Mattie followed the wave of children out the schoolhouse door. She dragged, reluctant to return to the small house that had come with Pa's new job, but knowing that she had to get home and start supper. It had been good luck that Pa and Cal had both been able to hire on at the Ponderosa. For once, she didn't have to worry about where they were going to stay, or what they would eat, but it meant that Mattie had the job of cooking and cleaning for her father and brother. She was glad to have food to cook, and a house to clean, but there were times that she longed to be carefree like other fourteen-year-old girls. She thought of some of the places they had lived, where a girl her age would have already been married, and in a few years would have several babies hanging on her skirts. She shook her head as she slipped into the little house and started a fire in the stove. At least Pa was determined that she finish school and not wind up like that!

She had a pot of stew bubbling on the stove when she realized that she still had the quarter Pa had given her in her pocket. Darn! She grabbed her worn cape off the peg by the door and hurried back out toward the store.

"I'd like a pound of sugar, please, and two pounds of flour." Mattie glanced at the clock on the wall as she took the packages and rushed out the door. She should just have time to get the cookies in the oven before Pa and Cal got home. She was thinking of how she would surprise them and didn't even see the man before she ran into him.

Joe was walking past the door of the mercantile when the young girl came flying out, slamming into him, and knocking them both down. He picked himself up and brushed the dust from his clothes. Looking at her with a scowl, he started, "You better watch where you're going..." He broke off as he saw the kid staring at the busted packages of sugar and flour with tears running down her face.

Mattie gazed at the bundles, ripped open and spilled all over the street. She realized with a sinking feeling that she didn't have the money to buy more and couldn't help the tears. She heard someone speaking and looked up.

"Come on, now, it's not a major disaster." Joe smiled down at the little girl, helping her to her feet. "Let's just go in and get some more."

She melted at the smile, and felt as if she could get lost in those green eyes. What was he saying? Get more? "Oh. No! I can't... I mean..." He was already leading her into the store!

"Afternoon, Little Joe. What can I do for you?" The storekeeper greeted him.

"Afternoon. This little lady had an accident outside, and needs to replace the sugar and flour she just bought." Joe grinned at the man behind the counter.

Mattie tried to protest. "No! It's all right. I don't have..."

Joe interrupted her. "Just put it on the Ponderosa account, Cy. It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Mattie just stared at him, open-mouthed. When he turned and grinned at her, all she could think of was that she had never seen anyone so good-looking in her life. He handed her the bundles, and she could feel her face redden. "The-thank you," she stammered as she grabbed the packages and fled.

"Where ya been, little brother?" Hoss had been waiting for Joe at the livery for at least fifteen minutes.

Joe took Cochise's reins from his brother. "Some kid ran into me in front of the mercantile and dumped her stuff all over. I just helped her get some more." He swung into his saddle. "Hey, we better get going. Pa's gonna be sore if we're late again." Hoss shook his head as he followed his brother up the street and out of town.

"Mattie? Mattie! Matilda Louise!" Jeb Thompson finally got his daughter's attention. "Better quit yer daydreamin' and get to yer homework, girl." He turned back to the dishes his son was washing, grabbing another plate to dry it. The fool girl looked like she was a thousand miles away.

"Yes, Pa." Mattie pulled her mind back to the book in front of her, and away from green eyes, brown curly hair, and a flashing smile. Soon her attention wandered again, remembering how he had told the storekeeper to put the things on the Ponderosa account. Suddenly it occurred to her, he must be one of the Cartwrights! She looked up at her father. "Pa, is there someone called Little Joe out at the Ponderosa?"

Cal grinned to himself. This was gonna be good!

Jeb looked sharply at his daughter. "Little Joe! That's Mr. Cartwright's youngest boy. From what I hear, he's a wild 'un. You best stay clear of him, girl, if ya know what's good for ya!"

"Sides, he's way too old for you, sis. He's gotta be at least twenty." Cal was sure that someone like Joe Cartwright would have no interest in his scrawny, gangly baby sister.

Mattie glared at her brother. "I'm fourteen! That's only six years!"

Jeb slammed the dishtowel down on the table. "That's enough of this talk! You," he scowled at his son, "keep your opinions to yourself, and you," turning to his daughter, "stop this foolishness! I said stay away from him, and I mean it!"

Mattie sighed and returned to her book. "Yes, Pa." Sheesh! Pa sure was touchy about this Joe Cartwright. Sounded like Cal knew him, though. Maybe if she could get her brother alone later, she could find out more.

Her chance came when Cal went out to the small stable behind the house to take care of the horses. Both her father and brother looked up in surprise when she volunteered to help, but Cal allowed her to trail him out to the stable.

"Have you met Joe? What's he like?" Mattie was brushing down her father's horse.

"Huh?" Cal forked more clean straw into the stalls. "Oh, he's okay. Hear he likes to play jokes on his brothers. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I just, um, heard some of the girls at school talk about him." For some reason, Mattie didn't want to go into how she had met him.

"Hmpf. Well, Pa's right. When it comes to girls, he's bad news. Just stay away from him, sis." Cal frowned at Mattie. He'd heard tales of Joe Cartwright's way with the ladies, and didn't want him anywhere around his sister.

"That's not what I've heard. I heard he's polite, and sweet, and..." she stopped herself before she said "handsome."

Her brother glared at her. "I don't know what you're up to, but I'm tellin' ya to stay away from Joe Cartwright! He's way outta your league!"

"You and Pa both think I'm just a baby! I'm fourteen, and I think I have a right to say who I like!" Mattie threw the brush down and stormed out of the stable.

Cal stared after her. She liked him? Whoo boy, this was gonna be some ride!

Every day after school, Mattie lingered on the streets of Virginia City as long as she could, hoping for a glimpse of him. Finally on Friday, her persistence was rewarded. She saw two men coming out of the mercantile, and one of them was him! She paid no attention to the taller, dark man with him, but watched, fascinated, as he picked up the large burlap sacks and loaded them onto the buckboard. She could feel her heart racing as she saw how easily he swung the heavy sacks over his shoulder and hefted them into place. After their purchases were loaded, he clapped the other man on the shoulder, and they started up the street toward the Silver Dollar. She heard the storekeeper call out to them, "See ya at the dance tomorrow night!" and his reply, "You bet!"

The dance! He was going to be at the dance tomorrow night! She just had to figure out how to get Pa to let her go!

"Pa!" Cal protested. At seventeen, he considered himself a grown man, and he sure didn't want to have to baby sit his kid sister at the dance. "How's it gonna look if I have my little sister stuck to my tail all night?"

Mattie was almost jumping with excitement. Pa was actually letting her go! Even if he did tell Cal that he was responsible for keeping an eye on her. She knew her brother; once his buddies convinced him to slip off for a beer or two, she would be able to do what she wanted.

Jeb cut off his son's whining. "I said ya both can go, and you'll keep an eye on your sister, boy. Don't wanna hear no more about it!" Jeb realized that Mattie was growing up. After all, her momma had only been a couple of years older when Cal was born. Mattie had been doing all she could to help, ever since her mother died when she was ten. The girl deserved to have some fun.

He smiled to himself as he watched his daughter plow through her dresses, trying to decide what to wear. With him and Cal both working now, it wouldn't be too long before she would have some nice things.

Mattie pondered the two dresses she'd picked out. At least these two still fit good! She knew there hadn't been much money the last few years, and she wasn't one to complain, but she really needed some new clothes. She eyed the blue, her best dress. Hmm. Maybe with a little trim added... She turned to her father. "Pa, can we spare a nickel for some ribbon? I could run it around the waist here, and it would be like a new dress."

"Yep. Guess we can handle that. You git on to sleep now, so's ya can get your work done in time for that dance."

Saturday morning, Mattie was up at dawn, cleaning and scrubbing until the house was spotless. By the time she was finished, she figured the store would be open. She put the flatirons on the stove to heat, and headed off.

The deep blue satin ribbon was just what she had pictured, and she had enough left over from the nickel to get a bit of narrow ribbon for her hair. She was determined that she was going to look her best tonight. Joe Cartwright just had to notice her!

Mattie looked around the crowded room yet again. Cal was still over in the corner with his friends, laughing about something. Weren't they ever going to leave? She continued glancing around, when suddenly her breath caught. He was there, over by the punch, talking to some blonde with big... Mattie looked down at herself. Well, she was starting to get 'em! She looked up again as the music started, and watched as he guided the blonde onto the dance floor. Did she have to shove them in his face like that? Bad enough that they were practically bursting out of that dress!

"Hey Mattie. Wanna dance?" One of the boys from school held out his hand to her.

"Okay, Billy, sure." As they moved around the floor, she tried to keep Joe and his partner in sight. Finally the music stopped and Billy escorted her back to the area where the rest of the girls her age were gathered.

She had just picked Joe out of the crowd again, when a familiar voice made her jump.

"You better not be makin' calf eyes at that Joe Cartwright, or Pa's gonna skin ya!" Cal had seen the expression on her face during the last dance.

She tried for a freezing glare. "Mind your own business, Cal!" She stalked off toward the punch.

Cal couldn't help laughing. The look had come off more like she'd seen a particularly disgusting bug. One of his friends came up. "Hey, c'mon. We're going over to the Bucket of Blood. This is getting boring."

"Leave him be, Jake. Ol' Cal here's gotta watch his kid sister. He can't go if he's baby sittin'," one of the other cowhands snickered.

Cal looked off in the direction Mattie had gone, then back at his buddies. "Hell, I ain't baby sittin'! Let's go." The group of young men headed out the door.

Mattie saw them leave. Finally! Now, where was he? She picked up a cup of punch and started scanning the room again. There! He was talking to a red-haired girl. Darn! She was almost as well-endowed as the blonde. How was he ever going to notice her if these girls kept sticking their... their assets right under his nose? Without thinking, she began to move in his direction.

"Whoa there, missy!" Somehow she'd gotten tangled up with a tall, silver-haired man. Mattie looked up and panicked. Pa's boss! How dumb could she be? "S-s-sorry, M-m-mr. Cartwright." She looked over at him. Oh no! She saw the red stain on his shirt and the now empty punch cup in her hand. "I-I-I... Oh!" She dropped the cup and ran for the door, crying.

Joe tried to mop the punch from the front of his shirt. Ben looked after the fleeing girl and shook his head. Hoss was gazing in the same direction as he came up. "Who was that li'l gal, Pa? Kinda young for you, ain't she?"

"I don't know. She bumped into me and spilled punch all over Joe." Ben looked around. "Anyone know who her folks are? That girl looked pretty upset."

One of the Ponderosa hands spoke up. "She's Jeb Thompson's young 'un. Them two new fellas just hired on? They's Jeb and his son Cal."

"I saw Cal 'round here earlier. I'll track him down and let him know his sister left." Hoss started to move off.

"I think he took off with that bunch that went to the Bucket of Blood." Someone spoke from the middle of the crowd.

"Okay." Hoss retrieved his hat and headed out the door.

Jeb nearly jumped out of his chair when Mattie burst through the door in tears. "Mattie, girl! What's the matter? And where's that brother of yours?"

"Oh, Pa!" Mattie flew into her father's arms. "I'm just so dumb!"

"Waddaya mean, dumb? You ain't dumb, child! What happened? Did somebody hurt ya? If anyone so much as laid a hand on you, I'll..." Jeb tried to comfort his hysterical daughter.

"No, Pa! It wasn't nothin' like that! I-I just fell all over myself, and my punch went flyin', and everyone was lookin' at me, and..." she trailed off, sobbing.

Jeb was starting to get angry at his conspicuously absent son. "When I get my hands on that Cal, I'm gonna give him a tannin' he won't forget! He was supposed to watch out fer ya!"

Mattie had calmed down by now. "It wasn't his fault, Pa. I just ran out." She didn't want to tell him that her brother had left the dance. "He'll be along soon." She thought to herself, he'd better be!

Hoss spotted the crowd of boys as soon as he entered the saloon. "One of you fellas Cal Thompson?"

"Yeah, what about it?" One of the boys stood, swaying slightly. The others giggled. Hoss could see that they were all more than half drunk.

"Cal, buddy, I think you better get on home. Your sister ran out of the dance cryin', and I got a feelin' your pa's gonna be lookin' for ya." Hoss grabbed the boy's arm to steady him.

"Oh, man. Pa's gonna kill me!" Cal seemed to sober up quickly at Hoss's news. "I gotta go, guys!" The others just stared at him, not really understanding much of what was said.

Hoss figured he better give the kid a hand. "Come on. I'll help you make sure she got home okay." They left the saloon together.

As they walked toward his home, Cal looked up at the larger man. "Uh, you gonna tell my pa where you found me?"

Hoss remembered seeing the kid around the ranch, and realized why Cal was worried. "Nope, figger that's your business. I just want to make sure your sister got home okay."

They came up to the door, and Hoss knocked. Jeb opened the door, surprised to see his son standing there with a Cartwright. "Uh, Mr. uh, Hoss."

"Evenin' Jeb. Cal and me just wanted to make sure that little gal of yours got home all right. Seems she left the dance sorta sudden-like."

"Yeah, she's fine. Said somethin' 'bout she spilled the punch or some such." Jeb took a closer look at Cal. "You been drinkin' boy?"

"Uh, yeah, Pa. Me 'n some of the guys had a couple beers." Cal squirmed.

Jeb snorted, "First time I heard tell of beer that smelled like whisky! Git on in here, boy." Cal slipped in the door, knowing he was in for it. Jeb turned back to Hoss. "Thanks for seein' him home. Durn fool kid!"

"No problem, Jeb. Been drug home in that state a time or two, myself." Hoss grinned and winked at the older man as he left.

As Jeb closed the door, he turned to his wayward son and sighed. "Suppose I oughta warm yer britches for this, but hell, I guess you're one of them young 'uns that's just gotta learn the hard way." He knew the boy would be paying for the experience tomorrow. "Git on ta bed. You're gonna feel bad enough in the morning."

Mattie opened her eyes, then turned and buried her face in the pillow to escape the morning light. How could she have made such a fool of herself in front of him? When she had seen the punch staining his shirt, she had just wished that the earth would open up and swallow her. How could she ever face him again? She smelled coffee and sighed. Pa would be wanting breakfast.

"Morning, Pa." Mattie glanced over at her brother's bed as she entered the main room. "Cal, get up. Breakfast."

"Mmph!" The lump under his blankets made no other response.

"Let him be, Mattie. I got a notion he ain't gonna feel too good this mornin'." Jeb shook his head, recalling a few of his own more memorable hangovers.

Mattie just stared at her father. "Pa, if he doesn't get up, he's gonna be late for church."

"Reckon he will. He's gonna get a real good lesson on repentance anyhow, whether he goes or not. Just get yourself ready, Mattie."

As Mattie and Jeb filed into the church, she saw him near the front, sitting with his father and brothers. Please, please don't let him look at me, she prayed. If he looked at her, she felt she would dissolve into a lump right there on the floor.

Her prayer was answered, and she made it through the service. As they left, though, she saw the Cartwrights approaching them, and wanted to run. She looked around frantically, but saw no escape, so she tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"Jeb, I see your daughter made it home safely last night." Ben greeted her father.

"Yessir, Mr. Cartwright. Cal too, thanks to Hoss there." Jeb nodded his thanks.

"Cal didn't make it this morning?" Hoss wasn't surprised, considering the boy's condition last night.

"Uh, no, he was feelin' kinda poorly. He'll be okay for work tomorrow," Jeb reassured his employer.

Ben looked concerned. "If he's not well..."

Hoss broke in, "I figger he'll be fine tomorrow, Pa." He winked at Jeb.

"Yeah, Mr. Cartwright. Nothin' serious, just had a little too much fun last night."

"Oh, I see." If there was one thing Ben understood, it was the problems of raising a teenage boy. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow, then." He glanced curiously at the girl who appeared to be trying to hide behind her father.

Joe spotted her as well, and gave her a grin and a wink to show there were no hard feelings over the ruined shirt. As he walked away, Mattie gasped and finally began to breathe again.

When Jeb and Mattie returned home, Cal was awake, but still feeling the effects of the liquor. He looked up as his father and sister entered the house. "Sorry I missed church, Pa."

Jeb regarded his son. "Reckon next time, you'll think twice before you raise that bottle, huh, boy?"

"Yessir." Cal hung his head, hoping to stop the throbbing.

He smiled at me, he smiled at me, he smiled at me. There was no room for any other thoughts in Mattie's mind. She was still floating on her cloud as she began to fix dinner.

"Mattie! Ain't you gonna pull them biscuits out, girl?" Jeb could smell the faint odor of the biscuits beginning to burn.

"Shoot!" Mattie grabbed a towel and rescued the biscuits. They weren't quite burnt. "They're okay, Pa." Jeb just shook his head. Just what he needed, a boy with a man-size hangover, and a girl who couldn't keep her mind on anything. Probably mooning about some fool boy!

As the weeks wore on, Mattie had to content herself with occasional glimpses of Joe Cartwright. With spring round-up, Pa and Cal were working a lot of extra hours, often getting home well after dark. The same work that was keeping them away from home so much was also keeping all the Cartwrights busy and away from town, except for the most necessary trips. The only time she seemed to see Joe in town was at church, and even then she didn't dare to speak to him.

Apart from that one magic time the day after the dance, he hadn't even seemed to see her, anyway. Mattie was starting to wonder how she was ever going to get him to notice her.

The final day of the round-up, her solution was presented from the most unlikely direction she could imagine. Pa and Cal came home early, and Pa announced, "Mr. Cartwright's havin' a big barbeque Saturday for all the hands out at the Ponderosa. We'll be leavin' right after breakfast."

Mattie's heart pounded. Saturday! That was the day after tomorrow! "Pa, I could make a pie to take out, if you'll let me go get some berries tomorrow." She had discovered a patch of blackberry bushes, and there should still be enough left for a pie.

Jeb grinned at the thought of Mattie's blackberry pie. "That sounds real good.." He figured little Mattie would make some fella a fine wife someday.

Mattie took extra care with that pie. Only the sweetest berries, and she was careful that the crust came out just golden, not too brown. This pie was for him, and it had to be perfect! She didn't relax until it was safely cooled and wrapped with a clean towel to be transported out to the Ponderosa the next day.

As she snuggled under her covers on Friday night, Mattie thought to herself that Joe would certainly have to notice her when he tasted her pie! As she slept, her dreams were filled with images of herself in his arms, whirling around the dance floor, while all those snotty girls who had been hanging on to him at the dance glared at them. Of course, he had eyes for only her! He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Mattie. Mattie?" Strange, but he sounded just like Pa.

"Mattie, girl, wake up." Jeb shook his daughter gently to awaken her. She turned over with a dreamy smile on her face, then opened her eyes.

"Pa!" She saw daylight through the window. "Oh shoot! The barbeque!" She jumped up.

"Whoa, girl! You got enough time fer breakfast first." That young 'un was sure in some all-fired hurry to get to that barbeque!

Mattie fussed and fluttered over getting ready, insisting on wearing her new dress, finally winning over Jeb's protests. Once she was ready, she hounded her father and brother unmercifully, until they were at last ready to go.

Cal had had enough of her prodding. "Fer cryin' out loud, Mattie! It's just a barbeque! It ain't like the Ponderosa's gonna go nowhere."

Mattie glared at her brother. "Cal, just get in the wagon, will ya?"

Jeb was getting fed up with their bickering. "Both of ya, shut up and git in the wagon, before I leave ya here!"

By the time that they arrived at the Ponderosa, the party was in full swing. Jeb handed the pie off to Hop Sing, who smiled brightly at Mattie, then hurried off to deposit it with the other baked goods that had arrived.

Mattie was lost in the sight of him tossing horseshoes, and didn't even see Billy come up next to her. "Hi, Mattie."

She jumped, abruptly pulled back from her fantasies. "Oh! Oh, hi, Billy." She resumed staring at Joe. After a moment, Billy gave up and wandered off.

Adam grinned and nudged his younger brother. "Looks like you've got yourself an admirer, there."

Joe looked around. "Who?"

Adam nodded in Mattie's direction. "That little one, over there. Who is she, anyway?"

Joe saw her staring at him. "Her? That's Cal Thompson's kid sister, Maisie or Marty, something like that." He turned to the next challenger. "Okay, who's up next?"

Adam watched the young girl for a while longer, a little troubled by Joe's dismissal of her. His unease rose as he saw her rapt expression. This could lead to trouble! After the next round, he pulled his brother away from the game. "Come on, Joe. Give someone else a chance."

When he had Joe away from the group, Adam's face grew serious. "Joe, how long has that girl been tagging around after you?"

"What? What girl?" Joe couldn't figure out what Adam was talking about.

"That Thompson girl. Haven't you noticed? She never takes her eyes off you."

"Oh, come on, Adam. She's a kid, for Pete's sake!"

"Yeah, a kid with a real bad crush on you. Just watch out, okay?" Adam left to join his own friends.

Joe stared after his older brother. So some silly kid had a crush on him, big deal. She would get over it sooner or later. He returned to the horseshoe teams.

After the dinner had been eaten, Mattie watched as he lounged on the grass, relaxing in the shade. Summoning up all her nerve, she made her decision. It was now or never! She had been patient long enough. Mattie went over to the dessert table and picked up her pie.

Her heart pounding, Mattie approached him from behind. "Uh, h-hi." When he turned and smiled, she found herself unable to speak.

"Hi, yourself." Joe wondered what the kid could possibly have on her mind.

Mattie stood there for a long moment, then found her voice. "I, um, made a blackberry pie. Uh, do you like blackberries?" Dumb, dumb, dumb! Mattie couldn't believe how stupid she sounded.

"Sure do," Joe chuckled. As he rose to his feet, he didn't see the small rock half buried in the ground. Mattie was holding the pie out toward him as his boot heel slipped off the rock, throwing him off balance. He fell toward her, landing with his face smack in the middle of the pie!

Joe was unhurt, but as he looked up, his face covered with deep purple goo, the hands gathered around erupted in howls of laughter. Mattie could only stand there, numb with shock. A moment later, the tears burst forth, and she wailed out, "Oh, no!" then took off running for the trees.

Joe wasn't laughing with the others. He grabbed a towel someone handed him, and wiped the pie off his face, stunned by the look of devastation on the young girl's face. Adam was right! That kid was sweet on him!

Jeb came over to the group of chortling cowhands, looking around for Mattie. He picked Cal out of the crowd. "Where's yer sister?"

"She runned off, Pa. Ya shoulda seen it! Little Joe landed face front smack dab in that ol' pie!" Cal was still cackling.

Jeb's expression grew stormy. "Which way'd she run, boy? Dammit, settle down and mind what I'm sayin' here!" He grabbed his son's shoulders to force the boy to look at him.

Cal swallowed his laughter. "Uh, off towards them trees, Pa."

Jeb took off running in the direction Cal indicated, worried about what his daughter would do next. A few hundred feet into the woods, he found her huddled next to a rock, sobbing as if her heart were breaking.

He came up to her slowly, not sure what to say to her. He could handle Cal. Boys weren't that hard to raise. But he had no idea how to go about dealing with a distraught teenage girl. Mattie was becoming a young woman, and her momma'd been gone too long. He knelt down and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Mattie?"

"Oh, Pa!" She turned and clung to him, sobbing. "I messed it all up. I just wanted him to like my pie, and now everyone's laughing at me!"

"Shush now, gal. They ain't laughin' at you." Jeb held her and tried to calm her as best he could.

By the time Joe had cleaned the mess from himself, Adam had been drawn by the commotion. As the hands dispersed, still chuckling, he asked Joe, "What happened here? And why do you have pie crust in your hair?"

Joe picked the remaining bit of pastry from his hair and explained the recent disaster to his older brother. "That poor kid looked crushed, Adam. What am I gonna say to her?"

"I tried to warn you, little brother. A girl that age... well, they take everything to heart. She's probably off somewhere crying her eyes out."

Joe was genuinely disturbed. He hadn't taken the girl's crush on him seriously, but he sure hadn't wanted to hurt her. "I gotta talk to her. Adam, you see which way she went?"

"No. Joe," Adam grabbed his arm, "just be careful, okay? Like I said, a young girl like that takes everything way too seriously."

"Yeah, Adam. I will." Joe spotted Cal Thompson and headed toward him quickly. "Hey, Cal. Your sister, what the heck is her name, anyway?"

Cal looked over at Joe. "Mattie. Why?" He was still grinning at the memory of Joe Cartwright with pie all over his face.

"I need to talk to her. Which way did she go?"

"Yonder." Cal jerked a thumb toward the trees. "Pa went off after her."

"Okay. Thanks." Joe followed Mattie and Jeb's path into the woods.

He soon caught up with the father and daughter. Mattie's sobs had faded to sniffles. "Mr. Thompson, could I talk to Mattie for a few minutes?" He was speaking to Jeb now as a father, not as one of the hands.

Jeb nodded and moved off a little way, just enough to give them some privacy, but still within view. He wasn't sure how far to trust Joe around his daughter.

Joe knelt next to the miserable girl. "Mattie? I'm sorry about your pie."

She looked up at him, her cheeks streaked with tears. "I-I-I just wanted you to like me." She fought back a couple of more sobs.

"I know. You know, what I tasted of it was really good." He grinned at her and was rewarded by a small smile.

"Pa always said I got a way with pies." She looked down at her lap. "I just wish everyone hadn't laughed. They all think I'm stupid."

"No one thinks you're stupid. They were just laughing at how silly I looked with that pie all over my face."

Mattie giggled at that. "I guess that did look pretty funny."

Joe chuckled. "You shoulda seen it from my side."

She sniffled again. "I'm sorry I made you look silly."

"Don't worry about it. I do fine with that, without any help." He raised her face to look at him. "Mattie, you're a real nice girl, and someday you're gonna be a fine young lady. Just don't be in such a rush to grow up, okay? I know it's hard growing up without a ma. I was real little when my ma died, too. But try to enjoy being a kid while you still can. Even if your pa and older brother try to give you a hard time," he added with a wink.

He helped her to her feet and started walking her back to where her father waited. She stopped for a moment and looked up at him. "We can be friends, though, can't we?"

Joe smiled back at her. "You bet. Friends."

Mattie waved goodbye to him from the seat of the wagon as they pulled away. Joe was her friend, and she didn't have to be scared of a friend. That felt pretty good!