“I saw your pumpkin pie,” he said. “Did you make it for me?”
She just looked at him.
“Why wouldn’t you want me to know? I knew that was what Sally was going to say. You wouldn’t let her say it, though. Why not?”
Doris still couldn’t utter a word. What excuse could she possibly give?
“It’s not like you, Doris. Before, you would have announced it loud and clear.” He laughed.
Before… What he meant was before Jordan. Before Annie. And Matthew was right. She had been different before Jordan—in a lot of ways. Ways she was only now recognizing.
“All right, then,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “I’ve made my special pumpkin pie for you, Matthew Wanner. It’s sitting on the table—if there’s any left, that is.”
“Now that’s more like it,” he said, grinning. “And no worries about there not being any left. I asked Annie to cut me a piece and save it.”
Of course, you did. Doris held her smile. She even managed to maintain eye contact. “That’s gut,” she said. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to miss it.”
“Me, neither. Now remember, you promised to make me one for Christmas dinner, too.”
“I remember.”
He squeezed her hand. “Are you okay, Doris? Are we okay?”
She knew what he was asking, and she nodded. “Of course, we’re okay,” she said. “We’re best friends, aren’t we?”
Something flashed in his eyes, then, something she couldn’t decipher. And then he smiled. “I’ll see you around. Soon, all right?”
“Soon,” she muttered. He turned and left her, squeezing back into the crowd—no doubt to get his piece of pie from Annie. And then he would stand close to Annie—not right next to her, of course, or the news of their courtship would be obvious. He’d stand just close enough for them to exchange a few words now and again, while under the pretext of being involved with others around them.
Doris knew how it worked. All the young people knew.
It certainly never mattered if Doris and Matthew were seen together. No, that didn’t matter at all. They were cousins, weren’t they? No one would give them a second thought.
Chapter Three
The visiting was basically over. Many of the folks had already gone home, and Doris’s family was ready to go, too. Doris’s mother, Henrietta, was gathering up their empty dishes.
“Gut thing we made plenty,” she said, picking up the empty pie plate. “Everyone ate sufficient for two or three people, I think.”
“Gut thing we weren’t the only ones to bring plenty,” Kara observed.
Doris nodded in agreement, wanting in the worst way to simply get out the door and go home. But before they could leave, Sarai Beller came up to them.
“Did you hear about the Lehman’s?” she asked.
Doris froze. “What?”
“Did you hear about—”
“We heard that,” Henrietta said impatiently. “What’s happened?”
“There was an accident. Theodore came to tell me before the program. You know that young Timmy was supposed to be in one of the plays. I had to make a quick change.”
“What’s happened to Timmy?” Doris asked, knowing Jordan would be devastated if anything happened to his younger brother.
“Nothing. I guess it’s Jordan. He was in a buggy accident. I didn’t get much more information. I told the bishop, and he was going over there right away.”
Jordan? Something had happened to Jordan? Doris’s eyes were wide, and her chest grew tight. Henrietta glanced at her before focusing back on the teacher. “Thank you for letting us know. We’ll go see if we can be of help.”
“I s’pose the bishop will let everyone know what’s happened. I just thought to tell you since I thought your families were close.”
Their families were close? Doris nearly choked. Hardly. They weren’t close at all. Not since Jordan had stolen that car, and Doris’s parents had found out she and Jordan were courting. No. They weren’t close.
But there had been an accident, and all of that would be put aside. If the Lehmans needed help, they would get it.
Henrietta took Doris’s arm. “Let’s go. Your dat and brothers will have the buggy ready.”
Sally and Kara had to nearly run to keep up with how quickly Henrietta was dragging Doris from the schoolhouse.
“Get in the buggy,” Henrietta said. “Hurry up.”
They all clambered inside, where it was mighty tight with all of them.
“Head for the Lehmans,” Henrietta said curtly.
Doris’s father did a double take. “What?” he asked, his tone incredulous. He was more than aware of his wife’s aversion to the Lehmans ever since Doris had become sweet on Jordan.
“There’s been some kind of buggy accident. Jordan is hurt—”
“And you want to go…”
“If we don’t go, Doris will fly over there soon enough. We’ll go together.”
Doris was pressed into the buggy on the same bench as her sisters. She leaned her head against the window, praying that Jordan wasn’t hurt too badly. She was planning to break up with him, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to be hurt or suffering.
Buggy accidents could be severe. They caused more deaths than anyone in their district liked to think about. Was Jordan lying somewhere near death?
Ach, but sometimes she wished the bishop approved of phones. Within seconds, she could know the truth. As it was, she bit her lip, praying their buggy would go faster. But there were patches of ice on the road, and her father was taking it slowly. The ice. Was that what had caused Jordan’s accident? Or had he been hit by a car? If that were the case, it was going to be very bad.
Was he in the hospital? If so, then no one would likely be home.
“Can’t you hurry?” she blurted and then put a hand over her mouth.
Her mother whipped around. “You want us having an accident, too?” she snapped.
Doris shook her head.
“Of course, she doesn’t, Mamm,” Kara spoke up. “She’s just worried, is all.” Kara reached over and took one of Doris’s hands. Doris gave her a shaky smile.
“We’ll be there soon enough, daughter,” her father said. “Hurrying ain’t going to change anything.”
“Except getting us all killed,” said Henrietta acidly.
John gave her a stern look. “That’s enough, Henrietta. I know we’re all concerned.”
Doris’s brothers didn’t say anything, but Peter reached up from where he was sitting behind her and squeezed her shoulder. She took a deep breath.
Fifteen agonizing minutes later, they pulled into the Lehman’s property. Doris craned her neck to look about. There were no signs of life. No signs of any action at all. Her chest constricted. Where were they? Where was Jordan? Doris knew that they kept their buggy tucked back on the east side of their barn, and it wasn’t there.
Kara’s hand tightened on hers.
“I’ll go to the door and find out if anyone is home,” John said. He handed the reins to Henrietta and climbed out, hustling up the steps to the door. He knocked so loudly, Doris could hear it. Her breath caught in her throat. Let someone be there, please, she prayed.
The door flew open and Theodore, one of Jordan’s brothers, stepped outside. Doris couldn’t hear what he said, but she saw the look on his face. It was stricken and shadowed and there was a sense of urgency in his stance.
Her father nodded and patted Theodore on the shoulder. Then he turned and hustled back down the steps to the buggy. He climbed in.
“Well?” Henrietta asked, handing him back the reins.
“Jordan is at the hospital. Theodore doesn’t know how bad it is. His folks asked him to stay home so he could tell anyone who stopped by what was happening.” He looked back at Doris. “We’ll go to the hospital and check on him.”
“All of us?” Henrietta asked.
“All of us.”
“Thank you, Dat,” Doris said.
And now? If Jordan were badly injured, how could she break it off with him? Could she add to his problems? What kind of person would she be?
Tears burned her eyes and she blinked, trying to hold them back, but they escaped anyway, falling down her cheeks. She turned her head to the side, hoping no one saw her, but Kara did.
“It’ll be all right,” Kara whispered close to her ear. “Truly. Gott is watching over him.”
Doris nodded and sent up a prayer.
“It’s going to be dark on the way home,” Henrietta observed, the disapproval thick in her voice.
“That it will,” John answered. “We don’t have to stay long.”
Henrietta huffed and sank back in her seat. The rest of the trip was made in silence, only the echoing clip clop of Gallant’s hooves on the road. What an ending to the day. Just an hour before, they’d been immersed in the Christmas program, and now, all her family sat stoically, their expressions guarded, wondering what had happened to Jordan Lehman.
Did Matthew know? Did he know Jordan had been in an accident? Doris found herself wishing he was there beside her. His presence would steady her, give her courage.
Courage for what? Courage to tell Jordan it was over? Courage to tell Matthew that she loved him?
No. No. No. What a mess. Everything was a mess.
They were in town now, and her father drove the buggy into the hospital parking lot. It was expansive, and there was a parking place especially for buggies and horses. Her father drove directly there and secured the reins.
“Let’s go in,” he said simply, climbing out.
They all followed him out of the buggy and into the hospital. The thin, wiry lady at the information desk directed them to the emergency waiting room. Doris walked beside her father, and he pulled her hand into his. The minute they turned the corner into the emergency waiting room, Jordan’s father saw them and hurried over.
“Ach, you came,” he said. His face was pinched with worry. “They’ve got him in surgery now.”
“What happened?” John asked.
“He took the buggy earlier today. He slid on a patch of ice—or that’s what we think—and the buggy went into a ditch. The buggy is likely done for, and our horse is with the vet. We ain’t sure about Jordan, except he was conscious. Some Englisch fellow called an ambulance, and Jordan was brought straight here. The police came to inform us right before the school program was to start. We were worried sick, wondering where Jordan had gotten off to.”
His words came fast, like a rush of a waterfall. Doris watched him, her heart beating fast.
“So you don’t know what’s wrong?” John asked.
“His arm, for one thing,” Jordan’s father continued. “They’re checking for internal injuries.”
Doris’s mother was talking to Jordan’s mother, Sandy. Doris wondered what she was saying. For all her complaining, Henrietta looked right sympathetic, and Doris was glad. After everything Jordan had gone through lately, Sandy would need all the tender sympathy she could get. The bishop was there, too, talking with Jordan’s siblings.
“Doris, why not come sit down?” Kara said gently. Doris followed her to a vinyl couch, and the two of them sat down.
Two other families arrived and joined them, asking after Jordan, and consoling Jordan’s parents. Doris sent up a steady stream of prayer for Jordan, but even so, the wait was excruciating. His arm? What had happened to it? And had they found other injuries?
If the buggy was destroyed, then it had to be bad.
She sucked in her breath and tried to calm herself. They could have a long wait ahead of them.
Chapter Four
But Doris was wrong. Within a half hour, a doctor came out to speak with Jordan’s parents. Doris stood, trying to hear everything he said. When he turned and left, Sandy looked as if she were about to faint, but her husband put his arm around her.
“What?” Doris said, stepping forward. “I couldn’t hear the doctor. How is he?”
She knew asking like that—frantic-like, could make things obvious between her and Jordan, but at that point, she didn’t care. She had to know.
Henrietta moved to stand beside her.
William Lehman turned to them all. “His arm was dislocated and broken in three places. They had to put in a pin, but the doctor thinks with therapy, he’ll regain full use of it.” He drew in a huge breath. “He’s banged up pretty bad, but they don’t think there are internal injuries. He’ll be right sore and in pain for a while, but…” his voice caught, “…but, he’s going to be all right.”
There was a huge exhale from everyone waiting. The bishop moved to William and Sandy. “Gott is gut,” he said, his rich voice rolling over all of them. “Let us pray and give thanks.”
He led them all in silent prayer and then asked William, “Can you see him?”
“The doctor said in a few minutes, a nurse will come and escort us.”
The bishop nodded. “Gut. That’s gut.”
Henrietta turned to John. “We may as well go home, then.” She looked at Doris, and Doris was surprised to see compassion in her eyes. “This is the best possible news, Doris.”
Doris nodded. Her mother was right. It could have been worse—much, much worse.
Henrietta put her hand on John’s arm. “It’s already getting dark,” she said.
John sighed. “All right.” He looked at Doris and then at her sisters and brothers. “Kinner, let’s get to the buggy. Some of us can come back tomorrow and see Jordan then.”
They said their farewells to all the other folks who had gathered and made their way out of the hospital. As they approached the buggy parking area, Matthew met them.
“I figured you’d be here,” he said, giving Doris a meaningful look. “How is Jordan?”
John gave him a quick run-down on the situation. Matthew nodded solemnly.
“You don’t want to stay long,” Henrietta said. “It’s getting right dark, and the snow might start in again.”
“I won’t stay long,” he told her, but he was looking at Doris. “I can take you home if you want to stay longer,” he said.
Her mother started to protest, but her father cut her off. “That’s a fine idea. Thank you, Matthew. But not too much longer, you hear?”
“We won’t stay long,” Matthew assured him.
Doris felt caught in the middle. In truth, she didn’t want to go back into the hospital, nor did she want to be with Matthew in there. He would be able to see something had changed just by looking into her eyes, and she wasn’t prepared to explain herself. Not now. Not yet.
As it was, the light in the parking lot was shadowed, and she was quite sure he suspected nothing.
Her family was already getting in their buggy while she stood there, feeling awkward. Matthew stepped closer.
“I thought you might want to stay longer,” he said quietly.
Since when did he accommodate her feelings toward Jordan? No, that wasn’t fair. He’d been remarkably nice, especially when he’d hauled Jordan out of that tavern. Still, this was unexpected. Despite his niceness, he had never been happy about her feelings toward Jordan. So, what was going on? Why was he bending over backward to allow her to stay longer at the hospital?
Was it because…? Her throat constricted. Was it because he was fine with it now? Was it because he was now so involved with Annie, he didn’t care anymore?
Her family’s buggy pulled out of the parking lot. Matthew looked at her.
“I don’t want to go back inside,” she blurted.
“What? Why not? I thought you’d be pleased,” he said and sighed. “I can’t figure you out sometimes, Doris. I thought you’d be in a stew about him and want
to stay.”
“I… Well, I—” She cut herself off abruptly. There was simply nothing she could say.
He stared at her. In the growing darkness, she could see the intensity of his gaze. She averted her eyes.
“What is it? What’s happened now?” Disgust filled his tone.
“I, uh, I’m just worried. Like you said.”
“You don’t want to go back in?”
“Nee.”
“So, you could’ve just ridden home with your family, after all.”
“I s’pose.”
He exhaled irritably. “Fine. I thought I was being nice.”
“You were.” Her shoulders slumped. She wanted to lean against him, have him put his arm around her, but at that moment, she felt a chasm between them a mile wide.
“Let’s go, then. I’ll take you home now.”
“But you didn’t go inside. I can wait out here.”
He groaned. “I don’t think so. I’m not leaving you out here in the freezing cold.”
She could see the billows of white breath coming from his mouth.
“You can turn your heater on. In fact, I’m sure your buggy is still warm.”
He shook his head, and she felt his impatience. Since when was he so impatient with her? She hadn’t done anything—not this time. He was the one who offered to take her home.
“Never mind,” she snapped, irritated now. “I can find a ride home with someone else. There are other families from the district inside. I’ll just wait out here. Someone’s bound to come out soon enough.”
He took her arm in a firm grasp and half-dragged her over to his buggy. “Get in.”
She thought about resisting him, but suddenly her irritation faded, and all she felt was exhaustion. She climbed inside and set her jaw. Exhausted or not, she was in no mood to be pleasant.
Matthew climbed in, and the buggy sagged slightly with his weight. He looked at her. “I’ll take you home.”
“I assumed that’s what you were going to do.” She stared straight ahead.
“You’re impossible, Doris.” He snatched up the reins and snapped them on Blackie’s rump. The horse pulled the buggy out of the parking lot.
The Revelation (Doris's Christmas Story Book 3) Page 2