Patchwork Dreams

by Laura Hilton

  ***

  An hour later, with dinner finished, Becky watched as Jacob stretched out on a blanket. Matthew stood closer to the water, stringing a fishing rod. Annie handed her the container of celery and carrots as she loaded the leftover food back into the basket.

  Jacob squirmed. Maybe trying to find a comfortable spot. “That was ser gut, Bex.”

  She glanced at him, but his eyes were shut. He opened them briefly and looked up at her. “Want me to cuddle Emma while you finish up?”

  She shrugged, lifted Emma out of the sling, and laid her in the crook of his arm, wishing she dared to fill that spot herself. Emma didn’t know how lucky she was. Instead, Becky picked up the basket and carried it to the buggy.

  Annie followed her. “Pennsylvania sure has some gut-looking men,” she said. “Jacob will make a great daed for Emma.”

  Becky felt the heat flood her cheeks. “You think so?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Annie turned back to look at them. “If it wasn’t a sin, I would envy the way Jacob looks at you.” She fanned her face with her hand. “I wish someone would look at me that way.”

  “Matthew is cute, too.” Becky glanced over at the man walking down to the bank of the pond. His hair was light brown, or maybe dark blond, and it curled slightly at the ends, a length nearly too long for the Amish look. He’d need a trim soon.

  Annie shrugged. “Jah. But there’s nothing there. Not like the attraction between you and Jacob. Matthew might end up being a friend.”

  Becky turned and looked back at the blanket. More specifically, at the man lying on it. Annie thought the attraction between her and Jacob was obvious? Really?

  “I know you like him.” Annie wasn’t going to let it go. “And it’s so sweet the way he talked you into courting again. Isn’t it great that he’s interested in you? You won’t be forced to marry that horrible Amos Kropf!” She shuddered.

  “Jah.” Except that Becky still wasn’t sure what would happen with Amos Kropf. He’d been out to the farm a couple of times this past week and asked to see her, but she’d managed to avoid him, disappearing into the attic when she saw his buggy coming and not reappearing until it headed away down the lane after he’d talked with Daed awhile.

  “When are the rest of the men from Pennsylvania coming down?” Annie asked.

  Becky shook her head. “I don’t know. But I hope there’ll be someone for you.”

  Annie shrugged. “Maybe.” She grabbed Becky’s arm and tugged her farther from the buggy and the men. “So, is it hard to trust Jacob after what Kent did? I’m afraid of being abandoned again, since Luke jumped the fence. I need a man I know will stick around. And you…well, your situation is so much worse.”

  Becky looked down and lowered her voice. “Jah. It’s hard. I can’t trust him. Or, maybe it’s that I can’t trust myself.”

  Chapter 26

  Jacob woke up to water dripping on his face. He opened his eyes and saw Matthew holding a line full of fish over him. Sputtering, Jacob turned his head. “Knock it off!” The sun setting behind Matthew created a colorful background for the fish display. The boppli was still curled up at Jacob’s side, sleeping. Becky and Annie sat near him, talking quietly.

  Carefully, Jacob moved his arm from beneath Emma’s head and lowered her gently onto the blanket, then sat up. “What’d I miss?”

  Becky looked over, expressionless, but Annie grinned at him. “Oh, we were just sharing our deepest, darkest secrets. Don’t you wish you knew what we had to say about you?”

  Jacob laughed. “And I had to sleep through it.”

  Matthew nudged him with his foot. “The fish were biting gut, too.”

  “Hmm. Maybe I’ll get some fishing in next time.” Jacob stood, leaving the boppli sleeping on the blanket, and moved closer to Becky. He dropped next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, hugging her loosely. “So, what’d you say about me?”

  “Maybe you don’t want to know,” Becky said.

  Jacob blinked. Was she teasing him? He slid his hand down to her waist and tried to sound threatening. “I have ways of making you talk.”

  “Ooh, maybe Annie and I need to take a walk,” Matthew joked.

  Fiery red flooded Becky’s cheeks, and she shifted away, but not enough to dislodge his arm.

  “Nein. Stay,” he told her.

  She must not be comfortable with that type of teasing. Well, what good Amish girl would be? He knew he shouldn’t have embarrassed her like that. He got to his feet again. “Let’s take the fish up to the Stoltzfuses’ haus and then go to McDonald’s for some of Bex’s fancy coffee.”

  Matthew looked confused. “Fancy coffee?”

  Annie pushed herself to her feet, too. “Cappuccino. Becky’s Englisch boyfriend got her hooked.”

  “Englisch boyfriend?” Matthew raised his eyebrows.

  Oops. Jacob needed to explain Becky’s situation in case Matthew thought she was two-timing. He frowned and glanced at Becky, who sat mutely and looked even redder. He wasn’t doing a good job of making her comfortable. “The point is, it’s gut.”

  “Too bad we didn’t go yesterday. They have free frappe Fridays,” Annie said.

  “This sounds like a whole different language.” Matthew shook his head.

  Jacob bent to pick up Emma. “Jah, like I said, fancy coffee. And it sounds like you’re hooked, too, Annie.” He cuddled the boppli in one arm.

  Annie shrugged. “Maybe so. Can’t help it when you hang around Becky.”

  Jacob laughed and held his other hand out to Becky. “Kum, Bex.”

  She put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  ***

  Becky was glad that theirs wasn’t the only Amish buggy hitched at the post this time. Jacob held the door open for her and Emma, Matthew, and Annie, then followed them into the restaurant. Becky saw the Zook family sitting at a booth, eating a late supper.

  Jacob held her hand as they placed their orders at the front counter. Then, as they moved to the side to wait for their cappuccinos, Becky felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle. She glanced around. Kent’s green eyes were locked on her. He stood from where he’d been sitting and strutted toward them.

  Ach, not now. Not here.

  Becky held Emma closer and tightened her grip on Jacob’s hand. She wanted to draw from his strength and confidence. If only she had some of her own.

  “So, is that the brat?” Kent asked, peering at Emma. Becky caught the whiff of alcohol on his breath. This could get even worse than she’d feared. “Doesn’t look anything like me.” Jacob stiffened beside her.

  She hadn’t noticed Kent’s car in the lot, but then, she’d been paying more attention to Jacob and her friends.

  If she kept running into him here, she’d have to give up her favorite drink and stay away. That wouldn’t be so bad. She’d gladly stop drinking fancy coffee if it meant never having to see Kent again.

  She shifted Emma, using a hip to help support her. “She’s not a brat. She’s a boppli.”

  A sneer crossed Kent’s lips. “A boppli. Don’t you know you’re in America now? You need to speak English, not whatever that is you talk.” He poked a forefinger in Jacob’s face. “I remember you. Chakob Miller. Still haven’t gotten enough of Becky yet, huh? You could hang with me. I could introduce you to some girls who really know how to have fun.”

  “I think it’s time for you to go,” Jacob stated.

  Becky glanced down and saw his free hand forming a fist.

  Ach, her nails were digging into his skin. She eased her grip, not wanting to draw blood.

  Kent nodded toward Annie. “Luke got smart and dumped her. She was a cold fish, anyway.”

  Wait a second. How would Kent know if Annie was a “cold fish”? Anger flashed in Becky’s mind. She sucked in a breath and opened her mouth to lash out at him.

  “Shut up, Kent.” Annie’s voice sounded strong, but the Englisch words coming out of her mouth shocked Becky. She’d never he
ard Annie say anything like that before.

  Becky mentally repeated the words. Shut up. Maybe she’d find the courage to say them. Someday.

  She wished Kent would just go away, but he didn’t seem inclined to. He inched closer, the stench of alcohol growing stronger.

  “Never could say that about Becky. But I’m sure you know that. At least she could—”

  Becky stumbled as Jacob released her hand and shoved her behind him. She blinked, stunned to see him getting in Kent’s face.

  “I think you’ve said quite enough.” Jacob’s voice sounded dangerously calm.

  “Gonna make me stop, farm boy? Go ahead. Make me.” Kent puffed out his chest.

  “Hey, break it up!” someone yelled from behind the counter.

  Something bumped Becky’s arm, and she glanced over to see Matthew holding a cappuccino in each hand. He nodded toward the door. Annie was already going out, carrying her frappe and another cappuccino. “Kum. You could get hurt in here.”

  She walked a few steps toward the door.

  “You’re drunk.” Jacob’s voice dripped with disgust. “Leave her alone. Haven’t you done enough?”

  Something crashed behind Becky and she looked back. The display of Happy Meal toys had toppled, but she hadn’t seen who had run into it. Jacob and Kent circled each other.

  Matthew moved behind her and nudged her with his forearms. “Go. Now. Before the boppli gets hurt.”

  Becky gasped and rushed toward the door.

  “Break it up!” Becky heard again as the door shut behind her.

  ***

  Amish are pacifists. Amish are pacifists. Amish are pacifists. Jacob said it over and over in his head as he and Kent moved in a circle and glared at each other. How much was Becky expected to take? Would she have to “turn the other cheek” forever?

  Kent had to be stopped. And, sometimes, the only way to stop a bully was to stand up to him.

  What had Becky ever seen in this jerk?

  Kent swung, his punch grazing the side of Jacob’s head. Poor aim.

  Jacob could have leveled him. Easily.

  Amish…are…pacifists.

  Still….

  The manager—at least, that’s whom Jacob assumed he was—hurried out from behind the counter. He grabbed Kent and nodded at Jacob. “Get out of here.”

  Jacob obeyed and rushed out the door after Becky, Matthew, and Annie, glad that he’d been saved the embarrassment of getting into a public fight. He could hear the man yelling at Kent and threatening to call the police and bar him from the establishment. Maybe Kent had caused problems there before.

  Jacob shouldn’t have gotten in Kent’s face. He’d been in the wrong.

  But it had been to protect Becky’s honor.

  And Kent would have deserved it if Jacob had flattened him.

  He would have won, no contest.

  But, praise be, someone had stopped them.

  Jacob jogged toward the buggy and unhooked the horse from the hitching post. He climbed in and flicked the reins. “I think it’s time we got home.”

  “Jah. Some of the Englisch are not so nice here, either, ain’t so?” Matthew said from the backseat.

  Jacob shook his head. “Not so much.”

  They were barely outside of town when a red car flew by them and screeched to a stop up ahead, completely blocking the road.

  The horse reared. Jacob tightened his grip on the reins and prayed that the animal wouldn’t bolt. Thankfully, he managed to get it under control.

  On second thought, it might be better if the horse would bolt, taking them to safety.

  Jacob drew in a deep breath. What now?

  Chapter 27

  Nein, nein,” Becky whispered as Jacob got out of the buggy. The door of the car flew open, and Kent jumped out, yelling curses at Jacob, pointing his fingers, and jabbing the air in his direction.

  Jacob rolled his shoulders and neck, then moved into what appeared to be a relaxed stance. He said something to Kent, but whatever it was seemed only to fuel the Englischer’s anger, as his gesturing became wilder, more out of control.

  Matthew sighed heavily from the backseat and muttered something that Becky couldn’t discern. Then, he climbed out, too, and led the horse to the side of the road, where he stood and held him by the harness.

  Becky watched as Kent approached Jacob, still gesturing wildly. “Why is he doing this?” She curled her fingers into her skirt.

  Annie placed a hand on Becky’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay. Jacob tried not to fight.”

  Becky’s hands shook, and tears singed her eyes. “Not Jacob. Why can’t Kent leave me alone? I was such a fool.”

  “Jah. But we all make mistakes. It could be worse. Kent could be insisting on his rights as Emma’s father. Or he might have married you.”

  Becky blinked back tears. “Both of those would be worse.”

  She glanced back at the road in time to see Kent shove Jacob.

  Jacob staggered, but he didn’t move to shove Kent back. Instead, he said something, though too quiet for Becky to hear. Didn’t he understand that this was not a time to demonstrate the Amish way of “turning the other cheek”?

  Kent shoved Jacob again, but when he still didn’t retaliate, Kent stepped back a couple of steps, then lunged, knocking Jacob to the ground. Kent raised his fist, still yelling insults.

  Ach, if only she didn’t have the boppli strapped to her side. Becky struggled to loosen herself, then shoved Emma into Annie’s arms and climbed out, racing over to where the two men rolled on the ground.

  “Nein! Kent, stop!” She jumped on his back, pummeling him. “Stop! Jacob, why don’t you defend yourself?”

  He didn’t have to answer. She knew why. But, ach, she wanted him to fight. He could whip Kent.

  “Hey! Hey, stop it, Becky!” Kent rolled away from Jacob, leaving him lying there in the dirt, blood dripping from his mouth and dribbling down his chin. His left eye looked red and puffy.

  Kent stumbled to his feet and pulled her into his arms. But it wasn’t a comforting sort of hug like Jacob’s. It was more controlling. Harder.

  She shuddered and tried to escape.

  “See, Becky, he won’t even fight for you. I will. I just did. Take me back.” He leaned forward and tried to kiss her, but she twisted her head away. His lips grazed her cheek instead.

  “Look, I’m sorry for the way I treated you about the kid. I was wrong. And you aren’t like any of the others. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Please, Becky? I’ll try to do better this time.” His grip tightened around her right arm so hard that she feared it would leave marks. “Let’s get out of here.” He propelled her toward his car.

  As if that feeble apology would make up for everything! Her ruined reputation, a boppli out of wedlock, her foolish mistakes…. It didn’t even begin to scratch the surface.

  Besides which, she didn’t even like him anymore.

  “Let me go.” Becky desperately wanted someone to help her. She glanced back at Jacob, then toward the buggy, where Annie and Matthew seemed frozen.

  She looked at Jacob. Why wouldn’t he help her?

  “I can’t leave Emma,” she pleaded.

  “Let Annie babysit. Come on.”

  Kent dragged her toward the car as she tried to dig her feet into the ground to halt their progress. Difficult to do with tennis shoes on hard, packed dirt. “Nein, Kent. Nein. You’re drunk. Don’t do this!” Couldn’t anyone hear the fear in her voice? Her desperate pleas for help?

  How could she live with herself if he—

  “The maidal said nein.” Jacob’s deep voice interrupted her panicked thoughts.

  Becky lost her balance and fell when Kent released her and whipped around. She’d have a bruised hip, for sure.

  Though her injuries were nothing compared to Jacob’s.

  “Gonna fight now, Chakob Miller?” Kent’s mouth curled in contempt. He swung at Jacob.

  This time, Jacob ducked to avoid him, the
n returned the punch.

  His fist collided with Kent’s diaphragm.

  Kent spewed the contents of his stomach all over the ground. He doubled over, clutching his midsection, as tears streamed down his cheeks. Then, he fell to his knees in the road, gasping for breath like one of the fish Matthew had caught earlier.

  Red and blue lights flashed behind them.

  ***

  Jacob didn’t know whether to help Becky to her feet or to put his hands over his head. He started to turn when a stern voice came over the loudspeaker. “Everybody freeze!” That settled it. He put his hands up over his head.

  His stomach threatened to expel its contents, like Kent’s had done. Why had he succumbed to temptation and punched Kent? He should have stuck it out and clung to his commitment to nonviolence. But he hadn’t. And now, the police were here. He’d failed. He’d failed Becky, he’d failed himself, and he’d failed God.

  Lord, forgive me.

  A police officer approached and shone his flashlight directly into Jacob’s eyes. “Who are you?”

  “Jacob Miller.”

  The flashlight’s beam swung toward the buggy, illuminating Annie and Matt before turning back and landing on Becky, sitting in the dirt, then Kent, who was also still on the ground, gasping for air.

  Jacob wished he dared go help Becky up. She shouldn’t be sitting there in the dirt. He avoided her gaze. Too bad it had come to this.

  “Ah, Kent Johnson. We had a complaint about you once already tonight. Seems you’re not done getting into trouble. The person who reported you said you were drunk and disturbing the peace.” The light flashed back to Jacob. “You’re the new Amish man James mentioned. Not high, are you?”

  “Nein.”

  “Can you walk a straight line?” With the toe of his boot, the police officer scuffed a mark in the dirt.

  “Jah.” Jacob lowered his arms and stepped on the line.

  “Who are your friends?” the officer asked as Jacob followed the line.

  “Becky Troyer, Matthew Yoder, and Annie. Sorry, I don’t know her last name.”

  The officer’s partner got into Kent’s car, which was still running, and moved it to the side of the road as Jacob finished walking the scratched trail.