An Unbroken Heart by Kathleen Fuller

Author:Kathleen Fuller
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2015-12-31T19:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

Joanna!”

Andrew pushed through the crowd of people that had surrounded Joanna the moment she fell. She couldn’t marry him? He had to have heard her wrong. Although he’d tried not to, before he saw her he thought of his father again. Not pleasant memories, but resentment that he wasn’t here. He fought to control his spontaneous anger. The emotion had been unexpected and unwelcome, coming at the worst possible time. His father had managed to spoil what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, and he wasn’t even there.

Then he saw Joanna. She looked beautiful, and he felt his anger fade just as she collapsed to the floor. Then she’d left. No, not left—run away, like something terrifying was chasing her. Abigail went after her, and he propelled himself forward to follow, only to be stopped short by Sadie.

“Nee, Andrew.”

The quiet yet forceful words somehow pierced through the questioning murmurs of the wedding guests. His gut ached, like he’d been sucker punched. “She said she couldn’t marry me.”

“I know. I heard her. Let us talk to her, Andrew. Give us a little space.” She turned and hurried to Joanna’s room.

“All right everyone,” Bishop Yoder said above the din of the crowd. He sounded more confident and in control than Andrew had ever heard him. “Why don’t we all geh outside for a bit?” The crowd started to disperse as he put his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’s just nerves,” he said, opening the door and letting the fall breeze enter the stuffy living room.

Andrew didn’t move. His thoughts darted back and forth, torn between going after Joanna and respecting Sadie’s wishes.

Asa appeared in front of him. “Are you okay?”

Andrew shook his head. “Nee . . . I don’t understand . . .”

“She’s probably getting ready to come out even as we speak. She did take a pretty hard fall.”

That had to be it. She wasn’t thinking straight. Now a new emotion thrummed through him—alarm. What if she was seriously hurt? “I need to see her.”

Asa shook his head. “Wait until she’s ready to see you. Do you want a drink?”

“I want to see Joanna.”

Asa held up his hands in surrender, then went outside with the rest of the guests.

Now the living room was empty. Andrew could hear voices outside, punctuated by Homer’s barking. She would come out any second. He would see her smiling, and all the guests would come back, and he and Joanna would finish the ceremony. She wouldn’t leave him at the proverbial altar. She wouldn’t abandon him. We aren’t making a mistake.

But as the minutes ticked by, he was losing patience and losing hope. “I can’t wait anymore,” he muttered and started for her room.

“Andrew.”

He turned around. He hadn’t heard his mother come in. “What?” He sounded sharper than he’d intended to, but all he wanted was to get to Joanna.

“Maybe . . . maybe this is for the best.”

Why would she say that? “I don’t believe that. I refuse to believe it.

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