The next morning I walk out of the house and across the yard to the barn. I walk in the barn to see Little Joe polishing some dusty saddles.
I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. Joe stops what he is doing and was surprise to see who was hugging him and puts his arms around her.
"Have I ever told you are a wonderful big brother and I love you?" I asked him. Joe thinks for a moment wondering what all this was coming from.
"Only after we fight or you want something" teased Joe. "How about thanking you for helping me with Pa last night?" I said to him.
"You don't need to thank me I was just doing my job because I love you" said Joe. "Are you and Pa alright?" "We're ok but I'm still concern about what Martha is up to" I told him.
He tells her not to worry. "I can't help it Little Joe I just have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad is gonna happen" I said.
Joe frowns and hugs me. "Everything is gonna be alright no matter what happens we'll get through it together I promise" he whispered to me. I nod my head knowing that he was right.
Martha was standing outside the barn down eavesdropping and had an evil smirk on her face.
Later that day Hoss walks in the house after going into town to get the mail. He walks into Ben's study and hands him the mail.
"Thank you son" said Ben appreciatively as he looks though the envelopes when he sees one that had Amelia's name on it. It was from Judge Longworth.
Suspicious Ben opens it and was shock by what was in it. He reads the letter and as he was reading it the complexion on his face turns white as a ghost.
Hoss looks at him worriedly and asks him what was wrong. Ben looks up at him. "Judge Longworth sent your twelve year old sister her mother's will" explained Ben.
Hoss scrunches his face confuse "Catherine's will? Pa I didn't know Catherine had a will". "I didn't know either but apparently she does" Ben replied.
They heard the front door open and shut. Adam and Joe walk in and over to their brother and father. They notice how worried they were and look at each other.
"What's going on Pa?" asked Joe. "I'm afraid we have trouble boys" said Ben. "What kind of trouble?" asked Adam.
"It concerns Amelia she gotten a copy of her mother's will from Judge Longworth" explained Ben. "Is there anything in the will that concerns Amelia?" asked Adam.
Ben scans it over and was stunned by what it said. "I have to give Amelia up to Martha before her thirteenth birthday".
The boys look at each other shocked. "Pa you're not gonna let Martha take her away are ya?" asked Hoss worriedly. He couldn't imagine life on the Ponderosa without his baby sister and he knew that both Adam and Joe felt the same way.
Amelia was their life and they love her as much as brothers could love their sister. "I want to make it loud and clear that not now or will I ever let anyone take Amelia away but I can't go against Catherine's wishes if this is what she would want" Ben said.
"Pa what makes you think Catherine would've wanted you to do this? Before she died she made you promise that you'll take care of Amelia" said Adam.
"What are you gonna do?" asked Joe. "I'm gonna go talk to Judge Longworth sand figure out if this will is real or not? I got a feeling that this is one of Martha's dirty tricks" said Ben.
He gets up from his desk and walks over to the door. He puts his gun belt and hat on. "While I'm gone I want you boys to keep an eye on Martha and make sure she doesn't say anything to Amelia that'll upset her especially".
After Pa walks out of the door I walk in to see my brothers worrying about something. "Where did Pa go?" I asked them. The boys look at each other.
"He went to town shortcake he'll be back later" said Adam. "Why you ask?" Joe asked. "No reason" I told him "I was just wondering. I'm gonna be out in the barn doing my chores if you need me".
The boys nod and I walk past them to the door then I look back at them again. "Is everything alright?" I asked them suspiciously. I can always tell when something was bothering them they were never very good hiding their feelings even Adam.
"Everything is fine sweetheart don't worry" Hoss assured me. Even though I could tell that everything wasn't fine I didn't want to call them out on it.
If twelve years with living with three brothers I have learned that when they don't want to talk about something then don't pressure them. I smile at them and walk out of the house.
After she walks out the door Joe looks up at his brothers. "I think she can sense something is up" he said. Hoss and Adam look at each other.
"What makes you say that?" asked Hoss. "Probably because we weren't too convincing about everything being fine" said Adam.
"That and because she told me that she had a bad feeling that something bad was gonna happen" explained Joe. "She's usually on the dot with those 'feelings' of hers" said Adam.
"I'm more worried about what is gonna happen if Catherine's will is real. Amelia's been through so much already especially when she believed that she wasn't Pa's daughter. I hate to see what happens if she has to go live with Martha" said Hoss.
"If it happens life here on the Ponderosa isn't gonna be the same again" stated Joe. Hoss and Adam nod in agreement.