Chapter Four
Ben sent everyone to bed right after supper that night. He claimed that they needed the extra rest for the big day ahead of them tomorrow, but everyone knew he was just sick of all the pacing and furniture-rearranging.
"It's too bad my mother couldn't come for the wedding," Josie sighed as she and Molly changed into their nightgowns. "But there's no way she'd get over the Sierra Nevada this time of year."
"I'd love to see your mother again," Molly said. "She's lovely. Reminds me of me own Mam. Adam speaks quite fondly of her."
Josie smiled. "He'll never say so, but he loves the mothering he gets when she's around. Hoss and Joe do, too."
"You can never replace a parent, but there's somethin' to be said for surrogates. Your uncle's been mighty good for Fionn these past two weeks. I haven't seen him this relaxed in years, just knowin' that everythin's taken care of."
Josie smiled. "I should check on him one more time before bed. See if he needs anything." She pulled on her dressing gown, stuck her feet in her new slippers, and zipped downstairs to the guestroom. Fionn answered on her first knock, and Josie slipped into the room. Fionn was poking the fire in the room's little fireplace, and he broke into a wide smile as he turned to Josie. He, too, was in a nightshirt and dressing gown, though his feet boasted only a pair of gray socks.
"Hey, You!" he cheered. "I promise I've been restin'. I only wanted to make sure I wasn't goin' to get cold halfway through the night."
"That's my good patient," Josie said, grinning back at him. "Do you need anything before I go to bed?"
"Just this." Fionn stepped over to the bed and pulled a rectangular package out from under his pillow. He ducked his head as he handed it to Josie. "Little Christmas present." He ran a hand through his hair as Josie accepted the package. "Felt bad givin' it to you in front of everyone since I didn't have anythin' for them."
"Everyone would have understood, Fionn. Besides, Molly gave Adam a gift."
"Yeah, but that's Adam and Molly, isn't it? Everyone understands them. Think it's different with you and me. Wouldn't want anyone misjudgin' my intentions."
"I suppose not." Josie smiled at him again. "Shall I open it now?" Fionn nodded, and Josie tore into the brown paper. Her breath caught as she gazed down at a brand-new copy of Northanger Abbey.
"Meant it to be a birthday gift," Fionn explained. "But the bookseller in San Francisco didn't have it, so I had to send away to New York, and it didn't get here in time."
"You sent all the way to New York for this?"
"Aye." Fionn shifted nervously; Josie was still staring down at the book, her mouth agape. "It's the right one, isn't it? The one you lost? I thought I remembered you sayin' Northanger Abbey was your favorite Austen novel."
Josie nodded, still staring at the beautiful leather-bound volume in her hands. "It is. I was really upset when my copy ended up at the bottom of Lake Tahoe." She opened the cover to the front endpaper. Written in a neat script was "To Josie, from her friend, Fionn O'Connell, Christmas 1863." "Oh, you inscribed it!"
Fionn blushed. "Actually, Molly did it for me. If I'd done it, you'd never be able to read it. Is it – Is it all right, then?"
The words blurred on the page as tears filled Josie's eyes. "Fionn, it's perfect," she whispered. She looked up at him, and as their eyes met, a thousand memories flooded her brain. Fionn, bruised and sore, offering to help Ben with the cattle so Hoss could comfort her after she broke up with Simon. Fionn sweeping her around the dance floor on the Fourth of July. Fionn driving through the night just to bring her a book. Fionn dragging her outside to show her a meteor shower. Fionn comforting her when she received her last letter from Simon. And Fionn, writhing on the Cartwrights' living room floor, wracked with a vicious cough, in those terrible moments when she thought they might lose him. Suddenly, everything made sense. She set the book on the nightstand.
"Fionn," she said, her voice husky and trembling. "Don't misjudge my intentions." She flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips hard against his.
Fionn's whole body stiffened in surprise, his arms flung out to the sides. But as Josie's lips lingered on his, he relaxed, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her tightly against him. As his breathing quickened, he felt the now-familiar fluttering in his chest, and he had to break away from Josie as his cough surfaced. He sat down on the edge of the bed as Josie handed him a glass of water and brushed his hair off his forehead.
"Sorry," he gasped as his lungs settled. "Didn't mean to put a damper on the party."
Josie smiled and refilled his water glass. "It's ok," she whispered.
Fionn looked up at her, his eyes dancing. "I have to ask, Hey, You. That was more than just a friendly kiss, wasn't it?"
Josie couldn't answer. She blushed and gazed down at her slippers, fighting the urge to flee the room.
"I'm not complainin'," Fionn added, another little cough escaping as he chuckled. He pulled a serious face. "But you're not goin' to hit me again, are you?"
Josie giggled, seeing that mischievous twinkle in his eye that she loved so much. She stretched out a hand and caressed his cheek. "No. Never, ever again."
Fionn grinned and stood up, his arms encircling Josie's waist once more. "Good. Because I don't think I could survive a whole courtship at the receivin' end of your fist."
"So we're courting now, are we?" Josie's eyes danced with mischief of their own.
"Oh, I don't know. What do you think?"
"I think you need to kiss me, Fionn. Please kiss me."
Fionn smiled down at Josie for seconds that felt like forever before placing a palm on each side of her face and resting his lips gently against hers. Lightning shot through the pair of them, and Fionn's hands slid down Josie's arms to her waist. He pulled her against him again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The thin layers of pajamas between them left nothing to the imagination, and Josie could feel Fionn's hard length against her belly as he slipped his tongue between her lips. Josie felt a tingling between her legs and pressed herself more tightly against him. Never breaking their kiss, Fionn took a step backward and sat down on the bed, pulling Josie with him. She straddled his lap and was unbuttoning his nightshirt when the sound of footsteps in the living room broke her trance. They broke apart, gasping for breath, Fionn fighting to keep his cough at bay.
"Josie!" Little Joe called from the living room. "Put the lamp out when you come up!"
Still in Fionn's lap, Josie swallowed hard to steady herself. "Ok!" she called back. She dropped her head into Fionn's chest. "I need to go to bed."
"Aye, I think you better." Fionn started to button his nightshirt, but Josie placed her hand on his chest to stop him. Smiling, she reached behind her, took the jar of menthol salve from the nightstand, and massaged a small scoop of it into Fionn's sore side. When she finished, he placed his hands on her waist, lifted her off of him, and set her on the floor. "We should take this slow," he said.
"Yeah," Josie agreed.
Fionn played with Josie's hair. Freed from its usual braid, it hung long and loose over her shoulders. "But there is one thing that can't wait."
"What's that?"
Fionn tilted Josie's chin up so they were making eye contact again. "I love you, Josie," he whispered.
"I love you, too, a chuisle," she replied.
Fionn beamed at Josie's use of his native tongue. "I'll have to teach you to speak Irish," he said. "But that's a good start. Now go to bed before anyone gets curious." He kissed her softly a final time.
Josie smiled and took her book from the nightstand. Reluctant to leave, halfway through the door she turned back. "Merry Christmas, Fionn."
"Happy Christmas, a chuisle."
She smiled and closed the door behind her.
Once in the living room, Josie had to bite her lip to keep from squealing. She clutched her new book to her bosom and shot up the stairs. Molly nearly fell out of bed with surprise when Josie burst into the room.
"Sorry," Josie stage-whispered.
"It's all right," Molly giggled. "I'm so excited about tomorrow I'm ready to burst meself. I love weddings!"
"Yes, the wedding. Of course." Josie nearly choked as she placed her book on her desk and climbed into bed.
"Oh, so Fionn gave you the book!" Molly said, smiling. "Do you like it, then?"
"Very much," Josie said, fighting back the hysterical giggling that threatened to overwhelm her.
"And how is our dear Fionn tonight?"
Josie couldn't stand it any longer. She buried her face in a pillow and dissolved into uncontrollable laughter.
Molly raised an eyebrow but asked no questions. "Goodnight, Josie," she said, blowing out the oil lamp.
Josie gathered herself just long enough to squeak out "'Night, Molly" before bursting into muffled hysterics again.
Adam lay awake listening to Josie laugh in the next room, and he was jealous he wasn't sharing the joke; whatever it was, it must have been hilarious. A cloud crossed his face as he hoped it wasn't about him. Glad as he was that Josie and Molly were so close, he worried sometimes about what stories they might be sharing about him. There were quite a few embarrassing ones from his college years he would rather Molly not hear.
He hoped Molly would come to him. No matter how much he tossed and turned, he just couldn't get comfortable, and having her in his arms helped him to sleep better, especially on nights like tonight when his brain just wouldn't shut up. He wasn't even thinking about anything in particular, but every time he was about to drop off, he'd remember some little thing that needed his attention in the coming days – ordering some new ax heads, calculating how much lumber they'd need to open a new mine in the spring, and asking Josie if she'd mind putting Scout out of commission long enough to breed her to his dapple-gray stallion, Ruckus.
And then there was Molly's engagement ring.
Adam didn't plan to wait very long after Hoss's wedding to propose to Molly, and he got out of bed three times to make sure the ring was still tucked in his suit jacket pocket for the next day. He was grateful that his brother had chosen Ben to be his best man. Adam couldn't imagine the anxiety he'd be going through right now if he were responsible for two rings that he to be careful not to mix up.
Around twelve-thirty, he gave up trying to sleep and decided to go downstairs and see if there was any hot chocolate left. Josie and Hop Sing had made up a huge batch in a cauldron that was only slightly smaller than a bathtub; maybe something hot would settle him down. He poked his head in Josie's room on the off chance that either she or Molly was awake – he wanted some company, and he was feeling less picky as to who joined him – but both young ladies were sound asleep, haloes of hair sprayed across their pillows. He closed Josie's door and stood in the hallway for a moment, just listening, hoping to hear signs of life from any of the other bedrooms, but for once, all was quiet on the Ponderosa. He heaved a quiet sigh and trudged downstairs.
When his feet hit the first floor, it occurred to Adam that Fionn might yet be awake. He tiptoed over to the guestroom and pressed his ear to the door. He heard a small cough, but otherwise, Fionn was still, too. Adam gave up and slogged into the kitchen. To his delight, the cauldron was still a third full of hot chocolate. The liquid was now lukewarm, so Adam ladled some into a smaller pot and lit the stove. While the stove heated, he returned to the living room and prodded the fire back to life.
He was just about to check on his hot chocolate when a creak from the staircase landing drew his attention. He looked up and saw Hoss standing there in his dressing gown and slippers.
"Oh, hey Adam," he said as he descended the second flight to the living-room floor. "Didn't think anyone else was up."
"I didn't wake you, did I?" Adam asked.
"Naw, I wasn't asleep."
"Yeah, that's me, too. You want some hot chocolate?"
Hoss broke into a grin and nodded, and Adam returned to the kitchen to add some more hot chocolate to the pot. When he returned to the living room a few minutes later with two steaming mugs, Hoss was sitting in Ben's armchair and staring into the fire. He jumped when Adam came up behind him. Adam set Hoss's mug on the coffee table and settled himself on the settee. For several moments, neither brother spoke as they sipped their hot chocolate. Adam could have sat there all night, but Hoss was too sociable to let the silence linger.
"You believe it, Adam? My last night in this ol' house, and I can't sleep a wink."
"I believe it." Adam took another sip of his hot chocolate and smiled. Josie and Hop Sing sure could make a fine beverage. "They should go into business together," he muttered.
"What's that?"
"Nothing. Besides, it's not your last night here, Hoss. I'm sure you – and Patience – will end up here once in a while."
"Won't be the same."
"No, I suppose not."
They relapsed into silence until they heard a bedroom door creak open upstairs. They held their breath, hoping that they hadn't woken their father. They exhaled in unison when Little Joe appeared at the top of the stairs a few seconds later.
"Oh, hey fellas," Joe said, coming down to them.
"We didn't wake you, did we?" Hoss asked.
"I'd say yes, but that would imply I'd been asleep," Joe grumbled. "No, you didn't wake me." He plopped onto the sofa next to Adam and glanced at his brother's nearly empty mug of hot chocolate. "Hey, do you think I could-"
"Yep," Adam said, rising to his feet and returning to the kitchen to heat up some more hot chocolate. Little Joe immediately scooted into the warm space Adam left behind.
Ten minutes later, all three brothers were sipping hot chocolate – Adam had refilled his and Hoss's mugs. He marveled at how quiet they all were and realized that this was probably the first time since Little Joe's birth that the three of them had managed to be together in the same room without raising a ruckus.
"So this is it," Little Joe said as he gazed into the fire.
"This ain't it, Little Joe," Hoss said. "I'm sure Patience and me'll be here plenty."
Adam smiled.
"Yeah, but it won't be the same," Joe said.
"No, not quite," Hoss agreed.
They all tried to think of something to say but came up short, so after a few minutes, Adam pulled out the checkerboard. They took turns playing, and no one's strategy was up to par that night, but it passed the time. Sometime around three o'clock, Little Joe curled up on his end of the settee and dozed off. Eventually, Hoss followed suit, dropping his head over the back of the armchair, but Adam sat awake almost until dawn, watching his little brothers sleep.
Josie and Molly woke before anyone else the next morning. Too excited to sleep any longer, the young ladies bounced out of bed at five o'clock and tiptoed downstairs to make breakfast. This was, of course, typically Hop Sing's job, but Molly had insisted on gifting Hop Sing with a morning off, saying it was the least she could do to repay him for all the meals he'd fed her and Fionn during their stay. When they reached the staircase landing, they noticed the three figures in the living room. Hoss was slumped over in Ben's armchair and snoring softly and Little Joe was stretched out on the settee, his stockinged feet propped up on Adam's lap. Adam's head was resting on his fist, his elbow on the armrest of the sofa. A half-finished game of checkers sat on the board between him and Hoss.
Smiling, Josie finished her descent and gave Hoss's shoulder a little shake.
"Wakie, wakie, Biggest Brother," she whispered.
Hoss snorted and snapped awake. He glanced around the living room, confused, until he remembered where he was and why.
"Musta dozed off," he mumbled.
"Go up to bed," Josie told him. "I'll wake you when breakfast's ready."
Hoss heaved himself to his feet and lumbered upstairs. Josie shook her head. The bags under Hoss's eyes announced his lack of sleep, and Josie hoped he wouldn't be groggy through his own wedding that afternoon. She turned to wake Adam, but Molly was already leaning over him, giving him a soft kiss.
Adam jerked awake but smiled at Molly. "Now there's an alarm clock I could get used to," he muttered. He blinked and looked around, giving Josie a little wave. "What time is it?"
"Five," Molly answered. "Go up to bed and sleep a little longer. Josie and I are makin' breakfast."
Adam nodded, gave Molly another kiss, and stood up, sliding his legs out from under Joe's feet.
"Ain't no school today, Pa, it's a holiday," Little Joe whined as he rolled over.
Adam considered leaving Joe on the sofa but shook his brother's shoulder anyway. "Don't have to go to school, little buddy. Just go up to bed."
Joe sat up and rubbed his eyes with one fist. "Right. Bed." He grabbed Adam's proffered hand and let his older brother pull him to his feet.
Josie and Molly shook their heads as the brothers trudged up the stairs.
"Come on, we better get this breakfast started," Molly said, and she led the way into the kitchen.
Molly had planned out a traditional Irish breakfast, bringing over the necessary ingredients the last time Adam had run her out to her house, and they were all laid out on the kitchen counter. There were mushrooms, tomatoes, suet, oatmeal, brown bread, and a jar containing a liquid that Josie knew only too well. Her eyebrows shot up.
"Molly, is this blood?!" She softened her voice at the last moment, lest she wake the entire house.
Molly laughed. "Of course! You can't have black puddin' without pig's blood! Now hand me the suet, would you please?"
Josie handed it over and busied herself chopping mushrooms; the less she knew about what else went into the black pudding, the better.
"Black puddin' is Fionn's favorite," Molly mentioned. "He'd eat it every day if he could!"
Josie briefly reassessed her feelings for Fionn.
It was a good thing Josie and Molly had risen early, because they were only just finishing when Ben came downstairs. Still clad in his dressing gown and slippers, he dropped into his chair at the head of the dining-room table and rubbed his eyes.
"Morning, Uncle Ben!" Josie chirped. She kissed his cheek and poured him a cup of coffee. "Sleep well?"
"Good morning, Josephine." Ben managed a weak smile. "And no, I didn't. Just as I was about to drift off, I realized it was the last night I'd have all my children under my roof, and I lay awake until three."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Josie was instantly ashamed of her selfishness. Once she'd quit giggling over Fionn last night, she'd dropped right off to sleep with nary a thought about Hoss.
Ben patted her hand. "It's all right, my dear. Nothing you could have done. Every father goes through this, I suppose."
As he had done so often recently, Jacob marched through Josie's mind. "Yeah, I guess so," she said. Still burning with shame, she set the coffee pot on the table and darted upstairs to wake her brothers.
Adam and Hoss woke up easily, but Josie had to jump up and down on the foot of Little Joe's bed until the shockwaves rolled him onto the floor. By the time Josie finally reemerged on the first floor with her brothers in tow, Fionn had wandered out to the dining room and eaten his way through nearly half of the black pudding.
"Oh, Molly, you are too good to your baby brother," he gushed as he slipped another slice of pudding onto his plate.
"This is good, Molly," Ben said, holding a bit of pudding up on the end of his fork for inspection.
"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. It's an Irish specialty," Molly replied. She poured Adam a cup of coffee and kissed his forehead. "Josie, would you like some?"
"No thanks, Molly. I'll stick to the white pudding."
Hoss didn't have his usual appetite, but everyone else sang the praises of Molly's breakfast. Apart from the black pudding, Josie enjoyed it all: there was white pudding (made without pig's blood), Irish sausage that Molly and Fionn called "bangers," bacon, beans, and brown bread with fresh butter. The family lingered over breakfast, none of them wanting this last meal together to end, and all of them too full to move anyway. At last, Fionn stretched his arms over his head and spoke up.
"Supposin' we should head home, Molly. Have to get on proper clothes for this weddin'."
Molly sighed and cast a longing look at Adam. "Yes, I suppose we should." She rose and began to clear the dishes from the table.
"We'll get those, Molly," Little Joe said. "Got some time to kill this morning anyway. You two go on home for a few hours."
Molly thanked him, and Joe, Adam, Josie, and Hoss took over clearing up the dishes and headed into the kitchen to start washing them. Molly headed upstairs to gather her things from Josie's room, and Fionn found himself alone in the dining room with Ben.
"You need help getting your things together, Fionn?" Ben asked as he poured himself one last cup of coffee.
Fionn shifted in his seat. "No, sir. Thank you, sir. Excuse me, please." He popped out of his chair, took two steps toward the guestroom, and turned back around. "Actually, sir, I suppose I should tell you something." Ben raised an eyebrow as he sipped his coffee. "Remember that conversation we had in your barn a few months back about lettin' Josie make the first move?"
Ben nodded, his eyebrow rising a little higher.
"Well, she did, sir."
Ben set his coffee cup on its saucer. "Are you sure, son? I'd hate to see you misunderstanding something again and both of you ending up hurt."
"Oh, I'm sure, Mr. Cartwright. She was quite clear."
Ben's stomach jumped. "How clear?" he asked gruffly. He set his palms on the table in preparation to stand.
"Oh, not that clear, sir!" Fionn said, shrinking back a little. "But we had a whole conversation about the matter, and we understand each other."
Ben settled back down in his chair and resumed sipping his coffee.
"So is it all right, sir? If I court her?"
A smile finally broke through Ben's grumpy expression, and he rose from his seat and shook Fionn's hand. "Of course it is, son. Fine with me, at least, but there's one more person you should probably ask." He jerked his head toward the kitchen.
Fionn grinned, his dark eyes shining. "Aye, sir, I'll do that. Adam owes me anyway." He scampered into the kitchen, leaving Ben wondering what in the world he had meant.