Author's Note:

There's not a lot of story progression here, just a few nice moments between Adam and Eula. Thanks for sticking with me this far, I promise another update before too long.

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Eula telegraphed her father to tell him that she was extending her stay once again and not to worry, she was in good hands. She included kind regards from the Cartwrights, but mentioned nothing further. However, as the only child of an abundantly loving marriage, and also her father's "right hand man" as it were, she had little doubt that he was by this time reading between the lines and harbouring some suspicions about her lengthy visit.

She and Adam had kept their distance the past few weeks. He'd spent several days in Virginia City, going from the lawyer's office to the courthouse and back again. He returned cautiously optimistic that the divorce would proceed, as it was easier for a man to obtain a legal dissolution of marriage. But, the parameters within which divorce was acceptable were narrow, and he would not falsely accuse his wife of adultery. Accusations of abuse, on the other hand, did not carry much weight coming from a husband. His greatest hope was that Blythe would agree to ending their marriage, for which he would pay her a great deal if necessary.

Soon enough, branding season rolled around and the ranch was a frenzy of activity with the rounding up of thousands of cow calf pairs. Several days in a row, Hoss and Little Joe had ridden to the eastern pastures collecting strays, but those in the higher elevations still needed to be brought in. Adam, fully recovered and ready for any hard riding that might be called for, planned to head out first thing in the morning. Eula volunteered to come along, leaving Ben and the hands to cover the lower lying areas and the meadows near the lake.

Ben couldn't say whether it was a good idea or not to turn Eula and Adam loose on their own, but he had to acknowledge the fact that Adam was a grown man, one who had earned his father's trust and respect and had to be allowed to make his own decisions. He bade them be careful and sent them cheerfully on their way.

It took seven hours pushing through and over rough country to round up the majority of the stock, and by then the sun was well on its way to setting. It wasn't possible to drive the cattle down the hills in the dark, so they pushed them into a small draw and prepared a camp for the night. Each had their bedroll, as well as some food and coffee in their saddlebags. Adam soon had a small fire crackling and Eula had unsaddled the horses, throwing the saddle blankets down under their own.

"I'm afraid my backside isn't so unbothered by the cold, hard ground as it used to be," she said, unrolling the wool blanket of her bedroll.

Adam grinned, shaking some coffee grounds into the pot and setting it on a stone near the flames. "No, mine neither."

A moment of silence passed, in which Eula gazed into the small flames of the cook fire, seemingly lost in thought.

"Are we getting old, Adam?" she asked at length. "I sure feel it."

Adam sank down on his own bedroll next to hers. "I felt old for a long time, but not anymore."

He reached out and stroked the back of her hand ever so softly.

She smiled sadly at him. "I'm 29 years old, Adam. I'm well on my way to being a spinster. My poor father, he expected me to be married and mother to half a dozen children by now."

Adam looked guiltily down at the rough wool of his bedroll. "I should have asked you to marry me years ago."

"Should have? Adam should has no place when it comes to love. I suppose I should have given up and just fallen in love with someone else."

"But you didn't."

"No. I didn't."

Adam poured them each a cup of coffee, Eula complained good naturedly about what a poor substitute it was for tea, and they sat shoulder to shoulder and watched the sky dim down to twilight.

"I've forgotten how pretty it is up here in the high country," Eula said.

She sighed and leaned her head against Adam, putting down her coffee cup and taking his much larger hand in her own. She ran her fingers over its back, the dark hair there and the working man's knuckles. A faint white scar where he'd been tangled up in some barbed wire ran from the web between his thumb and index finger almost to his wrist. She traced a finger along it in question, he hadn't had it when they'd courted.

"I wish we could stay here forever, always like this."

She looked up at him and saw he was already gazing at her intently. He slipped a finger under her chin and tilted it up, leaning in slowly until there was barely any space between them. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, pausing at the back of his neck.

His eyes searched hers, looking for any sign that she objected. Finding none he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers.

He had kissed her before, when they were younger and courting, but it was never like this. There was so much emotion in it, so much barely restrained passion, that it took Eula's breath away.

When she didn't pull away he deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue tentatively against her lips. Her hands moved to his chest, pushing under his black leather vest. He wrapped his arms around her and slowly laid her back on her bedroll, never once taking his lips from hers.

Eula felt heady with desire, she arched her back and began to fumble with the buttons of Adam's shirt as he kissed his way down to her neck. A soft moan escaped her and then suddenly a rush of cool air covered her where only moments before Adam had.

Opening her eyes just in time to see Adam disentangle himself from her, she sat up and reached for him, but he was already standing.

He gave a frustrated sigh and kicked a rock, sending it sailing into the bushes at the edge of their camp site.

"I'm sorry, I didn't - " Eula began, but he shook his head.

"Don't be sorry, it isn't your fault it's mine."

"What's your fault?" she asked, confused.

"This, between us. I never should have kissed you, it wasn't right. If we hadn't stopped I might have..."

"Might have what?" Eula asked, coming to stand before him.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was still breathing heavily, as was he.

"I might have... I would have, made love to you."

"Would that be such a terrible thing?" she asked, her voice betraying her hurt.

He grabbed her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her again. But this time, the embrace was more platonic. He dropped his head down onto the top of hers, kissing the part in her hair.

"No, it wouldn't have been terrible at all. I'm sure it would have fulfilled every dream and every desire I could possibly imagine. But we can't. Suppose my divorce isn't granted? Suppose I'm to remain a married man? Then what? If I make love to you I'll take something from you, you may not find a husband who would accept you if it ever got out. You may end up pregnant - an unwed mother would be ostracized. It's unfair but that's the way of it. I have to consider you and your future."

"There is no future for me without you," she said simply, looking up at him.

"Nor for me without you. But we must wait, I pray for only a little while longer."

Eula took his face in her hands and brought it down for a tender kiss.

"Oh well," she said breathily. "I've been waiting 15 years, what's a little longer?"

Adam stoked the fire and checked the cattle before settling Eula down under her blanket. He was just preparing to crawl under his own when Eula reached out and snatched it away from him.

"We may be able to go no further, but tonight I intend to sleep in your arms Adam Cartwright."

"Woman, you aren't making this easy on me," he muttered, laying down behind her and throwing his arm over her. But he gave her one more sweet kiss before they drifted off to sleep.

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Before anyone is offended (not least of all myself haha), 29 is certainly no longer considered old, but nearly 200 years ago life expectancy was much shorter, and a woman was thought to be well past youth and particularly child bearing by 30. For Eula not to be wed sometime between 17-22 was fairly unusual. But as we know, the heart wants what it wants, and Eula's heart wants only Adam. I can't say that I blame her :)