Very Good News
On January 1 2003 Betsy Kent had come to live at the Ponderosa Ranch to share her life with her big love Hoss Cartwright. Al directly Betsy noticed that it was very busy in the house because her brother-in-law Adam and sister-in-law Sally already had 3 children walking around. Namely the 9-year old Mitch and the twins Lisa and Benji of nearly 7 weeks old..
Just like the others Betsy helped along running the ranch, but that didn’t last long. On a morning she laid in bed a bit longer.
Hoss brought her breakfast in bed but his girlfriend said, “Just bring it back or you eat it. I don’t want it.”
“Why?”, he asked amazed.
“I’m so sick”, answered Betsy.
She pushed the tray aside and ran to the bath room to throw up. Hoss came after her.
“Hoss, I suspect that I’m pregnant”, Betsy said worried.
“Get dressed and then we go to the doctor for you”, said Hoss.
Doc Paul Martin asked, “Miss Kent, what can I do for you?”
“For a while I am sick, tired and late. Could it be that I am pregnant?”, asked Betsy.
“Just go lie down on the examination table. Then I will examine you”, said Doc.
That happened and the suspicion of Betsy turned out to be true.
Outside Hoss asked, “Grape of mine, when will we get married?”
“As soon as possible. The baby comes in September”, answered Betsy.
Hoss thought for a second and suggested then, “What did you think of April 1?”
Betsy flew him around the neck and kissed Hoss of happiness. Here after they went back to the ranch to tell the double news.
“Everyone come to the living room because we have something to announce”, Hoss said when entering.
His father Ben Cartwright and younger brother Joe sat reading but stopped with that right away. Adam and Sally just came downstairs. Mitch abandoned his home work. All looked at Hoss and Betsy.
“Keep the date of April 1 free because then is our wedding. Plus in September will be a Cartwright birthday be celebrated. Namely that one of our child”, said Betsy.
Ben said smiling, “Congratulations the both of you. Of course we keep April 1 free.”
He congratulated his son and daughter-in-law. Just like Adam, Sally and Joe.
The reaction of Mitch was rather harsh, “So we not only have a nice wedding on an unbelievable date but also there comes a Smurf or female Smurf too.”
Everybody laughed.
“Mitchy, you have the ungrateful task to design our wedding cards”, reacted Hoss.
His nephew answered, “Alright, I accept the assignment.”
He was a bit unsure about it.
Betsy noticed that and said, “I know for sure that the cards will be brilliant.”
“We just take the mist beautiful one and let it make copies of it. The original goes into your portfolio”, said Hoss.
Mitch agreed.
To avoid problems Hoss and Betsy arranged their own wedding day.
On a morning Betsy said worried to Hoss, “Or the doctor has made a mistake in the date or I have 2 babies in my belly. Almost nothing fits me anymore.”
“Then we go first to the doctor”, said Hoss.
They got dressed and went to their house doctor.
“Hoss and Betsy, what can I do for you?”, asked Doc Martin.
“Doc, I’m getting very big these last days. Are we having twin or aren’t we?”, Betsy asked worried.
“I will do an ultra sound”, said Doc.
That happened and the parents to be saw 2 children on the screen.
“You are getting indeed twins”, said Doc.
Hoss and Betsy looked at each other laughing.
Doc asked, “When is the big day?”
“In 2 weeks time”, answered Hoss.
Meanwhile Mitch designed the wedding cards. But it didn’t go like the boy wanted. Adam noticed that his oldest son had become very unsure by this assignment. That’s why the eldest Cartwright boy stepped in.
“Mitch, shall we do something together this afternoon?”, asked Adam.
“Alright”, said the boy.
“What do you want to do?”, was the following question of his father.
Mitch answered, “Play ice hockey.”
“Are you coming?”, asked Adam.
He didn’t have to say that twice.
In the ice hockey stadium (which was also property of Ben Cartwright was) was it silent and deserted. Though the Cartwright could get inside because Adam had the keys. They knew where the ice hockey gear ware and not much later the ice was taken by Adam and Mitch.
“Mitch, you try to score. I am on goal”, Adam said after a while.
“Good luck daddy”, Mitch said smiling.
Adam was the goalie but couldn’t stop any single puck.
When all the pucks where inside the goal Adam said, “Now you may try to stop them.”
“Deal”, said his oldest child.
The pucks got collected and Adam was allowed to shove them into the goal. But he failed because Mitch hit them all away.
“Let’s stop because you are way too good for your old father”, Adam said after as while
“Or you are too bad for your young son”, Mitch hit back.
Adam took his son into his arms and hugged him.
“Daddy, I just can’t make those wedding cards. I just can‘t do it”, the youngest Cartwright confessed then.
“You surely can do it. Just let me see tonight what you have made so far”, was the answer of Adam.
They took a shower and went home after that.
During supper Betsy said suddenly, :“Pa, in September you won’t have 3 but 5 grandchildren. Hoss and I are expecting twins.”
Ben first looked amazed at his daughter-in-law.
Then he began to laugh and said the rancher, “Congratulations both of you.”
Hoss and Betsy also got congratulated by the others.
After Adam had brought the with twins to bed with Sally Mitch got all the attention. Everyone knew that he had trouble of fear of failure and now that very bad feeling had mastered the young Cartwright. The boy showed his designs.
“They are just bad”, said Mitch.
The grownups looked at the designs and were very impressed.
“I like that one of that salt and pepper pots”, said Betsy.
“Me too. Shall we do that one then?”, asked Hoss.
His fiancée nodded.
“On the inside comes a text and then they can be send away”, said Hoss.
Joe gave his nephew a wink whereby Hoss and Betsy became nervous.
Hoss said warning, “Little Joe, you are not going to try anything out with that nephew of yours!”
“I don’t want to say much but because you are my brother is Mitch also your nephew”, reacted Joe.
Adam made an end of the discussion by saying, “Because you are so fond of my eldest son you may bring him to bed.”
“We are not that fond of him too”, Joe said on behalf of Hoss.
“Mitch, shall I bring you to bed then?”, asked Ben.
His grandson nodded. They got up and went upstairs.
In the living room especially Hoss and Joe caught it from Sally and Betsy.
“What are you just a bunch of lazy men”, said Sally.
The brothers looked at each other amazed.
“How do you mean?”, asked Adam.
“You love to spend time with Mitch. But when it comes to bringing him to bed the gentlemen are out somehow. So you leave that to your father”, said Betsy.
“I bring him to bed often. But that lad rather wants that pa does it. I don’t know why”, reacted Adam.
“Soon as the babies are born Hoss is the sucker. Especially when they just have been just born”, said Sally.
“I’m already enjoying that”, said her sister-in-law.
Adam said, “Boys, I think that we can better be good friends with the ladies. Because I know for sure that Hop Sing is taking their side. And if we have bad luck so will Pa.”
His brothers agreed with that.
The wedding cards got made ready and sent to a few number of people. Hoss and Betsy wanted to keep their wedding quiet and intimate. Sally and Hop Sing got support from Mitch concerning the wedding cake.
Finally it was then the day.
The Cartwright family had dressed up nicely and at ten o’clock the ceremony began.
Reverend Jack Ward did the wedding solemnization.
He started, “We are here together to bind these two young people together. If anyone has any objections against this marriage, he or she speak now or silence forever.”
It remained still so the reverend continued, “Do you take, Eric Haas Cartwright, Betsy Kent to be your legal wife for better and worse until death do you part?”
“Yes, I do”, said Hoss.
“Do you take , Betsy Kent, Eric Haas Cartwright, to be your legal husband for better and worse until death do you part?”, the reverend asked Betsy.
“Yes, I do”, said Betsy.
Lisa and Cody came with the rings.
“Then I declare you husband and wife. Hoss, you may kiss your bride now”, said Jack.
That happened with much love and passion. Ben had Inger with him and saw that his granddaughter was now really deliriously happy. The married couple got congratulated by all present. Then Hop Sing came in with two big cakes.
“Hop Sing baked two big cakes for married couple”, said the cook.
Betsy cut both cakes where after everyone got a piece. Even Cody wasn't forgotten.
“Gees’, those cakes tastes delicious”, said Hoss.
“And not even like cheese and/or carrots”, Mitch remarked.
Everybody laughed.
The wedding was a big success. All presents were put on 1 table to be unwrapped the next day.
After the brunch Mitch said dry, “I am curious what kind of presents uncle Hoss and aunty Betsy had gotten.”
“We unwrap them now”, said Hoss.
When everything was unwrapped it turned out to be that Hoss and Betsy had gotten 25 sets of salt and pepper pots.
“Mitchy, this is the last time that you may design our wedding cards”, Hoss said laughing to his oldest nephew.
“Deal”, said Mitch.
Hoss and Betsy saw that there was a salt and pepper pot of the New York Yankees..
After brief confirm Betsy said, “Mitch, because you have designed the cards and also helped with the wedding cakes Hoss and I want that you get the salt and pepper pot of the Yankees.”
“Thanks uncle Hoss and aunty Betsy”, the boy said with glistering eyes.
“Mitch, then your drawing has been for good for something”, Adam remarked.
His son thought so too of course.
All Cartwrights agreed that it had become a successful day.