The Quilter's Son: Book Three: Nathan's Apprentice
Page 5
Chapter 22
Thankfully, it was late enough in the day that he found his grandfather just where he hoped; in the dawdi haus.
Grandpa John met him at the door and invited him into the small home adjacent to his Uncle Liam's farm. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon, Nathan."
"Dad called you, didn't he?" he asked knowingly.
He told me about your argument with Anna, and I knew you would be around to see me soon enough."
Nathan sat down, and on cue, Grandma Nellie came over and hugged him before putting the tea kettle on the stove. He waited for her to leave the room so he could talk to his grandpa in private.
“I really screwed up this time, Grandpa."
John folded his hands across his lap and leaned back in his chair. “Does this have anything to do with you being accepted at the University?"
Nathan sat up straight, his heart pounding furiously. "How did you know about that?"
"I could see it in your eyes whenever you talked about the seminars you were taking there. I knew there had to be more to it than just taking seminars. I figured you got accepted, and you were touring the campus just to see what your options were."
"That's exactly what I did, Grandpa. But only I didn't tell Anna about it. But right now, that is the least of my troubles. She thinks I like Maddie, a girl from school, but I don't. I don't know how I can convince her."
John paused for a moment and then spoke. "What would make her think that you like Maddie?"
Nathan felt the guilt weighing on his heart. "Because I helped Maddie make a butterfly quilt. I let Maddie blackmail me into helping her with it. I knew it was wrong but I did it anyway because I was afraid. I was afraid that the kids at school would know that I've been raised Amish."
"And this Maddie? She was threatening to tell all your classmates about your home life?"
Nathan couldn't even look at his grandpa. He couldn't look him in the eyes. "I've never felt so ashamed in all my life. I don't know why I was afraid that if the kids at school knew I was brought up Amish they would tease me. I suppose it was because I've seen a lot of teasing of the Amish in town by some of the kids at school, and I didn't want that to happen to me. All I cared about was getting my education; I didn't think about how that was affecting my family or Anna. I tried to tell myself that I was doing it for the protection of Anna and even my mamm. It just wasn't the whole truth."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to protect yourself from ridicule, Nathan. But when it involves you telling lies to others, that's when you need to draw the line."
"I know that now, but it's too late. The damage is already done."
John walked over to the stove, picked up the whistling tea kettle, brought it to the table, and filled their cups. "It's never too late to tell the truth."
Nathan lifted the steaming cup to his lips and blew on it to cool it. "I hope you're right, Grandpa."
John sat back down across from Nathan and looked at him thoughtfully. "Why don’t you tell me about your tour of the campus? I'll be more than happy to help pay for your college, if that's what you want to do. I'll support you no matter what your decision is in this life."
Nathan shook his head. "I realized the first day of the tour that I don't belong there. I belong here with my family and with Anna. I want to marry her more than ever."
"Then I suggest you get over there in a hurry and make things right with her."
Nathan left after a few more minutes, but not without hugging his Grandma Nellie and thanking Grandpa John for another bout of great advice.
Chapter 23
Anna turned around as the bells jingled on the door to the quilt shop. She felt her emotions rise at the sight of the cheerleader. That girl was the last person Anna wanted to see today.
Anna toughened her expression. "He's not here, Cheerleader. So you can go home."
Maddie smiled. "Amish Girl has an attitude. I like that."
Maddie dared to sit down across from Anna. "I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here to apologize."
Anna sat at attention. "I'm listening. You've got one minute, Cheerleader."
"First of all, my name is Maddie. Maddie Hayes. I go to high school with Nathan. I was also on the tour of the IU campus with him."
Anna's ears perked up. "What do you mean you toured the campus?"
Maddie leaned in as if to tell her a secret.
"You mean he didn't tell you? We were there to tour the campus. Everyone who got accepted to the University was there."
Anna sat back in her chair feeling deflated. Her heart sank at the thought of Nathan being accepted to the college, but more than that, he had kept it from her.
"By the look on your face, I'd say he didn't tell you. I'm guessing he didn't tell you I was blackmailing him either?"
Anna's eyes widened. "Why were you blackmailing him? Better yet, why are you telling me all of this?"
Maddie looked away. "Because I don't want you to hate me. I don't have any real friends, and I'd like us to be friends."
Anna scoffed. "Aren't you already friends with Nathan?"
Maddie sighed. "Nate and I are not friends. I blackmailed him into helping me with the butterfly quilt. I'm sure you don't remember me, but I was in here in this store a few months ago and asked you about quilting."
Anna studied Maddie for a moment. "I get a lot of customers in here, but I do remember you, now that you mentioned it. I told you about the butterfly quilt Nathan and I made when we were younger. Why were you so interested in making a butterfly quilt, yourself?”
Maddie cleared her throat nervously.
“Because I had a crush on Nate, and I was jealous of you,” Maddie admitted.
Maddie’s confession surprised Anna.
“I kind of figured you liked him, but why did you use that to blackmail him?"
"Maybe I should let him tell you the rest himself."
"It's a little too late for that, Maddie. If you want to gain my trust and be my friend like you say you do, then you'll tell me everything."
Maddie proceeded to tell Anna everything. It saddened Anna that Nathan felt the need to keep all of this from her. They were supposed to be married, but how could they do that if he couldn't even be honest with her?
"I wish I had known how he really felt. It upsets me that he seems to be ashamed of our relationship."
"Anna, he's not ashamed of you or your relationship. He's the exact opposite. He told me right from the very beginning that he was engaged to be married to you. That man loves you, and he was only trying to protect you."
"He doesn't seem to love me enough to trust me with his feelings." Anna’s heart was broken. If not for her new friend’s honesty, she probably would've never known the truth.
“Thank you, Maddie. I’d like us to be friends.”
Maddie felt a lump form in her throat. She’d never had a real friend before.
“If we’re friends, does that mean you will help me finish my quilt?”
Anna nodded and smiled. “I will be glad to help you.”
Maddie was grateful for Anna’s generosity, and for the friendship she offered. It made her want to be a nicer person.
Chapter 24
"Thank you for seeing me, Anna,” Nathan said quietly. “I know I don't deserve anything from you right now, but I pray that you'll forgive me."
Anna felt her heart flutter. "Why didn't you think you could trust me with your feelings? We've known each other since we were little kids. I've always been completely honest with you."
"Since Maddie told you everything, I'm not sure there's anything more I can say, except that I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect myself and my own feelings more than I was trying to protect you, and for that I'm very sorry."
"I've already forgiven you,” she said quietly. “But it might be a while before I can trust you again."
Nathan sighed heavily. He knew it was going to be a lot of work to put his relationship with A
nna back together. But he was prepared to do whatever it took to secure their future, the future he'd always planned for. "I understand. But please know that I love you."
Anna turned her back on him. "I think you should go to college if that's what you want to do."
Nathan stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, tucking his face deep into the crook of her neck. He breathed in the sweet smell of meadow flowers. "I don't want to go to college. I want to stay here with you. I want to marry you, if you'll still have me."
Nathan kissed her softly on the neck, sweeping his mouth up to her ear and across her
tense jawline.
Anna turned around, unable to resist him any longer. She pressed her lips against his, leaning into the kiss with more enthusiasm than she'd ever kissed him before. "I have loved you since I was a little girl," she whispered in between kisses. "And I will love you for the rest of my life."
"I love you too, Anna. And I'm ready to be a husband, and a provider, and a father when the time comes."
Anna pulled away from him slightly, resting in his loosened grasp. "What about your online quilting business?"
"I decided against it. Everything I have is right here with you. This quilt shop is where it all started for us, and I wouldn't want to change a thing."
Anna giggled. "I wouldn't either."
Nathan pulled her close again and pressed his lips to hers. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her; the rest of the world could wait.