Learning To Grow:
Joe Cartwright was miserable. It had been two days since they found the note and he was no closer to getting to his sister. Sure he knew where she was, but Adam was on him day and night, so he couldn't find a way to escape. If he wasn't careful, he would blow Jax's chance. He wanted to see what his baby sister could do but, he needed to get out of the house without being detected.
"Adam, I think I have a few leads," Joe said as he was unsaddling Cochise.
"What would that be?" Adam asked. He knew his brother knew more than he was saying, but he also knew that if he pushed too hard, Joe would clam up.
"Some of the guys took jobs just outside of Reno and San Francisco . Maybe you and Pa should ride out there," Joe said handing the list of ranches to Adam. He figured it would take them about two or three weeks to figure out it was a wild goose chase.
"You don't want to come?" Adam asked.
"Kinda, but I don't want to be there when Pa kills her and all," Joe said honestly.
"Alright, I'll tell Pa about this and we'll leave tomorrow," Adam said walking back towards the house before a thought struck him, "You realize that nothing Jax does will change Pa's mind about this, right?"
"What do you mean?" Joe asked.
"Jax could be the best roper, bronc buster, and shooter in history and Pa still won't let her work this ranch."
"Why not?"
"It's not a woman's place and the sooner Jax understands that the better."
"Adam, she'll never accept it."
"She's has to Little Joe and until she does, her life along with ours will be completely miserable."
"Adam, this is Jax we are talking about. Pa is the one who is going to have to change his mind."
"Not going to happen little brother, but I'll try and help push him towards that end."
Ben and Adam left for the ranches towards Reno the next morning. Joe felt guilty about sending his Pa and brother on a wild goose chase. He knew Adam and Pa were going to kill him, right after they killed Jax. Well at least they would have matching tomb stones.
Joe smiled to himself imagining what they would say, "Here lays Jax and Joe whose lies and schemes brought about their untimely deaths at the hands of their father and brother."
Hoss was beside himself with worry and Joe felt bad about the next part in his plan. Hoss was probably going to catch hell from Adam for falling for it, but this was for Jax.
"Hoss," Joe said an hour after his father and older brother left.
"Yeah, little Joe."
"I kinda want to catch up to Pa and Adam. I think Jax will need a friend on the way home. I bet I can catch up with them by tonight."
"Alright, but be careful, you hear?"
"Thanks, Hoss."
Jax:
Jax was having the time of her life. No one was telling her what she could or couldn't do. For once in her life she was expected to do the exact same thing as everyone else. Billy worried everyday about Jax, but she just continued to impress him. One thing that Billy was sure of was that her family was wrong, Jax could do anything she put her mind to and there was no stopping her.
The men started to call Billy and Jax the wild ones. Jax had brought the wild streak out in Billy. No matter how hard a task was they would do it. Jax had jumped off her horse more than once to wrestle a calf to the ground. Before this experience, Billy was always cautious, even when he shared adventures with Jax and Joe. Jax had noticed the change and liked it.
She also loved nights with the men around the fire. Every night they played poker and spoke plainly to one another, not leaving things out because she was a girl. To her dismay Billy would make her leave when thing were getting interesting, but she knew Billy well enough that he would keep his promise of wiring Pa and she wasn't ready to give up her freedom yet.
She was wearing him down though, most night he let her listen to the stories until they made him blush deeply. Tonight Jax decided it was time to push the limits again. For the past few weeks, the men tried to get her to drink with them. Billy always told them no, saying that Tim wouldn't allow it. Jax went along with Billy and said her brothers wouldn't let her either.
"So, Kid," Quinn Cooper a new hand asked. "Where ya from?"
"Virginia City, same as Billy," Jax answered. Quinn said handed her the bottle of whisky. To Billy's horror she took a sip of it, making a face as she handed it back to Quinn.
"Virginia City has some of the best girls around. I remember one time." Taking a sip and handing it back to her. This time, she took a huge gulp looking straight at Billy daring him to say something.
"Hey Jack, we should get some sleep," Billy suggested.
"Let the kid have one more hit," Quinn said. "You're not his mother." Jax took one more gulp smiling.
"Come on Billy, try it," Jax pleaded passing him the bottle.
"No, I promised and so did you," Billy said pointedly.
"Alright," Jax said taking the threat for what it was. She walked away from the fire passing the bottle back to Quinn.
The minute they were out of the hearing Billy laid into to his friend.
"Are you crazy? Drinking? Even Joe wouldn't allow you to do it. I swear I should turn us in." Billy said shaking his head.
"It's part of the experience, Billy," Jax demanded.
"I know but I wasn't lying when I said I promised my Pa I wouldn't. Tim knows most of the guys here, that's how I got the job and it's his way of keeping tabs on me." Billy said. "And remember you promised me to do what I say."
"Billy, I always do," Jax said innocently.
"Right, like you did tonight," Billy said laying down not wanting to look at her any more. He never understood when Tim said some kids need a good tanning to bring them to their senses. But tonight, Jax helped him realize that Tim was right. If he could he would tan the living daylights out of his best friend right now. Knowing Jax she would just fight back, making things worse.
"Hey, Billy," Jax said.
Billy didn't respond.
"I'm sorry."
For once Billy believed she was sorry but he was too angry to answer her.
Joe:
It only took three days for Joe to find the O'Kelly Ranch. He watched her for over two weeks and saw how well Billy was taking care of her. He would have to thank him when this was all over, well after he broke his nose for letting her come in the first place.
She was amazing. She was almost as good as Hoss at roping strays. Maybe Pa was wrong about all this?
At the beginning of the third week some cowboys found him.
"What are you doing here boy," One of the men said yanking Joe up roughly.
"Wow Larry, he looks a lot like Jack," Fred said. "Do you know our Jack?"
"Yeah, he ran away from home and I'm here to get him," Joe said simply.
"You don't look much older than he is. Why'd your Pa send you?" Fred asked.
"He didn't our Ma did. Pa is on a cattle drive and she wants her baby back before he returns home."
"I think he's at the house. Seth wanted to teach Jack and Billy how to break a horse," Larry said.
"I'm going to kill her," Joe thought.
Ben and Adam:
Ben was tired of chasing down empty leads. After the third one, he realized what Joe had done. He stopped in Placerville determined to start out again tomorrow. To his surprise Adam walked in a few minutes later.
"Joe have you running around in circles too?" Adam asked.
"I don't know who I want to get my hands on first," was Ben's reply.
Tim Martin walked into the bar a few minutes later.
"Adam Cartwright, what the devil are you doing here?"
"Jax ran off and we are trying to track her down," Adam answered.
"Why'd she run off?" Tim asked. He knew the little girl was full of mischief but wouldn't make her family worry like this.
"To prove that she can do anything a man can do," Adam said simply.
"How would she do that?"
"According to her note, she was she had a job on a ranch."
"Damn him," Tim swore. "That boy doesn't have the sense God gave him and the little sense he has left, I going to knock out of him."
"What are you talking about, Tim?" Adam asked getting hopeful.
"Just last week, I ran into some of the men from the O'Kelly Ranch where Billy's working this summer. They were talking about a wild kid who was the best roper they ever seen. They said the kid had no fear and thanked me for having Billy bring him. At the time I had no idea who they were talking about, now I think it might be Jax."
"Yeah, one thing I can say about my little sister is she is fearless."
"Not for long," Ben growled.
"Pa, why don't you head back to the Ponderosa? Now that we know where she is, Hoss probably needs the help, especially since he has been alone for the past few weeks. I promise to bring Jax home in one piece," Adam said. "I will also find my wayward brother and thank him for sending us on our wild goose chase."
"That's a good idea. If I saw my baby boy and girl right now I don't know if they would survive the experience," Ben said. "Make sure you wire me when you find them."
"I will Pa," Adam said.
Ben went upstairs to get some sleep in the hotel and would start the trek home tomorrow.
"So you want some help Adam? I need to have a word with my baby brother as well," Tim said.
"Yeah, maybe you can cool me down enough so I do wring all of their necks," Adam said.
"Oh you can wring Billy's neck, just leave me some left over's" Tim said.
"No you have Billy all to yourself. Joe has known where she could be this entire time and sent us on a wild goose chase for almost three weeks."
"Ok you get the twins and I get Billy," Tim said with a grimace.