Chapter 59

They married at dawn the next morning, with him wearing an old suit they managed to find hidden in a trunk. Dusty and creased, the style was way out of date, but he looked quite smart. She managed to find a frock and a shawl, the pink fabric faded. She left her hair loose, a rarity, given her nursing duties required she have it pulled out of the way. The fluffy curls framed her face.

"You look beautiful," he said, the sincerity shining in his words and eyes.

Hands clasped, they stood in the yard, the mountain as their sentinel, and spoke the vows in their hearts. And for a brief moment, as they kissed, the sun managed to pierce the haze and shine on them.

Surely a sign their luck would change.

Their wedding night seemed too far for a couple who'd been shyly dancing around their attraction for a long time.

Taking him by the hand, she tugged him into her bedroom, and as she stood with uncertainty before him, he realized, She's my wife.