True Love's Healing Melody, page 24
“What’s going on? Who are you?” Sally asked in a burst. It came out more harshly than she meant it to. Everyone but Laura broke out into laughter.
“I second Sally’s question! What’s going on?” Laura piped in.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Sally, but I actually came here to your house when I first arrived, hoping that I’d find you. They told me to check the hotel. Allow me to introduce Dr. Mark Strauss. We met in Twin Falls, and he kindly agreed to come with me to Bannack to treat your father,” James explained. “There seems to be an improvement already. Are you a miracle worker, Mark?”
“Hardly! I might dare to say I am quite optimistic about your health, Mr. Vail. I think we’ll be able to get you into traveling form in no time at all. The fresh air of the ranch will do you well. Sally, it’s very nice to meet you. James has told me so much about you.”
Mark reached out to shake Sally’s hand.
“Oh. Oh! Well, it’s… it’s very nice to meet you too, Dr. Strauss. I’m afraid James hasn’t told me anything about you, but he’s hardly had the chance. It’s so nice to see you this lively, Papa! I suppose we have you to thank for that,” she said to the doctor, trying to talk through her shock and surprise.
In all the time she’d spent engaged to Henry, he’d never followed through on finding a doctor for her father. Yet, James had hardly been back in Bannack for a day and he’d already contributed to the cause. More than ever before, Sally felt overwhelming confidence in her choice. James may not have been the richest man she could have found, but he loved her.
“I want to know what he promised to get you to come all this way. You know we don’t have any money, right?” Laura announced bluntly. Sally blushed at her sister’s abruptness, but she had to admit that she had the same question.
“Don’t worry about any of that. James and I reached an arrangement, but honestly… he’s done so much for me and my family. This is the least I could offer in return,” Mark told the group. “I have to say, Bannack doesn’t seem half as bad as you described, James! Everyone’s been very kind, and the hills are beautiful.”
James shot back with a comment about how it was only a matter of time before Mark saw the darkness in Bannack, sparking a debate within the household. Sally couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Instead, she stood back, marveling at the sight of James, back in her home. Everyone was acting as if no time had passed, but Sally was so very aware of every second that had gone by in his absence.
As much as she wanted to continue on as if nothing had changed, she couldn’t. Too much had happened. After everything she’d been through with Henry, after breaking her own heart in letting James go, she felt like a different person.
Sally wasn’t sure how much time went by while she stood there in a happy but conflicted daze. Everyone moved around her, preparing dinner, and asking Mark and James to stay. Mark immediately took her mother up on the offer, but James turned it down.
“I would love to, but I… I should go see my mother. I haven’t been back to the house since arriving. I will be back soon, of course. Tomorrow. As early as I can. We have much to discuss and plan.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Sally said quickly before anyone could argue, anxious to finally have a moment alone with him. Everyone said their goodbyes, which were tinged with a fresh excitement that had been missing for ages.
Finally, the door closed behind them, and Sally was alone with James on the porch. A calm came over both of them as the nerves and initial giddiness subsided. He reached for her hand, which felt to Sally like a hug she didn’t know she needed.
“This is all so unbelievable,” she whispered, taking a small step closer to him and slipping a hand under the collar of his coat.
“Unbelievable, yet inevitable, if you ask me,” he whispered back.
“Is it strange? Standing like this with me, after being no more than friends for so long?”
James shook his head confidently. “I’ve wanted this for longer than I’ve known. This feels as natural as drinking water.”
“I’ve wanted this for much longer than you have,” Sally pointed out. James grinned.
“Is it a competition, then? Of who has suffered more? Need I remind you that I was the one who put my heart on the line and you—”
“Yes, yes, alright. It’s a tie. We’ve both suffered tremendously, but all that’s over now. Right?” Sally challenged, starting an electrical charge between them as she stared into his dark blue eyes.
He nodded softly. “Everything is going to be different from now on. Mark is here. He’ll make sure your father is feeling ready enough to travel soon. He said to me he’d be ready to leave now if we were, but I fear that he’s simply running off of the excitement.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sure the cough and such will return sooner than later, but this is certainly a good sign. Maybe he needed some hope for the future more than anything. Of course, there’s still the matter of the debt,” Sally remembered with a pang. She might have gained an ally, but the war had not yet been won.
“I’ve brought my savings with me. We should be able to pool our resources and free your family from any lingering debts.” He spoke like it was nothing, as if a casual solution had just presented itself despite the years-long pain this debt had caused Sally’s family.
“Are you sure you’re really James? Are you sure you aren’t some thief-fighting angel sent to protect me and my family? I still can’t believe that you were met with such danger on the train. If I had lost you to some wretched train robber who didn’t care about your life at all, but only how much money you had, I’m not sure I ever would have recovered.”
“Believe me, I was thinking the same thing. What’s this about Henry being a criminal? Laura started to explain something, but we got sidetracked. It sounds like your life has been just as dangerous as mine.”
“Actually, your mother can probably tell you better than I can,” Sally said with a sigh, leading James toward the stairs where they could sit. “It’s all been a huge mess. Little did I know that Laura was keeping tabs on the situation the entire time. I can rest assured that she would have prevented the wedding somehow.”
“What does my mother have to do with it?” James asked, sitting down beside her and picking up her hand again.
“She rode out of town to speak to a sheriff nearby, someone who was hopefully not being paid off by Henry to keep quiet about his criminal comings and goings. Apparently, they’ve been looking for him, but no one’s seen him in weeks now. I suppose he’s on the run.”
“On the run? What exactly was he up to?”
“Stealing. Laura and your mother believe that he was leading a ring of thieves targeting travelers and trains, all while paying off anyone who knew. Pure greed, I tell you.”
James brought her hand to his soft lips, placing a kiss full of reassurance on the back of it. The robins nesting nearby tweeted and sang, despite the browning leaves. Sally looked at their two sets of boots poking out from under her skirt and the hem of his pants.
They were both coming apart at the seams, caked with mud, but hiding warm, tingling toes underneath. The energy between them was hopeful, despite the heavy conversation and circumstances.
“It sounds like we both escaped great obstacles to find each other again. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to be here with you. By your side. You’re not married!”
They both started to giggle, unable to stop the onslaught of whimsical laughter as the silliness of everything overtook them.
“I can’t believe it took you moving hundreds of miles away for us to find our way to each other!” Sally choked out between peals.
“I can’t believe you almost married someone else. I can’t believe you put a posting in the newspaper looking for a husband as if half the men in this town wouldn’t kill to marry you!”
“Are you really a cowboy now?” Sally asked, admiration filling her eyes as they finally got control over their laughter.
“I suppose I really am. What do you think about that? Do you think you’d be happy living on a ranch? Are you sure you want to come back with me? I’m afraid I may have made assumptions, as there’s so much we haven’t been able to talk about. Will your sister want to come?”
“James Vail, I beg of you, get us out of Bannack just as soon as you can. Tomorrow we can settle the debts and start to plan the wedding. How soon do you think we can get married?”
“I see no reason why we shouldn’t be married in two weeks. Do you?”
Sally breathed in deeply, seriously considering everything that would need to be done. “No. I see no reason why we can’t be married tomorrow, in all honesty!”
“Ah, well, I can think of one.”
“What’s that?” Sally asked in a flash, paranoid about any further obstacles to their love that might suddenly decide to present themselves.
“Why, we’re not engaged, are we?”
“Are we not?” Sally demanded, her voice dropping down a full octave.
“Not yet, but… well, I’ve been carrying something around, hoping I’d find the right time to give it to you. And truthfully, this is not the right time. The sky is a dark gray, the only view we have is the muddy road up ahead, and the robins are our only source of music.”
“I like the robins!” Sally protested, unsure what James was about to say or do. Life had become so entirely unpredictable, she constantly felt like she was walking blindly through a field, always half a step away from running into a tree.
“Then it’s all perfect. Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is a perfect time.” James let go of Sally’s hand temporarily and moved down the stairs until he was on the ground, one knee underneath him, and the other standing firm, like a knight in shining armor bowing before his queen.
“Just what exactly are you—”
“If it wasn’t already clear, Sally, I’m in love with you. I ran away from this town hoping that I could run away from the need to love you, but it didn’t work. You’ve entered my soul in a way that is irreversible. You’ve always been there, and yet without you, I feel that half of me is missing.
We might not have great wealth or standing in society, but we have the chance to build something new together. We can take the good of the old and transform it into something that will never fade. Sally Stratton, will you marry me?”
Without the hint of a shake in his hand or a waver in his voice, James pulled out the familiar, darling pearl ring that Sally had regretted refusing ever since she first laid eyes on it.
“I know there’s so much work ahead of us. There’s so much I haven’t been able to tell you, and I’m sure you’re full of tales that I know nothing of, but we have forever ahead of us. Say you’ll marry me.”
“Oh, James, you really didn’t need to ask twice. Of course, I’ll marry you!”
In all the excitement, Sally’s hand shook like a leaf as James slid the ring onto her finger. Unable to wait a second longer, she slid down the last porch step until she was right in front of him.
James moved smoothly with her, slipping an arm around her waist and guiding her lips toward his. They kissed, holding each other close, making up for the years of denial behind them. It was sweeter than Sally ever could have imagined. Afterward, they clung to one another, each terrified that letting go might mean a great struggle to come together once more.
“Do you really have to go to work tomorrow?” James asked once they finally parted.
Sally nodded reluctantly. “Laura went out of her way to get me the position. I’ll see it out properly while I can. Perhaps… perhaps I can ask about leaving early. We have so much to plan, after all!”
“We certainly do. You’re right. It’s for the best. I owe my mother a day, at least. It sounds as if she’s been having some great adventures of her own.”
“So she has! I’m sorry if Laura and I talked her into any unnecessary danger… it’s quite a complicated tale. I’m sure she’ll fill you in. Get on your way, now. But think of me!” Sally ordered, reluctantly forcing herself into a standing position.
“I will think of nothing else. Come for dinner tomorrow?”
She nodded enthusiastically before James kissed her hand again. When he left, she watched him go, not wanting to take her eyes off of him. She thought of that time only a few months earlier when she’d stood by the storming water, trying to force the memory of his picture into her skull so she’d never forget. Now, as he walked away, she knew she’d never be able to forget him even if he tried.
Chapter 20
To say that Sally felt optimistic on the day of her wedding would be a gross understatement. To her, the world had no borders and was full of possibilities—not just for her, but for her whole family. Perhaps even for Bannack as a whole.
In the two weeks since James had been back, everything had been magically peaceful. Sally’s father was responding well to Dr. Strauss’s treatment. Though the kind doctor insisted that his work included no miracle cures, it certainly felt that way. Dr. Strauss surmised that it was merely a change in attitude, newfound hope, and consistent attention that was helping.
Whatever the cause for the improvement, her father’s cough had all but disappeared, his lungs were clear, and he could even walk with the help of a cane.
The prospect of moving to the ranch was becoming real, and the notion thrilled Sally. By all accounts, Twin Falls seemed to be a booming community with plenty of young families. All this meant there would be many more opportunities for her and her mother to make use of their skill as midwives.
Just as she and James were considering their futures, so was Dr. Strauss. Since arriving in Bannack, business had been good. Dr. Leavitt had been gone for some time, and half the town had ailments that needed attending to. Sally’s father wasn’t the only person in need of medical expertise. As such, he’d made some murmurings about perhaps staying in Bannack permanently, as long as his wife and family were on board with the plan.
Everything was falling into place. Even Laura was excited about moving to the ranch. She’d even tried to convince James and Sally to get married in Twin Falls, but they both knew Bannack was where it needed to happen. For one thing, James’s sister and her family had made the decision to stay, and it was important to him that they be able to attend the wedding.
It could not be forgotten that Bannack was the town in which they’d met, grown up together, and fallen in love. It had been home to much heartbreak as well, but that was a part of their history. Besides, they both felt that they owed the place a big party before leaving for good.
“Don’t cross your legs! You’ll crease the dress,” Sally’s mother ordered. She was pacing around the cabin, looking out one window before moving over to the other.
“No one will notice a small wrinkle,” Sally replied, smoothing out the lace skirt of her wedding dress nonetheless.
It was a beautiful gown, made from every inch of material that she and Laura could get their hands on, and based on the bodice from one of the dresses Henry had bought for her. At least his gifts were getting put to some good use. It had been a great rush to get the dress together, but worth every minute of eye squinting by candlelight.
“Where is she? She was supposed to be back an hour ago. We’re going to be late if we don’t leave soon.”
“Has it really been an hour?” Sally asked, joining her mother by the window. Laura had left some time ago to look for flowers. She’d been gone so long that her father had already left for the church, with the help of Dr. Strauss. In fact, Sally and her mother needed to follow soon if they didn’t want to be late for the ceremony.
“I need to go look for her.”
“I’ll go with you,” Sally insisted, but her mother put a strong hand around her wrist.
