Leo (Romancing the Ponderosa Book 3)

Chapter 19

" 'Oss?"

"Yes, Cherry?"

"Want to go out 'ere." She points to the door behind me where everyone is gettin' settled in the livin' room. She's been asleep for most of the evenin', she even slept through supper. " 'ease."

"Of course! Come here, lamb." Bendin' down, I gently scoop her up. She lays her head down on my chest with a sigh. Walkin' out into the livin' room, Pa sees me an' jumps outta his chair, wavin' for me to sit down in it as everyone turns to look at me. Seein' his little sister, Jeff jumps outta Adam's lap an' runs over.

"Cherry, you're up!" He lays his head on her for a moment, tryin' to give her a hug. "Are you hungry?"

"A wittle."

"Ma, can Cherry eat somethin'?"

"Of course!" She jumps up off the sofa an' walks over to us. Leanin' down to Cherry's level, strokin' her hair she completely avoids lookin' at me as she asks Cherry what she wants to eat. After hearin' what she wants, Pa calls for Hop Sing.

"Yes, Mr. Ben?"

"Hop Sing, this little girl would like a little dish of those mashed potatoes we had for supper!"

"I get them right away!" He hurries back into the kitchen an' is back just as quick with a bowl an' spoon. "Here, missy Cherry, you eat up. Help you get very strong."

I take the bowl after sittin' Cherry up on my lap. Since she's still very weak an' her hands are temblin', I feed her. Lookin' up after givin' her a bite, I find everyone watchin' me. Both Misty an' Hannah have tears in there eyes as they watch the little gal we all thought we were gonna lose sittin' up an' eatin. She eats a few more bites before pushin' the bowl away. With a sigh, she lays her head back on my chest, curlin' up in my lap. Within moments she's sound asleep. Feelin' a hand on my arm, I glance up to see Leo lookin' down at me. She mouths the words, "Thank you." an' I nod back.

"Do you want me to take her back to her bed?" She asks, smoothin' Cherry's curls again.

"No, she's comfortable here an' I don't mind holdin' her." With a nod, she walks back to her spot on the sofa. Jeff follows her an' climbs up into her lap. He snuggles down as she kisses his head.

Adam clears his throat nervously, which immediately gets everyone's attention. He stands up an' he's real nervous, I can tell cuz he keeps layin' his hand on his chest, smoothin' his shirt. It's the little tick he does when he's nervous or excited 'bout somethin'.

"Pa?"

"Yes, Adam."

"Misty and I have something to tell you. We had actually planned on telling you sooner but with everything that's happened we figured it wasn't the right time and all."

"Well, what is it? I'm all ears."

"Don't get mad at me, but I told Hoss and Joe the day of Cherry's accident. I had planned on telling you that night but I couldn't with everything going on."

"So basically everyone here knows what you're going to say except for me? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Pa has an angry look on his face but all of us except Adam can tell he's just fakin' it. I guess he's just too nervous to tell.

"Yes, well everyone but you and Leo that is. I didn't intend to keep it from you but..."

"Oh for goodness sake, Adam! Can't you tell that he's really not mad and that he's just joshing with you?" Misty interrupts as Joe begins to giggle at the look on Adam's face. "Ben, what Adam is trying to tell you is that we're expecting."

"That's just wonderful!" Pa hurries across the room an' gives her a kiss on the cheek an' a gentle hug. Slappin' Adam on the back, he gives him a hearty handshake. "Why would I be mad at you? I understand that you couldn't tell me. This is wonderful news, I'm going to be a grandpa to two babies instead of just one!"

We all sit around talkin' an' drinkin' coffee for a while longer. Jeff nods off to sleep in his mama's lap after an hour or so. Leo shifts him into a more comfortable position as she turns, glancin' over her shoulder at the clock. "Well, I guess I better get this little man off to his bed, he's had a long exciting day. I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"I think we better be gettin' on home, too." Joe says standin' up as Leo heads for the stairs with Jeff cradled against her chest. "I think it's going to be goodnight for Hannah and me."

Adam and Misty decide to leave too an' after a chorus of goodbyes, the house is empty. Slowly an' carefully I stand up. Cherry stirs slightly but doesn't wake up. Walkin' across the room, I go into Cherry's room an' gently lay her on the bed. Fixin' the covers over her little body, I place a kiss on her head an' then smooth her wild curls with my big hand.

Walkin' back out into the livin' room, I nearly run Leo over in the doorway. I quickly grab her shoulders so she doesn't topple over. "I'm sorry, Leo, I didn't see you standin' there."

"It's ok, Hoss, it was my fault." She peeks around me. "Is she still asleep?"

"Sound asleep."

"Good." She hesitates like she's got somethin' else she wants to say. "Hoss, will you go for a walk with me? I'd like some fresh air and I wanted to talk to you."

"Of course." We walk around to the front door as Pa starts to go up the stairs to bed. "Night, Pa."

"Good night." He tells us both.

We walk out the door an' don't stop until we get to the corral. Leanin' on the fence, I wait for Leo to start talkin'. I have a feelin' it's got somethin' to do with the talk we had earlier.

"Hoss, I was wrong." She says after 'bout five minutes or so.

"Wrong 'bout what?"

"About not being able to love again." She sighs an' then turnin' to me, I see the tears rollin' down her cheeks. "Hoss, I never meant what I said earlier about not loving you because I do! I've been thinking about it all day and I was just trying to deny and fight it. To be completely truthful I've loved you since that first day."

Reachin' over I pull her close to me an' she lays her head on my head with a sigh that sounds more like a sob. "I've loved you since that first day, too. I hope this isn't too soon or sudden, but, Leo, would you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, Hoss! I was hoping harder than I've ever hoped before that you'd ask." She leans back, lookin' at me with those blue, tear filled eyes. "I feel so blessed to be able to find love not only once but twice!"

Leanin' down, I kiss her an' her arms come up around my neck for a moment before I pull away. "When should we get married?"

"Cherry's birthday." She says it without hesitation. "Hannah and Misty are still planning that party and it seems like the perfect day. We won't have to plan the whole thing for another day and anyways if it wasn't for Cherry we would've never met."

"Cherry's birthday then." I pull her close again an' kiss her.