Chapter Text
It was hot. It was dusty. Clutching her newspaper clipping in hand, Rey looked at the gray clouds rolling towards her and she wondered absently if she was going to make it before they opened up and poured rain on her. But, the town was definitely farther behind her, and it was more worth it to plow forward. There was nothing worth turning back for.
What she held in her hands was the ticket to a new life, a ticket for hope. What she was doing probably seemed crazy to some people, but she wasn’t your average person. The average person hadn’t had her life, and she was willing to bet all she had on this opportunity. She had bet everything on this opportunity.
The dust was no longer just kicking up from her steps, it was blowing into her face, finding its way into all the fibers of her hair, and crevices of her pores. When she heard the thunder, she realized the storm was blowing closer and closer. She shaded her eyes and saw a house in the distance. That had to be it. Looking up at the looming clouds, she realized she had better start running if she was going to beat the storm. Stuffing the paper into her pocket, she broke into a run.
Her brain registered a figure in the distance, running towards the same house she was, and she called out. Before she could see if he noticed her though, the heavens opened and she let out a shriek as the water dumped on her head, instantly soaking her. She continued to run as fast as she could, launching up the stairs, and finally came to a halt under a covered porch. Rey bent over, trying to catch her breath, and swiped at her eyes so she could open them. She realized she was staring at feet, and she slowly straightened up, her eyes taking in the legs, and up…and up… into the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. She gaped as she peered past the eyes into the silky black hair of the tall man in front of her.
He stared back for a long time before asking, “Can I help you?”
“Um…” His voice was deep, silky, and unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She nearly fell off the porch, crossing her fingers that this was the man she’d come to see. Wiping her hair away from her eyes, she asked hopefully, “Are you Ben Solo?”
He looked surprised. “Yes.”
Her heart nearly stopped. She couldn’t believe her luck. Why did someone who looked and sounded like that, need to advertise? Truly, she had been preparing herself for the worst. Shaking, she held out her hand. “I’m Rey.”
Ben looked down at her hand, looking apprehensive, before taking it. “I apologize but, I was not expecting anyone. Did I miss something in the post?”
Rey stared at his hand, which managed to fully encompass hers, and wondered what must be wrong with this man. Clearly it wasn’t anything physical. She shook herself out of it and she looked back up at him with another smile. “I am responding to your advertisement.”
He blinked at her, looking utterly confused. “My…advertisement?”
Rey dug into her pocket, and pulled out the crumpled ad that she’d shoved in just before starting her final run towards the house. She smoothed it as best as she could and handed it to him.
She watched his face go from confused, to bright red, to anger. He then looked her up and down, and she saw the disgust take over his face. Her heart dropped as quickly as her gaze, and she found herself staring back down at his feet. No. She hadn’t passed his test. But…looks weren’t everything, right? She had to find her voice, to beg to show him her strengths…
A door creaked and she heard a woman speak. “Now Ben, don’t say something you might regret later. It appears we have a very wet guest. Come inside, child, we need to get you dried up and warm, before you catch your death with a cold.” Rey looked up and saw an older woman reaching for her. She took her arm gently in her hand, and guided Rey past the man, and she followed, her mind racing and wondering what, if anything, she could do to hold onto her dream.
***
He was livid. Utterly livid. He stared at the ad in his hand, and knew instantly his mother was behind it. He was torn between extreme embarrassment, and utter humiliation.
It read: Chance for a spinster. A young man named Ben Solo in De Smet, Dakota Territory, advertising for a wife, speaks of himself as follows: “I am 24 years old, have a good set of teeth, and believe in Andy Johnson, the star spangled banner, and the 4 th of July. I have taken up a lot of eighteen acres last year, and seeded ten of it down. My buckwheat looks first-rate, and the oats and potatoes are bully. I have got nine chickens, a pig, a two year old bull, two heifers, two horses, besides a house and barn. I want to get married. I want to buy bread-and-butter, hoop-skirts, and waterfalls for some person of the female persuasion during life. That’s what’s the matter with me. But I don’t know how to do it.”
Ben took deep breaths and tried to calm down the panic rising inside of him. When he’d first caught sight of the person running toward him, he’d thought it was a man. A very ragged, urchin-like man. Until it had looked up at him, and spoken to him, and then he realized it was more like an older female urchin child. Then she’d handed him the advertisement and he had realized in horror what she was here for.
He heard a gentle laugh coming from inside that was decidedly not his mother, and his mind started racing a number of thoughts:
That thing in the house was not a spinster.
He was going to be the laughingstock of the town.
How many women were going to be showing up at his doorstep?
What in heaven’s earth was a waterfall?
How was he going to get this person out of his house?
He was going to kill his mother.
Slumping into the rocking chair on his porch, he buried his head in his hands, wishing he could somehow reach into his skull and pull all the racing thoughts out of his head.
***
Rey was warm. The nice woman, Leia was her name, was apparently Ben Solo’s mother. She’d plied her with a warm towel for her head, and had given her a warm robe to change into. Now she was sitting in front of the stove, holding a warm cup of tea. Rey couldn’t remember a time she’d felt more comfortable in her life.
“We’re about to have supper and settle in for the night. It’s been a long day. Have you traveled far?”
Rey nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “Yes, I traveled in on the train.”
“Oh? Are you staying at the hotel in town?”
Rey’s cheeks burned. “No, I just came straight here from the train.”
Mrs. Solo looked at her, interested. “Surely you didn’t drag your trunk all the way from town?”
Her cheeks burned brighter. “No…ah…the train…lost my trunk,” she lied.
Mrs. Solo’s eyes widened. “They lost your trunk? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“Yeah, I’m not sure if they gave it to someone else in error or…” Rey shrugged like it was no big deal. “But it’s not a big deal.”
“I hope you filed a report with the railway company.”
“Er…yes. I did.” Rey looked down at her tea. “So…am I too late for the advertisement?”
“Oh no, dear, you’re the first person to find us.”
Rey looked back up at Mrs. Solo with a wide grin. “I’m really glad! He sounded so sweet, and this sounded so wonderful.”
Mrs. Solo cocked her head, looking at her curiously. “Oh? What appealed to you the most?”
Rey gave a small laugh. “The part where he said he didn’t know how to do it. I felt like he was talking to me, because that’s how I feel. I wouldn’t be able to find a husband on my own if I tried. No one would ever be interested in me for anything beyond just a work horse.”
“Why is that, dear?” Mrs. Solo turned to the stove and stirred the pot.
“It’s all I’m good for. At least that’s what I’ve been told that all my life. I guess the ad just made me hope that maybe I could be that useful person but also be loved, too.” She heard a clank and noticed that the woman had dropped the spoon on the stove. Rey sprang up, nearly dropping her tea. “Can I help?”
Mrs. Solo looked at her surprised. “No, I’m fine, dear! I was just clumsy. I will serve up dinner onto the table, if you would like to set it.”
Rey set down her cup. “Of course. How many places should I set it for?”
“Three.”
Rey smiled. “Thank you so much for taking care of me this afternoon! You are really sweet. No one has ever been so nice to me.”
Mrs. Solo looked at her with another look she didn’t quite know how to read, before giving her a small smile. Rey happily set the table, with some of the most beautiful dishes she’d ever seen in her life. She mentally crossed her fingers that she would be able to fix this, that she would be able to call this place home, soon.
***
“Supper is ready.”
Ben started, at hearing a voice other than his mother’s, talking to him. He looked over and saw the wet urchin, looking a little less wet and a little less urchiny, leaning out of the front door with a smile.
He stood up from his rocker on the porch, and followed her inside his house. She was wearing his mothers’ robe, which felt infinitely inappropriate, but then, he figured, what else was she going to do, really, having been as wet as she was.
“It smells delightful in here. I bet it tastes as good as it smells.” The girl did a small hop.
“Mother does make a good soup.” He said cautiously.
“And I bet you grow all the stuff you put in your food, huh?”
“We are homesteaders. We buy as little at the grocery as we can. Winters can be brutal out here, and I reckon it’s smart to rely on yourself as much as you can.”
Her eyes went round. “Did you hear about the winter two years ago?”
Ben nodded. “We came right after, when the trains finally started running again. So many people left, and we came in. It’s surprising, how one bad winter ran so many people back east.”
“It was rough. I think I finally put back on all the weight I lost.” The girl joked. Looking at her closely, he got the impression that she wasn’t joking.
“This soup will help put some meat on your bones,” his mother said gaily, as they walked to the table. She took one of the girl’s hands and took one of Ben’s. “Ben, would you please say the prayer?”
Ben took her hand and reached for the girl’s, who gave it to him, confused. He asked, “Are you not used to saying a prayer before you eat?”
She shook her head. He looked at his mother, who smiled at the girl.
“Bow your head, and close your eyes, and Ben will say the prayer.” Leia instructed her. She did as she was asked, and Ben cleared his throat.
“Please bless this food we are about to eat, and bless the hands that prepared it. Thank you for everything you give us. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
“Amen,” said his mother, and the girl murmured it as well. He dropped their hands and they sat to eat.
“You don’t go to church then?” He asked the girl, curiously.
She looked down at her bowl. “I’ve never had the opportunity to.”
“Do they not have a church in your home town?” Leia asked.
“Um…no, it’s just…we never were allowed to do something like that.”
“Are your parents not people of faith?”
The girl seemed to sink even lower into her chair, if that were possible. “I…wouldn’t know.”
There was silence at the table, as both he and his mother’s spoons froze on the way to their mouths. They looked at each other, and he gestured to her, silently saying: ‘this is your problem, you talk to her.’
Leia sipped from her spoon and set it back down. “We don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Rey. I apologize if we are asking too many questions.”
“No…it’s ok. Of course you’d want to know…” Rey took a deep breath and he watched as she sat up straighter, as if getting some resolve back. “I’m an orphan. I never knew my parents." She looked up at Ben and caught his eye, as if daring him to say something to her about it.
He couldn’t have cared less about her being an orphan, but he finally couldn’t stop himself from asking the burning question he’d been restraining himself from asking. “How old are you?”
His mother made a sputtering noise next to him and he watched Rey’s eyes widen. Apparently that wasn’t the question she was expecting him to ask. He held her gaze, daring her to lie to him.
“I’m 19.” Her chin jut out, defiantly taunting him to tell her she was too young.
“Ben, you don’t ask a woman that kind of question.” His mother admonished.
Ben shrugged and looked back down at his soup. “Well, I had to know, mother. Your…” He closed his mouth, then re-opened it. “ The advertisement asked for spinsters and she’s clearly not a spinster, so I had to make sure she was at least LEGAL.”
Now it was Rey’s turn to sputter. “You thought I wasn’t legal?”
He shrugged again. “By your own admission, you are an orphan. At a certain age, I would require consent to marry you, and I wouldn’t want that headache of trying to find your caregiver. However, at 19, you are your own person, so I do not have to worry about that, do I?”
He glanced back at her and found himself staring. She was biting her lip, and when her deep brown eyes caught his, he saw a look of hope in them that nearly melted his heart. “Does that mean…you might be willing to consider me?”
Ben closed his eyes and gulped, feeling his mother’s eyes staring at him just as intensely. His mother was going to pay for this, he thought. His mouth opened and closed a few times, and the words that came out were not what he’d planned on saying. “I might be willing.”
He heard the dual exhales of breath and he felt a nasty headache start behind his eyes that had nothing to do with the barometric pressure change from the storm.
***
“She can’t stay here overnight!” Ben looked horrified at his mother after dinner. The girl was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes and his mother was handing him clean sheets.
“And where exactly do you expect her to go, son? Out in the pouring rain with the livestock? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“We can’t have a single woman stay overnight with us! It isn’t proper!” Ben hissed, pushing the sheets back in her arms.
“And you wouldn’t be a gentleman, if you made her sleep on one of the chairs. You won’t die from sleeping in a chair.” Leia pushed the sheets back in his arms.
“It’s not about the chair. What will people say?” Ben pushed them back.
“Who’s going to know? Besides, I’m here as a chaperone.”
“In another room! If she’s going to stay, she should sleep with you!”
Leia’s eyes rolled. “There’s barely enough room on my bed for me.”
“Then you two take my bed and I’ll take yours.”
“Your legs would fall off the edge of the bed.”
“Better than a chair.” He mumbled.
“Fine, she can sleep with me, and you can sleep in my bed. But re-make your bed. I’m not sleeping in your sheets.” She shoved the sheets back in his arms for the final time, and he let out a sigh.
“Only for one night.” Ben wagged a finger at his mother. “Then she goes back to wherever she came from, and you can turn away anyone else before they step foot into this house.”
“Thank you for sharing your bed, Ben.” Was all his mother said, and he groaned, as he made his way into his room with the sheets.
***
He didn’t want her here. He wanted her gone in the morning. Rey felt like crying, but she had to keep trying, had to do something, anything, to change his mind. She just wished she knew how.
Leia Solo had been so very kind though. She had given her one of her own nightgowns to wear, and was going to sleep in a bed with her, to keep her safe from any thoughts of impropriety with her son. Hugging herself, Rey slid into bed.
“Thank you again, for being so hospitable, Mrs. Solo,” Rey said, watching as Leia turned the lamp down and slid into bed next to her.
“You are welcome, child. Thank you for answering the advertisement.”
“You…ah…you’re the one who wrote it, aren’t you?” Rey wished she could see the look on the woman’s face, but she couldn’t see anything in the dark. It was a few moments before the woman finally spoke.
“I love my son and I want to see him happy, Rey. We lost his father right after moving here, and he’s found himself with all the responsibility and only me to help him. He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever known, and I know he’ll get us through. I just…I hate to see him do it alone.”
Rey felt her heart clench in sorrow for the widow and fatherless son. “I’m really sorry for your loss, Mrs. Solo.”
She felt a hand pat her shoulder. “Thank you, dear.” They were silent for awhile after that and she wondered if the woman had fallen asleep. She closed her own eyes and had almost drifted to sleep when the woman said, “Since the railway lost your items, tomorrow we’ll go through my things and see if we can find anything that will work for you.”
Rey’s cheeks burned, and she suddenly wished she hadn’t told that lie. The woman was too kind. Her voice broke as she said, “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure. Sleep well.”
Rey drifted off to one of the most peaceful nights’ sleep she’d ever had. Her dreams were of a tall, dark haired, handsome husband with the deepest voice in the world, and a new mother who loved her enough to clothe her, feed her, and who would hold her in her arms at night.
***
Ben woke up to a delightful smell and he groaned. Unfurling from what felt like the smallest bed in the world, he felt numerous parts of his body crack as he slowly stretched and climbed out of bed. He got dressed and visited the outhouse before wandering into the kitchen.
“Morning, mothe…” He froze at the entry to the kitchen, his jaw dropping open.
It wasn’t his mother. It was the urchin girl, dancing at the stove as she shifted pancakes onto a plate. In. A. Short. Nightgown. She turned at his voice, with a grin that spread to her eyes. “Good morning, Ben Solo!”
“Gaaack,” was his reply as he slowly backed away, trying hard not to stare at the oh so bare legs in front of him.
The girl’s smile dimmed a little. “Is everything ok? I hope it was ok that I made you two pancakes.” She started to panic, “I am so sorry, I should have asked before helping myself to the stuff in the pantry!” Her breasts were heaving with her panicked breaths, and he backed away even faster.
“Unggg…” Ben hit something and he felt hands grab onto his arms to steady him.
“Ouch! Ben, watch where you’re going…oh…” His mother stepped to the side and saw the situation. Ben looked down in panic at his mother, who visibly gulped. “Ben, why don’t you go take care of Bessie, and get us some fresh milk for breakfast? I’ll, uh, help Rey get…dressed.”
Ben nodded and turned on his heel, running out of the house. The early morning air that had felt too cold just a few minutes earlier, was now blissfully cool. Trying to get his mind off of what was in his kitchen, he not only milked the cows, he retrieved all the eggs from the henhouse as well. He contemplated feeding all the livestock as well, but he figured by now, surely, his mother would have taken care of the situation. He hoped. He slowly climbed the stairs to the porch, listening intently. He heard voices from the kitchen, having what sounded like a normal conversation, so he took a chance that he was in the clear. He peered into the kitchen, and saw, thankfully, that they were both sitting at the table. Breathing a sigh of relief, he straightened up and walked into the kitchen, pretending like nothing unusual had happened that morning.
“Here’s some fresh milk.” He set the pail on the table, before putting the egg basket on the counter next to the stove.
“Thank you, Ben.” His mother said.
“No problem.” He sat down at the table, managing to avoid looking over at her . He bowed his head and said a quick prayer before cutting into the pancakes in front of him.
His mother cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. “Ben, Rey made us pancakes this morning.”
His fork poised in front of his mouth, he looked up at Leia and she was giving him a pointed look. He squinted at her, before proceeding to put the fork in his mouth, chewing deliberately without looking over at the girl.
Flavor burst forth into his mouth and his eyes went wide. Against his wishes, his eyes flicked over to Rey, surprised, and saw her leaning towards him, looking at him intently. He finished chewing and swallowed. “These…these are the best pancakes I have ever eaten.”
A look of relief and excitement washed over the girl’s face and he suddenly felt overheated again. He stared back down at his plate again, trying to remember his manners and not just shovel the delicious food into his mouth.
Somehow, he managed to make it through breakfast, listening to the two women talk, without looking back up at her again. He excused himself from the table when he was finished, and was never so grateful to have time sensitive chores, and livestock that were counting on him for their breakfast.
***
He lifted his hat to wipe his eyebrow. The day was as hot as last evening had been wet. It was nearly time for dinner, and he started making his way back to the house, mouth watering at the smell of fresh baked bread that was wafting his way.
Not much usually stood between a man and his dinner, but the unusual sound of singing coming from the barn made him pause in his tracks and promptly change course to investigate.
The instant he stepped inside, he realized what a terrible plan that had been. SHE was there. Singing. To his cow.
The next thing that registered in his brain, was that once again, her attire was too short. His mother had been so kind as to lend her a change of clothes, but being as Rey was a full 6” taller than his mother, there was no chance that the dresses would cover her ankles and calves.
Ben gulped and tore his gaze away, and looked higher up. Which was his next mistake. She was not only singing, she was swaying. Her hips were downright mesmerizing, and he stood, agape, his mind going completely numb except for one thought.
He. Was. In. Trouble.