Close to Their Hearts
by Sheryl

"Joseph, I need the rope," Ben called out once he had the two planks of lumber in place.  He watched as Joe scooped up a section of rope and began wrapping it as tightly as he could around the two planks.

"Someone's comin'," Hoss said, squinting in an attempt to make out who exactly was heading in their direction.

Once Joe had the rope secured and Ben had double-checked it, the four Cartwrights paused to watch the buggy approach. "It's Tess and Isabella!" Hoss exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Adam took his gloves off slowly, a smile spreading across his face as the buggy drew near.

"Ladies," greeted Ben when the two girls pulled up alongside the corral.

"Hello, Mr. Cartwright," Tess and Isabella said as one, then looked at each other and burst into giggles.

Ben chuckled, shaking his head with amusement. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced at his two oldest boys, noticing that they both wore silly grins of their own.

Tess managed to get her giggling somewhat under control and cleared her throat. "We brought you some cookies," she said, holding out a basket covered with a red gingham cloth.

"We baked them ourselves," added Isabella, looking at Adam with her big brown doe eyes. Adam smiled back and Isabella's cheeks flushed, her dark lashes dipped coyly.

"Well, thank you," Ben replied since neither one of his sons seemed inclined to speak. The four youngsters were suddenly tongue-tied, unable to do anything besides smile and cast furtive glances at each other.

"What kind of cookies?" Joe asked, stepping up to his father and pulling the cloth away from the basket to reveal the contents.

"Sugar cookies," answered Tess, not taking her eyes off Hoss.

One look at the cookies and Joe's lip curled in disgust. "They're shaped like hearts," he said, plaintively.

The girls covered their mouths and tittered. "They're for Valentine's Day."

Joe took a step back, his expression clearly displeased. Then muttering something about "girls" and shaking his head, he headed for the house.

"Don't mind him," Hoss said, waving his hand in Joe's direction.

Adam smiled affectionately at his baby brother retreating back, then turned again to the girls. "Yeah, he's still a little too young to appreciate Valentine's Day."

"How about I take these inside," Ben offered, at the same time offering to give them a moment without his parental presence.

Adam nodded. "Thanks, Pa," he said, still gazing at Isabella.

Tess leaned closer to Hoss and Adam. "Isabella and I wanted to invite the two of you to supper tonight."

"Really?" Hoss asked, grinning foolishly.

"Yes, a romantic, candle-light meal," Isabella explained quietly. "Carlotta will be there of course, but she promised to make herself...scared?" She looked questioningly to Tess.

"Scarce." Tess corrected with a smile.

"That sounds great!" Hoss responded eagerly.

"Yes, it does, but we'll have to make sure it's okay with Pa first," Adam told them. "I don't think he'll mind, as long as we get our chores finished."


~ * ~ * ~


"Well," said Ben, putting an arm across Joe's shoulders. "Guess that leaves us with all the cookies."

Joe looked up at him with an expression that made Ben wonder if he'd sprouted antlers.

"What?" he laughed.

"I ain't eatin' them cookies!" the boy declared indignantly.

"Why *ain't* you?" Ben asked playfully.

"Cause they're hearts, Pa."

"Hearts," Ben repeated, nodding his head. "I see."

"Why'd they have to make hearts?" Joe asked, his face indicating disgust. "Girls can be so....".

"Girlish?" Ben supplied with a broad smile.

"Yeah."

Ben remembered a time when Adam and Hoss had entertained similar feelings.

"I ain't never gonna swoon over no girl," vowed Joe.

Yes, Adam and Hoss had made similar statements as well. Ben figured that most boys did -- right up until the very moment they find that they've been struck by one of Cupid's arrows. Then suddenly they don't remember ever having any such loathsome feelings toward the fairer sex.

"Your mother used to make heart cookies on Valentine's Day and you seemed to like those just fine," Ben reminded.

Joe's mouth twisted then he wrinkled his nose and looked up at Ben. "That was different."

"Different?"

"Yeah, different 'cause Ma made them."

"I see." Ben rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll bet they taste the same."

Joe shrugged as if he could care less. Ben patted his shoulder and the two of them went back inside.

"I make special supper tonight," Hop Sing announced.

"Another special supper?"

Hop Sing nodded proudly. "Tonight we have fried chicken, corn bread and sweet potatoes."

"Mmm!" Joe's eyes lit up enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to complain," Ben said, inhaling the warm scents coming from the kitchen area. "So, what is the occasion tonight?"

"New stove," Hop Sing told him appreciatively.

"Ah."  If Ben would have known that Hop Sing would reward him with the kind of meals they'd been having the past two days, he would have gotten a hold of a new stove months ago.

~ * ~ * ~

After supper, Ben took another peek at the basket of cookies. Just like Marie used to make. The cookies were perfectly heart-shaped and trimmed with icing. The girls must have gone to a lot of trouble, he thought as he broke the cookie into two pieces and handed one to Joe.

Joe studied the piece for a minute then took a hesitant nibble.

"Okay?"

Joe nodded with a grin and munched the cookie down. Apparently half a heart cookie wasn't too mushy for Joe. Either that, or sharing it with his father took the romantic aspects out of the picture. Maybe both?

"These are almost as good as the ones Ma used to make," Joe remarked when he'd swallowed his mouthful.

Valentine's Day had always been one of Marie's favorite holidays and she'd go all out with the baking of sweets to celebrate properly.

"Yes, they are. They're very good." Ben broke another cookie in half and handed part to his youngest. "We could use a little milk, though."

Joe stuffed the cookie into his mouth and sprang from the settee to get two glasses of milk.

~ * ~ * ~

"This was delicious," Adam said to both Isabella and Tess, as he placed his napkin on the table.

Tess dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "I hope you left room for dessert, too."

"Hoss always has room for dessert," said Adam.

"Good, I'll be right back then." Isabella rose from the chair and disappeared through the doorway.

Tess looked across the table at Hoss who was still busily eating. "Did you like it, Hoss?"

Hoss didn't look up from his plate; he scooped another spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Hoss? Did you like it?" she asked again, raising her voice.

Startled, Hoss looked up, realizing then that everyone else was finished eating. "Huh?" He wiped his mouth and blinked at Tess. "Did you say something?"

Tess and Adam shared a grin with each other. Then Tess leaned forward, folding her hands together in front of her and smiled patiently. "I asked if you liked the meal, Hoss."

"Oh, yeah!" Hoss replied emphatically. "It was great! The best meal I had in...." Well, he probably shouldn't mention that Hop Sing had made roast beef and potatoes last night. "The best meal I've had in awhile! Right Adam?"

"That's right, brother." Adam winked at him.

Isabella returned and set a three layer chocolate cake on the table, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Adam forced a smile as his stomach rolled. If he ate one more bite of anything, especially chocolate cake, he would surely explode. "That looks...wonderful," he said, trying his best to sound sincere. "And it smells even better." He just hoped the rich fudge aroma didn't make him lose his dinner. Isabella would never forgive him.

"You gals really went all out, didn't ya?" said Hoss.

"I believe of all the holidays, Valentine's Day is my favorite," Isabella said, looking pleased.

Maybe it was the cake, or the comment itself, but suddenly Adam's thoughts were taken back to the previous year.

~ * ~

"As you all know, Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday," Marie said, placing the fudge layer cake on the table.

"It's startin' to be one of my favorite's too," Hoss replied, his eyes practically round as the cake. Adam watched him lick his lips and could only hope Hoss didn't drool on the cake. He was about to mention it when the chocolatey smell of the fudge frosting reached his own olfactory system, automatically making him salivate. He swallowed and wisely refrained from making any sarcastic comments - lest he be the one to drool on the cake.

"I wanna big piece!" Joe declared, licking his lips just like his big brother.

"Oh, mon petite," Marie smiled, "it is very rich. I will give you a small piece first. You do not want to get sick, do you?"

Joe's eyebrows drew together in a scowl as he watched her slice a large chunk and place it in front of Pa.

"I want a big piece like Pa!" he demanded.

"Joseph," warned his father.

Joe's lower lip thrust out and he gave his father a sorrowful look. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"How about me and you split a piece, little brother?" Adam offered, feeling a little full, but not enough to pass up at least a small piece.

Joe frowned, twisting his mouth, but decided not to argue. "Okay, but we'll get more tomorrow, right Mama?"

"Mais oui. Of course," Marie promised as she set smaller slices in front of Joe and Adam. "I will be sure to save both of you an extra piece."

"Well, I want a big piece like Pa, now!" Hoss said firmly, although unnecessarily.  Marie had already cut a slightly larger sized slice for Hoss.

"This is delicious. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to fatten me up woman," Ben teased.

Marie looked up through her lashes, giving her husband a meaningful look. "No, mon amour, I plan for you to work it off, later."

Hoss and Adam glanced at each other then down at their plates, both blushing furiously. Ben nearly choked on his mouthful of cake and had to take several gulps of water to get his coughing under control.

Marie smiled slyly and turned all her attention to Joe. "It is good, mon petite?" she asked, sweetly.

Joe shoveled another forkful into his mouth and nodded, oblivious to anything other than the cake.

Later that evening, Joe's entire supper and the cake had made a return appearance. Fortunately Marie had anticipated this by placing a bucket next to his bed.

A year later and Little Joe still turned green at the mention of corned beef and cabbage, but he would eat chocolate cake for every meal if allowed.

Not so for Adam.

~ * ~

Hoss must have been having a similar recollection, Adam surmised as he looked at his brother. Any other time, Hoss would be looking at the cake with a lustful gleam in his eyes, but at the moment his younger brother only looked sad.

"Hoss? You okay?" Tess asked, eyeing him with concern.

Hoss cleared his throat, looking apologetic. "Oh...sure, I'm okay. Just remembering...."

"Remembering what?" she prompted.

With a wistful smile, he glanced from her to Adam then down at his plate. "Just remembering how Ma always made such a big deal over Valentine's Day."

Tess and Isabella looked at each other then back at Hoss and Adam. Both pairs of eyes were filled with sympathy.

"It was Marie's favorite holiday too," Adam said, smiling and placing his hand over Isabella's. "You would have liked her."

"I wish I could have known her," Isabella told him solemnly. "She sounds like such a wonderful person."

Tess nodded and placed her hand on Hoss's arm. "Sometimes, when I don't even expect it, something will remind me of my father, too."

"It is the same for me," Isabella admitted. "Our family had many happy times at this very table and sometimes...."

Adam's eyes met hers and he smiled, his heart filled with sympathy and understanding. Silently he thanked the Lord for his family. He was so blessed to still have his pa and brothers.

~ * ~ * ~

Ben gazed into the fire as memories of the past flooded his mind. He hadn't realized that today was Valentine's Day until the girls stopped by with the cookies. If Marie were here, no doubt he would have been reminded on a daily basis starting the first day of February.

Last year he had given her a bottle of fancy perfume that he'd gotten while in Sacramento. She had made them all a grand supper, topped off with the most wonderful fudge cake he'd ever tasted. He smiled remembering how after the boys had gone to bed the two of them had continued to celebrate the romantic holiday alone...at least until they'd heard Joseph throwing up in
the next room.

Grinning, he looked down at the sleeping boy in his arms. After they'd stuffed themselves with sugar cookies Joe had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Ben was thankful for a few quiet moments to reflect on things; he was also thankful for the boy's presence. Having Joseph near had been a comfort to Ben on what could have been a lonely, sorrowful evening.

Instead of slipping into self-pity, he'd shared memories, stories and laughter with his youngest son -- the most precious gift Marie had given him. Gently, he brushed his fingers through Joe's tangled hair. Whether he thought so or not, in a few short years Joe would be off romancing some girl instead of spending the evening eating cookies with his pa.  Just like his older brothers.

Joe stirred, a soft smile on his face as he snuggled closer to Ben.

Ben had almost dozed off, lulled by the warmth of the fire and the small body cuddled against him, when heard footsteps outside and then the door opened. He craned his neck to look over his shoulder and was surprised to see his two older sons standing in the entryway, hanging their coats and hats.

"Hey, Pa," said Hoss.

Ben smiled. "Boys."

"Where's Little Joe?" Adam asked, as he walked toward the fire. "Oh," he said smiling at the sight of his little brother, sleeping peacefully.

"Aw, ain't that the cutest thing," Hoss said with a grin.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Adam warned, a mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes.

"Let's wake him up and tell him now." Hoss winked at his older brother.

Ben shook his head, a knowing smile on his face. "You two just leave him be."

Adam sat down next to Ben and brushed his hand over Joe's head. "Pretty soon he'll be too big to do this."

Ben smiled. "Yes, he's growing up fast. Just like you boys did."

"I dunno, he looks pretty puny to me." Hoss chuckled, holding his hands over the fire.

"Hoss...." Ben gave him a warning look.

"Okay, okay."

"What are you boys doing home so early?" Ben had thought for sure they'd be out much later. The Greene's new housekeeper Carlotta was much easier going than Carlos had been, but even Carlos wouldn't have sent them home this early.

Both boys glanced at each other then shrugged.

"We thought we'd come home and have some cookies," Hoss told his father.

"Cookies?"

"Yeah." Adam reached over to pick up the basket. "Hey...."

Ben looked into the empty basket and shrugged, giving the boys an unapologetic smile.

"You and Joe ate 'em all, Pa?" Hoss complained.

"Hop Sing ate some too." Well, he'd eaten one anyway.

"Let's just hope we don't have a repeat of last year." Raising an eyebrow, Adam glanced meaningfully at the boy in Ben's arms.

"Least a bucketful of cookies won't be near as awful as that bucketful of chocolate cake." Hoss wrinkled his nose in disgust. Both boys laughed at their father's grimace.

"Remember that time you found that kitten and tried passing it off as a Valentine's gift for Ma?" Adam said to Hoss.

"What do ya mean tried passing it off?" Hoss questioned, sounding slightly defensive.

"You only wanted that kitten for yourself and you know it."

Ben chuckled. It seemed that he wasn't the only one thinking about years past.

"Ma loved that kitten," Hoss said. "Didn't she, Pa?"

"Yes she did, but she loved you even more -- which is why she kept that scrawny, flea-ridden little thing."

"Aw, Pa...." Hoss looked away, but Ben saw the secret smile on his face. "Well big brother, do you remember that time you picked all those wildflowers for Mama and she ended up with poison ivy?"

Ben couldn't help but laugh out loud at that one.

Adam blushed deeply, a sheepish smile on his face. "I was just a kid. How was I supposed to know? Besides, Ma wasn't the only one who got poison ivy." He scratched his arm in memory.

"Pa?"

Ben looked down into sleepy brown eyes and smiled.  "We were just remembering, son."

"Remembering what?" Joe asked, shifting a little, but amazingly remaining curled comfortably against his father.

"How about the time Ma made that Pineapple Upside Down Cake and when she went to get it, all she found was the pineapples," Hoss accused, poking Joe in the shoulder.

Ben and Joe exchanged guilty glances that told the older boys everything they needed to know. "You both ate it?" Hoss questioned in disbelief.

Adam laughed. "I shoulda known! You hate pineapple as much as Joe does!"

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about pineapple cakes around here," Ben said winking at Joe.

Joe grinned up at his father then yawned.

Ben realized that he didn't feel at all lonely surrounded by his three sons. He also realized that even though Marie was gone, she didn't seem all that far away. She had left them all with something very special, very rare, something that would last forever: An endless supply of happy memories. She'd gifted him...all of them...with years filled with love and laughter, with special times like these. Marie had taken a disheartened, bitter man with two sons and with her love made them into a family.

"Remember the time Hoss brought home that poor, lonesome, cute little *skunk*?" Adam hooted.

Hoss tried his best, but failed to maintain a scowl. "It was cute."

"But it didn't smell very cute."

"You hush up, short shanks," Hoss ordered playfully. "You were too little to remember, anyway."

"I remember!" he insisted then yawned.

"Sure ya do." Hoss laughed.

But, apparently Joe wasn't taking the bait, for he closed his eyes and turned his head, pressing his cheek against Ben's chest and allowed the steady rhythmic beating of his father's heart to lull him to sleep.

Ben smiled fondly at each of his sons and said a little prayer that they would always carry these memories close to their hearts and that their futures would be filled with as many happy memories as he was blessed to have.

The End.

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