“That has been noted. Settle down.”
Just as he was about to reflect on his cold reputation yet again, he caught Katie gazing at them curiously. It was time to step away quickly. No way did he want her to discover that she’d been the topic of their conversation. “I’ll see you later, Will. Looks like Katie’s ready now.”
He didn’t wait for Will’s response, but he still heard it. The man was chuckling behind his back.
Harley felt like rolling his eyes. He knew he had flaws, but this courtship thing was hard. He couldn’t wait for Will to get a taste of his own medicine when he found the right woman.
Thinking of how much he hadn’t been exactly a fan of John B. and Marie getting together, Harley realized he was getting a taste of his own medicine.
It looked like the Lord was always watching out for him, even taking the time to remind Harley of areas where he needed to grow.
“Is everything all right?” Katie asked. “You and Will were having quite a conversation.”
She sounded stressed, and he hated that. “Everything is gut,” he replied lightly. “And don’t you worry about me and Will none. I don’t think old friends can ever not share their opinions. Even when it wasn’t asked for.”
“We both know that I’ve been guilty of that from time to time.”
He grinned, because she didn’t lie. “You aren’t the only one.”
“What was Will giving his opinion about?”
“Nothing. Like I said, it weren’t anything important.”
She frowned. “I hope you’re telling me the truth. Because if it concerned me, I would want to know.”
“You’ve got enough on your mind without worrying about stupid conversations. Ain’t so?”
“I can’t argue with you there.” They were at the side of the buggy now. “I’m so glad it stopped raining.”
“Me, too, especially since the rain brought in some cooler air. What do you think about rolling the windows up so we can get some of the fresh breeze?”
“I think that sounds almost as good as sitting in a courting buggy.”
Her comment hit him squarely in the center of his chest, reminding him of his friends’ teasing and how confused he was about their changing relationship. “Jah. I agree.” He reached in and started detaching the side plastic windows and rolling them up. Katie stood and silently watched him.
He was glad she didn’t offer to help, but maybe it was because she knew as well as he did that it was often easier to simply do some tasks oneself than to delegate.
Finally, he walked to the passenger side and held out a hand. “Here, let me help you.”
Her cheeks pinkened as she placed her hand in his, gripped his palm, and pulled herself into the carriage.
After he made sure she was settled, he walked around to the other side and caught his whole family watching him with knowing grins.
Even his father.
What was it about his relationship with Katie that drew so many amused looks? He didn’t remember Melody ever inciting such reactions.
When they started down the lane, Katie looked back at the crowd on the front lawn and groaned. “Harley, your whole family is staring at us.”
“I know.”
“Why? Is it me?”
Motioning Peanut into a canter down the empty lane, he shook his head. “Of course not, Katie. They like you a lot.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. I promise, my siblings enjoy teasing me about as many things as possible, as often as possible.”
“Because?”
“Because I’m the oldest . . . and I might have tried to boss them around a bit too much over the years.” No, the truth was that he had bossed them around too much. Why, he didn’t know. Their father had no trouble ordering them around at all. Taking a deep breath, he added, “Kyle accused me of acting just like our father.”
“Your father is a well-respected man,” she pointed out quietly. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. However, mei faddah also has a tendency to be too silent and somber. I promise, being told that I was like him wasn’t exactly a compliment.” Eager to get the focus off himself, he said, “I’m sure you, Caleb, and June have teased and chided one another from time to time.”
“Oh, we did when we were small and my father was still alive.” She leaned back against the bench. “But as June and Caleb got older, they started to argue more. Then, as my mother got more reclusive and started to gather things and hide them away . . . it was stressful. No one teased each other anymore.”
“I remember when your father went to Heaven, but I don’t recall your age.” He directed Peanut toward a sleepy side road that ran behind the brick factory. He’d always thought the wildflowers that bloomed on either side of the road were pretty.
“I was eleven. June and Caleb were in their late teens.”
He remembered the funeral well. Samuel Steury had been well liked by many. Practically the whole village had come to his funeral. Sitting in between his parents, Harley had realized that it was the first time that he’d really felt as if death had touched him directly. He’d worried about Katie and couldn’t help but keep wondering about how he would be holding up if his father had passed away suddenly. During the service, Katie had been holding June’s hand and looking like she was about to shatter in a hundred pieces.
Glancing over at her again, he noticed that her expression was tight. She was troubled.
His reminder had put that there. “I’m sorry for bringing up your father. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. It’s, well, it’s nice to remember him. I don’t mind.”
“We can talk about him anytime you want, Katie.” Looking into her blue eyes, he murmured, “Actually, we can talk about anything at all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“Even about what’s been happening between us?”
Needing to concentrate fully on this, he pulled up on the horse’s reins. “Katie, I know I ain’t much for talking, but surely you know my intentions are true.”
“I do. And . . . I feel the same. But if I can be completely honest—”
“There’s no other way I want you to be.”
“Then, well, I sometimes am having a hard time keeping up. I mean, just a few weeks ago we were barely talking. And now . . .”
“Now?”
“Now you’ve become the person I find it easiest to talk to. The person I first search for in a crowd.”
Her words were perfect. So honest and true. So Katie. “Katie, when I look at you, I see something new. Something that I hadn’t seen before in any other girl. You make me think harder, question myself, yearn to be better. It makes me yearn for something more than I ever had before.”
She smiled softly. “It seems we have stumbled upon something special, Harley.”
He clasped her hand. “I think so, too.” And now he was sure of it, too. Funny, here he’d been convincing her, but what he’d also been doing was convincing himself. Looking at their hands intertwined, her small hand fitting so snug in his own, he felt all the things he’d always assumed were simply talk. Something tender and almost possessive. Something sure and steadfast.
He wanted to hold her close. To kiss her, to show her how much she meant to him.
“If we’ve waited this long to consider a future together, you can be sure that I won’t push you. We can take our time, if you want.”
Looking down at their hands, Katie ran one of her fingers along his knuckles. “I’ve known you all my life, Harley. I trust you more than anyone in the world.” She swallowed. “I don’t think time is what I need right now.”
He almost smiled. This was a typical Katie maneuver. Over and over, his heart slammed in his chest as he realized what she was telling him.
He leaned closer, brushed his lips against her cheek. “Are you ready for something more, Katie?”
Her gaze flickered to his lips. She did
n’t say a word, only smiled.
Leaning in, he placed his free hand around the back of her neck, glancing at her to make sure she wasn’t unsure.
Her eyes were bright. Her lips were slightly parted.
He needed no more encouragement. Very gently and carefully, he brushed lips against hers. She yielded against him and fluttered her eyes closed.
And then she kissed him back.
When he at last pulled away, Katie was wearing a stunned look. Her lips were a little swollen—like she’d just been thoroughly kissed.
Seconds later, when she leaned back against the bench with a sigh, Harley realized that at the very least, he’d learned something new.
All it took to render Katie Steury quiet was to give her a kiss.
As he moved the buggy forward once again, he grinned to himself. Kissing Katie often? Yes, he could absolutely do that.
TWENTY−NINE
Harley folded his hands behind his back. “Well, after all of Andy’s friends from school showed up, things got fairly awkward.”
“I refused to get out of the water until they left,” E.A. said. “At least it was dark out.”
Logan continued. “So Andy-being-Andy suggested that his buddies go inside his house until everyone got dressed.”
“But by the time that happened, there was a party in the Warners’ living room,” Will said. “Music was blaring, everyone was sipping beer, and next thing we knew? Well, it turned out that we all started getting along just fine.”
Every couple of weeks, a few of the Eight visited Andy Warner’s parents. Oh, they didn’t have a schedule or anything, they’d just realized that visiting Mr. and Mrs. Warner helped each of them as much as the visits seemed to help his parents.
Though the visits made some of them uncomfortable—Elizabeth Anne had confided that she never knew the right thing to say—Katie enjoyed them. Simply being around Mrs. Warner, with her polished English manners and eager smile, reminded her of Andy.
Not that he’d been all mannerly, but he had been in a perpetually good mood when they were growing up. And though she reckoned that had recently changed, it was also how she wanted to remember Andy. In her mind, Andy would always be the leader of their little group, the handsome boy with the grand schemes, the bright laugh, and the ability to make everyone in his circle feel like they were glad to be around him.
Today, Katie was visiting Mrs. Warner with Marie and John B. She’d confided to Harley that she used to wonder if being around the couple would feel a little bit like being a third wheel on a bicycle, but she’d soon realized that while Marie and John’s relationship had changed, the way they interacted with the rest of them had not.
What was taking a bit more getting used to was John’s transformation into an Englischer. His hair was now shorter, he wore a watch on his wrist and had a cell phone in his pocket, and he seemed intent on studying all kinds of things in an effort to expand his education.
Marie looked so smitten with him, Katie knew she didn’t care how much John changed. But Katie could sympathize with John. Their Amish world was rich in tradition and a beautiful one, but at times it made her long to expand her boundaries.
“What did Mrs. Warner say when you called and asked if we could stop by, John?” Katie asked.
“Only that she was happy to hear from me and that all of us are always welcome.”
“That’s what she always says,” Marie mused.
John clasped her hand. “She means it, Marie.”
Marie glanced at Katie and smiled. “I think Mrs. Warner enjoys hearing about John and me as much as talking about Andy.”
“I bet. She’s known us all our lives,” Katie said. “It’s wonderful that the two of you have found love.”
The two of them shared a smile. “It really is,” Marie murmured.
They reached the Warners’ front porch before Katie had time to ask Marie what was going on.
Just before he rang the doorbell, John winked at Katie. “Mrs. Warner always makes something tasty for us. Maybe she’ll have something chocolatey for you, Marie.”
Marie looked down at the little bag she’d been carrying. “I hope she didn’t go to any trouble. I brought some blondies that I baked last night. I hope she’ll like them.”
“Of course she will,” John said.
“I know I will,” Katie said as they waited. “Since my kitchen is currently torn up, I’ll be thankful for anything.”
“We need to hear about your kitchen and the rest of the house,” John said just as Mrs. Warner opened the door.
“Hi, John,” she said with a smile. “And Marie and Katie, too.” Her smile widened. “It’s my lucky day. Come on in.”
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she hugged each of them. Hugging her back, Katie was engulfed in Mrs. Warner’s familiar fragrance.
“Thank you for letting us come over,” Katie said.
“Don’t be silly. You know this is my pleasure.” Looking more solemn, she added, “I know all of you visit because of Andy, but I have to admit that I enjoy seeing each of you simply because of who you are. I would miss you all terribly if you moved away for good.”
“My parents say the same thing,” Marie said. She held up the brown gift bag. “We brought you some blondies.”
“Oh, thank you, honey. My goodness! We’ll certainly be eating well today. I happened to be in Mount Hope this morning and picked up a chocolate and coconut cake for you all.”
Katie knew there was no “happen” about it. Everyone knew Marie loved Mt. Hope Bakery and their chocolate coconut cake especially. She also knew that the cake had to be special ordered in person as well.
Marie beamed. “Mrs. Warner, that is so kind of you. And so much trouble.”
“It wasn’t any trouble at all,” she said as she ushered them inside. “Besides, we needed to do something to celebrate being together.”
They walked through the marble-floored entryway, past a dining room with a table big enough to sit fourteen or sixteen people, and an office that looked like no one ever stepped a foot inside except to dust. Finally, they got to the living room, which featured two couches and an easy chair facing a large stone fireplace. A sizable flat-screen television was mounted above the fireplace. It was all warm and cozy and completely familiar. Katie figured she’d sat in this very room dozens of times over the years.
After they got settled, John smiled at Marie. “Mrs. Warner, as a matter of fact, we do have something special to celebrate.”
Mrs. Warner’s eyes lit up. “That sounds prophetic. What happened?”
“John proposed yesterday,” Marie said.
“She said yes, too,” John said, grinning ear to ear.
“Obviously!” Katie said as she rushed over and gave them hugs. “Congratulations! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me earlier.”
“We were going to get the Eight together tonight and tell you all at the same time,” John explained. “But Will has to work and E.A. already had plans.” Looking back at Andy’s mom, he finished, “We decided to simply tell friends and family one at a time. You two are the first.”
“Oh! Oh, my!” Mrs. Warner jumped to her feet. “That is such wonderful news. Simply the best!”
Marie sighed. “It really is.” Looking fondly at John, she said, “I’ll have you know that he did a really good job asking me, too.”
Sitting back down, Mrs. Warner clasped her hands in front of her. “Well, don’t delay. I want to hear every bit of what happened.” With a wink at Katie, she chuckled. “Within reason, of course.”
“First, John came over to my parents’ house while I was over for dinner, which was odd. But my parents didn’t act like it was at all.”
“Because they knew I was coming over already,” John supplied. “I talked to Marie’s father a month ago about my plans.”
“Good for you. Logan did the same thing with Dave when he and Tricia got engaged.”
“My father was so happy that John had asked his bles
sing, but I really think he was just as excited as my mom about planning this secret dinner.” Marie shook her head. “I had come over around four o’clock to help my mom cook and work on a craft project. But they both were so happy, I couldn’t figure out why.”
“And then you discovered the real reason.”
“Yes.” Marie sighed. “Anyway, after John came over, my mom acted like he had to stay for hot fudge sundaes, just like it was our normal dessert. It wasn’t normal at all.”
“But it’s my favorite dessert,” John said.
Sharing a look with Mrs. Warner, Katie shook her head. Marie truly had stars in her eyes, and never had she seen John B. act so animated. It was both surprising and cute.
“So we made these monster sundaes, even my mom and dad,” Marie continued. “And then, just when I said I couldn’t eat another bite, John walked over to my side, knelt on the ground, and told me he loved me and asked if I would become his wife.”
“Right in front of your parents?” Katie asked.
“Yep.” Marie smiled again, as if that was the most beautiful idea in the world.
Katie turned to John. “Wow.”
“I’m glad we did it that way. Marie is close to her parents, and they have been good to me.”
Marie reached out and grasped his hand. “Then, my mother shooed us out to the backyard and said they’d do the dishes. And guess what?”
Mrs. Warner leaned forward, obviously eating up every word. “What?”
“My father had strung little white lights around the back patio. It looked magical. We sat out there, under the lights, just the two of us.”
Katie sighed. Their engagement sounded like every girl’s dream. Romantic and happy.
Mrs. Warner wiped a tear from her eye. “Oh, you two. I couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to call both of your parents. I can’t imagine a pair better suited to each other than the two of you.”
Looking at Marie and John, and the way they were so comfortable with each other, Katie couldn’t disagree. But it still surprised her. They’d been brought up so differently yet were still able to come together. So easily. It was practically the opposite of how things had gone with her and Harley.
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