Page 3 of A Forgotten Heart (Wind River Mail-Order Brides #5)

S now wafted across the toes of Nick’s boots as he stomped down the deserted boardwalk, his thumbs hooked around the strap of his satchel, Patch on his heels.

Elsie was a teacher.

Not just a teacher, but the teacher in Calvin. Here. The one place he pretended she’d never existed.

It wasn’t fair. Nick was the one who’d sat in his small country one-room school building and dreamed of standing at the front of Calvin’s classroom.

Even in his small school, he’d whispered answers to his seatmate, little Susie Sheridan, and skipped recess to read in one corner of the classroom.

He’d tutored the family dog and even the barn cat until the beastly thing had taken a swipe at him.

The gathering drifts along the street insulated him from sound until he heard only his own pulse. And the clamoring of his thoughts.

Nick had been robbed of his dream. Elsie was living it.

He should be happy for her. At one time, she’d shared her own dreams of teaching children to read and learn sums, following in her older sister’s footsteps. Back at Kansas Normal School, during her teacher training, Elsie had been so determined. Even…desperate to get that teaching certificate.

So why did the discovery hit him in the solar plexus like a brick?

It was seeing her again.

Nick lengthened his stride. At his side, Patch matched his pace, as did the memory of Elsie’s doe-like eyes.

They were the first feature Nick had noticed about her five years ago. Back when he’d been delegated as one of the welcome party to greet new students.

The sun had been bright, still hot even though autumn was upon them, and the students at the normal school were milling on the lawn before the start of classes the next day.

So many students that he couldn’t remember the names of everyone he’d met.

Young men and women. He’d felt so mature.

Already a year into the two-year program. Halfway to achieving his certificate.

A cool breeze had brushed his face. He’d looked over, and Elsie—he hadn’t known her name yet—had appeared on the other side of the lawn, trailing a group of new students.

The sun had glinted on her blonde hair, bringing out its red undertones until she almost glowed.

She’d looked nervous, fiddling with one of the two textbooks she held against her midsection.

She’d been listening to one of the girls speaking in her group, her beautiful eyes taking everything in.

Their gazes locked as the group approached, and the words Nick had said to a hundred other students became sandpaper in his mouth. He hadn’t found out until later that he’d somehow recited his welcome speech—she’d discombobulated him that much.

As his partner told the new students about their upcoming schedule, Nick must’ve been staring, because she ducked her eyes. A simple motion that whisked his breath away.

The group had moved past him, but the rhythm of his heart hadn’t returned to normal.

He’d felt an echo of that same breathlessness today before memories of the way things had ended had given him a bitter reminder.

Elsie had never really loved him.

For the first time, the isolation of the winter cabin was appealing. No risk of seeing her in passing there. It wouldn’t matter if he missed Christmas. Tillie’s birthday. At least he wouldn’t be at risk of seeing Elsie.

He didn’t stop his march until he reached the land office. A gust pelted snow against his back as he stared at the Closed sign. He was too late. Daniel Freeman, the office commissioner, had already gone. Maybe Nick shouldn’t be surprised.

Everyone seemed to have deserted the streets.

The saloon was the only store front with any activity, the noisy piano music twanging in the wind.

The horses that had been tied to the hitching post out front were gone.

Hopefully stabled for the night, somewhere safe.

Light spilled from the window. Obviously, there were still patrons inside.

Nick was the lone soul braving the storm.

Now what?

Nick glanced at the low clouds. If not for the risk of getting lost in a whiteout, he’d go back to the ranch. Best head to Ed and Rebekah’s. He’d promised Drew that he would file the paperwork to complete the land purchase. He couldn’t do that until the land office opened back up.

Next to him, Patch stiffened to attention, staring at the saloon across the street.

Nick squinted, trying to see through the snow blowing sideways. The wall of white thickened, shrouding anything past ten feet.

Except for one voice piercing the air. “Nick!”

He’d know that voice anywhere. He tightened his grip on the strap of his satchel as he looked over his shoulder.

Elsie appeared out of the swirling white snow. She staggered but stayed upright. One hand pressed her hat to her head.

The knots in his stomach twisted even tighter.

“Nick, we need to talk.”

Talk? She’d ventured into a snowstorm to talk? What a foolish thing to do.

Angry that she’d put herself in danger, he bit off, “There’s nothing left to say. Why’d you come out here? You could get lost in the snow.”

He saw the tiny flinch she couldn’t hide. But her chin came up stubbornly. “I’m not leaving Calvin. I like it here. The children. Being close to Merritt.”

So…what? As far as he was concerned, the town wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Was she going to ask him to leave? That seemed far more gutsy than the Elsie he remembered.

Her shoulders lifted with a sigh he saw but couldn’t hear over the howling wind. “I think we should be friends again.”

Nick recoiled. He’d never expected to hear those words from her. “Friends? Why?”

“Yes, friends.”

The vulnerability in her voice hit him hard, like a punch he wasn’t expecting.

The pain made him want to lash out at her.

“Friends. Like eating meals together and talking about our day?” he asked angrily.

“Like sharing secrets and dreams?” Each word he spoke grew harsher.

“Or fair-weather friends? ’Cause I’ve no need for a friend who won’t stand by my side when things get hard. ”

His words weren’t fair. He knew it as they left his mouth.

And when she blinked back the tears that pooled in her eyes and averted her face, he felt even worse than before. He should’ve just walked off.

He started to turn on his heel.

“Don’t walk away again.” Her voice wobbled, a hint of urgency in her tone.

The reminder of how they’d parted five years ago was another punch. Choose me . Tell them the truth . The words he’d spoken so long ago echoed through his mind, heartache chasing them.

“We need to work this out.” The plea glittered in her eyes.

There was a time he would’ve given her everything.

All at once, he was tired. Suffocated by emotions he’d thought he’d gotten over. “Go home, Elsie.”

He had to walk past her to get to the newspaper office and Ed. He tried to skirt around her but only took a step before she blocked his path. “Nick, please. If you ever had any real feelings for me at all?—”

“If?”

She must’ve heard the dangerous tone in his voice. He hadn’t meant to lean over her, but she’d riled him up until he couldn’t think straight. “Elsie, I?—”

Patch started to bark.

Elsie jumped. Tears reflected in her haunted eyes, but he still read the fiery determination.

“You couldn’t have had real feelings for me,” she said. “Not when you were willing to walk away so quickly.”

How could she say that? She was the one who’d as much as told him to go.

Patch barked louder.

Nick leveled a gloved finger at Elsie. “You walked away from me first. We can’t pretend it never happened.”

She gave a long blink, as if she didn’t understand him.

It was too difficult to look at her. He couldn’t do it without feeling the old tug of attraction, the ghost of what they’d shared between them. And the betrayal that had turned into something bitter on top of all the rest.

“We’ll never be friends,” he stated. There was no misunderstanding that.

Bang!

Nick startled.

What—

The doorframe two feet behind them splintered, shards of wood flying, as a second bang rent the air.

A bullet.

Elsie’s mouth opened in a silent gasp. The moment seemed frozen, jagged, as realization settled.

Someone was shooting at them.

And Nick had only one thought.

Get her to safety.

Another distant crack shattered the stillness. Every cell in Elsie’s body jolted. Before she could react, Nick’s shoulder rammed into her, knocking her sideways. She lost her footing and stumbled.

Was that—was someone shooting? At them?

She froze, her terrified gaze flitting from building to building, but all she could see was a wall of white snow.

“Elsie, move!” Nick’s voice came from close to her ear. With his hand at her waist, he nudged her down the boardwalk.

Go home, Elsie.

Nick’s harsh tone from only moments ago echoed in her ears. He had so clearly wanted to be rid of her—but now he was helping her? Pushing her along when she was too frightened to proceed.

Bang!

Beside her, Nick recoiled. For a fractured moment, his hands squeezed her waist.

What was happening? Was he hit? “Nick?”

“Elsie, find cover! Go!”

Hunched over, she tried the closest door, Nick right behind her. Locked. Everything was closed due to the storm.

If she could get to the next street, maybe she could find a place to hide. The step off the boardwalk was right there, so close.

Another bullet splintered the post behind her.

Nick put his right arm around her shoulders and forced her forward, almost knocking her off-balance. “Get down!”

She dropped onto the boardwalk, Nick beside her, his body between her and the shooter.

“Elsie. Go! To the next street!” Gone was the coldness he’d shown earlier, replaced with urgency. Protecting her, even though he didn’t have to.

Every muscle trembled, and her hands turned numb. She could barely force herself to crawl forward.

Another shot exploded the snow in front of her. She shrieked.