{"id":3371,"date":"2008-11-17T03:00:32","date_gmt":"2008-11-17T08:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3371"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:13:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:13:39","slug":"destiny-next-door","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3371","title":{"rendered":"Destiny Next Door (by karilyn)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/span>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)<\/p>\n

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 \u201cTruckee Strip\u201d episode.<\/em><\/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 Destiny Next Door<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright was riding away from the logging camp where timber was being cut for one of the Cartwright family\u2019s largest timber contracts to date. It had been a long day.\u00a0 In fact, it had been a long two weeks, but the order was on schedule and he was pleased about it.<\/p>\n

The sun was getting low in the sky, but Joe was going to stop by the pond where he had recently become reacquainted Amy Bishop, hoping she would be there.\u00a0 He had grown up knowing Amy, who was younger than he and who lived on the ranch next to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 But over the years\u2014and especially in the whirlwind of romances that Joe was always involved in\u2014they had lost touch.\u00a0 A few weeks ago he had stopped by the pond which bordered the property between the Cartwright and Bishop ranches, on his way home from the logging site.\u00a0 He really had been looking for stray cattle, but a short rest near the peaceful pond didn\u2019t sound too bad, either.\u00a0 When he got there he had found Amy swimming in the pond.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t recognize her at first, but she had known him right away.\u00a0 She made him turn around while she got out of the water and quickly dressed.\u00a0 He had helped her button her dress up the back in the places she couldn\u2019t reach by herself.<\/p>\n

That was when he had been able to take a good look at Amy.\u00a0 She sure had grown up since he had seen her last.\u00a0 And she sure had gotten pretty, too.\u00a0 She had long, wavy brown hair, large brown eyes with long dark lashes and full, beautiful lips made for kissing.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t very tall, the top of her head reaching only to Little Joe\u2019s shoulder, and she was slight.\u00a0 She also had a way of looking up at him that made him want to take her in his arms and make the rest of the world go away.\u00a0 Amy was sweet and thoughtful, but she was also lonely. Living with her father and three brothers in their ranch house, she was the only female, her mother having died some years before.\u00a0 So Little Joe had taken to riding by the pond most days after work to see if she was there.\u00a0 And usually she was.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At first they just spent time talking to each other.\u00a0 Sometimes he brought along one of his brother Adam\u2019s books of poetry and read to her.\u00a0 She enjoyed that.\u00a0 Sometimes she read to him, too, while he lay in the grass, chewing on a long piece of it, watching the sky.\u00a0 But Joe being Joe, it hadn\u2019t taken him long before he kissed her.\u00a0 And once that happened, he was lost.\u00a0 As soon as his lips had touched hers, he knew he wanted to taste more.\u00a0 His arms had moved around her shoulders to bring her closer to him, and he gave her long, passionate kisses that made her shiver. Within a week he told her he loved her. \u00a0She had laughed then, telling him that she knew exactly how many girls in the area that he \u201cloved\u201d.\u00a0 He had the grace to blush at that, because he did have a reputation as a ladies\u2019 man, but he urgently tried to persuade her that he meant what he was telling her.\u00a0 She admitted to herself that she was enthralled by his attentions, and she eagerly looked forward to their meetings.\u00a0 She especially enjoyed kissing him.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t kissed many boys in her young life, but Little Joe certainly knew what he was doing in that department.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t said anything to his family yet, partly because there had been disagreements between Luther Bishop and Ben Cartwright over timber and land rights over the years.\u00a0 Even so, they had known each other for many years and deep down they respected each other.\u00a0 Still, for now, Joe wanted to keep his growing friendship with Amy to himself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He found himself smiling when he saw Amy waiting by the pond.\u00a0 She was sitting quietly with a book, reading.\u00a0 She looked up and smiled as she saw his approach.\u00a0 She stood when he dismounted, and in only a few seconds they were in each other\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh Amy, you just don\u2019t know how much I miss you when we\u2019re not together,\u201d he whispered to her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI miss you too, Little Joe.\u00a0 I wish we could be together more.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, really, I don\u2019t know why we can\u2019t!\u00a0 Why don\u2019t I pick you up on Saturday afternoon and we\u2019ll go for a buggy ride together?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She hesitated and fingered a button on his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think we\u2019d get in trouble if anyone saw us together?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWho would we get in trouble with?\u00a0 Your father?\u00a0 Your brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She nodded and looked up at him.\u00a0 She was uncertain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, I\u2019m not afraid of your father.\u00a0 I\u2019m not afraid to let him know that I care about you.\u00a0 Any problems he has with the Ponderosa are between my father and him, not me.\u201d\u00a0 He gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her shoulders.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe it would be better if we met somewhere else first,\u201d Amy was still unsure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe put a finger under her chin to lift her face up toward his.\u00a0 \u201cI care about you, Amy.\u00a0 Sooner or later your family is going to know about that.\u00a0 We might as well get it over with.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy nodded, and then gave Joe a smile.\u00a0 It would be easier to have it out in the open.\u00a0 It was just that her father and brothers could be very intimidating at times. They agreed that Joe would pick her up at 2:00 on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When the appointed day and time arrived, Little Joe pulled up to the Bishop residence with the best Ponderosa buggy and team of carriage horses.\u00a0 Amy\u2019s brother, Luke, was lounging on the front porch, a piece of straw in his mouth.\u00a0 He was leaning on the back legs of a chair, studying Joe from beneath hooded eyelids.\u00a0 Luke said nothing, but Joe tipped his hat and gave him a friendly \u201cgood afternoon\u201d. He went to the front door and knocked.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t surprised to see Amy\u2019s father, Luther Bishop, answer the door.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t look completely happy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, come in,\u201d he said somewhat grudgingly, holding the door open.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t say that I\u2019m entirely pleased to have you and Amy seeing each other, but then again, I\u2019ve always tried to be a fair man, and I\u2019ll be the first to say that my arguments have never been with you, son, they\u2019ve been with your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sir,\u201d Joe replied sincerely. \u201cI enjoy Amy\u2019s company, and I\u2019ll take good care of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, see that you do,\u201d he said gruffly.\u00a0 Just then Amy came into the front room in a beautiful white dress sprigged with flowers and a straw bonnet with a matching sprigged bow.\u00a0 She gave Joe a happy smile, and kissed her father\u2019s cheek as they got ready to leave the house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Luke was gone from the porch when they got outside. Promising to be back before dinner, Joe helped Amy into the buggy and then jumped in beside her and slapped the reins to start the team off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSee, that wasn\u2019t so hard, was it?\u201d\u00a0 Joe was in a good mood.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Amy sat back, relaxed at last.\u00a0 \u201cBut it did take me some time to work up the courage to tell Daddy.\u00a0 My brothers weren\u2019t too pleased, though.\u00a0 They seem to think that all Cartwrights are our enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then, I hope I get the opportunity to show them that\u2019s not true.\u201d\u00a0 Joe headed the horses for the Lake Tahoe overlook.\u00a0 It was one of the prettiest spots on the Ponderosa, and one of the most romantic too.\u00a0 Perfect for kissing.<\/p>\n

On July 4th, Little Joe escorted Amy to a dance in Virginia City.\u00a0 Her father had given his permission.\u00a0 He would be at the dance too, in addition to Amy\u2019s brothers, Luke, Sam and Pete.\u00a0 The dance was crowded, and Joe, who loved to dance, kept Amy busy dance after dance, moving at a lively pace around and around the dance floor.\u00a0 Every time they passed one of her brothers dancing with a beau, Joe made a point of nodding and smiling in their direction.\u00a0 He would win them over if it killed him, he had decided.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At last, Amy insisted they take a breather, so they moved away from the dancers to get some punch.\u00a0 As they were sipping their drinks and watching the other couples dance, Joe felt a poke in his back.\u00a0 He turned to see Amy\u2019s brother, Sam.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Cartwright, how about letting someone else dance with my sister?\u201d\u00a0 The tone of his voice was pleasant, but with a sarcastic undertone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Sam, I don\u2019t mind,\u201d Joe smiled, stepping back obligingly.\u00a0 Amy looked at him quickly as Sam stepped forward to move his sister to the floor.\u00a0 Joe spent that dance talking with friends he knew who were also in attendance.\u00a0 Several girls approached him and feigned hurt that he appeared to be \u201coff the market\u201d in terms of dating these days.\u00a0 He just laughed and paid them compliments to their beauty, which always left them in smiles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It soon became apparent to Joe that between Sam, Luke and Pete, they were going to keep Amy dancing for the rest of the evening, just not in his arms.\u00a0 His brother, Adam, who was also at the dance, smoothly rectified the situation.\u00a0 He very politely cut in on Pete Bishop and began dancing with Amy, who was very pink-cheeked at that point.\u00a0 When the music finished, Adam deftly delivered Amy to Little Joe, who swiftly guided her away for a short walk.\u00a0 They moved down the street a little, in the direction of a group that was gathering to watch the upcoming fireworks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When the glorious bursts of sparkle and color began exploding in the sky, Joe and Amy held hands, enjoying the show.\u00a0 After it was over, Joe drew her down a quiet side street and behind some bushes to kiss her.\u00a0 She responded warmly to his kisses, even when he opened his mouth and drew her deeper into his longing.\u00a0 He moaned, and tightened his arms around her.\u00a0 She was clutching his arms, but she was kissing him back.\u00a0 One thing he had to give her, she looked fragile, but she wasn\u2019t afraid to give as good as she got.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When they broke apart, needing to catch their breaths, Little Joe laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAmy, you just don\u2019t know how you make me feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her look at him was quizzical.\u00a0 \u201cI hope it\u2019s not bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Amy,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good. It\u2019s very good,\u201d and then he bent he head to hers again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a particularly hot day about a week later and Joe was riding back toward home just past noon.\u00a0 He was dusty and sweaty, and he decided to take a detour to Amy\u2019s Pond.\u00a0 That was the name he had given it, even though it was technically on Cartwright property.\u00a0 The pond wasn\u2019t exactly on his way, but the thought of the cool water was more than Little Joe could resist.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the time that he usually found Amy there, so he wasn\u2019t expecting to see her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As Cochise moved toward the cool water, Joe was surprised to see that she was there.\u00a0 She was swimming.\u00a0 She was very quiet, moving her arms idly back and forth in the water, just seeming to enjoy herself.\u00a0 He dismounted and tethered Cochise to a nearby shrub.\u00a0 The water beckoned him, and without thinking about what he was doing, he began to undress.\u00a0 Amy hadn\u2019t seen him; her back was turned to him.\u00a0 He was very quiet, and slipped into the water, relishing the coolness that enveloped him.\u00a0 He moved up silently behind her, and slipped his arms around her waist.\u00a0 She yelped in surprise, and turned at his touch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joe!\u201d\u00a0 Her cheeks turned red and her hands flew up to cover them.\u00a0 Then she became suddenly preoccupied with the sight of Joe\u2019s shirtless chest.\u00a0 It was smooth and muscled.\u00a0 She was speechless.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe, not having thought this through at all, found himself staring at Amy\u2019s white shoulders. Quickly he pulled her into an embrace, and for the first time they both enjoyed the feeling of complete skin-to-skin contact.\u00a0 His hands moved up and down her back, and her arms reached up around his neck.\u00a0 His head came down to capture her lips against his for a long, gentle kiss.\u00a0 When they stopped, it seemed they spent the longest time just looking into each other\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Neither spoke, unsure of the next step.\u00a0 Joe finally moved his hands up her arms, then down her sides, to her waist and hips.\u00a0 Amy had thrown her head back and small moans were escaping her mouth by that time.\u00a0 She brought her head up to kiss him again, longingly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, I love you.\u00a0 You\u2019re so beautiful.\u201d Joe was kissing her neck and her face, and as he shifted in the water, she felt the effect of their closeness on him.\u00a0 At the feel of it, she gasped again, catching Joe\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, maybe we should stop.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t intend for all this to happen.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I was thinking\u2026\u201d he stopped, having no rational excuse.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the sound of his voice, she took a step back from him.\u00a0 But then her arms reached out and her hands touched his shoulders and moved slowly down his chest and belly.\u00a0 He almost groaned out loud at her touch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens if we stop?\u201d\u00a0 Her question was innocent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen I think about you every moment, day and night, from now on,\u201d he whispered to her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens if we don\u2019t stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen I make love to you right here, and still think about you every moment, day and night, from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy moved toward him a step, slipped her arms around him, and rested her head on his shoulder.\u00a0 They stood that way for a long time, neither one moving, neither speaking.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, love me,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure this is what you want?\u201d\u00a0 Joe knew it was reckless, but he was virtually past caring.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but you\u2019ll have to help me,\u201d she whispered against his shoulder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Carefully he moved to the edge of the pond, secluded on all sides by tall, dense shrubs.\u00a0 He stopped to ask her again if she was sure, and with her solemn assent, he loved her while they both held onto each other.\u00a0 If she experienced any discomfort, she gave no indication.\u00a0 She was mostly silent, resting her head against him when they weren\u2019t kissing, holding on tight.\u00a0 Afterward he was quiet, this time burying his face in her neck, and breathing heavily.\u00a0 After long minutes had passed, he raised his head to look at her.\u00a0 She looked back, smiling as she stroked his face with her hand, brushing back his errant hair. They kissed softly and he watched her face carefully.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, that was perfect, but I\u2019m not sure it was the smartest thing we could have done.\u00a0 Not only will I want you more, I have probably ruined your reputation.\u00a0 And if your family finds out\u2026\u201d he let this last trail off since they both knew what that meant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She put a finger to his lips.\u00a0 \u201c\u201dShhh, Joe, let me worry about my reputation.\u00a0 I asked you, remember?\u00a0 Thank you for showing me.\u00a0 Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Slowly they disengaged themselves from each other and got dressed.\u00a0 Joe was appreciating Amy\u2019s soft curves in all the right places, and she was admiring his lean, hard muscles.\u00a0 Joe knew he would be late now, but before he left he extracted a promise from Amy to meet him there the following day.\u00a0 Before mounting Cochise, his kissed her deeply, one last time.\u00a0 \u201cRemember, I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, too, Joe,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 2:<\/p>\n

That day in the pond was their only water episode of love, but on subsequent Saturday rides together, which were becoming regular, Little Joe would often stop the buggy in a very secluded, densely forested area with a small clearing.\u00a0 He would spread a blanket where they would undress and love each other at leisure.\u00a0 Little Joe knew they were going to have to either stop or face the consequences of what they were doing.\u00a0 He knew they were taking chances, but he loved her and would gladly have married her.\u00a0 He even told her so, assuring her that she was the only girl he was seeing, which was true.\u00a0 She, however, would calmly refuse to discuss the matter, much to his frustration, even though she professed to love him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her father, Luther, seemed to be getting used to seeing Joe come around to court his daughter.\u00a0 Her brothers, however, were a different story.\u00a0 They would smilingly taunt Joe whenever they could, and promise him an unpleasant future if he so much as harmed a hair on the head of their sister.\u00a0 Joe resisted their attempts to rile him, knowing that this was in Amy\u2019s best interest.\u00a0 He also didn\u2019t want anything to upset the delicate balance of peace he had struck with the Bishop family. So he was determinedly and consistently friendly to her brothers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One day Joe told Amy that round-up was starting on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 This generally took several weeks and required the help of every able hand available.\u00a0 All the cattle were rounded up, counted, branded if newborn, culled out if they were disabled or diseased, and then herded to market.\u00a0 It was a hard, dusty, dirty and tiring process.\u00a0 But it was essential to the running of a ranch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Round-up meant that Joe would be gone for an extended period of time, and wouldn\u2019t be able to see Amy until he returned.\u00a0 Amy just nodded when he told her; she was familiar with round-ups because they also occurred on the Bishop ranch.\u00a0 Her father and brothers all went, and she was left alone at home with their cook and housekeeper, which she didn\u2019t particularly enjoy, but it was part of ranch life.\u00a0 She accepted it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They loved each other one last time, knowing they would be apart for days.\u00a0 Joe told her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her.\u00a0 Her hand caressed his cheek and she smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cI love you, too, Joe,\u201d she whispered, searching his eyes.\u00a0 He drove her home and escorted her to the door, where he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Round-up seemed to take forever.\u00a0 That was a general consensus among the Ponderosa hands.\u00a0 It was partly due to the downpour of rain that seemed to drench them daily.\u00a0 Often they worked soaking wet and ankle deep in mud.\u00a0 Sleeping on the wet ground was mighty uncomfortable, and good, hot food was hard to come by.\u00a0 The wet conditions made branding the new cattle difficult, and driving the herd to market was just plain hellish.\u00a0 At least when they got to the Salt Lake City market, there was a hotel with clean beds, steaming baths and hot food.\u00a0 Joe, Hoss and Adam, along with a dozen of their ranch hands, were glad to be on the final leg of this annual event.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once the cattle had been sold and their work done, they headed home with relief, and then, of course, the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky all the way.\u00a0 When they reached Virginia City one late afternoon, Little Joe stopped at the Silver Dollar Saloon for a beer.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss rode on home, anxious to see their wives and families again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe stayed at the Silver Dollar until twilight, jawing with friends and playing a couple games of poker in which he essentially broke even.\u00a0 Bidding good-bye, he headed outside, ready for the hour-long ride to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He walked down the board walk to where Cochise was tethered.\u00a0 As he passed an alley, three men stepped out from the shadows suddenly, cornering him.\u00a0 They hauled him down the alley and one of them pinned his arms behind his back while the other two pummeled him mercilessly.\u00a0 Their faces were covered with bandanas, but they were all slim and about the same age and height.\u00a0 Joe took hits to the face and mid-section.\u00a0 In between the explosions of pain, Joe, struggling fiercely, managed to kick one of his attackers under the chin and the other in the ribs.\u00a0 He was outnumbered and pinned, however, and they eventually let him drop, defeated, to the ground.\u00a0 As they left him, one growled, \u201cDon\u2019t say we didn\u2019t warn you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe wasn\u2019t sure how long he lay in the alley, his head pounding and his face bleeding.\u00a0 He thought he may have some broken ribs from all the gut punching, but he never bothered to check.\u00a0 His body would tell him soon enough.\u00a0 After several attempts, he got onto his knees and then very slowly struggled to his feet.\u00a0 Staying upright was enough of a challenge to keep him occupied for several minutes.\u00a0 He staggered to the street, seeing no one, even though the hour couldn\u2019t have been very late. Cochise was where she\u2019d been left, and Joe pulled himself into the saddle painfully.\u00a0 Getting up in the saddle was the worst part.\u00a0 It caused explosions of pain that made him see stars.\u00a0 He started the horse toward home, slowly, leaning in the saddle, gasping for air, his side aching sharply.\u00a0 Yep, broken ribs.\u00a0 He tried to figure a reason for what happened.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t having any differences with anyone that he knew of; his wallet was still in his jacket, so robbery wasn\u2019t the motive.\u00a0 But they said he had been warned\u2026warned\u2026the word rang in his head the entire way home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cochise seemed to know that her owner was in bad shape, because she made no sudden moves all the way to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 When she brought Joe into the front yard of the ranch house, Joe was leaning against her neck, grasping the pommel of his saddle just to stay mounted. He slid off the horse and landed painfully on the ground.\u00a0 He stayed there several minutes, gathering the energy to move toward the house. \u00a0This he ultimately did on his hands and knees, until one of the hands found him, and called out for help.\u00a0 Thus it was that Joe was brought inside with a ranch hand walking him on either side.\u00a0\u00a0 Ben, Hoss, Erin and baby Eric were all in the great room by the fireplace.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The family all jumped up when they saw Joe. He felt a sense of relief that he no longer had to worry about moving.\u00a0 They took over for him, moving him to the settee, laying him down, calling for Hop Sing to come with water and bandages.\u00a0 A ranch hand was sent to bring Doc Martin to wrap the broken ribs.\u00a0 Adam and Mary Lynn ran downstairs when they heard the shouting.\u00a0 Adam studied his brother critically.\u00a0 He had a black eye, a cut on his forehead, a split lip, a suspiciously crooked nose and assorted bruises on his shoulders and torso.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, what did you do to get into this?\u00a0 You were fine when we left you!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what I\u2019ve been trying to figure out,\u201d Joe mumbled in reply.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c\u201dLittle Brother, did you get a look at who beat up on you?\u201d\u00a0 This came from Hoss, leaning over him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cFaces covered.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cShh now, no more talking,\u201d this came from Ben, who didn\u2019t want his son moving or talking any more than he had to.\u00a0 Hop Sing was sitting close to Joe\u2019s head now, bathing his wounds and placing salve or poultices wherever he could.\u00a0 He conferred with Erin about the proper poultice to use.\u00a0 Erin\u2019s years living with the Sioux Indians had given her a great store of knowledge regarding healing herbs.\u00a0 She and Hop Sing often compared notes on this topic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam helped move Little Joe upstairs to his bed.\u00a0 Doc Martin could see him up there, and until he arrived, Joe could rest.\u00a0 Joe was sleeping within minutes of being tucked into his bed.\u00a0 In the morning he hardly remembered Doc Martin examining him.\u00a0 The only sure proof he had that the doctor had even been there were the bandages wrapped around his ribs.\u00a0 He spent most of that next day in bed, but moved gingerly downstairs for dinner with the family that night. \u00a0He looked a sight, he knew.\u00a0 His face was swollen and purplish.\u00a0 He had a shiner to beat all shiners around his left eye, which was mostly swollen shut.\u00a0 His nose was broken, and Doc Martin had set it for him.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t going anywhere for a couple of days, he knew that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It felt good to be surrounded by his family, though.\u00a0 There was always a lot going on at the Cartwright dinner table these days.\u00a0 With Hoss and Erin and their baby, along with Adam and Mary Lynn with their three children, sometimes things got chaotic, but there was always fun and laughter.\u00a0 Joe found himself sitting next to his two-and-a-half year old nephew, Logan, who could be a terror.\u00a0 Joe was pelted with peas despite Mary Lynn\u2019s strictest admonitions to her son, but Joe figured a few peas on his face could hardly make a difference at this point.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 3:<\/p>\n

The following day just after the noon meal, there was a sharp knock at the door.\u00a0 Hop Sing answered it, and then came quickly calling for Ben, who found Luther Bishop and his sons at the door.\u00a0 They wore stern faces and were all carrying rifles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLuther, boys, this is a surprise,\u201d Ben wore a half smile and his face clearly showed that he was, indeed, surprised to see the neighbors he was sometimes at odds with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou could say that, Ben,\u201d Luther said wryly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here for your boy, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou have business with Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Ben was even more perplexed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou could say that,\u201d Luther Bishop said tightly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, please come in and tell us what this is all about,\u201d Ben stepped back, opening the door wider to invite the group inside.\u00a0 By this time, Joe, Hoss and Adam had joined their father at the front door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Luther looked Joe up and down appraisingly.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you got on the wrong side of someone, boy,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it seems that way,\u201d Joe said, staring pointedly at the purple bruise on Sam Bishop\u2019s chin.\u00a0 He distinctly remembered getting off a kick to the chin of one of his attackers.\u00a0 At that, Sam looked at his feet and fingered his chin self-consciously.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWould you gentlemen like to sit down,\u201d Ben was still struggling to make sense of this call, which clearly wasn\u2019t social.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben, we\u2019ll just get to the point,\u201d Luther told him, his voice turning stony.\u00a0 \u201cMy Amy is expectin\u2019, and Little Joe here is the father.\u00a0 We\u2019re here to take him to the reverend\u2019s to get them married.\u00a0 Amy\u2019s waitin\u2019 out in the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe closed his eyes.\u00a0 He had been afraid a day like this would come.\u00a0 Now he understood why he had been beaten, and what the comment about a warning had meant.\u00a0 He knew that his family was staring at him, wordlessly, speechless.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow wait a minute\u2026\u201d Ben began.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWait, nothin\u2019,\u201d Luther responded.\u00a0 \u201cHe can take responsibility for what he did.\u00a0 I told him to do good by my daughter, and he didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben took a step forward.\u00a0 \u201cDid your boys do this to Joe,\u201d he gestured toward Joe\u2019s black eye.\u00a0 \u201cI should press charges against them.\u201d His voice had an ominous tone to it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Luther took a step toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I should press charges against your boy for takin\u2019 advantage of my girl!\u201d\u00a0 They were almost nose to nose.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now Joe\u2019s temper was rising.\u00a0 \u201cNow wait just a minute\u2026\u201d he said, repeating what his father had just said, his eyes flashing.\u00a0 He was aware of his father\u2019s glare directed his way.\u00a0 \u201cWait! Everyone, will you just listen to me!\u00a0 I\u2019ve been asking Amy to marry me and she has refused.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t been trying to shirk any responsibility.\u00a0 I love her,\u201d Joe raised his voice to be heard above the buzz of voices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben finally insisted loudly that the Bishops sit in the great room, and then taking his youngest son by the arm, propelled him into the kitchen and out the back door.\u00a0 \u201cNow Joseph, exactly what is this about?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice was low and demanding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked down.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa, but it\u2019s probably true.\u00a0 Amy and I have been meeting for weeks now.\u00a0 I love her, and she loves me.\u00a0 If she\u2019s pregnant, then it\u2019s my baby.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how many times I told her I wanted to marry her.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why she kept saying no.\u201d\u00a0 His voice was miserable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then, it looks like you\u2019ll be marrying her, although I don\u2019t know that it has to be a shotgun wedding,\u201d Ben stated, feeling distinctly disgruntled.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe put out a hand on his father\u2019s arm, halting him when he might have returned to the Bishops.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter to me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll marry her now.\u00a0 I want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben gave him a look that clearly said \u2018Cartwrights don\u2019t do this\u2019<\/em> and then spun around and walked back inside.\u00a0 Joe remained still, scuffing up a cloud of dust with the toe of his boot.\u00a0 He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Adam joining him.\u00a0 He cringed inside.\u00a0 Adam could be very critical and punctilious when he wanted to.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a few seconds, though, he was silent.\u00a0 Then he put a hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Joe,\u201d he started gently.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that Mary Lynn and I started our marriage with a pregnancy.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the worst thing in the world, and it sounds as though your heart\u2019s in the right place.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t understand why she\u2019s been turning you down.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked up sharply.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t expected kindness from Adam; he\u2019d expected judgment and sarcasm.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t either, Adam. She told me she loved me.\u00a0 I think she may be afraid of her family.\u00a0 Heck,\u201d he snorted bitterly, \u201cI\u2019m<\/em> afraid of her family!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam smiled and squeezed his brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAfter that beating, I don\u2019t blame you.\u00a0 Well, if you\u2019re going to get married, even if it\u2019s a shotgun wedding, Mary Lynn and I are coming too.\u00a0 Is that all right with you?\u201d\u00a0 As Joe nodded, they began walking back into the house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the great room everyone was on their feet.\u00a0 The Bishops plainly expected to take Joe into their possession now and deliver him to Reverend Hawlings along with Amy for a quick, on-the-spot wedding.\u00a0 Joe hesitated when he saw them all watching him.\u00a0 He asked for some time to go outside to talk with Amy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHeck, I don\u2019t see why this is takin\u2019 so long,\u201d whined Pete Bishop.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just head him off to town for a fast weddin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fortunately, both Ben and Luther seemed to agree that the suddenly affianced couple needed some time to talk to each other.\u00a0 Joe nodded to the group and walked out the front door, closing it solidly behind him.\u00a0 Looking up, he saw Amy sitting in the Bishop\u2019s wagon near the Cartwright barn.\u00a0 He walked over, and climbed up to sit next to Amy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He turned to her, and took her hand.\u00a0 She looked miserable, and didn\u2019t meet his gaze.\u00a0 She had a shawl around her shoulders, and she looked quite pale.\u00a0 Joe put his arm around her shoulders and felt her stiffen slightly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, is it true?\u00a0 Are you expecting?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She nodded almost imperceptibly, looking at her feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember me telling you that I loved you and that I would marry you?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s voice was gentle and soft.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another nod.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me you loved me too.\u00a0 Do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another nod.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you tell me about this?\u00a0 We could have avoided this scene with your family.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She looked up finally.\u00a0 Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.\u00a0 \u201cYou were gone on round-up when I started getting sick.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t hide it anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not feeling well?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek.\u00a0 With his hand, he moved her head onto his shoulder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t you agree to marry me?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She just shook her head.\u00a0 Her hand, clutching a handkerchief in a tight fist, opened and then closed again.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d her voice was barely a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been afraid of my pa and brothers all my life.\u00a0 They\u2019re so\u2026militant and demanding.\u00a0 You seemed so different, and I felt good with you, but I wasn\u2019t sure what marriage would be like.\u00a0 I only knew what it was like for my mother, and she died unhappy.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe heaved a frustrated sigh, and pulled her in closer for a tight hug.\u00a0 \u201cAmy, when you\u2019re married to me, it\u2019s going to be like every day is swimming in the pond.\u00a0 Every day I\u2019m going to love you more than the day before.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to be surrounded by love all the time\u2026and by my crazy, wild family too, but lots of love always.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe had no way of knowing how closely his words mirrored those spoken by Adam to Mary Lynn when he was trying to convince her to marry him some years before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, how far along are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She held up two fingers.\u00a0 Two months.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we better not wait much longer then.\u00a0 I\u2019m willing to go with your family to marry you right now.\u00a0 The only thing I want is for my family to come with me.\u00a0 Are you willing to marry me today, or do you need more time?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019ll go,\u201d she whispered, hiding her face in his neck.\u00a0 He took her face in his hands and kissed her very gently on the lips.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inside the house, Hoss was shamelessly peering out Ben\u2019s office window.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re kissing!\u201d\u00a0 His report was directed with a wide grin to the whole waiting group.\u00a0 His wife, Erin, came up behind him and pulled him away by the arm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss! Have some shame and give them some privacy,\u201d but she, too, had a smile on her face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few moments later Joe and Amy came through the front door, smiling.\u00a0 Joe addressed their families.\u00a0 \u201cAmy and I have decided to get married today, but only on the condition that our families accompany us into town for the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was silence, then heads turned to assess the reaction of the other group members.\u00a0 Some nods, some smiles, and then unanimous agreement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I guess we better get moving.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got a wedding to go to,\u201d Ben said heartily, extending his hand to Luther, who shook it vigorously.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss moved quickly to saddle horses and rig carriages, while Mary Lynn and Erin rounded up children for a trip to town.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 4:<\/p>\n

If Reverend Hawlings was surprised to see the group of 15 at his door, including babies and children, he didn\u2019t show it.\u00a0 He had certainly performed impromptu marriages before.\u00a0 At least everyone in this group seemed relatively happy.\u00a0 The bride wasn\u2019t dressed in a fancy bridal gown, and the groom wore work clothes along with an impressive black eye, but they seemed the happiest of all.\u00a0 He could easily overlook the fact that there were no flowers and no wedding ring.\u00a0 All that mattered was that the vows were taken and the marriage certificate duly signed and sealed.\u00a0 And he knew the Cartwright and Bishop families, both regular church attendees.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy and Joe held hands as they recited their vows, their families standing behind them.\u00a0 The reverend recalled performing a ten-minute marriage ceremony for Adam and Mary Lynn Cartwright a few years before.\u00a0 Between them they were holding three children now, and it looked as though Mary Lynn was expecting again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the brief ceremony, Joe took Amy\u2019s face in his hands and kissed her lips gently.\u00a0 Then they turned to receive the congratulations of their families.\u00a0 And that was that.\u00a0 From the church, the Bishops departed for their ranch, having handed over a satchel containing Amy\u2019s belongings.\u00a0 Joe and Amy rode back to the Ponderosa in a buggy with Hoss and Erin.\u00a0 Ben rode his horse, Buck, and Adam drove his family in the larger buggy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At home they found Hop Sing preparing what had become known to the family as one of his wedding feasts.\u00a0 He had done it for Hoss and Erin, and actually two times for Adam and Mary Lynn, who had two wedding ceremonies.\u00a0 His face was wreathed in smiles as he welcomed \u201cMissy Amy\u201d to the house.\u00a0 Joe took her upstairs and showed her the room they would share together.\u00a0 She was being very quiet, and Joe took her in his arms to reassure her that everything would be all right.\u00a0 She held onto him tightly and confessed that she was very tired and feeling queasy.\u00a0 Joe remembered both Mary Lynn and Erin experiencing these pregnancy symptoms, so he had Amy lie down for the rest of the afternoon before he exposed her to the noise of a Cartwright celebration dinner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He stayed close to the house for the rest of the day, and escorted his new wife downstairs when the family gathered for dinner.\u00a0 He arranged to sit on one side of her, and to have Erin sit on her other side.\u00a0 Erin was the quintessential mother to them all.\u00a0 If anyone was in need, Erin was the person they came to.\u00a0 She was warm and sympathetic and unfailingly cheerful.\u00a0 Joe knew without even asking that she would take Amy under her wing.\u00a0 For that matter, so would Mary Lynn.\u00a0 Erin and Mary Lynn were fast friends, and he hoped that Amy would blossom in the warmth of shared companionship with them.\u00a0 That would add a dimension to her life that was presently missing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hop Sing had prepared a turkey and a ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn, peas, potato pancakes, and fresh bread.\u00a0 Ben had opened another bottle of his special champagne and the entire family toasted the newlyweds, even though most of the toasts were at Little Joe\u2019s expense. They made Amy blush, but Joe laughed and took the ribbing in stride.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s to my youngest son, who started the day a bachelor and ends it an expectant father,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 Everyone raised their glasses to that, laughing good naturedly.\u00a0 Only Little Joe could pull that off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy ate sparingly, and Erin, guessing her problem, asked Hop Sing to brew some ginger tea, which would alleviate her queasiness.\u00a0 Amy was a little overwhelmed by the Cartwrights, even though they were welcoming her warmly.\u00a0 She was also still in shock that her family had so quickly turned her over to Joe in marriage, and had then ridden away.\u00a0 A part of her was very hurt.\u00a0 Erin was sensing this about the young bride, and made a mental note to warmly befriend her to help ease her way into the family.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hop Sing brought out the same white, three-tiered wedding cake with red roses he had made for Adam and Mary Lynn, and also for Hoss and Erin.\u00a0 Joe and Amy cut it and fed each other pieces before passing out slices to the rest of the family.\u00a0 Everyone agreed that Hop Sing had outdone himself once again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That night, Joe and Amy just held each other in bed.\u00a0 Too much had happened that day for them to do anything else.\u00a0 All the change and feelings had to be absorbed first.\u00a0 Joe put his hand on Amy\u2019s still flat belly, thinking with wonder that his baby was growing there.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t get over the miracle of it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Mrs. Cartwright, are you going to be able to get used to all this commotion on the Ponderosa?\u201d\u00a0 Joe kissed her cheek.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYour family is so different from mine,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIn what way?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they laugh a lot, and everyone seems to really care about each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey do.\u00a0 We love each other.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t your family warm with each other?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 It was a simple but flat statement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Amy, get ready.\u00a0 They\u2019re all going to open their arms wide and pull you into their hugs.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get used to it pretty fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI bet you didn\u2019t expect this to happen when you woke up today, did you?\u201d Amy questioned him cautiously.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I\u2019m not sorry about it.\u00a0 I told you before that I love you, and I do.\u00a0 I love our baby, too.\u00a0 When do you think he\u2019ll be born?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll<\/em> be born in the spring,\u201d Amy answered, asserting herself for the first time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see about that,\u201d Joe chuckled as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her mouth.\u00a0 \u201cI meant what I said about giving you babies.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have as many as you want.\u00a0 Adam and Mary Lynn are well on their way to a dozen.\u00a0 Who knows where they\u2019ll stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know about a dozen, but maybe a half dozen.\u00a0 Will everyone keep living in this house?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s looking more and more like it.\u00a0 At first we all talked about having our own houses built wherever we selected land on the Ponderosa, but we\u2019re having so much fun living under one roof, we\u2019re starting to like it.\u00a0 We\u2019ve already added an addition to the house for Adam\u2019s family, and there\u2019s no reason there can\u2019t be one for Hoss and one for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy marveled at the change in her life in one day.\u00a0 She thought she was going to like it.\u00a0 She felt a warmth in her soul that hadn\u2019t been there since her mother was alive.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry that my brothers beat you up.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know anything about it, or I would have tried to warn you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I won\u2019t say I enjoyed it or that it doesn\u2019t matter, but I might have done something similar if it was my sister or daughter.\u00a0 I knew we were being reckless, Amy, but I just couldn\u2019t resist you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I just looked forward to a little bit of happiness that every meeting with you brought me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He took her hand in the dark.\u00a0 \u201cThings are going to be different for you now, Amy.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to be safe and loved.\u00a0 We\u2019re all going to take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end of the next day, Erin and Mary Lynn had taken Amy protectively under their combined wing.\u00a0 She was now a member of the exclusive group of Cartwright wives, and those ladies stuck together.\u00a0 When Joe came back to the house at the end of the day, it was to the sight of Amy laughing with Erin and Mary Lynn, some sewing in her lap.\u00a0 Erin was doubled over with laughter, wiping tears from her eyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, what\u2019s going on here?\u201d\u00a0 Joe said, smiling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joe, Mary Lynn is telling stories on Adam again!\u201d\u00a0 Erin could hardly catch her breath<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mary Lynn gave Joe a sly grin.\u00a0 She knew he loved it when his oldest brother was brought down a peg or two, especially when he unctuously set himself up for it.\u00a0 Joe made her promise to tell the story at dinner, and then walked over to give Amy a kiss.\u00a0 She showed him that she had started making a layette for the baby.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s heart swelled.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that he was going to be a father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam had a talk with Hoss and Joe on an autumn day about a topic he had on his mind.\u00a0 When he won agreement from both brothers, he set off to town on an errand.\u00a0 A month later, at dinner one night, both Hoss and Joe presented wedding rings to their wives.\u00a0 Erin\u2019s was a replacement ring, and of course Amy\u2019s was her first.\u00a0 Both were identical to the one that Mary Lynn wore, a wide polished gold band with diamonds inset around the center of the entire ring.\u00a0 Each ring was engraved inside with the bride\u2019s name and wedding date so there would be no confusion.\u00a0 Now all the Cartwright wives had identical and beautiful custom made wedding rings, ordered from San Francisco.\u00a0 They were delighted and thought it was a wonderful way to show that they were part of the same family.\u00a0 Even Erin, who had originally said a plain slim band suited her better, loved her ring.\u00a0 Joe had told Amy he was ordering a ring for her, and was thus able to get her ring size.\u00a0 She had never owned such a beautiful piece of jewelry before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the year wound down and winter set in, Joe was enjoying watching Amy\u2019s belly grow.\u00a0 Most of all, he loved to feel his baby kick.\u00a0 It made him want to burst with pride.\u00a0 His brain knew that many a babe had been born before his, but in his heart, this was the most important one.\u00a0 Adam told him that all expectant fathers felt that way, but Joe wasn\u2019t so sure.\u00a0 Right after Christmas, Mary Lynn gave birth to another set of twins, a boy and a girl, named Eli and Susannah.\u00a0 Fortunately their birth was uneventful, although all through that day Adam was nervous as a cat.\u00a0 The birth of their first babies, Nolan and Logan, had been very difficult and had in fact led eventually to a brief separation between Adam and Mary Lynn when Adam decided he didn\u2019t want any more children.\u00a0 Fortunately, everything had worked out well and subsequent births had been normal, but here was another set of twins. It brought back haunting memories for Adam, but this time his pacing must have been effective because the deliveries were uneventful.\u00a0 Erin was present to help Doc Martin again, and this time Amy helped, too.\u00a0 It was as much an education for her as anything else.\u00a0 She knew that her time was approaching in just a few months, and it helped her to watch an experienced mother give birth.\u00a0 When she got to hold minutes-old Eli, the first born of the twins, she was amazed at how tiny he seemed.\u00a0 And her belly felt so huge!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Later that day as the family gathered in the great room of the house, the newborns, Eli and Susannah, were passed around and admired by all.\u00a0 Adam, now the father of five children, was as proud as a peacock.\u00a0 All the adults hovered carefully as three-year-old twins Nolan and Logan each got to hold a baby.\u00a0 They were bundles of energy, not known to sit still for very long, perhaps not even when holding a newborn sibling.\u00a0 Soon they were bored, however.\u00a0 The babies didn\u2019t do anything at all except sleep.\u00a0 Even their sister, Elizabeth, toddled around and chattered endlessly.\u00a0 Joe rescued one baby before his nephew launched himself into another activity.\u00a0 Then he and Amy sat together cuddling and just stared at the baby.\u00a0 They enjoyed the warm feeling of the little bundle, and the little newborn noises the baby made.\u00a0 They looked at each other, knowing that they were next to experience this miracle of life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy felt so amazed to be part of this gathering.\u00a0 This family loved each other, and they welcomed new members with open arms and hearts.\u00a0 She herself felt as though she had been a blossoming flower ever since the day she had been brought here against her will.\u00a0 No one had ever judged her; from the first day she had been treated as a Cartwright, with all the rights and privileges that entailed.\u00a0 Her heart swelled with gratitude.\u00a0 Having Joe and his family in her life was the best thing that had ever happened to her.\u00a0 She only wished her own family had reacted the same way.\u00a0 It was the only sadness in her life just now.\u00a0 Then, without much warning, both babies began to cry, and Adam whisked them upstairs, with Erin\u2019s help, so Mary Lynn could feed them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss was bouncing two-year-old Eric on his knee.\u00a0 Eric actually preferred riding on his father\u2019s shoulders, because that was about as high as a boy could get when you got right down to it.\u00a0 Hoss even took him out riding on Chubb, even though Erin would have preferred otherwise.\u00a0 But Hoss was as careful a father with his son as any man could be.\u00a0 Hoss was gentle and strong, and Eric was always in good hands.\u00a0 He was very blonde, and had huge blue eyes that took in the world around him.\u00a0 He was a smart little fellow, but he preferred not to talk much.\u00a0 He was an observer, and he adored his father.\u00a0 The whole family agreed that was as it should be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 5:<\/p>\n

Winter edged into spring, and Amy felt like a lumbering elephant as her belly grew.\u00a0 She was tired and irritable.\u00a0 She needed Joe to help her get up out of chairs and in and out of the buggy.\u00a0 She was just generally uncomfortable.\u00a0 Mary Lynn assured her that this was normal, but Amy wasn\u2019t enjoying it.\u00a0 The baby\u2019s layette had been long ago completed, and a new cradle waited in their bedroom for the new Cartwright.\u00a0 Doc Martin recommended that she just rest and wait for the birth, but Amy thought she might go crazy before that happened.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of the things bothering Amy was that she had not had any significant contact with her family since her wedding day.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t especially surprised about her brothers; they were self-centered young men.\u00a0 Their lives were spent working hard on the ranch and whatever small free time they had went directly to their own pleasures.\u00a0 But Amy\u2019s father, Luther, had a soft spot in his heart for his daughter.\u00a0 While not openly affectionate, she knew he cared about her.\u00a0 Since the wedding, she had seen her father exactly twice.\u00a0 Once was an accidental meeting in town when she and Joe were picking up supplies, and the other had been a month ago when she dropped off a blackberry pie she had made.\u00a0 Each time Luther had been friendly enough, and yet the encounters felt awkward.\u00a0 When he accepted the pie, Amy\u2019s father asked her how she was feeling and how she enjoyed life on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He even hugged her when she left, but her pregnant belly was not only literally between them, it was an unforgettable reminder of the spur-of-the-moment wedding.\u00a0 Amy actually felt relieved when she was back in the buggy leaving her childhood home behind her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She had kept these feelings to herself, but she suspected that Joe was aware of them.\u00a0 The difference between her family\u2019s aloofness and his family\u2019s rambunctious warmth was just too stark to miss.\u00a0 On the other hand, Amy would argue with herself, neither Mary Lynn or Erin had families beside the Cartwrights to flock around them.\u00a0 True, Mary Lynn had a grandfather, but she didn\u2019t see him very often.\u00a0 Still, Amy\u2019s family lived close by and the situation caused her unease.\u00a0 It simply added to her late pregnancy woes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Worst of all, Joe had been gone on a week-long fence mending assignment with a few of the hands.\u00a0 After the winter, rotted wood needed to be replaced, as well as broken wire.\u00a0 On a ranch the size of the Ponderosa, it was an ongoing job, but it was especially necessary at the end of winter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Joe returned, he found Amy in tears.\u00a0 They were just tears of frustration; that, and the fact that she had missed Joe so badly while he was gone.\u00a0 He held her and kissed her and promised her that on the first nice day they would take a picnic and go on a buggy ride so she could get out and enjoy the warming weather.\u00a0 She felt better that night, being able to lie close to Joe and to be held in return.<\/p>\n

Two days later the morning dawned gloriously with bright sunshine that promised a warm day.\u00a0 Joe declared that to be the picnic day, and they told the family at breakfast what their plans were.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that sounds fine, but you better take it slow with the buggy Joe,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd don\u2019t stay out too long,\u201d added Erin, this to Amy.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not too far from your due date now.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI have three and-a-half weeks to go,\u201d Amy answered, sounding as though it might as well have been three-and-a-half years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hop Sing put together a basket for them, and shortly after breakfast, Joe and Amy started out in the small buggy.\u00a0 Joe planned to stop at the secluded area where they had met to love each other before they were married.\u00a0 They reached the clearing shortly after noon.\u00a0 Amy had guessed by the familiar landmarks that this was where they were headed, and she was pleased.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just glad to see you smile, sweetheart,\u201d Joe told her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry I\u2019ve been cranky, Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019m just so uncomfortable these days.\u201d\u00a0 \u201c<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 Erin and Mary Lynn were, too.\u00a0 I think it goes with the territory,\u201d he squeezed her hand as he talked to her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They enjoyed their lunch of cold fried chicken, cheese, dried fruit and lemonade. Then they reclined on their picnic blanket and spent some time exchanged slow, lazy kisses.\u00a0 Then, they napped, tired from the food and the warm, dappled sunshine on their faces.\u00a0 Joe was the first to awake, when he felt a raindrop land on his face.\u00a0 He turned and looked at the sky, which had become overcast.\u00a0 The sun was gone, and the temperature had become distinctly cooler.\u00a0 It was time to get back. He shook Amy awake and began to pack up the basket. They were a good hour from the ranch house.\u00a0 As he helped Amy into the buggy, the rain began to fall harder in large, cold droplets.\u00a0 The breeze began to kick up in chilly gusts.\u00a0 Joe wrapped a blanket around Amy\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 Just as he was about to slap the reins for the team to head back home, Amy suddenly clutched his arm in a grip that was actually painful.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d he could actually feel her entire body stiffen.\u00a0 He turned to her quickly and saw that her face was pale.\u00a0 She had an arm across her belly in a way that made his stomach drop.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy,\u201d he said urgently.\u00a0 \u201cTell me what\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt hurts all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe the baby is coming early,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get moving.\u201d\u00a0 All he wanted to do was get her home where she would be comfortable, and where Erin, Mary Lynn and Hop Sing would know what to do for her.\u00a0 He started driving the buggy, faster than he should have, he knew that, but he was worried now.\u00a0 First babies took a long time to come, didn\u2019t they?\u00a0 Surely he had time to get Amy home.\u00a0 He glanced up and saw that off to his right the sky was darkening in a way that didn\u2019t look promising.\u00a0 Another reason to hurry.\u00a0 But he wasn\u2019t fast enough.\u00a0 Within a few minutes, Amy was tearing at his arm again, and he noticed she was biting her bottom lip.\u00a0 He stopped the team, and put his arm around her.\u00a0 He placed a hand on her belly.\u00a0 It was rock hard, and he knew this happened during contractions.\u00a0 Silently he cursed himself for taking her out, and for taking her so far from home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And then, as if that wasn\u2019t enough for him to fret over, the heavens opened up and began dropping rain in sheets.\u00a0 Damn.\u00a0 Now Joe was cursing out loud. He thought frantically while trying to cover Amy with the blanket.\u00a0 There was a line shack a short distance away.\u00a0 It was used by the hands when they were working on ranch projects.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if it was being used now, but at least it offered shelter until the rain stopped and there was even a small stable for the horses.\u00a0 He turned and headed in that direction.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They were soaked by the time they found the line shack.\u00a0 He got Amy inside first, and helped her lie down on the bed, which he noted was not especially clean.\u00a0 She had had several more pains during the chaotic ride and had collapsed against him, moaning softly to herself.\u00a0 Joe raced outside to unhitch the team and get them in the stable.\u00a0 Next he started a fire in the fireplace.\u00a0 Fortunately a stack of wood was at the ready inside the one room cabin.\u00a0 The rain had not slackened during this period, and he thought to himself that if it continued at this rate there would be some flash flooding that could complicate their ride home even further.\u00a0 He grabbed a pot from the hearth and put it outside to catch rainwater to be boiled.\u00a0 Then he returned to Amy.\u00a0 For the moment she was quiet, and their eyes met, both questioning what lay immediately ahead for them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe began to time the contractions.\u00a0 They seemed to be roughly seven minutes apart, as best as he could tell.\u00a0 That seemed quite frequent to him, but what did he know? He had heard that babies essentially birthed themselves if you let nature take its course.\u00a0 He had been present when mares were foaling, but this was a little different.\u00a0 Another contraction started, and Amy gritted her teeth through it.\u00a0 Joe took her hand and he was surprised at how hard she was able to squeeze.\u00a0 When it was over, he moved around the cabin gathering what cloths and towels he could find, which were precious few, and not freshly laundered, either.\u00a0 He could hear the rain pounding on the roof, and then the sound of it changed.\u00a0 It sounded harder, more distinct.\u00a0 He rose to look out the cabin\u2019s one window.\u00a0 Ice.\u00a0 The rain had turned to sleet and ice.\u00a0 Joe rubbed his eyes as he began to be afraid for his wife and baby.\u00a0 It was possible they would have to deliver their baby alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An hour and a half later, everything was covered in a sheet of ice, and still sleet pinged against the walls and roof.\u00a0 The water was now hot on the hearth, and Amy was struggling through her contractions as if they were tearing her open.\u00a0 They felt as though they were coming one right on top of the next, and she moaned out loud at the peak of each one.\u00a0 After a contraction passed, Joe checked her to see if he could figure out the status of her labor.\u00a0 He found out quickly when he saw a large circle of dark, bloody hair crowning.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSweetheart, the baby\u2019s right there.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s time for you to push now.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He repositioned her, moving her closer to the head of the bead.\u00a0 He sat behind her so he could help her into a pushing position with each contraction. \u00a0That way, the baby would be born right onto the bed and he didn\u2019t have to be at the foot of the bed to catch him or her.\u00a0 With the next contraction, Joe lifted his wife and Amy pushed mightily, crying out with the effort.\u00a0 She dropped back, and Joe checked on the baby.\u00a0 He tried to be encouraging, and Amy pushed more and more.\u00a0 The next time he checked, the head was partially delivered.\u00a0 He grasped Amy\u2019s shoulders and told her it was almost over.\u00a0 He then moved to the end of the bed, and with the next push, the head came out.\u00a0 Using the cleanest cloth he could find, he began to clean the baby\u2019s face, nose and mouth.\u00a0 Then in the next instant, the rest of the baby slid right out.\u00a0 A girl.\u00a0 They had a daughter.\u00a0 Joe wrapped her quickly in a towel and began rubbing her off.\u00a0 She gasped and took a breath, and then another.\u00a0 And then she started crying.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, Joe\u2026tell me,\u201d Amy was panting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a girl, Amy.\u00a0 We have a daughter.\u00a0 Let me try to cut this cord.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know exactly what to do.\u201d\u00a0 He had at least known to sterilize his knife.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAbout two inches from her stomach,\u201d Amy told him.\u00a0 This she had learned watching Eli and Susannah being born.\u00a0 Joe completed this task, tried to clean up the baby more, and then wrapped her in another cloth, and handed her to Amy.\u00a0 The placenta delivered itself within a few minutes.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t know what to do with it, so it put it in an empty pot in case there was a reason to keep it.\u00a0 The bed was a mess.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know how they were going to change it, or even if they could.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t care right then, because he wanted to examine his new daughter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He moved to sit next to Amy, and he looked at the tiny face.\u00a0 Amy\u2019s pretty mouth, dark hair and dark eyes as far as he could tell.\u00a0 And a headful of curly hair which was downy and soft.\u00a0 Amy couldn\u2019t take her eyes off the baby.\u00a0 The worst was over, but she was exhausted.\u00a0 Joe wiped the perspiration off her face and smoothed her hair back.\u00a0 He looked for and found another blanket and spread it over the bloody part of the bed, and then made sure Amy was warmly covered.\u00a0 He had packed a towel between her legs, and wasn\u2019t sure what more to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He watched his newborn daughter yawn and sleep, nestled in her mother\u2019s arms.\u00a0 His heart swelled with joy and tears came unbidden to his eyes.\u00a0 His finger stroked her soft cheek.\u00a0 Amy looked at him and smiled.\u00a0 He kissed her.\u00a0 Their baby was here, Amy was fine, and it was warm in the cabin.\u00a0 For now that was enough.\u00a0 Except for a name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Mrs. Cartwright, what did you name your new daughter?\u201d he asked Amy very properly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I couldn\u2019t decide,\u201d she answered coyly.\u00a0 \u201cMy mother\u2019s name was Isabel, and my husband\u2019s mother\u2019s name was Marie.\u00a0 I just couldn\u2019t decide, so I named her both, Isabel Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe couldn\u2019t speak for a moment. \u00a0It was a perfect name.\u00a0 A beautiful name for a beautiful baby.<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 5:<\/p>\n

That night they nibbled on leftovers from the picnic basket, and they managed to sleep together on the birthing bed, with Isabel carefully placed between them.\u00a0 Amy had already started nursing her.\u00a0 The next morning they were awakened by the sound of a horse outside the line shack and a low male voice.\u00a0 It was Hoss.\u00a0 God bless him, he had Erin with him too.\u00a0 They had figured out where Joe and Amy had gone in the ice storm, but they didn\u2019t know the baby had been born, and were properly amazed.\u00a0 Overnight the ice had melted enough for them to set out to search for the couple.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin went into her natural mother mode immediately and changed the bed with sheets she had brought with her, not knowing what the cabin would be stocked with.\u00a0 Hoss admired the baby, and Joe bragged about how he had delivered her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought some food,\u201d Hoss said proudly.\u00a0 Food was usually his agenda, and he hadn\u2019t forgotten this time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, do you think you can travel, or do you want to stay here another day?\u201d\u00a0 Erin asked gently, admiring the beautiful baby.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy and Joe exchanged a look.\u00a0 \u201cI can travel,\u201d Amy said quickly.\u00a0 The comforts of home sounded wonderful.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within thirty minutes they were on their way.\u00a0 Erin had cleaned up the cabin as much as she could.\u00a0 Hop Sing would send someone out later to make sure it was properly cleaned.\u00a0 Amy rode with Erin and Hoss and Joe drove the other buggy.\u00a0 Isabel was wrapped in a warm blanket, wearing a towel for a diaper.\u00a0 They needed to get home soon for diaper purposes alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss drove slowly for Amy\u2019s comfort and also because he had to negotiate some overflowing streams, and Erin talked about the wedding night she and Hoss had spent in the line shack. Amy had heard the story before, but it always fascinated her.\u00a0 That story made the time pass quickly, and it seemed that soon enough they had reached home.\u00a0 As usual, the rest of the family hurried out to greet them.\u00a0 They had worried when Joe and Amy had not returned home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa, come see what we have,\u201d Joe called out.\u00a0 Ben came over to Joe\u2019s side in time to see Amy hand him a blanket.\u00a0 Joe adjusted the blanket\u2019s edges so Ben could see a tiny face peering out, dark eyes blinking in the daylight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGood heavens!\u201d Ben exclaimed. \u00a0\u201cThis happened overnight when you two were stranded alone?\u00a0 Boy or girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIsabel,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cIsabel Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He met his father\u2019s eyes, and both men\u2019s eyes shone brightly with a shared joy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then they hustled Amy inside and up to bed, sending a ranch hand for Doc Martin to come examine her.\u00a0 Erin went upstairs to help her bathe and change into a fresh nightgown.\u00a0 Downstairs, the family gathered around Joe holding his daughter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLook at her curly hair,\u201d breathed Mary Lynn, touching it gently.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, she looks a lot like you did,\u201d Ben said emotionally.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you two take shelter?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Joe told him, Adam rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, I\u2019ve heard of life starting in those line shacks, but you guys sure took it literally.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone laughed then, since it was common knowledge that Adam and Mary Lynn had met in one of the Ponderosa line shacks during a blizzard, and that Logan and Nolan had very likely been conceived there.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDid everything go all right, son?\u201d\u00a0 Ben asked Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but I\u2019ll tell you, it was a little scary being all alone.\u00a0 I sure was wishing we were here.\u00a0 But I delivered her all by myself,\u201d he declared proudly.\u00a0 \u201cIt was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A hand clapped him on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSure you did, Joe,\u201d Mary Lynn wore an amused smile.\u00a0 \u201cI bet Amy just sat back and watched you.\u00a0 Sheesh, someone\u2019s got to speak up for the ladies!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked askance at that, and he and Mary Lynn both stuck their tongues out at each other before laughing at each other with good humor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After Doc Martin arrived and examined both Amy and Isabel, he pronounced them both in excellent condition and said he hoped that Joe wasn\u2019t planning to go into the doctoring business.\u00a0 He had done such a good job delivering his daughter. Doc Martin didn\u2019t need the extra competition.\u00a0 Of course, Joe was nearly bursting with pride at this compliment, but he honestly admitted he didn\u2019t want to repeat it again without Paul Martin nearby.<\/p>\n

Four weeks later, Adam and Joe were closely examining plans for the third and last addition to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 This would be the one for Joe\u2019s and Amy\u2019s family.\u00a0 Dinner was over and the growing Cartwright family was gathered in the great room.\u00a0 The adults were having coffee as usual, except that it wasn\u2019t as easy to do as it used to be.\u00a0 There were plenty of pint-sized little people and babies on hand to be kept track of.\u00a0 Logan, Nolan, Elizabeth and Eric were all walking or toddling.\u00a0 Eli, Susannah and Isabel, of course, were still infants.\u00a0 It took plenty of adults to watch them all.\u00a0 Both Mary Lynn and Erin were holding a twin while carefully watching the older children who were climbing on Ben, who was laughing.\u00a0 Amy was curled up in an easy chair close to Adam and Joe so she could look at their drawings.\u00a0 Isabel was sleeping in her arms.\u00a0 The baby was gaining weight and she was her parents\u2019 delight.\u00a0 Amy felt like her old self again, having decided she didn\u2019t make a very good pregnant person.\u00a0 She did, however, agree that the end result was worth the myriad discomforts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell that should do it,\u201d said Adam, pushing back from the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou two are going to have a nice suite of rooms for yourselves.\u00a0 I think we ought to be able to get started within a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was a collective groan from his entire family because they all knew how disruptive construction on the house was.\u00a0 But they were good natured about it, too, because after all, additions had already been made for them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be great,\u201d Joe exclaimed, sweeping his daughter into his arms and dancing around the room with her still fast asleep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The adults all cautioned him not to step on the children, but the little ones had quickly caught his infectious spirit and those who could were dancing too.\u00a0 Adam obligingly picked up his guitar and began playing a tune with a quick tempo to accommodate them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben sat back and took it all in.\u00a0 He never thought a scene like this would be played out before him.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t get much better than this, he thought.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That night in bed after the lantern had been turned down, Amy brought up a subject that she had been dwelling on lately.\u00a0 She was safely snuggled in Joe\u2019s embrace.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I have an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, darlin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think we could invite my family over for dinner some evening?\u00a0 They haven\u2019t seen Isabel yet, and I would feel better if they officially met her.\u00a0 Do you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSweetheart, I think it\u2019s a wonderful idea.\u00a0 I\u2019ll talk to Pa about it tomorrow to pick out a few dates.\u00a0 How does that sound?\u201d\u00a0 He kissed the top of her head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Joe.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how it will turn out, but I think it\u2019s important to do,\u201d Amy sighed and snuggled closer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Bishops had been duly informed about Isabel\u2019s birth within days of her early arrival.\u00a0 Luther had even stopped by to have a look at his granddaughter one day shortly thereafter when he was close to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Unfortunately, his visit coincided with one of Isabel\u2019s first baths, and she was loudly exercising her lungs during his entire visit.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t exactly been a peaceful or lengthy visit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe was as good as his word, and the next day he and Ben selected several dates that Amy could offer to her family for a dinner invitation.\u00a0 She immediately wrote a note to her father, and Joe delivered it in person the following day.\u00a0 Luther Bishop seemed pleased, and he selected a date on the spot for the following week.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As soon as Amy heard, she started to get nervous.\u00a0 What would it be like to have all the Bishop men eating at the Cartwright table?\u00a0 She pictured her father being polite and her brothers being silent.\u00a0 What if Isabel screamed all through dinner?\u00a0 What if her brothers picked a fight with Joe?\u00a0 She tried to push those thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated instead on working out the menu with Hop Sing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erin and Mary Lynn were lifesavers in the week leading up to the dinner party.\u00a0 They not only had many helpful suggestions, their moral support was clearly in evidence.\u00a0 They knew how important this was for Amy, and they also knew how much she was dreading it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the time Saturday arrived, the Ponderosa was sparkling. \u00a0Fresh flowers were in vases scattered all around the first floor.\u00a0 By four o\u2019clock the table was set with the family\u2019s best linen, china and crystal.\u00a0 By five o\u2019clock everyone was either dressed, or in the process of being dressed in their best outfits by a wife or parent.\u00a0 Amy was a bundle of nerves, such that she was starting to make Joe edgy, and Mary Lynn warned her that if she didn\u2019t calm down, Isabel wouldn\u2019t be able to nurse properly.\u00a0 Erin just calmly handed her sister-in-law a glass of wine and sat her in a rocking chair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Chapter 6:<\/p>\n

Promptly at six o\u2019clock the Bishops arrived. Luther handed Ben a bottle of good brandy.\u00a0 After polite and appropriate greetings all around, everyone was seated in the great room.\u00a0 Amy presented the sleeping Isabel to her father to hold.\u00a0 He accepted the small bundle carefully.\u00a0 After a few minutes he seemed to relax and just stared at her face.\u00a0 Sam, Pete and Luke leaned closer to get a look.\u00a0 A newborn baby was a foreign object to them; they didn\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 The baby didn\u2019t do much; she was sleeping.\u00a0 Sam touched her curly brown hair.\u00a0 Pete touched her soft cheek, and Luke was amazed at the tiny but perfect fingers she had.\u00a0 All three of them looked at Amy with a different sense of appreciation, but they didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 Luther offered them the opportunity to hold their niece, but they all immediately declined politely.\u00a0 That was a little too scary for them just then.\u00a0 There was no telling what she might do.\u00a0 They looked like they thought she\u2019d jump right out of their arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Luther looked up at his daughter.\u00a0 His face had softened, and his eyes were suspiciously bright.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cShe has your mother\u2019s face, Amy,\u201d he said, amazed.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother was a beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amy smiled and nodded.\u00a0 The Cartwrights thought she looked like Joe.\u00a0 That was all right.\u00a0 Tonight it was good politics for Isabel to look like most all of her ancestors.\u00a0 Never mind that Mrs. Bishop had just about worked herself to death on their ranch.\u00a0 Amy remembered her mother well and with great fondness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hop Sing called everyone to dinner just then and the group moved to the dining room.\u00a0 The Cartwright women had figured out the seating chart in advance so in just a few moments everyone was in their proper place.\u00a0 Hop Sing had laden the table to tempt any palate.\u00a0 There were two roasts, pork and chicken.\u00a0 There were mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, corn, biscuits, corn bread and carrots.\u00a0 And it all smelled divine.\u00a0 Ben began the meal with a toast to the newest addition to both the Cartwright and Bishop families.\u00a0 Everyone seemed pleased to toast both welcome and long life to Isabel.\u00a0 And then the bowls and platters began to be passed.\u00a0 That proved to be a prolonged and noisy episode, especially as youngsters\u2019 plates were filled and prepared.\u00a0 Just as everyone was starting to eat, Isabel awoke and began to fuss.\u00a0 Amy exchanged looks with Joe, who sat beside her, and then she excused herself to feed the baby.\u00a0 Joe hoped she wouldn\u2019t be gone long because she was the primary connection between the two families.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben and Luther began a discussion of the cattle herds and water conditions that year.\u00a0 They were at the far end of the table, and for several long moments, everyone else was silent while they ate.\u00a0 Then Erin, bless her heart, began to engage Amy\u2019s brothers in cheerful conversation.\u00a0 She wanted to know what they did on their ranch and how they enjoyed it.\u00a0 They mumbled one word answers, but Erin wasn\u2019t one to give up.\u00a0 She persistently engaged them in talk about their ranch duties. Soon she had them bragging about their specialties and talents, about which there was some disagreement among them.\u00a0 That got Hoss to telling some stories about past mishaps he and his brothers had had around the Ponderosa over the years.\u00a0 That was all the egging on that Mary Lynn needed to chime in with her dry sense of humor about some of her family observations, and soon they had their guests laughing with them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Amy returned to the table, it was to an atmosphere of warmth and good will.\u00a0 She silently heaved a sigh of relief.\u00a0 Joe reached out for Isabel so that Amy could eat, but Luther put his arms out for his granddaughter, so Joe brought her over to him.\u00a0 He spent the rest of the meal cradling her in his arms as he continued talking with Ben, but he often stole glances down at the baby he held, who was still awake and was watching him intently.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I think this little girl is very intelligent,\u201d he remarked.\u00a0 \u201cI can see it in her eyes.\u00a0 She\u2019s going to make something of herself one day,\u201d his pride was clearly showing, and Ben heartily agreed with him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When not another bite could be eaten by anyone at the table, Hop Sing brought in his signature chocolate cake.\u00a0 There were groans of a different type then since everyone wanted a piece but knew they would burst if they tried.\u00a0 That was when Ben stepped in to suggest coffee and brandy in the great room, with cake to follow later.\u00a0 As the party moved to sit before the large, snapping fire in the hearth, a silence fell once again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Bishop boys began to look uncomfortable, as though wishing they could escape what had been their duly performed chore. But the oldest Cartwright grandchildren intervened.\u00a0 Mary Lynn\u2019s and Adam\u2019s son, Logan, the most mischievous twin, marched up to Luke Bishop and told him firmly, \u201cI want to play horsey.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Luke seemed alarmed by this suggestion.\u00a0 He really had little interest in children.\u00a0 But in the spirit of politeness, he acquiesced. \u00a0However, he wasn\u2019t really sure what to do.\u00a0 Adam quickly explained the nature of the game to him, and soon Logan was swinging up and down on Luke\u2019s leg, demanding to go higher and higher.\u00a0 That was all the encouragement his brother Nolan needed, and his chosen steed was Sam Bishop.\u00a0 Finally, Pete Bishop was astonished to be roped into duty by Elizabeth, who was a very determined little girl.\u00a0 She proved to be just as good a cowboy as her twin brothers.\u00a0 Joe was laughing along with Adam and Mary Lynn.\u00a0 The green \u201chorses\u201d were a sight to behold.\u00a0 Amy watched with her mouth open, never having seen her brothers in such a situation before.\u00a0 Pretty soon, though, there was a change in the three young men.\u00a0 They warmed to the delight the youngsters were enjoying.\u00a0 They grinned right along with the children.\u00a0 When the horses needed to stop for a breather, the riders would have none of it.\u00a0 There was a general scramble as each child found another \u201chorsey\u201d and the game began all over again.\u00a0 Joe became his nephew Eric\u2019s horsey when the boy toddled up to him and patted his leg insistently until Joe swung him up.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within a short time the game shifted to shoulder rides and Amy marveled at her brothers marching around the great room hefting Cartwright children and each trying to best the others.\u00a0 No one could tell who was having a better time, the young men, or the children.\u00a0 The game came to an end, however, when Elizabeth threw up on Sam\u2019s head.\u00a0 It was all the excitement right after dinner.\u00a0 Clucking, Mary Lynn took her daughter away to be cleaned up and Joe led Sam outside with a towel where he could clean up in the bunk house.\u00a0 He even helped Sam douse his head and handed him a bar of soap to lather up with.\u00a0 Surprisingly, Sam took it all in stride, which wasn\u2019t always the reaction a childless adult would have to that situation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Joe, we really gave you a pretty hard time before you and Amy got married, and I\u2019m sorry about it now.\u00a0 You\u2019re a good man, and I can see that Amy is happy. You have a great family, too,\u201d Sam seemed a little embarrassed as he made this speech.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, and think nothing of it,\u201d Joe assured him. \u201cBut stay out of dark alleys.\u201d\u00a0 Sam grinned and flushed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Back inside the house, coffee, brandy and cake were being served, and conversation flowed easily.\u00a0 The children wanted to eat with their newfound friends, and even tough Mary Lynn and Adam kept the Bishops away from the worst of the ensuing mess, all three Bishop brothers wound up with chocolate smears from little fingers on their pants.\u00a0 When damp cloths were passed out for child clean-up, they grabbed them up and dug right in, wiping off the closest chocolate coated face and hands.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys are pretty good at this,\u201d was Mary Lynn\u2019s compliment to them.\u00a0 \u201cYou ought to come around for dinner more often.\u201d\u00a0 This brought a laugh from everyone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we will,\u201d offered Pete.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou may have the best of intentions, but I assure you it becomes tedious rather quickly,\u201d Adam intoned dryly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the last crumbs of Hop Sing\u2019s delicious confection were scraped up, a peaceful sense of family settled over the group.\u00a0 Amy realized that sometime during the evening the distance between herself and her family had diminished.\u00a0 And the tensions between the Cartwrights and the Bishops had lightened up.\u00a0 Isabel still nestled in Luther\u2019s arms, and Ben cradled Susannah while Adam bounced Eli lightly over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow this is the life,\u201d Luther said quietly during a lull in the conversation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure is,\u201d Ben agreed with emphasis.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, you ought to get busy so we can do this at our house,\u201d Luther addressed his sons, whose eyes became quite wide at that point, to the amusement of the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shortly thereafter Luther declared that his family needed to be leaving, as he realized suddenly that the time was ten o\u2019clock.\u00a0 This was a fact that surprised everyone.\u00a0 Time hadn\u2019t crawled that evening, as everyone had expected, it had flown!\u00a0 Luther stood and brought Isabel back to her mother.\u00a0 Amy stood and received his kiss and heartfelt hug.\u00a0 All the Cartwrights walked their guests to the door.\u00a0 Amy\u2019s brothers shook hands all around, but reserved an arm around the shoulder or a kiss on the forehead for their sister.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to do this more often,\u201d Joe declared.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe surely will, son, we surely will,\u201d said Luther.\u00a0 \u201cNext time it will be our turn\u2026except perhaps no chocolate.\u201d\u00a0 This drew appreciative chuckles from everyone, and shortly the Bishops were on their way home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That night when Amy and Joe were in bed with Isabel between them, kicking her legs as fast as she could, they shared a long kiss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, that was so much more fun that I ever expected.\u00a0 In fact, I expected no fun at all tonight, but I loved it,\u201d Amy enthused.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAmy, when your family is all around you, it just doesn\u2019t get much better,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you\u2019re right,\u201d Amy agreed, thinking that tonight had been the first time she had really felt her own family close around her.\u00a0 And maybe destiny had helped it turn out that way.\u00a0 \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t get much better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

Brothers<\/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

<\/div>\n

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

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

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)<\/p>\n

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 \u201cTruckee Strip\u201d episode.<\/p>\n

Destiny Series, links to all the stories within the series included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":731,"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":[16],"class_list":["post-3371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-drama","category-ma-rated","tag-joe","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-690-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2412,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/07-2.jpg?fit=640%2C477&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12120,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12120","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":0},"title":"Blundered Seduction (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"December 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Caught with his pants down and in a compromising situation by the one person he'd least likely want to find him as such, Joe learns three valuable lessons; no one ever died of embarrassment, chose your friends carefully, and being 16 and still a virgin is nothing to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12132,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12132","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":1},"title":"Chinese Molasses (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"January 1, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"DebbieB passed away Christmas 2021. Any reader wishing to read this series should e:mail the Brandsters:\u00a0 Brandsters2020@gmail.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\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12134,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12134","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":2},"title":"In My Father’s House (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"May 1, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"DebbieB passed away Christmas 2021. Any reader wishing to read this series should e:mail the Brandsters:\u00a0 Brandsters2020@gmail.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\/2017\/06\/Pondarosa-House-3.jpg?fit=564%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pondarosa-House-3.jpg?fit=564%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pondarosa-House-3.jpg?fit=564%2C401&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12133,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12133","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":3},"title":"Frightened Beyond Reason (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"June 1, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"DebbieB passed away Christmas 2021. Any reader wishing to read this series should e:mail the Brandsters:\u00a0 Brandsters2020@gmail.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\/2-joe.jpg?fit=237%2C221&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12147,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12147","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":4},"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":13630,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13630","url_meta":{"origin":3371,"position":5},"title":"A Cry for Freedom (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 7, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 It started with Ben giving Little Joe more responsibility for the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Little did the family realize the course Ben was setting in motion. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (65,725 words) Due to subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3371","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=3371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}