Iva wished she could discuss this more with Daniel, but he’d gone outside to work in his shop shortly after Priscilla left. He’d mentioned a gazebo their bishop wanted to give his wife as an anniversary surprise and hurried out the door before Iva could voice more of her concerns.
She sighed. “Oh well. Daniel probably wouldn’t have listened to what I had to say about Priscilla anyhow. He always seems to side with her.”
It wasn’t that Iva was trying to control her daughter’s life. She only wanted the best for her. And to her way of thinking, David Morgan was not a good choice.
“I appreciate you letting me take the day off,” Elam told his dad as they sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. “I hope things don’t get too busy at the bulk food store while I’m gone.”
Dad thumped Elam’s arm. “We’ll be fine. Just go do what ya need to do.”
Relieved and appreciative of his dad’s understanding, Elam nodded. “I messed things up with Priscilla, but maybe it’s not too late to make things right with David.”
Yesterday, after they’d returned home from church, Elam had admitted to his folks that he was the one responsible for Priscilla’s burns. Telling them that had been hard enough, but explaining his reasons for letting David take the blame made it seem even worse. Mom had been shocked, and Dad said he was ashamed of Elam for being so deceitful. Then they’d both encouraged him to make things right—first with God and then those he had hurt. That was exactly what he planned to do, and the sooner the better.
A horn honked, and Elam pushed away from the table. “My driver’s here. I’d better go.” He leaned down and gave Mom a peck on the cheek. “Would you keep me in your prayers today?”
She smiled up at him. “Of course. I pray for my kinner every day.”
“I’ll be praying, too,” Dad said as Elam slipped on his hat and started for the door. “And remember, son, God is in control. You just need to pray and ask for His will to be done.”
“I know, but danki for the reminder.” As Elam headed out the door, he lifted a silent prayer. Lord, please give me the right words to say to David, and help me accept whatever happens today.
Elaine parked her bike near Leah’s house then stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door. She’d slept fitfully last night due to the unrelenting heat and had woken up with a headache. Since she didn’t have an appointment, she hoped she would find Leah at home and able to fit in a reflexology treatment for her.
Coal got up to greet her from the corner of the porch. “How ya doing, boy?” Elaine bent down to scratch behind the Lab’s ears. Coal gave out a whiny yawn then plodded back to his spot to lie down. “I know how you feel,” Elaine murmured. “This heat is getting to me, too.”
Despite her pounding headache, Elaine couldn’t help smiling at the hummingbirds as they chattered noisily, flitting from one tree to the other.
Leah opened the door and smiled. “Guder mariye, Elaine.”
“Good morning.”
“You look like you’re under the weather. Are you grank?”
“I woke up with a koppweh and was wondering if you’d have time to give me a foot treatment.” Elaine touched her forehead.
“Of course. Come in.” Leah stepped aside and Elaine entered the house. “The girls are in the barn looking at the newborn kittens. I’m sure they’ll be awhile so we won’t be disturbed. Let’s go in the living room and you can sit in the recliner.”
“Danki. I feel bad asking you to do this without making an appointment.”
Leah shook her head. “It’s not a problem.”
Elaine removed her shoes and socks then leaned back into the chair, while Leah went to get her massage lotion. When she returned, she took a seat on the footstool in front of Elaine.
“Before you came to the door I was watching your hummingbirds. You have a feisty one that likes to chase the other males away.”
“I know. A few out of the bunch act as if they own the feeders. You can learn so much by watching those little birds’ antics.” Leah poured massage lotion into the palm of her hand and rubbed some on Elaine’s right foot. “I’ll work on this foot first and see if you get any relief. Then I’ll move on to the left foot.”
“You know best.”
“Are you feeling stressed over your breakup with Ben?” Leah asked as she began to pressure-point the heel of Elaine’s foot. “Is that what brought the headache on?”
“No, Ben and I realized we can never be more than friends.” Elaine drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I doubt my headache is from stress over that. What brought this on is lack of sleep, which was caused from the heat. Even with all the windows open, not a hint of cool air came into my bedroom last night.”
“It was the same way here. Amy, Linda, and Carrie slept in the living room because their rooms upstairs were too hot. Guess we’d better get used to it, though. If it’s this warm in July, can you imagine how it will be in August?”
Elaine winced when Leah touched a sore spot, but she didn’t say anything about it. From previous treatments, finding a tender area was a good thing, because it meant Leah was getting to the root of her problem.
In an effort to relax, Elaine closed her eyes. An unbidden image of Jonah came to mind. Sure wish I could stop thinking about him. It only causes me more stress. What I need to think about is hiring someone to paint the dining room so it’ll look better when I host the next dinner.
By the time Leah finished the treatment, Elaine felt more relaxed, and her headache had eased. “That was just what I needed. I’m feeling much better now.” She reached for her purse to get some money.
Leah shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything today.” She gave Elaine a hug. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”
“Danki.” Elaine put her shoes and stockings on. “How are you feeling these days?”
“With the exception of the heat, I’m doing pretty well.” Leah patted her protruding stomach. “I’ll be even better once the boppli is born.”
“I’ll bet.” Elaine moved toward the door. “I’d best be on my way now. I’d like to stop and see Priscilla before I go home.”
“It was nice to see her at church yesterday, wasn’t it?”
“Jah, but she didn’t stay long. In fact, I don’t think she stayed for the meal. Since it was her first Sunday back, I’m wondering if it was too much for her.”
Leah’s brows creased. “I probably shouldn’t say anything, but Elam was about to tell Adam something and then Priscilla showed up, so Adam left the two of them alone so they could talk. It wasn’t long after that when I saw Priscilla heading over to her folks’ buggy. From her grim expression, I’d have to say she was upset about something.”
Elaine smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. “I hope nothing is wrong between Priscilla and Elam. He’s gone over to her place a lot since her accident, and I think it’s only a matter of time before he proposes.”
Leah smiled. “I hope so. If ever two people should be together, it’s them.”
Priscilla and her driver had been on the road a little over an hour, and they had a ways to go before reaching Chicago. So far, the trip had been uneventful. In fact, other than Priscilla’s anxiousness to get there, she enjoyed the ride and diversion from the normal routine.
Although, Priscilla thought regretfully, my routine has been anything from normal these last several weeks.
Priscilla was thankful Shelly had air-conditioning in her vehicle, which made traveling on a hot day like this more comfortable. Since Priscilla’s burns were healing nicely, she felt better physically. However, after Elam’s confession, emotionally, she was a mess. Maybe after speaking to David, she would feel better.
Priscilla had called David’s cell number, but he didn’t answer. When she tried to leave him a message to let him know she was coming, a computerized voice said his voice mailbox was full. She hoped David would be home, or the trip would be for nothing, but she’d felt compelled to make the trip anyway. This
was one of those times when she probably shouldn’t be spontaneous, but impulsive decisions seemed to be in her nature.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use a break about now.” Shelly cut into Priscilla’s thoughts. “I need some coffee and something to eat.”
“Okay, whatever you think is best.” Even though Priscilla’s breakfast had worn off, she wasn’t hungry. All she really wanted was to get to David’s house and speak to him.
Shelly mentioned seeing a sign for food up ahead, about the same time as Priscilla noticed the passenger in a car passing them. He looked like Elam. But that was ridiculous. Why would he be traveling on the interstate on a weekday? He usually helped in his parents’ store for part of each day. Priscilla wished she could have gotten a closer look, but the car had already passed and was way up ahead.
My imagination must be playing tricks on me, she mused. I just thought he looked like Elam because he and David are all I’ve been thinking about lately.
CHAPTER 47
As Elaine approached Jonah’s buggy shop on her way home from Leah’s, a lump formed in her throat. She wished she felt free to stop by and say hello, but with no legitimate reason, she quickly dismissed the idea. Elaine longed for the days when things were open and easy between her and Jonah. They used to be close, and she’d been comfortable discussing anything with him. But that was before Grandma took ill and Elaine felt she had to break things off with Jonah. Everything between them had changed after that. They couldn’t remain good friends because Elaine needed to sever all ties. This was to allow Jonah the freedom to find what he needed with someone else, who ended up being Sara.
Nearing the entrance to Jonah’s place, Elaine noticed Jonah heading down the driveway in the direction of the mailbox. Suddenly, a border collie ran past Jonah and darted in front of her bike. She put on her brakes in time to keep from hitting the dog but spun out in some gravel near the side of the road. The next thing Elaine knew, she was on the ground, with the dog licking her face.
Jonah rushed forward. “Are you hurt?” He dropped to his knees beside her.
“I don’t think so.” She gladly accepted his extended hand and clambered to her feet. “When Herbie darted in front of me, it took me by surprise, and I lost control of my bike.” She brushed the dirt from the skirt of her dress, feeling suddenly shaky. She didn’t know whether it was from the scare of the fall or from seeing the look of concern in Jonah’s eyes. Elaine cocked her head and looked at the dog again. “It is Herbie, isn’t it?”
“He does look a lot like my parents’ dog, but this is Champ. I got him from a friend this morning. He reminded me so much of Herbie, I couldn’t resist. Thought it would be good for my kinner to have a pet—especially Mark. He’s the one who named the pooch Champ.”
“He’s sure a friendly dog.” Elaine leaned down to scratch behind Champ’s ears. When she stood again, she noticed Jonah looking at her strangely. Elaine wished she could read his expression.
“When I saw you fall, I was afraid you might be seriously hurt.” Jonah continued to hold her hand. “You must feel kind of shaky right now. Maybe you should come up to the house and rest before you continue on. I’ll see what my mamm has cold for us to drink, and we can sit on the porch and visit awhile. Your bike fender is bent, too, so I’ll fix it for you.”
“It’s nice of you to offer, but I don’t want to trouble you. I’m sure you have plenty of work to do in your shop.”
“My daed and Timothy are there. They can manage without me for a bit.” Jonah let go of Elaine’s hand and picked up her bicycle. “I’ll take this up to the yard and make sure everything’s working okay. Wouldn’t want you to try and ride it if something else is amiss.”
“Danki for offering.” She smiled. “I’m not quite ready to get back on it yet anyway.”
They headed up the driveway, with Jonah’s new dog barking and frolicking all the way. When they got to the house Jonah parked the bike and told Elaine to make herself comfortable on the porch. After he went inside, she took a seat on the wooden glider, with Champ lying near her feet.
Several minutes passed, until Jonah returned with two glasses of lemonade. He handed one to Elaine and took a seat beside her.
“Is… is your mamm going to j–join us?” With Jonah sitting so close, Elaine struggled to breathe and could barely speak without stuttering.
“No, she just put Mark down for a nap and needs to diaper and feed Martha Jean.” Jonah sighed. “Don’t know what I’d have done after Sara died without my parents’ help.”
“How are the children?”
“Doing well.” Jonah took a drink, and Elaine did the same. They sat quietly until Jonah spoke again. “I heard you and Ben broke up.”
Elaine nodded.
“Mind if I ask why?”
Her heart began to pound. Should she make light of this or tell Jonah the truth? “Well,” she began, “Ben asked me to marry him, but I couldn’t say yes, because I’m not in love with him.”
“It seems like I’ve heard that before—only it was my marriage proposal you turned down.” Jonah’s brows furrowed as he stared into the yard. “Some folks might get the idea that you enjoy breaking men’s hearts.”
Elaine’s spine stiffened. “Is that what you think, Jonah? Do you believe I intentionally wanted to hurt you when I said no to your proposal?”
“I guess not, but it hurt nonetheless.” He turned to face her again. “As much as I thought I loved Meredith, it didn’t compare to the way I felt about you.”
Elaine’s breath caught in her throat. “But you loved Sara—enough to marry her.”
Jonah nodded. “Sara needed me, and I needed her. We did love each other, but I don’t think Sara ever loved me as much as she did her first husband. And I…” Jonah’s voice trailed off, and he quickly drank more lemonade.
“Did you love her as much as you used to love me?” Elaine dared to ask. She couldn’t believe her boldness. It wasn’t like her at all. But this was something she simply had to know.
He shook his head. “I loved her, but in a different way.”
“I could tell. When I saw the two of you together your love and devotion to Sara and Mark was obvious.” Elaine paused. Should I say more? Should I tell Jonah the real reason I broke up with him?
Throwing caution to the wind, Elaine looked at Jonah and said, “Remember that day when I said I didn’t love you?”
“Course I remember. A man who loves a woman as much as I loved you isn’t likely to forget something as painful as that.”
She winced, reliving the agony of telling him good-bye and knowing how much it had hurt him, too. “I didn’t mean it, Jonah. I only said I didn’t love you because I had the responsibility of taking care of Grandma and didn’t want to burden you with it.” Elaine swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn’t break down. Her tears were right on the surface.
“It wouldn’t have been a burden, Elaine. I told you back then I would help with the care of Edna.”
“I know, but Grandma was my responsibility, not yours. Being her caregiver was a full-time job. If we had gotten married I couldn’t have been the wife you deserved.”
“So you did love me then?”
She nodded, unable to keep the tears from falling.
“How do you feel about me now?”
“I love you with my whole heart, Jonah, but I realize you still love Sara, so I don’t have any expectations of…”
He put his finger gently against her lips. “Sara will always have a place in my heart, but she’s gone, and I believe she would want me to move on with my life.”
Elaine sat quietly, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. Was Jonah saying what she thought he was saying? Could she even hope he was?
Jonah wiped Elaine’s tears, and lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him. “I love you, Elaine, and if you don’t think it’s too late for us, I’d be honored if you would become my fraa. I don’t want any more time to slip away between us.”
> “My answer is yes, Jonah.” Elaine’s voice trembled. “I’d very much like to be your wife.”
He leaned forward and tenderly kissed her lips. “How long would it take you to plan a wedding? I’d like to get married as soon as possible.”
Now tears of joy coursed down her cheeks. “Can you wait four months?”
He shook his head vigorously. “No, but if you need that long to prepare for the wedding, I’ll try to be patient.”
She smiled. “I might be able to make all the arrangements in three months. How about the first week of November? Would that be soon enough?”
Jonah pulled her gently into his arms. “It’s not soon enough, but I’ll wait until then. In the meantime, we have a lot of courting to do.”
Chicago
Elam’s heart pounded as he knocked on the Morgans’ front door. He’d taken a chance coming here without phoning ahead, but he’d lost David’s cell number. Fortunately, he’d found the Morgans’ address on an old Christmas card David had sent him a few years ago.
Several minutes passed before the door opened. Elam recognized the woman standing at the entrance—she was David’s mother.
“You’re Elam, one of David’s Amish friends, aren’t you?” She tipped her head and looked at him curiously.
Elam nodded.
“If you’ve come to try and talk him into going back to Arthur and joining the Amish faith, you can turn around now and go home.” She put both hands against her hips. “Because it’s not going to happen. David’s here to stay, and he’ll be going back to college in the fall.”
“I’m not here for that, but I do need to speak to David. Is he here? It’s really important.” Elam hoped David’s mother wouldn’t slam the door in his face. He’d come too far to be turned away now. Besides, he needed to say what was on his mind.
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