Runaway Bride (17 page)

Savannah really didn't want the details
of their relationship, but from the sounds of it, it wasn't
serious, anyway.

"So..."

"Well, I guess it worked. Strangely
enough, she got married!" Ben burst out.

"Married?" Savannah seemed to hold her
breath for more information. "You mean you married her?"

This made no sense.

"No," he frowned at her, "Not to me.
You know how I feel about marriage."

"Y-yes, I do." Savannah said still not
understanding what the matter was. "If she's married, I guess you
don't have a problem. That is...unless you want to continue seeing
her."

"Of course not. I'm not that kind of
man, and you know that. But I do have a problem. You see, everyone
in town is feeling sorry for me. In a small town people have a
habit of pairing people up. Now, I hear it night and day. How she
dumped me for Luke Butler."

Savannah rolled her eyes, perhaps his
male ego had been bruised. What was she supposed to do about it?
She wanted to laugh her own relief.

"So?"

"So, I'm the Sheriff, and I can't have
everyone talking' like they do. So...I need
your
help."

"I'm listening, although I'm not sure
why."

"I need you to come to town with me. Be
with me. Let the townspeople see us together. So people will quit
feeling sorry for me."

"You're kidding!" Savannah nearly
laughed till she saw his face. "You're not!"

She couldn't stop the giggling, even
when he frowned. "Look this wasn't easy for me to come and ask. But
it's the only thing that will stop them."

"But...why me? You must know a hundred
other women..."

He shrugged his big handsome shoulders
and sighed heavily, "Most of the folks in Junction know me too
well. They'd see through it, with any of the locals. But
you...."

"But me what?" Savannah pressed
him.

"When I locked you up...they all
thought it was because I was concerned about you. Cared about you.
So it wouldn't seem strange to be seen with you now."

"Concerned? You locked me up....well, I
don't know why you locked me up. Perhaps for my own protection. I
don't know. I'll never forget that."

"No, I guess you won't. And it was for
your protection, Savannah." he said, his voice lowering, his eyes
searching hers.

"I don't see any reason I should
concern myself with this. It's your problem. If you recall, I had a
similar problem with my friend, and I didn't see you stepping forth
and rendering me aid."

"You're right, I didn't. I didn't want
to get involved with...with a screwball little lady, like
yourself."

"And now...you do."

"It's the only way. You are the only
stranger in town. They all know you were at my house, in my jail,
and well...it might seem natural if we..."

"We...what?"

He put his hat back on his head and
turned away to go. "I won't beg, Savannah."

His voice was low and held some strange
emotion. She felt bad about treating him so.. After all, he had
locked her up for her own protection. He had seen after her during
the storm. He had befriended her.

"Wait. Ben. Okay," she said
reluctantly. "I'll help you, at least till they quit talking. I
guess I owe you that much. You did take care of me when I got
stung. You did keep
my
secret.
I guess I can extend the courtesy. But why don't you just do like I
did? Tell everyone you are meeting me, and not."

"As sorry as everyone feels for me, I
doubt it would work. They need to see with their own eyes. It won't
take long for the word to spread."

"I don't think this is very wise, Ben."
she began.

"Why, 'cause we are attracted to each
other?" He seemed quite serious.

She fumbled for the right words. "I
won't sleep with you Ben. I've never done that, and I won't start
now. As old fashioned as it sounds, I'm saving myself."

"I don't think I've asked you to," he
added with a slight smirk.

"And no kissing...."

"Afraid?"

"Of course not. I'm a big
girl."

He turned around slowly. "Fine. Then
meet me in town, tonight at six," he said as though he knew she
would consent.

"Now wait just a minute!" she stormed
up to him, pulling on his arm and making him face her. "You will
pick me up at this house and you will take me into
town."

"Alright, I'll pick you up. I guess I
owe you that much," he murmured, then he left and she pondered
whether she made the right decision.

* * *

This was a big mistake, she fretted as
she skimmed through her new meager wardrobe for something
appropriate to wear. She was playing with fire. But she had set
ground rules, and he'd abide.

Savannah slipped into a cool blue
cotton sheath dress. She examined herself and combed her hair till
it behaved.

Aunt Lucy came to her door and openly
admired her taste in clothes. "That's stunning on you, dear. Simple
and classic."

"I'm not at all sure I'm doing the
right thing, Aunt Lucy."

Her Aunt frowned for a second. "Why in
heavens name not? Ben Hogg is a wonderful young man, and it is time
he found a nice young lady. Heaven knows his first marriage was a
complete disaster."

"His first...marriage?" Savannah
swallowed and stared at her Aunt, trying to digest this news with
dignity. "Ben was married?"

"You didn't know….?"

"No, I had no idea."

"Was, is right. For all of about two months. If you
call that a marriage. She was a little air-head, with nothing
permanent on her mind. Poor Ben, he had been smitten good. The girl
was a local, but she was sick and tired of being here. Ben didn't
know it. Never suspected she had married him to get away from her
family. It was a very sad time for him. He changed after that. But
he hasn't actually dated in years. Oh, he has an occasional dinner
with that little gal with the kid, but that isn't going anywhere.
She's looking for a father figure, and Ben has no intention of
getting that involved. I don't think Ben is aware of how he seems
to take women for granted. It doesn't matter though, I think I
heard she got married anyway."

"So...his wife left him?" Perhaps
that's how she scared Ben away, she had run from a wedding. His
wife had run from him. Yes, it all made sense now.

"Yes, he was a mess for such a time. He
had loved her dearly. But I think she might have ruined him, until
now at least. Maybe he's finally coming out of his
shell."

"Oh, Aunt Lucy, you've got the wrong
idea here. Ben and I are just...well...friends. He did me a favor,
now I'm returning it." Savannah explained as she finished her hair.
"You see most of the town seems to feel sorry for him, and
constantly ask him about the lady he had been seeing that got
married."

"Anyone with a mind at all could see he
wasn't interested in her. She hoped, for the daughter's sake, but
Ben wasn't silly enough to jump into that."

"Why not jump into it?"

"Because he doesn't love her. She's
just not right for him. She's too tame, too settled. He needs
someone who will turn his world upside down. Someone with
gumption."

"Nevertheless, this is just a favor."
Savannah assured her.

"Maybe, and maybe not. I saw something
in his eyes I haven't seen in a long time." Aunt Lucy
smiled.

Yeah lust!
Ben
wanted her alright, in his bed, but marriage wasn't in his plans
and he had been honest about that. Well, she had been honest too;
she wanted marriage and everything that went with it.

"Honestly, Aunt Lucy, you are such a
romantic. Ben and I understand each other, quite well. And there is
no future with him, not that I would want one with him, but he's
made it ultimately clear he isn't interested in marriage. My
advantage is that I know that. Besides, I just came from a messed
up relationship, I'm not about to jump back on the band wagon. I've
learned my lesson. I want marriage, children, the whole nine yards,
and I won't settle for anything less."

"You stick to your guns, honey. Give
him hell...." Aunt Lucy chuckled and went into the kitchen to fix a
cup of tea.

So what was she doing agreeing to go
out with a man who blatantly announced he wouldn't marry? Had she
lost her mind? She was just as attracted to him. How could she be
sure that in a weak moment, he couldn't have his way with
her?

She'd simply have dinner with him
tonight and stop all the town gossips, then she and Ben could part
friends and each go their way. But even as she thought it, the idea
of not seeing Ben ever again made her sad, as though she were
losing something. She had to stop thinking along those
lines.

At six o'clock, Ben arrived for their
date. Savannah tried to quell the eagerness to see him again, but
she knew she failed when she walked into her Aunt's living room and
saw a freshly scrubbed, dressed to the nine's man waiting on
her.

Although he wore a pair of new boots,
he also wore dress pants and his white shirt was covered by a
sports coat. He looked different, sexier, and she knew she was in
trouble again. Resisting Ben would have to become a habit if she
stayed with her Aunt very long.

Ben handed her a small bouquet of
flowers. She smiled and went to put them in water. When she
returned she told her Aunt she wouldn't be late, and they left
together, Ben's hand holding hers.

Ben's frown told her he was
uncomfortable with this and she wanted to make him relax a little.
Being uptight all night wouldn't make a nice evening.

"So where are we going?" she asked
staring out the window of his pickup.

"There's a steak house in town where
almost everyone goes on Saturday night, I thought we'd go there,"
he said checking his rear view mirror as he pulled onto the
highway.

"We won't need reservations?" she asked
curiously.

"No," he slanted her a quick glance.
"This isn't Dallas, you know."

"Great, I'm starved," she tried to keep
the conversation light, impersonal.

"Yeah, me too."

After a long silence she glanced at
him, not ready for the reaction it gave her. Ben was so handsome,
so unaware of his good looks. In fact he was quite a humble man
when she thought of it. Always worrying about other people, never
giving himself a second thought. She itched to tell him, but she
bit her tongue. Keep it light, and impersonal.

But how did one go about concentrating
on impersonal when they kept noticing things, kept feeling things
they shouldn't?

"If your uncomfortable doing this, why
bother?" she asked finally unable to control her words any
longer.

He glanced over at her, and grabbed her
hand, "Come over here," he directed her to his side of the
seat.

She hesitated. It was one thing to go
out with him, but how could she possibly keep things impersonal if
they were so close.

"Hey, we are supposed to be interested
in each other. We're on a date, aren't we?"

His smile turned to a frown
again.

"Okay," she huffed, scooting beside
him, and coming in instant contact with his leg. Heat radiated
through her, she glanced down at his leg as though he'd bitten her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this kind of thing."

"What kind of thing," he bit
back.

"This kind of dating," she replied,
wishing she wasn't so close she could smell the light fragrance of
his aftershave.

"Me either." he admitted.

She looked at him and they both
smiled.

Until he put his arm along the back
edge of the seat, wrapping her in a warm cocoon.

She tensed, and it all came out wrong
again, "So, why didn't you tell me you'd been married
before?"

His glance slid over her hotly. "Who
told you?"

"My aunt. Was it supposed to be a big
secret?"

"Not at all. I just don't go around
talking about it, that's all." He added.

"It's okay; I shouldn't have brought it
up."

"No you shouldn't have. We're trying to
have a nice night. And talking about my ex won't get the job
done."

The job done? Was this a job to him?
Was dating her that unbearable?

"I was just curious. Why you hadn't
said anything. I mean, you know everything about me."

He shook his head, "Not true, Savannah.
I know nothing much at all about you. Only that you ran from a
wedding, with good reason. That you are a little rich girl, that
doesn't belong here in Junction. That's what I know."

"You don't think I belong
here?"

"Of course you don't. Oh, I'm sure it's
all very entertaining for you, but you'll tire of the peace and
quiet and want to get back to shopping and having teas, I'm
sure."