The New Hand, Part 103

by J. Rosemary Moss

Genre: Slash Fan-Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG-13

LINK TO PART ONE

~

Ben took a deep breath as he stood outside of Adam’s room. Then he gathered his courage, fixed a warm smile on his face and knocked on the door.

"Come in," David called out.

Ben opened the door and stepped inside. David was sitting up in bed, looking much improved. Abby was right: he would be on his feet by tomorrow.

Ben continued to smile warmly as he greeted him. "Good afternoon, David. You’re looking much better. How do you feel?"

"Better, thank you," David said, managing a close approximation to a friendly smile. "Won’t you sit down?" he continued, nodding toward a chair that was drawn up by the bed.

Ben sat himself in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. "You’ve heard about my engagement to your mother, I take it?"

"I have," David agreed in a pleasant enough tone. "Mazel tov."

"Thank you," Ben said.

Conversation stopped for a moment as both men lapsed into an awkward silence. David was the one to break it.

"I’m quite conscious of what I owe you, sir," he said. "I know you don’t like the relationship between Adam and me—but that hasn’t stopped you from using the hard-earned money of this ranch to begin paying off Gregory Miller. And I know that the marriage between you and my mother will make it easier for Adam and me, in so far as we’ll become stepbrothers. Everyone will expect us to spend a deal of time together."

It was a prepared speech—Ben could tell that much. In fact, David didn’t seem to be trying to hide the fact. But, prepared or not, David delivered the words with sincere gratitude and at least an attempt at genuine warmth.

And that speech had cost him something, Ben realized. David had a deal of pride—Ben was well aware of that. It annoyed the boy to take so much help from someone who disapproved of him.

That thought was confirmed by David’s next words. "I’d like to add, sir, that although Little Joe is adamant that I accept the money you’re paying to Miller as money that rightfully belongs to me as part of the family, I can’t bring myself to do that. I mean to repay the first thousand immediately and the other nine thousand at length."

Ben took another deep breath. He had expected David to be stubborn on this issue.
Well, he had a little speech of his own prepared on this subject. They were words that he need to say—words that would either pave the way to easier relations with David, or sour their relationship permanently.

He looked David in the eye and launched into his speech.

LINK TO PART 104