Promised to Another

by Laura Hilton

  Joshua waited until Mamm was gone, and then he leaned toward her. “I’d love any chance to be out with you. But I’m sorry for the situation that’s causing it.”

  Her heart nearly melted. Jah, she was in love with Joshua Esh, for sure and for certain. And he was acting as if he felt the same way about her. But, given the way she’d seen him act around every other girl in the district, how would she know for sure? He could merely be a master at sweet talk.

  Annie really didn’t know how to act around him. Nor did she know how to respond. She lowered her head. Who knew falling in love tied a stomach up in so many knots? Her friends had made it seem easy. Did it stay this hard, or did it get better as the relationship progressed? She wished she knew. At least she knew who to ask.

  Annie stood up and followed Mamm into the other room, leaving Joshua to finish his breakfast at the table alone.

  When Annie entered the living room, Cathy glared at her. “Why did you put them up to this insane idea? I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary with Joshua. I want him out of our haus. He isn’t welkum.”

  Annie sucked in a breath. She’d known how Cathy felt, but it hurt to hear her proclaim it out loud. But then, Cathy didn’t know how she felt about Joshua, did she?

  Daed planted his fists on his hips. “Actually, this idea is not so insane. It is ser gut.” He glanced toward the door. Annie turned around and saw Joshua standing there, closer to her than she’d expected. Just a tiny step forward, and she’d be in his arms. The thought made her catch her breath. She stepped away from him, figuring it best to eliminate the temptation.

  Daed studied Joshua. “I don’t know the situation between you and this David—”

  “A bullfrog. I stole a bullfrog from him when we were kinner.”

  Daed shook his head. “I am not going to have this situation grow to include the members of this haus. It needs to be straightened out as soon as possible. Today is not a church Sunday. You can go visit him and get this worked out.”

  Joshua gave a single nod, his lips tight. He focused on Annie, and his gaze softened. “You’ll kum with me, ain’t so?” Then, he looked at Cathy. “And you, too, please? Since you and David are….” There was a long pause. Joshua probably didn’t know whether they were officially courting, and he didn’t want to expose Cathy to her parents. “Friends?”

  Cathy huffed, considered him a moment, and then shrugged. “Fine. But I think it’s a waste of time. You two have too much to work out; a simple apology over a stupid bullfrog is not going to settle things.”

  “What else do they have to work out?” Annie raised her eyebrows at Cathy. How could she say such a thing? And how dare she disrespect Mamm and Daed? Daed would have a private talk with her about this later, she was certain.

  Joshua angled Cathy a look of surprise. “Excuse me?”

  She spread her arms wide. “I’m just saying….”

  Annie studied Joshua, wondering if he was hiding something else from them.

  “What else could we possibly have to work out?” Joshua seemed as confused as Annie. Maybe he wasn’t hiding anything.

  Cathy shrugged again and turned on her heel. “We’d best finish up breakfast so that we can go. I think David’s host family was expecting guests today. Aents, onkels, and cousins and such. David is missing his family. Might be gut for me to go. At least he’ll have someone there who cares.” She pushed her way past Joshua and returned to the kitchen.

  Frowning, Daed glanced at Annie, then at Joshua, and shook his head. Then, he grasped the handles of Mamm’s wheelchair and pushed her into the kitchen.

  Leaving Annie alone with Joshua again. She sucked in a breath of suddenly charged air and moved to pass Joshua. Not to shove rudely past, as Cathy had done, but to give him as wide a berth as possible, lest she be tempted to do something inappropriate. She didn’t want to even brush against him, as overwhelmed as she was by attraction to him.

  But her efforts were in vain. As she walked by, Joshua reached out with both hands and pulled her gently into his arms. He held her against him for a long moment, his hands resting loosely on her waist, his chest rising and falling against hers as he inhaled and exhaled. She could have stepped away, but she didn’t want to. She looked up, opening her mouth to say…she didn’t know what.

  He lowered his head, brushed her lips lightly with his, and then leaned back, his gaze searching hers. He must have sensed her desire, for his hands slid around to her back and drew her closer, his lips finding hers again. This time, he planted them there firmly, as though they belonged.

  Joshua Esh, kissing her…Annie wondered if her heart could handle this delightful assault on her senses. She wanted to raise her arms and wrap them around his neck, but they made it only as far as his chest, stalling there, flattened against the roughness of his shirt. She heard his frantic intake of breath at her touch. She fingered the opening down the middle flap of the fabric, as well as the Velcro closure, and then gripped his suspenders and held on. She stood as still as she could, afraid to move, not wanting to destroy the moment.

  “Relax. Just do what I do,” he whispered against her mouth. His lips moved against hers, coaxing a response. Her first kisses ever, not counting the time Luke tried and missed, planting a peck on her cheek, instead. She attempted to mimic Joshua’s moves. Was she doing it right? She released his suspenders, slid her arms up to his shoulders, and allowed herself to get lost in the moment, responding as he deepened the kiss.

  What could have been hours later, but was probably only seconds, he stepped back, his hands falling away. He glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen. As she tried to focus on breathing, sounds of the family in the next room seeped back into her consciousness.

  “Joshua!” she whispered. “What was that for?” Did she sound as breathless as she felt? She wanted to ask if she’d done okay.

  He met her gaze. “For courage. For good luck. And because I figured either Luke Schwartz or I would be kissing you, and I wanted to make sure it was me.”

  Annie mulled over his words for a few moments. Maybe too long. Shame washed over her. How could she have allowed him such liberties? They weren’t even courting. Plus, even though she’d kissed him back, she didn’t know if she’d done it right. He might compare her against others he’d kissed and find her wanting. That would make it worse. Her face heated. How many other girls had he taught to kiss? She moved out of reach and tried to find a frown. “Don’t ever do that again, Joshua Esh.”

  Her warning didn’t seem to faze him. She didn’t see an ounce of repentance in his eyes. He just smiled. Shrugged. “Fine. The next time I kiss you, it’ll be because you asked me to.”

  The next time? Pretty presumptuous, wasn’t he?

  He turned and walked out of the room, whistling one of the tunes that was popular at singings. And leaving her standing there, still feeling his kisses, torn between begging for more, right then and there, and calling after him that he shouldn’t expect her to ask for any more, ever again.

  ***

  Joshua surveyed the farmyard of the home where David Lapp was staying as he maneuvered the buggy, pulled by Annie’s horse, Penny, onto the property. Almost a dozen other buggies were parked around the driveway. How long would he be able to hold out before they forced him to go buy his own?

  He glanced at Annie, sitting stiffly beside him in the front seat, as if afraid to relax, in case accidentally touching him would cause her to lose all self-control. Or, maybe she simply didn’t trust him. He looked over his shoulder at Cathy, minding her own business in the backseat. At least she’d finally stopped glowering at him. Maybe the prospect of seeing David Lapp had brightened her attitude.

  He stopped the buggy in front of the porch and set the brakes. Then, he glanced at Annie again, his eyes darting to her soft lips. He wanted another kiss for courage. He hadn’t expected her to be inexperienced with kissing, especially considering she’d been promised to Luke, but it pleased him. He’d been her first. He couldn�
�t keep from grinning. He wanted to reach out to her, touch her, even if only her hand.

  Instead, he vaulted out of the buggy and reached up to help Cathy. She ignored his offer and scrambled out on her own, while Annie climbed down on the other side, opting not to wait for him.

  The front door of the haus opened, and David Lapp stepped out onto the porch with a wide smile. “Cathy Beiler. What brings you by? Kum on in. We were about to have some shoofly pie.” He nodded at Annie. And his smile faltered and seemed to freeze as his gaze came to rest on Joshua.

  Lord, give me the words to speak. Joshua

  slowly approached the porch. “David. Can we talk a

  moment?”

  David studied him, and then his dark brown eyes darted to Cathy, his eyebrows arching. She shook her head.

  He looked back at Joshua. “For a minute, jah. In private?”

  “Jah, if you don’t mind.” Joshua wanted Annie by his side, but he would manage. It was probably better if neither she nor Cathy overheard their

  discussion.

  David hesitated for a moment. “Jah.” He turned away. “Cathy, Annie, go on in. Make yourselves at home.”

  The door opened again, and David’s host mamm peeked out. Joshua couldn’t remember her name, though he’d met her once. The Beilers lived in a different district, so the two families didn’t attend the same church services. She held the door open wide. “Kum in, kum in.”

  David waved. “Jah, Joshua and I will be right in. Give us a moment.”

  Joshua stood by the buggy, waiting for David to join him.

  He approached, stopping a good three feet away from Joshua. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I have a past wrong to make right.”

  David raised his eyebrows.

  “Years ago, when I stole your bullfrog, Daed made me apologize. I feel I need to do so again, for real this time. And I never should have made fun of you afterwards. Please forgive me?” Joshua took off his straw hat and wiped the moisture off of his brow with his sleeve.

  There was a very long silence. Joshua put his hat back on and shifted his weight uncomfortably.

  Finally, David nodded. “Forgive as the Lord has forgiven.” He paused for a moment. “But why now?”

  “Because it’s time we laid the past to rest. I’d like us to be friends. Especially since….” Joshua looked toward the haus.

  David’s eyes widened as Joshua’s unspoken meaning became clear. “Since they’re sisters?” he finished the sentence for him. “Jah, we should mend fences, then.”

  Since David had forgiven him so readily, Joshua figured that Cathy must have exaggerated the seriousness of their feud. That David hadn’t been behind the spicy omelet, after all. That Cathy had lied. Should he warn David about his girl’s devious ways?

  Maybe later. Joshua grinned. “Gut. That’s settled, then. Would you like to kum fishing with us? We have enough gear in the back of the buggy.”

  “Jah, that sounds gut. West Wildcat Creek isn’t too far away. Just across the highway. I’ve caught white catfish and smallmouth bass there.”

  Joshua nodded. “Or, we could go to one of the stocked ponds around here. The Stoltzfuses won’t mind if we fish at their place.”

  “We could, though I prefer fly-fishing in streams and rivers to stocked ponds,” David said.

  “I didn’t bring a fly-fishing reel, just normal spinning reels.” Joshua shrugged. “But that’s fine. You can fish your way, and I’ll fish mine. Do you make your own flies?”

  “Jah, I learned how to tie up in Pennsylvania. I took up fly-tying to cut the costs of all the flies I left in bushes and trees everywhere I went. Discovered they sell pretty well, too. I’ll get Cathy and Annie. Did you happen to think of a picnic lunch?”

  “Cathy and Annie put one together.” Joshua would pass on any parts Cathy had prepared, just in case she’d decided to give him another dose of jalapeño.

  David went inside to summon the girls, and, before long, they were headed toward the creek David had mentioned. Annie sat beside Joshua, just as tense as before, perched almost on the edge of the seat. David and Cathy sat together in back, shoulder to shoulder. Joshua wished he could pull Annie closer. If only she’d relax. Trust him. For now, he would have to be patient. Though she must have realized how he felt about her when they’d kissed. Surely, she wouldn’t think he went around kissing all the girls. With his reputation, though, she just might assume as much. He’d have to correct that impression. She hadn’t been his first kiss, but she had been the first in Missouri. And he hoped she would be his last.

  Joshua glanced over his shoulder at the couple in the back. He was glad that mending fences with David hadn’t been so hard, after all. He should have done it a long time ago. Maybe a new friendship with David would go a long way toward patching up his relationship with Cathy. It’d be nice to have a good rapport with his potential future sister-in-law, even if they wouldn’t cross paths too often, with David and Cathy in Missouri and he and Annie in Pennsylvania.

  They reached the traffic light along the highway just as it turned red. Joshua braked to a stop. A pickup cut in front of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler. It blared its air horn, startling Penny. She reared and then bolted, right into the path of the semi.

  Chapter 17

  Annie woke up to mayhem. A horse screamed. Sirens wailed. People shouted. She ached all over. She opened her eyes, disoriented, and found herself face-to-face with a stranger. She struggled to sit up, even though the man tried to restrain her movements. He wore a uniform, but he didn’t look like a police officer. Dizziness washed over her, and she grabbed her left wrist with her right hand. All of her pain seemed to be radiating from there. The stranger said something—she saw his mouth move—but she could hardly comprehend one word.

  “Cathy? Joshua? Are they…okay?” She looked around, trying to get her bearings, but everything was blurry. “What happened?”

  The man muttered more sounds she couldn’t interpret, but they were quickly drowned out by a deafening siren. Annie twisted her head and spotted an ambulance, lights flashing, on the other side of the highway. What was she doing in the middle of the road?

  A horse kept on screaming. Penny? She attempted to struggle to her feet, but the man pressed her back down again, gently yet firmly. The grave look he gave her deterred any further attempts to move, though she still couldn’t make out his words.

  A shot rang out, and she jumped, pain shooting through her afresh. The screaming had stopped. “M-my horse?” Tears filled her eyes. “What happened?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.

  “Shh, shh.” The man frowned with concern. “The horse was just put down. An act of mercy, really, as bad as it was hurt. It’s a miracle you’re alive. The buggy was destroyed.” This time, she understood him. Maybe because it was quieter, calmer. Or possibly because he’d raised his voice.

  Penny, dead? What about Cathy? Joshua? David? Tears flowed down her cheeks. She blinked them back and craned her neck to see the ambulance. To try to identify who the other people in uniform were tending to. “My sister…? My friends…?”

  She was shushed again. “Everything will be okay. You’ll be fine.”

  Maybe so, but what about the others? Her arm ached when she tried to move, but she struggled to get up again. He held her down. “Let me go. I have to know.”

  “I’ll find out.” The man got up, turned to someone else, and spoke, too quietly for Annie to hear. The other person walked off.

  “What’s your name?” the man asked.

  Annie stared at him. Who cared what her name was? She certainly didn’t see how that mattered. “My sister? Joshua? David? How are they? I need to know.” Her stomach churned.

  “They’re checking. But you were knocked unconscious. I need to know if your memory is functioning. What’s your name?”

  She sighed. “My memory is just fine. I’m Annie May Beiler. Do you want my birthday? Do you want to see some ID? Perhaps you’d like to hear me
recite the alphabet? A, B, C, D….”

  The man smiled. “A feisty one, eh? No, that won’t be necessary. Your memory appears to be fine.”

  Annie looked around again, but she couldn’t see through the crowd of people, the traffic backup, the semi, to tell what was happening.

  Someone must have been loaded into the ambulance, because it rolled away, lights flashing, siren screaming. Seconds later, another ambulance pulled into the same space. Another man, this one wearing an EMT badge, came to check on her. Evidently, her injuries weren’t life-threatening, so she was left to await another ambulance. Meanwhile, the second ambulance pulled away as urgently as the first.

  Time seemed to roll by in decades rather than minutes or seconds. No one came to tell her about Cathy or Joshua or David. But, if they’d been dead, surely they wouldn’t have been taken away first, right? Live victims would get the top priority, she was sure. That was her only consolation.