With a crash, the front door flew open and Little Joe came running into the house quite out of breath. "I'm first, Adam!"
Sweaty and with a big smile Little Joe sat down at the lunch table. "My dear son! How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't run in the house?"
Still grinning, Little Joe bowed his head. "Yes, Sir."
Leisurely Adam walked into the house and closed the door, took off his stuff and sat down at his place. "It's nice that my dear sons managed to be here for supper almost on time."
"We would have been on time, but it took Adam sooo long to say goodbye to Koko."
Little Joe grinned at his brother, who rolled his eyes while Ben looked in surprise at his eldest son. "I thought you'd bring Koko with you right away. Didn't we intend to drive together to the dance in town today?"
Before Adam gave him an answer, he calmly took some meat and put it on his plate. "Koko won't be joining us. She's in the village tonight since the Gosiute also welcome fall."
"Then at least you will get no trouble with Grace, although I would have liked to see."
Irritated Ben looked at Little Joe, who was still grinning. "Who's Grace?"
Little Joe shrugged and looked innocently at the ceiling. Ben's gaze wandered to Adam, who had no intention of giving him an answer. "Adam?"
Adam took a glass of water. "She's just a mere acquaintance from town."
He took a sip, looking at his little brother, who couldn't eat from laughter. "Well, your horse is quite often tied in front of her house."
Adam cocked his head. Little Joe's eyes went from Adam to his father, who both looked at him. "Uh, ... I ..., well ... I can see Grace's house from school, and if I happen to look over ... Well, then I see your horse standing there from time to time."
"My dear brother, wouldn't it be nice if you could concentrate on your lessons in future and not be daydreaming out of the window?"
"Then you're going with Grace to the dance tonight?"
Adam turned to Hoss. "No. I'm not going."
Hoss said nothing, but looked at him appraisingly. "Adam, do I have to worry that I must listen to the talk of some other folks this evening?"
Adam took a deep breath. "You don't, Pa."
"Fine ..." Ben took his knife and fork in hand to continue eating. "... then we all drive to town today."
"No. I'll come later."
Ben didn't raise his head. Only his eyes looked up and waited for Adam to say more. After some time he laid the cutlery on his plate slightly annoyed. "And do you have the kindness to tell us why you don't go along with us?"
Adam looked at his father a quite a long time. "I'm going to change clothes after lunch and then ride over to Tom. We want to discuss some business. Then we'll both come."
"Business?"
Adam closed his eyes briefly. "At the moment it's still an idea. If we get it, I'll tell you about it."
"Maybe, I'd like to know about it before it's too late."
Adam continued his meal. "Pa, just trust me."
Everyone at the table could hear Ben gasping for air. "Well then, I'm curious what you two have come up with. But I'm sure something good will come out of it. Right, Ben?"
Emillia looked at her husband and put her hand on his. Ben pulled his hand away and continued to eat, but again and again he looked at Adam.
After dinner Emillia got up and wanted to go upstairs with Sarah to lay her down for an afternoon nap. "I'll do it, Emillia. You can enjoy your coffee."
Adam took his sister in his arms and bring her upstairs. Hoss rose as well. "Joe and I will take care of the barn, and later get the buggy ready for tonight."
With a nod Hoss made his brother understand that he should follow him. A grumbling Little Joe followed after him. The door was hardly closed as Ben looked at his wife angrily. "You know I can't stand when you do that."
In complete silence she poured another coffee. "And you know that I don't like when you two start to quarrel about nothing."
Ben's eyes widened. "Nothing? I think when it comes to the business of the Ponderosa, everything is important."
She put down her cup. "Since we know each other, and you told me about Adam, you mentioned in every other sentence, how much you're looking forward to the time when he's back, and how he can help you with the business. But until now you've only let him do the chores of a cowboy. I've never seen him in the office at the books, nor have you ever sent him going for a contract. Didn't he just say, 'Trust me, Pa'. I think that you should start it step by step."
Ben's eyes got smaller. "Why should I let him participate more in business when he doesn't even know how his future looks?"
Emillia laughed. "So that's the reason. It's not about any contracts. You're looking for an arguement with him lately because he and Koko haven't married."
Ben stood up and walked through the living room. "He's more than a year at home now, and that he and Koko aren't only good friends, can't be ignored. I don't know what he's waiting for. How should I plan here with him when he'll work on the farm one day and not here any more ..." Ben's face darkened again. "... and if I want to talk about it with him, I either get an offhand response or none."
Emillia pushed back her chair and stood up. "Ben, I don't think your son and Koko will marry someday." Surprised Ben looked at his wife. "Don't ask me why. I can't explain. It's just a feeling. But even if I should be mistaken he will certainly not work on the farm."
Ben crossed his arms. "Of course, he would work there, and I assume that Koko will be our daughter in law, because otherwise I must have a serious talk with my son how to behave properly towards young ladies."
"Oh, Ben. Try to not always control his life, but just listen to him for once. If the work at the farm is what he wants, HE'd work there twice a week and not Hoss."
Ben dropped his arms. "And if you know him so well, then you certainly know exactely what my son wants. Because I don't know."
"You don't need to snap at me, Ben. I only want to help you."
Her husband sat down in the chair and spread his arms. "Please excuse me. But there are moments when the boy drives me crazy."
Emillia sat down beside him on the armrest. "You really don't see that he's looking for his way and his place? Ben, he was five years on his own. Now he must do again what you're telling him. It's quite normal that he doesn't always want to. What I see is that he loves working here at the ranch. But like you he also wants to take responsibility, so you should give him this."
She took his hand and looked at him caringly. "Do you know that Tom's father no longer will join the cattle drive next year? Why don't you consider also to send Adam off alone?"
Ben took a deep breath. "I'll think about it. I first want to see what spring will bring."
Shaking her head Emillia stood up. "Oh, Ben ... what should be different in spring?"
Even Ben rose. "What I said. Unlike you, I believe that he and Koko will get married, and then we'll see where he'll be working."
He took his hat and opened the door. "I still have work to do outside."
In excellent Little Joe fashion, he closed the door. With a smile Emillia cleared the table.
XX
Adam knocked on the door and shortly thereafter Mr. Brookstone opened it. "Hello Adam. How are you?"
Adam took his hat off and entered the house. "Just fine. Thank you, Mr. Brookstone."
" And how's your father?"
" Very fine, too. I guess you'll see each other tonight at the dance."
Mr. Brookstone patted Adam on the back. "Definitely. I'm looking forward to smoking a good cigar with your father. But now I won't stop you any longer. Tom is at the rear in the office. You already know the way."
Adam nodded, went to the office and remained in the doorway. "You never looked happier."
With a loud snort Tom leaned back in his chair. Adam closed the door, took off his jacket and sat down at one of the chairs. Tom rubbed his hands over his face and looked at his friend with tired eyes. "You know, Adam ... sometimes I curse the fact that I'm the oldest. Why does that always imply that you have to follow the footsteps of your father?"
"You have such a great deal on your plate?"
Tom pointed to the desk. "Look around. The table's full. My father has really retired from everything. He only wants to do the work on the ranch. Business is completely up to me."
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
Tom looked for a while at the mess of papers that lay before him. Then he sighed again. "I've got no idea, Adam. I'd be lying if I said it's fun. I do it because my father expects it."
"What will you do otherwise?"
Tom laughed. "I've got no idea, Adam. To go to school again and to have to worry about nothing?"
"No, thanks, Tom. To school you have to go back alone."
Adam stood up and poured them both a brandy. He handed Tom a glass and sat down again. "What about Sybil? You told me that you assume that there might be a bit more with the two of you. So go on. I'll build you a house, and you're your own boss."
"Very nice, Adam, but what would change then? Only that this table stands in another house then."
"Are you telling me that all the work on the ranch isn't yours?"
"I really don't know, Adam. But the idea that I'm going to do this until I'm old and gray, scares me."
"Well, Tom ..." Adam clicked his tongue. "... you get too much responsibility, and I get none at all. What do you think, we pack our things and just skip out of town?"
Tom had to laugh again. "And what do we live of? Bank robberies?"
"Nope ... I was thinking about stage coach robberies. Then the posse won't be coming after us so quickly."
Tom looked down at his table. "I think I'd rather continuing to fight the papers. Isn't that dangerous."
"Well, then we should talk about our contract. Did you have time to read it?"
Tom pushed a few pages aside and took a small stack of papers in his hand. "Is this Frederic Francois your Boston friend?"
"Yes. He has graduated in May and founded his own company. He got the contract from the railway company to build the station building in Brier Creek. If they're satisfied with his work, more orders will follow."
Tom still hesitated. "It's a long way to Brier Creek. It'll hardly pay off for us."
"Tom, I think further. I'm sure, Frederic will get the repeat orders, and the route is to lead to California. So they're getting closer and with each mile our profit will rise."
"Didn't you once tell me that your friend will never set foot in the West?"
"As it stands, he does anyway. He and his family are already in Brier Creek and will go along with any construction site. That's the plan in any case."
While Tom was still wondering, Adam thought of Frederic's letter and how much he had been pleased about the fact that his friend had really managed to break away from his father. Frederic had written him that he wanted to move with Giovanna and Riccardo in September to Brier Creek, and he wanted to have Adam on board with the project of the railway company. He had also promised to ensure with every new job on whether the location selected was the right one, or whether there would be an alternative. Furthermore, he had asked Adam whether he would mind that Pietro moved into his house in Boston. Of course, it was according to Adam's wishes, that the house wouldn't stay empty. Frederic had written much about Riccardo, and that his father had become very quiet and thoughtful during the last year, so he really had to consider whether to leave Boston at all. But Bridget and Giovanna had encouraged him at last.
He had also reported that his sister was doing well in New York, and she surely would make her graduation. The mere thought of these words caused him again a sting in the heart. He had so hoped that it would decrease over time here in Nevada, but as soon as he only thought of her, there was an emptiness in him, from which he could hardly free himself.
"Adam?"
Adam opened his eyes again. "Have you been listening to me at all? Where have you just been with your thoughts?"
"I'm sorry, Tom. What did you say?"
Tom grinned at him. "Were you just with Koko?"
"Koko?"
"That's alright, buddy. I asked you why you want me to be part of the business? Why don't you do it alone?"
"Very simple, I can't buy the land all alone, and you're my best friend here, so it's quite normal that I ask you."
"No, not for me. You can nevertheless ask your father if he participates."
"Tom, I'm just like you. I also want to be able to stand on my own two feet and not be dependent on my father all my life. I don't know what will be in four or five years. I want to live on my own money, if need be."
"But you know that we take up a big risk with this business. All our savings we will put into it."
"Yes I know that. But I also know, if it works, you'll never have to worry for later. Tom, normally I'm the one who questions everything. Trust me. You know the land. There's very good timber. In the start we won't make profit. When we pay the workers and let the timber transport to Pennsylvania, we even have to be careful that we don't take on too much. But if need be we can even sell some of the timber to other customers nearby. So just wait and see, once they have reached Iowa, we will make profit."
"Buddy, I'll guess so, and I understand as well that you want to help your friend, but we're talking here only about small station houses."
Adam grinned. "Yes, for now, but even on the track is one or the other big city and at the end California's waiting for our timber to build a huge railway station and not just one." Adam leaned forward. "Tom, if we have good timber and deliver on time, then we also get other jobs. We cannot lose."
Tom exhaled. "I've got no idea what's going on with you and Koko, but I really wanted to get married next year and my savings should be for when I'm fed up with all this stuff here. But good. I trust you."
Tom stood up and reached for Adam's hand. With a broad grin, he took it. "You'll thank me when we sit in front of your house one day, smoke cigars and watch your grandchildren play."
"I'll take your word for it, buddy, and now let's leave this office and ride into town. I need a beer."
Adam put on his jacket. "Just remember to take enough money with you. You lost the bet. I didn't stay at the Sheriff till today."
"Can't you forget about it?"
"No."
XXX
Hoss stood in the corner, hoping the evening would be finally over. Repeatedly he had offered Pa to take care of Little Joe and Sarah at home, but his father had insisted that he should come to the dance. His father knew that he didn't like dancing and didn't know with whom to try. So he had talked about horses with some he knew from school, but usually only watched the others dancing. Recently Tom and Adam appeared and it could clearly be seen that they had already drunk more than one beer in the saloon, about which Pa wasn't amused, of course. But as it was Adam's nature, he only had tapped his father's shoulder and told him grinning something that Hoss couldn't hear, and then left him standing for a dance with Grace.
Hoss put his glass on the table and went to Emillia. "Hoss, why are you pouting?" Hoss put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "You're not having fun?"
"Not really."
She touched Hoss' arm. "Believe me, Hoss. Next year it will already look different. Then you're eighteen and will see the world in different light."
Hoss looked down. "I don't even want to think about next year."
"Why not?"
He shrugged his shoulders again. "Dunno."
Slightly stunned Emillia looked at him. "Why do your father and you guys make your lives always so hard? Why don't you talk about what bothers you?"
Slightly intimidated Hoss looked past her. "Well, yes ... in the past I talked to Adam if something was bothering me."
"Yes, ...?" Emillia waited to see if he was going to say more. "... and then why not now?"
Hoss blushed. "I think …. he would just laugh at me."
"No, Hoss. He would certainly not."
Hoss nodded. "Yes, he would. I'm sure."
"Then tell me. I certainly don't laugh."
Still with a blushed face, he shook his head. "No, ... no, ... there's nothing. I guess we'll leave soon. I'll wait outside for awhile."
Emillia looked at him sadly. "Hoss ..."
"It's alright, Mum. I'll wait."
Hoss turned and left the building. Outside, he strolled around and looked at the stars. After a while he turned around and went back. Just before the hotel he stopped. From the corner of his eye he saw Adam and Grace. He walked slowly in the direction of his brother. When he saw that Adam was about to kiss Grace, his steps got faster. He grabbed Adam's shoulder and turned him over. "Can you tell me what you're just about to do?"
Completely surprised and flabbergasted Adam looked at him. With both hands Hoss pushed him against the chest, so that Adam had to back away a few steps. "Did you even think of Koko about what you're doing here?"
Again Hoss pushed him. This time Adam hit his hand away. "Hoss, can you please stop this? I think it's none of your business what I'm doing here."
Again Hoss pushed him. "Of course it's my business. I'm friends with Koko, and I don't watch you hurting her, as it was with Brenda."
Both were so focused on themselves that they didn't realize as Grace left. She was sure that the two brothers would start a fight. Therefore she looked for Ben to tell him.
"Brenda?"
"Yes, then it was Brenda and today it's Grace. How can you be so mean? Tomorrow you're sitting with Koko at our table or do you invite Grace, too?"
Adam came a step closer. His voice was very serious. "If you weren't my brother, I'd already have knocked you down."
With full force Hoss pushed him away. "What's stopping you? Or are you just afraid, because you know I'm stronger?"
Again Adam was annoyed that he had been drinking more than two beers. He had planned so much, never to drink too much again after the incident on the beach in Boston. But he and Tom had toasted on the contract, and there was the brandy at his home. So Adam was trying to regain his inner peace somehow. "Hoss, what's happening with me and Koko, only concerns the both of us. Noone else."
Hoss came back to him and pushed him with his fingers against the chest. "No, big brother. You're welcome to tell Pa, but I've known Koko as long as you have. It was ME, who has spent almost every day with her when you were gone. Therefore, it does concern me, too, dad-burnit."
All along Adam went backward while Hoss pushed repeatedly against his chest. Adam's inner peace was at its limits. Furious, he struck Hoss' hand away again. "Hoss, I ..."
He didn't get further, because Hoss grabbed him with both hands by the collar. Before he could say anything, Ben was there and pulled Hoss away from Adam. He stood between the two brothers and looked at them angrily. "Can you both please tell me, what's gotten into you?"
"My dear brother has forgotten in Boston what honesty and decency is." Ben looked at him blankly. "It's alright, Pa. I'm waiting at the buggy."
Before Hoss left, he pointed his finger at Adam. "I don't forget that, Adam, and I won't watch it. Either you fix it or I'm doing it."
Then Hoss left, leaving behind a puzzled Ben and a brother, who stood with head down.
"Adam ..., can you please explain to me what's going on?"
Adam crossed his arms. "Pa, I really didn't want to accept, but Amarok has asked me if I would join him on Wednesday to get close to the Great Spirit."
"The Great Spirit? Adam, how much did you drink?"
"Pa, that means nothing else than I sometimes need silence. I'll be back on Sunday."
"I actually thought since Boston you'd have been through with all that Indian stuff. What's it got to do with what has happened right here?"
Adam exhaled. "Believe me, Pa, a lot. I'll apologize immediately to Hoss."
"But I need you next week, Adam. Can't you postpone?"
"No, Pa. I cannot. I will leave Wednesday with Amarok. Whether you like it or not."
Ben's snort was sure to be heard till the Ponderosa, but he had promised to Emillia not to argue with Adam so often and to show more patience. "Well well, son. But even if I'm repeating myself - you live in our world, not in the world of the Indians. You should get that clear in your mind."
Both walked in silence back to the hotel.
