Ben, Hoss, and Joe sat solemnly at the dinner table, pushing their supper around their plates. What had become routine joshing and good-natured picking on Jamie was as conspicuously absent from the dinner time conversation as was the boy's presence in his usual seat. It had been a long while since the threesome had felt as low as they did at this moment.
Hearing hoofbeats and the crunch of wheels out in the yard, Hoss glanced toward the door. "You expectin' somebody, Pa?"
"Not that I know of", Ben looked back and forth at Joe and Hoss. "Well, is someone going to go see who it is?" His eyes finally settled on Joe.
His youngest shrugged and pushed back from the table with a huff. "Guess I'll see who is at the door." Joe pulled open the front door and did a double take. "Jamie? Mr. Callahan?"
Hoss and Ben exchanged looks of disbelief and chorused in unison, "Jamie?" Both were out of their seats in no time and joined Joe on the porch. Taking in the bedraggled young man securing the reins and his grandfather seated at an angle in the back of the buckboard, the Cartwright men stood frozen in shock waiting for an explanation.
"Hey. Bet you're surprised to us, huh?" Jamie gave the Cartwrights a weary smile. "Been kinda a rough last day and Mr. Callahan could sure use some help gettin' in the house. He's got a busted leg."
Suddenly coming to their senses, Hoss and Ben went to help Callahan while Joe took hold of the team.
"I'll get the team put up and then head to town for Doc Martin", Joe called. Examining Jamie's filthy, sweat-stained clothing, Joe went on, "Looks like you've been through the mill. Sure glad you're alright."
Jamie jumped down from the rig and slapped his hat against his leg causing the dust to fly. "Thanks, Joe. Me too. Now I best see to Mr. Callahan."
Ben and Hoss helped Callahan to the settee and gently lifted his splinted leg up onto the cushions. Exhausted, hungry, and suddenly embarrassed to have to relate his poor judgment to grown men, Callahan muttered his thanks and closed his eyes.
Ben placed a comforting hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just tired and really hungry. I know I need a bath, but do you think I could eat something first. I had ta drive real slow and it took most of the day to get here; so I didn't take time to stop and hunt for food." Jamie patted his hollow belly.
As if he had been beckoned, Hop Sing came out of the kitchen carrying plates and silverware. "Jamie go wash hands and face. Food already on table."
"Thanks, Hop Sing." Jamie could not have been happier to hear the cook's mildly scolding tone about washing up since food was coming right behind it.
There was little conversation while Jamie shoveled down two plates of food. Meanwhile, Callahan ate quietly at the settee. Ben tried unsuccessfully to get more information about how Jamie's grandfather had sustained his injury, but neither he nor the boy seemed ready at this point to relinquish it. Finally getting his fill, Jamie asked to be excused to take the bath that Hop Sing had prepared for him. Ben brought a tray with the coffee pot and cups to the living room and took a seat in his leather chair. Hoss came and sat on the hearth across from Callahan.
Ben began pouring coffee and offered some to his injured guest. "Would you care for a cup of coffee, Mr. Callahan?"
"Thank you, yes. And thank you for the meal. I am feeling somewhat better now having eaten some food." Callahan paused to take sip. Your cook fixes a fine meal. The same for his coffee."
Ben nodded. "Thank you. I will pass your compliments along to Hop Sing." He poured two more cups and handed one to Hoss, before picking up his own cup to drink from it.
After an uncomfortable silence, Callahan spoke. "I'm sure you are wondering how I managed to get myself hurt like this. Well, you can rest assured that Jamie had absolutely nothing to do with it. It was entirely my own doing - lost control of the team and hit a hole on the side of the road. We both rolled down the hill. Thankfully Jamie wasn't hurt or we might both be laying out there - food for the buzzards!"
Subtle smiles crossed both Ben's and Hoss' faces. If nothing else, they believed Ferris Callahan to be brutally honest.
Callahan took another drink of his coffee and went on. "My grandson is a very capable young man." He paused and looked intently at Ben. "He credits you and your sons with teaching him the skills he needed to get us out of our predicament. For a fifteen year old, he managed amazingly well. Without a doubt he is cadet material. Could have him behind the wheel of a Callahan clipper ship in a no time!"
The pleasant expression on Hoss' face turned sour when he heard Callahan's last statements. "So you're tellin' us that Jamie's changed his mind in the past day and a half, cuz that sure ain't how he felt when he left here yesterday mornin'!"
"Hoss", Ben muttered under his breath. "Maybe now isn't the best time to get into this."
WIth an air of confidence, Callahan shot back at Hoss. "No Jamie's not come around just yet - headstrong like his mother, he is -but when I get him to Boston, I'm sure he'll change his tune - not that I"m ungrateful for what he did, mind you, but he is still my grandson."
"Yes, well, it appears that your departure to Boston will be delayed for some time." Ben returned Callahan's intense gaze. "Joe went after Dr. Martin. He is an excellent physician who has seen our family through many injuries and maladies. I'm certain he will get your leg set properly, but it will be weeks before you are able to make such a long journey."
"We shall see. A hardy and determined constitution goes a long way when necessary. Now if you wouldn't mind getting me settled into a room, I would greatly appreciate it."
"Certainly. You will be in this room right over here." Ben motioned to the guest room off the dining area. "Hoss would you give me a hand."
Not long after getting Callahan into his room, Jamie walked out from the kitchen rubbing his wiry copper curls with a towel. Hoss and Ben were still nursing the last of their cups of coffee in their usual spots in the living room. Under normal circumstances, Hoss would have asked Jamie if he was up to a game of checkers, but at the moment, nothing felt normal.
Ben offered Jamie a weak smile. "Feel better?"
Jamie paused behind the settee, unsure whether to sit down. "Yeah, afraid that water was pretty dirty by the time I got done." Jamie let out a deep, uncomfortable sigh. He was bone tired and fearful of getting into an emotional discussion about his grandfather.
Ben sensed Jamie's tentativeness and tried to give the boy an easy out for heading to bed. "Joe should be back in a few hours with Doc Martin, but there's no need for you to stay up until then. You've had an exhausting day. Why don't you go on up to bed."
Jamie looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Night", he called over his shoulder and moved toward the stairs.
Ben and Hoss bid him good night and watched Jamie ascend the stairs, but then pause on the landing.
"I was thinking...tomorrow being Friday... you don't s'pose I ought to go to school, do you?" He asked the question as if searching to find his place in the household once more.
Hoss gave his father a strained look and waited for his response. "I think you've earned a day off. Besides Mrs. Griggs wouldn't be expecting you. Let's wait and see what Doc Martin has to say about your grandfather. With only a few weeks of school left, you might be able to complete the term - but - I'm going to leave that up to you when we have more information to make a reasonable decision." Ben cocked an eyebrow. "Sound good?"
"Yes sir. Thanks. Night."
After watching Jamie disappear, Hoss grabbed hold of his knees and massaged them. "He's like a fish outta water. Don't know what to think or feel. It just ain't right, Pa."
Ben put a finger to his lips and cocked his head toward the guest room. "We don't want to disturb our guest. He kept his voice low in response. "Yes I know, but for the moment, our hands are tied. My hope is that a few weeks here at the ranch seeing Jamie as part of our family will change Callahan's mind. I'll have a talk with Jamie tomorrow. Honestly, I think the best thing for him is to try his darndest to act like nothing has changed. I know it's a tall order, for that matter it will be a challenge for all of us, when it feels as though everything has changed. But I fear that it may be the only means we have to keep Jamie here with us."
Hoss slid his hands over his knees again. "Yeah, ya may be right on that. Well, if it's ok, I'll let you be the one to wait up for Joe and Doc Martin.."
"Sure, I wouldn't be sleeping anyway. Goodnight, son."
"Night, Pa."
Upstairs, Jamie's thoughts were churning as he crawled into bed. It was mind-boggling how in some ways everything felt normal, but in reality was very tenuous. He had proved to his grandfather that he was not some needy little child. However, the more he thought on Callahan's reactions to his ability to get them out of a real fix, the more Jamie worried that showing himself to be smart and capable of solving problems only served to strengthen his grandfather's desire to turn him into the captain of a Callahan clipper ship. After tossing and turning for what seemed to him a long time, exhaustion finally took over and Jamie fell into a sound sleep.
Downstairs, Ben had been trying to read a book, but his thoughts kept going back to Jamie and how the boy would deal with his grandfather's presence at the ranch over the next several weeks. Ben eventually managed to doze off and woke with a start when Dr. Martin and Joe finally showed up well after midnight. Once Callahan's leg was set, Doc Martin updated Ben on the injured man's prognosis. He was currently sedated and needed to remain in bed for a week. That news brought a look of disbelief to Ben's face. Given his age, the doctor thought a minimum period of six weeks would be required for the proper healing of the broken limb. Ben rubbed his bristly chin. Six weeks was a long time for Jamie's fate to be in limbo. He offered Martin the settee for the few remaining hours of the night and then went up to bed.
Shortly after dawn, Ben descended the stairs and found Doc Martin finishing the breakfast that Hop Sing had prepared so that he could get an early start back to town. The doctor confirmed that he had checked in on Mr. Callahan and found him sleeping comfortably. The rest of the family trickled to the table not long after Martin left the ranch. A rather bleary-eyed Jamie joined them at the table with a subdued greeting. Hoss and Joe passed the food so the boy could fill his plate.
Jamie picked up his fork and paused. "Did Doc Martin get Mr. Callahan fixed up?"
Ben nodded. "Yes, it was very late. You must have been sound asleep."
"Yeah, I was pretty tired." Jamie took a few bites of his eggs before speaking again. "What did the Doc say? Is he gonna be laid up a while?"
"In bed for a week and no travel for six weeks."
Joe scowled into his coffee. "He'll be about as happy to hear that as a bear that just woke up from a long winter nap!" Though Ben had had similar thoughts, he gave his youngest a hard look. "I'm only saying what all of you are thinking."
Jamie gave Joe a weak smile. "Yeah. you probably got that right."
"Regardless of what may be coming, I would suggest that we all do our best to treat our guest with kindness and respect." Jamie's conflicted expression was not overlooked by Ben. "Please understand, Jamie that I'm going to go Carson City and do my best to find an ally for your cause - but I'll just be honest, with your grandfather in possession of both your parents' marriage and your birth certificates, I'm not certain there is much that the authorities can do."
Jamie looked around the table and found that Hoss and Joe were staring at their plates unable to look him in eye.
Ben went on. "Now that being said. We must not give up hope."
"You say that, but he's not gonna change his mind. He said it himself that he was too old a fool to change."
Ben's eyebrows shot up. "Apparently Mr. Callahan needs a good dose of our friend Sam Clemens who once said, 'It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.'"
Hoss and Joe's muffled laughter came to a abrupt stop when they could tell by the look on Jamie's face that their father's words were providing little comfort. Ben rose and went to stand behind the boy's chair and squeezed his shoulders.
"I know that these next weeks are going to be very difficult for you. As I mentioned to Hoss last evening, I think our best strategy is to show your grandfather that you have become an integral part of this family and then hope that his forced 'incarceration' with us will change his perspective."
Jamie stiffened in Ben's grasp. "And if he doesn't...then we're back to where we were two days ago." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I told him I'd run away before we made it to the train, but he said he'd send the Pinkertons after me."
Ben moved to the open chair beside Jamie and looked the young man squarely in the face. "Promise me that you will do no such thing! You can trust that Hoss, Joe, and I want you here with us, but I could not bear to think of you running and hiding like a criminal. It is important for us to know that you are being well cared for and have a proper home. Please promise me that you will not run away from your grandfather!"
Jamie hung his head in shame and frustration. "I promise", he whispered.
"Thank you. I know that going to Boston is not what you want. It's not what we want either, but try to think of it like this: Adam left for a time and then came back. You would probably be looking at two years in an excellent school and then you could come back if you wanted because you would be of age, and we would welcome you with open arms."
Jamie sat slump-shouldered, head still down, unable to look his would-be family in the eye. Hoss' heart ached for the boy he had hoped would become his little brother. He racked his brain trying to come up with way to encourage Jamie.
"Well, Jamie, for now you're here, and seems ta me Pa promised ya somethin' a little while back." All eyes were now on the big man. "I recollect that he promised you could hep with the next round-up if your grades were good. You've kept your part of the bargain and round-up's in three weeks. I think Pa needs ta keep that promise."
Jamie's imploring eyes shot in Ben's direction and were met with a warm smile and nod.
Hoss' big hand smacked the table. "That settles it."
Joe's grin lit up the room. "You'll be chasing down calves and branding them, getting all dusty and stinky! It'll be great!" Genuine, cleansing laughter filled the dining room.
From that moment forth, over the next weeks, life in the Cartwright household went forward as normally as possible given Ferris Callahan's sometimes less than congenial presence. It did allow for Jamie to get to know his grandfather better and hear a lot of stories. Talk of ships brought back from Ben's memory his time on the sea, as well. And yet more importantly, Callahan was able to witness first hand the love that filled the Cartwright home, a love that had grown to include an orphan boy named Jamie Hunter.
The weeks rolled by quickly for all but Ferris Callahan who was greatly relieved when the doctor came for a visit following his six week confinement. With the realization that his fate would soon be determined, Jamie went out to do some chores in the barn. He worked at cleaning the stalls, but stopped long enough to peek out of the barn door and when he heard Dr. Martin drive his buggy out of the yard. Jamie moved to set the rake in a corner and picked up a brush. Stepping into Rainmaker's stall, the boy went to work methodically brushing his mount. He continued for a time in silence. He had no heart for the whistling that usually accompanied this task. In fact, a sudden weariness took hold of Jamie. He paused and leaned into Rainmaker and wrapped his arm around the horse's neck.
"We didn't get much chance to say goodbye the last time, Rain. Doc Martin just drove out. Probably told Mr. Callahan that he can go back to Boston. The last couple days I thought maybe he was gonna let me stay, but now I just don't know. Mr. Cartwright -". Jamie sighed deeply wishing so badly that he could call the man that he had grown to love and respect, 'Pa'. He resumed brushing Rainmaker's brown coat. "Mr. Cartwright, Hoss, and Joe told me not to run off from Mr. Callahan if he makes me go with him. They said to think of it kind of like Adam going off to get an education. Then when I'm old enough, I can make my own choice about going to sea. They don't want me to go, but if I ran off and tried to come back here, it would put them in a real tough spot. " Jamie stopped mid stroke. "I know I could make it on my own if I had to, but if Mr. Callahan really sent those Pinkerton fellas after me, I'd be on the run, like an outlaw. That's no way to live. And besides I made a promise and now I've gotta keep it." The young man rested his head on his horse's flank. "I know my grandfather's not a bad man, but I just don't understand why - why now that I finally found a family and a place that I love - why do I hav'ta give it all up?"
So engrossed in his own thoughts, Jamie had not heard his grandfather awkwardly walk up to the barn door. The older man stood open-mouthed and staring at his grandson. Callahan had heard every painful word that Jamie had shared in the nonjudgmental presence of his faithful mount. With his grandson's head still leaning on his horse's side, Jamie's grandfather turned back toward the house, and moved as quickly as he could to avoid being noticed.
Minutes later, Ben was gathering the last of Ferris Callahan's personal items and putting them into his traveling satchel. Though taken aback by Callahan's sudden urgency to leave, Ben tried to remain calm and not read more into the situation.
"I'm a blunt man, Mr. Cartwright. I usually say what I have to say without any fuss. This time it's not so easy." Callahan covered the side of his face with his hand. "Jamie likes it here. The Ponderosa is his home. He's made that quite plain to me. I hate to admit it, but Jamie belongs here." The older man reached to pull his handkerchief from his jacket pocket.
A look of mild surprise passed over Ben's face which was quickly replaced with understanding. "Well, we feel that way too."
"Thank you. That settles it then. I'll tell Judge Taylor." Callahan paused to blow his nose and wipe his eyes, exhibiting uncharacteristic emotion. "I still want him to see Boston and the house where his mother was born and Callahan ships."
"I'm sure he'd like to visit you very much."
"You bring him there, Mr. Cartwright. Things I'd like to show you there, too."
Ben nodded as he spoke, "It will be my great pleasure."
Callahan attempted to collect himself as Ben took his bag from the room. Moments later, Jamie appeared in the doorway.
"Well, Jamie?"
"I've a...come ta say 'thank you'."
"Ya did? That your idea or Ben Cartwright's?"
'With his hands on his hips, Jamie responded with confidence, "Mine, sir." He walked closer to his grandfather.
"Well, I've said it and I'm not going to change my mind. You needn't worry about that."
"I know that, sir. "
"Ya did? How'd you know that?"
Jamie crossed his arms and stated as a matter of fact, "You yell a lot, but you're not as mean as you want people to think you are."
Callahan's face was all seriousness. "I'm not, eh?"
"No, sir."
"I still want you to see where the Callahan's live."
Jamie gave his grandfather a genuine smile and nodded. All right, I'll come and visit ya."
"I look forward to it. You're a grandson to be proud of." Callahan presented his right hand and Jamie gripped it firmly. "Goodbye, Jamie - Cartwright."
"That still sounds kind of strange."
Placing a hand on Jamie's shoulder, Callahan commented with a subtle smile, "We'll both get used to it. Jamie shrugged in agreement.
After waving goodbye to Ferris Callahan, Joe drove the buggy out of sight. Hoss, Ben, and Jamie turned to go into the house. Ben placed a large hand on the back of Jamie's neck and Hoss gave the young man's head a knuckle rub.
Jamie glanced up at Ben. "I know you haven't signed the papers yet, but do ya think it'd be OK if I started to call ya "Pa"?
Ben's eyes glistened. "I think that sounds just right, son."