But just as he was ready to share his frustration with Lucy, he noticed the lines of worry etched on her forehead. She was already stressed enough. He didn’t need to add to that by complaining. It was time to get a new attitude, and fast.
Calvin resolved to try to help Lucy. Surely it was the least he could do . . . he hated the thought of someone hurting her. Of treating her tender feelings roughly.
Of stamping out the thread of spunk that he had a good feeling lurked within her.
“I can’t believe our next train doesn’t leave for six more hours,” he said as he joined their small group.
“When the ticket agent told me the time, I questioned her as well,” John said. “But lots of the trains are full. This was the first available. ”
Pure dismay crossed Lucy’s features. “We seem to be destined to run into troubles.”
“It does seem that way.” With a weary smile, he said, “Once again, I suppose we should make the best of things. There has to be a reason all this is happening.”
Looking around the train depot, which was little more than a large room with a few ticket windows and an area to await the trains, Lucy frowned. “I wonder what I should do.”
He latched on to that pronoun. “Do you wish to be on your own now?”
“No. I mean, I like keeping company with you all. If you don’t mind me tagging along.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “Or perhaps you three have other things to do?”
“I don’t.” Teasing, he crossed his arms and looked at his sister. “Katie, do you?”
She giggled as she swung her legs and shook her head. “Nope.”
John held up a book. “I do. I’m happy to sit here and read or maybe get on my laptop. But you three feel free to explore the city.”
Unable to stop himself, he reached out and patted her arm. “Lucy, I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.” Holding out three vouchers, he handed Lucy one. “I almost forgot—we did receive these, and found out that they’re offering special sit-down meals at the restaurant across the way. The attendant told me the food was actually pretty tasty. How about we go eat there and decide what to do?”
Katie’s smile grew a mile wide. “I want to do that. I’m really hungry.”
Getting to her feet, Lucy chuckled. “Somehow I thought you might say that.”
As they started walking, Calvin couldn’t help but glance Lucy’s way. Before his eyes, her icy persona had warmed to true friendliness—especially when she was talking to his chatty, outspoken sister.
He felt like she was even beginning to let down her guard around him. Was she finally warming up to him? He wondered again why she was so skittish from the start. Was she simply shy around men—or had another man hurt her badly?
That was something he intended to find out.
Chapter 6
“Oh, Mattie. I’m afraid I have terrible news,” her mother said when she arrived at Mattie’s side in the waiting room.
Mattie looked at her mother in confusion. Soon after they’d arrived at the center, Mattie had been taken to the back to get blood drawn and her vitals checked.
Because such things always took a long time, her mother had left, promising to return with some coffee and a bottle of water in an hour or so. Now she was waiting to meet with the doctor.
“What happened?” Mattie asked. Gripping the sides of the chair, she prepared herself for the worst. “Did you see the doktah? Did he tell you more test results?”
A chill went through her. Oh dear God. What if they already had discovered that all the cancer wasn’t gone? What if she was going to have to have more surgery?
Or . . . what if things were even worse than that?
A flash of awareness and guilt entered her mother’s eyes. “Oh! Oh, no, dear. It is bad news, but it has nothing to do with your doctor visit. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“If it’s not that, what is it?”
Her mother took a chair. “The news is from Charlie. I asked if he could use his cell phone to check the messages on the phone line we share with the neighbors. He did, and then just came to tell me that we received a message from Lucy.”
The momentary relief she’d felt fled in a heartbeat. “From Lucy? What happened? Is their train delayed?”
“Lucy’s train broke down in Toledo.”
“Oh my goodness! Is she okay?”
“She gave no indication that she was not. However, her next train doesn’t leave until five o’clock this afternoon. Her train won’t pull into Cleveland until after seven this evening. ”
“Poor Lucy.” Thinking about her pretty cousin, and her shy, reserved nature, Mattie shook her head. “What is she going to do today? And what about when she gets to Cleveland?”
Her mother crossed her legs. “That, at least, is something we won’t have to worry about. I spoke to Charlie, and he said he would drive to Cleveland and meet her there.”
“That is kind of him.”
“I agree. We have much to be thankful for.”
“I wonder what went wrong with the train.”
“I guess we’ll find out when we see her. All Lucy said was that she wouldn’t arrive on time, but for us not to worry.”
“That was sweet of her to say, but I’ll still worry.” As she thought about all that Lucy was doing for her, traveling by herself, promising to help her through chemotherapy for a whole month, Mattie felt guiltier than ever. “She is still a fragile sort, Mamm.”
“I know that.”
“She doesn’t trust much.” Guilt slammed her hard. “Maybe she should have never come this way. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked her to.”
“You forget that this was Lucy’s offer, not your request,” her mother reminded her. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have made the offer if she hadn’t been sincere in heart.”
She might have sincerely wanted to help, but a journey like the one she was having could lead to a lot of regrets. “Perhaps.”
“Of course this is true.” Patting her hand against the table, her mother struggled to her feet. “Don’t you forget, that our Lord God is guiding our every move. He knows what is best for us. Never doubt that.”
A true, sweet smile smoothed her brow. “Now, as soon as you meet with the doctor, we’ll be on our way. And I intend to definitely ask Charlie if he’d please stop at Bob Evans on the way home. I’m hungry for more than ice cream. The women won’t expect us until after lunchtime.”
In spite of the nagging irritation she felt from her mother’s insistence that she join the group, Mattie’s mouth watered. “Do you think he’d mind going to the restaurant?”
“Not if he has time . . . and we offer to buy him his meal,” she said with a wink.
The door opened and a nurse stepped out. “Mattie, are you ready?”
Mattie stood up. “I am. I’ll be back soon, Mamm.”
“Don’t worry about me, dear. I’ll have plenty to do, as always.”
Mattie smiled weakly as her mother’s words rested in the air. She knew what her mother meant. She was going to spend the time praying while Mattie was with the doctor.
Praying, like she always did.
At one time, Mattie had believed that prayer did help. That prayers were answered. She’d believed that with all her heart.
Now, though, she knew differently.
Because if God had been guiding her every move, then for some reason He had decided that she needed to have cancer. If God had been with her, He wanted her to have a terrible scar. And to be having chemotherapy.
And if He wanted her to experience all of that, she wished He would tell her why.
She really had no idea what she had done to deserve it.
The last time Lucy had shared a meal in a restaurant with a man, it had been with Paul. They had gone to town on a Saturday morning. And because the weather was bright and sunny, Paul had suggested they eat at a nearby restaurant that had an outside patio. Of course, she hadn’t refused his offer. Her husband’s word had always been final.
<
br /> Much of their time during the meal was spent in silence. Paul had been more interested in the other people dining around them. Often, he’d stood up and left. She’d sat alone and tried not to look like she minded, sitting there by herself.
After all, she’d known better than to behave any differently.
Now, as she walked next to Katie and Calvin on the sidewalk outside the train station, Lucy couldn’t help but think of how different the situation was. Katie, with her chatter and smiles, was making what would have been an awkward situation seem almost fun.
But it wasn’t Katie who Lucy kept thinking about.
Whenever she looked Calvin’s way or heard his voice, a tingly sort of awareness would appear inside her. She’d been always aware of Paul, too. But instead of stemming from fear, these new feelings were from the pleasure of Calvin’s company. It was as if her body knew exactly where he was and responded with breathlessness. He was so handsome, sturdy. Bigger than Paul. More muscular, too, but also a bit like a teddy bear. Paul’s body was wiry, like a fox.
Calvin exuded confidence. On the outside, he seemed as sure of himself as Paul had been. But Lucy was beginning to see that Calvin’s self-confidence wasn’t a wall to hide behind. No, it seemed to burn brightly from inside of him.
He was patient even while his eyes were curious and searching. He’d ask questions and was interested in her answers—and because of this Calvin didn’t feel overpowering to her.
Instead of chiding her for walking too slowly, as Paul always had, Calvin didn’t seem to mind waiting for her. Instead of getting mad at her for forgetting her quilt bag, he’d tried to help.
And now, when she stumbled next to him, he didn’t act as if the little misstep was a reflection on him. Instead, he held out an arm to catch her. To help her steady herself. It was all terribly courteous.
Though she had no need for another man in her life, her emotions and heart told a different story. After a year living as a widow, her senses were once again attuned to a man’s. But instead of feeling fear and worry when she looked at him, Lucy felt mesmerized.
“Ladies, you can order anything you’d like. My treat,” Calvin said when they’d received their menus at the diner.
“Yours and the train company’s,” Lucy corrected with a grin. “We each got a meal voucher.”
While he smiled right back, Katie started pointing to pictures on the menu. “What does all this say, Calvin?”
“It says you can have whatever you want, whenever you want it.” Patiently, he pointed to a picture of pancakes. “See? They serve pancakes all day here.”
“I wish we did that at home,” Katie said. “I like pancakes all the time.”
After they ordered, and Lucy was enjoying her hot coffee, Calvin leaned forward. “You know what? It just occurred to me that I never asked why you were traveling to Cleveland. You’re not stopping in the city, are you?”
“Oh, no. I’m headed to a small town near Middlefield.”
“We are as well. Where, exactly, are you going?”
“Jacob’s Crossing.”
Calvin looked truly taken aback. So stunned, Lucy looked at him curiously. “Have you heard of it? It’s not very big.”
“I should say we definitely have heard of Jacob’s Crossing. That’s where we live.” Beside him, Katie giggled.
“Truly?” She’d never heard of such a coincidence.
“Truly.” He grinned. “Who are you intending to see?”
She cleared her throat. “My cousin Mattie. Mattie Lapp.”
His bark of laughter startled her. “The Lapp’s farm is adjacent to ours. We’re practically neighbors.”
Lucy shook her head in wonder as the waitress delivered their plates of food. What were the chances that two strangers seated next to each other on a train would just happen to be going to the same place?
There was only one thing to credit their meeting to. Obviously the Lord had His hand on this situation. For some reason, He had intended that the two of them meet.
After joining him and Katie in a silent prayer, Lucy picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of sausage.
When they were almost done, Calvin sipped his coffee and picked up their earlier conversation. “Lucy, are you visiting Mattie because of her sickness?”
“I am. She’s been in a mighty bad way, you know.”
“Indeed, she has. We’ve all been worried about her. Not only do our lands border each other, but we’ve been friends of a sort all our lives. My brother Graham is especially close to her. He’s taken her diagnosis terribly hard, I’m afraid.”
Lucy looked at him curiously. “I didn’t know she had a sweetheart.”
“They’re not close in that way. Just close as friends.”
She couldn’t imagine being friends with a man. “Oh.”
After the waitress took away their plates and poured Calvin more coffee, he gazed out the window. “She, uh, has just had surgery.”
“It was a difficult operation for her, I fear.”
“Her mother said the same thing.”
“I am going to be staying with her for a month. To help her recover and to be with her during her chemotherapy treatments.”
“I’m sure she is thankful for you.”
“No more than I am thankful for her.” It was hard not to think of Mattie without remembering how strong she’d been when Lucy had been recovering from Paul’s death. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
“Even though you live in Michigan and she lives in Ohio?”
“Yes. She’s, uh, come to visit me several times. To be honest, I haven’t been out to Jacob’s Crossing in years. I’m anxious to see it again.”
“Don’t be too anxious. Not much ever changes there.”
He sounded so aggrieved, she chuckled. “Believe me, I’m counting on that. I like things to stay the same.” Then, recalling how many changes she’d been through, she amended her words. “I mean, I like most things to stay the same. The good things.”
Though Calvin looked at her curiously, he didn’t say anything.
Later, after they’d finished and had exited the diner, Calvin looked up at the fancy clock tower across the street from them. “It’s only twelve-thirty.”
“We are going to have a terribly long day.”
“I have an idea,” Calvin blurted. “On the train, I read a magazine article about the Toledo Zoo. It’s supposed to be a mighty nice zoo. Would you ladies care to go?”
Katie’s eyes widened. “Oh, Calvin, can we?”
“I don’t see why not. We’ve got hours.”
Katie grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Please say yes.”
Calvin’s eyes shone. “You really should. It will be fun. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you. You’ll be safe with me.”
Though protective instincts were calling out to her not to trust him, Lucy found herself ignoring the warning voices. She wanted to do something fun. “All right,” she said. “I will be happy to join you all.”
Katie squeezed Lucy’s hand and smiled, and Calvin nodded. “Gut!”
“What about your uncle? Should we go see if he wants to join us?”
Calvin shook his head. “He did say earlier that he wanted to sit and relax. Wandering around a zoo would be the opposite of that. No, it will just be the three of us.”
He looked so pleased, Lucy felt her cheeks heat—at first with pleasure, because she made him happy, then with embarrassment. Here she was, twenty-four years old, and this man was making her feel like a schoolgirl!
But certainly it was past time she had an adventure or two. Later, when they were back on the train, she’d have plenty of time to worry about what she was getting herself into.
“Do you know how to call a taxi?” she asked.
“I’ve never done it, but it shouldn’t be too hard,” he said, scanning the near-empty street. “If we ever see one drive by,” he added, his voice dry.
Because the road did appear empty, and her heart felt so
light, she teased him back: “Finding a taxicab should be only as difficult as it would be to find a horse and buggy.”
“Or, for us, a train that worked,” he murmured.
Unable to help herself, she tilted her head back and laughed.
And felt even lighter when Calvin joined in.
Chapter 7
“Mattie, isn’t this such a wonderful-gut activity? I knew as soon as we got around our friends, our spirits would lift.”
Mattie smiled and nodded from her chair at the edge of the Knepps’ kitchen. Privately, however, she wished she was sitting almost anywhere else. It was hard to watch ladies and girls her age bustle around the kitchen . . . making fried pies to sell. For her benefit.
When her mother gave her a meaningful look, Mattie cleared her throat. “Yes. I mean, I’m terribly grateful for you all.”
“Don’t think anything of it,” Gwen Kent said as she cut more shortening into the dough. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Well, all I know is that these will be the flakiest fried pies anyone has ever tasted, for sure,” her mother said. “People will snap them up.”
“Oh, they will,” Joanne Knepp said confidently. “Everyone likes a gut fried pie, for a wonderful cause.”
Gwen darted another smile her way.
“The way you all are working so hard in our makeshift assembly line practically brings tears to my eyes,” Mattie’s mom said to everyone.
Mrs. Knepp chuckled. “We work so well together, we’re almost professional, jah?”
Feeling left out, Mattie got to her feet. “Maybe I could help box them up?”
Mrs. Kent waved away her offer with one hand. “Oh, please don’t, dear. I’d feel awful if you wore yourself out. All you need to do is get better soon.”
“I agree,” Mrs. Knepp said. “It’s enough that you’re here. And making these pies gives me a nice reason to enjoy everyone’s company. All I’ve been doing is either spring cleaning or working in the garden.”
“Jah. Having an excuse to be in the company of other women all day is a wonderful-gut thing,” Mrs. Lapp agreed. “Mattie, are you comfortable?”
The Caregiver Page 5