XxXxX

4

“Momma? Momma!”

Seated at breakfast with his two oldest sons and William and Maggie Connelly, Ben experienced an instant of déjà vu at hearing young Mary’s voice calling for someone. Only this time, she was calling from the guest room, not the yard. And she wasn’t asking if anyone was home.

Moments later, her small hand clinging tightly to her mother’s, the child was ushered into the dining room. She rubbed her eyes and looked all about her in confusion. “Where’s Michael?”

“He’s with the Hamiltons, darlin’.”

“Why?”

“We wanted to come get you as quickly as we could.”

“You left him for me?” Her eyes widened.

“Of course, child. You needed—”

“But we’re a family, aren’t we?”

“Of course, we are!”

“Little Joe said families have to stick together.”

Ben traded sentimental smiles with Adam and Hoss, and then briefly met Maggie Connelly’s gaze.

“Aye. That they must,” Mary’s mother said, as much to the men at the table as to her young daughter.

“But if Michael’s not here, then we’re not sticking together.” Poor Mary sounded quite distraught.

Surprise and concern swung Maggie’s full attention back to her daughter. “Of course, we’re stickin’ together,” she assured the child. “The Hamiltons are—”

“But Michael should be here,” Mary argued. “I need to look after him. I’m the big sister. You can’t leave him behind for me!”

“Darlin’, he’s just—”

“I’m supposed to make sure he stays out of trouble!”

“Sweetheart, sure and I am he can’t possibly get into trouble with—”

“But I need to, momma! I need to look after him! I promised Little Joe!”

“I think that’s my cue.” Adam set his napkin beside his plate and pushed back from the table. “After all, I also made a promise to Little Joe,” he added with a wink to his father and brother.

XxXxX

“Why don’t you and I have a little talk?” Adam reached his hand out, wordlessly inviting Mary to take it. “Big brother to big sister?”

She looked for her mother’s encouraging nod before slipping her hand into his and letting him lead her to the settee.

“First of all, Mary,” Adam settled himself onto the low table in front of her, “when Little Joe said families stick together, he didn’t mean they’re always in the same place at the same time.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not always possible. I wasn’t with him on that ridge yesterday, was I?”

“Why not? You’re his big brother. You’re supposed to look out for him.”

“I do. And he looks out for me, too. You see, it goes both ways now, because we’re both grown. Just like it will be for you and Michael after you’re both grown.”

“But you didn’t look out for Little Joe yesterday.”

Stung, Adam took a deep breath. “Not at first, no. He didn’t need me to, because he’s grown enough to look out for himself.”

“But when he fell, he couldn’t look out for himself.”

“That’s right; he couldn’t. That’s why we went out there to take care of him and bring him home.”

“But if you were with him, you could have stopped him from falling.”

Taking another fortifying breath, Adam glanced at the table where his family and hers were quietly watching. “We can’t always stop bad things from happening,” he answered finally.

Mary pursed her lips. “That’s what Little Joe said. That’s when big brothers and big sisters have to help get little brothers out of trouble.”

Adam couldn’t help but grin. “That sounds about right.”

“But if my little brother’s not here, I can’t stop him from getting into trouble and I can’t get him out of trouble. I can’t do anything at all!”

“You don’t have to, because you know he’s safe.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s with people who will protect him just as well as you and your parents would.”

“Why?”

“Well, the Hamiltons know how important it is to protect little ones who can’t protect themselves.”

“Why?”

“All right, young lady.” William Connelly rose to move toward them. “That’s enough questions for now. Let Mister Cartwright eat his breakfast.”

Adam looked to him and smiled. “I think I can handle a few more questions.”

Mister Connelly’s brows rose. Then he shrugged and held back, although he remained standing.

“You’re more grown than your little brother, right?” Adam asked Mary next.

She nodded.

“And the Hamiltons are more grown than you.”

She nodded again.

“They’ve learned how to protect themselves and those around them. Just like you’re learning, right now.”

“I am?”

“Sure, you are. I’ll bet you learn a little something new every day.”

“I do?”

“Like yesterday. I’ll bet you learned that wandering outside alone is dangerous, right?”

Her eyes went wide and she nodded emphatically.

“Well, you can save your parents and your little brother a whole lot of trouble by teaching Micheal the same thing before he starts wandering himself.”

“I can?”

“You sure can. And you know why?”

She shook her head.

“Because that’s what big brothers and big sisters do. They help their little brothers and little sisters to grow up safe. And they always stick together, even when they’re miles apart.”

Mary scrunched her brows tight, deep in thought. “How do I stick together with Michael if he’s with the Hamiltons and I’m here?” she asked after a moment.

“Oh, that’s easy.”

“It is?”

“All you have to do is promise that whenever you’re together, you’ll help him to learn how to be careful, like Hoss and I helped our father to teach Little Joe. Think you can do that?”

Mary nodded, but the way she pulled her lower lip in between her teeth showed that she was bothered by something. “Mister Adam?” she asked. “Do you ever get mad at Little Joe?”

Surprised, Adam pulled his cheek between his own teeth and glanced over at Ben and Hoss. As expected, they were both grinning sheepishly. Finally, Adam admitted, “Yes, Mary. Yes, I do get mad at Little Joe.”

“But you still take care of him?”

“Even when I want to punch him, I still make sure he’s safe.”

“Then it’s okay if I get mad at Michael when he won’t stop crying?”

“As long as you don’t punch him.” Adam winked.

Mary gave one great big bob of her head. “Good. ‘Cause I don’t know how I could ever promise not to get mad at him. But I can promise to look out for him.”

“Good,” Adam repeated. “Now, how about that breakfast? Are you hungry?”

“I sure am!”

While Mary jumped off the settee and hurried over to her mother, Adam rose more slowly, meeting her father’s eye.

“It never would have dawned on me,” William Connelly told him, “to have that particular conversation with her.”

Adam’s grin seemed to have found permanence. “Maybe that’s because it’s hard to think clearly with a crying baby in the house,” he said slyly.

William grinned back at him, nodding. “Maybe so.” He cocked his head then, considering. “You sound as though you speak from experience.”

“I was old enough when Joe was born to remember what it was like.”

“Yes, well…. You make an excellent older brother, if I do say so myself.”

“I’ve had some practice.”

As Adam headed back to the table, he saw his pa’s appreciative nod and listened to Hoss’s contagious chuckle, and he found himself wishing Joe was there…although he had to admit, listening to Pa and Hoss in the days to come regaling Joe with the story of Adam’s little talk with Mary, embellishments no doubt included, could prove to be entertaining for all of them.

“Mister Adam?” Mary asked just as Adam was about to take a bite of his now cold eggs. “I reckon maybe you are kind’a smart, just like Little Joe said.”

XxXxX

Hoss guffawed loud enough to wake everyone on the Comstock. Little Joe didn’t stand a chance to sleep through it, medicine or not. He blinked the room into tenuous focus and found Hop Sing seated beside him.

“Little Joe hungry?” the cook said softly, sounding concerned despite a dark look in his eyes.

Joe smiled inwardly. He knew that look. Someone was going to be scolded before long. Hoss, most likely.

“Hop Sing get broth.” He nodded decisively, tapped Joe’s arm, and then rose.

“No, Hop Sing,” Joe tried to argue. His voice was so weak he was almost surprised to see the man hesitate and turn back to him. “Not…hungry,” Joe added. The very idea of food turned his stomach.

“Number three son must eat.”

“Later. Maybe.” Joe closed his eyes again, wishing for sleep even as he longed to be downstairs sharing in whatever conversation was prompting so much laughter. Most of all, he just wanted the pain to go away.

 

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