{"id":15151,"date":"2017-08-28T18:40:14","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T22:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15151"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:19:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T19:19:30","slug":"something-about-amy-by-jc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15151","title":{"rendered":"Something About Amy (by JC)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/strong>Tennyson said, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” \u00a0What would Joe Cartwright say? (WHI\/WHN for The Truckee Strip and part of the Ties That Bind AU series)<\/p>\n

Rating K+ \u00a0 (1782 words)<\/p>\n

Ties That Bind series<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ties That Bind<\/a>
\nImperfect Memory<\/a>
\nA Pearl Without Price<\/a>
\nA Piece of Cake<\/a>
\nSomething About Amy<\/a>
\nGuarding the Henhouse<\/a>
\nWhen Angels Cry<\/a>
\nNo Ordinary Day<\/a>
\nWinter of Discontent<\/a>
\nInterval<\/a>
\nNot to Me<\/a>
\nGently, Full of Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SOMETHING ABOUT AMY<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIs this the place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright narrowed his eyes against the glint of the sun, expelling the air from his lungs in a measured breath. \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were standing on the bank of a creek that meandered across a parcel of Ponderosa land they called the Truckee Strip\u2014at the very spot where he first met Amy Bishop.\u00a0 He had intended to come back before now, but the thought of returning always provoked some excuse to put it off. \u00a0Did that make him a coward?<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t as if he\u2019d never lost anyone close to him, but when his mother died he was too young to understand death. Its finality was something he would learn. All he knew then was that she wasn’t there to take him in her lap or dry his tears or tuck him in bed with a story and a goodnight kiss. At first he marked her absence by the things they used to do together, but as he got older the things he remembered and missed the most about her were simpler and yet harder to put into words\u2014the lullaby of her voice even when she wasn’t singing, the scent of roses and lilacs when she held him. Time had blurred the edges of that pain, the loss absorbed by the years and the resilience of youth.<\/p>\n

But the grief that consumed him now was fresh and raw, a gaping hole that threatened to swallow him if he got too close, and there was nowhere to run. Some days he teetered right on the edge.<\/p>\n

A lot of girls had turned his head during his eighteen years of living. Amy certainly wasn\u2019t the first, nor was she even the most beautiful. But there was something about her\u2014she was different\u2014and he took notice that day, there on the creek bank.<\/p>\n

It was Cartwright land, verified by a court of law, but Amy\u2019s father, Luther Bishop, hadn\u2019t seen it that way. The dissension between the owners of the Ponderosa and the Concho was deep and widely known, and a judge\u2019s ruling couldn\u2019t erase a man\u2019s animosity when he felt he\u2019d been cheated.<\/p>\n

When Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth, Joe figured he probably hadn\u2019t counted on Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 There was nothing meek about his father when it came to the land. From as early as he could remember, Pa had preached to him about the land. The land was life, like the blood and sweat that had bought and nurtured it, to be preserved and protected as a father\u2019s legacy and his children\u2019s inheritance.\u00a0 No man dare take it from them.<\/p>\n

Joe had accepted all this as fact, like a dutiful son, never questioning. The Strip had no particular significance to him except that it was theirs. And so when word came that someone was cutting timber up there, he was righteously indignant, along with the rest of his family.<\/p>\n

Most likely the perpetrators were Bishop\u2019s men, according to Pa.\u00a0 Joe lost the trail of one of them near the creek. Unnerved by a noise in the bushes, he drew his gun and threatened to shoot. That\u2019s when Amy emerged\u2014a brown-haired, slip of a girl clad only in her chemise and petticoat, holding her dress as a shield. He clearly held the advantage and was enjoying it until the subject of trespassing came up and identities were revealed.<\/p>\n

She promptly insulted him for being a \u201chigh and mighty Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 Well, what else could you expect from a Bishop?<\/p>\n

The moment she screamed, he only did what came naturally.\u00a0 It seemed she was more startled by a frog than a Cartwright pointing a gun at her. He grabbed her by the waist to steady her, thinking she had the prettiest white shoulders he\u2019d ever seen, especially the way her dark curls fell softly against them. And when she raised those doe eyes and smiled at him, didn\u2019t his heart skip a beat? It sure seemed like it.\u00a0 Anyway, it was something he\u2019d never felt before.\u00a0 He left her that day knowing he would see her again, no matter what Pa might have to say.<\/p>\n

Amy was a tiny thing, probably not much more than five feet, but she fit in his arms as if she were made precisely for that purpose. They spent stolen hours by the creek while she read sonnets to him.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t pretend to understand them\u2014he just loved the sound of her voice, loved watching her face, waiting for just the right moment to capture her lips in a kiss. \u00a0Before long, they were planning their future together in spite of the fact that their families were bitter enemies. He wanted her for the rest of his life. Yes, it could be. Love was stronger than hate, he assured her. He\u2019d been raised to believe that.<\/p>\n

But he never got the chance to prove it to her. It wasn\u2019t fair. He would grow old, and she would always be seventeen.<\/p>\n

Was it worth it \u2013 all that fighting over a bunch of trees? He had asked the question and never really gotten an answer, only his father\u2019s assurance that he would never place the land above his family. But by then it was too late.<\/p>\n

It was Pa who wrote Jilly about Amy. Joe had never been good at putting words on paper, unlike his sister, and besides, there were some things he just couldn\u2019t put in a letter.\u00a0 Her reply was the next best thing to having her there, and he nearly wore the paper out from so much reading. He would have shown it to the others had they asked, but a part of him was glad they didn\u2019t. He made up his mind that whenever she came back from San Francisco he would show her the spot by the creek where he fell in love for the first time in his life.<\/p>\n

He felt Jilly’s light touch on his arm as she spoke. \u201cIt\u2019s so pretty and peaceful\u2014I can see why she liked it here.\u00a0 Joe, I wish I could\u2019ve met her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe wanted to meet you, too. I told her all about you. You would\u2019ve loved each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled. \u201cI\u2019m sure we would have. Isn\u2019t it strange that we grew up practically next door and didn\u2019t even know each other? We could\u2019ve been friends all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the Bishops and the Cartwrights weren\u2019t exactly on sociable terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. It\u2019s a shame, though, that a strip of land could drive such a wedge between people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the land. Maybe it was at first, but it went beyond a man\u2019s right to protect what he owns. It was also a matter of pride. Pa and Mr. Bishop both thought they were right, but only one of them could be. After Amy died, it didn\u2019t seem to matter who was right and who was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t blame either one of them, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sure Mr. Bishop would give everything he owns if it would bring her back. I feel sorry for him, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I\u2014Amy was really all he had.\u201d He couldn\u2019t forget the grief in Luther Bishop\u2019s eyes that day. His daughter was dead, and he was alone, so Joe left him with a lie out of pity. She said it could never be\u2014a Cartwright and a Bishop.<\/em> It seemed kinder than the truth, which he would never know.<\/p>\n

Jilly\u2019s eyes softened in sympathy. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to imagine things being any different than they are, especially you getting married, but I can\u2019t help but feel a sense of loss. You said you told her all about me. I\u2019d really like to know more about the girl who almost became my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like that too.\u201d He pulled a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. \u201cDo you recognize this?\u201d<\/p>\n

She scanned the page. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my letters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the one you wrote me right after it happened. I carried it with me every day for a while, just so I could read it whenever I wanted to, that\u2019s how much it meant to me. I tried to write you back and tell you about Amy but I just couldn\u2019t get the words down. I decided the best thing I could do was to bring you here and tell you face to face.\u201d<\/p>\n

They settled themselves on the bank next to each other. What had been difficult for him before came naturally now. Not that sharing his memories was painless, but the hurt was like a sore muscle being kneaded, the kind that brings healing in the end. The tears were a luxury he wouldn\u2019t afford himself in front of his brothers. Jilly cried too, as he knew she would.<\/p>\n

In the silence that followed, they sat shoulder to shoulder and watched the afternoon sun begin its descent into the hills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew Amy had to be someone really special if she could get you interested in Shakespeare.\u201d She gave him a playful nudge.<\/p>\n

A corner of his mouth turned up. \u201cThat\u2019s almost a miracle, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, do you think Tennyson was right, that it\u2019s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a phrase he had heard more than once, and he contemplated its new relevance to his life. \u201cWell, there were days when I wasn\u2019t so sure, but yes, I do think so. Besides, you don\u2019t lose everything. Some things you keep; and you\u2019re better for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile was softer, and a little sad. \u201cI was worried this was going to change you, and I can see that it has. You\u2019ve grown up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo have you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really glad you told me about Amy. Now I feel almost as if I did know her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad, too. Come on, it\u2019s getting late. Pa\u2019s gonna be wondering where we are.\u201d He stood up and pulled her to her feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you\u2019ll come back here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, but if I don\u2019t, it won\u2019t be because I can\u2019t. I know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she could mouth a reply, an eagle screamed above them, diverting their attention to the sky. They watched until it was no more than a speck on the horizon.<\/p>\n

She looked back at him. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s good to find out we\u2019re stronger than we think, and that in spite of all the bad that happens, the world is still a beautiful place, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled. \u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s something Amy would have said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Acknowledgements: \u00a0The characters Amy and Luther Bishop appeared in The Truckee Strip (Season 1 Episode 11), \u00a0written by Herman Groves. \u00a0Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “In Memoriam A.H.H.” was published in 1850.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a complete, up to date list of my stories, check out<\/strong>\u00a0JC’s Author Page<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0Tennyson said, “It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” \u00a0What would Joe Cartwright say? (WHI\/WHN for The Truckee Strip and part of the Ties That Bind AU series)<\/p>\n

Rating K+ \u00a0 (1782 words)<\/p>\n

Ties That Bind Series, links to stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10253,"featured_media":4492,"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},"categories":[7,23,1007,3,27,13],"tags":[1304],"class_list":["post-15151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","category-romance","category-whi","category-whn","tag-the-truckee-strip","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-3-id","wpcat-27-id","wpcat-13-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\/04\/truckee60.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15151","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\/10253"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}