Summary: Hoss meets the love of his life, but his love will be tested when she’s caught in a crossfire.<\/p>\n
Rating: PG, Word Count: 5141<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To Be There<\/strong><\/p>\n It had finally stopped snowing when the Cartwrights went out in search of Hoss\u2019 wife. They had received a ransom for her that day. Lydia had been home alone when she had been taken. Hoss was heading to his own house from the Ponderosa when he saw the house was burned down.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia. Lydia!\u201d He yelled.<\/p>\n He ran to the barn, but nobody was there. Her horse was gone too. He turned and saw a note tacked to the inside of the door. It was a ransom note. He shoved the note into his vest pocket, got on his horse and raced to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d he called out.<\/p>\n Dismounting, he ran into the house.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss found Ben at his desk and pulled out the note.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I found this tacked on the barn door. Our house is burned down. Lydia\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss handed the note to Ben to read.<\/p>\n \u201cI know where this house is. It\u2019s the old Jenkins place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam and Joe are in the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss grabbed his brothers\u2019 gun belts and took them out to his brothers, explaining about Lydia. Adam and Joe put their gun belts on and jumped on their horses.<\/p>\n They rode in a line across the snowy land. Ben was in front followed by Adam, Hoss and Joe. Hoss was antsy. What if they didn\u2019t find her? What if\u2026he didn\u2019t want to think of the alternative. They had to find her. He pulled his coat around him. The cold bit right through the coat. He saw Adam hunch into his coat. The only sound Hoss heard was the crunching of snow under the horse\u2019s hooves.<\/p>\n \u201cHow much farther, Pa?\u201d Hoss called out.<\/p>\n \u201cNot much. Just over the hill here,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n Suddenly, they heard shots fired.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia!\u201d Hoss yelled kicking his horse into a run.<\/p>\n The four men raced to where the sounds came from. They saw the house. Jumping off their horses they rushed inside through the wide open door. They saw two bodies in the front room. Hoss and Adam explored farther into the house and found a woman dead at the top of the stairs, and another at the bottom of the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia.\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n Hoss stood in shock, unable to move and praying Lydia would be all right. His thoughts turned to when he met Lydia.<\/p>\n The Cartwrights had a dance at the Ponderosa and there, he and Lydia had met. She was there with her friends. Lydia was the local schoolteacher and rarely went to parties because she had been busy with grading papers and planning lessons. With that, she only knew the parents of her students, and a few girls her own age. Hoss watched Lydia as she laughed at something her friend said. He couldn\u2019t take his eyes off her. Her red hair was pulled up into a twist and curled. She had green eyes that seemed to sparkle. When she smiled, a dimple would appear. Adam joined Hoss\u2019 side.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou should ask her to dance,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would she want to dance with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, it\u2019s just a dance. You\u2019re not asking her to marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at his older brother and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n But Hoss still didn\u2019t move so Adam shoved him Lydia\u2019s way.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, Miss Lydia?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n Lydia turned and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I wondered if you\u2019d want to dance with me?\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to.\u201d<\/p>\n After they danced, he got her a glass of punch and they began talking.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I take you home after the dance?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSure. I\u2019ll go tell my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia stood and spoke with her friends. Adam sidled up to Hoss again.<\/p>\n \u201cSee, that wasn\u2019t so bad,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n \u201cNope. I\u2019m gonna take her home after the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyebrows shot up in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cGood for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, she is the purdiest girl I ever saw,\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n Adam smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat she is. If I wasn\u2019t married, I\u2019d go after her myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood thing Joe is too. I\u2019m sure I\u2019d lose her to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re probably right.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia continued talking to her friends and Adam went to dance with his wife. Hoss rested his head on his hand and watched Lydia being asked by others to dance. After the dance was over, Hoss took her home. They started dating and in a whirlwind romance, they married.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss! Hoss!\u201d Adam called, pulling Hoss out of his thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, Lydia is alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is?\u201d Hoss asked kneeling by them.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. She\u2019s been shot in the shoulder but she seems all right otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss breathed in relief.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s at the top of the stairs?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I was more worried about Lydia,\u201d Adam said and got up.<\/p>\n Hoss took care of Lydia while Adam checked on the woman upstairs. Adam had put his handkerchief on Lydia\u2019s wound and Hoss wrapped his kerchief around her arm to keep it still. Hoss looked at her face. There were bruises and lacerations.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Megan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Megan Milton. She\u2019s the one up here.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss couldn\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe joined them.<\/p>\n \u201cMegan Milton\u2019s brothers are in the front room and both are dead,\u201d Ben reported.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s upstairs?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Megan Milton,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re kidding. What happened here then?\u201d Ben wondered.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll won\u2019t find out until Lydia wakes up,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Lydia is alive?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is. She was shot in the shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe must get her to the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n As Hoss started to lift Lydia, she moaned and opened her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d She whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m right here, darlin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. You\u2019ve been shot.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia looked around and then panic appeared on her face and she gripped Hoss\u2019 arm.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, Megan kidnapped me. Please don\u2019t let her hurt me more,\u201d she said urgently.<\/p>\n \u201cShe won\u2019t hurt you no more. Megan is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia breathed a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you stand?\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia tried but her legs wouldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I can\u2019t feel my legs,\u201d she said looking up at him with fear in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right. It\u2019s probably just from the fall,\u201d Hoss said and picked her up.<\/p>\n Hoss set Lydia on Chubb\u2019s saddle, held on to her with one hand and climbed on behind her. They then headed to Virginia City. When they got there Hoss, Adam and Lydia went to Dr. Paul Martin\u2019s office and Joe. Ben went to Sheriff Roy Coffee\u2019s office then they headed back to the Jenkin\u2019s house to retrieve the bodies.<\/p>\n Paul removed the bullet from Lydia\u2019s shoulder while Adam and Hoss waited in the front room. Adam paced and Hoss sat with his head in his hands, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. Adam looked at his brother and knelt in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. If I\u2019d only been home, none of this would have happened,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, that\u2019s not true. Besides, if Megan didn\u2019t do it this time, she would try another time. She was always jealous \u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss did remember and thought about it.<\/p>\n Megan had a crush on Hoss and was determined to end up with Hoss instead of Lydia. She had tried everything to get him to ask her out. He finally asked her to dinner so she would leave him alone. After that she became obsessed with Hoss. He had told Megan many times that he was courting Lydia and to leave them alone. Ben told Hoss that he should marry in San Francisco. Megan found out and followed the Cartwrights and Lydia. She screamed her rage and was hauled out by Adam and Joe and taken to the police. She was later released after the Cartwrights left. It had become worse after he and Lydia married. Megan made threats to Lydia when she would see her in town. Lydia would stand up against Megan but Megan was bigger than Lydia and threatened to take Lydia down. Roy told Megan to stop and threw her in jail but soon she was out again. Her brothers would pay the bail. Lydia went into town to help the new schoolteacher by tutoring some of the slower kids. Hoss tried to go to town with Lydia but at times couldn\u2019t because of ranch work. He kept telling Lydia not to go but she was committed to helping the teacher, and went anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n Hoss looked at Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least I can stop worrying about Megan coming after Lydia,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. What else is bothering you? That she could be paralyzed for life? If she is, would you love her less?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, how can you say that?\u201d Hoss asked surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, that\u2019s not how I meant it. It\u2019s true, I\u2019ve seen it happen when my family and I lived in Boston. Many would \u201cAdam, you know I would never, ever do that to Lydia. I will always be with her. I would help her wherever I could.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and keep remembering that. She\u2019s going to need a lot of love, not guilt, from you. But remember too that I walked again and so did Johnny Lightly. With therapy she\u2019ll be able to walk again,\u201d he said fiercely.<\/p>\n \u201cI promise to help her however I can,\u201d Hoss vowed.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you will and I know that Jenny and Sam will help too. I know you\u2019re worried, Hoss but if you show you\u2019re worried that she won\u2019t walk again, she\u2019ll pick up on that and feed off the fear,\u201d Adam advised.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded. Just then, Paul walked out from the back and the brothers stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia is fine. There were no problems with the bullet. I patched up her lacerations. There were some wounds that were harder to stop bleeding but they\u2019ve stopped now. From what you told me of her not feeling her legs, it could be trauma from her falling down the stairs. She could regain feeling with therapy. I can send out a nurse to help if you\u2019d like,\u201d Paul suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we can do it. Thanks,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cMay we go see her?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may. She\u2019s still unconscious. I suggest when taking her home be very careful. It could cause more trauma and possible permanent paralysis,\u201d Paul advised.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and get a wagon and get plenty of blankets and other things to make it soft for her,\u201d Adam said and left.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on in to see her, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss went back to see Lydia. He sat next to her and watched her breathing. Her face had bandages on the lacerations and the bruises. He took her hand and lightly rubbed it. Lydia stirred and looked at Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cHi back,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid to ask how you are?\u201d he chuckled softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia looked around trying to remember what happened to her.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember. I may later, but right now, I just don\u2019t. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right. Don\u2019t try to push to remember,\u201d Hoss said squeezing her hand in reassurance.<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOur house is gone. It was burned. We\u2019ll probably end up staying at the Ponderosa. Will you be all right with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I will. Anywhere you are that\u2019s where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss kissed her.<\/p>\n They were interrupted by the door opening and Ben, Joe, Adam and Paul walking in.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a wagon for Lydia and it\u2019s padded,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got another wagon for the wheelchair,\u201d Ben added.<\/p>\n \u201cMay we take her home now?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you may,\u201d Paul replied.<\/p>\n Hoss carefully picked up Lydia and took her to the wagon. Adam got up in the wagon and took Lydia from Hoss and carefully laid her down. They got everything situated and ready to go. Paul gave Ben medicine for Lydia. They tied Adam\u2019s, Hoss\u2019 and Joe\u2019s horses to the wagons. Adam drove the one carrying Hoss and Lydia. Joe drove the other with the wheelchair. Hoss prayed the wagon ride wouldn\u2019t be bad.<\/p>\n When they got home, Sam, Jenny and the kids ran out of the house when they heard the wagons.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re all home. We\u2019ve been worried,\u201d Jenny said to Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you find Lydia?\u201d Sam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, she\u2019s in the back,\u201d Adam replied and jumped off the wagon and went to the back of the wagon to help Hoss.<\/p>\n Hoss carefully lifted Lydia and handed her to Adam and climbed out of the wagon.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want her in your old room?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d came Hoss\u2019 dull reply.<\/p>\n He was worried about Lydia and couldn\u2019t wait to get her settled and get things figured out. Hoss followed Adam upstairs while the others waited downstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Adam,\u201d Lydia said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome. Can we have Hop Sing bring you up something? We\u2019ll figure out everything else tomorrow. We just need to get you settled in,\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSure. Maybe just some broth. I\u2019m not that hungry but I think I can handle that,\u201d Lydia replied.<\/p>\n Adam smiled and left the couple alone.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, are you all right?\u201d Lydia asked looking at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine. Why do you ask?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you\u2019ve been awful quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss drew in a deep breath and blew it out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine. I really am. I\u2019m just grateful you\u2019re alive. I was scared when I saw the house burned down and you gone.\u201d<\/p>\n He took her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I wish I could remember what happened. But right now I just can\u2019t. Maybe it\u2019ll come back some time. I know you want answers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe all do.\u201d<\/p>\n A knock came at the door and Hoss opened it. Adam came in with a tray. Hoss helped Lydia sit up more. He had tried being careful but had knocked her arm accidently. She sucked in a breath.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so sorry, Lydia,\u201d he apologized profusely.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d she said breathing again.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, Hop Sing has made a pot roast if you\u2019d care for any. You can eat up here,\u201d Adam offered.<\/p>\n Hoss looked at Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not hungry. I\u2019ll just help Lydia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you need anything you know where we are,\u201d Adam said and left.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you can go eat with the family,\u201d Lydia said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re my family. Besides, with that arm of yours, you need help,\u201d Hoss pointed out.<\/p>\n Lydia smiled and nodded. Hoss helped Lydia eat.<\/p>\n That night, Lydia dreamed about what happened. She screamed for help, but nobody came. She continued to \u201cLydia. Lydia, wake up,\u201d Hoss said trying to her up.<\/p>\n Lydia finally woke up and looked around and saw Hoss with a concerned look on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, what were you dreamin\u2019 about?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n Lydia tried to remember it. Before she could say anything a knock came at the door. Hoss got up and answered the door. The candle reflected Ben\u2019s worried face.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Lydia just had a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. I just wanted to see if everything was all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d Hoss said then shut the door.<\/p>\n He sat back in bed and saw Lydia sobbing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was your dream about?\u201d He asked again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was about the kidnapping. I remember it all now, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to talk about it?\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was at home, I was upstairs cleaning and heard a knock on the door. I went down to answer it and Megan was standing there with her brothers. I tried to slam the door on her, but they kicked it open and they came after me. I grabbed the broom and hit one of them. They got mad and attacked me. I fought them but they hit me over and over. I finally gave up and followed them. I got on my horse and that\u2019s when they set fire to the house. I did try to break free a few times, but they\u2019d still catch me then hit me. When we got to the house, they put me upstairs just in case someone came. Megan said she was going to kill me in front of you. She was to be yours and she was going to force you to marry her. I was so scared. I started digging around in the room. There were a lot of things just left behind. I found a gun in there. I don\u2019t know why anyone would leave a gun, and even the bullets, but it was there. I picked the lock on the door and snuck out. Her brothers saw me and started shooting. I got hit in the shoulder, but I shot them both. Megan had been in another room upstairs and came out of there. She saw her brothers and threatened to kill me. She grabbed my arm and we struggled over the gun. It went off and hit her. As she fell, she pushed me, and I fell down the stairs,\u201d Lydia explained then sobbed.<\/p>\n Hoss held her and rocked her side to side. He couldn\u2019t believe she had gone through that. Guilt washed over him. The next morning, Hoss carried Lydia downstairs, put her in the wheelchair and rolled her to the table for breakfast next to Ben.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning,\u201d Ben greeted.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning. How are you?\u201d Lydia asked.<\/p>\n \u201cFine. Adam and Joe are coming with their families. They thought about starting your therapy today or at least talking about it. Are you all right with that?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. It will be good to get started,\u201d Lydia replied happily.<\/p>\n \u201cI do apologize that we did talk about this without you present.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia waved Ben off. \u201cBen, it\u2019s all right. I don\u2019t mind. I don\u2019t think I was in the right mind to even know what you were all saying.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss was silent through the discussion and watched his wife. He couldn\u2019t believe she was laughing and happy after her nightmare. Was she really effected by it? Hoss didn\u2019t know what to think.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right? You seem a bit distant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Hoss lied.<\/p>\n Lydia looked at Hoss worriedly. He did look tired and she knew why. She felt guilty for that because of the nightmare and remembering what happened. She turned to her father-in-law and told him what happened to her. Ben sat stunned.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I woke up screaming last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, I\u2019m so sorry you went through that.\u201d<\/p>\n He took her hand that had been on the table. Lydia smiled. Hop Sing brought out breakfast and they began to eat. Just then Joe and his family came in.<\/p>\n \u201cHiya everyone,\u201d Joe greeted.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Joe. We\u2019re just about to sit down to breakfast. Care to join us?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we just had breakfast,\u201d Joe replied but sat down at the table anyway.<\/p>\n Sam and the kids followed. Joe had three children: Fredrick Benjamin, Alexander and Rose Marie. They sat and talked about different goings on. Adam and his family walked in and joined the family. Adam had three kids: Abel Benjamin, Maxwell, and Sarah Elizabeth. Hoss still watched Lydia as she laughed and smiled at what everyone was saying. He was so baffled at her. He had thought she\u2019d be depressed and withdrawn into herself with what happened. He was impressed though. Impressed she still moved on and laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d best go get a few chores done,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n He stood and left without so much as a goodbye or even a kiss to Lydia. She watched him leave and started to worry about him. Thoughts swirled around her mind of what he could be feeling with the revelation of what had After breakfast, the girls decided to start therapy. They decided to do it in the spare bedroom just off by the dining room. It would be quieter and more private. Joe had put down a few blankets on the floor to make it more comfortable and then laid her on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you gals need anything just yell, I\u2019ll come runnin\u2019,\u201d Joe said before leaving.<\/p>\n Sam and Jenny got to work on helping Lydia.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll leave the leg rubbing to Hoss,\u201d Jenny said.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d Lydia said in a low tone.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Sam asked laying Lydia\u2019s left leg down.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about him? Has he said anything of leaving you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he hasn\u2019t. I told him what happened to me. I finally remembered after a nightmare I had last night. He\u2019s They sat stunned.<\/p>\n \u201cThat really happened?\u201d Jenny asked.<\/p>\n Lydia nodded as tears rolled down the side of her face.<\/p>\n \u201cBut they didn\u2019t attempt anything on you did they?\u201d Sam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they didn\u2019t. I was surprised. They just beat me was all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why would Hoss be distant because of that?\u201d Jenny asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Maybe because I killed three people.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia wiped her tears.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right. Now let\u2019s work on those legs some more.\u201d Sam said.<\/p>\n They continued the therapy.<\/p>\n That night the family gathered in the living room chatting. Adam brought out his guitar and they sang a few songs. The girls harmonized on the songs.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I borrow your guitar, Adam?\u201d Lydia asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam got up and handed her his guitar. She started playing \u201cSlumber My Darling\u201d and sang it. Afterwards she played and sang \u201cBeautiful Dreamer\u201d. Everyone clapped when she was done. Adam took the guitar back.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for playing those,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d best get going and get these kids to bed,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n The kids moaned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not just stay here? It\u2019ll be fun to sleep over. You all can have your old rooms and the children can have the guestroom upstairs,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n Adam looked at Jenny and Joe at Sam. The women nodded and the children cheered. They rushed upstairs to change into their pajamas. They always had an extra pair of clothes for everyone in case they did stay over. Lydia covered a yawn.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d better get to bed too. I\u2019ll just stay in this room here. It\u2019ll be easier,\u201d Lydia said and rolled in there before Hoss could say anything.<\/p>\n He had again been distant with her. Hoss watched her not knowing what made her want to sleep in another room. The others looked at Hoss. He looked at them and got up and followed Lydia.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss came in and closed the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should ask you that question,\u201d she said in a tight voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you were fine with me this morning and then your brothers come and you become distant. You don\u2019t talk to me. You don\u2019t even kiss me. Are you disgusted by me because I can\u2019t walk? If so, then take me to Virginia City and I\u2019ll have the doctor help me,\u201d she snapped but still fought tears.<\/p>\n Hoss looked at her and sat on the bed next to her to look her in the eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not disgusted by you. I couldn\u2019t believe that after you told me what happened to you and even the nightmare, you were able to laugh and talk about other things. I figured it would have scared you and you wouldn\u2019t be laughing. I am sorry I made you feel that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Tears rolled down Hoss\u2019 face. Lydia crumbled seeing her husband cry.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d she apologized.<\/p>\n He picked her up and set her on his lap and they held each other.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom now on, we\u2019ll communicate better,\u201d Lydia said pulling away and looking at him with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYou bet,\u201d Hoss said wiping her tears then kissing her.<\/p>\n He held her after they pulled away.<\/p>\n Weeks and even a month went by with Lydia pushing herself daily with therapy. Some days she\u2019d get frustrated because she still couldn\u2019t walk. A new snow fell, and they decided to go on a sleigh ride. Hoss carried Lydia to the sleigh and covered her with blankets. Adam and Joe did the same to their wives. Ben said he\u2019d take care of the kids so the adults could have a break. They climbed in and started off with Adam driving. They talked and laughed. Lydia breathed in deep the cold air. It felt so good to be outside.<\/p>\n That night, Lydia dreamed she was being attacked by Megan and she stabbed Lydia in the legs. She screamed in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss will never love you because you can\u2019t walk and are now disfigured,\u201d Megan taunted.<\/p>\n Hoss was next to Megan and said Megan was correct. He loved Megan now because she could walk. Lydia lay in the pool of blood and cried out for Hoss to come back.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, Lydia. Honey, wake up,\u201d a distant voice said.<\/p>\n Lydia woke up in hysterics.<\/p>\n \u201cMy legs. My legs hurt. Stop the pain. Stop her from stabbing me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, you\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he processed the part about her legs.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you feel your legs?\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia stopped and thought about it. She pulled the covers off and moved her legs. They moved just slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cRub my legs.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss did as he was told.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I can feel them!\u201d She said in excitement.<\/p>\n There was a knock on the door and Hoss opened it.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything all right in here?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Sorry we didn\u2019t mean to wake you. Lydia had a bad dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d Adam said and went back to bed.<\/p>\n Hoss shut the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell Adam about my legs?\u201d Lydia asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI want it to be a surprise. Let\u2019s get you moving a bit,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the middle of the night!\u201d She said.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on. I can\u2019t sleep now.\u201d<\/p>\n He went around the bed and helped her stand. He held onto her to keep her steady. She walked a little bit. It was wobbly and he had to help keep her standing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re doing it. You\u2019re walking,\u201d Hoss said in excitement.<\/p>\n \u201cNot well but it\u2019s something,\u201d Lydia replied.<\/p>\n They worked on her walking for about an hour and Lydia could go no longer. He helped her back into bed and they fell asleep.<\/p>\n The next morning Hoss and Lydia walked downstairs. Hoss held onto Lydia again as she shakily walked down the stairs. The family had been talking and didn\u2019t notice them coming down until Ben looked up when he heard a slap on the railing and a gasp. Lydia had tripped on the stairs and grabbed the railing. Hoss tightened his hold on her.<\/p>\n \u201cLydia, you\u2019re walking!\u201d Ben exclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot very well. I need Hoss to hold me up,\u201d Lydia said smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what the screaming was last night? Your legs hurt?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah and a bad dream. Sorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d Adam said waving it off.<\/p>\n Hoss helped Lydia walk to the dining room table.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll take time but I think she\u2019ll walk with more therapy,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n He looked proud of Lydia.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to start rebuilding the house some time. We can\u2019t live here forever,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see why you can\u2019t,\u201d Ben said. He had been lonely without the boys living in the house.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been under foot,\u201d Lydia said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t. It\u2019s been good to have all of my family here,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n Lydia took Ben\u2019s hand and gently squeezed it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been nice to be here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Hoss, Joe and Adam had gone out to clean up the mess from the burned house to rebuild.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Pa is lonely,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you say that?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of how he said we didn\u2019t have to rebuild, and it was good we were all there,\u201d Hoss pointed out.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, but we\u2019re not that far away though,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still not the same to him. He has breakfast alone. The house is quiet, besides the noise from Hop Sing in the kitchen,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n The boys were quiet thinking about it and cleaned up.<\/p>\n Lydia continued walking around with the help of Sam and Jenny. The kids were running around the house yelling and screaming. Freddie ran into Sam and Abel ran into Jenny which they let go of Lydia and she fell on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cAbel and Freddie, take your siblings outside and play. You\u2019ve caused enough problems in here. Apologize to Aunt Lydia get outside,\u201d Jenny said angrily.<\/p>\n The boys hung their heads and apologized.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on Rosie, Max and Sarah,\u201d Abel said.<\/p>\n The kids followed the boys.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right? Sam asked helping Lydia up.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Can you take me upstairs? I need to sleep. This has worn me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Sam said and they helped her upstairs.<\/p>\n About an hour later, the brothers came in and everyone, but Lydia was inside doing quiet activities.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Lydia?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s upstairs sleeping,\u201d Jenny said.<\/p>\n He went upstairs to see her. He quietly opened the door and saw her asleep. Her right hand was on her stomach moving up and down with her breathing. Her left hand by her head. Her red hair splayed out on the pillow. He couldn\u2019t believe how lucky he was to have a beautiful woman for a wife. He walked in and went to the side of the bed and lightly kissed her forehead. Lydia stirred and woke up looking at him. She smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHi. How are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoing all right.\u201d<\/p>\n She sat up.<\/p>\n \u201cCare to go downstairs?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a minute. I just want to have you for myself for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled and went around onto his side of the bed and held her.<\/p>\n Time passed and Lydia had finally regained use of her legs and she was able to walk by herself. They celebrated with another dance. Hoss danced every dance with her. He loved dancing with her and she with him. Lydia was happy to be able to walk again. The house was finished being built and the couple moved in. They sat on the couch that night as Hoss held her and he kissed her. How happy Lydia was that Hoss loved her no matter what happened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the Brandsters.\u00a0 The story was originally written and published on the Bonanza Trail Riders site.\u00a0 Brand is happy to offer this story a new home.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary: Hoss meets the love of his life, but his love will be tested when she’s caught in a crossfire.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rating: PG, Word Count: 5141<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12475,"featured_media":62121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1006],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hoss-cartwright","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1006-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12475"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nof Lydia and tried many things to get her. Megan was crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nleave their spouse because they don\u2019t want to take care of them anymore. Some are sent to institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nscream and fight but still nobody came. She screamed in her sleep and woke Hoss up when she punched him in the back.<\/p>\n
\nHe should have stayed home or taken her with him to the Ponderosa. She finally fell asleep but he didn\u2019t sleep well thinking of Lydia.<\/p>\n
\nhappened to her. She turned back to her family. Adam got up and said he\u2019d go help Hoss.<\/p>\n
\nsuddenly distant,\u201d Lydia said and then told her sisters-in-law the story of her kidnapping.<\/p>\n