Just another day out and about for the two hardest working bronc busters on the Ponderosa!
"It's strange that my pa'd send us out on errands two days in a row like this, don't ya think?" Joe asked. Happy despite his confusion to be out and about once again.
"Must've noticed how tuckered you were at dinner and figured that was better'n you climbin' the walls," Candy said, keeping his eyes on the road on account of the crags that developed in the dirt between their ranch and town anytime there hadn't been rain in a while.
Joe nodded as he thought back on the last night and how he had indeed felt less restless. Didn't even have trouble falling asleep after a game of chess he and Candy'd decided to call a draw. On account of the onlookers heckling every time one of them made a less than stellar move.
Probably Adam and their pa wanted the board for a game to themselves and Hoss was just along for the fun of running him and Candy off. That he understood, but Joe couldn't for the life of him peg why it was Hop Sing had joined in with his own commentary; sipping his oolong and informing Joe that that was a terrible waste for a rook.
But before all that... interesting business with the chess board and the tough crowd, it'd just been him and Candy in a buggy, trundling down some dandy forest path. Enjoying the lulling motion of their transport as the breeze kept them cool.
After the delicious lunch- picnic lunch, Joe'd been so well fed and utterly comfortable that the gentle rocking had actually put him to sleep. He'd woken right as the house was coming into sight, refreshed and ready to play hooky until the proverbial dinner bell was rung and the work day was officially over and done with.
So he'd taken a deep breath and straightened from his sideways slouch, his nose full of a familiar scent, and-
Wait. Could that have been the scent of someone familiar?
This day, sitting on a wagon bench on his way into town, Joe swallowed as he realized just what —or rather who— he'd used as a pillow on that particular ride home. And he was sitting right next to him again.
Glancing over at his driver's shoulder, Joe had to whip his head completely to the other side or chance the man seeing the red he could feel his cheeks working up. Threatening to betray his embarrassment at the memory.
A memory all the stranger for the lack of any retaliatory jabs from the friend who'd let him snooze plastered against his side in the embrace of the small pleasure riding buggy they'd taken that day.
Joe'd have thought that far too good an opportunity to pass up. What with him likely having snored or made Candy's arm lose feeling or... just looked the fool sleeping through a ride like that.
Joe felt his attention jerked back to the present when the wagon yawed slightly; one wheel going up, over, and back down some mound or rock well enough that his wrist gave a pang and he had to hold in a hiss.
Maybe he had worse things to worry about than Candy not making fun of him. Like how he was going to help load the supplies with only one reliable hand. Or having to take over driving the team if the designated reigner got tired and wanted him to take them home. Or-
"Yep," Candy said. Breaking the relatively long silent stretch. "Yer pa's a reasonable fellow. And when ya think about it, what's the worst could happen sending us into town?"
"Worst that could happen, or worst that's likely to?" Joe asked with a wry lilt of his head.
Candy just sat a moment before opening his mouth again. "I see your point." Said with a flick of the reigns and a comically serious expression. Which managed to tickle Joe's funny bone just enough that he snorted in agreement.
It was a pretty good point after all.
Soon as the first buildings in town came within view, Joe reached behind his own neck and pulled the strap of his sling over his head. Then shucked his non dominant arm free and clear of it before putting it well out of sight under the bench.
"What are you doing with that arm of yours?" Candy asked. Seeming perturbed by the action.
"Wouldn't want everyone in town talkin' up how they saw 'that Joe Cartwright' with his arm in a sling. Every body with a nose stickin' it where it doesn't belong; asking what happened and-"
"Ah, yes. Embarrassment is a strong motivator in this day and age," Candy said with a nod.
"No- no, I didn't say anything about being embarrassed," Joe said. Wishing it hadn't come out quite so defensive. "I just like a little privacy, is all."
"Mmhm. 'Specially when the story behind that sling i'n't quite so awesome as you might like?" Joe didn't see a good reason to answer that particular question, so he crossed his arms, glad his wrist didn't lodge a formal complaint at the configuration, and counted the number of windows in the upper floor of the closest building.
"I didn't mean it like that, Joe."
"Oh, I think you did, Candy."
"All I meant was: I understand." At the seemingly sincere tone, Joe forgot what number he was up to and gave his attention back to the driver.
"If it were me; I'd leave the sling in the cart too. Anyway, I got somethin' I already know you like doin' for you to do," Candy said, navigating them straight down the path between the first buildings of town while reaching underneath the bench to grab something. After only a few seconds spent not looking at the road, the red shirt straightened and handed over a writing board with a checklist attached. Plus a sharpened pencil.
Well, that was half of Joe's worries taken care of.
Someone was standing there waiting when their wagon rolled up to the mercantile's front porch. Hard to tell whether it was with a 'glad yer here s'early' face, or a 'what took ya so long' face, but the face was recognizable none the less.
"Hey, Jody!"
"How's it goin', Jody?" The two asked in tandem. Waiting for the wagon to stop its last tremors before climbing out and taking the few steps onto the mercantile's boardwalk porch.
"Well, if it isn't Candy Canaday and Joe Cartwright. I thought y'all'd've been late, but I s'pose miracles are bound to happen e'ery now and again," she greeted.
"Is that any way to say 'morning' to friends?" Candy asked, feigning hurt.
"These friends? Ain't no other way," she said with a sad shake of the head. "So, we all loadin' today, or is Joe here in charge of that fancy-pants ledger he likes so much?" Jody asked. Joe knowing she'd seen him marking off purchases and deliveries on it in the past.
"You pegged it. You an' me got so many things to load, why I fear we'd lose count without somebody keepin' score," Candy explained.
"Keepin' score, eh?" The lady that came in nearly an entire head shorter than either of her customers said with a glint in her eye. One that got close to worrying the guy holding the writing board. "This a contest, Canaday?"
"Mm, could be," Candy said with a mock serious face.
"We bettin' on this 'could be' contest?" She asked.
"Uh..." Candy stalled.
"Aw, never mind then," Jody said, eyes cast heavenward. "Not worth the effort if I ain't gonna win nothin' off it. Let's you and me start loadin'," she said, giving Candy an encouraging pat on the upper arm.
"Go team! I'll just be, uh, checking the list. Checking it twice," Joe informed as the two who weren't currently supposed to be not working took off for the inside of the shop.
After several trips back and forth and back and forth, Joe had the majority of the lines checked off and Candy'd decided he'd done a good job himself keeping up with the professional loader and was ready for a quick breather out by the wagon.
Least, that's what he'd said before he'd grabbed his canteen from the seating area and taken a good few drafts. But Joe had a feeling he'd stopped moving sacks to make sure the list checker didn't get too bored and decide those poorly packed goods needed a little rearranging.
Which Joe admitted to himself, had been pretty tempting. What with some of those piles being lopsided and lumpy and looking like they'd fall right out the back as soon as they hit the road again.
"Don't like the packin' job we done?" Joe heard from right by his elbow.
"Huh? Oh, oh, no. It's fine- just fine. Couldn't'a done better myself." He complimented.
"Uh-huh. Well I think we should have thought it through a little before we started just throwing things all over the place, all haphazard like," Candy said, swinging his canteen by the strap so it landed on the wagon footboard without making a sound.
"Well, ya put it that way: I couldn't agree more," Joe said with an emphatic nod.
"...Knew ya didn't like it."
"But- but you just said you didn't!" Joe sputtered.
"Mm-hm. And you agreed," Candy said. Not looking offended.
Joe found himself cut off from any possible rebuttal he might have been tempted to make by the scraping of almost steady steps coming up the boardwalk towards the mercantile. Looking over Candy's shoulder, he saw the man they belonged to didn't look all that happy to see them.
"Canaday, I got a bone to pick with you! You no good, rotten-"
"Festus! You're sober!" Candy exclaimed, somehow knowing the name to match the voice even before turning to face the approacher. Who didn't stop until he'd stalked close enough that even Joe could smell the stale alcohol wafting off of him. "What a pleasant change from last we met!"
"You stole that money from me, Canaday! Takin' advantage of a man when he was clearly inebriated!" The man in question near shouted, pointing a finger straight at the accused's face.
"Now, hold on a second there, friend," Candy said with a pair of placating hands up between them. "Would it be takin' advantage of your drunkenness if you'd won all my money on that poker game?"
"Huh?" The guy asked. A bewildered look sticking to his face.
"No? So it's 'taking advantage' if you lose, but fair play if you win? I don't see the logic in that," Candy said. One arm now cocked akimbo.
The confusion melted away pretty quickly after that. "Yer twistin' my words up somethin' fierce there, 'friend'." Joe felt himself tense at the aggressive tone. Primed in case this 'Festus' decided fists better diplomatic tools than twisted up words.
"Hm. Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it's been nice chattin', but me and Joe here have s'more packing to get over 'n' done with. So if you don't mind?" Candy asked, complete with a quick shooing motion.
The man in the rumpled clothes squinted right at Candy, spat a spattering of tobacco juice on the boardwalk, and turned to walk off. Sparing the barest hint of a glance for the green jacketed frame by Candy's side before being on his way.
Appearing deeply unimpressed as he did.
"You played him at poker?" Joe asked, watching the departing figure until it was no longer a potential threat.
"Won too."
"Doesn't seem like good company for a good time game," Joe observed, giving Candy his full attention once more.
"Maybe so, but he bothered the waitstaff less when occupied, so I humored him for a few hands."
"A-and walked away with all his money?"
"I didn't know at the time that it was all his money, but I did win," Candy clarified with a subdued grin.
"Oh, a gentleman like yourself? Would never take advantage of someone so besotted they couldn't find their hat on the top of their own head," said Joe, a touch of snark in the words.
"Well, it's a good thing I didn't sit around long enough for his ramblings to start makin' sense. Turns out, I had a snake to shoot," Candy said, a look of seriousness passing over his face.
"That was last time? That was why you were stayin' in town late? You wanted to play poker? With that guy?" Joe asked. Incredulous.
"I did want to get in a game or two, but our dear Festus reminded me that I had far better comp'ny waiting out on the trail."
"Oh. Well, then, maybe next time I see our new friend I ought to thank him for being so unpleasant," Joe suggested with a smirk.
"I'm not so sure he'd appreciate the gesture," Candy advised.
"No? In that case, I might have to thank you in his stead."
"For being unpleasant?" Candy asked.
"For finding Festus unpleasant," Joe clarified.
"Oh, now that weren't no trouble at all, Joe. Save the thanks for when I do somethin' special," Candy insisted.
"Well, if you insist. But, uh, we could have quite a wait on our hands," Joe said with a smirk. Which prompted a friendly little stare off. During which, Joe began flexing the stiffening muscles of the hand holding the writing board with the Ponderosa purchase order stuck to it. Feeling glad his writing hand wasn't the one he'd managed to bang up.
Then, noticing Candy notice his little stretch, Joe cleared his throat and turned back to the wagon. "Just have a few more items to check off the list and we're done."
"I think Jody's checking the back for some of those last bags, so you can take the last of the checkin' easy." Joe wasn't sure what to think of the smooth delivery. Sounded almost as if Candy was trying to be nonchalant, as opposed to just plain being that way natural like.
"Uh-huh," Joe said, sandwiching the board against his side under one arm. Taking the supposedly off handed suggestion. Deciding he didn't need to draw attention to it, nor the fact that his wrist was starting to bug him worse, any more than there already was.
"Anything else you wanna do while we're in town?" He asked. Only non work related question that came to mind as he studied the smartly painted facing of the hotel across the street.
"Oh, maybe grab a beer. Or a bite, if you're of a mind."
"I might be amenable," Joe informed, turning back to his friend.
Candy looked thoughtful for a moment before offering, "There's a breakfast and lunch cafe I seen down a side street nearby. Never been inside myself, but it looks cozy and the folks walk out look a little rounder'n when they walked in."
Joe scoffed at the description. "How would you know that unless you watched the door all day?"
"By watchin' all mornin'," came the smug reply.
"Oh, a wise guy? Jody," Joe began as the store's loader came out to meet them with a small grain bag over one shoulder, "did you know that my friend here is a wise guy?"
"You just catchin' on now, Joe? 'Cause this card's been nothin' but wise with me e'er since he first walked up these here steps." Came the matter of fact response Joe hadn't been expecting.
He gave Candy a squint. Demanding an explanation.
"Now, hold on there, Jody. Maybe that's not the kind of thing we like to say quite so off the cuff like that?" Candy asked, sounding just a little frazzled.
Jody continued straight past Joe and the guy Joe was busy scrutinizing and plopped the grain bag in the wagon on top of everything else. A finality in the move that drew Joe's attention.
"I mean it just the way I said it. Wisest customer we have that don't got the smarts to back it up," she said. Ending with a smirk that proved she was indeed in good humor and indeed just playing along.
"Yeah, he's somethin' else alright- but, uh, is this the last bag, Jody?" Joe asked, pulling his board back out to inspect the list. "I have several more bags scheduled for this run."
"Yeah, this clears us out alright. Lemme get my pa for ya and he'll hold yer hands and explain things while I go get s'more work done," Jody said with a playful grin trying to break through the serious look on her face.
Joe and Candy glanced at each other as they watched one of the few ladies they'd ever met who consistently wore pants mosey on back into the general store.
Within the minute, they had one slightly red nosed gentleman wearing an apron walking out to greet them.
"Sorry boys, but the seed and grain shipment was delayed. Guess you'll just have to head home with a little extra space in yer cart today," the owner of the general store informed them as he came to a stop an arms length away.
"Ooh, that's a shame- A right shame, isn't it, Joe?" Candy said, tone tempered toward a restrained serious.
"Hm? Oh-oh, yes," Joe said with a disappointed clicking of his tongue. Catching on to Candy's fun. "It's a dern shame alright. I just hope my pa doesn't send us right back into town to try and find it somewheres else." Joe lamented, as he hid an amused smile behind his pencil wielding hand and sneaked a glance at the shop owner they'd been loyal about buying top quality supplies from for nearly half of Joe's entire life.
Guy was starting to sweat, and it wasn't on account of any sun exposure, considering it was a mild day and the three of them were currently standing in the shade of his store's sturdy awning.
"Oh, yes. That pa of yours has quite the temper. Doesn't like being kept waiting. Not even for grain seed," Candy exaggerated. Swallowing a smile of his own.
"I expect the grain shipment only a few days hence. Should be that the army at the fort wanted to inspect it for health before lettin' it through for plant within the territory. Wouldn't want bad seed infecting the good," the guy with a sudden case of the worries offered. Probably not exaggerating. Just trying to make sure Ben would know the reason for the delay.
Thoughtful.
Feeling just a tad like a horrid child, Joe glanced at Candy same moment he glanced at him, and the two of them couldn't hold in the laughter any longer.
Joe kept an eye on his pa's longtime business acquaintance's face and laughed even harder when the guy mopped his brow and joined in with a hearty belly jiggler.
"Oh, Jody was right about you two!" The shopkeep said, wiping some laughter moisture from one eye. "You're a couple'a cutups!"
"I think we need to listen to that Jody; she might be the only one out of us that's got any sense!" Candy snickered.
"Now don't let her hear you sayin' that: Poor thing'll take over even more of the day to day if she thinks I'm becomin' like the clientele."
"Uh-huh. And how exactly is this 'clientele' of yours?" Joe asked in a needling tone.
"Well," said the guy in the apron, rocking back on his heels, "to put it lightly: Not suited to work in a mercantile."
At that, they heard a cackle from inside the shop and outright bust out laughing when they recognized the timber as being none other than Jody.
Joe guessed she could hear their cutting up from inside and decided she could work and laugh at them at the same time. Good for her.
"Oh, well I s'pose this is it for today then?" Candy asked as the ruckus died down.
"Yep. Like I said, should be in in a few days and you're welcome to come by in a week if you want to be sure it's here," the mercantile owner said. Then gave his head a scratch and added, "Unless y'all need the grain seed soon as possible?"
Joe got a 'you're the one with the list' glance from Candy, so he spoke up for the Ponderosa's supply needs himself.
"Next week will be fine. Thanks a bunch, Amos. Jody, we'll see ya next week!" To which he got a handshake made rather awkward by the fact that he'd forgotten his right arm was injured, and a disembodied 'yeah, see ya' from inside.
He tried to hide the fact that now he remembered about that blasted sprain and pretended he was scratching his chest as he climbed up to his side of the wagon bench. Really just elevating his pained wrist in hopes that that would make it more comfortable until they were outside city limits. Where he wouldn't feel self-conscious putting the sling back in place.
Candy took a moment to make sure the rig was a-okay, climbed up next to him to take his seat, and released the break. Sitting the team as he looked over at Joe with a look of contrition.
"We can't leave a wagon full of supplies outside while we eat at that breakfast cafe, can we?"
Joe gave his own bottom lip a chew before sighing. "Guess we'll just have to do it next week instead."
"Yeah, that'll be fine! We'll call it a date," Candy said, giving the reigns a flick. Leaving Joe grateful the driver was too busy to notice his slight double take at the choice of word for the preplanned meal.
It'd taken him by surprise. Even knowing the meaning of the word when used so casually.
"Yep. It's a date alright," Joe mumbled. Wondering whether Candy'd be able to hear it over the sound of the dirt crunching under their wagon wheels.
Turning the team and cart took a while, on account of the streets starting to get a little busier for the day, but before long they were on their way back out of town and headed home.
Stomachs hunkering down for a bit of a wait until official lunch back on the Ponderosa. Hopeful that it would at least be worth it for the quality of the chow offered by the legendary skills of the main house's chef.
Joe took the opportunity to give the buildings a friendly looking over on his way away, knowing he wouldn't have the opportunity for a fun time visit for at least another week. Before they reached the outskirts though, something caught his eye.
"Look," Joe said, pointing toward a solitary figure who seemed to have no compunction outright staring from his lean against a shop door jamb as the supply cart rolled by. "Unless I have it wrong, our dear Festus is festering."
"Joseph, I think you're old enough now to know that cards'll do that to a person. Leave 'em sour and bristlin' and quite a bit less attractive than they might'a otherwise ended up." The guy driving the cart explained. Expression a mock philosophic.
"Ah. So that's what made you the way you are. I was wonderin' 'bout that," Joe said. Easily dodging the playful, indignant swipe aimed his way.
Not sparing a glance back toward town, the two pestered, cajoled, and chided each other the entire trip back. Overall enjoying the miles of trail dust and sun between them and a well earned lunch in the comfort of the Cartwright family dining room.
After lunch found Joe settling down to finish off that book he'd started a few days previous, and Candy off to find out just how many chores he either had or didn't have for the rest of the day. Coming back not two hours later saying he'd been let off easy for not spending the entire day in town on the supply trip.
So the two of them had some fun taking turns reading aloud in turn every other line out of a very serious manual concerning The Care And Keeping Of Hardwood Furniture.
After about a chapter, they couldn't help noticing places on the living room furniture that would benefit from a little oiling. Especially that one spot on the coffee table Joe couldn't for the life of him remember to keep his feet off.
Even with the suspicious smell of linseed oil lingering when dinner time came around, both of them were pretty sure not a one around the table was the wiser.
And so Candy and Joe had fun snickering about the utter obliviousness all through checkers and chess and even an impromptu recitation of the great speech from Shakespeare's Henry The Fifth. Which ended to raucous cheers and calls of 'Go, Saint Crispin!', and, 'Saint who?'.
Soon followed by a discussion concerning the exact battle covered in that particular passage, and everyone heading off to bed without inquiring as to why it was the two youngests had barely gone an entire minute without putting a hand over their own mouths. Nor why the living room smelled of freshly oiled wood.
Hm. Come to think of it, Joe pondered as he removed his sling, cloistered as he was in his room for the night, the smell had probably been a bigger hint than he or Candy'd been thinking.
He ended up laying down for the night with the sinking feeling that he'd spent his afternoon off time doing chores as opposed to committing an elaborate prank.
Joe sighed as he realized that either his family had known about the furniture upkeep the moment they'd each walked in, or they'd never know. And that, no matter what, nobody was gonna think of it as them having been fooled.
"Eh. Win some, lose some," Joe mumbled to his darkened room. Pleased at least that he'd absolutely wasted his time with his absolute best friend.
Sure as heck beat wasting his time absolutely alone.
With that thought and another sigh, Joe propped his tender arm on an extra pillow and let himself slip gently into that dark night. Looking forward to whatever the new day had in store. Hoping it was at least something pleasant.