{"id":12919,"date":"2001-12-12T08:03:52","date_gmt":"2001-12-12T13:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12919"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:05:10","slug":"a-bed-for-the-night-by-jenny-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12919","title":{"rendered":"A Bed for the Night (by Jenny G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong>\u00a0 All Adam wanted to find was a bed for the night for his father.\u00a0 And gets a whole lot more in the bargain.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 R (for mature readers only)\u00a0 (13,350 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Bed for the Night<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jenny Guttridge<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Painter\u2019s Point was not really worthy of the epithet \u2018town\u2019 that Adam had so freely bestowed upon it. It consisted of a single dirt street, drying fast now after the earlier rain, but still showing deep puddles in the wheel ruts: elongated mirror-bright pools that shone silver in the gradually re-emerging starlight. The street itself, typically, was wide enough for two wagons to pass one another with plenty of room to spare. It was lined on either side by eight or ten false fronted shanties, each with the customary covered boardwalk and hitching rail out front and narrow, lightless alleyways in between. It could have been any street in any small town in the west. Exactly what each of the buildings might be was hard to tell in the dark. Their painted signs were dingy and for the most part, swathed in the deepest shadow. Few lights showed at any of the windows although it was not yet late. Straining to see the ivory dial of his pocket watch, Ben Cartwright made it out to be not quite nine o\u2019clock.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was true that the saloon, mid-way along the street on the right hand side, was doing a roaring trade. Light spilled from its half-painted windows, and men came and went at a steady pace through the bat-wing doors. All the signs of raucous merry-making were clearly evident from half a block away. Ben walked his horse slowly along the street towards it in the wake of his son\u2019s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben was in a sour mood. He had ridden a long way to attend a sale of bankrupt stock, only to find when he arrived that both the teams of fine mules that he had intended to bid for had been withdrawn and sold privately. On reflection, he had decided it had been a mistake to travel all that way without something more than a sale flyer as an invitation. Disgruntled, and finding nothing else among the sale goods to interest him, he had started out early for home. He had thought that, with luck, they could reach Kingdom Jones\u2019s freight depot outside of Sparks before nightfall, spend the evening jawing with Jones and push on for home first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They would have made it too, if Adam\u2019s horse hadn\u2019t thrown a shoe and necessitated a stopover at a homesteader\u2019s farm so that the boy could use the forge. And, of course, hospitality had dictated that they be offered a meal and a bed in the barn for the night. That, Ben figured, was where he had made two more mistakes. He should have either declined the meal, which, although good and wholesome, was obviously a strain on the family\u2019s resources, had taken a while to prepare and more time still to consume with grace, or he should have accepted the bed. The afternoon had already been slipping away when they left the farm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then a sudden storm had boiled down out of the hills. The brief, but torrential downpour had not only gone a goodly way to soaking both men through; it had swelled the river to flash-flood proportions in half an hour flat and made a long detour unavoidable. So it was that they came to be in Painter\u2019s Point, miles from anywhere marked on a map, tired, hungry despite the farmer\u2019s generosity, cold and, in Ben\u2019s case at least, still very damp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright, Ben\u2019s eldest son and at present no more than a dark figure aboard the horse in front, rode straight on past the saloon. Ben was glad of it. He had been afraid that the boy was heading for the bar and a drink. Himself, he was in no mood for the push and shove of the barroom, the noise, or the animal heat generated by men\u2019s massed bodies. Right now he was looking forward to supper in congenial surroundings, a good wash down with hot water if not an actual bath, and a soft, feather bed for the night.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few yards further along Adam pulled his horse to a halt in the middle of the street and waited for his father to come up alongside. Ben allowed his buckskin to drift to a halt and cast an irritated glance at his son\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then he looked again, harder, to read the expression. Adam was sitting bolt upright and well forward in his saddle. His hands, holding the reins of his horse, were high, and his mouth was open. The look on his regular, darkly handsome face, shadowed now with a day\u2019s growth of beard and a goodly layer of trail dirt, was one of considerable bemusement. Ben\u2019s dark eyes turned to follow his son\u2019s gaze: to look where he was looking and to see what he saw. The source of Adam\u2019s fascination was a building on the left of the street, across the way from the saloon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a large, dark structure with a high and ornately carved fa\u00e7ade. There was no light showing at any of the windows – not even a glimmer. Ben frowned and looked closer. Come to think of it, the windows didn\u2019t even reflect the lights of the saloon. There was no glass in them at all, not a shard.\u00a0 The woodwork all around the window frames was scorched and blackened. Looking further back, behind the false frontage, Ben could see that the building itself was no more than a shell, a skeleton of charred timber without a trace of a roof left on it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben sat back in the saddle. \u201cI suppose,\u201d he said with heavy irony,\u00a0 \u201cthat used to be the hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam knew from the tone that his father was neither pleased nor amused. Setting his teeth together, edge to edge, he pushed his hat to the back on his head and clasped his hands together on the horn of his saddle. \u201cYep.\u201d He stretched out his arms and then his back. He had spent a very long day in the saddle, and he was as stiff and as sore, if not quite so wet, as his father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t imagine for a moment,\u201d Ben remarked, \u201cthat there is another hotel in town?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam chewed the inside of his lip. \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben favoured him with a glare that Adam carefully avoided by studying the burned out hotel some more. \u201cWe could have made camp back by the river,\u201d Ben said pointedly. \u201cIt would have been out of the wind, and there was wood for a fire.\u201d He didn\u2019t add that if they had left their river crossing until morning, his gelding might not have stumbled in the current and doused him in the icy water. He figured that by now Adam just might have got that much through his head. The boy could be quite bright at times. \u201cIt was your idea to come here.\u201d His rich voice was loaded with sarcasm. \u201cSo where do you suggest we sleep tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sucked a long breath through his teeth. He refrained carefully from pointing out that it had been at his father\u2019s insistence that they had pushed on towards Sparks. By now, they could already be bedded down in the warm straw of the farmer\u2019s barn. Better yet, Ben could have been chewing fat with the farmer, and he could have been sparking with the farmer\u2019s undeniably pretty daughter. She had winked and smiled at him and swung her hips as she walked away. Adam would kind of liked to have stayed a while\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He let the breath go in a long sigh. \u201cHeck, Pa, the hotel was here four weeks ago when I rode through. It even had a fancy chandelier in the dining room and a coach house around the back.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The two men sat in their saddles and regarded the blackened husk of a building a few moments longer, as if looking at it might change something for the better. It was painfully apparent that there was no longer a chandelier, a dining room for it to hang in, nor a coach house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam turned in his saddle and looked at the saloon. Ben saw the gleam of speculation appear in his son\u2019s eyes. \u201cOh, no! I\u2019m not sleeping in any saloon!\u201d Ben was well aware of the practice of letting homeless men sleep in the barroom over night for the price of a quarter. Usually they were bums who had drunk themselves into a near stupor and were used to spending the night with their faces in a puddle of drink. They were thrown out in the morning so that the place could be cleaned up. Ben wasn\u2019t the least bit interested in sharing even a makeshift bedroom with them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey might have a room in the back,\u201d Adam suggested mildly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben harrumphed in a tone that brooked no argument. \u201cI\u2019m not sleeping in a saloon!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa.\u201d Adam quashed the sigh of exasperation that came unbidden to his lips, but he couldn\u2019t quite keep the tone of it out of his voice. \u201cLet\u2019s tie up over there. You can have a beer, an\u2019 I\u2019ll go see if I can find us a room.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There didn\u2019t seem to be a whole lot of choice. Ben reined his horse round and rode over to the hitching rail outside the saloon. Adam sat a few seconds more glaring at the hotel as if it were to blame for all his immediate problems \u2013 which, in a way, it was \u2013 lifted his eyes to the sky in a moment\u2019s silent salutation and followed along behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben stepped down and stretched the kinks out of his back. More than ever he felt the need of that bath and that bed. Horses were already standing hip to hip along the rail, an indication of the crush inside. Ben scowled. He wasn\u2019t going to enjoy this one little bit. He stomped across the boardwalk and paused with his hand on the batwing door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The heat and the humidity, the light, the colours, the stench of beer and spirits, of men\u2019s sweat and woman\u2019s cheap perfume, and the vibrant noise, piano music, shouting, swearing and singing hit him full in the face. Adam got a look that told him that he was being held personally responsible for the predicament that they were in. Ben pushed his way inside.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Painter\u2019s Point was the centre of a widespread, loose-knit community of small, hard pressed businesses: dirt farms like the place they had stopped at to shoe Adam\u2019s horse, small scrub-brush ranches, shallow-vein mines and stone-crofts quarrying the outcroppings of soft yellow stone. Folk generally were hard-pressed to make ends meet, and what little money a man had in his pocket at the end of the day tended to be spent in the saloon. All local life was there. There were cowhands and farmers, maintaining a traditional uneasy truce, miners, pig farmers, shepherds and goat herders, the latter maintaining their stock on the scrub at the very edge of the desert. None of them liked each other much. Mostly they rubbed along together in the usual, good-natured way of the west.\u00a0 Fights were only occasional and real conflict, rare.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Men stood two deep at the bar. Ben pushed his way through and put some small coins down on the counter, signalling for a couple of beers. He was still scowling. Yelling to make himself heard in a crowded saloon was not the way he had planned to spend his evening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam drank down most of his beer in quick gulps. He was well aware that his father\u2019s patience was wearing thin, and if he didn\u2019t get outside of the beverage at once then he was unlikely to get a second chance at it. Sure enough, Ben\u2019s dark eyes soon turned in his direction.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know this town,\u201d Ben used the word for want of a better one although he had serious misgivings about its appropriateness.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be a boarding house somewhere. We can rent a room\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Resigned, Adam put his slightly less than half full glass back on the bar. He held up his hands in a placating gesture. The last thing he wanted was a stand-up, toe to toe shouting match with his father in the middle of the saloon, though the Lord knew the old man was spoiling for one. \u201cYou stay right here Pa. Have another beer and a bite to eat. I\u2019ll go and find some place for us to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Outside on the boardwalk Adam took a long steadying breath and forced himself to calm down. After the hot and foetid atmosphere of the saloon, the night air was cool and still somewhat damp. In a way it was good to get away from his father for a bit. This trip, the two of them just seemed to be rubbing on each other\u2019s nerves.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The last tatters of the storm clouds had drifted away towards the southeast. They left behind a sky that was moonless, deep velvet-black and spangled with shimmering stars. The heat of the earth was leeching away into the clear sky, and Adam\u2019s breath was misting in front of his face. Before morning, the puddles in the wheel ruts would be thickly crusted with ice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shrugging further into his coat, Adam mounted his horse and rode back to the beginning of town. Memory served him correctly, and he soon found the one house with a hand-printed card in the front window. It was too dark to read, but Adam knew it proclaimed the words \u2018Boarding House\u2019 in bold black lettering. It was a neatly kept house, deceptively small, built of shaved timber boards on a wooden frame. Once, in the not too distant past, it had been painted white. Lamplight showed through red window curtains, and a storm lantern hung beneath the porch awning, not far from the door. The lantern\u2019s flame was turned very low; it gave just enough light for Adam to see the steps that could trip him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He tapped on the door and waited. He tapped again. Eventually the door opened. The woman who peered out was small of stature, stern-faced and grey haired; the hair was wound into a neat bun behind her head, and she wore steel rimmed spectacles on the bridge of her nose. Adam touched his hat to her. \u201c\u2019Evenin\u2019 Ma\u2019am. I see from your sign, you let rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From behind the spectacles sharp grey eyes swept over him, top to toe and back up again. Elise Haddon didn\u2019t much like what she saw. The man was a stranger, tall and powerful, with wide shoulders underneath his coat and a broad, deep chest. Early thirties, she guessed. He looked like he\u2019d been on the trail for a while. His clothes, shirt and pants both black beneath the mustard coloured coat, were liberally coated in caked dust and mud. His face, hard to see in the light of the lantern, looked pleasant enough but unshaven, swarthy in a day\u2019s growth of beard. The unsteady illumination cast sharp shadows across cheek and jawline. Certainly he was not her usual sort of boarder; she catered for decent folks, mostly retired. Not at all sure she wanted this dark and dishevelled cowboy under her roof, she gave her head a shake.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have any rooms available right at present.\u201d It was almost true. There was only the box room in the back with its one narrow bed and its outlook over the woodshed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam exhaled a long held breath. \u201cAre you sure you can\u2019t help me, Ma\u2019am? It\u2019s just for one night. There are two of us, my father and myself.\u00a0 We\u2019d be prepared to share.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was a slight tone of pleading in his voice that made Mrs. Haddon hesitate, but that little box-room was much too small for two, even if the younger one slept on the floor. Looking beyond him she could see no sign of the second man, only the bulk of a dark-coloured horse. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said firmly, \u201cAll my rooms are taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sighed again and looked over his shoulder at the rest of the town. He suppressed a shiver \u2013 it was growing colder. \u201cThank you kindly for your time, Ma\u2019am. Could you tell me, is there somewhere else\u2026\u201d but the door had been firmly closed in his face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three or four other houses looked likely at that end of town. Adam duly tried them all, but in each case the result was the same. All except that at one door the man of the house, a giant with a black bushy beard, saw him off with a shotgun.\u00a0 Then Adam found that he\u2019d run out of street. He rode slowly back into town.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As has been said, Painter\u2019s Point was a very small town \u2013 but it had its civic pride. It boasted a sheriff all of its own, with an office and a painted sign. No one quite knew exactly how old \u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 was. He had been around the town since before there was any town at all. When the job of sheriff came up, he just naturally upped and took it. Now he was a permanent installation in that office. In truth, \u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 was a whole lot older than anyone would have guessed – way past the age when most other folk would have retired to a rocker on the porch, if not a bath-chair beside the fire. He held the job down because the office was a warm place to hang out, and because it gave him a good excuse not to go home to his wife \u2018til late at night. Mrs. George was just as old as her husband was; she had a tongue as sharp as a razor and a temper hotter than hell.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 sat comfortably behind the big sheriff\u2019s desk with its battered, boot-scarred top and its impressive collection of old posters and paperwork, a scatter of empty coffee cups and the remains of his lunch. He looked thoughtfully at Adam from beneath bushy brows, once black, now grey, almost white. His eyes, though faded, were still bright and keenly alert. There weren\u2019t many that could put something over on \u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate what you\u2019re sayin\u2019, Mister Cartwright, I surely do. But I don\u2019t rightly see that I c\u2019n do anythin\u2019 ta help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI just need a place for my father to sleep.\u201d By now, Adam had given up thinking about himself; he would be quite content to bed down alongside his horse in the damp and draughty stable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The elderly sheriff puffed out his cheeks. \u201cSince the hotel burned down, there ain\u2019t that many beds in town ta hire.\u201d To emphasise his point he gave a slow shake of his head. Then, \u201cYou tried down at Mrs. Haddon\u2019s boardin\u2019 house, ya say?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sighed. He had a feeling that, once again, he was getting absolutely nowhere. He set his teeth. \u201cI tried the boarding house. And I tried several other places as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAn\u2019 I guess ol\u2019 Eli Gant chased you off with that sawn-off scatter gun o\u2019 his?\u201d \u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 chuckled at the thought. Eli Gant and his unfriendliness towards strangers \u2013 towards most people really, was legendary around Painter\u2019s Point.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam leaned his hip on the desk and thought about his problem. There was no immediately apparent solution. He eyes shifted round the room: battered old furniture, cream painted walls, a pot-bellied stove belching heat, the whole lit by a couple of lanterns at least as old as the sheriff himself. His gaze slid sideways and settled on the single cell. His expression became speculative. At present the cell had no occupant, and the door stood open. It contained a single, crudely fashioned, wooden bedstead with a sacking mattress stuffed with either straw or horsehair – from where he stood Adam couldn\u2019t tell which – and a bucket in the corner. Not exactly luxurious accommodation to be sure, but\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 followed the direction of his look and shook his head again, this time, more forcefully. \u201cOh no, boy. I ain\u2019t takin\u2019 in no paying guests!\u201d It was a fact that\u00a0 \u2018Ol\u2019 George\u2019 was not used to having inmates in his only cell. Even the Saturday night rowdies usually ran for home when he fired off his antique, salt loaded shotgun. Painters Point was a peaceable little settlement, and that was about the entire scope of George\u2019s peacekeeping duties. He hadn\u2019t had anyone sleep in that cell for a good six months.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019d only be for the one night,\u201d said Adam, tentatively.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

George was firm, \u201cThe only way you or your Pa are gonna spend the night in that-thar cell is if you do somethin\u2019 ill-legal \u2013 like bustin\u2019 up the saloon.\u201d He pointed a blunt forefinger into Adam\u2019s face. \u201cAn\u2019 if ya do that I\u2019m gonna lock ya both up fer a week.\u201d His moustaches bristled. It might be an empty threat, but he figured this young fella wasn\u2019t about to know that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Holding up his hands in a gesture of self-defence Adam backed away. \u201cAll right! All right, there\u2019s no way we\u2019re gonna do anything like that!\u201d On reflection he could see that it was a silly idea anyway. He could imagine what his Pa would have to say about sleeping in a gaol cell; he doubted that he\u2019d live to hear the end of it! And as for the two of them being locked up together for a week with just one mattress and a bucket between them \u2013 it just didn\u2019t bear thinking about!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGlad ta hear it!\u201d The sheriff subsided back into his seat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Back on the boardwalk outside, Adam hook his thumbs onto the edge of his belt and leaned on the post for a bit while he considered. While he had not exactly told his father an untruth he had, sort of, misled him by omission. It was true that he had passed through Painter\u2019s Point a number of times in recent months, both on his father\u2019s business with Kingdom Jones, and on his own account. He had always contrived to stay overnight, but never at the hotel. Sure enough, he had breakfasted there in the pretentious dining room with its overly grand chandelier, but he hadn\u2019t slept in any of the rooms above. His nights had been spent elsewhere. Adam Cartwright was a fully mature, adult male, and as a single man he took his pleasure where he could find it. Nevertheless, he doubted that his father would approve of exactly where he had found a bed for the night. It occurred to him that there was just the one place where he might be able to ask a favour. A thoughtful look on his face, Adam untied his horse and stepped back into the saddle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The house was the only three-storey structure in town and stood last in line on the left-hand side of the street, just a little apart from the others. While not on anything like the scale of Miss Lucy\u2019s elegant establishment in Virginia City, where ten dollars would buy you a drink and nothing more, it was comfortable and clean, a place where a man might relax in pleasant company and, eventually, take his ease with the ladies of the house. Lamplight showed at the windows, not overly bright but warm and welcoming. Adam looped the reins of his horse around the porch post and pulled on the bell-pull beside the door. While he waited, he looked over the two other horses that stood hitched to the rail: a light-boned chestnut gelding and a big bay mare. Apparently, this evening, Beth Bedford\u2019s business was not prospering.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was not kept standing on the doorstep for long. The door opened almost at once, and Adam stepped into a dim, tastefully decorated hallway.\u00a0 It was a good deal warmer inside, he noted, than out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth Bedford, mistress of the house, took her hand from his arm, stood way back and looked at him. A smile played about perfectly formed, lightly painted lips. While Beth was not beautiful – though she might have been once \u2013 she was still a remarkably striking woman. She had high, sharp cheekbones and a pointed chin, a mass of carefully coiffured dark hair and a flawless, golden skin. She would own, if pushed, to forty years, though truth would add ten years more to that total.\u00a0 Her teeth were all her own and her slender figure kept in check by a tightly laced corset and a careful diet. She put her head on one side and her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled. \u201cAdam Cartwright!\u201d She was genuinely pleased to see him. She was too much a lady – and too much a businesswoman – to notice his dirty and dishevelled appearance. Two thirds of her clients were men straight out of the saddle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright was a good customer, not frequent but regular. He always had money, and the girls seemed to like him. They enjoyed his company more than that of most men they encountered, even vying with each other in a light-hearted way for the privilege of his attentions. Certainly he was tall, dark and handsome in the traditional way, and he had exquisite manners and grace. This evening, however, it appeared that his composure had entirely deserted him. Standing here in her hallway his shoulders were hunched, and he was fingering the brim of his hat. Beth had seen them all, the rough and the tough, the new and the old, and right now Adam looked, for all the world, as bashful and uncertain as a fifteen year old on his first visit, a dollar in his hand and his pants full of expectations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was doing his best to cover his confusion. He had a feeling that he might be making a terrible mistake. A woman sensitive to a man\u2019s every emotion, Beth put her hand back on his arm. She tried to steer him into the parlour; she thought that a drink might reassure him, help him relax. Adam was unwilling to go. He had to get it said, what he\u2019d come to say \u2013 ask what he\u2019d come here to ask.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he talked, keeping it brief, Beth\u2019s expression changed from the politely concerned, to the bemused, to the totally incredulous. \u201cI don\u2019t believe it,\u201d she said when he\u2019d done.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam twisted his hat around some more and managed to avoid shuffling his feet. \u201cAll I need, Beth, is a room for my father to sleep in,\u201d he concluded lamely. Behind him someone giggled. He was acutely aware that he had an audience. Ranged up the staircase from bottom to top were the working ladies of the house. They were listening and laughing and leaning on the ornate and highly polished balustrade, trying to catch his eye. It wasn\u2019t hard. They were as pretty a bunch of fillies as a man had ever seen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the top of the flight were Faith and Hope, a perfect pair of buxom blondes; sisters they claimed, and they were very alike. So much alike that they were able to take a cruel delight in confusing a man. The confusion could be pure pleasure. Adam had learned that they were easily told apart once dressed only in their chemise. They smiled and pouted and wiggled their fingers and brought a glaze to his eyes. Next on the stair was Maggie-May \u2013 not her real name, but the one that she chose. Much smaller and darker, she was the one with the sharp, sweet mouth and the cunningly clever fingers. She gave him a wink that made him smile despite himself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the lowest step, with an elegant arm draped across the newel-post, was the raven haired Jasmine, with her dusky, satin-smooth skin and her full, dark lips. A glance from her eyes was enough was enough to set any man smouldering with desire \u2013 and Adam was not immune. Two of the girls were missing. Adam recalled the two horses outside and guessed that they were already at work. He remembered his manners in the nick of time and made a little bow. \u201cLadies.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth took the moment of his distraction to wipe the grin off her face. \u201cAll you want is a room with a bed?\u201d She was still trying to get the idea straight in her mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pulling a long breath, Adam dragged his mind back to his immediate problem. \u201cThat\u2019s all. My Pa\u2019s had a long ride and a douse in the river. He needs a place to get a night\u2019s sleep, and since the hotel burned down\u2026\u201d He didn\u2019t add that Ben would have his hide if he had to bed down with the horses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The woman\u2019s bright eyes were still wide with amazement. \u201cAnd no other \u2013 services?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the staircase one of the girls, Hope, Adam believed, giggled again. He set his jaw and concentrated his attention on Beth\u2019s face. This was proving to be harder than he had ever imagined \u2013 if Pa hadn\u2019t taken that dip in the stream, he swore he wouldn\u2019t be doing it. He felt a flush starting around his coat collar and prayed it would not reach his ears. He had to get this resolved before he lost his composure entirely. \u201cJust the room and the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Business was business, Beth supposed, and tonight, trade was slow. She agreed with a vague, fluttering shrug. \u201cVery well. There\u2019s a room at the top of the stairs you can use.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still amazed, she watched him step to the door. He lingered, still fiddling with his hat. Then he turned to her again, uncertainty plain on his face. \u201cBeth, I wouldn\u2019t want my father to know\u2026\u201d His brown-eyed gaze flew to the staircase and back to her face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth\u2019s jaw dropped. Lord, the man would have her serving breakfast on trays next. She shook her head at him. In all her years she thought she\u2019d heard it all, but this was surely the most absurd thing ever. \u201cI\u2019ll see what I can do,\u201d she said helplessly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the time Adam got back to the saloon it was getting kind of late. At least the crowd had thinned out some, and he was able to belly up to the bar. He considered ordering a shot of rye to drive out the chill but decided against it when he caught the steely look in his father\u2019s eye. Ben had consumed two beers and a thick beef sandwich, not his usual supper fare, and it was lying heavily in his belly. His temper wasn\u2019t any sweeter, and he\u2019d seen enough of this saloon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd where have you been?\u201d he demanded without ceremony.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam breathed in very carefully through set teeth. There were times, he reflected, when just the pitch of his father\u2019s voice could make him feel about six. He stated the obvious, \u201cI\u2019ve been finding us a room.\u201d Patience, he told himself, patience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben caught the tone and glared all the harder. \u201cYou found a boarding-house in this two-horse town?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam looked into the silvered mirror behind the bar and said, \u201cYou could call it that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben gave him a sharp look and let it go. Adam, it seemed was brewing for a fight, and Ben was not about to oblige him – not there and not then anyway. He was tired and cold and still damp underneath, and, right then, he\u2019d have settled for the dirt farmer\u2019s barn \u2013 but he wasn\u2019t about to tell Adam that. \u201cCome on then. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sighed and gave up hope of his drink. He followed his father into the street. He had given a boy two bits to lead their horses \u2018round to the stable, and so they walked along the boardwalks to the end of town. Overhead the stars shone in silvered glory; theirs was the only light. It was cold, and the men\u2019s breath steamed in front of their faces; underfoot the frost was already starting to form. The night was crystal clear and very dark. Adam was glad of the darkness; it made it impossible to see the house clearly. And he was glad that Ben was anxious to get inside. Himself, he was having serious doubts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What had been a dubious idea to start with was preying on his mind, a mythical beast certain at any moment to jump out of the shadows and consume him alive. He didn\u2019t believe for a moment that he was going to get away with this; he couldn\u2019t imagine how he had ever believed he might. Chewing on his lip he tugged at the bell-pull, hearing the bell inside. He was well aware that his father was watching his face. Beth opened the door, and the two men went in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam heaved a sigh of relief. Beth had put on a shawl that covered her shoulders and toned down the flamboyant and revealing cut of her gown. She had fastened it high at the collar with a cameo brooch, and the whole effect was quite refined – even modest. He made the necessary introductions, \u201cMrs. Bedford, this is my father.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth offered her hand gracefully. \u201cWhy Adam, you didn\u2019t tell me your father was such a charming man!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben wondered at the first name terms. \u201cYou know my son well, Mrs. Bedford?\u201d Behind him Adam ground his teeth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ever gracious, Beth bestowed a fond look. \u201cWe\u2019ve done business together, on occasion.\u201d She could see Adam rolling his eyes heavenward in some sort of mental anguish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed?\u201d Ben\u2019s eyebrows shot up. He knew that Adam had a whole raft of business interests, some of which he didn\u2019t talk much about. He couldn\u2019t for a moment imagine what commercial involvement his son might have with this undeniably handsome woman. Or could he? It might be interesting, one day when he was less weary, to find out. He took a moment to look \u2018round at his surroundings.\u00a0 The lamps had been turned even lower since Adam\u2019s previous visit, rendering the hallway more gloomy than dim. Ben could see that the wall coverings were green – rich, striped satin, he thought, with a golden line. An elegant coat stand stood by the door, and a fine staircase climbed to the rooms above. What puzzled him most were the gilded mirrors, two on either long wall. He had once seen their exact duplicates in a house he had visited once in New Orleans.\u00a0 Also, he noticed, there was a curious fragrance in the hallway, drifting down from the upper rooms: a heady mix of cloves and sandalwood, attar of roses and, faintly, of camphor. The woman\u2019s perfume was musk. It was a scent that evoked provocative memories \u2013 of times before his marriages and, occasionally, in between. He made a second, firmer resolution to discuss this business association more fully with Adam, just as soon as time allowed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMay I offer you some supper, Mister Cartwright?\u201d Beth gestured towards the elegant parlour just visible beyond an open door. \u201cA drink?\u201d Adam was pulling frantic faces behind his father\u2019s back. The last thing he wanted was for his father to see the erotic prints that graced the parlour walls.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, no. If you don\u2019t mind I would like to retire.\u201d Ben had already eaten. He looked at Adam who raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOur room\u2019s at the head of the stair.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben wished Beth a cordial goodnight and followed Adam up. Adam didn\u2019t see the speculative looks the two exchanged, or the wink she gave him, or the nod that he returned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam stuck a match and lit the lamp. As he adjusted the flame an amber glow spread to touch every corner of the room and cast dark shadows. He was little short of delighted to discover that the room was Spartan and devoid of any feminine fripperies it might have once contained. He was also pleased that there were two beds, two cribs slung close to the floor. At least the two big men wouldn\u2019t have to share sleeping space.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben sat down and pulled off his boots. Now that he was fed and had a bed to sleep in, he was feeling more relaxed and amiabe towards his eldest and towards the world in general. First one and then the other, he worked the ache out of his feet with his hands. \u201cYou did well, son. This will suit us just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam looked about with a studied nonchalance. He didn\u2019t know how Beth had managed it in the time, but he was very glad that she had. Perhaps she always kept a room in reserve for clients who arrived unexpectedly with a parent in tow. He suppressed a grin at the thought.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tired as he was, it didn\u2019t take Ben long to settle in for the night. He was still damp and shivery inside from his dunk in the river, but he didn\u2019t think that he had taken a chill. A good night\u2019s sleep was all that he needed. He stripped to his long drawers and climbed into bed, pulling the blanket up to his ears. The mattress was soft, rather softer than he liked, and it smelled, very faintly, of lavender.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was prowling about the room doing this and that; he was unable, it seemed, to settle. Ben watched him for a bit, but soon he began to grow warm and drowsy. \u201cGoodnight, Adam,\u201d he said as his eyelids closed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Pa.\u201d Adam smiled a small smile. Beyond belief, he was getting away with this absurd deception. He turned out the light and undressed by the starlight that spilled in through the window. He washed himself down with water from the jug \u2013 so icy cold that it made him shiver \u2013 and got into the other bed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He very soon found that he couldn\u2019t sleep. He\u2019d had no supper and was hungry and cold. No matter which way he turned he just couldn\u2019t get comfortable. The sheets brushed a fresh chill on his skin every time he moved in the bed as if he burned with a fever; soon, they became clammy. He tossed and twisted, making the bed-ropes creak. He had no fear of waking his Pa. From his breathing, Ben was so fast asleep that it would take the Crack of Doom to awaken him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An hour and a half later, Adam was still wide-awake, and he was still cold. He had come to the conclusion that it was neither the chill, nor the gnawing of hunger in his belly that was keeping sleep at bay \u2013 rather it was the ambience of the house itself. This was far from the first time he\u2019s slept beneath Beth\u2019s roof. It was the first time he\u2019s slept \u2013 or tried to sleep \u2013 alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Down in his belly he felt a familiar tightening that he knew for certain was not caused by hunger. He considered dousing himself again in cold water. It might have eased the problem temporarily but not, he thought, for long. There was a way and a means that a man might relieve himself, were he alone on the range; that just didn\u2019t seem the right thing to do in a room where his father slept. He lay in the bed for a little while longer, grinding his teeth against the ache. Then he threw back the blanket. There was little point in a man starving to death in a house of plenty. And besides, Beth was sure to charge him twice over for the conveniences of the house, whether he used them or not.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Teeth clenched against making any noise, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Adam shivered. The room had grown cold and the air chilled his feverish skin. It did little to ease his immediate predicament. He pulled on his socks and stood up. His pants proved more of a problem; it was a struggle to button them up. He didn\u2019t bother with his shirt but reached for his boots; a man didn\u2019t go anywhere without his boots. He listened. He was sure his father slept. Ben\u2019s breathing was slow and even, just on the edge of a snore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opening the door just the slightest crack, he peered out. The last of Beth\u2019s clientele had departed some time before, clumping his way noisily down the stair in iron studded boots. Now, the house was quiet. A single lamp burned low at the head of the stairs. It lighted the upper hallway, but dimly. It cast long shadows. The second staircase, which led to Beth\u2019s rooms on the top floor of the house, was in utter darkness. Widening the gap just enough, Adam slipped out and eased the door quietly shut behind him. The click of the latch was resoundingly loud. Adam winced, but no sound came from inside the room. Apparently, Ben still slept.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was not the only one that night who found sleep an illusive beast. Faith and Hope shared a big double bed with a duck-down mattress and drapes at either side. In the absence of other entertainment, they were sitting up in bed with a pack of cards and a cribbage board wedged into the space between them. Their room was at the end of the hallway, and, like a beacon, their light still shone \u2018neath the door. Boots in hand, Adam tiptoed the length of the house. He rapped with a knuckle, but quietly. He didn\u2019t want to raise the household and, least of all, his Pa.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam shifted his weight from foot to foot. A big man, tall and broad, he felt very foolish standing there in pants and socks, and rather vulnerable. The pride of his manhood was about to betray him, and the extent of his arousal was clear, He was very glad of the concealing gloom. He fidgeted some more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After what seemed an interminable time, the latch lifted, and the door opened an inch. One blue eye peeked out. Adam smiled a winsome, hopeful smile. The blue-eyed gaze slid downward over his fine body: the powerful musculature of back and shoulders, the depth of chest, deeply bronzed and clothed in crisp, dark curls, a neat navel barely showing above the buckle of his belt and, below, the evidence of his ongoing problem. The door opened wider to reveal a second eye that exactly matched the first and a mass of fair hair that curled, a little untidily, about a very pretty face. The woman smiled a welcoming smile, and the door opened just enough for him to step inside.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam put his boots down on the floor and, without ado, took the woman into his arms. Through the thin cotton of her shift he could feel the swell of her body, the soft and rounded curves. They did little for his self-control. He pulled her hard against him, and she got some first hand experience of just how pressing the matter had become.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She was shorter than he was by quite a stretch. He lowered her his face to hers and kissed her as if he meant it. The blue eyes widened with amazement at the penetrating power of his tongue, and she came up struggling for breath.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t allow her more than a long gasp before he was back for more, but by then she had her second wind and was prepared to give as good as she got. It was rare that as fine a man as Adam Cartwright came her way, and she was going to make the most of him. Hauling back, she looked him over. His body was truly magnificent, big, strong and superbly muscled, his skin tanned and satin smooth, marked here and there by a range of interesting scars. His face was outstandingly handsome, tawny eyed and narrow nosed. Dimples played about his mouth when he smiled; his lips were soft and sensuous when he kissed, hardening with desire as his passion mounted. Right now, they were about as hard as they could be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One spangled and be-ringed hand planted firmly behind his head, she twisted her fingers in his black hair and drew his mouth down for another kiss. In the same moment, her other hand slipped around his waist to the buckle of his belt. She could feel him pressing hard against her and knew the urgency of his predicament. Anxious as he was, she was afraid of losing the moment and having him make a mess of himself right there, inside his pants. She undid the buckle and, one by one, struggled with the buttons that constrained him. Adam, pawing at her through the shift, wasn\u2019t doing a whole lot to help.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The last button popped free and she released the rampant root of his desire.\u00a0 In this department also, his proportions were impressive. Adam sighed and groaned, his weight bearing down. \u201cC\u2019m here,\u201d he muttered huskily and drove his erect virility hard against her belly. Yielding her mouth to the demands of his kiss, she closed her fingers around the core of his delight and applied enough pressure to stop the man dead in his tracks. Feeling him quiver, she smiled a secret smile. She was only just in time. Adam\u2019s breath hissed through his teeth; he groaned again and turned his face away. She reached up and kissed him gently on the lips.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The crib board put aside and forgotten, the woman in the bed raised herself on an elbow and held out her hand. \u201cAdam, you\u2019re a sight for sore eyes!\u201d Her gaze, equally bright and equally blue, tracked over his body. He was only slightly diminished by his close encounter and looked like he was already regaining ground. She smiled an invitation. \u201cWhy not join us?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam licked lips still swollen with fervour. He knew these two for a keen and lively pair with winning lips and willing hips. Faith, Adam thought it was Faith who had opened the door, reluctantly relinquished her hold. He gave her a sheepish grin. \u201cLadies, I hope you\u2019ll forgive my intrusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The two of them eyed him with appreciation. \u201cBut of course.\u201d Hope, possibly Hope, moved over in the bed and patted the place beside her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam stripped off his socks – it had once been explained to him, quite carefully, that a man looked ridiculous in nothing but an erection and his socks \u2013 and joined the woman in the bed. She kissed him warmly in welcome, almost too warmly. As her fingers slid smoothly over his body, he responded at once, and his manhood re-surged. He all but lost his composure again.\u00a0 Faith stripped off her shift and slid beneath the sheet on his other side. Adam found himself, abruptly, flat on his back with a warm cuddly woman in either arm and a great deal of physical disturbance, centrally placed. It was a position he didn\u2019t object to at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He turned his head from side to side and kissed them each in turn. His body was straining with urgent need, burning with refreshed desire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Experienced and skilful, the women moved their hands over his arms and chest and belly, playing his nerves like the strings of some fine instrument. He shivered with pure delight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Faith, he knew now which one she was, covered his mouth over with hers and wouldn\u2019t let him go. He responded with aching passion and reached for her naked breasts. Her sister, Hope, traced his body with her tongue, following the central line. Adam felt the firm, moist tip circle each flat nipple, raising them to tiny peaks. He writhed helplessly against the sheets, pinned by the soft weight of two women upon him, quite unable to move or resist, and if truth were told, resistance was the furthest thing from his mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hope moved on. Fuelled by her own growing need, and by her wish to please this strong and handsome man, she progressed ever downwards. Her fingers traced lightly the lines of his lower ribs; her tongue burned a trail of cold fire through the fur of his chest. He snatched at his breath but his mouth was full of Faith\u2019s mellow sweetness. His moan of anguished delight was smothered by her kiss. His head was starting to buzz. Hope scorched a trail of hot sensation across his belly. Aroused beyond endurance, he thrust his hips towards the sky. She paused, briefly, at his navel, circling that neat depression with icy fire, filling it with sweet, moist promise that seared his soul.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She shifted again, moving at leisurely pace over the hard, flat muscles, down towards his groin. Behind her she left a fine line of torment, heated flesh that cringed and quivered at the touch of cooler air. Small circles drawn lightly on his inner thigh, fine lines traced ever upwards from his knee, warm hands gently cupping, holding, brought him to the near edge of insanity; he couldn\u2019t bear the pain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The tip of her tongue touched him so lightly that, at first, he barely felt it. It moved back and forth along the length of manly pride. Each slow pass raised him to new, soaring heights of the most intense pleasure. She filled the deep groove with gentle kisses, all around to that vital place where nerve and sinew met in a union of ecstatic bliss. She took the tiny jewel of his exudation from between the straining lips of his engorgement and found it bitter-sweet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Freeing himself, finally, from the depths of Faith\u2019s kiss, Adam drew a great, long breath that shuddered in his lungs. His body shook with expectation. Hope closed her lips about the peak of his manhood, drawing in and sucking strongly, touching only with feather-light passes of her tongue. All caution thrown to the gods of chance, Adam cried aloud. He trembled, thrusting upwards, his body beyond control. He felt the fury building, deep within, and sought again for Faith\u2019s sweet mouth. Sisters in spirit, the two women held him suspended for one timeless moment \u2018tween heaven and hell.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And again he was denied. Hope\u2019s hand closed on nerve and muscle, pinching the vital channel closed.\u00a0 Adam moaned and rolled his head. Then Hope moved herself to loom up above him, straddling his hips. Guiding him firmly into that tender place she lowered herself, engulfing him with warm, moist flesh, riding him as she might the back of the finest horse. Helpless, a willing victim of his own excitement, Adam thrust, and thrust once more, feeling the trembling starting again. Now it was deeper, more fundamental, tearing the roots of his soul. Hope moved upon him, riding the wave of his pain, wrenching from him all that he had to give. He sought Faith\u2019s kiss to silence his cry as ecstasy exploded in his body and white-hot fury jetted forth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two soft bodies snuggled warmly beside him, holding him tightly until the shaking ceased and the ragged gasp of his breathing settled. They were not yet prepared to let him go. They knew Adam Cartwright, and they knew that often, he had more than one golden coin to pay across the counter. It was their intention, tonight, to extract the fullest measure from the man. They weren\u2019t about to let him sleep. Women of skill and experience, their hands played lightly over the taut skin of chest and belly, lingering only briefly in intimate places, waiting patiently for him to catch his breath. Whispering soft obscenities into his ears, they chewed lightly on his lobes and trailed fine lines of saliva from jaw-line to throat. They each played with a nipple and traced the lines of his lower ribs until his hips moved, and his loins stirred again with desire. Hope kissed him long and lingeringly on the mouth while Faith took time to explore the extent of his revival.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This time it was she who took prime position, raising herself above him and absorbing his renewed tumescence into the depths of his body. Adam\u2019s loins flared with revitalized fire and lifted himself into her. This time it was slower, took longer. It was passion without frenzy. Faith rocked herself back and forth on his hips, moving him inside her. The feelings within him built gradually towards a new and shattering crescendo that peaked without pain. The women, Faith and Hope, watched his face as he rode the breaking wave of pleasure, and his body yielded up its vital essence yet again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nice though it might have been to have slept the night away wrapped in the double, warm embrace, waking, perhaps, from time to time for a kiss, a caress – perhaps something more – Adam knew that he had to get up. Come the light of dawn, Ben would be waking in that room down the hall. He could just imagine what his father would have to say about the satisfying of carnal desires. He could already hear the words ringing resoundingly in his ears, and the dissertation would go on for a long, long time. Sometimes he wondered if his father had ever been young. Then he thought of his own strong body and knew he wouldn\u2019t be there at all if Ben hadn\u2019t given way to passion, one time at least. It made him wonder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He disentangled his arms and legs and, reluctantly, got out of bed. If he were to avoid the lash of his father\u2019s tongue, he\u2019d better be in that other bed when the sun came over the hill. He pulled on his socks and buttoned his pants \u2013 they were a whole lot easier, now, to do up. Leaning over the bed, he kissed each woman in turn. Hope wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him down. For a moment he was sorely tempted by the fierceness of her lips. He promised them both \u2013 and himself \u2013 that the next time he came by he would come alone and with plenty of time on his hands. Faith\u2019s hands tracked down over his chest, just for a moment seeking again the source of ultimate completion now concealed within the black, buttoned cloth. Adam felt another twinge and, with regret, pulled himself away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the door he paused, looking back. The sisters were cuddled together in the big feather bed. Their heads lay close on the pillows, their fair hair entwined. With their bright, blue eyes they were watching him leave. He wanted, more than anything, to remain and enjoy their good company throughout the night. Laughing softly at himself, he wished them both, \u201cGoodnight\u201d. Boots again in hand, he opened the door and turned out the lamp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The hallway was still empty and seemed darker than before. Listening, he could hear only the sigh of his own breathing and the tick of an unseen clock, slow and sombre, filling the silence of the house. A long, woven carpet of intricate design ran the length of the passage. As he trod it, his stockinged feet made no more sound than the whisper of wool on wool.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The door on his right opened abruptly. Adam started. A slight form slid out of the deeper darkness within. Maggie-May draped herself provocatively against the doorframe; one arm raised high above her head, her small white fingers playing with the strands of her hair. A tiny, white skinned seductress, she smiled up at him. Her dark eyes were already aglow with the growing intensity of her feelings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI heard your step in the hall, Big Man.\u201d May\u2019s words were delivered in a throaty whisper that carried just as far as Adam\u2019s ears. She smiled a slow smile.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam thought about that. He knew that he had made no noise at all. He took a step closer, smiling himself. \u201cYou didn\u2019t hear me. You were lying in wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how could you possibly know that?\u201d May reached out and entwined the tiny fingers of one white hand in among the dark curls of his chest hair. Narrow and slanted like those of a cat, her eyes were half closed. He saw a glitter in her eye, in between the lids, and wondered how much she might have heard of his encounter in the room across the hall. Standing there in chest hair and socks, Adam felt at some slight disadvantage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He covered her small hand with his, an action that belied his words. \u201cI have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your hurry?\u201d she asked, reasonably enough. Without giving him time to muster an answer she reached up and slid her other arm around his neck. She lifted the white oval of her face, but still he had to reach a long way down to brush her lips with his. \u201cYou could stay with me a while.\u201d She murmured huskily.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam disengaged the arm from around his neck. He kissed the small white fingers, one by one. \u201cI have to go,\u201d he said again, but his voice still lacked the solid ring of conviction.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May\u2019s smile widened to show small, sharp teeth. \u201cLater, you can go.\u201d Her small body seemed to writhe within the confines of her silken robe. Her fingers tightened in the dense mat of his curls, drawing him towards her and the door of the darkened room. Adam winced at the pain but allowed himself to be led; all of a sudden, he was in no hurry at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maggie-May was a diminutive lady who wore her dark hair piled loosely to give herself a little extra height. Standing before him, she allowed the silken robe to fall from her shoulders. It shimmered as it dropped to form a pool of softly folded fabric at her feet. Beneath it, she was clad only in the skin that God had given her, purest white. In the silver starlight that fell through the window her body gleamed in the darkness, faintly luminescent. Adam was reminded of a picture he had once seen, long ago and far away, reproduced in the pages of a book: a statue of Roman design. Her form was minute, but utterly perfect: pert, upturned breasts, a slender waist that he could span easily with his two hands, flaring hips and a soft rounded belly. Below was tufted darkness, mystery concealed. At the sight of her, he felt his body stir.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May heard the catch of his breath, and her look became sly. She stepped forward out of the folds of her robe and reached up to put both her arms around his neck. Her lips were soft on his, and her mouth was honey-sweet. Unnoticed, she took the boots from his hand and dropped them somewhere in the dark. Adam put both hands on her naked back, feeling the play of muscle beneath fine, white skin.\u00a0 May moved herself against him. Her breasts, hardened with desire, pressed against his chest. The fingers of one hand were still entangled in his spiralled curls; the others manipulated the buckle of his belt, and then, the buttons below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hands explored the small and secret places of her body. Knowing that he played with fire, he probed the depths of her mouth with his tongue, seeking the source of the sweetness. Always, he had found it an enigma. For a moment, she was content to let him probe, enjoying the masculine power of his fine body, the strength of his frame and the sheer size of him pressing against her.\u00a0 Digging deep, the sharp nails of her fingers seared molten tracks along his spine and over the hard mound of his rump. Moaning softly, his hands tightened on her buttocks, and he drew her onto the swell of his newly awakened manhood.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May nipped him smartly on the lip and made him yelp. Twisting her fingers again into the crisp, dark curls; she inflicted small agonies that only added to his increasing arousal. Stretching up, she whispered into the curve of his ear. \u201cNot so fast, Big Man.\u201d She wasn\u2019t about to let him spend himself so quickly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still holding her, he touched his tongue to the sore spot on his lip. He laughed softly. He said, \u201cBut I want you now.\u201d And he meant it, every word.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She backed away, pulling him with her toward the bed with its rumpled counterpane, and he went willingly enough. They lay down together wrapped in each other\u2019s arms. Brief pain forgotten, he drew her close and covered her lips with his mouth. He lifted his knee to her hip, raising himself. She wriggled in his grasp, fighting with him for dominance. Adam remembered this game well. He laughed and fought her back. She bit his ears, his neck, his chin, inflicting each small cruelty with tiny, razor edged teeth – little pains that added up to pleasure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam responded in kind. Pinching her nipples, he rolled her over, holding her down. She struggled beneath him, her frenzy increasing. She bit him, scratched him and gouged; he felt the fire as her nails clawed his back.\u00a0 She tried to knee him between the legs. In self-defence, he put his weight on her, holding her wrists with his hands. He kissed her long and hard, forcing her jaws apart and holding them open with his. He probed the depths of her mouth with his tongue. He knew she would bite him if she could; that danger added fuel to the fire that burned in his belly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May\u2019s fingers dug deep. They slipped in his sweat. He thought that her nails drew blood. Both of them were breathing hard. He released her mouth and grabbed her hands again, raising them above her head and holding them there, pressed into the pillow. She lunged at him and tried to bite the tip of his nose. Adam lowered himself down, as ready for her as she was for him. He found her heated within, and moist, yearning towards him even as she battled with his strength. Swollen flesh pierced her innermost defence, and a wave of the most intense pleasure threatened to engulf his senses. He felt her muscles clenching about him, drawing him, holding him fast. She reared against him, her hips bucking wildly. With one hand on her breast, the other bearing his weight, he held himself deeply embedded, riding out the frantic storm as it gathered about and inside him. Only in the final moments did he allow himself to move, driving hard into the close confines of her body, matching his rhythm exactly to hers. His climax came in a shuddering burst that burned through his body into his brain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As his breath hissed in, and his body quaked, May wrapped her legs tightly around him. She held him fast, and now, her mouth sought eagerly for his. He felt her writhe against him, holding him fast inside her. Coming, in moments, to quivering completion, she squealed with the power of her release and bit his shoulder hard enough to leave a mark on his skin. Breathless and sweat-soaked, they subsided together into the tangle of sheets.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May curled against him, her knees pulled up into the hard plane of his belly. She nibbled his nipples and pulled at his curls until he yelped, doing her best to arouse him again. Carefully avoiding the nip of her teeth, Adam kissed her on the face and slipped from the bed. For tonight, one round with May was enough! She came after him on hands and knees, hissing with desire. Laughing, he backed away, fighting off her advances even as he fumbled into his pants and hunted in the dark for his lost socks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She locked her arms around his knees. \u201cBig man, please stay a while.\u201d In her small face, her eyes were large, dark and pleading. \u201cStay with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnother time.\u201d He swung her tiny body up into his arms, kissed her on the mouth and bounced her on to the bed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Outside in the hallway, he paused for breath. His body was sated, but he was not satisfied. Still, he was not tired. Instead he was exhilarated and charged with a boundless zest. The prospect of a cold and lonely bed held not the slightest attraction, and there were long hours yet before morning. Right across the hall was the door to Jasmine\u2019s room. Adam hesitated, consulting with his inner self, and then knocked lightly on the frame. A muffled response came from within.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine sat up in bed and welcomed him with a sleepy smile. A small night-light burned on her night table. It filled the room with a faint, steady radiance and ink-black shadows. The air was heady, redolent with her perfume. The room itself was warmer than the hallway outside. Against the purity of the white sheets, the woman\u2019s skin was dusky-dark, a contrast that always startled and enticed him. A slow grin spread across his handsome face, and he leaned his shoulders against the door, analyzing and enjoying the flow of his feelings. Jasmine was an altogether different type of woman. She made no demands and set no parameters. She was soft and compliant and willing to please. Her bed was always warm and her arms welcoming.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam walked across to the bed and sat himself down on the edge. She lifted herself up into the arc of his arms and kissed him gently on the mouth. \u201cAdam,\u201d she sighed, \u201cI had hoped that you would come. It was getting so late.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam murmured into her neck. \u201cNever too late for you, my dove.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her lips gently over his. Her body was yielding and inviting, yearning towards him. Adam sighed. His eyes closed, dark lashes rested on his cheek. He tasted the nectar of her mouth and felt the cool softness of her breasts against his chest. His arms tightened about her, just a little, and he drew her against him – not with urgency but with promise. He felt her breasts harden. The pads of her fingers moved over his shoulders and down his back, soothing away the very last vestige of lingering pain. She traced the line of his waist about the leather of his belt, then tracked back over the lightly padded ridges of his ribs. She moaned and moved against him, conveying her desire with invitation, not demand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam released her from his arms just long enough to step out of his pants and pull off his socks. Jasmine lifted the sheet, and, naked, he slid alongside her. She wrapped him again in her arms and covered his face with gentle kisses. Comfortable and comforted, he lay beside her, his body slowly warming. His fingers traced lightly over her breasts. Satin-smooth, they filled his hands; the nipples, erect, were hard against his palm. He felt her stir, her hip rising to him, and quieted her to patience with a soft word in her ear.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Warm and feather light, her fingers drifted over him. They lingered on old, remembered scars, easing the memory of pain in his mind. They followed the smooth lines of his muscles as they flowed over his shoulders and down his back. They rested a while on the hard swell of his rump before moving on down the line of his thigh.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam groaned and nuzzled her neck; his strong teeth pulled gently at the silken skin of her throat and raised her to the soaring heights of desire. Jasmine writhed against him. She mewed with burgeoning passion. He came slowly to arousal, enticed by her need and stimulated by her touch. At last he lifted himself above her and insinuated the potent totem of his power. Her soft folds closed around him. She sighed, long and deep, as he filled her with his flesh and with his essence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gently, they moved against each other, each sipping wine from a cup brim-full. There was no throb of flesh or frenzied fire. Liquid, languid warmth spread from that vital place within his loins and engulfed his senses. He submerged in an ocean of sensuous pleasure and felt her body quiver against him as she discovered her own relief.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine\u2019s bed was warm and her arms enfolding. Adam knew that, once again, he had to move. The unseen clock, somewhere within the house, had already chimed two, and on the morrow there was a lot of hard riding that had to be done. His father would expect him to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, full of the joys of the coming spring and lively conversation. Tired as he was right now, he would have a job to stay awake in the saddle. He really ought the get some sleep. A smile of satisfaction touched his lip. Replete and disinclined to stir himself, Adam dozed. In just a moment, he would go and seek those chilly sheets.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Only once he roused, when Jasmine moved herself against him. Sleepily, he snuggled her head against his chest and drifted off again on a sea of pleasant dreams.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When next he woke, they were cupped together like a pair of spoons. Her dark hair was in his face; the rounded mound of her butt was pressed against his groin, and her breasts were cupped in the palms of his hands. Adam was still considering, drowsily, possibilities of the situation when it occurred to him, somewhat abruptly, that he was in altogether the wrong bed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the dresser, the candle had guttered out. The first glimmer of light was in the sky above the eastern hill. He sat up with a start. Jasmine sighed and turned over, gathering the sheets about her, reaching for him. Adam didn\u2019t have time to be tempted. He sat up on the edge of the bed and started fumbling his way into his pants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine wriggled over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She snuggled her cheek into the small of his back. Adam squirmed in a vain attempt to free himself. Jasmine merely tightened her arms and held him more snuggly. He covered her hands with his and tried to pry them loose.\u00a0 She cuddled him closer, her hands clasped together in his lap. He wasn\u2019t having any luck at all with his pants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam finally realized what he was doing wrong. In his hurry he was trying to get both feet down one pant leg. It just wasn\u2019t going to work, so he started over.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine sat up, still sleepy and just a little grumpy. \u201cAdam, honey? Come back into bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam leaned over to kiss her behind the ear. \u201cSweetheart, I can\u2019t.\u201d He had finally got his pants up over his butt and was struggling to button them up. \u201cI have to get going.\u201d He groped under the bed for a missing sock.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jasmine pouted. It made her beautiful face even more kissable. Adam\u2019s breath caught in his throat. He leaned down and did that small thing one more time, right on the mouth. Her lips parted and the kiss lingered far longer than he had intended. In the end, he had to disengage her arms from around his neck. \u201cI\u2019ll be back,\u201d he promised, \u201cOne day soon, I\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The house was still quiet, but, from the rooms below, the smell of fresh coffee was rising up the stairs. It was enough to make a strong man\u2019s mouth water. With his teeth clenched together, Adam stepped lightly across the hall. He eased himself silently back into the room at the head of the stairs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This room faced west and was still in darkness.\u00a0 The squared shape of the window was a faintly lighter shade of grey in the gloom. As his eyes adjusted, Adam could see that everything was just as he\u2019d left it. The chairs piled with their clothes, the jug and basin, their saddlebags piled on the dresser. His father lay flat on his back in his bed, snoring very softly. On his own cot, the sheets were heaped in an untidy pile, mute witness to his earlier discomfort. Adam smiled a small smile. He crept over and sat down on the edge of his cot. He took off his socks and started to unbutton his pants – there might be time for just one more hour in bed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben snorted and woke up. He rolled onto his elbow and squinted at his son. \u201cWhere are you going this early?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI was just going to fetch up the horses. Pa.\u201d Hastily, Adam reversed his actions and once more buttoned himself up. Quite obviously, there was going to be no more sleep for him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben grumbled and grunted, still in the process of waking up. He knew Adam for an early riser, but he couldn\u2019t make out why the boy was about quite this soon. He could see shadows under Adam\u2019s eyes and a dark growth of beard on his cheek. He didn\u2019t look very well rested – didn\u2019t look like he\u2019d slept much at all. A frown settled on Ben\u2019s face. It was kind of hard to tell in the half light of early morning, but it sure looked like Adam had picked up a nasty bruise, right on the point of his shoulder. It would be interesting, later, perhaps on the way home, to hear him explain exactly how he had got that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam had discovered, to his dismay that somewhere along the line he had left his boots in one of the lady\u2019s rooms. He wasn\u2019t at all sure which. To cover his confusion he went to the dresser and made an elaborate show of shaving himself in cold water from the basin. The chill of the water and the keenness of the razor served, somewhat, to sharpen his awareness.\u00a0 He felt he needed something to hone his reactions. He figured that when Ben saw him leaving the room in his stockinged feet, he could expect some very pointed questions. He was not at all sure where he was going to find the answers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As Adam stood at the mirror and shaved, Ben studied his back. He couldn\u2019t help thinking that his son must have tangled with a wildcat sometime in the small hours of the night. That was something else that he saved up for a later conversation. Ben sat up and rubbed his unshaven jaw. \u201cCan you get any coffee in this place, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam heaved a sigh. At least his father\u2019s mood was more amicable than it had been for a day or two past. The often-barked \u2018boy\u2019 had reverted to \u2018son\u2019. \u201cI think I smell some cooking downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d Ben got out of bed and padded over to the dresser. In the mirror, he examined his face. Coffee in the morning made the world worth getting up for. Over his shoulder, reflected in the glass, he watched Adam tuck in his shirttails and strap on his gun. He took a long step toward the door; he was certainly intending to go somewhere. \u201cMake sure those horses have had a good feed.\u201d Ben said sharply and had the small satisfaction of seeing Adam jump.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The perennial look of sorely tried patience came to Adam\u2019s face. \u201cI\u2019ll check on it Pa,\u201d he said through clenched teeth.\u00a0 Ben turned and looked him over, slowly, from head to toe. His gaze came to rest on Adam\u2019s feet. Ben lifted an inquiring eyebrow. Adam looked down. His white-stockinged feet showed plainly beneath the cuffs of his black pants. He decided not to look his father in the face. He planted his hat firmly on his head and tipped it a long way forward so that his eyes were out of sight beneath the brim. Lips pursed, as if he whistled a soundless tune, he stepped out in to the hallway and closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth didn\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 breakfast. She did serve coffee to her occasional overnight clients in the small dining room that graced the back of the house. By the time Adam had recovered his boots from along the hall and returned from the stable with the horses, Ben was installed there and drinking his second cup.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Demurely elegant in a high-collared, dark-coloured dress, Beth poured a cupful for Adam. They exchanged smiles and polite \u201cGood mornings.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben, washed and clean-shaven, was feeling benevolent and expansive. Unbeknown to Adam, Beth had taken the time and the trouble to dry his damp clothes beside the kitchen stove. They\u2019d still been warm when he put them on. He smiled at his son and made an expansive gesture. \u201cI was just telling Mrs. Bedford what a delightful house she has here, right on the edge of town.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam choked on his coffee. He wondered just how much of Beth\u2019s house his father had managed to see.<\/p>\n

Beth\u2019s eyes sparkled and she smiled at them both.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYour father has just been telling me how I might set up a little business here, baking or sewing or perhaps taking boarders. There might be a call for that, now that the hotel had burned down.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam stared at her. He had the distinct feeling that one of them was making him the butt of a joke, but he wasn\u2019t quite sure which. Looking from one to the other, he realised his mouth was open and closed it, carefully. He detected not the slightest guile. \u201cThat\u2019d be real nice,\u201d was all he could think of to say. Beth refilled his cup from the black iron pot, and he swallowed the scalding brew down.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To his relief, Ben was anxious to be on his way. He was already up on his feet, hat in hand, and shaking hands with Beth. \u201cMrs. Bedford, it\u2019s been a real pleasure to stay under your roof \u2013 a real pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again Adam had that crawly feeling run up his spine. Eyes narrowed, he looked at them both.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth was every inch the lady. She even allowed Ben to kiss her hand. \u201cYou be sure to call next time you\u2019re passing.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat I surely will.\u201d Ben went out into the hall and left Adam to settle the account with Beth. As he had suspected, she charged him full measure for the use of all the facilities. He supposed he couldn\u2019t complain. He paid up and hurried after his father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben had got just as far as the hallway. Adam found him confronted by a line of young ladies, all in their robes. Ben looked \u2013 Adam could only think of the expression as \u2018bemused\u2019. He found an explanation on the tip of his golden tongue. \u201cThese are Beth\u2019s daughters, Pa,\u201d he said with a glibness that surprised himself. Behind him, Beth rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed?\u201d Ben\u2019s gaze worked its way along the line: a pair of shapely, blue-eyed blondes similar enough to be sisters, if not twins, a diminutive, dark haired woman with huge dark eyes and a tiny mouth and on the end, an octoroon, unless he missed his guess. He didn\u2019t believe a word that Adam said. \u201cLadies,\u201d he said with a polite nod of the head. Down at the end of the line, Hope giggled. Ben favoured his son with a withering glance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Helplessly, Adam shrugged. He had done what he could. He had found his Pa a bed for the night, and now, he guessed he was going to have some explaining to do. He figured that it was going to be a long, long ride back to the Ponderosa. Sighing, he collected his coat from the coat-stand and followed his father out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sun had lifted itself over the hill, and the ground was starting to steam. Adam climbed into the saddle. He was hungry, and he was tired, and he had a number of sore spots he couldn\u2019t explain. His thoughts were turning, understandably, to breakfast. He pulled his horse away from the rail and kicked him in the ribs. He was wondering if that saloon did good ham and eggs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beth had come on to the porch to watch them ride away. Ben raised his hat. She smiled. He winked. There was an exchange of expressions that Adam didn\u2019t see. Ben turned the buckskin\u2019s head and followed his son into town.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Potters Bar 2001<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 All Adam wanted to find was a bed for the night for his father.\u00a0 And gets a whole lot more in the bargain.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 R (for mature readers only)\u00a0 (13,350 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9737,"featured_media":2683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1016,23,690],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-pa","category-drama","category-ma-rated","wpcat-1016-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-690-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2377,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ben-with-buck.jpg?fit=1577%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7310,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7310","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":0},"title":"Little Girl in Pink (by Sibylle)","author":"Sibylle","date":"May 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Adam meets a little girl on the road to Virginia city that he better never found. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0T \u00a0WC 600","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5295,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5295","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":1},"title":"Jenny and David Series #3 – Bleeding Love (by Cinderella)","author":"Cinderella","date":"May 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0David has come home and everything seems to be going well...that is, until Jenny is kidnapped! Can the Cartwrights find her before something horrible happens? Part 2 in the 'Jenny & David'. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (8,320 words) Jenny and David series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5303,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5303","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":2},"title":"Jenny and David Series #1 – Love is Blind (by Cinderella)","author":"Cinderella","date":"April 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0\u00a0Jennifer Cartwright, Ben's adopted daughter, is a rough-ridin' tomboyish kind of girl, that is, until Pa sends her to check up on David Williams, who had been blinded a few months earlier. Romance, Drama, and Goodbyes all roled into one. The first story in the \"Jenny & David\" series. CAUTION:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63140,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=63140","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":3},"title":"All the King’s Horses (by Julie Jurkovich)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"October 11, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Adam is distressed by the disorder, lawlessness, and prejudice in Virginia City after the Paiute War. When restless and hungry Indians help themselves to settlers` food and supplies, Adam is caught between defending the Indians from unscrupulous murderers and defending his own way of life to himself, and leaves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6756,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6756","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":4},"title":"The Crazy Lady (by Jayne)","author":"Jayne","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe and Hoss scare themselves one night, come to Adam's room and tell him the story of the crazy lady. Prequel\/Young Cartwrights\/Humor \u00a0Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a0700","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6309,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6309","url_meta":{"origin":12919,"position":5},"title":"Calendar Girl (by Cheaux)","author":"Cheaux","date":"December 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0New Year's Day in 1865 rings in both unspeakable sorrow and unbridled hope for Joe.\u00a0 Reference is made\u00a0to Between Heaven and Earth. Rated:\u00a0 T -- \u00a02200 words","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Quality-of-Mercy-14.jpg?fit=649%2C542&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9737"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}