Around the yard the two ran, around the barn and across the yard and behind the house. When Joe came to the front of the house, he stopped and stood a bright smile still on his face, his eyes twinkling with merriment. He glanced at his oldest brother, and winked. Hoss came up and bent over, breathing hard, as he held his knees and tried to breathe again. "Dang it Joe, when I get my hands on you . . . I am goin to tan your breeches."
"No, you wont, Hoss. But that old rooster sees you and he will think you are one of the chickens, and try to put you in the coop." Hoss looked at him, and broke into a wide smile. As Joe came up to him, he grabbed his arm, and swept him up and over his shoulder. His hand coming down firmly once and Joe stiffened up and was surprised when nothing happened. Then Hoss reached up and began to tickle him, and his laughter once more rang out. Hoss laughed too. When he thought of how he must look. He had honey and feathers stuck to his rear. He hadn't looked in his chair before sitting down for breakfast. He couldn't bring himself to really spank his little brother.
Adam and his father sat drinking a last cup of coffee at the desk. Ben was rereading the telegram he received the day before. "We are going to have guest tomorrow. I will be meeting the stage in the morning. Can you see the surrey is cleaned? I will need it." Adam took a sip of his hot coffee and looked at his father over the rim of it.
"Sure pa. Who is coming, anyone I know?"
"No, I met him a long time ago, when I was in Arizona on business. Ran into some trouble with some really bad men. I was wounded, and no one else was willing to help me, except for a fellow stranger to town. He took them all on, and he wounded or killed all five of them. We traveled for several days together after that, got to know him. Nice man, a friend. Not the typical gunman."
"Well I look forward to meeting him. Owe him a thanks for what he did. Is it just him?" Ben shook his head no, a slight smile curling his lips.
"He has a daughter. She's about Joe's age. They are in the area, on a little trip from back east."
"A little girl huh? Matchmaking Pa?"
"Don't think your little brother will ever need a matchmaker do you? Besides he's my baby boy. He doesn't even like girls yet." Ben finished his coffee and put it down on his desk, and moved over to the front door. Turning he looked at his son, sitting on the edge of the desk."Are you planning on working today?"
"Coming Pa."Smiling he got up and followed.
The next morning Ben stood waiting for the stage to come in. Adam leaned against the wall, his dark eyes shaded by the brim of his dark hat, taking in the early morning happenings of the town. His arms crossed over his broad chest. Ben was anxious to see his friend. They had written over the years to each other now and then. He knew his old friend had given up the gun and settled down on a plantation with a southern belle down in Georgia. He had one daughter who he had great pride in. Just as he himself had in his three sons.
The stage came around the corner down the street and came rushing up, and Ben smiled. Adam pushed himself from the wall and moved to stand behind his father. The stage stopped and the door swung open, and a man stepped down. He was tall, slender. His black hair with few grey hairs marring it over a slender tan face with thin lips. Brown eyes looking for and catching sight of Ben. A smile lit up the face, highlighting the wrinkles in his face. He jumped down and reached out a hand to Ben, who grabbed it.
"Ben, my old friend. It has been a while. Good to see you again."
"Same here, Gary." They shook hands and Ben patted his shoulder. Adam moved around the two older men, and stepped up to the stage, as a young girl came to the doorway. He reached up a hand and helped her down. She smiled at him, dimples in her cheeks, and her green eyes lit up. Her red hair flared brightly as she stepped down.
"Thank you, sir."
"You are welcome little lady." He tipped his hat to her, as she curtsied to him. A charming little thing, he thought to himself. Her father turned and smiled down at his daughter. He reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder.
"Ben, this is my daughter, Melissa." He said with pride in his voice. Ben smiled down at her. He took her small hand in his, and bowed.
"I am pleased to meet you Melissa. I hope you will enjoy your visit here."
"I really like it here, out west. Seeing places daddy lived, and meeting people who knew him before I was born. When he was famous. I want to be like my daddy." Gary smiled at Ben as he spoke.
"Pumpkin, you can't be like me. You don't want to be a gunslinger. It's no life for my little girl." Ben looked at Adam, who smiled at that. She was beginning to sound like his little brother Joe. He couldn't wait to see what Joe thought of her.
Joe came running in, a snake in his hand. Ben stood up and frowned when he saw the snake. He pointed at the snake and then the front door. Joes' smile disappeared, as he turned and went outside. He returned moments later without his little slithery friend.Ben was still waiting. "Now young man, no more of your little friends in the house. Will you go collect Melissa? She is out by the corral."
Joe screwed up his mouth, and he glanced at Melissas' father. "Do I have ta? I want to go fishing." Mister Martin was watching him.
"Little Joe, Melissa likes fishing, and climbing trees, and riding horses. Can play horseshoes too."
"Yeah? But shes a girl. Okay, Mister Martin, I will take her fishing if she wants." He turned and headed out the door, as the two fathers smiled at each other. Hop Sing came in to the room, and Ben nodded to him. Lunch was ready. The door opened and Adam and Hoss came in. Taking off their hats and gunbelts. Hoss smiled at the thought of food. He knew there was a pie, and smelled soup and roast beef sandwiches too. Everyone was seated around the table when little Joe and Melissa came in. Little Joe hurried and got into his chair, and reached for a sandwich, stopping only when he saw the stern look on his fathers face. Melissa came over, smiling at everyone, and her father stood and pulled out her chair for her. Joe made a face at her, over the table, and felt a mild kick from under the table on his foot, from the direction of his oldest brother. He liked Mister Martin and the stories about his adventures as a gunfighter, and all the famous people he had met. But his daughter. Well he didn't like her, much. She wasn't going to be fun like his friends, Mitch and Jim. He didn't understand what his brother Adam saw in girls. What good were they?
Joe was outside saddling his horse and Adam was saddling a mare for Melissa to ride. Adam watched his baby brother. He knew his brother was not happy with having a girl tagging along. He remembered feeling like that about Joe, when his father had made him take Joe with him, when he wanted to be with his friends.
"Well little brother, think you can bring home enough fish for dinner tonight?" Joe turned to him and frowned.
"Not with a girl along. She will scare the fish away. Probably will be afraid of the worms. Why can't she stay here? I don't see what you see in girls Adam."
"Well Joe, give her a chance. She is a bit of a tom boy, according to her father. She might surprise you. As to girls... well, when you get older you will understand it. It's like vegetables, you don't like them when you are a kid, and then when you get older you don't mind eating them as much."
"Well, I wont ever like vegetables or girls." Joe turned as he and Adam lead the horses outside. Hoss stood there waiting for Adam with their horses, ready to go back to work. Adam put his hand on his brothers' shoulder.
"You be good now, and take care of Melissa." Joe frowned and moved away, getting on his horse, as Melissa came up and Adam picked her up and put her up in the saddle. "Enjoy yourself, Melissa. If little Joe gives you any trouble let me know." Melissa smiled down at him, and followed Joe out of the yard. Adam mounted his horse as joined Hoss.