“Well, when you put it that way,” Katie said. “I’ll do all I can. It’ll take some doing, but stop by tomorrow and see how I’m doing with it. I’m pretty sure I can come up with something.”
The next part of Benjamin’s proposal project was something he was dreading even more.
Getting something to hold the ring was merely a matter of finding the right packaging. But getting the ring itself meant resolving a family matter. And a difficult one at that.
Still, it had to be done. Benjamin was put off by the idea of a store-bought ring, and besides, he didn’t really have any money for that kind of thing.
I could borrow some, I suppose, he said to himself. But the whole idea of doing that holds no appeal at all.
And besides, the ring he wanted was his. It was a family heirloom, he just needed to find a way to get it. Benjamin had been puzzling about this for some time, ever since he’d decided that he wished to propose to Eliza.
Finally he decided that the direct approach was the best approach. Benjamin didn’t really like the idea of showing up unannounced at his cousin’s house and interrupting Justin’s evening with Darlene, but in the end that was exactly what he decided to do.
It was a cold evening to make the walk, but Benjamin didn’t mind that at all. The chilly air kept his mind awake, and Benjamin wanted to be on his toes mentally, however this played out.
When he reached their cottage, he knocked softly on the door, then blew gently on his hands to keep them warm.
“Benjamin!” Darlene exclaimed. “What a delightful surprise!”
He couldn’t help but smile, thinking back to the first time he’d been here. Darlene had greeted him with suspicion going on hostility, and Benjamin had wondered if that would ever go away.
“Come on in,” she said. “We were just finishing up dinner. Would you like something?”
“No thanks,” Benjamin said, removing his cowboy hat. “I didn’t mean to interrupt or anything.”
“You’re not,” Darlene insisted. “We really were just finishing up. And you’re welcome to food if you’re hungry.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head and smiling slightly. “I get fed pretty good over at the hotel. Fact of the matter is, I just walked off a pretty good meal.”
“I can imagine,” she said, thinking about the fare Delilah served. He did look more solid, and Darlene wondered if Delilah had had anything to do with that.
“So . . .what can we do for you?” she asked.
Benjamin looked behind Darlene, trying to locate Justin. He thought his cousin would still be at table, but the dinner table was empty.
“Where’s Justin?” Benjamin asked, hating that he’d just answered a question with a question, which was something he’d been taught never to do.”
“Oh!” Darlene frowned, and then she, too, looked around for her husband. “He was just here a minute ago. He said he was going to help me clear the table.”
“Would you like me to?” Benjamin offered. “I can help.”
“Oh no,” she said, shaking her head and smiling. “You’re a guest. I could never allow such a thing.”
He returned her smile. “I’m also family,” Benjamin said. “So I think there might be an exception in there somewhere, no?”
Darlene shook her head firmly. “Not with me there isn’t,” she said. “Maybe if you’d supped with us. But otherwise, no.”
Benjamin nodded, knowing they’d reached an impasse. Darlene definitely ruled the roost when it came to the kitchen, dining and all the rules therein. And he also knew those rule were inviolable.
“So you’re here to see Justin, I take it?” Darlene asked.
“Yeah, kinda,” he said sheepishly. “Mind if I steal him from you for a few minutes?”
“Not at all,” Darlene said, and then she rolled her eyes and lowered her voice theatrically. “He’s not very good at helping me clear the table, if you really want to know.”
Benjamin grinned. “Most of us men folks aren’t,” he said. “But thankfully we have other uses.”
Darlene cocked her head, and then she gave him a playful grin. “That’s debatable,” she said. “But I’m always willing to take up the possibility.”
He laughed, but it seemed a little obligatory, and Darlene could see the impatience in his eyes.
Whatever he has on his mind must be important, Darlene said to herself. He’s usually not in this much of a hurry.
“Hang on, I’ll fetch him for you,” she said regretfully, for Darlene genuinely enjoyed flirting a little with Benjamin every now and again, and she got the feeling he liked it, too. But she also had the sense that this wasn’t the right time for it.
“Thank you,” he said, somewhat formally, and Benjamin made his way to the couch. “I’ll just wait over here if you don’t mind.”
Darlene frowned at him. Now she knew something was up. She’d never seen Benjamin act so formal before, and Darlene couldn’t help but wonder if this was a family matter she hadn’t been privy to yet.
I wonder if I should ask Justin about it, Darlene mused, but she immediately knew this was a bad idea. Justin really didn’t talk much about his family history, especially when it came to Benjamin.
She knew there was bad blood between the two, sort of, but Darlene wasn’t really sure what it was about.
Justin had never told her anything specific, so she just assumed it was due to the difference in their ways, the fact that Benjamin was so much more outgoing and so handsome, while Justin was growing into a quiet man who preferred to keep his head down, work, and attend to his relationships with God and family.
As for Benjamin, he sat and pondered the matter at hand while Darlene went to fetch his cousin. He knew what he wanted to do wouldn’t be easy, but Benjamin was surprised by the heaviness of it as he drew closer to talking to Justin.
I don’t know which thing I’m more nervous about, he said to himself. Getting the ornament, talking to Justin, or talking to Eliza once it’s all done.
Then, suddenly, Justin appeared, and Benjamin rose, reflexively. He extended his hand to his cousin, and Justin took it, albeit with a bit of a grimace. It certainly wasn’t a warm handshake, that was for sure.
“What brings you out this way?” Justin asked, electing to skip the pleasantries. This surprised Benjamin, but not all that much, as it was something his cousin had done before.
Benjamin shrugged. “Just needed to talk to you about something,” he said, looking down at the ground.
Then he backed up and took a seat on the sofa, while Justin took the more formal chair across from him.
“Needed to be done in person out here,” Benjamin added. “Sorry if it’s a bit of a surprise.”
This took Justin aback a bit. Back in Oklahoma his cousin had always been direct, and not always polite and tactful in the process.
He really has started to change since he’s been in Last Chance, he thought. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt more.
But that was a hard thing for Justin. He wasn’t sure exactly why; he’d always been annoyed by his cousin’s good looks, and the way so many things seemed to come to Benjamin so easily.
Justin had prayed often about this tendency, which he knew was a form of jealousy. But it had become habitual for him, and even though he’d asked for God’s help with it, it was a stubborn thing.
“Well, Darlene certainly was glad to see you,” Justin said. “I think she gets tired of my silent ways every now and then.”
Benjamin smiled and shook his head, but he said nothing. He hadn’t spent all that much time with the couple, but anyone could tell that Darlene was deeply in love with his cousin and there were times when he had to force himself to not be jealous.
“So,” Justin said once they’d settled in together. “What’s this all about? What brings you here?”
Benjamin smiled. Direct, as always, he said to himself. Not always my favorite thing, but it’s probably a good thing in this matter.
> “It relates back to something in Oklahoma,” Benjamin began, and even as he spoke he hated the clumsiness of his words. Dang, that was awful, he thought. Even I can do better than that.
“Uh oh,” Justin said, offering a combination of a frown and a grin. “That don’t sound good.”
Benjamin shrugged. “I don’t really like to take us back there,” he said. “I know I was a selfish person back then.”
This time it was Justin’s turn to shrug. “It’s all right,” he replied, and Benjamin could tell from his cousin’s expression that his words were genuine. “You’re changing. You’re already a different person than you were in Enid.”
“Yeah,” Benjamin said, and suddenly he burst into a grin. “I guess even I’m aware of that.”
Justin smiled, enjoying this more thoughtful, considerate person of his cousin. “So what’d you come out here for?” he asked again. “You can just say it straight out.”
Benjamin nodded. “All right,” he replied, and then he gathered himself. “It’s about the family rings.”
For a moment, Justin was nearly taken aback, and he had to force himself not to look disapproving. He could see that his cousin was watching him carefully, and Justin understood all too fully why this was an important matter to him.
Back during their childhood days, Justin had been entrusted with a collection of family rings. This happened when he came of age, and the import of him getting them didn’t have to be explained, for it was something that was known throughout the extended family.
The rings were for special occasions. Weddings and engagements, mostly, although there were sadder moments when they were passed on after funerals.
And every once in a while, there was a landmark arrival or departure that required a ring to be passed on from one family member to another.
Justin thought about all of this as he considered his cousin’s request.
He knew about what was taking place between Eliza and Benjamin, but only third hand; Darlene had been keeping him informed, in a manner of speaking, but Justin was so busy with the general store that he barely had time to keep up with that.
Justin did know it was serious. That much was obvious, for Justin had Benjamin’s behavior back in Enid to use as a baseline, and he was aware that his cousin had never come close to anything like this.
Not even with Lisa Bell.
Justin was starting to see that as an aberration, something that had consumed his cousin because he was so unhappy in Oklahoma. It was almost as if layers were being peeled off of Benjamin, and he was becoming the person he was meant to be.
“So . . .” he said finally, seeing that Benjamin was on the edge of the sofa. “This is it, eh?”
Benjamin looked down for a moment, and when he brought his head back up and met Justin’s eyes he broke out into a broad grin. A part of him had been about to explode, for he had no idea what he would do if his cousin turned him down.
“It is,” Benjamin said, nodding, and he was fully aware that he was turning crimson as he did. “It’s not something I was expecting.”
Justin couldn’t help but snort, and then he laughed. “Nor was I,” he said. “But I am happy to see it.”
Slowly, Justin rose and stretched. “Hang on,” he said. “I’ll go get them for you. “We keep them in the back closet . . . the cottage only has two.”
Benjamin nodded, for he knew full well how frustrated his cousin was with the limitations of the cottage.
He wanted to be in his own house with Darlene, so they could start a family, and from what little Benjamin knew their house was well on the way to being completed.
It seemed to take forever for Justin to return with the ring, but when he did Benjamin found that he was relaxed.
“I picked out yours,” Justin said, holding the flat box that contained the rest of the rings in his other hand. “You can look at the rest if you’d like, of course.”
Benjamin nodded. A short time ago something like this would have been unthinkable, for he’d felt completely disconnected from the family at large.
Now, though, he realized that things had changed. He was taking a first step with Eliza, and it restored those connections. Benjamin thought about his next step, which would likely be doing what Justin was doing, building a house so he could raise a family.
“I would,” he said firmly, and Benjamin saw Justin’s eyebrows lift in surprise.
Justin sat down, and he opened the box for Benjamin, handing him his ring as he did. Benjamin took his ring and held it, and then he situated the box in his lap.
No words were said, for none were necessary. Benjamin looked over his own ring carefully, and then he held it next to the others.
“It’s amazing,” he said softly. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Justin just nodded. “I felt the same thing when I got mine,” he said. “It gives you a sense of how we fit into the larger things in life.”
Benjamin nodded. A part of him wanted to say more, but he knew there was no better way to express it, so he stayed silent.
A considerable period of time passed, and Benjamin and Justin both lost track of it. Finally it was Justin who spoke, feeling the need to fill in the silence.
“So when are you going to give it to her?” he asked, knowing it wasn’t even necessary to mention Eliza’s name.
“Tomorrow,” Benjamin said, and his face lit up. “During the Christmas tree walk.”
Justin smiled. “That sounds like a really good idea,” he said, and he waited, seeing that his cousin was eager to talk about it.
Slowly, Benjamin told him his plan, right down to the details of putting the ring inside the ornament he was having created for the occasion.
When he first began describing his plan to Justin, he was hesitant, not knowing how it would be received, or if his cousin would consider it far-fetched.
But then something changed. Justin broke into a smile as Benjamin told him what he wanted to do, and then he began nodding. His cousin did ask Benjamin a couple of questions about it, but they seemed strictly perfunctory.
So this is it, Benjamin said to himself after Darlene joined them so they could set a spell, and she congratulated him on his endeavor and wished him luck. I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this.
They gathered in the town center shortly after noon in front of the Town Hall. Benjamin found Eliza immediately, and she nearly leapt into his arms.
He was surprised, but not overly so. He deeply regretted the fight they’d had over Lisa Bell, and Benjamin had begun to miss Eliza deeply. And he strongly suspected that Eliza felt the same.
Not being together was like having a hole somewhere in the center of him that kept growing every day. The only thing that could fill it was Eliza, and as soon as he felt her in his arms Benjamin felt himself start to heal.
“I missed you,” he said simply, and Eliza nodded, looking up at him.
She was about to say the same, but suddenly they saw Owen Standard step up to the makeshift stage that had been constructed into the Town Hall.
They both fell silent, as did everyone else in the crowd around them.
“Welcome to this year’s Christmas Tree Walk,” the mayor said. “It’s a pleasure to see all of you here again, along with some new faces.”
Heads nodded throughout the crowd. But there were those who were wondering if the mayor was about to deliver one of his notoriously long speeches. But Owen seemed to have anticipated that possibility.
“I know a lot of you don’t like it when I talk a lot, so I won’t,” he said, and a roar of laugher broke out in the crowd. “I’ll just review how this works for those who have never participated.”
The crowd grew silent. “It’s very simple,” he said. “We walk out to Christmas Grove, which is where we select a tree. The largest, healthiest tree is selected, and the McCourty brothers cut it, with help from anyone who wants to participate.
“And after that, we take the tree back to Last Chance,
where it will stand here, next to Town Hall, until New Year’s Day.”
He paused, and the crowd cheered, although it must be noted that many of those cheers were due to the fact that no speech seemed to be forthcoming.
And Owen seemed aware of that. He turned around, toward the path that led to Christmas grove, and then he pivoted back to look at the crowd.
“All right then!” he said without further ado. “Let’s be off!”
Benjamin stood with Eliza for a moment, his arm around her. Neither had any idea where they were going, not exactly, so Benjamin made the decision to let the crowd lead the way.
But it wasn’t hard to figure out once they got started. The trail to Christmas Grove was wide and easy to walk, and it led up a slight hill.
The hill got steeper, and then the trail turned. There were few hills like this around Last Chance, for aside from the plateaus the land was flat as a pancake.
But the hill held a secret. There was indeed a small patch of forest, and additional trees had been planted there, obviously meant to continue the Christmas Tree Walk tradition.
Benjamin took Eliza’s hand when they saw the small forest, and he felt the angel ornament in his pocket. He looked around, wondering how he was going to manage this and follow Seth’s suggestion.
The tree that was going to be cut down was obvious.
It was the largest one in the copse, and Benjamin and Eliza watched as two of the McCourty brothers stepped up to the tree, cradling the large tandem saw they were going to use to cut it down.
“They’ve been managing these woods for several years now,” Eliza said, turning to him.
“Managing? What do you mean?” Benjamin asked.
“They take the tallest tree, and then plant several more,” she explained. “That way the overall size of the forest grows every year.”
“How did you know that?” he asked.
“Blossom told me,” Eliza said. “She knows all sorts of amazing things about the town.”
He nodded, and they watched together as the tree came down. Benjamin marveled at how quickly it happened, and the thought occurred to him that this might be something he would like to learn to do, as part of the process of building things.
The Mail Order Brides of Last Chance Page 14