Summary: Ben runs into a lady friend from his past and the sparks fly again.<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 T<\/p>\n
Word Count: 15,453<\/p>\n
Romancing the Ponderosa series:<\/p>\n
Mrs. Little Joe (Book 1)<\/a> <\/p>\n Note: This is the fourth book in the series and it should be read in chronological order. Ty \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rose, My Love<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 1\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Walking down the sidewalk, I make my way towards the telegraph office. I figure I might as well send off this wire since I\u2019m finished at the bank and Candy hasn\u2019t come to get me yet. He\u2019s busy over at the general store loading the supplies we came into town to get.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Candy has turned into a very good ranch hand since we hired him two months ago. But I can\u2019t exactly say that we found him because he found us. The militia I used to be captain of quite a few years ago was reinstated because an Indian captive needed to be transported to another town. Not many men volunteered to help me so Hoss joined me. Joe didn\u2019t want to volunteer since just about a month before Hannah had had baby Lilia Marie, but under Hannah\u2019s insistence, he ended up coming with me. I feel like part of Adam wanted to come along but I could tell he was more than relieved when I told him that I didn\u2019t want him to come along. Misty had been having some mild complications with her pregnancy, so I knew neither of them would be comfortable with him being away from home and I couldn\u2019t put them through that kind of stress. Plus then he would be around the ranch just in case either Hannah or Leo needed help while Joe and Hoss were with me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It was on that wild trip that Candy found us. One night during camp he appeared out of nowhere. He joined up with us since he said he didn’t have anywhere to be. Once our mission was complete, I asked him if he wanted a job. I liked him and the attitude he had. I now feel very fortunate that he accepted the job because I\u2019ve never once regretted it and I don\u2019t know how we\u2019ve gone this long without him. On top of his good work ethic, he\u2019s become a very good friend to us all, especially Little Joe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHello, Ben. What can I do for you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like you to send this telegram for me.\u201d I hand Frank Jones the slip of paper with my message written on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSure thing.\u201d He scans it over, calculating the price in his head. \u201cThat\u2019ll be a dollar and twenty cents. Where do you want it sent?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSan Francisco, please.\u201d Counting out the coins, I lay them on the counter. Hearing shouts and horses\u2019 gallops mixed with the sound of wagon wheels, I look over my shoulder to see the stage coming in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an hour late again.\u201d Frank comments as he taps my message through to San Francisco.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s it coming from this time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSt. Louis.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t had one come in from there in a few weeks.\u201d Looking over at the general store, I see Candy flop what looks like the last sack onto the buckboard. \u201cWell, thanks again, Frank.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnytime, Ben.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I turn to walk down the street when the stagecoach comes to a halt and the door swings open. An elegant looking lady steps down with the help of the driver. She looks to be about my age if the gray streaking her hair is any tell tale. As she steps up onto the sidewalk, she turns slightly and I get a look at her face. It\u2019s a beautiful face and somehow vaguely familiar. She smiles brightly as someone else steps down from the stagecoach. Ignoring the other passengers, I search the crevices of my mind for a name and place that is connected to that very familiar smile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As I continue to think, she takes a few steps to the side as the driver places the luggage on the sidewalk. She smiles again and this time it\u2019s accompanied by a laugh. That tinkling laugh brings back everything in a flash.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rose Chumley. I never expected to see her again, let alone out here in Virginia City. We were childhood friends and even had a very bad case of puppy love during our teens. I knew her before I went to sea and had met Adam\u2019s mother, Elizabeth. She was the very first girl I ever asked to a dance and she also was my very first kiss. And to think she\u2019s standing right here in front of me! But, of course, I\u2019m sure she\u2019s no longer a Chumley and a happily married woman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After a quick debate with myself, I decide to go reintroduce myself. It can\u2019t hurt anything and I doubt she\u2019ll remember me anyhow. It\u2019s been so many years that I\u2019m quite shocked with myself for even recognizing her. But those years appear to have been very considerate to her because her face only has a few creases and her jet black hair is only slightly faded with gray. All in all, she still looks very youthful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am.\u201d I remove my hat and hold it in my left hand as she turns towards me. She looks up at me with a smile, those same dark brown eyes sparkling at me just like I remember. \u201cI\u2019d like to welcome you to Virginia City. I\u2019m Ben Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen?\u201d Her smile vanishes as her eyes take in every inch of my face. I can practically see the dots connecting as her smile comes back even wider and she lets out a laugh. \u201cBen! You\u2019re the last person I expected to see. In fact I never thought I\u2019d see you again!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI never thought I\u2019d see you again either!\u201d I offer my hand for her to shake but she moves in for a hug instead. After she steps away, I notice that she still fits right under my chin. \u201cWhat are you doing in Virginia City?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI came here because there\u2019s always different opportunities in a new place and because my daughter got the open teaching position for the Virginia City school.\u201d She takes a step away from me and waves her finger in a circle at me. \u201cTurn around, I want to get a good look at you. Ah, yes, still the same old Ben from those long years ago. Well, that is except for a few extra pounds and all that gray hair that\u2019s taken the place of the black it used to be.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd it sounds like you\u2019re still the same girl I used to know!\u201d I laugh. \u201cWhere are you staying?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe hotel.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019ve had a change in plans because you and your daughter are going to stay out on my ranch, the Ponderosa.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou definitely are the same young man I used to know, you still think you can order people around with hospitality!\u201d She laughs. \u201cBut, Ben, you\u2019ve got one thing wrong. It\u2019s daughters, not daughter.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry, I guess I did come across as rather bossy.\u201d I laugh as she waves to three pretty young ladies. They all come and stand beside her so it\u2019s safe to assume that they\u2019re her daughters yet they all look very different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen, these are my daughters.\u201d She gestures to them and then points to the one with black hair and light brown eyes. She\u2019s the same height as Rose but she\u2019s stocky, not overweight, just stocky. \u201cMy oldest, Madeline.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNice to meet you, Madeline.\u201d I shake her hand as Rose points to the young lady on her right, who has very light blonde hair and her mother\u2019s dark chocolate eyes. She looks to be barely over five feet tall and she has her mother\u2019s build, thin yet sturdy. \u201cThis is my youngest,\u00a0 Juliet.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJuliet, it\u2019s a pleasure.\u201d I bow slightly as she curtsies with a big grin. Rose turns to motion to the tall and thin beauty standing slightly behind her. And a beauty is what she is with auburn hair and eyes that I can only think to describe as caramel in color. \u201cAnd last, but not least, my middle child, Gabriella.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGabriella.\u201d We nod at each other with a smile. Looking back at Rose, I put my hands on my hips. \u201cSo what\u2019s it going to be, Rose, the hotel or my ranch? My house is empty except for myself and my cook, Hop Sing, so I have plenty of room.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rose crosses her arms over her chest and puts her chin in her right hand, the gesture one I remember her doing when she had to think and make a decision. She looks at each of her daughters before turning back to me. \u201cBen, I think we\u2019ll take you up on your offer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, Ben, your house is magnificent!\u201d Rose glances around the room, eyes wide with amazement and admiration. She caresses the table behind the sofa as she walks around, looking all over the room, trying to take it all in. \u201cI never knew you became such a well to do man. You\u2019ve definitely done very well for yourself with this big ranch and fine house.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn’t easy but it was my dream.\u201d We both turn towards the door as it swings open and Candy and the three girls rush in breathless with laughter. The three girls hit it off with Candy immediately, especially Gabriella. As soon as Candy caught sight of Gabriella he looked awestruck and so did she. \u201cWell, it seems like you all are having a good time!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, Mr. Cartwright! It was a wonderful ride from town. The scenery was beautiful the whole way!\u201d Madeline tells me with a wide, pretty smile. Since Candy and I had gone into town on the buckboard, there wasn\u2019t enough room to transport six people back to the ranch with all the supplies we\u2019d purchased for Adam and Misty. I had gone down to the livery stable to rent five horses since Rose and her girls said they\u2019d rather ride than have me rent a buggy like I had intended on doing. But then the livery only had four horses available so a slight argument over who was going to ride with Candy in the buckboard broke out among the three girls. They ended up having Gabriella ride with him and I don\u2019t think she was the least bit angry about it. \u201cEverything looks so different from St. Louis. Don\u2019t get me wrong, Missouri is a beautiful place but the Ponderosa makes it look dull.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright?\u201d Candy asks as he gently sits the carpetbags he was carrying on the floor. \u201cDo you want me to take those supplies out to Adam\u2019s place now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes. I don\u2019t want them to be waiting on them.\u201d He turns to walk to the door but I stop him. \u201cOh and tell Adam and Misty to come out to supper tonight. Swing by Joe\u2019s and Hoss\u2019s, too. Tell them we have a very old friend staying with us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSure thing, Mr. Cartwright!\u201d Tipping his hat at the ladies he pulls the door closed behind him. A second later it opens back up a crack and his head pops back into the room. \u201cI\u2019m invited, too, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course you are! You should know better than to ask that.\u201d He grins as his head disappears back out the door and it clicks shut.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCandy was telling me about your son Adam and his wife on the way out here.\u201d Gabriela says as she moves to look around the room. \u201cThey sound like wonderful people. I can\u2019t wait to meet them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI rode a little bit ahead of the wagon so I didn\u2019t hear what Candy told Madeline and Brie.\u201d Juliet says as she timidly hovers near a chair. Seeing that she\u2019s not sure if she should sit or remain standing, I tell her to sit down if she wants to. \u201cWho\u2019s Adam? And if you don\u2019t mind me asking, how come Candy has to take supplies to him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam is the oldest of my three sons.\u201d I begin to explain. \u201cHis wife, Misty, who\u2019s currently expecting, has been having some mild complications so he hasn\u2019t wanted to leave her for large amounts of time, especially now since she only has about a month left to go. So Candy, one of my younger sons, or I pick up whatever they need when we\u2019re in town. All of us go to town often so it doesn\u2019t take us out of our way.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m guessing\u00a0 Joe and Hoss are your younger sons?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes. Hoss, or I should say, Eric, is my middle son, while Little Joe is my youngest.\u201d She grins at me when I say \u201cLittle\u201d Joe. Being the youngest herself, I\u2019m sure she knows why he\u2019s called \u201clittle\u201d. \u201cAll three of my sons have families of their own so you ladies are going to meet quite a crowd tonight!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow many are there in total, Ben?\u201d I look up to see Rose wandering over by the table. \u201cBecause if it\u2019s more than nine we aren\u2019t all going to fit around your table.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, there\u2019s definitely more than nine!\u201d I laugh, walking up beside her. \u201cLet\u2019s see, there\u2019s Adam and Misty, Hoss and Leo with their two little ones, and then Joe, Hannah, and baby Lilia Marie.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fifteen people when you add in Candy and all of us! How are we all going to sit for supper?\u201d Juliet gasps.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, since it\u2019s such a nice day and there\u2019s so many of us, I figured we could set up some tables outside to make one big table. We could have a big picnic out in the front yard!\u201d The three girls let out a cheer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaking her head at them, Rose laughs. \u201cBen, I swear those daughters of mine act more like giddy little school girls than the grown women they are!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s perfectly fine!\u201d My deep laugh joins everyone else\u2019s. \u201cI\u2019d rather someone have a youthful joy than be overly mature and not know how to have fun.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNow, Ben, if you\u2019d just show me the kitchen, us four ladies will start fixing supper.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHold on a minute, Rose!\u201d I put one hand on my hip and point a finger at her with the other. \u201cI have a cook who is very capable of cooking all the food we\u2019ll need. In fact, he\u2019d be very offended if I let someone else in his kitchen and he\u2019d probably threaten to quit on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you put it that way\u2026\u201d She smiles at me. \u201cThen we\u2019ll help you set up the tables.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNope, you aren\u2019t going to do that either.\u201d I hold up my hand as she tries to interrupt me. \u201cWhat I want you ladies to do is relax after your very long trip. I\u2019ll take care of everything all by myself. As soon as I get all of you settled in your rooms, I\u2019m going to tell Hop Sing about supper tonight and then I\u2019ll go find a ranch hand to help me set up the tables.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, alright.\u201d Rose sighs but it turns into a laugh as one by one the girls try to cover yawns. \u201cWe are quite tired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen let\u2019s get you four settled!\u201d I grab their bags and head towards the stairs, all of them following me. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to propose a toast.\u201d I stand up as everyone looks my way. I raise my glass of wine as glasses filled with an assortment of different drinks get lifted into the air around the table. \u201cTo an old friend who I haven\u2019t seen in a very long time and Virginia City\u2019s new school teacher!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHear, hear!\u201d The cheer goes around the table as everyone takes a drink of either their wine, water, or milk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking of our new school teacher.\u201d Adam says, turning to look at Madeline. \u201cPa and I are actually on the school board, so if I can remember correctly, your last name is Bartholomew?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s correct.\u201d Madeline nods with a smile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut, wait a minute.\u201d Candy interjects. \u201cBrie, you told me your last name was Barton.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is Barton. Gabriella Anna Barton to be exact.\u201d Candy seems confused but I see a look of suspicion come over Adam\u2019s face. \u201cIn fact, all three of us girls have different last names. Madeline Bartholomew, Gabriella Barton, and Juliet Greyson.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow come?\u201d Adam asks. He clearly finds the situation slightly fishy. I don\u2019t quite know what to make of it myself but then Rose and I really haven\u2019t had a chance to talk and catch up. Most of our ride home was spent discussing the scenery and the Ponderosa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe girls have different fathers.\u201d Rose calmly states. I see Adam stiffen slightly while Hoss and Joe give each other a look. I know what they\u2019re thinking but I don\u2019t want to automatically assume the worst. The girl I knew all those years ago wouldn\u2019t be like that. \u201cI realize that sounds very strange and suspicious but I was married three times and I had a daughter with each of my husbands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be joking!\u201d Joe laughs, a look of surprise on his face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m serious.\u201d She looks over at me with a confused expression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cApparently Pa hasn\u2019t had the chance to tell you our story yet, but I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve noticed how different the three of us look and act.\u201d Adam explains as Rose nods her head in agreement. \u201cWell, it turns out our family situation is very similar to yours because Pa was married three times and each of us have a different mother. Joe\u2019s mother passed away when he was little so Pa\u2019s been widowed for quite some time now.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, wow! I never realized there was a family out there so similar to ours.\u201d Juliet exclaims with surprise. \u201cMy Pa died when I was three and that was fifteen years ago.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re eighteen?\u201d Leo asks her with a smile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d She glances at her sisters. \u201cJust a baby, something I get reminded of very often.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, boy!\u201d Joe laughs. \u201cJuliet, it sounds like you\u2019ve got yourself older sisters like my brothers here!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf they\u2019re protective and bossy, then we\u2019re both in the same boat.\u201d She laughs. \u201cOh, and please don\u2019t call me Juliet, practically the only time I\u2019m called that is when I\u2019m in some sort of trouble. Just call me Jewels.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlright. Just call me Little Joe.\u201d With that charming grin of his, he tosses her a wink. Her cheeks pink up as she smiles back with a nod.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A small cry comes out of the little cradle sitting about ten feet away on the porch. Scooting her chair back, Hannah walks over to it and scoops up the crying babe. Lilia Marie doesn\u2019t hush but instead begins to wail louder. Looking back at us apologetically, Hannah says, \u201cShe must be hungry. I\u2019ll be back in a few minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat little girl definitely inherited her hearty lungs from her Pa.\u201d Adam jokes after the front door clicks shut. \u201cJoe used to keep everyone awake at night when he was her age. I can still remember how I would lie in bed with the pillow over my head to try and block out the endless wails.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam, just you wait.\u201d Little Joe points across the table at him. \u201cPretty soon you\u2019re going to be doing that again, only it\u2019s going to be your own offspring this time!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Laughing, everyone begins to push away from the table. Misty, Leo, and the two little ones followed by Madeline and Jewels go into the house to keep Hannah company. I see Candy and Brie slip off to go for a walk in the dusk while Adam, Hoss, and Joe go into the barn to hook up their wagons. Pretty soon it’s just Rose and I standing in the front yard. She begins to stack dirty plates, so leaning down the table I help her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen, I\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t take the time to tell you everything earlier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright.\u201d I smile at her. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t time earlier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut I want you to know, we were such good friends back in the day and it doesn\u2019t feel right to keep it from you.\u201d She pulls her chair out and sits down again as I follow suit. \u201cI guess it\u2019s best to start at the very beginning.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAfter you left for sea I was heartbroken. I guess I thought the little bit of courting we did was going to turn into something more, but then you signed onto that ship. It felt like my world was shattered but the town boys saw it as a blessing. Practically all the boys my age came calling to ask to be my suitor. I guess since you were out of the way they thought they finally had a chance!\u201d She laughs, apparently now finding the whole situation funny. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go out with any of them but Papa insisted that I at least step out with a few, so I did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThings got serious with Keith Williams. Do you remember him?\u201d I nod. \u201cHe asked for my hand, but I declined. I didn\u2019t truly love him and he didn\u2019t make me feel alive like I did when I was with you. After that I had a few other suitors who asked for my hand, but I turned them down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou sure were quite the heartbreaker!\u201d I laugh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat I was!\u201d She giggles. \u201cAll was well until I was in my middle twenties. That\u2019s when Papa\u2019s health began to fail and he struggled to keep up with the mercantile. There had been this man named Issac Bartholomew, who kept trying to court me. And not only court me, he was also trying to buy the mercantile from Papa. Issac was uppity and snobbish with a nasty streak. I didn\u2019t like him and Papa knew it. But when Papa collapsed one day and the doctor told him he didn\u2019t have much time left, he had to make a decision. I knew it was the last thing he wanted to do because his decision involved both the mercantile and me. Issac had agreed to purchase the mercantile, for a hefty price mind you, but he\u2019d only buy it if part of the agreement was that I\u2019d marry him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo you did just that to ensure your father\u2019s peace.\u201d Reaching over, I take her hand in mine. \u201cI remember how much you and your father loved each other. And I know that he wanted what was best for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, Ben.\u201d She smiles, her eyes free of tears and sorrow. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have married Issac if I didn\u2019t. But it turned out to be a stormy, short marriage. We had only been married for seven months when one night in the mercantile one of the big shelves on the wall that was stocked full of tools fell on him. He died the next morning. I was expecting Madeline and to be completely honest, I didn\u2019t know whether to be happy or sad.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s understandable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI ran the mercantile by myself for two months. That is until one day this tall, strapping auburn haired man sauntered into the store. He told me his name was Atley Barton and that he was headed west to St. Louis. We talked for a while and the dreams he told me about made my adventurous side spark to life. Two weeks later we married and sold the store. I gave birth to Madeline on the trail west three months later. I expected Atley to treat her like his own but he didn\u2019t. He was a distant and quiet sort of man, some even called him odd, and I guess he couldn\u2019t bring himself to love another man\u2019s child.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Rose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, please don\u2019t be!\u201d She seems to just take her life for what it is and not want any pity or sympathy for her hard times. \u201cAnyways, I\u2019m not finished yet, but I\u2019ll hurry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe got to St. Louis and made a small homestead there. After living there for about two and a half years, at least that\u2019s how long I think it was because Madeline was three at the time, I gave birth to Gabriella. I never got a chance to see what type of father Atley would be to her because he died four days later. He was killed in a saloon brawl. He wasn\u2019t part of it, a wild bullet hit him in the back and he was dead before even had time to hit the floor.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow did you get by with two little ones all by yourself after that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAn elderly widowed midwife, actually the same midwife who delivered Brie, needed an assistant. It felt like the right thing to do so I became that assistant. I\u2019ve supported the girls and myself by delivering babies ever since.\u201d As she smiles at me and I can practically feel the joy radiating out of her. \u201cIt\u2019s the only thing that I love more than my girls!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut wait a minute, you left something out. How did you meet Jewels\u2019 father?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI met Trent Greyson one day five years later. I was walking down the street in the rain on my way home from a birth and I guess you can say we literally ran into each other. I liked him and he liked my girls, so when he asked to court me a few weeks later, I agreed. We courted for about three months before getting married and then I found out I was expecting again a little over a month after our wedding. Trent was thrilled but he wanted a son. You know what he got: Juliet. He became distant and wanted nothing to do with any of the three girls after Juliet\u2019s birth. And then two weeks after her third birthday the sheriff came knocking on my door. He told me that someone had found Trent\u2019s body floating in the river. They weren\u2019t sure if it was suicide or if he\u2019d just accidently fallen in and couldn\u2019t get out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRose, you\u2019ve been through so much it makes me even more fortunate for all the happy ones I had mixed in with my own hard times.\u201d She gives me a small smile. \u201cUnfortunately I\u2019ll have to tell you my story some other time because it\u2019s getting late and I see the boys coming out of the barn and that looks like Candy and Brie coming back.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome in.\u201d I call out as someone knocks on my bedroom door. Sighing, I undo my tie again since I still can\u2019t seem to get it tied straight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwight?\u201d Looking in the mirror, I see Madeline slip into the room, shutting the door behind her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, Madeline?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to thank you for throwing this party so I could meet all the parents of my new students.\u201d She steps up beside me. \u201cYou\u2019ve been very generous to my mother, sisters, and I in the two weeks we\u2019ve been here. In fact, so generous that I don\u2019t know how to properly thank you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou can thank me by calling me Ben instead of Mr. Cartwright.\u201d I try to tie my string tie again as she nods. I glance over at her when I feel her hand gently touch my arm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet me help you.\u201d\u00a0 I take a step back so she can squeeze herself in between the dresser and me. After a few quick twists and pulls she has the tie straight. \u201cThere.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd now I have to thank you!\u201d I laugh. Hearing hurrying footfall out in the hall coming towards the door, both of us turn just in time to see it slowly begin to open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGrandpa, are you ready?\u201d Jeff asks after opening the door wide enough to stick his head in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYep, I\u2019m all ready. I\u2019ll be down in a few minutes, alright?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlright. But you better hurry, people are startin\u2019 to show up!\u201d With a bang the door is shut again and we can hear him race back down the hall towards the staircase. Madeline and I\u00a0 laugh as we move across the room to the door. As I reach out to grab the doorknob Madeline touches my arm again. Looking down at her, I find her gazing up at me with slightly tear filled eyes and a small smile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen, you\u2019re a very lucky man. You have a wonderful loving family, something my sisters and I have always craved but weren\u2019t fortunate enough to have. Don\u2019t get me wrong now, we all love each other but there was always something missing.\u201d A tear slowly rolls down her right cheek. \u201cMama was almost never home and we didn\u2019t have a father. More often than not an elderly lady took care of us while Mama worked. We never told her, but Mrs. Pierson was a grouch and often mean to us. We didn\u2019t want to worry her so we just were very cautious with what we did around Mrs. Pierson. Which was sometimes very difficult to do because Brie and Jewels were constantly fighting with each other.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMadeline, I\u2019m so sorry that you and the girls had to go through so many hard times growing up.\u201d I wipe the tears off her cheeks. \u201cI wish I could somehow make it all up to you and your sisters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s rather silly of me and that it\u2019s probably the little girl inside of me, but I can\u2019t help wishing that things would go back to the way they were between you and Mama before you left for sea.\u201d She smiles shyly up at me, her tears all gone. \u201cWhen she found the time, Mama used to tell us stories of when she was a little girl. More often than not there was this wonderful, handsome young man named Ben in her stories.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, I wasn\u2019t that handsome or wonderful! I\u2019m sure she exaggerated quite a bit.\u201d I say with a small laugh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe she did or maybe she didn\u2019t, but I do know that my sisters and I would be more than pleased if the two of you were to court again.\u201d Reaching out she turns the doorknob and opens the door. She pauses in the doorway, looking over her shoulder at me. \u201cI also know that there\u2019s not another family that I\u2019d rather be a part of than yours.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thinking about what she just told me, I follow her down the hall towards the stairs. I had actually thought about asking Rose to court me again yet I was slightly hesitant because of what the girls would think. But with what Madeline just told me, I\u2018ve made my decision, especially since it\u2019s felt like Rose and I have just picked up where we left off all those years ago. Yes, I\u2019m going to ask her to court me again and I think I\u2019ll even ask her tonight if I can slip off with her for a moment alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Madeline and I step into a throng of people in the living room as I see Rose making her way towards us. Looking down at Madeline, she tosses me a quick wink. I smile at her but then glancing back up, a man in the crowd catches my eye. He\u2019s a widowed rancher whose son will be attending the school again this year. He\u2019s across the room talking to Adam, so meeting Rose halfway, I lead Madeline over to them. I had intended on introducing Madeline to as many parents as I possibly could and he seems like a good place to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKevin, I\u2019d like you to meet our new school teacher, Madeline Bartholomew.\u201d He politely nods to her while shaking the hand she holds out to him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNice to meet you, Miss Bartholomew. I\u2019m Kevin Butler.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure, Mr. Butler\u2026\u201d Rose and I slip away towards the punch bowl as their conversation continues. Pouring Rose a glass of punch, I watch Little Joe jump up on the fireplace so he can be seen by everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFellas grab you gals, the first dance is about to begin!\u201d He hops down and hurries across the room to where Hannah is bent over Lilia Marie in her crable next to Misty. Since Misty can\u2019t dance she offered to watch the baby so Hannah could enjoy herself on the dancefloor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, Rose, you heard Joe!\u201d Taking her hand in mine I bow slightly over it with the biggest gentlemanly attitude I can possess. \u201cMay I have this dance?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be offended if you didn\u2019t ask!\u201d Laughing, we both hurry to the center of the living room as the music begins. I see all the boys and Rose\u2019s girls paired off around the room. Hoss twirls Leo around while I see Candy has Brie in his arms. Since Misty isn\u2019t dancing, Adam offered to dance with Jewels and I can see Madeline being spun gracefully around by Kevin Butler.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After about four or five more dances with different partners, I\u2019m dancing with Rose once again when all of a sudden I hear a man and woman loudly arguing. Scanning the room, my eyes stop when I find the couple, which is Madeline and Kevin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh dear!\u201d Rose exclaims when she also sees them. \u201cMadeline has a temper but she doesn\u2019t often lose it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell Kevin Butler is slightly known for his hotheaded ways. He typically keeps a hold of himself but when he lets loose\u2026\u201d We both quickly head in their direction and are halfway there when suddenly Madeline takes off up the stairs and Kevin pushes his way to the front door, practically slamming it shut behind him. Rose moves to follow Madeline up the stairs but quickly reaching out, I grab her arm. Turning to look at all the couples who\u2019ve stopped dancing, I shout, \u201cWhy\u2019d everyone stop dancing? Slim, get that fiddle going again!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe Redhead (Book 2)<\/a>
\nLeo (Book 3)<\/a><\/p>\n