Mulberry Moon

by Catherine Anderson

  “I’ve never gone sightseeing,” she blurted. “I, um— Well, we traveled a lot when I was a kid, but it was always a race between point A and point B. We never veered off course to visit places.”

  Ben handed her the straw hat. “The sun hasn’t reached its zenith, and you’re squinting to see. We’re sitting in shade, but light still beams through the boughs to blind a person. Besides, I don’t want you getting sunburned.”

  Sissy stopped petting Finn, who’d cuddled on the blanket beside her. She put on the hat. The brim, just like the one on Ben’s Stetson, cast a shadow over her face. “Much better,” she said.

  “It looks good on you.”

  “It’s a Western hat, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. Mom’s into Western.”

  “Oh, look!” She gasped in delight. “Blue butterflies! I’ve never seen a blue one, not ever! With the sun in my eyes, I had no idea they were here.”

  Ben followed her gaze. “This is the only place I’ve ever seen them. I think they’re misfits of nature, in an area they don’t belong, but they’re here every summer.”

  “Oh, my.” The butterflies fluttered near a copse of moist riparian bushes, and they were countless. “Such a delicate blue, and they are so lovely!”

  Ben stretched his arms and flexed his shoulders. His sudden movement startled Sissy. She so appreciated the pathetic barrier between them. Ben had signaled a message to her by creating it, that she was perfectly safe. “Whenever my dad comes to the falls, he always says ‘Never say never’ when he sees the blue butterflies. It reminds me that life is filled with the unexpected, and sometimes the unexpected things are the best of all.”

  Relaxing again, Sissy focused on her surroundings. She loved the smells there, an intoxicating blend of pine, sun-warmed grass, and the pungent scent of creek-side moss and other plants that thrived in the moist soil. The sound of the falls was a pleasant background noise that had a certain rhythm to it that she’d failed to notice at first.

  Ben began removing food from the cooler. Once it was empty, he closed the lid and arranged sandwiches and plastic tubs of other food on top of it, using it as a table of sorts. He held up a bottle of white wine. “I’ve even got plastic goblets. You care to join me? I’ve got juice and soda as well.”

  Sissy narrowed her eyes at him. “You once told me that when you drink enough wine, anybody looks good.”

  He laughed. “I did say that. But I don’t plan to drink that much. I have to get us home. One drink an hour, Barney tells me. I try to space them further apart than that, just to be safe. Barney might catch me driving under the influence and toss me in the clink.”

  Sissy giggled. “Not really. He’d do that to his own brother?”

  “In a heartbeat. He has no patience with idiots who get drunk and drive, endangering others on the road. Neither do I.”

  “That policy gets my vote, too.” When he offered her a plastic cup filled with wine, she accepted it and took a sip. “Mmm. Nicely chilled chardonnay. Mild, slightly sweet.”

  “You a wine expert?”

  “I wish.” It was her turn to laugh. “I buy on the cheap and wouldn’t know a fine wine if it ran up and bit me on the leg.”

  “I’m pretty much the same.” He took a taste and nodded. “Cheap tastes okay to me.”

  He set out plates and plastic flatware. As they each selected a sandwich and dished up servings from the deli tubs, Finn stood and circled Sissy’s feet. “Uh-oh, he’s moving closer to all the goodies.”

  Ben picked a sandwich for the dog. “Made especially for him, mayo and meat, no embellishments.” He laid the offering on a paper plate, but Finn wolfed it down so fast he needn’t have bothered. “Whoa, boy. Good thing I fixed you three.”

  Sissy’s was made with thinly sliced chicken, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and slivers of onion and dill pickle on cracked wheat sourdough. Ben had added a trace of Dijon mustard along with mayo. Finn wouldn’t enjoy the extras, but she did. “Delicious. So’s the potato salad.” She sighed and gazed at the waterfall as she ate and sipped wine. “It’s so peaceful here. I could stay forever.”

  “I always feel the same way. Unless you decide not to open for dinner, though, we’ll have to head back soon.”

  Sissy groaned. “It feels like we just got here. I haven’t played hooky long enough yet. If I don’t open for dinner, how long can we stay?”

  “You serious?” He shrugged. “Until the sun starts to go down. We’ll get home after dark, but I don’t mind driving then. Headlights don’t blind me, and actually it’s safer if I can use my brights most of the way. I can see the gleam of deer and elk eyes along the road and slow down so I don’t hit one.”

  “I could help watch for them. And Christopher, my customer that I worry about, told me he has frozen dinners at home to fall back on. He urged me to take the whole day off and enjoy the falls.”

  He grinned. “So, you’ve had fun playing hooky, have you?”

  “More than just that. Being here beats getting a full-body massage, not that I’ve ever had one.”

  Ben, still nursing his first glass of wine, leaned back and braced himself on his elbows. His long sigh told Sissy that he didn’t want to leave any more than she did. And she felt fairly safe with him now. That was a good feeling and yet unsettling as well. She’d felt safe many times and learned the hard way that she’d been too naive for words.

  It had been a very long while since she had trusted a man she knew found her attractive. It always ended with her getting hurt, humiliated, or demeaned. In high school, boys had targeted her because of her shabby clothes and the rumor that her parents were not only transients but also low-class and crazy. But Ben seemed so different. And the attraction was mutual. She couldn’t lie to herself about that.

  He was looking up at the clouds. Sissy followed his gaze. After a long moment, he asked, “What do you think about when you watch the clouds drift by now? Do you still wonder where they’re going?”

  She cringed as she remembered the secrets she had revealed to him and Blackie yesterday. “No,” she confessed. “I don’t care where they’re going anymore because there’s no place I’d rather be than right where I am.” She sent him a sharp look. “I mean that in a general way, not here, right now, although it’s beautiful. I mean Mystic Creek.”

  He smiled. “You don’t have to guard your words with me, Sissy. And I knew what you meant.” He lifted his glass toward the sky. “So, let me teach you a new way to watch the clouds. Right now, I see a horse’s head up there.”

  Sissy stared hard at the clouds and saw nothing.

  “Don’t work so hard to see it. Use a broader scope and let the shape leap out at you.”

  Sissy went back to staring. “I see it!” she cried. “It’s an almost-perfect horse’s head.” A few seconds later, she said, “Now I see a snow-covered pine forest around a small lake.”

  Ben searched for that and soon found it. “Wow. It’s gorgeous.”

  After cloud watching, Ben opened the cooler again to draw out the food for a second picnic. Finn, who’d been dozing, leaped to his feet. Ben called the pup a bottomless pit, which made Sissy laugh. When they’d all three filled their stomachs again, Ben took off his hat, removed his socks and boots, rolled up his jeans, and walked into the stream to go wading. He gimped over the rocks, crying, “Ouch! Damn! Ouch!” And then, “It’s freezing. I can’t believe I went swimming here as a kid. Now it makes my bones hurt.”

  Finn joined Ben to play in the water. Sissy couldn’t resist following suit. Ben was right; the rocks were sharp on the soles of her feet and the water was as cold as snowmelt. But they had fun, the kind of fun Sissy had never been allowed to engage in as a kid.

  Finn splashed Ben first. He reacted by sharing the experience with Sissy. She gasped at the shock and threw water back at him. In seconds they were both drenched and laughing so hard that only Fi
nn had any energy left.

  As they climbed from the creek and ascended the bank, the sun was starting to set. Sissy was shivering with cold. Ben, wet from head to toe, looked as miserable as she felt.

  “What were you thinking?” he asked her.

  Instantly indignant, Sissy said, “You splashed me first!”

  Ben turned an accusing gaze on the dripping-wet pup and said, “Actually, he splashed me first, so it’s all his fault.”

  Sissy couldn’t help but laugh. Ben came up with the idea of using the picnic blanket to dry off. He let Sissy go first. Then he took his turn before ruffling Finnegan’s fur until it was only damp. Ben’s hair stood up in haphazard spikes, poking every which way. His wet shirt clung to his torso, as did his jeans. Never had Sissy seen such a handsome man.

  “Is my hair as awful looking as yours is?” she asked.

  He gave her a long study. “Since I haven’t seen mine yet, I can’t really say. But don’t worry. You still look damned good.”

  Sissy’s pulse kicked and sped up. Her stomach felt as if she’d swallowed dozens of fluttering blue butterflies. Trying to hide her reaction to him, she said, “I knew it was a mistake to let you have a second glass of wine. Now anybody looks good to you.”

  Ben barked with laughter and tossed her the straw hat. “Put it on. It’s the perfect cure for a bad hair moment.”

  Sissy put hers on. Watching Ben don his Stetson, she couldn’t truthfully say that he looked better. He was perfect just the way he was, wet clothes and all.

  As he loaded all the picnic gear into the bed of his truck, Sissy carried items up the hill to him, but she was too short to lift anything over the side. Soon they were in the vehicle, headed back to Mystic Creek. Oh, how she wished the day didn’t have to end.

  “I wish it didn’t, either,” Ben said.

  Sissy hadn’t realized she’d voiced her thoughts aloud and felt a moment’s embarrassment. “It’s the first time in forever that I’ve taken a whole day off. I feel as if I’ve been released from jail.”

  “No dinner crowd for you tonight. Who says the day has to end? When we get back to town, let’s do dinner out. I vote for the Straw Hat. José makes some mean enchiladas.”

  “Looking like this? We’re both a mess.”

  Ben kept his eyes on the road as he executed a sharp turn. “Okay, a drive-through, then. Finn will love that. He’ll get to have dinner with us.”

  Once in town, Ben drove to the Mystical Burger Shack on Periwinkle Lane, a little place with a drive-through window that Sissy hadn’t realized existed. She ordered a jalapeño cheeseburger with fries and a layered ice- cream sundae for dessert. Ben ordered two of the same burgers with extra jalapeños and a sundae as well. Finn got six hamburger patties and a small tub of vanilla ice cream. Ben circled the building and backed his Dodge into a parking slot, telling Sissy they could watch people as they ate.

  “This place’s bestselling hamburger is called the Heart Attack. I’ve never ordered one. I think in addition to two burger patties, it’s got cheddar cheese, avocado slices, an egg, and bacon. It may be fun to decide which people we think are going in for a serving of coronary arrest.”

  Sissy laughed. “Why would anyone give a burger such a horrid name?”

  “In warning?” Ben fished through the sacks and handed Sissy her burger and fries. “For whatever reason, it’s a moneymaker.” He fed Finn his patties and then relaxed to enjoy his sandwich. “Damn, Finn. You’ve got the whole cab smelling like wet dog.”

  “Don’t be a baby,” Sissy told him. “He can’t help how he smells, and besides, a little wet-dog ambience lends the meal a touch of earthy elegance. It’s like having another picnic”

  The yard lights illuminated the cab. Ben sent her a wondering look. “You actually don’t mind? For me, it’s kind of like using stinky socks as a dinner napkin.”

  Sissy nearly choked on a fry. “It isn’t that bad.”

  He grinned and took another bite of his burger. “Actually, the burn of the jalapeños in my sinuses is helping. I can’t smell much of anything now.”

  After they finished their desserts, with Sissy holding Finn’s tub of vanilla ice cream so he could eat it without making a huge mess, Ben drove her home. Sissy stared at her building. She hadn’t thought to leave any lights on, and inside it would be blacker than smut. Thinking of her ghost—or whatever it was that played mind games with her—she dreaded going in.

  “We’ll escort you to the door and wait until you get some lights turned on,” Ben said, as if he had read her thoughts.

  “I’m sure I can handle it,” she said. “I need to close up the chicken coop first, anyway. And I’m sure you’re eager to get home and take a shower.”

  “Our showers will wait, and I’ll close up the coop on my way back to the truck. It’d be bad manners on my part not to see you to the door and if my mom found out, she’d twist my ear. She’d have to stand on a chair to reach it, but trust me, that wouldn’t stop her.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want you to get your ear twisted.”

  Sissy slid out of his truck, landed on ground that seemed to be several feet down, and caught her balance. Finn sailed out behind her. Ben met them at the front bumper and kept pace with Sissy.

  “Oh, drat,” she said. “I need to turn the heat lamp on in the coop, too.”

  “Not necessary. My weather app says it won’t freeze tonight. The hens will be fine.”

  Once on the porch, Sissy fished for her keys. Finn bounced around as if he expected to go in and be fed again. As she turned the lock and opened the door, she said, “You had six hamburger patties and at least a cup of ice cream minutes ago. How can you possibly have room for more?”

  “That’s not to mention the three sandwiches and the huge helping of baked beans he ate for lunch.”

  Just then Finn wagged his behind with such enthusiasm that he farted. Waving a hand in front of his face, Ben leaned around to flip on both of the interior light switches, which illuminated the storeroom hallway and porch. “Oh, man, Finnegan. It smells like something crawled up inside you and died.” When Sissy laughed, he added, “Yeah, yeah, so very funny. You don’t have to sleep with him tonight.”

  Sissy bent to give Finn a good-night pat. Then she turned to face Ben. “Thank you for being my tour guide today. I really enjoyed myself.”

  “Thank you for being such a good sport. I shouldn’t have started the splashing incident.”

  “Actually, that was one of the highlights for me.” She glanced down at the dog. “Thank you for starting it, Finn. It was fun.”

  Silence fell between her and Ben. Sissy had never said good night to a man on her porch, but even she knew a good-night kiss—and often far more—was normally on the agenda. Ben leaned toward her. Her body tensed. But instead of putting his mouth over hers, he plucked the straw hat from her head.

  “If Mom visits and can’t find her hat, she’ll be pissed.” He studied her face with a slight smile curving his lips. “Good night, Sissy. I’ll see you in the morning, ready to get back to work. The run may be finished tomorrow.”

  “Good night,” she called after him. “Be a good boy tonight, Finn. Don’t lift the covers with bean farts.”

  She heard Ben chuckling as he closed and latched the coop door. Then he climbed into the truck after his dog. Sissy stood on the porch to watch them drive away. Today had been incredible. She was so glad now that she’d taken a gamble and gone with him to the waterfall. How wonderful would it be if he asked her to go again before the weather turned too cold?

  The thought jolted Sissy back to reality. She had created a good life for herself. According to Ma Thomas and Marilyn, she had greatly increased the business since her aunt’s death. Plus, she was starting to make a few friends and felt a little more self-confident each day. The people of Mystic Creek were embracing her with warmth and welcome, maki
ng her feel as if she was safe inside a small butterfly cocoon. Maybe she would emerge a beautiful blue like the butterflies at the falls.

  She liked Ben. Today she’d managed to relax with him, trust him to a degree, and enjoy his company. But what if it was all a front? Men, in her experience, could be devious chameleons who pretended to be whatever they thought you wanted them to be until you let your guard down and gave them an opportunity to pounce. Every single time a guy had approached her with seemingly innocent intentions, the end result had been extremely unpleasant. How many times did she have to learn that lesson?

  Ben seemed to be a wonderful guy. But Sissy had gleaned from experience that when a man seemed too good to be true, he probably was.

  Chapter Six

  As Ben drove toward home, he presented a question to his damp, stinky dog. “So, what do you think, pal? Does she have potential, or should I run like hell?”

  Finn barked, the sound laced with excitement.

  “Yep. She definitely likes you. That’s a huge plus. She’d never kick you outside and make you sleep in a doghouse in the dead of winter.”

  Finn rumbled low in his chest.

  “I know. The very thought ticks you off, but the truth is, most of the women I’ve dated had no great fondness for dogs, horses, or cows. Sissy’s different. She truly likes you, and did you see how she acted with the large animals? And she didn’t even get in a grump when she got horseshit all over her shoes.”

  Ben sighed as he rounded a curve in the road. “Do you know how good it felt to spend the whole day with a woman who isn’t prissy about everything? She didn’t get mad when I splashed her with cold water.” He fell silent. “I know. I’m a devious bastard. I shouldn’t have tested her that way. But most of the gals I’ve been out with wouldn’t have gone wading in the first place—unless they did it to impress me. And I’m tired of all the games. After the first shock from the cold water, Sissy just laughed and gave back as good as she got.” He nodded as if Finn had responded. “That’s an excellent point. Nobody can get doused with ice water and not show her true colors, even if it’s only for an instant. She isn’t putting on an act, only to reveal an ugly side later. What we saw today is the real Sissy.” Ben glanced at his dog, and then reached over to ruffle his ears. “You make a great sounding board. Never mind that you can’t really answer me. You help me reason my way through things all the same. I think I’ve finally found someone who suits me to a T. That means I need a game plan, pal, because I don’t think she’s looking for a man in her life.”