The Scars of a Pure Heart

by Grace Clemens

  “So, you suddenly want to get hitched and put down roots? I thought you were hoping to leave here as soon as you could get away. Is Macie going to go with you? She doesn’t strike me as the sort of woman who likes to sleep outside and tromp around endlessly.”

  The criticism hit an old sore spot and any chance of Blake being reasonable evaporated. “You don’t know Macie.”

  “And you do?” Troy shot back.

  Blake wanted to blast his brother with a scathing retort. Unfortunately, Troy’s jab hit a little too close to the truth. Grinding his teeth, Blake didn’t reply.

  Troy went back to pumping. His bucket full, he lifted it and said, “I hope you’re telling the truth, Blake, I really do. Being married can be really great. Clora and Troy Jr. mean the world to me. But if you’re doing it for some underhanded reason, you better be careful. Macie is a real person with real feelings. You can’t string her along and expect her not to be hurt when the other shoe drops. Think this through carefully.”

  Anger swelled in Blake as he watched Troy disappear into the night. He had no right to push his nose in! Blake turned and stalked back to the house. Troy would always see his little brother as little more than some foolish kid. The water sloshed over his shoe and Blake’s temper flared.

  Maybe it was a bad idea. And maybe Blake wasn’t being honest with Macie himself. But letting Troy think he was in the right simply wouldn’t do. Blake would marry Macie Sheldon and everyone else could just keep their noses out of it!

  Chapter 10

  Blake stood at the front of the small church, his father to his left, waiting for the doors to open and Macie to come through. His hands shook with nerves and his breath came too fast. Now that the moment had come, Blake could hardly believe it. He was actually going to marry Macie Sheldon in order to get his grandfather’s letter. Was he making a terrible mistake?

  It didn’t help that he’d left a loophole in his marriage. Since he’d applied for the license within seventy-two hours of the wedding, it would be possible to have it annulled. Since she’d been so opposed to the idea, he hadn’t bothered to tell his bride-to-be. As far as Macie was concerned, an annulment was out of the question.

  When he’d been standing before the judge, requesting the license, Blake had thought himself clever. Macie might be pretty, but she was still mostly unknown to him. He needed to know that he could quit this marriage if he needed. Blake had imagined that this knowledge would take some of the worry out of the time leading up to his actually saying his vows. But, it turned out he was wrong on that count.

  A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump right out of his boots. He looked over at his father and flashed the older man a wild grin.

  “I’m proud of you, boy,” Len said in his deep, gruff voice.

  Blake’s smile slipped. Surely his father wouldn’t really be proud if he knew the truth behind it all. Len wasn’t one to dole out kind words easily. It would have meant so much to Blake if he’d really deserved his father’s pride. Now, the praise made him feel like he was ten years old again and had stolen cookies from the cookie jar behind his father’s back.

  But then the doors opened and Macie stepped into the sanctuary. She’d gone to the parsonage with Mrs. Hammond and his mother to change into her wedding dress. Blake hadn’t seen her since the church service ended an hour earlier. She’d looked pretty then in a dark blue dress that set off her eyes nicely.

  Now, though, she took his breath away. He’d never been one to imagine what it would be like to get married. His imaginings had always run towards adventuring and fighting off bad guys.

  Never had he given even one moment’s thought to what it would be like to have a beautiful woman walking down the aisle of a church, ready to make herself his. Blake found that he could hardly take his eyes from Macie’s. Surely no bride had ever been so lovely, his heart whispered.

  ***

  Macie was glad no one could see her legs shaking as she walked towards Blake, who was staring at her as though he’d never seen her before. He looked every bit as nervous as she felt, she thought with a tiny chuckle. Still, he cut a good figure up there next to his father and the reverend.

  Once she reached the front of the church, Macie gave her groom a radiant smile and turned her attention to the pastor. Behind her, she heard her mother-in-law slip into the pew next to the rest of her family. Macie tried to listen attentively as Reverend Hammond talked about God’s plan for marriage, but she found that her brain kept scurrying off in a dozen different directions.

  Part of her wanted to turn and run for the door. She was about to promise her life away to a man she hardly knew! It was so strange and, quite possibly, an awful idea. However, she might doubt her commitment to Blake, Macie didn’t doubt her desire to commit herself to his family. The past few days had been wonderful. She’d been welcomed in with great enthusiasm. Her family-starved heart had begun to bloom again in the Bradfields’ loving home.

  Then she wondered what Lorna was doing today. Had her cousin met her groom? Was she married yet? What did she think of her new home? Macie hoped with all her heart that her dear cousin would find her way to having a happy home and a wonderful marriage.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Macie checked on Blake. He was tanned from working in the sun, which made his hazel eyes stand out. Under his hat, she’d learned he did indeed have rusty brown hair. Though he kept it short on the sides, it was longer on top and he had the most wonderful curls.

  Macie had never known a man to have such good hair and she had caught herself staring at it on more than one occasion. Maybe one day he’d let her touch it. At the thought, Macie’s cheeks had heated. Would they ever be close enough for such things? Right now, she couldn’t imagine it.

  And then the reverend was inviting her to turn to Blake and repeat her vows. Macie turned, putting her small hands in his bigger, rough ones. She looked up into his eyes and gripped his fingers, suddenly needing Blake to keep her from falling over. Without a word, her groom shifted his hands so that he had a more supportive hold, bracing himself in case she needed him to catch her.

  In that moment, all the questions left Macie. She might not know Blake well, but he had seen her needs and stepped in to meet them. That was the sort of man Macie had always dreamed of marrying. They would make this marriage work, she knew it deep down.

  “Repeat after me,” Reverend Hammond instructed, “I, Macie Elaine Sheldon, take you…”

  Without fear, Macie smiled at her groom and began her vows.

  ***

  The women had prepared a proper wedding feast before leaving for church. Macie changed back into her regular dress before going to help Judy and Clora with the finishing touches. As she hung the beautiful gown back in the wardrobe, she ran her hand over the silky fabric one more time and sighed contentedly to herself.

  Now that the decision had been made and there was no going back, Macie was eager to begin her new life as a married woman. Blake had already moved her trunk over to his cabin and she’d start living there with him after their celebration.

  She made her way to the kitchen and asked how she could help.

  “Don’t be silly! This is your wedding day! It’s your one chance to sit down and not have to lift a finger.” Judy waved her new daughter-in-law towards the table.

  Macie eyed a very pregnant Clora and shook her head. “I’m happy to help. Let me carry that for you, Clora.” She took a wide tray from the older woman whose hands then went to her hips.

  “It’s not heavy. Honestly, Macie, if you keep that up, you’re going to be worse than Troy,” Clora lamented. “He won’t let me do anything.”

  Macie just smiled and steered Clora towards a chair. Clora opened her mouth indignantly just as her son toddled into the room wailing and holding out a small finger. Macie took advantage of her sister-in-law’s distraction to carry a few more of the heavier items to the table. Judy caught her and winked her appreciation.

  Later that afternoon, as she walked
alone with Blake to their cabin, Macie reflected on how well she fitted into the family. It was as if she’d lived here with the Bradfields for years, not days. She glanced over at her husband and felt a twist in her stomach, a new thought filling her with fear.

  She knew what happened between a husband and a wife. Her mother had talked to her about the mysteries of marriage when she was younger. It had all sounded so foreign when she’d been a girl. Now that she was a grown woman and married, it still felt foreign to Macie. What did Blake expect would happen when they reached the cabin? The idea of kissing him appealed to Macie very much. And she wanted to be a mother some day. But even just that thought made her horribly uncomfortable.

  The cabin drew closer. It had always seemed a friendly, cheerful sort of place to Macie. Now, though, she found that it was rather formidable today. The thick logs that made up the outer walls were so very strong. Surely, they would keep in just as much as they kept out. And the twinkling, clear windows that had looked out at the rest of the ranch like two curious eyes seemed today to be watching her unblinkingly.

  “Here we are,” Blake said, opening the door and then stepping back to let Macie go in ahead of him.

  She walked past, putting as much space between them as she could manage. Once inside, she looked around the little room, telling her heart to calm down. It wasn’t as if Blake was going to pounce on her.

  In truth, it was a very pleasant little place. There was a wood-burning stove which would keep them very warm come winter. Two armchairs faced each other next to the fire, with colorful cushions beckoning. A small table complete with two benches stood between the chairs and the kitchen. Macie’s eyes took in the cast iron stove, neat cupboards, and scrubbed work surfaces. A tin tub hung on the wall, ready to wash dishes.

  But the doorway that led off this room kept drawing her attention and Macie found it difficult to notice anything else. Surely, that led to the bedroom. Her stomach twisted yet again.

  When Blake placed a hand on her elbow, she jumped, looking up at him with wide eyes. She gazed up at her groom, fear rising.

  “I moved your things into the bedroom,” Blake was saying gently.

  Macie gulped and nodded. Surely, this was it. He’d want to take her in his arms and…

  “I put my things up in the loft.”

  It took her a moment to notice the ladder Blake was pointing to. Her eyes followed it up to a second-floor loft that covered the front half of the cabin. A breath she hadn’t realized she was holding whooshed out of her audibly.

  “You’re going to sleep in the loft?” she said hastily.

  “There’s a straw tick up there and a small chest of drawers.” Blake was watching her closely. He went on, “I figured we could both use a little space while we get used to the idea of being married.”

  Macie felt as if he’d just handed her the key to her cage. She smiled and nodded.

  “Would you like to lie down? It’s been quite a day,” he offered.

  Exhaustion swept over Macie and she nodded again. When she stepped into the small bedroom and closed the door behind her, she leaned against it and sighed. Thank goodness! Her eyes roved the room and she gladly took in the double bed with its bright scrap quilt, the ruffled curtains at the window, and the wardrobe in the corner. This was to be her room. She would have some privacy. It was such an unexpected blessing that tears sprang to her eyes.

  She stretched out on the bed, praising God for her husband’s thoughtfulness.

  However, up in his loft, Blake stretched out on the straw tick, cursing its lumpiness. He would have much preferred giving Macie this sleeping space, but didn’t have the heart. After all, he had made up his mind not to so much as touch her so that he could leave the marriage with no entanglements. His conscience rumbled unhappily, but Blake pushed the feelings aside and rolled over.

  Chapter 11

  Blake didn’t want to wait a single hour longer than he had to. The next morning, he told his father he needed to see Iver Kennedy. Perhaps Len eyed him a bit curiously, but the older man didn’t put up any sort of argument. With relief, Blake went in search of his bride and soon they were bumping along the road to town.

  He glanced over at her. Macie was none too talkative today. Oh, she didn’t seem sullen or upset. Rather, she appeared to be deeply contented. Her greenish-brown eyes scanned the scenery as it rolled past as though she was making her acquaintance with this new part of the world. It made Blake’s stomach squeeze to think that she was settling in to life here on the ranch so easily. Would that make things easier or harder if they had to go their separate ways?

  They spoke little as they drove along. It was going to be another hot day and the sun was fierce even this early. The crickets made their noisy complaints, filling the air around the wagon with a symphony of sorts. Between the clopping of the horses’ shoes and the jingle of the harness, Blake was soon lulled into a sleepy state. Almost automatically, he rolled into town, stopping in front of the lawyer’s office and setting the brake before hopping down.

  After helping Macie climb down, and ignoring the satisfaction he got from the chore, Blake followed his wife into the small office.

  “Ah, Mr. Bradfield,” called Iver from his desk, “I wondered if I’d see you today.”

  “Mr. Kennedy, this is my wife, Macie Bradfield,” Blake said. He almost stumbled over her new name.

  Macie’s cheeks were a bit pink when she held out her hand to the lawyer, who took it and bowed in a very refined, gentlemanly manner.

  “Please, sit down. I’ll fetch your grandfather’s letter.” Iver turned to his filing cabinet as the young couple sat.

  Blake wished the lawyer would hurry up, though his wife seemed unconcerned. Macie was busy looking everywhere, taking in all the details of this new place. He watched his wife out of the corner of his eye, curious about her but trying to pretend he wasn’t.

  Finally, Iver Kennedy settled back into his chair as though he’d missed this old friend. He drew the envelope from the file and tapped it thoughtfully on his desk. From across the way, Blake briefly considered diving over the desk and making a grab for the treasure map. He’d been through so much to get here and now there was only this one small man standing between him and Granddad’s final gift.

  “There is one more thing I need to tell you,” Iver said reluctantly.

  Blake froze, brow dropping. “What else is there?” he asked.

  Next to him, Macie looked between her husband and the lawyer, appearing every bit as concerned as her husband was.

  Iver cleared his throat uncomfortably before saying, “Yes, well, your grandfather had one more requirement for you. You see, I am only to give you this letter if you sign a binding legal agreement to take your wife with you when you follow these clues.”

  Blake sat back in his chair, stunned. He had to take Macie with him? Secretly, he’d been cherishing dreams that involved sleeping out under the stars by himself, drinking coffee on cold mornings in solitude, and trekking through ruins alone. Not once had he imagined himself doing any of these things with someone else.

  He glanced over at Macie whose mouth hung open. She was clearly no happier about this turn of events than he was. But they had no choice, did they? They couldn’t demand Iver hand over the envelope. Unless they wanted to pursue some sort of legal action, Blake had to agree to this newest requirement. He figured he’d hash things out with his wife when they were on their own later.

  Grudgingly, he growled, “All right. What do I need to sign?”

  Iver produced the paper and handed over a pen and ink. Decidedly not looking at Macie, Blake scrawled his name at the bottom, exchanged it for the letter, and led the way back to the street. He tucked the envelope carefully into his shirt pocket and swung Macie up onto the seat.