Love's Story (27 page)

At noon, Meredith felt doubly blessed. Her brother arrived early. She threw herself into his arms with a wild abandonment. “I'm so glad you arrived early. I want to go.”

“Do I have time to rest up?”

Her expression turned serious. “Of course. How much time?” Then she recalled that the Prince of Peace resided in her, and she didn't need to push. “Take all the time you need. I'm just excited, is all.”

“We'll leave in the morning.”

Jonah pushed away from the table where they had been sharing a lunch. “I'd best be packing my things also.”

Meredith realized what her leaving meant for Jonah. He would have to leave this house.

“But where will you go?”

He grinned at her. “The mill. Don't worry. Amelia and I have all the details worked out, don't we, dear?”

Amelia blushed, and Meredith covered her hand with her mouth. “You mean…?”

“Yes, dear,” Amelia replied.

“I'm so happy for you,” Meredith said.

“Seems as if you've come a long way since last night,” Amelia said.

Meredith turned serious again. “I apologize for my rudeness. I'm going to be all right now. I'm letting God rule my life. All of it.”

Meredith saw her friend's face soften and wondered what her brother thought of her declaration. But it didn't matter. A deep, abiding peace flowed through her. In fact, she was so full of God's love that the thought even went through her mind,
If all that has happened to me with Thatcher, with my father, happened only so that I could truly find God, then it was all worth it. And whatever lies ahead would all be worth it even if I only had this one day of God's love to experience. But I don't. I have a lifetime. God is so good.

“I'd best go pack,” she said.

“Let me know if you need help,” Amelia called.

First Meredith arranged all of her writing in a neat stack and placed it in the bottom of one of her travelling bags. She took a look around to decide what would go in next when a light tap sounded on her bedroom door.

“Come in.”

It was Mrs. Bloomfield. “Amelia just told me you're leaving.”

Meredith pulled out the chair from her desk and offered, “Please, sit down.”

As her friend sat, Meredith cleared a spot on the bed and sat also. “I wish to apologize for last night. I was rude and thoughtless.”

The woman's hand sliced through the air. “Nonsense.” She looked about the uprooted room. “I wish you didn't have to go and that I had your pluck and courage.”

“Don't wish it. I've learned a better way.” She rubbed her palms against her skirt. “I've given everything over to God, and I feel so much better.” Then she waved her hand. “I'm through being a progressive woman. Now I'm…” She tilted her head, looking for the right word. “Just God's.”

“I can see there's a new peace about you. You were so angry last night.”

Meredith chose not to think about Thatcher and asked instead, “Your husband said you had some news, a surprise. What were you trying to tell me?”

Beatrice smiled deeply and even turned a little red. “We're going to have a baby.”

The words hit Meredith with such impact that she flew to her feet and rushed to kneel before her friend. “I'm so happy for you. How wonderful.”

“I'm so happy.” Beatrice sighed. “But my happiness would be complete if only you and Thatcher could make amends.”

Meredith rose, backed up a few steps. “How can you say that when you know that he's married?”

“Thatcher isn't married.”

“He has you fooled, too. The woman that he was with. He carries her photograph. It is signed from his loving wife.” She saw Beatrice's look of shock. “Perhaps you don't know. There's some sort of scandal with his family. His father has a reward out on him. He ran off on that woman. His wife.”

“No, no.” Beatrice shook her head. “I know all about it, but you've got it wrong. Thatcher is not married. That is his friend's wife. The one who ruined your plans the other night. Our friend was searching for her, but then his father got sick. When Colleen appeared and needed help, Thatcher agreed to help her get home. She's pregnant.”

Meredith plopped back onto the bed. “I saw.” The pieces fell into place. “You're sure?”

“Of course, I'm sure. Thatcher is the most upstanding man. Even all his father's money could not corrupt him after he became a Christian. When we heard what was happening in Chicago, we encouraged Thatcher to come to Buckman's Pride and visit us. The idea of working at the logging camp intrigued him from the moment we suggested it. You can trust Thatcher, Meredith.”

She shook her head regretfully. “If he is all that, then he surely doesn't deserve me.”

“Nonsense. He loves you.”

Meredith remembered Thatcher's declaration of love. “It's too late. My brother's here. It's time to go.”

“Please, don't leave with things like this.”

“God is in control now. Thatcher knows where to find me if he wants to. I hate to leave you and all my friends, but I must go.”

“I'll write to you.”

“Come visit me.”

“Perhaps I shall.”

That afternoon Meredith went by the newsroom to pick up her things and say farewell to the editor. She glanced sadly at the sign in his window. R
EPORTER
WANTED
. She stopped by the mill and left a letter at the post office for the bull at Bucker's Stand. This town would always hold a special place in her heart.

The following morning, she unashamedly let the tears flow as she hugged Amelia and Jonah good-bye. She gave them both her blessings, and then Meredith and her brother rode out of town.

That evening, around a campfire, memories flooded Meredith. She remembered Silas, who had guided her and Jonah through these woods, and the campfires she had faced with them. But most of all, she remembered the night she was lost in the woods with Thatcher.

She had treated Thatcher shabbily from the start. He was an honest man, and she had probed into his painful personal life and harbored accusations against him from the start. He had loved her, and she had spurned him at every turn.

She let out a deep regretful sigh.

“Are you sure you want to leave?” Charles asked.

“It's only that I learned too late.”

“Learned what too late?”

“To trust God. To trust the man I loved.”

“I think it's time you told me the whole story. We've got all night. What's going on in your life, Storm?”

Meredith told her brother the whole thing, every ugly detail.

T
hatcher rode into Buckman's Pride weary and downcast. His friend's pregnant wife was on a train, where he had paid an attendant to give her the best of care. He could only imagine what joy William would experience when his wife returned to him. Colleen mourned her actions of leaving her husband and rejoiced when Thatcher explained the changes William had made—how he longed for nothing more than to be reconciled and to be able to prove his love to Colleen. Thatcher knew there would be a happy reunion and prayed that all would go well with her trip. He prayed for William and the things he was facing at home with his father's illness.

If only Thatcher's own romance had turned out so well. Thatcher felt that he had ruined things between him and Meredith for good. It seemed that the harder he had tried, from the beginning, the more he had hurt her. He wasn't sure how it kept happening or why. But he knew he loved her, and he would hunt her down if it took every breath he had. He would never let her go until she understood how much he cared for her. But right now, he was only so tired.

He tied up his horse outside the Bloomfields' and knocked on the door. His friends received him warmly and showed him to a soft bed, where he slept the rest of the day and that night through.

At daylight, he started out for the logging camp.

The Bloomfields had told him that he had just missed Meredith. What a wonder he hadn't met her on the trail somewhere. He had arrived the same day Meredith had left. He didn't know her plans, what other logging camps she intended to visit along the way. He wanted to give her time to cool off before he showed up in New York City.

One thing he knew for sure. His logging days were over. He would give his resignation to the bull and pack up his belongings. He would stay the night and say farewell to his friends.

The bull took the news of Thatcher's resignation with little emotion. Thatcher headed for the bunkhouse. It was empty. He packed his things, then sat on his bed, wondering what his next move would be. He prayed, “Lord, You know the desires of my heart. Please, help me.”

“Thatcher?” The words sounded soft, hesitant, familiar. But, it couldn't be. His head jerked around.

It was! He jumped to his feet. “Meredith. It is you.” His voice held reverence.

Hers quivered in return, but picked up force. “I shall not let my vanity ruin my life. I came back for you, Thatcher.”

He didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or throw himself into her arms.

“My sweet. I was going to come for you.”

“We've wasted enough time, haven't we?” She took a hesitant step toward him. “Can you ever forgive me?”

He closed the distance between them and pulled her to himself, saying the words against her hair. “Forgive you? I love you. I always have.”

She pushed back away from him, looked up into his dark eyes. “I want you to know everything. Please, let me explain.”

He nodded and dropped his arms.

“I've been so proud and controlling with my life. I'm not happy with the way I've treated you and others. God has shown me a better way. I'm yours, if you'll have me.”

“Have you? Meredith, don't you know? I was going to follow you and beg, plead for you to believe me and marry me.”

She reached up and touched his face. “I believe you. I always shall from this day forward.”

“Marry me?”

“Yes.”

He stooped to kiss her, and Meredith thought that nothing could ever be more beautiful than her life this day, with Christ's love, with Thatcher's. Her heart soared with emotion.

“Hmm-mmm.” A deep clearing of the throat came from the bunkhouse doorway. They both looked up, and Meredith drew out of Thatcher's arms.

The man in the door said, “I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Storm's brother.”

Thatcher strode toward him. “I'm her fiancé.”

Meredith smiled up at her brother. “Charles persuaded me to come back after you.”

Thatcher looked at the man with surprise. “Then I know I'm going to like you a lot.”

Charles chuckled. “We'll get along fine.”

The wedding was held the following Sunday in Buckman's Pride with all Meredith and Thatcher's friends attending. Both Jonah and Beatrice promised to bring their spouses to visit them. Jonah, Meredith was sure, would marry Amelia soon.