Isabelle's Mate (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 6)

by Daria Wright

  “I’ve grown fond of everyone here, as well.”

  And Jessica had. She knew that the English world had nothing for her anymore. She knew that this, the Amish community, had become the closest thing she had to friends and family. They had accepted her, despite her piercings when she’d arrived – which she’d quickly taken out, of course.

  David had become a good friend to her, despite the fact he was much older than she. He’d spent many hours listening to her pray to her parents, or just cry. She’d never been religious growing up, but since coming to the Amish community Jessica had found great joy in going to church.

  “We should celebrate when you’re baptized. And we ought to find you a husband!”

  Jessica raised an eyebrow and turned to the girl who had become like a sister to her. “I should find a husband? Speak for yourself.”

  Anna’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll find someone, eventually.”

  It was Jessica’s turn to blush. Without realizing it, she seemed to have hit a touchy spot. She reached out and touched Anna’s shoulder. “You will. And any man would be lucky to have you,” she said, meaning every word of it.

  “Danka, though I’m not so sure the boys would agree.” She laughed softly, but there was no humor in her voice. Jessica’s heart sank a little, but she didn’t say anything as they approached the shop where John was waiting for them.

  “Hi deatt,” Anna said as they stepped into the shop. “Sorry we’re almost late, maemm wanted some help deep cleaning and the little ones were having a hard time with it.”

  “It’s alright, you both still made it here on time.” He glanced up at the clock. He was right, they still had three minutes before the store opened, but it wasn’t uncommon to see trucks start pulling up around now.

  Many people wanted to get here as soon as the store opened so they could get the best selection. It took a long time to make some of the stuff that was sold here. Of course, John made most of it, but there were also a few men around town who built some stuff as a hobby and sold it to John for a good price. John would never turn down an item from someone from the community. When Jessica asked him about it once, he’d said it was because he never wanted anyone to go without – or worse, think that their item wasn’t worth something to someone else.

  As they waited for the doors to open Jessica circled around to the front desk, double-checking that everything was where it was supposed to be, and that they would be ready to start the day.

  “There are already three cars outside,” Anna said.

  Jessica glanced up, and sure enough, the girl was right. There were already three cars waiting in the parking lot.

  “Well, let’s not keep them there too long. We can open a little early today, girls.” John said.

  “Jah, deatt.” Anna rushed over to the door and flipped the sign from closed to open. The car doors popped open and everyone headed towards the door as Anna opened it, a wide smile on her face as she greeted them all.

  Jessica looked up from the desk as she stood. “Hi,” she said, giving a warm smile as she headed towards the door, John in front of her. He made his way towards an elderly couple and smiled widely. Jessica made her way towards a man about her age.

  “Hi, is there anything I can help you with?”

  His head tilted to the left. “I’ve never seen you before.”

  She felt her cheeks flush. Why would he have seen her before? She swallowed dryly. He must come here often.

  “I just started working here a couple months ago.”

  He stared at her, his eyes taking everything in. The way boys at her old high school used to take everything in. Jessica cleared her throat, feeling the flush on her cheeks darken.

  “Was there something you were looking for?”

  “Yes, an end table.”

  Jessica nodded. “We’ve got some wonderful stuff here,” she replied as she motioned for him to follow her as she headed for the back of the room.

  They came to a stop in front of several end tables that were probably the best in the shop, though they were a little pricey. She opened her mouth to start telling him about them.

  “Save the pitch,” he cut her off. “Instead, I want to know something else.”

  “What is that?”

  “Your story.”

  Jessica swallowed down the lump in her throat. She took a deep breath. She didn’t want to be rude to a customer, but she wasn’t going to tell him her story. She turned back to the tables.

  “Although a little pricey, this one is by far the best made,” she pointed down to the third most expensive one.

  He stared down at it. “It’s nicely made.” He bent down to look closer.

  “Will it be going in your house?”

  “No. My grandma’s.”

  Jessica watched him look the end table over carefully and for the first time since he’d stepped into the shop, she gave him a good once over. His head was shaved, but you could see the blonde hair growing back already. His blue eyes stared intently down at the wood as he reached up, his hands rubbing the thin blond stubble. He was cute. Actually, he was really cute. Jessica turned away, forcing herself to get control of herself. The only thing she really missed about the English world was dating, not that she couldn’t date in the Amish world- it just… wasn’t the right time. She knew that anyone she dated, Amish or English, would have to deal with her, and she wasn’t going to be easy to deal with right now. Despite the fact that the Amish lifestyle was good for her, it wasn’t enough to make her forget about what had happened.

  The man stood. “I like it.”

  “Would you like to look at anything else?”

  He was silent for a couple of seconds. Then, “Yes.”

  Jessica showed him around the room for another half hour, letting him look at every end table they had, but he never paid much attention to them. Instead, he’d ask her questions about herself. Why she was working here, if she was Amish, when she joined the community. Jessica tried to deflect them, until they made their way up to the front desk and she took down his information as he paid. John and the boy, Kevin was his name, loaded the end table up into the back of his truck, and he drove off. Jessica watched him go, her heart beating a little faster as he turned and gave her a wicked grin.

  Jessica took a deep breath and turned away from the door so she didn’t see him drive away.

  Chapter Two

  The next day Jessica was left to take care of the store while Anna and John went home for lunch. She would take her lunch later so that the store wouldn’t be left unattended. She looked up when the door opened.

  Her heart jumped into her throat as she stared at the blond-haired, blue-eyed man who gave her a wide smile.

  “Hi, again.”

  Jessica jumped to her feet. “Hi, how can I help you today?”

  It wasn’t normal for someone to return the day after buying something. I hope he’s not here to return it. That would look bad on the store, and in turn on her.

  “I’m looking for a bookshelf.”

  “O-oh.” She stammered. He wanted a bookshelf? Alright.

  “If you have any.”

  “Of course, follow me.”

  Jessica led him over to the bookshelves, some small and others rather large. She took a deep breath as she turned to face him. His eyes locked on hers.

  “You still didn’t tell me why you’re here.”

  “I know,” she said.

  The boy laughed softly. “I get it. You don’t want to tell me, I guess I’ll just have to keep coming in and buying stuff. John will love that.” His eyes sparkled as he pointed towards a small shelf.

  “That is the one you want?” He’d hardly looked at it for more than a second.

  “Sure.”

  “Alright, I’ll go get it rang up.”

  It didn’t take long to get it rang up, and when she finished Jessica padded over to the shelf. “Well, are you ready?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

  He stared at her w
ith wide eyes. “You mean…”

  “It’s not going to move itself.” And making a customer wait for a man to show up was poor business. Jessica had never moved something this heavy in a dress but she was pretty sure she could do it without an issue. Kevin stared at her with wide eyes as he made his way over to her and grabbed one end of the bookshelf. Jessica grabbed the other end and they made their way towards the door.

  Although it was a little harder than when she had done it with pants on, Jessica managed just fine. She got the bookshelf out of the store and to Kevin’s truck. He beamed as they placed it inside.

  “Wow, I gotta admit, I’m surprised by how easily you carried that.”

  Jessica laughed. Clearly, he had no idea just how hard Amish girls worked. She’d always been able to help her dad lift things if he wanted to change the house around while her mother was visiting family, but it wasn’t until she moved here that she had really gotten strong.

  The smile faded from her lips as she thought about her parents. She took a deep breath and turned away from her him.

  “My parents were killed,” she said flatly.

  “W- I’m so sorry.”

  Jessica shook her head. “You wanted to know why I was here, that’s why. My parents were killed down the street,” she said, and pointed towards where it happened. “John and his family took me in. They’ve been kind enough to let me stay with them, they’ve been kind enough to welcome me into the family…. That’s why I’m here.”

  “What about the rest of your family?”

  “I didn’t have anyone else. My grandma’s dead, didn’t have any aunts or uncles.” She took a deep breath turning back to him and forcing a smile over her lips. That was her story, and now he knew it, so he’d probably leave her alone. Really, who would want to deal with that kind of damage if they didn’t have to?

  Jessica took another need breath, emotion overwhelming her as she made her way back to the store. Kevin didn’t follow her.

  She stared down at the desk as she heard the truck pull away and the door open. Her head shot up to see who was there, praying they wouldn’t notice that she was about to cry.

  “Jessica,” John rushed towards her, “what’s wrong? What did that boy do to you?”

  He reached out, touching her cheek softly.

  “Nee, it wasn’t Kevin,” she said quickly, “it was just… I was thinking… about my parents.” She shook her head. She wiped away tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. Why would he think Kevin did something to me?

  John’s face softened. “I’m sorry. It is hard when you lose your family.” He backed away from her, giving her some distance.

  Jessica should have realized – John’s parents had both passed away already- of course, he had an idea what she was going through. She didn’t know much about them, just that they weren’t here anymore.

  “It’s not your fault. Your family has been amazing to me. You have all welcomed me into the family, and supported me. I’m not sure what I would have done without you.”

  A smile touched John’s lips. “And you’ve become family to us. We’re glad you’ve decided to stay with us, we just want you to be safe. Now go, get your lunch.”

  Jessie nodded, stepping past him and heading for the door.

  “Jessica.”

  “Jah?” His voice stepped her from opening the door.

  “What did he want?”

  “Kevin? To buy a bookcase.” She didn’t include the part about him saying that he’d come back to see her if she didn’t tell him something about herself. I guess that means he won’t come. She hadn’t realized it, but the thought kind of upset her.

  John didn’t say a word, so Jessica stepped out of the shop and headed home, her stomach grumbling.

  When the bell above the door rang to announce someone had come in, Jessica looked up. Her heart skipped a couple beats.

  “I thought you were only going to come here if I kept avoiding your questions,” she said. Kevin hadn’t been in at all today, and with a few minutes before closing time, Jessica was beginning to think he wouldn’t be in at all.

  The bell above the door rang as someone opened it. She looked up, wondering why someone would be coming so close to closing time. Maybe they don’t realize. She thought. She opened her mouth to tell them that they’d be closing, but didn’t say a word as she stared at the man in front of her.

  “Kevin.”

  “Hi,” his eyes sparkled, “I’m glad I caught you before you left.” He looked around the shop and suddenly Jessica realized they were utterly alone. Jessica took a deep breath and stood.

  “Was there something you’re looking for today? We’re just about to close up, but we can try to find you something real quickly.”

  “Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to come for a walk with me.”

  Jessica’s heart skipped a beat.

  Had he just invited her out? That was the Amish version of “catch a movie” right? Jessica’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. I should say no. Yes, she’d think of an excuse. “I… I’d like that.”

  Her own answer shocked her. Without realizing it she stepped towards him, as if someone was pulling her towards him. She hardly realized her feet were moving as she closed the distance between them.

  “Wonderful.” Though he sounded very surprised by it.

  Together, she and Kevin walked out of the shop, Kevin holding the door for her. Jessica locked up and tucked the keys into her dress pocket as they made their way down the street.

  “So you live with them?”

  “Jah, I mean, yes.”

  Kevin laughed softly. “It’s alright, I understand what you’re saying either way.”

  “You do?”

  “Jah,” His eyes sparkled.

  Jessica hadn’t met an Englisher who knew the Amish words for things. She always tried hard to make sure she used English words in the shop, which made it hard for her to get a grasp on the Amish ones.

  “How did your grandma like the end table?”

  “She liked it a lot. She says it’s perfect.”

  Jessica’s heart skipped a beat. She would be sure to let John know; he always loved hearing when people liked his products.

  Jessica turned to the man beside her, giving him a once-over very quickly. The stubble on his face had grown since she’d last seen him, and today he wore a black button up shirt and a pair of jeans that fit him well. Jessica looked away— temptation was not something she’d gotten used to about the Amish lifestyle, although when asked, she hadn’t been completely forthcoming about her past. Her cheeks flushed just thinking about it.

  She mentally shook herself.

  “Do you live around here?” Or had he just come here to see her?

  “Just a few streets down, off a grid road.”

  Jessica nodded, both glad and kind of disappointed that he hadn’t been making a long trek to come see her.

  “That’s why I was wondering why I’d never seen you before. My parents died when I was younger. I lived with my grandma all my life and we’ve always lived here.”

  Jessica felt sadness tug at her heart. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Even though she knew it didn’t mean anything. Children shouldn’t have to bury their parents, and having people tell you that they were sorry didn’t make it any better.

  Kevin gave her a soft smile. “Thanks, coming from someone who actually knows how hard it actually kinda makes it feel a little more… real.”

  They walked in silence as they made their way towards a small clearing just about a mile away from where the shop was. When they sat down, Kevin turned to Jessica.

  “Why did you decide to stay here?”

  “I had nothing to go back to in the English world,” she shrugged, “and the hard works keeps me tired, so I at least sleep most nights.”

  “The nightmares are hard to get rid of.”

  Jessica swallowed dryly. She hadn’t even talked to anyone about the nightmares. “So I should look forwar
d to having them for a few years? Awesome.”

  “More like decades, I think.”

  She snorted. Just great. She looked away from him, staring out at the scenery around them. “I haven’t even told anyone about them.”

  “I didn’t for a long time, until my grandma made me go to therapy for it. She said I needed to move on somehow, and I wasn’t, so she took me every week.”

  “And did it help?”

  “Not for a long time, but eventually I started to see small differences.”

  So maybe there was hope. Jessica hadn’t thought about going to therapy, but maybe that was an option for her. Maybe it would help. Probably not. She’d given up on finding something that actually helped her deal, except just draining herself every day. Making herself so tried she couldn’t think was the only thing that helped.

  “You know, if you ever need someone to talk to… I know we haven’t known each other long – well I guess we don’t even really know each other… but I just thought… sometimes it’s easier to tell a total stranger things because you can’t have to worry about how they will judge you.”

  “Danka.”

  And Jessica truly meant it. She was thankful that he offered to listen to her if she needed to. She wasn’t sure she’d actually talk to him about it, but it was nice of him to offer, right?

  “Kevin?”

  “Yes?”

  “Tell me about yourself.” He already knew the most intimate, personal thing about her and she felt like she hardly knew anything about him. Except that he’d lost his parents as well, and that he lived with his grandma. Who he must care about a lot if he has been buying her furniture, she thought— or maybe she hoped it.

  “There isn’t much to say. I live with my grandma. Most of the time I work unless I need to be with her, and other than that… I read. I’m kind of boring.”

  “What do you like to read?” It had been a long time since Jessica had read, but when she was little she had devoured books like candy.

  “Mostly anything. Right now, a lot of books about renovating. My grandma needs some updates done on her place but we can’t afford for someone else to do it, so on my weekends I try to do as much as I can, but I’m not as handy as I’d like to be,” he admitted, and she saw his cheeks turn a deep shade of red.