Louise nodded, tears so close to the surface she couldn’t speak.
“I’m sorry. I know how difficult this is. But we can only wait and pray. It might comfort you to know everyone on the place is praying for his safe return.”
She nodded again. She’d read the Bible throughout the night, finding comfort and strength in the words. Feeling Nate very close, knowing he’d chosen this Bible for her.
She perched Chloe in one arm. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
Linette, perhaps realizing it helped pass the time to keep busy, assigned her chore after chore from breakfast right through the morning.
As they ate the noon meal, Eddie stopped with his fork in midair and held up a hand to signal them all. “Listen. Do you hear that?”
Expecting he heard someone on the step, Louise rushed to the window. She peered through the glass, her breath stuck in the middle of her chest. “There’s no one out there,” she murmured, disappointment consuming her thoughts.
“The storm has stopped,” Eddie said, and pushed from the table. “I’ll see to getting a search party out.” He paused to pat her back. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
“We’ll pray,” Linette said, kissing her husband goodbye.
Louise returned to her chair, her head bowed. A silent prayer echoed over and over in her head. Lord, please bring him back safely.
Somehow, she went through the motions of helping Linette, of talking to Missy and of feeding little Chloe, though tears dripped from her cheeks as she watched the baby. Nate belonged in Chloe’s life, too. Even more than Gordie had. Gordie had been a distant husband and would have been a distant father, more interested in his own pursuits than the needs of those around him. She’d known it even before she married him.
She knew now that their marriage had been but another vain attempt on her part to hold on to the things that were over and done with.
At some point, they moved into the sitting room where they could see the ranch below. Linette sat at the window watching, but Louise could not. She sat as far back as possible and tried to avoid looking in the direction of the window.
Linette leaned forward. “Riders coming in.”
Despite her intention of not leaping to the window every time a horseman came, Louise jumped to her feet, Chloe in her arms, and hurried over. “Can you tell who it is?”
“Not yet.”
Louise squinted as four riders approached. Did one man slump in his saddle? Did two of the men hold him there? “Nate. It’s him. He’s hurt.” She dashed for the door.
Linette caught her before she could hurry outside. “Wait. They’ll bring him here.” She held Louise back.
Louise’s heart lay cold and quivering, unable to function properly until she saw him. Until she could be certain he was—
Her thoughts could go no further.
The hoofbeats came toward the door.
She forgot how to breathe.
Linette released her and pulled the door open. Two men held Nate between them.
Was he breathing?
He lifted his head, saw her, gasped her name.
Her legs turned to pudding. She would have collapsed if someone hadn’t caught her.
“Bring him to the kitchen,” Linette ordered.
The men helped him stumble down the hall and sat him in the rocking chair.
Louise fell to her knees before Nate. Shifting her baby in her arms, she removed his gloves. His hands were like ice.
Linette had the men remove his coat and told Missy to leave the room as the men removed his stiff jeans and wet shirt. She took Chloe with her and went to the sitting room.
Louise remained. A dozen horses couldn’t have dragged her away. She touched his bare chest. “You’re so cold.”
He mumbled something, but she couldn’t make out his words.
Meanwhile, Linette had warmed blankets and handed them to Louise. “Wrap him up. We need to get his body temperature back to normal.”
Louise swaddled him from head to toe in the warm blankets, pressing her palms to his chest when she finished.
His eyes found her, full of need and longing that she recognized from the cries of her own heart.
“I’m here,” she murmured. “I will always be here.”
A smile crossed his eyes.
Linette brought a cup of warm liquid. “This has something in it my Indian friend gave me. It will help.”