Mrs. Little Joe (Romancing the Ponderosa Book 1)

Chapter 11

After the doctor takes the bullet out of my arm, I walk upstairs to go see Hannah. The doctor took care of her first since she was the worst of the two of us. But now that she's rested for a little while, I have to make sure she's alright myself. I knock on her door.

"Come in." Her voice sounds soft, like she's just woken up.

I slowly open the door and stick my head in. She's laying flat on her back, her right arm folded under her head. I close the door behind me, a small smile on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I figure about as good as I can after getting shot in the leg." She smiles at me as I gently sit down on the edge of the bed beside her. "How about you?"

"About the same, except..." I purposely trail off to try and rouse her curiosity.

"Except what?" She cocks her brow at me and raises herself to a sitting position.

"Except I got shot in the arm not the leg!"

"Very funny!" She lets out a fake laugh, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyhow, mine should hurt worse because your bullet didn't go in as far as mine did. But then how would I know, I've never been shot before. Have you?"

"Oh, yeah, plenty of times! It hurts for a couple of weeks and then you'll have a pretty scar to show for it afterwards."

"Just what every girl wants, a bullet scar on their thigh!" She laughs but then she stops and grins at me, tapping her chin with finger. "You know something, Little Joe?"

"Yeah, and what might that be?"

"You lied to me earlier."

"I lied to you! What do you mean I lied to you?"

"Well, you told me you wouldn't get shot, and what did you go and do?"

"Hey, I didn't get shot on purpose! Anyways, I took that bullet so it wouldn't hit you."

"Yes." She sobers down, a sad look on her face.

"What's the matter?" I ask worried I said the wrong thing, as I lay my hand over hers.

"I just can't help wondering," Her eyes leave mine and move down resting on my slinged arm before traveling across my chest, down my right arm, and finally stopping where my hand lays on top of hers, "if it would have been better in the long run, if I took that bullet instead of you."

"Hannah, how could you think, let alone think something like that!"

"Little Joe, don't you realize I have nowhere to go, no family to speak of?" She grabs my hand. "At least when Cyl was alive, I had a roof over my head! Now I'm just living off of your family's charity, eating your food, sleeping in your bed, and wearing clothes that your money bought."

"But, Hannah, having you here has brought so much to our family!"

"All I've brought to your family is trouble. I've caused trouble between you and Adam, even though I haven't actually seen it, I can tell something's between you two." She reaches up and caresses my cheek. "And you, if I'd never come here, you'd never have gotten hurt."

"Adam and I fight all the time, don't worry about it."

"But I don't like coming between the two of you, it's not right for me to split a home."

"Hannah, don't you see, Adam and I have had things come between us before. In fact, one time it was so bad that he almost left for New England." I squeeze her hand tight so she'll listen good. "I've gotten shot before, and I probably will again, so don't feel bad about any of this."

"Well, I hope you don't get shot again, it could end up being really bad next time." She squeezes my hand back with a small smile.

"I hope not either." I give her a quick wink and then raise her hand to my lips. "You know, Hannah, there's been something missing in my life and I didn't even know it, but I think I've finally found it."

"And just what's that, Little Joe?" She asks with a curious look on her face.

"You."

"Me?" She points a finger at her chest, a look of shock on her face.

"Yes, you." I say matter of factly. "I told you earlier that I thought you were a right pretty girl, and I meant every word of it. But since then I've found out that you're so much more than just pretty."

"And just what do you think I am?"

"I think you're brave for what you did out there today. You're calm in an emergency. And kind to others, thinking of what a burden you are to them, even though you aren't." I pause a grin stretching across my face. "And I also think you love to have fun, whether it be dunking people in the water trough or filling your stomach on a picnic."

A big smile pushes her blushing cheeks up and her eyes fill with tears. "You really mean all of those things about me, Little Joe?"

"Of course, I mean it, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." She still seems to be having a hard time believing me, so I figure why not prove it. "Hannah, I believe you're brave, smart, kind, funny, and beautiful. I don't tell girls all that unless I'm serious. Now don't get me wrong, I've told a few girls that they're beautiful, but I don't think I've ever seen a girl as pretty as you."

"I knew there had to have been other girls, but only a few?" Her right brow goes up and with it all her sass comes back.

"Well, more than a few." I sheepishly admit. "But none of them matter now."

"Little Joe, you can really put a damper on a girl's plans."

"What do you mean, what plans?" I ask, my brows coming together.

"Well, laying up here while the doctor was tending your arm, I started doing some hard thinking about my future. I realized I can't continue to live off of your father's charity." She holds up a hand to quiet me when I start to interrupt. "So I made a decision. A very hard one, Little Joe, one that I now regret. But I have to do it. Once my leg's healed enough for me to be on my feet again, I'm moving to Virginia City to find a job."

"Hannah, you can't! The only job for a girl like you in Virginia City is at the saloon."

"And I'll get a job there if I have to. Do you go to the saloon when you're in town?" After seeing my nod, she quickly looks down at her lap, but not quick enough to keep me from seeing the tears running down her cheeks. "Well, Little Joe, we'll see each other whenever you come to town."

I quickly reach out and grab her chin, tilting her face up so she'll look at me. "Hannah, can't you see what I'm trying to tell you?" Her head shakes back and forth in my hand. "I love you Hannah. I love you more than anything in my life."

She starts to sob, big tears fall off her cheeks and onto my wrist. "I love you, too, Little Joe. It would just break my heart to have to leave you!"

"Then don't, Hannah! Stay right here on the Ponderosa with me. Let's have a life here together and we can raise a bunch of little ones, however many you want!" I exclaim getting excited. "Hannah, will you marry me and make my life complete?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" She sobs, tears still running down her cheeks. I lean in and kiss ker, tasting her tears and wetting my cheeks with them. She leans back and lets out a cheery laugh. "I just thought of something!"

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"I'll be Mrs. Little Joe!"

"You know what, I like the sound of that!" She giggles as I lean in and kiss her again.

"Mrs. Little Joe. I'd love to be called that!"

"Well, don't worry, honey, we'll make it happen."