{"id":62399,"date":"2026-02-25T19:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T00:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=62399"},"modified":"2026-03-21T08:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T12:34:26","slug":"vows-and-loopholes-by-djk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=62399","title":{"rendered":"Vows and Loopholes (by DJK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Adam is determined to know why Ben Cartwright always refused his sons\u2019 requests for a family dog. \u00a0This was written for the 2026 Lorne Green\u2019s Birthday Challenge which required the author to write a Carwright story that included a dog in honor of Lorne\u2019s love of dogs. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

rating: teen \u00a0word count : 2843<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vows and Loopholes<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My father did\u00a0not dislike dogs.\u00a0\u00a0Many times, I had\u00a0seen them bring a smile to his face.\u00a0\u00a0He never\u00a0mistreated\u00a0a dog in any way or\u00a0allowed\u00a0any of his sons to do so.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss\u00a0cared for\u00a0a number of\u00a0woeful canines but only temporarily\u00a0as Pa would\u00a0not allow a dog to take residence on the Ponderosa.\u00a0\u00a0No, Pa\u00a0never\u00a0disliked\u00a0dogs,\u00a0but\u00a0the one thing\u00a0easily attainable\u00a0that Pa\u00a0denied each of us\u00a0was a dog of our own.\u00a0We had\u00a0asked separately, together, and\u00a0-in Hoss\u2019s case and mine-\u00a0for\u00a0the benefit of\u00a0a\u00a0younger brother.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, we\u00a0all\u00a0had\u00a0asked repeatedly, and each time Pa had\u00a0given his\u00a0unequivocal\u00a0<\/span>no\u00a0<\/span><\/i>without discussion or explanation or any allowance for whining, sulking,\u00a0or disrespect.\u00a0\u00a0Even when I asked to be allowed to give Little Joe a dog to ease my\u00a0departure for college and his grief for Marie, I was reminded\u00a0that\u00a0the matter had been settled in the past and\u00a0ordered\u00a0to leave\u00a0it\u00a0alone\u00a0once and for all.\u00a0\u00a0I did until my twenty-third\u00a0year when I finally learned the reason for my father\u2019s refusal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

~ACACACAC~<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa.\u201d The\u00a0force of my call cut through the blowing wind.\u00a0\u00a0Pa paused and turned his gaze from the road ahead toward\u00a0me.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLine\u00a0Shack\u00a0Three is\u00a0down that trail.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd\u00a0nearly two\u00a0miles out of the way.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s over fifteen miles to the house, and the snow is\u00a0increasing.\u201d\u00a0 Pa\u00a0hesitated.\u00a0\u00a0I\u00a0too\u00a0would have preferred Hop Sing\u2019s cooking and\u00a0some\u00a0brandy beside our roaring fireplace\u00a0followed by my own\u00a0comfortable\u00a0bed,\u00a0but I\u00a0had\u00a0become concerned\u00a0we might\u00a0be caught in\u00a0a true\u00a0white\u00a0out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa shook his head.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIf Hoss were\u00a0here…\u201d My\u00a0younger brother has an uncanny ability to predict\u00a0the weather.\u00a0\u00a0Both Pa and I would have deferred to his opinion\u00a0on whether we would be able to reach home, but in his\u00a0absence, we\u00a0had\u00a0to decide rather to rue\u00a0an unnecessary night in a line shack or rue the poor choice of riding through and possibly being lost in a blizzard.\u00a0 The\u00a0wise\u00a0course was obvious.\u00a0\u00a0Pa shrugged,\u00a0sighed,\u00a0and turned Buck\u00a0from the road and\u00a0toward the trail.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right then.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Sport tossed his head as if to say he preferred to continue down the road to his warm\u00a0stall,\u00a0and I had to urge him more firmly to follow Buck.\u00a0 By the time we reached Line Shack\u00a0Three, we knew we had made the right choice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Actually, while Line Shack Three was older, it was preferable to most of our line shacks. It was larger, had two bunks instead of one and a stone fireplace instead of simply a Franklin stove.\u00a0\u00a0It had a small porch and an enclosed shed for the horses.\u00a0\u00a0We settled Buck and Sport comfortably making sure they had extra feed and water sufficient for more than a day and tied a rope to the shed door unfurling it as we stomped to the cabin and secured it to the post that held up the porch roof.\u00a0\u00a0It was while I was tying off the rope that we heard a whimper and discovered a half-frozen dog cowering against the wall next to the door.\u00a0\u00a0Covered in snow and shivering uncontrollably, he lay motionless and stared up at us with liquid brown eyes.\u00a0\u00a0Pa carried him inside, leaving me to bring in our gear.\u00a0\u00a0The dog received Pa ministrations while I started a roaring fire.\u00a0\u00a0Then my father delegated the cooking chores to me.\u00a0\u00a0As I gathered the makings for our supper, I found just enough disturbance to know that someone had recently occupied this line shack for a short time.\u00a0\u00a0Some standard supplies had been used.\u00a0\u00a0This did not upset me nor Pa when I told him.\u00a0\u00a0We expected that those in need of shelter would take advantage of it and did not begrudge a reasonable stay.\u00a0\u00a0We had made use of shelter belonging to others a number of times though we always left payment for any supplies used.\u00a0 No, the only thought that disgruntled me was that whoever had stayed in Line Shack Three had most likely abandoned the dog there.\u00a0\u00a0The dog had obviously not been eating well as his ribs showed despite his long and curly white coat.\u00a0\u00a0He was a friendly fellow who had thanked Pa for water, food, and an old blanket next to the fireplace with dozens of licks and nudges before settling at Pa\u2019s feet with a soft huff that imitated a contented sigh.\u00a0\u00a0I watched Pa and his interactions with the dog that evening without many comments except for some subtle praise of the dog who Pa and I began calling <\/span>Buddy and\u00a0a few disparaging\u00a0remarks about\u00a0his former owners.\u00a0\u00a0It was not until I was frying bacon for our breakfast that I broached the subject\u00a0foremost\u00a0on my mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I turned each piece of bacon in the frying pan and then turned toward\u00a0Pa.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Buddy\u00a0stood with his head in Pa\u2019s lap as Pa stroked\u00a0his fur\u00a0and played with his ears.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll\u00a0have to take him with us.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0not feral enough to survive on his own this far out.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa nodded.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019ll be a fine-looking dog when he\u2019s cleaned up and fills back out.\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s no doubt he\u2019s friendly and well-behaved.\u00a0\u00a0It shouldn\u2019t be too hard to find him a good home.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI could find him a good home with no effort at all.\u201d Pa understood my meaning\u00a0immediately\u00a0as I knew he would.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d\u00a0 I\u00a0had\u00a0heard that tone many times in my life; this\u00a0time it did not deter me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe is old enough to take over his care. One thing Joe is never irresponsible about is animals.\u00a0 Hoss…\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0There\u00a0was that unequivocal response.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut…\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, have you forgotten that this matter has been discussed before and\u00a0that\u00a0I do not intend to discuss it again.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I haven\u2019t forgotten, nor have I forgotten that you are my father, my boss, and the owner of the home in which\u00a0I live, but I\u2019m old enough\u00a0that\u00a0a request for at least an explanation\u00a0should not be viewed as impertinence or disrespect.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if I feel ignoring my request is\u00a0disrespectful?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot your request but your dictate.\u201d\u00a0 My tone\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span><\/i>becoming impertinent.\u00a0\u00a0I\u00a0drew in\u00a0a\u00a0deep breath.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIf I anger you,\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0deal with the consequences.\u00a0\u00a0Why can we not discuss the boys having a dog?\u00a0\u00a0Shouldn\u2019t I\u00a0have the opportunity to\u00a0refute\u00a0your… uh, to\u00a0respond to any concerns you have?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a matter of concerns.\u201d\u00a0 Pa sighed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it a matter of?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVows, an irrevocable vow.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA vow?\u201d\u00a0 I could feel my eyebrow rise.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa pointed toward the frying pan.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe bacon is about to burn.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0glanced at\u00a0the pan; the\u00a0bacon was about to burn.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s just getting crispy.\u201d\u00a0I watched Pa\u2019s eyebrow rise.\u00a0I took the pan from the fire and set it aside and then took a seat across from\u00a0Pa.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cPerhaps I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0old enough to understand the first time\u00a0I asked\u00a0or dozens of times\u00a0thereafter, but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not a child anymore\u00a0and would like to understand.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s fingers drummed the table, and Buddy nudged his knee and licked his hand.\u00a0\u00a0Pa patted his head and scratched his\u00a0floppy\u00a0ears.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s fine, boy.\u201d\u00a0 He looked into my eyes. \u201cYou shall always be\u00a0<\/span>my<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>child<\/span><\/i>, but\u00a0there really is no reason not to tell you.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I suppose the reason\u00a0I\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0before is mainly that the reason comes from a time that is filled with pain\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0care to revisit.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I almost said that if it pained him to speak of it, we could let it rest, but there had been so many times when I had not asked\u00a0about the past\u00a0because I knew the memories\u00a0brought him pain\u00a0that I told myself\u00a0this\u00a0once\u00a0I was due.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa\u2019s\u00a0gaze went to the single,\u00a0small window where heavily falling snow could still be seen.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll\u00a0be here for a\u00a0good while.\u00a0\u00a0Finish breakfast,\u00a0and after we eat…\u201d Pa\u00a0sighed as if a burden had settled on his shoulders.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAfter we eat, I shall explain.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I returned to cooking.\u00a0\u00a0During breakfast we said little\u00a0and discussed nothing of importance. I did notice Pa sneaking Buddy\u00a0several\u00a0bites of bacon\u00a0though the dog had been fed\u00a0before\u00a0I began cooking.\u00a0\u00a0When breakfast was over, I\u00a0put extra wood on the fire, poured both Pa and\u00a0myself\u00a0a second cup of coffee,\u00a0and then sat down\u00a0across from my father and waited for him to begin his explanation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was\u00a0very close\u00a0to her oldest sister.\u00a0\u00a0Aunt Mae lived a five-minute walk\u00a0from\u00a0us,\u00a0and there was seldom a day when we did not see her and my cousin Charlie.\u00a0\u00a0Charlie was\u00a0a year older than I and two years younger\u00a0than John.\u00a0\u00a0He fit so well between us that we became a\u00a0trio,\u00a0and he was as close to John and\u00a0me\u00a0as we were to each other.\u201d\u00a0 Pa stopped speaking.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember you\u00a0mentioning\u00a0him before.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I suppose you don\u2019t.\u00a0\u00a0I have seldom spoken of him though I think of him often.\u201d\u00a0 Pa looked down and then took a sip of his coffee.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDogs came and went\u00a0in\u00a0our lives.\u00a0\u00a0Some attached themselves to John, some to me, and some to\u00a0Charlie.\u00a0\u00a0The last belonged to Charlie\u00a0who named him Boone after Daniel Boone.\u00a0\u00a0He was a good dog.\u00a0\u00a0My uncle often said he trusted Boone to keep us\u00a0boys out of trouble.\u201d\u00a0 Pa cleared\u00a0his throat and took another sip.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe were seldom without Boone when outdoors or in our homes.\u00a0\u00a0Boone was even allowed to sleep in Charlie\u2019s bed.\u201d\u00a0 Pa sighed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe was a good\u00a0dog was\u00a0Boone.\u00a0\u00a0So,\u00a0we were\u00a0surprised\u00a0the day\u00a0that Boone bite Charlie, not just a nip but a full bite.\u00a0\u00a0It was\u00a0the next day\u00a0before it became clear why he had acted in so\u00a0inexplicable a manner.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My mind considered possibilities while the silence grew between us.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cRabies?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRabies.\u00a0\u00a0We never learned how he had become\u00a0infected;\u00a0it\u00a0didn’t matter\u00a0really.\u00a0 What mattered was that Boone had bitten Charlie.\u00a0\u00a0It took two weeks for the first symptoms to appear.\u00a0\u00a0At\u00a0first,\u00a0we tried to deny them.\u00a0\u00a0It was not as if there was anything to be done. Eventually the truth\u00a0could not be denied. What followed was a slow\u00a0journey\u00a0into hell for Charlie, my aunt, my uncle…\u00a0all\u00a0the family close enough to see and hear.\u201d\u00a0 Pa\u2019s voice trembled in a way I had seldom heard before or since, I saw tears filling his eyes though he managed to prevent them from spilling over.\u00a0\u00a0I rose, retrieved the whiskey we kept there for medicinal purposes, and\u00a0poured\u00a0a large measure into Pa\u2019s coffee.\u00a0\u00a0Then I poured a dose\u00a0into my own.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know, can\u2019t know.\u00a0\u00a0My God, I pray you will never have a reason to know.\u00a0\u00a0His suffering was beyond… ” Pa’s voice faltered, and it seemed he had no words extreme enough to express the depth of his cousin’s suffering.\u00a0 “At the end he was tied to the bed, and his screams could be heard outside the house.\u00a0\u00a0Even hiding in my bed that night I still heard them.\u00a0\u00a0For months after the funeral, I heard them often.\u00a0\u00a0In truth, I still hear them sometimes in my dreams.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa…\u201d\u00a0 I was moved to stop his recitation, but he looked directly into my eyes as if to say that I had demanded an answer, and there was no turning back.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGrief overwhelmed us all, but Aunt Mae was\u00a0nearly unrecognizable\u00a0in its grasp.\u00a0\u00a0I heard my mother tell my father that she\u00a0feared\u00a0for\u00a0her sister\u2019s\u00a0sanity, for her very life.\u00a0\u00a0John\u00a0and I knew that though she loved us\u00a0deeply,\u00a0the sight\u00a0of us, alive and healthy,\u00a0now\u00a0pained her.\u00a0\u00a0We did not know the fear it brought her,\u00a0not until she came to our home four days after the funeral.\u201d\u00a0 Pa grew silent and swallowed most of his whiskey-laced coffee.\u00a0\u00a0He sighed. \u201cIt is enough to say that\u00a0before my uncle came and took her home, John\u00a0and I had both\u00a0made to\u00a0her an irrevocable vow to never keep\u00a0a dog as\u00a0our\u00a0own, to never allow one to reside permanently on our property, to\u00a0never allow a child of ours\u00a0ownership\u00a0of a dog.\u00a0 We held our hands on our family Bible\u00a0and\u00a0repeated\u00a0the words that brought her a small measure\u00a0of comfort.\u00a0\u00a0I was fifteen, Adam, and I knew what I vowed and what that vow meant.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I cleared my throat softly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sure you did.\u201d\u00a0 He heard\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0but<\/span><\/i>\u00a0that I did not speak\u00a0though it was\u00a0in my mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d\u00a0 I knew that tone.\u00a0\u00a0It\u00a0admonished\u00a0and demanded.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou made your vow to Great-aunt Mae, not to God.\u00a0\u00a0Am I wrong to think that she has passed on?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, she did not live\u00a0even\u00a0a year\u00a0more.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He\u00a0directed his gaze directly into my eyes.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cShe did not release me from my promise.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe might have\u00a0if she had had\u00a0time to overcome her grief.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A wry grin slipped onto Pa\u2019s face but disappeared quickly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou know,\u00a0perhaps\u00a0the\u00a0strongest reason I did not tell you\u00a0when\u00a0you asked before you left\u00a0for college\u00a0was that I knew you would look for the loopholes.\u00a0 I have no intention, Adam Stoddard, of getting around that vow by way of a loophole.\u201d\u00a0 He rose and turned away from me.\u00a0\u201cTemporary care is as close as\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0willing to go.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0We\u00a0spoke of other things after a while,\u00a0and\u00a0the snow stopped in the late afternoon.\u00a0\u00a0We decided it best to leave the next morning which we did taking Buddy with us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

~ACACACAC~<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We were greeted warmly upon our arrival home.\u00a0\u00a0There had been concern, of course, but Hoss, Little Joe, and Hop Sing had trusted that we would have the good sense to find shelter in a blizzard.\u00a0\u00a0Buddy\u2019s presence brought excitement to both my younger brothers.\u00a0\u00a0They looked at me with a gaze that asked if they should request that he become our dog.\u00a0\u00a0I shook my head, and they read my eyes correctly, so they did not mention that the Ponderosa would be an excellent home for Buddy.\u00a0 Buddy, though, did not hesitate to follow at Pa\u2019s heels everywhere that Pa went and to settle at Pa\u2019s feet when Pa took his place in his favorite leather chair.\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps, he knew that his fate was in Pa\u2019s hands, but I believe that he simply had chosen Ben Cartwright to be his person.\u00a0 Dogs do attach themselves to the person of their own choice.\u00a0\u00a0 It was late, and well after the boys had been sent to their beds.\u00a0 The fire was dying, needing to be fed or banked for the night, when I spoke.\u00a0 I did not need a preamble; they were never needed between Pa and myself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a matter of loopholes.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa turned his\u00a0gaze,\u00a0and\u00a0it settled\u00a0upon\u00a0me\u00a0with a physical weight.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThen what is it a matter of?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLove.\u00a0\u00a0You said Great-aunt Mae loved you.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe did.\u201d\u00a0 It was an\u00a0unequivocal\u00a0statement.\u00a0\u00a0Pa sighed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI believe she\u00a0still does.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve\u00a0always told me that my mother, though she is in heaven, loves me still and wants what is best for me.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she does.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at me for a few seconds,\u00a0and his right eyebrow rose.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think…\u201d\u00a0 I\u00a0sighed and shifted nervously.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cJust consider it,\u00a0Pa.\u00a0\u00a0Would a woman who loved you\u00a0as\u00a0Aunt Mae did deny you something that\u00a0would\u00a0bring\u00a0only love into your life and the life of her great-nephews?\u00a0\u00a0Her grief might ask it of you, but her grief only, and her grief has surely passed.\u00a0\u00a0Her love, well, I believe her love would release you from your vow.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d His tone was simply weary.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve\u00a0asked Mama Inger for a sign before when I needed to know what she would tell me.\u00a0\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0never failed me.\u00a0\u00a0You might ask for a sign from Great-aunt Mae.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I slipped up the stairs without further comment.\u00a0\u00a0Pa remained\u00a0downstairs for\u00a0at least\u00a0an hour more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

~ACACACAC~<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa never actually told me whether he had received a sign from my great-aunt, simply accepted my reasoning, or just conceded my loophole. Whichever is true, when Hoss mentioned finding a home for Buddy, Pa said that there was no rush.\u00a0 We did not rush.\u00a0 In fact, no attempt was ever made to find Buddy another home. While Pa never actually said that Buddy was his dog, anyone with eyes could see he was.\u00a0 Hoss and Little Joe accepted that while Buddy considered us family, Pa was his person, first and foremost.\u00a0\u00a0Buddy lived a happy life from then on and brought a great deal of happiness into our lives.\u00a0 When he was laid to rest five years later, it was under a tree in Hop Sing\u2019s orchard.\u00a0 There was grief at his loss, but I still thanked Great-aunt Mae for allowing us his presence in our lives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Author’s note:\u00a0 I have no medical expertise of any kind and apologize if any medical information is incorrect.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0Adam\u00a0is determined to know why Ben Cartwright\u00a0always\u00a0refused his sons\u2019 requests\u00a0for\u00a0a family dog. \u00a0This was written for the 2026 Lorne Green\u2019s\u00a0Birthday Challenge which required the author to write a Carwright story that included a dog in honor of Lorne\u2019s love of dogs. \u00a0
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