Chapter 1
"Well, if it isn't the new Mrs Cartwright"
Annie turned enthusiastically at the mention of her name.
Abigail Winters smiled demurely at her, flanked by her three constant companions.
"So how is married life then".
"Oh it's wonderful thank you" Annie beamed.
"We all wondered who Joe Cartwright would finally settle with didn't we?" She turned to her friends.
Annie's face fell a little.
Marsha Addams nodded agreement "yes we never thought he would ever get married, dearest Joe" .
Abigail leaned in patting Annie's arm. "If you ever need advise about Joe you come to me. I've known him for years".
"She must come to our sewing circle" Marsha smiled.
"Oh yes, I do believe its being held at my house this week. Oh sweet lord I must buy some pastries you've reminded me dearest. Yes Annie you simply must come, I wouldn't have anything else"
"Er.. Em ..." Annie struggled to think on the spot.
"What's this?" Joe came up to stand with his new wife of three weeks.
"I was just inviting Annie to our sewing circle" Abigail smiled.
"Hay thats great" Joe said putting an arm around Annie's waist. "What time is it, I'll bring her over".
"It's 6.30 every Thursday evening" Abigail told him "don't be late" she smiled.
"We sure won't" Joe tipped his hat to the ladies as he led Annie towards the buggy.
"I'm so proud of you" he told her, giving her a fond squeeze.
"Proud, why?" she asked.
"Well it hasn't been easy for you moving to a strange town and yet here you are making friends. I couldn't be prouder" Joe gave her one of his adorable smiles and she smiled too and leaned into him as they set off back to the ranch.
~o~
Joe heard the raised voices even before they entered the house and once again longed for the day his house would be finished and he and Annie could have some privacy. One of the hands stepped forward to take the buggy Into the barn. Joe lifted Annie down.
"Maybe you should have married someone else" he told her
"Not on your life Mr Cartwright" she told him pulling him in for a kiss. Joe kissed her passionately for a moment but the noise from the house was definitely putting him off his game. After a minute he pulled away.
"Come on, We'd best go in" he took her hand.
"How do you feel about New Jersey" he asked making Annie laugh.
~o~
"I can only do so much. If we are out bid for the contract there isn't much I can do about it" Adam yelled "hello Annie".
"Adam" she nodded smiling.
"Hank Bishop, we lost out to Hank Bishop. I will never live this down" Ben shook his head.
"Well you're going to have to because I'm not a miracle worker. I have no way of knowing how much sway Hank Bishop had in this, what connections. Pa you expect too much. We can't win em all".
Ben sighed "No I guess not. I just hate loosing out to him, you know why Adam".
Adam put a hand to his fathers shoulder knowing how petty Hank Bishop was and how he'd brag to everyone who'd listen about how Ben lost out to him. They were grown men and should be above all that nonsense but there was no denying it sucked.
"How bout I make some coffee and bring out the cake I made yesterday" Annie asked, a little uncertain.
"Well that's about the best idea anyone's had all day" Ben smiled, again inwardly proud of Joe for his choice of a wife.
~o~
Elsewhere on the ranch, Sam waited jigging from one foot to the other. Nobody had managed to stay on, nobody. It was going to be so great when Sam finally did what no one else could, put manners on the cursed horse.
"Think you can do it son?" Charlie grinned coming up to lean on the fence.
"That horse has met his match" Sam grinned excitedly.
Just then the horse threw its current rider into the dirt.
"You're up boy" Charlie nodded.
Just as Sam was about to enter the coral one of the Cartwright brothers walked up.
"Not so fast boy" the big man took hold of Sam's shirt collar.
"Aw let him have a shot Hoss, he's good".
"Can't do it Charlie, he's too light" Hoss shook his head.
Sam looked from one to the other in desperation.
"He's too light and if he's thrown he could hit the fence and snap his neck" Hoss reasoned.
"Suppose your right boss, he is good though" Charlie told him as he signalled another ranch hand to try the horse.
"He can be good when he's older and has more meat on his bones" Hoss turned to Sam.
"There's plenty of work up at the ranch house you could be doin" he said.
"You can stock up the wood pile, muck out the barn and feed the chickens. When you finished with that see if ol Hop Sing needs any help scrubbing the pots".
Sam just looked at him.
"It's for your own good boy" Hoss said.
There was nothing more to say, the decision had been made. Sam inwardly fumed but made the long walk back to the ranch house.
~o~
That night Sam's pa heard the whole sorry tale as they ate their evening meal together in the dim lamp light.
"I could have broken that horse Pa, old Hoss Cartwright didn't even give me a chance, didn't even let me try".
"This is excellent stew".
"Pa I'm not going to work as a cook I told you. I've been mending fences and breaking horses since I was old enough to walk and the Ponderosa pays good wages" Sam told him pointedly.
"This is no life for you Samantha. I've brought you up all wrong, if only your mother was alive. If only I hadn't had that accident" Her father shook his head.
"That's a lot of 'ifs' father" Sam smiled.
"Look pa I know I should have come clean and told them I'm a girl but they probably wouldn't have hired me. We need the money. The pay is excellent you have to agree. I only have to work there a year and we'll be able to pay off the bank" She took his hands in hers.
"Pa I have to do this. You understand".
Her father nodded sadly.
"But please Samantha be careful, all those men".
"Don't worry pa, I've my hat well pinned to my head at all times. Nobody will suspect a thing".
"That's not what I meant young lady".
"I know what you meant Pa. I'll be careful" she smiled.