An Enduring Love to Heal Her: A Historical Western Romance Book

by Lorelei Brogan

  “He did get me to thinking about some things, though.”

  “What about?” Emilia wasn’t sure if she was supposed to ask, but curiosity got the best of her.

  “Many years ago, my family was responsible for an accident that hurt a lot of people.”

  Emilia felt surprise rush through her. She had felt curious about Derek’s past on many occasions, but hadn’t felt as if it was her place to press him about it. It meant a lot to her that he was choosing to share with her now.

  “My father got in the railroad business, but he didn’t pay the workers enough. He bought the cheapest materials and skipped the quality check before he opened the track to a particular town.” Derek paused and Emilia waited, hoping he would go on.

  Derek adjusted himself and Emilia could tell that he was uncomfortable talking about it. “There was an accident, and many people were hurt. Some people were so badly injured, they were probably never able to find a good enough job to provide for their family afterward. The workers were blamed for doing bad work, but they did the best they could with the materials that my father gave them. And they tried to warn him, but he threatened to fire them if they didn’t just go on with it.”

  “That’s terrible. But, you know, it wasn’t your fault, Derek.” Emilia could see the pain on Derek’s face and wished she could take some of it from him.

  “That’s why I left my family. I know that I didn’t have anything to do with the decisions that made that accident happen, but I didn’t do anything about it, either. I didn’t get justice for those people. I never even apologized for anything.”

  Emilia reached out and took Derek’s hand. She wasn’t sure if that was all right, or if she was overstepping, but she couldn’t watch him suffer without trying to help. “Maybe there’s something you could do now. Do you know who they were?”

  Derek shook his head. “I don’t know who everyone was, but I do know of a few. I bet I could find them, or find how to contact them, if I wanted to. I actually got to thinking, I could write to them and offer to help them start over out here, out west.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea.”

  “Even if they weren’t interested, I think it’s my responsibility to apologize personally to everyone I can find for the damage that my family caused. Don’t you think? I know I was just a kid then, but if I don’t do it, they never will.”

  Emilia’s chest swelled with pride. Even though she had originally thought that Derek was Luke, he had shown her his goodness from the moment they had met.

  She was certain that she couldn’t have found a better man to be her husband, even if she’d been searching for one.

  “I think that you even thinking of reaching out is one of the most admirable things that you could do. I think those families will see that it wasn’t you to blame for their troubles.”

  “They might, they might not. If I was them, I would dislike me. But all I can do is try.”

  Emilia nodded. “You are the kindest man I have ever met. I don’t know why you would care for someone like me. I was so cruel to you when we first met.”

  Derek shook his head and held her gaze. Emilia’s heart beat just a little faster. “That wasn’t your fault. We have both done things that the other could misunderstand, but that’s behind us now. I can’t wait to have you as my wife.”

  Emilia realized how little room there was between them. She could feel Derek’s breath on her cheek.

  “Emilia, Derek, dinner is ready.” Eli’s loud voice at the doorway made Emilia jump, and Derek chuckled softly.

  “We’ll be right in, Eli.” He stood and offered Emilia his hand. “Shall we?”

  Emilia nodded and took it. She felt giddy with happiness. She had never imagined that she would find such happiness in Texas.

  ---*---

  Emilia smiled as she pulled the things out from inside the bag of belongings that Lily had brought to her when she had been recovering in town. As she pulled out a handkerchief, a white envelope fell into her lap.

  She picked it up and saw her name written on the front. She realized that it was the letter that Lily had brought to her when she had been sick.

  There had been so much going on and so much commotion, with everyone showing up right after one another and visiting, Emilia had forgotten all about it.

  Guilt tugged at her heart. She wasn’t sure how it was possible for her to forget about her correspondence with her mother and sister, but she had.

  She quickly tore the envelope open and began to read by the light of the lamp on the nearby table.

  My dearest Emilia,

  I know that you have had a lot of questions about what happened with your father in the past. I have always tried to protect both you and Mary for selfish reasons, as well as to guard your image of myself and your father.

  The truth is that your father began drinking, and he was an angry man when he’d had too much to drink. Alcohol affects some men that way. Your uncle and grandfather were tired of the fits he would have when he’d had too much to drink.

  When he refused to listen to them about stopping the habit, they came to think that he was crazy.

  I do have to admit, when they took him to the asylum, I was asked if I agreed to have him admitted. Your father and I were not in a good place at the time and I agreed. When I changed my mind and went to have him released, it was too late. They insisted on keeping him because they said that he needed to finish treatment.

  Both your uncle and grandfather thought they could take him out once he had learned his lesson, but they were wrong.

  None of us meant for him to die in that place. We didn’t know what kind of a place it was. I hope that you understand how sorry I am for the past and that I would undo it if I could.

  I hope you are doing well, and please know that we miss you terribly with each day that passes.

  With love,

  Your mother

  Emilia read the letter over several more times. By the time she folded it back up and placed it in its envelope, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

  She pulled the photo that her mother had given her out of her suitcase and stared at it fondly. She knew her mother hadn’t meant for any of that to get out of control, and she forgave her.

  There was no use in being angry at her one remaining parent for a past that couldn’t be changed.

  Sniffling, Emilia tucked the letter away with the rest. She would write to her mother and tell her what she thought straight away, as soon as she had time.

  Emilia laid back on her bed. She hoped that her mother would be happy to find out that she was getting married. Giddy butterflies played tag in her stomach. She was going to be a wife.

  She promised herself that she would always do her best to take care of and love Derek, no matter what happened between them. She had seen what kind of pain a couple divided could cause.

  Her mother was proof enough. She would do everything she could to learn from her parents’ mistakes.

  “Are you still awake?” Lily’s soft voice asked as she slipped into the bedroom.

  “Yes, I was about to come looking for you.” Emilia had retired to her room early, once Derek and George had gone. She had wanted to get her things unpacked and rest a bit.

  Even though she was feeling much better since her incident, her lungs still ached and she still had to put cream on her burns. Her leg was very sore to walk on where the beam had fallen on it.

  The doctor had said that she had been lucky with how she had fallen. By some miracle, her leg was only terribly sore and bruised, but not broken. And it had been nothing short of a true miracle that her lungs had not been damaged like the doctor had expected. He had marveled at how well she had done.

  “George asked if he could officially court me,” Lily whispered excitedly.

  “Really? What did you say?”

  “Yes, of course.” Lily gave a giggle and Emilia found herself joining in.

  “I’m happy for you.” Emilia was surprised that she r
eally meant it. She was pleased that George was with Lily. She had a feeling he would always look out for her, and she also had the feeling that her cousin was the type of person who always needed someone to look out for her.

  Chapter 38

  Emilia stared at her reflection in the mirror. She barely recognized herself. Her aunt’s words from the day she’d come to Texas rushed back to her.

  She really did look stronger and more filled out than she had when she’d arrived. There was a pink in her cheeks and a healthy glow about her.

  “Oh, my, you look so wonderful.” Mary sounded absolutely giddy. Her mother and sister had traveled down for a visit and to be there for the wedding. Emilia knew that they would be going back to Ohio for the rest of the year, but she couldn’t be happier knowing they were here for her special day.

  They had told her that they would be coming back in another year or so to live nearby. It was one of the things that Emilia was looking forward to the most.

  Emilia turned to her sister. “Soon, it might be you getting married.”

  Mary shook her head. “Even if it was, I don’t think I could look as pretty as you.”

  Emilia pulled her sister into a hug. “Of course, you would. In fact, I think you would look even prettier.”

  “Are you ready? I think they are just waiting for you,” Lily’s voice interrupted them. She clapped her hands together and squealed. “I’m so excited!”

  She motioned for Emilia to come and Emilia stepped forward anxiously. Her stomach was a mess of nerves and excitement. She could already imagine what the ceremony was going to be like.

  She had been looking forward to this day for nearly a year now. She and Derek had arranged everything. They had planned their lives together and taken their time really getting to know each other.

  And the better they got to know each other, the more convinced Emilia was that Derek was the right man for her—and the more she fell in love with him.

  She could hardly remember what her life had been like without him in it. She only knew for certain that it had been much gloomier and lonelier.

  Emilia squeezed her sister’s hand. “I’ll see you afterward. Thank you for helping me get ready.”

  Mary nodded. “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you, too,” Emilia mouthed back.

  She leaned in and gave Lily a quick hug. “Thank you for your help.”

  Lily nodded and gave her a little push forward. “Go on, I’m sure Derek is desperate to see you.”

  Emilia giggled and took one step at a time. It didn’t take her long to make it outside, where Derek was waiting in front of a group of people. It seemed the entire town had shown up.

  They were all grinning and watching. At one point, their attention would have sent Emilia running back inside, but not today. Today, she held her chin high and smiled back at them. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention in a group of so many people.

  She knew that some of them thought that Derek was making a mistake by marrying a woman who could go crazy someday in the future. She knew that some of them had advised Derek against making this union.

  But she also knew that some of them were happy for her. Today, she didn’t try to differentiate who was who. She just appreciated the fact that they had all come to support them in this new beginning to their lives.

  “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Derek said softly as he leaned forward and took her hands.

  Emilia blushed nervously and gently squeezed his hands. “Thank you,” she whispered back.

  The minister began to speak, and the laughter and whispers in the crowd of people died down. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Emilia and Derek in holy matrimony.”

  Emilia half-listened to his words, distracted by the bubbly energy inside of her that she couldn’t seem to calm. It felt as if she were inside of a wonderful dream that couldn’t possibly be real.

  She glanced into the crowd and her eyes met with her aunt’s gaze, then her mother’s. Standing next to each other, it was easy to see that they were sisters. Emilia might have even thought that they were twins, if she didn’t know better.

  The two most influential women in her life were together, right there in front of her. She couldn’t ask for anything more.

  She turned back to Derek, who was looking at her as if she was the best thing in all of Texas. Emilia knew that God had given her more blessings than she could have asked for.

  “Do you, Emilia, take this man to be your husband?” The minister’s question penetrated her thoughts.

  The corners of Emilia’s mouth pulled up into the biggest smile. She didn’t even need to think twice. She had been dreaming about the moment when she would be able to answer that question.

  “I do.”

  She knew that this was where she was meant to be—married to the man who had become the most important person in her life.

  Chapter 39

  Derek leaned against the pasture fence, watching as his wife walked by with her mother and sister. It still felt strange to think he had a wife, and even stranger to say it out loud.

  They had only been married for four days, and yet it seemed like so much longer than that. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding. Once they were wed, she had moved with him onto his ranch.

  Of course, they had planned on that months beforehand, and had already moved most of Emilia’s belongings there.

  “When is her family going back to Ohio?” George asked, giving him a little elbow in the ribs.

  Derek snapped out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized he had been ignoring his friend.

  “Oh, in a week, more or less. I wish they would move out here sooner. She’s going to really miss them.”

  George nodded. “I’d imagine so. At least Lily will have her family nearby when we get married.”

  Derek shook his head. “I still can barely wrap my mind around that, you getting married and settling down. I never thought I’d see the day, and certainly never thought that Lily would be the one you would do it with. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.”

  While Derek was more than happy for George and Lily, it was a little odd to have his best friend courting a young woman he thought of as a little sister.

  “Hey, you had your chance and you didn’t tell me to stay away, so now you have to keep the peace.” George gave him a mischievous look.

  All joking aside, Derek knew his friend was right. “So, when is the wedding?”

  “We haven’t decided yet, either in four or five months. We don’t want to take it too fast.”

  Derek laughed. “Well, compared to Emilia and me, you are going very slow. But I think I like it that way. It gives you both plenty of time to make sure it is what you really want.”

  George chuckled. “We aren’t going to be changing our minds, Derek. So, did the two of you think about moving to Ohio?”

  Derek nearly choked on his answer. “No, of course not. Why would we want to do that?”

  George shrugged. “Her family does already live there, you know.”