{"id":1149,"date":"2007-03-29T22:08:40","date_gmt":"2007-03-30T02:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1149"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:11:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:11:33","slug":"adams-angels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1149","title":{"rendered":"Adam’s Angels (by acspeej)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This sequel to “Adam’s Surprise Visitor” deals with Adam and Sam’s marriage and with living on Adam’s ranch – “The Pines.” Everything is perfect with the new couple. But there is a plot to destroy this relationship, and Sam finds her very life in peril once again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated T (34,455 words)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam & Sam Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam’s Journey of Memories
\nAdam’s Surprise Visitor<\/a><\/span>
\nAdam’s Angels
\n<\/a><\/span>Bringing up Babies<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Story Notes:<\/span>
\nThis story may look long, but the chapters are short, for the most part. Reading is quick and easy.<\/span>
\nDisclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ADAM\u2019S ANGELS<\/strong><\/span>
\nCHAPTER ONE<\/strong><\/span>
\nAdam and Sam\u2019s wedding was the talk of Virginia City for weeks afterward. It had been extravagant but could in no way be construed as ostentatious. The nighttime ceremony had taken place in the town church, filled with flowers of every kind, and with lighted, scented candles placed strategically in every nook and cranny. The pews had been polished until the wood glowed with warmth, and there were velvet bows placed all around the altar. Even the outside of the church had been decorated with living fir and Ponderosa pine boughs. Even though the nuptials had taken place in March, the weather was still very cold at night and the snow often fell very gently making the scene quite picturesque. Drucilla would say that the whole thing looked like a find painting \u2013 good enough to hang on the walls of any high-class museum.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ceremony itself was quite simple. Sam had no family and had decided against having any bridesmaids. Adam was in complete agreement and had chosen no groomsmen, though he would like to have had his father and brothers stand with him on this most-special occasion. But Ben had been pressed into service by Sam \u2013 she wanted him to walk her down the aisle. The patriarch of the Cartwright clan had considered this quite an honor and was proud to take Sam\u2019s arm. Hoss and Little Joe became ushers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every citizen of Virginia City had been invited to the wedding, and the church was filled to capacity. The late-arrivals hadn\u2019t minded standing outside or sitting in buggies or wagons in the cold night air because the door to the church was left open deliberately so they could see what was going on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Elvin played the church organ and, at a signal from Little Joe, the music swelled. It was time for the bride to march to the altar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben took Sam\u2019s arm and tucked it under his own. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d he whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at him with a smile. \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for this moment all my life. Do I look all right? I want Adam to be proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked at her simple floor-length white dress and made a slight adjustment to her white veil. \u201cYou\u2019ve never been more beautiful,\u201d he answered with a lump in his throat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben adjusted his suit coat one more time and smiled as Sam whispered, \u201cYou look so handsome. Maybe I should\u2019ve married you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben whispered back. \u201cAdam would have tied me up and left me at home!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam giggled. Ben chuckled.<\/span><\/p>\n

They made their way up the aisle. Adam was standing alone, fighting the lump in his own throat. He had waited for so long to find the right woman to marry, and Sam was definitely the right woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at Adam as she drew nearer. What a handsome man he is. He stands so straight and proud in his best suit. What broad shoulders he has! What a strong man he is \u2013 inside and out! He\u2019s going to make a wonderful husband and, God willing, a wonderful father!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWO<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Soon, Adam and Sam were standing side by side and half-listening to the preacher. But the man had their full attention as they said their vows. As they slipped matching gold rings on each other\u2019s fingers, the choir sang \u201cAve Maria\u201d softly. It was a moment that brought tears to the eyes of Drucilla, Thelma, Henrietta and Doc Martin. Hankies came out of handbags and coat pockets as Adam lifted Sam\u2019s veil and kissed her very gently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you,\u201d he murmured, his eyes brimming with tears of happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you more,\u201d Sam answered, her lips quivering from emotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was careful when he folded the veil behind her head to be sure it didn\u2019t wrinkle \u2013 one day a daughter might want to wear the same dress and veil!<\/span><\/p>\n

With a laugh, Sam grabbed Adam\u2019s arm and they began to walk towards the open church door. Sam happened to catch Gretchen\u2019s eye and received a genuine smile. Gretchen and Ted would, undoubtedly, be the next couple to wed. Friedhelm Werner continued to be in good health, and Ilsa Werner (who had made much progress toward sanity) nodded her head. There was applause as the newlyweds made their way down the aisle and there was even more applause as they walked outside \u2013 how gratifying it was to see so many happy faces!<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THREE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The only place large enough to hold such a multitude of people was the town hall, and Hop Sing rushed there. In honor of this occasion, he had dressed in his formal, authentic Chinese clothing and would now be in charge of the food at the reception. He and twenty of his Chinese friends had been busy decorating earlier \u2013 basically the same things that were in the church. Hop Sing believed in continuity. And he and his trusted friends believed in cooking enough food to feed an army! But the one thing the Chinaman was proudest of was his three-tiered cake with its icing and flowerets that he had taken so much time and patience to produce.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Sam, with smiles of happiness, received their guests. There were handshakes and kisses galore and then the guests were seated at long tables piled high with every food imaginable. Hop Sing and crew had provided well, and the tables were beautifully appointed with fine china, silver utensils, crystal, and damask napkins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen must\u2019ve paid a fortune for this,\u201d Henrietta said as she gazed at the place settings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Adam is his first-born son,\u201d Thelma snipped. \u201cHe would have spared no expense for this occasion!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Henrietta dabbed at her wet cheeks. \u201cIt\u2019s just so\u2026so\u2026magical Don\u2019t Adam and Doctor Sam make the perfect couple?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several tables over, Ilsa spoke to Gretchen. \u201cYou could have had all this if you had managed to snag Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHush, Mama!\u201d Gretchen cautioned. \u201cSomebody\u2019ll hear you and you\u2019ll have to go back into therapy again! Besides, Ted is a wonderful man and I\u2019m so happy with him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm had little to say so he wisely kept his mouth shut. He truly wanted his daughter to be happy, but he also wanted her to have the material things that the Cartwrights could provide. He liked Ted, but Ted wasn\u2019t wealthy and probably never would be. But Ted was a hard worker and it was obvious that the man was deeply in love with Gretchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toasts to the newlyweds were made; people ate and drank until they thought they could hold no more. Then Hop Sing proudly rolled his masterpiece-cake into the middle of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam gasped with delighted surprise. Turning to Hop Sing, she spoke in Chinese and ascertained that the cook had, indeed, made the cake all by himself. She promptly hugged him and kissed him on both cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa and Gretchen, and a few others, shook their heads. It was still taboo for a white woman to kiss an Oriental man. It was obvious that either Sam had no sense of etiquette or she didn\u2019t care what people thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam translated her conversation to Adam who, with a pleased expression, clapped Hop Sing on the back and shook his hand. Hop Sing backed away from the cake and bowed formally.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Adam\u2019s hand on top of Sam\u2019s, the cake was cut. It was as beautiful inside as it was outside. Each tier had different kinds of pie filling dividing the layers. Hop Sing had outdone himself! Sam fed a piece of the cake to Adam and he, in turn, fed a piece to Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa was upset that neither of them had smeared cake on the other one\u2019s face. \u201cThat would have been so funny,\u201d she said as she stared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ilsa. Do hush!\u201d Friedhelm snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then it was time to dance. As a slow waltz began, Adam swept Sam into his arms and led her into a magical waltz, once again \u2013 as had happened a long time ago \u2013 their bodies molded into each other. They moved together as if they were one body.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t this the most beautiful thing you\u2019ve ever seen?\u201d Henrietta sighed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVery\u2026intimate,\u201d replied Thelma with a slight redness in her cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam signaled for everyone to join them on the dance floor, and Drucilla snatched Delmas up, dragging him out to dance. Delmas wasn\u2019t a good dancer, but Drucilla didn\u2019t care. She was just so happy to have a man and to be a part of the proceedings!<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam relinquished his new bride to his father\u2019s arms. Ben was as good a dancer as his eldest son but he was careful not to hold Sam too close.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you happy?\u201d he asked as they twirled around the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeliriously,\u201d Sam answered. \u201cYou raised, in love, a little boy and gave to me a man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss and Little Joe each had a dance with Sam while Adam pushed and pulled Thelma and Henrietta around the floor. Fortunately, both Sam and Adam had an opportunity to dance with other people too. And, to Sam\u2019s delight, Doc Martin proved to glide easily across the dance floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will let me keep working with you, won\u2019t you?\u201d Sam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re much-needed here,\u201d Doc answered. \u201cThe help you\u2019ve given to the Spanish-speaking and Chinese-speaking population has been invaluable. Everybody respects you and, I think, everybody adores you. I could leave town tomorrow and be comfortable that you could handle anything that happens.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam blushed at the compliment. \u201cThe only person I couldn\u2019t help was Ilsa. That\u2019s my one regret.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you found help for her,\u201d Doc said. \u201cYou did what you could do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut she keeps staring at me!\u201d Sam said as they danced by the Werners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re imagining things,\u201d Doc laughed. \u201cThis is your wedding day! Don\u2019t let anything spoil it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam did as Doc had suggested and allowed herself to be swept away by happiness. And, when she and Adam decided to leave, Drucilla caught the bouquet and looked pointedly at Delmas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Adam grinned. \u201cI think Drucilla has caught herself a man!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam and Adam hurried to the waiting buggy \u2013 Hoss had done his job in a timely fashion. Running through a hail of birdseed instead of rice, Adam practically threw Sam into the buggy and flicked the reins across the horse\u2019s back. Shoes, pots and pans clattered as the couple sped home.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOUR<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The house that Sam and Adam had imagined months before was now a reality. Building a house in the winter had been difficult but, with the help of so many townsfolk, it had gone up in record time. Nestled in the cover of Ponderosa pines, the house was secluded by close enough to reach town easily. Both a barn and corral had been built; there was a smokehouse, the beginnings of a bunkhouse, and there were several horses and a large herd of cattle (thanks to Ben). The winter had been kind, and few of anyone\u2019s herds had been lost. Under the light blanket of snow lay rich, fertile soil in which to plant a garden. Gretchen, true to her word, had helped Sam decorate the house \u2013 not too feminine and not too masculine. When the front door was opened, the rooms would beckon callers to sit down and be comfortable. And the small ranch had been named, not specifically by Sam or Adam, but by the people who had helped in the building of the house \u2013 they referred to this area as \u201cThe Pines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoke from each chimney was gray against the night sky. Lamps were lit and shone their guiding light, making the house seem even more like home. Adam had stopped on his way to the church and started small fires in the fireplaces and lit the lamps. Just this morning, he had brought Fancy and Sport to their new home. He wanted everything to be \u201cjust right\u201d when he brought home his new bride.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asking Adam to stop the buggy as it emerged into the clearing, Sam\u2019s face was serene. \u201cThis is our home, Adam.\u201d She snuggled into the crook of Adam\u2019s arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur happiness and our future,\u201d came the answer with a whisper and a kiss.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIVE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Adam performed the traditional carrying-of-the-wife-over-the-threshold, kissing her with every step he took. With the last kiss, Sam had a devilish smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurry back, husband!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, while Adam was putting the horse and buggy safely into the barn, Sam, taking off her coat, re-investigated her new home. She had removed her veil and kicked off her shoes as she padded around the downstairs portion of the house. The fire in the stone fireplace hadn\u2019t quite warmed the room enough because Adam hadn\u2019t built a big fire. What a tragedy it would\u2019ve been to come home to find the house burned down! But the room wasn\u2019t chilly, and Sam continued to look around. On the table was a bottle of champagne with exquisite crystal glasses \u2013 no doubt a gift from Ben. The kitchen had been well-stocked with all kinds of food, canned goods, and jars of jellies and preserves. As promised, there was a pump at the sink. No having to fetch water! New pots and pans were in place where they could be reached easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam felt that she was being watched and spun around abruptly. Adam was standing a few feet away from her \u2013 holding her shoes. He grinned as he took off his coat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how I like my wife. Barefoot and\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Cartwright! Don\u2019t you dare finish that old saying!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s laughter filled the house. Then he grabbed Sam\u2019s hand and led her into the dining room where he opened the bottle of champagne.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if I should drink any more,\u201d Sam said. \u201cI drank an awful lot at the reception.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne more glass won\u2019t hurt you,\u201d Adam said with his lop-sided grin as he poured two glasses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam noticed a basket on the table that she hadn\u2019t seen. Upon opening it, she found fruit and cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall we eat some of this?\u201d she asked, knowing that she was really too full but was coyly trying to put the inevitable off for a little longer. She drank a big swallow of champagne.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam shook his head. \u201cFruit and cheese is not what I want right now.\u201d There was that lop-sided grin again.<\/span><\/p>\n

In two strides, he took the half-finished champagne glass from his wife\u2019s hand and kissed her with such passion that it took away Sam\u2019s breath. She felt herself being picked up in familiar strong arms as she was carried across the living room with its dying fire. And she felt each step as Adam carried her upstairs. To the big bedroom with its fireplace and oversized bed. At each step, she kissed her new husband. She wasn\u2019t afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIX<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had apparently done more than light the fire. He had set out candles and turned the bed covers down neatly. As he released Sam so that she was standing once more, he lit the candles. The room took on a beautiful, warm, romantic glow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam threw some more logs on the fire and the couple stood and watched as the flames rose and the room grew warmer. Sam smiled as she looked around the room and realized the care Adam had taken to present the right ambience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam watched her, her white dress rustling as she turned, the copper highlights in her hair reflecting from the light of the fire and from the candles. His heart was full to almost bursting. Slowly he took her hands and gave her the lightest of kisses, running his fingers through her long hair, feeling the softness of it, watching as the tresses shone. And he looked into her face and saw the serenity there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her arms went around his neck as she kissed him. Slowly, they explored each other\u2019s mouths, a tongue searching here, a gentle nip elsewhere, until the heat in their bodies was unbearable. Clothing was removed and fell to the floor with a gentle rustle of material. Off came Adam\u2019s boots and socks, and the two stood in front of the fire at arms\u2019 length, naked. Lips met, hands touched bodies \u2013 soft curves and hard muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scooping Sam up in his arms, he laid her gently on the bed and gazed in wonderment at how beautiful she was \u2013 how beautiful her body was. She watched his eyes and then let her own eyes wander. How heavily muscled were Adam\u2019s arms and chest and legs. And the thick mat of chest hair just went down and down and\u2026down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam moved over and made room for Adam to lie down next to her. Everywhere he touched, her skin felt little flames of fire \u2013 the curve of a breast, the indentation of her waist, the flare of her hips. He took his time, wanting to remember forever this first night and the way she looked. But, as she explored his body, it was increasingly difficult to take his time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Passion overtook them both, and their bodies molded into one. Their rhythms matched, slowly at first, and then faster until the ultimate release \u2013 fireworks in the hush of the night. And still they clung together, whispering to each other. They eventually fell asleep, arms and legs still in a tangle. The candles melted down and there were only embers left in the fireplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVEN<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam opened her eyes and was startled to be looking into Adam\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWatching you sleep,\u201d he answered. \u201cGod, you are so beautiful!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled and kissed him. Then she looked around the room to see all their clothing scattered on the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur clothes are getting wrinkled.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to shave.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLater,\u201d Sam grinned as she let her hand rest on the flat of Adam\u2019s belly, feeling his response to her touch.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHT<\/span><\/p>\n

And so began the life that Adam had dreamed of sharing with the woman he loved. He could look at Sam\u2019s face and know that she felt the same way \u2013 the love in her eyes, in the things that she did, was living proof. For a week, the two acted like children \u2013 playing tag, hide-and-seek, and even getting involved in pillow fights. Their laughter and their joy rang throughout the house. They went on horseback rides, racing each other; they had picnics and swam naked in the pool beneath a small waterfall. It seemed that they just couldn\u2019t get enough of each other and, several times a day, one would say, \u201cI love you.\u201d The other would answer, \u201cI love you more.\u201d Adam could hardly believe such joy was possible; he and Sam had the unconditional love that he had been searching for all his life. And, lying in the comfort of Adam\u2019s arms every night, Sam felt the meaning of true love.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINE<\/span><\/p>\n

When the week was over, it was time to get down to ranch business \u2013 the bunkhouse needed to be finished and, when that was completed, Adam would need to hire ranch hands to help around \u201cThe Pines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But, a visit to the Ponderosa was in order. Sam sensed that Adam missed his family and, if the truth were known, she missed the family too. One afternoon, after saddling Fancy and Sport, the newlyweds paid a visit to Adam\u2019s \u201cold\u201d home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss happened to be making some repairs to the corral and, when he saw his older brother and Sam, his face broke into a broad smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCatch me, Hoss!\u201d Sam hollered as she launched herself from Fancy\u2019s back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss caught her in mid-air and swung her around, his blue eyes twinkling with delight. \u201cIt\u2019s about time you two decided to come \u2018round here!\u201d And he blushed when Sam kissed him on his cheek.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Adam said in mock anger as he dismounted and tied Fancy and Sport to the hitching post. \u201cThat\u2019s my wife you\u2019re swinging around like a sack of potatoes!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s eyes continued to twinkle as he put Sam\u2019s feet firmly on the ground. \u201cIf you hadn\u2019t gotten around to proposin\u2019, I would\u2019ve!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And Adam did something he seldom did. He hugged his brother in a bear hug. Adam had never been one for physical displays of affection but this hug seemed to come naturally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hearing the commotion, Ben hurried outside. He watched as his two sons embraced and noticed the smile of happiness on Sam\u2019s face. Before he could think of anything to say, Sam had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Pop!\u201d she said, wrinkling her nose. \u201cYou don\u2019t mind if I call you that, do you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben tilted his head, pretending to mull this thought over. \u201cWhat would you say if I told you that I did mind?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d call you \u2018Pop\u2019 anyway,\u201d came Sam\u2019s devilish answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben roared with laughter and turned to greet Adam. To his surprise, Adam hugged him too. His heart was touched beyond belief.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome in! Come in!\u201d Ben beckoned. \u201cI know there\u2019s somebody else here who wants to see you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In answer to Ben\u2019s call, Hop Sing shuffled in. When he saw Sam and Adam, he fairly pranced with joy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMissie Sam! Mister Adam! So good see you! You stay supper? Yes? Little Joe be home soon from town. We have big meal!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Hop Sing. We would love to stay for supper,\u201d Sam answered as she received a nod from Adam and then gave the cook a big hug.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Ben and Hoss noticed the uncharacteristic arm-around-the-shoulders that Adam bestowed on Hop Sing. The Chinaman was astonished and scurried back into the kitchen, muttering in Chinese.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d he say?\u201d Adam asked Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going over the menu for tonight,\u201d Sam lied. She didn\u2019t want to point out the fact that she had never seen Adam touch Hop Sing at all in any affectionate way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then Little Joe burst in the doorway and, seeing Sam (and being the most affectionate of the Cartwright clan), he hurried to swoop Sam into a big hug.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about time you two showed up. I was getting worried,\u201d he said mischievously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grabbing his younger brother in a bear hug and prying him loose from Sam, Adam grinned. \u201cI\u2019d a shot you on sight!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked on in amazement at his eldest son. What a change being married to Sam has accomplished. Adam is so relaxed, so openly affectionate. The look on his face is one of pure joy!<\/span><\/p>\n

There was non-stop talking throughout the rest of the afternoon and throughout supper. Though Sam was included in the conversation, most of the talk had to do with helping Adam fix up the bunkhouse, the upcoming Spring round-up, and the breaking of new horses. Sam didn\u2019t mind having little to contribute to the conversation \u2013 she watched Adam and saw the excitement in his eyes. He now had a place of his own and wanted everything to go just right. And that\u2019s what she wanted for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it was time to head back to \u201cThe Pines,\u201d the hugging process started all over again. But nobody minded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood night, Pop!\u201d Sam said as she looked at Ben. Then she turned Fancy to fall in step with Sport and Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPop?\u201d Hoss asked, bewildered at his father\u2019s new name.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPop!\u201d Ben answered with a chuckle. \u201cYou don\u2019t argue with Sam.\u201d Then, \u201cI kinda like my new name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TEN<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s plan had been to build a small bunkhouse but, by the time it was finished, it was quite large. And it was the first bunkhouse for miles around that looked more like a house than a place for ranch hands to sleep. It had been the first minor argument that Sam and Adam had faced. Adam wanted just the bare essentials; Sam wanted more for the people who would be working on the ranch. Gretchen had put forth several ideas which turned out for the better \u2013 there was a large room for single men with bunk beds w ell-spaced apart and then there was an attachment of private rooms to that section for married men. Both areas were aesthetically pleasing and functional. And there was a kitchen to divide the two halves of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need a place for married folks,\u201d Adam had sighed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we do!\u201d Sam had said emphatically. \u201cI bet there\u2019re a lot of top hands who have wives who would be delighted to have a place to stay on the ranch!<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam, whose practical side had surfaced, had said. \u201cBut, sooner or later, there would be children involved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019d just have to make it known that other accommodations in town would have to be made,\u201d Sam had countered, looking disgruntled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA kitchen? In a bunkhouse?\u201d Adam had stormed. \u201cAll the men need is a wood-burning stove so they\u2019d have a place to make coffee and to heat the room.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam had stood and faced Adam, arms akimbo. \u201cAdam Cartwright! We can hire a cook and then I won\u2019t be working at Doc Martin\u2019s and then coming home to feed a bunch of hungry men at night! Besides, a cook would be able to fix all the meals for the men. That would take a load off me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had fumed. \u201cYou could quit working for Doc Martin and stay at home like a normal wife.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam had growled. \u201cI was a doctor when you met me. I was a doctor when you proposed to me. And I don\u2019t intend to change things.\u201d She paused. \u201cI\u2019m going to bed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had sat and fumed for a while. Then he went upstairs and slipped into bed quietly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Sam had whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s not argue. The bunkhouse and how it\u2019s built are up to you. I\u2019ll be happy with your decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cuddling up next to her husband, Sam had smiled. \u201cI don\u2019t want to go to sleep being angry. Can we kiss and make up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had feigned disinterest \u2013 and Sam had known that he was pretending. So she had twirled a patch of hair on his chest and then had run her finger slowly down his barrel chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat won\u2019t work,\u201d Adam had lied. He was not a good liar. He had already made up his mind that there would be a change of plans \u2013 as Sam had suggested \u2013 in the bunkhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s finger had reached his navel and she had thrown a bare leg over his. And he had reached for her, pulling her over him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you,\u201d she had said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you more,\u201d he had answered as his hands found the soft weight of her breasts.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s<\/em> how the big bunkhouse came into being.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER ELEVEN<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam would always be cautious in her relationship with Gretchen but, as the two had worked together \u2013 first on the main house and then on the bunkhouse \u2013 Sam could see that Gretchen was truly trying to change her image from one of former snob to one of actively seeking friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen often talked about her mother. \u201cNo matter what work Doctor Montrose did with and for Mama, I still think there\u2019s something not quite right with her. I can\u2019t put my finger on it, but her personality is\u2026strange.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn what way?\u201d Sam asked as she filled the medicine cabinet in Doc Martin\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, for one, she\u2019s pushing me to get married. It doesn\u2019t matter who I marry, just as long as I do it. She never used to be so pushy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like for me to wire Doctor Montrose?\u201d Sam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I think that would only make matters worse,\u201d Gretchen said as she watched Sam close and lock the medicine cabinet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTed loves you, Gretchen,\u201d Sam said as she sat down in a chair. \u201cI know he would marry you in an instant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t love<\/em> Ted. He\u2019s a wonderful man and, for a while, I wondered if he was the right man for me. But he\u2019s not. It\u2019s not like when I loved\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam knew what Gretchen was about to say but wisely kept her mouth shut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI need to make friends,\u201d Gretchen said quickly. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know how. Mama says that the only friend I need is her. But I need more than Mama and Papa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing you need to do is to move out of that house,\u201d Sam said, not unkindly. \u201cYou need to make a life of your own. Get a job somewhere. Be independent. And always try to be open to everybody you meet. People respond to that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen looked solemnly at Sam. \u201cAll I can do is try. Mama\u2019ll throw a fit if I tell her I\u2019m moving out and getting a job. I\u2019m afraid of what it might do to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour Mama and Papa have their own lives. They raised you the best that they could and now it\u2019s time for you to be on your own. Just because you make friends doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019ve cut your parents out of your life. Just think about it for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen, appearing deep in thought, let her gaze wander around Doc Martin\u2019s office. By the time she left, she knew where most things were located.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWELVE<\/span><\/p>\n

One morning, as Doc Martin and Sam were discussing information from a new medical book, the door opened and in limped a middle-aged woman with beautiful high cheekbones, aided by the strong arm of a wiry, dark-haired, middle-aged man.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Rob Dods,\u201d the wiry man said. \u201cAnd this is my wife, Susan. She done dropped a sack of flower on her foot. Can you tell me if it\u2019s broke or not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly!\u201d Doc answered emphatically. \u201cHave a seat right here and let\u2019s take a look at that foot. I\u2019m Doctor Martin and this is Doctor Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Heads were nodded in greeting and then Mrs. Dods\u2019 foot was examined. It didn\u2019t appear to be broken, but there was a large bruise across the top of the foot. Doc applied a cooling salve and elevated Mrs. Dods\u2019 foot while he wrapped it in gauze to protect it.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Doc Martin was tending Mrs. Dods\u2019 foot, Sam engaged Mr. Dods in polite conversation. She learned that Mr. Dods had been a top hand on a ranch not far from Carson City. He and the owner of the ranch didn\u2019t see eye-to-eye on the breaking of horses or tending to ranch business, so Mr. Dods had given notice and quit. He and his wife now had arrived in Virginia City to see if he could get work. And the good thing about it was that Mrs. Dods was a cook! She had thoughts about opening a small caf\u00e9 and, while loading supplies, her husband had been trying to find out if he could get a job on a nearby ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Dods? Do you enjoy<\/em> cooking?\u201d Sam had a gleam in her eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, yes\u2019m,\u201d came the answer. \u201cI been cookin\u2019 all my life. Just plain good home-cookin\u2019 that\u2019ll keep a body goin\u2019. Fruits, vegetables, meats \u2013 I can cook anythin\u2019! I kin feed one person or twenty. Don\u2019t make no diff\u2019rence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Dods, did I understand you to say that you\u2019re a top hand?\u201d That same gleam was in Sam\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m, you did hear correct,\u201d the man answered. \u201cBut I\u2019m a stickler for bein\u2019 organized and for doin\u2019 things right. That\u2019s why I wouldn\u2019t stay to the Buckner ranch. Things just weren\u2019t bein\u2019 done right and the place was a general mess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled. \u201cI might have a job for you. But my husband would have to do the hiring. We haven\u2019t been married long, and we need a cook and a top hand. Well, actually we need several ranch hands, but top hands would be even better. Would you be willing to come out to our place and speak with my husband?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Dods looked at her husband. His face brightened at the prospect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow soon you reckon your husband would wanna speak with us?\u201d Mr. Dods asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now!\u201d Sam replied emphatically. \u201cBut, I can\u2019t make any promises that you\u2019ll be hired. Is that okay with you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Standing gingerly on her foot, Mrs. Dods answered. \u201cYou be mighty kind to us. We be new here, don\u2019t know nobody, and we needs jobs. But I oughtta tell you that we got Indian and black blood in us. We be part Cherokee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam snorted. \u201cDoes that make you any less good at what you do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Dods grinned. \u201cNo\u2019m. It makes us better. We has to try harder than pure-blooded white folks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoc,\u201d Sam said, \u201cdo you mind if I take Mr. and Mrs. Dods out to meet with Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc sat back in his chair and waved his hand, smiling as he did so.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe you money, Doctor Martin,\u201d Mrs. Dods said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have any money right now, but we got chickens and eggs and some good ham out in the wagon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc shook his head. \u201cYou don\u2019t owe me anything for that little bit of looking at your foot. Whenever the time comes when you start cooking, I wouldn\u2019t mind having a homemade meal\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Dods\u2019 eyes welled up and Mr. Dods rose and shook Doc\u2019s hand. He said a from-the-heart, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam ushered the couple out the door. She wouldn\u2019t go against Adam\u2019s judgment, but she was sure that this kindly couple would be hired without her having to intercede.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTEEN<\/span><\/p>\n

As luck would have it, when Sam and the Dods family arrived at \u201cThe Pines,\u201d Adam was in the corral looking at some draft horses that Delores and Whit Franklin had brought by. There was always a need for these large animals, and Adam was in the market to buy some good ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing Sam ride up caused Adam to smile. He always smiled when he saw her, no matter what she was doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Mr. Dods was helping Mrs. Dods descend from the high wagon seat, Sam ran to Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope<\/em> I\u2019ve found exactly what we need out here. Interview them and see what you think,\u201d was all Sam had time to say. But the excitement on her face spoke volumes.<\/span><\/p>\n

She and Adam walked over to meet Susan and Rob Dods and, while Adam had a long talk with Rob Dods, Sam and Susan Dods sipped lemonade on the front porch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam found that Mrs. Dods was, in fact, only eight years older than Sam. Appearances can be deceiving, Sam thought. But Sam was fascinated by the things that this woman told her. In 1838, the government wanted more land in the East and made a forced relocation of the Cherokee tribes. Four thousand Cherokees died on what the Indians called Nunna daul Isunyi \u2013 The Trail Where We Cried<\/em> as they were forced to head Westward. (History would refer to this forced relocation as \u201cThe Trail of Tears\u201d.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan had learned well the ways of the Cherokee as far as planting and cooking and horseback riding; Rob had learned the ways of the tracker, hunter and provider \u2013 and he had learned to have an excellent eye for horses. When Susan and Rob met and fell in love, they decided to try \u201cthe white man\u2019s ways\u201d and had taken jobs on different small ranches. Though they loved children, Susan turned out to be barren but she and Rob took that all in stride. They loved everybody else\u2019s children. Neither Susan nor Rob had ever learned to read or write but their life experiences made up for this lack; they still retained the Cherokee language and used it often so they wouldn\u2019t forget their roots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam was impressed by Susan Dods. She knew all about healing herbs and roots, all about what to plant and when to plant for the best crops. She loved to cook and used spices and seasonings that Sam had never heard of. Maybe their command of the English language wasn\u2019t good \u2013 but then, a lot of white<\/em> people didn\u2019t speak the language all that well either.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam genuinely liked Susan Dods. She hoped with all her heart that Adam would like Rob Dods and would hire him. Just for luck, she crossed her fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOURTEEN<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing a sigh of relief at the laughter that resounded as Adam and Mr. Dods emerged from the house, Sam looked up and smiled. Though Mrs. Dods\u2019 hands fluttered like the wings of a bird, her face remained calm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked at the two women. \u201cLooks like we\u2019ve hired our first ranch hand!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam thought. Hand. Singular. Not plural<\/em>. Sam\u2019s face fell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam continued. \u201cWhat we need now is to find a good cook.\u201d He paused with a twinkle in his eyes. \u201cMrs. Dods, can you cook for\u2026oh, maybe\u2026six to ten men?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI kin,\u201d came the answer. \u201cAnd I kin clean and wash laundry too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re hired!\u201d Adam laughed. He had already had a discussion with Mr. Dods as to the qualifications of Mrs. Dods and knew that he would hire her before he came outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Dods rose to her feet, walked gingerly on her injured foot over to Adam and shook his hand. \u201cThank you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable being called Mister Cartwright<\/em>. It makes me feel like somebody\u2019s talking to my father. My name is Adam and my wife\u2019s name is Sam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Dods spoke up. \u201cNo, sir. We work for you and it ain\u2019t fitt\u2019n that we should call you by your first names. If we do it, then the other hands\u2019ll do it. It ain\u2019t respectful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s compromise,\u201d Sam interjected. \u201cYou can say \u2018Mister Adam\u2019 and \u201cMiss Sam\u2019 if it makes you feel better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dods looked at each other. Mr. Dods spoke again. \u201cOnly if you call us Susan and Rob. You could call us by our Indian names but I don\u2019t reckon you can pronounce them in Cherokee. I was born \u2018Man of the Silver Star\u2019 and Susan was born \u2018Woman with Eyes of Wisdom\u2019.\u201d Here he said the names in Cherokee \u2013 and he was right. There was no way that Sam or Adam could repeat the names.<\/span><\/p>\n

Laughing at both himself and at Sam as they tried several times to mimic the many glottal stops of the Cherokee language, Adam finally said, \u201cWell, then \u2018Susan\u2019 and \u2018Rob\u2019 will have to do. Welcome to \u201cThe Pines\u201d! Both<\/em> of you! Now, let\u2019s get you settled into the bunkhouse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Sam and Susan were putting things away in one of the sparsely-furnished \u201cmarried\u201d rooms, Susan looked at Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t never be sorry that you hired us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Truer words were never spoken. Both Susan and Rob would prove to be invaluable.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTEEN<\/span><\/p>\n

The days flew by. Sam continued to work with Doc Martin several times a week. Adam hired seven ranch hands, and work began on the large corral a mile away to hold the mustangs captured during the Spring round-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only one time did Rob question the hiring of a particular man.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat man, \u2018Hawk\u2019, he be nothing but trouble,\u201d Rob had said. \u201cI don\u2019t know nothin\u2019 \u2018bout him, but I kin tell he cain\u2019t be trusted. He got that red hair on his head\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam countered, \u201cRob, I appreciate your input. I\u2019ve made you the foreman because I trust you and believe in your instincts. The men respect you and you respect them. But I can\u2019t fire a man because he has red hair. One of my friends in town has red hair and he\u2019s one of the finest men you\u2019ll ever meet.\u201d Adam was referring to Ted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob nodded. \u201cMister Adam, you\u2019re the boss. But be watchful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Rob,\u201d Adam answered. \u201cI\u2019ll keep an eye on him. But he\u2019s a top hand, and we need those right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

End of discussion. At least as far as Rob was concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Susan had given the same warning to Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHawk ain\u2019t a good man, Miss Sam. Be careful \u2018round him. The Great Manitou made some dangerous creatures that got bright colors to warn you. Hawk got red hair and strange eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam dismissed the thought of Hawk\u2019s flaming red hair. But she did notice something about the man\u2019s eyes. They were devoid of any emotion, what in medical terms would be referred to as \u201cflat.\u201d She would be careful around this man.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, pre-round-up parties were held at almost every rancher\u2019s home. Sam found good friends in Lori and John Hardin, Delores and Whit Franklin, and Mindy Williams who was engaged to Rick Barton. Lori, Delores and Mindy all had outrageous and hilarious senses of humor \u2013 they kept Sam laughing all the time. John, Whit and Rick had smaller ranches than Adam\u2019s but they had been good friends for a long time. Gretchen, who had taken Sam\u2019s advice and moved into town, appeared with Ted at these parties and slowly became friendly with the women. Sam was glad to see that Gretchen was putting forth a concerted effort to open up her heart to allow friendships that she needed so badly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa Werner became more sour at every party. She still blamed Sam for \u201cstealing\u201d Adam from her daughter. Sam began to ignore comments from Ilsa \u2013 innuendoes made to her face or what she heard behind her back. Ilsa often embarrassed Friedhelm with her comments but there seemed no way to stop her sharp tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTEEN<\/span><\/p>\n

Spring round-up time had arrived and every rancher had been busy getting supplies, checking tack, and putting together necessities needed for the few weeks ahead. This would be the first time that Sam and Adam would be separated and, as she snuggled next to Adam this last night at home, Sam was sad.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want you to leave,\u201d Sam said as she brushed her hand over Adam\u2019s hairy chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t wan<\/em>t to leave, darlin\u2019,\u201d Adam answered gently. \u201cBut this is an annual thing that has to be done. And it won\u2019t last forever \u2013 maybe three weeks \u2013 and then I\u2019ll be home. We have mustangs to catch and cattle to drive to new pastures. This is an integral part of our lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Sam whispered. \u201cBut I don\u2019t have to like<\/em> it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam chuckled. \u201cI don\u2019t think anybody likes<\/em> it. I heard Mindy telling Rick that, if the cattle were so important, maybe he should marry a heifer<\/em>!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam giggled in spite of herself. \u201cThat sounds like Mindy. I know how Lori and Delores feel. They were threatening to dress up like a cow, head out onto the range, bawl like crazy and wait to be roped!\u201d She paused. \u201cWe\u2019ve already made plans to get together at each other\u2019s homes and practice cooking different meals and sew and have girl talk several nights a week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you have Susan here to keep you company,\u201d Adam added, glad that Sam had turned toward some positive thoughts. Hop Sing would be cooking for the Cartwright clan, as usual, as well as for Adam\u2019s ranch hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSusan has been a blessing,\u201d Sam smiled. \u201cI don\u2019t know where she finds the time, but she manages to do laundry, clean and cook without any trouble at all. She\u2019s always so cheerful and she\u2019s excellent company. I haven\u2019t heard one complaint about either her or Rob. That\u2019s a good sign.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his leg against Sam\u2019s and pressed his lips to the inside of her neck. His hand found the curve of a breast, cradling it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a one-track mind,\u201d Sam scolded in mock anger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow would you know if your<\/em> mind wasn\u2019t on the same track as mine<\/em>?\u201d Adam grinned as he rolled toward her, his lips finding her mouth before she could answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<\/span>
\nSam waved at Adam as he left the ranch and continued a faltering wave as Adam and his men disappeared from sight. Susan was at her side, waving goodbye to Rob as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lump in Sam\u2019s throat prevented her from speaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time your man leaves be the hardest time. But it do get easier with each passing\u2019 year,\u201d Susan said kindly. \u201cThere\u2019s just some things that you gotta accept, and round-up time be one of those things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam nodded but didn\u2019t move. Susan galvanized her into action.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToday look like a perfect day to start work on your veg\u2019table garden. We can mark it off and start turning the soil. It\u2019ll keep us occupied.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam brightened at the thought of planting seeds and watching things grow. Linking her arm through Susan\u2019s, the two women headed for the barn to get the tools that they would need. Donning gloves, they then headed out to the far back side of the house. They worked all day, taking a break only for lunch and for water and, by the end of the day, they had accomplished more than half the job. Susan pronounced that the soil was rich and the crops would be excellent. They would finish the job the next day and then would plant seeds for corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots and potatoes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both women were tired that evening, but they threw some left-over stew in the pot and made biscuits. \u201cCathead\u201d biscuits was what Susan called them because they were as big as cats\u2019 heads. With butter and homemade jelly, the biscuits almost melted in Sam\u2019s mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan talked about interesting things. Her mother was a black run-away slave from a Georgia plantation. Rob\u2019s father was a black \u201cmountain man\u201d from North Carolina. The Cherokee tribes had been kind to both people and had taken them in. Rob and Susan had met on \u201cThe Trail of Tears\u201d and had fallen instantly in love. But they had seen changes coming and intuited that the Indian way of life, as they knew it, wouldn\u2019t last much longer, so they decided to leave the Cherokee way of life behind. The problem was that, being of mixed \u201cminority\u201d blood, work was hard to find. And when they did find work, they were treated badly. So they moved on from place to place, never having a home of their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam shared her life story in a nutshell \u2013 how she had decided to be a special doctor, how she had met Adam, how she had left him for Robert, and how she had returned to him. She talked about the problems with Gretchen and her parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan had met Gretchen and didn\u2019t like her, though this was the first time Sam knew of Susan\u2019s feelings. Ironically, Susan had mentioned that \u201ccraziness\u201d can run in families; Susan remembered the meeting in St. Louis where one of the lectures told all about genetic proclivity toward mental illness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Gretchen be diff\u2019rent,\u201d Susan said. \u201cBut I sees somethin\u2019 behind her eyes that bothers me. It\u2019s like an itch in the back of my brain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, the two women went to bed \u2013 alone \u2013 each one sleeping on the husband\u2019s side of the bed. Sam was aware of Adam\u2019s scent and she pulled his pillow closer to her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN<\/span>
\nBy mid-day all of the soil had been turned, and Susan announced that the earth was wet enough to start planting. Susan attended to most of that chore while Sam made little signs to mark which growing thing was located in each row. The sun was beginning to set when Sam and Susan came into the house to wash up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hearing hooves in the front of the house, Sam was delighted to see that Doc Martin had arrived. She hugged him with delight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I\u2019d better check on things now that so many of the men are gone,\u201d he said as she walked him into the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSusan and I have been planting all day. We made a huge garden and now all we have to do is to wait for things to grow!\u201d Sam\u2019s face was bright with excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor Martin!\u201d exclaimed Susan. \u201cYou be just in time for that meal I promised you when you fixed my foot!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc smiled. \u201cI timed it just right then. A home-cooked meal sounds wonderful! By the way, how is your foot?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt be fine,\u201d Susan answered as she scurried into the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

How she did it, Sam didn\u2019t know, but in a short while there was a full meal on the table, complete with Cathead biscuits. Sam was tired and ate little, but she thoroughly enjoyed the mealtime conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc thanked both Sam and Susan for their hospitality and for the supper. Sam walked outside as Doc climbed into the buggy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re looking tired, Sam,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t overdo your work here. Come into the office tomorrow and catch up on some more medical books. You can rest and learn at the same time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do just that,\u201d Sam answered. \u201cSusan can rest while I\u2019m in town. Besides, I want to see if I can find Lori or Delores or Mindy. I want to plan some kind of get-together here one night this week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc nodded, clucked at his horse, and drove off with a wave.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam was tired. She wasn\u2019t used to so much manual labor. Susan had already gone to bed, so Sam climbed the stairs and put on one of Adam\u2019s shirts to sleep in. It gave her great comfort.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINETEEN<\/span>
\nSam had a key to Doc Martin\u2019s office and had let herself in long before Doc arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Morning!\u201d Sam said brightly, but her face still looked pinched and tired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m certainly glad you took my advice to come in and catch up on your book-learning,\u201d Doc said with a smile. \u201cBut you look tired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize that planting a garden was so much work,\u201d Sam answered, putting her book down. \u201cBut Susan says that the \u2018signs\u2019 are just right for growing things \u2013 whatever that means \u2013 so we just did it. Fancy isn\u2019t broken to the plow, and the draft horses are so big that we were nervous about even trying to hitch one of them up to see what would happen. So we just did everything ourselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Doc said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. \u201cWell, just pace yourself. Gardens are a lot of work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSusan does most of the work. Honestly, I\u2019ve never seen anybody so knowledgeable about so many things. She never complains and is wonderful company. I\u2019m lucky to have her \u2013 and Adam is lucky to have Rob. It was Rob who picked out the draft horses that first day. They\u2019re incredibly gentle but they\u2019re enormous!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And then the morning started with patients who had only minor ailments \u2013 a cut here, a sprained ankle there, and little Billy had tried to fly off the roof of the barn and had landed, fortunately, in a haystack. He had a big bump on his head and the beginnings of a black eye. The morning went by quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

After lunch, Sam went looking for her friends and found Lori window-shopping.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d Sam exclaimed. \u201cJust the person I wanted to see!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori smiled as she pointed at a dress in the store window. \u201cI\u2019d love to have that dress, but I think I can sew one myself much cheaper. Let\u2019s go in and look at patterns!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While they looked at material and patterns and spools of thread, Sam suggested that Lori, Delores, and Mindy come out to \u201cThe Pines\u201d and pool their ideas for making a new kind of meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori grinned. \u201cThe best time to practice on cooking is when John is away. I\u2019ll bring some stuff from my house, and I bet Mindy and Delores will too. I saw them both earlier. Maybe we can still find them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori picked out a pattern and material that she liked, and then she and Sam went out to look for the other two women. After half an hour, they did find them and presented the evening\u2019s plans. Mindy and Delores were delighted with the idea and promised to bring food from their own houses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam returned to Doc\u2019s office to see if she could be any help. Doc took one look at her tired face and told her to go home and take a nap. Which is exactly what Sam did.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time Sam got home, she found Susan sitting on the front porch, feet propped up and drinking lemonade. Sam told her about the guests for the evening and made sure that Susan knew she was invited to be part of the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Sam,\u201d Susan said, \u201cyou look tired. Why don\u2019t you go rest for a while? I\u2019ll see that you\u2019re awake in plenty of time. I hope you don\u2019t mind, but I got the bunkhouse cleaned and then tidied up in the house.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam sighed. \u201cYou\u2019re a Godsend! And a nap sounds wonderful. Thank you, Susan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam didn\u2019t see Susan\u2019s knowing smile. Susan just sat and rocked and chuckled to herself.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY<\/span>
\nWhat Susan referred to as the \u201chen party\u201d was in full swing. Lori had brought along her pattern and material to show everybody, and there would be enough food to satisfy a whole house of hungry men. But before starting to cook, Sam had to show off her vegetable garden, so the whole group went out \u2013 including Delores with her six month old baby, Ansley. Ansley was a delight, gurgling and cooing and making everybody laugh when she managed to get a handful of dirt that went immediately into her mouth. She drooled mud in great globs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWait \u2018til you have children of your own,\u201d laughed Delores as she looked at Sam and Lori. \u201cAnything that they can fit in their fist goes right into their mouth.\u201d Ansley burped loudly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan chuckled to herself as she and the other women returned to the house. Just in time to see Gretchen arrive. Uninvited.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ask Gretchen to come tonight?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t,\u201d Sam answered. \u201cBut I don\u2019t see how I can turn her away when she sees all the horses outside. Let\u2019s give her a chance \u2013 she so desperately needs friends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam thought it was rude for Gretchen to just arrive, uninvited and unexpectedly, but she forced herself to smile when she greeted Gretchen at the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs it all right if I came to visit? I can go back to town if I\u2019m imposing.\u201d Gretchen looked forlorn, and Sam felt sorry for her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in. We\u2019re going to experiment with making different kinds of meals. And Lori brought some material and a pattern to show everybody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was awkward at first \u2013 none of the women really liked Gretchen \u2013 but soon they were all so busy in the kitchen that past hostilities were forgotten. Only Susan seemed distant and wary.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the most part, the experiments of meats and vegetables turned out well. Susan helped with the adding of herbs which she grew in a window garden in the back of the bunkhouse. And when the pots and pans and dishes were clean, Lori pulled out the small bolt of material and her new dress pattern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a brand new pattern,\u201d Lori said triumphantly. \u201cThere was only one in the store and I was happy to get it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s unwind the material and see what it looks like draped around you,\u201d suggested Delores, snatching a figurine away from baby Ansley\u2019s hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s not,\u201d laughed Lori. \u201cI\u2019m too full to have to wind it back up and I hate for it to get wrinkled.\u201d She looked at baby Ansley. \u201cOr eaten.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A chorus of laughter ensued. The women talked for a while and then, one by one, they left, each carrying wrapped leftovers from supper. Delores decided to have the next meeting at her house two days later. Susan suggested that she teach them how to weave baskets \u2013 an idea that was met with great approval. Susan would find the right materials and would bring them with her. And Gretchen was invited too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam put on Adam\u2019s shirt and fell into an uneasy sleep. She missed Adam\u2019s arms around her.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE<\/span>
\nThe next day, as Sam headed toward the kitchen, she saw the material that Lori had bought. But the pattern wasn\u2019t with it. Sam looked around the house for it and couldn\u2019t find it anywhere. So she went over to the bunkhouse to ask Susan if she had seen it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan was eating her last bite of toast, but the two shared the coffee that was left.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found Lori\u2019s material that she bought to make a new dress,\u201d Sam said as she held the steaming coffee mug in her hand. \u201cBut I can\u2019t find the pattern that she bought. I searched the house but can\u2019t find it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan thought for a moment. \u201cWhen everybody left last night, they carried a sack of food with them. I bet Lori picked up her food and the dress pattern and forgot to take the material.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam was relieved. \u201cOf course that\u2019s what happened. I\u2019ll ride by Lori\u2019s today and return her material. She was so excited about making that dress \u2013 she planned to wear it to the dance and the barbecue after the round-up. This is the first year that I\u2019ll be able to attend the post-round-up barbecue and the Fall barbecue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan laughed as Sam stifled a yawn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t you sleepin\u2019 well?\u201d Susan asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot really. That bed seems too big when Adam\u2019s not in it. Thing\u2019s be better after this round-up is over,\u201d Sam said as she rose. \u201cI\u2019m gonna change clothes and go find Lori. Do you want to come with me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Susan replied. \u201cI\u2019m gonna hunt for willow branches to make the baskets out of. They need to soak \u2018til they be more pliable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam did got to town and did find Lori as she was heading toward Doc Martin\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was just coming to see if you were in town,\u201d Lori said. \u201cI left my pattern and material at your house last night and was gonna see if it would be okay for me to come get them today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked confused. \u201cLori, the material is at my house but the pattern isn\u2019t. Susan and I thought you forgot to take it home with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Lori looked confused. \u201cI took the food and, halfway home, I remembered that I had left both things at your house. I didn\u2019t want to go back so I just came home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Sam said, \u201cI\u2019ll look again. I didn\u2019t do a very thorough search for it this morning. Susan and I both thought you had just forgotten to take it with you. I\u2019ll bring it to Delores\u2019s house tomorrow night. Is that okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s fine with me. I still have plenty of time to make the dress before John comes home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, Sam searched the house, looking under and behind every piece of furniture, but the dress pattern wasn\u2019t to be found.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO<\/span>
\nThe evening of basket weaving was a success. Susan was a patient teacher as she began winding the first of the willow branches into what would become the bottom of the basket. Delores tried to hold Ansley in her lap at first but, when Ansley grabbed the locket that Delores always wore, the baby broke the chain and both the chain and locket fell to the floor. Ansley laughed her baby laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou little wretch,\u201d Delores scolded in mock anger. Picking up the locket and chain, she put them safely on the mantelshelf where they would be safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The basket weaving proceeded, and the women began to get the hang of bending and shaping the pliant branches, being sure to cut off any rough edges that stuck out when they were done. Delores knew that Whit had some paint in the barn, and Susan showed them how to make painting sticks with left-over branches. Each basket had a different design and all of the baskets passed Susan\u2019s inspection.<\/span><\/p>\n

After everybody had gone home, as Delores put Ansley to bed, she remembered the chain and locket. Knowing that she might forget to take the chain to town to be fixed, she reached up on the mantelshelf to get the locket and the chain. Both were gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE<\/span>
\nMindy hosted the next \u201chen party.\u201d Mindy had watched her mother tat doilies and had learned how to produce them, from the smallest size possible to much larger sizes. She showed her friends one of the largest sizes she had made \u2013 it sat on the dining room table. Susan was entranced with the idea and caught on quickly. Sam was the next quickest to catch on \u2013 the ability to suture wounds gave her an edge. Delores and Lori were slower to catch on but they finally got the hang of it and were so proud.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindy\u2019s large doily turned up missing that night.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR<\/span>
\nLori\u2019s specialty was in making cakes and decorating them. If anybody in town needed the \u201cperfect\u201d cake, Lori was the woman to buy one from. As her friends measured out the ingredients, Lori watched each one. Because a whole cake would be impossible to take home, Lori taught the group how to make \u201cmini-cakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe amount of ingredients needs to be as exact as possible,\u201d she stated. \u201cOtherwise you\u2019ll end up with a cake that\u2019s not done all the way through or one that\u2019s too dry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The aroma of cakes baking filled Lori\u2019s house. As one cake cooled, another cake would be baking. Soon, all of the cakes had cooled enough for the frosting. Ingredients had to be measured again; Lori had all kinds of different color liquids to put into the icing so each cake looked different.<\/span><\/p>\n

Out came a special instrument that Lori used to make designs on her cakes. There were different nozzle attachments for different designs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRick bought this for me when he was in Boston,\u201d Lori said proudly. \u201cIt can be ordered in the catalog at the General Store now, if anybody is interested.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, her prized cake decorator went missing.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE<\/span>
\nGretchen\u2019s house, which was partly used for her dressmaking business, was the next house to visit. All the women were able to sew, but Gretchen was the best \u2013 and she was so proud to be able to teach some of her skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing you need is a good pair of scissors,\u201d she said as she showed her own pair of scissors. The handles were red and shiny thus making them easy to find. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be cutting material without a good, sharp edge on your scissors. And you want the right size needle to do different kinds of stitches.\u201d Here she showed her needle cases \u2013 filled with everything from very tiny needles to large needles for coarser work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores was careful to put baby Ansley in a blocked-off area where she could keep an eye on the child but still work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen started everybody off on blouses and showed them how to use their own blouses as patterns. But the process was slow, and nobody got completely through with their work.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the women left, Gretchen called, \u201cIf you have any problems, come see me and we\u2019ll get it worked out right!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Gretchen began putting things back into her sewing baskets, she realized that her scissors were missing.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX<\/span>
\nThe meeting at Sam\u2019s house started with a tour of the garden to see how it had progressed. Sam and Susan had spent time keeping the weeds out of the rows of vegetables and watering from a can where the soil was beginning to dry out. One by one, the women went back into the house \u2013 just for supper this time. No work-shop had been planned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething strange is going on,\u201d Lori said as she pushed her food around her plate. \u201cFirst, my dress pattern went missing and then the cake decorator is nowhere to be found. Delores\u2019s locket disappeared. Mindy is missing her doily, and Gretchen can\u2019t find her best scissors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it happens when we\u2019re all together,\u201d Delores added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the only person who isn\u2019t missing anything,\u201d Sam said. \u201cAt least, not that I know of. And Susan hasn\u2019t lost anything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

All eyes were fixed first on Sam and then on Susan. Everybody knew that Sam wouldn\u2019t steal, but what about that half-breed cook?<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan looked stricken. Then she squared her shoulders. \u201cIf you be thinkin\u2019 that I be a thief, you all be wrong!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam tried to calm Susan. \u201cNobody\u2019s accusing you of anything, Susan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook at their eyes. They believe I stole from them. Well, we can fix that. Everybody get up and come to the bunkhouse. We\u2019re gonna search it from top to bottom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindy felt sorry for Susan. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s necessary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it be necessary all right!\u201d Susan said vehemently. \u201cY\u2019all think that I don\u2019t have nothin\u2019 of my own. That I needs to steal. Now get up and come with me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam shook her head sadly but followed Susan to the bunkhouse. Sam knew that Susan didn\u2019t have a dishonest bone in her body but it had to be proven \u2013 if only for Susan\u2019s sake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow y\u2019all look good and hard. Everywhere. I don\u2019t care if you make a mess or not. What a shame I have to prove my honesty.\u201d Susan was riled beyond belief. And she was very hurt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, nothing was found during that thorough search.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you be satisfied!\u201d Susan said as she headed back toward the house. \u201cYou won\u2019t be seein\u2019 me at your homes any more if you think I\u2019m a thief! I\u2019ll cook and clean here where I\u2019m trusted!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

True to her word, she washed up the supper dishes and disappeared into the bunkhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen spoke. \u201cShe could\u2019ve hid the stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a cruel thing to say, Gretchen!\u201d Sam exploded. \u201cAny one of us might have taken things that don\u2019t belong to us. Myself included. So, let\u2019s search my house now! Nobody leaves until we find something or nothing!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A half-hearted search began and, as expected, nothing was found. The women left, still wondering, and Sam went out to talk to Susan.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was obvious that Susan had been crying. Sam put her arms around the woman\u2019s shoulders and tried her best to smooth things over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Sam, I ain\u2019t never stole nothin\u2019 in my whole life. But I be diff\u2019rent than those other gals, so my bein\u2019 diff\u2019rent make me look guilty. But I swear I didn\u2019t do nothin\u2019 wrong!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you didn\u2019t,\u201d Sam said gently. \u201cI hate to think that my friends would even think of you as a thief. But they\u2019re looking for someone to blame. Try not to judge them too harshly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2019all need to take a good look at Gretchen,\u201d Susan said with a sigh. \u201cI told you afore that there be somethin\u2019 wrong with that gal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam thought. \u201cBut her scissors are missing. And she uses them all the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPride goeth afore a fall,\u201d Susan said. And, by her body language, the conversation was over.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam returned to her house and reached for the hook where she had hung Adam\u2019s shirt \u2013 the one she slept in. It was gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nSam was discussing the problem of the thefts when Delores, Mindy, and Lori came into the office. Sam was not happy with her friends, and they knew it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori spoke. \u201cWe came to apologize if we hurt Susan\u2019s feelings. We\u2019ve talked about it and we\u2019re sincerely ashamed. Just because of the fact that Susan is hired help and because she\u2019s of mixed blood is no reason to try to pin everything on her. Will you accept our apology?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores and Mindy nodded their heads and looked into Sam\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the one you should apologize to,\u201d Sam said without malice. \u201cSusan needs to hear this from you. And you can add my name to the list of having things go missing. I sleep in Adam\u2019s shirt, and it disappeared the last time you all were at my house. Susan doesn\u2019t have it. I asked her if she knew anything about it and she looked me right in the eye and told me that she knew nothing. I believe her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores moved baby Ansley to her other hip and then spoke. \u201cMaybe we could invite ourselves to your house later in the afternoon to talk to Susan and apologize. But we wanted to talk to you first and make sure that it was okay. None of us wants you to be angry with us. We\u2019ve become such good friends!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that you never need an invitation to come to my house,\u201d Sam answered with a smile. Then she looked at Doc.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you mind if I left here a little early today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc waved his hand in dismissal. \u201cGo ahead. The quicker you can smooth ruffled feathers, the better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The women couldn\u2019t find Gretchen, so they rode out to Sam\u2019s without her. Sam got a first-hand look at how Delores carried her baby in a kind of sling around her neck and shoulders. Ansley stuck her toes in her mouth happily. She apparently loved being carried this way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan saw the women approaching and wouldn\u2019t come out until Sam went in to fetch her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese gals want to apologize to you, Susan,\u201d Sam said. \u201cEverybody makes mistakes and they realize they made a big one and hurt your feelings. Give them a chance to at least say what they feel. Whether you choose to accept their apology or not is entirely up to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan did accept the apology, and the women ended up staying for supper. They laughed and talked as they ate and, when they left, nothing was missing.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\nOne week became two, two became three. Sam and Susan were in the garden, pulling weeds and watching tiny shoots of vegetables appear. The sounds of many horses arriving galvanized both women into action, and they sped around to the front of the house. The round-up was over and the men had returned home!<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam and Rob had already dismounted when Sam and Susan flew into their arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam felt herself lifted in Adam\u2019s arms and unabashedly kissed him over and over again. She didn\u2019t care who was watching or what they might be thinking \u2013 her Adam had come home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still in the circle of his arms, Sam looked at Adam. \u201cYou need to shave! And a good bath wouldn\u2019t hurt you either.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou talk too much,\u201d he answered and kissed her soundly. His lips were hot against hers and she knew that he was as hungry for her as she was for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t notice Hawk watching them. Didn\u2019t see the gleam in his eyes. Didn\u2019t see him look over his shoulder at her as he helped put the horses away. Sam had eyes only for Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE<\/span>
\nAdam was taking his bath, enjoying the hot water and the scent of fresh soap, when Sam walked in with fresh clean clothes. Sitting provocatively on a chair, she engaged him in conversation about the round-up. Had it gone well? Yes. Were there a lot of calves either born already or on the way? Yes. Was the mustang round-up successful? Yes. Were the men fed well? Yes. Were there any major injuries? No. Did Adam think of Sam every day? Absolutely! Did Sam think of Adam every day? Definitely!<\/span><\/p>\n

Then it was Adam\u2019s turn to ask questions. How was the job with Doc Martin going? Fine. What did Sam do to while away the hours? Planted the vegetable garden with Susan\u2019s help and had gal pals over or went to visit them. The questioning went on. During this conversation, Sam got up and walked around behind Adam as they caught up on what had been going on. And then suddenly Sam put first one bare leg in the tub and then the other. She had been taking off her clothes as she talked! Her legs slid easily over Adam\u2019s and the couple came together urgently and fiercely. Water sloshed everywhere \u2013 but who cared!<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY<\/span>
\nSam cooked supper for Adam and knew that Susan was cooking for the tired ranch hands. Tomorrow would be Tuesday; everybody could sleep in if they wished. The post-round-up barbecue and dance would be at the Ponderosa on Saturday night. Sam could hardly believe that a year had gone by since the last barbecue!<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam, now clean-shaven, listened as Sam as she talked about the thefts of the dress pattern, the cake decorator, the locket and the doily. Adam was at a loss for words and shook his head in bewilderment. He agreed that Susan was not the culprit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at her husband. He looked tired but his appetite was good.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have a special dessert for you,\u201d Sam said, a gleam in her eye which Adam didn\u2019t notice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDarlin\u2019, I\u2019m too full to eat another bite. Tell me what I\u2019m missing and I\u2019ll have it tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam grinned, wrinkled her nose and began unbuttoning her blouse. \u201cYou\u2019re looking at your dessert. But, if you\u2019re too tired\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam grabbed her around the waist. \u201cI\u2019m not that<\/em> tired!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They never made it to the bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Good Lord,\u201d Sam muttered as she put on her dress and tried to button it. \u201cI\u2019ve been eating like a pig since Adam came home. Pretty soon I\u2019m gonna look like a pig!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, darlin\u2019?\u201d Adam asked as he entered the bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t talking to you,\u201d Sam sighed. \u201cI was talking to myself. You\u2019d think that I would\u2019ve lost weight while you were gone, but it seems that I\u2019m gaining weight instead. This dress just doesn\u2019t want to button. Can you help me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam grinned as he put his hands on the buttons at the back of her new dress \u2013 the dress was a soft lavender, and Sam smelled like lavender. He nuzzled the back of her neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe buttons, Adam!\u201d Sam laughed as he felt her neck begin to prickle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah. I got distracted for a minute,\u201d Adam leered as he fumbled with buttons that didn\u2019t really want to come together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m getting fat,\u201d Sam muttered again. \u201cNothing seems to fit right any more. I\u2019ll be lucky if this dress doesn\u2019t bust wide open when we get to the Ponderosa!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam laughed and was scolded half-heartedly. Sam always looked beautiful to him and he couldn\u2019t find an ounce of fat on his wife. This lavender dress had been hanging in the armoire for quite a while \u2013 perhaps Sam\u2019s physical work around the ranch had added muscle, thus making the dress a little tighter than it had been when last it was worn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan and Rob met Sam and Adam outside \u2013 they would be riding in the buggy together. Susan was very excited to be part of this annual get-together, and she couldn\u2019t remember when she had danced last.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so exciting!\u201d she said, glowing happily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and it\u2019s gonna be even more exciting when I pop out of this dress!\u201d Sam snorted. \u201cI\u2019m gonna have to work off this extra weight I\u2019ve put on!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan looked at Rob \u2013 they exchanged knowing smiles but said nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO<\/span><\/p>\n

As Sam had remembered, the Ponderosa was decorated with lanterns and flowers and fresh pine boughs, and the smell of roasting meat permeated the air. And, as she always did, Sam sought out her \u201cfamily\u201d before she did anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Pop!\u201d she said to Ben as she hugged him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how\u2019s my prettiest daughter-in-law?\u201d he asked as he hugged her back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam snorted. \u201cI\u2019m your only daughter-in-law. What kind of compliment is that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best kind,\u201d Little Joe said as he hugged Sam. \u201cPa\u2019s told us that, until we find a gal as pretty as you are, we aren\u2019t allowed to get married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss broke into the conversation. \u201cAnd they ain\u2019t no gals as pretty as you are!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam snorted again. \u201cYou\u2019re all just plain smooth-talkers. But I love it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Adam greeted his father, Sam wandered off to speak to Lori and John. Delores and Whit joined the group. Mindy and her beau, Rick, approached and were greeted with enthusiasm. Their wedding would take place in a couple of more months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam heard someone call her name. Gretchen and Ted had arrived and were walking toward Sam\u2019s little group. Gretchen looked beautiful in her green dress \u2013 but something about that dress looked vaguely familiar to Sam. She racked her brain.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Lori who whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s my dress!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores whispered back, \u201cYou loaned your dress to Gretchen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Lori hissed. \u201cThat\u2019s the exact dress pattern that was lost! I\u2019ve ordered another one through the catalog, but it hasn\u2019t arrived yet!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindy spoke up. \u201cAre you sure? We all looked at that pattern the night she brought it over. And Gretchen is a dressmaker. Maybe she remembered what it looked like and made it from what she saw.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori looked doubtful but couldn\u2019t comment because Gretchen and Ted were now in their midst.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a lovely dress, Gretchen,\u201d Sam said as she gave the dress a good look. And she was sure it was the same pattern as Lori\u2019s missing one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, this idea just popped into my mind,\u201d Gretchen answered, looking completely innocent. \u201cIt didn\u2019t take long to make and I really like the lines of it. And green is one of my favorite colors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam thought back to her green dress that had been destroyed when she had lived at the hotel. Adam had told Sam that she had looked beautiful in it. She felt an involuntary shiver down her spine.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE<\/span><\/p>\n

But nobody dwelled on Gretchen\u2019s dress. There was food to be eaten, music to play, and dancing to be done. Sam excused herself, grabbed Adam, and headed toward the buggy to fetch their guitars. Already, there were a number of musical instruments propped up on the front porch and Sam was eager to join in when the music started.<\/span><\/p>\n

The food was the first thing on the agenda. Susan\u2019s enormous baskets of Cathead biscuits disappeared quickly. Sam and Adam had brought pickled asparagus and pickled okra, and Sam was delighted to see that it, too, disappeared quickly. Sam looked at all the food on the tables and didn\u2019t care if she gained forty pounds and popped out of her dress \u2013 the food was just too inviting to not be eaten. So she ate hearty \u2013 and did not pop out of her dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

While everyone\u2019s food had a chance to settle in over-full stomachs, Sam and Adam joined the variety of musicians gathering on the porch. Sam was thankful that she had kept practicing her guitar. The tips of her fingers were calloused now, and she found she could keep up with the other members of the impromptu group. Several times she glanced at Gretchen and didn\u2019t like what she saw \u2013 could it be that Gretchen was still jealous of Sam\u2019s winning Adam\u2019s love?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam turned her attention to Susan whose foot was tapping in time with the music and the songs that were being sung. She was surrounded by other wives and her face was animated as she spoke with them. Her eyes shone with pride as she watched Rob playing his harmonica. And Rob had a beautiful voice!<\/span><\/p>\n

Children were beginning to nod off and were taken home to go to bed. Friedhelm and Ilsa Werner hovered around Gretchen for a long time and then they went home. Mindy told Sam that she had overheard Ilsa make a comment about not wanting to be around Sam because Sam always caused trouble. Ilsa came to the barbecue because of Ben Cartwright and for no other reason. Sam guessed that Ilsa would never forgive her for marrying Adam, but tonight she just didn\u2019t care. Ilsa\u2019s problems would remain Ilsa\u2019s problems!<\/span><\/p>\n

The remaining adults headed inside the big house for the dancing, and Sam felt Adam\u2019s hand grab hers as the Virginia Reel began. And, when it ended, the bad struck up a waltz. Sam and Adam glided across the floor in tune with the music and in tune with each other. Ben smiled at his eldest son \u2013 proud that he had raised such a fine man. Ben also laughed when he saw Hoss dancing with Bessie Sue. Ben himself had danced with her before and had been fearful that the woman would break his arms or his legs when she pushed him around the floor. Only Hoss could match Bessie Sue\u2019s strength. Little Joe was turning on his usual charm \u2013 this time with Marianne Griffin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat youngest son of yours is making every unmarried woman fall in love with him,\u201d Doc Martin said as he joined Ben at the punch bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe gets his charm from his father,\u201d Ben said with a devilish grin. \u201cI just haven\u2019t turned my charm on yet. The night is early!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR<\/span><\/p>\n

The only problem that night was Gretchen. She and Ted had sneaked a bottle of whiskey in Ted\u2019s rented buggy, and it was obvious that Gretchen was bordering dangerously on being drunk. She talked too loud, laughed too loud, and was flirting outrageously with every man. But one man in particular seemed quite amused with Gretchen \u2013 and that was Hawk. He was a handsome man with chiseled features with bulging muscles in his arms. Gretchen batted her eyelashes at him and touched his arms more than was necessary. Ted looked like he was fuming and pulled Gretchen onto the dance floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delmas and Drucilla danced every dance \u2013 Drucilla wouldn\u2019t let Delmas off the dance floor. And now Ben found that he was dancing with Thelma who couldn\u2019t follow his lead and stepped all over his freshly-polished boots. And Adam had gotten roped into dancing with Henrietta. Sam giggled to herself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Sam turned around and saw Hawk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I have the pleasure of this dance?\u201d he asked politely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled and put down her cup of punch. But, once in Hawk\u2019s arms, she wished she hadn\u2019t accepted. Hawk held her too close, looked too deeply into her eyes, looked too much at her bodice. Sam was uncomfortable as she tried to put some distance between herself and the red-headed man. But his hold on her was like iron, and she soon felt anger growing in her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a beautiful woman,\u201d Hawk said quietly. \u201cI\u2019d give money to have you belong to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, I don\u2019t belong to any man. I belong to myself. I chose to share my life with Adam because I love him. You would do well to keep your distance from me from now on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could learn to love me,\u201d Hawk responded. \u201cI could teach you things\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Adam\u2019s brow was furrowed and his eyes were dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I dance with my wife?\u201d he asked, not waiting for an answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk glared at him but relinquished his hold on Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou appeared at just the right time,\u201d Sam said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know. I saw your eyes go dark green and thought you might need some help. Is everything okay? Was Hawk giving you any trouble?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is fine, now. It\u2019s nice to know you\u2019re watching over me.\u201d Sam gave Adam a quick kiss. \u201cBut I would love a cup of punch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The couple walked over to the punch bowl and found Delores and Whit pouring cups for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores whispered to Sam. \u201cLook at Gretchen\u2019s bracelet!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw it before. It\u2019s very unusual. I\u2019ve never seen a locket on a bracelet,\u201d Sam said as she looked again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unusual because it\u2019s my locket!\u201d Delores snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Sam asked, taking a second look at the bracelet on Gretchen\u2019s arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost positive!\u201d Delores hissed. \u201cIf I could get a closer look, I\u2019d see a scratch on the back that goes from the middle down to the point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we can\u2019t just go and snatch it off her arm,\u201d Sam mused. \u201cI\u2019ll see if I can get Adam to do our investigative work. He knows about all the things that went missing while he was at the round-up. Don\u2019t say anything to Whit yet \u2013 just steer him away from here while I talk to Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam ambled over to Gretchen and Ted. He carried on light conversation with the two, and Sam watched as Adam finally said something to Gretchen and she showed him her bracelet. Adam smiled and looked at the locket \u2013 front and back. He talked to the couple a little longer, smiled and moved out of the way as they began to dance again. Adam took his sweet time coming back to Sam; she patted her foot impatiently and refused two dances before Adam sidled up to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt fits Delores\u2019s description,\u201d he whispered as he watched the people dancing around the room. \u201cBut any locket could have a scratch on it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say to her to get her to show it to you?\u201d Sam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told her that it had caught my eye and I wanted to look at it. Maybe I could find one to give to you. She told me it was one of a kind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDance with me,\u201d Sam said. \u201cAnd get us close enough to Delores and Whit so I can either nod my head \u2018yes\u2019 or shake my head \u2018no\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t start trouble,\u201d Adam warned. Sam had told him about the dress that Gretchen had on and that it was the same pattern that Lori was missing. \u201cThat could be a coincidence about the dress. The jury\u2019s still out on the locket.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The waltz was a slow one. Adam glided across the floor expertly and ended up next to Delores and Whit. Instead of nodding or shaking her head, Sam deliberately made a mis-step and bumped into Delores.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam says it looks like it might be yours, but he can\u2019t be sure,\u201d Sam said quickly, looking as though she were apologizing for bumping into Delores and Whit. \u201cWe can\u2019t do anything right now, but we need to investigate further. Why don\u2019t you and Mindy and Lori meet me after church tomorrow? We\u2019ll talk about it then. Gretchen will be with her parents, and Ilsa doesn\u2019t like me, so Gretchen won\u2019t want to talk to me right under her mother\u2019s nose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores nodded and danced away from Sam. Adam finished the dance and then took Sam outside, supposedly for some fresh air.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if Gretchen is the thief, how can you prove it?\u201d Adam asked when they were outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more evidence,\u201d Sam answered. \u201cAnd I think I\u2019ve got a scheme to accomplish just that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have anything to do with breaking-and-entering, does it?\u201d Adam looked amused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not!\u201d Sam exclaimed indignantly. Then she wrinkled her nose and smiled. \u201cI can find ways that aren\u2019t illegal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam gave her his lop-sided grin. \u201cI certainly hope so. Coming to visit you in jail doesn\u2019t appeal to me. Roy\u2019s cells are not set up for conjugal visits.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The pair went back into the house, just in time for the last dance of the night. Susan and Rob, Sam and Adam stayed until all the other guests had gone and then they too made their way home. Sam knew that both Adam and Rob could keep a secret, so Susan and Sam discussed Sam\u2019s plan of action, made a few changes, and smiled at each other. True, what they were going to do wasn\u2019t illegal, but it did involve some downright sneakiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX<\/span>
\nHow ironic that the sermon at church had to do with the subject of sinning by deception. Gretchen\u2019s face looked like it had turned to stone. Sam knew this because she had sneaked several peeks at Gretchen. Wonder what she\u2019s thinking? Deception is not exactly stealing but it\u2019s close. Sam felt Adam nudge her as the strains of the recessional hymn began playing and the churchgoers raised their voices in song. Sam loved Adam\u2019s voice \u2013 and she especially loved when he sang harmony. She was so very proud of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside, Lori and Delores and Mindy were chatting and greeted Sam and Susan as they joined them. Adam knew that Sam wanted to talk to her friends alone, so he ambled over to talk to Rob.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Mindy said. \u201cGretchen is coming this way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And, sure enough, Gretchen was headed towards them when she was stopped by Ilsa\u2019s hand on her arm. Ilsa looked at Sam, turned around and led Gretchen back over to another group of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori breathed a sigh of relief. \u201cI hate being so sneaky. Especially after the sermon. And we\u2019re standing outside of the church, for Heaven\u2019s sake!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s the plan,\u201d Sam said. \u201cSermon or not, we\u2019ve got to find out what Gretchen is up to!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The plan was a good one. But each woman was nervous about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan nodded her head. \u201cI don\u2019t like it any more than y\u2019all do, but it\u2019s got to be done. Today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam walked over to where the Werners were deep in conversation with Doc Martin. When Ilsa saw Sam, her mouth turned down at the corners, but she didn\u2019t say anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning!\u201d Sam said, surprised at her own nervousness and trying hard to hide it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd good morning to you!\u201d said Doc and Friedhelm in unison.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGretchen, I really need some help on the blouse I\u2019m making. I just seem to be all thumbs. Do you think you could help me fix it today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Gretchen began, \u201cit\u2019s Sunday. I had planned to go home\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSusan, Lori, Delores and Mindy and I are planning to go to lunch and would love for you to join us,\u201d Sam said before Gretchen could finish speaking. \u201cAnd after lunch, maybe you could refresh our memories about how to sew the fitted seams. Adam loves the blouse and says that, if anybody can fix what I\u2019ve done, it\u2019s you!\u201dForgive me, God, for telling such a lie.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen\u2019s face brightened. \u201cOh, that sounds like fun! Another \u2018hen fest\u2019! Count me in!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa\u2019s face gave the impression that she had just bitten into a lemon. But she said nothing. Doc Martin had a smile playing about his lips. He knew that Sam was up to something by the look on her face. He knew her well!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s go to the restaurant and get a table,\u201d Sam said, relieved. Part One of the plan was working.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen waved to her parents and fell in step with Sam. And, when Adam appeared, Gretchen\u2019s face lit up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all going to lunch,\u201d Sam said quickly. \u201cAnd then Gretchen\u2019s gonna help me with that blouse you like so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had no idea what Sam was referring to, but he had enough sense to nod. Gretchen batted her eyelashes at him. Sam had to stifle the urge to slap the woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll leave the buggy with you, then, and Rob and I will ask Whit to drop us off at home,\u201d Adam said as he looked suspiciously into Sam\u2019s eyes. He knew she was up to something but figured it best if he knew as little as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam kissed him on the cheek and squeezed his hand. \u201cSee you later!\u201d she called.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan, Mindy, Delores and Lori fell into step with Sam and Gretchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is gonna be so much fun!\u201d Gretchen crowed as they headed for the restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nAfter a wonderful lunch of what Sam knew to be contrived laughter and merriment, the women went to Gretchen\u2019s house as planned. The outside of the house was neat and had flowers planted in window boxes and in the front yard. The inside of the house was a disaster \u2013 obviously Gretchen had no idea how to pick up after herself or how to keep things neat and clean. This would work to Sam\u2019s advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen apologized for the general mess in the house by saying that she\u2019d been so busy making dresses that she hadn\u2019t had time to clean up. But Sam and her friends took it all in stride and said not a word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting their bags of half-finished blouses down in a corner, Susan lied through her teeth and said that the house was charming and that she would love to see more of it. Gretchen fell for the bait \u2013 eager to show off, as usual. So she led the group to the living portion of the house first.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bedroom was small but furnished nicely. But clothing had been piling up all around the room for quite some time. The armoire was the dominating article of furniture and Sam, taking a chance, commented on how lovely it was. Gretchen told her that it had come from Germany and opened its doors wide so that everybody could see the inside. It was the only tidy piece of furniture in the house with clothing hanging neatly across the wooden bar. There were drawers that were full of organized items also. And, hanging neatly on a hook was Adam\u2019s shirt. Sam knew it was Adam\u2019s shirt because of the rip on the shirt pocket. Sam hadn\u2019t mended it before it was stolen. But, according to plan, she kept her mouth shut. While Gretchen was distracted, Delores popped open a gaudy jewelry box \u2013 and found her locket. Seething inside, she closed the box quickly. She gave a nod to Susan \u2013 and Susan understood the nod. Both women kept quiet.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the dining room was yet another large piece of furniture \u2013 the dining room table with intricate carving all around its sides. The chairs had the same carving. Gretchen again crowed with glee that the table and chairs had come from Germany. But the top of the table couldn\u2019t be seen well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a beautiful table!\u201d exclaimed Mindy. \u201cIs the top carved also?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a shove of her hand, Gretchen cleared the table of the pile of leftover fabric from dresses she had made. Immediately, Mindy saw a very familiar doily go flying to the floor. Forgetting the \u201cplan\u201d momentarily, Mindy started to claim ownership but remembered the plan at the last minute. Making herself smile, she looked at Gretchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, look, you\u2019ve made a doily for the table! Can we see it? What an intricate pattern it has!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Was it Sam\u2019s imagination or had Gretchen\u2019s face gone a little pale? Gretchen hadn\u2019t expected company \u2013 especially an investigative team.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUm, yes! I worked really hard on it every night,\u201d Gretchen answered as she showed it to Mindy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindy recognized the small stain in the center of the doily and opened her mouth to say something. Delores gave her a poke with her elbow. Mindy shut her mouth but looked sad.<\/span><\/p>\n

On to the kitchen \u2013 the largest room in the house. The counter tops were piled high with clean, but cluttered pots and pans. Sam knew that this would be tricky, so she distracted Gretchen in conversation about the unusual patterns of the china while Lori sneakily opened and closed drawers. As she was about to give up finding her cake-decorating set, she opened the last drawer. She saw enough to know that the items she saw belonged to her. She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth. The look on her face was all Sam needed to see. Still, the women kept their silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now they went into the front room which would normally have been a sitting room. Except, as the women noticed when they entered the front door, there was no room to actually sit. Gretchen moved bolts of material and spools of thread, scraps of green cloth and patterns so that her friends could be seated. Sam handed Gretchen her half-made blouse and kept her occupied. Gretchen wasn\u2019t aware that the other women were scouting for Lori\u2019s dress pattern. Lori was nudged by Delores and looked at the scraps of green material. There was the wrapper that her pattern had been packaged in with a clear picture of what should have been her dress on the front. Even if Gretchen had ordered the same pattern, it wouldn\u2019t have arrived in time to make the dress before the barbecue. Lori hadn\u2019t even received her pattern yet! She gasped but said nothing. Gretchen didn\u2019t notice, but Sam did \u2013 she knew what Lori had found. And so did Delores, Mindy and Susan. They kept quiet, though it was almost impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen\u2019s biggest mistake was in reaching into her sewing basket for a pair of scissors. Sam\u2019s blouse needed some extra cutting to make the material around the arms smaller. Out came the black-handled scissors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought those scissors had been stolen,\u201d Sam said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I guess I just misplaced them and thought they were lost,\u201d Gretchen said lamely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam leveled her green eyes at Gretchen and spoke. \u201cThe jig is up, Gretchen. Your scissors were no more \u2018lost\u2019 than Adam\u2019s shirt was \u2013 I saw it hanging in your armoire. We need to talk, and we\u2019re gonna do it now.\u201d Sam didn\u2019t mention the other items that had been found; it was agreed that Sam would handle this in as delicate a way as possible. So, Sam turned to the other women and asked if they would mind if she spoke to Gretchen alone. Beads of sweat broke out on Gretchen\u2019s face as the women went out the door. They decided earlier to wait in Sam\u2019s buggy parked at the church.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam spoke with controlled anger. \u201cGretchen, every time we got together, something came up missing. Lori\u2019s dress pattern and cake decorator; Delores\u2019s locket; Mindy\u2019s doily; Adam\u2019s shirt. I know you took these things, and you know you took them. Now, we can search your house and find them and let you get arrested by Sheriff Coffee, or you can return the items in secret. If you choose to do that, nobody will know that you\u2019re a thief.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen sobbed. \u201cI just wanted to have mementoes from each of you! You\u2019re the only friends I have! I had to lie about the scissors so nobody would suspect me. Do the others know what I\u2019ve done?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam lied. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d Then she added, \u201cI won\u2019t tell them. Just get their things back to them by morning. I\u2019ll take Adam\u2019s shirt and put it in with my blouse. Go get it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Gretchen returned, her face was livid. \u201cEver since you came to Virginia City, I\u2019ve hated you. My mother is right \u2013 you\u2019re nothing but trouble. One day you\u2019ll get what you deserve and Adam will come back to me and everything will be right again.\u201d She threw the shirt at Sam. \u201cNow get out of my house and don\u2019t ever come back. And don\u2019t worry about the things being returned. I have no desire to go to jail for taking such junk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel sorry for you,\u201d Sam said quietly. \u201cYou have so much good in you to offer, but you let the bad outweigh the good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet out!\u201d screeched Gretchen, now brandishing her favorite scissors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam left quickly and met the others at the buggy. \u201cPlan Two is completed.\u201d And she drove her friends home.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next morning, all items had been returned \u2013 obviously in the dead of night. Gretchen had made herself become an outcast. She now was obsessed with getting even with Sam, and this obsession would grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\n\u201cWe all put our heads together and decided that this was the best way to handle the matter,\u201d Sam explained to Adam that night. \u201cShe thinks that Delores and Mindy and Lori don\u2019t know anything, and I\u2019m glad. Whether they choose to be friends with Gretchen is their business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou should\u2019ve just confronted Gretchen and taken her to jail,\u201d Adam said. \u201cShe started out as an enemy, became a friend \u2013 of sorts, and now she\u2019ll be an enemy again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam shrugged and nestled against Adam. \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of Gretchen. I have you to protect me.\u201d She twirled a circle in Adam\u2019s chest hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t be with you every second,\u201d Adam said as he kissed the top of Sam\u2019s head. \u201cWe already know that Ilsa\u2019s got mental problems. You told me last year, after the lecture you attended in St. Louis, that mental problems can be inherited. If Gretchen feels that you are a threat, there\u2019s no telling what she might do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam pulled gently on Adam\u2019s earlobe with her teeth. \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about Gretchen right now. In fact, I don\u2019t want to talk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s lips found Adam\u2019s. There was no more talking.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE<\/span>
\nAdam was up early the next morning. There were mustangs to break, so he and Rob headed to the outer corral to meet the other ranch hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam woke up, stretched and yawned. She was amazed that she felt so tired after such a good night\u2019s sleep, but she made herself get out of bed. Padding naked to the large chest of drawers to get clean clothes, she passed the mirror that stood in the corner of the bedroom. She didn\u2019t like what she saw. For one thing, her hair was standing up all over the place. But the thing that caught her eye the most was the color of her nipples. They seemed to be darker. And the veins running up from them were more prominent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in the wor\u2026\u201d she started to say out loud. And then a thought hit her. How could she be a doctor and not know the signs and symptoms? She thought. Adam and I got married at the beginning of March. This is the beginning of June. She threw on a robe and ran downstairs and looked at the calendar on the wall and began counting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan came in with two steaming cups of coffee and saw Sam looking at the calendar, saw Sam\u2019s face, saw a tentative smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about time you paid attention to yourself!\u201d Susan said with a wide smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know?\u201d Sam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan snickered. \u201cI knew several weeks ago. I been waiting for you to find out on your own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s hands dropped to her belly. \u201cI\u2019m pregnant,\u201d she said softly. \u201cI\u2019m pregnant!\u201d she said louder and laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019d be my guess,\u201d Susan said as she put down the coffee and hugged Sam. \u201cHow could you not have known? Don\u2019t you keep up with certain things?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam stammered. \u201cWell, uh, I\u2026.hmmmmm. I guess I\u2019ve been too busy to pay attention. And besides, I thought all pregnant women had morning sickness. I haven\u2019t been sick not one single day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan snorted. \u201cSome doctor you are! Some women don\u2019t be sick at all. Why don\u2019t you see Doc Martin. He know what he doin\u2019!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll throw on some clothes and go right now!\u201d Sam said excitedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t goin\u2019 nowheres til you eat somethin\u2019. And throw that coffee out. Start drinking more milk.\u201d Susan was adamant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam did eat a scrambled egg and part of a biscuit. She drank a glass of milk. And then she ran to get dressed. Now she knew why her clothes didn\u2019t fit\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY<\/span>
\nDoc Martin finished his examination and smiled at Sam. \u201cMy guess is that you\u2019re at least three months along now. How could you not know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam wrinkled her nose. \u201cSusan asked me the same question. I don\u2019t have an answer. I just haven\u2019t been paying attention, I guess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After Sam got dressed, she and Doc pulled out the calendar and finally figured out that Sam had most likely gotten pregnant right away. Sometime during March.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cApril. May. This is the first week of June,\u201d Doc intoned. \u201cYou should be due around December or thereabouts. If you had bothered to keep better count, we\u2019d know for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t fuss so,\u201d Sam laughed as she kissed Doc on his cheek. \u201cYou\u2019ll ruin this whole lovely day!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She listened carefully as Doc gave her some nutritional pointers and told her to ride Fancy only at a walk. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to be galloping around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam didn\u2019t bother to tell him that she had galloped all the way to his office. She couldn\u2019t wait to tell Adam, but she made Fancy walk back to The Pines.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE<\/span>
\nSusan was waiting when Sam returned home. The two women hugged each other and danced around the front yard. Fancy looked at them and shook her maned head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHelp me figure out a way to tell Adam,\u201d Sam begged.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. You will find the right way and the right time,\u201d Susan answered. \u201cThis be a very private thing \u2018tween you and him. You do it your own way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell Rob if you want to,\u201d Sam smiled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe already know,\u201d came the answer. \u201cHe knowed the night of the barbecue when you was complainin\u2019 about your clothes not fittin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you two tell me then?\u201d Sam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot our place. We be quiet til you know for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Rob are good friends,\u201d Sam said, her face turning serious. \u201cThe day I met you was the second luckiest day of my life. The first luckiest day was when I met Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO<\/span>
\nAdam came home at sundown \u2013 dirty, dusty and tired. It had been a long day for all the men but they had accomplished more than they had thought. Adam had hired top hands and it showed in the progress of breaking the mustangs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam hadn\u2019t cooked a fancy supper. She didn\u2019t wear anything special. She knew that her husband would be tired and she wanted to tell him about the baby when the time was right. But she only half-listened as Adam told her about his day \u2013 she was too excited about her own news.<\/span><\/p>\n

They went to bed early that night and, though Adam looked like he was almost asleep, Sam jostled him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, darlin\u2019?\u201d he said tiredly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love you,\u201d Sam whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you mo\u2026\u201d He opened his eyes and looked at Sam. \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love you,\u201d Sam said again. \u201cYour child and I.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sat bolt upright in bed. \u201cMy\u2026child?\u201d Then \u201cYou mean\u2026you\u2019re\u2026we\u2019re having\u2026?\u201d He couldn\u2019t finish a single sentence, so stunned was he.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Doc Martin today. Our baby is due maybe in December.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe in December? Don\u2019t you have a better idea than that? You\u2019re a doctor for God\u2019s sake!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam giggled at the look on Adam\u2019s face. She had never seen him so tongue-tied before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing pregnant isn\u2019t my specialty, darlin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPregnant.\u201d Adam repeated the word. And then he scooped Sam into his arms and gave a whoop. \u201cA baby! Our baby!\u201d Then he got quiet. \u201cAre you okay? Are you sick? Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam laughed joyously. \u201cNo. I\u2019m not hungry or thirsty or sick. I\u2019m in perfect health. And all I need is you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to see the look on Pa\u2019s face,\u201d Adam said, thinking out loud.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you really happy, Adam?\u201d Sam asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHappy? I\u2019m delirious! You\u2019re carrying our child. What greater gift can a man ask for?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam took Adam\u2019s hand and placed it on her belly. \u201cYour son is growing in there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter might be growing in there,\u201d came the answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It\u2019s a boy. I just know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam spooned around Sam and fell asleep with his hand still covering her belly.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE<\/span>
\nSusan, who had made an extra pot of coffee and brought it over, watched Adam as he almost floated across the floor in the kitchen. She knew that Sam had told Adam about the baby, but Susan kept her mouth shut. She knew that the first people to learn the news would be Adam\u2019s family. Excited herself, she did tell Rob but swore him to secrecy.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Susan discreetly returned to the bunkhouse, Adam got busy in the kitchen making scrambled eggs and bacon and toast with jam. On the tray, he put a large glass of milk and then carried it all upstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

He watched Sam as she slept. Her hair had fanned out over the pillow and framed her serene face. Her eyelashes were dark against her skin. Her hand covered her belly \u2013 even in sleep, she was aware of the new life inside her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting the tray down on the table, Adam sat down and kissed her forehead, not knowing whether to let her sleep or to wake her up. Whether it was his kiss or whether it was the aroma of food, Sam opened her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Mornin\u2019, Little Mama,\u201d Adam said, giving Sam a quick kiss on the lips. \u201cI brought you some breakfast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled as she felt Adam\u2019s hand touch her belly gently. Then the smell wafting from the tray got her attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFood!\u201d she exclaimed happily as she sat up abruptly. \u201cI\u2019m starving!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam placed the tray on her lap and she laughed as she ate. \u201cInstead of having morning sickness, I\u2019m gonna end up eating like a pig! Thank you, darlin\u2019, for bringing me breakfast in bed. How thoughtful you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEnjoy it while you can,\u201d Adam said with his lop-sided grin. \u201cI still have horses to break and a ranch to run. I won\u2019t always be able to do this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam noticed that Adam wasn\u2019t eating. \u201cAren\u2019t you hungry?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI ate a little bit as I was cooking,\u201d he answered. \u201cBut I\u2019m too excited to eat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam giggled and wrinkled her nose. \u201cI want to tell Pop and Hoss and Little Joe when you can find the time.\u201d She gave a sly look.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking his most innocent, Adam spoke. \u201cI told the men to go ahead and that I\u2019d join them in a little while. I thought we might ride over this afternoon to see Pa. It\u2019s too late to catch him at home right now. We can take the buggy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled again. Was it Adam\u2019s imagination or was she actually \u201cglowing\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can still ride Fancy, according to Doc. For a while, anyway. Just no galloping.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Adam looked dubious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam gave him a quick kiss. \u201cI\u2019m sure, you old worry-wart. Do you think I would take chances with our baby\u2019s health and well-being? And an afternoon ride to Pop\u2019s sounds just fine with me. I can\u2019t wait to see his face!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR<\/span>
\nBen\u2019s mouth dropped wide open and his eyes were as big as pie plates when he heard the news.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, as he got used to the idea, he beamed with delight. \u201cI\u2019m gonna be a grandfather! How absolutely wonderful!\u201d He hugged Sam with glee, his feet moving in every direction so much that Sam felt like Ben was learning to dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam watched, leaning against the wall with a toothpick between his smiling lips. Then Ben grabbed him, shook his hand and hugged him, clapping his eldest son so hard on the back that the toothpick went flying out of Adam\u2019s mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe and Hoss were outside in the barn, unsaddling Chubb and Cochise, when they heard their father\u2019s booming voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs he calling us?\u201d Joe asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDunno. But he\u2019s fired up about somethin\u2019,\u201d Hoss answered. \u201cWe better go see what\u2019s happenin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two brothers burst through the front door at a dead run.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the fire!\u201d shouted Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat fire?\u201d Ben asked, still beaming and laughing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, we could hear you all the way out in the barn!\u201d Hoss exclaimed. \u201cWe knew somethin\u2019 had to be wrong!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaking his head and laughing, Ben spoke. \u201cNothing\u2019s wrong. Everything\u2019s right!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at Ben, then at Hoss and Little Joe. \u201cI\u2019m changing your names. From now on you will be \u2018Uncle Hoss\u2019 and \u201cUncle Joe\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam grinned. Ben beamed. Hoss and Little Joe looked confused only for a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe!\u201d Hoss said, slapping his younger brother on the back. \u201cDid ya hear that? We\u2019re gonna be uncles!\u201d In his enthusiasm, he picked Sam up and swung her around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss! Hoss! Put her down!\u201d Joe shouted while he was trying to hug Sam at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss squeezed Adam\u2019s hand so hard that Adam thought his hand would be broken. Another clap on the back that propelled him almost to the sofa. Little Joe jumped on him like a monkey and tousled his older brother\u2019s head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing had been outside plucking a chicken, and he now ran into the room with feathers all over him. Sam gave him the news, and the cook\u2019s face broke into a smile so wide that his eyelids almost closed. \u201cThis be a velly happy day. You stay for supper? Hop Sing fix very special meal in celebration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at Adam and heard him accept the invitation. But all the swinging in Hoss arms had made her slightly dizzy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben recognized the look and took her arm. \u201cCome sit down. Joe, get some lemonade. Hoss, don\u2019t swing her around any more. Adam, move out of the way.\u201d Ben guided Sam to the sofa. Joe ran out with a glass of lemonade, spilling half of it as he raced from the kitchen back into the room. Adam stood and watched his family, his heart swelling with love and pride.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a few sips of lemonade, Sam lost her dizziness. All eyes were on her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam teased, \u201cWhen what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe punched Hoss in the arm playfully. \u201cWhen are we gonna be uncles?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometime in December,\u201d Sam answered with a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t stop smiling at Sam and at Adam. \u201cI\u2019m going to be a grandfather,\u201d he kept saying. And every time he said it, Sam giggled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI plan on having a son,\u201d Sam finally said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think having a baby is something you can place an order for,\u201d Ben intoned. \u201cYou take what you get.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam shook her head. \u201cI can\u2019t explain it. I just know this is a boy. A little girl would be just fine, but this isn\u2019t gonna be a little girl baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing, who had been eavesdropping from the kitchen, poked his head into the room. \u201cShe right. It be a boy. Hop Sing never wrong.\u201d And then he disappeared back into the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

And later that evening, Hop Sing made good on his promise of a special meal. He had made enough platters of food to fill up the most empty of stomachs. As Sam rose to head to the table, all four Cartwrights were by her side to guide her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pregnant,\u201d she snickered. \u201cI\u2019m not disabled.\u201d But she was teasing and loved the fact that four grown men were watching out for her.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the table, Ben said grace. He added to his special litany, \u201cAnd, Lord, watch over Sam and the baby she\u2019s carrying. Keep them healthy and safe from all harm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His prayer would turn out to be ironic.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX<\/span>
\nLater that evening, Sam and Adam gave the good news to Susan and Rob, who pretended like they had no idea and acted just as excited as the Cartwrights had been. In the kitchen, Susan whispered that she, too, just knew that the baby would be a boy. \u201cSometimes I just know things,\u201d Susan had said, giving a soft pat to Sam\u2019s belly.<\/span><\/p>\n

In bed that night, Sam giggled. \u201cBy tomorrow afternoon, everybody in town will know about the baby. Little Joe even wanted to put the news in the paper, for Heaven\u2019s sake!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam laughed. \u201cJoe should just tell Drucilla and Thelma and Henrietta. News spreads faster that way!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As he had the night before, Adam laid his hand on Sam\u2019s belly. He would continue to do this every night until the baby was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nAdam had left the house early and let Sam sleep. As she was fixing her breakfast, a face in the window startled her. It was Hawk. He smiled at her for what seemed like a long time and then he came into the house through the kitchen door. Sam was uneasy. She didn\u2019t like the way he looked at her, didn\u2019t like his arrogant nature. His presence made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hear that congratulations are in order,\u201d he said, letting his eyes wander up and down Sam\u2019s body.<\/span><\/p>\n

At least I\u2019m dressed this morning and not wearing my robe, thank God.<\/span><\/p>\n

But she answered politely. \u201cYes. We\u2019re very excited.\u201d Without thinking, she put her hand over her belly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk came closer. So close that he could touch her. Sam backed up until she felt the countertop against her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to be afraid of me,\u201d Hawk said, smooth as silk. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t hurt you for anything.\u201d He raised his fingers and touched her cheek.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re out of line, Hawk!\u201d Sam was angry. \u201cAnd why aren\u2019t you with my husband and the rest of the hands?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk let his hands fall slowly. One hand brushed lightly against Sam\u2019s arm, and she shivered. Hawk backed away a little bit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had to come back and get some things out of the barn.\u201d His eyes were hooded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not the barn,\u201d Sam glared. \u201cThis is my house and I suggest you leave.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d came the answer. Hawk turned to leave and passed Susan who was on her way in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was he doing here?\u201d Susan asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he had some things to get out of the barn,\u201d Sam answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStay away from him,\u201d Susan warned. \u201cI don\u2019t like him at all. He\u2019s trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam didn\u2019t relax until she saw the red-haired man ride away.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\nTwo days later, when Sam went into town to see if Doc Martin needed her help, the first person she saw was Thelma. Tying Fancy to the hitching post, Sam watched as the woman sprinted down the street. I didn\u2019t know she could move so fast!<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of breath, Thelma grabbed Sam\u2019s hands. \u201cWe\u2019re just so excited about your baby,\u201d Thelma gushed. \u201cDrucilla and Henrietta and I are already starting to knit clothes. This is just the best news in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam finally extricated her hands from Thelma\u2019s. \u201cThank you, Thelma. And thank Drucilla and Henrietta too.\u201d Sam really liked these women, even if they told everything they knew whether it was true or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I could talk to you more,\u201d Sam lied, \u201cbut Doc is waiting for me. I better go in and see him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, of course,\u201d Thelma said. \u201cPlease be careful riding that horse. You don\u2019t want to joggle that baby too much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy riding days are limited,\u201d Sam smiled. \u201cBut I\u2019m being very careful, and soon I\u2019ll have to be bringing the buggy. Thank you for caring.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam darted quickly into Doc\u2019s office and closed the door behind her. She could hear Thelma calling to someone \u2013 \u201cGuess who I just talked to? And she\u2019s still riding that four-legged creature!\u201d Her footsteps faded away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam rolled her eyes as she looked at Doc Martin. He was trying desperately not to laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome help you are,\u201d Sam snorted. \u201cYou would\u2019ve left me standing out there all day just to get a good laugh!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc leaned back in his chair and smiled. \u201cYou can take care of yourself. And I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here. I need some help on my medical inventory. And every day brings yet another set of broken bones or sprains or injuries from the ranch hands breaking their newest horses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No sooner had he spoken than in came two men, one being held up by the other. Sam didn\u2019t know either man, but she could recognize a broken arm when she saw it. The day turned out to be quite busy, just as Doc had predicted.<\/span><\/p>\n

When she went home later that day, Sam carried a medical book about pregnancy and childbirth. She wanted to read everything she could.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE<\/span>
\nThe days flew by quickly now, and the end of Summer was fast approaching. Sam had read every medical book in Doc Martin\u2019s office \u2013 she was satisfied that she knew all the mechanics of the miracle of birth. She had even assisted Doc in delivering two babies, so she was aware of the pain that had to be endured. She had heard women scream and moan and cry \u2013 noises that ceased when the newborn was placed in the mother\u2019s arms. I won\u2019t be one of those screamers. I\u2019ll just grit my teeth and get the job done. Adam\u2019ll be so proud of me. Sam had already felt the \u201cquickening\u201d within her and was disappointed that Adam couldn\u2019t feel it too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam and Susan worked in the garden and marveled at the wonderful crops that had sprung up due to the late Spring and early Summer. Some things went into the root cellar and would last through the Winter cold. Some things were eaten immediately; some were preserved and put into jars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delores, Lori and Mindy were frequent companions, either in town or at Sam\u2019s home. The women spent hours laughing and talking and sewing baby clothes. Adam had made a beautiful cradle which, for now, sat in the living room by the fireplace. It would be moved into the bedroom when the weather turned cold enough to actually light a fire but, for now, Sam loved just looking at it every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just to be on the safe side, Sam drove the buggy to Doc Martin\u2019s to help fold gauze bandages and sort out instruments. She knew the inventory of medicines by heart and was surprised one day to find a bottle of chloroform unaccounted for. Doc said he hadn\u2019t used it nor had it fallen and broken; it wasn\u2019t put on a shelf by mistake. Sam decided that she had just miscounted the last time, and the subject was dropped. But Sam still chided herself for being so involved with herself that she would have made such a mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc kept an eye on Sam\u2019s physical progress and was delighted that she remained in such good physical condition. But he suggested to her that it might be time for her to stop coming in to work with him. She had argued with him but finally conceded defeat. She would spend more time with her friends in town or at home with them or with Susan.<\/span><\/p>\n

The men had started the haying early \u2013 the fields had yielded an excellent surplus, so the hay that was ready was being harvested and baled and put into barns. Adam was busy from dawn to dusk but, tired as he was at the end of the day, he greeted Sam with a smile and a kiss. He kept referring to her as \u201cLittle Mama\u201d which pleased Sam no end. She began referring to him as \u201cPapa\u201d and always got a beaming smile in return. The two would often sit on the front porch, playing guitar duets. They were often joined by Rob and his harmonica. Susan would sing along with the music.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alone in the house, Adam would tease Sam, telling her to pull up her shirt so he could look at her belly button \u2013 which now had pooched outwards. Then he would press his mouth to her navel and speak to his child solemnly. Though Sam was really beginning to feel the baby move, Adam was never around when it happened. Again, Sam was disappointed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindy and Rick got married and set up housekeeping. And finally, Drucilla and Delmas tied the knot too. Ted came to work for Adam. He never would say too much about what had happened between him and Gretchen, but Rob had told Susan that Ted saw \u201cbad things\u201d in Gretchen. After their break-up, Gretchen had sold her house in town and had gone back to live with her parents. Gretchen had started seeing Hawk and continued snubbing Sam and Sam\u2019s friends. Friedhelm had a stroke and was rendered unable to speak or to use his right arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk kept appearing at the house when Adam was gone \u2013 he always seemed to have a valid excuse to be around the house. It didn\u2019t seem to matter to him that Sam was pregnant, and Sam was worried enough to keep a loaded gun downstairs. Susan kept telling Sam to have Adam get rid of Hawk, but Sam had no real basis to complain, so she kept her mouth shut. She didn\u2019t know that Susan had told Rob about Hawk\u2019s \u201cinnocent\u201d visits while all the men were working. Rob hadn\u2019t liked Hawk from the beginning and made sure that Susan knew to keep an eye out for the man.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY<\/span>
\nLate on morning, Sam had just finished baking a loaf of bread. She heard a sound behind her and turned around, almost bumping into Hawk. He had come inside so quietly that she hadn\u2019t heard him. There was a look in his eyes that made her very afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou grow more beautiful every day,\u201d he whispered. \u201cDo you know that I dream about you at night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The gun was in the living room, and Sam began to sidle in that direction. \u201cGet out, Hawk. If you don\u2019t leave me alone, I\u2019ll be forced to tell Adam.\u201d Sam was talking in order to buy time. Time enough to get to the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think about you during the day, too.\u201d Hawk came closer with each step. \u201cI wish that it was my baby you\u2019re carrying.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s not and it never will be!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe could run away together,\u201d Hawk whispered again. \u201cI\u2019d take real good care of you. In every way!\u201d He reached out and tried to grab Sam\u2019s hair. In an evasion move, Sam found herself backed against the wall between the kitchen and the living room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re disgusting! Get out of this house and don\u2019t ever come back!\u201d Sam was truly frightened now but was helpless to do anything. She was too far away from any knives or other utensils that could be used as a weapon, and there was no hope for reaching the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou be thinkin\u2019 you a big man now, but you be wrong.\u201d Susan\u2019s voice was loud and steady.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk turned around and found that he was facing a very angry woman with his gun in her hand. He hadn\u2019t even felt her take it from his holster. Hawk held up his hands. \u201cAw, I was only funnin\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of fun be just the kind to get you shot!\u201d The gun in Susan\u2019s hands was firm and didn\u2019t waver. \u201cNow, I just might be in the mood to have me some fun myself.\u201d She first aimed the gun at Hawk\u2019s now-pale face, then at his heart, then at his groin. \u201cYep. That be the right place. If\u2019n you don\u2019t die outright, you might could die a slow death. Or even not die a\u2019tall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust put the gun down. I\u2019ll pack my gear and be gone in a few minutes,\u201d Hawk said in a rush. He had no doubt that Susan would do what she intimated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll put down this here gun,\u201d Susan hissed. \u201cI ain\u2019t had this much fun in years. You a pitiful sight, standin\u2019 there with them eyes buggin\u2019 out!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a roar, a figure flew across the room and landed on top of Hawk. Sam almost cried with relief when she recognized Adam. The fight began and the two men rolled out the door with Susan right behind them. Sam wobbled out behind Susan. Disastrously, Hawk managed to grab Adam\u2019s gun, aimed it at Adam and then pulled the trigger. Two shots echoed, and both men looked at each other in surprise. Very slowly, Hawk looked at Susan and then sagged to the ground, his hand over his shoulder. Adam stood up, unhurt, and reached Sam in three long strides, pulling her against his chest. Hawk stirred and sat up. Susan still had the gun in her hands and, when Adam let go of Sam, Susan gave the gun to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d she said. \u201cHe ain\u2019t dead. Guess I ain\u2019t as good a shot as I used to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE<\/span>
\nAdam tied Hawk\u2019s hands behind his back and shoved him into the saddle of his horse. Sam, shaken but now angry, climbed into the buggy along with a livid Susan. The first stop was Doc\u2019s office to remove the bullet in Hawk\u2019s shoulder. The second stop was at Sheriff Coffee\u2019s jail, where Hawk was put behind bars \u2013 he was charged with attempted murder. Roy listened to Sam\u2019s story; he listened to Susan\u2019s story; he listened to Adam\u2019s story. Susan was absolved of any wrong-doing \u2013 if she hadn\u2019t shot Hawk, Adam would most certainly be dead, killed by his own gun. There was no jury trial – Judge Coleman heard the case immediately and sentenced Hawk to life in prison in Reno as soon as Doc Martin deemed him capable of such a journey. Judge Coleman wasn\u2019t known for leniency, and it made him livid that Hawk hadn\u2019t actually touched a woman \u2013 and a pregnant woman at that \u2013 so he couldn\u2019t add charges of assault or battery. He commended Susan for her presence of mind in the face of such a terrifying experience. Three days later, Adam and Sam watched as Hawk was taken away to face his new life behind bars. Forever. Supposedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

And how, you ask, did Adam just \u201chappen\u201d to come home at the right time that fateful day? Rob had been keeping an eye on Hawk and noticed the man sneaking away. Hurriedly, he told Adam about Hawk\u2019s \u201cvisits\u201d to The Pines and urged him to follow the red-haired bully. It wouldn\u2019t be the only time that Rob\u2019s acumen would come in handy.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO<\/span>
\nAdam had held his tongue until Hawk was safely taken away to Reno. But he hadn\u2019t necessarily been easy to live with. Sam knew that her husband had been stewing, not wanting to say too much because Sam had been scared out of her wits and because she was pregnant and was becoming moody herself. But the time came when he couldn\u2019t keep quiet any longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy couldn\u2019t you have told me about Hawk yourself!\u201d he shouted as they ate supper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t shout at me!\u201d Sam retorted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam lowered his voice. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to shout.\u201d He chewed on a bite of roast beef. \u201cI wish you had told me instead of having to hear about Hawk\u2019s \u2018visits\u2019 from somebody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam thought a minute. \u201cAt first I didn\u2019t think anything about it. The man startled me by just popping up one day when you weren\u2019t here. But then, he kept on doing it. Susan told me to tell you, but I didn\u2019t want to sound like a ninny. Hawk\u2019s excuses to be at the ranch seemed valid. I was only truly afraid of him that one day. I would\u2019ve told you then, but you already knew. Thanks to Rob.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam reached for Sam\u2019s hand. \u201cWhen are you gonna realize that you don\u2019t have to be strong all by yourself? I\u2019m want to protect you \u2013 there\u2019s nothing that you can\u2019t tell me. Don\u2019t you know that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam smiled and then her hands flew to her belly. \u201cAdam!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam jumped, startled and concerned. Sam grabbed his hand, half-pulling him from his chair, and quickly placed his hand on her belly. He felt movement beneath his palm but at first didn\u2019t understand. More movement. And he began to smile as he realized what was happening.<\/span><\/p>\n

Laying his cheek against the moving lump, he spoke to his child. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in there? Are you upset because you thought I was angry at Mama?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam burst into a fit of giggles. \u201cPapa, you\u2019re talking to his butt! His head is over here.\u201d She moved Adam\u2019s hand to the other side of her belly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you tell which end is which?\u201d Adam was fascinated, his cheek still in its original place. \u201cThey both feel the same to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A sharp kick against his face was the answer. \u201cOw! That was definitely a foot!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam was still giggling. The baby had been a reality to her since she first felt it move. But now Adam felt the movements too, and reality dawned on him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s our child in there,\u201d he said softly. \u201cI love you so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love you more,\u201d Sam answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the subject of Hawk was dropped.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE<\/span>
\nFrom that time forward, Adam couldn\u2019t keep his hands off Sam\u2019s belly. And, as the baby grew larger, there would be times at night when he would just stare at Sam\u2019s naked belly and wait for the baby to move. He was utterly besotted by the kicks and pokes and undulations that his child was performing. He also become over-protective, always asking Sam how she was feeling, did she hurt, was she hungry or thirsty, could she sleep, did she need help getting dressed, should she be cooking or canning or was she eating too much or too little.<\/span><\/p>\n

One morning, Sam craved pickles and peaches. Adam flew out of bed, went to town and came back with a dozen of each. The thought of eating the two together made his stomach turn over, but Sam was completely happy. He couldn\u2019t believe that she hadn\u2019t gotten fat like other women had. She ate anything and everything during the day and night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam would never have told him, but he was driving her crazy with his constant monitoring and questions. The only times she could escape from his loving intentions was to go to town. She kept up with her appointments at Doc Martin\u2019s, and she began making more trips away from the ranch to visit her friends just to have some peace and quiet. Adam didn\u2019t think she should be driving the buggy but had to relent when Sam stood her ground. And Adam knew he had a ranch to run, cattle that needed to be watched, horses that needed to be ridden, fences that had to be mended. Fall had now arrived and there was haying to finish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam and Adam made frequent trips to visit his family. And, often, Ben would reach out gently to feel his grandchild who seemed to always be moving. Shy Hoss, with his huge hands, a man used to feeling calves and foals move, would sit and be mesmerized, his blue eyes shining as he felt his nephew roll around. Little Joe was equally fascinated but felt slightly uncomfortable letting his hands rest on Sam\u2019s ever-growing belly for too long.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam was automatically allowed to put her swollen feet on the coffee table \u2013 something that none of the Cartwrights were supposed to do. Little Joe was the most forgetful of this rule and propped his feet on the coffee table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben warned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa,\u201d Joe protested, \u201cshe\u2019s doing it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked at his youngest son. \u201cJoseph, the day that you tell me that you\u2019re pregnant, I\u2019ll allow it. Until then, get your feet off the coffee table!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam snickered; Adam chuckled; Hoss laughed out loud. And, from the kitchen, Hop Sing\u2019s distinctive giggle could be heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR<\/span>
\nToward the first of November, Fall had definitely arrived. Multicolored leaves had turned into glorious colors and were falling from the tree branches; wild creatures were busy making dens; the evenings were cold enough to build a big fire in the fireplace to warm the downstairs at The Pines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam and Adam, Susan and Rob were watching the fire and enjoying its warmth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you gonna name your son?\u201d Susan asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam and I have been thinking of names but can\u2019t seem to settle on just the right one,\u201d Sam answered. She went through the list aloud.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI likes \u2018em all,\u201d Rob said. \u201cBut I thinks a man\u2019s first boy child should be named after his Papa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam broke in, moving his toothpick to the other side of his mouth as he stretched out his legs. \u201cThis might just turn out to be a little girl. Sam is determined to pick a boy\u2019s name and it looks like Rob is too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it be a boy all right,\u201d Susan smiled. \u201cI seen it in a dream.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob nodded. \u201cShe told me about the dream. Susan ain\u2019t never wrong when she dreams things. And sometimes she sees things afore they happen. I ain\u2019t never knowed her to be mistaken.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy vote is for \u2018Adam Benjamin\u2019,\u201d Sam interjected. \u201cBut Adam votes for \u2018Adam Grant\u2019. My father\u2019s name was \u2018Grant\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan laughed. \u201cWhy argue? There ain\u2019t no law that says a baby cain\u2019t have several names! Both Mr. Cartwright and your papa\u2019d be proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam moved his toothpick again, worrying it between his teeth. \u201cI don\u2019t want my son to ever be called \u2018Junior\u2019. Or \u2018Little Adam\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam sneaked a peek at Adam. \u201cHe could be just plain \u2018Adam\u2019 or maybe even \u201cA.C.\u2019 when he gets bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam raised his eyebrow. \u201cMaybe\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE<\/span>
\nTwo days before the annual Ponderosa Fall Barbecue, Sam headed to town. Her first stop was for a check-up with Doc Martin. She heard him in the back office, heard the doctor and Mrs. Elvin\u2019s distinctive voices, and decided to busy herself by inventorying the medicine cabinet one more time. She had already returned the key to the cabinet to Doc, but she knew where he kept it. Retrieving the key and opening the cabinet, Sam noticed that a bottle of laudanum was missing. But she hadn\u2019t been working with Doc for quite some time and didn\u2019t question the missing bottle. Doc had probably used it for a patient. Everything else was in place, so Sam closed the cabinet, locked it, and returned the key to its place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Entering his front office, Doc was happy to see Sam. They chatted until Mrs. Elvin appeared, a smile brightening her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot long now, is it?\u201d she asked, looking at Sam\u2019s belly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank God!\u201d Sam laughed. \u201cI never knew carrying a baby was so difficult.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, my dear. I\u2019m pregnant again. You\u2019d think I would have better sense, but I just love children.\u201d She sighed with a happy smile and then left.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam waddled into the back office and got ready for her own examination.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Elvin wasn\u2019t wrong. I think we miscalculated \u2013 this baby will arrive before Christmas,\u201d Doc grinned.<\/span><\/p>\n

A moment of panic hit Sam. Am I ready? Can I really do this? Mrs. Elvin doesn\u2019t seem to have a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc, with his years of experience, seemed to intuit what Sam was thinking. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Sam. You\u2019ll do just fine. You have a very active baby and your hips are wide enough to allow for an easy birth. Now get dressed and go shop for something you really don\u2019t need.\u201d He laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam got dressed and paid Doc. She didn\u2019t mention the missing bottle of laudanum.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX<\/span>
\nSam\u2019s second stop was at the restaurant to meet Lori, Mindy and Delores for lunch. Instead of seeing only her three dear friends, she saw a roomful of people who were friends also \u2013 Drucilla, Thelma and Henrietta were there, and so was Mrs. Elvin. Other acquaintances were there as well, and there was a table heaped high with wrapped gifts. And there was Susan, laughing at Sam\u2019s look of utter surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Baby!\u201d everybody exclaimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026I\u2026don\u2019t know what to say.\u201d Sam looked stunned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s the first time you\u2019ve been speechless,\u201d Delores giggled. And Sam had to laugh along with everybody else \u2013 it was the truth!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were gonna wait until the barbecue, but we got too excited to wait. Besides, this way we can have only women present,\u201d Mindy laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori guided Sam to a chair placed strategically by the table of gifts. \u201cFirst, we eat. Then we can look at your gifts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam ate her fill and looked around the room at all the happy faces. To know that she and her baby \u2013 and Adam too \u2013 were so well thought of almost moved her to tears. People called her \u201cSam\u201d in social settings and called her \u201cDoctor Sam\u201d only when she was in a medical setting. Life just couldn\u2019t get any better, but she changed her mind when she began opening baby gifts. Life had just improved again! She was inundated by baby blankets and tiny sheets that would fit perfectly in the cradle Adam had made. All the material was soft and warm for the winter months. There were huge amounts of knitted clothing \u2013 perfect for either a boy or a girl; some things could be worn by either sex. There were warm little caps and booties. And Lori had made the most precious outfit \u2013 a top that looked like a cowboy shirt and the bottoms that looked like tiny jeans \u2013 complete with a holster and a tiny toy gun. The feet were attached to the bottoms and were made of a material that looked just like tiny boots. Sam was overwhelmed and thanked each person again and again, giving hugs to each contributor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The door to the restaurant flew open and in flounced Ilsa and Gretchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose I was left off the invitation list on purpose!\u201d Gretchen said, an angry scowl on her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori, closest in proximity to Gretchen, rose to her feet. \u201cThere were no written invitations. Word of mouth spreads quickly. It\u2019s unfortunate that you didn\u2019t hear about this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa\u2019s eyes looked as wild as Gretchen\u2019s. \u201cAnd we haven\u2019t been invited to the annual barbecue either!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam felt like she was sitting on a volcano and interrupted. \u201cMrs. Werner, I know for a fact that you, your husband and Gretchen were invited personally by Ben Cartwright. He told me that he had seen you last week and had spoken to you about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa\u2019s face turned a deep red. \u201cWell, he knew that we wouldn\u2019t be able to come because of Friedhelm\u2019s health. He can hardly walk, he can\u2019t use his right arm, and he can\u2019t speak. Mr. Cartwright probably hoped we wouldn\u2019t be able to come, and he\u2019s right! So go on with that dumb barbecue, and I hope you all get sick from overeating!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a cruel thing to say, Mrs. Werner, and completely uncalled for.\u201d Sam could feel her cheeks beginning to get hot due to the anger boiling in her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen lifted her chin. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t care that I wasn\u2019t invited to this stupid party. I don\u2019t choose to associate with the town gossips and the white trash that are here anyway!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite enough!\u201d Sam growled. \u201cYou would do everybody a great favor if you would just leave right now.\u201d Sam was headed toward the mother and daughter, but the baby kicked her so hard that she had to stop and catch her breath. Susan steadied her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen looked at Sam with hatred. \u201cYou think you\u2019re so special because you\u2019re carrying Adam\u2019s baby. Well, I carried his first child. If you hadn\u2019t caused so much stress by stealing Adam, we\u2019d be married right now and I wouldn\u2019t have miscarried.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, nobody in the room except Sam, Ilsa and Gretchen knew that Gretchen had even been pregnant. There were many startled and stunned faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori, the most tactful female in the room, snarled. \u201cGet out. And I mean right now!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa sniffed in disdain as she turned to leave. Gretchen had one last salvo to fire. \u201cI pray every night that you\u2019ll lose your baby. I hope it will be born dead and you\u2019ll cry the way I cried!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And, suddenly, Gretchen found herself on the floor, holding her jaw. Lori had moved so fast that nobody had seen the punch coming. Not a slap. A tight-fisted man-type blow to Gretchen\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa shrieked in German, grabbed her daughter and pulled her to her feet. Gretchen was half-dragged out the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

The silence in the room was broken when Susan spoke. \u201cGood for you, Lori. I didn\u2019t know you had it in you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam had looked into both Ilsa and Gretchen\u2019s eyes and knew that they could be dangerous. They both appeared to be certifiably insane.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nThe barbecue at the Ponderosa was a complete success. Which wasn\u2019t unusual because it was always a complete success. Spirits were high and laughter filled the air, mixed with music and song. By now, Sam had become very physically uncomfortable and awkward as the baby within her grew. She couldn\u2019t play the guitar; holding the instrument in her lap placed the strings too far away to reach. She felt too heavy to participate in the lively dances and had to settle for dancing to the slowest of dances. She felt heavy and awkward and was tired of not being able to see her own feet. But, when she looked into Adam\u2019s face \u2013 and the faces of his family \u2013 she could see their joy, and this she could share in. She reminded herself that her physical problems would disappear soon and happiness filled her heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\n\u201cSpit it out, Adam!\u201d Sam demanded. She knew when something was gnawing at him and he had been acting strangely for days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sighed. Sam knew him so well. \u201cHawk escaped from prison last week. Roy Coffee told me that he had gotten a telegram from the prison warden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam gasped. Adam was quick to reassure her. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t dare show his face in Virginia City. With that red hair, he\u2019d be too easy to recognize, and Roy would have him back in jail in an instant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you think that this is something I should know?\u201d Sam fumed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHawk has probably headed straight for Mexico. That\u2019s what I would do if I were in his boots,\u201d Adam said soothingly. And honestly. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to worry you right now. Our baby may be coming soon.\u201d Adam placed his hands on Sam\u2019s bouncing belly. The child always seemed to be in constant motion nowadays.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill, I worry,\u201d Sam said, calming down as she watched her husband\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould I let anything happen to you two?\u201d Adam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot on purpose,\u201d Sam smiled. But she began keeping guns in every room and hid one in the buggy too.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE<\/span>
\nThanksgiving came and went. Sam and Adam celebrated the holiday at the Ponderosa where Hop Sing had outdone himself once again. And he sat with the Cartwrights and shared the meal with them. There was such love in this big house!<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY<\/span>
\nThe first week of December brought a dusting of snow. Sam looked out the window at the Sierras and saw that the peaks were absolutely white and beautiful. She and Susan were finishing breakfast when Sam decided she wanted to go for a buggy ride.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan\u2019s brow furrowed. \u201cI don\u2019t think it be a good idea right now, Miz Sam. You don\u2019t know when that young \u2018un might decide to be born.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be in the next hour, for Heaven\u2019s sake! I\u2019ll just ride around and look at everything and come right back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan shook her head. \u201cThen I go with you, just in case you runs into trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSusan, I just want some time to myself. I appreciate the fact that you and Rob are always near if I need something, but I just need to be by myself for a while. Can you understand that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t goin\u2019 unless I goes too.\u201d Susan was adamant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam sighed. \u201cOkay. If you\u2019ll hitch up the buggy, then we\u2019ll both take a ride. Let me put on some warmer clothes and I\u2019ll meet you out in the barn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan brightened. She was already dressed warmly, having gone to gather eggs earlier, so she went to put on her coat and headed for the barn.<\/span><\/p>\n

As she hitched up the buggy, Susan thought of the strange dreams she had been having. She knew something bad was going to happen, but a strange blackness filled her mind\u2019s eye and she couldn\u2019t see what the problem was. She checked the gun she knew was under the seat of the buggy and tried to shake off the feeling of dread.<\/span><\/p>\n

She heard footsteps behind her and knew that Sam had gotten ready in a hurry. Then there was a blinding pain in her head. Everything went black.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE<\/span>
\nSam smiled as she opened the front door. Standing before her was Hawk!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou still are beautiful,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I still want you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam struggled but she was no match for the big man. A cloth was held over her nose and she recognized the smell of chloroform. She felt herself slipping away into darkness. Slipping\u2026slipping\u2026slip\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO<\/span>
\nSam awoke, her stomach queasy, and saw Hawk sitting in a chair nearby. Sam didn\u2019t recognize where she was, but there was a wood stove giving heat to the small room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFinally decided to wake up, huh?\u201d Hawk asked. \u201cI thought you\u2019d sleep forever. Worse than that, I was afraid I\u2019d killed you by putting so much stuff on that cloth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere am I?\u201d Sam asked, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a safe place. Nobody\u2019ll find you here. And, after the baby comes, you and I are goin\u2019 to Mexico.\u201d Hawk looked so sure of himself. \u201cNow I\u2019m gonna get you somethin\u2019 to eat and drink. Don\u2019t even bother trying to get out of here. There\u2019s a mountain on three sides of this shack. And the door can\u2019t be opened from the inside. I fixed this place up to be escape-proof.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam watched as Hawk left. She surveyed her surroundings. There was a small table, a chair, and the bed she was lying on. The only light came from the openings in the wood stove. She looked at the stove pipe and saw that it vented in an odd shape. What was that about a mountain on three sides? Was there a mountain over the roof of the shack too? Was that why the stove pipe was so peculiar \u2013 it would have to vent from the front of the shack if there was an obstruction overhead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk was right. Sam couldn\u2019t budge the door, either inward or outward. She talked to herself to calm the rising panic. Adam will find me. It won\u2019t take long. Just stay calm and try to think of what to do. Adam will find me. Adam will find me\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE<\/span>
\nSam finally heard muffled voices outside the door. She heard boards being slid away. And Hawk came in \u2013 with Gretchen!<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen smiled happily. \u201cLook, I\u2019ve brought you a nice meal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam glared. \u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you can starve yourself. But you\u2019ll starve your baby too. It\u2019s up to you.\u201d Gretchen put the plate on the table. Hawk was carrying a metal cup of milk and put it on the table also.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust what do you plan to do with me?\u201d Sam asked, trying to remain calm in the face of an insane woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, surely you can figure that out,\u201d Gretchen smiled slyly. \u201cWhen your baby is born, Hawk will take you to Mexico. And I\u2019ll keep the child that should have been mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just how will you explain that you have a baby?\u201d Sam asked, careful to keep an even tone to her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say I went to the orphanage in Denver and adopted a baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be married to adopt a baby,\u201d Sam said cautiously. \u201cEverybody knows that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople also know that orphanages are over-crowded and low on funds. Money \u2018talks\u2019. I\u2019ll make them believe that I offered a large donation in exchange for a baby. People are stupid sometimes. They\u2019ll accept what I tell them. If I can\u2019t have Adam, I can be mother to his child.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam looked at Hawk\u2019s smile and shivered. She knew better than to make Gretchen angry. One can\u2019t argue with an insane person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suggest that you eat what\u2019s on the table. And be sure and drink your milk. We want to have a healthy baby, don\u2019t we?\u201d Gretchen was talking in a sing-song voice. \u201cWe\u2019ll be back later to check on you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk and Gretchen left, and Sam heard boards being either slid across the door or being wedged against the door. There was plenty of wood in the room, so she wouldn\u2019t be cold. She looked at the food and then ate. If anything happens to me, I want my baby to live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR<\/span>
\nPanic overtook Sam. The small room, the inability to know if it was day or night, the worry about the baby within her \u2013 she felt very alone. I know I have to eat, if not for myself then for the baby\u2019s sake. And if I panic now, I\u2019ll lose my perspective and my intelligence. I know that Adam will move Heaven and earth to find me. I must be strong and healthy. I know that Ilsa and Gretchen are deranged, so I need to be compliant and not cause trouble. They may decide to shoot me if I seem too strong-willed. So I\u2019ll play the part of the perfect, fearful hostage and let them think they\u2019ve broken my spirit. In the meantime, I\u2019ll search every part of this room and see if I can find a way out. The first thing to do is to eat \u2013 that\u2019ll give me strength. Now, take several deep breaths and overcome this panic. And pray.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So Samantha ate everything that was on her plate and found that the food actually was very good. She had to eat with a spoon \u2013 obviously she wouldn\u2019t be trusted with a knife or a fork, but that was okay. She found that the milk had a strange taste to it \u2013 a slightly bitter taste but she drank it anyway. Almost immediately, dizziness overtook her and she wobbled to the bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE<\/span>
\nAdam and the ranch hands finished throwing out bails of hay for the cattle and returned home much earlier than they had planned. Adam knew that Sam\u2019s time was drawing nearer and wanted to be home as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he and Rob entered the barn, the first thing that Adam noticed was that the horse and buggy were gone. Damn that Sam! She must\u2019ve taken one of her rides into town.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second thing that happened was that both Adam and Rob heard a moaning noise from one of the stalls. It was Susan, rubbing her head, too dizzy to stand up. Rushing to her side, Rob put a protective arm around her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked, deep concern in his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Susan answered, holding her head and wobbling slightly. \u201cI come to hitch up the horse and buggy for Miz Sam and I felt a pain in my head. I got a big lump there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob and Adam examined her head and found that she had an enormous lump from the top of her forehead to the back of her head underneath her hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sprinted to the house, calling Sam\u2019s name. No answer. But a chair had been turned over, and there was a plate on the floor broken into pieces. A chill went up Adam\u2019s spine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob was bringing Susan into the house and fetched a cold rag for her head. Adam was still looking at the chair and the broken plate, and the two men looked at each other with tacit understanding passing between them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob looked at the floor and saw drying puddles of water \u2013 a perfect outline of a man\u2019s boots. Silently, he pointed to the floor. Rob was a born tracker and could read signs of nature that other men might miss. He looked out the door onto the front porch and beckoned to Adam. Susan followed behind, the wet cloth still pressed to her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob spoke as he put his own boot in one footprint. \u201cThis print be mine. Adam, put your boot over here.\u201d He pointed to the spot. Adam\u2019s boot print fit perfectly. Susan\u2019s high leather moccasin prints were easy to spot because of the pattern that they left. There were scuffle marks unaccounted for, and Rob bent to inspect them closer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese be partial prints of a woman\u2019s boots. See the heel mark here? But these other ones be made by the boots of a man with large feet.\u201d Rob looked farther and saw a slight scrape mark. \u201cThe woman\u2019s boots disappear here. But the man\u2019s prints fade away toward the barn. They be deeper. My guess is that he be carryin\u2019 somethin\u2019.\u201d He sighed. \u201cOr somebody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan gasped. Adam\u2019s face paled. Rob sprinted toward the barn with Adam close behind. On his hands and knees, Rob investigated the marks left by the wheels of the buggy and followed them out of the barn for a short distance. The ranch hands had ridden in \u2013 and so had Adam and Rob \u2013 and the hoof prints obliterated any more wheel tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam took control. He sent Ted into town for Sheriff Coffee. He sent another man to the Ponderosa to fetch everybody he could find. \u201cTell them that Sam\u2019s been kidnapped!\u201d he snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back into the house went Adam and Rob. Susan was sitting in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. Adam thought she had lost her mind, but Rob knew better. He spoke quietly in Cherokee to his wife then turned to Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe don\u2019t remember nothin\u2019. She feel responsible for this whole mess. She was supposed to watch over Sam, and she let you down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam knelt beside Susan. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Susan. You got ambushed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Mister Adam, I been havin\u2019 bad dreams. I knew somethin\u2019 bad was gonna happen soon. And it did.\u201d Susan wept. She returned her gaze to the fireplace. Rob added another log.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe tryin\u2019 now to use her mind. She kin \u2018see\u2019 things that other folks cain\u2019t see. Sometimes it work, sometimes it don\u2019t. But she be tryin\u2019 hard. We leave her be for now and we go look \u2018round. We might kin find more sign.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam instructed his ranch hands to spread out as he and Rob rode together. Snow was falling again and, by the time the Cartwrights with their ranch hands arrived, Roy Coffee had joined in the search. Rob followed hoof prints in the snow and through the woods with Adam cautioning everybody to be careful where their horses stepped. Night fell, and Adam was told that half the town was out looking for Sam. But the snow was falling harder and Adam knew there was no sense in continuing the search until the morning. He returned to his house with his family, refusing to eat until Susan scolded him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMister Adam, you ain\u2019t gonna be of any use if you fall over from lack of food. If you want to help, you eat what\u2019s in front of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So Adam ate. Susan was right. His Pa and his brothers were here. Ted was here. Rob was here. And Susan had returned to sit in front of the fireplace. Doc Martin had sent word that he was removing an appendix and would be here when his patient showed no signs of infection. Nobody slept well that night.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX<\/span>
\nSam was groggy when she awoke and wondered how long she had been asleep. She heard the familiar sounds of boards being moved around and, when the door opened, in came Hawk and Ilsa. They had brought more food, and Ilsa put it on the table. Sam had seen, when the door opened, that it was dark outside, so it must be night. She at least had some idea of what time of day it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa spoke one word. \u201cEat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam tried to look meek. \u201cI\u2019m too sleepy right now. Would you mind putting the food on the corner of the stove to keep it warm?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa didn\u2019t move. Hawk moved the food. Ilsa checked to make sure that the spoon from the last meal was accounted for. Satisfied, she wiped it off on her skirt and put it back on the table. Her smile was almost demonic. Hawk brought wood in and dumped it on the floor. At least Sam would be warm \u2013 he didn\u2019t want his \u201cprized possession\u201d to freeze to death. And he didn\u2019t care about the baby. He just wanted Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

The door opened again as Hawk and Ilsa left. Sam could see flakes of snow blow in the door. She knew that snow would hinder Adam\u2019s progress in finding her. But she knew she had to eat again, and she did. She planned to investigate the room as soon as she had eaten but, after drinking her odd-tasting milk, she fell asleep again.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nAt first light, the men swung into their saddles with Hoss and Rob in the lead. Adam knew from experience that Hoss was a good tracker, and he believed in Rob\u2019s abilities. Susan was still sitting in front of the fireplace. The only things she had said this morning were \u201cwarm room\u201d and \u201cshe be eatin\u2019 good food.\u201d Then Rob made her go to sleep; hopefully she would \u201cdream\u201d more information.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither Hoss nor Rob had any trouble tracking the path of the buggy through the trees. The light snow had covered only the tops of the trees, leaving bare branches where a buggy might have gone through the day before. And there were the faintest of wheel tracks on the ground. Adam was optimistic until the group reached an area where the wind had blown the snow over the ground, obliterating any sign except for animal tracks. The land here was rocky and unforgiving. The search party forged ahead, spreading out and looking for anything that might be helpful. They found nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the morning and evening of the second day passed. Hop Sing had come from the Ponderosa to take care of the cooking; only his scolding could force anyone to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\nSam awoke and began to think things through again. Why was she always so sleepy right after she ate? Why was her baby moving so infrequently? And then it dawned on her \u2013 she was being drugged. Think, Sam! Think hard! Your brain is itching to tell you something! Like a lightning bolt, Sam remembered the bottles of missing chloroform and laudanum from Doc Martin\u2019s office. She thought back to the time that Gretchen had been present while Sam was taking inventory of Doc\u2019s drug supply and how observant Gretchen had been. Had Gretchen been to see Doc after Sam had stopped working for him and returned the key to its hiding place? That would explain the missing bottles and what Sam knew to be chloroform when she was taken from her home. And the milk. It had a strange taste and made Sam fall asleep. It had to be the laudanum. And the baby inside her was sleeping as much as Sam was. I\u2019ve got to figure out a way to stop drinking the milk without anybody knowing. I need to drink water, but how will I get it? And how will I be able to pour the milk out without anybody knowing? Sam formulated a plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

She went around the room and rapped lightly on each piece of wood. There was a solid \u201cthunk\u201d on every board except one located close to the bottom of the door. Sam had no instrument to pry it loose, but she could stick her fingers through a knothole and found that it opened enough to let her see the snow on the ground. And she could see daylight! The snow clung to her fingers which she popped into her mouth, realizing then how thirsty she was. That was the thing she needed to ask for! Water!<\/span><\/p>\n

Hearing the wood being moved at the door, Sam hurried back and sprawled out in bed and tried to look both sleepy and groggy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen came in with Hawk right behind her. The smell of food made Sam\u2019s stomach churn, but she had to be better at playing this game than Ilsa, Gretchen and Hawk. So she reeled over to the table and began to eat, deliberately dropping food as though she wasn\u2019t in complete control of her motor skills. Gretchen grinned at Hawk. Sam turned over her glass of milk and sat dumbly looking at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so thirsty,\u201d Sam said, trying to feign a dry throat. \u201cI know I need milk, but I also need water. This baby and I will both die if we don\u2019t keep our fluid intake high.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen thought about this. Obviously, Sam was too stupid to know that her milk was mixed with laudanum which made her sleepy all the time. And Gretchen also knew that a few glasses of milk were not enough. She instructed Hawk to gather snow in a bucket; it could be put close to the stove and would melt. Sam could drink that when she was thirsty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be okay alone with her?\u201d Hawk asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen pulled a gun from her dress pocket, smiled and waved Hawk away. Gretchen watched as Sam continued to eat slowly, occasionally dropping her spoon or pieces of food. After an unknown amount of time, Hawk returned with a bucket of snow. We must be close to a house or something. That bucket just wouldn\u2019t be sitting conveniently outside in the middle of nowhere. The spilled milk left a dark wet stain on the floor, but Sam wasn\u2019t worried. She knew where she could pour it if she needed to \u2013 it would go behind that board with the knothole. She felt optimistic.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE<\/span>
\nHoss and Rob were excellent trackers but they couldn\u2019t make something from nothing. Sheriff Coffee had sent wires to every Sheriff for miles around advising them to be on the look-out for a stranger with a brunette-haired wife \u2013 either pregnant or with a newborn baby. All doctors were to be notified of this as well as the townsfolk. Ben Cartwright had offered an enormous reward for any leads as to the whereabouts of these strangers. Nobody even bothered to lie to get the reward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan, though she didn\u2019t know it at the time, dreamed important things. She passed this news on to Adam and Rob. And she continued to stare into the fireplace for so long that Rob was afraid she\u2019d go blind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI dream of a one-room building. I see Miz Sam. She be warm because there be a stove and plenty of wood. She have food often. She have plenty of water to drink. There is a wooden door and she cain\u2019t get out. She sleep with her hands coverin\u2019 her belly. I cain\u2019t see where this place is though. It be like I see through her eyes; I see what she see.\u201d Susan looked exhausted. Adam had hopes that she was right.<\/span><\/p>\n

The search party checked every shack and every ghost town for miles. Nobody returned jubilant. Adam fell into the depths of despair but he wouldn\u2019t give up. Ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third and fourth days came and went.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY<\/span>
\nSam was an expert at playing \u201cthe game\u201d with Ilsa, Gretchen, and Hawk. She knew when the door opened to look quickly to see if it was light or dark outside. She knew to act weak and clumsy. She knew to act sleepier and sleepier with each meal. At times, she pretended to be asleep when food was left for her and, when whatever couple came in and then left, she would eat the food, pour the milk behind the board near the door, and drink water out of the bucket which was continuously filled with snow. Sometimes she would talk to whoever showed up, deliberately slurring her words. Her ruse was working. But there were times that she felt the hopelessness of her situation, and she had bad back pain frequently. Once or twice, she felt actual contractions and worried that she would have her baby in this hateful place in spite of her play acting. She would talk to herself at length, remind herself that Adam would search for her forever, and that he would find her. But she also prayed for a miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE<\/span>
\nFriedhelm listened to the sounds of voices from downstairs. At first, he couldn\u2019t understand what the voices were saying \u2013 not because of his stroke which hadn\u2019t affected his hearing or his mind \u2013 but because the voices were quiet. As the days passed, he finally heard enough to know what was going on. Ilsa and Gretchen hadn\u2019t given him enough credit \u2013 they were too involved with something else. And somebody else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm waited until the dead of night to make his move. He couldn\u2019t speak, and his right arm was useless. His right leg didn\u2019t work very well, but he could walk if he had to. And this night he had to. Slowly, laboriously, he made his way to the barn. He knew that taking one horse would be obvious, but he couldn\u2019t unlock every stall and shoo each horse outside. That would involve a lot of noise. He\u2019d just have to take his chances by taking one horse and praying to get back before anybody in the house woke up.<\/span><\/p>\n

It took him a long time to put the bridle on his own horse. But he did it. He tried picking up the saddle with his left hand and discovered that it was too heavy. He\u2019d have to ride bareback. That posed another problem, but only temporarily. He could drag a hay bale close enough to climb on and then throw his body across the horse\u2019s back. He headed out into the freezing night air. The snow was coming down so fast that he could hardly see. Fortunately, he knew the area well and hurried forward on knowledge and instinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO<\/span>
\nThe whole Cartwright family had set up housekeeping in the living room. Hoss was asleep in one chair; Little Joe slept in another. Ben slept on the sofa. Hop Sing and Adam chose the floor, wrapped in comforters from the upstairs bedrooms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan woke up and nudged Rob. \u201cSomebody be comin\u2019 here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob, never doubting Susan\u2019s words, nudged Adam. \u201cSusan says somebody comin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam rose quietly and looked out into the snowy night. He saw nobody. \u201cThere\u2019s nobody there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan looked into Adam\u2019s eyes. \u201cJust wait. Not long now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam watched the grandfather clock. It showed the time to be one o\u2019clock in the morning. The beginning of the fifth day since Sam had been kidnapped. An hour passed and Adam felt his eyes beginning to close. Susan and Rob remained wide awake.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then Adam heard a noise. It could have been a pile of snow dropping from one of the trees, but he was on his feet in an instant. Rob was right next to him as Adam opened the front door. There was a figure lying in the snow, and Adam prayed that it was Sam. It wasn\u2019t. It was a very cold Friedhelm Werner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan woke the rest of the family and sped into the kitchen with Hop Sing to make coffee. Adam and Rob helped Friedhelm into the house; the man was trying hard to speak but his words were unintelligible. The stroke, indeed, had left him unable to speak.<\/span><\/p>\n

He made motions with his left hand \u2013 wild motions which were indecipherable. Ben was the first to catch on. \u201cGet him a pencil and paper!\u201d Ben commanded as he helped Friedhelm sit down at the dining room table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm took the pencil and painstakingly wrote \u201cSam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere? Where is Sam?\u201d Adam prodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm drew a question mark on the paper. Then he wrote slowly \u201cbehind my house.\u201d He drew a picture that looked like an upside-down \u201cvee\u201d with a door between the lines of the \u201cvee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs she all right?\u201d Adam pushed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm nodded and pointed his coffee mug at the china cabinet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s being fed?\u201d Ben asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm nodded. His hand shook as he drank the hot coffee that Hop Sing brought in. Susan brought along plenty of mugs and everybody drank.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIlsa bad. Gretchen bad. Bad man.\u201d Friedhelm wrote slowly. It was now three o\u2019clock in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat man, Friedhelm?\u201d Adam asked, trying to be kind and wishing the man could hurry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking completely exhausted, Friedhelm wrote \u201cred.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And Adam knew who it was. \u201cThe man has red hair?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm nodded and drank more coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou met Hawk a couple of times,\u201d Adam said. \u201cIs it Hawk?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Friedhelm nodded. \u201cHurry,\u201d he scrawled and slid down in the chair. His coffee mug fell from his hand to the floor. Both Susan and Ben checked for a pulse in the man\u2019s neck. He wasn\u2019t dead, though he looked like he was. He had fainted from exhaustion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben took command. \u201cJoe, get Roy and Doc! Meet us on the way to the Werner place \u2013 we\u2019ll take that west cut through the woods. Susan, you and Hop Sing stay here and keep a gun with you at all times. See if you can make Friedhelm comfortable. Hoss, get Ted and the others to saddle horses for all of us. Now get your coats and get going!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE<\/span>
\nJoe had pushed Cochise hard and had roused both Roy and Doc Martin. Joe was hitching Doc\u2019s buggy by the time Roy arrived at the livery stable. Jess watched the flurry of action but wisely stayed out of the way. \u201cGood luck!\u201d he shouted as the three men dashed away. They hurried so fast that the timing was perfect \u2013 they met Adam and Rob at the edge of the tree line just shy of the Werner property.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam wanted to race ahead and confront Ilsa and Gretchen. He also wanted to shoot Hawk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roy spoke and made sense. \u201cAdam, if you confront those people now, we may never find Sam. She\u2019ll starve to death. We\u2019re gonna have to wait and follow whoever takes food to her. How else can we be sure exactly where she is? Finding Sam won\u2019t allow me to catch the kidnappers in the act. This has to be done legal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sighed. But Rob smiled. \u201cIf somebody is taking food to Miz Sam, then there be tracks to follow. Adam and I kin go now. You and the rest of the men kin follow whenever anybody goes out the house.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob was as good as his word. Adam wasn\u2019t sure that even Hoss could\u2019ve followed the trail in this much snow. Rob read the snow as though it were plain as day. He put his finger to his lips to indicate silence. The back of the Werner house was close by. And, sure enough, there was a small mountain \u2013 actually a very large hill \u2013 that jutted out like a broken tooth. It was covered by dense trees with snow-covered branches.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBacktrack, Adam,\u201d Rob said as he picked up some dead branches. \u201cCover our tracks as best you can. The snow is wet and should be easy to move around. I\u2019ll look for the shack.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t want to leave \u2013 he could almost feel Sam\u2019s presence. But he knew that Rob was right, so he did as he was told, leaving Rob to hide the horses. And Rob had been right about the snow being wet and easy to move without looking too obvious. More snow was falling now and it would cover any telltale branch marks. When Adam returned to where he had left Rob, Rob wasn\u2019t anywhere to be seen. Adam\u2019s heart pounded and he could feel sweat dripping down his face and then freezing on the stubble of beard on his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob suddenly appeared from behind a copse of trees. He motioned for Adam to come to him and cover up the tracks. \u201cI found it,\u201d Rob grinned. If this\u2019d been summer and the trees covered with leaves, it would\u2019ve been harder and taken me a little longer to find. But I\u2019d have found it anyways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get Sam!\u201d Adam whispered urgently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot now, Mister Adam,\u201d Rob whispered back. \u201cThe door has wood slide bolts on the outside. If we touch it, we disturb the snow. We have to wait. We have to! If the other folks cain\u2019t see behind the house, we be the only ones who can catch anybody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as Adam wanted to go charging in, he knew that Rob was right. The two men hunkered down a little way from the shack\u2019s door and waited to see what would happen and who would appear. He saw a wisp of smoke coming from where the shack was. At least Sam was warm.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR<\/span>
\nAdam looked at his pocket watch. The one Sam had given him for a wedding present. He felt a lump in his throat. It was seven o\u2019clock, and the sun was beginning to shine through the clouds. His body had grown stiff and his patience had grown short. Rob looked uncomfortable also, but neither man moved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam nudged Rob. Here came Hawk and Gretchen, carrying a tray of something. Adam held his breath, hoping that he had covered the tracks well enough. Hawk stopped once, and Adam held his breath. The man and woman proceeded and were so close that Adam could have hit Hawk in the head with a well-aimed rock. The sound of the wood sliding away from the door was loud. Still, Rob didn\u2019t move and had placed a hand on Adam\u2019s arm to indicate that they should be motionless.<\/span><\/p>\n

What seemed like two hours was in fact only a few minutes when Rob whispered, \u201cNow!\u201d And the two men ran forward and threw open the shack\u2019s door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen screamed in surprise. Hawk didn\u2019t even have time to reach for his gun because Hoss had burst through the door and hit him so hard that Hawk went unconscious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam, who had been feigning sleep, looked at Adam in surprise. \u201cIt\u2019s about time you got here!\u201d she said and then burst into tears. And then she was in her husband\u2019s strong arms, hearing him talk to her soothingly, rocking her back and forth gently, kissing her hair and her wet cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re under arrest!\u201d hollered Roy as he pointed his gun at Gretchen and at Hawk, who was now regaining consciousness. \u201cTie him up, Hoss. Let\u2019s go to the house and get Ilsa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you walk?\u201d Adam asked Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Sam replied, tears still streaming down her cheeks. \u201cBut you\u2019ll have to help me. This baby of yours is just so heavy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa was looking out the back window when she saw the group heading toward her house. She ran out the front door and headed for the barn. But Ben popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabbed her. She was a strong woman, but she was no match for Ben\u2019s strength. Into the house they went, followed by Little Joe and the other members of the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re under arrest too!\u201d Roy intoned as he looked at Ilsa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, for what, may I ask?\u201d Ilsa was playing a game of innocence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor kidnapping,\u201d Roy answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKidnapping? I never kidnapped anybody in my life. Hawk is the one who should be under arrest for that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can add aiding and abetting a fugitive. Hawk broke out of prison and you didn\u2019t report him,\u201d Roy said with a slight grin. He was enjoying this. \u201cYou gave an escaped prisoner food and shelter. You knew about Sam being held captive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen, eager to try to get herself out of trouble, piped up. \u201cShe made me do it! I didn\u2019t want to do it! Mama and Hawk cooked up the whole plan. I took food out to the shack. And milk, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut up!\u201d Hawk growled. \u201cI came to you looking for a place to hide. You and your ma cooked up the kidnapping plan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d Roy grinned. \u201cNow you all are guilty. And I\u2019m sure I can find other charges that will stick. Hoss, Joe, Ben? You three come with me. We\u2019ll take the buckboard in the barn. Adam, you take Sam and ride with Doc Martin. Ted and Rob, take Adam\u2019s buggy home. I\u2019ll talk with you later. Now let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE<\/span>
\nSam, Adam and Doc talked all the way back to The Pines. Sam appeared to be in very good physical condition and she talked coherently, though she clung tightly to Adam. That was understandable \u2013 she had been through a terrible experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing and Susan both had watched over Friedhelm as he recovered from his fainting spell. He was just tired and needed some food, and then he slept on the sofa as the Chinese cook and the Cherokee\/black woman kept vigil at the window. Sam looked tired as she hugged them both, and Susan ran to heat water for Sam\u2019s much-needed bath. Doc drank a large mug of coffee \u2013 he would examine Sam later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam stood like a child when Adam removed her clothes and helped her into the bathtub. Tenderly, he used the lavender soap to scrub Sam\u2019s body, smiling as he watched their child roll and kick beneath Sam\u2019s belly. Sam actually laughed as Adam poked at her belly-button, a familiar and fun game that Adam loved to play. Sam began to visibly relax as the scent of lavender wafted into her nostrils.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew you would find me,\u201d Sam said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Adam\u2019s soapy hands on her body. \u201cBut I got worried as the days went by\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHush, love,\u201d Adam whispered. \u201cJust relax. You\u2019re home now. You\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, dressed in Adam\u2019s robe, Sam emerged into the dining room. Hop Sing had cooked an enormous breakfast while Susan had gone to the bunkhouse to talk to Rob. She needed to hold him and make sure that he was all right also. And the ranch hands needed to be fed. Friedhelm had already been examined by Doc and was found to be as healthy as a stroke victim could be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t want for Sam to have to give details about what had happened, but Sam wanted to talk. Needed to talk. And she did, holding everybody spellbound with each word. She told the story from beginning to end and left out nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc examined her after breakfast and pronounced her and the baby to be quite fit. She had been fed well and had no outward or inward physical signs of trauma. All she needed was some sleep but she wouldn\u2019t close her eyes until Adam came to the bedroom and snuggled against her. Her eyes closed immediately as she felt Adam\u2019s hand against her belly. She was home.<\/span><\/p>\n

She never heard the rest of the Cartwrights arrive; she never heard them eating breakfast; she never heard her story being repeated. She would find out later that, had Friedhelm not appeared, had Rob not been able to find her, Susan had \u201cseen\u201d where she was in one of those \u201cstrange dreams\u201d that Susan was prone to having.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben reported that Hawk, Ilsa and Gretchen were behind bars. Hawk had been shackled to a steel ring in the floor of one of the cells. Ilsa refused to talk, and Gretchen was wailing loudly when Ben left Roy\u2019s office. Judge Coleman had been summoned, and there would be a jury trial in a few days. Although Gretchen wasn\u2019t well thought of, her parents had made many friends. Judge Coleman stated that he believed an impartial jury could be found if any of the three prisoners pleaded \u201cnot guilty.\u201d And he didn\u2019t see how that was possible because they all had been caught red-handed.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX<\/span>
\nJudge Coleman was astounded when all three prisoners entered a plea of \u201cNot Guilty.\u201d Ilsa and Gretchen said that they were afraid of Hawk and what he might do to Friedhelm if they didn\u2019t follow his instructions. They did their best to keep Sam well-fed and warm. Gretchen lied and said, had Sam\u2019s baby been born, she would have seen that the infant was returned to Adam and that she would have told that Hawk had taken Sam to Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ilsa lied and pleaded ignorance. Hawk said that Ilsa had blackmailed him, threatening to turn him over to Sheriff Coffee if he didn\u2019t do what she said to do. It was a foregone conclusion that Hawk would go back to jail, no matter what he had or hadn\u2019t done. He had escaped from Reno and was a fugitive from the law. But Judge Coleman wanted to add extra charges, so he took the bench and oversaw jury selection. Which didn\u2019t take long. He found that an impartial jury could be found in Virginia City.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN<\/span>
\nUntil the day of the trial, Sam hadn\u2019t left the house. And neither had Adam. Sam appeared to be mentally sound during the day but at night she tossed and turned and moaned in her sleep. She would cling to Adam, realize she was safe, and then fall asleep again. She was improving, but now she would have to take the stand and re-live the whole mess. Adam was worried. Sam didn\u2019t seem to be. She was incensed that Ilsa and Gretchen were such liars, even if they were mentally unstable. She wouldn\u2019t, as the victim, be allowed to testify as to their mental condition, and there was no time to have then evaluated by anyone else. \u201cIt is what it is,\u201d she told Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

The formal charges against Hawk were: escaping from prison, premeditated kidnapping, holding a taking and holding a hostage against her will, and aiding in the commission of felony kidnapping. Ilsa and Gretchen were charged with aiding and abetting a criminal, failure to report a felon, giving aid and comfort to the felon, premeditated kidnapping, and holding a hostage against her will. Judge Coleman told Roy he would add any other charges that he could think of so that there would be no way for any of the accused to be acquitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The trial took only two days \u2013 mostly because Sheriff Coffee had used his head when he had captured both Hawk and Gretchen. Ilsa\u2019s attempted flight didn\u2019t bode well for her. And Sam\u2019s testimony, from the incident with the stage coach forward to the present time, put Ilsa and Gretchen in a bad light. Some of that story \u2013 the stage coach incident \u2013 shouldn\u2019t have been allowed, but Judge Coleman allowed it anyway. Lori, Delores and Mindy took the stand, testifying to both Ilsa and Gretchen\u2019s erratic behavior and threats.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawk had little to say. He knew he would be going back to jail anyway. But Ilsa and Gretchen\u2019s own words condemned them. And the pair screamed and acted like lunatics, which didn\u2019t help either.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the jurors returned their verdicts, the three prisoners were found guilty of all charges. Hawk would be sent to a maximum-security prison in Indiana. Judge Coleman deliberately didn\u2019t want to have Hawk hanged \u2013 he thought that was too easy and he wanted Hawk to spend the rest of his life thinking about what he had done. Ilsa and Gretchen would be sent to Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation and, pending the outcome of that evaluation, would be sent either to the Michigan Asylum or to jail to serve life sentences. All three prisoners would be heavily guarded on their journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT<\/span>
\nSam\u2019s relief was immediately obvious when the prisoners were taken on their way eastward. Her whole appearance returned to its previous serenity, and she no longer moaned and tossed in her sleep. Ted had taken Friedhelm back to the Werner ranch and was now the foreman. There was a very attractive live-in nurse to take care of Friedhelm. Things had finally fallen into place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam wanted to do something fun with the family in celebration before the arrival of the baby, so she decided to have the Cartwrights and Hop Sing come to The Pines for a huge supper. And she considered Susan and Rob \u201cfamily,\u201d so they were invited also.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was sent for a wagonload of supplies, and Sam and Susan began preparing what they could ahead of time. The next day was spent cooking pork roast, beef, and chicken that could be warmed up before supper was served. Casseroles were made from the garden vegetables. There would be a large platter of winter melons with a poppy-seed dressing. Sam was satisfied.<\/span><\/p>\n

She was taken completely by surprise when her first contraction hit. She sat down in a chair until the pain passed. She waited. The next contraction hit an hour later. Okay, the pains are very far apart. This could be false labor. Or it could be due to the fact that I\u2019ve been on my feet too much. I\u2019ll just take it easy. But I\u2019ll pay attention to the times between pains. But, just in case this baby decides to come, I\u2019ll get out sheets and towels and any other stuff I need. And I won\u2019t tell Susan.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE<\/span>
\nThe wind was howling and the snow was falling in near-blinding conditions when Ben, Hoss, Little Joe, and Hop Sing arrived. But Adam had built his house well, and the fire in the fireplace kept the room warm and cozy. There were joyous greetings as the men entered the house, and the aromas of food cooking and warming permeated the air. Hop Sing, who had been instructed to not cook, giggled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing no cook tonight. Missie Sam and Missie Susan do alla work and Hop Sing just eat and enjoy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam pretended to laugh hard enough to sit down on the arm of a chair. That was the biggest contraction yet! Susan noticed but said nothing. She had water heating in the side of the stove, just in case.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a small chat, the family sat down at the table. Rob had quickly put together another table to be added to the first one to accommodate both guests and food. Proudly, Sam and Susan had set out the platters, plates, glasses and eating utensils. Ben returned thanks to the Lord for the bounteous meal and asked again for God\u2019s protection for everyone present. The wind rattled the windows but nobody cared. The horses were in the barn, the house held the people inside safely. And it was time to eat!<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTY<\/span>
\nSam knew, through supper, that her contractions were more frequent, but she clenched her jaw. Adam even noticed that something was just not quite \u201cright\u201d about his wife, but Sam blamed everything on the baby\u2019s kicking her too hard. Susan knew better.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time passed quickly, and soon everyone could eat no more. Sam and Susan rose to clear the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam stood in the middle of the dining room. \u201cUh-oh,\u201d she said, her brow furrowed.<\/span><\/p>\n

All eyes turned to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, damn!\u201d Sam said. \u201cMy water just broke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure enough, she was standing in a wet puddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, go get Doc Martin! And hurry!\u201d Adam snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe grabbed his hat and coat and opened the front door. Snow was already piled up at the door at least two feet high and the snow was coming down so fast that the visibility was nil.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben spoke. \u201cLittle Joe can\u2019t go out in that blizzard, Adam. Even if he could, Doc might not be able to get here at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan\u2019s voice was calm but authoritative. \u201cWe can have this baby without Doc. I\u2019ve helped many babies into the world. Mister Hoss, there be hot water in the side of the stove. Get it please and bring it upstairs. Mister Adam, take Sam up to the bedroom and get her into something other than what she\u2019s wearing. Something warm and loose. Mister Ben, please look in the drawer of the china cabinet and get some scissors. There be a bottle of alcohol in the cupboard. Put the scissors in a bowl and pour the alcohol over the blades and then bring the bowl and scissors upstairs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got clean sheets and towels and string upstairs already,\u201d Sam said over Adam\u2019s shoulder as he carried her to the bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you do. You\u2019ve been in labor for well over a day now,\u201d Susan grinned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d Little Joe asked, looking at Hop Sing and Rob.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo what all men do. Pace the floor, drink coffee and wait,\u201d Susan laughed as she headed up the stairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing scurried to the kitchen. He would make the coffee. Rob and Little Joe sat down and looked at each other helplessly.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was getting Sam undressed but the contractions were coming fast. With Susan\u2019s help, Sam finally was in a flannel nightgown. Adam headed back downstairs, hearing a low growl of pain from Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

His face was a picture of worry and fright. \u201cWhat if something happens that Susan can\u2019t handle. What if something goes wrong and Sam bleeds to death? What if she dies? Or if the baby dies?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben put his arm around Adam\u2019s shoulders. \u201cSam will be fine. Your baby will be fine. You\u2019re going through what every father goes through at a time like this. But, if you\u2019re so inclined, say a silent prayer. It\u2019ll make you feel like you\u2019re doing something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sighed, sat and then stood up and paced every time he heard Sam\u2019s muffled cries. Hoss jumped and paced and then sat back down again. Little Joe and Rob tried to play cribbage but couldn\u2019t count their points correctly. Hop Sing kept coffee mugs filled and muttered to himself in Chinese.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweat had popped out on Sam\u2019s face. She had promised herself that she would not be a crier or a screamer, that she would be stoic, and that she would just pop that baby right out. So much for being brave. I didn\u2019t know this would be so painful.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like for Mister Adam to come upstairs and hold your hand?\u201d Susan asked with a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs that proper?\u201d Sam groaned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan snorted. \u201cThis is his baby too. Birth be God\u2019s miracle. One day, every father will watch as this miracle takes place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet him!\u201d Sam screeched.<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan walked to the top of the stairs. \u201cMister Adam, Sam wants you to be part of this miracle. Can you come up here, please?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam leaped up the stairs. \u201cNothing\u2019s wrong, is there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan smiled and shook her head. \u201cEverythin\u2019 be jest fine. She jest want to hold your hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sat gingerly on the bed beside Sam. Her face was wet with sweat and tears or both. He wiped her face with a towel and kissed her forehead. She grabbed his hand and held it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I\u2019m not as brave as I thought,\u201d Sam said as a tear trickled out of the corner of one eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou be doin\u2019 jest fine, Miz Sam,\u201d Susan soothed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d said a speechless Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pain wracked Sam\u2019s body and her hand snaked out, grabbing Adam around his neck and pulling his face close to hers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou. Did. This. To. Me!\u201d she shrieked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam, of course, said the wrong thing. \u201cI think you helped a little.\u201d Adam was fearful that Sam might bite off his nose and tried to pull his head back. Sam was incredibly strong and he couldn\u2019t move.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet. It. Out!\u201d Sam snarled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiz Sam, when I tells you to, you push real hard until I says to stop,\u201d Susan said as she propped her arms on the mattress.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a few seconds, Susan told Sam to push. And Sam pushed as hard as she could until Susan told her to stop. I\u2019ll never have another baby! This pain just isn\u2019t worth it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan didn\u2019t have to tell her to push again. Sam\u2019s body just reacted naturally. Susan crowed with delight. \u201cMister Adam, look at your son\u2019s face!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam pulled away from Sam\u2019s grip on his neck. He saw a very red, very small red face with a head full of black hair. He felt a lump in his throat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSam, I can see a face and black hair!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For a moment, Sam forgot about the pain. \u201cYou can?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She pushed again. And the pain went away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMister Adam, come here with them scissors and cut this cord,\u201d Susan said quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam jumped and brought the scissors. Susan had tied off two places and indicated where he should cut. But the baby wasn\u2019t crying. He cut anyway. Susan seemed so calm.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then Susan whacked the baby smartly on its tiny little feet and there was a feeble cry at first and then a loud scream of anger from this wrinkled being.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet a towel,\u201d Susan instructed. \u201cAnd hold your son. He be mighty mad at me right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had held babies before. He had held Hoss, who was twice this size, and he had held Little Joe. But this was his baby! His son! And he wept unashamedly as he put his son into his wife\u2019s arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, rub him good and keep him cryin\u2019,\u201d Susan laughed through her own tears. She headed to the top of the stairs and hollered down to the sea of men\u2019s faces below. \u201cIt\u2019s a fine, healthy, angry little boy!\u201d As an afterthought, she added, \u201cBut we knew it was gonna be a boy from the start, didn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan we see him?\u201d A chorus of delighted, tearful faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive me a few minutes. I\u2019ll call you when he be ready.\u201d And Susan disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had one arm around Sam and the other around Sam\u2019s arm that was cradling the baby who had stopped crying and was looking through as-yet unfocused eyes. Sam and Adam were both crying.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Benjamin Cartwright,\u201d Sam whispered. And Adam didn\u2019t argue. The newest Cartwright yawned as though bored.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMister Adam, why don\u2019t you take your son downstairs and show him off for a few minutes. I need to get some things done here.\u201d This was not a request from Susan. It was a subtle command.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carefully and very slowly, Adam descended the stairs. Ben met him at the last step. \u201cTake a look at your grandson,\u201d Adam said proudly. \u201cAdam Benjamin Cartwright.\u201d And then he handed the bundle into Ben\u2019s waiting arms. Ben wept as he automatically began to gently rock the infant. \u201cHe looks just like you did when you were born,\u201d Ben said as he looked at his eldest son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben turned to face the other men in the room. Hoss approached, almost tip-toeing, his eyes brimming. He put out one meaty finger and touched his nephew\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t poke at him!\u201d Little Joe said as he pushed Hoss aside. \u201cYou\u2019ll make him cry!\u201d<\/span>
\nBut Little Joe had to touch too. He grinned. He couldn\u2019t speak \u2013 the lump in his throat was too big.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing came next and said something quietly in Chinese. \u201cOld Chinee blessing,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob looked next. \u201cThat be a fine-looking son you have, Mister Adam. Yep. He be just fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben handed his grandson back to Adam. Adam Benjamin Cartwright looked at his father and immediately wet through the towel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everybody laughed. \u201cWelcome to fatherhood, Adam,\u201d Ben grinned.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE<\/span><\/p>\n

The blizzard lasted for two days. Nobody could go away from the house or come to it. But Sam didn\u2019t mind. She had Adam, Ben, Hoss, Little Joe, Hop Sing, Susan, Rob, and the ranch hands if she needed anything. Susan continued to cook for the ranch hands; Hop Sing took over the cooking for Adam and family. The house was spotless all the time. Sam was treated like a princess and she felt like one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was entranced as he watched his son nurse. He loved his son\u2019s little hungry sounds, loved to see his little hands open and close, loved to watch his little legs kick when he was really hungry. Which seemed to be all the time. Sam laughed as she held the baby to her breast. \u201cHe must be a pig. He eats like one!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was overwhelmed by love and a feeling of protectiveness as he watched mother and child. He was a little sad, too, when he realized that his father had loved his mother this much and then lost her. And had then lost two more wives whom he dearly loved. He couldn\u2019t imagine ever losing Sam or his newborn son. He didn\u2019t think he could bear the grief, and he had even more respect for his father now.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Ben who taught Sam the art of diapering a baby boy \u2013 but only after Sam had gotten \u201csprayed\u201d in the face. When Ben stopped laughing, he told her to make sure that the baby\u2019s \u201cwaterworks\u201d were covered. Adam leaned against the wall and grinned. He had failed to warn Sam about this particular problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

For three days, Adam\u2019s brothers \u2013 and Hop Sing \u2013 argued over who would hold this child and when and for how long. Little Joe was afraid that Hoss would squish the child, and Hoss was afraid that his younger brother would drop him. Hop Sing held him and chanted Chinese songs to him. Both Susan and Rob sang Cherokee lullabies to him. But the tiny boy responded to Ben the best. Perhaps it was because of Ben\u2019s deep voice and the vibrations it caused, but Ben could soothe the child just by talking to him and holding him against his chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only one time did Sam hear anyone call the new baby \u201cLittle Adam.\u201d It was what Sam had feared the most because she knew how Joe hated being called \u201cLittle Joe.\u201d The name, he had told her, was okay when he was young, but he couldn\u2019t shake the name now that he was grown. Gently, Sam said that the baby\u2019s name was \u201cAdam.\u201d But it was Ben who had started calling the infant \u201cYoung\u201d \u2013 short for \u201cYoung Adam.\u201d Sam laughed at first, but the name grew on her. It grew on everybody. At some time in the child\u2019s growing-up years, he could choose what he\u2019d rather be called, but \u201cYoung\u201d seemed to stick for the time being. Yes, it was a rather odd nickname for a child, but he wouldn\u2019t always be small. Susan and Rob gave him a Cherokee name which was too complicated to pronounce but meant \u201cMan of the Great Pines,\u201d referring to the huge Ponderosa pines that surrounded both Ben\u2019s house and Adam\u2019s house.<\/span><\/p>\n

At night, Sam snuggled with Adam as she nursed Young. And when he was full, Adam would hold him and sing to him, watching his son\u2019s eyes as they grew heavy-lidded and then closed. It was Adam who would get up in the night if he heard the slightest cry; he would see if a diaper needed changing or decide if a tummy might be hungry. Adam played with tiny hands and tiny feet and gently tickled tiny ribs. Adam was completely besotted with this miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR<\/span><\/p>\n

The fourth morning dawned bright and clear and, at breakfast, Ben announced that it was time for him and his group to go home. He knew that Sam and Adam needed their privacy, and he, frankly, was anxious to get home and sleep in his own bed! The ranch hands were working on clearing snow from around the house and on the trail that led to the main road; Hoss knew all the backroads that would be passable on horseback.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Sam and Adam were truly sorry to see everybody leave. But the blizzard had forced everybody to stay \u2013 and to fill the house with love and laughter. Ben held his grandson and rocked him gently, Young\u2019s eyes staring into Ben\u2019s. There would always be a special bond between the two, one that would never be broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam stayed in the house as Adam walked outside with his family. As Ben got ready to put his foot in the stirrup, Adam stopped him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you know how you always told us that angels were around us but that we just couldn\u2019t see them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cIt gave all of you comfort when you needed it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve discovered that I can see angels. My angels are standing at the window watching us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked at the window and saw Sam and Young standing there, Sam waving her hand and waving Young\u2019s tiny hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben embraced his son and then climbed into the saddle. \u201cYou\u2019re right. Those are your very own angels, and you can see them every day for the rest of your life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As he reached the end of the road, Ben looked back \u2013 Sam and Adam and Ben\u2019s grandson were still waving. Ben swallowed hard and then headed for home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say to Pop?\u201d Sam asked. \u201cHe had a most peculiar look on his face.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I told him that angels be seen. I\u2019m looking at my angels right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

END<\/span><\/p>\n

Next in the Adam & Sam Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bringing up Babies<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Adam and Sam’s marriage and living on Adam’s ranch – “The Pines.” Everything is perfect with the new couple. But there is a plot to destroy this relationship, and Sam finds her very life in peril once again.<\/p>\n

Rated T (34,455 words)<\/p>\n

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But Adam is involved with another woman. Sam's life is in danger, but who is the culprit? Rated T (53,215 words) Adam and Sam series, links to all the stories\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1180,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1180","url_meta":{"origin":1149,"position":1},"title":"Adam’s Journey of Memories (by acspeej)","author":"acspeej","date":"March 9, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0After being thrown by a wild mustang, Adam suffers total amnesia. A specialist from San Francisco is summoned - and the specialist turns out to be a sassy, out-spoken but empathetic young woman. 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