Change of Heart Read Online Free PDF

this morning?”
    â€œI baked a fresh cherry cobbler an hour ago. I’ll set a piece aside for you.”
    Ruth ordered the same meal as Becca. Matt told them he had ordered the venison stew earlier.
    The door chimed when Lizzie left to pass their orders on to the cook. Becca glanced up. David. Her heart thudded against her chest. She had hoped to never run into him again. What could he want? Nothing I would care to discuss.
    He approached her, holding his hat. “Will you step outside with me for a few minutes? I need to talk to you.”
    Her face heated. No, but she would. She wanted him out of here before he said anything to embarrass her further. She took a deep breath and gestured to Ruth and Matt. “David, this is Dr. Matt Carrington, and this is my sister, Ruth Smith.”
    Matt stood and shook David’s hand.
    â€œHello, Mrs. Smith.” He fidgeted with his hat.
    Ruth stayed seated and gave him a curt nod.
    David eyed Becca. “What I have to say won’t take long.”
    No, it won’t. She couldn’t stand the sight of him. He had approached her in front of a roomful of people just like on their wedding day. Why hadn’t he waited until she left the restaurant and approached her then? “I’ll be right back.” She followed him out the door. “How did you find me?”
    â€œWhen I returned from Lancaster, my parents told me you left to visit your schweschder in Massillon. When I arrived here, I asked the owner of the general store if he knew Ruth Smith, and he told me where she lived. On the way to her haus, I recognized you through the restaurant window.”
    Hand on hip, she squinted. “Why are you here?”
    â€œIs there somewhere quiet where we can talk?”
    She pointed across the street. The least amount of time she spent with him the better. A walk too far would add to this awkwardness. She would remain as close to Lizzie’s as possible. “The post office is closed. We can sit on the bench by the front door. No one will bother us.”
    Her heart thudded against her ribs, as he followed her. She had nothing to say to him, and she could care less about anything he had to say to her. She hoped he would make this meeting a short one.
    In front of the post office, she waited for him to speak.
    He passed his hat from one hand to the other. “I’m sorry for leaving you the way I did. I would like to make it up to you by asking you to marry me.”
    She narrowed her eyes. He must be out of his mind. “No, I am not interested in marrying you. Why aren’t you marrying the woman in Lancaster?”
    He bowed his head and spoke in a whisper. “She refused to wed me. I told her I had arranged with your daed to marry you but changed my mind at the last minute. It didn’t sit well with her. I would’ve kumme to you earlier, but I stayed in Lancaster for a while to help my uncle build an addition to his haus. I’ve given this a lot of thought. You and I should get married. I need to follow through with the commitment I made to your daed to wed you. Besides, we are both twenty and should be married by now.”
    She clenched her jaw. She would never marry a man who wanted to be wed to another woman. Besides, she cared about someone else. Someone she could trust. “As I stated, I won’t marry you.”
    â€œYou’re getting older, and there aren’t many available men in our community left. You should reconsider.” David stared at the birthmark on her hand.
    She hid her hand under her apron and squinted. “Like I said, I’m not interested.” The more he prattled on, the more stern and coldhearted his tone became. If she had married him, she pictured her life as a miserable one.
    He stood and mashed his hat on his head. “You’ll be sorry. I could’ve provided a good living for you. I intend to find a fraa, and I won’t be available when you return to Berlin.” He