please have a safe journey. Oh, and don’t forget to show that contract to Adam.” Adam raised his eyebrows.

“I won’t forget,” she said, smiling. “Goodbye, Mr. Crocker. Please, give our regards to Mrs. Crocker.”

********

The four riders left Sacramento as people on the streets stopped to watch the line of exceptional horses travel through town. Adam led with Shiloh riding at his side followed by Tom, then Micah.

When they were well away from any other people, Micah yelled from the back, “Shiloh!” She turned in her saddle to look at him. “Remind me to tell you the next time we have dinner? You had dinner with Charles Crocker?”

She snorted at the same time she heard Adam chuckle and yelled back, “Weren’t you watching?”

“No, I was watching someone else in San Francisco.”

“I’ll tell you when we stop to rest the horses.” She turned forward and spoke to Adam in a lower voice. “Before I forget, I have two bank drafts for the first two contracts, and I have a revised contract you need to review. I told Mr. Crocker you would drop it off on the way back home.”

“Just one contract?”

“Yes. Mr. Crocker said that he and others were in negotiations with Mr. Judah to buy out his interest in the railroad. He said once that was done things should move quickly.”

“Where are the bank drafts?”

“The drafts are in my boot. The contract’s in my saddle bag.”

They stopped for the night between Vacaville and Vallejo, getting to the livestock ferry in Oakland before noon the next day. The ferry caused little problems for the horses. Most didn’t seem to mind the watery crossing. Only three had to be held and calmed.

The people of San Francisco had the same reaction to the horses as those of Sacramento, stopping to watch the elegant animals pass by. Adam stopped only long enough to deposit the two bank drafts Shiloh was carrying and the one he was carrying from the dock timber. They stopped again south of San Francisco to rest the horses and eat, and then continued on another six hours to Fischer’s ranch where they arrived just as the last light faded.

Jim came out of the house as Adam was helping Shiloh out of her saddle. “Adam, I was beginning to worry.”

“Jim, how are you? We made good time from Sacramento, but it took longer than normal getting to Sacramento with the lumber wagons.”

Jim nodded and turned his attention to Shiloh who was still standing under Adam’s arm, leaning into his side. “You look tired.”

She nodded slightly. “The doctor warned me.”

“Why don’t we get you into the house? My men can help get the horses settled.”

“Before we go in, Jim, I’d like you to meet Shiloh’s brother, Micah Whitney,” said Adam. “And this is Tom Baker, one of Shiloh’s men.”

“Jim, Tom will be staying with the horses,” said Shiloh. “Do you have room for him in your bunkhouse?”

“I’ll do better than that. There’s a room in the barn that’s unoccupied right now. He can stay there. Micah, when you and Tom have the horses settled come on inside.”

Once in the house, Jim showed Shiloh to a chair in the sitting area directly between the open windows in the back and front of the house where a constant breeze passed through. “Adam, have seat,” Jim said, motioning to the chair next to Shiloh. He turned to the liquor cabinet and poured three brandies, delivering two to his guests, and then sitting with them. “Shiloh, your hand is still bandaged. How bad is it?”

Taking a deep breath and glancing over at Adam, she put on a smile. “The doctor said that with exercise, it should be fine. The knife didn’t cut any tendons; just muscle. He actually said that playing my piano would be perfect exercise.”

“You know, in lieu of charging Stewart with attempted murder you could get a monetary judgment against his estate. Not that I think you would, but as your lawyer, I would be remiss if I didn’t, at least, inform you.”

She smiled wearily. “Then consider me informed. Truthfully, Jim, the only thing I want is for this incident to go away. I don’t even want to know what will happen to his estate since he had no wife and no children. I don’t think he had any siblings, either.”

“When the court adjudicates his estate, they may award you if there are no relatives. It’s not uncommon for an injured party in a case like this to receive the estate.”

Resting her forehead in her hand, she sighed. “Then I would like you to act on my behalf and do some good with any money that might come my way. Give it to…an orphanage. I don’t want anything from that man.” She glanced at Adam again, and then looked quickly away. She had looked at him long enough for him to see that her eyes were becoming watery. He looked at Jim and shook his head.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you. I’ll draw up the legal papers I’ll need to handle it if it happens, and you can sign them before you leave. Other than that, I won’t bring it up again. Now, how would you like to handle the horse sales?”

“I brought bills of sale with me if you wouldn’t mind handling those. I will need to spend about an hour, maybe two with each buyer. We brought a few extra horses, so if they want more than one or would like another choice, they have one.” She had slumped down into the chair, and pushed herself back up. “There’s another gentlemen, Terrance Prescott, who wanted to know if I have horses suitable to pull a carriage. Do you know him?”

Jim winced. “I’ve met him on more than one occasion. He’s a pompous ass.” When Shiloh giggled, Jim gave her a quick look. “Pardon me.”

“Well, that explains it,” said Adam. Jim looked back questioningly. “Let’s see, how did he put that? He wanted ‘imposing and striking animals to pull his carriage.’”

Laughing, Shiloh said, “I’ll have to meet him in San Francisco. He has a home and stables there. I’ll be showing him Eli and Apollo, and we’ve brought an even bigger horse with us.”

“I saw,” Jim said appreciatively. “It was hard to miss him. But I don’t remember seeing anything like him when I was at the Flying W.”

“It was never my intention to show those horses. Daddy used them for work, so with the number of timber contracts we have this year, we put them to work pulling logs.”

Smiling, Adam reached for her hand. “And now, the teamsters who brought our lumber to Sacramento are interested in them. Besides that, we thought we could rent them and give the only man who has draft horses in our area some competition.”

Sitting forward in his chair, Jim asked, “When would you like to start with the horses?”

“I think it would be better if we took care of our business in San Francisco first, and then you can take as long as you need with the horses,” said Adam, turning to Shiloh. He looked back at Jim. “Were you able to get the subsidiary set up?”

“The paperwork is ready for you to sign.”

“There’s a change I’ll need. Micah Whitney and I will be partners with the ranch and the mine.”

“Ah yes, Micah. I thought….”

Adam looked over at Shiloh who was frowning. “That’s a long story. I’ll fill you in later.”

You’re sure you want to do this? You’re giving away half of everything.”

“No, I’m not,” said Adam, smiling. “I’m giving it back. At least what he’ll take.”

“Jim, it was my father’s intention to leave the ranch to Micah. He only left it to me because we all thought Micah was dead.”

“My father gave me land on the Ponderosa a while back. Shiloh and I will be living there eventually.”

“Alright, I won’t argue. I know what you sound like when your mind is made up. As soon as Micah comes in, we’ll have some dinner,” Jim said, rising from his seat to take Shiloh’s glass. “And then, you can get some rest.”

“Thank you, Jim. I am tired. I think I’ll sleep well tonight.”

“That’s good, Sweetheart,” said Adam, “because we need to go back to San Francisco tomorrow morning.”

********

After dinner, Adam carried their bags to their bedroom while Jim and Micah spoke about the legal papers in the main room.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Shiloh untied her scarf, and then pulled her boots off. Sucking in air as she pulled the right one off, she rubbed her ankle before she removed her sock. Adam heard the sound she made and was in front of her on his knees in an instant.

Taking her foot in his hands, he said, “Let me see,” then pulled her sock off. “Your ankle is hot. The only reason it’s not swollen is because your boot constricted it.”

“It doesn’t hurt that badly, but I wonder if I’ll be able to get my foot in my shoe tomorrow.”

“We’ll have to wait and see. I might have to leave you here while I go deal with the courthouse. I think Evelyn will be disappointed, though. She likes you.”

Taking a deep breath and smiling, Shiloh stood on her left foot and began to unbutton her skirt. “I’ll make it…somehow. Where are we staying?”

“We’ll be at the Lick House again.”

“That’s an awfully fancy hotel, Adam. Why there?”

“Because they don’t let just anyone up on their third floor, remember? I don’t want you overrun by curious people.” Adam steadied her while she took off her skirt, then took it and her blouse and hung them in the wardrobe. He untied her corset and waited for the rest of her under things which he draped over a chair.

“Would you bring my brush?” she said, pointing to a small bag on the dressing table. “If I’m at Maguire’s it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“We have to get you to Maguire’s, so people will know you’re there. I thought you could go with Micah and me if we find some mining equipment for sale.” Surrounding her with his arms, he pulled her against him. “All that depends on what your ankle looks like in the morning,” he said, gazing lovingly at her while she brushed her hair.

Smiling up at him, she said, “It really doesn’t hurt that badly.”

He bent and kissed her nose, then her mouth as she moved her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. He moved away slightly and said, “We’ll see,” then kissed her again as he lifted her against him and moved her backward toward the bed. She was smiling up at him as he took her brush and tucked her in. “Go to sleep. I want you well rested in the morning.”

He bent to kiss her one more time and as he was rising, she grabbed his ear and met his eyes with hers. “Adam?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Sitting on the side of the bed, he tenderly kissed her again. “I love you, too. Good night.”

Closing the door quietly behind him, he went back to the sitting room and joined Micah and Jim. Jim had already poured Adam a glass of whiskey and handed it to him as he sat down. “Micah was just telling me about his and Shiloh’s meeting with Crocker yesterday.”

“Yeah, Adam. Where’d she learn to talk business like that? She didn’t learn that from Dad.”

“I’m sure she learned some of it from Amos, but she did go to college.”

“They don’t teach that in college. She was comfortable. She had Crocker eating out of her hand.”

Adam chuckled. “Well, she had already impressed Crocker before that. She gets her confidence from performing, and I’m sure a good bit of it just comes naturally. Did you know she took law courses while she was in New York just so she could understand contracts?”

Micah looked at his whiskey and shook his head. “I’ve been watching her for years yet I don’t know her anymore.”

“That’s not really true,” snorted Adam. “She’s the same girl. She’s always been intelligent from when she was very young. She’s always been stubborn, and she’s always had a temper. She inherited her musical talent from your mother. She just needed the right direction. And there’s one more thing you probably don’t know.”

“What else?”

“She remembers everything she reads.” Micah was expressionless. “I’m serious.”

“It’s true, Micah,” said Jim. “When she was here in March, we were going over her performance contracts. I had several examples, and she read all of them and quoted me verbatim what parts of each she wanted to use in her contracts. She’d just close her eyes and spout.”

Setting his glass on a table, Micah clasped his hands, covering his mouth and mumbling. “My kid sister. Who’d a thought?”

Adam watched Micah for a moment before he changed the subject. “Jim, how long will it take you to change the paperwork for the ranch and the subsidiary for the mine. I’d like to sign those before we leave so we can file them here and then again in Virginia City.”

“It should only take a few days. I can have them finished before you get back from San Francisco.”

“Good. I’ll probably spend two days at the courthouse site. I don’t know yet if the mayor will request a meeting, and Micah and I are going to purchase some mining equipment if there’s any to be had in the city. I also need to talk to George Hearst.”

“Hearst? What about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Apparently, his company owns the property just north of the ridge where we found a rich vein of silver and some gold. Do you remember someone trying to sell the Flying W out from under Shiloh and that business with Sam King?” Jim nodded. “We found where Sam got the ore he had assayed. There’s a shallow shaft at the base of the ridge. On the other side, there’s another shallow shaft. I had rocks from both sides assayed. There’s nothing on the other side. It’s all on the Flying W side, and that means that someone took ore from the Flying W side, had it assayed and claimed it was from the other side of the ridge. Hearst bought that property based on that assay. I think whoever turned in the assay was planning to tunnel through to our side of the ridge. Hearst needs to know what he bought into.”

“What do you think he’ll do?” asked Jim.

“I’m hoping he’ll tell me the name of the broker that sold him that property. Then maybe we can trace it back to whoever was responsible for trying to sell the Flying W.”

“If you can get the name, I can help with some research. Sometimes these investment firms hide assets behind layers of companies. It takes some persistence to weed through them all, but it can be done.”

“If I find out anything from Hearst, I’ll let you know. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, we have a long ride tomorrow and a busy afternoon after that.” Micah stood with him. “Shiloh’s ankle was bothering her tonight. I may have her stay behind while Micah and I go into San Francisco.”

Smiling, Jim stood and said, “She’s always welcome to stay here. If she does, I’ll make sure she’s well cared for.”

“I know you will,” said Adam, nodding.

“Before I turn in, I’m going to check on the horses,” said Micah. “Don’t wait up. I’ll find my way.”

Adam turned toward the bedroom. “Good night, gentlemen.”

********

Sometime in the middle of the night, Adam was awakened by Shiloh’s movements around and over him. Still groggy and with his eyes still closed, he could feel the warmth of her skin pressing against his and the softness of her lips moving over his face to his eyes, his cheeks and his mouth, and when he finally opened his eyes, she was there just above him, her lips parted and full, her eyes hungry.

***

The dim light of morning had just begun to creep across the room when Adam woke up. He didn’t move at first. Shiloh had laid her head on his chest just under his chin and both had fallen asleep that way. Her hair covered his right arm and her right hand was still clasped with his left. He smiled and laughed to himself. Shades of the woman she had become during their last trip to San Francisco were beginning to emerge since the attack. The rumble of laughter in his chest made her stir. Holding her tightly to him, he rolled her to her back and buried his face in her hair as he yawned.

She smiled, running her fingers into the curls on the back of his head and whispering, “I’m sorry I disturbed your sleep.”

“If that’s what you call disturbing, you can disturb me anytime,” he answered as he kissed her neck and jaw. He raised his head to look at her, and she turned her face away. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

Her smile was gone. “I look better in the dark.”

Turning her face back to him, he looked lovingly at her. “They’re almost gone.” Then he kissed the faint bruises around her eyes, her mouth and her jaw.

“I need to take a bath this morning before we go,” she said as she enjoyed his attentions.

“Good thing I asked Jim last night if he could arrange to have a bath prepared for you this morning.” He took his time with his next kiss, making her toes curl. “First, let’s have a look at that ankle.”

When he started to rise, she pulled him back down for another kiss. “You haven’t had a bath either. Would you care to share?”

He cocked his head with a pleased look. “Yes. Now, let me see your ankle.” Sitting on the side of the bed, she moved her legs to his lap.

A shudder ran through her as he ran his hand down her thigh and over her knee. “That’s not my ankle.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue? I’m getting there.” She felt his fingers wrap around her ankle. “It’s not hot.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not a horse.”

“It would still be warm. It doesn’t look swollen, but it looks like you have half an egg on the side of it, and it’s still a little green.” He gently squeezed. “How does it feel?”

“It’s a little sore, but it’s not bad.”

“Alright then. Let’s go get clean and fed, and then leave. Jim’s loaning us a buggy, so we can tie Eli and Apollo to the back, and Micah can lead Clyde.”

She cackled, “Clyde?”

He shrugged and opened the door between the room and the washroom, bowing. “After you, my love.”

She took a tentative step, testing her ankle, and then gingerly stepped past him.

***

When they arrived in San Francisco, Adam drove straight to the Lick House. “We’ll get settled in our room, and then figure out our schedules.” He dug his watch out of his pocket. “It’s already three. There’s no point in going to the courthouse site today. I wouldn’t be able to do much, but the Slaters will want to know we’re here.”

The doorman walked out to the buggy. “Your name, Sir?”

“Cartwright. I’d like to store the buggy and these horses in your stables. This is Mr. Whitney. He’ll be accompanying your stable hand with our horses.” Turning to Micah, Adam said, “Tell them to bill the room for everything and make sure these three get oat hay. They should store the saddles, too.” Micah nodded and followed the stable hand.

The doorman followed the Cartwrights into the hotel, placing their bags and Micah’s next to the front desk, and introducing them to the desk clerk.

“Ah, Mr. Cartwright, it’s nice to have you back. I have a two bedroom suite for you on the third floor as you requested.”

“There’s another gentleman with us; Micah Whitney. He’ll need a key to the room as well. And I’d like to have a note delivered and a telegram sent.”

“Adam, I need to have a note delivered, too.”

The desk clerk produced pencils and paper, and the two began to write. “To whom are you sending a note,” asked Adam.

“Terrance Prescott…to let him know I’m here and schedule an appointment.”

“I don’t want you to see him by yourself.”

She stopped writing and turned to face him, batting her eyelashes. “Why?” she asked impertinently.

“Because he’s liable to be disrespectful and may try to take advantage of your current condition.”

She cast her eyes down, and after a moment turned forward and finished her note, sliding it over to him. “Excuse me.”

Adam stopped writing, and though he didn’t look at her, he felt her move away. If she had been herself, she would have objected in a voice that was entirely too sweet. Instead, she dropped the subject like a hot coal and separated herself from him. He looked back for her. She had taken a seat in the lobby and waited on the edge of it with her hands clasped in front of her, looking down at the floor. She was definitely not doing as well as he had begun to believe. He called to her when it was time to go to their suite, and she obediently fell in line with him.

The ride in the lift was quiet, and other than the normal affair of dealing with the bellman, it remained quiet between them until the door was closed, and they were alone. They stood only about ten feet apart, but for Adam, it seemed as if they were miles apart.

Opening her mouth to speak, she froze and seemed to think about what to say, then just pointed to the bedroom to which she went immediately and closed the door behind her.

Adam stood looking at the place she had been standing with his mouth slightly open. He bent his head and scratched behind his ear, then followed her and quietly opened the door, finding her seated at the dressing table with her hands together as if in prayer, her thumbs under her chin and the sides of her index fingers pressed against her lips. Even though she was facing the mirror, she wasn’t really looking in the mirror. Her eyes were sad; a sadness that ran deep and tore at his heartstrings.

When she realized he was in the room, she sat up straight and took a deep breath, then stood and began unpacking their bags.

“Shiloh?”

She swallowed hard and fought to keep her voice steady as she spoke. “Yes, Adam?”

“Talk to me.”

She pulled a dress out of her bag, put a smile on her face and turned. “What would you like to talk about?” she asked, glancing at him as she walked past him toward the wardrobe.

By the time he got to her, the dress was on a hanger. He took it from her and hung it in the wardrobe, then took her hands, moving to the bed and sitting. “Whatever is bothering you, you don’t have to hide it from me.”

Looking down at their hands, she spoke so quietly he could barely hear her. “I’m trying.”

“I know you’re trying, but you shouldn’t be trying for me. You should be doing that for yourself. Now, I know you would normally have objected to my remark about someone going with you to see Prescott, but Sweetheart, I don’t think you’re ready to deal with a man like that. You know that what happened to you at the hands of Stewart has been a subject for the newspapers for awhile, and a man like Prescott would not have second thoughts about taking advantage of you because of it.”

“I know you’re right. That’s why I didn’t argue. Mostly, I’m angry at myself.”

He raised her face with a finger under her chin. “Why?”

“I should be able to handle a man like Prescott one way or another; either charm him or tell him what he can do with his carriage. But part of me is…” she teared up, “…afraid.” When her nose wrinkled, he knew tears would follow. He pulled her into him, laying her head on his chest and stroking her hair. “I don’t want to feel like this,” she sniffed, “but I can’t seem to stop.”

“You’re trying to do too much too soon. You don’t have to do anything, Sweetheart. We can tell Prescott you’re not up to it, and if we need to, we can cancel your performances for awhile.”

Her head shot up off his chest, and she looked frantically at him. “No, we need the money to buy the mining equipment.”

“No, we do not,” he said emphatically, moving his hands to the sides of her head and holding her eyes with his.

“You said it would be better if we didn’t have to take out any loans.”

“It’s always better if we don’t take out any loans, so we don’t have to pay interest, but I’m not worried about paying the loans. The mine will do that easily.”

She wilted. “Adam, I can’t cancel. We’ve already signed contracts and taken half the payment. And if I cancel now, they may not want me back. Besides, the first performance is almost two months away.” Taking his hands again, she looked back at his eyes. “I want you to let me handle Prescott…alone.”

Breathing deeply, he furrowed his brow. The corners of her mouth turned up somewhat when he pushed his lips out slightly; not a pout, but enough to define the elegant curve of his upper lip against his full lower lip. “No.”

The word pulled her back. “No? But…”

There was a knock at the door. Adam stood to get it while he spoke. “You’re not ready. And I’m not ready to leave you to someone like Prescott.”

Following, she objected, “If I don’t try sometime, I’ll never be able to.”

“Thank you, he said, taking a note from the attendant and closing the door. “You will. But you need to give yourself some time.” He opened the envelope, then walked to her and kissed her forehead. “This will take your mind off of it. We’re having dinner at the Slater’s tonight.”

*********

Shiloh didn’t let the subject of Prescott drop. She continued to make her varied points while they dressed for dinner. Adam listened, silently pleased that she was almost passionately stating her case; another sign that she was improving, but he was also concerned that in her present state, with her lack of confidence, someone could and eventually would take advantage of her.

“Adam, I don’t need a nursemaid. If I had cowered at every difficult situation that came my way, I wouldn’t be singing or training horses. I probably wouldn’t even be married to you, if you think about it.” Adam remained silent all through her rant. “You’ve been shoring me up long enough. It’s time I started standing on my own two feet again, especially with the horses, if they’re still mine.”

Adam had dressed in black slacks and was just putting on a white shirt. “The horses will always be yours. They aren’t at issue here. But just an hour ago, you were in tears because you were afraid of what Prescott will say to you.”

“Don’t you do things even though you’re afraid?”

“This is different. A man like Prescott will use your feelings against you, and right now, Sweetheart, your feelings are raw.” He looked over at her while he pulled on his waistcoat. She had finished all the layers of under garments and had slipped her corset on. Moving behind her, he pulled the cord and tied it. “Shiloh, I have no doubt that under normal circumstances, you would chew a man like Prescott up and spit him out in little pieces and probably have him smiling while you do it.” He turned her around and held her arms. “But you are not ready.”

She didn’t sulk or pout. She just looked defeated. “I’ll never be able to stand on my own two feet again if you never let me.”

“You’re not ready.”

“So what if I fail? What if I let him get to me? I’ve always been able to pick myself back up. It’s just taking a little longer this time.”

At that moment, he was quite proud of her, and even happier her passion was back in her eyes. He sighed. “I’m going with you.”

“What if you’re at the courthouse site when he wants to meet?”

“Then Micah can go with you. I don’t want you to go alone.” She twisted her mouth angrily, and he quickly drew her into him. With a libidinous smile, he said, “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are when you’re angry?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He held her tightly against him and kissed her, and though she struggled in anger, she soon gave in, moving her hands under his arms and up to his shoulders. “That was nice,” he said, giving her another quick kiss. “Now, can we forget about this for the evening and enjoy dinner?” He turned her toward the closet. “Finish getting dressed. We’re late.”

***

“I feel bad about leaving Micah behind,” said Shiloh, moving the curtain in the coach window aside to look out.

“He’s a big boy. He can find something to do. You know as well as I that bringing him would not only have been impolite, but awkward for him and the Slaters. He has nothing to do with Slater, Cartwright and Slater.”

“I do know that, Adam. I still feel bad.”

“I hope you don’t expect him to be around all the time. He is a grown man, and he’ll want to make a life for himself.”

“Then why isn’t he?”

Adam snorted and smiled. “Do I really need to explain that?”

Drawing the corner of her mouth in, she replied, “No.”

The coach came to a stop, and in another minute, the coach door opened. Adam stepped out and turned for Shiloh’s hand. She reached up for his shoulder with her left hand which prompted him to hold her and lower her down gently on her injured ankle. He also noticed that her hand wasn’t bandaged. He held it and glared down at her. “I didn’t think it would hurt tonight. I’m not really doing anything but eating. I just didn’t want to draw attention to it.”

He raised his eyebrows, shook his head, and put her hand over his arm. “Shall we?” Escorting her up the steps to the front door, he raised his hand to knock, and before he rapped his knuckles, the door opened.

“Adam, Shiloh, please come in,” said Robert. He led them to the parlor where Evelyn greeted them in a dress with an empire waistline.

Shiloh smiled warmly at Evelyn and took her hands. “I think all you needed to do was talk about it,” she whispered, making Evelyn giggle. “You’re obviously quite happy.” After exchanging greetings, the women drifted to two chairs away from the men, but before they could talk, Robert delivered two glasses of champagne, and then excused himself.

Handing a glass to Adam, Robert looked back over at the women. “How’s Shiloh doing, Adam?”

“Still recovering, but she’s getting better every day.”

“I don’t know if you’ve been reading the San Francisco newspapers, but I’m afraid that lately, they’ve not had kind things to say. The powerful in this city liked Stewart. He got things done.”

“Is that causing repercussions for the firm?”

“No. They seem to separate you from the incident in Virginia City. I understand, though, that you were shot.”

“Yes, but it had nothing to do with Stewart. It seems there’s someone else who would like to see me dead.”

“Any idea who?”

“Nothing definite, but I have a feeling it might have to do with gold and silver we found on the ranch property. Apparently someone had it assayed and was planning to mine it out from under us. While we’re here, I’ll be meeting with George Hearst. His company owns the land right next to our north boundary where the vein is located. What have you heard about the courthouse?”

“Our courthouse is a source of pride for the city, and you’re name still gets mentioned at the drop of a hat. There’s been absolutely no trouble with the foundation, and the city is holding its collective breath to hear the results of your inspection.”

“Shiloh’s supposed to go to Maguire’s tomorrow to practice while I’m at the construction site. Is there something I need to be aware of before I leave her there?”

“The city is split. Those that respected Stewart are mostly the prominent businessmen while those claiming he got what he deserved are their wives. You each made an impression while you were here in March. It would appear that Shiloh’s attack has caused a rift in more than one marriage here. There will be those who have some unkind things to say.”

“Did any of those articles get it right?”

“By right, I assume you mean that Shiloh was kidnapped and attacked, and while Stewart was in the process of beating her to death, someone shot him. That article was written by your friend, Mark Twain. He’s the only one. The rest are milking it.”

“Do you know anything about Terrance Prescott?”

“I do. Why?”

“He inquired about horses. Shiloh brought some to show him.”

“He will be brutal to her. He and Stewart were friends. I might even suggest that he’s more interested in humiliating her than buying her horses.” Adam puckered his mouth and steamed. “What about Tom Maguire?”

“I’m not worried about Tom. He’s fond of her. I don’t think he’ll allow any of his people to show any disrespect.”

“Well, maybe spending the next two days at Maguire’s isn’t a bad idea then. But if I were you, I wouldn’t leave her alone anywhere in the city.”

“Good evening everyone,” said Daniel cheerfully as he walked into the parlor. I hope I’m not too terribly late.” The women looked up, and he bowed to them before walking over to Adam and Robert. “Adam, I see you’re alive and well. I understand you were shot.”

“Yes, but as you said, I’m alive and well.”

“Excuse me, Sir, but dinner is served,” said the Slater’s butler.

“Well, shall we?” said Robert as he and Adam approached the women and escorted them to the dining room.

Once everyone was served, the conversation turned to Shiloh. “Shiloh, I understand you’ll be practicing for some upcoming performances while you’re here,” said Robert.

“Yes, I will. My first performance is in Sacramento in August, but I’ve not had a chance to exercise my voice since our wedding. Though I do practice at home, I don’t really exercise my full range unless I sing with an orchestra. It forces me to project my voice.”

Evelyn replaced her glass of wine and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “I apologize for being forward, but I would dearly love to watch you practice.”

Shiloh smiled. “I’ll leave word with Tom Maguire that you’ll be there. You won’t have any trouble getting in.” Adam had been watching Shiloh with Evelyn all evening. She seemed to enjoy Evelyn’s company and appeared to be more at ease now than he had seen her in weeks.

“Robert, did you make any corrections to the last set of drawings I sent for the commercial building in Jackson Square?” asked Adam.

“No, as a matter of fact, I’ve already sent them in and gotten an answer. They’ll be clearing the whole block and want some accompanying drawings for two additional buildings. Once they get those, they’ll send them back East to their owner, and if he approves them we’ll get the block. But with the Salt Lake project, can you handle two more sets of plans?”

“I’ll manage,” said Adam, grinning. “If you have the specifications, I’ll take them with me.”

“You are a busy man, I must say,” said Daniel. “A toast to our newest partner, who because of his courthouse has brought an increasing amount of work our way.”

Everyone raised their glass. Shiloh caught Adam’s eyes and smiled adoringly. When he narrowed his eyes, looking back at her with a slight upturn of his lips, Evelyn winked at Robert and nodded inconspicuously toward Adam, and then at Shiloh.

Before the evening was over, Adam had his new specifications, Robert and Adam agreed to ride to the courthouse site together, Evelyn and Shiloh had caught up on Evelyn’s plans for the Slater’s newest family member who would be arriving in about four months, and most importantly, Daniel behaved himself, offering only praise for Adam’s involvement with the firm and compliments to Shiloh.

Daniel left soon after the Cartwrights said their goodbyes, and Robert and Evelyn stood considering each other. “Do you have any idea what Daniel is up to?” asked Evelyn.

“No, my dear, but we both know it can’t be anything good. I’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

*********

Adam sat in the main room of the suite reading the revised railroad contract while Shiloh finished dressing before they went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Micah sat with him, reading the newspaper.

“Adam, have you read this newspaper?”

“No, why?” asked Adam without looking up from the contract.

“Well, the city knows you both are here. There’s a separate article about each of you. It’s as if you’re not even related.” Adam raised his head and stared in front of him, harrumphed, and went back to his contract. “Doesn’t this concern you?”

This time he looked at Micah. “We’re not here to win a popularity contest. We’re going to do what we need to do and leave.” Looking back down at the legal papers in his lap, he continued, “Shiloh won’t be going anywhere without one of us, so there’s little chance of anyone confronting her, and by the time we have to come back all this will be forgotten.”

“One of us won’t be with her today.”

“No, but Tom Maguire is a good friend. He’ll see she’s treated respectfully. And Evelyn Slater will be with her. What are you doing today?”

“I told you, I’m watching you.” Adam cocked his head with a disgruntled look. “The quicker we can find who’s trying to kill you, the better off we’ll be. When we get back home, you and I are going to be busier than we’ve ever been, and we’ll likely be going in two different directions when the day begins.”

Studying him, Adam’s annoyance changed to suspicion. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Micah heaved a sigh. “The fella that was watching you in Virginia City is here. He followed your coach last night to the Slater’s, then followed you back to the hotel when you left. Adam, a construction site would be a good place for him to take another shot at you. With all the work going on, a single man hidden in an out-of-the-way place won’t be noticed until it’s too late. And then, disappearing in a city like San Francisco is easy.”

Shiloh quietly opened the door of the bedroom and walked into their midst. “What are you two discussing?”

Adam looked at Micah and warned him off before Micah told her. “Timber contracts, mines and how busy we’re going be when we get back home. Shall we go have some breakfast?” Adam asked, folding the contract and pocketing it as he stood.

Arriving in the lobby, they stepped off the lift and headed for the restaurant. “Mr. Cartwright,” called the manager. “I have a telegram and several messages for you and Mrs. Cartwright.”

Adam stepped over to the counter while the manager retrieved the messages, leaving Shiloh standing with Micah. “Micah, was that really all you were talking about before I came in the room?”

“We talked about several things, Little Sister, but nothing you need to worry about.”

“I asked Adam not to hide things from me. I don’t expect you to, either.”

Adam rejoined them, taking Shiloh’s elbow and guiding her into the restaurant. “Is one of your more private tables available?” he asked.

“Yes sir. Right this way,” said the host, seating them in an alcove in the back corner where they could see the entire restaurant.

Adam looked at a telegram from his father first, reading it to himself, then sitting back in his chair and blowing out of his mouth. “I have one more thing to do while we’re here. Pa wants me to quote the Grocer’s Association a price for beef. I’ll have to go by their office to find out how much they want.”

“We’re not in a hurry are we? That shouldn’t be a problem,” said Shiloh, smiling.

He smiled back. “It’s not a problem. I just wanted to get you back to Jim’s.”

“There’s a note for me?” asked Shiloh. Picking it up, he held it in front of him, looking at the name, hesitating, but slowly passing it to her. He looked at her with his lips pursed. Shiloh looked at the name on the envelope, and then met his eyes with one eyebrow arched. “He says he looks forward to meeting me and seeing the horses I’ve brought. He’d like me to take them to his home tomorrow afternoon.”

“Shiloh, Robert knows Prescott. He said he’s likely more interested in berating you, than seeing your horses. It seems Stewart was a good friend of his. I don’t think you should go at all.” Her eyes moved away from his, and her expression changed to something he couldn’t read. She was showing neither anger, nor disappointment, but instead seemed rather detached. Folding the note, she passed it back to him and remained silent. “I’ll send him your apologies.” She didn’t respond in any way.

He opened the next envelope. “Hearst would like to meet us for dinner tonight here to discuss the issue with the north property. I’ll tell him seven, if that’s alright with you.” Shiloh shrugged. “Micah, you need to be here since the mine is half yours.”

When their breakfast was delivered, Shiloh made no move to eat. She sat, looking at Adam, her eyes moving from his face, across his shoulders and down to the edge of the table. “Sweetheart?”

She thought it odd that he dressed in his black trousers, red shirt and black vest this morning, but seeing him in that attire, she thought nothing when he put his gun belt on as they left their suite. Now, something niggled at the back of her mind. “I can understand the casual clothes since you’ll be on a construction site, but why are you wearing your gun?” She glanced at Micah and looked back to Adam. “Why are both of you wearing your guns?”

Micah answered quickly before Adam. “It’s habit.”

“Maybe it is for you, Micah, but not Adam.” She looked Adam directly in the eye. “Adam doesn’t wear a gun while he’s doing business in San Francisco unless he’s expecting trouble.” Adam bit the inside of his cheek, knowing he’d been caught. “You said you wouldn’t hide things from me. I remember quite well that you were shot when you came after me after Will took me. I also remember that you never found out who shot you or why.”

He raised his eyebrows and breathed. “Then you know why we’re wearing our guns. There’s nothing else to tell.”

“Doesn’t it seem just a little off to you that you’re hiding me…protecting me from people who might have unpleasant things to say, but you’re going out in public places while someone is shooting at you?” Her nostrils flared. Now, he saw her temper, and despite her accurate assessment, he couldn’t help but smile. That smile caused her to give him an open mouth scowl as if to yell “foul.”

Adam leaned toward her and spoke quietly. “The evening we arrived in the city, you told me you were afraid that you couldn’t handle difficult situations. I know that ordinarily you don’t need to be coddled, but until you are unafraid…until you are yourself again, I’m not going to allow anyone the chance to treat you badly for something that was in no way caused by you.” He turned her face to his. “You aren’t yet ready. When you are, I’ll stop cosseting you and start saving you from your temper again,” he finished, smiling impishly. She pulled her chin from his grip and looked sadly forward.

“Excuse me, Mr. Cartwright, but Mr. Slater has arrived.”

Standing, Adam stood with a hand on the back of Shiloh’s chair ready to pull it away from the table when she stood. She took a deep breath before she stood, then walked out of the restaurant ahead of Micah and Adam. Robert and Evelyn were waiting in the lobby. Micah excused himself just as they left the restaurant to retrieve his horse from the hotel stables.

In the coach, Robert and Adam discussed the inspection of the courthouse foundation while Shiloh sat quietly looking out the window. Evelyn reached across and took her hand, bringing Shiloh’s attention inside the coach. “If you’ve changed your mind, we can go back to the house and talk.”

Shiloh opened her mouth slightly to breathe so that her nose wouldn’t become congested from the tears she was holding back. She managed a smile. “Thank you, Evelyn,” she said quietly so as not to interrupt the men’s conversation. “I need to do this.”

Evelyn squeezed her hand. “Yes, my dear, you do.”

*********

Adam and Robert walked the ladies into the lobby of Maguire’s Opera House where Tom Maguire was waiting. After introductions were made and Tom gave assurances that the main doors would be locked while Shiloh was there, the men went on to the construction site.

Upon their arrival, Adam stood on the other side of the street mentally picturing the placement of the courthouse before he walked onto the site. The construction foremen walked over to them. “You fellas got business here?”

“I’m Robert Slater. This is Adam Cartwright.” Adam extended his hand.

“Ah, the architect fella.”

“The engineer today. Is there somewhere we can spread our drawings out?” asked Adam.

“Yeah. Right over here,” said the foreman, leading the men to a table in the center of what would be the front of the building.

“I want to see the cement and embedded steel of the floor, the footings, the water drainage and tunnel to the sewer, the granite and joints, and then the granite you’ll be mounting the cast iron pillars on.”

“Mister, I’m gonna have to stop work while you look at all that.”

“I realize that, but if you’ve finished the foundation, you shouldn’t be going any further without this inspection.”

“I’ll tell you what. You go on and take a look at any part of the foundation you want. In the meantime, I’ll go have a conversation with the mayor.”

Adam smiled. “You do that. While you’re gone, who can I talk to about your process for laying the cement?”

The man turned around, whistling and motioned for another man to join them. “Him,” said the foreman as he walked off the site.

Adam turned to Robert. “What’s the problem?”

“Get used to it. These men don’t get paid when work is stopped. A good many of the buildings in San Francisco were inspected by men sitting behind a desk and signing a form their clerks laid in front of them.”

“Robert, I’m not going to put my name on a building that isn’t adequately inspected.”

Robert smiled and patted him on the back. “I don’t expect you to.”

When the foreman came back with the mayor and the new city attorney, they were followed by several men from the city council. They stopped and watched Adam as he was squatted down on the floor of the foundation, discussing the laying of the cement and the reinforcement. The group of men walked right up to them. Looking up, Adam nodded, then turned his attention back to the man he was speaking with, finishing his conversation before he stood up. “Mayor Teschemacher.”

“Cartwright, the construction foreman says your inspection has stopped work.”

“Mayor, my plans call for an inspection of the foundation before the first level begins. I don’t intend to sign off until I do this inspection. There will be another inspection midway through the four floors and then a roof inspection before I’ll sign that it’s complete. In all three cases, I expect work to stop until I’m finished.”

“How long will it take?”

“That depends on how helpful your foreman is. On my own it’s going to take two full days.”

“Robert, Adam, I understand you wanting to do this by the book, but we have a schedule to meet.”

“Mayor, the schedule was defined as part of our plans and included the inspections,” said Robert.”

Adam rolled a drawing up in his hands and stood with his arms crossed, holding the roll in front of him. “Mayor, this building was designed to withstand major ground movement as well as fire. In order to make sure that’s what you get, I need to ensure that this foundation is built according to the specifications. If the foundation isn’t built to exact specifications or inferior materials or methods are used, it will compromise the stability of the rest of the building.”

Mayor Teschemacher looked Adam in the eye, and when Adam didn’t flinch, he smiled. “Adam, I’d like you to meet our new city attorney, Levi Blake. Levi, Adam Cartwright and Robert Slater of Slater, Cartwright and Slater. And this is Mayor-elect Henry Coon. You’ll be working with his office starting next month.”

“Mr. Cartwright, we’ve all heard of the incident between your wife and our former city attorney,” said Mr. Coon. How is Mrs. Cartwright?”

“She’s still recovering.”

Henry Coon had reluctantly agreed to run for mayor having spent his political career with the San Francisco Vigilance Committee that became the People’s Party. Adam knew Coon had little tolerance for the criminal element, no matter who they were. Coon nodded. “There are many businessmen in this city who were friends of Mr. Stewart. I, for one, am appalled at his behavior. I want to assure you there will be no repercussions from city government.”

“Thank you, Mr. Coon. Now, if you gentlemen will allow me to get back to the inspection, I’ll be out of your foreman’s way as soon as I’m finished.”

Just as Adam turned away, a gunshot rang out and dust flew from a block of granite in the foundation wall, prompting everyone to duck. Adam drew his gun, running to the front wall, looking over. More gunshots sounded from across the street. When Adam saw a man running down the street away from the site, he hauled himself up to the top of the wall and jumped down, hiding behind a stack of granite blocks. He saw Micah running after the first man and ran after him. The construction crew and the men from city hall all stood and peered over the wall.

Coon grinned. “I like this Cartwright fellow. Where did you find him?” he asked Mayor Teschemacher. “He’s a Harvard educated cowboy from the Nevada Territory.”

***

Shiloh left Evelyn seated near the back of the main hall and walked to the stage, setting her portfolio down on a chair. The orchestra was already seated in the pit. She swallowed hard, then said, “It’s good to see you all again. Would the section leaders please stand?” When they were all standing, she said, “I see we’ve all met.” She found it strange that everyone was so still as if they were all holding their breath. After all, she had worked with most of these people. They should be comfortable, but she knew why they were all so quiet. Stepping down into the pit, she looked them over, and then said, “Alright, let’s get this out so we can concentrate on work. I’m alright. As you can see, I still have some bruises.” She held up her hand and turned it so they had a chance to see both sides. “My stitches are out, so now I have to exercise before I can play piano again.”

Hans, the leader of the string section stood and hugged her, and in his thick Austrian accent, he said, “I’m glad you’re alright.” Suddenly, the entire orchestra was on their feet surrounding her.”

Evelyn stood. As Tom hurried down the aisle, she caught his arm and stopped him. “She’s fine,” she whispered as they both watched.

Slowly the members of the orchestra made their way back to their seats, and as the last few went, Evelyn watched Shiloh wipe her face, then blow a kiss to them. She turned to go back up on the stage and retrieved her portfolio, taking out a stack of music and handing it down to the pianist. “This is music you haven’t seen before. Two of these are new. The others are from some of my performances in Boston that I haven’t used here. This is mainly for practice, so it doesn’t have to be perfect. If you have trouble with any of it, just do the best you can.”

When the sound of shuffling paper subsided, Shiloh said, “I haven’t warmed up my voice, so why don’t we do some scales together before we try any of these pieces?”

Tom smiled at Evelyn and went back out of the hall while Evelyn took her seat, listening and enjoying what turned out to be a wonderfully entertaining and sometimes funny experience.

*********

Adam knocked on the front door of the opera house. Tom hurried over to let him and Robert in, and seeing several people looking in the windows, he turned back to lock it. “How’s she doing?” asked Adam.

“It was awfully quiet at first, but she stepped right down into the pit and spoke to them,” said Tom. “After that, it was as if nothing had happened to her. She’s as engaging as she ever was.”

Smiling, Adam breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear.” The men stepped into the main hall where Shiloh was just finishing the song she always sang to open her performances.

Evelyn stood to applaud just as Robert stepped next to her. “I could never tire of hearing her sing,” said Evelyn, beaming. “Adam, thank you so much for suggesting I come with her. It’s been wonderful seeing her work. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and she knows what she wants, but at the same time, she’s very affable, and she can be quite funny.”

After Shiloh thanked the musicians, she gathered her portfolio, stepped down off the stage and walked down the aisle to Adam and the Slaters. Smiling, Adam asked, “How was it?”

“A little frightening at first, but we quickly fell back into a familiar rapport. How was your day inspecting the courthouse?”

Adam shot a quick glance toward Robert before he answered. “There’s absolutely nothing exciting about a building inspection, but I will have to go back for a few hours tomorrow.”

When the four got to the Lick House, the Slaters accompanied the Cartwrights inside the hotel. Micah was sitting in a chair in the lobby, and when he saw them come in, he went to meet them. “Robert and Evelyn Slater, this is Shiloh’s brother, Micah Whitney.”

Micah shook Robert’s hand. “Mr. Slater. Mrs. Slater,” he said, removing his hat.

“We were just going to the restaurant to have dinner, Micah. Why don’t you join us?” invited Shiloh with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes.

Micah smiled back and put his arm around her shoulder. “It looks like you had a good day.” She nodded.

When they were seated in the restaurant and had ordered their dinner, Robert asked Shiloh how it felt to be back on stage. “I have to admit, I was a little intimidated at first. The musicians have always seemed very relaxed, but they were so tense, and of course, I knew why. So I spoke to them briefly about it, and that seemed to be enough to break the tension.”

“It was actually quite touching,” added Evelyn. “And after that, you wouldn’t have known that anything bad at all had taken place. I found it all quite interesting to see what goes into the making of a performance.”

“Looks like you both had an interesting day,” said Micah. Adam glared at him.

“What do you mean?” asked Shiloh. Micah shot a quick chagrined glance at Adam. Shiloh looked from one to the other. “Tell me what happened,” said Shiloh emphatically.

Adam covered her hand. “Sweetheart, it was nothing.”

Her nostrils flared, but she managed to force a smile. Though she tried to calm herself, her next words were sharper than she had intended. “I don’t believe you.”

“Shiloh…” started Micah.

“Micah!” said Adam, calling him off with a heated look.

Evelyn glared at Robert. “Where were you when what ever happened happened?”

Robert rolled his eyes and looked at Adam. “In your suite?” Adam raised his eyebrows, taking a deep breath and nodding.

During dinner, Adam and Robert talked about the inspection and Adam’s upcoming trip to Salt Lake. Shiloh and Evelyn whispered about what they thought might have happened at the construction site, and Micah sat, watching Shiloh as he ate. She turned to him and smiled. “I asked Micah to come and help with the horses. I brought thirteen with me. Apparently, he’s here for an entirely different reason.”

“Mr. Whitney, Shiloh hadn’t mentioned she had a brother before. Have you been away?” asked Evelyn.

“You could say that. I’ve done a little traveling.”

“Micah and I grew up together learning ranching from our fathers,” said Adam. “He’s finally decided to come home and help run the ranch. Shall we go on up to our rooms and have a drink?”

Before they left, Daniel came into the restaurant. “Well, I’m glad I caught up to you. I just heard there was gunfire at the construction site. Is everyone alright?” Micah stood slowly, giving Daniel an icy stare. Daniel began to apologize for the interruption, but his eyes moved down to Micah’s hand hovering near his gun, then back to Micah’s eyes. When their eyes met, Daniel was sure Micah recognized him.

*********

Daniel looked at his brother as he took a step back and assessed his situation. In only a second, he’d reasoned that Robert had suspected that he was up to something, that this man’s story would be a convincing one, and that Robert wouldn’t rush in to defend his brother, but rather would give this man and his business partner the benefit of the doubt. Still if he ran, he’d be admitting his involvement in the gunfire earlier that day. He stood his ground. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Daniel Slater. Robert’s brother,” he said, offering his hand.

Micah’s voice was different somehow; lower, deeper, menacing. “Adam, I saw this man speaking with a man across from the construction site just before that man took a shot at you.”

Daniel laughed nervously. “You’re quite mistaken. Why would I have someone shoot a business partner?” He looked from Robert to Adam, and seeing in their eyes they were inclined to believe Micah, he said, “I’m not going to stay and listen to these accusations.”

Adam stood and quickly drew his gun. “I think you should stay, so we can get this straightened out. Shiloh, why don’t you and Evelyn go on up to the suite while we go to the city jail? The man who took a shot at me is there, and I’m sure he would trade a long jail sentence for information.”

With that, Daniel turned and ran. Micah, Adam and Robert went after him, dodging or jumping the chairs, tables and trays that Daniel was throwing in their path. Evelyn and Shiloh made their way to the lobby, stepping over serving dishes and plates as they wound their way through the upturned furniture. Shiloh gently pushed Evelyn behind the front desk where they could watch out of danger. Just before Daniel got to the front door of the lobby, Adam launched himself, grabbing Daniel’s feet and bringing him to the floor. Daniel reached inside his pocket and brought out a derringer as Adam turned him over on his back, but before Daniel could shoot, Micah was standing over him, pulling back the hammer of his gun.

“No, don’t shoot,” stammered Daniel, raising his hands. After Adam took the pistol, he and Robert each took an arm and heaved Daniel to his feet. “Robert, I’m your brother,” said Daniel, pleading. To everyone’s surprise, Robert drew his arm back and punched, sending Daniel reeling into the closed door. Evelyn’s hands went up to cover her mouth. Robert jerked Daniel around and pushed him through the door with Micah following closely behind. Looking back at Shiloh, Adam saw her nod, telling him to go. The excitement ended as quickly as it had begun. Everyone from the restaurant and in the lobby stood motionless, gaping at the closed door.

“Tell me, Mrs. Cartwright,” said Mr. Shelby, the hotel manager, who rose from his ducked position behind the front desk. “Is something like this going to occur each time you stay with us?” Shiloh smiled apologetically as she took Evelyn’s hand and hurried to the lift.

Evelyn had been quiet on the ride up to the suite, staring at the wall in front of her. Smiling to herself, Shiloh realized Evelyn had never been exposed to anything like this. When they got to the room, Shiloh took her to the sofa where Evelyn slowly sat, still somewhat shaken. Shiloh pressed the call button and stood at the suite door watching Evelyn while she waited for the attendant to knock. She ordered a fresh pot of coffee, and then went to sit on the chair opposite the sofa.

Evelyn focused on Shiloh. “Doesn’t this kind of thing affect you?”

Shiloh sighed. “Yes, especially when I don’t know the outcome. But Evelyn, it was over before they left. I’m sure Daniel isn’t going to try anything with two guns on him.”

“I did think it odd that Adam was wearing a gun. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wear one.”

“Adam knew someone was trying to kill him. He was shot when Will Stewart took me, and the shot had nothing to do with Will. But Evelyn, everyday he goes out to work on the ranch or at the timber camps…even to Virginia City, he wears a gun. Micah does, too. That’s the way people live outside a big city.” Shiloh rose to answer a knock at the door and brought the coffee service to the table in front of the sofa. While Evelyn continued, Shiloh prepared a cup for her.

“And Robert…I’ve never seen Robert do anything violent. I’ve never seen him lose his temper like that.”

“Well, he looked quite competent throwing that punch. Perhaps he’s just never done anything like that in front of you. Our men tend to want to protect us from unpleasantness. Personally, I prefer to see it coming.”

Evelyn stared into her cup of coffee. “It must be an awful feeling to shoot someone. You’ll probably think this is an odd question, but has Adam ever shot someone…killed someone?”

Taking a sip of her own coffee, Shiloh answered very quietly. “Yes, he has. So have I.”

Evelyn’s head jerked up, sloshing her coffee. Jumping to her feet, Shiloh grabbed a napkin and began to blot Evelyn’s dress. “Evelyn, we live twenty miles from the nearest town. Our closest neighbor is miles away, and there’s gold and silver to be stolen, cattle to be rustled, and any number of bad men roaming the territory. We have one sheriff within sixty miles of us, and there’s still a good many places that have no lawmen at all. A man came into my house. I don’t think he initially intended to kill me, but in the end, I was convinced otherwise. Adam interrupted him, and when the man turned his gun toward Adam, I shot him. He raised his gun as he was falling, and I shot him again.” Leaning back on the sofa next to Evelyn, Shiloh looked out into the room. “It’s funny. I’ve never thought twice about grabbing my rifle and running off to wherever trouble was on the ranch, but I can’t bring myself to carry a pistol. I guess I associate the rifle with a warning or a signal that I’m not just going to lay down and let someone steal from me. But a pistol…Adam once told me that just by wearing a gun, a man is a threat, and that he had better be ready to use it. If he isn’t, he shouldn’t wear it.”

“Adam Cartwright, a killer?”

“Not a killer. He would never shoot someone for any other purpose than defending himself or someone else.”

“I guess I never thought about how difficult it could be living on a ranch away from…” Evelyn glanced over contritely.

Shiloh finished for her. “Civilization?” Shiloh patted her hand. “It’s alright to say it. It’s true.”

***

The two women sat silently and watched as the men entered the suite, immediately gathering by the liquor cabinet. When they all had their whiskey, they joined the ladies, taking the chairs, instead of the space on the sofa on either side of Evelyn and Shiloh.

Shiloh crossed an arm around her, propping her elbow on the arm and laying her chin in her hand. She looked at Micah, then moved her eyes to Robert, and finally to Adam where she glared for a moment. “I was just telling Evelyn that I prefer to see it coming.”

The three men took turns telling the ladies what had happened at the courthouse. Robert continued the story with the jail. “The police didn’t have to talk to the other man. By the time we got Daniel into the station, he was ready to tell them everything.” Robert downed his whiskey, and Adam got up to fetch the bottle, coming back and pouring Robert another glass. He held the bottle up to Micah, who waved him off, then poured himself another, leaving the bottle on a side table and sitting back down.

“Will there be a hearing?” asked Shiloh.

Nodding his head, Adam took another sip. “Yes, but Daniel signed a confession and implicated the other man. The hearing will be a formality as will the trial. They’ll go before a judge for sentencing.”

Shiloh’s glare at Adam had softened as she spoke. “Robert, I’m sorry about all this. It was apparent that Daniel was uncomfortable with Adam as a partner, but neither of us thought it would come to this.”

“There’s no need to apologize. Daniel did this to himself.”

Shiloh’s eyes widened. “Oh, Adam. Mr. Hearst.”

Raising his hand, he calmed her. “I sent a note. We’re having dinner with him tomorrow night instead.”

“Robert, I’m really quite tired. I’d like to go home.”

“Of course, my dear,” he replied, standing and helping her up from the sofa.

Evelyn hugged Shiloh. “I had a lovely day with you. The men are an entirely different story.”

“When the baby is old enough, you and Robert must come out to the ranch. You should see what it’s like to live beyond the confines of a city.”

“Micah, it was nice to meet you,” said Robert. “Adam, I’ll see you tomorrow at the site.”

When Adam closed the door behind the Slaters, Shiloh excused herself. “It’s late. I’m tired. Are you coming?”

“I’ll be in shortly.” Adam waited until Shiloh closed the bedroom door, and then turned to Micah with his hands on his hips. Micah sat back down on his chair, crossed his legs and poured himself another glass of whiskey. “You should be thanking me, not staring a hole through me.”

“How do you figure?”

“You weren’t going to tell her about the shooting even after you told her you wouldn’t keep things from her.”

“If she were completely recovered, I would have told her. But she’s doesn’t need anything else to worry about right now.”

“That’s not going to work with her. She could easily have decided to stay hidden in the ranch house, and from what you’ve told me, she almost did. She’s making an effort. She may be taking small steps, but she’s taking them. You’re lack of confidence in her is only going to make her wonder why she should worry about her own confidence.”

Adam flared his nostrils and breathed deeply. “Micah, she’s my wife.”

Standing and facing Adam, Micah glared resolutely back. “She’s still my sister. I know her better than you. You need to stop treating her like she’s fragile and about to break. She’s not. She never was, and she never will be. That is, if you don’t turn her into that.” Micah turned away and went into his room, leaving Adam alone. He looked down at his whiskey, drank the rest, leaving the glass on a table, and went to bed.

*********

 

Shiloh opened her eyes and looked at the clock on the night table. Two thirty. She was wide awake, and knew if she stayed in the bed, she’d be restless, tossing and turning, and eventually waking Adam. She looked over at him. He was in his normal position on his back with his mouth open, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Sitting up slowly, she gradually stood up, and when she was clear of the bed, she grabbed her robe. Just before she opened the door, she put her arms in the sleeves and tied it around her, then quietly left the room, padding barefooted across the main room to the balcony. The temperature was mild, and a light wind blew through her hair. She breathed it in deeply, relishing the smell of the sea, remembering her time with Adam on the beach near Santa Cruz.

Hearing a door latch, she turned and saw Micah come out of his room and look around. He looked at the open door of the balcony, so she stepped inside from behind the wafting curtain. “I thought I heard something. What are you doing up?” he asked.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Come sit with me for awhile then. We haven’t had much time to talk since I’ve been home.” When they were seated on the sofa, Micah put an arm around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “Did you happen to hear Adam and me talking after you went to bed?”

“I heard your voices, but I couldn’t make out what you were saying. It didn’t sound friendly, though. Did you get it settled?”

Adam had gotten used to a presence in the bed. Each time she left in the middle of the night, he awoke with the feeling that something was missing, and sure enough, she’d be gone. Now, he stood with the door of the bedroom cracked, listening.

Micah chuckled. “There’s nothing to settle. We’ve always had disagreements. We each say our piece, and we’re done.”

“What were you talking about this time if you don’t mind me asking?”

“You.”

Sitting up, Shiloh turned to face him. “What about me?”

“He thinks you’re fragile from all that’s happened to you, and that you need to be protected.”

“And you don’t agree.”

“I told him he’d gone beyond protecting you. I sort of told him he was crippling you.”

She raised her eyebrows and made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth. “How’d that go?”

“Not well.”

“Micah, he’s not crippling me. What you don’t understand is that Adam was as injured by my attack as I was. I’m not talking about his shoulder or my bruises. I’m talking about his heart and that expectation men have of themselves to protect the people they love. He was wounded deeply when he couldn’t protect me from Will.” She took his hand. “Don’t be angry with him. We both need to heal.”

Micah leaned up and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Shy.”

“What for?”

“While I was trying to protect you, you grew up, and I missed it.”

Sitting back, she saw the redness of his eyes. She took his face in her hands. “Micah, you need to heal with the rest of us. Now, we should try to get some rest.”

Micah nodded and pulled her up off the sofa with him. He kissed her forehead and returned to his room. When Shiloh turned, she noticed the crack of her bedroom door. Adam slowly opened it, looking back at her sheepishly. She snorted and shook her head, then walked past him into the bedroom, and when he had closed the door, he took her in his arms and held her close.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I am, too.”

He kissed her and rested the side of his nose against hers. “Let’s go back to bed.”

***

“I don’t have more than three hours of work left at the construction site, but I need to go by the Grocer’s Association office and quote them a price for beef,” said Adam as he cut into a slice of breakfast ham.

“Would you like us to do that for you?” asked Shiloh. “Micah is a little out of practice, but I have no problem quoting cattle prices.”

Adam smiled. “I’m sure you’d charm their socks off, but why don’t you wait for me? We’ll go together. We don’t have anything else to do until this evening, so we might as well go look at mining equipment afterward.”

“I wonder if Prescott will show up this morning,” she said nonchalantly.

Adam’s head popped up. “Why would he?”

“People who set up appointments under false pretenses just because they want to give you a piece of their mind usually find a way.” Adam grunted. “Adam, if he does, I would like to handle it.”

“Shiloh…” He looked into her eyes and stopped when she tilted her head, giving him an earnest look. Snorting, he shook his head, remembering the conversation between her and Micah last night. “I will be standing beside you.” She lowered her head, but held his gaze. “And I won’t say or do anything unless he gets out of line.”

Her modest smile said ‘thank you.’

With their breakfast finished, Shiloh and Micah walked Adam to the lobby. He was just about to walk out to the stable for his horse when Terrance Prescott stormed through the door. “There you are,” he said loudly, marching directly to Shiloh. “How dare you agree to show me horses and back out at the last minute. Do you realize how valuable my time is?”

Adam took a step forward, but Shiloh gently touched his arm. “Mr. Prescott, I presume?”

“Who else would I be?”

“Mr. Prescott, I apologize, but we had some trouble that had to be taken care of. If you have time this morning, I’d be happy to show you the horses.”

“Considering what you’ve done to this city, I’d be a fool to purchase horses from you.”

Shiloh leaned back to Micah and asked in a low voice. “Micah, would bring Eli and Apollo to the front of the hotel? Quickly.” When he hesitated, Shiloh added. “It’s alright. Adam is here.”

She calmly turned her attention to Mr. Prescott. “Then I must ask; why are you here, Mr. Prescott, if not to look at my horses?”

“None of these people have the nerve to speak up for Mr. Stewart,” he said, waving a hand at the crowd in the lobby. “He was a fine attorney and would have taken this city far had he not been led astray by a…a temptress.” When Prescott saw the fury on Adam’s face, he stepped back. Shiloh stepped in front of Adam, preventing him from following.

“I assure you, Mr. Prescott, I in no way encouraged him. I refused to see him. After that, he came to Virginia City unannounced, took me by knocking a store owner and myself unconscious, carried me to his buggy and left town.” Her voice rose slowly. “When I came to and refused to go with him, he brutally beat me, and when I still refused to go, he was going to bash my head in with a rock. The only reason he didn’t was because someone else shot him before he brought the rock down.” Adam had calmed down, but was still glaring.

“I don’t believe you. Will Stewart would never have done those things.”

Her voice was loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear, and though Adam would have preferred to haul the man outside, he let her defend herself. “Take a look at my face, Mr. Prescott.” She unbuttoned her blouse far enough to expose her right shoulder. “Take a good look at my neck and shoulder. These bruises are five weeks old, Mr. Prescott. Imagine what these and the bruises he caused all over my body looked like the day after he beat me. She shoved her hand in his face. “Take a good long look at my hand. He pinned my hand to the ground by impaling it with a knife. No woman deserves this kind of treatment at any man’s hands for any reason. A man who would do something like this is not much of man and is certainly not the kind of man who should be responsible for the well-being of an entire city.” She took a step forward, sending him a step back. Adam’s nostrils were still flared, but he was now wearing a slight, crooked smile. “Furthermore, you sir, are the type of man who probably thinks of his animals as nothing more than beasts for you to whip to your will. You take a long look at the horses standing outside that window,” she shouted, pointing. Everyone in the lobby looked to the window and saw two tall, elegant black horses, standing patiently, their long silky tails and manes blowing in the strong breeze, their coats, glistening. “Take your leave of me knowing that you will NEVER own such a magnificent animal.” When he huffed, she took another step toward him. He spun around and beat a path out the door, looking furiously over his shoulder at her.

She growled quietly enough that only those immediately around her heard, then buttoned her blouse. Adam’s eyebrows were raised, and his lips were pursed. Next, Shiloh held her head up and walked confidently to the front desk while Adam’s expression melted into a satisfied smile. “Mr. Shelby, I want to personally apologize for the spectacle last night and this morning. If you would like us to leave, we will do so.”

Shelby leaned toward her over the counter. “Mrs. Cartwright, in my mostly mundane job at this hotel, I rather enjoy the excitement you and Mr. Cartwright bring when you stay with us.” He winked, making her giggle. “In addition to that, the advertising never hurts.” He pointed to a corner where a man sat furiously scribbling on a pad of paper.

*********

Ben and Joe relaxed in the sitting room before supper. Joe was cleaning his gun. Ben looked up from the book he was reading when he heard a horse ride into the yard. “Joe, are you expecting anyone?”

“No, Pa,” he answered, setting the gun on the table. Both men walked out onto the porch.

“Johnny, what brings you over here this late?” asked Ben.

“Mr. Cartwright, is Hoss here?”

Ben smiled. “No, isn’t he at the Flying W?”

“Well, he’s been there, but when he didn’t come down to the corral yesterday, we checked for him at the house, and he wasn’t there. I figured he had to come back here for somethin’. But when he didn’t show up at all today, I thought I ought to check.”

Ben looked at Joe with creased eyebrows. “Joe?”

“I haven’t seen him all week, Pa.”

“Neither have I,” said Ben worriedly. “He wouldn’t have gone into town without telling someone. Even so, we’d better check. Joe, run tell Hop Sing to hold supper.”

Ben took his gun belt off the entry cabinet and put it on. “Johnny, did Hoss say anything about having something else to take care of?”

“No, Mr. Cartwright. In fact, he said he’d see us bright and early.”

Joe came back from the kitchen and began fastening his gun belt. “Joe and I will ride into town to see if he’s there. Go back to the Flying W and go through the house. See if he left anything unusual…anything that he’d normally take with him if he left.”

“Yessir,” said Johnny, turning toward his horse.

“And Johnny,” called Ben. “Don’t go anywhere else. Wait for us. We’ll ride back to the Flying W.”

***

Standing in front of Adam as he hooked the buttons down the back of her dress, Shiloh looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was smiling. He had been smiling when he was quoting the Grocer’s Association a price for cattle, he had smiled when he purchased equipment for the mine and arranged shipment, and he was still smiling when they walked back into the lobby of the hotel. He and Micah celebrated their acquisition with a drink when they got up to the suite, and they sat talking excitedly about the mine until they departed to their bedrooms to dress for the evening.

She watched. The way they spoke, the way they kidded around reminded her of when they were young and carefree…right up until the day they were no more. They had been inseparable until that day. After the shock of that day, Adam was always polite. He always had a smile for her, but it was as if part of him was missing, like a man might miss an arm or a leg. He didn’t do things quite the same way or with as much fervor. He went from carefree to staid and deliberate. Why hadn’t she remembered the way he had changed before now?

He watched her face in the mirror as he buttoned her dress. Her smile had slowly faded to a troubled frown. “Sweetheart, what are you thinking about?”

“I was just remembering the way you and Micah were together before he was shot, and then how you changed afterward. I don’t think I ever really thought about it until now after seeing the two of you together again. She turned to face him and buttoned his dress shirt.

“Maybe you shouldn’t think about the past if it makes you sad.”

“I’m not sure that’s what it is. I wasn’t thinking about my own loss. I was thinking about how you changed after he was shot.” She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his torso. “Something your father told me is just starting to sink in.” She reached up and touched his cheek with her fingertips, looking deeply into his eyes. “You’re not going to lose me.” After a long, quiet gaze, she gave him a mischievous smile. “I plan to be a small thorn in your side for a very long time.”

He took her hand and kissed her palm, then bent and kissed her lips. “As long as you’re the thorn of a rose, I’ll manage.”

***

Adam, Shiloh and Micah met George Hearst in the hotel restaurant for dinner to discuss the property north of the Flying W. “Adam, are you sure there was nothing worth mining on the north side of the ridge?”

“George, I didn’t look any further than the shaft we found. There may well be something further into the property, but I’m certain the ore that was assayed came from the Flying W side of that ridge. The assayer who processed my samples processed the original ore that came into his office. He said based on the percentages of mineral content, both samples came from the same place.”

Hearst rested his chin on his hands as he thought. “I don’t remember the name of the company that contacted our broker, but I’ll have it in my files. I’ll ask Haggin to contact your Mr. Fischer. Maybe between the two of them they’ll be able to dig out who originally received that report. In the meantime, I would like to pay the property a visit and do an adequate appraisal.”

“We’d be honored to have you and your wife as our guests at the Flying W. I can get the plat maps in advance, and we can ride to the ridge from the house,” offered Adam.

Hearst stood and extended his hand to Adam. “I’ll make arrangements and wire you when to expect us. Mr. Whitney,” he said, offering his hand to Micah. Taking Shiloh’s hand, he bowed. “It’s been my pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Cartwright. I do hope to see one of your performances this year.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hearst. I have no plans to sing in San Francisco this year, but I will be in Sacramento in August.”

“Phoebe and I will make plans to attend. If you will excuse me, I’ll say good night.”

Micah and Adam sat back down after Hearst left the restaurant. “That went well,” said Micah.

“Better than I expected,” said Adam. “Hearst is a busy man. He’s fast becoming known for recognizing potential in mining property. He’ll be able to tell fairly quickly whether his property bordering the Flying W is worth what he paid.”

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m ready to get some rest. We’re leaving early in the morning, aren’t we?” asked Shiloh.

“Yes, ma’am, we are.”

***

Ben and Joe walked into the Flying W ranch house. “Johnny!”

“Mr. Cartwright, did you find anything in town?”

“No. Nothing. Have you found anything here?”

“Yessir.” Johnny picked up Hoss’s gun belt off the entry table. “Everything else is gone, but then he didn’t bring much with him.”

“His horse?”

“Yessir. Chubb’s gone.”

“Joe, I want you to ride into town first thing tomorrow morning and send Adam a wire. Let him know that Hoss is missing, and to get back here as soon as they can. The rest of us will start searching at first light.”

*********

A runner from the telegraph office waited impatiently at the hotel’s front desk for the attention of the desk clerk. “I have an urgent telegram for Mr. Adam Cartwright.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Cartwright left more than an hour ago. I don’t believe he was planning to return.”

Returning to the telegraph office, the young man told the telegrapher that the Cartwrights had already left town. “The alternate contact is Jim Fischer. Run this over to the office address at the bottom.”

Twenty minutes later, the boy returned with the telegram and plopped tiredly into a chair. The telegrapher looked up from his desk. “Not there?” The boy shook his head. “Well then, this is one urgent telegram we can’t deliver, at least, not until Mr. Fischer gets back in town.”

***

Shiloh took a bite of fried chicken and smiled. “Adam, did you notice that Mr. Shelby didn’t charge us for the picnic lunch today.”

“No, I didn’t. I just paid our bill.”

“He likes us,” she said, giggling.

Smiling at the lightness of her mood, he asked, “What makes you think that? I’d have thought he’d be more than ready for us to leave.”

“I missed it. Is one of you going to tell me what happened?” asked Micah.

Shiloh took a sip of the wine Mr. Shelby had sent with their lunch, and then leaned against Adam’s back. “I told Mr. Prescott what I thought of him and Will Stewart.”

“Very loudly,” added Adam.

“What were the horses for?”

“To show him what he was missing for being such contemptible man,” she said, grinning playfully.

Adam turned around to face her, prompting her to sit up. “Did you know there was a reporter in the lobby taking notes? What are you going to say when you see the results in the newspaper?”

She gave him a glib answer. “I’ve decided I’m not going to let the newspaper upset me anymore. The people who like what I do tell me, and the people who don’t tell everyone else. You were right. I can’t please everyone.”

Studying her as she put away their lunch, Adam noticed her relaxed smile. The worry lines under her eyes and across her forehead were gone, and she was getting in her share of light-hearted ribbing at Micah as he teased her. Maybe he had been right in the beginning. Maybe this trip was exactly what she needed.

The next day at Jim Fischer’s ranch while Adam, Micah and Jim signed legal papers, Shiloh and Tom showed horses, riding around the ranch with several horses in tow so the prospective buyers could try more than one. By the end of the first day, five of Jim’s friends had selected and paid for their horses. Early the second day, the other four men had done the same, with two of them purchasing an extra horse each.

Shiloh came into the house with her saddle bags over her shoulder, the heel of her boots clicking quickly across the floor. She entered the dining room where the men were seated at the table looking over a sea of papers. Standing behind Adam, she rested her hands on his shoulders. “I sold six more horses today. That makes eleven in all. We only have two to take back and one is Clyde.”

“Shiloh, if you’ll leave that last one, I’m sure someone will buy him when word gets out about the horses you sold today,” said Jim.

Adam brought her hands down to his chest and turned his head so he could see her face. The light that had been missing from her eyes was back along with her brilliant smile. “Does this call for a celebration?”

She picked up the stack of sales contracts from the end of the table and placed them in front of him, then moved a chair next to him and sat down. “You tell me.”

Looking at each contract in the stack, he whistled. “What did you do with the money?”

She sat her saddle bags on the table in front of him, and he looked inside. “We’re not carrying this much cash home. We’ll deposit it on the way out of San Francisco.”

“Sounds like we’re having that celebration you were talking about,” said Jim. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll tell the cook to prepare a special feast tonight.”

Looking at Micah and then back to Adam, she said, “While you two finish signing your papers, I’m going to take Tom out for a ride. He got to see what I do to match the horse to the rider. While it’s fresh on his mind, I’d like to give him a lesson.”

Adam stood and pulled her up from her chair. “Micah, would you excuse us? I’d need to speak with Shiloh for a minute.” He didn’t wait for an answer. He took her hand and led her down the hall into the bedroom, and after he closed the door, there were no words spoken. He enveloped her, moving her against a wall, lifting her off her feet, and kissing her all over her face and neck until she was squealing with laughter. He topped it all with a long, deep kiss that took her breath away, then stood there holding her, gazing happily into her eyes.

She moved her arms around his neck. “What was that for?” she whispered.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because your eyes are brighter than they’ve been in a while or because if you smile any bigger, you’ll break your face.” She laughed loudly, and when she had quieted, he added, “I’ve missed that.”

Moving her hands back in front of her, she touched the cleft of his chin with her index finger. “It’s time for me to stop allowing Will Stewart to insinuate himself into our lives.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m not saying I won’t be damning him in the near future until my ankle and hand are back to normal, but I would sincerely like to forget about him…for good.” She tilted her head and moaned softly when Adam moved his attention back to her neck. “What are you doing?”

“There’s something to be said for a little spontaneity in a marriage,” he said, his voice muffled.

She snorted even as she enjoyed his ministrations. “That might be true when we’re alone. But there are two gentlemen in the next room, waiting for us to come out.”

He dropped his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath, taking in her scent before he slowly lowered her to her feet. Pushing himself away from the wall, he grabbed the knob of the door next to them and pulled it open, all the while smiling mischievously down at her. “After you, my love.”

While the men finished their legalities, Shiloh took Tom out for a ride, showing him what she looked for between a rider and a horse, working with him the same way she worked with a purchaser. Tom listened intently, eagerly absorbing every word.

“Tom, when we get back to the house, I need you to sign some paperwork. It says that you won’t disclose any of our training methods to anyone outside of the ranch, and you won’t leave and start training horses on your own using our methods.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, can I say something without offending you?”

Pulling her horse up to a stop, Shiloh looked over at Tom, who stopped next to her. “That depends on what you say…but I’ll trust you not to cross the appropriate line.”

“Well, first, it feels awkward callin’ you Mrs. Cartwright. We’ve known each other since we were kids. And I’m uncomfortable with Mr. Cartwright, seein’ as how he was our school teacher for a time when we were kids.” She lowered her head and smiled. “Now before you say anything, I understand my place. I’m just a ranch hand. And Hank has already told me I have to call you Mrs. Cartwright even though it’s…well…awkward. Anyway, what I wanted to say was…I appreciate you trustin’ me when no one else did, and that you been teachin’ me a trade…something I can make a livin’ with. I like workin’ on the Flyin’ W. I like Hank and Johnny, and even Billy, though sometimes he just don’t get things, but that’s not really his fault. I like workin’ with the horses, and considerin’ you found me in Sheriff Coffee’s jail for burnin’ down your barn, I want you to know you can trust me with ‘em.” Shiloh studied his face as he looked away. She could’ve sworn he had blushed. “I want you to be proud of me for learning all this. I’d never do anything to hurt you…Mrs. Cartwright. I’ll sign whatever papers you want me to sign.”

Looking down at her arms propped on her saddle horn, she half-smiled, half-puckered, and then looked up at Tom without raising her head. “Tom, everyone was taking bets that you couldn’t change. I think you’ve proven them wrong quite nicely, and that includes Mr. Cartwright. I’m glad you like working at the ranch. You have a job with us for as long as you want it.” Tom gave her a broad smile, and she gave him one back along with a wink. “I want you to know this paperwork you’ll be signing isn’t because I don’t trust you. I do. Everyone who learns our training methods will be required to sign them, including Hoss. Now, lessons are over for the day. Let’s get back to the house and get all the paperwork finished.”

*********

“Pa, with all the men out looking, we’ve covered anywhere on the Ponderosa Hoss might have gone on his own,” said Joe, laying his hat on the entry cabinet. Besides that, it’s been three days. Hoss wouldn’t have gone anywhere for three days without telling someone.”

Ben stood in the doorway and grunted. “Let’s ride into town. It’s time we told Roy.”

Raymond Horton sat on a chair, leaning back against the wall of the Bucket of Blood saloon. He watched as the two Cartwrights rode into town and stopped in front of the jail, tying their horses and going inside. Another half hour passed before they came out with the Sheriff, and just as the Sheriff turned to go back in, Ben noticed Ray and glared, prompting Joe to stop talking and look where his father was looking. Without moving his eyes away from Ray, Ben walked down the steps and purposefully walked over to Ray. “You wouldn’t happen to know where my son, Hoss is, would you?”

Ray turned his head up, closing one eye against the bright sun shining down in his face. “Not sayin’ that I do, but I would guess ol’ Hoss’ll show up when Micah Whitney comes to town lookin’ for him.” Ben reached down, grabbing both sides of Ray’s collar and pulled him up out of the chair. “Cartwright, unhand me,” growled Ray. When Earl pushed open the saloon doors, Joe drew his gun, stopping him in his tracks.

Ben answered back in a deep, threatening rumble. “You and I are going over to the Sheriff’s, so you can explain why you guess Micah has anything to do with Hoss’s disappearance.”

***

When Adam, Shiloh and Micah got back to San Francisco, they stopped only long enough to deposit the money from the horse sales. After leaving the only horse Shiloh didn’t sell with Jim, Tom and Micah took turns leading Clyde, and by the end of the first day traveling home, they camped just west of Vallejo.

“Adam, have you finished looking at the timber contract Crocker changed?” asked Shiloh.

“Yes, but I have to make some revisions in the price.”

“I thought so. Even though he reduced the number of ties, I didn’t think that would offset the wood he’d need for a trestle, coal shed and water tank, plus the extra cost of the transportation. Did you notice he didn’t want all of it brought to Sacramento? He wanted part delivered to Junction which means we’d have to go north through the Truckee.”

Adam smiled. It was one thing for her to remember what she had read in the contract, but quite another for her to understand the impact of the differences. “How do you think we should handle it?”

Giving him a slightly surprised look, she stuttered, “Well…I would…” She raised her chin and finished. “It would be to his and our advantage if you wrote a separate contract and let the contract for the ties stand as it is. Based on the small number of ties he left in this contract, he’s not really interested in the ties. He wants the lumber for the trestle, coal shed and water tank, and he wants them delivered already milled. You should offer him a new contract to be completed before the third tie contract.”

Adam smiled the whole time she had spoken until at the end of her explanation, she cast her eyes down. His smile faded and his brow creased. “But?”

“I don’t understand why he didn’t just write a separate contract himself.”

Adam’s smile returned. “Because we had an agreement to apply his percentage for the purchase of the land to the five tie contracts. He’s still trying to leverage that agreement.

“It doesn’t make a difference to us which contracts we apply his percentage to, does it?”

“Not really. The milled lumber for the trestle will be a more costly contract, but if we get the continuing work, it’s a small price to pay. I’ll offer him a separate contract when we get to Sacramento.”

Micah had been sitting quietly next to the fire, listening to the conversation and drinking his coffee while Tom had been tending the horses. “Excuse me,” said Shiloh. “I’m going to help Tom with the horses.”

Micah watched her go. “Has she always been able to do that?” asked Micah.

“What? Think?”

Micah snorted. “There isn’t a better way to put it. She understands it without you telling her.”

“Micah, she was never very good at listening, even when she was little. The only way to challenge her was to hand her a problem and let her figure it out. When she came home from college, she was no different. I don’t think anyone back East had ever even told her ‘no.’ That’s the other reason why she and I started off again butting heads. She still doesn’t listen well, so the easiest way to teach her the timber business is to let her figure it out. I gently correct her when she doesn’t get it quite right. She’s only recently started asking questions.”

“And she’s this way because she remembers everything she reads?”

“No. Her memory certainly helps, but Micah, she just has a head for business. Even without me, she could be doing this on her own. If she doesn’t know something, she finds a way to learn it. You should be proud of her. I know Amos would be.”

***

Ben stood in front of Roy’s desk watching Ray Horton walk out the door, and then turned to face Roy, his face full of rage. “How can you just let him walk away? He knows where Hoss is,” yelled Ben.

“Now Ben, don’t you start tryin’ to tell me how to do my job. He didn’t admit to anything I can hold him for.”

“I told you what he said,” Ben thundered.

“And it’s your word against his.” Ben scowled and turned his back on Roy. “I don’t doubt he said what you said he did, but there’s nothin’ I can do until he confesses outright that he took Hoss. It might even be better that he didn’t. If he’s in here, we might never find Hoss.”

Ben turned quickly around. “Joe, go keep an eye on Ray. Don’t let him out of your sight.”

Joe nodded and left.

“And just what are you gonna be doin’?” asked Roy.

“I’m going to send a telegram to Crocker in Sacramento and hope Adam gets it.”

*********

The two tall black horses were easily noticed as the riders entered Sacramento City. The Clydesdale that Tom was leading was just as noticeable. Though large draft horses frequented the city streets pulling freight wagons, none were as big as Clyde.

Stopping in front of the railroad office, Adam dismounted and walked around to help Shiloh down. They went into the office with Micah and asked to see Mr. Crocker, who having heard from his open office door, immediately came out into the front room. “Adam, Shiloh, it’s good to see you. Mr. Whitney, we meet again. I trust everything went well in San Francisco.”

“Yes sir. The papers are all signed and filed there. We’ll be filing them in Virginia City as well,” answered Micah.

“Mr. Crocker, I’d like to discuss the modifications to the third tie contract with you, if you have the time,” said Adam.

“Of course, if you’ll all come into my office.”

Once everyone was seated, Adam placed the contract that Crocker had modified on the desk. “Charles, you don’t have to do it this way. It would be better to write a contract specifically for the timber and milling for the trestle, coal shed and water tank. You can still apply your percentage from the land purchase to the new contract. We’ll just drop if off the last tie contract.”

Crocker sighed. “Well, I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d be open to that. I would have thought you’d want to be out from under that requirement as soon as possible.”

Smiling, Adam looked over at Shiloh and took her hand. “We don’t think there’s any danger in waiting, Mr. Crocker. The railroad will go through one way or another, and the closer you get to the Sierra, the safer our position is of providing the timber.”

“Well, I’m pleased that you feel that way. It only serves to solidify a long term agreement. I’ll have the new contract written and sent to you for your review, and we’ll leave the third tie contract alone.” Crocker stood. “I appreciate you taking the time to stop to discuss it. You must be eager to get home. However, I’d like to invite you to dinner tonight if you have the time.”

Adam looked at Micah who nodded, then at Shiloh smiling up at him. “We’d be delighted. We’ll find a room and get settled. Where would you like to meet?”

“How about the Riverside on Front Street? Oh, before I forget, this telegram was delivered to me. Your father asked that I give it to you if you stopped on your way home.”

Looking at the envelope, Adam thought it odd that his father would have asked Crocker to hold the telegram. He opened it immediately. “Excuse me. This must be important.” Shiloh watched Adam’s face as he read, and by the way his brow furrowed and his nostrils flared, she knew it wasn’t good news. “Mr. Crocker, I hope you’ll forgive us, but we do have an urgent matter waiting for us in Virginia City. We’ll be leaving right away. Perhaps we can have dinner the next time we’re in Sacramento.”

“Of course, Adam. I understand. I hope the news isn’t too terribly bad.”

“It seems one of my brothers has gone missing.” Adam shook Crocker’s hand and said his goodbyes quickly, then ushered Shiloh out the door. “Micah, Pa thinks Ray Horton has taken Hoss. Apparently Horton is waiting for you to show up in town.”

“Well, let’s go,” said Micah, heading toward his horse.

Adam grabbed his arm. “It won’t do anyone any good if you go rushing into town to find Horton.”

“What else do you expect me to do? You think Horton is just looking for a conversation?”

“No, but he could be waiting to gun you down at first sight.”

“Horton’s not stupid, Adam. He’s just mean. No, he won’t risk being caught and hung for murder. He’ll want this tied up in a pretty legal package, and that means he’s calling me out.”

Shiloh knew she was breathing too quickly when dizziness set in, but she couldn’t stop. In her mind, she saw a repeat of the gunfight between Micah and Ray fifteen years ago.

“Micah,” said Adam, glancing over at Shiloh. “Don’t answer him.”

“I have to, Adam. He’s got Hoss. If your father could have proven Horton had Hoss, you wouldn’t have gotten that telegram. If I don’t answer, he’ll kill Hoss, and there’ll never be any proof that he did it.” Micah mounted. “I’ll be riding fast, Adam. You take care of your wife.”

Shiloh had turned to Tom and shoved some money in his hand. “Tom, can you get back to the Flying W with Clyde on your own?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She turned and let Adam lift her so she could reach the stirrup, then swung her leg over Eli’s back, taking the reins and kicking him into a gallop before Adam was mounted.

“Shiloh!” shouted Adam as he swung into the saddle and took off after her, leaving Tom standing in the street with his horse and Clyde. Tom mounted and hurried out of town as quickly as he could go with a horse in tow.

Sacramento City was accustomed to seeing a single horse tear through the city, delivering the mochila of mail, but today, they had seen four horses leaving a dust trail in the opposite direction. The first horse passed, stopping people in stride, and just as they began to go about their business, a second horse passed, one of the big black horses that had recently come into town. Again, people stopped to look, and before they moved, a third horse flew by, another of the big black horses. The citizens of Sacramento witnessing what appeared to be a horse race held their ground and leaned out to see if there would be any more horses to mow them down in the street. Just as they felt it was safe, another horse galloped slowly down the street with one of the biggest horses they had ever seen following behind. The street was still and quiet for several moments before everyone was convinced it was again safe to cross.

Shiloh had lost sight of Micah and turned her attention back to Adam who was slowly catching up to her. She knew her horse couldn’t go on at this pace for much longer, so she turned through a field of corn, hoping to gain some headway before she’d have to stop. Adam saw her run headlong into the corn, but turned, riding at an angle along the edge of the field, and then turning eastward again when he reached the other side. He knew Shiloh would have to slow down in the corn stalks, and just as she emerged, he rode up next to her, grabbing her reins. Shiloh threw her hands in the air and made a roaring sound. Adam cocked his head and smirked, and she answered by scowling and blowing air out of her nose like an angry bull. “Feel better?” asked Adam sarcastically. Forgetting her bad ankle, she swung her leg over her saddle horn and slid down the side of her horse, yelping in pain as she crumpled to the ground. Adam quickly stepped down off of Apollo and stood over her. “Are you alright?”

Rubbing her ankle through her boot, she gritted her teeth. “I’m fine.”

He held his hand down to her, and when she started to turn away, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up against him. “We won’t catch him, but if we can keep moving at a steady pace, he won’t get far ahead of us. Can you get back up on your horse?”

She glanced up at him, and then looked at Eli. “Will you help me?”

“What? I didn’t hear you?”

Her shoulders slumped, and her head fell back. With her eyes closed, she said loud enough that he could hear, “I need your help.”

When she opened her eyes, he was looking down into hers and smiling. “That’s good to know.” Then he disappeared below her, and in an instant she felt herself rising. “Stay straight and grab the horn. I’ll push you up by your good foot. With his back to the horse, he lifted Shiloh over his shoulder, and when she had the saddle horn, he continued to push her upwards by her foot until she could pull herself over the horse’s back and right herself. “Now, we are going to walk these horses until they’ve had enough rest, then we’ll pick up the pace.”

Once they were on their way, Shiloh said quietly, “I lost him. I don’t know where he went.”

“He went north toward Dutch Flat. He’ll make better time avoiding the crowd going up Johnson’s Pass. We’ll head toward Junction, and then follow the trail to Dutch Flat from there.”

“We have to catch up to him before he reaches Virginia City.”

Adam looked over at her, then forward. “Whether we catch up or not, there’s nothing you or I can do to stop him from facing Ray Horton.”

“I don’t intend to stand still and watch him get shot.”

Adam flared his nostrils, but didn’t immediately respond. He knew what was going through her head. She was beginning to feel some of the old resentment against him for not stopping the first fight. “Shiloh, if you do anything to interfere, you’re liable to cause Micah to get shot because of the distraction.”

“Then you stop him,” she said, glaring. Taking a deep breath, Adam looked away and breathed deeply. She turned away when her chin started quivering. “You’re not going to do anything…again…are you?”

“I’m going to make sure James and Earl don’t try to even the odds.”

“What odds?”

“Shiloh, Micah is Mort Williams. He was known for his skill with a gun. Ray Horton on his own hasn’t got a chance against Micah.”

With a full moon, Adam and Shiloh pushed on after dark, knowing that Micah would do the same. Adam pulled Apollo up and dismounted, leading the horse off the road into the trees. In a moment, he returned to the road and took Shiloh’s reins, leading Eli through the darkness to a small clearing. “We’ll rest here a few hours,” he said as he waited for Shiloh to slip down into his waiting hands. She limped badly and wore her fatigue on her face, her eyes dull with dark circles under them. He was sure she was physically tired, and even surer she was feeling emotional strain again…just when she was becoming herself. She waited while he unsaddled the horses, and when he had laid the saddles over on the pommels, she spread out their bed rolls. “Are you hungry?” She shook her head. Dropping the saddle bags and canteen by his saddle, he sat down next to her. “You have to eat something.”

“I’ll eat when this is over.”

He pulled two apples out of a saddlebag, handing her one. “Eat.” The soft tone of his voice and the slight crease of his brow told her it was a request rather than an order. When her eyes met his, he nodded, and she took the apple. He passed her the canteen, and she drank, and when they were finished, they lay down, neither having uttered another word. Adam pulled her blanket across the grass next to his and drew her into his arms as he lay back on his saddle. The only sounds were the occasional snort of a horse, the night birds and crickets, and every now and then, a sniffle.

*********

After three hours of sleep, Adam and Shiloh were on the trail again, passing Dutch Flat and making it over the crest of the Sierra through Emigrant Gap. Their next stop was Truckee where they stopped to let the horses rest and eat lunch. Shiloh sat back in her chair in the restaurant uninterested. “Sweetheart, it won’t do you any good to stop eating, and it’s not going to save us any time if you don’t.”

“It’s hard to eat when you’re not hungry.”

“Think about it as one of those chores you do just because it has to be done,” he said with the corner of his mouth turned up. He got a snort out of her, at least. She picked up her spoon and took a bite of the stew sitting in front of her.

From Truckee, the two turned southeastward toward the north side of Lake Tahoe, then skirted the boundaries of the Ponderosa and rode into the yard of the Flying W. Hank came out of the barn to greet them. “Hank, would you have Johnny take care of Eli and Apollo?” Shiloh asked as Adam helped her down.

Adam and Shiloh went to the barn, and when Hank saw how badly she was limping, he followed. “You’re not staying?”

“No, we’re going into town,” answered Adam as he saddled Sport.

Shiloh struggled to carry Spirit’s saddle, and Hank took it from her. “Would you tell me what’s going on?”

“Ray Horton took Hoss to get Micah to come after him. Micah’s ahead of us. He may already be in Virginia City,” explained Shiloh.

Hank had gotten the saddle on Shiloh’s horse, but turned around agitated. “And just what do you think you’re gonna do about it?”

She stepped in front of him and finished cinching the saddle. “I’m going to try to talk him out of it.”

“Adam?”

“Don’t worry, Hank. I’m not going to let her get hurt.”

“She don’t need to see it at all. You should leave her here.”

Adam stood still for moment, looking at his saddle. “Maybe seeing for herself is exactly what she needs.” He moved to help her up on Spirit, and then mounted Sport. “Tom is on his way back with Clyde. Look out for him.”

“Who’s Clyde?”

“The Clydesdale has a name now,” said Shiloh as she turned Spirit. She didn’t wait for a response from Hank. She and Adam galloped out of the yard.

***

The people of Virginia City were oblivious to what was about to happen. Ben and Roy had kept quiet about Hoss, and Joe stood back quietly, greeting townsfolk as they walked by, but never taking an eye off Ray. Ray had left the prior evening, and Joe followed him to the Horton homestead. Ben rode out and watched for awhile while Joe slept. The next morning Ray and his brothers all rode into town, giving Ben and Joe a chance to look for Hoss in the house. He was nowhere to be found. When they arrived in town, James and Earl were inside the Bucket, and Ray was leaning back in the same chair as the day before, watching the road into town.

He was pacing in front of the saloon doors by early evening when Shiloh and Adam rode in. Poking his head inside, he called James and Earl out. Ben waved Adam down, and he and Shiloh stopped in front of the mercantile. Joe watched as Ray spoke to his brothers, sending one down the same side of the street and the other down the opposite side. Each man disappeared into the shadows of an alley. Now that he knew where James and Earl were, Joe joined his father and brother.

“Have you seen Micah ride in?” asked Adam.

“No, but I didn’t expect him to show himself until he knew what he was up against,” answered Ben.

“Jimmy and Earl are in the next alley down on opposite sides of the street,” said Joe. “It looks like they intend to back up Ray.”

A sudden hush fell over the town, and everyone turned around to see Ray standing in the middle of the street watching Micah ride in. Micah rode right down the center, and when he was within thirty feet of Ray, he dismounted and slapped his horse on the rear, sending him toward the Cartwrights.

Shiloh stepped away from Adam, but he caught her and pulled her back. She wriggled away and limped into the street toward Micah. When she got to him, his eyes were fixed on Ray. “Please don’t do this,” she said, stepping in front of him. “I’m begging you.”

Without moving his eyes away from Ray, Micah answered, “Shy, if I don’t do this now, he’ll keep coming, and he’s liable to take you next. It’s now or later, so it really doesn’t matter when, does it? Adam!” Adam had already been on his way out. “Keep her out of the way.”

Adam took Shiloh’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“No, I’m not letting this happen,” she spat, pulling away from him just as Roy joined them.

“Now Micah, I want you to come out of the street. We’ll settle this in my office.”

“Sheriff Coffee, the man called me out. It’s a legal fight,” said Micah, his eyes still fixed on Ray. Roy snorted angrily and began to back up.

“Sheriff, you can’t just let this happen,” said Shiloh furiously.

“Mrs. Cartwright, Micah’s right. This here’s a legal fight. If those two are gonna shoot at each other there isn’t a thing I can do about it, but clean up the mess when it’s done.”

Adam grabbed both of her arms, and pulled her back toward the boardwalk. She fought him with little affect, her bad ankle making it impossible for her to stand her ground. “You might be willing to just stand by and watch this again, but I’m not. Let me go,” she growled.

“Pa, don’t let her go,” said Adam, shoving Shiloh into Ben. “Joe, go down this side to the alley. I’ll take the other side. If they’re gonna fight, it’s gonna be a fair fight.”

Ben wrapped his arms around Shiloh, who was still struggling as Adam and Joe disappeared down the street. By now, Shiloh was crying. “Please let me go,” she cried as she tried to pull away. “I have to stop this.”

“Shiloh, you can’t stop it. You’ll only get hurt or more likely get Micah killed. Ray Horton doesn’t stand a chance against Micah.”

“Isn’t that what everyone thought the first time?”

Ben looked down at her. He hadn’t been there, but still, the shooting fifteen years ago came as a shock because he did think Micah would be hard to beat, even then.

“Where’s Hoss?” yelled Micah.

Ray nodded over his shoulder. In a moment, Hoss walked out of the alley with his hands tied behind his back just far enough for Micah to see him.

“Ray, I’m not a snot-nosed kid anymore. You can’t outdraw me.”

“You didn’t think I could outdraw you the last time, but I did. I don’t see it’s any different now.”

“That was fifteen years ago. I’ve had some time to practice.”

“So have I. You killed Billy. You have to pay for that.”

“It was a fair fight.”

“Don’t matter. No one kills a Horton and lives to tell about it.”

James stood ready with his rifle pointed at Micah until he heard a click behind him. “Put the rifle down,” said Joe as he slowly reached forward around James to take the gun away from him.

Adam had Earl’s gun and waved across the street to Joe. “Hoss, get back here,” called Adam. Hoss ducked back into the alley next to Adam. “You alright?”

“Yeah. The only thing that’s botherin’ me is my stomach. They ain’t fed me hardly anything.” Rolling his eyes, Adam moved his attention back to the street.

Silence took over the town along with an eerie stillness that twisted Shiloh’s stomach. She jerked one last time and managed to escape Ben’s hands just as Ray went for his gun.

*********

One shot rang out.

Everyone froze.

Shiloh still held her breath even though it was crystal clear what had happened. James and Earl stepped out of the alley and walked slowly to their brother who was crumpled in a heap in the dirt. Meeting in the middle of the street, Adam and Joe stood, looking back at Micah.

Micah approached Shiloh, who was still holding her breath though not because of the gun fight, but rather because Micah had something to say; something she didn’t want to hear. She spoke before he did. “He didn’t even have his gun all the way out. You didn’t have to kill him.”

“You’re taking up for Ray Horton?”

“Not at all. But Micah Whitney isn’t the man I thought I knew and certainly not the man my father raised.”

After spinning the cartridge of his gun, Micah put the gun back in its holster. “I told you. Ray would keep coming if I didn’t take care of him now.”

Adam and Joe had walked back up the street with Hoss toward their father, but Adam veered toward Shiloh.

When Micah touched Shiloh’s face, she knocked his hand away. “I don’t know who you are. You’re not the brother that left me fifteen years ago.” Turning, she bumped into Adam, who held her arms. She shrugged his hands away. “I’ve got nothing to say to you.” Stepping around him, she untied Spirit and limped to the Sheriff’s office where she could mount from the steps, then rode out of town.

Micah moved to go after her, but Adam stopped him. “Give her some time. She has to work it out on her own.”

All the men gathered around the horses and stood, speechless. There were never any pats on the back after a gunfight. They all knew it was a necessary evil where you either risked your life or your reputation. Ben finally spoke. “It’s getting late. Let’s get home.”

***

When Adam and Micah arrived at the Flying W, Hank was waiting. “Where’s Mrs. Cartwright?”

“She hasn’t come back?” asked Adam. Hank shook his head, and Micah turned his horse. “Where are you going?”

“To find her.”

“If anyone’s going to find her it’ll be me.” Adam looked up at the sky. “If she’s not home by dark, I’ll go.”

When the two men had their horses bedded down, they sat on the front porch. Ming Lin came out and asked if he should prepare dinner. “No, Ming Lin, thank you. We’ll find something when Mrs. Cartwright gets home.” For Ming Lin, that meant that he would prepare fried chicken and leave it in the ice box.

“Adam, I don’t get it. I told her I had to take care of Ray sooner or later. Why’s she so upset?”

Taking a deep breath, Adam scratched the back of his neck. “She never really had to deal with Ray. Before she left for college, we kept him away. He didn’t try anything when she came back.” He leaned forward. “She’s had a problem with gunfights since your first fight with Ray. When she came back, Tom Baker called me out, only I didn’t shoot. It still upset her. Maybe she hasn’t quite gotten over that first one, or maybe it’s the lies that went with it.”

“Those are two separate things.”

“They’re not to her. For her, a gunfight has consequences. With James and Earl still here, I can see why she would think that way now.”

Darkness fell, and Adam stood, but he didn’t walk out to the barn. He went inside the house. Micah followed. “Aren’t you going after her?”

“Nope,” he said as he sat in the wing chair next to the hearth.

When she rode into the yard an hour later, Hank was there to greet her. “Are you alright?”

Sliding down out of the saddle, landing on her good foot, she stood looking at the ground for a moment. “Did they tell you what happened?”

“No, but some of the men were in town. I heard.”

She frowned. “I asked Micah not to. When I was little, he’d do anything for me.”

“Miss Shiloh, you’re not little anymore, and you do a lot of things that you didn’t do back then. People change when they grow up. That innocence we all have as children goes away. Micah isn’t the same as he was when he left. He grew up. He has to answer to his own principles; not yours.”

She looked him in the eye. “What if I don’t agree with those principles?”

“There ain’t any what if. You and he are never going to agree on everything. You need to let him be who he is, just the same as he needs to let you be who you are.”

“Hank, a man died today needlessly.”

“Miss Shiloh, you didn’t know Ray Horton. The sooner he left this world, the better. There ain’t a soul in this territory that ain’t glad Ray Horton is dead.”

Her jaw dropped, and she glared at Hank and shook her head. “Did Tom get back?”

“Yes’m. He rode in about two hours ago. The Clydesdale is back in with the others, and Tom’s already in his bunk.”

She nodded and turned toward the house. Pausing at the door, she considered where the conversation inside might go. She didn’t want it go anywhere. She was tired, but she knew Adam would be waiting up for her; probably Micah, too.

When she turned the knob, both men looked toward the French doors leading into the parlor. They listened to her light footsteps approaching, and when she stood in the doorway, she twisted her mouth and clasped her hands in front of her.

Micah stood and excused himself. When he kissed the top of her head as he passed, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Adams eyes met hers. There was no fight in them; only a disenchanted look. She opened her mouth, and then closed it, pointing toward the kitchen. Turning, she stepped into the darkness beyond the parlor, leaving Adam alone. He followed her and found her warming water and a pot of coffee. “Have you eaten?” she asked.

“No. I was worried.”

Opening the ice box, she pulled out the plate of fried chicken and a bowl of potato salad. “I’m sorry I worried you,” she said quietly.

When Adam saw her pulling food out of the ice box, he took plates and cups from the hutch and silver from the drawer and set the kitchen table. She sat down next to him, and they each prepared their plate. “You want to talk about it?” he asked.

Gently placing her fork on her plate, she propped her chin in her hand. “He’s more Mort Williams than he is Micah Whitney.”

“Sweetheart, it’s been fifteen years. No one is the same person they were after fifteen years. Micah was never one to start a fight, and he preferred to walk away. He still won’t be the one to start a fight, but he’s not going to walk away anymore.”

“Why not? What harm would it do to walk away?”

“There are as many consequences when you choose to fight as when you don’t. He’ll pick his fights just like the rest of us.”

“Until Micah was shot, I don’t remember any trouble like this.”

“You were too young to remember, and your mother kept you out of the way.” Shiloh got up for the coffee and poured Adam a cup. She poured her own when she sat down, then leaned back in her chair, sipping. “Are you angry with me?” he asked.

She heard the water boiling on the stove and went to pour it in a bucket, carrying the bucket toward the washroom. Before she stepped through the door she stopped and turned. “I promised you for better or worse. Considering everything else that’s happened since we’ve been married, if this is the worst, I should be thanking my lucky stars.”

Adam finished the food on his plate, and then followed her into the washroom. She had removed her clothes and was standing in front of the wash basin rinsing her face. “It’s late.”

Holding her towel in front of her, she said, “It’s been three days since I’ve had a bath. I stink.”

Raising his arm, he turned his head, sniffed and whistled. “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

Leaving Adam to bathe when she finished her sponge bath, she donned her robe, put the food away and went upstairs. When Adam came into the bedroom, Shiloh was sitting on the side of the bed brushing her hair. He took off his robe, hanging it on the back of the door and got in bed, pulling the covers up to his waist. “Shiloh, you didn’t answer my question.”

Setting her brush on the night table, she stood and removed her robe, draping it over the footboard of the bed, blew out the lamp and crawled under the sheets. She sighed as she moved to her back. “Hank said something to me tonight. We were talking about Micah, but it pretty much applies to everyone, including you.” She rolled to her side to face him. “He said I needed to let Micah be who he is.” Feeling Adam’s hand on her neck and his fingers gently grasping her chin, she watched his eyes as he came closer and softly touched her lips with his. She brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. “We’ll always be alright.”

*********

Adam rode into the yard of the Flying W after spending a day all over both ranches, deciding what herds would fill which contracts. The Grocer’s Association would be filled with Ponderosa beef, and an order from Austin, Nevada came directly to the Flying W and would be filled with Flying W beef. Adam and his father agreed that the Salt Lake contract would be split between both ranches since Adam would be the drive boss and would collect the payment in Salt Lake City. He was dusty and sore after being in the saddle for most of the day.

He pulled Sport up short of the hitching rail when he saw Satan in the front paddock. Taking a deep breath, he considered trying to talk Shiloh out of attempting to train him again. He decided he’d wait to see what her mood was. He nudged Sport to the rail and stepped down, looking around him for Shiloh. He spotted her in another paddock, or rather he spotted her backside. She was bent over a horse’s hoof, and whatever she was doing had her behind sashaying back and forth. He approached quietly, his head cocked, his mouth open in a mischievous grin.

Leaning on the paddock fence, he cleared his throat. “I see your wearing your britches today. And chaps?”

“I’m checking feet today,” she replied without looking up from her rasp. “You don’t expect me to do this in a skirt, do you?”

“Can’t your men do that?”

“They do. But they’re not as particular as me, and Johnny isn’t as observant as I’d like him to be. Take, for instance, this hoof. If you looked at it casually, you probably wouldn’t see this split. But this split is actually a bad one. It could get worse fairly quickly. I need to get a shoe on him,” she said as she straightened up. “Today.”

“Where’s Johnny?”

“He’s down at the corral. But I want Tom to do it. He pays better attention.”

She laid the rasp with her other tools, climbed over the fence and dropped down in front of Adam. Taking her hand, he pulled her against him, sliding his hands down her back and over her backside. “How was your day?” she asked, moving her arms around him.

“Long. But we’ve got the cattle chosen for all three drives. We just have to corral them. Uh, I noticed Satan in the front paddock.”

She pulled her arms back in front of her, and looked down. “I need to keep him separated for awhile before I start him.”

“Are you done here?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I just need to take this fellow up front and find Tom. He’s been checking the foals. He was working with Hoss earlier today.” She started to turn, and when he didn’t let go, she smiled and let her head fall back. He took advantage and kissed her fervently, then glanced around to see if anyone had seen. “It’s a little late to be worried about someone watching, isn’t it?” she asked softly.

“You’re right,” he said, tightening his hold and kissing her again, this time soliciting a quiet moan.

She took a deep breath and pushed against him. “You need to stop this and go inside and bathe. We’re having dinner at the Ponderosa tonight.” Opening the gate of the paddock, she picked up her tool box and led the horse out, and the two walked to the front yard.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Hoss wants me to help him convince your father to let him go to Philadelphia this winter. He says he has a better chance because I can be Annie’s voice…as if that’ll make a difference. It’s been over a week since we’ve been back, and I promised him I would.” When they got to the front of the house, Shiloh called for Tom, who came running. “Tom, I need you to shoe his horse this evening. He has a bad split in his left front hoof. When you’re done, put him in the corral with the others, and then feed Satan before you turn in. Johnny,” she called as Johnny road into the yard. “Would you please take care of Sport and hitch the buggy?”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Cartwright.”

Putting her arm in Adam’s, they turned toward the house. “Now, about that bath,” she said. “I’ll bet Ming Lin already has it ready.”

When they walked into the kitchen, Ming Lin bowed. “Your bath is ready, Mrs. Cartwright. Is there anything else I can do before you leave for the Ponderosa?”

“No, thank you, Ming Lin,” she said as she took Adam’s hand and led him into the washroom.

***

Once prayer was said, the clatter of silver on dishes, the burble of water being poured and the light conversation and giggles of ‘pass this’ and ‘thank you,’ along with the good-natured ribbing made Ben sit back and smile, remembering when all three of his sons lived with him. Joe and Hoss continued on, but still, there was a piece missing. Now, looking around the table, it was as if he’d gained two more children. Micah and Shiloh fit in so well, his boys didn’t even pretend to polish their behavior. Besides that, Micah and Shiloh had been a part of the family long ago when Marie was alive, and she and Belle would take turns swatting hands or behinds without regard to whom they belonged.

“Pa, me and Micah was down in the low meadow today…you know, the one with the property line runnin’ through the middle of it,” said Hoss, looking across the table at Micah, then back to his plate. “It’s still pretty green on the Flying W side, but it’s starting to brown on our side. We think if we take the fence down between us, we can put in one of Adam’s windmills and keep the whole meadow green all summer from the creek runnin’ through the Flying W side.”

Ben nodded. “I want to be careful about combining too much of our herds. We have some legal protection with the two herds belonging to separate ranches.”

“How would taking down a fence affect us legally,” muttered Joe.

“Joseph, don’t speak with your mouth full,” said Ben sternly.

Glancing up at those across the table, Joe cowered slightly and said, “Yessir.”

“Some things never change do they?” teased Shiloh, eliciting a smile and a wink from Joe.

“I don’t see how that would affect us legally,” said Adam. “We still keep separate books, and we have separate brands. What difference does it make where they graze?”

“Yeah, Pa. Our cattle get mixed up with the other ranches around here all the time,” added Hoss.

“It only takes one range detective to make something of it,” said Micah. Everyone stopped eating and looked at him.

“Why would anyone around here hire a range detective except to catch rustlers?” asked Joe.

Adam glanced up at his father and nodded as he chewed. They both looked at Micah. “Micah, do you have an example you can share with us?” asked Ben.

“There was a dispute over a cattle contract between a fellow from back East and a rancher up in Wyoming which at the time was in the Dakota Territory. Ranches in the Dakota Territory are so spread out, it was common practice to let the herds graze where they wanted. They just split ‘em back out at roundup. Well, this businessman from back East won the legal battle, but he got a much bigger payout than he would have had two of the ranches made an effort to keep their herds separated. I don’t know all the legal fighting, but the territorial judge ruled that both ranches were responsible because they willingly mixed their herd even though the contract was with only one of the ranches. It seems the owners of the two ranches were kin.” He turned to Ben. “I realize that’s the same situation we have here, but Mr. Cartwright, that’s a long shot at best. The law was dealt out rather loosely in that territory.”

Ben grunted. “Even so, we’re not going to take any chances. We have to protect one ranch if someone goes after the other, and the most likely one to be caught in that situation is the Ponderosa. We’re sued frequently enough. I don’t want to be responsible for the loss of the Flying W.”

A hush fell over the table.

“We don’t have to take down the fence to irrigate the other side, do we? What would be the harm if we put in a windmill on the Flying W side and let the water flow through the fence?” asked Shiloh.

Adam winked at Shiloh. “Pa, if there needs to be some separation, why don’t we just draw up a water rights agreement?”

Raising his eyebrows, Ben answered, “Son, that’s not a bad idea.”

“I’ll tell ya, Pa, if we can keep that meadow green all summer it’ll mean we don’t have to rotate that herd more than twice,” said Hoss. “Right now, we leave ‘em down there until the end of May, and then we can’t use it the rest of the summer.”

Shiloh turned to Adam. “Well, good. We can add the windmill to the list of things you already have to do.”

Adam gave her a sour look. “I don’t have to do it. Hoss and Joe have built those windmills. They can show Micah how it works. One more doesn’t matter anyway. I’m planning to add more irrigation around the Flying W.” Shiloh sighed and frowned, then moved her attention back to her plate.

As Hop Sing served dessert, individual conversations started. Adam covered Shiloh’s hand, speaking quietly. “I have every intention of sharing my plans with you. I just haven’t gotten around to it.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded slightly and hearing someone say something about going to town, she turned away. “I have to go into town tomorrow. Can I do something?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, you can,” smiled Ben. “I’m expecting a package at the mercantile. I ordered a new set of pots and pans for Hop Sing. It will be too heavy for you to lift, but I’m sure Howard can get it in your buggy.”

“I’d be happy to pick it up,” she smiled. “Oh, Tom Maguire’s opening is this Friday. Julia Dean will be performing. I believe the play is called “Money.”

Well, there won’t be fireworks the next evening for Independence Day,” said Adam. “Virginia City is so evenly split between Confederate and Union sympathizers, the City Council decided to cancel it this year. We were afraid a war might erupt here.” He turned to Shiloh. “You didn’t tell me you were going to town tomorrow,” he said with deliberate coolness.

“I have to send the sheet music for the songs I’ll be singing in Sacramento. I won’t have much time to rehearse with the orchestra, so they’ll be learning the music beforehand. If it goes well there, I’ll be able to do the same with Salt Lake City and Denver City.”

After dinner, everyone moved to the living area and continued their conversations into the night. Hoss looked over at Shiloh and nodded toward his father. When she nodded back, he began another conversation. “Hey, Pa, I’d like to talk to you about somethin’”.

“Go ahead, Son.”

“Well, Annie and me, we been writin’ back and forth, and well, I’d like to go see her this winter, if it’s alright with you.”

Ben moved his hand to his chin. “Oh. Winter you say. You know if you go you’ll have to leave before the snow starts, and you won’t be able to return until spring.”

Hoss sat forward in his chair and propped his arms on his thighs. Looking down at his hands, he said, “Yessir, I do know that. But if I don’t go, Annie said she’s gonna come out here, and that’ll mean she’ll miss some school…which means she’ll have to stay in Philadelphia longer.”

“Hoss, I don’t know. Winter won’t be a problem, but if you get delayed in the spring, we’ll be short-handed.”

Grabbing Micah’s sleeve, Shiloh spoke up. “Pa, we did gain one this year. Micah will be here to help, so you won’t really be short-handed.” Shiloh looked pleadingly at Micah.

Micah snorted and shook his head. “That’s true, Mr. Cartwright. I don’t mind stepping in. Hank usually has things under control at the Flying W, and we have Adam over there, too. I think I can handle both.”

Taking a deep breath, Ben looked over at Adam before he turned to Hoss. “I don’t know, Hoss. Adam and I were discussing some extra work for the spring, and as soon as we can cut, we expect to be running timber camps all spring and summer to handle the additional load of the railroad contracts.” Ben did a double-take at Shiloh when he noticed she was looking at him with big, blue doe-eyes. “And what are you going to do, young lady, when you don’t have Hoss to help with your horses?”

“Tom is trained. And if I have to, I can train someone else before Hoss would have to leave.”

“Adam, what do you think?” asked Ben.

“You’re asking me?”

“Well, you’re the one involved in the work of two ranches.”

“You just don’t want to say ‘no.’” Ben scowled. Hem hawing with his answer, Adam stuttered, “Well…I…think…that the…expansion…of the Cartwright family is more important than the expansion of our ranches.” Hoss sat up from his hunched position and grinned broadly, as did everyone in the room except Ben and Adam, who looked in the other direction and cut his eyes back to see his father’s face. “Look at it this way, Pa. She’s practically family already. This way, we already know the addition is someone we like.” He turned away again, trying to stifle a laugh, but his chest gave him away. Shiloh pinched his arm, and he took her hand and held it as he propped his elbow on the arm of the settee, dropping his head in his hand and chuckling audibly.

Ben’s scowl slowly turned into a smile followed closely by a chuckle. “Are you going to ask her, Hoss?”

Hoss blushed and looked back down at his hands. “I had thought about it, Pa.”

Joe hooted and jumped up from his seat. “This calls for a celebration.”

“Now just you wait a dang minute, Little Joe,” said Hoss, standing. “There ain’t gonna be no celebratin’ until she says ‘yes.’” He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “She could say ‘no.’”

Adam and Shiloh looked at each other and dropped their lower jaws. Standing, Adam pulled Shiloh to her feet and both went to Hoss, Adam’s hand extended and a dimpled smile on this face, and Shiloh tiptoeing to hug him.

*********

“Hey, you two!” yelled Micah from the bottom of the stairs. “Everyone is here. It’s time to go.”

Adam stepped out of the bedroom and leaned on the banister of the upstairs landing. “What am I supposed to do? She’s changed her dress three times.”

Everyone heard Shiloh’s faint voice. “Adam, come back. I need you.”

Straightening, he put on a closed-mouth smile that was just a bit too charming and turned back toward the room, leaving everyone at the foot of the stairs snickering. He stopped just inside the door and watched her slip on the fourth dress. “Sweetheart, I’ve never seen you worry about what to wear before. Why the fuss?”

“Adam, it’s Julia Dean. I don’t want to look drab, but I don’t want to out-dress her either.”

“If you don’t decide now, we won’t be going. Our seats will be given away.”

“Don’t be silly. Tom would never do that.”

Standing behind her, he started on the buttons even as he admired her in the mirror. “Where are the emerald necklace and bracelet I gave you in San Francisco?”

“They’re in the safe.”

“Alright then,” he said, looping the last button. “You finish up here and come downstairs. I’ll get your jewelry out of the safe and help you with it in parlor.” Before he left he kissed her bare shoulder, smelling her rose scent and smiling salaciously. She had chosen a forest green dress with an off the shoulder bodice and lace ruffles tapered from the middle of the front waistline and dropping gracefully as they angled downward to the back of the dress. “You’re emeralds are the same color as your dress.”

She put the finishing touches on her hair swept up in elegant curls, using a comb decorated with the eye and sword feathers of a peacock to hold it in place. Taking her black lace shawl and matching gloves and fan, she looked in the mirror one more time, breathing in deeply before she turned and left the room.

Adam stood in the parlor door, holding the emerald necklace and bracelet and watching Micah as he followed Shiloh down the stairs with his eyes, his mouth open slightly. When she stopped in front of him and smiled, he closed his mouth and cast his eyes downward. “Micah, what it is?” she asked.

“I saw you in Boston and again in San Francisco wearing nice dresses with your hair all done up, but you were at distance. It’s just that…well…you’re all grown up. I mean, I see you running around here in your britches with your hair in a pony tail, and you look just like you did right before you left for college. Seeing you in a dress like this…up close…are you gonna cover your shoulders?”

“Micah, I’m a grown woman. You need to get used to that.” Adam handed her the bracelet, then stepped behind her to fasten the necklace around her neck.

Micah shook his head. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

Following him, Ben stood at the open front door and watched as Micah leaned on the buggy with his hand over his mouth. “Micah, it’s both gratifying and hard to watch your children grow up. I imagine, with you being gone, it’s just as hard to see the little girl you left behind all grown up into a beautiful woman.”

“You know, Mr. Cartwright, I almost revealed myself to Adam when he started paying attention to her…as a woman. I felt like he was betraying me, going after my little sister. But then, I saw the way she stood her ground with him, and I realized she was all grown up. But it’s another thing to see her all dressed up,” he pointed to the house, “like that. Dad never saw her like that. She looks like Mom.”

“Yes, she does.”

Shiloh walked out the front door wearing her shawl and gloves with Adam and his brother’s behind her, all of them wearing suits and ties. All of the men but Adam rode horses. Adam drove the buggy that carried Shiloh into Virginia City to see Julie Dean officially open Maguire’s Opera House.

The six of them watched the evening performance from the same box seats Adam had reserved for Isabella’s performance. Miss Dean played to a standing room only crowd who rewarded her performance with cheers and applause throughout the evening. Maguire had invited the more prominent citizens of Virginia City to an opening party after the performance, so for the Cartwrights, the evening was extended late into the night. While Adam was comfortable discussing mining, timber, cattle and his latest endeavor as an architect with the men, Shiloh found she had very little to discuss with the women, who spoke of where their children would be sent to school, and how they couldn’t find good help in Virginia City, so they preferred to remain in San Francisco while their husbands travelled the filthy road to Virginia City to oversee their mines. Then there was the ladies’ philanthropic work, which Shiloh admired, but regrettably had very little to say on the subject.

Then Julia Dean joined the circle that Shiloh and Adam were in and introduced herself. “Mr. Maguire told me you would be here tonight, Miss Whitney. I must admit I was a bit surprised. Others from our profession tend not to frequent their competition’s performances.” The gentlemen all turned their attention to the ladies.

“Ah, but Miss Dean, I’m not your competition. I’m afraid I’m not really an actress, at least, not to the extent of plays. I sing, but I don’t sing opera, so there is no grand or amusing story to be told in my performance; only the story of each song.”

“I’m afraid I have to disagree. I read your reviews for Genevieve with Mr. Booth.”

Shiloh laughed and relaxed. “Oh, that. I’m afraid that was my very first and last attempt at acting. By the way, I’m really Shiloh Cartwright. Isabella Whitney is an imposter.”

The small group laughed, and Shiloh introduced Miss Dean to the gentlemen and their wives, and then Adam.

When the men’s conversation picked up again, Shiloh and Julia stepped behind Adam where Julia took Shiloh’s hand, laughing. “You don’t know how relieved I am that you’re not one of the landed gentry around here,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Well, I am one of the landed gentry. I just don’t hold my nose up in the air. My husband and I own a ranch just out of town. And his family owns the largest spread in the territory.”

“So how did you avoid becoming one of them,” she said, pointing at a group of ladies across the room. “They have no use for an actress, socially anyway. Are they any better with a singer?”

Shiloh looked where Julia was pointing. “I’ve had occasion to speak with them, but I’m definitely not invited to afternoon tea. You see, I help run the ranch. I work, I get dirty, and I ride horses…astride. So I really don’t fit in with them. And that’s quite alright. We wouldn’t have much to say to each other.”

“Tell me, Adam,” said one of the men. “I understand you’ve gotten several timber contracts from the railroad. Is that going to affect your ability to provide the square sets for the mines?”

“Not at all, Mr. Fair. We’re running lumber camps at both ranches, so we can handle twice the number of contracts. The square sets will continue to come from the Ponderosa and the railroad contracts will be filled with Flying W timber.”

The two women soon found a table where they sat and enjoyed each other’s company until one of the mine superintendent’s wives stopped by. “Please pardon my interruption ladies, but I want to tell you, Miss Dean, how much I enjoyed the play. We’re so very proud of our new opera house, as I’m sure Miss Whitney has told you. She was the first to perform here, you know.” Julia looked over at Shiloh in surprise.

“Miss Dean, this is Mrs. Fair. I helped Mr. Maguire introduce the opera house in a special performance.”

“Tell me, Mrs. Cartwright. Is there going to be news of your stay in the city every time you go to San Francisco?”

Shiloh grimaced. “If I continue to draw the attention of unscrupulous men, I’d say there’s a definite probability.”

“The article said you were fighting over horses. Haven’t you read it?”

“No, and I don’t intend to. But just to set the record straight, the man in question, who most certainly was not a gentleman, was a friend of Mr. Stewarts and accused me of lying about what Mr. Stewart did to me. He wasn’t interested in my horses at all, but rather only interested in giving me a piece of his mind. So I gave him piece of mine.”

“Well, good for you, Mrs. Cartwright. I admire a woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind.”

Shiloh cut her eyes toward Julia, hoping she was hiding the dumbfounded look she thought might have shown on her face. “Oh, well, thank you, Mrs. Fair.”

“Miss Dean, I do hope you enjoy your stay in Virginia City. The evening has been quite entertaining.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Fair.”

When Mrs. Fair left them, Julia stood. “I should mingle with Mr. Maguire’s guests. I’m still being paid.”

Standing, Shiloh said, “Of course. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, Julia.”

“And I’m so happy you came. I enjoyed our conversation.”

The two women went in separate directions, Shiloh ending up back at Adam’s elbow. He quickly looked down and took her hand, wrapping her arm around his as he listened to the conversation. It had turned to cattle and water. “Our pastures are already brown, and it’s the beginning of July. We won’t have anything left to graze in a few weeks if the streams dry up, and it looks like they might.”

“Mr. Cartwright, what are you going to do on the Ponderosa?”

Ben looked at Adam and smiled. “Adam and the boys have been installing windmills that pump ground water into irrigation ditches. We don’t have all our pastures covered, but we’re getting there.”

“You’ve got all that water in the lake.”

“Not exactly,” said Adam. “We have no way to get the water from the lake to the pastures.”

“Can you haul it in a water wagon?”

Ben laughed. “We’d have to have wagons running twenty four hours a day to bring up enough water for our herd.”

“Well, our herds aren’t as big as yours. If we run out of water, it’s an answer for some of us.”

Creasing his eyebrows, Adam glanced back at his father. “There’s only one decent road to the lake, and it’s on Ponderosa land. You’ll still have to run wagons across the Ponderosa at least through the daylight hours. If only a few you do that, that road will be impassable all day.”

“There’s a lot of other roads that go to the lake.”

“That’s true,” said Ben, “but they’re not graded for that amount of wagon traffic. The number of wagons you’d be running through there will destroy some prime areas.”

“Are you saying you’re not going to let us get to water?” said another man heatedly.

Ben raised his hands. “Now, just wait. We don’t even know if there’s going to be a problem yet. If you know where you have artesian wells, you can blast them open on the surface. Adam can also show you how to build windmills to bring the ground water up.”

Looking away and rolling his eyes, Adam looked down at Shiloh, who whispered, “When are you going to have time to do that?”

He took a deep breath. “We’ll deal with it if it happens,” he said in a low voice while scratching the back of his neck. “Gentlemen, it’s late. We should be going. We have a long ride home.”

*********

After spending the day training horses, Shiloh sat at the piano, playing scales with her left hand. When she first started, her movements were stiff, and crossing her fingers over her thumb was painful. Now she was playing with only minor discomfort, so she decided it was time to play a piece of music. She chose a challenging piece, but one she had mastered long ago. She thought she may as well see the worst before she determined exactly how to proceed with her hand exercises. Upon playing the first sixteen measures, amounting to the first page, she sat with her hands in her lap, rubbing her hand. It wasn’t good. In fact, it was horrible. But this piece forced her to stretch her hand to reach a tenth, two keys beyond an octave, so she decided this would be the piece she would use for exercise. She had played those first sixteen measures several times before Adam came through the front door, sweaty, dusty, and wearing chaps that smelled strongly of horse and cow. Hearing first the soft tinkle of the piano keys followed by a loud clash of notes, he tossed his hat on the entry table and walked swiftly toward the parlor. Leaning forward and peering through the parlor door, he found Shiloh seated at her piano with her head in her hands.

He stepped in. “Sweetheart?” Moving closer, he craned his neck to see her face as he approached her back. She moved her hands to cover her mouth and nose and stayed that way even after he touched her shoulders. “It might help to say it out loud.”

“Damn Will Stewart!” After waiting another minute, she turned her head so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye and snorted. “It actually did feel good to get that out.” Standing, she moved around the bench and stepped into him, sniffing. “You’ve been rounding up beef, haven’t you?”

Adam put his arms around her and pulled her against him. “Hank and Micah are leaving in a few days for Austin. They’ll be taking most of the men with them. Pa and Joe are taking Ponderosa beef to San Francisco for the Grocer’s Association. They’re leaving about the same time.”

“I’ve already had my bath. Ming Lin can warm the water for you. But I warn you. You’ll come out smelling like roses,” she giggled. “By the time you’re clean, dinner will be ready. Is Micah on his way in?”

Bending his head, he answered, “Mm hm,” then pressed his lips to hers. “He wasn’t far behind me.”

“Good. Go get cleaned up for dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, kissing her one more time before he left her in the parlor.

***

Ming Lin placed a platter of beef ribs on the table, then left and came back with a platter of corn.

“I hope you two are hungry,” said Shiloh. “It seems he’s trying to feed the bunkhouse.”

“He got that from Hop Sing who’s used to Hoss’s appetite,” laughed Adam, as he prepared his plate. Shiloh poured water for Adam and herself and passed the pitcher to Micah. “Micah, is there anything left to do before you head out for Austin?” asked Adam.

“Yeah, I need to find a cook. I’ll stock the chuck wagon day after tomorrow, but it won’t do me any good if I don’t find someone.”

“Did you asked Ming Lin?” asked Shiloh.

Micah stopped eating and looked at her, tilting his head. “If I take Ming Lin who’s gonna feed you?”

“I think Adam and I can manage. Hop Sing taught me how to make stew, and Annie taught me how to bake bread. I can even bake cookies.”

He looked over at Adam skeptically. Nodding slowly, Adam pointed at his mouth while he finished chewing. “It’s true. I haven’t had her stew, but Hank said it was pretty good. Her bread and cookies were good, too.”

“And Adam taught me how to fry bacon and scramble eggs,” she said proudly.

Chuckling, Micah shook his head. “You won’t last eating stew, bacon and eggs.”

“She’s right, Micah. We’ll manage. If we have to, we’ll go eat at the Ponderosa.” He stopped suddenly and his lips formed an ‘o’. “George Hearst will be here this week to look at his property. He could stay in town, but the best place to stay is being renovated.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find someone in town,” said Micah. “By the way, you’re right about staying in town. The Tahoe House is alright, but with all the construction going on across the street, it’s hard to get around.”

“Did you see what they did with the old building?”

“No, I didn’t”

“Don’t you ever read the newspaper?” Micah shook his head. “They’re hauling most of the old building to Austin and opening an International Hotel there.”

Micah laughed. “You’re kidding. Too bad it won’t be put together by the time I get there.”

“Adam, Frank Wells asked me to go by and take a look at some horses his men brought in. He knew I was looking for more stock, and he thought I might find something I liked,” said Shiloh.

Adam nodded. “I told him you were particular about your horses and had only found a few out of the horses we’ve brought in, so he won’t be upset if you don’t find anything. But you should expect that if you find one to your liking, he’ll want top dollar. And he may not be willing to let the best horses go. He has to have reliable ranch horses just like the rest of us.”

“If he has what I’m looking for, I’m willing to pay more.”

“What exactly are you looking for?” asked Micah.

“You know how Dad always wanted to see if he could breed white horses with the same elegance as the black ones? Well, I’m going to try, if I can find a good horse to start with.”

“I never thought you’d be the one to carry on the Dad’s obsession with his horses. I honestly thought it would die with him.”

“Well, I didn’t have much to do after I left school here. I had four years with Daddy before I left for college. Oh, Adam, I want to start training Satan in a few days.” He stopped in mid-chew, looked over at Micah, who had also halted, then tightened his lips into a thin line, looking back at Shiloh. She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, don’t you look at me like that. You knew I was going to start training him as soon as you saw him back in the paddock.

He set his fork and knife down, and laid his fists on the table on either side of him. Looking forward, he breathed out heavily. Inwardly, he was counting, using the time to calm himself enough that the word ‘no’ wasn’t the first word out of his mouth. “I think we should discuss it.”

With her jaw set, she responded, “We’ve already discussed it. I agreed to have a handler with me while I train, and I also agreed that if he didn’t respond adequately, I would geld him myself.”

“Can we talk about it after dinner?”

“Of course.” He cut his eyes in her direction and studied her. Her agreement came out remarkably calm, lacking even a hint of an edge.

After dinner, the three took their coffee into the parlor and enjoyed the evening breeze that blew through the house. Shiloh had opened the parlor windows and the windows upstairs and on the opposite side of the house. There was usually a breeze in the evening, and she used it to cool the house after what felt like a blisteringly hot day.

She sat on the sofa fanning herself while Adam sat in the wing chair next to the hearth. Micah sat at what he felt was a safe distance away…in a chair next to a window. He was often amused at how these two approached each other when they disagreed. Before he reappeared, he would watch them stand face to face, almost yelling, but not quite, and most definitely glaring. When they spoke, it was easy to see spit mist flying, but neither seemed to mind. Then after he kissed her the first time, their arguments gradually became more and more civil until they reached this point…a long, silent armistice until they felt they could discuss their terms. Adam sat considering Shiloh, and Shiloh looked at everything in the room but Adam.

She sighed heavily and oh so slowly turned her gaze to Adam, wearing just a hint of a smile. She spoke quietly and calmly. “Adam, I’m not going to argue with you about Satan. We made an agreement. I expect you to stick to it.”

Setting his coffee on a side table, Adam crossed his legs and offered her the same furtive smile. “Sweetheart, I’m not satisfied with that agreement. What if I offered an alternative…a compromise of sorts?”

Her lips almost pursed as she looked off to her left. Micah raised his hand to his face and feigned a yawn, hiding his amused grin. She looked back at Adam. “Go ahead.”

“All you want is Satan at stud. You’re just training him so he won’t injure the mares. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why don’t we break him instead? I know how you feel about breaking a horse, and I understand the difference in our cutting horses and your horses, but you’re not going to sell him anyway, and as wild as he is, you’re not going to show him. This way, I don’t have to worry about him hurting you, and you still get your stud.”

“The other reason I wanted to try to train him was to see if I could train bad habits out of a horse. If you’ll remember, one of Jim’s friends asked if I could.”

“You have enough business without dealing with problem animals.”

She stood. “As I said before, we already have an agreement that I’m completely satisfied with. But since you’re in the mood to change it, here’s what I’ll do. I’m going to try to train him, and if I can’t, you can break him.”

She turned to leave the room, and he jumped to his feet. “Shiloh.” Without hesitation, she continued out of the parlor with him following her. “Shiloh!” Stopping at the French doors, he watched her go into the study. He spun around when he heard Micah laughing behind him. “What’s so funny?”

“You were right, Adam,” he said, still chuckling. “She does learn from being challenged. She’s learned you quite well.”

Adam grimaced angrily. “I’ll be back in a little while. I’m going for a ride,” he said, leaving the parlor. A moment later, Micah heard the front door open and close.

He stuck his head in the door of the study. “You alright?”

Shiloh stopped writing and smiled when she looked up at him. “I’m fine, Micah.”

“You know he left, don’t you?”

She bounced her pencil on her lips. “Maybe this is good for him. I suspect he’s feeling what I used to feel when he wouldn’t budge for me.”

“Is this a game to you?”

“Not at all. He sometimes goes for a ride in the evening when he has something on his mind.” Micah cocked his head and gave her a stern look. Laying her pencil down, she gave him her full attention. “I understand his need to protect me. But I’m turning into to someone else…not the woman he chose to marry. He told me the horses were mine, and I’ve already told him I will do what he asked. I’ll have a handler with me, and I’ll quit if Satan is too aggressive. But Micah, I want to know for myself if I can do this, and I’m not going to give that up because he doesn’t want me to do it.”

“Shiloh, he’s just looking out for you. That horse has killed.”

“Max was just as bad, and Daddy did it.”

“You’re not Dad.”

Sitting back and breathing deeply, she said, “I know I’m not Dad. But if I don’t try, I’ll never know if I can. I’ve never backed away from a challenge just because someone else said I shouldn’t do it. A few weeks ago I would have, thanks to Will Stewart, and thanks, in part, to Adam’s coddling.”

“What if he’s right? What if you do get hurt?”

“Then I will know that I couldn’t do it because I couldn’t do it, and not because someone told me I couldn’t. And he’ll get to break Satan.”

***

Shiloh woke when she felt the bed move. The sheet lifted behind her, and the bed sank in the middle, causing her to adjust to keep from rolling back into the depression. She knew the effort was wasted when she felt his hands on her, pulling her down into the hollow against him. She felt him smooth her hair on the back of her head, then move into her, laying his head right behind hers. When he whispered “I love you” in her ear, she found his hand and pulled it under her arm and over in front of her where she held it. Moving his hand on top of hers, he entwined his fingers with hers, and both settled into a comfortable sleep.

*********

“What time did you come in last night?” asked Shiloh, sitting at her dressing table, brushing and pulling back her hair.

“I didn’t stay out long. I worked on the Jackson Square drawings for awhile.”

“It must have been two or three when you came up to bed.”

“I suppose.”

“Adam,” she said, turning to face him. “You can’t keep up that pace. You’ll tire yourself out. And you know what happens to people who work when they’re tired.”

Looking in the mirror while he brushed his hair, he glanced at her reflection. “I’ve always been able to get by with four or five hours of sleep.”

“Try three hours.”

He bent and kissed the top of her head. “I’m fine. And I’m hungry.” She turned and stood, then smiled and stepped into his side, putting her arm around his back.

When the two arrived at the dining table, Micah was already pouring himself a cup of coffee. “I expected the two of you to be going at it again this morning.”

Shiloh smirked. “We weren’t going at it last night. Anyway, it’s settled. I’m going to try to train Satan, and if I can’t Adam or someone else will break him.”

“Who’s your handler?” asked Adam as he spooned eggs onto his plate.

“I’ll have two; one in each of the front corners.”

He reached for the bacon. “Who?”

“One of them would have been Hoss if I had done this earlier. He’s busy with some extra work Pa wanted done before he has to leave for Philadelphia.”

Adam stopped and met her eyes. “Who?”

“You see, I knew it wasn’t settled,” said Micah.

Adam and Shiloh both glared at him and said in unison, “Butt out.”

“I’m using Tom and Johnny. They’re both familiar with the normal problems with training and will be better prepared to understand when things aren’t right.” Adam flared his nostrils and glared at her. She responded calmly again. “I’m not using your men, Adam. You’ll tell them to shoot, and they will if Satan so much as snorts at me, which he will most assuredly do. You’ve seen me at my worst after starting horse. You’ve seen the bruises and the occasional bite marks. I don’t expect it to be any different.” His expression didn’t change, but hers soften. “Adam, Sweetheart, I can’t afford to be badly injured with three performances coming up. I promise you, if he’s too rough, I’ll stop.” Moving her hand to his, she asked, “Please trust me.”

Adam let his head drop, letting out a loud breath, but soon nodded. “Alright. But Shiloh, if you don’t keep your word, I’m taking the horse no matter how loudly you yell about it.” He knew she wasn’t completely agreeable when she didn’t look at him as she smiled and nodded. “I’m not inclined to trust you not to let it go too far. Prove me wrong, and I’ll apologize.”

After breakfast, Micah and Adam donned their chaps and went out to finish rounding up the cattle that would be driven to Austin. Before lunch time, both men were sitting on their horses outside the corral fence, watching the men bring in the last few strays. “Micah, you’ll need to drive these cattle to the south of Gold Hill and into Six Mile Canyon. From there, you can follow the Carson River until you’re just south of Fort Churchill. You’ll stay south of Fort Churchill and north of Eastgate. From there I’ll draw you a map to water and forage, and you’ll have to follow the map closely. There’s not much water or forage beyond Eastgate.”

“What about Indians?”

“The Ponderosa is on good terms with the Paiute. Tell them it’s a Cartwright herd, and you shouldn’t have any trouble. If you have to, give them a few head. You might run into soldiers from Fort Churchill, but since I’m sending you south, you’re not likely to have any trouble with them. They’re there to guard the wagons from back East heading to California. Hank has been as far as Eastgate, but never to Austin, so just make sure you stick to the map.”

***

“Tom, Johnny, I don’t know exactly what to tell you yet. Mostly, if he charges me, I’ll be heading for the fence, so be prepared for one of you to get me over while the other distracts Satan. The best way to do that will be with another rope. Toss it at his head. You’ll both have ropes, so the closest one to me will help me over the fence, and the other will throw the rope. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to come up with something else. Any questions?”

Both men shook their heads and took their positions at the corners of the corral. Shiloh let herself in and walked up to Satan with a carrot. Satan had always been gentle around Shiloh, but then she had never tried to assert her dominance over the horse. She led him to the other side of the training pen, and when she began working with the rope, Satan stood his ground, looking straight at her. When she hit the back of his legs with the rope, he turned and faced her, and when she dropped her eyes and moved toward him, he stepped toward her. She stopped. She could tell by his stance that he was on alert. Dropping the rope, she took another step, and he seemed to relax.

Next, she tried using a long lead attached to a halter and a buggy whip, trailing the whip behind him in an effort to get him to move forward. Again, he refused to move and stood facing her. She touched the string of the whip to his hind quarters, and the horse whinnied loudly and reared, then moved toward her, snorting. She didn’t back away, but rather met his eyes and didn’t back down herself until he reared in front of her. Pulling down on the lead rope just aggravated him more, and when he came down in front of her, she looked him in the eye again before she tied him to a post set in the ground in the corral and turned her back to him. He rushed forward and slammed his nose into her back, sending her flying into the corral fence and knocking the breath out of her. Tommy was there to get her over the fence.

Three times that morning, she found herself running and half-climbing, half jumping over the corral fence, landing hard on the ground each time. The day George Hearst arrived Satan bit the side of her back, drawing blood.

Adam had left for town earlier to meet the stage, and the two gentlemen arrived just past noon after Shiloh had already tended her wound and cleaned up. Still, when the buggy pulled into the yard, she was moving slowly, and having aggravated her injured ankle again, she limped on her way out to greet them. “Mr. Hearst, welcome to our home. I had thought Mrs. Hearst would be with you.”

George stepped down out of the buggy and took her hands. “Mrs. Cartwright, as always, it’s a pleasure to see you. I must say, I was quite taken with the ride across the ranch. Adam tells me you brought this ranch back to a profitable business after your father passed way.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hearst,” she said, smiling. “There was some work to be done when I returned from college. I do hope Mrs. Hearst is well.”

“Yes, she’s well, however, William, has turned out to be a fussy lad.”

“George, why don’t you come inside and get settled?” said Adam. “I’ll show you your room, and you can rest from your trip.”

“Lunch will be ready at your convenience, Mr. Hearst,” added Shiloh.

“To be honest, I’d like to get out to the property as soon as possible and assess the situation on your ridge.”

“Well then, we’ll have lunch, and then Adam can take you out,” she said, leading the way into the house.

***

Hearst and Adam took the road to the top of the ridge and tied their horses at a rock outcropping before they walked to the place where the Flying W shaft was on one side and the shaft on Hearst’s property was directly on the other side. Today, there were a dozen men working that shaft, pulling satchel after satchel of rock and dirt out.

“They’re not my men,” Hearst whispered. “My mines have material on the ready. There would be stacks of timber for shoring, and the Ponderosa would have the contract. They’d also be hauling ore out in a mine car. Not satchels. I think it’s time we paid these gentlemen a visit.”

Adam put a hand on Hearst’s arm. “George, there are three hired guns down there. Wait here while I get some men from our side of the ridge, and we’ll go down together.”

When he returned with the men, instead of going down from the top of the ridge, Adam led them down the ridge past where they tied their horses, through a pass. They came upon the men on Hearst’s property from behind with their guns drawn. “You men,” Hearst called out. “Who’s in charge here?” Adam recognized the man who stepped forward as one of the gunmen from town. “Who do you work for?”

“Who’s asking?” asked the gunman as he slowly lowered his hand toward his gun.

Adam pulled back the hammer of his gun. “Don’t try it. You won’t make it. Throw your gun out here in front. All the rest of you men do the same.” When they hesitated, the Flying W men split, five moving on either side of the mining group who were now in the middle of a semi-circle.

“My name is George Hearst. I own this property, and that’s my mine you’re working,” he said, pointing. “The problem is, gentlemen, that I never authorized a shaft to be started. What’s your name?” he asked of the man who identified himself as in charge.

“Smith,” he smirked. “…John…Smith.”

“Well, Mr. Smith, if you would be so kind as to move aside, I will inspect this shaft of yours.” Adam dismounted with him and kept his gun trained on the men as he moved through them with Hearst. Hearst took a lantern off the pole just inside the shaft and disappeared inside. Adam could see the light stop, and knew the shaft was only about twenty feet long, close to the Flying W property line.

“Adam!” called Hearst. “How far in would you put your property line?”

“Between thirty and forty feet,” he yelled back.

Adam heard picking and rocks falling, but he could still see a steady light. Hearst spent at least a half hour in the tunnel before he emerged. “There’s nothing back there but worthless rock. I wouldn’t even call it ore.” He walked back out to Smith. “Who hired you?”

“Sam King.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Sam King is dead. Who are you working for now?”

“I don’t have to answer to you, Cartwright.”

“You’ll answer him or you’ll answer to the law,” threatened Hearst. When Smith still refused to answer, George turned to Adam. “Would you and your men help me get these men to the sheriff in Virginia City? I will be pressing charges.”

“For what?” yelled Smith.

“Trespassing and property damages,” said Hearst. He turned and strode to his horse.

“It won’t stick,” muttered Smith.

Adam snorted, and leaned toward him. “His partners are two of the most well-known attorneys on the West coast.”

***

Shiloh sat behind the desk, looking over the ranch books, furiously scribbling notes on the piece of paper. Adam and Mr. Hearst had come back to the ranch, but only to get Mr. Hearst’s bag and the buggy. Mr. Hearst made his apologies. He wouldn’t be staying, but rather would be sending Mr. Fair, the Ophir Mine Superintendent to the property to evaluate it.

While she waited for Adam’s return, she dug into what had become an endless pile of paperwork. She was beginning to understand why Ben sent his sons out every day without him. She realized that every time she went over to the Ponderosa in the middle of the day, and he was sitting at his desk, he was doing ranch paperwork.

She heard the front door open. “Shiloh!”

“I’m in the study.” When he entered the study, he walked around the desk, bending down to kiss her. “How’d it go in town?”

“Roy held the three gunmen and let the others go. They didn’t know anything…just miners looking to make some extra money. The three men he held wouldn’t tell Roy who hired them, so he’s holding them until the territorial judge comes through.”

“And Mr. Hearst?”

“Did you know there’s another stage coming through Virginia City? That makes three.” She looked at him with raised eyebrows. “He caught the stage coming from Salt Lake City, heading for San Francisco. He’s already gone.”

“Maybe the ranch wasn’t to his liking,” said Shiloh, looking distressed.

“Sweetheart, the ranch is fine. He’s just a very busy man. How was the rest of your day?”

“I’ve been working on the books. You hired ten more men and you’re paying them more than we pay our ranch hands. Who are they?”

“They’re the men guarding the silver vein in the north ridge.”

She straightened. “I thought you were using our men to do that.”

“Well, we started with our men, but when the number of men increased on the other side of the ridge, I thought it would be better to bring in men more suited to the task.”

“You hired gunmen.”

“I hired guards. There’s a difference. These are honest men. We’ll use these same men to escort the ore wagons to the mill, and the silver to the bank vault in Virginia City. When we have to start sending the silver to San Francisco, we’ll use our own coaches so our men can guard it.”

Bending her head, she rubbed her forehead. “I never considered that we’d have to haul silver to San Francisco.”

“There’s going to be a little gold that comes out of the mine, too. We’ll keep some here, and maybe some in the bank in San Francisco, but most will be turned in at the mint and exchanged for cash.”

She stood and took his arm, walking with him toward the dining room. “Why are we keeping some?”

“As an investment. United States currency is backed by gold. China trades with silver. So I expect the value of both will go up over time.” Adam seated her at the dining table, and then took his seat at the head of the table, and Ming Lin brought out roast beef, sweet potatoes and green beans. “You’re limping again. Did you reinjure your ankle?”

“I just came down on it wrong. I think it will be fine.”

“How’s the training going?”

She glanced at him and turned her attention to her food. “It’s going slow,” she said quietly.

“Have you made any progress at all?”

She thought for a moment. She didn’t want to tell him ‘no’. He’d want to know why she was still wasting her time. The truth was, she had made no progress at all, but she wasn’t quite ready to give up. “He’s easier to work with in the morning, but after an hour or so, he’s difficult.”

After a few minutes of silence, she said, “It’s awfully quiet with Micah away on the cattle drive. How long will he be gone?”

Adam thought out loud. “Well, it will take three and half to four weeks to get there, then the better part of a week to get back. Four and half to five weeks.”

“By the time he gets back, we’ll be leaving for Sacramento. He said he wanted to go.”

“If he doesn’t get back before we leave, he can follow us down. You’re first week will be rehearsals,” he said, smiling and patting her hand. “I’m sure he’ll make the second week for your performance.”

***

Shiloh was first in the bedroom and had already removed her clothes. She was just slipping on her robe when Adam came into the room. She quickly turned to face him as she was pulling her robe over her shoulders, but she wasn’t quite quick enough. He had seen something on her back.

“Shiloh, are you hiding something from me?”

Turning, she grabbed her brush and began to brush her hair. When he stepped behind her, she stiffened and held her breath. Taking her brush out of her hand, he set it on her dressing table and moved her hair to the front of her shoulder. He reached around to the front and untied her robe, then pulled it down off her shoulders, gasping. There were bruises on her buttocks, the backs of her legs, and the upper part of her back and shoulders. Besides all that, there was a badly scraped area to the left of the small of her back. He spun her around and found more bruises on her arms and legs, and one large bruise right in the middle of her chest that was already starting to fade.

“That’s it,” Adam said angrily. “No more.”

*********

Shiloh didn’t respond verbally to Adam’s edict. Her face was a mixture of emotions; guilt, disappointment, defeat. He expected tears, but there were none. Turning away, she shuffled slowly to her side of the bed and sat down with her back toward him, looking down at her hands. He waited where he was for her objection, but she was silent.

“Did the horse do that to you?” he asked crossly, standing with his hands on his hips.

“Not exactly; at least not most of them. The scrape is a bite. He did that today. He pushed me into the fence the first day; that’s the bruise on my chest. The rest came from the fence and the ground when I was…jumping over to get away.”

“That’s how you aggravated your ankle?” She nodded. “Where were Johnny and Tom when this was happening?”

“One was distracting Satan while the other made sure I got over the fence.”

“Shiloh, if they had been my men…”

Raising her head, she glanced over her shoulder. “If they had been your men, I…would never have…known…for myself.”

Those last words immediately deflated his anger. Walking to her side of the bed, he sat down beside her, put his arm around her shoulder and drew her to him, kissing the side of her head. “I’ll take him to the breaking corrals tomorrow.”

She breathed in deeply. Would it be wrong not to tell him that she thought the horse might be too aggressive to break? Satan was one of the strongest horses she had ever seen. In a breaking corral with a saddle on his back and other horses, he could wreak havoc, not only on the horses, but on the men riding them, and especially on the man on his back. But if they didn’t try, again, she would never know. “I want to be there when you break him.”

***

The sun was just making an appearance when Shiloh walked out to the paddock next to the barn. Adam had already haltered Satan who was tied to the fence and pulling back on the rope. She offered him a carrot, and he calmed down and took the few steps to the fence, gently taking the carrot from her hand. “I don’t get you. What is so terrible about doing what you’re asked?”

Johnny, Tom and Billy appeared at her side. “We heard Hank and Mr. Cartwright talking in the barn,” said Tom. “You’re givin’ up?”

She winced. “No, not exactly. Just taking a different approach. Once he’s broken, we’ll try again, and if he still won’t accept the training, at least he’ll be tame enough for stud.” She turned to see frustration on Tom’s face and smiled. “Believe me, Tom, I know how you feel. I just don’t know how long I could keep jumping over that fence before he caught up to me and did some real damage. Now, today after you feed, I want you all to go down to the new pasture and work on the corral fence. We won’t plant pasture grass until Adam has the windmill and irrigation in, but we need that corral ready in the fall. Tom, before you go down to the pasture, would you check Dusty’s hoof? Let me know if the split has gotten any worse. Oh, Flower’s foal, how is he?”

“I’m afraid he’s not gonna make it. He’s not nursing, so we’re bottle feedin’ him, but he’s not gaining any weight, and he’s still weak.” Tom dropped his head and finished quietly. “If he doesn’t make it, he’ll be the fifth.”

Shiloh took his hand. “Tom, we can’t save them all. With the number of foals we have this year, we were bound to lose some, and to tell you the truth, five isn’t all that bad. Now, go check on Dusty and then get down to the corral. I’ll go by the big barn and check the foal in a little while.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, turning toward the back corral.

Adam had come out of the barn, and stood watching Shiloh talk to her men. When she took Tom’s hand, his head tilted and his brows creased slightly. As Tom left, Adam approached her. “What was that about?”

She smiled as she watched Tom turn the corner around the house toward the back corral. “He’s upset. The foal we’ve been watching probably isn’t going to make it.”

“It happens. Why is he upset?”

Looking back at him with a frown, she thought his remark was uncharacteristically callous. “Adam, he’s never been around a ranch the size of this with the number of horses we have. You might think of him as an uncaring son of a….” she huffed before she finished. “He has a heart as big as Hoss when it comes to these animals. Even the cows. He was lamenting the other day about a calf that didn’t make it.” Adam grunted, and she looked at him firmly. “He’s perfect for working with my horses. With the way he cares for them, I have all the confidence in the world in him.”

He gave her a disbelieving look. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered, wilting. When they arrived at the corrals, she chose to sit on her horse rather than hang on the corral fence so she could see over. She stayed back where she wouldn’t be in the way of the activities around the corral.

Several horses went into the chute while the men attempted to saddle Satan. Jack Fletcher, one of the hands, and Adam took turns riding. The last horse in the chute came out twisting as he bucked, and quickly sent Jack into the dirt. He got up and walked over to Adam and Hoss, and though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, she could tell they were teasing each other relentlessly when Adam walked toward the chute with wide, dimpled grin. In only another moment, the horse came twisting out with Adam now hanging on for the ride. He lasted only a little longer than Jack and was soon on his stomach, pushing himself up off the ground. Shiloh grimaced when she saw him go down. It was if he were falling in slow motion, bouncing when he hit the ground. Why is it alright for him to come home bruised and sore from getting thrown from a horse, and when I get bruised and beat up from working with a horse, it’s completely unacceptable to him? She dismissed the thought. She knew what his answer would be.

After several tries, the men working with Satan decided they would saddle him in the chute to prevent him from cow-kicking or turning to bite. Adam was sitting on the side, waiting until the men were ready for him to lower himself into the saddle. Shiloh tensed. She hadn’t really thought far enough ahead this morning for it to register that Adam would never allow any of his men to ride Satan.

Adam stepped over Satan’s back to the gate and hovered over the saddle while he wrapped the rope around his hand. When he eased down onto the saddle, Satan was already trying to buck, slamming Adam’s legs into the walls of the chute. As Shiloh watched, he rose up off the saddle again and spoke to the men around him. There were four pick-up men in the corral instead of two, but that gave her no reassurance.

He finally nodded, and began to lower himself to the saddle and just as he seated himself, the gate swung open.

All hell broke loose.

*********

Satan didn’t buck. He reared, and then sideswiped the fence. Still, Adam hung on. After another rear, Satan bucked, twisted and charged the other horses, sending them scattering. The horse moved every way a horse could to dislodge the rider on his back, including charging the fences. Finally, Satan threw himself to the ground. Holding her breath, Shiloh watched as Adam feverishly worked his hand out from under the rope, and just before Satan hit the ground, Adam pushed away, landing on his stomach. In an instant, the horse was up, and two pick-up men were at his side, but again, he reared, kicking out at the horses and scattering them. Adam had crawled on his hands and knees away from the flailing hooves, and just as he gained his footing, he tripped and twisted to see Satan charging him with three of the pick-up men pushing against him and the fourth trying to get around the melee to Adam. Two of the pick-up horses went down, blocking the fourth’s path to Adam. The men around the corral were all scrambling to their horses for their guns.

Just as Satan reached him, Adam put his arm up, knowing full well it would give him no protection; knowing that he was about to be the second man this horse had killed.

The deep discharge of a rifle sounded.

Satan suddenly stopped and fell at Adam’s feet.

Every living thing was still. The men looked around at each other to see who fired the shot. Several in the crowd of men and clouds of dust pointed, and everyone slowly turned to see Adam’s wife, sitting on her horse still aiming her rifle into the corral. She had waited for a clear shot. She didn’t want to hit any of the men, and she had almost waited too long. As they watched her, she dismounted, trotted to the fence and climbed over, then slowly approached Adam. She watched him dust his shirt, and for a moment they stood, looking at each other.

Slowly backing away, Shiloh stepped around to Satan’s back and knelt, laying her rifle on the ground beside her. She pulled back the mane that had fallen forward over the blood gushing out just above his eye. She laid a hand on his side and put her other hand over his snout. There was no breath. The bullet had done its work instantly. Sitting back on her heels, she dropped her hands in front of her.

Adam knelt at Satan’s belly, looking across the dead animal at Shiloh. She wore a deep frown, and her eyes were red and tormented. A tear rolled down her cheek. Without looking at Adam, she wiped the tear away with the cuff of her sleeve, then picked up her rifle and rose. The men stood in silence, watching her walk away, climbing over the fence, and then mounting her horse. She shoved the rifle into the scabbard, looked one more time at Adam, then turned her horse and rode away.

Hoss stood at Adam’s side. “Adam, you alright?”

He continued to look across the field in the direction she had ridden and nodded. “She’s not. Can you run this by yourself?”

“Sure,” said Hoss, patting his shoulder. “Go see to her.”

Adam rode away in the direction Shiloh had gone, glad that she seemed to be riding toward home. It wasn’t long before he discovered she didn’t make it very far. He found her horse grazing, and when he looked around he spotted her in the shade of a tree on her hands and knees. He could hear her retch from where he stopped. Dismounting, he grabbed his canteen, and while he walked toward her, he dug his bandana out of his pocket. He sat down on a rock beside her, pouring water on the bandana, wringing it out and handing it to her. She continued to vomit, and by the time she eased back, sitting on her legs, he knew she had lost everything she had eaten for breakfast. After wiping her face with the bandana, she took a drink from the canteen Adam offered her, and spat. She saw the concern on his face, and the anticipation in his eyes for her to talk to him.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she answered hoarsely.

“Alright. We’ll talk this evening.”

“I don’t want to talk about it this evening or any other time. It’s done. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Adam raised his hand to his mouth and considered her. “What are you doing?”

She looked away. “I don’t know what you mean.” Standing, she turned toward her horse. “I’ll put your bandana in with the laundry.”

He stood quickly and went after her, taking her arm and turning her back around. “Why are you hiding you’re feelings from me? It’s as if we’re right back where we started when you came home from college.”

“Adam, I’ve come to realize that I haven’t been acting like the woman you married. You don’t need someone who’s crying all the time about…”

“About the things or the people that mean the most to you?” He moved his hands to her cheeks and turned her face up. “I don’t want you to hide your feelings from me. Besides your anger, it took a while to get you to show them to me.” She jerked her face out of his hands, and began to turn away, but he held her arms. “Where is this coming from?”

“From Will Stewart…and you.”

“Me?”

“Will Stewart shattered my confidence in my ability to take care of myself. And you…you… I don’t want to be a person who cries every time something doesn’t go my way. You have enough to take care of with both ranches, the timber, your work with Slater, and now the mine. You don’t need to be holding me up.”

With a finger under her chin, he turned her face back to his. “Isn’t that what a husband and wife are supposed to do for each other? Sweetheart, I’m supposed to be the one person you can share everything with, and that includes your feelings.”

She turned her back to him. “I don’t want you to think of me as weak.”

He smiled. “Shiloh, I don’t think there’s a soul who knows you who would ever consider that you’re weak. I certainly don’t. You’re one of the strongest people I know. When you find something you want or even when you see an injustice, you’re tenacious in the way you go after it. I feel a little sorry for the people who cross you.” He pulled her into him and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I want you to share everything with me, including the pain.” He looked down at her and brushed his hand over her hair. “I know this has you torn up inside. Let me help.”

She didn’t cry at first, but Adam knew she was fighting it. Her nostrils were moving in and out at the same time she pressed her lips together. Casting her eyes down, she opened her mouth, but it took several tries for words to form. “I shouldn’t have let you try to break him. I knew he was dangerous, but he was no good to me gelded, so I let you, hoping that you could do it.” She began to wring her hands. “I took my rifle because I knew how bad it might be. I knew none of you would be near your guns. Besides that, if he had to be put down, it was my responsibility.” Tears began to fall. “I held my breath until I knew you were alright, then when I saw him lying there, a creature that had been so alive one minute, and then lifeless the next. He was beautiful. He was perfect.” Now she was weeping so hard, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Adam barely understood her last words as she sunk down to the ground. “He almost killed you.”

As she buried her face in her hands, he knelt in front of her, surrounding her with his arms. “Shiloh, listen to me. Even if you had told me you thought he was too dangerous, I would have tried. I already knew how bad he was.”

“I don’t understand. You wanted me to geld him.”

“I did…at first. But I also knew how much he meant to you…to your horse business.”

She pushed away, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “He never meant as much to me as you. I don’t want you to risk your life like that.”

Lifting her to her feet as he stood, he put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to the horses. “Hoss is taking care of everything at the corral. Let’s go home.”

“Adam,” she said, sounding like she had a cold. She took the bandana out of her pocket and blew her nose. “I need to check on Flower’s foal. She’s down at the big barn.”

“Alright, we’ll go check on her together.”

When they arrived at the big barn where Shiloh kept the mares that needed help foaling or those with weak foals, Adam shoved the big door to the side, and they both stepped in. Flower was in the foaling stall standing over her colt that was lying in the hay. The colt usually raised its head when the door slid open, but this time he was still. Shiloh stopped in the middle aisle and let Adam pass her. When he leaned against the corral wall and dropped his head, she knew the colt was dead. He looked back at her, and she took a step back, and then moved deeper into the barn. Returning with a piece of cloth, she entered the corral and covered the foal, rubbing the cloth over his body, rump and tail. She haltered Flower and took her and the cloth into the aisle. Adam stepped back out of the way and watched her as she led Flower into another large stall containing an orphaned foal ready to be fed. Placing the cloth on the foal, she pulled Flower closer and let her sniff. Shiloh slowly backed out of the stall and waited.

Walking up next to her, Adam leaned against the corral door and put his arm around her, watching with her. “It’s a little late for this,” he whispered. “You think it will work?”

“The foals are the same age, but you’re right. It’s already been a few days,” answered Shiloh without taking her eyes off the colt and mare. “She has milk, and this little fella needs milk, so it’s worth the try. I don’t think she’ll hurt him, even if she doesn’t accept him. She’s always been a good mother.”

The foal warily approached the mare, and when he went up under her, Flower sniffed him again, but she didn’t move away when the colt began to suckle. Shiloh sighed loudly and smiled tentatively, glancing from the horses to Adam and back to the horses. “Well, I have to tell you,” she said with a shaky voice. “I needed this to work.”

As they walked back to the front of the barn, Adam said, “I’ll get Tom and Johnny to come up and take care of the foal.”

She stopped, laying her forehead in her hand. “Tom has been sleeping down here, taking care of Flower’s foal…and the rest of them. It’s not going to be easy for him. He’s gotten attached to them.”

“He’s going to have to get used to it. I know you think that’s heartless of me, but if he doesn’t learn to deal with it, he won’t last in this business.”

“I know. But I want to tell him. I think he’ll want to take care of him alone.”

Adam thought for a moment, remembering her holding Tom’s hand that morning. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, but he thought she might be sending Tom the wrong signals. “Alright,” he said, nodding. “Why don’t you go get him? I’ll wait here and watch Flower…just in case there are any problems with her new foal. Then if he needs help moving the body, I’ll be here.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She tiptoed to kiss him, and he moved his head back and arched an eyebrow. “Oh,” she said and covered her mouth. “I forgot.”

By the time Shiloh was back with Tom, she had already told him about the foal, and what she had done with Flower and one of the orphaned foals. They walked up behind Adam and peered around him. “How are they doing,” asked Shiloh.

“It’s already hard to tell he’s not hers. Tom, if you need help…”

“That’s alright, Mr. Cartwright. I’ll take care of Flower’s foal. He never really gained much weight, so he’s not that heavy.” Tom never made eye contact with Adam. He wiped his hands on his jeans and pointed toward the front door. “I…I’ll go find a shovel.”

Shiloh stepped toward him. “Tom…”

“It’s alright, Mrs. Cartwright,” he said, backing away. “I’m fine.” Turning, he walked quickly out of the barn.

“Adam, do you ever have days that you wish never…occurred?” she asked as she watched Tom leave.

He snorted. “Oh, yeah. Today is one of them. Let’s go home,” he said, taking her hand and walking her out of the barn.

*********

Even though it was the middle of the day, Adam asked Ming Lin to prepare a bath for Shiloh and hold lunch. He knew she wouldn’t eat, even with his best argument, and hoped she’d feel like it after she relaxed in a hot tub. Little did he know that as he worked on the Jackson Square drawings, she was curled into a ball in the tub, sobbing.

The rest of the day, she wandered the house, sitting with a book for a few minutes, reading the same paragraph over and over again, sitting at the piano mindlessly picking out a tune with her right hand, and finally sitting in the big chair by the window with her knees up to her chest, staring out at the empty paddock by the barn. She’d occasionally wipe an escaped tear.

They went to bed early, and when she thought Adam was asleep, she rolled away, breathing through her mouth so he wouldn’t hear her breathe through her clogged nose. She might have gotten away with it if the bed hadn’t shuddered with her sobs. He turned her to face him, guiding her head to his chest where he cradled her even after she had cried herself to sleep.

***

Over the next few days, Shiloh had more or less gotten past what had happened in the breaking corral. She still paused when she passed the paddock by the barn, but her pauses had become fewer and shorter.

The new contract had come in from Crocker, and upon opening it, Adam found that it had been expanded to include several trestles, bridges, coal sheds, water tanks and sidings all the way through to Junction. All the lumber, except the long timbers that would be used as piers, was to be delivered milled to the specifications in the contract. Adam knew that the rails hadn’t arrived yet, but figured Crocker was planning to have all the ties, trestles and bridges in place so he could immediately lay rails to Junction when they arrived. He still had to determine if they could deliver that amount of lumber. In addition, he was beginning to think that perhaps the railroad contract would require too much timber from the Flying W, causing them to cut more than they could easily replant. The Ponderosa was already handling its limit of contracts. More land would solve the problem of thinning the forest out too much, so he would start looking for timberland to the north of Lake Tahoe. He also considered subcontracting some of the cutting out to other timber outfits. He knew those on the south end of the lake were supplying lumber to the mines and to the growing mining towns in the Sierra and had as much work as they could handle. There was Barney Fuller, but he was likely to go to Crocker himself to make a deal. In fact, Adam was sure he had already tried. He would never put it past Barney to tell Crocker that the Cartwrights were foundering under the weight of the railroad contracts, and that it would be to the railroad’s advantage to spread the work around. Maybe Crocker’s intent was to see just what they could handle with this large contract. The lumber was to be delivered in three parts and upon delivery of each part payment would be made for that part.

With his father and Joe on a cattle drive for the next few weeks, he and Hoss were the only ones that could mark the timber, and they couldn’t be gone at the same time. Shiloh knew how, but he wasn’t prepared to send her into the Sierra forests by herself. Hoss was busy with work their father had left to be done before he could leave for Philadelphia.

That left him. He left the paperwork on the desk in the study and went in search of Shiloh. Trying the barn first, he looked in the door. Her horse wasn’t there which meant she was either at the big barn or at the south corral. Continuing in, he began to saddle Sport.

***

Shiloh and Tom had taken two horses out to work on their gait, riding into a meadow dotted with sprawling live oak trees. She had seen something in the gait of the horse that Tom was riding that she didn’t like, so she dismounted and had Tom ride in circles around her.

“Tom, you’re the boss. Don’t let him fall into that choppy step. Make him reach.” Tom sat further back in his saddle and tapped the horse’s front leg with his crop. “There you go. That’s much better.”

“Mrs. Cartwright?”

“Yes?”

“Is what the other ranch hands are saying true? Are you the one that shot Satan?”

Giving him a blank look for a moment, she breathed in deeply. “Yes, I’m the one that shot Satan. He almost killed Adam.”

“I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t have. I just didn’t know you could shoot like that, that’s all.”

She snorted. “My father taught me how to shoot a rifle. Adam tried to teach me to use a pistol, but I don’t feel comfortable with one.”

“That must have been a bad day for you…loosing Satan and Flower’s foal.” Tom stopped and dismounted, walking the horse over to her.

“Tom, I know how you tried to save the foal. It must have been a hard day for you, too.”

She took the reins of her horse, and the two walked through the meadow toward the ranch. Adam saw them from a distance and rode toward them, but slowed Sport to walk so he could watch them. Tom was walking just behind her right shoulder; closer than Adam thought was appropriate. The way he listened and laughed when Shiloh spoke was completely different than when he was around the men. When he was near Adam, he couldn’t get away fast enough. Adam had to consider that Tom was a grown man now; a year older than Shiloh. He was tall and lean with neat blonde hair. Women would probably consider him good looking. He was no longer out to pick on her as he did when they were children. No, Adam knew that Tom was all too aware that they were both grown now.

“Adam, what brings you out here?” asked Shiloh, smiling.

“I need to discuss something with you. The Crocker contract is here, and it’s a lot bigger than it started. I’m going to need your help with it.”

“You’re asking me for help with a timber contract?” she asked disbelievingly.

“Come on. I’ll explain it at home.”

“Can you give me a ride? These two need to go back down to the big barn.”

Adam swung his leg over Sport’s back and stepped down, and when he turned, he was wearing a wide grin. “You’re steed awaits.”

She returned his smile, and then turned to Tom. “Would you take these two down and keep working with them? These are the next two that will be ready for sale.”

“Yes ma’am,” said Tom, tipping his hat. “Mr. Cartwright.” Turning, he mounted his horse, took the reins of the other horse from Shiloh and trotted away.

Shiloh turned and stepped into Adam, whose arms naturally dropped in place around her. “What’s it like to ride in front of you?” she said, smiling happily up at him.

He smiled back down at her. “Oh, probably as nice as it is to ride behind you.” When they kissed, Adam moved an arm to her shoulders, tightening his hold on her while her hands moved to his back. “We could stay right here and talk,” he said, whispering so close that she could feel the breath of his words. Her eyes moved from his lips, to his eyes and back to his lips, prompting him to take her mouth with his.

When he finished his kiss, she moved a hand to his face, tracing his jaw with a finger. Taking deep, slow breaths, she whispered back. “How important is it that we talk about the timber contract?”

He chuckled. “It’s important.”

Trying to push away, she brought her hands flat down on the front of his shoulders. “You’re teasing me.”

He quickly brought her against him. “No, I’m just giving you something to look forward to.”

Her eyes and mouth flew open. “Adam Cartwright, you’re…” Covering her mouth again, he kissed her until she gave in to him, moving her hands up and around his neck. “Hm…hm.”

“Hm?”

“Mm hm,” she giggled.

“Let’s go,” he said, sweeping her up into his arms and up the side of Sport so that her foot slipped into the stirrup as she pulled herself up. She moved her foot so Adam could use the stirrup to step up, and then settled back against him, enjoying his arms around her for the ride home.

Once in the yard, Adam slid down, then held Shiloh’s arm as she dismounted, and the two went to the study. Sitting in the chair, he unfolded the timber contract while Shiloh slid up on the top of the desk. “Read this. You’ll get more out of it than if I told you.”

They sat quietly for a moment until Shiloh looked up at the ceiling. “Can you and Hoss at least start cutting until Pa and Joe get back?”

“You forget. We have to mark the trees first, and no, Hoss and I can’t do it. Hoss is busy getting ready to leave for Philadelphia. That leaves it to me.”

“Adam, you can’t mark this many trees by yourself. You can’t even mark this many trees in one place.”

Adam leaned back in the chair. “The Flying W probably has enough timberland for this contract, but if we get a few more of these, we’ll need more unless we start clear cutting. We’re not going to do that. We’ll probably have to use some Ponderosa lumber for the others, but before I start cutting trees there, I have to discuss it with Pa.”

“So we have to get the trees marked, start cutting and milling, and look for more land. What isn’t going to get done?”

“The mine will have to wait.”

“Hoss can keep up with the Ponderosa while Pa’s gone, even with the extra work,” she said. “There’s not much going on there with the men on the cattle drive. I can take care of things here, so you don’t really have to do anything on the ranches right now. That leaves you the timber and your drawing.”

“We’ve still got men cutting timber for square sets.”

She raised her eyebrows. “And Shorty is doing a fine job handling it.”

“Shiloh, I need you to go with me to mark the timber. With the two of us, we can probably get it done, but that leaves no one in charge of the Flying W.”

Sliding off the desk, she paced in front of it. “What about Hoss? The few men that didn’t go on the cattle drive to Austin are watching the rest of the herd. It’s the same at the Ponderosa. Hoss doesn’t have to ride out there. They can come to him if they have any trouble, but it should be quiet.”

Propping his elbows on the desk, Adam clasped his hands and rested his chin on them. “What about your performance in Sacramento? Don’t you need to practice?”

“I know all the music well enough that I think the week of rehearsal in Sacramento will be enough. Johnny and Tom can take care of the horses, and I can give Tom a list of horses that need work that he can handle without help. I only have a few mares left that haven’t foaled, and Tom can take care of those with Johnny’s help.”

“Well, we need to talk to Hoss then.” He stood, folded the contract and put it in his back pocket. Stepping around the desk, he moved his hand to the back of Shiloh’s shoulder and guided her out to the barn to saddle her horse. In a few more minutes, they were on their way to the Ponderosa.

**********

Hoss had climbed the ladder to the roof after filling a box full of shingles and tying a rope around it. He had just begun to haul them up when Shiloh and Adam rode into the Ponderosa yard.

“Hey, Adam, I’m mighty glad to see you,” he yelled down.

“What about me?” asked Shiloh.

“Little gal, I’m always glad to see you. That’s not necessarily the case with Older Brother here. Every time you two come for dinner, he’s eatin’ my seconds.”

“So does Shiloh.”

“Yeah, but she don’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”

Adam smirked. “And you wanted my help with something?”

“Yeah, would you throw that box of nails on top of those shingles? I plumb forgot to put ‘em in.”

“Isn’t it a little early to be working on the roof?” Adam asked as he fetched the box of nails and added them to the box. “It’s the middle of summer.”

Hoss started pulling the rope. “Well, with you out of the house now, me and Joe get to do all the repairs around here by ourselves. Pa was afraid with me leavin’ for Philadelphia, some of it wouldn’t get done.”

Holding his hands out to his sides, Adam said, “Hoss, you don’t have to break your neck to get everything done before you leave. Shiloh’s last performance is the second week of October. We’ll be back in plenty of time to help get ready for winter.”

Hoss banged a nail in. “You just be sure you tell that to Pa. He’s the one who’s frettin’ about it. But tell ‘im soon. He’s got me repairin’ the chinkin’ next.”

“You know, all you have to do is get married and move out,” said Adam, grinning impishly. “That’ll mean Little Joe’ll have to do it all himself.”

Hoss stopped what he was doing and chuckled. “Yeah, you’re sure right about that. It’d serve him right, too.” The smile faded from Hoss’s face as he lined up another shingle. “Hey, Adam, you ever thought about what Pa’ll do when we’ve all moved out?”

Looking up at the big house, memories of their youth flooded Adam. “Maybe Joe won’t move out,” he said wistfully. “Then again, we can just send the grandkids over, and Pa can start all over again.”

Stepping into Adam’s side, Shiloh lifted his arm around her shoulder. “You know, he’d probably enjoy that. Hoss, I don’t think you have to worry about Pa. We’ll all be over here visiting. And Adam’s right. I think our children will love staying at Grandpa’s.”

Turning around and sitting, Hoss wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “You two don’t already have something to tell ‘im, do you?”

Adam looked down at Shiloh, who looked away. “Nope. Anyway, we came to talk to you about a little problem we have.”

“What’s that?”

“We got the Crocker contract to replace the third tie contract. He’s added to it. With everyone but you and me gone on cattle drives, that leaves the three of us to take care of both ranches and mark timber.”

“Shiloh can run the Flying W. Cain’t you go mark the trees?”

“That’s the problem. It’s a lot of timber; three trestles, two bridges, two sidings and some coal sheds and water tanks. And it all has to be milled.”

“Does he need it all at once?” asked Hoss, grimacing.

“No, but the first part of it is a big trestle across Sutter’s Lake and an even bigger one over the American River.”

Standing, Hoss made for the ladder and twisted to step on the top rung. “Pa’ll have my hide if I up and leave all this work.”

“I’m not asking you to go, Hoss. I’m asking you to keep an eye on the Flying W while Shiloh and I go mark the trees.”

“That’s right. You did teach her to do that, didn’t you?” said Hoss, taking Shiloh’s shoulder and shaking her, teasingly.

Adam laughed at the cross-eyed face Shiloh made. “If something happens that keeps you away from the repairs, we’ll tell Pa that I’ll make sure they get done.”

Hoss shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, Adam, don’t you think he’ll understand? I mean, he hardly ever turns down a timber contract, and he sure won’t want you to turn down the railroad.”

“That’s what I’m counting on. We’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.”

“Anything I need to know?”

“The men who aren’t on their way to Austin are with the herd, and my men can handle the horses,” explained Shiloh. “Just check on them and make sure there aren’t any problems.”

“Adam, how long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“At least two weeks. We should be getting back just before everyone else gets back from the cattle drives. Then we’ll have to leave for Sacramento for two weeks, so I’ll need you to help Micah with the cutting and milling.”

“Sure thing, Adam. Don’t you worry about nothin’.”

“Thanks, Hoss,” said Adam while Hoss bent down so Shiloh could kiss his cheek.

That evening, while Ming Lin packed staples, a pot, pan, dishes, cups and utensils, and Shiloh prepared their bedrolls, extra cloths and personal items, Adam gathered his measuring tools and two small ledgers he used to keep up with locations and counts of trees. Johnny and Tom gathered what would be needed for the horses and any other tools and prepared the bundles for the pack horse.

After dinner, Shiloh headed for the washroom. “Don’t come looking if I’m in here awhile. I promise I won’t drown.”

“What are you doing?” Adam shouted after she disappeared into the kitchen.

Her faint voice floated into the dining room. “I’m staying in this bath as long as it’s warm. It might be the last bath I have for awhile. I’m not sure I want to take a dip in the creeks up there. They’re cold.”

He followed her into the washroom. “You’d be surprised how good those cold creeks look after a few days,” he laughed.

“Are you joining me?”

Wrapping his arm around her as he closed the door, he said with a twinkle in his eye, “I did promise you’d have something to look forward to, didn’t I?”

**********

 

“Shiloh, let’s go!” yelled Adam, standing at the front door, leaning in. When he didn’t hear a response, he stepped in and walked to the stairs. “Shiloh!”

Hearing the click of her boots behind him, he turned around and leaned on the post of the stairs. “You don’t have to yell. I was in the kitchen.”

“Isn’t everything we need from the kitchen packed?” he asked, turning his head slightly and raising his brows.

“Yes…well, no…well, yes, everything we need for the trip, but…” she smiled. “Ming Lin made sandwiches for our lunch today,” she finished, holding out a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. “I do believe he likes us,” she said, winking.

Chuckling, Adam pushed away from the post, ushering Shiloh out the door. She packed the sandwiches away in her saddlebag, and both mounted, Adam leading the pack horse behind him as they left the Flying W yard just as the sky changed from black to dark blue.

After an hour of riding, the sun had made its appearance, bringing with it uncomfortable warmth. The night air had been unusually warm for the Sierra, and that meant the day’s heat had a head start. Shiloh unbuttoned the top buttons of her blouse and rolled her sleeves up. The heat was making her yawn.

Adam watched her fidget in her saddle while she yawned for at least the fifth time. “Do you need to take a break?”

“No, I’m fine,” she said cheerfully.

“Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“Like a rock. It’s this heat. It makes me sleepy.”

After five or six hours, several necessary stops, and a few pieces of dried beef each at mid-morning, the two stopped near a stream to give the horses a longer rest and have lunch. “Adam, how far out are we going to mark trees?”

“Not much farther. There’s about two hundred acres up this way that’s fairly dense. I thought we’d mark some of the large trees to cut out, and give the smaller one’s room to grow.”

Shiloh unwrapped the sandwiches and looked between the bread. “We’re having ham for lunch,” she said, passing a sandwich to Adam who found a place to sit where they both could lean against a boulder. “Adam, I don’t understand.” She took out half a sandwich for herself, took her canteen off her saddle horn and followed him to the boulder. “We have fifty thousand acres of timberland that I bought from Crocker. How could we not have enough timber for the railroad?”

“It’s not that we don’t have enough timber. We do. But if the ranches are going to continue on for generations supplying timber, we have to make sure we don’t cut too much so there aren’t periods when we have no timber big enough to cut. We replace everything we cut with new saplings, but it takes time for those to grow to a good size, and that differs depending on the type of wood. We spread the cutting out so that in addition to what we plant, the existing trees will naturally propagate. With the extra room from the thinning we do, the young trees have room to grow.”

“Why doesn’t everyone else do that?”

“Because they don’t live on the land. They own it as an investment, and when it’s spent, they move on. As far as the people who do live on their land and clear-cut their trees, maybe they’re not thinking about their children and grandchildren…and great-grandchildren.”

“I’ve always admired your father…the way he takes care of his land. My Dad took from the land as a farmer in the South, and he contributed to the communities around him, but the only thing I can think of that he did for the land was more for his crops. He rotated them every year so he didn’t grow the same thing in the same place two years in a row. He said the dirt would be better if he did that. He cleared all the trees and plowed fields.”

“There has to be people who grow food, Shiloh. We clear fields to grow vegetables and graze cattle. Your father probably didn’t have the amount of land that we have here. Pa always said there’s a responsibility to the land that goes with owning this much.”

After refilling their canteens, they set out again and soon made it to the area Adam had described. Shiloh looked into the darkness underneath the canopy of close-growing trees. “It must be at least ten degrees cooler in there. But how are you going to cut anything? They’re awfully close together.”

“Some will come down when we cut the bigger trees. We’ll take a walk to see if there’s enough trees big enough to cut, and if there are, we’ll make camp.”

There wasn’t enough room to ride the horses into the thick growth, so they walked in. After only a few minutes of looking up, they had separated and were no longer in sight of each other. “Shiloh!”

“I’m over here.”

“You need to stay within sight of me.”

“Then I won’t get very far. It’s too thick in here.”

“Then talk to me.”

There was a moment of silence that made him pause. “Shiloh!”

“What do you want to talk about? Oh, goodness!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a tree…a huge tree. Oh, my…oh, my! Adam!” He was already on his way, and when he got to her, she was looking up and rotating in a circle. He followed her gaze and ran into her, grabbing her even as they both continued to look up…and out. The forest had opened up somewhat, and standing before them were some of the biggest Sugar pines he had ever seen, going out as far as he could see. They walked hand in hand beneath the old growth trees, looking up and occasionally stumbling on roots. Shiloh frowned at the wide grin Adam was wearing. “You’re not going to take all these trees, are you? It probably took hundreds of years for them to get this big.”

“No, we’ll leave some, but we’ll definitely be thinning them out. There’s some good sized trees back in the thicker part that we’ll take, but with these, I don’t think we need to look any further. Let’s go make camp, get the horses settled, and then get started.”

***

After the fourth day, Adam prepared a rabbit to cook for dinner while Shiloh reluctantly decided to bath in a nearby creek. She came back in a fresh white blouse and a split riding skirt. “Feel better?” asked Adam.

“If I do that again, it will be in the afternoon heat. It was cold.” Adam laughed and licked his fingers. “What’s so funny?”

“You are. For being such a tomboy, your girlishness sometimes takes me by surprise.” He knew he shouldn’t have called her a tomboy by the look on her face, her eyes turning sadly big and watery with a frown to match. He stepped toward her, and as she back away, he followed. “Shiloh, sweetheart, there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“I came out here because you asked me to.”

“I know, and for the most part you’re quite womanly. It’s just that you’re so comfortable outside, it’s hard to imagine that you’ve never bathed in a creek.”

“Well, not as an adult. I did when I was younger…before college.”

“And you work just as hard as your men with the horses. That’s a dirty business.”

“It is dirty. Do you expect me to wear a dress when I’m cleaning hooves or hauling hay? If I don’t wear chaps while I work on their feet, I’ll cut my legs to shreds with the rasp.”

She had stopped moving back, allowing Adam to reach her, and when he did, he took her face in his hands and kissed her. “I think I just might bathe after we eat.”

She moved her eyes up. “Well, you’ll have plenty of light. There’s a full moon tonight.”

Once they were finished with dinner, Shiloh rinsed the dishes in the creek while Adam stripped and went in, making a shivering sound. The creek was less than two feet deep, and he sat on the rocks on the bottom. “I brought soap. It’s there on a rock on the bank to your right.”

“You shouldn’t have left the soap here.” He was interrupted by a low groan and a splash. Rolling in the water to rinse the soap off, Adam quickly retreated to the bank, grabbed his clothes and Shiloh’s hand, and hurried back to their campsite without a stitch on. She gave him an incredulous look. “Because your lavender soap will attract bears.”

“Oh.”

She helped him clean the dirt and pine needles off his feet, and once he was dressed, they settled back against a log and looked over their ledgers. She pointed to a page in her ledger. “You need to look over these and make sure they’re reasonable. I’ve never estimated a tree that big.”

He showed her his figures. “We’re averaging about the same board feet for the big trees. You’re doing fine.”

“What are these?” she asked, pointing to a list in his ledger.

“Those will be used for the piers. They have to be a specific diameter and height, and they won’t be milled. They’re using wood for the piers of the two big trestles, but they’ll be using granite for the piers of the bridges. They’ll use milled wood for the trusses.” He shoved the ledgers back into his saddle bag. “That’s enough of this for the night.” Reaching behind her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. “You’re doing very well. I’m proud of you.” She smiled timidly. “Are you ready to lie down?”

“What about the bear?” she asked as she got to her feet and shook out their blankets.

“I doubt he’ll come near the fire, but I’ll have my gun next to me.”

She lay down without covering herself with her blanket. The nights didn’t have the chill until the early morning hours, and until then the blanket tended to be too warm. Lying beside her, Adam leaned over her, kissing her, moving closer and touching her cheek. It wasn’t long until he had her blouse unbuttoned, and she had started on his shirt, and soon, they were under the blanket, all of their clothes except their socks draped over the log.

After a while as they lay in each other’s arms, Adam asked, “Are you happy?”

She raised her head off his shoulder to look in his eyes. “Why would you question that? Yes, I’m happy.” Laying her head back down on his shoulder, she continued, “I have my horses, and I’m still singing.” She laughed lightly. “And I’m involved in timber now.”

“Do you miss the rest of it?”

She gently combed his chest hair with her fingers where it coalesced into a line down the middle of his chest and stomach. “I have to admit. I don’t like being left out. You and Hank make decisions without me. In the beginning you made sure I was included, but that’s changed slowly.”

Raising his hand, he brushed her hair back from her face. “Why haven’t you said anything?”

“Because I’m busy. If I wasn’t so busy, I might have. The other reason is that I don’t want to get so involved that when…” She pulled her hand back and finished quietly. “Well, when we find out there’s a child on the way, that I’m doing something no one else has time to do. You need to able to plan without relying on me to be able to help.”

He turned over to face her, and even though it was a tight fit with both of them lying on one saddle, it was cozily comfortable up against each other as they lay nose to nose. He gently kissed her lips, then the tip of her nose. “Are you ready?”

Lowering her eyes, she hesitated before she looked pensively back up at him. “The thought is a little frightening. I don’t know how to take care of tiny people. They’re so helpless.”

“They do grow up, you know.” She grimaced, and he tightened his hold. “It won’t be any different from anything else you’ve learned. You’ll do fine,” he whispered and dropped off to sleep.

“You’re right,” she whispered back with her eyes closed. “With you, I’ll always be fine.”

**********

“Adam, I don’t remember it ever being this hot,” Shiloh said, dismounting in the yard of the Flying W. Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, she began to untie her bedroll.

Adam stepped down off of Sport and stood beside her still holding the reins of the pack horse. “It’s gotten this hot a few times. You don’t feel it when you’re a kid, and I imagine it didn’t get quite this hot in New York.”

“Not true. But I wasn’t riding a hot horse over parched ground.”

“Can you imagine how Pa, Joe and Micah feel driving cattle in this?”

She grunted and led Spirit toward the barn, looking around. “Where is everybody?”

“They probably all went down to the creek to cool off,” said Adam, chuckling.

After unsaddling their horses and removing the supplies from the pack horse, they took their belongings into the house. “Ming Lin!” shouted Adam.

Before they got to the bottom of the stairs, Ming Lin appeared. “Yes, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Where is everyone?” asked Shiloh.

“Mister Hoss took three men from the herd, and your men, Mrs. Cartwright with him. The men from the other ranches have tried to make a water run over the Ponderosa.”

“When?” asked Adam, heading for the gun cabinet.

“Yesterday.”

“Adam…”

“You’re not going,” he interrupted without looking up.

Crossing her arms, she tapped a foot on the floor. “So, you’re dictating again.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her as he opened the drawer for a box of bullets. “This has nothing to do with the Flying W. It’s the Ponderosa they’re crossing.”

“Can’t you give me one minute of your time?”

Shifting his weight to one leg, he rested the rifle butt on his hip. “One minute.” he said, impatiently.

“The creek that goes through the horse pasture is fed by snowmelt coming out of the mountains.”

He headed for the door. “Shiloh, I don’t have time to discuss the creek.”

“Let me finish,” she barked, following him. “It’s also fed by a spring down where the Clydesdales are, and there’s a good road through some bottom land that goes near there.”

“And what if it’s dry?”

“It’s not dry. The horses still have plenty of water, but I’ll ride down and check it. If the spring is still flowing normally, then there’s still plenty of ground water. They can have as much as they can haul. I’ll bring the adult Clydesdales up here, and the others can go in the pastures with the rest of the horses.”

Bowing his head, Adam lowered his hands to his side as he slowed his walk and turned around. He walked back to her, cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her. “Do you know the road to the lake?” She nodded. “Don’t take the road. Go north and come back over the mountain. You should be behind us when you get to the road.” Both of them hurried to the barn to saddle their horses and were soon off in opposite directions.

***

Adam had no idea where on the road to the lake Hoss had stopped the wagons. He also didn’t know if they were talking or had reached the point of shooting. He backtracked on the road when he was a few miles east of the lake, and eventually came up behind the men lined up baring their rifles. Hoss turned when he heard the horse approaching.

“Adam, when’d you get back?”

“About an hour ago.”

“Any luck?”

“Yep.” Walking to the front of the men, he stood between Hoss and the men from the other ranches. “Someone want to tell me what’s going on? Abner?”

“We need water, Adam, and the lake is only place around we can get it.”

“Abner, I remember my father telling you that you can’t hold up work on the Ponderosa using this road. Did you try blasting your springs open?”

“There ain’t no spring on my land. You know we’re creek fed. We have a holding pond, but it’s gonna be dry in a week if this heat don’t let up. I need to start puttin’ water in it now.”

“What about the smaller lakes closer to Virginia City?”

“That water’s going to Virginia City and the mines. They got guards on those roads, too.”

Looking up, Adam turned to face the rest of the ranchers. “What about all you other men? Don’t you have springs?”

“Adam, we just want enough water to get by until we can either get the springs open or you can show us how to build those windmills to pump the water up.”

They all looked up the road toward the lake when they heard another horse approaching. Shiloh stepped down off of Spirit and handed the reins to one of the men. “Adam, the spring is flowing fine.”

“What spring?” asked Hoss.

“There’s a spring down where I keep the Clydesdales. It feeds the creek that goes through the horse pastures,” she explained.

Turning to face the men, Adam held his hands up to quiet the murmuring. “Listen to me. We have spring water on the Flying W that’s easier to get to than the lake. You can take your wagons there and haul as much as you need until you can access your springs. Abner, take as much as you need to fill your pond.”

The men talked among themselves, and when the Ponderosa and Flying W hands saw their nodding heads, they lowered their rifles.

“How do we get there, Adam?” asked Abner.

“I’ll have some men lead you down there.”

Shiloh turned toward her men. “Johnny, you, Tom and Billy, go down with them. One of you bring the adult Clydesdales up to the house, and put the others in the pasture with the rest of the horses. You’ll have to cut the fence and remove a post so the wagons can get through. Make sure they stay on the road side of the spring. I don’t want them tearing up the pasture.” The three men left the line, mounted their horses and rode to the back side of the wagons.

“The rest of you men help get the wagons turned around,” said Hoss.

Taking Shiloh’s arm, Adam led her back out of the way of the wagons turning around. Hoss walked back and stood with them. “Adam, I’m sure glad you got here when you did. They all sent back to their ranches for more men. It was about to get a might ugly.”

“Well, they’re desperate men, Hoss. Desperate men sometimes do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do.”

“So what d’you find?”

Adam stood with his arms crossed, watching the wagons, and turned to Hoss. “We found a stand of some of the biggest Sugar pines I think I’ve ever seen. There’s about two hundred acres of them.”

“You know, Adam, you probably need to map the forests on the Flying W same as you did on the Ponderosa. If you’d a done that, you’d a known about those trees.”

“And just when would you like me to do that?” answered Adam, raising his chin and eyebrows. “And now Pa has me building windmills for everyone else.”

“Naw, Joe can do that when he gets back. All he has to do is build one and show the other’s while he’s doin’ it. Then they can build their own windmills.”

Adam breathed deeply. “Do you have any cutting crews available on the Ponderosa?”

“Don’t you have one you hired for the railroad?”

“Yeah, but I need two.”

“You have one problem,” said Shiloh. “Three of the horses are being used for the square sets, so you only have three harnesses left. And with the size of those trees, you’ll need two horses to pull them.”

“Well, we can send you one back, but you’ll need a couple more teams if you double ‘em,” said Hoss. “And the only one around here who has those harnesses already made is Otis, and I doubt he’ll rent the harnesses without the horses.”

“Send me the horse and the crew. We’ll get started. I’ll ask Noah at the forge in town to make three more sets of harnesses.”

**********

Driving the wagon carrying two sets of new harnesses with four horses tied behind, Shiloh drove into the first of the two timber camps Adam had started at the Sugar pine site. She found him busy at the makeshift desk under the canopy where the extra tools, maps and timber ledgers were kept.

When he heard the wagon rattle into the camp, he stood and watched as she came to a stop, pushing the brake with her foot. Walking over, he peered over the side before he reached up to help her down.

“I have four of the harnesses and the horses to wear them,” she said, looking back at the wagon. “And I have lunch for you.”

He kissed her. “I’ll be right back.” Walking away, he yelled, “Ward!”

A man trotted up to him. “Yessir, Boss.”

“Get these horses harnessed and take one pair up to the other camp after you put one to work here.”

“We already got logs ready for em’ to pull,” said Ward, smiling. “But we could use more wagons to take ‘em over to the mill.”

“I’ll work on it,” said Adam, turning back to Shiloh. “You mentioned lunch? I could eat a side of beef.”

“Well, that’s good, because I brought roast beef.” Taking the picnic basket from the seat of the wagon, Adam put his arm around her and walked her back to the desk. “How are we doing?”

“Not bad. I’ve got teamsters lined up to take loads to Sacramento as the lumber is milled, so Crocker has a steady supply of lumber to build his trestles. He said they’re working on both at the same time.” She handed him a plate of food. “The contract calls for three parts, be we’ll be cutting and delivering straight through. The rails are scheduled to arrive in port in October, so we don’t have time to stop and start again.”

“What about your work for Slater?”

“I brought it with me.”

“So you won’t be coming home at all for awhile.”

He stopped eating and wiped his mouth. “Probably not. Sweetheart, I need to talk to you about Sacramento.” Sitting down on a barrel, she took a deep breath before she looked up at him. “I won’t be able to go with you for your week of rehearsal. I’ll see you off in Virginia City, then join you the second week for your performances.”

“I suppose it was inevitable with everything that’s come up this year.”

“This year is a little busier than most. We don’t usually have two cattle drives at the same time in opposite directions, and we don’t usually have the number of timber contracts we have this year. When Micah gets back, he’ll be running the other camp, and when this contract is done, the mine will be his responsibility.”

She frowned. “And you wanted to irrigate the Flying W and build a dairy.”

“I still want to do that. It just won’t be this year. And I thought the dairy could be your responsibility. I’ll handle all the timber contracts.”

“What about the Ponderosa? You’re father still counts on you.”

“I’ll have to take Joe and Hoss along with me to learn what I do. They’ll have to take over some of my responsibilities there.” She sighed and looked away. “Shiloh, building a ranch takes years, and keeping it competitive takes almost as much time in the beginning. Things will settle down once we have people in place to manage it all.” Picking up his sandwich, he took another bite. “How are things at the ranch?” he said with a mouthful.

“We’ve had to move some of the cattle to the upper meadow. There’s not enough grass left in the main pasture to feed all of them, and what’s been eaten isn’t coming back up. There’s no water source there. I sold two more horses to a man named Ben Haggin. He was on his way to San Francisco, and Mr. Hearst told him he should stop and take a look. He breeds race horses.” She dug through the picnic basket. “He asked me to give you this,” she said, passing an envelope to Adam.

“How’s your hand?”

She held it up, turning it and looking at the scars. “I’m still having trouble with that first piece of music. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play like I used to.”

“It hasn’t been that long, Sweetheart. Give it time,” he said, looking up from the papers Haggin had sent. “This doesn’t surprise me, but at least, it’s finished.”

“What is it?”

“It turns out that the broker, who was trying to sell the ranch and made arrangements for Hearst to get the assay, was working for a firm out of Boston that was owned by a partnership in New York, who also established a partnership with a silent partner in San Francisco. He never found the name of the silent partner, but all the legal paperwork was drawn up and filed by William Stewart, Esq.”

“I don’t understand. I realize Will was trying to get me to leave the ranch, but what about the silver? If he sold it to Hearst, he’d never see any of it.”

“Before we were married, the silver wouldn’t have made a difference to him. He would have kept doing what he was doing in Boston, and he planned for you to be there with him. When we were married, he knew he wouldn’t be getting you to sell the ranch. He probably hired Sam King to tunnel into the back of our silver vein and take as much as he could. He’d kidnap you, take you to Europe as Natalie Peterson and live off the proceeds from the silver. But then you shot King, and his men had no idea who he was dealing with. So they decided to keep the silver for themselves. With Stewart dead, no one checked on it. Maybe the men thought they could get some ore out of the mine before Hearst found out what he bought.”

She looked back at her hand, rubbing it and said sadly, “I have a constant reminder of that man.”

Standing, Adam walked around the table, took her hand and pulled her up, hugging her. “If Haggin hadn’t sent that information, you wouldn’t have thought about him.”

“Not true. I think about him every time I sit down at the piano. I haven’t even tried my violin. I’m afraid I’ll smash it.”

He looked around him then pulled her further back under the canvas that covered his work area. Taking her face in his hands, he looked lovingly into her eyes. “He’s gone, Sweetheart. And your hand will be fine in time.” He gave her a long, deep kiss that made her clench his shirt in her hands. Grunting, he grabbed them.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about your chest hair.”

He cleared his throat and rubbed his chest, smiling tentatively. “It’s alright. I’ll live.”

Leaning back into him, she looked up into his eyes. “I have to go if I’m going to get home before dark.”

“Why don’t you stay tonight?”

“I can’t. I have to pack my trunk.”

“You’re not packing it tonight, and if you leave at daybreak you’ll still have plenty of time tomorrow.”

“Micah will be back tomorrow.”

“And so will you if you leave early enough in the morning.” He was wearing a puckish smile that showed his dimples and gave his eyes an impish sparkle as leaned into her. She was backing away, but he moved his hands behind her and let her go only so far before his lean caught up with her just as her back met the table.

“And just where do we sleep?” she asked, moving her arms around his neck.

“There’s a piece of canvas rolled up above the open side of this tent,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “We’ll sleep in here.”

“With the other men just outside? Not on your life, Mister.”

“Alright. We’ll sleep outside in the back of the wagon.” He raised his head to look at her. “Stay. Please.”

She kissed him, and he straightened up from his lean. “Is there something I can do while I’m here?”

Walking back around the table, he picked up the ledgers for both cutting sites. “You can check my figures.”

She smiled and took the ledgers from him, picking up a pencil from the table. Sitting on the barrel, she opened them, glanced up at him with a wink, and began going over his numbers.

**********

Micah stayed at the timber camps while Adam left to drive Shiloh into town to catch the stage to Sacramento. The stagecoach wasn’t there when they arrived in town. That gave Adam time to find some help to unload Shiloh’s trunk.

Standing on the boardwalk, waiting, Adam took his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out five hundred dollars, folding it in his hand and handing it to Shiloh secretively. “Put this in your bag. I don’t want anyone to know you’re traveling with this much money.”

“Is that the money from the cattle drive?”

“Yes. I’m taking it to the bank.”

“How’d Micah do?”

“He got thirty a head. It seems some ranches are unwilling to drive cattle into the desert in this heat. They worry about the forage and water, but I drew Micah a map to all the watering holes past Eastgate, so he didn’t have a problem.”

Both of them looked down the street when they heard the rumble of the stagecoach barreling around the corner. “It feels like we’ve already been apart for so long with you staying at the timber camp,” said Shiloh.

He took her hands in his and smiled. “You’ll be so busy rehearsing, you won’t notice.”

“I’ll notice every night when there’s no one else in the bed,” she replied, blushing.

Leaning into her, he whispered in her ear. “We’ll just have to make the first night I’m there special.” He turned her face up with a finger under her chin, and kissed her tenderly, but appropriately for the middle of town. By this time, the stagecoach had emptied and new passengers had begun to load. “Did you make a reservation at the Golden Eagle?”

“No, the theatre booked rooms for me at the St. George. They provided a suite as part of my contract.”

“Why the St. George?”

“I asked for the St. George. Everyone will be looking for me at the Golden Eagle. They’ll eventually find me, but I’ll have some peace for a little while, at least. And the St. George will arrange a carriage for me and my belongings from the railroad depot.”

“Depot?”

“Yes, I’ll be taking the train in from Folsom.”

Ushering her to the coach, he said, “We need to get you on board so you’ll have the window.” He kissed her one more time, and held her elbow as she stepped up.

“Hey Adam, you mind givin’ me a hand with the missus’ trunk.”

“Sure, Slim,” he said, and disappeared behind the stage. Carrying the rest of her bags to the front, Adam threw them up once Slim was seated in the driver’s box. “Slim, she doesn’t do well in the coach. Take it easy on her.”

“I’ll miss as many holes as I can, Adam.”

Adam stepped back to the window. She gave him her hand, and he kissed it. “I’ll see you in a week.” The two held hands until the departure of the stagecoach separated them. Watching until it turned the corner, Adam looked down at his hand savoring the lingering feel of her hand in his. He lifted it to his nose and smelled her scent on him.

“Adam, everything alright?” Roy Coffee stepped next to him. “I see Mrs. Cartwright’s going out of town.” Both men looked down at their feet, and Roy glanced back up. “You and Shiloh haven’t been apart since you been married, have you?”

With a crooked smile, Adam answered. “She hates riding in stagecoaches. I was supposed to go with her, but…”

“But you’ve got work to do.”

“Something like that.”

“Take some advice from an old man. I’ve been a sheriff for a long time; doin’ my rounds, workin’ late on paperwork, takin’ care of folks. I never regretted it until the day Mary died. That’s when I realized I spent too much time workin’ and not enough time with the love of my life. Once you start, Adam, it’s hard to stop.”

“Roy, with her singing and the ranch, we’re going to be separated from time to time.”

Roy looked Adam in the eye. “Mm hm. You sure there’s no one who can take over for you while you’re gone? Just think about it, Son.”

“I’ll do that, Roy.”

He did think about it all the way back to the Ponderosa. He wanted to see if his father and brother were back from San Francisco. Both were in the house relaxing in the sitting room
with Hoss when Adam walked in.

“Adam, what brings you over?” asked Ben. “I thought you were still up at the timber camp.”

“I was, but I came down to see Shiloh off. She’s on her way to Sacramento.”

“Weren’t you going with her?”

“Well, I was, but you and Micah just got back from cattle drives, and I thought you might need a few days rest. Ward’s watching things up at the camp. I’m on my way back up now.” Adam chewed his lip. “Well, I thought I’d stop and say hello, so now that I have, I’ll just be…”

“Adam?” said Ben. “Why don’t you go home, pack a bag, and take the late stage out to Sacramento. One of us will go handle the timber camp.”

“Yeah, Older Brother. In fact, if you’ll help with the winter preparations around here, I’ll go up there and spell Ward.”

Adam’s half-smile slowly turned into a wide grin. “Both ledgers are on the table in the tent.” Turning, Adam opened the door, then stopped and turned back. “Thanks, Hoss. Pa.”

“Now just wait a dadburn minute. You’re gonna have to tell me where this camp is.”

“Oh, yeah.” Adam rushed to the desk, drew a map and gave it to Hoss.

“I know where this is. That timber’s so thick, how’d you find anything in there?”

“Hoss, in the middle of all those trees are some of the biggest Sugar pines you’ve ever seen. We’re staying at the St. George. I’ll check the loads when they get to Sacramento.”

***

It had been warm when she first got on the stagecoach, but she really didn’t notice. It was one thing to be saying goodbye when no one was actually leaving the ranch, but quite another to say goodbye when the stagecoach whisked you away to another state altogether. She didn’t have much time to let it settle that Adam wasn’t going with her. She didn’t want to let go of his hand, but the exit of the stagecoach took care of that.

One would think that sitting by a window would have given her some relief from the heat, but regardless, the coach felt like an oven. This stagecoach was carrying mail and would be traveling through the Carson Valley to Kingsbury Grade, then back over the southern face of the Sierra and into the Lake Tahoe basin.

When they arrived in Carson City, the horses were changed, so she had time to remove her dress jacket, giving her a modicum of relief. She used it as a cushion on the hard bench. In the short time it took them to get to Genoa, she had rolled up her sleeves which gave the other woman in the coach and her daughter the courage to do the same. The coach stopped at Van Sickle’s station only long enough to pay the toll at the base of Kingsbury Grade. When they stopped at Peter’s station halfway up the grade to rest the horses, she went inside the bar, asking for an empty bottle. Her appearance there stirred up the teamsters that had stopped to rest, and in the process of dodging them and trying to speak to the bartender, she finally bought a bottle of whiskey as it seemed to be the quicker solution.

Turning to the men at the tables, she said, “Now, if you gentlemen will behave, I’ll refill all of your glasses.” She made her way around the tables until the bottle was empty, and then made a quick exit. Rinsing the empty whiskey bottle out at the pump, she filled it with fresh water and carried it back on the stage with her. The air in the basin was noticeably more comfortable, but that only lasted until they were just west of Slippery Ford. It wasn’t long before the young girl looked as if she would faint. Shiloh passed the bottle.

“It’s alright. It’s just water, and she looks like she could use it.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cartwright. I’m Henrietta Wright, and this is my daughter, Rachel.”

“Mrs. Wright, it’s nice to meet you. And Rachel, how are you?” The little girl buried her face in her mother’s side.

“How old is she?”

“She’s four.”

“Have we met?”

“Oh, no. We haven’t been in Virginia City very long, but I’ve seen you and your husband in town.”

“Are you stopping in Sacramento or going on to San Francisco?”

“We’ll be stopping in Sacramento long enough to go through some of our belongings coming in from San Francisco.”

“Oh, so you’re from San Francisco.”

“No, we’re from back East.” She looked away, but Shiloh didn’t miss the tear rolling down her cheek before she was able to brush it away.

Addressing the gentleman sitting in front of her, Shiloh asked, “Would you mind changing seats with me?” The man stood and stepped toward the center of the coach so Shiloh could move directly over. When she was seated again, she spoke in a low voice, “Can I help you in any way?”

“No, ma’am. I’m fine.”

“How old are you? Twenty-two? Twenty-three?”

“I’m twenty-two.”

“Well, I’m twenty-four, so we’re close to the same age. Sometimes it helps to talk when we feel sad.”

“We’re going to go through the things that my husband’s family sent because they want nothing to do with us. You see, my husband was killed in a flash flood while we were traveling west with a wagon train. He left Rachel and me in the wagon while he tried to pull the horses, and he…” Before she finished, she was in tears, barely getting the last few words out. “He never came back to the wagon.”

Shiloh took her hand. “I’m so sorry. It must be quite frightening for you to carry on with a young daughter without him.”

“I decided to come west anyway. The only family we had was his, and they made it absolutely clear that they didn’t want us to come back after their son died. We had a little money saved up, so we’ll be living on that until I can find employment. They said they would get our belongings to Sacramento. We have to go through them and see what we can keep. I don’t have the money to send it all back to Virginia City, and even if I did, I don’t have a place to put it all.”

Shiloh saw a sign go by for Folsom. “Where are you staying in Sacramento?”

“I don’t know yet. We’ll have to find a place when we get there.”

“When you do, please send word to me at the St. George. I’d like to make sure you’re able to take care of all this business. I’d be most happy to help if I can. Are you going all the way on the stagecoach?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Well, I’m getting off in Folsom and riding the train.” The coach pulled to a stop, and Shiloh took her hand again. “Please let me know where you are. If you don’t find me as Mrs. Cartwright, ask for Miss Whitney. And when we get back to Virginia City, I may be able to help you find employment.”

“That would be wonderful, Mrs. Cartwright. Thank you.”

***

Adam had rushed packing his bag. Hank drove him into town, and when he boarded the late stagecoach, he mentally went over what he had brought with him, finally deciding that it didn’t matter. If he forgot something, he’d be able to find it Sacramento. Lowering his hat over his eyes, he leaned into his corner and dozed, waking with a start each time the stagecoach hit a hole.

Expecting to arrive in Sacramento after midnight, Adam thought about finding Shiloh sound asleep. A smile stole over his lips as he thought about how he would wake her, then how he would send her back to sleep. The man seated across from him saw the lingering smile and said, “You must be meeting someone special at your destination.”

“My wife,” said Adam, still smiling.

“Separated very long?”

“It feels like an eternity.”

***

“Mrs. Cartwright, welcome to the St. George,” said a man who stepped from behind the front desk and approached her. “I’m Mr. Ketching, the manager. If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to your suite. I’ll have your bags brought up in a few minutes.”

When Shiloh’s bags arrived, the first thing she did was wash off before she changed into her gown and robe, having perspired…no sweated on the stagecoach. Her back was soaked, her armpits were soaked; there wasn’t really a dry place on her.

Mr. Ketching accompanied an attendant to her room, delivering coffee as well as champagne, and while the attendant transferred the service from the cart to a table, Mr. Ketching asked, “Would you like to order something from the restaurant for dinner?”

“I’m not very hungry. Something light?”

“I’ll have Chef make you something special, Mrs. Cartwright. I understood Mr. Cartwright would be with you.”

“He was delayed, but he will be joining me next week.”

He nodded. Your dinner will be delivered shortly,” he answered as he backed out of the room behind the attendant.

“Thank you, Mr. Ketching.”

Shiloh sat next to the window, watching the bustling streets of Sacramento. She didn’t notice the lanterns being turned up or the commotion outside the bar across the street. Her thoughts and her heart were a hundred and fifty miles away.

She jumped when the attendant knocked on the door. He had returned with an omelet, made wonderfully light and fluffy. After dinner, Shiloh took a book to bed, but instead of reading, she wondered what Adam was doing. It would have been too dark to cut timber for awhile, so he was either working on the ledgers or sitting near the fire with the men finishing his last cup of coffee before he turned in. Did he miss her the way she missed him? She sighed and blew out the lamp.

**********

Adam walked from the Wells Fargo office three streets over to the St. George Hotel. Ordinarily, he’d be tired coming in at one in the morning, but he was feeling light on his feet and a bit giddy at the prospect of surprising Shiloh.

When he stopped at the front desk, the night clerk turned the guest register around for Adam to sign. “I’m Adam Cartwright. My wife already has a suite here.”

“Oh yes, Mr. Cartwright. We weren’t expecting you until next week.”

Adam smiled and looked at the book. “She’s not expecting me, I know. I thought I’d surprise her.” The clerk turned and took a key down from the key board. “Wait just a minute. How do you know I’m not just saying I’m her husband?”

“She left an excellent description of you.” He picked up a piece of paper, and clearing his throat, he began to read, “Tall, handsome, very dark, neat, curly hair, a cleft chin, a button nose, deep hazel eyes, deep voice, very well spoken, black gun belt, black hat with studs, long fingers, dimples…shall I go on?”

Chuckling, he took the key. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Your suite is on the third floor at the end of the hall to the right.”

Adam nodded, and turned, chuckling again as he began the climb. Checking the door before he inserted the key to see if she had remembered to lock it, he said aloud, “Good girl,” then pushed the door open. After he relocked the door, he looked around the moonlit room and found the center table where he set his bag. He undressed and quietly padded to the bedroom door which Shiloh had left slightly open. Stepping in, he tiptoed to the bed, finding the covers and easing underneath.

She felt the bed move, and though it took her a moment to awake fully, her hand moved to the night table feeling for her brush. She wrapped her fingers around the handle, and just as he moved toward her, she rolled toward him, bringing the brush down.

“Ow,” he said, instinctively raising his arms to block the blows raining down on him. “Shiloh, wha…” he start to say, but was stopped by the back of the brush slamming down on his lip.

Grabbing her hands, he rolled her over, but she pushed away with her foot, and the momentum carried them off the bed. Adam landed on his back with Shiloh coming down on top of him. She was on her feet lightning fast, grabbing a perfume bottle off the night table and drawing her arm back to throw it.

Raising his hands in front of him, he shouted, “Shiloh, it’s me!”

“Adam?” She slowly relaxed, and lowered her arm. He let his head drop back down on the floor, his arms and legs outstretched, catching his breath. “What are you doing here?” she asked as she knelt next to him, taking his face in her hands. “Oh, Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I thought you broke in and…well…I’m so sorry.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, grimacing.

“Well, you did. Oh, you’re bleeding. I’ll get you a wet cloth.” He wiped his lip on the back of his hand before she got to him with the cloth. After lighting a lamp, she sat back down in front of him. “Are you alright?”

She reached out to touch where she had hit him, and he shrunk back. “Don’t! Touch it. It hurts.” Drawing her hand back slowly, she brought her knees up in front of her, laid her head on her arms, and timidly looked at him. “Can I do anything…anything at all?”

“Did I see champagne in the other room?” She nodded. “Would you bring it in here and pour me a drink?”

“Of course,” she said, rising and hurrying out of the room. When she returned, he was sitting up, and she handed him a glass, pouring the champagne. He tipped it up, holding out the glass for a refill. “Adam, I don’t think champagne will have quite the same effect as whiskey.”

He cocked his head brusquely. “Do you have any whiskey?”

“No,” she answered quietly, retreating to her position with her knees folded up in front of her. “Can we get up off the floor?”

“It’s safer down here,” he answered, glowering and handing her the bloodied cloth.

“Oh, now you’re trying to make me feel bad,” she said with narrowed eyes, throwing the cloth back at him as she stood. “I’m going back to bed. You’re welcome to join me if you feel it’s safe.” Blowing out the lamp, she went to the other side of the bed and lay down. It wasn’t long before she felt the bed move as he crawled in on the opposite side and slowly slid toward her, poking her arm cautiously. “What are you doing?”

“Just checking to see if it’s safe.”

“Oh, spsh!” she said, pulling the sheet over her. He pulled her next to him, poking her in the side. “Stop it.” When he dug in with his fingers, tickling her, she wriggled until she was facing him and holding his hands, laughing. Sliding his hands underneath and over her, he drew her into him, and she wrapped her arms around him. “How did you manage to get away?”

“I stopped by the Ponderosa on the way back to camp. Pa offered help, and Hoss said he’d go run the camp if I’d help with the winter preparations.”

“And Pa didn’t object?”

“Not a word. He was smiling when I left.”

“I didn’t really hurt you, other than your lip, did I?”

Leaning his head back, he gave her a disbelieving look, though she couldn’t really see it. “At first, I thought I had entered the room of a shrew. And yes, it hurt enough that I’ve changed my plans tonight. I think I’ll just cut my losses and go to sleep.”

“Well, it is two in the morning. And I do have to go to the theatre tomorrow…but I don’t have to be there until ten, so we can sleep in.”

“See, I knew things could only get better.”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Trying to make me feel bad.”

“I don’t have to try to make you feel something you already feel.” She pushed against him, but he held her to him. “Ssh. Go to sleep,” he said quietly.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too. Go to sleep.”

**********

The Riverfront Restaurant had been Adam’s favorite place for breakfast in his past visits to Sacramento. He and Shiloh walked the four blocks to Front Street and took a table near a window to watch the activities on the Sacramento River. “I’ll walk you to the theatre this morning after breakfast. Then I need to see Crocker. Another load of timber is due, and I want to check to make sure it’s to Crocker’s liking.”

“Has he complained?”

“No, I just want to make sure he won’t. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”

“Didn’t you eat anything for dinner?”

“No. Dinner at the station in Placerville wasn’t all that appetizing, and we didn’t stay long enough to find something else.

“You should have said something last night. I’m sure we could have found you something.”

“You mean this morning. I actually had something else in mind before my beating. After that, nothing was appealing.”

She shrank in the chair. “Adam, I’m so sorry.”

When the waiter came by, Adam ordered their breakfast, and then turned his attention back to her. “You don’t beat the hell out of me when I come to bed late at home.”

“Well, who else will be coming to bed at home? I’m in a strange place, and you weren’t supposed to be here.”

He took her hand. “Sweetheart, it’s alright. Next time, I’ll stand back and get something long to poke you with,” he said chuckling. She gave him a sarcastic smile.

After breakfast, Adam left Shiloh just inside the door of the theater. “This is smaller than you’re used to.”

“It seats eighty. That’s one reason I’ll be here a full week. They wanted me to do two performances each evening, but I decided against it. I’ve never sung that much at once, and I was afraid I’d lose my voice. Anyway, with the limited seating each night, they’re sure to be sold out, and hopefully people will be scrambling to buy tickets.”

“Do you have a break at lunch?” She nodded. “I’ll come back after I see Crocker.”

“That would be lovely,” she said, smiling up at him. He kissed her and left her to her rehearsal. Turning, she took in the shape and size of the room, the distance from the back seats to the stage, and the décor. It was quite simple. She’d expected something more on the lines of Maguire’s houses in a city the size and importance of Sacramento.

“Miss Whitney,” called the manager from her right. “You’re early. The musicians and their conductor won’t be here for another twenty minutes.”

“That’s fine. I wanted to hear the hall without the music. This hall is smaller than I’m accustomed to. How many musicians do you have?”

“We have the minimum number to make up an orchestra.”

“I see. I sent extra music so we would have some choices. I may have to forego a few pieces. Would you mind if I sang a few scales before everyone arrives?”

“Not at all. I’ll be in the office,” he said, pointing. Let me know if you need anything.”

***

Walking from Front Street to I Street, Adam followed the railroad ties set in the ground starting along the riverfront, just across the street from the American Theatre and leading to the location of the trestle across Sutter’s Lake. When he arrived at the site, there were stacks of timber on both sides of the outlet of the lake where the water moved in and out with the swells of the river. The piers were installed; large timbers sticking up out of the water, and just above the water were the trusses attached both diagonally and straight. Men had already begun working for the day, moving the timbers out toward the middle of the slough on boats. Based on the stacks of timber, it appeared that Crocker had what he needed when he needed it. He watched for a few more minutes before he turned down I Street toward Crocker’s office.

Opening the glass-paned door, he stepped in. “Mr. Cartwright, it’s nice to see you again,” greeted the clerk. “If you’ll take a seat, I’ll tell Mr. Crocker you’re here. It may be a few minutes. He’s in a meeting with Governor Stanford, Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Huntington.”

A few minutes had passed when the clerk came out of the office. “Mr. Cartwright, if you’ll follow me.”

The clerk led him into a lavishly decorated room with tall windows and a large table surrounded by four leather chairs, each occupied by one of the principles of the railroad. The clerk assisted Mr. Crocker in pulling another chair up to the table. “Please join us, Mr. Cartwright,” said Mr. Crocker as the other three gentlemen stood and introductions were made.

“Mr. Cartwright, I must say,” began Governor Stanford. “I admire the way you handle your timber business. Building is going well, and there have been no delays waiting for lumber.”

“That’s good to hear, Sir.”

“The arguments given by Mr. Fuller to split the contracts with him seem unfounded,” said Mr. Hopkins.

Adam smiled. “Gentlemen, I suspected Barney Fuller had paid you a visit. We’ve been competitors for several years. I trust we’re passing our test.”

“With flying colors, Mr. Cartwright,” said Governor Stanford. “May I call you Adam?”

“Of course, Governor.”

Hopkins leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table. “Are you the same Cartwright who designed the new San Francisco courthouse?”

“Yes, I am.”

“You’ve got quite a few irons in the fire then,” said Mr. Huntingdon.

Crocker set a glass of whiskey in front of Adam. “I believe you’re here for your wife’s performance. Is that right?”

“Yes, it is. She’s rehearsing this week and will be performing next week. I hope you gentlemen already have your tickets. I understand all her performances are almost sold out.”

“We do. In fact, we’ve bought quite a few of those tickets and invited some of our business and political associates,” said Huntington. “I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing Miss Whitney…oh, excuse me…Mrs. Cartwright sing. I’m looking forward to it. Tell me, Adam, she’s billed as Isabella Whitney, and that is how I’ve always heard her addressed. Is that just a stage name?”

“Yes and no. She was born Shiloh Isabella Whitney. She’s known at home in Nevada as Shiloh, but back East where she went to college, she was known as Isabella. She began singing in New York and Boston.”

Crocker passed the whiskey to Hopkins. “You all must meet Mrs. Cartwright. She purchased some land from me last year before she married Adam, and we were able to leverage the stipulations in that agreement with these railroad contracts.” Smiling wryly, he added, “In fact, I believe she outbid you, didn’t she, Adam?”

Adam chuckled. “Yes, that’s true. Neither of us thought she’d win because of her inexperience. Little did we know you had something specific in mind for the residual contract payments her bid called for.”

“Aren’t you part of the Ponderosa?” asked Hopkins.

“Gentlemen, it’s the Flying W, not the Ponderosa, who is supplying the lumber,” said Crocker, spinning his glass.

“Well, that’s mostly true, Charles. We’re using the Ponderosa’s sawmill for the millwork. We’ll probably be using some Ponderosa timber for some of the later contracts. And it’s my brother, Hoss, who’s running the camps in my absence with Shiloh’s brother, Micah.”

“Regardless, with your marriage, the Whitney Ranch and the Ponderosa have become formidable partners. Will we be seeing Shiloh’s brother this trip?”

“Micah and my father are both coming out for a few days next week to see Shiloh perform.”

“Mrs. Stanford and I are entertaining some guests at our home after Mrs. Cartwright’s closing performance Saturday night. We’d be delighted if you all can come.”

“We’d be honored, Governor. While I’m here, I hope to inspect some of the lumber loads as they come in, and I’d also like to see what you have on hand at the American River trestle site. I believe you’re due for a load of lumber there tomorrow.”

“We are, indeed. Why don’t you come to the office tomorrow morning, say around eight, and I’ll take you over myself?” offered Crocker.

“I’ll do that.” Adam emptied his whiskey glass, setting it on the table and stood. “Gentlemen, I apologize for the interruption. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

All of the men stood and shook Adam’s hand. “It’s been our pleasure as well. I look forward to speaking with you again Saturday evening,” said Governor Stanford.

“Thank you, Sir. I look forward to it as well.” When Adam stepped out onto the boardwalk, he squinted in the bright sunlight. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead before he had gotten past the corner of the building. He pulled his bandana out of his pocket and wiped his neck as he walked back to the theatre.

Quietly stepping inside, he sat in one of the back seats and watched Shiloh. She was as engaging as ever and looked comfortable talking with the conductor and musicians. It wasn’t long before she had them laughing, and by the time she was ready to break for lunch, the whole atmosphere in the theatre had become light and relaxed.

After lunch, they went back to the theatre, and Shiloh sang with the orchestra, stopping, discussing points with the conductor and starting again. Toward the end of the day, the conductor walked to the back of the hall and listened, clapping his hands to stop the music.

“Miss Whitney, can you reduce your volume on the high notes? You’re much too loud for this size orchestra and hall.”

“I was afraid of that,” she said from the stage. “I’ll have to practice singing them softer, and you’ll have to tell me what volume is appropriate. I won’t be able to tell from here.”

“Very well. We’ll work on it in the morning. If we make the same progress tomorrow as today, we will be ready in the next few days…ahead of schedule. Everyone, please be back here tomorrow at nine.”

***

“Adam, what business do you have tomorrow morning that’s taking you away from my rehearsal?” asked Shiloh later that evening at dinner.

“I went by the railroad office to speak with Crocker to make sure he was satisfied with the lumber we’re providing. It turns out Barney did try to get a piece of the railroad work, but Crocker and his partners are happy with us.” He washed down a bite with a sip of wine. “Before I went to the office, I walked over to the trestle site at Sutter’s Lake. It’s not far from the theatre. It looks like they have plenty of lumber to keep up with the work. I mentioned I wanted to go over to the American River trestle site because there was a load of lumber due tomorrow, and Crocker invited me to ride over with him.”

“It’s good that you have something to do. I was worried you’d get bored while I practice.”

Laying his fork on his plate, he wiped his mouth with his napkin, and placed it back on his lap. “Shiloh, watching you work isn’t boring. I do wonder, though, why you haven’t chosen to sing more. You look so happy when you’re on stage whether you’re practicing or performing.”

She sat back in her chair. “Don’t I look happy at home?”

“There are times when you don’t. But when we’re not running gunmen off or when you’re not dealing with problem horses, or when there’s no one trying to kill one of us, you do look happy…but not as happy and relaxed as you appear to be on a stage.”

Picking up her fork, she pushed her food around on her plate before she looked up at him, smiling. “Don’t you think that if I decided to sing all the time, we’d never see each other? I don’t think you’d give up your work on the ranch to follow me around the country. In fact, I don’t think you’d drop everything here to follow me to Europe. That’s the real reason I didn’t go.”

Adam crooked his jaw and sat back. He thought she had chosen not to go to Europe because she wanted her ranch life, but was she saying now that she stayed for him?

Noticing the look, she quickly continued. “Adam, you make me happier than any of it. I choose not to sing so much because I want our life together. I know I’ve been hesitant about having children, but that’s not because I don’t want them, and it’s really not because I’ll have to give up some things for awhile. I wanted things to be settled at the ranch before a child came along. I wanted to be able to help get the ranch to a state that you wouldn’t have to break your neck to keep up with it alone. Then Micah came home, and I worried less about that, and by that time, we had fallen into a routine of sorts, and I had men to help with the horses.” Looking away, she finished, “The main reason I’ve stalled is because…I’m scared…really scared about being responsible for a little life.”

Letting out the breath he just realized he was holding, he smiled and reached for her hand. “You’re not alone in this, you know. We’re both responsible for the little lives we create.”

She bowed her head, wearing a slight smile and cut her eyes up to his. “Lives?” He grinned and winked.

**********

After Shiloh’s first performances, she stopped on the way back to the St. George when a man standing at the side of the street yelled, “Such a fine lady can’t sing to ordinary folk!”

“Driver, stop please.”

“Shiloh, you’re not going to answer that,” said Adam.

She gave him a determined look. “You should know by now that you shouldn’t dictate what I’m not going to do. I most assuredly am going to answer that. Now, if you would be so kind as to help me out of the carriage, I would appreciate it. And if you don’t, I’ll exit the carriage on my own.”

Drawing his lips into a tight line, he breathed heavily through his nose and looked around them. He quickly looked back behind them after seeing a familiar face. “Did you know Sam Clemens is behind us?”

“Really? That’s perfect,” she said, standing and gathering the skirt of her dress to step down.

“Wait. I’ll come around and help you,” he grumbled.

When he set her firmly on the ground, she looked around. “You there. I want to talk to you.” The man began to back away, and just as he turned, she said, “Please, don’t run from me. I want to know why you said that.” By this time, Sam Clemens was standing in the growing crowd, watching the scene Shiloh had unwittingly created. When Adam glanced over at him, he nodded as if to say, “If there’s trouble, I’ll help.”

“What about him?” said the man, nodding toward Adam who was standing behind her.”

“Him?” she asked, pointing at Adam. She backhanded Adam’s stomach, causing him to flinch and cover his stomach with his hand. “Oh, he’s as docile as a cat with a saucer of milk,” she said, eliciting a laugh out of the crowd. Adam, however, was not amused. “Why did you say I can’t sing to ordinary folk?”

“Ma’am, I didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”

“Please. I want to know.”

“Well…tickets for the theatre are usually five dollars, and that’s a might high for some of us. This week, tickets are twenty dollars.” He looked around him at the crowd. “None of us can afford to hear you sing.”

“What’s your name, Sir?”

“I’m Odie Jones.”

She walked up to him and extended her hand. He slowly took it and shook. “And how do you make your living, Mr. Jones?”

“I’m a haberdasher, Ma’am.”

“Mr. Jones, are you available next Sunday after church?”

“I suppose so. Why?”

She stepped closer. “I’d like you to bring seventy-nine of your friends to the theatre. I’ll be there to sing for you.”

“How much do I tell ‘em they have to pay?”

“Tell them it’s free.”

Mr. Jones’ face slowly lit up. “You ain’t joshing an old man, are you?”

“I wouldn’t do that, Mr. Jones.” The crowd around them erupted in cheers as Shiloh made her way back to the carriage. Moving his arm around her shoulders, Adam pulled her close while he and Sam moved people out of the way as they reached in to shake her hand. Reaching out to those hands, she didn’t make things easy for Adam or Sam.

Sam leaned in once Shiloh was in the carriage. “Would you mind if I accompanied you to your hotel? I…ah…have a few questions.”

“Not at all, Sam. That is, if it’s alright with Adam.”

Adam shrugged and motioned for Sam to board. “It appears your opening night was a success,” said Sam as he stepped into their suite and admired the flower arrangements on all of the tables.

“Please, sit down,” said Shiloh, motioning to a chair across from the sofa.

“Sam, would you like a drink?” asked Adam.

“Are you drinking?”

“Most definitely,” Adam answered, giving Shiloh a severe look.

She stopped poring over her flowers and raised her chin. “Adam, Mr. Jones was right. I typically sing for the well-to-do people of a city. What harm is there in singing for everyone else?”

“There is no harm…if you can actually do it. Do you realize what those ordinary people will be saying if you don’t manage to do this? Or what those well-to-do people will say when they find out you’re singing for free?”

“It isn’t going to be free,” she said, moving her attention back to the flowers. “I’ll pay the theatre’s fee which includes pay for the conductor and orchestra.” He twisted his mouth and creased his brows. She sighed when she looked up and saw his face. “Adam, do you remember before the Ponderosa, when your father wasn’t one of the well-to-do people, if there was a time you wished your father had the money to see a play or hear a famous singer, but couldn’t because he didn’t have the money?”

“Yes, there were several.”

“Do you remember how you felt?”

Adam pursed his lips and thought for a moment. “I thought it was unfair that only the wealthy could experience that.”

She gave him a sly smile. “It is unfair. Art and theatre should be accessible to everyone.” Turning her attention to Sam, she said, “I assume you’re here for the Enterprise.”

“You’re assumption would be correct.”

“What’s the story? I sang in Virginia City. This is really no different.”

“The people of Virginia City enjoy hearing about the success of one of their own. And you’re right. It wasn’t any different…until you stepped out of your carriage.”

“You said you had questions?”

“My dear, you have already answered them.”

***

The Sacramento Union and the Sacramento Bee newspaper headlines the next day read “Isabella Whitney to Sing to the Ordinary Folk of Sacramento City.”

When she and Adam went downstairs for breakfast, the reporters were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. “Miss Whitney, are you really going to sing to the people of Sacramento who can’t afford your normal ticket prices?”

Adam stepped in front of her before she could answer. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re on our way to breakfast.”

Taking her arm, he moved her toward the restaurant, but she gracefully twisted away. “Gentlemen, first of all, I don’t set the ticket prices. The owners of the establishments where I sing set the prices. But it’s true that I will be singing to seventy-nine of Mr. Obie Jones’ friends at the American Theatre. I will be doing this by donating the money to pay for the use of the theatre and for the conductor and orchestra’s time.”

“Why would you do that?” asked another reporter.

“I believe fine art and theatre are for everyone, from Governor Stanford to Obie Jones. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re hungry,” she said winking, bringing out smiles from the small group of reporters.”

When they were seated, Adam propped an elbow on the table, moving his thumb under his chin and his index finger under his nose, studying her. “That’s twice you’ve done that.”

The waiter delivered coffee to their table, and Shiloh ordered. “Done what?” she said, looking back at Adam.

He ordered as well and sat back, crossing his legs. “Gotten away from me when I was trying to move you away from the crowd. They don’t seem to bother you lately.”

She took a sip of coffee and leaned back, loosely crossing her arms. “Adam, the stagecoach still bothers me, the closeness of a crowd still bothers me, but I’ve decided I need to move past that. If I’m going to continue singing, I don’t want to be thought of as pretentious. I’m not that way any other time. At least, I don’t think I am.”

“You know this could affect what you’ll be paid for your appearances.”

“Does that upset you?”

“Not at all,” he said, smiling. “Does it worry you?”

“I don’t sing so much for the money. At first I did because I needed the money to build the ranch back up, but we don’t need it now. With the mine, we won’t even need the money from the horses. The mine will make them more a hobby rather than something that contributes to the success of the ranch.”

Adam crooked his jaw. “Shiloh, that’s not true. The money you’ve brought in from your singing has financed the mine so far. You bring in as much money for your horses as we do cattle, and the only reason you don’t with your singing is because you don’t perform very often.”

“Adam, it’s alright. I can do as much as I want on the ranch. I know how to sell cattle, though I’ve never been on a cattle drive. And I was able to help with the timber contracts. As long as I feel needed around the ranch, I’ll be fine.”

Moving forward, Adam reached across the table for her hand. “Sweetheart, I do need you. More than you know.”

She blushed. “Anyway, the timing just might be right. After all, we’re not paying attention to schedules these days.”

The waiter interrupted their conversation, though his presence didn’t remove the wide grin from Adam’s face.

**********

Ben and Micah arrived the afternoon of Shiloh’s closing performance. Even though the desk clerk said there were no rooms available at the St. George, Mr. Ketching managed to get them into the suite across the hall from Adam and Shiloh.

The audience on Saturday night was quite different from those of the past week. It was evident based on the gowns, jewels, suits and cigars that this was the elite of Sacramento. Shiloh’s performance was the same with the exception of one song requested by Governor Stanford for his wife. At the end of the last song of the last encore, the crowd was on their feet, yelling “Brava!” amidst the resounding applause.

After Shiloh’s last bow, she was called back out to the stage where Governor Stanford waited with a large bouquet of flowers and a speech thanking her for bringing ‘the finer things’ to Sacramento.

“Amidst what has been left after the flood, the conditions of our streets and sidewalks…or lack of sidewalks…and the second floors of buildings being refitted for first floors or being raised up to the new street level, we are the humblest of beneficiaries of song from one of the most celebrated singers on the West coast, when nearly all others have refused to perform here during our reconstruction. Many of you don’t know this, but Miss Whitney was married in March of this year. She is now Mrs. Adam Cartwright. Adam, if you would come up here and stand by your lovely wife.” Adam shook his head and waved the Governor off, but Stanford insisted, and so Adam obliged him. “Some of you know the Cartwright name. The Ponderosa Ranch has been supplying beef to the city for several years. The Cartwrights are also involved in building the new railroad by supplying the timber for the ties, trestles and other buildings.” A round of applause began, and Governor Stanford held up his hands. “Tomorrow they become benefactors to our citizens. Mrs. Cartwright is donating her time and footing the bill for a special performance for those who would not ordinarily be able to hear her. She was quoted this week as saying ‘I believe fine art and theatre are for everyone, from Governor Stanford to Obie Jones.’ Turning to Shiloh, Stanford took her free hand. “Mrs. Cartwright, this administration agrees wholeheartedly with you. Mrs. Stanford and I would like to change the venue of tomorrow’s performance to the grounds of our home to provide room for everyone who would like to come.”

“Governor, that is most generous of you,” said Shiloh, beaming. “I would like to add that Mr. Ross, the conductor, as well as all members of the orchestra have also agreed to donate their time.” She motioned for them to stand, and they did so to the sound of a booming applause and shouts of approval.

Governor Stanford said “Good evening” to the audience and turned back to Shiloh. “Mrs. Cartwright, your performance tonight was magnificent. I do hope you plan to attend the party tonight.”

She looked up at Adam, smiling, prompting him to answer. “Governor Stanford, we wouldn’t miss it,” he said, shaking the Governor’s hand.

While Shiloh changed and packed her trunk, Adam, Micah and Ben waited in the front room of her dressing suite. The woman who helped her came out of the back room with a wide smile and left. Adam peaked through the door. “Why was she so happy?”

“Because I gave her some extra above what the theatre pays her. I don’t suppose that happens too often, but she was so good at having my dresses ready for me to step into.” She closed the lid of her trunk and latched it. “Now, can you gentlemen find a carriage that can take us and this trunk to Governor Stanford’s home?” Adam held the door and stepped out of her way, so she could walk through.

She walked right into Ben’s open arms for a hug. “You just get better and better,” he said, kissing her forehead.

“I’ll be right back,” said Adam, heading out the door.

Next, she stood face to face with Micah, who looked sad. “I keep finding things I missed.”

“You’ve heard me sing before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, but from way back in the back. Never on the front row.” He enveloped her, holding her tightly. “Little Sister, that was…well, I wish Mom and Dad could be here to hear you sing like that.”

“So do I,” she whispered.

Adam stepped back in. “Micah, would you help me get her trunk to the carriage?”

Ben held out his arm. “May I escort you?” Shiloh smiled and wrapped her arm around his.

***

The Stanford’s doorman announced them. “Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright, Mr. Benjamin Cartwright and Mr. Micah Whitney.”

Charles Crocker was the first to reach them, immediately extending his hand to Ben first, Adam next, and then Micah. They talked of timber mostly, until Mr. Crocker stole Micah away.

“What do you suppose he’s talking to Micah about?” said Shiloh, leaning in to Adam and watching as Micah and Crocker walked away.

“I don’t know, but you don’t have to worry.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about Micah,” she giggled.

Grabbing her hand, Adam unobtrusively turned her forward. “Governor Stanford, may I present my father.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I’ve always wanted to meet the man who built the largest ranch in the Nevada Territory. I hear talk of statehood and your name associated with Governor.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Governor. At least, I’ve not been approached.”

“And if you were?”

“Well, I’d have to give it some thought, I suppose. It would be a great honor if the people of the territory wanted me in that capacity.”

“May I introduce my wife? Dear, this is the young man you’ve heard me mention with the railroad, Adam Cartwright.”

“Mrs. Stanford, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Adam, taking her hand and bowing. “And this is my wife.”

“So very please to meet you, Mrs. Stanford.”

“And my father.”

“Mrs. Stanford,” said Ben, bowing.

“Gentlemen, welcome to our home. Mrs. Cartwright, I must tell you how thrilled we are to have you in our city. I had heard nothing but good reports of your performances this week, and I have to agree. You were superb.”

Shiloh smiled timidly. “Thank you.”

“Why don’t you come with me? I’m sure these men want to talk about railroads and timber and such.”

Looking up at Adam, Shiloh clenched her teeth enough that he could see her jaw tighten. Speaking with ‘the ladies’ was not something she was comfortable doing, nor did she enjoy it. She would have preferred to stay and speak with the men about railroads and timber and such, but she acquiesced to the more accepted role of a wife at an exclusive social gathering. She dutifully followed Mrs. Stanford across the room where ‘the ladies’ had congregated.

“Well, Adam, you’ve had a week to see our work on the railroad. What do you think?” asked Governor Stanford as Crocker and Micah rejoined them.

“I’m surprised at the speed those trestles are going up, and frankly, looking closely at the truss structure, I have to wonder how long they’ll last carrying heavy locomotives over them several times a day, day in and day out.”

Crocker laughed. “Leland, you must remember that when you ask Adam how we’re doing, and at the time we’re building trestles, you’ll get the engineering answer.”

“I’m sorry, I meant no slight. But I do wonder how long you plan for those trestles to be in service.”

“That’s quite alright, Adam. Charles is right, and I would not have expected you to be less than honest.” Stanford tapped his cane on the floor. “I must remember that you are an architect and an engineer besides being part of a family of ranchers and timber barons.”

“The wooden trestles are meant to be temporary,” explained Crocker. “We can put the trestles up much faster than we can bring in fill or order granite cut for piers. The bridges will start out with granite piers simply because they are smaller. Eventually, all the trestles we’re building will be the anchors for fill or will be replaced with granite and steel structures. Unfortunately, we have a schedule to keep and government funding depends on keeping that schedule.”

“Mr. Crocker, the railroad is something that California and the territories need to continue to grow,” said Ben. “I’m hoping we can negotiate a spur onto the Ponderosa once West meets East. That will enable us to transport our cattle and timber all over the country.”

“I believe we’d be agreeable to that, Mr. Cartwright, at least, after we’ve met our initial goal.”

Looking over toward ‘the ladies’, Adam narrowed his eyes as he watched Shiloh engaged in what appeared to be a lively conversation, and from the intense looks of those listening, he surmised the topic was a subject that was dear to her. Smiling, he turned his attention back to the men.

“I knew Miss Anthony while I was back East at college, but I had no idea she wanted to visit the West coast,” said Shiloh.

“Ladies, why don’t we move to the dining room and have some coffee and cake,” suggested Mrs. Stanford.

After they were seated, and as the Stanford’s kitchen maid served them, the conversation turned back to the latest oration given by Miss Anthony. “Shiloh, since you know her, what would you say she is hoping to accomplish?”

“I’m not sure I understand your question. It’s quite clear what she is working toward. With the war, her full attention is on the abolition of slavery, but at the same time, though not as strongly as she had before, she is campaigning for the rights of women. Do you realize that none of you have any rights at all as married women? Legally, you are the property of your husbands. I trust you are all in happy situations at home, but there are many women who are not. They cannot seek the safety of a different residence because they have nothing with which to acquire a separate residence. Anything we do as wives is legally considered for the benefit of our husbands. That includes bearing our children. Legally they do not belong to us. They belong to their father, and as such, we have no legal right to take them if we desire to leave.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, the letter of the law is not followed that closely here. There are many women who leave with their children.”

“And in most of those situations it is because her husband does not want the responsibility of rearing the children. Even so, does she leave with the worth of her contributions to the household, of keeping the household clean and tidy, of preparing the meals, and of caring for the children? No, she’s left penniless and is forced to find ways to support herself and her children. Unfortunately, there aren’t many jobs available for women beyond household work, sewing and, well, those occupations we will not mention. There are those women who do well in the larger cities in their own shops, but those women are few and have been lucky enough to find the financial wherewithal to establish such a business.”

Mrs. Stanford sat back in her chair and smiled. “Shiloh, none of us have to worry about any of this.”

“I agree, Mrs. Stanford. I can only speak for myself, but I consider myself uniquely lucky in that my husband allows me to participate in the running of our ranch. Still, it pains me that any contract I enter into for my performances must be executed by him in order to be legally binding. I owned and trained horses prior to our marriage. The Flying W Ranch was solely mine, left to me by my father. Yet when I married, none of it belonged to me any longer. Everything I worked so hard to rebuild instantly became his. Why should that be, Mrs. Stanford? At the very least, ownership of what we gain within our union should belong to us both, and anything that was mine or his prior to our union should belong to each of us again, should we part ways.”

“You sound as if you’re anticipating that you will part ways,” commented one of the women at the table.

“On the contrary. I’m not speaking at all for my own situation, but rather for those women who have nothing and no one to speak for them.”

“I don’t believe women are treated as badly as you think,” said another of the women.

“Of course you don’t. Women who are beaten every evening by their husbands cower in their homes and take their beatings because they have nowhere else to go. In Virginia City, our sheriff would certainly remove these women from their husband’s homes and most likely would jail the husband for a time. But the territorial judge would not hear any of those cases because there is no legal argument. And the woman would still be dependent on the kindness of others for shelter. Knowing this, they say nothing.”

Mrs. Stanford had been silent for some time, listening and smiling. “For one so young, Shiloh, you are quite passionate about the wellbeing of women. That is certainly something to be commended. But listen to a woman who has been in a political household most of her life. For men to take aspiring women seriously, a significant change in the sensibilities of men must take place. I’m afraid it is a losing battle.”

“Mrs. Stanford, I find that upon reading history, most, if not all enlightenment is slow to occur. However, as Miss Anthony says, it is inevitable.”

The Governor, Crocker, Adam, Micah and several other men were standing at the entry to the dining room, listening to the last part of Shiloh’s discourse. While the Governor entered and invited the women back into the front rooms for dancing, Crocker turned to Micah and Adam. “She has some unpopular views, Adam. Even so, she makes a good case. It would serve you well to find a cause at which she can be successful, even if that cause is your ranch.”

“Charles, she’s saying what some of us already believe,” said Adam. “As we speak, her best friend is attending medical school to become a doctor. Allow women access to education, and the world opens up to them. Their only limits are those that tradition places on them and traditions change.” He watched as his father led Shiloh out of the dining room and into the front rooms where he spun her around to dance.

**********

“Mrs. Stanford, thank you so much for allowing me to sing here. There would have been room for only eighty people at the theatre, so this will allow many more to come,” said Shiloh.

“You’re quite welcome. Leland and I thought you had a grand idea, allowing the city to partake of the things we typically take for granted. It reminds us of how fortunate we are. The arrangement of the area was requested by Mr. Ross. If there are any changes you require, you’ll let me know?”

“I try not to second guess conductors, though I’ll have to admit, sometimes we do have words.”

Shiloh walked out onto the grounds to see how Mr. Ross had arranged the area. He and the orchestra would be behind her and the guests would be in a semi-circle in front of her, putting her in the middle of a circle. Chairs were lined up in the front of the semi-circle with standing room behind them. A small platform had been built in the middle where she would stand so that those standing in the very back of the audience could see her.

On the edges of the property, tables were set up for refreshments, something that Shiloh hadn’t expected, but was quite pleased that those who would be attending would be treated with adequate respect.

Adam crossed the lawn, walking up behind her. “Sweetheart?” Turning, she rewarded him with a pleased smile. “Guests are beginning to arrive. Shouldn’t you be dressing?”

“Yes, I should,” she said, taking his hand and walking toward the house.

“Do you need help?”

“No. Mrs. Stanford’s personal maid will be helping me.”

Adam stopped short of the door, bending to kiss her. “I’ll leave you to dress then. Pa has Stanford and Crocker’s ear at the moment, and I want to hear how they react to his opinions.”

“Adam?” He had turned to walk away, but turned back to her. “What did Crocker want with Micah last night?”

“He wanted to know if things were going as well as I said.” Shiloh’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Touching her nose, he said, “Don’t be so surprised. He has a lot at stake, and other men might have lied to him about how well the timber was going.” He touched her face with his open hand. “Now, go get ready before someone sees you.”

When Shiloh came back out to the lawn, she was met with an ovation that continued until she stood on the platform and nodded to the conductor. She sang her first two songs from the platform, and on the third, she stepped down and walked into the crowd, first bending to smile or hold the hand of the infirm seated in the front rows, then walking through the crowd, touching arms or hands or singing to individuals.

Adam and Micah were leaning back against the wall of the house, watching from a distance. “Does she realize how she affects people?” asked Micah.

“Nope,” answered Adam. “She’ll tell you she’s just performing, but she’s that way with most people whether she’s performing or not.”

The remainder of her performance was spent interacting with the crowd, and for each song, she was rewarded with cheers. At the end of her last song, the crowd roared, and amidst the cheers were tears at the idea that she would be so affable with them.

Shiloh spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening enjoying food and drink with the people of Sacramento and listening to their stories of where they came from, how they got there and what they did. Adam, Micah and Ben did the same as well as Governor and Mrs. Stanford. The Crockers, Huntingtons and Hopkins’ stayed only briefly after Shiloh’s performance.

***

Shiloh and Adam said goodnight to Ben and Micah in the hall, then went into their own room. Laying her wrap over a chair, she turned back to Adam and caught her breath at the way he was looking at her. His head was pitched slightly downward as his eyes looked up from beneath his brows, and he wore a slight smile that made small dimples on either side of his mouth. She flushed and lowered her eyes, holding her breath as he approached her. He stopped so close that his breath gently blew the strand of hair that had fallen over her forehead, and when his hands touched her arms, she shivered even as he moved them slowly down to her hands. Moving her hands behind her back, he held them there. This forced her shoulders back, completely exposing the skin above her breasts and her neck. He took advantage, bowing his head to her shoulder, gently touching, caressing her skin with his lips and tongue, and finding the lobe of her ear, he nibbled and tugged until a soft moan escaped her lips.

“Adam,” she whispered as he continued down her neck. “We have to be up early to catch the stage for home.”

“Trust me,” he answered in a softly muffled voice. “You may not get as much sleep, but you will sleep soundly tonight.”

***

Shiloh felt Adam get out of the bed, and though she was awake, her eyes were still closed. She hadn’t moved, she was so comfortable, and she wanted it to last as long as possible. She never slept very well, except after he made love to her, and even now she savored the complete relaxation his attentions brought to her. This morning was no different.

Adam came back to the bed, wearing his trousers. Sitting next to her, he leaned over and kissed her. “Good morning,” he said, smiling down at her. “You need to think about getting up. We do have an appointment with that stagecoach.”

“I think I’ll change professions.”

“Oh. To what?”

“I think I’ll become one of those women who do nothing but attend to their husband’s…” her eyes sprang open with a mischievous sparkle, “…needs.”

He nuzzled her cheek. “Oh, you don’t want to be one of those women. Those husbands often forget about their wives’…” his hand moved somewhere under the sheets and in another moment, she gasped, “…needs.”

He kissed her one more time; a long, deep, tantalizing kiss that made her breathing become heavy again. He laughed. “Oh no you don’t. Up you go,” he said, pulling her up off the bed.

***

Everyone was waiting on Shiloh again. “Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Adam yelled from the front room of their suite.

She stuck her head out of the bedroom door. “I can’t get everything in my bag.”

Looking at his father and Micah, he rolled his eyes and said, “Excuse me,” heading for the bedroom. “Alright, what’s the problem?”

“In all your zeal to get everything done this morning, you let them take my trunk without the dress I was wearing last night,” she said agitatedly.

Looking at her bag, he saw that most of the dress was in. “Pull the dress out. I’ll be right back.” He returned with his bag, setting it on the bed and unpacking it. “We’ll pack your dress in my bag, and then put back what will fit. That should give you enough room in your bag for the rest of my things.”

She giggled. “I just knew I married the smart one.” He playfully smacked her backside. “You can spank me all you want while I’m in this dress. With the skirt and everything underneath, I can’t feel a thing,” she teased and clasped her bag. “There. I’m ready now.” She straightened up, looking pleased with herself.

Chuckling, he shook his head, and motioned toward the door. “After you.”

When they arrived at the Wells Fargo office, the stage had already been boarded. “You gents will have to sit up on top. The lady will have to squeeze into the coach.”

“We bought tickets for this coach a week ago,” complained Shiloh. “Why do you sell more tickets than you can seat?”

The clerk looked angrily back at her. He had already had to listen to the complaints from everyone else in the coach. “Lady, we stop selling tickets when the coach can’t hold any more people. As it is, there’s still breathin’ room.”

Shiloh huffed and turned toward the open door of the coach, and when she stepped up and looked in, she suddenly couldn’t breathe. She took a step back into air, and fell backwards against Adam, who caught her. “I…I…I can’t…go in there.”

Leaning into the coach, Adam looked back at Micah. “She’d have to sit on someone’s lap.”

“Well Adam, they won’t let her ride up top with the men.” Micah snapped his fingers. “Wait here. I’ll be back.”

“Micah,” Adam called. “What about the stagecoach?”

Turning around, Micah continued on, walking backwards. “Look at your wife, Adam. Do you honestly think you’re gonna get her in that coach?”

He looked down at Shiloh, who seemed terrified as she trembled. Pulling her to him, he held her tightly against him. “Calm down, Sweetheart. You don’t have to ride in the coach.”

“You folks get in the coach. It’s time to leave,” shouted the clerk.

Ben stepped forward. “There is no room inside that coach for the lady except to sit on some stranger’s lap. Surely you consider the dignity of your passengers.”

“Mister, I don’t care if you choose to ride or not. But your tickets aren’t refundable.”

Ben fumed, taking the clerk by the collar. “We’ll just see about, shall we? Adam, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned, pushing the clerk into the stage office.

Shiloh looked pitifully up at Adam. “I’m sorry.”

He looked lovingly at her. “It’s alright. The stage company shouldn’t be putting anyone else on that stagecoach. It’s unsafe as it is.”

A half hour had passed. Shiloh and Adam were sitting on a bench with everyone’s bags around them, waiting. Ben came out of the Wells Fargo office first, carrying cash. “Adam, here’s the money for your tickets.” Standing, Adam pulled his wallet out of his pocket and inserted the cash. “Micah’s not back?” asked Ben.

“Nope. I was just thinking about going to find him.”

“You have any idea what he’s doing?”

Adam shook his head just about the time a long, sleek, black coach pulled around a corner and stopped in front of them. Adam’s jaw dropped. Wrinkling his nose in bewilderment, he looked up at Micah who was sitting in the driver’s box. “What have you done?”

Ben stood back and leaned against the wall of the stagecoach office. He had recently discovered that these three working something out between them could be amusing. “This ought to be interesting,” he said under his breath.

Micah jumped down and opened the door, looking over at Shiloh and bowing. “Madam, your coach awaits.”

Now her nose was wrinkled as well, and her mouth wide open. “What have you done?”

“You are now the owner of your own private coach. All you need to do is hire a driver, but for now, it’s me.”

Walking around the coach, Adam looked over the backs of the horses. “Explain.”

“Well, I figure with California and the territories growing the way they are, the crowding on the stagecoaches is only gonna get worse until the railroad is in, and that won’t be for several more years. And even after that’s done, it still won’t be going everywhere the stagecoaches do. So until it does, Shiloh will avoid the crowded coaches with a coach all her very own.”

Shiloh slumped. “Micah, I appreciate you thinking about me, but…how much did this thing cost…with the horses?” She closely examined the horses. “These are nice horses.”

“Hasn’t Adam told you that you don’t need to worry about money?”

“Well yes, he has, but still I don’t want to start buying things that we don’t…”

“Don’t say it,” said Micah, pointing his finger at her.

“Don’t say what?” she asked, puffing up and stepping into him.

“You were about to say we don’t need it. But you didn’t see yourself panicking over there at the thought of getting in that coach.”

Adam walked over to Shiloh and put his arm around her. “Shiloh, Micah might be on to something here. Just tell me,” he said, looking back at Micah. “How did you arrange it?”

“I walked over to the livery and asked him if he had any nice coaches for sale. I knew he did because I had seen one pull outta there the day we arrived. He gave me a price, and I went over to the bank and told the banker I needed to arrange a transfer of money from Virginia City. He asked me how much, but when I told him he acted like he was wasting his time…until I told him who I was. He asked if I was a Whitney of the Cartwrights and Whitneys. I told him I was Mrs. Cartwright’s brother, and he arranged everything.” He ended his story with a big smile.

Adam and Shiloh looked at each other and shrugged. He helped her into the coach, and then went back for their bags. Ben stood, laughing and shaking his head. He grabbed his bag, slapped Micah on the shoulder and climbed into the coach behind Shiloh.

**********

From the moment they walked in the door of the Flying W ranch house, Adam and Micah were preparing for a cattle drive. Hank had already gathered the steers they would be moving to Salt Lake into corrals, and men had been chosen to go from both ranches. Hank had also hired a cook and a wrangler to take care of the extra horses.

The morning the drive began, Shiloh drove a wagon of supplies to the corrals. Adam followed, leading his own cutting horses. He passed the reins to the drive wrangler, and then rode up next to Shiloh, directing several men to move the supplies from the back of the wagon over to the chuck wagon.

“I wish you’d let me go,” said Shiloh. “I could help with the horses.”

“Move over,” said Adam, stepping across from his horse onto the seat next to her. “We went over this last night.”

She crossed her arms and looked away. “It will be six weeks before I see you again.”

“Sweetheart, you haven’t been feeling well.”

She leaned against him so that only he could hear her. “I told you, it’s the normal discomfort I feel just before I have a monthly.”

“Still, a cattle drive is hard work, even if you’re just helping with the horses. You’d be sleeping on the ground every night, and there is no time for a bath…at all. Besides that, you’ll be singing in Salt Lake City about the time we arrive. You’d be exhausted if you came with me on the drive.” She sighed heavily, and he put an arm around her, leaning her back in the seat with him. “Hoss, Joe and Pa will take turns supervising the cutting, the milling and the teamsters, so you don’t have to worry about the timber camps. I’ve hired a driver for your coach, so you don’t have to worry about tickets for the stagecoach, and I’m also sending two of the men guarding the mine with you. You’ll leave from the house. The plans for the Salt Lake City project are on the desk. Remember to pack those in your trunk. And Hoss will be coming by to check on you.” She looked at him with big, round, blue eyes. He looked out over the roiling mass of beef in the corrals, and then turned back to her, kissing the side of her head. “Believe me. I’d much rather ride with you.”

When they said their goodbyes, Shiloh hugged him tightly as if she wasn’t going to let him go. “I have to go, Sweetheart,” he said, kissing her one more time before he stood and stepped back over to his horse.

“Oh, wait.” She reached under the seat and pulled out a brown paper package. “I made you some cookies.”

He grinned and moved his horse closer to the wagon. “Can you put them in my saddlebag?” Leaning in, he gave her another kiss. “I’ll see you in Salt Lake City.” Turning his horse around, he rode toward the front of the herd, looking back one more time and waving. Shiloh stayed until they were so far off, she couldn’t tell which of the riders was Adam.

***

Over a week later, Shiloh sat in her bed, waiting for the doctor to come by at the insistence of Hoss. When that didn’t work, Hoss recruited Ben, who came to the Flying W ranch house and sat in a chair next to Shiloh’s bed while Hoss went to town for the doctor. Shiloh was so mad, she refused to speak to her father-in-law so he sat, contentedly reading a book until Paul Martin arrived.

When Paul walked into the bedroom, he shook Ben’s hand. “Now, Ben, if you’ll excuse us, I’ll try to determine the problem.”

“Paul, are you sure you want me to leave? She’s not been in a mood to listen.”

Paul chuckled. “It’s alright, Ben.” Ben reluctantly left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Hoss tells me you’ve been sick, but he couldn’t tell me how. Would you like to explain?”

“Dr. Martin, it’s just my normal discomfort before I have a monthly. You know I don’t always have one, and when I do, I…hurt.”

“Any nausea?”

“A little, but nothing I haven’t had before.”

“I don’t understand. Why are Hoss and Ben so concerned?”

Shiloh sighed. “Because Adam’s not here, and they’re cosseting me. He and Micah are on a cattle drive to Salt Lake City, and I won’t see him for another five weeks, and I’m not…I miss him. And it’s not just him I miss. He includes me in things he’s doing. Before he left, he made sure someone else was taking care of everything, and that left little for me to do, except exercise my hand and train horses, and I’ve just not been in the mood to do either.” She got out of the bed and walked to the window.

“Have you been eating? Hoss said he took you to the Ponderosa for dinner, and you barely ate?”

“Hoss’s idea of barely eating is what I normally eat.” She turned around to an unamused face. “Yes, I’m eating.”

“Are you sleeping?”

“Not very well, but I’ve never slept well.”

Paul sat down next to the night table and began writing on a piece of paper he took from his bag. “I’m going to give you some instructions, and I want you to follow them. If you do, five weeks will have passed, and Adam will be home.”

“Adam’s not coming home.” Paul snapped his head back toward her. “Oh no, Dr. Martin, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m meeting him in Salt Lake City. I have a performance there, and then in Denver City before we come home.”

Handing her the note, he closed his bag and stood. “I’m going to send Ben and Hoss home. I want you to start on that list this afternoon, and if you need to go into town to get the brandy, you can tie your horse to my buggy and ride with me.”

Shiloh read the list, and a smile crept over her face. “So you want me to do what I did on the ranch before I married Adam, come home and take a hot bath, and have a brandy before I retire.”

“That’s the gist of it,” said Dr. Martin, smiling.

“Well, I have hot water and brandy.”

“What about adequate food?”

“If I don’t eat, Ming Lin tells Hop Sing, and Hop Sing comes over and stands over me while I eat Ming Lin’s chicken pot pie.”

Paul laughed. “Hop Sing always did dote over you.”

“Thank you for coming, Dr. Martin. I’m sorry to have bothered you with this,” said Shiloh, smiling.

“It’s alright. You know, you’re lucky to be in a family who cares so much for each other.”

“I know. If you can’t get them to leave, tell them I’ll be down in a few minutes. I need to change into something I can ride in.”

Nodding, Paul excused himself and went downstairs to the parlor were Hoss and Ben were waiting. “Ben, you and Hoss worry too much.”

“How is she?” asked Ben, standing.

“There’s nothing wrong, other than she misses her husband. She said she’d be down in a few minutes.”

Ben grunted. “Are you sure? She’s not been herself, and she said she wasn’t feeling well.”

“Ben, she’s fine. I gave her some instructions to follow, and she’s about to get to them. My advice to you is to let her. Now, I need to get back to town. No need to walk me out. I know the way.”

“Thank you, Paul.” Dr. Martin waved as he walked to the front door.

“Pa, what do you suppose he’s got her doing?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, maybe I ought to stay and make sure she…”

“Hoss, you heard what Paul said. We need to let her do them, whatever they are.”

Both men stepped out of the parlor when they heard Shiloh trot down the stairs. “I told you both there was nothing wrong with me,” she said, smiling. “Now, if you two will go home, I have work to do.”

“Work?” asked Ben.

She handed Ben Paul’s note. When the corner of Ben’s mouth went up, she tiptoed to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for worrying about me, Pa. But I’m fine. Really. Come on. I’ll walk you two out. I have a corral fence to get built and winter preparations to get started since Hank’s gone.”

***

Adam stopped the drive at a watering hole for an extra day, sending a scout out to check the next few on a map they had made on a prior drive. So far, all the watering holes on the map were there, but the water levels were down. He feared that the farther they went into the desert the watering holes would be dry. He had prepared somewhat for that possibility, bringing two wagons each with six barrels of water and troughs to water the cattle. He also brought two wagons of densely packed hay in the event they couldn’t find forage. But the water and hay would only buy them one day if they had to be used. He had hoped they could be replenished at the towns or settlements along the way.

Now he sat, using the back of the chuck wagon as a table, poring over the map, looking for alternatives if his scouts returned with bad news. Micah looked over his shoulder, and pointed at the map. “Adam, what if we turned here and came up to Salt Lake City from the south?”

“We’d have to find a pass through these mountains. We can’t run the cattle over them. They’ll lose too much weight. And there are no settlements in that area, so if we have trouble, we’re on our own.”

“But if we go further south and can find a pass, we can go into Ruby Valley and let ‘em graze a couple a days. Then another two days past Ruby Valley, we can follow the river. Why don’t I scout that direction? It’ll take me a couple of days of hard riding to get there, but if Jed and John come back with bad news, it’s gonna be our best bet.”

Adam frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Micah, we don’t know anything about that area. What if we get past the river and can’t find water? By then, we can’t turn north. We’ll be right below the salt flats.”

“The way I see it the only alternative is to turn back.”

Sighing, Adam pursed his lips, then propped an elbow on the table and held his chin in his hand, studying Micah; thinking. “Let’s see what Jed and John find before you go running off.”

**********

Adam stood squinting to the south in the direction Micah had gone early the day before. He didn’t expect to see anything, but it was better than staring at a map that did him no good. His scouts came back with news that all three watering holes they had found were all but dry; certainly containing inadequate water for three hundred head of cattle.

Adam had a choice. He could turn back with the confidence that he would get back with healthy beef, but also knowing that the credibility of the Ponderosa and Flying W would suffer. Or he could follow Micah, and hope he found water. If he did, they would probably make it all the way through, but if he didn’t, he was faced with the same damage to the Cartwright name, but also the loss of the cattle. The herd’s bellies were full, and they had had plenty of water where they were. He had an extra day of water and hay in the wagons.

“Hank,” said Adam, calmly.

Hank had been waiting patiently by the chuck wagon for Adam to make his decision. One could never tell with Adam Cartwright whether he was confident in his decisions or not. He was always calm. But Adam was not a man to second guess himself, so Hank decided confidence had nothing to do with it. He just chose a path and went. With Adam, it seemed as simple as that.

“Yessir.”

“Get the men ready to leave. We’ll be heading southeast.”

***

Micah hadn’t seen a soul since he was out of sight of the herd. He did find a watering hole his first day out within a day’s travel of the herd. He had left a second watering hole within the second day of the herd. Now, he was looking for an easy pass over the mountains and into Ruby Valley where they could pick up a river to follow for several days.

The pass he was in was narrow, but it sat low between two ridges with an easy elevation. He rode all the way through, looking down into the valley. The eastern slope was steeper, but they would be going downhill, so the effort for the cattle would be minimal.

Riding into a settlement on the west side of the river, he stopped in front of a makeshift saloon. It was no more than a tent with a two pieces of wide lumber laid over barrels for a bar. The chairs were sawed-off logs standing on end and the tables consisted of another flat piece of wood atop one of the sawed-off logs.

Micah walked to the bar. “Whiskey,” he said, tossing a coin down.

“You ain’t from around here.”

“Nope. Just passing through.”

A man sitting at one of the tables had watched Micah enter the tent. He was still watching him as Micah downed his whiskey, asking for another one. Slowly making his way to the bar, the man leaned next to Micah and stared.

Feeling the man’s stare, Micah slowly put his glass down on the counter. Looking straight ahead, he asked, “You want somethin’?”

“You wouldn’t happen to know a fella by the name of Mort Williams, would you?”

Every hair on the back of Micah’s neck stood on end, though to see him, a person wouldn’t be able to tell he was mentally cursing himself. He hadn’t shaved in more than a week. Someone out of the Dakota Territory would likely recognize him.

“Can’t say I do,” answered Micah coolly.

The man turned and faced forward. “Where you comin’ in from?”

“Comstock.”

“No luck, huh?”

“Luck had nothin’ to do with it.” Micah turned to leave.

“Mister, you sure you don’t know Mort Williams?”

Stopping, Micah slightly turned his head back. “Never had the pleasure. But from what I hear, I wouldn’t want to. That man’s just plain mean.”

***

Shiloh had Johnny, Tom and Billy working on the corral fence for the new pasture for the horses. Once she checked their work each morning, she took paper and pencil and began inspections of the rest of the fencing, the sheds and the outbuildings. Since the herd Adam and Micah were driving to Salt Lake City were split between the two ranches, the men were as well, so she had a bigger than normal compliment of ranch hands than she normally would during a cattle drive. Leaving half the remaining men on the herd, she gave the other half their repair assignments each morning.

“Mrs. Cartwright, at the rate we’re going we’re gonna have all this work done before you leave for Salt Lake City. What’re we gonna do then?”

“You’ll be getting ready to move the herd down to the lower pastures, and then you’ll be helping Ben Cartwright with his repairs and herd. Hoss will be leaving for the winter while I’m gone, and that means there will be extra winter preparations to get done at the Ponderosa.”

“That’s fine by me, Ma’am,” said one of the men. “I’ll work as long as I can. Every little bit helps me make it through the winter.”

“We won’t be letting any of you go for the winter. There’s only two of you married, and for the rest of you our bunkhouse is home. You’ll be taking on some of the work that Adam and Micah have been doing. They’ll have their hands full elsewhere.”

Once Shiloh’s work list was complete, she organized it in the ledger so that Adam could look it over, putting the ledger with his drawings for the building he designed in Salt Lake City. He had asked her to send the Jackson Square drawings to Robert, and the day she sent them, he received another envelope. She added those to the Salt Lake City drawings, thinking Adam may want something to do in Salt Lake and Denver City while she rehearsed and performed.

As she rode to the upper corral to select a horse for Tom to start, she smiled. Paul had been right. She just needed to occupy her mind, though her discomfort had never left. But then, her monthly had never come either. She’d be leaving for Salt Lake City in just a week.

***

“Hoss, why don’t you ride over to the Flying W and ask Shiloh to come for dinner?” asked Ben. “We haven’t seen her in over a week.”

“I was just about to ride over there to see if she needed anything in town,” said Hoss, fastening his gun belt. “I gotta go pick up another set of harnesses for the Clydesdales. We spread the cuttin’ out a little more, so we don’t take too many of those big trees in one place, and an extra team’ll mean the extra distance won’t slow us down. Accordin’ to Adam’s notes, they’re gonna need all the timber in this contract by the second week of September. I’ll be finishin’ that up before I have to leave for Philadelphia. I gotta buy my tickets tomorrow, too.”

“I just hope we don’t get caught with half the repairs done before the snows come.”

“Pa, you don’t have to worry about none of that. Shiloh’s got her men almost finished with their repairs, and once they move the herd down, she’s sending ‘em over here.”

Ben moved his hands to his hips and smiled. “She does, does she? Maybe I’ll ride over there with you and see how she’s doing. She always ran that ranch efficiently. It may be good for her to have Adam gone for awhile,” he said, walking to the entry cabinet for his gun belt. “In fact, it may be good for both of them. She gets to organize the work…something she’s good at, and Adam gets to see the results. Perhaps he’ll let her take some of the load off of him next year.”

“I kinda got the feelin’ Adam was hopin’ for somethin’ else to take up her time,” said Hoss, grinning as he stepped out the door.

**********

Standing in front of the big, black coach Micah had purchased for her, she hugged Ben and Hoss before she boarded. “Hoss, you make sure you pack the gift I bought for Annie, but don’t let her open it until Christmas. You can’t open yours either, so make sure you pack it, too.”

“I won’t forget.”

“Now Shiloh, don’t you worry about a thing,” said Ben. “Joe and I will look after the ranch until Hank and Micah get home, and Hoss will be finished with the railroad contract before he leaves.”

“Yeah, we’re done cutting. We just have to load the last of it and send the teamsters off. Just make sure you give those ledgers to Adam. I’m sure he’ll wanna go over ‘em real careful-like.” He snapped his fingers. “I plum forgot, Shiloh. Edvard, that head teamster fella wanted to talk to you about goin’ ahead and buyin’ a couple of your Clydesdales.”

“Don’t worry, Hoss. I can’t sign a sales contract anyway, and he won’t need them until spring. I doubt he’ll be going over Echo Summit after it snows. But tell him I’ll have some ready for him to choose from in the spring.”

She turned, and Hoss helped her up into the coach before he set one of her bags inside the door. “Now boys,” Ben said to the driver and two guards. “Don’t you let anything happen to this young lady.”

“Don’t you worry, Mr. Cartwright,” said the driver. One of the guards tied his horse behind the coach and stepped up into the driver’s box next to the driver. “We’ll be driving straight through except to stop for meals, and when Mrs. Cartwright needs to stretch her legs. One of us will be sleeping up here on top of the coach while the other two are driving and guarding.”

“Hey, Shiloh, you got a pillow and a blanket?” asked Hoss, looking through the window.

“Yes, I do, but I may not need the blanket. It’s still pretty warm for September.”

“Let us hear from you when you get to Salt Lake City.”

“I will, Pa. Bye,” she yelled, waving as the coach pulled out of the Flying W yard.

***

Micah and Adam rode side by side behind the herd. They had to use the spare water and hay once so far, but were able to resupply at their last stop. Now, they were headed north toward Utah Lake.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened in Ruby Valley,” asked Adam.

“Nothing exciting.”

“Then why did a fella at the bar ask if Mort Williams was part of our outfit? It seemed a little odd that you didn’t want to go with me for supplies.” Turning around, Adam looked for the cloud of dust that had been following them since they left Ruby Valley. “What are you going to do when he catches up?”

“Not a thing,” said Micah, turning. “It doesn’t appear he wants to catch up.” He kicked the sides of his horse, sending him into a gallop after a stray.

***

Early evening of the third day after she left home, Shiloh walked into the Salt Lake House where the theatre had arranged her accommodations. “May I help you, Ma’am?”

“Yes, I have a reservation. Mrs. Cartwright.”

The clerk looked over the register. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, I don’t have a reservation for a Mrs. Cartwright.”

Shiloh sighed. “Miss Whitney, then.”

“Now Ma’am, you asked for Mrs. Cartwright and picked Miss Whitney when you saw her name on the register.”

She glared at him. “My name is Shiloh Isabella Whitney Cartwright.”

“And my name is Abraham Lincoln.”

“May I speak with the manager of the hotel?” she said tiredly just as the two guards carried in her trunk.

“Ma’am, you can’t bring that in here.”

“I’m losing my patience. I’ve traveled from Virginia City, Nevada, and I’m quite tired. Now the theatre made arrangements for me here.” The clerk looked past her as the driver brought in the rest of her bags.

“I’m going to have to ask you gentlemen to take those back out.”

Shiloh steamed. “I insist that you find your manager now.”

The clerk begrudgingly left, and returned in a few minutes with a rather short, stocky man walking with an air of importance; his nose sticking up in the air. “Mrs. Cartwright, my clerk has explained what has occurred, and I’m afraid I do not have any accommodations available.”

“What do I have to do to prove to you I’m Isabella Whitney?” She turned and looked at the driver and guards who were still standing with her trunk and bags, nodding. Then she noticed a small vase sitting on the desk. Moving the vase in front of her, she asked the manager, “Is this crystal? It’s quite beautiful.”

“Yes, I believe it is.”

She took a hair pin from her hair, and tapped the crystal, listening to its ringing. Then she began to sing a scale; low at first, but quickly rising in pitch and volume until she hit and held a high note in perfect tune with the ring of the crystal, reverberating off the marble of the walls and floors and prompting the clerk and manager to cover their ears. Patrons came out of the bar and restaurant to see who was singing that note, and they all watched the crystal vase as it moved, appearing to bend until the very top of it exploded into a hundred tiny shards.

She closed her mouth and stood looking at them in the sudden silence.

“I’ll show you to your room, Miss Whitney,” said the manager with his nose out of the clouds.

“It’s Mrs. Cartwright. My husband will be joining me in a few days.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“I’ll also need rooms for these gentlemen,” she said, motioning to the men behind her. “We really don’t have any more rooms available here, but I can make arrangements for them at the hotel across the street.”

Walking to the front door, she looked across the street. “That one?” she said, pointing.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“That will be fine. My coach is outside as well. Would you be so kind as to hold it at your stables? My driver will require access,” she said, indicating the driver.

“Of course, Miss…Mrs. Cartwright.”

“And see to it that these gentlemen have breakfast available in the restaurant. You may charge it to my suite.”

“We’ll be happy to provide meals to your staff gratis.”

“That’s very kind of you. And I would like dinner in my room. May I see a menu?”

The clerk hurried into the restaurant, returning with the menu and setting it down opened on the front desk. “I’ll have the fish with asparagus. And fresh bread. Please make sure it’s hot. And champagne.”

“Is there anything else you require, Mrs. Cartwright?”

“Yes. Might you give me directions to your theatre?”

“It’s three blocks south on this street.”

She turned to her driver. “I’ll be walking in the morning.”

“This way, Mrs. Cartwright,” said the manager, motioning toward the stairs.

***

Adam and Micah walked out of the bank after cashing the bank draft for the cattle, wiring most of the money to the bank in Virginia City. “Are you coming with me to see Shiloh?” asked Adam.

“No. It’s about supper time anyway. I think I’ll go back and pay the men, then get the wagons ready to head home tomorrow.”

“You know she’ll be upset with you.”

“I don’t want our new friend to associate me with her, Adam. He’s probably harmless, but I don’t want to take the chance. Besides, we’ve still got all the winter preparations to take care of at home. The quicker I get back, the quicker they’ll get done.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you in a few weeks,” said Adam, shaking Micah’s hand. “Oh. I’ll be sending two of the men who escorted Shiloh back with you, so look for them…and take my horse back, will ya?”

Laughing, Micah untied the reins of both horses, mounted up and left. Adam turned up the street with his saddlebags slung over his shoulders. When he walked into the hotel, the clerk hurried from behind the counter. “Excuse me. You can’t come in here.”

Adam looked down at himself and grimaced. He was dusty, his trousers were so dirty they were stiff, the bandana tied around his neck stank of sweat as did his shirt, he hadn’t washed his face since the morning, and he hadn’t shaved for several days. “If you’ll just direct me to Mrs. Cartwright’s room, I’ll get out of your lobby.”

“I most certainly will not. A fine woman like that would never associate with a filthy cowhand.”

“Adam?” said Shiloh, stepping through the front door. She ran to him as he dropped his saddlebags on the floor and greeted her with open arms and a wide grin. “Oh, I’ve missed you,” she said, rushing into his arms.

“I missed you, too, Sweetheart,” he said, picking her up against him.

The clerk stood back, his lip slowly curling in disgust. Shiloh gave him a stern look. “We’re ranchers. We get dirty.” Adam picked his saddlebags up from the floor and offered his arm to Shiloh, who took it with a brilliant smile, leading him up the stairs. “I’ll bet you’re tired.”

“Mm hm. But my first order of business will be a bath and a shave.”

“They don’t have wash rooms in this hotel. Why don’t you go ahead to the room?” she said, slipping the key into his hand. “I’ll go arrange for your bath.”

Unlocking the door, Adam stepped into the suite. He dropped his saddlebags on the center table and untied his bandana. Smelling it, he scrunched his face up as he blew out at the stench. He unbuckled his gun belt, setting it next to his saddlebags, and then emptied his pockets. Last, he pulled off his boots and stood on the carpet wiggling his toes. He’d only taken them off two or three times in the last six weeks, and it felt good to spread his toes out. Looking around for the bedroom door, he turned and went in search of a robe, clean clothes and his personal items that Shiloh would have brought with her.

Shiloh was back at the front desk, waiting patiently for the clerk to look up. “Oh, Mrs. Cartwright. I apologize for my remarks earlier. We don’t allow…a rough looking crowd in the hotel. Might I ask what he was doing?”

“He just drove three hundred head of cattle here from our ranch in Nevada.”

“Oh, I see. What may I do for you?”

“I’d like a bath prepared in our room, and I’d like to order dinner in our room as well.”

The clerk reached under the counter and laid an open menu in front of her. “While you decide what you and Mr. Cartwright would like from the restaurant, I’ll arrange for the bath. It will only take a moment.”

She thought about the menu for a few minutes, hesitating to order beef, even though a good steak was his favorite meal. He would have eaten beef cooked over a fire for most of the six weeks they’d been apart. The only break he would have had from beef would have been fish had they stopped near a river or lake. She ordered potato soup, a stuffed chicken, asparagus, corn and hot bread with emphasis on the word ‘hot’, champagne, and for dessert, his favorite; chocolate cake and a bottle of brandy for later. She also asked that a pot of coffee be brought up around eight that evening.

When she entered their room, she stopped, expecting to see him in the sitting room. She turned to close the door, and he quietly snuck up behind her, sliding his hands around her waist and burying his face at the side of her neck. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back and let him have his fill, enjoying his touch. He turned her around and kissed her so fervently she had trouble breathing, and when he broke the kiss, he didn’t really move, but rather kept his face against hers with their lips barely apart while he spoke. “I don’t know how I ever lasted that long on the trail. But then I never had someone to miss. God, I missed you.”

She didn’t mind his closeness even though he was dirty and smelly. She didn’t mind that his beard was rough on her skin. She delighted in his embrace, his breath, his touch, and at that moment that was all she cared about.

**********

“Sweetheart, you haven’t touched your breakfast.” She wore a contemplative look. Adam put his fork down and wiped his mouth. “What is it?” he asked worriedly.

“Do you remember the morning we left San Francisco, I wasn’t feeling well? I told you what it was.” He nodded, looking more worried. “And the morning you left on the cattle drive, I felt the same way.”

He thought. “Both of those mornings were after we made love.”

“Yes, well, I’m feeling the same way this morning. It seems to only happen…the next morning.”

“Shiloh, I don’t like this. We should get you to a doctor.”

She winced. “I saw Dr. Martin about a week after you left. Hoss noticed that I still wasn’t feeling well, and he had Dr. Martin come out to the ranch. But Paul didn’t think anything of it. In fact, he wanted me to get out of the house and work, come home and take a hot bath, and drink a glass of brandy before I went to bed. I did that and felt wonderful, and I’ve felt good since…until this morning.”

“I don’t think we should wait to discuss this with Paul again. I want you to see a doctor today.”

“Adam, it’s hard enough to talk about this kind of thing with Paul, much less a stranger. I’d rather wait and see if it passes again.”

Adam watched her pick up a biscuit and butter it. “Do you realize you ate almost that entire loaf of bread by yourself last night?”

“No I didn’t. You ate some.”

“One slice.”

“And why is that important?”

“Because biscuits are all you’ve eaten this morning, and that’s your third one.”

“Well, it helps settle my stomach.” She shrugged and took a bite. “I don’t have to rehearse today, so I can spend the entire day with you,” she said, beaming at him. “I thought we could go over some things I brought with me…the timber ledgers from Hoss, the repairs we’ve done while you’ve been gone, and a quote I’ve started for a late cattle delivery in Sacramento…like I did before. Oh, and when I took your Jackson Square drawings to town to mail, I picked up another envelope from Slater. I have that with me as well.”

Laughing, Adam picked up his coffee and sipped, then continued to chuckle as he placed it back on the saucer.

“What’s so funny?”

“Is working your idea of spending time with me?” She poked her lips out and looked away. Pointing his finger at her, he said, “That’s what you did before we were married. You worked all the time and never took any time off. You’re not getting away with it now.”

The corner of her mouth slightly turned up. “So are we spending the day in bed?”

He laughed loudly and stood, walking around the table, taking her hand and pulling her up against him. “Not that I would mind, but no. I thought we could take a ride. The Wasatch Mountains are a bit different from what you’re used to in the Sierra. I thought we’d take a picnic lunch and see what we can find. There’s also a big dairy operation near here. I want to show you the barn and processing buildings.”

***

The entire week of Shiloh’s performances were before sold out audiences who were far from disappointed. She also held a free performance for the ordinary people of Salt Lake, prompting news stories to be sent all over the country calling her the People’s Songbird.

Adam had delivered his drawings and specifications for the new building Slater and Cartwright had been contracted for, and he spent several days going over the particulars of the job with the construction engineer since he wouldn’t be travelling back to Salt Lake City.

When they arrived in Denver City, a crowd followed her carriage to their hotel where Adam and the driver, with the help of the town sheriff and deputies, managed to finally get her inside, and not just because of the pressing crowd, but also because Shiloh was reaching out to them.

Adam filled his time while she rehearsed by starting on the new plans for the specifications Shiloh had brought with her and reviewing the ranch and timber ledgers.

It was her last performance that would be the beginning of a fundamental change for both them. She had already held a free concert in a park, and that only served to create a demand for the remaining tickets of her regular show prompting her to do an encore performance.

The evening went especially well. Shiloh had begun to include the audience even more in her performances, making them seem more intimate. For her last encore of the evening, she sang the same closing song she always sang. Adam had watched all of her performances in Denver City from the front row, and when she made eye contact with him, her words carried a special meaning.

As she always did, she sang to individuals, bending and making eye contact until the very end when she had to stand up straight, taking in a huge breath in order to hit and maintain that last long note that ended suddenly.

Tonight it ended suddenly when Shiloh collapsed onto the stage floor.

**********

Adam bolted to the stage, jumping the four feet from the main floor to the stage floor with little effort. He was soon followed by the theatre manager and the conductor as the crowd jumped to their feet. A murmur passed through the hall.

“Is there a doctor in the audience?” yelled the manager.

In another moment, a man knelt next to Adam. “I’m Dr. Westley.” He felt her head, then her neck for a pulse. She doesn’t appear to have a fever, though she does feel clammy. Why don’t we get her to her dressing room where I can have a better look?”

The other men tried to help lift her, but Adam moved next to her, lifting her in his arms as he stood. The only time he had ever seen her limp like this was when the tree fell on the house, trapping her underneath. She was as pale now as she had been after Stewart had beaten her. When he got to her dressing suite, he went into the back room, laying her on the chaise.

“Has she been ill?” asked the doctor.

The manager and conductor stood in the front room looking into the back, and Adam stood to close the door. “She’s been complaining of mild pain. She says she normally feels it before her monthly, but she hasn’t had a monthly the last few times it’s happened. And doctor, she doesn’t always have a monthly. She’s been that way since she was young.”

“And how long has she been complaining of this pain?”

“The first I’d heard of it was the middle of August.”

The doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wallet from which he removed a vial. “This will wake her up.” He broke the vial and held it under her nose until she began to move her head back and forth, and when she grimaced, pushing the vial away, he moved it away from her.

“What happened?” she asked groggily.

Kneeling beside her, Adam took her hand. “You fainted on the stage.”

“Oh no,” she said, raising her other hand to her face.

“Sweetheart, this is Dr. Westley.”

“Is it Miss Whitney or…”

“She’s my wife…Mrs. Cartwright.”

“Call me Shiloh, please.”

The doctor smiled kindly. “Shiloh, your husband tells me you’ve been feeling some discomfort since August. Can you tell me where you feel it?”

“My stomach. It’s the same feeling I have just before my monthly, only I haven’t had one. But then, I don’t always have one normally.”

“And what were you doing before you felt this discomfort?” the doctor asked as he pressed her lower stomach. She winced and turned red, glancing up at Adam, then looked away. “That’s tender?” She nodded. The doctor looked back at Adam who was pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ah. Each time?” Still looking away, Shiloh nodded.

Dr. Westley stood up. “Well, there’s nothing I can do that time won’t do for you.”

“Time?” said Shiloh. “How much time? We have work to do before snowfall starts.”

Turning to Adam, Westley nodded back toward Shiloh. “She really doesn’t get it, does she?”

Adam was already smiling under the hand that covered his mouth when he started chuckling. “How long, doctor?”

“I put her at three months, but she should see her doctor when you get back home. Until then, she should do nothing but rest. Since she’s feeling some tenderness and has now fainted, I would suggest she not do more than walk across a room or perhaps prepare a quick meal, but she shouldn’t be on her feet for any extended period of time. You’ll want to discuss that with your doctor. Here, young man.” He pulled out his wallet again and gave Adam two of the vials. “I understand it’s a long way home for you. Break one and hold it under her nose if she faints again. It will revive her. Or if she looks comfortable, let her sleep.”

Adam walked the doctor out of the room, and while he was out, he asked the theatre manager to obtain the services of a carriage. “Is she alright,” he asked.

Smiling, Adam answered. “She’s fine. That last note just takes a lot of air.” Stepping back into the back room, he stopped at the door when he saw Shiloh up, packing her trunk. He quietly closed the door and walked behind her, touching her shoulders. “Did you hear what the doctor just said?” he asked softly.

Imperceptibly turning her head, she answered quietly, “I don’t have time to do nothing.” She continued packing her trunk. “Besides, Dr. Martin suggested that the more I do the better I would feel.”

Taking a dress from her hands and letting it drop to the trunk, he turned her around, and when she didn’t look up at him, he took her face in his hands and turned it up. “Shiloh, that was two months ago. He didn’t know. But things have moved along and changed.”

Her apprehension took over her face. “Adam, I can’t just sit around. I don’t know how,” she whispered.

“Don’t think of it as doing nothing,” he said, touching her forehead with his. “You’re growing a little life inside you. I’d say that’s a pretty important undertaking.” She giggled nervously, her misty eyes looking into his.

To Be Continued…

 

Next story in theTo Everything, There is a Season Series:

Family Ties
Life’s Demands