“Marti! What are you doing here?”
She smiled. “It’s a long story, Pastor Sammons. Are you here visiting someone?”
“Anabelle Struthers finally had her baby—a girl.”
Marti grinned. “Hallelujah for her—after all those boys.”
The pastor came and sat down beside her. “That’s quite a shiner you got there. You didn’t fall off a horse again, did you?”
Marti grimaced. Gossip sure flew around this town. “I’ll explain sometime,” she said with a smile.
Pastor Sammons grinned. “Hey, I wanted to come to the ranch and see you before you left. I know Saturday will be hard for you, and I thought you might be planning to leave before then.”
Marti leaned her head to the side. “Oh really?”
The pastor lowered his head and studied his shoes. “With the wedding and all.”
Marti’s chest heaved up and down. The wedding? Daniel and Veronica? Was it still this Saturday? A wave of cold shivered through her body, and she couldn’t think what to say.
After Daniel’s attention last night at the cemetery, she wasn’t ready to accept his getting married. “I thought . . . I mean . . . he hasn’t mentioned . . .”
Pastor Sammons patted her hand. “I’m sorry, Marti. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the wedding.”
“I really thought he’d called it off.”
“Called it off? No, not that I know of. I haven’t heard anything different from Veronica, and I just saw Daniel early this morning. He didn’t say anything about calling it off.”
“Oh.” The pain in her heart got stronger and squeezed the breath out of her lungs. She had to think about something else before she fainted. “Is it supposed to rain all day? Do you know, Pastor Sammons?”
He looked at her and searched her eyes. “Are you okay, Marti?”
“I’m fine, sir. Thank you for stopping in to see me. It’s been good seeing you again. I’ll let you know before I leave Texas.”
The preacher looked surprised, but stood and patted her arm. “Goodbye, Marti. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.”
“Thank you.” She knew the words were mumbled and insincere, but it was all she could manage at the moment.
After he left, she sat looking at the meal in front of her. It smelled like burned rubber, and she pushed it away.
She’d been so sure she heard Daniel say he loved her at the cemetery. The way he kissed her and held her—happy to find her alive—she thought he cared about her a little—at least enough to call off the wedding. Maybe he remembered the accident and wasn’t willing to forgive.
All the work she and Gerald had done to help Daniel remember what happiness and love felt like—none of it had worked. Gerald told her that Daniel’s memory had finally returned, but being able to remember had not changed his mind about love. He would marry Veronica and be miserable, and there was nothing she could do about it. She’d run out of time.
“Lord, what am I going to do now?”
Trust me.
There was that sense of a presence again. Marti felt sure it was God’s answer. She needed to wait on His guidance. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to be depressed. Life was too short to sit around whining because she couldn’t have a certain man out of one hundred and fifty million plus men in America.
That realization triggered a decision. She was going home. She’d throw herself into her life at the gallery in Landeville and lose herself in her art. She’d let God take care of Daniel.
She picked up the phone and called the ranch. Luckily, she hadn’t brought too many things to Texas. As unfriendly as Anita had been, Marti was sure she’d be happy to pack her things if it meant Marti was leaving the ranch for good.
After Anita reluctantly agreed to have them ready to go, Marti called Skyler.
“Marti, are you okay, sugar? We’ve been praying for you.”
“I’m fine, Skyler. Just a little sore. I was wondering if you’d do me a big favor.”
“Sure would, sugar. Shoot.”
“Would you run by the Rushing ranch, pick up my things from Anita, and then come by the hospital and drive me to the bus stop?”
“You’re not leaving us now, are you, hon?”
“Please, Skyler. Don’t ask questions. I promise, I’ll e-mail you and even call to explain when I get back to Tennessee, okay? Just don’t make me explain right now.”
“Okey-dokey, sweetie. I’ll be there as soon as I can. We’re sure gonna miss you when you go, though. I wish I could talk you into staying longer, but I promise not to ask questions.”
“Thanks, Skyler. You’re the best. And don’t mention it to anyone.”
She hung up the phone and looked around desperately. The clothes she had on last night were folded on the window sill. They were wrinkled and covered in stains, but they had to do. She could change into something clean once she got her things from Skyler and was out of the hospital. Skyler would be here soon, and if she hurried, she’d be out of here long before anyone missed her. She hated to leave Gerald without saying goodbye, but she couldn’t stay—not now.
She peeled herself out of the chair, picked up the clothes, and limped across the room to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and cringed at the bruising and swelling. Was she doing the right thing? Traveling all the way back to Tennessee on a bus? By herself?
She laid the clothes on the side of the tub and lifted her blouse to shake out the wrinkles. The horse-head necklace fell on the floor. One of the nurses must have taken it off while she was asleep. She picked up the horse, and memories popped into her head. The emerald shone in the bright bathroom light. Daniel told her the day he gave it to her that the green color was a symbol of forgiveness. He promised to always be forgiving, no matter what she did. Tears blurred her vision. She laid the necklace on the sink and tugged the shirt on.
She had to go. And she had to hurry before she changed her mind.
SEVENTY-SIX
AT THE BUS STATION, SKYLER hugged Marti goodbye at the door.
“I know you hate long goodbyes, so I’ll just say so long here. You’re going to write, aren’t you?”
Marti smiled. “Of course, and maybe you and Cynthia can let me know if you visit the orphanage again. We’ll have a slumber party in my tiny little apartment.”
They both giggled and hugged each other again. “I’ll miss you, my friend.”
Marti nodded and held back the tears until Skyler left the station and got back in the car.
“Lord, am I sure this is the right thing to do?”
The verse in Proverbs popped into her head.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy paths.
He shall direct thy paths. He shall direct thy paths.
Warily, she sat down in the waiting room and tried to be patient for two more hours until the one-fifteen bus left for Landeville. Her suitcase sat on the floor beside her, and her purse was propped beside her on the bench. No one was in sight. Even the station manager had gone to a late lunch, though he told her he’d be back long before her bus arrived. She sat staring out the tall windows at the distant mountains and clearing sky. The sun was beginning to peek out from the rainclouds. Rays of light broke through the clouds and shone on the landscape below, spreading the earth with its warmth and light.
She closed her eyes and tried to pray. Lord, I think this is right—what I’m doing, but I have this feeling that something is wrong.
It felt as if an electric current started at her hairline and worked its way down to her toes.
She looked up and found herself looking into startling brown eyes.
“Daniel! What are you doing here?”
He sat down beside her. “You first. What are you doing here?”
She looked down at the bench and twisted her fingers together. “I’m . . . uh . . . done with your portrait, and since I had no reason to stay longer, I . . . decided it was
time to go home.”
Daniel put his finger under her chin and lifted her head until she looked into his eyes. He moaned and gently caressed the bruised side of her face. “If Shane were here today, I’d give him a lickin’ for what he did to you.”
Marti held her breath. A tingle started in the pit of her stomach and worked its way up her chest.
Daniel continued. “I shouldn’t be the one throwing stones, since I’ve hurt you far worse than Shane ever did.”
She couldn’t look at his eyes. She was afraid of what she might see.
“Marti, can you ever forgive me for what I’ve put you through?”
Marti looked down at the floor. Tears blurred her vision, and the tiled floor looked like a puddle of brown. “How . . . how did you find me?”
“Skyler. She said we needed to talk.” Daniel touched her on the arm and took a deep breath. “Marti, please come back to the ranch. We have so much to say to each other. Won’t you please come back for today . . . so we can talk? Then if you still want to go back to Tennessee tomorrow, I’ll put you on a plane.”
“What about . . . your wedding?” she whispered.
Daniel blew out a quick pained breath. “There is no wedding.”
Marti lifted her head. “What?”
“Veronica and I will never get married. We’re not right for each other—never have been. Besides . . .” He lifted her chin again and made her look him in the eyes. “In God’s eyes, I’m already married.”
Marti felt a warmness spreading over her—like basking in sunshine. Daniel’s eyes darkened and strayed to her lips. Their faces were only inches apart, and Marti leaned toward him.
A group of children came running into the waiting room, and Daniel pulled back. He closed his eyes and a moan rumbled in his throat. Two adults were trying to corral the group of rambunctious kids and keep them together. Children were screaming and chasing each other all around the seats.
“Come on, Marti. Let’s go home so we can talk in private, please?”
She nodded her head. He picked up her luggage and led her around the rowdy children and out of the building.
The ride home was silent. Marti didn’t know what to say, and she imagined Daniel felt the same. When they arrived at the ranch, Max met Daniel at the car. “Mr. Daniel, Lucky Lady’s foaling. I called the vet, but he can’t be here for another two hours.”
Daniel turned to Marti. She didn’t even hesitate when she pointed toward the barn. “Go.”
“Are you sure?” When she nodded, he said, “I’m sorry, Marti. Go inside and wait . . . please? I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He softly touched her cheek with his fingers.
She nodded and watched him hand her luggage to Max. “Max, will you take this in for Marti? Then meet me at the stable.”
“Yes, sir.” Max took the suitcase into the house.
Marti watched the back of Daniel as he ran toward the stable tack room to get supplies for delivering a new foal. Suddenly, everything hit her. Daniel wasn’t going to marry Veronica. He remembered being married, but did he remember her? He wanted to talk to her. Of course, that didn’t mean he loved her.
Pain tightened her stomach, and she wished she could get away and think—maybe to the falls. She’d spent many hours sitting in front of those falls with Apollo—sorting through the trials life had thrown at her before she left Texas. It would probably be the last time she’d ever see Apollo again.
When Max came out the door, she stopped him.
“Max, would it be all right if I took a ride on Apollo?”
“Why sure thing, Miss Marti, but he’s been neglected lately. He’s all keyed up like a spring wound too tight. Are you sure you can handle him?”
Marti tilted her head to the side and frowned. “What do you think, Max?”
Max chuckled. “I reckon you can, punkin. I’ll get him saddled for you.”
“Don’t bother, Max. I can do it. You go help Daniel.”
Max grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
Marti walked around the barn to the back door and slipped inside. She could hear Daniel talking quietly to Lucky Lady, so she silently gathered the riding tack and turned toward the outside corral where Apollo was grazing.
It was time to think, to pray, and for the first time in a long time, to hope—for her and Daniel.
SEVENTY-SEVEN
LATER THAT AFTERNOON, DANIEL SADDLED Tornado and rode out to the waterfalls. There, he found Marti at the very end of the valley, huddled on the ground in the midst of the bluebonnets and daffodils. He wondered at her beauty—not only her physical beauty, but her loveliness of character and personality as well. In spite of his behavior, she’d been willing to help his dad keep him from ruining his life with Veronica. How had he ever scorned such a lovely person? She sat staring at the waterfalls as if the spray might carry her away to a land devoid of accusations, censure, and pain.
His heart had never been so burdened before. Not only was he angry at himself for forgetting his vow to love, honor, and cherish until death parted them, but he had forsaken his trust in her—something that was unforgiveable. And, it was all because of his pride. The back of his eyes burned when he thought about the pain she must have suffered.
He stepped close enough for her to see him. When she realized he was there, she turned back toward the falls.
“Is Lucky Lady okay?”
“She’s fine. She had a little filly.”
“That’s wonderful.” Marti smiled but didn’t look at him.
“Marti, can we talk now?”
She clutched her stomach, but she nodded.
He walked toward her, stopped six feet away, and sat down on the grass facing the falls.
“Marti . . . I have several things to say, but the most important thing I have to say is . . .” he turned toward her then, and looked into her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for the pain I put you through—for not believing in you, for not waiting to hear all the facts before I judged you, for not honoring a wife as a husband should . . . for letting my pride get in the way of the truth.”
Marti lifted her head. He saw shock in her eyes.
“Did you say wife?”
His belly knotted, but he nodded. “Yes, I said wife. I know who you are. My memory returned when I saw you at the hospital after the fire. I remember . . . everything—you . . . our marriage . . . the accident. I remember the horrible things I said to you, the unforgivable names I called you.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. His voice broke as he said, “And I slapped you. Oh, Matty, I’m so sorry for that.” He shut his eyes and let the tears fall.
“Did . . . did you call me—”
“Matty. My sweet, wonderful Matty.” His voice broke with emotion.
“Daniel, did you say you remembered . . . the accident?”
Daniel looked at her then. “I remember everything, sweetheart. Your smiles, your funny faces when you eat persimmons, your love of horses, your love of books, but most of all, I remember you captured my heart.”
“Daniel, I don’t understand. After the accident you said—”
He put his finger over her lips. “I don’t want you to remember what I said after the accident. I was a fool. No matter what I said then, I don’t believe it now.”
“But Daniel, you’ll never be able to really forget what I did—”
“No, Matty, listen to me; there’s so much you don’t know. First of all, you weren’t driving the car the night Angie and Vinny were killed. Vinny was driving that night, and he’d been drinking.”
Marti’s face turned white. “I wasn’t driving?”
“No. They found Vinny’s DNA on everything in the front seat, even the liquor bottles. It was his fault Angie died, Matty—not yours.”
“But Mary—”
“Everything Mary said was a lie. Vinny and Angie were in the front seat, and you were riding in the back behind Vinny. Don’t you remember?”
Marti shook her head.
“Mary lied, Matty.”
>
“Why? Why would she do that?”
“According to what Shane told us last night, it was because she wanted you to go to prison—to be convicted of causing the wreck. So that . . . so that Veronica and I . . .”
Marti shook her head. “I don’t believe it. She hated me that much?”
“No, I don’t think she hated you; she just loved Veronica more. Right before the accident, they found out Veronica couldn’t have children, and Mary thought if you were in prison . . .”
Marti looked confused. “What would Veronica not being able to have children have to do with me being in prison?”
Daniel blew out an uneasy breath. “That’s something else I need to tell you, Matty, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt. Mary Duke lied about your baby. The baby she delivered . . . your baby . . . didn’t die. She switched him with a dead baby at the clinic and told the hospital it was your baby that died.”
Marti’s chest rose and fell in rapid succession. Her eyes reflected her unbelief. She jumped up and stumbled ten feet away, then stopped. Her hands went to her chest, and she swayed.
“I’m fine. Everything is fine.”
Daniel felt as if he’d been punched in the chest. The pain radiating from Marti was a silent wave of agony. He could sit still no longer and watch the pain tormenting her. Tears blurred his vision, but he went to her and gently turned her around to face him. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed. Years of regret, loss, and sorrow filled her sobs. Tears filled his heart as well for the sorrow she had endured, and the pain in Daniel’s heart moaned in rhythm with her own.
“Matty, listen to me. You lost so much time with your baby, but there’s something to be happy about. Your baby is alive.”
Marti’s knees gave away, and she sank to the ground. Daniel sat down with her.
“My baby? My baby is alive? You know where he is?”
“It’s Chris, Matty. Chris is your little boy.”
The air left her lungs in a single breath. “Chris? Veronica’s brother? Chris is my baby? But I thought—”
“The night of the accident, Mary took your baby to the clinic and switched him with a baby who died that day.”
A Memory Worth Dying For Page 30