With God's Help

News of Holly's "return from the dead" ripped through town like an avalanche, destroying everything in its path. While Steve Marek thought the person he found was Holly, it turned out to be another young woman who looked almost exactly like Holly. Her name was Kathy Byrnes. Kathy was an Irish girl who decided Paris was where she'd make her debut as an actress. She was Holly's friend and roommate, as well as her co-star in a play where they played twins, both cast due to their uncanny resemblance to each other. They had the same figure, same red hair and the same eye colour.

When Kathy fell seriously ill and needed a friend to look after her and manage her finances, Holly left her; abandoning her in favour of healthy people who could take care of themselves. In the end, Kathy died alone from her illness and starvation, forsaken by her only friend when she needed her the most.

After Holly showed up in Oliver's barn, he immediately took her to the inn with strict orders to keep away from him and his house. He then consulted with Michael Wheeler, the town lawyer, on how to quickly acquire a divorce from a woman for whom he held an official death certificate. "Michael, I'm getting married this coming Saturday! There's nothing on this earth which will prevent me from accomplishing that, save death itself. Please expedite this matter with all due haste." Michael promised he'd work quickly and diligently to ensure Oliver could marry Shane on Saturday as planned.

When he tried to see Shane, Becky and Alex wouldn't let him in.

"We're sorry, Oliver," Alex said, "We gave her a sedative and she's been asleep for 18 hours already."

"Alex, please, I beg of you. I need to talk to her. Don't do this to me." He pleaded desperately.

Becky felt his pain and said, "Oliver, when she wakes up, I'll come to get you and bring you over here so you two can talk. For now, please let her sleep for as long as she needs. At least while she's sleeping, she's not suffering, Oliver. This has been a terrible shock. She's devastated. Do you understand?"

Oliver nodded. "Yes, I do. Please Becky, come and get me immediately when she wakes up." He looked at her with such a depth of sadness in his eyes, it broke her heart. She nodded and he went home, feeling like his world had been completely turned upside down. He wished he could go to sleep as well for the next 6 days and wake up just in time for his wedding. Perhaps when he awoke, he'd discover this whole situation had just been a nightmare. He felt such a murderous hate right now towards Holly, he knew if he saw her, he would not be responsible for his actions, putting her in grave danger.

On Monday morning, Oliver went back to work. He felt work was the only thing that'd keep him from going completely insane. Becky had still not come over to get him to see Shane. The last two nights had been the absolute worst he'd ever had in his entire life.

Just before lunch time, Becky came into the post office and informed him Shane was awake. He hurried to her house to see her. When he got there, she was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. Both Becky and Alex were sitting at the table, looking as though they were not going to leave them alone.

"Please ladies, I need to talk to Shane alone." They looked at each other and then looked at Shane. She gave them a tiny little nod and then they left. Oliver picked up a chair and placed it in front of her. He sat and looked at her. She had terrible dark rings under her eyes. They were swollen and red rimmed, indicating she had been crying for a long time. Right now, her vacant stare made him think she was still somewhat sedated. She didn't look at him. Instead she simply sat on the couch, looking down at her hands with her eyes fixed on her engagement ring.

"Shane, sweetheart?" Oliver called her name softly and reached for her hand. She lifted her eyes to him and she burst into tears that ran down her face, unchecked and uncontrolled. He reached for the cup, took it out of her hands, placed it on the ground and sat next to her, pulling her to him. She leaned on him and cried uncontrollably into his chest. The deep, gut wrenching sobs shaking her whole body.

He held her to him gently, stroking her hair lovingly, while his tears rolled down his face, mirroring her broken heart.

"Shhh…" He whispered, trying to comfort her. She calmed down a little but the tears kept coming. Oliver's suit jacket was now very damp as it kept soaking up her tears. He could feel the warm wetness seeping through the fabric into his chest.

"My love? We're going to get married this Saturday, one way or another." He said, gritting his teeth in determination. He continued, "If we can't do it legally, we'll run away and elope."

"Oh, Oliver… we can't." She said brokenly.

"Yes, we can and we will."

"Holly's still alive and legally she's still your wife. You can't have two wives."

"I don't care about Holly. All I care about is you. All I care about is getting married to you this Saturday. As far as I'm concerned, she's dead; I even have a death certificate to prove it."

"Except she is not, Oliver. Our marriage would count for nothing. It would not be legal."

Frustrated and angry, he raked his fingers through his hair. "I have spoken to Michael Wheeler and he's working extra time to get all this sorted out as quickly as possible. I'm getting the documents and taking them to Holly to sign as soon as they are ready."

Shane looked up at him abruptly. "Where's Holly staying?"

"She's at Eleanor's Inn." He smiled gently at her. "She's not anywhere near me, my darling and she'll never be again. Don't worry."

"You did mention she had a very good set of skills, some talent that turned your head once."

"That was before I met the most amazing woman in the world. Holly's charms do not affect me anymore. All I can think of is you." He lowered his head and kissed her gently, warming his insides and filling them both with hope.

"Ok, then." She said, a bit calmer. "Shall I continue on as if our wedding will go ahead this Saturday as planned?"

"Yes! And pray please we can do it legally."

Oliver marched into the inn, armed with divorce papers two days later. Eleanor was behind the counter, talking to customers Oliver had never seen before. She excused herself when she saw him. He looked absolutely furious!

"Good afternoon, Oliver. How are you today?"

"I have been better, my friend."

She took him to a table at the back of the restaurant. "Oliver, I need to tell you how sorry I am for both you and Shane. But I also need to tell you God is in control of this situation, not you. Don't let your anger take over and control you, Oliver."

"I can't help it, Eleanor, I'm beyond angry. I wish, unashamedly, I might add, that she were indeed dead, as I believed she was for the last 18 months."

Eleanor nodded. "I can certainly understand that and I don't blame you for your strong feelings. I'm asking you, entreating you to control yourself. She's beneath you, Oliver. Remember Shane. She needs you! Don't throw your life away on a piece of garbage."

He nodded. "I promise you Eleanor, I won't kill her, at least not today and not here."

She reached for his hand and said, "For some odd reason that only He knows, the Lord chose to bring Holly here, this week, of all weeks! His plan is perfect Oliver, never doubt Him. I know it doesn't look like it is right now, but one thing I know for sure; He will see you through this as well." Then closing her eyes, she prayed quickly for Oliver and Shane's protection. Oliver noticed that she did not pray for Holly's protection. Once she finished her prayer, she patted his hand lovingly and went upstairs to get Holly.

Holly sat on her bed and waited another 20 minutes before going down to see Oliver. She wanted to make him suffer and this was the only way she knew of right now to do that. Eventually, she walked down the stairs. When their eyes locked, she smiled flirtatiously at him. He stared back at her blankly. She didn't allow his cold stare to throw her off. As she approached his table, she expected him to stand up and pull out the chair for her to sit down. He didn't! She then pulled out the chair herself, sat down and looked at him, smiling.

He didn't say anything. He pushed some papers and a quill in front of her. "What is this?" She asked, trying to sound disinterested. In reality, she knew exactly what they were and she was scared to death.

He gave her a bored look, filled with contempt. "Just sign them Holly, so I can go back to people I actually care about."

She looked at him, unmoved. "I'm not signing anything, Ollie."

He smiled for the first time, a sarcastic and bitter smile. "What do you hope to achieve here, Holly?"

She feigned surprise. "I've come back home to my husband. What else would I be hoping to achieve?" She said trying to imitate his tone.

He then laughed very loudly as though she had just told him the best joke. "You're kidding, right?" He shook his head and all of a sudden, his eyes flashed in a murderous glare. He hissed at her. "Don't push your luck, Holly. I have years of grievances against you. Apart from your sad attempt at marriage, Sheriff Kimsickle confessed to your infidelity just before he was hanged. Banker Jack Mareshak told me of your attempted illegal withdrawal of our joint funds after you stole the money stored in our house. The Pinkerton agent told me of your numerous affairs and my private investigator in Europe informed me of your "charming" life in Paris."

Her face paled and she no longer pretended to try to charm him. With an ugly expression on her face, she sneered and said, "Oh, did you think I came back here to rekindle our boring marriage? No, Ollie, all the use I have for you now is to obtain money. In fact, that's the only thing you were always good for. You're the most boring man I have ever been with. Even the sheriff was better than you."

He smiled bitterly. "You are as charming as ever, Holly. However, rest assured I don't think of you, I don't miss you, I don't desire you. And I also have no use for you, not even for money. If I'm forced to remember anything about the miserable year of our marriage, I do so with abhorrence. Now, you either sign the divorce papers or I'll file charges against you for adultery, theft, harlotry, and some other juicy stuff contained in the Pinkerton report." He fixed his cold blue eyes on her and continued. "Our new sheriff is not a fan of yours. You see, he was there when your boyfriend confessed to sleeping with you; not once but twice. If you think every man in this town is easy prey on which you can successfully use your charms, you have grossly overestimated your own worth."

She looked at him with evil eyes and smiled. She then pushed the documents back across the table. "Well, good luck with that! Here is the thing though, if you wish to get married to your bimbo this Saturday; it's going to cost you. I'm sure we could try to arrive at a mutual agreed arrangement. How much is your freedom worth to you? Five thousand dollars and not a penny less! Take it or leave it. Whether I remain married to you or not makes little difference to me, Ollie." She smiled flirtatiously at him. "Being married to you never stopped me from enjoying myself before and it won't stop me now." She then got up, walked back to the stairs and went up to her bedroom, leaving Oliver in a state of shock.

###

Oliver walked to the counter where Eleanor was sitting, looking through some bills. "Eleanor, do you have any whiskey?"

"No! I'm sorry, Oliver, I don't." She reached for his hand on the counter. "How did it go?" He covered his face and started to cry. She rounded the counter and bear hugged him. She took him to the kitchen. She pushed him onto a chair and said sternly, "Remember what I said Oliver, God's in charge, not you. Trust him. Now tell me what transpired between the two of you."

He recounted the conversation to Eleanor, who listened carefully. She asked for a few other details. Then she grabbed the documents and said. "Leave these with me for now, Oliver. I'll get back to you in a day or two."

He looked at her, frustrated. "We don't have a day or two Eleanor. I'm supposed to get married on Saturday."

"Trust the timing, Oliver!" She then walked out of the kitchen, leaving him baffled once again.

Oliver didn't have the nerve to tell Shane how his conversation with Holly went. Instead he avoided her and it seemed she was avoiding him too. On Friday morning, he went back to the Inn. Eleanor wasn't there and Hazel had no idea where she was. He then decided to try Holly one more time. He climbed the stairs and knocked on her door repeatedly. There was no answer. He went back to the kitchen and asked Hazel if she knew where Holly was. She looked surprised and said, "She's gone, thank goodness!"

Oliver looked at her, horrified. "What do you mean?"

She turned impatiently to him and said, "What do you think I mean? That arrogant, rude woman is gone from our town, God willing, for good!"

Oliver turned and left the kitchen and the inn. His chance to get a divorce from Holly was gone forever! He was devastated! How on earth was he going to tell Shane this? He didn't think he could face her. Would she agree to elope anyway and leave behind everything she had worked so hard for? Could he ask her to make that kind of sacrifice for him? He went straight home, got down on his knees and prayed, sobbing, asking the Lord to get them out of this mess. He wanted, needed to trust in him. Almost immediately, he felt a peace come upon him and a small voice telling him to rest. He ate a good lunch, went down to the Post office and buried himself in his work.

He had planned to go and see Shane later, but he was so busy, he never had a chance. In the evening, he felt compelled to go straight home instead of Shane's so he could pray some more. Tomorrow was to be his wedding day and he wasn't going to be able to see Shane, according to wedding traditions. He still didn't know what he was going to do. He felt totally helpless, but for some reason he felt at peace. As Eleanor said, God was in charge, not him.

Oliver woke up feeling excited, but why? His plans to marry Shane today had been successfully derailed by Holly. Even when he thought she was dead and totally out of his life, she still managed to come back from the dead and screw up his life completely. The post office was closed as planned since it was, after all, his wedding day. He finished up his normal morning ablutions and sat on his couch waiting for something, but he didn't know what. The ceremony was booked for 4pm.

At about midday, there was a loud knocking on his door. He shook his head, as if shaking out of a trance. He walked to the door. Opening it slowly, he took a little peek. There stood Michael Wheeler and Eleanor looking at him. "C'mon man, open the door." Michael said, with a boisterous voice. Oliver opened it wide and they came in. Both Michael and Eleanor smiled at him and pushed the divorce papers towards him.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, confused. "May we sit down?" Eleanor asked. "We are tired, you know, from travelling all night." She said, with a sigh and then smiled at him. "Oh, please." Oliver said, pointing to the couch.

"Well, Oliver, today you're a free man. Well, at least until 4pm when you marry Shane." Michael said, sitting down.

"What? How?"

Eleanor smiled. "Sit down, honey." She said, patting the couch beside her. Oliver sat and listened to the story. Michael started off. "Eleanor came to me on Wednesday and told me of Holly's attempt to blackmail you. We went and got the sheriff and the deputy and we all paid her a visit. We dragged her before a judge in Denver City, who listened to the charges. She confessed. She was given a choice; either sign the divorce papers or go to jail for 5 years. Blackmail is a serious charge. Needless to say, she signed the papers. The judge then signed the papers, expediting your divorce and freeing you from a marriage that, for the last 4 years, was in name only anyway. It was an easy decision for him. We then put Holly on a train to New York City with enough money to get her there. She can then get herself a job and earn her way back to Europe, if she is inclined to do so. What she does from now on is her problem. As I said Oliver, you're free!"

Oliver bent down and cried, with his face hidden on his knees. Eleanor stroked his head lovingly. "Get up, honey, you have a wedding to get ready for."

"I need to go and tell Shane." He said, quickly getting up.

"She already knows, honey. I told her myself on Thursday what we were going to do. Jerry came home earlier today with instructions for her to get ready for her wedding as planned." Oliver pulled her up and grabbed her, lifting her in a hug and twirling her about the room. She laughed hysterically. When she composed herself, she said, "Wow! That was fun. Remind me to tell you good news more often." He laughed happily and then kissed her on her cheek. They left soon after, promising to see him later.

###

Oliver went down on his knees the minute his friends left. His heart was bursting with joy and gratitude. He praised the Lord for his faithfulness.

It was only much later that night when he was all alone with his beautiful bride that he realised they didn't have a single moment or opportunity to be tempted during the entire week.

God had taken care of that little problem for them most efficiently because Oliver had asked Him to.