She sighed and smiled. “Oh, It’s lovely Kale. I have really enjoyed myself. People are so friendly and outgoing. And you, have been a most generous host.”
“I have to admit that I’m impressed with your level of faith.”
“Don’t be,” Mercy grinned. “I haven’t always been this confident. After my dad passed, I struggled. I was angry for losing my father, for being shunned by my stepmother. I resented having to work at the shelter just so I had a place to sleep. It took me a long time to see that God knew what He was doing. Even then, I’m not sure I truly understood, not until I saw your ad in the paper. Your ad in the newspaper felt like a sign. I couldn’t pass it up.”
“Hm,” Kale replied.
Mercy smiled, hesitantly. She hoped she wasn’t reading all of this wrong. “I’m here and I’d like to believe that we are becoming friends.”
“That we are Mercy,” Kale smiled. “That we are.” Mercy smiled back.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” he smiled. “Have a great night Mercy.”
“Night Kale,” Mercy smiled. She turned and headed upstairs and Kale waited until he could no longer see her.
“It’s certainly none of my business.” Clara sighed. “But if I were a betting woman, I’d lay money on Miss Thompson being a better match for you than Miss Meyers. The fact that Miss Meyers would rather tour around the city than spend time with you, speaks volumes.”
Kale took Clara’s words to heart, thinking about the vast sea of differences between the two young women he’d invited here. Both were beautiful, but that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. Alicia wasn’t much younger than Mercy, but maturity wise she seemed years behind the dark-haired beauty. Fragile in her constitution and finicky in her attitude, Kale feared that she didn’t have what he needed in a wife to sustain a solid relationship in the middle of Texas, especially if she hoped that this small town would someday become a bustling cityscape. He turned his concerns for his future and that of the women he’d brought here, to God.
Please guide me in this decision Lord. You know the qualities I need in my wife. You know that both of these women are deserving of a relationship that proclaims your glory. Help Alicia and Mercy seek you in the midst of all our engagements. Give them peace in their interactions with me and most of all guide all of us to be open to your will in our lives. The last thing I want to do is hurt either of these women. Give me guidance in what to say and show me the way forward Father. Amen.
Kale continued to pray throughout his late night as he worked on the tack room. He slept very little, consumed with choosing between Mercy and Alicia so that he could send the woman he didn’t choose back home as soon as possible. As the sun broke over the horizon Kale’s heart seemed decided in the matter and a peace he’d never experienced settled over him.
***
Mercy woke the next morning to find Alicia standing in front of her door. “Good morning,” she greeted the fair haired young woman. “You must be Alicia.”
“I know who you are and I want you to stay away from my Kale.”
“Your Kale?” Mercy chuckled. “Are we talking about the same man because you make him sound like a prized horse to be argued over? Kale will make up his mind in due time about which one of us he’d like to continue courting. Until then Miss Meyers, I suggest you examine your true feelings. Living in Texas, especially a small town like this, isn’t for the faint of heart. If Kale decides he wants you for his wife, you better be sure you want to live here for a good, long time as I don’t see him moving anytime soon.”
“I can live anywhere I’d like. And despite what you think, Kale would follow me anywhere if I asked him to.”
“Then why am I still here?” Mercy asked. She didn’t wait around for the snippy young woman to provide an answer. Instead she headed down to breakfast, grabbing a muffin and a cup of orange juice before thanking Clara and practically bolting out the door. In her hurry she neglected to watch her step and nearly knocked Kale down.
“Whoa,” he chuckled. Looking up into compassionate and stunning green eyes, Mercy blushed.
“I’m sorry, I… I should have been watching where I was going.”
“You seem upset Mercy. What happened?” Kale asked, his hands still on her arms. He dropped them like lead weights before he looked at her face again.
“Just an argument I had earlier with another tenant. It was small and mute. I’m sure I’ll forget it in time.”
“You’re sure?” Kale asked, his kind face full of understanding.
“I’m sure. I’ll be ready to go whenever you are. I’m looking forward to seeing Butch and Cassidy.”
“Butch and Cassidy?” Kale asked, a smile tugging at his lips.
“The twins,” Mercy blushed again. “I couldn’t help but to name them. They’re too adorable to go nameless.”
Kale smiled at Mercy’s thoughtfulness. “I couldn’t agree more. Butch and Cassidy seem to suit them too, considering they’ll be getting into trouble together.”
“They’re much cuter than that bank robbing criminal.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” Kale smiled. “Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be a minute inside and then we can head to the ranch if that suits you.”
“It does,” Mercy smiled.
*****
Final Decision
Kale stepped into Clara’s boarding house and removed his hat. He smoothed his sandy blonde hair and cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose Miss Meyers is around this morning?”
“Actually she is. I believe she and Miss Thompson may have exchanged a few words over you just a few minutes ago.” Clara smiled and gave him a wink. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“Love some, thank you.”
“Kale!” Alicia squealed, standing on the landing. She wore a very nice riding outfit with what looked to be practically brand new riding boots. “It’s so lovely to see you again.”
Kale straightened. His reaction to her was the sign he had been waiting for. “Nice to see you as, Miss Meyers. If we could, would you mind taking a short walk with me?”
“I’d love to accompany you.” Alicia smiled. Kale waited on his coffee and promised Clara he’d return it when he and Alicia came back. He went out the door and couldn’t help looking Mercy’s way. When her beautiful eyes met his, he gave her a wink and a grin before he turned back to Alicia. “A beautiful day, isn’t it?” Alicia nodded and followed Kale down the stairs, away from the boarding house.
“I have a confession to make Alicia,” Kale said. “I’m afraid that I find myself completely incompatible with you.”
“Incompatible?” she scoffed. “Why, we’re as compatible as cream and butter. We just need a little time to get to know each other better.”
“That is sort of my point,” Kale said, trying to let her down gently. “The first few days you were here, you showed me a great deal of yourself, without even knowing it. I’m afraid that given enough time you’ll come to resent this small town and the ranch I live on. You’re meant for a faster, busier life Alicia. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not a good fit for me.”
“So you’re going to court Mercy?”
“We’ll continue to get to know each other, yes. I’m still not sure she’s the one for me either, but I know you and I would not make a good match.”
She sighed, tears springing to her eyes. “Al right,” she said. She seemed resigned to the facts as Kale walked her back. “I will, of course, pay for your passage back to Louisiana, with the hope that you will find the man God has set aside for you.”
“I don’t want to go back home,” Alicia said. “Would you pay my passage to Missouri, St. Louis?”
“I would advise against traveling to unknown parts by yourself, but I can’t stop you Miss Meyers. If St. Louis is where you want to go, then I’ll cover your passage.”
“Thank you Kale,” Alicia smiled. When they returned to the boarding house, Kale returned Clara’s cup to her, left enough money with Alici
a for her to purchase passage to Missouri, and to get a room for her first night there. Then, with a sigh of relief he turned to collect Mercy.
He smiled warmly at Mercy. “You ready to go see Butch and Cassidy?”
“I am,” she smiled.
“I’m sending Alicia to St. Louis.”
“Missouri?” Mercy asked.
“Yes,” he said, turning to look at her. She really was a beautiful woman. Her long, dark hair was a stark contrast to her milky skin. It brightened her green eyes, making Kale take notice of her beauty. “I informed her today that she and I are not compatible enough to make a marriage work and that I intended to court you with that end in mind.”
***
Mercy blushed. It was one thing to entertain the thought of becoming Kale’s wife. It was another altogether to hear that same man mention it as a reality. “I have to admit Kale that I’m not extremely well-versed on courting rituals.”
“Me neither,” he chuckled. “I do know that I want to get to know you, to nurture a friendship that will serve as the solid foundation our marriage would need. I already see the lovely woman you are, inside and out. You have a quiet strength that speaks of hard work and integrity.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “I learned all those things from my father and mother, before they passed.”
“If you don’t mind my asking. What took your mother?”
“My mother died of yellow fever near New Orleans. It was the last big epidemic of the disease. After she passed, my father sort of shut down for a while. He was accounted for, but to say he was present was a stretch. Most days I entertained myself with word games I made up, trying to teach myself to be a good girl. ”
Mercy smiled and her eyes brightened slightly, with unshed tears as she continued. “My father hired a nanny to show me how to act like a lady. She stayed with me until I was ten. That’s when my father remarried. Charlotte, my stepmother, never liked me. I was less than a flea on a mangy dog in her eyes. When my father passed, his inheritance, some of it anyways, should have passed to me. I learned later on that she’d had his will changed. She took everything and kicked me out the day after his funeral.”
Impossibly moved by her harrowing childhood, Kale placed a hand over hers. “I’m so very sorry that life has been so difficult for you. It’s remarkable and a testament to your upbringing, what little you had, that you turned into such a lovely and beautiful woman.”
“I give all the glory to God for guiding me to the right people,” Mercy smiled. “When I was thrown out I didn’t know what to do. I was penniless and didn’t even have a place to sleep. Then I met Rosita Romero. She was the woman who ran the shelter that I lived at. She needed a full-time helper and I needed a place to stay. She promised me I’d always have shelter if I worked for her, so I did. She paid me what little she could afford and I used it to buy only my necessities.”
“What did you do with the rest?”
“I bought items that others needed, especially the children. It was heartbreaking to see so many people pass through the shelter. Some got back on their feet, but not all of them unfortunately.”
“I imagine those who knew you would attest to what a blessing you are. I’ve only known you a few days and you’ve already blessed my life.”
“Thank you,” Mercy smiled. “You’ve been a tremendous blessing to me. You offered me an opportunity to get out of the mess I was in. I never would have imagined what God had in store for me here.”
“So tell me,” Kale asked. “What is your vision, should we continue to court and turn this into a marriage?”
“I don’t want to change anything,” Mercy said. “I love your home and the ranch! You know your business inside and out. I would hope that someday I’d be as efficient as you in my manner with the animals and that I’d be a help to you as well. Do you want children?”
The question caught him off guard and made him chuckle. “Eventually,” he smiled. “I’d like at least a couple years with you first, if we decide to marry.”
“I can understand that,” Mercy grinned. “It may take me that long to get used to the animals and how your ranch runs.”
“No way,” Kale smiled. “I give you less than six months before you’ve got it all down. You’re a smart, talented woman. There’s no way you won’t have all this figured out before then.”
“Your vote of confidence is reassuring,” Mercy said, her eyes twinkling. Nearly as soon as they pulled up Mercy was begging to see the twins. Mercy neared the gate where the two calves rested with their mother nearby. As she opened the pen and headed toward them, she was swamped by a love for this place. A love for the animals, the land, and an inkling of love for the man who watched over all of it. “Look at you two! You’ve already grown so much.”
“Like all babies, it doesn’t take them long.”
*****
Life’s Blessings
Kale couldn’t explain the wave of emotion that passed through him when Mercy went all soft for the two little additions to his ranch. Every time she was around them, it was like watching a flower blossom. While he truly hoped that Alicia found the happiness and settled life she was looking for in St. Louis; he was evermore glad he’d chosen Mercy.
Thank you Lord for bringing Mercy to me. Thank you for her heart and strength, for the integrity she has. I’m so grateful that you guided my steps and hers as well. Watch over Alicia as she embarks on a new life in St. Louis. Help Mercy and I honor you in our courtship. Help up to build the solid foundation of friendship that an impending marriage will need to last. Continue to guide both of us in your perfect will as we seek to glorify you.
Having spent time in prayer alone, Kale broached the subject with Mercy. “What do you think about praying together?”
She turned that pretty face on him and made his heart kick in his chest. “I love that idea Kale. I’m a stickler, of course, for having my own time with God, but I’d love to pray with you. Is there anything you need to pray about right now?”
“I was just thanking God for bringing you to me. I asked him to continue to guide us as we build our friendship toward a possible marriage.” She smiled and as it always did, that smile reached deep into her pretty green eyes. In that moment Kale knew for certain that before the year was out he’d ask Mercy to marry him. Working toward that end, he began to show her the inside workings of his ranch.
“This is the milking parlor, where we hook the cows up to pumps that milk them. It’s not as nostalgic as doing it by hand, but it’s much faster and as they say, time is money.”
“Do you miss the old days, when things were slower?”
“Some,” Kale said, with a shake of his head. “I miss the simple and mundane sometimes, but there’s still plenty of that to be had so I try not to complain often.”
“I like that. Complainers never make for good company.”
“What do you miss, about days gone by?”
“My parents mostly. I never had siblings so I don’t know what that’s like, but I imagine if I had been blessed with a brother or sister, it would have been quite the experience.”
“Siblings are quite the blessing, most days.”
“I’d like to meet your family someday.”
“I’m sure you will,” Kale smiled.
***
Kale and Mercy spent the rest of the summer and fall growing in their friendship and love for one another. They nurtured their individual relationships with God and worked to build common ground and time together with Him as well.
“I can’t believe my family will be here in less than a week,” Kale said as he and Mercy worked with the cattle. He was always impressed with how easily she picked up new things on the ranch. Her love for him and his ranch showed every time and he knew without a doubt that he wanted to marry her. Now, it was just down to planning and praying she’d say yes.
His parents and brothers arrived early the Monday before Thanksgiving and instantly took to Mercy. She, in turn, seemed to love them
as well, even taking his mother shopping in McKinney for Christmas. He meanwhile, got the house ready for the festivities that would happen later in the week for the coming holiday.
“So,” Marc, Kale’s younger brother said. “You seem pretty sure about Mercy.”
“I am,” Kale said, unable to keep the love he felt for her off his face. “I’ve known for a while now that I want to marry her.”
“Have you told her you love her yet?”
“Not yet,” Kale returned. “I figured words that serious should wait until I could propose.”
“You buy a ring yet?”
“I have great-grandma Johnson’s, as you know.”
“What if she doesn’t like it?”
“She will. She’s that sort of woman. She has a deep and abiding love of family and I think she’ll respect me and that gift enough to cherish it.”
“Maybe,” Marc sighed. “Don’t mind me. I’m just sore that Janice couldn’t come with me.”
“She stay home with her family?”
“Yeah. Her dad asked that she stay home for Thanksgiving. She’s coming to mom and dad’s house for Christmas though.”
“You serious about her?”
“I’m getting there,” Marc grinned. “Not as fast as you, but fast enough.”
“Well, I do have some years on you. Maybe by the time you get to be my age, you’ll see the wisdom in making a strong, beautiful woman your wife.”
“Probably not,” Marc joked. They finished the chores earlier than usual and Kale took his brother out for a ride. They exercised the horses, gave them a good rub down, and fed them before heading back to the house.
“Mom and Mercy back yet?”
“Haven’t seen them yet,” Josiah Preston said. He returned to the book he was reading and waited patiently. Something Kale hoped he’d learn during his marriage as well. How his dad could just sit there, he didn’t know. He was already about to crawl out of his skin. After a while his father looked over at him and asked, “You gonna ask that woman to marry you?”
He smiled and nodded. “I’m planning on it.”
“About time son,” his father said, his mouth turning up in a grin. “We’ll be more than happy to welcome her to the family. Just don’t let your mother hound you too much about grandbabies. You take some time to spend with Mercy as your wife, babies will come along when they should.”
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