The fall dragged into winter. Adam had many things to do at the Ponderosa, so there wasn't much time for wedding plans. Adam didn't want Adrien doing any heavy planning until after the school year was over, but Adrien couldn't help it. She knew what she wanted her dress to look like, and what kind of flowers she wanted. She also knew that she wanted her entire family there, even her family from the mountains in Virginia, and hopefully all their friends from Boston.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Adam was very hesitant to set a date for the wedding. He just kept telling her that he wanted them both to be free to sit down and plan it. He wanted to concentrate on it, and he wanted to be a part of it.

"Why is it that all this wedding stuff just gets turned over automatically to the bride and I get locked up. They just don't understand that someone around here has to keep you under control." Adam would say, with a coy grin, he'd always pull her close and kiss her forehead when he said this. No matter what he said Adrien knew that he really didn't mean it. He just wanted to be a part of this. But Adam never let her know that he just loved the way she smiled when she talked about it alll, and he didn't want to miss a single one.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The winter snows were heavy on the Ponderosa. For Christmas, Adam made arrangements for Adrien at the Ponderosa. He and Travis surprised her by bringing her sorrel mare, Duchess, from Colorado. She was ecstatic, but of course, even the smallest thing these days brought tears of joy to her eyes.

Adam's gift for her that night was much more special. He'd ordered a set of all of Adrien's favorite novels, along with all of Shakespeare's plays in beautiful leather-bound editions.

"Oh, Adam, you do too much for me." She exclaimed, kissing him.

"No, darling," He answered as he kept her close to him. "I don't do enough for you."

"But Adam, all this expense and all that you've done for me already, and this." She showed him her ring. "This is more than I ever could have asked for at all, and all that you went through for me to have it. You shouldn't give me more."

"Darling, I have and I will, I'll give you everything I have and everything I have in me. And there's nothing you can do about it."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The snows at the top of the Sierras melted in late February, breaking a long and cold winter a little early. By the middle of March, the grass was a bright, vibrant green, the trees were budding, and there were flowers opening up at every turn.

This spring, Adrien was filled with the fever almost as much as her students, but she realized that in a short while it would all be over. She'd be their teacher no longer.

"Travis, I don't know what to feel." She said one day when her brother visited her in the schoolhouse. "It's a new beginning for me all over again. I'll finally be with the man I love, and I can have the life I've dreamed of, but it's so hard to leave this. I love teaching, and I don't really want to leave it."

"But you want to marry Adam, don't you?" Travis asked.

"Yes, more than anything, but I'm going to miss seeing these faces every morning, especially the way they light up when they really get something for the first time."

"Well you can't marry Adam and teach, sis."

"I can give up teaching, but I'm going to miss it. It's like the end of something great, but …

"…it's the beginning of something even better?" Travis asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Adrien, you have nothing to be afraid of, and these feelings are nothing. Don't you remember doing the same thing when you left the ballet?"

"Yes, but I was heartbroken then, and now I'm so full of happiness that I don't know what to do with it all. Shouldn't I feel bad at all about leaving this?" She asked.

"No, you don't have to, but I think it'll catch up with you, but then you'll look to your future once again, and forget all about it."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, sis, five minutes ago, you didn't want to leave this school, but then you looked to Adam, and you wanted to go on. You'll be fine. Just don't forget what you just did, and never stop doing it. Never stop looking to Adam, sis. If you follow him, I don't think that he'll ever steer you wrong."

Adrien looked out the window, while she thought about what her brother had just told her.

"Little brother, how did you get so wise?" She asked.

"I learned from the wisdom gained by those before me."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Come on, ride 'im, Travis!" Hoss yelled out from the fence rail.

The sorrel mare was bucking with all she had. Adrien sat on the fence beside Adam and watched as the horse threw Travis to the ground. He got up and shook the dust from his chaps. He went to sit down on the fence beside his sister.

"You know little brother, I remember you saying once that you could mark out on any bronc, no matter how wild it was." Adrien teased.

"I'm standing by it." Travis answered, his cheeks reddening more from blushing.

"So why don't you stand by it?" Adrien asked, still teasing.

"I do when I feel it's necessary."

"Sure, Excuses, excuses."

"You know, I remember you saying the same thing once." Travis countered. "Do you want to live up to it?"

"Travis, you know that I quit being so childish long ago." She answered.

They heard hooves hit the ground, and watched as Little Joe took his turn on the mare.

"She's such an easy one too." Adrien smarted off.

"Then why don't you get a pair off chaps and do it yourself."

"No, she's worn down. If I go in there, I want a fresh one."

Joe hit the ground. Adam was next.

"Hey, Adam why don't you let the lady take care of her?" Travis called out.

"That lady's not setting foot in here." Adam answered.

"Travis, why don't you hand me that set of chaps over there?" Adrien pointed to the extra pair on the fence.

"They might be too long for you." Travis told her, examining the chaps.

"When have I had a pair that wasn't too long?" She smarted off.

Travis brought them to her.

Adam's ride began and after a few minutes the mare finally gave in. Adrien had had enough time to put on the chaps over the jeans she was already wearing and return to her perch on the fence.

"Well, it looks like you get your fresh one." Travis stated.

"Yep. I do. It's time to show you boys how it's really done."

Adam walked over to the fence and stood in front of her so she couldn't mount up.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"I've decided that I'm going to help out. You know, if I'm going to be a part of this family then I need to start pulling my weight around here."

"Then this isn't how you need to do it." Adam told her.

"Adam, darling, it's alright, I have experience. I know what I'm doing." She assured him. "Besides, I'm betting Travis ten dollars that I can bust this one in one try."

"I knew you were my favorite sister for something." Travis exclaimed in the background, laughing so hard he almost fell off the fence.

"Adrien, I don't want you getting hurt." Adam told her.

"It's not like I haven't done this before, Adam. Just ask Travis."

"What's going on here?" Ben's voice came from behind Adrien.

"Don't worry Pa. I'm taking care of it." Adam answered.

"Teacher wants to bust a bronc, Pa." Little Joe called out. "And Adam won't let her do it."

"Adrien, I don't think that that's a wise decision. Bronc busting is very dangerous and…" Ben started explaining.

"Ben, I know." Adrien interrupted. "I've done this before. I taught Travis everything he knows."

"You didn't teach me everything." Travis called back.

"Okay, I taught him almost everything he knows." Adrien answered.

"Mr. Cartwright, with all due respect sir. I think you should let her do it." Travis spoke up. "She's good… at least that is … for a laugh."

The three of them stood in a circle and argued about what Adrien should do. Meanwhile, the hands had a hold on the buckskin gelding, and if someone didn't get on soon, they'd have to turn him loose, and then he could be lost maybe forever.

The horse was a beautiful specimen. He probably was not older than five, and had definitely not had a rider stay on his back ever. However, this horse had a look in him that he had brains. He knew what was going to happen, and he didn't want it, but he wasn't afraid of it either. She knew that as long as she kept a light touch, they would eventually understand each other.

The men were still arguing amongst each other about what she should do. She walked up to the gelding. He raised is head as she got closer. She stroked his neck a couple times until she felt the tension in his muscles ease. She let him smell her hands, and his scent on her hands. Then she stepped in the stirrups and mounted and the hands let go.

The gelding bucked long enough to get everyone's attention, and for Adam and Ben to throw a fit. He didn't buck hard, and he wasn't violent. He just seemed uncomfortable. She had no trouble hanging on, and just for Travis she made sure that her feet were above the points of his shoulders every time his feet hit the ground.

Travis was just getting started cheering her on good when he stopped bucking. The gelding took the pace of a trot and they went around the corral a few times before Adrien spurred him into a lope for a few more rotations, and slowed him down again. She reined him to a stop in front of the Cartwrights and Travis.

"So, have the men come to a decision yet on what the innocent, incompetent, fragile woman is going to do yet?" She asked, sarcastic, but angry at the same time.

"How did you do that?" Adam asked in amazement.

"I rode him, big deal." She answered, still slightly angry with him, and gloating at the fact that she'd floored the boys.

"Really, how did you do that? That's a five-year-old gelding. No one's been able to ride him for three years, and you do it in the first try. How'd you do it?" Adam urged.

"Maybe it's something in the way that I go in there to befriend not defeat. It's hard to explain. I've tried to teach Travis this, but he doesn't even get it." She explained.

"There you go, guys." Travis piped up. "Adrieanna Cooper, a regular horse whisperer." He patted his sister on the back. She smiled at him. She'd proved everyone but him wrong. He'd believed in her, she thought that Adam would, but she guessed that she underestimated him. It hurt that he didn't believe that she could do it, but she also knew that he wouldn't want to see her hurt.

"Ben, is it alright if this one gets a place in the barn for a little while. He needs for me to work him daily before any of this really sets in." Adrien asked.

"Sure, I'll have Little Joe work him tomorrow morning." Ben answered.

"No, it's going to need to be me for a little while. He needs to get used to the idea of being ridden, then we'll get him used to the idea of different people. It'll be best if it's just me that does any handling with him for a few days." She answered.

"Why is that?" Hoss asked, slightly confused.

"Right now, I'm the only one he trusts." Adrien answered, dismounting. She took the horse's reins and led him towards the gate.

"Just put him in the end stall in the barn." Ben called after her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Adrien spent a lot of time brushing the gelding that evening. It took some time for him to get used to it, but eventually he found that he liked it.

Adam stood back for a long time and watched as Adrien worked with the gelding. It was almost funny to him that she had shown all of them up. He felt bad about the way he had ordered her around, but he did not want her to get hurt. Was that such a horrible thing?

He kept watching her. She spoke so softly to this horse, almost as if it was a child. It was strange. The more she talked to this horse, the more personal her conversation became. She began to say things that Adam had never heard her say before. Things that bothered her greatly, things that she could not stand, and things that hurt her: they were all there falling onto a horse's ears. It seemed almost like he understood and it was like he was replying with a soft knicker every time she needed and answer or a comment interjected.

Was this what she meant by befriend and not defeat? He wondered. Or is this just crazy? This is crazy. Does she just feel that she can't talk to me? Or is it that she just doesn't want to tell me?

Adrien never realized that there was someone else in the barn with her until Adam walked up behind her and laid his arm around her shoulders. She shrugged to make his arm fall.

"What was that for?" He asked surprised.

"I just don't feel like it right now." She answered. She was still a little bit angry about the way he tried to control her earlier that day.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just not in the mood, Adam." She answered, and continued brushing the horse.

"Is this about today?" He asked.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."

"Adrien, I know what it is, but I just don't know what I'd do if you got hurt. Is that so horrible?"

"No, but you didn't have to say things the way you did." She stopped brushing the horse for a second. "You made me feel inferior, like I'm just not capable of what I've done my entire life. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I'm sorry, baby." He gently hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I was wrong, I should have never underestimated you. Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know. That really hurt. You don't believe in me."

"I do believe in you, but I'm also very protective of you."

"Adam, it has been a year since my father shot me. You've treated me like a porcelain doll ever since, and I'm not. I'm a person, Adam. Why can't you treat me like one?"

"I love you too much, Adrien. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. I'm sorry, but I didn't think that it was so horrible."

"No, that's not horrible, but three men arguing about what I'm going to do without even consulting me is horrible."

"Yes, you're right darling. I'm sorry." He kissed her again. "Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, darling." She answered. "Forgiven and forgotten."

"What's this?" Adam said kissing her hand. There was a little bit of blood between her ring finger and her pinky. There was some blood on her engagement ring too.

"My ring always falls there for some reason. I guess it did when he was bucking."

"My poor dear." He said kissing her hand again. "You really should get that cleaned up."

"I will…in a little while." She answered returning to brushing the gelding.

Adam started to go back in the house.

"You know, dear," He said turning back. "You really did impress us all today. We couldn't even get someone on that horse for years. I actually still can't believe that you did what none of the rest of us could do. My hat's off to you darling."

"Thank you dear."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Adrien and Adam danced across the floor as if no one else was there at all. Everyone who was anyone attended the spring round up dance at the Ponderosa, especially since there was a rumor going around that the oldest Cartwright possibly settling down, and there wasn't an ear in town that didn't want to hear if it was true or not. Every guest was hoping to find out the truth, tonight.

The Cartwright household had sworn to secrecy about the upcoming events, but somehow the entire town was whispering about it behind the couple's backs. Adam joked that they could sail out of town on a breeze of gossip. The two laughed about all the guessing, the looks on the street, and the digging questions that were meant not to be obvious.

"Adrieanna, my love, I do believe that we have them intrigued." Adam whispered in her ear as they took a break from the dance floor.

"You know, darling, it is really cruel to keep them hanging like this." She whispered back.

"Yes, but don't you love it?"

"Of course, I do."

"You two know that secrets don't make friends, don't you?" Travis butted in.

"What is my handsome brother doing off the dance floor?" Adrien asked.

"I saw a very close and secret conversation, and apparently, I'm the only one brave enough to get close enough to get some dirt." Travis answered.

"Trying to win your spot in the pool, huh?" Adam kidded.

"Do you know how rich I'd be if I'd of been fast enough to start one?" Travis kidded back.

"So there actually is one?" Adrien exclaimed surprised.

"What's it for?" Adam asked.

"When you'll announce." Travis answered.

""Yes, my dear sister, there is, and surprisingly no one has tonight."

"Really?" She actually was surprised. "Why?"

"I guess it's too obvious."

"Well, Travis," Adam said, reaching in to his pocket. "I think tonight may be your lucky night." Adam handed him ten dollars. "Go get it."

Adrien laughed as Travis left to make his fortune.

"I can't believe you would bet on when we're announce."

"What better to bet on? There's no risk whatsoever."

"You're horrible."

Adam handed her a glass on punch, and then got one for himself.

"I'm need to talk to Pa about something." He told her. "I'll only be a moment."

"Oh, I wonder what it's about." She said sarcastically. Adam winked as he walked to the other side of the room where his father stood.

Adam returned and after a couple more dances, Ben asked the band to stop wait to start the next song. He rang his glass to get everyone's attention.

"I'd like to welcome everyone to my home tonight." He began. "It's time for me to toast another wonderful year. And not only because we've made it through another winter, but I've been blessed with another reason to celebrate. This year, I not only want to toast my son and the Ponderosa, but I'd also like to toast love. It shows up when and where you least expect it, and in whom you least expect it. So if everyone would please join me in toasting the love of my son, Adam and his fiancé, Miss Adrieaunna Cooper."

Everyone joined Ben in toasting them, for the rest of the night the couple received congratulations from almost everyone there. Adrien remained in a continual blush as people were constantly congratulating her, and complementing her on the light blue dress she had made for the occasion. All the women complimented her on her ring too.

Adrien was very embarrassed at all the attention she was getting. For someone who had spent so much time in the limelight, she was the shyest person Adam had ever met.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After everyone had left, they sat out on the porch swing, and talked until they could see the sun coming up over the horizon.

"Darling, can you promise me something?" Adam asked, before she departed to her room across the hall from his.

"What is it, dear?" She asked, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Whatever happens, no matter what gets in the way, we'll always be able to talk to each other the way we did tonight."

"You mean the way we did this morning too, right?"

"Exactly. But, I'm serious, would you promise me that?"

"Just for curiosity, why is this so important to you?"

"Because, I think that that's why me and you fell apart in Boston. We never talked to each other. It's so wonderful to have some one to talk to the way we talk to each other, darling. I just don't want it to end."

"Don't worry, darling." Adrien answered, giving him a kiss. "That's something that will never end. And neither will this…"

She kissed him passionately.

"Good." He said after he caught his breath. "I didn't want that to end either, it's a good thing we got that cleared up."

"Darling, I'm so glad I have you as a friend. Before we had passion, and then we never really knew each other. Darling, I know you now, and I love you more than ever for it. I don't think we would be where we are today if we didn't." Adam confessed.

"I think you're absolutely right, Dear." Adrien answered. "But don't be afraid of passion. In the right place, it can be a wonderful thing."

Adam kissed on the cheek.

"I know, Darling." He replied. "I think we both know all to well. Good night, Darling."

"Goodnight, Dear. I love you."

'I love you too.