In the last part Ben learned he’d been exonerated and that escape charges dropped. And he met a young woman.

^^^^^^^^

“Ben, I don’t understand why you don’t move her out here, here to Golden Ridge?” Luther was serious. “I’ve seen her fingernails. I approve!”

“Not until we’re married. She insists. And I do too, I guess.” Ben quieted somewhat on his I guess.

“Well …”

“I’m going to ask her tomorrow.”

“Today! Take the rest of the day off. And take the mare. Stay the night. I’ll be here tomorrow. A lot of work to do. “Oh, and I’m the best man?”

Ben chuckled. “You are the best man.” He veritably skipped to the stable.

Beth and Ben agreed on all the important details of religion, philosophy, and life principles. Her mother’s parents brought her mother to California as a youngster from the Missouri Ozarks. They continued their simple lifestyle. Reginald’s parents came to California as children themselves, hauled from their New England farm.

“A calling,” Beth had responded when the two of them were together on the next Saturday afternoon. “Does a calling come with celibacy? The single life of a monk?”

“Not mine.” After only a blink, Ben corrected himself. “I mean, I’m not. I haven’t, I…”

“You’re unmarried, but maybe not for life? Is that what you mean to say?” Beth asked, blushing back a mischievous smile.

“Ever have a girlfriend, Ben. I mean besides me?”

Ben laughed out loud. This was the second time he’d ever seen Beth. The last Sunday when Reginald asked him to dinner. And now today. They’d shared one peck of a kiss that Beth managed to land on his cheek. That was the history of their relationship. But Ben was ready to spend the rest of his life with her, and work out all the getting to know one another on the journey. Beth’s spirit simply reached out and hugged his. Her smile, her nature, Her mannerisms. Maybe they reminded him of his mother on some subconscious level. All he knew was that he wanted to be as near her as he could get.

“Besides you,” he said, winking at her on the you. “One. Livvy, in Colorado.”

“And?”

“God told me that the calling was more important than her. I followed the calling and later blessed her marriage to a fine man. They are happy and as far as I know pumping out babies.”

They both laughed. Beth did a stutter-step, but recovered quickly.

“And you-u-u?” Ben asked, looking through his brow.

“One too young of a husband. He was …,” she cocked her head and made a grimacing face. “He managed to make a baby and then …”

Ben stood from the porch swing, beckoning her to join him for an embrace. Her head on his shoulder felt heavenly to both of them.

+++

“Okay, Luther. I’ve seen you cross pollinating, and grafting. But what’s your real secret? How do you do it, all this?” Ben spread his arms toward the field.

“My secret? You want to know my secret?” Luther’s inflection made it sound like an incredulous request.

Ben smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I mean thornless cactus. I’ve been in the desert.”

“The secret of improved plant breeding, my good man, apart from scientific knowledge, is love.  While I was conducting experiments to make spineless cacti, I often talked to the plants …"You have nothing to fear," I would tell them.  "You don't need your defensive thorns.  I will protect you."  Gradually the useful plant of the desert emerged in a thornless variety."

Ben guffawed in laughter.

“It’s true.” Luther went back to his work.

“Luther,” Ben asked as he helped in the greenhouse, “Like I said. I’ve seen your scientific work with plants. And I understand about Darwin’s concept of natural selection and survival of the fittest. That all seems like so much common sense once you get over the evolution aspect.  But …”

“Man from monkeys. That’s the stickler, isn’t it?”

“In a nutshell, I suppose."

“It’s like your Bible. Personally, I don’t believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale, or that the whole universe was created in six 24-hour days. But that doesn’t mean the rest of it goes into the compost bin. Those who would legislate against the teaching of evolution should also legislate against gravity, electricity and the unreasonable velocity of light, and also, should introduce a clause to prevent the use of the telescope, the microscope and the spectroscope or any other instrument of precision which may in the future be invented, constructed or used for the discovery of truth."

Ben nodded.

+++

“Go for a walk?” Ben asked as Beth came from the kitchen, the evening meal dishes done.

“Aw, go on dear,” her mother said. “You don’t need a chaperone.” Rachel waved them out as Reginald chuckled.

“Tell me about yourself,” Ben asked.

“Where do you want me to start?”

“The earliest you can remember. Bring me up to date.”

Beth chuckled. “Oh no, Mister. We take turns at this game. When I squeeze your hand, it’s your turn.”

Ben smiled. They’d walked through the back yard and were about to enter the street behind, but hadn’t yet. “First this.” He drew her into himself for a tender kiss that soon developed into passion, their mouths opening to one another, their tongues darting. Enjoying the brand-new experience, they allowed their tongues to meet, as if becoming fully familiar. Ben experienced the midsection discomfort and he had difficulty backing away from Beth. Beth leaned in, continuing their kiss, signaling Ben that breathing was allowed, though not separating. Ultimately, the whole-body kiss ended, followed by a familiar, polite follow up kiss.

“Beth, will you marry me?”

“Ben Persons, I’ll marry you this minute.”

Ben laughed. “Whoa, whoa.”

“What? Changing your mind already?”

“No! But …”

“Oh, all right, but tomorrow?”

“Living with your parents that bad, huh?”

Beth laughed. “No, but living without you is.”

They kissed again and then resumed walking.

“Besides, now we have to get married.” Bumping her hip against his told him that his condition did not go unnoticed.

“Sorry about that.”

“Better not be… Mister,” the twinkle in her eye telling him that she was teasing.

“But we have to talk. Seriously.”

“All right,” Beth said. “You are a minister with a calling that is more important than anything, more important than life, more important than me. I know that. And I accept the terms.”

Beth held up her fingers, counting to herself. “Twenty-one days from today. On a Saturday afternoon.”

“Beth, I don’t have a ring, I don’t have a home, I …”

“You’ll have me. If you’ll have me.”

“I’ll have you.” They kissed again, passionately, Ben’s arms around her, learning her sides and small of her back.

“Something you must know now, though, Beth.”

Beth comported herself, understanding the seriousness of the tone.

“I’m being led away. North. Maybe even as far as Alaska. And I can’t promise that we would ever have a permanent home.”

“I had a permanent home offered me once. It turned out not to be so permanent. I’m willing to accept whatever you, and the Lord, have for us. I guess, though, that I need for you to be one hundred percent sure that God is accepting me into the calling that he has on you.”

Ben knew better than to snap out an answer. “I’ll pray.”

Beth squeezed his hand.

“I died once.”

Beth’s head sprang to him, waiting for the story, wanting to hear all the stories.