by Olivia Swift
“It is good to have happy memories,” Carrie went on. “Remember them. When you are lucky enough to have those, you should remember the good times. Racksha was blonde and beautiful and strong.”
“And pregnant,” Merle suddenly interrupted. “You lost a child as well. I am so sorry.”
“Is that right, my boy? Did you lose Racksha and the child?” Carrie asked. “Make a noise if we are right.” There was a pause and then a very loud bang sounded beneath their feet, and most of the circle jumped.
“Poor man,” Jeanette said.
18
“The woman is beside the wood and the leaves,” Declan said quietly.
“Racksha, can you hear me?” Merle asked and smiled. “She can, but he doesn’t know she’s there.”
“My son,” Carrie said. “Listen to me. Racksha is here. Racksha is here. Do you trust me?” There was a slight noise and Merle signaled Carrie to keep going. “Racksha is beside the wood from the longboat. Can you see her?”
“There are raspberry leaves and fruit beside the wood,” Magda chimed in. “They help in affairs of the heart. The juice is red like the blood that joins you together. Racksha will meet you there like she did in real life.”
“Listen, my boy,” Carrie added. “Go to the wood that brought you here and try to find her.”
“He’s looking at you Carrie,” Declan said.
“And he’s just not sure what is happening,” Merle added.
“He’s confused,” Josh put in. “Can I speak out, Aunt Merle?” Merle signaled him to go ahead.
“Utric, she’s worried and she needs you. I can feel that she’s upset. She’s beside the wood and might fade away. Move over to the wood. She’s frightened.”
“You are strong and can help, my son,” Carrie added. “Do it. It is the right thing to do. Can you hear me?” There was a noise, and then Declan said that Utric was now beside the wood.
“He’s found her,” Josh and Merle both said together, and Merle found tears on her cheeks.
“Oh, my Lord,” Carrie said. “We did it.”
“They are together,” Declan said, “and they’re both starting to fade.”
“Don’t lose her again, Utric,” Carrie called out loudly as the spirits faded away.
“They have both gone,” Merle said. “That was some session.”
Jeanette came up and wrapped her arms around her auntie who was crying.
“It proves you can meet again,” she whispered. “Uncle Colvin is out there somewhere.” Carrie grasped her niece’s hand.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said. “At least my loss helped Utric. That is worth a lot.”
“You were fantastic,” Merle told her. “Thank you.”
Josh came over to the group as well. He looked at his aunt and she nodded.
“If you have something, tell her,” said Merle.
He asked Carrie if her husband had been connected to mining in some way, and she said that was correct.
“He helped you. That’s all I have, but he was somewhere near us.”
“Oh, Lord,” Carrie said and cried on Jeanette’s shoulder.
“Hot chocolate inside,” Rula called while the men carried the chairs inside.
Carrie was smiling by the time she came into the kitchen and said they were happy tears.
“It is really quite wonderful. Thank you so much for letting me join you.”
“You were a real help, Carrie, believe me,” Merle told her.
“Do you think that we should look after the piece of wood somehow?” Magda asked.
“It does seem a shame to leave it lying outside,” Katie added and looked at Declan. “Could you make it into something beautiful?”
“I know you said the shape was good to start with,” Sam added. “What do you think?”
“I’ll go and bring it inside,” Mikey said and went off. When it was in his hands, Declan said he could make it into a longboat without a lot of work.
“You are right,” Sam added and held the wood. “I can see what you mean.”
“If you made it into a longboat, we could just keep it in the café as an ornament,” Magda added. Declan said it was no problem and he would take it home with him.
“What about the cats?” Sam asked, but Declan said that he would keep it in the workshop.
“Now that Utric is happy, maybe the cats will know,” Josh suggested. Declan said that he would try them and see.
“Well, we seem to have made Utric happy,” Magda said. “He didn’t want to go back to Scotland anyway. Maybe he will be able to be content now.”
“Hope so, because we have a wedding to plan,” Sam put in. The three men agreed to meet in the morning at the clothes boutique that the florist had suggested.
“Menu, chapel, flowers and three weeks to go,” Magda said and gave a little skip.
“We’ve got to move my house as well,” Sam added, and was rewarded with offers of help from all sides.
Most of them said goodbye and left for their homes, but Merle and Branston stayed behind.
“Magda, we have a small stagecoach that only needs one horse to pull. It is used for special occasions and you are welcome to use it to go to the chapel and the restaurant,” Merle offered.
Sam looked at Magda and asked if she liked the idea. Magda nodded and said she loved it. “The other thing is,” Merle added, “we have a big barn at the ranch with an area which is used for dancing. We could have a party in the evening.
“All dressed as cowboys and cowgirls,” Branston said. Magda grinned at her cousin.
“Normal-sized Stetson, not that enormous one,” she warned, and he grabbed her to do a pretend hoedown around the floor.
“I’ll book the band,” Merle told her.
“I’ll organize a caterer,” Magda said. “That just makes the day complete. Thank you, Merle . . . and you, Branston.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
As Sam drove her back home, Magda suggested that they invite Carrie and the girls to the wedding. “Everyone else is already on the list.”
They settled happily on the couch. Sam wrapped his arms around her, and although she put her cell phone on the table, Crystal studiously avoided it.
“Thank heavens for that,” Magda said. The cats sneaked onto the couch to join them. Sam pulled the throw over them and Magda fell asleep against his shoulder. She awoke still in the crook of his arm and kissed him awake.
“You are one handsome man, Sam Barnes. All those girls would fight me for you.”
“I only ever wanted you, Magda. You know that.”
The next two and a half weeks passed in a flurry of activity. There were still two businesses to run, the finalization of flowers, clothes, and all the other things that were part of a wedding. Sam’s dad had arranged to be there, and Branston’s grandparents were really excited.
The bottles of liqueur to sell had arrived from Karl Perez, and Magda invited him and his wife to the wedding. They were excited that they had been invited to the hoedown party later in the evening, but didn’t have to dress as cowboys if they chose not to.
“What an excuse to dress up,” Karl told her. “We’d love to.”
The longboat was now displayed in the café. It was an exquisite work of hand turning on a lathe. Declan had used one of the photos in the book and copied the detail onto the finely carved prow. It had pride of place on a special shelf.
The new local, raspberry brandy truffles were a roaring success and flew out of the café as quickly as the girls could make them. The whisky syrup arrived and those truffles proved to be popular as well. The cards with roses and violets were selling nicely. The customers who bought boxes of truffles as gifts added a card. A win-win for all.
There were no frightful breezes and Karla had climbed the wall several times with her blonde hair loose, but nothing had caused any concern. Mikey was much relieved since he had almost constant bookings to use the place.
Sam managed to complete another conversion for a clien
t as well as help Magda take things to his house from hers and make the place ready for them. The little vat for chocolate was connected in his kitchen and a chiller moved there as well. Magda decided to just make chocolates at the café until she was living in her new house with her husband. She and Katie threw themselves into making enough truffles for every guest to take away a box of four.
The week of the wedding arrived, and Magda suddenly knew that she was suffering from nerves. Sam confessed that he was terrified as well, and they held on to each other and told themselves that it would be all right on the day. The day before the wedding, the cats moved over to Sam’s house. Magda knew that she would have been lost without them, but Rula and her mom, Melissa, had come to stay until the wedding.
On the day of the wedding, the hair stylist was booked for very early in the morning. Both girls had their hair turned into a confection on top of their heads. Magda had a small and glittering hairpiece that matched her dress. Their makeup completed, Melissa held the dresses as they stepped into them.
“Oh, my Lord,” Rula said. “I cannot cry with my eye makeup done. Look in the mirror, Magda.”
Magda gasped when she saw herself in the dress and with her hair swept up. She had white heels that were not too high to walk sensibly in, and Rula looked picture perfect in the pink-and-plum bridesmaid’s outfit. Melissa turned them around and around until she was satisfied that there was nothing wrong. Then she answered the door to find Mikey all dressed and ready to drive Rula to the chapel.
“Girls, you look stunning,” he said.
“I’ll be waiting,” Rula called as she headed out to the car.
“Take deep breaths,” Melissa told her. “Here is the stagecoach.”
The stagecoach was not large, but it gleamed with polish, the silver on the reins shone brightly, and the driver up front was dressed as a cowboy. Her cousin came up the pathway to the house and stepped inside.
“Wow, cousin. You are awesome.”
“Not so bad yourself, Branston. The suits are perfect.”
“You ready?” he asked, and when she nodded, offered his arm.
“I’ll lock up and drive over,” Melissa said and watched with a tear as the girl she had always treated like a second daughter climbed into her shining coach and drove off to her wedding.
19
“Branston, I am terrified,” Magda whispered. He took her hand.
“You are not trembling, but Sam is. Keep that thought in your head. He’s been waiting since you were fifteen for this day and now he’s weak at the knees.”
She gave a little giggle and saw that there were folks waving at the stagecoach as it moved down the street. She waved back and started to relax.
The little white chapel was set back from the main street and had a lovely garden outside. The minister had asked if they would like the ceremony outside and she had said yes, without thinking about it. As the coach stopped at the entrance, she saw with a gasp that it was beautiful. There was a table with flowers, decorations in the trees, and seats set out for the guests. She could see Sam standing at the front with the minister.
The driver hurried around and opened the door, and Branston came around to help her down.
“Here we go, cousin,” he murmured. “Enjoy yourself.”
She took his arm as she heard the organist playing the tune that she had requested on the portable organ.
“Thanks for doing this, Branston,” she said as they started to walk behind Rula.
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” he said. “Smile, cousin — this is your day!”
That did actually make her smile, and she saw Sam turn to see her walk toward him. His face was a picture, and as she knew him so well, she could tell he was in a state of shock.
As they reached the minister and Sam, Branston stepped away.
“I love you, Sam Barnes,” she whispered. It was what he needed to hear, and a smile spread across his face that would have outshone the sun.
“You look good enough to eat,” he told her and took her hand.
The minister put them at ease as they went through the service, the guests making a brave attempt at the two hymns. They exchanged gold rings and swore to love and cherish each other until death did they part. The minister declared them husband and wife and told Sam that he could kiss the bride.
That was when it became real for Magda. Sam Barnes kissed Magda Barnes and they walked together through the crowd of friends and family. Photographs were taken, and then Mr. and Mrs. Barnes climbed into the stagecoach and were swept off to Michele’s restaurant.
Michele had done them proud and had sectioned off a private space from the regular tables. The décor was lovely with sparkling mirrors and lots of greenery.
“Let me be the first to say congratulations, little one,” Michele greeted her and shook Sam by the hand. “You are the luckiest man in the country.”
Sam nodded agreement and allowed Michele to place them, ready to greet everyone who arrived. It was just in time, because people started to move in and were greeted by Magda, Sam, Rula, and Declan in turn, then given a drink, and ushered to tables. Michele was always efficient.
At last they made their way to the special table, and Magda saw the cake that Michele had told her was his wedding gift to them. It was covered in fondant roses and violets. She smiled.
“The cake is superb, Michele. Thank you,” she told him as he held her chair. The staff went into a well-known routine that she knew was run with military precision. She could picture the scene in the kitchen because she had seen it in operation before. Michele did not brook mistakes or delay. Her starter was placed in front of her and the meal was underway.
Each plate of food was a work of art. There were four courses of pure delight with drinks offered as well. The conversation flowed, and at last everyone sat back and waited for Declan to make his speech. He stood up, resplendent in the cream suit with the dark-plum shirt. By this time, the cream tie had been removed and the shirt was open at the neck. He had a sheet of paper in his hand and a drink in the other.
“Up to you now,” Sam laughed. “Have another drink.”
Declan shook his head. “I don’t want to be muddled.”
As Declan stood, Sam banged on the table. The guests all stopped talking and waited expectantly. Declan said nothing, and Sam was starting to think about helping him out, when he smiled and dropped his papers. He looked across the room, and Magda followed his line of vision. There was nothing there that she could see.
“Somebody we can’t see helping him out there, I think,” Magda whispered to Sam.
“I am glad to talk to you today about my workmate, sometime boss, and good friend, Sam Barnes, and his wonderful new wife, Magda.” The audience was hanging on his words as he told several funny stories about the pickles that Sam had been in over several years of working together. There were gales of laughter and shout-outs to him to tell them more. He smiled and said that enough was enough. He told them about Magda and said that they had a cat connection. He had one or two stories that Magda knew he must have heard from Rula, and she grinned at her friend.
He finished off by admitting that public speaking did not come easily to him, but his gift to the couple would be an enclosed cat play area that he knew Magda wanted for the cats, and which Sam was putting off building.
“If the cats don’t like it, she can leave Sam in there,” he said to more laughter, and lifted his glass to make the toast. Everyone joined in the toast and wished them well. Declan collapsed onto his seat. Magda leaned across and told him he was fantastic as Sam filled Declan’s glass.
They cut the beautiful cake and passed it around, but gradually the wonderful meal came to an end. Sam stood up and said that they were delighted everyone came, and all were welcome at the Panhandle Ranch for a hoedown in the evening.
Sam and Magda stood up and made themselves available for folks to say their goodbyes, and almost all of them said they would be at the hoedown. The wedding
party was left in the restaurant and Michele came out to wish them well.
“You were a star as always, Michele. It was fabulous,” Magda told him.
Sam had his own car and Mikey would take Rula. Declan said he was glad the speech part was over and would see them later. Branston and Merle were already on their way to organize the evening party. When Magda finally sat in the car with her husband, she let out a huge sigh of relief. He reached across and took her hand.
“You look more beautiful than a movie star. You took away my breath, Magda. I’ll remember the way you looked forever and ever.”
“Well I have the most handsome husband in the world. Let’s go home and change into normal clothes. I adore this dress but would like to be in jeans again.”
He laughed and drove away.
The cats were delighted and stalked about in the addition as if it had been built especially for them. Abigail had claimed her look-out spot halfway up the spiral staircase but came daintily down when the treats appeared.
“Do you think the cat area should be outside the doors from the kitchen?” Magda asked. “I had thought maybe the roof terrace, but that might be dangerous.”
“That entrance from the kitchen would be good because the doors could be open when it’s hot and the cats would be able to wander in and out,” Sam replied. “I’m glad Declan offered to do that.”
“This dress is magical, but thank goodness I can wear denim and a checkered shirt tonight,” Magda said and put the dress carefully away. “I guess the complicated hairstyle will have to come down as well, or the Stetson won’t fit.”
Sam made coffee and they sank onto the couch and went over the day’s events.
“Everything was just perfect,” Magda said. He took her in his arms and let his lips tell her how much he loved her. The cats came and joined them, and for several minutes there was peace and contentment . . . then Crystal looked at the cell phone.