Summary:\u00a0 A short WHN for Hoss’s loss of\u00a0Margie.<\/p>\n
Rating: K+ Word Count: 694<\/p>\n
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He Would Have<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Setting his beer on the table, Adam watched his youngest brother walk through the batwing doors of the saloon.\u00a0 He raised his hand, and Little Joe walked quickly over.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 Adam inquired as Joe took a seat and signaled the barkeep to send over a beer.<\/p>\n \u201cHe went on home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHome?\u00a0 Hoss declined the offer of a cold beer to ride home alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t expect that he\u2019ll head straight home.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe shifted uncomfortably.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n A pretty girl in a spangled red dress set a beer on the table in front of Little Joe without receiving even a passing glance.\u00a0 The line on Adam\u2019s brow deepened.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw Margie\u2019s little girl.\u00a0 She was with her grandfather,\u201d Little Joe stated in a carefully toneless voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 The syllable clearly expressed Adam\u2019s understanding of the situation.<\/p>\n Little Joe took a swig of his beer and then observed, \u201cShe a pretty little thing, sweet as sugar.\u00a0 She offered me a lick of her candy.\u201d\u00a0 A smile flickered briefly on Joe\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n \u201cHer grandfather spoils her rotten; everyone says so.\u201d Adam tugged his left ear, and then let an expletive slip from his lips.<\/p>\n Little Joe nodded.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe truly loved her.\u00a0 How could she throw him away for a man like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shrugged as memories swirled through both their minds.\u00a0 Margie had agreed to marry Hoss, but a newcomer to Virginia City had dazzled the girl with stories of adventure in faraway places, and she had broken the engagement before it had been announced to anyone beyond the family.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEven fool\u2019s gold as its allure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s never said much about it.\u201d\u00a0 After Margie had told Hoss she could not marry him, their brother had retreated into the mountains for months.\u00a0 It was the longest separation Hoss had ever had from his family.\u00a0 When he returned, he had simply avoided any discussion of his broken engagement.\u00a0 Little Joe had prodded him in vain.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you expect him to say?\u201d\u00a0 Adam reached for his own beer.<\/p>\n \u201cA good string of curses might have helped,\u201d Little Joe replied adamantly.<\/p>\n Adam gave his brother a wry grin.\u00a0 \u201cOur brother doesn\u2019t curse where Pa can hear or me either, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe could have cursed to me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss wouldn\u2019t soil our baby brother\u2019s innocent little ears,\u201d Adam teased, and then his tone grew serious again.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not his way, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u00a0 He forgave her.\u201d\u00a0 The fact the Little Joe felt the forgiveness undeserved was quite evident.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss can forgive anyone he loves anything.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice held warm confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would have married her; he would have raised that child as his own.\u201d\u00a0 Margie\u2019s husband had been revealed as an abusive scoundrel, and Margie\u2019s father had sent Hoss to bring Margie home.\u00a0 Instead, Margie had died in childbirth, and Hoss had brought home only her little girl.<\/p>\n Adam nodded in agreement.\u00a0 \u201cHe would have made her a good husband.\u201d\u00a0 The brother\u2019s exchanged a glance that stated the undoubted assurance that Hoss would have been able to protect both Margie and her child from even the most vicious of the town snobs and gossips.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would have made an even better father,\u201d Little Joe added.<\/p>\n The brothers drank the rest of their beer in silence with images of Hoss and Margie and of Hoss and the baby slipping through both minds.<\/p>\n Setting down his empty glass, Little Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cScar ain\u2019t healed yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously.\u201d\u00a0 It was a bitter observation.\u00a0 Adam rubbed the green felt of the table covering and watched the imprint fade as he said, \u201cBrother Hoss must have let a hundred wild things go over the years, but he can tell you the name of each one.\u00a0 His hands let go, but his heart never does.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe agreed silently as the two men rose to leave.\u00a0 When they arrived home, Adam told Hop Sing to make Hoss\u2019s favorite desert while Little Joe decided to let Hoss win their next game of checkers.\u00a0 That night Hoss arrived late for supper with an injured raccoon in his hands.\u00a0 He named him Bandito.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0brothers,\u00a0Family,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n