{"id":4849,"date":"2010-04-29T12:57:04","date_gmt":"2010-04-29T16:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4849"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:23:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:23:55","slug":"valentines-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4849","title":{"rendered":"Valentine’s Day (by Storm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>This is my entry for the February challenge.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0Word Count 1200<\/p>\n

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Valentines Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

Valentines Day was quickly approaching and each Cartwright was having his own dream of what the perfect one would be.<\/p>\n

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Joe was dreaming of a girl, one who closely resembled a girl he\u2019d seen in town the other day. In his dream he followed through with his decision to call on her despite his father\u2019s telling him that he could do that tomorrow he had more then enough chores to keep him busy at home today. He knew that to wait was risky because tomorrow was Friday and any new and beautiful girl in town was always the first one that was asked to the Saturday dance by all the single men. That meant she would have her choice and while Joe was certain she would choose him, if he could only be among the first to ask her, he was also certain if she agreed to go with someone before he could ask she wasn\u2019t the kind of girl to go back on her word once it was given.<\/p>\n

When he called on her he learned that her name was Joy. He dreamt he got to her house to find a long line of men already there trying to win her favor but the minute she saw him she pushed all the others aside. He watched all the others who had come to seek her company at the dance walk home with their tales between their legs so to speak. When he went to pick her up he had roses and candy to give her. Where he had managed to find roses in February he didn\u2019t think to question, but then he was Joe Cartwright and besides all things were possible in dreams. They had a marvelous time and she of course danced every dance with him, refusing all others even though he had told her she should accept one or two other requests.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t want it to appear as if he were trying to monopolize her for the entire evening. She had told him that she couldn\u2019t even think of dancing with anyone else. When she refused Adam Joe secretly smiled. Boy he couldn\u2019t wait to get home and rib his oldest brother about that. When he saw her home he was going to be a complete gentleman and perhaps kiss her hand as a goodnight gesture, after all this was only their first date, but he could tell by the way she was acting she was hoping for more then that. He kissed her goodnight and turned to leave expecting her to go inside.<\/p>\n

When she didn\u2019t he turned around to find her sitting on the porch. When he asked her if something was wrong she said that all was alright she just felt a little too warm to go inside just yet. So Joe joined her on the porch swing and they sat there and talked for a few minutes, just until her father had come out and told her it was time to get inside. Joe woke with a smile and in a very good mood. He was certain that was how everything would in fact go.<\/p>\n

Hoss was dreaming of a girl who had no name as of yet but to him she was just as beautiful as the girl Joe was dreaming of. Like Joe\u2019s girl had pushed all others aside Hoss\u2019s girl only considered his invitation. Also, like in Joe\u2019s dream, Hoss met her at her door with flowers and candy, but unlike Joe Hoss didn\u2019t bring roses but wildflowers that he had picked. Where he had found wildflowers growing in February he didn\u2019t question, after all it was his dream. Of course by the time he had given her the candy there were quite a few pieces missing. She had noticed but didn\u2019t say anything and Hoss was sure it was because she understood it was because he was nervous and he always ate when he was nervous. Hoss\u2019s dream girl devoted every dance to him and she too refused all other requests, even Joe\u2019s and Adam\u2019s. He would never think of rubbing his brother\u2019s noses in that but it did make him grin. But what really put a smile on his face when awoke was the memory that his dream girl had allowed him to eat all the frosting off her cake.<\/p>\n

Adam dreamt of a woman who, like Joe\u2019s and Hoss\u2019s girls, was beautiful. Unlike his brothers though Adam knew to make arrangements to have the roses he was going to give her shipped in from California. He also made arrangements to have some very special chocolates sent in from that wonderful candy shop Ghirardely and Girard in San Francisco. In his dream Adam and his date would never quite make it to the dance. They would sit and talk and finish off a bottle or two of that sparking wine known as champagne. Adam\u2019s waking smile may have been born out of a dream a little less innocent then his brothers but that didn\u2019t mean it was any broader.<\/p>\n

Ben dreamt three dreams of three different women, all of whose names he knew well. Each dream was a memory of a Valentines Day past. Unlike his sons he knew all he needed to about his dates. He knew exactly what flowers were their favorites. He knew who liked what chocolates best, but there was no need for flowers or chocolates. He knew just being able to spend time together was the only gift any of them wanted even if it was in a dream. They discussed their sons and how proud they were of the men they were becoming but what occupied most of the time was remembering the love that they had shared. They didn\u2019t dwell on the way it had been lost because each knew it would never be lost. Each of his dream women knew they would live on forever in his heart and in the hearts of their sons.<\/p>\n

When Ben woke it wasn\u2019t with a smile. They had been so real to him in his dream that when he woke he felt as if he had lost them all over again. He went and sat at the table and stared into his cup of coffee that Hop-Sing had silently placed before him. It was as if his old friend knew from many years of experience that this day would start out this way. Somehow though as each of his sons appeared the smile would begin to show because in each of them he could see those women whom he had loved with all his heart. By the time breakfast was over his smile would rival each of his sons.<\/p>\n

Only after they had left the house did he think that he should have asked them what had put such smiles on their faces. Of course seeing how it was almost Valentines Day he had a pretty good idea of what it could be and those dreams weren\u2019t meant to be shared with one\u2019s father, not if the father had anything to say about it at least.<\/p>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0This is my entry for the February challenge. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0Word Count 1200<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":3478,"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":[39,23,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-challenges","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":541,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":723,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=723","url_meta":{"origin":4849,"position":0},"title":"San Francisco Surprise (by Terri)","author":"Terri","date":"March 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0WARNING THIS STORY IS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT On a visit to San Francisco the three brothers are out on the town when Little Joe has a surprise experience and gloats about his fortune, but\u00a0it's his\u00a0brothers who have the last laugh. \u00a0 Rated: MA \u00a0WC 1800","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\/07\/San-Francisco.jpg?fit=463%2C336&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2288,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2288","url_meta":{"origin":4849,"position":1},"title":"A Good Time (by JoanS)","author":"JoanS","date":"June 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe has his hands full trying to manage four girls who are interested in him Rated:\u00a0K (18,275 words)","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":2469,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2469","url_meta":{"origin":4849,"position":2},"title":"Lost and Found (by Laura Brodie)","author":"Laura Brodie","date":"April 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0 Joe finds love and loses it.\u00a0 This coming of age story has Joe work through the pain of loss to find hidden feelings and old hurts. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0MA (137,230 words) To Be Loved As No Other Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","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\/04\/Joe1.png?fit=608%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Joe1.png?fit=608%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Joe1.png?fit=608%2C570&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6373,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6373","url_meta":{"origin":4849,"position":3},"title":"The Girl in the Blue Dress (by debpet)","author":"debpet","date":"August 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe's encounter with an attractive young lady takes a turn into the unexpected.\u00a0 Something for the Halloween season. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a01100","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\/05\/Blue.jpg?fit=236%2C312&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":61550,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61550","url_meta":{"origin":4849,"position":4},"title":"Once In A Lifetime (By MelissaR1992)","author":"MelissaR1992","date":"December 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Candy meets a beautiful young woman during a supply run in Virginia City and falls in love. 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