Read Online Westward Promises by Zoe Matthews - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Zoe Matthews
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jumped up to take his cup and refill it herself, but Chase refused to let her have it.
"I can do this myself. It is not your job to be at my beck and call.”
He pushed her down gently back in her chair and then brought the coffee pot over to the table refilling his and hers. Hannah was stunned at what just happened. Again, he was showing her that this marriage was not going to be like her first one.
Chase sat down and continued talking. "When I read your ad, your words grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It was as if I knew there could be something special between us.”
"I don’t know what you mean. How could a simple ad show so much? They were just words.”
"Yes, they were just words, but they were your words and words can be powerful."
"I had to pay by the word," she told him. "I only had a few coins and so the ad had to be brief.”
"Maybe so, but it felt like God was guiding me.” He took her hand gently in his and held it as if it was something precious. "When my mother died, the grief my father felt nearly took him with her. They had a very strong bond, a bond I have rarely seen in other marriages. They lived for each other. Pa is not whole without her and he has never stopped grieving for her.
"It’s a nice story, but love is a fairytale. It’s not real."
"The story of my parents’ marriage is not make-believe. In fact, happy marriages run in my family. My two brothers and Lucy all have happy marriages."
Hannah remembered what Lucy had told her about her husband, Donald, that morning, but she was having a hard time believing that an entire family had love in their marriages.
She didn’t say anything else, just quickly finished her meal and immediately started on the dishes. Chase didn’t say anything, either. He just watched her as he had done the evening before, although she did hear him walk into their bedroom for a moment. After she wiped the last dish and put it away, Chase held out his hand and pulled her down on a chair.
“One of the traditions my Pa always did after dinner was over was to read out of the Bible. I think it would be a good idea if we start that tradition in our own marriage.”
Hannah nodded her head, not really sure what he meant. She saw a large leather Bible opened in front of him. He must have gotten it on his trip to the bedroom. She remembered seeing it on the bureau the night before, but she assumed it was there only for decoration. It never occurred to her that people actually read out of the Bible for enjoyment. Hannah wanted to refuse and leave the room, but she was afraid of his reaction, so she stayed put.
Chase looked down at the large book in front of him and started to read.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”
As she listened to him read the Bible verse, her heart sank. She finally realized what Chase was trying to tell her. He wanted her love. Didn’t he know he picked the wrong woman for that? She did not know how to love someone.
How could she tell him? Should she let him continue to hope for the impossible to happen? Or should she tell him now so he could get out of the marriage and find the bride who would give him what he wanted?
“I am thinking that our marriage is of convenience,” Hannah finally said because Chase was looking at her as if he expected her to say something. She quickly stood, went to the counter and removed a cake from its hiding place.
“Cake!” Chase said with appreciation and a big smile. “I haven’t had that treat for a long time.”
Hannah smiled, but didn’t say anything. She quickly served him a large piece and a smaller one for herself.
“My mother was a mail-order bride,” Chase told her after eating a few bites of the cake.
Hannah was surprised at
"I can do this myself. It is not your job to be at my beck and call.”
He pushed her down gently back in her chair and then brought the coffee pot over to the table refilling his and hers. Hannah was stunned at what just happened. Again, he was showing her that this marriage was not going to be like her first one.
Chase sat down and continued talking. "When I read your ad, your words grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It was as if I knew there could be something special between us.”
"I don’t know what you mean. How could a simple ad show so much? They were just words.”
"Yes, they were just words, but they were your words and words can be powerful."
"I had to pay by the word," she told him. "I only had a few coins and so the ad had to be brief.”
"Maybe so, but it felt like God was guiding me.” He took her hand gently in his and held it as if it was something precious. "When my mother died, the grief my father felt nearly took him with her. They had a very strong bond, a bond I have rarely seen in other marriages. They lived for each other. Pa is not whole without her and he has never stopped grieving for her.
"It’s a nice story, but love is a fairytale. It’s not real."
"The story of my parents’ marriage is not make-believe. In fact, happy marriages run in my family. My two brothers and Lucy all have happy marriages."
Hannah remembered what Lucy had told her about her husband, Donald, that morning, but she was having a hard time believing that an entire family had love in their marriages.
She didn’t say anything else, just quickly finished her meal and immediately started on the dishes. Chase didn’t say anything, either. He just watched her as he had done the evening before, although she did hear him walk into their bedroom for a moment. After she wiped the last dish and put it away, Chase held out his hand and pulled her down on a chair.
“One of the traditions my Pa always did after dinner was over was to read out of the Bible. I think it would be a good idea if we start that tradition in our own marriage.”
Hannah nodded her head, not really sure what he meant. She saw a large leather Bible opened in front of him. He must have gotten it on his trip to the bedroom. She remembered seeing it on the bureau the night before, but she assumed it was there only for decoration. It never occurred to her that people actually read out of the Bible for enjoyment. Hannah wanted to refuse and leave the room, but she was afraid of his reaction, so she stayed put.
Chase looked down at the large book in front of him and started to read.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”
As she listened to him read the Bible verse, her heart sank. She finally realized what Chase was trying to tell her. He wanted her love. Didn’t he know he picked the wrong woman for that? She did not know how to love someone.
How could she tell him? Should she let him continue to hope for the impossible to happen? Or should she tell him now so he could get out of the marriage and find the bride who would give him what he wanted?
“I am thinking that our marriage is of convenience,” Hannah finally said because Chase was looking at her as if he expected her to say something. She quickly stood, went to the counter and removed a cake from its hiding place.
“Cake!” Chase said with appreciation and a big smile. “I haven’t had that treat for a long time.”
Hannah smiled, but didn’t say anything. She quickly served him a large piece and a smaller one for herself.
“My mother was a mail-order bride,” Chase told her after eating a few bites of the cake.
Hannah was surprised at
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