Elizabeth Tells Her Family That the Decision is to Make a Temporary Move back to Her Family in the US (Book Five, Chapter Three)

    She had ridden out and was sitting on this ridge. A decision needed to be made, and soon.

 That night, after dinner, Elizabeth gathered the family together again.

“I know you are all anxious to hear my decision, so I won’t beat around the bush.” She looked around at all the anxious faces staring at her. She had stayed on that ridge for hours debating the various reasons to stay and the reasons to go. It seemed there was no clear path forward. The only thing she knew was they couldn’t stay on the ranch.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and continued. “The Arroyo families roots are in Mexico, and I think they should stay in Mexico.”

Pilar jumped and squealed in glee, hugging her husband in her excitement. Others murmured their surprise at the decision, with most nodding their heads in accent. 

When Elizabeth looked at Will, his expression was hard to read. She knew he would support any decision she’d make, but they had grown very close. They had not married, like she once had hoped they would, but she considered him part of her family. Wherever they went, she hoped he would join them.

Elizabeth put up her hand to silence the room. “But…we need time. We need time and money, as Enrique has said. And we can get both of those things if we move to the US and stay with my family.”

There was a low grumble in the room, and Pilar fell back into her chair, deflated.

“Temporarily,” Elizabeth continued. “It will just be temporary, until we can earn enough to buy a ranch here in Mexico for any family member who wants to live there.”

“Then it’s decided,” Diego said as he stood. “And the sooner we get packed the better. It is only going to get hotter. Best to move now, in the spring. I volunteer to be in charge of organizing what we need to take for the remaining horses, and what we’ll need to start building up our herd in San Antonio.”

Isabella stood next to her brother. “And I will help Elizabeth with moving what we need to live on.”

Elizabeth stood and walked to stand between them. She put an arm around each of them. “Thank you, Diego, Isabella. This won’t be easy, but if we do this together, I know the Arroyo family will survive.”

Pilar stormed from the room. 

“She will come around, Senora,” Augustino said to Elizabeth, then he followed her out.

Elizabeth wasn’t so sure.