Homespun Bride

lost dreams that were hard to swallow. Her arms empty, her heart empty, she swallowed hard to keep it from sounding in her voice. “We’re commanded to honor our parents, Tilly. You oughtn’t to be placing so much importance on something as frail as love. It’s like a snowflake in the air, lovely while it’s swirling on the wind, but it melts and vanishes into nothing.”
    “Oh.” Matilda sounded stricken. “I didn’t mean to disrespect Mama and Papa. I only meant—” She sighed. “I’m not sure what I meant. I just want to be married and happy.”
    She fell silent. Noelle didn’t know what to say. More remorse filled her up. She hadn’t meant to hurt her cousin. “I know you do, Tilly. I pray every day that the right man will come calling for you.”
    “And I appreciate it.” There was a smile in Matilda’s voice, as if trying to cover her hurt.
    “I shouldn’t have been so harsh. I didn’t mean—” She felt the brush of snow against her cheek, as gentle as grace. This is what came from being anywhere near to Thaddeus James McKaslin. Everything was upside down. Her sensible life, her sensible thoughts. She was choking on the pain and memories she’d buried for good reason.
    She squared her shoulders and said as kindly as she could to her cousin. “Am I hearing this right? Uncle Robert doesn’t want to drive us home?”
    “He wants to ride that beautiful new mare of his home. Oh, she is a beauty.” Matilda sighed. “Jet-black. She’s so well formed, even I can see it. She’s like perfection. Except she keeps trying to bite everyone.”
    “Is she tame?” Was it a mare Thad had approved of?
    “Aside from trying to bite, she seems well trained. Come, I’ll help you to the sleigh.”
    The late-afternoon chill seemed to blow right through her layers of warm clothing and penetrate her very bones. “I’m sorry I was so harsh, Tilly.”
    “No, I appreciate your guidance, Noelle. I just—” Sad. That’s how Matilda sounded. “I want to believe there’s a real hero meant for me. A great man who will love me for who I am and will never let me down.”
    “It’s a nice dream, Tilly.” But it was only a dream. Noelle knew that for a fact, but she held back her words. She didn’t know what to say to protect her cousin; and the last thing she wanted to do was to take away her hopes for happiness. “There is a good man out there for you. I’m sure of it.”
    It was best to accept love for what it was, and marriage, she realized, her aunt and uncle’s dissatisfaction with one another adding a sour note as the girls climbed silently into the sleigh.
    * * *
    Thad knocked the snow from his hat brim and felt his hopes fall to the ground, too. The land he was looking at—even buried in snow—was in sorry shape. The fencing—what was left of it—was tumbling over from neglect. The stable was sod. The house nothing more than a tumble-down shanty with no roof. If his guess was right, then where he was standing would be marshland when spring came. Most of the hundred and sixty acres were in a gully, which made him worry about floods from winter snowmelt and spring and autumn rains.
    Yep, it was far from ideal property and for an unreasonable price, too.
    Aiden ambled over from inspecting the buildings, leading his horse by the reins. “I hope you aren’t thinking about laying down good money for this place.”
    “No. It would be hard to raise a profitable crop here. Livestock can’t graze if the pasture’s knee-deep in water.”
    Aiden nodded in acknowledgment, casting his gaze around, frowning severely. “The barn is ready to fall in.
    This place isn’t worth what the bank wants for it.” And this was the last property on his very short list.
    Thad blew out a lungful of air and stared down at the toes of his scuffed boots. “I want to pay cash. I’m not going into debt for land. Not after what we’ve been through with the home place.”
    “Wise decision.” Aiden cleared his throat, choosing not to speak of what they had struggled with.
    The family mortgage had been the leverage Noelle’s father had used to fully convince Thad to leave town without her. His ma was fragile; she had always been. The family had been desperate—Aiden’s wife was expecting and sick with the pregnancy, and they needed their home and their land to make a living on. Thad had vowed he’d never let anyone have that kind of hold on him again, especially a banker.
    He swallowed hard, glad he’d done