After allowing Maggie a few days to get settled, Ben thought a trip out to Tahoe was in order. The family was finishing up their breakfast when he reached over and took his wife's hand. "If you are feeling up to it today, I'd like to take you on a picnic to Lake Tahoe."

Joe's eyes lit up. "Yeah, Maggie you need to see it. It's really something. Besides, Pa takes all his ladies there." Joe fidgeted in his seat waiting for his father to react.

Ben's face grew stormy. "Joseph, was that really necessary?"

Maggie gave her husband a look of mock concern. "All your ladies, you say? Is there something more I should know about this place?"

Ben responded before Joe could jump in. "Only that it's the most beautiful place on the Ponderosa and I can't wait to show it to you."

"You've piqued my curiosity. Very well. I think that I am up to a picnic today."

Hoss decided it was best not to get caught up in his brother's conversation, and excused himself with, "see ya later" and "Have a good day."

"Yeah, have a good day!" Joe gave Maggie a cheeky grin, gulped the last of his coffee, and headed for the door.

Maggie tried to keep her amusement under control when Ben huffed in frustration. Though she was looking forward to a day in the outdoors, Joe's words did leave her unsettled.

With a fully loaded picnic basket from Hop Sing, Ben and Maggie set out in the buggy for Lake Tahoe mid morning. It was a already warm which meant it would be a very warm afternoon to come. Maggie wore a broad sun hat that tied under her chin. She sat with her arm looped through Ben's and listened intently while he told the story of his first look at the magnificent country they were riding through.

Maggie was visibly moved by the vista before her when they arrived at Tahoe. "This is incredible!"

"I had hoped you would be pleased."

"Pleased is a great understatement."

Ben helped her down from the buggy and retrieved the basket and a quilt. They paused nearer the water's edge to look out over the crystal blue expanse.

Maggie exclaimed. "It's like heaven on earth!"

"I thought so the first moment I laid eyes on it. Come, there's a shady spot over here with a great view."

Ben was about to open the blanket when Maggie stopped him. "Could we take a little walk and stretch our legs before lunch?"

"Sounds like a wonderful idea." He set down the basket and quilt and took her by the hand,

A pleasant breeze countered the warmth when they were near the water. They walked a while and then headed back to their picnic spot. Ben spread out the blanket and helped Maggie sit down. Now in the shade, she removed her hat. He took off his neckerchief and vest and tossed them off to the side..

"Aren't you going to take your shirt off, too?"

Ben raised an eyebrow and quirked a smile. "Well, I was thinking maybe after lunch." He leaned down to steal a kiss. "Are you in a hurry, my dear?"

"Well, we are going to make love, aren't we? I mean that is what Joe implied this morning."

A look of frustration came to Ben's face. "My son likes to run his mouth way too much!"

"So just how many women have you made love to at this heavenly spot?"

"Maggie, this day is supposed to be about us, not about past history. I don't ask questions like that about Eddie, now do I? The assumption would be that happily married couples would be doing such things."

"Even still a wife has the right to know." Maggie took on an uncharacteristically stoic demeanor. "So will you give me an straight answer?"

Ben frowned. "This is not exactly how I had hoped our time here would be spent, but of course I will give you an honest response."

"And?"

"Prior to today, that is if we ever get around to it, the answer would be one."

Maggie peered up at him. "What about the 'other' women?"

Ben gave her an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I brought other women that I cared for here, but Marie is the only one - I made love to."

Maggie gazed out over the lake as if deep in thought. Ben sensed there was something other than her obvious questions on her mind and moved to sit beside her on the quilt.

Taking her hand, he gently ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Maggie, what's wrong? I'm not going to pressure you into something you don't want to do. I hope you know me better than that by now." She remained stiffly focused on a point far away as Ben went on. "I do believe that you have enjoyed our times together. You've said as much. But now you seem worried and uncomfortable, neither of which is a recipe for good lovemaking. So if you don't feel up to it or just plain don't want to, I under-"

Ben stopped mid sentence as Maggie's chin dropped suddenly to her chest.. When she looked up at him, there were tears in her eyes. "I know I'm being awful. I'm sorry. Truly I am. I keep asking myself why you would put yourself through this again. You had a choice! Why Ben? Wasn't losing three wives enough? Given the circumstances it had to be almost unbearable at times. Can you understand how difficult this is for me - how guilty I feel? You are all a woman could ever ask for in a husband, kind and gentle. But when you make love to me - I wonder - how long until -" She collapsed in sobs throwing herself into Ben's chest.

He wrapped her up in his arms and rocked her. Ben silently stroked her hair and waited. He wanted to make certain that she had released all that was pent up in her aching heart.

Continuing to hold her close, he whispered to her. "Do you know how much I love you? I think about those things, too. But love isn't measured in days or years, it's about this moment and every experience that we have been able to enjoy together. You captured my heart the minute I laid eyes on you. Call it Providence or Fate, it just felt right and true from the beginning and it still does today, regardless of what tomorrow may bring."

"But I shouldn't be doing this to you."

Ben released her to take her face in his hands. "Doing what? Making me love you? Sorry madame, but it's much too late for that, and you have absolutely no control over it. I love you and I'm going to continue to love you. You can try to push me away with thorny questions and comments, but nothing is going to change the way I feel about you - " Ben's eyes began to glisten, "because I've seen your heart." He pressed his lips to her forehead.

Maggie squeezed her eyes tight shut helpless to keep the tears from leaking out and flowing down her cheeks. Feeling the dampness on his hands, Ben leaned her back onto the quilt to brush her hair off her face and thumb away her tears. For a time Maggie gazed up into his dark eyes trying with all her might to drink in the love and warm reassurance Ben hoped and prayed she would see.

"Let's just lay here a while and enjoy this place and this lovely day. Whatever else transpires will be entirely up to you." Ben moved to lay beside her, but Maggie pushed against his chest and tried to undo a button on his shirt.

"If it brings you pleasure, I would be happy to accommodate, my love." Maggie gave him a timid smile. Ben made quick work of his shirt before laying on his side by his wife. "Better?"

Maggie let the salt and pepper hair on his chest pass through her fingers. "Much."

Within minutes they were both asleep. About an hour later, they awoke and sat up to eat the fine lunch that Hop Sing had prepared for them. Maggie leaned back to rest with her arms extended behind her.

"Oh my goodness that was delicious. You got a goldmine when Hop Sing came to work for you. That man could make shoe leather taste good!"

Ben laughed, trying not to choke on his last bite of pie. "I'm sure he would be happy to hear that! Good to see that a nap and some food have brought back your sense of humor."

"Yes, well, Hop Sing has taken the doctor's instructions very seriously. If it were possible for anyone to feed me back to good health, I'm certain he could do it."

Ben leaned back and put a string of kisses on the inside of her wrist and up her forearm. Pushing himself back up, he rested his chest against her shoulder and inhaled her perfume. "And what about me? Is there something that I can do for you, my lady?"

Maggie tapped a finger on her lips. "Hmmm, let me think a moment." Giving him a girlish grin, she grabbed hold of his belt buckle. "So tell me, Mr. Cartwright, owner of the great Ponderosa, do you deal in shorthorns or longhorns?"

Ben threw back his head and howled. Shaking his finger at her he pronounced, "Maggie, I swear sometimes you are as bawdy as a saloon girl." He took hold of her hands and pulled her over on top of him. Putting on his best Texas drawl, "Woman, you talk entirely too much. Now I'm gonna start this party and you just better let me know when you've had enough!"

Pressing her nose against his, she declared, "Bring it on, cowboy!"

Passionate kisses followed Maggie's dare during which Ben worked at the buttons of her shirtwaist so that he could loosen the ribbon on her chemise. He slowed his advances to place warm, moist kisses along the side of her neck and all over her exposed shoulder…

Later that evening as the family sat relaxing after dinner, Joe looked up from his checker game with Hoss to give his step-mother an impish grin. "So Maggie did you enjoy your picnic at Tahoe?"

Joe was met with a scowl from his father, but Maggie was unfazed.

She reached out from her place on the end of the settee to stroke Ben's arm that was draped over the side of his red leather chair. "It was absolutely perfect! Would you like a detailed account of our afternoon?" Ben's eyes went wide.

Hoss nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking, and made a beeline for the front door. "Think I'll check on that new litter a kittens in the barn."

Ben glowered at Joe. "Joseph! Will you never learn?"

"What Pa?" Then he looked sheepishly at Maggie. "Touche'. Guess I'll head off to bed now. Night Pa. Night Maggie."

Maggie sat up straight feigning innocence. "Goodnight - Joseph."

As Joe disappeared from the top of the stairs, Ben shook his head and emitted a low growl, "Maggie."

She patted the cushion next to her. "Well it worked, didn't it?"

Ben could not help but chuckle and moved to the settee. He pulled Maggie close and kissed her lips. "Yes, quite effectively."