Chapter 3: Happy Birthday My Little Girl!
It's been six years since Rachel's death and Jamie is growing into a precocious little girl. Her father and brothers adore her and try to protect her as best they can. For now however the Ponderosa is buzzing with excitement because it is Jamie's eighth birthday. Hop Sing is busying himself in the kitchen making delectable treats for the party that is to take place later in the evening. Hoss and Joe are hanging Chinese lanterns and other decorations while Ben drinks a cup of coffee and reads his newspaper at his desk. He had just sat his coffee cup down again and was focusing on his paper when Jamie cam bounding into the room excitedly wearing her best pink party dress.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" She exclaimed when she saw him.
"Well hello there sweetheart." He said with a smile as he lifted her onto his lap.
"Daddy guess what!" She said with even more excitement.
"What?" He asked with a smile pretending not to know what she was going to say.
"It's my birthday today!" She exclaimed with a huge grin that was missing a couple of teeth.
"Oh really?" He said raising and eyebrow as he looked at her. "Have you been a good little girl."
"Oh yes Daddy I have." She said with all the sincerity she could muster.
"Well then why don't you look in the bottom drawer of my desk." He said nodding his head toward the drawer.
Jamie got very excited and approached the drawer cautiously. When she opened the drawer she saw a plain white box and she removed it from the drawer very carefully. She just looked at the box for a moment then she opened it and saw a brand new doll. It looked just like her with its dark brown hair in curls and big brown eyes like hers and everything. It was the most beautiful doll she had ever seen.
"Do you like her?" Ben asked his daughter already knowing what she would say.
"I love her Daddy thank you!" Jamie exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.
"I'm glad." He said with a chuckle. "Happy Birthday sweetheart." He whispered in her ear as he returned the hug.
Right about then the front door swung open and they heard a familiar voice.
"Where's the birthday girl?" The voice called out.
Ben was the first to look up and see Adam standing there. Before he could say anything Jamie had turned around and seen her big brother.
"Adam!" She exclaimed running into his arms.
"Well don't you look pretty." He said with a smile.
"Thank you." She said with a smile as she hugged her brother.
"Adam I didn't think you would be back until tomorrow morning." Ben said surprised but very glad to see his oldest son.
"How could I miss my favorite little sister's birthday party?" He asked with a smile as he winked at Jamie. "Besides I finished business early and took the first stage back to Virginia City." He said putting the little girl in his arms down and walking over to where his father sat handing him a piece of paper.
"Oh sweetheart why don't you take your new doll up to your room and play I need to talk to Adam for a moment." Ben told his daughter with a smile.
"Ok Daddy." She replied as she slowly made her way up the stairs.
Once she was out of sight Ben turned back to Adam with a huge grin on his face.
"Did you get it?" He asked Adam anxiously.
"Yes, it is in the barn ready and waiting." Adam said with a smile seeing his father's excitement.
"Perfect!" Ben said excited to see his daughter's reaction to her birthday present.
Later that evening after the candles had been blown out, the cake had been cut, and the gifts had been open Ben announced that he had one more surprise for his little girl.
"Will everyone please join me down by barn I have one more gift for the birthday girl." Ben said with a smile as he ushered everyone out the front door and toward the barn.
As all of the guests gathered around the barn Ben disappeared inside leaving his guests to wonder what he was up to. He was only gone a moment when they heard a whinny come from inside the barn then he appeared again with a gorgeous white pony. Everyone let out an audible gasp. As Ben approached his daughter with the pony he could see her eyes getting as wide as silver dollars.
"Do you like him?" Ben asked his daughter who was staring in amazement.
"I love him Daddy! Thank you! Thank you!" Jamie exclaimed excitedly as she threw her arms around her father's neck.
"Now he isn't just from me you know he's from your brothers too." He said with a smile as he looked at his sons.
Jamie ran over to her brothers hugged and thanked them profusely then walked back over to where her father stood still holding the reins of the pony.
"What's his name?" She asked almost nervously.
"Well sweet heart we thought you would like to name him I mean he is yours after all." Ben said with a smile as he handed her the reins.
Her face lit up once again as she approached the horse reins in hand stroked his nose looked at him then happily announced his name.
"His name is Prince Charming." She said with a big grin.
"That's a great name sweetheart." Ben said with a smile.
"How did you come up with that name little one?" Adam asked with a grin.
"Because in all the stories daddy tells me about princesses prince charming rides a white horse." She replied with a satisfied smile. "But we can just call him Prince for short." She added still smiling and stroking the pony's nose.
Ben couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when he saw how happy his little princess was.