Summary:\u00a0 Adam and his wife settle into life on the Ponderosa.
\nRating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 \u00a0Words: 9,870<\/p>\n
The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories.\u00a0 Should an author included in this project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories.\u00a0 We would also be happy to change contact information for any authors who wish to continue to have their stories archived in the Library.<\/p>\n
Though the Library already contains stories from this author, this story was forwarded by Corina to be included as part of this project.<\/p>\n
ROSE AND ADAM<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHAPTER ONE<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam lifted his new bride down from the buggy, his smile a mile wide. Rose wrinkled her nose as she felt her husband\u2019s hand graze her breast as her feet touched the floor of the barn.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re such a pervert,\u201d she snorted but her eyes danced.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why you married me,\u201d came Adam\u2019s answer with a deep chuckle. He lightly pinched her nipple through her wedding gown and then dodged away from her as she tried to give him a loving punch on the shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam unhitched the horse from the buggy and looked back on the whirlwind of events since he had proposed to Rose. She sat on a bale of hay, her gown flowing around her, as she watched while Adam rubbed the horse down and put him in his stall.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was Adam who had insisted that the marriage take place so quickly. The wedding had been a huge affair, and the church had been full to capacity \u2013 Rose had insisted on being married in church even though Ben wanted to have the ceremony at the Ponderosa. The reception was just as crowded as the church had been \u2013 if not more so. Nobody went away hungry because Hop Sing and his cousins had taken over the \u201ccatering\u201d chores with Hop Sing\u2019s usual gusto and knowledge of what \u201chis family\u201d liked to eat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou only asked me to marry you because you were after my body,\u201d Rose said with a droll look. She and Adam hadn\u2019t been intimate since the day that he had proposed.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With a piece of hay clenched between his teeth, Adam answered with a droll look of his own. \u201cI had to marry you. Your brothers would\u2019ve shot me if I hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rose raised her eyebrow. \u201cYep. They sure would\u2019ve. That\u2019ll teach you to trifle with my affections!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rose looked around and listened. \u201cDamn! It\u2019s so quiet here! Both of our families are conveniently staying in town for a few days to allow us time together. Alone.\u201d She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Indeed, both families did stay in town at the International House – except for Hop Sing who had chosen to stay with Cousin #6 . Rose\u2019s gaggle of brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews took up an entire floor of the hotel. Adam and Rose had sneaked away unnoticed while Junior arm-wrestled Hoss and while Gus was drunkenly flinging women around during the dancing.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas Hoss winning or was Junior winning?\u201d Adam moved the piece of hay to the other corner of his mouth as he put the horse in its stall.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI have no idea,\u201d Rose answered as she stood up. \u201cI know that Junior was drunk, and I suspect that Hoss might\u2019ve been too. Lordy, I hope Gus didn\u2019t hurt any of those poor women! They kept trying to hide from him but he kept finding them!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam laughed and then looked lovingly at Rose. Sure, she was sassy, given to the occasional usage of bad language, outspoken, and stubborn, but those were the reasons he loved her. And he loved her because she was a challenge \u2013 he never knew what she might say or do next. She kept him on his toes, and he loved her with all his heart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rose returned her husband\u2019s tender glance. There wasn\u2019t anything she didn\u2019t love about Adam. She couldn\u2019t run rough-shod over him like she could do with other men. Adam let her go just so far before he reined her in. He was so intelligent, so handsome, so loving, but he was also capable of putting her in her place when the need arose. She loved him with all her heart.<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER TWO<\/span><\/p>\n Rose stood up as Adam was putting the horse in his stall. Rose patted her own horse, Diablo, on the nose and then reached for Adam’s hand. She looked at him and pursed her mouth, dropping her hand suddenly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEwww! What is that in your hair?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam knew when he was being baited, but there was also a possibility that there might be something there. He spat out the piece of hay in between his teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs this a trick question?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose snorted. \u201cIt’s probably lice. It jumped from what’s-her-name’s hair when she hauled you out on the dance floor. Looked to me like you didn’t put up much of a fight either.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam knew by the impish look on her face, that Rose was baiting him. \u201cShe’s a lotta woman, that what’s-her-name.\u201d Adam tousled his hair and a few errant pieces of rice fell out.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose, wedding gown and all, scampered for the barn door, jumping clumsily over a bail of hay. Adam made a flying leap, grabbed her, and propelled them both into a clump of hay. He landed on top of his new wife \u2013 a position he had planned to replicate later that night.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOoof!\u201d Rose wheezed and then gave a fake screech as Adam cupped her breast and squeezed gently.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGet offa me, you pervert! I can’t breathe.\u201d She faked trying to gulp lungfuls of air.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI’m absolutely a pervert \u2013 and a legal one, at that!\u201d Adam chuckled. \u201cAnd I’ve waited long enough to get you into this position.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose gave up the faking about not being able to breathe. She sighed. \u201cI’m tired. I have a headache. I’m going in the house where I can lock a door and be safe.\u201d The gleam in her eye gave her away. She wasn’t mad \u2013 she was playing.<\/span><\/p>\n Firmly, but not roughly, Adam took Rose’s face in one hand and held it still. He kissed her, long and hard. The flames of passion ran through their veins, and they made love in the haystack.<\/span><\/p>\n Afterward, Rose impishly looked at Adam. \u201cHappy Honeymoon!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam chuckled and kissed Rose’s forehead.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHmmm?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe hay is stabbing me in the behind. I’ve got to get up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, this isn’t the best place we could’ve picked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI guess this is a good time to tell you I’m preggers. We’re married now, and I hope you’re too tired to run away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam sat bolt upright. Had he heard right? He felt like the blood had drained from his brain and ears. He looked at his wife. A small smile played about her lips, but somehow Adam knew she wasn’t teasing. He couldn’t speak.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, hell! You’re not going to faint, are you?\u201d Rose snorted slightly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d was all Adam could say.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs sure as I can be right now. I’m waiting for more\u2026.um\u2026.’good clues’.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam knew what the \u201cgood clues\u201d were. Lack of her cycle would be the first sign. He tried to count back to when they had made love the last time \u2013 which was the day he had proposed. That was over two weeks ago. He hung his head.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose cradled his face and turned it so that she could look into his eyes. She saw one single tear slide down his cheek, and his lips were trembling.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDamn! You are going to faint!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam shook his head. He spoke slowly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is the happiest day of my life. I married the woman I love and she’s going to have our baby. Things just don’t get any better.\u201d Then, \u201cDid we hurt the baby by\u2026..you know\u2026.I wasn’t very gentle\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose laughed. \u201cStop worrying, my love. If I had wanted for you to be gentle, I would’ve told you about the baby already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen? When would you have told me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose stood up and giggled impishly. \u201cAs soon as the preacher pronounced us man and wife.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam stood and enfolded Rose in his arms. \u201cYou’re a real witch, aren’t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh. That’s why you married me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laughing like happy children, the couple walked to the waiting house. Rose’s gown was ruined and Adam’s suit wasn’t in much better shape. Neither one of them cared. Adam kept his hand on Rose’s belly the whole way to the house, his mind still reeling with wonderment.<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER THREE<\/span><\/p>\n Adam and Rose didn’t mention Rose’s pregnancy to anyone, preferring to keep it secret until they knew for sure that Rose was really pregnant. Rose had explained to Adam, quite openly and without embarrassment, that she had missed her \u201cmonthly\u201d but that fact could be due to all the excitement of the wedding throwing her cycle off. But it didn’t explain the soreness she felt around her breasts and nipples, and it didn’t explain the change in the color of her aureolas from pink to brown. The veins that ran up her breasts were a darker, deeper blue which was quite unusual.<\/span><\/p>\n Adam kept a calendar in their room and marked off each day that Rose missed her cycle. He often gently, with one finger, traced the outline of the blue veins on Rose’s breasts. Every day he would ask the same question: \u201cDid it come yet?\u201d Rose, knowing \u201cit\u201d referred to her cycle, would shake her head. The only thing missing from the equation was the absence of morning sickness \u2013 she was never sick. This confused her because all of her sisters-in-law had been ill during their first months of pregnancies.<\/span><\/p>\n Living in the house with the rest of the Cartwrights plus Hop Sing was a joy. Of course, Rose missed her own family but now she had Hoss and Joe to tease and to laugh with. Ben was the perfect father-figure. And Adam was the perfect husband. There were many times that he had to pull the reins in on Rose’s attitude or stubbornness but Rose needed a man as strong-willed as herself to do just that.<\/span><\/p>\n The only think lacking in this Utopia was privacy. Adam and Rose made love frequently but tried to be very quiet \u2013 a difficult feat because they were so passionate for and with each other. Adam had been tentative about being physically intimate because of the baby \u2013 or what he prayed was a baby. Rose hadn’t laughed at him but had reassured him that he wasn’t doing any damage, but he did try to be more gentle. Afterwards, Adam would \u201cspoon\u201d around Rose, his hand on her belly, and man and wife would fall asleep blissfully.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the regular chores at the Ponderosa, Adam had his family’s immediate help in building a home of his own on the land given to him by Ben. The men worked hard and the house was taking shape more quickly than anyone would’ve thought. Ben knew the importance of Adam and Rose having a place of their own. Often, Rose would saddle Diablo (Adam had long since given up trying to keep Rose from riding Diablo, but he still worried) and take a meal \u2013 lovingly prepared by Hop Sing \u2013 out to what was now referred to as \u201cShenandoah Ranch.\u201d It didn’t matter that the land wasn’t in Virginia. Adam loved the song, his land was fertile and green like the valley in Virginia, so Rose played the song often on her violin as the men worked while she sat on what would become the front porch of her home.<\/span><\/p>\n Many nights, after the evening meal, Ben would sit in his chair with his pipe in his mouth. Hoss and Joe would play checkers. Adam would pick up his guitar, and Rose would pick up her violin and then they would play duets together \u2013 which often resulted in a song-fest. The room was filled with love and music. And Ben, in his wisdom, intuited something else but kept his mouth shut. Rose’s face was changing \u2013 and she was glowing. Ben quietly puffed on his pipe, silently praying that he was right.<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER FOUR<\/span><\/p>\n Within another week, most of the work at \u201cShenandoah\u201d had been completed. The house was ready to move into, the barn and corral were finished enough to keep horses and a buggy and a buckboard in. While Adam and Hoss brought in loads of hay, Joe drove Rose into town in the buckboard to get sweet feed, more pipes for the water pump for the kitchen and the small room where the tub was located (there was, of course, no hot water but it could be put on the stove to heat up), and also to get some last-minute material to make curtains from. Rose and Adam had already chosen and moved the furniture, cookware for the kitchen, comforters for the beds \u2013 there were three bedrooms to furnish \u2013 and then some knick-knacks to put around the house.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJoe, will you get some seeds for my vegetable garden? I’d love to have fresh veggies like I did at El Crucero. And, while you’re doing that, I can spend time picking out just the right materials for my curtains. Do you mind waiting for me at the cafe? I’ll treat us to lunch if you’ll do that for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you gonna shoot me in the\u2026.uh\u2026.backside if I don’t get the right stuff?\u201d Joe grinned, remembering his father’s admonition to not use vulgar language around any women.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course I will,\u201d Rose giggled. \u201cSo get seeds of every kind or I’ll be forced to doctor-up your backside like I did before.\u201d Rose wouldn’t have used \u201cvulgar\u201d language in front of Ben, but she often used it around Hoss and Joe just to watch them blush. Adam sometimes, would chastise her. Other times he would just shake his head and chuckle. Rose was Rose, and he didn’t want to change her completely.<\/span><\/p>\n Off Joe went to the Feed and Seed store in the buckboard while Rose hummed a tune and ran errands of her own. The house didn’t really need curtains because there was nobody around to look through the windows, but pretty curtains would make her new home feel complete and beautiful.<\/span><\/p>\n By the time Rose arrived at the cafe, Joe had been sitting alone and had drunk three cups of coffee. As Flo got ready to pour the fourth cup, Rose arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI should know better than to take a woman to look at material,\u201d Joe groused.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo shut up!\u201d Rose countered. \u201cI had important decisions to make. I want everything to look perfect! Some kind of brother-in-law you turned out to be! You have no patience at all! One of these days, you’ll get married and your wife will want things to be perfect too!\u201d Then, \u201cWe’ll need to stop by the store and load up the things I bought. Have you got patience to do that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Joe flashed his boyish grin. He had learned to tell the difference between Rose’s \u201cangry temper\u201d and just her natural assertiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat depends on what you feed me,\u201d he answered.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd that depends on whether or not you got everything on the list. And all the seeds you could find.\u201d Rose’s eyes were dancing with glee. Joe had learned to spar with her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGot the stuff that Adam wanted and got enough seeds to keep you in the garden and out of trouble for years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood job! Now pick out anything on the menu that your li’l heart desires. Let’s not allow the money Adam gave me to go to waste!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER FIVE<\/span><\/p>\n This night, as Adam strummed his guitar, Rose worked on finishing the curtains, her fingers flying nimbly as she wielded needle and thread. By her side was a large bag of leftover material that she intended to use for small tablecloths or napkins or God-only-knew-what. Ben was sitting in his chair watching Joe cheat Hoss at checkers. The scene was idyllic. The men were tired because Rose had them digging and turning earth behind the new house so that she could plant the various seeds that Joe had purchased a few days ago. Except for the music from Adam’s guitar, the house was quiet.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDammit!\u201d Rose exclaimed loudly as she dug through her bag of material.<\/span><\/p>\n Ben jumped, startled. Hoss and Joe looked at each other \u2013 the tone of Rose’s voice was her \u201cangry\u201d voice.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRose?\u201d Adam flashed a warning look at his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose made a face at Adam. \u201cI don’t have enough material for the last windows. My fingers are sore and I thought I was finished with all this sewing!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe can get more material tomorrow,\u201d Adam said soothingly. \u201cAnd watch your mouth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere isn’t any more of this material,\u201d Rose practically wailed, ignoring Adam’s reproach. She pondered the situation and had an idea. Grabbing left-over pieces out of the bag, she walked around the room and shoved several kinds of material into every man’s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I can make something out of these if I sew them together. Tell me what you think would actually look good together. My mind’s a blank.\u201d Rose’s voice had softened somewhat under Adam’s admonishing look.<\/span><\/p>\n Ben chuckled. \u201cRose, you never ask a man about these things. Men don’t know what goes well together as far as fabrics and curtains and patterns are concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, all of you can start learning right now!\u201d Rose answered with her hands on her hips.<\/span><\/p>\n Four grown men looked at the pieces of material in their hands. Adam sighed and chose two pieces that he liked. Ben rolled his eyes and made his decision. Joe sighed and decided that some of his samples went better with some of Hoss’s samples. Rose sat and watched this whole process until final decisions were made. She was actually quite surprised at how well the men did with this task. She collected the chosen materials and held them in her lap. The other pieces went back into the bag.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRose?\u201d Ben spoke. \u201cIt would be helpful to know exactly where these pieces are going before we help you make a final decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Smirking, Rose looked at Ben. \u201cOf all people, you should know! A nursery needs an extra-special touch!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Four faces looked at Rose in stunned silence.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, for God’s sake! All of you are hopelessly obtuse! I’m preggers. You know, as in ‘with child,’ ‘in the family way,’ ‘expecting.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Four men jumped to their feet and ran to hug Rose and to slap Adam on the back. Then came the questions: \u201cAre you sure?\u201d \u201cWhen will it be?\u201d \u201cDo you want a boy or girl?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose laughed as she stood with her arm around Adam’s waist, holding him extra-tightly. Adam and Ben looked at each other with brimming eyes but big smiles.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose began to answer questions. \u201cDoc says it’s a fact. I’m due in somewhere around eight months, maybe more, maybe less. And I don’t give a diddly-damn if it’s a boy or a girl, just as long as it’s a healthy baby. Adam, what do you want?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam, facing reality at last, thought for a moment. \u201cA boy would be nice. But I’d like a little girl if you can manage it. We’ve had enough men on the Ponderosa for too long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hop Sing heard all the ruckus and came dashing in. After being told the news, his reply was, \u201cHop Sing not surprised. Missee Rose eat much more than usual. Hop Sing not stupid! Have been waiting for this time. Have bottle of champagne for celeblation.\u201d He pulled the bottle from behind his back and looked smug.<\/span><\/p>\n Ben chuckled. Hop Sing apparently had been listening from the kitchen, had grabbed the bottle, and then pretended to know the truth of the matter all along.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPa? Can Rose drink alcohol?\u201d Adam was concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose gouged her husband in the side. \u201cAsk me! This is, as Hop Sing says, a ‘celeblation’. I won’t be left out of it! Besides, Doc Martin says a glass of wine in moderation is good for pregnant women.\u201d Then, \u201cWell, don’t just stand there, pour me a glass!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It didn’t take long for the the men, Hop Sing included, to polish off the bottle and begin to settle down. Only then did Hoss’s attention turn to the matter of the choosing of curtain material.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow come you had us go through all this stuff?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose smiled as she picked up the chosen pieces of material and placed them on her lap. In fact, the fabrics actually went well together and would make a pretty patchwork pattern. She had that idea in mind the day she and Joe went into town. She chose wisely.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want our baby to have something special from all of you. This was the best ‘group effort’ that I could think of. Every time our child looks out the windows, he \u2013 or she \u2013 will see the most special of curtains with each piece chosen from a very loving family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And, while Joe wiped away his tears, Hoss moved the checkers around the board to his advantage. He beat Joe quite handily.<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER SIX<\/span><\/p>\n That night, as they got comfortable in bed, Adam drew Rose close to him, his arms around her tenderly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d he whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor our baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose whispered back, \u201cEven if I was pregnant before the ceremony?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam kissed the top of her head. \u201cIt doesn’t change anything. I loved you then and I love you now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople are going to talk, Adam. The old biddies in town will be counting on their fingers to see if we had to get married. To see if you were man enough to have me in your life whether you wanted to or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose had her head on Adam’s hairy chest. She felt his chuckle before she actually heard it.<\/span><\/p>\n Adam used one of Rose’s phrases in his answer. \u201cI don’t give a diddly-damn what people say. And neither will Pa or Hoss or Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose kissed Adam gently. She knew he wanted more, but she spoke to him softly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI’ve had enough ‘fireworks’ for tonight, my love. I’m filled emotionally \u2013 filled to the brim. Your family, my family now, have provided enough love to leave me completely satisfied.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe’re having a baby,\u201d Adam whispered, almost reverently.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWould you mind terribly if the baby turns out to be a girl?\u201d Rose was concerned. \u201cMost men want sons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI told you downstairs that I would love for this child to be a girl. I meant it. But I won’t be disappointed if it’s a boy. I’ll be happy with whatever it is as long as you are all right and as long as the baby is all right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood. But I’ll tell you right now. This baby is gonna be a girl.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose couldn’t see Adam rolling his eyes. She felt his strong hand on her belly and fell immediately into a peaceful sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n CHAPTER SEVEN<\/span><\/p>\n Today was moving day, and the buckboard was piled high with things not already in the new house. The patchwork curtains were carefully rolled up so they wouldn’t wrinkle. Rose had argued with Adam about whether or not she could ride Diablo to \u201cShenandoah\u201d and had won the argument \u2013 but with the caveat that she wouldn’t do any trotting which might jiggle her insides.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor God’s sake, Adam! I’m preggers, not sick!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCan’t you say ‘pregnant’ instead of ‘preggers’? It sounds so\u2026.so\u2026.unladylike!\u201d Adam was upset about his wife’s demands to ride Diablo as well as her language around his family.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can’t. And won’t!\u201d came the retort. \u201cBut, I’ll be more ‘ladylike’ when I talk to people not in the family. Does that suit you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Adam sighed. He wouldn’t win this battle either. \u201cIt’ll have to do, I guess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Diablo walked slowly by the side of the buckboard with Rose looking completely bored. All of a sudden, she nudged her horse into a lope and took off down the road, her laughter resounding on the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n