The Stormy Present
Book 6 of A HOUSE UNITED series

By Sarah Hendess

Ponderosa Ranch
Nevada Territory
June 1863

A week after the earthquake that caused the cave-in at the Cartwrights' mine, Adam and Josie saddled up their horses and rode out to Molly and Fionn O'Connell's farm. Adam had ridden out two days after the quake to check on Molly, but Josie came along on this excursion to remove the stitches Dr. Martin had used to close the nasty gash Fionn had gotten over his right eye during the cave-in.

There had been no more aftershocks after the trembler that sent rock and dirt raining down on Fionn and Little Joe, and under the clear blue sky of early June, Adam and Josie, accompanied by a cheerful Pip, enjoyed their quiet, two-hour ride out to the O'Connells' farm.

"How long are you going to keep Joe in that cast?" Adam asked when they paused by a small stream to stretch their legs and let the animals drink. It had been only a week since Adam and Hoss had helped Josie encase Joe's broken left leg in plaster, and the youngest Cartwright brother's impatience was already grating on everyone.

Josie lifted the brim of her hat and wiped a line of sweat from her brow. "Probably through the Fourth of July."

Adam let out a low whistle. "He won't like that," he said with a grin.

"Too bad," Josie replied, returning Adam's grin. "I want that leg to heal straight. I'm not taking any chances. I'm afraid he won't be any good for the cattle drive this year. He'll be back in the saddle by August, but he won't be in shape yet for that kind of riding."

"That's all right," Adam said as he stooped down to the stream to refill his canteen. Josie was struck by the sudden urge to nudge his rump with her toe and send him toppling into the cold, clear water, but she resisted. "It's his year to stay home anyway." He stood up and looped his canteen back over his saddle horn. "Come on. Molly's expecting us, which means she'll probably have baked something tasty."

Josie's face lit up at the prospect of goodies; she had a sweet tooth to rival Hoss's. She quickly refilled her own canteen and swung back into Scout's saddle. Adam felt a small surge of triumph as he watched Josie mount up so smoothly. Josie had been such a reluctant rider when she first arrived on the Ponderosa two years ago, and now she rode as if she had been born in the saddle. Adam knew he couldn't take all the credit; Hoss and Little Joe had both spent hours with Josie, coaching and instructing her as they rode along, and Ben had given her the brilliant little Appaloosa mare who had taught Josie nearly as much about riding as any human could have. But Adam liked to think he'd contributed to Josie's success, even if only in a small way. He had, after all, been the one to put her on The General, that patient old gelding, when she first arrived on the ranch.

Though he was anxious to reach Molly, Adam thought the ride with Josie was over all too quickly, and before he knew it, they were trotting into the O'Connells' front yard. Molly and Fionn lived in a squat, one-story cottage nestled in a corner of their 160-acre plot of land on the western shore of Washoe Lake. It was a humble home that bore testament to Fionn and Molly's modest circumstances, but Fionn had sealed it tightly against the elements, and he and Molly had given it a fresh coat of whitewash, so it fairly sparkled in the bright sunlight. As they rode up, they saw Molly sweeping the front porch. Spotting them, she leaned her broom against the front of the house and waved.

Pip ran ahead of Adam and Josie to greet Molly, who welcomed him with an enthusiastic scratch behind the ears. Reaching the porch, Adam slid down from Sport before the horse had come to a full stop, leapt onto the porch, and swung Molly around in a circle before planting an exuberant kiss right on her lips.

"Geez, Adam, I'm right here!" Josie teased as she hopped down from Scout and wrapped both Scout's and Sport's reins around the hitching post.

"Well, you know, Dr. Cartwright, if you're feelin' left out…" Fionn piped up from the doorway. He grinned roguishly at Josie as he spread his arms wide in invitation.

Josie raised one eyebrow at him. "No, thanks. Come on, let's go to the kitchen and get those stitches out of your head."

"And gladly! They've been itchin' something fierce." He turned and beckoned Josie to follow him into the house. Always thrilled to see Fionn, Pip followed Josie inside.

Josie had never been inside the O'Connells' house before, and she smiled as she took in the living room on her way to the kitchen. It was a small room with only a settee and a tiny coffee table, but Josie could sense Molly's touch in the cozy atmosphere that permeated the space. The dark green settee had been recently reupholstered – most likely by Molly herself, Josie surmised – and the floor was worn, but scrubbed, and there was a small red rug in front of the fireplace. Over the fireplace was mounted a shiny black walking stick. It was made from a dark, knobby wood Josie didn't recognize, and it had a heavy-looking rounded head.

"What's the story of that walking stick?" Josie asked Fionn as she followed him past the fireplace toward the kitchen.

Fionn glanced over his shoulder and followed Josie's gaze. He broke into a wide grin, his teeth sparkling. "Oh, that's no walking stick. That's me Da's old shillelagh."

Josie wrinkled her nose, still not understanding. "Did he have a limp?"

Fionn laughed aloud, the joyful sound bouncing off the walls of the small home. His face dropped, however, when he saw Josie scowling at him. "I'm sorry, Dr. Cartwright. I didna mean to laugh at you. It's just that a shillelagh's not a cane, and it's not just a walking stick, either. Here, I'll show you." He skipped around the coffee table and carefully, almost reverently, took the shillelagh down from its brackets. He handed it to Josie, who nearly dropped it. She jumped a little in surprise.

"Goodness, it's heavy!" she exclaimed, resting the polished head of the shillelagh in her palm to test the weight.

"Aye," replied Fionn, his dark eyes twinkling. "That's a loaded stick, that is. The head is filled with lead."

"Why?"

"Does more damage when you hit someone."

"I beg your pardon?!" Josie's eyes went wide.

Fionn smiled softly as he took the shillelagh back from Josie. "It's a weapon. We use these back in Ireland to solve disputes. And me Da certainly knew how to use it." He mimed bringing the shillelagh down on someone's head.

"That's barbaric," Josie replied, her lip curling in disgust.

"It's more civilized than that pistol you've got strapped to your hip, Dr. Cartwright," Fionn retorted, the small smile never leaving his face. He bounced the stick in his hands a few times. "Weapon like this requires you to face your opponent man-to-man." He stepped close enough that Josie could smell his aftershave and make out every freckle on his nose. "You have to be brave enough to look him directly in the eye, knowing that he could strike a killin' blow to you at any moment. And you have to be strong enough – physically and mentally – to bring your club down on his head first. You can't kill him from a distance, and you can't shoot him in the back." His eyes locked on Josie's, and the pair stood and stared at one another for several long moments. Josie felt an urgent heat radiating from Fionn, and she nervously licked her lips as she gazed into his brown eyes. She noticed they had little golden flecks in them, just like Simon's. At the thought of Simon, Josie drew in a sharp breath and stepped back.

"I would never do that," she replied, though whether she was referring to shooting someone in the back or something else entirely, she was uncertain.

Fionn smirked. "You wouldn't," he said as he stepped across to the fireplace and set the shillelagh back on its brackets. "But there are plenty who would."

"Yeah," Josie agreed. "Come on, let's get those stitches out."

"Aye." Fionn led Josie the rest of the way to the kitchen.

Removing the seven stitches from Fionn's brow was the work of only a minute for Josie's practiced hands, and afterward, she and Fionn sat at the small table enjoying glasses of milk and slices of Molly's freshly made apple pie. Josie propped her feet up on Pip, who was lying under the table, and relaxed in Fionn's easy-going presence. She began to think that she must have imagined the heat she had felt in the living room. She and Adam had had a long, hot ride over to the O'Connells', Josie mused silently to herself. Besides, Fionn knew Simon was already courting her.

When Fionn and Josie had finished their pie, Josie stood and stretched.

"Think I'll wander out to the porch and see if Adam and Molly want some pie, too," she said. "Hope I don't interrupt anything." She grinned wickedly at Fionn and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Wait," Fionn said softly. Josie turned around and nearly jumped back in surprise when she saw that he had already risen from his chair and was now standing only inches away. "You're wearin' a bit of pie on your face," he explained. Josie reddened in embarrassment as Fionn snatched her napkin off the table and gently wiped a blot of pie filling from her chin.

"Thanks." She turned once more to leave, but Fionn caught hold of her arm, not hard enough to hurt her, but enough that Josie could feel the insistence in his grip. It was the same urgency she felt from Simon right before he kissed her. Alarmed, Josie tried to wriggle out of Fionn's hold, but the young man wrapped one strong arm around her waist and drew her close against his body. She could feel his swelling arousal as he pressed her to him. Momentarily intrigued by the idea that more than one man found her so attractive, Josie stopped struggling and met Fionn's intense gaze. She almost instantly remembered herself and tried pulling away from Fionn once more, but that split second of mitigation was all the encouragement Fionn needed. Taking Josie's brief lack of resistance as an invitation, Fionn let go of her arm, placed his newly freed hand tenderly against the back of her head, and pressed his lips to hers.

Despite her devotion to Simon, Josie felt a tingle in her spine as the young Irishman kissed her, and for one split second, she kissed him back, but the sensation vanished as just then Adam and Molly stepped, hand-in-hand, into the room.

"Hey, Josie!" Adam called cheerfully as he led Molly around the corner into the kitchen. "I hope you and Fionn left us some-" He cut off abruptly as he spotted Fionn with Josie locked in his embrace, which Josie, whose arms were stiff and straight at her sides, was clearly not returning. "Hey!" Adam shouted. He dropped Molly's hand and lunged forward to rescue Josie from her assailant, but Josie was quicker. Embarrassed and ashamed of herself, she jerked backward out of Fionn's grasp, drew back her right fist as far as her arm would allow, and brought it forward with the strength that only a furious Cartwright could muster.

Adam froze midstride as Josie's fist connected with Fionn's face, and there was a sickening crunch as his nose broke under her knuckles. Fionn howled with pain as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his face, but no one else moved or even seemed to breathe. Adam's eyes grew huge, while Molly's jaw dropped, and Josie stood, panting with rage and cradling her right hand against her ribcage.

Pip moved first. He leapt from his place on the floor and planted himself between his mistress and Fionn, the hair on his back bristling. Though he did not growl at the young man he had previously considered a friend, the message was clear: come near Josie again, and I'll rip you to shreds.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Josie's eyes widened in horror at what she had just done, and she lurched toward Fionn, her left hand stretched toward him as she continued to cradle her injured right hand.

"Fionn!" Josie cried. "I am so sorry. I can't believe I just-" She broke off as Adam, refusing to let Josie get within arm's reach of Fionn again, caught hold of her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. He started pawing at Josie's right arm, trying to pry her hand away from her body so he could survey the damage.

Hunching her shoulders to block Adam from grabbing her injured hand, Josie examined it herself, inhaling sharply as she ran her left fingers along the bones of her right hand, feeling for fractures.

"It's fine, Adam, it's fine!" she insisted. "Just sore." She looked back down at Fionn, who was still on the floor, though now with Molly at his side. She had grabbed an old towel and was pressing it to her brother's face to stanch the flow of blood pouring from his broken nose. When she removed the towel to check her progress, she put a hand on each side of Fionn's nose and deftly popped it back into place. Fionn howled in pain again.

"You've done that before," Josie observed.

"Aye," Molly replied without looking up from her brother. "On him."

Josie tried to wriggle out of Adam's grip so she could reach Fionn, but she could not break free of her cousin's strong arms.

Adam took a deep breath and glared down at the young man. "Fionn." His voice was cool and level, but he still had his arms wrapped protectively around Josie, and she could feel his heart pounding. "You have exactly five seconds to explain yourself." Adam was being careful. Had this been anyone else, even one of Ross's brothers, Adam would have already laid him out. But this was Molly's brother, so Adam found himself in the precarious position of having to protect his sister without angering his girlfriend.

"All I did was kiss her!" Fionn shouted, ripping the towel away from Molly and holding it to his face himself.

"Yeah, I saw that part." Adam looked down at Josie. "Josie, did you want him to kiss you?"

"Of course not! But, Adam, you don't understand, it was-"

Adam did not let her finish. He turned his angry gaze back to Fionn and again demanded an explanation.

Ignoring Adam, Fionn leapt to his feet and addressed Josie. "What do you mean, you didn't want me to? You were starin' right in me eyes the whole time you were takin' out me stitches."

Josie sighed. "Fionn, what you need to understand is-" Josie never got to finish her sentence because Adam interrupted her yet again.

"She has to look at you to take your stitches out, Fionn."

"Keep out of this, Cartwright," Fionn snapped. His eyes, already beginning to blacken, blazed with rage. Molly laid a hand on his arm, but he shook it off.

Adam drew up to his full height and glared right back down at Fionn. "Keep your hands off of my sister," he replied in his same cool tone.

"Why should I? You've been running your hands all over mine."

Adam refused to take the bait. He had seen Little Joe cover up embarrassment with anger more times than he could count, and he was not going to let the younger man draw him into a fight.

"You can come by the Ponderosa whenever you're ready to apologize to Josie," Adam said. Then he cast his gaze over Fionn's head. "Molly, I think I better take Josie home."

Molly snapped her eyes from Fionn to Adam. "I think you had better let Josie finish a sentence before you go accusin' me brother of bein' inappropriate."

Grateful though she was to Molly for interceding on her behalf, seeing this discord between Adam and Molly sent a stab of pain through Josie's chest. Adam's jaw set into a hard line, and he took a deep breath before replying.

"I'm not accusing him of anything I didn't see with my own eyes," he said quietly. "You saw it yourself. Like I said, he's welcome to come by the Ponderosa whenever he's ready to apologize. Until then, I don't want him within a hundred feet of Josie. And I'm taking her home now."

"I don't need you to take me home," Josie snarled up at Adam. Her sudden fury surprised him, but he supposed she had a right to be angry after being assaulted. "I'm not so helpless I can't find the way." Adam had loosened his grip on her, and Josie wrenched free. Without so much as a goodbye to anyone, she snatched her medical bag from the table, hollered for Pip, and raced out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Adam glanced out the window and watched as Josie sprang onto Scout and tore out of the O'Connells' yard at a dead sprint, Pip galloping along after her. He sighed and allowed himself a brief moment to marvel at how quickly such a pleasant afternoon turned sour. He glanced at Molly one last time, but she had turned her back to him and was wiping the blood off Fionn's face, so Adam stalked out of the kitchen, grabbed his hat from the hook next to the door, and exited the house.

Fighting a rising lump in his throat, Adam swung up into Sport's saddle and set off at a slow lope. He knew Josie could not hold her breakneck pace very long; he had no doubt that he would catch her well before she reached home. Sure enough, after about forty-five minutes, Adam spotted Scout ground-tied next to the stream he and Josie had stopped at on the way over. Recognizing Adam's horse, Pip bounded up to greet him. Adam slid from the saddle and scratched the dog behind the ears before leading Sport to the stream and ground-tying him near Scout.

A few yards upstream, Josie gasped as she plunged her right hand into the cold water. She was still certain she had not broken any bones, but her hand had puffed up like a soufflé and throbbed viciously.

Adam spotted Josie crouching near the stream, ambled over, and sat down in the grass next to her.

"How's the hand?" Adam asked as he leaned over to refill his canteen in the stream.

"Fine." Josie did not look up at him; she just stared at a school of minnows that were trying to make up their minds whether or not to nibble on her fingers.

"Hey," Adam said, gently grabbing Josie's chin and turning her head to face him. When she glared at him, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're angry with me." His astonishment leaked through his voice.

"You're perceptive." Josie plunged her good hand into her medical bag and extracted a bandage which she wound around her swollen appendage.

"Why are you angry with me?"

With an exaggerated "Ugh!" Josie rolled her eyes, jumped to her feet, and hopped back into Scout's saddle. This time she was polite enough to wait for Adam to mount up – she knew he would just catch up to her again anyway – before giving Scout a swift kick and heading for home. Unlike most silences between them, the one on the way home was uncomfortable, and Adam knew he was being punished, though he did not understand why.

By the time they reached the house, Adam had worked himself into a righteous indignation. What cause did Josie have to be angry with him? He had rescued her from the clutches of a lascivious reprobate, upsetting his girlfriend in the process, to boot. Josie should be grateful.

The cousins untacked their horses in the same stony silence in which they had ridden home. Ben heard them ride into the yard and strode out to greet them. He was taken aback to see Adam and Josie with their backs to each other and scowling as they worked. He slipped into the corral and stepped between Adam and Josie. Suddenly, the hot June afternoon seemed much colder.

"So!" he said a bit too cheerfully as he slapped Adam on the back and gave Josie a quick hug around the shoulders. "How's Fionn's head?" Adam's shoulders stiffened, and Josie buried her face in Scout's black mane to muffle her shriek of frustration. Ben stood there completely baffled, his eyes wide and shifting back and forth between the back of Adam's head and the back of Josie's.

"Fionn's head is fine," Josie grumbled at last. "Adam's, on the other hand..." She kicked a puff of dust backward at Adam. "Excuse me, I'd like to wash up before supper." She whistled for Pip, and the two of them stalked out of the corral and into the house, leaving Adam alone with Ben and the horses.

"You mind telling me what in the world is going on?" Ben demanded. "And what happened to Josie's hand?"

Adam heaved a sigh and turned to face his father. Leaning against the corral rails, he explained what had happened at the O'Connells'. Ben's eyes widened again when Adam told him about Fionn kissing Josie, but he stayed quiet until Adam had finished his tale.

"I don't understand," Ben said. "Why is Josie angry with you?"

Adam threw his hands up in the air. "Your guess is as good as mine. But she's furious."

Josie would not speak to Adam all during supper, asking Ben and Hoss to please pass whatever it was she needed. She disappeared upstairs as soon as the meal was finished, claiming she needed to check on Little Joe.

Ben, Adam, and Hoss retired to the living room, where Ben took his usual seat by the fireplace and began packing his pipe with tobacco, Hoss reclined in the blue armchair with a brandy, and Adam flopped onto the settee with a copy of The Three Musketeers. He had read the story several times, but it was a good adventure, and Adam always enjoyed revisiting it. Tonight, however, he stared at the same paragraph for a full five minutes before tossing the book onto the sofa next to him, scrubbing both hands through his hair, and crossing to the other side of the living room to pour himself a large brandy. Ben watched as his eldest son plunked back down on the sofa and drank deeply from his glass, his face a mask of dejection. Ben did not need to ask Adam what was bothering him. Sharing a knowing glance with Hoss, who had pulled Ben aside just before supper to find out what the problem was between Josie and Adam, Ben laid his pipe on the coffee table and headed upstairs.

Ben thought he might find Josie in Little Joe's room, but Joe was alone and dozing in his bed, stupefied by his hearty supper and the warm evening air, so Ben continued to the end of the hall and Josie's closed door.

Josie was sprawled on her bed and paging through one of her medical texts when she heard the footsteps making their way down the hall. She listened closely, ready to send Adam away with a snarl. But the footsteps were a bit too heavy to be Adam's and not quite heavy enough to be Hoss's. Josie dropped her face into her quilt and sighed as she realized her uncle was on his way. Sure enough, only seconds later, she heard a light rap on her door.

"Come in," she called, her face still buried in her quilt.

Ben heard the muffled invitation and eased into the room. Josie didn't budge from her prone position, so Ben stepped over Pip and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, laying a hand on her back.

"Adam told me what happened this afternoon."

"I'm sure he gave you a most accurate account, too," Josie mumbled without raising her head from her quilt.

"I'm not sure why you're angry with Adam, but if your aim was to make him suffer, you're succeeding."

Josie reluctantly rolled over so she was looking up at Ben. "I'm angry because he doesn't know when to keep his big, fat nose out of other people's business."

"You better be careful what you say about Adam's nose," Ben said, keeping a straight face but unable to stop his eyes from twinkling with amusement at his own cleverness. "It looks an awful lot like yours." He tweaked the tip of Josie's nose for emphasis.

Josie stopped herself just before she very disrespectfully rolled her eyes at her uncle. "I had the situation handled, Uncle Ben. I was trying to explain why Fionn thought he could kiss me, but Adam came charging in just like he always does and wrested control away from me. Just like he did when he made Simon get his permission to court me."

"Ah," Ben replied, understanding washing over him. "I'll grant you that Adam does tend to take over, even when he doesn't need to. But he only does that with people he cares about. And there's no one he cares about more than you."

"I guess." Josie threw one forearm across her eyes to block the glare from the oil lamp burning on her night table. "But he can't be there all the time. He has to let me take care of myself now and again."

"Well," Ben said, patting Josie's knee, "that's something you and Adam will have to work out yourselves. In the meantime, try to cut him a little slack. He means well."

"Ok," Josie muttered.

"That's my girl." Ben sat there, his hand still resting on Josie's knee, when a funny thought struck him. "Did you really punch Fionn?"

Josie pulled her arm away from her face and opened one eye to peer up at Ben. "Right in the snout," she answered, holding up her bandaged hand.

Ben let loose with his loud guffaw that echoed through the house. "Now, I'm not certain, but I expect that's probably a violation of the Hippocratic Oath," he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

Josie grinned fully now. "It's not a commonly accepted medical practice," she conceded. "Molly had to pop his nose back into place." A horrible thought struck her. "Oh, no, Molly," she gasped, her good hand flying to her mouth. "She's pretty angry at Adam, too. She didn't like that he laid into Fionn without letting me explain."

Ben sighed. This was not the first time Adam had irritated a woman by insisting he take control of a situation the lady already had well in hand. "That is not your fault," Ben assured Josie. "That is Adam's problem, and his alone. I'm sure he'll set things right with Molly." Ben certainly hoped so, at least. Hoss seemed to be taking his time with Patience Lovejoy, and Ben hoped to see at least one of his sons married in his lifetime.

"Yeah," Josie agreed.

Ben patted Josie's knee one last time. "All right. I'm going back downstairs. Would you like to join us?"

"No. I think I'll go sit with Joe for a while. We've been reading David Copperfield together, and we just got to the part where David runs away to his aunt's." Ben nodded, stood up, and headed for the door. "Actually, Uncle Ben," Josie said, just before he departed. "Would you please send Adam up?"

Ben smiled. "Absolutely."

Adam trudged up the stairs like a condemned man climbing the gallows. He had been reviewing his behavior in the O'Connells' kitchen, and he was fairly certain he had figured out the source of Josie's wrath. When he finally reached the end of the hall, he knocked gently on Josie's door. She invited him in, and Adam opened the door just far enough to stick his head into her bedroom.

"I'm alone and unarmed," he announced.

"Don't worry," Josie replied, holding up her bandaged hand. "I won't be attacking anyone else for a while." She gave him a small smile, encouraging him to step fully into the room. Josie was still lying on her bed, so Adam grabbed the armchair from between her bookshelves and pulled it alongside. Typically he would have stretched out on the bed next to her, but the situation seemed to call for a little distance between them.

"All right," he said, spreading his hands in surrender. "Let's have it."

Josie raised an eyebrow and sat up against her headboard. She held Adam's gaze for a few moments before taking a deep breath and beginning to speak.

"You should have let me handle Fionn this afternoon." Adam pointed at Josie's injured hand and opened his mouth to protest, but Josie reached over and clapped her good hand over his mouth. "Just once today, please let me finish." Adam's eyes softened, and his shoulders sagged. Josie slowly pulled her hand away from his mouth, and Adam pursed his lips to show he would keep quiet. "This is not the first time a patient has made a pass at me," Josie explained. Adam's eyes grew huge, and Josie could tell he desperately wanted to start spitting questions, but he remained silent – an act that took every ounce of his not inconsiderable self-control. "This kind of thing happens," Josie continued. "Doctoring someone, well, it gets a bit intimate sometimes. You have to get right in a patient's face and put your hands on them, and sometimes they get the wrong idea. I think Fionn's been attracted to me for a while, and my being that close to him made him think I felt the same way. I never should have hit him, but you should have given me the opportunity to explain things to him." She paused for a few seconds, ensuring she had said everything she needed to say. "Ok, I'm finished," she concluded, smiling at Adam.

Ashamed, Adam dropped his gaze and rubbed his hands through his hair. Josie could tell he had already done this a few times this evening because the oils from his hands were making his hair stick up. She resisted the urge to reach over and pat it back down. Adam deserved to look a little silly right now.

"Josie, I'm sorry," he muttered. "I can't always help it. I look at you sometimes, and all I see is the six-year-old who grabbed hold of my hand when we first met. When I saw Fionn with his hands on you – and you clearly not enjoying it – it was all I could do not to strangle him. But you're right. At the very least, I should have let you finish a sentence." He paused, a horrified look washing over his face. "Oh no, that's exactly what Molly said," he groaned. He dropped his head backward and grimaced at the ceiling.

Josie bit back an amused smile and patted his knee. "Well, I can't speak for Molly, but I accept your apology. And I promise, if I'm ever in trouble I can't get out of alone, I'll call for you, all right?"

"Well, as long as you promise," Adam replied, giving Josie a small smile. He stretched his arms toward her, and Josie leaned forward and fell into them. The cousins hugged for several long moments. When at last Adam pulled back, he caught Josie's face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "I feel like things have gotten complicated lately," he admitted. "So I've had an idea."

Josie raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

"You haven't left Virginia City since you got here two years ago," Adam said, though he then remembered Josie's two-week sojourn through the desert last summer with Ben, Hoss, and Joe as they searched for him while he was trapped by Peter Kane. "Well, not for anything fun anyway," he added. "So how would you like to go to Sacramento for your birthday? Just you and me."

Josie's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?!"

"Really," Adam grinned.

"Would we take the stage?"

"We could. Though I thought it would be more fun to ride out there. We could make better time than the stagecoach and camp along the way. We could spend four or five days in the city, stop in and visit Elizabeth Pearson, do some shopping, then on our way back, I thought we could do a little hunting. Maybe track down that mountain lion you've always wanted to see."

Josie's shining eyes spoke volumes as she squealed with delight and threw her arms around Adam's neck. "I'd love that!"

Adam hugged her back. "It's settled then. Pa owes me a couple weeks' vacation, so we'll have lots of time. Sacramento may never be the same."

Josie giggled. "If it is, we haven't done our job properly."

Adam grinned and rose to his feet. "All right, I'm going downstairs to start thinking about how to apologize to Molly. Coming with me?"

"Nah," Josie said, shaking her head. "I promised Joe another chapter of David Copperfield tonight."

"All right," Adam said, and he turned to leave.

"Adam?"

He turned back around.

"Don't worry about Molly. I'm sure she'll forgive you. She finds you captivating."

"She said that?!" Adam was entirely unsuccessful at concealing the dopey grin that spread across his face.

"You didn't hear it from me," Josie answered with a sly wink.

"Hear what?" Adam grinned at Josie, and then he turned and slipped through the door, closing it gently behind him.