Texas Brides Collection (81 page)

Benjamin hurried to the shed to retrieve the hammer he’d been using to make repairs. For a moment he indulged in the luxury of examining the tool, thinking about what he planned to do. The smooth metal felt slightly chilled, warming quickly under his touch. He never thought he’d think in such a way, but the worn wooden handle fit his fingers as if it had been fashioned for him. He marveled at how the hammer, instrumental in creating buildings and fences and maintaining their usefulness, would now be used for destruction. He slipped the tool into his back pocket and made his way back to the stoop where Pearl waited.

“What are you doing?” she prodded.

“Would you set the bottle down for me?” He pointed to a step.

Pearl shook her head ever so slightly but didn’t argue.

“Stand back.” As she stepped backward, he retrieved the hammer and showed it to her. “Take one last good look at that bottle of perfume. In a few seconds it will be history.”

She gasped. “But you paid a lot of money for that perfume. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“I’m not going to think about the money now. I’d ask you to give the perfume to a friend, but I doubt any respectable woman around these parts would wear it. Am I right?”

After the briefest interlude she responded. “You’re right.” She looked at the bottle and gulped.

“Sure you don’t mind?” Benjamin asked.

Pearl took in a breath that broke the morning stillness. She nodded. “Oh, I mind, but I think you should do it.”

Benjamin nodded. Before Pearl could have a chance to reconsider, Benjamin took the hammer and gave the bottle a good, hard strike. The bottle split into several pieces, spilling tuberose perfume. The pungent, sickly sweet odor, so lovely in small doses, sent both of them to coughing with the power of its unabated volume.

“I sure hope Ma doesn’t smell that, for a lot of reasons.” Pearl furrowed her brow with a concern Benjamin hadn’t seen in some time. “The scent will remind her of my venture to Denmark, but even worse, it might make her physically sick.”

“Really? Tuberose can be a bit strong, but—”

“No, it’s not that.” Pearl shook her head. “It’s just that Ma’s been feeling even more poorly lately. Odors, even nice ones, seem to bother her an awful lot. And when she’s not flushed, she looks more pale and sickly. She’s not eating much. I’m really worried.”

Benjamin didn’t know what he could say. When Pearl left Denmark, she knew her ma was near death’s door. “I suppose you’re never ready for the death of a loved one, even when you’ve been expecting it.”

“I’m not ready,” Pearl admitted. “I wish I had been a better daughter.”

“I think you’ve been a wonderful daughter. Probably better than she deserves.”

“I doubt that, but thank you.” Pearl’s voice was just above a whisper, and she kept her gaze on the shattered bottle.

They remained quiet for a time. Benjamin contemplated the broken bottle and everything it had meant to them both. Judging from the faraway look in Pearl’s brown eyes, she shared his thoughts.

Finally, he broke the silence. “Are you going to be all right, Pearl?”

She nodded. “Benjamin, I never thought I’d say such a thing about a broken bottle of perfume, but you’ve made me glad. I feel like you’ve unlocked shackles from around my feet.”

He understood all too well what she meant.

T
he next week, Benjamin arrived as usual at the inn, tired even though his body and spirit had grown accustomed to the physical work the ranch required. He had planned to go straight to his room, wash up, and go to bed since Pearl had seen to it he enjoyed a good supper before he left her place. They had lingered over coffee. He treasured those times with her.

When he entered the small area that passed for the inn’s lobby, he halted. Leaning on the counter toward the proprietor was a tall, lean man Benjamin recognized as Owen. Back in Denmark, he’d cheated Owen at cards many a time. He wondered if he was in town trying to get Benjamin to pay back some of the money. If so, was he willing to draw pistols over it? Or maybe Owen’s errand was something else altogether. A terrible thought that Sadie might be ill entered his mind.

Worried, Benjamin debated whether to duck from Owen’s view or to approach him with a warm greeting. Maybe Owen was traveling through town and merely looking for a place to stay for the night. He hoped he was on his way to somewhere else and that somewhere else was California. A long, long way from Benjamin and Pearl.

Summoning his courage, he strode toward Owen. Suddenly he became aware of how loud his heels sounded clacking against the worn wooden floor.

Owen turned toward him, and recognition flickered upon his features. “Benjamin!”

He tipped his hat. “Evening, Owen.”

Owen excused himself long enough to get a key from Dimsbury.

“You two know each other?” the innkeeper asked.

“Sure do. We were friends back in Denmark,” Benjamin said.

“Well, just make sure the two of you stay friendly,” he warned. “I don’t want no trouble around here.”

“You won’t have any trouble,” Benjamin assured him.

Owen nodded, which seemed to satisfy Dimsbury. He’d put up a sign saying he’d be away a spell, then disappeared as he always did at that time of day. Benjamin always assumed he took dinner next door since it was the right time and he was always punctual about leaving for an hour.

Owen turned to Benjamin. The two men walked a few steps away from the counter before resuming their greetings.

“What are you doin’ here?” Owen asked. “I knew you were somewhere in these parts, but I didn’t think I’d find you like this, in a speck of a place out in the middle of nowhere.”

“If this is such a speck in the road,” Benjamin quipped, “then what are you doing here?”

“I’m passing through on my way to California. My aunt died, and she left me a house in San Francisco.”

Benjamin chuckled. “You want to live way out there in a city?”

Owen shrugged. “I figure I can at least go and see the house. At the worst, I can sell it and make some money. Maybe replace some I lost to you.” He folded his arms. “Speaking of that, I don’t have anything to do tonight. I noticed there’s a saloon next door. How about we get up a game of cards?”

Benjamin hesitated. What could he say to Owen that his former gambling buddy would believe?

Owen drew closer. “I’ll bet you already know most of the saloon girls by now and probably have a set of regular card players, don’t you? Just like back home.”

He squirmed for a response. “This isn’t the same place.”

“Of course not. But women are the same everywhere. They all swoon when they see a handsome fella. If I looked anything like you, I’d be married with ten kids by now.”

“You’d be married if Ellie had her way.” Benjamin grinned.

“I know it. Maybe if I like this house out in San Francisco and I don’t see no other woman that looks better, I might send for Ellie. She’s not the best-looking woman in the world, but she’d make a good enough wife.”

Benjamin didn’t want to agree that Ellie was one of the homeliest women in Denmark. Considering the likelihood Owen would find another woman in San Francisco, Benjamin visualized Ellie’s slim chances with Owen evaporating.

A sly grin covered Owen’s features. “Seeing as how we don’t got any women to worry us, what about that card game?”

Benjamin shook his head. “I’d better not.”

“Aw, come on now. You must know a few men who’d like to play a hand or two.”

“Nope. I haven’t visited the saloon but once since I first got here.”

Owen’s mouth dropped. “Come again?”

“You heard right.”

“I don’t believe it.”

Benjamin shrugged. “I can’t help whether you believe it or not. It’s true. I’ve been working on a ranch.”

Owen whistled. “You’ve been getting your hands dirty? That’s a switch for you.”

Benjamin knew he deserved Owen’s disdain. “It’s about time I started to make an honest living, don’t you think?”

“Men who make an honest living during the day often don’t mind a little bit of what they call ‘recreation’ at night. Time’s a-wasting. Let’s go get up a game.”

As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Owen’s offer tempted Benjamin. He hesitated. “I’ve changed since I’ve been working on Pearl’s ranch.”

“I can’t imagine you lifting a finger outdoors.” Owen eyed him. “But I have to say, you do look a mite tanned. But that don’t mean you can’t play cards.”

Benjamin shook his head.

“What’s the matter?” Owen scoffed. “Scared Pearl might find out? Pshaw, she’s no better than we are.”

Such words sent Benjamin’s blood raging. Without thinking, he laid his fist into Owen’s jaw. Owen reeled but recovered.

Benjamin heard chair legs on the front porch shuffle, wood meeting wood, making a scratching sound. Two men rushed into the front room.

“What’s wrong, Benjamin?” inquired a boarder Benjamin knew only as Harry. “This here stranger bothering you?”

“We don’t take much of a hankering to that kind of thing here in these parts,” Harry’s friend added.

“He’s not bothering me,” Benjamin rushed to explain.

“More like he’s bothering me,” Owen said. “Laid a mean punch on me over a misunderstanding.”

The two would-be rescuers regarded Benjamin, then glared at Owen, then returned their gazes to Benjamin. “You sure about that? ’Cause we can beat him up pretty good if you need us to.”

“I’m sure,” Benjamin confirmed. “But all is well here.”

Owen looked whipped, but Benjamin wanted to be sure a sour word about Pearl never again crossed Owen’s lips. He spoke to the man in a lowered voice. “Pearl has more goodness in her little finger than you and I have in our whole bodies and souls put together.”

Owen rubbed his jaw and stared at Benjamin. “Whatever you and your friends say.”

Benjamin wanted to point out that the two men were always looking for a fight and weren’t really his friends and he could have taken care of himself. But he decided to omit all three statements. The fact that he had resisted Owen’s suggestion to go back to his old ways—an easy way to make money, to be sure—was victory enough.

Benjamin smiled at his friend from Denmark. “Look—I’m sorry I flew off the handle like that. Punching someone never solves anything. And I know you wouldn’t even be standing here still if we hadn’t known each other a long time.”

“You got that one right,” Owen said.

“How about I get you a cup of coffee?” Benjamin offered.

“No, I’m not in the mood for coffee. I think I’ll go to the saloon and try my luck there to find a night’s entertainment.” Owen studied Benjamin. “You really have changed. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Like Preacher Giles said in church last Sunday, with God all things are possible.”

Owen put his hands on his hips and looked at Benjamin cockeyed. “Is that from the Bible?”

“I think so. I’m not entirely sure. But if Pastor Giles said it, it’s pretty close.”

“So you’re a pew-sitter now? Either you’ve gone crazy, or I have.”

Benjamin laughed. “Maybe you ought to try it sometime. Maybe you’ll find yourself a pretty girl.”

A week later Pearl and Benjamin had just entered the house when Ma called.

“Pearl?” Ma’s weak voice sounded from her room.

Pearl sighed and sent Benjamin a look and set down the tomatoes she had picked. Just as quickly she regretted her show of impatience. Her mother couldn’t help being sick. But some days she was more demanding than others. On this particular day, she had called Pearl five times in the span of an hour.

Pearl softened her expression and set her voice to a happy pitch. “Yeah, Ma?”

“Can you come here? And bring that man of yours with you.”

So Ma wanted Benjamin? Pearl wondered what could be the matter. She motioned to Benjamin, who was just finishing breakfast. “Come on.”

Without delay he complied.

“We’re here, Ma. What’s the matter?” Pearl noticed that Ma had consumed all the water in the pitcher in her night table. “Do you need more water?”

“I will, but not now.”

Pearl sat on the side of her mother’s bed. Strands of the older woman’s hair clung to the sides of her face, saturated with sweat. Wet droplets marked her forehead. Her cheeks looked flushed, and she was thrashing. Pearl hadn’t seen such a sight since one of Sadie’s girls died of consumption, spreading fear throughout the house. Pearl remembered that was the one time she had asked the Lord to spare her, though she didn’t deserve His mercy after traveling away from His protection for so long. Yet He had seen fit to answer her prayer. In a flash, she wondered if the Holy Spirit had brought that remembrance to her mind. Was it time to pay Him back?