by Amy Lillard
James. Plain and simple. She could deny the man almost nothing. In the short time that she had been coming to his house and helping him, she had fallen in love with him. Almost as deeply as she had his sohn. The courage in his eyes, his renewed joy for life, and his love for his family. And the color purple. All that endeared him to her more and more. She’d be lying to say that she wasn’t grateful to be visiting with the Riehls once again. Yet it would be another lie to say she was calm and collected.
“Because you know it’s the right thing to do.” Mary slid out of the opposite side of the buggy and reached for the box of supplies behind the seat. “Even so, you made me come along.”
“I told you why I need you here.” The snow from the day before had barely made it to the ground before melting back away. Emily couldn’t even use the weather as an excuse.
Mary shot her a look. “You told me that you wanted my help. I know that I’m here as an extra buffer in case Elam comes in.”
“James promised he wouldn’t be here,” Emily muttered.
“And you think he’s not telling you the truth?”
Emily recalled the spirited light in the man’s eyes. “I wouldn’t put it past him, no.”
As she spoke, Becky came out onto the porch, a scarf wrapped around her head and ears. “I’ll take your horse, jah?” She skipped over to where Emily stood torn between the warmth of the house and the inevitable run-in with Elam. “Unless you want to take her. Elam’s in the barn.”
Mary laughed as Emily handed the reins to Becky and together the sisters made their way to the house.
They knocked once, and a muffled voice instructed them to come inside.
Emily looked to Mary who shrugged. Then she opened the door to the largest amount of purple things she had ever seen.
“Surprise!” James, Johanna, and Joy all stood behind the couch. Smiles stretched across their faces at their own handiwork.
Purple helium balloons hung from the ceiling, their purple ribbons trailing in the air. Purple hearts cut from construction paper decorated each one. There were purple streamers, a purple tablecloth on the table, and purple place mats and plates. Even the plastic cutlery was lavender.
“What is this?” It wasn’t her birthday, or any one of theirs that she knew of. She turned to her sister. Mary shrugged, but her eyes sparkled with delight.
“It’s for you and—”
“Would someone like to tell me what’s going on here?”
Emily whirled about at the sound of Elam’s voice.
His cheeks were pink from the cold, and he was breathing heavily as if he had sprinted into the house all the way from the barn. “Becky told me you slipped and . . .” His gaze fell on each of them in turn.
“That was my idea, sohn,” James said. “Forgive me, but I didn’t know any other way to get you inside.”
“Coming and asking me might have worked.” Elam’s mouth twisted into something akin to a frown.
“I had nothing to do with this.” Emily threw her hands into the air in surrender and turned to make her way back outside. She hated harnessing Clover so soon after sending her to the barn, but she couldn’t stay here.
“Now just hold on.” James stepped forward. “We went to a lot of trouble to get this ready for the two of you, and you are both going to stay, have some cake, and talk this out.”
“Talk what out?” Emily and Elam said at the same time. She turned to glare at him to find him already glaring back.
“This.” Joy waved a hand between the two of them.
“It’s gone on long enough,” Johanna said.
She was so much like her bruder, Emily couldn’t stifle her laugh.
“Take off your coat, and kumm over here.” James waved her toward the table, pulling out a chair for her to sit in. She did as he asked, shedding her coat, her black travel bonnet, and the purple scarf she had been given by this caring, wonderful family.
As she walked across the wooden floor, she noticed it was covered with silk hydrangea petals and what could only be homemade purple confetti.
“Now you.” James motioned for Elam to join her.
She closed her eyes for the merest of moments, praying that he would do as his father asked. Nothing might ever come of this afternoon, but his family had gone to a lot of work to make this possible. The least they could do would be pretend to enjoy it before going their separate ways.
She opened her eyes at the sound of Elam’s steady footsteps drawing closer.
His chair scraped against the floor, and then he was seated across from her.
“On today’s menu,” James started, sounding for all it was worth like a proper Englisch waiter, “we have lilac cake.” He took the lid off the domed cake stand to reveal a shockingly purple cake with creamy white frosting.
“It’s okay,” Johanna whispered. “It doesn’t taste like lilacs.” She pulled a face and made even her brother chuckle.
“We are also offering purple hearts and flowers.” Joy opened the container of gelatin painstakingly cut into bite-sized shapes.
“And purple grape juice.” Johanna swung her arm toward the pitcher, missing it by mere inches. “It’s really red grape juice, but it looks purple to me.”
Joy laughed and scooped her out of the chair and placed her feet safely on the floor. “We wanted you to have some time alone to . . . talk about . . . whatever. Perhaps you two will be able to work through this.”
“And when you do, I want a new purple dress for the wedding.” Johanna pointed her finger at each one of them.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us . . .” The three of them put on their coats, and together with Mary and Becky, they tromped outside.
Emily had no idea when Elam’s sister had come back into the house, but she was there all the same.
Once the door closed behind his family, Elam turned to her. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s allrecht. I’ll give them time to get down the road, and then I’ll go.” Her voice cracked on the final word. The last time she had talked to him, she humiliated herself, laying her feelings at his feet only to have him reject her.
“You don’t have to do that.” He laid his hand on top of hers where it rested on the table. His touch warmed her straight through. “I mean, they obviously went to a lot of trouble.”
As much as she wanted to soak in his warmth and presence, she slid her hand from under his and stood to serve them cake.
Elam looked at the combination of purples before him. “This has my dat written all over it.”
Emily couldn’t stop her smile. “Jah, it does for sure.” She poured them both some grape juice and sat back across from him.
She bowed her head to say a prayer before eating, but only words of hope and new chances came to mind. Lord, if it be Your will . . . please let it be Your will . . .
Emily lifted her head and picked up her fork. She set it down again. “I’m sorry.” She tossed her napkin onto the table and stood. “I cannot do this.”
In an instant, she was on her feet and heading for the door.
“Don’t.”
His one, quietly spoken word stopped her in her tracks.
“Don’t what?” She said the words toward the door, unable to turn and face him. If she did, she would be more apt to break down than hold herself steady. She couldn’t embarrass herself like that again. Pride might be a sin, but she had to hold on to what was left of hers.
“Don’t leave.”
She heard the scrape of his chair and closed her eyes against all the emotions raging inside her. Love, hope, faith.
“Have you ever made a mistake?” he asked, his voice drawing nearer with each step.
“Jah,” she whispered, still unable to find the courage to face him. What if he didn’t mean what she thought? She couldn’t take any more heartbreak. She just couldn’t.
“I made one of those.”
“When?” she asked.
“Many times,” he whispered in return.
&nbs
p; She turned, her eyes flying open. He was close, so very close she could reach out and lay a hand on his chest over the spot where his heart beat. Did it beat for her? Dare she hope?
“As did I.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I thought I was in love with someone, but it turns out I was wrong.”
“Jah?” he returned.
“That’s not even the worst part. See, I let the man I truly love walk away.”
“I’m here now.” His words were barely above a whisper.
Oh, how she wanted him to take her into his arms and kiss her. Instead he took a step back and another. His hands shook as he pushed his hair off his forehead.
Had she misunderstood? “I love you.” She sighed the words, unable to say them louder than the sound of butterfly wings.
“I love you, too.”
It was more than she could have hoped for. “You do?”
“Did you think I stopped?”
She shook her head. “But I wasn’t sure if you could ever forgive me for all the foolishness I put you through.”
“Can you forgive me for not being patient?”
“Of course.”
“Does that mean we can have a second chance?”
Emily smiled. “I would like that very much.”
Elam’s eyes drifted closed for a second, as if he was saying a small prayer of thanks. Then he opened them again and smiled. “Gut, then. Let’s have some purple cake to celebrate.”
They ate the cake, laughed, and talked, but as much as they had promised second chances, something was amiss.
Emily tried not to show her disappointment. She so badly wanted Elam to take her into his arms and seal their new promises with a kiss. But he remained distant, jovial, and caring, but apart from her just the same.
And she couldn’t help but wonder where it would really go from there.
“I don’t know, Mary,” Emily said that night as she lay beside her sister. “Something is wrong.”
“How so?”
“I thought he would have kissed me, you know. I wanted him to.”
“And he didn’t?” Mary turned on her side. “Not even once?”
“Nay.” Emily hated admitting that. It just brought home all the mistakes she had made and all the times she had hurt Elam, not even realizing she held that power.
“Has he kissed you before?” Mary asked.
Emily’s cheeks flushed with heat at the memory of the kiss she and Elam had shared in the front yard at Caroline Fitch’s house. “Oh, jah.”
“Then perhaps you should ask him.”
Emily sucked in a sharp breath. “I could never do that.”
In the darkness, Mary smiled. “You will if you want that kiss.”
Mary’s words stayed with her all during the night and into the next morning. For once Emily was glad that her job at milking time forced her to be alone. She needed time to think things through. Maybe she was being fearful for nothing. After all, Elam had said he loved her.
She recalled the look on his face as he said the words. She was certain he meant them. Yet maybe he needed a bit more time before he could fully get over the trials of their relationship.
She looked down at the purple cast. The doctor said her arm was healing nicely. A couple more weeks and she could have the cumbersome thing removed. It was a constant reminder of the foolish mistakes she had made.
Mary poked her head into the milking room. “We are done, jah?”
She gave the aluminum vat one last swipe. “Jah.”
“Gut. Come on,” Mary challenged. “I’ll race you to the house.”
How many times had her sister called those words to her over the years? More than she could count.
“You’re on,” she said and sprinted for the door.
Mary was on her heels as she rounded the barn and passed their other sisters. Susannah took off after them, while Rose and Bea shook their heads and continued to walk.
Her sisters’ footsteps pounded the hard ground behind her. Emily turned up the speed. She ducked her head as she ran, then looked toward the porch. Elam sat in the rocker as if waiting. Her footsteps faltered, and she stumbled to a halt. Mary and Susannah laughed and continued toward the porch.
Elam stood as Mary and Susannah raced up the steps. Mary saw him first, grinding to a surprised halt. Susannah laughed as she rang the bell, the clear winner of the race. Then she saw Elam and stopped.
What was he doing here?
Emily couldn’t read his face. Somehow she made her feet move toward the porch. Despite her sprint, the brisk January wind cut right through.
“Let’s go into the house.” Mary cast a pointed glance toward Susannah.
“But this looks interesting,” Susannah protested.
Mary grabbed her by the arm and tugged her inside.
Rose and Bea finally caught up. “Guder mariye,” they called as they bounded up the steps.
“Guder mariye,” he repeated, though his gaze never left Emily.
Her sisters giggled, then slammed into the house.
Emily was left alone with Elam.
His expression was unreadable. “I don’t think we’ve ever met,” he started. “My name is Elam Riehl. I’ve seen you at church and in town.” He cleared his throat.
Hope rose inside Emily. Hope for the future and the promise of second chances. “My name is Emily,” she returned. “Emily Ebersol. I’m the bishop’s daughter.”
He smiled. “I know. I asked around about you.”
“You did?”
“Jah. See, I think you’re real pretty and word is you are sweet and funny. Caring, I believe came up several times.”
Is that how he saw her? She didn’t need to go inside against the cold. His compliment warmed her straight through. “I’m the bishop’s daughter. I’m supposed to set a gut example for others.”
“Ach, it is more than that. I heard of this family whose vatter was injured. Folks say you helped him regain a lot of his life back. He was unable to feed himself at times and now he’s back to being a husband and father. He’s even working on his dairy farm again.”
Tears welled in her eyes and blurred her vision as he spoke. “I only did what needed to be done.”
“That may be,” he continued. “But that family is mighty grateful. So grateful that they told their son to come over here and ask to marry you.”
“Is that so?” Happiness burst inside her. How could she have ever thought she loved Luke? Not when what she really wanted—what she really needed—was standing in front of her now.
“He told them he needed some time first.”
“Oh?” Her heart stopped.
“Jah, he wants a little time to court you. Get to know you. See, he missed out on a lot, and he wants to share that with you. Are you willing to court him for a while and perhaps marry him next November?”
“Jah,” she said, somehow managing not to throw herself at him in joy. “But only if he’s you.”
Saturday night racing was always a good time. Luke was happy for the first time in a while. He loved the mixed smells of the track: burnt rubber, burnt popcorn, and oil. The hum of the engines was like a mother’s lullaby. He had gotten the sponsorship, paid his friend for the damage to his car, and gone to work in one of Gus Hardin’s fried chicken restaurants. Life was good.
Sissy sashayed up next to him. She stood close enough that he could breathe in the sweet scent of her hair and the honeysuckle body lotion she preferred. But she did not touch him. He found it refreshing, this do-over they now shared.
He knew she was used to Englisch boys and their dating habits, but he was bound and determined to court her the same as he would if she were Amish. They were taking things slow, but he enjoyed taking the time to get to know her.
She leaned in a bit closer to be heard over the roar of the engines. “Let’s get something to eat.”
The track wouldn’t officially be open for a couple more months, but Johnny was good to let them practice whenever they wanted.
/>
“Okay.” He wasn’t scheduled on the track for another hour. Plenty of time to get a bite to eat and get ready to race.
He turned, placing his hand at the small of Sissy’s back to escort her to the break room.
Behind them, tires screeched. He turned as metal crunched, scraped the side wall of the track, and then there was fire.
Luke didn’t think twice. He let go of Sissy and raced down the stairs and into the arena.
Car number thirty-two. His friend Justin’s car.
He wasn’t the first one on the scene. The guys who worked the pits were there, each one holding a spewing fire extinguisher. Why wasn’t Justin out of the car?
Luke ripped off his jacket and raced toward the burning vehicle. He could hear the shouts around him, but he couldn’t tell if they were yelling for him to stop or to keep going. But he knew what he had to do.
He stuck his head into the car’s window hole. Justin was slumped over the steering wheel unconscious. Luke wrapped his coat around Justin’s body and used it to drag his friend from the car.
The fire roared in his ears, the heat burned his face. The smell of burnt hair and fabric permeated his senses. But he had to get Justin to safety.
Protect him, whispered through him as he dragged Justin away from the wreckage. A sixth sense kicked in. Luke doubled his efforts to get Justin to safety. Then he shielded his friend, throwing his body over Justin’s just in time. All the air was sucked from the arena. A whoosh followed. Then the world slowed down. The explosion rocked the ground beneath him and everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“I like this new heater,” Emily said. The battery-powered warmth heated the air around their feet and legs and made today’s buggy ride possible.
“Now I know why we court in the spring and summer and marry when it gets cold,” Elam groused.
She laughed. “Having second thoughts?”
“About you? Never. About the weather? Definitely.”
“How about this?” She scooted a little closer to him.
“Better.”