CHAPTER TWO
No one uttered a word about Simon the next day, even as Adam fulfilled his promise to hang Josie's new shingle next to the front door. That evening, Adam read the third stave of "A Christmas Carol" aloud to the family while they sipped more of Josie and Hop Sing's hot chocolate.
"I always liked this stave best," Little Joe said. "The Ghost of Christmas Present reminds me of Hoss."
Two days before Christmas, after returning from a trip into town he refused to talk about, Adam finished off the story. On Christmas Eve, rather than ride into town for services, the four cousins listened while Ben read aloud the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, as was their family tradition. Josie rested her head lazily on Hoss's shoulder as she listened to her uncle's soothing deep voice, so much like her father's, read the words she knew by heart:
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Josie's favorite part of the evening was after the story when Adam pulled out his guitar and led the family in a carol sing. He began with a hauntingly beautiful solo of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," and then the rest of the family joined in for "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and a laughter-filled rendition of "Jingle Bells." They ended their evening with Adam and Josie singing the original German lyrics to "Silent Night," Josie's clear treble voice blending seamlessly with Adam's rich baritone. Just before bed, they all placed their gifts for one another under the tree, ready for Christmas morning. As they bid one another goodnight, Adam embraced Josie just a bit longer than usual.
"Merry Christmas, Little Sister," he said, kissing the top of her head. He couldn't think of any other words to express how thankful he was to have her on the Ponderosa, away from the war and with his family where she belonged, especially during this season of gratitude.
"Merry Christmas, Older Brother," she replied, smiling up at him. Adam needed to say no more; Josie could read his face like an open book.
Watching the scene between the two could-be siblings, Ben pretended to sneeze so he had an excuse to wipe his eyes.
They blew out the candles on the Christmas tree, and then five Cartwrights tromped happily up the stairs to their bedrooms. Adam fell into bed nearly erupting with excitement over his gift for Josie. He had been planning it since Bull Run had made it clear that Josie would be with them for some time. It had taken a while to get Ben to agree to the idea, but Adam had won him over in the end.
Down the hall, Josie dropped off to sleep quickly, looking forward to seeing the others open their gifts the following morning.
The following morning came much earlier than Josie expected.
It felt like her head had only just hit the pillow when there was a pounding on her bedroom door.
"Wake up, Josie!" Little Joe's voice was muffled through the wood. "It's Christmas!"
Josie cracked her eyes a sliver and saw that her room was still pitch black. She groaned and threw back the blankets, shivering in the cold air. She stumbled to her door and flung it open. Little Joe and Hoss nearly fell into the room on top of her.
"C'mon, Josie!" Hoss said, excited as a child. "It's Christmas morning!"
"Barely!" Josie grouched. "What time is it, anyway?"
"Four-fifteen," Little Joe said impatiently, as if Josie had grossly overslept.
Josie groaned. "Is Uncle Ben up?" She knew ranchers rose early, but this seemed ridiculous.
Little Joe and Hoss shifted uncomfortably. "No," Hoss admitted. "Pa gets awful sore if we wake him up before five-thirty."
"Your father and I have that in common."
A floorboard creaked in the hallway, and the three cousins froze. A shaft of light hit them as Adam appeared in Josie's doorway bearing a candle. He hadn't bothered with his dressing gown and stood there in his black-and-white-striped nightshirt, his raven hair sticking out at all angles. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and scowled.
"What is all the ruckus about? Do you three know what time it is?"
"Four-fifteen, or so I've been told," Josie said, glaring at Hoss and Joe.
"Go back to bed," Adam ordered, "or at least shut up. Some of us are trying to sleep." He turned around and stumbled back to his bedroom, his bare feet slapping indignantly on the floorboards.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, grouch," Little Joe muttered.
Josie gave Hoss and Little Joe one last dirty look and pushed them out of her room. She had to giggle, though, as she crawled back into bed. Most of her agreed with Adam that the hour was far too early for mortal man, but a small part of her had wanted to shove past him and race downstairs with Hoss and Little Joe.
Back in his own bedroom, Adam stifled a chuckle as he lay back down. Little Joe and Hoss had been obnoxious on Christmas morning ever since they were old enough to understand what Christmas was. As irritating a quality as this could be in two grown men, today it made Adam smile. After the tumultuous events of the past few years, it was nice to know that some things never changed.
An hour and a half later, Adam's eyes popped open again. He glanced at his clock, saw that it was quarter of six, and swung his long legs out of bed. He pulled on the jeans he had thrown over his desk chair the night before, buttoned up a clean shirt, and threw on socks and boots before heading downstairs.
Usually the first or second person downstairs in the morning, Adam saw Ben, Hoss, Josie, and Little Joe already sitting in the living room waiting for him. Josie and Ben were calmly sipping cups of coffee, but Hoss and Little Joe were bouncing in their seats. Adam realized he was the only one not still wearing his pajamas.
"It's about time!" Hoss declared when he saw Adam appear at the top of the stairs.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, Younger Brother," Adam said, flashing a smile. He sat down on the settee next to Josie and reached for the coffee pot and a clean cup. Hoss and Joe looked at Ben expectantly.
"Well, what are you waiting for, boys?" Ben said. "Dive in!"
Hoss and Little Joe attacked their stockings hanging on the mantel. As they sat on the floor digging through their treasures, Adam stepped over them and retrieved his, Josie's, and Ben's stockings and handed them out. Josie thrust her hand into hers and grinned as she pulled out a fistful of peppermint sticks.
"I think I know who these are from," she said, and Adam winked at her. She also extracted some chocolates, a silk bookmark, and, hidden deep in the toe of her stocking, a fat orange. "Ooo!" she squealed. She loved oranges and hadn't had one since leaving Philadelphia.
Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe had similar hauls in their stockings, though instead of a bookmark, Little Joe got a new deck of playing cards and Hoss received a neckerchief.
"Time for presents!" Josie shrieked and leapt for the pile under the tree. She grabbed the small package containing Hoss's new gloves and played a brief game of tug-of-war with Little Joe as they argued over who got to present it to him. In the end, they each held onto a corner and handed the gift to Hoss together, their eyes shining.
Hoss tore open the wrapping paper and stopped dead when he saw the brown-leather work gloves inside. He stared at them for several long moments before delicately lifting one and slipping it over his matching hand. He held up his gloved hand, marveling at the perfect fit.
He managed to force out only a single word. "How?"
Josie and Little Joe grinned at each other as Ben rose from his seat to inspect the gloves. He, too, looked over at the youngest Cartwrights in amazement.
"Yes, how?" he asked. "It's nearly impossible to find gloves that fit Hoss."
"Josh Grayson," Little Joe said. "We talked him into a special order. He did nice work, too."
"How did you get the size so exact?" Ben asked, still scrutinizing the glove on his middle son's hand.
"Oh, we had help from a little mosquito," Josie replied, and she, Little Joe, and Adam burst out laughing.
Hoss slid on the second glove and stretched his hands out to admire them. Tears leaked out the corners of his sky-blue eyes. "Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion. He rose and gathered up Josie and Little Joe in one enormous, too-tight hug. "Thank you!"
Once Hoss had pulled himself together, the family continued opening gifts. Ben was delighted by his new tobacco pouch and put it to use at once. Adam was touched by Little Joe's thoughtfulness in getting him Great Expectations, and Josie was gracious enough not to mention that it had been her idea. Finally, Josie pulled a large package out from under the tree and dropped in into Adam's lap. He braced himself for impact but was surprised when the lightweight package fairly bounced off his thighs. He glanced at Josie suspiciously and then slowly unwrapped the gift.
The wrapping paper fell away to reveal a blue-and-white patchwork quilt. He hadn't known what to expect from Josie, but this was nowhere close to even his wildest guesses. He stood up and let the blanket unfold. It was a lap quilt, and it looked vaguely familiar. After a few puzzled moments, he finally placed it.
"Is this the quilt from Aunt Rachel's sitting room?"
"That's precisely what it is!" Josie exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Ben, Hoss, and Little Joe watched the scene in bewilderment. They assumed this must be yet another private joke between Adam and Josie, but when they saw the puzzled expression on Adam's face, they realized he was baffled, too.
"Uh, Josie," Adam began slowly, still holding up the quilt, "please don't think me ungrateful, but why are you giving me the quilt from Aunt Rachel's sitting room?"
All eyes turned to Josie.
"Because your mother made it," she said softly.
Adam's confused expression instantly changed to one of awe. Ben, too, stared at the quilt in astonishment. Elizabeth had once mentioned to him that she had done some quilting in her younger days before they met, but Ben hadn't known any of her work still existed. He stood frozen next to his armchair, gazing across the room at this unexpected artifact from his late wife.
Adam dropped onto the settee, the quilt draped across his lap. He ran one trembling finger slowly down a row of tiny, even stitches. His mother had sewn each and every one of the thousands of stitches in this quilt. She had held it in her hands hour after hour, piecing it together with a precision and meticulousness he both related to and admired. His father had given him a portrait of his mother and told him stories about her, but here was something she had made, something she had held. He threw the quilt around his shoulders, pulled it tightly across his chest, buried his face in it, and let his mother hold him for the first time in his memory.
The other Cartwrights watched in silence as Adam's shoulders shook a few times, then stilled. He took a long, shuddering breath, and raised his head, unbidden tears streaming down his face. His memory flashed back to that Christmas twelve years ago when Aunt Hannah had wrapped this very quilt around his shoulders as he sat shivering next to the fire in Aunt Rachel's sitting room after he had run out into a snowstorm. A fresh flood of tears rose to his eyes, and he buried his face in the quilt again as he realized his mother had been holding him that day too.
Ben crossed the room, sat next to Adam, and reached out and ran a finger down one of the seams now enclosing Adam's shoulders. Tears rose to his eyes, and he put an arm around his son and drew him close.
Josie's face burned as she watched her uncle and cousin. She hadn't expected such an emotional response from Adam and she felt terrible for eliciting it. She knew how hard he worked to remain stoic.
"I'm sorry," she sputtered. "I didn't mean to put a damper on everything."
Adam looked up at his cousin, struck afresh by her resemblance to his mother, and smiled.
"No, Josie," he said, swallowing hard. "This is the best gift I've ever received. Thank you." He removed the quilt from his shoulders, handed it to his father, and stood to hug Josie. "Merry Christmas," he said.
"Merry Christmas, Adam."
After they broke apart, Adam gazed at the quilt, which Ben had folded and set next to him on the settee. "I can't believe how many times I sat right next to this quilt and didn't know it was my mother's," he said, shaking his head.
"I didn't know, either, until last summer when I stayed with Aunt Rachel," Josie said. "She had redecorated the sitting room in red and green, but she still had this quilt across the back of one of the armchairs, which I thought was strange since it no longer matched the décor. You know how Aunt Rachel is."
Adam rolled his eyes skyward. Yes, he did.
"Anyway," Josie continued, "I asked her about it one evening, and she said your mother had sewn it, and she couldn't bring herself to stow it away."
"How did you talk her into giving you something so special?" Ben asked, once more running his hand lovingly across the quilt.
"That was easy," Josie said with a wicked grin.
A horrible thought crossed Adam's mind. "Did you steal this?" he blurted, his eyes wide.
Josie threw him a look of unmitigated indignation. "Of course not! I spoke to her about it, and she gave in quite easily. I think it irked her that someone with such limited fashion sense as I possess noticed it no longer matched the room. And secondly," she paused to smile slyly, "I may have reminded her that she owed you a little warmth."
Adam stared silently at Josie for a count of three and then roared with laughter. Ben, Hoss, and Little Joe smiled in bafflement once again. For the sake of family harmony, no one had ever told Ben about Adam's brush with hypothermia that Christmas of 1849, and now Ben couldn't fathom how coaxing a quilt out of his sister-in-law could be so funny that his niece and oldest son were crying with laughter.
As Adam dabbed at his streaming eyes, Ben decided to move things along. "Well, boys," he announced, "don't you think it's time Josie got her gifts?"
All three brothers grinned. Ben directed Josie to sit down while Hoss extracted one last package from under the tree.
"This is from me and Little Joe," he said as he handed it to her. Joe bounded up next to Hoss and watched eagerly as Josie unwrapped the gift.
Josie gasped as she extracted the shiny revolver and black-leather gun belt from the open package. She picked up the gun and ran a hand admiringly down the barrel.
"Colt 1851 Navy," she said approvingly. Hoss and Little Joe grinned.
"That's right," Little Joe said.
Josie hefted the gun with her right hand. A .36-caliber, it was a little shorter and lighter than the .44s the Cartwright men carried, but the Colt Navy was well known as a deadly accurate and reliable weapon, carried by thousands of men both across the West and in the war back east. Josie could not have been more pleased.
"We looked at some .44s, but this one has almost no recoil," Little Joe said. "You won't have to brace for it."
"Check out the barrel near the cylinder," Hoss urged.
Josie checked. There, engraved in fine script, were the words, "In case we can't be there. Love, Hoss and Joe."
"Thank you!" she exclaimed. She laid the gun carefully on the coffee table so she could hug her cousins. Then she picked up the gun belt, buckled it on over her emerald-green dressing gown, and spun the revolver around her trigger finger before dropping it neatly in the holster. "How do I look?" she asked the family.
"Like a force to be reckoned with," Ben said, smiling at her.
"Yes, the velvet slippers lend a truly terrifying element to the entire ensemble," Adam teased.
Josie blew raspberries at Adam and removed the gun and belt. "Now you don't have to worry so much about me riding into town alone."
"That was the idea," Hoss replied.
"Josie, if you want any more presents, you better run upstairs and get dressed," Ben told her.
"Why?"
"Because it's freezing outside, and you're not traipsing out to the barn in your nightgown and slippers," Ben explained. "Now scoot!"
Josie raised an eyebrow at her uncle but did as she was told. She had a strong feeling she knew what her gift from Ben would be. Up in her room, she pulled on some jeans and a clean shirt, stuffed the shirttail into her waistband, and put on a pair of thick, woolen socks. She grabbed her boots and carried them downstairs to put them on.
Once all five Cartwrights were bundled up against the elements—snow had begun to fall again—Ben grasped Josie's elbow and led her out to the barn. Even Adam was nearly bouncing with excitement now. He had been planning Josie's gift for months, and the suspense of waiting to present it to her had been nearly unbearable.
When they reached the barn door, Hoss ordered Josie to close her eyes. She squeezed them tightly shut, and Hoss waved his hand in front of her face a few times to be certain she couldn't see. Satisfied her eyes were truly closed, Hoss flung open the barn door, and Ben and Adam guided her inside.
"Keep your eyes shut, Josie!" Ben said as he let go of her elbow and jogged over to a stall near the end of the barn.
Josie laughed at the ridiculousness of the entire situation as she stood waiting, Adam's hand still on her arm. As she'd expected, she heard hooves clopping their way toward her.
"Ok," Ben said, "open your eyes."
Josie's eyes sprang open, and she jumped backward in surprise. She'd expected to see The General standing in front of her, perhaps with a silly bow around his neck. She and the old horse had become good friends over the past few months, and she thought Uncle Ben was going to make a gift of him. But instead of the familiar tall, blue roan, before Josie stood a small Appaloosa mare. She had a dark brown base with a white blanket over her hips and rump. The large white patch was dappled with brown spots the same color as the little mare's base, and her face was smeared with more white, as if someone had wiped off a paintbrush on her face. Stunned, Josie stared, her mouth agape.
"What do you think?" Ben said.
Josie squeaked several times before she could form complete words. "Is— is she for me?"
"Of course!" Ben declared. "Merry Christmas!"
"Oh, my goodness!" Josie stepped tentatively up to the mare and reached out a hand to stroke her nose. The petite horse nickered and nudged her hand. She giggled. "Uncle Ben, she's beautiful," Josie breathed. "Thank you!" She tore herself away from her new mount to hug her uncle.
Ben embraced her back. "I know you and The General have been getting along well, but he's an old man and has earned his retirement. This little girl here is only four years old. She's gentle, but she has a bit more spring in her step."
"I won't have to jump so high to get up on her either," Josie added.
Little Joe sniggered. "That's for sure!"
Josie turned away from him and faced her new horse once more. "It's ok, girl," she said, stroking the Appaloosa's nose again. "Just ignore the nasty little boy."
"She's small," Ben admitted, "but she's quick, and she can run all day."
"Sounds just like Josie," Hoss quipped.
"What's her name?" Josie said.
"I think the man I bought her from called her 'Bunny,' or something silly like that. I'm sure you can think of a better name," Ben said.
Josie thought for a moment. "She's certainly not the commanding presence The General is. She's more like the quick, stealthy scouts the generals send out in front of the army for reconnaissance." She stood and studied the horse a moment longer and then snapped her fingers. "That's it! Scout!" She patted the mare's neck.
Ben nodded approvingly. "That's an excellent name," he said.
Josie was so taken with Scout that she hadn't noticed Adam slip away to another stall at the end of the barn. A sharp bark caught her attention, and she peered around Scout to see Adam leading a very leggy, shaggy brown dog from the end stall. Adam's grin could have lit up all of Virginia City as he led the tall canine toward Josie. Though just over two feet tall at the shoulders, the dog bounced along beside Adam like a puppy. Josie's mouth dropped open again.
"Merry Christmas!" Adam cheered as he handed the dog's leash to Josie.
Josie dropped to her knees and squealed as the dog put his giant front paws on her thighs and bathed her face with his tongue. She threw her arms around the dog's neck and hugged him.
"Adam!" Josie exclaimed. "Oh, my goodness! I've always wanted a dog, but Mama never let me have one. Thank you!" She leaped to her feet and kissed Adam's cheek before dropping down next to her new dog again. "How old is he?" she asked as the dog recommenced licking her face.
"Six months old today," Adam said.
Josie stared at the brown, wire-haired pooch. "Wait. What?!" She stood up and looked down at the dog, though she didn't have to look down very far. The animal's shoulders rose most of the way to her hips. He was larger than most full-grown dogs she had seen. She reached down and put her arms under the dog's chest and back legs and braced herself to lift him.
"I wouldn't try that," Adam said. "He weighs nearly a hundred pounds."
Josie's mouth dropped open. "At six months?"
"Yeah," Adam said, pleased with both himself and the dog. "He's an Irish Wolfhound. He'll be another foot taller and a good sixty pounds heavier by the time he stops growing."
Josie's eyes bugged out as they shifted from the dog to Adam and back again. Her mouth broke into a huge grin. "Wow!"
"That's my kinda dog," Hoss said approvingly.
"He's a sight hound," Adam continued, kneeling next to Josie and her new pet. "They're bred to see their prey rather than smell it, and they can run long distances. The Irish have been using them for centuries to hunt wolves. I thought he could accompany you when you ride out to town or to see a patient."
Josie grinned and scratched the dog's head. "He's beautiful. Thank you. But where did you get him?"
"I ordered him from a breeder in Boston."
"That explains all those mysterious trips into town," Hoss said.
"I was getting telegrams each time he arrived in a new city," Adam explained. "I wanted to make sure he would be here on time."
Ben smiled as he watched his niece ruffle the fur on her new dog's head. He'd resisted when Adam first suggested getting Josie a dog—especially one so large—but he couldn't deny how useful it could be for Josie to be accompanied around the territory by such an animal. One look at this dog, particularly when he was full grown, would send most anyone fleeing in the opposite direction.
"Come on, everyone," Ben said, clapping Adam on the shoulder. "It's cold out here. Let's get back in the house. Josie, you can bring your puppy some turkey after dinner."
Josie's face fell. She had already picked up the dog's leash to bring him back to the house with her. "You mean I have to leave him in the barn?"
Ben blinked a few times as he gathered his thoughts. He thought it was obvious that such a large animal would live in the barn with the horses. He was nearly horse-sized himself. "Josie," Ben began, "look at him. He's huge. You don't honestly think he can live in the house, do you?"
"Aw, come on, Pa," Hoss piped up. "I'm huge, and you let me live in the house."
"It is Christmas, Pa," Little Joe added.
Josie stuck her lower lip out just enough to make herself look sad but not like she was pouting. She lowered her head and looked up at Ben with just her eyes. "Besides, Uncle Ben," she said, her voice wavering slightly, "he's just a baby." She dropped to her knees and put her arms around the dog's shaggy neck.
Ben never would have fallen for such an act from one of his sons, but he melted in the face of Josie's pleading gaze. He sighed heavily. "All right," he said, throwing up his hands in defeat. "But he stays OFF the furniture, is that clear?"
Adam bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. He'd fallen prey to Josie's sad face more than once himself.
Josie squealed with delight and hopped up to hug her uncle once more. "Thank you!" she said. She picked the puppy's leash back up and led him out of the barn.
When they were all snugly back inside, the puppy did a lap of the first floor and sniffed everything. As they watched, Adam turned to Josie.
"What are you going to call him?" he asked.
Josie considered this for a moment. "Something Irish, perhaps." She thought a moment more. "I've got it! Cú Chulainn!"
Adam smiled, but everyone else looked confused.
"Coochie-what?" Hoss asked.
Josie giggled. "Cú Chulainn, Hoss. It's from Irish folklore. Cú Chulainn was a great warrior. His name means 'the Hound of Ulster.'"
Hoss looked only slightly less confused, and one corner of Little Joe's upper lip curled up in distaste.
"That might be a little complicated," Ben suggested.
"You may be right," Josie said, looking at Hoss and Joe's faces. She cast about for inspiration, and her gaze came to rest on Adam's new copy of Great Expectations. She grinned. "How about 'Pip'?" At the sound of the name, the puppy paused where he was sniffing Ben's armchair and turned his head to look at his new mistress. Everyone laughed.
"I think that's it, Josie," Adam said.
"C'mere, Pip!" Josie called. The gangly puppy ambled over to her. "Good boy!" she praised him and scratched his ears. The young dog wagged his tail happily.
After their enormous Christmas feast, Josie spent the rest of the day teaching Pip some basic commands. She was pleased with how quickly he learned to sit, and she and Hoss planned out a training schedule. They wanted Pip to learn to run alongside Scout as Josie rode and to find each member of the family. Josie also suggested they should teach him to run home from town alone.
"That way if I need to stay late at the clinic, I can tie a note to his collar and send him home, and you won't have to worry about me!"
Adam thought this a bit ambitious, but if anyone could help Josie train the dog properly, it was Hoss. That night, despite Ben's protestations, Josie led Pip upstairs to her bedroom, where she fashioned a bed for him out of a pile of old blankets. The puppy curled up happily and was soon snoring.
Adam poked his head in Josie's room before he went to bed. He smiled at the sight of Josie sitting up and reading while her already faithful pet slept on the floor between his mistress and the entrance to her room.
"You like him, then?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
"I love him. Thank you!" She held out her arms to him just like she had when she was a little girl with the measles. Adam stepped carefully over Pip and leaned down to hug Josie. "Do you like your quilt?" she asked.
"More than anything. I love you, Little Sister."
"I love you, too, Older Brother."
Adam bid her goodnight, kissed the top of her head, and stepped back over the dog and out of the room. He nearly bumped into his father in the hall.
"That dog's going to live his entire life in the house, isn't he?" Ben asked.
Adam smiled. "Looks like it."
Ben dropped the irritated look on his face and smiled back. "I think we've all had a good Christmas."
"We sure have. Goodnight, Pa."
Ben squeezed Adam's shoulder. "Goodnight, son." He watched as Adam slipped into his own bedroom and closed the door. Before the door closed fully, Ben caught a glimpse of Elizabeth's quilt folded up neatly across the foot of Adam's bed. Ben smiled again. It had been a very good Christmas, indeed.