Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plots are the property of the author and may not be duplicated or published elsewhere without the express permission of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

Gracie

Part 1

Adam leaned against the buckboard waiting for Hoss. He knew what was taking Hoss so long, it was deciding on which penny candies he wanted. Hoss was also buying some sweetnin' for Joe who, at 14, was still too young to come into Virginia City to pick up supplies. Nevertheless, Adam was impatient.

Lately, Adam had been impatient about everything, impatient and restless. He had been back from college for quite a few years and although he had created the plans and oversaw the renovation of the Ponderosa which was now becoming quite the admired showplace, he always felt as if something was just beyond his reach, just around the next corner but instead of waiting, he wanted to run to whatever it was. He just didn't know what it was.

"Damn that Hoss," Adam swore under his breath and he pulled his hat down further and started to go into the general store. Then he collided with someone-a woman-and Adam quickly pulled off his hat to apologize.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I wasn't looking…" and then he stopped and stared open-mouthed,. The young woman's green eyes suddenly sparkled in recognition as well.

"Adam? Well, Adam Cartwright." She smiled and Adam responded in kind.

"Gracie. Gracie Briggs. Why I haven't seen you…"

"In ages," Gracie finished for him and they laughed and Adam reached out and held a small, gloved hand in one of his, putting his hat back on. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her as he used to but he didn't dare.

"I swear, Gracie, you're even prettier than you were-if that's possible. You're just beautiful." Adam moved his eyes over her face, admiring the bright green eyes and dark copper hair that glistened in the afternoon sun. She was dressed fashionably in a green day dress with a small straw hat perched on her high-piled hair.

"Why, thank you, Adam. You're looking well. How have you been?"

"Me? I'm fine but where have you been? I've been home from back east now for over four years and this is the first time I've run into you. Literally. I asked my pa and he said you were married and went back east."

Gracie laughed at Adam's pun. "I was in Baltimore. My husband," Gracie looked down at her hands for a moment and then looked back and met Adam's eyes with a small smile. "My husband was a newspaper man there. He worked for the Baltimore Herald before he died."

"I'm sorry, Gracie. I didn't know."

"It was over two years ago but I finally wrapped up everything and then decided to move back to Virginia City while my father is still alive. My husband's passing caused me to realize that people need to be treasured while we still have them, to be kept close. I just arrived a few days ago."

Adam didn't respond at first; lately he had been thinking of leaving Nevada, of taking off and going someplace, anyplace to get away from the tedium of ranching, the repetitious chores and of seeing the same people at the breakfast table every morning. He wanted excitement and had even considered going out to sea.

Hoss came out of the store, two small paper bags in his hand.

"Hello, Hoss," Gracie said.

Hoss, who was taken aback, looked at the woman and suddenly placed her even though the last time he had seen her he was only twelve.

"Hoss, you remember Gracie Briggs. Oh, I'm sorry, what's your name now?"

"Lawson."

"Sure I remember you," Hoss said, tipping his hat. "Nice to see you again, Gracie. You and Adam used to go around together, right?"

"I suppose you could say that." Gracie flushed slightly and Adam cleared his throat. "Well," Gracie continued, "it was very nice to see you both again. Adam, give my regards to your father for me, will you?"

"Yes. And Gracie, maybe we'll see you in church Sunday."

"Yes. Sunday." And Gracie went on her way, Adam watching and admiring the soft swing of her hips below the narrow waist. He felt as if he wouldn't leave Virginia City now no matter what adventure called to him. Gracie called to him.

On the ride home, Between gumdrops and pieces of peppermint, Hoss talked about the newest problem they were having with people panning for gold on Ponderosa property and what their father was going to do about it. The sheriff had been called in but he had told Ben that he had a rough town to take care of and couldn't patrol the Ponderosa to keep off trespassers who were robbing the Cartwrights of their mineral claims. Ben had gone head to head with the new sheriff, Sheriff Coffee, many times before and Ben had said to Adam that Roy Coffee was the most cantankerous, stubborn, curmudgeon he had ever met and if Ben had anything to do with it, he'd see that Coffee wasn't elected as sheriff next go round. He and that man couldn't see eye to eye on anything. And Adam had just listened and smiled; he saw that his father and Sheriff Coffee were both the same and that was why they clashed. Maybe one day, they'd recognize it and become friends.

But Adam couldn't give Hoss his attention; he was thinking about Gracie.

Adam didn't go to the Virginia City school until he was nine, Ben not being able to get him to and from every day and it being too far to walk. Ben knew that he had to buy a pony or small horse for Adam to ride so that he could get himself to town and home but the ride was so long and had so many potential dangers that instead, Ben helped Adam learn math by having Adam do problems that Ben would write out on a sheaf of paper. As far as reading, writing and history, as long as Ben provided the books, Adam would read them and teach himself. So whenever Ben visited one of the ranchers, he would ask if there were any books he could borrow for his son to read. That and reading the Territorial Enterprise, kept Adam more educated than most of the grown men. And finally Ben found a small mare at a nice price and Adam could now ride to and from school by himself. But Ben worried.

Adam's first day at school made his stomach upset and gave him a nervous headache. Once he even had to go to the outhouse and vomit. Adam didn't adjust well to strangers and here he was, in a room full of unknown children and a teacher who made him stand up as she introduced him to the class. And then Adam had to do the math problems she wrote on the board and to read a page out of the reader so that she could judge how much he knew. She was impressed with how well he read and how he knew more math than the rudimentary addition and subtraction at such a young age. What she didn't know was that Adam had read and taught himself because he had been so perpetually lonely and books were a form of friendship, always ready to keep him company. And to Adam, learning eased his ache of loneliness.

So at recess, the other boys taunted him for being new and for being so smart. They called him "Adam Cartwrong," and threw the large rubber kickball at him, driving him off the main field in front of the school. Adam went over to the side of the schoolhouse and sat in the shade of a tree and picked grass and began to weave the stands together.

"What are you doing?"

Adam looked up and a young girl, about a year younger than he, was standing in front of him. Adam just shrugged and went about his twining of the long strands. He wanted nothing to do with these children. He was planning on how he would tell his father that he wasn't going back to school.

"That's how my ma braids my hair. See?" She raised up the thick single braid of copper hair that ran down her back. Adam just nodded. The girl stood for a few more seconds and then she sat down beside him. "My name's Gracie. Yours is Adam, right?" Adam nodded again. "You're really smart. Most of these boys like to be dumb because they think book learning is stupid; don't let them bother you. I'm in the 3-A class and you don't know it but you're in the 4-A class. That's the smartest of the fourth grade. Miss Redmond thinks you're smart too."

Adam stopped braiding the grass strands and looked at the young girl. She had even green eyes and a small sprinkling of freckles across her nose and a smile that was a bit crooked but that seemed to show her gentle heart. Adam thought what a pretty girl she was.

"I can make a necklace out of these," Adam said to her. "Would you like me to make you one?" Gracie nodded, grinning and Adam worked faster as Gracie watched his nimble fingers twining the grass. "This is how Indians make baskets but they use thicker grasses and such " Adam said. Gracie told Adam that the Paiutes, the Indians around Virginia City, were bad Indians according to her father and that Timmy Thompson, one of the older boys, had told her that if she wasn't careful, the Indians would scalp her for her red braid.

Adam finished the long chain of woven grass and placed it over Gracie's neck. "There," he said.

Gracie ran her fingers over the knots where Adam had tied the grasses off. "Oh, Adam, it's beautiful." She looked up at him, her face full of admiration. "Thank you." She leaned over and gave Adam a quick kiss on the cheek.

Adam blushed; no girl had ever kissed him, just Inger and Mrs. Hanson who had taken care of him when he was small and his father had decided to stay in one place for a while before traveling further west.

Gracie leapt up and took off running and Adam didn't realize that it was an invitation for him to take off after her. He just stood awkwardly as she ran off, stopping after a few yards to turn and look at him. "C'mon, Adam," she yelled. And Adam felt a surge of relief that someone wanted him to be with them. And it was pretty Gracie with the copper hair and green eyes and the friendly smile. And Adam loved her with an emotion that came from deep within and warmed his young heart. And he took off after her.

TBC