And Another Adam & Drew Bit...

Well, here's my resonse to this week's 'Bonanza Bits' prompt at Bonanza World. It continues the previous two...again, I'm hoping it will grow into a sequel to For Want of a Brother, The Eyes of the Wind and The Monstrosity =)

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BB # 274

by J. Rosemary Moss


It was just supposed to be a quick trip to the mercantile. But now things would be complicated, wouldn’t they? Hoss sighed and glanced at the man riding beside him in the buckboard. He was the last fellow Hoss would ever have wanted for company.

Well, at least Drew Clayton knew how to keep quiet, Hoss reflected. He hadn’t spoken a word to Hoss since he asked if he might accompany him to the store. He could probably guess just what Hoss thought of him.

Which would be kind of funny, Hoss thought, considering that he wasn’t sure how about that himself. Drew had been staying at the Ponderosa for a while now—pretty much since his brother’s death—so Hoss should have had enough time to puzzle it out by now.

Maybe he should feel sorry for him, seeing as he was blind and all. But somehow Drew wasn’t the sort you felt sorry for. Well, not unless he wanted you to; and he didn't usually want you to. He rarely accepted help from anyone but Adam—and he didn’t always like having Adam help him either. He liked to be as independent as possible. Hoss had to give him credit for that.

Maybe Hoss should hate Drew. Wasn’t this the fellow who was forcing Adam to accompany him to Washington D.C. for three years? But no, that wasn’t fair, was it? Drew wasn’t forcing Adam—not really. Heck, Adam had all but leapt at the chance to go back east.

Hoss glanced sidelong at Drew again. How did Adam stay friends with this fellow? He had a real mean streak in him, Drew did.

Were they even friends? They still fought like the devil sometimes. But it was a real friendship; Hoss had to own up to that. He supposed it was based on a grudging respect for each other if nothing else.

But that wasn’t quite fair either, was it? Hoss had watched the way Adam and Drew played chess together and he had listened to them talk about books and politics and such. Drew had a mind to match Adam’s—and that went a long way toward cementing the friendship between them.

“What’s wrong?” Drew asked.

The words surprised Hoss. Drew had spoke real casual-like, just as if Hoss had been friendly all this time instead of resenting his stay on the Ponderosa.

Hoss shrugged in response. But that was no good, was it? Drew couldn’t see him shrug.

“Ain’t nothing wrong,” Hoss forced himself to say as he eased up on the reigns. He meant to leave it at that, but he couldn’t stop himself from continuing. “I was just speaking to Adam yesterday,” he said. “It’s getting time for you to drag my brother back east.”

Drew didn’t quibble about the word ‘drag,’ Hoss noticed. Maybe he didn't think it was worth his while.

“It’s only for three years, Hoss,” he said softly. “Adam was gone longer when he went to college.”

Hoss grunted at that. “But I knew older brother was coming back then. He didn’t have a blind fellow to look after.”

For a long moment, there was no sound accept the steady clip-clop of the horse. Hoss swallowed hard—he hadn’t meant to be that blunt. There was something about Drew, though, that brought out the worst in folks.

At length Drew broke the silence. “That’s my trump card, isn’t it?” he said easily. “I can’t tell you how useful my blindness is when it comes to my nefarious plan to separate Adam from his family.”

Hoss glanced uncertainly at Drew. “Is that—is that sarcasm?” he ventured.

“Yes,” Drew answered dryly.

“Well, I’m only asking ‘cause I wouldn’t put it past you. You did blackmail Adam into agreeing to go back east with you,” Hoss pointed out. “That’s pretty—what was the word you used? ‘Nefarious.’”

“I suppose it was,” Drew owned, smiling a little.

“Do you think Adam will want to stay back east with you when the three years are up?” Hoss persisted. “Do you think he’ll be so used to city life and—and looking after you that he won’t want to leave?”

Drew rolled his eyes. “I prefer to regard Adam as a business partner rather than a caretaker.”

Hoss grunted again. “Maybe—but you’ll use that trump card of yours, won’t you? You’ll try to get Adam to feel so sorry for you that he’ll stick with you after the three years are up.”

To his surprise, Drew grinned at that. “Yes, I will,” he admitted. “But don’t sell your brother short, Hoss. I won’t be pulling any wool over his eyes. He knows me better than you do—and he’ll recognize any self-pitying ploy of mine. If he wants to come home, he will.”

Hoss gritted his teeth and silently cursed. That was the whole crux of the matter, wasn’t it?

Would Adam want to come home?