Homespun Bride

32 Homespun Bridecially those early years away from her and how hisheart had bled in misery until one day there’d been noblood left. Until he’d felt drained of substance butfinally purged of the dream of her and what could havebeen.Sure, there had been times—moments—since thenwhen he’d thought of her. When he saw a woman’schestnut hair twisted up in that braided fancy knotNoelle liked to wear. Or when he saw an intricate lacecurtain hanging in a window, he would recall how she’dliked to sit quietly in the shade on the porch and crochetlace by the hour. Any time he heard a piece of thatfancy piano music she liked to play with the complicatedchords and the long-winded compositions, hewould remember.It was the memories that could do him in, that wereburrowing like a tick into his chest. He tried to freezehis heart like the winter’s frost reaching deep into theground. Usually that was the best way to handle thosehaunting thoughts of her and of the past.He would never have come back to Angel Fallsexcept for his kid brother. The boy didn’t know whatkind of a sacrifice Thad was making in coming backhere and in his decisions to stick around, help thefamily and start to put down roots for a change.Roots. He’d been avoiding doing that all this time,aside from the money it took to buy the kind of land hewanted—because settling down would only remindhim he wasn’t building a life and dreams with her.Don’t think about Noelle. He willed the words deepinto his heart. Now, if only he were strong enough tostick by them. Whether she was married or not, their pastwas dead and gone. He was no longer that foolish boy