by Lisa Shea
He stepped forward to take her hand. “They have you,” he pointed out. “You give them hope. You lift them with your music and stories. You help them to treasure the Appalachian rich heritage.”
Her eyes welled. “Heritage. Did you know men in this county have the lowest lifespan of anywhere in the entire US? These kids watch their parents die from debilitating disease. They hear about the floods of 2001 and 2002 which wiped out entire towns. They don’t have enough food to eat. Is that a heritage to treasure? How can one person fight against all of that?”
He drew in a deep breath. “Maybe one person can’t.”
Her tears overflowed on her cheeks, and she looked up to Samuel in anguish. “Samuel! How could you say such a thing to me?”
He lowered to one knee.
“Maybe one person can’t – but maybe two people can.”
Her mouth fell open.
The words rushed out of him before she could say no. “Mary Sue, I know you don’t feel for me the way I feel for you. And I’ve come to accept that. But you could use my help. Together, we can make a real difference. We can build a new house. A new barn. Get this garden flowing with food. And I know it might take time but … you could learn to love me. I know you could.”
Her tears were flowing full force now, and she stared down at him. “Learn to love you?”
His throat closed up. “I know, it sounds silly. But I believe it with all my heart. I love you, Mary Sue. I love everything about you. How you care for the community’s children. How you didn’t leave, even though your whole family did. Even though it would have been so easy to do. I want to be by your side. To help your dreams come true.”
Her eyes flew to the dirt road. The one that led back to all he held so dear. “But … you said you had to go home after your Rumspringa. That it was your duty to return to your family.”
“I tried, I really did. But all I could think about was you. All I dreamed about every night was this tumbling-down house and the helpless children you tended to. How you were doing it alone, all alone, and I had left you.”
Her voice was raw. “You left me.”
His hands gripped hers. “I thought I had to. It’s what I’d promised my father. I had to take care of my little sister. But now she’s engaged to a wonderful man, and the farm will be looked after, and I knew – I knew –”
She brushed away the tears from her eyes. “When you left, I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t breathe. I had to force myself to go inside when you got in your car, so you wouldn’t see me crying. I didn’t want to be the one to turn you from your chosen path.”
The worlds swirled past him, not making sense. It was only after a minute that they coalesced into meaning.
He stared at her in shock.
“You wanted me to stay?”
Her tears flowed into fresh life. “Wanted you to stay? I was desperate for you to stay! I love you! God, Samuel, I love you with every cell in my body. Having you near me was like having the glorious sun shining down and bringing me fresh life. And then you left me … you left me …”
Samuel sprung to his feet, drawing her into a hug, and they both shook with tears, with realization, with emotion which had been kept in for so many years.
The release drained them, lifted them, and filled them with awe-struck wonder.
Samuel pulled the box from his pocket and lifted the lid. “We don’t have diamond rings in my community, but my cousin had this one that had come from his mother. It’s silver with a blue stone. It reminded me of the blue dresses you always wear. And, well, our women wear a blue dress on their wedding day.”
Tension coursed through her face. “Samuel, I … I … I can’t come with you. I can’t leave the children.”
He tenderly ran a hand down her face. “I know. I am the one who will leave my home. I will come here to live with you. To help you in your quest. To be a beacon of light for these innocent young ones.”
Her eyes shone in wonder. “You’re sure? You’ll leave your Amish community? But … I can’t ask this of you. It’s why I’ve hidden my emotions, all these long years. I know how important the Amish way of life is to you.”
He held her hands in his. “You are important to me, Mary Sue. I love you. I want to stand by your side. For us to have a family of our own.”
He looked around. “The Amish way of life is about simplicity. About caring for those around you. About finding the beauty in every day. About tending to the Earth. You do all of that and more.”
He held out the ring. “If you will have me …”
The word burst out of her. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
He slid the ring on her finger.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, the world shone with glorious joy.
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Table of Contents
Book 1 – NYC
Book 2 – Providence
Book 3 – Boston
Book 4 – Hampton Beach
Book 5 – Bar Harbor
Book 6 – Bennington
Book 7 – Princeton
Book 8 – Mystic
Book 9 – Paradise
Book 10 – Jacob’s Fork