In the last part Hank Larabee and Seth, the man of the kidnapping pair found Ben, challenged him. Beth disarmed Hank and Ben subdued Seth. They gave a full report and accounting of Ben’s history to the sheriff who welcomed them to stay in Fortuna.

^^^^^^^^^^

“Oh my!” Pastor Williams’s wife Dorothy sat roughly, nearly plopping herself into her seat as Ben and Beth alternately described the events of their previous day over afternoon tea and pie.

“So, I’m to understand that the big one is in jail to stand trial for attempted murder, and his victim, the one who’s attempted your lives twice, is free to go?” Pastor Williams appeared perplexed.

“Soon as he feels up to travel,” Ben replied.

“Do you think he’ll go?”

Beth snapped her head to Ben, the thought never having crossed her mind.

Ben shrugged his shoulders.

“I see you are fairly accustomed to… trials and tribulation.” The Pastor sipped at his tea.

Ben held up his hand, counting off fingers, “shot, stabbed, shot at, killed in a cave-in, beaten, shanghaied, whipped, imprisoned, about blown up, shot at some more, let’s see…”

“I may faint.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Williams,” Ben said. “I shouldn’t …”

“How about this wonderful weather,” Beth said.

“And this wonderful pie,” Dorothy added. “You baked this?” she asked Beth. “At your job at the hotel restaurant?”

Beth smiled at Dorothy’s pleasure.

“You simply must show me how to make a crust this flaky.”

“Dears, Ben and I are going to step out where I can light my pipe. Would you care to try one, Ben? I have a new one just waiting for this ol’ thing to burn out.”

Ben declined, but followed out the back door.

“Ben, I have to say, I’m a bit concerned…” He didn’t light his pipe, but waited until they were out of earshot of the ladies that he spoke.

“I know. I came across a little too … boastful, proud, arrogant, dismissive of the grace and protective hand of God? Yeah, I felt it as I ticked them off.” Ben held up his finger-ticking-off hand. “I want you to know that I certainly didn’t intend …”

“Long as God knows, Ben. As long as God knows.”

“You know, Pastor, that’s something I’ve thought about several times ever since I convinced the preachers in San Francisco to form their ministerial alliance.”

“Yes, the alliance. I’ve been thinking of that ever since my friend wrote of it.”

“Well, men, people in a church… they have one another, and certainly you, their pastors, that they can take issues to, talk things out, help them pray…”

“Where two or more…”

“But preachers and pastors…” Ben pantomimed a hypothetical conversation. “‘Say, Brother JoBob, would you help me to pray, I’ve been a bit too envious of Brother JimBob’s, uh, horse.”

Williams chuckled.

“Pastors need someone…”

“That they’re responsible to,” Williams finished. “May not be the right word, but yes. And a ministerial alliance might offer that.”

“Among other things,” Ben agreed. “Certainly men who could help pray.”

“Have to have a lot of trust in someone. A man could …”

“You would have to trust God to make the pairing.”

Williams nodded.

“Ben, by now, every minister in town knows what happened. Some even heard about your service on the dock… fishermen, you know, and dock hands. Why don’t you make the rounds with me. I’ll introduce you. And you can tell them about your San Francisco experience with the alliance, how it works and how it went?”

Ben nodded. “I work at the livery mornings, but I can take off any day you’d like. Or every day after lunch.”

They agreed to start that next afternoon.

“Oh, before we go back in,” Williams said, tugging at Ben’s sleeve. “This Larabee fellow. What are you going to do if he doesn’t leave town?”

Ben shrugged. “Same thing I always do, whatever God tells me.”

“Ben, the calling you have. I believe it, I do. But maybe it’s time to settle down. Surely, you’ve done your part. Maybe it’s time to lay down roots, start a family. Fortuna is taking to you.”

“Romans, chapter eleven, verse number 29, Pastor. Until God shows me another, that’s my instruction – subject to His call. I’m not afraid, Pastor. I’ve seen heaven, and I’m ready.”

“And Beth?” The question was cruel, Williams was aware, but he spoke from his heart.

“Ask Larabee what put him on his knees. He saw something. God has blessed our marriage. I believe he has sanctified her.”

Williams nodded, knowing better than to say “I hope so.”

+++

The next day as soon as Ben got off work, he stopped into the cheap hotel that Larabee was sent to. Larabee had the choice of there or jail until his fine was paid. He had checked out. Later after lunch with Beth, Ben learned that Larabee’s horse was gone from the livery, a different livery stable than the one where Ben worked. Larabee had not paid his fine, which meant he could have fled, or he could still be about.

The sheriff said that was part of his plan. It was more likely that Larabee would be quick to leave town than to stay around until he could get money wired up from his wife at the ranch. Having jail hang over his head was incentive, the sheriff thought.

Ben wasn’t as happy, not knowing where the man was. And that his ire might now be more against a woman who’d put him on his knees and taken his gun than at Ben. Despite Ben’s confidence in prayer, he was concerned for Beth.

On his way to their apartment, he heard a pistol shot. It was probably nothing. With the streets and buildings as they were, he had no idea where it came from. He’d probably heard several since they’d arrived. But that didn’t stop him from running all the way to Beth.

Once inside the house, he was soothed. Until the next bang when he felt Beth flinch.

+++

The Saturday following, for a change of scenery after Beth’s pie making, Ben met her outside the hotel with the team harnessed and hitched. “You ready to see Eureka and the ocean?”

“Let’s stop at the apartment and pick up whatever we might need in case we want to stay over.”

“Easily done, my dear.”

She hopped aboard.

Ben loaded from their storage area as Beth packed snacks and a blanket.

Ben snapped the team to a sustainable trot, clipping by the first few miles, past where they’d turned off for the Table Bluff view.

In Eureka they walked a few blocks of the town center, marveling at the nearly finished Carson House. Anxious to see the ocean, they found the Humboldt Ferry. On it they learned that the dunes to the north were well worth the effort, and then they could circle the bay to return.

They played like children on the dunes.

“Be-en,” Beth began.

Ben knew the tone.

“Ye-es, dear.”

“Could we, you know, spend the night here on the sand, on the beach?”

He smiled. “Aren’t you glad I packed the tent and more blankets?”

“What I’m glad of is that I married you.”

They kissed with youthful passion.