Chapter 2

Carrie was already in bed when Paul finished his nightcap with Ben. He said goodnight and went to his room. When he entered, he saw his wife lying on her side, facing away from him. She seemed to be asleep, so he very quietly emptied the contents of his pockets onto the dresser and pulled off his boots and shirt. He sat down gently on the bed and looked lovingly down at his wife. He reached out his hand and gently rubbed her shoulder. She pulled away.

He reached out again. "Carrie?" He spoke in a near-whisper. "Honey? We need to talk."

She grudgingly rolled over. She did not open her eyes. "Talk, then."

He frowned. She wasn't making this easy for him. "Listen, Carrie. I'm sorry." He paused, trying to form the words he wanted. "I know you're unhappy. That's the last thing in the world that I want for you. I love you, Carrie, and that's the truth. I love you... whether you love me or not." He brushed his hand against her cheek. Her eyes were open now. "Just say what you want, and I'll do it. I don't want you to be unhappy."

Carrie stared at him a moment in disbelief. In all these years, he'd never spoken so honestly to her. "I want to go home. To mother. And I don't want to see you after that."

Paul looked at Carrie and knew she was being honest with him. This is what it would take. "All right," he whispered. He got up, picked up his shirt and left the room.

Joe took the long way back home from Sharon's house. He'd stayed as long as her Pa would allow, and had finally been sent away. Sharon had kissed him goodbye, and Joe was excited. He thought maybe he could fall in love with her.

"Evenin', Joe," a voice said from behind him.

He pulled the reins and turned to look behind him. Evan Phillips and his brother Vince were behind him, along with a couple of their friends. "Evenin' Evan, Vince. Sorry to hear about your Pa," Joe said. Their father had recently fallen ill, and no one expected him to recover.

Evan thanked Joe quietly and then said, "I wonder if you can't give a message to your Pa for me, Joe."

"Sure, Evan, what's that?"

"Tell him to stay away from our land," Vince said. Evan glared at his brother.

"Stay away? Huh? If Pa's made any kind of offers, I'm sure he was just trying to help out..."

"Our land ain't good enough for a Cartwright, is that it?" Vince snarled.

"I didn't say that-" Joe began.

Vince pulled his gun on Joe. "You get down off of that horse, Cartwright."

"Now Vince, wait a minute!"

Vince was clearly angry. He shouted, "I said get down!"

Joe did as he was instructed, holding his hands up.

Vince climbed down from his own horse and pulled Joe's gun from its holster. He threw it aside. Evan and the others dismounted, as well.

"Vince," Evan said quietly. "Don't do anything foolish."

Vince gave his brother a quick glance and then put his gun in his holster. Joe relaxed and put his hands down just in time to receive a punch in the face. Before Joe could swing back, Vince was on him. The two rolled on the ground. Vince punched Joe again. Joe managed to pry Vince off of him with his foot. When he got up, one of Vince's friends kicked him. Joe hit the ground, hard. He rolled to one side and tried to get up, but Vince's boot caught him in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

"Vince," Evan shouted, "That's enough!"

Vince was oblivious to his brother's shouts. He continued kicking Joe.

Joe cried out in pain with every kick. "Please?!" He pleaded for Vince to stop. Vince answered his plea by kicking him in the head, knocking him out.

"What'd you do that for?!" Evan demanded.

Vince turned on his brother, his anger not yet spent. He raised his fist.

"Oh, so you're gonna hit me now, is that it?" Evan stared his little brother down.

"I'm sorry, Evan," Vince said. "I'm just so damn mad!"

"Well, killing Joe Cartwright isn't going to help our situation any, now is it?"

Vince looked down.

Evan felt bad, seeing his brother's shame. "This just ain't the way, Vince. We gotta convince Pa, that's what we gotta do." Vince continued looking at the ground. Evan looked around. "Well, it's dark. Maybe we can drop him off and nobody will know what happened."

"Until he comes to," Vince said.

"By then I'll have thought of something to get us out of this mess," Evan replied. "Let's go."

Everyone in the Cartwright's living room looked up at the sound of galloping hooves. Adam and Hoss went to the door. Just as they opened it, they saw Joe's body fall heavily to the ground and four horses gallop away in the dark. They rushed to Joe's side, determined he was alive, and squinted in the direction of the retreating horsemen.

"Did you get a look?" Adam asked.

Hoss frowned. "Looked like Vince Phillips, but it's too dark to be sure." Hoss patted Adam's back. "You get him inside. I'll get Cochise." Adam was joined by Ben, who helped him carry Joe inside as Hoss calmed Joe's horse and put him in the barn.

Evan was trying to feed his father breakfast, but the man waved the food away. "C'mon, Pa, you've gotta eat, to keep your strength up."

Jonas Phillips was angry. The last thing he wanted was to be nursed by his son. "I ain't hungry, boy. No go on with you!"

Evan picked up the tray from the bed and moved it to the top of the dresser. He turned to his Pa. "Pa, why do you gotta sell the ranch? Why can't you just leave it to me and Vince?"

His father's answer was punctuated by coughing fits. "It's too much for you and your brother ain't growed up enough to be of any help to you, always gettin' in trouble... You're better off with the money, makin' a new start somewhere."

Evan was pained by his father's illness. He rooted through the mess of bottles on the dresser and found one that was not empty. He opened it and helped his father take a swig.

Vince listened from the next room, set his jaw, and quietly slipped outside. His two friends were sitting on the porch, drinking coffee.

"Well?" Hank asked.

"Cartwright's the only interested buyer. There's only one way to stop the sale," Vince said, and walked off.

"I just don't understand it," Ben said. "Why would Vince Phillips want to... with all his father's going through."

"C'mon, Pa," Adam interjected, "Vince has always been a hothead. You know

that."

"Now, we ain't even for sure it was him. It was mighty dark last night, Adam. I coulda been wrong," Hoss said.

Adam, Hoss, and Ben sat in Joe's room and watched him sleeping. They had cleaned him up and bandaged him, and now were waiting for him to wake and tell them what happened.

Adam stood up. "I'm gonna go down and get us some more coffee," he announced.

"I'll go with you," Hoss said. "Maybe Hop Sing's got breakfast ready." The two boys left the room.

Ben scooted his chair closer to the bedside and inspected Joe's bruises again. It was a chore he'd been doing for years, ever since the boy went to school and got into his first fight. One eye was swollen shut... that would take a while to heal. Ben wasn't sure if his ribs were bruised or cracked, he would have to sort that out with Joe.

Ben's thoughts were interrupted by a slight groan. Ben smoothed Joe's hair back. Joe opened his eyes. "Young man, I don't know how many times I have to tell you to talk with your tongue and not your fists," he chided.

Joe smiled. "You should see the other guy," he joked.

Ben got serious. "Who were they, Joseph? What happened?"

"Phillips... said for you to stay away." Joe winced in pain.

Ben turned and dipped a cloth in cold water. He gently held it against Joe's swollen eye. "They don't want me to buy the ranch. But why... this?" he asked, gesturing to Joe's bruised body.

"Vince," was Joe's response.