Benjamin: Seven Sons, #2

By Amelia C. Adams

Melissa Daniels inherited her grandparents' pumpkin farm upon their deaths, and she wants nothing more than to keep their legacy alive by providing beautiful pumpkins to the community for Halloween. But when it's a week before the holiday and her entire crop is ruined, she has no idea what to do. She's counseled to talk to Benjamin McClain, the man with the green thumb, for his advice.

 

Benjamin McClain is more than willing to help out a neighbor in need, especially one as pretty as Melissa. He's stunned, however, to learn that he's actually the cause of all her problems. Thankfully, he can also be the solution—if he can just get her to trust him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia C. Adams
• Release date: Dec 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201427641

Book preview

Benjamin

Seven Sons Book Two

by Amelia C. Adams

With thanks to my betas—Amy, Deborah, Erin, Jen, Laurie, Mary, Meisje, Matt, Shelby, and Tammy.

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Copyright ©2017 Amelia C. Adams

Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

Table of Contents:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

Benjamin McClain stepped out onto the front porch of the cabin he shared with his brother Caleb and the six foster boys they’d been assigned most recently. He pulled in a deep breath of the chilly autumn air and smiled as the earth around him began to speak to his soul. It was like a low hum that centered behind his ribs, something he couldn’t define or describe, but he knew what the ground was telling him—it was ready to sleep for the winter.

He and Caleb had worked with the boys to fertilize the wheat fields so they’d be ready for planting the following year. He had sensed the gratitude of the soil as he sifted it through his fingers. It had done all that had been asked of it, and now it was time to rest to prepare for another growing season soon to come. He often talked to the boys about the spirit of the land, but they thought he was speaking metaphorically, and that was just as well. People already thought the McClains were strange—no point in giving them evidence of it.

Caleb joined him on the porch a moment later and they just stood there, welcoming the early morning and clearing their senses for the day. These silent moments were invaluable. Once the boys were awake and the chores were underway, they’d have a great deal to do, and it was easy to become overwhelmed. Morning was a time to get centered, to find focus so they could deal with the challenges that were sure to get dumped in their laps. Running a boys’ ranch with over thirty teenagers wasn’t the easiest task in the world.

How’s Nick today? Benjamin asked, breaking the silence with the topic that had been foremost on their minds as of late. Nick was the newest boy to join them on the ranch, and he’d struggled to settle in. Caleb’s sense of danger had warned him that Nick was on the verge of suicide, and together, they’d staged an intervention to keep him from carrying out his plan, but feelings like that don’t go away very easily, and they’d kept an extra-close eye on him ever since.

He’s fine. I haven’t picked up on anything from him in a couple of days now.

Good. With Adam on his honeymoon, the last thing we need is trouble.

Their older brother had fallen head-over-heels for the girl hired to run their fundraising program, and they’d gotten married just a few days before. He was their resident counselor and had his finger in every pie, and Benjamin didn’t like the idea of facing any sort of crisis without him. Gideon was the seventh son and would someday inherit the whole ranch, but Adam was their anchor, their strength and stability.

What have you got on the docket for today? Caleb asked.

I thought we’d put the boys to work mending the west side of the greenhouse when they get home from school, Benjamin said. I’ve got some seedlings to start next week, and I want them protected.

Sounds good to me. I know Frank and Gideon are having their boys work on the chicken coop—we might want to check the supply shed and make sure we have everything for both projects.

Good point. Benjamin glanced at his watch. Looks like quiet time is over.

Almost as though responding to his words, three alarm clocks went off inside the house in unison, and six sets of grumbles and groans as well. Caleb laughed. You’d think they’d be used to it by now.

You’d think, but they aren’t. Benjamin held open the screen door, and Caleb followed him inside.

It was Benjamin’s turn to oversee breakfast, with Hunter and Jose on cooking duty. They stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, their eyes barely open, but they were dressed and their faces were washed. Benjamin smiled. It was a decent start.

Good morning, he greeted them. The menu says we’re having pancakes and scrambled eggs today.

Again? Hunter asked, his tone of voice reminding Benjamin very much of a thirteen-year-old girl.

You and the other boys made this menu—if you’ve got an issue with it, you’ll have to discuss that with the group at our next house meeting, Benjamin reminded him.

What’s your problem, dude? I love pancakes and eggs, Jose added. I’ll start the batter.

Within a few minutes, two giant skillets were heating up on the stove, one for the eggs and one for the pancakes. Hunter had stopped complaining, but from the way he was sloshing the egg-and-milk mixture around on the skillet, Benjamin could tell that he was doing the very minimum to get credit for his chores that morning.

You could always trade morning chores with Christopher, if the eggs are too hard for you, Benjamin said mildly. He’s scrubbing the toilets, I believe.

Um, no, I’m fine. Hunter straightened up a little and stirred the eggs more carefully, and the mixture stopped slopping over the sides of the pan.

Jose turned the first batch of pancakes over and then grabbed a stack of plates from the cupboard, setting them around the table and heading back for the forks. He’d come a long way since his arrival at the ranch. He’d been doing drugs since he was thirteen and had been thrown out of two treatment centers for violent behavior. Now he was sixteen, as clean as a whistle, and one of the leaders of this particular groups of boys—they looked up to him because they knew he’d been down a rough road and come out on top. That was the kind of success story they saw over and over again here at the ranch. It took a lot of hard work, but it was worth every bit of it.

Forty-five minutes later, all six boys had eaten, Tyler and Michael had loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the table and counters, and everyone was out the door to catch the bus for school. There were so many boys on the ranch that the school sent out a special bus just for them.

Once everyone was loaded up and on their way, Benjamin exhaled and leaned on the fence post that separated the house’s garden from the road that ran past it. We got off with a minimum of bellyaching this morning, he said. Almost feel like it’s the calm before the storm.

Caleb rested his arms on the top rail of the fence and considered that statement. We’re good for now, he said, but there is a little something . . . He pulled out his cell. Hey, Daniel? Yeah, listen. Keep your eyes sharp this afternoon, okay? I don’t have anything specific, but something’s up with one of your boys . . . watch out for pitchforks.

Benjamin smiled and shook his head. Caleb’s sense of danger was usually immediate, clear, and strong, especially when the crisis was just about to happen. When things were murky, it usually meant there were too many variables to consider, and he couldn’t narrow it in any closer than that. That led to cryptic messages and sometimes near misses, but it all worked out in the end.

Let’s go talk to Frank and Gideon about the supplies we’ll need, Benjamin said, clapping his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. I’d just as soon get that run to the hardware store over and done with as soon as possible.

Chapter Two

Melissa Daniels stood in the middle of her pumpkin field, hands balled on her hips, trying not to cry. She’d