John made a strange, grunting sound in his throat and Liz cast him a look before dropping her eyes.
“You need to tell her before we get there, Liz. You can’t leave her in the dark.”
“I’m sorry?” Suddenly Hettie was afraid she had made a bad decision answering the ad. She peered at both of them, settling her eyes on Liz’s friendly eyes to calm herself.
Liz sighed deeply and leaned forward. She put her hands on Hettie’s knees and looked at her pleadingly.
“John is upset because I…you…well, you see, John and I decided to play matchmaker.”
“This is you, Liz.” John shook his head. “I was skeptical.”
“You didn’t have any problems with it before, John.”
“I changed my mind.”
“It’s too late for that, and you know it.”
“Please tell me what’s going on.” Hettie pleaded, taking Liz’s hands and squeezing them gently.
Liz pressed her lips together in an attempt to give Hettie a reassuring look. “I placed the ad and sent for you, dear. James is my brother, and I feel he has been alone long enough.”
“How long has he been alone?” Hettie asked, the tightness in her chest loosening just a little with the secure sound of Liz’s voice.
“A little over three years. And you have never been married?”
“No. In his…your letter, you didn’t mention how old James is.”
“He’s 29.”
Hettie was relieved he wasn’t too much older than she was. “Has he any children?”
“No.”
“Did you tell her anything at all about James in your letter, Liz?” John sounded annoyed but looked less stressed than he had a few minutes before.
Liz looked at him. “Of course I did, John! I just…didn’t mention those things.”
“So you just described him and said he’s the Sheriff?”
Liz ignored him and looked at Hettie again. “He’s got a good heart, Hettie, you don’t need to be afraid of him. He won’t hurt you, and he’s not in the saloons or bars much, so you don’t have to worry about that. He doesn’t spend any time with the women in town either. He has a lot of…” She stopped, and her face flushed a little as her emotions got a hold of her. “He has a lot of memories that it’s difficult for him to get rid of. I think a fresh start with a new woman will do him some good.”
Hettie rolled that statement around in her mind. She agreed that a fresh start was always a good idea, especially when things got tough. But she’d been deceived and wasn’t sure how she felt about it. If James wasn’t the man who had paid her family and it had been Liz instead, that meant her preconceived perception of him was flawed. In fact, she had never communicated with him at all. She had no clue what he would be like.
Plus, Liz was fond of saying the word “I.” She had made all the decisions here. What kind of person was her brother?
Hettie moved her eyes to John, who was looking out the window again. He glanced at her just when she looked at him, and she dropped her eyes. He didn’t look nearly as upset now. He kept his eyes on her for a few more moments, considering her. Then he looked back out the window with a thoughtful gaze. She couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking.
Liz leaned forward again, getting her attention. “Don’t you worry, Hettie. I like the way you look. You are sweet and kind; I can tell. James will love you. You’ll see!”
Hettie just smiled at her.
Chapter Two
By the time the carriage pulled up in front of a two-story house, Hettie had worked herself up again. She was worried that with this turn of events, James might be displeased with her and she would end up in a miserable and unhappy marriage. She was so hoping for love. The thought of it sounded distant to her at that point.
“Okay, here we are.” Liz sounded a little apprehensive herself. John stepped down from the carriage and rounded it to open the door for the women. He helped Liz out first, then Hettie. He went to the back of the carriage to unstrap the two bags while the women went up the few steps to the porch and crossed to the front door.
Liz opened the first door and knocked on the second.
They waited in silence, Liz giving Hettie a nod and a smile, squeezing her arm in the process.
They heard the sound of footsteps on the other side and the door was thrown open by a tall man dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt.
“Liz! What are you doing here?” He didn’t sound unfriendly, but he didn’t smile at his sister. His eyes settled on Hettie, and he blinked, giving her the once-over. “And who might this be? New member of the community? Hello, I’m James, the local Sheriff. I have to say you don’t look like the type to make trouble for my little town.”