{"id":3407,"date":"2008-11-17T16:06:07","date_gmt":"2008-11-17T21:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3407"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:13:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:13:38","slug":"eenie-meenie-miney-mo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=3407","title":{"rendered":"Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo (by karilyn)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/span>There’s a new dressmaker in town, and she wreaks havoc at a town social to meet the Cartwright brothers.<\/p>\n

Rated T (3,590 words)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the end of a whirlwind harvest fair weekend, the final event, a dance, was in full swing.\u00a0 Having returned from a long round up just days before, all three Cartwright brothers were in attendance.\u00a0 They were ready to let off a little steam.\u00a0 A lot of their ranch hands were, too.\u00a0 Adam, Hoss and Little Joe had all come stag, however, not being sure if they\u2019d even be back in time to attend the dance.\u00a0 No point in disappointing some lovely young lady if she would just end up spending the night at home without a date because they were still away on round up.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A large dance stage had been set up near the end of Main Street, lighted by a dozens of lanterns and a couple of large bonfires against the evening chill.\u00a0 The fiddlers were in fine form and it seemed as though everyone had turned out for the final festivity.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright had beaten his sons to the dance floor and was sweeping an attractive widow in wide circles between the other couples.\u00a0 They were both laughing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss was tapping his foot to the music, Adam was critically analyzing the available dance partners, and true to character, Little Joe had immediately located the girl he would have asked to the dance if he could have, and he was headed in her direction.\u00a0 His brothers watched him approach her with a charming smile on his face.\u00a0 He must have paid her a compliment, because momentarily she was swishing her full-skirted blue dress and giving him a coy smile.\u00a0 Taking her hand, Joe walked her to the dance floor and soon they were swirling with the other couples.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss nudged Adam.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Brother sure is a smooth operator, ain\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam, who had been leaning on a fence post, straightened up.\u00a0 \u201cHe may be, Hoss, but watch carefully and take notes.\u00a0 I see Lisa Preston.\u201d\u00a0 And then he ambled off at a leisurely pace as though he had all the time in the world.\u00a0 Hoss watched as he approached her casually and started a conversation.\u00a0 Adam and Lisa had gone to school together and had always been the top students in their class.\u00a0 Hoss knew his older brother was still smarting from his recent breakup with Laura Dayton, and Lisa Preston, who had grown up to be the school teacher, would be a comforting companion right about now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Well, now was as good a time as any, Hoss decided.\u00a0 He headed toward a group of young ladies gathered together.\u00a0 Despite his size, Hoss loved to dance, and was usually a popular partner.\u00a0 As he neared the girls, most of whom he knew, he noticed a petite young lady in their center.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t recognize her, but he sure liked the way she looked.\u00a0 She had curly hair that was almost white blonde and she had artfully piled it atop her head.\u00a0 She had sky blue eyes with long lashes and pink cheeks.\u00a0 Her hourglass figure was attractively clad in a daringly low cut dress with a skirt that consisted of rows of alternating pink and black ruffles.\u00a0 The sleeves were puffed and ruffled at her elbows.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t think she was even five feet tall.\u00a0 If he stood next to her, he would be able to look down at the top of her head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The girls were all exclaiming over her dress, as well as each other\u2019s.\u00a0 Reaching the edge of the group, Hoss touched the shoulder of a good friend, Beth Ann Baker.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEvenin\u2019 Beth Ann,\u201d Hoss smiled at her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hello Hoss.\u00a0 It\u2019s nice to see you.\u00a0 We\u2019re all admiring Mo\u2019s new dress.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know how she had time to make it when she was making most of ours!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMoe?\u201d Hoss\u2019 face was a comical picture of confusion.\u00a0 He\u2019d had a pet pig named Moe once, many years ago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMo Harrison.\u00a0 She\u2019s the new seamstress in town.\u00a0 Her real name is Maureen, but she goes by Mo.\u00a0 And boy, can she ever sew!\u00a0 She made my dress.\u00a0 Do you like it?\u201d\u00a0 Beth Ann did a pirouette on tiptoe in her lemon yellow polka dot dress with a wide sash and lace neckline.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, Beth Ann.\u00a0 It sure looks purty on you,\u201d now Hoss understood why he\u2019d never heard of Mo.\u00a0 He was in and out of town often enough, but the chances of him ever needing the services of a seamstress were darn slim.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to dance with me?\u201d\u00a0 Beth Ann gazed up at him demurely.\u00a0 He gladly offered her his arm and moments later they had joined the other dancers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mo had noticed the huge man who had come up and started talking to Beth Ann.\u00a0 She had never seen such a large man.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t look very graceful and he wasn\u2019t particularly handsome; he wasn\u2019t her type, she decided.\u00a0 Nevertheless, she asked the other girls about him, and was quickly filled in about him, his brothers, the Ponderosa and the recent round up which had obligingly contributed plenty of dance partners that evening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She felt a little thrill of excitement.\u00a0 She had only been in Virginia City for three weeks and had counted herself very lucky to have had an immediate rush in business due to the Harvest Ball coming up so quickly.\u00a0 In the first week she had orders for twelve dresses.\u00a0 She had worked day and night getting them ready, including her own, and now she was ready for a little fun.\u00a0 And that meant some dancing and some attractive male companionship.\u00a0 She had met a few men in town, but they were mostly older businessmen with families or the fathers of the girls she was sewing for.\u00a0 Tonight she yearned for a handsome single man. All work and no play<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The group around her was beginning to break up as the girls found dance partners.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t hurt any that many of the Ponderosa ranch hands had arrived about the same time as the Cartwrights had. \u00a0Mo really didn\u2019t think much more about Hoss Cartwright.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know anything about him except what she had seen, but he was almost two of her, and that just seemed like a recipe for trouble.\u00a0 Determined, she saw what she wanted, and made her move.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was relieved that Lisa Preston was willing to sit and talk for a while.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t enjoy dancing, but he still felt weary from the long round up, and besides, he always enjoyed a good conversation.\u00a0 Right now he and Lisa were sitting at one of the tables set out beyond the dance area, enjoying cool glasses of punch.\u00a0 She was telling him her plan for a school project involving Aesop\u2019s fables.\u00a0 They had always enjoyed each other\u2019s company, and Lisa was a good conversationalist who shared many of his interests.\u00a0 They had never been romantically involved, but Adam felt very comfortable with her.\u00a0 He especially liked her relaxed personality along with her dark auburn hair and expressive gray eyes.\u00a0 She was in the process of explaining her idea for weaving an art project in with the classic fables when suddenly they were interrupted by the arrival at their table of an attractive young woman in a distinctly arresting pink and black ruffled dress.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She was smiling and holding out her hand to Adam, so her presence required attention.\u00a0 Lisa stopped talking in mid-sentence and Adam turned to see what the interruption was.\u00a0 That was all the entr\u00e9e Mo needed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHi, I\u2019m Maureen Harrison, the new dressmaker in town.\u00a0 I just wanted to meet you.\u00a0 My friends call me Mo,\u201d she flashed what she knew was an engaging smile.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam had no choice but to stand and shake the proffered hand.\u00a0 \u201cNice to meet you, Miss Harrison.\u00a0 I\u2019m Adam Cartwright and this is Miss Lisa Preston.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mo shook Lisa\u2019s hand and pulled out one of the two empty chairs at the table.\u00a0 \u201cMay I join you?\u201d\u00a0 But she was already seated and assessing Lisa\u2019s dress before her question could be answered.\u00a0 Lisa was wearing a long sleeved, dark lavender light wool dress with white cuffs and collar that complemented her coloring quite well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With her eyebrows slightly raised, Lisa was also assessing Mo.\u00a0 Although she admired the petite girl\u2019s dress, the neckline was cut so low she had to wonder if Mo would pop out of it altogether if she took a deep breath.\u00a0 Glancing over at Adam, Lisa realized he was irritated.\u00a0 She knew that by the slight narrowing of his eyes.\u00a0 In all other ways he had been the perfect example of politeness to Miss Harrison.\u00a0 She knew he had a temper, but it generally took quite a bit of provocation to expose it.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t responded to Mo\u2019s self-invitation, however.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, please sit down and join us,\u201d Lisa said graciously and noticed her friend sit back instantly in his chair, expelling a sigh.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mo plunged immediately into a dissertation about her new shop, Virginia City, and Philadelphia, the city she had moved from.\u00a0 After about ten minutes or so she stopped suddenly and laughed at herself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cListen to me go on and on and you two were having a conversation.\u00a0 Mr. Cartwright, you wouldn\u2019t mind getting me a glass of punch, would you?\u00a0 I\u2019m so dry all of a sudden!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam cleared his throat and smiled what Lisa knew was his careful smile-that-was-not-a-smile.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, Miss Harrison.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right back,\u201d and he left to do her bidding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Preston, are you and Adam attached in any way?\u00a0 I hope I haven\u2019t intruded where I shouldn\u2019t have.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that I know so few people here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lisa assured her that she and Adam were just childhood friends.\u00a0 Mo then began to quiz her about her teaching job and somehow managed to take control of the conversation once again, discussing her own ladies\u2019 school education in Philadelphia.\u00a0 Lisa listened to her with a polite smile and was grateful when Adam returned with a cup of punch for Mo, who actually paused to take a sip.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just then the musicians began to play a waltz.\u00a0 Adam had been waiting for a waltz to ask Lisa to dance with him.\u00a0 It was just his speed tonight, and it would be relaxing.\u00a0 But he knew now that they couldn\u2019t very well walk away and leave Mo alone, even if he felt that was what she deserved.\u00a0 Mo seemed to jump up in her seat (and stay in her dress, Lisa noted).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI just love waltzes!\u00a0 Adam, come dance with me, please?\u201d\u00a0 She had jumped up and caught his hand in hers, tugging at it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Awkwardly, Adam glanced at Lisa, who gave him the barest of shrugs.\u00a0 He could hardly turn Mo down, although it was quite tempting.\u00a0 \u201cUh, OK, but I promised the next dance to Lisa, Mo.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Delighted, Mo almost hauled him to the dance floor, she barely reaching his shoulder.\u00a0 As they began to dance, she flirted with him in what she knew were fool-proof ways.\u00a0 She just didn\u2019t understand the kind of man she had picked on.\u00a0 When he failed to respond to much of her efforts, she simply rested her head on his shoulder, only since she didn\u2019t exactly reach his shoulder, she put her head against his chest, pressing her bust against him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam!\u00a0 I can hear your heart beating,\u201d she exclaimed breathlessly.\u00a0 In response he looked up at the sky and wondered if he could count all the stars in it by the time the dance ended. Unfortunately, when it did end, Mo monopolized him for the next dance, and the one after that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When at last he put his foot down, no longer caring if he appeared less than polite, he escorted her off the dance floor and over to a group of young ladies.\u00a0 Returning immediately to the table he and Lisa had shared, he found it empty.\u00a0 No big surprise there, he thought.\u00a0 Searching the area around the dance and its environs, she was nowhere to be found.\u00a0 Disgusted with himself and with Mo, Adam turned on his heel and headed over to the saloon where he ordered two whiskey shots.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe had experienced immediate victory in getting Penny Benson\u2019s attention and she succumbed quickly to his boyish charm.\u00a0 Fortunately for him, it was always at the ready, and he\u2019d had his eye on Penny for several weeks now.\u00a0 She was an especially pretty young woman with long dark hair, large brown eyes and full lips.\u00a0 He fully intended to dance every dance with her, and she seemed not to mind that idea.\u00a0 As they skipped from dance to dance, they passed Hoss and Ben frequently on the dance floor.\u00a0 Earlier, Joe had seen Adam sitting with his childhood friend, Lisa, and he smiled.\u00a0 Lisa and Adam had frequently studied together and often shared lunchtimes together at school as kids.\u00a0 But then Penny claimed all of his attention as she laughed at his jokes and admired his dancing ability.\u00a0 He told her how much he had been looking forward to dancing with her and getting to know her better.\u00a0 She told him how thoroughly his reputation as a Lothario preceded him and he pretended to be deeply wounded.\u00a0 One dance blended into another until the musicians took a break and the music ended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After a glass of punch, Joe and Penny were enjoying a moonlight stroll around the dance area.\u00a0 She was clinging to his arm and flirting with him shamelessly, and he was returning the favor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPenny, you are just about the most beautiful girl I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of dancing with,\u201d Joe said, turning on his mega-watt smile.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Little Joe, you are just the sweetest thing.\u00a0 But you don\u2019t really expect me to believe that, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 He stopped and placed a hand over his heart as if faint.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI know perfectly well you tell that to all the girls,\u201d Penny gave him a pretend punch in the arm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked hurt.\u00a0 \u201cThat is absolutely not true.\u00a0 I definitely do not tell that to all the girls.\u00a0 I never say it to the ones who step on my feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Penny threw her head back and laughed.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe Cartwright, you take the cake,\u201d she was still chuckling as she shook her head at him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They wandered some more, hand in hand now, making small talk, commenting on nothing in particular.\u00a0 Eventually Joe\u2019s arm came around her shoulders, pulling her close. They had come to the livery stable, not far from the dance.\u00a0 Penny found herself backed up against the wall of the livery, with Little Joe\u2019s arm leaning next to her head.\u00a0 There were a few people nearby, but not many.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you really are beautiful, Penny,\u201d Joe\u2019s voice had dropped and he was slowly coming in for a kiss that Penny was looking forward to.\u00a0 His mouth was only inches from hers when a female voice interrupted them suddenly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou definitely must be Little Joe Cartwright!\u00a0 I just had to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More than startled, Penny jumped to attention, and Joe\u2019s head swiveled.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize if I\u2019m interrupting anything, but I\u2019m new in town and I heard about the Cartwrights.\u00a0 Since you\u2019re in town for the dance I wanted to say hello.\u00a0 I met your brother, Adam, earlier.\u00a0 I\u2019m Mo Harrison, the new dressmaker,\u201d she stuck out her hand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Penny\u2019s face was hot and she didn\u2019t know if it was because she was so angry or because she wished the ground would open and swallow her up.\u00a0 Joe kept staring at the pink and black ruffled frippet, his brow knit in a frown Adam would have been proud of.\u00a0 His hand moved back and forth between himself and Penny in a pathetic attempt to articulate that a beautiful moment had just been heartlessly destroyed.\u00a0 He finally stopped and scratched his head, raised his eyebrows, made a grimace, and took the perky extended hand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d you say your name was again?\u201d\u00a0 This conversation was going to be painful.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMo Harrison.\u00a0 Really, it\u2019s Maureen, but I go by Mo.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHoss had a pet pig named Moe once,\u201d it came out before Joe could even process it.\u00a0 Ouch<\/em>.\u00a0 Mo\u2019s cheery face went flat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of name is Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t sound quite so perky now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 it\u2019s Swedish\u2026 it means big, friendly man,\u201d Little Joe felt like he was being sucked down a drain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yeah, he likes everyone.\u00a0 Have you met him yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 Holy cow<\/em>.\u00a0 This was going nowhere fast.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right over there, dancing with the girl in the green dress,\u201d Penny was pointing eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cHe loves to dance, too.\u00a0 If you like to dance, you should definitely go meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly Mo smiled sweetly.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, I do love to dance.\u00a0 If you\u2019ll excuse me, I think I\u2019ll go over and introduce myself to Hoss.\u00a0 Nice to meet you, Little Joe,\u201d and then she leaned over and kissed his cheek before turning and swishing away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe stood frozen, only moving his wide eyes back and forth between the receding Mo and the very present Penny.\u00a0 His heart fell.\u00a0 It could have been such a perfect moment with Penny.\u00a0 He was pretty sure that even he couldn\u2019t turn his charm back on after that brutal bubble burst, and that didn\u2019t even take into account whether Penny would ever look at him again.\u00a0 Steeling himself, he turned back to look at her to find her staring after Mo, her mouth agape.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe that?\u00a0 Mo the Pig!\u00a0 Did you see her?\u00a0 If she makes one misstep she\u2019s going to bust right out of that dress!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo pun intended,\u201d Joe said under his breath, trying to keep a straight face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Penny fixed him with a stare and placed her hands on her hips.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind, Joseph Cartwright, it\u2019s past time for me to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d he held out his arm to her, resigned to his fate for the evening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thirty minutes later, a dejected Joe pushed his way through the saloon doors, hoping to ease his sorrows.\u00a0 He ordered a beer from Sam the bartender, and then noticed a rather morose looking Adam sitting at a back table, alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Big Brother, this is no place to be spending the Harvest Ball,\u201d he said, easing into a chair next to Adam.\u00a0 He took a big gulp of his beer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo it isn\u2019t, is it, Prince Charming?\u201d\u00a0 Adam spoke acidly.\u00a0 He had undone his black string tie, which now hung loosely around his neck.\u00a0 He had also loosened his collar.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, what\u2019s eating you?\u201d Joe didn\u2019t feel like being snapped at just then.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMo happened to me, that\u2019s what,\u201d Adam\u2019s reply was icy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Mo the Pig?\u201d\u00a0 Joe sat up straight suddenly, sloshing his beer, his voice sliding up an octave.<\/p>\n

\u201cMo the Pig??\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe told Adam the story of his evening, ending with, \u201cand then she kissed me right in front of Penny!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam smiled a smile of one-upmanship.\u00a0 \u201cShe listened to my<\/em> heart beat.\u201d\u00a0 And then he told Joe his story.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe groaned and covered his eyes with his hand.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s bad, Adam.\u00a0 Poor Lisa.\u00a0 Penny said if she tripped she\u2019d bust right out of her dress, and I said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo pun intended,\u201d Adam finished for him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They looked at each other and spontaneously broke out into loud, hearty laughter.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t stop themselves.\u00a0 It was inexplicably, inappropriately hilarious but the beer and the whiskey helped them along.\u00a0 Adam threw his head back and Joe nearly doubled over laughing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When he caught his breath, Adam asked, \u201cDidn\u2019t Hoss once have a pig named Moe?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u00a0 Mo the Pig!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They started laughing again, Joe finished his beer, and together they left the saloon to retrieve their horses.\u00a0 The evening was over for them.\u00a0 It was getting late and the dance would be over soon anyway.\u00a0 There was always next year\u2019s Harvest Ball.\u00a0 And if they were lucky, Lisa and Penny would be talking to them again by then.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As they rode out of the livery stable, they glanced over at the dance stage, where the music was still going strong.\u00a0 Only a few hardy couples were still dancing through the night, and one stood out strongly among the others.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The man, well over six feet tall, wore a brown corduroy jacket and a string tie.\u00a0 His partner, who didn\u2019t even begin to reach his shoulders, wore a striking pink and black ruffled dress.\u00a0 He was a good dancer, and her feet weren\u2019t even touching the floor as they flew around the dance floor.\u00a0 He was holding her close and her arms were locked around his neck.\u00a0 They were beaming at each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam and Joe watched for a minute or two, their mouths hanging open.\u00a0 Then they looked at each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cUh oh,\u201d Adam warned. \u00a0\u201cWe may be seeing mo\u2019 of Mo.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe grimaced and responded, \u201cOh no, that might not be no mo of\u00a0Mo, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then, escorting only each other, they loped home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: There’s a new dressmaker in town, and she wreaks havoc at a town social to meet the Cartwright brothers. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated T (3,590 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":1778,"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":[23,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":784,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/joe-adam-and-hoss.jpg?fit=120%2C96&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62233,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=62233","url_meta":{"origin":3407,"position":0},"title":"Captured Minds – PTL – Rita","author":"rita","date":"May 31, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Synopsis: The second in a series about Joe and Anna. Anna is abducted and Joe is hurt in her rescue,leaving him with severe headaches and loss of memory of the incident. 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