Noah turned away. “I’m going to get dressed just in case the klutz needs me. No sense in everyone getting a peep show.”
Abigail blushed. Elsie laughed, but it shook her body and she gasped. Tears sprang to her eyes. Maybe she’d bruised her ribs, too. Not to mention her pride, since she embarrassed herself as a klutz again. And her brother parading around in a towel wasn’t helping much in terms of pulling George’s attention away from the fact he caught her and Levi kissing. But she appreciated the effort and apparently Abigail appreciated the view.
Levi shoved the empty metal pail and the shovel at George and turned. “Can you stand?” He didn’t wait for an answer, bent, and scooped her into his arms.
“Don’t drop me.” She snuggled against his chest.
“I’d protect you with my life, Elle.” His words warmed her heart. He carried her up the stairs. George and Abigail moved out of their way. Then he carried her through the bathroom—which Noah had exited—and into Abigail’s room, where he set her on the bed. He knelt in front of her a bit slowly, awkwardly, as if his knees hurt. “I’m not sure if emergency crews can get through or not, but do I need to call for an ambulance? Or do you think it’s a sprain?”
“I’m fine. Maybe I bruised my hip.”
“So, you don’t need to be in bed?” Levi glanced toward the door. Elsie followed his gaze. No one watched, but they might be lurking just out of sight. And probably were.
But oh, the temptation to pull him to her and let nature take its course…She swallowed. Hard. “Not outside of marriage, Levi Wyse.” Her face flamed red. She hadn’t meant to say that. Some of her Englisch friends would say they were two consenting adults, but they didn’t understand the ways of the Amish most of the time. Though, most of her Englisch friends had moral values.
Levi blushed. “I didn’t mean that, Elle. I meant bed rest, not…not…” The red brightened. “I wish you would marry me,” he whispered; then something that might have been horror filled his eyes as if he hadn’t intended to say that. “But of course, that is impossible.” He sounded broken. “I can’t marry.”
And there was that can’t word again. Mixed with the horror…Well, it spoke volumes about her chances. His feelings about her were plain. Wait. He wished she would marry him? Joy suddenly filled her but was quickly tamped down again by the can’t.
She opened her mouth to ask why he couldn’t marry, but George hobbled into the doorway with his walking stick raised.
Levi shot to his feet and moved out of swinging range. “We’re just talking,” he shouted.
“Eh? Speak up, boy,” George yelled.
Elsie, slowly and painfully, pushed to her feet. She stood in front of George and repeated Levi’s words quietly.
George frowned. “Talk around the others so we can chaperone, then.”
Elsie nodded, but that meant the conversation was over. There was no way Levi would discuss it now. He probably wouldn’t have anyway.
“Come along, now. I do have another couple to keep an eye on, you know.” George turned away.
“How did you do that?” Levi came up behind her. “He can hear you?”
“He lip-reads. But you have to make sure you have his attention,” Elsie explained.
“Well, I’ll be.” Levi loosely wrapped his arms around her from behind. “How did I not know that?”
“You don’t pay enough attention to others.” Elsie didn’t want to hurt him, but it was true. Still, she wanted to soften it a bit for his sake and let him a little off the hook to know that many others are equally ignorant when it comes to George. “But not many know that. I don’t think Bishop Nathan even knows.”
Levi’s hug tightened. “I pay attention—”
“No, you don’t.”
He was quiet a moment. “I still love you.”
She smiled, happiness bubbling over. He must’ve sensed it because he stiffened.
“It doesn’t change anything, but I do.” His voice hitched. “I know you wondered.”
“Because I broke up with you? Because if I could undo it, I would.” And that was a broad hint.
He rested his forehead against the back of her head. “No.”
“Then why…” Elsie started, but then she stopped. That conversation still had to wait. She turned to give him a quick hug. “I still love you, too. But we need to get out there before George comes looking for us again.” She also needed to tell Levi that she’d given Sam her word that she’d work for him, even if she couldn’t mention she’d go with him to Chicago. The love between her and Levi was destined for doom. She’d be Englisch, and he couldn’t marry.
“I’m going to shower; I’ll be right there.” He released her.
Her face heated more as she imagined Levi with a towel around his waist.
He chuckled, probably knowing exactly what she was thinking. He used to claim that he could read her expressions. Maybe he still could.
She swung away and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Abigail had already cleared the table and was pulling the baked macaroni and cheese out of the oven. Elsie went that way to help her, but she had it under control.
George already sat at the table, loudly proclaiming the benefits of bean soup to anyone listening. Elsie guessed it’d be on the menu for tomorrow. Maybe for the whole time they were iced in. Noah was belatedly rubbing Stormy dry with a rag. The puppy seemed to think it was a game and tried to fight the towel, growling as she grabbed it and shook it.
“Will you carry the food to the table for me, Elsie?” Without waiting for an answer, Abigail set the casserole dish on an empty burner on the stove top and shut the oven, then rolled over to where Noah and Stormy played. She giggled.
Elsie switched the gas to off—one of Levi’s new-to-her quirks since the explosion that killed most of his family—then grabbed the pot holders and carried the hot dish over. She returned to the stove to drain the water off the green beans and put them in a serving dish.
Levi came into the room as she set it on the table.
George was ready from his end of the table. “Let’s pray!” He bowed his head as everyone hurried to a place. Abigail between George and Elsie. Noah across the table, and Levi at the head, catty-corner from Elsie.
Elsie dipped her head. Our Father, who art in—Levi’s hand closed around hers, stalling her prayer. Danki that Levi still loves me. Help us to work our relationship out and—
“Amen!” George shouted. “Let’s eat!”
Levi’s thumb slid over her skin, rekindling flames.
“And let go of that girl’s hand!” George glared at Levi. “I’ll take a switch to you, boy!”
“You mean walking stick?” Levi made eye contact with George.
George chortled.
And Levi released her hand with a sheepish look.
No wonder Daed laughed when Elsie called home and told him who they’d found to chaperone. She and Noah had thought he’d be worried. But George was far more observant than she and Noah thought he’d be.
* * *
After supper, Levi stared out the window at the darkness. Despite the heavy panes of glass, he could feel the chill in the air. He might not survive this ice storm. Well, physically he might if he exercised common sense, but not mentally or emotionally. As their late supper was finished and the kitchen cleaned up, the cracking of tree branches came more and more frequently. Englisch power lines were down—the neighbors’ floodlights had gone out midmeal. Trees were likely falling.
And Levi was pretty confident he’d fall and die out there if he did attempt to escape to the barn to work on the trains after everyone else went to bed.
Two are better than one…Noah had rescued him earlier, and he’d rescued Elsie. He and Noah had both helped George.
How would the rest of the verse Noah had memorized come into play? For as long as Levi could remember, Stephen had never quoted scripture to Levi. His daed had, a lot. But Elsie’s daed, never. And to make Noah memorize a portion of scripture to quote to Levi
…It seemed almost prophetic.
Noah’s laugh cut into Levi’s thoughts. “I’ll get it for you. Then we probably should get to work cutting and wrapping taffy.”
Get what for who? Confused, Levi turned from the window. He instantly felt warmer. The woodstove would keep them warm enough and he had plenty of firewood stacked beside the back door under the overhang.
Noah took a cup from George and another from Abigail and filled them both with the last of the fruit punch. He glanced at Levi as he returned to the table. “Come join us. We’ll get done a lot faster.”
Levi swallowed, his thoughts heading to the barn and his pending Christmas Eve deadline. Finishing the trains in time was an impossibility.
Noah took a seat. “Abby told me about your train order. We will help you tomorrow. You, Elsie, and I can either work out there or bring stuff inside the house so George and Abby can help. We have to go out to take care of the horses anyway.” He buttered the scissors, then started cutting the taffy ropes into one-inch pieces.
Elsie buttered her hands while Abigail started cutting the wax paper. George picked up the Amish newspaper, The Budget, and started reading.
Levi added another log to the fire, checked on the puppy asleep on the rag, then washed his hands and sat next to Elsie. He buttered his hands and helped her wrap the cut taffy. He didn’t want Elsie out on this ice, so if she helped, he’d have to bring things in. Abigail wasn’t really fond of him working inside the house—an understatement—but since Noah was there, she might make an exception.
He opened his mouth to ask but then realized Abigail was crying. And talking. And laughing. All at the same time. “My first sleepover since before the accident! This will be so fun!”
His, too, in like ever, but he wasn’t going to laugh or cry about it.
He shut his mouth as Noah gave her a tender smile and Elsie gave her a quick side hug. There’d be time enough to discuss his ideas and plans in the morning. In the meantime, he should just relax—if he could figure out how—and enjoy their company.
Especially his strawberry-blond elf.
The love of his life.
Make that forbidden love. He sighed. Heavily.
Elsie.
* * *
The next morning, Elsie awoke to the wind howling. The doors to the woodstove squeaked as someone opened or closed it. She sat up in bed. Abigail and her wheelchair were already gone, the nightgown she’d slept in folded on her pillow. How had she slipped out without Elsie realizing? Though, it had taken a while for Elsie to relax enough to doze. Not to mention the pain in her hip had made it hard to get comfortable. And Abigail had talked and talked about the taffy pull and the weather until she fell asleep, midword.
George had been awake and bellowing about something in what seemed just a short time after they fell asleep. Elsie had popped a pillow over her head and ignored him. Abigail apparently hadn’t.
Elsie crawled out of bed, shivering. They had shut the door for obvious reasons and the heat from the woodstove hadn’t reached them. Besides, Elsie slept in shorts, her sports bra, and a tank top with her hair in a long braid. It wouldn’t do for George or Levi to see her so indecent and her hair down.
She quickly made the bed, then opened the door to dash across the hall to the bathroom for a quick shower. Nobody was in sight. She crossed the space, shut the bathroom door, and locked it behind her, then turned as Levi came in the other door.
He caught his breath, his gaze skimming over her.
His gray eyes widened, then made the return trip, this time slowly, lingering. They rose to meet hers, the heat in them almost searing her.
His hands trembled. He gulped, his Adam’s apple jumping.
Then he murmured something she couldn’t understand, turned, and walked out, closing and locking the door behind him.
Chapter 18
Levi backed away from the now-locked bathroom door, his eyes, thoughts, body—well, everything—burning.
Elsie—his Elsie—was hot. Sizzling hot.
Don’t kindle a fire you can’t put out.
The conversation he’d initiated with Noah during the quiet of the postmidnight hours replayed in his mind. The same conversation he’d had with Elsie’s daed, Stephen, when Levi and Elsie started getting serious over two years after dating three years before that. Even though the darkness should’ve made it easier, it was a difficult conversation to have with his sister’s boyfriend, who also happened to be his girlfriend’s brother. The same brother who’d caught him passionately kissing Elsie. Twice.
Kindling a fire he couldn’t put out. The temptation seemed extra hard now for some reason.
Although self-defining Elsie as his girlfriend seemed wrong. She wasn’t his girlfriend. She was…what? She’d stepped right back into her former position of almost-fiancée in his heart and thoughts seemingly without effort. Probably in the eyes of the community, too. What should a fiancée who wasn’t one be called? Make-believe? No. Pretend? That wasn’t right, either. Faux fiancée? Maybe. She had him wishing he could marry her. Tomorrow wouldn’t be soon enough.
Nevertheless, that was why he’d left the bathroom in such a rush. The flames were still roaring and he’d only looked.
If he’d touched, it would have been a raging inferno. As it was he could still remember the press of that body—those curves—against him when they kissed.
Love is a decision. A decision he made a long time ago and never wavered from. Not even when they parted ways. He’d coped by avoiding her.
Love is more than physical desire. That one was hard to remember, especially since he wanted her with every fiber of his body. It helped to remind himself that love was listening to her overreact or get dramatic. The last time she lashed out, he just let her leave. He should have explained his actions and tried to convince her that he did love her instead of letting her walk away.
Love was caring for her every need like he did with Abigail. In sickness and in health. For better and for worse.
Love honors and respects. And that was why he’d walked out of the bathroom when everything within him wanted to take that shower with her.
Even though Levi had initiated the conversation, Noah had ended it by reciting the “love chapter 1 Corinthians 13. The whole chapter. Noah had quoted the whole thing. Impressive. But a few phrases lingered.
“Suffereth long.” He’d obviously failed there. So obviously. That hurt. Him. And her.
“Doth not behave unseemly.” Massive fail there with his passionate kisses. The way he touched her, dreamed of her. Shame burned.
“Hopeth all things.” Could he? Ha.
Love never fails. He failed. In ever so many ways.
Faith, hope and charity. He had the faith, sorta; hope, not really; and charity? Gott, I need help. I want to love like that.
The wind howled louder and Levi turned away from the still-shut bathroom door to peer out the small window on the outside door. There was nothing but darkness. He never thought he’d miss the neighbors’ floodlights. At least the loud cracking of tree branches had ended. He’d have to wait until daybreak to find out the extent of the ice storm damage. If he even could, because judging by the wind, the blizzard had arrived.
Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he turned.
George stood there, walking stick clutched in one hand and what must be the lioness clutched in the other. “Everyone accounted for but the redhead,” he shouted.
Technically, strawberry blond, but that aside, it was much too early for George’s loudness. This would be a very long day. And did Levi really need to announce in return that Elsie was in the bathroom? He didn’t think so.
“At least she isn’t in that boy’s arms!” George yelled.
Levi’s face heated. He caught George’s attention. “Danki for adding that.” He was being sarcastic.
“You’re welcome.” Apparently sarcasm wasn’t picked up by lip-reading.
From somewhere in the kitchen Abigail gi
ggled. Noah appeared behind George, chuckling—and probably checking for himself.
Levi’s cheeks burned hotter, and he turned back toward the outside door, wishing he could escape to the barn.
The bathroom door lock clicked. Levi resisted the urge to turn. It was best not to see—again—what he couldn’t unsee. However, he didn’t hear George or Noah react, so maybe the door didn’t open. She might’ve escaped out the other door. Still, to be safe, he’d knock.
He turned and waited until Noah and George left, then knocked. No answer. He opened the door a crack and peeked in. The room was empty, the other door wide open. Steam from the shower filled the small space, along with the scent of something fruity. Her shampoo, probably. Didn’t they make peppermint-scented shampoo, or was she taking him seriously about not wearing it?
It wasn’t helping. He still wanted to kiss her. Her. Not the peppermint. Her.
Besides, he missed the scent. It was uniquely Elsie, not just any woman.
He went into the bathroom, made his preparations for the day, and when he finished he returned to the kitchen as Elsie entered the room from the other side.
Their eyes made contact.
And the world around them faded away.
* * *
Elsie stared into Levi’s beautiful gray eyes. She belatedly crossed her arms over her chest to hide herself, even though she was modestly dressed now in the same clothes she wore yesterday. Her hair was twisted and pinned in place, her kapp covering it. She should’ve thought to cover herself in the bathroom, but the idea never crossed her mind. What did Levi think when he saw her in her nightclothes? Was he horrified and worried about her being a bad influence to Abigail? She probably was. Abigail had commented about how much easier shorts and a tank top were to sleep in than a long nightgown that tangled around the knees or higher.
In fact, between her and Noah, both of the Wyse siblings had gotten eyefuls. If news got announced at top volume someplace like at church—she glanced at George—she and Noah could be in serious trouble.
Well, at least Noah would be. No one had seen her except Levi, and she was pretty sure he wouldn’t tell.
The Amish Christmas Gift Page 16
