“Okay.” Anna’s voice held a small tremble. “Then maybe you could tell me about New York? I’ve never been there before.”
A tiny sliver of ice thawed around Cora’s thickly encased heart. Anna knew why Cora was here—to take Sawyer away. Still, she made an effort not only to be hospitable and friendly but to make Cora feel at home. She would never understand these people. “I’ll just wait here until Sawyer returns.”
Anna nodded, taking a few steps backward. “I’ll send him up when he gets here.”
“Thank you.” Cora followed her, almost pushing her out the door. When Anna left, Cora closed the door and sat back on the bed. She folded her hands in her lap, keeping her back straight.
The phone beeped two more times. Cora watched as the screen turned black. Her last contact with the outside world.
She didn’t care about that now. All she wanted was to talk with Sawyer. To make one last effort to convince him where his true destiny lay—not here with these people, but with his blood family.
This was his last chance. She was done begging. And if he refused her—then he would never see her again.
CHAPTER 17
Sawyer was just finishing cleaning up the shop when Adam Otto walked in. “Always nice to see you, Adam. But in case you didn’t notice, we’re closed.” He grinned.
“I noticed. That’s why I came by. Emma would like you to come over for supper.”
Sawyer ran the broom over the sawdust-covered floor. “That’s nice of you, but I was just there. Anna does feed me, you know.”
Adam nodded. “I’m sure she does.” His expression grew serious. “Actually, it wasn’t Emma’s idea. It was Leona’s.”
“Oh?”
“She wants you to bring your grandmother.”
Sawyer stopped sweeping. “Why?”
Adam shrugged. “I don’t know. Leona didn’t explain—just told me and Emma that she wanted both of you to come.”
“When?”
“Before Laura gets back. How about tomorrow night?”
Sawyer leaned the broom against the wall. “I’m not sure.”
“Not sure you want to come over?”
“Not sure she’ll come.” He put his hands on his hips. “Still, it might be a good idea. I’ve been trying to explain to Cora why I’m joining the church. She doesn’t understand it.”
“I take it she doesn’t have faith.”
“I’m positive she doesn’t.”
“Well, I know from experience that no one can force you to accept God’s role in your life. I ran away from that for so long. Good thing God didn’t give up on me.” He grinned. “Or Emma either, for that matter.”
Sawyer nodded. “I have to admit, I get where Cora’s coming from. When I first came here, I didn’t understand anything about this way of life. But she’s a tougher nut to crack.”
“Maybe talking to Leona would do her some gut.”
“If I can convince her to come.”
Adam slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll think of something. We’ll see you both at six.” He started to leave.
“Hey, Adam,” Sawyer said.
Adam turned around. “Ya?”
“You and your daed wouldn’t happen to have any extra work on your farm? Johnny came by a few weeks ago. I know he’s looking to pick up a few jobs here and there.”
Adam shook his head. “Not right now. Come harvest we will. Tell him to talk to me in a couple of months.”
“Thanks.”
Just as Adam left, Lukas came out of the office in the back of the shop. “I’ll be glad when Laura gets back,” he said. “I really don’t like doing that paperwork.”
“Have Tobias help you out.”
“You know better than that.” He scratched his chin. “Did I hear you right? Johnny’s still looking for work?”
“I think so. Have things changed around here?”
Lukas shook his head. “Nee. Tobias left at lunch today because there wasn’t much to do.”
“Are you worried?”
“This has happened before. God will provide. He’ll give us what we need while we’re slow, and when it’s His timing, business will pick up again.”
“You really believe that?”
Lukas’s dark eyes met his. “Don’t you?”
Sawyer stopped sweeping. “Yes. But I wish there was something we could do for Johnny.”
“As soon as we have more work than we can handle, I’ll hire him on.”
“Thanks. But I hope he finds work before then.”
“I heard he bought some property awhile back.” Lukas wiped sawdust off one of the tables. “I was talking to his father at church the other daag. A horse farm, apparently.”
Sawyer frowned. Johnny hadn’t mentioned the farm to him. “I didn’t know he wanted to raise horses.”
“Neither did his vadder. Seems like Johnny might be in over his head financially with this one.”
Sawyer nodded. Now his friend’s desperation made sense, and it made Sawyer more eager to help him. But he didn’t have much money to spare, and what he did have he was saving for a house for him and Laura. Besides, he knew Johnny wouldn’t take a handout.
Still, there had to be a way to help him.
“You ready to geh home?” Lukas turned off the gas lamps in the shop.
“Yeah. Cora’s waiting for me.”
Sawyer had pondered all day what he would say to her. After their conversation last night, he was more concerned with her soul than with getting it through her head that he wasn’t leaving Middlefield.
But Sawyer had no experience talking to anyone about God. He didn’t know how to go about convincing his grandmother that it was important not only to have faith but to walk in faith. Lukas had taught him that by example, as had many other Amish friends in his district. He’d also learned a lot by attending church services. But he couldn’t quite imagine Cora sitting through a three-hour service in a barn.
However, a conversation with Leona—now, that was different. Maybe God was providing a way through Emma’s grandmother. All Sawyer had to do was convince Cora to go to supper tomorrow night.
A task easier said than done.
Katherine opened her eyes and squinted at the bright fluorescent light on the ceiling. Where was she? Her head pounded; she reached up and touched it. Where was her kapp?
She looked down. She was lying in a bed, wearing a strange-looking nightgown. Through the fuzzy mess of her thoughts, she tried to remember what happened. But a thick fog sealed her mind.
“Katherine?”
She turned her head to see her mamm sitting in a chair beside her bed. Her mother took Katherine’s hand.
“Thank God, you’re awake.” Mamm closed her eyes briefly, her lips moving in a silent prayer.
Katherine tried to sit up, but her arms felt like jelly. “What am I doing here?”
Her mother opened her eyes. “You passed out.”
“What?”
“At home, in the living room. You don’t remember?”
Katherine shook her head.
“You scared Bekah and me nearly to death. We had to call an ambulance, and they brought you here. You have meningitis, Katherine.” Her mother sighed. “I should have insisted you go to the doctor days ago. Those headaches weren’t normal. And you didn’t say a word about your neck hurting. Ah, lieb, I should have paid more attention.”
Katherine tried to follow her mother’s line of conversation. Sure, she had a bit of a headache now, but her neck felt fine. Yet her mother said she had neck pain. Why couldn’t she remember that? “What are you talking about?”
Mamm brushed her hand across Katherine’s forehead. “The doctor thinks it’s viral meningitis, so they didn’t give you any medicine. Just an IV for fluids. You were a little dehydrated from not drinking and eating enough.” Tears filled her eyes. “We were so frightened, Katherine. When you first passed out, it took you awhile to wake up. But now you seem to be doing better. Your daed will be so
happy.”
“Daed? He’s here too?” She looked around the hospital room but only saw her mother.
“He was here earlier. He and Bekah went home to take care of the animals. But he’ll be back tomorrow.”
Katherine leaned back against the pillow. She would have to stay here overnight? She searched her mind, trying to remember what happened. But nothing was clear.
“And don’t you worry about anything. I talked to your boss at work. She said to take off as much time as you need.”
Katherine nodded, despite barely hearing her mother’s words. Had she hit her head when she fainted? She looked around the room. She’d never been in a hospital before. “Where are my clothes?”
“We have them. When they release you, you’ll put on your dress and kapp. The doctor says you’ll need plenty of rest in order to heal.” She smiled. “I’ll make sure you take it easy, dochder. You do have a tendency to overwork yourself.” She squeezed Katherine’s hand. “I’ll let the nurse know you’re awake. You must be hungry. It’s past lunchtime.”
“How long was I asleep?”
“Since yesterday afternoon.” Mamm looked at her, tenderness shining in her eyes. Then she turned and walked out the door.
She’d been here an entire day? Katherine tried to sit up again. Her gown slipped, exposing her shoulder, but she didn’t care. When she finally reached a sitting position, her body felt weak all over, as if she’d run the length of Bundysburg Road as fast as she could. She brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead just as she heard a knock on the door. “Ya?”
The door opened slowly. The first thing she saw coming through the crack was a bouquet of flowers, followed by . . .
Johnny? His eyes were round, soft, filled with concern, his thick brows forming a V above them. What was he doing here?
He moved a few steps into the room, holding the flowers at an awkward angle. They were pretty—a couple of small sunflowers mixed with yellow and orange carnations. “Is it all right if I come in?”
“You’re already in, aren’t you?”
He grinned, but she didn’t think she’d said anything funny. Nothing about this situation was humorous. Just confusing. Hopefully the doctor would have more answers.
“Brought you these.” He thrust the flowers toward her.
She took them and held them in her lap. “Danki.”
He nodded, shifting his weight first on one foot and then the other. His long hair was molded against his head from wearing his hat. “They had a lot of flowers down in that gift shop. Then I remembered you liked orange and yellow.”
She looked down at the flowers. Then it hit her. He remembered her favorite colors? Since when did Johnny pay any attention to what she liked and disliked?
“That was . . . thoughtful of you.”
“It’s the least I could do. You know. After what happened.”
Katherine’s gaze shot up and met his. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” His eyes drifted to her bare shoulder, where the hospital gown had slid down. She yanked it back onto her shoulder and shifted in the bed, pulling the hospital blanket closer to her body. The flowers slipped to the floor.
“Remember what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
CHAPTER 18
Johnny watched Katherine’s expression change from irritation to confusion to something resembling terror. She turned her head away from him, revealing a thick, silken braid of reddish-blond hair. His fingers longed to touch it. Instead, he maintained his distance. He picked up the flowers off the floor and set them on the tray table near her bed.
“How is your headache?”
“Not bad.”
“Still dizzy?”
“Nee.”
She averted her eyes and gripped the edge of the white blanket.
More than anything he wanted to put his arms around her, to tell her everything would be all right. That he would make it all right. But he stood his ground, at least until he knew how she felt about him.
Her eyebrows lifted and her clear blue eyes filled with confusion. “What are you doing here, Johnny?”
“I came to check on you.”
“Why?”
“Because—” He looked down at her, his heart lurching. He couldn’t stand seeing her lying in the hospital bed, pale as paste, the IV tube stuck in her arm. When she passed out, he’d never been so afraid in his life. “Because I needed to see if you were okay.”
“Mamm says I fainted.”
“You don’t remember?”
She shook her head.
He pulled the chair closer and sat down. “What’s the last thing you recall?”
She frowned, looking toward the hospital window as if the answer were outside. Or just beyond her reach. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember me coming over yesterday?”
“You did? Why did you come over?”
“To bring you your bag.”
“What bag?”
“The one you left at my haus.”
“Your haus? When did you buy a haus?”
“Almost three weeks ago.” He looked at her, confused. “You don’t remember that either?”
She dropped the edge of the blanket, shaking her head. “Johnny,” she whispered, “what’s wrong with me?”
If she didn’t remember what happened at his house, he wondered if she remembered Isaac asking her to the singing when they were all at Mary Yoder’s. But before he could ask, her mother burst into the room. She shot Johnny a scathing look. “Katherine needs her rest.”
“Right.” He stood and looked down at Katherine. “We can talk about it later, once you’re feeling better.”
“Johnny, I want to talk to you,” Frau Yoder said. “Out in the hall.”
It was a command, not a request. He nodded and felt himself withering under her gaze. He’d suspected she was upset with him yesterday. Now he was certain of it.
A nurse entered the room carrying a folder, which she laid on the table next to the scattered flowers. She moved to the opposite side of Katherine’s bed. “Nice to see you awake,” she said. “How do you feel?”
Johnny didn’t move. Neither did Katherine’s mother.
“I have a bit of a headache.”
“You might have one on and off until you’re well again. Probably for a couple more days.” She checked the clear IV bag hanging from the hook beside Katherine’s bed. “Viral meningitis can be harsh. Do you still have neck pain?”
“No.” She glanced at Johnny, still looking puzzled.
“Then that’s a good sign.” She smiled as she placed her stethoscope against Katherine’s chest. “The doctor will be in this afternoon to talk to you.”
“When can she go home?” Katherine’s mother asked.
The nurse hung the stethoscope around her neck. She lifted Katherine’s wrist, pressed her thumb and finger to it, and looked at her watch. After a few seconds she let go, patting Katherine’s hand. “I’m not sure, but she seems to be doing well. Hopefully she’ll be discharged sometime tomorrow.”
“That’s great news, isn’t it, Katherine?” Her mother smiled.
“Ya. Great,” she said. She seemed distant, as if she were barely registering what everyone was saying.
The nurse moved to the end of the bed. “Do you have any pain anywhere else?”
“Nee. Just my head.”
Johnny frowned. Why wasn’t she telling the nurse about her memory loss?
“On a scale of one to ten, what is the severity of the pain?”
“Four.”
“What was it before you passed out?”
Katie paused. “I—I don’t remember.”
The nurse paused to write something on Katherine’s chart. “I’ll let the doctor know. Are you hungry?”
“A little bit.”
“I’ll order a tray.” She glanced over her shoulder at Johnny and Katherine’s mother, then looked back at Katherine. “Do you want me to order so
mething for your mom and your boyfriend?”
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend.” She said the words so fast they came out in a blur. Johnny glanced at her mother. The woman’s lips were pressed into a thin line.
“I’m sorry,” the nurse said. She held up her hands. “I shouldn’t have assumed.” She looked at him and Katherine’s mom. “Would you like anything to eat? Or something to drink?”
Johnny started to shake his head when her mother said, “Nothing for me, and he is just leaving. Aren’t you?”
He felt pinned to the wall by Frau Yoder’s sharp gaze. “Yep. That’s me. Leaving now.”
“You can both stay,” the nurse said. “Visiting hours aren’t over yet.”
Katie’s mother narrowed her gaze at him before turning to the nurse. “Katherine should be resting, ya?”
“Rest is best.”
“Then she doesn’t need any extra distractions.” Katherine’s mamm glanced at Johnny.
The nurse nodded. “I’ll check back with you in a little while.” She looked at Katherine’s mother. “Like I said, you all are welcome to stay as long as you want. Don’t feel like you have to rush out of here.”
Frau Yoder nodded but didn’t say anything else. When the nurse left, she looked at Johnny. “You’re leaving.”
He nodded and looked at Katherine. “I hope you feel better.”
“Danki.” She still seemed dazed. He didn’t know anything about meningitis, but it had to be serious, and he shouldn’t be surprised that she seemed a little out of it. Still, the memory loss worried him. While he knew it was best for him to leave, especially since her mother was shooting visual daggers at him, he really wanted to stay. He’d spend the whole night by her bedside if he could.
Instead, he walked out the door, Frau Yoder close behind him. When they were both in the hallway, she shut the door. “Why are you here?”
“I came to check on Kati—Katherine. I’m worried about her.”
“Oh, so now you’re starting to worry? After all these years of breaking her heart, you’ve suddenly decided you care?”
Johnny flinched. He deserved those words.
“Katherine is very ill. She doesn’t need you confusing her. You’ve caused her enough trouble.”
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