{"id":19504,"date":"2019-01-17T09:25:50","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T14:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=19504"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:39:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:39:44","slug":"redemption-by-questfan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=19504","title":{"rendered":"Redemption (by Questfan)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>My entry for BoNaNo 2018 as well as the Crossover Challenge. After a chance encounter in his youth, Joe meets up with the man again, many years later, under trying circumstances.<\/p>\n

Rating: T\u00a0 Word Count: 14,878<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.\u00a0 The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.\u00a0 No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

This was written for the Crossover Challenge with the idea of taking another show and merging it together with Bonanza. For those of you who don\u2019t know Paradise or The Guns of Paradise as it was renamed, you don\u2019t need to know a whole lot. Ethan (played by Lee Horsley) was a gunslinger who inherited his sister\u2019s four children when she died and had to make drastic changes to raise them. He had a complicated romantic interest in Amelia Lawson,\u00a0 an independent-minded woman who ran the local bank.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Redemption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Summer of 1864<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe pushed his horse on towards home, but every so often he turned in the saddle and looked behind him. It was ridiculous and he knew it, but he couldn\u2019t shake the thought that he should have looked harder. He should have found the two children he\u2019d made promises to. The road behind him was as empty as it had been the time before and the time before that and finally he stopped the useless exercise. Not that he felt any better for doing so. In fact, it felt like the final admission that he had failed to follow through on something significant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked everywhere, Cooch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The horse flicked an ear as if responding to the comment, but otherwise he kept plodding along on the dusty road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked under the hotel stairs \u2026 and the livery \u2026 and I asked the girls in the saloon \u2026 and nobody had seen them.\u201d Joe shook his head as he considered each of the people he had spoken to and the general lack of concern over two children that nobody wanted around anyway. It still angered him to think on some of the heartless responses he had received and the downright lies that he couldn\u2019t prove. Like the hotel manager who told him the children had just up and left. As if they preferred running off again to staying in a safe place. He knew there was no way Ethan would have left his horse behind by choice. Joe felt his jaw tighten in anger as emotion clawed its way back up from his gut.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked the doc of he\u2019d been back to see Lucy and he almost laughed at me!\u201d Cochise seemed to feel the tension in his rider\u2019s hands and he tossed his head against the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Cooch. It\u2019s just \u2026 I promised them and I \u2026\u201d Joe sighed as he looked one last time behind him.<\/p>\n

\n

It would be almost another week before Joe shared the story of his otherwise uneventful trip to Hangtown. He probably would have kept it to himself if not for the horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatcha got there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe jumped as he heard Hoss\u2019 voice, but missed the question. He shoved the horse back into his pocket and stood up off the hay bale and headed towards the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait up, Little Joe. Didn\u2019t mean to scare ya off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t scare me. Just didn\u2019t hear you comin\u2019, that\u2019s all.\u201d Joe reached to push the door and would have kept going if his brother hadn\u2019t grasped his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, somethin\u2019 has been buggin\u2019 you since you got home. Somethin\u2019 happen in Hangtown that we should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his brother\u2019s hand off as he shook his head. \u201cNope. Everything was just fine. I got the contract signed just like Pa wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss narrowed his gaze as he watched his little brother\u2019s face crease into a frown. He knew that face and knew something wasn\u2019t adding up. \u201cWell you sure did take your time gettin\u2019 home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI already told you, I got caught up in riding with that posse. It wasn\u2019t like the sheriff gave me much say in the matter since I was the only one who could identify the bank robber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that Joe. I\u2019m not accusin\u2019 ya of anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss knew he was treading on thin ice as Joe was still young enough to make his pa think twice before sending him on an errand such as that contract signing by himself. It rankled with the youngest son and Hoss knew it. Still, something was amiss and he had no idea what.<\/p>\n

Joe turned once more for the door and Hoss tried again. \u201cJoe, I dunno what happened, but something ain\u2019t sittin\u2019 right with ya since ya got back. I just wanted to help, that\u2019s all, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

He thought for a moment that Joe was going to walk right out of the barn, until he pulled out whatever it was that he had stashed in his pocket. Hoss edged closer to see Joe\u2019s hand slowly unfurl to reveal a scrappy little stick horse tied together with tufts of wool. He would have laughed under normal circumstances, but something told him to hold it in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFind who?\u201d Hoss frowned as Joe scowled at the horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan and Lucy. I told them I\u2019d be back \u2026 but when I got back, they were both gone. The hotel manager said they\u2019d run off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Ethan and Lucy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe ran a finger across the tufted mane of the tiny horse before looking up at his brother. \u201cTwo little kids who needed me to come back instead of chasing a bank robber half way across California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could say anything further, Joe shoved the horse back in his pocket and turned for the door. \u201cToo late now. They\u2019re gone and that\u2019s that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Hoss hurried after his brother, but wasn\u2019t quick enough to stop him from vaulting onto his horse and disappearing out of the yard.<\/p>\n

Hoss was left standing in the empty yard, hands on hips, with an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. He\u2019d try again when his brother decided to come back home.<\/p>\n

\n

Spring 1890 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ethan twisted the edge of the blanket between his thumb and forefinger as he watched George and Ben sleeping. He wanted to simultaneously gather them into his arms and run from this nightmare as well as tearing the blanket to shreds. It was almost threadbare already and it drew his mind back to a day he\u2019d rather forget. He couldn\u2019t help himself as he stared at the blue and red checked pattern woven into the woollen blanket and the fever-reddened faces of his two youngest nephews. He had wondered if George was even going to make it to see his seventh birthday.<\/p>\n

Lucy had lain under a blanket such as this one, only it had moth holes right across it. He\u2019d barely turned eight, the same age as Ben and he\u2019d prayed with every fibre of his being that she would come back to him. Apparently, God had seen fit to take his parents and now it seemed that he was also planning on taking his sister. George fidgeted in his sleep and Ethan had to close his eyes to stop the tears that threatened. It had been so many years and he couldn\u2019t think why it was coming back now.<\/p>\n

Lucy had been restless under that blanket as her fever grew and became all-consuming. He\u2019d put the dirty cloth in the small pot of trough water and wiped at her face as he\u2019d seen Lucy do when their mama got sick. He wasn\u2019t sure what it was supposed to do, but one of the women from the saloon had said it helped. If nothing else, it gave him something to do. Something to keep his hands steady and his feet from running away into the night. He\u2019d seen enough in his short life to know that folks died when they got fevers and Lucy wasn\u2019t making any sense as she babbled at him and waved her hand at something only she could see.<\/p>\n

Ethan felt Claire\u2019s hand on his shoulder and he scrubbed his hand across his face before looking up at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan, you need to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will. Later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire tilted her head at him in that same way that Lucy used to and it almost brought him undone. He\u2019d wanted nothing more than for his sister to live that day and now it seemed that history was repeating itself. He reminded himself that Lucy had survived that fever, but only because of the kindness of a stranger.<\/p>\n

Once again, Ethan felt his hands brushing across George and Ben\u2019s hair and he sighed as he stood up. She was far too young to be burdened with caring for her brothers, but Claire was right \u2013 he desperately needed to sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll sit with them for a while. You really do need to get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded as he stretched the crick out of his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAsleep. As you should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes ma\u2019am!\u201d Ethan barely managed a smile at his niece as he headed for his bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWake me if you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire just nodded at him, barely holding her exasperation in check. Of course she would wake him.<\/p>\n

Ethan stumbled across to his bed and sank onto the edge of it. He was beyond exhausted and he fumbled as he pulled his boots off. A vague face floated before him as he thought back on that long-past day.<\/p>\n

Joseph.<\/p>\n

That name rose up in his mind once again and he wondered where that Joseph had ended up. The man who had saved his sister from the fever all those years ago. The man his nephew was named for.<\/p>\n

\n

It had been a long time since Ethan had allowed himself to dream. Usually he slept with one eye open and his hand on his pistol. It was a habit that had kept him alive over many years as a hired gun. The last few days had only allowed snatches of sleep as he had tended to the boys and tried to keep on top of the chores that needed doing. Firewood wasn\u2019t going to chop itself and while Joseph was handy with an axe, at eleven, he simply didn\u2019t have the strength to manage anywhere near what his uncle could.<\/p>\n

The darkness claimed him almost the instant his head hit his pillow and Ethan sunk into the mattress as if he were dead. He had no idea when the dream began, but it was so vivid it could have been unfolding before his eyes.<\/p>\n

Lucy faltered as she walked along the boardwalk. Her usual sunny smile had been missing for days and she was beginning to frighten him. Her words made no sense as she mumbled at him and she had refused to stay in the bed they had fashioned underneath the back stairs of the hotel. Her hand reached out for the railing and missed, sending her tumbling into the street. Ethan scrambled towards her and knelt in the dirt, pushing urgently at her to wake her up.<\/p>\n

His voice grew louder as she refused to open her eyes and the people passing along the boardwalk tutted at him, but none of them stopped long enough to do anything to help. He felt the hot sting of tears on his face as he tried desperately to wake her up. Suddenly he felt somebody beside him and he looked up towards a green jacket and almost matching green eyes. The stranger scooped his sister up out of the dirt and began to climb back up onto the boardwalk.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stranger nodded his head and began to hurry along the boardwalk. People reluctantly stepped back out of the way and allowed him to pass. Ethan noted the looks on their faces and he couldn\u2019t understand why they looked so angry. It would be years later that he would come to understand the kind of prejudice that says it\u2019s alright for a child to die if they come from the wrong kind of place or family or have the wrong skin colour. For some reason, that stranger didn\u2019t seem to care about that kind of thing as he pushed his way past each of the townsfolk who didn\u2019t want to know about two vagabond children.<\/p>\n

Ethan watched with horror as the stranger carried his sister into the place that had a shingle out the front. He couldn\u2019t read it, but he knew it was the doctor and they couldn\u2019t afford to pay for him. They couldn\u2019t afford to eat, let alone pay for a doctor. There was gonna be trouble real soon when the doctor figured that out.<\/p>\n

The stranger seemed to be having some kind of argument with the doctor before carrying his sister through another door. The man he assumed was the doctor glared at him and Ethan shrank back against the wall. It felt like forever as he waited there in the doctor\u2019s front room, but finally the stranger came back out and sat beside him on the bench.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat your sister in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded and swallowed down the tears that threatened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doc\u2019s gonna take real good care of her. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan had no idea the stranger had threatened the doctor with his own pistol if he refused to attend to the grubby child lying on his examination table. Small towns could be the friendliest places or the worst for ignoring strangers in need. Ethan didn\u2019t need to be told which one this was. He\u2019d felt it in the stares and angry words that had been thrown at them at every turn. It wasn\u2019t like they wanted to stay, but it had been hard to find a wagon to stow away in and they\u2019d been stuck.<\/p>\n

Finally the door opened and the doctor strode out. He said something to the stranger and he frowned as he pulled some coins from his pocket before walking in and picking Lucy up again. She looked just like that rag doll she used to have. Suzy had gotten lost somewhere while they were hiding one time and Lucy had cried the fiercest tears he\u2019d ever seen. It wasn\u2019t often that Lucy cried and it had scared him no end.<\/p>\n

Ethan followed silently as the young man carried his sister out the door and up the street again. He didn\u2019t stop until he came to the hotel and Ethan\u2019s eyes grew wide again when he realised the stranger intended to go in. They would never let the likes of him or Lucy in that door and he cowered behind the man\u2019s legs as he spoke to the manager at the desk and asked for things to be brought up to his room.<\/p>\n

It felt like the longest staircase he had ever climbed as Ethan clambered up the stairs. Any minute now, he expected somebody to grab him from behind and turf him back out into the street. His kind, whatever that was, weren\u2019t welcome in such places. Even at just eight years of age, he knew that already.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t said a word as the stranger opened his door and marched into a room that was filled with so many things he\u2019d never seen before. The man laid Lucy out on the bed and someone came in behind them with a pitcher of water and towels. Ethan longed to climb onto the bed and hold Lucy\u2019s hand, just to make sure she was still there, but he didn\u2019t dare. Instead, he hung back against the wall and watched as the stranger cleaned his sister with a gentleness he didn\u2019t know any man possessed. Lucy mumbled as the cool water touched her skin, but she never once woke up. When he was done, the stranger tugged the blanket over Lucy and tucked it in around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour turn now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan swallowed a gulp as the young man reached towards him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t get a bath sent up, but this will do just fine. Come on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan felt himself being tugged forward and the same hands that had cared for his sister began to wash the grime from his face and hands. He felt the tickle of the towel behind his ears and tears welled in his eyes once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I hurt you?\u201d The stranger pulled back and looked at him with concern.<\/p>\n

Words wouldn\u2019t come to explain his tears and Ethan simply shook his head. How could he tell this man that his mama used to tickle his ears when she washed him? His stomach ached for his mama and he felt the tears begin to roll down his cheeks. Without knowing what happened, he felt gentle hands cup his face and he looked up to see concern in the stranger\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your folks? Anybody looking for you two?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan shook his head. Nobody was looking for them. Leastways nobody that cared what happened to them. That shopkeeper down on the main street might still be looking for them since Ethan had stolen an apple from the barrel out the front, but he\u2019d been fast enough to escape before the man even knew which alleyway he\u2019d bolted down. He and Lucy had savoured that meal and he could still recall the sweet juice dribbling down his chin.<\/p>\n

The stranger\u2019s face twisted in that funny way that adults sometimes looked and he found himself staring at his feet. That look made his stomach flip itself into knots.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour sister is gonna be just fine. After some rest and some good food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Ethan could answer, there was a sharp rap at the door and the stranger stood up to open it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeakin\u2019 of food!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan huddled back against the bed and did his best not to be seen by whoever was at the door. He smelt some amazing aroma and his stomach growled in response and he watched in awe as the young man carried two trays across the room before laying them on the table. There was enough food to feed an entire town at least! His stomach growled again and the stranger pointed towards the seat at the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could challenge Hoss with a bear rumble like that. Now climb on up there and we\u2019ll see if we can\u2019t tame that grizzly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan didn\u2019t need to be told twice and clambered up onto the chair and watched as the young man piled food onto a plate in front of him. He was about to dive in with his fingers when he saw a fork being waved at him. Lucy would have slapped his hand and told him to mind his manners. She was always doin\u2019 stuff like that. He gulped and looked down as he realised he\u2019d let her down. Once again, the fork waved in front of him and he looked up to see the stranger smiling at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just realised we never introduced ourselves. Kinda busy out there before. My name\u2019s Joseph, but I usually only get that when I\u2019m in trouble with my pa. Most of the time it\u2019s just Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan looked up again to see Joe smiling at him. He couldn\u2019t figure why a complete stranger would be so kind to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan \u2026 and my sister\u2019s name is Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to meet you, Ethan. Now how about we eat some of this good stew before it goes cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would be a long two days before Lucy came back to him. For two days she slept fitfully and sometimes moaned in her sleep. Ethan found himself tucked up in Joe\u2019s bedroll on the floor beside her and each time he awoke, Joe was either sitting next to the bed or bathing Lucy\u2019s face with cool water or spooning something into her mouth. The fear that had chewed at his stomach was beginning to ease and when Lucy finally looked at him and knew who he was, he found tears rolling down his face that he simply couldn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

\n

The sun was barely making its way over the horizon when Ethan felt a gentle tug on his arm. He bolted upright and Claire sprang back from him as they barely missed butting heads. He flung the blanket off his legs and was half way across the room before Claire caught his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s wrong, Uncle Ethan! I came to tell you that Ben is awake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan blinked at his niece and rubbed a hand across his face. He\u2019d been so busy expecting the worst for the last few days that he was unprepared when she smiled at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he\u2019s hungry!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan managed the barest hint of a smile before striding across to where the two boys were still tucked in amongst the blankets. The room was warm and Ethan looked up to see Joseph coming through the door with an armful of firewood. Somehow he had slept straight through the boy\u2019s wood chopping!<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked down to see Ben rubbing at his eyes and trying not to yawn. Ethan dropped to the side of the bed and ran a hand across Ben\u2019s forehead, assuring himself that the fever really was subsiding. He reached for George and did the same, but was dismayed to feel the skin under his hand was still too warm. Dried sweat had George\u2019s fine hair plastered to his head and he pulled away as Ethan rubbed a hand through his hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked at his uncle and chewed on his lip as he frowned back at him. He was still too tired and muddled to understand the frown wasn\u2019t for him and he felt his lip trembling. Ethan silently cursed his clumsiness as he reached a hand to reassure the child.<\/p>\n

\u201cClaire says you are hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMmm, yep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s always a good thing.\u201d Ethan smiled at him as Ben yawned again. \u201cGuess we should get some food into you before you fall asleep again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could ask, Claire was at his side with a bowl of warm porridge and a thick drizzle of honey. It was a luxury that John Taylor had brought them a few weeks back when he\u2019d found a wild bees nest. It was early for them to be making honey, but the old Indian knew some secrets that others did not and nobody was objecting as Ben slurped the porridge off the spoon Claire held out to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen\u2019s George gonna wake up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan turned to see Joseph standing beside the kitchen table. He\u2019d stepped up to a man\u2019s duties over the last few days while Ethan had tried to hold onto Ben and George, but he was still really just a boy. A scared boy who still needed an adult\u2019s assurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will soon. Ben\u2019s fever broke first, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph nodded at him and headed for the door once more. The wood box was full, but it wasn\u2019t long before Ethan heard the distinctive sound of an axe. It was one way to work out the worry and fear and one he well understood. For the better part of a week, he had felt entirely useless as the boys had struggled to beat the fever that gripped them and it still rattled him just how much it had dragged up unwelcome memories. As Ethan poured himself a coffee, he wished he could put something a little stronger in the mug, but those days were over. He no longer had the luxury of drowning fears or drawing courage from a bottle. He had to face things head-on as Lucy would have expected him to. Stone cold sober.<\/p>\n

Ethan swirled the coffee in the mug and closed his eyes as a wave of grief washed over him. It had been almost six months since he\u2019d brought four orphaned children back from St Louis and tried to build a life for them, but there were still days that he ached with the knowledge he would never see his sister again and the fear that he simply couldn\u2019t do the overwhelming job she had left him.<\/p>\n

\n

Ethan sat on the porch and watched as the fireflies skipped across the ground before continuing their wild dance into the air. The half-empty mug of coffee in his hand had grown cold, but he had not noticed. It had been almost a week since both boys were out of bed and bouncing with their usual youthful enthusiasm. Claire made sure each of them was catching up on the meals they had missed, but both of them had still slipped into bed earlier than usual each night. It had been a tense few days where he had struggled to keep himself in check as he tended to them, not knowing if he would lose either or both of them before the next dawn. There had been three deaths in the surrounding area and many others who had been knocked down hard by the spring fever that seemed to have come out of nowhere. But then, that was often the way of fevers. Nobody could say for certain where they started or where they went.<\/p>\n

Ethan scrubbed a hand across his face and scowled as he took a sip of the cold coffee. He\u2019d lost track of time as he sat and watched the moon rise over the patch of dirt he dared call a ranch. He snorted in disgust as he stared at the horizon. It wasn\u2019t a ranch. A ranch was what Joe had talked about. A place of endless boundaries that took days to cross \u2013 or so Joe had told him. A place that produced enough cattle to keep a young man in fine clothes and even finer pistols.<\/p>\n

Ethan felt his hand drop to his hip without conscious thought. Joe had the most ornate pistol he\u2019d ever seen, with ivory inlaid into the handle and silver scrollwork. He\u2019d lifted it from the side table one night as Joe slept in the chair by his sister\u2019s bed. His fingers traced the silver as it shone in the light of the lamp and he\u2019d been so engrossed in it, he hadn\u2019t heard Joe stir.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut that down.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words were soft, but firm and he\u2019d gulped in fright as he looked up to see Joe staring at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t gonna take it!\u201d He dropped the weapon on the table and his fingers jerked back from the metal as if it was hot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, but it\u2019s not a toy. A gun isn\u2019t something to play with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan felt his heart pounding as he barely dared look up again. Everybody else assumed he was a thief. Probably because he was. He felt the colour rising up his cheeks as his gaze dropped to his boots. For some reason he could not define, it mattered to him that Joe didn\u2019t tar him with the same brush as others did.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to see it. I wasn\u2019t gonna take it. Honest!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reached for the weapon and beckoned Ethan towards him. He held the gun so the boy could reach out once more and touch the fancy handle and he smiled as Ethan\u2019s fingers traced the silver once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pa had it made for me. For my birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at it. Nobody had ever made anything for his birthday that he could remember, except Lucy. She\u2019d made him a horse from twigs and pieces of wool that she had unravelled and used to hold the tiny twigs in shape as well as fashioning a mane and tail. He\u2019d carried it everywhere in his pocket and reached a hand in to touch it every so often.<\/p>\n

Joe had often talked about horses and he figured his friend might want to see Lucy\u2019s horse so he pulled it from where he had stashed it under Joe\u2019s bedroll and shyly held it out to be inspected.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucy made it for me. For my birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned the tiny horse over in his hand and ran a finger down the scrawny mane. \u201cHe\u2019s a beauty. What\u2019s his name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name. Every horse has gotta have a name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan frowned at the idea. He\u2019d never had a horse so he hadn\u2019t really ever thought about naming one. He looked up to see Joe watching him and he shook his head. \u201cDon\u2019t know. I never knew he needed a name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCourse he does! Well, let\u2019s see, my horse\u2019s name is Cochise and Pa\u2019s horse is Buck and Adam\u2019s \u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I use Cochise too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed softly as he tousled the boy\u2019s hair. \u201cSure you can! It\u2019s a great name for a great horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan tossed the remains of the cold coffee and stood up to stretch his legs. The real Cochise had taken his owner out of their lives and left them hiding in a hotel room until the manager saw fit to throw them into the street where they belonged. There hadn\u2019t been time to collect anything and he\u2019d forgotten his horse was even under the bedroll until it was too late. They\u2019d never seen Joe or his horse again and Ethan shook his head at his pointless thoughts. It was so long ago and no longer mattered why their benefactor had suddenly left them and never come back for them as he\u2019d promised. It wasn\u2019t like he was the first adult who had let them down and certainly not the last.<\/p>\n

\n

Joe poured another shot of the whiskey into his glass before setting the bottle back on the table. He ran a finger around the rim of the glass, but made no move to drink its contents. Suddenly a hand ran down over his shoulder while another tickled the nape of his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWant some company, cowboy?\u201d<\/p>\n

The voice was low and sultry and there was a time when he would have turned on the charm and had the woman sitting in his lap inside of two minutes. Instead, Joe wished fervently for the girl to just leave him alone. He shook her hand off his shoulder and frowned at her.<\/p>\n

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

The girl wasn\u2019t going to be deterred so easily and she began to run her nails up the sleeve of his shirt towards his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on now. We could have us some fun, you and me.\u201d She leaned in and pouted at him as if daring him to kiss her.<\/p>\n

Joe stood up from the table and flicked the girl\u2019s hands away from him. The pretty blonde looked no different than a thousand other saloon girls where her dress left little to the imagination and she moved ever so subtly to make sure her best assets were on show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I wasn\u2019t interested.\u201d Joe grasped at the shot of whiskey and gulped it down before grabbing the bottle and turning and walking out the door.<\/p>\n

The girl shrugged at the stranger before setting her eye on another man sitting two tables away. At least this one seemed more interested as he winked at her and beckoned her over with his finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis loss! I\u2019ll have some fun with you, honey.\u201d<\/p>\n

All thoughts of the sad-eyed cowboy were pushed aside as she was swept into the man\u2019s lap and she giggled as he whispered something in her ear.<\/p>\n

Joe stalked along the length of the boardwalk, seething with pent up anger. All he\u2019d wanted was the time to wish his brother a happy birthday and the stupid girl had sullied it with her obvious intent. Once, he would have lapped up the attention and made the most of the offer, but he had no need of a saloon girl to warm his bed when he had a good woman waiting for him at home. He snorted in disgust at himself and took another slug of the whiskey as her face floated before him. He\u2019d left her behind and had no business calling himself a married man. Or a father. But the truth was he was both. And right now, he was a failure at both.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he whispered into the night air, not entirely sure who he was apologising to this time. He lifted the bottle to his lips once again and felt the warmth of the whiskey slide down his throat. Joe glanced around as he took another slow drink. He hadn\u2019t intended to be out drinking on the street and he figured it would be better to be back in his room before he got himself arrested for public drunkenness. Not that it wouldn\u2019t be the first time in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t far back to the hotel, or what passed as a hotel. In the tiny one-horse town, the dilapidated building had the grand name of the Palace Hotel and it had clearly seen better days. The whole town had an air of need about it, as if everything needed a new coat of paint. Joe scowled at his own thoughts as he climbed the stairs to his room. He needed a new coat of paint! Or something.<\/p>\n

He dropped onto the bed and stared at his boots. He needed his brother. Hoss would have been ashamed of him if he could see the sorry wreck he\u2019d made of himself in the last two hours. It wasn\u2019t like this anniversary hadn\u2019t rolled around before. Nineteen times it had come and gone already, so why was this one so painful that he needed to run from it? How had twenty years passed by without the big galoot? Joe lifted the bottle and raised a sloppy salute in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, I miss you, brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

As he sprawled back onto the bed, Joe stared at the pressed tin ceiling and noted that some of the tin had worked its way loose. A piece directly above him looked as if it could fall right on top of him.<\/p>\n

The sky is fawing. The sky is fawing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe flung his arm across his face as if he could somehow blot out the memory of Candy mocking him as he read Chicken Little to the group of children he\u2019d been pressed into teaching while their real teacher recovered from a fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy would never laugh with him or at him again. Joe screwed his eyes shut and clenched his fists in impotent rage at the loss of one more brother. He was a failure as a brother as well.<\/p>\n

\n

The sun was well into the sky before Joe made it out to begin the day. He squinted at the brightness of the sky and pulled his hat a little lower to protect his eyes. He frowned as he ran a hand across the thick stubble on his cheeks as he had a fair idea of just how rough he looked, given the way he felt. His tongue felt like wool in his mouth and he stumbled towards what passed as a caf\u00e9. The coffee was hot and strong, if a little odd tasting. Memories arose unbidden as he recalled the constant comments about his own coffee-making skills over the years. As Joe fumbled in his pocket for some coins to pay for his meal, he realised he was growing low on funds. Time to look for some work to pay his way to \u2026 to wherever it was that he was going. He knew that Paradise was north of him and Sacramento was south. South took him closer to the pain he could not yet deal with, so north it would be.<\/p>\n

\n

Ethan sat astride his horse and watched as Morris waved at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot us another couple of guns, Ethan.\u201d The man looked pleased with himself as he pointed at the two men. \u201cThis is Hank and he\u2019s Joe. I tested \u2018em out, Ethan and both could shoot an eyelash off a jackrabbit.”<\/p>\n

Ethan didn\u2019t answer the overconfident description, but he sized up the two men standing before him. Hank looked like he was maybe ex-army with his stance and Joe was staring back at him with a look of almost defiance, as if daring him to reject him. It struck him as odd, but he didn\u2019t have time to waste if they were going to make the run on time. He needed hired guns and if Morris said they were good, then he\u2019d take the man\u2019s word.<\/p>\n

He nodded at the two strangers and turned back towards Morris. \u201cWe need to get on the road in the next half hour. You two good to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was less than the required half hour before all four men rode out of town, flanking a wagon being driven by an older man and his son. The two new recruits had simply been told the wagon needed to make it to Redding without issue and they would be paid when they all got there. Joe hadn\u2019t asked what was so all-important about that wagon, but he noted the covert glances between Ethan and Morris. Those two were tight and he felt an ache rising up into his chest as he observed them. He and Candy could convey a lot with a glance or a wink or a concealed hand signal. He quickly shoved the thought back down and focused on their surroundings. He had a job to do and he would need the money once he reached Redding.<\/p>\n

\n

Ethan leaned back against his upturned saddle and watched the man seated across from him. The glow of the fire lit up his face and something about it niggled at him. He knew many of the local guns for hire, but there was something different about this one. Ethan had spent almost his entire life living on his instincts and he could not reconcile what little he knew of the man and what his gut told him. Not that there had been any time for casual conversation since their hasty departure, but he was deliberately evasive or gave the barest of answers when questioned. Ethan figured he could respect that. After all, he could count on one hand the number of people who really knew him and his real history, not the exaggerated nonsense he had allowed to circulate unchecked for years. If even half the rumours were true, he had shot and killed at least a hundred men.<\/p>\n

Still, he could have sworn the man was running from something and he aimed to find out what that was in case it was going to be a problem for them. Before he could ask another question and prod a little more, Morris sauntered back into the camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan, Hank\u2019s on first watch and Jacob and Matt are bunking in the wagon for good measure.\u201d Morris snatched a mug and poured himself a coffee before turning back to Joe. \u201cYou can take second watch, Cartwright and I\u2019ll take the third. Ethan, old man, you get a good night\u2019s sleep tonight and we\u2019ll put you on tomorrow\u2019s rotation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cartwright. How had he missed the man\u2019s last name until now? He must be slipping.<\/p>\n

Ethan leaned forward and poured himself another coffee as he tried to look closer at the man again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomethin\u2019 wrong, Ethan?\u2019<\/p>\n

He glanced up to see Morris watching him.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou okay with the watch rotations?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah. They\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan looked again and tried to call up a memory from so long ago to see if it matched the scruffy face reflecting the firelight. Despite the fact Morris had assigned him a full night\u2019s sleep, it would be a long time coming as he lay in his bedroll and trawled through every memory he could muster from so many years ago. Time had muddied some of them, but he\u2019d never forgotten that name. The name of the man who had saved his sister\u2019s life and then run out on them when he\u2019d promised to come back.<\/p>\n

\n

Claire watched as Becky counted out the coins before handing them across the counter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad your chickens are still laying so well. A couple of foxes got into some of the coops on the west side of town and we\u2019ve been in short supply for our customers. I don\u2019t suppose you could bring any more next time, could you?\u201d<\/p>\n

It would have been very helpful to make the extra money, but Claire shook her head. \u201cThe way Ben and George are eating at the moment, it\u2019s a wonder I have any left at all to bring you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Becky was only a few years older than Claire and had been allowed to leave school to work in her family\u2019s mercantile, but that didn\u2019t mean she missed any of the gossip from the school. \u201cI heard the boys were off school with that nasty fever. I do hope they are both getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be fine. Thank you for \u2026\u201d Before she could finish, Joseph came hurrying through the door and grasped at her arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cClaire, I gotta talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becky looked at the younger boy with an air of annoyance. He was still a little rough around the edges, but then Mama did say that had a lot to do with living with an uncle who knew next to nothing about raising God-fearing children.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Claire began to chide her brother before really looking at him. He was scared. Perhaps petrified would be a better word. She quickly made her apologies to Becky and hurried her younger brother outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Uncle Ethan,\u201d Joseph whispered to her.<\/p>\n

Claire felt the unwanted sense of panic rising up her throat and she tried to force it back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Uncle Ethan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph grasped her arm and pulled her away from the mercantile door. He had no idea who could be listening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just down at the livery and I heard two men talking. They were at the back of the livery and I didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard them talking about Ethan Cord and how he\u2019d be dealt with before the end of the week!\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire tried to allow her rational mind to settle her brother\u2019s panic and struggled to find a logical answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have misunderstood. Uncle Ethan can\u2019t be back from Redding by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t intend to wait for him to get back. One of them said they had somebody travelling with him who would kill him on the road and make it look like they got bushwhacked. He said they knew all about the decoys and it didn\u2019t fool them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire frowned at her brother. Joseph had an active imagination and had been known to get things wrong before, but this wasn\u2019t a schoolyard misunderstanding. This could mean the difference between them having a guardian and a home or being left to fend for themselves. Claire shook her head to clear the ugly thoughts that rose up to frighten her. Mrs Lawson would know what to do. That was it. She always knew what to do.<\/p>\n

\n

Amelia sat at her desk and signed off on the last of the ledgers for the day. It always felt satisfying to finish up the columns and see that everything was in its place and added up correctly. It was a skill that had been underestimated by her husband when he\u2019d bought the bank, but it had proven to be her saving grace when others had also underestimated her. Being a woman, especially an independent and vocal woman, had proven challenging, but she had never backed down from a challenge in her life.<\/p>\n

As she stood up to place the ledger back on the shelf, she heard somebody rapping on the door. The bank was closed already but that didn\u2019t stop some of the townsfolk thinking they could ask for out of hours service, especially since she was a woman and some of them thought she still needed to be put in her place. Amelia frowned as she headed for the door and was about to give somebody a piece of her mind when she realised it was Claire and Joseph hammering on her door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d It was an obvious conclusion since she knew Ethan had ridden out two days ago, but not before dropping in and asking her to keep an eye out for the children in his absence. She knew it tugged at him to be leaving so soon after the boys were so ill and yet she also knew he needed to take the jobs that paid when they came along.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to bother you, but Uncle Ethan said we could come to you if we needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amelia swung the door open and gestured for them to come inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs something wrong with the boys? Are they sick again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Claire rushed to explain. \u201cIt\u2019s Uncle Ethan!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s back already?\u201d Amelia looked confused, as he wasn\u2019t due back well into the next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. He\u2019s not going to make it back unless we help him!\u201d Joseph clenched his fists in frustration as he tried to explain what he\u2019d overheard.<\/p>\n

Amelia listened as Joseph talked and tried to think of a way to calm him down.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour uncle is a very experienced \u2026\u201d She was about to say gunslinger and barely managed to stop herself. \u201cHe is well able to look after himself. And he \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he is not travelling alone. He has five men with him. They will be doing what they need to do to be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

At least she hoped they would be.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBen, can you go and wake Joseph please? He should have been up already!\u201d Claire kept filling the lunch pails while keeping an eye out to see that George was eating his breakfast.<\/p>\n

A minute later, Ben stuck his head around the corner and pointed back over his shoulder. \u201cHe\u2019s not in there. Maybe he\u2019s outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire frowned at him as she hadn\u2019t heard Joseph get up or leave the house and she\u2019d been up for at least an hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, finish up getting ready for school. I\u2019m sure Joseph must be in the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged at his little brother as he began to pull on his boots and reached for his school satchel. Claire tried to keep a calm face as she headed outside, but her stomach was clenched into a knot. Joseph had argued with Mrs Lawson the night before that she needed to do something to warn their uncle and she had agreed to send out some wires, but it wasn\u2019t like Paradise had a bunch of deputies the marshal could send out after them. He\u2019d lost patience with her and said that he\u2019d go himself if need be while Mrs Lawson had told him to leave it to the adults to take care of.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t tell me you were that stupid, Joseph!\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire stalked into the barn and stared at the empty stalls. She expected her uncle\u2019s horse would not be there, but she fully expected to see the only other horse they owned and needed for the wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Fear clutched at her as she stared at the place where the saddles usually hung. \u201cWhat were you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t hear the footsteps behind her until George tried again. \u201cClaire \u2026 what\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

George frowned at her as Ben piped up. \u201cThen where\u2019s the horse? And Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire swallowed down the lump in her throat and smiled at her little brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gone to take a message to Uncle Ethan. He\u2019ll be back soon. Now finish getting yourselves ready for school as we\u2019ll need to walk today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAwwww. I don\u2019t wanna walk to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. But we need to get to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire waited until the boys had headed back to the house before unfolding the note nailed to the railing.<\/p>\n

Claire,<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>I know you are going to be real mad at me but I have to go. You didn\u2019t hear those men. I did and they aim to kill Uncle Ethan. I won\u2019t let that happen.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joseph<\/em><\/p>\n

Claire sucked in a sob and straightened up before folding the paper closed again. She needed to see Mrs Lawson and maybe this time she would do something more than send a wire.<\/p>\n

\n

The first two days out of Paradise had been fairly uneventful which was just the way Ethan liked it. Not that he expected it was going to be smooth sailing all the way to Redding and his senses were on high alert. The marshal from Redding had suggested they arranged another two wagons as decoys and he hoped the three teams would not cross paths. It was one of the reasons he\u2019d been so anxious to leave on time so the three were separated by enough miles to make it look plausible. He\u2019d asked Morris to only bring in two hired guns instead of the bigger team he would have preferred and made it look like just another regular job. The father and son driving the wagon were unknown to him, but the marshal had assured him they were the best. He assumed that meant he knew what was riding in that wagon buried inside the kegs and boxes of supplies.<\/p>\n

Ethan glanced across at Cartwright who was riding on the far side of the wagon. Over the course of the two days, he was now firmly convinced that he was the same man who had stopped and scooped Lucy out of the dirt all those years ago. Joe had confirmed he was from Virginia City and had family there, but not much more. He\u2019d clammed up at the questions asked around the campfire each night and snapped at Matt\u2019s nosiness more than once. What had happened to the young man with the ready smile and tender hands that had tickled his ears as he cleaned behind them? Ethan tried to shove the thoughts aside as he focussed on the job at hand, but he couldn\u2019t help being drawn back.<\/p>\n

Joe felt the man\u2019s gaze on him and it irked him. It felt like he was being measured somehow and he chafed at the thought. Truth be told, he didn\u2019t measure up. If Cord knew the truth, he never would have taken him on as a hired gun. Oh sure, the shooting skills were still there when he was aiming at a tin can, but he stared at his gun nestled in its holster and was once again reminded that he\u2019d failed when it really mattered. And Candy had paid the price for his failure.<\/p>\n

Joe felt his gut twist into a knot as he recalled how much blood had pooled on the ground beneath them. He\u2019d watched as Candy tried to muster one last grin for him and almost managed to pull it off. He\u2019d gripped onto his friend\u2019s hand as it went slack and he was sure his own heart had stopped beating too. He pulled up with a jerk and tried to focus once more on what he was supposed to be doing. Reliving that nightmare moment was not helping anybody and was a distraction he didn\u2019t need if he was going to do his job.<\/p>\n

Morris was riding drag along behind the wagon and he noted the strange reaction. There was something odd about the man and he wondered if they were going to have some trouble with him. He needed to talk with Ethan, but it would have to wait until they stopped.<\/p>\n

\n

Joseph pushed the horse as fast as he dared. It wasn\u2019t like Uncle Ethan\u2019s horse that could sustain a long gallop. She was a good wagon horse and well suited in temperament to allowing the boys to climb up on her back, but she simply wasn\u2019t up to what Joseph needed her to do. Still, he kicked at her sides again and urged her to a faster pace. He didn\u2019t care what his sister or Mrs Lawson said. He\u2019d heard those two men as they discussed their plan and he couldn\u2019t afford to waste time.<\/p>\n

The first part of the ride had brought him down out of the foothills, but for the last two days, the road had been fairly flat and he\u2019d been able to push harder. It still wasn\u2019t fast enough since he hadn\u2019t caught up to the wagon yet. Joseph felt the horse slowing her pace and he reluctantly allowed her to as he led her towards the nearby creek. He slid from the saddle and watched her take her fill as he topped up his own canteen and took a deep drink. His stomach rumbled in response and he rummaged in the saddlebags for something to eat. His hand wrapped around some jerky and he pulled out a couple of pieces from the calico wrapping. It wasn\u2019t something he generally ate by choice, but it wasn\u2019t as if he\u2019d been able to get Claire to help pack his travel rations.<\/p>\n

Joseph looked up at the sun and noted it was already dipping close to the horizon. He had maybe another two hours of daylight left if he was lucky and he tugged at the horse\u2019s reins, eager to get moving again.<\/p>\n

\n

Morris heard the approaching rider before anybody else since he was riding well back from the wagon. He shifted his rifle across his lap and pulled his horse to a stop on the edge of the road. It wasn\u2019t as if the rider was trying to sneak up on them, but it paid to be alert and it had saved his life more than once.<\/p>\n

He almost swore aloud as he saw who the rider was before nudging his horse into the road, blocking the other horse\u2019s path. Joseph recognised the man his uncle often travelled with and heaved a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Uncle Ethan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris narrowed his gaze at the kid. \u201cJust what in tarnation are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, I\u2019ve gotta warn Uncle Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph began to push his horse around the obstacle before Morris grasped at his reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWarn him about what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph was exhausted and in no mood to be compliant. \u201cLet me go! I need to speak to him, now! He\u2019s in danger!\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris held the rein tightly and leaned closer to the boy. \u201cYou know who I am, don\u2019tcha?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph nodded and was about to speak when Morris cut him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Then you tell me what\u2019s going on and be quick about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Joseph began to relay all that had happened since he\u2019d overheard the threats back in the livery. He was surprised to see the man taking him seriously and even more surprised when he tugged at the reins and started up the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell c\u2019mon! We\u2019ve gotta catch up to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan was almost ready to head back looking for Morris when he rode into view. The fact there was another rider with him unsettled him and he squinted in the late afternoon sun to make out who it was. He called the wagon to a halt as he waited for them. It took a few minutes for the two horses to get close enough and he felt his heart drop into his stomach as he realised who was riding alongside his friend. Something had to have happened to one of the boys and he silently cursed himself at leaving so soon after they had been so sick. He kicked his horse into a trot and quickly pulled alongside his nephew.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph! What are you doing here?\u201d He tried to keep the worry out of his voice and failed miserably as he barked the question.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan, I\u2019ve gotta talk to you. Privately.\u201d Joseph looked over his uncle\u2019s shoulder at the men on horseback and the other two in the wagon and he swallowed down the fear that one or more of them could mean to kill his uncle.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI had to come and warn you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, what are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

The story tumbled out in a whispered rush and Ethan stared at the boy as if he\u2019d lost his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou rode all the way out here to tell me this job might be dangerous!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! Uncle Ethan, those men said they had somebody travelling with you who was going to kill you and make it look like you’d been bushwhacked. They said you\u2019d never make it into Redding alive!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan heard the fear in the boy\u2019s voice and fumbled over how to allay it. There were days he had no idea how to be a parent and this was turning into one of them.<\/p>\n

Joe sat easy in the saddle and watched the strange scenario unfolding. He felt his gut churning in warning that something was wrong. He couldn\u2019t define what was causing the prickle on his scalp, but he glanced at the other men and noted that Jacob had his rifle in his hand. It seemed an odd thing to do given it was just a boy and he automatically rested his hand on his thigh near his holster.<\/p>\n

Soon enough, Ethan turned and rode up towards them with the youngster in tow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Joseph. He\u2019ll be camping with us tonight and heading back home in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph scowled at his uncle and barely managed to keep his mouth in check. He had no intention of turning tail for home, but his uncle rarely changed his mind once he\u2019d given an order.<\/p>\n

Joe kept his thoughts to himself as they began to set up camp for the night. He soon figured who the boy was when he said something to his uncle. What he couldn\u2019t figure was why the boy was there at all. He buried down thoughts of his own boy and what he would be doing. His mama would have things well in hand as she always did. Joe felt himself tensing as he tried to shove aside the voice that nagged at him and told him he should be home with them instead of guarding something he had no idea about for a man he barely knew.<\/p>\n

\n

Joe paced the perimeter of the camp with his rifle at the ready. He\u2019d drawn the second watch, which suited him just fine. It wasn\u2019t like he was going to sleep much anyway. Nagging thoughts kept chewing at him as he had tried to rest and finally he\u2019d gotten up and poured himself yet another mug of coffee. He\u2019d relieved Hank forty minutes earlier than he needed to and the man had grinned at him with a nod of thanks as he headed for his bedroll.<\/p>\n

Joe rubbed a hand across his face as he walked. He\u2019d always been light on his feet, but Candy had taught him to move in a manner that was almost soundless. It was how they had first met, all those years ago when Candy walked into their camp and asked for a can of peaches. Joe allowed himself a small smile as he recalled the surprised faces and quick accusations. The fact Candy was an army brat gave him an edge of irreverence that had stirred the beginnings of their friendship.<\/p>\n

He paused and looked up at the clouds as they scudded across the moon. He felt a shiver run the length of his spine and he shook himself as if he could shake off the memory of another night under another moon. A dark night that had concealed the men who crept into their camp, aiming to steal from them.<\/p>\n

They were so close to home that first night and he\u2019d given in to his children\u2019s pleas to ride out with them and camp for the night before the herd moved on to the railhead. He knew he was getting past the point of needing or wanting to ride with the herd, but he also knew how he\u2019d yearned to go when he was a kid and his father and brothers rode out. If only he\u2019d been stronger and said no. Then Candy would still be alive and he wouldn\u2019t be running from the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him.<\/p>\n

Joe was scouting out the area when he heard a single shot ring out in the darkness followed by a strangled cry. He thought for a moment that he had imagined it, but he heard shouts as he raced towards the camp and could make out men wrestling and trading punches, but against the glare of the fire, he couldn\u2019t clearly see who it was. Suddenly a smaller figure sprang up from the ground and he knew without thinking that it had to be Joseph. The boy was kicking at the leg of one of the men while his uncle wrestled against his attacker’s grasp around his shoulders, pinning his arms to his side.<\/p>\n

Joe surged forward and pulled the boy clear of the fray before turning to help Ethan. He lifted the butt of his rifle to knock the other man down and was satisfied to see him stay down. Across the other side of the fire, Morris had dropped to the ground and was staring into the barrel of a gun when Ethan charged. He threw the other man sideways and slammed him into the wagon before delivering a knockout punch. Morris began to scramble to his feet and rushed to see that Ethan had the man under control.<\/p>\n

As Joe turned back to find where Joseph had got to, he noted the first man raising an arm and pointing his pistol towards the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn you, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reacted without thinking and pushed the stunned boy sideways. He felt the bite as a bullet ploughed into his thigh and he stumbled to the ground while trying to swing his rifle into a firing position. Before he could line up for a shot, somebody beat him to it and his attacker dropped like a stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded as he tried to pull himself into a more upright position. He felt Morris grasp his shirt and pull him to his feet and his leg almost buckled under him. Morris wrapped an arm under his shoulder and pulled him closer to the fire before settling him on his bedroll.<\/p>\n

Joe looked around and for the first time, realised who had attacked them. It made no sense as both Jacob and Matt were sprawled in the dirt. Matt was clearly dead and his father was tied to the wagon wheel by his wrists. Just across from where he was sitting, Joe saw Hank was still in his bedroll. He shuffled across to reach out towards him and was stunned to feel the blanket was wet with blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked up at the sound of his name before realising it wasn\u2019t him being spoken to.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ethan grasped the boy by the shoulders and shook him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan, I tried to \u2026\u201d His words stuck as he stared at the bodies lying across the camp.<\/p>\n

Ethan cupped the side of his face and pulled the boy\u2019s gaze back towards him. \u201cIt\u2019s alright. You\u2019re alright, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without warning, Joseph flung himself at his uncle and wrapped his arms around his waist. Ethan leaned down and pulled the boy towards him, acutely aware of just how close he had come to losing him. Finally, he pushed the boy back from him and ran his hands along his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you hurt? Did he hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph shook his head and pointed at the body lying on the ground. \u201cHe was gonna shoot me, but \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Cartwright here stopped him.\u201d Morris was crouched in front of Joe examining his leg. \u201cAnd took a bullet for his troubles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan turned back towards them with Joseph tucked against his side. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled the boy away from the body behind them and settled him on his bedroll. Joseph was shaking and Ethan pushed him down and smoothed his hair from his eyes. \u201cGet some sleep. Everything\u2019s going to be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe clamped his mouth shut as Morris cut away the blood-soaked cloth from his leg and prodded at the hole. He hoped there was another hole to match on the other side, but he saw Morris shake his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat slug needs to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured that already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry we haven\u2019t got any whiskey for you, but Ethan said this was a dry run. No drinking on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grasped at the man\u2019s wrist and nodded towards where Ethan was still crouched over his nephew. \u201cYou leave this \u2018til morning. And you get the kid away from here before you start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris shook his head again. \u201cThat bullet needs to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe squeezed his wrist harder. \u201cYou can\u2019t see what you\u2019re digging for and this is gonna get messy. The kid doesn\u2019t need to see it. Or hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris saw the clenched jaw and nodded in begrudging admiration. He was right. The kid had dealt with enough for one night, but the cost was going to be high.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis could get a whole lot worse for you if we don\u2019t dig it out tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorse than it could be with you diggin\u2019 a hole in the dark?\u201d Joe glared at him as if daring him to try.<\/p>\n

By the next morning, Joe was beginning to regret his decision. He\u2019d slept on and off and each time he\u2019d woken, he\u2019d had to clamp down on his glove to keep himself quiet. His leg throbbed as he tried to sit up in his bedroll and he groaned as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. A mug of coffee waved in front of his face and he gratefully took a gulp.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right. Ethan\u2019s gonna take the kid out of sight and you and me are gonna have a go at that leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked around the camp and noted that Hank and his bedroll were gone. Morris saw where he was looking and he thumbed over his shoulder. \u201cEthan buried him last night. Didn\u2019t want the kid waking up to two dead bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he looked across the fire, Joe saw Ethan crouched down in front of Jacob who was still firmly tied to the wagon wheel. Even from that distance, Joe could see the side of the man\u2019s face was a mass of swollen and bruised flesh and he winced.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy there. Ethan sent me looking for some flowers at first light. Says he made some kind of Indian brew he reckons will take the edge off when we get started on this leg. Not a proper anaesthetic, mind you, but it will help. John Taylor\u2019s full of useful remedies like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn Taylor?\u201d Joe\u2019s head was just catching up with the rest of him as he swirled the remains of his coffee in the mug before ditching the dregs in the dirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndian friend of Ethan\u2019s. Lives up the hills above Paradise. At least, I think he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe watched as Morris pushed the blade of a knife into the flames and laid some strips of bandaging on a rock beside him. He heard Ethan say something to Morris about the need to get moving and he closed his eyes against what he knew was coming.<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s feet felt like lead as his uncle directed him away from the camp. Ethan had his rifle laid across his arm in a way that looked casual enough to an observer, but Joseph knew better. His uncle was tensed, ready for action and he wondered if there was another threat.<\/p>\n

Before he could ask any questions, he heard the man\u2019s muffled scream and then silence. Ethan had a firm grasp on his shoulder and he flinched as the sound carried again.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan.\u201d Joseph sucked in a sharp breath as he paused.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he gonna be okay?\u201d Joseph felt tears welling in his eyes as he wondered if the man who\u2019d saved his life was going to pay for it with his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be fine. Morris just needs to get that bullet out and he\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you \u2026 have you ever been shot?\u201d It wasn\u2019t like the boy didn\u2019t know his uncle\u2019s former profession, but he stared up at the man who seemed invincible.<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded at him and then looked back towards the camp. Too many times to want to recall.<\/p>\n

It would be another twenty minutes before Ethan deemed it was safe to return to camp and he was relieved to see Morris give him a tight smile when he spotted them. Joe was out cold, but that didn\u2019t surprise him. Morris wasn\u2019t a doctor and that knife wasn\u2019t a scalpel. Still, the bandage wrapped tightly around Joe\u2019s leg only had a small bloodstain where it had seeped through already and he hoped that would be good news.<\/p>\n

Morris stood up and glanced at Joseph as if weighing his words. \u201cHe should be okay to travel if we lay him out in the back of the wagon. You can put Jacob on a horse and I\u2019ll drive the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded in agreement. He didn\u2019t want to be moving the injured man so soon, but they couldn\u2019t afford to delay by sitting in the middle of the valley floor. Based on what Jacob had told him, the marshal in Redding was waiting for them and could easily send out men to find them and finish the job he\u2019d started. He needed to get them there before that happened.<\/p>\n

Joe barely stirred as the two men lifted him into the bed of the wagon and wrapped a blanket over him. It would be another couple of hours before he woke up and felt the raw ache in his leg. He looked up at the cloudless sky overhead and felt the sway of the wagon beneath him and groaned as he tried to sit up.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay still.\u201d The voice floated over his head and Joe frowned as he tried to figure who was driving the wagon. It took a few minutes before Morris pulled up the team and climbed over into the wagon towards him. \u201cHow are you doin\u2019 there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeen better days,\u201d Joe winced as he tried again to sit up. His leg screamed at him in protest and before he knew it, Morris pressed a mug filled with some more of the foul-smelling liquid towards his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink this. Trust me, it stinks, but it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe eyed him suspiciously as he nodded in encouragement. He swallowed the liquid and burped as it almost came back up on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. It does that to me too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmells like something Hop Sing would have once made up to punish me with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes as a wave of nausea rushed over him. He wasn\u2019t sure if it was the foul brew or the depth of memory that threatened to engulf him. He felt Morris\u2019 hand on his shoulder as he pushed it all back down.<\/p>\n

Ethan pulled his horse in alongside the wagon and studied Joe\u2019s face. He\u2019d once talked of a Chinese man who cared for him and his family. Almost as if he was family. So how did he end up out here, so far from that family he\u2019d talked so much about?<\/p>\n

Morris eased Joe back down and climbed back over into the driver\u2019s seat. Ethan pulled around next to him as they began to move out again. \u201cHow\u2019s he doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll live. Not sure we\u2019ve got enough of that stuff of John Taylor\u2019s to last us to Redding, but I can ration it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan frowned as he looked at the road ahead. They were still a long way from where he wanted to be, having lost so much time the day before.<\/p>\n

\n

It was a long two days as the group made their way into Redding. Joe slept fitfully in the back of the wagon and at times seemed out of it as he mumbled various things. Ethan knew his friend\u2019s concoction could bring on strange dreams and even cause hallucinations if the brain was already fevered and he kept a close watch on the back of the wagon. Joe seemed lucid for the most part, but his face couldn\u2019t hide the pain as the wagon jolted over the rough terrain. He was thankful they weren\u2019t travelling into the mountains or it would be so much worse.<\/p>\n

The second afternoon, Ethan stopped them by the river and watered the horses while Morris pulled back the bandage on Joe\u2019s leg. He frowned at what he saw. The wound was reddening and swelling and pus was beginning to ooze from it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Joe leaned back again the sack of flour and tried to focus on what was happening. His leg felt like it was on fire and he couldn\u2019t quite concentrate on what the man was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019! Just need to clean this out, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gonna die from that, you know.\u201d Jacob laughed as he stood next to the wagon where Ethan had tied him after removing him from his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up!\u201d Morris glared at him as he continued what he was doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no problem tying you face down over that horse, you know.\u201d Ethan growled at Jacob as he led the horses back to the wagon.<\/p>\n

Jacob stared at him defiantly, but wisely said nothing further. He\u2019d already said enough.<\/p>\n

\n

Ethan sat with his boots propped up on the edge of the bed, reading the local newspaper from the day before. The front page ran a story about a local marshal who had been arrested on conspiracy to murder charges along with other serious pending charges. It said the sheriff was carrying out a full investigation and several witnesses were yet to be interviewed. He stared at the man lying on the bed and wondered when he would be fit to give a statement. What the paper didn\u2019t carry was why the marshal had thrown an honest career to the wind and was now facing the gallows or at least a long stint in prison.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t tell the story of two men who had dug up the biggest gold nugget seen in California since the Fricot nugget had been unearthed. They didn\u2019t want anybody catching on to where they had pulled it out of the ground or even that it existed at all so they had called in a favour with a friend who turned out to be just as susceptible to gold fever as the next man.<\/p>\n

Ethan was glad to be well rid of the wagon and its contents and had happily handed Jacob over to the authorities along with co-ordinates of where they had buried the two bodies. He\u2019d wired Hank\u2019s family and then tried to find Joe\u2019s family. It wasn\u2019t hard to get a response from Virginia City with the Cartwright name.<\/p>\n

Before Ethan could read any further, the door swung open and Joseph walked in with a tray laden with food. He smiled at his uncle before unloading the tray onto the nearby table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got us some breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded his appreciation and reached for a cup to pour himself a coffee as he went back to reading the paper.<\/p>\n

Early morning light filtered through the window as Joe slowly opened his eyes. The ache in his leg had subsided to a dull roar, but his head still pounded as if he\u2019d been out drinking all night. He groaned as he shifted on the bed and felt a hand push against his shoulder as he tried to sit up.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe blinked and looked up to see Ethan\u2019s face hovering over him while holding out a glass of water. \u201cGood to see you back in the land of the living.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joe asked in between gulps of the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gave the doc a run for his money there for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we?\u201d Joe pushed himself up against the bedhead and looked around. He knew a hotel room when he saw one, but this was not one he recognised.<\/p>\n

\u201cRedding. We\u2019ve been here a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joe shook his head at the idea. Last thing he remembered, they were out on the road and Morris was digging yet another hole in his leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been pretty out of it for a while. Doc says the infection is clearing up though and you aren\u2019t going to lose that leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBullet wound. Your leg got infected and Morris tried his best, but the doc says it was closer than he would have liked. He says you\u2019re gonna be fine, but you can\u2019t travel for a bit yet. I wired your family and told them where you were.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family? Joe frowned at the man. \u201cHow would you even know who my family is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know more about you than you think I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s gaze narrowed with suspicion as he sized up the man again. \u201cI only just met you and I didn\u2019t tell you anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWrong. I met you a long time ago and you told me enough this week to put the pieces together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t remember, but it was a two-bit town outside of Placerville \u2026 well, it was Hangtown then, but anyway, you saved my sister and me. You kept Lucy alive when she had a fever. If she had died, I would have too. Most probably would have starved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stared at him as the weight of the words sunk in.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Lucy. My sister and Joseph\u2019s mother. She named him after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph was sitting on the window ledge, staring out the window at the busy street below, but he jumped to his feet at his uncle\u2019s comment. He\u2019d heard the story before from his mother, but never once guessed the man in the bed could possibly be one and the same person. That part of his mother’s and uncle\u2019s life was so long ago.<\/p>\n

Joe stared at Ethan as the memories welled up from within him. \u201cShe had blonde hair. Real pretty little thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan nodded, but held his tongue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came back to the hotel and you were both gone. I tried to find you, but nobody knew where you had gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe manager threw us out the day you left. Said that our kind wasn\u2019t welcome there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head as he tried to clear it from the dull pounding behind his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them to tell you I was coming back. It was a couple of days and they were supposed to send up food and anything else you needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan rubbed a hand along his jawline. At the time, it had simply felt like they\u2019d been abandoned again.<\/p>\n

Joe looked directly at him as he spoke. \u201cI swear to you, I wasn\u2019t given any choice by the sheriff but to ride with the posse after the bank was robbed and I told them to take care of you. I got back and you were both gone. That damn manager told me you\u2019d just up and left in the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sagged back against the pillows and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I should have looked harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe slowly opened his eyes and tried again. \u201cSo, where did you go if you didn\u2019t just run off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLucy was still sick, but we managed to convince an old tinker to give us a ride to Hangtown. We just \u2026 well we just did what we always did after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed down the sick feeling in his throat and nodded. \u201cYou survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph stared at his uncle as he got his first real glimpse of just how hard life had been for his mother when she was a child. She had rarely let on anything about her past other than how much she loved her brother and how close they were. He had been too young to really understand, but he certainly knew what it had meant to him when he feared losing his own guardian and what could happen to them from there. Ben and George were young enough and cute enough that somebody might want to adopt them, but he and Claire were simply the wrong age. Too old to be moulded into a new family and too young to earn their way in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI meant to take you both back with me. To Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan couldn\u2019t bring himself to speak as he allowed himself to wonder how different life could have turned out. But then, Lucy would never have married that no-account husband of hers and he could not imagine life without his niece and nephews. It wasn\u2019t the first time he had wondered about the changes in his life since they had come to stay with him. As Lucy would have said herself, good can often come from bad if we just allow it to.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of Virginia City \u2026 just what are you doing up this way?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe dropped his gaze to his hands and tried to find an answer to that. When he didn\u2019t answer, Ethan pulled a telegram from his pocket and handed it to Joe. He skimmed across the paper and sucked in a breath as he did so.<\/p>\n

Thank you for letting us know he is safe. Tell him to come home. Tell him we love him, including Griff.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe crumpled the paper in his hand as he closed his eyes. Griff had every right to hate him. He could see the young man\u2019s glare as he spat angry words of accusation at him. He deserved every one of them.<\/p>\n

Ethan stayed silent as he watched Joe\u2019s face contort with pain. It wasn\u2019t physical pain and he knew only too well how the other kind could be far worse.<\/p>\n

\n

Claire stood at the bench, kneading bread dough while listening to Ben recite his times tables. He was stuck on the six times and was trying to count on his fingers without letting on that was what he was doing. Suddenly the door flung open and George burst in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming! Uncle Ethan and Joseph are coming!\u201d<\/p>\n

Claire hastily wiped her hands on her apron and followed her brothers to the front porch. True enough, her uncle and brother were dismounting in the front yard, along with a stranger with a bay horse. She held back for a moment before flinging herself at her uncle while reaching a hand for her brother.<\/p>\n

The stranger stood and watched the family reunion with the two youngest ones competing to tell everything that had happened in their absence. He stared at Claire as memories of her mother filled his thoughts. She was the spitting image of a child he had never forgotten. Ethan caught him staring and smiled at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s her mother all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and smiled at the girl as Ethan introduced him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Mister Cartwright and he\u2019ll be needing a hot meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon enough Claire had the family seated at the table with their guest squeezed in at the end opposite to her uncle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019d known you were coming tonight I\u2019d have had something better ready. I was just guessing the days based on your telegram.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know and this is just fine.\u201d Ethan smiled at the girl as she looked flustered at having a guest and needing to spread the meal further.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any boys, Mister Cartwright?\u201d George tilted his head at the man as he waited for an answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a son called Eric. He\u2019s about the same age as Joseph. And I have a daughter called Marie. She\u2019ll be turning nine very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019d better get home for her birthday. Birthdays are real important!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded as he pushed a biscuit into his mouth since he didn\u2019t trust himself to answer.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan stepped out of the doorway and into the circle of light shed by the lantern. Joe had been quiet through the meal, but the children had more than made up for it by peppering their uncle and brother with questions. Joseph skimmed over much of what had happened and gave vague enough answers, but Claire had picked up on the fact he wasn\u2019t giving details. After the two younger boys had been put to bed, he\u2019d heard Claire and Joseph whispering together and he figured they needed some time to speak. He\u2019d gone out to the porch, expecting to bring their guest a coffee and found him in the barn instead. He was brushing down his horse even though the job had been thoroughly done hours ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Joe reached to take the coffee Ethan waved at him and shook his head. \u201cHow long ago did your sister pass away?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an odd question, but Ethan answered anyway. \u201cAlmost seven months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took a swallow of his coffee and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho did you lose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother. Six weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan felt his stomach clench into that all too familiar knot.<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy wasn\u2019t a blood brother, but \u2026 but that didn\u2019t change anything. He laughed at me and argued with me and \u2026 and he was everything a brother could be. He always had my back when I needed him to and I \u2026\u201d Joe gripped at the railing and tried to steady himself. \u201cI should have had his.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cCattle rustlers.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it was clear that Joe wasn\u2019t going to elaborate, Ethan tried another tack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Griff?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned as he looked up at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe telegram. Telling you to come home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, that.\u201d Joe ran a hand through his hair as he considered how to answer. “Griff thought Candy could just about walk on water. Candy was the only one he\u2019d listen to when he first came to the Ponderosa. He was so angry and mouthy and Candy would pull him into line. Got him all straightened out. Griff looked at Candy as the older brother he never had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe blamed you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan wondered if that could be the truth, given what he knew of the man in front of him. He\u2019d stepped in front of a bullet to save a boy he barely knew. How much more would he have done for a brother? He frowned at Joe across the horse\u2019s back and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find that hard to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe fixed the younger man with a glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know! You weren\u2019t there!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan leaned against the railing, crossed his arms and waited.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s hands were shaking as he gripped onto the railing and tried to steady himself. Finally he stepped back and scrubbed a hand across his jaw.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should never have let them be there. Cassie didn\u2019t want me to take them, but I wouldn\u2019t listen to her. I knew better than my wife and it almost cost us both our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan stood silently as Joe began to pace across the small stable. His horse seemed to sense his agitation and shifted in the stall.<\/p>\n

Joe stared at the open door as if seeing something beyond the worn timber. \u201cCandy died saving my children from rustlers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan felt the man\u2019s agony as he clenched his fists against the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was too slow and \u2026 and \u2026\u201d Joe stumbled across to a grain sack and slumped down on it.<\/p>\n

Ethan didn\u2019t need any more details. He\u2019d been too slow to save his nephew and the man in front of him had paid the price to protect the boy. It could have been a higher price if not for Morris and the skills of a doctor. He stepped forward until Joe was staring at his boots.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes the price isn\u2019t fair. But I imagine your brother would have done it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded slowly as he knew the truth of that. Candy wouldn\u2019t have hesitated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems my whole life my brothers have been digging me outta trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember you talking about your older brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe refused to look up and shrugged as he stood up to start brushing his horse again. \u201cWell, Adam lives in Boston and Hoss \u2026 Hoss died.\u201d He gripped onto his horse\u2019s mane as a fresh wave of grief crashed over him and he brushed the horse\u2019s flank even harder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t save my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stopped brushing and turned back at the comment.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe kept me alive and taught me to survive and then eventually she married Robert. She seemed happy enough, but he was shiftless. Money always slipped through his fingers and he would go off looking for the next big dream and leave her to feed those children on her own. He didn\u2019t even know about George when he left for the last time. Nobody has seen him since. By the time I knew Lucy was sick, it was too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded as he heard what wasn\u2019t being said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I reckon you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Ethan walked out of the mercantile with a sack of flour and a sack of potatoes. He was about to place them in the wagon when Ben and George came barrelling towards him.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ethan! You got a package!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben waved the package towards him and he flipped it over to see the return address scrawled on the back.<\/p>\n

J Cartwright, The Ponderosa, Virginia City, Nevada.<\/em><\/p>\n

He slid a hand under the string and pulled out a letter along with something small, wrapped in calico.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Uncle Ethan?\u201d George fairly bounced on the boardwalk in front of him.<\/p>\n

He slipped the letter into his pocket to be read later before unwrapping the calico and pulling away the straw wadding. Sitting in the palm of his hand was a tiny stick horse with a tufted woollen mane and tail.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Ben and George peered into his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name is Cochise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike the Indian chief?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: \u00a0<\/strong>Angst, brothers, Candy Canaday, ESJ, Family, Grief, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, SJS<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary: My entry for BoNaNo 2018 as well as the Crossover Challenge. After a chance encounter in his youth, Joe meets up with the man again, many years later, under trying circumstances.<\/p>\n

Rating: T Word Count: 14,878<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9743,"featured_media":379,"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},"categories":[2,24,23,41,698,40],"tags":[894,332,946],"class_list":["post-19504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-crossover","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","category-post-timeline","category-challenges","tag-bltnc","tag-b-c","tag-guns-of-paradise","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-24-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-698-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":3285,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bonanza.jpg?fit=295%2C295&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6200,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6200","url_meta":{"origin":19504,"position":0},"title":"What Do You Want in A Man (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"June 27, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0A poem I wrote for the Man In Black's birthday. 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