Minding Benji (Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs Book 5)

by Sandra E Sinclair

  “Yes, she would and so do I.” The words were out of Austin’s mouth before he could stop them. Everyone’s gaze turned to him and the heat of rage turned to embarrassment as it centered on his cheeks and neck. He was thankful for the shade of the large tree he stood under, maybe no one noticed.

  “I do believe I can answer for myself. I’m currently single, Mr. Kelly. A status I’m hoping to correct at the social this Friday. I came to Jubilee Spring in the hope of finding myself a suitable match.”

  Austin’s mouth opened and closed. He was livid. How could she be so brazen? He’d been worried about Jeffrey when he should have been worrying about her. The minx didn’t seem to care who she married. Well, Steve Kelly was welcome to her.

  “May I call on you?”

  “I suppose, if Pastor Jeffrey is in agreement.”

  Austin glared at his brother, willing him to say it was inappropriate, out of the question, and darn right out of order. Instead Jeffrey smiled at him as he said, “I don’t see a problem with that. Why don't you come to dinner tonight? It’s my way of thanking you for today, and a chance for you to get to know Miss Fairchild better. I’ll let Minna know.”

  Stunned beyond belief, Austin found himself gazing from his brother to Prudence, wondering what just happened.

  “Does that invitation extend to me too?”

  “Why of course, you’re my brother. You’re always welcome at my table.”

  So, he remembers I’m his brother, does he? Where was the brotherly loyalty a second ago?

  “We really should be going or the cakes will melt. Mr. Dunne, we’ll speak later, I’m sure we can find you something to do at Highbourne. Kelly, I suppose I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” He wanted to spit after saying the words. “Prudence, shall we go.”

  She hadn’t let go of his arm, so he pressed it a little tighter to his side and steered her toward Church Street. “Jeffrey, can you take care of my horse? I’ll come back for him, and you in a little while.”

  “Sure.” Jeffrey smiled, pumped his eyebrows and winked at him.

  Austin nodded at the other men and walked off, pulling Prudence along with him, seeing red as he fought to contain the desire to stomp his way down the street.

  To say he was confused by his thoughts and feelings would be putting it mildly. His head felt ready to detonate.

  Chapter 11

  The pressure against her wrist as Austin squeezed her hand closer to his side, brought a smile to Prudence’s face. She dipped her head so he wouldn’t see how happy she was. He was jealous of the redheaded, musclebound Irishman, Mr. Kelly’s, attention toward her, and she’d played it for all it was worth.

  It had been her intention to set Mr. Kelly straight when he’d asked her if she was unattached. However, when Austin chose to answer for her, she took the risk of going against him. Surely, he wouldn’t have been so stern with Mr. Kelly if the thought of him courting her hadn’t bothered him.

  Prudence felt him stiffen at the other man’s words. She dared not look at his face in case her courage left her, should she see that cold look in his eyes from the other night.

  Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d lied. Mr. Kelly wasn’t unattractive. He was as tall as Austin, but wider in the chest. His shirt had been open, showing a whisper of ginger hair before he did the buttons up and rolled down his sleeve on her approach.

  His eyes were a clearer, paler shade of green from her own, flecked with brown, his skin leathery from exposure to the sun. His eyes ate her up, and she’d moved slightly closer to Austin and held on as if her life depended on it.

  She felt terrible and happy at the same time. What she’d done was wrong, but she felt desperate. She didn’t want to marry anyone else. There was something in the eyes of the man in the mirror that had touched her deeply. Without knowing why, she felt she’d be safe with him.

  Her instinct hadn’t let her down before. It had warned her not to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Langton, but her brother had insisted upon it. He told her it wouldn’t be for long, just until he found his feet. Her instinct had doubted the truth of his statement. Then there was that lecherous Mr. Langton. Her gut had been right about him too.

  The thought of Mr. Langton, and what he’d threatened to do to her on his return—if she hadn’t gotten away—made her tremble.

  “Are you cold?” Austin asked. Her shudder must have pulled him from his thoughts. He relaxed his forehead as he gazed at her.

  “There does seem to be a slight chill in the air.”

  “We’ll be at the house soon.”

  His concern further added to her guilt of deceiving him, and using poor Mr. Kelly to do it too. She would pray for forgiveness after. The wheels were in motion. It was too late to turn back now.

  “Mr. Kelly seemed nice,” she said as they came to a stop by the fence at the front of the house. Austin grunted something unintelligible, which fired the demon in her. “It will be nice getting to know him at dinner, don’t you think?”

  “No, I don’t think. Here, you’d better take these and go inside if you’re feeling a chill.” Austin shoved the boxes into her hand, and turned on his heels.

  “Aren’t you coming inside?” Prudence asked.

  He spun around to face her, his face like granite. “I don’t think I will. I don’t trust I will be able to sustain my current disposition.”

  “Have I done something to offend you?” She tilted her head and arched a brow.

  “Have you done something to offend me you ask? Lord give me strength.” He raised his eyes to the heavens and scratched at his chin. “I have to go before I say something we might both regret.”

  “I think if I’ve displeased you, I have a right to know. How can I seek penance without knowing what I’ve done wrong?” That wasn’t altogether true, she knew exactly what she’d done; and felt continuous pangs of guilt for doing it. But she could see Austin wasn’t going to jump on his own. He had to be pushed.

  Austin mumbled under his breath, then walked away. Before she could turn and walk through the gate and into the house, he was back, pointing his hat at her.

  “You…you…you flirt with Kelly right in front of me as if my feelings count for nothing. Then you give him an open invitation to call on you, also done in front of me, I might add.” He raised his arms in the air and spun in a circle, his face redder than a screaming lobster and ready to erupt.

  The sight made her quiver, but she didn’t back down. A hollow laugh left his mouth, and he shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “Then…” He shifted on his feet, his hat hand on his hip. “Then you stand there looking all innocent and ask me if you’ve done something wrong. Well, lady, you’ve been doing everything wrong from the minute you came here with that baby of yours. There, I said it.”

  Tears burned her eyes. “Do you feel better now?” her voice was a mere whisper.

  He cursed under his breath, kicked the dirt under his feet and came closer to her. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did about the little one. You just got me mad and confused, that’s all. I’m struggling with a whole bunch of feelings I wasn’t expecting. I don’t know what I’m saying. Why did you have to tell Kelly he could call on you when we haven’t even decided what’s going on between the two of us yet?”

  “I just assumed you didn’t want me anymore because of Benji.”

  “Did I tell you that? Did anyone tell you that? I say things sometimes, it’s how I work them out in my head.” He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it a ruffled hump.

  “So, are we to be married?” Prudence couldn’t believe her boldness. Were she not holding the cakes and umbrella, a hand would have been pressed hard against her lips, covering her mouth.

  “I’m still thinking on it. You make sure and set things straight with Steve after dinner tonight. If you don’t. I will.”

  ~o0o0o~

  Before they sat down to eat, Austin made a big fuss about the seating arrangements, placing himself between Prudenc
e and Steve. The atmosphere was so dense it was hard to breathe. The only people who appeared unaffected were Jacob and Winnie. They spoke merrily and positively about their future, thanking Austin several times for the opportunity, and how he wouldn’t regret it.

  Austin on the other hand, nodded to Jacob every time he spoke. But grunted or made some quip in response to whatever Mr. Kelly had to say after his exaggerated display of rolling his eyes.

  Every time Jeffrey went to say something to Austin, no doubt about his rudeness, Austin would smirk and interrupt him by saying, “I have an interesting story.” Or “Did you know Jeffrey wasn’t always a pastor?” Then he’d made a show of rubbing the scar on his chin and glaring at his brother. Somehow, he never got around to telling any more of the story, though. Jeffrey would harrumph, interject, and change the topic.

  Most of the food on everyone’s plates remained untouched by the end of the meal, except for Jacob and Winnies. Their plates were wiped clean.

  They were also the first to rise from the table.

  “Thank you for a wonderful meal,” Jacob said, pushing his chair under the table and then his wife’s.

  “If it’s all right with you, Miss Fairchild, I’d like to feed Benji before going to bed,” Winnie said.

  “Thank you, Winnie.”

  “Well, if we’re not needed, we’ll say goodnight.”

  Steve stood next, walked around Austin’s seat and said, “Would you care to walk with me around the grounds?” He held his hand out to her. Without thinking, she took his hand and stood. Then Austin’s chair scraped loudly along the floor as he too stood, and she cringed inside.

  “It’s a nice night. I think I’ll join you.”

  Prudence’s heart jolted. Before they’d gone into dinner, Austin had spoken quietly in her ear and warned her to end it with Steve tonight, or he wouldn’t be held responsible for his actions. She hoped he wouldn’t do anything drastic while they were alone outside.

  Jeffrey rose too. “Why don’t we all…”

  His wife held his arm and shook her head in response to the glare Austin shot them.

  Jeffrey returned to his seat and shrugged. “Enjoy your walk.”

  Minna patted his arm, and he sighed, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. He looked at her smile wearily before replacing them.

  “Well, good night, it was a lovely meal. Thanks for this evening. It’s been interesting,” Steve said, tucking Prudence’s arm under his and moving to the door with Austin following close behind.

  Chapter 12

  Austin bit down on the inside corner of his mouth, Steve Kelly was a big brute but he was sure he could take him if he had to. He couldn’t figure out why he cared so much about a woman he barely knew. It puzzled him that in as little as twenty-four hours of walking into his life, she’d managed to turn it upside-down.

  The mere sight of Steve holding her hand and whispering close to her ear had steam coming out of his. What a fool he was to think he could simply walk away from her and the commitment he’d made the moment he handed a fist full of cash to Mrs. Millard.

  Doing the right thing was ingrained in him from sunrise to sunset by the crazy old fool who’d forced his hand. It never mattered to him what the woman looked like. She could have a face like the rear end of a horse, he’d have made it work somehow.

  As it was, Prudence wasn’t hard on the eyes. She was lovely, if not infuriating. More importantly, she was his, and no ginger-headed Irishman was going to get in between him and his woman.

  He’d been cranking his ears, waiting for her to tell Steve the words he wanted to hear. That it was time for him to mosey on down the road and not look back. Instead she was laughing. Laughing, at what? Were they laughing at him? Did Prudence Fairchild want to see him lose his patience?

  He’d promised himself he’d allow them two minutes, on account of how ungracious he’d been about marrying her at the start. It was one minute more than he’d like, however, he was trying to be fair. He may not have said he didn’t want to marry her to her face, but he had said as much to Johnny B and Jeffrey. She hadn’t been wrong there.

  So maybe he deserved a little sufferance. But things were different now, he’d had a change of heart, a crisis of conscience, and a sleepless night.

  After hearing her story of the boy’s father, he decided he might not win an award for being the world's best pappy. However, he’d do a darn sight better than the boy’s natural father had. Sure, he was worried he wouldn’t be good enough, but Johnny B was right. The boy would still have one good parent in Prudence.

  What the…

  A rage flew through Austin like never before, and his eyes widened. Steve Kelly’s time was up. Thunder clapped in his ears, his nose flared, and a lightning cloud formed above his head as black as the night, stoking the furnace of his anger.

  He marched up to them and threw his arms over Prudence’s shoulders. Locking them, he pressed her back to his chest, and pulled her away from Steve. The hand that had been hovering inches from Steve’s lips, was snatched away by Austin’s embrace. He stepped back, bringing Prudence with him.

  “Enough, Steve. I left it up to Prudence to tell you, but it seems she can’t find the words. So let me, before I lose the fight to stop myself separating your face from your lips. This woman here is mine. If you want one of your own, I suggest you go to the Colorado Bridal Agency like the rest of us. Go home, Steve, there’s nothing for you here.”

  Chest heaving, he turned away and marched back to the house, bringing Prudence with him. On the way into the house he saw his brother and his wife duck back away from behind the curtains. He sighed, and marched into the living room.

  “I know what you three are all up to and it worked. I played along because I was deserving, but what happened out there is going too far. Minna and Jeffrey, I understand, he’s been ribbing me my whole life. As for you…” He pulled Prudence closer by her arm he held. “I expected as an unmarried mother you’d want people to look at you differently. Not act out like you want them gossiping about you. Have you learned nothing from your previous mistake?”

  “I’m an unmarried mother?” Prudence said softly as though she was asking him.

  “I know you are, and I don’t have a problem with it, the problem has never been you or Benji. It’s me.”

  “Austin, I think we need to tell you something. You have it all wrong,” Jeffrey said, placing a hand on his brother’s arm.

  “I don’t want to talk with you right now. The only one I need to talk to is Prudence. If we’re going to do this thing and get along, we need some ground rules. I also have some explaining to do. Jeff, Minna, can I have the room, please.”

  Jeffrey tried to protest, but Austin took him by the arm and marched him to the living room door and shoved him out. Minna followed silently behind. Austin closed the door with a firm click. He was still too mad to think straight. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Steve stretching his lips, about to kiss Prudence’s hand, and his rage would surge all over again.

  He began to pace the room. If he didn’t calm down he’d never get the words out. Prudence was still standing, wringing her hands, waiting for him.

  He stopped pacing. “Sit,” he said and began to pace again. She did as he asked, her eyes following him back and forth as he moved around the room. Her fingers knitted, unlocked, and knitted again in her lap.

  “Can I just say what I did today had nothing to do with your brother and Minna? It was as surprising to them as it was for you. It was all my doing, just me. I did it on my own. I wanted to make you jealous. I didn’t want you to abandon Benji and me. It was silly and wrong, and I apologize. What happened outside—”

  “Please stop talking. I need a minute.” He sat in the seat opposite hers, his fingers strumming his forehead.

  Her use of the term “abandon” gnawed at his insides; he hated the word. Even more, he hated the thought that she associated the word with him. A sense of shame enveloped him. The thing he sought not to be,
was what he had become. She thought him unreliable and irresponsible. A man without honor. Someone who would easily turn his back on those in his care. In a word, he’d become his father in her eyes. The thought sickened him.

  Was it any wonder she’d stoop to toying with him? He deserved nothing less. The person who should be apologizing was him, for making her doubt his intentions. He shook his head—what a difference a day makes. Twenty-four hours was all it took to make him take a good look at himself, and he didn’t like what he saw.

  He was broken, he’d always known that. What he hadn’t realized was, if he wanted to be fixed, he couldn’t do it alone.

  As much as he wanted to have things out in the open, he couldn’t do it now. His head hurt, and the pain in his chest was worse. He needed to lie down. The thought of accusing Jeffrey of being a part of what had happened tonight made him feel even worse.

  Jeffrey had spent years teasing him as a boy, even as a man, but his teasing had always been based on truth. Tonight’s travesty centered on falsehood and duplicity, traits his brother didn’t possess.

  Austin stood. “Look, I know I said we’d talk, but I can’t do it now, not when I’m feeling how I am. It like I’m trapped in a barrel going downhill fast.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stared at her. Licking his lips, he said, “I have to go away tomorrow, but I’ll be back before the picnic on Sunday. I need to trust you won’t make a fool of me again.” He paused, awaiting her response.

  She didn’t look at him but nodded.

  “Rest assured, the wedding it on. I’ll explain everything when I get back. But for now, I need some air to clear my head, and I can’t do that here. Tell Jeffrey I’ll see him before I leave tomorrow.”

  With that he walked over to her and helped her to her feet. He felt her tremble against his touch and tsked. Lowering his head, he planted a kiss on her cheek—and left.

  Chapter 13