The Courting of Thomasyna Tollefson

Persistence Is His Middle Name-1

Persistence Is His Middle Name

GRAY AND GOLDEN MISTS parted slowly. Emerald eyes had trouble focusing. Thomi raised a hand to her throbbing head. Immediately, waves of pain and nausea engulfed her. Unable to deal with it, a sobbing moan escaped her.

“Stephan, she’s waking!”

While she tried to remember who this first voice belonged to, Thomi heard a hurried footstep in the leaves, and then another voice—a male one—sounded beside her. “Nothing I can do for him, Storm.” Then, quietly, firmly, said, “Easy, Thomi—don’t move! Breathe slowly now. Lyndsay’s gone for help.”

Feeling a gentle probing at her ribs, she resisted, was sorry for it, and sucked air deeply to bear the pain and nausea. When a cold sweat soaked her, she reluctantly surrendered one battle.

“Ah, man . . . I think I’m gonna . . . puke!”

“Wait, let me help you!”

Without a hesitation, the owner of the male voice assisted her in accomplishing this goal, offering his own handkerchief to clean up afterwards. As he carefully lay her back down and rid the area of her mess, she glimpsed Sherwyn’s motionless body, his head and neck at crazy angles. Recognized the look of regretful sadness in the young woman’s face as she came away from the body.

In that instant, Thomi stopped trying to figure out who these people were. Forgot about her own miseries. “Ah, no!” Aghast, she struggled to get up and go to the colt. She’d managed to hike herself upon one elbow by the time the man returned to her side. Dropping down on one knee, he urgently ordered her to stay right where she was. She only struggled harder against his confining arm.

“Thomasyna, stop! You’ll make it worse if you don’t!” That wasn’t her first priority. He held her back, making her look at him. “Thomi, listen to me! There’s nothing you can do! He’s gone. Now, let me take care of you!”

She didn’t believe him. There had to be something she could do! He couldn’t be gone! Not Sherwyn!

Summoning what was left of her waning strength, she made one more attempt to free herself from him. Horrendous nausea, mind spinning dizziness, plus an explosive pain assaulted her. Groaning, Thomi clapped her hands to her head.

Slumping limply in the man’s arms, she succumbed once more to the gray and yellow mists.

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