True Horizon

by Laurie Winter

  “Grace took a road trip with her great-grandmother. They’re heading to Oklahoma to visit the Cherokee History Museum. A real life Thelma and Louise, those two.”

  Heath laughed at the picture of Grace and an older woman, driving across the country in a top-down convertible. Hope their trip wouldn’t end with their car soaring off the edge of the Grand Canyon. “Did she take the Bible?”

  “You bet. She seemed pretty excited to show it to the museum curator. Well, I should let you get back to it.” Bruce turned to walk away but then stopped. “Oh, and Heath, I see the way you look at my daughter and how she looks at you. Nothin’s final until that wedding band’s on her finger. You just remember that.”

  Heath’s posture straightened, and he clasped his hands behind his back. “Sir, I care too much about your daughter to interfere. “

  “I know you do.” Bruce smiled and walked toward the barn.

  Heath was left scratching his head. Had Bruce just given Heath his blessing? The man must be delusional from the heat. No father would ever think he was a good candidate for his daughter. While packing up his tools, he kept mulling over Bruce’s words. I know you do. He’d do whatever necessary to make sure Grace stayed happy and safe, even if that meant saying goodbye.

  Around six o’clock, Heath washed and went into town to eat dinner at the Desert Rose. For a weeknight, he was surprised to see the packed restaurant. The hostess found a small table for him, next to a window that overlooked the Hickory River Bridge. He’d become lost in the view when he saw someone out of the corner of his eye standing by his table. He turned his head to see Colleen Gardner.

  “Hey, there,” Colleen said with a strong southern drawl. She was dressed casually, in khaki shorts and a turquoise ruffled shirt. “Do you mind if I join you? I really hate to eat alone, and I don’t see a free table.”

  He stood and motioned to the empty chair across from him. “Please have a seat. I haven’t ordered yet.” He watched her sit and set down her purse. “You’re not charging me for this, are you?”

  She laughed. “I’m officially off duty.”

  As the hour passed, they ate and shared stories. Colleen told Heath about growing up in Liberty Ridge and her college days at Yale. Heath shared with her his early days in the Army—surviving boot camp as a skinny teenager, his first deployment to Iraq, and his quickie marriage and divorce.

  While Heath contemplated dessert, Colleen held out her cup for a coffee refill. “I’ve heard a lot of activity is happening at the ranch these days,” she said. “Must keep you very busy.”

  “The wedding has made for extra projects. I think Bruce will be glad once it’s all over.” He glanced back at the dessert menu, hiding his pain at talking about Grace’s wedding.

  Colleen took a drink of her coffee then rested back in her chair. “I was at Tyler’s parents’ house for dinner last night and saw Grace and Tyler’s engagement picture. They do make a gorgeous couple. I can’t believe how much Grace has blossomed.”

  Heath could only nod. Grace’s beauty was the last thing he should think about.

  “Tyler and I dated in high school,” Colleen said. “I knew how much Grace liked him, and I’m ashamed to say I enjoyed rubbing it in. I hope she won’t hold my behavior against me. But to be honest, Tyler was way too self-absorbed to notice her. Or anyone else for that matter.”

  “Well, he’s changed his tune.” Heath clenched his teeth.

  “It appears so.” Colleen watched him across the table, her eyes narrowed. “You’ve fallen for her.”

  “What makes you say that?” He needed a distraction for little miss smarty pants. Get her talking about anything else. “I knew a guy in the Army who went to Yale. Or was it went to jail? Well, anyway. Maybe you two know each other.”

  “Nice trick.” Her blue eyes sparkled under arched brows. “Now, back to Grace. I don’t need a doctorate to interpret the look on your face when you talk about her. She’s a good person with a big heart, plus she’s turned out to be a first-class beauty. I can see how easily a man could lose his heart, especially one who’s seen so much darkness.”

  “You’re right. I figured I don’t have enough problems, so I fall for my employer’s daughter, who by the way is engaged,” he said in a low voice. The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to overhear his confession.

  “I actually think your feelings for her are healthy. You’re opening up emotionally. That’s good.”

  “I have no business even thinking about being in a relationship. I would only drag her down.” He wrung his hands under the table. “Last night, she reached out to me, and I pushed her away.”

  Colleen sighed. “I wished you’d give yourself more credit. The fact you’re putting her ahead of yourself proves you are an honorable man.”

  Their waitress came to pick up the empty dinner plates.

  “No dessert. I’ll take the check,” Heath told the waitress and pulled out his wallet. “Dinner’s on me.”

  “Heath.” She placed a stilling hand on his arm. Her lips were pressed in a firm line. “Yes, you have work to do, but don’t you dare think you don’t deserve love and a chance to be happy. I have counseled many soldiers and their spouses. I know that with a strong commitment, those relationships not only survive but thrive. Don’t project your fears onto someone else. Let Grace make her own decisions. She may surprise you.”

  “I can’t ask that of her. She’s marrying Tyler.” Heath set on the table enough cash to cover the bill and a nice tip. He stood to leave. “Someday, I’ll tell you about the things I’ve done. The people who died on my watch. Then you’ll know I’m doing the right thing.”

  She walked with him to the restaurant’s front door and followed him outside. Once they were alone, she took hold of his arm and turned him to face her. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’m being pushy, but I can’t let you leave thinking your mistakes automatically make you an evil person. You saved Grace’s life, don’t forget. You deserve to find some happiness, be it with her or with someone else.”

  Heath heard her words, but he didn’t allow them to sink in. What anyone else thought didn’t matter. He knew the truth. He didn’t deserve love.

  ****

  After several fun-filled hours on the road, Grace pulled into the parking lot of the Cherokee History Museum. The large stucco building was surrounded by well-maintained grounds. Off to the side sat a replica village. Visitors could step back in time and see a reenactment of what Cherokee life was like two hundred years ago.

  She parked her car, and then exited to retrieve Granny’s walker from the trunk. Grace set the walker next to the car and opened the passenger side door. “Let me help you.”

  “I’m not a cripple.” Without assistance, the elderly woman got out of the car and took a firm hold of her walker.

  She was halfway to the building before Grace had finished closing the car door. For a ninety year old, the woman could move.

  They walked into a busy lobby.

  A tall woman moved past them, followed by a pack of school-age children. She halted in front of a painted map, which took up most of the wall, and spoke to her group. Over by a glass case displaying a gorgeous headdress, a baby fussed in her stroller while her father waved a plush toy before her scrunched-up face. The baby grabbed the offered toy and promptly stuffed it in her mouth, therefore quieting her squawking.

  Grace guided Granny over to the information area.

  “Welcome to the Cherokee History Museum.” The female employee smiled widely from behind a long counter.

  “Hi, my name is Grace Murray, and this is my great-grandmother, Evelyn Murray. We have an appointment with Dr. Downing.”

  “I’ll let him know you’re here. Please feel free to walk around the exhibits while you wait.”

  Grace marveled at the intricate basket work. Wow. She couldn’t imagine the amount of time someone took to weave the beautiful designs. A pair of beaded moccasins captured her attention next. They appeared so delicate and dai
nty. If she owned a pair, she’d never wear them for fear of ruining the exquisite beadwork.

  As she lifted her gaze, she noticed a tall man with salt and pepper hair approach.

  “Welcome,” he said. “I’m Kenneth Downing, the Director of Genealogy. Please follow me to my office. We can talk more comfortably in there.”

  Once the three of them were seated, Grace handed him the Bible. “I found this on our family’s property in the original dwelling. We’re interested in learning more about our family’s history. Kamama Burchfield, who is an ancestor on my father’s side and my Granny’s great-grandmother, was Cherokee.”

  Dr. Downing put on his reading glasses and opened the Bible. He studied the inscription and jotted a few notes. Then, he closed the book and smiled. “I’ll run a query through our records to see if we have any information about either Ezra or Kamama. Please excuse me for a moment.” He exited.

  Grace took advantage of the time to look around the room. Hanging on the walls were pictures which chronicled Cherokee life, both past and present. She was especially intrigued by a painting of a family standing in front of a log cabin, a painting of a young woman sitting atop a horse, and a black-and-white photograph of a man wearing a large headdress. Another photo of tribal members performing a ceremonial dance looked more recent.

  She reached over and held Granny’s wrinkled hand. “Thanks for being here.” Sure, she could have found the information with an internet search. Honestly though, she had grown bored working on the computer. After she completed the business tasks, she gladly shut off the computer for the day, preferring to be outside and enjoying the ranch. Time spent with Granny was worth a few days away and the cost of gas.

  “This trip is quite the adventure.” Granny’s eyes sparkled. “I’m sorry I don’t know more about our family’s history. When I was young, I was too busy as a new bride and mother. Then, both my parents were gone, and I had no one to go to for the information.”

  “Better late than never. I’ve never heard the story of how you and great-grandpa met.”

  A smile illuminated the soft, wrinkled skin of her face. “We met during the Depression. Earl was eleven when my pa hired him as a ranch hand. The boy was half-starved and desperate for work. His parents had eight children, you see. They sent out the older ones to work, because they couldn’t afford to feed ’em all. Earl lived and worked at the ranch for seven years. During that time, we became best friends. The summer before we officially started courtin’, Earl picked wildflowers every morning and left them for me on the front porch. I fell head-over-heels in love and when he asked for my hand, I said yes before he was even finished.”

  “Your story is very romantic.” Grace thought about the man who now worked on the ranch. The man she’d fallen for.

  “We married right before the war.” Granny ran her hands over her lap, smoothing out the butter-yellow fabric of her dress. “Both my brothers and Earl left to go fight. I lost one brother in France. Earl and my brother, Bob, made it home. Bob moved to California about a year after the war ended. So that left Earl and I to run things after my parents passed. We had a wonderful life. He used to call me his Cherokee princess.” She chuckled.

  Grace had few memories of her great-grandfather Murray. He’d died when she was only seven. From the tender look in Granny’s eyes, Grace had no doubt they’d had a loving marriage, and Granny missed her husband very much.

  Dr. Downing returned to the office, smiling. His hand held a stack of papers. “You will be pleased to learn I found your ancestors in our database.” He handed Grace a sheet of paper filled with names and dates. “How much do you know about the Trail of Tears?”

  “Only the little I learned in history class.” She glanced over to Granny, who nodded.

  Dr. Downing got seated behind his desk. “Ezra Burchfield was a private in the US Army. He’d had some medical training. In 1838, he journeyed with a group of Cherokee over what is now known as the Trail of Tears. By that time, the Cherokee no longer had Army escorts, but Ezra volunteered to provide medical care. After he saw the surviving Cherokee to the reservation in Oklahoma, he served for the next two and a half years at an Army fort nearby. The museum has possession of a journal Ezra kept along his journey over the Trail of Tears.” He gave Grace a stack of photocopied pages, which contained a large, handwritten script.

  “This is amazing.” Her breath hitched while her gaze skimmed over the pages.

  “Ezra met Kamama during the forced relocation,” Dr. Downing continued. “She was probably in her late teens and traveling with her family. We have records of her, her mother, and her sister, all who lived on the reservation. Ezra returned to the reservation to find Kamama after he finished his commitment to the Army.”

  “Have you read all his journal entries, Dr. Downing?” Grace handed the pages to Granny.

  He shook his head. “Unfortunately, we only have a portion of his journal. Some pages sustained water damage and could not be restored. The journal was donated to the museum in 1960 by a descendant of Kamama’s sister. What you have are printed copies of the readable pages. You may take them with you. I’m sure you will both find them very informative.”

  “Can we get the name of the family member who donated the diary?” Grace asked. “I’d like to reach out and introduce myself, if he or she is still alive. Or at the very least, write a note of thanks.”

  “I can give you the name of the woman who made the donation.” Dr. Downing glanced at his computer screen, and then scribbled down a name on a notepad. “If my memory serves me right, she still volunteers here at the museum on occasion.”

  Granny squinted as she read. A small tear formed at the corner of her eye. “I remember my father telling me the story of the Trail of Tears. People were forced to leave their homes. So many died during the journey. The horror those Cherokee endured.”

  Grace shuddered. How could a so-called civilized nation have done such a horrible thing to innocent people?

  Dr. Downing sat on the corner of his desk. “The history of the Cherokee people is a mixture of bountiful blessings and agonizing sorrow. Today, we carry on the traditions of our ancestors to safeguard the heritage of future generations. I encourage you to spend some time in the museum and the replica village.” He escorted them to the brightly lit lobby.

  The receptionist brought over a wheelchair.

  Grace pushed Granny around the museum for the next several hours. By the time they left, both women were exhausted, both physically and emotionally. They stopped at a small diner off the interstate, and then found a hotel nearby to stay for the night. After checking in and getting Granny situated in the room, Grace went for a walk. The low, flat landscape was bathed in the rosy light of the setting sun. Her mind raced with the information she’d learned that day.

  Ezra and Kamama had been caught up in a tragic event. In the pages she’d already read of Ezra’s journal, she’d discovered he’d fallen in love with Kamama while on the Trail of Tears. Ezra had done everything in his power to protect her. He’d seen unspeakable amounts of death of both young and old, while providing meager medical care in a hopeless situation.

  In the end, their love survived the test, and they found their way back to each other. They married, bought a plot of land on the Texas prairie, and raised their children.

  Grace’s heart swelled at the strength of that love. The type of love she wanted in her own life. Someone to hold fast to as they walked through life’s trials. A love that would stand the test of time. A man who was willing to fight for her, even battle his own inner demons, in order to win her love. And in the process, he’d learn to love himself.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next morning, Grace drove to Liberty Ridge and dropped off Granny at her apartment before heading home. She couldn’t wait to get back and show Ezra’s journal pages to Heath. When she pulled into the driveway, she noticed Tyler’s car parked in front of the house and saw he stood on the porch, wearing an easy-going smile. How long can I
hide out in my car? Anticipation of the difficult conversation ahead churned nausea in her gut.

  Before she could pull herself together, Tyler opened the door. He pulled her to him, and his lips found hers. The hard urgency behind his kiss was unmistakable.

  “I’ve missed you.” His finger traced across her jaw line. “I’m counting down the days until our wedding. I want to wake up every morning and see your lovely face.”

  She stepped out of his embrace. “I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk.”

  Tyler collected her suitcase from the car’s trunk, and she followed him onto the porch.

  “Your mom said you were in Oklahoma. Why didn’t you tell me?” With a frown, he set down her suitcase next to the door.

  “I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re busy catching up on things at the office. Granny and I had a good trip.” Would he care about her recent discovery? Since the conversation wouldn’t involve business or oil, probably not.

  “You can tell me all about it over dinner. Let’s drive home to Dallas and go to that bistro you like. You can stay for a few days.” Tyler wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “I’ve just spent the last five hours driving. I don’t feel like spending anymore time in the car, sorry.”

  Tyler’s smile faltered. “What’s really going on, Grace?”

  “I’d like to take a walk.” Her body buzzed with nerves. “Something has been weighing on my mind.” As they strolled through the meadow behind the house, Tyler held her hand more firmly than necessary. When they approached the gazebo, she was surprised to see the structure was nearly complete. Heath had done a beautiful job.

  Tyler turned and cupped her face in his hands. “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching over the past week. I want to tell you I’m sorry for how I acted the last time we were together. I was wrong to dismiss your feelings.”

  The buzz of cicadas matched the rapid beat of her heart. She struggled over what to say. How could she tell him that while he was off, building his career, she’d gone and fallen in love with another man? How could she express that gently?