A peaceful Breakfast
"Adam! Breakfast is almost ready! Come on down!"
Adam woke up to sunshine beaming through the window and a rumble in the pit of his stomach. Startled at how late in the morning it already was, he swung his feet to the side of the bed intending to get up and ready for the day. Before setting his feet onto the floor, he hesitated. His feet felt fine, a bit stiff, but overall fine. He slowly set them down. Good. Now he carefully tried to put some weight on them. Even better. He had his first sigh in the morning but this one was accompanied by a smile and feelings of relief. He slept like a log after he retired for the night… For the second time. He pushed the thought of his nightly escapade away, rather focusing on how refreshed he felt. Even though his feet felt better, he carefully descended the stairs while Ben was watching his movements like a hawk.
"Are you alright, son? It's not likely for you to be the one who sleeps in when there is a long day of work ahead." Ben took another sip from his coffee turning to the next page in the latest edition of the Territorial Enterprise. Little Joe and Hoss, who were already sitting at the table, looked up from their plates to cast a glance at Adam as well.
"Pa is right, older brother. Little Joe is usually the one ye gotta drag outa bed. Ya feelin' okay?" Hoss added. Their scrutiny displayed a mixture of curiosity and concern. Situations like these were exactly the type Adam wanted to avoid at all cost.
"What? Can a man not sleep in for once?" He intended for it to sound lighthearted but couldn't help the sharpness his deep voice carried. He moved to sit down at the table picking up the cup Hop Sing had already filled with coffee for him. Taking a big sip of the black liquid, Adam could still feel their gazes on him.
"It was just a few long days in the saddle and I was a bit exhausted. I think my body just needed the rest." Adam added to get out of the spotlight. Hoss and Little Joe accepted the explanation immediately as they themselves had to ease down slowly to sit at the table. After the days of cattle driving, their hides were more shaped like a saddle than a saddle itself.
"Understandable, older brother. With old bones like yours you are bound to feel exhausted." Joe taunted with half a mouth full of scrambled eggs, which earned him a sharp "Joseph!" from their father.
The rest of the breakfast went on without any more interruptions. Adam could still feel that his father was eying him out of the corner of his eye from time to time. After Hop Sing cleared the table and Hoss and Joe got up to get to work, Adam wanted to follow suit when his father stopped him.
"Adam, are you sure everything is alright? You went down the stairs so carefully but you had no trouble sitting down, unlike little Joe and Hoss with their raw hides. I also thought about what happened last night when you bumped into me. Were you really just checking where the sound came from?" Ben lowered his head to stare at Adam from under his thick brows. Adam felt like he was 12 again. Ben wasn't finished "As soon as I heard the sound from downstairs, I got up to examine it. If you did the same, you went mighty fast down and up the stairs again." Now Ben crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. Adam had to hand it to his father; He had a keen eye and was quick witted and Adam admired him for it. It was also the reason why it was difficult to hide something from him. But Adam usually managed well.
"Yes, Pa everything is fine… And about last night, I only went to the top of the stairs to look down. It was quiet then and I saw nothing out of the ordinary, so I dismissed the noise I heard." He smiled warmly at his father while draining all the tension from his body, forcing himself to relax. Adam knew that he had to put the guard down to keep the mask on. The smile on his face turned into a genuine one as he thought about all the times his father had figured out one of Joe's many schemes because he was able to read his youngest son like an open book. Ben held the stare a few seconds longer but realizing his oldest wasn't going to crumble beneath his glare, Ben closed his eyes and let a breath slowly out of his nose.
"Fine then. But you tell me if anything is bothering you." Ben said. The dark circles under Adam's eyes and his foul mood didn't go unnoticed. Maybe it's still the Wright trial that's worrying him? Ben pondered.
"If there would be anything, I'd let you know. Now, I'll go to town to fetch the supplies and stop by the post office. Is there anything else you need?" Adam asked, quickly diverting the topic.
"I don't think so." Casting a glance at the clock, Ben added "You should hurry before Hop Sing catches you not getting the supplies." Adam chuckled and muttered something about fury of the dragon before heading towards the door. Knowing his father would still be observing him, he made sure to use fast and long strides on his way to pick up his hat, gun and gun belt. Before he went out of the door, he turned and smiled charmingly at his father while tipping the rim of his black hat.