Chapter Six
Dawn was breaking over the horizon as the Cartwrights trundled wearily back into their yard. Little Joe had slept nearly the entire way from the mine, waking only once to declare "I will NOT wear a bonnet!" before dropping back into his morphine-induced sleep. Before putting Joe to bed in Hoss's room – Hoss had offered to sleep in the bunkhouse so Joe could be in the house – Ben took him into the washroom, where he and Hoss gave Joe a quick bath to get the caked blood and grime out of his hair. It was a bit complicated as they had to keep his splinted leg propped up on the edge of the tub, and Little Joe was still so dopey from the morphine that he could not hold himself in place and kept flopping all over the bathtub, but they managed to get him clean without drowning him. After pulling a nightshirt over his son's head, Ben carried Joe to Hoss's room and situated him in Hoss's bed, propping his broken leg up on a couple pillows.
Everyone else took turns taking quick baths and then bandaging up each other's cuts and scrapes. They had left the house in such a rush that no one had thought to grab work gloves, so Josie's were not the only gouged-up hands. She sucked air between her clenched teeth as Hoss dabbed the last of her iodine into her palms.
"Hurts, don't it?" he asked with a wicked smile.
"Oh, how the tables have turned," Josie replied.
Though he was every bit as exhausted as the rest of the family, Hop Sing cooked up some bacon, eggs, and biscuits for everyone. It felt a little strange eating breakfast without having gone to bed the night before, but the family was so ravenous by that point that no one cared. Once the breakfast dishes were cleared away, Ben ordered everyone to bed. Josie was disappointed that her mother's last day on the Ponderosa would be spent sleeping, but she did not have the energy to do anything fun anyway, so she and Pip trudged upstairs to Hoss's room. Pip flopped onto the floor while Josie felt Joe's forehead to make sure he was not growing feverish. Satisfied that he was cool, she dropped into the armchair next to the bed.
Josie sat and watched Little Joe sleeping for a time, thanking God that he was safe. She shuddered as she thought how horrible today could have been for the entire family. Though Josie was closest to Adam, she loved all of her cousins and held a special place in her heart for Little Joe. He experienced life more fully than anyone else she knew. Ben and Adam often chastised Joe for his quick temper and his tendency to let his emotions take control of him, but Josie knew Joe could help neither of these. He felt emotions more keenly than other people, and his reactions were, therefore, proportionally stronger. Joe did not experience mild joy or minor sorrow; he was either deliriously happy or unutterably devastated. Josie envied him in a way; Joe lived more in a day than most people did their entire lives. He had such an expressive face, too. Josie had never seen anyone else who had not only the world's brightest smile but also the most heart-wrenching expression of sorrow.
Josie knew she should probably retire to her own bedroom and get some decent sleep, but she could not tear herself away from Joe. Hoss apparently felt the same way because he slipped in the room just then with his arms full of blankets and pillows. He laid a hand on Joe's forehead, too, before making a pallet on the floor for himself on the other side of the room and dozing off. Josie leaned down, kissed Joe's forehead, and hunkered down in the armchair and drifted off.
Adam came in a few minutes later to check on Little Joe and say goodnight – or should it be "good morning"? – to Josie. He smiled when he saw Hoss snoring softly on the floor, his arm encircling Pip like the dog was an overgrown doll, and Josie slumped in the armchair, her head resting on her left fist. He crossed to the bed and checked that Joe's splinted leg was still propped up on its pillows. As he stepped back, he accidentally kicked Josie's foot and woke her up. She blinked sleepily up at him.
"Here," she said, rising from her seat. "You can have the chair."
Adam was about to say that he wasn't staying when he realized that was not true. He remembered telling Little Joe just a couple months ago that the only thing that frightened him was the idea of something terrible happening to someone he loved, and he knew that he would be spending the day right here with his siblings. He smiled as Josie crawled into bed next to Joe, being careful not to jostle his injured leg. Still asleep, Joe nuzzled closer to Josie, who draped her arm across his stomach and fell asleep almost immediately. Adam tucked the quilt around them both, settled himself in the armchair, and dozed off.
Before heading to bed themselves, Hannah, Rachel, and Ben poked their heads in Hoss's room to check on Little Joe. Hannah had to stifle a giggle when she saw Josie cuddled up with Joe, Hoss stretched out to his full length on the floor with Pip, and Adam hunched over in the armchair. It reminded her of her last night on the Ponderosa thirteen years ago when the four cousins had fallen asleep together while Adam read them a story.
"Do they do this often?" Rachel whispered, a note of disapproval in her voice. She felt it entirely inappropriate that her twenty-two-year-old niece was sharing a bed with a twenty-year-old male cousin.
Ben thought back to that last night thirteen years ago, too, as well as to the night after they had found Adam in the desert, the day the younger Cartwrights had brought Ben home after he had been lost in the blizzard, and the fortnight that Josie had been ill. "Only when we've nearly lost each other," he replied.
Rachel's features softened as her memory flashed back to the nights immediately after her mother had died, and she, Elizabeth, and Hannah had slept crammed together in one bed. She moved into the room, laid a hand on Adam's bare forearm, and frowned.
"Adam is cold," she whispered.
Hannah disappeared down the hall. She returned a moment later carrying Elizabeth's quilt, which she had snatched from the foot of Adam's bed. She handed it to Rachel, who smiled at its familiarity and tucked it around her sleeping nephew.
Adam's eyes fluttered but did not fully open. "Thanks, Aunt Hannah," he mumbled, snuggling a little deeper under the quilt.
Rachel shook her head. "Close enough," she muttered. She kissed Adam's forehead and ushered Ben and Hannah out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them.
Josie did not wake up until midafternoon when the morphine she had given Little Joe the night before wore off. Her eyes snapped open when she felt Joe writhing in pain next to her. She propped herself up on her left elbow and leaned over him, turning his face toward her with her right hand.
"Hey," she whispered. "That leg must really hurt."
Joe nodded, his face contorted into a grimace. "Worse than when I was still trapped under that boulder," he groaned. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and Josie rolled out of bed to retrieve her medical bag, when she discovered that Adam had awoken, too, and had already fetched it from her bedroom. Hoss was also next to the bed and was looking down at Little Joe with concern etched on his face.
"He's ok," Josie reassured them. "It's just time for more pain medication." She swung her legs around, sat up on the edge of the bed, and dipped into her medical bag. She extracted a bottle of laudanum and a spoon and asked Hoss to help Joe sit up a bit. When Joe was propped up, Josie poured a large dose of laudanum into the spoon and held it out to him. "This will ease the pain and put you back to sleep for a few more hours. By then, you should be feeling a good deal better."
Little Joe took one whiff of the pungent syrup and turned his face away. "No way am I drinking that stuff," he declared.
"I don't blame you," Adam quipped, very unhelpfully, Josie thought. "It tastes terrible."
"You think everything tastes terrible," Josie retorted. "C'mon, Joe. Down the hatch."
Joe stared despairingly at the goopy, rust-colored liquid quivering on the spoon before him. He half expected it to sprout legs and scurry away like a giant spider. He unequivocally did not want to swallow it, but if it meant he would get some relief from the screaming pain in his leg, it might be worth it. He took the spoon from Josie, drew in a deep breath, and crammed it in his mouth. Adam and Hoss snickered as Joe's whole body contorted in disgust.
"UGH!" Joe gasped as he drew the spoon out of his mouth. His stomach heaved twice, and he thought the laudanum was going to come right back up, but Josie handed him a glass of water, and he drained it in one gulp. "You weren't kidding, Adam!" Joe exclaimed when he came back up for air.
"Told you."
Hoss eased Little Joe back onto his pillows, and the young man was soon asleep once more. Josie waited a few minutes to make sure Joe was really and truly out before turning to Adam.
"Quick, Adam! Let's get that plaster and put a cast on him while he can't fight back."
Adam rubbed his hands together and cackled. "I've always wanted to entomb the boy," he chortled like a Shakespearean villain. Josie giggled as Adam darted from the room to retrieve the plaster from the barn while Hoss lumbered downstairs for a bucket to mix it in.
Within the hour, the three cousins had encased Little Joe's left leg in a thick plaster cast from his knee to the lower half of his foot. Josie had considered stopping the cast at his ankle but decided the broken bone would be better immobilized if his foot could not rotate. When the cast was finished, she, Adam, and Hoss stood back to admire their handiwork.
"He's gonna be mighty cross when he wakes up," Hoss predicted.
Josie waved a hand dismissively. "He's cross about everything anyway. Come on, fellas. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." She turned and led her cousins downstairs toward the enticing smells emanating from the kitchen.
As usual, Hoss was right.
While the family sat at the table eating an early supper, their conversation was interrupted by a scream of horror from upstairs.
"JOSIE!" Little Joe's voice echoed through the house. "What the hell did you do to me?!"
Rachel jumped as if Little Joe's cursing had grown a pair of hands and slapped her, while Adam, Hoss, and Josie broke out laughing.
"I gave him a hefty dose of laudanum, and we put that cast on him while he was sleeping," Josie explained in answer to the puzzled looks she was receiving from Ben, Rachel, and Hannah. "He just discovered it, apparently."
"Yes, apparently," Ben echoed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, he's probably hungry. I'll take him a plate." He piled a plate high with food and started toward the stairs.
"Uncle Ben?" Josie said, stopping him. Ben turned and looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes?"
"Wear your gun."
Everyone laughed as Ben made his way, unarmed, up the stairs with the plate of food. They could tell the instant Ben stepped through the threshold into Hoss's bedroom because they heard Little Joe cry out, "Look what she did to me, Pa!" Even Rachel, who typically should have been chastising the rest of them for eavesdropping, held her breath to hear the interchange between Ben and Joe. Little Joe was so furious that it was difficult to distinguish specific words – polite words, anyway – and Ben's voice rose as he attempted to explain that Josie was ensuring he did not end up crippled for life. His efforts were unsuccessful, and before long, Ben's deep voice had risen and overpowered Joe's as the two stubborn men shouted at each other.
After several minutes of hollering, Ben finally bellowed, "FINE! Lie there and starve!" and stormed back downstairs. He threw himself back down in his seat at the table.
Hannah reached over and plucked a broccoli floret from his hair. "Maybe we should stay on longer," she mused, glancing at Rachel. "I feel terrible leaving tomorrow with Little Joe incapacitated."
Hoss's face lit up. "Hey, yeah!" he exclaimed. "Aunt Hannah, you should stay on until the war's over! I don't mind sleeping in the bunkhouse." Adam and Ben quickly added their agreement.
Josie's heart leapt briefly, but then sank as a realization struck her. "What about Papa?" she asked quietly. "If he gets that leave over the Fourth of July, he won't have anyone to come home to." They had received a telegram from Jacob a week earlier in which he told Hannah there was a possibility of his getting leave over the holiday, and Josie's insides twisted at the thought of her father coming home to an empty house with no one to greet or comfort him.
"Of course, you're right," Hannah said. "Curse this war!" she snarled. "It's left us all with too many difficult decisions. Excuse me, please." She shoved back from the table and stormed upstairs.
Josie sighed and rose to follow her mother, but Rachel stayed her.
"Give her a few moments," Rachel recommended. "Let her collect herself."
Josie obediently sat back down to finish her supper. As soon as she was done, however, she trotted upstairs to comfort her mother. She knocked on the door to Little Joe's room, and when Hannah did not respond, Josie cracked the door and peeked in. The room was empty. She stood there, puzzled, until she heard Hannah's light, tinkling laugh emanating from Hoss's bedroom next door. She crept over to the open door and peered in, staying in the shadows of the hallway so as not to disturb her mother and cousin.
Hannah was sitting in the armchair next to Joe's bed, where Joe was propped up against a stack of pillows and eating the supper Ben had brought him. He had apparently just said something quite funny, because Hannah was still giggling. Josie was relieved to see that Joe now wore a smile, too, as he mopped up the remaining gravy on his plate with a biscuit. Hannah took the now-empty plate from Joe and set it on the nightstand.
"Hop Sing sure can cook," Little Joe sighed contentedly, letting his head drop backward onto his pillow.
"How does your leg feel, sweetheart?" Hannah asked. "Are you still in a lot of pain?"
"Naw, not like I was. Strange how tired I am, though, considering all I've done today is sleep."
Hannah explained that Joe had experienced a traumatic injury, and his body was diverting all its energy to healing, so he would probably feel extra tired for the next couple days. Josie thought how her mother would have made a good doctor herself as she watched Hannah ease Joe down from his seated position, fluffing the pillows before she replaced them under his head.
"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.
"No, thank you, I'm ok."
Hannah turned to leave the room, and Josie was about to dart back downstairs, when Little Joe piped up again.
"Aunt Hannah?"
"Yes?"
Feeling a bit foolish, Little Joe hesitated for a moment. "Would you – I mean, would you mind…" He sighed, frustrated with himself, and finished his thought all in a rush. "Would you sit with me for a little while?"
Hannah smiled fondly at Joe, whose cheeks were reddening with embarrassment over his request. Even grown men needed a bit of mothering now and then, she supposed, especially if their own mothers had been taken from them far too early. "Of course I will, sweetheart," she answered. She turned back into the room and settled down in the armchair once more, drawing it as close to the bedside as she could. She reached out one hand, laid it on Little Joe's forehead, and gently stroked his brow with her thumb in a loving, reassuring gesture Josie remembered well. Even when it was clear Joe was asleep again, Hannah stayed planted in the armchair, and Josie knew she would sit there for some time. Glad that she could share her mother with Little Joe, Josie slipped back downstairs, hoping that there would be dessert on the table when she got there.
There was no dessert, but Josie supposed she should not have expected any given that Hop Sing had been helping dig men out of a mine the previous night. The family retired to the living room with coffee, tea (which Adam declined), and brandy (which Josie declined) and settled in to enjoy their last evening together. After the better part of an hour, Hannah glided downstairs and joined them. No one said a word about her abrupt departure from the supper table, and they all chatted for a time about the cattle drive Ben, Adam, and Hoss would make to San Francisco at the end of the summer.
All too soon, Josie thought, Hannah announced she was going upstairs to finish packing and then go to bed. Rachel agreed that she should do the same, so they all bid goodnight to each other, and Josie followed her mother up the stairs.
Adam watched them disappear down the hall and then turned to his father. "Tomorrow is going to be difficult," he said.
"Yeah," Ben agreed. "Josie will need extra love tomorrow."
"Yeah," Hoss sighed. "Me, too." Adam smiled at his brother; Hoss had just spoken his thoughts exactly. Between having Aunt Hannah there and the lightheartedness Molly had brought into his life, Adam felt like a carefree college student again. His heart had leapt when Hannah had suggested at dinner that she stay longer. Despite the bumps they had had with Rachel, Adam would have loved to have his aunts extend their visit. Even better would have been if Rachel had consented to travel home alone and leave them with only Hannah. The youngest Stoddard sister's presence had been good for all of them, especially Josie and Little Joe. Adam heaved a sigh and headed upstairs to bed.
In Little Joe's bedroom, Josie was helping Hannah pack away the last of her things. Neither woman could think of anything to say, so they worked in silence for some moments. Finally, Hannah turned to Josie.
"I am sorry about supper," she apologized. "I just never imagined I would one day have to choose between my husband and my daughter." She broke into tears and sank onto the bed, weeping into her hands.
Josie flew to Hannah's side and put her arms around her. She took a deep breath and bit her lower lip, but the tears flowed from Josie's eyes as well.
"I should come home with you," Josie whispered.
Hannah's head snapped up, and she glared at Josie with a ferocity Josie had never seen. "Don't say that!" Hannah ordered. "Don't you ever say that again. You are where you were meant to be. Don't ever feel guilty about wanting to live here. Promise me, Josie."
"I promise."
"That's my good girl. Now you get to bed. We have an early morning tomorrow."
Josie kissed her mother goodnight and slipped from the room. Before heading down the hall to her own bedroom, she poked into Hoss's to check on Little Joe one last time. He was still sleeping soundly, so Josie left the room, leaving the door ajar so they could hear if he needed anything in the night.
She retreated to her own bedroom, and as she slipped her nightgown over her head, she heard a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," she called.
The door creaked open, and Adam stepped into the room. He, too, was already dressed for bed and had thrown his dressing gown on over his striped nightshirt. Josie smiled at him as he stepped into the room.
"Thought I'd say goodnight again," he said.
"How redundant of you," Josie replied with a grin.
Adam tilted her chin up so she met his gaze. "You ok, kid?" Josie guessed her eyes must still be red from crying, and she was both touched and annoyed that Adam noticed.
"Yeah," she said, pulling her chin away from his hand. "I will be, anyway."
Adam folded her into his arms, and she rested her cheek against his chest and circled her arms around his waist. He held her for several moments and then said, "All right. If you need anything, you know where to find me." He kissed the top of her head and slid from the room.
Josie blew out her oil lamp and crawled under the covers. It was the twenty-ninth of May, and summer was coming on fast. The breeze wafting in Josie's open windows was warm and dry, and Josie knew that within the next week she would be storing her heavy quilt in her wardrobe. She closed her eyes and tried to drop off, but her thoughts would not quiet long enough for her to fall asleep; her mind flashed between images of her father in an Army camp and Little Joe lying injured in bed, and she just felt so achingly sad.
After an hour of tossing and turning, she rolled out of bed and crept into the hallway to see if Adam's light was still on. It was not; the little space between the bottom of his door and the floor was dark. From across the hall, she heard her uncle's bed creak as he rolled over in his sleep. She listened for the familiar sound of Hoss's soft snoring before she remembered that he was out in the bunkhouse. Feeling very lonesome, Josie considered waking her mother but decided against it. Hannah had a long, exhausting stagecoach ride ahead of her, and she was already trying to make up for not sleeping last night. That left Little Joe. Hoping he was not still too furious with her over the cast, Josie sidestepped that darn creaky floorboard outside Adam's room and glided into Hoss's.
The moonlight shining through the bedroom window cast its silvery glow on Joe's face, which was smooth and peaceful in restful slumber. Josie was glad; if Joe was sleeping this well, it meant he was not in too much pain from his leg despite not having received a third dose of pain medication. She did not like using opiods like morphine and laudanum on a patient for very long – she had been reading disturbing reports from Army doctors of soldiers becoming addicted to the substances – and she was running low besides. The earthquake had tipped over the medicine cabinet in her clinic, shattering the glass front and smashing nearly every bottle of medicine inside. She would have to stop at the telegraph office when she was in town tomorrow to wire the apothecary in San Francisco to replenish her stocks.
Josie threw back the covers and climbed into bed next to Little Joe. His eyelids, gummy with sleep, split as he felt the mattress shift under Josie's weight, and he turned his head toward her.
"I'm gonna get you back for this cast," he mumbled sleepily.
"Oh yeah? Try and catch me," Josie retorted as she settled her head next to his on the pillow.
Joe grinned at her before a wave of concern washed over his features. "You really think my leg will heal straight?" he asked. Joe had not been able to shake from his mind the image of a local hobo who often begged outside the saloon. The old man had been crippled when he had been thrown from his horse a few years earlier and his broken leg knit itself back together at an odd angle.
"Yes, so long as you listen to me and keep it still for the next couple of weeks."
"Ok."
Little Joe rolled over onto his right side as best he could with the deadweight of the cast on his left leg and wrapped his arms around Josie. She could still detect the light, fresh scent of soap on his skin from his bath, and she found the familiarity of it soothing. She knew she had made the right decision in coming to Joe; he offered comfort without asking questions or offering unsolicited advice.
Suddenly drowsy, Josie murmured goodnight to Little Joe and dropped off to sleep.
When Adam woke the following morning, the rest of the house was silent, so he allowed himself to lie in bed for a few minutes and wake up slowly, enjoying the warm morning sunshine shining through his window and onto his face. A few minutes passed, and he heard the floorboard outside his bedroom creak, and he knew Ben had gotten up. He allowed himself one last full-length stretch and rolled reluctantly out of bed. He pulled on his jeans and a pair of socks, grabbed a shirt and his boots, and wandered into the hallway to knock on Josie's door. He dropped his boots onto the floor next to him and rapped lightly on Josie's door. He stuck his arms through the sleeves of his shirt while he waited, and when he received no answer, he knocked again.
"Josie!" he called. "Time to get up, sleepyhead." He heard a door creak behind him, and he turned to see Josie stumbling bleary-eyed out of Hoss's bedroom. Immediately concerned, Adam asked if Little Joe was all right.
"Yeah, he's fine," Josie said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Just keeping an eye on him?"
"Yeah."
Adam studied Josie thoughtfully. "You should have woken me up if you couldn't sleep," he said at last.
Josie smiled sheepishly; Adam knew her too well. "I didn't want to bother you."
Adam chuckled. "So you decided to bother Joe instead?"
"Yeah, I guess I did," Josie answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
"I support that decision. Joe can always use some extra bothering." Adam ruffled Josie's already tousled black hair and stepped out of the way so she could access her bedroom and get dressed.
Breakfast was subdued. Everyone was sad that Hannah and Rachel were leaving that morning, and they all keenly felt Little Joe's absence from the table; he could have provided some much-needed levity. Joe had pitched a huge fit when Josie told him he could not come into town with them, but he fell silent when Josie reminded him that he had to listen to her if he wanted his leg to heal properly. Josie had not enjoyed ordering him to stay home; she knew how much Little Joe wanted to see Hannah off on the stagecoach, but she could not risk bouncing him around in the wagon all the way to Virginia City and back.
After breakfast, Rachel and Hannah went upstairs to say goodbye to Joe while Adam and Hoss brought the wagon and carriage around. Rachel shook Joe's hand briefly and wished him a speedy recovery, but Hannah bent down and caught him up in a loving hug. She smoothed back his hair a final time – she did so love Little Joe's curls – and kissed his forehead, eliciting a promise from him that he would rest and allow his leg to heal straight and strong. Hannah loved all of her nephews, but it was no secret that she, like Josie, reserved a special fondness for Joe. She had always wanted to give Josie a younger brother or sister, but despite their most valiant attempts, Jacob and Hannah had been unable to produce any other children besides Josie. From the first day Hannah had met Little Joe when he was not quite eight years old, the curly-headed puck with the devilish grin and dancing green eyes had captured her affections, and they were his to keep.
Hoss and Adam loaded Rachel's and Hannah's trunks into the back of the wagon while Ben saddled Buck. All too soon, everyone was ready to go, and the Cartwrights rolled out of the yard toward town. Josie and Hannah sat silently next to each other in the backseat of the carriage. Hannah seemed to be trying to memorize the landscape, while Josie simply stared at the back of Adam's head as he chatted with Rachel in the front.
As they rolled into town, the Cartwrights got their first look at the damage the earthquake had caused to Virginia City. The sign over Widow Hawkins' boardinghouse had fallen and was now propped up against the front of the building. Adam was relieved to see that apart from a broken window, Molly's shop appeared not to have taken any damage, but he flinched as they pass the schoolhouse – rather, where the schoolhouse used to be. Rickety to begin with – Adam had spoken out strongly against the flimsy building design the school board had opted to use when they built the school three years earlier – the entire building had collapsed in on itself and now lay in a pile of rubble. Desks jutted up out of the ruins like tombstones, and Adam thanked God that the earthquake had not struck during school hours.
They pulled to a stop in front of the stagecoach depot, and from out of nowhere, Simon appeared at the side of the carriage to help Josie and Hannah down from their seats.
"Simon!" Josie exclaimed as he lifted her by the waist and set her on the dusty street. "What are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd come see your mother and aunt off," he explained as he took Hannah's hand and helped her step down.
"That was very kind of you, Simon," Hannah said, beaming at him.
"Yes, it was," Rachel chimed in. "It is comforting to know that Josephine is surrounded by such thoughtful people as yourself."
Simon turned and smiled smugly at Josie. He thought it was downright hilarious how much Josie's stern aunt approved of him, and he teased Josie about it to no end. She poked her tongue out at him when Rachel turned away, and Simon responded by wiggling his eyebrows at her. Adam smiled as he watched the interchange between the two, and he was grateful to Simon for making Josie smile this morning.
While they waited for the stagecoach to arrive, Rachel reiterated her offer to Simon to stake him in a furniture business if he chose to pursue the craft, and Simon surprised everyone by accepting and promising to draw up a business plan to send to her. Adam snorted with swallowed laughter when Simon then turned to him and whispered, "Adam, how do you write a business plan?"
Sheriff Coffee and Widow Hawkins joined the party just as the stagecoach arrived, and they both wished Hannah, and especially Rachel, a fond farewell. The lawman wore a hangdog expression, and Josie was certain she saw his eyes well up as he kissed Rachel's cheek. Widow Hawkins made no attempt to contain her emotions and fell sobbing into Rachel's arms.
"Oh, Rachel, I sure am going to miss you!" Clementine bawled. "It's been so lovely 'aving a real lady around."
Rachel clung to the widow for several moments before she stepped back. "I shall miss you, too, Clementine. You must come visit me in Boston."
"Oh, I will!" Clementine cried. "You can count on that."
Ben pretended to sneeze into his handkerchief so no one could see the huge grin that was spreading across his face at the thought of Virginia City being Widow Hawkins-free for a few months.
"And in the meantime, I'll take good care of Ducky 'ere for you," Clementine finished, reaching over and tweaking Ben's cheek, wiping the grin right off of his face.
Rachel bid goodbye to Ben, Hoss, and Adam, and then turned to Josie. Aunt and niece stared at each other for a time before Rachel folded Josie into her arms.
"Take care of them, Josephine," Rachel said, and Josie understood that she was referring to the entire town.
"Yes, ma'am," Josie replied.
As Rachel broke away from Josie, she slipped a scrap of paper into her niece's hand. Josie glanced at Rachel quizzically, but Rachel merely shook her head, so Josie crammed the paper into her dress pocket to look at later.
As Josie said goodbye to Rachel, Simon extended his hand to Hannah, but she drew him into a hug instead. She kissed his cheek as she drew back and held him at arms' length.
"Now, Simon," she said, looking directly into the young man's brown eyes, which were half-shrouded by his unruly blond hair, "my husband can be difficult to reach as he's always moving about with the Army. It could take a couple months to get a reply from him all the way out here if he's unable to reach a telegraph office, so if you ever have any questions you would need to ask him, you may address them to Ben. He can answer in my husband's stead."
Simon stared at her for several seconds before comprehension dawned on him, and his fair cheeks flushed bright scarlet. Josie was still saying goodbye to Rachel and did not overhear her mother's instructions to Simon, but Adam did, and he almost laughed aloud as Simon's blush spread all the way to his collarbone. His laughter, however, died on his lips and his expression darkened as he, too, understood the implication of Hannah's instructions.
Hannah had already hugged Ben, Hoss, and Adam, and now she stayed a few paces back and studied Josie, taking in all the changes the past two years had wrought on her only child so she could tell Jacob all about them in her next letter. Hannah and Josie smiled sadly at one another for a moment before they rushed into each other's arms. Silent tears coursed down both their faces as mother and daughter clung to one another.
"Please come back soon, Mama," Josie whispered.
"Next time, I'll bring your father," Hannah promised.
"I love you, Mama."
"I love you, too, darling. Be good for your uncle."
Hannah did not want to put either of them through a prolonged goodbye, so she let go of Josie, patted her cheek a final time, and boarded the stagecoach. Josie had done a good job of keeping herself together, but as the stagecoach rolled away and Hannah gave them a final wave out the window, Josie's face crumpled, and she broke down. She spun around toward her family, and Adam opened his arms wide to her. Josie, however, raced right past him, threw herself at Simon, and bawled into his shirtfront. Simon was about Adam's height but not nearly as broad, lanky even, so Josie had less shirtfront to cry into than she would have with Adam, but at that moment, all that mattered were Simon's strong arms wrapped around her. Adam stood flummoxed, arms still open for the hug that never came. His features rearranged themselves from his "comforting older brother" expression into a look of sheer abandonment. He looked so lost and helpless that Hoss wrapped his arms around Adam in the world's largest bear hug.
"Hoss!" Adam croaked as the large man slowly and unwittingly squeezed the air from his lungs. "What are you doing?!"
Hoss replied but did not release his brother. "Sorry, Adam. Just looked like you needed it."
"That was very thoughtful of you, but I can't breathe."
"Oh! Sorry." Hoss let go of Adam, who sucked in a lungful of air and massaged his ribs. He looked over and saw Josie still clutching Simon, and his previous gratitude toward Simon instantly evolved into irritation. He stalked over and tapped Josie on the shoulder.
"Come on, Josie," he said. "Let's go home."
Josie gave Simon a salty kiss on the lips and nodded at his promise to call on her the next day. She pried herself away and shifted to Adam, who put his arm around her shoulders, smirked at Simon, and led Josie to the waiting buckboard. He did not expect Josie would want to ride home in the nearly empty surrey carriage; the vacant space left by her mother would have tormented her all the way home. Instead, he lifted her into the buckboard seat and climbed in next to her, leaving Hoss to drive the carriage.
As Josie sat down, the paper Rachel had slipped her crinkled in her pocket, as if reminding her of its presence. Josie drew it out and unfolded it. She stared at it for several long seconds before bursting into a fresh round of sobs. Adam threaded his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest as he took the paper from her. His eyes welled up, too, as he read what Rachel had written there:
My dearest Josephine,
You have always been more than enough.
I love you.
Rachel
Adam refolded the paper and handed it back to Josie, who crammed it in her pocket once more. Keeping his arm around her, Adam gathered up the lines, clucked to the horses, and headed for home.