On Monday March 25, 2013 Mitch Cartwright parked his jeep on the parking lot of the baseball stadium of the Ponderosa Cowboys. His husband Matthew Cartwright also got out but didn’t see what happened to his partner. Mitch got out but twisted his right ankle. He held himself tight at the car and limped a for a second.
“Matt, I’m afraid that the training is over for me”, said Mitch.
“Why?”, asked Matthew who got addressed by everyone with Matt.
“My ankle hurts”, was the answer.
Matthew came nearer and saw how his husband leaned on the car.
“Then we go first to the locker room. Just lean on me”, said Matthew.
That happened and sports doctor examined the ankle.
“Well Mitch, you go straight to the hospital because your ankle ligament has been torn off. Matt, you just go with him”, said Doc.
Not much later the 2 were at the hospital. Because it wasn’t busy Mitch got treated right away.
“Mitch, what has happened?”, asked Doc Paul Martin.
“I stepped wrong when I got out of my jeep. The doctor at the stadium established a torn ankle ligament and sent me straight here”, told the young pitcher.
“I will examine your ankle for a moment”, said Doc.
The doctor came to the same conclusion as the sport doctor.
“Just go to the plaster room and let your ankle set in plaster. After that you go home and you take 2 weeks of bed rest”, said Doc.
Mitch nodded and went with support of Matthew to the plaster room.
In the plaster room the plaster doctor asked, “Which color plaster do you want to have around your ankle?”
“Pink”, Matthew reacted like a shot.
“The gals at home would love that. Make it red”, said Mitch.
He got red plaster around it and crutches to lean on.
Once outside Mitch said, “I phone grandpa and ask if he comes to get me. Then you just can go to the op and training.”
“Alright. I do stay with you until grandpa is here”, said Matthew.
Mitch phoned their grandpa Ben Cartwright and he was on his way right away.
Of course Ben got to hear the whole story and he took his injured grandson home. Home was for them the Ponderosa Ranch. Matthew went to the stadium to practice.
“Mitch, of course you will be pestered quite a lot by your uncles and Candy”, Ben said underway.
“I just use them as my butlers. Doc said that I must keep bed rest for 2 weeks”, answered the young Cartwright.
“Then I bring you straight to bed when coming home. Your aunts and cousins will spoil you. And otherwise Matt and I will do that”, said Ben.
Mitch realized that too.
At the stadium many questions got fired at Matthew. Patiently he answered all questions where after Matthew also could go practicing.
After the training Matthew got a ball with all autographs of his team.
“Give this ball to your husband as a token that we think of him”, said coach Steve Keller.
“I will give it so Mitch”, said Matthew.
He went home where his other half already was lying in a bed room on the ground floor. At the door Matthew looked at his husband who was asleep. He knew that Mitch couldn’t be woken up and that’s why Matthew left him alone.
On the yard asked Inger (the oldest daughter of Hoss and Betsy Cartwright) Matthew, “Is Mitch ill?”
“Why?”, her cousin related by marriage asked.
“The he is lying in bed already”, said Inger.
“Mitch has a serious ankle injury whereby his ankle is in red plaster. He has to stay in bed for 2 weeks”, said Matthew.
“Hop Sing has baked cupcakes for dessert. Then Mitch can’t eat it, can he?”, asked Petra, the twin sister of Inger.
“We bring the supper to him. And so that cupcake too. Before your father grabs it”, answered Matthew.
“We help you”, said Inger.
“Your mother, aunt Paula and grandpa are on our side and if necessary Hop Sing helps us too”, said Matthew.
The sisters knew that too. They also took a lot of advantage of the fact that Ben was crazy about them. That road had made free for them their cousin Mitch free for them years ago. But also for their cousins Benji, Lisa and Rose. The last 3 were the children of Adam Cartwright and his wife Sally. Adam was the oldest son of Ben and Mitch was a child from Adam’s 1st marriage.
Mitch happened to be awake when Adam came into the bedroom.
“Hello son”, Adam said smiling.
“Grandpa has told you already what had happened to me?”, asked Mitch.
Adam nodded and went to sit on the bed.
“At the hospital Matt said that I had to take pink plaster. But I took red”, told Mitch.
Adam said, “Just rest as good as possible. And then we will see further. We come by later in the week.”
“Daddy, at least now I have enough time to draw”, Mitch said light-hearted.
“We thought that already so I grabbed your drawing stuff and took it with me”, said Adam.
He gave a rucksack with the drawing stuff to his eldest son.
“Thanks daddy”, Mitch said tired.
He put the rucksack next to the bed and fell asleep again. Adam left the room again after he had tucked in his son.
In the living room asked Hoss, “Are you coming live at home again, older brother?”
“Why?”, asked Adam.
“Because your oldest son is injured and needs taking care of day and night”, answered the younger brother of Adam.
“That is not such a bad idea of yours. The little ones miss Mitch and Matt very much but we do too”, said Adam.
“Well Adam, you know that you’re always welcome here. And we still can use your help very well. Especially now Mitch is out and Matt soon has to play a series of away games”, said Ben who had heard their conversation.
“I will discuss it with Sally and the children”, said Adam.
He went to his house to discuss the plan.
“If Adam and Sally return here we have to do some room moving”, the rancher said to his 2 youngest sons Hoss and Joe.
“Mitch already lies in the downstairs bed room so there can sleep Matt too. Adam and Sally can then get into their room. Lisa can sleep on the same room as Inger and Petra. Benji and Rose get then the rest of the rooms”, Joe suggested.
“I will write it down. You explain it to the girls. I go and discuss it with Adam and Sally”, said Ben.
So said, so done.
Benji, the youngest son of Adam, saw his grandpa coming and asked, “Daddy, what have you been up to now?”
“What do you mean?”, Adam asked amazed.
“That grandpa is coming by just like that”, answered the boy.
Sally looked at her husband questionable.
“Adam Cartwright, what have you discussed with your father?”, she asked strict.
Because his wife and children were looking at him Adam had to answer the question of Sally. So he did that.
“So we are going to live with grandpa again, aren’t we?”, Lisa asked when she had heard Adam’s answer.
“If your mother and you want it: yes”, said Adam.
“Where are the moving boxes again?”, Sally asked teasing.
“Where we had to put them of you: on the attic”, was the answer of her husband.
Meanwhile Benji and Rose Ben had let in already.
“Grandpa, we come to live with you again”, said Benji.
“As soon as daddy had found the moving boxes on the attic and brought them downstairs”, his twin sister Lisa added.
Ben en Sally could laugh about it but Adam clearly couldn’t.
“Lisa and Benji, you pack your own stuff and help Rose with it. Deal?”, Adam asked serious.
The twins nodded. Ben explained how the new room dividing would become. His son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren agreed.
That evening Matthew asked after he had heard about the move, “Grandpa, has my father-in-law missed the delicious dishes of Hop Sing, aunty Betsy and aunty Paula missed so much that he comes to live here again?”
Everybody laughed and Ben answered, “Your mother-in-law can also cook delicious. But your father-in-law missed especially you and Mitch.”
“Why don’t I believe that?”, Matthew asked with laughing eyes.
Because the rancher knew his grandson related by marriage knew him since his birth he confessed, “The twins and Rose miss you so. That’s why they come to live here again with your in-laws.”
“Well, then Mitch will be pampered at all by is littlest sister”, Matthew reacted dry.
Again everybody laughed because they knew how crazy Rose was about her oldest brother.
Mitch had heard from Hop Sing that his parents, brother and sisters came living at home again. The cook brought the young Cartwright his supper and told then the news.
“Then the portions of uncle Hoss will become minuscule at all”, Mitch said laughing.
“Hop Sing remember this. Enjoy meal”, the cook said smiling.
“Thanks”, Mitch said where after he began his supper.
Hop Sing went to the kitchen again.
Not much later Adam came living at home again with his family whereby not only it became cozier but also busier. That was especially in the mornings when the children had to be brought to school and in the evenings when everyone was at home again
Fortunately for him but not for Mitch Matthew had to go away for 2 weeks due to away games.
“I can’t be with you when the plaster will be removed”, said Matthew.
“Darling, there are enough people in the house who can drive me to the hospital”, said Mitch.
“I will take with me from each stadium a baseball as souvenir for you”, promised Matthew.
“Alright”, said Mitch.
Matthew got from his youngest sister-in-law the promise, “Matt, just go because I will look after Mitch very well.”
“I hold you on to that”, said Matthew.
With a confident heart he went away from the ranch but it was the last time that he left without his better half.
Without that nobody noticed Ben was already busy with a new enterprise on his ranch. But he wouldn’t run the company but 2 boys around the age of 20 would.
It was 2 months after the accident of Mitch on the parking lot. The pitcher could walk normal but had to take it easy though. At bat was catcher Kevin Walker. The pitcher was Mitch for the Ponderosa Cowboys. He threw a ball to catcher Matthew Walker but Kevin hit it away. Mitch wanted to catch the ball but the round object came up against his right ankle whereby Mitch fell and grabbed his injured ankle.
“Time-out”, the head-umpire called at the home plate.
The game got delayed so that Mitch could be treated. Coach Steve Keller helped him up and Matthew too was with him.
“Mitch, are you alright?”, asked the coach worried.
The young pitcher shook of no. he sat down and felt how much pain he had in his ankle. Matthew helped Mitch up and with the coach they walked to the dug-out where Mitch got a bucket with ice for his injured ankle. Besides there came a new pitcher and catcher because Matthew remained by Mitch.
“Matt, I don’t play against your uncle anymore”, Mitch said suddenly.
“Why not?”, asked his husband amazed.
“He is far too dangerous what baseball is concerned”, answered Mitch.
“Why do you think that my pa isn’t going to play baseball?”, was the counter-question of Matthew.
They laughed.
After a while the sports doctor came to see Mitch. The young pitcher told what had happened.
“I will examine your ankle for a second”, said the doctor.
Mitch lifted his ankle out of the ice bucket and let it examine.
“Mitch, it is the same injury as before. So ….”, said the doctor.
“First to the hospital and then rest. May I play baseball after that?”, Mitch wanted to know.
“You must ask the doctor at the hospital that”, answered the doctor.
Mitch nodded. The boys got up to go to the hospital.
Sometime Mitch and Matthew left the hospital.
“Just take me home”, Mitch said a bit absent.
“Will do”, said his husband.
They walked to the jeep of Mitch and got in.
Matthew drove because Mitch had his right ankle in plaster and was very absent.
After an hour Matthew drove upon the yard of the Ponderosa ranch.
“We are home again”, he said after he had parked the jeep into the garage.
The boys got out and walked to the ranch house. Ranch owner Ben Cartwright saw his grandsons coming and suspected that something had happened. He did walk towards them though.
“Mitch, are you injured again?”, the rancher asked when he saw the brown plaster.
“No, I have forgotten to wash my right ankle”, reacted Mitch.
He told what had happened but not what Doc Paul Kay had said at the hospital.
Ben noticed that there was more the matter and asked his other grandson, ”Matt, what has been said to Mitch at the hospital?”
“Well grandpa, Doc Kay said that this means the end of the baseball career of Mitch. By the many injuries at his hand and wrist and now his ankle it’s too risky to play baseball any further”, answered Matthew.
Of course Ben was shocked too by this news. He knew how much Mitch loved playing baseball and that this was very bad news for him. They walked to the ranch house and went inside.
Mitch went straight to his room to rest. Matthew went with him and helped him to bed.
“Matt, what must I do now without baseball?”, Mitch asked when he laid in bed.
“We will find something else for you. Just take a good rest”, answered Matthew.
Mitch nodded and fell asleep. Matthew tucked him in, left the room and went to the living room.
Ben saw Matthew coming and asked, “How is he?”
“He sleeps but I’m worried about him. He doesn’t really realize that he may not play baseball anymore. I don’t want that Mitch ends up in an institute again”, answered Matthew.
“Nobody wants that. That’s why we are going to take a ride. I want to show you something”, said the rancher.
They walked outside and saddled their horses.
After riding a while Matthew became curious and he asked then too, “Grandpa, where are we going to?”
“Just a bit more patience Matt. We are there in a minute”, answered Ben.
A moment later they arrived at a big housed on the edge of the spread of the Cartwrights. The horses got stopped and the gentlemen dismounted. They looked for a second at the house.
“Nice house what do you want with it?”, asked Matthew.
“I want to give it to you to make a B&B of it and to run it. I think that you won’t be playing baseball without Mitch so eagerly. The house is being empty for a while and I thought it would be something for you. There will come a parking lot as well and eventually some facilities”, said Ben.
Matthew thought for a second and said then, “I like it somehow. I will discuss it with Mitch. It does mean of course that we leave home.”
“If I miss you too much I book a room at your Bed & Breakfast”, answered Ben.
“Then we double the price of your room”, Matthew reacted laughing.
Ben noticed that Matthew felt like it very much. The rancher knew from experience that Mitch didn’t need much power of persuasion then.
“Matt, this remains between us until you have discussed it with your husband”, Ben said serious.
Matthew nodded. They went inside the house and Ben gave a tour guide. With this cell phone Matthew made pictures to show them to his husband later.
Meanwhile Mitch had woken up because his aunt Betsy had come to take a look at him.
“I saw your Jeep standing and Matt is away with grandpa. So I had the suspicion that you had to be at home. How is it?”, asked Betsy.
“Fine. The anesthesia starts to work out”, Mitch answered confused.
“just try to sleep some because it’s no supper time for a long time”, said Betsy.
The reaction of her nephew was, “It is for uncle Hoss.”
They both laughed. Mitch fell asleep again and Betsy went away.
Riding back to the big ranch house Matthew said to Ben, “If Mitch agrees with it, it will become our B&B.”
“It’s your award from us”, said Ben.
He was very worried about his grandson. But that was Matthew too.
When coming home Matthew went straight to his husband who was now fully awake.
“Hi lazybones”, said Matthew.
“Where have you been to?”, Mitch asked on his turn.
“Grandpa took me to a house which he wants to give us to make a B&B sand to run it. With my cell phone I took pictures of it”, answered Matthew.
He showed the photo’s of the house and Mitch felt like the idea too.
“We can also make theme rooms of it. Of the Yankees, Braves, Red Sox and Efteling I mean”, said Mitch.
“there is a big living room. If we put our collections in show cases and the show cases in the living room. Then we keep the rooms simple. My parents want to help with decorating though”, reacted Matthew.
“Alright. I want to see it first before we make further plans”, said Mitch.
“Get dressed the. Then we go to it”, said his husband.
Mitch did that.
Matthew brought Mitch to the house and the couple agreed. Mitch made a map and began to divide it already.
“Our bedroom and office will be strict private”, said Mitch.
He noticed that he was very businesslike. Matthew saw that too.
“There is also a sun lounge. Why don’t we make our office there? There is a separate door to the garden without coming into the sun lounge”, said Matthew.
He showed what he meant and Mitch agreed with it.
“Why don’t we lay out a midget golf course and a baseball field for the guests?” asked Matthew.
“We do that. Shall we tell at home that we are going to start a B&B?”, asked Mitch.
Matthew nodded. They locked and went back to the big ranch house.
In the time that Mitch and Matthew were at the house the other Cartwrights got a visit form a woman with a child.
“Is Mitch Cartwright here?”, the woman asked Ben.
“He is away for a moment. Why?”, the rancher asked on his turn.
“I am Donna Jackson and was his personal nurse at the psychiatric institute in Sacramento. On his 1st day Mitch was so very stunned by medicines that I took disadvantage of it by accident. This boy was the result. He is called Sam and was born on October 25, 2012”, answered Donna.
“And Mitch doesn’t anything about it at all, does he?”, asked Ben.
Donna shook of no. Ben noticed right away that Sam didn’t look like his grandson at all.
Though Ben asked, “Why are you bringing him now?”
Donna answered, “I can get a good job in Montreal. Unfortunately I can’t take Sam with me. One of the conditions is that I have no children with me. That’s why I think that Sam is better off here than in a child’s home. Mitch is his father after all.”
“What concerns me Sam stays here. But I do want that you tell Mitch everything. I do think that he wants you to go though”, said Ben.
“As soon as I have told Mitch everything I go away for good”, promised Donna.
Mitch came home excited but when he saw Donna his enthusiasm had disappeared like snow in summer.
“What are you doing here?”, he asked coming straight to the point.
Donna told everything and also who the child was whom she had with her.
Mitch saw that Betsy was there too and asked, “Aunt Betsy, are you taking Sam outside for a moment?”
She did that and Donna asked, “What is the meaning of this?”
“Sam can’t be mine because I never had gotten medicines in that institute. And you just worked at the kitchen as a dish washer helper”, answered Mitch.
Donna saw that her plan to earn much money fast failed and said, “Alright, I knew that you came from a rich family and that’s why I tried to earn a lot of money by saying that Sam is your son. I leave at once with my child.”
Not a minute later she was gone.
“Matt, I’m sorry that you had to meet the other side of our wealth this way”, Ben said serious.
“Well, just a while and we are richer with our B&B than you with your ranch”, his grandson by marriage remarked.
Ben, Hoss and Joe looked at each other.
“May I make up from this that you are going to use the house as a B&B?”, asked the rancher.
“You may that indeed”, answered Mitch.
“We help you with moving and the furnishing”, said Hoss.
Of course the boys accepted this support at once.
The couple showed the drawings which Mitch had made inside the house.
“We also want to lay out a midget golf course and a baseball field for the guests”, told Matthew.
“I think that you really feel like starting with the project ‘Ponderosa Bed & Breakfast’”, said Ben.
Mitch and Matthew nodded at the same time.
“Then we are going to set everything in motion. It’s your company so then you may decide which theme the midget golf course gets”, said the rancher.
His 2 oldest grandsons agreed with it.
In their bedroom Mitch grabbed his collection of drawings and gave them to his husband.
“Matt, here must be something in as theme for our midget golf course”, said Mitch.
Matthew grabbed an album and saw sport drawings. After that he looked into an album with food drawings.
“Sweetheart, we take food & drinks as theme”, said Matthew.
Mitch answered dry, “That’s alright. But then uncle Hoss comes by each day of course. Specially for him the last hole is carrot cake.”
They both laughed.
“Do you have these drawings digital?”, asked Matthew.
Mitch nodded and showed them on his laptop. Matthew printed all drawings of food & drinks.
Mitch and Matthew spent each free hour in their new house. Hereby they got support from their family members.
Ben said to Mitch and Matthew in his office, “The profit will be paid on a bank account of the B&B which is in your name. The half of it you pay to my account each 1st of the month for rent.”
“We do that”, promised the boys.
“My parents even want to help at the B&B”, said Matthew.
“I assume that you accept that offer?”, asked the rancher.
“We would be mad if we didn’t do that”, Mitch answered laughing.
Ben looked at his 2 oldest grandsons and said smiling, “I have much confidence in that the B&B will become a success. You are both very businesslike.”
The couple knew that too.
Adam designed together with the couple a website to promote the B&B.
“How is your company being called?”, asked Adam.
“Ponderosa Bed & Breakfast”, answered Mitch.
“Very original”, his father remarked.
They laughed.
Laura and Sally kept themselves busy with the cleaning of the house. Hereby they got assistance from Betsy and Paula. They were the wives of respectively Hoss and Joe.
“This is really something for the boys. They knew very well that they must have a job with a regular income besides baseball”, said Laura.
“They are 22 and more intelligent and grownup than their contemporaries. But that also came by their raising”, answered Sally.
Laura agreed with it.
In no time the parking lot was being made ready and the baseball field too got laid. The Cartwrights had a bit more work with the midget golf course but this one too was ready before the opening on Monday July 1.
On the eve of their departure out of the big ranch house Rose caused commotion. She was crazy about especially Mitch and spent a lot of time with him. That evening she wanted that her brother brought her to bed instead of her father.
“Mitch, can you bring me to bed?”, she asked at 7 o’clock.
“Of course I can and will do that. But why?”, Mitch asked amazed.
“Because you go away tomorrow and don’t come back here anymore then”, answered the girl.
Her oldest brother took her into his arms and kissed her.
“Silly. I really come back here and you always may stay with us”, said Mitch.
Rose looked at her parents questionable and Adam said, “You may and that goes for the other children as well.”
Now Rose was relieved and she went after a story from Mitch to sleep.
The next day was the big opening of the newest enterprise of Ben Cartwright. Everything was in tip-top shape and via internet there had been some bookings already.
“We are all gathered here to be with the opening of Ponderosa Bed & Breakfast. Let’s hope that it will be a success and will be”, Ben said at the opening.
A loud applause was his share where after the company of Mitch and Mitch en Matthew was opened.
The plan of Ben Cartwright to start a B&B and to let it run by his eldest grandsons was a very good move because the Ponderosa Bed & Breakfast was right from the start a big success.