An April Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

dying over there. I can’t forget that, no matter how much I talk about it or try to put it out of my mind.”
    Stella wanted to reassure him, but some old friends saw them and hurried over to welcome Marsh back. They’d have to save that talk for another time. And she’d need to remember that he’d been through something she couldn’t even comprehend.
    Had his suffering triggered some sort of protection mechanism so he could store away the memories of her and the life they’d planned? It broke Stella’s heart to think of such a strong, dependable man being so traumatized that he’d tried to forget both the worst and the best of his life.
    She prayed he’d find her constant reassurances comforting. And that her fortitude and determination would be enough for both of them—enough to bring him all the way home.

    Marshall saw flashes of memories. Each time that happened he got even more frustrated. His past life seemed there, just out of his reach, but he couldn’t bring many memories to the surface. He didn’t like feeling this helpless.
    “Trust in the Lord.”
    His mother’s whispered words came floating to the surface. When had she said that to him? When he’d been lying in that hospital in Germany, wondering where he was and even who he was? Had he been trusting in the Lord? Or had he been trying to fix this because he felt he had a duty to Stella and his family to do so? Maybe he did need the Lord instead of trying to do it on his own.
    Why couldn’t he remember the woman he was supposed to love?
    Was his therapist right? Had he buried the memories of Stella to protect himself and her? While his therapist had gently cautioned Marsh against marrying a woman he couldn’t remember, Marshall had stubbornly refused to cancel the wedding.
    In his mind, he knew he was supposed to marry Stella.
    The mind could certainly play tricks on a person.
    After the service, he waited with Stella to talk to the minister. Reverend Howell had been right there praying for him when he’d first been wounded. He’d offered to come to Maryland with Marshall’s parents when Marshall had been moved to the hospital there, but Marshall hadn’t wanted anyone but family with him during those days.
    Not even his fiancée. Because he couldn’t bear the emptiness of lost memories. Because somehow in his heart, heknew he’d hurt this kind, beautiful woman if he told her he couldn’t remember her.
    Now he wanted the opposite. He wanted to soak up everyone in Renaissance and absorb their memories so he could bring back his own. So he could bring a real smile back to Stella’s face.
    “Hello, you two,” Reverend Howell said. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and hugged Stella before shaking Marshall’s hand. “So good to see you two together again.”
    Stella shot the minister a tentative smile. They’d explained Marshall’s issues to the minister yesterday before the party got started. “I thought maybe if we talked about the wedding, it would help Marsh to feel . . . more comfortable.”
    “Let’s go into my study,” Reverend Howell said. “I have coffee and cookies. A gift from a member. And since my wife is always fussing about eating healthy, I certainly can’t take the whole tin home with me.”
    “I know I’ve never turned down a cookie,” Marshall said, grinning because he remembered his mom baking a lot.
    Once they were settled with the coffee and cookies, Reverend Howell wiped crumbs off his fingers with a napkin and plunged right in. “Marshall, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling these days. You’re all in one piece physically. But your head is still confused, right?”
    “Very confused,” Marshall admitted. “But each day brings new revelations. I recognized some of the hymns we sang today.”
    “That’s good,” Stella said, her smile fresh and encouraging. “Do you remember the sanctuary?”
    He nodded. “I had this image of you and me with a big group. But we were young.”
    “Probably