{"id":14412,"date":"2017-06-27T16:14:26","date_gmt":"2017-06-27T20:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14412"},"modified":"2026-08-01T23:33:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:33:46","slug":"eavesdropping-on-two-brothers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14412","title":{"rendered":"Eavesdropping on Two Brothers (by DJK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/strong>This is a compilation of ten private conversations between Adam and Hoss Cartwright from childhood through adulthood showing facets of their brotherhood. \u00a0<\/span>(They were written separately as responses to various challenges and prompts.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating: PG (references to adult themes) Word Count: 4,520<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eavesdropping on Two Brothers<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

The five-year-old stopped with his hand on the doorknob. His eleven-year-old brother walked up behind him and pulled his hand back to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t go in there!\u2019 Adam hissed into his brother\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the door\u2019s shut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knows it\u2019s shut, Adam, but I\u2019s big enough to open it.\u201d The little boy\u2019s voice held a puzzled exasperation.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s tone was one of condescending frustration. \u201cYou may be big enough, but you can\u2019t open that door anymore, not when it\u2019s closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? Why can\u2019t I open it; I done opened it lots of times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was before. Now you can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore what?\u201d Hoss could not imagine what might have occurred that would prevent him from opening the door to a room he had always entered at will.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore Pa married that woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur new ma?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s Pa\u2019s wife not our ma, but now that she is that is her room too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I can\u2019t go in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if the door is closed.\u201d Adam stated with completed assurance.<\/p>\n

Hoss heaved a sigh. \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause when married folk close the door to their bedroom, other folks can\u2019t go in. Married folk don\u2019t want to be disturbed in their bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be dis-ur bing?\u201d Hoss\u2019s brow became furrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure, and you know Pa gets mad when he\u2019s disturbed, so don\u2019t even think about opening that door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want Pa to be mad.\u201d Hoss declared and shifted from one foot to another.<\/p>\n

Adam placed a hand on his little brother\u2019s shoulder and turned him away from the door. \u201cCome on. I\u2019ll help you get dressed. You can\u2019t go and watch Pa shave anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo more?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cBut . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo buts, little brother, unless you want Pa to wallop yours. She\u2019s here now, and you can\u2019t do things like we used to anymore. Just remember not to open that door unless Pa calls and tells you too. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed again. \u201cOkay.\u201d He glanced back over his shoulder at the door to his pa\u2019s bedroom. He sniffed just once before obediently following his brother.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Is they married?”<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head from the sight of the two soaring eagles and looked down at his little brother. \u201cMarried? Animals don\u2019t marry, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said one was a male and one was a lady bird, and they share a nest, and they stay together for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds married to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cMating for life and getting married are not the same thing. Animals don\u2019t marry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knows some don\u2019t. A stallion he has lots of mares not one, and most wild ones gets with a new mate every spring, but \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, animals are not hairy people. Marriage is a scared thing from God for people only. Now I don\u2019t want to hear any more about married eagles.\u201d The edge on Adam\u2019s voice brought a pout to the younger boy\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cIffen one of them was killed would the other look for a new mate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, I don\u2019t know, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hope so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want one of um to be lonely, and building a new nest next year would be real hard for only one, and there wouldn\u2019t be no eggs nor no little baby eagles\u2026uh, eaglets.\u201d Hoss looked up at Adam seeking approval for remembering the proper word. Adam shook his head, but his lips turned up in a slight smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cEagles live long lives. They\u2019ll be fine, and we\u2019ll see the babies flying in a few weeks.\u201d Adam placed his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder and applied enough pressure to turn the boy one hundred and eighty degrees. \u201cWe best head toward the house; we\u2019ve evening chores to get done before Pa gets back from town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can tell our new mama about seeing the eagles. Ya think she\u2019s ever seen one?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. She\u2019s from the city. They don\u2019t have eagles in New Orleans.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was gruff and forced through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n

Hoss glanced sideways at his brother. \u201cHow comes ya don\u2019t like our new mama?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not my mama; she\u2019s not yours either. I told you she is our stepmother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFolks say she\u2019s our new mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, folks are wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said I can call her mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit the side of his cheek. \u201cYou can call her what you want, but Marie is not our mama, and I, for one, won\u2019t be calling her anything but m\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss took a few silent steps. \u201cShe can\u2019t be our mama \u2018cause she didn\u2019t birth us?\u201d Adam offered no response only quickened his steps. \u201cBut my mama, my first mama, didn\u2019t birth you; your first mama did. Wasn\u2019t she your mama?\u201d Hoss\u2019s voice was soft and puzzled.<\/p>\n

Adam stopped dead in his tracks and stiffened to granite. \u201cDon\u2019t you ever say she wasn\u2019t my mama!\u201d His hands curled into fists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she was your mama than Marie can be mine.\u201d His mind settled Hoss strode forward leaving Adam standing alone beneath the pines drawing in slow breaths and blinking rapidly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam came in the back door and walked through the kitchen snatching a cookie cooling on the counter. Taking a large bite, he saw his way blocked by his brother. Hoss stood just in the dining area obviously watching something in the room beyond, watching and listening. It was then that Adam became aware of the singing. He recognized the soft, lilting sound of his stepmother\u2019s voice and the words of the lullaby she sang. Stopping beside his brother, Adam\u2019s gaze found Marie as she sat rocking Little Joe and singing tenderly to him in French.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d Hoss\u2019s voice was a whisper. \u201cDid my ma ever sing to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d Adam kept his voice at the same volume. \u201cAll the time, little brother, even before you were born and every day after.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish. . .” Hoss turned his eyes from mother and child to glance at his older brother. Something in the set of Adam\u2019s jaw brought the thought of how little time Adam\u2019s ma would have had to sing to her son. His voice faltering, Hoss finished, \u201cI wish I could remember; it seems. . .it seems so nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Mama sang, it was real nice.\u201d Adam seemed to be listening to something farther away than Marie and his brother. \u201cSometimes I sang with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss knew his brother too well to miss the soft catch in his final words. \u201cWe, well, we might could go sing to Little Joe too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam remained silent as the seconds passed. Then he turned and smiled. \u201cWe could but your singing, brother, well, Marie might have both our hides if we scare the baby,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

Hoss shoved his brother and then smiled. \u201cBaby won\u2019t hear me at all if you\u2019re singing too. That voice of yours would drown out a squalling cat.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both laughed drawing Marie\u2019s attention. Deciding the best way to avoid a scolding was to follow Hoss\u2019s suggestion, they did. The baby slept with the sound of singing wrapping him in love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Four~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Hoss closed the door of his brother\u2019s bedroom behind him. \u201cAdam?\u201d The call was louder but still a whisper in the dark room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre ya going to be all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pushed up on his elbows and turned his face toward his brother. At least you had the sense not to ask if I was all right.<\/em> \u201cPa hasn\u2019t killed any of us yet. I don\u2019t suppose I\u2019ll die this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stepped closer. \u201cSometimes it makes ya almost wish ya had.\u201d He inched over to the bedside. \u201cI couldn\u2019t help but hear. I weren\u2019t eavesdropping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dropped his face down into his pillow. You wouldn\u2019t need to. I\u2019m sure everybody heard.<\/em> Adam felt the blood flushing his face and groaned.<\/p>\n

Hoss slipped onto the bed. \u201cI can put a cushion on your chair at breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam groaned again but moved his head in the negative. \u201cI\u2019ll be fine; go back to bed.<\/p>\n

Hoss shifted but did not rise. \u201cAdam, ummm, why do ya\u2026I mean ya know if Pa catches ya\u2026well, ya know what will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without lifting his body, Adam turned his face from the pillow toward the wall. \u201cI know.\u201d He heard his pa\u2019s voice in his head repeating how his punishment would escalate if his pa needed to repeat it. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why do ya keep doing it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I just convince myself each time I won\u2019t get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head. \u201cNaw, that ain\u2019t your way. Ya know ya could, and iffen ya keep on ya know you will, so why? Usually, ya don\u2019t disobey Pa like this unless ya think there\u2019s a good reason even if most of the time Pa don\u2019t think the reason\u2019s good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust is.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cJust is.\u201d He sorted. \u201cNow, go to bed and leave me be.\u201d Hoss did not move. \u201cI said go on!\u201d Adam\u2019s tone was forceful even though his volume was low.<\/p>\n

Hoss continued to sit.<\/p>\n

Lord God Almighty, why did you give me such a stubborn brother!<\/em> \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d try. \u2018Sides I understand most things when you explain \u2018em to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted again. He\u2019ll sit there until morning because I can\u2019t risk causing a ruckus by throwing him out.<\/em> He snorted again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I just\u2026 sometimes I\u2019ve got to ride, ride like the wind, to be free again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t ya ride like the wind in the daylight? Pa\u2019d get mad if ya was too reckless but not tanning mad like when ya sneak out at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make me feel the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make ya free?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026 no, not the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed. \u201cWhat ya want to be free of?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe\u2026\u201d Adam stopped himself. \u201cNot you, Hoss, never you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust\u2026just me, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss imitated his brother\u2019s snort. He placed his feet on the floor and stood, looking down at his older brother\u2019s back. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna do it again, ain\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lower lip. \u201cMake it a good while.\u201d He turned and walked toward the door, pausing when his hand touched the knob. \u201cWell, ya only get caught about half the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we could get Little Joe to sleep through the night, I could probably cut it down to one time in three.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably.\u201d Hoss opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Hoss. Please. Like I said, Pa hasn\u2019t ever killed one of us, and I don\u2019t think he ever will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head again and closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Five~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam snorted and then forced himself to exhale slowly. He paused and decided perhaps a short break was in order. After a cup of coffee and perhaps a couple of Hop Sing\u2019s molasses cookies, he would be in a better frame of mind to try for the third time to get it right. He turned on his heel and walked toward the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cTakin\u2019 a break?\u201d Adam slowed his gait slightly, and Hoss came up on his right matching his steps to his older brother\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Are you joining me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. Things going well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lower lip before answering. \u201cNot really.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little rusty, are ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam paused. \u201cIt\u2019s been closer to five years than four since I\u2019ve done anything\u2026\u201d He let his thoughts fade into silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much call for ranch work back East.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNone at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss watched Adam\u2019s right hand reach up to tug his ear. When Adam took another step forward, Hoss placed a hand on his brother\u2019s arm to halt his forward progress. “It\u2019ll come back soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it will. Like you said, I\u2019m just a little rusty. Too much time with books and pens and papers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d Hoss cleared a lump from his throat. \u201cWould, well, would ya rather, I mean, ya could still be working with them pens and papers. Do you wish ya were?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes.\u201d Adam seldom bothered to lie to Hoss, and Hoss never believed him when he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cYa came home for Pa and Little Joe and me.\u201d It was a statement not a question.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s gaze swept the house in front of them before he turned his gaze to his brother\u2019s eyes. \u201cIf none of you were here, I wouldn\u2019t have come back, but then if my family wasn\u2019t here, this wouldn\u2019t be my home. I wanted to come home, little brother. From the moment I left, I wanted to come home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s voice was barely audible. \u201cNot as much as ya wanted something more.\u201d Adam did not speak. The truth of Hoss\u2019s statement was indisputable. Hoss\u2019s voice was stronger, clearer, and held a demanding tone. \u201cDo ya still want something more?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you understand that part of me always will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s hand tightened on Adam\u2019s arm. \u201cYa can still have it. Pa and me and even Little Joe, well, none of us want ya being miserable giving up what ya want for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not miserable.\u201d Adam placed his left hand over Hoss\u2019s. \u201cI wanted to come home. I want to be here. I need\u2026\u201d He cleared his throat. \u201cI need to be here; I need my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t lose us even if ya left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. This is where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll give ya a hand after we get us some of them cookies Hop Sing was gonna bake this morning.\u201d Hoss smiled and headed off toward the house.<\/p>\n

Adam watched his man-sized little brother, shook his head, and then smiled. Evidently, Hoss was not even a little rusty at being his confidant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Six~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf ya keep grinding your teeth, you\u2019re gonna end up with just a mouthful of nubbins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head to look at Hoss and raised an eyebrow. \u201cIs that so?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam turned his gaze away. Hoss settled himself onto the bench beside his brother. \u201cYa left the table, which I might just mention was plum foolish since Hop Sing had cobbler with cream for dessert, \u2018caus ya was mad, and I\u2019ve got it figured that ya was mad with Little Joe, but I can\u2019t figure why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam picked at a splinter of wood with his fingernail. \u201cI\u2026 it\u2019s just\u2026I\u2019m not mad at Little Joe, not really.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYa got some burr in your britches, and it\u2019s got something to do with Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam released a slow breath. \u201cHe kept whining about not catching any fish.\u201d Adam\u2019s boot tip gouged the dirt beneath his feet.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s expression grew more puzzled. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t really whining, not\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slapped his hand against the wood of the bench. \u201cHe sat at a fully laden table grumbling and whining, yes, whining, and carrying on like no tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cleared his throat. \u201cAnd that made ya mad enough to leave and come out here to\u2026well, to fume and grind your teeth to nubbins?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s palms rubbed back and forth over the edge of the seat. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to let loose at Little Joe. I know he\u2019s just a kid, and really I shouldn\u2019t\u2026it\u2019s just, sometimes\u2026 I guess it\u2019s just, well, I remember\u2026I remember when not catching any fish was, well, when it really was, well, not a tragedy but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it meant the difference to how ya belly was feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Adam leaned his head back against the barn wall and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t Little Joe\u2019s fault that he\u2019s grown up different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that. That\u2019s why I left the table before Hop Sing\u2019s cobbler.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really remember them kind of times either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThings kept getting better, at least that way, after Pa meet Mama.\u201d Adam\u2019s eyes remained closed. \u201cActually, it\u2019s not as if that was the way of things for very long or that any of us really grew up poor. I shouldn\u2019t feel the way I was feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA body don\u2019t pick feelings; they just are.\u201d Hoss rested his hand on Adam\u2019s forearm. \u201cIt ain\u2019t just that Little Joe ain\u2019t never really known want.\u201d He paused. \u201cJust about everything\u2019s been easier for that boy than for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long minute passed. \u201cNot everything.\u201d Adam straightened. \u201cWallowing in self-pity is never a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPigs enjoy a good wallow now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could find an insult in that statement if I tried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould have found a worse one iffen I\u2019d said what I first thought.\u201d Adam turned his head toward Hoss and arched his eyebrow. \u201cWell, when ya said \u2018not everything\u2019, I could have said, \u2018No, he did have you for an older brother.\u2019 I didn\u2019t though.\u201d Hoss grinned slowly. \u201cJust couldn\u2019t somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled back. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seven~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve broken it!\u201d Adam\u2019s tone was curt and admonishing. Then he sighed as he stared down at his brother\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will heal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t have to if you hadn\u2019t plowed it into the doorframe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHad to hit something, and that doorframe was handy.\u201d The reply was matter of fact.<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cI guess it\u2019s a good thing a cast iron stove wasn\u2019t handy. Then it might have broken in three or four places.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA body gets mad sometimes, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not usually you!\u201d Adam looked into Hoss\u2019s face and sighed again. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just hit what made you mad and save yourself a broken hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo angry. I would have really hurt him, Adam. This is better.\u201d A slightly pleading tone had entered Hoss\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, this is real fine. You\u2019re going to be one-handed for weeks.\u201d Adam\u2019s words were sharp with sarcasm and bitterness.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I\u2019m not a southpaw like Joe. I\u2019ll get along fine. Ya don\u2019t have to worry; I\u2019ll still pull my weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brother a rueful glare. \u201cIt takes a team of oxen to pull your weight. Besides you know that\u2019s not why I\u2019m angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen just what burr is under your saddle? It\u2019s not like I can\u2019t tell you\u2019re mad at me.\u201d A slight irritation had crept into Hoss\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

Adam looked down at the large hand resting on his thigh. \u201cYou hurt my little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s brow furrowed with puzzlement. \u201cLittle Joe ain\u2019t even. . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say baby brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Hoss smiled. \u201cYou got to remember I\u2019m grown, and you don\u2019t have to look after me no more. I can take care of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is an example of how well you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s eyes grew serious. \u201cIt is, Elder Brother, if ya think on it. A little old broken bone in that big hand of mine don\u2019t hurt half as much as carting around a load of guilt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up into the clear blue of his brother\u2019s eyes and accepted that Hoss\u2019s words were simply true. \u201cWell, don\u2019t expect me to cool Pa down for you when he hears.\u201d Adam shook his head and then smiled. \u201cCome on. We\u2019re going over to the doctor\u2019s. I lay you ten to one he puts one of those new plaster casts on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could just put my hand in a sling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs to heal properly. Come on. Let\u2019s get it over with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two brothers rose. Hoss cradled his injured hand against his chest, and Adam slipped an arm around his brother\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan ya at least be there when I tell Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

With one last shake of Adam\u2019s head, they walked toward Dr. Martin\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eight~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss! Look!\u201d<\/p>\n

At the sound of his brother\u2019s voice, Hoss Cartwright turned his head and gazed on the meadow below. His eyes quickly focused on the herd of wild horses which had paused to drink at a small stream. Suddenly a massive chestnut stallion reared and neighed. The whole herd came to life, and in perfect unison galloped after the chestnut down the valley. The sound of their hoofs thundered back toward the two men.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re beautiful creatures,\u201d Adam observed. \u201cWouldn\u2019t mind having the stallion for my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t be has beautiful then,\u201d Hoss replied softly.<\/p>\n

Adam turned an appraising gaze on Hoss. \u201cPerhaps not, little brother, but would you have all of us go constantly afoot?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed. \u201cSometimes. When I see \u2018em like that. Sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head slowly. There was not a trace of wildness in this brother, yet he prized it in the rest of God\u2019s creatures. \u201cDo you envy them their freedom?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave a single shake of his head and then grinned. \u201cNaw, big brother, not like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes meet his brother\u2019s as he silently acknowledged the truth. Then he simply stated, \u201cBest get back to work.\u201d He would ponder the irony of it later in the blue chair before the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nine~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like so, but wasn’t.* Not really, not the absolute truth of it, but no one knows the absolute truth, only their truth. For me the truth was that we were in love. For a time she was my world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen the rest of her world reared its ugly head.\u201d Adam stared at the whiskey in the bottom of his glass and swallowed it down. \u201cThere was a great deal of ugliness in her life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss set down his almost full glass. \u201cWas there ugliness in her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in her; I could never believe that, but she was stained by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were awful young.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo was she, but . . . things can make a person grow up fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cleared his throat softly. \u201cBefore you found out, had you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Adam looked at the bottle on the table, reached toward it, and then let his hand drop. \u201cThat first year in college, I had Pa sitting on my shoulder too often for that, and I thought, well, I thought she was a . . .a lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you found she\u2026, well, that she\u2026, what she was doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to her. Furious, I was furious; I . . .I think I could have hurt her except\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExpect?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe turned toward me with tears in her eyes. I loved her, even then I loved her; she told me she loved me, that that part of things had never been a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to, part of me did, some of me still does, but \u2026\u201d This time Adam poured a shot and swallowed it in one gulp. \u201cI couldn\u2019t trust her; I never could have trusted her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it ended?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never saw her again until today.\u201d Adam looked directly at his brother for the first time since their conversation had begun. \u201cShe was a truly beautiful girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could see that. Years can be hard on a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd drink can be harder. Still I knew her; one look and I knew her. I wish you could have seen her then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can picture it. Adam, you ain\u2019t; well, you ain\u2019t blaming yourself for what she is now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she did love me, if I had forgiven her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s if\u2019s<\/em> and there\u2019s maybe\u2019s<\/em> but there ain\u2019t no reason for you to feel guilty. If she\u2019s had to pay for her sins, well, that\u2019s in God\u2019s hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer sins?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hurt my brother; that\u2019s sin enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saw the judgment sharpening the blue of his brother\u2019s eyes, and slowly shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019re usually the forgiving one.\u201d He took one more drink and then stood unsteadily. \u201cYou best get me back to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we still leaving for home in the morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless we get shanghaied on the way to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t nobody going to try and shanghai me; they\u2019d be worried about sinking their boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShip. Their ship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged and pulled Adam\u2019s arm across his shoulders. \u201cLet\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

*This first line was a quote from Galatea 2.2<\/em> by Richard Powers used for a challenge prompt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ten~~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam leaned against the side of the stall and stared down at Hoss as he inspected Chubby\u2019s leg. \u201cWhy did you lie to the boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt weren\u2019t really a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt surely wasn\u2019t all of the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all the truth that boy needs to know.\u201d Hoss stood, and his eyes meet his elder brother\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his eyebrow, but the message in Hoss\u2019s eyes did not waiver. Adam had seen that look in those blue eyes before. Sometimes it was best to simply let a mule have his way, at least a certain overgrown brother of a Cartwright mule. \u201cHave it as you will.\u201d Adam straightened. \u201cThe decision was yours to make. I\u2019ll not tell him anything more.\u201d He gave a meaningful shrug of his shoulders. \u201cStill, that\u2019s not to say that he won\u2019t hear the whole story from someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, but ain\u2019t that many folks know the whole story, and none of them is likely to be spending time in Richmond.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRichmond? Virginia?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. The boy showed me some papers. He has kin in Richmond on his Mama\u2019s side. It will be best if he goes to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s right hand tugged at his ear. \u201cBest for the boy, yes, it should be best for him.\u201d He sighed. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026I know you\u2026well, I know how you feel about him.\u201d His hand settled on Hoss\u2019s shoulder and squeezed gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want what\u2019s best for him is all. He\u2019s a good boy, Adam. He deserves a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hand squeezed again. \u201cOf course. Still, maybe learning the whole truth when there is someone to help him deal with it would be best if there\u2019s even a chance of him looking for more answers and finding them later.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time Hoss sighed and then shook his head. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you so sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done thought it through, and my mind is set.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not arguing the point, but you really haven\u2019t answered my question. Why?\u201d He waited patiently for his brother\u2019s answer; he always had.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the way I see it, the whole truth would kill all that boy\u2019s heroes, and a world without heroes is like a world without sun, you can\u2019t look up to anyone.* Iffen you ain\u2019t got anyone to look up to, well, it\u2019s real easy to get lost or find some lowdown, slim crawler to follow. I won\u2019t let that happen to that boy.\u201d He turned to look directly at Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d Adam made a decision not to mention heroes with feet of clay. Hoss knew his older brother well, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s bit of clay in most men\u2019s feet. That\u2019s a lesson we all learn sometime. Only it\u2019s a lesson best learned after we\u2019ve had lots of practice learning to forgive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled his agreement and dropped his arm around his brother\u2019s shoulder. \u201cRight.\u201d Yes, there\u2019s some clay in most hero\u2019s feet, but not all. I know for sure, not all.<\/p>\n

*\u201cA world without heroes is like a world without sun, you can\u2019t look up to anyone.\u201d Is a quote from \u201cA World Without Heroes\u201d by Kiss (Lou Reed, Bob Ezrin, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley) which was used as a challenge prompt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0HAM,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0multiple stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0This is a compilation of ten private conversations between Adam and Hoss Cartwright from childhood through adulthood showing facets of their brotherhood. <\/p>\n

Rating: PG (references to adult themes) Word Count: 4,520<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":10192,"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_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1090,23,41,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-hoss","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","category-challenges","wpcat-1090-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/A-H.jpg?fit=276%2C284&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14412","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\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}