“Rosalyn, did you have any ideas?” he questioned.
Her eyes rose to meet his. There was a smile on her face, but she seemed hesitant. “Well, we attend church at St. Patrick’s. It’s where Zoe was brought up,” she stated. “I always thought she would marry there.”
“Oh!” Agatha replied, as she looked at him hesitantly. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Quinn could sense the tension in the air. Both women cared about him and Zoe, but they both had different ideas for what their perfect wedding day should be. Quinn had no idea what he wanted.
“How about this?” Zoe interjected pleasantly. “Why don’t we have the wedding at St. Augustine’s, as your mother suggested, and the reception at my parents’ house? That way everybody can be happy?”
Quinn turned to Rosalyn and then his mother. Both women seemed slightly disappointed, but both put on their best face and agreed to the arrangement.
“It looks like you will marry us, after all, Reverend Kibble,” he said as he turned to the man beside him. It was strange how people changed with the passage of time. The Reverend seemed like a giant to him when he was a boy, but now Quinn dwarfed him by several inches. The Reverend’s hair had thinned and he’d put on some weight, but he was still the gentle, patient, and accommodating man Quinn remembered.
“It is my pleasure,” the Reverend replied.
“What about food?” his mother Agatha said suddenly. “How much should there be? What should be on the menu? How many people are you planning to invite?” she asked in rapid succession.
Quinn could see she was getting anxious. “Excuse me, Reverend,” he said, as he walked over to his mother’s side. He kneeled beside Agatha as Zoe looked at him silently. “Mama, Zoe and I don’t want a big wedding. I know that this is a special day for you,” he looked over at Rosalyn. “Both of you, but Zoe and I don’t want a lot of fuss.” He placed his hand on his mother’s comfortingly. “We can have the big church wedding that you want, but there won’t be a large reception. Only family, Mama.”
“But Quinn…” she interjected.
“No, Mama,” he said firmly, but gently. “This is my big day with Zoe, and this is what we want. I hope you can accept that?”
Agatha looked at him sadly, disappointment on her face as she nodded her head in understanding. “All right,” she said, as she cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, you’re right. This is your day with Zoe and it should be everything you want it to be. I just always dreamed of it being a certain way.”
“It’s all right, Agatha,” Rosalyn said gently. “I think it’s natural to have a dream for your child’s wedding day. I always had them for Zoe.”
“It’s making two dreams one,” Zoe interjected. “We’re making two families one. That’s the important part.”
“Well said,” Reverend Kibble agreed, as he walked over and took a seat in the comfortable armchair near the fireplace. Agatha had let everyone know before he arrived, that the seat was especially for him. He suffered from poor circulation and sitting by the fire helped him.
“My fiancée is a wise woman,” Quinn stated as he smiled at Zoe. He saw a blush color her cheeks. Despite everything she’d been through in life, the slightest compliment from him made her bashful, like a girl. He adored it. He loved being the man who had such an effect on her. The Lord knew she did something to him no one else ever had.
Quinn was never a man who felt his heart flutter. The notion was preposterous until he met Zoe. She made his heart race, his palms sweat, and he wanted to see her all the time. Being apart from her was something he now could not fathom. She needed to be with him. She completed him. She made him look at his life and make the changes necessary to give her, the woman he loved, what she deserved. In his mind, that was only the best he could offer.
“I’m glad you know that,” Zoe teased as she grinned at him.
“I can see that you two have already come to understand the first important thing about marriage,” Reverend Kibble said.
“What’s that, Reverend?” Quinn asked.
“Your wife is always right,” he said with a laugh, which soon spread to everyone present. “In reality, the main binding factor in a marriage is the Lord, as you know, Quinn. I taught you that growing up.”
“Yes, sir,” Quinn agreed, as he got up and moved to sit beside Zoe on the couch. He took her hand in his, rubbing her knuckles gently, as they turned their attention to the Reverend.
“Marriage is a sacred covenant between man and woman. It represents the love of God for His church, that’s why it’s important that we take such a thing seriously,” Reverend Kibble said calmly. “It’s a lifelong commitment.”
“And we are committed, Reverend,” Zoe replied. She turned to him and smiled. “I cannot imagine being by anyone’s side but Quinn’s. We’ve been through a lot in a short time, more than most, less than some. However, it taught me that he is a man who would always be there for me. That his heart is true and it’s good and decent. The kind of man I never knew I wanted in my life,” she continued as tears glistened in her eyes.
“I learned to appreciate a strong woman who knows her mind and purpose. A woman who made me see my life as more than just a job or a career. Zoe made me see that life has so much more to it, and what I’d be missing out on if I allowed her to get away from me.” He squeezed her hand. “She also reminded me that in life we need to forgive and let go.”
“That’s what the Lord teaches us in His Word,” Reverend Kibble replied. “I’m glad you have someone who can remind you of that. I believe that we all need reminders from time-to-time.”
“Even you, Reverend?” Agatha said teasingly. “You have no wife to remind you.”
Reverend Kibble smirked and nodded gently. “Yes, even I need to be reminded. Especially me, in fact. I am a shepherd to a flock. I’m tried daily on the words I preach from my pulpit. That’s why I study the Word regularly and remind myself daily of the things our Lord has taught.”
“Seeing the two of you makes me remember when I met Rosalyn,” Francis said as he looked over at them. “I was just coming out of the Army. I was angry and lost. I met Rosie at the church I went to looking for work,” he stated.
Quinn sat forward to listen to him. He’d heard what had happened to his birth father, but he had no idea how Francis came into his birth mother’s life. He was curious.
He glanced around the room. Everyone was silent, listening to Francis’ story, including Zoe. Their union was bringing to light a lot that they never knew before. Truths were coming out that they all needed to hear. He needed to know why he’d been given away, and what happened to his father. He knew that now, but today he was finding out about the man who’d changed his mother’s life so much that she was able to take the step to adopt Zoe into her own household.
It was strange. Before that day, he had no idea his mother, Agatha, had ideas for his wedding. He never thought of it before he met Zoe, but his mother had. She seemed to have a very clear plan, one he knew had been disrupted by Rosalyn, his birth mother, who also had ideas. Quinn wondered if she had ideas for him, as well. Ideas she couldn’t share because of Agatha. Rosalyn was the mother to both him and Zoe. He was sure she had a lot she wasn’t saying out of respect for the circumstances.
Rosalyn’s gaze turned suddenly. She met his eyes and Quinn found himself smiling, as her husband continued his story.
“I was a very angry man when we met. I’d lost a lot of friends fighting in California, and I blamed the Indians for it. I hated them,” Francis admitted. “Then Rosie made me see otherwise. She’d lost her first husband the same way I’d lost my friends, but she didn’t hate the people who did it. At first, I couldn’t understand how she didn’t hate them, but soon she explained to me, that we are all God’s creations. The Indians I was fighting were fighting for the same things I was. They were fighting for the right to live. When I saw them as something other than an enemy, and I forgave them, I found my anger disappeared.”
“And I was,” Francis agreed. “I knew right then that I needed Rosie in my life. She was the person who made all the difference. She helped me be the man I wanted to be.”
“You see, that’s what marriage is about. It’s about helping each other reach the place that God wants us to be,” Reverend Kibble stated as he nodded contentedly. “It’s clear to me that you both have very sound examples to follow as you start your married lives. I have no concerns about this marriage in the least.”
Quinn smiled as Zoe squeezed his hand. They both knew how important it was that the Reverend be accepting of their union, not so much for them but for his mother, Agatha. She wanted their marriage to be blessed by the man who had so influenced her own marriage and Quinn’s childhood.
The rest of the evening was spent discussing the details of the wedding ceremony; decorations for the church and how the invitations should be sent to those they wanted present. After that, it was the menu for the day and which members of their family and friends would be asked to attend. It was so much more than Quinn expected. He just thought of marriage as going to the reverend and saying ‘I do’, but for Zoe and the other women, it was so much more.
Quinn’s father took him aside as the women continued to plan and Francis talked to Reverend Kibble.
“Quinn,” he began. “You know I’m not much of a talker, but I feel that as your father, I need to say something about this whole marriage.”
His brow furrowed at his father’s words. What did he mean by that?
“Marriage isn’t easy,” his father stated. “I know you listened to those stories and it all sounded good. Marriage has cycles. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s bad, but it’s always worth it.”
Quinn nodded. “I understand.”
His father put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son,” his father said. “I’ve always been delighted in the way you’ve grown, but today I’m even more so. You’re the man I always knew you would be.” He smiled. “She’s good for you.”
Quinn turned in Zoe’s direction and watched her silently. “Yes, she is.”
After the meeting with their families was over, Quinn gathered his coat and left his parents’ home. There was one more visit he had to take care of, and it was an important one.
Quinn walked the long route to Mary Hutch’s house. He knew it well. He’d walked there several times during his investigation. Now, it felt like a dream to be returning to the place after so long.
He found the small house and heard the sound of the family inside. A smile spread across his face. He’d longed for this day. In five years he wanted nothing more than to get justice for the woman who had lost her sons so needlessly. Now, he could finally tell her that the task was done. He knocked on the door.
Quinn heard the sound of shuffling and a moment later the door of the house opened. Mary Hutch stood before him. She looked much older than when he’d last saw her, but five years of trying to support her family on her own would do that.
“Mary,” he said politely, as he smiled at her.
The woman stared at him in wonder. “Mr. Mortensen, what’re you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to tell you that Victor Norton has paid for his crimes. He was killed in Oregon several weeks ago,” he replied.
“Are you sure?” Mary asked in a daze.
“Yes. I shot him myself,” Quinn replied.
Mary’s eyes rose to his face as tears filled them. She flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she cried, as she hugged him tightly. “Thank you for getting justice for my boys.”
Quinn held the woman gently. “I’m happy I could do it,” he replied.
He held her for several seconds as her children neared the door to see what was happening. Finally, Mary was composed enough and let him go. “Bless you, Mr. Mortensen. You have no idea what you’ve done.”
“I just did what was right,” Quinn answered. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an envelope. “This is for you,” he said as he placed it in her hand. “It’s something to help you raise your girls.”
Mary looked at him perplexed, then she opened the envelope. A gasp leaped from her lips as she looked on the money it contained. She shook her head as she tried to give it back to him. “I can’t accept this, Mr. Mortensen.”
Quinn gently pushed her hands back. “Yes, you will. It’s some of the money I got for the bounty on Victor. You need it. You need help to raise your girls. You can’t do it alone and you have no sons to help you. Please, let me do this.”
She looked at him hesitantly. “All right,” she replied. “Thank you,” she said, as she began to cry again. “You have done so much for us. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“There is no need,” Quinn replied. “Just live a good life, you and your girls. I wish I could do more.”
“You have done more for us than anyone ever has. You are a good man, Mr. Mortensen. God bless you.”
Quinn lingered for several seconds. His heart was warmed by what he’d done. It felt good to help Mary and her daughters. It felt good to bring justice to those who needed it. It felt as if everything in his life was now justified. The path he chose in life had a meaning, and that was to help those who couldn’t do it themselves.
“You have a good evening, Mary,” Quinn stated as he nodded his head politely. “I better get back. You take care of yourself.”
“You do the same, Mr. Mortensen,” she replied.
Quinn turned away from the house, and a few seconds later he heard the elated screams of Mary Hutch’s daughters. A smile spread across his face as he continued home.
Chapter Thirty
The day was finally here, and Zoe could hardly contain her elation. She sat at her dressing table in her mother’s house and dabbed her eyes as her mother fixed her hair.
“Here, dear,” Agatha said as she handed Zoe a handkerchief. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “I couldn’t stop crying the day I married, either,” she commented as she patted Zoe’s shoulder. “You’ll get through it.”
“Yes, she will,” her mother agreed, as she teased her curls into their proper place. Rosalyn always loved to do Zoe’s hair, ever since she was a girl, but it had been years since she had needed her help. Today, she wanted it.
Today, she had two mothers to fuss over her. Her own mother was doing her hair while Agatha made sure that everything on her dress was just right.
“It is so lovely,” Agatha commented as she plucked at some loose threads. “I’m glad we had enough time to have it made,” she added. “I would’ve hated for you to have had to settle for store-bought. It’s so much more expensive and not nearly as unique.”
Zoe smiled. “I’m glad you knew someone who had the time to do it. We didn’t have that much time to get everything organized.”
“A month is more than enough time when you have the right people,” Agatha commented. “Between your mother and I, we knew just the right ones to help you and Quinn have the day you wanted.”
“Thank you, both,” Zoe said, as her emotions once again flared up. She used to think she had to prove to the world that she could do it all herself, but now she was glad she had people to do things for her. She wanted them to be involved. She wanted them to be as happy about this day as she was. She was marrying the man she loved. She wanted everyone to be happy.
Her mother finished her hair. The dark red curls were pinned and twisted with pearls at the ends. She smiled at her own reflection. “Mama,” she said softly as she became tearful again. “It’s lovely.”
Her mother lowered her head so that they could see each other in the mirror. “Only the best for my little girl,” she said, as she squeezed her shoulders gently and then kissed her temple. “I’m so happy for you.”
The clock chimed the half hour and Zoe turned to look where the small device rested on the wall.
“Time to get dressed,” her mother said, as she stepped toward the bed where Agatha was waiting. Zoe stood and followed her.
The dress was ivory in color. It was a simple satin top and skirt, with a slender hoop of crinoline beneath to give it volume. The austere satin was highlighted with pieces of pearl-encrusted lace. Her ivory satin slippers were a perfect match.
Agatha and Rosalyn helped her dress. They found themselves laughing as they went about it, as her mother and Quinn’s tried to get the silly hoop to stay in place around her waist. Finally, it settled and they were able to fit the skirt around it. At last, she was dressed and she slid her feet into her slippers.
“All done,” Agatha said, as she stepped back to look at her. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest as she smiled at Zoe. “You look wonderful.”
“Almost done,” her mother corrected, as she walked back to the dressing table. She retrieved the veil from where it rested. She pressed the encrusted comb into Zoe’s hair with the veil attached. It was another family heirloom, one Zoe would one day give to her own daughter, if she was fortunate enough to have one.
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