Priscilla's Escape

by Diane Craver

  Would her daed have told her how he used to paint if she’d stayed home? He probably would have kept that talent to himself. For that reason alone, she was glad to be at Siesta Key. For him to share so much of himself with her had been an important step in their father-daughter relationship. She was grateful for his phone call, and for his apology about her job at the fabric store. To have his blessing for her to continue painting gave her such a boost.

  Her bedtime prayers would be filled with giving thanks and asking for guidance and wisdom from the Lord.

  * * *

  Fields Corner, Ohio

  After telling Priscilla goodbye, Stephen left the bench by their creek. Sometimes he talked with Priscilla while sitting on the bench, and sometimes from his bedroom. Fortunately, he had his own room and kept his phone there in a drawer when he was at home. Even though his parents disapproved of him having a cell phone instead of relying on the phone in the barn, they were more concerned about his automobile. If he and Priscilla stayed together as a couple, maybe they should join the Mennonite church. They could keep their phones, have electricity in their home, and he could continue driving his car. It’d be nice not have to hire English drivers whenever they had a longer distance to travel.

  Stephen wished he knew what to do about joining the church, but he still was confused. He might be ready sometime in the future. He hated that his parents were disappointed that he hadn’t committed yet. He was torn between two worlds, and Priscilla was right that it would be a problem if they took the kneeling vows, then later changed their minds. He couldn’t imagine being shunned by his family and friends.

  He had wanted to offer to stay with Priscilla in the beach house, but he knew that wouldn’t be proper. Hannah might not want Priscilla to stay with her the day of the party, but it could be okay, since the party wasn’t going to be at the bed and breakfast. The party was at a park, but Hannah would have to make an excuse to take the food and drinks there without Priscilla. She wanted to keep the birthday party a surprise. He could take Priscilla somewhere while Hannah got things ready at the park.

  Priscilla’s nanny job was something. Madison hired her, so she could spend time at the beach and write her book. Now she was leaving the beach for a few days. It seemed like she’d want to take Priscilla with her to watch Olivia while she wrote in Ohio. Apparently, she could take a few days off from writing. He didn’t know anything about writing a book, but had heard a lot from Priscilla about Madison having a deadline with her publisher. She needed to get the book finished soon.

  He supposed Madison would still pay Priscilla, because it wasn’t like she could get another job for a few days. If I hadn’t planned on seeing Priscilla in Florida, would Madison have paid for an airline ticket for her?

  He couldn’t wrap his head around how much Sabrina planned to charge for Priscilla’s beach pictures. How much would she charge for the Amish pictures? The next time I talk to Priscilla, I’ll tell her to see what day I should pick up her paintings. It needs to be soon. I better do some maintenance on my car, too, before I leave for my road trip to see my girl.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Siesta Key, Florida

  Thursday had finally come, and Priscilla’s birthday was tomorrow.

  She knew it wouldn’t be much longer before Stephen arrived in Pinecraft. He’d called when stopping for gas at St. Petersburg and said they were only forty minutes away. She’d been surprised when, a few days ago, she’d learned from Hannah and Stephen that Tobias Glick was coming with him. She only remembered Tobias taking Hannah home once after a singing. It was good they could take turns driving, and she was relieved Stephen wouldn’t have to make the long trip by himself. Tobias didn’t have a vehicle, but he had a driver’s license. Hannah said that Tobias wanted to join the church but planned on waiting another year.

  Not being ready to take the kneeling vows was something the four of them had in common. Maybe they could go to a movie in Sarasota while the guys were visiting.

  Madison and Olivia had dropped her off in the morning at the Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast before going to the airport. Priscilla had gotten busy helping Hannah clean all the bedrooms vacated by the visitors. After the couple with two small children checked out of their room, Priscilla cleaned it and put fresh sheets on the two full-size beds, and was glad Stephen had been able to change his reservation to a room with two beds. While waiting for the guys to arrive, she took the stairs quickly to check on the bedroom again, and was pleased with how nice it looked. Of course, there were matching blue and white quilts on the beds. As Hannah had mentioned to her, “Tourists expect to see quilts in the bedrooms in an inn that’s in an Amish area.” The white walls were bright with sunlight shining on them. As Priscilla fluffed up the pillows on both beds, she glanced at the large canvas wall art between the two windows. It was a picture of the sea with several sailboats. It reminded her of Sabrina’s morning phone call. She wanted to see her Amish pictures as soon as possible and wanted to include them with the ocean paintings. When the gallery owner learned Stephen would stop at the bed and breakfast first, she was thrilled. Sabrina had plans to eat at Yoder’s Restaurant with her husband’s family from out of town and said how perfect it would be to pop over to see the paintings. Sabrina had explained that would give her a break from the relatives.

  After praying about it and talking with Madison about Sabrina’s offer to show her work, Priscilla had decided to sign a contract with the gallery owner. Madison had told her how Sabrina would invest a lot of time in marketing her, since none of her work had been in any art show. At the end of their conversation, Madison had said, “It’s a great opportunity. You should take it. And when you go back home, buyers will pay more for your work because your paintings have been featured in Sabrina’s art gallery.”

  I doubt that, but hopefully my artwork will sell well. I don’t want to waste Sabrina’s time.

  Priscilla left the room and went down the stairs.

  As soon as her feet touched the last step, Hannah appeared. “You timed that well. Stephen and Tobias just pulled in.”

  Priscilla followed Hannah out to the front porch, and Stephen met her there. Warmth surged her body as she gazed at Stephen. His brown eyes skimmed over her, and it felt as if he’d touched her.

  Hannah must’ve noticed their flirtatious gazes at each other because she said to Tobias, “Hey, let’s take the luggage to your bedroom while these two lovebirds have some alone time.”

  Tobias grinned at them. “That’s a gut idea.”

  As soon as Hannah and Tobias were inside, Stephen pulled Priscilla into his arms. “I’m so froh to see you.”

  Feeling Stephen’s strong arms hugging her felt wunderbaar-gut. His callused hands touched her face. She loved how his fingers traced her chin, then her cheekbone. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I’ve waited too long to kiss you.”

  Instead of kissing her lips, he surprised Priscilla by lifting her hand and kissing her palm. She trembled lightly but didn’t pull her hand away. She was eager for him to kiss her lips. When he captured her mouth with his, desire raged inside her. He tugged her closer until her hands were jammed between their warm bodies. She stretched her fingers, enjoying the hard muscles of his chest. His urgent kiss filled her with joy, and she gripped his sides tightly.

  When they stopped kissing, Stephen’s eyes filled with amusement. “I think you’re glad I came.”

  “Ya, very glad.” She smiled. “Danki for making the long trip here.” Stephen had traveled almost a thousand miles to see her. How special he was to do that, so they could be together.

  He fingered a strand of her hair before tucking it beneath her prayer covering. “I wondered if you’d be dressed in your Plain clothing. I thought maybe you’d be dressed in cooler clothing.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “I see you’re dressed in your Amish clothing too.”

  “I knew my parents would get up early to tell me goodbye, so I didn’t want to wear Eng
lish clothing. Tobias decided to do the same. We both brought T-shirts, jeans, and shorts to wear sometimes.”

  “Madison loaned me a few pieces of her clothing to wear, and I bought a sundress. I like wearing English clothing sometimes when I go to the beach.” She didn’t mention that she’d thought about wearing her sundress but decided to wear it on her birthday instead.

  “You’re beautiful whatever you wear. I like your blue dress.” He put his finger on her chin. “I want to give your birthday gift to you today. Or rather tonight. I hope you’ll like it.”

  “I’m sure I will.” From their quick phone conversations during his road trip, she knew they had only stopped for gas and to use the restrooms. Although Stephen’s mother had packed sandwiches, fruit, and cookies for them to eat during their trip, she should see if Stephen wanted to eat. Hannah had suggested they order pizza instead of waiting for seats and their food at Yoder’s Restaurant. “I imagine you’re hungry.”

  Priscilla turned away from Stephen when she heard a car. As soon as Sabrina got out of the sleek black car, she said, “That’s Sabrina.”

  As the older woman walked toward them, she greeted them and then said, “This must be your young man.”

  Priscilla laughed. “It is, but how did you know Stephen arrived? I didn’t even get a chance to call you. He just got here.”

  “I thought I’d take a chance after we finished eating at the restaurant.” Sabrina extended her hand to Stephen. “Priscilla is a talented artist, but I imagine you know that.”

  Stephen nodded. “She is, and wait until you see the paintings I brought with me. You’ll love them. They are in the trunk.”

  As Sabrina followed Stephen to the back of his car, Priscilla tagged behind. Sabrina’s appearance was vibrant. She wore a pink sundress that matched the bright pink glasses perched on her nose. Sabrina hadn’t worn glasses the time Priscilla met her on the beach. Maybe she wanted to be able to see her paintings better this time.

  After Stephen popped open the trunk lid, he removed the first painting and peeled off the heavy white paper around it.

  “Danki, Stephen, for picking up my paintings,” Priscilla said as he waited for Sabrina to look at the first painting before going to the next one.

  “I was happy to do it.”

  Sabrina lifted the first painting upright and held it in her hands. “This is amazing. I love the striking blend of yellow, pink, and orange colors in the sunset. If you agree to me showing your work, I’ll put this sunset picture with the barn next to the recent one you did here of the beach’s sunset. It’ll be an excellent way to tie your Amish paintings to your beach ones.”

  As Sabrina looked at the remaining five paintings, she gave glowing comments about each piece of work.

  Priscilla released a deep breath to settle her nerves. She knew it was a big step to sign a contract for her work, but it felt right. She looked directly at Sabrina. “I want to sign with you. I’m honored that you want to show my paintings in your gallery.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” Sabrina smiled. “Is it okay if I take your Amish paintings now?”

  Priscilla nodded. “That’d be great if you would.”

  As Stephen carefully put the paintings he carried into the trunk, he said, “I like your Lincoln Continental. I’m sure it’s a nice car to drive.”

  “Thank you. I haven’t had it long, but I do like driving it.” Sabrina placed the last painting in the car, then closed the trunk. “Sometime soon, Priscilla, I’ll pick you up to see the gallery and get your beautiful beach paintings.” She winked at Stephen. “No worries. It won’t be during your visit. I’m sure you two want to spend lots of time together.”

  * * *

  The couples sat at a patio table in the back of the house. While the guys took their showers, Hannah and Priscilla had ordered pizza and chicken wings. Then they walked to the pizza restaurant to pick it up instead of waiting for it to be delivered. It was close enough to walk instead of waiting for Stephen to drive them there.

  Stephen wiped his mouth with a napkin. “You were right, Hannah, this pizza is good.”

  “The chicken wings are good too,” Tobias said.

  Priscilla thought how nice it was that Tobias came with Stephen. He sat across the table from her. He had dark blond hair and greenish-blue eyes and wore a gray T-shirt with jeans. Stephen had also changed into English clothing after he showered. Priscilla had never seen him in anything other than Plain clothing, but thought he looked handsome.

  Hannah grinned at Tobias. “When we placed the order, I remembered how much you liked the chicken wings at Angela’s Restaurant.”

  “Danki for making the arrangements for us to stay here.” Stephen motioned with his finger at the view in the backyard, where there were several trees and an abundance of flowers in bright colors. “The palm trees and flowers are nice. Do you think you’ll end up staying here to work until school starts again?”

  Hannah shook her head. A lock of brown hair had escaped from beneath her prayer covering, and she tucked it behind her right ear. “Naomi said she’d like me to stay until July eighth. They have hired someone to take my place when I leave. It is beautiful here, and I love the ocean when I get a chance to go, but I want to visit my parents after I leave here.”

  It doesn’t sound like Hannah is going to take the baptism classes this summer, Priscilla thought. Although Daed hasn’t started the classes yet, he won’t want to wait another month. And I still don’t know what to do about when or if I should take the classes. “It’s great you’ll be done soon, so you’ll have time to visit your folks.”

  Hannah nodded. “And I’ll still have plenty of time to get the classroom ready for school.”

  Tobias grinned at Hannah. “You might not have plenty of time, because I’m hoping to see you whenever possible.”

  A blush crept up Hannah’s face. “That sounds nice.”

  When there were only two pieces of pizza left in the box, Stephen squeezed Priscilla’s hand. “I’m full. I’m going to go to our room and get your birthday present. You might want to use it this evening.”

  Before she could mention going with him, Stephen quickly left the table. Priscilla rolled her eyes at Tobias and Hannah. “Goodness, I never saw Stephen move so fast.”

  “You’re going to love what he bought you. I might borrow it sometimes from you.” Hannah sipped her Coke.

  Tobias raised his eyebrows. “Stephen talked about you so much on the way here. I guess you know how crazy he is about you.”

  “Priscilla’s just as bad.” Hannah rolled her hazel eyes. “It gets boring. She talks about him all the time.”

  “Stop,” Priscilla said as she held up her hand. “I know I talk about a lot of other things. I’m sure Stephen does too.”

  Stephen returned to the table, carrying a pink birthday bag. “What do I talk about?”

  “Your girlfriend. All the time,” Tobias replied.

  Priscilla sighed. “Our friends were complaining that both of us talk a lot about each other. I guess we’re boring when we do that.”

  “What? We are such an interesting couple,” Stephen said. “You’re an incredible artist, and I’m going to start training as a firefighter.”

  “I guess Jonathan finally talked you into it.” She exhaled a deep breath, recalling how Jonathan was injured in a fire recently. Priscilla knew it was good that Stephen wanted to do something for their community by volunteering for their fire department, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy about it.

  “I look at volunteerism as a ministry. By becoming a firefighter, I’ll be serving others.”

  “Well, service to the community is important, but I hope your training lasts long.” Priscilla frowned. “I need more time to get used to you fighting fires.”

  “I’m sure it will be thorough and long.” Stephen handed the bag to her and said, “Early happy birthday to you.”

  She saw something black in the bag, and it was surrounded with a light pink ti
ssue paper. She slid her hand inside and lifted a camera out of the bag. Surprise went through her body. She’d never expected a camera for her birthday. Why would Stephen get me a camera when no one has one in our church community? Do they have cameras in his? Is his Amish district more liberal? Priscilla wondered.

  Stephen frowned. “You look disappointed. I thought you could take pictures of the ocean and different places. And of us. We aren’t baptized and should take pictures while we still can.”

  “What you said is true. I was just surprised when I saw it. I wasn’t expecting a camera. Danki. It’s really a great gift. I love it.”

  Hannah shrugged. “You might even join a New Order Amish community. I’ve heard some of them allow cameras. I’ve heard even in Old Order Amish districts that some young parents privately take pictures of their little children.”

  “It’s a digital camera, and you can print the pictures you like at Walmart,” Stephen said.

  Priscilla wondered if Stephen really wanted to join a church where he could always use a camera, drive his car, and even have electricity in his house. He could even decide to join an English church or become a Mennonite. Maybe he would want to be baptized in a New Order Amish district. Besides allowing cameras, some allowed phones in their houses.

  Tobias motioned to Priscilla and Stephen. “You two sit next to each other. I’ll take your picture. We can take more tomorrow when we’re on the beach.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  As they walked along the ocean, Stephen held Priscilla’s hand. He glanced at Priscilla, and seeing her dazzling smile warmed his soul. Should I tell her that she is the one for me? Is it too soon? He’d fallen in love with her before she left Fields Corner. He’d even thought about buying an old farmhouse for them, and they could marry in a year. He could sell his car and use the money to remodel the house. He could do most of it by himself. Or he could build a new house for them. Tobias would help with the construction, but Stephen wouldn’t ask Jonathan. He had his hands full with two children and one on the way. But if Stephen sold his car, his transportation would have to be a horse and buggy. Was that what he and Priscilla should do? Stay with their Amish upbringing and join the church?