Pastor's Prize (Culpepper Cowboys Book 15) Read online

  Rikki smiled. “I think that’s my favorite thing about church here. I love it when he calls to your grandmother in the middle of a sermon. It feels so natural.”

  Ben laughed. “The first time I heard him do that, I thought he’d lost his mind, but the whole congregation acted like it was normal, so I went with it. Now I know it is normal around here.”

  “I thought all pastors did that,” Marcus said. “Imagine my surprise when I went away to college and the pastor wasn’t asking his wife questions constantly in the middle of his sermons. It felt like something was missing!”

  Rikki grinned. “It would.”

  Grace shook her head. “I didn’t know what to think! I come from a very religious family, and we’ve always attended churches that were very serious. There was absolutely no joking or asking questions of your wife during sermons at that church. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone during my first few services, and I wasn’t even supposed to know what that was!”

  “You weren’t allowed to watch the Twilight Zone?”

  Grace rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started!”

  Rikki eyed her employer. “Was it the same for Patience and Felicity?”

  “In a way. Their mother didn’t buy into all the religious nonsense, so it was a bit easier for them. They were homeschooled, and they got away with a lot during the day while their dad was at work. We went to a church-run school. There was nothing frivolous in our lives.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine having a life without laughter.”

  Grace smiled. “We laughed. A lot. Just not when our parents were around. Trust me, we figured out how to do everything we wanted to do.”

  Rikki looked back at Ben. “So how long have you known you wanted to be a pastor?”

  He shrugged. “I went to a religious college, not because I was religious, but because that’s where I was given a scholarship. I dedicated my life to Christ there, and I knew I wanted to devote my life to Him almost immediately.”

  “And are you glad you did?”

  “I am. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I wasn’t in Culpepper. It’s a special place.”

  “I can’t wait until they light up the town square. Linda says it’s the most beautiful Christmas display I’ll ever see!” Rikki loved Christmas. It had always been her favorite holiday, and she refused to let this year be any different, just because she’d been through a traumatic experience.

  “Are you going to the tree lighting then?” He’d heard there was a festival around the tree lighting, and he was planning to be there. He’d love to have her at his side.

  Rikki shook her head. “No, I really can’t do crowds. I might watch from my car.” With the doors locked, but she didn’t need to add that. She knew the others understood without her saying it.

  After they had eaten, Rikki helped with the few dishes they’d dirtied before they sat down to play euchre. Rikki had grown up playing the game, but she hadn’t encountered many who knew it.

  At the end of the night, Grace and Rikki had won two games to the men’s one. They fist bumped across the table and Grace made a face at Marcus. “Told you we’d win!”

  Marcus rolled his eyes at her. “You just learned to play. How can you be so confident that you’d win?”

  Rikki glanced at the clock, surprised by how late it was. “I need to go. My boss will not be happy with me if I’m not on time tomorrow!”

  Grace laughed. “Since your boss probably won’t be on time, maybe she won’t notice!”

  “If you don’t notice, Patience or Felicity will!” Rikki got to her feet. “Thank you for having me over. I really had a good time.”

  Ben got to his feet as well. “Let’s head out then.” He kept his eyes steady on hers. “Do you need someone to ride with us?”

  Rikki thought about it and slowly shook her head. “I think we’re okay.”

  Ben felt his heart skip a beat. He loved the idea of her trusting him enough to take her home alone. He knew it would be nothing with another woman, but with Rikki, it was everything. Picking up her coat, he held it out for her, helping her into it. “Thanks for letting us come over,” he said, his eyes on Marcus. It hadn’t been easy for him to ask for what he needed, but Marcus had been kind about it.

  “It’s not a problem. Ever.” Grace hugged Rikki. “You’re welcome here anytime. You know that.”

  Rikki nodded. “I do. You admire my sister too much not to let me come over whenever I want.”

  Grace laughed. “That’s very true!”

  “I’m going to warm up my car. Give me a minute.” He hurried out the door.

  Rikki shrugged at Grace. “I’ll probably turn into a statue if I’m left in the cold too long. It’s a good thing I’ve never been in cold weather before.”

  Marcus sighed. “He’s being a gentleman. It’s sad that you ladies haven’t been around good men enough to recognize the quality.”

  Grace laughed and walked to Marcus, wrapping her arms around him. “I know what a gem you are. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

  As Rikki watched them, she wished she could have that ease with a man. She knew it wouldn’t happen though. How could it? She couldn’t ever trust anyone enough to put her arms around him so casually.

  When Ben stepped back into the house, she turned to him, a sad look on her face. She’d have to tell him. How could she not? She wasn’t about to let a nice man spend time thinking that she would ever be able to have a real relationship. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  Ben saw the look on her face, and he knew she was going to tell him there was no future. He had a plan though. He wasn’t about to let her get away with ending it now. No, she had to give him a fair shot, and he knew just how he was going to make sure she did it.

  After they’d said their goodnights, Ben took Rikki’s hand and led her out to his car. They’d have to talk it out tonight. He knew she wouldn’t go out with him again otherwise.

  3

  Walking to Ben’s car with him seemed more natural than Rikki had expected. He wasn’t as scary as most men she knew. When they were both in and buckled, she grinned. “I think you’re the only man in the area who doesn’t drive a pick-up truck.”

  He grinned at her. “Wisconsin isn’t as big into trucks as Wyoming seems to be. I like my car. We’ve been through good and bad times together.”

  “It seems nice.”

  “I’m glad you felt safe letting me drive you home,” he said casually as he pulled into the driveway of Linda’s house on the Culpepper Ranch.

  Just like that her heartbeat sped up, and she felt the familiar fear. He was obviously not taking her somewhere other than home, though, so why did it hit then? “Maybe not completely safe, but I think I can honestly say I was willing to take the risk.”

  “And are you glad you did? Or are you freaking out now?”

  Rikki laughed self-consciously. “Actually, I’m kind of freaking out now. As soon as you said you were glad I trusted you, I started thinking you were going to do something evil to me. I know you’re not, but my brain is messed up.”

  He sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I can’t even kill bugs. I just take them outside where they belong.”

  “Wow. The perfect man. I never thought I’d find you.” She made certain her voice sounded awestruck.

  Ben laughed softly. “I’m anything but perfect. If I was perfect, I’d be visiting the bakery more to get to know you and not trying to force you to go out with me.”

  “Force me?” She raised an eyebrow, suddenly no longer nervous, and a little annoyed at his wording. “I’m past the days of letting a man force me into doing anything.” She no longer did anything she didn’t want to do—especially for a man!

  Fascinated by her sudden show of strength, he put the car into park and turned to her, his hand stroking her cheek. “I didn’t word that well. Maybe I should have paid more attention in my public speaking courses.”

  She couldn’t help but grin at that. �
�I like you, Pastor Benjamin.”

  He groaned. “Please don’t tell me you still think of me as Pastor Benjamin. I want to be just plain old Ben in your eyes.”

  She shrugged. “I guess you are. I was just messing around calling you that.”

  “Good.” He looked into her eyes, his hand on her cheek shifting a bit and rubbing over her lips.

  Rikki swallowed hard, her eyes going to his. What’s he thinking?

  “I don’t want to scare you,” he whispered softly, “but I’d really like to kiss you good night. May I?”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth as she nodded slowly. “I think so.”

  “You think so?” He couldn’t help but laugh. “What an enthusiastic answer!”

  She shrugged. “Well, I’ve never really been kissed. Just once when we were playing two minutes in a closet when I was eleven. Josh Williamson. I was sure I was going to grow up and have his babies, but his kiss was all wet and mushy, and I was done with him.”

  “No wet, mushy kisses. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “I don’t think I’d mind if it was you.”

  Ben smiled. “Let’s see.” He slowly lowered his head toward hers, giving her every opportunity to back away if she was nervous. When she didn’t, he brushed his lips across hers, careful to keep the kiss light.

  When he pulled away, Rikki put her hand at the back of his neck, pulling him back down. Kissing him was nice! Much nicer than she’d imagined it would be.

  “Do you want to go to the Christmas tree lighting in town with me on Saturday night?” he asked, his voice gruff.

  “I don’t really do well in crowds.”

  “Let’s try it. If you get nervous, we can always leave. You won’t be able to get back to doing things people consider normal if you don’t try.”

  “You’re being Pastor Benjamin again,” she told him, wrinkling her nose. She definitely preferred Ben, who kissed her and made her tingle all over.

  Ben sighed. “It’s hard to separate them sometimes. Trust me, though. With you I’ll always try to be Ben. Pastor Benjamin doesn’t get to kiss the pretty girls. Only Ben gets to do that.”

  “Well then, I definitely prefer Ben!” She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth, realizing how forward she was being. It was true though. She did like kissing him. She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. “I should go in. I don’t want Linda to worry.”

  “How did you come to live here?” he asked, wanting just another few minutes with her. It was so hard to say goodnight.

  “I was nervous about staying at my sister’s house during her weeks in Texas, so Felicity Quinlan asked me to stay here. Then she married, and I still stayed here. Linda and I get along really well, and I don’t think she likes living alone. Of course, I don’t think she’ll be alone much longer. She and Roy Williams are spending an awful lot of time together.”

  “Felicity seems like a whirlwind to me. I can’t figure her out.”

  “Don’t even try! It’ll just hurt your head. I promise! Felicity is as sweet as can be, but she is pretty nuts.”

  Ben smiled. “I’d gotten that impression. She seems to be a good mom to her new step-son, though.”

  “Oh, she’s wonderful. She just talks a mile a minute and confuses the living snot out of me.”

  “The living snot? I’ve never heard anyone say that before. How does snot live?”

  “Sometimes it’s best not to think about these things too hard. It just hurts.”

  Ben frowned at her. “I’m sensing a pattern here. You just refuse to think about things that are complicated or confusing, don’t you?”

  “It’s just not good for my head. My kindergarten teacher got tired of my questions, so she started saying, ‘Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.’ So now I never worry about anything too confusing. It works for me.”

  “I can see it does.” He kissed her once more, just as softly. “I’m going to walk you to your door.”

  Rikki smiled, opening her car door and getting out. “I had a really nice time. I’m glad we did this.”

  He smiled. “I am too. I’ll come by around one tomorrow, and maybe we can have lunch together again?”

  She nodded. “That sounds nice.”

  At the door, he touched her cheek briefly. “Sleep well, and dream of me.”

  Once she was inside, she leaned back against the door. How would she dream of anything else?

  As soon as Rikki walked into the bakery the following morning, Grace pulled her off to the side. “How’d it go with Ben last night? Are you going to see him again?”

  Rikki nodded. “I’m seeing him on Saturday, and he’s supposed to come in for lunch around one today. Is it okay if I take my break with him?”

  “Of course! Did he kiss you?”

  “You’re not supposed to ask me that! Ladies don’t kiss and tell!”

  “Sure, they do! Gentlemen don’t, but ladies do it all the time. So?”

  Rikki noticed that Patience and Felicity were making no secret of the fact they were both listening as well. “Maybe we should get some baking done today. Isn’t there a baby shower this weekend?”

  Grace wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Work always has to come first. When I have a baby, I’m making my own cake, and it’s going to be gorgeous!”

  “Are you telling us something?” Patience asked, eyeing Grace’s slender figure.

  Grace made a face at her cousin. “No, and if I was, I’d find a better way to do it. We’re waiting a while before we have munchkins. There are enough little Quinlans on the way.”

  “Probably. But we don’t have any bakery babies.” Felicity sighed dramatically. “Who will my baby play with?” She wasn’t showing yet, but she liked to practice the pregnant waddle, because it made her feel special.

  “Maybe Rikki will have one,” Grace suggested.

  Rikki shook her head vehemently. “No way. I’m not getting married right away. I’m not like you guys.”

  Grace gave Felicity and Patience a knowing look and got back to work, while Rikki went to handle the person who’d just walked into the bakery.

  When Ben arrived for lunch, he brought with him a picnic basket. Rikki raised an eyebrow at him. “You do know we sell food here.”

  “I know. I ate some yesterday. I happened to mention to Lovie that I was coming here for lunch and then next thing I knew, I had this picnic basket in my hands. She said I should buy us drinks here.”

  Rikki shrugged. “Okay. What do you want?”

  “Coffee. This girl I know kept me out way too late last night. She wore me out!”

  “Oh, and you had nothing to do with it? You weren’t a willing participant in the staying out lateness?”

  Ben shook his head seriously. “Of course not. How could I be? I’m a pastor after all.”

  “A pastor who has no respect for tomorrow, maybe?”

  “How could I when I’m sitting with a pretty girl?”

  Rikki shook her head at him, getting his coffee and grabbing a bottle of water for herself. Looking over her shoulder, she saw all three of her co-workers watching her intently. Not one of them even tried to hide it. “I’m taking my lunch break!”

  Felicity sighed dramatically. “I told you we needed cameras installed in the dining area.”

  Rikki shook her head when Ben gave her a confused look. “Ignore them. All three of them are absolutely insane. If you listen to them, it just humors them, and they get even more outrageous.”

  “So, I should pretend I didn’t hear them at all?”

  “It’s the only course of action that will have a good outcome. I promise you this!” She loved her co-workers, but they were all insane. Every single one of them.

  He set the picnic basket in the middle of a large table and together they unloaded it. “Fried chicken? She made us fried chicken for a lunch date in the middle of the day in an establishment that serves food?” Rikki shook her head. There was something about Lovie th
at was almost as strange as Brother Anthony.

  “I guess so. I hadn’t peeked yet. What else is in here?” He pulled a large container of potato salad and another of baked beans out of the basket. “I guess we’re having a traditional picnic feast.”

  Rikki laughed. “It’s a good thing we don’t have any other customers right now. They’d all start expecting picnic fixings to be sold here, and we just don’t have the manpower.” She pulled a sheet of paper from the bottom, and read the note aloud. “Since you’re having lunch in a bakery, go ahead and buy some brownies for dessert. I didn’t have time to bake.”

  He shook his head at her, sitting down at the table. “Thanks for having lunch with me.”

  “You didn’t exactly give me a choice. You announced we were doing this.”

  “Well, you didn’t kick me and run away screaming, so I guess we’re good, right?”

  She shrugged. “I guess so.” Taking the seat opposite him, she put some of the chicken on a paper plate from the basket. “She thought of everything, didn’t she?”

  “Lovie is a pretty organized woman. She always thinks of everything.” He leaned forward a little. “To tell you the truth, she kind of scares me.”

  Rikki laughed. “Why is she scary?”

  “Well, she does this pageant with the kids for Christmas every year, and this year, she announced that it was time for younger blood to take over, and it was all mine. I’ve been looking at her notes, and she has songs, a living nativity, and there’s this cute little play about what Christmas means. I haven’t even started auditioning kids yet!”

  She frowned. “We only have about four weeks ’til Christmas. When is the pageant?”

  “Christmas Eve. It’s part of the church’s celebration of the holiday.”

  “Do you need some help? I’ve never done a Christmas pageant, but I did some theater in school. Don’t tell anyone, because people think I want to be just like Valerie when I admit it, but I do love working behind the scenes on plays.”

  Ben didn’t need to hear her offer twice. It would give them more time together, and he could really use the help. “I would love your help! Auditions are tonight. Can you be there?”