brown from the sun. According to Rose, ladies were supposed to have milk-white skin.
She picked up the unmistakable smell of horses, and a longing to ride free tugged at her heart. If there was ever anything she missed about the past, it was riding as fast as the wind and breathing in nature.
Bonnie talked incessantly, first about poor Sarah and her illness, then on to the topic of the women at church. Only at Rose’s place had she ever heard one woman talk so much. Casey always thought those girls talked so much because they were lonely.
Casey wanted to ask what had happened to Morgan’s wife, but the right words never seemed to form. Perhaps she’d see a family cemetery while they were here, but even that wouldn’t tell her how the woman died.
“Don’t you think Sheriff Kahler is handsome with his black hair and all?” Bonnie said.
Hard to think of a man being handsome when you’re afraid of him. “I hadn’t time to think about it.”
“I really wanted him to join us today. He and Morgan are old friends, which still left us plenty of time together.”
An invisible knife twisted in the pit of her stomach. She felt as though she were at the top of a cliff and had to find a way down. “Are you and the sheriff courting?”
“Not really. Ben wanted Morgan’s permission, but he hasn’t been around. But Mama says Morgan’s changed and wants to talk to Grant and me. My dear Shawne, our oldest brother chases away every man who looks this direction.” Bonnie attempted to sound light, but frustration laced her words.
“What does he do, run them off with a shotgun?”
“Almost. He’s . . . oh, very protective. Seriously, he loves us all. I’m sure of it. He simply has a difficult time showing it.” She shielded her eyes from the sun.
Bonnie stopped to gather a bouquet of daisies. Not far away, horses grazed. They lifted their noble heads, shook off a few pesky flies, and promptly ignored Casey and Bonnie.
“What are you looking for in a husband?” Bonnie gave Casey a sparkling smile.
She pondered the question. She wanted to keep the mood light, but she saw Morgan’s face, heard his voice, and recalled his rugged features. Then she remembered her past and the unanswered questions about him.
“I’m not looking, but all teasing aside, I’d like to have a man who’s my friend. I’d want him to lean on me when he has a problem, and I’d go to him with any problem. I want a man who will love me and make it a pleasure to keep his house and bear his children. Above all, he has to love God.” The latter was a new addition to her list but very important.
Bonnie tucked an errant blond lock behind her ear. “When you find him, see if he has a brother. How did you meet Morgan?”
The sound of horse hooves shattered any answer Casey might have formed as a rider galloped toward them. Behind him two others rode slowly. Bonnie studied the approaching men. Her face suddenly blanched. Casey saw the alarm, and a thousand fears flashed through her mind. “What’s the matter?”
“One of those men has been hurt.” Bonnie gasped.
The first man pulled his heaving mount to a quick stop. “A bull got Rafael. Gotta get the wagon.” He spurred his horse on to a dead run.
Casey stared at the two other riders lagging behind. One man hunched over his saddle. She picked up her skirts and raced toward them. Already she could see red staining his shirt. “Hurry, Bonnie. We need to help.”
“I can’t,” Bonnie replied in a near whimper. “The blood—I can’t stand the blood.”
Casey ignored her. Only the injured man occupied her thoughts. The bull had gored him through his shirt and vest. She’d seen enough knife wounds to know how quickly a man could bleed to death. His head lay on his chest. One of his arms dangled alongside the horse’s neck, and another clutched his pierced side. Blood oozed through his fingers and dribbled down over his shirt and chaps. The second rider held the injured man’s reins.
“Let me help. He’s bleeding way too much,” she said. The two lifted him from his horse and onto the ground.
He moaned and struggled to breathe. How often had she heard the anguish of wounded men? His hand slipped aside, and she instantly covered the puncture with her hand. “We’ve got to stop the bleeding.”