“What about school?” Katy asked. She hated missing class—catching up with the homework would be so hard.
Dad looked at her like she’d said something foolish. “Katy, if it snowed like that in Salina, they’ve probably cancelled school for the day. Go turn on the radio. Let’s see if there are cancellation reports.”
They kept their radio dial on the same station—a news station—and only used it to gather information. Static crackled the words, but after a few minutes of listening they discovered all the schools in Salina and its surrounding towns had been closed. Disappointment struck. Only one day back and this had to happen! Why couldn’t it have snowed during Christmas break instead?
At least I won’t have to catch up on a pile of homework, Katy consoled herself.
“Well, I doubt Caleb will be foolish enough to try to drive in this,” Dad mused.
Katy didn’t agree with Dad’s assessment, but she knew Caleb’s mother would be smart enough to keep her son home. “So I’ll be your helper in the barn?” She smiled as she asked the question so Dad would know she wasn’t complaining. It might actually be warmer out there with the heat from the animals.
“‘Fraid so. But first, let’s get some coffee going. We’ll need it to warm us up.”
While they sat at the table sipping the hot, strong coffee, Katy asked, “What if you can’t get the furnace started, Dad? It’s really cold in here.”
“Jeff Reimer will get out his tractor, put on the big snowplow blade, and clear the roads, like he always does.” Dad cupped his palms around his coffee mug. “It’ll take him a while to get everything cleared, but surely by this evening, I’ll be able to get into town for help.”
“This evening? But—but—“ Katy nearly yelped. Wouldn’t they freeze to death by then?
“We’ll keep the stove going,” Dad said, “and just spend the day in the kitchen. If you get too cold, we’ll bundle up and I’ll walk you to the Gehrings’. They use woodburning stoves instead of a furnace, so they always have heat.” A slight smile twitched at the corners of Dad’s mouth. “It’ll be a cold walk, but the wind’s not blowing, so we can do it.”
That meant being cooped up with Annika. As angry as Annika had been, Katy might find it colder at her friend’s heated house than in her own unheated house. She said, “I should be okay here in the kitchen.”
Dad added, “If for some reason Reimer doesn’t get the road cleared and I can’t get to town by supper, I’ll want you to sleep at the Gehrings’ tonight. It’ll be too cold here for you after a day of no heat.”
She put down her empty mug. “Okay. I’ll get some breakfast started.”
Katy spent most of the day sewing a dress. She brought the sewing machine into the kitchen and set it up on the table. The light wasn’t nearly as good as the upstairs bedroom with its three big windows, but she had no desire to be in the chilly upstairs today. By three o’clock, Mr. Reimer hadn’t shown up with his tractor plow, and Dad decided to take Katy to the Gehrings’.
“Bundle up good,” he said. “Go ahead and put on some work coveralls, and tuck the legs into a pair of boots. We want to keep the snow off of you as much as possible.”
Katy hated working in the barn in the ill-fitting coveralls—how would she walk for a whole mile in those things? But she didn’t argue with Dad. Dad broke the path across the pasture for her, and following in his footsteps reminded her of when she was a little girl, always trailing behind him. He used to joke that he never stepped backward without looking because he knew he’d step on her.
The past weeks, fighting about Mrs. Graber, had robbed her of that close feeling with Dad. She wondered if she’d get the closeness back now that he had decided not to marry Rosemary Graber. She hoped so. She had missed him.
It took over an hour to walk the mile across the pasture to the Gehrings’, and by the time they got there, Katy’s feet felt frozen and her face was stiff from the cold. Dad pounded on the door, and Annika’s mother answered. Her eyes widened in surprise when she spotted Dad and Katy on the rickety porch.
“Samuel and Katy Lamb right! What are you two doing out in this blizzard?”
Katy stifled a giggle. A blizzard meant high winds and blowing snow. It might be cold and snowy, but it was calm. Apparently, Mrs. Gehring needed to check a dictionary.
Dad pushed Katy over the threshold. The warmth from the room greeted Katy, and her body shuddered in relief. Dad stomped his feet on the porch before stepping into the house. “Our furnace went out, so we don’t have heat at our place, and I couldn’t get to town to get help.”
Mrs. Gehring shook her head, the black ribbons on her cap swaying. “Sometimes I think you men need to discuss having telephones at least in the barn so we can call for help when we need it. Do you two want to stay here?”
“I have to take care of the cows,” Dad said, “but I’d like it if Katy could stay the night. It’s just too cold at our place.”
“Of course she can!” By Mrs. Gehring’s warm welcome, Katy knew Annika hadn’t told her mother about their disagreement. Mrs. Gehring patted Katy’s shoulder. “She’s welcome to stay as long as she needs to. She’ll just bundle in with Annika, like they used to when they were little.” She turned toward the back of the house and bellowed, “Annika!” Facing Katy again, she smiled. “She’s mixing dough for cinnamon rolls for tomorrow’s breakfast. Does that sound good?”
Annika scurried into the room. “What is it, Mom?” Her curious expression turned stony when she saw Katy, and she clamped her mouth shut.
“Katy’s spending the night—no heat at her house,” Mrs. Gehring explained briefly. “Take her on up to your room so she can get out of those wet coveralls. She might need to put on one of your dresses if her clothes underneath are wet too.” She turned back to Dad. “Don’t you worry Samuel. We’ll take good care of Katy. Do you want to stay for a while and warm up? Dale has all the stoves roaring. We’ve been just fine today.” She almost looked smug.
Dad shook his head. “I better head back—milking time soon.” He offered Katy a smile. “’Bye. Stay warm.”
“’Bye, Dad,” Katy said and watched him head back onto the porch.
Mrs. Gehring closed the door with a snap then swished her palms together. “Annika, are you still standing there? Do what I said before Katy catches a cold.”
“Yes, Mom. C’mon, Katy.” But even though Annika moved in obedience, Katy knew that inwardly she was rebelling.
Chapter Twenty-One
Annika opened her wardrobe and yanked out a dress. She tossed it onto the bed and said in a flat voice, “There. Use it if you need it.” She whirled and headed for the bedroom door.
Katy scuttled forward and caught Annika’s arm. If they were going to spend the night together, she intended to clear the air now. She wouldn’t spend hours tiptoeing around Annika and pretending everything was okay when they were in front of her family then sit in chilly silence when they were alone. “Wait.”
Annika shrugged loose. “What? You’ve got a dry dress. Change. I’ve got work to do.”
Katy let out a huff. “Annika, just stop it! The dough can wait for a minute or two. Will you listen to me?”
Folding her arms over her chest, Annika glared at Katy. Obviously, she wasn’t going to make this easy.
Katy looked directly into Annika’s angry face and said softly, “Will you let me apologize for yelling at you the other day? I wasn’t mad at you, but I took it out on you, and I shouldn’t have. I really am sorry.”
Annika’s expression didn’t soften. “You hurt my feelings. And you hurt Caleb’s feelings. What you said wasn’t nice at all.”
Katy ducked her head. “I know.” Even though she’d spoken the truth, she knew it was better to be kind than to blurt everything she thought, true or not. “I feel bad that Caleb heard me. And I plan to apologize to him the next time I see him.” She looked at Annika again. “And in a way, you were right.”
Annika’s brows came together. “About wha
t?”
“About me being jealous.”
A slight smirk formed on Annika’s lips. “I thought so.”
“But not of you and Caleb,” Katy quickly clarified. “Of my dad and Mrs. Graber. I didn’t like that Dad spent so much time with her. I felt like she was replacing me, and it made me mad. But honestly, I don’t have any interest in Caleb for a boyfriend. You can have him.”
Annika rolled her eyes. “He isn’t yours to give.” The words were snotty, but her tone was mild. She was losing her anger.
Katy said, “I know. I just meant I’m not going to compete with you for him. If you want him for a boyfriend, that’s fine, and I’m not jealous at all.” There’s somebody else I like. She hadn’t seen Bryce at school at all yesterday. And she wouldn’t see him again until all this snow cleared. The thought made her lonely for him.
“Well, I suppose that’s good to know.” Annika picked at a loose thread on her sleeve. “But you’re going to have to get over your jealousy for Mrs. Graber. Once she marries your dad, she’ll be around all the time, and you’ll be miserable if you don’t learn to accept her.”
Katy didn’t much like being lectured by Annika. Besides, Annika didn’t know everything. For once, Katy knew something before anybody else. She smiled. “Oh, it’s not a problem anymore. She isn’t marrying my dad.”
Annika’s chin jerked up, and she met Katy’s gaze. “What?”
Her surprised reaction was very satisfying. “My dad changed his mind. He isn’t going to get married after all.”
Annika shook her head slowly back and forth with her eyes wide. “Oh, Katy, that’s terrible.”
Katy jolted. Terrible? “Why?”
“Your dad was so happy…” Tears actually appeared in the corners of Annika’s eyes. “Everyone said so. And everybody thought Mrs. Graber was perfect for him.” She wiped her eyes. “Why’d he change his mind?”
Guilt sat like a rock in Katy’s gut. She pressed her palms to her stomach. “I—I’m not really sure.” Liar! The rock grew, making her feel queasy.
Annika sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s for the best, but even so…” She shrugged. “I hope he finds someone else to marry then. I’d hate to see him spend the rest of his life alone.” Suddenly, she gave a little jerk, like someone poked her. “Oh, my cinnamon rolls! I need to get to the kitchen. Change your clothes, Katy, then you can come down and help me.” She ran out the door.
Katy sat on the edge of the bed and began to tug off her boots. Annika’s comment hung in the room, stinging Katy’s senses the same way smoke from a fire stung a person’s nose. I’d hate to see him spend the rest of his life alone. In less than three years, Katy would finish high school. After that, she hoped to get permission to go to college. If she left for college, then Dad would be the only one in the house. The image of Dad all alone in the house pierced Katy’s heart and made her nose sting even more.
Annika said everyone had noticed changes in Dad. Katy had seen them too. He’d seemed less tired and stressed. He’d laughed more and talked more. She’d liked the relaxed Dad—she just hadn’t liked that it was Mrs. Graber making the changes. The rock in her stomach began to roll around as she thought about Dad becoming sad and quiet again.
She still didn’t like the idea of Dad marrying Mrs. Graber. She didn’t like the idea of Dad marrying anyone. But was it fair that he should give up his chance for a wife just to please Katy? He’d even said he didn’t look forward to being alone when she was old enough to leave home.
With a groan, Katy covered her face with her hands. Tears pricked behind her closed lids. What’s the right thing to do? The question squeezed from her aching heart. She looked toward the ceiling and asked it again: “God, what is the right thing to do?”
Neoteric…The word from English class seemed to bop her on the nose. How could neoteric be the answer? But things started falling into place, like pieces of a puzzle. Every fairy tale she’d read depicted the stepmother as a bad person who didn’t care for her stepchildren. Marlys had worked to get rid of her stepparents because she didn’t want them in her life. Katy was acting just like them by rejecting Mrs. Graber. She wasn’t being modern in her thinking at all.
And was it fair? Tears threatened again as she thought about Mrs. Graber complimenting her, choosing Christmas gifts for her, sewing her a dress out of fabric that Katy loved. Yes, the woman had taken Dad’s attention, but she’d also tried to give Katy attention. And Katy had pushed it away.
She whispered, “I know what I need to do.” But could she be brave enough—and unselfish enough—to do it?
By the next morning, Mr. Reimer had made the rounds with his tractor, and Dad was able to drive to the Gehrings’ and retrieve Katy. Katy gave Annika a hug at the door and whispered, “Thanks for letting me come over. I had fun.” She and Annika had stayed awake talking and giggling into the early morning hours. She was so glad they were friends again.
When Katy got in the pickup, Dad said, “I’ll run you home so you can change. It’s too late for the bus, but I’ll drive you into school so you won’t miss the whole day.”
“Oh, thanks, Dad!”
“You’re welcome. I know you enjoy your classes.”
Dad drove slowly over the hard-packed snow, and Katy stared out the frosty window across the white landscape. Already the sun was beginning to melt the drifts. Even though the snow had come too late for Christmas, it made her a little sad to think of it melting away so quickly. The way Dad’s happy countenance had melted away after he’d told Mrs. Graber he wouldn’t marry her.
Katy spun to face Dad. “Dad, can I talk to you about something?”
Dad kept his eyes on the road and nodded.
“It’s about Mrs. Graber.”
Dad sent her a frowning look. “I thought I said we weren’t going to talk about her anymore.”
“I know what you said, but I need to. Okay?”
For several seconds, Dad didn’t move or speak. But finally he nodded.
Katy drew in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have interfered in your relationship with Mrs. Graber. If…” She gulped, praying for the strength to get the words out. “If she makes you happy, then I want you to marry her.”
Dad grabbed the gearshift and jerked it while applying the brakes. The truck came to a shuddering halt. Dad set the brake then angled himself to stare at Katy. “What did you say?”
She couldn’t tell if he was mad or shocked. A nervous giggle tried to escape, but she managed to swallow it. “I want you to marry her.”
Dad tipped his head. “Why?”
“Because…because she makes you happy. And I want you to be happy.” Tears flooded Katy’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Before she could stop herself, she began to sob. “I’m sorry, Dad! I was mean and selfish and jealous. I thought if you married her then you’d stop paying attention to me. It was stupid. But you really like her, and I know you were happy when she was around, and I just don’t want you to go back to being sad again, and I don’t want you to be mad at me forever. So call her back and tell her you want to marry her, okay?”
He sat in stunned silence.
She grabbed his arm. “Okay, Dad?”
Dad pulled her into an awkward hug. She buried her face against his chest and continued to cry. She wished she could stop. She felt like an idiotic baby. But somehow it also felt good to release all of the pent-up emotions of the past few days.
Dad rubbed her back for a couple of minutes then set her aside. He pulled a blue handkerchief from his pocket. “Here. Clean up your face. You’re a mess.” He smiled as he said it.
Katy wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She sat holding the handkerchief in her lap. She’d said her piece. Now it was up to Dad.
Dad pinched his chin between his finger and thumb for a few minutes, as if he was gathering his thoughts. Finally he looked at her and spoke softly. “Katy I don’t want you to think that I can’t be happy without a wife. If I led you to believe that I wasn’t happy before Gramm
a brought Rosemary to Schellberg, then I’ve done something wrong. I’ve had a good life. I have a daughter I love very much. I’ve been happy.”
“But you smiled more when she was around,” Katy pointed out.
Dad grimaced. “Maybe I did. God created us to be social beings. It’s natural for me to want a wife, just as it’s natural for you to think about marrying and having a family someday.”
Katy ducked her head, her ears heating up as she considered being courted.
Dad went on. “I admit I enjoyed having an adult to talk to and share things with. I tend to worry too much about things, and Rosemary helped me relax. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy without her. Do you understand that?”
Katy nodded slowly. “I think so. But you got so mad at me when I didn’t act like I liked her…”
“I never want to see you be disrespectful to any adult.” Dad’s tone turned a bit stern, but then it softened. “But I shouldn’t force my views on you, either. I was wrong to try to make you like her.”
“So will you call her?”
Dad sighed. “I don’t know, Katy-girl. I appreciate your apology—it means a lot to me that you’re willing to accept her. But when I called her the other day…” He shook his head. “I hurt her. A lot. I don’t know what she’d say if I called and told her I’d changed my mind again. I don’t know if she’d trust me.”
Katy grabbed Dad’s hand. “But you have to try, Dad! You have to be neoteric sometimes.”
Dad’s brows made a V. “Huh?”
“New in your thinking. Taking chances,” she babbled. “You won’t gain anything if you don’t try, right? Just like me asking to go to school. I knew you and the deacons might say no because no one had ever done it before, but I still had to try because it meant so much. If…” She gulped. “If Mrs. Graber means that much to you, then you have to try. W-will you try, Dad?”
He nibbled his lower lip and stared out the window for a long time. Then he put the truck in gear and the wheels crunched on the snow as the truck rolled forward. Finally, he said, “I’ll think about it.”
Katy's Debate (Katy Lambright Series, The) Page 14