Wealth Beyond Riches

by Vickie McDonough

  Before Sasha could answer, Joey squealed and dove at Deborah. At thirteen and lovely, she would have young men lining up to court her in a few years. Mason would have to keep his shotgun handy, or some fellow might soon steal Deb’s heart.

  Sasha walked to the back porch door and looked out. As if he could feel her gaze, Jim glanced up and grinned at her. They stared at one another, making Sasha’s heart sing. Oh how she loved him. And tomorrow, they’d be married. Mason said something, and Jim turned to answer, breaking their connection.

  Sasha loved Jim’s whole family. They were noisy, the twins especially rambunctious, and could they ever put away the food! But she loved them all. Mason was a kind father figure to Jim. The only loving father he’d ever known. She suspected it wouldn’t be too long before Mason held that same position in her heart.

  And Rebekah treated her like a daughter and sister both. The kind woman had swooped in and stolen her heart from the beginning. Sasha never knew before how much she’d missed by not having a loving family.

  But thank the good Lord, she had one now.

  She strolled upstairs to look over her wedding garments to be sure everything was ready for tomorrow. Holding up the lovely gown that Rebekah and Katie had made, she turned to her left and right, surveying herself in the mirror. Would Jim like the dress?

  “You’ll be a lovely bride.” Katie stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb.

  Sasha started. She had been so engrossed in her activities that she hadn’t even heard her approach.

  “Are you nervous?” Katie asked.

  Sasha nodded. “Yes, I suppose all brides are. Weren’t you?”

  Katie giggled and tucked a strand of her honey blond hair behind her ear. “Truth be told, I couldn’t wait to get married. I loved Dusty so much, and we’d gone through some rough times. I’ll tell you about them someday.” She stepped forward and adjusted a sleeve on Sasha’s gown.

  “Are you happy with the dress?” Her blue eyes held a trace of apprehension.

  “Oh, yes, I love it! You and Rebekah are so talented. I could never have sewn anything like this. In fact, I can barely sew at all. My mother never had time for such domestic things.”

  Katie laid her hand on Sasha’s shoulder. “Aunt Rebekah would be happy to teach you. I would, but Dusty and I live too far away to visit frequently, but we usually get back every couple of months. You’ll enjoy living next door to Uncle Mason and Aunt Rebekah. Farming can be lonely.”

  “I won’t mind as long as Jim is there.”

  Katie chuckled. “I still can’t get used to calling him Jim. He’s always been Jimmy to me.”

  Sasha smiled. “I’m sure he would answer to either, especially if you’re carrying a tray of sweets.

  They shared a laugh, then Katie sobered as she looked around the room. “Are you sure you won’t mind leaving this beautiful house? You’ve done so much work decorating it.”

  She looked around the room, enjoying the pretty rose theme. “I’ve learned that a house doesn’t make a home. It’s the people who live in it. Wherever Jim is, that’s my home.”

  Katie smiled. “You don’t know how happy that makes me. We all worried about Jimmy for so long—ever since he fought in the Spanish-American War. He returned home a different man. And he’s been troubled for so long.”

  Katie crossed the room and stood in front of the window, staring out. “None of us wanted him to come here—to Indian Territory. He’d wandered so much that we wanted him home, even if he wasn’t the same.” She spun around, her long skirt swirling around her legs. “But the old Jimmy has returned, and I have you to thank for that.”

  Sasha bit back her surprise when Jim’s sister hurried over and hugged her. Katie pulled back, looking a tad embarrassed. “So, Aunt Rebekah says you’re making this house into a widows’ colony.”

  “Yes. We’ll start small and add more cabins if it’s successful. Mary has agreed to serve as the overseer, with Rita cooking and assisting her. The first women will move in next week. This room will remain empty so Jim and I can use it when we come back for visits to see how things are going.”

  “It’s a wonderful plan, and I’m sure God will bless it.”

  They heard a loud cry downstairs, and Katie scurried out the door. “Sounds like Joey’s ready to nurse again,” she said over her shoulder.

  Sasha stepped out onto the balcony and stared at the pond. A tremor of excitement zigzagged through her as she thought about tomorrow. Her wedding day. Tomorrow she’d officially be Jim’s wife and part of his family.

  ❧

  “I like Sasha—a lot.” Mason cupped his hands, dipped them into the creek, and dumped the water over his head.

  Jim flashed him a smile. “I rather like her, too.”

  Mason looked at him, water beading on his eyelashes. “Yeah, I imagine you do. I’m sure glad to see you happy again.”

  Jim sipped the cool water he’d scooped from the creek, then wiped his nape with his wet hand, finally feeling some relief from the heat. He stood. “Feels good to be happy again. To have my troubles behind me.”

  Mason slapped him on the shoulder. “I doubt if all your problems are behind you, but whatever the future holds, God will help you.”

  Jim nodded. “You know, it’s odd. When I was seventeen, all I could think of was joining the army and getting away from the farm. I was sick of farming.” He ran his hands through his damp hair and stuck his hat back on. “Now I can hardly wait to get back to the Oklahoma Territory, set up a home with Sasha, and start plowing.”

  Mason chuckled, pulling Jim’s gaze to him. “Now you get to plant oats instead of sowing wild ones.”

  Jim smiled, then sobered. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you, Uncle Mason. There were times I resented you raising me instead of my own pa, but I can tell you now, I’m grateful for all you did for Katie and me. You made a huge sacrifice, taking us in after you’d lost your first wife and child.”

  “We’re family.” Mason shrugged. “Family cares for family.”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  They stood shoulder to shoulder staring out past the creek, like father and son. Jim knew in his heart Mason had done a far better job as a parent than his own father ever could have. He’d given him a foundation to build on and a faith in God.

  “Did you tell Sasha your news yet?” Mason glanced out the corner of his eye at him.

  “No. I haven’t had a chance. We’ll take a walk after supper, and I’ll tell her then. She’ll be happy to know they caught the men who killed her uncle but disappointed when she learns Roman Loftus was responsible. She liked him for a time.” Jim plucked a leaf from a nearby bush and tore it in half, feeling guilty for how jealous he’d been over Sasha’s friendship with Loftus. He hoped his news wouldn’t affect their wedding. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he should wait and tell her after the ceremony.

  “That Loftus fellow—he’s in jail now?”

  Jim nodded. “Yep. Guess all that money he accumulated by cheating folks won’t be much help to him there.”

  “Nope.”

  “Sasha will be happy to learn that the mayor’s put together a commission to explore how the Indians were cheated and to see if anything can be done about it now. Most of the oil companies are fair and legitimate, but Chamber Oil sure caused lots of problems. It’s nice to know it’s out of business.”

  The dinner bell clanged, and they turned in unison, walking toward the house. Jim whispered a prayer of thanks for all that God had done. A shiver of excitement surged through him, knowing that at this time tomorrow he’d be a married man.

  He couldn’t wait until he and Sasha had children—a house-ful of dark-headed youngsters running around. The thought made him smile, and he thanked God for his heritage and his bride.

  ❧

  Sasha glided down the stairs, knowing her future husband waited. Her heart was so full of joy, she felt sure it would burst. Never in her life had she been so happy. The one s
hadow on her bright day was that her mother wasn’t there. But she and Jim hadn’t wanted to wait for her to return from England—even if Cybil would have come. Maybe one day Sasha would see her mother again, but she would be a different woman than the daughter her mother had known.

  As she stepped outside, her gaze slid past the small crowd of family and friends and found her beloved. His black eyes beamed his love, and she could tell by his expression that he thought her beautiful. For once, she didn’t mind that she was pretty, because it pleased the man she loved.

  As she eagerly approached Jim, she thought about the frightened, determined girl who’d left New York nearly four months earlier. That girl no longer existed. God had come into her life and blessed her beyond measure. He had answered her prayers, giving her a wonderful man to marry, the family she’d always longed for, and a place to call home. He’d given her wealth beyond what most people could imagine. But most of all, He’d given her a wealth beyond riches—something for free—His unfailing love.

  About the Author

  Vickie McDonough believes God is the ultimate designer of romance. She is a wife of thirty-two years, a mother to four sons, and a doting grandma. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and traveling. Visit Vickie’s Web site at www.vickiemcdonough.com.

  Dedication

  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall:

  but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

  Proverbs 11:28

  A note from the Author:

  I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:

  Vickie McDonough

  Author Relations

  PO Box 721

  Uhrichsville, OH 44683