Darry nodded... "Well, you need to make a choice kiddo, you can't keep doing the 'I like him,' 'now I don't routine."
"Darry, it's like this I told Dallas we're friends only, that's all nothing more will ever become for Dally and I since I know Joe and I will never break up," She told him straight out getting sick and tired of most men at the moment.
"And what if your feelings for Dally come back, during your time with Joe, huh? What's gonna happen then?" Darry interrogated.
"Nothing is going to happen okay, I can promise you that they will not come back, his smoking and drinking ruined any chance of him and I being more," Rose told him with a smile, "I hate the smell of booze and smokes."
Darry nodded and then said, "Ok, 'cause I have grown too really like that boy. I think he's a keeper, and from what I've seen he really does love you."
"So, if he comes to you asking about him and I you'll say yes?" she asked hoping he was talking about Joe and not Dally.
"If he does, I'll make sure he asked his father's permission before mine," he said trying to be stern about it but a smile crept onto his face a little.
"Okay so that means you'll allow it when we are of age?" she asked.
Darry thought for a moment then said, "I'll allow it. Just as long, as we see maturity on both of your parts."
"I know Dar, no sex until marriage and not until we're eighteen," she said moving ever so slightly to try to give him a hug, "God I love you, Joe and these kittens."
Darry smiled. "Well then let's get down from here."
"Um, a little help?" she asked noting now she had all seven kittens curled up on her since she laid down on her back. Darry smiled and had gently picked them up and set them down next to the mama cat, and helped her up "Thanks, I was thinking I was gonna be a cat bed for a while longer," she joked and gave him a hug.
Darry laughed and hugged her back and said; "At least you didn't become a scratching post."
"True, would it be okay if Mr. Cartwright says I could, I could have a kitten?" she asked with a smile.
Darry thought. Then looked down at the kittens. "I'll ask him after dinner, alright?"
"Alright, thanks Darry," she told him and climbed down the ladder.
"Hey Adam, can I talk to you?" Joe asked standing in Adam's door way to his room.
Adam looked up. "Sure little brother, what's up?"
Joe slowly went into the room and closed the door. He went over and sat on Adam's bed, "well I, I need to tell someone this and I figured you're better then Pa."
Adam sat up straighter... "You're not in trouble are you?"
"No, just, I kinda proposed to Rose yesterday, and it was quick like time rushed by," Joe said softly.
Adam's eyes went huge then he said, "Wait, hold it! Did you just say you proposed to Rose!"
Joe sighed, "It was sudden and it just blurted out of my mouth before I got the chance to stop it."
Adam sighed. "And let me guess, Pa doesn't know anything about this does he?"
"Not yet," Joe said with a sigh. Adam looked at Joe, and whacked him on the back of his head.
"Adam, please, I need to know what to do? It was sudden as I said and just came out of my mouth before the brain could stop it," he said.
Adam sighed as he thought for a moment then spoke, "What you need to do, young man is to go and talk it over with pa, before he finds out, and you take another trip to the barn with him."
Joe just nodded, "I'll do that now," Joe said with a soft, scared smile. Joe left the room and headed to Pa's room and knocked on the door.
"Hey Pa, can I talk to you?" Joe called from the hall outside his room.
Pa called out. "Come on in Joseph"
Joe entered the room, "Pa, can, can I talk to you about something important?"
Ben glanced at his son and said, "Certainly Joseph, sit down son." Joe sat down and didn't know where to start. Ben looked at him, "What's troubling you son?"
"Well, um," he said softly.
Ben looked down at his son. "Joseph spit it out son!"
"I, I was wondering if it'll be alright if I asked Rose to marry me but we don't get married until we're of age," Joe suddenly spoke
Ben was in shock. "I am not going to say yes or no, until I see maturity out of you."
Joe nodded with a sigh, "Well, Pa, that's the thing though," Joe started
"What do you mean son?" Ben asked softly wondering what kind of mess his son got himself into this time.
"I, I kinda already did but told her that it won't happen until we are of age and that I'll get her a promise ring until we're of age," Joe told him scared to know what'll happen next.
"Before you asked me for permission!" Ben scolded
"It just slipped Pa, we were talking and it came out before my brain could stop it," Joe spoke softly.
"That seems to be happening to you more and more doesn't it Joseph?" Ben asked upset with his son.
"I love her, a lot Pa, I mean it, without her in my life I'd be, I don't know lost," Joe said with a slight smile.
Ben nodded with a sigh then said, "Well I don't approve of how you handled it. But you need to ask her brother for permission."
"I, I already planned on it Pa, could, could I use ma's ring?" he asked kindly with a tear in his eye.
"You may, but you will not get it until you are the legal age. And until then you will use this." Ben said as he pulled out an old promise ring, that he had given to his first wife, before they were married.
Joe chuckled, "alright thanks Pa, um, maybe all of us could sit around the fire and I do it in front of everyone, well, after I talk to Darry?" he suggested.
Ben thought for a moment and said, "Concentrate on getting her brothers permission first, then we will cross that bridge when we get there."
Joe nodded, "so, I, I should talk to Darry now since he's the one in charge of her?" Ben nodded and Joe just sighed scared to know what Darry would say.
"Well get goin'" Ben said as he gave him a playful swat to his backside
Joe winced a little, "dang pa, my butt hurts a little since earlier I sat on a rock."
"You sat on a rock?" Ben asked trying not to chuckle.
"Yeah, I went to sit down for a moment and never saw the small sharp rock," Joe said.
"Oh you poor baby! Do you want me to kiss your owie and make it better" Ben teased his young son.
Joe glared at his pa then tackled him on the bed and ran, "got ya Pa!" Ben laughed and chased his son out the house swatting his backside with an extra towel.
"POPS!" Joe called laughing and literally ran into Darry, "hide me," he faked begged.
Darry smiled at the sight of Joe running towards him. "What's the matter?"
"My dad!" he called "he's hitting me with a towel," Joe said laughing.
Darry laughed. As he saw Ben Cartwright come running up behind him. "Hey Ben! You missing a munchkin!"
"Yeah where did that little one go?" Ben asked laughing.
Then Joe said, "Hey Dar, I got a question for you."
Darry laughed and tossed the boy over to Ben, who took the boy in a hug. "Oh yeah? What's the question kid?"
"Well, um, I love Rose a lot and I was wondering if when the time came if I could marry her?" Joe came out and asked not too scared of Darry right then and there.