by Penny Zeller
Later, McKenzie hung the final curtain, and then asked Asa to hang the three pieces of canvas, complete with frames, on the wall above the fireplace in the main room. “Zach will be mighty surprised with your idea, McKenzie,” Asa said.
“I do hope so.” McKenzie eyed the frames and smiled. “Thank you for hanging those, Asa. Would you do me one last favor?”
“Sure.”
“Would you mind asking Zach and Davey to come into the house?”
“I’m on my way,” Asa said, grinning.
McKenzie heard two sets of footsteps on the porch and watched as Zach and Davey entered the house. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation and hoped Zach would accept the changes gracefully.
***
Zach squinted as he surveyed the interior of the house. Was something different? Then, it occurred to him: the windows were no longer covered with mismatched, holey blankets. McKenzie must have sewn the new curtains, which hung on each window. The effect was a big improvement. He tilted his head sideways and glanced at the frames hanging above the fireplace. A portrait had been drawn on each canvas.
“I drew them pictures, Pa,” Davey said, pointing to the frames.
Zach stepped up to the wall to get a closer look at the portraits. Sure enough, Davey’s little-boy artistry had captured the likenesses of himself, Zach, and McKenzie in separate pictures. “You did a fine job, Davey,” Zach said. His eyes misted at the hand-drawn portraits with eyes of different sizes and missing noses. Because it was only drawings of faces and no bodies, Davey had captured the very essence of an up-close caricature. He’d drawn short hair sticking up in every direction on both himself and Zach. One of Zach’s ears looked more like a square than a circle. On McKenzie’s portrait, Davey had etched long squiggles, which extended to the edges of the canvas. Zach didn’t think he’d ever seen Davey draw anything before. “I’m proud of you, Davey. You did the work of a true artist.”
“Really? Thanks, Pa!” Davey reached up and wrapped his arms around Zach’s waist. “But, it wasn’t my idea.” Davey bit his lower lip. “It was Ma’s idea.”
Zach turned to face McKenzie. “I like your idea for the portraits, McKenzie,” he said. “They’re very…unique.”
“I was thinking of how we have paintings of our entire family, including grandparents and great-grandparents, hanging above the fireplace in our parlor. It was such a hassle to have those paintings done. We had to sit so still. I was only about fourteen at the time, and it seemed as though the artist would never be done. He didn’t have the best of dispositions, either. I recall that he wanted nothing more than to be done with the job and pocket the handsome price Father paid him.” McKenzie paused. “We have our very own artist-in-residence here on the Sawyer Ranch, so I thought we’d take advantage of his fine artistic ability and have him provide his artwork for above our fireplace,” she said. The thought had done more than given the bare walls decoration—it had also brought a piece of the home she missed to Pine Haven.
Zach reached for McKenzie’s hand. She’d said “our fireplace,” and it gave him hope for their future. She’d never made mention of anything as being theirs before, although he considered everything he’d owned before knowing her as shared property. “The curtains are beautiful, McKenzie. They must have been a lot of work.”
McKenzie smiled. “I do enjoy sewing, although I can’t say as I have ever sewed curtains before.”
“Did you make them for every window in the house?”
“I did. You should see the ones upstairs—I saved my favorite fabric for those,” McKenzie said.
“I’d like to see them,” Zach said. He followed McKenzie upstairs.
“May I go back outside and play now?” Davey called after them.
“Sure, son. Go ahead. Thanks again for the nice portaits,” Zach called down before Davey ran out through the front door.
McKenzie led Zach through first Davey’s room, then her room, then finally Zach’s room. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I think you’re an amazing woman, my sweet McKenzie Sawyer,” Zach said.
***
McKenzie gulped. She’d not yet heard him ever call her by her full married name. The sound of it both delighted and scared her. “Thank you,” she said in a feeble voice.
Zach put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. “I wondered for the past few days what you were up to in here. Every time I’d come in the house, you’d act so secretive and scurry to hide what I now know was the fabric.”
“I couldn’t let you see your surprise until I was done,” McKenzie said, her legs feeling weak.
“I like my surprise very much, McKenzie,” Zach said. “The curtains are beautiful, and the portraits were a nice thought.”
“Davey was so excited to help me with those.”
“He really adores you,” Zach said.
“I adore him, too. It’ll be hard when—” McKenzie caught herself from speaking the very thing that had been on her mind more and more in recent days. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone answered the ads about Kaydie.
“It’ll be hard when what?” Zach asked.
McKenzie didn’t want to lie, but she knew of no other way around the question. “It’ll be hard when Davey gets older. I love the age he is right now.”
“I think we’ll enjoy every stage of his life,” Zach said, “although I have to agree with you—the age he is right now has been especially enjoyable.”
McKenzie nodded, grateful that Zach didn’t suspect anything. “When we were in town the other day, I asked Mr. Victor whether he’d heard anything about Kaydie, but there still had been no news,” she said.
“There will be, McKenzie. I know we’ll find her. And, when we do, you know that she may stay here as long as she wants.”
McKenzie wondered if Zach could feel the quick beating of her heart, standing as close to her as he was. He would let Kaydie stay at the ranch? McKenzie hadn’t thought about where Kaydie would stay once they’d found her, since it would be a short time—just until they had scheduled a return trip to Boston. “Thank you, Zach. I appreciate that,” she said.
“McKenzie?”
“Yes?”
Zach hesitated, looking pensive, then finally said, “McKenzie, I love you.”
McKenzie sucked in her breath. How could he love her? He barely knew her. He certainly wouldn’t love her if he knew what she needed to do once they found Kaydie.
“You don’t have to repeat that to me, McKenzie, if you aren’t ready yet. I know that love takes time to grow. I just wanted you to know the way I feel about you.” Zach paused for a moment. “I—I wasn’t sure how things would work out when we first met. We’re quite different. But I have been praying that the Lord would unite us in love, even before you stepped off that stagecoach in Pine Haven.”
McKenzie stared into Zach’s eyes, only a few inches from her own. She wanted to tell him she loved him, too, but the words were too hard to speak. Plus, she wasn’t sure if she did love him—yet. She did love the way he cared for her, the way he brought the Word of God to life when they spent their evenings together on the front porch, the way he was a wonderful father to Davey, and the way he treated the hired help as family more than employees. She loved the way he rolled his shoulders upward when he felt tense. She loved his blue eyes and the way his hair fell to one side. But loving him? She wasn’t sure she did—or should. After all, she’d been trying not to, so as to make her inevitable departure as easy as possible for everyone.
“I’ve never been in love before, McKenzie,” Zach went on. “I always wondered how it felt. Now I know. I love to watch you when you’re deep in thought, when you twirl that beautiful hair of yours around your finger. I love it when you learn something new in the Bible and your eyes light up. I love how you sewed new curtains and talked Davey into drawing portraits, how you’re fixing up our home so that it feels like it’s just as much yours as it is mine. I love to watch you with Davey—your lov
e for him is remarkable. I love how you fit right in here at the ranch now. I love you, McKenzie, and I would consider it an honor to be able to grow old with you.”
McKenzie couldn’t find the words to respond to Zach. She thought of Louis, and how what she felt for Zach was so different from what she’d felt for him. “I thought I was in love once,” she said quietly. “His name is Louis, and he’s a prestigious doctor in Boston. I thought we would marry someday, but he married my best friend, Pearl, instead.”
“I’m sorry he broke your heart, McKenzie,” Zach said. “But, if he hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here with me now. And I’m not sorry about that.”
McKenzie nodded. “I suppose you’re right.” She sighed.
“Do you still love him, McKenzie?” Zach asked. He sounded apprehensive.
“No, Zach, I don’t. I’m not sure I ever really did. You see, I have this habit of daydreaming, and I used to envision my life with Louis. I would imagine the large, diamond wedding ring, the fancy house, and the charity work I would do, since we would have servants, and I wouldn’t have to do any work at home. I was angry at Pearl for taking the man I thought I loved.”
“I’m sorry I can’t give you large diamond rings or servants, McKenzie,” Zach said. I can’t give you a fancy house and carriage rides. I’ll never be a doctor; I’d rather work the land than do anything else, even if it means I’ll never be wealthy. I can’t give you all those things, but I can give you my love.”
“I don’t want those things anymore—not really,” McKenzie said, and she meant it. “I like the ring that you gave me. I didn’t at first, but I like it now. It was your mother’s, and I know how important she was to you. To know that you would entrust me with something so valuable to you….” McKenzie paused. Although she’d become comfortable with Zach over the past month, it was still difficult for her to bare her soul to him, especially when she knew doing so would make her departure more painful. “I don’t care about carriages, either. I know that you fixed that hole in the road on my second day here, so the trip to town by wagon is not nearly as uncomfortable as it was.” McKenzie smiled at Zach. “I think that, with some creative touches, this house will be just fine. And I’m glad you’re not a doctor. I don’t imagine Louis spends much time at home, as he’s constantly called upon to treat patients at the hospital. Thinking I was in love with him was an idea—a daydream.”
“I’m glad, McKenzie. Because I don’t want to have to compete with another man.”
“You don’t have to, Zach.” She looked up at Zach and yearned for him to kiss her. There was something about the tenderness in his lips that lent proof to his words. She felt safe and secure in his arms, protected from anything that might threaten the love that was beginning to blossom within her. Protected from everything except the decision she had made before she’d ever entered into Zach’s life.
McKenzie’s heart grew heavy at the thought of walking away from this new life—and from Zach. But she knew it must be done. She could no more stay in Pine Haven for the rest of her life than Zach could survive in Boston society. One thing was certain: she could not walk away from the life she knew in Boston, not when she had finally found Kaydie. They both belonged in a world that was a long train ride away. They belonged to a lifestyle so different from the one McKenzie was beginning to embrace. She was scared to admit it, but she had changed—in her thoughts, in her actions, and in her priorities. The thought of leaving and the thought of staying troubled her equally. Never had she felt more comfortable and accepted than she had since coming to Pine Haven. But nowhere did she belong more than in Boston.
Zach took his hands from McKenzie’s waist and reached up to cup her face. Leaning even closer, he kissed her with what felt like all the love in his heart. Oh, how she longed to let herself love him! What was she to do?
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
As often happened when Darius was about to rob a bank, or whenever the law was about to finally close in on him, Kaydie Kraemer felt anxiety spread through her from head to toe. As he did every time he was about to execute his plan, Darius gave strict instructions to Kaydie, this time as they stood near a clump of trees half a mile outside of town.
“Now, Kaydie, you wait in town and act like nothing is happening. I’m going to get the loot and ride to that shack we stayed in last night. You wait awhile, and then drive the wagon out there. Make sure no one is following you. If someone follows you, head back to town. Once you get to the shack, we’ll leave.” Darius flung his head back, making his curly, brown hair to bounce above his collar.
Kaydie nodded at Darius and stared at him, as if to memorize his face. Something inside her felt more unsettled than usual, though she couldn’t identify why. Darius’s hair was slicked from his forehead, calling attention to his prominent nose and his beady eyes. This made it easier to affix his bandanna behind his head, which was important, since he was well-known in some parts of the West for his robbery schemes. His black shirt, thinning from overuse, revealed strong shoulders, yet his developing potbelly protruded over the waistband of his trousers to such an extent that suspenders were necessary to hold his pants up. Kaydie thought of the man Darius once was—a handsome man with short hair and a fit body. He’d since let his appearance suffer for the sake of changing his features to throw off law enforcement agents and vigilantes who studied artists’ renditions on wanted posters.
“I mean it, Kaydie. Don’t do anything to call attention to us.”
“I won’t, Darius,” Kaydie promised. She wished he would have let her stay at the shack this time. She wasn’t feeling well, and it seemed safer there. Instead, he’d insisted that she follow him to a town known as Wheeler. So great was her fear of Darius that she did whatever he demanded; even though it made her heart race with dread, it was a better alternative than disobeying Darius and suffering the consequences. He’d threatened to kill her more times than she could count, and her hopes of ever escaping from his clutches had been washed away, just like the promises made on their wedding day.
If Kaydie managed to make a getaway, she wouldn’t get far—she had no money for travel expenses. And even if she somehow found a way to get to Boston for free, he had convinced her that her family had disowned her and would never welcome her back into the Worthington home. For a while, she’d hoped that her sister McKenzie would do something to rescue her, but it seemed that Darius was right. No such effort had been made, and Kaydie was beginning to believe that she would be in her loveless marriage and lawless life forever.
Darius pulled his bandanna over his face and fingered two guns, one holstered on each side in the gun belt around his waist. “This one should be easy,” he snarled. “I staked it out yesterday, and there was only one teller. Talk about foolish!” Darius snickered, shaking his head. “But their foolishness is my gain.” He mounted his horse and rode off toward the town. Kaydie waited until she could no longer see him, then set off in the same direction in the wagon.
After Kaydie parked the wagon across the street from the bank, she sat down on a bench nearby. People bustled up and down the street, and several of them nodded at her. She thought that this was one of the largest towns they’d encountered so far. She pulled her bonnet more tightly around her face, then reached down and gently rubbed her stomach. By now, she was confident that her suspicions were correct. She was pregnant. She’d lain awake many a night and pondered how she could or would care for a child under Darius’s oppression. It was likely that if he discovered her condition, he would be less than thrilled. She’d learned in her years of marriage to Darius that he cared only about himself, and that his selfishness and self-centeredness would preclude him from ever loving the baby growing within her.
Kaydie straightened her posture and focused her gaze across the street at the bank. By now, Darius would have demanded that the hapless teller lock the door and open the safe. She knew by heart his methods and his plan of attack. She’d lost count of the number of times she’d accompanied him on his “jobs.�
�� In a minute, Darius would flee through the front door, climb on his horse, and leave Wheeler behind. In his clutches would be the loot that he so desperately craved—and so quickly spent on liquor and gambling. So little was saved for the necessities of life, such as food. Kaydie imagined that by nightfall, they would be in another town, where Darius would be celebrating yet another victory with round after round of brandy and bourbon.
“Hello, dear,” said an elderly woman, who sat down beside Kaydie.
“Hello,” Kaydie answered, knowing her voice was barely audible. She suddenly realized how thirsty she was. She would do anything for a glass of Nellie’s lemonade to quench her dry throat on this late-August day.
“Are you all alone?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Kaydie said. She rationalized that her response was not a lie in entirety—she was alone in the world, even though she had a husband. She could hardly count Darius as someone who satisfied her loneliness.
“I was just thinking about having a nice, cold glass of water. Would you like some?”
“Umm, no, thank you,” Kaydie answered, knowing that she wasn’t supposed to be talking to strangers. If Darius saw her, he’d unleash his wrath.
“Are you sure?” the woman asked. “I see that you are with child. You must drink plenty of water and get extra nourishment.”
Kaydie was stunned. How did the woman know about her condition? Kaydie turned her head to stare at her. She had the whitest yet most beautiful hair Kaydie had ever seen. A delicate, gold chain with a beautiful cross suspended from it encircled her neck, and she wore a simple, sensible brown dress. She was petite, like Kaydie, and had the greenest eyes—a true green, like the color of the Montana meadows in early spring. Fine wrinkles etched her face, and they deepened as she smiled and gently pressed Kaydie’s arm. “I really don’t care for any water, but thank you, anyway,” Kaydie said.