The Amish Christmas Gift

by Laura V. Hilton

  He glanced at them. “Danki.” He exhaled. “Elsie…”

  She didn’t pause.

  Levi bowed his head. Clasped his hands. How would he explain this to the bishop? Gott, help.

  Chapter 25

  Elsie was so fired. She didn’t need to hear the words to know the truth. Why was she such a mess-up? And Jane quoting her words about it being easier to ask forgiveness than permission back to Levi…She could only imagine what he must think, but the flash of anger, the clenched jaw, and the jumping muscle on his face spoke volumes without him saying a word.

  Once at the bottom of the steep stairway, Elsie brushed away the stubborn tears that’d escaped her burning eyes. She didn’t want anyone witnessing her return to know that her discussion with Levi hadn’t gone so well.

  It’d gone terribly.

  She would be getting fired! Again!

  She bit back a wail that wanted to emerge, averted her eyes from the men working at the table and Abigail doing something at the sink, and even though Elsie hadn’t finished the living room, she slid her feet into her shoes.

  She needed space, too.

  But not for the same reason.

  No, her temper wasn’t about to explode, but rather the waterworks were going to gush with the force of a collapsing dam.

  Elsie grabbed her outerwear off the hook near the door. She put them on as she yanked the door open, shoved through the screen, and went outside.

  The logs and the church’s benches were still scattered on the porch and driveway. She went to work restacking the firewood. It would give both her and Levi time to cool down and regain control of their emotions—she brushed at the tears still spilling—before they calmly discussed her discontinued employment as an elf.

  Though he might not fire her while Bishop Nathan was there.

  Then again, he might. He’d have a witness to testify that she’d behaved unseemly by hiring a web designer without permission. Or not hiring. It was free because Jane had owed Elsie a favor.

  She’d meant to tell Levi about it, planned to chalk it up as a benefit of having her for an elf, but every time she’d thought of it, he’d kissed her and she’d forgotten her own name.

  At least she was still working at the moment, saving Levi the job of restacking the woodpile.

  Not to mention she was burning off steam. Amazing how she could still do that while crying up a storm to rival the one outside.

  The tears froze to her face while the wind howled, the snow blew, and heavy gray clouds still hung low over the earth, filled with the promise of things to come.

  More snow. Actually, the bishop had said another blizzard.

  The road crews were probably working overtime trying to keep the busy interstate highway cleared.

  She’d just finished restacking all the fallen logs when the rumble of a very noisy vehicle filled the air. She turned toward the road and peered through the snow.

  A mustard-colored older-model Jeep boomed down the street. Her brothers would call it a 4x4 and joke about off-roading, but Elsie wasn’t sure what that meant. Other than the obvious.

  The Jeep paused at the end of the driveway, next to the intruder’s vehicle—which was still in the ditch and waiting on a tow truck—and Levi’s now very crooked mailbox. The pole was at an approximate forty-five-degree angle.

  Sam stuck his head out the open window on the passenger’s side of the Jeep and yelled something that got blown away in the wind.

  The Jeep pulled into the driveway and roared up to the house.

  Elsie brushed the wood chips off her gloves and waded through the almost knee-deep snow to the vehicle.

  Sam must’ve seen something in her expression because he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  Little Sammy babbled something from his car seat in the back and kicked, reaching for her. She needed a snuggly cuddle from the sweet toddler.

  Elsie gulped. “Levi’s going to fire me.”

  Sam laughed. Laughed! “Is that all? You’re an old pro at that. A master at getting fired.”

  “Wow. Danki for your overwhelming sympathy.” Jah, she was sarcastic.

  Sam laughed again. “Come on. Get in. The apartment opened up. We’re moving to Chicago now before the next blizzard hits.”

  Now? She wasn’t sure she wanted to go ever. Especially with the talk she and Levi had been having before Jane called. Hope had bloomed…only to be plucked and crushed.

  And Levi’s probable firing of her had sounded the death knell for anyone else in the community ever hiring her.

  Elsie glanced at the driver. Sam’s Englisch friend, Ryan. She forced something that she hoped resembled a smile. “Hey, Ry.”

  “Hey, beautiful.” Ryan winked. “Wanna go out sometime?”

  Not even. “In your dreams.”

  Ryan groaned.

  “Leave your stuff here. Noah can take it home. You won’t need any of your Amish clothes in Chicago.” Sam twisted to make sure the back seat door was unlocked.

  True. But…“Bishop Nathan is here.” She glanced back at the house. A shadow moved in front of the window. Was it Levi? Coming to make the firing official?

  “Then get in quick. You know our way. We just leave. No time for apologies, no time for delays, no time for goodbyes.”

  Still, Elsie hesitated. It was their way, though. It was just that she wanted to say goodbye to Noah and Abigail. To ask them to keep in touch. To explain why. And Levi—oh, her heart. Would the bishop shun her for this? Was she burning bridges forever?

  Ryan revved the engine.

  “Elsie, you will never get a job and keep it here. Sorry, but it’s true. Get in!” Sam yelled the last word.

  Elsie sniffed. More tears escaped. Her brother’s words echoed her thoughts. She was worthless. Worthless!

  The Jeep rolled forward an inch. Maybe two.

  “Last chance. I need you. And you know none of the Amish will hire you now.” Sam gave her a pointed look.

  Sammy reached for her again. “Ellie come.” His lower lip trembled.

  Elsie’s heart lurched.

  Sam was right. Her future here was doomed. She flung the back door open and tumbled in next to Sammy. She straightened just as the house door opened and Levi stepped out.

  His mouth moved. He extended a hand toward the Jeep.

  Ryan hit the gas.

  The door blew shut.

  And they roared out to the road.

  * * *

  Levi watched the Jeep race down the drifted drive as it carried his Elsie away. Snow flew from the tires as if it were mud. Whoever was driving definitely went too fast for the conditions.

  He’d recognized Elsie’s older brother, but it seemed odd that Sam would pick up Elsie and not Noah. It was an even bigger mystery that Elsie left without saying goodbye. Without warning. She hadn’t finished the job Abigail had asked her to do, which left his sister in the lurch. Why hadn’t she said something? Unless it had been an emergency—and in that case, they would’ve picked up Noah, too. So he was back to square one.

  Wait. She’d said she was giving him space. Surely she hadn’t decided to step out of his life. The air was sucked out of his lungs. No. No, no, no.

  The Jeep fishtailed as it reached the ice-covered main road. They must not have the four-wheel drive on. Levi whispered a prayer for Elsie’s safety and tried to figure out what he’d done wrong.

  Had she seen the flash of temper when he bit his tongue to keep from growling at Jane? He hadn’t been angry at Elle. Mildly irritated, perhaps. He knew a good thing when he saw it, and Elsie was a good thing. A hard worker, she’d already made a significant difference in his loft office. It was still a mess but ever so much less cluttered. And the fact she’d found a stack of uncashed checks more than paid for her wages.

  No, he’d been upset at pushy Jane and only irritated at Elsie for putting the cart before the horse. She should’ve asked him, given him time to consider it, and then he would’ve asked the bishop himself. Of course, he still c
ould. And he would. But that wasn’t the issue now.

  The door opened behind him. “Where’s Elsie?” Noah asked. “Abigail said she left in that noisy vehicle?” As in an unsaid but implied Did she? Why? and maybe a What did you do now? tacked on the end.

  “Jah.” Levi swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn’t know what else to say. He shut his eyes, then remembered Sam was in the front seat. He opened his eyes, turned, and looked at Noah. “Your brother Sam was in the front seat. I thought maybe it was an emergency. But if it was, they would’ve called for you.”

  Noah frowned. “Sam. Figures. He’s been sneaking around lately. Daed fears he’s planning to jump the fence. And, of course, he’d convince Elsie to go with him. She’s so vulnerable, what with being fired so often and unable to find a beau. All she ever wanted was a home, a loving husband, and children, like any other normal Amish girl. Like Abigail wants.”

  Jah. That would be important to her. A dream he’d destroyed so many times and in so many ways. His throat hurt. His eyes burned. And there was nothing he could do. Except pray. He balled his fists to try to keep his emotions under control and attempted to look Noah in the eyes. He failed. His gaze rested somewhere near Noah’s left cheek. “Abigail will get there.” Just in case Noah harbored the same dreams about Abigail that Levi did about Elsie.

  “She’s there now,” Noah said quietly. “She’s not as helpless as you think.”

  “No, she isn’t.” But maybe Levi had needed to pretend that she needed him as much as he needed her.

  Noah’s mouth flexed and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He pushed something and put the phone to his ear. Then he grimaced. “Voicemail. Hey, Elsie, it’s Noah. Call me.” He touched something else and returned the phone to his ear. “Sam. Noah here. What’s going— Hello? Hello?” He looked at Levi. “We got disconnected. Either that or he hung up on me.”

  It was probably the latter, especially since Noah’s next two attempts went straight to voicemail.

  Noah sighed. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  Neither did Levi. He looked toward the road again, but even though he could hear the roar of the engine in the distance, the Jeep was no longer in sight.

  The wind and the snow picked up, obliterating the mailbox and the beat-up car still in the ditch. Levi shivered. He and Noah had both come out without a coat. Without shoes. And there was nothing they could do except pray. Lord, keep her safe, and if it’s Your will, please bring Elsie back to us.

  Levi cast another glance in the direction of the road. But the Jeep didn’t magically reappear.

  He turned to the door and noticed the now-stacked wood and still unstacked benches. Elsie had done something—been doing something—when the Jeep arrived. She’d been outside because of her anger and hurt and had therefore been easy pickings for Sam to convince to go with him.

  If Levi hadn’t lost his temper, then she’d still be here, because Sam would have had to go inside to talk to her…and the sight of the bishop would have sent him running without Elsie.

  With a sigh, he returned inside.

  Abigail sat at the kitchen table, twisting her hands together. “You let her leave.”

  It wasn’t like Levi had a choice. Wait. His anger had hurt her feelings and put her in that position? He’d had a choice upstairs to not let her go. A choice to answer or ignore that phone call.

  Bishop Nathan’s head was bowed, but at Abigail’s words, he raised it. His brow was furrowed. He opened his mouth and shut it a couple of times, then shook his head and returned his attention to the train car he held. Seconds ticked by. They felt like an eternity. The silence grew stifling.

  Elsie weighed heavy on Levi’s mind, but that reminded him—it was time for that website conversation. Levi cleared his throat. “How do you feel about a business web page?”

  The bishop didn’t look up. “For the construction business, or for the toys?”

  Levi cringed, almost afraid to admit it would be for his toy “hobby,” like Daed had called it. What if the bishop felt the same? Silence stretched as Levi tried to find a little more courage.

  Noah heaved a sigh and turned away from the open door. He shut it. “Sorry, Abby.” He didn’t say more, but Levi guessed he was referring to Elsie.

  Abigail sniffled.

  “Ask and it shall be given,” Bishop Nathan said, paraphrasing part of a verse.

  “Toys,” Levi mumbled.

  “If you’re planning to make this”—he held up the toy he was sanding—“into a business, I’d say a website was needed.”

  Levi caught his breath. “Could I?” Good news, that. He grinned. Sort of. It probably resembled more of a grimace.

  Bishop Nathan shrugged. “May not support a wife and children, especially at first, but it has definite possibilities.”

  Wife and children?

  And with that the joy faded. Because the one he wanted to start a family with was in a mustard-colored Jeep going who knew where.

  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Noah quoted.

  Levi stared down at his cold, wet, sock-covered feet. Lord, give me faith.

  * * *

  The Jeep hit an icy patch on the road and slid into the oncoming traffic lane. Nobody was near, though, and Elsie clenched her fists, trying not to scream as Ryan fought the wheel. He steered into the skid, which seemed wrong to Elsie, but it worked as he quickly got it under control. He said something about four-wheel drive and did something.

  Sammy babbled about playing in the snow in Pennsylvania Dutch, waving his little hands in the air as he talked and kicked his feet. He was hard to understand unless she focused on him. She wasn’t focused. One of his tiny tennis shoes flew off, landing on the opposite side of the back seat from Elsie. Sammy chortled.

  Elsie patted his hand and peered up front. The roads were ice covered, and snow was still falling. It seemed heavier to Elsie. Her stomach cramped. She leaned forward as far as the seat belt allowed. “Shouldn’t you maybe slow down?” Even in a horse and buggy there was such a thing as driving recklessly.

  Ryan laughed. “This ain’t nothing, beautiful. Let me find an almost empty parking lot and I’ll show you fun.”

  Something about the sound of his laugh told her it wouldn’t be fun. Not for her. She kept quiet because both agreeing and disagreeing would egg Ryan on. She had enough experience with him to know that. And she still didn’t understand how Sam could be his friend. But then again, a free ride to their destination meant more money in their pockets. Money—she’d left her purse back at Levi and Abigail’s house. No ID on her. No phone, so she couldn’t call and apologize.

  “I need practice driving,” Sam said. He sounded a bit nervous, as if Ryan’s driving bothered him, too.

  Elsie’s stomach cramped again. As far as she knew, Sam didn’t know how to drive and now wasn’t the time to learn. She bit her lip to keep the words unsaid.

  “You got your permit?” Ryan glanced at Sam.

  Sam had a permit? Bile rose in Elsie’s throat. But then again, Sam would be careful since he had little Sammy in the vehicle.

  Sam shifted in his seat and a moment later he flashed something in his worn brown wallet in Ryan’s direction. Elsie couldn’t see what it was, but Ryan nodded. “Cool. We’ll give you highway time. The interstate should be clearer than these backroads.” He looked over his shoulder at Elsie. “Do you got your permit, beautiful?”

  She’d never even thought about her need for one in the Englisch world. But then again, Chicago had other transportation options. She wouldn’t need to drive.

  Sam laughed. “I’d hate to see what she’d do behind the wheel of a car.”

  Jah, there was that. But, “Hey.” If they weren’t in a moving vehicle, she’d swat him.

  Ryan pulled off at a fast-food restaurant by the interstate for hot drinks. Despite being plowed, the parking lot was covered in snow. The wind caused drifting and Elsie wondered if visib
ility was affected for drivers. They shivered and hurried inside.

  Sam paid for Elsie’s drink since she forgot her purse. After bathroom breaks, they went back outside and Ryan paused at the door and motioned for Sam to get behind the wheel. “Make sure you get up to speed on the on-ramp. Some of those trucks come fast.”

  Sam grinned. “This is going to be so fun! Sammy, pay attention to your daed. Someday you’re going to do this.”

  Elsie’s stomach cramped again. This was not a great idea. She hesitated, hot drink in one hand, Sammy’s hand clutched tightly in the other. “Maybe you should leave Sammy and me here. We could call for a ride home and join you later.” Except, she didn’t have a phone with her so she’d have to convince Sam to let her use his…

  “Get in.” Sam glared at her. “We’ll stick together. Besides, most people would prefer to stay home in this.”

  True. She could have been warm and safe at Levi’s house, even if she was fired. And with that thought, her eyes burned again. She blinked the tears away. She shouldn’t have allowed Sam to talk her into this.

  “Besides, what would you go home to? You can’t get a job or a beau. You need a fresh start as much as I do.”

  Also true. It just hurt. Elsie sighed, put her drink in the cup holder, then buckled Sammy into his car seat and buckled herself in next to him. Sammy kicked one of his shoes off again. He looked at her and laughed.

  Elsie closed her eyes a second. Gott, if you don’t want us to go, please stop us.

  Ryan got into the front passenger seat as Sam climbed in and started the engine. He backed out of the parking place, turned right toward the highway, got onto the on-ramp, and hit the gas.

  Sam knew how to drive. Amazing.

  An air horn blew.

  Elsie turned.

  A semitruck grill seemed to fill the back window.

  Someone screamed. It took her a second to figure out it was her. Ryan shouted something she couldn’t understand over the screams. Sam jerked the wheel to the left.

  The world changed to slow motion.