I don\u2019t really know why \u2018cause you sing in front of people other places lots, but I know you really don\u2019t.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve turned the preacher down dozens of times, but, well, it\u2019s real important to me that you do.\u201d<\/p>\nAdam let the front feet of his chair hit the porch with a soft thud.\u00a0 He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.\u00a0 Then he took in a slow breath and released it.\u00a0 Little Joe sat silent; he had learned long ago when not to interrupt his brother\u2019s thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cWhy is it important, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s cheeks flushed as his eyes dropped to study his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026 you\u2019ll think it\u2019s twaddle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s important to you, it\u2019s not nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe looked up at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI know; you ain\u2019t said nothing, but I know you ain\u2019t sure about me getting married.\u00a0 You think I\u2019m too young; that we ain\u2019t known each other long enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re my baby brother.\u201d Adam saw Little Joe bristle. \u201cYou always will be even when you\u2019re ninety, so you\u2019re just going to have to get over me saying it.\u00a0 I know you are no more a baby than Hoss is little.\u201d\u00a0 Joe shook his head and then waited. \u201cIf I\u2019m less than one hundred percent in favor, it\u2019s just that.\u00a0 You haven\u2019t known Leonora long, and you\u2019re both young, but\u2026 I haven\u2019t said a word against the marriage, now, have I?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but, well, it\u2019s just, well, I have this feeling.\u201d\u00a0 Joe looked straight into Adam\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIf you sing at the service, it will be like you\u2019re giving my marriage your blessing, not just putting up with something, but giving it your blessing.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s eyes dropped.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s important to me.\u201d\u00a0 Several seconds passed.\u00a0 \u201cPa wasn\u2019t much older when he married your mother, was he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 Joe, you\u2019re right about where my reservations lie.\u00a0 Did you wonder why I didn\u2019t voice them to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I kinda expected that you\u2019d bring them up to me at some point. To tell the truth, I expected to hear them before now.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe scrunched his nose and cocked his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhy haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms on his chest.\u00a0 \u201cIt could be that I didn\u2019t want to spoil your happiness, and while it\u2019s true that I don\u2019t, that\u2019s not the real reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to be a hypocrite.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA hypocrite?\u201d Little Joe\u2019s confusion was clear.<\/p>\n
Adam tugged his right ear and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cTruth is that you are not the first of Pa\u2019s sons to be engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou?\u00a0 But I don\u2019t\u2026 when?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t remember because you never knew.\u00a0 The first year I was at college I was engaged to be married for seventeen days.\u00a0 Since I wasn\u2019t that much older than you, and I only knew her for five weeks before I proposed, well, there you have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2026 no, I never did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never knew.\u201d It\u2019s so important, and we never knew.<\/em><\/p>\nAdam felt his brother\u2019s tone was much too sorrowful; he made his own tone light.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s quite a few things about my college days that Pa, Hoss, and you don\u2019t know, and if my luck continues to hold there are a number of things that Pa will never find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The corners of Little Joe\u2019s mouth quirked upward.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that mean you\u2019ll tell Hoss and me about them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we are old and gray.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take that as a promise.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe drew his knees up to his chest and hugged his legs.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about your being engaged.\u00a0 Please. \u00a0I\u2026 since, well, I\u2019m old enough to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy only seventeen days?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam gazed out over his brother\u2019s head to focus on the night sky.\u00a0 \u201cShe was Irish Catholic my Mary Kate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo.\u00a0 Mama was Catholic.\u201d<\/p>\n
You never could listen to a story without interrupting, baby brother.\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cShe was, but\u2026\u00a0 anyway, Mary Kate\u2019s mother was devout and her father\u2026 her father spent most Sunday mornings sleeping off the drink and darkened the church door only on Christmas, Easter, and the occasional baptism or confirmation, but he\u2026\u00a0 Well, I believe his words were \u2018I\u2019ll be damned if a daughter of mine will send herself to hell by marrying a heretic’.\u201d It took me nine days to convince her to tell her parents of our engagement and eight days for me to accept that the marriage would never be.\u00a0 Seventeen days.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cBut you loved her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we loved each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joe.\u00a0 I thought of every possibility.\u00a0 If it had been just her father\u2026\u00a0 She loved her mother.\u00a0 She had seven brothers and three sisters; she loved them.\u00a0 I had you and Hoss and Pa.\u00a0 I thought of converting.\u201d\u00a0 Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I couldn\u2019t let\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Adam shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she why\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe rubbed his hand along his pants.\u00a0 \u201cAre you still\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, she is not why you do not have a sister-in-law as of yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought\u2026\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t your one true love?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned forward again.\u00a0 \u201cI loved her truly, Joe, but I don\u2019t believe in one true love, not like in fairy tales and the ladies\u2019 novels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you believe, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned back and tugged his ear several times.\u00a0 \u201cI think, well, it\u2019s like this to me.\u00a0 You\u2019ve heard couples sing duets.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took the simple nod of his brother\u2019s head as an indication that the boy\u2019s seriousness deserved an honest and complete answer.\u00a0 \u201cWell, when some couples sing a duet their voices meld; it\u2019s a thing of beauty.\u00a0 Sometimes it goes beyond the magnificence either singer could produce alone. Do you know what I mean?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe had much less experience with music than his brother, but he nodded his understanding.\u00a0 \u201cOther times, two people signing together, even if they both sign well, it just sounds off.\u00a0 They detract from each other instead of enhancing. \u00a0To my mind, falling in love is like deciding to sing a duet.\u00a0 You can\u2019t do it with everyone, but there is more than one possibility for creating beauty.\u00a0 Especially\u2026 Joe, two people don\u2019t just decide to sing together and do it perfectly.\u00a0 To create magnificence, they have to practice, to work very hard, join their voices in a way that doesn\u2019t compete but blends.\u00a0 For the duet that is marriage, you have to choose well and work hard, but if you do, you have, well, your life has a beauty, a richness, that you could never have singing alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not the best singer, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy analogy works best for me.\u00a0 I could have talked about horses and riders, but that wouldn\u2019t have been very flattering to your lovely Leonora.\u201d\u00a0 Adam smiled and placed his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll sing at your wedding, Joe.\u00a0 You, Leonora, and I can sit down and decide on an appropriate song.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good!\u201d\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t thought about Leonora wanting to pick the song.<\/em><\/p>\nAdam squeezed the shoulder beneath his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure your duet will be a thing of beauty, baby brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe chewed the corner of his mouth as he nodded.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Little Joe walked over to where Old Ned was working on the Cartwright buggy.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think you\u2019ll have it fixed before tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man looked over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMost probably.\u201d\u00a0 He straightened and wiped his hands on his pants.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re wanting to take your betrothed out for a Sunday jaunt, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the plan.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cLeonora\u2019s not much for riding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Ned turned to face Joe.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Little Joe drew out the syllable.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s lived mostly in cities and such.\u00a0 We\u2019ll work on her riding after the wedding.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got Hoss looking for the right mare.\u00a0 I was thinking I might give her a mare of her own for a wedding present.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving your own can make horses more agreeable to most.\u201d\u00a0 Though, if my eyes ain\u2019t been deceiving me, a horse ain\u2019t the present that little filly is dreaming on. <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIffen I don\u2019t run into any extra problems, I can have her done before I hit my bunk.\u201d<\/p>\nLittle Joe\u2019s eyes lit up and then faded.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to work extra, Mr. Ned.\u00a0 There\u2019s other things Leonora and I can do tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I be worried about what any of those things might be, Little Bit?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s eyes danced, and he could not suppress a grin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m an engaged man, Mr. Ned; you nor Pa nor Adam need to worry; Mr. Simms, well, he might have just a bit of a reason.\u201d\u00a0 Joe watched the man\u2019s brow furrow.\u00a0 \u201cLeonora\u2019s a lady; I always treat her like one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSee that ya do, Little Bit; see that ya do.\u201d Old Ned\u2019s voice had grown serious and carried a tone Little Joe recognized.<\/p>\n
Joe leaned against the buggy and studied the old cowhand\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s something more you want to tell me, isn\u2019t there?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen that look on your face lots of times.\u00a0 It\u2019s your I\u2019ve-learned-a-thing-or-two- over-the-years look.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cCould be I could take a bit of a break and still finish before tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Old Ned gestured to a bench against the barn wall, walked over, and sat down.\u00a0 Little Joe followed, but instead of sitting on the bench beside Old Ned he dropped to the ground and sat looking up as he had for many a lecture from the man who he looked upon as a surrogate grandfather.<\/p>\n
Old Ned spat a stream of tobacco off to his side.\u00a0 \u201cSome would think it ain\u2019t my place to speak seeing as you have your Pa to be seeing that ya hear what a bridegroom is needing to know, but, well, you and your brothers understand how I think on you boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThe Indians think that any elder should share his wisdom with any young brave who doesn\u2019t have his experience.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, teaching me has always been your place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDid I ever tell you that I had me a wife once?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Little Joe\u2019s voice was soft.\u00a0 You were married! <\/em>\u00a0\u201cNo, you never spoke of her.\u201d<\/p>\nOld Ned cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cAvoiding pain, I suppose, even though it was a long, long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to speak now if it pains you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Ned shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cSomething I want to say, and I want you to know I have some wisdom on the subject, of course, some of that wisdom was given to me by my papa; maybe that\u2019s why I\u2019m feeling the need to pass it on like I would have if my Jenna and I had had the sons we planned on.”<\/p>\n
\u201cHer name was Jenna?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJennessa.\u00a0 It\u2019s means white and smooth and fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she very fair?\u201d<\/p>\n
The corners of Old Ned\u2019s mouth turned upward in a gentler smile than Little Joe could ever remember seeing on the old man\u2019s face before.\u00a0 Ned gave a slow shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cShe weren\u2019t the town beauty; no, she always said I was the only man ever saw beauty in her face or form.\u00a0 I weren\u2019t the onliest one to see it in her soul though.\u201d Old Ned took in a deliberate breath.\u00a0 \u201cShe was a frail thing, my Jenna.\u00a0 Frail and young and pure, but I thought I could be strong enough for the both of us.\u00a0 That if God made us one, she\u2019d share my strength.\u00a0 Might be my thinking was a bit cocky for the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe went up to his knees and leaned toward Old Ned.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t think that; don\u2019t think that way.\u00a0 Hoss said\u2026 well, sometimes Pa\u2026well, once Hoss said we can\u2019t never think that God would take someone to punish or prove a point.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t nobody been that bad to deserve that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Ned nodded his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat brother of yours, well, Bucko ain\u2019t the only one of the boss\u2019s boys can say something deep and true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe settled back onto the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re wanting to tell me something deep and true about being married.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Ned gave another nod.\u00a0 \u201cAbout how a man should care for his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m planning on taking good care of Leonora; I\u2019ll be strong for her, and I\u2019ll be gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good, boy, real good, but I want ya to be more.\u00a0 I want ya to be tender.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that the same as being gentle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly.\u00a0 A man needs to be gentle with his wife\u2019s body; he has to be tender with her heart and soul.\u201d\u00a0 Old Ned saw the tiny furrow in Little Joe\u2019s brow.\u00a0 \u201cBucko\u2019s got himself one of them big dictionary books for words up to the house, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, it must weigh ten pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, if you look up tender<\/em>, ya\u2019ll see two ways of meaning.\u00a0 One is fragile, easily broken.\u00a0 A good woman\u2019s heart is a tender thing, even a strong woman\u2019s.\u00a0 That\u2019s why a man\u2019s got to be tender in the other way: showing love and gentle affection.\u00a0 It\u2019s not enough to love her, Little Bit, not with your body nor your heart.\u00a0 You have to show her love and gentle affection anyway ya can.\u00a0 Over and over, any way ya can.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cPa did that with Mama.\u201d Little Joe\u2019s voice was a whisper. Old Ned nodded his affirmation.\u00a0 \u201cYou had to be extra tender with your Jenna?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know me, Little Bit, that ain\u2019t my way, never was, never with anyone but her.\u201d\u00a0 Old Ned smiled and reached down to squeeze Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be easier for you, well, except for the times you let that temper of yours get the upper hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if I do lose my temper?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf ya do, then ya go to her and ask for her tender mercy and forgiveness.\u201d Old Ned squeezed the shoulder beneath his hand again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will; I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d\u00a0 Old Ned rose and started toward the buggy.\u00a0 \u201cI best get to my fixing then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe stood and dusted off the seat of his pants.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Ned, umm, could you do one other thing for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ned looked back over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUmmm, I\u2019m not meaning no sass.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYa know I don\u2019t allow none.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe nodded. \u201cWell, I was wondering, since I\u2019m going to be a married man and all\u2026\u00a0 Well, I\u2026 it\u2019s not that I don\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSpit it out, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you call me Joe or something else besides Little Bit?\u00a0 At least in front of Leonora.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old Ned\u2019s eyes swept from the boy\u2019s head to his feet and back again.\u00a0 He spit another stream of tobacco at the ground.\u00a0 \u201cWell, a fellow does want his intended to see him standing tall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOld habits die hard, but, well, in front of the ladies, I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Mr. Ned!\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s smile blazed. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll remember what you said.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Little Joe pulled off his left boot and stood holding both his boots to his chest while listening for sounds in the quiet house.\u00a0 Smiling, he sauntered toward the stairs.\u00a0 His smile dropped from his face as he saw a large, dark figure emerge from the deeper shadows at the foot of the staircase.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, just getting home, are ya?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s voice, though barely more than a whisper, was a wee bit loud for Little Joe\u2019s liking.<\/p>\n
\u201cShhhhh, you\u2019ll wake somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike Adam, maybe, or Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n
One would be near as bad as the other, and you know it! <\/em>Little Joe chose to ignore the question.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing up anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cNot sneaking in after midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sneaking!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss simply nudged the boots in his brother\u2019s hands.\u00a0 \u201cI was being considerate of others who might be sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho you hoped would be sleeping.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss chuckled softly; Little Joe shrugged. \u201cI woke up hungry and was gonna make a sandwich.\u00a0 Do you want one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Simms being a far inferior cook to Hop Sing, Little Joe shrugged again.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u201d The two brothers made their way into the kitchen and lit a small lamp.\u00a0 Joe took a seat on the end of the table while Hoss began slicing pieces of the leftover roast from dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would\u2019ve thought Mr. Simms would\u2019ve chased ya home earlier than it seems he did.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss glanced sideways to observe his brother\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n
Little Joe shifted, ducked his head, and cleared his throat. Actually, he did, but Leonora\u2019s window has that big tree right in front of it.\u00a0 Who\u2019d have thought that half listening to Miss Jones read that <\/em>Romeo and Juliet would come in handy one day?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cSometimes I think Mr. Simms would like to chase me all the way to San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cLeonora\u2019s his little gal, Joe.\u00a0 Papas always want to chase away every boy who comes around their little girls, it\u2019s to be expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ain\u2019t been giving Mr. Simms no extra reason to give chase, have ya, Short Shanks?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe bit his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s taught me better, besides Leonora\u2019s a lady.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course she is; I thought nothing different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a lady, a good Christian, and well-brought up, and even though we\u2019re engaged, well, she wouldn\u2019t, and I would never expect her to.\u00a0 I just really wish she would!<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss finished one sandwich and handed it to Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWon\u2019t be much longer until you\u2019ll be her husband and not just her betrothed.\u00a0 Then, well, then I think you\u2019ll be glad ya waited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot having first-hand experience being a husband, I only can think.\u00a0 Still, well, then it will be as special as your love for Leonora, as least to my way of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Special? <\/em>Little Joe took a bite of sandwich to avoid chewing on his lower lip. \u201cYou don\u2019t think it could be special with someone who\u2019s not your wife?\u201d<\/p>\nHoss kept his eyes on the sandwich he was constructing, and Little Joe could only see the blush that tinged his brother\u2019s neck and checks.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think it would be special with just any female, like not with them women in\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Hoss let his words fade.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat women where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNever you mind, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI may be littler than you, but in two weeks I\u2019m going to be a married man, and you aren\u2019t even engaged.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why you think\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe sputtered and let out a loud snort.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re near as bad as Adam about some things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss turned and leaned back against a cupboard.\u00a0 \u201cGuess Adam and I both are gonna have to think different about some things when it comes to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and Adam and Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou best not hold out too much hope when it comes to Pa; you\u2019re always gonna be his baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe kicked his foot toward his brother, but Hoss was beyond the reach of Joe\u2019s boot.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s some things I wouldn\u2019t exactly want to discuss with Pa anyway.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe gave his brother a glare followed by a look of supplication.\u00a0 \u201cWhat women, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThem painted women in San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPainted women in San Francisco!\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s exclamation held much more volume than Hoss\u2019s voice had all evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cShhh, or ya will wake Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss felt the warmth rising up his neck into his cheeks.<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhen\u2026 No, I know.\u00a0 It was when Adam and you went up to San Francisco after your twenty-first birthday and neither one of you would let me come.\u00a0 I begged and begged, and ya both said no<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cPa said no<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nLittle Joe snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThe two of you had it planned, going and seeing them painted women, didn\u2019t you?\u00a0 That\u2019s why I couldn\u2019t get you to say I should go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt ain\u2019t like it\u2019s the onliest place we went.\u00a0 Besides, you weren\u2019t even fifteen yet, Short Shanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was old enough\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe watched Hoss\u2019s eyebrow rise.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I was old enough to at least go see.\u201d\u00a0 Joe crossed his arms around his middle and glared.<\/p>\n
Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t go down on the Barbary Coast.\u00a0 Adam ain\u2019t no fool; and neither of us was looking to get shanghaied.\u00a0 We went to this high-class gentleman\u2019s club where a friend of Adam\u2019s is a member.\u00a0 They don\u2019t let nobody who ain\u2019t twenty-one in the door.\u00a0 Nobody, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Adam took you?\u201d Bet he wouldn\u2019t take me if I was fifty.\u00a0 <\/em>Little Joe exhaled through his nose in a long, loud huff.<\/p>\n\u201cYeah, he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me.\u201d\u00a0 It was both a demand and a plea.<\/p>\n
Hoss left the sandwich fixings and took a seat.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, but you better never say a word to Pa, or I\u2019ll pound ya right into the ground.\u00a0 Do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hear ya!\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss rubbed his hand through his hair.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe, well, maybe\u2026since you\u2019re betrothed and all.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIt weren\u2019t really like I\u2019d thought it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it like then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it was a really swanky place with marble and red velvet and gilded mirrors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe rolled his eyes.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really care about the furnishings.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAnyways, there was music, and there were lots of men in evening clothes drinking and playing cards and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were women sitting with the men or around on the settees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty women?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss nodded and shrugged at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were they wearing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome were wearing thin, silky dresses and some\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome was wearing less than that.\u00a0 Lacy less-than-thats.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo dresses?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s voice had become a horse whisper.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but, well, they weren\u2019t naked, but ya could see a lot more than a fellow should be seeing of some woman he don\u2019t even know.\u00a0 Some of the lacy things Adam said were called negligees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNegligees?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYep.\u00a0 And there was all different kinds of women:\u00a0 tall and small, blonde-haired and black and brown, even a couple with red hair.\u00a0 There were lots of curls and ribbons, sparkly earbobs, and the smell of perfume.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll different kinds.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe grew glassy eyed with the imagining.\u00a0 \u201cIt must have been something.”<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss shifted and ran his hand once more through his hair.\u00a0 \u201cUm, umm, I guess it was the fard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why they call them painted women, Joe.\u00a0 They had all farded their faces.\u00a0 Old and young, the fard was there covering their faces making them look, well, they looked like dolls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDolls?\u201d\u00a0 Is that a bad thing?\u00a0 I\u2019ve called Leonora my beautiful doll.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cHoss, sometimes\u2026\u00a0 It\u2019s supposed to make them look like men want women to look: fair skin, red lips\u2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They looked pretty, didn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cYea, they looked pretty like them porcelain dolls and china figurines in the big mercantile stores are pretty, but\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was this one little, bitty mite of a thing in pink came over and sat on my lap.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss swallowed and dropped his voice to a bare whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI, well, you know, she was sitting on my lap and, well, she was offering and \u2026\u00a0 Then I looked at her face, and it was, well, with all the fard, the powder and paint, it was like looking at a mask, like I couldn\u2019t really see her, just a doll\u2019s face, and, well, I guess I want a real girl not a doll for that.\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe drank and gambled, and well, I got me an eyeful.\u00a0 Then we went back to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYea, of course, but\u2026\u00a0 I wanted to something powerful but not that way, not with no China doll.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s shoulders slumped.\u00a0 His voice barely reached his brother\u2019s ears.\u00a0 \u201cIt would have been a sin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss looked straight into his little brother\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThe sin would\u2019ve been in using her like she, well, like she had no more feelings, no more soul, than a doll.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d never want to just use a woman, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 I never wanted to just use Leonora.\u00a0 I asked to her marry me.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI know, little brother.\u00a0 You want better than that.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss reached over and squeezed Little Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to have something so much better.\u00a0 Before long you\u2019re gonna have Leonora and something so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Little Joe ran his finger over the inked names and dates: a marriage, a birth, a marriage, a birth, a marriage, his birth.\u00a0 Repeating the process, he reread them and then read them for a third time.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour marriage will be recorded next.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe startled. \u201cPa!\u201d\u00a0 He quickly closed his father\u2019s large Bible.\u00a0 \u201cI, I was just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave I ever denied you the Bible, son?\u201d\u00a0 Ben Cartwright sat down next to Little Joe on the edge of the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but\u2026\u00a0 I know I shouldn\u2019t have just come in and, well, I know better; it\u2019s your Bible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our family Bible.\u201d\u00a0 Ben watched his son relax.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve seen those entries before though.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s tone conveyed to Little Joe not just his father\u2019s observation but also a question.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave up the sea when you married Adam\u2019s mother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you loved her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I loved her, and we had another dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat, what if she hadn\u2019t shared that dream, Pa?\u00a0 Would you have given up your dream for her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cSupposition about the past is no surer than supposition about the future.\u201d\u00a0 Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cSharing that dream was part of our loving each other, but, yes, if the choice had been my dream of the West or Elizabeth, I would have chosen Elizabeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s voice became softer.\u00a0 \u201cIf she, if she had come west with you and Adam, well, if the three of you had stopped in that town and went into Mama Inger\u2019s store.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Little Joe wasn\u2019t sure if his name was an admonishment or an entreaty from his father.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t; it ain\u2019t just curiosity, Pa.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been married three times, and I know you loved them all.\u00a0 I just\u2026 I want to understand; I need to understand about marriage and all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben placed his hand against the back of his son\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cThe man who married Elizabeth loved her with his heart and soul, and if she had been with me in that town Inger Borgstrom would have been no more than a lovely and kind woman we met on the way.\u00a0 But the man who walked into that store was a different man, a changed man, and he fell in love heart and soul too.\u00a0 Then yet a different man, a man changed by what had happened in his life, went to New Orleans and fell in love heart and soul with your mother.\u00a0 Can you understand that, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben\u2019s hand squeezed Joe\u2019s neck lightly.\u00a0 \u201cThe marriage vows state until death do us part, and in this life that is a sad truth.\u201d\u00a0 Ben patted Little Joe\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cBut that\u2019s the past, son, and we have a happy future to dwell upon instead.\u00a0 Shortly, we\u2019ll record the marriage of Joseph Francis Cartwright to Leonora Anne Simms and then, well, I intend to fill that page with my sons\u2019 marriages and the births and marriages of my grandchildren.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe ran his hand over the leather cover of the Bible on his lap.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be ten pages for recording in here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my hope that another hand will keep the record going when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe gave a shake of his head, not wanting to consider a time when his father\u2019s hand would not be there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas your birth recorded in a Bible, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, in one much larger and older with generations of Cartwrights listed on multiple pages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe saw the wistfulness in his father\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandfather recorded my birth in a Bible that was handed down through five generations of Cartwrights from father to eldest son.\u00a0 My uncle Patrick was the eldest son.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u00a0 He had a son too, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSix, six sons and two daughters.\u00a0 He recorded my marriage to Elizabeth in that Bible.\u00a0 I wrote to him of my marriage to Inger but there was no answer; I can\u2019t be sure he even received my letter.\u201d\u00a0 Ben sighed and tapped the Bible gently.\u00a0 \u201cBut we have a place for the new generations, right here, to be recorded for all to read along with God\u2019s holy word.\u201d\u00a0 Ben squeezed Little Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou have my permission to open that Bible anytime, son, anytime.\u00a0 In fact, from time to time a man needs to remind himself that the vows he took in marriage are holy, and he is bound to his wife by God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe swallowed.\u00a0 Holy and bound by God.<\/em>\u00a0 Joe shifted and set the Bible on his father\u2019s bedside table.\u00a0 \u201cElizabeth Stoddard was a lady, a well brought up Christian lady.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe bit his lip.<\/p>\nBen\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know you wanted, well, a life and dream with her, Pa, not, well, not just what a good Christian lady would only give her husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben placed his hands on Joe\u2019s shoulders and turned his son to look directly into his eyes.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s eyes dropped and then his chin.\u00a0 Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cThat gift is a benefit of marriage, Joseph, one of its blessings, but it should not be the reason, the motivation for a marriage.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s hands dropped from Little Joe\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 His tone became stern.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you came to me, you told me that you loved Leonora and wanted above all else for her to be your wife.\u00a0 Are you telling me now that what you wanted was to bed her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe shook his head frantically.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I love her.\u00a0 She says she loves me.\u00a0 When I\u2019m not with her, I want to be.\u00a0 I want\u2026\u00a0 I want to make her happy.\u00a0 I want to be married.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take good care of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.\u00a0 \u201cJoe.\u201d\u00a0 A few seconds passed.\u00a0 \u201cMany years ago, I knew a man; he sailed on The Wanderer<\/em>.\u00a0 On ship over a long voyage men talk; sometimes they share even very private thoughts.\u00a0 Anyway, this man was married.\u00a0 He told me that early in his marriage his wife had lost a child.\u00a0 That the doctor had come to him after that loss and told him that his wife should never try to carry a child again.\u00a0 That it would be dangerous; that she could die from the attempt.\u00a0 He loved his wife; he desired her, but he was afraid.\u00a0 He said that it was after talking to the doctor that he had signed onto a ship for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cSo that they wouldn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that the chance would not be taken.\u00a0 Joseph, would you want to spend the rest of your life with Leonora if the doctor told you she could not, uh, have wifely relations?\u201d\u00a0 Ben waited for an answer, but Little Joe did not speak.\u00a0 That\u2019s an answer in itself.\u00a0 I should have insisted that they wait.\u00a0 They\u2019re so young. <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cFolks say\u2026 they say every man has some doubts, that all grooms get cold feet, but it\u2019s nothing, nothing but nerves.\u00a0 Anyways, we\u2019re promised to each other; I couldn\u2019t just break that promise, even if I\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Do I want to?\u00a0 I love Leonora.\u00a0 I do!<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI love Leonora, Pa; I do, and I\u2019m gonna try to be the best husband I can.\u201d<\/p>\nBen reached out and squeezed Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou are betrothed, Joseph, and that is a serious promise, but you must, you must be sure before you make those holy vows that what both you and Leonora want is to be bound together as one for the rest of your life and nothing less.\u201d\u00a0 His fingers tightened again as he felt a shudder go through his son.\u00a0 \u201cI, your brothers and I, shall support you in whatever you decide is right.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lace is French, Joe, and there\u2019s thirty buttons down the back.\u00a0 It\u2019s the most beautiful dress I\u2019ve ever seen, and Momma said I can wear my grandmother\u2019s pearl earbobs.\u201d \u00a0Leonora\u2019s arms slipped around Little Joe\u2019s waist, and she snuggled against his side.\u00a0 \u201cI want to be beautiful for you; I want to be the most beautiful bride in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will be, Leonora.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be a good wife too.\u00a0 I can bake and sew and\u2026\u00a0 I want children; we\u2019ll have such pretty babies, Joe; just you wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be beautiful if they take after their momma.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe girls can look like me, but all of the boys will look like you.\u201d\u00a0 Leonora\u2019s sigh was filled with satisfaction. \u201cIt will be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perfect? <\/em>\u201cDo you think so?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cOf course!\u201d\u00a0 Leonora\u2019s squeezed Little Joe and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have the perfect wedding and then the perfect marriage, and our children will be angels, perfect little angles.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeonora, you know\u2026 you do know that nothing\u2019s really perfect?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonora\u2019s arms dropped as she pulled away.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2026\u00a0 You don\u2019t think we\u2019ll have the perfect marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He saw the stricken look in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI love you.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. \u201cI want you; more than anything I want you.\u201d\u00a0 He kissed her again, deeply and slowly. When their lips parted, she settled her cheek against his chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you too, Joe.\u00a0 My heart\u2019s beating fast as yours, so I know I\u2019m right, and that\u2019s it\u2019s going to be perfect.\u00a0 You don\u2019t think anybody but my perfect love could make my heart beat this way, now do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe\u2019s hand stroked her curls. \u201cAm I the first boy to ever kiss you?\u201d\u00a0 He said it gently, but she pulled away, her eyes flashing at the insult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course!\u00a0 I never\u2026well, once but not really, not\u2026 I was eleven; he was just a little boy, we\u2026\u00a0 I\u2019ve never let another man kiss me.\u201d\u00a0 She dropped her eyes and fiddled with the ruffle on the end of her sleeve. \u201cDo you think I\u2019m the kind of girl that\u2026\u00a0 Do you think I\u2019m that<\/em> kind of girl because I let you kiss me before we were engaged?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cNo, no, I never thought such a thing, never.\u00a0 I just\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He stood up and took three steps away from her and then turned to look out over the lake.\u00a0 \u201cLeonora, I\u2019m not perfect.\u00a0 I just\u2026\u00a0 Marriage isn\u2019t a fairy tale.\u201d He turned and dropped to his knees, staring across the space between them.\u00a0 \u201cHave you thought, really thought about how it will be?\u00a0 Not the wedding; not having people call you Mrs. Cartwright; not being a married woman that doesn\u2019t have to listen to her pa, but about really being my wife?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonora\u2019s hands reached toward him then dropped into her lap.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand, Joe; I don\u2019t understand what you want me to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to say anything.\u00a0 I want you to think.\u00a0 Will you want to kiss me when I come in smelling of sweat and horse and cows?\u00a0 Will you hug me when I walk my muddy boots across the floor you just mopped or track everything you try to avoid in a cow pasture across your carpets?\u00a0 Will you think our babies are angels when their diapers leak on your new dress or they cry all night?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s voice had increased in volume with each question.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe, why are you hollering at me?\u201d\u00a0 He watched the tears drip from her eyes and drew in a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I ain\u2019t; at my house this ain\u2019t anywhere near hollering.\u201d\u00a0 He moved closer and took her hands in his. What would she do if I bellowed like Pa? <\/em>\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t mean to holler.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want you to be upset; I don\u2019t.\u00a0 I just\u2026\u00a0 Think a minute, Leonora, about what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\nShe drew in several shaky breaths.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t Hop Sing mop the floors?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHop Sing won\u2019t be there when we have a house of our own.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we can hire someone.\u201d\u00a0 She raised her eyes to his face.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose, but what, what if we couldn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019d mop floors then and wash clothes and whatever.\u201d\u00a0 She lifted her chin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be doing it in my own house when I decided, so it would be different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMud\u2019s mud and stinky clothes stink in anybody\u2019s house.\u00a0 Lots of things have to be done when they need to be done even if you don\u2019t want to do them.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s told me that a million times.\u00a0 Only when you\u2019re grown and married, you\u2019re the one who has to make yourself do them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you want to marry me?\u201d\u00a0 He watched as she buried her face in her hands.\u00a0 \u201cI want to marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut do you want to be married<\/em> to me, not some perfect lover, but Little Joe Cartwright who hollers and has a quick temper and doesn\u2019t want to get out of bed in the morning?\u201d<\/p>\nShe pulled her legs up, hugged them with her arms, and sobbed into her skirts.\u00a0 He went to her and pulled her into his lap.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry; you don\u2019t have to cry.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be married, and we\u2019ll be happy, and our children will be angels.\u201d Her sobs quieted, and she wiped her eyes with her skirt.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m your betrothed, Leonora.\u00a0 A betrothal is a promise, and any man who knows me will tell you that Little Joe Cartwright always keeps a promise.\u201d\u00a0 He stood then, helping her to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cWe best gather the picnic things.\u00a0 I told your father that I would have you home before dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded. Little Joe stowed the basket and the blankets in the buggy and settled Leonora. Walking around to the other side, his eyes fastened onto the bouquet of wildflowers lying on the seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were going to give those to your mother.\u201d\u00a0 Leonora\u2019s voice sounded raspy and strained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll\u2026 it\u2019s not far.\u201d\u00a0 His hand pointed vaguely.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind waiting, I\u2019ll just be a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I still come with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
They walked in silence.\u00a0 Leonora waited a few steps back from the grave as Little Joe placed the flowers in front of the headstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loved it here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were very young when she passed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I barely\u2026\u00a0 I haven\u2019t many real memories of her, but I feel\u2026\u00a0 I come here sometimes because I feel I can talk to her here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 She took a step toward him.\u00a0 \u201cHave you talked to her about marrying me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPapa told Mama I was too young to be marrying, but she told him to remember that she was only sixteen when she married him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they have a happy marriage.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to face her and waited as if for an assurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes.\u201d\u00a0 She turned and started to walk back to the buggy.\u00a0 Little Joe fell into step beside her.\u00a0 The ride to the Simms house was a very quiet one.\u00a0 Joe helped Leonora from the buggy and escorted her to the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cHop Sing will have supper ready about seven tomorrow, but you and your folks are welcome to come as early as you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll tell Papa.\u00a0 Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need\u2026 I need to talk to my mama about \u2026 about really being married.\u00a0 I think you should talk to your mama about our marriage too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then we\u2019ll talk together?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we\u2019ll talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Simms had gone home.\u00a0 Though it was still early, the discussion had taken quite some time and left everyone feeling weary.\u00a0 Pa had taken himself up to bed, but Adam and Hoss had waited for a while and then went out into the night.\u00a0 Looking around, they stepped off the porch.\u00a0 Glancing at each other, they walked out to where he stood leaning against the pasture fence.\u00a0 Adam went to stand on his right while Hoss took the spot on Little Joe\u2019s left.\u00a0 It was a few minutes before Adam spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no denying that folks are going to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey always do.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s eyes continued to study the horses in the pasture.<\/p>\n
\u201cFighting with some barfly ain\u2019t gonna help that.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s arm just barely brushed against Little Joe\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Little Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cFighting a barfly is gonna be a darn sight better than fighting Mrs. Peabody or one of the other church ladies.\u201d Adam\u2019s arm bumped Joe\u2019s with significant force.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, no fighting, at least no more than usual.\u201d\u00a0 Adam and Hoss exchanged a look over their little brother\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, that finishing school, it\u2019s a good place, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have suggested it if it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know; I just want\u2026\u00a0 I don\u2019t want her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a fine school.\u00a0 I think, I really think she will enjoy it.\u00a0 If she doesn\u2019t, there is nothing keeping her there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeems to me the little gal was fine with the idea, but, like Adam says, she\u2019s free to change her mind.\u00a0 Her parents didn\u2019t seem to be forcing things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer folks, Pa, we, everyone just wants what is best, and, well, a year isn\u2019t forever.\u00a0 When she comes back, if\u2026well, there\u2019s time enough then for a wedding.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned his head to study Little Joe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will cost Pa good bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa\u2019s not concerned about that, and money spent on education is never a waste.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe set his chin on his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWhich saying do you think is true?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost sayings have a good bit of truth in them.\u00a0 If you want me to give an opinion, you need to give me my choices, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsence makes the heart grow fonder or out of sight out of mind?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIt depends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn what two folks really have between them.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s observation turned both his brothers to look at him.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the right decision, Short Shanks.\u00a0 I feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u00a0 In your bones.\u201d\u00a0 Neither of his brothers responded.\u00a0 Little Joe dropped his eyes to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cI broke a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe, you are not the first Cartwright to break a promise.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to feel guilty about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss placed his hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder and turned his brother to face him fully.\u00a0 \u201cPa taught us about keeping promises, but he also taught us something else.\u00a0 When did he say was the onliest time when a body should break one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen keeping it would cause more harm than breaking it.\u201d\u00a0 Joe sighed.<\/p>\n
Adam cleared his throat. \u201cThere\u2019s another adage that I imagine came from people\u2019s experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarry in haste; repent in leisure.\u201d\u00a0 Both of his brothers\u2019 voices delivered the answer in unison.<\/p>\n
Adam exchanged another glance with Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI think for his next birthday I\u2019ll pay one of the ladies at church to embroider that saying on a sampler to hang over his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss seemed to be pondering the idea until Little Joe\u2019s elbow found his brother\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need no samplers!\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe not.\u00a0 You made a very mature decision, baby brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby!\u201d\u00a0 Indignation spat the word from Little Joe\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n
Hoss placed his hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder once again.\u00a0 \u201cNow, now, Adam don\u2019t mean it that way, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t, you know, or else my little brother and I would not have arranged with Pa to take you on a trip to San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSan Francisco!\u00a0 Pa said we could go to San Francisco?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s dimples deepened, and Hoss\u2019s grin revealed the gap in his teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd being the oldest<\/em>, Adam volunteered his bank account for the entire trip.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss clapped his older brother on the back.<\/p>\n\u201cI can\u2019t believe\u2026\u00a0 Pa said we three could go to San Francisco?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur father trusts my judgment, Joseph, and I promised him we would not set foot on the Barbary Coast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little Joe exchanged a look with Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cDid you promise him we wouldn\u2019t go anywhere else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss gave a slight shake of his head and mouthed twenty-one.<\/em><\/p>\nLittle Joe smiled as the three brothers headed back toward the house.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure I can look like I\u2019m twenty-one if I try!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The End<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Written for the 2017 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.<\/p>\n
The words\/phrases dealt to me were:<\/p>\n
engagement, at the monastery, faud, duet, tender<\/p>\n
Tags:\u00a0 Old Ned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Summary: \u00a0 Little Joe is engaged for the first time.<\/p>\n
Rating: \u00a0 T \u00a0 \u00a0Word Count: \u00a08,840<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":14594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":true,"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":[1008,3,40],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-14623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-romance","category-challenges","tag-pppt","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-3-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\/2017\/08\/Poker-2017.png?fit=931%2C664&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14623","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=14623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}