Author's Note: This is dedicated to my best friend and fellow fan fic writer, Sanquine. Without her, this chapter would not exist.
Chapter 59: Strangers in New Hope
MacGyver leaned back against Joanna's kitchen counter and popped another grape into his mouth as he watched her slice strawberries over a large glass bowl.
"So, tell me again why I wasn't invited to this party."
Jo let out a long-suffering sigh, put down the paring knife she'd been using, and turned to address him, one hand on her hip. "It's not a party," she clarified. "I'm just having some friends over for the evening."
"Who's comin'?" Mac asked, plucking a pineapple chunk from the can beside the bowl containing Jo's in-progress fruit salad.
Joanna took a deep breath and recited the list, "Rosie, Geena, and Cynthia. And Sam agreed to hang out with Pete so Rebecca's coming with Connie."
"They're my friends, too. Why can't I stay?" MacGyver asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Fine," Jo huffed. "You can stay. As long as you don't complain about chick flicks and girl talk."
Mac pushed himself away from the counter. "Hmm, when you put it like that, maybe I'll just go over to my place and pop an old Western into the VCR." He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Jo agreed with a smile and a slight flush. "And take him, too." She went over to the coffee table and bent down, grabbing Frog's collar and hauling him out from one of his favorite napping spots. "Tonight this is a testosterone-free zone!"
"What's wrong with testosterone?" Mac argued.
"Nothing, but sometimes it's nice to just have some 'girl time'."
MacGyver couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, but at the stroke of midnight, all bets are off!" He heard her giggle behind him as he urged their shared canine companion through the interior door connecting their apartments.
Frog headed straight for Mac's coffee table where he settled with a snuffle and more than a little drool as Mac tossed himself on the couch, TV remote in hand. "Women," he muttered to the dog. "I don't think I'll ever understand them!" He pressed the 'play' button and settled in for the night with one of his favorite movies, his eyelids quickly becoming heavy.
New Hope, Nebraska
February 1865
Anna was fixing oatmeal at the wood-burning stove when MacGyver approached from behind, wrapping his arms snuggly around her trim waist and nuzzling her neck. "Do you know what today is, Mrs. MacGyver?" he asked.
Anna turned around to face him without leaving his grasp. She still held the spoon she had been using to stir the porridge and fixed her large, brown, guileless eyes on his. "I do believe it's Thursday," she replied, before turning back to her daily task.
"You know what I mean," Mac admonished as he let go of his wife and grabbed the coffee pot instead.
Anna MacGyver laughed and gave her husband her full attention. "Of course I know what today is. I'm just surprised you remembered!"
"What makes you think I could forget our first wedding anniversary?! After all, I had you marry me on Valentine's Day so I wouldn't forget!" That little comment earned him a playful slap with the towel his wife had wrapped around the handle of the hot cast iron pot.
"Hey! Be nice to me or I won't give you your gift," he warned.
Anna suddenly turned serious. "I thought we agreed not to buy gifts in order to save some money to make improvements on the ranch this spring."
"Who said anything about buying a gift?" Mac countered.
Just then, Sammy barreled into the room, his enthusiasm barely contained. "Pa, when can we give Ma the special present you made for her?"
MacGyver's heart warmed to hear his seven-year-old son call Anna 'Ma'. The boy had gone through some rough patches adjusting to the loss of his birth mother, Kate, but hopefully the worst was behind him.
"I'd say right about now would be a good time," Mac declared. "You stay here and make sure your ma doesn't peek while I go get it from the barn."
"The barn!" Anna exclaimed. "Angus MacGyver you better not be bringing any livestock into my house!"
"Guess you'll just have to wait and see," Mac chuckled as he walked through the door.
Maneuvering his special gift into the house was a bit more challenging than MacGyver had anticipated, but thanks to careful measurements, he was able to get it safely into the living room and set it next to the fireplace as quietly as possible.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," he told Anna as Sammy grabbed her by the hand and led her to where her gift sat.
"Oh, Mac, it's absolutely gorgeous! I can't believe you did all this yourself...and in secret!"
"You know all those nights I said I had to stay in the barn and tend to a horse with colic?"
Anna nodded.
"Well, it wasn't a horse with colic I had to tend to."
Anna slowly slid her hand along the smooth, shiny wood of the intricately hand carved rocking chair her husband had made for her. Then she turned and wrapped her arms around him, melding her lips to his as one hand raked through his long, unruly hair.
"I reckon you like it," MacGyver said huskily once they broke the kiss.
"I love it! Now I guess I should give you your gift."
"I thought we agreed not to buy gifts this year," Mac parroted her earlier words back at her.
"I know, but this is such a special day I couldn't help it! I still have a little money saved up from when I was teaching and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it." Anna dug into her skirt pocket and produced a small rectangular box, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string.
Like a kid on Christmas Morning, Mac tore into the package. He lifted the cover to find a shiny new pocket knife he had seen on display at the General Store.
"Do you like it?" Anna asked shyly.
"I love it! I just about wrecked my other one makin' that chair of yours so this is perfect!" He swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
"If you two are gonna keep gettin' all mushy, I'm goin' to school," Sammy declared, as he grabbed his books and headed outside shaking his head in dismay. He would never understand adults.
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"We're lost, aren't we?" the woman asked the man beside her who was driving their small covered wagon down the trail. Though the trail seemed to be more well-traveled here than in other places, she still suspected that they'd been going around in circles. "You can be honest with me. I can take it."
"No, we are not lost," replied the man with a slight French accent.
"There aren't any trees or other landmarks out here. How can you be so sure?"
"Just trust me. It is not far," the man answered, his frustration with his traveling companion mounting.
"I hope you're right," the woman challenged. "These lanterns won't last for much longer, and I'd rather not freeze to death tonight in the middle of nowhere."
The man rolled his eyes. "You will live," he muttered.
"You don't know that! I might not!"
"Must you be so contrary, mon cheri?"
"Perhaps."
The man heaved a heavy sigh. "You could at least try to be cheerful. Think of this as an adventure, no?"
"I'll be a lot more cheerful when we're out of the cold. I'm freezing," the woman complained.
"I promise it is not far. Please, try and calm yourself."
"How do you know how far it is? Have you been here before?"
"Of course not," the man soothed, "But given the amount of time we have been driving it only makes sense."
"Fine. I'll trust you," the woman huffed.
They rode in silence for a few moments until some nocturnal creature scurried through the brush and spooked the horse. Whinnying in alarm, the large bay bolted down the trail, leaving his driver to frantically tug at the reins, calling out to the horse in French in as calm a tone as possible. And just as quickly as the horse had taken off, he stopped dead in his tracks. The wagon lurched dangerously, sending the Frenchman rolling to the ground in a most unceremonious fashion. The woman, who had been clinging to the edge of her seat since the horse had taken off, jumped out of the wagon and rushed to her companion's side.
The man groaned in pain. "I am all right," he assured her, rubbing his legs. "But I cannot get back into the wagon by myself thanks to these useless limbs of mine, and I fear you are not strong enough to assist me in that endeavor. We are not far from the next town. Take one of the lanterns and follow the trail until you come upon someone willing to help us in our plight," he instructed.
"I'll hurry," the woman promised, as she grabbed a lantern and took off as fast as she could down the cold, dark trail.
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"It sure is chilly out there tonight," MacGyver announced as he warmed his hands by the fireplace.
"And it's sure to get colder before it gets warmer," replied Anna. "But at least the winter solstice is well past us."
"What's that?" asked Sammy, looking up from the primer he was using to practice his reading.
"The winter solstice is the longest night of the year," Anna explained. "It happened right before Christmas. Haven't you noticed that the sky stays brighter just a bit longer these days?"
"Yeah! Then that means spring will be here soon and I can play outside longer!"
"That's right," MacGyver assured his son, affection for his family glowing in his eyes. "It won't be long now!"
Just then, there was a timid knock at the door. In fact, it was so quiet Mac wasn't even sure he had heard it. Then it sounded again, bolder and more insistent.
"I wonder who that could be way out here at this time of night?" Anna said, her eyebrows frowning to form a V on her forehead.
MacGyver grabbed the knob and swung the door inward to discover a brown-haired woman in her mid-twenties standing on the other side of the threshold. Her traveling dress was dusty, and her bonnet askew. No sooner had he made eye-contact then words poured from her lips.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need your help! My fiance and I...our horse bolted and threw him out of the wagon. He said he isn't hurt but I'm not so sure. If you could just come and help me get him back into the wagon I'd surely appreciate it and I promise not to bother you again."
"It's not a bother," Mac said, grabbing his coat. "Now just tell me where your wagon is."
"It's down that trail," she said, pointing in the direction from which she had come. "I'm not sure how far it is, but I can take you there."
MacGyver shook his head. "Come in the house and warm up. I can find it on my own as soon as I saddle up."
The woman shook her head stubbornly, backing away from the cozy home. "I'm coming with you," she insisted.
"I promise I will help your fiance. Now go inside. I'm sure my wife already has something warm for you to drink on the stove."
She shook her head again. "We don't have time to argue. I'm going. I have to."
Mac sighed inwardly. Why did women always have to be so difficult? "All right, let's go," he said, ushering the woman towards the barn but not before turning to give Anna a quick kiss goodbye. "Don't worry, I'll be back before we need to tuck Sammy in."
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As MacGyver expected, he easily found the wagon about a half mile from his homestead. The couple had obviously been on their way to New Hope when the accident happened. After approaching the wagon, he halted Dexter, his favorite horse, and dismounted. He turned to assist the woman who had ridden behind him and was surprised to see her already standing on the ground. She motioned for him to follow her to the other side of the wagon.
"Rachelle? Is that you?" a French-accented voice called out.
"Yes, it's me. I brought help. Are you still all right?"
"Oui, but I now believe my ankle to be twisted." He chuckled humorlessly. "Not that I can use it anyway." He pushed himself to a sitting position. "You brought the cavalry, I see," his dark, assessing eyes sending a chill up Mac's spine.
"Name's MacGyver. Nice to meet you," he said, stepping forward to help the Frenchman.
"Indeed. I am Jacques Leroux. If you please, pull me closer to the wagon so I can grab onto it. Unfortunately, I am without the use of my legs from a previous carriage mishap."
MacGyver complied, noting that the man was a bit accident prone, as together with Rachelle they managed to ease Jacques back into the wagon.
"We have a doctor in town," Mac informed them. "I can take you to see him tomorrow. Until then, you're welcome to stay the night with my family. Under the circumstances, I don't think my wife would mind. If fact, she would insist on it."
"Nonsense! We cannot impose!" Jacques exclaimed.
"Please," MacGyver replied. "It's too cold to argue. Are you able to drive the wagon?"
"Of course. I presume you will lead the way?"
"Yep," Mac agreed, swinging onto Dexter's back and heading him toward home.
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"MacGyver!" Anna cried with relief when her husband came through the door. "It took you longer than I expected. Is everything all right?"
"Just fine," Mac replied with a comforting smile, "But I hope you don't mind that I brought a couple visitors to spend the night."
Much to Anna's surprise, the brunette woman from earlier slowly entered the house, pushing a lean mustachioed man in a wooden wheelchair.
"Good evening, again," the woman offered shyly.
MacGyver cleared his throat. "This is my wife, Anna, and my son, Sammy."
"It is a pleasure to meet you and your family, my darling," the man cooed, taking Anna's hand and gently placing a kiss on it, earning a blush from her and a raised eyebrow from her husband. "I am Jacques Laroux and my lovely companion is Miss Rachelle Mershon."
"Hi, Mister!" Sammy blurted out, immediately darting from behind his mother's skirt toward the Frenchman. "Why do you sound funny? Are you from a different country or somethin'? The last guy who talked funny was from England. He tried to kill Ma and Pa and kidnap me! Why are you in a chair with wheels on it? Did you make it like Pa made a chair for Ma?"
"Whoa, Sammy, slow down there," MacGyver admonished. "I'm sure our guests are very tired. They were just in an accident."
Sammy's eyes grew wide. "What kinda accident? Are you alright? Your horse wasn't hurt, was he?"
Jacques smiled and allowed a small chuckle to escape. "What a charming little boy! Very curious, no? To answer your questions, young man, I am from a country called France. It is in Europe. Rather close to where your English friend hales from, but I intend your family no harm. And no, I did not make this wheelchair, but I must use it because my legs were paralyzed in an accident several years ago. But tonight, both Rachelle and myself are fine, thanks to your father."
"Okay, Sammy, I think that's enough excitement for one night," MacGyver declared. "Time for bed." He scooped up his protesting son and carried him down the hallway to tuck him into bed while Anna and Rachelle busied themselves with setting up a place in the main room for the visitors to sleep. In the small house, he couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"You must have had a long journey," Anna commented. "May I ask where you're from?"
"Kentucky," Rachelle replied softly. "Near Hodgen's Mill. Where are you and your husband from?"
"I came to New Hope from Chicago and Mac and Sammy came from Boston. What brings you out West?"
"Jacques, mostly. It's a long story," the young woman sighed.
"I'll bet it is," Anna said slyly. "Where were you headed before the accident?"
"We were hoping to settle in the Wyoming Territory."
"Then you still have a long way to go," Anna informed her.
"We do, but we'll get there eventually. We really appreciate your help and hospitality."
Anna smiled warmly, "It's no problem. Mac and I try to help others whenever we can."
The next morning, while Rachelle helped Anna prepare breakfast, the two men went outside to survey the damage done to the wagon.
"It looks like there isn't a whole lot of damage, but I don't think that axle will hold for a long trip. Where did you say you were headed?"
"Wyoming Territory," Jacques replied in disappointment. "Do you believe we will need a new axle?"
"I'd suggest getting one as soon as possible. In the meantime, I can fix it up good enough for getting around New Hope, but it's a long way to Wyoming and you'll need something sturdy enough for the rough trail ahead."
"I was afraid of that," Jacques muttered, mindlessly stroking his mustache. "Is there a place in town where I could get the wagon fixed?"
"Yep. There's a wainwright next to the general store. I can take you there after I finish the morning chores."
"Thank you, but that will not be necessary. Rachelle and I will find it. We have made it this far, after all."
"Well, good luck getting her away from my wife," MacGyver chuckled. "There aren't a lot of womenfolk nearby for Anna to talk to and it seems that she and Rachelle have really hit it off."
Jacques scoffed to himself but then reluctantly agreed. "Very well. That is, of course, if you can convince her to stay behind. She is...how you say? 'Stubborn as a mule', no?"
MacGyver grinned, "I noticed that last night, but something tells me Anna is more than a match for her."
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Much to Jacque's surprise, MacGyver was more than correct in his prediction about Rachelle and Anna. In fact, not only were they content to stay at the ranch, but they seemed to be rapidly becoming best friends.
"I can't believe we have so much in common," Rachelle commented to her new friend after discovering that she and Anna had both been teachers for a time and shared similar tastes in books, hobbies, and, to some extent, men.
"I know!" Anna agreed. "I feel like I've known you my entire life! Who would've thought that two girls with a passion for teaching, reading Jane Austen, and coming from two completely different places would end up meeting in the same small town? I'm really going to miss you when you leave."
"I'm going to be so sad when Jacques and I have to move on," Rachelle confirmed. "I don't have very many friends and none to travel with, so I'm going to miss you even more."
"Are you sure you have to leave?" Anna asked thoughtfully. "You could always settle in New Hope. It's a really nice place once you get to know everyone, and you might even be able to get a position assisting at the school. My replacement is a lovely girl, but it's her first year teaching. I'm sure she'd appreciate the help. I know I would have!"
"I do like the sound of that, but I don't know. I'd have to talk it over with Jacques. It isn't just me, after all, and I don't know that we'd fit in here. Then again, it seems we don't fit in anywhere."
Anna frowned slightly, reaching across the table to touch her new friend's arm in a comforting gesture. "That's the beautiful thing about a frontier town. Nobody 'fits in'. We're just a bunch of strangers settling the land together who become friends and neighbors." Anna paused to chew on her lip, deliberating whether or not to ask the question she'd been pondering since the previous evening. "Rachelle, you said that Jacques is your fiance. Do you mind telling me how you two met?"
"It's a long story," the younger woman sighed, and Anna feared she wouldn't care to elaborate, but after a moment she continued. "When the war broke out, a lot of my family members began to join the Union Army. Eventually, my brother did too, joining the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry. When he left, I was more or less on my own, so I quit teaching and moved to the city and found a job as a typesetter for a newspaper printer. At first they didn't want to hire me because I was a woman, but I became better at it than any of the men working there. Unfortunately, I made some bad decisions that got me in trouble. You see, the good folks of Patrick Malloy's newspaper empire don't take kindly to women submitting and publishing articles, especially under a false, male name. Jacques worked at the theater on the same street as the paper so I had already made his acquaintance and I knew that he was looking for a wife to take West with him. I needed a way out and Jacques was it. So here we both are."
Taken aback by the mention of Patrick Malloy, MacGyver's former father-in-law and Sammy's grandfather, Anna sat quietly, absorbing what she'd just heard and focusing on the matter at hand. "That is a long story, but surely you don't mean to say that you don't have any feelings for Jacques at all."
Rachelle looked down, but not quickly enough to hide the bright red blush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh, I didn't say that. I do have feelings for him. Strong ones. Otherwise I'd have found another way out of my predicament. Unfortunately, he doesn't feel the same way. No matter how hard I try, he always keeps me at arm's length."
"But why?" Anna protested. "Surely he can see what a sweet, intelligent, hard-working person you are. I can see that and we've only just met!"
"You say that because you're my new best friend," Rachelle pointed out. "But those things don't matter to Jacques. He refuses to get attached or feel anything for anybody, except perhaps himself. If he hadn't been paralyzed in that carriage wreck, he'd still be a successful actor without a care in the world...for anyone."
Anna shook her head firmly. "When I first met Mac, he blamed himself for his wife's death and was determined not to lose his heart to another woman, but our time together changed his mind. I'm sure Jacques will grow to love you as well."
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When MacGyver and Jacques arrived home, Sammy was playing outside, jumping around on a stick and pretending it was a horse. Mac pulled his wagon alongside his son who clambered into his father's lap as soon as the wheels stopped turning.
"Pa, guess what! I learned a new song today!"
"Oh yeah? How does it go?"
Sammy cleared his throat dramatically and began to sing: "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?"
"Whoa! Good job!" Mac praised. "Where'd you learn that?"
Sammy beamed. "Miss Rachelle taught it to me. At first I thought she was singing about Mr. Jacques, but she told me it means 'Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John? Brother John?"
"That's pretty impressive," MacGyver said with a smile.
Jacques Laroux smiled also. "You sing in French very well. You must be very clever, no?"
"Thanks!" Sammy exclaimed, his grin growing even wider.
"Did you get all your chores done?" Mac asked.
"Yep!" his son replied cheerfully. "Ma and Miss Rachelle and I got 'em all done a long time ago. That's why I had time to learn the song!"
"I see. Well, you go inside and tell your ma that Mr. Jacques and I are home while we get the horses unhitched."
"Sure thing, Pa!"
"You have a very nice family," Jacques observed as Sammy ran toward the house.
"I think so. Do you plan on having one of your own someday?"
"Moi? Non. I do not think so."
"But you are engaged to be married," MacGyver pointed out.
"A husband, oui. But I fear I would not make for a very good father like yourself."
"What does Rachelle think about this?"
Jacques merely shrugged and stared at the horizon so Mac let the subject drop. Still, as he was caring for the horses, he couldn't help shaking his head. Something was very strange about this couple...if they could even be called a couple at all.
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Later that evening, Rachelle and Jacques took a quiet walk around the MacGyver homestead, as much for privacy as for cool fresh air. Jacques used his arms to propel his wheelchair while his fiancee walked alongside.
"So you see," he said, finishing the explanation of what he had learned from that day's trip to the wainwright, "we are stuck here until we can replace the axle, and we cannot replace the axle unless we find a way to earn enough money to pay for it. We have no choice but to delay our travels to Wyoming."
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Rachelle mused. "If we stay here through the winter, we can pick up again for easier travel in the spring."
"But how will we get by?" Jacques argued mildly. "We cannot rely on the kindness of strangers forever. We have already imposed enough."
"I agree. But from what Anna told me, I could get a job assisting at the schoolhouse. She also said there's a saloon in town. Maybe you could get a job playing the piano. You're so very good at it! That should give us enough money to fix the wagon and move on."
As they circled back toward the house, Jacques snorted. "So much for our plans, hm? I should have known that our luck would run out. It always does."
"Well, we could stay and settle here permanently," Rachelle suggested quietly.
Jacques halted abruptly. "Stay?! Here?! Moving to Wyoming was your idea, my darling. If you wanted to live in the middle of nowhere we could have stayed in Kentucky!?
"But I like it here," she replied with a shrug.
"Non, you like your dear little friend Anna here."
"What's wrong with that? We don't know anybody in Wyoming anyway," Rachelle said defensively.
Jacques sighed. "I suppose you are correct. One place is the same as another. But let me remind you of this, mon cheri. New Hope is a small town, and small towns breed small-minded people, non? At least in a big city like Cheyenne, we will go unnoticed. You should have seen the stares the townspeople gave me today."
Rachelle cringed and looked down. "I'm so sorry, Jacques, you shouldn't have to deal with that. Perhaps they only stared because you are new in town."
Jacques flinched and looked away.
Rachelle reached for his hand, clasped it between both of hers and leaned forward. "Look, I just want you to know that no matter what anyone else sees in you, I think you're a wonderful man. And no matter what happens, I want you to know how much
I-"
"Non," Jacques instructed firmly, placing his free hand over her lips. "I know what you are about to say, and I cannot let you say it. Ours will be a marriage of convenience. Aside from friendship, there can be nothing more between us."
Jacques retreated to the warmth of the house, but Rachelle remained standing in the same place for several long moments. She sighed and whispered, "You were wrong, Anna. It's not that we're not certain about our feelings for each other, it's just that our feelings are different."
As she walked back to the house, she didn't notice MacGyver, who had been returning from the barn, close enough to have heard the entire conversation.
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MacGyver waited until his guests had gone outside again to check on their horse and wagon one last time before quickly relaying to Anna what he had overheard earlier.
Anna groaned. "Rachelle said something similar this afternoon. Oh, Mac, I can't stand seeing someone having to put walls around their feelings. There's got to be something we can do."
"I don't see what. We can't make the man feel something he doesn't feel."
"I don't know," Anna said slowly. "There's a part of me that's convinced he does feel something beyond friendship for her, but he's just too stubborn to admit it."
MacGyver shook his head. "I just can't see two people that stubborn making a relationship work."
Anna grinned slyly, "Oh, I don't know. I know of a certain couple who managed to make it work."
Mac chuckled and swept her into his arms, leaving her breathless. "Good point."
Anna smiled. "They just need a little push like we did, that's all."
"You mean like conjuring up a tornado in the middle of winter and allowing Jacques to think that Rachelle died in its path?"
"No," Anna replied, swatting playfully at his arm. "But we'll think of something."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Mac muttered as a feeling in his gut told him there was more to the strange couple than met the eye.
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The following day, MacGyver walked into Pete Thornton's general store, rubbing his hands together to warm them as he closed the door behind him and Jacques.
"Why, good morning, MacGyver!" Pete called cheerfully as he walked out of the back room and saw his favorite customer. "What brings you into town? It's not like you to come out here so often in one week."
"I wanted to check to see if the supplies I ordered came in yet," Mac explained.
Pete shook his head. "Not yet, and I wouldn't expect them for a while. Heard the East Coast got hit with a blizzard, so shipments are running behind schedule." The older man then nodded to the stranger in the wheelchair. "Anything I can get for you, Mister?"
For a second, Jacques remained quiet, contemplative. "Non, monsieur, thank you. I came to inquire if there were any jobs available here in town. Mr. MacGyver said you would be the man to ask."
"Ya know, I'm not sure," Pete confessed. "Come spring I can always use an extra hand in the storeroom as new merchandise arrives, but there's not much for me to do this time of year, especially now that Christmas has passed. Have you tried Jack Dalton's saloon? He'll either have work for you or know where you can get some."
"Thank you, monsieur," Jacques replied flatly, wheeling himself toward the door.
"Real ray of sunshine, ain't he?" Pete whispered to MacGyver with a shake of his bald head.
"Ya know, Pete, Jacques and his fiancee have been staying at our place while they figure out how to get their wagon fixed and between you and me, something's just not right."
Pete winced. "Is the girl as sour as he is?"
"No. Actually, she's pretty sweet and she and Anna managed to become best friends overnight."
"Women!" Pete snorted.
Mac held back a grin. "Rachelle's been really great with Sammy, too. I don't know what she sees in Jacques, but it seems like the only two people who don't see how much those two love each other are-"
"Are those two," Pete finished, nodding sympathetically. "That's the way the story always goes."
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Jacques, meanwhile, had wheeled himself down the street to the saloon and quietly entered through the swinging double doors. The place was about half full, the customers consisting mostly of cattlemen and farm hands hoping to warm themselves with a stiff drink.
Immediately spying the unattended piano in the corner, he went over to it and slid himself out of his chair and onto the stool provided. His hands touched the keys as he, for the first time since arriving in New Hope, allowed a ghost of a smile and began to play.
The melody was soft and haunting, a love song in a minor key. By the time his finger hit the last note, several hardened, burly ranchers were heedlessly allowing tears to slip into their whiskey glasses.
Jacques looked up to find the proprietor, Jack Dalton, hovering over the piano. "Look, partner, I'm not tryin' to criticize ya, 'cause everybody's a critic these days, but next time ya think ya could play somethin' a little more lively? Ya know, somethin' to draw my customers in, not make 'em cry. Hey! Do ya know any ragtime?"
The Frenchman groaned quietly and eased himself back into his wheelchair. "This is so humiliating," he muttered, and left the saloon as soon as physically possible.
Jack Dalton, still standing by the piano frowned. "Was it something I said?"
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The first thing MacGyver did when he arrived home from town was grab his beloved Anna in a warm embrace and kiss her gently on the cheek.
"You missed," she teased, and then his lips found hers.
When they finally broke the kiss, Mac asked, "What's that smell?"
"Mint," Anna replied. "Sammy came home from school with a terrible cough, so Rachelle and I whipped up some mint tea to ease it a little. He's asleep right now and rest is probably the best thing for him at this point."
MacGyver nodded. "Agreed. He needs rest to keep up his strength. Poor kid. Where'd you find the mint, anyway?"
"Rachelle had some. She has a lot of dried herbs in that wagon of theirs and she seems pretty knowledgeable about their medicinal uses," Anna explained. "See, that's another reason why she and Jacques should settle in New Hope!"
Meanwhile, Rachelle went to welcome Jacques who sat just inside the doorway. "I have good news!" she told him. "While you and MacGyver were gone I went with Anna to pick Sammy up at school and she drove me to the hotel in town. I spoke with the manager and he said he would rent us a room for a lower price, provided I help with the cleaning and such. I know it's not ideal, but at least we won't be imposing on our friends any longer."
"Very well," Jacques responded curtly.
Rachelle frowned. "What's wrong? I'd thought you'd be happy?"
While Jacques went on to describe his misadventures in town, Anna and Mac recounted their day with each other as well.
"I wish there was something we could do to get those two to see that they truly love each other," Anna lamented.
"Look. Maybe we should just leave them be. They'll figure it out eventually."
"But Rachelle is the best friend I've had since settling here," Anna protested.
MacGyver put his hands on his wife's shoulder and lowered his forehead so it was touching hers. "Something isn't right about this whole thing. I can feel it in my gut," he said softly, so as not to be overheard.
"You and your gut!" Anna complained as she stepped away from him. "Rachelle is a sweet girl. I admit, Jacques might be a bit eccentric, but I'm sure he's harmless."
"I just think we should stay out of their business…"
"I've got it!" Anna exclaimed with a victorious grin. "Ever since they arrived, I've spent all my time with Rachelle and you've been with Jacques. Maybe it's time we switched dance partners, so to speak! I'll entertain Jacques while you get to know Rachelle better!"
"Whoa, wait a minute!"
"C'mon, Mac! I bet I could talk Jacques into staying in New Hope and maybe even confess his love for Rachelle."
MacGyver brought Anna back into his arms. "I still don't like this, but if anyone can talk that man into staying it's you. You could sweet-talk the green off grass, Mrs. MacGyver."
XXXXX
"What, exactly, did you need my help with again?" Rachelle asked nervously as she followed MacGyver around, watching him feed the horses and tend to the other livestock.
"Anna tells me you know your way around some medicinal plants," Mac replied.
"Some of them. Mostly the ones that are hard to kill. Did you need something?"
"You got anything that'll help achy hands?"
Rachelle's face lit up. "I know just the thing!" She led him over to the broken wagon, grabbed the wooden box that contained most of her worldly possessions, and rummaged around inside it until she held up an old glass jar half-full of a dark yellow concoction. She offered it to Mac with a proud smile. "This is dandelion salve. Just rub it on your hands and massage your knuckles with it."
MacGyver smiled. "Thanks, I'll give it a try. Did Jacques use some of this after your accident? I imagine he had some aches and pains from hitting the ground."
Rachelle immediately sobered. "Jacques doesn't believe in this kind of thing. I've tried to explain how the Indians have used herbs and plants as medicine for hundreds of years, but he doesn't believe me."
Silently scolding himself for upsetting Rachelle, he quickly summoned a friendly smile and changed the subject. "How'd you like to learn how to patch up a wagon axle?"
"I...I'm not very handy with that sort of thing."
"Aw, c'mon. It's easy. I'll show you."
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"Jacques, would you mind giving me a hand for a minute?" Anna asked.
"It would be my pleasure, madame. What can I do for you?" he asked from where he sat beside the fireplace.
Anna plopped a large wooden bowl in his lap and handed him an equally large wooden spoon. "Could you stir the batter for the cornbread while I tend to the soup? I thought this would be the perfect meal to make Sammy feel better. It's so warm and comforting."
"I could not agree more."
Anna chewed her lip for a moment before casually asking, "So how are you and Rachelle enjoying New Hope so far?"
Jacques scoffed. "My fiancee loves it here, thanks to you and your family."
"And what about you?"
"It is the same for me no matter where I go: Stares and shame."
"I'm very sorry to hear that. You have to know you have nothing to be ashamed of. It was an accident after all. Once you've been here for awhile people will get to know you and the stares will go away."
"I know what you are trying to do and it will not work. My mind is made up."
"Why?" Anna asked, her frustration mounting. "Can't you see that Rachelle only wants to be with you regardless of where you live? That she loves you? And I think you love her, too."
"Non. Trying to be someone I am not...giving her something I cannot...that would break her heart more than having her believe I do not love her in the first place."
"Living a life without love isn't really living, Mr. Laroux. You'll find that out eventually. Just remember that, by the time you do, Rachelle may not be waiting for you any longer."
"She has nowhere else to go," he snapped.
"That may have been true when you began your journey, but it isn't true now. Now she has New Hope."
Jacques turned his head away from Anna, but then grimaced and asked, "What is that?!"
Anna followed the man's gaze. "It's one of the barn cats. Sammy must have brought her in to play with before he fell asleep."
Jacque's lip curled as the feline sidled towards him. "Scat you filthy creature!" he commanded, just as his leg shot out in the animal's direction.
Anna gasped. "Did you just try and kick the cat?"
"Of course not, my dear," Jacques replied, quickly regaining his composure. "Even if I had wanted to, which I did not, my leg would not obey."
"But I saw your leg move!" Anna countered incredulously.
"It was a mere muscle spasm. The doctor warned me it could happen from time to time. It was simply an unfortunate coincidence. Please, I would ask that you forget you witnessed it. Even Rachelle has not seen this particular malady of mine."
"Of course," Anna murmured as she collected the bowl and spoon from Jacques and went about preparing the rest of the meal.
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"Well, it seems like everything is coming together," MacGyver declared as he sat on the hearth, whittling a small piece of wood with his new pocket knife. The ranch chores are done for the day, Sammy's starting to feel better, and my beautiful wife prepared another excellent dinner. Life is good."
"Maybe for us, but not for our two houseguests," Anna countered from her rocking chair, careful to speak softly so as not to disturb the couple sitting at the kitchen table.
"Anna, we did everything we could," Mac soothed.
"I know. I just wanted them to have a happy ending like we did."
"They'll be fine. They just don't know it yet."
"I suppose," Anna capitulated, "But think about what might have happened to us if the tornado hadn't brought us together? As scared of commitment as we both were, it could have taken forever and a day for us to realize we were meant to be together forever."
"But we are together now. That's all that matters."
A grin tugged at Anna's lips. "I hate it when you're right, ya know."
"I know," Mac grinned back.
"Would you mind if I invited them to Sunday church service? I think it might be time for a little divine intervention."
MacGyver chuckled. "You never give up, do you?"
"Nope! And that's one of the things you love about me!"
XXXXX
Rachelle's eyes sparkled when Anna invited her and Jacques to the morning church service that Sunday. "I'd love to go! I haven't been able to properly observe the day since leaving Kentucky."
Jacques, on the other hand, shook his head slowly. "That is a very kind invitation, but I must decline, if only for myself."
Rachelle leaned closer to Anna, speaking in a frustrated whisper. "Sometimes dealing with that man is just so...so…"
"Aggravating?" Anna suggested.
"Yes! Exactly. Gah, I swear he wouldn't know an emotion if it whacked him in the head with a grubby garden hoe!"
"I know the feeling," Anna agreed. "But I'm sure the two of you will work things out."
"Maybe," Rachelle said, "but I've already made a few decisions that he's not going to like and if that doesn't get a rise out of him, I give up!"
MacGyver and Anna, with Sammy in tow, were still discussing the pastor's sermon when they arrived home only to find Jacques nervously wheeling himself back and forth around the house. "Where is Rachelle?" he demanded when he noticed their party had lost a member.
"She asked us to leave her in town," Anna answered calmly. "She decided to take up a room at the hotel and work off the cost. She asked me to tell you that you're more than welcome to join her."
"But why would she do such a thing?"
"To make a point," Anna stated firmly. "She's staying in New Hope and she wants you to stay with her, unless you no longer want to be with her."
"Rachelle's been begging for your attention the whole time you've been here and probably long before that," MacGyver pointed out. "Anna and I have been trying to encourage you both to talk to each other about your feelings, but I guess we've been too subtle. At least for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have chores to do before lunch."
"Wait!" Jacques called as Mac put his hand on the doorknob. "I apologize...to both of you. I have been a silly fool, no? If it would not be too much of an imposition, could you please give me a ride to the hotel?"
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Jacques Laroux found himself banging on his fiancee's hotel room door.
"Open this blasted door, my darling! I must speak with you!"
The door swung open almost immediately and Rachelle stood in front of him, hands on her hips, but her eyes appeared red and swollen, as if from crying.
Jacques frowned beneath his mustache. "Mon cheri, please forgive me. I have been a fool."
"Yes, you have," Rachelle quickly agreed.
Jacque's frown deepened. This was not how he had expected this particular scene to play out. Nevertheless, he rolled himself past Rachelle and into the room, turning about to face her. "I have wronged you, dearest, and for that I am, indeed, sorry. I knew you were in love with me from the very start, yet I maintained my distance because I thought I did not want to fall in love. Not just with you, but with anyone. I foolishly believed my life would be easier, less complicated, if my heart did not get in the way. But now I can see that I have missed out on so many things, including falling in love with this quaint little town and falling in love with you."
Rachelle watched him skeptically. "How do I know those aren't just more of your fancy words to get me to do what you want?"
"Because this time I promise to be less stubborn. If you wish to stay in New Hope, then I will stay here with you because I truly do care for you even though I have avoided showing it."
He watched as Rachelle's expression softened only slightly. "Why now?"
Jacques sighed. "Because earlier today, I had someone, well, actually two someones, speak very plainly to me and tell me exactly what would happen if I didn't change my ways." He glanced down for a moment before continuing, "You are very special to me, Rachelle, and I love you."
"I love you, too!" Rachelle exclaimed, bending down to hug him. "And here in New Hope we have a chance to begin all over again!"
"Indeed, we have a 'second chance', as they say," Jacques muttered with a gleam in his eye he made sure his fiancee did not notice.
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"Mac!"
MacGyver bolted upright on the couch. "What?!"
"You don't have to yell at me," Joanna scolded as she headed toward him from their shared door, a large bowl in her hands.
"Well, you started it," he groused, running his fingers through his already-mussed hair.
"I asked if you wanted any of this leftover fruit salad, but apparently you didn't hear me because you fell asleep during one of your old movies again. Honestly, I don't know how you even know you like them since you never see the ending. I bet you dozed off halfway through if not sooner."
She stopped her rebuke when she noticed his pale face and the faraway look in his eyes and her heart squeezed. "You dreamed about him again, didn't you?" she asked softly.
Mac nodded. "It wasn't bad this time. It was actually kinda entertaining. And there was this girl that reminded me of Becca. But I always get this feeling…"
"He's gone, Mac. For good. You don't have to keep looking over your shoulder anymore."
"You wanna watch a movie with me?" MacGyver asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.
Joanna put the bowl of fruit on the coffee table and allowed him to pull her down into his arms and cuddled close. "You bet."