Mackenzie A Frontier Romance

By Vanessa Sarlson

The rain never came. They waited and waited only to be left hungry and full of misery. Their bellies ached so they filled their gullets with water but that was not enough to satisfy that which gnawed inside of them. 
First went the mother. She was already fragile from a past illness so the famine did not help the situation. Then went the father who really died of a broken heart more than anything else. 
"I'm scared." Said Katie as she clung to her older sister. They were burning the last of their firewood and if they wanted to keep warm, they would need to go out and gather it from the forest but the sisters barely had the strength to stand let alone chop down wood. 
"It'll be okay," Mackenzie whispered against her sister's hair. "I promise." But she barely believed herself. Life had taken such a turn that it felt like they were spiraling towards rock bottom and there was really no way to stop it. Nevertheless, Mackenzie prayed for a miracle but she feared that God was no longer listening to her. 
And so, the two sisters fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms as Mackenzie dreamed of a man to come save her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201176082

Book preview

MACKENZIE : A FRONTIER ROMANCE

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VANESSA SARLSON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MACKENZIE : A FRONTIER ROMANCE

AN AMISH SUITOR

AN AMISH BEAU FOR BEA

A SEASON FOR AMISH ROMANCE

AMBER & ABEL

LOVINA’S HEART

MACKENZIE : A FRONTIER ROMANCE

Chapter 1

The rain never came. They waited and waited only to be left hungry and full of misery. Their bellies ached so they filled their gullets with water but that was not enough to satisfy that which gnawed inside of them.

First went the mother. She was already fragile from a past illness so the famine did not help the situation. Then went the father who really died of a broken heart more than anything else.

I’m scared. Said Katie as she clung to her older sister. They were burning the last of their firewood and if they wanted to keep warm, they would need to go out and gather it from the forest but the sisters barely had the strength to stand let alone chop down wood.

It’ll be okay, Mackenzie whispered against her sister’s hair. I promise. But she barely believed herself. Life had taken such a turn that it felt like they were spiraling towards rock bottom and there was really no way to stop it. Nevertheless, Mackenzie prayed for a miracle but she feared that God was no longer listening to her.

And so, the two sisters fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

***

In the morning, Mackenzie was woken by the sound of a knock against the door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes only to hear it again. Gently, she untangled herself from Katie’s hold and straightened her dress. Her fingers shook but she managed the courage to unlatch the lock and swing back the door.

Standing there was a nun. She wore a smile on her weathered face. Blessed be! She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. I am a missionary. We are looking for survivors of the recent famine and we come with food and other supplies. The nun peered into the home and frowned. Are your parents –

Mackenzie shook her head. No.

Heavens. Orphans. The woman frowned. Please, consider joining our convent. We would be more than glad to welcome you into our fold.

But Mackenzie did not want to join a convent. In her mind, she had always dreamed of finding herself a nice husband and starting herself a family. She could not imagine being trapped in the sisterhood. That is a kind offer but...

The nun nodded with understanding. Is there anything we can do to help you?

We need to get to the city, Mackenzie said as an idea popped into her head. We have an uncle we could go to but he lives out west. I want to send him a letter. I am certain that he will take us in after what happened to our parents.

Certainly, as any good Christian would. The nun offered her hand just as Katie rose from her slumber. Come with me and my sisters will escort you back into town.

Mackenzie? Katie asked, half-hiding behind her sister.

It’s alright, Mackenzie answered by placing a hand on her sister’s head. I have a plan.

***

With the convent’s help, the sisters managed a couple of tickets to the west. The train jostled with every mile they traveled. Katie’s weak stomach could not keep up with the turbulence and she spent most of her journey heaving into a bucket.

Mackenzie was forced to rub her back and comfort her the entire way.

At one point, Katie fell asleep. Mackenzie held her close and ran her fingers through her golden locks. She was putting all her faith into an uncle she had never met before. She had no way of knowing whether he was good or bad. She prayed that he would treat them with kindness and ease some of the burdens they had already shouldered at such a young age. But the closer they rode toward the frontier, the tighter the knot in her stomach became. She had a bad feeling about the whole thing. If there was a possibility of turning around, she would have done it.

Instead, the train kept on going.

The landscape swept past the windows in a blur. Night dawned on the horizon. Before darkness could engulf all, Mackenzie noticed a rushing line of horses. She squinted against the window pane and saw that the riders were Native Americans. They held hatchets above their heads and swirled them around like they had every intention of summoning a tornado.

With a sinking terror, Mackenzie realized that they were heading straight for the train.

Bang! Bang!

From the left came a few more horses. Cowboys.

They fought off the threat with a hoot and a holler. Mackenzie could not bear to watch for another moment. She lowered her head and focused on her sister who was peacefully dreaming.

We’ll be home soon, Mackenzie promised.

***

But that promise did not come to fruition.

They reached Texas in a matter of days. The air was dry and the land full of tumbleweeds. Mackenzie held up her hand to block the sun from her eyes.

The town looked empty. Not a single soul walked along the streets.

Where’s our uncle? Katie asked since there was no one there to claim the sisters as their kin. He didn’t forget about us, did he?

No, he did not forget about this, Mackenzie assured as she took her sister’s hand and squeezed it. I’m sure he’s on his way. And so, the sisters waited but no one came to retrieve them.

As the night hastened, they had no choice but to venture into town. Mackenzie made the logical decision and turned into the post office. It was common knowledge that a postmaster knew the entire town and were experts at giving out directions.

This specific postmaster was already packing up his things with every intention of going home to his loving wife. He was startled to see two young girls standing at the door. Hello. Said the older one. We are looking for a man by the name of Jackson West.

Mr. West? The postmaster clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. I reckon he’s family of sorts?

Yes sir, he is. Mackenzie nodded, relieved that this man seemed to know her uncle.

If you want my advice: take a return train back home.

Chapter 2

I’m sorry, what did you say? Mackenzie stuttered as she pinned a strand of hair behind her ear as if that would help her hear better.

I said, it might be better if you take the return train home.

The sisters exchanged a look of uncertainty. And why is that?

He is –

Just then someone came barging through the door. His girth was enough to occupy most of the room. His shoulders were broad and from Katie’s perspective, they looked like they belonged to a monster. She shied behind her sister and cowered in her shadow.

You. The man growled as he noticed the two young girls.

Mackenzie cleared her throat before stepping forward. Her heart was beating so quickly that it felt like it might explode right out of her chest. Sir...

My brother dies and leaves me to take care of his two snot-nosed brats. He snarled. What do I look like? A charity.

The postmaster felt bad for the two girls but there wasn’t much he could do. Mr. Barbell was the sheriff of the town and to cross him was to guarantee yourself a night in jail. He had made that mistake once before and he had no intention of doing it again.

Well then, don’t just gawk at me like a couple of stupid chickens. I have a house that needs tending to. So, without any further explanation, they were corralled into a carriage and brought to what they could only assume was their uncle’s cabin.

It really wasn’t much. Some of the logs were cracked, making the interior drafty. There was so much dust caked into the air that it was incredibly hard for them to breathe.

Here. Mr. Barbell shoved a wooden spoon against Mackenzie’s chest. You do the cooking. And you better hope I like it. He then turned toward Katie and threw her the broom. In her nervousness, she missed the catch and it clattered against the fall.

Her uncle immediately advanced on the poor girl and grabbed her by the collar of her dress. He practically lifted her off the ground.

Do you think this is a game? Spittle flew from his lips and onto her face.

Katie whimpered and looked over at her sister, begging for salvation.

Put her down! Mackenzie whacked him with the wooden spoon.

He retaliated by swinging his arm. The back of his hand collided with Mackenzie’s cheek. The force of it was enough to send her flying in the opposite direction. She crashed against the wall and crumbled like a paper doll.

You count yourself lucky that I’m feeling particularly nice this evening. The sheriff huffed before disappearing through the back door with his pipe.

Katie rushed to her sister’s side. Kenzie... Kenzie... She had no idea what she was supposed to do. There was blood dripping from the back of her head. She thought about grabbing a nearby hand towel but she didn’t dare use something that belonged to her uncle for fear that it might bring out his temple. So, in the end, she tore a piece of fabric from her dress and applied it to Mackenzie’s head.

We cannot stay here, Mackenzie said as she slowly rose to our feet. That man will kill us.

But where are we to go?

I do not know but we will figure something out –

Just then, their uncle came back through the door, his eyes narrowed and mean. I don’t like all this whispering. What are you two chittering about?

Nothing. Mackenzie lied and it was most definitely the wrong answer.

Do you take me for an idiot? He bellowed. I heard you conspiring to run away. He leaned in so close that she could smell the stench of his breath. And let me tell you something. That isn’t going to happen. I’m her legal guardian. The second you take her out of this house I’ll be forced to charge you with kidnapping. He threatened. And I doubt you want to live out the rest of your life behind a jail cell.

Mackenzie could feel a never before felt anger welling up deep inside of her. She wanted to spit in this man’s vile face but to do so risked unleashing his wrath.

Do you understand me? His fingers slithered into her hair and yanked on it until Mackenzie was forced to look him in the eye. Cross me and you’ll regret it, little lady.

***

So, Mackenzie bought herself some time by following the rules. She did exactly as her uncle asked her to. Katie did the same and that was enough to keep her out of trouble.

That’s when Mr. Barbell started to lower his guard. He no longer watched the two girls so religiously. He now felt comfortable enough in their obedience to leave them alone for the better part of the day. It was during one of these days that the girls made their escape.

Quick as can be, they packed their luggage bag and ran all the way to the train station. Luckily the train had just pulled in and was about to embark for its next stop. Mackenzie convinced one of the conductors to let them slip aboard.

Thank Heavens. She whispered under her breath as they settled into the safety of those seats.

What will happen now? Katie asked, fearfully holding her sister’s hand.

We ride and see where fate takes us. She squeezed her sister into a tight, comforting hug. All we can do is trust in God and believe that he will provide for us. It was all she could think to say but with everything that had happened Mackenzie was slowly losing her faith.

If God loved all, then why would he do this to them?

Chapter 3

This is ridiculous! Taylor slammed his hands onto the banker’s desk. Why do I need a woman to finance my business?

We find that it keeps men in check. They are more likely to settle down and pay their bills with a woman by their side. The banker answered with the utmost calmness. When silence settled into his office, he leaned back and twirled the end of his beard against the tips of his fingers. I’m sorry Mr. Benson there is nothing I can do for you until you find yourself a wife.

Taylor cursed under his breath before snatching up his hat and storming through the doors. Outside, there was a nasty wind blowing through the town. It kicked up a cloud of dust that threatened to get into his eyes. He squinted against it and by doing so, he caught sight of her.

She was wearing her favorite blue dress. It hugged her slip waistline to utter perfection. Her soft, blonde curls hung down to her shoulder.

Her laugh was carried by the wind and it pierced right through his heart. He could not stand to see her holding the hand on another so he turned the other way. There was a bitter taste in his mouth that was difficult to ignore. He spat into the ground and snuffed it