“I know you wanted to teach me about charity, but you didn’t have to demonstrate it by sacrificing your body.”
He turned at Shannon’s teasing words and tried to smile. He lifted his hand to take hers. “Anything for the love of my life.”
“I still can’t believe Aiden would do something like this.” She frowned and lowered her head, which brought his attention to her work uniform.
“Going to work?”
“No, I just got off. I need to go pick up the kids at Christopher and Judy’s. Your grandpa picked the boys up from the bus stop and took them home. But I had to stop by and see you.”
“I’m glad you did, although I’m not that great of company right now.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” She leaned down, caressed his face, and rewarded him with a kiss. Her hand rested on his chest, radiating warmth through the thin sheet covering his torso. “I think I might like you at a disadvantage.”
Her gentle touch almost made him forget about his pain. Almost.
“I hate being here. There’s so much to do before Christmas. We didn’t even put up your Christmas lights yet,” he protested.
“That’s okay. Christopher came over and put them up.”
“My grandpa did? Really?”
“Your grandparents are so sweet. They have been so kind and helpful to the kids and me.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
“You just need to get better.”
“I’m sick of this bed.”
She laughed. “You’ve only been there since yesterday.”
“Plus a day in the hospital.”
Her fingers glided over his arm. “I’m happy nothing was broken.”
“Just a minor concussion and lots of bumps and bruises. And believe me, I’m feeling every one of them.”
“I’m just glad Aiden’s in jail.” She chuckled. “His dad was so upset, he refused to bail him out.”
“I guess he had to find out that he wasn’t above the law. The hard way.” He sat up and the sheet slipped from his torso. He caught Shannon staring and he kind of liked it, he admitted. He shouldn’t, though. But there was no point in lifting it back up. “Help me up?”
He didn’t actually need help. He just wanted her close.
“Are you…” She hesitated, as though not wanting to bring him pain. But the trouble was, every movement he made brought him pain. “Is it okay?”
He nodded. “It’s fine.”
She slipped her arm around his back to help him off the bed and he winced dramatically.
“Just kidding,” he chuckled. “I’m in pain, but not that much.”
She playfully nudged his arm and pursed her lips. “You.”
He grasped her wrist and pulled her close, dropping his lips to hers. Before his cup of satisfaction could fill, a throat cleared from the doorway. He groaned and reluctantly broke away.
“Wesley!” Mom gasped as she stared at his bare chest.
He grunted as he pulled open a drawer and snagged a t-shirt. Very slowly and painfully, he finagled it over his head. He looked at his mom and grinned. “Happy now?”
“That’s better. Now, out of the bedroom, you two. Scoot.” She made a sweeping gesture with her hands.
“Yes, ma’am.” Wesley sheepishly glanced at Shannon and mouthed, “Sorry.”
Shannon giggled in response.
~
Shannon sat on the living room couch next to Wesley in his parents’ home, with her handsome’s fingers intertwined with hers. His parents sat opposite them, each in their own chair.
“Okay, you two. We need to have a talk.” His mother headed up the conversation, but his father seemed to be in agreement.
“About?” Wesley’s brow furrowed and he glanced at her.
“About doing things the right way.” His father joined the conversation.
A puzzled expression flashed across Wesley’s face, likely mirroring her own.
“The fact is, you two can’t seem to keep away from each other,” his mother said.
She was failing to see how that was a problem. Did they want them to spend less time together? To break up?
“And…?” Wesley frowned.
His father leaned forward. “And we think you need to get married. Sooner rather than later.”
“What?” They both exclaimed at the same time.
“Mom, Dad…” Wesley’s hand plowed through his hair. He grimaced as though the gesture brought him pain. “Listen, this is something Shannon and I need to decide on our own.”
“I think the decision has already been made in both of your minds. Am I correct?” His father laced his hands together.
Wesley looked at her and they both nodded. “Yeah, but…”
“The Bible says it’s better to marry than to burn. I’ve seen the way you look at her and the way she looks at you. You’re burning. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes,” his dad stated.
This…was embarrassing. She must resemble a tomato.
“And with as much time as you two spend together, you will not be able to refrain. Trust us, we speak from experience.” His mother nodded.
“But we’ve only known each other—”
“That doesn’t matter. You’re both good kids.”
“Just wait.” Wesley stood quickly and looked like he regretted it. “Let Shannon and me talk this over and decide for ourselves. I don’t want her to feel pressured to marry me. Especially not like this. And contrary to popular opinion, I can demonstrate self-control.”
“Like what I just saw in your bedroom?”
“We were kissing! Just kissing.”
“Half dressed.”
“I was half dressed. Shannon was fully clothed. And I had no intention of changing that. Probably couldn’t even if I wanted to. At this point in time, I can barely move. I think she’s pretty safe.”
Shannon stood from the couch. “I should probably go. I told Christopher I’d pick up the kids before five.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Wesley nodded.
They both hurried to the door and stepped outside.
Wesley closed the door behind them. “Shannon, I’m so sorry about that.”
“A little funny and slightly embarrassing.” She laughed. “But I actually thought it was sweet.”
“You did?”
“Is it really such a bad idea?”
“Wait. You…you would actually consider it?”
“I think I decided a week ago that I wanted to marry you. You’re everything I could ever want in a man.”
“Are…are you serious? Because if you are…” His hand worked through his hair again, accentuating his bicep. Not that she’d noticed. “I mean, I’ve already thought about it too. I just didn’t think that you…”
She smiled. He was so adorable. “Well, I’m not particularly in a hurry. I can wait if I have to.”
“But I want to do it the right way. At the right time. So, can we pretend like this whole episode with my parents never happened?”
“We can pretend, but I don’t think I can ever forget. This is something we will want to tell our grandchildren about,” she boldly said with a wink.
“Our grandchildren. I like the sound of that.” He brought her close and kissed the top of her head.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Shannon had just tucked the children in bed. Now she sat alone in the living room, staring at the Christmas tree. Or more correctly, staring at the lack of contents under the tree. By this time, Mom would have had that whole bottom filled with colorful packages. Sorrow gripped her heart as tears began to fall.
She missed Mom and Dad so much. She wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through this holiday season without them. How was she going to be able to hold it together in the presence of the kids? But maybe it was okay to cry. Maybe they needed to see the pain she was experiencing. Because, chances were, they were feeling the same emotions.
Wesley had written down a Bible verse and suggested that she read it whenever sh
e was sad. She now held the Bible Wesley had given her in her lap and attempted to find the passage he had written down. She gave up her random searching, then flipped to the front to see if there was a table of contents. She found the correct book, turned to the page, then flipped to the chapter. Her eyes moved until they found the verse Wesley had written.
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds,” she whispered the words aloud and soaked them into her soul.
“God, please heal our broken hearts.”
Not even a minute after she uttered the prayer did a knock sound on the door. She quickly answered it before the kids awakened. Who could be visiting at this time of night?
“Wesley?” She looked behind him and saw Christopher and Judy as well. “What are you all doing here?”
Wesley shrugged. “They were getting out of their buggy when I pulled up. We didn’t come together.”
She smiled.
“I guess great minds think alike.” Christopher chuckled.
“Come inside, before you turn into icicles.” She urged them forward and moved out of the way.
Wesley carried a large cardboard box and set it down at his feet. He removed his coat and placed it on the hall tree.
She eyed his box.
“The gifts from the church. For the kids.” He explained. “I’ll put them under the tree, if that’s okay.”
“That’s perfect.” She wanted to melt in his arms.
Had God heard her pleas?
She turned to Christopher and Judy. “Would you like something to drink? Or a snack?” She gestured for the couple to take a seat.
“No, thank you,” Judy said, leaning back on the couch.
“I could take some cookies and milk, if you can spare some.” Christopher’s grin stretched across his face.
Judy eyed his midsection. “You don’t need any more cookies. Didn’t you already get plenty today?”
“Just one then.” Christopher winked at Shannon. “And a half glass of milk.”
Judy seemed satisfied with his compromise.
Shannon returned to her guests in short order, with Christopher’s treats in her hand. She handed a glass of milk and a couple of cookies to Wesley as well.
“Thank you.” The way Wesley said the words caused her insides to tingle. As though he’d kissed her with just his words.
“Denki!” Christopher took a sip of his milk, spilling a little on his upper lip. It was then that Shannon noticed his lack of mustache. Had he shaved or did he always look that way?
“We can’t stay too long. It’s past Christopher’s bedtime.” Judy smiled, then looked at Christopher. “Do you want to tell her why we came, or should I?”
“We have something for you,” Christopher said, handing her an envelope.
She stared at it. “What is it?”
“Open it.” Christopher encouraged.
She did as told. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a stack of money. She didn’t even count it, but the bill on just the top was one hundred dollars. “I can’t take this.” She shook her head.
“It is not our money. It is from the auction. Hundreds of people donated. It is for you and the kinner.”
“The auction? But I—”
“Sometimes we have auctions to raise money for others in the community, if it’s a special circumstance. We brought your situation before the leaders and we all agreed that this was something we wanted to do.”
She shook her head. Was this really happening?
Wesley chuckled. “You’re not going to be able to give that back. Just accept it.”
“I can’t believe you did this for us. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.” She couldn’t contain her tears of joy. Of relief. Of thankfulness. God truly cared.
She’d surely need to send a hearty “thank you” note to the Amish community.
“Look! I told you Santa was here! There’s presents!” Jaycee came springing out of the hallway, with Brighton and Melanie close behind him.
“Presents!” Melanie squealed.
“It’s not even Christmas yet, Jaycee,” Brighton insisted.
“I know. But Santa’s got lots of places to go. He just came here early. Huh, Santa?” Jaycee pointed to the coffee table. “See, he even has cookies and milk!”
Christopher simply looked at Judy and smiled.
“You three are supposed to be in bed. And you two have school tomorrow.” Shannon reminded the boys.
“I can’t wait to tell all my friends that Santa came early!”
Shannon shook her head. Then she and Wesley began laughing. Then Christopher and Judy joined in. Then each of the children.
Even little Melanie. She held up her ornament. “Baby Jesus on tree!”
Shannon smiled. “Are you ready to put your ornament on the tree?”
Melanie’s little feet padded over to the tree and she set the ornament on a branch. “Baby Jesus on tree!”
Shannon’s mind flashed back to a verse that she and Wesley had recently read together. It was about Jesus on a different tree—the one He’d died on as a man. Her gaze flew to Wesley and he smiled. Had he been thinking the same thing?
Christopher and Judy stood up. “Well, we don’t want to prevent these little ones from getting the rest they need. We’re going to head out now.”
Shannon couldn’t contain herself. She offered them both a hug of gratitude. Their appearance tonight made her think that maybe Jaycee’s ideas weren’t as outlandish as they seemed. She could see how he could equate this couple with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. But she knew better. It was the difference between fiction and reality.
No, it hadn’t been Santa who had done all this. It was clearly God.
TWENTY-NINE
Christmas morning…
Christopher set his Bible down on the small table beside his hickory rocker. He eyed his fraa across the room. “I have been reading about the miracles of Jesus and noted something interesting.”
Judy turned her attention to him. “What is interesting?”
“Sometimes Der Herr performs a miracle where you are. But sometimes He expects us to move, to do something about it, before He will send us a miracle.”
“What do you mean?”
“The woman with the issue of blood in the Bible. She first had to touch the hem of His garment before she could be healed. The man born blind, he first had to call out to Jesus, then he was healed. See, Der Herr requires that first step of faith. And it is a step only we can take. And even if a situation is beyond hope, like that of Lazarus, He can still work a miracle.”
She moved her glasses down her nose, then studied him. “What are you saying, husband?”
His hands shook, but his smile didn’t falter. “I think we need to take that first step of faith.”
~
Wesley excused himself after breakfast, bidding a temporary goodbye to his mom, dad, and his brother Randy who was visiting for Christmas break. Wesley had instructed his mother to keep an eye on the children until he and Shannon returned. Wesley pulled Shannon by the hand from the dining area.
“You were so right about the chocolate gravy and biscuits,” she remarked.
“Aren’t they the best?” He opened the door of his bedroom and ushered her inside, but kept the door ajar, for propriety’s sake.
She sat on the edge of his bed.
“Here. I wanted you to open this with no one else around.” He pulled a small gift-wrapped box out of his pocket.
She stared down at the small box. Was this…? No, she wouldn’t get her hopes up. It was still too soon.
“Go ahead. Open it,” he urged.
She pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the small jewelry-size box. “Oh, Wesley!” She pulled out the pretty heart-shaped locket.
“It opens.” He smiled.
She opened it up and stared down at a picture of her mother and father. Tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Wesley. This is so special.” She swiped at her tears. “Thank
you. I love it.”
He stared at her intently. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I love you too. More than just about anything or anyone.” He reached for her hand and closed her fingers around something small, then dropped to his knee. “Shannon Parker, will you marry me?”
She squealed and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance. She kissed him on the lips, before they both rose to their feet. “Yes, Wesley Stoltz. I will most definitely and happily marry you!”
“Do you want to look at your ring now?”
Just when she thought her happiness meter couldn’t go any higher, it did. She opened her hand to see the sweetest most dainty ring she’d ever seen. “It’s adorable.” She slipped it on her finger.
“I thought the style fit you perfectly, but if you were hoping for a large rock, I can buy you one of those too.”
“No, Wesley. This is absolutely perfect. It even fits my finger perfectly. How did you know?”
He shrugged. “I just guessed.”
She heard Melanie’s voice. “Should we go check on the kids now?”
“No, not yet. I need to kiss my new fiancée first.” He pulled her close and claimed the kiss she’d been longing for all day.
A throat cleared loudly from the doorway.
Shannon and Wesley both began to giggle.
“Give us some slack, Mom. We’re engaged now.” Wesley grasped her hand, holding it up for his mother to see her ring.
“Engaged?” Apparently, he hadn’t shared his plans with his mom.
His mom spun around and marched out of the room, then they heard her say, “Shannon and Wesley are now engaged! Woo hoo! We’re gonna get grandbabies!”
Wesley chuckled. “I guess she’s excited.”
“I guess so.” Shannon laughed.
He pulled her back into his arms again. “Now, where were we?”
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