“I’ll take the chicken, with all of the vegetables, and the soup on the side. How about you, Benjamin?” She hoped it would ease things this way, and it seemed to have done its work because he ordered like a pro.
“The same as Miss McDonough here, except I’ll have the beef instead of the chicken.” He picked up the drink menu, skimming past the alcoholic section, she was pleased to notice, and went to the teas, looking up at Johanna with a twinkle in his eye. “How about some mint and lemongrass tea? And would you mind dropping a handful or two of some kind of berry in there? Blackberries if you have them.”
Margaret looked surprised. “We do, though they are dried.”
He smiled. “All the better. Thank you, Margaret.”
Johanna’s younger sister smiled. “You’re very welcome, Mr. Jarrett. Save some room for dessert. You’ll be grateful you did.” She walked toward the kitchen and left the two of them alone.
As soon as she left, Johanna leaned across the table and took Benjamin’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. Somehow, as soon as she did it, it seemed terribly intimate and forward. Would he mind? “You did wonderfully!”
Benjamin laid his other hand on hers and smiled. “Thank you. I’m not a total simpleton.”
She playfully slapped him in the arm with her free hand. “You’re not a simpleton at all!” She was extremely impressed with him.
He laughed and squeezed her hand before letting go.
She stayed leaning forward. “Okay, the suspense is killing me. Where in the world did you find those clothes?” He looked so handsome in them, and he was already handsome before. Still, her favorite way to see him was with no shirt on at all. She blushed when she thought that, hoping he wouldn't notice.
He laughed and leaned back in his chair, flaring out the jacket to expose a vest and a pocket watch beneath. “I talked to the kid. Jesse?” He looked to Johanna for confirmation. She nodded. “Since he was the one who started this whole thing, he seemed happy to help and talked to his dad. Your brother, I assume.”
“Yes. My oldest brother. Patrick.” She quieted, waiting for him to continue. She was very interested to hear what he had to say.
“Well, the two of them were more than happy to help, and it so happens that Patrick and I are about the same size, so he loaned me his good suit for our dinner tonight. The shoes are a little tight and the pants too short, but I’m not complaining. Anything is better than what I brought with me. I never expected to be going to some fancy dinner with the owner’s daughter.” He pulled at his collar as if that too was a bit too tight, but it could have just been his discomfort in the situation. Johanna didn’t know.
Dinner arrived via one of Johanna’s nephews, and she explained the use of a soup spoon, the variety of forks, and dessert fork so that Benjamin would recognize them in the future. It would be helpful in making a good impression at her family dinner, at the very least. Although, if her family couldn't accept him for who he was, they would be the ones missing out on a good person.
The tea he requested was surprisingly good and refreshing. The blackberries added just a hint of sweetness and blended magnificently with the lemongrass and mint. She told him so and he smiled, a bit smug.
“If I know one thing, it’s my tea. My mother and sisters-in-law are obsessed with the stuff, and I’ll admit, it is a nice way to fancy up plain water.”
Johanna laughed. The evening had been a delight, and she was glad they'd thought of it. The more time she spent with the man, the stronger her feelings were for him. Maybe she wanted to have a real marriage with him, instead of just staying with him until she could homestead. Maybe she needed to not worry about any of that until he said he wanted to marry her.
Chapter Eight
Benjamin didn’t often have the chance to attend church, but the McDonough’s were avid churchgoers, so he went, still wearing his borrowed suit and shoes. Johanna sat next to him during the service, and partway through the service, she slipped her hand into his. He was afraid he didn’t hear much of the sermon after that. All his attention was on the warmth of her touch.
When the preaching was done, and they left the chapel, Johanna turned to him. “Have you had a chance to go into town since you arrived?”
He shook his head. “No. I came straight to the hotel and haven’t left since.” He'd considered it, but he'd been too busy with her to do any sightseeing. Not that he'd complain. He rather liked being busy with her.
Johanna got a mischievous look. “Let’s go. I’d love to show you around, introduce you to a few people, and maybe later we can take a picnic up the hill. What do you think?”
Benjamin would have been a fool to turn that down. He nodded. “I’d love that.” He knew he'd be the envy of every bachelor in town with her on his arm. Why, she had it all—looks, brains, wealth. What more could a man ask for?
Saying good-bye to her family, they walked the rest of the way into town and meandered among the dusty streets. He was a bit nervous about getting the suit dirty, but Johanna told him not to worry. “Patrick has half a dozen suits like that, and we have cleaners on site. You have nothing to fear.”
“So he won’t kill me if I mess it up a bit?” He asked, not entirely joking. He'd only talked to the man briefly and had no idea how fastidious he was about his clothes.
She laughed. “Oh, heavens no! My guess is he’ll probably try and give it to you before the week is out. He’s that kind of man.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” He sighed and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, leaving his hand covering hers. It had only been a few days, but Johanna McDonough had already stolen his heart. He was determined to win this battle with her father and marry her. It was already a constant thread in his mind, though he wouldn’t mention it to her until things were settled. It wouldn’t be fair. So, in the meantime, he’d just enjoy her company and woo her, as her father had commanded.
They wandered down the boardwalk, looking at the stores that were closed—the tailor, the newspaper, telegraph, and post office, but they could still peek through the windows. They bypassed the saloon, though a couple of men standing outside called out to Johanna. She ignored them, but Benjamin was aware when they began to follow.
“Let’s go back to the general store and get something for our picnic,” Johanna said, sounding excited. It was the only store open. Benjamin was still focused on the men following, so he didn’t answer verbally, just nodded. They walked at a quick pace and entered the store again. Johanna headed for the candies, while Benjamin pretended to examine some jewelry near the front door and watched for the men from the saloon. After several minutes of waiting they didn’t appear, so he began to relax and actually looked at the things in front of him.
One of them caught his eye. A necklace, yellow stone in the middle and surrounded by thin swirls of metal. He was pretty sure it was called filigree. It looked like something Johanna would wear, and strangely, he wanted to buy it for her. He knew he couldn't, and sadly turned away from it, promising himself he'd buy it as soon as he could. For now, his money needed to be diligently saved for his family.
Johanna came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I had the hardest time finding the right thing for our picnic, but I think I’ve finally got it.” She turned from Benjamin and faced the clerk. “Mr. Pinkston, may I have two pounds of your sweet cherries, four of your peppermint sticks, and a half dozen of your wife’s delectable cookies?”
The tall, thin man laughed. “But of course! I’ll let her know you praised them so highly. She’ll be thrilled. Let me get those for you.” He zipped from one corner of the store to another, and within a minute he had returned with all of the items and placed them in a cloth bag. Johanna paid the man with some coins, and the two of them headed toward the door.
Once outside, they strolled arm in arm toward the hotel, which was over a mile away. They had almost reached the church when running footsteps pounded behind them. Benjamin turned to look, only to get a fist in the f
ace. His ears rang for a second before he raised his fists and began punching the man in front of him. He pounded on him until he fell, following him down, punching him in the face and head until he quit moving, but still breathed. Once he knew his attacker would be out of the way, he got to his feet and staggered toward the man who held Johanna and was dragging her toward his horse.
Johanna screamed. “No! Put me down! Do you have any idea who my father is?”
The man laughed. “Of course I do, missy. He’s the one who told us to come and get you for our boss. Edmund Berkeley just got off the train and he wants your wedding to start by nightfall.”
Johanna screamed again.
Feisty girl that she was, she kicked and thrashed and made it very difficult for him to get her to move, even using her bag of goodies to hit him. They left several dark cherry stains around his face, and if the situation wasn’t so serious, Benjamin would have laughed. Aside from the cherries, that were now scattered in the dirt, it looked like she’d scored a few good blows herself. The man’s face bled from four parallel scratches from temple to jaw, and his nose dripped blood. His mouth was set in a tight line as if he wanted to beat Johanna into submission and the only thing keeping him from doing so was his boss’s orders.
Benjamin didn’t care what it was. It slowed the man down and gave the homesteader enough time to get his head together and figure out what to do with the man. He still hadn’t turned and realized that his partner was down and Benjamin was charging toward him—but Johanna did. Just before Benjamin plowed into the man, she threw herself sideways against his hands, so that the collision released her.
Taking the man to the ground with his momentum, Benjamin tried to pummel the kidnapper as he had the man’s partner, but this one was too wily. He darted his head to the side so that Benjamin’s fist smashed into the hard dirt. He held back a howl of pain, though it wasn’t easy. He’d just bruised the bones in his hand at the very least. He only hoped nothing was broken.
With his fists out of the picture, he did the only thing he knew how to do. He put his forearm across the man’s throat and pushed just hard enough to cut his air. The man thrashed beneath him, but Benjamin didn’t move. He watched the man’s face very carefully. He didn’t want to kill him. Just render him unconscious. The moment the thrashing stopped, and his eyes rolled back in his head, Benjamin let up. He checked to make sure the man was still breathing, then staggered to his feet.
“Johanna, are you all right?” he gasped out.
She nodded, though she shook like a leaf.
“Hand me that rope from his saddle, would you? And the knife?” She nodded again, apparently incapable of speech, but turned and retrieved the items he asked for. There wasn’t much rope, so it would have to be cut it into pieces. Or even better, it could be unwound. Benjamin grinned. Three strands should do it.
"I need your help. I can’t feel my fingers, and I need the end of the rope cut, so we can unwind the strands." In a matter of moments, she had three strands of rope as big around as his pinkie. He had her cut one in half, then make a slip knot and threaded it around the feet of the man he’d choked, winding it around his ankles and between his feet before she tied it off. He had her take the second, shorter piece and do the same thing around the man’s wrists, pulling his arms behind him. Johanna tore a part of her slip and shoved it into the man’s mouth as a gag. They then repeated the process with the man who had attacked Benjamin.
With that done, Benjamin felt the weight of what had happened, of what they’d done, and his energy flagged. Johanna put her arm beneath his and supported him. “Whoa, there. You need to sit and rest, and I need to get you cleaned up. You’re bleeding everywhere.” She looked around, then seemed to make up her mind. “Come on. It’s not far.”
She led him toward the church, pulling the horse behind them. They tied him to the railing then went up the stairs and opened the door, Benjamin tripping on the last step so that they both fell over the threshold. In an instant, there were men there helping them up, including the pastor. Johanna told them about what happened while the other man cleaned Benjamin’s wounds.
“So, you see, Pastor, I’m in a bit of a predicament,” she said, Benjamin barely paying attention. “If the man my father chose for me is willing to send his subordinates to attack me and force an immediate wedding, he’s obviously not the kind of man I want to marry. This is the man I want to marry.” Benjamin slowly turned his head toward her, not sure if he was hearing her right. “I know this is untraditional, but do you think you could marry us? Today? As in right now?”
The pastor looked from one to the other, his face serious. “You do know what you are asking?”
Johanna nodded.
“And this is something you both want?” This time they both nodded.
A slow smile crept across the old man’s face. “Well, then. It looks like we’re having a wedding.”
Chapter Nine
Johanna paced the squeaky floor of the church, waiting for the return of the church gardener, Zedekiah. Obviously neither she nor Benjamin could return to the hotel if Edmund was already there and demanding her return, but she wanted a witness to her vows and a representative of her family. She wished Benjamin could have the same, but he seemed content with wedding her just as things stood. She was grateful for that.
It seemed like forever before the gardener returned with Johanna’s grandmother, Ida Mae. She swept into the church as if she owned it—and she'd probably donated enough money over the years that she had paid for most of it. She walked quickly to Johanna and wrapped her arms around her much taller granddaughter. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered.
Johanna smiled. “I’m pretty happy myself. He’s wonderful, grandmother. I was pretty upset at first when you picked him, but you knew better than I did. He’s my perfect match.”
Ida Mae chuckled. “I never doubted it. There’s something very earthy and calming about him, wouldn’t you say? Something that tames that spirited filly inside of you.”
Johanna felt the heat rise, but she couldn’t stop the grin or nod of agreement.
And then Grandmother was all business. “So, a wedding. Of course, I’d rather have time to plan these things, but considering the circumstances—” Her lips puckered as if she’d bitten into something sour. “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it. I’ve packed up a few of your things and all of his and brought Benjamin's wagon and horses. I brought your horse as well. You can leave just as soon as you’ve taken your vows.” She looked at Benjamin. "You're a mess, boy." Both his hands were swollen and bruised, his eye and cheek were blackening, and he held his side as if he had some cracked ribs. Johanna didn’t know if that was the case or if they were severely bruised, but either way he was in a lot of pain. "Are you going to be able to drive?"
Benjamin shrugged. "I'll have to."
"I can do it if he can't." Johanna squeezed her grandmother tight. “Thank you. Of all the people I could have here today, you were the one I couldn’t live without and knew I could count on.”
Benjamin, stood, swayed for a second, then steadied himself before approaching them. “Are you ready?” he asked, looking at Johanna.
She nodded, her stomach suddenly all butterflies. “Yes,” she whispered. He waited as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and walked with her down the aisle, both of them covered in dust, cuts, and scrapes, though Johanna didn’t care. It just made the experience that much more memorable.
Pastor Shobert didn’t waste a moment. As soon as the couple faced him, he took up his Bible, his spectacles perched on his nose, and he looked down, reading. “'And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made her a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father
and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.'” He set down the heavy Bible and raised his eyes to the couple. “Please turn and join hands, looking at one another.”
Johanna and Benjamin turned as one, their eyes locking tightly. The electricity between them was almost palpable. Pastor Shobert continued. “Will you, Benjamin Owen Jarrett take Johanna Eileen McDonough to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love, honor, and protect her from this day forward, 'til death do you part?”
Benjamin’s lips curled in a slight grin. “I will,” he said.
“And will you, Johanna Eileen McDonough take Benjamin Owen Jarrett to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love, honor, and obey him from this day forward, 'til death do you part?”
“I w—,” she started to say, then her eyes flew back to the pastor. "I'm not promising to obey unless he promises to obey!" She looked at Benjamin. "Are you going to obey me?"
The pastor cleared his throat. "Now, Johanna, you know that's not how it's done." Pastor Shobert had known her since she was a small child. He seemed to be pleading with her to change her stance, but he should have known she wouldn't.
"What I don't know is why not? I'm not doing it unless he does. And that's all." She let go of Benjamin's hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well? Will you promise to obey?"
Benjamin cleared his throat looking between Johanna and the pastor. "I...why don't you promise to love, honor, and care for me?"
Johanna nodded, looking at the pastor. "I promise to love, honor, and care for him. Good enough." When the pastor stood gawking at her, she said, "You may continue."
Johanna (Dakota Bound Book 1) Page 5
