I'm sorry about the long delay between chapters. I had a bit of writer's block. Also, I finally saved enough money to buy a very good used lens for my camera and have been spending a lot of time birding. Merry Christmas (Meowy Catmas) and Happy New Year (Happy Mew Year) from me and my cats. May your new year be filled with peace and joy.

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After supper, Abel sat in Adam's chair. He pulled Cat into his lap and handed her the adoption papers. She looked at them and asked, "What is this? It kinda looks like the adoption paper Pa gave me on my birthday but it says I'm your granddaughter."

"That's right Little One. I have adopted you as my granddaughter. I am officially your grandpa."

"Is that just for now or forever and ever?"

"It's forever and ever."

"Are you going to stay here forever?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking about it but I haven't made up my mind yet."

"I hope you do decide to stay here. I never had a grandpa before."

"I know. That's why I'm thinking about staying here. I just have to think about it some more."

"Uncle Matt, if Grandpa doesn't stay here, can I go back to Dodge with you?"

"Why do you want to go back to Dodge with me?"

"'Cause Adam said that Pa was mad because it started snowing when I was sledding so I know he's gonna take my sled and ice skates away as soon as you leave. He probably won't even let me ride Fury when he's old enough. He said I was gonna be able to help with the roundup and branding but I think he's lying. He just said that because you and Uncle Rip are here."

Abel hugged her and said, "Cat, I promise you that if Benjamin won't let you use your sled and skates or help with the roundup and branding, I will personally take you back to Dodge. Remember, I already told you that I would definitely stay here until after the cattle drive got started so I'll be here all winter and part of the spring, so don't worry about things that may not happen."

"Cat?"

"Yes Heath?"

"When you were out at the mountain, did you know that you needed a lean-to and fire?"

"Yes. I just didn't know the lean-to had to be big enough for my horse too and that I needed so much firewood. Jas and Mike also said I need blankets to block the front of the lean-to and a rope to tie to it so I don't get lost in case I need to leave it during a snow storm."

"There you have it Ben. Cat wasn't as totally unprepared for a snowstorm as you thought she was. Now you won't need to worry so much the next time it happens."

After the children went upstairs, Ben asked, "Adam, why did you tell your sister I was angry that she was out in a snowstorm?"

"He didn't say you was angry," replied Hoss. "He said you was worried. Cat translated worried ta angry. Ifn ya remember, Joe used ta do the same thing. I'd tell him ya was worried about him an' he thought you was gonna punish him for somethin'. He'd get downright mad about it 'cause he hadn't done anything wrong."

Once they were in bed, Mike asked, "Jas, you never told us what the adults said last night."

"I had to wait until Cat wasn't around. She probably already knows but if she says something, I'll get in trouble for eavesdropping." He told Mike and Mark everything he had overheard the night before and added, "They also told Mrs. Barkley that if she didn't take Cat back to California on Wednesday, they'd find a way to take her away from Mr. Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright, Mrs. Barkley, Jarrod, and Captain Stoddard went to see the judge this morning while we were sledding. I want to know what happened, but I don't dare go and listen again. Joe almost caught me last night and if I get caught tonight, Mr. Cartwright will know I was eavesdropping last night and I'll be in big trouble."

"I'll go," said Mike. "I always listen to my parents and Mitch talk and haven't been caught yet." He climbed out of bed and grabbed his boots and coat before opening the door.

"Why are you taking your boots and coat?" asked Mark.

"So if I hear someone coming upstairs, I can sit by the door and put my boots on. I'll say I need to use the necessary. Since I'm sleeping closest to the wall, I'd have to climb over both of you to use the chamber pot and you might wake up. I figured someone would need to listen to what the adults were saying so I drank extra hot cocoa before we came upstairs. That way I'd have a good excuse for being out of bed."

Mike crept to the head of the stairs, sat out of sight and listened while Ben told everyone who had not been in town what the judge said and about the fines the women had to pay. He also told them about Reverend Long wanting to speak with the church elders to exclude the women from Sunday services for a few weeks. He listened as long as he dared then crept back to the bedroom, sat in front of the door and put his boots on. He walked downstairs carrying his coat. Adam saw him and asked, "Where are you going Mike?"

"I have to use the necessary. I guess I shouldn't have had that last cup of hot cocoa."

"Why don't you use the 'pot'? asked Ben.

"Because I'm sleeping closest to the wall so I'd have to climb over Mark and Jas and that might wake them up. My coat was on the bed post by the door and my boots were under the end of the bed so it was easier to do it this way and I'll be able to get back into bed without waking the other two."

"That's very thoughtful of you Michael. I will be sure to let your parents know what a thoughtful young man they're raising."

"Thanks Mr. Cartwright. I know that will make Ma happy." When Mike returned to the house, Ben told him to sit in front of the fire for a few minutes to warm up before going back to bed. Once he was back in bed, Mike told Jasper and Mark everything he heard, including about the fines the women had to pay and what would happen if they didn't leave Cat alone. "Remember Mark, you can't say a word of this to Cat. If she accidentally says something, Jas and I will be punished for eavesdropping and you could get in trouble for not telling anyone that we were."

"Don't worry. I won't say anything. You're right. If I did, I'd end up in the barn with the two of you and that's something I'd like to avoid. We'd better get some sleep before someone comes up to check on us just to make sure we're not eavesdropping."

Adam went upstairs about ten minutes later to check on the boys and Cat. Cat looked like she'd been fighting a war with her covers. One leg and arm were hanging off the bed and the part of her covers that were supposed to be on her were bunched up between her and her dogs. Rather than call the family upstairs, he went into his room and returned with a sketch pad and pencil. When he finished his drawing, he covered his sister up, kissed her on her forehead, whispered goodnight, and put another log on her fire. The boys were sound asleep and their fire was almost out so he put another log on it before going back downstairs. Ben looked at Adam's drawing and laughed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that Joe and Cat had the same mother. She even sleeps the way he used to. Even when he was very young, Marie and I would check on him and his blankets were almost always on the floor and he would be half off of his bed."

"Maybe the reason Cat's so much like Joe is 'cause Kate let him hold Cat before Michael even got to," said Hoss. "I recon a lot of him rubbed off on her then and when he held her when she was baptized."

"Although a doctor would probably disagree with you, having raised Cat and read your father's letters to me, you may be right," said Matt. "From what I remember reading, Joe was a handful when he was a boy & Cat is a handful now. I know she's still recovering from Kate's murder & trying to settle in here but once she does, she'll be practically unstoppable. I also know that she's going to be very upset when Rip and I tell her that we're leaving on Wednesday. I don't know about my brother, but that is one conversation I'm not looking forward to."

"While we're all sitting here," said Rip, "I want to reiterate what has been said several times in the past two weeks. Ben, you have got to stop being so overprotective of Cat. She's not your typical girl. Remember, she spent almost a year living with the Apaches when she was four and has been spending two weeks with them every summer since then. She has learned a lot of things from them that most girls don't know. Also, you and Adam have got to stop treating her like she's Joe. Adam, I don't care if Joe got away with murder when he was a boy, which I don't believe he did, you have got to listen to Cat and remember that you are not the parent in this situation. She needs to know that she is loved and right now, she doesn't think that you and your father do love her. If she did, she wouldn't always say she wants to go back to Dodge. Matt and I want Cat to be happy and healthy. She is healthy, but she is not happy and that needs to change. Abel, you are a Godsend. Both Matt and I hope that you do decide to move here permanently. Cat needs you to be her advocate with Ben and Adam. You've raised a daughter and know what to expect. We know we can depend on you, Hoss, Joe, and Hop Sing to keep us informed of the progress or lack of it with Ben and Adam's relationship with Cat."

"One thing all of you need to know is that Cat is hardly ever disrespectful," added Matt. "When she is, there's usually a reason for it, not just because she's not getting her own way. For the most part, the only times she was disrespectful to me is when something was bothering her, she didn't get enough sleep or she wasn't feeling well. There were also several times when she became disrespectful when she was frustrated, especially with her school work or if the weather was bad so she couldn't play outside. Of course, when she was very young, she did get disrespectful when I told her no, but she seems to have outgrown that. So if she is disrespectful, try to find out why before punishing her for it and see if you can find a way to work things out.

Also, as I'm sure you've already figured out, Cat won't tell anyone when something is bothering her. If it's something she can't deal with by herself, she'll either become moody and disrespectful or run away and hide. Rip and I are planning on talking with her tomorrow and will try to convince her that she is not ready to take care of herself and she needs to let someone know when something is bothering her. Also, we have no idea how she's going to act as it gets close to the first anniversary of Kate's death. When it gets close to that date, talk with Dr. Martin and Reverend Long to see what they think you'll have to deal with. You're going to need to find ways to keep her occupied after we leave on Wednesday because she's not going to be in a good mood. Cat has become used to having a house full of people and in her mind, it's going to be empty after everyone leaves. You might want to see if you can get permission for her friends to remain here until church on Sunday. That way she'll be busy with them and won't brood over the fact that we're not here."

While they were eating breakfast, the children were talking about what they wanted to do that day. "Why don't you kids go sledding this morning and skating this afternoon?" asked Rip. "Matt and I would like to watch Cat use her sled and skates at least one more time before we have to leave."

"I don't want you and Uncle Matt to leave," replied Cat. "I want you to stay here forever."

"I wish we could Sweetheart, but we both have jobs to go back to. If I don't go back to my fort and Matt doesn't go back to Dodge, your Uncle Sam will get angry at us and we could get fired."

"That would be good. I hate both of your jobs. You could get hurt bad or killed. If it wasn't for guns and the Army, my Mama and Daddy would still be alive."

Rip hugged his niece. "Matt and I understand Sweetheart. Remember, your father was our brother and we would have done everything in our power to keep him and your mother from being killed. Now, that's enough talk about sad things. Matt and I aren't leaving today so let's enjoy the time we still have together. Don't forget, you will be spending most of your summer with us and that's a good thing. Now finish your breakfast so you can go sledding. Who knows, I may even try your sled. I haven't been sledding in a very long time."

"That would be funny Uncle Rip. It would be funny if Uncle Matt tried it too. I would laugh at you if you fell off."

Rip gave one of Cat's pigtails a playful tug. "Little Scamp! I'll just bet you would love to laugh at Matt and I. Maybe we'll tie you onto your sled and make it go down the mountain backwards. Then we can laugh at you trying to steer while looking backwards over your shoulder."

Before Cat could answer, Hop Sing answered a knock at the door and let Laura and Mary in. After being greeted by everyone, Mary said, "I'm sorry we didn't come yesterday. Ma wasn't feeling well and Carrie wouldn't listen to her so Laura and I stayed home to help Ma and watch Carrie."

"Is your mother ill or is something wrong with the baby?" asked Victoria.

"No ma'am," replied Laura. "The baby has been kicking a lot and Ma gets tired easy. Carrie has been making messes and won't clean them up. She's also been talking back to Ma. She's only doing it because Ma is too tired to make her clean up and punish her for talking back and Pa hasn't been home because Mr. Johnson hired him to do some work on his farm."

"Pa came home early yesterday and asked why we were home instead of here," continued Mary. "We told him about Ma being very tired and Carrie not listening, talking back, making messes, and not cleaning them up. He punished Carrie and said because we stayed home to help Ma instead of coming here, if it's alright with Mr. Cartwright, we could stay here until church on Sunday. I don't know what's wrong with Carrie. First she wandered off when we went to get the horse for Ma, then she had a temper tantrum on Christmas Day and the day we first used our ice skates, and now she's making things harder for Ma."

"I'm sorry that Carrie is giving your mother such a hard time," said Ben. "You girls are more than welcome to stay here until church on Sunday. I would keep you forever if I could, but your parents won't let me. Have you girls had breakfast?"

"We ate a little bit," replied Mary. "We were in a hurry to leave before Carrie started acting up again and we had to stay home and take care of her."

"Take your coats off and sit down. We already have places set for you and there's plenty of food. I believe you're going sledding this morning and ice skating this afternoon."

During the ride to the mountain where the children had been sledding, Rip rode next to his brother and asked, "When do you want to tell Cat that we're leaving tomorrow? Judging from her reaction at breakfast when I said we were leaving this week, she is not going to take it well."

"I think we'd better wait until after supper." replied Matt. "Hop Sing will kill us if Cat is too upset to eat. I'm pretty sure everyone else is leaving tomorrow also. I know Luke said he and Mark were because Mark has to be back in school on Monday. I don't envy Ben having to deal with Cat's mood tomorrow. Hopefully the boys will be allowed to stay on the Ponderosa until Sunday also. Having her friends there should help keep Cat's mind off the fact that we're not there any more."

"I think I'll write to Sam and see if he'll let me come here for Cat's birthday. She's going to be ten and the only birthday I've been able to spend with her was her ninth and that's only because I was here for Kate's funeral."

"That's a good idea. Going along with Ben and Adam, Hoss, or Joe will also give you more time to spend with her. All of the teasing I did aside, it might not be a bad idea for those two boys to accompany Cat this summer. It will give them a chance to learn how the Apaches live, about Army life and about being a law officer. Who knows, one of them may decide to be something other than a rancher when they grow up."

"I'll let Ben talk to their parents. Right now, for Cat's sake, I'm just hoping that they will be allowed to remain on the Ponderosa until Sunday. So, should I try Cat's sled like I suggested at breakfast?"

"Go ahead and make a fool out of yourself if you want to. Our niece will enjoy laughing at you and so will I."

"I might just do it. After all, it will make Cat happy. You should try it too."

"Fat chance brother. I'm not crazy like Michael was and you still are."

When they reached the mountain, the adults who had not seen it, looked at the lean-to and were impressed by what they saw. "Hoss, Joe, and I are going to come up here in the spring and reinforce it so it will last at least one more winter," said Adam.

Before the children headed up the mountain with their sleds, Cat asked, "Uncle Rip, are you going to try my sled like you said at breakfast?"

"I guess I'm going to have to since I said I would. Adam, I hope you have a sketch pad and pencil with you because this will probably be the last time I ever get on one of these things. I haven't used one in a lot of years and don't intend to do it again. I'm probably going to kill myself using it today." Rip reluctantly took Cat's sled and walked up the mountain. Adam drew a picture of him on the sled and another one when he fell off into a snow drift. Cat laughed at her uncle when he fell off and climbed out of the snow drift, looking like a snowman.

After the children made several runs down the mountain, Joe asked, "Mark, would you mind if I made a run or two on my sled? I haven't used it in a couple of years and would like to give it a try."

"Sure Joe. It's your sled so go ahead and use it."

"Thank you. Hey Adam, why don't you borrow Cat's sled and make a few runs with me?"

"You are out of your mind if you think I am going to risk my neck riding one of those things."

"What's the matter nephew? Are you afraid?" teased Victoria. "I didn't think you were afraid of anything."

"I can't wait to tell the kids at school on Monday," added Jasper. "Adam Cartwright is afraid to use a sled. Everyone in the school will be laughing at you."

"Adam keeps telling me that he's not afraid of anything, but he's afraid to use my sled," said Cat. "I think we should tell Dr. Paul and Sheriff Roy too."

"You know Jarrod, Nick is going to be very upset that he wasn't here to witness our cousin being a coward," said Heath. "I can just hear him yelling now."

"You're right. He would be having a lot of fun teasing Adam and will be very upset that he wasn't here. In fact, if Nick was here, he would probably borrow Cat's sled just to show Adam how to use it."

Ben had a hard time controlling his laughter at his oldest son being teased for not wanting to use his sister's sled. Abel shook his head and asked, "Are you quite certain that this is my grandson Benjamin? He sure isn't acting like a Stoddard. Even if she was my age, Elizabeth would be on that sled in a heartbeat. She wasn't afraid of anything. After all, she was only eight when she climbed my ship's rigging and went up into the crow's nest and that's something many grown men are afraid to try."

Adam got tired of being teased, threw up his hands and said, "I surrender. Cat, may I please use your sled?"

"Sure Adam. Please be careful not to break it. I never had a sled before."

"Don't worry little sister. I'll be careful and if I should accidentally break it, I'll replace it." Cat tried her best to draw pictures of Adam and Joe on the sleds before they raced down the mountain. Everyone had a good laugh when both brothers collided and ended up in snow drifts. Cat tried drawing her brothers in the snow drift but wasn't happy with the result & hoped Adam would be able to fix it.

Everyone stayed out at the mountain for several hours before going back to the house for dinner. While they were eating, Hoss answered a knock at the door and found Abel Goss standing there. He greeted the photographer, invited him into the house and said, "Pa, that photographer feller is here."

"Abel, it is good to see you again," said Ben. "What brings you here in this weather? I thought you'd be somewhere warm."

"When I saw Lucas and Mark last summer, Lucas mentioned that he, Mark, and the rest of your family would be here for Christmas. I thought you might like some photographs of the family before they need to return home."

"That would be wonderful. Let me introduce you to everyone." After the introductions were complete, Ben asked, "Have you eaten yet?" When Abel replied that he had not, Ben said, "We have plenty of room and more than enough to eat. Please sit down and someone will get you a place setting." Before he could yell for him, Hop Sing appeared with a place setting for the photographer who was grateful for the food. "When would you like to take the pictures? The children were planning to go ice skating after dinner, but I'm sure they won't mind waiting for a little while."

"There is no need for them to delay their fun on my account. I will accompany them and take a few photographs of them on their ice skates. I will take pictures of the family and visiting children before supper. Your Christmas tree is so beautiful, I think I will take the photographs in front of it."

After dinner, everyone walked to the pond with Hoss carrying Abel Goss' camera for him. Abel set up his camera while the children were putting their skates on. "When you children get out on the ice, please turn around and look this way. I want Cat and Mark together with a boy on Cat's other side, a girl next to him, a girl next to Mark, and the remaining boy can go on either end." Once the children were on the ice where Abel wanted them, he said, "That's perfect. Now hold absolutely still until I tell you to move." After taking a picture, he had the children change positions and took one more. "That was wonderful children. Thank you for holding still. Enjoy your time skating. I am going to go back to the house and develop these pictures. You'll be able to see them when you return to the house."

When they returned to the house, everyone enjoyed some hot cocoa and cookies before changing into their Christmas clothes. Once everyone had returned to the great room, Abel said, "I am going to take pictures of everybody including the visiting children altogether, then I am going to take one of just the family, and then I am going to take one of just the children. Now, will everyone please gather in front of the tree with the tallest people in the back and the children in the very front."

"Hop Sing should be in the pictures too," said Cat. "He's family, isn't he?"

"Yes Cat, Hop Sing is family and should be in the picture," answered Ben. "Go, tell him to put on his best clothes and join us."

Cat walked into the kitchen and said, "Hop Sing, please put your best clothes on and come in the great room. You need to be in the pictures too."

"Hop Sing no belong in pictures with family. He need to finish suppel."

"You are family. You were here before Joe was born. Pa, Adam, Hoss, and Joe all say that you're family so that means you have to be in the pictures with us. You were in the pictures with us the first time Mr. Goss was here so you have to be in them now. Besides that, if you're not in them, then I won't be either."

Hop Sing sighed. He knew Cat was more stubborn than Joe so he went into his room, changed clothes and joined the rest of the family. "Hop Sing, I am happy you decided to join the rest of the family," said Ben. "Come and stand next to Joe unless Mr. Goss wants you in a different location."

"Next to Joe is the perfect location for you Hop Sing," replied Abel. "I too am happy that you chose to join the rest of the family. The photograph would not have been the same without you." Once the photograph of everyone had been taken, Abel said he would like the visiting children to step aside so he could take one of just the family."

"Hop Sing, do you have anything cooking that needs to be stirred?" asked Mary. "We can do that while Mr. Goss is taking the next picture."

"Yes, evelything on stove need to be stirred," replied Hop Sing. "Hop Sing thank little girls and little boys for helping. You get big rewald after suppel." The children stayed in the kitchen, stirring the food on the stove until after Hop Sing returned and changed clothes. After the last photograph had been taken, Hop Sing came out of the kitchen and said, "Suppel leady. Set tables and sit down."

After supper, Matt picked Cat up and said, "Rip and I need to talk with our niece. We'll be upstairs for a little while." They carried her upstairs to her room and closed the door behind them. They sat down on her bed and hugged her. "We need to talk to you about several things," said Matt.

"First," said Rip. "You are not old, strong, or wise enough to take care of yourself yet. You are only nine years old and have a family now. They love you very much and will take care of you, but you have to depend on them and stop trying to do everything yourself. Ask for help when you need it. The last thing either of us wants is a telegram saying that you have been badly hurt or killed because you tried to do something you weren't capable of doing yet. We know you want to be independent and do everything by yourself, but you aren't ready to do that yet. Do what you can and ask for help with the rest. Ben, Adam, Hoss, Joe, Hop Sing, and Abel will help you, but you need to ask for it. They can't read your mind, so you have to tell them what you need, and that includes help with your arithmetic. No more flying arithmetic books or standing on too many crates to saddle a horse that's too tall for you to do it safely. You're not six any more and are capable of asking for help when you need it."

"You also need to let your family know when someone or something is bothering you or you need something," added Matt. Running away and hiding won't fix anything. Becoming grumpy and disrespectful won't fix anything either. You keep saying that you're almost grown up, but grownups ask for help when they need it and they let their families know when something or someone is bothering them. If those women at church start bothering you and telling you lies, tell someone. The judge yelled at them on Monday and said if they didn't leave you alone, he was going to put them in jail, but that won't happen unless an adult knows what they're doing. We want you to promise us that you will ask for help when you need it and that you will let your family know when something or someone is bothering you. Ben also needs to know when you need something. I am disappointed that you hardly ever told me when your clothes were getting too small. I know my job keeps me busy but I would have gotten you what you needed if I had known. Remember, I did see that your dresses were getting too small and bought new ones for you and Quint made new buckskins for you, but I didn't know your shoes were too small or that your socks had holes in the toes. Ben needs to know those things."

"Ok. I'll try."

"That's not good enough Cat," said Rip. "You have to ask for help and tell your family when something or someone is bothering you."

"But I have to do everything myself. Those ladies at church and the big boys at school said I'll be sent to an orphanage and my dogs and colt will be killed if I ask for help."

"They lied to you and you should know that by now. Didn't Adam, Hoss, and Joe help you with those presents for Abel? You needed help and asked for it but you're still here. What does that tell you?" asked Matt. "It should tell you that you were lied to by those women and big boys. The boys are just bullies and have been dealt with. The women have their own reasons for being mean and lying to you and the judge will deal with them if they do it again. Ben has raised three children and knows that they need help with things and sometimes they're bothered by someone or something. He adopted you because he loves you and when an adult loves a child, they're not going to send that child away because they need help or are having problems with someone or something. In fact, I know that Ben has told you the only time you will be sent away is if everyone else is sick. If that happens, you'll stay with one of your friends and their family until everyone is well again so you don't get sick too. That's not sending you away like those boys and women said. That's keeping you from getting sick. You'll be close to home and will be able to ask the doctor how your family is. Having met and talked with your friends' parents, I would guess that they will want to keep you for themselves if you have to stay with them for a little while. I know that Mrs. Devlin, Mrs. Ingalls, and Mrs. King said they would love it if you were their daughter and your friends would love it if you were their sister."

"I promise I'll try to ask for help and tell someone when I'm being bothered by someone or something but I don't know if I can. I'm not used to doing those things."

"You need to get used to doing them," replied Rip. "You're only nine and can't do everything by yourself. I'm sure if you ask them, Adam, Hoss, and Joe will tell you that there are things they ask for help with. Now, there is one more thing we need to talk to you about and you're not going to like it. We have to leave tomorrow and so does the rest of the family. Mark has school on Monday, Jarrod has clients who need his help, I am in command of the fort now and need to be there, and Matt and Kitty have to get back to Dodge. Matt left deputies in charge and Sam is running the Long Branch for Kitty and they need to be in Dodge."

Cat became very upset and started crying hysterically "No, you can't leave. You have to stay here."

"We can't Sweetheart," replied Matt. "You knew we were only coming for a visit and have been here for two weeks. Christmas and New Years are over and we have jobs we need to go back to. Now, why are you so upset?"

"I don't want you to do. Something bad will happen if you go. My Daddy went away and never came back. My mama went away and she got killed when she came back. If you go away, I'll never see you again. The Army or bad people with guns will kill you. I hate the Army and I hate guns."

Both men hugged her. "We understand your fears," said Rip. "We would stay if we could, but we can't. The Apaches haven't given us any problems since I took command of the fort, so I just have to keep people from settling on their land and I haven't had many problems with that. I can't tell you that nothing is going to happen because only God knows what the future will bring. I promise that I will be as careful as I can."

"I don't want to leave either," added Matt. "Remember, you have been with me for almost eight years and I am going to miss you a lot. Yes, my job is dangerous, but I am as careful as I can be. Remember, it's not like we're never going to see each other again. You'll be visiting us in just six months and you'll be so busy with school and helping here on the ranch, the summer will be here in no time at all." He handed her his handkerchief. "Here, dry your tears and blow your nose. Let's go downstairs and see if Hop Sing has any hot cocoa and cookies for us."

When they went back downstairs, everyone could tell that Cat had been crying. They knew why and didn't say anything. Before Matt or Rip could ask for hot cocoa and cookies, Hop Sing came into the great room and said, "Why evelyone sit hele? Moon is bright. Take sleigh and go for ride. Have hot cocoa and cookies after."

"You have to come too Hop Sing," said Cat. "If you don't go on the sleigh ride, neither will I." The rest of the children echoed Cat's statement.

"Hitch up sleigh, put hats, coats, and mittens on. Hop Sing get his and come too. Adam and Andy bling guitars and evelybody sing on ride."

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I was in a hurry to finish this chapter and publish it, so please excuse any typos, because I didn't spend much time proofreading it.