“Nee. He cares about the heart.” She continued her project. No doubt, a Christmas gift for one of the kinskinner. He knew better than to ask. His fraa pinned him with a gaze, her mien sober. “So what will you do now?”
“I will follow where Der Herr leads me. I will follow what I know the Scriptures are telling me. I will follow in the footsteps of Jesus.”
“That sounds like a gut plan, husband. And I will follow you.” A smile brightened her face.
Christopher reached over and squeezed her hand, his eyes misting with tears. In all of their trials, he still considered himself one of the most blessed men that ever walked the face of the earth.
FIFTEEN
“We weren’t there as long as I thought we’d be. It’s still early. Do you want to come over?” Randy’s brow rose as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “My parents are home.”
More time with this handsome man she’d been quickly falling in love with? Yes, please.
“What about the boys?”
“I’m sure they’d love to spend a little time with Grandma and Grandpa.”
“We would! We would!” Jaycee bounced up and down in the back seat.
Holly loved Jaycee’s enthusiasm.
“But no peeking under the tree.” Randy eyed the two boys in the rearview mirror.
“Aw, what’s the fun in that?” Brighton protested.
“I’m sure there will be something for you to do,” Randy said.
“Grandma will probably make us wrap presents like last time.” Jaycee’s fervor deflated.
“Oh, I love wrapping presents!” Holly smiled.
“Yeah, but it’s no fun if you don’t get to see what’s in ’em,” Jaycee mumbled.
“Oh, I think that makes it even more fun,” Holly insisted.
“How so?”
“Well, because then it’s like a mystery. You feel it to try to see if you can figure it out that way. Or you shake it to see if you can hear any clues. If that doesn’t work, then you smell it.”
“You smell it?” Jaycee’s nose scrunched up.
“Could be chocolate.” She nodded. “Or something even more cool. One time, my brother figured out he was getting a gun just by smelling the box.”
“Really?” Jaycee’s eyes widened and he turned to Brighton. “That’s super cool!”
“How’d he know that?” Brighton scratched his head, his lips twisted in puzzlement.
Holly giggled mischievously. “Well, the box was the size of a hunting rifle.”
“That’s not smelling!”
Holly shrugged. “At the time, I believed him. I think I was five.”
“Five-year-olds don’t know nothing.” Jaycee waved a dismissive hand.
“You mean they think old Amish guys are Santa Claus.” Brighton laughed and poked his younger brother in the side.
“Hey, Dawdi Christopher did look like Santa!”
Holly’s head tilted. “I can see that.”
“See?” Jaycee’s arms crossed over his chest and he dismissed Brighton’s comment with a nod. “Miss Holly says so, and she’s really smart.”
“She sure is.” Randy shot her a wink. “Even though she’s letting me court her. But we won’t hold that against her.”
“I think you’re fun, Uncle Randy,” Brighton said. “Why wouldn’t Miss Holly like you?”
“Yeah. You took us on the roller coaster road and bought us cinnamon rolls!” Jaycee grinned.
He glanced at his nephew in the rearview mirror. “Doesn’t Wesley take you on that road too?”
“He does, but it’s no fun anymore. Not like with you. Shan doesn’t like for him to drive fast on the hills no more.” Jaycee’s lower lip protruded. “Not since she had the boppli.”
Holly’s brow rose and she glanced at Randy for clarification. “Boppli?”
“It’s ‘baby’ in Amish,” Brighton explained.
“That’s what Mammi calls Olivia and Melanie,” Jaycee added.
“Boppli.” Holly smiled. “That’s cute.”
“You’re cute.” Randy reached over and tweaked her nose.
“Oh brother.” Jaycee rolled his eyes. “Not again.”
Holly looked up as Randy parked the car in his parents’ driveway. “We’re here,” he said.
~
“Holly, you are an amazing young woman.” Randy’s mother smiled as she joined them in the living room.
“I know, right?” Randy grinned, leaning back on the couch. He wished Holly would have sat with him, but she’d opted for the rocking chair. Probably to keep distance between them. She was wise.
“We have been trying to get this kid to go see his Amish grandparents for quite some time. Nope. He’d never listen to any of us. All of a sudden, he discovers you, and he’s willing to go to the moon.”
“Mom.” Randy shook his head. “Really?”
“You’re rearranging your college schedule to be close to her too. That’s saying something.” She shifted toward Holly. “He was dying to go away to college.”
Holly simply smiled at their exchange.
His mom popped up from the couch. “I think I’ll put on some water for cocoa, then I think I’ll go check on those boys.”
“Good idea,” Randy said as his mother disappeared into another room.
“Randy, will you bring in some wood for the fire, please?” Mom hollered from the kitchen. “We’re running low. We could use more kindling too.”
“Sure, Mom.” He glanced at Holly and winked. “Duty calls.”
“I can help.” She shot up from the rocker.
“You might want to grab your coat and gloves. I don’t think the snow’s still coming down, but it’s cold out there.”
“Okay. I’ll chop the kindling.”
His head whipped around in her direction. “Really?”
“Yeah. I love doing that. I can wield a hatchet with the best of ’em.”
He chuckled. “I’m looking forward to watching you.”
She eyed his fitted Henley and lifted a brow. “As I am you.”
“You’re flirting with me.” His grin widened as he slid his jacket on.
“Maybe.”
~
Randy set the ax down, then bent to check the log he’d just split to be sure it had cut through. He turned his head just in time to see Holly deposit a handful of snow down the back of his jacket. His breath momentarily stole away as the freezing particles trickled down his shirt. “You know, where I come from there are consequences for bad behavior.”
He scooped up a handful of snow, but Holly was already on the run. She ducked behind a bush, so he crept around it. It was a good thing he knew the landscape better than she did. He moved in closer.
“You wouldn’t.” She challenged, eyeing his handful of snow.
He smirked. “Wouldn’t I?”
He brought his hand up and she squealed as she shimmied from between the two bushes. He lunged after her but missed, then took off in a full-fledged sprint.
She yelped as he threw another snowball at her, then tackled her to the ground, pinning her beneath him.
“Now I’ve got you where I want you.” He grinned. Their breaths, shallow and laboring, swirled upward through the wintry cold. He nearly drowned in the depth of her mesmerizing eyes.
Did he see longing there?
“Oh no.” He swallowed. “I-I think I might kiss you.”
Her smile faltered, but she didn’t rebuff his comment. Was that an invitation? Permission?
His heartbeat quickened.
“Randy Travis Stoltz! What do you think you are doing? Don’t make me have to call Holly’s mother.”
He groaned. Mom would have to ruin the moment. But it was likely a good thing. Because he had no idea how Holly would have responded if he’d given in to his desires. He was pretty sure she’d never kissed anyone, whereas he had not only kissed several girls, he’d gone further than he cared to admit. He wasn’t proud of his past. Especially in light of his relat
ionship with Holly. He’d never met anyone like her.
And then there was her father. He wouldn’t be able to give him a straight answer when they met for their weekly accountability/discipleship meeting. Would he forbid Randy from ever seeing his daughter again? He was already breaking the no-touch rule, although they were both fully clothed and he wasn’t touching her inappropriately. But somehow, he didn’t think her father would view their current position as innocent.
This whole courtship thing was going to be a lot harder than he thought.
He snapped out of his reverie when he noticed Holly giggling.
“What?” He grinned and freed her from his hold. He glanced up and was relieved that Mom had gone inside.
“Randy Travis?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Mom always liked his music.”
“Randy Travis.” She giggled.
“What’s your middle name?”
“I don’t have one.”
He frowned. “You don’t have a middle name? Why not?”
“I don’t know. None of us kids have one.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Seven.”
“Seven? Really? How did I not know this?”
“A few of them are already married and out of the house.”
“So there are five of you at home?”
“No, only one of me.” She teased. “I have two younger sisters and two brothers. One of them, Jason, is your age.”
“Jason?”
“I think you’ve met him before. At least, he knows you.”
“Hmm…I don’t remember him.”
“Uh, I think his girlfriend Ansley left him for you when they were dating in high school.” Her brow rose.
His mouth formed an O. Yeah, he remembered Ansley well. How could he not? They’d dated for nearly a year. One of those past relationships he wished he could redo. Or forget altogether. Or undo. He nodded slowly. “I think I know who he is. He didn’t like me very much, did he?”
“I don’t know how he feels about you now, but there was definitely a time when he viewed you as an adversary.”
Randy grimaced. “I was…uh…kind of a jerk back then. There are a lot of things I’ve done that I wish I could undo.”
“Well, I think we’ve all done stuff we aren’t proud of. But God gives us another chance anyway. If God can look past our mistakes, hopefully we can look past each other’s.”
Wow, this woman was truly amazing. What had he done to deserve her?
“Can I get that in writing for when I make future mistakes?”
Her laugh seemed melodic somehow. “Maybe. But you’d have to sign it too.”
“Deal.” Their eyes met and held and, once again, an overwhelming urge to kiss her coursed through him. He forced himself to break the love spell, as he reached down and filled his arm with wood.
Holly picked up the bucket containing the kindling she’d deftly split.
All of a sudden, Randy knew what he would do. He would buy a large bag of chocolate kisses. Every time he was tempted to kiss her, he’d give her a different type of kiss instead. She could either eat them or save them up to redeem on their wedding night.
A shiver of delight raced through him at the thought.
SIXTEEN
Holly pulled up to the Stoltzes’ small farm, delighting in the snow-covered landscape. A fresh powdering overnight had caused the tree branches to bend under the weight of a thick layer of snow. Their cabin-style home with its cozy front porch—its railing now covered in white and Christmas lights twinkling along the fascia—looked like it could’ve come straight from the page of a glossy calendar. A wisp of smoke danced from the chimney and disappeared into the chilly evening air. She quickly pulled out her phone to capture the picturesque scene before heading to the warmth that was sure to await her inside.
The door swung opened before she had a chance to complete her knock.
“Holly! Come in before you turn into a snowman.” Shannon pulled her inside, her countenance bright. “Or should I say snow woman?”
A rush of warmth enveloped Holly, and her senses indulged in a sweetness that seemed to waft through the kitchen. “It smells wonderful in here.”
“Jaycee insisted we have cookies ready and waiting for you. Well, he said for you but I really think he wanted a few for himself too. That boy loves his sweets. But if you allow him to eat too many, you’ll never get him to go to sleep.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She followed Shannon toward the living room where a fire roared in the stone hearth.
The moment Holly stepped into the room, a small hand slipped into hers. She glanced down to see three-year-old Melanie. She hadn’t even heard her approach. The little girl pulled her toward the cheerful tinsel-clad Christmas tree in the corner and pointed to an ornament.
“Baby Jesus.” Melanie’s entire face beamed.
Shannon chuckled. “I’m convinced that will always be her favorite Christmas ornament. Wesley bought it for her when she was one.”
Wesley walked into the room with baby Olivia in his arms. “And she insists it’s the first one to go on the tree. When it’s time to take it down, she cries.”
Holly’s heart clenched. “Aww…poor thing.”
“I love Baby Jesus.” Melanie smiled as she touched the ornament affectionately.
Holly crouched down beside the precious little girl. “That’s a very nice ornament. I like it too.”
“Happy Birthday, dear Jesus!” Melanie sang the words. “Happy Birthday to You!”
“That’s right.” Holly grinned at the girl. “Christmas is when we celebrate when Jesus was born.”
Wesley looked at Shannon. “You ready to go, babe?”
“Yes. Is Olivia all set?” Shannon took the baby from his arms and kissed her chubby cheek.
“Fresh diaper. She had her bath. I think she’s good.” He reached over and tweaked the little one’s cheek.
“Okay.” She turned to Holly. “Dinner is in the oven. It should be ready in about ten minutes. Brighton can show you where everything is. Their bed time is at nine o’clock, but the little ones usually go down a little earlier. There are kids’ movies you can put on for them in the entertainment center, and we have a decent-sized game closet with all sorts of fun. Umm…” Shannon bit her fingernail. “Oh, don’t worry about doing the dishes after supper or anything. That’s Brighton and Jaycee’s job. I wrote our numbers on the fridge and Wesley’s parents’ number too, just in case you need it for whatever.”
“I think you’ve covered just about everything, Mom.” Wesley chuckled.
“I know. I just didn’t want to forget anything.” Shannon looked around. “Oh, yeah. Olivia likes the tree, so you’ll need to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t bring it down on top of herself. Again.” Shannon frowned. “Or try to eat the ornaments.”
Holly nodded and attempted to suppress a smile. “I think we’ll be fine.”
Wesley tugged the side of Shannon’s shirt. “We’re going to miss our show if we don’t hurry.”
“We’re going to a theater to see a play. I’m so excited.” Shannon beamed. “Let me just tell all the kids goodbye.”
Wesley frowned. “I thought you did that already.”
“I know, but we’re leaving now.”
“Okay. Be quick. I’m going to warm up the truck.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Holly watched their conversation, wondering how she might be when she had a family of her own. And to think that Shannon was a couple of years younger than she was with a houseful already.
She finally waved them off a few moments later, smiling as she pointed through the window with Olivia in her arms. “Say bye bye.”
“Bye. Bye.” The little one waved. Then, as if she just realized her parents had left, her lip began to quiver.
Oh no.
A distraction was in order. “Let’s go see if Melanie has her dolls out.”
Holly began w
alking toward the living room just as the kitchen timer went off.
The boys came rushing into the living room.
“Dinner!” Jaycee hollered.
“Right.” Holly spun around and headed back toward the kitchen. “Let’s put you in your highchair,” she told Olivia.
“Someone’s knocking on the door!” Jaycee sprung up from the table where he’d plopped himself down five seconds ago.
“Wait, Jaycee. Don’t answer it. Let me check who it is.”
“It’s Uncle Randy!” He jumped up and down as he stared through the window.
“Oh.” Suddenly, Holly’s cheeks warmed. “Okay. I’ll get it.”
She rushed to the door and pulled it open.
Randy’s jaw dropped the moment he laid eyes on her. “Holly? What are you doing here?”
“I’m babysitting for Wesley and Shannon.” She smiled.
Randy looked up toward the sky and raised his arms. “Praise the Lord, I don’t have to change diapers!” A look of relief washed over him. He stepped into the house and engulfed Holly in a dizzying embrace before she could protest.
“Come and eat with us, Uncle Randy,” Brighton invited, as he helped little Melanie into her booster seat.
“You can sit by me!” Jaycee pulled out the chair next to him.
Randy finally released Holly, setting her feet back on the ground. “You’ve been the answer to all kinds of my prayers lately.” He looked at her sheepishly. “Uh-oh. I wasn’t supposed to do that, was I?”
Holly giggled, shaking her head. “Should we see what Shannon made us for dinner?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Randy chuckled. “You need help?”
“Uh, sure. Do you know where the potholders are?”
He slid a drawer open next to the oven. “Right here. I’ll get it.”
“Oh, my. That smells delicious.” Holly could almost taste the fried chicken and macaroni and cheese before she even sat down.
Randy set the two dishes on the table, the swirl of heat rising into the air.
“Hot,” Melanie said, pointing to one of the dishes. “Don’t touch.”
“That’s right.” Holly nodded.
Each of the children held out their hands to the person next to them.
Unlikely Sweethearts (An Amish Christmas Story) Page 10