A Legacy of Love

by Amy Clipston

  “Gern gschehne.” He kissed her cheek. “Gut nacht.”

  “Gut nacht.” She leaned forward against the railing as he descended the steps and started toward the pasture, his lantern guiding the way. Josh kissed her cheek and put his arm around her occasionally, but he rarely hugged her or took her hand. And he’d never kissed her lips.

  Why had that never bothered her?

  Once he disappeared from sight, Susie stepped into the house and picked up the hyacinth. She breathed in the sweet aroma as she entered the kitchen, where Mamm sat at the table making what looked like a shopping list.

  Her mother smiled up at her. “Look at that gorgeous flower.”

  “Josh gave it to me.” Susie sank into the chair across from Mamm and pushed the flower over to her. “You have to smell it.”

  Mamm breathed in the scent and grinned. “There’s nothing like hyacinth.”

  “I agree.” Susie rested her chin on her palm as she recalled her conversation with Josh, doubt swirling through her mind.

  Mamm’s smile faded. “Was iss letz?”

  Susie stared down at the wood grain on the table. With her shoulders hunched, she made lazy circles with her fingertip as she contemplated her confusing feelings. “How did you know Dat was the one you were supposed to marry?” When Mamm remained silent, she looked up into her blue eyes. She looked concerned. “What?”

  “This is the second time tonight you’ve asked if I ever doubted your dat was the one for me. Do you want to share something with me?”

  Susie shook her head, even though worry constricted her chest.

  “You know I’ll listen without judging you.” Mamm leaned across the table and took Susie’s hands in hers. “It’s okay to have cold feet before your wedding, but it’s not okay if you’re wondering if Josh is the wrong person for you. You’re not married yet. You can change your mind.”

  “I don’t want to change my mind.” Susie sat up straight as a surge of certainty rushed through her. “I just want to know how it felt when you were ready to marry Dat.”

  “Oh.” Mamm paused for a moment. “Well, I just knew in my heart.” She touched her chest. “I was positive God had chosen your dat for me. Do you feel that way about Josh?”

  Susie’s mouth dried at the question. No, she didn’t feel that way at all. But Josh was perfect for her. He lived next door to her parents, and he had a solid work ethic. He was an honest, loyal, and good Christian man. Yes, he was the one she was meant to marry. Wasn’t he?

  Why didn’t she feel certain in her heart?

  “Ya, I do.” Susie’s knew her response was quiet and unsure, but she hoped Mamm believed her. How could she admit she was no longer convinced she should marry Josh?

  “Gut.” Mamm patted her hand and then stood. “It’s late. We should go to bed. Our chores come early in the morning.”

  “Ya.” Susie carried the flower to the counter, set it on the windowsill, and stared at it. How could she doubt her feelings for Josh when he was always so thoughtful and giving to her? She was a rotten fiancée. He was even building her a house, and yet she was allowing apprehension to steal her excitement over their upcoming wedding.

  “Susie.” Mamm touched her shoulder, and Susie jumped with a start. “Why don’t you tell me what’s troubling you?”

  Susie glanced over her shoulder at her mother. “I’m fine. I’m just tired.” She forced a smile. “I’ll see you in the morning. Gut nacht.”

  She rushed toward the stairs before her mother could ask her another question. As she got ready for bed, she sent a prayer to God, begging Him to quell the doubt in her heart.

  CHAPTER 6

  Leon sat at his workbench and sanded a spindle from Susie’s grandmother’s chair. He had already yawned several times, and now he was yawning again.

  “You should’ve gone home and taken a nap.”

  Leon spun toward his brother, who’d been working at his station across the room. “Why are you watching me?”

  “I just happened to glance over to see you yawn. You should’ve gone home after your shift.” Ben looked down at the hope chest he’d been staining.

  “I’m fine.” Leon turned back toward the spindle as the flash of a figure appeared in his peripheral vision. He swiveled toward the doorway and blinked at Susie standing there. She wore a pink dress and a bright smile. “Suze.”

  “Hi,” she said before greeting his brother. “Hi, Ben.”

  “Wie geht’s?” Ben raised his sanding block toward her.

  “I’m fine. Danki.” She looked back at Leon, her expression hard to read. “I was in the area and thought I’d stop by. I haven’t seen you for a week.”

  I know. I’ve been counting the days. “Has it been that long?” Leon gestured toward the spindles on his workbench. “As you can see, I’ve been busy. I finished taking your mammi’s chair apart, and I’m sanding the pieces. I should be ready to stain them tomorrow or Thursday. I’m making gut progress.”

  “Don’t listen to him.” Ben frowned. “He should have them all stained by now, but he’s slow.”

  “I’m not slow.” Leon glared at his brother. “I take my time and do the job right. There’s a difference.”

  Ben rolled his eyes and turned back to the hope chest. “If you say so.”

  Leon swallowed the urge to throw his sanding block at the back of his brother’s head. When he heard a giggle, his gaze snapped to Susie, who had one hand over her mouth. “What’s so funny?” A grin tugged at his lips.

  “You and Ben haven’t changed a bit.” She stepped into the shop.

  Ben chuckled and shook his head.

  “May I see your work?” She walked over to him and stood close.

  Leon swallowed as the scent of her flowery shampoo tickled his senses. Did she have any idea how she affected him? “Sure.” He nodded toward the spindles. “It’s not very exciting.”

  She ran her long, slim finger over a spindle. “It’s so smooth.” Then she gave him an embarrassed smile. “That’s the purpose of sanding, right?”

  “Right.” He grinned. He popped off the stool and pushed it toward her. “Have a seat.”

  “Danki.” She sat down and smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress as she studied the piece of wood on the workbench. “This is an awful lot of work you’re doing. Please let me know how much I owe you.”

  He hesitated. He’d already considered refurbishing the chairs for free, but Dat would never approve. Maybe he’d agree to charging her for only the materials, but he still longed to do the work for free. That was a ridiculous idea, of course. He did that only for family members, and Susie wasn’t even his girlfriend. He should charge her, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to name a price.

  “Really.” She gave him a determined look. “I want to pay you.”

  “We can talk about it after the chairs are finished.”

  “At this point it may not be until after your wedding,” Ben quipped.

  Once again Leon considered sailing his sanding block toward his sibling’s big head.

  “Your dat just told me you were on duty last night.” Susie’s comment extinguished his frustration with his brother.

  “Ya, that’s right.” He leaned back against his workbench.

  “How was it?”

  “Not very busy. We had only two calls for my whole shift, and they were both medical.”

  “What kind of medical?” She hugged her arms around her waist.

  “One man was standing on a ladder while changing a lightbulb in his foyer, and he lost his footing and fell.”

  “Ach, no!” Susie pressed one hand to her chest.

  Ben turned toward them. “You didn’t tell me about that. Was he okay?”

  “I believe he’s going to be okay. I heard from the EMTs that he was in stable condition when they got him to the hospital.” Leon ran his finger over the edge of the workbench. “His sohn was there when it happened, and he called for help right away. Then he talked to his dat, telling him
to stay calm and keep breathing. He did a gut job.”

  “That’s amazing.” Susie leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as the sun’s rays came through the skylights above them. “How old was the sohn?”

  “I think about twelve.”

  “Wow!” Ben said. “He’s mature for his age.”

  “What a blessing.” Susie clicked her tongue. “What was your other call?”

  “A man was repairing the roof on his shed, and he fell off.”

  “Was he okay?” she asked.

  Leon winced. “I think he broke his leg and possibly a few ribs. He was conscious but in a lot of pain when the EMTs took him to the hospital.”

  “That’s bedauerlich, but praise God he was conscious.” She shook her head. “I’ll pray for him.”

  Leon glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon. “Are you hungry?” The question leapt from his lips without any forethought.

  “What?” Susie sat up straight, and her red eyebrows tugged together.

  “Would you like to join me for lunch?” Leon could tell his voice had filled with conviction as the idea took root in his heart.

  “Oh, well . . .” She looked up at the clock.

  “Do you like Dienner’s Family Restaurant?” he pressed, hoping she’d say yes.

  “I do, but I probably should get home.” She hopped down from the stool. “I shouldn’t take any more of your time, and I don’t want you to feel obligated to have lunch with me.”

  “I don’t feel obligated at all. Let me take you to lunch. Please.” He heard the plea in his voice. Why was he so desperate to spend more time with her? He was wasting his efforts. She was going to marry someone else. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from enjoying every precious moment they spent together.

  Susie gave in. “All right. We can go to the restaurant, but I’ll pay for my own meal.”

  Across the room Ben stared at him, a hint of warning in his expression.

  Doubt invaded Leon’s mind. Susie was engaged, and he didn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with her fiancé. “Would Josh be all right with you having lunch with me?”

  She seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second, but then her bright smile returned. “Why would he disapprove? You and I are freinden, right?”

  “Right.” Leon wiped his hands on a red shop rag.

  “Then it’s fine.”

  “Let me just wash my hands, and then we’ll go.” When he stepped away from the shop’s sink and followed Susie out of the workshop, Ben shot him another concerned look, mouthing the words, “Be careful.”

  Leon glared at him and shoved away the uneasiness that curled in his gut.

  Leon stood beside Susie inside the front entrance of Dienner’s Family Restaurant.

  “Gut afternoon,” Kayla said in greeting as she lifted two menus from a shelf beneath their podium’s surface. “How are you, Leon?”

  “I’m fine. Danki.” Leon gestured between them. “Kayla, this is mei freind Susie.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Kayla shook her hand. “Lunch for two?”

  “Ya, please,” Leon said.

  “Follow me.” Kayla led them toward a table in one corner.

  As they passed a table where Jamie sat with his brother, Mark, Jamie raised his eyebrows.

  “Hi, Jamie.” Susie waved.

  “Hi,” Jamie said as he grinned at Leon.

  Leon nodded and hoped Jamie wouldn’t comment later about how wrong he thought it was for him and Susie to have lunch together. They were friends. It wasn’t inappropriate.

  Then why did a thread of guilt taunt him?

  And what made him think Jamie wouldn’t have something to say about this?

  “How’s this?” Kayla made a sweeping gesture at the table.

  “Perfect.” Susie sank down into a chair and took a menu from Kayla.

  “Danki.” Leon sat down across from Susie and took the other menu.

  “Today’s lunch special is a pork barbecue sandwich with French fries.” Kayla poised her pen over her notepad. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “I’ll have water, please,” Susie said.

  “Okay.” Kayla looked at Leon.

  “I’ll have a Coke.”

  “All right. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your drinks.” Kayla strode toward the kitchen. But when she reached Jamie’s table, she stopped, her expression bright as they bantered back and forth. Leon’s chest squeezed as he watched their interaction. Would he ever find a woman who would care for him the way Kayla cared for Jamie?

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “What?” His attention snapped to Susie. She was staring at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”

  “You did seem to be lost in thought.” She lifted her chin. “I said I was going to have the special. The barbecue sandwich sounds appeditlich. What are you going to have?”

  “I was thinking the same thing. I’ve had the pork barbecue sandwich before, and it’s fantastic.”

  She closed the menu, folded her hands, and laid them on top of it. “You eat here often, don’t you?”

  “Ya, I do.” He closed his menu too and then nodded toward Jamie’s table. “Since the fire station is right next door, we come here often when we’re on duty—especially now that Jamie and Kayla are dating.”

  Susie smiled toward Jamie’s table. Kayla was still there. “They seem to have a gut relationship.”

  “They do. They had some issues to work through in the beginning, but they got through them.”

  “What kind of issues?” She blushed as she shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s none of my business.”

  “I can tell you.” He looked over at Jamie. Kayla had gone on to the kitchen, and Jamie was talking to his brother. “Jamie was dealing with guilt from when his mamm unexpectedly passed away after a fall. He was focused on work instead of coming to terms with what happened to her.”

  Susie frowned. “I’d heard about his mamm. I was so sorry his family went through that.”

  “Ya, it was tough.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Kayla wasn’t coming. “Kayla was naerfich to date Jamie since she’d lost her bruder in an accident while he was a firefighter. You recall when I told you last week about what happened to Simeon?”

  Her frown deepened. “Ya, I do.”

  “But they both worked through their fears and their guilt, and now they’re doing great.” He studied Susie’s eyes as she seemed to be concentrating. Was she thinking about Jamie and Kayla? Or was she comparing their relationship to her relationship with Josh? He opened his mouth to ask her, but Kayla interrupted.

  “Have you decided what you’d like to eat?” Kayla set a glass of water in front of Susie and a Coke in front of Leon before dropping two straws on the table.

  “Ya, we’d both like the special.” Susie handed Kayla her menu.

  “Great.” Kayla took Leon’s menu too. “I’ll bring your food right out.”

  “Danki,” Susie said before Kayla headed for the kitchen again.

  Leon leaned toward Susie. “You’ve asked me all about my week, but you haven’t told me about yours. How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Susie ran one finger over the condensation on her glass. “I’ve been working on Betty’s dress for the wedding. I’m almost finished with it.”

  “That’s great. What brought you to town today?”

  “To do a little bit of shopping for mei mamm.” She pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket of her black sweater. “I need to go to the grocery store when I leave here.”

  “So you came to see me before you started shopping?”

  Her cheeks were bright pink again. Why was she blushing?

  “Ya.” She returned the paper to her pocket, unwrapped one of the straws, and stuck it in her glass. “I just wanted to see if you were actually working on my chairs.” Her tone teased him.

  “Oh, I see.” He smirked. “You really didn’t want to see me. You only wanted to make sur
e I was keeping my promise and working on the chairs.”

  “Exactly.” She laughed and then took a drink of water.

  Leon unwrapped the other straw and stuck it in his glass of Coke before taking a long drink. “How’s Josh?”

  “He’s fine. He’s painting the interior of our haus.”

  “Did you and Josh have issues to work out before you got engaged?”

  Susie froze and stared at him. Regret stiffened his shoulders. He’d crossed a line with her.

  “I’m sorry.” He held up his hands. “You don’t need to answer that. It’s none of my business.”

  “Here’s your lunch.” Kayla set down their plates. “Do you need anything else?”

  Leon looked at Susie, and she shook her head. “No, danki.”

  “Okay. Enjoy.” Kayla hurried off to seat some new customers.

  After a silent prayer, Leon stared down at his barbecue sandwich and French fries. Guilt sat heavy in his gut, like a rock. He’d been enjoying such an easy conversation with Susie, and then he had to ruin it by asking about her relationship with Josh. He needed a neutral topic to discuss with her, but nothing came to mind.

  Keeping his eyes focused on his food, he opened the bottle of ketchup and smothered his fries.

  “You still like fries with your ketchup.”

  He looked up and found Susie grinning. The tension plaguing him eased as he smiled in return.

  Susie continued. “I remember one time, when we were eating supper with our youth group, you wound up splattering ketchup on your shirt. You had drowned your fries and were left with a lake of ketchup on your plate.”

  He laughed. “I remember that too.”

  She chuckled as she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. He did the same, and they ate in amicable silence for a few minutes.

  “Josh and I didn’t have any issues to work out,” she finally said. “We always got along, so it made sense for us to get engaged.”

  “Oh.” He nodded, grateful that the awkwardness between them had evaporated. “That’s great.”

  “Danki.” She picked up a fry. “How is your mamm?”