{"id":3369,"date":"2008-11-17T02:00:35","date_gmt":"2008-11-17T07:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3369"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:13:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:13:39","slug":"desert-destiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3369","title":{"rendered":"Desert Destiny (by karilyn)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/span>Hoss marries the love of his life, only to lose her the following day, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her back.<\/p>\n

Rated: MA<\/p>\n

Destiny Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blizzard of Destiny<\/a>
\nDesert Destiny<\/a>
\nDestiny Next Door<\/a>
\nBrothers<\/a>
\nNo More Birthday Parties, Thank you<\/a>
\nIt’s Just for Now<\/a>
\nThe Homecoming Part 1<\/a>
\nThe Homecoming Part 2<\/a>
\nLogan’s Bride<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Story Notes:<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is a romance involving Hoss and Erin O\u2019Donnell from the episode \u201cErin\u201d; it is rated MA for sexual situations, so be forewarned!<\/em><\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0 All original Bonanza characters belong to David Dortort, its producer, and I have no connection, legal or otherwise, with them in any way.\u00a0 I simply borrowed them for this story, which is purely for entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.\u00a0 Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Desert Destiny<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright loped through the hot, arid landscape, knowing he would have to camp out again before reaching the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He had been traveling overland on ranch business regarding the purchase of several new horses that his father, Ben, had his eye on.\u00a0 Having successfully negotiated the purchase of 3 prime mares and 2 handsome stallions, Hoss was ready to wash off the dust and eat one of Hop Sing\u2019s delicious dinners with his family.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His horse, Chubb, had put in a good day\u2019s worth of travel and deserved a rest and some good, cool water.\u00a0 Come to think of it, so did Hoss.\u00a0 The sun had already begun to set, and the sky was several shades of pink and purple.\u00a0 He loved the land and liked to study its changes.\u00a0 He saw the beauty in almost everything he observed, and that included people too.\u00a0 But now it was time to look for a good place to settle for the night.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss knew that about a mile or so ahead was a rocky enclosure with a small creek nearby.\u00a0 He patted Chubb on the neck and told him rest and relaxation was just a ways down the road now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he approached the area he had selected, Hoss could smell smoke from a campfire.\u00a0 Someone else had found the spot attractive for camping too.\u00a0 Well, that was fine with him.\u00a0 He enjoyed most people and would appreciate the company after a few days on the road alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he approached the enclosure, he called out a greeting to avoid startling the camper or campers into reaching for a gun for protection.\u00a0 He heard nothing in reply, so he proceeded slowly.\u00a0 As he rode into the campsite, he saw the fire blazing brightly.\u00a0 He noticed one bedroll and one horse tethered to the brush, but other than that, the place was empty.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He dismounted and led Chubb to the nearby creek where the horse drank thirstily.\u00a0 Hoss filled his canteen and poured cool water over his head.\u00a0 He refilled it and drank deeply.\u00a0 He splashed water on his arms and face to wash off the dust, slicked his hair back, and then led Chubb over to be tethered near the other horse.\u00a0 He removed his saddle and blanket and rubbed him down, talking to him soothingly.\u00a0 Hoss had always had a way with animals.\u00a0 He liked them and they seemed to trust him.\u00a0 He was a large, strapping man, but even the smallest animals seemed to sense he would not hurt them.\u00a0 Over the years he had nursed many hurt animals back to health in the Ponderosa\u2019s barn.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He turned to the other horse, a handsome red and white Appaloosa.\u00a0 Rubbing her nose in a friendly way, Hoss patted her rump and produced a small piece of sugar which the horse snatched up immediately.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHere, here now,\u201d a female voice protested.\u00a0 \u201cIf you keep doing that, she\u2019ll be spoiled for sure.\u201d\u00a0 Although the words rebuked, there was a cheerfulness that belied it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss looked abashed as he peered over the horse to see a woman walk into the camp holding two dead rabbits.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t mean to interfere,\u201d he smiled at her, and she smiled back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not at all, and it\u2019s just a hard time I\u2019m givin\u2019 you.\u201d\u00a0 She held up the rabbits.\u00a0 \u201cAre you hungry, traveler?\u00a0 Look what I snared for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss swallowed.\u00a0 He was always hungry.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, I sure am hungry.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you let me skin those for you?\u201d\u00a0 He reached out and took them from her.\u00a0 \u201cI called when I rode into camp, but no one was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI knew someone had come.\u00a0 I sensed it.\u00a0 I waited until I caught a look at you before I walked back in,\u201d she said honestly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou sensed it?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss scratched his head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ve always been that way.\u00a0 I usually get a sense about people or situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, what do you sense about me?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss was really only joshing her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a tired traveler, but you\u2019re friendly.\u00a0 And you\u2019re a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 smile widened at that and he stretched out a hand toward her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Hoss Cartwright, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Pleased to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m Erin O\u2019Donnell.\u00a0 You just call me Erin.\u201d\u00a0 She was dressed like an Indian, with a sleeveless leather vest, leather leggings and moccasins.\u00a0 All were decorated with colorful beads.\u00a0 Other than that, though, she didn\u2019t look like an Indian.\u00a0 She was a white woman, browned from the sun, with gray eyes, full lips and long ash blonde hair that cascaded down her back.\u00a0 She wore it loose, but pulled away from the front of her face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin,\u201d Hoss said softly, holding onto her hand longer than necessary.\u00a0 She pulled it away gently and he looked at her, abashed once again.\u00a0 \u201cLet me start on them rabbits \u2018fore we starve to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She gave a melodious laugh and moved to the fire to start coffee.\u00a0 Hoss noticed that as she reached for a coffee pot, she winced in pain, and it was then that he saw the white bandage on her right shoulder.\u00a0 He frowned with concern.\u00a0 \u201cErin?\u00a0 Is that shoulder wound bothering you?\u00a0 Do you want me to take a look at it?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She glanced at the bandage and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it\u2019s just a scratch really.\u00a0 I think it\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and moved away to sit and skin the rabbits.\u00a0 Later, as they sat near the fire, eating rabbit roasted to perfection, Erin studied him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of name is Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my real name is Eric, but my mother was Swedish, and in Sweden, Hoss means a big, friendly person.\u00a0 So they started to call me that, seein\u2019 that I\u2019m the size I am, and the name just stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere, then.\u00a0 You see that I was right after all,\u201d she smiled, satisfied.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPardon, ma\u2019am?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I told you I sensed that you were a good, friendly man.\u00a0 I was right, wasn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that.\u00a0 Yep, I guess you were,\u201d he seemed shy again then.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHere, have some more coffee,\u201d she leaned over to pour him some and sucked in her breath when her right arm stretched forward.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Immediately Hoss was on his feet.\u00a0 \u201cErin, here, let me have a look at that shoulder.\u00a0 I\u2019m a little worried about how it pains you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Resigned, she sat still while he carefully peeled back a corner of it.\u00a0 She heard his low whistle as he first saw it.\u00a0 \u201cThat looks an awful lot like it\u2019s tryin\u2019 to get infected,\u201d he told her.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He could tell by her silence that she didn\u2019t want to tell him.\u00a0 He waited her out patiently.\u00a0 \u201cI was traveling with a band of Sioux Indians when we encountered some Paiutes.\u00a0 There was a skirmish, and an arrow grazed my shoulder.\u00a0 It\u2019s nothing, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell if we don\u2019t do something for it before morning, it\u2019s gonna be infected,\u201d Hoss countered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you done to treat it so far?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell I cleaned it and made an herb poultice for it, and then I put the bandage over it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any more of the herbs?\u201d\u00a0 When she nodded, he told her to make another poultice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As she moved toward her pack, he watched her thoughtfully.\u00a0 She was obviously a white woman.\u00a0 Why had she been traveling with Sioux Indians?\u00a0 Maybe she would tell him later, and he decided not to push her.\u00a0 It was more important to get that wound to heal first.\u00a0 When the poultice was ready, he placed it over the wound and bandaged it again for her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss helped her to set up her bedroll, and then he set up his a small distance away.\u00a0 He banked the fire and they said goodnight to each other. Then there were just the sounds of the desert night.\u00a0 Hoss lay watching the stars in the clear dark sky.\u00a0 Erin seemed to be sleeping.\u00a0 It was harder for him to sleep because he kept listening for sounds of impending danger, which he had been trained to listen for since he was a child, but eventually he slept and the night was quiet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When he opened his eyes, it was still dark, but he had definitely heard something.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to search far to find the source.\u00a0 Erin was moaning in her sleep.\u00a0 He got up and quickly moved over to her.\u00a0 \u201cErin, wake up, are you all right?\u201d\u00a0 He touched her uninjured shoulder, and she quieted but still slept.\u00a0 He felt her face and found it hot; she was feverish.\u00a0 Hoss threw a few sticks of wood on the fire to help him see, and he grabbed a cloth from his saddle bag and wet it in the cool creek water.\u00a0 He placed the wet cloth on her forehead and held it in place.\u00a0 After a few moments he checked her wound again.\u00a0 It looked no worse, so with a little luck the poultice was helping.\u00a0 When Erin began to shiver, Hoss pulled her blanket up tight around her, and then added his on top of it.\u00a0 That seemed to help.\u00a0 He pulled the remaining part of his bedroll next to hers and spent the rest of the night bathing her face with cool creek water.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She awoke just before dawn, clearly surprised to see Hoss next to her, holding a wet cloth to her face.\u00a0 She was still hot, but she was lucid, and he explained the night\u2019s events to her.\u00a0 He also told her she wouldn\u2019t be traveling anywhere that day.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t like the sound of that, and tried to argue with him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But Hoss was implacable.\u00a0 \u201cErin, it don\u2019t matter what you say.\u00a0 You\u2019re runnin\u2019 a fever, and if you try to sit a horse, it\u2019s just going to make you worse.\u00a0 You can\u2019t travel until the fever\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She was quiet for a moment, deciding that when he decided to pull out, she would wait awhile and then get underway herself, no matter what he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m gonna stay right here with you to make sure you take care of yourself all proper like,\u201d he was emphatic, as though he had read her mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She gripped his arm.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss.\u00a0 I have to leave.\u00a0 They\u2019ll come looking for me if I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He frowned at her.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 Who\u2019s gonna come after you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She gave up and seemed to wilt.\u00a0 \u201cThe Sioux.\u00a0 I was living with them and I left on purpose.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be trying to find me, to bring me back, and I don\u2019t want to go\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He digested this information.\u00a0 \u201cThere never was no Paiute skirmish, was there, Erin?\u00a0 The Sioux shot arrows at you when you escaped, didn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Miserably, she nodded.\u00a0 A tear escaped her eye and angrily she swatted it with one hand.\u00a0 Hoss got up suddenly and made a quiet but thorough search of the camp.\u00a0 For all he knew, they had been tracked all night by the Sioux.\u00a0 He could ascertain no signs of Indians, and he knew many of them.\u00a0 Returning to Erin\u2019s side, he looked at her thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t this pretty far from home for the Sioux?\u201d he asked her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they\u2019re a band of the Lakota tribe.\u00a0 They live in the Black Hills mostly, but this is a transient band that has been wandering for a number of months.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss revised his plan based on this information. If this band of Indians was not based in the area, they might not object to staying put until they could reclaim what they had lost.\u00a0 He decided that he and Erin would ride double, with her in front of him.\u00a0 Chubb could handle them both.\u00a0 That way, if she felt unwell, she could rest without worrying about staying mounted.\u00a0 He would take her to the Ponderosa where she could recover.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He explained his plan to her, and she nodded her agreement.\u00a0 She told him where she kept her herbs, and said that if he boiled some in water, the resulting tea would help her fever.\u00a0 He hastened to do that, and then cooked some breakfast.\u00a0 She ate very little, but he ate his usual ample meal.\u00a0 He made sure she finished her tea, filled both their canteens with fresh water, doused the fire and saddled the horses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He assisted her in mounting Chubb, and then he mounted behind her.\u00a0 He tied the reins of her horse, Angel, to the pommel of his saddle.\u00a0 With one arm around her waist, they set out.\u00a0 It was less than an hour after dawn, and Hoss expected to reach the Ponderosa by early evening, at the latest, taking into account their present traveling circumstances.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a hot day.\u00a0 Fortunately, Erin had a good wide brimmed hat to protect her from the sun\u2019s heat.\u00a0 Hoss was checking her regularly for fever, and although she was still hot, she was not worse, and was conversing with him coherently now and then.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When they stopped for lunch, he made sure she was sitting in a shaded area.\u00a0 Again, she ate very little but drank her herb tea, but she did tell him the story he had been wondering about.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 2:<\/p>\n

Her parents were both Irish and had come to America during the infamous potato famine.\u00a0 They encountered deep prejudice upon their arrival and decided to travel west in an attempt to avoid it. Her mother had taken ill and died when Erin was only seven.\u00a0 Unable to find any work, her father took up living with the Sioux, who had accepted him and his daughter.\u00a0 He had taught her to read and write English at the same time she learned to speak the Sioux language.\u00a0 Her father died when she was seventeen, and she had stayed with the Sioux, knowing no other life.\u00a0 She never married, but lived her life in the tribe working with the women whose primary role was serving the men.\u00a0 She had also looked after the children. That had lasted a number of years, for she was now in her mid-twenties and only slightly younger than Hoss.\u00a0 It was only when one of the higher ranking braves began to look upon her as a potential wife that she fled.\u00a0 She had instinctively known she did not belong in that life forever; that she was ultimately an outsider.\u00a0 When the tribe she was with left South Dakota to wander, she had seen other parts of the country that intrigued her and had planned her escape.\u00a0 She had a head start on leaving them one night, but they followed her, considering her a prize and valuing her sense of insight.\u00a0 Knowing their ways almost as well as they did, she was wily and managed to evade them until a few days ago, when they had spotted her, and a Sioux arrow had hit her from a distance.\u00a0 She had been in a rocky, canyon area at the time, and that had given her the advantage of remaining hidden while she kept moving.\u00a0 Hoss had come upon her two days after that event.\u00a0 She still wasn\u2019t sure if the Sioux were in pursuit of her, whether they would be again, or if they had given up on her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere was it you were heading,\u201d Hoss asked her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really know,\u201d but when she looked at him her eyes were steely.\u00a0 \u201cI just know I was going to make my life someplace else.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss nodded, saying nothing more.\u00a0 He replaced the poultice and the bandage on her shoulder again before they left.\u00a0 Her wound had looked less angry, and that was a relief for Hoss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

During the hottest part of the afternoon, Erin drowsed, leaning back against Hoss, her head rolling at times.\u00a0 She was still feverish, and he held her securely against him, finding this a peculiar sensation.\u00a0 He had never been this close to a woman before, but he knew he felt a bond with this particular woman.\u00a0 He sensed that she didn\u2019t judge him for his size or in any other way\u2014as many people did– and that she accepted him the way he was.\u00a0 He knew rest was important for her so he tried to guide Chubb in such a way that the ride was easier on her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eventually he knew he had reached Ponderosa land.\u00a0 He knew exactly where he was, but there were still a few more hours of travel ahead of them before they reached the ranch.\u00a0 However, there had never been serious Indian trouble on the Ponderosa before, and Hoss was hoping that this would continue to hold true.\u00a0 Throughout the day he had been looking over his shoulder and listening, expecting to find the Sioux fast on their heels in pursuit of his patient.<\/p>\n

It was twilight when they reached the ranch house.\u00a0 The family was probably eating dinner.\u00a0 For once he wasn\u2019t thinking about eating.\u00a0 Hoss whistled sharply and in a few moments his brothers, sister-in-law and his father all came out the front door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa, \u201che called. \u00a0\u201cI got me a sick woman here.\u00a0 Help me get her down so I can take her upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

None of them questioned him.\u00a0 Not only did the Cartwrights never turn away any person in need, they were especially used to Hoss bringing home the needy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam and Joe reached up to help Erin slide down.\u00a0 She was awake but groggy.\u00a0 Hoss dismounted and made quick introductions to his family.\u00a0 He also ordered one of the hired hands to ride to Virginia City to bring back Paul Martin, the physician in Virginia City.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss scooped Erin into his arms easily and carried her inside and upstairs to one of the bedrooms.\u00a0 Ben followed behind him, while his brothers stabled the two horses.\u00a0 When Ben noticed Hoss looking uncertainly around the room, he realized his son didn\u2019t want to put this woman in bed in her unusual Indian clothing.\u00a0 He ran to another room and rummaged through a trunk containing women\u2019s clothing that had belonged to at least two of his three wives.\u00a0 Finding a nightgown, he returned, and Hoss\u2019 frown disappeared.\u00a0 He had laid Erin on the bed, and handing her the garment, asked if she could put it on herself.\u00a0 She nodded and both men left the room.\u00a0 When Hoss knocked moments later, she had finished dressing, and he re-entered to help her get tucked in the bed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAre you hungry?\u00a0 Doc Martin\u2019s going to be here later to look at your shoulder.\u00a0 He felt her head and knew the fever was still present.\u00a0 The day of travel hadn\u2019t helped it, but it probably had made her safer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019m not really hungry.\u00a0 But this bed is delightful!\u201d She gave him a happy smile, and he realized it had probably been many years since she had slept in a white man\u2019s bed.\u00a0 He sat at the edge of the bed and smiled down at her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, I want you to rest now.\u00a0 Today was hard for you, but you did a great job.\u00a0 I never heard a single complaint out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She looked at him soberly.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, I can get through almost anything without complaining.\u201d\u00a0 He believed her, too.\u00a0 This woman was resilient.\u00a0 He poured her a glass of water and then, at her insistence, he got ready to go downstairs to eat with his family.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he got up to leave, she reached for his hand.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, thank you for helping me.\u00a0 It means more than you\u2019ll ever know.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my pleasure, Erin.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to a bell on the bedside table.\u00a0 \u201cYou ring this if you need anything before Doc Martin gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She nodded and closed her eyes, looking pale even beneath her tanned skin.\u00a0 Hoss left the room quietly and softly shut the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Downstairs, his family had many questions, as he had known they would.\u00a0 They had easily seen that she was a white woman.\u00a0 Hoss told them the story she had told him earlier that day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, if she\u2019s really been with the Sioux that long, and especially if one of the men wanted to take her as a bride, they may not leave her alone.\u00a0 They\u2019re persistent when they want to be.\u00a0 They could still come after her.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss got a stubborn look on his face that his entire family was accustomed to seeing.\u00a0 \u201cWell, sir, she don\u2019t wanna to go back.\u00a0 If they come, they can\u2019t have her.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.\u00a0 Adam and Joe exchanged looks.\u00a0 They all knew that Hoss with his mind made up was like an immoveable bull.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam applied his usual logic to the situation.\u00a0 \u201cIf they do try to come after her, and she\u2019s able to make them understand she doesn\u2019t want their way of life anymore, they\u2019re not likely to pursue her.\u00a0 No Sioux warrior would want a disobedient or resentful wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They all agreed with this point, and at that Hoss turned his attention to the food.\u00a0 As his family passed him plates of food, they were comfortable.\u00a0 This was the hungry Hoss they all knew and loved so well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After dinner the family had coffee in the great room as was their usual custom.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s wife, Mary Lynn, went upstairs to sit with Erin until the doctor arrived.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much conversation.\u00a0 Everyone was thinking about the unusual guest upstairs.\u00a0 Hoss stared into the fire, speaking occasionally to his father.\u00a0 Adam and Joe played checkers.\u00a0 Joe never cheated at checkers when he played with Adam.\u00a0 Adam was onto him, whereas Hoss wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was somewhat understandable that Joe enjoyed playing checkers with Hoss more than with Adam, but he minded himself that evening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Paul Martin arrived just as the coffee had grown cold.\u00a0 He was warmly welcomed and taken upstairs.\u00a0 Dr. Martin had taken care of sick and injured Cartwrights for longer than he could even recall, and he had never let them down.\u00a0 More than one night had been spent at the bedside of a sick or injured son.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before Dr. Martin was back downstairs, giving his report to the family.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a poisoned arrow she was shot with.\u00a0 That\u2019s why it\u2019s infected and she got a fever.\u00a0 But she\u2019s a smart girl, and she knows the Indian ways.\u00a0 She got the arrow out cleanly, the poultice she put on it was the best thing she could have done, and the tea she made from her herbs helped the fever.\u00a0 She\u2019s not in any serious danger now, and in a day or two she\u2019ll be well on the mend.\u00a0 I left some medicine upstairs in case she has trouble sleeping.\u00a0 She needs rest now more than anything else.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled, and Hoss let out a great sigh that caught everyone\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben poured a brandy for Paul, and Hoss went upstairs to say goodnight to Erin.\u00a0 He relieved Mary Lynn, who was chatting amiably with Erin about fashion styles.\u00a0 Erin smiled at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cMary Lynn is a sweet girl.\u00a0 It\u2019s nice to have someone like her to talk to.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t been in a white world for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss took her hand in his and this time she didn\u2019t pull it away.\u00a0 \u201cDoc Martin said everything you did for yourself was just right.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be right as rain in a few days.\u00a0 Hop Sing knows a lot about healing herbs, too.\u00a0 You and him would make quite a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s our Chinese cook, and he\u2019s somethin\u2019 special.\u00a0 He\u2019s been with us forever, and if he ever decided to leave, I think I would just plumb starve to death!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin laughed again, a lovely, lyrical sound Hoss remembered from the night before.\u00a0 He refreshed the wet cloth on her forehead and sat with her for a while.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to have to get up and leave.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to do when this is over, but somehow I have the feeling that I\u2019ll be all right.\u00a0 And I hope I\u2019ll be able to be friends with you, whatever happens,\u201d this last was added very softly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss winked at her.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t even need to worry about that, Erin.\u00a0 Now you sleep well and I\u2019ll check on you in the morning.\u00a0 Ring the bell if you need anything.\u00a0 Goodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

And as he left the room, Hoss thought happily to himself, you\u2019re going to be more than my friend, Erin.\u00a0 You just don\u2019t know it yet.<\/em> \u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Two days later Erin was well enough to venture downstairs.\u00a0 Ben had found a couple of dresses in the clothing trunk that fit her quite well, though she still wore her moccasins, which the dresses mostly covered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her appetite had returned, and she joined the family at the dining table.\u00a0 After she and Hop Sing had started comparing notes about herbs and natural healing methods, they had several lively conversations about the topic.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t unusual to hear them talking about what to grow in the garden, and where to find other ingredients that occurred naturally in the environment around them.\u00a0 They both struck on the idea of making a ginger tea for Mary Lynn, who, in the early stages of pregnancy, was having trouble with morning sickness.\u00a0 Ginger helped calm the stomach.\u00a0 Erin even suggested that she could nibble on small slices of fresh ginger dipped in sugar.\u00a0 And happily, Mary Lynn had found relief from both ideas.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss took great pleasure in showing Erin his favorite places on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He took her on scenic buggy rides almost every day, but relished taking her to the special places where he went when he needed time to think or pray.\u00a0 They were places of great beauty and quiet and Erin knew that it was a special bestowal from Hoss that he was taking her to see them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On one especially warm, sunny day they took a picnic to a hilltop site overlooking Lake Tahoe.\u00a0 Erin leaned comfortably against Hoss\u2019 shoulder, drinking in the view.\u00a0 When she shifted to watch a bird that had flown overhead, Hoss placed his arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head against him.\u00a0 He could smell the fresh, clean scent of her, and Hoss knew he wanted to take care of her forever.\u00a0 They had met by destiny.\u00a0 He was convinced of it.\u00a0 \u201cErin,\u201d his voice was huskier than usual.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d She turned her head toward him, smiling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWould you let me kiss you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her smile softened.\u00a0 \u201cOf course I would, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hesitantly, he leaned toward her.\u00a0 He knew he wasn\u2019t handsome like Adam or Joe.\u00a0 She was also leaning toward him, and their lips met warmly, but briefly.\u00a0 He stopped then, not sure what to do next.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But she helped him.\u00a0 \u201cMore,\u201d she said, pulling him closer by the front of his shirt.\u00a0 The second kiss lasted longer, and led to another one, and then another.\u00a0 Hoss became more comfortable, and Erin was willing.\u00a0 She gave as good as she got, and soon their kisses were deeper, and their arms reached around each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally Erin stopped, laughing.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, look what you do to me.\u00a0 I have to catch my breath!\u201d\u00a0 He was breathing heavily too, and definitely felt the effects of what she did to him.\u00a0 He had never kissed anyone like this before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin lay back on the blanket and pulled Hoss down with her.\u00a0 They lay next to each other, continuing to kiss.\u00a0 She put her hand on his cheek and he stroked up and down her back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, I want you.\u00a0 I want you to be with me, to live with me, to marry me, and have children with me.\u00a0 I want to take care of you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She sat up then and looked down at him very seriously.\u00a0 \u201cAre you very sure about that, Hoss Cartwright?\u00a0 You haven\u2019t known me very long, and don\u2019t forget that I\u2019m practically an Indian.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He looked back at her directly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m very sure.\u00a0 I\u2019ve known you long enough to know everything I need to know about you.\u00a0 You\u2019re beautiful and honest and kind.\u00a0 But I know I\u2019m a big lug of a man, and you have to decide if you can live with someone like me.\u201d\u00a0 These were the words that he had to say; he had to throw them down directly in front of her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean by that!\u201d Her cry was indignant.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a big, strong, beautiful man.\u00a0 And if you mean that you\u2019re kind and gentle and loving and honest, then I would be getting the better part of the bargain, Hoss Cartwright!\u00a0 That\u2019s what my sense tells me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His smile was bigger than the sun.\u00a0 \u201cThen you mean you\u2019ll marry me?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Hoss, I\u2019ll marry you if that\u2019s what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And he pulled her back down and they lay together for a long time, kissing, and talking, and making plans.\u00a0 As he reached to put his arm around her, Hoss\u2019 hand accidentally brushed against Erin\u2019s breast.\u00a0 He pulled it back as though it were fire and began to apologize.\u00a0 Very calmly, Erin took his hand and placed it directly on her breast, looking him straight in the eye.\u00a0 He was excited and amazed by her boldness; he had never felt a woman\u2019s breast before.\u00a0 It felt soft and wonderful in his hand, and heard her make a soft sound deep in her throat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cPlease make love to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He very nearly exploded inside when he heard that.\u00a0 \u201cNow?\u00a0 Are you sure you want that, Erin?\u201d\u00a0 She nodded emphatically.\u00a0 This was not the place, he thought, but there was a line shack a short distance down the road.\u00a0 The hands used it when they were working in the area, but he was pretty sure no one was there now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 3:<\/p>\n

They got into the buggy and drove the short distance to the small cabin.\u00a0 There was no one to be seen, and the small shelter was empty.\u00a0 Hoss took the blanket they had used for the picnic inside and spread it over the bed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They stood in front of each other for a time, staring.\u00a0 Then Erin reached up and pulled off his leather vest and unbuttoned his shirt.\u00a0 She was sighing to herself when he stood shirtless before her.\u00a0 He had massive shoulders, huge muscles and a broad, strong chest covered with light brown hair.\u00a0 She placed her hands on his chest and moved them over his skin.\u00a0 Then she kissed his chest, and moving closer, ran her hands up his sides and up and down his back.\u00a0 He threw his head back at the physical contact.\u00a0 She turned for him and he began to unbutton the back of her dress.\u00a0 When he was finished, he pulled it down from her shoulders and off her arms, pushing it past her waist to the floor.\u00a0 She turned around, wearing only a thin camisole and her pantalets.\u00a0 Then she wrapped her arms around his waist. It was a sublime feeling.\u00a0 Erin was trembling, and Hoss knew exactly what he needed to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He pulled off her pantalets, lifted her in his arms, and set her down on the bed.\u00a0 For the first time in his life, he looked upon the beauty of a naked woman, and one who wanted him, too.\u00a0 Her hips and legs were slim, and her belly was flat.\u00a0 Her breasts rose and fell with her breathing.\u00a0 She reached out her arms to him.\u00a0 In seconds his boots and pants had been shucked off and the splendor of him was there in all its glory for her to see.\u00a0 \u201cHurry,\u201d she whispered urgently.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss didn\u2019t know all the details of pleasuring a woman, but Erin didn\u2019t seem to care.\u00a0 He leaned over her and kissed her deeply.\u00a0 But he was afraid of hurting her.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to crush you,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t break.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to worry about that.\u00a0 Just do what you know we both want.\u201d\u00a0 Her hands were gripping his biceps as he took her in his arms. They reveled in the excitement of their feelings until they began to intensify.\u00a0 He began to love her, and she moaned from the pleasure of it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Afterward, they simply held each other, and it seemed like they stayed that way for a very long time, and only when they noticed that the sun was beginning to set, did they rouse and begin to dress.\u00a0 They would be late for dinner.\u00a0 Hoss helped Erin with her buttons, and she made him help her smooth her hair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone will know what we\u2019ve been doing,\u201d she worried, but then she scurried over to a mirror she saw hanging on the wall, and was satisfied when she could see what needed to be done.\u00a0 When they were ready, he grabbed the blanket, took her hand, and they climbed into the buggy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When they were almost to the ranch house, Hoss pulled the buggy over, reached for Erin and kissed her deeply.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never felt anything like that in my life.\u00a0 I want to do that with you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMe too,\u201d she answered, burying her face against his neck.\u00a0 \u201cHow about tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss threw his head back and laughed.\u00a0 Tomorrow would be perfect, he thought.\u00a0 And then they pulled up to the ranch, their dalliance having made them late for dinner, just as they had predicted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As it turned out, Hoss and Erin used the line shack for private trysts several times over the next couple of weeks.\u00a0 They also discussed marriage in depth.\u00a0 Erin was concerned that her Indian background would become an issue with some people in Virginia City, and thus a burden to the Cartwrights. She also fretted that she had not seen the last of the Sioux.\u00a0 Hoss told her bluntly that he didn\u2019t care two wits about what other people thought.\u00a0 And he felt sure he and his family could protect her from the Indians.\u00a0 Hoss was concerned that Erin would become pregnant, and he wanted them to marry immediately.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What they both knew, however, is that they had found their life\u2019s partner in the other, and their love and admiration for each other continued to grow.\u00a0 Erin was very calm and level-headed, Hoss discovered.\u00a0 And Hoss had high principles and a strong sense of right and wrong.\u00a0\u00a0 They knew a trust in each other they had never felt in another person before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One afternoon following a slow and delicious session of love, they got in the buggy to drive back to the Ponderosa ranch house.\u00a0 As they pulled away, Adam rode out from around the corner of the cabin.\u00a0 When he was next to his brother on the buggy\u2019s driver\u2019s side, he began a matter-of-fact conversation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGood afternoon, Hoss, Erin,\u201d he said cordially.\u00a0 He smiled innocently, as both jumped several inches off the seat at the unexpected sound of his voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDadburnit, Adam!\u00a0 You nearly took five years off my life,\u201d Hoss complained.\u00a0 \u201cDo you always go around sneakin\u2019 up on people like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to me that you\u2019re the ones who are sneaking around.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you two think it\u2019s time you told Pa what you\u2019re up to?\u201d He grinned at them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not trying to pry into your business, but I couldn\u2019t help noticing that you head out this way every few days\u2026and, well, since Mary Lynn and I started our life together in a line shack too, I kind of put two and two together.\u00a0 And, as I seem to recall that Pa raised his voice pretty high when he found out about it, I\u2019m just trying to save you from going through the same thing.\u00a0 When Pa yells, you know, everybody for miles around can hear him.\u00a0 And<\/em>,\u201d he added significantly, \u201cJoe and I are getting tired of doing your chores when you disappear of an afternoon.\u201d\u00a0 Throughout his speech, Adam had been trotting his horse companionably next to the buggy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss and Erin exchanged a look.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re probably right, Adam,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 He remembered the \u201cdiscussion\u201d between his father and brother when Ben had discovered Adam and Mary Lynn in bed together, even though by that time they had just gotten married.\u00a0 He preferred to avoid anything even resembling that scene.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll announce our plans tonight at dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGreat idea,\u201d Adam squeezed his brother\u2019s should and tipped his hat to Erin.\u00a0 \u201cOh, and Hoss?\u00a0 Hurry up and get back to work, will ya?\u201d\u00a0 Then, with a slap on Hoss\u2019 back, Adam galloped on ahead of the buggy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss reached for Erin\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s probably right,\u201d and then he grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cI remember the morning that Pa found out that Adam and Mary Lynn had been sleeping together.\u00a0 He woke up me and Joe, and I\u2019m sure that everyone in Virginia City heard it, too!\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIs it all right with you if we tell my family tonight?\u201d\u00a0 He smiled and squeezed her hand when she nodded happily.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Cartwrights were thrilled to hear the announcement that Hoss made at dinner that night. They liked Erin and it was obvious that Hoss had been walking around on Cloud Nine ever since he had brought her home.\u00a0 Mary Lynn was very happy that there would be another woman in the house; she and Erin had grown to like each other, and she would have been disappointed if Erin had decided to leave.\u00a0 Ben broke out a bottle of his good champagne, and Hop Sing was called in for the celebration, and given advance notice that another wedding cake was in his future.\u00a0 This would be his third in just a few months, as he had made two for Adam and Mary Lynn\u2014one for each of their weddings.\u00a0 No one in the family mentioned any serious concern about any threat from the Sioux Indians. Erin would become a Cartwright, and never be a Sioux again.\u00a0 They had all come to like Erin very much.\u00a0 She was cheerful, practical and easy to have around.\u00a0 Best of all was how happy Hoss was whenever he was near her.\u00a0 They had all known that something was in the air.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The talk turned to their wedding plans, and they insisted they wanted to marry soon, but very simply.\u00a0 Erin was mindful about her Indian background, and she mentioned this to Hoss\u2019 family.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone will like me for my background, and I\u2019m afraid they may take that out on you,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s probably better that we just get married in a very small ceremony without a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Erin, we\u2019ll do whatever you and Hoss prefer,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 \u201cBut anyone who dislikes you, and therefore us, because of your earlier experiences, is not a true friend, and I won\u2019t mind losing him or her.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin basked in the love of this family.\u00a0 To have found it just when she thought she would be truly all alone in the world was a wonder to her.\u00a0 It felt like destiny.\u00a0 She felt the sting of tears as the entire family raised glasses to toast her and Hoss.\u00a0 Even pregnant Mary Lynn got to sip the champagne, but then Adam took her glass away from her and drank it himself.\u00a0 She sighed, sipped on her ginger tea, and she and Erin giggled together.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, Hoss and Erin were wed the following Sunday right after church services.\u00a0 Only immediate family was in attendance, and Adam stood up for Hoss, with Mary Lynn standing next to Erin.\u00a0 The family returned to the Ponderosa for a celebration dinner of roast beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, fresh bread, and of course, wedding cake.\u00a0 A very few close family friends like Roy Coffee and Paul Martin also attended the party.\u00a0 Erin wore a sunny yellow gown with lace trim that she and Mary Lynn had been furiously working on right up until Sunday morning, and now also a slim gold wedding band that she and Hoss had purchased at the general store.\u00a0 Adam had suggested that they order a ring from San Francisco as he had done for Mary Lynn, and Hoss seconded that idea, but Erin preferred the simple band.\u00a0 It better fit her personality.\u00a0 Hoss deferred to her, and decided that sometime down the road he would surprise her with some better jewelry.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Their wedding night, symbolically, was spent at the line shack where their relationship began.\u00a0 Hop Sing had packed a large basket of delectable leftovers from the wedding feast, including generous slices of wedding cake, and plenty of food for breakfast the next day.\u00a0 Finally free of the feeling that they were sneaking about, and knowing that they now belonged to each other, they spent their wedding night making love to each other while a cozy fire burned in the fireplace.\u00a0 Hoss had become very comfortable with sex, and Adam had probably coached him a little bit too, because Erin found him doing things to her that sent her into spasms of ecstasy.\u00a0 But what she liked best of all were the times Hoss simply gathered her in his arms and held her.\u00a0 That\u2019s when she knew she had found her place in life forever, and she thanked God for blessing her this way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By mid-morning the next day, Hoss and Erin were just about ready to return to the main house.\u00a0 The horse was hitched to the buggy and tethered to the post outside the cabin.\u00a0 Inside, they were gathering up their belongings when they were startled by the shattering of the cabin\u2019s single window.\u00a0 Erin jumped and put a hand over heart.\u00a0 Hoss moved quickly to pick up the object that had caused the damaged.\u00a0 He found it beyond the bed, lying on the floor.\u00a0 Bending over to pick it up, he felt nausea rise from his stomach.\u00a0 As he stood, an Indian arrow was in his hand.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want Erin to see it, but there was no way it could be avoided.\u00a0 She had been watching Hoss\u2019 face, but when her eyes fell to his hand, all the color in her face seemed to drain away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss moved near the door, and motioned Erin to stay behind him.\u00a0 He carefully looked out the window to see a half circle of Sioux Indians sitting on horses a few yards from the line shack.\u00a0 Most were shirtless, and they wore the same leather leggings Erin had worn when he first saw her.\u00a0 He silently cursed himself for having allowed a situation in which they could be easily outnumbered without defense. They had let their guard down during the past several weeks and today they were easy prey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, there are Sioux braves outside.\u00a0 I reckon they\u2019re here for you.\u00a0 I\u2019m wearing my gun belt, and my rifle is here if we need to use them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo Hoss, don\u2019t,\u201d she urged.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to find out what they have to say before we rile them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon I know what they have to say,\u201d he sounded grim.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead and see what they\u2019ll tell you, but make sure they know I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey already know that.\u00a0 They already know everything,\u201d she spoke very softly, almost a whisper.\u00a0 She moved to the door and opened it.\u00a0 Together, she and Hoss stepped outside.\u00a0 If Erin knew any of the men, she gave no indication.\u00a0 She spoke to them in their native language, and an exchange of messages took place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, they\u2019re here for me.\u00a0 They won\u2019t hurt you if I go with them,\u201d she translated tersely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI already figured on that.\u00a0 Tell them we\u2019re married now and that you live in the white man\u2019s world,\u201d he was desperately hoping that Adam\u2019s logic would apply.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done that and they don\u2019t care.\u00a0 The one on the right at the end is the man who wants me to marry him.\u00a0 They don\u2019t recognize a white man\u2019s marriage, so it doesn\u2019t matter to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, I\u2019m not giving you to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, what choice do we have?\u00a0 They\u2019ll kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you went with them, where would they take you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 Probably to a place I don\u2019t know about so I wouldn\u2019t be able to tell you where to find me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He was thinking as fast as he could.\u00a0 If he started shooting, Erin\u2019s life could be in danger, and he wouldn\u2019t allow that to happen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, if I gave you the horse to ride, and they thought you were going with them, would you be able to outrun them at the south turnoff road?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss was speaking very quietly now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She remained very composed although inside she felt as if she was dying.\u00a0 \u201cI think they would surround me, so the chances would be unlikely.\u00a0 And the man at the end\u2014his name is Deep Water\u2014would probably force me to ride with him anyway.\u00a0 They\u2019re not going to wait much longer, Hoss.\u00a0 Let me go with them. It\u2019s the safest thing to do.\u00a0 They won\u2019t kill me.\u00a0 It will give you time to find me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 I won\u2019t turn you over to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if I go with them now, I can convince them that I will never cooperate with their way of life again.\u00a0 They might release me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they might kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best chance we\u2019ve got.\u00a0 We\u2019re outnumbered,\u201d she reached back for his hand, gripping it tightly, and then she moved forward toward Deep Water.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss watched helplessly, wanting to kill with his bare hands.\u00a0 When Erin reached Deep Water, he reached down and swept her up in front of him on his unsaddled horse.\u00a0 He kicked its sides and it jumped off at a gallop.\u00a0 The other Indians followed him in order at the same pace.\u00a0 Hoss turned instantly on his heel to grab his rifle when a sharp pain punctured his back and he began to fall.\u00a0 The last thing he heard before he hit the ground was Erin\u2019s scream.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 4:<\/p>\n

It was early afternoon when Hoss regained consciousness.\u00a0 He came to slowly, seeing spots before his eyes, his head pounding. He was half in and half out of the line shack, and he knew he had hit his head when he fell.\u00a0 He reached up to feel a painful goose egg on his forehead, and as he did so another searing pain tore through his upper back.\u00a0 As he turned his head, he could just barely make out an arrow stuck in his back.\u00a0 He groaned and pushed himself up to a half sitting position.\u00a0 After his sight cleared, he made several attempts with both hands to reach the arrow.\u00a0 On the fifth try, after twisting his torso in an ungodly position, he was able to reach the arrow.\u00a0 He moved it gingerly.\u00a0 Although that action caused pain, it didn\u2019t feel as though it was deeply embedded in his flesh.\u00a0 He grasped it one more time, ran his hand as high as he could up its shaft, and when he was certain of its angle, pulled it straight out.\u00a0 He took several gulps of air recovering from the pain he had caused himself, and then examined the arrow.\u00a0 Its tip was bloody.\u00a0 His blood<\/em>.\u00a0 But there wasn\u2019t much.\u00a0 Using the door frame, he pulled himself into a standing position and slowly moved to where the mirror hung in the cabin.\u00a0 He shucked out of his leather vest and turning from side to side, got a look at the puncture point on his back.\u00a0 His shirt was torn, but there was only a small amount of blood.\u00a0 He knew the Indians had been moving when the arrow had been shot, and it must not have gotten a strong initial pull.\u00a0 It was one merciful break in an otherwise black day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grabbing his rifle, he climbed into the buggy, throwing the arrow onto the seat as well.\u00a0 Erin was gone.\u00a0 He felt the nausea again.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know where she was and what was happening to her.\u00a0 They had just taken her.\u00a0 She had gone willingly, and he understood that, even though he would have fought for her to stay.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t stupid.\u00a0 She understood the Sioux ways.\u00a0 She had probably done what was best under the circumstances.\u00a0 And now, he would too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He slapped the reins on the horse\u2019s back, and the buggy took off with a start. Shouting her on constantly, Hoss drove the horse pulling the buggy home in a wild manner.\u00a0 More than once the buggy took a turn on two wheels before righting itself, but he never noticed.\u00a0 He arrived at the ranch in a cloud of dust, shouting as he did so.\u00a0 The horse was spent and white with lather.\u00a0 He was quickly met by his family and many of the hands.\u00a0 Holding the arrow in his fist, he told them briefly what happened before leaning sideways to catch his breath.\u00a0 Joe and Adam rushed over to buttress him while Ben jumped onto the buggy and ripped open the back of his shirt to get a look at the wound. \u00a0Thankfully it was a shallow wound, and as long as the arrow wasn\u2019t poisoned, it would heal cleanly.\u00a0 Before they could even get him down from the buggy, Hoss was already talking about forming a rescue party.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He wouldn\u2019t even go upstairs to bed so he could have his wound dressed and rest a little.\u00a0 He was far too agitated.\u00a0 Deep Water had taken something very important of his, and he was going to get it back or die trying.\u00a0 He sat in the great room with his family, discussing options.\u00a0 He did allow Hop Sing to place a warm poultice against the wound until Dr. Martin, who had been sent for, could examine the injury.\u00a0 For the time being, the bloody arrow lay on the wood table before the fireplace, an ugly reminder of the day\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss was ready to form a search party and leave immediately, but Ben put his foot down.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you\u2019ve been shot with an arrow.\u00a0 You at least have to wait and rest overnight so we can see how you\u2019re doing.\u00a0 I know you have energy right now, but we have to be practical.\u00a0 Tracking those Indians is going to be a tough job.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam hit upon a plan.\u00a0 \u201cIf this band is a splinter from its main tribe, maybe a show of force on our part would let them know them that ultimately they\u2019re outnumbered. \u00a0We could take a party of the hands with us, and any of the neighboring ranchers who can come, along with their hands.\u00a0 If we\u2019re successful, the Indians may give up.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And Joe pitched in, too.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I was in town the other day, I saw an Army Indian scout with a troop of soldiers. He was recruiting, and then they were planning to head out west.\u00a0 Maybe they would help us track this group we\u2019re after.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 Things were beginning to gel.\u00a0 He instructed Joe to ride into town and try to find the Army scout, and also to alert neighboring ranchers on his way.\u00a0 Nodding, Joe was out the door in a flash, buckling his gun belt as he went.\u00a0 Ben turned his attention back to Hoss.\u00a0 He was one of the best trackers in the area.\u00a0 Many people knew that.\u00a0 Hoss noticed things that others didn\u2019t.\u00a0 He could look at dozens of hoof prints in the dirt and tell you how many horses there were and even the weight of the load they were carrying.\u00a0 He could also find a snapped branch that no one else noticed, indicating passage through a forested area. Hoss was critical to this plan, Ben knew, as if it would even be possible to keep him behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He put a gentle hand on his son\u2019s shoulder, \u201cSon, just a day ago we were celebrating your wedding, and now we\u2019re planning to rescue your bride.\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt don\u2019t matter, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to find Erin and bring her home.\u00a0 Won\u2019t nothin\u2019 get in my way.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 face was set and Ben had no doubt he meant every word he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Martin arrived shortly thereafter.\u00a0 He examined Hoss in the great room, knowing he\u2019d never get the big man up to his bed in the midst of the crisis.\u00a0 He was thankful to find that the wound was not serious and he judged that the arrow was not poisoned, either.\u00a0 Hoss had probably been injured more by his fall than by the arrow.\u00a0 He bandaged the wound, diagnosed a minor concussion, and recommended rest, knowing full well that the latter advice would be ignored.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe returned home late that evening.\u00a0 He had secured the cooperation of the Army troop, as well as several of the Cartwright neighbors.\u00a0 Everyone would meet at the Ponderosa early the next morning.\u00a0 Hop Sing had already been preparing food for the men to take with them.\u00a0 They would likely be gone for several days; they just didn\u2019t know what they would encounter. \u00a0At that point, Hoss agreed to go to bed, understanding that sleep was the best medicine for the fight that lay ahead of him.<\/p>\n

The next morning, 37 men plus the Army troop met at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Hoss, Adam and Joe were saddled up and ready, and they were accompanied by about a third of the ranch hands.\u00a0 The rest were friends including neighbors, and even Roy Coffee himself.\u00a0 Ben was staying behind to keep up with ranch operations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They started back at the line shack where Erin had been abducted, making a wide track around it to avoid trampling any of the Indian tracks.\u00a0 Hoss knew the direction they had taken, and he and the Army scout studied the signs.\u00a0 The question was whether the Indians intended to stay in the general area, head west to California, or northeast back to the Black Hills.\u00a0 The early signs showed they had stayed on low ground and had quickly moved to rocky terrain that would be harder to track.\u00a0 They would have to keep near water, and all the local men knew where all the water spots were within 100 miles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From where they were at, the Indians had a choice of moving to desert terrain or wooded terrain, and the signs indicated they had taken the forested track.\u00a0 Hoss and the Army scout, Sgt. Culver, both knew that the forested area was the better choice if you wanted to disguise your path.\u00a0 For the rest of that day, the party carefully followed signs they picked up that led them through a lightly wooded area just beyond Ponderosa boundaries.\u00a0 The path wasn\u2019t straight and occasionally turned back on itself.\u00a0 In late afternoon, Hoss stopped up short and dismounted.\u00a0 He bent down and picked something up off the ground.\u00a0 Adam and Joe hurried to his side to see him examining a gold ring in his hand.\u00a0 Erin\u2019s wedding ring.\u00a0 They felt a surge of hope.\u00a0 Erin could easily have slid it off her finger and let it fall, knowing it would be a clue to her rescuers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But Hoss, who had been worrying the situation in his mind all day, knew it could also be a trick.\u00a0 Deep Water could have had it planted there to set them off course.\u00a0 So far, they had followed a fairly consistent course; they had been led in circles that looped over each other at times, and a straight path at other times.\u00a0 He wondered if this signaled a change in their course.\u00a0 He closed his fist around the ring and then slipped it into his pocket.\u00a0 Sgt. Culver pointed out that they had been following solid signs all day and suggested that they move the same way for at least a while to see if the signs continued.\u00a0 Hoss agreed, also knowing that they needed to pick a campsite for the night very soon.\u00a0 Following the Sioux signs was very tedious work, and although the men were tired, they had been ignoring their own needs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe pointed out that there was a clearing several miles down the road that would be easy to guard, and they agreed to camp there.\u00a0 Some unshod hoof prints were picked up along the way, which gave the party the sense that they were still following in the right direction.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The clearing Joe had identified was open on three sides.\u00a0 It would be hard to sneak up on for a surprise attack.\u00a0 Guard shifts were posted for the night, horses were watered, fires built, and food prepared.\u00a0 Several of the men huddled around one of the fires, discussing strategy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sgt. Culver estimated that the Indians had almost a full day\u2019s head start on them, and that they traveled faster in a small party than the bigger group did.\u00a0 They appeared to be heading northeast, and if that was true, they were going to run into a mountain soon.\u00a0 Its rocky height would slow them down, even if they tried to go around it, which was impractical.\u00a0 Roy Coffee suggested that the group split up, going around the mountain two separate ways in an attempt to intercept their quarry. The group approved of that idea, so it was agreed upon for the next day\u2019s strategy.\u00a0 That night the camp was quiet, although many a man lay awake listening to sounds that could possibly be Indians communicating to each other with nature calls.\u00a0 The Cartwright brothers were the most awake of all, wondering what the next day would bring them.\u00a0 They fully knew their job was to recover a priceless treasure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The search party was ready to leave within an hour after dawn the next morning.\u00a0 They had split into two groups, Sgt. Culver leading one and Hoss the other.\u00a0 It was agreed that if either party spotted the Indians, they would only appraise the situation while in the meantime sending a messenger to the other group.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two hours into the day, Sgt. Culver\u2019s group found an obvious sign.\u00a0 Lying by the side of their path was the body of an dead Indian.\u00a0 Quickly sending three men to scout the area, Culver dismounted to examine the body.\u00a0 The man appeared to have died in a fall from what he could tell.\u00a0 There were no knife, arrow or bullet injuries on his body.\u00a0 Looking up, he could see at least two large rock outcroppings.\u00a0 This Indian could have been an outlook stationed on one of those rocks.\u00a0 His death could be explained by falling from one of them, but how he came to fall remained a mystery.\u00a0 Still, this was again a good sign that they were still on the correct path.\u00a0 Leaving the Indian behind them, the scouting party moved on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At mid-morning, Little Joe called a halt for his party.\u00a0 He dropped off his horse, Cochise, and picked something off the ground.\u00a0 He handed it up to Hoss, who rode over on Chubb.\u00a0 It was a thin piece of white cloth with just a scrap of lace attached to it.\u00a0 A piece of Erin\u2019s petticoat.\u00a0 Hoss slapped Joe on the back and gave his first smile in more than 24 hours.\u00a0 The material was shown to all the men in the group, and they were all instructed to watch for more pieces, even looking in places the wind could have carried a small piece of fabric.\u00a0 Hoss wondered, though, how Erin might have managed to rip and drop multiple pieces of her petticoat without being noticed.\u00a0 Deep Water would surely be keeping an eagle eye on her movements.\u00a0 It could still be a trick, and Hoss was at his most cautious now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By early afternoon, they had seen fresh droppings from several horses.\u00a0 Hoss thought that the hoof prints indicated about the same number of horses that had gathered outside the line shack the day before.\u00a0 Three more scraps of fabric had also been picked up.\u00a0 They were definitely on the right track. The Sioux party could not be very far ahead of them now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By late afternoon, Hoss\u2019 party had rounded the side of the mountain.\u00a0 Ahead and below them was a lake, and on the near shore of the lake was an Indian camp. The search party, elevated and hidden by trees, watched silently for several minutes.\u00a0 From the rear, one of the soldiers traveling with Hoss rode up and said that Sgt. Culver\u2019s party had reached a similar point on the opposite side of the mountain.\u00a0 He had just received a bird call signal from one of the other soldiers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There were at least a dozen deerskin Indian huts set up by the lake, with women washing clothes, and dogs and children running about playing. Some of the braves were standing guard, and others seemed to be playing some type of athletic game.\u00a0 A makeshift corral stood at one end of the camp, holding several dozen horses.\u00a0 Hoss was studying the horses with a hard eye.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what do you make of it?\u00a0 Recognize any of the horses?\u201d\u00a0 Adam had ridden up next to him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss had that hard look on his face again, and he gave a curt nod.\u00a0 \u201cYep, I think I do. Let\u2019s move back some so we can plan without being noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within an hour, Sgt. Culver\u2019s group had rejoined them, having taken pains to ride higher through a denser stand of trees to avoid being seen.\u00a0 They all agreed that the first order of business was to ascertain that Erin was down in the encampment.\u00a0 Also agreed upon was that nothing would happen until dark fell, and that once a plan was made, no guns would be used so they could utilize the advantage of surprise.\u00a0 It was a given that each of the men carried at least one knife.\u00a0 A plan was laboriously laid out, and then everyone hunkered down waiting for darkness.\u00a0 No fires were built to give them away, so supper was only whatever could be eaten cold from each man\u2019s provisions or Hop Sing\u2019s donated food.\u00a0 Waiting four hours was one of the hardest things Hoss had ever had to do in his life.\u00a0 He wanted nothing more than to punish Deep Water and get Erin back.\u00a0 But the long minutes of waiting gave him precious time to rehearse the plan over and over in his mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As soon as it was dark, the men began to move according to plan.\u00a0 Each knew his role to play.\u00a0 Indian guards were taken down silently in a steady domino effect.\u00a0 Men moved in pairs behind each hut, while others stood by in the shadows close to the camp.\u00a0 Two men, stealthy on their stomachs, wriggled over to the corral and cut open the gates, loosing the horses and driving them away.\u00a0 This disturbance notified the entire camp that a likely raid was underway, and the braves came running out of huts and from every direction toward the empty corral.\u00a0 Hoss watched from a prone position behind the camp as the men ran from the huts.\u00a0 When he saw Deep Water run toward the corral, he quickly pointed out his hut. Joe, wily and nimble on his feet, scurried over to the hut his brother had indicated, slit the leather back open with his knife, and saw Erin lying in her side, bound and gagged.\u00a0 Adam, who was right behind Joe, ran inside at Joe\u2019s signal and scooped up Erin, running out immediately, carrying her toward the mountain and a waiting horse.\u00a0 Joe left too, but stayed nearby, watching for trouble spots and never turning his back to the camp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the meantime, Hoss crept closer to Deep Water\u2019s hut, knowing that Adam had removed Erin.\u00a0 Within minutes Deep Water returned, looking about in every direction, grunting in surprise to see Erin gone.\u00a0 Hoss moved inside swiftly, driving a knife into Deep Water\u2019s belly and slamming him to the ground.\u00a0 He wrapped his hands around the Indian\u2019s neck and squeezed hard.\u00a0 The man went limp in moments, and Hoss left as fast as he had come, knowing that he had broken the Sioux brave\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 5:<\/p>\n

Shouts had risen in the camp as the braves tried to recapture the escaped horses.\u00a0 Many of the Indians milled in the center of the camp, trying to make sense out of the chaos, while others ran, trying to find the enemy.\u00a0 A few made contact, and the sounds of fighting, or vanquishing, could be heard.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss was running, and when he reached his horse he virtually leapt into the saddle, following in the direction Adam had taken.\u00a0 As he passed the rescue party, he grabbed the reins of another horse that was being held for him, and kept going.\u00a0 When he reached Adam, farther above the fray taking place on the lake shore, he saw that his brother had freed Erin\u2019s hands and feet and removed the gag from her mouth.\u00a0 Incredibly she seemed composed, but Adam knew she was shaking from head to toe in his arms.\u00a0 Hoss brought the third horse up between them, and together they helped Erin onto her own mount.\u00a0 Hoss grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, and then they waited momentarily to make sure the plan was still in place before they moved on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Turning to look behind them, they could see that most of the huts had been set on fire, and the rescue party was reassembling at its starting point some ways below them, overlooking the Sioux camp.\u00a0 The rescuers had spread out in a line, some holding torches, others aiming rifles.\u00a0 More than 50 men, some soldiers, some friends, some ranch hands, held the Indians at bay.\u00a0 They were far enough away that Indian arrows wouldn\u2019t reach them, and the Indians could see that the breadth of their stand was too immense to fight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss, Adam and Erin took off into the night, knowing the others would follow.\u00a0 Behind them they heard guns firing, and knew that they were being shot into the air to scare the Sioux and add to the confusion.\u00a0 They also knew they would be riding all night and that this was a race for their lives, but the Sioux would be hard put to follow them in any timely fashion without shelter or ready mounts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They rode steadily for three hours before they stopped, giving thanks for moonlight and a clear sky that night.\u00a0 When they stopped to rest the horses, Hoss held Erin for the first time since her capture.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, are you all right?\u00a0 Did they hurt you?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss could tell that her dress was ripped, but her only response was to weep silently, her face buried against his shoulder.\u00a0 He just wrapped his arms around her tightly, murmuring to her soothingly the same way he would have to an injured fawn.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re safe now.\u00a0 Deep Water\u2019s dead.\u00a0 We have 50 men back there threatening them and their camp\u2019s on fire.\u00a0 They won\u2019t be following you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When she raised her head, she gripped his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were dead.\u00a0 I saw them shoot you with an arrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAw, they tried, but they were movin\u2019 too fast when they did it.\u00a0 All it did was give me a little poke,\u201d he told her softly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a goose egg on his head when he went down,\u201d Adam added wryly, watching Hoss rub it gingerly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They waited about 15 minutes to see if any of the rescue party would catch up to them, but when no one did, they mounted and kept moving.\u00a0 They traveled at a slower pace to retain the horses\u2019 energy.\u00a0 They were moving back around the side of the mountain, and had decided to take a different route home, this time across Ponderosa land.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After another extended period of riding, this time on the Ponderosa, they decided to stop for a couple of hours.\u00a0 It was close to 3:00 in the morning, so they unpacked their bedrolls.\u00a0 Adam built a very small fire with just enough light to see by, and extinguished it when they were settled down for a nap.\u00a0 At this point they didn\u2019t expect to meet up with the rest of the rescue team until they were back at the Ponderosa ranch house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This was Hoss\u2019 first chance to really hold Erin since the rescue, and he cuddled her close to him as they lay together on side by side bedrolls.\u00a0 He could feel that her dress was ripped in several places, but in the dark, that was all he could tell.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin, did they hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She hesitated and put her head down.\u00a0 Then she nodded.\u00a0 Hoss lifted her head by putting a hand beneath her chin.\u00a0 In the fading firelight, he could see that one side of her face was bruised, and she had a black eye.\u00a0 He clenched his teeth.\u00a0 Even for an Indian, this was not a way to treat someone you professed you wanted to marry.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDid Deep Water do anything else to you?\u201d\u00a0 She knew what he meant and she was ashamed.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t tell him.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t want her anymore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cErin,\u201d his voice was harder, demanding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She gripped the front of his shirt and nodded again, not looking at him.\u00a0 He took his hands off her, reinforcing her belief that he found her tainted.\u00a0 She let go of him and rolled away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss was helplessly opening and closing his fists at his sides.\u00a0 Even in the dark he was seeing red.\u00a0 He was glad he had killed that bastard Deep Water.\u00a0 It was the first time in his life that he could remember being glad that he had harmed a living thing.\u00a0 After a few moments, he reached out and pulled Erin back into his embrace.\u00a0 He knew without being told how she was feeling, and he had every intention of letting her know he loved her no less now than before her capture.\u00a0 He held her close to him and lifted her face up to gently kiss her lips.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if he was hurting her by doing so, but he wanted her to have the gesture.\u00a0 She buried her face against his broad chest, and was quietly crying once again.\u00a0 He murmured words of love to her, stroking her hair and her back until she quieted and slept.\u00a0 Hoss tried to sleep too, but kept reliving the moment he took Deep Water\u2019s life.\u00a0 Then he realized he wasn\u2019t reliving it; he was relishing it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All too soon, Adam knelt by Hoss\u2019 shoulder, shaking him to get up.\u00a0 He wanted them to start traveling again.\u00a0 Hoss rubbed his eyes, finding that they actually hurt from lack of sleep, but both he and Erin got up quickly, and after eating a small amount of cold food, were back on their horses and moving again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It took two more days to reach home because of the alternate route they had used.\u00a0 They stopped once for ten hours, during which all three of them slept soundly.\u00a0 They also found Erin a good stream where she could clean herself, knowing that she desperately wanted to.\u00a0 Hoss had seen bruises on her shoulders and back then, but didn\u2019t talk to her about them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When they were at last in their own front yard, Joe, Ben and Mary Lynn hurried out to greet them.\u00a0 Mary Lynn threw herself at Adam, so relieved to have him safely back home.\u00a0 Ben wrapped Erin in a warm, tight hug which spoke volumes without words, and Little Joe was fairly dancing with excitement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, you should have seen it!\u00a0 We just stood them down and all they could do was stand in the middle of their burning village and look up at us with our torches and rifles.\u00a0 The plan was perfect, thanks to you and Sgt. Culver. \u00a0Most of the rescuers left a few hours after you did, but some of us stayed until the next morning, when the tribe packed up whatever they had left and moved out to the northeast, and with any luck, straight back to the Black Hills.\u00a0 We had a couple of minor casualties, but we didn\u2019t lose one man.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss reached a hand out to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t thank you and Adam enough for helping us,\u201d he tried to smile, but the weariness was evident in his voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe suddenly seemed to remember himself, and he turned to Erin.\u00a0 He took one of her hands in both of his and just said simply, \u201cWelcome home.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled in acknowledgement and leaned over to kiss his cheek, and then Adam\u2019s too.\u00a0 Mary Lynn, with tears in her eyes, reached out to touch the unbruised side of her face in a gesture of love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Doc Martin was called in to check Erin over, and by the time he got there, she had thankfully soaked in a hot bath and washed her long hair.\u00a0 Hoss had been infuriated all over again to see bruises on her breasts.\u00a0 She was in bed in a clean nightgown, with Hoss sitting nearby when Paul knocked on the door.\u00a0 The black eye was the worst of the injuries that could be seen, and it would heal along with the other bruises.\u00a0 The eye itself had not been damaged.\u00a0 The emotional injuries were possibly another story, and he told both Erin and Hoss that they would have to give themselves time and take things as they came, to which they simply nodded mutely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss then took a bath, and both of them ate some of Hop Sing\u2019s wonderful food before they went directly to bed smack in the middle of the day and fell asleep almost instantly.\u00a0 They were both awake in the middle of the night, however.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d\u00a0 Erin sounded very tentative.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, darlin\u2019,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She told him her greatest fear.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if I\u2019m pregnant?\u00a0 I won\u2019t know who the baby\u2019s father is until it\u2019s born, and if it isn\u2019t yours, I don\u2019t see how I could continue to live here with you and your family.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t be able to stand it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The silence between them was deafening.\u00a0 Finally Hoss spoke.\u00a0 \u201cErin, I love you, and I told you I\u2019ll take care of you forever.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just wait and see what happens, like Doc said to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin nodded, clutched his big hand in both of hers, and soon they both slept again.<\/p>\n

Life resumed a pattern resembling normalcy for the Cartwrights. The primary difference was the quietness of both Hoss and Erin.\u00a0 Even though they moved about the house and ranch, doing work, eating meals, conversing with the family, it was done in a strained manner.\u00a0 They seemed affectionate toward each other, but they rarely smiled.\u00a0 When Mary Lynn and Erin worked on clothes for Mary Lynn\u2019s layette or on dresses for Erin, they chatted as usual, but there was always a part of Erin that seemed absent.\u00a0 Even when Hoss had given her back her wedding ring, she had received it with tears in her eyes, but they were not necessarily tears of joy.\u00a0 They had not resumed marital relations either, and Hoss had not pushed her.\u00a0 He had decided to wait for her to make the first move.\u00a0 She had to feel comfortable before they could be intimate again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then one day about three weeks after her return, Erin came running outside when Hoss returned from a logging site where the men were cutting timber for a new contract.\u00a0 He was dusty, but she threw herself into his arms, and he caught her with surprise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, oh Hoss!\u201d She held his face in both hands.\u00a0 Her eyes were sparkling and she wore her normal, happy smile.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not pregnant!\u201d\u00a0 She kissed him soundly on the mouth, unmindful of anyone else who might see them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At this news, he broke into a wide grin and gave a whoop, which turned all heads toward them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow we can continue being married,\u201d she said happily.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut sweetheart,\u201d he interjected.\u00a0 \u201cWe always were<\/em> going to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut this time it\u2019s just the two of us, not three of us,\u201d she sighed, linking her arm with his and walking to the barn where he would stable Chubb.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d he agreed, thinking it over, and knowing who she referred to as the third party.\u00a0 \u201cTwo\u2019s much better, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet, cowboy,\u201d and she rested her head against his arm as they walked.\u00a0 The threat was gone, her security was back, and now she could concentrate on her future as a Cartwright.\u00a0 When they entered the house, they went directly to their room.\u00a0 It was the first time any of the family could remember Hoss deliberately skipping dinner.\u00a0 But it didn\u2019t matter; they knew he\u2019d be down for breakfast in the morning.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE END<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next Story in the Destiny Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Destiny Next Door<\/a>
\nBrothers<\/a>
\nNo More Birthday Parties, Thank you<\/a>
\nIt’s Just for Now<\/a>
\nThe Homecoming Part 1<\/a>
\nThe Homecoming Part 2<\/a>
\nLogan’s Bride<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: Hoss marries the love of his life, only to lose her the following day, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated: MA<\/p>\n

Destiny Series, links to all the stories within the series included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":2181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,23,690],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-3369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-drama","category-ma-rated","tag-hoss","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-690-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1585,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/hoss.jpeg?fit=188%2C235&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2913,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2913","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":0},"title":"Ride of Destiny (by faust)","author":"faust","date":"January 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Adam's fate is sealed. 650 words, rated K","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/destiny.jpg?fit=300%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5644,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5644","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":1},"title":"Only One Left (by Destiny Adams)","author":"Destiny Adams","date":"August 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0\u00a0He is the only one left. \u00a0Joe reflects. \u00a0Written for the August Chaps and Spurs. Tissue warning! \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (1,150 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Chaps and Spurs"","block_context":{"text":"Chaps and Spurs","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=39"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12147,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12147","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":2},"title":"He Said Not To Tell (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"May 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"The author requests those who wish to read this series contact her via eMail: DLB1234@aol.com","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/1-joe.jpg?fit=238%2C226&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17859,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=17859","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":3},"title":"Destiny (by Foreverfree)","author":"Foreverfree","date":"June 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0A heart can only break so many times, and after the traumatic losses he has suffered, Joe is convinced that living his life alone is the only way to protect his heart from shattering. \u00a0But... Is that really his intended destiny? This story takes place two years after the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing Challenges"","block_context":{"text":"Writing Challenges","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=40"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/PPPT-pic.png?fit=588%2C325&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/PPPT-pic.png?fit=588%2C325&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/PPPT-pic.png?fit=588%2C325&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13631,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13631","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":4},"title":"Freedom from Fear (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The aftermath of Joe's kidnapping and subsequent rescue. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (33,760) Due to the subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3371,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3371","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":5},"title":"Destiny Next Door (by karilyn)","author":"karilyn","date":"November 17, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe finds true love with a girl he has known all his life, but their wedded bliss begins unexpectedly! \u00a0Rated:\u00a0 MA (13,925 words) This is a Little Joe romance.\u00a0 It is rated MA due to sexual situations, so be forewarned!\u00a0 This story also features Amy Bishop from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/07-2.jpg?fit=640%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/07-2.jpg?fit=640%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/07-2.jpg?fit=640%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3369","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\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}