Perfect Woman<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As I rode into the yard,\u00a0 I knew Pa would have a fit once he discovered I was hurt.\u00a0\u00a0 He was having trouble adjusting to my return from college in Boston after four long years.\u00a0 A part of him remembered that I had grown up here, but another part was certain I had been gone long enough to be considered almost a greenhorn.<\/p>\n
Until I returned, I hadn\u2019t realized how much I’d missed the wide Nevada sky, the mountains standing like citadels along the horizon, and the feel of a good horse beneath me.\u00a0 I was ready to go back to the backbreaking, bone-jarring work of ranching, with horses to be broken, cattle to be moved and fences and bridges to be mended.\u00a0 I was home.\u00a0 Pa wanted to ease me back into the outdoor work, making sure he or Hoss was along.\u00a0 It was like he couldn\u2019t remember I’d been able to ride most of the area around the ranch blindfolded before I left for college.\u00a0 He seemed to have forgotten the years I had worked beside him, one of the other hands, or alone, doing the chores that needed to be done.<\/p>\n
He certainly was eager for me to assume responsibility for the paperwork, all the day-to-day bookkeeping necessary to run the ranch.\u00a0 I didn’t mind even though I knew it was more his own dislike for the chore than concern for me prompting that eagerness. Still, I wanted to be an active part of ranch life and a partner in future decisions, not just be the bookkeeper.<\/p>\n
Feeling light-headed and a little sick to my stomach, I swayed as I dismounted, awkward enough to alert Hoss something was wrong.\u00a0 I heard Joe\u2019s satisfied, “Pa\u2019s fit to be tied \u2018cause you\u2019re late for supper,\u201d just as Hoss reached my side.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the Sam Hill you gone and done, Adam?\u00a0 Yer head\u2019s bleedin\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 His big hands gripped my forearms, supporting me as I stood.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Adam\u2019s hurt!\u201d vibrated through my aching head.<\/p>\n
The next few minutes were a blur as I half-leaned on Hoss and he guided me into the house.\u00a0 Pa \u2018s probing hands and muttering were the things I remembered, along with Joe\u2019s insistent voice demanding to know, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I came fully conscious again, I was stretched out on the settee, legs dangling off the end.\u00a0 Pa knelt by my side, tending my wound while Hop Sing stood waiting further instructions.\u00a0 Hoss and Joe were hovering in the background; Hoss looked worried and Joe gaped at the blood with the morbid curiosity of the ten-year-old he was.<\/p>\n
\u201cSon, how do you feel?\u00a0 Can you tell me what happened?\u201d Pa\u2019s anxious voice was gruff as he tried to conceal his concern.<\/p>\n
Opening my eyes, I tried to smile reassuringly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m okay, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a bump on the head.\u201d\u00a0 I moved to sit up and four pairs of hands pushed me back.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay down for a minute and look at me,\u201d Pa\u2019s voice commanded.\u00a0 I obeyed; he was holding up two fingers.\u00a0 \u201cHow many do you see?\u201d he requested, checking my pupils.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see two fingers, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m not seeing double and my stomach\u2019s a little queasy, but not sick-sick.\u00a0 Really!\u201d I hoped he saw the honesty in my eyes.\u00a0 I had been concussed before and knew what it felt like.\u00a0 I might conceal how I felt from Pa at times, but I never lied to him when asked directly.\u00a0 Our relationship was based on mutual trust.\u00a0 Besides, I didn\u2019t feel that bad.<\/p>\n
Pa nodded his belief in my word and helped me sit up.\u00a0 My head was pounding and I leaned against the back of the settee. The cool cloth Hop Sing laid on my forehead felt real good.\u00a0 His best cook\u2019s voice instructed us, \u201cDinneh be leady two minutes.\u00a0 Mist\u2019 Adam need tea for pain.\u00a0 I fix.\u201d\u00a0 He scurried away in the felt shoes he wore in the house, busy about his task of caring for us.\u00a0 He was a comforting part of our lives in spite of his constant threats to leave.\u00a0 Over the years, Hop Sing had poured many a cup of his tea down my unwilling throat. Looked like time for more.\u00a0 Another thing I had missed in Boston – but not much.<\/p>\n
I went into the kitchen to wash, not ready to climb the stairs to my bedroom for a proper clean-up, then joined the family at the table. Pa was waiting for me before he asked the blessing.\u00a0 After grace, Hop Sing carried out a platter of roast pork with sweet potatoes, bowls of green beans and fresh tomatoes, and some spiced peaches he had gotten somewhere.\u00a0 He had made fresh bread that day and there were lashings of butter and jam to go with it.\u00a0 I knew it smelled heavenly to the others, but the odor of all that food made my stomach turn over and I buried my nose in the cup of fragrant tea by my plate.\u00a0 Sipping it slowly, I waited while my stomach stopped its polka and settled a little.\u00a0 As the food was passed, I took just a dab of each thing, enough to say I had eaten but not enough to challenge my digestion.\u00a0 The bread spread with butter tasted best, so I ate a nice-sized piece of that.<\/p>\n
I must have looked a little better because Pa decided it was time for question-and-answer.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say a word, but lifted that left eyebrow in his quizzical way, waiting expectantly.\u00a0 Joe and Hoss sat at full attention, Joe barely restrained from speaking by Hoss\u2019s hand on his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was on the way home after finishing your business at the bank and the lawyer\u2019s, Pa.\u00a0 Just as I got to the split in the trail, I heard a woman scream.\u00a0 She sounded terrified.\u00a0 The sound came from the left fork, the one that leads to Devil\u2019s Curve, so I lit out to see what was causing the problem.\u00a0 The screams came from a woman in a runaway buggy. She couldn\u2019t control her horse and was headed for the curve and drop.\u00a0 I knew the buggy would tip, dragging the woman and horse over the cliff.<\/p>\n
I thought about just grabbing her, but figured I could stop the horse from killing itself too.\u00a0 Had enough space.\u00a0 So, I got close enough to jump from Sport to the back of the runaway.\u00a0 When I yanked up on the bit, the horse reared, hitting my head with his.\u00a0 Buggy stopped.\u00a0 That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
I saw Pa suppress a shudder.\u00a0 We both knew I\u2019d had been darn lucky to stop the rig in time.\u00a0 More than one vehicle had tumbled over the cliff along Devil\u2019s Curve.\u00a0 Even the cattle avoided the area unless forced to navigate it.<\/p>\n
Joe was thrilled with the image of the daring rescue.\u00a0 \u201cBetcha I could\u2019da stopped that horse without getting my head bumped,\u201d he bragged.<\/p>\n
\u201cShortstuff, you ain\u2019t heavy enough to stop any kinda bolt at your weight.\u00a0 You may think you can ride anything on four legs, but you got some growin\u2019 to do afore you try somethin\u2019 like that.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss used his best \u201cbig brother” voice, having had four years of practice at keeping Joe out of trouble.<\/p>\n
Pa\u2019s voice boomed over Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you even think about trying that kind of stunt, young man!\u00a0 It\u2019s bad enough your brother had to do it to save a life; I better not catch you doin\u2019 it for fun.\u00a0 You hear me!\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe lowered his eyes and muttered, \u201cYes, sir, I hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n
From where I sat, I could see the stubborn set of his mouth, denying that he intended to listen to Pa\u2019s orders.\u00a0 I was still shaking inside from the memory of my hopefully never to be repeated leap, but I knew Joe was too young and heedless to know the meaning of fear or wisdom.\u00a0\u00a0 In my short time back, I had rediscovered that it took all of us to keep him safe from his own recklessness.<\/p>\n
As dessert was served, my mind drifted back to what happened after the buggy stopped.\u00a0 I had dismounted gingerly from the shaking horse, leaning heavily enough on him to feel the racing of his heart, almost as rapid as my own.\u00a0 Something wet was running into my eyes and my head was swimming.\u00a0 As I tried to lock my knees and regain control, I felt small hands touching the sore spot on my scalp, checking me out.\u00a0 Those same hands tightened on my arms and helped me lurch over to a large rock and slide down, using the rock as a prop for my back and head.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, let me clean you up a bit and see how bad that cut is,\u201d said a sweet voice with a trace of New England accent. I heard the sound of material ripping and then felt wetness as she cleaned my face gently.\u00a0 \u201cTake a sip of this,\u201d she instructed, holding out my own canteen, much to my surprise.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t been aware that she had gone to Sport or moved from my side.\u00a0 Guess I was more out of it than I thought. I glanced over to see my horse ground tied and checking out the weeds he could reach.\u00a0 Good thing he hadn\u2019t headed for home.<\/p>\n
My first thought was,\u00a0Need to clean up before Pa sees me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t want to worry him.<\/em><\/p>\nMy head cleared more and I got my first look at the victim who had become my rescuer.\u00a0 I already knew she had gentle hands and a sweet, lilting voice, but now I saw that she had enormous eyes, the rich color of bluebell flowers like Shaughnessy grew, not the sky blue that I saw in Hoss\u2019s face or remembered about Inger.\u00a0\u00a0 I felt I could drown in their depths.\u00a0 Her face was oval, with high cheekbones and her mouth was smiling tremulously at me, the strain of the past few minutes still showing.\u00a0 She wore a floppy straw hat decorated with purple flowers and tied under her chin with a violet bow.\u00a0 The hair I could see was light brown and wisps of curls escaped the bowl of the hat and wafted in the light breeze.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you feeling better?\u201d she asked when she saw I was fully aware.<\/p>\n
I started to nod, but thought better of moving my head for awhile. \u201cGive me a minute, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Pa says my head is the hardest thing about me, so I\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 What spooked your horse?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBrownie almost stepped on a rattlesnake sunning in the middle of the trail.\u00a0 Really startled him and he shook his tail at us.\u00a0 It was enough to scare the wits out of me and set Brownie running.\u00a0 I can manage him usually, but we were both in pure panic.\u00a0 I screamed and he bolted.\u201d\u00a0 She looked at the curve almost directly in front of us and at the steep drop.\u00a0 Hunching her shoulders, she closed her eyes briefly.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe’re fortunate you came along. Otherwise\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Her trembling voice trailed off.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, a threatened snake can make anybody panic, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 You might have stood a chance of regaining control on most trails, but this one\u2019s very treacherous.\u00a0 Glad I was around to help.\u00a0 My name\u2019s Adam Cartwright, and I live with my family on the Ponderosa, a few miles from here.”\u00a0 I looked at her, anxious to hear her voice again, find out her name and where she lived.<\/p>\n
There was a sheen of tears in the eyes that looked directly at me, but her voice had steadied and her smile looked real this time, small perfect teeth framed by luscious full lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Abby Babcock, and I’m staying with my sister and brother in law, Anne and Richard Snelling.\u00a0 They bought the old Hickson place about 4 months ago.\u00a0 Dick is an independent surveyor and he\u2019s trying his hand at ranching as well.\u201d\u00a0 She looked down at her purple dress and continued.\u00a0 \u201cI lost my husband over a year ago and Anne thought I needed to get away, have a new start.\u00a0 So, I came to help them get settled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPleased to meet you, Miz Babcock.\u201d I remembered my manners; new starts demanded no questions.\u00a0 I closed my eyes briefly to shut out the glaring sun, then decided it was time to get moving.<\/p>\n
As I attempted to rise, I found her hands offering support until she was sure I could stand without help.\u00a0 As I straightened, her eyes sparkled at my own pleasure in feeling better and I could see the laugh lines that told of good humor and tolerance.\u00a0 It\u2019s been my experience that you can read how a person approaches life from the lines on their face, be they laughter lines or frown lines.\u00a0 This lady would be a pleasure to be around, I was certain of that. I…<\/p>\n
Pa cleared his throat, breaking into my thoughts, and asked, \u201cYou planning on eating that pie or worrying it to death?\u201d<\/p>\n
I noticed I was cutting the apple pie into pieces but not a morsel had made my mouth yet.\u00a0 Looking around, I noticed Hoss\u2019s plate was clean and his eyes were coveting my pie.\u00a0 Grinning, I pushed it over to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, Pa, but I\u2019m not too hungry tonight.\u00a0 Did I tell you that Miz Babcock took me to her sister\u2019s place in the buggy?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t want me riding by myself until she was convinced I wasn\u2019t going to pass out on her.\u00a0 Snelling wasn\u2019t home, out on a job, but Miz. Snelling was as pleasant as Abby, I mean Miz\u00a0 Babcock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pa looked disapproving at my use of Abby\u2019s first name.\u00a0 He waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiz Babcock suggested that I use her first name, said there was no need for formality after I saved her life.\u201d I changed the subject quickly. \u201cThey\u2019ve fixed the house up nicely and they both insisted that I have some cookies and a cup of coffee with them.\u00a0 Good cookies too, almost as good as Hop Sing\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss snorted and shook his head while Joe looked at me in disbelief.\u00a0 As far as they were concerned, nobody made better cookies than Hop Sing.<\/p>\n
“I rested about an hour before I started home, but when I took Abby’s bandage off, my head started bleeding again. ”<\/p>\n
“Should’a left the bandage alone then, boy.”\u00a0 Pa\u2019s stern eye told me he already figured out I had hoped my head would escape his notice.\u00a0 “Do you need some pain powder before you go to bed?”\u00a0 I knew protesting that I wasn’t ready for bed would get me nowhere; besides, my head was aching and I really was ready to put it down for awhile.\u00a0 It galled me to be sent off to bed like Joe, but I knew my ground was too shaky for a protest right now.<\/p>\n
“On my way,” was my response.\u00a0 “Good night, Pa,” and as I turned, Hoss joined me with a friendly arm, not across my shoulders, but under my elbow so I could lean on him some without Pa noticing.\u00a0 “Night, Joe,” we said together, leaving our little brother as the last one up.\u00a0 I knew he would relish the time with Pa.<\/p>\n
Next morning, I was up at my usual time, careful to leave the bandage alone as I prepared for the day.\u00a0 As I stropped my razor, the door to my room flew open.\u00a0No luck so far teaching little brother to knock<\/em>.\u00a0 Marie would\u2019ve had a fit if I burst into a bedroom with that much abandon.\u00a0 She was a real stickler for knocking and waiting permission, as I found out soon after her arrival as my step-mother.\u00a0 “Joe, out and knock if you want to come in.”\u00a0 I saw his protest build and used my best glare.\u00a0 “Now!”\u00a0 I knew Joe hated me being “big brother” that way, but Marie would\u2019ve wanted him to mind his manners. It was part of my job to make sure he knew his mama’s standards, especially as she wasn’t around to teach him herself. I still missed her, just like I still missed Inger.\u00a0 Life’s just not fair. I wondered if having a woman like Abby around would help Joe’s manners.<\/p>\nI heard the knock and invited Joe in.\u00a0 He had an angry look on his face, but he came.\u00a0 He was still young enough and my return was new enough that he liked to watch me shave, which I did every day because of my heavy, dark beard.\u00a0 Hoss had a light beard and only shaved a couple of times a week, especially on Saturday night or Sunday, before church.\u00a0 Sure wish I could get by that easy.\u00a0 Anyway, Joe sat watching me shave and wanting to know when he would have a beard and could shave.\u00a0 Talk about wanting to grow up fast. That boy just couldn\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n
Hoss gave a quick rap at the door and came in as I hollered, “Yeah.”\u00a0 He joined Joe on the bed and asked, “You feelin’ all right, Adam?\u00a0 You looked a mite peaky last night.”<\/p>\n
“Much better, thanks.\u00a0 Hop Sing brought me a headache powder so I got a good night’s sleep.”\u00a0 I smiled as Hoss heaved a sigh of relief.\u00a0 We were supposed to check fences today and it’s a tough job for two men, let alone one.\u00a0 Besides, we were looking forward to talking about the party Pa was planning for a week from Saturday.\u00a0 It was to be a welcome home party for me, to give me the chance to see all our old friends and meet the newcomers to the area. There was a bunch of new folks I had heard about but not met yet, even at church.\u00a0 After all, Virginia City boasted three churches, along with the numerous saloons and stores.<\/p>\n
I knew Hoss was hoping a girl he had known in school would come.\u00a0 Her name was Cindy and my shy brother was real smitten with her.\u00a0 Hoss was very self-conscious about his size and his clumsiness.\u00a0 I wanted to give him a talking to before the party, so he would be willing to dance with Cindy and not hide behind the food table all night.\u00a0 Hoss was the best of us three, or would be when he was older. He was almost too gentle and obliging for his own good; his kind nature made people take advantage of him or underestimate his smarts.\u00a0 It was important to me that he have a good time at the party.<\/p>\n
I had convinced Pa I didn’t need a grown-up party, but wanted everybody to bring their kids too.\u00a0 After all, Joe needed friends to keep him out of our hair when the dancing started.\u00a0 Joe was at the age where he held snails in higher regard than girls, but I knew that wouldn’t last much longer.\u00a0 My baby brother was much too charming for his own good and even the older girls swarmed over him like bees on clover.\u00a0 Yeah, Hoss and I definitely needed him occupied at the party and not with us or our girls.<\/p>\n
Another sharp knock at my door, and on hearing my voice, Pa strode in.\u00a0 My mouth kicked into motion before my brain.\u00a0 “Why is my room busier than a railroad station this morning?\u00a0 Can’t I have a minute to shave before the whole family descends on me?”<\/p>\n
Pa’s glare reduced me to silence and he let it linger for a minute before he spoke.\u00a0 “Didn’t know your brothers were in here, son.\u00a0 I wanted to take a look at your head before breakfast.\u00a0 All right with you?”\u00a0 The sarcasm was clear.<\/p>\n
“Yes, Sir.\u00a0 Sorry, Pa.”\u00a0 I wiped my face with a towel, put my razor away with a sharp glance at Joe, who reached for it.\u00a0 “Leave it alone, Joe.\u00a0 It’s not yours and it’s not a toy.” Joe’s glare was back, but at least Pa refrained from jumping in, either to admonish Joe or to remind me who the father was.\u00a0 We had had that discussion several times since I got home, and I have to admit, my head wasn’t up for an argument this morning.\u00a0 I sat on the bed and waited for Pa’s hands to cut away the bandage.\u00a0 He was gentle, as always, and I closed my eyes while he worked.<\/p>\n
“Pa, if Hoss and I finish the fences by mid-afternoon, may I take some of Hop Sing’s jelly over to Abby? She and her sister were real nice to me yesterday and I ought to thank them.”<\/p>\n
Pa’s hands paused briefly in their work, then continued.\u00a0 “That would be a nice gesture, son, though I think they owe you more than you owe them.\u00a0 Still, it\u2019s a neighborly thing to do.\u00a0 I haven’t met them yet.\u00a0 Haven’t seen them at church or in town, far as I know.”<\/p>\n
He finished fiddling with my head and gave me a pat on the back.\u00a0 “Sure you feel like checking fences today?\u00a0 It might be an idea…”<\/p>\n
“Pa, I’m fine,\u201d I interrupted. \u201cMy head still aches some, but we need to get fence checking done.\u00a0 Besides, if I can’t work, I can’t go to see Abby and the Snellings this afternoon, can I? I wasn’t gone long enough to forget the rules of the house.\u00a0 No work or school, no play.”\u00a0 I grinned at him and, after a short pause, he smiled, nodded and opened the door, gesturing all three of us out ahead of him and toward breakfast.<\/p>\n
At supper, Pa asked how the visit had gone.\u00a0 I mentioned that Mr. Snelling was out again, but that the ladies had been delighted to get Hop Sing’s wild blueberry jelly from last year.\u00a0 I’d offered to get them some honey too, from Tom Proctor, who kept hives of bees rather than gathering it from the wild.\u00a0 I must’ve gotten carried away some in talking about Abby and her cooking, as Hoss looked at me funny and remarked, “Yer a smidge taken with this gal, ain’t you, big brother?\u201d\u00a0 That innocent remark got me a strange look from Pa, like I wasn’t old enough to be interested in female company.\u00a0\u00a0Wonder what he thought I did for four years in Boston – hibernate?<\/em><\/p>\nWe worked hard that week, hustling to get all the chores done prior to spring roundup, which was coming soon.\u00a0 It would start the week after my welcome home party and we\u2019d spend days beating the bushes for new calves and their mamas.\u00a0 One of the hardest times of the ranching year, I looked forward to it with an equal amount of anticipation and dread.\u00a0 The living would be rough, the work backbreaking, but the results would ensure that we\u2019d be able to make changes and additions to the ranch for its\u2019 continued growth.\u00a0 Like a new lumber mill, one of my dreams.<\/p>\n
Saturdays were different than regular workdays on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Generally, the hands, including Hoss and I, finished our chores by noon or so.\u00a0 Pa planned it that way so everyone could get cleaned up and get into town for Saturday festivities by mid-afternoon, if they worked at it.<\/p>\n
At breakfast that morning, I told Pa that I wanted to take the buggy over to the Snelling place and maybe escort Abby on a ride around the countryside.\u00a0 She hadn’t seen much of the beauty of the place, I figured.\u00a0 Told him too, that if I got asked, I might stay to dinner with them.<\/p>\n
Pa looked very hard at me when I made my request, but didn\u2019t say anything, just nodded acquiescence.\u00a0 Again, it was Hoss who pushed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the third time you seen that Miz Abby this week, Adam, but you ain\u2019t told us much about her.\u00a0 What\u2019s she look like? How come yer spendin\u2019 so much time with her?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s head lifted and he looked like a hunting dog at full point, not likely to miss a thing.\u00a0 Pa kept his gaze fixed on me and waited.<\/p>\n
How did I feel about Abby?\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure how I felt yet and had no intention of discussing her with my family.\u00a0 I knew if I refused to answer, Pa would be determined to pursue the subject.\u00a0 Nothing bothers him more than me refusing to talk about something he thinks is important.\u00a0 He\u2019s real good at digging long enough to find out stuff too.\u00a0 It is sometimes a game we play, but we hadn\u2019t played it since I got home from school and the subject of Abby wasn\u2019t going to be the first topic. So I played my\u00a0 ace card, threw her to the wolves, if you will.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember a poem by William Wordsworth that expresses how Abby looks better than I can.\u00a0 It goes:She was a phantom of delight<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When first she gleamed upon my sight;<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A lovely apparition, sent<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To be a moment\u2019s ornament;<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her eyes\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\nI knew the results before I started my recitation.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s eyes glazed over totally and he and Joe both interrupted to ask permission to leave the table.\u00a0 Pa tried to give me his attention, but I knew he didn\u2019t care much for poetry either.\u00a0 I decided to be nice, so I stopped and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that explain, Pa?”<\/p>\n
Pa nodded, but didn\u2019t have any more questions about Abby. I wasn\u2019t crazy about Wordsworth myself, preferred some other poets, but who said poetry didn\u2019t have its uses? Girls loved it and my family hated it.\u00a0 I felt some guilt, but it achieved the goal of cutting off questioning.<\/p>\n
Before he could rally his defenses and ask for more information, I excused myself and headed to the barn to saddle up and begin the day\u2019s tasks.<\/p>\n
Hoss was waiting, but he didn\u2019t open conversation again.<\/p>\n
Spanking clean and in fresh clothes by mid-afternoon, I debated between taking the buggy and riding Sport.\u00a0 The buggy would be more comfortable, but we could reach more spectacular views by horseback.\u00a0 Finally, I decided to drive, but hitch my mount to the back on the off-chance that Abby would prefer riding.<\/p>\n
As I drove up, a man was splitting wood in the yard.\u00a0 He stopped as I approached, leaning on the ax and taking a hard look at me.\u00a0 Jumping from the buggy, I approached with my hand outstretched.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Adam Cartwright.\u00a0 Mr. Snelling?\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled then and shook my hand.\u00a0 \u201cRight, and I\u2019m pleased to meet you.\u00a0 Abby and my wife have been singing your praises.\u00a0 I want to thank you for rescuing my sister-in-law.\u00a0 We are in your debt, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Then, with a slight laugh, he confessed, \u201cI\u2019m almost as grateful for the jelly from your cook.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t been here long enough for Annie to have made up her first jelly batch, and I do love hot biscuits and jelly.\u201d He rubbed his protruding belly a little, \u201cAnd my girth shows it.\u00a0 More to love, my wife says, when she is being polite.\u201d We both laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suggested to Miz Abby that I\u2019d like to take her for a ride today.\u00a0 She around?\u201d\u00a0 As I spoke, the door opened and Abby walked out to greet me.\u00a0 She was wearing a simple housedress, but it was pretty on her, fresh and cheerful.<\/p>\n
She gave me a warm hug and brushed my cheek with her lips.\u00a0 I blushed at her touch, but felt my heart expand at her pleasure in seeing me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, I wondered if you\u2019d come.\u00a0 I thought you might have made other plans or gone into town with your family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it just took longer than I thought to finish this morning.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s too late for a ride, Abby, do you?\u00a0 I brought the buggy, but thought you might prefer a horseback ride.\u00a0 The buggy can\u2019t go to the best view of the lake, but there\u2019s lots of other places to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face lit up and she turned to her brother-in-law.\u00a0 \u201cDick, may I ride Star?\u00a0 I promise I\u2019ll be careful with him.\u201d\u00a0 She laughed and so did he.\u00a0 \u201cAnne is taking a nap; I gave her headache powders and she should sleep the rest of the afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turning to me, she explained her sister had a sick headache and that she would need to be home in time to fix supper for them.\u00a0 I nodded, knowing I wouldn\u2019t be invited to dinner, not with Miz Snelling under the weather.\u00a0 Abby excused herself to change into riding clothes and Dick (he insisted I call him Dick) and I discussed ranching, surveying, the weather, all the things men who don\u2019t know each other use to fill the silence.\u00a0 After unhitching the buggy and putting the horse into the small corral, I went with Dick to saddle Star, the gelding Abby would ride.\u00a0 I wondered how good a rider she was, but her brother-in-law didn\u2019t seem worried, so I decided to wait and see.<\/p>\n
Abby came out in a well-worn riding habit and a brimmed hat decorated with ornate stampede strings.\u00a0 \u201cMy first purchase in the West,\u201d she bragged as she cocked the hat jauntily on her smooth head.\u00a0 \u201cI love to ride, but we only have the one good mount, so far.\u00a0 This will be a treat for me, a ride, a handsome escort, and gorgeous scenery. \u201c\u00a0 She grinned wickedly as my face flushed red.\u00a0 For some reason, it tickled her to make me blush.<\/p>\n
Wonder how that tendency will wear over time.\u00a0 Probably not bad.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve got some fruit and you have a canteen of water.\u00a0 That\u2019ll hold us on our trip.\u201d\u00a0 I liked her thinking about something to munch on cause it meant she knew we were stopping for awhile to rest.\u00a0 Or whatever.<\/p>\n
I took her along the trail toward the Lake.\u00a0 The top of the ridge had the prettiest view in God\u2019s world, at least the best view I knew.\u00a0 She was a woman who knew how to keep silent when there was nothing to say.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a strained silence or uncomfortable.\u00a0 Rather, it allowed us to share the joy of the ride without the smallness of words.\u00a0 I had rarely met a woman who could be fun to talk with and fun to be silent with. It was wonderful!<\/p>\n
As we got close to the ridge, I challenged her to a race, and she accepted.\u00a0 I held Sport back at the end, so that she got to the top ahead of me and had her first glimpse of the sparkling blue waters of Lake Tahoe, with snow-capped mountains framing its pristine glory.\u00a0 It was a sight to be viewed alone initially, in order to be awed by its magnificence. For a minute, my heart ached, as it always did, because my own mother and my Ma, Inger, never got to see it.\u00a0 I remembered how much Marie had relished the view, though her favorite spot was lower down, where she was buried. I was sharing the best I knew with Abby.<\/p>\n
When I saw her face, I knew she recognized the gift.\u00a0 There was a shimmer of tears in her eyes, and she was turning slowly in a circle, trying to take in the 360 degrees of stunning beauty. Not a bad view in the whole turn. Then she smiled, a dreamy lift of her lips that gradually grew until her whole face glowed with its power.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026I\u2019ve never seen anything like it, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s beyond magnificent; there\u2026 there are no words.”\u00a0 Then she stood, struck with beauty and trying to absorb every inch through her blue-violet eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let me get here first, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lake and mountains are meant to be seen in solitude the first time.\u00a0 A body needs time to drink it in.\u00a0 I was by myself the first time too.\u00a0 We were traveling through to California and camped near here.\u00a0 Pa wanted to continue to \u201cthe land of milk and honey\u201d but I thought this was where Ma wanted us to settle, among tall trees and high mountains.\u00a0 So, I sorta ran away and found this spot.\u00a0 Pa came after me and when he saw it, he decided we should stop traveling and put down roots here. Claim what we could for ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow old were you?\u201d\u00a0 Her soft question called me back from my memories.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must have been 6 or 7.\u00a0 Hoss was still a baby and we had lost Ma only a few weeks before.\u201d I looked into her sympathetic eyes and added, \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing we didn\u2019t know what we were doing, or we might\u2019ve moved on.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard country, Abby.\u00a0 The winters are frigid and stormy.\u00a0 We can go weeks just doing basic chores cause the snow is too deep to get into town.\u00a0 You have to be tough to survive, but the beauty of the land and the pleasure of making a living where you want to be makes up for a lot.\u201d\u00a0 It was important that she understand the trials of living in God\u2019s country.<\/p>\n
She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI know about those kind of winters.\u00a0 We have them in Vermont, too.\u00a0 Days of gray, snow to the roof top, isolation.\u00a0 I learned to love and hate them at the same time, but I always knew spring would follow even the hardest winter.\u00a0 That\u2019s one thing I believe, Adam, that spring and new life always comes.\u201d\u00a0 She turned her eyes again to the lake and its crown of mountains while I looked at her, enjoying her beauty and her obvious appreciation of my world.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you like to rest here for a few minutes?\u00a0 We could sample that fruit of yours or maybe that gingerbread I glimpsed in your bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked back at me. \u201cYou don\u2019t miss much, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grinning, I replied, \u201cWhen you have two younger brothers, one of who eats like a horse, you learn to make sure you get your share.\u201d<\/p>\n
I spread a blanket we had brought while Abby set out some fruit and gingerbread.\u00a0 Fetching the canteen, we shared the water. Munching on the fruit and taking bites of gingerbread, we talked about everything under the sun, about books and music, art that we had both seen or read about.\u00a0 Abby loved poetry too, not the same poets necessarily, but the compactness and structure of the words, the way they expressed feelings that were common to all of us.\u00a0 Even in the few weeks since I had gotten home, I\u2019d become aware of the voids in my life because I was different. I appreciated things not usually found in the homes I knew around Virginia City.\u00a0 I knew my family would have been astonished at the flow of conversation from their \u201cquiet brother\u201d; that\u2019s me.\u00a0 Even in Boston and New York, I hadn\u2019t really found a woman who appreciated both intellectual pursuits\u00a0 and the natural beauty that surrounds us, no matter where we are.<\/p>\n
There were periods of tranquility, when we simply were present in the beauty around us, needing to be silent out of respect for nature and its glory.\u00a0 The afternoon slipped away from us on the wings of discovery and pleasure.\u00a0 In one of the periods of repose, I closed my eyes and was awakened by a grass stem tickling my nose.\u00a0 Thank goodness I didn\u2019t utter the oath that would have greeted such an antic by one of my brothers..\u00a0 As I sat up, I noticed the sun now low in the western sky, still bathing the area in golden light, but I knew that darkness fell fast in the mountains and we needed to get moving.<\/p>\n
Packed and ready, Abby flashed a quick smile and challenged, \u201cShall we try again?\u201d, kicking her horse to a gallop.\u00a0 Sport tossed his head in insult, stretched out his neck and legs and flew.\u00a0 One thing I love about my horse is his refusal to stay second in any race.\u00a0 Like me, he lives to be first.\u00a0 As we reached the end of the mountain trail, Sport was in front and I turned to grin mockingly at Abby.\u00a0 \u201cNot this time.\u201d\u00a0 She laughed and slowed Star to a comfortable walk. Sport eased back and we waited for them to catch up. There was room for side by side here and I knew we had more to talk about.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about your family, Adam.\u00a0 You\u2019ve mentioned two brothers, Hoss and Joe, several times.\u00a0 How old are they?\u00a0 Your turn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because she had shared information about her past life and family, I knew she had a right to question me.\u00a0 Besides, she needed the answers, needed to know about the Cartwrights. So, I told her about my brothers.\u00a0 About Hoss, the boy who was so big he looked like a man by the time he was twelve.\u00a0 I told her how he loved to eat, of his big kind heart that hated to see anything or anyone hurting.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has two of the cutest raccoon babies in a pen behind the barn.\u00a0 Found the mother dead when the kits were only a few days old.\u00a0 He\u2019s hand feeding them until he can turn them back to the wild.\u00a0 None of us would stomach caging wild animals permanently, but he sure saved their lives.\u00a0 Hoss drags home every hurt creature he finds and cares for them.\u00a0 Almost too tender-hearted, that\u2019s my \u201clittle brother\u201d, though he stands a couple of inches taller than me and heavier too.\u201d\u00a0 I saw the fellow feeling in her face as I described Hoss.\u00a0 They would get along fine, I was willing to bet.\u00a0 Plus, Abby would probably be out there helping him with his critters.<\/p>\n
I described the little brother I was just becoming acquainted with again.\u00a0 Joe had been a small child when I left for school, barely six, and now he was ten, pushing hard to be treated like a man, even when he still acted like the boy he was.\u00a0 I told Abby how he could charm the birds from the trees and how his temper and impulsive nature could get him into trouble faster than I could blink an eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike last week, he put a frog into Amy Simpson\u2019s lunch bucket.\u00a0 Now you have to know that Amy is a prissy, snobbish girl who takes great pleasure in tormenting Joe because he is small for his age.\u00a0 Well, according to the teacher, the frog jumped, Amy screamed and ran and the entire class was disrupted for the rest of the day. Joe, of course, laughed until he fell to the floor.\u00a0 He was punished at school, brought a note home and got punished by Pa too.\u00a0 It was all I could do to keep a straight face as he tried to reason with Pa about \u2018getting her back first.\u2019\u00a0 He\u2019s put more gray hairs in Pa\u2019s head already than Hoss and I did together, and there are a lot of years to go yet.\u201d\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t help laughing and the twinkle in her eyes told me that Joe might have a possible ally in future pranks.<\/p>\n
I told her about my Pa, about how he had walked across the land with a small child, following a dream.\u00a0 I touched briefly on the two women who had shared our lives and each given Pa another son.\u00a0 It still hurt to remember losing Inger and Marie, so mostly I talked about the life we led.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure I talked too much, but telling her things was as easy as falling off a log.\u00a0 Somehow, I knew she cared, that she was really interested.<\/p>\n
We got back to their place before the light had begun to fade from the blue sky and as we approached the yard, I popped the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbby, we\u2019re having a little get-together, with food and dancing, next Saturday night at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Kind of a welcome home for me and a way to meet the new folks who\u2019ve moved here while I was away.\u00a0 Would you and Miz Snelling and Dick like to come? That way, you can meet my Pa and brothers for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, Adam, we might meet them tomorrow at church, if Anne is well enough to attend.\u00a0 We\u2019ve meant to get there for the past few Sundays, but haven\u2019t made it.\u00a0 I\u2019ll speak to Anne and Dick about next Saturday night.\u00a0 For myself, I\u2019d love to come.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long time since I danced, not since before my husband died.\u201d\u00a0 Her eyes clouded, just like Pa\u2019s did when he thought about Marie, but then she smiled again. \u201cYes. I accept your invitation for all of us.\u00a0 We\u2019d love to come.\u00a0 Shall we bring something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly yourselves.\u201d\u00a0 I knew I had to be beaming; I could almost feel the width of my smile.<\/p>\n
Abby is coming to our home, to meet Pa and my brothers.<\/em><\/p>\nDick came out of the barn as we approached.\u00a0 \u201cDid you have a good ride?\u00a0 Star behave himself?\u201d\u00a0 He smiled and took the bridle.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll put him away.\u00a0 Your horse need water or anything, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n
I allowed Sport to take a drink while I hitched the buggy horse and then tied Sport to the rear.\u00a0 Abby had gone into the house to check on her sister, but she came back out as I climbed into the buggy.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, hope we see you tomorrow.\u00a0 It was a lovely ride.\u00a0 Thank you so much,\u201d and she again reached up to kiss my cheek.\u00a0 I managed to control my blush better this time, but I tugged my hat, wished them good evening and drove home.\u00a0 Maybe floated home would be a better description.<\/p>\n
When I got there and went to put away the horses and buggy, I discovered Buck, Chubb and Dusty were gone.\u00a0 Done with the chores, I went into the house to find it empty of all life; even Hop Sing was absent.\u00a0 Pa had left a note on his desk, telling me he had taken my brothers into Virginia City for supplies and would eat dinner at the hotel before coming home.\u00a0 He\u2019d let Hop Sing go into town too.\u00a0 I glanced at the low dip of the sun and decided I didn\u2019t have the energy or inclination for a long ride to town even for a good hotel meal.<\/p>\n
It would be impossible to starve around Hop Sing\u2019s kitchen, no matter what Hoss says.\u00a0 I cut four slices of homemade bread, stuck some leftover roast pork between them, put some of Hop Sing\u2019s barbecue sauce on it, grabbed some hot coffee from the pot on the back of the stove and took it all to the dining table.\u00a0 In the center of the table was a big slice of cake, covered and waiting.\u00a0 Hop Sing always took good care of me.\u00a0 I went upstairs to get the book I was reading and brought it down.\u00a0 Books weren\u2019t allowed at the table when Pa was around, but I had gotten into the habit of reading at meals while in school.\u00a0 So, in the absence of anyone to care, I ate and read and relaxed.<\/p>\n
My head was aching a little, so after my meal, I cleaned up and went to bed.\u00a0 Lucky for me, I had already gotten a bath earlier in the day, as tomorrow was Sunday and we always went to church. Pa accepted practically no excuse other than illness to miss.<\/p>\n
Abby said she might be there<\/em>.\u00a0 As I fell asleep, that was my last thought.\u00a0 Through the haze of sleep,\u00a0 I heard Pa and my brothers arrive a short time later, but I didn\u2019t wake enough to even greet Pa when he did his nightly bed check.<\/p>\nAfter breakfast, I went to the barn to start hitching the horses, before Pa finished his first cup of coffee and could start asking questions.\u00a0 During the ride to church I talked with Hoss about spring round-up plans and asked Joe about school, anything to keep the questions about Abby down.\u00a0 Much to my disappointment, there was no sign of her or the Snellings at church that day.\u00a0 Lots of people were there, some I hadn\u2019t seen in more than four years and some I didn\u2019t know, but the ones I wanted never showed.\u00a0 I decided Anne must still have her headache.<\/p>\n
As was customary, Hop Sing had a delicious Sunday dinner waiting. I loved his fried chicken and \u2018smashed taters\u2019 almost as much as Hoss and we all ate until we were stuffed.\u00a0 I knew that Hop Sing would wash the dishes and then be gone until Monday afternoon, when he would return to his chores. Sunday supper and breakfast the next morning were ours to prepare. As he cleared the table, I asked for a favor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHop Sing, could I have some of that tea you brew for headaches.\u00a0 No, not for me.\u00a0 Miz Snelling had a bad headache yesterday and I bet she still has it.\u201d\u00a0 I looked at Pa and continued, \u201cThey were planning to be at church today, if she was better.\u00a0 I bet your tea would be real good for her.\u00a0 It always cures my headaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hop Sing nodded his approval and muttered, \u201cBe vely good for lady.\u00a0 Make bettel fast.\u00a0 I bling you bag.\u201d\u00a0 He marched away to prepare the parcel.<\/p>\n
\u201cPa, may I take it over to the Snelling place?\u00a0 I won\u2019t stay long, but it would be right neighborly.\u201d\u00a0 I tried my best to look casual about the request.<\/p>\n
Pa gave me a very sharp look indeed, then looked at Hoss and Joe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are your plans this afternoon, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe piped up, \u201cI\u2019m meetin\u2019 Mitch to go fishin\u2019.\u00a0 Wanta come, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss looked at me hopefully.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019da be kinda nice, Adam, if you and me did a little fishin\u2019 too.\u00a0 We ain\u2019t been since you got home from Boston.\u00a0 Ifen we caught a mess of \u2018em, we could clean \u2018um and Hop Sing could serve \u2018um tomorrow night fur dinner.\u201d He waited a beat, then added, \u201cSeems yur spendin\u2019 a lot o\u2019 time with that Miz Abby.\u00a0 You was just over there yesteday.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt guilty.\u00a0 I knew Hoss and I hadn\u2019t spent much time together since I got home.\u00a0 Working time didn\u2019t really count.\u00a0 Still, I knew Abby and the Snellings would appreciate the tea.\u00a0 Besides, I wanted to be sure about my feelings for Abby, and today would be the last chance before the party next Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t we plan on going fishing Monday afternoon, Hoss?\u00a0 We\u2019re almost done with that fence repair in the north pasture and it\u2019ll be too late to start the new repairs along the east range.\u00a0 We\u2019ll go in the afternoon, clean what we catch and they\u2019d be fresh for Hop Sing instead of kept overnight.\u00a0 Sound good?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss shot me a quick glance and figured out the sense of what I wasn\u2019t saying.\u00a0 Tomorrow Joe and Mitch would be in school, and we could talk without little ears overhearing.\u00a0 I knew he wanted to hear more about my time in Boston than I was willing to share with Joe, or maybe even Pa.\u00a0 Hoss had been my first baby and I had always found him to be my staunchest supporter.\u00a0 He might not always understand what I needed or wanted, but he never begrudged me getting it.\u00a0 I saw the pleasure and the promise in his eyes, so I knew it was all right.<\/p>\n
Pa frowned and I watched him debate telling me NO, but he must have decided it was a bad idea.\u00a0 Hop Sing came back with a paper-wrapped box and offered it to me.\u00a0 \u201cHope make lady feel bettel, Mist\u2019 Adam.\u00a0 Bling your lady to palty next week?\u201d<\/p>\n
Pa started like he\u2019d forgotten about the party.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, why don\u2019t you invite Mrs. Babcock and the Snellings to our shindig?\u00a0 That way we all get the chance to meet your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
I tried to look innocent.\u00a0 \u201cPa, that\u2019s a great idea.\u00a0 I\u2019ll check this afternoon.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I got a penetrating stare, but Pa didn\u2019t actually ask me if I already had asked. I knew better than to volunteer the information.\u00a0 Not that he\u2019d really mind their coming, but he might have objected to my jumping the gun on an invitation without permission.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t be late tonight.\u00a0 Do you still want me to read Moby Dick?\u201d I asked Joe.<\/p>\n
He looked startled, like he thought I might have forgotten my promise, then he smiled. “Yeah, I sure do, Adam,\u201d and he looked pleased.\u00a0 Joe and I\u2019ve been finding our way again since I got home. I \u2018d missed a lot of his growing up and sometimes treated him like the child I \u2018d left behind.\u00a0 Reading to him had been a habit from the past and it was one I wouldn\u2019t mind getting into again.\u00a0 Besides, I knew Hoss would listen too; he liked to hear me read.<\/p>\n
I rode over to our neighbors\u2019 with the tea and spent a pleasant couple of hours.\u00a0 Escorting me into the parlor, Abby left me while she brewed a cup of the special tea for her sister. She returned as I softly fingered the guitar I\u2019d found there.\u00a0 Listening for a minute, she sat down at the piano by the front window.\u00a0 Equally softly, she began to play the melody I was strumming. She sang in a sweet, true voice and I added my baritone.\u00a0 We kept it quiet out of respect for Miz Snelling and her headache.\u00a0 Shortly,\u00a0 Dick came in and added his bass to our impromptu group.\u00a0 It was such fun; I missed the music that had abounded in Boston, both the concerts and the drawing room performances.\u00a0Wonder how it would be to have more music at the Ponderosa?<\/em><\/p>\nHappily, in a short time Anne Snelling joined our group, telling us she felt better, thanks to Hop Sing\u2019s tea.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t sing, but she put her head on the back of the chair and listened with a smile on her face.\u00a0 After the music we talked, discussing the latest Supreme Court ruling, speculating about the next territory to achieve statehood, dissecting the latest book by Ralph Emerson, discussing poetic styles. At the end of a couple of hours I had been stimulated and entertained, not to mention well fed with tea and cookies.\u00a0 Time to head for home if I was to be in time for supper and a reading session.<\/p>\n
When I took Sport into the barn to groom him and check my gear for the next day, I found Pa, Hoss and Joe there, doing the same chores.\u00a0 As we worked, Pa asked, “How was your afternoon, son?\u00a0 Did our neighbors appreciate Hop Sing’s special tea?”<\/p>\n
“Sure thing, Pa.\u00a0 Abby made her sister a cup and a while later, Miz Snelling joined us in the parlor.\u00a0 We had a grand time.\u00a0 Abby plays the piano and sings, so we made some music together, and Dick has a good voice too.\u00a0 The three of us sang; then we talked about all kinds of things: politics, poetry…”\u00a0 I shot a sly smile at my father, who knew how much I loved those kinds of discussions, and he gave me an irritated look that faded to amusement<\/p>\n
“Sounds like you are enjoying her company a whole lot, son.\u00a0 I suspect you miss friends to have music and literary conversations with.”\u00a0 His statement sounded almost like a question and I was at a loss on how to answer.<\/p>\n
Yes, I did miss my friends and music and other things about Boston, even the sometimes fishy smell of the ocean and the bustle of street life.\u00a0 But, I wasn’t sorry to be home either.<\/em><\/p>\nI nodded and Pa continued, “Did you ask the young lady and her family to our party next Saturday night?\u00a0 I hope we get the opportunity to meet them all.\u00a0 Abby sounds delightful; at least you seem to think so.”<\/p>\n
Hoss jumped into the conversation.\u00a0 “What’s she look like, Adam?\u00a0 Purty?”<\/p>\n
“Yes, she’s pretty, but not so pretty as to be scary, little brother.\u00a0 Bet she would love to dance with you, if you’ll ask her.”\u00a0 I saw the dread in his eyes before he dropped them.\u00a0You and I are going to have a long talk before the party.\u00a0 Abby will be good for you; she is kind and will help you forget to worry about your size.\u00a0 You’ll like her, Hoss.<\/em><\/p>\nI didn’t say anything more about Hoss dancing, but I knew one of my objectives at the party was to make sure he wasn\u2019t a wallflower or just stood up with the matrons.<\/p>\n
Joe had finished his pony and was standing listening to me talk about Abby. I heard was a familiar taunt.<\/p>\n
“Adam’s got a girlfriend.\u00a0 Adam’s got a girlfriend.\u00a0 Adam and Abby sitting in a tree.\u00a0 K-I-S-S-I-N-G.\u00a0 First come love, then comes marriage.\u00a0 Then comes Adam with a baby carriage.”<\/p>\n
I grabbed for my aggravating little brother.\u00a0 Even as I did, Hoss joined the refrain, singing along,\u00a0 “Adam’s got a girlfriend.”<\/p>\n
“Pa, make them stop,” burst out of my mouth before I could put my brain into gear.\u00a0 I closed my eyes and smacked my forehead. Help!\u00a0 I sounded just like a whiny kid instead of the adult I was supposed to be. I peeked at Pa’s face through half-closed eyes, expecting to see anger and perhaps a little disgust.\u00a0 He always hated for us to whine.<\/p>\n
Pa had a strange look on his face, at least strange for him.\u00a0 His mouth was smiling just slightly, but his eyes were shiny, almost like he had tears in them.<\/p>\n
“Pa?”<\/p>\n
“I sent a boy off to Boston and he came back a man.\u00a0 I was afraid the boy I knew was gone forever, but I guess he came home too.”<\/p>\n
I\u00a0cocked my head to look at him and understood, at least a little.\u00a0Well, if he wanted that boy back, I guess I could oblige.<\/em><\/p>\n“The Tickle King is after you,” I whooped and caught Joe under the arms with my fingers.\u00a0 He fell to the barn floor, luckily into a pile of clean hay, and began to giggle that hysterical, high-pitched laugh of his that was so infectious. Hoss tipped me over easily and the three of us began to roll around tickling and squealing like three piglets at play.\u00a0 Pa stepped aside to avoid our gyrations and began to laugh.\u00a0 It was the first time we had roughhoused since I got home and it felt good.\u00a0 Must have been good for my brothers too, as they kept trying to pin me down and nobody hollered ‘uncle’ for a long time.<\/p>\n
“If you three are finished wiping the floor with your bottoms, we might want to go find some supper.”\u00a0 We knew Pa wasn’t really upset so we stood and traipsed to the house, busily picking hay off each other’s clothes and out of each other’s hair.\u00a0 The laughter stayed around us all through the meal and the story afterwards.\u00a0 Home felt good.<\/p>\n
The week went downhill from there.\u00a0 Nasty weather put us behind in fence mending, not to mention postponing the fishing trip with Hoss.\u00a0 For three days the rain made our working lives miserable.\u00a0 We came home each night wet and mud-covered, too beat to do more than clean up, eat and fall into bed. Even Joe was too tired to make mischief.\u00a0 By Thursday, the weather had cleared and the sky was blue and bright again.\u00a0 Whew!\u00a0 Hopefully that meant good weather for the party on Saturday night, because it was to be outdoors, with the food served outside, and the yard of the house used as a dance floor.\u00a0 Pa had asked Clem and his friends to provide their toe-tapping music and Hop Sing had been cooking all week.\u00a0 Between the chores and the nasty weather, I hadn’t found time to go back to visit Abby though I’d sent word by one of the hands, explaining my absence.<\/p>\n
Finally, it was Saturday.\u00a0 Pa excused us from all but the basic barn chores and Hop Sing took over our time.\u00a0 He needed tables and benches out, Chinese lanterns hung from the trees and posts, and all the dishes in the house cleaned and put out for folks.\u00a0 Most would bring their own plates and utensils, but there would always be the few who couldn’t.\u00a0 Ponderosa hospitality was famous for providing everything a guest needed and Hop Sing was determined no one could fault his party.\u00a0 We cleaned and polished and arranged things all day long until Hop Sing pronounced himself satisfied with ‘his house’.<\/p>\n
I had debated about what to wear.\u00a0 I had several dress suits including my best frock coat with tails. In Boston, I would have worn a dress suit and ruffled shirt with no hesitation, but here\u2026\u00a0 I finally decided on a similar outfit to what\u00a0 I would\u2019ve worn to church.\u00a0 It looked nice, but without the flair of elegance I might have liked.\u00a0 Still, it fit me like a glove and the plain shirt was very much my style.\u00a0 Brushing my hair once again, I decided I looked fine enough to impress Abby.\u00a0 Now to check on my family.<\/p>\n
Going to Pa\u2019s room, I found him getting ready to slip into his coat.\u00a0 He was wearing his best suit and silver vest.\u00a0 He looked dignified and handsome.\u00a0 If I say so myself, my Pa is a good looking man, distinguished and refined, and I was proud of him. He was a far cry from the man in working clothes I recollected dancing with Inger on the wagon train.\u00a0 He looked more like the man I remembered dancing with Marie downstairs, but his eyes held more sadness and wisdom than I recalled from before.\u00a0 I helped him into his coat and straightened his tie, even though it didn\u2019t really need it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look real fine, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smiling, Pa returned the favor by checking my tie and smoothing my coat across my shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cChecking to make sure I\u2019m fine enough to meet your lady, son?\u201d Pa\u2019s smile held a hint of a question.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, sir, just checking, period.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long time since I attended a party at the Ponderosa.\u201d\u00a0 My memory fled to the last New Year\u2019s Eve party, the one before Marie\u2019s horse fell in the spring.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s face clouded and his eyes were filled with sorrow.<\/p>\n
We stood silent for a brief time, then Pa shook himself slightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better check on those brothers of yours, make sure they\u2019re ready for this party, too.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled and dismissed me with a nod of his head.<\/p>\n
Hoss\u2019s door was open, so I rapped on the frame as I walked in.\u00a0 Hoss was buttoning his shirt, the shirt I brought him from Boston.\u00a0 A school friend had recommended a seamstress who had made shirts for both my brothers.\u00a0 She\u2019d shown me some heavy silk, the same sky-blue as my brother\u2019s eyes, and I had to have it.\u00a0 The shirt was plain, no ruffles, but the color made Hoss\u2019s eyes glow.\u00a0 I remembered Inger wearing a blue dress that color, all those years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoss, you look wonderful.\u00a0 The girls will love you in that shirt.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be falling all over themselves to dance with you.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss grunted in disbelief, but his shoulders straightened up and he looked relieved.\u00a0 He was a fine figure of a man, even though he was only 16.\u00a0 \u201cI remember your Ma wearing that same color.\u00a0 You look like her, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss grinned that wide, infectious grin of his.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Adam, for the shirt and for \u2026\u00a0 Well, for everything.\u00a0 I\u2019m goin\u2019 ta ask Cindy to dance, just like you said.\u00a0 You look fine too.\u00a0 Bet that Miz Abby\u2019s goin\u2019 be right impressed with us Cartwrights tonight.\u00a0 We clean up real fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded and went over to Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 He was standing in front of the mirror and trying to bring order to his head of curls with fingers instead of a brush or comb.\u00a0 Typical!\u00a0 I had brought Joe a green shirt back from Boston.\u00a0 It was the same material as Hoss\u2019s and I watched as my hedonistic youngest brother stroked the front of his shirt with pleasure.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking good, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 I picked up his brush and started untangling his chestnut curls with care.\u00a0 \u201cI remember your Mama in a gown almost that color.\u00a0 She loved the feel of silk too, said it slipped through her fingers like sunlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe tried to jerk away from the brush, then stood still while I finished his grooming.\u00a0 His green-flecked eyes asked for more, so I continued.\u00a0 \u201cI remember your Mama was the prettiest woman at that last party.\u00a0 She always did outshine the other ladies and the gents loved the way she talked, with a trace of French accent in her high-pitched voice.\u00a0 You laugh a lot like she did. \u201d<\/p>\n
I finished with his hair and helped him shrug into his coat.\u00a0 The shirt required no tie, which I knew he would like.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s ties seemed to get loose in two minutes and lost in ten.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess the Cartwright boys are ready to face the world.\u201d I steered him into the hall where Hoss stood waiting.\u00a0 We looked at each other with admiration and a little amusement, then headed downstairs to the next ritual of the evening.<\/p>\n
Since the first party I recall at the Ponderosa, the same group has gathered to toast each other.\u00a0 Doc Martin, Sheriff Coffee, and Shaughnessy were waiting with Pa in the great room, holding drinks.\u00a0 I felt a catch in my throat, missing Marie,\u00a0 but pushed my brothers in front of me for inspection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe how fast you boys are growing, can you, Paul?\u00a0 Seems just yesterday that Adam and Hoss was just boys and Joe a tiny mite of a thing.\u201d\u00a0 Sheriff Coffee had come into my life when I was about 12 and Paul Martin had been our doctor even before then.<\/p>\n
Shaughnessy, well, Shaughnessy was just herself.\u00a0 Her husband had died when they first moved to the territory and she had been a widow for as long as I could recall.\u00a0 She had always been there to be neighborly when we needed help.\u00a0 She had nursed Hoss and me through childhood illnesses and injuries and\u00a0 kept us part of the time Pa was in New Orleans.\u00a0 She had helped deliver Joe and was still the one Pa called on for anything that needed a woman\u2019s touch.\u00a0 She and Pa were friends, but neither seemed to want to be more than that.\u00a0 I reckoned she was the only widow I knew in the area who had never set her cap for Pa.\u00a0 Maybe she knew the sons too well to want to take us all on.\u00a0 Nothing dumb about her.<\/p>\n
Pa put wineglasses in our hands.\u00a0 Even Joe got one with a small amount of wine.\u00a0 Then he raised his in the traditional toast.\u00a0 \u201cTo our family and our good friends who make life better on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 We are grateful for you.\u201d We drank, laughing, talking, reminiscing in the way of people grown comfortable with each other.\u00a0 A part of me wondered if Abby would fit into this group and another part knew she would.\u00a0 Time for the party.<\/p>\n
Hoss teased me.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, you reckon we look fine enough to meet this lady friend of yourn\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 He addressed the entire group.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s all adither about us meeting Miz Abby Babcock, the lady he rescued a couple of weeks ago.\u00a0 He\u2019s been frettin\u2019 all day to be sure things are perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss missed the sharp glance Shaughnessy threw me, but I saw it.\u00a0 She looked hard at me, opened her mouth to ask a question, then cut her eyes to Pa and kept quiet.\u00a0 Before anyone could comment, we heard the first wagons arriving and went outside to greet our guests.<\/p>\n
Folks came fast and furious for the party.\u00a0 Even if they had never come before, Hop Sing\u2019s cooking was legendary.\u00a0 Hoss talked about it all the time. Besides, it was early summer and any excuse for a get-together, especially with good food and dancing, was a welcome break from the day to day grind.\u00a0 Soon the yard was full of people laughing, visiting each other, wetting their whistles with Pa\u2019s own recipe for punch, and eyeing the laden tables of food.<\/p>\n
As host, Pa expected his sons to remain by his side to greet our guests. Part of the reason for the party was to introduce me to newcomers in the area, so I was happy to stay with him.\u00a0 Hoss was chomping at the bit to get to the food table and Joe, well, Joe just wanted to cut loose and find his friends.\u00a0 Before my brothers could affect their escape, I looked around to see Abby, accompanied by Dick and Anne, approaching.\u00a0 Abby looked beautiful.\u00a0 She was wearing a lilac (purple as Hoss would say) dress with little white flowers woven through the pattern.\u00a0 It made her eyes look violet and showed off her honey-gold complexion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, you look so handsome.\u201d\u00a0 She greeted me with these words and a small peck on the cheek, making me blush, as I\u2019m sure she planned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbby\u201d, I turned her attention to my father for introductions. \u201cI\u2019d like for you to\u2026\u201d It was one of those moments when you wish the ground would swallow you.\u00a0 There was an unexpected break in the conversation around us and I heard Joe\u2019s piping voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s old, Hoss. I thought she\u2026\u201d Hoss\u2019s hand must have covered Joe\u2019s mouth at that point, but the damage was already done.<\/p>\n
Abby\u2019s eyes caught my father\u2019s and I saw the spark of recognition as two parents shared the marvel of how children could so innocently hit the heart of any subject.\u00a0 My father looked appreciatively at the slender woman who was trying not to laugh and they both shook their heads.\u00a0 I saw his eyes light up with an excitement I hadn\u2019t seen in a long time. There was real interest in them, interest in a woman.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure I looked smug. I certainly felt smug.\u00a0 Things looked promising and I saw Hoss look at her, at Pa, then at me and start to grin.\u00a0 Joe just looked nervous.\u00a0 Abby held her hand out to my father.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam\u2019s told me so much about his family and home.\u00a0 I am delighted to meet you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before she could continue, Pa asked, \u201cPlease, call me Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if you call me Abby.\u201d They exchanged smiles.<\/p>\n
She turned her lively eyes to my brothers and continued, \u201cYou must be Hoss.\u00a0 Adam told me about your baby raccoons.\u00a0 May I see them later?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss blushed and shook her small hand. I watched with pleasure as he fell under her spell.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe, it\u2019s so nice to meet you, too.\u201d\u00a0 She leaned over and I heard her whisper to him, \u201cI put a frog into my teacher\u2019s desk once.\u00a0 Got a terrible whipping, just like the one I bet you got.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s eyes brightened and he looked at her with astonishment.\u00a0 An adult who admitted to mischief.\u00a0 Like Hoss, he was enchanted, even though he didn\u2019t know the meaning of the word.<\/p>\n
As I drew Dick and Anne Snelling forward for introductions, I saw Abby look at the house and the scenery that surrounded it with appreciation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s even lovelier than you described, Adam. I am so pleased that I got the opportunity to see your home before I left.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth dropped open.\u00a0 \u201cBefore you\u2026\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know you were leaving.\u00a0 I thought you were settling here with Dick and Anne.\u201d\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n
All my plans!<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI told you about my daughter, didn\u2019t I?\u00a0 She is a little younger than you but she\u2019s been married for several years to her childhood sweetheart. She\u2019s finally in the family way and wants me to come back to Vermont and help her. It\u2019s a new beginning, Adam, like we talked about. It\u2019s a new life for them, for a baby and for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her happy eyes made it impossible for me not to rejoice with her.\u00a0 She had told me how lost and empty she felt after the death of her husband of twenty years.\u00a0 I had hoped\u2026\u00a0 Well, never mind what I had hoped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat wonderful news for you, though I am sorry that we won\u2019t get to enjoy your company longer, Abby.\u201d\u00a0 Pa\u2019s voice broke through my thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as this will be your only visit, shall we start with supper?\u00a0 Then, may I have the first dance with you?\u201d\u00a0 He offered his arm and she took it willingly.\u00a0 I could see them talking as they strolled toward the tables.<\/p>\n
Hoss looked at me with sympathy, but before he could comment, Joe caught sight of his friend Mitch and took off with a whoop.\u00a0 I shook my head at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go see if you can claim Cindy for that first dance. Hoss?\u00a0 The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the girl.\u201d Hoss hesitated for a moment, then took himself off to the far side of the yard where several young girls were gathered in a chattering circle.<\/p>\n
A fleeting line of poetry reflected how I was feeling right then.<\/p>\n
For of all sad words of tongue or pen<\/em>The saddest are these: \u201cIt might have been!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nDrat it, Abby had been perfect for Pa. Perfect for all of us.\u00a0 Oh, well, as they say in the engineering field,\u00a0 “Back to the drawing board.\u201d\u00a0 Later.<\/p>\n
Right now, I could see Lucy Fletcher, a girl I\u2019d attended school with.\u00a0 She looked much improved, enough so that I thought I just might try my hand at getting reacquainted. Onward to being a good host!<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Explanation:\u00a0 This story is the result of a writing challenge. We were to create the perfect woman for a Cartwright, and we couldn\u2019t kill the character.