The next several days went by with Candy noting them as not dissimilar to the last few: Full of menial though backbreaking manual labor he was either roped into or had foisted on him, largely by the elder Cartwright brothers, with Joe sneaking out of the house to take an assistant's position on said jobs.
One such day saw Candy fixing a line of fence a few miles out from the main base of operation, Joe just watchin' him —and Hoss that fine day— sweat in the baking sun. Occupying himself by handin' over shears, twine, wire, and water as they needed it.
Hoss was so strong that he didn't strictly need his help lifting the poles into place, but Candy didn't mind lending a hand anyhow. Especially if him being along to help with the project got Joe out of the house and kept the guy's big brother from straining anything trying to rebuild broken fence with only a still 'not cleared for duty' Joe for moral support.
Besides, Hoss was always up for a good time. Had a pretty good sense of humor to boot. So even if Candy got a little sunburnt and crawled into bed sore that night, at least he'd had a few laughs along the way.
Those same days also went by with Candy continuing to be invited for an inordinate number of meals at the Cartwright family table. And the strangest thing about it, was that the invitations came from every direction. Even Ben, one night after a friendly game of chess in which Candy'd had his behind handed to him by the man, had clapped him on the shoulder and asked if he wouldn't join them for breakfast the next morning.
Wasn't anything Candy could've said to that aside from, "Yessir, I thank you kindly."
So that morning he'd showed up, sat himself where he decided he wouldn't worry that he was starting to think of as 'his place', right next to Joe, and began inhaling a delicious meal of sausage, hash browns, and mountains of fluffy eggs.
About halfway through chow time; Candy was caught by surprise when he heard his name called from the head of the table.
He looked up, thinking perhaps he'd misheard and the man at the endcap seat was in fact asking about some sort of sweet treat, but when he met the steady eyes of Ben Cartwright himself, he knew he'd indeed heard right.
"Yessir?" He asked in the least confused tone he could manage.
"Adam tells me the grain shipment has come into town and I was wondering whether you wouldn't mind going out to pick it up?" The man asked. Confusing Candy further with the lack of any timber of authority to the request.
"Uh, I'd be glad to," Candy assured. Forcing his brows not to furrow. At least not while Ben was still looking at him.
"Wonderful," his boss said with a pleased nod. "I've also heard from Hop Sing," Ben started, "that Joe has been unnaturally well behaved these past few days. So well behaved, in fact, he's barely heard a peep out of him." The ranch's preeminent pa gave the son in question a pleased glance before going on. "As a reward for all the hard work, and the dedicated rest, I propose the two of you, Candy and Joe, make a day out of it."
Candy exchanged a look of disbelief with the guy who hadn't let his pa catch him out of his sling for fear of actually being tied to his own bed. Then they looked back to the grownup end of the table and the friendly, silver wreathed face still pointed their way.
"So long as you come back with the grain, you can both have the day off," came the words that —judging by the looks directed Ben's way— not a soul around that dining table ever thought they'd hear.
"Yessir!"
"Yes, Sir!" Came the happy responses. Soon as the two got over the shock.
"Well, Good. Matter settled. Let's finish breakfast before galavanting off, shall we?"
"Amen to that, Pa," Hoss said. Prompting everyone to go back to digging in. Candy and Joe moving their mouths double time and stepping away from the table in tandem with just a hair more than strictly scraps left on their plates.
Candy almost felt bad about that, but his twinge of guilt was completely forgotten when they hit the sunshine of an unclouded Ponderosa morning and Joe turned to him with a smile so wide Candy couldn't help but smile back.
"Here's your next shot at getting to know them better," Joe enthused as he hit the end of the front porch.
"Huh?"
"The twins! Or have you forgotten about them already?" Joe chided, keeping up a brisk pace.
"No, I was just so excited for a second there that I forgot we'd need a wagon and team," Candy assured. Remembering that they hadn't taken Milkshake and Butterscotch on the fence job because Hoss preferred to drive cart with his own team, thank you very much.
"Good. And don't forget our lunch date. At that cafe?" Joe pulled to an abrupt stop in the exact middle of the yard, then turned to face the guy who was following right on the heels of his excited walk. "You are paying, right?"
"Joe, I am hurt," Candy said, putting a hand over his heart. Holding there just long enough that Joe's beseeching look faltered. "A gentleman always pays when it was his invitation."
With a snort, Joe patted him on the arm and led the rest of the way to the barn. Asking a groom, soon as they made it inside, to please pull out the wagon and check the tack while he and Candy gave his horses a quick talking to.
Candy was glad when the groom only looked at them funny for about a half second before nodding and taking off. Disappearing from sight almost before he had a chance to notice the outline of not pants on the barn dweller's bottom half, but a full length skirt.
Huh. Really not all that strange. Candy'd seen lady grooms before. Just, not usually on a ranch the size of the Ponderosa.
They reached the appropriate stalls and it was almost as if someone had known they'd be needed that fine day, for the two creamiest horses in the main house's barn were already curried and groomed and ready for a little time in the harness. Stamping front hooves with anticipation when they saw who was coming down the rows to say-
"Heylo there Milkshake. Butterscotch," Candy greeted, with a tip of the hat to each. Watching as the human who may just have thought of himself as their pa walked right up to one, then the other, and let them each lick a perfect, sparkling sugar cube off his hand.
"You softies ready for a hard day's work?" Candy chuckled when Joe's earnest question received earnest response. Butterscotch rolling his eyes and tossing his head back while Milkshake nickered and stamped a front hoof
"Means 'yes'," Joe explained. Leaning in close to Candy so the excitable equines wouldn't hear.
"Uh-huh. And they do that every time?" Candy asked. Not sure what to think when the only answer he got was a shrug.
"You take the one on the left, I'll take the one on the right?" Joe suggested.
"Sure. Say," Candy started, reaching for the gentle giant's halter and unlatching the stall door, "do ya always hitch 'em the same way? With Butterscotch on the left?" He asked as the horse in question practically shoved his own head in the halter. To which, Candy raised an eyebrow and made sure to do the buckle right quick like.
"Oh, they won't have it any other way," said the guy already starting to lead rope the other horse from her stall.
"Huh. Particular, ain't they?" Candy said, leading Butterscotch down the aisle behind the others.
"Eh, not so much more'n most folks. You like your eggs a certain way, right?" Joe said quite reasonably.
"Ha! I see yer point," Candy chuckled as the four of them sauntered through the open door to the hitching yard. Where, interestingly enough, he was the only out of the group to balk when a billowing skirt came out from behind the supply hauling cart parked off to one side.
"Wagon's been greased and the tack's all good!" Called that same groom from before.
"Thanks, Rosy. You got these two lookin' all prim and proper early today," Joe commented, giving Milkshake a pat.
"Well, you should've seen them earlier! They come in from the paddock looking like Cochise they were so caked in mud. Those babes can't resist them a morning roll, and always in the wet grass then the dirt," Rosy informed with a shake of her head.
"Oh, well the next time that happens, feel free to interrupt anything and come get me. Because that I need to see," Joe said with a fond grin.
Which Rosy mirrored before hurrying off to the closest supply shed. A quick, "I'll grab the rigs," thrown over one shoulder.
"Rosy," Candy mused, soon as the skirt hem disappeared through the shed door, "that short for Rosalind or Rosita or somesuch?"
"Yep. Both actually. Seein' as one of those is short for the other as it is," Joe said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I seen her around some, come to think of it, but she don't work in the other barns, does she?" Candy asked. Remembering the few times he'd seen her in passing and thought she'd maybe been a kitchen hand or perhaps on the ranch delivering things from somewhere.
"No. Some of the other hands give her a hard time, so she handles most of all the upkeep in this barn."
"What? The other grooms jealous of her name or something?" Candy asked with a questioning cock to his head.
"No, no, it's not the grooms. It's the ranch hands."
"What, too many marriage proposals?" Candy offered. Mostly to try and get a rise out of his strangely sobering friend.
"No, they all know she's married. It's more..." Joe paused and let out a sigh. "She and I tend to treat horses similarly."
"Oh," Candy said. Feeling that that fully explained it.
"Yep," Joe agreed with another sigh.
"Two peas in a pod then. Well, good thing you got her lookin' after these fine animals. They deserve the best," Candy finished as the four of them finally made to walk out of the last of the barn's shade and into the sun.
"Yeah. She sings to them, ya know?" Joe informed.
"You don't say? Well, I sing to cattle, out on a drive. Don't figure it's too diff'rent."
"Yeah? Well too bad nobody else sees it that way," Joe lamented with a shake of his head.
"Alright, boys!" The whole party looked up at the call for attention. "The reigns are fresh oiled! Just grabbin' the last of the tack now!" Said the skirted shadow as it ducked into another supply shed not far off.
"Efficient, i'n't she?"
"Says the world's best loaf?"
"Now, Joe, you know that's not fair. We're the world's biggest loafs," Candy said, pulling Butterscotch into position for hitching. Pleased when the creature backed between the hitching poles for him without complaint.
"Alright, here's the last of the rigging," Rosy said. Somehow managing to sneak up on Candy while carrying a giant tangle of leather and buckles over one shoulder. "I'll get Milkshake. Just hold her form me?"
"Like she needs it?" Joe asked with a smirk.
"True enough. But you can never be too careful," Rosy cautioned, getting some of the guidelines in place around the patient horse on the right side of the wagon.
"Yeah, Joe. You can never be too careful. Might wanna work on that," Candy suggested as he cinched a belt in place under his half of the draft team's belly.
"Yeah, you two laugh it up. But don't complain when I make fun of you the next time one of you rapscallions ends up in a sling," Joe warned with a huff.
"Next time? I'll have you know I've never been in a sling and I have no intention of putting myself in one, thank you very much." Said the groom peering over the back of her horse to give the instigator a look.
"Fine then. It only applies to Candy," Joe amended.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I ain't been saddled with one neither and darned if I'm plannin' on breaking my lucky streak anytime soon," Candy said. Taking the time to give Joe a look of his own.
A Joe who rolled his eyes and turned away from the two good for nothings near done with the hitching job.
"I don't know why I bother talking to either of you."
"That's an easy one, Joe," Rosy offered.
"Yeah, easiest riddle I ever heard," Candy said. Continuing when the guy in the green jacket looked back at him. "You're just attracted to hopeless cases!"
"Hopeless indeed," Joe said with a shake of his head. Right before joining in the good natured tittering that kept the horse's ears flipping this way and that.
Wasn't long before Rosy'd been thanked for her help and the two rancheros with an official day off were on their way down the drive and making good time towards town. Candy, rather absorbed with admiring the ease with which the dynamic duo pulled their wagon over the rutted path, took a moment to process that Joe was in fact asking him a question.
"What was that, Joe?"
With a crinkle of his brow, the Cartwright in the sling restarted. "I asked, 'What kind of foods do ya recon they offer at that cafe? Bear sign? Or fluffy French pastries that fall apart when ya try to take a bite outta them?"
"I'll kindly ask you to stop your speculatin'; my mouth's beginning to water and we just ate breakfast too," Candy said with a glance to the guy sitting next to him on the bench. Who snorted at the request.
"You don't know, do ya?" At the protracted silence he got for an answer, Joe shook his head and adjusted his seat. "...S'pose we'll be findin' out together then, won't we?"
Upon reaching town, the off duty ranch hands put up the wagon and team with the Ponderosa's favorite in town livery and took a slow walk up and down the boardwalks; waiting for their lunch wave of appetite to hit before making for the alley cafe.
In front the Main Street Haberdashery, Candy noticed Joe hesitate as they passed the window. When he checked the display himself, it became obvious why.
"Can't wait to get back to ridin', huh?"
"Wha- Oh. That obvious?" Joe asked, tearing his eyes from the selection of gloves and continuing at their previous pace down the walk.
"Don't worry 'bout it: Your new pair'll prolly be in any day and Cochise is enjoying a paid vacation till yer pa clears y'all for duty," said Candy, voice encouraging.
"Yeah. Stitching's holding up on this'n anyway," Joe said, showing Candy the place where he'd had to cut it off of him over a week previous.
"Yep. Pa Cartwright knows what he's doing with a needle and thread," Candy said with a nod.
"Who'd'a thought?"
"Well, if you'll recall, I did," reminded Candy. Head held ever so slightly higher at the reminder.
"Mm. Well, if you're going to be like that about it," Joe said. Boots scuffing the boardwalk as he made to turn back the way they'd come.
"Oh-no ya don't," Candy said, hooking an arm around a pair of retreating shoulders. "You promised me lunch."
"Oh-no, it was you promised me lunch, Canaday, and don't you go 'forgetting' it when the bill comes due," Joe said, allowing himself to be turned back around and ushered further down the shaded walk.
"No worries, Joe. My treat means my treat. Every time, guaranteed," Candy assured, with his free hand over his heart.
Pretty sure he caught a smile on his friend's face as they walked around the corner and continued down the street. His arm still over Joe's shoulders and showing no sign off being shrugged off.
"Right this way, boys," said the waitress who'd greeted them at the door and checked that this was indeed their whole party. Leading them to a table with a pair of comfy chairs arranged one on either end.
"Menu?"
"Yes, please!" Candy said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation soon as he took his seat.
"Thank you, ma'am. Please excuse my friend's eagerness; he's paying," Joe said, giving Candy a 'ha' look across the small tabletop.
"Yeah, I invited him. It's a date." Candy made sure to catch both the waitress and Joe's reactions to that. Barely keeping a straight face when the other two obviously had difficulty managing the same.
"A-alright then. That sounds lovely," the waitress said, laying down a handwritten menu. "Lemme know if y'all want some coffee, cider, or lemonade. It's all fresh," she informed before going off to show the next guests to their own table on the opposite side of the cafe.
"What? Somethin' I said?" Candy directed at the slightly pinker than before face of the Cartwright sitting across from him.
"Nope. Just hungry," Joe assured, snatching up the menu and giving it a good looking over. Eyebrows rising higher the farther down the page his eyes traveled
"What? Something wrong with the selection?" Candy asked.
"I'll say: It's all in French! Créme this and pain that all over the place," the guy Candy noted was using only one hand to hold the menu lamented. Right before dropping it back to the table in frustration.
Smirking at his friend as Joe rested his chin on a fist and decided looking out the window would be much more fun than trying to decipher a page full of French while hungry, Candy plucked it up to take a look for himself. Chortling when he checked the reverse side. Also covered top to bottom in handwritten offerings.
"Uh, Joe?"
"Hm?"
"The back side's it in English. Cream this an' bread that all over the place." Candy couldn't help the smile when his friend snatched the paper out of his hands and gave it another look. Eyes going wide when he saw the guy in red wasn't fibbing.
"Well, don't need to look so smug about it," Joe said, as he started reading the English side of things.
"Mm, they do have bear sign." Said with a hair more excitement than the other guy at the table thought strictly warranted.
"Hope that don't mean they're keepin' a bear in the kitchen," Candy whispered just loud enough that Joe couldn't miss it, but quiet enough that the returning waitress wouldn't. To which, Joe hid his face behind the menu, no doubt to hide a smile.
"Anything to drink?"
"Coffee. Cream and sugar if ya have it," Candy ordered.
"A cup of your 'fine sipping chocolate' for me," Joe said from behind his paper shield. Which Candy gave a questioning blink.
"Alrighty then, one coffee; cream and sugar, and one hot chocolate comin' right up," said the waitress in a cheery voice.
"Uh- On second thought," Candy started, getting the lady's attention before she could turn away. "I'll have one of what he's having," he said with a thumb indicating his friend with the menu in place of a head.
"No problem. Two hot chocolates, comin' up." Then she left to see to the other table's drinking needs.
"What'n the world did I just order?" Candy asked. Reaching out to bend the stiff menu down so he could see his friend's face once again.
"Uh, Adam mentioned, one time or another, that it's all the rage in Melbourne," said Joe while smoothing the poor, abused sheet of paper as he set it back down. Once again.
"Mmhm. That's wonderful, I'm happy you and your brother have been catching up, but, uh, what exactly is it that's 'all the rage' in Melbourne?" Candy insisted. After all, if he was going to be drinking it, he might as well know what it was he was getting himself into.
"Well, way he said it, they, uh, go to make coffee, see? But instead of... doing that, they add chocolate powder." Joe explained. Looking like he was trying his best not to squirm. "He said it was really good."
"Hm. S'pose if that's what he said, this oughta be quite the treat," Candy conceded. Feeling somewhat reassured.
"Yeah, Adam's never wrong when it comes to food," Joe assured with a nod. Which turned into a twitch when the waitress set two cups between them on the table and walked off to deliver the other patrons their drinks.
"Uh, you first?"
Candy quirked a brow at the invitation. "There're two cups, Joe," he reasoned.
"Yeah, but, with you treatin' and all... thought you might wanna try it first."
"Mmhm. Well, I s'pose the pleasure is mine," Candy said with an incline of his head. Deciding he didn't need to press for a real explanation.
So, resolved to give the new fangled drink a fair shot, he grabbed the teacup by the little handle, brought it to his lips, and took a minuscule sip. Happy that it was already at a good drinking temperature.
"Well?"
"Hm?" Candy asked, taking a larger sip.
"How is it?" Joe asked. Releasing a small roll of the eyes when his friend in red took his time swallowing.
With a smack of the lips, Candy gave his cup an assessing look and said, "I must admit, I've never tasted anything quite like it."
"Y-you mean that in-in a good way, right?" Joe asked. Eyes going big as he did.
Candy took another sip. Mostly to give himself a moment to ponder how exactly it was someone who wasn't a puppy nor a child managed an expression like the one staring at him across the table.
Deciding it would probably always be just another of life's great mysteries, he cradled the teacup in both hands and answered. "Yes. A very good way." The smile he got for that got hidden almost before it reached full size by the remaining cup of 'sipping chocolate' having a sip taken from it.
"Hm. Glad we agree. This stuff is delicious!" Joe said, quietly enough so as not to disturb the other folks who Candy only then noticed had been shown in and given a table not far from theirs.
"Yep. Yer brother's got his head on the right way 'round after all. Not that I ever thought otherwise," he tacked on before Joe could find a way to take offense to the previous statement.
In case he was in an offense taking mood.
Both of them looked up when they noticed the server setting drinks on another little table that sat a couple of happy townies, nodding when she turned her head their way with a questioning quirk to her brow.
"What'll it be for lunch?" Asked their waitress as she reached the table with the two cowpokes.
"Well, we'll have a platter of bear sign fer my friend here," Candy said, indicating Joe, "and I'd love the French toast."
"Alright then. Anything for the main course?"
"Hm?" Asked Joe.
"Come again?" Asked Candy.
"Oh, if dessert is what you came for, that's fine!" She said with a reassuring smile.
"French toast is a dessert?" Candy asked, bewildered. He'd only ever eaten it for breakfast, every diner he'd ever ordered it.
The lady nodded, a few loose curls bouncing at either side of her tidy bun. "It is in France, so that's the way we serve it here."
"Huh. Ya don't say," Candy said, raising an eyebrow at the guy across the table who was currently shaking his head at him, pretending he'd already known all about the culinary divide between the two countries.
"That case, I'll have the French toast after the onion soup."
"Alrighty. Would you like the bread or the mixed greens with your soup?"
"How 'bout a half serving of both?" Candy suggested. Figuring he was gonna have to choose either or when the server's brow crinkled. Like she was hearing something that just didn't sit right.
"And I'll have the other half servings. With the, uh- with the onion soup, of course," said Joe. Handing the menu back to their waitress and pretending he hadn't ordered that just so Candy could have what he wanted.
With the nice lady wearing the apron off to tell the cooks what it was the room wanted, Joe leaned over the table and made a 'come here' motion with one finger.
Candy, not one twinge of hesitation to the movement, leaned forward. Close enough that their conversation would be private. Though, perhaps a little more conspicuous than otherwise.
"What did I just order?"
"Well, I don't rightly know, Joe. I just know that I like onions and I like soup. So I figured they'd prolly taste good put together," Candy explained.
"Is there gonna be a whole, boiled onion in my bowl? Because if there is, your eating a double serving," Joe warned. A cringe suggesting that he wasn't kidding.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. 'Sides, I don't think anyone would pay money for a boiled onion in a bowl. Not if it was the only hot food left in the territory," Candy said with a shake of his head.
"Yeah, I suppose not," said a rather relieved Joe, relaxing back to a normal seating position. Leaving one, likely tender forearm resting on the table. Probably testing whether that was a more comfortable place to keep it while they waited for their first course.
By the time the onion soup made its appearance, both little cups of fine sipping chocolate had been drained and surreptitiously had the last drops scraped out of them by a handy couple of spoons their waitress had been thoughtful enough to provide them with.
Though, probably to be used on the soup, but Joe and Candy were used to things serving double duty, living on a ranch the way they did, so they simply licked them clean and set them back where they'd been. Hoping no one in there would be the wiser.
"Your soups, boys," said their waitress as she set down one then the other of the bowls, followed closely by the two half servings of leafy green things and funky, stick shaped breads.
"Thank ya kindly," said Candy, with a tip of the hat. Which he only then realized he probably should have left on the hat rack by the front door when he'd walked in.
"Yeah, thanks," Joe agreed, peering with as much subtlety as he could scrounge up into his soup bowl. Breathing a sigh of relief which Candy mentally echoed after a quick glance into his own bowl.
"See? Just soup," Candy whispered while the food bearer made her way back toward the kitchen.
"Mmhm. And it looks delicious," Joe said. With a confidence Candy was sure he didn't actually feel.
"Let me guess: I have the honors of the first taste yet again?"
"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way," Joe confirmed. One hand making an 'after you' motion.
"Wonderful," Candy said. Right before tasting the first dainty spoonful of his new favorite soup.
"I wasn't being serious, Candy! You didn't really have to pay for my meal; I have money just fine," Joe said, gesticulating rather excitedly as soon as the cafe door closed behind them.
"Well, Joe, it's like I said: A gentleman always pays. When it was-"
"His invitation. Yeah. Well, I wouldn't wanna rob you of your 'gentleman' status. So, thanks. For the meal," Joe said. Toeing the cafe's front porch. Demeanor suddenly tipping toward bashful.
"Weren't no trouble, Joe. Believe it or not, I like spendin' time with you." Candy took notice when it seemed Joe's bashfulness did the opposite of abate. What with the guy tweaking the brim of his hat lower in an attempt to hide his face as they began walking down the alley back toward the main road full of shops.
"I like you alright too," Joe admitted. Moving a hand to scratch at his own chest. The action only catching Candy's eye for it being done with the hand that, these days, generally resided in a sling.
Candy schooled his face to stay neutral when the arm didn't fall back to Joe's side. "The wrist buggin' ya?" He asked, barely above a whisper. Studying his friend's face at the question.
"...Just a twinge," the prideful guy admitted. Quietly enough that it didn't worry Candy right off.
"Hm. Must've been all the window shopping. Admiring things ya know you can't afford can put quite a strain on the body," Candy intoned as they reached the end of the alley and found that town was a good deal busier now than it had been when they'd arrived. With folks on their merry ways up and down the boardwalks and the occasional cart rumbling here and there.
The two of them nodded at the least busy walk, climbed the provided few steps, and began a leisurely post lunch stroll.
So, how did Candy and Joe's date go? I think they enjoyed it pretty good! :D
Hope everyone's weekend is going great!
