Thank you for all your kind reviews. It's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy chapter 2
I do not own Bonanza or any of the characters therein. All recognisable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended
The Crush Chapter 2
So it would seem for a couple of months Adam had himself a little shadow. For Adams part he was trying to be patient but this over attached puppy was getting on his last nerve.
Jane lived in fourteen year old oblivion. She skipped down main street cradling the pie she had worked on all afternoon. Her ma was rightly cross as she needed the oven for their evening meal. Heaven knows it took long enough to cook anything. Jane heeded her mother with half an ear as she stared out at the wilderness wondering what it would be like to ride on the back of his horse.
Justin Tracy caught sight of her and flew across the road dodging a carriage in his effort to walk beside her.
"What ye got there" he asked, his lanky frame awkward as ever.
"Never you mind Justin, it don't need to bother you none" she told him.
"I knows what it is. It's a dumb ol pie for that old man Cartwright".
"He is not old" Janes voice was low and threatening.
"Is too, He's got grey hairs".
"Does not" she said her face flushing red.
"Anyways ye needn't tell him I said that" Justin put in quickly "You coming fishing on Saturday?".
"Ladies don't fish" Jane told him with her nose in the air.
"Yeah they chase Cowboys twice their age. See ya".
Justin shuffled off with his hands in his pockets before she could give her affronted reply.
~O~
She couldn't be affronted for long as the object of her dreams stepped out of the mercantile with his brothers in tow. For a moment she just stood in rapture gazing at those muscled arms as he effortlessly hauled a large box onto the wagon. He reached up and wiped beads of sweat from his mouth before his gaze suddenly shifted and landed on...her.
That jolted her to action and she moved forward.
"Em, hi" she looked down fingering the pie in front of her "hello, we were just making pies. What I mean to say is I was making a pie. You don't need your momma just to make a silly pie" she laughed nervously.
Adam nodded, not quite sure what else to do.
"You were making pie" he coaxed as she had lost the power of speech.
"Yes and this was left over and I thought that since you don't have a sister you don't get much pie to eat so maybe you might like to have this one" she let out a sigh of relief even if that speech was just dreadful.
She held out the pie to him then smiling all over her freckled face.
"Thank you" Adam smiled. Heaven knows he didn't want to encourage her but just at that moment he hadn't the heart to crush that up turned little face. You may as well kick a new born pup.
Sherif Coffee sidled up to the girl at that moment.
"Be careful missy" he told her "he'll be looking for pie from ye every week".
"I could make you a pie every week" Jane beamed at the idea.
Adam stopped Hoss before he could speak.
"No thank you Jane" he told her "This pie will be just fine. Hadn't you better run along. Your momma will be wondering where you are".
"Oh she's never home at this time. She works in Carson city".
"Well we have to get these supply's back to Hop Sing so...".
"Yeah ok good bye then. Tell me what you think of the pie later ok" Jane was waving as she headed out in the path of an on coming horse and buggy. Adam reached out and pulled her to safety as the horses reared up and the driver cursed.
"Jane you need to open your eyes when you're crossing, look here" he took her hand and walked her to the other side.
"Now be careful" he told her.
As Adam returned Joe shook his head with a grin.
"You don't help yourself do you older brother" he smiled.
"Now what's that supposed to mean" Adam tightened the ropes securing the supplies as he spoke.
"I mean you got yourself one determined little lady there. And she has her heart set on you".
"Don't be stupid Joe she's a kid" Adam said as he hauled himself up on to the front seat and took the reigns.
But Adam soon found that Joe was right. More pies turned up at the ranch house along with liquorice and corn balls.
~o~
Late one Friday evening Adam took a break from milking and stared up at that now familiar face. She was stood at the doorway swaying on the hinge as if she could happily live there.
"Seriously it's past 5.30, shouldn't you be running along" he told her.
"Adam do you like Carnivals?" she asked choosing to ignore his latest entreaty that she should go home.
"I did, when I was young" he told her pointedly as he began to milk again.
"You know that trick where they saw the girl in half" she asked him.
"Um hum"
"I know how they do that. My brother worked in a carnival. You see the box has two halves" she tried to demonstrate using her hands.
"It has two halves and the girl sits at one half and they have false legs sticking out the other end so you think she's being sawed in half. It's a good trick don't you think?".
"I know a better trick" Adam told her.
"What?" She asked coming closer.
Adam suddenly turned the teat he was holding upwards squirting milk in her face.
"Adam" she giggled shaking milk from her hair.
Adam smirked as he continued on his work.
"I didn't know you had a brother" he asked after a while.
"He died in an accident at the carnival" she said.
"An accident?".
"Yeah, then pa left" she mumbled twiddling with her hair.
Adam looked at her then for a long moment but thought it best not to ask. She didn't seem to want to talk about it.
~o~
The following day the boys were busy breaking horses in the coral round back of the house. Little Joe stepped up first. He was considered one of the best horse breakers as he was agile and had massive upper body strength for his size. But this particular stallion had a wild look in its black eyes unlike any other. It seemed determined in its efforts to throw the boy off. Sure enough Joe hit the dirt with force and rolled under the fence before the horse could pound on him with its front hooves. Two hands tried to quiet the animal with little success. It bucked and trashed kicking up its front hooves forcing them to duck away until finally the horse was free of them. Adam jumped over the fence then and tried to placate the animal before it destroyed the fence with its antics. He put both hands up in front of him talking in a soothing voice before gently catching hold of the reins. Shouts of alarm behind him took his attention and he gasped as he noted Jane walking towards him. That was the break the horse needed. It pulled its reins free and spun knocking Adam off his feet. The horse took off then and Jane froze as it bounded towards her. Hoss scooped her up and literally threw her over the fence. She landed heavily and watched in horror as it took five men including Hoss to quiet the horse. She got slowly to her feet rubbing bruise out of her backside. It was then she noted Adam walking towards her and he did not look happy, Without a word he caught hold of her arm and led her towards her horse. She trotted at his side protesting her innocence all the way.
"I wanted to help, I thought you'd get hurt. Ah come on" she whined as he marched her onward. He threw her up on to her horse with a single command.
"Home, now" he roared before slapping the horses rump.
He watched her go with anger in his eyes. Something will have to be done. They'll find her dead somewhere on the ranch some day. She knew nothing about farming and she was into everything. Twice he had stopped in to have a talk with her mother only to find the house empty.
Adam shook his head. Something will have to be done.
