Kate laid low for a few weeks and did her best to please her father until she found out that the Belmont's were soon leaving town and heading back to New York. Adam and Mr. Belmont did reach an agreement to cross breed a few of their horses and the entrepreneur made a few deals with others in the community as well saying he would return next summer.
Kate became alarmed by the news of Nicholas departure and wanted to see him immediately. She took the chance to go out riding in hopes that she would find him. Leaving without any notice to her family Kate hurried on her way.
It was a hot summer day and after riding close to an hour Kate's horse needed a drink. She proceeded to the nearest watering hole. As she drew closer she saw a figure in the water. The young man appeared to be bathing. She slowed down to a soft trot and quietly approached the pond on the opposite side of the bather. Soon Kate realized by looking at the gentlemen's horse that it was her sweetheart Nicholas that was in the water. His clothes hung dry on a nearby tree. Kate giggled and felt a mischievous thought to tease her dear friend.
"Well, well, well…I've seem to find someone's underpants hanging on a limb. Would you happen to know whose these are?"
Nicholas heard the woman's voice but didn't recognize it at first he ducked his head under the water and stayed as long as he could before rising up to gasp for air. Kate just laughed as hard as she could at the sight of her frighten beau.
"Katherine Cartwright, It's you." Nicholas shouted. "What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing", Mr. Belmont.
"It's a hot day; I thought I could take a swim." Nicholas confessed.
"What a fine idea, maybe I could join you." Kate teased.
"I don't have any clothes on Kate and your father would not have it. Go back home to the Ponderosa, I will meet up with you there later." The young man pleaded.
"Were you just going to leave me without saying goodbye?"
"No, I swear, I was planning on coming out tonight to see you."
"Nicholas, I don't know what I'm going to do when you're gone. I will miss you so much. This has been the best summer of my life. I love you."
Kate began walking back and forth on a log lying across the water hole. The more she talked the more she used her hands and paced back and forth on the log.
"Kate, please be careful, you could fall in…and as if it was a direct order…Kate fell in the water landing right into Nicholas's arms.
Both kids shrieked! Nicholas did his best to cover his dignity and help Kate to her feet all at the same time.
Up ahead the two noticed a fast rider approaching and ducked to safety. Nicholas pulled Kate by the arm towards a large rooted tree that had fallen over in the water.
"Hide back there. I talk to whoever he is and get him to leave." Nicholas promised.
Kate did as he said and hid behind the roots of the tree.
Unfortunately for Kate and Nicholas they had been spotted together by the rider who saw them from the hillside. And the rider was Adam.
Furiously Adam flew off is horse demanding Kate to get out of the water and for Nicholas to stay throwing Nicholas his britches.
"You're small enough to get a well deserved thrashing and old enough to fight like a man. What'll it be Nicholas?"
"Daddy, Nooo!" Kate cried tried to keep hold of her fathers arm.
Adam ignored his daughter's pleas while staring down at the cold-wet young man who trembled on the ground.
"I asked you a question boy?"
"Well sir, I suppose I can fight you like a man but I really think there's been a misunderstanding."
"Is that so? Is it my understanding that you were swimming with my daughter- unclothed? And did I or did I not see you holding my daughter close to your body in the water?"
Adam clenched his teeth taking in heavy breaths.
"Um, yes sir, I suppose that's what you saw but …."
Nicholas didn't get to finish because Adam lifted him high into the air and threw him into the shallow water. He followed and lifted the boy again out of the water and tossed him to the other side.
"Do you realize out here in the West most fathers would have drawn their gun on a young man for such offense.'?" Adam pulled Nicholas up by the neck of his long John's and held him close to his face.
By this time the boy was shivering fiercely and brought to tears. "Sir, please let me explain." Nicholas turned to Kate for help.
"Daddy, it wasn't his fault. It is all mine." Kate continued to cry. "Please let him go, I can explain."
Adam stayed still holding on to the whimpering boy.
"Kate continued, "Nicholas was in the water hole swimming when I came riding by. I teased him a little and then I started talking to him about leaving and you know how I get to pacing and talking with my hands…well I fell in the water and he caught me. It was just and accident Daddy. He told me to go home that we shouldn't be out here together like this…but then it was too late and I fell in. You just gotta believe Daddy. Please put him down."
Adam took a good look at Nicholas and saw the boy was innocent. Pulling his ear close to his lips, Adam whispered, "Don't ever look or talk to my daughter again because if you do I will finish what I've started." Adam gently lowered Nicholas to his feet. The boy stayed facing the opposite direction of Kate.
Adam walked out of the water towards his horse stopping at his saddle to take in a breath before he mounted. "Get your things Kate." Adam stated gruffly.
Kate looked longingly towards Nicholas and wept while picking up her things. She mounted her horse and the two rode off quickly leaving a very scared young man in the water.
Not a word was spoken on the ride home. Adam didn't even bother unsaddling his horse leaving him out front at the rail. Kate took her horse into the barn and dressed it down properly before entering the house. Adam sat at his desk pretending to be reviewing bills not looking up at his daughter when she came into the house. He had a hard time believing what Kate had said earlier but knew that it was true. The feelings he felt when he saw the two together in the water were more than he could handle. He just wasn't ready to talk with his daughter.
"Daddy, can we talk?"
Adam kept his head down not able to look at her in her eyes.
"I know you're disappointed in me for my actions today, I can't say that I blame you. I'm not sure what got into me to want to tease Nicholas so badly. But it was just an accident that I fell in the water. Daddy, I'm in love with him and he loves me too. I know you don't want me to ever see him again but I'm not sure if I can make that promise to you. All the "necessary talks" in the world can not change my love for him. I'm sorry that I've hurt you again."
Kate stood at the desk for awhile before finally giving up and going to her room. She changed out of her wet clothes and cried herself to sleep. Meanwhile Adam asked Ben to watch after the others and rode into town.
As he expected he found Mr. Belmont at the bar playing a round of poker.
"Good evening Cartwright."
"…Mr. Belmont."
Adam looked around the room for Nicholas."
"The boy isn't here if that's what you're looking for", Belmont snickered. "You scared him good I hear. He won't be trouble for you any more after tomorrow. We'll take those horses and head out of town. You won't have to see us again."
"I owe your son an apology, I jumped to conclusions."
"Ay, don't sweat it Cartwright, the boy was warned to keep his distance. Like I said, we'll pull out first thing tomorrow."
Adam just shook his head in disappointment and left the tavern to go home.
Everyone was sleeping and he too went straight to bed.
The next morning Kate didn't come down for breakfast. She stayed in her room all morning.
Nicholas showed up with his father and asked Adam permission to be on the property. He said yes, and apologized to the boy for overreacting. Adam received his payment and they said their goodbyes.
He went into his house and felt the need to go up to Kate's room. Kate was startled when he came in and hid the letter that she was writing.
"Do you want to talk to me and share what you're writing?"
"It's a letter; I wanted to give it to Nicholas before he left. Am I too late?"
"They just left. Would you like to ride out with me? I think we could still catch them."
Kate embraced her father in a tight hug. "Yes, thank you Daddy."
Adam rode out with Kate to find the Belmont's and told the two lovebirds that they could correspond through letters and if they still had strong feelings in a year from now then Nicholas could come back and work at the ponderosa and court Kate, but she could not get engaged before she turned 17. Both happily agreed and set out to say their goodbyes.
Not getting an ounce of privacy Kate turned to her father and whispered, "Daddy, can I please give Nicholas a kiss goodbye?
"No!" Adam popped Kate on the bottom. "Now it's time to go young Lady, saddle up." Adam turned to the Belmont's. "Nicholas, be well." Adam and Kate mounted their horses heading back to the Ponderosa.
"You can be so old fashioned Daddy. You know, if I really wanted to be with Nicholas, I could just leave and sneak away to be with him forever…" Kate teased.
"But you wouldn't break your Daddy's heart like that now would you?"
"No. I suppose I could never do that."
Adam grinned at his daughter as he hid the sadness of losing his little girl. He realized it was just a matter of time and he could not fight the fact that she was growing up to be a woman any longer. This was a summer that neither of them would soon forget.
"Hey, you wanna race." Adam propositioned.
"Are you serious, Daddy?"
"Here to the big oak, that's about three quarters of a mile."
"You're on…" Kate squealed as she took off on her horse.
THE END
