Mrs. Little Joe (Romancing the Ponderosa Book 1)

Chapter 4

We hear Hoss before we see him. There's a thump followed by heavy footfall, and then we see the big fella himself at the top of the staircase. He pauses on the second step, sniffing the air. Adam and I have finished filling our plates and it seems just in the nick of time, too.

"I thought I smelled hot food a cookin'." He exclaims, "I'm so darn hungry, I think I'd eat fried bear fat."

"See, Adam, just like I told ya, he's real hungry."

"Well, it's a good thing we've already got our share." He looks down at his plate filled with scrambled eggs and four or five pancakes.

Hoss sits down and begins to fill his plate, almost taking all the eggs and six or seven of the dozen pancakes that are left.

"Hey, Hoss, take it easy, Pa hasn't got his yet."

"Oh I'm sorry Little Joe, but I'm just so powerful hungry." He scraps about a quarter of the eggs back off of his plate and onto the platter.

"Good morning, Hoss." Pa comes out of the kitchen carrying a plate. "I'm glad to see you're up and ready for the day. I hope you slept well last night."

"Mornin' Pa." He replies before shoveling eggs into his mouth. "I couldn't stop thinking about that little gal laying upstairs, how's she anyhow?"

"Oh, she's doing better. Her fever broke around five o'clock and she was awake. She talked to Little Joe and I for a bit before we left her to sleep for a while."

"What she'd tell ya?"

"She said her name's Hannah, but she didn't tell us her last name. Pa thinks she might be Mrs. Craddock's daughter." I chime in since Pa's mouth is full of pancakes.

"Mrs. Craddock? You don't mean that little miner's wife from Virginia City, do ya?" He pauses to say before shoveling more grub into his mouth.

"That's the only Mrs. Craddock we know of." Adam points out, lifting his forkful of eggs.

"But I thought she had a boy, not a pretty little gal like...what's her name?"

"Her name's Hannah." I remind him and he nods his head at me.

"How'd ya figure out she's that Mrs. Craddock's daughter, Pa?" Hoss asks turning towards him.

"Well, Little Joe pointed out that her eyes were such an unusual shade of green. The color of her eyes reminded me of someone, but I couldn't remember who, until Joe was telling Adam about them."

"And then it just sorta clicked in your head, didn't it Pa?"

"Yeah, I guess that's how you'd put it, it just sorta clicked into place and I remembered Lila Craddock's eyes being that very same shade of emerald green. It's truly such an unusual shade, and I guess that's why I remember them being that color."

We continue to eat in silence, all of us deep in thought when Hoss starts talking again, "These pancakes Hop Sing made sure are good!"

I slowly look up from my plate and over at Hoss, "Hop Sing left for Virginia City over an hour ago."

"Well then, who made all this good food?"

"Pa made the eggs." Adam puts in.

"Did he make them pancakes, too?"

"No, I did."

"You made 'em!" He looks shocked.

"What's the matter, ya didn't think I could cook?"

"No, no not that Little Joe. I just didn't reckon your cooking tasted this good, that's all."

Adam and Pa start laughing at the pained look I give Hoss. "Gee thanks, Hoss. It's not like I cooked mesquite beans, or something!"