“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.
Would every kiss be as overwhelming as Zach’s or had the situation made her overly excitable? The questions popped into her mind faster than she could answer them, and she decided, for the moment, to cherish the feeling of her husband’s first kiss.
Ipresent to you Mr. and Mrs. Zach Sawyer! Congratulations!” Reverend Eugene exclaimed after Zach and McKenzie ended their kiss. He patted them both on the back and sent them on their way down the aisle to see the townsfolk waiting outside the chapel.
A group of women, including Rosemary, quickly approached the newlyweds. “Congratulations, dear! I know you and Zach will be very happy,” Rosemary said, stepping forward to hand McKenzie a handmade quilt. “On behalf of our quilting circle, I would like to present you with this gift.”
McKenzie looked down at the quilt as she took it from Rosemary and felt humbled. It was not as thick and luxurious as her bedding at home in Boston, which she had ordered from a specialty imports store, but it had probably taken the women hours of effort, and she appreciated it. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re quite welcome! Let me introduce you to the ladies in our circle,” Rosemary said, then gestured to each woman in turn: “This is Myrtle, Reverend Eugene’s wife. Here is Lucille Granger; she owns Granger Mercantile with her husband, Fred. This is Diane Orville; she’s married to Doc Orville. Then, we have Eliza Renkley; she and her husband, Billy Lee, have a ranch not too far from yours. Marie Kinion, here, is married to the sheriff, Clyde Kinion, and Wilma Waterson’s husband, Wayne, is a blacksmith.”
“Nice to meet you all,” McKenzie said. Zach had left her side and was speaking to several men in the shade of a tree, and she felt odd standing in the middle of a group of women who were so opposite from herself in every way. She doubted any of them had ever been to a city like Boston or lived in a fine home.
“We would love for you to join us in the quiltin’ circle,” said Eliza. “Do you sew?”
“I do,” McKenzie replied.
“Well, that settles it, then,” said Lucille. “You’re our newest member!”
“All in favor of inviting McKenzie Sawyer to join the quilting circle, say aye,” said Marie.
Each woman voted in McKenzie’s favor, and several of them gave her a hug. “We’re happy to have you in Pine Haven, and we’ll do whatever we can to make you feel welcome here,” said Myrtle.
“We’ve baked some goodies for the potluck,” Diane put in, “so, after you’re finished meeting and greeting, please help yourself to a meal. Wilma also baked a grand wedding cake for you and Zach—it’s over on the far table.”
“Thank you,” McKenzie said again, surprised at the charity of these strangers. While she delighted in spending time at teas and parties with her friends back home, she doubted they’d ever prepare a meal or bake a cake for her. Why should they? Only cooks and maids did such menial tasks.
The townspeople continued to greet McKenzie, and she floated from stranger to stranger, amazed at their genuine kindness.
When she felt a tug on her arm, she looked down to see Davey smiling up at her. “Can I call you Ma now?” he asked.
McKenzie couldn’t believe how quickly Davey’s clean appearance during the wedding had taken a turn for the worse. His trousers were caked with mud, and his once white shirt was spattered with dots of different colors, probably from his lunch. McKenzie could almost hear her own mother scolding him for being so ungentlemanly and telling him to pass his clothes immediately to Nellie to launder.
“Well, can I?” Davey persisted.
“Yes, Davey. That would be fine,” McKenzie answered with a smile. How quickly Davey is earning a place in my heart, she thought. The realization both touched her and troubled her at the same time.
After the potluck reception, Zach and McKenzie rode most of the way to the ranch in silence. McKenzie turned her gaze to the band on her finger. Had she married Louis, she would be wearing only the finest of diamonds mounted on a pure gold band. But she had married Zach, and the plain ring in no way could be considered exceptional. She doubted the band was real gold, and it certainly wasn’t studded with any diamonds. She wondered why one would even bother to purchase such a dismal piece of jewelry.
She opened her hand and then folded it into a fist, watching the ring maintain its secure place on her left ring finger. It doesn’t matter, she reminded herself. In a few short months, the ring would be removed and tossed away, never to be seen again.
***
As Zach drove the wagon, he watched McKenzie out of the corner of his eye. He wished he knew what was going through her mind. She had shared so little with him since her arrival, and his own shyness prevented him from asking her the questions that traveled through his mind like a runaway horse. Was she happy? Was she still thinking about losing consciousness during the wedding? Did she regret her decision to become his wife? Lord, enable me to be the kind of husband You designed me to be, he prayed silently. And, thank You, Lord, for letting McKenzie be so easy on the eyes. He stifled a chuckle. After all, he’d convinced himself not to be concerned at all about his new wife’s appearance, and now, here he sat, next to the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Watching her walk up the aisle with Asa during the wedding ceremony had taken the breath from him. Not that he would have hesitated to marry her, had she been plain, but he felt a sense of honor and privilege to think that God had chosen someone so beautifully made for him. Please, let her love me the way I promise to love her, he prayed.
On Wednesday morning, a tiny voice and a knock at the door interrupted McKenzie’s sleep. “Ma? Ma?” McKenzie rolled over and sat up in her bed. What was that?
“Ma? Ma? Come quick!”
McKenzie bolted from her bed and rushed to the door. When she opened it, she saw Davey standing there. “What is it, Davey? Is something wrong?” She realized that responding to the name “Ma” would take some getting used to.
“No, Ma; nothing’s wrong. It’s just that your wedding present is here.”
“Davey, it’s not even morning yet. Go back to bed, please.” McKenzie winced. She’d only been Davey’s ‘ma’ for less than a day, and already she was telling him what to do.
“No, I can’t go back to bed. Besides, it’s mornin’ time. The rooster already crowed.” He reached for McKenzie’s hand. “Come on. I can’t wait for you to see your wedding present!”
McKenzie sighed. What could be so important that she would be awakened at least two hours before her normal rising time? “Just a minute, Davey. Let me put on my cloak.” She slipped her arms through the garment and buttoned it over her nightgown.
“We don’t got too much time,” Davey said.
“You mean, we don’t have too much time,” McKenzie corrected him.
“That, too. You’ll see why when you come out to the barn.” Holding McKenzie’s hand, he led her through the house and outside.
“Did you say my wedding present is here?” McKenzie asked when the words finally clicked in her mind.
“Yep! I can’t believe it. Pa says it’s perfect timing. Wait till you see it!”
McKenzie was hoping to receive a jeweled broach or a pearl necklace. However, if her gift was in the barn, as Davey had said, it probably wasn’t a piece of jewelry. Perhaps, Zach had purchased for her a new armoire with a gold-framed mirror. She smiled at the notion.
“Wait a minute,” Davey said, interrupting her thoughts.
“What is it?” McKenzie asked, her hand still firmly gripped in Davey’s.
“Look at that sunrise, Ma. Isn’t it bootiful? Pa says only the Lord could create somethin’ so bootiful.”
McKenzie turned her head in the direction Davey pointed. Sure enough, pinkish hues fanned the sky as the vibrant sunrise made its appearance. Feeling somewhat ashamed, she realized that she’d never before marveled at a sunrise. Had it been because the buildings were so tall in Boston that they blocked the magnificence? Because she had never awakened early enough to see it? Or, because she simply never had taken the time to view such a piece of artistry? “Yes, it is beautiful, Davey.”
“I think I like God’s sunrises even better than His rainbows,” Davey admitted.
McKenzie stared down at Davey. His blond hair stuck up in odd places from last night’s sleep and made a ruffled design at the back of his head. His blue eyes were bright, and a dimple creased his right cheek. “Do you like rainbows, Ma?” he asked her.
“I do,” McKenzie said, even as she realized she’d never seen a real rainbow. She’d seen paintings of them, of course, but never the real thing. “Do you have a lot of rainbows here?” she asked.
“Only sometimes, after it rains. It’s ’cause God told Noah He’d never flood the world again. It’s a promise.”
“Really? That’s why we have rainbows?” McKenzie asked him.
“Yep.”
McKenzie stared at Davey in awe. She had never learned about the origin of rainbows. Davey will be a smart man someday, she mused.
“We better get to the barn. Pa’s waitin’,” Davey said, pulling again on McKenzie’s hand.
They entered the barn, and McKenzie scrunched her nose at the unfamiliar smell of hay. She saw Zach rise from his crouched position beside a white horse.
***
“Good morning, McKenzie,” Zach said, standing up when he saw her and Davey. He attempted to hide a smirk at the sight of McKenzie’s white nightgown peeking out from beneath her cloak and the look of her hair in disarray.
“Good morning,” McKenzie replied. “Davey said my wedding present was in the barn?”
“Yes—she’s right here.” Zach leaned down again and scooped up a small, brown and white foal. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“I beg your pardon?” McKenzie said, sounding incredulous.
“I named her Starlight,” Davey spoke up. “I hope that’s okay. It’s ’cause she has a star on her forehead. See?” He pointed to the foal’s head. “She can’t stand very good, either. It’s ’cause she’s just born.”
Zach laughed. “You’re right, Davey. But, each day, she’ll become stronger and stronger, and, before long, she’ll be able to walk and run, just like her mother, Sugar.”
“The horse is my gift?” McKenzie asked, staring blankly at him.
“The foal, yes,” Zach said. “I know she’s tiny now, but I thought you’d enjoy having your own horse. It’s really something to watch a foal grow up, and, if she’s anything like her mother, she’ll be easy to train. She’ll make a good horse.”
“You are giving me a horse for my wedding present?”
What was making it so hard for McKenzie to understand? “Yes, I am giving you a horse for your wedding present,” Zach confirmed, creasing his eyebrows in concern. Did McKenzie not like her gift? He’d been so sure she would embrace his idea, since she’d said in a letter that she’d never ridden a horse but was eager to try. He remembered the first time he’d had a horse of his own, and how ecstatic he’d been.
“I guess I don’t believe it,” McKenzie said, her voice quiet. “Thank you, Zach, for the horse,” she said after a moment. “I guess I was just expecting something different. But, thank you all the same.”
Zach stared at McKenzie. Unsure of how to respond, he prayed for guidance, and then said, “I’m sorry if I disappointed you. I truly thought you’d like a horse.” The last thing he’d wanted to do was disappoint her, but he’d done it. As he watched McKenzie walk out of the barn, he recalled what his father had told him about not making a big deal of the small things. Although her response to his gift had crushed more than his ego, he decided to classify this incident as a small thing and think nothing more of it.
McKenzie walked into the house and up to her room. Of all the odd things she’d encountered so far on this mercy trip, the gift of a foal had been the most unexpected. She had wished so much for a more fitting present. When she’d been a child, she’d always received everything she had asked for and more. While she didn’t fault Zach for not knowing what she would want for a wedding gift, she did wish he had asked her.
McKenzie plopped onto her bed with a sigh. It was still early in the morning, and she wondered whether she would be able to fall back to sleep. Lying back down on the bed, she closed her eyes. Perhaps she should get dressed and help Rosemary with breakfast. After all, that’s what Zach probably expected of her. It seemed as though the work on the ranch never ended. No sooner had one meal been served than another one had to be prepared. To add to her troubles, McKenzie felt herself growing increasingly lonely. Suddenly, she felt a wave of self-pity at her plight. She had expected her plan to find Kaydie to turn out differently than it had thus far.