When Mrs. Johnson went back to work, Savannah felt she had to keep the conversation flowing.
"I had car trouble out on the highway yesterday. My clothes were a mess and I didn't have a place to stay, so the Sheriff ..."
"You don't have to explain to me, dear. I figured as much. Ben hasn't entertained a girl here in quite some time. No—that isn't right either. He's never entertained anyone but his family here."
"Really, why not?" It just shot out of her mouth and she could have killed herself for it, but it was too late, the damage was done.
"I don't really know for certain." The woman glanced at her again and smiled. "Lots of young girls in these parts have been interested, but Ben just doesn't respond to them for some reason. I suspect he's looking for something very special in a lady." Mrs. Johnson said and shook her head. "Are—are you married Ms. Kingsley?"
"No, not me. I've just been stranded here, that's all," she explained. "I'll be on my way as soon as my car is fixed. I'll probably stay with my aunt for a while, though."
"A photographer, are you?" Mrs. Johnson nodded toward her camera equipment in the corner of the kitchen.
"Well...no, not really. I do a little magazine work on occasions. It's something I've always been interested in."
"How exciting. What do you photograph?"
"Animals mostly," she sighed. "Nature scenes. Anything that I find amusing."
"Must be an exciting job." Mrs. Johnson proceeded to peel some potatoes.
"Well, it could take me places, that's for sure." Her one and only photography job and been during her last vacation in Kenya. The magazine she had sent them to loved them and published them. Pursuing it was her dream, but her parents balked at the idea, telling her she didn't need a job that could take her away from her husband and family. That was two years ago.
Mrs. Johnson set breakfast on the kitchen table, then put an ironing board in one corner and began pressing Ben's uniform shirts. She worked steadily with some satisfaction in what she was doing, by the way she took such care of the clothing.
"Have you worked here long?"
"Oh my yes, off and on for three years. Ever since Ben became Sheriff."
"You sound very fond of him." Savannah watched the older woman take such pains with his shirt.
"Oh, if I'd have had a son, he'd be the one I'd want. My husband and I couldn't have children, I'm afraid. We tried for years, it just didn't happen. But Ben, why he's a dear, the perfect gentleman. Junction couldn't ask for a better Sheriff."
Surely the housekeeper wasn't trying to play match-maker. No, she just had her head in the wrong clouds, Savannah reasoned. Just because Ben Hogg was handsome as the devil himself, and happened to be a Sheriff, and rescued her from hell, didn't mean she had to go falling for him. She didn't trust men, and she had to remember that before she found herself falling again.
As she ate the scrambled eggs and toast. She'd decide later, what to do. She knew she had to get her car fixed, but what could she do in the meantime. If only she had her identification, and could go to her Aunt's house, and she'd be fine. In fact, it might be better that her aunt wasn't home. After all, it had been years since anyone in her family had spoken to Aunt Lucy. She wasn't sure of her welcome.
* * *
Ben cleared his desk quickly and called a towing service to get Savannah's car taken care of. All morning he kept himself busy, and didn't realize the time till Henry, the butcher came in.
"Morning Henry, what brings you by?" Ben asked trying to look at least a little busy for Henry's sake. He didn't need to ask. Henry always popped by, just to talk. It was like some sport to him. If there was any gossip in town, Henry knew about it, and reported it.
"Mrs. Johnson called and asked me to bring this by so you can take it home with you so she could make some pot roast tomorrow. Says you're right fond of pot roast." He answered handing Ben a package of meat, then glancing about for a chair to sit and chat.
Ben stowed the meat in the small fridge he had installed a month ago for his staff. He enjoyed the way small town people always seemed to care about one another.
"I'll take care of it, thanks for bringing it by." Ben nodded. "Anything else?"
Henry scratched his head. "Saw somebody's car bein' towed wondered if you knew about it?" Henry asked narrowing dark gray eyes on Ben.
"As a matter of fact I do. It belongs to a young lady that was stranded on the bus yesterday." Ben answered, flipping through some papers on his desk.
"You don't say. That's one fine car." Henry stared at Ben.
"It is?"
"You didn't see it?"
"No, I was on the bus too, Henry. On the opposite side from the car." He knew what kind of car Savannah drove, but he refused to rob Henry of the pleasure of telling him.
"BMW, brand spanking new, too."
Ben's head whipped about to look at Henry. "A BMW, you say?"
"That's right. Who is she, the Queen of Sheba?" Henry chuckled.
"Said her name was Savannah Kingsley. Suppose to be Lucy's niece. Ever heard of her?"
"Nope, but she must have lots of money." Henry said rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That Lucy ain't hurtin' for none. Lives in that big ole house all alone, ever since her husband died. I reckon she'll be tickled pink to have some company, way out there in the boondocks."
Ben felt a cold sliver run down his back. What if she stole it? After all, her story was a little shaky.
"Where is she?" Henry glanced around as though she might be hiding in some corner.
"Who?"
"The little gal that claims to be Lucy's niece?" Henry seemed impatient at learning this bit of news.
"She's at my place." Ben answered with reluctance. He waited for Henry to react to that news, but Henry acted as though it were common place.
"Oh, she's a friend, then?" Henry couldn't keep his curiosity to himself and Ben knew it would be all over town before sundown that he had a woman out at his place.
"Yeah, she's a friend," he said as he decided to play into Henry's hand.
"Well, bring her by when you get the chance, Ben." Henry seemed satisfied very quickly which was unusual for him. But Ben let it slide. Henry was harmless and there really wasn't anything to tell, Savannah Kingsley would be gone as soon as he verified her information.
He secretly pondered whether to check the plates and run a check on the car. It seemed downright underhanded, but he was the Sheriff and if anything was amiss he should know it. After a lot of deliberating, he decided he should run the check. It would be a while before he heard back, but he put it in his computer and would check at home later.
Pulling his keys from the drawer, he locked the small jailhouse and headed home, since his two deputies were over in Sweetwater taking tests.
Mrs. Johnson was busy hanging the wash out back, and Little Bit greeted him the moment he got out of the Jeep. Ben bent down and played with his dog for several minutes, then threw his ball and watched as Little Bit ran to catch it. He was nearly on the porch when the dog brought it dangling from his mouth. "Good boy," he smiled and scratched him behind the ears.
Savannah was nowhere to be found.
That is until he heard a loud shrieking sound. Always on the alert, Ben wasted no time in following the sound. He rounded the house just in time to see Savannah flailing her arms in the air wildly.
"Oh no...Oh my God!" she shrieked even louder, hopping about as though the devil himself were after her. The expensive camera equipment fell to the dust and she groaned. Ben couldn't begin to imagine what was going on at first, until he heard the sound of bees.
Without hesitating, he hauled her up and into his arms and into the house. She was light as a feather, but not at all happy to be manhandled.
"What are you doing?" she protested hotly as he set her down in the kitchen.
"Getting you out of another scrape, it would seem," Ben replied holding her arm and examining it closely. "You've been stung."
"I know that, why do you think I was holler
ing, Sheriff," she nearly yelled at him and jerked her arm free. "I'll be alright in a few minutes."
Ben shook his head, and began looking at her from head to toe. "Are you allergic to insect bites, too?"
Savannah shrugged. "I don't know, I've never been stung before."
He nodded as though he knew another catastrophe had befallen her. "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but you're breaking out in welts all over your face and arms. We'd better call Dr. Peters."
Savannah examined herself in the hall mirror and moaned aloud, "Oh no, not this ..."
Ben nodded and went to the kitchen sink. He came back to her and applied some kind of paste to her sting, then blotted her welts.
"Why don't you go lie down, I'll get the doctor out here to look at you."
Savannah shook her head. "If my car is ready, I'm leaving. I'm not so sure about this town of yours Sheriff. It doesn't seem all that peaceful to me."
"You're in no shape to drive now." He instructed as though he knew best. "Besides, I'm still checking your information out. And there's still a little matter of a license."
Mrs. Johnson came in and saw the welts immediately. "Oh my, you should lie down, dear."
"But ..."
Seeing Ben's adamant expression, she didn't argue. She let Mrs. Johnson take care of her, waiting on her like a baby.
Ben called the doctor and went to look in on her again.
"The doc will be right out." he informed her.
Savannah was lying on the bed again, and when he came to sit on the side beside her, she nearly jumped up.
"I'm terribly sorry about this, Sheriff." Savannah began then realizing what he said stopped. "Right out? Are you kidding? Your doctor makes house calls?"
"Only to the very young and old, but if it's an emergency, Doc Peters will show up, for sure."
"I can't believe it. House calls. Oh, I must look awful. I feel it. I'm so sorry, Sheriff."
"It's Ben, remember? And it can't be helped. Are you in any pain?" His concern was genuine. He inspected her welts.
"No, not really, I just itch like crazy." She began to scratch, and he gently reached to take her nails away from the lumps forming on her arms.
"I'll get the calamine lotion."
"Oh please, don't bother."
"No bother at all, Savannah."
He went into the hall and came back with a pink bottle and some cotton balls. He began dabbing pink blotches all over her face and arms.
"Have you ever broken out like this before?" he asked.
"No," she muttered miserably.
She turned away, and he knew that tears were only a few seconds away. Unable to cope with that, he pulled her chin around and stared into her eyes. "Hey, it's not all that bad. We've got a good doctor and he'll fix you up real quick."
"What did you put on me, in the kitchen?"
"Soda, to take the sting out of it."
She smiled a little. "It worked."
"Good." He smiled back and that's when their eyes met. Ben bent his head, his eyes still on hers, and their lips were mere inches away when Mrs. Johnson came into the room with a cool wet washcloth for her. Ben jumped up as though he'd been caught doing something horrible.
"This should help the welts some. Oh, I declare, looks like Ben's already found the lotion." she said and after glancing at him, she left again, as quickly as she had entered.
Ben paced, wondering why he had this uncontrollable urge to hold her. He had to detach himself from this little gal. She wasn't as helpless as he feared, and she wasn't going to be hanging around here long. But instead he moved away and walked towards the door.
"We'll have you fixed up in no time. I called a tow truck for your car and talked to the garage mechanic. He said he'll have to special order the part for the radiator. He doesn't get many BMWS out here."
"How long will it take?" she shrieked as though that thought wasn't supposed to happen.
"He said he'd get right on it, but it might take a few days to get the part, but he'd try to put a rush on it for you." Ben replied. "Why, are you in a hurry?"
He had read her every thought. Why not, they were both keenly aware of the attraction. He had a feeling she had felt this strange electricity between them too, and she wanted no part of it from the way she acted. That was good, wasn't it? Then why did he feel just the least bit disappointed that she didn't want any part of him. He'd never experienced anything like the feelings this woman stirred and if he was wise he'd run, because she was trouble, with a capital T.
If he knew what was good for him, he'd want her out of here too. But oddly enough, he would like for her to stay long enough to explore why. And besides, he told himself, he was investigating that car, and her identification.
"I guess I should be thanking you, for putting up with me, but really, I hate being a bother to people."
"No bother, just rest." he said as he rushed towards the door. He had to get out of here, put some distance between him and temptation.
* * *
Savannah sighed heavily as she leaned back against the pillows. She should be marching out the door about now and leaving this little paradise behind, but for the life of her she didn't feel like moving. The welts were still appearing all over her and she felt like one giant fever blister.
She wanted to cry, wanted to run, wanted to hide. And she wanted that Sheriff to kiss her too. In all her life she had never been so brazen. But the Sheriff was definitely woman shy. She had to get that through her head, and fast. He wasn't interested, and she shouldn't be. Hadn't Chad been a big enough experience for her? How could she be this attracted to a man, after such a thing happening to her own wedding? It made no sense, no sense at all.
The doctor came and administered a shot, then told her to rest till tomorrow. He didn't want her operating any machinery for at least a day and he'd have a look at her before she left town.
Savannah bit her lower lip when she saw the dismay on the Sheriff's face. He wasn't pleased with being stuck with her either.
Mrs. Johnson waited on her, informing her that the Sheriff would return soon, as soon as he took care of some trivial problems. Little things, like... someone had broken a glass in the school building, someone had a complaint about a car being parked in the wrong place half the day.
It was after sun down before the Sheriff came back and she'd been sleeping. When she woke, she found him sitting beside her looking at her with the biggest frown she'd ever seen.
"Oh I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in." She said sitting up in the bed, trying to act alert and well, yet failing miserably.
"Mrs. Johnson said that shot knocked you out. You've been sleeping most of the day. I was beginning to worry."
"Great, I probably won't sleep a wink tonight." She grumbled. "I should be out of here by now. Any word on my car?"
"Um...yes, as a matter of fact, I wanted to talk to you about that."
Savannah watched him closely, a shadow of doubt on her face. "Oh?"
"You want to tell me about it, or must I?" He firmed his lips and glanced at her.
The blood left her face, her eyes clouded with tears, and she knew she was pouring it on a little too thick. He handed her a tissue and waited. He wasn't impressed. She'd have to level with him, if she wanted his help.
"It belongs to my parents. When I left the church, I had to have a car. I was at the wedding, my car was at home. I'd ridden there with my parents to the church. Chad lives across the street from the church. The man I was going to marry. Well, I couldn't take someone else's car, could I? I took theirs. Have they filed a complaint?"
"'Fraid so. I'll have to check it out, you know. I'm still waiting on proper id, too. Would you like me to send a message to your parents? At least let them know you are alright?"
"You don't believe me?" she gasped. A message to her parents? No, she wasn't ready for that.
Seeing the alarm in her face, he felt guilty as hell for checking her out, but knew he had to do it. "Sure...I believe
you. It's a formality Savannah...besides, who could make up such a story? Now about that message? No matter how bad the problem is, you should at least let them know you are okay."
She stared at him. "Oh... I suppose you could tell them I'm fine, and will be in touch soon."
"Alright. That's better. We'll talk about this when you're feeling better." He grinned. But she was still frowning.
He started to leave but paused in the doorway. "Why did you run out on the fella?"
"It's a long story."
He nodded and smiled again. "I'm sure it is. Indulge me."
"You wouldn't be interested."
"Okay, we'll drop it for now. Have you made any calls yet?" He asked.
"No, I'll need to reach my aunt, and my girlfriend, the one that's meeting me at the Dude Ranch. But it's long distance unless you have a cell phone."
"Your aunt isn't home, as I said, and what's this about a Dude Ranch?"
"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you. Since I've been stranded and your housekeep told me all about the Dude Ranch not far from here, I called for a reservation. For me and my friend."
He still wasn't following her train of thought. "A Dude Ranch? And exactly what are you going to do at this…Dude Ranch?"
"Take pictures. It's perfect."
"You're going to take pictures at a Dude Ranch?" he queried.
"Yes, isn't that exciting?" When he didn't respond, she explained. "Well, I borrowed your phone and called the editor of one of the magazines I've worked for. They sounded excited."
"And just what are you going to photograph?"
"Animals, nature."
"Oh!" he nodded now, understanding. "There's a cell phone in my bedroom, on the night stand, but I guess you've already found that. You make your calls, while I see what Mrs. Johnson left us for supper." He smiled at her.
It was the first sign all day that he wasn't upset with her. She felt pleased and more than a little pulled to that smile.
"Thanks," she called after him. "You've been very kind."
He smiled again and left.
Savannah sighed heavily, knowing she was going to miss him the minute she left his beautiful home, but that it was inevitable too. She was stuck here for a night or two, but then it would be over and she'd be gone. That thought left a very dull feeling in her heart. Why couldn't she stay in Junction? What was to stop her?
Runaway Bride Page 6
