4 Jack's first Picnic
Jack couldn't help being uneasy. She liked the Cartwrights, but now they were insisting on her going with them to a picnic. She had never been to a picnic. It didn't help that she only had 2 sets of clothes and both were work clothes. Both pants were laid out on the bed and she sighed. Well, obviously not the buckskin pants, that left the gray pants with the frayed cuff. She pulled on the gray pants and grabbed her dark blue shirt out of the drawer and put it on.
Once she had it buttoned she looked herself over in the mirror and sighed. At least she looked like a man, even if it wasn't the best dressed one. She hesitated for a moment then shrugged, knowing there was nothing more she could do. The knock on her door made her start. "Hey Jack you ready to go?" It was Joe.
"Just about." She grabbed a clean bandanna and stepped out tying it around her neck as she did. As she stepped into the living room Joe looked her over.
"We're going to a picnic, not working on the ranch." She looked down, fighting the blush she felt on her cheeks, and didn't see Adam poke Joe with one of his crutches.
"It was either this or buckskins." Jack was still staring at the floor. Joe shifted uncomfortably as Adam and Hoss glared at him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"You don't look any worse than me." Adam gestured at his cut off pants leg and cast. Having heard the last part of the conversation Ben decided to break the tension.
"Adam, you're going into town at the end of the week to get your cast off correct?" Adam nodded. "
Well while you're there why don't you take him by the store, that'll give him the chance to purchase some new things. In the meantime, if we're all ready, let's go to the picnic."
Smiles restored, hats were grabbed, guns strapped on, and they piled into the buckboard.
As they traveled the talk turned to pretty girls and one that Joe was fond of at the moment. Jack shook his head and listened to the talk and the good natured teasing. After a few minutes Joe commented. "We'll have to find a pretty girl for Jack."
"Yeah. Which one of them pretty fillies do you figure for Jack?" Hoss grinned.
"Well not Bessie Sue." Adam was smirking at Hoss.
"Well that's fer dadburned sure, since I'm goin' with Bessie Sue." Hoss was glaring at Adam. Finally Jack piped up.
"What do you do at a picnic?"
"Whaddaya mean whaddaya do?"
"I mean I know there's food and eatin' and talkin' to girls, but what else do you do?" Jack's cheeks were turning red again.
"Ain't you never been to a picnic before?"
"No. This is my first time."
"Well there might be some games, like horseshoes, but uh, mostly it's just talking and eating." Adam smiled at Jack.
"I think I can manage that." Jack began to relax a bit.
Before too long they had arrived at the picnic. Once Jack had gotten Adam situated with food and a drink, Joe introduced Jack to Sally Mae. Sally Mae and Jack seemed to hit it off and spent quite awhile in conversation. Which might have been fine, but a few of the young men began to dislike Jack taking up her attention. Nothing might have come of it except a few dirty looks. If Sally hadn't shrieked. About four men grabbed Jack by the arms. Yanking him away from Sally and throwing him roughly to the ground where landed on his back.
For a few moments there was yelling and confusion as Hoss and Joe got between Jack and his attackers. Adam had struggled up and was trying to join Hoss and Joe, mentally cursing his broken leg. Everyone froze when Ben's bellow cut through the air, practically deafening those standing closest to him.
"What is going on here?!!!"
"That dirty injun was hurtin' miss Sally!" Adam had kept moving and had stopped next to Jack. The man who insulted Jack actually took a step back from the force of the glares coming from the four Cartwrights. Ben looked at Jack and calmly asked,
"What happened?" Slowly, carefully, Jack stood up brushing the dust off his pants.
"Miss Sally was standing too close to the fire, I startled her when I picked her up and whirled her away so her skirts wouldn't catch."
"Is this true?" Ben turned to Sally.
"Yes. All he did was grab me around the waist. He didn't hurt me, honest!" Sally glared at the men.
"Alright then this matter is settled. Am I understood?" His sons and the other men nodded grudgingly.
Adam glanced at Jack and saw his fists were clenched. Despite Ben's assurance that the matter was over, Jack still looked tense.
"Hey Pa." Ben looked at Adam.
"I'm feeling kinda tired. Why don't Jack and I have Hoss drive us back to the ranch and then come back?" Ben looked at Adam with concern, but quickly realized why Adam wanted to leave.
"I think that's a good idea." Ben nodded and explained the situation to Hoss who went to get the buckboard. Jack stayed by Adam's side and helped him get comfortable in the wagon. Although Adam noticed Jack didn't start to relax until the picnic was out of sight. He sat silently rubbing at his biceps where he'd been grabbed.
"Jack?" Jack started at Adam's voice.
"I'm alright." Jack managed a small smile at Adam's concern.
"I don't like my arms being grabbed."Jack managed a genuine smile.
"At least I won a game of horseshoes." This statement made Adam smile and Hoss chuckle. They rode the rest of the way back to the ranch house in companionable silence.