"What are you dancing to?"

"It's nothing," she answered.

"Well, there's got to be something, you're dancing, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, I haven't seen this one in any of your performances yet. What is it?"

"If you must know, I make up my own music, and even words sometimes."

"How intriguing, why?"

"Because I like to dance to words. I like to show them in my own way."

"How intriguing."

"Tell me. Why are you so fascinated with my art?" she asked. They were in the sitting on the porch of the boarding house. The spring leaves were growing on the trees in a beautiful green.

"I'm sorry, it's intriguing." he answered. "The way you move, the way you …you …how do you get up on your toes like that?"

"It's easy. Come here." She grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Just got up like this." She stood on her toes with ease; he tried.

"I can't do this. I'm not talented enough," he concluded.

"It's those boots. Take them off," she ordered. He did and stood back up.

"Now," she began again, "on your toes." He tried again but lost his balance.

"You can't just stay in one place at first." She told him. "You need some movement." She went up again, lifting her skirt to show her feet taking little steps in place. "See it helps your balance."

"Alright, let me try that." He said, trying yet again. He lost his balance and he fell back, reaching out for her out of instinct. She fell forward onto the loveseat on top of him. They both laughed. Their eyes met. Suddenly, they were drawn to each other. They moved closer together. Their lips met.

The kiss was soft. He pulled back quickly.

"I'm sorry," he confessed. She stood up and walked to the doorway.

"I guess I was right about you, Mister Cartwright." She was very angry and turned to leave.

"Wait." He called. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to …Really, I like you, but…"

"But what?"

"But you're so…I've been so…you seem so…"

"Can you finish a sentence?"

"I'm sorry, sometimes you're so perfect you don't seem real. I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have done that."

"So, you actually like me, for me?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then, why don't you kiss me again?"

"If the lady asks, then I must oblige." He leaned over and kissed her again, this time longer and harder. They kissed again and again, each one getting more passionate. She pulled back.

"Would you like to go inside? Maybe up to… my room? " he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Yes," she answered, "yes, I would."

It was the beginning of March before the winds changed and things began to warm. But when it did, it didn't take long for the snow to melt off and fill the valley's streams. The winter had been easy so everyone one the Ponderosa was in high spirits, Adam especially. Of course, he had every reason to be.

Something had happened to her at the Sweetheart's dance. The stars that fell in Adrien's eyes that night were yet to fade. It was if that rusty lock on her heart had finally let the key turn and set her soul free. She was happy and talkative. She stayed in town more often and spoke to people. It was more than just answering their questions. She was carrying on conversations with people. It surprised Adam when he first heard people mention something that they talked to her about, but it was becoming an everyday occurrence. But after the surprise left his mind, he was left thinking, She's back, my Adrien's back!

Ben was also becoming extremely impressed with not only her teaching ability, but also her personality. Now that she had opened up, she was more captivating than Adam ever remembered.

Adam was beginning to remember when they first met. She was beautiful and innocent all at the same time. After she got over the embarrassment of their first encounter, he found that she also had a beautiful mind and loved to write music as much as she loved to dance. After that, the connection was almost immediate. Adam actually began to believe in true love, but he did not show how he felt for almost a year. He was afraid the age difference would become an issue. He was three years older and in college. She was a teenager, and a rising star in her own right. It was summer before they admitted how they felt about each other, and they barely spent a moment apart until that fateful day, that now they'd sworn from speaking of unless they had to.

The two did not get much time together lately, but with the spring came much work, and Adrien understood. She had been there before. The herds needed to be rounded up and accounted for, and then there was Adrien's favorite, bronc busting. From what Adrien had heard around town, if Adam could not ride a horse out, then no one could. She was looking forward to watching Adam work, but she was looking forward to dancing with him more after all the work was done. Again, rumor around town was that this dance was no ordinary dance, but it was one of the biggest social affairs on the Comstock. Adrien contemplated having another dress made, but the last one took a little over a month's wages. Not that money mattered to Adrien, she could always send for some in her account at home, but she did not want to leave a paper trail for her father to follow. There was no way of getting out of this event either, Adam and Ben had both gone out of their way to invite her, and Adam had settled the apparel problem anyway. He had asked her to wear the blue dress that he gave her. Adrien still wanted to save it for something else, but she obliged anyway. She was determined to make him happy.

The day of the busting had finally come. Adrien had made her way out to the Ponderosa along with some of the neighbors to watch the events of the day. When she got there, most of the hands were sitting on the fence of the corral waiting for the first horse to come out. A young mare was run into the pen and Adam roped her and he and the hands got her saddled. He was not wearing his usual black, instead he had an off-white shirt, black jeans, and chaps. She could not take her eyes off him, he had such a handsome rough look, and that was something she had not seen much of from him.

Joe was the first to try to ride the mare, but he was effortlessly tossed to the ground. One of the hands tried next, but it was not long until he found himself on the ground also. A few more of the hands tried too, but the same happened. Adam stepped up and gave it a try. The mare bucked with all she had, but Adam held on, digging in with his spurs, gritting his teeth. Finally, the mare quit bucking. Adam slowed her into a canter for a few minutes, and then had her led away to be unsaddled and put in the barn.

The day went on mostly in the same way, but Adam was the only man who wasn't thrown. Then Hoss saddled a beautiful, big, paint stallion and led it to Archie. Adam muttered under his breath, "I hope that one gets tired before he rolls around to me."

Archie mounted, but was thrown in the first lunge. A few more men tried and fell to the same fate. Finally, Adam took a deep breath and got off the fence and mounted the horse. The stallion began bucking before he was even in the saddle. But Adam held his ground, but then the horse seemed to buck, twist and spin at in one motion, and Adam fell to the ground. The stallion trotted over to the fence and stopped, but no one moved and the horse's next challenger did not move to catch him, because Adam did not move.

All at once, everyone ran to him, but Adrien did not move. She had seen this happen to her brothers. It had happened to her, what was wrong with her now? Hoss picked him up and carried him into the house. Suddenly, she found herself and followed.

Hoss laid Adam down on the settee in the front room. He was limp as a rag doll.

"Adam, Adam, are you there?" Hoss calmly pleaded, "Wake up, Adam." Adam stirred.

"Adrie…" he muttered, breathlessly; eyes still closed.

"Alright everyone, he's fine, let's get back to work." Ben said, herding everyone back outside to finish, and then retreated to the kitchen to get his son something to drink.

"Adrien," Adam called, opening his eyes.

"What is it, Adam? Are you alright?" she answered.

"I just wanted to say, it's nice waking up to you."

"Adam," she chastised, "that's not funny."

"Please, I have a headache," he said as he sat up.

"Serves you right," she countered, throwing a pillow at him.

"Hey, if you're not careful, I won't be able to dance tomorrow night," he laughed.

"If you're going to make me dress up and drag myself out here. You'd better dance with me or you will have one hell of another headache to deal with."

"And I'll feel it in the morning too, right?"

"You bet."

"Well, why don't I go sleep this off, so I won't be feeling this tomorrow too."

"Well, Miss Cooper, it's nice to see you, and I must say you do look quite elegant tonight."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Lodge," she answered, "You've cleaned up rather nice yourself also."

"Oh, you flatter me too much, save a dance for me." And he was off to flirt with some of the more prominent miner's wives. Adrien had worn the dress that Adam had given her for her birthday and she was receiving a multitude of compliments about it.

"He can be such a greasy snake sometimes," Adam commented behind her while opening a bottle of champagne.

"Adam, I never thought of you to be the kind to say those sorts of things," Adrien kidded.

"Wouldn't you if a little sly serpent like that can nosing around trying to fill your date's dance card, before you even get a chance," he said with a smirk and offered her a glass. "Champagne?"

"Thank you. Now, what makes you think I was your date?" she asked, taking the glass.

"I invited you and then I picked you up…" He took a sip from his glass.

"… And you forgot that I was also asked here by your father." She also had a taste.

"But I asked first," he pointed out, "I picked a good year, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, and just because you asked first doesn't mean that I'm your date."

"So, are you saying that you're my father's date?" Adam asked.

"No, I'm no one's."

"Then I guess you can find your own way home. Shall we dance?"

"I don't know. I'll have to check my card."

"That's not funny, Adrien." They made their way out to the floor and danced in silence. When the last note played, she left, saying, "I guess I have to find my way home now."

The rest of the night she stood in the corner, and flirted with a group of young cowhands, and that was only when she was not dancing with them. Adam stood in the opposite corner, nursing a brandy, and carrying on short conversations with whoever addressed him, and steaming.

Occasionally, he would catch Adrianna giving him a mischievous 'I know you're jealous and I don't care' look. But she was right, he was jealous, and it didn't help that her dance partners seemed to be rubbing it in his face. The night moved slowly. Finally, Adam made his move.

"Adrien, may I have this dance?" he said rather sternly.

"Why, Mister Cartwright, I thought you'd never ask," and she got up to be led out to the dance floor.

"Miss Cooper, wait!" a young, freckled face cowhand pleaded, "You promised you'd dance with me, and I've been waitin' all night. You're dancin' with me." Adam stepped up to defend her, but Adrien took care of it herself.

"Well, maybe you should think about addressing me like a lady, and you just might get your dance." Giving her hand to Adam, they made their way out to the dance floor. The music began to a slow waltz.

"Now, how am I supposed to find my own way home if you've got me out on the dance floor."

"Adrien, I was kidding and you know it."

"How am I supposed to know? I'm just a helpless, innocent girl depending on you the only person I know to trust, and there you go leaving me to defend myself, and I don't have a clue of what to do." She continued to put on the damsel in distress act.

"Helpless? Sure, Adrien, you're helpless," Adam kidded. The song ended and Adrien pulled away to go back to her congregates.

"No, Adrien." He spoke low, and softly.

"What?" she answered, questioning, worried.

"You're relentless. Just stay here."

She obliged. Adam pulled her close, and they danced cheek-to-cheek, heart to heart. Adrien closed her eyes and let the music and the warmth of Adam's arms carry her.

Suddenly, she found that she and Adam near the door, which he opened and waltzed her outside without missing a single step.

"Adam, why are we leaving so early?" she asked surprised. Adam just kept dancing.

"We aren't leaving. We're just dancing on a different floor." He waltzed her through the yard and into a clearing behind the barn. They stopped. Adam tipped Adrien's head up and looked down into her eyes.

"My God, it's as if the stars never left them."

"Adam, what are you talking about?"

"Your eyes. They shine like jewels, even more than they used too."

"Adam…" He put his finger over her lips to quiet her. "Don't talk just let me look at you."

He pulled her close to him, looked into her eyes one more time, and then, slowly leaned down. Their lips met softly, Adrien moved to pull away.

"Adam, what are you doing?" she said surprised.

"It's called kissing, Adrien," he replied with a smile.

"Adam, I thought I told you…"

"Yes, you did, but the you told me something else too."

"When?"

"Christmas Eve. You came and knelt by my bed and poured your heart out to me."

"I thought you were asleep," she suddenly felt violated.

"I wasn't, but I didn't have the heart to stop you."

"You should have…"

"I know, but Adrien, I'm not going anywhere. You can let go. No one's here to take me from you."

She turned away to hide the tears threatening to fall.

"Adrien," he said, stepping behind her, and putting his arms around her, "I love you, I've always loved you from the first moment I ever laid eyes on you, and when I thought you didn't love me anymore, I wanted to die. The day you came here, it was like I was reborn. I finally felt like I'd come home, when you got here. You said yourself that you love me, you're just afraid to let me." He turned her back around to face him. "Here I am, Adrianna, put those terrible memories behind you. My arms are open, if you fall, I'll be here to catch you."

He kissed her again. Time seemed to freeze.

Pull away. Say No, she thought, walk away! Run!

She couldn't bring herself to do so. She wanted to pull herself from his embrace, but she could not pull away either.

Suddenly, the walls of fear and pain came crashing down. She felt herself getting closer to him. Their embrace tightened around each other. She began kissing him back. Their kisses became sweeter and longer. She felt like her body was melting into his.

"Adrien, do you love me?" he whispered.

"Yes, Adam, I do. I never stopped loving you," she replied softly.

"Oh, my Adrien," he pulled her even closer, "my sweet, sweet Adrianna." He bent down and kissed her again.

They sat down on the porch, and hugged, and talked until it was almost morning light. Nothing felt better than being in Adam's arms. With every touch, every kiss, her heart skipped a beat. She truly felt at home.

If this is love, she thought, let me fall.