by JoAnn Durgin
“All true.”
“I feel the need to unburden myself about something.” She hadn’t planned on bringing it up, but in Lexa, she’d found a kindred spirit. It seemed fitting, especially since Sam and Marc had already formed such a strong bond.
“I’m all ears, but hold that thought.” Jumping to her feet, Lexa darted back into the kitchen. Relief was etched into her expression when she reappeared a couple of minutes later.
“Sorry, Natalie, but Cassie left, and I can’t let Sam’s pies burn.” She patted her hand in a move reminiscent of Winnie as she reclaimed her seat at the table. “Please, continue.”
Natalie blew out a sigh. “Let’s face it, if Marc wasn’t such a gorgeous man, I probably wouldn’t have given him a second look. I must be incredibly shallow.”
Lexa didn’t bother to hide her grin. “That might have attracted you to him initially, but I know you well enough to know you would have seen through any façade. You’re genuine and unassuming, and you wouldn’t marry a pretentious man.”
“I guess part of what I’m trying to say is that I’ll probably always be fighting off other women. Even on our honeymoon, other women hit on him. Right in front of me!” It was true. Although she couldn’t recall the details, she remembered an Italian woman making eyes at Marc at dinner one night, and another one on the beach wearing next-to-nothing.
A bemused grin twisted the corners of Lexa’s mouth.
A bristle of irritation nipped at her. “I didn’t find it so amusing.”
“Of course not, sweetie.” Lexa squeezed her hand and leaned across the table. “But, don’t you see? You remembered. I don’t think Marc would have told you something like that. But, even so, he belongs to you. Let them look all they want, but they can’t have him.”
She met Lexa’s eyes head-on. “What I’m struggling with is that Marc did belong to a few other women before me.”
“Oh.” Lexa withdrew her hand and looked down for a moment.
“I didn’t know that when I married him, apparently.”
Lexa looked up sharply. “And how do you know this now?”
“He told me.”
Silence filled the room for a long moment. “Well, that’s a good thing when you think about it.”
“Care to explain exactly how it can be a good thing? My husband wasn’t the man I thought he was when we married. He kept secrets from me. Marc had physical relationships with three other women before he met and married me.” She heard the defensiveness rising in her own voice. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how Lexa would feel if she discovered something like this about Sam after they married. But she couldn’t voice that thought aloud. From what she knew, Sam and Marc had totally different backgrounds.
Lexa shifted in her chair, but she didn’t look uncomfortable. She rested her chin on one hand, elbow propped on the table. “I think the key words are ‘before he met me.’” She raised a hand when she saw her open her mouth to protest. “Chances are that also means before he became a Christian. Think about it and hear me out. Marc knows you were raised in the church, and taught Christian values and moral values, but he wasn’t. That makes a huge difference in the way a person makes decisions once they’re an adult and unleashed into the so-called real world. Not to excuse his behavior, but the man played minor league baseball. And yes, he’s very handsome. We’ve all heard stories about professional athletes. At the risk of sounding crass, it’s almost expected they have as many female conquests as they do trophies. Then Marc became a successful businessman, building his own advertising agency. Powerful men are irresistible to a lot of women.”
Leaning closer, Lexa placed her hand on top of hers. “Not that it makes you feel any better, and not that it condones his behavior in any way, but there could have been so many.”
She shook her head. “I can’t bear the thought of it.”
“Men don’t always have the emotional connection women do. I don’t know the circumstances of Marc’s relationships with these other women, and I don’t need to know. Neither do you. They’re in the past. My advice, if you want it, is to let it go or it will tear you up inside. Even if Marc was in some kind of ongoing relationship with any of these women, it wasn’t ordained by the Lord the way his relationship with you is right. Cling to that hope. The Lord brought you two together, Natalie. From what I understand, Marc fought hard to win your love over some pretty big odds. He’s a fighter, and truth be told, he deserves your respect and forgiveness.”
Natalie stared into space, not speaking. It seemed everyone was ganging up on Marc’s side, against her. She knew that wasn’t Lexa’s intent, but she couldn’t help the sting of hurt.
Lexa spoke again before she could respond. “In some ways, Marc and I have some things in common. I was a nominal Christian when I first came to the TeamWork camp in San Antonio and met Sam. Sam figured me out right away, and I knew it was only a matter of time until the rest of you caught on.” Lexa paused. “Granted, I didn’t have previous physical relationships with other men, but neither was I what Sam thought he wanted in a woman.”
The waterworks started. “I wish I could remember you and Sam and everyone else in TeamWork, but I can’t.” Natalie’s shoulders heaved as she put her head down on her crossed arms. A small wail escaped, and it didn’t even sound like it came out of her. Grabbing hold of Lexa’s warm hand, she poured out her heart. The stored pain came flooding out of her, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It hurts that I can’t remember my first date with Marc, our first kiss, anything. He told me about all those things, but it’s like it was someone else’s story, not mine. Not . . . ours.” She hiccupped a few times and blew her nose, finding it hard to stem the flow of tears.
Lexa moved around the table to sit beside her, and handed her a tissue. She prayed quietly, and made small circles on her back with a gentle hand once the sobs quieted. Wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, Natalie managed the beginnings of a smile before another small sob escaped. “I don’t know why I had to go through this, but I trust in the Lord enough to know He has a reason.” When Lexa’s arm moved around her, drawing her close, she leaned her head on the other woman’s shoulder. “I hate that I don’t remember much from before, Lexa, but I know that I couldn’t love you any more than I do right now.”
Lexa hugged her and planted a light kiss on her cheek. “And you’re one of the kindest women I know.” Smoothing her hair away from her face, she gave her a loving smile. “And you are starting to remember. The Lord’s giving you snippets of memories here and there, and that’s a precious gift. I guess the key to all this is that you can’t change Marc’s past, but you need to somehow accept and resolve it. If you love him enough, you’ll forgive him and move on from this point. There’s an awful lot of sin and heartache in the world. Not to say that Marc’s past isn’t a heartache to you. I’m sure he hated to tell you, but he did it.” Lexa’s eyes softened. “I want you to think about something.”
“What’s that?” Sniffling, she dabbed at her eyes. Lexa made a lot of sense, and she’d already given her a lot to think about.
“A lot of men would never be able to humble themselves to their wives and admit their failings. Marc was afraid to do it before he married you, but for whatever reason, the Lord’s giving you a fresh start now. By telling you, it shows how much he’s grown in the Lord. Marc took a big leap of faith because he loves you. Now,” Lexa said, patting her hand, “it’s your turn to return the favor.” Pushing away from the table, she gave her a knowing smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some pies to bake. If you need me, you know where to find me.” Lexa departed the room, humming under her breath.
Bundling into her jacket, lost in thought, Natalie unzipped the pocket and reached inside in a search for her gloves. Nothing. That was odd since she’d had them on when she arrived. She looked down, puzzled. This jacket had way too many pockets. Reaching inside another pocket, her fingers touched something deep inside. Paper. It must have been there since the year before.<
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She pulled it out, chewing on her lower lip as she unfolded it. Recognizing her husband’s precise but strong cursive, she released a sigh, mentally bolstering her attitude. Their track record with notes hadn’t been the best in recent days.
Natalie—warning: this might be corny, so be prepared. I’m an ad man, but I’m the guy who runs the business, and I never claimed to be a copywriter, but here goes. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love the way your nose scrunches up and you say “Brown Cow” when you try to stop a sneeze. I love the ridiculous way you cut pizza with a knife and fork and tease me because I use my knife and fork like a Brit. I love the way you do that little dance thing with your fingers on your lap when you’re nervous.
I love the way your eyes light up with wonder like a child when you see a star on the top of a Christmas tree, the way you can’t swim in a straight path, the way you cried when you couldn’t make Baked Alaska, but you tried anyway because you know I love it. No one can make blueberry cobbler the way you do, so it’s my forever favorite.
You are such an incredible woman, and I can’t wait to make you my wife. I’m never more proud than when you’re on my arm at some social function. Never more happy than when you give me that look that tells me you love and accept me for who I am. I still can’t believe you chose me, Marc Thompson, a man with so many faults. But, with your help, I’ll be a better man. Thanks for your faith in me, and your love.
You’re beautiful, you’re compassionate and sensitive, and you’re going to make an awesome mother someday. And the greatest thing of all? You belong to the Lord, and by God’s infinite grace, you belong to me. Natalie, you make me happier than I ever thought possible.
All my love and devotion,
Marc
Natalie’s hands shook almost uncontrollably. Dropping the note, it fluttered to the floor as she stumbled back to the table. “Lexa!”
Chapter 31
Natalie hated that one of Lexa’s pies burned a little around the edges, but Lexa assured her Sam wouldn’t mind. “Totally worth it. I’ll just scoop out the middle, put vanilla ice cream on top, and he’ll never notice the difference,” she said with a reassuring smile.
Sufficiently recovered a short time later, Natalie visited the schoolroom for the last half-hour of the morning before lunch. Feeling restless, she didn’t want to go back to the cabin, and staying busy with the children would be good. Closing the door behind her, she stamped the snow off her boots and pulled the wool cap from her head, shaking out her hair and smoothing it down.
Nathan looked up as she stepped inside the schoolroom. “Miss Natalie’s here!” His announcement sent a flurry of bodies scurrying, and Winnie and Amy helped pick up supplies scattered on the table where they’d been working.
When she stepped closer to see what they were working on, Winnie took her by the arm, steering her to the desk at the front of the room. “How was your breakfast?” Winnie nodded at Amy.
“Absolutely scrumptious.” Pulling back, Natalie looked Winnie full in the face. “What’s going on? You don’t have a subtle bone in your body, Miss Doyle.”
“That’s what you think.” Winnie nodded at Amy again. “Ready?” When Amy nodded, Winnie forced her down into the chair behind the desk. “Sit, please. The kids have a little presentation.”
“A presentation? For me?”
“Yes. Sit back, watch and listen.”
For the next twenty minutes, Natalie watched, enthralled, as the kids reenacted the story of David and Goliath. They really put their all into it and were quite talented. Of course, no reenactment of a biblical tale was complete without shenanigans from the sidelines. Jake pulled Ashley’s braid, and she retaliated by punching him in the arm. Poor Denny kept stepping on everyone’s toes, but other than getting a few frowns and swats, he emerged unscathed.
When they finished, Natalie jumped to her feet and clapped with enthusiasm. Whoa. Maybe she shouldn’t have done that so quickly. She stretched out a hand, fumbling for the desk. In a heartbeat, Winnie and Amy rushed to her side, steadying her.
“I’m fine,” Natalie assured them. “With those pancakes in me, I shouldn’t be lightheaded.”
Amy smiled. “Maybe it’s a sugar rush from all the syrup. It’s pure and potent stuff.”
Natalie grinned and winked at the kids to reassure them she was all right. Bless their hearts, they looked concerned as they stood behind their teachers. “That’s probably it.” Recovering her equilibrium, she moved over in a group hug. “You all were so great! I can’t tell you how much your play meant to me.”
The kids buzzed with excitement, chattering like magpies. Amy signaled to them, and they retrieved brightly-colored papers from the table and brought them to Natalie. One by one, the children presented her with cards of caring, love and thanks for being their teacher. Ashley threw her arms around her and whispered, “Your husband’s smart. And really cute.” Her cheeks flushed as she ran off to join the other girls.
Natalie tossed a curious look Winnie and Amy’s way as the children were dismissed. “I don’t know what prompted this, but thank you.”
The quick glance shared between the two was intriguing. Winnie shrugged. “The kids told us they wanted to do a play and we thought you could use some . . .”
“Encouragement,” Amy said. “Even though they’ve only met you in the last few days, these kids all love you, Natalie. You’re going to make a terrific mother. The best.” Leaving the schoolroom after dismissing the laughing children, the trio wrapped their arms around each other as they headed in the direction of the dining hall.
Later that afternoon, as they shopped for fabric for kitchen curtains for the main house and other miscellaneous items, Lexa and the other ladies surprised her with a bottle of body lotion she adored. “I didn’t see this lotion for sale here . . . in the general mercantile . . . in the middle of nowhere.” It was pretty pricey, and she normally bought it at Macy’s. It was unfathomable they’d find it here in rural Montana, of all places.
“You’d be surprised what you can find if you look hard enough.” Lexa gave Natalie a look she wasn’t sure how to interpret.
Something about this scenario didn’t add up. Several things today didn’t make sense. It exhausted her thinking about it. She turned the bottle over in her hands, lost in thought as they piled into one of the SUVs to return to the ranch. “Everyone’s being very secretive today,” she said.
“Just accept it and enjoy the benefits,” Winnie said with her trademark giggle.
“Thanks for the lotion. I love it, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.” Natalie leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Picking up on her cue, the others kept their voices down so she could rest during the trip back to the ranch.
~~**~~
“Why is everyone doing all these nice things for me today?” Natalie glanced at the other ladies in the cabin a short time later. “This is all Marc’s doing, isn’t it? He’s having everyone do all these sweet, thoughtful, entirely wonderful things for me.” It was so confusing.
Winnie put one hand on her hip, darting a helpless look in Amy’s direction. The door of the cabin opened and Lexa breezed in. She did a little dance as she shivered and then leaned her full-body weight—all one hundred pounds of her—against the door to close it, blocking out the bitter, cold wind.
“And that’s what I call timing.” Winnie darted a glance toward the ceiling. “Thanks, Lord. I owe you one.”
What in the world does that mean?
Amy spoke up. “Lexa, Natalie’s wondering what’s up today, with all the nice things happening.”
Lexa tugged her woolen cap off her head and pulled out her long braid as she moved into the center of the room to stand beside Winnie. Her cheeks were bright pink, and she smiled. “You really don’t know, Natalie? You can’t guess?” Her eyes sparkled with merriment, or perhaps mischief.
“I have no idea. Be Extra Nice to the Confused Woman Day, I guess.”
Hooking the
ir arms together, Lexa and the other ladies took steps toward where she stood beside her bed. In a semi-circle, they hemmed her in. At least they looked friendly enough.
A nervous laugh escaped. “What is this, an intervention?”
“Maybe, in a minute,” Amy said.
Lexa nodded at them and hummed a note, and they started in, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Natalie . . .”
“It’s my birthday today?” Natalie slumped down onto her bed, befuddled. How could she forget? Even with all the surprises, it hadn’t even crossed her mind.
Amy frowned. “I know you don’t want my opinion, but although you’re another year older, you’re definitely none the wiser.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” She couldn’t be mad at Amy. Not really.
Winnie shot a warning glance in Amy’s direction, raising one hand. “Amy . . .”
“You’re obviously punishing that sweet man for only wanting to be a better husband to you. Yes, Marc told us it was your birthday.” Hands on both hips, Amy’s eyes blazed into hers. “Some of us already knew that, of course, but it was really sweet how he wanted to make sure we did. For starters, he told Cassie how much you loved streusel pancakes, and none of us had ever heard of them before.”
“They were delicious.” Natalie brought her hand to her forehead.
“Thanks.” Lexa nodded, pleased.
Amy’s sigh was audible, her impatience to continue obvious. “Marc and Sam disappeared for over three hours the other day to drive into Helena to buy those pretty pink bedroom slippers—yes, they belong to you—and that fancy schmancy lotion you love so much. Marc said the doctor told him one way to trigger memories is through the sense of smell, and he thought the lotion might help.”
Amy crossed her arms and stared her down. “You and I both know most men wouldn’t go to those lengths. Marc loves and desperately wants to please you, Natalie, and he’s doing it in ways he knows will be special and meaningful for you.”