Chapter Three

Ben was standing on the porch, when Hoss and Little Joe walked out of the house. The rain, which had lasted longer than they ever thought it would, had finally stopped. Now, Ben's sons knew their father was looking for their oldest brother who had been expected home the day before. Without saying a word, Hoss and Little Joe stepped up onto the porch and joined their father, leaving him to break the silenced.

"I guess you think I'm being foolish." Ben turned his head and looked at his two youngest sons. He expected them to say that was the case. Why wouldn't they when he, himself, questioned his actions.

"Naw, pa," Hoss answered, "I reckon yer just as worried 'bout big brother as we are. Though," he rubbed the back of his neck and added, "It has been rainin' pretty hard…maybe he just took shelter is all. I know I would have." He did too. No one in their right mind would have stayed out in the storm they'd watched the night before.

Ben smiled, as he nodded and turned his face forward once more. He knew that and he prayed that was the case. Still, Adam was his son, and Ben couldn't help but wonder what had happened. When he glanced at Hoss and Little Joe out of the corner of his eye, Ben knew they were wondering just as much.

Ben took a deep breath and smelled the fresh air and told himself to relax. "Well, what are we doing just standing here?" He said as he stepped of the porch intending to go to the barn and do some work. "The day is just be…" Ben stopped talking, and Little Joe and Hoss stepped off the porch, as they heard the sound of horses approaching. Since it sounded like more than one horse, none of them thought about Adam. This being the case, Ben, Hoss, and Little Joe were all shocked when Adam came around the corner of the barn with a young woman with a baby that was being carried in a sling that wrapped around her left shoulder and was tied around her waist.

Adam kept a straight face when he saw the looks that came into his father and brothers eyes. A part of him wanted to laugh; they looked so funny. The other part wanted to tell them to put their eyes back in their sockets and to just listen. As it was he looked at his family and introduced their guests. "I told Robert I'd help them." He looked at his father, not surprised to see his father smiling and stepping forward as he, Adam, dismounted and helped Sadie off the horse. The whole time he was making sure the carrier stayed tied, so her son would not find himself falling to the ground.

"Welcome to our home." Ben held out his hand and shook Sadie's hand; she'd extended it when he held out his. "I'm Adam's father, Ben Cartwright. It's a pleasure to meet you." It was a greeting that Sadie whole heartedly returned. While Hoss and Little Joe introduced themselves, and Sadie visited with his family, Adam put up their horses and then followed his family and Sadie as they headed into the house.

Once inside, Sadie begged the Cartwrights forgiveness, but explained she had not slept well and really needed to lie down. "I would like to stay up and get to know you all better first, only I can't. I'm sorry." Sadie's regret could be heard in her voice.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Ben assured her and looked at Adam. "Go ahead and show her up to the guest room upstairs. And," he said as he looked at Hoss, "why don't you go out to the loft and fetch the cradle."

Due to the confused look that appeared on Sadie's face, Little Joe explained why a house with four grown men had a cradle. "Adam made it a while back when we thought I was going to get married, only it didn't happen."

Sadie wanted to ask what had happened, but she didn't. As far as she was concerned, Little Joe would tell her if he wanted her to know. Instead she followed Adam up the stairs and down the hall to the last bedroom on her left. After Adam opened the door for her, she stepped inside and looked around. It was a fairly good sized bedroom with a bed, dresses and a few decorative hooks on which to hang coats and such.

"You should be comfortable in here." Adam smiled at her, the whole time going over the list of businesses in town that he might find employment for the young mother. He'd have to find a permanent place for her to live also. After all, staying with his family short term would be all right, but long term? He had a feeling that the woman Sadie Waters would not go for that one. If he had asked her right then, she'd have told him he was right.

"I'm sure I shall, thank you." Sadie answered as she unintentionally yawned and then apologized for it. Once again, she was told there was nothing to apologize for, though Adam did insist on taking her son while she laid down.

"I'll bring him to you if he gets hungry or, if you don't object, I'll see if Hop Sing will warm up a bottle for him. I believe my cousin accidently left one last time he and his wife were visiting." Adam hoped he was remembering correctly. He could see how desperately Sadie needed to rest and hated the idea of disturbing her much needed sleep.

As protective of her son as she was, Sadie would have fought the idea only she couldn't. She was too tired, and she had promised her late husband, who she was sure would be upset if he knew how long it had taken her to travel to Nevada, to trust Adam. "All right," She gave in and crawled into the most comfortable bed she'd slept in for a long time as Adam walked out of the room with the baby in his arms.