{"id":19106,"date":"2018-12-14T00:52:27","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T05:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=19106"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:40:07","slug":"when-opportunity-knocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=19106","title":{"rendered":"When Opportunity Knocks (by JulieS)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong> Joe is offered the chance to buy a hotel in Virginia City.\u00a0 As he sets about raising the finance he needs to buy it, he discovers that he isn\u2019t the only one answering opportunity\u2019s knock.\u00a0 (17th<\/sup> story in the series)<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/strong> PG\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06,300 words<\/p>\n

The Way Things Are Series<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Way Things Are<\/a>
\nHistory has a Habit<\/a>
\nWhen you Least Expect It<\/a>
\nThere\u2019s Always Something<\/a>
\nThe Choices we Make<\/a>
\nLooks Can be Deceiving<\/a>
\nOne Thing or Another<\/a>
\nJust One of Those Days<\/a>
\nNothing is What it Seems<\/a>
\nYou Can\u2019t Keep an Old Lawman Down<\/a>
\nTimes Like These<\/a>
\nThe Nature of Life
\n<\/a>Unexpected Changes
\n<\/a>Out on a Limb
\n<\/a>A Time to Decide
\n<\/a>The Company We Keep<\/a>
\nWhen Opportunity Knocks<\/a>
\nA Moment in Time<\/a>
\nTo Live in Society<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWell whaddya reckon?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright tipped the front of his hat up and nodded once.\u00a0 \u201cNot bad.\u00a0 Not bad at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did I tell ya.\u201d\u00a0 Aaron McSween smiled as he patted the shabby, round seat situated in the middle of the foyer.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t regret it one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like some work will need to be done in order to get it up to scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how it was Joe with Pa being sick and all.\u00a0 Any extra money we had went to his medical bills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah I know.\u201d\u00a0 Joe smiled reassuringly at the man who stood opposite him.\u00a0 \u201cStill I can see the potential it has.\u00a0 Nothing that a lick of paint and a few sticks of furniture couldn\u2019t fix.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll buy it then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you still want to sell?\u00a0 You\u2019d have no problem getting her back in good working condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aaron shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 He paused for a moment before he continued.\u00a0 \u201cThis hotel was Pa\u2019s dream \u2013 not mine.\u00a0 I miss the way Virginia City was back in the old days just after the Comstock Lode was discovered.\u00a0 You remember how it was, don\u2019t you Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember.\u00a0 All the hustle and bustle of all the buildings going up.\u00a0 All those people comin\u2019 and goin\u2019.\u00a0 It was exciting but I kinda like the way it is now too.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he sat down on the round bench, Aaron smiled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, the place is nice and civilised now.\u00a0 Not much chance of being a pioneer anymore.\u00a0 I want to go some place where there\u2019s still a lot of new frontiers to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s why you want to sell up in a hurry \u2013 you\u2019ve already found somewhere to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep sure have.\u201d\u00a0 Aaron grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI heard Australia\u2019s the place to be.\u00a0 It\u2019s still a young country with lots of places just waiting for an enterprising man like myself to take advantage of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI can understand that \u2013 being an enterprising man myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI take it that we have a deal.\u201d\u00a0 Aaron stood up and looked at Joe with an expectant look on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a deal.\u201d\u00a0 Joe held out his hand, which Aaron grabbed and shook it heartily.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great.\u00a0 You won\u2019t regret it one bit,\u201d Aaron said excitedly.<\/p>\n

After another quick glance around the building, Joe smiled nervously.\u00a0 \u201cI sure hope I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

A frown crept upon Joe\u2019s face as he once again started to work out his financial situation.\u00a0 The most he could muster up at short notice was about three hundred dollars \u2013 a long way short of the two thousand that Aaron had asked for the hotel.\u00a0 He glanced over to the clock that was on the chest of drawers in his room.\u00a0 It was nearly midnight and tomorrow would be Tuesday.\u00a0\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much time left to find the rest of the money as Aaron had plans to leave on the Friday morning stage to San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Joe thought back to earlier in the day and smirked.\u00a0 Aaron had been so sure that he was going to say yes that he already had a contract drawn up in advance.\u00a0 Was he that predictable?\u00a0 Willing to take advantage of any opportunity to make money when it came up?\u00a0 If he was truthful with himself the answer would be yes.\u00a0 He had always had a talent for finding ways to make money.<\/p>\n

Still, his talent wasn\u2019t going to help him right now.\u00a0 He had to have the money ready one hour before the stage left on Friday or Aaron would sell the hotel to the bank.\u00a0 Deep down he knew the hotel would give him an opportunity to stand on his own two feet financially.\u00a0 He chuckled at the thought that no matter how old he got, the stigma of all those other ventures that he had botched up would always come back to haunt him.<\/p>\n

As he got up off his bed, he stretched and walked over to the window.\u00a0 The night was clear and the moon shone brightly.\u00a0 He snorted as he thought about that even at his advanced age he still wanted the approval of his family in everything he did.\u00a0 Sure he had it in most things like his expertise with horses and the other stuff he did on the ranch.\u00a0 So why, were there times that they still made him feel like he was the baby of the family?\u00a0 Maybe this was just the ticket to get himself on an equal footing with brothers in the financial stakes.<\/p>\n

After a few more moments of deep contemplation, Joe felt that it was time to get some sleep.\u00a0 He had changed into his night clothes a few hours ago with that intention but he had become so engrossed that the time had quickly gone by.\u00a0 As he cleared his bed of all the paper that was on it, extinguished the lamp and got into bed, his mind went over the only option that was left.\u00a0 He had to find a willing partner or partners.<\/p>\n

Adam was the first one that had come to mind but Joe immediately quashed that one.\u00a0 Adam would no doubt want a say in everything that happened with the hotel.\u00a0 Joe wanted to run this one on his own.\u00a0 What he needed was a silent partner.\u00a0 Candy was out of the question and he couldn\u2019t go to Pa.\u00a0 Pa had problems of his own ever since that incident with Kendall and now wasn\u2019t the time to approach him with the request for a large financial loan.\u00a0 What he needed was someone who had a lot of ready cash and would easily agree to be the silent partner.\u00a0 A smile crept on Joe\u2019s face as he realised that there was only one person he could go to.<\/p>\n

\n

Hoss Cartwright lifted his head as soon as he heard the horse approach.\u00a0 He smiled as he put down the leather straps he had been working on.\u00a0 As he slowly got up, he stretched a little and then made his way down from the front porch to greet his brother.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned as he pulled Cochise to a stop.\u00a0 \u201cHoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat brings you out here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh nothing much,\u201d Joe said casually as he alighted from his horse and walked over to the hitching rail.\u00a0 After tying up Cochise, he quickly looked around the yard and then to the front of the house.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you\u2019ve made some improvements since the last time I was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u00a0 Brought that there rockin\u2019 chair just yesterday.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to the chair.\u00a0 \u201cAnnie also got some new curtains made up for the front parlour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure look good, \u201c Joe replied as he leant slightly to his left to see for himself.\u00a0 \u201cBy the way is your good wife around?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2019Fraid not.\u00a0 She\u2019s gone to visit her folks for the day.\u00a0 Won\u2019t be back until near supper time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo she\u2019s left you to fend for yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u00a0 Got some leftovers that I plan on havin\u2019 for lunch.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss paused for a moment as he studied his younger brother.<\/p>\n

Joe shifted uncomfortably.\u00a0 He needed to choose the right moment to bring up the reason why he had come today.\u00a0 One thing he had to make sure of was that he didn\u2019t sound too desperate or too eager \u2013 that might put off Hoss straight away.\u00a0 He smiled nervously as he realised Hoss had been silent for too long.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, I\u2019m okay.\u00a0 I was just wonderin\u2019 if there was anythin\u2019 wrong with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything wrong with me,\u201d Joe replied with a hint of caution as he quickly put his hand to the centre of his chest.\u00a0 \u201cNope nothin\u2019 wrong me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 brows knitted.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 What makes you think that there\u2019s something wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just call it the ol\u2019 Cartwright intuition.\u00a0 I gotta feelin\u2019 that you\u2019re here for more than just a friendly visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t said anything to give that impression.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to say anythin\u2019.\u00a0 I can tell by the way you\u2019ve been actin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked up as he methodically went through everything that he had done since he had arrived.\u00a0 After a couple of minutes, he shrugged his shoulders.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t anything he could think of that would make Hoss suspicious.\u00a0 The only conclusion he could come up with was that Hoss was just joshing.\u00a0 However, a small part of him knew that there was a remote chance that Hoss did suspect something.<\/p>\n

Seeing that he had no choice in the matter, Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, I did come by for more than just a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wide grin flashed on Hoss\u2019 face.\u00a0 \u201cSo Adam was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam was here a couple of hours ago.\u00a0 He said that you were up to all hours last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a brief moment, Joe wondered why Adam had been up so late.\u00a0 He laughed as he realised that the only reason was probably one of necessity more than anything else.\u00a0 \u201cI should\u2019ve known that someone was bound to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got that right little brother.\u00a0 Now how about we go and sit on the porch and you can tell me all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe followed Hoss\u2019 lead and as he took his seat, he took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cAaron McSween is leaving to go to Australia and wants to sell his family\u2019s hotel.\u00a0 He gave me first choice.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to come up with the money by Friday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much is he askin\u2019 for it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo thousand dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 He could see what was coming.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how much do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree hundred dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose you\u2019ve come to ask me for the rest?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes and no.\u201d\u00a0 Joe stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI want to ask you come in as my partner \u2013 a silent partner.\u00a0 I need somebody who\u2019d be content to let me run things as I see fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

A knowing look crept onto Hoss\u2019 face.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that\u2019s why you haven\u2019t gone to Adam with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d\u00a0 Joe looked at Hoss with an expectant look.\u00a0 \u201cHow about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss leant forward as he began to think about it.\u00a0 He already knew what his answer was going to be but he wanted to Joe to wait it out for a little while.\u00a0 It still amazed him that he was so willing to help Joe out in this way despite all those other times he had lost out in some wild scheme that Joe had dreamt up.\u00a0 A body would think that he would\u2019ve learnt his lesson by now but family was family.\u00a0 He turned his head to face Joe and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat.\u201d\u00a0 Joe went over to Hoss, grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t regret this Hoss, I promise you.\u00a0 Now after you give me the rest of the money\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on a minute.\u00a0 There\u2019s somethin\u2019 I think I ought to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe let go of Hoss\u2019 hand and stood back.\u00a0 This didn\u2019t sound too good.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still goin\u2019 to help you out but,\u201d Hoss shifted uncomfortably for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you see it\u2019s like this.\u00a0 Most of my money is tied up in investments and all I have available is about $500.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small exasperated sigh escaped from Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I suppose it\u2019s a start.\u00a0 Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m real sorry that I couldn\u2019t help you out some more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay Hoss.\u00a0 It just means that I\u2019ll have to be more resourceful than I thought I would have to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubt that when it comes to resourcefulness little brother you\u2019ll have no problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled.\u00a0 For the rest of his visit, he and Hoss worked out the particulars of the partnership.<\/p>\n

\n

Wednesday afternoon found Joe walking down the main street of Virginia City.\u00a0 He had spent a good part of the day trying to convince various friends and acquaintances about the merits of becoming partners with him in the hotel.\u00a0 To his dismay, he found that none of them were willing to partake of their hard earned cash.\u00a0 It seemed his reputation for getting involved in hair-brained business schemes had proceeded him.<\/p>\n

As he stopped in front of the Silver Dollar he wondered if it was worth it.\u00a0 Was going into business as a hotel proprietor the right thing to do?\u00a0 However before he could answer the question, Candy walked out of the saloon with a huge grin on his face.<\/p>\n

Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you\u2019ve hit the jackpot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could say that.\u201d\u00a0 Candy put his hand in his pocket and drew out a wad of notes.\u00a0 \u201cI just won myself two hundred dollars in a poker game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo hundred dollars, \u201c Joe said in a slow and even tone.\u00a0 All of a sudden his face lit up.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you plan to do with your sudden windfall?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Might buy myself a new outfit \u2013 hey wait a minute!\u00a0 I know that look and the answer is no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon Candy.\u00a0 All I\u2019m offering is a stake in a very profitable business venture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go into the hotel business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow Candy what sort of attitude is that?\u00a0 Besides, I bet you haven\u2019t even thought of the benefits owning part of a hotel can bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy eyed his friend suspiciously.\u00a0 It looked like Joe was about to go in one of his speeches.\u00a0 In order to avoid a long one, he sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOk, what are the benefits?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about the fact that you would have free room and board every time you stayed overnight in town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, that\u2019s a good point but other than that I don\u2019t see anything that would make me want to go into the hotel business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of plenty of good reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cName three others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned.\u00a0 He had to think of something that would appeal to Candy and convince him to become a partner.<\/p>\n

A smile started to appear on Candy\u2019s face.\u00a0 He knew that Joe was going to have a hard time trying to find three good reasons.\u00a0 After a little while, he decided to speak.\u00a0 \u201cWell having any luck?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust give me a few minutes and you\u2019ll have your three reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy shook his head and placed his hand on Joe\u2019s left shoulder and patted it.\u00a0 \u201cSorry ol\u2019 buddy but your time is up.\u00a0 Besides, I\u2019ve got plans for this.\u201d\u00a0 He held up the hand which held the cash.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you didn\u2019t even give me a chance to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t help it if you\u2019re not quick enough.\u00a0 It\u2019s a tough game being in business.\u00a0 Now if you don\u2019t mind, I\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Candy\u2019s voice trailed off as he stared over Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 A look of confusion mixed with surprise quickly replaced the smug look that had just been there moments before.<\/p>\n

Not missing what had just happened, Joe\u2019s demeanour immediately changed to one of concern.\u00a0 \u201cCandy?\u00a0 You okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

After a brief shake of his head, Candy grabbed Joe\u2019s hands and placed the money into.\u00a0 \u201cHere take this as my share of the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could reply, Joe watched in complete amazement as Candy took off down the street.\u00a0 He looked down at the money in his hands and then back to Candy.\u00a0 His eyes continued to follow Candy until the man turned down into one of the side streets.<\/p>\n

For a moment he was tempted to go after Candy to find out what the problem was.\u00a0 Then he thought that it would be wise not to.\u00a0 If Candy wanted help he would have asked for it.\u00a0 No doubt he would hear about it at some point.\u00a0 Joe just shrugged his shoulders and turned his mind to what was in his hands.<\/p>\n

Candy\u2019s two hundred dollars now made the total at one thousand dollars.\u00a0 He was halfway there but getting the rest of it was going to be a challenge.\u00a0 At least he still had the rest of today and all day tomorrow to come up with the difference.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHow did it go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cleared it up and also made sure that it wouldn\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good Adam.\u00a0 Was there any trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no trouble,\u201d Joe said slowly as he undid his gun belt.\u00a0 \u201cAdam dealt with Thompson and his bunch.\u00a0 I took care of the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThompson was a handful but after a while, he listened to reason.\u201d\u00a0 Adam moved away from the sideboard and then stretched a little.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m starved.\u00a0 How long till dinner\u2019s ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot long.\u00a0 When Hop Sing heard you two ride up, he went back into the kitchen to finish it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he had taken off his gun belt and jacket, Joe made his way over to the settee and sat down.\u00a0 He leant back and closed his eyes.\u00a0 That mess up at the timber camp had taken all day to sort out.\u00a0 It had been unexpected and had put a big dent in his plans.\u00a0 There would be only a few hours in the morning to find the rest of the cash he needed to give to Aaron before he left.<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at Joe as he made his way over to one of the red leather chairs.\u00a0 He could see that his brother was in a quandary about something and he knew exactly what it was.\u00a0 It was only a matter of time before Joe would have to come to him.<\/p>\n

Joe opened his eyes and looked around the room.\u00a0 He reminded himself of the reasons why he couldn\u2019t go to his father for a loan and he definitely didn\u2019t want to ask Adam for it, so he decided to remain silent as he continued to work out his options.<\/p>\n

A few minutes passed before Ben decided to break the silence.\u00a0 He could see Adam every now and then take a quick look at his brother as if he was waiting for Joe to speak up at any minute.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s brows were knitted tightly as he sat there in what was obviously deep thought.\u00a0 Ben took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cJoe.\u00a0 Hoss tells me that you\u2019re looking at buying a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Joe\u2019s face showed mild surprise.\u00a0 \u201cUmm\u2026that\u2019s right Pa.\u00a0 Aaron McSween is leaving town tomorrow and he offered to sell me his family\u2019s hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss said as much.\u00a0 He also told me that he bought a stake in the hotel as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d\u00a0 Joe smiled a little.\u00a0 \u201cYou know he\u2019s getting to be a pretty astute businessman.\u00a0 There was a time I could\u2019ve talked him into anything and he\u2019d just accept it with no strings attached.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI take it he\u2019s finally learnt his lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sure has.\u00a0 He made certain that we\u2019d signed a partnership agreement before he gave me any cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a good move to me.\u201d\u00a0 Adam leant back in his chair a little.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have any other partners?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked at Adam warily.\u00a0 He knew exactly where Adam wanted to take this conversation.\u00a0 \u201cAs a matter of fact, I do.\u00a0 Candy bought a share as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy,\u201d Adam replied in a slightly tensed voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhere on earth would he get enough money to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI caught him outside the Silver Dollar yesterday.\u00a0 He\u2019d just won big at a poker game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m glad to see that men are using the time I gave them off to good use.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s face showed the humour his voice had held.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure are.\u201d\u00a0 Joe grinned a little.\u00a0 \u201cFor a moment I was sure he wasn\u2019t going to help me out but then something set him off.\u00a0 He shoved the money into my hands and then took off down the street.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t heard from him since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen him around today so he must be still in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must have been big \u2013 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen him move that fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tired of the talk about Candy, Adam decided it was time to steer the subject back to the issue of the hotel.\u00a0 \u201cSo Joe, how much have you raised so far?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNowhere near what I was hoping to get to by the end of today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI take it that you\u2019ve got a lot of money to find but little time to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got that right big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leant forward and clasped both of his hands together.\u00a0 \u201cYou do know that I would be willing to help you out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded slowly as he replied in an all-knowing tone.\u00a0 \u201cOh believe me I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen all you have to do is ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know but that\u2019s not the problem.\u00a0 The problem that I have is that, and correct me if I\u2019m wrong, that you would want to have a say in how things are run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly in accordance with how much of the hotel I own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there lies my problem.\u201d\u00a0 Joe stood up abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cWith the way things are at the moment, you would own half the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf the hotel?\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyebrows lifted up in mild surprise.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you had gotten more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he walked around to the back of the settee, Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cUnfortunately I haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben noted Joe\u2019s disappointment and felt a little sorry for him. \u201cHow badly do you want this hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned to his father and smiled apologetically.\u00a0 \u201cBad enough.\u00a0 I wanted to do this on my own but I didn\u2019t think I would have this much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know you can still have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know.\u201d\u00a0 Joe walked over to Adam, who stood up as he approached and placed his hands on Adam\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re my brother and I love you but how long would it be before we\u2019d be doing things your way?\u201d<\/p>\n

A wide grin appeared on Adam\u2019s face. \u00a0He placed lifted his right arm and patted Joe on the back.\u00a0 \u201cI understand perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he watched his two sons, Ben smiled warmly.\u00a0 It did his heart good to see that his sons knew and understood each other.\u00a0 He could also see the admiration that each had for the other and in the light of recent happenings, it was important that he told them.\u00a0 Life was too precious to let it go by without telling others how you felt.\u00a0 Going over to his sons, he placed an arm around each of them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m proud of you both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Joe quickly gave each other a brief look of concern before they returned their gazes to their father.\u00a0 Ever since that mess with Kendall, both had noticed a change.\u00a0 Lately Ben had been more expressive in his feelings towards all of them.\u00a0 It seemed that whenever the slightest opportunity presented itself, he would tell them how much he loved them.\u00a0 Both Joe and Adam knew that there was more to this show of love than met the eye.<\/p>\n

The moment was broken by the sound of Tom as he made his way downstairs.\u00a0 He went over to greet his father in his usual, respectful manner.\u00a0 Adam was glad to see that Tom had begun to relax over the last few weeks, but it worried him that his son was still reserved in a lot of ways.\u00a0 As he returned the greeting, Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cReady for dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled.\u00a0 Perhaps after he got some food into him, he would be able to think more clearly.\u00a0 \u201cYou know dinner sounds mighty good to me.\u00a0 I hope Hop Sing\u2019s made plenty as I\u2019ve worked up a powerful bit of a hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if on cue, Hop Sing came out with a platter full of vegetables.\u00a0 The four of them all looked at each other and grinned as they made their way to the table.<\/p>\n

\n

The next morning Joe found himself seated on the bench outside the post office.\u00a0 He scratched the back of his neck in frustration as he contemplated his situation.\u00a0 In less than an hour, he had to meet Aaron outside the Virginia City Bank with the money for the hotel.\u00a0 At this point, he had no way of getting the one thousand dollars he still needed.\u00a0 He had tried in a vain to convince a couple of other friends to come in as partners but they weren\u2019t interested as most of their spare cash was tied up in other ventures.<\/p>\n

For the last twenty minutes he had tried to work out various options that would allow him to get the money and he soon realised that the only one left to him was to go to Adam.\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 Just maybe Adam would let him have complete control \u2013 just maybe.\u00a0 It was worth one more try anyway.<\/p>\n

Just as he got up from the bench, he heard his name being called out.\u00a0 He turned to the direction where he had the voice come from and was surprised to see Leslie Whitaker approaching him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u00a0 I\u2019m glad I caught you in time,\u201d Leslie said as she managed to catch her breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs Whitaker what can I do to help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t want your help.\u00a0 I came here to help you.\u00a0 I had to find you as soon as I heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeard what?\u201d\u00a0 Joe gazed at her questionably.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as it sounds.\u201d\u00a0 She took a seat on the bench and motioned Joe to join her.<\/p>\n

Not wanting to be disrespectful, Joe sat down next to her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry if I\u2019m being a bit forward but considering the situation between you and Adam\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam is part of the reason why I\u2019ve come to help you.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled a little as she watched the confusion appear on Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cLet me explain.\u00a0 I was just talking to Myra Monroe and she tells me that you are looking at buying the McSween hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s true.\u00a0 I suppose Clarence told her that I had approached him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did.\u00a0 Clarence also told her that Aaron McSween was leaving today and that you had to have the money or he was selling the hotel to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d\u00a0 A slight grin appeared on Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI guess there are no secrets between a husband and his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me there can be,\u201d Leslie replied in a tone that was wistful but before Joe could remark upon it, she changed her demeanour.\u00a0 \u201cWell let\u2019s get to the matter at hand.\u00a0 I\u2019m here to make you an offer.\u00a0 I\u2019m willing to give the two thousand dollars you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyebrows flew up.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to give me the money?\u00a0 I have a hard time believing that it\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right, it isn\u2019t that simple.\u00a0 I\u2019m willing to lend you the money \u2013 interest-free.\u00a0 You can pay me back whenever you can afford to do so.\u00a0 All I want in return is some information.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome information and that\u2019s it?\u201d\u00a0 Joe scratched the back of his head.\u00a0 It sounded too good to be true and that worried him.\u00a0 What information could he possibly have to warrant such an offer?<\/p>\n

Seeing that Joe was in a pickle, Leslie decided to elaborate some more.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a win-win situation as far as I\u2019m concerned.\u00a0 I get the information I need and you get the money.\u00a0 You can use what you\u2019ve raised so far to do whatever you want.\u00a0 You could put it back into the hotel and fix a few things up before you re-open.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose I could but,\u201d Joe stood up.\u00a0 She had mentioned Adam earlier as being the reason for her coming to him.\u00a0 He needed to know exactly what she meant.\u00a0 \u201cThis information you want \u2013 does it have something to do with my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie sighed.\u00a0 She had no choice if she wanted to get the information.\u00a0 \u201cYes, it does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou expect me to sell my brother for two thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 That\u2019s not what I\u2019m wanting you to do.\u201d\u00a0 She got up and grabbed Joe by the arm.\u00a0 \u201cCome with me.\u00a0 We need to talk in private.\u201d<\/p>\n

Confused by the way Leslie was acting Joe reluctantly decided to let her lead him to an alley near the post office.\u00a0 As soon as they got there she let go of his arm and quickly looked around to make sure that there was nobody else was there.\u00a0 When she was satisfied, she turned back to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I\u2019m about to tell is to be kept in strict confidence between you and me.\u00a0 If Adam was to know that I told you, let just say he wouldn\u2019t be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, I\u2019m listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few moments passed before Leslie spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cBefore I start I want to say that my offer of the money still stands.\u00a0 I won\u2019t lie and say that what you could tell me isn\u2019t that important because it is.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you why and what I want to know.\u00a0 Then you can decide for yourself if you want to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSounds fair enough.\u201d\u00a0 Curiosity had gotten the better of him.\u00a0 Besides, he was interested in learning more about what was going on between Leslie and Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, I know that Adam has asked you for your help in a certain matter sometime in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not wanting to give away too much, Joe decided to play it safe.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, he\u2019s asked me to help him out on a number of occasions.\u00a0 He\u2019s family after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie stared at Joe.\u00a0 \u201cIs this some sort of Cartwright trait?\u00a0 You\u2019re playing games just like your brother.\u201d\u00a0 She let out an exasperated sigh.\u00a0 \u201cLook – at our last meeting Adam told me that he had asked you to help out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour last meeting with Adam?\u201d\u00a0 Now he was confused.\u00a0 \u201cAs far as I know you and Adam haven\u2019t been seen within ten feet of each other without going at each other\u2019s throats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I know but we do manage to tolerate each other during the meetings we have in private.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy the heck would you be meeting with Adam in private if you can\u2019t stand him\u2026\u201d\u00a0 A light suddenly went on inside Joe\u2019s head.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re working with Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am and that\u2019s why I need to know this information.\u201d\u00a0 Leslie took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cThis mission is very important and a dangerous one.\u00a0 I can\u2019t go into the details but the fact is, even though Adam and I don\u2019t get on well with each other we have trust one another.\u00a0 That also means we have to keep an eye for any trouble the other may get into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you think that Adam could be in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately I do.\u00a0 Living in town you hear a lot of interesting gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubt that you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat leads me to ask you what I want to know.\u201d\u00a0 Leslie lowered her head and closed her eyes briefly.\u00a0 She then raised her head and spoke in a clear and controlled voice.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to tell me everything you know about Adam\u2019s relationship with Jane Talbot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJane Talbot?\u00a0 What does she have to do with anything?\u00a0 She left town months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat!\u201d\u00a0 A look of utter surprise appeared on Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 Jane was back – that would explain Candy\u2019s behaviour the other day.\u00a0 \u201cI had no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI can see that.\u00a0 I heard things about what happen between her, Adam and your friend Candy.\u00a0 There\u2019s a number of interesting stories going around.\u00a0 That\u2019s why when I heard from Myra that you were still after help to buy the hotel I decided to take the opportunity to find out the truth.\u00a0 Adam definitely isn\u2019t going to tell me and I know how close you all are, so I thought the money might convince you to tell me what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sighed heavily and went over to Leslie.\u00a0 He placed his hand on her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThe bribe wouldn\u2019t have worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeep down, I know that.\u00a0 You see it\u2019s important that I know of anything that could jeopardise this mission.\u00a0 I was willing to try anything.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled weakly at Joe and felt a bit of remorse.\u00a0 One day he would know the full story and hopefully, he would understand why she wasn\u2019t completely honest with him now.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry that I even tried to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied with what she had told him, Joe leant against the right wall in the alley.\u00a0 He needed a few minutes to think about what he was going to do next.\u00a0 Leslie was right in saying that Adam wouldn\u2019t be happy if he knew that they were having this conversation.\u00a0 With Jane back in town things between Adam and Candy could heat up again and that could put Adam in a dangerous position.<\/p>\n

If he told Leslie, he would be safe in the knowledge that it would go no further but something told him that there was still more to this than met the eye.\u00a0 Maybe it was that ol\u2019 Cartwright intuition Hoss had mentioned.\u00a0 There definitely had to be something more to Adam\u2019s feud with Leslie.\u00a0 Every time her name was mentioned a scowl always appeared on his brother\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

The sound of Leslie, as she politely cleared her throat, brought him out his reverie.\u00a0 There was little time left before he had to meet Aaron and he had to still decide if he wanted to take up Leslie\u2019s offer.\u00a0 As he quickly made up his mind, Joe smiled at Leslie, took her arm gently and escorted her out of the alley.<\/p>\n

\n

As the stage disappeared around the corner, Joe smiled.\u00a0 Aaron would have the time of his life in Australia and a part of him wished he could join his friend.\u00a0 Deep down, however, he knew his roots were firmly planted in the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He would never leave and now he had something that would further tie him to his home.<\/p>\n

After he had left the alley, he had told Leslie that he would take her offer of the money on the condition that they drew up an agreement to keep it on a strictly business level.\u00a0 He had even insisted on an interest rate for the loan.\u00a0 He grinned.\u00a0 Maybe a bit of his family\u2019s business sense had rubbed off on him.<\/p>\n

Initially, Leslie had been adamant that he didn\u2019t have to pay any interest but after he had convinced her that it would be for the best, she had relented.\u00a0 It was better to do it this way just in case, in the future, Adam got the wrong impression.\u00a0 By the looks of it, it was going to be hard enough to keep things separate just the way they were.<\/p>\n

Upon their arrival at the Virginia City Bank, they were greeted by Aaron who was there waiting for him.\u00a0 His friend was pleasantly surprised to see that Joe had obtained all the money for the hotel.\u00a0 The three of them had then gone into the manager\u2019s office and finalised the deal.\u00a0 Now that Aaron was safely on his way, he was off to Leslie\u2019s lawyer\u2019s office to sign the loan agreement.<\/p>\n

He was about halfway there when he saw Adam coming out of the Lending Library.\u00a0 A look of dismay came over Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 So big brother knew that Jane was back.<\/p>\n

As soon as Adam saw Joe he made his way over and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDid everything go as planned?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it did.\u00a0 I\u2019m now the new owner of the McSween Hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations.\u201d\u00a0 Adam patted Joe on the back.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that you would find a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Joe replied in a relieved tone.\u00a0 \u201cNo hard feelings that I didn\u2019t involve you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have faith in you even though you may not think it at times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThanks again.\u201d\u00a0 He paused for a moment before he continued.\u00a0 \u201cI have to admit that I\u2019m a bit surprised to see that you\u2019re in such a good mood considerin\u2019 that you were just in the Lending Library.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why shouldn\u2019t I be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I just thought seeing Jane again might not have been a pleasant experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJane?\u201d<\/p>\n

The look that had appeared on Adam\u2019s face, threw Joe for a minute.\u00a0 His brother had no idea.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you knew that she was back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s body had tensed up \u2013 this was definitely not in the plan.\u00a0 Jane should have never come back so soon.\u00a0 She should\u2019ve stayed away until all this was over and he had dealt with Leslie.\u00a0 His voice became calm and controlled as he held his anger in check.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for letting me know.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see you at home.\u201d\u00a0 With that, Adam abruptly walked passed Joe and off down the street.<\/p>\n

As he glanced back, Joe was a bit perplexed by the way Adam had reacted to the news.\u00a0 It seemed that his brother wasn\u2019t at all pleased to hear that Jane was back.\u00a0 He knew that in some way it had to do with the assignment that both Adam and Leslie were working on but there were other things.\u00a0 Things like what was the true nature of Adam\u2019s and Leslie\u2019s relationship?\u00a0 Did Jane\u2019s re-appearance really complicate matters that much to cause his brother to react in the way he just had?\u00a0 There were other questions he wanted to ask and only one person who could answer them.<\/p>\n

Originally he had planned to tell Leslie what he knew about Adam\u2019s relationship with Jane with no other strings attached.\u00a0 Now it was vital that he knew the whole story.\u00a0 He would make sure that Leslie told him it – whether she wanted to or not.\u00a0 Both Leslie and Adam had bought him into this and therefore he had a right to know.\u00a0 With the way things were headed, Adam would need someone to be there just in case it all came apart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Joe is offered the chance to buy a hotel in Virginia City.\u00a0 As he sets about raising the finance he needs to buy it, he discovers that he isn\u2019t the only one answering opportunity\u2019s knock.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Rated: PG\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06,300 words<\/p>\n

The Way Things Are Series, links to all stories of this series included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":14676,"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_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[2,7,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-a-u","category-drama","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/IMG_2234.jpg?fit=840%2C639&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19106","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\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}