{"id":4845,"date":"2014-04-29T13:06:12","date_gmt":"2014-04-29T17:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4845"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:12:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:12:57","slug":"the-best-laid-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4845","title":{"rendered":"The Best-Laid Plans (by pjb)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Laid up for weeks\u00a0with broken bones, Joe’s getting very, very frustrated.\u00a0 But New Year’s Eve is here, and he’s got big plans . . . if only a certain lady will cooperate.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0MA \u00a0WC \u00a04100<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Best-Laid Plans<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno, Little Brother,\u201d<\/strong> said Hoss as he pushed a red piece to a new square.\u00a0 \u201cMebbe we just shouldn\u2019t bother with a party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot bother?\u00a0 Are you nuts?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe jumped three of Hoss\u2019s pieces and swept them off the board.\u00a0 \u201cNew Year\u2019s only comes once a year.\u00a0 We can\u2019t cancel the party!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014Pa ain\u2019t here, and you\u2019re all laid up\u2014what fun is it gonna be?\u201d<\/p>\n

His big brother looked so sad for him that Joe was tempted to \u2019fess up.\u00a0 In the next moment, he kicked that urge out of his mind.\u00a0 No way would the party go forward if Hoss knew what Joe was planning.<\/p>\n

So, Joe laid back against the pillows, patting his brother\u2019s large hand like a good little invalid.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Hoss, it\u2019s not that big a deal,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, maybe some of the guests will come up and visit during the party.\u00a0 I mean, it\u2019s not like I\u2019m sick or something, like they could catch a disease.\u00a0 I\u2019m just a little broken, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

A little broken<\/em>\u00a0was an understatement.\u00a0 The stagecoach had come flying into town, the horses wild-eyed and the driver bellowing.\u00a0 Little Joe Cartwright was one of the folks who had been standing on the corner, and he was the only one foolish enough to try to stop the runaway team.\u00a0 He grabbed onto the harness and hung on, shouting \u201cWhoa!\u201d at the top of his lungs.\u00a0 He was just managing to slow them when somebody ran out in the street in front of them.\u00a0 The horses reared, throwing him to the ground and coming down on him.\u00a0 Doc Martin had spent hours setting broken bones, making plaster casts and calming a frantic Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 No question that it could have been much, much worse.\u00a0 Even now, four weeks later, Joe was encased in plaster from his mid-thighs to his toes, with no hope of getting out of bed before the spring thaw.<\/p>\n

Joe knew enough to be grateful that he hadn\u2019t been killed, but he also knew that he was going to go stir crazy if he didn\u2019t get some relief from the tedium of spending his days in bed, alone.\u00a0 So, once his concussion improved, he\u2019d developed a plan.\u00a0 If all went well, the New Year\u2019s party would be the perfect antidote for what was ailing him.<\/p>\n

What made it perfect was that Pa had to be out of town.\u00a0 The party was a tradition, but there was a very wealthy businessman in San Francisco who wanted to talk about buying Ponderosa timber, and he wanted to talk to Ben Cartwright himself.\u00a0 When Joe got hurt, Pa started making noises about cancelling his trip or sending Adam in his place.\u00a0 As the day came closer, though, and Joe was itching to see somebody, anybody, who didn\u2019t live on the Ponderosa\u2014preferably, somebody female\u2014he started laying the groundwork to keep Pa\u2019s trip in place.\u00a0 This meeting was important to the future of the Ponderosa, he insisted.\u00a0 And this man wanted to talk to\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0Ben Cartwright\u2014it wouldn\u2019t be right to send a mere son.\u00a0 Besides, with Adam and Hoss and Hop Sing at home, Joe would be well looked-after.\u00a0 It took enough arguing that Joe began to get nervous, but in the end, Ben Cartwright got on a stagecoach and got the hell out of there with no idea of what notions lurked in his youngest son\u2019s head\u2014or any of his other parts.<\/p>\n

And now, with Pa\u2019s chair barely empty, Hoss was talking about ruining everything.\u00a0 Well, that just couldn\u2019t happen.\u00a0 It had been four weeks and two days since Joe Cartwright had laid eyes on a girl, and he just couldn\u2019t wait much longer.\u00a0 A fellow could explode under this kind of pressure.<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure it ain\u2019t gonna bother you if\u2019n we have a party and you\u2019re up here in bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me, Big Brother,\u201d Joe assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t be bothered at all.\u00a0 I just want you and Adam to have a good time.\u201d\u00a0 Even as the last words came out of his mouth, he knew he might have overplayed his hand, but luckily, this was Hoss and not Adam.\u00a0 The big man looked at him quizzically for a moment, as if he knew he was supposed to find something suspicious in Joe\u2019s attitude but he was darned if he knew what it could be.\u00a0 Before he could figure it out, Joe said, \u201cIt\u2019s your move.\u00a0 Hurry up and do something foolish so I can win, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomethin\u2019 foolish?\u00a0 You jest watch this one, Little Brother!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss turned his full attention to the checkerboard, and Joe allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

* * * * * * * * * *<\/p>\n

The last day of 1858 dawned bright and clear.\u00a0 Downstairs, Joe\u2019s brothers and Hop Sing scurried around, moving furniture, yelling back and forth, and doing all the things that came before a good party.\u00a0 Hoss snuck upstairs a couple times with a bottle, and Adam snuck upstairs a couple other times with another bottle, and so by the time the guests started to arrive, Joe had already had a fair bit to drink.\u00a0\u00a0All the better<\/em>, he reflected as he listened to the door opening and the laughter floating up the stairs.<\/p>\n

A slightly shrill voice signaled the arrival of the guest he\u2019d hoped for.\u00a0 His mind had no sooner registered the identity of the guest than his body followed suit.\u00a0 \u201cStop that!\u201d he hissed at his lap.\u00a0 The last thing he needed was for anybody to come into his room and see the unmistakable evidence of his plan.\u00a0 He tried to think of smelly stalls and old schoolteachers, without success.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d never sparked Barbara Fuller, of course.\u00a0 At almost-eighteen, she had nearly two years on Joe, and he didn\u2019t tend toward older women.\u00a0 Besides, the girls he sparked were always pretty, and Barbara was\u2014well, not pretty.\u00a0 She had a long, narrow face that looked somber even when she was smiling, and her teeth stuck out just enough to keep her from completely closing her lips.\u00a0 Her eyes were a strange gray-green, with sparse, no-color lashes, and her lips were pale and thin.\u00a0 Her hair was mousy brown, tightly curled in the morning and straight as string by lunchtime.\u00a0 Mitch Devlin said she was as homely as a mud fence, which was only a slight exaggeration.\u00a0 Normally, Joe wouldn\u2019t have thought twice about her.<\/p>\n

What Barbara lacked in above-the-neck beauty, however, she more than made up for below.\u00a0 She had the roundest, most luscious pair of breasts on the Washoe.\u00a0 Rumor had it that she didn\u2019t need a corset, because her waist really was that trim and shapely.\u00a0 Her hips were gently rounded, and every boy in the Virginia City school had fantasized at some point about what lay beneath her bustle.<\/p>\n

The best part about Barbara Fuller was that, eventually, most of them wouldn\u2019t need to guess.\u00a0 The older boys had told stories about being with her, and what they\u2019d had to tell would make a fellow\u2019s eyes bug out.\u00a0 By the time they finished recounting their tales of Barbara, everybody else had to make a sudden trip to the privy or into the woods.<\/p>\n

For tonight, Joe had chosen carefully.\u00a0 No nice girl would ever,\u00a0ever<\/em>\u00a0come into a boy\u2019s bedroom, even if he was dying.\u00a0 Certainly, they wouldn\u2019t come upstairs to that bedroom during a party, even if they were chaperoned by his pa, her parents, the sheriff and the preacher.\u00a0 The notion of doing so when the boy in question was actually\u00a0in<\/em>\u00a0the bed, wearing nothing but a nightshirt, would shock their sense of propriety beyond all hope of recovery.<\/p>\n

And so, Joe had chosen the one girl for whom such notions as his bed and his attire would not be alarming, but alluring:\u00a0 the infamous Barbara Fuller.<\/p>\n

As the music started downstairs, Joe settled back against his pillows.\u00a0 He could picture the young ladies dancing, their skirts swishing, their dimples barely showing.\u00a0 He allowed his mind to picture Barbara in someone\u2019s arms\u2014Adam\u2019s, maybe.\u00a0 He frowned slightly as, in his mind, Adam\u2019s hand moved up from Barbara\u2019s waist toward her curvaceous bust.\u00a0 Firmly, he pushed Adam\u2019s hand back where it belonged.\u00a0 For tonight, Barbara Fuller belonged to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was jerked out of his fantasies by Mitch Devlin and Johnny Chapman at the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cHey, fellas,\u201d he said.\u00a0 For a second, his stomach dropped at the idea that his buddies were coming up to spend the evening with him.\u00a0 Frantically, he tried to sort out how he could work this to his advantage.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s the party going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great party,\u201d said Mitch.\u00a0 He slipped a bottle from under his jacket and took a swig before handing it to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cSince you can\u2019t get to the punch, we figured you oughta get a little something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took a drink and handed the bottle to Johnny.\u00a0 \u201cSo, who\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnny took a long swallow.\u00a0 \u201cAmelia Murray,\u201d he said with a broad wink.\u00a0 \u201cFrances Baldwin.\u00a0 Sarabeth Walker.\u00a0 Clarice Spencer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe snorted and held out his hand for the bottle.\u00a0 \u201cAt least you all will have a good time,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not like any of them would ever come up here to say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know one girl who might,\u201d said Mitch.<\/p>\n

Joe forced himself to look skeptical.\u00a0 \u201cSure,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cLike there\u2019s any girl at that party who\u2019d have the nerve to come up here and say hello to me.\u00a0 I\u2019m never gonna see anybody prettier than you two until Doc takes this blasted plaster off my legs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch and Johnny exchanged a long, slightly drunken look.\u00a0 Clearly, they\u2019d been dipping into the punch before they came upstairs.\u00a0 Joe suppressed a grin.\u00a0 As the most sober one of the group, he could make this work.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two will have to do all the dancing for me,\u201d he said, allowing a slightly plaintive note into his voice.\u00a0 He held out his hand for the bottle again, but this time, he only pretended to drink.\u00a0 He passed the bottle to Johnny, who wasn\u2019t just pretending.\u00a0 Joe shifted slightly to hide his anticipation.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell you something\u2014at this point, I\u2019d give pretty much anything if I could just\u00a0see<\/em>\u00a0a girl,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cOnly people I\u2019ve seen for weeks besides my family are the doctor and you two.\u00a0 If I could just see one trim little waist, a few curves\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He was careful not to mention wanting to see a pretty face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got it!\u201d Mitch crowed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll send Barbara Fuller up here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on, Mitch,\u201d said Joe.\u00a0 \u201cBarbara Fuller would never come up here.\u00a0 This is my bedroom\u2014and I\u2019m in bed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t reckon that would matter to Barbara,\u201d said Johnny.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I\u2019d bet she\u2019d be happy to come on up and see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think so?\u201d\u00a0 Joe held out his hand for the bottle one more time.\u00a0 Another round, and it was settled.\u00a0 Mitch and Johnny would send Barbara up.\u00a0 A good look at her lovely body, and their friend would be a happy man.<\/p>\n

Joe watched as they stumbled from his room.\u00a0\u00a0Look, my eye<\/em>, he thought.<\/p>\n

As Joe waited for his guest, it occurred to him to wonder how they were going to get her up here.\u00a0 Knowing those two, they might just try the direct route:\u00a0\u00a0poor Joe is up in bed, and he\u2019s really lonely\u2014maybe you could go up and say hello?<\/em>\u00a0 Of course, Barbara might ask why she should be the chosen one, seeing as how she and poor Joe had never had done more than exchange \u201chellos\u201d on the street, and it was anybody\u2019s guess what Joe\u2019s drunken friends would say then.\u00a0 He just hoped that they didn\u2019t say that their friend was dying for a look at her breasts.\u00a0 On the other hand, this was Barbara Fuller\u2014that might just work with her.<\/p>\n

A gentle tap at his door broke into his reverie.\u00a0 \u201cUh\u2014Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled his most beguiling smile.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Barbara,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWon\u2019t you come in?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked rather perplexed, but she entered the room.\u00a0 \u201cMitch Devlin said you wanted to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, sit down,\u201d he said, gesturing to the bedside chair that he\u2019d had Mitch move right next to the bed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so glad you could come up and visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u00a0 Why?\u201d\u00a0 Barbara might be plain, but clearly, she was no fool.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I\u2019ve been lying in this bed for the past month, and I\u2019ve found myself thinking about you,\u201d said Joe honestly.\u00a0 \u201cWhen Mitch and Johnny said that you\u2019d come to the party tonight, I\u2014well, I probably shouldn\u2019t have, but I asked them if they thought you might be willing to come up and say hello.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s not something most girls would do, but you\u2019ve never struck as the type who lets silly rules get in the way of what she wants.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d held her gaze as he made this speech, and while he couldn\u2019t quite read everything in her eyes, he knew desire when he saw it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m not,\u201d she said.\u00a0 She rested her hand on his.\u00a0 \u201cBut why me?\u00a0 Why not Amelia Murray or Clarice Spencer?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe dismissed them with a wave of his free hand.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re just girls,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re nice enough, but\u2014you\u2019re a woman, Barbara.\u00a0 And I guess I just wanted to see a lovely woman instead of a pretty little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked as if she wasn\u2019t certain whether she believed him.\u00a0 Joe turned his hand over so that he could hold hers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so glad you came up here,\u201d he said in a softer, more intimate voice.\u00a0 \u201cJust to be here with you, like this\u2014you\u2019ve made my night complete.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it ever so gently.\u00a0 Then, he allowed a look of consternation to cross his face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThat was terribly presumptuous of me.\u00a0 I should never have done that.\u00a0 Please forgive me, Barbara.\u201d\u00a0 He let his voice linger on her name, looking up at her as if he didn\u2019t believe he had the right.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have nothing to apologize for,\u201d she said.\u00a0 She looked at him for a long minute.\u00a0 Then, she rose and headed toward the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re leaving?\u201d he asked, the consternation genuine this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be silly,\u201d Barbara said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just closing the door.\u201d\u00a0 She latched it and turned back to him, a smile playing on her lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not as dumb as you think I am, Joe Cartwright,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think\u2014\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only one reason you would want me up here,\u201d she said.\u00a0 She pushed the chair away and sat on the edge of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cBut that\u2019s all right with me.\u00a0 Because there\u2019s only one reason I\u2019d want to be here.\u201d\u00a0 She leaned over and kissed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cThe question is how we keep anyone else from walking in on us,\u201d she added, resting her hand against his chest.<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cTurn down the lamp,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll think I\u2019m asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbara smiled as she turned down the lamp so that only a soft glow lit the room.\u00a0 \u201cNow,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWhere were we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here,\u201d said Joe, patting the bed.<\/p>\n

He drew her close and kissed her.\u00a0 Her buck teeth made the kissing a trifle awkward, but it had been so long since Joe had kissed a girl that he was willing to make allowances.\u00a0 He started to smooth her hair back, and she said, \u201cBe careful!\u00a0 If you mess up my hair, everyone\u2019s going to know what happened!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

He caressed her soft neck as he kissed her.\u00a0 He nibbled just under her jaw, and she whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t leave marks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fine,<\/em>\u00a0Joe thought irritably.\u00a0 He\u2019d focus his attention on less-obvious places.\u00a0 He ran his hands down her back and up again, sliding them around to cup her delicious breasts.\u00a0 Not only did she not complain this time, but he felt her unbuttoning her bodice.\u00a0 His manhood was standing at attention as he slid her dress off her shoulders and unlaced the ribbons of her chemise.\u00a0 In the dim lamplight, her breasts were perfect\u2014creamy white globes with pert rosebud nipples that demanded his attention.\u00a0 She leaned back to allow him access, and his tongue played with the erect tissue.\u00a0 She was moaning now, and he shushed her quickly.\u00a0 All he needed was for Adam or Hoss to come in before they were finished.<\/p>\n

Barbara slid her arms out of her sleeves so that she was naked above the waist.\u00a0 Joe caressed her lovely breasts, and now, she didn\u2019t object to his nibbling.\u00a0 Instead, she pushed back the bedclothes and straddled his lap.\u00a0 \u201cOw!\u201d she said as she came in contact with the casts.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp here,\u201d murmured Joe, pulling up her higher on his lap.\u00a0 He reached beneath her skirt and cupped his hands around her buttocks.\u00a0 They were firm and round, everything he\u2019d imagined.\u00a0 Best of all, she wore those two-piece pantalets that he\u2019d heard about.\u00a0 He kissed her breasts as he untied her pantalets and reached between her legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joe!\u201d\u00a0 She arched her neck as his fingers explored her most private parts.\u00a0 She reached down, tugging his nightshirt out of the way, and began to stroke his hardened manhood.\u00a0 \u201cWell, would you look at this,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t why they call you \u2018Little\u2019 Joe!\u201d\u00a0 She slid back a bit and reached down to kiss his member, and it was all Joe could do to keep from exploding right then and there.\u00a0 Her hands, her lips, her tongue\u2014oh, her tongue, fluttering in the crease on the underside of the head\u2014he was throbbing with anticipation, and he knew he couldn\u2019t wait much longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome here,\u201d he whispered, pulling her up so that he could reach her wetness.\u00a0 She put her arms around his neck and slid herself onto him.\u00a0 She took his full length into her, squeezing him tightly.\u00a0 Just as they began to move together, he heard a voice above their moaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Cartwright!\u00a0 Happy new year!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe and Barbara froze.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the\u2014\u201d\u00a0 They stared at each other.\u00a0 \u201cQuick!\u201d Joe hissed.\u00a0 \u201cUnder the bed!\u201d<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t time to argue.\u00a0 Barbara slipped off Joe and off the bed, her beautiful breasts bobbing as she ducked down.\u00a0 Joe slid down and closed his eyes, reaching under the blanket to try to keep his still-erect penis from making a tepee of the bedclothes.<\/p>\n

The door opened, and his brothers came in, followed by a fairly drunk Mitch and Johnny.\u00a0 \u201cOh, hi, fellows,\u201d said Joe in his best imitation of a groggy voice.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I dozed off.\u00a0 Is it midnight yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you he\u2019d probably be asleep,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSorry to wake you, Little Brother.\u00a0 Happy new year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss peered at his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou feelin\u2019 all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho, me?\u00a0 I\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0 Joe tried to turn away from the lamp.<\/p>\n

Hoss rested his massive hand against Joe\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re pretty warm,\u201d he said. \u00a0He turned up the lamp\u2019s flame, adding, \u201cAn\u2019 your color\u2019s high.\u00a0 I think you\u2019re runnin\u2019 a fever.\u00a0 Adam, what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d said Joe with a touch of desperation.\u00a0 The thought of half-naked Barbara in the dust under his bed, just a few inches away, was almost more than he could stand.<\/p>\n

Adam came closer and held his hand against Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is right,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re definitely warm.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to the others.\u00a0 \u201cWe should let Joe go back to sleep.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go back downstairs.\u201d\u00a0 He was shepherding Joe\u2019s buddies into the hallway when a delicate sneeze came from under the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that?\u201d asked Adam as everybody turned back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sneezed,\u201d said Joe innocently.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you\u2019re right.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019m coming down with something.\u00a0 I should go back to sleep.\u00a0 Good night, everybody.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Please, good night,<\/em>\u00a0he begged silently.\u00a0 His throbbing member couldn\u2019t take much more waiting.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss exchanged looks.\u00a0 Joe held his breath.\u00a0 Just as they turned to leave again, Mitch called, \u201cHey, Joe, where\u2019d old Horseface Barbara go?\u00a0 I ain\u2019t seen her since she came up here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 Who?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, Devlin.\u00a0 You\u2019re drunk.\u00a0 Now, let me go back to sleep.\u201d\u00a0 Joe pulled the bedclothes up to his ears with one hand, the other keeping his manhood as flat as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cMitch, what are you talking about?\u201d asked Adam in that even tone that always meant trouble.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe an\u2019 Johnny sent old Horseface Barbara up here ages ago,\u201d said Mitch.\u00a0 He belched loudly.\u00a0 \u201cAn\u2019 we ain\u2019t seen hide nor hair of her since.\u00a0 You don\u2019t reckon somebody hitched her to a wagon and drove her away, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not nice,\u201d said Joe hotly.<\/p>\n

Johnny snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOh, like you ain\u2019t said worse,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one who said she\u2019d be the prettiest gal in town if\u2019n you could put a sack on her head!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never said anything such thing!\u201d Joe protested.\u00a0\u00a0Believe me, Barbara, believe me,<\/em>\u00a0he thought as hard as he could.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, what are they talking about?\u201d asked Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHas there been a girl in your room tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA girl?\u00a0 What decent girl would come into my bedroom?\u201d\u00a0 The words were out before he could stop them.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, has Miss Fuller been in here tonight?\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice was getting that icy edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sure\u2014she came up to say \u2018hello,\u2019 but\u2014I mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned to Mitch and Johnny.\u00a0 \u201cWill you excuse us, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

Without waiting for an answer, Hoss hauled them out into the hall and closed the door.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, you two,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Joe could hear them trying to make excuses as Hoss dragged them away.\u00a0 He wished he was with them.<\/p>\n

Adam crossed his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Joe.\u00a0 Where is Miss Fuller?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes you think I know where she is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you know where she is,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re going to tell me, now.\u00a0 Because if you don\u2019t, and she\u2019s within earshot, she\u2019s going to hear my belt on your backside until you tell me.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes grew round, and Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll give you the count of three.\u00a0 One.\u00a0 Two\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s under the bed!\u201d Joe blurted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou little weasel!\u201d came Barbara\u2019s voice.\u00a0 She got herself out from under the bed and knelt on the far side from Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou could at least turn your back!\u201d she snapped to the elder Cartwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy apologies,\u201d said Adam, turning around.<\/p>\n

Barbara stood up, her glorious breasts beckoning.\u00a0 Joe felt himself harden even more.\u00a0 Helplessly, he watched as she lifted her skirt to tie her pantalets, allowing him the briefest glimpse of her most private place.\u00a0 Then, she pulled up the shoulder straps of her chemise, taking her time before lacing it closed.\u00a0 She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her dress, and slowly, tantalizingly, she buttoned it.\u00a0 Then, with a glance at Adam\u2019s back, she leaned over Joe and slipped one hand under the covers.\u00a0 She massaged his scrotum, and his jaw dropped.\u00a0 Then, she ran her fingers up the shaft of his penis, rubbing her fingertip lightly around the head.\u00a0 She leaned over, her lips next to his ear, and whispered one word that was more breath than sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuffer!\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, she straightened and marched out of the room, turning back at the door.\u00a0 \u201cGood night, Mr.\u00a0Cartwright.\u00a0 Thank you for inviting me to your lovely party.\u201d\u00a0 She tossed her head and pulled the door closed behind her.<\/p>\n

She stood in the hallway, listening with satisfaction as Joe tried to explain.\u00a0 Her grin grew broader as she heard the unmistakable smack of Adam Cartwright\u2019s belt on his brother\u2019s backside.\u00a0 That would teach him.\u00a0\u00a0Old Horseface Barbara, indeed.<\/em><\/p>\n

She allowed her mind to drift over the past hour as she listened to the slap of leather against her would-be lover\u2019s bottom.\u00a0 Maybe she should come back in a few days.\u00a0 After all, it wasn\u2019t fair to leave without giving the boy a chance to make it up to her.\u00a0 Her body began to hum at the thought.\u00a0 She smoothed her bodice, her hands lingering on her famous breasts.<\/p>\n

Yes, Joe Cartwright definitely deserved a chance\u2014or perhaps several chances\u2014to make amends.<\/p>\n

Preferably when his family wasn\u2019t at home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0Laid up for weeks\u00a0with broken bones, Joe’s getting very, very frustrated.\u00a0 But New Year’s Eve is here, and he’s got big plans . . . if only a certain lady will cooperate. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0MA \u00a0WC \u00a04100<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":4853,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,4,690],"tags":[14,17,16],"class_list":["post-4845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","category-ma-rated","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-690-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2300,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Joe5.png?fit=565%2C346&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12147,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12147","url_meta":{"origin":4845,"position":0},"title":"He Said Not To Tell (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"May 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"The author requests those who wish to read this series contact her via eMail: DLB1234@aol.com","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/1-joe.jpg?fit=238%2C226&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":919,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=919","url_meta":{"origin":4845,"position":1},"title":"Physics 101 (by the Tahoe Ladies)","author":"Tahoe Ladies","date":"August 19, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Adam becomes the 'butt' of a joke... 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Any reader wishing to read this series should e:mail the Brandsters:\u00a0 Brandsters2020@gmail.com","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/2-joe.jpg?fit=237%2C221&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13630,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13630","url_meta":{"origin":4845,"position":3},"title":"A Cry for Freedom (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 7, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 It started with Ben giving Little Joe more responsibility for the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Little did the family realize the course Ben was setting in motion. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (65,725 words) Due to subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12132,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12132","url_meta":{"origin":4845,"position":4},"title":"Chinese Molasses (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"January 1, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"DebbieB passed away Christmas 2021. Any reader wishing to read this series should e:mail the Brandsters:\u00a0 Brandsters2020@gmail.com","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12120,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12120","url_meta":{"origin":4845,"position":5},"title":"Blundered Seduction (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"December 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Caught with his pants down and in a compromising situation by the one person he'd least likely want to find him as such, Joe learns three valuable lessons; no one ever died of embarrassment, chose your friends carefully, and being 16 and still a virgin is nothing to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4845","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\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}