A Bride's Agreement by Elaine Bonner

Author:Elaine Bonner [Mills, DiAnn; Bonner, Elaine; Cecil, Ramona K.; Farrier, Nancy J.; Grote, JoAnn A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-63409-607-2
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2015-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

Tiny flames of fury sped through Eduardo’s veins as he approached Chiquita. If Diego were standing before him, he would wring the man’s neck. How could anyone treat a child so poorly that she lived in fear of his every action? This had to stop now. He’d seen her flinch as he started across the room. She was waiting for him to begin hitting her.

Lord, help me say this the right way. I don’t want to instill more terror. Eduardo took the book from Chiquita and set it on the edge of the bookshelf. Taking her hands in his, he could feel the trembling she couldn’t control. He wanted to draw her into his arms, to let her know he wouldn’t hurt her. She’d been wounded so many times—most likely by Diego—that Eduardo knew she wouldn’t trust him.

With one hand, he swept back her tangled locks and lifted her chin. Her eyes were closed, her lips compressed so tight they were nearly colorless. He could tell her teeth were clenched tight, as if she was ready for him to do his worst. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to calm his wrath at Diego, lest she think his anger was directed at her.

Letting out a deep breath, he traced the curve of her jaw with his thumb. A single tear welled up at the corner of her eye. Had Diego done this, too, just to torment her before the violence began?

“My father bought a horse once.”

Her eyes snapped open, studying him, full of fear. Her breath came fast and ragged.

“He didn’t need the mare, but he saw the owner mistreating her. The man would get her on a lead and beat her for no reason. Dad said he heard from others how the man would take out his frustration on the poor beast.” Eduardo continued the soft caress along Chiquita’s jaw.

“You would think that horse would be grateful to be away from such a terrible master.” He frowned at the memory. “Instead, she would bare her teeth when we came near. Whenever we groomed her, she had to be well tied, because she would always try to bite or kick. That mare was ruined because some man thought he could treat her as mean as he wanted. I worked with her for a long time before I could get her to trust me a little. She never could relax around anyone else.”

A tear trickled down Chiquita’s cheek. Eduardo caught it with his thumb, brushing the moisture away. She didn’t seem to notice.

“A horse is an animal. You can’t explain to an animal that you’re different. We kept her for the rest of her life, treating her the best we could.

“I’ve seen the signs, Chiquita. Someone hasn’t treated you right, but I want you to know that you’re safe here. Maybe you can’t talk, but I know you can hear.” He sighed. “I know I have a temper, but I promise you I’ll never hit you. My parents raised me to respect others, especially women.

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