Her heartbeat thrummed everywhere but in her chest as his breath breezed over her cheek. His expression was that of a caged lion. Caged for the moment.
She licked her lips, but they dried beneath his breathing. Did he want another celebratory kiss? Or did he want more? A blossom opened within her belly. She liked Eliab’s closeness. She liked Eliab’s stolen kiss. Try as she may to fight it, she liked Eliab.
Eliab shifted closer.
Would he act if she did not?
Her body floated above the boulder like a dragonfly. She brushed his cheek with the kiss of a gracious host and then pulled away.
“I believe a swarm of gnats breezed by my face.”
He sat there, silent, unmoving.
She glanced at where his hand still rested upon her fist. “I am not accustomed to your manner of kissing.”
“As it should be. You have not had a wedding night.” His words rasped with a yearning. “I will be a good husband. I will try to give you what you want.”
She fought the emotions flooding her soul. “I know you will.”
“I believe part of you likes it here, with me.”
“It does.” Her admission did not seem so difficult. A brief smile bubbled to her lips.
Eliab slid a finger over the curve of her mouth and bent low, placing a kiss upon her parted lips.
All the barriers she had placed and misplaced fell away. She pressed her mouth against his, inviting him to linger.
“Naomi!”
She jumped. Of all the times to be interrupted.
Eliab pulled away.
Cuzbi charged forward into the stone shepherd’s pen. “There you are. Must I find you when work is to be done? Come to the well with me.”
“I filled the jars this morning.” Couldn’t this chore wait? She tried not to flinch as Eliab slid a hand down her back. She would have sworn her lips had plumped, giving her breach of discretion away.
Cuzbi crinkled her nose at them. Had she seen their kiss?
“What is of importance in this pit?”
“I am comforting Naomi.” Eliab’s tone was more of chastisement than explanation.
“Well, I need her now.” Cuzbi punched her hands into her hips. “Fire overtook the cooking courtyard.”
“The entire area?” Naomi glanced at Eliab. He indicated she should go with her friend. Standing and leaving the warmth of Eliab’s body sent a shiver cascading over her skin.
She held onto Cuzbi’s arm and hurried toward the courtyard.
If only Cuzbi knew how close Naomi was to deciding to stay. Then maybe Cuzbi wouldn’t have almost burned their house down.
16
Cuzbi cackled as they marched toward the house of Berek. She seemed too gleeful for having set their courtyard aflame.
“How did the fire start?” Naomi asked.
“Some kindling ignited and burned your herbs, but I do not believe the flames were as large as the ones blazing in that sunken cave.”
Naomi’s eyes widened. “Surely you do not think?”
“Do not be ashamed.” Cuzbi stifled another giggle. “You heeded my words and seduced him. I must confess I was worried that after his fall he would not be a fitting husband. Crushed by rocks and everything.” Cuzbi veered in the direction of the cooking courtyard and let her wanton words trail off. “I am glad you are making an effort. A little boldness becomes you.”
Pressing her lips together, Naomi held her reply. The only boldness she showed with Eliab was asking for a betrothal. And now after all the hours she had spent with him, she almost wished she had not made a vow to keep herself from him.
“Eliab and I are getting to know one another. In our own time.”
“So I see.”
Rubbing her temples, Naomi sought to end Cuzbi’s banter. “I do not need advice. My mother spoke outright when I went into the vineyards.”
“Oh, come now. You need some encouragement.” Cuzbi laughed as she flung open the gate. “I had to practically pull you into the procession of dancers at the festival.”
“I would have shown myself to the crowd in good time.”
“In good time may not have been the right time. You needed me to coax you to the front.”
“And look what we reaped. We were the first ones plucked by the Benjamites.” Naomi bent to pick up a jar. She stood and positioned a jug on her shoulder. “I am learning to live in this land, but I cannot help but struggle with the manner in which these men sought us out. My father was not shown any respect. What time was my mother given to arrange her household without a daughter to assist her?”
Cuzbi seized a vessel lying near the fire pit. “Your husband is the son of an elder, and from what I saw in that pit, you are encouraging his affections.”
“What other choice have I been given?”
“None. But Eliab is your best choice. Throw your lot in with him and stop thinking too much.”
Without thinking too much at all, Naomi knew she liked Eliab’s strength, faith, and character.
Swinging her jar, Cuzbi quick-stepped past the ashen remains of dried plants. “I bartered beside my father in the market for two years. I said it was this price, and it was so. Did the landowner not say to you, ‘Pick this row’ or ‘Till this soil’? My father told you what to weave and it came forth.”
Cuzbi drew to her full height as Naomi darted through the courtyard gate ahead of Cuzbi.
“Accept your fate as I have and stop waiting for another to tell you of your blessings.”
Naomi whirled around. “And what of my brothers who died upon these rocks? I worked to make up their wages. If Ephraim shall come to claim us, what does my father reap?” Reliving the weight of her brothers’ loss, Naomi’s chest heaved. Her throat needed a drink from these empty vessels. “Nothing is growing here. Will our fathers leave empty-handed?”
Cuzbi clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Your old way of life is behind you now. Ashbanel and Berek will one day have riches. Will they not make sure Eliab has flocks to tend? My words were meant in praise of your actions, not to anger you.”
Anger? No, try guilt. Naomi’s mouth gaped, but she had no response for her friend. Lush fields did not grow in Gibeah. Merchants did not clamor for her woven wares. But Eliab lived in this land, and try as she might to fight her feelings, she cared about him, but she also cared about the well-being of her family.
Before she could assemble an apology for her outburst, Berek emerged from the stable. Naomi secured her jar and gave a reverent knee bob. Cuzbi bowed. Had Berek heard their conversation? Her heartbeat galloped like a wild horse, for she had not sung Benjamin’s praises like her friend.
“My daughters.” Berek acknowledged their respect and enfolded them into his family without a blink. “Where is my son Eliab?” He shielded his eyes and searched the horizon.
“He is overseeing the sheep in Isa’s care,” Naomi said. “I must assist in carrying water from the well.”
“Hmm, yes.” Berek answered as if he wished to forget Cuzbi’s mishap. “Take my mule and fill the skins as well.”
The elder disappeared into the stable and returned with his gray mule. Balancing her jug, Naomi received the reins from Berek.
“Go in peace,” he said before returning to his task.
“I will ride.” Cuzbi set her jar on the ground and mounted the mule before Naomi could stop her ascent.
Naomi tensed. “Berek gave me the lead.”
Cuzbi leaned forward, inches from Naomi’s face. “I was the first one taken.”
“Do you refer to the festival or the trail?” She shoved a jar into Cuzbi’s chest.
Cuzbi scoffed and looked away.
Naomi urged the mule forward. Her clay vessel blocked her view of her friend.
“I may be with child.”
She let the trade winds blow Cuzbi’s announcement into the hills. The same loneliness that had crept into her soul while Jael harbored the lamb gripped her anew, but she could not stay silent. “So soon?�
�
“I judge it to be true, and in a few days’ time I will be certain.”
Lowering her jug, Naomi smiled at Cuzbi and at the thought of a baby. “Now you truly are a Benjamite.” She struggled to bring glee to her tone.
Cuzbi twisted the reins into a thick rope. “I am pleased to have a family of my own. You do not know what it is like to be cast off. Men do not look upon me the same way they look upon you, Naomi. You are blind if you do not see it.”
“That is untrue.” She met Cuzbi’s heavy-lidded gaze. “I grew up with brothers; you had only sisters. That is the difference. Besides, you spoke with men every day in the markets, something I could not do.”
“To do business, yes. They did not want more from me. Why do you think I danced for so many years at the feast?”
“You bargained well for your father.” That was truth. Her family spoke of Cuzbi’s shrewdness. “Your father may have seemed like he would not honor a betrothal.”
“That is because no offers came.” Cuzbi shook her head. “Men looked at me, but their eyes did not linger. With you dancing beside me, I thought I could catch someone’s interest. And I did. Do not judge me too harshly. I am content here. I feel wanted for the first time in my life.”
“I know in my heart there is a clamoring for your return. Your father was overjoyed with the extra shekels you brought him. Customers returned because you remembered their tastes and sold the best wares. Seeing your skill prompted me to weave better robes.”
“I will never go back.” Cuzbi’s face grew somber. “Someone else can work our booth. My sisters can learn to trade, for there is no passion in my blood for bartering. I have a husband now.”
Taking hold of Cuzbi’s arm, Naomi rested her head upon her friend’s shoulder for an instant, just enough of an embrace to clear the harsh words spoken on their journey. “Forgive me for not seeing your unhappiness. I will not judge you, if you do not judge me. For with all the burdens I carry with me from Shiloh, I am warming to a Benjamite’s touch. Woe to anyone who does not consider our plight.”
“Oh, sister, you have always made me believe I have something of value to offer others.”
“Just not your cooking.”
All the way to the well, Cuzbi laughed and Naomi joined in.
Casting off the stone and filling skins unwound Naomi’s muscles. What was such light labor to a grape picker’s daughter?
Cuzbi rode on the return trip. “I may need some help scrubbing walls when we return.”
Naomi suppressed a smile. “Shall I keep you from strong arms with which to hold your son?”
“Yes, and you’d better be ready to deliver my heir when he arrives.”
As they neared the courtyard, Eliab waved his good arm while occupying the doorway to his upper room. At least his right arm was raised, even if it didn’t sway.
“Come and be swift.” The fervor in his voice rose toward the sky.
The glances from her friend had Naomi’s cheeks simmering. Couldn’t Eliab see she had a task at hand? Besides, what was new in his bedroom?
She took Cuzbi’s jar and helped her dismount. Eliab could wait. Did he think her a servant too? Being hospitable to a friend was customary, and he should understand her delay.
He beckoned her again.
Was his room on fire?
Leaving the vessels at the courtyard wall, she climbed the steps to Eliab’s room. Why was everyone in such a hurry this day?
Eliab stepped to the side of the threshold. Good. Or she would ram him like a cedar rod.
“What do you think?” His eyebrows rose as he gestured toward the back of the room.
Did he expect a bedding after one kiss? Of all the foolish schemes—
She gasped and hurried toward a loom with a wooden frame and threaded like a harp, waiting for a weaver.
Warmth drained from her face. Her flesh pimpled like a naked slave readied for bidding.
“You are a woman of your word.” Eliab’s feet shuffled across the floor until she felt his presence at her side. “You’ve promised Jael a garment. And now you have a loom.”
“Where did you get these planks and the thread?” She stepped forward and ran her fingers over the taut strings. She stroked the wool as if it were silk.
“My father and Jael went into Gibeah when we were in the hills. They found enough wood, and a merchant graciously showed my father where women had hidden supplies before the battles. This is what you had in Shiloh. Jael was sure of it.” His hands clasped behind his hips like a child waiting for praise. “You desired to weave, did you not?”
“Yes, yes, I did.” Her chest ached to bursting.
His expression grew jubilant.
She left the loom and slipped her arms under his cloak. The aroma of hyssop and lamb’s wool filled her senses. She held him, not too tight as to cause him pain, but close enough that she could feel the warmth from his tunic. His hand settled on her waist.
She gazed into those eyes that made her body a tree about to bud. “I suppose you would like another kiss?”
“You are the guest, and I am the host.” His voice rumbled from deep within his chest. “Take what you would like.”
“No,” she whispered. “I am not the guest. Where the host lives is my home as well.” She took his face in her hands and pressed her lips into his, promising a celebration that would soon come to pass as long as forgiveness lived in the hearts of her tribesmen.
17
Naomi finished another row of weave and tapped it taut with her comb. If one could find peace from laboring, she found it in her loom, a skill from Shiloh taking root in Benjamin. She welcomed the tingle of strands on her fingertips. For a moment, she had found refuge from thoughts of war and revenge.
Behind her, the rhythm of fingers splitting bean pods halted.
“You have worked steadily since last eve. It is almost time for prayer.” Jael swiped her hands together and sent dust wafting into the air.
“This is not a burden.” Naomi threaded her paddle to begin another run. “I promised you a new tunic and now I have the means to provide it.”
“So you are content to stay here as Eliab’s wife?” A hint of curiosity rang in Jael’s question, but Naomi heard undertones of hesitation.
Securing her pattern, Naomi knelt beside Jael. “Do you desire to return to Shiloh?”
“No!”
Naomi’s mouth gaped at her friend’s outburst.
“I have a future here with Isa. When we come together, I hope to have many children, but we are waiting, not unlike others, until we know no harm will come to him. He does not want me and his child to be a burden to my mother. And in time, we will fill the hillside with livestock. My mother can join us when she is able. I will finally have a way to take care of her.” Jael gathered the basket of beans to her chest. “I was uncertain of you.”
“Of me?” Naomi stood and smoothed her robe. Where did she begin to explain how her initial hatred toward the tribe that had killed her brothers and the guilt from a betrothal to a Benjamite had turned into love? Love? She had not even said that word to Eliab. She could barely admit it to herself.
Jael stared and waited. She made no effort to fill the silence.
“It is true I believed all Benjamites to be wicked. And why not? They rebelled against our laws. Killed our people. At times, I wanted revenge for the blood of my brothers. I cannot think of their loss without sorrow, but now I have seen how people have suffered here in Gibeah.”
“Do you still seek a punishment?” Jael’s brow furrowed.
Naomi plopped onto the floor and snapped open a bean pod. “I would be a liar if I said I have forgiven the blaspheming Benjamites. But in Eliab I have found someone who follows God’s laws. He has suffered alongside the lawless. I did not want to care for him—”
“Now you do?” Jael swept a husk from her lap.
Shaking her head, Naomi smiled at the thought of being wed to a man who was once her enemy. “I cannot imagine another as my
husband.”
“Nor I.” Jael’s cheeks flushed. “With Isa, I mean.”
Naomi heard her name called from outside near the courtyard. It was Eliab’s voice, an urgent summons. Would she grow accustomed to his demands? Tomorrow the Sabbath began at sundown. And after one full day of rest, their vow would be fulfilled. Her stomach flipped like a newly caught fish at the thought of truly being Eliab’s wife.
She scrambled to her feet and rushed down the steps with Jael at her heels. Eliab and Isa approached the house, their mounts at a charge.
Eliab struggled to dismount from his mule before it came to a halt. She had never seen his face so ruddy, not even after his fall.
He took hold of her arm. “You must come at once. We have caught a spy in the hills above Gibeah.”
Lord, please do not let it be Nadab. Not her only brother. Should her father lose all his children to the Benjamites? A shiver shook her body. “Why must I see him?”
Eliab released his grip on her tunic. “Girls from the feast said you would know him.”
“Is there only one?” She cleared her throat and tried to shake the warble from her words.
“Only one that we ambushed.” Isa leaned forward on his mount. “There had to be others.”
“Then I will see him,” she said, casting a glance to Jael, then to Isa, and finally to Eliab. “I do not want any more bloodshed. You all have become like my family, and I will not lose one more to death.”
Naomi followed Eliab through the streets of Gibeah to a large house. It had been rebuilt with charred rocks, but its foundation whispered of the horrors that had happened when the city lay in ruins.
She had prayed for the fighting men of Ephraim to come and rescue her, but now the petition haunted her. Surely she could not sway God’s plans. A few words spoken in haste before she knew Eliab’s heart would not change the will of Israel’s God. At least, she hoped as much.
An inner room held the scout. No windows gave light, but an oil lamp flickered in the corner. The spy’s hands were bound with rope and tied to stakes on either side of his body. He knelt with his head hung in defeat.
As if sensing he was on display, the man’s head snapped upward. He glared toward the doorway with a hate that had once mirrored her own. She dodged behind the stone wall and covered her mouth to keep from crying out.
Building Benjamin Page 10