{"id":14354,"date":"2017-06-01T13:50:48","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T17:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14354"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:41:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:41:11","slug":"seasons-by-cheaux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14354","title":{"rendered":"Seasons (by Cheaux)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: \u00a0 Ben’s worried and sends new hand Candy Canaday on a mission.<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0K<\/p>\n

Word Count: \u00a01779<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seasons<\/strong><\/p>\n

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.\u00a0 The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.\u00a0 No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Candy<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFind Joe,\u201d Ben Cartwright barked at me before he pivoted and strode purposefully toward the house.<\/p>\n

I was new to the ranch and hadn\u2019t yet figured out the family dynamics. \u00a0As an ex-Army man myself, I understood the former Major Cartwright. \u00a0He was a tough-but-fair, by-the-book, decisive leader who brooked no nonsense. \u00a0Hoss was solid and dependable, a regular guy you could trust to have your back in any situation. \u00a0I hadn\u2019t worked with Joe much. \u00a0He was likeable, certainly. \u00a0Good looking but not conceited. \u00a0He followed orders to the extent he agreed with them, but would often do things his own way. \u00a0I sensed an underlying volatility, like a keg of gunpowder–stable under the right conditions, but just waiting to explode.<\/p>\n

And now I had marching orders to find him. \u00a0Not why or what message to relay. \u00a0Just find him.<\/p>\n

I looked at Hoss who toed the dirt, trying to look smaller than his bulk allowed, especially in new boots which added another two inches to his impressive 6\u20194\u201d frame, not to mention the 5\u201d crown on his sugarloaf hat. \u00a0I felt puny next to him and I had two inches on Joe. \u00a0No wonder they called him \u201clittle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged. \u00a0\u201cAin\u2019t got a clue. \u00a0When Pa gets nervous, it\u2019s usually me he sends. \u00a0Can\u2019t say I mind you going this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time? <\/em>\u00a0\u201cHe get nervous often?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to Joe, Pa gets these\u2014feelin\u2019s I guess you\u2019d call \u2018em. \u00a0Ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 that\u2019ll calm him down except knowin\u2019 his youngest chick has come home to roost.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny ideas on where to look?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVirginia City\u2019s your best bet. Unless he went to Gold Hill. \u00a0Or Dayton. \u00a0Or maybe Genoa. \u00a0Look for Cochise, unless he stabled him. If so, you\u2019ll have to work your way through town, north to south. \u00a0Or east down to D street if he was lookin\u2019 fer . . . you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then there\u2019s Chinatown. \u00a0Joe\u2019s well known in that quarter and there ain\u2019t much those celestials miss \u2018bout what\u2019s happening on the Comstock. \u00a0Ask for Wang Chou at the laundry if you need help. Oh, and check in with the Sheriff to see if there\u2019s been any bar brawls . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was still droning on when I rode out of the yard.<\/p>\n

Great, just great.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~~~~~<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I had hoped to find Cochise hitched to a rail, but a ride up and down A, B and C Streets, and all the side streets in between, proved futile, so I searched out the liveries and found the pinto in the third one. \u00a0The Sheriff had broken up several fights that night, but none involving Joe. \u00a0He rattled off a number of saloons that the Cartwrights frequented so I started canvassing them. \u00a0I had just exited the Bucket of Blood when I caught sight of a green jacket in the front window of the restaurant across the street from the Palace. \u00a0I strolled past the window to confirm it was him and then leaned against the boardwalk railing just out of his line of sight.<\/p>\n

Although there was a bottle of champagne and an ice bucket on the table along with two flutes, he wasn\u2019t talking to anyone. \u00a0I wondered whether he had been stood up. \u00a0Yeah. \u00a0That would be me, not him.<\/em> \u00a0It was more likely his date hadn\u2019t arrived yet or had gone to the ladies toilet. He looked pensively out the window, occasionally swiping the back of his hand across his cheek.<\/p>\n

Forty minutes later Joe still sat alone, fingering the stem of his glass. \u00a0I almost walked away, uncomfortable with his discomfort, but curiosity won out. \u00a0I entered the restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I sit down?\u201d \u00a0I said, dropping into the chair opposite him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

I regained my feet rather inelegantly. \u00a0\u201cSorry. \u00a0Saw you alone and thought you might like some company.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the candlelit room, his eyes appeared almost black, his facial expression stony. \u00a0Waves of anger rolled off him.<\/p>\n

I raised open hands into the air, backed away from the table, and exited Chez Nous to resume watching from outside, hoping the darkness and foot traffic on the boardwalk masked my presence.<\/p>\n

No one ever joined him, so in that regard Joe was correct. \u00a0He was alone, but I had the sense that the table was occupied nonetheless. \u00a0His eyes remained fixed on the Palace across the street. \u00a0Waiting for what?<\/em><\/p>\n

A half hour later, a light in an upstairs window of the Palace went out deepening the shadows on the street. \u00a0Joe reached for the other glass, drained the champagne in one swallow, and placed the flute upside down on the table.<\/p>\n

My eyes swept the building hoping to see whatever Joe had seen. \u00a0When I looked back inside the restaurant, he had vanished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~~~~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the way back to the ranch, I pondered what to say to Mr. Cartwright. \u00a0In the end, I decided I hadn\u2019t failed. \u00a0After all, he ordered me to find Joe, not to bring him home. \u00a0However, I did not think that reasoning would pass muster with the Major.<\/p>\n

I stood on the porch debating whether to lift the iron knocker or rap softly with my knuckles. \u00a0Before I could act, the door swung open.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you find him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Cartwright looked over my shoulder into the yard. \u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s not with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

His jaw worked as he scanned my face. \u00a0I remained passive under the intense scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cInside.\u201d \u00a0It was an order, not a request. \u00a0\u00a0He moved to the fireplace and turned to face me, arms folded across his chest. \u00a0I entered, but remained standing behind the settee as I had not been invited to sit.<\/p>\n

Without preamble and in military fashion, I rendered a complete report of my efforts to locate Joe, our brief exchange in the restaurant, his actions, and my observations on his demeanor. \u00a0As soon as I mentioned the Palace, Mr. Cartwright dropped into his red chair and his attitude changed\u2014no longer angry, but definitely concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, one other thing. \u00a0Several items on the table appeared to be of significance to Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA ring box, a small leather-bound book, and a chess piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich piece?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA bishop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Candy. \u00a0You may go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy? \u00a0This stays between us, you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I closed the front door and threw the bolt. \u00a0Pa was sitting in his favorite chair \u201creading,\u201d a ploy to justify waiting up whenever Hoss or I were out late. \u00a0The ruse brought a smile to my face, for soft snores and a nodding head betrayed him. \u00a0I had no sooner hung up my hat and coat than the clock struck 2 a.m.<\/p>\n

He coughed. \u00a0\u201cHome so soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood book?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

After removing my gun belt and holster, I crossed the great room to the side table by the stairs and held up the brandy decanter. \u00a0Pa nodded. \u00a0While I poured us both a generous amount, he stirred up the fire. \u00a0I handed him a snifter before I settled into the corner of the settee.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty sneaky sending Candy into town instead of Hoss,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell . . . Hoss\u2019s feet hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis bunions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose new boots he ordered from the mercantile. \u00a0Oh, there\u2019s a beef roast in the icebox if you\u2019re hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head and sipped my drink, savoring its warmth, taking my time. \u00a0I knew Pa wouldn\u2019t push for answers. \u00a0Still, I owed him something for staying up late. \u00a0\u201cI had my fill dining on memories tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPleasant ones I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome. \u00a0Some not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bitter with the sweet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

We drank our brandy and watched the fire die down, listening to the nocturnal sounds of the house\u2014the wind in the eaves, an occasional hoot owl, the rumble from upstairs punctuated by a snort and the creaking of the floorboards as Hoss rolled over. \u00a0After hours of regrets, recriminations, and speculation on what might have been, the ache in my heart eased.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how you say Inger was like having spring in the house all year round? \u00a0I always think of spring when I picture Amy\u2014barefoot, wading in a stream. \u00a0So fresh and innocent. . . . \u00a0Sally is summer. \u00a0Her smile radiated like the sun and my heart melted every time she laughed. \u00a0How she loved to laugh! . . . \u00a0Laura reminds me of an aspen quaking in the wind, so fragile yet she brought color to my life at the end of hers. \u00a0Why couldn\u2019t she have been an evergreen and stayed with me always?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Julia?\u201d<\/p>\n

Julia.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWinter to my spring. \u00a0I stayed. \u00a0She had to go. \u00a0Cela aurait d\u00fb se produire il y a plusieurs ann\u00e9es. \u00a0It should have happened long ago, she said.\u201d\u00a0 I slid down, resting my head on the back of the sofa, and stared at the ceiling. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been almost 10 years since she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I\u2019m sorry. \u00a0I forgot the anniversary.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d been out of sorts and\u00a0I was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014you were worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014concerned, not worried. \u00a0It\u2019s a father\u2019s prerogative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have sent Hoss. \u00a0He would have known not to interfere. \u00a0Candy intruded.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t blame him. \u00a0I\u2019m the one who sent him after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. \u00a0You don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know him that well. \u00a0Good worker. \u00a0Secretive. \u00a0Have you ever known anyone to walk as softly as he does? \u00a0Scares the bejabbers out of me every time he sneaks up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going to send him with you and Hoss on the cattle drive to Sand Dust next month. \u00a0It will give you a chance to get to know each other better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the boss. \u00a0I\u2019m going to bed. \u00a0Are you going to \u2018read\u2019 a while longer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son. \u00a0I\u2019ll bank the fire and be up in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

I picked up our snifters and took them to the kitchen. \u00a0On the way upstairs, I paused on the landing to ask a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmy said a Bishop and Cartwright could never be. \u00a0Laura\u2019s father said she and I could never be. \u00a0Horace said Sally and I would never be.\u00a0 We\u2014you, me, Adam, Hoss\u2014we\u2019ve all lost at love more than once.\u00a0 Do you think we\u2019re meant to be alone?\u00a0 Are we cursed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa smiled, his hand caressing the mantle under the pictures of his three wives.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, we have loved and we\u2019ve been loved. \u00a0No matter how long love lasts, in any season, that\u2019s a blessing, not a curse.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

–The End–<\/p>\n

May 2017<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We had joy, we had fun<\/p>\n

We had seasons in the sun<\/p>\n

But the wine and the song<\/p>\n

Like the seasons have all gone<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

–Jacques Brel\/Rod McKuen<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Candy Canaday,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: \u00a0 Ben’s worried and sends new hand Candy Canaday on a mission.<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0K Word Count: \u00a01779<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":14780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_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":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-whn","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-13-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1582,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/seasons-detail.jpg?fit=835%2C650&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1774,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1774","url_meta":{"origin":14354,"position":0},"title":"Clothes Make the Man (by Cheaux)","author":"Cheaux","date":"April 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Does a man's sartorial splendor have any bearing on events in his life? \u00a0 Rated: \u00a0K -- \u00a0WC \u00a0600","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza13.jpg?fit=300%2C270&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16098,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=16098","url_meta":{"origin":14354,"position":1},"title":"I Met a Friend of Yours Today (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"March 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: When Joe Cartwright drags Candy over to the doctor's office after a bar fight, he bumps into one of Hoss' old friends. 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Rated:\u00a0 K \u00a0WC \u00a0900","rel":"","context":"In "Ben \/ Joe"","block_context":{"text":"Ben \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1015"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/The-day.jpg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1781,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1781","url_meta":{"origin":14354,"position":3},"title":"Purls of Wisdom (by Cheaux)","author":"Cheaux","date":"December 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0 One man's trash\u00a0is another's treasure. \u00a0Written for the Dan Blocker 2012 Birthday Challenge \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0 K -- \u00a0WC \u00a0800","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\/Joe-Hoss.jpg?fit=505%2C638&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":189,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=189","url_meta":{"origin":14354,"position":4},"title":"A Broken Resolution (by Cheaux)","author":"Cheaux","date":"January 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe has every intention of keeping his New Year's resolutions, but you know what they say about good intentions. Rated: \u00a0T (945 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6493,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6493","url_meta":{"origin":14354,"position":5},"title":"We Dance (by MissJudy)","author":"missjudy","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0This was a poem I wrote shortly after Pernell Roberts death, remembering his accomplishments and wonderful character. It's not sad! Those who love Adam or Pernell or any of his other characters will understand exactly what I'm writing about. 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