The next morning Maria woke up feeling the warm breeze coming through the window that she guessing Adam opened. She rolled over to greet her husband but found out that he wasn't there. She slowly sat up, pulling the covers close to her body. She slowly climbed out of bed and took her robe off the nail that was next to the bed. She slipped it on and went to where she put her corset and slipped it on. After she had it on the door to the room opened, she turned her head and glanced back seeing Adam standing there with a smile on his face. He went over to her and helped her tie her corset up, he then went to his closet and opened the doors and pulled out a dark brown and light brown day dress. Maria took it and slipped it on allowing Adam to zip her dress for her. After the dress was zipped up she went over to the vanity and did her hair in a braid that was tied at the end with a dark brown ribbon. She then did her make up and hummed softly as she did it shades of brown. A darker brown on her eyes and a lighter shade of brown on her lips.
She turned to look for her dress shoes that went with the dress but Adam was standing there holding them. She smiled as she took them and slipped them on, when she was done Adam pulled her up and into a hug. They kissed for a while.
"Good morning," Maria said with a smile on her face.
"Good morning honey, Hop Sing saved you some breakfast, truth is, we just got done eating before I came up here," Adam told her.
"Why didn't you wake me honey, I would have ate with all of you?" she asked.
"You were comfortable and plus Pa said to let you sleep a little longer," Adam replied.
"Oh okay, well, shall we go downstairs?" she asked and he nodded and lead her downstairs. They went to the table, he pulled a chair out for her and Adam realized that Hoss and Joe were on their seconds.
"Morning sis," Joe greeted with a smile.
"Morning Joe, morning Hoss," Maria greeted back.
"Morning Maria, how did you sleep?" Hoss replied.
"Good to be truthful," Maria replied.
Ben came into the room from the kitchen, "Good morning dear," Ben greeted.
"Morning Pa," Maria replied with a smile, "Hoss, is Shadow still in the barn?"
"Yes she is, why wasn't her saddle removed?" Hoss asked.
"She likes it on and when I got here that night I just allowed her to go into the barn as I ran to the house," Maria replied.
"She's like Cochise, can put herself to bed, he does all the time," Joe spoke.
"Yeah well horses are smart animals, just need to be trained right," Maria said, "now if you want to see something cute wait until I start picking some wild flowers for the vase in mine and Adam's room, Shadow will be right there holding the basket for me."
"Now that'll be cute to see," Joe spoke up with a smile.
"It is," Adam said, "I watched her one day when Maria was picking acorns up to go in a candle holder she was making, Shadow was right there next to Maria holding the basket."
Everyone chuckled and the three at the table finished eating. Maria was eating slowly, she was trying to hide the yawning but a few slipped out.
Ben glanced at Adam who nodded, "Maria honey, go back up to bed for a while, I know the past few days have been hectic and tiring on you," Adam told her softly.
"After I finish eating, I am hungry," Maria told him.
"Okay dear, the three of us kids will be outside working," Adam told her.
"Kids? We're not kids," Joe said.
"You're more of a kid then I am Little Joe," Adam replied getting a chuckle from Maria.
"Well, you won't be saying that if you and Maria had kids," Hoss said getting up from the table since he was done eating.
"You still will be kids to me since you two are younger," Adam said as he put his gun belt on.
"You all will be kids to me no matter what, now get out and go to work on our project, kids," Ben spoke getting chuckles from everyone.
"Yes sir," all three boys said and they all left after Adam gave Maria a kiss.
"Kids will be kids Pa," Maria told Ben with a smile after the boys were out of the house.
"That is true, specially those three kids," Ben said, "Dear, since you look to be done you should head up to bed."
"Okay, good night, again, Pa," Maria said with a smile and made her way up to the room.
"Good Night," Ben replied and went outside. He saw one of his trusted hands standing by the bunk house, "Mike, can you keep an eye on the house, mainly Maria?"
"Yeah sure boss, what's going on?" Mike asked.
"Maria's ex and his friends are trying to get Maria away from Adam and this house," Ben softly replied.
"All right, I'll go inside and sit by the fire and keep that going since it's a colder day," Mike told him.
"Thanks Mike," Ben said as he mounted Buck.
"You're welcome sir," Mike said and went inside. When he got to the fire place he added a couple more logs onto it to keep it going.
Meanwhile Adam was the boss of how his and Maria's house is going to look and be built.
"Joe help Hoss and move that log to the room on this side out more," Adam ordered as he and one of the workers moved a log on their end of the house out some.
"Yeah," Joe called back and they moved it out, "here Adam?"
"Yeah that's good, now, let's get these walls built and put up around that end of the house first, then we'll do this end, then finish the middle, and I'll start on the stairs since I know Maria will want a second story," Adam told everyone and they all nodded and got to work. Ben helped Adam build the stairs.
Quiet a few hours later it was starting to get darker out, "Well Pa, how does the house look so far?" Adam asked since the outside walls were all up.
"Looking good son, tomorrow we'll do the inside, install the stairs and get to work on the top story," Ben told him.
"I have an idea for one thing," Adam said.
"Oh, what's that son?" Ben asked.
"A private bathroom off of our room upstairs and then a small one down on the first floor, before you asked I talked to a few guys in town that make metal tubes and they told me how it'll be able to be done so tomorrow they said they'd come in and figure out where to put the tubes and all," Adam told him.
"Alright, for the well?" Ben asked.
"I have some guys coming in to help dig it and all and then the other guys that make the metal tubes will help me route the water and everything when the time comes," Adam replied.
"Okay, well, let's head home everyone!" Ben called out and Joe, Hoss, Ben and Adam all got onto their horses.
One worker went up to Adam, "Boss, we'll work more into the night since we all have the lanterns around to give us light," he told Adam.
"Okay thank you, here's the plans for the house, please do not rip them, even though I have four copies made of it," Adam told the worker handing him a copy of the floor plans of the house. The worker nodded and watched as the Cartwright family went back home.
"Adam, that is going to be one nice house," Joe told him with a yawn.
"I want the best for my wife and I and any kids that come around in the future," Adam replied.
"Is that why you are making the house a three bedroom?" Hoss asked.
"Yes it is, if any more need to be added on we'll add them on when the time comes," Adam replied with a yawn.
They all arrived home, "Mrs. Cartwright asleep still, she not feel good," Hop Sing told everyone and Adam rushed up to his wife.
"Maria, Maria darling?" Adam called softly.
"I'm awake Adam, just laying here resting," Maria called as she turned the lamp up to make it brighter in the room.
"Hop Sing told us that you're not feeling good, what's wrong dear?" Adam asked her.
"Just my head is bothering me a little and my stomach is upset," Maria told him in reply.
He felt her forehead, "you're not warm."
"Just a headache, I know it's not a sickness, my stomach hurts from not eating much and my head because when I went to lay down I hit my head on the head board," Maria replied.
"Well, let's get you downstairs and get some food in your stomach to stop that from hurting and I know Pa has some pain powder the doctor gave him after Joe was attacked one day," Adam told her and helped her out of bed.
"Yeah, I am hungry," she told him as she put on her robe and wrapped it around her body.
"So am I," Adam said and they both went downstairs.
When they got there Hop Sing was setting the table. Maria sat down on the couch and waited for dinner to get done. She wasn't sure what to talk about or anything.
"Dinner," Hop Sing called. Everyone got up and went to the dinning room. Adam pulled the chair out for her, she sat then the men all sat down.
Hop Sing served everyone then went to the kitchen to clean up some dishes he didn't have time to do as he was making the chicken, corn and mashed potatoes.