Start Each Day With A Grateful Heart
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“Good morning.” Tom’s eyes twinkled with amusement when he glanced over at his wife. He’d come out of the kitchen a few minutes ago and set two cups of coffee on the table before turning back for another cup. “I was just telling your mother how grateful we are that she came home last night so soon after you did.”
“It wasn’t as though I had much choice,” Mary laughed lightly, taking a seat beside her husband. “I would have gone to sleep in my room if I hadn’t felt like an intruder in this house and decided it best not to wake anyone else up.” She looked at him, then turned serious. “I’m sorry about last night. It won’t happen again.”
Tom smiled and nodded as he handed her one of the steaming mugs. “Don’t worry about it. If anything, I should apologize since we were both wrongs in our assumptions.” He sat down next to Mary and sipped from his own mug as she stared into hers.
They’d talked for hours last night after everyone went to bed, but neither of them mentioned what they really wanted to talk about: Mary’s future.
Mary sighed quietly as she lowered her head in her hands. Her father would be furious with her if he knew she’d accepted such a position as a nursemaid and yet she still didn’t feel right about staying here.
She lifted her head when Tom reached across to take a sip of his coffee.
“How long is Mother expected to stay?” she asked hesitantly.
“That’s hard to say. The doctor doesn’t expect her to get out of bed anytime soon.”
“But will she recover? Will she be all right?”
His eyes grew somber. “There isn’t any way to know now.” His expression grew sad. “We’ve been through worse tragedies than this before. Your grandfather died unexpectedly during a fishing trip. He fell overboard while trying to climb back onto the boat. My parents lost three sons within a year’s time and your father…” His voice trailed off as he shook his head.
“You don’t need to tell me about it. It happened years ago, and we’ve lived well since then. So we can make it through this too. That’s why it’s important for us to find a new place to live where no one knows us or where someone might recognize us as a thief. And maybe even start working in town as a schoolteacher.” Mary’s words tumbled over each other. “This is our only hope.”
When Tom looked up, his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’m glad you’re finally seeing things clearly instead of acting like some spoiled child who refuses to accept responsibility for her actions.” He paused before continuing.
“Your mother and I are grateful that you came here because it gave us the opportunity to speak frankly with you and to see just how stubborn you are. We’re not certain that we can help you much more unless you decide to change your attitude toward life and people and realize there is nothing wrong with making mistakes.”
He hesitated. “We’ll pray for you every day until you come around to our point of view.” He leaned closer to her. “And if you ever steal anything again… I’m afraid you will have no place to go.”
Mary looked away and swallowed uncomfortably. She’d known that he and her mother weren’t pleased with her, but somehow hearing those words made their disapproval even more painful.
He cleared his throat before adding, “I’m sorry we couldn’t give you the finer education of which you dreamed.”
“No! No!” Mary jumped up so quickly that she nearly knocked her chair over. “Please don’t talk about that again. You and Mother are the only ones who want me to be something I am not.”
“What do you mean?” Tom frowned. “Why did you leave home?”
She bit back tears and shook her head. “That’s between me and God. Please just don’t mention it again.” She stood up and hurried inside, slamming the door behind her.
Her father was sitting in front of his desk writing a letter when she returned to the parlor. Her mother was nowhere to be found.
“Did you finish your lesson today?” she asked.
“Yes, but you can go ahead and sit down.” She took a seat beside her father. “How are you feeling?”
“A lot better today. I can feel my strength coming back.”
“So I hear.”
“Do you know when I’ll be able to return home?”
“As soon as the doctor gives the okay.” He stopped writing and turned to face her. “Are you going to forgive me for speaking harshly to you yesterday?”
“I’m glad you finally apologized, but I never said it would make me forget everything. Or forget what you taught me.” She glanced at her father and shook her head. “I’m not ready to forgive you just yet.”
“It’s too late,” her mother called from the kitchen. “You’ll have to pack up all your belongings tonight and leave tomorrow morning.”
***
“Goodbye, Father. I love you.” Mary hugged him tightly. Then she rushed out the front door and didn’t look back.
Mary walked to the barn and saddled one of the horses. She wasn’t sure where she should go, but wherever it was, she intended on finding out whether or not anyone had remembered her past crimes or recognized her face from the newspaper articles.
After all, a thief could always blend in, and she would have plenty of time to study people and learn the ways of this new place before anyone realized who she really was.
“Come along, girl.” She patted the horse’s neck as she pulled her cap over her eyes. “Time for you and me to become strangers in a strange land.”
***
The following day, Tom led the two wagons out of the ranch yard and headed south to town. Mary rode beside her mother but kept looking over her shoulder to make sure someone hadn’t followed them, especially after they’d traveled several miles without encountering another wagon train.
After driving for a few hours, Tom turned onto an unpaved road that wound around hills and thickets of trees. As they drove, a small dirt trail opened up into a clearing surrounded by towering oak trees. A log cabin sat at its center, while a wide creek ran alongside it. It was beautiful—and familiar.
Mary turned to stare at her mother. “Where…?”
Tom glanced at her and then turned his attention back to the road ahead. “I think we’ve been here before.”
“This isn’t the same place you brought me last year, is it? Are we back in Kansas?”
He nodded.
“But why are we in this area if we’re in Kansas?” Mary stared hard at her father, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“Don’t ask questions you don’t need to be answered now,” her mother said sharply. “We’ll explain later. Just get settled inside the house and prepare yourself for a long journey. We won’t stop for any supplies until we reach Denver.”
Mary tried to keep up her spirits as she helped her mother unpack the wagons, but she was miserable with guilt and shame over what she had done. Her conscience weighed heavy on her shoulders. It was bad enough knowing that she’d robbed banks and stagecoach stations and stolen goods, but what happened yesterday when she’d tried to escape was unforgivable.
She didn’t understand how her life could come so full circle in such a short period of time. The very crime she’d committed years ago had landed her in trouble once again. Only this time she wasn’t alone. Now, she had her mother and father, too. And Tom was right. They were bound together because of her, and it was wrong to put him in danger.
She couldn’t bear to think about what might happen if someone else caught wind of her criminal past. Even though she knew it was impossible for anyone to recognize her now, she felt a responsibility to warn Tom of his own impending danger.
She owed it to him to tell him, even if it meant putting herself in greater jeopardy. But how could she do anything without letting everyone know who she truly was?
Tom’s face appeared before her mind’s eye. He’d looked shocked by everything she told him yesterday, which made her wonder if he suspected it all along. Had he known about her past before? Was it possible some of the other men he’d hired weren’t criminals themselves but were just pretending to be bandits in order to rob them blind?
If only she could tell him, she thought, but I can’t risk it. Not with the lives of all these innocent people on my shoulders. What happened yesterday would happen again. It was only a matter of time before someone caught up with her, and then the real killing would begin.
Her thoughts whirled faster than the wheels on her wagon, and she struggled to catch her breath as she pulled her cap off her head and tossed it aside. “What’s wrong?” Tom asked. “Are you feeling ill?”
“No. I’m fine. It’s just… nothing,” Mary mumbled as she pushed her hat under the seat and pulled the brim of her bonnet down to her brow.
“It’s just that I feel like we’re being watched,” Tom said, glancing toward the creek behind the cabin. “Do you see anyone hiding among those trees?”
“Of course not,” Mary replied quickly. She glanced at her mother for support. “Let’s get inside.”
The house looked different, too. Instead of the plain, white walls of their previous home, this one boasted bright red shingles. The windows were tall and narrow, but the porch roof stretched across the front of the house, and flowers lined the walkway leading up to it.
Mary’s eyes widened when she stepped inside the door and saw how much bigger the room was than the last time she visited it. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and a warm, pleasant scent tickled her nose. There was no doubt that Tom’s family was prosperous.
As Tom carried their luggage up from the wagons, Mary stood quietly on the steps while her mother and father began organizing the items they’d taken out of the wagons. After a moment, Mary joined them, taking a spot beside her father as he worked on the firebox.
Tom’s mother came inside with the children and gave each one an apple, which they happily munched on while she chatted with Mary. “My name’s Rebecca, by the way, but my friends call me Becky.”
“And mine’s Mary,” Mary said, offering her hand to shake. “I’m glad to meet you. Thank you for opening your home to us.”
Becky nodded and smiled at Mary. “You’re welcome anytime.”
“Thank you for bringing me back here, Rebecca,” Tom said. “Your son must have been worried sick.”
Becky patted her husband on the shoulder. “It was our pleasure, Thomas.” She glanced at Mary and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure I didn’t bring my daughter home, instead of yours?”
Tom grinned as he walked over to help his wife and brother-in-law finish unpacking. “Yes, you did, Becky. I remember.”
“We’re almost done,” Rebecca announced. “Why don’t you kids run outside for a minute?”
Mary glanced over her shoulder as Tom’s sister and two cousins headed out of the door. She hoped they wouldn’t go far away, because she needed a chance to talk to Tom alone.
A few minutes later, Mary went outside for a breath of fresh air. The sun beat down upon her head as she strolled to the edge of the small wooded area near the house, where trees grew thick and close together. As her eyes adjusted to the dimming light of evening, she realized someone had already begun planting new trees around the property.
She took in a deep breath as she looked ahead. The forest seemed to stretch out for miles. A few birds flew overhead, and the breeze rustled through the trees. It felt good to breathe in the fresh, country air after having spent most of the day inside the cramped confines of their wagon.
Mary stopped at the end of the path. At least three more rows of trees stretched across the field beyond the clearing. They would make a lovely garden, she thought. But who could afford to buy so many trees? Certainly not a family in their circumstances.
She gazed over the landscape before returning to the cabin. When she reached the porch steps, something hit her hard on the side of the head. Startled by the blow, she dropped her bonnet and bent down to pick it up off the ground. Before she could stand, another fist slammed into her ribs, driving the air from her lungs. Pain erupted throughout her body, and her vision blurred.
“Stop!”
Someone grabbed her by both arms and pulled her up. Mary staggered and tried to pull away, but the person holding her tight refused to let go.
“I’ll kill you if you don’t stop,” Mary shouted.
A strong hand pressed against her mouth before she could say anything else, and she gasped for breath.
“I know you can’t hear me,” she heard someone whisper. “But I will find a way to hurt you.”
With her attacker’s grip around her throat, Mary couldn’t even turn around to see who it was. Her heart pounded as she fought to stay conscious. The world spun around her, and everything became a blur of red and black.
***
When Mary woke up in the infirmary at the ranch, Tom knelt beside her bed, stroking his fingers through the thick, golden locks of her hair.
“What happened?” she mumbled.
Tom’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked at the bandage wrapped around her head. He helped her sit up and eased her back onto the pillow. “How did you get so banged up?”
“A fight,” she muttered, then paused, confused by what she’d just said. “Did I win?”
He stared at her blankly for a moment before his eyes widened with realization. “You mean the fight you started? No, Mary. You didn’t. You should have known better than to start a brawl when there were witnesses.”
“You don’t understand—it wasn’t like that.”
Tom shook his head slowly as he watched her struggle to catch her breath. He gently touched his fingertips to the swelling bruise across her cheekbone, where she had landed hard during the scuffle.
“Who did this?” he asked quietly.
She blinked and turned her gaze to him. “You’re asking me?”
His mouth tightened. “Do you want me to call the sheriff to arrest this man?”
Her eyes darkened with guilt. “No, I—”
“Then tell me about it.”
“There are some people in town who think I’ve come here to steal their ranch.”
“Really? And why would they believe that?”
Mary sighed heavily. “Because I don’t know what to do with a ranch or how to run one, so maybe they assume I’m trying to take over.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her face again as she struggled to recall what happened.
“This is all because I wanted to see your father,” she whispered. “It’s no big deal. I can talk to him any time we decide to visit him next year, but my husband and son aren’t happy about it.”
“And the reason you came out here in the first place? Was it to confront these people? To prove them wrong?”
Mary nodded. “I didn’t want to cause trouble, but they wouldn’t listen to reason. I got angry and told them I was going to tell Tom about their attitude toward you and his family.”
“So they hit you.”
She looked away. “They didn’t hit me on purpose. It was an accident.”
“Are you sure? If anyone should be apologizing for hurting you, it should be me.” He leaned closer and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Why did you do it anyway? I mean, why come out here and start such a fuss?”
“You know why,” she said, closing her eyes and feeling the warm caress of his lips on her skin. Suddenly, the pain behind her eyelids intensified and her vision blurred again. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the agony to subside. When it didn’t, she opened her eyes and glared at him. “The only reason I came out here was to apologize to you.”
He lifted his hand to cup her chin, and her eyes fluttered shut once more. “For what?” he asked softly.
“For everything.”
He brushed the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. “I never wanted to upset your mother and make her feel uncomfortable, but you knew that from the beginning.” His lips curved into a wry smile as he ran a finger along the edge of her jaw. “You knew that before you ever agreed to marry me.”
“I know…” She smiled faintly, unable to say the words she longed to hear. She didn’t know how to thank him for everything he’d done for her after his mother and brother-in-law left town. “It’s just…I thought we could both get past it.”
Tom’s brow creased. “We could have if you hadn’t married me. But now that you’re part of our family, you’ll always be a threat to me, and you know it. So I won’t let this go.”
“If you weren’t so stubborn, you might have noticed the same thing about us,” she snapped back.
He stiffened. “Meaning what?”
“Well, I don’t know if it’s me or the ranch, but something has happened to bring the two of you together, and I guess it works for you—because you certainly aren’t letting go either.” Her voice dropped off. “But if it’s not working for me, then I don’t belong here anymore. I want to leave.”
He frowned and sat up straight on his knees, staring down at her. “Where will you go?”
“Someplace else—anywhere.”
He stood abruptly and moved to the window, looking out at the street. “Don’t even joke about leaving.”
She watched him pace in front of the open door, wondering what he was thinking. “What are you going to do to keep me here?” she demanded. “Call the sheriff and have me arrested? Have me charged with assault against you? Because if that’s what you intend to do, it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.”
He turned back to her with a frown. “Is that what you think you have to do to stay?”
“Yes! If I have to spend my life watching you and worrying about losing you, it might drive me crazy.” She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t be near you and not love you.”
“Do you mean it? Or do you only say that because you feel obligated to keep my family and me happy? What if I ask you to give up this foolish plan of yours, you’ll promise to stop bothering me and stay put?”
“Stop asking me!” Mary said, standing up and facing him. “It doesn’t matter what I say; you’re always going to be right.”
“Wrong,” he corrected her.
“Right.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “No matter what I say, you’ll always find some way to prove that I’m wrong. You’re the boss of this ranch, not me. And I never meant to cause any trouble for you, but now—” She stopped herself before she could say the rest.
What was the use? Nothing would change, and she didn’t want to hurt Tom’s feelings. “Now, I don’t care if you throw me out of this house today or tomorrow.”
She walked to the door and pulled the handle to open it, but instead of walking away, he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, pressing her against the wall. Their gazes collided, and he kissed her. She felt the heat between them, and when their lips parted, she pressed harder, trying to deepen the kiss.
His hands slid down her bare arms and cupped her waist as he deepened the kiss, pulling her body closer. For a moment she thought he was going to rip off her clothes and carry her upstairs, but he broke away. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
“Are you satisfied?”
“I’m not sure,” she whispered. “I still believe I should run, but if I do, then I won’t know whether it worked. If I leave now, it could turn out just like last night, and we both know that would make me miserable.”
He nodded. “So you’ll wait until you can talk to your mother first?”
She smiled. “Of course, I will. But I’m not running anywhere. Not anytime soon, anyway.”
***
The following day, Mary went back to her room early and dressed in one of her nicest dresses and shoes. She wanted to look good for the meeting with her mother, so she took extra time getting ready.
When she returned downstairs, she found Tom sitting beside his father, who sat at the head of the dining table. It surprised her that they were sharing dinner. After all, there was no reason for her to join them, and it wasn’t exactly proper for him to invite her since she was technically under his roof.
But he had invited her to dine with him several times already. The fact that he did so now told her more than words could about how much things had changed between them.
Tom’s father looked up from his plate and motioned for her to sit across from him. “Good morning, Mary. How’s the ranch?”
“Fine.” She hesitated before adding, “And you?”
His smile widened. “Everything is fine. We’re expecting a large shipment of cattle in the next few weeks and should be able to pay off most of our debt.”
Mary couldn’t help feeling pleased with hearing about their financial success. Of course, Tom’s father and brother owned half of the ranch, but she knew Tom worked hard to keep the other half up and running. And although it was nice to hear about their business affairs, she still wondered what he wanted to discuss with her.
Why would he need to talk to her about anything? She hadn’t said or done anything wrong, so why was he suddenly asking her opinion on something? Was he testing her again?
“Your mother asked me to have lunch with her,” he said after she’d taken a sip of water from a glass on the table. “You’re welcome to come along.”
“Me?” The idea made her stomach flutter. “But…” She glanced toward Tom’s brother and father, and the question came out. “What is this meeting about? Is there something I should know about?”
“No,” Tom said and gave his father a glance that suggested that was an answer enough.
“I think you’re making this too complicated,” his father added.
She turned her attention to Tom’s mother and frowned. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it seems to me you’re talking around me and not really telling me what—”
“We’re not avoiding anything,” Mary’s mother interrupted her. “It’s just that this particular subject isn’t for you to worry about.”
“Not me to worry about?” she echoed. “Why not?”
“Because it concerns another woman.”
Her mouth dropped open. She hadn’t been expecting such a blunt response from Tom’s mother, who seemed to favor tact and diplomacy. Mary’s cheeks burned at the thought of having been rude to Tom’s mother—the very woman who would help her become part of Tom’s family—and she quickly lowered her gaze to her plate and picked at the food.
“I understand you two have spent a lot of time together these past few days,” Mrs. Puckett continued. “Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you love this girl?” Tom’s mother leaned forward and placed her hand on Mary’s knee. Her touch startled Mary. “If you don’t, you’ll break both her heart and your own. Love isn’t something to play with.”
Mary swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn’t expect any judgment from Tom’s mother, and yet somehow that was exactly what she got. She nodded and lifted her chin, refusing to say a word about the real issue. It wasn’t as if she cared for Susan’s feelings anymore; it was something she felt for herself, so why should anyone care what she did?
But then she remembered the way Tom had looked when he first told her she couldn’t marry her fiancé. He didn’t like seeing her hurt. Maybe he would care, she thought. “I love her very much, ma’am.”
Tom’s father cleared his throat and reached for the salt cellar. “Well, that’s wonderful news,” he said in a clipped tone as though he were trying not to offend anyone by agreeing with Mrs. Puckett. Then he looked at Mary directly. “So you see, we’ve got a big decision to make.”
“A decision?” Mary stared at her mother’s husband in disbelief. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“Actually, it does.” Tom’s father gave her a wry grin and turned to his wife. “I suppose you might as well tell her.”
Mary blinked in confusion. “Tell me what?”
“Your mother will explain everything.”
Mary’s hands flew up to cover her face. What could possibly be so important to cause his parents to bring it up now?
Mrs. Puckett rose to her feet and moved around the table before sitting down across from Mary. “Your brother has fallen head over heels in love with someone,” she said without preamble. “The only problem is that the man he’s interested in is engaged to be married.”
Mary gasped and sat straight up on her chair. That explained why Tom’s eyes had turned dark when he talked about his fiancée and how she’d reacted to him calling off their engagement. Now she understood why Tom’s parents would need her help, but that didn’t mean she was willing to accept that responsibility.
The End