by Marta Perry
Still, even her brief encounter with him was enough to convince her that the Aaron who’d returned wasn’t the Aaron who’d left. He’d had a quick temper back then, but it had been as quickly gone, leaving sunshine behind it. Now—well, now he looked like a man with a chip on his shoulder, daring someone to knock it off.
Maybe he’d found that attitude necessary in the Englisch world, but it would be very out of place here. He’d have to get used to the give-and-take of Amish family life in order to get along. To say nothing of the sheer noise with so many people in the house—two kinder and a new boppli soon to arrive. If he’d been living a solitary bachelor existence among the Englisch, he’d find this very different.
And the King household was more than usually wound up at the moment, with Daniel’s wedding approaching as fast as Jessie and Caleb’s baby. Some days she thought it was turning into a race to see which would be first. But they’d cope, however it turned out. Everyone from the church would pitch in to help, and as neighbors, they’d expect to be called on.
Sally gave herself a little shake and firmly removed her attention from the house across the road. The upper grades needed some extra map work—she’d been appalled at how much they’d forgotten over the summer vacation. Still, it was always the way, and—
Sally’s pencil dropped to the desk as she swung around. That sound...what was it? A soft cry? She shot from her chair when it came again...a half-choked sob. Elizabeth? Hurrying to the door, Sally rushed into the hall. The door to Ben and Elizabeth’s bedroom was closed, but it couldn’t muffle the noise of Elizabeth’s crying.
Tapping at the door, she called out. “Elizabeth? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
A moment’s silence. “No, I...I’m... It’s nothing. It...” The words dissolved in tears. Her heart twisting, Sally turned the knob, murmured a prayer for help and walked in.
Elizabeth sat on the side of the bed, her apron askew, a pillow from the bed held against her lips as if to muffle her sobs. Horrified, Sally rushed to her, sitting so that she could wrap her arms around Elizabeth.
“Komm, now, tell me. Something is wrong. Let me help you,” she coaxed, keeping her voice soft even as her thoughts tumbled. Should she run to find Ben? This weeping was unheard of for practical, controlling Elizabeth.
“Please, Elizabeth. Tell me why you’re crying. I want to help.”
“I’m not...not crying.” Elizabeth mopped at her eyes ineffectively. “I never cry. I...I just thought for sure I was expecting at last. But I’m not.” Tears overflowed again. “Maybe I never will be.”
“Ach, no, don’t think that.” She patted her sister-in-law, hoping that was the right thing to say. “Surely it will happen for you and Ben.”
Elizabeth turned her face away, and Sally realized she didn’t want anyone to see her like this. But what could she do? She couldn’t just go away and pretend it hadn’t happened. If only Mammi were here. Mammi would know what to say. She felt very young and very useless for all that she was supposed to be a grown woman.
“Maybe...maybe it’s just not time yet,” she said. It sounded stupid to her own ears, but after all, some women did take longer to start a family than others. “Or maybe there’s some little thing wrong that the doctor can fix. Did you talk to a doctor?”
Elizabeth shook her head, wiping the last of the tears away with her fingers like a child would. “I asked the midwife. She wants me to see a doctor—she gave me the name of someone. A woman doctor, a specialist. But I don’t know. Maybe it’s not God’s will, doing that. Maybe I should just be waiting and praying.”
Sally rubbed her back gently, the way Mammi always did when she was hurting. “Surely it can’t be wrong just to talk to the doctor.” She took a breath. “Why don’t you let me call and make the appointment for you? Then I’ll go with you, so you won’t be alone.”
Elizabeth stiffened, drawing away. “Ach, I couldn’t even think of letting you do such a thing. What would your mamm say, and you not even a married woman?”
It seemed Sally had gone a step too far, but at least Elizabeth’s tears had stopped.
“Mamm would say I should do what she would if she were here, ain’t so? Let me do this for you.” And forgive me for all the times my quick tongue let me snap at you.
Why hadn’t she seen or even suspected that this was tormenting her sister-in-law? Was she really so self-centered she couldn’t look past her own wants? If she could help now, maybe it would make up for her failures.
“Please, Elizabeth.” She clasped Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth got up so quickly the mattress bounced. She pulled her hand free and shook out her wrinkled skirt. “What am I doing, sitting here being silly when there’s work to be done? Don’t you say a word about it. It was foolishness.”
“Elizabeth...”
“Forget it. You must get back to your schoolwork. You can’t let those scholars get ahead of you, ain’t so?”
“That’s certain sure.” She knew what was happening. Elizabeth had shown weakness, and it embarrassed her. More than that, she didn’t consider Sally capable of helping her.
Well, they were agreed on that. She didn’t feel capable either.
* * *
Aaron had been relieved to learn that the next day wasn’t a church Sunday—he’d be spared the task of seeing the entire Amish community until the following week. If he stayed that long.
But he hadn’t gotten off entirely. By noon the neighbors were arriving for a picnic, and there was no getting out of it. After all, these were people who’d known him all his life, and they expected to celebrate his return.
Visit, he kept telling himself. Visit, not return.
Wondering if Caleb had any chores for him in the barn, he headed out of the house, only to meet Sally, arriving from across the road with a basket in one hand and a bowl in the other.
“Aaron. Just what I need—an extra pair of hands. Grab the potato salad, will you? It’s slipping.”
Assuming she meant the bowl, he took it from her. “Can I take the basket, as well?” It was only common courtesy to help her, after all.
“I’ve got it.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes dancing. “I can tell you’re thrilled to have all the neighbors coming in to have a look at you.”
Apparently there was no hiding anything from this grown-up Sally, so he managed a smile. “I guess I can stand it if they can. Is Ben coming?”
“Yah, he and Elizabeth will be along in a minute. She was putting the finishing touches on her salad.”
“Judging by the food Jessie has been producing all morning, I’d say there’s going to be plenty to eat.” He fell into step with her as they headed into the kitchen.
“Did you ever know an Amish meal where there wasn’t? Or have you forgotten what it’s like in all these years away? Maybe you lived on frozen dinners and fast food out there.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “Unless I’ve forgotten a lot, it seems to me I used to be the one doing all the teasing, not you.”
“You’d best hurry and catch up, then,” she said, giving him a pert look over her shoulder as she went through the door ahead of him.
Aaron stopped for a second. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that Sally was flirting with him. Worse, that he felt like flirting right back.
Oh, no. He sure wasn’t going there. A few quick strides took him into the kitchen and to the counter, where he deposited the bowl. “I’ll help Caleb with the tables,” he muttered, and scooted out without meeting Sally’s glance again.
Caleb and Onkel Zeb were setting up tables on the grass, and he hurried to grab one end before his uncle could reach it. “I’ll get it.” He glanced across the field. “Looks like some more company on their way.”
“Yah, the Fisher family are eager to see you, that’s certain sure.” Onkel Zeb grinned. “And Daniel is twice as eager to s
ee Rebecca. He’s that excited about getting married you’d think no one had ever done it before.”
“So Daniel is becoming a daadi. That’s still hard to imagine.” Aaron was still having trouble just picturing his brother married, let alone being an instant father.
“Like I said, he’s gut with little Lige, Rebecca’s boy. The child loves him already, and Rebecca... Well, you’ll see the way they look at each other.” Onkel Zeb gave him a sly glance. “Seems to me it’s become a tradition, the King boys getting married.”
“Count me out,” he said quickly. “It’s not for me.” Sally’s lively face appeared in his mind’s eye, and he chased it away.
“More work, less talk,” Caleb said. “There’s still the benches to set up.”
“Right.” Aaron picked up one of the benches and carried it to its proper place. He’d be just as happy to have enough jobs to keep him from needless conversation with the neighbors, but he didn’t guess that was possible.
In any event, meeting and greeting wasn’t as difficult as Aaron had expected, even though he felt foolishly awkward at times. Mostly people hadn’t changed much—just gotten older. There was Sam Fisher from next door, who was Caleb’s age and had a flock of kids already. He and his Leah must have married early, since their oldest boy was a gangly youth entering his teens and looking much as Sam had at that age.
Daniel’s Rebecca had grown up into a beauty, that was for sure. Not lively, like Sally, but with a serene calm that turned into joy each time her eyes met Daniel’s. It was oddly disturbing to see that flare of love returned by his easygoing brother. Lige, the little boy, seemed attached to Daniel’s pant leg most of the time, chattering away a mile a minute.
Onkel Zeb caught him watching Daniel and Rebecca. “They’re gut together, yah? It’s a wonder to see Daniel so happy, and Rebecca, too.”
“I’m still trying to get used to Caleb being married and having a family. Now Daniel.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure what kind of an uncle I’m going to be, but I’m certain sure I won’t do as gut a job as you did with us.”
“It’ll come to you,” his uncle said. “Most things are natural when it’s family.”
He wasn’t so convinced of that, but he could hardly argue with his uncle after all Zeb had done for them. His gaze strayed to Sally’s brother, Ben, and his wife.
“Ben hasn’t changed,” he said. “His wife...”
Onkel Zeb grinned. “Tried to get your whole life story out of you, did she? Ach, Elizabeth’s a gut woman, but she has an opinion on everything. I expect she and Sally are butting heads plenty these days. Elizabeth and Ben are staying in the farmhouse with Sally while her and Ben’s folks are away.”
“Sally said something about it.” And based on his brief encounter with Elizabeth, he could understand if she got on Sally’s nerves.
“Speaking of Sally, here she is,” Zeb said. “Are you looking for me or for my handsome nephew, Teacher Sally?”
Sally smiled, squeezing his arm. “You’re my sweetheart, Zeb. But it’s Aaron I need to see at the moment.”
Still trying to get used to the grown-up Sally, he couldn’t find a response for a second or two—long enough for Onkel Zeb to move off. “I’ll leave you to talk about it, then.”
“I’m not sure what...” he began, but Sally plunged right in.
“Komm, now, Aaron. I thought you might be ready to keep your promise to me.”
“Promise?” He looked at her blankly.
“You can’t have forgotten. You promised you’d wait until I grew up and then you’d marry me.”
He stared at her, appalled for what seemed forever until he saw the laughter in her eyes. “Sally Stoltzfus, you’ve turned into a threat to my sanity. What are you trying to do, scare me to death?”
She gave a gurgle of laughter. “You looked a little bored with the picnic. I thought I’d wake you up.”
“Not bored,” he said quickly. “Just...trying to find my way. So you don’t expect me to marry you. Anything else I can do that’s not so permanent?”
“As a matter of fact, there is. I want you to help me train Star.”
So that was it. He frowned, trying to think of a way to refuse that wouldn’t hurt her feelings.
“You saw what Star is like,” she went on without waiting for an answer. “I’ve got to get him trained, and soon. And everyone knows that you’re the best there is with horses.”
“I don’t think everyone believes any such thing,” he retorted. “They don’t know me well enough anymore.”
She waved that away. “You’ve been working with horses while you were gone. And Zeb always says you were born with the gift.”
“Onkel Zeb might be a little bit prejudiced,” he said, trying to organize his thoughts. There was no real reason he couldn’t help her out, except that it seemed like a commitment, and he didn’t intend to tie himself anywhere, not now.
“You can’t deny that Star needs help, can you?” Her laughing gaze invited him to share her memory of the previous day.
“He needs help all right, but I don’t quite see the point. Can’t you use the family buggy when you need it?” He suspected that if he didn’t come up with a good reason, he’d find himself working with that flighty gelding.
Her face grew serious suddenly. “As long as I do that, I’m depending on someone else. I want to make my own decisions about when and where I’m going. I’d like to be a bit independent, at least in that. I thought you were the one person who might understand.”
That hit him right where he lived. He did understand—that was the trouble. He understood too well, and it made him vulnerable where Sally was concerned. He fumbled for words. “I’d like to help. But I don’t know how long I’ll be here and—”
“That doesn’t matter.” Seeing her face change was like watching the sun come out. “I’ll take whatever time you can spare. Denke, Aaron. I’m wonderful glad.”
He started to say that his words hadn’t been a yes, but before he could, Sally had grabbed his hand and every thought flew right out of his head.
It was just like her catching hold of Onkel Zeb’s arm, he tried to tell himself. But it didn’t work. When she touched him, something seemed to light between them like a spark arcing from one terminal to another. He felt it right down to his toes, and he knew in that instant that he was in trouble.
Chapter Three
Sally found herself fumbling for words. Her brain seemed to have stopped working the instant her hand touched Aaron. That sudden flare of something between them...had he felt it, too? Or was she imagining it? Finally she managed to mutter something.
“Denke, Aaron.” Then she fled.
By the time she’d reached the tables, she’d grabbed hold of her self-control. All she could think was that it was good she’d gotten Aaron’s agreement before she’d become too tongue-tied to say a word, let alone convince anyone of anything.
Imagine Sally Stoltzfus speechless—no one who knew her would believe it.
She kept walking, moving around the tables and picking up used dishes, mainly because she didn’t want to talk to anyone just now. What she needed was a scolding for her foolishness, but only from herself. No one else must know about that abrupt, startling stroke of attraction she’d felt when she’d touched Aaron.
And what were you doing touching him? She’d hadn’t thought—she’d just acted out of impulsive gratitude that he seemed willing to help her. And now this happened.
It had been a long time since she’d experienced that wave of...what? Infatuation? She supposed that was it. After what had happened with Frederick Yoder, she’d armored herself against such a thing. After all, for a decent Amish girl to get right up to a few weeks before her wedding and then back out didn’t do her reputation any good. She certainly couldn’t let any more rumors start about her.
But what else cou
ld she have done about Frederick? She’d let herself be carried along on a wave of feeling, happy because everyone else seemed happy for her. Then quite suddenly, between one moment and the next, she’d known it was no good. She liked Fred. He was a fine person. But when she’d thought seriously about spending the rest of her life with him she’d known it wasn’t enough.
Mamm and Daad hadn’t understood, she suspected, but they’d never let that show. They’d stood by her, apologized to everyone involved and quietly set about the task of living it down.
It had taken some doing, she knew. There were probably still those who blamed her for what she’d done, despite the fact that Fred was happily married now and the father of twins. But the experience had left her wary, and now she had to go and let her guard down. And with Aaron King, of all people.
What if he’d known? Struck with the thought, she stood stock-still, holding an armful of dishes. If she had given herself away, if Aaron had realized what she’d felt—
“Sally, you’re looking very red in the face. What’s wrong?”
It was Elizabeth, and she couldn’t let her guess the reason for her embarrassment.
“It’s a hot day for October, ain’t so? I was in the sun too long, I think. I’ll just take these things into the kitchen.”
She hurried toward the house, praying no one would follow her. And that no one was watching her and wondering.
Foolish, so foolish. If Aaron had recognized her reaction to simply touching his hand, there was no doubt what he’d think. He’d be smiling, telling himself she was still the silly little girl who’d had a crush on him all those years ago. Worse, she was starting to feel like that girl, her hard-won poise escaping her.
When the kitchen door closed behind her, Sally let out a sigh of relief. Jessie, sitting at the table, started to get up.
