Chapter Two

Rebecca and Mary had just finished setting the table when their husbands, father in law and brother in law walked through the front door. They instantly grew quiet, waiting for one of their husbands or father in law to introduce them to the brother in law they only knew through letters. They didn't have to wait long as Ben spoke up.

"Mary, Rebecca," Ben said as he smiled at his youngest, "meet your brother in law, Li…I mean, Joe." Ben wondered if there would ever come the day where he didn't want to put the word little in front of Joe's name.

"Hello, Joe. It's good to finally meet you. Adam's spoke highly of you." Mary stepped forward and gave her brother in law a hug. Joe smiled and returned her hug, his eyebrows rose as he heard those words. He was sure that Adam would have told her all about his pesky kid brother, his temper and all that stunts he'd pulled. However, before he could say anything, his oldest brother responded to his look of disbelief.

"Don't be surprised," Adam chuckled, "You were only sixty percent annoying." That comment brought rounds of laughter from everyone, including Joe

When they got control of their laughter, Joe asked, "Is it all right if I look at you at least once? I'd like to know what you look like for myself." It was a wish his brother and sister in law quickly granted. That being the case, Joe lifted his hands and ran his fingers over Mary's face. Once he was finished Rebecca stepped forward.

"It's good to have you home at last. Hoss has been more than anxious to have you back." Rebecca smiled at her husband, her eyes daring him to deny it. Of course, he didn't.

"Well, dagnammit," Hoss defended himself, "It ain't been the same since ya left." It hadn't been either. Hoss still remembered how badly he'd missed his baby brother and his shenanigans after Joe had ridden away with Miss Dobbs.

"Thanks, Hoss." Joe smiled at his brother and then, as with Mary, took a look at Rebecca. Afterwards, he chuckled and teased his brothers. "You know, I can't believe two ugly fellows like yourselves wound up with such beautiful women for wives." That of course had the whole family laughing as they made their way to the table and the food the women had prepared for them.

"How long before Hop Sing comes home?" Little Joe asked once they were seated at the table and said blessing on the food. He'd missed hearing Hop Sing complaining about one thing or another, not that the cook complained all the time. It's just that Joe found it rather amusing how many times their cook had threatened to leave and go back to China only to admit to others that he could never turn his back on the Cartwrights.

"Not for another month," Ben told him. "His cousin's fall was a bad one and he really needs Hop Sing's help. Don't worry though; you'll still eat well enough. Rebecca and Mary have been good enough to cook for me when Mrs. Dayton needs time off." Mrs. Dayton and her husband had moved to Virginia City shortly before Hop Sing had had to leave. Since Hop Sing knew how good of a cook the woman was, he'd approached Ben and recommended hiring her for the time that he, Hop Sing, would be gone.

"I wasn't worried." Joe told his father. The talk then turned to everyone asking questions about the blind school and how things had gone for Joe. By the time supper was over, Joe was more than ready to go in and just relax in the living room.

"Your room is still waiting for you." Ben said as he and his sons stood up and left the table, leaving Mary and Rebecca to clean up….something they'd actually offered to help with only to be told by the women to get out of the dining room. None of the men cared to argue as none of them cared to fight the women for possession of the dining room/kitchen work themselves.

"So," Adam asked once he, his brothers and father had sat down either in chairs or on the sofa, "I thought you said things were going good for you at the blind school. What happened?" Then, due to the look that his father and Hoss gave him, he quickly clarified that he wasn't unhappy about having his baby brother home. "I'm glad to have you back, really. I'm just curios is all. I mean, the way you were talking for awhile I was sure you'd be staying on and teaching for a number of years to come."

Silently, Joe sighed. He'd known that, sooner or later, one of his family would ask that question. And, once again, he swore not to say a word about his real reason for returning home. "They were." He answered as he leaned backwards on the sofa. "It just that this is my home and, now since I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I know I can contribute to the running of this ranch."

"Of course you can." Ben was smiling from ear to ear as he looked upon the son he had once worried would simply sit in darkness being afraid. It was rather refreshing to see Joe living in darkness instead of wallowing in it.

"I'm sure you can and will." Adam smiled at his baby brother, though he remained unconvinced that it was Joe's only motivation for coming home. Of course, he didn't say that as he was sure that to do so would only send the message he wasn't truly happy to see his brother back on the Ponderosa, which he was. He just hated the idea that Joe had turned his back on working at the blind school for any reason. After all, due to the fact that the Cartwrights had all visited Joe at the school on a few occasions, Adam knew how much Joe had grown to love the school and the students that attended it.

The minutes ticked by and the visiting continued until it was time for his brothers and their wives to go home. Ben and Joe then followed Adam, Hoss and their wives outside and stood on the porch while the two brothers helped their wives into their wagons and drove off. Ben and Joe then sat down on the porch and visited for another solid thirty minutes before they too turned in for the night…Ben grateful to have his youngest home at last, and Joe praying that he would indeed find a fulfilling life on the ranch in spite of his blindness.