Chapter Thirty-Four

It was late in the evening when Hoss came back down the stairs. He stopped on the landing and looked over the living area at the scattering of wrapping and presents strewn here and there. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, it was bustling with ladies and laughter. Now, one could have heard a pin drop.

Ben was still awake, quietly working at his desk. Joe was nowhere to be seen…probably taking Willow back home. Adam was sound asleep in one of the leather chairs, stomach to stomach with his son, Aaron, with his hands clasped around the child's bottom.

Abel and Eric were sound asleep at either end of the settee.

Ben looked up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs and smiled when his eyes met his middle son's eyes. He rose and quietly walked across the room to meet his fourth grandchild.

Adam stirred and yawned, then rose from his chair, somehow without waking Aaron, and he and his father and his brother met at the bottom of the stairs where Hoss moved the blanket away from the new baby's face.

"It's a girl, Pa," Hoss said with a gentle smile. "Elsa Inger Cartwright."

Smiling down at his first granddaughter, Ben whispered. "How's Annie?"

"She's sleeping right now," Hoss replied. "But she's fine. You know, she hardly made a sound bringing this little un' into the world."

"She must've been quiet," said Adam. "This is the first one I've slept through."

The men moved away when Shiloh came down the stairs with a tired smile. "Micah just got Etta settled in their bedroom. She stayed awake for the whole thing." Touching Elsa's cheek with the back of her finger, Shiloh said, "This little girl is going to break some hearts, I think. She's beautiful, Hoss."

"Is Annie still asleep?" he asked.

Shiloh, still smiling at Elsa, nodded. "She's going to sleep for a while. At least until Elsa realizes she's hungry. Mala said she'd stay and help, and Jeffery says the baby is perfect."

"We knew that, didn' we?" said Hoss with a huge smile. "Well, I'm gonna go back upstairs." Hoss turned away, but stopped. "Older Brother, you need to get this one," he said, nodding in Shiloh's direction, "back home and in bed. "In case you hadn't noticed, she's almost too tired to stand up."

"There's still presents to be opened," said Ben.

Adam yawned. "They're just fine where they are. We'll come back tomorrow after Shiloh gets some rest."

"Since ya'll are leavin' now, Pa, would you bring Eric up?" asked Hoss. "I'll put him to bed."

"I will, Son, as soon as I help Adam get everyone out to the buggy."

Shiloh collected her wrap, then held Aaron while Adam pulled on his jacket. "You keep Aaron while I hold onto you," said Adam. "You're a little wobbly. Are you all right?"

Shiloh closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "I'm fine. Just tired."

While Adam walked Shiloh outside, Ben lifted Abel off the settee and carried him outside.

As Shiloh stepped up at the buggy, she fell back against Adam.

"Are you sure you're all right? I can get Jeffery," said Adam.

She leaned her head back against him. "I don't feel bad, Adam. I'm just really tired."

"Hold on to Aaron," he said before he lifted her and placed her on the front seat of the buggy. He climbed up and then took Abel from his father, gently placing him on the seat between Shiloh and him.

The child curled up and laid his head against his mother's belly.

At home, Adam got everyone unloaded and up the front stairs. He was relieved at the sound of Shorty's voice behind him.

"Mr. Adam, I'll take care of the buggy."

"Thank you, Shorty. I do need to get Mrs. Cartwright in the house. She's overdone it tonight."

"Yessir," Shorty replied. Adam had turned away, but Shorty stopped him. "Uh, Mr. Adam. I wanted to thank you and Miss Shiloh for the Christmas bonus." His eyes moved toward the ground. "I never expected so much," he said quietly, knowing full well his boss could have hired someone quicker on his feet than he.

Adam smiled and moved a hand to Shorty's shoulder. "You deserve it, at the very least, for taking care of Mrs. Cartwright the way you do. I appreciate it more than you know."

Shorty proudly met Adam's eyes, his eyes sparkling at memories. "I been taken care of that one most of her life…ever since she was a little thing herself on her father's ranch. It sorta just comes naturally. Well, thank you again, Mr. Adam. I'll get the buggy to the barn now," Shorty said as he climbed up into the seat and began turning the horses toward the barn.

Once inside the house and unbundled, Adam and Shiloh walked up the stairs together, each carrying a son. After the boys were warm in their beds, Shiloh and Adam quietly entered their own bedroom, trying not to wake those already sleeping in the house.

Laying down on the bed fully dressed, Shiloh was almost instantly asleep.

"Shiloh?" Adam watched for any type of recognition. When he saw nothing, he sat down on the side of the bed and leaned over his wife, kissing her forehead, each of her closed eyes, her nose, and just before he kissed her lips, he said, "I know you're tired, but I'm not sure I can get you out of this dress by myself."

He waited and was rewarded with the slight upturn of the corner of her lips. It was then that he graced her with a long, tender kiss.

She responded, though she never opened her eyes, thinking to herself that her eyelids were impossibly heavy.

"Adam," she whispered. "You've undressed me before."

"I have, but never when you haven't helped. And I've never had to loosen your…bindings…in place of your corset," he whispered back with the slightest hint of a giggle.

She shifted slightly. "It's no different than a piece of cloth you'd use to bind your shoulder and your arm. It just goes around…elsewhe…." She had been whispering, but her whisper faded before the last word was finished.

"Shiloh?" Adam touched her lips with his and watched for a flicker of acknowledgment. There was none. She was asleep again. By the time he crawled under the cover next to her, he'd undone every button, every hook, every lace and every drawstring. Her dress had been hung in the wardrobe, her shoes placed on the floor of the wardrobe, and her under things had been neatly laid in a chair, all lovingly done without waking her.

He fell quickly into a peaceful sleep, remembering the day and thinking the best present anyone could have given or received this year was the newest member of the Cartwright family born on Christmas Day.

The next morning, Adam was awakened by the call of his youngest son who had evidently taken speech lessons from his older brother. The first intelligible word out of the child's mouth was "Da!", yelled distinctly and loudly from the nursery just off the master bedroom.

Adam rose to retrieve Aaron, and stopped when he held his quarry and turned back into the bedroom. Shiloh lay motionless save the rise and fall of her chest with each deep breath. Moving a finger perpendicular his lips, and receiving a sort of a shake and nod from Aaron, Adam grabbed his clothes and took them back into the nursery to dress himself and his son before going downstairs for breakfast. He could already hear the ladies of the house quietly talking about their Christmas gifts at the breakfast table.

Amalee met Adam at the top of the stairs with Abel dressed and ready for his day. On the way down the stairs, Abel said, "Da, we hafta go to Gra'pas to get our toys."

"We do?" said Adam with raised brows. "You mean they're not here?"

The boy emphatically shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Nobody bring 'em home," he said as he climbed up into his chair, now sporting a carved wooden seat Adam had attached to one of the dining room chairs.

Amalee took charge of Aaron as Adam greeted everyone already at the table. "I trust you all slept well last night," he said rather cheerfully.

"We did," said one of the girls. "But where is Mrs. Cartwright. Is she not well?"

"She's still sleeping," replied Adam. "She seemed to be resting so easy, I thought I'd give her a little more time."

When Adam was seated, Edwin leaned toward him. "Adam, tell me she's just tired. I have to leave today, and I don't think I can if Isabella's not well."

Adam laughed. "She really is just tired. Besides that, she will be angered if you don't get on that stage and get back to your daughter."

Smiling, Edwin said, "Yes, she can be quite convincing, can't she. I've already made arrangements for a ride into town." At Adam's frown, Edwin moved a hand to his arm. "You need to spend this time with your family. We'll say goodbye after Isabella has breakfast. I insist."

After breakfast, Adam went back upstairs to check on his wife. Once again, he sat on the side of the bed and leaned over her. "Shiloh." When she didn't move, he kissed her and bent to whisper in her ear, "Wake up, my love. It's a new day."

Shiloh groaned. "I think I'll just stay here where it's…" Her hand searched for something, first touching his leg, then finding his waist, and finally patting his back before it…sort of…fell back down to the bed. "I'm still so tired."

Adam's brows furrowed. "Sweetheart, are you in labor?"

Grunting, she turned her head away. "No. I'm just tired."

"Shiloh?" he said, slightly turning his head to one side and looking back at her from the corners of his eyes.

Her growl sounded more like a whispered exhale. "I'm not hurting at all. I'm just tired."

"Shiloh," he said a little more sternly. "Wake up." When she opened her eyes, he said, "Don't you play games with me. Are you in labor?"

"No," she answered, rolling her eyes. "I'm not due for, at least, a month. I'm TIRED!"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady," said Adam with a menacing glare.

First, her lower jaw dropped, but then her eyes squinted just before she burst out in laughter. Slightly bouncing her head back and forth, she mocked him in her lowest voice, "Don't take that tone with me, young lady." When Adam's eyes suddenly grew wide, she stopped. "First, I am not your daughter, and second, I told you three times I was tired. I figured I had to say it louder for you to pay attention."

"Oh, I paid attention. I also paid attention when you told me Annie was in labor, and she wasn't going to tell Hoss."

"Adam, I am not in labor." She pushed herself up in the bed. "And I am not going to repeat what I am for a fourth time."

Rising from the side of the bed, Adam went to the wardrobe and took out her robe. "Your breakfast is ready. Edwin will be leaving after you've had breakfast, and then you'll dress so we can go back to Pa's to open the rest of the gifts. And while we're there, I want Annie and Mala's opinion of…you," he said raising his brows before he held her robe up so she could slip it on. He was right next to her all the way from the bedroom, down the stairs, and to the dining room table where Abel and Aaron were just finishing their breakfast.

Though the mood of the day might have been set by the conversation in the bedroom, Adam and Shiloh forgot all about it before they left for the Ponderosa. While there, they opened their gifts, Adam his first edition of the Swiss Family Robinson, and Shiloh, a new dress, one that she couldn't wear just yet.

In another three weeks, the Cartwrights gathered at the Lake House for Aaron's first birthday. Later that evening, they departed for home.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?" asked Adam.

Shiloh took a deep breath and hung her head. "I'm just tired," she said as she walked through the living room with her hand on her back, wincing.

Adam grabbed her hand as she walked past and pulled her to him. "You're hurting."

"I'm not. I'm just…tired." She winced again. "Oh…maybe I am…" Moving her eyes back and forth as she searched for the right words. "No. I'm not hurting. I'm just…uncomfortable."

"Mm hm. I'm sending for Mala."

"Adam, no. It's not time. I'm just sore because of Aaron's birthday party today." She giggled. "His first. And he was so cute."

"Sit down right here and wait for me," he said, laughing to himself at the memory of his second son's first birthday party.

"Where are you going?"

"To send someone for Mala…and go get Annie."

Shiloh opened her mouth to object, then decided against it. "Fine. You'll see. But now that the boys are in bed, I'm going to the kitchen."

Adam stuck his tongue in his cheek before he turned for the door. Shiloh eating hot, buttered bread convinced him it was time.