All’s Fair…
This is my first fanfic attempt. Though I'm really more of an Adam fan, I thought in deference to the majority of LJ fans, I'd make him the center of my first offering. This is just a short little story -- part comedy, part love story. Hope you enjoy...
Joe Cartwright needed a break. He’d been dancing his boots off all evening and his throat burned with thirst. Escorting the lovely Abigail Woodhouse back to her parents, he gave a courtly little bow, asked her with a wink to save a reel for him and headed for the punch table set up in a corner of the Anderson barn. He’d downed two cups, filled a third and was lifting it to his lips when he spied her. Breathtakingly beautiful, she had rich, honey colored hair which flowed in gentle waves around her shoulders and down her back. Even from a distance, Joe could make out her exquisite features; the heart shaped face, the brows that arched like dove wings over sparkling blue eyes, the almost-perfect nose with just the tiniest tilt at the end, the pink lips curved now in the most delightful smile as she looked up at…Adam.
Dadburnit! Joe frowned. Trust his dapper older brother to have spotted her first. Ah, well, it wouldn’t be the first time he and Adam had squared off over the same woman. Determinedly, Joe set the cup down on the table and moved towards his brother in a deceptively casual swagger. Though barn dances were typically a fairly casual gathering, Joe was glad he’d decided to dress up a bit for this one. He knew the gray suit trousers showed off his long legs and the white shirt accentuated his dark skin. The black tie added a genteel touch, particularly since most of the men seemed to have opted not to wear a tie at all. Fixing his most charming grin on his boyishly handsome face, Joe stopped before Adam and the enchanting stranger.
"Hey, Big Brother," he said warmly, but his eyes were gazing into the woman’s as he spoke. "Who is this beautiful young lady whose attention you’re taking?" His hazel eyes glowed as he took her slender white hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, pressing the gentlest of kisses to its back before reluctantly releasing it. He was pleased to note the sudden blush of color that rose to stain her cheeks as she lowered her eyes demurely.
Adam regarded him dourly, but his voice betrayed no malice as he introduced his ever-flirtatious brother to the woman at his side. "Joe, I’d like you to meet Miss Cassandra Ellingson. She is a cousin to Bertie Sims and will be visiting with the Sims’ for a week before traveling on to San Francisco. Miss Ellingson, may I present my youngest brother, Joseph Cartwright. As you can see, he considers himself quite the ladies’ man."
"It’s a pleasure, Mr. Cartwright," she said, inclining her head towards Joe. "Your brother’s been telling me all about your father’s ranch. It sounds quite fabulous."
"Oh, it is, Miss Ellingson, it is," assured Joe, his voice dripping Southern charm. "But, please…call me Joe. When I hear Mr. Cartwright, it makes me feel kind of old. Like my Pa…or Adam here."
Adam bristled and seemed about to retort, but Miss Ellingson laughed and looked merrily up at him.
"Why, Adam’s not a bit old!" she exclaimed. Turning her attention back to Little Joe, she added, "But I’ll be happy to call you Joe, if you’ll call me Cassandra."
"I will. Cassandra’s a lovely name." A more intimate, husky note crept into his voice, making Adam’s eyes narrow. He was quite aware of how practiced Joe was at wooing the ladies and he didn’t appreciate one bit Joe applying his smooth approach on Cassandra. Hearing the band strike up a waltz, he felt a sense of relief. The waltz was a dance for two, so Little Joe would have to seek out a new diversion. But as turned to Cassandra and opened his mouth to speak, Adam was stunned to hear Joe insert quickly, "Would you do me the honor of a dance, lovely Cassandra?"
With an apologetic glance at Adam, Cassandra murmured, "Of course, Joe," and slipped her hand through his proffered arm.
As they danced, Joe smiled down appreciatively at Cassandra and she smiled gaily back. Though he would never tell her so on such short acquaintance, he found the cornflower blue dress she wore quite attractive on her. It emphasized her slender waist, while doing nothing to hide her feminine curves. The rounded neckline edged in lace drew the eye to her delicate throat, where a tiny pulse ticked disarmingly beneath the alabaster skin. Joe thought fleetingly that he’d like nothing better than to press his lips against that pulse, but he reined in his wayward musings and returned his gaze to Cassandra’s liquid blue eyes. Gosh, they were stunning! Almost a turquoise, they brought to mind deep summer skies and quiet mountain pools. You could nearly drown in them, he thought without irony.
When the first waltz led into a second, Joe continued to lead Cassandra about the floor. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked her.
"Oh, indeed," she replied lightly. "In fact, I’ve quite enjoyed my whole stay in Virginia City. I really wasn’t sure what to expect before I arrived here. I’m afraid I envisioned a few desolate shanties and rough-mannered miners, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’m from Chicago, and we tend to think anything this far west must be quite primitive. But your hotel here in town is lovely, you’ve got a theater and several shops, and there are such an interesting mix of people here…including a few rough-mannered miners," she finished teasingly.
Joe chuckled, but before he could respond, he felt a firm tap on his shoulder. Knowing before he looked who he would find standing behind him, Joe reluctantly turned and faced his elder brother.
"May I cut in?" The uninitiated would never have detected the edge of ice in Adam’s polite words, but Joe was quite familiar with the tone.
"Certainly, Big Brother," he replied through gritted teeth, sending a signal of his own to Adam with a flash of his eyes. Offering Cassandra’s hand to his older brother, he dipped his head at her and strode angrily off the floor. Just who did Adam think he was, anyway? There’d be plenty of dances later that Adam could share with Cassandra. What made him think he could step in and interrupt his waltz with her? Catching a glimpse of Hoss standing near the door chuckling over something with Ponderosa hand, Jake Giles, Joe veered in that direction.
"Hey, Joe!" called Hoss, seeing him approach. "Jake here was jist tellin’ me that Web Pearson’s plumb fallin’ head over heels for Agnes Brown. Don’t that beat all? Little bitty Jake and Agnes Brown. Why, she’s gotta be a head taller’n him, and outweigh him by sixty or seventy pounds. Don’t you reckon?"
"Yeah, Hoss, I guess," muttered Little Joe distractedly. He looked back over at the dance floor and craned his neck to see Adam and Cassandra. What he saw didn’t please him. Adam was grinning that wickedly handsome grin of his, bringing out the dimples that women just seemed to swoon over. Danged if he wasn’t holding her a little closer than seemed proper, too.
"What’s got you actin’ all moony, Baby Brother?" boomed Hoss, throwing a meaty paw over Joe’s shoulder. He adored his younger sibling and didn’t care who in the world knew it.
"Ah, Hoss, it’s that Adam," steamed Joe. "The Sims have got a cousin visiting from Chicago, and Adam’s trying to keep her all to himself…as usual."
Standing well over six feet, Hoss craned his neck and easily spotted his older brother dancing with a beautiful blonde woman.
"Ya mean that purty little gal out there dancin’ with him? Shucks, Joe, I can see why Adam’d take a shine to her. She purt’ near lights up this old barn, don’t she?"
"Now don’t you get started," snapped Joe sourly, and Hoss laughed; a deep, rumbling laugh that came up from his belly and spilled out into the stuffy barn air.
"You don’t got to worry about me, Little Joe. I’m too ugly to stand much chance against my two handsome brothers when it comes to women. I’ll just settle for the leftovers…goodness knows you two have left enough broken hearts in this town for little ol’ me to dance with just about anyone I take a shine to."
Grinning in spite of himself, Joe gave Hoss an affectionate slap on the back before turning his attention back to the dancers. The waltz was winding down and he had every intention of stealing the next dance with Cassandra right out from under Adam’s nose.
"Hello, Little Joe," came a twittering voice at his elbow. Joe winced inwardly, but turned a somewhat sickly smile at the girl standing to his right.
"Oh, hello, Susie," he offered weakly. Susie Donner had become the proverbial thorn in his side. Fourteen, she was all gangly limbs and freckled face, and to his chagrin, she had decided she was in love with him. Whenever she saw him, be it in town, at a social, or in church, she zeroed in on him and attached herself like glue to his side.
"Nice dance, ain’t…I mean, "isn’t" it?" She fluttered her stubby lashes at him and smiled her gap-toothed smile.
"Uh, yeah, Susie. It sure is." Or was, he thought. The waltz had ended and Joe watched helplessly as Adam escorted Cassandra over to the punch table. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" he tried, but Susie latched quickly onto his arm.
"Oh, hang on just a second, Joe. I wanted to ask you what you think of my new shoes. Pretty, ain’t they? Oops, I mean aren’t they?" She held a foot out for him to see and turned her ankle to and fro so that he might better admire them.
To Joe, they looked like perfectly ordinary shoes, but his Pa had taught him well, so he gulped down his first response and offered, "Mmmm-hmm. Very nice...shoes." He attempted once again to move away, "Now, if you’ll…"
"Ma says I should only wear them to church and such, but I just had to wear them to the dance. I think they make the best dancin’ shoes…or they will. I ain’t actually danced much yet," Susie let the last word trail off, gazing expectantly up at her idol.
Joe, however, barely heard her. Adam and Cassandra were headed towards the door now, and Cassandra’s musical laughter rode the air as they passed within a few yards of Joe. Feeling a tug at his sleeve, Joe looked back down into Susie’s expectant face.
"You been dancin’ much, Joe?" she asked hopefully, eyes fixed earnestly on his.
With a barely perceptible sigh, Joe answered, "Yes, some. Would you, uh…would you like to dance this one with me?" He knew better than to hope she’d say no, but he wasn’t quite expecting the exuberant, "Sure!", nor the way she snatched hold of his hand and dragged him out to the middle of the room.
Joe later tried to imagine how he would describe Susie’s dancing efforts, and eventually decided that "enthusiastic" was probably the closest he would ever come. She clutched tightly to him and pulled him along wherever her feet skipped and stumbled through the steps, oblivious to the fact that he was supposed to be leading her. He was never more grateful to hear the final strains of a song die away as he was that one. Extricating himself as graciously as he could from her, he muttered a quick, "Thank you for the dance, Susie. Need some air…talk to you later," then ducked away through the crowd before she could catch hold of him again.
Outside, the early summer air was cool, but pleasant enough to be out without a jacket. Adam and Cassandra stood near the corral fence, talking quietly. Adam had his hand at her elbow and was leaning slightly towards her in a way Joe found unnecessarily proprietary. Mustering a grin, Joe called out cheerfully, "Well, hi, Cassandra…Adam. Whew! Needed to get a breath of fresh air…getting kind of stuffy in there. Guess you two must have had the same idea."
If looks could kill, Adam’s would have skewered Joe and left him six feet under, but Cassandra smiled a welcome and replied, "Hello, Joe. Yes, it was stuffy in there. I was getting a bit warm, so Adam was kind enough to escort me outside."
"Well, there’s nothing like a Nevada night to clear the head," asserted Joe, taking his place at Cassandra’s side, opposite Adam. "Of course, I think the Ponderosa has the sweetest air and the most beautiful landscape in the entire Comstock. Perhaps you’ll let me take you out tomorrow to show you our ranch. We could go down by the lake and have a picnic. It’s absolutely beautiful there."
"Why, thank you for the invitation, Joe, but I’m afraid Adam has already invited me on a picnic tomorrow," said Cassandra apologetically.
Joe could gleefully have punched that smug look right off Adam’s face, but instead he managed a suitably disappointed smile and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"Another time, perhaps."
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The following day promised to be an exceptionally lovely one for a picnic. The sun shone brilliantly from an azure sky as a gentle southeasterly breeze kept the temperatures mild. Adam and Joe had scarcely spoken all morning, after Adam had issued a curt threat to Joe before heading up to bed the night before that Cassandra was off-limits and that Joe had best find his entertainment elsewhere.
Adam had the buggy all rigged out and ready to go, picnic basket and throw rug tied securely to the back, when Joe spied him carrying the team’s halters into the barn. With quick, stealthy steps he slipped into the barn’s semi-darkness and watched Adam go into the tack room to put the halters on their pegs. In a flash, Joe was at the door, slamming it quickly shut and sliding the bolt into place.
"Hey!…What the…" Joe heard as he sauntered away. The door rattled on it’s hinges, then followed a loud thud as Adam apparently pounded his fist against it. "Joe! Joe, if you did this, you’re a dead man!…Doggone it, Joseph Francis Cartwright, you open this door!…JOE!"
Laughing delightedly to himself, Joe casually clambered up into the buggy, grabbed up the reins, and with a loud, "Gee-yah!" he slapped the reins on the horses’ backs and rode off with Adam’s muffled yells and curses still faintly audible behind him.
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If anything, Cassandra looked even more lovely than she had the evening before. Her hair was pulled away from her face and tied in back with a green gingham bow that matched exactly the light summer dress she wore. Her face registered surprise, but not disappointment, when she found Joe at the door and not Adam.
"Why, Joe! What a surprise. I was expecting your brother," she said, motioning him into the foyer of the house. Bertie Sims, a pleasantly round, friendly woman who was married to the town milliner appeared behind Cassandra and raised her eyebrows at sight of Little Joe.
"Cassandra, honey, I thought your picnic was with Adam Cartwright. This here is Adam’s brother, Little Joe."
"Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Sims" began Joe. "Adam was supposed to take Cassandra today, but…well, I’m afraid Adam’s a bit under the weather today. I hated for Cassandra to be disappointed, so I’m here to take her myself."
"Oh! Well, I’m sorry to hear that Adam’s feeling poorly. Nothing serious, I hope?" Bertie’s face puckered in concern.
"Oh, no ma’am. I’m sure he’ll be up and around in no time," Joe smiled reassuringly, then turned to Cassandra. "I hope you don’t mind that I’ll be taking you and not Adam."
"Not at all," said Cassandra kindly. "I hope Adam is all right, though. I’m sorry he’s taken ill."
"Well, it’s like I told Mrs. Sims here. I’m sure it’s nothing serious and Adam will be himself again before we know it."
He escorted her to the wagon and gave her a hand up, noting the delicate green slippers that coordinated with her dress. Now those are pretty shoes, he thought to himself with a grin, mentally comparing them with Susie Donner’s frumpy boots.
The team was in fine fettle as Joe drove Cassandra to some of the prettiest spots on the Ponderosa, showing her where the pines dipped down to a grassy meadow alive with wildflowers, and a peaceful grove where a hidden spring spilled forth from mountain rock to form an iridescent waterfall. The cascade splashed down into a shallow pool before meandering away in a crystal clear brook that gurgled tunefully as it ran. They broke for lunch at a small beach along Lake Tahoe, where Joe spread the throw rug on a grassy hillock that tapered down to the pebbly shore.
He found Cassandra to be as equally enchanting a conversationalist as she was a beauty, and he listened enraptured as she told him of her life in Chicago and probed him about his at the Ponderosa. Hop Sing had outdone himself on the lunch. There was a big jar of sweetened tea, crispy fried chicken, thick ham steaks, potato salad, fresh-baked rolls, home-made pickles, and for dessert, both pecan and apple pies. Joe’s only worrisome moment came when Cassandra asked if they might stop by the ranch house after lunch. Adam had made it sound so interesting, she said, and she had hoped to meet his Pa.
"Much as I’d love to show it to you, I really don’t think it’s a good idea today. I mean, what with Adam being sick and all…and Pa and Hoss weren’t feeling too well either…I’d just hate for you to come down with something," he told her hastily.
"Well, mightn’t we just take a drive by the house? I’d truly like to see it," she pleaded.
"Uh, well, see, uh...If Pa or Adam or anyone saw me bring you by, they’d feel obliged to come out and invite you in, you see, and, uh, that probably wouldn’t be good for them…they’re trying to rest up and all, and again, I’d hate for you to end up sick," Joe stammered. "Perhaps there’ll be another opportunity before you leave."
Though she was disappointed, Cassandra seemed to accept this explanation and they continued with their lunch, chatting agreeably about whatever popped into their heads as they feasted on Hop Sing’s delicious fare.
"Goodness! I’m so full, I could pop!" Cassandra laughed, pressing a hand against her slender stomach. "That was wonderful. Please tell Hop Sing I send my compliments."
"I’ll be sure to do that. Hop Sing loves to hear when people appreciate his cooking," grinned Joe. He gathered all the picnic supplies together and stored them safely in the basket, then scooted himself a bit closer to Cassandra on the rug. He took her hand in his larger ones and gazed intently into her eyes. His voice was soft, seductive when he spoke again. "I’ve really enjoyed this time with you, Cassandra. I wish you were going to be in Virginia City longer."
Cassandra’s eyes dropped shyly and her free hand plucked nervously at the folds of her dress. The sweet blush Joe had noticed the night before crept up again to pink her cheeks most becomingly.
"I’ve enjoyed today, too, Joe. Very much," she told him quietly. "You’re already…well, you’re already quite dear to me."
Joe noticed an errant strand of hair fall to touch her face and he brushed it back with his fingertips, then let his fingers slide down her jawline to her chin, lifting her face to look at his before ever-so-slowly lowering his lips to hers. He wanted her to have plenty of time to realize his intentions so that she could stop him if she chose, but she remained still as his mouth descended. Her eyes closed just as his lips first brushed hers, and, satisfied, Joe lightly kissed her, surprised at the sweetness of her mouth. This was a gentle kiss, a learning kiss. When he pulled back from it, his eyes were smoky with passion as they sought hers out intently. Their shimmering blue seemed even more vibrant with the moment and she murmured, "Oh, Joe," as he bent to kiss her once again. His lips were soft and questing and he felt hers move in acquiescence beneath them, urging him to deepen the kiss still further. Her mouth opened to him and he probed its depths with increasing abandon. One hand tangled itself in the silky strands of her hair, cupping her head as his other hand lowered her tenderly to the rug. He stretched out beside her and held her, loving the feminine feel of her and the way she tasted to him. His mouth moved from her lips to press tiny kisses down her chin and onto her throat, where he found that entrancing pulse that had so captivated him at the dance. It was beating much faster now and he heard her small gasp as he kissed her there. Her hands drifted to either side of his face and she pulled him up once again to her lips. They kissed like this for several long moments before she pressed a hand to his chest and pushed him reluctantly back.
"I think we’d better stop, Joe," she offered weakly. "I’m…I’m terribly sorry. I…I didn’t…I didn’t mean to lead you on this way."
To be honest, Joe was glad she’d stopped him when she had. Things were getting carried away and he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to stop if they’d gone on much further. Sitting up and pulling her up with him, he shook his head at her apology and placed two fingers against her kiss-swollen lips.
"No, no. Don’t apologize, Cassie," he said endearingly. "I only meant to kiss you and…well, you were just so sweet. It’s entirely my fault things went as far as they did. Please don’t blame yourself. I’m afraid I wasn’t altogether a gentleman in the matter."
Gratefully, she smiled at him. "Apology accepted, sir," she said with a mock bow of her head.
"Shall we continue our tour of the Ponderosa?" suggested Joe, knowing they both needed to get up and move away from further temptation. At her nod, he rose in one graceful motion and helped her to her feet. Stowing the rug and basket, he assisted her into the buggy and they were on their way.
Though she sat a little closer to him now, they avoided any but the most casual of physical contact for the remainder of the afternoon. Joe drove her to a stand of pine that was being razed to help meet a recent timber contract the Ponderosa had entered into. She watched in fascination as the logging crew worked masterfully to cut the trees so they fell at just the right angle, where other workers would begin the process of shearing off the limbs for disposal or other use. Big, burly men loaded the larger trimmed branches onto huge wagons while still other men measured off the fallen trunk and began cutting it into manageable lengths.
Next Joe drove carefully up a rocky grade to a narrow trail that wound around the side of the mountain. From there, Cassandra could look down into a valley where thousands of head of cattle grazed contentedly in a grassy valley below. Their red coats peppered the luxurious green of the grass as they fed, and Cassandra marveled at the sheer number of them.
"Oh, this is just one of three main herds," explained Joe, finding it difficult to avoid a mildly boasting tone. He added that in a few weeks, they’d round the herds up together, sort out the breeding stock, and begin the arduous task of driving the rest to market.
By this time, the afternoon sun had begun to dip towards the horizon and Joe realized he’d better get a move on if he was going to have Cassandra home before dark. As they drove, their conversation began to lag as disappointment settled in that the day was reaching its end. Joe’s arm had slipped around Cassandra, hugging her lightly to him as they rode, watching the horses’ heads bob in front of them. All too soon they’d pulled up in front of the Sims’ house and it was time to say "good night".
Dusk was just settling over the town, blurring the edges of daylight as Joe walked Cassandra to the door. He saw Bertie peek through the parlor window, then step discreetly away, apparently satisfied that Cassandra had been returned safely. Cassandra took his hand and led him a bit further down the porch, away from the windows and into the shadows, where the prying eyes of curious passers-by would be less likely to see them.
"I had a marvelous time today, Joe," she told him quietly, as his other hand found her free one in the near-darkness.
"Mmm…that makes two of us," he smiled. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her again, deeply, wonderfully. The kiss lasted a long time as her body melted against his, her hands clinging to his broad shoulders for support. Finally, they broke apart, each a little flustered from the intensity of the kiss.
"May I see you again before you leave?" Joe wondered, hoping.
"I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. Why don’t you plan on coming to dinner tomorrow night? I’ll do the cooking, so I’m sure Bertie and Wayne won’t mind."
"It’d be my pleasure," Joe grinned. They strolled back to the front door, and Joe turned to leave. "Good night…Cassie."
"Good night, Little Joe," she said with a fond smile. As he started down the walkway, she called after him. "And, Joe…I’m sorry Adam took ill, but I’m very glad you were the one to take me out today."
He grinned and waved, then fairly leaped aboard the buggy. With a click of his tongue, he urged the horses forward. He didn’t look forward to getting home and facing the wrath not only of Adam, but of Pa, too, he was sure. Adam no doubt had spent the day thinking up ways to get even with him – none of them pleasant. Still, Joe thought dreamily as he rode slowly through the descending darkness, it was worth it. Yep, it certainly was.
*****END****
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