seven

Ben was disappointed that they hadn’t had any news from the marshal about Samantha by the time he left town. He could only keep praying that nothing in her past had her running from the law and that by the time he got back in town, they’d know for sure. Even though he’d known her less than a week, he couldn’t deny that he was beginning to feel something for Samantha Carter.

For the first time since he’d begun farming Rose’s place, Ben seriously thought maybe he’d made the wrong decision and that he should have stayed in town and worked with Gabe. He couldn’t recall when four days had passed so slowly. And it wasn’t because he hadn’t been busy—he’d found things to do to keep himself working harder than usual. He’d mended tack, helped Homer gather in some of his crops along with his own, and tended his fields better than ever so that his neighbor wouldn’t feel as if he were leaving all the work to him.

Even so, those few days passed like a turtle crossing the road because he hadn’t been able to turn his mind off what might be going on in town. He missed his children as always and prayed that Matt was doing all right in the apartment by himself, although he was certain his son was doing just fine. Gabe and Faith would have let him know if he wasn’t.

Always Ben asked the Lord to watch over his family in his absence. And now he also asked Him to watch over Samantha. But no matter what he did, visions of that woman filled his mind all week.

On Monday evening Ben had watched the sun go down and wondered what time Samantha got off work and how her first day had gone—and if any of the men had given her a hard time.

On Tuesday morning he’d wondered if she’d seen the sunrise that morning and if she’d made it to work all right—although he was confident she knew the way. That evening he’d wondered how her day had gone and prayed she wasn’t working too hard and that no one had caught her eye and that she’d been telling the truth when she’d told the lawyer’s wife that she wasn’t looking for any man.

On Wednesday morning the sunrise was magnificent, spreading its light across the land, and he’d wished Samantha had seen it with him. He’d hoped she’d have a good day. By that evening he’d wanted nothing more than to get on his horse and go check on her. . .his children. . .everything in town.

By noon on Thursday, it was all he could do to keep from packing his things and going in early. The only thing that stopped him was seeing Homer head up the road toward the house, bringing a cast-iron pot with him.

“Wondered if you might want to share some of this stew I made. With the wife and children still gone, I can’t eat it all.”

“Why I’d be glad to, Homer. I was wondering what I was going to make myself. Come on in.”

Ben grabbed bowls and spoons, and Homer dipped out the hearty beef and potato stew. They bowed their heads, and Ben said the blessing. “Lord, we thank You for this day, for the food You’ve provided. We ask You to watch over our families and help us to do Your will. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

“Amen,” Homer echoed.

Ben took a bite of the stew. “This is good, Homer. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“Well, I figured you were as lonesome as I am. I never thought about it much until the wife went to see her family, but it must be real hard on you to be by yourself out here all the time.”

“It wasn’t at first,” Ben admitted, “but lately it’s been getting harder every day.”

“After these last few weeks, I can sure see how it would be. Have you given any consideration to finding a wife?”

“Not until recently. There aren’t many single women of the marrying kind out this way. But. . .”

“But?”

“Well, something happened on the way into town last week.”

“What was that?”

While they ate, Ben filled Homer in on the story of Samantha. Homer let him tell it all and then sat back in his chair and grinned. “You mean you took her to be a boy?”

“Well, she was dressed like one. But she sure didn’t look like a boy once she cleaned up and put on one of Faith’s dresses.”

“And she’s staying at your sister’s boardinghouse now? And working at one of the restaurants?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t sound very happy about that.”

“Oh I’m glad she’s staying at Faith’s. It’s the working at the restaurant that I’m not too pleased about.”

“Hmm. I see.” Homer ladled more stew into each of their bowls. “Afraid of the competition in town, are you?”

Suddenly Ben knew that was exactly what had been worrying him—that some man would catch her eye and begin to court her before he could get back into town. “Well yes, I think I am. But she’s said she isn’t looking for a man.”

“That doesn’t mean she won’t find one.”

“Thanks, Homer.” Ben’s heart dove to the bottom of his stomach.

“Why, you can be that man, Ben. You saved her life. If she’s going to be lookin’ at anyone that way, I’d think it would be you.”

“You think I might have a chance?”

“Ben, you’re a good man. Why wouldn’t she consider you?”

“I don’t know. Matt thinks I should try to court her.”

“Well, if you don’t want some other man to beat you to it, you might consider asking her.”

“It’s been a long time—and well, I don’t think I actually asked to court my Molly. We sort of ended up together.”

“You did ask her to marry you, didn’t you?”

“Well of course, but by then, we just kind of knew we’d marry. We were raised next door to each other.”

“Oh, well that is different. And now you are interested in a complete stranger.”

“Yes. I am interested in Samantha Carter.” There. He’d said it out loud.

“Well, you’d better at least start hinting that you might want to court her, don’t you think? At least so that she’ll know you’re interested. Women don’t like to wonder about those things, you know.”

“I guess maybe I should. I’m going into town first thing tomorrow morning. Want to come with me? You can stay at the apartment with Matt and me.”

“I’m sure tempted to do that. But I’d better get the house cleaned up. Wife will be back next week, and I’ve kind of let the place go. Besides, there are all those celebrations tomorrow, and I don’t like the crowds. But I sure will be waiting to hear how it goes. You can be certain of that. And don’t worry about the place if you decide to stay an extra day or so. I’ll look after it. You ought to go on in this afternoon so you’ll be there for all those festivities tomorrow.”

“You know, I think I might do that. Thanks, Homer.” Ben decided right then and there that he couldn’t wait until the next day. He was going to Guthrie that very afternoon. And he sure hoped to have good news to report back to Homer when he came back.

❧

The week was one of the most tiring of Samantha’s life. She missed teaching—at least then she could get off her feet from time to time and sit at her desk. The restaurant was constantly busy with more and more people coming in to celebrate Guthrie becoming the official capital of the Oklahoma Territory. When one table was cleared, it was immediately taken by the next in line. It was hard to tell when the breakfast bunch turned into the lunch bunch except by what they began to order.

Samantha was so busy the hours flew, but she was so exhausted by the end of those first few days she was sure she fell asleep before her head ever hit the pillow at night. By Thursday her feet didn’t bother her quite so bad, but her arms were still sore from lifting the heavy trays.

Tired as she was, Samantha found herself thinking about Ben Thompson more than once during that first week at work and as she got to know his children better. Hope was a joy to be around, and so was Matt.

On Thursday as they walked home, he said, “I can’t wait for Papa to get back in town tomorrow. I hope he doesn’t miss the parade and everything. I heard that Governor Steele came in at 4:00 a.m. and that he’s been at the Noble Hotel since then.”

“That’s what I heard, too. I’m excited to see the parade and all tomorrow. Mrs. Miller is closing the restaurant for the festivities.”

“That’s good. It’d sure be a shame to miss seeing it all.”

“Yes, it would. Does your papa know what time the parade will start?”

“I’m sure he does. He keeps up with the news pretty well, and it’s been in the papers for weeks now.”

Samantha hoped Ben did. She’d hate to see him miss it—his family was looking forward to joining the crowds. She and Matt continued talking about all kinds of things on the way home.

Home. That’s what Faith’s boardinghouse had become to Samantha. She loved living there. It was the closest she’d come to having a real home in years. Her parents had both died in a train accident when she was off at school. Just after that her brother had married, and his wife had hounded him to move back to Ohio, where she was from. Samantha wasn’t asked to go with them, and she’d stayed with her grandmother while she finished school. Her grandmother had passed away right after graduation, and Samantha had been on her own ever since.

She’d been glad to get a teaching job in Kansas when she got out of school, and the boardinghouse she’d lived in had been nice, but it hadn’t had the homey feel of Faith’s place. Now she looked forward to coming home each night and answering questions about her day as Faith made supper. She tried to help with the supper preparations as much as they’d let her, which wasn’t much, but it made her feel like part of the family. Today, however, Faith had most of her preparations underway and told Samantha to sit and relax. She loved sitting in the kitchen and listening to the family talk. But today, Hope was having trouble with a math problem.

“I’ve always been pretty good at math. Would you like me to help?” Samantha asked.

“Oh yes, if you don’t mind.” The relieved look on Hope’s face said how frustrated she was.

“Not at all.” Samantha pulled the book and Hope’s tablet to her. “Oh, you didn’t carry over all the way. Look.” She quickly showed Hope where she’d missed a figure. “That’s all it was.”

Hope chuckled. “I guess I got in too big a hurry. Math doesn’t come easy to me for some reason. Uncle Gabe is good to help and Papa of course when he’s in town, but I don’t always like to bother them.” Her voice lowered a notch. “And I don’t really want Matt to know I’m so bad at it.”

“I understand. But you can come to me anytime, Hope. I’ll be glad to help.”

“Thank you, Miss Samantha.”

“You’re welcome.”

Hope took her book and tablet and put them away before going to set the dining room table. Once she was out of the room, Faith turned to Samantha. “See. You don’t always have to be helping with kitchen stuff. It was nice of you to help Hope. Sometimes they need help right when I’m in the middle of cooking or of something I can’t let go of right away, and I feel bad. And sometimes, I simply don’t have the answers. Now I’ll send them to you.”

“I hope you do.” And Samantha did. She missed teaching very much—more than she ever had believed she would. “If you are sure I can’t help with anything else, I’ll go freshen up.”

“You go on. Supper isn’t for half an hour yet.”

Samantha hurried upstairs as fast as she could, consider-ing how tired she was. If Ben was here, he’d be able to see how right he’d been about how hard the waitressing job was. Her back hurt by the end of the day, and the muscles in her neck and shoulders sometimes seemed tied in knots. Even so, she didn’t want to admit it to anyone but herself. If Annie had been here, she would have told her—she missed her friend a lot. But she certainly didn’t want to complain to Ben’s family.

Hard as the work was, though, she did like the Millers and the others she worked with. So far no one had made any untoward advances to her, but she’d received offers to see her home each day and was glad she could truthfully tell them she had someone else seeing her safely home.

She freshened up and repinned her hair before going back downstairs. She headed toward the kitchen, but the sound of a familiar voice caused her heart to jump and then pound ever so hard. Ben had come in early! She couldn’t keep from smiling and told herself it was because his children would be so happy to see him, but none of that excused the way her pulse began racing the closer she got to the kitchen.

He was surrounded by Matt and Hope and his sister, each pelting him with all kinds of questions, but he looked up the moment she walked in the kitchen, caught her glance, and held it. Something in the way he looked at her turned her heart to pure mush, and Samantha knew she was as glad as his children were that he was back.

❧

When Ben’s gaze met Samantha’s from across the kitchen, he knew exactly why he’d come into Guthrie early. He wanted to see how she was, if the job was too much for her, if any of the men had given her any trouble—if any of the men had caught her eye.

Her smile told him she was doing well, and he was glad of that. He wasn’t sure how he was going to find out all the rest he wanted to know without asking, but maybe he’d be able to see for himself over the next few days.

“Matt was hoping that you would get here in time for the festivities tomorrow. I’m glad to see that you have,” Samantha said.

“It’s not every day that one’s city becomes the capital of a territory. We were all here at the beginning. I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun. I figured I might as well join my family for the celebrations.”

“I’m glad you did,” Faith said. “It’s going to be a great day. And it is special. We helped to settle this town, and we’ll help keep it going through your children and ours.”

It took a minute for his sister’s words to sink it. “Faith?” He looked from her to Gabe. The grin on his brother-in-law’s face pretty much told him what he wanted to know. His suspicions were confirmed by the delicate blush creeping up his sister’s face along with the tears of happiness that shone in her eyes. “I’m going to be an uncle?”

Faith half laughed, half sobbed, as she nodded. “You are. At last.”

Ben’s throat filled with the need to laugh or cry himself as he bent down and gave his sister a hug. “I know you’ve waited a long time for this and thought it would never happen. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am for you, sis.”

Hope and Matt wanted their turn to congratulate their aunt, as did Rose and Samantha, even though she probably didn’t know that Faith had believed she’d never be able to have a child and that Gabe had accepted that fact when he asked her to marry him. Ben gave Faith one more hug and then turned to give his brother-in-law a good-natured slap on the back.

“Congratulations, Gabe. The Lord has blessed your marriage in a big way. I hope I’m as good an uncle to your child as you’ve been to my children.”

“Oh, we don’t have any doubts about that. We’ve been holding this news in for a while, but Faith felt this weekend was the perfect time to tell everyone.”

“I’m glad I came in early, if only to hear it.”

“She wouldn’t have brought it up if you hadn’t been here, Ben. You were the one who asked her to come to Guthrie with you, Matt, and Hope. And you were the one who told me that she thought she couldn’t have children and not to let her know how I felt about her unless I could accept that we might never have a child. If not for you, we would never have found each other. There’s no way we could have announced this news if you weren’t here to hear it.”

“Oh my,” Faith said, wiping her eyes. “I guess I should have waited to tell our good news until after supper. I just couldn’t wait any longer. But if I don’t get food on the table soon, our boarders are not going to be very happy.”

“We’ll help,” Samantha said, “and everyone will under-stand. Thank you for letting me in on your good news.”

“You feel like family, Samantha,” Faith said.

“And you are as much family as I am, even though we’re both boarders,” Rose added.

Ben could tell by Samantha’s smile that she was pleased to be considered family, and he didn’t much mind that she felt that way.