{"id":18020,"date":"2018-06-22T22:19:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-23T02:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=18020"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:40:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:40:13","slug":"meeting-family-by-psw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=18020","title":{"rendered":"Meeting Family (by PSW)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: Jamie meets another adopted member of the Cartwright clan.\u00a0 Originally written for the March 2017 Pinecone challenge, and expanded for inclusion here.\u00a0 Prompt:\u00a0Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. (Kris Kristofferson)<\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>: G\u00a0 Word Count<\/strong>: 1248<\/p>\n

Meeting Family<\/strong><\/p>\n

The knock interrupted another too-quiet evening. \u00a0Ben professed to be reading, but for the last half-hour he had been staring over the top of his book into the crackling flames. \u00a0Joe didn’t even pretend. \u00a0He sprawled\u00a0on the settee, booted feet\u00a0on the heavy table unchallenged, turning a single checker over and around in his fingers. \u00a0Jamie huddled with his homework at Ben’s desk, but his eyes drifted more often to his silent father and brother than to the open pages.<\/p>\n

Hoss’s death had sucked the life out of the Cartwright men\u00a0as surely as it had the\u00a0empty bedroom in the upstairs hall, and he didn\u2019t know how to help\u2014or if he even could<\/em> help.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know how to stop hurting, himself<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“It will be all right,” <\/em>Ben\u00a0had assured them numbly, one arm around Joe\u2019s shoulders and one around Jamie\u2019s as\u00a0the family\u00a0finally left the\u00a0grave site that awful day.\u00a0 It had felt like his pa was trying to hold them all together through the sheer strength of his grip, and Jamie had wished he would ease up some\u2014but he wouldn\u2019t have said it out loud, not for any amount of money.\u00a0 Better to be held too tight than left to make that walk alone. \u00a0“It won’t be the same, it won’t be… what we\u00a0<\/em>wanted. \u00a0Not for him, not for us. \u00a0But it will be all right.”<\/em><\/p>\n

His new family had known\u00a0their share of grief, and with his own father’s death still so fresh (a couple of years wasn\u2019t really that long, not when you were only fifteen) Jamie thought he understood. \u00a0They would be all right not because things would go back to the way they wanted, but because there was nothing else they could do.\u00a0 The family hadn’t reached that ‘all right’ point, though — none of them had figured out yet who the Cartwrights were without Hoss.\u00a0 They were \u2026 something unfamiliar, something new and unwelcome, and they didn’t know how to talk around it, or past it, or through it… so they didn’t. \u00a0Not yet.<\/p>\n

All three stared as the knock came again, and finally Joe rolled\u00a0to his feet. \u00a0He crossed to the door and ducked his head close. \u00a0“Who is it?” \u00a0It was late\u2014dark and still for hours already. \u00a0Whoever it was, was unexpected.<\/p>\n

“Candy.”<\/p>\n

Ben laid the book aside and rose swiftly\u00a0as Joe yanked the door open. \u00a0“Candy!” \u00a0Jamie edged away\u00a0from the desk, curious for a\u00a0glimpse of the drifter-turned-foreman-turned-drifter. \u00a0A tall, lanky man with a mane of thick hair and a wide smile stepped inside, engulfing first Joe and then Ben in a tight embrace. \u00a0The grin faded, and Candy gripped Joe’s shoulder.<\/p>\n

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here for the funeral.”<\/p>\n

“No, it’s all right, Candy. \u00a0It’s good to see you.” \u00a0Ben motioned their guest toward the settee. \u00a0“We thought of trying to contact\u00a0you, but we weren’t sure where you were.”<\/p>\n

“Colorado, lately.” \u00a0Candy\u00a0flashed another grin\u00a0as Hop Sing\u00a0brought coffee, dried apple pie, and a word of welcome.\u00a0 The startling blue eyes, rimmed with dust and travel fatigue, closed with a contented sigh as Candy took that first long gulp, then he sat and dug into the pie. Ben returned to his chair and Joe dropped onto the coffee table. \u00a0Jamie drifted closer. \u00a0“Durango. \u00a0But I’m back to stay, if you need me.”<\/p>\n

For the first time, the newcomer seemed unsure.<\/p>\n

Joe’s grin was crooked,\u00a0a real one that had been rare since Hoss. \u00a0“What about your freedom?”<\/p>\n

Candy shrugged. \u00a0“Well …\u00a0one thing I figured out since leaving you Cartwrights\u2014freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”<\/p>\n

Even Ben smiled faintly, his eyes turned back toward the flames. \u00a0Then he\u00a0rose and crossed behind the settee.\u00a0 “We’re glad to have you, never doubt it.\u201d\u00a0 He thumped Candy on the shoulder. \u00a0\u201cAnd Candy …” \u00a0He looked down, away, his grip tightening.\u00a0 The grief which had retreated briefly upon the arrival of an old, welcome friend crept back into Ben Cartwright\u2019s gaze. \u00a0“Thank you for coming.” \u00a0Candy reached back to pat Ben’s wrist awkwardly, and as he did Ben glimpsed Jamie\u00a0watching the scene from the shadows. \u00a0He motioned the boy forward.\u00a0 “Jamie, come meet Candy Canaday\u2014another member of the family.”<\/p>\n

Candy looked around, motioning to the table beside Joe as Jamie approached.\u00a0 \u201cAh, so you\u2019re Jamie, huh?\u00a0 Heard they\u2019d suckered in another one.\u00a0 Good to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Canaday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamie perched gingerly, expecting his pa to remember at any moment the rules about sitting on furniture not made specifically for that purpose.\u00a0 If Ben did notice, however, he left the infraction alone this time.\u00a0 Jamie offered a nod to the newcomer, unsure what to make of Canaday\u2019s words\u2014but the man\u2019s blinding smile and Joe\u2019s faint snicker reassured him that no harm was meant.\u00a0 Ben even snorted softly before striding out of the great room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing!\u201d\u00a0 Muffled muttering drifted from the kitchen, followed by the little cook himself.\u00a0 \u201cCandy will need a room set up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I can sleep in the bunk tonight, you don\u2019t need to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy, eat your pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy snapped his mouth shut, exchanging a grin and raised eyebrow with Joe. Hop Sing scurried across the room, grumbling about \u2018friends who say they sleep in bunk, Hop Sing don\u2019t know what foolishness Mr. Candy been picking up since he leave here\u2019, with Ben close behind offering advice about which room to make ready.\u00a0 Joe winced and shook his head, then looked back around.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou eat dinner, or you want some of that too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, since you didn\u2019t do the cookin\u2019 \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe actually laughed, the familiar cackle rebounding from the walls for the first time in a very long time.\u00a0 Something Jamie didn\u2019t even know had been coiled tight inside him relaxed, leaving a deep ache in its place.\u00a0 He drew in a long, easy breath, wondering how he hadn\u2019t noticed before that it hurt to breathe.\u00a0 When Joe disappeared into the kitchen and he looked back around, he found Candy\u2019s eyes on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, kid. \u00a0How you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was surprised at the interest from a man he\u2019d never met.\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy stuffed down the last piece of pie.\u00a0 \u201cNobody else here.\u201d\u00a0 He set the plate aside, took a long swig of coffee, then nudged at Jamie\u2019s boot with his toe.\u00a0 \u201cLook.\u00a0 I know how it is with Hoss Cartwright.\u00a0 It don\u2019t \u2026 didn\u2019t<\/em> take the man any time at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The slip was quick, but Jamie was looking right at Canaday when it happened and he saw the flash of real grief that dimmed the bright smile.<\/p>\n

Yeah. \u00a0That sure was true about Hoss — it didn\u2019t<\/em> take long, not at all.\u00a0 Candy\u2019s words tumbled around in his head for a minute, and got Jamie to thinking.\u00a0 Maybe … maybe the man really did<\/em> know.\u00a0 Hoss and Joe and their pa all thought of Candy as family.\u00a0 Maybe here at last was somebody he could talk to about his grief without worrying the whole time that he was making things worse.<\/p>\n

He just hadn\u2019t been able to risk putting Joe or their pa through that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI \u2026\u201d\u00a0 Jamie looked down, suddenly awkward.\u00a0 \u201cI miss him.\u00a0 A lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 The man sighed.\u00a0 \u201cMe too.\u201d\u00a0 Candy leaned forward to thump Jamie’s knee, and the two shared a glance of solemn understanding as Joe hustled back into the room with a plateful of dinner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Candy Canaday,\u00a0Family,\u00a0Hop Sing,\u00a0Jamie Hunter Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Jamie meets another adopted member of the Cartwright clan.\u00a0 Originally written for the March 2017 Pinecone challenge, and expanded for inclusion here.\u00a0 Prompt:\u00a0Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. (Kris Kristofferson)<\/p>\n

Rating: G\u00a0 Word Count: 1232<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10468,"featured_media":18019,"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":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-challenges","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\/2018\/08\/759E6CEC-6EC7-4960-807D-8884F251F2EA.jpeg?fit=1571%2C975&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18020","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\/10468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18020\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}