Families often share and share alike, but sometimes you get, sometimes you get got, and sometimes you get even.<\/p>\n
Rating: T\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Word Count: 2592<\/p>\n
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This is my first ever Camp in the Pines<\/strong> story!\u00a0 I had no idea what I was going to write or whether I would have anything to post, and this one just sort of happened. I’d like to thank Hoss who provided me with some great fishing words and also Cheaux for the inspirational “cowboy wisdom” on which this story turns. Set in the Ties That Bind universe, it’s an homage to those early Bonanza episodes\u00a0 when things could get a little silly.\u00a0 And for those of you absolutely averse to stories with a sister attached, she is mostly out of sight so don’t be afraid to suspend belief for five minutes if only for the sake of our boys. (I promise there will be no long term ill effects to you or any of the original Cartwrights.)\u00a0 As always, thank you for reading!\u00a0<\/em> \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CONFIDENTIALLY…<\/strong><\/p>\n A lot of people ask me about the Cartwright brothers, and I suppose it’s only natural though lately it\u2019s getting to be a little tiresome. What I could tell them might surprise or even shock them,\u00a0 because I happen to know a thing or two. But I\u2019m smart enough not to let anyone know how much. Not even Adam, Hoss, or Little Joe.<\/strong><\/p>\n For the most part they’re what they appear to be. Hard-working, stouthearted, stalwart young men. Reputable citizens. Friendly neighbors. Good Samaritans like their Pa. People who don\u2019t like them (yes, there are a few) are probably just jealous. But a book\u2019s cover doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. And not everything that glitters is gold.<\/strong><\/p>\n Take Hoss for example. Don\u2019t be fooled by his size. He\u2019s the best dancer of the three. I know because I\u2019ve danced with all of them more than once. Hoss is graceful and light on his feet, can sweep a girl across the floor as if on air, never once stepping on her toes. And would you believe he\u2019s also the smartest? On my word, it\u2019s true. Of course, being a big man he has a big appetite and it takes a lot to feed him. But his appetite for things other than food is something he keeps very close to the vest, and underneath that \u201cAw, shucks\u201d sometimes bashful exterior is a man pretty much like any other in that regard. Obviously, I have no personal experience with him in such matters, but I do recall an overnight stop in Placerville and some \u201cladies\u201d (no names, as we weren\u2019t introduced) who seemed very happy to see him. We settled into our respective hotel rooms and didn\u2019t meet again until the next morning at breakfast, where he consumed more than I\u2019d ever seen him eat in one sitting. Afterwards, he whistled and grinned all the way home.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t ask him about it. He would\u2019ve just blushed and made up something for my \u201ctoo delicate\u201d ears anyway.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk about Adam. Granted, he is a bodacious, handsome fellow, so I can understand why some women would fall for him. Dimples aside, he is cultured, has impeccable manners, and cuts an equally dashing figure in chaps or a morning coat. He\u2019s also skilled in the art of conversation and isn\u2019t shy about giving his opinion, whether anyone wants it or not, because he knows so much about everything. His enormous lung capacity comes in quite handy for long winded lectures (and I\u2019m sure the ladies love those). Most people wouldn\u2019t guess he nearly flunked his first year of college, with so much of his education being extra-curricular, if you know what I mean. A woman I met in San Francisco recently told me she was an \u201cold friend\u201d of his, and the way she said it, combined with the way she was dressed, left no doubt in my mind about the nature of their friendship. (Confession time; I discombobulated her with a wicked lie about him so she would stop drooling. You should have seen her face!) Thankfully, Adam has learned to be more discreet in his liaisons, at least as far as I can tell. (And as to that nasty rumor he wears a hairpiece, well, you didn\u2019t hear it from me.)<\/strong><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Little Joe (who by the way hates that nickname, and I can\u2019t say I blame him. It\u2019s not like there\u2019s a Big Joe around to get mixed up with). That\u2019s what people have called him since he was baby, and it seems to me he\u2019s spent most of his life trying to grow up quick so he could live it down. In fact, he likes to do everything quick. But I think he should slow down when it comes to women. He has been the object of female affection since he was too young to appreciate it, and now he expects it, thinking every girl that looks his way wants him. I\u2019m not saying there aren\u2019t plenty that do, because he\u2019s naturally good looking with charm like a second skin. That boy has imagined himself in love more times than I can count, but so far no one has held his interest past a certain point. If this was a sport, I\u2019d say he enjoys the hunt more than the kill. Joe could talk a leopard out of its spots and has even persuaded me to do a few things I\u2019ve regretted. He prides himself on being careful, but we know what the Good Book says about pride, don\u2019t we? I just hope his dalliance with Ellie Marks put a good enough scare into him (though somehow I doubt it), or he may find himself on the business end of an irate father\u2019s shotgun where no amount of sweet talk will do him any good. Things won\u2019t be so hunky-dory then. Some might say he deserves a comeuppance, but I\u2019d hate to see it happen. If you ask me, his big brothers ought to pound some sense into him before it\u2019s too late. You\u2019d think they would\u2019ve done it by now. But what do I know?<\/strong><\/p>\n When people ask me about those Cartwright boys, there is a lot more I could say than what I\u2019ve written here, but if I\u2019m ever tempted (and believe me, some days I am), I take a breath and remind myself that blood is thicker than water. And honestly, I wouldn\u2019t want to dent their halos unnecessarily. So I usually just smile and tell them, as brothers go, a girl could do a lot worse. That much is true, and maybe it\u2019s all anyone needs to hear. The rest, dear Diary, should probably remain between us. At least for now.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jilly<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you were expecting an entry about my big date with Mitch last night, but after serious reconsideration in the clear light of day I\u2019ve decided to keep those intimate details to myself. All I\u2019ll say is it was a night I will NEVER forget, so there\u2019s no need to write anything down. Besides, around here you never know who else might read it. (Sorry to disappoint you, Joe. Better luck next time!)<\/strong><\/p>\n ~*~<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhy, that little…. I can\u2019t believe she did that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh oh, what did she do?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe scowled at Adam, nostrils flaring. \u201cShe set me up, that\u2019s what. This diary is a fake. She left it out on purpose knowing I would read it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know it\u2019s a fake?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s only this one entry, and she called me out at the end. See, right here.\u201d Joe pointed to the last paragraph.<\/p>\n \u201cHm, she\u2019s wise to you, all right. I warned you not to read it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on Adam. You wanted to know about last night just as much as I did. Don\u2019t deny it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, obviously we\u2019re not going to find out anything this way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should have known it was fake, especially with all that stuff she wrote about us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat stuff about us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t wanna know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGive me that.\u201d Adam snatched the supposed diary from Joe. His brows drew together as he perused the page. \u201c…Hoss is the best dancer…also the smartest? <\/i> That should have given it away right there. She\u2019s got quite an imagination, doesn\u2019t she? Has she ever even been to Placerville?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait until you see what she wrote about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c...bodacious, handsome fellow…cultured…impeccable manners<\/i>…I don\u2019t have a problem with that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep reading.\u201d<\/p>\n The smile playing on Adam\u2019s lips retreated inside a frown. \u201c…long winded lectures…nearly flunked his first year of college\u2026<\/i>now that\u2019s taking it a little far…rumor he wears a HAIRPIECE<\/i>\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019d I tell ya?\u201d Joe plucked the book from Adam\u2019s hand before he could read further.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in here?\u201d Pa\u2019s voice from the doorway startled them both.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, is that your sister\u2019s diary?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, this? No, Pa. This is absolutely not her diary. Isn\u2019t that right, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it belong to you?\u201d<\/p>\n The corners of Joe\u2019s mouth fell. \u201cNo sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s yours then?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay I see it?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked like he\u2019d just been offered spoonful of castor oil as he passed the book to his father.<\/p>\n Ben opened it and scanned the page. \u201cThis is clearly Jilly\u2019s handwriting, and I have to wonder what you\u2019re doing in her room going through her things without her knowledge.\u201d He directed a flinty gaze at the culprits, as did Hoss who had come in at some point during the discussion crunching an apple.<\/p>\n \u201cBelieve me, Pa. It\u2019s not without her knowledge,\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, she gave it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, not exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe left it out on purpose to hornswoggle me. It\u2019s not her real diary. It\u2019s a ringer. A fake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou weren\u2019t forced to read it, were you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever it is, it\u2019s her personal property, and she deserves her privacy as much as anyone in this family, wouldn\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I was only trying to…\u201d Joe\u2019s words were cut off by his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m not interested in your intent. It’s no excuse for not respecting boundaries in this household. Adam, how did you happen to get mixed up in this?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam narrowed his eyes toward Joe and then rolled them to the ceiling. \u201cJust lucky, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m shocked and disappointed in both of you.\u201d Hoss jutted his chin toward them, frowning. \u201cMaybe you should just mind your own business from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben swallowed a smile. \u201cCan I assume you\u2019ve both learned something, so that nothing like this will happen again?\u201d<\/p>\n Their collective murmur of assent seemed to satisfy him.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I,\u201d said Hoss, with a final glare at his brothers. \u201cWe\u2019ll be back in time for supper, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRemember to pick up the mail this time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYessir.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben held up the book in his hand. \u201cI\u2019ll see that this gets back to its rightful owner. And I think you both\u00a0 have some fence mending to do.\u201d A wry grin creased his face on his way out the door.<\/p>\n Adam pulled at his lip. \u201cYou know, I\u2019ve got kind of a funny feeling about this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe too.\u201d Joe pushed the curtain away from the window and stared down into the yard. Adam peered over his shoulder. They watched Hoss climb into the wagon next to Jilly, and both were laughing when Pa came out and handed her the book. Hoss looked up at the window and waved.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew he had to be in on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA couple of hornswogglers, that\u2019s what they are,\u201d muttered Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sometimes you get and sometimes you get got. But the next time you get an idea like this, please don\u2019t tell me,\u201d Adam griped. \u201cThat\u2019s what our middle brother is for.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned from the window to follow him out of the room. \u201cNext time I don\u2019t even think I\u2019ll tell myself. Ouch!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe rubbed his shin, wincing. \u201cI think I just broke my leg on the bedpost.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou broke something, Maybe a slat just came loose. We\u2019d better fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe knelt down and stuck his hand under the sagging bed. \u201cYeah, I can feel it. Lift up the mattress, will ya? Okay, I think I got it. Wait, something else just fell.\u201d He pulled his hand out and held up a book to show Adam. \u201cWell, look what I found.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what I think it is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut it back right now and let\u2019s get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would except I\u2019m not sure where it came from, and if I don\u2019t put it back exactly where she had it she\u2019s gonna notice, and you know who\u2019s gonna get blamed!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess there\u2019s only one thing to do at this point,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n ~*~<\/p>\n \u201cPa, it happened just like Joe said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you didn\u2019t read any of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe help up his hands. \u201cNary a word, Pa. Lesson learned. But there\u2019s no sense in leaving temptation lying around, so I want you to hang on to it and give it back to her when she gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, I\u2019ll do that. I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll be happy to know you didn\u2019t take advantage of the opportunity this time. Of course there is the matter of an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m not holding my breath.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nudged him. \u201cHe means we<\/em> should apologize. And we do owe her that, I mean at the very least… don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n A grin crept across Joe\u2019s face. \u201cYou\u2019re right, Adam. We owe her that and more. In fact, I\u2019m gonna to spend the rest of the day thinking about how we can make it up to her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t forget about the fences,\u201d Ben reminded them.<\/p>\n \u201cOn our way,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n Ben sat down at his desk with the diary in hand. Inside lay the secrets, hopes, and dreams of a girl who had grown into a young woman almost before he\u2019d noticed, becoming more like her mother each day. He fingered the worn leather corners, smiling, then frowning a little before quickly locking it away in a drawer. Joe was right. No sense leaving temptation lying around in plain sight.<\/p>\n That evening…<\/i><\/p>\n After a dinner that included laughter and more fence mending, Ben was glad to note there were no hard feelings between his offspring. Not that he had expected any.<\/p>\n Jilly was the first to retire. \u201cGood night, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe glanced up from his chess game with Adam. \u201cPleasant dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, you too.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss yawned. \u201cI\u2019m ready for bed myself. Just trying to decide whether or not I want to take a nap first.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam snorted. \u201cYou just had one.\u201d<\/p>\n A crash above them shook the rafters, jolting Hoss wide awake. \u201cWhat in tarnation was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben was on his feet. \u201cNothing good, that\u2019s certain.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair hurried up the stairs to investigate. Joe and Adam kept playing.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems you didn\u2019t do a very good job fixing her bed,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cAu contraire, mon frere. I think I did an excellent job. Did you take care of Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet. He\u2019ll be expecting something now, so I\u2019ll wait a few days until he stops looking over his shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled his approval. \u201cGood move.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. Check and mate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE END<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author’s Note:\u00a0 <\/em>My fishing words from Hoss were bodacious, discombobulated, comeuppance, hunky-dory<\/strong>, and hornswoggle<\/strong>.\u00a0 Cowboy wisdom — “Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.”\u00a0<\/strong> A little bent and off-kilter but no real plot twists.
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