The pastor cleared his throat. “Umm—Then with the power vested in me by God and the Dakota Territory, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” He looked at them expectantly. Benjamin looked at Ida Mae as if he was uncertain.
Grandmother spoke up, as she did all too often. “Well, kiss her, you fool!”
Benjamin didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He took Johanna in his arms and kissed her with what seemed all the passion inside him. His lips were soft and tender against hers, making her feel nervous, knowing her grandmother was watching.
After a long moment, Ida Mae cleared her throat. “Okay. I think that’s enough kissing for now. We’ve got to get on the road before my son finds out about this.”
Johanna turned to her. “We?” Her grandmother was going to be with her on her wedding night? Really? Benjamin was probably too hurt to do more than kiss her, but still. It just didn't seem right.
Ida Mae put her hands on her hips. “Well, of course ‘we.’ You didn’t think I was going to let you leave here alone, did you? You may be married, but a lady still needs a woman to help attend to her needs. I’ve done it before. I can certainly do it again.”
Johanna didn’t want to be rude, so she didn’t look at her grandmother as if she were crazy, much as she might have wished. She turned back to Pastor Shobert. “Thank you, sir. That was marvelous, and doing this on such short notice may have saved my sanity, if not my life.”
The old man chuckled. “You’re not my first wedding on the run. Go, you two. Have a beautiful life.”
Johanna couldn’t help herself. She hugged him, then turned and took Benjamin’s arm and headed for the chapel doors, Ida Mae close behind.
They were in the wagon in seconds, Johanna at the reins and Ida Mae on a horse, and started on their way. Without a word, Johanna drove where Benjamin directed, up the hill that would take them around the mountain and into some of the high flatlands where his family’s homesteads had been claimed. It would take a full day to get there, so a night in the open was inevitable, but she was willing to do it if it meant escaping Edmund Berkeley.
Johanna moved closer to him on the buckboard but continued her silence. She’d caught him looking at her out of the corner of his eye every once in a while and fought a smile. She wondered if he caught her glances as well. There was no denying he was a handsome man—far beyond anything she deserved.
He cleared his throat. “So. Miss McDonough.”
“Mrs. Jarrett now. Or Johanna,” she interrupted.
His mouth quirked and he tried again. “Johanna.” It sounded nice coming off his lips.
* * *
Johanna rummaged through the sparse woods for sticks, grass, anything they could burn for their evening fire. It didn’t take long to fill her arms, and she returned to the clearing they’d found and dropped them next to Benjamin. He’d somehow gotten some of her earlier bundles alight.
He pointed to three rabbits. "I'll need your help with those. I don’t know if these fingers are broken, but they hurt like the devil stomped on them and I don't have the dexterity I need to skin the rabbits and roast them over the flame. I'll walk you through it step by step."
Once she'd finished, Johanna sat on a large stone and wiped the sweat from her brow. Even with the large hat, the heat still reached her. She was used to it, but had never liked it. Her favorite times of year were the spring and the autumn, when the air was crisp and she could stroll the streets with nothing but a shawl. Spring was nearly done and the heat was flaring as it always did. Even the cold Dakota winters were easier on her than the unbearable sun. She was thankful the temperature never got too hot, and even when it was hot, the humidity was low and the winds provided natural cooling.
She stayed away from the fire until the sun had fallen behind the hills and the dark sky began to chill her. She began to relax and moved closer to the fire just as Benjamin showed her how to take the rabbits and roots out of the flame. She gave one to Benjamin atop a metal plate, then poured a cup of lukewarm water for him. After serving her grandmother, she did the same for herself.
Not the kind of meal she’d have had at home, but with her first bite of rabbit, she realized Benjamin wasn’t lying when he’d told her father he was a good cook. With so little seasoning on hand, he’d managed to explain to her how to make the meat tender, flavorful, and something she’d be more than happy to eat each and every day. Her ladylike tendencies disappeared as she devoured the carcass, and she wasn’t alone. Grandmother was doing much the same thing. Benjamin was too busy eating to notice, it seemed. She certainly hoped. For some reason she wanted to make a good impression. It puzzled her. He was nothing like the kinds of boys she usually was drawn to. His hair was long and curly. His hands rough from work. Clothing simple, but here she was looking at him for more than what he wore, the cut of his hair, or calluses on his hands. She saw him for who he was, and that she liked. She liked it very much.
Finished with her dinner, she collected the plates and cups from the other two and set them aside to clean, when water was more readily available. She rolled out blankets for her and Benjamin, cognizant of the pain he was in, while Grandmother rolled out her own, all of them on one side of the fire, the large stones at their backs. Ida Mae took the blanket nearest the flames. Johanna felt a moment of panic and looked at her grandmother. The woman must have sensed her fear because she took her granddaughter by the hands. “I’m an old woman and I get cold at night. I’m still right here.” She spoke a little louder. “I’m sure Mr. Jarrett will be a perfect gentleman, won’t you, Benjamin?” She looked at him sternly.
Johanna could hear the laughter in his voice when he answered. “Absolutely, Miss Ida Mae. You’ve nothing to fear here. I’ll protect her.”
Grandmother snorted. “You’d better, young man. Now sleep well, you two.”
Ida Mae turned toward the fire and began snoring softly within minutes. Johanna looked at Benjamin and giggled. They were married now. Why was Grandmother being so protective? Or was it more about her comfort? Johanna was pretty sure that must have been it. Benjamin grinned then shrugged. He sat on the grass with his back to the large stone. Relieved, she lay down on the blanket and looked at the stars. They always calmed her and made her think of all the possibilities of life, the sky, destiny—just everything. “Do you ever wonder what’s up there, Mr. Jarrett?”
“Benjamin,” he said, turning her words against her from earlier in the day, but he did so with a smile in his voice. “But to answer your question, yes. I’ve wondered quite often what’s up there. Why it’s there. How it came to be. Is it just for us to have something beautiful to look at it? Maybe perceive some meaning from it? Or does it serve a purpose we don’t know?”
Johanna got excited. Those were the exact kinds of questions that plagued her so often. “I know! Are they teeny suns that live far away? Or could we pull them from the sky if we jumped high enough?”
Benjamin stood and crossed the space between them. “May I?” he asked, gesturing toward his own blanket lying next to hers. She hesitated for a moment, her stomach fluttering, then nodded. He sat, then lay down to stare at the sky with her. They were silent for a quite a while, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. They’d lain this close and stared at the stars, even fallen asleep next to one another just a few days before, but it was different now. They were married. It was exciting and terrifying and calming all at once, which seemed impossible, but there it was.
He spoke quietly, pulling his hands from behind his head and gesturing. “I think they have a purpose. Something more than we can know in our lifetimes, but I put my faith in that. They are beautiful, there’s no denying it, and I love to lose myself in their celestial eyes, but there’s something more. There has to be.” He put his hands at his side.
Feeling more daring than she ever remembered, Johanna slowly moved her hand and stroked his arm. For the first time, she approached him and it was more meaningful than all the kisses
in the world. It felt as if it was meant to be there. Such a simple thing as the feel of his skin under her hand sent her head spinning and heart racing.
She turned her face toward him, their eyes meeting. "C'mere," he whispered, careful not to wake Ida Mae.
Johanna rolled toward him, careful of his hands. "Here?" she asked, a grin on her face.
He lifted the hand that was on the other side of her, and pointed to his lips. "No, here."
She giggled softly, going up on one elbow and brushing her lips across his. "Like this?"
He shook his head. "No, come closer." He carefully lifted his bandaged hand and moved it around her, using his forearm to pull her close until her chest was solidly atop his.
Johanna sucked in a breath as she realized just how close he'd meant. "I—my grandmother is right there!"
"So? We're married. I want to kiss my bride." He moved his arm behind her head, maneuvering her lips down to his.
Johanna decided, for this once, to be an obedient wife, putting her weight on his torso, her lips crushing down on his.
Benjamin let out a gasp. "I forgot about that rib!" He rubbed his side.
Joanna giggled again. "I think we should put off kissing 'til you're more ready for it."
"Probably—but I do want you to know I'm not happy about it!"
Chapter Ten
Benjamin woke the next morning before Johanna and her grandmother, certain needs pressing at him to be met and it was best to do so while the others were asleep, especially with as slow as he needed to be with his hands hurting so badly.
Thankfully that was easily done, and a creek found nearby where he could rinse his hands, the cold water soothing them more than anything had thus far. They felt better this morning, and with a few trial flexes, he determined they weren’t broken. That was a huge relief.
To celebrate, he retrieved the dishes from the night before and rinsed them as well. Still, nobody awoke, but then it was early. He sat on the stone and watched the sky go from pale blue to a beautiful sunrise, and once the sun was fully up, the other two began to stir.
Johanna stretched, reaching above her with a yawn and a crack to her back he heard even several feet away. When she saw his bedroll empty, she sat up in a rush, then turned and saw him on the stone and smiled, relaxing back to the blanket with obvious relief. “I thought you might have gone on without me.”
He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t do that. We’re permanently attached now, remember?” He held up one hand. "Besides, how can I manage on my own with this?"
Her grin turned mischievous. “How could I forget?”
After a quick breakfast of leftovers from the night before, the three of them packed up the bedrolls and cooking supplies, then were on their way. The road home was more of a path that cut through the high grass leading up to his family's homestead.
The sun was approaching its highest point in the sky when four small buildings came into view, and he smiled, a bit proud of what his family had accomplished. The buildings weren’t the sod most of the homesteaders used, but all four homes and barns were made of real wood, and thanks to having a father for a master craftsman, they were sturdy and beautiful. Much more so than the homes in Whispering Springs. Only the hotel surpassed the quality they had built here.
He met Johanna’s eye with a huge grin. “Home.” He didn’t really need to say more. Johanna picked up the pace, and it seemed like no time at all before they arrived at the western most building. Benjamin turned to the ladies, his stomach a bit nauseated with nerves. What would his father think? His brothers? He wanted to groan. They were sure to give him a hard time. He left home only a week before to find a job and came home with a wife.
Turning to the ladies, he tried to think of something to say, and finally came to a conclusion. He needed to face his family alone. They needed a little time to digest his news before meeting their new family. And if he was truly honest with himself, he needed the time as well. “Give me a minute to go in and tell my family what’s going on, all right? Once that’s done, we’ll get you settled right proper.”
Johanna placed a hand over her stomach before she nodded. Benjamin could tell she wanted very much to follow him inside. He already knew how much she hated being left out of things, especially things beyond her control. She glanced at her grandmother, but he couldn’t afford to wait. He took off his hat and stepped through the front door, closing it behind him.
His mother saw him first, turning from the stove where she prepared lunch. She dropped her pot holder on the stove and ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. “Benjamin! Oh, we’ve missed you! Why are you home so early? Did things not work out at the hotel?”
He let out a yelp of pain, his ribs still too sore for vigorous hugging.
"You're a mess, Benjamin! What happened to you?"
He briefly explained he'd been in a fight the day before when he saw the cloth pot holder begin to smoke. He immediately released his mother and snatched the cloth off of the stove before it caught fire. It was definitely blackened, but that was better than the alternative. Setting the cloth on the table, he turned back to his mother and saw her hands over her mouth and tears swimming in her eyes. Fire in a wooden house would be an absolute disaster, as she well knew. More than one home had burned to the ground in her lifetime, and once she had even been responsible. That once had been enough.
Benjamin went to her and took her in his arms to comfort her. “Sh. It’s all right, Ma. We caught it in time. Nothing happened. Just calm yourself down, all right?” She nodded, but he could tell she was still upset. He understood.
His father and two brothers stepped through the door right then, looking over their shoulders in curiosity, staring at Johanna and Ida Mae. When they turned around and saw him, they stopped in the doorway, mouths agape. “She with you?” His father asked.
Benjamin nodded.
One of his brothers whistled. “Isn’t she one of the McDonough girls?” Matthew asked.
Benjamin couldn’t help the smile that brightened his face. He nodded. “She is. Or rather, she was.”
William and Matthew looked at each other, their faces confused, then their heads turned slowly back to Benjamin, big grins showing their teeth. They ran into the room, jumping and hollering, pounding Benjamin on the back. He could hardly make out what they said between the cacophony and the pain he tried to hide. “No! You married her? How long have you known her?”
That one Benjamin answered. “Less than a week.”
The brothers laughed again and didn’t let up until Ma spoke. “Oh, you two! Leave him be. He can’t help what those strangers do. He’s getting paid for it. Be thankful. Benjamin, where is she?”
“Outside. Her grandmother came with us as a chaperone. As if I’d dare to do anything to Mr. McDonough’s daughter.” Benjamin gave a single bark of laughter, feeling instantly as if he was being disloyal to Johanna. Mr. McDonough was a bit frightening, there was no denying it. Let his family think he did it for the money. What would it hurt? If it got them off his back, he’d let them think the sky was green.
“Are you telling me you left two ladies outside in the heat? What are you thinking, son?” Ma scurried toward the door and Johanna and Ida Mae backed quickly away from the walls. They’d probably been listening in. He groaned inwardly. There was no telling what Johanna thought of him now. She wasn’t happy, he could see that by the glare she directed toward him, but he figured he’d smooth it out later. He wasn’t about to talk to her in front of his family.
The ladies brushed off their clothing and straightened their shoulders, as if they were twins rather than grandmother and granddaughter. Ma held the door open and they came in, stepping over the children's legs and arms.
Ma wiped her hands on her apron. “I apologize for my son’s manners. I’m Nancy Jarrett. You must be thirsty. Please. Come in. Come in!” She put an arm around each of them and pulled them farther inside, then brought them each a cup of water, and gestured for Johanna and
Ida Mae to sit, which they did. Ida Mae let out what sounded like a sigh of relief and fanned herself. William and Matthew sidled out the door, chuckling again, dragging Benjamin behind them.
Chapter Eleven
Benjamin’s mother, Nancy, sat down as soon as the boys left. “Tell me all about it! How did you guys meet? Where? Why get married so soon?”
Johanna was afraid the questions would continue so she jumped in. “Benjamin got a job with my father as a gardener—” Nancy and the sisters-in-law sighed. The younger Jarrett women took a seat by their mother-in-law. Johanna looked at them, sure her face looked puzzled, as that’s the way she wanted it to appear.
Nancy looked at Johanna. “I’m sorry. We didn’t introduce ourselves. I’m Annabelle, William’s wife, and this is Ruth. She belongs to Matthew.” She smiled. “Can you continue? We’re all dying to know.”
Johanna chuckled. “The story is kind of crazy. My father arranged a marriage for me—” She waited for the gasps she was certain would ensue.
The younger wife, Ruth gasped. “People don't do that!"
Johanna pressed her lips together, trying to hold her anger in at the memory. “Sometimes, but they shouldn’t. Especially in America. But, let’s set that aside. Benjamin saved me, thanks to my grandmother, Ida Mae, here.” She smiled at her grandmother, thanking her without words for the help she'd given her.
The old woman spoke up with a cackle and a wave of her hand. “Oh, it wasn’t anything. My son was being an idiot, and Benjamin happened to be right there. It was all just chance, really, but he ended up being the perfect match for my granddaughter.” Her smile had a feral glint to it.
Everyone laughed. A young child stumbled over and pulled on Ruth’s dress. “Mama? It’s hot in here. Can we go play outside?” He looked over at Johanna, obviously curious about why the woman was in his grandmother's house, but not curious enough to stay long enough to listen.
She rubbed the boy’s curly locks that were so blond as to be almost white. “Of course you can, sweetheart. Just be careful, and all of you stay away from the creek!” She pronounced it “crick,” like when Johanna got a crick in her neck. It was strange, but oddly familiar. Once the children were gone, she continued with her tale, giving the women all the details, even the juicy bits because they begged for them. All in all, a rather satisfactory introduction to the Jarrett family.
Johanna (Dakota Bound Book 1) Page 6
