Chapter 7
Joes recovery was slow but steady. The first week was plagued with set backs and worrying times as Joe struggled to fight the infection invading his body but soon enough and thankfully, he became a total pain n in the butt and it was all Adam and Hoss could do to keep him in bed.
Sam came every day to support Annie in her first big upheaval in married life. Adam and Hoss kept close to the ranch house in case they were needed but for Adam there was additional motive. A certain scruff he used to brand calfs with wearing pretty dresses. His eyes automatically followed her as she went about helping with household chores and fetching meals up to Joe.
~o~
A week into Joes recovery, the girls hovered nervously on the landing.
"Maybe he's forgotten" Sam surmised "he's getting on in years".
"He never forgets" Annie put in miserably.
"Well what can they do?" Sam shrugged "there's nothing they can do".
"Are we quite sure about that" Annie put in anxiously.
They trudged down the hall to their fate and sure enough and on schedule Ben, Adam and Hoss were sitting at Bens desk with two empty chairs reserved for the girls.
"Nothing intimidating here" Sam groaned to herself.
"Take a seat ladies" Ben told them as they descended the stairs.
'Well actually I'd better go, you know I'm not really part of this household and ..."
"Sit down young lady" Ben told Sam sternly.
As she went to sit Sam's eyes met with Adams and he smiled giving her a tiny wink.
"Now first off, Annie" Ben turned to the younger woman "I'm very disappointed".
At the mention of her name tears started to flow.
"I'm sorry" she caved immediately. 'But I was so afraid you'd send her away" she took a hanky from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes as she spoke.
Ben also caved immediately.
"I know it's been hard for you coming to live on a strange farm with only a bunch of grouchy men for company but Annie you need to learn that you can come to us. We're family now" he told her gently.
"I will sir, I promise, and I'll except whatever punishment you lay down because I want to be a good wife to Joe".
"No, we don't punish" Ben told her "this is about talking things out, clearing the air. Besides I think you're the type of person who can govern yourself Annie. I'm very proud of you"
Annie beamed at this sudden praise.
~o~
Ben turned and his face darkened.
"Now as for you," he turned a stern eye on Sam. "Working here under false pretences, picking up a day's pay for a mans work"
"I worked as hard as any man" she told him.
"Harder" Adam said.
"Yes well I'm sure you did but it's hardly the point. What you did was very dangerous. We can't vet every man who comes here to work for us. What if you were out in the fields and they had discovered that you were a girl. There would have been no one to protect you".
"Luckily Hoss took the wise step or having her work up around the ranch house" Adam told him.
"That was lucky" Ben nodded.
~o~
After a moment Ben went on.
"it's not good enough Samantha. You were performing duties that were completely inappropriate for a woman. I mean, am I to believe my cook when he tells me you delivered towels to someone in the bathhouse?".
"No!" Sam and Adam both said together.
"Ben threw a quick glance at his oldest son before continuing.
"That is unseemly behaviour for a woman and I..."
At this point Sam felt the need to interrupt,
"Yes it was unseemly and improper and wrong of me but know that I didn't do any it out of badness sir. And I didn't do it to prove a point either. I have an ageing father with a serious back problem, I have no brothers. I worked our farm myself until that disastrous summer two years back took our crop. Do you think I want to go around in britches with calloused hands mucking out barns. I had to, I had to make money to pay off our debts. I'm sure building up the Ponderosa was difficult sir but at least you could do it. A woman could find herself destitute for want of a good wage in this part of the world".
Her speech brought silence to the room for a moment as everyone thought over what she said.
"Well don't worry so much" Ben told her gently " I plan to keep you on here in some capacity, I don't approve of women doing ranch work but there's plenty of other work around here and it seems Annie can't do without you".
Annie beamed and squeezed Sam's hand under the table.
But Samantha was incensed. She stood and glared at the men in front of her. "I'm not a charity case. I don't need charity. I've handled things up to now and will continue taking care of business. Thank you for the opportunity of working here sir but I must now take my leave, sorry Annie".
Her hand brushed her friends shoulder as she headed for the door.
She stepped out on to the yard and headed to the barn wiping her face as she went. Tears continued to fill her eyes as she slung her saddle over her horse. She couldn't let them just give her money.
~o~
"It's very rude to walk out when people are talking" Adam said as he leaned up against the barn door.
"I don't take charity" she mumbled pulling her saddle strap into place.
"That's what it is, is it when people try to scale that wall you build around yourself Sam".
She looked at him.
"There's no prizes for doing it all yourself Sam, just an empty hearth and a cold heart" he told her.
He reached over and brushed a tear from her face with his thumb.
"I know what you're saying but I don't know how to..."
He suddenly took her in his arms and kissed her lips, gentle at first and as she relented his kiss became deep and passionate.
He pulled away eventually and smiled down at her. His dimples rendering him extremely handsome.
"Now was that so hard" he asked.
"But Adam, it's not proper" she said.
Adam laughed suddenly.
"This from the girl who visits people in the bathhouse".
"Adam" she swatted him.
"You'll never live that down" he grinned.
"Not for years and years".
She looked up at him then as his face had suddenly turned serious.
"Samantha Rose Penderville, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?".
Her smile became ecstatic as he pulled her to him kissing her tenderly.
The End.