Benjamin by Emma Lang

wife,” he blurted.
    “Of course. We have a number of dresses.” The woman walked briskly over to a counter on the left piled with fabric. “I’m Mrs. Jackson and I’ll be happy to help you.”
    “Duffy’s the name.” Why the hell did that come out of his mouth? “My wife, uh, lost her traveling case and everything in it.” Ben’s pocket burned with the weight of Grace’s money. “So she’ll need all the female things, too.”
    He had no idea what women wore beneath a dress. Memories of lacey, girlie things hanging on the line were the only vague impressions he had of women’s fripperies. Since he’d never undressed a woman, he had no experience to pull from.
    “Oh the poor dear.” The woman started looking through the pile. “How tall is Mrs. Duffy?”
    He held up his hand near the top of his ear. “She’s pretty near to my height and, uh, blessed with smaller curves. She’s riding astride, too, so a split skirt would be good.” His cheeks burned with the knowledge her curves were just about perfect, or they had felt that way when they’d been pressed against him.
    “She’s quite tall then.” Mrs. Jackson stepped back and tapped her finger against her chin. “I have something that may be just the thing. I’ll be back in a moment.”
    She disappeared behind a curtained doorway while Ben watched, itching to be done and on their way. It had been months since he’d been in civilization. He kept his gaze moving and his back to toward the wall. Anyone would think he was on the run.
    A ridiculous laugh almost jumped out of his mouth.
    “Mr. Duffy?” The shopkeeper had returned and he managed not to growl with impatience. It had felt like an hour since she’d been gone, but it was probably five minutes. She held a parcel in her small hands. “One of our community ladies had ordered a dress all the way from Chicago. When it arrived, she found the color not to her liking and told me to sell it. It’s been gathering dust for five years because there’s no one hereabouts as tall as that lady, until yours.”
    Mrs. Jackson unwrapped the package and Ben nodded.
    “I’ll take it.”
    *
    Grace watered the horses in a trough and then loosely held their reins while she waited in the alley for Ben. The idea he was shopping for her clothing chafed. She understood why she couldn’t be seen before donning a dress, but it still pinched at her pride. She hadn’t missed wearing female clothes, not really.
    The townspeople went about their business in the street while she stood in the shadows, alert and watchful. No one paid any attention to her since she appeared to be a man waiting for another. Nothing unusual about her behavior. Grace had been Duffy for so long, she had forgotten how to be Grace. Her stride, her mannerisms were masculine. How could she simply be feminine again?
    Ben appeared around the corner with a paper wrapped parcel. He took Paladin’s reins and gestured to the alley. “Let’s walk around back and you can change.”
    “What?” She growled at him. “You want me to strip in a public place?”
    “I’ll hold up a blanket for privacy.” He didn’t sound affected by her protestations or concerned for her privacy. Why should that surprise her?
    “How very kind of you.” She stomped after him, unwilling to be drawn into an argument but annoyed beyond measure. Why should she care if he sees her without her clothes? There was nothing between them but a shared revenge no matter what happened when he laid on top of her in the woods.
    They walked around the corner of the building to what was apparently where wagons unloaded goods to the store. Ben dropped his horse’s reins and waited for her to do the same. When he thrust the package at her, he turned and busied himself pulling the blanket from the back of the saddle.
    She untied the twine on the package and gasped. A dark blue skirt made of the softest material slid through her hands followed by a matching blouse with delicate black