Ponderosa – Present

 

“Please, Little Joe, I’m tellin’ you, it just ain’t gonna work. These letters are all too mushy, and besides, Adam’s gonna be back any minute. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Hoss emphasized his words by grabbing Joe’s arm and yanking him toward the door, causing Joe to bump Adam’s desk.

“Now look what you did,” Joe complained, reaching for the small drawer that had crashed to the floor.

Hoss sighed as he bent down to pick up the scattered papers.

“Joseph, when I said I needed help writin’ a letter to Gloria, this wasn’t exactly what I meant.”

Joe rolled his eyes. “Hoss, girls like all that flowery stuff, and nobody writes flowery better than older brother.”

Hoss nodded in agreement, handing Joe the last of Adam’s stationary.

“Dad-burn it, little brother, he’s gonna know we’ve been in here.”

“Nah, I’ve got a plan.”

Hoss’s eyes grew wide, and he held out his hands pleadingly. “Now, Little Joe-”

“Don’t worry,” Joe interrupted, giving him a wink.

Hoss watched cautiously as Little Joe went to Adam’s window, opening it just enough for the stiff breeze outside to enter the room. The papers on Adam’s desk immediately began flying in all directions.

Hoss was making a wild grab for them when Joe reached out and stopped him.

“Just leave it. I’ll open the drawer part way—Adam will think Hop Sing left the window open again.”

“Ah, Joe, he ain’t gonna fall for that.”

“Trust me, Hoss. It works every time.”

“Oh, really? And just how many times would that be, little brother?”

Joe shrugged. “A few.”

Hoss watched over his younger brother’s shoulder as he worked to get the small drawer back in place.

“I think it’s stuck on something,” Joe said, setting the drawer on the floor. “Yeah, there’s a piece of paper stuck inside here. Looks like a letter.”

“Well, put it in the drawer and let’s go,” Hoss said, turning to leave.

He’d almost made it to the door when Little Joe’s voice stopped him. He turned and walked back as Joe read the letter aloud.

 

My dearest Adam,

I know you weren’t expecting to hear from me for quite some time. I’ve been released early.

I’ve no doubt you’ll come; just as I know that in all these years you haven’t given your heart to another for I still hold it in my hands.

You know where to meet me. I’ll expect you sometime in August. Please don’t-

     “What do you think you’re doing?”

Hoss and Joe looked up suddenly as a dark shadow crossed over the doorway.

“Uh, Adam, we was just-”

“You were just going through my things; reading my personal letters! Honestly, you two don’t know anything more about privacy then you did when you were children.” Adam snatched the letter from Little Joe’s outstretched hand.

“Adam, I’m sorry. It was my idea, Hoss just needed-”

“Never mind,” Adam interrupted as he escorted his brothers toward the hall. “I, unlike you two, don’t need to know every detail about other people’s lives.” Shutting the door with a little more force than was necessary, Adam sighed and leaned heavily against it. There were a few moments of silence before he heard the sounds of his brothers retreating.

They deserved it. They shouldn’t even have been in here, let alone reading this, this . . .

Adam quickly scanned the letter, picking up where he’d cut Little Joe off.

 

. . . Please don’t delay. I need your help, and . . . my precious Adam, I have so much to tell you.

All my love,

~Sissy~

     Running a hand through his hair, Adam began to pace the length of his room. Every so often, he would stop and throw back his head or loosen his shoulders. Finally, he stopped, his agonized features now replaced with a determined calm. Crossing to his bed, he dropped the letter, now soaked with sweat from his palm onto the quilt, then turning to his dresser, he opened it and began taking out his clothes.

I’m coming, Sissy, I’m coming.