Healing Hearts Read online

  In another moment, Gideon was at her side.

  “We did it, Miriam,” he said, throwing his arms around her and spinning her about. “We did it!”

  She could not hold back a triumphant grin. “I never thought this day would come. I’ve been hiding from this for so many years.”

  “No more hiding, dear.” Excitement pulsed through his words and lit his expression. “You are free.”

  She clung to him, unsure if she was more likely to grow weak with relief or begin trembling with excitement. “Free,” she whispered.

  He kissed her forehead, holding her close. His parents stood nearby, watching with nearly identical smiles of approval.

  “Thank you,” she said, knowing they’d played a role in her deliverance.

  “Our pleasure, sweetheart,” Mr. MacNamara said.

  Miriam, still wrapped in Gideon’s arms, turned to Paisley and Cade. “And thank you.”

  Paisley smiled. Cade nodded.

  She turned her gaze to Hawk, but he held up a hand to forestall her. “Helping people is why I took this job.”

  “But you went above and beyond for me. That deserves an expression of gratitude.”

  The tiniest hint of a smile crossed his features. “You’re the first person in a long time who hasn’t firmly decided I’m hard-hearted.”

  “I would wager I won’t be the last,” she said.

  Hawk popped his black hat on his head. “Well, I’ve a territory to protect. I’ll leave Doc, there, to plan your celebration.”

  She looked at Gideon. “Are you planning a celebration?”

  “Oh, my dear, I am planning a great many things.”

  “Dearly beloved . . .”

  Gideon remembered all too well that the last time those words had been spoken in Savage Wells, Miriam had fled the building at a dead run. This time, she stood serenely beside him, holding a bouquet in her hands. Her family had not chosen to attend the ceremony, but Gideon’s brothers had both arrived in the last twenty-four hours, joining his parents, who meant to make their long-delayed return to Washington after the ceremony.

  Gideon’s brothers were happy for him, and they had fallen instantly in love with Miriam. They insisted on calling her their sister.

  “I have a family again,” she had said in a tone of awe the evening before. “I have a family.”

  The ceremony flew by in a blur. The hoots and hollers that followed the pronouncement of “Man and Wife” brought grins to his brothers’ faces. They were used to the decorum and fine manners of the East Coast. The rough-and-tumble West was utterly foreign to them.

  The weather was fine, likely one of the last truly nice days left before winter would arrive, so the town and guests spilled out onto the grassy area surrounding the building with every intention of enjoying a wide assortment of cakes, punch, pies, and cookies.

  Miriam saw to it that Mr. Bell had a comfortable seat, a plate heaped with goodies, and Andrew sitting nearby, before rejoining Gideon, who stood next to Mother and Father. Gideon slipped his arm around Miriam’s waist, holding her to his side. She fit so perfectly there.

  “Always a nurse, aren’t you, my dear?”

  “He is growing more distant and more easily confused,” she said. “I want him to pass the remainder of his time comforted and happy.”

  “I want you to be happy as well,” Gideon said.

  “I am, my sweet Gideon. I am.”

  He kissed her, unabashedly and in full view of the gathering. It was their wedding day, after all. Affection was definitely permitted, if not encouraged.

  The townspeople passed by to offer their love and congratulations. What a change from her initial arrival in Savage Wells: she had been afraid, and the town had been suspicious. His feelings were entirely changed as well. He’d intended her to be nothing more than a work associate, a convenient wife to help with his patients and offer some conversation and companionship.

  He hadn’t anticipated loving her so entirely.

  She slipped from his side to embrace Paisley. Gideon shook Cade’s hand.

  “Congratulations, my friend. I’m happy for you,” Cade said.

  “I’m happy for myself.” Gideon couldn’t keep his gaze away from his new bride. Bride. It was almost too good to be true.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.” Father’s voice boomed out over the gathering. “If you’ll indulge us, the MacNamara family has an offering to make.”

  “I like that,” James, Gideon’s middle brother, called out. “The family has an offering that only Ian and I are required to make.”

  What were his brothers up to? Ian emerged with his violin, James with his clarinet.

  “We understand this is a favorite,” Ian said, with a wink in Miriam’s direction.

  “I suspect your brothers are a handful.” Miriam spoke with clear amusement.

  “They are trouble, is what they are.”

  But a moment later, they struck up the strains of “Gentle Annie,” and he pulled her into a dancing position. “Will you dance with me, my darling?”

  “Always,” she answered.

  Around and around they danced, as the town watched with smiles and tenderness. His parents could not have looked more pleased. Mr. Bell paid them no heed, his attention focused on his plate, distracted but no longer frightened and desperate. Andrew, however, watched them with a smile, openly happy. He, who had hidden so much of himself these past years, was slowly finding himself once more.

  Miriam had played a vital role in the transformations around them. He would spend the rest of his life thanking the heavens for her and doing all he could to ensure her contentment and joy.

  The festivities continued for hours, with no end in sight. Dancing became more general. Others took up the task of providing music. Miriam sat in Gideon’s arms, watching as the town celebrated. Though she was clearly happy, she also looked tired.

  “We should go home, my dear.”

  She sighed. “Home. I love the sound of that. I’ve been without one for so long.”

  “You never will be again.” He kissed her quickly as they rose. Goodbyes were made, and expressions of appreciation for the party in their honor.

  As they passed the jailhouse, he kissed the top of her head. “I think I need to write a letter thanking the Western Women’s Bureau.”

  “Thank them?”

  “Profusely,” he said. “If they hadn’t sent you here, I never would have met you. And if I’d never met you, I never would have fallen in love with you.”

  “I, for one, am glad you did.”

  They reached the front porch of their home. Their home. Gideon paused at the door. “And I am beyond glad.” He faced her, his heart swelling with gratitude and hope and love. “I am deliriously happy.”

  She brushed the pads of her fingers along his jaw. “So am I.”

  He wrapped his hand around hers, sliding it to his lips, and kissing her fingers. “Have I told you often enough that I love you?”

  Her gaze was soft, tender. “I would not object to hearing it again.”

  He closed the small gap between them, holding her close to him. With his forehead pressed to hers, he whispered, “I love you, Miriam MacNamara. I love you with every breath I take.”

  She tipped her head and kissed him lightly. “And I love you.”

  Gideon bent, pressing his lips to hers, warm and inviting. Her hands slid over his shoulders. Her arms folded around his neck. The chill of late fall disappeared as he held her, kissed her, cherished her. Years of loneliness faded away, replaced with the abiding promise of forever.

  “May I carry you across the threshold, Mrs. MacNamara?”

  “I would have to refuse to go inside, otherwise.”

  How he loved seeing her so joyous and lighthearted.

  He lifted her into hi
s arms. “Welcome home, my love. Welcome home.”

  Home. At last.

  Acknowledgments

  My sincerest thanks to the following—

  Joan, Dave, and a contributor who wished to remain anonymous for offering insights, discussions, and feedback to help me write Miriam’s health-related experiences more accurately and sensitively. You were invaluable.

  Pam Victorio and Bob Diforio for being the greatest team an author could hope for. Your support, insights, and encouragement make all the difference.

  The team at Shadow Mountain for getting this story polished up and out into the world. I couldn’t be happier to be returning to the town of Savage Wells, and I am grateful to have the chance.

  My family, for being endlessly supportive, reminding me to go to bed, accepting frozen dinners, cleaning up, and loving me in the midst of the chaos.

  Discussion Questions

  1.After experiencing the pain of two rejections, Gideon decides he won’t gamble his heart again and instead will choose a loveless but, he hopes, respectful marriage. In what ways do we sometimes make poor decisions in the hope of avoiding disappointment or heartache?

  2.Miriam waits until Dr. Blackburn’s arrival to tell Gideon the entirety of her history and the true danger of her situation. Why do you think she didn’t reveal it sooner? Should she have? What might have helped her feel safe enough to do so?

  3.Gideon’s parents have a less-than-happy marriage. In what ways do you think this influenced Gideon’s feelings toward matrimony and his journey to find his own happiness?

  4.The town struggles to warm up to Miriam, feeling they are being loyal to Gideon by rejecting her. Can you think of instances in your own life when you struggled to change someone’s first impression of you or when you changed your initial feelings about someone else?

  5.Miriam’s skill as a nurse is helpful not only to Gideon but also to Andrew and Mr. Bell. What difference do you think her continued presence in their lives will make for them and their families?

  6.Gideon has kept his talent for and love of the cello hidden from the town, fearing they will ridicule him for something he cherishes. What does his willingness to share this part of his life with the people around him reveal about how he has grown and changed? What does it tell us about his feelings for Miriam?

  7.Andrew makes tremendous strides in this book in healing from and dealing with what would today be diagnosed as PTSD. Do you think he will continue to do so? What do you think his future will be?

  8.Mental institutions in the mid-nineteenth century were little better than prisons. The treatment of those committed to asylums was often horrendous and inhumane. In what ways do we, today, still allow the stigma of mental illness to justify mistreating those who experience it?

  9.At this time, women had very few rights. This was especially true in the area of mental health. Women could, as Miriam explains, be institutionalized for almost any reason, even without an official medical diagnosis. How do you think this powerlessness impacted Miriam’s willingness to open up about her past and trust the people around her? What impact do you think it had on her decision to run from town even though her loved ones had promised to help her?

  10.What do you imagine for the future of the people of Savage Wells? How will life change for them in the years to come? What do you hope will stay the same?

  About the Author

  Sarah M. Eden is the author of several well-received historical romances. Her previous Proper Romance novel Longing for Home won the Foreword Reviews 2013 IndieFab Book of the Year award for romance. Hope Springs won the 2014 Whitney Award for “Best Novel of the Year” and The Sheriffs of Savage Wells was a Foreword Reviews 2016 Book of the Year finalist for romance.

  Combining her obsession with history and an affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about. Sarah is represented by Pam Victorio at D4EO Literary Agency.

  Visit Sarah at www.sarahmeden.com.