Beside Still Waters (2 page)

Perhaps he didn’t care to know her name. The thought grated.

“Jones,” he supplied. “Benjamin Jones. But my friends call me Jonesy.”

Eva felt his challenge. If she called him Jonesy, he would laugh at her assumption that he wanted to be her friend. “Well, Mr. Jones, there is nothing personal in my query. It was simply a Christian invitation for you to join our fellowship.”

“Very well, Miss …” His brow rose, and his boyish grin melted Eva’s irritation.

She smiled and held out her hand. “Riley. Eva Riley.”

Instead of a polite shake, Jonesy lifted her hand and pressed warm lips to her fingers. She caught her breath and jerked back. “As I said, Mr. Jones, my query was not of a personal nature.”

“Very well, Miss Riley. Although I must admit my pride is wounded.” His eyes continued to sparkle in amusement. “I suppose it’s just as well you hold no personal interest,” he said boldly. “I’m only staying in Oregon long enough to help Pa get the farm producing. Then I’m going back to Texas to start my own ranch.”

Eva ignored the sudden disappointment pinching her insides because he wouldn’t be around long enough for her to really get to know him. Honestly, men and their land. What difference did it make? All she needed was a wide-open space to run Patches.

Patches!
At the thought of her companion, she looked about, searching for any sign that he’d come back. That wretch of a horse had run off and left her at the mercy of a strange man and his overgrown beast. Home was a good five miles away. And she didn’t relish the walk. Ma would skin her alive for being late to breakfast. Especially on the Lord’s Day.

Patches would certainly not be receiving a sugar treat today. The coward.

“I suppose I should be going home,” she announced. “I’m sure my horse will arrive there soon and everyone will worry.” She pushed damp curls from her cheeks and nodded to the handsome stranger.

She could only imagine what she must look like. She hadn’t even taken time to braid her hair this morning but had merely tied it back with a ribbon—which now floated down the river. “Good day, Mr. Jones. It was … interesting meeting you.”

Jonesy
. She liked how it sounded in her mind. The name suited his rugged looks. Scratchy stubble lined his jaw. Some men might have appeared unkempt without a full beard or a clean-shaven face, but not this one. His deep blue eyes and thick dark hair caused Eva to swallow hard. Wait until she told Lily.

“It was lovely meeting you, Miss Riley. I’m sorry about my dog. I’m afraid Lord Byron is rather short on manners.”

“Why do you call your dog Lord Byron?”

A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he dropped to the ground and removed his boots. “Simple. He likes to sit and listen to me read the poetry of Lord Byron.” He turned his boot upside down. Water poured out.

Poetry? Eva couldn’t abide poetry. Mooning men and women extolling their true loves. It made her positively ill. She’d rather read a dime-store novel. At least those were entertaining.

Eva’s soaked skirt was cooling off with the early morning breeze, and she shivered. “Well, good day.”

“How far are you from home?”

She waved her hand in front of her. “Only about five miles. I can walk it in no time.”

“It would be my honor to escort you home on Lady Anne.” He cocked his head. “I named her after Lord Byron’s wife.”

Eva smirked. “Does she also enjoy poetry?”

“Naturally. She thinks I’m reading about her beauty.” He pressed his index finger lightly to his lips. “Don’t speak too loud; she might overhear. I don’t want to insult her. She’s quite vain.”

“You have my word; she will never hear from my lips that she isn’t the subject of the poems.”

Jonesy pressed his hand to his heart and gave an exaggerated bow. “Thank you, kind lady. I am forever in your debt. Therefore, you must allow me to give you a ride home on the back of my horse.”

The thought of riding so close to him sent a wave of heat to her stomach. Ma wouldn’t approve.

She shook her head. “No. I can’t accept, though it was kind of you to offer.”

“I understand. It might not be proper.” He frowned in thought. “Then you must take my horse.”

A gasp escaped her throat. “Why, I can’t do that. How will you get home?”

“The same way you planned to. The two strong legs God bestowed upon me.”

“So you do believe in God.”

“Never said I didn’t.”

He made her positively dizzy. “Regardless, I can’t take your horse.”

“I live less than a mile from here. It only makes sense.”

Eva narrowed her gaze. “Not to me, it doesn’t. It’s your horse. Mine ran off. You’ve no obligation to see me home. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m walking home. If you don’t take Lady Anne, she will feel abandoned and may never recover from the tragedy.”

“Why should that matter to me? She’s your horse.” Eva shrugged and turned to go, but her conscience got the better of her. “I wouldn’t leave her alone if I were you. There’s been some horse thieving going on in these parts lately. Your lovely mare probably wouldn’t be here when you got back.”

His brow went up, and Eva noted a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It left as quickly as it had come. He shrugged. “I suppose that’s a chance I’ll have to take.”

He was bluffing. Eva knew he must be. “Suit yourself.” Her shoulders squared, she turned and began walking toward home, sufficiently confident that she’d won the battle.

“Farewell, my sweet lady….” Jonesy’s voice, in that fake English accent, caused her to falter a step. She turned back and scowled. He wasn’t speaking to her but to the horse.

“You’ve been a grand companion,” he said, stroking her mane, “and I shall miss you terribly. But I would never be able to live with myself knowing I’d sent a young woman off to trudge her way home across the harsh land while I rode comfortably on your strong back.”

Eva rolled her eyes. He must be joking. Surely he wouldn’t leave Lady Anne behind after she’d told him about the horse thieves.

Then again, this man seemed daft enough to do it, just to prove a point. “All right, you win.”

He looked at her and grinned, not even trying to be gracious in victory. “Excellent. I’ll meet you and your family at service this morning and retrieve my beautiful mare.”

Eva suddenly realized that accepting his offer would give her a chance to see him again. Smiling to herself, she accepted the reins from his strong, calloused hands.

Eva tried not to read too much into the brush of his fingers against hers. Her mind whirled with the events of the past few minutes as she mounted Lady Anne and nudged the mare into a trot.

Finally she’d met a man who might hold her interest, and he had no plans to stay in Oregon! Eva took a deep breath and made a firm decision. She would return Lady Anne to him and never again think about his deep blue eyes or full lips. As far as she was concerned, all thoughts of Jonesy as a suitable companion or possible mate were strictly forbidden.

Jonesy faced in the direction of his house, opened his book of poetry, and tried to lose himself in the words as he walked home. In an uncommon lack of focus, he stared at the print on the page, but the capacity to form sentences from the disjointed words seemed to escape him. Instead his mind conjured up the image of Miss Riley.

“Eva.” The name tasted sweet on his lips, and he felt an unsettling stirring in his breast. Tucking the book under his arm, he replayed every word of their conversation. Her bedraggled appearance after taking that toss in the river had been plenty enchanting in an outdoorsy sort of way.

He chuckled to himself, remembering her dire warning about the temptations of sin. Though he highly doubted she had anything to worry about, she did have a point. Even with daily Bible reading and prayer with his family after supper each night, he was more than ready for a service with fellow believers.

By the time he reached home, the sun had burned the dew from the grass and the delicious smells of bacon and freshly baked biscuits wafted from the house. The door was open to allow in the morning breeze. Jonesy stepped across the threshold.

The sight of his parents locked in an embrace in front of the stove brought a rush of heat to his cheeks. His mother gently pushed out of her husband’s arms when she noticed Jonesy standing in the room. She reached up and patted her hair, giving her son an embarrassed smile.

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d been swept away to some magical kingdom again by one of those books of yours.” Her tone rang with amused scolding. “Good thing your pa stood up for you. I was just about to feed your breakfast to Sally Mae and her piglets.”

Jonesy tossed a quick glance at his father. Elijah Obadiah Jones stood six feet two, a full head taller than Jonesy’s mother, and the difference was never quite as noticeable as when she stood in the crook of his arm, looking up at him with adoration.

Her slender, work-hardened fingers rested on Elijah’s chest, and her eyes squinted with fondness. “Of course, your pa’s an old softy. He insisted we give you a few more minutes.”

Jonesy smiled. “Thanks, Pa.”

Elijah tightened his grip on his wife’s shoulders and drew her closer. “I wasn’t about to let her feed my son’s breakfast to an old sow.”

Contentment swelled Jonesy’s chest. His parents shared a deep love. Either would have moved heaven and earth to make the other happy. He knew love was the only reason Ma had agreed to leave a prosperous ranch and move the three younger children all the way to Oregon so Pa could fulfill his sudden desire to give up ranching and try his hand at farming.

Jonesy stopped by the washbasin and splashed water on his face. “Sorry I’m late, Ma.”

“I declare, son.” She eyed him up and down and shook her head, giving an exasperated huff. “What happened to you?”

“Lord Byron scared a young lady’s horse, and she ended up in the river. I waded in and tried to help her.”

“Tried?” Pulling away from her husband’s arm, she grabbed a plate and began dishing up breakfast. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He felt a dumb grin spread across his face. “She’s feisty. Threatened to scream loud enough to make my ears bleed if I so much as laid a finger on her.”

“How ungrateful!” His mother’s brow furrowed with indignation, but a chuckle left his pa’s throat.

Moving behind his wife, Pa kissed her cheek. “Sounds like your ma in her younger days. She was a feisty little thing herself. Watch out for this one, son. She might just snag you into marriage. Like your ma here did me.”

Ma turned with plate in hand and rolled her eyes as she moved past him toward the table. A harrumph escaped her throat. “Your pa chased me until I finally let him escort me to the Christmas dance, just to make him stop asking.”

“Yep, and that’s all it took. We were married three months later.”

Ma set the plate on the table. “Come eat your breakfast, son, so we’re not late to services.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jonesy sat down and took a whiff of the bacon, eggs, and biscuits with great appreciation. “And you don’t need to worry about any woman snagging me. I’ll be back in Texas long before the Christmas dance.”

His comment brought an end to the lighthearted atmosphere. Ma gathered a deep breath. Pa cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose I’d best go put on my Sunday meetin’ clothes.”

Regret seared Jonesy as he watched his father leave the room. “Sorry, Ma.”

“Oh, son, there’s no need to apologize. We’re just thankful you came to help out for as long as we can keep you here.” She patted his shoulder. “I suppose I’ll get myself ready, too. Rinse your plate when you finish, please.”

Jonesy nodded. He hated to disappoint his parents. But he had to live his own life. And with his brothers Terrance and Frank, both almost grown, Pa would have plenty of help with the farm. Besides, what did Jonesy know about farming? He’d been raised on a ranch. Just because Pa had decided he’d had enough of ranching and wanted to try his hand at farming, that didn’t mean Jonesy had to do the same.

An hour and a half later, the family approached the little white church building in the town of Hobbs. Jonesy had visited town several times to pick up supplies from the general store, and he’d eaten a few meals at Joe’s Restaurant. Not bad. But certainly couldn’t hold a candle to Ma’s cooking.

He rode next to his ma on the seat while Terrance and Frank rode on horseback. Twelve-year-old Dawn sat demurely in the back of the wagon, being the perfect little girl she’d always been. A real young lady. Nothing like the spirited woman he’d met this morning.

Jonesy’s heart picked up a beat at the memory of those soft brown eyes rimmed with bristly dark lashes. Her skin had a bronze hue. Most of the young women he knew tried desperately to keep their skin shaded from the darkening effects of the sun. Quite a feat in Texas. But this woman didn’t even seem aware of those sorts of things. Or if she was, she didn’t bother herself with matters such as darkened or freckled skin, or wild hair that curled when it got wet.

He scanned the churchyard, which was full of wagons and horses. It seemed the church would be quite full this morning.

A low whistle from Terrance arrested his attention. “Now I understand why you’d loan out the Lady.”

“Woo-wee,” Frank expounded.

“Boys,” Ma admonished.

Jonesy’s stomach did a flip-flop at the sight of Eva Riley standing next to Lady Anne. She smiled as she held the mare’s reins and waved.

“Eyes full of life and fire,” Elijah mused.

Jonesy dragged his gaze from Eva and stared at his pa. “What’d you say?”

“Snappy eyes. Just like your ma.” The amusement in his voice, followed by his brothers’ laughter, brought heat to Jonesy’s cheeks.

“You all hush up and stop teasing Ben.” Jonesy’s ma had never taken to calling him by the nickname he’d been given by his two older brothers, who had families of their own now and had remained in Texas. The name had stuck with his pa and everyone else. But Ma wasn’t to be swayed from the name she and Elijah had bestowed upon their son.

He didn’t have a chance to respond to his family’s teasing. Eva had drawn close with Lady Anne.