Westward Hearts Read Online Free

again.
    “Oh, Matthew…” She sighed, wishing she had a way to make this better, to take the sting away. “I’m so sorry.”
    “I took off after them. Drove about ten miles out of Selma as fast as I could. And then I stopped and asked myself, what’s the use? Even if I did catch up with the two scoundrels, which was unlikely, what could I do to make this right? I sure don’t want to force a woman who doesn’t love me to become my wife.” He grimaced, letting out a low groan. “And so I turned around and came home. Really slowly. The horses appreciated that.”
    Elizabeth had no words. The truth was she had never been overly fond of Violet Lamott, and right now she wanted to throttle the silly girl. Oh, Violet was certainly pretty and witty and spirited. But she had always seemed somewhat frivolous and selfish to Elizabeth. An only child, she had been spoiled and indulged by her doting parents. However, Elizabeth had no intention of saying as much to her brother. Not now. Probably not ever.
    He was wringing his hands now. “I just don’t understand how it happened. Or when it happened. And why I didn’t see it coming.” He shook his head. “With my own best friend too…”
    She went over to stand by him. She felt as protective of him now as she had on his first day of school long ago. She’d been twelve and he’d been six, and the first time one of the bullies had even looked cross-eyed at her baby brother, she had intervened. Of course, it wasn’t long before Matthew was big enough to fight his own battles.
    “I don’t know exactly how you feel, Matthew, to lose someone like that. But I do know how it feels to lose the love of your life.” She reached up and pushed a strand of light-brown hair off his forehead. “And I’m truly sorry. I know how badly that hurts. You didn’t deserve it.”
    He continued to gaze out the window with a hardened jaw, but she noticed a shiny tear slipping out the corner of his eye. But before it reached his cheek, he used a tightened fist to wipe it away. “I’ll get over it. In time.”
    “Do you want me to tell Mother and Father for you?”
    He just nodded.
    She squeezed his shoulder. His big strong shoulder. Her baby brother, all grown up and now brokenhearted. Life was strange sometimes. “Do you think you’ll be joining us for Christmas dinner?” she asked quietly.
    He shook his head with misty eyes. “I—I don’t think so.”
    “All right.”
    “Give them my apologies, please?”
    “I’ll do that. And I’ll bring a plate up for you.”
    “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” His voice was gruff with emotion.
    “I know it’s hard to believe this right now, but you will get past this, Matthew. You’re strong. And you’ll be stronger for it too.”
    He nodded but didn’t look convinced. Knowing there was little more to do right now, she left, quietly closing the door. As she went downstairs, she wondered how she would tell her children and her parents. Gathered around the fully set dining room table, they looked up at her with expectant faces.
    “What’s wrong with Uncle Matthew?” Jamie asked.
    “Is he sick?” Ruth queried with an anxious tremor in her voice.
    “No, he’s not sick,” Elizabeth assured her as she went to her chair. She knew her family had a fear of sickness—and for good reason too.
    “What is it then?” Clara asked with a furrowed brow.
    “Matthew is sad,” Elizabeth told her as she sat down. She looked evenly at her parents. “He sends his apologies that he can’t join us for dinner.” She placed her napkin in her lap and made a forced smile for her children and then nodded to her father. “Maybe you should go ahead and say grace before the food gets cold.”
    As Asa said the blessing, Elizabeth prayed for a way to explain Matthew’s broken heart in a way that both generations could understand. As he said amen, she had a plan of sorts. Then, as her father began to carve the turkey, she began to speak.
    “There has