Wally’s nostrils flared. “See what I mean? Self-righteous girls don’t care about boys like you and me, Ben. You’ll never be one of them, no matter how hard you try. I’m your real friend, and I was long before Linda started paying attention to you.”
“You have been a true friend to me, Wally. And you still are. You were my friend when no one else would be.”
Wally seemed to get more agitated even as Ben tried to calm him down. Wally clutched a tuft of his hair in his fist and paced back and forth in the small space. “But now you’ve found new friends, and you treat me like dirt. I’m nothing to you. A nobody. You were my only friend, and Linda ruined it. She ruined you.”
“She didn’t ruin me, Wally. We both know that the way we were carrying on couldn’t last. We were either going to get ourselves killed in some prank or get arrested. We very nearly got arrested. But Linda made me want to be a better man.” He placed a firm hand on Wally’s shoulder. “You don’t have to keep living like this. You have it in you to be a better person.”
Wally shoved Ben’s hand away. “Don’t preach to me. You’ve got nothing to say. I know who you really are. You can pretend to be righteous, but you’re the biggest hypocrite in the world.”
Wally’s words hit their mark like buckshot from a shotgun. Ben was a hypocrite. Who was he fooling, trying to be a gute man, trying to be something he wasn’t? Who was he to lecture Wally on changing his ways?
“That’s not true,” Linda said, her voice soft and soothing, like a ribbon of water trickling over the rocks. “Gotte sees Ben’s heart. The minute we repent and choose Gotte instead of our own selfishness is the minute we are changed. Ben always had a gute heart. He just didn’t believe it. Gotte sees your heart too, Wally. He knows the pain and heartache you’ve borne in your life. He knows your sorrow and your fear. He knows your heart, and He loves you.”
Ben kept his gaze focused on Wally, though he longed to see Linda’s face. It was the most sensitive, sympathetic thing he’d ever heard her say. And he believed it. She was right. Gotte loved Ben for doing his best. Gotte loved him for trying and failing and trying again. Gotte saw his broken heart, and that was enough.
Wally threw Linda’s kapp on the floor of the stall. “Save your breath. I’m not listening.”
Ben expelled a long puff of air. “This is not Linda’s fault. You’re upset with me. This is between the two of us.” He spread his arms. “If you want to punish me, punish me. Take out your anger on me. Hit me. Beat me up, but leave Linda alone.”
Before Ben could draw another breath, Wally’s fist shot out and caught Ben squarely in the nose. Searing pain accompanied a bright flash of light and the metallic taste of blood on his tongue.
“Wally!” Linda shouted.
Ben blinked to bring his eyes into focus as Wally stormed out of the stall and slammed the door behind him. He felt the warm trickle of blood from his nose as Linda pressed down on his shoulders. “Oh, sis yuscht, Ben. Sit down. You look like you’re going to pass out.”
That sounded like a gute idea since his legs felt like jelly, and from the dark spots dotting the floor of the stall, he looked to be losing a lot of blood. Linda sat down next to him, pulled a tissue from her sleeve, and handed it to him. “You keep a tissue in your sleeve?” he said.
Linda pursed her lips. “For the times when I’m out milking, and I burst into tears for no reason.”
Ben didn’t even ask what those reasons might be. He was pretty sure he knew. He pressed the tissue to his nose, but it was soaked through in a matter of seconds. “I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
Linda rolled her eyes. “It’s the consequence of practically begging Wally to hit you.”
Her unemotional common sense made him smile. “Ach, vell. I made the choice. I have to live with the consequences, right?”
Her lips twitched upward slightly. “It’s what I always say.” She pulled another tissue from her sleeve and gave it to him. Peering at him with those stunning blue eyes, she brushed her thumb gently across his cheekbone. The touch stole his breath and most of what was left of his reason. “I think your nose is broken.”
“I don’t know, but my ears are ringing.”
The second tissue was soon saturated with blood. Linda grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. “Here. Kneel up and lean your head forward. Pinch the bridge of your nose.” She took off her apron, left the stall, and came back with a bucket of water. After dipping the apron in the water to get it wet, she rolled it up and placed it on the back of his neck. “This is supposed to help. I’m not sure if it really works, but it couldn’t hurt.”
Ben smiled to himself even though his head was already pounding. Every brush of her skin against his made his heart skip a beat. Having Linda fuss over him was worth every drop of blood. Of course, Linda’s version of fussing over someone was giving them a lecture about how Gotte helps those who help themselves or finding the fastest and least fussy way to fix a problem. No fretting or sympathy from her.
Everything she did was so endearing.
He wanted to see that smile of hers. “I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to bring it up, but since you seem determined not to, I guess I’ll have to ask.”
She furrowed her brow. “What?”
“There must be an essential oil for broken noses.”
There was that brilliant, blinding smile. Ach, he would hike a hundred mountains to see it. A thousand mountains to hear her laugh. She cuffed him on the shoulder. He winced. “I’m sure there is an essential oil for broken noses, but if you keep teasing me about it, I won’t let you have any.”
“Probably a gute thing. I would rather not smell like a rose bush.”
She giggled, pressing the apron to the back of his neck and laying her hand on his arm. Ben just about went crazy at her touch. “How is the bleeding?”
Though he wanted to sit like this forever with Linda by his side and her hand on his arm, his knees were getting sore and the bleeding had slowed. “It’s better,” he said.
She took the apron off his neck and nudged his chin up with her finger. “Let me see.” He shifted from his knees to a sitting position. “Jah,” she said. “It has stopped, but your face is a mess.” She dipped the apron in the bucket of water and dabbed at his face with the fabric.
“You’re going to get blood stains on your apron.”
“Blood stains are easy to get off.” He winced when she pressed too hard near his nose. “Don’t be a baby. I’ve got to clean your face.”
“I’m not being a baby. Wally just broke my nose. Do you have any idea how bad that hurts?”
Her lips twitched in amusement. “All you do is whine.” Ben growled at her, and her smile widened. “I’m joking. I’m sure it hurts something wonderful.” Linda’s smile faded, and the lines around her eyes softened. “Denki for saving me from Wally.”
Remembering how frantic he was just a few minutes earlier, Ben took her hand and pressed it to his lips. “That was terrifying.”
She glued her gaze to their hands. “I . . . I wasn’t scared.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Linda was plenty stubborn in her own way. “Then I was scared enough for both of us.”
“I was annoyed, and it was only a matter of time before I said something I’d regret, or worse, conked him on the head with the stall fork. He ripped off my kapp along with all the pins and a gute amount of hair. I probably have a bald spot.”
Ben touched his thumb and finger to her chin and nudged her head to one side. “I don’t see any bald spots.”
“Ach, vell, the light is bad in here.”
He smiled. “I’m froh he didn’t hurt you.”
Linda paused and studied his face. “I am too. I mean, I exercise regularly, and I’m in much better shape than he is, so I would have given him a gute fight, but I’m froh it didn’t come to that. I didn’t want to hurt him.” She stood and held out her hand to help him up. “How did you know Wally was going to be here?”
&n
bsp; “He went to Zoe’s earlier. Zoe called Cathy, and Cathy drove us over.”
Linda smiled. “We girls have to stick together.” She sighed. “Cum. I’ll take you into the house and see what essential oils Mamm suggests.”
Ben laughed. “I was teasing.”
Linda pumped her eyebrows up and down. “I don’t tease about essential oils.”
Ben looked down. Blood dotted the floor of the stall, and there were red smears everywhere on his shirt.
Linda touched a spot of blood on his collar. “For an Amish man, you sure get into a lot of fights.”
“Does it make a difference that I don’t hit back?”
Something important seemed to shift in Linda’s expression. “Jah. It makes you more honorable than I could ever be.”
The intense emotion on her face made his stomach do a cartwheel. “I’m not more honorable than anybody.”
“You’re wrong, Ben. You stick by your friends, forgive your enemies, and love with your whole heart. You’re everything I want to be.” She swallowed hard. “That’s why I love you. I always will.”
To his surprise, she threw herself into his arms and buried her face in his neck, even though she was bound to get blood on her dress. Something raw and visceral squeezed at his heart. This was where he belonged, right here, holding tight to the woman he loved. He wanted nothing more than to be the one to protect and care for her the rest of her life. They held onto each other like that for a full minute, savoring the pleasure of just being together. “Please don’t marry Freeman,” he whispered.
Her body shook with silent laughter. “Isn’t it obvious that’s not going to happen?” She raised her head and eyed him in mock wariness. “Unless you aren’t planning on asking.”
Ben wasn’t a fool. He seized the opportunity before Linda changed her mind. “Will you marry me?”
Her eyes glowed with delight. “Phew. I thought I was going to have to ask.”
He squeezed her tighter. “You would have had to. I was determined not to push you into anything.”
“You were trying to be noble. It was frustrating.”
Ben laughed with unbridled joy. “You still haven’t said yes.”
Linda threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you. Now, will you please stop looking so worried?”
He lifted her off her feet and twirled her around. After setting her down, he said, “No take backs.”
She rolled her eyes. “No take backs? What, are we seven?” She frowned. “Ach, your nose is bleeding again. No lifting anything heavier than a loaf of bread until it heals.”
“I don’t think that’s a real rule.” Unable to resist, he gathered her into his arms and whispered tenderly in her ear. “I love you, Linda. I will always do my best to be the man you deserve.”
“You always were,” she whispered back. “You’re the one who didn’t believe it.”
Her lips were temptingly close to his. He bent his head and drew her closer.
“Don’t kiss me,” she said.
“Don’t kiss you?” Ben could almost taste his disappointment. The bishop—Dat—had made it clear that die youngie were not allowed to kiss before they got married, but surely Linda wasn’t that much of a stickler for the rules. He’d go insane.
She pointed to his upper lip and grimaced. “There’s too much blood.” She handed him her damp apron, and he dabbed up the new blood from his nose. “Much better,” she said. “Nobody wants to kiss somebody with a bloody nose.”
“Do you want to kiss me at all?”
In answer to his question, she snaked her hands around his neck and pulled him close. Her lips met his, and fireworks went off in his head and they had nothing to do with his broken nose. His pulse raced, his breathing stopped, and his heart exploded. This was how it felt to be totally, completely, profoundly happy.
“Ben? Linda?”
With great effort, Ben pulled away from Linda. It felt like ripping out part of his hair. “Over here, Cathy,” he called.
Zoe and Cathy appeared at the door to the stall. Zoe hooked her fingers over the top of the door. “Oh, shoot, Ben, your nose.”
Ben huffed out a breath. “Wally punched me.”
“Is it broken?”
“Probably.”
Cathy didn’t look impressed. “If you think a broken nose is bad, you should try childbirth.”
Linda picked up her kapp from the floor. “Thank you for bringing Ben here, Cathy. Wally was pretty mad.”
“Don’t thank me,” Cathy said. “Thank Zoe. She didn’t have to get involved. She’s not Amish. But she has the courage to do the right thing.”
Zoe seemed quite touched by Cathy’s praise. She lowered her head as the color traveled up her neck. “No problem. Wally can be a real jerk sometimes. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, and I knew Ben could take care of it.”
Cathy nodded. “Wally can be a real jerk, but we’ve all been there. One time I hid the remote from my husband because I was sick of The Bachelor. I’m not proud of it, but I can understand where Wally is coming from.”
Zoe glanced outside. “After we talked to your parents, we saw Wally coming out of the barn. I don’t know how, but Cathy talked him into getting into her car. He’s waiting for us.”
Cathy sighed and looked at Ben. “I’ll have to come back and get you after I drop Wally off at home. I don’t think you and Wally should be in my car at the same time, and I don’t want blood on the vinyl.”
Linda sidled closer to Ben and took his hand. “I can take him home in the buggy.”
“It’s getting dark. I don’t want you out on the roads by yourself.”
Linda grinned. “That’s very sweet. Annoying, but sweet.”
Cathy’s gaze shifted from Linda to Ben and back again. “So. Did you two work out your issues yet? The drama has been very entertaining, but it can only go on for so long before it gets tedious.”
“Ben can be a total moron,” Zoe said. “But you two belong together.”
Ben put his arm around Linda. Even though an Amish engagement was supposed to be a secret, he didn’t have the heart to keep it from Cathy or Zoe. In truth, he wanted to shout it to the world. “We’ve worked things out. We’re getting married.”
Cathy’s expression didn’t change. “Good, because I was about to recommend therapy.”
Zoe grimaced. “Well. That was fast. But I’m not going to judge. I think you Amish are weird, and you probably think I’m weird. I guess we can just live with the weirdness and still be friends.”
“For sure and certain,” Ben said.
Cathy patted Zoe on the shoulder. “You’re not weird. You’re odd. There’s a big difference.”
Hand in hand, Ben and Linda followed Zoe and Cathy out of the stall, Linda resting her head on Ben’s shoulder, a gesture that made him feel like he could face anything as long as Linda believed in him.
Cathy glanced over her shoulder. “I’m throwing you an engagement party.”
Linda lifted her head and gave Ben a panicked look. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to. After all the fun times we’ve had together, I’m probably the closest thing to a maid of honor you have.”
“I want to help,” Zoe said.
Cathy nodded. “You can be a bridesmaid. Let’s go to my house and look at Pinterest. They have party games and decoration ideas. I could make a balloon arch, or they have those balloons shaped like letters. We could spell out Linda’s name and let them go into the sky.”
“Fun,” Zoe said. “My aunt had sparklers at her wedding.”
Cathy had obviously never been to an Amish wedding. Unless she wanted to get baptized, she wouldn’t be able to do much more than attend. Linda nudged Ben with her elbow. “Should I break the news, or do you want to?” she whispered.
Ben grinned. “Ach, Cathy doesn’t get much excitement in her life. Let her dream a little.”
Linda giggled. “We might regre
t that.”
“For sure and certain.”
Chapter Nineteen
The first gute snowfall of the year came at the perfect time. It snowed all day on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday morning, so that by Saturday afternoon, the snow was just right for snowshoeing.
Linda and Ben decided it would be best to do their first snowshoe outing at the golf course. There was no danger of getting caught in an avalanche, and the course would be easier on Cathy, who had just had an ingrown toenail ripped out and didn’t want to strain herself.
They pulled up to the golf course in Cathy’s new van. “If I’m going to be driving all these Amish people around, I need a bigger car,” she had said. Esther, Levi, and Winnie had come with them, so the van definitely came in handy. Linda wasn’t sure why Cathy had designated herself as the Amish chauffeur, except that she had a gute heart and she liked to stick her nose into other people’s business.
As far as Cathy knew, Amish people led very exciting lives. Linda didn’t want to disappoint her, but Ben and Linda’s recent experiences were definitely not the normal Amish happenings. Most Amish just needed to be driven to the store or a relative’s house once in a while. There was rarely a need for someone to intercept the police or stop a fistfight. Now that Ben had stopped smoking and drinking and making trouble, Cathy’s life was going to get very boring. Unless Wally started asking her for rides.
Wally was likely to disappoint Cathy too. He had moved in with Simeon’s family and had started meeting with a recovery group in Monte Vista. Lord willing, his wild, rebellious days were at an end.
They piled out of the van and grabbed their snowshoes from the back. Linda helped Cathy on with her snowshoes first. “I still don’t understand why you’re waiting almost a whole year to get married,” Cathy said. “I had such plans.”
“I know.” Linda glanced at Ben who was holding Winnie so Esther could put on her shoes. “I hate waiting that long too. But we have to be baptized before we’re married, and Ben and I are taking baptism classes.”
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