{"id":9620,"date":"2014-08-31T17:43:02","date_gmt":"2014-08-31T21:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9620"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:11:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:11:38","slug":"viva-la-brothers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9620","title":{"rendered":"Viva la Brothers! (by freyakendra)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/em>: After a night of brotherly bonding is complicated by a group of distrustful vaqueros and a jug <\/span>of pulque, the morning after — two days later — opens Adam\u2019s eyes to a whole new dimension in his relationship with Little Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Word Count<\/em>: 4351 Rating<\/em>: T<\/p>\n

Viva la Brothers!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

It was a spectacular fall. Joe’s pirouette could have taken center stage in a ballet. Adam might even have been inclined to start a standing ovation, if he hadn’t already proved to himself that any attempt to stand would only set the world to spinning. Even Juan Manuel — not to be confused with the much smaller and friendlier Juan Miguel — looked on in amazement before gazing at his own fist with a glint of pride in his eyes. It had been that fist, after all, that had initiated the pirouette. But Joe’s landing…. Well, that part wasn’t pretty. He bounced from boulder to boulder like a ball in a billiard game before coming to rest — if it could be called rest — splayed across the laps of four pulque-emboldened vaqueros.<\/span><\/p>\n

He didn’t stay there for long. The men were slow in responding, the pulque surely having dulled their senses; but a response was inevitable. Adam figured they’d all had a fair amount of experience with the heady drink. It was, after all, a local brew. Before long, one push led to another and one kick led to another, and, suddenly, Joe was back in that billiard game, bouncing now from fist to boot rather than rock to rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hang it all<\/em>. Adam was going to have to brave the spinning world to save his little brother. And hang<\/em> his little brother for shouting \u201cviva la pulque\u201d anyway. He should have known better. Joe\u2019s first sip should have been his last, reminding him not just of a night spent camping out with Marie’s first born — a third and previously unknown half-brother to Little Joe — but also, and more significantly, of the morning after. Joe had stayed green for hours. But Joe hadn\u2019t known better. He\u2019d taken another sip and then a full swallow before handing the jug to Adam, shouting \u201cviva la pulque\u201d and instantly winning over the men at Don Mariano’s hacienda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Joe had won them over. For a short while anyway, he\u2019d turned them from suspicious strangers to amigos. Compadres. And that was a good thing\u2026while it lasted. Adam and his brothers had been trying to waylay the suspicions those men had harbored toward them since they’d arrived. Why on earth the vaqueros thought the Cartwrights were in league with Maximilian, Adam had no idea. Their source of inspiration might have been nothing more than Hoss calling Little Joe, “Joseph.” Someone mentioned that Maximilian had been christened Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph<\/em>, and, well, their suspicions had been aroused.<\/span><\/p>\n

After that, the vaqueros had spent the day finding fault with Cartwright cattle. Hoss had done everything he could to prove their accusations false while Adam had spent the day trying to rein in his youngest brother’s temper.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then came the pulque, and suddenly they were all compadres. Even Adam had imbibed. He\u2019d figured he\u2019d better–solely for the purpose of helping to strip the vaqueros of their suspicions.<\/span><\/p>\n

But one too many swallows of that pulque had led to Joe repeating the name Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph<\/em> over and over again until he could effectively pronounce every syllable despite the fact that his tongue grew thicker while the jug got emptier.<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy should have stuck to talking about breaking horses and senoritas.<\/span><\/p>\n

No, that wasn\u2019t quite right, was it? Adam would never encourage Joe to talk about breaking senoritas.<\/span><\/p>\n

What was it Adam had wanted to do? Standing wasn’t really the best idea he’d ever had. The world had developed a sea-like fluidity that rocked him right back to the log he’d been sitting on since nightfall. He closed his eyes to ease the effect, and briefly wondered how a man could get sea-sick in the middle of the desert\u2026or on the outskirts of the desert. Where were they, anyway? Oh. Right. Chihuahua. Mexican cattle country. Where Don Mariano was bound and determined to build the biggest herd in Mexico, supplementing what he already had with the best from the north\u2026Cartwright cattle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Too bad Don Mariano\u2019s men didn\u2019t share his fine opinion of the Cartwrights. Or\u2026Cartwright cattle. Or maybe both.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s muddled thoughts got even muddier when someone ran into him\u2026or was thrown into him\u2026knocking him from his perch on the log to a somewhat less than gentlemanly position sprawled out on the ground. Pushing the dead weight off of him, he discovered it was Juan Miguel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Juan Miguel was a good man. Adam liked him. Why on earth would someone want to throw him around? Suddenly angry, Adam carefully climbed to his feet. He was disappointed to discover he still hadn\u2019t managed to get his sea legs\u2026or desert legs\u2026or desert-sea legs\u2026. But that didn\u2019t stop him from forming a loose fist and turning his attention to the melee going on in front of him. He took a blind swing at the first blurring figure that crept into view, and\u2026hit nothing but air.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then the air hit him back. Momentum sent him crashing into someone\u2019s soft belly. \u201cHoss?\u201d Adam patted the comfortable flesh in front of him and started chuckling at the irony.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Hoss didn\u2019t share in his sudden turn of mirth. Adam\u2019s middle brother grabbed him by the back of his collar and started dragging him somewhere. Yep, dragging. Adam\u2019s feet weren\u2019t working very well. After a minute or three, he stopped even trying to keep his feet under him. He was having a hard enough time trying to keep his stomach where it<\/em> belonged.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the moving stopped — or the dragging, anyway\u2026the spinning wasn\u2019t likely to stop anytime soon. And then it was Adam\u2019s turn to collide with someone on the ground when Hoss tossed him down beside\u2026or, rather, somewhat on top<\/em> of, Little Joe. Adam patted his youngest brother\u2019s less than fleshy chest as he maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position to watch his bigger younger brother battle all those vaqueros all by himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cViva la pulque,\u201d Joe muttered drunkenly beside him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving his attention over to his smaller younger brother, Adam was surprised to see Joe smiling despite the fresh trickle of blood the effort drew from a cut in his lip.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cViva la pulque,\u201d Adam repeated softly. Somewhere inside him he knew the coming morning was not going to be pleasant. But the rest of him couldn\u2019t help but chuckle. He even shouted, \u201cOle!\u201d when another vaquero landed face-first on the ground in front of him<\/span><\/p>\n

XxXxX<\/span><\/p>\n

Dawn found Adam still lying beside Little Joe. He knew that fact by the whimpering that arose beside him long before he dared open his eyes. Yes, he knew that sound. Joe\u2019s whimpers were somewhat legendary and as identifiable as Adam\u2019s own reflection.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Adam realized those whimpers came with the steady cadence of breathing, he wondered if Joe was suffering from damage to his ribs. Or maybe he was simply experiencing the same skull-splitting pain as Adam, himself. Truth be told, Adam felt inclined to do some whimpering himself, but he bit back every useless, wordless, pathetic complaint that threatened to pass through his bitterly dry lips. Whimpering simply wouldn\u2019t do, not given his own somewhat legendary stoicism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon other men started moaning, drowning out Little Joe\u2019s quiet whimpers. That\u2019s when Adam finally opened his eyes to find that Joe and he weren\u2019t the only ones to have fallen asleep where they\u2019d landed. But they were<\/em> the only Cartwrights. Where was Hoss?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdm?\u201d Joe mumbled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his eyes and tried to get a good look at his not-so-good looking little brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink I\u2019m gonna be sick.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The words had no sooner left Joe\u2019s lips when Adam own stomach started to revolt. He shakily rose, took five staggered steps and\u2026fired without aiming. By the time he realized what direction he\u2019d pointed, he found himself staring straight at his bigger younger brother\u2019s chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss looked like he, too, was about to get sick. \u201cDoggone you, Adam!\u201d he complained, curling his nose at the vomit now adorning the front of his shirt and holding his hands out to his sides. \u201cWhat\u2019s got into you, anyway?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPulque,\u201d Adam said as shakily as he\u2019d stumbled moments earlier. \u201cAnd too much of it. Too\u2026too<\/em> much of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, pull yourself together!\u201d Hoss looked as stern as Pa ever could. Sterner, even.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sterner<\/em>? More stern? Couldn\u2019t Adam come up with a better word?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta get movin\u2019,\u201d Hoss added. \u201cI aim to be long gone by the time these yahoos sober up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoving?\u201d Adam asked queasily. \u201cNo. Can\u2019t.\u201d Feeling his weak legs grow weaker, he grabbed Hoss\u2019s arm for support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou darned well better! I don\u2019t want to carry this check any longer than I absolutely got to. The sooner we get it locked up in Pa\u2019s safe, the better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCheck?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss gave a quick bob of his head in answer, while his eyes scanned the moaning bodies beyond. \u201cDon Mariano agreed to our price. Paid in full.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d Don Mariano had barely said two words to Adam since they\u2019d arrived. \u201cHow?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast night.\u201d Hoss\u2019s lip curled again. \u201cWhile you two were fillin\u2019 yer gullets with that poison of theirs, Don Mariano and his daughter were fillin\u2019 mine with the best beef this side of Texas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s curled lip turned into a grin. \u201cShe sure is a pretty filly,\u201d he said, patting Adam\u2019s shoulder. Then his expression hardened again. \u201cNow if you can handle pullin\u2019 yourself together, I\u2019ll collect little brother over there and we can ride outta here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRide?\u201d Adam\u2019s stomach started churning again. This time he dropped to his hands and knees and aimed for the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

XxXxX<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a long morning. And an excruciating one. Every step the horse made jolted through Adam\u2019s temples like iron spikes. He wondered how Joe was faring, but didn\u2019t dare take his eyes off the path in front of him. Besides, looking toward Joe would force him to move his head. And any movement of his head jabbed those spikes deeper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even when Hoss declared it was time to stop for lunch, Adam didn\u2019t make any attempt to check on Little Joe. Frankly, it was all he could do to get himself down to the ground. Once there, he quickly closed his eyes and just as quickly fell into a light but blessed doze.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d Joe\u2019s voice called to him through the soothing darkness. \u201cHave some coffee. It\u2019ll help.\u201d He sounded, well, like he sounded on any given day. There wasn\u2019t a trace of last night\u2019s indulgence in his even tone. Nor of last night\u2019s billiard game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Curious but cautious, Adam opened his eyes slowly. He squinted up at Little Joe to find the boy smiling down at him. Yes, smiling. It was a gentle smile, a soft, concerned smile, the kind of smile generally reserved as a show of brotherly compassion. Just as there\u2019d been no trace in Joe\u2019s voice of the hangover Adam himself was experiencing, there was also no trace of ridicule in his smile. Adam certainly deserved some ridicule. He\u2019d given Joe his fair share the last time the boy had experienced the after effects of too much pulque.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I should have warned you about the kick that stuff has,\u201d Joe said amicably. \u201cDoesn\u2019t take as much as you\u2019d think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blinking away the cobwebs, Adam pushed himself up to one elbow and gratefully accepted the cup Joe offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I should have known better,\u201d Adam croaked back, his voice as weak as his vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s hand settled on his shoulder. \u201cSure was some night, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d His giggle came as even more of a surprise to Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d Adam asked, looking closer at his little brother. \u201cHow is it you\u2026?\u201d He cleared his throat. \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you\u2026.?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A rainbow of dark, painful looking colors encircled a cut above Joe\u2019s right eye; but his gaze was clear and focused. He even nudged his smile wider, pulling at the swelling in his lower lip until it stopped puckering around a newly formed scab. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s just worse the first time around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth,\u201d Adam struggled to say, \u201cdid you give it a second time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe shrugged. \u201cJust stupid, I guess.\u201d He settled down to sit cross-legged beside Adam, and then winced, taking in a sharp, quick breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRibs?\u201d Adam asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe smiled again. \u201cSure took a pounding. But I\u2019ll be fine by the time we get home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou amaze me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do?\u201d Joe\u2019s eyebrows shot upward for an instant. The action opened his cut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re bleeding,\u201d Adam pointed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe just shrugged and swiped the trickle away with the back of his hand. \u201cYou worry too much, older brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you don\u2019t worry enough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs that why I amaze you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe. I don\u2019t know. I guess\u2026I just\u2026.\u201d Adam sighed. \u201cHow is it you can take a beating like you did last night\u2026both from the pulque and from those vaqueros\u2026and sit there now acting like\u2026there\u2019s not a thing wrong with you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t anything wrong with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI beg to differ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeg all you want, older brother. Just remember we\u2019ve still got a good six hours or more of riding ahead of us today, and a whole bunch more tomorrow.\u201d He winked with his good eye, tapped Adam\u2019s shoulder again and practically jumped to his feet. \u201cHey, Hoss!\u201d he hollered out then, making Adam do a bit of jumping himself and reminding him that he still had iron spikes in his temples. \u201cGot any more of that coffee for older brother, here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Setting his cup on the ground beside him, Adam shook the spilled liquid from his hand and lay back again. Dang, but that sun was bright.<\/span><\/p>\n

XxXxX<\/span><\/p>\n

2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That first night on the trail home, Adam slept as well as he ever had. Better<\/em>, even. He blinked his eyes open seemingly moments after having closed them, and then found himself wondering how the sun could have risen so quickly. Then he realized he\u2019d slept so well nothing remained of his pulque-induced headache or the corresponding nausea. He felt remarkably whole and hale and ready to face the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Joe, on the other hand, looked as bad<\/em> as Adam had ever seen him. The spark in Joe\u2019s eyes had dulled, and the cheerfulness he\u2019d displayed the day before had faded. He wasn\u2019t ornery exactly. But he was<\/em> quiet and distant. Clearly, he was hurting. His hand perpetually rested against his ribs or drifted to his temple, hovering over but never quite touching the colorful bruising around his eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calling Hoss toward the morning\u2019s fire with a jerk of his head, Adam looked to where their youngest brother sat staring at the cooling coffee in his cup. \u201cHe didn\u2019t let you check those ribs of his by any chance, did he?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAw, he\u2019s okay,\u201d Hoss answered lightly. \u201cJust sore. Ridin\u2019 and sleepin\u2019 on the hard ground ain\u2019t helpin\u2019 him none. But he\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure about that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d Hoss bobbed his head in a quick nod. \u201cI made sure of that before we left Don Mariano\u2019s. I wouldn\u2019t\u2019a let him ride, otherwise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Adam said absently. \u201cI don\u2019t suppose I would have, either\u2026if I\u2019d managed to even think<\/em> about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t reckon you were up to much thinkin\u2019 back there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Frustrated and disappointed in himself, Adam tensed, shaking his head. \u201cHow could I have been so careless?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCareless?\u201d Hoss\u2019s question surprised him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, careless<\/em>!\u201d Adam practically shouted. \u201cOf course<\/em>, careless! I don\u2019t even know why I took one sip of that\u2026that\u2026rattlesnake juice. What on earth prompted me to keep going?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to me,\u201d Joe called over, \u201cyou were doin\u2019 more than sipping.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam hadn\u2019t meant for Joe to hear him. \u201cYou\u2019re not helping,\u201d he answered, keeping his voice somewhat softer than the shout that had obviously disturbed his young brother\u2019s contemplation of trail coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s got you so riled up, anyway?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m supposed to watch out for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor both<\/em> of you,\u201d Adam added before Joe could complain. \u201cAnd what do I do? I get so drunk I couldn\u2019t even bother to stop those vaqueros from beating the daylights out of Joe. And<\/em> I left you to negotiate with Don Mariano on your own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did all right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s eyes locked on Adam\u2019s\u2026studying, maybe even calculating. Whatever was going on behind that intense, blue gaze started to make Adam nervous. \u201cI thought you had it figured,\u201d Hoss said then.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHad what figured?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw you sharin\u2019 that jug with Little Joe, you were laughing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGetting drunk will do that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam. Not then. You\u2019d just sat down. Hadn\u2019t even taken a swallow yet. But you were laughing. You and Joe, both.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. So?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was right after you took a punch at him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt whom?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on! I did no such thing.\u201d Adam glanced toward Joe and then looked away just as quickly, uncomfortable to realize he was being scrutinized by both of his brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure did,\u201d Hoss countered. \u201cRight after Joe took a punch at you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam shrugged. \u201cNow that<\/em> I can believe.\u201d Was Joe actually smiling?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe way you rode herd on him all day,\u201d Hoss went on, \u201cI couldn\u2019t blame him. I\u2019d have taken a punch at you, too, if you\u2019d hounded me like that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, someone<\/em> had to stop him from getting into trouble with Don Mariano\u2019s men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Joe asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy<\/em>?\u201d Incredulous, Adam turned from Joe to Hoss. \u201cYou<\/em> saw them! They took offense with everything he said!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you just had to step in,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cThat about right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, by steppin\u2019 in like you did, you got those men to start thinkin\u2019 we had somethin\u2019 to hide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat<\/em>? How?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey figured that was why you kept tryin\u2019 to shut Joe up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for the love of\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut after you threw that punch\u2026. Well, I don\u2019t rightly know how it all came about. But those men started laughin.\u2019 And then Joe started laughin.\u2019 Even you<\/em> got to laughin.\u2019 That\u2019s when they brought out the jug. And I figured you and Joe were finally actin\u2019 like brothers. Not like big brother and little brother, but\u2026more like\u2026like you sometimes act with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sighing, Hoss pushed at his hat and gave his shoulders a small shrug. \u201cWell, sometimes you hound me, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have never hounded you,\u201d Adam scoffed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss studied him again. \u201cWhat was that you were sayin\u2019 a minute ago? About how you were supposed to look out for both Joe and me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooking out is not the same as hounding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This time, it was Adam\u2019s turn to study Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, Adam. All I\u2019m sayin\u2019 is it was good to see you and Joe laughin\u2019 together. Even sharin\u2019 that jug. And when I tried to get you both to go in for supper, you were havin\u2019 such a good time you both just kept tellin\u2019 me to wait. That\u2019s when I reckoned it was time for me to look out for you<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI joined Don Mariano for supper on my own. Told him you thought you and Joe owed it to his men to work out your differences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he have to say to that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe admired your sense of honor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe did?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s<\/em> honor?\u201d Yes, Joe was definitely smiling. And his smile was getting wider.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cOn account of the fact Joe took a punch at you for sayin\u2019 the likes of men like Juan Manuel weren\u2019t worth his attention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever I said, I\u2019m sure it was nothing so callous as that!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it was callous, all right. In fact, I\u2019d say it was downright mean\u2014although I\u2019m pretty sure you didn\u2019t think Juan Manuel could hear you. Weren\u2019t even drunk at the time. Just riled.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Adam rubbed gently at the awakening headache behind his brows. \u201cRiled can be just as bad as drunk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019ll remember that next time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s words were overshadowed by the calculating nature of Adam\u2019s own, well-rested mind. \u201cWait a minute,\u201d Adam realized suddenly. \u201cYou\u2019re saying Joe stood up for Juan Manuel?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did Juan Manuel throw a punch at him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made him a bet,\u201d Joe offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA bet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told him I was so good at reading a man\u2019s eyes I\u2019d know just when to duck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe cocked his head sideways and lifted his shoulder in a sheepish shrug. \u201cI thought I could tell when he was gettin\u2019 ready to hit me. I figured I could duck in time. Turned out, I couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf all the stupid, lame-brained\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cViva la pulque,\u201d Joe said with something less than enthusiasm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blowing out a rush of air, Adam had to agree. \u201cMaybe so, but\u2026muerto<\/em> la Joseph<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure is some shiner you gave him,\u201d Hoss said then.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe<\/em>?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked at the dark bruising around Joe\u2019s eye. \u201cI thought that was from Juan Manuel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope. Juan Manuel split his lip. It was you gave him the black eye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam gaped at his youngest brother, amazed to see that Joe was still smiling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe even winked at him — with his good eye, of course. \u201cAt least you\u2019re<\/em> looking a whole lot better this morning,\u201d Joe said teasingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

And suddenly it was Adam\u2019s turn to feel sheepish. \u201cSorry, Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI swung first,\u201d Joe admitted. \u201cBesides, it was worth it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow on earth could my giving you a black eye be worth<\/em> it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raising his tin coffee cup in what looked like a toast, Joe declared, \u201cViva la brothers!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2026I gave you a black eye!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a night I\u2019ll never forget. A night with a brother I\u2019d never met before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So that<\/em>\u2019s<\/em> what was going on in that boy\u2019s mind. Adam stiffened. \u201cIs that all this is about? How a night drinking pulque with a bunch of angry vaqueros reminded you of Clay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s smile finally faded. But\u2026it was not supplanted by anger. \u201cNope,\u201d Joe said softly, meaningfully<\/em>. \u201cThe brother I\u2019d never met before was you<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam stared at him, looking for signs of trickery in Joe\u2019s eyes. He saw none. \u201cYou\u2019re not making any sense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had fun, Adam,\u201d Joe offered. \u201cWith you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou got beat up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Joe shrugged, and then grimaced at the resulting discomfort in his bruised ribs. \u201cThe fun got a little out of hand. It was still fun. And you know the best part?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you started laughing and stopped working so hard at being my big<\/em> brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam felt his brows rise to his hairline. \u201cYou thought it was fun<\/em> when I sat back and let you get beat up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe especially<\/em> because you let me get beat up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaking his head in utter confusion, Adam couldn\u2019t even begin to form words for the enigma his youngest brother represented.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBesides,\u201d Joe added, \u201cHoss got them to stop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had to appreciate the significance of that statement. \u201cI suppose we both owe you,\u201d he told his bigger younger brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss clapped Adam on the back. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you forget it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also suppose it\u2019s good to know at least one<\/em> of us was responsible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe agreed, \u201cand I suppose it\u2019s my turn next time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou? Responsible?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can be responsible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy<\/em>, you don\u2019t know the meaning of the word.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me boy<\/em>?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs often as it takes for you to stop acting like one!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s fingers dug into Adam\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIf you two boys<\/em> are about ready, we still got us a lot of ridin\u2019 ahead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m a long way from boyhood,\u201d Adam said coldly. \u201cDon’t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKind\u2019a hard to tell by the way you been actin\u2019. Frankly, I think it\u2019s high time someone rode herd on you for a change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged. \u201cWell, seeing as how I\u2019m the only responsible<\/em> one on this trip, I reckon that ought\u2019a be me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you can ride herd on me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep. Just like I been doin\u2019 ever since we left Don Mariano\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was true, wasn\u2019t it? Adam took in a long breath and then let it out slowly. \u201cHerd away,\u201d he said softly, waving his hand in an exaggerated show of surrender.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, brother,\u201d Joe said then. \u201cI know a thing or two about gettin\u2019 out from under.\u201d His wink toward Adam was a sure sign that the rest of the journey was not going to be without incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

Normally, Adam would have been suspicious of the threat secreted in his youngest brother\u2019s statement. At that moment, however, he saw it as more of a challenge than a threat. He even felt a small touch of excitement. \u201cI imagine you do, brother<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, the challenge would have to wait until Joe was moving more like his old self rather than like the old man his bruised ribs were making him appear to be. He accepted his brothers\u2019 help in saddling Cochise before taking his time mounting up.<\/span><\/p>\n

An instant later, he kicked his heels against the horse’s flanks and shot out ahead of both his older brothers. \u201cViva la brothers!\u201d he shouted as he left them eating his dust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharing a bemused shake of his head with Hoss, Adam repeated softly, \u201cI thought he was hurting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d Hoss scratched his ear. \u201cYou reckon maybe he was just pullin\u2019 our leg?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon I\u2019ll never understand just what goes on underneath that boy\u2019s hat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBetter not let him hear you call him a boy again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he\u2019ll hear me, all right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sighing, Hoss slipped his foot into the stirrup. \u201cJust do us all a favor, Adam. Would ya\u2019?\u201d he asked as he settled into his own saddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWait until that black eye of his heals up before you give him another one?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t help but start grinning. Then\u00a0he kicked his own horse, shouted, \u201cViva la brothers!\u201d and raced out after Little Joe. If Hoss thought he was ready to try riding herd on a brother who knew a thing or two about getting out from under and another brother who knew a thing or two more,\u00a0who was Adam to stop him from trying?<\/span><\/p>\n

XxXxX<\/span><\/p>\n

~end<\/em>~<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, JAM, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Mexico, pulque<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: After a night of brotherly bonding is complicated by a group of distrustful vaqueros and a jug of pulque, the morning after — two days later — opens Adam\u2019s eyes to a whole new dimension in his relationship with Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Word Count: 4351 Rating: T<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":9621,"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_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1009,4,40],"tags":[120],"class_list":["post-9620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brothers","category-humor","category-challenges","tag-citp","wpcat-1009-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/viva.jpg?fit=1131%2C1069&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9620","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\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}