A Hold on a Cartwright's Heart
I do not own Bonanza or any of the characters, except for Amanda and Mason, they are mine. Adam is 32, Hoss is 27, and Joe is 20. No copyright infringement is intended this is just written for fun and pure enjoyment of the reader
Chapter Seven: Ambushed
"That's the last of it," Amanda said coming in the house with a small carpet bag, "phew what a work out, I haven't done that much work since Mason started walking." Ben took the bag from her and brought it to the guest bedroom that Mason and Amanda now occupied.
"Well you just sit down and I'll have Hop Sing bring you some tea," Ben said coming back out of the room. "then you and I and Mason can go into town."
"Thank you," Amanda said sitting down on the settee, "tea sounds real good, right now." Ben walked into the kitchen and was back a couple seconds later with Mason on his heels. Ben sat down in his chair and immediately Mason climbed up in his lap.
"Mason," Amanda scolded, "you should have asked first." Mason looked up into Ben's face, apology written all over his face.
"Sorry," Mason said starting to climb down off of Ben's lap, but was quickly grabbed by Ben. Ben set him back in his lap.
"It's alright," Ben said holding the boys hands in his own, "I love having little boys sit in my lap, Joe use to do it all the time." Mason gave Ben a weird look, looked at Amanda and then back at Ben.
"Joe was a little boy?" Mason said after a couple more moments of silence. Ben gave a hearty laugh and Amanda giggled.
"Of course, son," Ben said after he recovered "I was a little boy once too."
"Wow," Mason said, and then he turned to Amanda. "Mama was you a little boy too." Again Ben and Amanda laughed.
"No," Amanda said with a smile. "I was a little girl."
"Oh." Mason said smiling back at his mother, he turned back to Ben and asked, "do you know how to play pat a cake?"
"I believe so." Ben said now letting go of the boy's hands. Then the game began, Hop Sing came out and gave Amanda her tea. Laughter filled the house as the game continued, and then Ben stopped the game.
"Well, I think it's high time to start out towards town." Ben said through a laugh. Amanda stood up and picked up Mason.
"Aww Mama," Mason whined, "I was having so much fun." Amanda laughed as she put Mason down. Ben stood up and patted Mason's head.
"I tell you what," Ben said looking down at him, "we can play when we get back, how does that sound." Mason's eyes lit up as he looked up at Ben and he nodded excitedly.
"Come on Mason," Amanda said pushing him towards the bedroom "we need to get our jackets." Mason ran into the room and appeared as quick as he left with two jackets in his hands.
"Thank you, honey," Amanda said taking her jacket from him and putting it on as he put his on. "there may not be snow on the ground, but February still gets awfully cold."
Ben nodded as he was putting on his gun belt.
"That's true," Ben said grabbing his jacket, "stay on the porch as the hands and I hitch up the buckboard."
"Yes sir." Amanda said stepping out the door that Ben was holding open with Mason following close behind. Ben went to the bunkhouse and gathered a couple hands and they set to hitching up the team.
After the team had been hitched up, and Ben had helped Amanda and Mason in the buckboard they were headed to Virginia City. The ride was bumpy, but they were enjoying it with Mason talking about anything and everything, and at the moment he was talking about being a cowboy.
"-then I would ride my horse really fast." Mason was telling them.
"You better not, you could get hurt if you fell off." Amanda said.
"Your mother is right." Ben said. Amanda looked up at Ben and seen that he had a sad, distant look in his eyes for a moment, then the sparkle was back as Mason began talking again.
They were about 7 miles from the house when Ben seen something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly looked to his right and seen two riders advancing on them fast, Amanda seen them too and recognized them as the two men who had killed her husband. This time they weren't wearing masks.
"Ben those are those men." Amanda said her voice starting to get frantic.
"Stay calm and hold on." Ben said. Amanda grabbed Mason tightly as Ben slapped the reins, making the horses run. The riders quickly caught up to them, guns drawn.
"You better stop mister," one of the riders yelled over the sound of hooves and the buckboard. "or I shoot the woman and the boy." Ben decided to oblige to the man's order, he didn't want Amanda or Mason to get hurt. Maybe his boys would come along before anything else happened.
Ben stopped the buckboard and quickly climbed down, literally almost pulling Amanda and Mason down with him. He drew his gun as the two men dismounted from their horses.
"I'd put that away if I were you." The tallest man said threateningly.
"All we want is the money that the woman's husband owed us." The other man said.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Amanda said holding Mason a little closer to her side. "he never told me about owing anybody money."
"Quiet!" the tall man yelled making Amanda whimper and step behind Ben "now like I said before drop that gun." Ben hesitated for a second but then threw his gun down.
A gun shot was heard in the distance and the two men looked up, and Ben seen this as an opportunity to try to save his, Amanda's, and Mason's life.
Ben threw all his weight into the short man who was closest and they both fell to the ground. Ben was on his knees about to get up, when the tallest man had recovered from the shock of Ben doing something and brought his gun down on Ben's head.
The last thing Ben heard before he was lost in the darkness of unconsciousness was Amanda screaming.