The sun was just coming up over the mountains when Hoss got home on Saturday morning. He dismounted in the yard and led Chub into the barn. "Joe, what are you doing here?"

Joe seldom got up until he was dragged out of bed on Saturday mornings, and Hoss was surprised to see him.

"Nothing - I just wanted to check on Cochise." Joe was brushing his horse.

"Do you want to go fishing this morning?" Hoss asked. "We're up early enough."

"No, thanks, Hoss, I've got chores to do."

Hoss dropped the brush he was using to groom Chub, and walked into Cochise's stall. Joe felt his brother's big hand on his forehead. "Stop - what are you doing, Hoss?"

"Boy, any time you're up early on a Saturday and would rather do chores than go fishing, you're sick or the world has come to an end. Now I just saw the sun rise over the mountains, so you must be dying."

Joe tried not to grin, but he couldn't help himself. Hoss watched him. "That's better, Joe. Tell me what's wrong." He pulled Joe over to a hay bale and they sat down.

"It's Mari - I mean, Mrs. Blaine."

"What?" Hoss stared at his youngest brother in surprise. "Since when did you start calling Mari Mrs. Blaine?"

"Since last night. Pa and Adam and me were having dessert in her room, and things were fine until Pa said that the mending basket was empty and I was doing better in school. Mari said it was the least she could do since we'd taken her in." He looked at Hoss. "She sounded like some stranger, Hoss, not like Mari. I thought she liked having me around, but she was just trying to pay Pa back. It surprised Pa and Adam - I could tell from the way they looked at her. I couldn't stand it and I left. Pa came up a couple of minutes later, and then Adam. We were talking when Mari - Mrs. Blaine - came in and said she was sorry, that she hadn't meant to hurt my feelings, that helping me study wasn't work..." His voice died away.

Hoss rubbed Joe's back. "What did you say?"

"Nothing - well, I was real polite, Hoss. I called her Mrs. Blaine, and I told her I was sorry for bothering her and that it wouldn't happen again."

Oh, Joe, Hoss thought. Aloud he said, "What did she say?"

Joe thought back. "She looked surprised, and tried to touch my shoulder, but I didn't want her to. Adam took her back to her room, and I told Pa I was tired and wanted to go to sleep. He left, and then a little later Adam looked in on me, but I acted like I was asleep. I didn't want to talk to anybody."

"Joe, I think you misunderstood Mari. I know her like I know you, and I know she loves you and Pa and me and Adam and Hop Sing."

Joe looked up at his older brother, not quite convinced. Hoss saw his doubt, and continued. "I'll just bet Mari is as upset about this as you and Pa and Adam. I think you ought to talk to her."

Joe hesitated, "Well, will you come with me?"

"Of course, Joe, we'll go right now." Hoss stood up with his arm around Joe, but they both stopped when they saw Mariette standing in the barn's open door. She was dressed in a blouse and split skirt.

"Mari - you're not supposed to be up," Hoss ran to her and started to lift her.

She put her hand up to stop him and looked at Joe. "I heard you come down early, and I wanted to talk with you, Joe. I've known you all your life, and I came here to live when you were two. I taught you to read, and - what I'm saying, Joe, is that I'm your sister, and I love you - I always have, always will. Helping you study is not something I do because I feel like I have to - I do it because I want you to do well in school. Mending clothes is something I do because I can do it and because it has to be done. It's my contribution to our family. We help each other. About what I said last night - I never thought you and your father and Adam would take it the way you did. I tried to tell you last night - I did tell Adam. He said he would help me explain to you and your father."

"Adam looked in on me last night, but I acted like I was asleep. I didn't want to talk anymore." Joe said.

"Well, how do you feel now?" Mariette asked.

"I guess I misunderstood," Joe said.

"Sooo, we're back to Mari and no more Mrs. Blaine?" She opened her arms, and Joe hugged her. She took his arm, and, with Hoss on her other side, they went into the house. Hop Sing and Lien-Hua were waiting for them. Hop Sing was upset, and didn't try to hide it. "Lien-Hua told me you did not sleep well last night. She said you got up and dressed this morning even though she told you it was against the doctor's orders. You went out without drinking your tea that I brewed for you. You are acting like a little girl."

Mariette's eyes were enormous. Hop Sing had never scolded her before, not even when she was a child. She'd often heard him speak so to Adam, Hoss, and Joe, but never to her. She didn't know what to say, and she looked to Hoss for help. He didn't fail her.

"Hop Sing, there was a little misunderstanding last night, and Mari was worried about it. She just needed a little air, and Joe and I were with her. Now she's going to sit on the settee and we'll have our breakfast here in the great room. Then we'll take another turn around the yard or the garden and she'll go back to bed." As he spoke, Hoss lifted Mari and took her over to the settee. Joe piled a couple of pillows against its arm, and Hoss put her down. Lien-Hua brought her parsley tea, and Mari swallowed it quickly, not even allowing it to cool. A scorched tongue seemed a small price to pay to get back into Hop Sing's good graces.

Joe settled on the floor next to Mariette, and Hoss scooted a chair up to the low table in front of the fireplace. Hop Sing brought them steak, fire potatoes, biscuits, and eggs. Lien-Hua brought Mariette a bowl of oatmeal sweetened with honey. Joe looked at his full plate and then at Mariette's oatmeal. "Why can't she have steak, too?" he asked.

"Miss Mari must build up her strength before she can eat as heavily as you," explained Lien-Hua. "For now it would be bad for her to eat steak and eggs."

Joe looked up at Mariette. "Poor you."

Hoss and Mariette laughed.

"Laughter - that's a nice sound and a good way to begin the day," Ben said as he and Adam came downstairs. Ben went over to Mariette and dropped a kiss on her head. "I'm so sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion last night, my dear. Adam explained it to me."

"Do you want to eat in here or at the table, Mr. Cartwright?" Hop Sing asked.

"I think I'll eat in here," Ben decided. "Adam?"

"I'll eat in here, too," Adam said as he and Ben sat down in their favorite chairs. Hop Sing returned to the kitchen for two more plates, and Lien-Hua brought Joe a glass of milk and poured coffee for Ben, Hoss, and Adam.

"So how was the dance last night?" Adam asked Hoss.

"The dance? Oh, it was fine," Hoss hedged. The truth was that he hadn't enjoyed the dance much at all. He'd spent most of his time wondering how Mariette was doing, and remembering how she and Adam had taught him and Joe to dance when they were younger. He loved Mariette as a sister, he told himself, but he was starting to think of her in a different way. And that disturbed him. He'd left the dance early and gone to the Bucket of Blood for a beer and maybe a poker game or a fight. Nearly everyone had been at the dance, though, and the saloon was quiet. After playing a couple of hands and losing a little money, he'd given up his poker game and gone to the International House to spend the night.

"Hoss?" Ben asked.

"Yes, Pa?" Hoss asked.

"I asked you if there were any pretty girls at the dance?" Ben prompted him.

"Oh, yeah, I guess there were a few." He finished his breakfast and stood up. "I'm going to change clothes, and then I'll be back down to take you for that walk, Mari."

They watched him leave, and Ben looked at his plate. It held a few bites of egg and steak. "You reckon Hoss is all right?" he asked Adam.

Adam was looking at his brother's plate. "I don't know, Pa. Something's affected his appetite."