Donovan's Daughter (The Californians, Book 4) (35 page)

"You haven't said anything, so I wondered if you liked
the way mine looked." Katie's hand went to the dark
thatch of hair that covered her forehead, stopping just
above her brows.

"They're darling. I want mine to be the exact length of
yours."

Nodding her agreement, Katie knew how easy that
would be. She combed and parted Marcail's hair in front,
and for a time Marcail couldn't see through the fall of hair covering her eyes. The mirror was handy, however,
and as soon as Katie was finished, Marcail checked her
work.

"Oh, Katie," she exclaimed.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes!"

"I do too. I can get away with it because my face is
round. And they're darling on you because they bring
out your beautiful eyes."

Katie was behind Marcail now, brushing her hair
straight. She was poised, scissors in hand and ready to
cut, when Alex's incredulous voice broke through the
air.

"What are you doing?"

Katie froze. Her gaze, along with Marcail's, flew to
Alex. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his face
clearly showing his displeasure. Rigg stood just behind
him, and over Alex's shoulder he exchanged a look with
his wife.

Just the night before Katie had been saying how she
genuinely liked Alex, but she'd always believed Marcail
needed someone with a firmer hand.

Rigg and Katie slipped quietly out of the room while
Alex took a place at the kitchen table. He picked up a
long strand of hair from Marcail's lap and fingered it for
a moment. She was still behaving as though she were a
single woman. At some point he had to make her understand that he cared enough to be included in every part
of her life.

"Why were you cutting your hair?" Alex's question
was simple, but it depicted just how complicated their
relationship had become.

"Because of the headaches," Marcail explained, still
watching his face. She'd never seen him this angry
before.

Alex had completely forgotten about her headaches
and said as much. "I wish you had talked to me," he
added.

"I do too, now. But Katie knew I wanted it done and
said she had time, so we just-" Marcail shrugged rather
helplessly.

Alex reached and brushed his finger through her
bangs. "I like the front."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you, Alex," Marcail said
softly.

'And I'm sorry I was angry."

Alex reached for her face again, this time to brush his
finger down her cheek.

"We'll just keep at it, Marcail, until we get it right."

The comment might have seemed cryptic to some, but
Marcail caught his full meaning. She nodded ever so
slightly, and for the first time in weeks Alex moved close
and kissed her softly on the mouth.

The remainder of the days in Santa Rosa were spent in
idle pursuits. Marcail's family came to love Alex and
approved of his tender care of Marcail. Sean and Charlotte had people they needed to visit, so some of their
days were spent moving about, but Alex and Sean did
get to have some time together, and got along famously.

The most memorable of their times together came on
an afternoon when Alex and Sean ended up alone with
the kids. All three of the women had gone shopping, and
after the younger children were down for naps the men
began to share. Alex was amazed to learn that Sean's
marriage to Charlotte had been forced.

"I didn't even have the luxury of knowing her ahead of
time. I saw her, and about ten minutes later, we were
married."

Sean went on to explain the entire story about his runin with the law, and Alex simply stared at him in amazement. When he was through, the room was silent as Alex
digested all he had heard.

"But you have made a marriage of it," Alex finally
commented, thinking how happy Sean and his wife
seemed.

"Yes," Sean told him. "It was not without its pain, but
God never gave up on either of us. I love my wife deeply,
and I know she loves me. I hope that gives you hope,
Alex."

"It does, Sean, thanks. I've made some mistakes, but
it's never too late."

"You're right; it's not," he agreed. "I'll be praying for
you both."

Alex thanked him just before the older children appeared, claiming to be hungry. The rest of the afternoon
was spent playing with little ones and cleaning up their
messes.

Marcail and Alex spent time alone together as well.
They went for walks, took a boat out on the lagoon, and
went out to supper a few times. Mostly, they talked.
They cleared the air on many issues. Marcail explained
that she had never meant to exclude Alex from her talk
with Cordelia Duckworth. She also told him that it had
been her lingering fear of doctors that had kept her from
telling Alex of her bruises. She explained that her shock
at the time had been so great, she had reacted without
thought. She then admitted that, once better, the sin of
pride reared its ugly head and kept her from approaching Alex sooner.

They talked about Marcail's fear of being herself with
Alex, and even though talking about it didn't instantly
right the situation, both husband and wife were relieved
to have things out in the open. When Marcail asked Alex
if he was working longer hours in order to avoid her, he
confessed that he had been. For the first time a new
understanding was growing between them.

The days flew, and both were surprised when it was
time for Alex to leave for Willits. It seemed they had just
arrived. Marcail was uncertain as to whether or not she
should stay. As Alex packed she talked with him about it.

"Maybe I should come home with you."

Alex was very pleased by her offer, but now that they
were once again talking with each other, he had no
problem with her staying.

"You still have a few friends you didn't get to see,"
Alex said, adding, "School begins in less than two
months, and then who knows when you'll get back here
again."

"That's true," Marcail answered, trying to be as logical as her spouse.

Nothing more was said on the subject, and when Alex
was ready, Marcail walked him to the train station. All
the nieces and nephews had hugged him goodbye at the
house, each one having come to love Uncle Alex. The
adults were just as warm in their send-off, and Katie had
fixed a huge lunch for him to enjoy on the train.

Once at the station, husband and wife sat quietly
waiting for the train to arrive. For a time, both were
content to sit and watch the train station activity.

"You will come home to me, won't you, Marc?"

Marcail turned her head as they sat on a bench by the
ticket office and gave Alex a quizzical look. "Where else
would I go?"

"You might not go anywhere. After I leave, you might
find you like it better here and-"

"I'll come home," Marcail quietly cut him off. She'd
never seen Alex look as hesitant before and found it
rather heartbreaking.

"I think," Marcail added, hoping she was not being
overly bold, "that the bed will be lonely without you."

Alex wished he could take her in his arms, and his
eyes told her as much. "My bed at home is lonely without
you-too.,-,-

Marcail nodded, finding she was unembarrassed for
the first time. Nothing more was said since the train was now coming into the station. Alex stood and pulled
Marcail around to the quiet side of the ticket office.
Without warning, he pulled her into his arms and kissed
her as he'd done on the beach in Fort Bragg.

When Alex was finally on board, Marcail stood on the
platform and watched the train as it eased out of sight.
She found herself wishing she'd followed her heart. If
she had, she would have been on the train with her
husband.

Marcail closed the book she had been reading to Donovan; he was sound asleep. She knew she could carry
him upstairs, but she rather enjoyed the feel of his warm
little body snuggled against her own.

Rigg and Katie had gone out for the evening, and
when his father had not been there to put him to bed,
Donovan dissolved into tears. Both girls had gone to bed
without a qualm, so Marcail took Donovan to the living
room for a story.

Sean and Charlotte had left the day before for Visalia,
to spend some time with Patrick, Duncan, Lora, Sadie, and
the church family there. The house was very quiet. Marcail thought she could sit there for hours, holding her
nephew and praying.

She ended her prayers by praying for Alex. Marcail
couldn't believe how much she missed him. She was
scheduled to leave in two days, and the idea of going
early was tempting. Since two weeks was barely enough
time to exchange mail, they had not tried to communi-
cate,-but he had been in her thoughts almost constantly.

After Alex left, Marcail thanked Rigg for his words to
her. They had made her stop and think of all she was
wasting by distancing herself from a man who obviously cared deeply for her. Marcail was not ready to go home
and throw herself into Alex's embrace, but she was ready
to go home and be herself.

Alex had proved that he was not going to reject her,
and Marcail had finally figured out that this had been
her deepest worry. There was nothing she had done to
cause the death of her mother, or the way her father and
then her brother had suddenly exited her life. After each
departure, however, she had mentally prepared herself
to be a very good girl so they would want to come back.

When Marcail was still a teen, she had done this with
God, but her heavenly Father, in His perfect love, showed
her that His acceptance was all-encompassing. That
wasn't to say she could mindlessly sin and do as she
pleased, but it did mean that full fellowship was just a
prayer away. Marcail came to understand that God would
never cast her aside. Now she was learning that neither
would Alex.

It seemed for a time that he had decided she was not
worth his effort, but all that was put aside. He had only
been taking his cue from her, and Marcail realized she'd
been as much to blame as he had.

Marcail hefted Donovan into her arms and took him to
bed at last. She stood over his crib for a moment, her
mind once again on Alex and what the future of their
marriage might be and then on the adorable boy in the
crib. She couldn't help but wonder if God would bless
her marriage with love, and someday give them a little
person like the one who'd fallen asleep in her arms
tonight.

Alex stared at the howling infant in his hands, still
not fully believing he had just delivered a baby. Mother
and son were doing fine, and the father was still lying
exactly where he'd fallen in a dead faint some ten minutes earlier.

The morning was taking on a feeling of reality. At 5:30
Alex had awakened to the sound of the bell. He was just
coming out of the barn with Kelsey when a wagon came
tearing up the road. Frank Nelson was the man at the
reins, and he had been too frantic to even wait for Alex to
come to the office.