Heart Healer

by Leslie Bowes

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Blake

  Confederate forces had fired upon Fort Sumter and the North declared war. Blake mounted his horse knowing that everything was going his way. When he came home from licking the Yankees, he would find that Rose had come home and she would be excited with the surprise he had for her. She would welcome him back with open arms as a war hero. He was about to ride off when Michael his slave came running up from the fields.

  “Master Blake, Master Blake!” Michael called out, running up.

  “What is it, Michael?”

  “I find this in the river,” Michael said, putting it in Blake’s hand. It was covered in mud and looked like it had been in the river for over a hundred years, but Blake still recognized it as Rose’s wedding band. He would know it anywhere. He felt his heart racing inside his chest.

  “You found this in the river?” Blake yelled.

  “Yes, Master.”

  “No!” Blake yelled. He jumped off his horse and ran down to the river and jumped in.

  ****

  When he resurfaced, he was not at his plantation. He seemed to be on someone else’s property. When Blake dove into the river, the current must have carried him here to this place. He got out of the river and walked up the path. This plantation had no fields or slaves. When he rounded the corner of the path, he was shocked to see Rose. Rose was in the yard with a little boy and she was wearing strange clothing. There was also a man standing next to her.

  Blake felt dizzy as he watched Rose with the man and little boy. Rose kissed the man sweetly and when the little boy was not looking, the man patted her on her butt. Blake felt his rage rise. So, this is where Rose had been hiding! Then Blake saw Rose was with child. She was the dark-haired man’s whore now! Their marriage meant nothing to her! As Rose, the man, and the little boy went into the house, Blake forced himself to calm down. He had to think how he would get Rose back. They would leave this place and Rose would see how much he loved her.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Christopher

  The wind began to howl as tropical storm Lee blew in. Christopher didn’t feel a thing. He smiled as his thoughts drifted to Catherine. He remembered how kind she was to Ryan on the first day they met. And he thought of how beautiful she looked now when she was pregnant. As he walked to the stable, he was so lost in thought that Christopher didn’t see someone lunge at him, throwing him head first into the fence.

  Christopher looked up at a shadowy figure as sharp pain rocked the back of his head. The figure grabbed him by his arms pulling him to the ground. Christopher banged his head against the fence once more. With his vision blurring, he felt someone reach for his throat and squeeze. Christopher forced his vision to clear. In the next instant, he knew who this man must be. Blake Von-Clyer! His next thought was of Catherine!

  Christopher clawed at Blake’s face, trying desperately to get Blake off him, but Blake just tightened his grip. Christopher tried to scream to Catherine, but he could make no sound. Christopher started to feel nauseous from lack of oxygen. With his last bit of strength, he slammed his fist into Blake’s face, making Blake topple over onto the ground.

  Gasping for breath, Christopher crawled on all fours to the barn and balanced himself against it. With thoughts only of Catherine and Ryan’s safety, he lunged toward him. Blake kicked Christopher hard in the stomach and Christopher winced in pain but he kept driving forward. He punched Blake in the face. Suddenly Christopher felt something cold against his chest and then he heard a loud pop.

  Blake shoved Christopher to the ground. An unimaginable fire raged through Christopher’s body.

  Christopher reached up and felt blood. At first, he didn’t understand what had happened, but when Blake stood up he saw a gun in his hand.

  “No!” Christopher screamed but it came out as a wheeze.

  Knowing that Blake would go after Catherine, Christopher rolled over, trying to get up despite the pain. But he felt another kick against his head. Christopher felt himself slipping away into darkness. Have to save them…have to protect them…another kick to his head and then the darkness swept over him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Catherine

  Catherine was in the kitchen making tacos. She shifted from one foot to the other trying to get comfortable. She couldn’t shake this feeling that something was horribly wrong.

  “Mommy?” Ryan said interrupting her thoughts.

  “Yes, Ryan?”

  “When are you and Daddy getting married?”

  Catherine smiled in amazement. It took time travel for Christopher and her to find each other. He made her feel alive in ways she never knew existed and she knew that she could not wait for the day when she would become Mrs. King, of that she was certain.

  “Well, Ryan, your daddy and I can’t get married until a judge says that your daddy is not married to Chelsea anymore.”

  “So, a judge says who’s married or not?”

  “Yes, sometimes.”

  “That’s stupid.

  “I could not agree with you more, Ryan.”

  Catherine had that nagging feeling again that something was wrong with Christopher.

  “Hey, Ryan. Why don’t we go down to the stable and see if Daddy needs help with the horses?”

  “Okay.”

  ****

  Outside the air was still with the calm before a storm. Catherine stopped dead in her tracks, paralyzed with fear, as Blake stood in front of her.

  “Hello, Catherine,”

  ‘W-what are you doing here, Blake?” she said in shock. She stood between Blake and Ryan.

  “I have come to bring my wife back! Do you know how worried I have been about you? You, however, do not seem to have been worried about me or to remember the vows you made to me! You have been hiding here and being a whore to that man!”

  Oh God, Christopher…

  “What did you do to Christopher?” she cried out to Blake.

  “Is that the name of the man you have been whoring around with? I took care of him,” Blake said slowly, walking toward her.

  Catherine quickly turned around and knelt in front of Ryan. “Ryan, I want you to run to your Aunt Emma and Uncle Tyler’s,” she whispered.

  “No, Mommy.”

  “Run, Ryan!” she yelled, and Ryan took off as fast as he could.

  A smile crossed Blake’s face as he stopped a few feet away from Catherine.

  “You know that I would never hurt the boy,” Blake said looking in the direction Ryan went. “But I am glad that we are alone.”

  “Where’s Christopher?” she demanded.

  “You do not have to worry about him anymore. He doesn’t love you the way I do,” Blake said, coming even closer to her.

  Oh God, Christopher…

  Catherine stepped back and bolted. She ran toward Christopher’s work shed. She threw open the door and desperately looked for something she could use as a weapon. She heard Blake’s footsteps coming closer. Catherine held up a small knife as Blake walked in.

  “Tell me where Christopher is!” she screamed.

  “Oh Catherine, you need not be so dramatic.” He laughed and lunged for her twisting her wrist backward until she dropped the knife. Catherine screamed out in pain. Blake wrapped her tightly in his arms.

  “I have been patient with you long enough. You belong to me, Mrs. Von-Clyer, in the eyes of God and the church. No matter how far you run or where you hide, that will never change! Now we are going home and this time you will be a dutiful wife.”

  “I am not your property! You cannot force me to love you!” She struggled hard against him as he hissed.

  Catherine instantly stopped moving when Blake put a gun to her temple. He nestled his face in her hair. She felt a chill run down her back as he whispered in her ear.

  “I love you. I always will and I have been damn good to you, Mrs. Von-Clyer. I have given you everything but my life, and this is how you repay me? By whoring around with him and having his
child! You may have defied me in the past, but you will do what I say now! I promise you that or I will kill that brat of his right in front of you!”

  Blake pulled Catherine by her hair, forcing her to look up at him. He kissed her mouth hard. She wanted to fight him, but she did not dare. She wouldn’t risk Ryan’s safety.

  “I will forgive you for what you have done. Just tell me you love me,” Blake demanded.

  “I love you,” Catherine said, unable to control her flood of tears.

  “Good girl. And you want to come home with me because you love me?”

  “Yes,” she sobbed.

  “That is what I want to hear.”

  Blake led Catherine down to the river, never lowering his gun from her head. He pushed her into the river and jumped in after her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Christopher

  The pain in his head and chest was unbearable. Christopher could barely breathe but he kept fighting to stay conscious, even though the darkness kept pulling at him. He knew that Catherine and Ryan needed him. Trembling, he slowly began to rise.

  Christopher took a step and then another as he fought against the pain. He tried to stay focused on calling the police…help Catherine…but the pain throughout his body caught him off guard and he fell to his knees. Just then a car pulled up.

  “Christopher!” He heard someone scream.

  Shocked by Christopher’s condition, Emma and Tyler ran to his side. Emma tended to Christopher’s wounds while Tyler called 911. Christopher desperately tried to get up.

  “Stay still, man. Help is on the way. Don’t worry Ryan is at our place with Emma’s parents.”

  “Catherine needs help” was all Christopher could say before the darkness he had been fighting took over.

  ****

  Catherine

  Catherine and Blake surfaced and Blake dragged her from the river. She stared into the eyes of her nightmares. She couldn’t escape from it because it was staring right back at her and there was no running from it. Unable to speak, she looked at everything as though she was having an out of body experience as Blake pulled her into the house.

  “Welcome home, Mrs. Von-Clyer.”

  “This was never my home,” Catherine shouted out finally finding her voice through her fear.

  “You don’t have to be afraid,” Blake said, lowering his gun. “I have a surprise for you.” Catherine followed Blake’s gaze to the parlor where she saw her brother, James, waiting.

  “James!” she called out and ran over to him wrapping him in her arms.

  “Catherine!” James said happily.

  “What did I say to call her!” Blake screamed.

  James flinched. Fear was all over his face.

  “I mean Mother,” he whispered.

  “That’s my boy. Now that you have been reunited with your mother, go to your room.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  James quickly went upstairs and Catherine’s happiness quickly turned back into fear. When she turned around, she saw Blake sizing her up.

  “I have been doing a lot of thinking, and I don’t know what happened to you while you were gone, but I am finished calling you Catherine. You are Rose, not Catherine, and that is our son Nicholas, not your brother James,” he said ushering her up the stairs. “I will be your lord and master and you will be my lady. I will treat you as such, but you will be under guard in case you get any more ideas about leaving.”

  “Blake, please just let me go. They know that you have abducted me and they will find me,” she pleaded as they reached the bedroom door.

  Blake sighed as anger crossed his face. “Will another man always come between us, Rose? Your precious Christopher is gone.”

  “What do you mean, gone,” she whispered. She was shaking with panic.

  “I told you I took care of him. Did you really think I would let the man you were whoring around with live? I killed my brother because you were whoring with him, Rose and I wouldn’t be surprised if your precious Christopher’s brat did not survive the storm you sent him out in,” Blake gloated.

  Catherine fell to the floor as she listened to him.

  “N-no, you’re lying. You just want to hurt me,” she whispered as tears streamed down her face.

  Blake bent down and grabbed her face, forcing her to look up at him. “Am I lying? When I left that fool he was unconscious and bleeding with no one to help him in sight except for you but you left him to die alone. Do you really think that boy survived the storm and got help? I doubt it. So, their blood is on your hands not mine just like my brother’s,” Blake said.

  “No!” Catherine screamed as heart-wrenching sobs escaped from her lips.

  “Yes, and you have no one to blame but yourself,” he yelled pulling Catherine to her feet. Blake wrapped her in his arms. Her sorrow turned to anger and she fought against Blake.

  “Now behave yourself, and I will be patient with you for now.” Blake taunted.

  “Christopher is twice the man you will ever be and I’d rather be his whore as you call it than your wife!” she screamed, spitting in his face.

  “You bitch!” He slapped her across the face so forcefully she fell to the floor.

  “Why do you make me do this? All you had to do was be a dutiful wife! Is this what you want to happen?” he yelled punching her on her cheekbone.

  Catherine felt sick with pain, but she managed to whisper out: “What I want is for you to go to Hell.”

  Blake grabbed her by the hair and jerked her hard pulling her to her feet. She swung wildly hitting Blake on his chest and face. He pulled harder on her hair causing Catherine to scream. Blake pulled her to the bedroom and shoved her inside.

  “Never speak to me like that again, Rose, or I will have you whipped! It makes no difference to me that you are with child. You will be punished if you do not respect your husband!” he yelled before locking the door.

  Shaking with fear, Catherine put her hand on her stomach and breathed a sigh of relief. She felt baby Caroline kick. Thank goodness, the baby was all right. She saw the beautiful engagement ring Christopher had given her. She took it off her finger and held it in the palm of her hand. She then cried and cried until she passed out from exhaustion.

  ****

  When Catherine awoke, she saw that it was morning and she saw that Blake was in her room. Terrified of what Blake might do to her, she pulled her quilt up tightly about her. Blake smiled with an evil look in his eyes that Catherine had never seen before.

  “I am glad your punishment has taught you well. Now get dressed. There are some gentlemen I want you to meet. Do not do anything to shame me in front of them or I warn you, it won’t be you that suffers for it, it will be our children,” Blake said in a menacing tone and left the room.

  Knowing she would do anything to protect her child and brother, Catherine quickly dressed and went down to the dining room with James at her side.

  “There they are,” Blake said happily. “Gentlemen, I would like to present my wife Rose and our son Nicholas. Rose, this is Mr. Richardson and Mr. Burkette. They have commissioned me to be a commander of a regiment to train the young men to fight for our glorious cause.”

  Catherine said not a word. She simply nodded her head and sat down at the table. She could feel Blake watching her.

  “My dear, why don’t you and Nicholas take a walk in the gardens after we finish dining? All this war talk will surely be boring to you.”

  Once again Catherine nodded her head without saying a word. For the sake of the baby, she forced herself to eat. As she and James walked out of the room, she felt all the pain and agony rushing through her veins. Catherine and James walked into the gardens. She stopped and knelt in front of James.

  “Are you all right, James?” she asked worriedly.

  “Yes.” he said, although his voice shook.

  “What happened?”

  “After you left, Father sent me to the work house, but Mr. Von-Clyer found me. He told me that you and he wa
nted me to come and live with you. After we arrived, he started to call me Nicholas and said I would be punished if I did not call you and him Mother and Father. Mr. Von-Clyer boxed my ear last night for calling you, Catherine,” James said with tears in his eyes.

  “Oh, James, I am so sorry, but I swear to you no one will ever hurt you again.” she said wrapping him in her arms.

  “My dear,” she heard Blake say. She turned around to face him. She saw Blake give James a look and James quickly ran to the house.

  “Why did you bring me here?” she yelled.

  “This is the place where we fell in love,” he stated.

  “Do you love me?” Catherine suddenly asked him.

  “Of course, I do, Rose! I love you! Why do you think I did all this?” Blake exclaimed.

  Catherine tried to not cringe in disgust at what he was saying to her. She took a deep breath.

  “Blake, if you love me then let me go,” she pleaded with him.

  Blake glared at her now.

  “One day, Rose, you will see that everything I do is because I love you—including your punishment—and you will love me for it,” he said walking away.

  ****

  Catherine lay in her bed for hours that night staring at nothing. She didn’t know how to go on without Christopher and her son in the world.

  “Catherine, sweetheart?” She heard someone call.

  She opened her eyes and there standing in front of her was her mother dressed all in white with a beautiful white light all around her.

  “Mother?” she whispered in awe.

  Her mother wrapped her in a warm embrace.

  Catherine couldn’t believe she was seeing her mother who had been dead all these years. She thought she must have lost her mind completely.

  “It is truly me, Catherine. I have been sent to help you. I am so sorry for everything you have been through, Catherine. I had hoped sending you to the future and Christopher finding you after I had called to him that night, would be a way to save you. I don’t know how Blake found you. I promise you, Blake will never hurt you again.”