shaken. He was huge. A beast of a man—wide, jagged, rough and mean. Someone she didn't want to remember that was for sure, or run into twice.
She quickly searched the trees around her. Shades of green and brown blurred as she scanned the outlining area of the forest. Thinking of the Indian made her nervous. She swore she could feel his dark eyes upon her even now, and the hair on her arms rose. In his presence, she sensed danger and, worse yet, death. But there was something else. She could feel it, deep within her soul. Curiosity pushed her to find out more.
I'm crazy. He's dangerous. People didn't behave horrible for no reason. She thought of Savage, Elwood's dog. The signs were all over the animal that someone had mistreated him and she'd bet it was the rich miner. The black fur was matted, bald in places and his snout was deformed. She figured he'd been kicked or beaten with a stick and that was why he was so mean. The dog was born an innocent pup, as the stranger was once an innocent baby, but through circumstances beyond their control both of their paths had turned in the wrong direction.
What in the stranger's life had caused him to become so hateful? What pushed him to be cruel enough to threaten an innocent woman?
Determined to find out, she made a vow to look for the man tomorrow. If he was still around she'd do her best to befriend him, if he didn't kill her first.
She picked up her boots, still damp and sat down on the rock. While tying them, she listened to the rushing water and wondered where the river was going in such a hurry. If she had a boat she'd ride out the currents to see where they'd take her. She'd never been on a boat, but she imagined the wind in her hair. Not a care would enter her mind. There would be no running, no hiding and no disappointing her father.
If I had a friend, we'd go together. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and she blinked it away. Friends weren't going to be popping up anytime soon. Willow Creek's women had long ago given up on befriending the blacksmith's daughter, thanks to Pa. Because of his selfishness, most of the women would rather talk behind her back than to her face. She cringed. During the first few months after moving here, the women came to call bringing pies and scones, but sadly she'd turned them all away. Even though she'd done so with a smile and a polite thank you, they never returned.
She shrugged.
"Yes, well it's not meant to be, and I can't sit around feeling sorry for myself, now can I?"
There was no answer, but she didn't expect one. She stood and straightened her skirt. Her shoulders slumped as the bereft feeling she'd known so well eased within her soul to nestle there, familiar and warm.
Nora walked down the boardwalk from the hotel. Poor Joe. The boy was resting after a bad fit this afternoon. Her chest constricted. She couldn't ease the seizures, or the mind, but she wished she could heal his legs. She battled with herself each time she saw his deformed limbs, wanting to help him. The boy didn't deserve to have so many problems.
When she asked, Elwood told her Joe had been born that way, but Nora wasn't too sure. Joe's legs were knurled and his calves pointed outward when he stood. But it was the hunch on his back that made her second-guess his father. If Joe had been born crippled, his hump would be much larger than it was now.
She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking such horrible thoughts, but Joe had planted himself inside her heart, and she wanted to protect him. She considered him a friend. Friend. The word stuck in her mind and a smile spread across her face.
Joe was the one person who hadn't judged her. He allowed her to be who she really was, not someone she was told to be. Not a girl locked in a cabin with hopes and dreams, and a gift. She accepted him for his differences as he accepted Nora for hers.
She'd mended his thumb earlier and he never questioned her. He may have thought she was a witch, she grimaced, but
She quickly searched the trees around her. Shades of green and brown blurred as she scanned the outlining area of the forest. Thinking of the Indian made her nervous. She swore she could feel his dark eyes upon her even now, and the hair on her arms rose. In his presence, she sensed danger and, worse yet, death. But there was something else. She could feel it, deep within her soul. Curiosity pushed her to find out more.
I'm crazy. He's dangerous. People didn't behave horrible for no reason. She thought of Savage, Elwood's dog. The signs were all over the animal that someone had mistreated him and she'd bet it was the rich miner. The black fur was matted, bald in places and his snout was deformed. She figured he'd been kicked or beaten with a stick and that was why he was so mean. The dog was born an innocent pup, as the stranger was once an innocent baby, but through circumstances beyond their control both of their paths had turned in the wrong direction.
What in the stranger's life had caused him to become so hateful? What pushed him to be cruel enough to threaten an innocent woman?
Determined to find out, she made a vow to look for the man tomorrow. If he was still around she'd do her best to befriend him, if he didn't kill her first.
She picked up her boots, still damp and sat down on the rock. While tying them, she listened to the rushing water and wondered where the river was going in such a hurry. If she had a boat she'd ride out the currents to see where they'd take her. She'd never been on a boat, but she imagined the wind in her hair. Not a care would enter her mind. There would be no running, no hiding and no disappointing her father.
If I had a friend, we'd go together. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and she blinked it away. Friends weren't going to be popping up anytime soon. Willow Creek's women had long ago given up on befriending the blacksmith's daughter, thanks to Pa. Because of his selfishness, most of the women would rather talk behind her back than to her face. She cringed. During the first few months after moving here, the women came to call bringing pies and scones, but sadly she'd turned them all away. Even though she'd done so with a smile and a polite thank you, they never returned.
She shrugged.
"Yes, well it's not meant to be, and I can't sit around feeling sorry for myself, now can I?"
There was no answer, but she didn't expect one. She stood and straightened her skirt. Her shoulders slumped as the bereft feeling she'd known so well eased within her soul to nestle there, familiar and warm.
Nora walked down the boardwalk from the hotel. Poor Joe. The boy was resting after a bad fit this afternoon. Her chest constricted. She couldn't ease the seizures, or the mind, but she wished she could heal his legs. She battled with herself each time she saw his deformed limbs, wanting to help him. The boy didn't deserve to have so many problems.
When she asked, Elwood told her Joe had been born that way, but Nora wasn't too sure. Joe's legs were knurled and his calves pointed outward when he stood. But it was the hunch on his back that made her second-guess his father. If Joe had been born crippled, his hump would be much larger than it was now.
She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking such horrible thoughts, but Joe had planted himself inside her heart, and she wanted to protect him. She considered him a friend. Friend. The word stuck in her mind and a smile spread across her face.
Joe was the one person who hadn't judged her. He allowed her to be who she really was, not someone she was told to be. Not a girl locked in a cabin with hopes and dreams, and a gift. She accepted him for his differences as he accepted Nora for hers.
She'd mended his thumb earlier and he never questioned her. He may have thought she was a witch, she grimaced, but
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