{"id":29031,"date":"2020-05-18T14:54:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T18:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=29031"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:39:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:39:16","slug":"rendezvous-by-ac1830","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=29031","title":{"rendered":"Rendezvous (by AC1830)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"3fa0i\" data-offset-key=\"femup-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"femup-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"femup-0-0\">Summary: Why are Joe and Adam&#8217;s wife sneaking around town?\u00a0 A fun story for Pernell&#8217;s birthday. <\/span><\/div>\n<div data-offset-key=\"femup-0-0\">Rating: K, WC: 1575<\/div>\n<div data-offset-key=\"femup-0-0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"3fa0i\" data-offset-key=\"q22l-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"q22l-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"q22l-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"3fa0i\" data-offset-key=\"4mhv1-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-offset-key=\"4mhv1-0-0\"><strong>Rendezvous<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"3fa0i\" data-offset-key=\"focq-0-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"9592i-0-0\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJoe&#8230;\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShh!\u201d Giggling ensued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ana found Joe\u2019s excitement contagious but could not suppress her apprehension in what they were doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJoe, what if Adam finds out?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t worry Ana. What Adam doesn\u2019t know won\u2019t hurt him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe is my husband. How can he not know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe applied his most charming smile. \u201cAnd he\u2019s my brother. I\u2019ll make sure he doesn\u2019t find out.\u201d Joe gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. \u201cNow come on. We need to get off the street before someone sees us and lets the cat out of the bag.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Joe clasped Ana\u2019s hand and led her up a set of back stairs of the hotel. Little did he realize that one of the biggest gossips in town had seen Joe Cartwright sneak Adam\u2019s Cartwright wife into the Internationale Hotel. She made her way down the boardwalk toward the mercantile as quickly as her aging legs could carry her, most certain she had seen Adam and his other brother there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMister Cartwright. Oh, Mister Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hoss spun around at hearing the woman\u2019s panicked voice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMiss Dottie, what\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, I need to see your brother right away. Where is he?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam stepped out of the store with a large bag of sugar in his arms. Tossing it onto the other bags in the wagon, he turned to tip his hat to the older lady.\u00a0 \u201cMorning Miss Dottie. Are you alright? Do you need some assistance?\u201d\u00a0 He noted her red coloring and how she was rapidly fanning her face with her lace handkerchief.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, I am beside myself. I just saw&#8230;well, actually I\u2019ve seen them a few times this week, but&#8230;oh my\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking like she was about to fall clean over, Hoss guided Miss Dottie to a crate to sit on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam crouched beside her. \u201cTake a deep breath. Now tell me, who did you see?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She took a couple of deep breaths, and began to weep. \u201cThat dear wife of yours, and\u2026and your brother. Oh, I am so sorry and ashamed to have seen it. My heavens, I just don\u2019t understand how they could do such a thing. The scandal of it all. They were sneaking into the back of the hotel. And he&#8230;oh dear&#8230;kissed her, and in broad daylight no less.\u00a0 Oh my!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her fanning increased as Hoss took a big swallow of air to settle his now churning stomach. He chanced a look at his brother and wished he hadn\u2019t. Adam\u2019s face was dark, his lips were disappearing into a thin line and his nostrils were flaring. His black brows dropped low over his angry eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m going to kill him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hoss was caught between making sure Miss Dottie didn\u2019t keel over onto the boardwalk and going after Adam to make sure a murder didn\u2019t occur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMiss Dottie, now you go on inside and get a cool drink of water. I\u2019ve got to catch up to Adam. Oh, and please don\u2019t say anything to anyone. I\u2019m pretty sure it\u2019s not really what you\u2019re thinkin\u2019. So please keep this all to yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Miss Dottie could only nod as she disappeared into the store. She had no plans to repeat what she had seen after seeing Adam\u2019s face turn terrifyingly dark. Oh the scandal of it all!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hoss felt he\u2019d never moved so fast in his life to catch up with Adam but managed to slip in front of him before he entered the hotel. He placed a large arm on each side of the door frame to make sure his older brother couldn\u2019t get past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOut of my way Hoss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNope. Cain\u2019t let you go in there like ya are. Adam you gotta listen to me. Now you know there\u2019s got to be a reasonable explanation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his fury, Adam was probably the only one who could match Hoss\u2019 strength. He shoved Hoss aside and barged across the lobby, taking the staircase three steps at a time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hoss gave a frantic look to the clerk who shrugged helplessly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the second floor, Adam stopped at the door at the end of the hall, the suite reserved exclusively for the Cartwright family. Hoss saw him rest his ear against the door.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAdam.\u201d Hoss\u2019 whisper came out more like a squeak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam raised his arm to pound on the door when it suddenly opened revealing a startled maid.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, excuse me, Mister Cartwright. I was just freshening the room. If you require it it\u2019s all ready.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She squeezed past the two brothers, making straight for the stairs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWait. Has my younger brother been in here, or my wife?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI couldn\u2019t say, sir. I just check the room everyday to keep it fresh in case your family needs it.\u00a0 Please excuse me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She spun around but not before Hoss caught her worried look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Already inside, Adam found everything in order. He threw a glare at Hoss, and slammed his fists on his hips.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Hoss, what is going on here!\u201d His expression demanded an answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI swear Adam, I don\u2019t know. Miss Dottie had to be mistaken. You know how bad her eyesight is. Listen, let\u2019s just go an\u2019 get the supplies home. You know we only got a short time a\u2019fore we have to be back here for the concert.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam snorted and left the room ahead of his brother. Hoss expelled the breath he was holding when he heard a familiar muffled giggle, and rapid whispering coming from the bedroom. He quickly exited, pulling the door closed rather loudly behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arriving back at the mercantile and climbing aboard the wagon the two brothers headed home. Hoss drove the full wagon at a careful speed, but remained silent, not wanting to stir the hornet\u2019s nest beside him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam seethed all the way, and stormed into the house as soon as they arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJOE!!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ana entered the great room from the kitchen with Hop Sing following. \u201cAdam? What is wrong?\u00a0 Joe is in the washroom. He will be out in a moment.\u201d She squinted her dark eyes at her husband and wrinkled her nose.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing, I believe Adam will be the next one to use the washroom if you do not mind getting it ready.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hop Sing grinned. \u201cGet ready, lickety-split. Need hurry to get ready for fancy night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam had no chance to ask anything further as Ana quickly took his arm and guided him to the washroom. As they entered, he saw Joe ducking out the back door into the kitchen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling foiled again, Adam accepted his fate and prepared to bathe. However, Ana could tell that his questions were not going to wait for long.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From that moment on, everyone was kept quite busy getting ready to go to a concert in town. Ben had graciously agreed to watch Adam and Ana\u2019s children overnight since everyone else was going to stay in town after the concert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though he was enjoying the concert he kept throwing irate glances at Joe throughout the performance. After the concert, Adam became separated from his wife in the crowded lobby. Outside, he couldn\u2019t find her or Joe so impatiently pushed through the lingering guests to head to the hotel. Once more Hoss rushed to keep up with him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNow Adam, you need to cool down. Don\u2019t you go spoiling what was an enjoyable evening.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At those words, Adam\u2019s stride increased. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me to cool down. What could have been an enjoyable evening with my wife has turned into a nightmare with my soon-to-be deceased brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam reached the hotel and stormed upstairs. This time Hoss just missed grabbing his brother\u2019s arm, and Adam did not pause to knock on the door. He backed up and kicked it in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJoseph Cartwright! You&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSURPRISE!! Happy Birthday Adam!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A grinning Hoss pushed past his statue of a brother so as not to miss Adam\u2019s expression. Ana stepped forward to wrap her arms around her husband\u2019s neck and give him a passionate kiss. She then threaded her arm around his to lead him further into the room. He was immediately surrounded by his children and family. Hop Sing happily served champagne for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAre you alright son?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe got you good, didn\u2019t we older brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAdam, I hope you are not mad at us. It was my idea and Joe was so sweet to help me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJoe, you and Ana planned all this? This is why you and Ana were whispering a lot and sneaking around town?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou bet.\u201d Joe&#8217;s face suddenly wrinkled and he glanced at Ana. \u201cWhat did you think we were doing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cUh, nothing. I had no idea.\u201d Adam turned on Hoss. \u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hoss quickly shoved a glass of champagne into Adam\u2019s hand and winked at Ana. \u201cHappy Birthday big brother. An\u2019 ya know, you got yourself a right fine wife there too, to wanna do all this for ya.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam turned back to his wife and gave her a long, passionate look.\u00a0 He pulled her into his arms and returned her earlier kiss. \u201cYes, I sure do, Hoss, I sure do. Now let\u2019s get this party started.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam leaned down to whisper into her ear. \u201cYou and I will have our own rendezvous later, my sweet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ana smiled coyly at her husband as they meandered through the room. How she loved her dear Adam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>For the enjoyment of other readers, please keep the ending secret in your comments. Thank you. ~AC1830<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: Why are Joe and Adam&#8217;s wife sneaking around town? A fun story for Pernell&#8217;s birthday. <\/p>\n<p>Rating: K, WC: 1575<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8333,"featured_media":29033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[7,698],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-post-timeline","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-698-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Rendezvous.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29031","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\/8333"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}