Bill slammed his fist on the table. “I trusted you, young man. And now you’ve embroiled my daughter in one of your escapades.”
Even Anita looked at him with disappointment.
“Susanna’s trying to stir up trouble,” Megan said. “Can’t you see that?”
“Of course I do. But if Micah’s foolish enough to play with fire. With my daughter. Under my own roof. Then maybe he deserves to get burned!”
“Dad.”
“No, he’s right,” Micah replied, then shifted his gaze from Megan to Bill. “There’ll be trouble. I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
Bill folded his hands on the table. “What are your feelings for my daughter?”
Micah met Bill’s unflinching gaze. “I admire her. And I respect her. I’m not blind. Megan’s an attractive woman, and I’ve felt fortunate to become friends with her.”
“If you respected her, you wouldn’t have gotten her involved in this.”
“But he was doing the right thing by me,” Megan argued. “He was protecting me. Giving me good advice about Chance, too.”
“At the barn when you were ready to go, he asked you to wait. Was that the right thing? Tell me. Do you love him?”
“Dad. Don’t do this.”
“Are you willing to let Susanna smirch your reputation? If you two are falling in love, then the logical step would be an engagement.”
Megan had never seen her easygoing dad so obstinate. “People don’t believe everything Susanna says. And if you ask me, the elders need to talk to her about her gossiping.”
Brushing that aside, Dad said, “First, I need to know Micah’s intentions.”
Humiliated that Dad was backing Micah into a corner, Megan jumped up and gripped the edge of the table. “But I’m not ready to get married.”
“Engaged,” Dad corrected.
“And it’s the farthest thing from Micah’s mind, too.”
“So you’ve talked about it?”
“Sir,” Micah interrupted. “I’m not sure that friendship and attraction are the basis for a good marriage. As you know, my heart’s set on preaching and ministry. I need to marry the right woman for all the right reasons.” He turned his gaze to Megan. “As much as I like you, I’d rather get voted out than do something we’d both regret.”
“Yes, you can leave Plain City. But Megan has to stay and weather this through. This may ruin her chances to marry a good man.”
Megan lifted her chin. “Maybe I don’t even want to get married. A woman doesn’t have to get married to be happy. Today at the picnic, Lori Longacre and I were talking about that very thing.”
“Nonsense!”
Megan restrained herself from arguing further.
“You were right about one thing, Micah. You were both playing with fire. I’ll call the other elders tonight. See what we can do.”
Megan mumbled, “Thanks.” She gave Micah an embarrassed glance then went to her room. Fighting back anger toward Susanna, she moved to the window and drew back the curtains. The rain enveloped her in a wall of sound. How long ago it seemed since that Christmas season when she stood at this window with Katy and Lil. They’d watched the snow with high hopes of moving into the doddy house. So much water under the bridge since then. Now both her friends were married. And she was floundering, making a mess of her life.
Micah couldn’t have made it any plainer. He’d reinforced what she’d already known. He was attracted to her, but he would marry the right woman for all the right reasons. He would stick to his convictions. And she’d become an old maid like Lori, that is if Micah didn’t marry Lori. Megan had been nothing but a jinx on Micah, creating problems for him. She placed her forehead against the window pane, remembering the John Dryden quotation in her great-grandparents’ latest love letter: “Love is not in our choice, but in our fate.” She was fated to misery.
CHAPTER 34
The next morning, Megan would have preferred to skip church. But on the other hand, she didn’t want to mope at home while Susanna spread gossip. Mom encouraged her to face the situation and get it behind her as quickly as possible, so Megan made the choice to go. But poor Micah had no choice. He had to face the congregation.
Megan slid into a pew as inconspicuously as possible. Mom followed her, leaving a space at the end of the pew for Dad to join them later. Megan opened her church bulletin and noticed the topic was faith then scanned through the announcements until the opening hymn.
After the singing, Micah stepped to the front of the congregation. He took a sip of water and cleared his throat. “I apologize for my voice. I’ve caught a bit of a cold.” Megan conjured up the image of him bringing around not only her car, but also Susanna’s, and then running after his own. “Today’s topic is faith.” Micah raised the Bible in his left hand and recited from memory. “Hebrews ten, verse thirty-eight says, ‘Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.’ ”
He coughed and took another sip of water. “Fruit is an agricultural term. The Christian life is not based on the fruit we bear but on the Lord who gives the vine its fruit. When we walk in His Spirit, He produces fruit in us. He gives us the measure of faith we need for our circumstances, as we need it. Some may only need a cherry, and somebody else might need a watermelon.”
The congregation chuckled, and Megan figured she definitely needed a watermelon.
“This varies from day to day. I lean on faith, same as you. I trust God for my future. You trust God for the future of this congregation. The day is coming when you must decide if I will be your permanent pastor. If we follow God, we can trust Him for our best. Remember faith is unseen, but not unfelt.” He paused and looked over the congregation. His gaze rested briefly on Susanna, included Megan, then moved away.
He ended his sermon with an admonition. “In Acts, the church gathered together to talk about God. The early church gave us an example of what we should be doing. When we leave the auditorium, we should be sharing how God answers prayers, reminding each other of the glories of God, building each other up in the faith, and not tearing each other down.”
“A good reminder,” Megan whispered to her mom.
“Yes.” Mom stood. “Your dad’s got a five-minute meeting with the elders. I’m going to go invite Barbara for lunch.”
Megan watched Mom leave and made her own way to the center aisle, catching up to Katy. Everyone was talking about how the storm had brought their church outing to a screeching halt. When they stepped outside, Katy whispered, “I have something for you.”
They stepped aside so others could pass, and Katy dug in her diaper bag and then handed Megan an envelope. “Micah asked me to give this to you. What’s it about?”
“I don’t know.” She drew Katy off to the side and briefed her about Susanna.
“Oh no. I’ll pray for you. But I wonder if it has anything to do with the envelope? Are you going to open it?”
“Not here.”
“I understand.” Jake waved, and Katy frowned sympathetically. “Stop by the house or call if you need to talk.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep in touch.”
Inside her car, Megan tore open the seal with shaky fingers, removing a note card of the masculine persuasion:
Megan,
“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Micah
Her lips formed a sad smile.
After the Weavers’ Sunday noon meal was finished, Dad offered to help Mom with the dishes, so Megan took Barbara outside to the porch swing.
“I always wanted one of these. Guess it’s one of those things we never got around to. I’ve driven by a few times and seen Micah here studying. Usually, he’s so caught up in what he’s doing, he doesn’t return my wave. It’s been nice working with him at the church. Reminds me of when Eli and I first started out. There wasn’t any church secretary, and I helped him a lot.”
Megan’s legs fell i
nto rhythm with the older woman’s. “I’m glad that’s working out for you.”
“Your mom’s a good cook. Micah has it good here. After he leaves, you think your parents would consider taking on a permanent resident?”
“Why, I’m not sure. It all happened pretty spur of the moment. They seem open about it.”
Barbara’s shoes scuffed the floorboards as her blue gaze traversed the Weavers’ yard. “I love my home, but someday it’s going to be too much for me to take care of.”
“I’ve heard Dad talk. The men don’t mind helping out at the parsonage.”
“Oh, I know. But it seems impractical, don’t you think? I’m sure they don’t want to boot me out, but I sure don’t want them to think they have to wait around for me to die.”
Shocked, Megan shook her head. “Nobody’s thinking about that. Everyone loves you. You’ve served the congregation in many ways. For a long time, too.”
“Exactly, I’m no spring chicken.”
The swing creaked, filling in a gap of silence, and gradually Megan understood. “You want to move into our cottage?”
“I’d do my part. I’m no slacker.”
“That’s the least of anyone’s worries. Do you want me to talk to Mom and Dad?”
“Not yet. After the church votes in Brother Zimmerman, then I’ll talk to your dad.”
“So you’re asking me to keep a secret?”
“You might as well get used to it if you’re going to be a preacher’s wife.” Before Megan could object, the older woman asked, “You think Anita’s bringing our dessert out here, or do we need to go back inside?”
Megan jumped up. “You stay here. I’ll go see.”
But the moment Megan was inside, she paused to compose herself. Preacher’s wife? Was Barbara actually prophetic? She’d seemed so sure that Micah would be voted in. By the abrupt manner in which Barbara changed the subject, the topic was closed. Perhaps the old woman was more brilliant than senile.
Relieved that he wasn’t the first to arrive at Susanna’s two-story, gray-sided residence nestled beneath large evergreens, Micah harbored mixed feelings about the meeting. The elders were bringing the barn incident out into the open, and they wanted both Micah and Susanna present.
He needed to be there to stand up for himself. But his honesty was apt to provide more fodder for Susanna’s voracious appetite. At the least, it would aid her justification. He’d already reckoned with the fact that he deserved whatever might come, but he also knew that God was merciful and forgiving, even if Bill Weaver wasn’t. There was no turning back. The incident needed to get resolved. Especially if by some miracle of God’s grace he ended up being Susanna and Bill’s preacher. Megan’s.
The air smelled of damp soil, stringent from the recent storm. He couldn’t help but notice that Susanna’s yard needed lots of work. The storm had broken some tree limbs, and the flower beds were weedy and rampant with decaying litter. The porch, however, was freshly swept.
Susanna answered the door and curtly invited him in. He wasn’t late, but he was the last to arrive. He took his place at the end of one sofa beside the professor, who gave him a brief pat on the arm. On the other side of him was a round end table, shined to perfection so that he could almost see his own trepidation. A glass lamp and a Bible were the only items on top. A mean thought struck him—that Susanna would profit from reading the holy book.
She came to hover over him. “Would you like some tea? Or are you a coffee sort?”
A quick glance told him that the others had already taken her up on refreshments. “Coffee, if it’s no trouble.”
She speared him with a look that assured him, he was extremely troublesome. But she went into the kitchen and returned shortly with his beverage. She placed a tray of snickerdoodles on the coffee table. “Please help yourselves. I miss cooking for Charles, you know.”
“How long have you been a widow?” Micah asked curiously. She was young for a widow, couldn’t be any more than in her early forties and still carried a trim figure. In spite of the earlier incidents with her, he hadn’t heard her story.
She went to the fireplace mantel and returned with a framed photo, which she handed Micah. “Two years now.”
“He was a handsome man. I’m sorry for your loss.”
She nodded, took the photo, and placed it back on the mantel. Then she turned and placed her hands on her dark skirt. “I have a hunch what this is all about.”
“I’d feel more comfortable if you sat,” Micah said, not liking the way she presided over the room.
She snapped her gaze in his direction. “I’m not really concerned about your comfort, young man.”
Bill leaned forward. “That’s hardly the way to speak to one of God’s anointed. Actually, we’re all your church leaders. And we’d all feel better if ya relaxed and took a seat, Susanna.”
She transposed from gracious host to a red-tailed hawk ready to strike at its nearest victim. Eyes glittering, she perched on an antique side chair near the hearth, keeping herself separated from the men. “Perhaps you should have brought your wives along. I feel like a cornered rabbit.”
It was all Micah could do not to roll his eyes at her dramatization. It was more like she was the bird of prey and they were all the rabbits.
Bill replied, “We could have done that, but we felt this was a personal matter that didn’t need to go any further than the people in this room.”
“Hmmph. There’s one woman already missing who was involved. And are you telling me that your Anita doesn’t know about Micah’s behavior?”
“Let’s pray before this discussion goes any further,” Bill said.
Thankful, Micah bowed his head.
Afterward, Bill returned to the previous conversation. “It’s true that Micah and Megan came to me after the picnic and told me and Anita what had happened. Perhaps we should start with your perception of what you saw and heard that was so troubling.”
Susanna repeated the conversation she’d heard and gave her perception of how loose Micah was around the single women, bringing into it the earlier incident with Joy Ann Beitzel.
“What you claim to have heard validates Micah and Megan’s story. As an elder board, we urge you to consider the fact that Megan and Micah knew each other from Rosedale. Because he’s staying in our guest cottage, they’ve spent time together in our home. After the incident, I asked them if they’ve any intentions of marriage. Neither of them has thoughts along those lines. All they’ve done is have some private conversations. Even then, either Anita or I was at home. They haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Micah specifically said they were playing with fire.”
“Which is pretty smart for a man his age,” the professor interjected.
Micah flinched and quickly whipped a handkerchief from his pocket and sneezed into it.
The professor restated, “We all think Micah’s mature beyond his age.”
“Well, you’re allowed your opinions,” she said.
“And it is the consensus of the elders that you need to look inward and examine the source and motives of your opinions.”
“Well, I never! Brother Troyer would never have acted like this. This church is going to pot.”
“With your husband now gone, we’re here to encourage you in your walk.”
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.” Micah was almost embarrassed over the staunch support the elders gave him. He supposed his set down was coming later.
Susanna gave Micah a cold look. “Noah is right. You’re young. Maybe this has taught you a lesson.”
“You’re right,” Micah said, pretty sure it hadn’t taught her anything edifying.
“The snickerdoodles are tasty,” Bill said, bringing the meeting to a close. “One of my favorites.”
“Yes, we all have our favorites.” Susanna rested a calculating gaze on Micah.
Outside Susanna’s house, Bill followed Micah to his car. “Guess we didn’t have to drive separate.”
/> Micah wasn’t positive Bill was ready to make jokes about the situation, but he couldn’t resist. “Wouldn’t want you to show any favoritism.”
Bill smiled. “Look. I’m sorry I jumped down your throat last night. You caught me off guard. And Megan’s our only daughter.”
“I expected and deserved everything you said.”
“Anita and I were talking about it afterward. Sometimes women have better insight into these kinds of things. We see what’s going on between you and Megan. The undercurrents. We think it would be a healthy thing, if you’d take meals with us again.”
“Undercurrents?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not trying to matchmake. We’re not pushing Megan off on you. I’m talking about your friendship. We all miss you.” Bill shrugged. “Anita suggested it. She’s usually right.”
“Tell Anita I’ll be in for supper tonight.”
“Good.”
Micah got in his car. While he was sitting in Susanna’s living room, the Lord had whispered in his heart what he needed to do regarding the widow. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he was going to be obedient.
After that, when Bill had walked him to the car, he’d been expecting another set down. Bill’s change of attitude was a mystery. Was it godly forgiveness or was it because of those undercurrents he’d mentioned? He said he wasn’t matchmaking, but it seemed like that to Micah.
He remembered Megan admitting that she’d talked to Lori. It had almost sounded like the two had conspired against him, with their anti-marriage sentiments. But maybe that had all been a bluff. Because Megan was warming.
He started his engine, never having imagined an hour earlier that he would leave the widow Schlagel’s house with a grin on his face and a dinner invitation. Indeed, God was merciful.
As Megan set the table, her mom said, “Be sure to set a place for Micah.”
“I doubt he’ll come in tonight.”
“Your dad invited him, and he accepted.”
Megan swung around as her mom took a berry cobbler out of the oven. “Why would he?” Then she shrugged, answering her own question. “I suppose we all need to make amends.”
Plain City Bridesmaids Page 91