"So how are the renovations at your place going?" Ben asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

It had been about a week since Lee bought the small ranch and they were having a special dinner to celebrate Lee's moving to her own place the next day.

"Very good, Mr. Cartwright. We're moving ahead faster than expected. I'll be looking to buy some stock soon." Lee answered.

"We can provide those," Joe said.

"That's right. We have some good, older cows for sale."

"How old?" Lee asked. She knew that it was better to start out with older cows instead of heifers, but she didn't want cows that were too old.

"About four or five years. A couple calvings already behind them." Ben said.

"Sounds good." Lee was silent for a minute. "I just want to thank all of you for all your help and for letting me stay here. Y'all have been very kind to me!"

"It was our pleasure." Adam quickly said, putting his hand over hers.

Lee felt herself go a little red. "I still feel indebted to you; if there is ever anything I can do to pay you back, just let me know." She tried to ignore the little smirk on Joe's face, as she looked around the table again, trying to express just how grateful she was.

"Like Adam said, it was our extreme pleasure." Ben smiled reassuringly at Lee, trying to make her feel a little more at ease. He cleared his throat and got up. "Let's have our coffee in the living room, shall we?"

Adam helped Lee up, and the boys made their way to the living room.

"Uh, will you excuse me?" Lee asked. She desperately needed to go outside to be alone with her thoughts.

"Of course, Lee." Ben granted quickly, his brow furrowing as she quickly left.

Outside, Lee hurried to the barn where Boom was stalled.

Boom blew through his nose when he saw her and continued munching on his hay.

"Hey, buddy." Lee murmured softly as she slipped into his stall. "Look what I got here. I managed to sneak you a carrot from the dinner table."

Boom smelled the carrot immediately and nudged Lee, trying to get at it.

Lee laughed a little. "Alright, hold your horses. Here it is." She slipped it out of her pocket and broke off a piece to feed to her eager companion.

"I probably shouldn't have just left like that. It was impolite." She continued murmuring. "The dinner was in honour of me, after all. But I just couldn't stay. I don't know what it is... No. I think I do. You see, Boom, I always feel like this around people I care for. Strangers are a different story, as what they think isn't that important. I know this sounds silly, but it's how I feel, and I can't very easily change it. You see, I... care for the Cartwrights, but I'm scared they won't like me depending on what I do, even though I guess I know better. It's worse... with... Adam." There. Lee finally said it out loud. "If I'm scared of messing up in front of the other Cartwrights, then I'm perfectly terrified of doing anything stupid in front of Adam. I don't know... I think I... love... him, but I just don't know. I don't know what to do! I think he might feel something for me too, but maybe he's just being kind to a poor girl who recently lost her parents and is-" She choked. "all alone in the world." She pressed her face against Boom's firm neck, letting the tears run down her face as she breathed in the wonderfully steadying horse smell.

"You're not all alone in the world," The gentle voice behind her made her jump, and she recognized Adam's voice with a start.

Thinking to herself a couple words that would have made her mother pale, Lee hurriedly brushed away her tears, keeping her back to Adam.

"Kaylee. You are not alone in this world." Adam repeated. "I'm here for you, and I will be forever, you have my whole family, Sally, her fiancee... Heck, the whole town is supporting you."

It was true. Lee had made a very good impression on the people in town and had already made a good many friends.

But that wasn't what Lee was thinking about. She was running Adam's words 'and I will be forever' through her head, again and again.

"Do you really mean that?" Lee finally turned around, trusting the shadows of the dark barn to hide her tearful face.

"Yes, Lee. I swear. With all my heart and being!" Adam enveloped Lee in his arms. "First time I saw you, I think I knew." He whispered into her hair.

"You really feel it? You're not just saying all that?" Lee asked, looking earnestly up into his eyes.

"Yes, I really do feel it." Adam smiled gently.

"You must think I'm so silly." Lee buried her head in Adam's chest again.

"No, I don't. I think – no – I know that you are perfect, and I wouldn't want you any other way than the way you are. And I know for a fact that my family feels the same way."

Lee didn't know what to say as that feeling swelled up in her chest, and she felt the incredible bond she shared with this man.

"I love you." Adam murmured.

"I love you more." Lee matched his oh so gentle smile as she raised her face again to stare into his soulful eyes.

"That would be hard." Adam chuckled, and, leaning forward, pressed his lips to hers.

|~~~~~Bonanza~~~~~|

The next morning, Lee and Adam headed off to Lee's place, the back of the wagon filled with furniture and food readied by Hop Sing, as the rest of the family waved goodbye.

Lee kept her eyes on her hands, trying to avoid Adam's gaze. She felt a little uncomfortable after what happened last evening, and she didn't know how Adam felt. She worried that he might be having second thoughts, even after the heartfelt speech the night before. She couldn't help it – she was the kind of person who needed reassurance in these matters all the time, or she'd start having doubts.

"No," Adam said, turning his eyes back to the road, as he felt Lee's questioning gaze.

"What?"

"No. I don't regret it even the tiniest bit." Adam said firmly.

"Not even when Candy walked in?" Lee giggled as she remembered what had happened.

"Well, maybe that part, but how was I supposed to know that Candy would come walking in at that otherwise perfect moment?" Adam chuckled too.

There was silence for a minute, then Lee leaned her head against Adam's shoulder.

Adam looked down at her, a warm smile etched on his face.

Pulling up in front of the house, Adam hopped down from the buckboard seat and helped Lee down.

"I'll put Boom and Sport away," Lee said, motioning to the horses who stood, tied behind the wagon.

"Alright. I'll start bringing furniture inside." Adam tied the horses to the hitching rail and got to work on the things.

Lee unsaddled Boom and put him into the corral. The saddle she swung onto the fence for later use and rested her chin on the leather for a minute to watch the stallion frisking around the large enclosure.

Her name being called pulled Lee from her thoughts, and she quickly headed to the house.

"Where do you want all these?" Adam asked, leaning against a chair in his classic pose as he swept his arm around the room to include all the things that Lee had bought or been given by the Cartwrights.

"Let me see." Lee looked around the room. "Let's put the settee over here..."

A few hours later, Lee sat down on her new settee a little breathlessly. "I think we're finally, kind of, almost done, Adam."

Adam laughingly sat down beside her. "I think you're right. Now, I'm going to get that picnic basket Hop Sing prepared for us. Don't know about you, but I could eat a horse right now!"

"If you can eat a horse, then I can eat a whale, except that I don't like seafood so I'll take three bison instead."

Chuckling at her reasoning, Adam went into the kitchen where the picnic basket had been stowed.

They ate outside, sitting on the soft green grass, eating the sandwiches that had been made for them.

"Your intense hunger satisfied yet?" Adam teased.

"Oh no." Lee quickly answered. "I still need a big piece of this chocolate cake!" She licked her lips as she reached for a piece of the chocolatey goodness. "I wonder how Hop Sing knew that this was my favourite cake?"

"Chocolate cake is your favourite?"

"Yep!"

"It's mine too." Adam grinned.

Lee looked at him for a minute, a small smile playing at the edges of her mouth, before she sunk teeth into the cake.

Adam laughed and reached for a piece too.

They ate in silence, and when the generous portions of cake had been finished, the two of them stayed on the grass, just admiring the view.

Adam chanced a look at Lee and chuckled.

"What?"

"You, uh, have some chocolate on your cheek."

"I do?" Lee put her hand to her cheek, intent on wiping away the offending substance, but she couldn't find it.

"Here, uh, let me help you, me lady." Adam smiled, gently reaching over to wipe it off her cheek with a napkin.

"Thank you, my lord," Lee said as his hand lingered there for a little longer than needed.

Lee blushed and looked down at her lap.

Adam watched her, an amused look on his face. She was cute when embarrassed.

"We'd better get going," Lee said, avoiding his eyes.

"Suppose so," Adam agreed, helping her clean up. Then he stopped, a confused look on his face, "Why, where are we going? We finished in the house, didn't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Lee nodded.

"Then let's go for a ride; it helps settle the stomach," Adam said, grinning at her.

"Alright," Lee said, smiling back at him.

When the horses were saddled, the two of them set out to explore Lee's ranch land. Riding over it gave Lee a happy, excited feeling in her stomach. She couldn't believe that she owned her own ranch, and couldn't wait to buy stock to graze all the overgrown, but beautiful, fields.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Adam asked, looking at her with a knowing look.

"Very. I've never felt like this before!"

"I know how you feel, to some extent. I remember when Pa first bought the portion of land that would grow to become the Ponderosa. I was young at the time, but it was very exhilarating for me, helping with the building and all." Adam said.

"Yeah, I can see where it would be."

They rode in silence for a while, until the soft sound of rushing water drew their attention. Breaking through the trees, Lee gasped at the sight and pulled Boom to a stop. Beside her, Adam looked pleasantly surprised, then he smiled and stopped Sport as well.

In front of them, from a wall of rock, gushed a small waterfall. It cascaded into a quaint pool and fed a stream which would eventually lead to the main river.

"Wow." Lee breathed, taking in the sight of the clear water, leaping into the beautiful pond. So clear that you could see every stone the ground consisted of. "This place is gorgeous."

"It sure is, my lady," Adam said, using his favourite term of endearment as he dismounted and helped Lee off of her horse.

"Thank you, my lord."

They went and sat on the green grass at the water's edge, enjoying the feeling of the tinkling water splashing them.

"I had no idea this place was here," Lee said, staring at the beautiful sight.

"I've never seen it before, myself," Adam answered.

"But I'm happy this is here," Lee said. "It makes this place just so much more special."

Adam agreed.

AN It's been a while, but I'm back and I think/hope the next chapters won't be too long in coming! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far!

TBC