Love Her Softly

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I should be getting home, Anita," Emma admitted after they'd shown Cassandra around the boarding house.

"Of course," Anita agreed, glancing out the window at the late afternoon sky. "I'll take you in the cart."

"Can I come along?" Cassandra asked. "I ain't quite used to being cooped up in a town."

"Of course." Anita turned her gaze to Lauren. "You stay and get yourself cleaned up for supper. You look like you've been rolling around in a pig sty."

Lauren wiped her dirty hand on her dress. "It ain't that bad."

Emma, Cassandra and Anita loaded into the cart. They hadn't traveled far from town when they came upon Ben. "Hello ladies," he greeted with a tip of his head.

Anita smiled. "Hello Ben. We were just taking Emma home."

"I'll ride with you," Ben offered. "I was heading that way on my way up the mountain."

"Why are you going on the mountain?" Emma questioned.

His features were strained. "A funeral. Not one I'm too keen on performing but it is my duty as the preacher."

"Preacher?!" Cassandra demanded. "You can't be a preacher! Every preacher I've ever meant is either old or fat. Why, you're plumb handsome!"

Emma gasped with surprise, Anita laughed quietly into her hand and Ben's eyes widened so comically that they appeared ready to pop from his head.

He cleared his throat as his cheeks turned a deeper red than Emma had ever seen. "Uh... well.. thank you, ma'am. You.. uh.. you're quite lovely, yourself....I.." Ben cleared his throat loudly and tugged at his collar. "I don't believe we've ever met."

"No, you haven't," Anita aided the flustered man. "This is Cassandra. She just moved to Silver Falls to stay with me awhile. Cassandra, this is Ben Owens. He's our local preacher."

Cassandra smiled as she picked at trousers. "It's nice to meet you, Benjamin. I probably shouldn't have come out and said what I did... I don't have real good manners. That's one of the reasons my pa sent me to Miss Anita's."

Ben shook his head, seeming to overcome his initial shock and embarrassment. "Don't apologize, Miss Cassandra. I enjoyed the compliment and it's good to meet people who say exactly what they mean."

"That's me," Cassandra beamed. "No filter."

"Oh dear..." Anita muttered. "I'm afraid this one might make Lauren seem like a walk in the park on a Sunday afternoon."

Emma bit her lip a moment before asking, "Who's funeral are you on your way to?"

Ben's eyes softened. "Not that funeral." Then he shrugged. "Unfortunately." Before Emma had time to fully process what he'd just said, Ben continued. "Apparently a man was up there during that storm a week or so ago and he got turned around and walked off a cliff. They just recently found his body and have asked me to come speak a few words. I'm supposed to say a few good things about the deceased and offer his family comfort that he's gone to heaven...."

Ben let out a sigh and glanced at the scenery. "And then pray for the Lord to forgive me for the sin of lying."

Again Emma gasped before stifling her laugher behind her hand. Anita was quick to scold Ben, though Emma was certain the older woman was fighting a smile. Cassandra, however, smacked her leg and laughed so loudly, she startled several birds in a nearby tree.