Only one thing. A relationship with Isaac. And if the signals he was sending her right now were any indication, that might also be a possibility.
* * *
Isaac’s heart leapt. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life. He wanted to court her. And the looks zinging back and forth between them only confirmed his decision.
“Hey, Isaac.” Marvin elbowed him.
Sighing internally, Isaac broke his connection with Sovilla. He needed to be polite. And besides, these were her relatives. If he planned to have a future with Sovilla, they’d be his relatives too.
“Jah?” he said after Marvin prodded him a second time.
“Want to toss a baseball with us?”
That meant leaving Sovilla, but she was busy discussing traveling plans with her mamm. He’d find time to be alone with her. They had tomorrow and all of Monday while they traveled.
“S-sure. Maybe Sovilla c-can watch S-Snickers.” He’d have to feed her and walk her in a half hour or so, though, but that’d give him a little time to play.
“Come,” he said to Snickers, who’d stayed under the table by his feet while everyone ate. Lloyd hadn’t seemed too keen on dogs, so Isaac had kept her hidden.
Isaac checked with Sovilla, and she agreed. But when she heard his plans, her eyes flashed out a warning. He turned in time to see her three cousins smirking. Isaac had no idea what they had planned. At least he was a skilled pitcher, so he should be able to hold his own in the ball game.
“Let’s go.” Marvin sounded friendly enough.
“Before we play, we have something to show you,” Albert said.
Outside, they moved until they were out of sight of the dining room window. That clued Isaac they were up to something.
“There’s something you should know about Sovilla.” Marvin flicked his eyes sideways at his brother. “Show him, Roy.”
“I d-don’t want t-to see it.” Isaac stood his ground.
Roy laughed. “I—I—I . . . d-d-don’t w-want t-to s-see it.”
Had they brought him out here to mock him? Isaac had been teased plenty of times before. He pretended not to notice. Roy repeated it.
Isaac recalled something Sovilla had told him when they first met. He took a deep breath to help him speak smoothly. “Didn’t you”—another breath—“stutter when you”—one more breath—“were small?”
“Who told you that?” Roy turned belligerent. Then he waved a hand to dismiss it. “Well, I got over it. You still have a problem. You sound like a slow-moving train huffing and puffing.”
Isaac tried to pull in air without gasping. “You understood me.” That’s all that counted.
“Aw, let up on the stuttering stuff, Roy. The guy can’t help it,” Albert said. “Besides, that’s not why we wanted him out here.”
“Jah, show him the note,” Marvin insisted.
“First we should explain.” With a grin, Albert clutched his suspenders. “You might be interested in Sovilla, but she’s in love with someone else.”
Isaac tried not to show their blow had landed. He couldn’t bear to think of Sovilla with anyone else.
When Isaac didn’t answer, Albert continued. “She wrote her boyfriend a love letter.”
Roy waved it in the air. “Bet you’re wondering how we got it.”
Isaac shrugged. He wanted to ask, but he refused to give them the satisfaction. Maybe if he kept quiet, they’d tell him. They seemed eager to brag.
Marvin took over the story. “When Sovilla moved from Sugarcreek, she wanted to send this letter to Henry.” Marvin stretched out Henry’s name as if he were a lovesick girl.
Henry? The boyfriend who jilted her? Sovilla had been hurt by him.
“She gave it to her mamm.” Roy waggled his brows. “But since Barbie didn’t have time to drop it off or mail it, we offered.”
Marvin grinned. “Instead of this note, we sent old Henry a breakup letter.”
They all laughed.
“You what?” Isaac was steaming. They’d been the reason Sovilla’s boyfriend had broken up with her?
“So, you want to hear what she wrote?” Roy waved the note in front of Isaac’s nose.
“Neh.” Whatever Sovilla had written to Henry, she’d intended to be only for Henry’s eyes. He’d respect her privacy. Isaac started back toward the house, his heart aching for Sovilla. She’d lost her true love.
Roy pranced after him. In a high, girly voice, he read: “Dear Henry . . .”
Isaac’s heart clenched. Dear? He tried to tune out the rest, but Sovilla’s last line delivered a barb that left him bleeding.
If you want me to, I’ll find a way to come back to you.
The words played over and over again as he strode across the lawn.
How he wished this note had been sent to him. If he’d received it, he could have never resisted her plea. He’d have come after her to beg her to marry him, and he’d have brought her home with him right away.
Henry probably would have too. Except he’d never received this message.
Roy snickered. “See? She’s in love with someone else. You’re the leftovers.”
Isaac couldn’t deny the truth of Roy’s words. It hadn’t been that long since she’d written this note. If Henry hadn’t jilted her, Sovilla never would have been interested in Isaac. In fact, she’d been standoffish when they first met because her heart belonged to Henry.
“Stealing someone’s letter like this is cruel.” Isaac climbed the porch steps, eager to get away from them and their spitefulness. Like father, like sons.
“Don’t worry. Sovilla deserves every prank we’ve played on her,” Albert said.
“Jah, she got us in trouble all the time when we were little.”
Marvin’s sneer struck fear in Isaac’s chest. He didn’t care what they did to him, but it sounded as if they planned to hurt Sovilla. He’d never let that happen.
As he walked into the house, Isaac sorted through possible choices in his mind. He could pretend he’d never heard about the letter. Henry had found someone else, and Isaac could date Sovilla. His whole being longed to do that.
But would that be right? If he told Sovilla the truth, could she mend her relationship with Henry? Her letter made it clear she loved him. She’d offered to leave everything and come back to him.
Isaac should tell her right away. The sooner he did it, the sooner she could straighten out the letter mix-up, and the less likely Henry would be to fall for the girl he’d just started dating.
But could Isaac tell Sovilla, knowing it would mean he’d lose her forever?
Chapter Thirty-One
Isaac entered the house, his heart weighed down. As he closed the back door, Sovilla’s cousins, laughing together, took off in their buggy. Eli, Wilma, and David were still chatting at the table, but Mrs. Vandenberg appeared to be dozing. In the kitchen, Barbie and Annie did the dishes, while Sovilla and her sisters cleaned the dining room.
Watching Sovilla’s brisk movements as she swept the floor pierced him. He’d imagined doing chores together in their own home, but now . . . He closed his eyes to block pictures of her working with Henry.
Although he should offer to help, lethargy settled over him. His muscles took on the heaviness of his spirit.
He needed to get Sovilla alone to tell her about the letter. Better to get it over with. A quick, clean break.
Isaac caught her attention and flicked his eyes toward the door, praying she’d get his message.
A tiny nod and smile showed she had. She finished sweeping the crumbs into a dustpan and put away the broom. While she was gone, Isaac rethought using the back door. Anyone in the dining room could see them. If either of them got emotional, he’d rather they do it in private.
“Front porch?” he suggested when she returned.
“Gut idea.”
The curve of her lips, the gleam in her eye, the suppressed excitement in her walk revealed she expected different news than what he had to give her. Inste
ad of sharing the porch swing and talking of a future together, he’d be hammering a wedge between them.
Isaac opened the door, but before either of them could step foot outside, the bedroom door nearby banged open. It slammed against the wall, making them both jump.
“I caught you.” Lloyd emerged from the doorway, his face a mask of fury. “Trying to sneak out?”
Isaac couldn’t lie. Although his intentions hadn’t been what Lloyd suspected, they had been secretive.
“No answer? Your guilty faces are answer enough.”
Hearing the commotion, Eli, Wilma, and David hurried into the hallway. Mrs. Vandenberg followed at a slower pace.
“Close that door,” Lloyd commanded. “Neither of you is going anywhere. The last thing we need is more sin.” He swiveled toward Wilma with a scowl. “This is all your doing.”
Sovilla started to protest, but Lloyd silenced her. “You never got into trouble before you went to stay with Wilma.”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong.” Sovilla’s mamm’s voice rang out.
“Only because I caught her.”
“Perhaps it’s time for us to go.” Mrs. Vandenberg faced Sovilla. “We’ll pick you up for church in the morning. Wilma and David would like to go with Eli.”
Brushing past Lloyd, Mrs. Vandenberg straightened her shoulders and tapped her cane down hard with each step. Wilma clicked along behind her with Eli on one side and David on the other. Isaac trailed behind.
He had one last glimpse of Sovilla’s disappointment. Perhaps if she’d heard what he had to say, her expression might be hopeful.
As they returned to the hotel, Isaac held the secret, hot and heavy, inside. The longer he waited, the harder it became. And the more he wanted to forget the letter entirely.
* * *
The bubbles of happiness inside Sovilla as she got into the van the next morning popped when Isaac stared morosely out the window. He responded politely to her questions, but he seemed to be lost in thought. After a few attempts at conversation, she left him alone.
Because Isaac didn’t seem to want to communicate, Sovilla brought up the concern bothering her. “Wilma, I don’t feel right about taking your house away from David.”
David turned his head so he could meet her eyes. “I don’t want or need it. I have my own home. Please accept and enjoy it.”
“Wilma, you might need the money from it,” Sovilla persisted.
Eli chuckled. “Neh, she won’t. We’ve already talked about that. I’ve spent thirty years as a bachelor filling my long, lonely hours working two jobs. We have more than enough.”
“Seems like you’re stuck with the place,” Wilma said.
Stuck with it? Neh, she’d received one of the biggest blessings of her life. Not counting Isaac.
She directed her joy and excitement his way, expecting him to reflect it back. Instead, his smile wobbled, and he didn’t meet her eyes.
Worry churned in Sovilla’s stomach. Ever since she’d gotten into the van, he’d been acting odd. Had she done or said something to hurt or upset him?
Last night, he’d asked to talk to her. After the way they’d been connecting since he’d arrived in Ohio, she’d expected him to ask about courting her. Maybe she’d been wrong. Had he intended to tell her she’d misread their shared smiles, their stolen glances?
* * *
As they headed back to the hotel after church, Isaac shoved his hands in his pockets to fight the urge to hold Sovilla’s hand. He had no right to do that, especially now that he knew of her love for Henry. He’d wrestled with the situation all last night, but his conscience refused to let him rest until he told her the truth.
He waited until everyone else had left the van. “Could we t-talk?”
“You mean right now?”
Isaac nodded. “I have t-to walk Snickers.”
“All right, I’ll go with you.”
Sorrow filled Isaac. Before her cousins had told him about the letter, he might have taken that as a sign. A sign they belonged together. Now, it meant nothing.
“I’ll be in soon,” Sovilla said to Wilma and Mrs. Vandenberg.
She was right. He’d only need a few minutes to explain about Henry. Then they’d go their separate ways.
“What did you want to talk about?” Sovilla asked as Snickers headed toward a tiny patch of grass and weeds.
Isaac stayed silent, trying to find the right way to reveal the truth.
Concrete sidewalks and an asphalt parking lot, only a short distance from a busy highway, didn’t provide the ideal setting for this life-changing conversation. But the setting’s bleakness reflected the state of his future.
By controlling his breathing and blocking off his heart, he made it through the first statement. “I have to . . . tell you about ... Henry.”
“Henry?” Her face paled. “How do you know about him?”
In halting sentences and stuttering words, Isaac recounted yesterday’s meeting with her cousins.
“Henry never got my letter?” Sovilla stared at Isaac as emotions flickered across her face—shock, pain, sadness, regret ...
He had to look away.
“No wonder he never called. I waited and waited.”
Isaac pictured her standing by the phone, longing for a call that never came.
“I thought”—her words were laced with pain—“he didn’t call because he’d left me for someone else. If he believed that fake letter, he must have assumed I’d broken up with him.”
“Jah, he d-did. But now . . .”
She walked along with her head down, her shoulders bowed. “Do you know how much that hurt?”
He certainly did. He was enduring that pain right now.
“It hasn’t b-been long. If you explained—”
“Neh, too much has happened since then.”
“But he might want t-to start over.” Or to go back to where they had been. If it were Isaac, he’d leap at the chance to get back together.
“I can’t.” Sovilla moved ahead of him.
Isaac stayed stuck in place while Snickers nosed at the grass.
“I’m not the same person anymore.”
“When you’re in l-love, it d-doesn’t matter. L-Look at Wilma and Eli.” Even after thirty years, they’d connected right away.
“That’s what got me thinking. Neither of them found anyone else. Henry and I both moved on so quickly, it couldn’t have been true love.”
“You m-moved on?” Isaac tried not to show her words had shaken him to the core.
Sovilla kept her back to him. “Jah.”
He’d spent a lot of time around her recently and had never noticed her with anyone. Anyone but him. Could she mean—?
Isaac jiggled Snickers’s leash to move the puppy forward. He had to see Sovilla’s face, but Snickers remained firmly planted.
“Sovilla?” Isaac breathed her name softly, reverently.
She turned when he called her, and their eyes met. Isaac had no doubt now that she’d meant him.
“You know h-how I feel about you, don’t you?” he asked.
She shook her head.
Couldn’t she tell? Or did she want him to put it into words?
He slipped the loop of Snickers’s leash around his wrist so he could take both of her hands in his. This moment was too special and too sacred to make a mistake.
Please, Lord, help me to get this right.
Then, using everything he’d practiced, Isaac poured out his heart. “From the first time ... I saw you . . . I was attracted.”
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her, but he’d been drawn to her for other, deeper reasons.
Take in air. “My feelings grew ... the more time ... I spent around you.” Sovilla’s shining eyes encouraged him to continue. “I care about you.” Should he use the word love? Or was it too soon? “I’d like to . . . court you.”
“Ach, Isaac, I thought you’d never ask.” Her face glowing, she added, “Every word you said came out perfect.�
�
But she hadn’t answered. He wanted to hear her say jah. He sent the question with his eyes. Sovilla often read his mind. He hoped she’d do it this time.
She squeezed his hands. “I’d like that.”
He had one more nagging thought. “What about Henry?”
“Forget Henry,” she said. “I have.” She went silent for a moment. “I do want to send him a letter.”
Isaac’s insides roiled. What did she want to say to Henry?
“Henry should know that I didn’t write the breakup letter. I don’t want him to feel rejected.”
“I see.” He couldn’t keep his concern from his face and voice. “What if he ch-changes his mind?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to let him know I’m dating someone else. And I’ll wish him and Nancy well.”
“That’s k-kind of you.” But Isaac imagined what he’d do if he received that letter. He’d come after her. Suppose Henry did the same.
“You’re frowning.”
Isaac’s fears constricted his chest so much he could barely breathe. “What if Henry hops on a t-train and comes t-to visit?”
“I’ll send him home.” Sovilla stopped and gazed off into the distance. “Neh, I’d—”
Isaac tensed, waiting for her next words.
“I’d tell him to pray about it and seek God’s will.” Sovilla ducked her head and glanced up at Isaac through her lashes. “I’ve been doing that for a while, and all signs seem to point to you.”
Isaac had felt God leading him to her too, so all he needed to do was trust the Lord. With God’s help, he’d just done the two hardest things in life so far.—giving a speech and asking out the woman he’d fallen for. Surely, he could trust God for all the rest.
* * *
Sovilla floated on clouds of happiness the rest of the afternoon. Even learning they’d be going to Lloyd’s for supper didn’t bring her down.
Mrs. Vandenberg observed the two lovebirds with a self-satisfied smile. Sovilla owed some of her gladness to Mrs. Vandenberg’s matchmaking schemes. If it weren’t for her, Sovilla wouldn’t have spent so much time with Isaac. The two of them owed Mrs. Vandenberg a lot.
An Unexpected Amish Courtship Page 27