When he woke the next morning, Adam realized he had slept right through. He hoped he hadn't disappointed Jessica by not turning up at midnight, but then again, they had spent the afternoon together. All of a sudden, he couldn't wait to see her again that night.

It was a good thing he had a full night sleep as the day he and Ben spent was busy and demanding. They visited two Haciendas, and Adam had to do all the negotiating. At the end of the day, Ben was pleased with his choices and allowed him to bargain for several of the cattle.

Once back in the hotel that night, Ben surprised his son by saying they would go out on the town for a while and look around. Adam hoped his father would not want to visit the Lucky Saloon, as the bartender might recognize him.

They had dinner at a Mexican Cantina and wandered the streets. Adam remembered much of the areas from two nights before when Jessica had showed him around. Ben didn't like the look of much of the city as the drunken cowboys started to fill the streets. He decided to retire to bed around eleven, which left Adam sitting by his window, waiting for his father to fall asleep and for the clock to strike twelve.

When it did, he was waiting for her behind the saddler's store. He watched and wondered if she would appear; a peculiar churning in his belly.

"Hi." He heard her voice and turned with a smile. She was standing in the shadows.

"Hi" Adam felt his body jolt with a strange energy as she emerged and stood close to him.

"I thought maybe you wouldn't come." Jessica's voice had an unusual wobble to it, as if she was nervous.

"I fell asleep last night. I guess the late nights just caught up with me." Adam looked down at her intently. "Are you alright?" He noted her eyes shining a little too much. Was she crying?

"I'm fine." But she wasn't; that was plain. Adam reached for her hand and enclosed his fingers around it.

"It's not that man again, is it? He hasn't hurt you, has he?" Adam felt his anger mount as he thought of Manning's treatment of Jessica and her mother.

"No, no. I said I'm fine." She took a deep breath and looked up at Adam, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Then, what is it?" His deep, soft voice was her undoing and she turned away from his searching gaze.

"I wish, I guess I wish I was away from here. I don't like living the way I do. I don't like the people I have to put up with. I wish I lived in a regular home, like you do. Sometimes, I think my mother has no intention of leaving. She seems almost addicted to this life. She always makes some excuse."

Adam looked at Jessica, realizing that she had probably had an argument with her mother and was not really sure how to comfort her. It must be hard, but he had no real solution apart from the way she was handling it now.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk anyway. We might come up with a plan and it'll take your mind off it for a while." He touched his hand to her shoulder and she turned back toward him again.

"Alright, that would be nice, Adam." She smiled a little and brightened. "I thought maybe after those girls the other day you might be scared off." She chuckled nervously.

"Nah, they didn't bother me. I know you don't have any choice where you live. Sometimes, you've just got to make the most of a situation."

She felt better and they fell into an easy step along side one another, roaming the streets of the city, talking about lots of things. Adam felt good. As they walked, their arms would sometimes brush together, shooting a tingling feeling through him. Eventually, he got up the courage to take her hand in his, and they walked that way for quite a while. After an hour or so, Jessica pointed out a big deserted looking building on the edge of town.

"Adam, that's the old feed store. There were two in town and this one went broke. It's huge inside and it's got lofts and ropes and everything. Want to see?"

"Sure." The child in them came out temporarily as they went in through a hole in the wall and explored the old building. There were several oil lamps lying around and they lit one.

"Boy, it's huge. Bigger than our house, almost." Adam looked up at the high ceiling.

"Your house is this big?" Jessica answered in amazement.

"Well, kind of." Adam smiled down feeling guilty for his comment.

"Wow, that must be nice."

"Yeah, but we have to do a lot of chores to keep it tidy."

"I'll bet." Jessica laughed at him and walked along to the front. "See, up there, that's where they hauled the bails in."

They spent a while exploring, then climbing up to the loft, looking around up there. Jessica picked a spot on the hay and sat down.

"I used to come here with a girl called Hattie. She was younger than me and I used to scare her silly with ghost stories." She giggled as she thought about the memories.

"Yeah? Know any good ones?" Adam sat down beside her and set the lamp down away from the dry straw.

"Plenty, but you might get scared." She teased him and laughed at his disgusted look.

"Yeah, right. As if. Come on, you tell one, then I'll tell one. I'll bet I can make you real frightened."

Jessica couldn't resist the challenge, so in the eerie dull light, she wove a tale about how the Bird Cage was haunted by a murdered piano player, which Adam had to admit, made him a little jumpy.

When she was done, Adam made up a fantastic tale called the Ghost of the Ponderosa. Jessica was taken in and hung on every word as he made it sound so realistic. At the climax, he made out that a ghost had opened his door and hovered in around his bed, paralyzing him with fear. Jessica clutched nervously at his arm as he finished with a loud roar, which he said the ghost produced before disappearing.

Jessica half screamed and grabbed him around the chest in fear.

Adam laughed out loud as he realized he had succeeded in scaring the daylights out of her.

"Adam Cartwright, you are hateful." She tried to be mad, but didn't quite want to let him go as the surroundings now made her feel uneasy.

"Don't worry, that ghost is hundreds of miles away. He won't get you, but there might be another one."

He was amused by her shaking form, and then started to feel bad. She really was scared. "Hey, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you like that." She tipped her head up to look at him and attempted a nervous smile.

"You didn't, not really." Adam glanced over her face and felt the strange sensations inside again. He was beginning to react to her nearness. He felt hot all over and nervous. He wanted to kiss her.

"Adam."

"Yeah, Jess."

"Do you want, well, want to . . . kiss me?" Jessica's hazel eyes shinned in the darkness, this time with anticipation of the unknown. She had seen many of the women in the Bird Cage kiss men, of course, but it all looked like a chore and unpleasant to her. The women said later they never enjoyed it. Except for Sue, she seemed to enjoy everything. But right now, her body was reacting to Adam in an unexpected way. She wanted to feel what it was like.

"I, I think so." Hormones and curiosity took over, as Adam lowered his head towards hers. As he touched his lips tentatively to hers, he felt a surge of excitement run through his torso. Her lips were the softest thing he had ever felt, and having her face, her eyes so close to him defused his control.

Jessica felt the tingle of sensation sprinkle across her skin like cool rain. He shifted and wrapped his arms around her, making her feel safe. He was gentle, and so careful with her. She liked the feel of his lips, and pressed a little harder, wanting more. He responded, opening his mouth a little. She too did the same and soon they were kissing more intently.

Adam's mind had little control. It was one of the most intense feelings he had ever experienced in his short life. He ran his fingers up to her hair and felt the silky softness in his fingers. Her body pressed against his, making his blood run hot. Finally, out of breath and stunned by his reactions, he broke away from her and looked at her shut eyes and dreamy expression.

"Jessica?"

She opened her eyes and looked wondrously at him.

"Boy, I never did realize it was like that!" She reddened.

"Yeah, well, boy it's hot in here, isn't it?" Adam was nervous. He couldn't control these new urges in his body. He knew it was wrong to be here, alone with Jessica and kissing her, but he couldn't help wanting to.

"Yeah, kinda hot, alright. Jessica, blushing profusely, lowered her head. Adam's sensuous kisses made her sweaty all over.

"Maybe we should head back to the hotel. It's getting late. Come on, let's go." Adam didn't trust himself.

"No, wait, I . . . I don't want to go back there, not yet. Tell me more about the Ponderosa again," Jessica pleaded.

"Well . . . alright." Adam took a deep breath and tried to bring his emotions back under control. It was hard as Jessica leaned against him and lay her head on his shoulder.

"The Ponderosa, well, it's -"

Adam began to talk and soon, they were both transported to the pleasant world of Tahoe's shimmering shores. Jessica found comfort in his voice and his arms as he methodically stroked her shoulders. She soon became drowsy, and before too long, both the teenagers were sleeping soundly in each others arms.

Hoss knocked on the door to Adam's room, wondering what was taking him so long to get ready. Eventually, his elder brother opened the door, showing Hoss that he still hadn't finished dressing. His shirt was unbuttoned and his silk tie hung limply around his collar.

"Hey, brother, the evening is a wasting away. What you been doin', anyhow?" Not waiting for an answer, Hoss walked in and over to the window. He saw the activity across the street and wondered what it was all about.

"Hey, Adam, what's that funny lookin' building over there? Looks like a dance hall of some sort."

Adam walked up behind him and gazed at the Bird Cage again. His memories had been interrupted by his brother's appearance.

"Yeah, a dance hall of some sort it is." Hoss looked at Adam, wondering at his sarcastic tone.

"You wanna take a look?" Hoss eyed his brother keenly. He didn't get much of an opportunity to have a big night out in Virginia City like this would be.

"Oh, no thanks, Hoss. I don't really feel like that, but you go." Adam turned away from the window and set about doing his shirt up.

"Ah, no, it's alright." Adam looked at Hoss who had plain disappointment written all over his face. Adam didn't particularly want to enter that building. But, for Hoss, he would make an exception.

"Okay, just for a while. You might get a little overheated, though."

"Huh?" Hoss wasn't sure what Adam meant, but he had been in dance halls before. Sure, the woman always made him a little nervous, but he enjoyed their singing and dancing. He was a red-blooded man, after all.

"Never mind, come on." Adam finished tying his ribbon tie and picked up his black hat and dress coat from the bed.

"Boy, you sure do look dandy in that outfit. Them girls is gonna be all over you." Hoss laughed at his brother's appearance.

"Hoss, don't be ridiculous. You look fine in that new waistcoat you've got on. You better watch out yourself."

"Heck, them girls always go for a man wearin' black. Tell me, is that why you wear it all the time, brother?" Hoss meant it as a teasing joke, but it put Adam back into the world of his youth again.

Why did he wear it? He remembered the night in the Lucky Saloon, watching Jessica swoon over that Sheriff. Adam now commanded the respect of others. His daunting, dark image creating a mystique around him few could penetrate. Maybe that was why.

He followed Hoss out, thinking back to the morning after the night he and Jessica had fallen asleep in the loft. It turned out to be one of the worst days of his life.