Under the Strawberry Moon

by Beth Bennett

  Oh no, she was sure it was Branson Bennett. What was he doing here? Kelly glanced around nervously. She was alone, except for him. Now he was whistling. His threat of a spanking flashed through her mind. God, I’ve got to get out of here before he sees me. Kelly didn’t think Branson would really do such a thing, but she wasn’t sure. She slowly eased down from the fence and tried to tiptoe out the barn door. Shit, she was going to have to go right past the tack room, and the door was wide open.

  At that moment, Branson Bennett stepped back, harnesses, bits, and reigns in both hands. His eyes fell directly on her standing stock still by the horse stalls. Kelly’s face must have looked like a frightened deer in the headlights. Branson frowned.

  He looked extremely serious. Kelly immediately recognized the precarious nature of her situation. She let her eyes drift to his bulging biceps. She still could not believe he would actually spank her, but suddenly she decided that it would be wise not to give him the chance.

  Like a Montana Jack Rabbit, Kelly took off for the house. About half way there her knee started to hurt, but she ignored it. Better her knee than her backside. Branson dropped all the tack on the floor and chased after her as hard as he could go. Kelly could tell he followed right on her heels. She made it up the steps and slammed the kitchen door just as Branson reached the doorknob.

  Aunt Emma was coming into the kitchen. “Well,” she smiled, “what has you two in such a tizzy?” Kelly stood inside the door huffing and puffing, and Branson stood outside.

  “Oh, nothing,” Kelly said between breaths. “We were just playing tag, I won.” Kelly turned to Branson and stuck her tongue out at him through the kitchen door, hating that he was not out of breath at all. She flashed Branson a brilliant smile as he turned to go back to the barn in defeat. “Can I set the table, Susie?” Susie and Emma looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

  “Anytime you want, Kelly,” Susie replied.

  Chapter Three

  Branson took off his hat and slapped his knee in disgust. He was going to get that little peach, one way or another, and he wasn’t going to go easy on her either.

  As everyone gathered for dinner, the usual formalities ensued. To Branson’s great satisfaction, he managed to end up seated next to the rebellious little girl. He looked down at her from his lofty height and gave her a wink. She turned three shades of red when her small hand was encased in his as everyone joined together for the blessing. When Uncle Bob came to the Amen, Branson purposely gave her hand a solid squeeze. Kelly looked the other way.

  Tonight’s menu was spaghetti with salad and bread sticks. As the meal was passed and the conversation started, the Georgia peach leaned over to Branson with an innocent, wide-eyed look and said, “It’s too bad you’re so slow, Bennett. I don’t think I’ve ever out-run a boy before.”

  Branson scowled, God she was irritating. “First of all, honey, I’m no boy. Second, the name is, Mr. Bennett.”

  Kelly actually snickered to herself in reply. No one else was listening, and she leaned back over to goad him some more. “You ran like a flop eared mule I once knew.” Branson choked on his food. When he finished coughing, Kelly continued. “Yes…Bennett.” The words dripped from her mouth. “Just like that mule, you did. The mule had a better temperament than you do, though.” Kelly delicately passed the bread sticks.

  Branson gritted his teeth. He had half a mind to jerk her up off her chair, turn her over his knee and spank her in front of everybody. He was sure Bob wouldn’t mind a bit. She blinked up at him with a wide-eyed, mischievous twinkle. He couldn’t decide whether to spank her or kiss her. He decided prudence was called for in this situation and retribution could wait.

  He leaned over and squashed her against the back of the seat as he reached for the salt and pepper. He growled just loud enough for her to hear. “You better enjoy your win, Miss Taylor, cause the next time we’re alone, this flop eared mule is going to take a switch to your bottom.”

  Kelly flared her nostrils. “You shut up about that,” she hissed. “You wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”

  “Why don’t you just try me and see, missy.” He sprinkled salt on top of his spaghetti.

  “What are you two talking about?” Uncle Bob interjected. “Why don’t you include all of us in your conversation?” The table slowly got quiet as everyone looked with interest at Kelly and Branson.

  The blood drained from Kelly’s face, and Branson dumped some ranch dressing on his salad. “Why, Bob, Kelly and I were just discussing a flop eared mule.”

  “Can someone please pass me the salad?” Kelly called, her voice overly loud. All conversation at the table stopped for an awkward moment, but when Kelly said nothing further, the chatter slowly picked up again.

  Duly distracted, everyone went back to their own conversations deciding that whatever the mule was about wasn’t very interesting. Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. She jumped when she felt a deep voice whisper in her ear, “Pass me the tea please, Miss Taylor.” Branson’s mouth was so close, his mustache tickled her ear.

  Kelly wrinkled up her nose in distaste. She picked up the heavy pitcher with both hands as she passed it to Branson’s solid fist. He had her so rattled she could barely eat. As dinner concluded, Uncle Bob cleared his throat and asked for everyone’s attention. The dishes were cleared away and Kelly sat down again in interest. It wasn’t often Uncle Bob made announcements. “It has come to my attention that there have been some incidents around the ranch lately. Don’t worry, everybody, I’m sure it’s not anything to be concerned about. I just wanted to ask that you keep your eyes open and report any suspicious behavior. There’s been some vandalism in the barn and around the property lately. Small things, like paint cans dumped out. Destruction of equipment and property. We’ve never had a problem like this before. I just wanted to make everyone aware of what was going on. Again, no cause for concern, just let me know if you see anything.”

  Everyone walked away in apprehension after Bob finished speaking. No one had seen anything. Kelly was anxious. She felt guilty that she had teased Branson. Shoot, she thought, the last thing Uncle Bob needs is to find out that she endangered herself and a horse, and then lied about it. She was not about to add to his problems. She glanced at Branson, who was in the corner, deep in conversation, with Uncle Bob. I hope Branson keeps his big mouth shut Kelly thought.

  The usual after dinner entertainment ensued as folks gathered out on the front porch. Kelly gazed up at the night sky as a strange full moon bathed everything in a glowing pink light. “Look, Aunt Emma, that’s the most peculiar moon I ever saw.”

  “Why, Kelly, you know what that is?” Emma answered. “It’s a strawberry moon.” Everyone on the porch looked up as Uncle Bob tuned his guitar. Emma continued, “That’s what the full moon is called in June when it turns that color. It’s also named for strawberry season, I suppose. Do you know what the legend of a strawberry moon is, Kelly?” Everyone was entranced with Emma’s remarks. The whole porch had grown quiet, including Uncle Bob. “It’s said that when the full moon occurs on Friday, June 13th, anyone bathed in its light will find their own true love.”

  Several guests gave a sigh but Kelly tried to remain unimpressed. “I never heard such a story before, Aunt Emma. Where did you get that from?” Branson was sitting in an old ladder back chair leaning against the wall. His legs were splayed out, and he had pulled his hat nearly over his eyes, but Kelly could swear he was staring at her.

  Emma answered in a quiet voice. “I’ve heard that all my life, Kelly. I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss such a tale either. Bob and I met under a strawberry moon.” Emma looked over at Uncle Bob and smiled.

  “You did not,” Kelly said.

  Bob confirmed Emma’s story. “Yep, Kelly girl, we sure did. It was a moon that looked just like that one, nearly forty years ago.” Kelly couldn’t tell if Uncle Bob was just playing along or not. This story telling was outdoing the guitar playing as entertainment by a long shot. Instead of arguing,
Kelly decided to let the guests believe in the magic, but she would not be fooled. Strawberry moon indeed.

  Uncle Bob closed the day with some cowboy songs and as the evening drew to an end, he began a sweet song Kelly had never heard him play before.

  Gonna take a sentimental journey…

  Tears rolled down Kelly’s cheeks as the soulful old song rang out. So many memories of happy times passed through her mind. This evening was the exact sort of thing that made her love this place so much. Even though it was too dark to tell who was crying, there was an awful lot of sniffling going on.

  Kelly lay in bed that night listening to the sweet old melody play in her head. The windows were open and the night creatures chirped in time to the music. Kelly rolled over and thought about Branson Bennett. He was so handsome and so strong. Even though he was bossy, Kelly knew that she could trust him. He was as sure and as true as Montana. Kelly’s eyes grew heavy and as they closed in sleep, she dreamed of a tall, handsome cowboy, with a horse shoe mustache, standing in the pink glow of a summertime strawberry moon.

  The next few weeks passed uneventfully. There were no more problems around Canyon Gulch. Kelly worked with Jeb in the paddock training Cantaloupe whenever she had extra time. Being on the ranch was like a balm to Kelly. She was becoming her old self again. Jeb was a wonder with horses. The practice helped Kelly as much as it did Cantaloupe. One day, Aunt Emma unexpectedly came down to the paddock. “You’ve spent enough time with that horse. Let’s go to town.”

  Kelly came running. “Let me change, Auntie.”

  “I’ll wait for you in the car, Kelly-Jelly,” answered Emma.

  As they drove to town, Kelly chattered on about the earrings she wanted to go with her turquoise necklace. “I love that little jewelry shop, Aunt Emma. You just can’t get nice western jewelry on the east coast.”

  It wasn’t long before they parked, and Emma talked Kelly into going into the ladies’ clothing boutique first. Kelly didn’t need any clothes, and she had grown tired of waiting for Aunt Emma, who seemed to want to try on everything. “Auntie, I’m going outside to the store next door if that’s okay.”

  “Sure, sweetie,” she replied. “You go on down a store or two, and I’ll meet you when I’m done.”

  Kelly meandered down the wooden sidewalk. Beaver Creek was quaint and small, and the residents continued to build in an Old West style. It was good for business. The first store Kelly came to was filled with auto parts and hardware. Could there be anything more boring? Kelly scraped her feet along the dusty sidewalk. She wrapped her arm around a porch pole and leaned until her body brought her around the other side.

  For an instance, Kelly thought she saw a familiar reflection in the store window. A small scream caught in her throat. Terrified, Kelly looked behind her. Townspeople calmly walked by. Kelly’s eyes scanned the whole area. Nothing. Get a grip, Kelly mumbled to herself. She pressed her fingers to her temples. What was wrong with her? There was no way he could be in Montana. No way.

  Kelly hurried back in the clothing boutique to find Aunt Emma. She was paying for a purchase as Kelly walked through the door. Kelly’s face must have been as white as a sheet.

  “Why, Kelly!” Aunt Emma exclaimed. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, are you all right?”

  Kelly brushed it off as nothing, but as they exited, Kelly spoke quietly. “Aunt Emma, do you mind if we just go home, I don’t really want to shop anymore today.”

  “Kelly, whatever is the matter? We’ve only been in one store.” Emma put her arm around Kelly’s shoulders.

  “I guess I’m just not in the mood, Aunt Emma.” Emma gave Kelly a long look, but nodded and walked with Kelly to the car.

  “All right, dear. That’s fine with me, but I have to go to the grocery store before we head back. Susie said we were totally out of milk. For some reason, last week's order wasn't enough. I won’t be very long. You can wait in the car.”

  Kelly swallowed hard and climbed in the front seat. Under normal circumstances, a tractor-trailer from the food distributor came once a week, so thankfully trips to the grocery store were a rarity.

  “Watch my bags, Kelly, I’ll only be a minute.” Aunt Emma tossed her purchases in the back seat. The grocery store was only a few buildings down. Kelly let out a big sigh as she leaned her head back against the headrest. Her thoughts drifted to the face in the window. She was being silly. It had to have been her imagination. Kelly had not seen her ex-boyfriend, Eric Hinton, in weeks. He had made no attempt to contact her. She was sure he had no idea where she was.

  Kelly knew one thing that would take her mind off her current train of thought: Branson Bennett. She could see how her behavior with Cantaloupe had made Branson so mad. She could have hurt the horse and given herself more than a few stitches. Branson was so good-looking and successful to boot. She just bet he had every filly in the county after him. Maybe she could apologize and get him off her back, or her bottom as the case may be. Kelly doubted it, after picking on him during dinner, she was pretty sure Branson Bennett couldn’t wait to wear her rear end out. Kelly hated to admit it, but his threat had really affected her.

  The light outside was just beginning to grow dim, and Kelly wondered what was keeping Aunt Emma. Finally, she spotted her coming down the sidewalk, two bags, each containing two gallons of milk, in her arms. Kelly jumped out to help. As Kelly opened the car’s back door, she noticed something black lying in the road. Setting the groceries in the car, she leaned over to pick it up. Wiping the dust away, Kelly’s heart froze in her throat. It was a black and silver keychain. Exactly like the one she had given Eric for his birthday last year. Quickly, she looked around. Nothing seemed out of order. Who else in the world would have this exact keychain? And way out here in Montana? Kelly swallowed, this keychain could belong to anybody. She threw it down again and ground her foot on it. Walking around the car, she got back in the front seat, and Emma drove them home.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, Kelly woke up ready to work. In spite of her best efforts, memories of Eric had haunted her sleep. Now, she needed to get her mind off him. She also wanted to forget about the handsome Branson Bennett. No more men!

  She mucked out a few stalls and used the curry brush on a couple of mounts. Kelly’s work was finished by early afternoon and the ranch house was quiet. Everyone was out either riding or hiking. Even Susie had gone to her room to lay down and take a quick afternoon nap before starting the evening meal. Kelly took a shower and went to sit on the front porch.

  Bugle was laying in the shade of a tree making squeaking sounds as he dreamed of chasing a squirrel. Shoot, thought Kelly, I’m going to walk down to Clear Springs and see if I can catch me a fish or two. She was sick and tired of being worried, and she just wanted to relax for a few hours.

  Kelly went over to the shed and gathered a kid-sized bamboo pole. Uncle Bob kept fresh worms in the refrigerator by the tackle, as guests often liked to fish. Kelly took a small white Styrofoam container of them and went on her way. Kelly had opted for a white T-shirt and an old, flouncy, cotton skirt. Her flip-flops made a nice plip plop as she walked along the path. Hearing the noise she was making, Bugle rolled over and sat up. When he saw where Kelly was headed, he decided to come along.

  “Hey, Bugle boy, let’s go fishin'.” Bugle wagged his tail and trotted happily beside Kelly. She giggled at the way his tail curled over his back and his long fur flopped as he walked. They made their way down to the pool and Kelly sat cross-legged on the bank. She got her pole ready and held the hook. Opening the Styrofoam container, she moved the dirt around to try and find a live worm. “Bugle,” Kelly said, “I wish you had hands instead of paws, I hate putting a worm on a hook.” Bugle gave a happy bark and panted as he gazed adoringly up at her.

  “Gross,” Kelly said as she took a dirt covered wriggling worm and executed it on the end of her hook. She leaned the pole out over the pool and tossed her line as far away as she could. Watching a meadowlark land on h
er favorite cottonwood tree, she waited for a bite. The neon orange cork floated motionlessly on the water’s surface.

  After a few moments, Kelly decided she might stand a better chance if she could get the pole further out. She had grown up climbing that cottonwood. It served as a perfect perch, the branches stretched out over the water and there was a nice V right where she could sit. The pole she carried was small. She could easily climb the tree with it in tow. In just a few short minutes, Kelly found herself stretched out on the branch, her pole propped under her, her chin resting on her forearm. The slow buzz of insects and the chirping of birds lulled her into a light sleep.

  * * * * *

  Branson finished up his work on the Triple H’s accounts for the day. He leaned back in his heavy, leather, office chair, and put his hands behind his head. Breathing out a contented sigh, he surveyed all he had accomplished. Three years was a short amount of time to be in cattle ranching, and he was making a handsome profit already. He had finished his work for the day, so he decided to take a well-earned break. He got up to go down to the stable to saddle up Gray Boy. Branson stuffed his hat on his head as he went. Gray Boy saw him coming and trotted from the paddock to his stall. As Branson readied the tack and gear, his thoughts wandered to Kelly Taylor.

  Branson liked what he saw. He was extremely attracted to her though wasn't exactly sure why. It wasn't as if he hadn't had plenty of opportunities to date, and five years earlier, before he'd bought the ranch, he'd been fairly serious about someone, though that had broken off when it became clear that she had no interest in ranching.

  What was it about Kelly that intrigued him? The fact that she acted like she could care less? There was faint aura of sad vulnerability that always seemed to be present in her eyes, even though she tried her best to hide it. It made him feel protective. That beautiful red hair and those cute freckles across her nose.