Jesse smoothed his hand briefly over her arm.
“I asked you to teach me, and Priscilla will have to learn she can’t be the center of attention all the time. She isn’t the best skater in the community—you are.”
His compliment brought heat to Ruby’s cheeks. Was it possible she had his intentions for her all wrong? She didn’t dare hope that Jesse liked her as much as she liked him. His gentle affections would suggest he returned her feelings, but she would push it aside until he made it clear to her what those feelings were.
“You seem to have the gliding down, but you need to work on keeping your ankles straight.”
Jesse grabbed onto her arm and straightened his ankles. “It’s easy to do if we are just standing here, but once we start to skate, they get wobbly again.”
Ruby tried to keep from giggling. “We also need to work on your posture. You have a tendency to lean forward instead of standing upright.”
Without thinking, Ruby placed a hand on his chest and back. “If you remain upright, there is less chance of falling. You need to keep this trunk of yours strong.”
His muscular chest could be felt easily enough beneath her mitten-clad hands, and she quickly let go of him when she realized she was touching him.
Jesse grabbed her hand that she’d removed from his chest and held it for a minute. She met his gaze with anticipation, only to have the spell break as they both tumbled to the ice.
Ruby grabbed her ankle that twisted beneath Jesse and cried out in pain. Rising to his knees, he pulled off her skate as quickly as he could to examine her ankle. She was in so much pain she couldn’t properly enjoy the attention Jesse paid to her. He was speaking gently to her, but she didn’t really hear him.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but we should get you over to the doctor immediately. Let me grab my boots over at the bench and I’ll be right back.”
Jesse was back at her side in no time. Scooping her up into his strong arms, Ruby was not shy in leaning against the strong plane of his chest. He cradled her gently as he carried her to the far side of the pond where all the other youth had gathered to warm themselves at the outdoor fireplace.
Gabriel came running toward them. “What happened?”
“We slipped on the ice,” Jesse told her bruder. “She twisted her ankle under me.”
Jesse handed her over to Gabriel, and she was sad to leave the safety of Jesse’s arms. “She should go see the doc right away.”
Prissy turned to Jesse. “Will you take me home?”
Jesse nodded, and the look of satisfaction on Prissy’s face was enough to churn Ruby’s stomach. Ruby knew that her cousin would take full advantage of her unfortunate circumstance and turn it around for her own benefit. There was nothing to do about it but pray she would have patience to tolerate her cousin’s unkindness. She loved Prissy, but lately, she didn’t much like her at all.
Gabriel placed Ruby in the back of his sleigh and placed a lap-quilt over her to keep her warm. Jesse rushed up to the sleigh with her other skate and her boots. As he handed them to her, the look of sorrow in his eyes nearly made Ruby weep, but she swallowed down the painful lump that nearly choked her.
“I’m sorry,” he barely whispered.
Ruby laid a hand on his arm. “I know,” she said, her bottom lip quivering.
She longed to be back in his arms, but she couldn’t be certain his kindness wasn’t out of guilt for making her fall. Though just before they’d fallen, she’d thought she’d seen a glimmer of interest in his eyes, but she didn’t dare hope for such a thing.
Gabriel clicked to the horses, and the sleigh’s runners skimmed across the fresh snow. The last thing Ruby saw was Jesse helping a very eager Prissy into the front seat of his sleigh, and then he climbed in next to her.
Ruby tried to erase the image from her mind, not wanting to believe that the two of them were a couple, but from the look of it, it appeared to be that way. It upset Ruby that Prissy didn’t get in the back of Jesse’s sleigh with Eden, but if she knew Prissy, she would have insisted on riding up front with Jesse for the appearance it gave Ruby and everyone else.
Chapter Eight
“Jesse asked me to finish teaching him how to skate,” Prissy boasted.
Ruby didn’t want to believe Jesse would do such a thing, but if Prissy was about to go meet with him, then it must be true.
“When you think about it, Ruby, it makes the most sense. I don’t know why Jesse didn’t ask me in the first place. It’s obvious I’m a better skater than you are. After all, I wouldn’t have fallen the way you did.”
Ruby bit her bottom lip to keep from retorting out of anger. It didn’t matter what Prissy said about her—she knew the truth.
“You could have spared yourself the embarrassment,” Prissy continued. “If you had simply told Jesse when he asked you that I was the better choice to teach him what he needed to know.”
Ruby didn’t like the slyness of Prissy’s statement. It implied improper behavior, and she didn’t want to think about Prissy throwing herself at Jesse the way she was. If he held Prissy while they skated the way he had held her yesterday, Ruby was certain she would cry. But what did it matter? She was incapable of skating with him now. The doctor said she had to be off her feet for two full days. In two days, Prissy could have Jesse talked into marrying her! Ruby hoped Jesse wasn’t that fickle, but she knew Prissy was that pushy. Besides, Jesse was probably better suited for Prissy; they were both bold and outspoken, and Ruby was too timid and shy.
Tugging the quilt up to her neck, Ruby reclined on the sofa in the sitting room and turned her back on her cousin. “I need to rest, Prissy.”
Priscilla sighed heavily. “I can take a hint, Ruby. You don’t want me around because you’re jealous of me!”
She stormed off without another word.
Ruby wasn’t jealous, she was simply tired of Prissy belittling her and trying to provoke her. If she was going to be with Jesse, it would be Gotte’s Wille, and there would be nothing Ruby could do about it. She would not waste time arguing with Prissy, who seemed to delight in her agony; her time would be better spent in prayer. She would pray an unselfish prayer for Prissy’s happiness, as well as her own and Jesse’s. The rest was up to Gott, and Ruby was determined to accept whatever was in store for her future—with or without Jesse Fisher.
****
“This isn’t going to work, Priscilla,” Jesse said impatiently. “I appreciate your offer to help me, but I’d rather skate alone and work on the things Ruby already taught me before…”
“Before you knocked her down and probably crippled her for life,” Priscilla barked. “You should be ashamed of yourself for pushing her!”
Jesse finished lacing up his skate and stood up, towering over Priscilla. “That was an accident, and you know it, Priscilla.”
Prissy folded her arms and held her ground.
“Tell that to Ruby!”
Jesse tried his best to keep his emotions from surfacing, but he just couldn’t. “Does Ruby blame me for the accident?”
The corners of Prissy’s mouth turned up with contempt. “Of course she blames you; she might never skate again!”
Jesse squared his shoulders and pushed past her onto the ice. He breathed a simple prayer as he moved his way toward the end of the pond where Ruby had fallen—where he’d caused her to fall. He couldn’t bear to think that he could be responsible for her never being able to skate again. Tears erupted in his throat, threatening to flood his vision. How could he possibly make this up to her?
Without realizing it, Jesse skated a perfect figure-eight, tracing the grooves left in the ice from Ruby the day before. He straightened, holding his frame the way she’d told him to, as he skated almost perfectly across the ice.
He’d never felt so free.
Then it dawned on him; Ruby had taught him everything except what he now realized. She’d instructed him on the basics of keeping his back and his ankles straight, and how to glide. But now as he glided ove
r the sleek surface of the pond, he’d finally learned the one lesson no one can teach: the love of the ice. It was as if he finally understood what Ruby had told him about her connection to the ice and how it made her feel.
When Ruby skated, it was like watching a dandelion seedling floating around atop the tall grasses in the field. She danced across the ice with such grace and elegance; he couldn’t help but desire that feeling. Now, in her absence, he understood her passion. He had taken that away from her when he’d caused her to fall. It was her connection to her mamm, and if she could never skate again, she might never forgive him for losing something so precious to her. Jesse’s heart swelled with love for Ruby. He ached for her potential loss.
Gott, please heal Ruby’s ankle. Restore her ability to skate, and preserve the connection she feels with her mamm when she’s skating. Help her to forgive me for causing her to fall.
****
Ruby could not get comfortable no matter what she did. Eden had stayed with her most of the afternoon and brought her hot tea and gingerbread cookies, but nothing made Ruby happy. She was miserable—not because of the little bit of pain left in her ankle, but because of the stabbing pain in her heart. She hadn’t realized until it was too late that she loved Jesse, and the thought of having to give him up made her heart ache. She didn’t dare share her feelings with Eden. After all, how do you tell your best friend that you’re in love with her bruder—especially when you know there is no way he will ever return those feelings? She wasn’t willing to make a fool of herself any more than she already had. It was always best to keep quiet regarding things that would cause potential embarrassment. She would hold it all in and wait for Gott to heal the hurt.
Chapter Nine
“But Eden, you must know something! You’re her best friend.”
Jesse was pleading with his schweschder, when he should have tried harder to make Ruby see him. He’d tried to pay her a visit, but her daed had turned him away, explaining that Ruby had no desire to accept his visit. The only explanation was that she blamed him for the fall and refused to forgive him.
“Just because we are friends doesn’t mean I know everything she is thinking. She was very sad when I was with her yesterday. When I see her this afternoon, I will try to get through to her. I know you care for her, but it’s probably best not to push her right now.”
Jesse didn’t like that answer. The only thing that would satisfy his guilt was knowing she was able to skate again. If he’d taken that away from her, he would never be able to live with himself. He set his kaffi cup in the sink and shrugged into his coat. He had chores to do if he was going to make time to practice out on the pond later this afternoon.
****
Ruby fought back tears as she silently prayed that Prissy was telling lies about her relationship with Jesse. She had become quite the liar, and Ruby hoped she was lying about this too. If Jesse had indeed asked Prissy to the Christmas Skate Party on Saturday, then Ruby had no reason to push her recovery. Yesterday, she’d wanted to be up on her feet again so she could skate with Jesse. But after hearing Prissy’s announcement just now, she would stay as far away from the pond on Saturday as she could. No use in making a fool of herself when Jesse didn’t want her. He’d made his choice and Ruby would have to live with it.
“I’m on my way to skate with him again this afternoon,” Prissy announced. “He’s really improving now that I’ve begun to help him. I suppose if you’d taught him the right way then he wouldn’t have fallen, and you wouldn’t be laying on the sofa feeling sorry for yourself.”
She wasn’t feeling sorry for herself; her heart was broken, and her cousin was rubbing her misfortune in her face. “You obviously didn’t come here to see how I was faring, so please leave. I’m not feeling up to having visitors.”
Gabriel entered the sitting room with an armful of wood for the fireplace. “Be on your way, Priscilla.”
Ruby was suddenly grateful for her bruder’s authoritative support. It made her realize that he, too, had recognized Prissy’s presence as a nuisance. Priscilla left promptly after shooting an angry glare in Ruby’s direction.
“Why do you let her push you around like that, Ruby?” Gabriel asked.
Ruby shrugged. “I suppose I feel sorry for her. Besides, she’s familye.”
Gabriel placed two logs on the fire and stirred up the coals to ignite them. “Jah, except she needs to remember her manners.”
Ruby knew better than to say anything more about the subject, and she was content to let the matter drop. She snuggled deeper under the quilt until the fire spread warmth into the room. Alone with her thoughts, Ruby whispered a prayer of forgiveness for feelings of anger toward Prissy and Jesse. She knew it wasn’t fair to begrudge them true happiness if that was Gotte’s Wille.
****
“She’s lying, Ruby,” Eden said. “She spent the entire afternoon skating with Tobias.”
Ruby tested her ankle before putting her full weight on it. Satisfied that she could walk to the other room without limping, Ruby knew her ankle would be strong enough by the following day to get back out onto the ice. “Jesse told me he asked Tobias to keep her occupied while we skated. I guess I thought he meant to keep her away from the other menner so he could have Prissy for himself as his date for the party.”
Eden shook her head with disgust. “You know mei bruder isn’t like that, Ruby.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Prissy was just here an hour ago trying to convince me that Jesse asked her to the Christmas Skate Party. Why would she do that?”
“Because she’s a spiteful, mean liar,” Eden said through gritted teeth.
“Nee, she’s hurting the same as I was after mei mamm died. She and her mamm were forced to come here and live after her daed and bruder died in the buggy accident. She is jealous of mei familye—mei daed and bruders.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. You’re both missing a parent,” Eden said.
“She was never like this when we were younger. Do you remember two summers ago when she last visited? We had a lot of fun. And then—the accident happened with her familye.”
“I suppose it makes sense. I don’t remember her ever being this mean.” Eden agreed. “What can we do to make her stop acting this way?”
Ruby took Eden’s hands in hers and squeezed lightly. “We show her mercy.”
Eden knew Ruby was right, even if she didn’t know how much mercy she could show a person who was as mean-spirited as Prissy. But for her best friend, Eden was willing to try—and for the sake of Jesse. There was also Gabriel to consider, the one with whom Eden was interested in sharing some time on the ice at the Christmas party, and possibly more.
Chapter Ten
Snowflakes fell like glitter from the sky as Ruby twirled around the ice. She’d finished her chores early, hoping to have some solitude on the ice before the rest of the youth began to gather for the last practice before the skate party that would be underway later that evening. She’d avoided Prissy after her announcement that she would be attending the skate party with Jesse. She expected them to arrive late so Prissy could be sure everyone could see her shallow victory—Jesse being her prize. Prissy didn’t love Jesse, and it didn’t seem fair that she should win his heart. But Ruby was determined to abide by Gotte’s Wille.
Letting the scraping of her skates across the surface of the ice lull her into the past, Ruby longed to have her mamm beside her, holding her hand the way she used to when she was young.
“I was hoping to find you here,” Jesse’s familiar voice startled her.
She came to an abrupt stop, the blades of her skates spraying ice on him. “Sorry,” she said with a smile.
“You’d think I’d learn to steer clear from you when you’re stopping suddenly, but I suppose I will need to be sprayed with ice shavings a few more times before it will sink in.”
Silence formed a barrier between them as she rolled slowly toward the edge of the pond where Jesse stood, his gaze reeling her in
toward him. He sat on the bench and began to lace up his skates while she swished back and forth in front of him. She didn’t dare ask why he was looking for her, and she didn’t dare hope it was to ask her to the skate party. With only a few hours until the party, she knew she would be attending with Gabriel and Eden. Tobias would likely go with them so Jesse could escort Prissy in his sleigh. Ruby was determined to be happy for her cousin, and she would be content to skate with Eden. With any luck, one of the young menner in the youth group would ask her to skate—and she would be happy about it.
Really she would.
Jesse suddenly surprised Ruby by skating up behind her and pulled her into a figure-eight. It wasn’t perfect, but it was far more graceful than she’d expected.
She looked into his eyes as the trees around the pond wished by them. “You knew how to skate all along! You tricked me!”
“Nee, I didn’t trick you. It wasn’t my first time on skates, and I’d forgotten how to balance and keep my ankles straight, but I learned this from watching you over the years. Earlier today when I let myself go, and imagined—the way you probably do—I was able to skate better. This is because of the way I feel about you, Ruby.”
They both stopped and Jesse faced her. “I’m sorry for making you fall, but if that hadn’t happened, I probably would not have had the time on the ice to sort out how I feel.”
“I forgive you, Jesse.” She didn’t dare say anymore, or hope he would reveal he felt the same about her as she felt about him. She loved him. There was no doubt as she gazed into his blue eyes, his crooked smile inviting her closer.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take the suspense anymore, Jesse pulled off his gloves and cupped her face with his hands. He lifted her face gently toward him until his cold lips touched hers, warming them with the love he felt for her. Ruby was lost in his kiss, the gentle sweeping of his mouth across hers sent shivers straight to her toes.
Amish White Christmas: Three Complete Novellas (Snowflakes on Goose Pond, Snow Angels, The Gingerbread Haus {Amish Christian Romance}) Page 3