Summary:  Adam met Meredith when she was a young girl and a friend of Joe’s. When he sees her again, she is a beautiful woman with a sad, dark secret. Love, romance, finding out her secret, and dealing with her past make up the rest of the story.

Rating — T.   30,371 words

Valentine Romance

Chapter 1

“Oh, Adam, I was reading a book my older sister Charlotte had hidden in her room. It was very romantic, and this secret admirer sent his lady love champagne and chocolates every day for a month. Then he showed up at the Valentine’s Day dance to claim his prize. He entered the ballroom with a mask on and whisked her away with him. Adam, when I’m old enough, will you send me chocolates and champagne just like he did?”

“Meredith, I pledge that I will do that when you are old enough. How old are you now?”

“I’m twelve, but my mama says I’m tall for my age. I’m taller than Little Joe, but I’m a year older too. We sit in school together for reading because I read so much better than everyone else so I help him and some of the other boys. Joe says you went to college. Did you get to read a lot there?”

Smiling and reminiscing over his college years, Adam turned to look at Meredith. “Yes, Meredith, I did and enjoyed that immensely. I have a lot of books in the house. If you would like to borrow one, you may go look at them.” Hoping to get his little tagalong interested in something else succeeded.

“Really? I can read one of your books?”

“Just be careful with it, and when you bring it back, you can choose another.”

Meredith ran to the house with that permission granted. Inside Little Joe was coming down the stairs after changing clothes. He had gone fishing with Meredith and fallen in the stream when he was trying to unsnag her line. His father had insisted on a bath and clean clothing so Meredith had been outside sitting near Adam and chatting.

“Joe, Adam says I can look at his books and borrow one to read. Isn’t that wonderful. He’s very sweet.”

“Adam sweet? I think you got too much sun today. He’s just a bossy know-it-all. Why would you want to read a book that you don’t hafta read anyway?”

“Because it’s fun to read new books.”

Shaking his head, Joe asked if she wanted to go for a ride before she had to ride home. She did, but said she wanted to pick a book out first. Soon she had her selection because she hadn’t read any of the books Adam had. She and Joe ran out to their ponies. Meredith packed the book carefully into her saddlebags and looked over at Adam at the forge. He had removed his shirt since she had gone in the house and even at the age of twelve, Meredith appreciated the long lean look of him with the dark hair curling on his chest dampened by sweat.

“Watcha looking at? Let’s go while we still got time for a nice ride.”

For the next couple of years, Meredith was a frequent visitor to the Ponderosa. She always found time to follow Adam around and ask questions, and she always brought a book back and then borrowed another. Adam tried to remember to keep his shirt on when she was around for very often he caught her staring at him and found it unnerving to see that kind of look on the soon to be teenager. When Meredith turned fourteen though, her parents thought it unseemly that she visit the Ponderosa without an escort, so she was there only infrequently. She had read most of Adam’s books by then anyway. At church services and social events, Joe still tried to maintain his friendship with Meredith, but she became serious and standoffish. Joe moved on to other girls who were friendlier. Two years later, Meredith was sent to live with an aunt in San Francisco. She didn’t return until she was twenty-one. She took a room at the boardinghouse and got a job at the mercantile.

Having matured into a beautiful young woman, Meredith attracted a lot of attention from the men in town who more than ever found reasons to visit the mercantile. Intent on picking up supplies for the ranch, Joe was there shortly after she returned. He admired the shapely woman stocking shelves and was surprised when she turned around.

“Meredith? Is that you? My God, I had no idea you were back in town.”

“Yes, I’ve returned from my banishment to California.”

“Hardly a banishment. Your folks were always telling tales about you and your antics there, and how you were going to school and learning so much. So why are you working in a mercantile? I thought for sure you would be a nurse or a teacher at the very least. You were always the smartest girl I ever knew.”

“Perhaps not so smart as I should have been. I work here to pay my room and board.”

“Well, why don’t you live with your parents? They must be thrilled to have you back.”

“Not so thrilled as you might think.” Trying to deflect the conversation to Joe and away from her, Meredith asked about what he was doing.

“Oh, picking up supplies. Hey, we’re giving a big Christmas dance and party at the ranch on Saturday. The weather has been so mild this year, we thought we might revive that old tradition. Would you be willing to come to the party? I could pick you up.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t been to a dance in ages.”

“Aw, c’mon, your ma was always talking about the balls and cotillions and such you were at. You must be a great dancer by now.”

“Well, perhaps if I had a good dance partner, I could manage. Will your whole family be there?”

“Of course. They’ll all be thrilled to see you too.”

“Yes, Joe, I will go to the party. In fact, I would be pleased if you could give me a ride.”

On Saturday at four, Joe hitched up the carriage to go to town to pick up Meredith. Hoss took the surrey to pick up his date. After everything that had happened recently with the Bannings, Adam was just planning to lay low for a while. He had no one special for the dance. When Meredith arrived with Joe, the whole Cartwright clan was there to greet her. It had been a long time, but all of them had liked the spirited girl she had been. All were surprised like Joe to find her so quiet and reserved, but they were equally impressed with how beautiful she had become. She wasn’t a cute fourteen-year-old any more. She was a beautiful young woman who stood perhaps an inch taller than Joe.

As the musicians started up, Joe offered his arm to Meredith and they danced with only each other for the next hour. There were some jealous looks in the room because of that. Adam did his best to dance with all of the other single ladies and with wives whose husbands refused to go on the dance floor. Warm after squiring yet another hefty matron around the floor in a sprightly jig, Adam headed for the door and the delightfully cool weather of the early winter. Alone on the porch leaning against the wall of the house, he felt a hand at his arm and turned to find Meredith standing at his side.

“Ah, my little tagalong returns. May I interest you in any of my books? I believe I may have some now that you haven’t read yet.” Adam noticed a sad wistful look on Meredith’s face that he had never remembered seeing on her before. He remembered her as more bold and spirited.

“No, you don’t have to try to get rid of me, but I wondered that you didn’t dance with me. Am I so unattractive that you wouldn’t want to be with me on the dance floor.”

“Oh, on the contrary, my lady, you are most beautiful. But I thought that all your dances were promised to Joe?”

“We’re friends so he asked me to be at the party. I don’t think he expected more than that.”

“Perhaps not when he asked you, but by his behavior tonight, he only has eyes for you.”

“But I only have eyes for you.” And Meredith ran her hand from Adam’s chest down lower as she pressed her body next to him.. “Adam, my memories of you were what kept me going. At night when I was so sad, I thought of your beautiful eyes and your kissable lips, and it made me forget all the darkness.”

With Meredith’s attentions, Adam groaned and pulled her to him. That and her sultry voice had him enjoying the moment. As she leaned into him with her face raised up and her lips open, common sense overwhelmed the desire, and he took her upper arms in his hands and pushed her back. Joe arrived at that point. He saw Adam forcefully holding Meredith, and even in the darkness, he could tell his brother and Meredith had been in a passionate embrace. As Adam released Meredith’s arms, Joe swung and sucker punched his brother. As Adam picked himself up from the porch rubbing his jaw, he held his hands open to Joe.

“Joe, I don’t want to hit you.”

“Well, I want to hit you.” And Joe unleashed a barrage of punches. Some were blocked by Adam but the others hit their mark, and Adam was down on the floor again. “You told me Melinda kissed you. Well I suppose you’re going to try that same lame story now. Get up and fight you coward.”

Several people including Hoss were on the porch by then, and Adam stood thinking that Joe wouldn’t continue with people watching. He was wrong. Joe hit him again and then tackled him. When he put his hands around Adam’s throat though Hoss stepped in and pulled him off.

“What is the meaning of this? What in tarnation do the two of you think you’re doing?” Ben was outraged that his sons were fighting at a party at their home.

“I’ll tell you, but not in front of all these people.”

Ben turned and asked a couple of friends to please get everyone back inside. Meredith was sobbing and Hoss helped her up from the floor where she had sank and into a chair.

“I came out here to find Adam taking liberties with Meredith. If I hadn’t stopped him, who knows what he would have done.”

“Adam, what happened?”

Looking over at Meredith who was still crying and now looking at him with fear, Adam shook his head and began walking to the stable. He pulled out a handkerchief and began dabbing at the blood on his face and the blood streaming from his nose.

“Adam, get back here and explain yourself!”

But Adam kept on walking ignoring his father’s command.

“Hoss, hitch up the carriage so you can give Meredith a ride home. Joe, you go around back and up to your room.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong. What about him?” Pointing at the stable, Joe’s anger began to rise again.

“I will talk to him when everything calms down around here. Now please do as I say. There’s been enough turmoil for the night already.” Joe reluctantly did as his father asked. Ben went to Meredith to apologize for his son, but that only caused more tears so instead he sat next to her and kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Gradually she calmed down.

In the stable, as Hoss went to get the carriage horse, he couldn’t ignore Adam who sat on a hay bale holding his bloody handkerchief to his nose. “I accepted that Regan kissed you. Joe accepted that Melinda kissed you. After tonight, I don’t know that we can ever believe anything you say. How could you treat that little gal that way?”

Muffled by the cloth, Adam’s response was clear enough. “What makes you think I did anything wrong?”

“Ifn you didn’t, you woulda fought back. You woulda been mad about what we said to you. Now I know you better, and I don’t like what I learned.”

Hoss exited the stable leaving Adam sitting alone in the dark. Knowing his father would likely be there soon, Adam walked out the tack room door and went around the stable and corral to the house. He couldn’t tell his father what Meredith had done, and see his father not believe him. Joe’s condemnation and Hoss’ just a few minutes earlier had been enough. In his room, he packed some clothing and his shaving kit and left the same way he had entered. The stable was empty when he returned so he saddled up Sport and walked him from the stable. Once he was far enough away that he wouldn’t be heard, he mounted up for the ride to town. At the livery stable in town, he paid for one night and watched as Hoss drove the empty carriage out of town. He headed for the saloon to get a beer and try to dull the ache in his jaw and nose.

When Hoss returned and found Sport’s stall empty, he told his father that Adam was gone. Ben was furious, but there was little he could do. He would tell Joe, and they would have to await Adam’s return to try to clear the air.