Summary:\u00a0 It was just an April Fool’s Day prank gone wrong.<\/p>\n
Rating: General\u00a0 \u00a0 Word count: 897\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0No April’s Fool<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It had just been a prank, and a little prank at that.\u00a0 He had only meant for his ever so dignified elder brother to look clumsy and feel a little foolish.\u00a0 He had meant to laugh with everyone else protected by the presence of an audience and tradition.\u00a0 The first of April held protection from any retaliation except a prank in kind, and Little Joe Cartwright would have only a few hours to tread lightly and avoid any hastily constructed plot to gain revenge.\u00a0 Oh, Adam was clever, but he played by the rules.\u00a0 April Fool\u2019s revenge could be exacted only on that day, and Adam would be hampered by the presence of their guests.\u00a0 Little Joe had prepared with confidence.\u00a0 That confidence had been well-placed actually.\u00a0 He had carefully prepared the soles of Adam\u2019s dress boots.\u00a0 First, he made the surface as slick as possible.\u00a0 Then he sealed them temporarily with a mixture of gritted wax unnoticeable unless you inspected the bottom of the shoes directly.\u00a0 Little Joe knew the heat of Adam\u2019s feet and the friction of the shoes against the floor would slowly melt the wax and, at some point in the evening, it would become impossible for Adam to stand.\u00a0 Little Joe knew it would work because he had tested the mixture out himself.\u00a0 Joe even stationed himself in Adam\u2019s room chattering as the eldest Cartwright son finished dressing for the business dinner their father was having that evening.\u00a0 Adam had automatically jerked on his boots while answering one of his little brother\u2019s incessant questions.\u00a0 Yes, everything had gone as planned except no one had laughed because elder brother had not landed on his behind or even his back.\u00a0 He had been headed back up the stairs to retrieve some papers when he lost his footing.\u00a0 He had fallen forward hard and struck his head on the edge of a higher step.\u00a0 He had not lost consciousness, but both the cut at his hairline and his nose had bled profusely.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Careful not to make any sound that would attract attention, Little Joe slipped from his room and made his way down the dark hall to Adam\u2019s door.\u00a0 Easing it open, he stopped to listen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m awake.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice was soft and calm, but it seemed to fill the silent room.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe ventured inside and closed the door behind him as Adam lit a lamp.\u00a0 He stopped halfway to the bed as he caught sight of the white bandage on his brother\u2019s head along with Adam\u2019s swollen and bruised nose.\u00a0 His eyes dropped and fixed themselves on the wooden floor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m real, real sorry,\u201d Joe muttered and then turned back toward the door.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJoe, come here.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe turned and walked like a condemned man to the side of Adam\u2019s bed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI accept your apology, Joe; I accepted the ones you gave me earlier.\u00a0 I know you didn\u2019t mean for me to get hurt.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou did though,\u201d Little Joe accused himself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll look a sight for a bit, but I\u2019ll heal soon enough.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe raised his eyes to Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did ya stop Pa from tanning me?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause it was April Fool\u2019s Day, because if I had landed on my backside Pa would have laughed with the rest of you, because you\u2019re my baby brother, and . . .\u201d\u00a0 A wry grin appeared on Adam\u2019s face as he finished, \u201cAnd it was very clever, Joe, and very neatly done.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “You\u2019re not mad?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe was still puzzled by his brother\u2019s reaction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t at first because pain is very distracting.\u201d\u00a0 Adam saw Little Joe wince as if he had been struck.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He reached out and drew his little brother onto the bed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve hurt worse after one good bounce off a horse.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you still hurting too bad to be angry?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 I\u2019m not angry now because I don\u2019t need to be.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to be?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou regret what you did, Joe.\u00a0 I think maybe next time you\u2019ll think what might go wrong and make a better choice.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe crumpled against Adam\u2019s chest and whispered into his nightshirt, \u201cI feel so guilty.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m aching, and you\u2019re not?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe\u2019s throat was too full of tears to answer, so he nodded.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Adam swallowed and put his arm around Little Joe\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 He spoke softly into the boy\u2019s ear, \u201cWell, we could still get Pa to fix that problem.\u201d\u00a0 He knew Little Joe could hear the teasing in his tone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe sat up and looked at his brother.\u00a0 Then he bit his lower lip and twisted the cloth of his nightshirt.\u00a0 Adam read his words from his lips more than he registered them with his ears, so faint was Little Joe\u2019s response.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we\u2019d better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Adam took Little Joe\u2019s chin in his hand, \u201cNaw.\u00a0 If I manage to get angry later, I\u2019ll see to it myself.\u201d\u00a0 He released Little Joe\u2019s chin.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be fine between us, little brother.\u00a0 Now, get to bed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in a bed,\u201d Little Joe declared softly with a trace of a smile.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat you are.\u00a0 Well, then blow out the lamp, and let\u2019s get some sleep.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shifted, and Little Joe slid under the covers to settle next to him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I\u2019ll groom Sport and clean his stall for two weeks.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “And I\u2019ll let you,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 They both shut their eyes and were asleep in five minutes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0Tags:\u00a0 Brother, family, prank<\/span><\/p>\n
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