Free Heart of the Storm by Mary Burton Page B

climbed the front steps to Ida’s mercantile and opened the door. Bells above the door jingled. “A beautiful woman like you reads, but doesn’t live her life.”
    She stepped inside, ducking her head as she moved past him. “Books are a great escape.”
    “From what?”
    Rachel arched an eyebrow. “You are so full of questions.”
    “Toss me one answer and I’ll stop.”
    “So are we trading questions for questions now?”
    He shrugged. “That was my offer.”
    Her eyes sparked with curiosity. “Why did you leave the Navy?”
    He’d heard that very same question dozens of times. Other than Ida and Callie, he’d never answered it.
    She lifted an eyebrow. “Ah, you don’t want toanswer the question. You see? We all have subjects we don’t want to talk about.”
    “All right,” Ben said. “But then you owe me an answer to a question.”
    He was calling her bluff.
    She took a step back. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I—I shouldn’t have pried.”
    He lifted a shoulder. “A deal’s a deal.” And before she could silence him, he said, “I was court-martialed.”

Chapter Seven
    S tunned, Rachel blinked, not sure what to say. Ben Mitchell seemed like the last man on this earth that the Navy would court-martial. He was solid and strong; a man who lived by a code of honor regardless of the dangers. He’d proved as much to her when he’d boarded the Anna St. Claire to rescue her. “Why would they court-martial you?”
    Even white teeth flashed when he smiled. “Ah, that is another question. You owe me an answer now. Who hit you, Rachel?”
    Before she could respond, Ida came out of the back room. “Are you two going to stand out in the wind all day or are you going to come inside where it’s warm?”
    “In just a minute, Ida,” Ben said, his gazenever wavering from Rachel’s. “Rachel owes me an answer.”
    Ida sensed she’d intruded, retreated back into the shop and closed the door. However, Rachel could see that she hovered close, frowning, her arms folded over her chest.
    “We can’t keep Ida waiting,” Rachel said. She didn’t want Ida overhearing their conversation. The woman suspected she had secrets as it was.
    “Watch me.”
    Ben’s persistence didn’t surprise her. She loathed answering any questions about a past she only wanted to forget, but her own curiosity about Ben had started this game. “Peter hit me.”
    His gaze narrowed. “Peter who?”
    Like him, she’d given an honest answer that didn’t begin to satisfy. “I’ve answered your question. We are even.”
    Frustration sparked in his eyes. “Who the devil is Peter?”
    Her own curiosity about Ben had gotten her into this corner. She’d not be so foolish again. “No more questions and no more answers. I am done with this game.”
    He grabbed her arm. “It’s no game. Was Peter your husband?”
    She jerked away from him. “My husband isdead!” She opened the shop door and slammed it closed behind her.
    Ben was a smart man. In just days he’d touched painfully close to the truth. If she weren’t careful, he’d discover everything.
    Ida stood behind the store counter, her hands planted on her hips, her expression stern. “You two have an argument?”
    Rachel moved toward the counter, grateful to have a little distance from Ben. “No, no, we were just talking.”
    Ben opened and closed the door. He stood with his back to the door, his arms folded over his chest. She could feel the energy radiating from him.
    Ida’s gaze traveled between the two of them. Her lips flattened as she took in Ben’s dark gaze and Rachel’s flushed cheeks. “Everything all right?”
    “It’s fine, Ida,” Ben said. “Just fine.” He moved down the center isle.
    Ida lifted a brow. Clearly she didn’t believe him but she seemed to sense this wasn’t the time to push. “Rachel, you look better. Your coloring looks good,” Ida said. “Ben must be taking good care of you.”
    She could feel him standing behind her,