Page 25 (1/2)

Chapter One

Edendale, Alberta, Canada

December 1882

The church door clattered open A cold breeze skittered across the floor as two little girls rushed into the room from beyond the partition of raood that separated the entryway from the main part of the partially finished church They skidded to a halt, staring at him ide eyes

The peace twenty-eight-year-old Blue Lyons sought so desperately shattered into fragments as tiny and elusive as the sawdust at his feet

“We need help,” the bigger girl said, an unfamiliar child with hair the color of caraht

“Soirl said This one had sunny-blond hair and blue eyes

At the fear he saw in their expressions, Blue felt cracks begin to forhtened his self-control Part of the reason he’d asked to work here,pews for the new church in toas to avoid contact with children Back at Eden Valley Ranch he was surrounded with the, happy children continually threatening the fortifications he’d built around his memories

But these two little girls were alone and frightened “Whoa Slon Where’s your mama, and what does she need?”

The pair gasped for air, then closed the distance to his side, apparently unafraid of hier Or were they so concerned about their mama they would seek help from anyone?

The girls caught his hands, one on each side, and tugged at hi him forward as the memory of other occasions burst from the locked vault of hison his hands, eager to show hi Someti through the snow Once they’d discovered a baby rabbit hidden in sorass, and the three of them had hunkered down to watch it

The two girls who had burst into his serenity hurried him toward the door Then, suddenly, one of them halted

“Stop You need your coat It’s too cold to go out without it” The older one had suddenly grownfrom a nail and dropped his hand to point at it “Best put it on”

He hesitated He’d like nothing et back to the peace he’d found in his work But how could he until he made sure everyone was safe? So he obeyed and slipped into his inter coat

The girls rocked back and forth, their little faces wreathed in concern and urgency

His nerves twitched at the iirls, but he would proceed cautiously “We haven’there for a few days,pews Do you have a naers in her worry