Cassie
A/N As the guest reviewer pointed out to me, Cassie would not be a step anything...she was adopted. Sorry for that mistake. I have corrected it, along with the attorney looking at the wrong child. No, I did not use a beta reader. I wanted to see how well I could do on my own. Over all, I don't think I did too bad. Although, I might use one if I do another story.
A/N I know many of you will disagree with how young Cassie was married only, remember, for years it wasn't uncommon for girls to marry young…especially in the 1800's.
Epilogue (40 Years later)
A cold wind blew over the Ponderosa as Cassie rode her horse over more than one hill and passed by more than one tree. She was sure her children (all seven of them) thought she had lost her mind as she left the house. After all, she could always wait until better weather came around to visit her family especially at her age…and they'd said as much too. Cassie had simply smiled, saddled her horse and ridden off anyway.
When she reached her destination, Cassie White-Cartwright Williams took a hold of the old Iron Gate that kept unwanted visitors out and opened it up. Soon she was looking down at a headstone that read "BENJAMIN CARTWRIGHT". "Hello, pa," Cassie smiled as she thought on the man who had, in spite of his age, stepped in and raised her when her own father was gone. He had been as good to her as he was to his son…even when it meant disciplining her for some of the bad choices she had made along the way. How she'd wished he'd been able to find a wife who would have lasted for more than a couple of years. While that had not happened, Cassie would always remember the day her husband, Peter Williams, had gathered up his courage and approached Ben to ask him for Cassie's hand in marriage.
Cassie glanced at the wedding ring on her hand and chuckled. Her adoptive father had not been overly thrilled with the fact that his sixteen year old daughter wanted to get married. She chuckled again as she was sure Ben had only agreed to give his consent because Peter, who had just turned twenty, had been working for Ben for a solid two years and had proved himself to be a good, honest, hardworking young man…that and Peter had said he and Cassie weren't actually planning on being married for another year. "I still miss you, pa. I think I always will." She then took a few steps and stopped in front of another headstone…one that was actually only a marker, a place to visit a son who had left home a few years after Cassie's arrival never to return. His absence has left a hold in all their lives…even if he did write consistently.
"Hello, Adam." Cassie sighed as she remembered all the evenings she'd sit on the porch and listen to Adam sing and play his guitar. She could have listened all day if she had had the chance. Of course, with his responsibilities and hers, neither one of them could have spent twenty four hours a day on any porch. A part of her would always wonder how on earth Adam could have left the Ponderosa, the other part understood all too well. "I hope you truly loved Australia big brother. I know those sons of yours sure do; they say so when they come to visit." Marriage…that was good thing that had come about after Adam left. He had found a good woman and married her. They'd spent thirty five years together and she'd born him two handsome sons and a beautiful daughter. Sadly, her niece had passed away after giving birth to her first child. After the father had an unfortunate accident a year later, Adam and his wife had taken their grandson in and raised him also.
Cassie then moved passed Adam's marker and looked at the last two headstones. ERIC "HOSS" CARTWRIGHT and JOSEPH FRANCIS CARTWRIGHT…Cassie's eyes rested on Little Joe's marker first. She was sure that at first Little Joe had been jealous of the bond she and Hoss shared only there was nothing she could do about the bond or the jealously. As much as she loved youngest of Ben's natural born sons, Cassie could never be closer to any brother than she had been to Hoss. At least Little Joe hadn't had much time to be jealous. He'd married Caroline Summers, a young woman he'd known for seven years, a couple of years after Cassie had joined the family. He and his wife had been blessed with five children, most of who lived on or near the Ponderosa.
Cassie's eyes then moved to Hoss' headstone and felt a few tears threaten to surface. There would never be another Hoss in her book. How she'd adored the ground he walked on, He'd been her mentor, protector, but most of all he'd been her "partner in crime" more than once…even during the five years he'd suffered from limited eyesight. During those times, the times they were busy pulling pranks on various members of the family (and even some of their friends) Cassie was sure Ben's hair had grown even whiter. When his eyesight had miraculously returned, Ben and the others swore it only made Hoss and her pranks increase. Even with her knees which were starting to have problems with arithitis, Cassie knelt down and ran her fingers across Hoss' name. He had had so much love to give to those around him. She' d felt so bad for him as year after year he remained alone. Then, at forty-two years of age, he'd had another miracle walk into his life…a widow by the name of Nancy Little. Nancy had been a saint and the union had given Hoss an instant family…four sons, two daughters and three grandchildren to begin with. He'd handled it well though. Eventually the couple would be blessed with two children of their own, twins by the name of Christopher and Christine.
Cassie stood up slowly and once again looked over all the headstones and lovingly said, "I'll never be able to thank all of you for taking me in allowing me to be a part of your family. God bless you all." She then turned and walked back to her horse. Someday, she would join her second family; someday, she'd sit down and again laugh and talk with them, just not today.