Homespun Bride

92 Homespun BrideA low note rose in the strengthening wind, and hefeared his faith was not strong enough to lift his requestto heaven’s ear.“Thad, lay him here.” Noelle had deftly collected thelap blankets and had lined the center seat.As the wife and daughters caught sight of their lovedone, battered and bleeding and unconscious, theirrenewed cries rose up and echoed around him. Thadhardened his heart, fearing a sad outcome, and carefullylaid down his burden, holding the man’s head in onehand so there would be no further injury.He was concentrating so hard, he didn’t noticeNoelle’s touch until her hands bumped his. Her fingertipsfeathered over the blood-soaked makeshift bandage.“We’ve got to wrap him up well.” Thad spied the lastlap blanket lying over the back of the front seat andpulled it onto the unconscious man. “Make sure tokeep him as still as you can. I’ll be riding right behindthe sleigh.”Noelle nodded. Snow clung to her everywhere,gracing her with a pure white luminescence. Hersadness eked into his stone-hard heart and he grufflymoved away, leaving so much—leaving everything—unsaid.“Getup, Miss Bradshaw.” He reached out to givethe mare a light pat on the flank and the mare took off,drawing away the sleigh and Noelle.His Noelle. He could tell himself a thousand timesthat she was no longer his. That he didn’t love her,wouldn’t care about her, that the past was done and gone.The truth was not so simple. The truth left him