town’ll know about it.”
“I just don’t want people to worry about me,” Ben said, feeling good that people did worry. He didn’t want to dwell on it. “So, what are you all doing here?”
“Working out the County Fair details. We’re really behind, and we’ve lost some of our usual volunteers. Pauline’s got mono. Calvin broke his leg. Paul and Mary moved to Macon.” Marion sent a smiling look his way. “I know you’re busy with the farm calls and all, but what about your wife? It would give us the chance to get to know her.”
“I can ask her again. I mentioned it awhile back, when I saw the sign in the window. I said, ‘ Katie, you ought to see how you can help out.’ But she said, ‘ I don’t want to get involved in that silly fair.’ I gotta badger her into just going to it.”
Marion’s shoulders raised two inches. Her face was red as she looked around at the others. “Well, I guess we won’t ask her to get involved then.”
“Sorry, Marion. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I probably shouldn’t have repeated what Katie said.”
“No, I’m glad you did. I might have asked her to help out.”
“Well, we’ll be there to support you on the big day, don’t you worry about that.” Ben took the plate of Veal Marsala from Dinah and dug in while the others decided how to line up the game booths.
And God, please look out for that missing girl from Haddock. Please let her be all right. Please look out for all those women in bad places. And please fix my heart so I ’ ll be happy with Ben.
Patches of early evening sunlight danced on the leaves as Katie walked through the woods. The scent of warm leaves and earth had her inhaling deeply.
She hadn’t prayed in a while. Too long. She and her mama had gotten down on their knees together every night and prayed for women who were victims. There were so many, in the news, famous and unknown. She clutched the plastic container with the chicken and the chocolate pop on top of it. She’d debated heavily on that. Would Silas take it as a romantic gesture, being a rose and all? Or should she tell him it was a gift from Ben and she hated chocolate so was giving it to him? Why was life so complicated?
Branches pulled at her shirt, and she wrapped her arms tight around her as she twined through the trees. The warm breeze ruffled through the bright green leaves. Birds whooped and called, and a woodpecker chattered as it guided gracefully against the horizontal surface of the trunks. One bird even screeched like the sound effect from Psycho ’s shower scene. Her sneakers crunched softly on the leaves and then the forest transformed to the grand oaks.
This time she didn’t attempt to hide. She walked into the small clearing that surrounded the house. Silas was sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch watching for her, his feet up on the railing. The Boss was lying in the yard. He lifted his head and twitched his nose at her. Silas shrugged into a shirt and descended the steps in one smooth motion. She caught the glint of his gold cross against his collarbone as he moved through the filtered sunlight.
Coming here had seemed unselfish and innocent while she’d been convincing herself of her motives. Seeing the slice of bare chest and the mussed hair that brushed his shoulders made it seem like something more sinful.
“I brought you some dinner,” she said on a rush of words, shoving the container at him. “And dessert,” she added when he looked down at her offering. “I don’t like chocolate.” This wasn’t coming out right at all.
He didn’t take her offering. Instead, his smoky gaze took her in and made her realize how she was dressed. “That’s a nice change from the way I’ve seen you dressed before.”
A glance down revealed puckered nipples showing through the fabric. She crossed her arms in front of her. “It belongs to the girl who works with me. It’s probably way too young for me.”
A faint smile
“I just don’t want people to worry about me,” Ben said, feeling good that people did worry. He didn’t want to dwell on it. “So, what are you all doing here?”
“Working out the County Fair details. We’re really behind, and we’ve lost some of our usual volunteers. Pauline’s got mono. Calvin broke his leg. Paul and Mary moved to Macon.” Marion sent a smiling look his way. “I know you’re busy with the farm calls and all, but what about your wife? It would give us the chance to get to know her.”
“I can ask her again. I mentioned it awhile back, when I saw the sign in the window. I said, ‘ Katie, you ought to see how you can help out.’ But she said, ‘ I don’t want to get involved in that silly fair.’ I gotta badger her into just going to it.”
Marion’s shoulders raised two inches. Her face was red as she looked around at the others. “Well, I guess we won’t ask her to get involved then.”
“Sorry, Marion. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I probably shouldn’t have repeated what Katie said.”
“No, I’m glad you did. I might have asked her to help out.”
“Well, we’ll be there to support you on the big day, don’t you worry about that.” Ben took the plate of Veal Marsala from Dinah and dug in while the others decided how to line up the game booths.
And God, please look out for that missing girl from Haddock. Please let her be all right. Please look out for all those women in bad places. And please fix my heart so I ’ ll be happy with Ben.
Patches of early evening sunlight danced on the leaves as Katie walked through the woods. The scent of warm leaves and earth had her inhaling deeply.
She hadn’t prayed in a while. Too long. She and her mama had gotten down on their knees together every night and prayed for women who were victims. There were so many, in the news, famous and unknown. She clutched the plastic container with the chicken and the chocolate pop on top of it. She’d debated heavily on that. Would Silas take it as a romantic gesture, being a rose and all? Or should she tell him it was a gift from Ben and she hated chocolate so was giving it to him? Why was life so complicated?
Branches pulled at her shirt, and she wrapped her arms tight around her as she twined through the trees. The warm breeze ruffled through the bright green leaves. Birds whooped and called, and a woodpecker chattered as it guided gracefully against the horizontal surface of the trunks. One bird even screeched like the sound effect from Psycho ’s shower scene. Her sneakers crunched softly on the leaves and then the forest transformed to the grand oaks.
This time she didn’t attempt to hide. She walked into the small clearing that surrounded the house. Silas was sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch watching for her, his feet up on the railing. The Boss was lying in the yard. He lifted his head and twitched his nose at her. Silas shrugged into a shirt and descended the steps in one smooth motion. She caught the glint of his gold cross against his collarbone as he moved through the filtered sunlight.
Coming here had seemed unselfish and innocent while she’d been convincing herself of her motives. Seeing the slice of bare chest and the mussed hair that brushed his shoulders made it seem like something more sinful.
“I brought you some dinner,” she said on a rush of words, shoving the container at him. “And dessert,” she added when he looked down at her offering. “I don’t like chocolate.” This wasn’t coming out right at all.
He didn’t take her offering. Instead, his smoky gaze took her in and made her realize how she was dressed. “That’s a nice change from the way I’ve seen you dressed before.”
A glance down revealed puckered nipples showing through the fabric. She crossed her arms in front of her. “It belongs to the girl who works with me. It’s probably way too young for me.”
A faint smile
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