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 Thirteen: You Should Know The Answer
Sheriff Roy Coffee stepped out his jail to get a breath of the night air. He could hear the night life in the saloon down the street; all in all it was a pretty quiet night.
He was just about to walk back into the jail, when he heard a horse coming into town. It appeared to be a riderless horse, but the closer it got, he saw there was a little boy riding it.
Roy stepped out in the street, and noticed it was Adam's horse and Mason was on it. He knew instantly that something was wrong. Mason reined Sport to a stop, almost falling off in the process. Roy come up to the boy's side, grabbed him, and put him on the ground.
"What happened, son?" Roy asked kneeling in front of the boy, "Where's Adam?"
"He's with my mama," Mason said, "she's been hurt, Adam told me to come and get you and the doctor." Roy stood back up and took Mason's hand, while hitching up Sport in front of the jail.
"Come on, boy," Roy said, "let's get the doc and you can tell me everything on the way back to the ranch." Mason nodded and walked with Roy down the road towards the doc's office.
Adam was sitting at his father's desk and was in the process of writing sympathetic letters to the two ranch hand's family, explaining what had happened, when he heard a soft moan from the settee.
Adam stood up and almost ran around the settee to get to Amanda who was starting to wake up. Adam sat on the table in front of the settee.
"Amanda?" Adam said reaching out and touching her arm, Amanda flinched back at the touch and opened her eyes, afraid.
"It's just me." Adam said again attempting to touch her. She didn't flinch this time instead tears welled up in her eyes and then she looked around her.
"Mason!" she yelled and bolted straight up. The movement caught Adam off guard but he quickly recovered and grabbed Amanda but the shoulders.
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon," Adam said trying to look in her eyes, "I sent him into town to get the doctor and the sheriff."
"You did what?" Amanda asked frantically, "he's only a little boy, he could get hurt." Amanda threw her legs over the side of the settee and attempted to stand up, but Adam held her in place. He moved onto the settee so he was sitting on the edge.
"I know that," Adam said, "but I wouldn't have sent him if I knew he couldn't do it."
"But he doesn't even know how to ride that well yet." Amanda said starting to calm down.
"Don't worry, he's old enough," Adam said, "and if he didn't make it into town, he knows just to give the reins to the horse, and it'll bring him back here." Amanda sighed heavily, and leaned into Adam.
"He's almost five," Amanda said, "and if you ask him he'll tell you he's old enough to do anything." Amanda gasped and sat back up looking around again.
"Where is he?" Amanda asked, then she looked Adam, "the man where is he?"
"Dead." Adam said flatly. Amanda sighed in relief, but she could tell there was something he wasn't telling her.
"Did you come just in time to shoot him down?" Amanda asked letting Adam wrap his arms around her.
"No," Adam said and then took a long time to continue, "Mason shot him." Amanda pulled away from Adam to look in his eyes to see for sure if it was true. It was.
"My baby killed someone." Amanda whispered horrified.
"He had to or else both of you would have been dead," Adam said, wrapping his arms back around Amanda, "if I had just been a few minutes earlier he wouldn't have had to."
"He must be traumatized." Amanda said into Adam's chest, she tried to hold in her tears but they fell anyway.
"I was too, but I got over it," Adam said stroking her hair, "he will too, I promise."
They sat like this for a while, until Amanda stopped crying. Amanda pulled away and wiped her eyes.
"I hope the baby is ok," Amanda said placing her hand on her stomach, "I did fall on my stomach." Adam placed his hand on her stomach too.
"I hope it is too." Adam said, and then Adam pulled her chin up and smiled at her before kissing her.
"Mason called me daddy," Adam said after he kissed her, "do you know why." Amanda smiled and looked down a little embarrassed.
"We were looking at the stars, and he said if he saw a shooting star he was going to wish for you to be his daddy." Amanda said. When Adam didn't say anything she looked up at Adam.
She had never seen Adam cry, but today she witnessed it herself. He wiped his eyes embarrassed.
"Sorry," Adam said, "I was just thinking I would like to be." Amanda's mouth dropped open.
"Adam," Amanda said, "did you just propose to me?"
"And what if I did?" Adam asked kissing her again. Amanda pulled away from Adam and smiled at him.
"Well you should know the answer." Amanda said. This time she kissed him, she felt him smile as they kissed.
Just then they heard a horse and buggy pulling into the yard, they pulled apart and Adam jumped up.
"Stay here." Adam said heading for the door, he cracked it open and looked out. It was the doc's buggy with Sport tied to the back, followed by Roy, with Mason sitting in front of him on his horse.
Adam walked out to greet them, leaving the door open because he knew Amanda would be right behind him.
"Adam, Amanda," Doc Martin said pulling the reins and stopping the buggy, "are you alright."
Amanda ran up to Roy and grabbed Mason down, hugging him tight.
"Thanks, Roy." Amanda said and walked back into the house, rocking Mason.
"Amanda is worried about her baby," Adam said, "so am I." Doc Martin climbed down from his buggy and grabbed his bag.
"Mason told me what happened," Roy said walking with Adam and Doc to the house, "but I still have to get Amanda's statement." Adam nodded.
"Where are the two ranch hand's and the mystery man's body?" Doc asked.
"I'll show you later," Adam said "I just want to make sure Amanda, Mason, and her baby are going to be alright."
"Right." Doc said. They walked into the house and Adam shut the door behind them.