Two long months later Adam, Joe, Ben, Hoss and all the workers finished the house that was being built for Adam and Maria. The only thing left was to have fire wood stacked in the wood bin Adam made, a fire going in the fire place and Maria at the house.
"Adam, Joe and I will cut the wood," Hoss told him with a smile.
"Okay thanks you two," Adam replied.
"You're welcome," they told him.
"Son, I will start a fire in the fire place with the wood we do have cut, you my son go and get Maria, and also since the house is on Ponderosa land you are still co-owner," Ben told him.
"All right, well I better go and get my wife, Pa, could you also have a bath ready for her, I know she'll want to take a hot bath to get warmed up?" Adam asked.
"Of course son," Ben replied and went inside as Adam got onto Sport and rode to the house to get his wife.
Adam arrived at the house and went inside, "Maria?" Adam called.
Hop Sing came into the room from the kitchen, "Last I knew she out back with Chickens," Hop Sing told him.
"Thanks Hop Sing," Adam replied and went out the back door and started towards the chicken coop. He got half way there and heard what sounded like someone was throwing up. He headed that way and found his wife bent over and throwing up.
He rushed over to her, "Maria, are you okay honey?" Adam asked softly.
"I was until this happened," she replied with a smile.
"What do you think is wrong?" he asked her as he led her over to a bench.
"I'm not sure; I know it's not the flue or anything like that," Maria told him with a sigh.
"Could you be pregnant honey?" Adam asked and she shrugged.
"Not sure; I mean I could be since we have been active in that part," she told him.
"Well, I guess time will tell if you are or not, if you are then I'll have more projects to make," Adam replied with a smile.
She smiled up at him, "what ideas are running through your head now Mr. Cartwright?"
"Well, you will have to find out Mrs. Cartwright, I was also sent here to get you and take you home," Adam told her.
"The house is done?" she asked happily.
"Yes it is my dear, we finished it today and all of us walked around it and Pa even likes it," Adam told her leading her through the house to the horses, "let's ride double."
"Sounds good to me honey," she replied, "hey sport, how's the boy today?" she asked petting sport on the nose.
Adam smiled an helped her onto his horse then got on behind her, "come on boy, let's go home," Adam said and sport headed towards the new house that was built, "don't worry, Joe said he'd bring your horse and all of our stuff over for us later." She didn't answer and he looked down and saw that she fell asleep with her head resting against his chest. He smiled as sport made his way to the house.
They arrived to the house and Hoss, Ben and Joe came out. Hoss slowly took Maria off the horse, "hmm, we home or something?" she asked softly.
"Yes you are sis," Hoss said and she chuckled.
"Oh Hoss, you're such a nice brother," Maria told him making everyone chuckle, "Adam honey would you get water around for a hot bath for me please?"
"I already started some dear," Ben told her as Hoss handed her over to Adam.
"You get to carry your wife into the house Adam," Hoss said and Adam smiled and carried her over the threshold.
He took her in with a smile on his face and her face, he placed her on the floor and she just looked around, "wow, this is a beautiful house so far Adam," Maria told him with a smile.
"You need to see everything, but there's always after your bath, which, follow me and I will show you where to go," Adam told her and she nodded and followed him up the stairs. He opened the one door and she smiled at the site of the bedroom but was kinda confused on why the tub wasn't in there. He smiled and opened another door that was close to the main door to the bedroom.
"Is that a?" was all she could get out as she went into the room and smiled when she saw it was a private bathroom type room, "Oh Adam this is a good surprise."
"I was hoping you'd like it, now my dear I will get the first bucket of water," Adam told her.
"All right, why don't you bring the cast iron bucket hanging in the fire place down stairs up here and put it in that fire place to heat the water?" she asked.
"Sounds good," Adam told her and he, Joe, Hoss and Ben went downstairs.
"Son, do you want me to bring in the other two buckets in for you to get more water for her?" Ben asked.
"If you want Pa," Adam said with a yawn as he stretched to get his muscles in his back from being all tensed up.
"Alright, we'll bring them in then head home," Ben said and Adam nodded.
Ben, Joe and Hoss left the house, "Pa, I think something is majorly wrong or Adam is really concerned about something," Joe spoke softly.
"You noticed that also didn't you?" Ben asked receiving a nod from Joe, "I'll come back tomorrow and have a talk with Adam, maybe if he and Maria are alone things will get settled."
"Maybe," Joe said as he grabbed one of the buckets. Hoss grabbed the other one and they took them inside. Adam heard them enter.
"Thanks," Adam said softly, "just upstairs to the room please."
They nodded and took them upstairs. Ben glanced at Adam, "son, is everything okay?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, why pa?" Adam asked.
"You just seem like something is bothering you," Ben replied.
"Just, Maria and I think she could be pregnant, when I went to go get her from the house she was out back getting eggs for Hop Sing and when I went out there she was bringing everything up," Adam told him, "She says it's not the flu or anything like that. So we're thinking it could be something else."
"Son, if she is then you two will have a beautiful child and I know you will love the two of them a lot son, think of it as a blessing," Ben told him and he nodded.
"I know, I'm just worried since it's getting colder weather and the snow will be coming that if we need to get to a doctor we won't be able to as fast as needed," Adam told him as he sat in front of the fire.
"Son, I know the love in your heart you have for her will get your through any problems that may lie ahead," Ben told him and Adam smiled.
Joe and Hoss came downstairs, "I added the first bucket of water in for you and she's getting ready to get in," Joe told Adam.
"Okay thanks Joe," Adam said.
"You're welcome older brother," Joe replied getting a chuckle from Adam.
"Well, the three of us better head home, Hop Sing probably has supper ready, Adam I noticed some of the workers went and got you food, there's a few chickens out back, a couple cows in the barn, a bull in the other," Ben told him.
"I saw that also," Adam replied.
"Well good night son," Ben said.
"Night Pa, Joe and Hoss," Adam replied.
"Night," Joe and Hoss replied and the three of them left the house to head home.
Adam went upstairs and to where his wife is. He checked the water and it was hot so he took it off the fire and went to the bathroom. Maria was sitting there relaxing and never heard Adam enter. He slowly poured the water into the tub with her.
"Hey," she greeted with a smile.
"Hey honey, how you feeling?" he asked.
"Better, this bath feels really good right now," she told him and he smiled as he filled the bucket with more water from the indoor well he has there in the bathroom.
"I bet it feels good," Adam replied as he placed the bucket on the fire, "how many more do you think you'll need?"
"Maybe one or two is all honey," she replied so he filled the other bucket up with water also and placed it on the fire with the first one.
He went back to the bathroom and sat in a chair he had in there, "Honey, are you sure everything is okay?" he asks his wife.
"Yeah, I'm just tired but this feels really good," she told him and he nodded in reply.
A moment later he gets up and checks the water and they both were to the point of being added to the bath. He took one of them added it in. Then went and got the other one and added that one into the bath also. He slowly undressed in the bedroom after he took the buckets in to place them in front of the fire. He slipped his robe on and then went back to the bathroom.
"Why do you have your robe on honey?" she asked kindly.
He took it off and joined her in the bathtub, "Like the surprise?" he asked.
"I love it honey," she replied and he pulled her closer and kissed her, "God I love you honey."
"I love you too Maria my love," Adam told her in reply as he pulled her even closer to himself.
After a while the water was getting cold so Adam stood up, got out of the tub, picked his wife up and took her to the room where they shared a long night of passion.