McKenzie

by Penny Zeller

  “McKenzie?” Rosemary knocked again on the door, and McKenzie rolled her eyes. That woman’s constant presence would have to change once McKenzie became Mrs. Sawyer. As a matter of fact, a lot of things would be changing in this house.

  “Come in, Rosemary,” McKenzie said, her voice low.

  When Rosemary entered the room, McKenzie had to keep herself from gasping. Rosemary’s appearance had much improved from yesterday. Her dingy, faded calico had been traded in for a clean, crisp, blue dress. She’d pulled her light brown hair into a bun, from which several silvery strands had escaped, to a surprisingly elegant effect. McKenzie thought she looked almost beautiful.

  “You mentioned needing some help with your hair—how may I help you, dear?” Rosemary asked.

  “Would you mind putting in a few pins?” McKenzie asked. Without a mirror, it was especially difficult to fix her hair the way she desired.

  Rosemary quickly went to work pinning McKenzie’s hair. “You look gorgeous, dear,” she said. “I’m thrilled for you and Zach.”

  McKenzie turned to look at Rosemary. “Thank you, Rosemary. Does there happen to be a mirror in the house?”

  “Yes, in Zach’s—er, your and Zach’s room,” Rosemary said, adjusting her glasses on her nose.

  “Thank you. I would like to see how I look.” McKenzie stood up and followed Rosemary into Zach’s room. It was the first time she’d entered the space, and she felt as though she were invading his privacy by doing so. Although the bedroom would be hers to share with Zach in a few short hours, she had already determined never to spend a night there.

  This room was much more spacious than hers, but it was just as plain, furnished with a large bed, a bureau, and a rocking chair. McKenzie studied her reflection in the mirror above the bureau and saw that Rosemary had done a fine job on her hair. The dress accentuated her slim figure, and she was pleased enough with the overall effect. Thankfully, Zach had drawn her a warm bath early this morning, and the dirt from yesterday’s travel had been washed away.

  Yes, she was ready to act the part of blushing bride.

  ***

  Several minutes later, McKenzie climbed into Rosemary’s wagon, and the two women left for the church. McKenzie’s stomach was full of knots, and she hoped Rosemary wouldn’t talk the entire way into town.

  “There’s a big hole in the road just up ahead,” Rosemary said. “Hang on; I don’t want you bouncing out of the wagon.”

  McKenzie nodded. Yes, she remembered the hole in the road, and she cringed, bracing herself for the impact.

  Rosemary maneuvered the wagon down the road, then slowed to a stop. “Well, I’ll be!” she exclaimed. “The hole used to be right here.” McKenzie joined her in craning her neck to look down at the ground. “That’s odd,” Rosemary said with a shrug. “It’s been completely filled in. I guess we needn’t have worried about it, after all.”

  “You said the hole was filled in?” McKenzie said.

  “I guess so; can’t imagine how else it could have disappeared. It’s been here just about forever.”

  McKenzie sat in silence at Rosemary’s observation. Had Zach filled in the hole? He’d promised he would, but so soon? McKenzie shook her head in disbelief. Perhaps it was someone else who’d become impatient with the hole in the road.

  “You know, Zach is a kind and wonderful man,” Rosemary said after a while.

  “I beg your pardon?” McKenzie asked.

  “Zach is a good man, McKenzie. You’re fortunate to be marrying him.” Rosemary’s voice had quieted so much that McKenzie could barely hear it above the horses’ hoofbeats and the wagon’s rumble.

  “Yes, he seems like a nice man,” she agreed.

  “Oh, he is. He’s honest, kind, and thoughtful. I always wondered when he was going to marry. Of course, there aren’t many eligible women in Pine Haven. Asa and I have prayed for him for many years now that the Lord would send him the wife he was meant to have—someone who would cherish and love him.”

  McKenzie couldn’t think of what to say, so she merely nodded. She knew she wasn’t the kind of woman Zach deserved, any more than he was the type of man she desired. However, there was nothing she could do. The circumstances were the way they were, and, as far as she could tell, there wasn’t anything she could do to change them.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  McKenzie stared at the small chapel as Rosemary parked the wagon. The wooden structure was painted white and had a steeple topped with a rough-hewn cross. Three wooden stairs led up to the double-door entrance. It was a far cry from the church her family attended in Boston—a massive, redbrick building with a large bell tower and a steeple with a cross fashioned from high-quality oak by a skilled artisan. The interior was impressive, as well, with red-carpeted aisles and maple pews, and colorful light flooded the sanctuary through the stained-glass windows.

  A wedding at that church would have been so glamorous, McKenzie thought with a sigh as she followed Rosemary up the front steps. The woman opened one of the double doors and peeked her head in, then turned to McKenzie and patted her arm. “It’s time to go in, dear. They’re ready for you.”

  Seeing the inside of the church for the first time, McKenzie held her breath. The chapel was plain, with no carpet on the floors, and it held perhaps one-tenth as many pews as her church at home.

  She felt Asa’s arm loop through hers and fought the resentment that welled within her at being given away by a man she didn’t even know. She guessed it was fitting, though, considering the man she was about to marry was also a stranger. And so, McKenzie matched her steps with Asa’s down the short aisle, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead. She knew none of the people in the pews, anyway, with the exception of those from the ranch. Best not to become too acquainted with them, anyhow. It wouldn’t be long before she was on a stagecoach heading to the train depot, where she’d board the locomotive that would deliver her home again.

  When they reached the front of the church, Asa gently released McKenzie’s arm and sat down in the front pew next to Rosemary. McKenzie stood in silence and faced Zach, her eyes slowly meeting his. She was conscious of Reverend Eugene, standing to her left, and of Davey, huddled near Zach and holding a ring. She desperately desired to turn and run from the church, from Pine Haven, and from Zach. Had she not loved her sister more than life itself, she would have picked up the train of her dress and run as fast as her long legs would allow her, somewhere, anywhere but here.

  Her thoughts of escape stopped when Reverend Eugene began speaking. “We are gathered here today to witness the matrimonial union of McKenzie Lonelle Worthington and Zachary Joseph Sawyer. It is my honor to perform this marriage, which, I pray, will endure through the test of time.” Reverend Eugene smiled at Zach and McKenzie before continuing. “Will you please turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter two, verse twenty-four? In this passage, we are told, ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.’ Zach and McKenzie have stated their desire to unite as husband and wife and live as God intended in holy matrimony. You, Zach, and you, McKenzie, have made the decision to place each other as the second most important in each other’s lives after a love and devotion to Jesus Christ.

  “Now, would you all please turn with me to the book of Ephesians? In Ephesians four, verse thirty-two, it states, ‘And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ We pray that Zach and McKenzie will heed these important words of the Lord and treat each other with kindness and love, and that their hearts would be full of merciful forgiveness, just as Christ forgives us in His infinite mercy each and every day.”

  McKenzie hadn’t realized the Bible spoke about marriage and provided guidance on how to treat the one to whom you were married. The list of vows for her to uphold as a wife were overwhelming, and she feared she would faint at the mere thought of all the promises she was expected to fulfill for Zach. She had atte
nded many weddings yet had never paid attention to the words of the clergy until this moment. She regretted that now. Thank goodness this situation would be temporary! She already knew that there would be days in her short time as Mrs. Sawyer when she would feel little or no desire to be any of those things toward Zach. She had seen her own parents engage in an occasional disagreement, and she knew that, in the midst of a heated argument, it was too much to ask of someone to be kind and loving, let alone forgiving. And to admit wrongdoing and ask forgiveness was something else, altogether.

  McKenzie’s idea of marriage was saying “I do,” moving into a big, beautiful house, and fluttering here and there to participate in volunteer activities while her husband was working outside the home in a notable profession. To her, being a wife meant living a life of ease, complete with a nanny to raise the children, maids to attend to the household duties, and a cook to prepare the meals. She glanced down at Davey, thinking it ironic that she would have to play the role of nanny, maid, and cook for a child she didn’t know.

  McKenzie jolted herself back to the reality of the situation and pretended to listen intently to what Reverend Eugene was saying. She wouldn’t listen closely, for concentrating on his words would probably bring about a fainting spell, and she would rather feign interest than risk making a scene. Even so, McKenzie began to feel dizzy with the beginnings of a headache.

  “If there are any objections to this union, which the Lord has brought together, may they be stated at this time. If not, may you forever hold your peace.” Reverend Eugene waited for a moment, and then, when no objections were voiced, he continued. “Will you, McKenzie Lonelle Worthington, hereby have this man, Zachary Joseph Sawyer, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, cherish him from this day forward, until death do you part?” Reverend Eugene completed the wedding vow and waited for McKenzie’s response.

  McKenzie opened her mouth to speak, but the words would not come. Instead, much to her horror, strange gasping noises escaped from her mouth. The wedding vows were all so much to agree to—so much that she didn’t want to agree to, nor even contemplate. After all, wouldn’t her father, as an attorney, advise her that a wedding vow was a legally binding contract? Could she agree to the aforementioned items and pledge to uphold them? For worse? For poorer? In sickness? To love him forever, or, at least, until one of them died? To love him and comfort him? The inconceivable thoughts made her pulse quicken all the more, and she was overcome with light-headedness. She felt herself sway as her weakened legs wobbled beneath her. A marriage vow to Zach? But he was so opposite from the man she was meant to marry. He was so…. Fearing she would lose consciousness, she reached forward and attempted to steady herself by grabbing Zach’s arm. That was the last thing McKenzie remembered.

  ***

  Zach’s quick reflexes allowed him to catch McKenzie before she thudded to the church floor in a heap. Commotion filled the building, with many people offering to help. Zach lifted McKenzie and carried her over to the front pew, where Rosemary and Asa moved aside to make room for her to be laid down.

  Doc Orville was soon at McKenzie’s side, checking her pulse. “She’ll be fine,” he assured Zach after a minute or so. “I believe you just have a very nervous bride.”

  Zach nodded and looked at McKenzie. She appeared peaceful in her unconscious state, and he felt guilty for not having arranged a private ceremony at the ranch. He’d simply taken it for granted that McKenzie was accustomed to large crowds, and a large crowd by Pine Haven’s standards would probably count as only a small gathering in Boston. He’d assumed that she’d want a large wedding, but he’d never asked. Now, he regretted not asking her opinion. He’d figured that she would have had enough on her mind, making travel plans and preparing to part with her family, without having to think about the wedding ceremony details, as well.

  Moments later, McKenzie regained consciousness. “Where am I?” she asked, reaching up to rub her temples with her fingers.

  Zach leaned down beside her. “You’re in Pine Haven, in the chapel. It’s, uh…it’s our wedding day.”

  ***

  “What?” McKenzie sat up quickly—too quickly, it turned out, and she felt the shooting pain of a headache.

  “Just take it easy, McKenzie. I’m Doc Orville,” said a man standing over her. “You’re going to be fine, but you must lie here awhile.”

  McKenzie gulped. Where had Zach said she was? For a minute, everything was hazy, and she begged her mind to awaken from this nightmarish dream that had overtaken her. Had he said they were at a wedding? Their wedding?

  “Would you like a glass of water, dear?” Rosemary held a cup of water in front of McKenzie and reached out an arm to steady her as she slowly lifted her head.

  “Let’s give her some space, folks,” Doc Orville suggested, and the crowd around McKenzie began to disperse.

  ***

  “I’ll be outside when you need me,” Reverend Eugene told Zach, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t be too concerned. You’re not the first groom in history to have a fainting bride, and, I daresay, you won’t be the last.”

  “Thanks, Reverend,” Zach said. He’d envisioned every possible scenario of how this day could go, or so he’d thought, but none had included this. He took McKenzie’s hand in his and stroked it with his thumb.

  McKenzie looked up at Zach, then down at her dress. She seemed to be remembering the reason she was here, lying on a church pew.

  “Are you all right, McKenzie? You gave us all quite a scare,” Zach said quietly. He wished he could lean down and kiss her on the cheek to reassure her that everything would be all right, but he thought the gesture might be a bit forward, especially since they weren’t married yet.

  “I—I think so.”

  “Good. I’m sorry this day has been so stressful for you. I hadn’t thought to ask if you would have preferred a small, private wedding on the ranch. I guess I took it for granted that you would want to have a church wedding. And, of course, whenever there’s a wedding in this town, the entire population attends. I hope you’ll forgive me, McKenzie.”

  ***

  McKenzie saw the look of remorse in Zach’s eyes, and, for a moment, her heart sank. He truly believed she had fainted because of the pressure of getting married in front of a crowd of people. If only he knew that she encountered twice as many people on a trip to the mercantile on any given day in Boston. “It’s fine, Zach,” she assured him. She couldn’t tell him the real reasons she’d passed out: because she was marrying a poor stranger with no family instead of a wealthy, reputable man with a prestigious pedigree; because she was trapped in a town with no modern conveniences instead of enjoying the high-class culture of Boston; because she had no family nearby with whom to celebrate this occasion; and because she would be making a vow and breaking it almost as quickly. But it was better that he believed she’d had a case of nerves.

  Half an hour later, McKenzie and Zach were standing at the front of the chapel with Reverend Eugene, ready to declare their vows of matrimony. This time, however, their audience was limited to Davey, Jonah, Asa, and Rosemary. McKenzie hoped she wouldn’t faint again, and she attempted with every fiber of her being to act as happy as everyone else seemed to be about the occasion.

  Reverend Eugene cleared his throat and repeated the words that had sent McKenzie into a state of unconsciousness a short while before: “Will you, McKenzie Lonelle Worthington, hereby have this man, Zachary Joseph Sawyer, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, cherish him from this day forward, until death do you part?”

  McKenzie pretended not to hear the words a
nd instead focused on Zach. She was still surprised by his uncommonly handsome looks, and an odd feeling sprouted in her stomach, but she dismissed it as nerves. “I will,” she squeaked on cue.

  “And will you, Zachary Joseph Sawyer, hereby have this woman, McKenzie Lonelle Worthington, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, cherish her from this day forward, until death do you part?

  “I will,” said Zach.

  “Do you have the ring, Davey?” Reverend Eugene asked, turning to the boy.

  Davey stepped forward and handed Zach the ring. “Thank you, son,” Zach said, then turned and slid the ring onto the appropriate finger of McKenzie’s left hand.

  “Forasmuch as Zachary and McKenzie have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a ring, and by joining hands, each to the other, I pronounce that they are man and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Reverend Eugene smiled at the couple and added, “Zach, you may kiss your bride.”

  Taken aback at those words, McKenzie was unprepared for what happened next. Zach took a step toward her and leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on her lips. She was surprised by the sensation and pressed a hand to her stomach, as if to steady the flutters. His lips were gentle and unassuming, yet filled with affection and subtle fervor. Had McKenzie ever been kissed the way Zach had kissed her? The answer came quickly: no. But, then, she’d been kissed only a handful of times by hopeful beaus, none of whom had ever captured her heart—not even Louis, she realized.