His eyes told me he was being sincere. Hunter might have ulterior motives, but he did want me to have some fun before all hell broke loose in my life. The temptation was so strong that I tried to rationalize why it was all right to do it. I even considered for an instant that I might be able to go with Hunter as friends and keep it from Noah, but only for a second. I’d never do something so dishonest to the man I loved. A dumb dance wasn’t important. I felt guilty for even allowing the thought to cross my mind.
“I’m sorry, but…”
The clip-clops on the driveway caught my attention. Hunter and I looked at each other quickly before we left the stall and peeked out the doorway.
To my utter amazement, Noah was in an open buggy, being pulled up the driveway by a bay horse. My mind ran through all the possibilities as I began to go through the opening to greet him.
Hunter pulled me back and said, “Rose, will you go to the prom with me?”
Sadness touched my heart when I saw the emotions swirling around in his eyes. Hunter really did have deep feelings for me. But there wasn’t anything I could do for him. At that moment of seeing Noah, even at a distance, I knew where I belonged. I would forever love Noah, and I’d never do anything to cause him pain intentionally.
“Thank you so much for the offer. You’re right, it would have been very special for me, and you would have been the perfect guy to go to a dance with, but I can’t. I’m in love with Noah…and I’d never do that to him.”
Hunter’s eyes darkened a shade to become brownish-green, but he slowly nodded his head in acceptance.
Hunter let go and stepped away, but too late.
Noah had seen us and drove the buggy right up to the barn doorway. I turned away from Hunter’s dejected face to Noah’s angry one. I knew how it must have looked to Noah, but I stood up straighter, feeling confident I hadn’t done a thing wrong.
Noah jumped from the buggy and said, “Is everything all right, Rose?”
He stopped beside me and glanced between me and Hunter.
Hunter’s expression changed to defiance, and I inwardly cringed, hoping that he behaved himself.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Hunter came by looking for Sam.”
“So, you’re Hunter?” Noah’s voice was cool, but I worried that it was an act.
“Nice to meet you,” Hunter said, thrusting his hand forward.
Noah hesitated for a second but, in the end, grasped it.
Seeing the two of them shaking hands was an odd and short-lived moment, when Hunter said, “You’d better take good care of her.”
“Rose is none of your concern.”
Hunter smiled slightly, and I remembered his persistent personality.
“That’s where you’re wrong. What happens to her will always matter to me.”
“Whoa, guys. Let’s keep this friendly,” I pleaded as I pushed Hunter toward his truck with my hands. “You better get going, Hunter. I’ll tell Sam you stopped by.”
Hunter became solid rock beneath my fingers, not budging. I looked up and begged him with my eyes, but I knew immediately he wouldn’t listen.
“I think I’ll hang around awhile until he shows up. After all, the two of you aren’t supposed to see each other without a chaperone. Or is it that you aren’t even supposed to be together?”
Hunter’s voice was sarcastic. Any sympathy I’d had for him earlier was erased, but I didn’t have the chance to say anything about it.
Noah stepped forward and said, “Rose asked you to leave. That says it all.”
The movement of Hunter’s body was too fast for me to stop. There was a blur as he shoved Noah hard. Noah lost his balance, but caught himself with his hand before his whole body hit the ground. He shot up and knocked his body full force into Hunter, and the two of them fell to the ground together.
“Stop it, both of you, please!” I begged, but it was no use.
They rolled around on the ground, striking and grabbing in a fit of mutual craziness. I barely noticed the sound of the dually truck as it accelerated up the driveway and came to a screeching halt a few feet from the wrestling match.
Sam was out of the truck in a heartbeat, and at the same moment was joined by Justin who was out of breath from sprinting from the house, barefoot and still in his pajama pants.
The two of them descended onto Noah and Hunter swiftly. Sam got a hold of Hunter and put him in an arm lock, while Justin struggled to pull Noah away.
My legs finally loosened, and I jumped in, helping Justin with Noah. When my hands closed around Noah’s waist, he stopped fighting and leaned against me.
“What the hell is going on here?” Sam yelled. He continued to restrain Hunter for a few more seconds until his friend sagged in his arms.
“I heard you scream, Rose, and it got me out of bed in a hurry,” Justin said in a calm voice that sounded strange above the heavy breathing from Noah and Hunter.
I pressed my hands softly into Noah’s belly and asked, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“He was giving it right back to me,” Hunter gasped.
“You’re the one who started it,” I shouted at Hunter, angrier with him than I’d been the night he’d gotten drunk and forced his kiss on me.
“Open your eyes, Rose. You’re going to ruin your life with him—you can’t even be yourself with him and tell the…”
Sam pulled Hunter backward and twisted with him at the same time, instantly quieting him.
“You need to be on your way, bro,” Sam said. When Hunter began to protest, Sam talked over him and said loudly, “No, seriously, man, this is not the time.”
When Sam reached Hunter’s car, he shoved him into the driver’s seat and then leaned in, mumbling some words I couldn’t make out. Hunter met my gaze for an instant before he shook his head and slammed the door shut.
I had mixed emotions watching him race down the driveway and then peel on to the roadway. He’d been instrumental in helping me get over Noah when I’d thought he’d left me, and the time I’d spent with him had meant something to me; but he’d gone too far today. If Hunter couldn’t accept that Noah was the only man for me, then we couldn’t be friends anymore. I wouldn’t risk losing Noah for Hunter—my feelings didn’t run that deeply for him.
“I’m sorry, Rose. I don’t know what came over me.”
Justin took a step back and said, “It looks like my superhero skills are no longer needed.”
As he passed by Sam, Sam growled, “A little girl could have done better than that.”
“Sorry, I put more emphasis on my mind than my muscles. I guess that would explain your unusually low IQ,” Justin said casually, but he began running when Sam faked him out with a chase.
“Damn, he’s irritating,” Sam said. He walked back toward us, and when I looked at his face, I was suddenly very much afraid.
“Why is Hunter so protective of you?” Noah asked me quietly.
“So, are you going to tell him, Rose, or am I going to have to do it?”
22
Sarah
During the entire youth dinner I’d tried not to look at him, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from straying his way from time to time. To my chagrin, Micah was always grinning back at me.
It would be much easier for me to do as Mother asked and ignore the boy if he’d return the favor. I didn’t have the ability to be outright rude to a person, especially when they were being nice to me. Leading Micah on any further was wrong, and I needed to do something about it before the situation drove me crazy.
The voices of the women while they worked to clean up the Schrocks’ basement distracted me. As I placed the last dinner dish into the box, Martha Lambright’s softly spoken words became suddenly distinct, and I paused to listen.
“I apologize for disagreeing with you,
Ruth, but I believe the worst thing that could happen to our community at this time is for Rose to rejoin us.”
Ruth Hershberger replied in a louder voice, and I noticed several of the other women had stopped working to spy on the conversation. I glanced over my shoulder to see Ruth take a step closer to Martha.
“You supported the girl before—what’s changed your mind?”
Martha continued to fold the tablecloth neatly as she spoke. “I can understand Elijah Schwartz’s concern over the matter. After all, Noah asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. That’s serious business, in my book. Perhaps if Rose was out of the picture, Noah and Constance would find their way back together again, and the clash within the church would be mended.”
Heat spread within me, and I couldn’t help but turn around. For all of Martha’s smiles and compliments, she was an intimidating woman. Being the bishop’s wife carried with it a level of leadership that none of the other women possessed.
I said a quick silent prayer for the Lord to give me wisdom in my words before I interrupted the two, saying, “You’re wrong on that account, Martha. Noah would never have Constance back, because he loves Rose. The only reason their relationship fell apart was by her family’s doing.”
Martha’s eyes narrowed, and her face tightened for a second before it became soft and smiling again. That second was enough to give me goose bumps.
“It’s nice of you to speak for your brother and your friend, but honestly, you are too young to understand the ways of the heart. If you really wanted what was best for your brother, you’d wish that he’d forget the English girl and patch things up with Constance. He’ll find only pain with Rose.”
Ruth snorted loudly and then said, “From what my James has told me, your own husband isn’t in agreement with you on the matter.”
“You know from experience, dear Ruth, that wives and husbands don’t always see eye to eye.” Martha paused and looked around at the other women gathered as she spread out her hands and asked the group, “How would any of you have felt if your beau was spirited away by a pretty English girl? The Schwartzes are not out of line in their feelings—we’d probably all feel the same way if such a thing was done to our daughter.”
My eyes widened, and I glanced at Ruth who stood confidently facing Martha. Suzanna and Miranda, who’d paused from their work at the sink with everyone else, had silently moved to my side during the conversation. Suzanna’s warm fingers squeezed my hand briefly in reassurance.
When I looked around the room, I wasn’t so sure which way the crowd would go. Libby Weaver was grinning from ear to ear, obviously elated that Martha was stating her own thoughts exactly. It wasn’t surprising since she’d been against Rose ever since Noah had refused advances from her own daughter, Ella. The Yoder women kept their faces neutral but were standing close to Libby, and that worried me. Christina Bontrager’s face was pointed at the ground, and she shifted the weight between her feet, showing her discomfort with the entire situation.
“Whether we agree or not, it’s still our place to side with our husbands on matters of the church. You, of all people, should know that. Besides, it’s in God’s hands now. But I would hope that if Rose ever does come back to us, you’ll show her the warm kindness that you’re known for,” Ruth said carefully.
“Of course I will. If it’s meant for Noah and Rose to be together, then it will work itself out in their favor.” Martha turned and crossed the room, pulling me into a hug. I stood awkwardly in her arms, the strong smell of laundry detergent from her dress filling my nose. She whispered for my ear only, “I’m sorry to have upset you, Sarah, but if your mother were here, she’d have said so much herself. Just the other day we talked, and she spoke her mind. See, I’m not standing against your family’s own wishes.”
The false niceness in her voice and the pleasant smile didn’t fool me in the least. Anger swelled inside of me, and I pulled away, saying, “Of course, Martha. I know you’re a friend of my family.”
I hurried across the basement with wet eyes, remembering my conversation with Mother. It was difficult to believe that Mother could be influenced by Martha’s cunning ways, but perhaps she had been. Or maybe, she truly felt that Noah would be happier in the end with Constance instead of Rose.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I still had to stop Micah from pursuing me. There was no way we could be together now. I would never go against Mother’s wishes.
“Are you all right?” Suzanna asked from behind me with a worried frown.
I stopped and looked over my shoulder. “Yes, I’m fine. You go on and finish up. Don’t mind me at all.”
“What you said was right, you know. Noah will never be separated from Rose again.” Miranda nodded agreement.
“I wish others would mind their business where Noah and Rose are concerned. Haven’t they done enough damage as it is?” I asked my friends, feeling that the world was spinning out of control.
Suzanna lowered her voice and looked around before saying, “They should stay out of your business, as well, if you want my opinion.”
I reached for her hand. “I agree with you. But they won’t, you know. Even though I’m not English like Rose, because of this mess between our families, Micah and I can’t be together.”
“Don’t you say that— Trust me, it’ll work itself out in time. You have to be patient and not let the will of others pull you away from him.” She moved closer and added, “You’ve always been the best of us, Sarah, the good girl. Yet you never judged me and Miranda or gave us a hard time the way the other girls have. Even though we were rebellious, you never turned your back on us. You deserve happiness. Please don’t let them take that away from you.”
Her conviction startled me, and I found myself saying, “I’ll remember your words.”
“You better. We’ll meet up with you in a bit,” Suzanna said before she returned to her duties. Miranda lingered for a second more and smiled sadly.
“Don’t give up hope. Even when life seems darkest, there’s always hope,” Miranda said in her whispery way and then followed Suzanna back to the sink.
Susanna and Miranda’s encouragement made me brave. Smoothing my hands down my hunter-green dress, I searched the basement and found Micah leaning against the far wall with a few of the other guys.
His gaze immediately locked on mine, and I raised my chin slightly pointing toward the door. When he nodded almost imperceptibly, I breathed again. He understood. I only hoped he’d be discreet about following me.
Before I could escape, Rachel appeared at my side and asked, “Where are you going? Mother told us it’s our turn to help put the benches up.”
Rachel was two years younger than me and had darker hair and eyes than I did. Out of all the Miller children, she was the only ill-tempered one, constantly upset about something. The frown she was gracing me with told me she was in an especially sour mood at the moment. Whether she’d overheard the exchange between Martha, Ruth and me was anyone’s guess.
But I was still her senior, and answered with authority. “Surely you can handle it on your own with the others. I have…something to check on in the barn.”
Rachel’s face grew suspicious, and she said, “What do you have to check on?”
Leaning closer to my sister, I whispered fiercely, “It’s none of your concern. Now, get back to work and leave me be.”
Rachel’s mouth lifted into a smirk that made the hair on my arms rise.
“Be good, Sarah. Mother would be disappointed if you weren’t.”
She turned and left me standing alone. The two of us had been closer when we were little ones, having enjoyed each other’s company when we played dolls or rode our ponies together, but lately, my sister always wore an angry scowl when she looked my way. Perhaps she was jealous that Mother was more lenient with me, but that was only because Rachel was so la
zy about doing the housework and chores. It got on Mother’s nerves something awful. Besides, Father had not been shy about showing his favor for Rachel when he’d invite her to go hunting with him and the boys or tag along on trips to the stockyards.
I tried to dismiss the encounter with Rachel and pushed the door open. The drizzle falling from the dark clouds dampened my mood even more as I lightly stepped around the puddles to reach the stable. The smell of hay and leather greeted me when I entered the dimly lit interior of the barn.
Being extra careful, I made my way to the stall where Father’s horse, Strider, was tied and pretended to check his hoof for a stone.
Just as I had the weight of the hoof between my hands, Micah’s voice whispered from behind, causing me to drop it.
“You wanted me?”
I could only look at his smiling face for an instant before I locked my gaze on the ground.
“Oh, well, not exactly…wanted you. I mean…I wanted to…talk to you is all,” I stammered out, utterly embarrassed.
Micah glanced around before taking a step closer. My back was against Strider’s warm shoulder, so there was nowhere for me to go.
“It’s all right. I understand what you’re saying. What do you want to talk about?”
My mind went blank as I met Micah’s stare. After a moment of absorbing his sandy-brown hair, high cheekbones and full lips, the thought occurred to me that he truly was handsome.
I suddenly didn’t want to tell him to go away forever and forget me.
He must have seen something pass over my face. His brows lifted, and the smile disappeared.
“What’s wrong, Sarah?”
Mother’s words echoed in my head, the less you have to do with the Schwartz young’uns, the better.
I was torn, desperately wanting the opportunity to be with Micah, but not wanting to disobey Mother.
Forever Page 9
