A Heart Renewed Read Online Free PDF Page B

Climbing back into the saddle, she pointed the mare toward home.
    Once at the ranch house, she knew she should care for the mare, but tied her to the front hitching post instead.  That would certainly appear the more flighty and distraught action.  As she walked down the hall to her room, she unpinned her hat.  Throwing it to the floor, she fell face down onto the bed and sobbed.  Lord, forgive me for the deception.  Please, let this be done.   Whether it was the emotion draining from her or the lack of sleep from the night before, Julia fell fast asleep.

    Reuben clenched his fist at his side, utterly mortified by Julia’s ill-fated outburst.  Heat rose to his face in proportion to the volume of her voice.  Stupefied, he watched numbly, helpless to steer this runaway scene from destruction.
    Hiram’s face was pale.  It was obvious, as he watched Julia bolt from the building, that he never expected such a scene.  Neither had Reuben.
    Rallying from his horror, he grabbed Mary’s elbow.  “Come on,” he grunted tersely, eager to be out the doors of the church.  A slight whimper escaped his wife’s lips as she grabbed a hand from each child, dragging them along at the fast pace he set.  Hopefully, he could get out of the churchyard before Hiram came to his senses.
    “Get in,” he commanded his shocked family, not bothering to assist them.  Climbing up to the seat, he waited just long enough for Mary to pull herself up before slapping the horses into motion headed for home.
    Julia had gone too far, he thought, his jaw tightening as he ground his teeth.  She had cost him everything.  There was no possibility of her marrying Hiram now.  Worse yet, Hiram had already paid for her hand, adding to his overwhelming debts.  Hiram was not a man he wanted to be indebted to.
    As fear fueled his anger, he considered his options.  He was a smart man.  Savvy.  Capable of overcoming insurmountable obstacles.  Perhaps Jamison would be amiable to paying for the pleasure of marrying Julia.  Or Alcart.
    Mentally scrolling through the list of his associates, another thought occurred to him.  He could not leave Julia’s behavior unanswered.  She was far too obstinate for any of the men he had in mind.  No matter who he chose, they would want a submissive, complaisant wife regardless of her beauty.  He had to get her under control.  Teach her a lesson.  And fast.
    No doubt Hiram would show up on his doorstep soon looking for the money he already paid.  Unfortunately, he already used some of it to stall his creditors.  They were greatly displeased by the amount of time it was taking him to pay back his debts.  He could ask for no more time than the few weeks he had left.  He needed money now or he would lose everything.
    Letting his anger burn, he pulled the wagon to an abrupt stop in front of the house.  Leaping down, he strode into the house—steps full of fury—straight for her room.  It was time for her first lesson to begin.

    Thud .  Julia woke a short time later to the sound of Reuben crashing through her door.  As she turned over, her brother picked her up and threw her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs.  As she struggled to take a breath, Reuben squeezed his hold on her arms.
    “Do you have any idea what your outburst just cost me?”  His voice boomed with unrestrained rage.
    “Reuben, I—”
    The force of the blow to her face startled her so much that it took a minute to register that he hit her.  How could he?  He was supposed to protect her, not harm her.  She tried to move her hand to touch her cheek but he held her pinned against the wall.  She felt her face grow warm as a welt formed around her eye.
    “Hiram has pulled out of our arrangement.  Months of work for nothing!  And the money…” He growled.  She could feel his hot breath on her face.  “You could not be content to simply marry a wealthy man for the betterment of your family.”
    “I did not agree